Judge Charles Whitney (C. W.) Harthorn.

Leon Harthorn driving Harthorn's entry in a local parade circa 1930.
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Harthorn's advertisement from January 1932.
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The Harthorn Family Christmas photo taken in 1924.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

The November 10, 1933 Fillmore Herald carried the story “Pioneer Store Closes Doors November 15.” The opening paragraph reads: “It is with considerable regret the Herald chronicles this week the retirement from active business of C. W. Harthorn, pioneer merchant, on November 15th.” It’s hard to imagine such concern today about a store’s closure, but this clearly marked the end of an era for Fillmore.

C. W. (Charles Whitney) Harthorn was born in Thomaston, Maine in 1870 to a seafaring family. He went to sea at age 10 and rose through the ranks to become captain of his own clipper ship. His obituary noted that he was never in a “real shipwreck” in his 15 years at sea but did have near misses. As he described his career:

“My seafaring life began in lime coasters plying between Thomaston, Rockland and New York and Boston. Later I was in the North Atlantic trade, deals from St. John and cotton from Norfolk to Liverpool, then came several deep-water trips. Liverpool to San Francisco and return, New York to San Francisco, back to Liverpool and around the Horn again; then lumber from Puget Sound to Australia and coal back to San Pedro. Finally, I drifted into the West Indies trade out of New York and Philadelphia with occasional South América and South Africa voyage. Failing health caused me to leave this trade and wander out to Honolulu, where I passed sometime in the inter-island boats. I returned to California in 1897 and have been in the southern part of the state ever since.”

C. W. Harthorn did not always go to sea alone, on some voyages his wife, Lottie, accompanied him. It was not always smooth sailing, while in the West Indies, Lottie contracted yellow fever and almost died. Being a seaman’s wife could be perilous.

Upon leaving the sea, Harthorn went to work as a conductor for the Los Angeles Railway which led to a job as superintendent of oil leases in Ventura County. He, his wife, Lottie, and their two oldest boys, Leon and Raymond, moved to Piru. Harthorn took charge of the Eureka Lease (under the Torrey Hill lease) and the Sunset and Ukiah leases in Hopper Canyon.

As the family grew and the children became old enough for high school, the family moved to Fillmore and Harthorn joined with Walter Cornelius, who had managed the Fillmore branch of the Ventura County Co-operative Store, to purchase partnership in Richard Stephens’ store on the northwest corner of Main and Central. In 1911 they bought the business from Stephens' and renamed the business “Cash Commercial.” By 1913, Harthorn had bought out Cornelius.

Stephens’ Store had been a general store carrying both dry goods and groceries, but Harthorn phased out the dry goods side of the business and focused on the grocery needs of his customers.

In 1927, the business moved to a new location at 360 Central. According to the Herald, “The Harthorn Building is one of the most modern structures in Fillmore and was built at a cost of about $20,000 together with the 60-foot frontage it occupies. It was built especially for the type of business Mr. Harthorn has conducted, with ample space for the meat market of A. T. Coleman, well arranged bakery, balcony and office.”

The business was renamed “Harthorn’s.” Eldest son, Leon, joined the business for a time but left to work for the Forest Service. Leon would go on to be Fillmore’s second City Manager, replacing Clarence Arrasmith in 1954.
The location did not stay vacant for long. Lindenfeld’s, which had been in the Harmonson Building at 322 Central, moved to the newer building. Nicholas J. Lindenfeld had come to Fillmore about the same time Harthorn had moved to Fillmore from Piru, to take over the management of the Ventura County Co-operative Association store which later became United Mercantile. In 1921 he started his own mercantile business. His son, Ray, joined the business in 1932 and took over as proprietor in 1933. Coming full circle, Ray Lindenfeld would serve on the Fillmore City Council alongside Leon Harthorn as City Manager in the late 1950s and 60s.

In 1928, the former Capt. C. W. Harthorn gained a new title – Justice of the Peace for Fillmore. He was not the first judge in the family line. An ancestor had presided over the Salem Witch Trials.

