The Bungalow Inn on Santa Clara Street built in 1911. It had 20 rooms for many who traveled through Fillmore.
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Central Avenue in 1915.
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Santa Clara Street in 1925.
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Fillmore Ford Dealership circa 1929.
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Rancho Sespe circa 1930.
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Sanitary Dairy in 1930.
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Rudkin Motor Service circa 1938.
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Seaside Rocket Service Station on Santa Clara and A Street.
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The Grand Opening of the Freeway Portion of Highway 126 in 1965 ending in Santa Paula. By 1971 studies were undertaken to determine the feasibility of completing the highway from Santa Paula to Hwy 5 at Castaic.
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Courtesy Fillmore History Museum

We are all familiar with the roads into and out of Fillmore. But, the route was not always as it is today. In the earliest days there were no cities, only small villages of Chumash at Sak’spe (Sespe), the Mupu near today’s Santa Paula and the Aliklik, at Kamulos (Camulos). The route was a foot and horse path from the mountains to the coast. The path wandered as far north as what is now Kensington Drive. A clump of three sycamore trees marks the spot along which Pole Creek traversed the future town site and served as a gathering point and sheep shearing location long before Fillmore came into being.

The Spanish had traveled the route on their explorations in 1769, followed by the Mexican land grantees in the 1830s and American settlers in the 1850s. Ventura and Santa Paula were already well established by 1887 when the railroad laid tracks along this route. The rails generally took the path following the same route as the earlier horse and wagon route through Piru, Fillmore and Rancho Sespe and the farms in between.

Over time the path was widened to accommodate early automobiles. In 1915, Ventura County pushed for a vote to pave the main route through the county. The local ladies were anxious to have the road up Central Ave. paved because it was dusty and dirty. In order to keep the dust down, the local city fathers would periodically have the street oiled. Over the years, the ladies had become tired of the mess that was made when their long skirts dragged in the oil as they crossed Central Ave.

When it was approved, paving followed the established, well-traveled pathway. The route entered Fillmore from the east as it does today with the crossing over Pole Creek which had earlier been rerouted to run south to the Santa Clara River. It took an immediate right turn up to Santa Clara St. It then followed Santa Clara west and made a right turn onto Central Ave, thence to Sespe St. where it turned left and followed Sespe St. to the Sespe River. Motels were unheard of in those days but there was always a place to stop in Fillmore at the Bungalow Inn on Santa Clara St. It was built in 1911 with 20 rooms, some with a bath should that be needed. There were stables along the way such as The Star Stable just east of the corner of Santa Clara and Central.

The original road had crossed the Sespe at Muir St. but in 1914 a flood had destroyed the bridge. The day the Muir St. Bridge collapsed, Hilda Hurst was crossing the bridge in her buggy having taken friends into Fillmore to catch the train. She felt the horse bolt as it felt the bridge tremble. She made it to solid ground just as the bridge collapsed.

After the collapse, the county decided to change the route and relocated the road from Muir St. to Telegraph Road. About 1916, Cliff Hardison, seeing a business opportunity, bought 10 acres along the road, ordered a silo from Sears Roebuck and opened the Sanitary Dairy complete with cows, roadside rest stop with picnic area and country store. Travelers could purchase fresh squeezed orange juice, fresh milk and watch the cows being milked in the milk barn. It became well known as a rest stop for weary travelers. For the next 60 years the dairy also supplied milk to residents of Fillmore and Bardsdale and local schools.

In the teens, the route was again shifted and Santa Clara from Central Ave. to A Street became the main highway. It was no wonder that Santa Clara soon became home to the auto dealerships which had replaced the livery stables. The Ford dealership was east of Central. Wm. L. Morris purchased a gas station on the corner of Central and Santa Clara which by 1929 had become his Chevy Dealership. John Opsahl”s Studebaker was next door to the west. Rudkin’s Motor Service and Plymouth - DeSoto sales and service were on the north side pf the same corner and along the way were gas stations and repair shops.

Until 1954, Santa Clara to A St. to Telegraph Road was the main thoroughfare between Castaic and Ventura. But that year, the county straightened the road extending it along Ventura Street and built a new bridge over each branch of Sespe Creek. This is the route through Fillmore still today. In 1975 the dairy closed because the traffic on the new road bypassed them and the tourists stopped coming. In 2021 a heavy wind so damaged the silo that it had to be taken down. Generations of Fillmore residents remember the view of the silo on their way back home from points west.

