Ventura County Sheriff's Department

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services is in the process of updating the Ventura County Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). The EOP addresses the County’s planned response to emergency situations and natural, human caused or technological disasters, and requires reviewing and updating every three years.

We believe that emergency preparedness is a shared “whole community” responsibility, involving a broad spectrum of community interests, including individual members, businesses, faith-based and other community organizations, academia as well as the media and all levels of government. The public is invited to review the draft EOP and can download a copy by visiting www.ReadyVenturaCounty.org, www.VCEmergency.com or www.VenturaCountyRecovers.org and click on the 2021 EOP Update link at the top of the page.

Nature of Incident: Ventura County Emergency Operations Plan
Date & Time: February 2, 2021
Unit(s) Responsible: Office of Emergency Services
Prepared by: Bill Boyd, OES Emergency Manager
Approved by: Patrick Maynard, OES Director

The Canon circa 1935.
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The Veterans Service Club formed in 1927 in Fillmore, and in July 1928 the Veterans Service Club ordered a cannon as a gift to Fillmore from the Rartian Arsenal in New Jersey. Pictured above is Len Hawthorn firing the Howitzer in 1979.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

The Fillmore cannon? Well, actually, it’s not. It’s a howitzer, probably of French manufacture based on German plans. So how did it get to Fillmore?

In January 1927, a group of Fillmore veterans formed the Veteran’s Service Club. Membership was open to “all men who honorably served in the army, navy or marine corps of the United States or her allies as well as those who have served this country in former conflicts.” The first president of the organization was R. A. Fremlin, who served in the British armed forces during World War I. The American Legion accepted only those who had served in the US military.

The Club grew from a charter membership of 35 to 134 by the end of 1927. The group was active in the improvement of Fillmore, taking on sponsorship of the city park which be created near the Southern Pacific Depot between Main and Santa Clara Streets.

As a gift to the town the VSC ordered a “cannon” from the Raritan Arsenal in New Jersey. As it was war surplus, the “cannon” itself cost them nothing, but they had to pay $150 in for shipping. In July 1928, the “cannon”, a 150mm howitzer arrived was installed in the City Park which at the time was the area in front of the current City Hall.

The “cannon” was not the only thing the VSC were doing in 1928 (although some of their plans were interrupted by the sudden collapse of the St. Francis Dam on March 12/13). They were the sponsor of the spring and fall flower shows, they put on several stage plays. To complete the year, they donated and installed the neon “Fillmore” sign that still can be seen on Central.

The “cannon” was a “mobile” piece and on at least two occasions traveled. One story is that in the early 1950s, some fun-loving Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce) moved it to the Wm L. Morris lot, then on Central and Santa Clara. No damage was done and the cannon was returned to its home in the park.

It was a different story in 1974 when a “local prankster” hooked the howitzer up to his pick up and towed down the street. The wheels of the venerable gun broke under the strain. Retired cabinet make Fred Barger was commissioned to repair the wheels, which he did at no charge. The City Works department placed it on the southwest corner of the City Park so visitors were greeted by the “cannon” as the drove up Central Avenue.

The 1994 Earthquake changed many things and so it was with the “cannon”. With the construction of the new City Hall, the “cannon” lost its home. It was also in need of some TLC. Ralph Rees and Basil Dalsem undertook the job of restoring the cannon and when finished, it found its new home at the Veteran’s Memorial Building on 2nd Street where it remains.

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On January 27, 2021, the Ventura Sheriff’s Office, and all the cities that contract police services with the Sheriff’s Office, hosted a gun turn-in. This was an opportunity for citizens to turn in unwanted firearms, replica firearms and ammunition for destruction.

As a result, 60 guns were turned in for destruction as well as 7 replica BB guns and approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

Nature of Incident: Gun Turn-In Results
Location: Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Thousand Oaks Police Department, Moorpark Police Department, Camarillo Police Department, Fillmore Police Department and the Ojai Police Department
Date & Time: 1/28/2021
Unit(s) Responsible: Ventura County Sheriff’s Office
Prepared by: Senior Deputy Mike Baker
Approved by: Captain Shane Matthews

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

Free application webinars offered daily in several languages.

Courtesy City of Fillmore website https://www.fillmoreca.com/Home/Components/News/News/3324/18

Sacramento, CA – California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), part of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), today announced that Round 2 of the Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program is open.

The $500 million program is intended for small businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. Grants range in size from $5,000 to $25,000. Approximately half of the available funds were awarded in Round 1, with disbursement beginning January 22, and the remainder will be awarded to eligible businesses in this second round. The application portal opened at 8:00 a.m. today and will remain open through 6:00 p.m. February 8. Eligible applicants who submitted all necessary documents in Round 1, but did not receive a grant, will be rolled over for consideration in this second round – there is no need to reapply.