A story is told of a teen-age boy coming before the Judge for setting off dynamite in the river bottom. Instead of sentencing the youth to jail or fining him, the Judge’s sentence was for the boy to write three papers on explosives. Judge Hawthorn’s comment to his family was, “I have to hurry up and read up, also, so I can know what he is writing about.” The boy eventually became an explosives expert for a major oil company. Court was held in the balcony area of the Harthorn Building even after it became Lindenfeld’s.

C. W. Harthorn served Fillmore as Justice of the Peace until his death in 1945. He was survived by his wife, five daughters, four sons and sixteen grandchildren.

By Jan Lee

Last week you read about the divisions for single stem flowers. This week you will learn about potted plants and dish gardens.

Maybe your garden isn’t blooming. Maybe you just haven’t planted roses or iris or any other flowers yet. No worries! Perhaps you have a potted plant or a dish garden that you have been nurturing for years. Bring those to the Flower Show!

Division VII—Potted Plants
A single variety in a container that is not too heavy to be carried by the exhibitor. Some people have very large potted plants. We’d love for you to enter them, but we can’t carry it for you. The Classes in this division are: African violets, Orchids, Cacti and Succulents, Other. There have been some beautiful entries in this division over the years. Show us what you have grown.

Division VIII—Dish Gardens
As in the potted plants division, the exhibitor must be able to carry their dish garden in to the display area. You can be very creative in this category. Put as many different plants together as you think makes a great display. Succulents are popular. What container would express the theme of the flower show, “Farie Tales and Flowers”?

In case you forgot, The Fillmore Flower Show is April 9 and 10 at the Active Adult Center, 533 Santa Clara Street, Fillmore. Entries are accepted from 7:30 to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Adults pay $5 no matter how many entries they have. All youth entries are FREE. Public viewing is from 1-4 p.m. both days. The judging begins at 10, so don’t be late in bringing your entry.

At a youth table, children will be able to plant a succulent to take home. This could be the beginning of a potted plant or dish garden for next year’s show! There will be many varieties for sale at the plant boutique.

Please plan to enter or at least view Fillmore Flower Show this year. It is really a fun event. For more information see: www.fillmoreflowershow.org

Courtesy Ventura County Sheriff’s Department
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On February 26, 2022, members of the Ventura County Post Release Offender Supervision (PROS) Unit, Santa Paula Police Department (SPPD), and Sheriff’s Gang Unit (SGU) arrested multiple subjects and recovered an illegal firearm during a search in Santa Paula.

On February 26, 2022, at approximately 0900 hours, members of the PROS Unit conducted a search of Gregory Nunez during a probation search of an apartment located in the 200 block of N. 8th Street in Santa Paula. Nunez is on probation and Post Release Offender Supervision for vandalism and weapons violations. Nunez was subsequently arrested for a PROS violation. A Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Deputy, who is assigned to the PROS Unit, assisted Ventura County Probation Department personnel during the search and identified Ricardo Magana as being one of the apartment’s occupants. There was an active felony warrant for Magana for stolen vehicle violations. Santa Paula Police Department officers responded and assisted with arresting Magana. Additionally, Olga Acosta was arrested for outstanding felony warrants.

Sheriff’s Gang Unit personnel responded to the scene to assist with the investigation and obtained a search warrant for the apartment. Detectives located a Ruger 57 semi-automatic handgun, which was loaded with high velocity ammunition capable of penetrating body armor. The handgun’s serial number was obliterated and it was seized pursuant to the search warrant, pending further investigation.

Nunez, Magana, and Acosta were booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility for the PROS violation and warrants, respectively.

The Ventura County Post Release Offender Supervision Unit is comprised of Deputy Probation Officers from the Ventura County Probation Agency, a Ventura Police Department Officer, a Simi Valley Police Department Officer, and a Deputy Sheriff with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

There has been an increase of illegal firearm activities in Ventura County. If you have any information about unlawful firearm activities in the West County areas in the Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction, including in Fillmore, Saticoy, El Rio, and Ojai, please contact Detective Sergeant Beau Rodriguez at 805-767-0360.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank members of the public for their on-going support and due diligence in providing information to assist our agency in solving crimes. We are better at what we do because of our community partnerships.