Hwy 126 remained a bucolic route through the valley for many years. But the 1960s traffic had increased enough for the city and county to discuss a new freeway. By 1965 the freeway portion of Hwy 126 ending in Santa Paula was complete. In 1971 studies were undertaken to determine the feasibility of completing the freeway from Santa Paula to Hwy 5 at Castaic. Studies put the cost at $100 million. Public Works Director, A. P. Stokes was quoted as saying the following regarding the cost which was mostly for flood control and embankments, “It now appears that this flood control work is way off in the future and may never happen.” To date it hasn’t happened.

In 1988 work began on adding two lanes to the existing road through Rancho Sespe west of Fillmore. It required removal of many of the huge eucalyptus trees and orchard trees along the route, replacing gas and electric lines and repaving the older sections of the road. This is the heavily traveled road we use today.

Will there ever be a freeway all the way to I 5? Where would the route go? In 1960 the county published a map of potential freeways in Ventura County. This map included two freeway routes from Moorpark and Simi over the mountain to Fillmore and a 4 lane freeway to Hwy 99. The I 5 did not exist when that map was drawn.

Our valley has changed drastically in the 134 years since the railroad was built. We are now becoming a bedroom community with heavy traffic every weekday in and out of town. We can only wonder what comes next.

Adolfo (Al) Huerta retired from the Fillmore Fire Department in December 2020.

Al began as a volunteer firefighter on March 1, 1983 until September 1992, when he was hired as Fillmore’s first Fire Captain.

During his tenure Al served on numerous committees, such as the Fillmore Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Coordinator and Spanish instructor for the Santa Clara Valley. Al provided C.P.R. instructions for the community, and Fire Safety Instruction for all pre-school and elementary school students of Fillmore. He could be seen promoting the Fillmore Fire Department at Career Day events and speaking to individual classes about the merits of volunteer service. Al protected the citizens of Fillmore in some of the largest fires the area has experienced, and saved many lives performing rescues during the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Al also served as Vice President of the Fillmore Lions Club, as a member of the Fillmore Youth Task Force, and a Director Secretary of the Fillmore-Piru Boys and Girls Cub.

He is perhaps best known for his ever-pleasant demeanor, his easy-going attitude and warm smile, which has been a comfort to so many in the community in times of critical need and personal crisis.

Al was the epitome of dedicated service, answering 911 calls, and responding to medical, fire and traffic collision emergencies as needed, 24/7.

He was named Fillmore Firefighter of the Year in 2000.

Al was born in 1954 in Cueneo, Michoacán, Mexico to Salvador and Rosario Huerta, and came to Fillmore at the age of 13 on a student visa to live with his grandmother Guadalupe Rangel.

He graduated from Fillmore High School in 1974, and during his years at FHS loved to play soccer and run track, where he established the FHS mile record in 1972--a record which held for 15 years. Upon graduation, Al went to work for veterinarian Dr. Charles Nelson, serving as a veterinarian's assistant for 17 years. During this time Al became a member of the Fillmore Fire Department.

Congratulations on a job well done Al!!

Fillmore Police Continues to Help SCV Boys & Girls Club
The Fillmore Police Department partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley earlier in the year to provide learning opportunities for children in need. The School Resource Officers (SRO) in Fillmore have expanded the partnership to add an afterschool program for teenagers that teaches mechanical skills, gives the teenagers a safe place to hang out, and gives back to the community.

While getting to know the students at the Boys & Girls Club, the SROs learned that many of the children at the club did not have bicycles. The SROs also found out that one of the students and his friends enjoyed mechanical work and were interested in learning how to fix bicycles. The SRO’s reached out to the Fillmore and Ojai Police Departments, who gladly donated a total of 16 old, unclaimed bicycles that were sitting in storage collecting rust. The Boys & Girls Club provided tools and a workspace for what is now known as The Fillmore Boys & Girls Club Bike Builders Club.

The Bike Builders Club consists of 4 teenagers who spend their afternoons learning how to fix the donated bicycles with help from the SROs and the Boys & Girls Club director. The teenagers then donate the bicycles they fix to Fillmore children without bikes. The Bike Builders Club gave its first refurbished bike away on February 23. “Time to start the next one!” The Bike Builders Club exclaimed as they enjoyed their experience giving back to the Fillmore community. News of the Bike Builders has spread and kids are coming to the club in need of bikes as well as to have their old bikes fixed. The club enthusiastically helps many children in need.

