For the last 20 years of my 36 year teaching career I taught at Fillmore High School. I always taught in the shop programs since I always valued interaction with individual students. The challenge of fitting shop tasks with individual student interests and strengths while covering the prescribed curriculum was always fun and rewarding. I always loved my students and the shop environments in which we worked. After teaching many years in wood shop programs and metal/machine/welding shops, I was interested in giving auto shop a try since I’ve always loved restoring old cars. When the current auto shop instructor retired and the shop facility fell into disrepair, I approached the principal Mrs. Lynn Johnson, with my idea of teaching an auto restoration program which would include the teaching of skills found in all shop areas of study. Mrs. Johnson was enthused when I wrote up the ideas with the incentives for student learning and we began the Fillmore Auto Restoration Program in the 1998/99 school year. The incentives for students learning included the completion of required projects in welding, sheet metal fabrication, and many exercises in mechanical tasks prior to the students being allowed to work on the class car restoration project. The car was built from just pieces bought at swapmeets or contributed by our old car friends. The car for the 1999 school year was a 1930 Model “A” pickup. While the car was being built we entered it in the History Channel’s Great Race. “The Great Race” was an idea by a Mr. Tom McCrae, who was concerned about all the folks who had an old car languishing in their garage, and an itch to drive it somewhere in America in a timed-endurance rally-type contest.

Started in 1982, Tom ran these rallies across America each year on different courses so that the beauty of America would be fully enjoyed. In the 1999 race, we started in Marietta, Georgia and ended in Anaheim, California, traveling over beautiful two-lane roads often on Hwy 66, covering over 3,000 miles. I think we were 4th or 5th in our class (The X Cup), and the cash we earned by our placing so well went to scholarships for our team members. The hardest part of this whole effort was choosing five team members (students) form over 100 kids, who were in my classes both semesters and had a part in building the car. We built three different cars, one each year for the three years we competed and they are all three here today. The 1999 car was bought (after the race we had to sell each car to help raise funds to cover the $30,000 needed to finance each year) by a gentleman from the Topanga area. Since, however, we “put Fillmore on the map” it got a lot of folks excited and generated a lot of press, Mr. Scott Lee who has served on every BOARD, COMMITTEE, AND COUNCIL KNOWN TO MANKING IN Fillmore, asked who bought the car. Well, I don’t know what kind of song & dance Scott did, but he talked the gentleman into cutting his price for buying the car in half and donating the car back to the Fillmore Historical Society. Now the car that made Fillmore famous can be enjoyed by all of us and future generations as we relive its exploits while viewing it here in its new garage home thanks to the efforts of many supporters at the Fillmore Historical Society Museum.

[The car was dedicated on Saturday, May 15th, to the Fillmore Historical Museum]
Lin Thomas
Fillmore

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Story and Photos by Bob Crum

At first sight... wonderment. Hearing her all-to-familiar-sounding whistle ignites nostalgia. Awe... as the first blast of steam enters her massive 20X28 cylinders. With boiler pressure of 180 pounds... her eight 48-inch steel driving wheels apply a whopping 35,700 pounds of tractive force. With a belch of smoke from her majestic stack... she struts down the rails with attitude. And a big smile knowing that she's about to once again enjoy showgirl status. Life is good.

Known as #18, she was built in 1914 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, PA, McCloud River Railroad purchased the 2-8-2 steam locomotive for $16,871.79. She enjoyed a brief career as a showgirl before getting down to business on the McCloud primarily hauling logs and lumber.

When the diesels arrived in 1948, the #18 was one of 14 steam locomotives on the property. The #18 was stored and offered for sale or scrap. Meanwhile, the neighboring Yreka Western Railroad was searching for heavier motive power. In 1956, the Yreka road bought two steam locomotives, the #19 (a near twin of the #18) and the #18. They were the primary power on the Yreka Western for only two years before the the Yreka purchased a used diesel.

