Marc Wanamaker – Film Historian. Photo credit Rancho Camulos Museum.
Enlarge Photo

Join Marc Wanamaker, to explore “Early Hollywood and its Camulos Connection”.

Marc Wanamaker world-class film historian, researcher, consultant, author, pod-caster, and owner of the Bison Archives will give an interesting and educational program on how the early film industry had an impact on Los Angeles’ economy and how it intertwined with the early transportation system and culture of Southern California publicizing California as a “go-to” destination for the tourist trade. Camulos played a starring role.

The suggested donation is $10 (cash/check). Book signing and Gift Shop opportunities.

Reservations are recommended. To make reservations call 805-521-1501 or send an email to info@ranchocamulos.org. For Rancho Camulos National Historic Landmark Museum information visit Ranchocamulos.org.
The museum is located on Hwy 126 - 5164 E. Telegraph Road, Piru.

November 27, 2024
The Police Department is reaching out with helpful tips to make our community safer during the upcoming holidays especially for shoppers, retailers, and travelers.

SHOPPERS

• Shoppers beware in crowded stores and shops for pickpockets that work in teams. In a common method, one suspect distracts the victim while the other suspect intentionally bumps the victim and removes a wallet from a back pants pocket simultaneously. Keep wallets in a bag snug close to your body or in a front pants pocket to avoid this.

• When shopping at malls or downtown areas, please observe all parking signs and park in well lighted areas at night. Make sure to lock your vehicle. Do not leave valuables in plain view in your vehicle and they become prime targets for thieves. It only takes a few seconds to smash a car door window to reach in and steal. Place your valuables in a secured trunk or take a break and make trips to drop off some of those gifts at home before continuing to shop.

• Beware of package thieves who follow postal and delivery vehicles when they drop off packages on porches that are ordered online. You can set a shipping delivery time or have a message notification when your packages are delivered to reduce from becoming a porch pirate theft victim. Also, inexpensive surveillance cameras can be installed on your doorbell and other exterior areas of the front of your house.

• Online scams are growing. You may receive a text message, email, or phone call requesting your personal information to register an account or make a payment that is identified as unusual to a consumer. Do not provide any of your personal/accounts information and ask for verification of the requestor companies contact information and email.

• If possible, use a credit card vs a debit card to make holiday purchases. If your card is lost or cared information is compromised, most credit cards provide protection for any fraudulent purchases over $50. With a debit card, if you don’t report the loss right away, you may lose all the contents of the bank account associated with the debit card.

• Please be cautious in observance of holiday traffic and allow for extra travel time to reach your destinations.

RETAILERS

• Retailers look out for those using large amounts of cash for purchases. Make sure to thoroughly inspect large bills to prevent counterfeit fraud. Visit:
https://www.secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2020-12/KnowYo...

• Make sure all surveillance video cameras are in operational order and are recording continuously. This is helpful to provide law enforcement in the event of a store burglary or theft at your establishment. Surveillance footage oftentimes leads to the identity of the suspect(s) and provide details so other technology can be used to apprehend offenders.

• To deter crime, consider hiring extra loss prevention staff or uniformed security officers during peak shopping hours.

TRAVELERS

• If you are traveling and will be away from your home, set some indoor lights on timers to show the appearance you are home. Also notify trusted neighbors to be vigilant for suspicious activity on the street while you are away.

• Do not post pictures on social media of you and your family/friends at travel destinations while you are out of town. Delay posting travel pictures until after you return home. Posting travel pictures gives the impression you are out of town and burglars will focus on that time to break in to houses.

** FOR ANY CRIMES IN PROGRESS OR TO REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY, IMME-DIATELY DIAL 911 **

Police Officers will be conducting saturation patrols during the holidays looking for those driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol/drugs. Please use rideshare or designate a during the holidays. Taking drunk/drugged drivers off the street saves lives and reduces traffic collisions.

The men and women of the Police Department encourage our residents and business owners to prepare and be vigilant while enjoying the holiday season. Happy Holidays!

Press Release Prepared by: Don Aguilar, Chief of Police

VENTURA, Calif. – The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is reminding Ventura County residents to be aware of possible price gouging for essential foods, medicines, household necessities, and housing following the Mountain Fire incident.

On November 7, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency in Ventura County due to the destruction caused by the Mountain Fire. Under Penal Code section 396, during a state of emergency it is illegal for sellers to raise prices more than 10% for items such as fuel, food, and hotel rooms, except under very limited circumstances. There are further protections for residents from eviction or unfair rent increases occurring during a state of emergency. Any violation of Penal Code section 396 is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $10,000 fine.

“Exploiting those affected by the devastating Mountain Fire for financial gain is illegal and will not be tolerated,” said District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “I encourage anyone who suspects price gouging to report it to our office immediately so we can undertake a review and investigation.”