Join us in the fight on crime by following us on Twitter @VENTURASHERIFF, Facebook, Instagram @ VCSHERIFF, and with Nixle by texting your zip code to 888777 to receive local law enforcement and public safety alerts and advisories.

Community: Multiple Warrant Subjects Arrested and Illegal Firearm Recovered
Nature of Incident: Multiple Warrant Subjects Arrested and Illegal Firearm Recovered
Report Number: 22-25503
Location: 200 block of N. 8th Street, Santa Paula
Date & Time: 2/26/2022 @ 9:00 AM
Unit(s) Responsible: Ventura County Post Release Offender Supervision (PROS) Unit, Santa Paula Police Department (SPPD), and Sheriff’s Gang Unit (SGU)
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent, City of Residence, Age
(S) Nunez, Gregory Santa Paula 26
(S) Acosta, Olga Santa Paula 27
(S) Magana, Ricardo Fillmore 37
Prepared by: Sergeant Beau Rodriguez
Approved by: Captain Victor Medina

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).

FHS Alumni Dinner Saturday, June 11th, 2022, calling all Alumni from the GREAT CLASS OF 1972!”You will be celebrating 50 years since you marched under the Shasta Daisy’s on Graduation night. Come relive the memories at your 50 year class reunion at the annual Alumni Dinner. Saturday, June 11th. You can purchase your reservations at www.fillmorehighalumni.com/events

By Carina Monica Montoya

Her name is Birch Greyloch, but she is more commonly known around Fillmore as "the lady with the big dog and Chihuahua". Birch and her dogs, a six-year-old male Irish Wolfhound named Forrest and a nine-year-old Chihuahua named Violet, have been the talk of the town since 2016 when they moved to Fillmore.Dahlia, a ten-month-old female Irish Wolfhound/Mastiff rescue, is a recent addition to the family. They are not hard to spot when Birch takes them on daily walks around town. At first glance it’s easy to mistake Forrest and Dahlia as small horses, especially when Violet is riding on Forrest in a saddle bag.

Originally from Ohio, Birch first moved toTucson, Arizona after retirementfrom the administrative clerical field in law enforcement. Shebecame involved with an organization in Tucsoncalled TOP DOG that teaches people with physical disabilities how to train their own service dog to assist them in their daily lives. It was there that she became acquainted and fell in love with the Irish Wolfhound breed. Schooled in training the breed, she enjoys the beauty of bonding between man and beast, especially a tamed beast twice her size.On average, the Irish Wolfhound is the tallest dog breed in the world. Forrest is 32 inches at the shoulder and on his hind legs is almost 7-feet tall. Dahlia is still growing and is often mistaken for being a Great Dane at this early age. In contrast, Violet is 6 inches tall and weighs about 6 pounds and is the alpha of the pack.

Irish Wolfhounds are hunting dogs and classified as sighthounds, also called gazehounds, and hunt by sight and speed. Originally bred as guardians of property and livestock and used to hunt deer, elk, boar, and wolves, they are now more commonly used as service dogs or kept as house pets. Proper training of an Irish Wolfhound is based on positive reinforcement that is best suited to its nature, which is a laid-back companion dog not suited for or interested in retrieving balls and sticks, and mentally shuts down when it is treated roughly, unpleasantly, or unjustly. They are very sensitive, and harsh training or correction are counterproductive. Irish Wolfhounds are gentle giants and almost always draw people in with their commanding appearance. One can’t help themselves from petting these friendly and sweet hounds.

Birch has a daughter in Ohio, a son in Ventura, and 3 granddaughters that she adores. Having earned a degree in art history, she has a flair for all things artistic and creates unique handcrafted jewelry from various types of beads and jade. Some of her jewelry creations can be found in town at The Scented Path.

Fillmore has been an ideal place for Birch and the dogs to settle. She likes the small town with wide open space for the dogs, picturesque landscape, quaint downtown, and mostly everything is in walking distance. Most of all, she likes the friendly people of Fillmore and is always up for conversation and to share a story or two about Irish Wolfhounds. So next time you see Birch and the dogs walking along Central Avenue or at Vons, give her a wave or stop and meet the dogs.

