Fillmore Unified School Board Meeting Highlights:

WELCOME! Micheline G. Miglis, Assistant Superintendent of Education Services
The Board approved Micheline G. Miglis as the new Assistant Superintendent of Education Services.

Dashboard Local Indicators
The Board received a report regarding the Dashboard Local Indicators. Information was presented by Assistant Superintendent, Martha Hernandez.

Approve Management/Confidential/Supervisory Off-Schedule One Time Payment
The Board approved the staff recommendation for Management/Confidential/Supervisory employees to receive a 2% off schedule payment based on 2016-2017 earnings.

Approved Tentative Agreement Between California School Employees Association (CSEA) Chapter #421 and Fillmore Unified School District
The Board approved the Tentative Agreement between CSEA and FUSD.

Personnel Recommendations
The Board approved all personnel recommendations including new hires, promotions, resignations and leaves.

Ten-year-old Presley McLain was selected from nominations all over the state as the 2016 California Division Statewide Recognizing Excellence Special Recognition Youth Engagement Recipient. “The mission of the American Cancer Society is fueled by its volunteer efforts. Your commitment and dedication have played a very important part in making a difference in ending the pain and suffering caused by this disease. Thank you.” stated Cynthia LeBlanc Dir. CA Division Awards Team in a letter sent to Miss McLain in May 2017. This year Presley has raised $7633.00. for Relay for Life of Fillmore-Piru by asking family and friends to donate to RFL in lieu of birthday gifts. Presley invites the public to attend the RFL this year scheduled for Sept. 23-24, 2017 at Shiells Park in Fillmore. The daughter of Lori and Bobby McLain, Presley aspires to continue raising money for a cure for cancer and someday would like to be the Events Chair for Relay for Life of Fillmore-Piru like her mother Lori. This year Presley is on the Luminaria committee. If you are interested in making a donation, forming a team or have any questions please contact Caitlin Barringer 800.227.2345 or Caitlin.Barringer@cancer.org

Bob Crum

She really said that about my photo of the week.

It's OK. Actually, it's a gift of sorts. It provides a grand opportunity to discuss the “subjective” nature of photography. The freedictionary.com defines “subjective” as: “belonging to, proceeding from, or relating to the mind of the thinking subject and not the nature of the object being considered.”

The subject of the subjectivity is my Photo of the Week last week. A photographer friend said: “No offense but that picture is hideous. (gasp!) There's way too much stuff going on that picture and you lose the drama of what you were trying to say. You've lost the plan light and you had so many colors I don't know where to put my eyes in the sky oh it's terrible.”

Last week's Gazette provided a great example of the subjective nature of photography. On the front page was the staff photo of the U.S. Flag flying from the Fillmore Fire Department ladder truck. I too shot a similar photo about 1 p.m.. Not satisfied, the rogue in me opted for a something different. Try to tell a story, not just shoot a photo.

My friend claimed too much stuff going on. My plan involved vehicles traveling underneath the flag to provide a perspective of the flag size relative to the vehicles. Obviously she didn't get my intent. What about you?

She also said that “you've lost the plain light and you had so many colors I don't know where to put my eyes in the sky oh it's terrible.”

All afternoon I hoped for sunset colors in the clouds. I preferred a 9/11 sundown. Near sundown, I took position and waited 30 minutes. As hoped the clouds lit up. Shoot. Not yet. I had to wait for some traffic. Finally, three vehicles came into view. Shoot! Mission accomplished.

Or was it. Did my story get lost in all the hubbub? Is simple better... just a static flag photo? What do you think? I can handle it! Remember, hideous has already been used. Her ghastly comment about my photo is simply her subjective opinion. Realizing this, I didn't take offense. But now neither will she get a gift this Christmas!

Technical issues involved maintaining proper exposure on the beautifully back-lit flag while maintaining the cloud colors. I only got one shot. No time for exposure adjustments or retakes. If I didn't properly program the camera... the plan would fail.

Art in any form is totally subjective. As people look at art–a painting or sculpture or a photo–it's natural to critique. As do I. More about this in a future column.

