At Tuesday's, January 23, regular Fillmore City Council meeting, the following occurred:

A zoning ordinance amendment to accommodate the reconstruction of existing single family units within the commercial highway zone was approved.

Intention for City to grant a franchise to Seneca Pipeline was unanimously approved.

Request for City to enter contract with Tom E. Figg Consulting Services in connection with Planning Development Application Review was unanimously approved.

Authorization for application for land and water conservation fund grant for the City's Two Rivers Park Project was approved.
An ordinance of the City Council adding a new Chapter 8.20 "Regulation of Smoking" to the Fillmore Municipal Code to Regulate the Smoking of Tobacco and Cannabis was approved.

Tuesday night’s City Council meeting covered zoning ordinances for existing family homes, the Seneca Pipline Franchise, the Two Rivers Park Project and Smoking Regulations.

The 11th Annual community awareness event by Soroptimist International of Oxnard, Camarillo, The Conejo, Ventura, and Fillmore clubs of District 1 Camino Real Region will take place March 8 at the Museum of Ventura County, 100 Main Street, Ventura. A community awareness walk will begin at 5:30 p.m. from the museum plaza. Red-clad walkers from Soroptimist clubs, Abolitionists, Prototypes, and other community activists will carry signs for STOP Trafficking and support for human rights; the public is invited to attend.

The goal of this annual event is to bring awareness and empowerment to the community, particularly, women and girls, that human trafficking is not just a global problem, but a local one. A panel of four speakers will present information on the current cases of human trafficking in Ventura County and victim survivorship. Speakers are: Dawn Schiller, Survivor/Mentor/Advocate; Michael Munn, Ventura County District Attorney Investigator II; Dr. Allyson Richard, Los Robles ER physician; and Christan Perez, Interface Children and Family Services program manager of the HEART Program.
Dawn Schiller is an expert survivor-leader in the anti-trafficking, domestic violence and sexual assault movements. Abused and trafficked on the streets of Hollywood in her teens by the infamous porn actor, John Holmes, she survived the gruesome Wonderland Avenue murders in 1981 and ultimately turned him into the police. Dawn has worked as an associate producer and consultant on the movie “Wonderland” where actress Kate Bosworth portrayed her while actor Val Kilmer played John Holmes.

Her subsequent years of struggle to survivorship, education, and service to others offer valuable first-hand insight to community advocates. Today she is a speaker, educator, consultant, and author.

Michael Munn began his law enforcement career in 1987 in Buena Park. In 1998 he became a DA Investigator for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Some of his assignments included Gangs, SEA Task Force, and Anti-Terrorism Organized Crime Unit. In 2007 he was promoted to Supervising Investigator. His units were DNA Unit, Family Protection Unit, Human Trafficking Unity, to name a few.

In 2015, Mr. Munn was hired by the VC District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation as a DA Investigator II. He is currently assigned to Human Trafficking and was tasked to form the VC Human Trafficking Enforcement Team, which includes local police agencies in Ventura County along with FBI and Amtrak Police.

Dr. Allyson Richard is a practicing Emergency Medicine physician at Los Robles Hospital. After attending the Soroptimist 9th annual event two years ago she was motivated to create and present a training program for medical staff recognizing ER patients who could be victims of sexual slavery and human trafficking. Allyson attended Wayne State University School of Medicine, did her internship and residency at UCLA Hospital. She has done much community service and volunteering by mentoring youth through Career Days, STD/AIDS classes, harmful effects of smoking and drugs, and volunteering at Cass Free Clinic, Detroit, MI. free clinic. Dr. Richard has done international service in Nepal and Peru. She organized and lead trauma workshops and “Introduction to Tuberculosis and Filariasis” in Mae Sot, Thailand.She is a busy mother to three children as well as working and teaching medical staff with her new platform of recognizing human trafficking victims.

Christan Perez is the program manager of the Interface Children & Family Services’ HEART Program, Helping to Educate, Address, and Respond to Trafficking.

Christan has worked in social, wellness, and human services for 14 years, having worked in both Ventura and San Diego Counties. She began her career in social services as a case manager for “At Risk” Youth, and now oversees the human trafficking shelter and community-based advocacy programs at Interface. Christan’s professional ventures have provided her the opportunity and experience of working directly with victims and survivors of human trafficking, and raising awareness to the issue in our community.

