The Fillmore Unified School District received $776,119 in state funding to tackle the illegal sale of cigarettes and tobacco products to minors as part of the California Department of Justice’s Tobacco Grant Program. The grants were awarded to 76 local entities throughout the state to support the enforcement of state and local laws related to the illegal sales and marketing of tobacco products to minors. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the recipients on October 1, 2019.

Fillmore Unified School District Superintendent, Dr. Adrian Palazuelos, shared “Fillmore Unified is committed to ensuring that our actions will enable the youth of our community to better understand the risks associated with tobacco and nicotine use.”

“Tobacco is a serious threat to public health, especially to California’s youth,” said Attorney General Becerra. “These grants will support local communities in enforcing the law and educating kids about the harms of tobacco products. My office is dedicated to ensuring the state has the resources necessary to curb the dangers of tobacco and protect the public’s well-being. Preventing or reducing illegal sales of tobacco to minors will pave the way to a healthier California—we’re committed to tackling this public health crisis head on.”

The Fillmore Unified School District will use the funding to address underage tobacco and nicotine use, as well as provide training and outreach to parents and students regarding the dangers of tobacco and nicotine use.

The Department of Justice’s Tobacco Grant Program is funded by Proposition 56 (Prop. 56), the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016. Beginning April 2017, Prop. 56 raised the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack, with an equivalent increase on all other tobacco products. Prop. 56 also allocates millions of dollars annually to the California Department of Justice for distribution to local law enforcement agencies for the support and hiring of peace officers for various activities. These activities include investigations and compliance checks to reduce the illegal sale of tobacco products to minors.

Possible PSPS for Fillmore due to high winds. When there are potentially dangerous weather conditions in fire prone areas, we (Edison) may need to call a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event. During these events, we will proactively turn off power in high fire risk areas to reduce the threat of wildfires. Turning off our customers’ power is not something we take lightly, but PSPS events are one of the ways we can better ensure the safety of the public, our customers, and our employees. Including: Ventura County (approximately 1,589 customers) Fillmore and unincorporated areas. Maps available at www.sce.com/safety/wildfire/psps

On Saturday, October 5th at around 4:40 p.m., shots were fired to warn a group of hikers on private property near a remote canyon Piru. At about the same time a car crash and an injured woman were reported near the Holser Canyon Fire Road location.

An 89-year old woman, who lives in the area, saw a group of trespassers walk onto her property. Feeling alarmed she armed herself with a rifle and gave warning shots away from the group of nine. The hikers were part of a survival training group from a nearby shooting range.

The group, including an off-duty CHP officer, began to leave her property. She proceeded to follow them down the road in her truck, and leveled her rifle at them.

A member of the group opened the woman’s truck door and tried to wrestle the gun away from her. Her foot came off the brake, she fell from the truck, the truck ran over her ankle, and proceeded to roll off a cliff.

Airlift units were called and the woman was transported to the hospital for her minor injuries. No other injuries were reported. Neither the woman nor group pursued charges.

Enlarge Photo

On Saturday, September 28th, from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM, the Fillmore Police Citizen Patrol and Ventura County Sheriff’s Office teamed up with local organizations to present a bicycle rodeo to more than one hundred Piru children.

The Bicycle Rodeo was held at the San Salvador Mission in Piru and included a bicycle safety course, free helmets and fitting assistance for every child who attended, bicycle tune-ups and raffle prizes. The Sheriff’s Office also had displays from the Sheriff’s Bomb Squad, SWAT, K9 and Mounted Volunteer Units. The Ventura County Fire Department also participated in the event.

More than 125 Piru children attended and participated in the safety course designed by BikeVentura. The safety of our children is a top priority, and the children who attended the event learned the basics in rules of the road for bicyclists and in bicycle safety.

Sponsors of the event included the San Salvador Mission, BikeVentura, Piru Pizza, California Resource Corporation, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Foundation and the Ventura County Deputy Sheriff’s Association.