The two steam locomotives operated frequently until 1964 when the #18 blew a cylinder head while double-heading a special passenger excursion with the #19. The YW lacked the money and expertise to repair the damage so the #18 sat under a tarp in the Yreka yards for many years... slowly rusting away. The owners of the YW finally put the railroad up for sale in early 1998 but the #18 was sold separately. An auction was held for the #18 and the successful bidder was... the McCloud Railway Company. The #18 returned home to McCloud in March of 1998.

In the McCloud shop, #18 underwent major restoration. Newspaper reports tell that the McCloud Railway paid $80,000 for the locomotive and spent an additional $350,000 restoring it. The #18 was finally placed back in service in February, 2001. However, in 2005 financial problems forced the sale of the #18 to the Virginia & Truckee Restoration Committee, which is rebuilding the former Virginia and Truckee railroad between Carson City and Virginia City, Nevada. The #18 ran it's last trip on the McCloud on Sunday, August 7, 2005.

Now... #18 is about to play a role in a feature film titled 'Water for Elephants' based on a novel by Sara Gruen. (ISBN-10: 1565124995) The story: “As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie.

It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

The cast includes Robert Pattinson as Jacob Jankowski, the novel's protagonist. He is a “90, or 93”-year-old nursing home resident reminiscing on the time he spent as a circus veterinarian during the Great Depression. Reese Witherspoon as Marlena is a star performer with the circus. Marlena joined the circus after she ran away from home to marry August. She enjoys a special rapport with the horses and cares for them deeply. Christoph Waltz as August, Malena's husband, is the head animal trainer (Circus owner and Ring Master in the film). He is alternately charming and brutal, both to the humans and animals aboard the Benzini Brothers train.

Filming in the Fillmore/Piru area is scheduled to begin on Thursday, May 20, 2010. http://waterforelephantsfilm.com/

FILLMORE WATER RECYCLING PLANT
SATURDAY, MAY 22, 2010
2:00 P.M. TO 4:00 P.M.
Visit Fillmore’s new Water Recycling Plant
GREAT PERSONALIZED TOURS
Learn how sewage is treated & the water recycled.
1580 RIVER STREET

(Ventura, California) To accommodate the pending construction of the new Community Memorial Hospital building, which is expected to begin this fall, the following CMH department offices are moving to a new location.

CMH departments that are affected by the move are the Business Office; Centers for Family Health Billing and Coding; Accounting; Accounts Payable; Payroll; and Information Systems. They will be relocating to 5855 Olivas Park Drive in Ventura. All existing phone numbers will remain the same.

The relocation begins on May 24 and will affect 116 Community Memorial Health System employees. The new facility will have a conference room with a Web cam for multi-person conferences. Some departments will have Web cams on their personal computers to facilitate one-on-one meetings. The goal of the new technology, according to CMHS Marketing Manager Mary McCormick, is to minimize the need for employees at the new facility to leave their offices to attend meetings at the main hospital.

Community Memorial Hospital is a member of Community Memorial Health System, a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, and nine family-practice health centers entitled Centers for Family Health. The health system is located in Ventura County, California.

The Fillmore VFW Post 9637 will be distributing Buddy Poppy’s on May 22, 2010, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm in front of the Vons Store. VFW Buddy Poppy’s are assembled by disabled and needy Veterans. All donations are used to provide support for the disabled Veterans and widows and orphans of our nation’s Veterans.

The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley is very pleased to announce the return, for the fifth year, of The Taste of the Valley, a food and wine tasting event held at the Courtyard of the Fillmore City Hall. The date for the event is Saturday, June 5, 2010 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The event features tastings from local food, wine, and beverage merchants as well as live entertainment by The Tune Bandits, a husband and wife band that plays and sings a variety of music from the 60’s to today’s popular hits. The event also invites guests to bid at the Silent Auction made up of a variety of donations from local businesses and individuals, such as computer tote bags, vacation houses on Rincon Beach, jewelry, dining gift certificates and much more.