By Fillmore Vision 2020 Civic Pride

It was a gorgeous midmorning I spent at the Holt's residence at Mountain View and Fourth. This wonderful couple bought the historic property two years after the earthquake, but the place had sat empty, with gardens grown rampant until then. Larry and Norma saw only the potential this place had and bought it on the spot, leaving behind Ventura and its fog...and we are all blessed they did!

For those who remember, there was a magnificent old pecan tree at the corner of this property. It was the kind of tree that left squirrels everywhere in tears of joy. Sadly, this amazing tree had to be removed for safety, but there are five more pecans now gracing the property. Walking the landscaping with Larry, unique specimens are lovingly tended...a massive Australian Araucaria or Bunya Bunya (also called the widow maker for the size of the fir cones it produces and drops on the unsuspecting) sits another corner, striking purple smoke trees quietly stand in various sites- until they send out their jaw dropping flower displays. Probably the largest Jacaranda in Fillmore stands at the side of the lawn, and with reason it was the background for many a family and quinceanera photo shoots by Dale Crockett. Then there are a number of graceful Palo Verdes that line 4th Street with their chartreuse colored bark and butter yellow spring flowers contrasting beautifully with the purple fountain grasses planted below them. A lovely Yucca filifera lounges by the pool, a gorgeous madagascar palm is potted at the entrance, while vigorous mature roses line the walkway ready to burst (of course they are from our very own Otto and Sons!) And throughout the huge front yard, tying the areas together, are large swaths of belladonna lillies (pink ladies) and Rock Purslane- these natives to South Africa and Chile, and they do well in our area. This front yard defines beauty.

On the upper side of the property are the vegetable gardens and fruit orchard that passers-by can see from the roadway...blackberries neatly wired up, strawberries, artichokes, and various raised beds for the coming spring garden, with golden poppies that naturally seeded in every open area. Because it is close to the hills, this area is also a gopher magnet- so all the raised beds have been built with hardwire cloth at the base. The time and creative energy to make a garden that was not only productive but also beautiful was evident. When asked what the place was like when they bought it, they simply described it as 'a jungle.' It took twenty years of pruning and applying load after load of wood chips and mulch to tame the garden to what is today. Gardening is not only having vision, a love of soil, but also loads of perseverance!

To the Holt's, Larry and Norma, thank you for the gift of your gardens and landscaping to our town...the beauty they bring to us from your care of this corner of Fillmore is inspiring...Folks, walk on by and get ideas for your own gardens on what plants work, where they are best planted...let's learn from each other and share the inspiration! And finally, let's all plan to be at the Fillmore Flower Show in April to share the beauty of each of our gardens!

Ventura County Office of Education

UPDATED 3/1/22 to reflect that the state's new mask guidance for students also applies to school employees as a result of an executive order signed by Governor Newsom.

Students and staff at public and private K-12 schools in Ventura County and throughout California will no longer be required to wear masks after March 11, regardless of their vaccination status. Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration made the announcement Monday, saying COVID-19 conditions have sufficiently improved to warrant the change.

The state’s decision to lift the mask mandate for students and staff is in line with guidelines issued Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC says schools should only mandate masks when COVID cases and hospitalizations are high in the counties where they are located. Ventura County’s rates are in the medium category according to the CDC’s website.

Even after the mask mandate is lifted, state and local health officials strongly recommended students and school employees continue to wear them to help keep COVID-19 case numbers on their current downward trend. Anyone who would like to keep wearing a mask at school is encouraged to do so, and most schools will continue making masks available to students and staff.

Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, was selected to provide a public education perspective to state decision-makers who develop the masking policies that local schools must follow. He relayed the concerns of those who feel that masks are uncomfortable for children and hinder learning. He also shared the worries of educators who feel uneasy about teaching in classrooms with unmasked students. He emphasized that the mask policy should be applied universally to all students, whether they are vaccinated or not, so no student feels singled out.

“This is a difficult issue with strongly held opinions on both sides, and I want to thank the many people who have reached out to me to share their views,” Dr. Morales said. “Because the state made masks optional in most public places earlier this month, I believe it’s appropriate that the same rules apply at schools. We are entering a new phase of the pandemic, and I am happy to see schools taking another step toward returning to normal.”