The police department is proud to work with citizens and organizations in Fillmore to provide such a great opportunity to teach youth and give back to the community it serves.

Prepared by: Deputy Jonathan Schnereger
Approved by: Captain Garo Kuredjian

At 5:20am, on Monday, March 15, the driver of a black Ford F-150 pickup truck lost control of the vehicle in the SR-126 westbound lane, crossing the center median into eastbound lanes, just west of Center Street, Piru. The truck was broadsided by a white Freightliner box truck in the eastbound lane. The Ford driver was killed at scene. Contributing to the collision was speed and wet roadway due to light rainfall, according to CHP. Authorities did not immediately known whether drugs or alcohol were involved. Both vehicles continued a short distance and came to rest on the eastbound shoulder. At 6:16am CHP reported flames involving an Edison pole/wires. A good Samaritan was able to pull the driver of the Ford out of the truck but the 45-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver's name was not immediately released pending notification of family.

Catholic Church circa 1925.
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Architectural Digest photos of the Christian Science Church.
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Fillmore Community Church.
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The former sanctuary at the Presbyterian Church, now an event space. Photo courtesy Fillmore on Central.
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New Foursquare Church on Sespe circa 1940.
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Fire at Foursquare Church 1939.
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Mexican American Methodist Church - Asamblea De Alabanza.
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First Brethren/Church of the Nazarene.
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Olga Graves visiting Foursquare Church circa 1938.
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Presbyterian Church on Central circa 1935.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

One of the regular readers to this column requested more information on the various “vintage” churches. The first three decades of the twentieth century was a golden age for church architecture in Fillmore. The town was incorporated in 1914 and some stability had come to what had been a rather wild west town.

In 1912, a Catholic Church was built on the corner of First and Central on property donated by Leon Hammond. A simple, wood structure which would have been at home in a New England village was erected. By the mid-seventies, the congregation had far outgrown its capacity and St. Francis of Assisi Church was built on Ventura Street. The original building is now a private residence.

Shortly after the Catholic Church was built, down the street the First Brethren Church was completed in 1918 on Central, just north of Sespe. In 1978 the Church of the Nazarene moved to the building from its former home at 962 Third Street. Its presence anchors the 400 block of Central Avenue.

The Presbyterians congregation was organized in 1889 on the corner of Clay and Sespe. The original building was destroyed by fire so in 1912, a new, larger structure was built. The congregation remained at the location until 1929.

The new Presbyterian Church was an impressive, Spanish revival structure on the southwest corner of First and Central. The fundraising for the new building was spearheaded by Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Price. The construction of the church was followed closely by the community. It was built by local builders, Hasting and Yeakle. It later became Faith Community Church and is now a private event space, Fillmore on Central.

When the Presbyterian congregation left the building on Sespe for the new building on Central Avenue in 1929, the Full Gospel Tabernacle, led by Rev. Elmer Gottschalk, which had been holding services at 352 Fillmore, moved in on February 1, 1930. For reasons that are hidden in the mists of time, they closed in May 1930.

The building did not stand vacant long. Foursquare Gospel Light Church had been started a few years earlier was a branch of Aimee Semple MacPherson’s Angelus Temple Foursquare Church in Los Angeles. It had been meeting at Central and Santa Clara in the former Fillmore State Bank building. They moved into their own church building in May of 1931. Besides its own pastor, if often hosted guests such as radio evangelist, Olga Graves, who had a national following.

Unfortunately, on September 23, 1938 in the late afternoon, the wood frame building caught fire and was destroyed. The fire department found the cause to be juveniles “playing” in the outhouse next to the structure. Suspicion was the juveniles involved were probably smoking. The Congregation moved to temporary quarters at 361 Central Avenue.

A new building on the same site was completed the next year in May. A clean lined building that called to mind the “foursquare” name of the domination, it remained the Foursquare Church until just a few years ago. The location is now in its fourth incarnation as Sembradores Church.

Finishing off this era of church building on Central Avenue (no slight intended to more modern structures), is what is now the Wayfarers Chapel Lutheran Church at Second and Central. This building was built in 1929 for the Christian Science Church. It was designed by award winning architect H. Roy Kelley and was highly praised for its beauty and simplicity.

It was later purchased by Rev. Ernest Miller and became the Fillmore Community Church. It continued as the Fillmore Community Church until Rev. Miller’s death in 1982.