Reservations for this event are $35 per person and can be obtained by calling the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley at 805-525-7910. Visa and MasterCard charges are welcome.

County Supervisor Kathy Long, 3rd District would like to announce to all residents of Ventura County that the next Santa Paula Tattoo Removal Clinic will be held on Saturday May 22, 2010 from 8:30 am – 12 noon, no appointments necessary. Orientation for first time participants will be at 9 am located at 1334 E. Main St. the Santa Paula Family Care Clinic. Due to overwhelming response, spaces will be limited.

County Supervisor Kathy Long spearheaded this clinic in collaboration with the following agencies: Ventura County Public Health, Ventura County Probation Agency, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, Santa Paula Family Care Clinic, Interface Children Family Services, and CalWORKS.

The clinic not only welcomes participants but volunteers to run the clinic. If you have any questions, or would like to find out how you can help, please call the Santa Paula Family Care Clinic at (805) 933-1242.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A CORRECTION TO THE 05/13/2010 ARTICLE RE THE FILLMORE MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND PERFORMING FOR THE FILLMORE EBELL CLUB.

THE FILLMORE MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND WILL NOT BE PERFORMING FOR THE FILLMORE EBELL CLUB ON MAY 25TH, NOR WILL THEY BE HOLDING A JOINT CONCERT WITH THE FILLMORE UNIFIED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BANDS ON MAY 18TH, AT 6:30 P.M., IN THE FMS GYM.

THE CORRECTED INFORMATION IS AS FOLLOWS:

The Fillmore High School Band Members to Perform for Fillmore Ebell Club.

The Fillmore High School Concert Band and Jazz Bands will perform for members of the Fillmore Ebell Club on Tuesday, May 25th, at 2:00 p.m., in the Fillmore Memorial Building. The students will perform selections from classical and modern band music for the Ebell members.

The band program at FHS is very active throughout the year, performing in concerts, parades, and numerous sporting events. The band’s next performance will be in the Fillmore May Festival parade on May 15.

The Fillmore Ebell club has made numerous donations to the music and art programs in the Fillmore Unified School District in years past.

Anyone interested in more information, or becoming a member of the Fillmore Ebell Club, may call Trisha Armstrong at 805-727-1901.

Conway Spitler

Isn’t it something to see the number of reunions being held from Fillmore High School this year? If you haven’t the news, here it is: Classes of ’45, ’50, 55, 60, 65, 70 and 90 are having reunions this year! This is really great to see the enthusiasm of the classes from Fillmore Union High School. As former helper of class reunions, Fillmore High, to me at least, seems to have the enthusiasm to have reunions and it is wonderful the Alumni Association continues to give the classes assistance in getting their reunions organized.

Written By Lauren Fairall

I love the way Spring comes to Fillmore
Out of the wintery gloom
And brightens the streets of Fillmore
With many a colorful bloom.
I love the way Spring comes to Fillmore
Creeping into everyone’s houses
Brightening them with marvelous joy
Making the plain brown dirt explode with fragrant wonders.
I love to see the Mustard and Lupine blossoms
Climbing slowly up the hill.
I love the way Spring makes
Fillmore bright and beautiful again.

--Lauren Fairall is a Fillmore Flower Show Youth Composition winner

In an effort to purchase uniforms for the Fillmore High School Marching Band, the Fillmore Band Boosters are launching the 2010 Tens Fundraiser. Without uniforms, the marching band does not meet the criteria necessary to perform or compete in other venues. The retired uniform is over a quarter century old! Come check us out this weekend!

We will have a booth at the 2010 May Festival where every ten dollars donated will earn you a ticket with a chance to win one of our fabulous prizes. Here are a few to pique your interest.

A personalized, autographed Al Pacino poster from any Al Pacino movie of your choice to one of our lucky winners. Thank you Mr. Pacino! A notebook for another winner. Thank you Element Computers!

