HEROES & VILLAINS
INTRODUCTION
This section is most important because it identifies some of the Heroes and exposes many of the Villains.
It is very important to know who the real villains are. It is important to expose them, force them into the sunlight for all to see. Like vampires, they must avoid the sunlight of exposure because they know it means the demise of their dirty scheme.
The community must know who they are in order to prevent them from continuing their quest of social and financial destruction and succeeding. Villains must be pointed out, identified and recognized for the vermin they are.
It is even more important to know the heroes. These are our friends and neighbors who have given of their time, sometimes years, their money and their lives fighting to bring truth and justice in order to protect and preserve our freedom.
It is impossible to list them all but they know who they are and know how much they are appreciated and admired by those who know them. Unfortunately some have moved away, some have even passed away. But Thank God some are still here doing what they can for Freedom.
These are the people who have earned the title “Hero.” Of course none of them would agree. All of them would tell you that they simply did the right thing under the circumstances and would do it again without reservation.
They would tell you that they are not special but they would be wrong. They would tell you that anyone can be a hero and they would be correct. All it takes is the commitment to fight for truth, justice and freedom, then take action.
VILLAINS
The appropriate definition of a villain as stated in the Second Edition of Webster’s International Dictionary is: “One capable or guilty of great crimes; a deliberate scoundrel; a knave.”
Our wonderful seaside community of Los Osos has been under an assault by a determined group of villains comprised of employees and bureaucrats of the State and Regional Water Boards, employees and elected officials of San Luis Obispo County, employees and elected officials of the LOCSD, and a band of selfish, greedy civilian terrorist enablers.
It all comes down to: “Follow the money!”
Their consumptive, myopic desire for money and political power is what drives them. Their behavior is narcissistic and sociopathic. Their ongoing determination to continue their acts of terror without conscience is the signpost of their overwhelming lack of character and sheer cowardice.
In the case of Los Osos, the tool of their terrorism is an unneeded, unaffordable life-threatening mega-sewer; the most expensive (per capita) sewer in the history of the world.
Their plan is a social and economic genocide of the community followed by a massive build-out including expensive homes, shopping centers, mass transit, office buildings and the like. Incorporation of the town will follow allowing big government, bad politics and corruption to prevail and thrive.
These terrorists believed they had a clear path back in the early 1980s but they were wrong. They believed they had ended resistance by the early 1990s but they were wrong. After creating the LOCSD in 1998, the terrorists believed they had finally removed all obstacles, but they were wrong.
They were wrong every time because there was always a dedicated few people who knew or sought the truth and made the sacrifices to do all they could to bring the truth to the community and end the Reign Of Terror. These were the heroes, many of whom were denigrated, belittled and condemned by the Queen of Greed, Pandora Nash-Karner, and her band of terrorist enablers.
Whenever these heroes stood up and told the truth, the terrorist enablers took their marching orders from the Queen of Greed and inundated the news media and our mailboxes with their character assassinations and lies, believing it would force the heroes to quit. But once again they were wrong!
Since facts regarding both heroes and villains are already scattered throughout this publication, we simply include a brief description on each.
PANDORA-NASH KARNER (“THE QUEEN OF GREED”)
“PANDORA. A woman was created by Zeus as punishment for the human race. He commanded Athena to teach her the weaving of the varied web of deceit. She was given necklaces of gold and her head was crowned with spring flowers. Zeus contrived within this woman lies and crafty words and a deceitful nature and he called this woman, Pandora.
“Zeus gave her a box filled with plagues and all human ills that caused death, sorrow and mischief to men, which Pandora gladly released on man kind. Only Hope remained within, under the rim of the box and did not fly out. But the countless plagues, human ills and crafty words of Pandora continue to wander amongst men.”
There is no more appropriate person to head the list of Villains than the Queen of Greed, Pandora Nash-Karner. There is so much that needs to be exposed about this evil, greedy little coward that an entire section will be added to The Sentinel.
Out of anticipation of that section and respect for our readers, we won’t waste expanded space on the Queen of Greed in this piece. There is already quite a bit throughout this site and additional information available on Ron Crawford’s Sewer Watch blog (www.sewerwatch.blogspot.com) to keep readers busy for some time.
For now, suffice to know that the Queen of Greed is always willing and eager to serve her terrorist masters at the State and Regional Water Boards and the County Board of Supervisors as long as she believes her prize awaits.
Her prize: to be the first mayor of Los Osos. For more than 20 years the Queen of Greed has used and manipulated people to further her own single ambition. This narcissistic, greedy little coward manipulates people as if they were pawns on a chess board.