Nature of Incident: Piru Bicycle Safety Rodeo a Success
Location: San Salvador Mission
4041 Center Street, Piru
Date & Time: Saturday, September 28th, 2019 – 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Unit(s) Responsible: Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Fillmore Police Citizen Patrol
Prepared by: Sergeant Dave Sparks #2409
Approved by: Captain Eric Tennessen

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On 10/01/19, at about 1:44 PM, Sheriff’s Dispatch received a report of two overdue hikers. The two hikers, (P) Debbie Murphy and (P) Myrto Karamitsou, were due to return on 09/30/19. While initiating an investigation, the hikers activated their personal locator beacon (PLB). A Ventura County Aviation Unit helicopter (Air Squad 8) was dispatched and located the hikers. The hikers were flown out of the mountains to a predetermined location in Fillmore.

On 09/27/19, at about 3:00 PM, Karamitsou and Murphy started hiking from Middle Lyons Camp Ground, north of Ojai. Their plan was to hike from Middle Lyons Camp Ground, traverse the Sespe River, and emerge in Fillmore. They estimated they would arrive in Fillmore on 09/30/19.

Karamitsou and Murphy packed accordingly for their hike; they brought enough food, proper clothing, and a water filtration system to sustain them for the duration of their trek. Additionally, they carried a PLB in case of an emergency.

When Karamitsou and Murphy did not return on the planned date, Karamitsou’s husband notified Sheriff’s Dispatch. From him, we were able to obtain information about Karamitsou’s and Murphy’s planned route, provisions, and hiking experience. The Ventura County Aviation Unit was notified about the circumstances and began preparing to launch Air Squad 8 for a search of the hikers. Just prior to the launch of Air Squad 8, Karamitsou and Murphy activated their PLB.

Activation provided responders with accurate latitude and longitude coordinates to assist in locating the overdue hikers Air Squad 8 took off from the Camarillo Airport and located Karamitsou and Murphy in the Sespe River, near Tar Creek Falls. Air Squad 8 performed a hover load to allow for a Crew Chief and Search and Rescue Paramedic to depart the aircraft.

The crew members were hover loaded onto a large boulder in the river bottom and made contact with the hikers. They learned Karamitsou and Murphy were not injured and did not require any medical attention. Karamitsou and Murphy activated their PLB because the terrain prevented them from progressing further down the Sespe River towards the city of Fillmore. Karamitsou and Murphy were secured onto Air Squad 8, via a hover load, and flown to a predetermined location in Fillmore.

Karamitsou and Murphy were prepared with the appropriate level of food, water, and personal survival gear. Karamitsou and Murphy notified someone outside of their hiking group about their trip. This included departure and arrival locations, planned route, and an arrival date.

Additionally, Karamitsou and Murphy were carrying a PLB with them.
The Ventura County Aviation Unit would like to remind all individuals who enter the backcountry to register your trip with someone who is or will be able to keep track of your progress. Additionally, it is important to recognize your limitations when traversing difficult terrain. Karamitsou’s and Murphy’s use of their PLB enabled rescuers to pin point their exact location without conducting a lengthy search.

Nature of Incident: Rescue of Two Hikers
Report Number: 19-154450
Location: Los Padres National Forest, Sespe River near Tar Creek Falls
Date & Time: 10/01/19 @ 3:15 PM
Unit(s) Responsible: Special Services / Aviation Unit – Search & Rescue
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
(P) Myrto Karamitsou Ojai 50
(P) Debbie Murphy Ojai 58
Prepared by: Deputy Kristopher Doepking
Approved by: Captain Paris

Commander Eric Tennessen.

The city of Camarillo has selected Commander Eric Tennessen as their new chief of police. Camarillo City Manager Dave Norman interviewed potential candidates for the position and, after conferring with the City Council, selected Eric to replace outgoing chief, Commander Dave Murray, who was recently appointed to Assistant Sheriff.