"What we are seeing is an unprecedented, urgent need,"said Dee Dee Myers, Director of GO-Biz. "Millions of hardworking Californians, who provide jobs to millions more, need help. Inclusive, equitable relief is fundamental to the small business support this state is providing. Surveys find that without additional funding, more than one in three small business owners will not survive past the next three months, including an astounding 32% of Latinx-owned and 41% of Black-owned businesses. This grant program serves to address an immediate need, but there is so much more that needs to be done. We look forward to the additional grants and loans proposed by the Biden Administration."

California’s small businesses employ nearly half of the state’s private sector workforce and create two-thirds of new jobs. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, studies showed small businesses were facing low cash flow levels – estimating nearly half of all small businesses had only two weeks of cash flow pre-pandemic.

CalOSBA is pleased to share preliminary data from the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program's first round of recipients:
• 77% of selected applicants went to underserved & disadvantaged small businesses, which are businesses owned by minority, women, veteran, or businesses located in rural, low-to-moderate income (LMI), low-wealth, and rural communities (applicant may fit into more than one category).
o 53% of selected applicants are minority-owned businesses,
o 49% of selected applicants are women-owned businesses,
o 14% of selected applicants are business owners in rural areas, and
o 58% of selected applicants are business owners in low-to-moderate income areas.
• 61% of selected applicants are business owners in highly impacted industries including personal care, restaurant & other eating places, child daycare services, retail clothing stores, & specialty foods.
• Small businesses or non-profits in all 58 counties received awards.
The California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant is administered by CalOSBA through a competitive bid award to its intermediary, Lendistry, and its statewide network of community-based lenders and partners. Many of the State-supported small business centers, which prioritize the expansion of technical assistance to underserved business groups, are also available to help small businesses with the application process in multiple languages and formats.

For more information on grant requirements and eligibility, along with links to application tips and webinars, visit CAReliefGrant.com.

About GO-Biz
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth and economic development efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit,www.business.ca.gov.

About CalOSBA
The Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) helps support economic growth and innovation by working to ensure that California’s small businesses and entrepreneurs have the information, tools and resources they need to plan, launch, manage and grow their businesses successfully and be resilient. The CalOSBA serves to elevate their voices in state government and to advocate on their behalf to help ensure all aspiring and current small business owners and entrepreneurs are provided with the opportunity to access capital, access markets, and connect to the networks and resources they need to succeed. For more informationvisit the website.

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Courtesy City of Fillmore Facebook Page

Fillmore is the future home of Mountain View Apartments. Many Mansions partners with the Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura to start construction on their very first affordable housing community in the City of Fillmore.

Mountain View Apartments design influence is inspired by Fillmore’s rich history in rail and agriculture and has a timeless agrarian craftsman style. This beautiful development will feature 42 townhome style units with attached garages and 35 flats and walk-ups for a total of 77 apartment homes. There will be 37 one-bedroom, 21 two-bedroom, and 19 three-bedroom apartments, built as workforce housing for very low- and extremely low-income families.

There are numerous on-site amenities including but not limited to a spacious community room that will host free after school programs for the resident children and family services such as food assistance and life skills training for the adults. Access to on-site County of Ventura library services will also be available for the tenants. This is a new partnership we look forward to bringing to more of our affordable housing communities.

“Many Mansions invests in more than just building apartment homes, we invest in the future of individuals, families and youth through comprehensive whole person support. We will continue to provide affordable housing and support so that everyone can achieve their life dreams.”
– Rick Schroeder, President

There will also be lots of outdoor activities such as a playground, outdoor activity center, barbecue/picnic area, community garden, and a bike and pedestrian paths connecting the property to beautiful downtown Fillmore. This development will be a shining example of a high-quality and well-designed affordable housing and a true community asset.

The following is a letter to the City of Fillmore from Yesenia and Alejandra Robles about their new Free Little Library.

Hello city of Fillmore,

Our names are Yesenia and Alejandra Robles and we are the proud owners of the new Little Free Library located at 853 Oliver Sr. in Fillmore. This Little Free Library was made by our friend, neighbor and local artist, Jack Stethem. We hope you enjoy reading as much as we do. You are welcome to read the books, the more you read the smarter you get. We want our Little Free Library to be for all ages, so come on take a book and leave a book. If you would like to donate books, they are welcomed, you can leave them inside the library or you can leave them in front of our house. And remember, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the places you’ll go.”

- Yesenia and Alejandra Robles

1978 Los Serenos.
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1978 Hwy 126 Fillmore entry.
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1914 remains of the Sespe RR crossing.
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1914 February 27 Bardsdale Bridge.
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1938 Damage to the Bardsdale bridge.
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1938 Hwy 23 south of the Bardsdale bridge.
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1969 March 2 dead crocodiles.
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1969 Sespe Bridge.
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1969 Sespe RR bridge approach.
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1969 Sewer Plant damage.
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2005 Equestrian Center damage.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

February! This is the time of year when we hope it will rain. When it does, we hope it will be enough and then we hope it won’t be too much.

