Fillmore Civic Pride and Theresa Reese partnered to donate a nice wood bench for the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley (Fillmore site) to complete the large Ventura County Garden Club plant and garden donation. “The kids are doing a great job keeping the plants healthy. With the addition of the bench, they will be able to further enjoy the pretty garden,” stated Ari Larson Board President of the BGC of SCV. For more information on the Boys & Girls Club of SCV (serving the areas of Fillmore, Piru and Santa Paula) call 805.525.7910. For information on Fillmore Civic Pride or the VC Garden Club call 805.794.7590.

Bob Crum

Enlarge Photo

As I go lightly into lenses, a caveat: There is not much here of interest this week if your camera is a point-and-shoot type with a fixed lens. But if I've got you so excited about photography that you're ready to step up to a dSLR interchangeable lens camera, pour some tea and let me entertain you!

There are essentially five types: Standard zoom, super telephoto, wide angle, macro and prime. Also various levels of quality within each class.

Prime lenses have a fixed focal length. Because they don't have moving parts they generally produce higher quality photos. But primes are not always the best choice. You, or the subject, has to move in order to fill the frame meaning your feet do the zooming. That's not quite doable while shooting a mountain goat from a cliff edge.

There are standard zooms and super telephoto zooms. Standard zooms like a 24-70mm are considered walk around lenses. Super zooms range from 55-200 and 150-600mm. I have photos of mermaids on Venus shot with a super zoom. But I digress. Note that I would not own a telephoto zoom lens that didn't have image stabilization (IS).

A popular lens category is wide angle. The smaller the number for focal length, the wider, i.e., 15mm is super wide. Any wider is considered a fish-eye lens. Macro lenses discussed another time.

I own only five lenses which are: Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, Tamron SP 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di VC USD, Tamron 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD and a Tokina ultra wide AT-X 116 PRO DX, 11-16 F2.8. All have IS except the Tokina. I use my Tokina lens a lot for landscapes. The 18-135 works well for my Sespe Creek mermaid boudoir photography.

Good as they are, I don't own a prime lens. Because of the challenges of photojournalism, i.e., nothing is within my control except my camera, I have to have the flexibility of zoom lenses. Lenses are tools and your specific needs (and budget) should dictate the best lens for the job.

Canon and Nikon are the lens behemoths but there are many great third party lenses. Tamron, Sigma and Tokina produce quality lenses of great value and often fill a void left by the big two.

Budget wise, a general rule is when funds are tight buy the best quality lens you can afford. A quality lens will generally outlast 2 or 3 camera upgrades. However, my lens collection does not include of top-of-the line lenses. Call me frugal if you will, but I'm about value. If a lens is reasonably well built, produces quality images and reasonably affordable, it has a place in my camera bag.

When not sure about one lens vs another, rent them first. When I shoot an air show, I rent a Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II. A great lens that costs $2,200.00. A tad too much to spend for a lens I use only 4-5 times a year. Rent to try then buy it if you like it.

Also, research before you buy. There are many reputable websites that test photography gear. After checking a few websites, you'll know whether or not the questionable lens will fulfill your expectations and needs. BTW, all lens have some distortion of some type. Most times not noticeable so don't obsess about it.

When you buy a new lens, please don't buy and use a cheap "UV" protective filter. It will not only degrade your photos, they're useless for digital cameras. Secret: I have “clear” glass protective filters on all of my lenses.
Happy photoing!

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

Hello all FHS Alumni.
Many classes are having a class reunion this year. Just to mention a few, we have the class of ’67 (50th), ’72, ’77, ’82, ’87, ’92, and ’97. If you’re in any of these classes, or even if you’re not, please email the Alumni Association and give us your current mailing address. Some classes are mailing out flyers containing specific information about their class reunion and if you haven’t updated your mailing address, you won’t receive the information. Email the Alumni Association at staff@fillmorehighalumni.com including your name as you were known in high school, and your class year.
Thank You,
Mark Ortega,
FHS Alumni President

The cause of the Sunday morning fire at the Christian Evangelical Church has been determined to be accidental. The pre-dawn fire started near its heating unit and quickly set the steeple in flames. The steeple and bell crashed directly down into the main body of the church. The church itself was a total loss.