Schools are required to enforce the student mask mandate through March 11. Between now and then, parents and guardians can help prevent learning disruptions by having their students wear masks to school. Schools that lift the mandate before it’s allowed by the state risk significant liability issues and the potential loss of their insurance coverage.

Also on Monday, Governor Newsom signed an executive order updating the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) standards related to COVID-19 in the workplace. This has the effect of making masks optional for school employees after March 11, whether or not they are vaccinated.

Throughout the pandemic, schools have been among the safest places for students to be, with most virus transmission happening off-campus. In addition to encouraging the voluntary use of masks, schools will continue using other safety measures, including improved ventilation and enhanced cleaning protocols. Parents and guardians have an important role to play as well by being vigilant about keeping students home when they are sick.

For the latest information about COVID-19 and Ventura County Schools, please visit www.vcoe.org/COVID-19.

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By Jan Lee

If you haven’t already, mark your calendar for April 9 and 10. Those are the dates of the Fillmore Flower Show. The theme this year is “Farie Tales and Flowers”. We hope this theme will inspire many entries.

There are eleven entry divisions. Let’s discuss the first three:
Division I— Single Stem Cut Roses. Whatever rose you have growing in your garden, you can enter it in the flower show. It could be a hybrid tea rose, floribunda, miniature rose or “Any Other Unlisted Rose”. There is even a category for novelty rose which can be the most fragrant or the largest rose bloom. You don’t know what kind of rose you have? No problem! When you arrive at the show between 7:30 and 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 9, there will be several people helping who will make sure your bloom is in the correct division.

Division II— Single Stem Cut Iris. There are three classes of iris, bearded iris, spuria iris and Japanese iris. If you have iris, cut off a bloom, bring it to the show and we’ll get it in the right classification.

Division III— Other Single Stem Cut Flowers. This division is for ANY flower you have blooming in your yard. Everybody has at least one flower. This division is especially fun because we never know what type of flower will be entered. Visitors to the show get a good opportunity to see something beautiful that one of their neighbors has cultivated. Perhaps it would look good in your yard, too! During the public viewing, from 1-4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, there will be many people around who can tell you a lot about the flowers, where to plant them, how much light and water they require, etc.

There is a plant boutique at the flower show. This is one of the popular stops during the flower show. You might find a plant that you can grow and possibly win an award next year! Please plan to enter and attend. For complete information see fillmoreflowershow.org.

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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

Members of the Fillmore Historical Museum met in the Fillmore Railroad Depot on Saturday, Feb 26th for the annual meeting of the membership. The Museum was founded in 1971 by author, teacher and world traveler, Edith Jarrett and incorporated in 1972. Its first home was on the ground floor of the Fillmore Masonic Temple building. It moved to the Southern Pacific railroad depot in 1974 when Mrs. Jarret purchased the building and moved it across Main St to a location next to the Fire Station. After the Northridge Earthquake the museum closed for 4 years while the Rancho Sespe Bunkhouse and the Hinckley House were restored and opened to the public. It wasn’t until 2006 that restoration of the Depot was completed.

President, Martha Gentry, reported that in spite of Covid shutdowns and lack of train tourism over 500 people visited the Museum with visits from all points of the U.S. and England. Museum volunteers gave over 2,379 hours of time to welcome tourists, work in the research library, and maintain the collection. During the year we had the benefit of help from an intern from Cal State Channel Islands. She began her internship working in the collection and eventually produced her own photo display of Fillmore’s natural disasters.

Many of the display areas have been reimagined or refurbished with emphasis on providing explanations in English and Spanish with added QR codes so that musical selections and some interviews can be heard. Photos have been enlarged to enhance the displays of our first pioneers. There is also a fascinating display of photos of movies filmed in Fillmore and of the St. Francis Dam disaster.