History has shown us that, in Fillmore, it is often the unexpected quantity of rain or its lack that stands out. Local farmers keep exacting records of the date and amount of rain. Was it enough to not have to irrigate? Is the river or creek going to rage through the orchard? Will it interrupt our plans?

Over time many rainstorms have left indelible impressions both good and bad. One of the earliest storms mentioned in Ventura County history was the deluge of 1862. Rain was statewide and is referred to in the history books as the “Great California Flood of 1862.” Early photos show Sacramento inundated with flood waters up to the second stories of buildings. Author Yda Addis reported that, here in Ventura County, rain fell for 60 days leaving all the ground saturated and “reeking.” In San Buenaventura, “landslides were frequent” and “houses were submerged or carried away bodily.” Cattle, which were the main source of income in those times were starving. The overflow from the Ventura River was 3 feet deep on Ventura’s Main St.

The rains of 1884 were deeply embedded in the memories of those who were living in the Santa Clara Valley at the time. Fillmore had not yet been founded but Santa Paula was a growing city and Ventura well established. According to Lowell Hardison, the rains began with small typical showers in October and November of 1883 allowing the withered grasses of summer to grow and turn the hills green. On January 24th of 1884 it began to rain and continued for 34 hours measuring 15”. From January 31 to Feb 8 it rained every night measuring 20”. Mr. Hardison, assuming that the rains had ended, set off for Los Angeles to purchase a wagon. On the trip home with the new wagon he found 4” of snow on the ground at Newhall and flooding throughout the valley. In a time with no bridges over the creeks and river, they had to leave the wagon and head home on the mules. They found the road up Santa Paula Canyon obliterated with rocks, boulders and debris everywhere. Arriving at home they found the family safe but the cabin nearly wrecked as the wind had forced the rain into the interior. There was debris everywhere, the interior of the cabin was drenched, and the creek behind the cabin was a raging torrent 14 feet deep. A fire was impossible as everything that might burn was wet. They spent the night huddled under blankets trying to stay warm.

The Santa Clara River was flooding bank to bank. Animals, buildings and people were caught in the flood. A dog was seen floating down the river on a mattress. One rescue boat was swamped and the survivors succeeded in climbing a tree and were then rescued. Nearly all the bridges in Southern California were swept away. According the newspapers Santa Paula received 40” and Ojai received 70” in just 60 days. Newspapers of the time called it the greatest rainfall ever recorded in the valley.

In more modern times, we have had our share of excessive rain and damage here in Fillmore. In 1914, shortly after construction of the bridges across the Sespe and Santa Clara, torrential rain caused them to wash out leaving Fillmore isolated. In 1938 the north approach to the Bardsdale Bridge was washed out. Access from Bardsdale was at first by boson’s chair and then by swinging bridge as a new section of the bridge was built.

1969 once again brought excess rain and flooding to our area with three major storms from January through March. The vulnerable approaches to the Sespe auto bridge and the railroad bridge failed. Landslides were common. The 9 hole golf course located where the school farm is now located was washed out. Los Serenos was flooded for the first time and Pole Creek flooded east of Mountain View as far as Main St. Tragedy struck when a group of Boy Scouts being rescued from the mountains above the Sespe were swept away and killed in the raging Sespe. The oddest result was the damage to Africa USA located above Guiberson Road near Piru. After the rain ended, two crocodiles were found along the Santa Clara and rapidly dispatched so as not to cause a panic should they disappear into the orchards.

Los Serenos took a hit again in 1978 when after several months of rainstorms a violent rainstorm sent the Sespe rampaging through the neighborhood when debris formed a dam under the Sespe Auto Bridge. One of our local heavy equipment operators took it upon himself to blow the bridge to release the backed up water. Better to solve the problem and ask forgiveness later. After the citizenry rose up in anger because of the damage, the U.S. Corp of Engineers finally agreed to build the levee which stands today.

Most recently, in 2005, heavy rain caused the Santa Clara River to run full from bank to bank. The Sherriff’s office closed the Bardsdale Bridge in midafternoon when the river threatened to wash out the south approach. The river broke through south of the equestrian center, flowed over Hwy23 and back out to the river. As often happened in these wet years there were storms from January through March creating a situation ripe for disaster when the final heavy storms hit.

It has now been 16 years since the last major flood event. We’d like our rains to be soft, gentle and enough to wash away the drought. It looks like that won’t happen this year. Just remember that in the case of rain storms, be they mild or heavy, history tends to repeat itself in the Santa Clara River Valley.