A few of the bands from the wildly popular Unsung Heroes Music Festival have agreed to play at least an hour at your private event should you be the so fortunate. So far, we have:

Tempting Fate with Rip Ziebell and Damian Foster - an acoustic rock duo
Dead of Night A five man rock-metal-alternative band …Word…”Energize”
Nostaljik - Jr. Castillo will spin a half hour of hip hop for you.

We will have demonstrations to show you how musical instruments work from 1-6 Saturday and an occasional Beat Back Session throughout the weekend where we do a little impromptu rhythm romp. We will have T-shirts, recorders, drumsticks, whistle pops, and water bottle fans for sale too.

Support the band and keep music alive and well in Fillmore! Stay tuned, stop by and see what else we have to offer. Keep a song in your heart.

Deborah Galarza,
Band Booster President

California State Old Time Fiddlers Association, District 8, meet Sunday, May 23, 1:30-4:30 at Oak View Community Center, 18 Valley Road, Oak View. Join the fiddlers for an afternoon of country, western, & bluegrass music for your dancing or listening pleasure. Free admission & parking. Refreshments available. Info: 640-3689, 517-1131, or www.calfiddlers.com

Ventura, CA – The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC), VISTA bus, and the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, along with other area sponsors, are hosting Bike to Work Week throughout Ventura County. May is national bike month. In appreciation of bike month, Ventura County cycling enthusiasts, families, and commuters are invited to put on their helmets and hit the road from May 17 through 21, 2010, in celebration of Bike to Work Week.

In conjunction with this event, VISTA bus will offer free rides to passengers boarding with a bicycle on a space-available basis. A free ride coupon is available online at www.vcapcd.org/btw.htm or www.goventura.org. Interested participants can present the coupon as they board with their bicycles to be eligible to win one of five $50 VISA gift cards.

During Bike to Work Week, rest stops with water, giveaways, and bicycling-related material will be positioned along high-traffic bike routes. Rest stops are scheduled to be located at Ventura County Government Center on Thursday, May 20 from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (sponsored by Ventura Velo & Cycle Dynamics) and Thousand Oaks City Hall on Friday, May 21 from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. (sponsored by the City of Thousand Oaks.) Check out the event website, www.vcapcd.org/btw.htm, for more information on rest stops, bikeways, and bicycling safety tips.

VCTC and VISTA bus are proud sponsors of Bike to Work Week. For more information about VCTC or for VISTA bus route and schedule information, visit www.GoVentura.org or call (800) 438-1112.

Soroptomist presented the Verna Padelford Creative Writing Awards, Wednesday, April 21st. Fillmore Middle School winners—Front Row (l-r)—Elizabeth Manzano, First Place—Poetry; Rachel Pace, Third Place—Poetry; Yaneli Enriquez, Second Place—Poetry; Anthony Larin, Second Place—Short Story. Not pictured were Felicity Zavala, First Place Winner—Short Story. Back Row (l-r)—Rachel Cone, Teacher/Coordinator; Susan Fitzgerald, Teacher; and Kathleen Briggs, Soroptimist Writing Awards Chair and judge. (K. Pace photo)
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Fillmore High School Creative Writing Awards winners pictured: Front Row (l-r)—Ryan Martel, First Place—Short Story; Alexis Briano, Special Honorable Mention-School Spirit—Poetry; Vanessa Villa, Second Place—Short Story; Laura Garnica, First Place—Poetry. Back Row (l-r)—Erik Orozco, Third Place—Short Story; Wayne Bauer, Teacher/Coordinator; Roberto Munoz, Third Place—Poetry; Not pictured were Tyler Gray, Honorable Mention—Short Story; Daniel Meza, Second Place—Poetry; Gabriela Diaz, Imelda Lopez and Lynn Ferguson, Honorable Mention winners--Poetry. (K. Pace photo)
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The Soroptimists of Fillmore honored students from Fillmore Middle School and Fillmore High School at an awards dinner buffet on Wednesday, April 21, 2010, at Fillmore’s El Pescador Restaurant.