You will hear and learn what WE, local citizens, can do to combat sex slavery and help women. Learn the warning signs of someone trafficked:
• Is the victim in possession of ID or travel documents?
• Was the victim coached on what to say to law enforcement?
• Does the victim have freedom of movement?
• Is the victim allowed to socialize or attend religious services?
• Can the victim freely contact friends and family?
• Has the victim been harmed or deprived of food, water, sleep, or medical care?

Raise awareness that sex slavery is not just a global problem, but a local problem; advocate for tougher laws and stronger anti-sex slavery law enforcement; and call the police if you suspect unusual activity in your neighborhood.

The event is partially funded by a $2500 grant awarded by Soroptimist International of the Americas. Founded in 1921, Soroptimist is an international volunteer organization for business and professional women working to improve the lives of women and girls. County clubs are Soroptimist International of Ventura, Oxnard, Fillmore, Camarillo and the Conejo.

For more information on Soroptimist go to www.soroptimist.org, or local information www.stoptraffickingventuracounty.org To report suspicious activity call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE. For more information on the March 8 event, contact Debbie Gohlke at 805-320-5215.

Fillmore Unified School District

2016-2017 Fillmore Unified School District Financial Audit
Information presented by Assistant Superintendent, Business Services, Andrea McNeill. The Board approved the 2016-2017 Fillmore Unified School District Financial Audit.

Governor’s Budget Proposal
Information presented by Assistant Superintendent, Business Services, Andrea McNeill.

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

Bob Crum

Photo by Bob Crum.
Enlarge Photo

Photo by Bob Crum.
Enlarge Photo

Photo by Bob Crum.
Enlarge Photo

Don't forget the calendar project previously suggested. No time to waste. January is almost gone!

Consider creating a folder on your computer's desktop titled “Calendar Photos”. As you photograph events throughout the year, put them in the folder. Photos don't have to necessarily be shot in any given month. Just shoot events or travel photos throughout the year. Store them all in the Calendar folder. Come November, review all the photos and cull to 12. I'll then present printing options. Think family heirlooms! BTW, I'm already working on my calendar project. First photo is already in the folder. Woohoo!

Last week's column about my becoming a colorati created some buzz. Ron G. emailed, in part: “What's with the art? I thought this was a photography column.” Ahem... it's both. April H. emailed: “Did you create the art?” Yes and no. First, I bought an adult coloring book titled “Art Nouveau Designs. It's not an “adult” book in 'that' sense of the word though it contains a lush gallery of sensuous art nouveau designs that spotlights the works of Alphonse Mucha. Love Mucha. If I was an illustrator like Mucha I'd make moocha moola!

Coloring books? Well, some days are stressful. Wine has its limitations you know. Not only is coloring art relaxing, it's also meditative in and of itself, bringing about calmness through the simple act of coloring. More importantly, what I'm learning through coloring applies to color photography. Stay tuned.

I lack the talent to create art as in plein air... the act of painting outdoors with oils, acrylics or whatever. You know, like real artists. But I love colors and coloring. After all, color a template or capture a photographic image, rendered and captured images can be mixed, edited or both. You see, there is a good reason for becoming a colorati.

As a photographer, I'm acutely conscious of color. Specifically accurate color. Because of the nature of digital camera sensors, colors are sometimes skewed. The degree varies with the nature of the light. Nevertheless, it necessitates color correction in photo processing. Green faces are fine when photoing Martians but not humans!

Selecting colors to apply to art is not without issues. The more I learn, the more complicated color gets. Such as color schemes: Monochromatic, Analogous, or Complementary. Primary colors, secondary colors and tertiary colors. Split complimentary, triads, tetrads and key colors. I needed help! So I bought a color wheel, a guide to mixing & blending colors. Another learning curve. But as Bill Gates & Warren Buffett said: “If you’re not spending five hours per week learning, you’re being irresponsible.” Safe to color me responsible!

In the meantime, I am presently coloring with reckless abandon because according to Article III of Bob's Coloring Bill of Rights, when taking Artistic License, there is no right or wrong way to mix, hash or mash colors. Uh oh, I'll bet this prompts purists to protest (be nice).