Not all the era’s churches were built on Central Avenue. The Mexican American Methodist Mission Church was built about 1922 on the corner of Clay and Main Street. The church was founded by Reverend Dr. Vicente Mendoza with financial backing from George N. and Hattie King. In 1971 the Asamblea de Alabanza Cristiana Church took over the building.

These buildings are a testament to the optimism and dedication of the early settlers in Fillmore. They were built to last, and they have.

Fillmore Lions Club annual Student Speaker Contest winner Emilia Magdaleno, a junior at Fillmore High School.

The Fillmore Lions’ Club hosted the Student Speaker Contest on Monday, March 15 with the topic “Distance and Virtual Learning, Pros and Cons”. It was a tightly contested competition with excellent speakers Alanna Garcia and Carmen Isabela Ibarra as finalists and Emilia Magdaleno as winner. All of the speakers had done in depth research, but also shared their personal views. Some of the positive points were that it increases the student’s ability to manage their time, gives them more time to concentrate on each subject and there is no bullying. Negatives mentioned were the strain on the body for sitting so long in one position, looking at a screen all day long, lack of peer interaction, difficulty for those families that didn’t have someone to stay home and help the younger children access the internet and focus on their classes.

The Student Speaker Contest was held at the Edmonds’ Hall in the One Step a la vez facility and was held both live and on Zoom. It is fitting that the event was in the hall named after the last Chairperson of the Speaker Contest, Bill Edmonds. Bill was the Student Speaker Chair for 37 years and passed the chair to his wife, Lynn and Gaylynn Brien.

A special thank you to the judges, FUSD Board Member Tricia Gradias, Dr. Cynthia King and Rev. Bethany Carpenter. President Steve McKeown opened the meeting and congratulated all of the participants.

Junior Angelica Herrera.
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Senior Boys (l-r) Erick Gutierrez, Fabian Del Villar, and Matthew Munoz.
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"Flash Pack" leading the race is Fabian Del Villar followed by teammates Michael Camilo Torres and Erick Gutierrez.
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On March 6th, the Flashes boys and girls cross country teams competed in their final meet of the season. The meet was hosted by Hueneme High School. The course was relatively flat, starting and finishing on the track with loops on the adjacent sports fields, and the sidewalk around the school’s perimeter for a total distance of 3 miles.

All teams ran under sunny, but cool skys with minimal to no wind.

Start time for the Flashes was 9 a.m.. Once again the start format used in prior meets was adhered to. Runners were grouped according to like ability with fastest runners going first, in groups of 2 or 3, approximately 15 seconds apart. Only one school was on the course at a time. Fillmore was the second team to post finishing times.

Fabi Del Villar, Camilo Torres, and Erick Gutierrez were the first group off the line. Fabi posted the best time for the day running a very good 15:47.39, he was followed by last week’s winner, Camilo Torres. Camilo posted the second fastest time of the day running a 16:09.99. Erick Gutierrez followed in 17:57.35, Matthew Munoz 18:53.82, and first time competitor, freshman Josh Estrada in 19:18.08. Three freshmen finished with season best times, led by Diego Ramirez in 21:08.45, Angel Garcia 21:53.06, and Kobe Lizarraga in 22:04.70.

The girls were led by second year runner Alianna Tapia who for the second time this season posted the fastest time of the meet for all girl competitors, by running a fine 20:44.91. She was supported by Angelica Herrera in 25:45.56, Andrea Laureano in 26:24.18, Camila Rodriguez 30:24.32, and Daisy Guerrero in 30:45.24.

It was a short, but sweet season. It was so much fun to see our kids participate in a sport and run so well through our final meet of 3. Congratulations to all, well done.

Many of these athletes will now transition to the sport of track and field. Practice for track and field starts on Monday, March 15th at 3:45 p.m.

The St. Francis Dam in San Francisquito Canyon east of Castaic a few days before the collapse when it had just been filled to capacity. At three minutes to midnight on March 12th, 1928 the dam collapsed without warning causing a flood through the Santa Clara River Valley.
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Pictured above is the “Tombstone” which is all that remained standing after the collapse in 1928.
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The Carrillo tombstone at Bardsdale Cemetery.
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The Memorial Plaque which sits at Bardsdale Cemetery as a reminder to those who were lost in the flood.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

On the night of March 12th -13th, 1928, devastation swept down the Santa Clara River Valley. The St. Francis Dam in San Francisquito Canyon just east of Castaic had reached its full capacity of twelve billion gallons a few days before. It had been constructed by Los Angeles Water and Power under the direction of William Mulholland. Its purpose was to hold a year’s supply of water for the growing population of Los Angeles. At 3 minutes before midnight on March 12, 1928, the dam collapsed catastrophically and without warning.