Whenever the Queen of Greed sees resistance of any substance such as a recall, legal action or other action that threatens to derail her ambitions she immediately rallies her troops and dispatches them with prepared text in hand to speak out at public LOCSD meetings, write opinion pieces (crafted by the Queen of Greed) eagerly published by the Tribune and, when necessary, stand out at the food markets and circulate misinformation.
This is an evil, empty little woman who has been at the forefront of the local terrorist movement from its inception. One hope of The Sentinel is that many of her minions, like Joyce Albright and Karen Hatoon, will take the time to read the evidence offered here and realize how they have been used along with everyone else.
If this illegal, unwanted, unaffordable and deadly sewer is built everyone in Los Osos will suffer, not just those targeted by the terrorists; that includes the Queen’s escorts. It is not too late to stop the horror, save Los Osos and regain some self-respect.
The Sentinel believes there are some people who have verifiable, hard copy evidence of corruption involving Karner when she was an LOCSD Director and continuing as a member of the Parks & Recreation Board to date. (Links to PANDORA $50,000 BUDGET and PANDORA PROJECT MGR. BUDGET)
The Sentinel encourages everyone with documented, verifiable evidence to have the courage to come forward and divulge that evidence. Be honorable and help us win the war to preserve Freedom. The community needs you to step up.
You will remain anonymous; your identity protected. That is a guarantee. Simply send an e-mail to:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
, tell us what you have and we will do the rest. It must be documented,
verifiable evidence, not hearsay. It’s time to be a hero and stop being a victim!
GEORGE RATHMILL
B. LEONARDKEN JONES ROGER BRIGGS
These are all of the original principle RWQCB bureaucrats and Board members involved in the fraudulent sewer fiasco.
In 1984, K. Jones and B. Leonard ran the RWQCB. Roger Briggs, current Executive Director, was an underling then. It was to these two that Briggs sent his now infamous memo stating: “Tables 2 and 3 do not indicate human bacterial contamination (in Los Osos ground water), except in poorly constructed ground water monitoring wells…”
Briggs also stated that the County did not want to discuss it but wanted to push forward without delay. By law, it was the responsibility of Jones, Leonard and Briggs to halt all activity and take appropriate action regarding the illegal, “poorly constructed ground water monitoring wells.” They did nothing.
George Rathmill was charged with creating the Prohibition Zone. He lived in Cabrillo Estates. Many of his friends lived in Bayview Heights and other areas he conveniently exempted from the PZ.
With a stroke of his pen, Rathmill drew a net around the center of town and declared war on three-quarters of the population of Los Osos. Without proper science, despite the abundance of evidence showing on-site septic systems to be safe and manageable, despite the 1979–1983 recommendations of the RWQCB to pump down the groundwater, inspect all on-site systems and institute a Septic Tank Maintenance Program, and most especially to placate his developer friends, Rathmill and the RWQCB joined hands with the County and began the 30-year Reign Of Terror.
Roger W. Briggs (Link to COMPLAINT), Executive Director and chief terrorist for the RWQCB, sits behind closed doors and directs underlings like Gerhardt Hubner and Sorell Marks to carry his dictums. He is very careful to keep his signature off of certain documents. He abuses and ignores the laws without concern for the consequences they cause people.
When faced with exposure or accountability, he runs and hides like the coward he is. When faced with a subpoena to appear in Superior Court and answer questions, he conveniently disappeared. When the RWQCB stooges left behind to cover his tracks were asked where he was, they responded by saying he was on vacation. (Link to BRIGGS EXPOSURE ARTICLE)
While away the local County terrorists rallied around him so that when he returned he was relieved of his obligation to appear in court. Once again the local state-appointed terrorist leader slipped through the cracks of corruption.
It was Briggs who enabled the LOCSD to deceive the community by sending his underlings out to reinforce the lie about the RWQCB “mandating” a sewer for Los Osos. It was Briggs who attempted to discredit Graham Knowles, world-class wastewater and water management expert, who spoke at a town hall meeting and condemned the sewer project. Briggs' attempted assassination letter against Knowles.
Briggs did this by composing a letter to the USEPA and the University of West Virginia where Knowles is a prominent figure and consultant, accusing him of undermining the project and giving false hope to the community regarding safe, on-site systems and management. He stated that many alternatives had been studied and rejected because they were unsatisfactory. A lie.
Since Briggs had gone on record stating there were many “alternatives” studied and rejected, a Public Records Request was sent to him asking him to identify the “many alternatives studied.” He did not reply because whatever he said would have to be more lies.
It is Briggs who conspired with the Queen of Greed to “fine the CD out of existence” and issue the [illegal] CDOs against 45 carefully selected residents after the successful 2005 recall.
It is Briggs who has manipulated the CDO hearings and denied the recipients their rightful hearings and it is Briggs who continues to work with the County and civilian terrorists to push the central sewer forward.