The Verna Padelford Creative Writing Awards for the Middle School and High School were awarded for poetry and short story/essay. All the student winners who placed received cash awards for their entries. Participation was great this year—16 students from the Middle School and 36 students from the High School.

For Middle School, the award which covered Poetry, went to Elizabeth Manzano for 1st place, Yaneli Enriquez for 2nd place, and Rachel Pace for 3rd place. The award which covered Short Story/Essay went to Felicity Zavala for 1st Place and Anthony Larin for 2nd Place; (There was not an entry to award a 3rd place winner).

At the High School level, the winners for Poetry this year were Laura Garnica for 1st place, 2nd place went to Daniel Meza, and 3rd Place went to Roberto Munoz. With the good quality of high school poetry entries, there were several Honorable Mentions, especially one for School Spirit for Class of 2010, won by Alexis Briano; other Honorable Mention recipients were Gabriela Diaz, Imelda Lopez and Lynn Ferguson. The Short Story/Essay winners were Ryan Martel for 1st Place, 2nd Place went to Vanessa Villa, and 3rd Place went to Erik Orozco. Tyler Gray received Honorable Mention.

The Soroptimists would like to thank Rachel Cone, English Teacher Coordinator and Susan Fitzgerald, Teacher, at Fillmore Middle School; and Wayne Bauer, English Teacher Coordinator at Fillmore High School, for their help in coordinating this effort. And a special thanks to the Soroptimist Writing Awards Chair, Kathleen Briggs, for her time and efforts for the judging and organizing the event, and Soroptimist Dr. Ellie Wattles, who assisted in the judging for the Middle School.

These awards are given annually by the Soroptimists in honor and memory of former member and school teacher, Verna Padelford. The purpose of the contest is to encourage students to write and receive recognition for their efforts. Soroptimists want to support the academic programs at the Middle School and High School, while giving individual students a feeling of personal success.

Pictured is Ronda Reyes-Deutsch receiving her honorary plaque as a dedicated middle school counselor now at Fillmore Middle School. This is being presented by the Executive Director of PDAP, Ginny Connell.

One of Fillmore’s own, Ronda Reyes-Deutsch, was an honoree this past Friday, April 30, 2010 at the “Hope and Healing Celebration” through PDAP (Palmer Drug Abuse Program) of Ventura County. PDAP is an adolescent substance abuse prevention/intervention program that provides counseling support to our youth here in Ventura County. Mrs. Reyes-Deutsch is currently a bilingual school counselor at Fillmore Middle School. She was honored as a dedicated middle school counselor who collaborates with staff, students, parents and the community to provide as full a range of services as possible to convince ‘every’ student of his/her strengths and promise and to motivate the young people to be academically successful with a healthy social/emotional outlook and a focus on career oriented goals. For about twenty years, Ronda was involved in education at many levels: running a day care center, working with severely handicapped children using music therapy, teaching in grades kindergarten through 12th and in adult education. Shortly after completing her Masters Degree in Education with a Credential in School Counseling in 2003, Ronda came to work at PDAP as a Family Advocate in a prevention program at Pacifica High School in Oxnard. She worked with the families of students participating in the program, providing them with all the resources needed to assist them in becoming the “safety net” within which the students could achieve their potential and avoid the risks of substance abuse, violence and academic failure. Two years later, she became a school counselor for the Rio Elementary School District. Currently she is a school counselor at Fillmore Middle School. Ronda has two children, Lui and Arli. She and her husband David met while both were working at PDAP.

Pedro and Gracelia Barajas, of 654 Boulder, Fillmore, have been chosen to receive Vision 2020 Civic Pride “Yard of the Month” award for May which includes a $25 gift certificate donated by Otto & Sons Nursery.