Fillmore Fire Department

Fillmore Fire Department would like to remind you that it is daylight savings time on Sunday March 12th at 2am and that it’s time to Spring your clocks forward one hour. It is also time for the seasonal safety check on your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, the easiest way to check your smoke detector is to press the button and make sure it sounds if it hasn’t been replaced in more then ten years then it is time for a new one. We recommend replacing smoke and carbon monoxide batteries twice a year so celebrate the time change on Sunday with fresh batteries all around.

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Videos by Sebastian Ramirez.

The Soroptimist Club was presented with recognition from the City of Fillmore for promoting its "Stop Human Trafficking and Sexual Slavery Awareness Day." A long list of the sexual crimes they seek to make America aware of was read from the proclamation. The Club was congratulated for their important work on this issue.

At Tuesday's regular meeting, Joanne King spoke to the City Council about the annual flower show and the considerable voluntary work it entails. She thanked the council for providing the use of the Active Adult Center to stage the show, but "was dismayed by the sudden imposition of sign permits and paperwork required this year." According to Mrs. King, signs and banners are the most effective way to advertise the event. She asked the council for a waiver for city grant organizations to use banners and signs with less regulation.

Lisa Mahoney and Joe Bebe were appointed to the Public Arts Commission. Apparently neither of the new commissioners were present for recognition or a photo.

Options for authorizing a memorial for former Fillmore Fire Chief Rigo Landeros were discussed. Two bronze plaques were authorized to be placed at the Fire Station.
Mid-Year financial report.

A mid-year financial report for FY 2016- 17, approval of supplemental budget requests and review of the MID-YEAR accomplishments were presented, but the Gazette received no details. Mechanical problems caused difficulties with projection focus during the meeting. Details will be published in the next edition.

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the City of Fillmore with their Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget.

This award represents a significant achievement and reflects the commitment of the city council and staff to meeting the highest principles of government budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the City had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation.

This is the first time the City has received this award. “Receiving this award is another step in our continuous improvement efforts. Gaylynn Brien, Finance Director and her staff have done a wonderful job” said David W. Rowlands, City Manager.

The GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has released its 2016 Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) crime statistics for Part 1 Crimes (Homicide, Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Theft and Arson).

The data represents the information collected from the five contract cities where the Sheriff’s Office provides police services and the unincorporated areas of the county. Those cities are Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Moorpark, Fillmore and Ojai.

Overall, reported crime is down 1% when combining all of the Sheriff’s jurisdictions. However, overall Part 1 Violent Crime increased by 1% or 6 total crimes. The increases in violent crime were reported in Rapes and Robberies. Only the city of Fillmore showed a decrease in violent crime (-49%). All the contracted cities and the unincorporated area showed decreases in Part 1 Property Crimes, with the exception of the city of Thousand Oaks (+7%).

Although there was a very small decrease in reported Part 1 crimes in 2016, since 2014 the overall crime total has increased by 5%. This equates to over 200 additional victims in our county. The most dramatic increase has been in the violent crime category, which has increased by over 30%, equating to an additional 130 victims. It’s too early to determine if this crime trend increase after the passage of AB 109 (Prison Reduction) and Prop 47 is leveling out, but we will continue to examine the data we obtain.

Proposition 47, which reclassified a number of felonies to misdemeanors in 2014, was expected to reduce the prison and jail population statewide. While some county jurisdictions have seen modest reductions in their jail population, Ventura County has not. Our inmate population remains at pre-Prop 47 levels. Our justice system has reoriented itself to address an increase in misdemeanor court cases and a reduction in felony cases. This is the second full year of post Prop 47 releases of offenders and the reduction of certain felonies to misdemeanors. Sheriff’s Office statistics show that 42% (1,840) of convicted offenders have reoffended since their release from custody since Prop 47 was enacted. That is a 10% increase over 2015’s reoffender list. We continue to evaluate crime and arrest data in an attempt to definitively measure the local effects of Proposition 47, it certainly appears that a review of the logical progression of a downward trend in crimes since 2007 and now a marked increase in 2015 and a similar amount of crimes in 2016 would make us believe there is a direct connection. Additionally, these crime statistics do not take into consideration any impacts from the recently passed Proposition 57, wherein current prison inmates convicted of non-violent crimes would be considered for early parole, as there is no statistical information available locally or from the state.

We also continue to encourage people to actively report suspicious and/or criminal activity immediately by calling 9-1-1. Non-emergency reports can be made through our Sheriff’s Communication Center by calling (805) 654-9511.

