Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Friday, June 25 at 12:34 a.m. S101760020 - Suspicious subject Stop - 800 block 3rd Street, Fillmore - Fillmore units were on patrol in the middle of the night looking for burglars who have been active in the community when they noticed a suspicious male. They attempted to stop the subject who then ran from deputies. A foot pursuit ensued and the subject was finally caught and detained at B St. @ 4th. 18 year old Herman Uriostegui was arrested for under influence of drugs 11550, possession of narcotics 11377, possession of burglary tools 466, and resisting arrest 148 P.C.

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Director Reddy Pakala, Water and Sanitation Department, led a tour of the new $14.5 million Piru Wastewater Treatment Plant, Saturday, June 19, 2010. The day included a ribbon cutting with County Supervisor Kathy Long doing the honors. Remarks were made by Janet Bergamo, President, Piru Neighborhood Council. The Project Team included Pakala, Project Manager Eric Keller, Project Inspector Steve Jackson, Design-Build Team, Tetra Tech, and Pascal & Ludwig Constructors.

The Ventura County Waterworks District No. 16 was formed on May 8, 1972. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors is the governing body of the District.

The district provides sanitation services to the community of Piru. It also provides potable water service to properties along Pacific Avenue.

The original wastewater treatment plant was built in 1974. Up until March 2010, the District owned and managed this secondary wastewater treatment plant with a design capacity of 0.26 million gallons per day. The plant was operated and maintained by the Ventura Regional Sanitation district.

The California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region, issued a Time Schedule Order which stipulated that construction and start-up of a new wastewater treatment plant be completed by February 28, 2010.
In order to comply with the Regional Board permit requirements, the District recommended that a Design-Build approach be pursued. The Ventura County Board of Supevbisors approved the Design-Build project – a first in the County’s history. This approach enabled the district to complete the project on time and save thousand of dollars for the residents of the community.

The new Piru Wastewater Treatment plant was put into operation in February with a capacity to treat up to 0.5 MGD of wastewater.

Funding for construction of the new wastewater treatment plant was obtained by the Ventura County Public Works Agency water and Sanitation Department through a Federal Grant of $8.55 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka the Economic Stimulus Bill) and approximately $6 million from a State loan through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

The Department Director and County Supervisor lobbied the State of California to provide loans for disadvantaged communities at 1% for 30 years. Loans are to be repaid from the customer sewer charges.

Roxanne Mata Hays, 35 of Fillmore, was pronounced dead at the scene of an accident on Piru Canyon Road, Thursday, June 17, 2010.

Hays apparently was driving south on Lake Piru Canyon Road and missed a steep curve along the lake’s western shore. Her car plunged over a 10-foot cliff, and into the lake, and into 12-feet of water. Boaters reported the accident to authorities at about 3:05 p.m. Authorities had to break the car window to recover Hays. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy revealed Hays had died from asphyxia by drowning.

Federal and local authorities this morning arrested 13 individuals linked to mortgage fraud operations that filed fraudulent loan applications with several banks and other lenders, generated millions of dollars in loan fees and real estate commissions, and caused millions of dollars in losses when the homes went into foreclosure because the purchasers were unable to make their monthly payments.

Those arrested this morning are among 14 charged in two federal indictments that were returned last week by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles . The indictments outline schemes in which real estate professionals prepared mortgage applications that contained false information about borrowers' income, employment, assets, and intent to occupy the properties. In the first case, which names 10 defendants, investigators estimate that the conspiracy was responsible for banks funding at least $25 million in mortgages. In the second case, which names four defendants, authorities believe that banks funded at least $10 million based on fraudulent loan applications.

The defendants in these cases generated huge commissions and fees through the mortgage application process, with the largest commissions coming when the banks approved loans and paid "yield spread premiums" or "rebates" to mortgage brokers who convinced borrowers to seek high-risk "option ARM" and similar mortgages that started with low monthly payments that dramatically increased after the "teaser" period, leaving many borrowers unable to make their payments.

Today's arrests were CONTINUED »

Bill Burnett spoke to council concerning proposed business park.
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Announcements
Mayor Patti Walker thanked the Board of Supervisors for their approved $50,000 to support the transportation of youths from Piru to Fillmore’s Boys & Girl’s Club.

The Budget Workshop has been rescheduled for Tuesday July 13 at the regular City Council meeting at 6:30 pm; the budget will be available on the City website on June 28.

From the podium, Walker presented the plaque she received from Cabrillo town homes on Main Street on behalf of the efforts of past councils, the present council, and staff to bring the housing project to fruition.

City Planner Kevin McSweeney announced the upcoming Friday Farmer’s Market to be held at the northeast corner of Sespe and Central Ave, starting July 13, running from 4pm-9pm. Thirty booths will be available for rent.

The Fourth of July hot rod show put on by Fillmore & Western is expected to run as planned at Central Park.
McSweeney also noted that the City has issued only two block party permits. Though the registration deadline has passed, the City will not turn anyone away this week, but McSweeney warns that it is not possible for authorities to process many permits at the same time. Permit seekers are asked to apply by July 1.

Public Comments
Resident Dave Roegner expressed CONTINUED »

A student listens to Clara Knopfler as she speaks.
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Eighth grade students at Fillmore Middle School had a rare opportunity Tuesday May 25th. They heard the testimony of a Holocaust survivor, Clara Knopfler. As Clara related her story of life in Transylvania she emphasized she was the same age as FMS students when her country was occupied by Hungarians, Hitler‘s first allies in World War II. As she spoke the silence in the FMS gym was palpable. Eighth graders have been reading the Diary of Anne Frank in Language Arts and studying the Holocaust in their history classes. They sat mesmerized by actually hearing the history from a woman who lived it. As Clara explained, she was first made to live in the ghetto, an old brick factory with no restrooms. She was then transported to Auschwitz and later ended up in Riga concentration camp where she made gun powder for the German army. Luckily she lived through these trials with her mother at her side, Pepi Deutsch, who’s spirit led she and her daughter through the darkest times. From Riga she went to the Eastern front to dig anti-tank trenches. There she confronted a German soldier beating her mother. By the simple, but strong statement, “don’ t you have a mother?” actually got him to stop hitting her mother.

Lastly Clara and her mother were forced to CONTINUED »