This is a very evil man, a coward and a true terrorist. He needs to answer for his crimes against the community by facing the multiple R.I.C.O. allegations that are waiting for him.
GERHARDT HUBNER and SORELL MARKS
Until the successful 2005 recall of the last three miscreant LOCSD Directors, Gerhardt Hubner was the assistant to Briggs. Prior to that time, whenever the RWQCB needed to make a public statement at an LOCSD meeting, they sent Hubner or Marks.
When the issues and benefits of pumping down the groundwater became widely known during the 2002 Total Recall effort, it was Hubner who conspired with Bruce Buel, then LOCSD General Manager, to contrive elaborate, falsified costs and non-existent legal roadblocks to belittle the truth and deceive the community.
Immediately after the successful recall in 2005, Hubner disappeared from the local offices of the RWQCB and went to Ventura. Many believe it was to keep him away from court proceedings brought by the 45 people who were picked to receive the [illegal] CDOs. He needs to be brought before the Bar of Justice and answer for his crimes.
Sorell Marks is still at the local offices of the RWQCB and is still taking her orders from the terrorist leader, Roger Briggs. In the past, whenever truth threatened to end the illegal sewer, Marks appeared at LOCSD meetings representing the RWQCB and spouting their lies and threats.
Since the County has taken over, Marks has been able to stay quiet behind RWQCB closed doors. She too needs to answer for her part.
ROSE BOWKERPANDORA NASH-KARNERSTAN GUSTAFSONGORDON HENSLEYSYLVIA SMITHRICHARD LEGROSFRANK FREILER
The original LOCSD Directors were Rosemary Bowker, Pandora Nash-Karner, Stan Gustafson, Gordon Hensley and Sylvia Smith. The Queen of Greed quit just 11 months into her first year so she could bid for contracts and run the terrorist propaganda machine to help promote the illegal sewer and run interference for the LOCSD against any opposition.
She was replaced by Frank Freiler, another local opportunist. He is a handyman motivated by greed. After three years on the Board, he quit in disgust.
Rosemary Bowker was a computer teacher at Cal Poly. She was a sour, evil person who sought power and was eager to see Los Osos exploited as long as she got her share. She treated opposition speakers with contempt and disdain. Allegedly her mother was overheard telling some people at an exercise class that she didn’t like her daughter at all.
Rosemary Bowker was the first LOCSD President and remained so until she retired due to cancer.
Sylvia Smith owned an auto parts store and was always eager to support her friend and mentor, Rosemary Bowker. When the Board was challenged at a public meeting regarding the lack of “alternatives” studied, it was Smith who stated: “The LOCSD has spent $3,000 researching alternatives.”
Two weeks later at the next public LOCSD meeting she stated: “I want to correct my previous statement regarding the Board spending $3,000 to study alternatives. We have spent $300,000.”
During research, The Sentinel learned that at least two Public Records Requests were sent to the LOCSD asking for an accounting of the [alleged] $300,000 spent to [allegedly] study alternatives. Neither Requests were answered.
The reason there were no responses was the correct answer would have been: No money was spent to study any alternatives because we had never intended any other project except the mega-sewer. That was confirmed by the State and Regional Water Boards in responses to other Public Records Requests.
Stan Gustafson was a personal injury lawyer from Orange County who sneaked out in the middle of the night to avoid facing friends whom he had allegedly defrauded and cost upwards of $1.5 million.
He had given personal guarantees, defaulted, then left his friends high and dry to face the debts. He was ordered by California Superior Court to pay $145,300, $420,336 and $1,056,540 against those guarantees. (LA County Civil Case Numbers C631 154 & SWC 83360, Orange Company Civil Case Number 59 24 62).
He lost a legal malpractice case brought by one of his personal injury clients and was ordered to pay more than $30,000 in damages. (LA County Case Number YC002418).
In January 2003, Gustafson had a federal income tax lien against him for more than $104,000 in SLO. (SLO County Recorder Doc. Number 2000-013498).
He had more than 15 federal and state tax liens filed against him in San Luis Obispo, Orange and Los Angeles Counties. (Recorded documents in all three counties).
He voluntarily filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy (straight liquidation) and escaped more than $1.8 million dollars in debts. (Bankruptcy Case Number SA91–4004–JW).
Gustafson told everyone that he had been a JAG officer in the Marine Corps when, in fact, he had been an artillery officer. No disgrace in that except in Stan’s eyes.
Gustafson always showed up in full dress uniform at all Veteran’s Day ceremonies at the cemetery and whenever it suited his purpose. He used the great uniform to promote himself and took advantage of Sempre Fi whenever it suited him. He was and is a disgrace to the Marine Corps and to this nation.