Bob Crum

Two photos for comparison. A straight out of the camera unedited jpeg and my processed/edited RAW version of the same scene.
Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Pardon me, again. The plan was to discuss lenses this week. However, recall my discussion last week about editing the Photo of the Week? That got an interesting response that you might find interesting.

Everybody knows that cameras, and cell phones, universally generate jpeg photos. Accordingly, there's a group of straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) jpeg shooters. Their creed prohibits tweaking or manipulating photos in any manner out of the camera. One of them took me to the proverbial wood shed. I'll call him Tasker.

Tasker said: If you got it right in the camera in the first place, you wouldn't have to twiddle and piddle afterward. Well, Sir, I would if I knew how! (I hate confessions.) Of course I know how but couldn't. You'll see why shortly.

Of course some things are best done in camera. Proper exposure is always good. Also focus because it can't be fixed in post processing. I know that for a fact but don't ask why I know it.

The technology of modern-day cameras, and many cell phones, is so good that they're capable of producing some pretty good jpeg photos. But jpegs straight-out-of-camera are not without inherent limitations. For example, in the process of generating a jpeg, the camera compresses the image file by discarding a percentage of image data. Nevertheless, the compressed, lower resolution 72ppi image is necessary for email and the Internet.

Conversely, other purposes for photos require a higher resolution. While a 72ppi (or 96ppi) jpeg is best for the Internet, it's woefully insufficient for most publications. Photo resolution of 200ppi is required of me for newspaper printing, 300ppi for magazines. Many of my other clients also require 300ppi images at specific dimensions. This means I need the 300ppi RAW file from my Canon 7DMKII camera at the outset.

Technically, a RAW image simply converted before editing looks worse than a jpeg straight out of the camera. But after processing/editing, an entirely different image emerges. After initial editing, I export the processed photo to either Photoshop or Photoshop Elements for additional polish and resizing as needed. Then, the finished high resolution photos that I submit to a client, or for publication, are finalized in the... ahem... ready?... jpeg file format. But my jpegs are quite different than any straight-out-of-the-camera jpegs. (see accompanying comparison photos)

All photographers are entitled to do as they please, but I have one other niggly issue with straight of the camera jpegs. Aside from content and composition, SOOC photos, in my opinion, are boring. Look at a bunch of jpegs straight-out-of-camera side by side and they all seem to have the same bland same-old look. Besides adjusting for exposure, the camera does all the processing so photographer creativity is virtually non-existent. Bland is the norm!

Forget bland. Obviously, millions of readers of this column, like you, are interested in taking photography to a higher level. So, even if you only intend to deal with SOOC jpegs (for now), you can still improve your photographs by post processing (editing). You don't have to be satisfied with mediocre photos.

I leave Tasker this thought: Even though I get it right in the camera, a camera merely generates a data file... I create the image. The RAW file that the camera gives me is the canvas upon which I create my photographic art! That's why, as a photographer, post processing (editing) is not only an extension of my creativity, it's a joy... not a woe to be shunned. Try it, you too might like it.

Happy shooting.

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

The Board of Trustees recognized the Rotary Club of Fillmore for their support of students, staff, and the district community. The Rotary Club of Fillmore is a service organization with deep roots in our community. The organization makes an annual donation of dictionaries to all students in 3rd grade in district elementary schools, awards scholarships to graduating seniors, and supports arts, activities, and athletics. Thank you Rotary Club of Fillmore for investing in Fillmore’s future.

The Board was provided with information the new State of California Model of Accountability. Information was presented by Assistant Superintendent, Martha Hernandez.

The Board was provided with an update on the district implementation of Safe and Civil Schools at all schools. Information was presented by Assistant Superintendent, Stefan Cvijanovich.

The Board was provided with information on the Title I Program Evaluation. Information was presented by Assistant Superintendent, Martha Hernandez.

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

The Board approved a new four year contract with District Superintendent, Dr. Adrian E. Palazuelos, through June 30, 2020. Dr. Palazuelos expressed appreciation to the Governing Board for the opportunity to continue to serve the Fillmore Unified School District community.