When the Barajas moved into their home in 1976, the yard had only grass, so through the years, Gracelia & Pedro have added a fountain with gladioli, marigolds & petunias around the base, planted a beautiful Valencia orange tree which is loaded with fruit to share with friends, and beds of flowers around the house & along the front of the yard. There are beds of purple & white iris, coral Kalenchoe, coral cannas, coral variegated geraniums, pink & white Martha Washington and coral waxy leafed pelargoniums in bloom, along with a striking red/white striped amaryllis and yellow gerberas.

Gracelia said some of the plants are from the Dewey family nursery which no longer exists.

Beds at the front of the yard hold blue & white Lily of the Nile, cannas and beautiful large roses in bloom or in bud. A special one with huge, yellow- gold blooms is called Sungold. Her favorite is a coral rose that is only budded now.

Granddaughter, Maelani Gonzales and daughter, Annette Barajas enjoy the yard with Gracelia, who says that she finds the garden “like a paradise and a spiritual place in the early mornings.”

Civic Pride wishes to thank Otto & Sons for supporting our yard of the month award for years with the gift certificates and invites all in the community to attend our meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 1:30PM in City Hall. Come share your ideas & commitment for beautifying our community.

A road closure of A Street north of Santa Clara Street and south of Sespe Avenue has been planned for City water line replacement. A Street will be closed Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Work is anticipated to begin as early as Monday, May 3rd, taking approximately 30-40 days to complete. Work is slated to be finished on or before Friday, June 25th, 2010. A notice of the re-opening schedule will also be published.

The water line replacement will require the full closure of the A Street / Sespe Avenue intersection for approximately five days at the beginning of the project. The intersection will be reopened once the initial work is completed, but A Street will remain closed north of Santa Clara Street and south of Sespe Avenue. Alternate routes include Central Avenue to the east, or Santa Clara Street west to B Street north, then to Old Telegraph and over to Sespe Place.

All emergency public service providers including the Fillmore Fire Department, Ventura County Fire Department, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, American Medical Response, Fillmore Area Transit, VISTA, and the Fillmore Unified School District have also been made aware of the closure.

Closure signs will be posted on SR 126 as a reminder to motorists. Thank you for your patience as the City conducts this important water line replacement project.

For further information please call the City Engineer, Tom Scott, at (805) 524-1500, extension 232.

Conway Spitler

Is there anyone out there, in this great city of Fillmore, thinking about where we are in our Fillmore Vision 2020 Statement was adopted in October 2006 vision was adopted?
Where are those leaders of the community who brought together the Fillmore Vision 2020? Or, are we interested at all after all the work of developing and publishing the Fillmore Vision 2020?
The preface of Vision 2020, stated: "This document is not intended to be a "how to" guide for Fillmore's future, rather it is intended to provide a set of guiding principles and goals for our community from now to year 2020 (hence "Vision 2020).
The Statement of Vision = "Foster a thriving small-town atmosphere in which civic pride, personal- well-being and a balanced economy are nurtured and protected."
Chapter Goals for Attaining Quality Education were:
A. Identify and Support Existing Efforts of Agencies that Provide Educational Programs for Youth and Adults.
B. Students leaving local schools with competitive edge for succeed.
C. Strong Parental involvement in All Aspects of their child's education.
D. Learning Opportunities for all ages from infants to seniors.
E. Each school designated as a "California Distinguished School".
F. Resident demonstrating pride in our schools.
G. Test Scores in State's Top 10"%
H. Students proud to go to school and respectful of other students and teachers.
I. Resources for Extracurricular Activities.
J. Quality, state-of-the-art Library, School Facilities.
K. Up-to-date, well-equipped vocational programs.
L. Graduation Rates above State and National Averages.
M. High acceptance rates into 4-year colleges and universities.
N. Attract and Retain highly-qualified educators by offering competitive salaries, etc.
Take some time to see what has been done since October 2006!