There is still some question on exactly why the dam collapsed. Mulholland was a self-taught engineer who had successfully constructed the Los Angeles Aqueduct and was L.A. City Engineer. In very simplified terms, it is now believed that the dam was sited on a Paleolithic land slide and that the pressure of the water caused the ground beneath the dam to give way. It is doubtful with the knowledge and instruments of the day, this could have been known at the time.

A 140’ wall of water carried 1,000-ton blocks of concrete from the dam like rafts on a wave. Of the 75 families living in the canyon just beneath the dam, only a few individuals survived.

The water continued down San Francisquito Creek to meet the Santa Clara River at Castaic. At Castaic Junction, where Hwy 5 crosses the east end of the Santa Clara Valley, the wall of water was 78’ in height. There was a construction camp there with 170 men asleep. With no warning, 164 men died.

Edison company workers, camped at Kemp Station on the Ventura County line, were stringing electric line from Saugus to Saticoy. The flood was 40’ high when it arrived there. Of the 140 men in camp that night 84 died.

The first the Rogers family in Piru knew of the disaster was when their home was adrift in the river. The father, Chester Rogers, gathered his family together on one bed, hoping to use it as a raft. As the battered house careened downstream, Mr. Rogers was knocked unconscious. When he recovered consciousness, he was alone in the torrent. He managed to drag himself to land over a half mile from where his home had stood. Some neighbors found him and took him into Piru. Later in the day rescue workers found the bodies of his mother-in-law and four children. His wife’s body was never found.

It took about an hour before the first warning of the impending disaster was given to the telephone operator on duty in Ventura. The Ventura operator called the local telephone operators in Santa Paula and Fillmore and the sheriff’s office. Fillmore Chief, Earl Hume, got the call, dressed, mounted his motorcycle and set out to warn people living closest to the river. By the time Hume got close to the east limits of Fillmore it was too late. The flood had hit with a wave 40 feet high.

Ethel Basolo, a Fillmore telephone operator living in Bardsdale, got the call to come to the telephone office in Fillmore to help get the word out to residents who had phone. She may have been the last person to cross the bridge before it was washed out. She left her extended family evacuating, not knowing how they would fare. Unfortunately, the car her brother-in-law, Georgie Basolo, was traveling in, was swept away and he was killed.

Of the many tragic stories that occurred that night was that of the Carrillo family of Bardsdale. The father, Juan Carillo, had loaded his family in the car and headed north to Guiberson Rd. On the way he stopped to warn a neighbor. He turned to see the car with his family being washed awayin the roaring water. Only he and his daughter survived.

Thelma McCauley was 14, sick with the measles, and living in lower Bardsdale with her family when the flood hit. They awakened to the sound and smell of the flood and the moving of the house. In their escape attempt, Thelma’s mother, father and brother went out the front door of the house and Thelma went out the back.

Her family was swept away by the force of the debris filled water and drowned. She said that the family was taken by the water and caught by the tumbling of the house. Thelma also was swept away by the water and floated the 9 miles from Bardsdale to Santa Paula. She was found that afternoon in a pile of debris unable to move because of heavy tree limbs on her legs.

The water continued to Santa Paula, taking more lives as it flowed to the ocean. The official total of fatalities at the time was 385; the total today is estimated to be 431. Many bodies were never identified.

In 2018, a 90th anniversary observance was held in the Valley and a monument was dedicated in the memory of the victims and installed at Bardsdale Cemetery.

In 2019, the dam was declared a National Memorial site. The St. Francis Dam National Memorial Foundation is raising funds for aninterpretive center.

For more information on the disaster in our community, go to the Fillmore Historical Museum webpage, https://www.fillmorehistoricalmuseum.org/st-francis-dam-disaster. The Santa Clarita Historical Society has an extensive webpage with links to original source information, http://saintfrancisdam.com/. If you would like information on the St. Francis Dam National Memorial Foundation, it can be found at, https://stfrancisdammemorial.org/help-the-usfs-design-the-saint-francis-....