PIRU, CA - Anticipated storm flows from Pacific storm Lucifer are being anticipated to trigger whitewater access opportunities for portage over the Santa Felicia Dam at Lake Piru to lower Piru Creek. Pursuant to the terms of United Water Conservation District’s (District) license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the operation of Santa Felicia Dam, whitewater boating access on Piru Creek below Santa Felicia Dam is available when at least 200 cubic feet per second (cfs) is released from the dam. Primarily, flows of 200 cfs or greater typically occur during the District's water conservation releases. These releases occur in most years and are conducted over a period of several weeks in the early fall. Due to drought conditions, however, the District has not conducted a conservation release since 2012 and, as a result, has not been able to provide recreational whitewater opportunities.

With Lucifer predicted to make landfall Friday, February 17, the powerful storm is likely to trigger flows of 200 cfs or greater. It is likely that the amount of rain combined with rising storm flows will trigger the District’s migration release, intended to provide natural migration flows for the endangered Southern California Steelhead which may attempt to migrate up the Santa Clara River from the ocean during such storm events. In the event of a migration release, the District is required to provide whitewater boating opportunities, which will be limited to portaging over the dam on Saturdays and Sundays, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., and only when the rate of release is above 200 cubic feet per second (cfs). Access will not be permitted without a reservation, which must be made at least 24 hours in advance of the requested portaging. This anticipated whitewater access opportunity is expected to last through at least Monday, February 20.

For details, please check the District’s website for updates on releases from Santa Felicia Dam (www.unitedwater.org). For current flow conditions in lower Piru Creek and on the Santa Clara River, check the US Geological Survey's website for USGS gauging station below Santa Felicia Dam.

For additional information of whitewater boating on lower Piru Creek, please refer to the American Whitewater webpage. To make reservations for whitewater boating, please contact the Lake Piru Park Service staff at (805) 320-3990 or (805) 625-4897

Froggy submitting his opponent with a Rear Naked Choke.

Jose "Froggy" Estrada fought George Hernandez (4-3 record) last Thursday February 16th at the Burbank Convention Center. Froggy said "I was there to make a statement and I did. A Couple of punches were in the exchange before putting me against the cage, which is where I was able to use my Wrestling techniques. I was in danger for a split second. I was caught in a Kimora arm lock, and had scrambled to get out.” Froggy was able to get on top of his opponent, hit him a few times until he turned around and gave up his back. Froggy won the fight 2 minutes and 9 seconds into the first round, declared submission victory, by Rear Naked Choke. Froggy now stands with a 3-0 undefeated record. Stay tuned on Azteca TV and UFC fight pass to watch more of Froggy’s fights.

Joshua Sandoval and Jonas Duran

Written By Valerie Sandoval

Last Saturday two locally grown teens were involved in a cause much bigger than their time on Buena Highschool baseball field. They were involved with raising money for the fight against Childhood Cancer. To conclude their fundraising efforts they along with over 60 other players including all their coaches Shaved their heads in support of all those children that have and will fight this horrible battle against children's cancer. During this event two local teens Joshua Sandoval 16 year old junior and Jonas Duran also a junior who both have lived in Fillmore Their whole lives, participated in this great event not only representing their school and baseball team but also representong their community and small town of Fillmore. Joshua also invited another local young man Phoenix , who is currently in remission, and has battled cancer since he was 10 months old to join in this celebration. Joshua had the honor of letting Phoenix make the first cuts of his newly shaved head. It was a day this baseball team will never forget and a wonderful way to bring awareness to childhood cancer. Showing others that amongst the negativity in our world there are young people out there doing great things that are bigger than just themselves.

Credit to the boys coach Matt Villegas who also has family from Fillmore for teaching these boys to be great on and off the field.

Bob Crum

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Video by Bob Crum.

This week I planned to discuss lenses and mirrorless cameras. But recent happenings – a storm and a photo - dictate a detour. C'est la vie.

It was late Friday afternoon. Rain finally let up somewhat. I went to the Old Telegraph road bridge over the Sespe Creek overflow. Oh my, I haven't seen Sespe Creek flowing like this in years! Of course I shot several photos. One is... surprise... the Photo of the Week.

I emailed it to an out-of-town photography friend. Just trying to be helpful, she sent it back re-edited with reasons why I should consider her suggestions. A lively discussion ensued.

Paraphrasing some of her points: Too cloudy to display detail in the image, clouds, especially storm clouds will always be soft, not hard edges, noise removal will soften the clouds, the middle is never going to be as sharp as the foreground on a cloudy day, and the important part... where do you want the eyes to go... you do not want the eye to go all over the place which they will do if every detail is sharpened.