Big waves due Friday & Saturday said the weatherman. Large waves crashing on the shore are disastrous for mermaids but always interesting photo ops. Think about wave force against unmovable boulders. So last Saturday I gathered my gear and excitedly drove to my secret spot near Magu Rock. Waves were not huge. Nondescript sunset without clouds. Disappointed yet better than sitting home brewing tea. Photo of the Week is one of the biggest splashes. Check fillmoregazette.com for my photo titled The Sun Kissing the Ocean. Note the not-so-huge wave! C'est la vie.

Happy photoing!

Email me your questions, comments or suggestions to: bob@fillmoregazette.com

Fillmore Unified School District

Accept the June 30, 2017 Performance Audit of the Proposition 39 General Obligation Bonds
Information presented by Assistant Superintendent, Business Services, Andrea McNeill. The Board approved the performance audit of Measure E.

Accept the June 30, 2017 Performance Audit of the Measure V General Obligation Bonds
Information presented by Assistant Superintendent, Business Services, Andrea McNeill. The Board approved the performance audit of Measure V.

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

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Trevor Dalton (DOB 9/19/72), of Ventura, was charged with one felony count of assault with a firearm with the personal infliction of great bodily injury. Dalton is employed as a Highway Patrol officer in Ventura but was off duty when the incident occurred. The case was jointly investigated by the Ventura Police Department and the District Attorney Bureau of Investigation.

On the evening of December 4, 2017, Dalton was involved in a dispute with a neighbor. It is alleged that after leaving the vicinity of the neighbor’s home, Dalton returned to confront the victim. He fired two rounds, striking the victim once in the back, inflicting great bodily injury.

If convicted, Dalton faces a maximum penalty of 17 years in state prison.

“Police officers are empowered with great authority which carries with it great responsibility.” stated District Attorney Totten. “When an officer exceeds that authority, even when off duty, and commits a crime, he or she will be held accountable.”

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.

Happy New Year! It’s the time of year when the FHS Alumni starts planning for class reunions coming up in 2018! Many classes are planning to have their reunion the weekend of June 9th at the 105th Annual Alumni Dinner/Dance. The FHS Alumni website has been updated. Alumni Dinner reservations can be purchased now online at http://www.fillmorehighalumni.com/events/2018/1/15/105th-annual-fillmore.... You can also print out the reservation form and mail it in. Last year’s event was sold out, so let’s get those reservations in! This is the event of the year in Fillmore. Don’t miss out!
Mark Ortega, FHS
Alumni President

VENTURA, CA - District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that David Kenneth Beech (DOB 8/8/1959), of Simi Valley, has been charged with four counts of solicitation to commit murder while in custody at the Ventura County Pre-trial Detention Facility awaiting trial on multiple charges of lewd and lascivious acts against a child under the age of 14 and possession of child pornography.

Detectives discovered that in October 2017, Beech began soliciting other inmates to murder the two victims in his case as well as one of the victim’s mother and her friend. Ultimately, in December 2017, Beech offered an undercover officer posing as the “hitman” $10,000 to have those individuals murdered. The solicitation to commit murder counts were added to the original counts of lewd and lascivious acts against a child and possession of pornography, which Beech had been charged with in January 2015.

Beech faces over 60 years to life in the prison if convicted of the charges.

There have been many graduates of Fillmore High School who have gone on to achieve great things and have made major contributions to the world we live in. These Flashes are and should serve as constant reminders of what Fillmore High School has and continues to turn out to society. To that end, the Fillmore High School Academic & Career Hall of Fame has been established.

Fillmore High School is currently accepting nominations for the Fillmore High School Academic & Career Hall of Fame (FHSACHOF). The 2018 FHSACHOF inductees will be selected from a combination of service clubs and general public nominations. It is our hope to identify 25-30 viable candidates to induct into the FHSACHOF in its inaugural year. This year’s inductees will be recognized at the 2018 Fillmore High School Open House in the Spring Semester. The deadline to submit nominations is March 2, 2018.