In an effort to deter would-be thieves and to track stolen catalytic converters, the Fillmore Police Department has teamed up with several local auto repair shops. The below listed businesses have agreed to etch your license plate number and paint a Sheriff’s star on your catalytic converter, free of charge. Our goal is to deter a potential thief who might be planning to steal your catalytic converter. As soon as they see the painted Sheriff’s star and engraved license plate number, they will hopefully leave your car alone. If your catalytic converter is stolen, law enforcement or a scrap yard will be able to recognize the catalytic converter as stolen based on the markings. You can make an “Etch and Catch” appointment at any of the below locations in the city of Fillmore:

Ernie’s Auto Care & Smog
460 Ventura St.
(805) 524-4477

De La Rosa Auto Repair
665 Ventura St.
(805) 524-0368

Fillmore Auto Electric & Tune
405 Central Ave.
(805) 524-7333

Bob’s Radiator Shop
562 Santa Clara St.
(805) 524-2526

When you call for your appointment, make sure to mention it is for the “Etch and Catch” program.

We would like to thank all of our “Etch and Catch” participating shops. Without their help, this program would not be possible. As a community, we need to work together to prevent crime, and these shops have gone above and beyond in their efforts. The next time you are at a local auto repair shop, check for the “Fillmore Police Department Catalytic Converter Anti-Theft Program - Member” sticker to see if they are a participant of this program. See attached photograph of the sticker.

Between 1/1/2020 and 2/18/2021, the top 10 vehicles targeted for catalytic converter thefts in Ventura County Sheriff’s jurisdictions have been:
1. Toyota Prius
2. Ford F250
3. Honda Element
4. Ford F350
5. Honda Accord
6. Ford Econoline
7. Jeep Grand Cherokee
8. Chevrolet Express
9. Chevrolet Astro Van
10. Ford Excursion

Many people have asked what they can do to help protect their vehicles. Here are some tips to help prevent catalytic converter theft:

Make an appointment to have your license plate number engraved and Sheriff’s star painted on your catalytic converter at one of the above listed “Etch and Catch” program locations.

Park in a secured garage when possible or in a well-lit area with surveillance cameras and/or where the vehicle will be seen by a passerby.

Install motion-sensitive lighting to illuminate driveways used for parking.

Consider adding security cameras to oversee driveway and on-street parking areas.

Research catalytic converter anti-theft devices and weigh the pros and cons of having one installed.

We are asking for our community’s help to prevent catalytic converter thefts. If you hear strange noises during the night, such as power tools or sawing, if you see a vehicle driving suspiciously slow through your neighborhood or stopped at the side of the road, if you see or hear ANYTHING out of the ordinary, please call Sheriff’s Dispatch at 911 or (805) 654-9511. Often times, cases are solved when an observant resident calls when something does not seem quite right.

For more information on the program click on video link: https://bit.ly/3uS59xL.

Nature of Incident:
Fillmore Police Department Presents “Etch and Catch” Catalytic Converter Anti-Theft Program
Location:
Participating Auto Repair Shops in the City of Fillmore
Unit(s) Responsible:
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office – Fillmore Patrol Station
Prepared by:
Senior Deputy Qui Vo, (805) 524-2233
Approved by:
Captain Garo Kuredjian

Cielo Meza, #50, Pitcher for Arizona State University Sun Devils.
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Did you know Fillmore has three successful female athletes, Cielo Meza (Softball), Valerie Tobias (Soccer), and Jessie Fontes, who are playing Soccer and Softball at the Division 1 Pac12 level?

This week we will feature Fillmore’s Cielo Meza who is currently a Freshman Pitcher for the Arizona State University Sun Devils, a Division 1 NCAA Pac12 Softball team. Below is her player profile.

Somebody's Hero, Once the glove is tucked away, Cielo Meza plans to follow her hero's footsteps and become a first responder” - just like her Dad/09/08/2020

Redshirt Senior (2020 at ASU):
• Led the Sun Devils in the circle with 10 wins and a 1.93 ERA on the season
• Her 17 appearances and 14 strikeouts were also a team-high
• Started 13 games of the abbreviated season, throwing 91 strikeouts in 74.1 innings pitched
• Ranked third in the Pac-12 with three shutouts and ten for total victories
• Claimed three complete shutouts of the team's nation-leading 13 shutouts to land on the nation’s top-20 list
• Threw her first no-hitter as a Sun Devil on Feb. 9 against Seattle University, the first no-hitter thrown by a Sun Devil since 2018
• Recorded a season-high 14 strikeouts in no-hitter against Seattle to land in the top-10 of ASU's all-time strikeouts by a pitcher in seven innings
• Showed out in critical moments, allowing only 15 hits with two outs in 88 at-bats
• One of four Sun Devils in Softball America’s Top 100 at No. 66