Eric is a twenty-one-year veteran of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and has an extensive background in investigations that include assignments in Camarillo, Moorpark, Gang Unit, Special Crimes Unit, and Major Crimes Bureau. Eric was assigned as a patrol watch commander before transferring to Thousand Oaks where he managed patrol operations. In 2017, he was selected as the chief of police for the city of Fillmore where he has served for the past nineteen months.

Eric has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology as well as a Master of Science degree in Public Administration from Cal State Northridge. Eric was born and raised in South Dakota and currently resides in Camarillo with his wife, Kaylee, and their four children.

Eric will begin his service as Camarillo’s chief of police on Sunday, October 20, 2019.

Nature of Incident: Former Fillmore Chief of Police Selected as Camarillo Chief of Police
Date: October 8, 2019
Narrative:Prepared by: Sergeant Marta Bugarin
News Release Date: October 8, 2019
Approved by: Sheriff Bill Ayub

October 31st Trunk or Treat – Downtown Fillmore (Central Avenue between Sespe Ave. & Main Street!) 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. FREE trick or treating fun on Halloween night in Fillmore! Come dressed in your best costumes to show off out this Hollow’s Eve, and vote on your most favorite decorated trunk at the event. Free family fun. If interested in being a registered “trunk” to decorate your car/tent and hand out treats or host games for the trick-or treaters, call 805-524-1500 ext 713 or email recreation@fillmoreca.gov for more info. FB event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/2508489405904461/

November 2nd 2019 Dia De Los Muertos – Central Park (250 Central Avenue. Fillmore CA 93015) 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. We invite you and the familia out for a FREE family-friendly event… live entertainment, food trucks, shop vendors, FREE movie in the park! Call 805-524-1500 ext. 713 for more information. Interested in performing or being a vendor? Email recreation@fillmoreca.gov FB event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/503201296918298

Bob Crum

Considering the variety of 'photos of the week' published, I often receive questions asking how do I stay inspired? Answer: Life! In spades! Life in its multitudinous forms present unlimited fascinating photo opportunities every day, so staying motivated is easy.

Another question often asked by a few of my 1,286,328 readers is about a photo walk in Fillmore. Done! Last Saturday. I announced it here twice but should have advertised it on a billboard. Sad to say, not one photographer, or phonetographer, from Fillmore, participated.

Not only was the photo walk fun, but also an excellent opportunity to practice the art of "seeing." I've observed that too often, people look but don't 'see.' If a scene or object is seen without total apperception, looking is not seeing. Some conclude that photographers have a third eye, referring to 'seeing' what most overlook. And let's acknowledge previsualization (previs) with the 'mind's' eye, a topic for another day.

I scheduled the photo walk to begin at 5 p.m. to take advantage of the late afternoon light. What's better than downtown Fillmore during the golden hour for photographic inspiration? A photo walk is not unlike street photography. Street photography is a genre that I don't engage in often enough. Though photos made are often fortuitous, they are nonetheless revealing of life. Connect the dots.

Phonetographers continue to write about, ahem, the inconvenience of photography.

This topic came up during my discussions with my Truckee photography friend. Upon ruminating the subject, we mutually concluded that phonetography is all about instant gratification. To opine, it seems that the world, because of technology, is running at a much faster speed. It is often feeling like hyper-speed. No time to make a RAW photo, and later have to post-process it. Snap the picture with a cell phone and instantly zap it to social media. Every day, millions of phonetographers post snapshots on Facebook and Snapchat. All shot without any regard to composition, but so what? There are so many snapshots to see that at best, they get only a quick glance, then it's on to glance briefly at the next snapshot. The next day, who remembers the snapshots? Snaptography is like ghostography; we think we saw a photo, but we're not sure.