Concerned residents are encouraged to report instances of suspected price gouging to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office at: DAOpricegouging@ventura.org. Residents are requested to provide the following information:

1. Business or seller name, address, and phone number
2. Identity of the product or service offered by the seller
3. The cost of the product or service prior to November 7, 2024
4. The cost of the product or service (from the same seller) after November 7, 2024
5. Any other details relating to the alleged price gouging
6. Contact infor-mation for the rep-orting party
For more in-formation related to recovery from the Mountain Fire, please review: vcemergency.com and ventura countyrecovers.org.

Contact:
Joey Buttitta
Title:
Communications
Manager/PIO
Phone:
(805) 767-3400
Email:
Joey.Buttitta@ventura.org
Approved: SW
Date: November 15, 2024
Release No.: 24-138

VENTURA, Calif. – The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is reminding Ventura County residents to be aware of possible price gouging for essential foods, medicines, household necessities, and housing following the Mountain Fire incident.

On November 7, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency in Ventura County due to the destruction caused by the Mountain Fire. Under Penal Code section 396, during a state of emergency it is illegal for sellers to raise prices more than 10% for items such as fuel, food, and hotel rooms, except under very limited circumstances. There are further protections for residents from eviction or unfair rent increases occurring during a state of emergency. Any violation of Penal Code section 396 is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $10,000 fine.

“Exploiting those affected by the devastating Mountain Fire for financial gain is illegal and will not be tolerated,” said District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “I encourage anyone who suspects price gouging to report it to our office immediately so we can undertake a review and investigation.”

Concerned residents are encouraged to report instances of suspected price gouging to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office at: DAOpricegouging@ventura.org. Residents are requested to provide the following information:

1. Business or seller name, address, and phone number
2. Identity of the product or service offered by the seller
3. The cost of the product or service prior to November 7, 2024
4. The cost of the product or service (from the same seller) after November 7, 2024
5. Any other details relating to the alleged price gouging
6. Contact infor-mation for the rep-orting party
For more in-formation related to recovery from the Mountain Fire, please review: vcemergency.com and ventura countyrecovers.org.

Contact:
Joey Buttitta
Title:
Communications
Manager/PIO
Phone:
(805) 767-3400
Email:
Joey.Buttitta@ventura.org
Approved: SW
Date: November 15, 2024
Release No.: 24-138

Pictured above is Phoenix, the burned cat who was adopted on Saturday. Photos provided by Randy Friedman.
Enlarge Photo

By David Goldstein, Ventura County Public Works Agency, IWMD

Residents suffered horrible losses of homes and property during the recent Mountain Fire, but thankfully, no lives were lost. Also, all 44 dogs and 35 cats evacuated from fire areas and left for safekeeping at the Ventura County Animal Shelter have been reunited with their owners.

Although some pets are still missing, six of the seven stray pets recovered from burned areas have been reunited with evacuated families, according to Randy Friedman, Ventura County Animal Control Public Information Officer. The one not reclaimed was a badly burned cat. Ventura County Animal Shelter staff provided extensive treatment and named the cat “Phoenix.” In great news, Phoenix was adopted last weekend.

“This crisis came at a really tough time for us; our shelter was already over capacity, and we had to find a way to accommodate the influx,” said Friedman, noting residents in rural areas also dropped off horses, ducks, and chickens for safekeeping while the people found shelter. Although all those animals are gone from the shelter, Friedman noted the shelter is still at 120 percent of capacity, with about 25 new animals arriving every day.

To address the problem, the Ventura County Animal Shelter is waiving fees on dog adoptions through the end of November. If you have been considering adding a dog to your family, preview dogs available at www.vcas.us/dogs. You can learn about the dog adoption process at www.vcas.us/adopt.

In contrast to the pets who have been reunited with families and returned to their evacuated homes or brought to new homes, many thousands of wild animals have lost their home range, and burned wild land will take years to recover. In the meantime, the web of life on wild lands, from plants and insects to birds and bobcats, will strain to cope with new circumstances.
Burned land can sometimes cause animals to venture into cities. In particular, mice and rats driven from burned landscapes can become problematic in adjacent urban areas. One way people can help animals is to switch away from toxic substances and to instead implement mechanical and exclusion methods of rodent control.

If homeowners near burn areas react to rodent problems by using poison, they risk posing new dangers to wildlife. In particular, anti-coagulant poisons kill mice and rats through internal bleeding, but poisoned pests take a long time to die, and in the meantime, they often become food for wildlife ranging from mountain lions to birds of prey, potentially spreading the poison up the food chain. Anti-coagulants are now banned from residential use, but many people have old pest control materials stored.
If you still have this type of poison, drop it off for safe disposal in your local household hazardous waste program. Contact your city or county waste management department for an appointment.