Redshirt Junior (2019 at ASU):
• Made strides through her first year as a Sun Devil, pitching a team-leading 98 innings, finishing the season with a 7-3 record while also adding a save on the year.
• Made her first start in the maroon and gold in ASU's hard fought loss to Missouri in the second half of an opening day doubleheader.
• Pitched a season-high seven innings in an ASU win over Cal on May 3.
• Struck out a season-high 11 in a win over Utah State on Feb. 17
• Secured the Sun Devil's opening round win at the 2019 Tuscaloosa regional, holding the Bison to just four hits in her first postseason appearance for ASU.
• Tallied 78 strikeouts on the season, including 45 strikeouts in Pac-12 play.

Redshirt Sophomore (2018 at Long Beach State University):
• Enjoyed a phenomenal season, posting a 22-4 overall record with a 1.48 ERA and 217 strikeouts, leading the Big West in all three triple crown categories
• For her efforts, Meza was honored as the Big West Pitcher of the Year, and also earned first-team All-Big West honors
• Meza pitched a pair of no-hitters, including one against No. 21 Minnesota, and broke the Long Beach State single-game record with 17 strikeouts against Hawai’i
• The sophomore becomes the ninth different player from Long Beach State to be named Pitcher of the Year
• Started the season with a dominant performance, striking out 12 with two hits allowed in a complete game win over Louisiana Tech
• Tied her carer high with 15 strikeouts in a complete game win over Iowa State
• Earned the win with another complete game against No. 12 Auburn, striking out 12
• Threw the second no-hitter of her career against #21 Minnesota, striking out 11 in a 1-0 LBSU victory
• Pitched her sixth complete game shutout of the season at LMU, allowing two hits and striking out seven in the road victory
• Saw her last action of the season in the Beach’s opening game of the 2018 Tempe Regional.

Redshirt Freshman (2017 at Long Beach State University):
• Named the Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year and a first-team All-Big West selection despite missing nearly all of non-conference play.
• Also named to the Big West All-Freshman team
• Ranked 20th in the nation with a 1.26 ERA
• Returned to action on March 28 and threw 24.1 scoreless innings before allowing a run
• Struck out 56 batters in 13 appearances, totaling 66.2 innings pitched on the season
• Started 12 games, throwing five shutouts
• Pitched a no-hitter in the finale at UC Riverside, striking out seven batters in the seven inning victory
Freshman (2016 at Long Beach State University):
• Qualified for a medical redshirt after a season-ending injury in early March
• Pitched extremely well in her limited appearances, striking out 85 batters in 14 appearances
• Went 6-6 with a 2.59 ERA while finishing the season with 67.2 innings pitched
• Ranked in the nation's Top 20 in strikeouts per seven innings, averaging 8.8
• Made her collegiate debut against Syracuse, pitching a complete game with 13 strikeouts and allowing three hits and one unearned run in a 1-0 loss

Prior to Long Beach State University...
Meza was a dominant pitcher for St. Bonaventure, earning two-time MaxPreps First-Team All-American honors, Cal-Hi Sports First Team All-State Selection and CIF Division Player of the Year selection from Agoura High School. She was also named to the Mexico junior national team before she stepped foot on a college campus. Cielo led St. Bonaventure to back-to-back league and CIF Southern Section championships where she was named the league MVP for two straight years. Went 21-5 in the circle as a senior, posting a 0.57 ERA with 348 strikeouts while also hitting .348 for the Seraphs as a senior. In her junior season, Meza posted a 15-2 record, striking out 228 with a 0.65 ERA while also hitting at a .362 clip.

Player profile courtesy the team website https://thesundevils.com/sports/softball/roster/cielo-meza/11650

Eric Gutierrez finished with a time of 1829.55 following fellow teammate Camilo Torres in the first team race against Nordhoff, Hueneme, Santa Paula, and Carpinteria.

By Epi Torres

On Saturday, February 27th the Fillmore Cross Country teams competed on their home course located at the Fillmore School Farm. The course distance measured three miles and consisted of two loops, mostly flat with a couple of slight inclines. All athletes would have to fight a strong wind today as they traversed the dirt and gravel course.