In spite of apparent obstinacy, I remain motivated to beat the creative drum. I'm passionate about photography because I'm enamored with creativity. But as my friend and I discussed, if creativity means nothing, it follows that photography means nothing. But I am not yet disposed to believe that creativity is kaput. Yet I remain befuddled. Photography is the perfect medium for those who like me have no artistic talent for fine art painting. So it seems that only two obstacles prevent or hinder more from engaging in the joy of photography: Cost of gear and editing software. I get that. But a quality point-and-shoot camera can be bought for far less than a large screen tv. And surely photography is so much more fun than watching a tv sitcom. Arguing this opinion is futile!

On the recent photo walk, a photo op magically appeared. It happens when you believe in serendipity. Truth be told, anticipating such possibilities, I scheduled the walk to include the golden hour before sunset. At the right time, I maneuvered into position to capture both the sunrays and the long, gorgeous shadow. Bidda-bing, bidda-boom: Ecstasy! BTW, the sunrays are done in the camera, not added during post-processing. The technique is revealed in the photo data.

Send comments, questions or suggestions to: focusonphotography@earthlink.net

Bob Crum

Considering the variety of 'photos of the week' published, I often receive questions asking how do I stay inspired? Answer: Life! In spades! Life in its multitudinous forms present unlimited fascinating photo opportunities every day, so staying motivated is easy.

Another question often asked by a few of my 1,286,328 readers is about a photo walk in Fillmore. Done! Last Saturday. I announced it here twice but should have advertised it on a billboard. Sad to say, not one photographer, or phonetographer, from Fillmore, participated.

Not only was the photo walk fun, but also an excellent opportunity to practice the art of "seeing." I've observed that too often, people look but don't 'see.' If a scene or object is seen without total apperception, looking is not seeing. Some conclude that photographers have a third eye, referring to 'seeing' what most overlook. And let's acknowledge previsualization (previs) with the 'mind's' eye, a topic for another day.

I scheduled the photo walk to begin at 5 p.m. to take advantage of the late afternoon light. What's better than downtown Fillmore during the golden hour for photographic inspiration? A photo walk is not unlike street photography. Street photography is a genre that I don't engage in often enough. Though photos made are often fortuitous, they are nonetheless revealing of life. Connect the dots.

Phonetographers continue to write about, ahem, the inconvenience of photography.

This topic came up during my discussions with my Truckee photography friend. Upon ruminating the subject, we mutually concluded that phonetography is all about instant gratification. To opine, it seems that the world, because of technology, is running at a much faster speed. It is often feeling like hyper-speed. No time to make a RAW photo, and later have to post-process it. Snap the picture with a cell phone and instantly zap it to social media. Every day, millions of phonetographers post snapshots on Facebook and Snapchat. All shot without any regard to composition, but so what? There are so many snapshots to see that at best, they get only a quick glance, then it's on to glance briefly at the next snapshot. The next day, who remembers the snapshots? Snaptography is like ghostography; we think we saw a photo, but we're not sure.

In spite of apparent obstinacy, I remain motivated to beat the creative drum. I'm passionate about photography because I'm enamored with creativity. But as my friend and I discussed, if creativity means nothing, it follows that photography means nothing. But I am not yet disposed to believe that creativity is kaput. Yet I remain befuddled. Photography is the perfect medium for those who like me have no artistic talent for fine art painting. So it seems that only two obstacles prevent or hinder more from engaging in the joy of photography: Cost of gear and editing software. I get that. But a quality point-and-shoot camera can be bought for far less than a large screen tv. And surely photography is so much more fun than watching a tv sitcom. Arguing this opinion is futile!

On the recent photo walk, a photo op magically appeared. It happens when you believe in serendipity. Truth be told, anticipating such possibilities, I scheduled the walk to include the golden hour before sunset. At the right time, I maneuvered into position to capture both the sunrays and the long, gorgeous shadow. Bidda-bing, bidda-boom: Ecstasy! BTW, the sunrays are done in the camera, not added during post-processing. The technique is revealed in the photo data.

Send comments, questions or suggestions to: focusonphotography@earthlink.net