Instead of poison, a better methods of pest control is called “exclusion,” and it avoids infestations in the first place. Exclusion methods include sealing off potential home entry points with wire mesh, trimming trees overhanging your roof and avoid dense growth capable of sheltering rats, keeping pet food secured, and cleaning up pet droppings promptly.

Mechanical methods of pest control range from simple, classic snap traps to newer traps using electric shocks to kill pests. Some people mistake plastic bait traps for a mechanical trap, but generally, the large, plastic boxes with holes for rodents to crawl into are bait stations. The rodents do not die inside. Instead, they leave after consuming poison, potentially becoming prey for animals not targeted for poison.

If your mechanical traps are not catching rodents, rather than switching to poison, consider optimizing the traps. Set traps in pairs along a wall with the trip pads pointing in opposite directions, and use a proven effective bait. Peanut butter is often effective, and home improvement stores sell customized bait. Also, since mice nibbles do not always trigger traps meant for rats, use both sized traps if you are not sure which type of infestation is in your home.

PoisonFreeMalibu.org provides data about the effects of poisoning on wildlife and alternatives for rodent control, and The Santa Monica Mountains Fund’s “Breaking the Poison Chain” campaign provides explanations of non-toxic methods of rodent control. (see www.samofund.org/takethepledge ).

www.samofund.org/takethepledge
www.PoisonFreeMalibu.org
http://www.ojairaptorcenter.org/

David Goldstein, Environmental Resource Analyst with the Ventura County Public Works Agency, may be reached at (805) 658-4312 or david.goldstein@ventura.org

###

VENTURA, Calif. – The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced today that it has received a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to support a specialized prosecution team that handles alcohol and drug impaired driving cases. The grant program runs through September 2025.

“The ongoing support from the Office of Traffic Safety has been invaluable in our efforts to hold impaired drivers accountable and enhance public safety on our roads,” said District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “This grant enables our DUI Unit to work closely with law enforcement and other agencies, ensuring that every DUI case is handled with the highest level of expertise.

We remain committed to reducing impaired driving incidents and protecting the well-being of our Ventura County community.”
The specialized prosecution team will also partner with the statewide Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Training Program (TSRP) to train other prosecutors and investigators on best practices for handling and managing driving under the influence (DUI) cases.

This is the thirteenth year the District Attorney’s Office has received funding from the OTS for a specialized DUI prosecution program. Last year, the DUI Unit filed 2,699 DUI cases, including 119 DUI drug cases and 17 DUI combined alcohol and drug cases.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Fillmore Lions Club Christmas Parade set for December 7, 2024. Read article for more details. Gazette stock photo.
Enlarge Photo

The Lion’s Club Christmas Parade will brighten our holidays on December 7 at 10:00.

There are several ways to enjoy it. You can sign up to be in the Parade! Sign up your family or join with a group and show your Christmas spirit by walking or riding in the parade. If you are planning to be in the parade, check-in time is 9:00 on the corner in front of the Memorial Building.

Or you can go early, get a good spot (bring a chair) and enjoy the variety of cars, horses, and sports teams on flatbed trucks as well as, among other groups, bands and dancers.

The parade starts at the library and goes to Fillmore City Park. The announcer is by the theatre. Don’t leave early...Santa Claus has sent an elf to let us know that he will be on the Fillmore Fire Truck which will be the last vehicle in the parade.
And there is more!! Santa will be taking some time away from the North Pole to sit in the special area arranged for him at the City Park so you can take a photo with him.

Enjoy the Holiday Spirit on Central Avenue on December 7 at the Christmas Parade and photo booth!
See you there!

County of Ventura, California. – The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office was awarded a $530,000.00 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The grant will support our ongoing enforcement and education programs to help reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths on our roads.

“We are grateful to receive this grant, which will strengthen our traffic enforcement efforts and improve road safety,” Ventura County Sheriff Traffic Investigator Bradly Bordon said, “By increasing enforcement of traffic laws and focusing on high-risk areas, we aim to reduce dangerous driving behaviors, prevent crashes, and make our roads safer for everyone."

The grant will provide additional programs and resources, including:
• DUI checkpoints and patrols focused on stopping suspected impaired drivers.
• High-visibility distracted driving enforcement operations targeting drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
• Enforcement operations focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at risk.
• Enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause crashes: speeding, failure to yield, stop sign and/or red-light running, and improper turning or lane changes.
• Community presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding and bicycle and pedestrian safety.
• Collaborative enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies.
• Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).