Teams competing today in the second meeting of the Citrus Coast League, were Fillmore, Nordhoff, Hueneme, Santa Paula, and Carpinteria.

All teams followed the same starting and racing protocol that was established last week. Each team slated to compete, lined their athletes on the starting time based on projected ability from fastest to slowest. They were then placed in groups of 3 or less; and were sent off the start line every 15 seconds. Once a team completed their run and cool down, they were required to leave the venue, so that the next team could run the course.

Fillmore was the first team to race and post times for this second meet of 3. Leading the Flashes off the line were Camilo Torres and Eric Gutierrez. Camilo finished in a time of 17:32.82, followed by Eric, who came across in 18:29.55. Matt Munoz was the next finisher in 20:21.66, followed by Diego Ramirez in 22:22.46, James Flores in 22:25.96, Kobe Lizarraga 23:05.76, and newcomer Angel Garcia in 23:07.16. James and Angel stepped to the line for the first time this year. Camilo posted the fastest time of the day for the second week in a row.

In the girls race, newcomer Sofia Rodriguez led all Fillmore finishers in a time of 27:38.74. She was followed by Andrea Laureano in 28:03.08, Angelica Herrera 28:17.33, Daisy Guerrero 32:19.95 and Camila Rodriguez 36.44.22. Camila, Sofia, and Angelica ran their first races of this short season.

Fillmore athletes will next compete on March 6th in Oxnard at Hueneme High School. The meet is hosted by Hueneme High School and is scheduled to commence at 9:00 a.m. This will complete Fillmore’s competition schedule for the 2021 Cross Country season. Many Thanks to all those who made it possible, especially our athletes and parents.

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United Water Conservation District’s long-awaited Pothole Trailhead parking and restroom facility in the Lake Piru Recreation Area opens to the public on March 1, greatly expanding hiking opportunities in the Los Padres National Forest.

The launch of the new facility gives direct access to the trailhead, thanks to the opening of the gate at the Juan Fernandez Boat Launch Area at Lake Piru by the U.S. Forest Service. The new facility will save hikers a nearly 3-mile trek on Piru Canyon Road from the boat launch area to the trailhead (see attached map). Visitors should be aware that Lake Piru Recreation Area charges a Day Use fee of $14 per vehicle and requires masks and social distancing.

“We are excited to be able to increase the incredible recreation opportunities around Lake Piru and introduce more people to the many trails and beautiful scenery of our public lands,” said UWCD General Manager Mauricio Guardado. “When the facility opens, the weather should be perfect for some outdoor fun, so I hope people will lace up their hiking boots, grab their day pack and water bottle and come check it out.”

From the trailhead, hikers and backpackers can travel through the Sespe Wilderness, passing a spring and a 19th century homestead cabin with old farming tools still in place. The 4.7-mile hike ends at the Pothole, a natural sink of lush grassland surrounded by willows and cottonwoods.

A second path, Agua Blanca Trail, is a long loop route that meanders through a dramatic rock passageway known as Devils Gateway. Hikers can also opt for a path to an upper ridge that provides views of Piru Creek before descending to the road between Lake Piru and Blue Point.

“The natural and recreational resources in this area are abundant and the Pothole Trailhead improvements are an important addition that will serve the community well,” said Karina Medina, District Ranger for the Mt. Pinos and Ojai Ranger Districts on the Los Padres National Forest.

The Forest Service was instrumental in guiding the project to completion and UWCD is grateful for the agency’s assistance.

The District is eager to welcome more visitors to the Lake Piru Recreation Area and Los Padres National Forest to experience the awe-inspiring vistas and wildlife, which includes condors, owls and eagles.

About United Water Conservation District
Since 1927, United Water Conservation District (District) has served as a leader among water agencies by managing, protecting, enhancing and securing the water resources of the Santa Clara River and Oxnard Coastal Plain. The District works to protect the environment’s natural attributes and conserves runoff from all major tributaries of the Santa Clara River including Piru, Hopper, Sespe and Santa Paula Creeks. Committed to managing the area’s water supplies through groundwater replenishment and the construction and operation of efficient water supply and delivery systems, the District serves as the conservator of groundwater resources that are utilized by the cities of Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ventura, Santa Paula and Fillmore, as well as Naval Base Ventura County and several mutual water districts, farms and individual pumpers. The District also provides surface water for agricultural irrigation and treated drinking water to the cities of Oxnard and Port Hueneme. www.unitedwater.org