We have received several important artifact donations including the wooden bottle and plaque from the Sanitary Dairy now in the Depot and 800 black and white photos of Fillmore from the 1985-87 time frame. These photos have been posted a few at a time on Facebook and Instagram as we try to identify the people in them. Thanks to the Fillmore & Western Railroad owners Dave and Tresa Wilkinson we now have the c 1905 Piru Depot cast iron stove. It can be seen in the office area of the depot. The largest acquisition this year was a 1927 American La France fire engine. The fire engine first saw service in Fillmore in 1927, was eventually sold to a farmer who used it in his orchard and then purchased and lovingly restored by a local group of volunteer firemen. The next major fundraising project will be to build a fire house for the fire engine.

The museum hosted two book signings this year: Carina Montoya was here to autograph her book “Ventura County” and Ofelia Romero autographed her new book, “The Legend of the Romeros, Then and Today.” Both books are still available for purchase at the museum.

Finally the members elected 4 board members who will serve three year terms. They are: Martha Gentry, Joanna Michel, Jack Stethem and Bob Morris. Following the meeting refreshments were served and the attendees were able to view the new displays in the Bunkhouse.

The Museum is now open Wednesday through Fridays from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. closing from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. We hope you will visit our website at www.fillmorehistoricalmuseum.org where you will find the stories we have written for the Fillmore Gazette as well as books for sale and information for visitors.

CITY OF FILLMORE CITY COUNCIL AND SUCCESSOR AGENCY REGULAR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022

8. A CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AGREEMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF OFFSITE DEVELOPMENT IMPROVEMENTS WITH MOUNTAIN VIEW 77 LP FOR THE MANY MANSIONS (MOUNTAIN VIEW APARTMENTS) PROJECT STAFF REPORT MANY MANSIONS - LIC AGR N STREET DEDICATIONS FINAL W ATTCH.PDF. Councilmember Austin motioned, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Edmonds. Ayes: unanimous.

8.B CITY COUNCIL RECEIVE REPORT AND DISCUSS TWO RIVERS DOG PARK SR - DOG PARK SR FINAL.pdf Unanimous approval. Council authorized to use $200,000.

8.C APPOINTMENT OF PRIMARY AND ALTERNATE OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS (SCAG) STAFF REPORT SCAG DELEGATE_2022.pdf.

Delegate - Christina Villasenor, Alternate - Mark Austin.

All votes 5-0 affirmative.

Jordan Castro, Fire Captain Badge Ceremony.

Jason Arroyo, Firefighter Engineer Badge Ceremony.

Southern California Edison (SCE) presentation - Rudy Gonzalez, on outage Next regularly scheduled meeting, 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 8, 2022, City Hall, 250 Central Avenue, Fillmore, CA 93015.

Courtesy Esperanza Ocegeuda
On Friday, February 18th, the Fillmore Lions Club and Fillmore Middle School received the California Lions Club Foundation Back-to-School Grant. This grant supported FMS’ Positive Behavioral Interventions and supports rewards program and was used to purchase gift cards to Starbucks and Baskin-Robbins. The Fillmore Lions Club is always looking for ways to support the community and was ecstatic to receive this grant! If you are a local organization looking for community support or a community member looking to make a difference, visit the Fillmore Lions Club website at fillmorelionsclub.org.

Ventura, CA — Today, the county’s Planning Commission took a bold step toward drawing down oil development by limiting a request filed by Carbon California to renew an oil and gas permit. The move sets a precedent for future oil development in the county.

The oil company sought permission to continue operation of two existing oil wells and one wastewater injection well and to redrill existing wells in the Sespe Oil Field. The county’s Planning Director approved that permit extension in October, allowing the company to extract oil and dispose of wastewater for another twenty years. That decision was then appealed by local conservation organizations Los Padres ForestWatch, Climate First: Replacing Oil and Gas, and Keep Sespe Wild.

It is the first conditional use permit (CUP) in the Sespe Oil Field to be updated in a quarter century and will lay the groundwork for other CUP extensions expected to be filed in coming years.