The grant program will run through September 2025.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Location: County of Ventura
Date & Time: November 14, 2024
Unit(s) Responsible: Ventura County Sheriff’s Office

Prepared by: Sergeant Jason Christmann
Approved by: Captain Jason B. Hendren

On Monday, November 18, at the Scout House on Sespe Avenue, the youth of the One Step a la Vez Program each stepped up and spoke about the wide variety of programs in which the youth participate as well as the number of youth that attend. They are served two meals a day (lunch and dinner), have counseling and health care services available through Ventura County Behavioral Health, the Health Care Agency and Public Health. Youth on probation get job skills, academic support through support from the VC Probation Agency. In the Adelante Program the youth advocate to improve the community. In the Conocimiento Means Building Knowledge Program in which the youth participate in a youth prevention-based program that makes use of community collaboration process to reduce adverse outcomes in adolescents who are living through adverse childhood experiences by cultivating resilience, they are learning to become leaders, learn the skills to succeed in life and pursue a career, and plan events. Some youth participate in guitar and music classes as well as having a safe place to enjoy after school from 11-7:30 Monday-Friday. They invited everyone to the Fall Festival on November 23 at the One Step a la Vez Center on Sespe Avenue from 1-5. The presentation was well received by the Lions Club members. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Fillmore Lions Club, please contact any Lion whom you know or Lynn Edmonds at 805-514-9719. If you would like to know more about the One Step Program and meet some of the youth and staff, come to the Fall Festival on November 23.

Pictured above is a tree from the 2023 Christmas Tree Decorating event. Fillmore Gazette stock photo.
Enlarge Photo

The Fillmore Civic Pride Volunteer Committee sponsors the Christmas trees on Central Avenue which will be decorated by schools & youth groups before the December 7th Lions Club Christmas Parade. BUT they are in need of more 8’+ artificial trees to make the display more uniform.

If you are replacing an old artificial 8’+ tree (lights don’t need to work), please call Steve McKeown at 805-904-5424 or James Nunes at 805-302-5398 to pick up.

November 12, 2024

Michelle Ascencion, Ventura County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters, announced the schedule for the One Percent Manual Tally audit of the November 5, 2024, Presidential General Election. A mandated process under the California Elections Code (§15360), the One Percent Manual Tally audit is conducted during the 30-day Official Canvass period and involves a meticulous hand count of ballots from randomly selected batches of ballots that were electronically tabulated on Election Night. The manual tally counts are compared to the electronically tabulated results to confirm the machines are counting the ballots correctly.

The random selection of ballot batches will take place on November 13 at 10:00 AM. Using a random number generator, as specified in California Code of Regulations, Title 2, §20313(2)(A), Elections staff will select one percent of the batches from in-person votes and vote-by-mail ballots, treating them as separate samples to ensure comprehensive coverage. In addition to the initial one percent batch selection, additional batches are drawn to ensure all 99 ballot contests are included in the audit, as specified in §15360(a)(2)(B)(iii).

The audit process will officially begin on November 15 at 9:00 AM and will continue on November 16, restarting on November 18 and extending through November 23, and beyond if necessary. Batches vary in size and the total ballots to be counted will easily encompass thousands. Members of the public and media are welcome to observe both the random batch selection and the manual tally audit itself.

“A ‘one percent’ count may sound like a minor figure but make no mistake – it requires long hours of repetitive, detail-sensitive work by everyone involved,” said Registrar Ascencion. “We do strive to find ways to make this task less arduous – we are providing larger print tally sheets and optimizing the number of teams to maintain a manageable noise level in the tally area. Both the One Percent Manual Tally and the Pre-Election Logic and Accuracy Tests are important processes that ensure the safety, transparency, and efficiency of our local elections by ensuring every piece of equipment is functioning properly with 100% accuracy.”

Anyone interested in observing the One Percent Manual Tally audit can visit the Elections Division at the Ventura County Government Center (Hall of Administration, Lower Plaza), 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura. For more information please call the Elections Division at 805-654-2664. The official notice for the audit can be found at VenturaVote.org
The Ventura County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters is committed to “Preserving history and protecting democracy for the people of Ventura County, past, present, and future.” More information about the agency’s services is available 24/7 at www.VCClerkRecorder.org.

The Ventura County Garden Club announces the beginning of its 101st Season with its fourth meeting on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at 11:30 a.m., at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, located at 117 N. 7th St., Santa Paula. A Holiday potluck will be provided by all members. Plan to bring a dish to share and a white elephant/plant/gift to exchange. Also bring items to sell/gift on the plant table. followed by a luncheon at noon, provided by Fillmore/Piru Co-Directors/Organizer: President, Marcia Heerema. Board Meeting at 10:30 a.m. We welcome new members. For more information, email VenturaCountyGardenClub@yahoo.com, OR Facebook.com/VenturaCountyGardenClubVCGC.