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that defendant Mario Adan Arjon (DOB 12/18/1990), of Ventura, was sentenced to seven years eight months in state prison, following his November 2017 conviction for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.15 percent or higher, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury to multiple victims.

In the early morning of June 15, 2017, defendant was driving at a high rate of speed on Central Avenue outside Rio Mesa High School in Oxnard, when he rear-ended a vehicle that had slowed to stop at Vineyard Avenue. The car defendant stuck was being driven by Fernando Buenrostro, a senior at Rio Mesa who had just returned from a sober graduation night at Disneyland. The impact of the collision forced Mr. Buenrostro’s car into a car stopped in front of him, and rotated Mr. Buenrostro’s car into the intersection. Mr. Buenrostro was transported to Ventura County Medical Center where he died three days later. Mr. Buenrostro’s passengers, two high school students also returning from “grad night,” were also injured, along with the driver of the third vehicle. An investigation by the California Highway Patrol determined that the defendant’s blood alcohol concentration at the scene was 0.15, almost twice the legal limit.

Bob Crum

When on assignment, I'm a photojournalist. Other days I fancy myself as a 'fine art photographer'. For example, it's now widely known that my specialty is, ahem, mermaid boudoir photography. Fine art indeed.

Besides photos, I make prints. To wax philosophical, a photo is better enjoyed as a print. A family photo album is a treasure. A photo on Facebook... here today gone tomorrow. Where's the value in that? But I digress.

We are 18 years into the 21st Century & the photo paper, frame & mat industry still isn't producing products designed for digital images. Of my 2,374,716 readers (if only I got paid by head count!) I'll bet only two of you—three at most—are shooting film! Yet, the only frames & mats made are for the likes of Rip Van Clodhopper who refuses to give up his Konica range finder film camera and only wants 4X6” prints.

It's about aspect ratios. In its simplest form, aspect ratio describes the relationship between two sides of a rectangle. The aspect ratio of 35mm film is 3:2. Aspect ratios for most digital cameras is 3:2, 4:3 for point-and-shoots. Why if the 3:2 aspect ratio has every logical reason going against it, as you'll soon see, does it dominate? Perhaps because it happens to have the closest proportions to the Golden Rectangle of any other major film format which presents the most aesthetically pleasing composition? The ratio 3:2 is great if ONLY the paper, mat and frame industry provided 3:2 products accordingly.

My Canon 7DMKII aspect ratio is 3:2. Fine, if like Clodhopper all I want are 4X6” prints. No cropping required. For other sizes like 5X7, 8X10, 11X17, 3:2 is problematic. Example: Mathematically, a 3:2 aspect ratio relates to an 8X12” print not 8X10”. If the lab doesn't make 8X12” prints, your 8X12” digital image will get cropped... loosing a full 2 inches of the original image. Furthermore, no math will make 3:2 equal to 7:5 but cropping for a 5x7” image isn't quite so severe. It's all a mess!

Not only don't photo paper sizes directly relate to 3:2 digital photos, go to Michaels or Aaron Brothers for a mat and frame and good luck. Is wanting to fulfill our digital needs expecting too much?

On a more pleasant note, I'm venturing into... ahem... art. It's contagious you know. Being a proud member of the Fillmore Artist Guild, (email me for Guild info) I got the itch! Big time! But my medium is different as you might expect. I thought: Why not combine 'art' and photography? So I did!

The Photo of the Week is of my first artistic creation—my Art Nouveau 'masterpiece' titled “The Blonde Lady”. I photographed it, imported it into Adobe Lightroom to process the 'RAW' image. Exported the photo from LR to Photoshop Elements as a .tiff image for a touch of NIK Viveza 2. Saved the image & exported to Topaz Labs Impression program where I applied a touch of artist Jim LaSala's style. Viola! Digitized art from my painting. Now I can resize my digitized painting from 4X6” to poster size to satisfy any art collector's preference. I also have 9X12” and 11X14” 200g/m² (90 lb.) cold press watercolor paper for collector's that prefer a genuine textured print! Oh what FUN! What do you think???

My process needs a name so please email me your suggestions. Of course I'm working on my next creation, another masterpiece! An itch must be scratched you know!

Happy photoing!

Send suggestions, comments or questions to: bob@fillmoregazette.com