In today’s unanimous vote, the commission approved the permit request but restricted its renewal from twenty years to ten, placed a limit on the number of times a well could be redrilled from unlimited to just one, and required full reclamation and restoration of an abandoned oil pads at the site. The restrictions are a step toward alignment with the state's policy of phasing out oil production and the County's new guidelines, outlined by its General Plan, which call for a 41% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

"Today's action signals that the County of Ventura takes seriously its obligation to move a step closer towards a clean energy future,” said ForestWatch executive director Jeff Kuyper. “We'll continue to do everything we can to ensure that the forest, downstream communities, and our climate are safeguarded from fossil fuel extraction."

The permit is one of 19 CUPs governing more than 200 oil wells in the Sespe Oil Field. Most of these facilities operated under “antiquated permits” that were approved more than a half-century ago, before the advent of modern environmental laws and with no limit to the number of wells. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved a program in 2019 to bring these permits in line with current environmental and public health standards, but that effort was put on hold after the oil industry filed eleven different lawsuits and launched a million-dollar campaign to place the matter on the June 2022 ballot.

“As California moves toward phasing out oil extraction by 2045 and the climate crisis continues to intensify, extraction permit renewals like this require a high level of analysis and consideration,” said CFROG executive director Shannon Simpson. “It’s past time we take these important steps forward to secure a carbon-free energy future for our own health and safety and for the preservation of the natural landscape that delights and sustains us.”
The Sespe Oil Field is just upstream from Fillmore's only source of water for drinking and irrigation, is home to critical habitat for endangered southern steelhead, and is at the nexus of efforts to reintroduce endangered California condors to the wild. Thousands of visitors pass through the area each year to access trailheads, streams, waterfalls, and campsites in the Sespe Wilderness. The oil lease is adjacent to the Los Padres National Forest and is bisected by Little Sespe Creek, an important tributary to Sespe Creek which itself is a major tributary to the Santa Clara River.

The commission declined to adopt other requests in the appeal, such as addressing ongoing permit compliance issues at the facility and requiring new environmental studies to update the 28-year-old environmental document currently in place which does not account for new information and conditions, cumulative emissions from the Sespe Oil Field, or impacts to climate change, environmental justice, water resources, and wildlife. However, the new permit will be subject to new surety bonding requirements developed by the county if they are instituted within the next 24 months to make sure that the burden of cleanup does not fall to the taxpayers.

Courtesy Jan Lee

Over the years, the flower show has had many themes. The theme for 2022 is, “Farie Tales & Flowers.” The committee hopes the theme will encourage inventive entries. Think how colorful all the many blooms around us can be. Each delicate blossom could inspire you to create a whimsical arrangement. Think of the dainty miniature arrangements that could be on display. Look around your garden and begin to plan your entry.

Competitive entries are limited to residents within the Fillmore Unified School District boundaries. However, entries from non-residents are welcome for exhibition. All entries for competition must have been grown by the exhibitor or by the exhibitor’s family for Youth entries. The judges for the flower show are experts. Every year they comment about how much they enjoy the Fillmore Flower Show. It is a truly fun community event.

There are three divisions in the flower show specifically for youth. Youth Composition—write an original poem or short essay on a single page, with or without illustration, on the theme of the flower show. Youth Arrangements—a flower display to be arranged at the show without adult help. Youth Art— a non-competitive division. Original art work on the Flower Show Theme. Also, there will be a table where children can plant a succulent to take home.

The committee members are thrilled that we will be able to have the flower show this year. We hope all of Fillmore will show up to celebrate the beauty in our community on April 9 and/or 10 at 533 Santa Clara Street, Fillmore. For complete information and rules go to fillmoreflowershow.org.

Lawrence Hinckley, who witnessed a shooting between Mason Bradfield and the George Henley.
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Mason Bradfield’s San Quentin Prison Photo in 1916. Mason’s prison register 1910-1918.
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Judge Merton Barnes.
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[Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum - From “Old-Timers’ Tales of Fillmore” by Edith Moore Jarrett. Originally
published in Ventura County Star-Free Press, January, 14, 1979.]