Nothing wrong with her suggestions, just different. You'll see that I processed the photo differently and explain the reasons why.

It was a gloomy and stormy day. Ominous clouds on the horizon. Rain poured forth in great quantities swelling Sespe Creek from bank to bank with a torrent of muddy water. The challenge: Portray the scene with a single photo! Hold that thought.

Normally it is a good idea to highlight a focal point. This time I didn't. From my perspective, no one item is more important than another except maybe the creek. It's mostly a scenic image. As such, I'd rather your eyes enjoy roaming over the entire image... taking it all in with glee.

Soft subtle storm clouds are not my style. In post processing (PP), I emphasized them to add character. Drama if you please. They're storm clouds - not cotton candy. Different interpretations of the same thing. Interesting.

For maximum depth of field (DOF) I selected f/11. I preferred that everything from foreground to the distant mountain be in focus. Instead of softening the middle to de-emphasize it as suggested, I added structure to the creek's ripples in the image center to emphasize the flowing water. Preferences rule.

ISO is the level of sensitivity of a camera to available light. ISO of 10,000 is very high but necessary due to rapidly decreasing light. Cameras generate undesirable noise, specks in the photo, at a high ISO. Opening the lens to it's widest aperture, f/3.5, would allow more light to enter the camera thus lower the ISO and noise but at the expense of decreasing the DOF. Not an option. Instead, I dealt with the noise in PP while preserving a reasonable amount of detail. Different ways to deal with an issue.

I polished the image by adding a little contrast and increased the exposure slightly (for publication purposes) while attempting to maintain the feeling of a gloomy, stormy afternoon. I like to think I succeeded.

This example illustrates that there are many ways of creating a photo. From camera settings to editing processes, creative opportunities abound. Tremendously stimulating! One reason why I'm so passionate about photography as well as delightfully addicted. Caution: It's contagious!

After last week's column, you rushed out and bought a 'real' camera... didn't you? Good! As a photographer, it's invaluable. Just sayin'.

Happy shooting.

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

American Red Cross of Ventura County

During Red Cross Month in March, the American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to join in its lifesaving mission by giving blood.

Since 1943, every U.S. president has designated March as Red Cross Month to recognize how the Red Cross helps people across the country and around the world. Red Cross Month is a celebration of supporters, who are the face of the Red Cross in their communities and bring hope to people facing emergencies.

Blood donor Timothy Sheely knows the need firsthand. His wife required 12 units of blood during emergency surgery following the birth of their son. “If it had not been for blood donors, she might not have survived,” he said. “Thanks to generous blood donors, I still have a wife and my kids still have their mom. I can’t possibly thank those people in person, but I can give a little piece of me back with each donation for the greater good.”

The Red Cross depends on blood donor heroes across the nation to collect enough blood to meet the needs of patients at approximately 2,600 hospitals nationwide. Donors of all blood types, especially type O, are needed to help those rely on blood products.

Make an appointment to become a hero to patients in need by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Ventura County

Simi Valley
3/2/2017: 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Apollo High School, 3150 School Street
3/7/2017: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Simi Valley Hospital Adventist Health, 2975 N Sycamore Drive
3/10/2017: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Rancho Santa Suzanna Community Center, 5005-C Los Angeles Ave

Thousand Oaks
3/6/2017: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd
3/8/2017: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd
3/15/2017: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd

Ventura
3/9/2017: 8:15 a.m. - 2:15 p.m., Ventura High School, 2 North Catalina

How to help
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

By Coach Javier Alcaraz

On Wednesday Feb. 8th 2017 we played the last league vs. our school rival Santa Paula in a game that Fillmore had to win or tie to claim Tri-Valley League champs or if Santa Paula won we would share the title. Our boy's didn't want to share any title and got the job doNE by finishing 1-1 in a double overtime game. Senior J.J. Gonzalez score the only goal in the second half on a cross from Joel Garza to give Fillmore a 1-0 lead, but minutes after Santa Paula gets a goal on a deflection to tie the game. Goalkeeper Kevin Galvan had some amazing stops to give the Flashes the Tri-Valley League Chas title. Now we play this Friday at 5 here in Fillmore our first round of CIF game. Please come out and support your Fillmore Flashes Boy's soccer team as we make another run at another CIF title. GO BLUE!