Two subjects were contacted by Fillmore detectives during an investigation. Detectives located several bicycles that were believed to be stolen and are requesting the public’s assistance to solve the crimes.

On January 20th, at approximately 8:00 a.m., detectives contacted the subject at his Fillmore residence and arrested him for a felony warrant. He was contacted with a transient, Phillip Davison. Both men were found in possession of several bicycles that were believed to be stolen. Detectives linked one of the bicycles to a Fillmore resident that reported his bicycle as stolen in October 2020, and determined Davison was responsible for the crime.

The Fillmore resident was booked into the Ventura County Main Jail in Ventura for violations unrelated to the bicycle theft and held on $50,000 bail. Davison was cited and released for HS 11550(a) – Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance and PC 484(a) – Petty Theft.

If you believe one of the attached bicycles is yours, or if you have any information about the theft of these bicycles, please contact the Detective Cesar Salas at (805) 524-2234. The Sheriff’s Office is also asking residents to be aware of the rise in recent bicycle thefts and to keep all unattended bicycles locked or in a secure location to prevent thefts.

Nature of Incident: Bicycle Theft Arrest / Request for Public Assistance
Report Number: RB# 20-137708
Location: City of Fillmore
Date & Time: January 20, 2021 @ 8:00 AM
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Investigations Unit
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent, City of Residence, Age
(S) Resident, Fillmore, 41
(S) Phillip Davison, Transient (Fillmore/Santa Paula), 37

Vinnie Hinckley, daughter of Dr. J.P. Hinckley, who passed away at 15 years old due to the virus.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

The pandemic which swept the world from 1918 through at least 1920 did not skip over Fillmore. Inaccurately dubbed “Spanish” influenza, it was first identified at an Army camp in Kansas. The recruits shipped out to France and from there it spread. The “Spanish” appellation was derived from the fact that neutral Spain did not have the censorship controls that the Allied nations had and openly reported on the epidemic including the fact the Spanish king, Alfonso XIII, had contracted the disease. In the United States, it was believed that if the general public was aware of the situation it would hurt the war effort.

The first mention of the epidemic appeared in the October 18, 1918, local paper. Because of the growing number of cases in the town, the school board debated closing the schools. After considerable discussion, it was decided to keep the schools open. Dr. W. R Manning, the city health officer, commented that there would be less danger of a serious epidemic if the children were kept in school than if the schools were closed and the youngsters allowed to run the streets.

A week later, the tone in the paper was much different. The number of cases had exploded and there were deaths. Judge Merton Barnes, chairman of the Fillmore Red Cross, headed up the support effort aided by Mrs. Lawton and Mrs. Hadley as heads of the nursing team. At the suggestion of Hattie King, a temporary hospital was set up in the Presbyterian Church Sunday School at Sespe and Clay Streets. There the Red Cross volunteers aided the local Doctors Hinckley and Kerr as well as Dr. Soegaard from Piru and Dr. Mott from Santa Paula.

Dr. Manning and his wife had contracted the virus so he was no longer able to attend to patients. Entire families were hit by the virus including the Harthorns, Fairbanks, Fosters, Froehlichs, Booths, and many others.

A curfew was enacted, and public gatherings were banned. Pool halls and theaters were closed. A mountain lion hunt that had been scheduled was cancelled because the owners of the dogs were sick with influenza.

By November 18, the epidemic seemed to have subsided, and the temporary hospital was closed. As a precaution schools remained closed. There was a sad report that the Reese family had lost 4 family members to influenza. Advice was given on the proper diet for victims.

The situation continued to improve, and it was announced that the schools would reopen on November 25. It was decided that places of amusement should remain closed on Saturday evenings, when unusually large crowds congregate.

The influenza of 1918, a strain of the H1N1-A virus, seemed to be particularly deadly to young adults, perhaps because it triggered a cytokine storm, which ravages the stronger immune system of young adults. This may explain why the next mention of the epidemic was on December 13, 1918 when a strict quarantine was announced. Dr. J. P. Hinckley, who lost his 15 year-old daughter, Vinnie, to the virus just a few weeks earlier, said he had twenty-five new cases, the majority of whom were high school students. Dr. Soegaard stated he had 19 patients, all high school students. It was decided that wherever the disease appeared a placard would be posted in a conspicuous place on the home, all cases had to be reported, and anyone residing in homes with the infections shall not be permitted to attend any public or private school or attend a public gathering. Churches were asked to cancel Christmas events and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Stephens cancelled their annual movie for the town’s children, although a toy giveaway would be held.

Bob Crum

A service will be held at Bardsdale Cemetery at 11am on Thursday, January 21, for our friend Bob Crum. Many in town knew Bob, and we will all miss his ready smile and abundant joy for life. You are all welcome to come remember our friend. Bob's obituary will be in next week's Gazette.