Crime and punishment were sometimes a bit mixed up as in the case of our Constable Owen Miller, said by the Ventura Free Press in 1899 to be “the best-known man in Ventura County.” He came here in 1888 by train from Pennsylvania and was raising cattle up Sespe Canyon by 1893. Around 1902 he owned the Central Hotel in town and rented out pack trains for trips to the Sespe Hot Springs and Lockwood Valley. By 1918, he was running for reelection as constable of Fillmore Township, and in 1918, his professional card in the Fillmore Herald advertised, “Private detective work of all kinds. Member National Detective Service Association.” One can hardly imagine our village needing a real live detective, but many did approve of his sideline. You see, he was said to be the town bootlegger, amused by his double role and frank about it to everybody but his boss, the county sheriff, who kept trying to catch him at it.

Haskell Schell, as a teen-ager, worked for Miller in his livery stable and heard some gleeful stories of his boss’s moonshine moonlighting. Seems that Miller told him that he had arrested a couple of local fellows and had to take them by train to the Ventura jail. He didn’t handcuff them, so when the train slowed for Santa Paula, the fellows jumped out the open window and ran away. Miller just leaned out and yelled, “Hey, you! Come back here!” which, of course they didn’t. “They’d have been locked up for 90 days,” he explained to Haskell, “and they were two of my best customers.”

Another time, on a similar errand, Miller told how he handcuffed a prisoner and kept a wary eye on him all the way. Why hadn’t he let him go, too? “He was my worst competitor, a bootlegger,” the constable chuckled. “It was good business to get that guy locked up for 90 days.”

Once when the Ventura sheriff decided that Miller had gone to far, he planned to sneak in unexpectedly and administer a little punishment himself. But someone had tipped off Miller, who removed the bottles from his little hotel and buried them all in the manure pile behind his table. The sheriff searched the place in vain. No evidence.

After he had gone, Miller went out to uncover his cache. It had been a hot day, with the sun shining on the barnyard. You know what happened. Every bottle had burst from the heat. Even Miller got a good laugh out of the story when he told it himself.

[Miller had to deal with some big-time crime] in 1915 when Mason Bradfield shot George Henley in broad daylight right in front of the Orange Leaf Café. The two men had been feuding for years, both owning property up the narrow Big Sespe Canyon, for Henley was apparently uncooperative about a right-of-way through his brownstone quarry for Bradfield’s oil crew.

That day little Lawrence Hinckley – [later] our artist in residence – happened to see the shooting. It scared him so badly that he fled to his father’s drugstore across the street, in the front door, out the back, and kept going.

“Buster” Brown, too, a little older than Lawrence, saw the bleeding Henley come staggering down the street, bellowing with pain and with Bradfield still trying to gun him down. About that time Constable Owen Miller popped out of his Central Hotel and, as soon as the revolver was emptied, arrested Bradfield and took it away from him.

Dr. Manning’ office was right there, upstairs, but Doc was out on a house call, so the bystanders loaded Henley into somebody’s spring wagon at the hitching rack, and “Buster” Brown earned his claim to fame because he got to hold one of Henley’s legs.

The hand-written Criminal Docket No. 1 of the Fillmore Justice Court notes on July 2, 1914, that Bradfield appeared before Judge Merton Barnes on a charge of “assault with intent to commit murder.” Bradfield had raised $10,000 bail and hired a couple of young Ventura attorneys, Gardner and Orr, to defend him.

The hearing had an amusing quirk, as told by the judge’s daughter, Barbara Barnes Jones. Dr. Osborn, called to testify concerning Henley’s wounds, was nettled by young Gardner’s cocky attitude and decided to show up that smart fellow, so laid it on him with answers in medical Latin. Gardner acted confused, and then suddenly shook the good doctor by asking a long question in the same technical Latin. Dr. Osborn hadn’t known that Gardner had spent a few years in medical school before taking up law. Judge Barnes had a hard time keeping his face straight.

The Fillmore Herald reported that preliminary hearing in detail. The reporter, equally miffed by that smart young fellow from Ventura, commented a little acidly that “he ought to go far in his profession.” He did. Few in Ventura County have to be reminded that quick-witted Erle Stanley Gardner later became the internationally famous author of hundreds of best-selling novels based on legal doings.

After Bradfield got out of jail, Constable Miller, who had tangled with Henley, too, gave him back his gun and said, as he told it around town, “Next time, do a better job.”