The Photo of the Week is Mr. Fishbreath of San Luis Bay at Avila Beach. I made my annual journey to Gopher Glen Apple Farm last Sunday. Think heritage apples! Anyway, I also always visit the nearby Harford Pier. Think nature photography. Other than a few seagulls landing nearby and a lone pelican flying around not much was happening and it was getting late. About to leave I noticed a large dark object twenty-five feet below swimming towards me. A mermaid??? Just as I pointed my camera in the general direction, a large sea lion surfaced for a brief moment, smiled and quickly disappeared under the pier. It all happened in a blink! Thank you Mr. Fishbreath!

Shooting at water is challenging. I had the camera in manual mode and ISO on 'auto'. For exposure's sake, I almost always let ISO float on auto for waterscapes because reflections change and the light changes with every camera position relative to the sunlight.

This was the first time a sea lion suddenly appeared from the depths and smiled! Made my day!!! I giggled all the way home!!!

Happy photoing.

Send your comments, suggestions and/or questions to bob@fillmoregazette.com

VENTURA, CA – District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Percy Stanley (DOB 07/24/1989), of San Bernardino, pled guilty to pimping a minor. Sentencing is set for October 17, 2017, at 9:00 a.m., in the Ventura Superior Court, County of Ventura, courtroom 12. He is expected to receive a three-year prison sentence.

Co-defendant, Asia Jones (DOB 10/31/1998), of Moreno Valley, pled guilty in March to causing a minor to engage in commercial sex acts. In April 2017, Jones was sentenced to local jail and placed on three years of formal probation. Jones now must register as a sex offender.

On January 11, 2017, police received a call from a resident reporting a possible act of prostitution. The caller reported that a silver Mercedes-Benz had dropped off a woman in the area, and moments later a male met up with the young woman. The two walked into a neighbor’s side yard, dropped their pants, and began having sex in plain view.

Members from the Ventura Police Department’s Sex Crimes Unit, Patrol Task Force, and Ventura County Human Trafficking Enforcement Team responded to assist in the investigation.

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is the public prosecutor for the county’s 850,000 residents. The office employs approximately 280 employees including attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and other professional support staff who strive to seek justice, ensure public safety, and protect the rights of crime victims.
Follow the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office on Twitter @VenturaDAOffice

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) lifted health advisories today related to certain sport-harvested bivalve shellfish in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. For these counties, the advisories are being lifted for whole scallops and all clams. The advisories were issued due to dangerous levels of domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin that can cause illness or death. Recent testing shows concentrations of domoic acid have declined to safe or undetectable levels. There have been no reported illnesses associated with this event.

The CDPH warnings against eating sport-harvested razor clams from Del Norte and Humboldt counties and clams and whole scallops from Los Angeles County due to dangerous levels of domoic acid, remain in effect, as well as the statewide annual quarantine on sport-harvested mussels. The annual quarantine applies to all species of mussels harvested along the California coast, as well as all bays and estuaries, and will continue through at least October 31.

Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases, symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache and dizziness. These symptoms disappear within several days. In severe cases, the victim may experience trouble breathing, confusion, disorientation, cardiovascular instability, seizures, excessive bronchial secretions, permanent loss of short term memory, coma or death. No cases of human poisoning from domoic acid are known to have occurred in California.

You can get the most current information on shellfish advisories and quarantines by calling CDPH’s toll-free Shellfish Information Line at (800) 553-4133. For additional information, please visit the CDPH Marine Biotoxin Monitoring Web page or the CDPH Annual Mussel Quarantine - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Web page.

CDPH Senior Environmental Scientist Vanessa Zubkousky-White discusses the lifting of these warnings.

www.cdph.ca.gov

Ari Larson

The Santa Clara Valley Hospice is pleased to announce their new board director Ari Larson. One of Ari's goals, as a Fillmore resident is to better promote the resources available to the Fillmore and Piru community. In addition to Fillmore and Piru the Santa Clara Valley Hospice serves, Santa Paula, Somis and Saugus. "I look forward
to working with the dedicated board directors and Martha Navarette the Director of the SCV Hospice," said Ari Larson.

"For example, some of the lesser known resources available at SCV Hospice include medical equipment and supplies, available for loan and medical transport to doctor visits and medical therapists," said Ari. To find out more and to tour their facility, the public is invited to the Grand Re-Opening of their new location on Friday, Sept. 15th at 5pm at 217 N. 10th St. Santa Paula, CA 93060. If you have any questions please call their office 805.525.1333 or scvhospicehs@yahoo.com