After Rosemary Bowker resigned from the LOCSD, Gustafson became LOCSD President. He ran public meetings with an iron fist, treating the public as if they were a disease. When the opposition to the sewer became more and more educated, and intelligent, qualified people began speaking out at public LOCSD meetings, he deliberately moved the public comment from early in the meeting to after midnight or 1 a.m.
During the 2005 recall campaign, Gustafson, ex-GM Bruce Buel, and assisted by the State and Regional Water Boards, were responsible for bypassing certain laws and codes in order to fast-track the project to an illegal beginning.
After the successful 2005 recall, Gustafson took his wife and mother and, as was his usual MO, skipped town to avoid the inevitable disgrace and court proceedings. He was said to have moved to Ohio and was last seen on the campaign trail at a McCain rally in Iowa asking McCain a question. The Sentinel and many in Los Osos hope to see Stan back here in federal court to answer for his crimes.
When Richard LeGros ran for office, his opponent was Julie Tacker, another failed, self-serving opportunist. LeGros ran with endorsements from his friends on the Board and beat Tacker who had sold out the community during the 2002 Total Recall.
Le Gros is no stranger to corruption and fraud. In the mid or late 1990s he was sued for fraud after selling a lot in Paso Robles. After being asked by the buyers if there were any major costs or expenses due or required before building, LeGros said there was not.
In fact, there were major costs for water main and street improvements that had to be paid before anything could be built on the lot. The buyers sued and won. (SLO County Civil Case CV 073749).
Like the coward he is, LeGros quickly filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy (straight liquidation) and escaped more than $225,000 in debt, including his liability to the buyers of his Paso Robles lot. (Bankruptcy Case Number ND 95-12641-RR).
BRUCE BUEL and PAAVO OGREN
Bruce Buel was made to order for the LOCSD terrorists. He came from McKinleyville where he was GM for their CSD. Research discovered that Buel headed up similar illegal activities there and was eventually forced to leave.
When the LOCSD was first created, Paavo Ogren was the Interim GM. In or around September/October 1999, Buel was brought into the picture and as his first act before he was officially hired, illegally signed a contract obligating Los Osos to a long-term relationship with Montgomery Watson Harza that has cost us millions of dollars to date.
“Buel the Tool,” as some called him, was the chief facilitator for all of the illegal activity carried out by the LOCSD from November 1999 through 2005 when he was forced to sneak away after the successful recall of the final three miscreant CSD Directors.
During interviews with certain individuals, it was learned that Buel and Gustafson had removed a number of files and documents before vacating the LOCSD offices. It was presumed that many of these documents would have helped prove corruption and related offenses.
It was no coincidence that soon after leaving the LOCSD, Buel surfaced in Nipomo working for the Nipomo CSD. Jon Seitz, prior (and still active) attorney for the LOCSD, arranged through his brother, Michael Seitz, who was the attorney for the Nipomo CSD, for Buel to be hired.
When Buel was asked if he were being hired to replace the then current GM, he said that he was not. Amazingly within a few short months, Buel was the Nipomo CSD GM. It was no coincidence that the NCSD was involved with issues over water and related matters that special interests wanted pushed down the throats of Nipomo residents. They knew they could depend on Buel to find a way.
BRUCE GIBSON
What that link shows is that Paavo Ogren (Remember him? -- the LOCSD Interim GM from 1999 that Nash-Karner hired, and then the two of them worked closely with Montgomery Watson Harza), is now the current Director of the SLO County Public Works Department.
It also shows how Ogren is overseeing the entire Los Osos wastewater project, now that State legislation AB 2701 gave control of the project to SLO County government beginning in 2007. AB 2701 went into effect in January 2007, the same time Gibson took office.
During his first year in office, Gibson, along with the rest of the Supervisors, promoted Ogren to Public Works Director, and tasked him to head up the Los Osos wastewater project (a task that included a fat pay raise).
SLO County Public Works Department, under the supervision of Paavo Ogren, recently selected engineering giant MWH to the short list of contractors that could potentially build the estimated $350+million Los Osos sewer project.
The person that was Ogren's boss in 1999 (when they wasted all of that year on a sewer "project" that was never going to work), former Los Osos CSD vice president Pandora Nash-Karner received a $10,000 donation from MWH in late 2005 -- the same firm that Nash-Karner hired to "manage" her and Ogren's failed 1999 project.
That donation was "received" one day AFTER a bitter election defeat for Nash-Karner, and then shortly after she received that $10,000 she began to financially contribute to Bruce Gibson's run for Supervisor throughout 2006.
He won that election, and shortly after he took office, he immediately (re)appointed Nash-Karner to the SLO County Parks Commission, and then, shortly after that, promoted Nash-Karner's former General Manager to head-up the County's Public Works Department. And then, of course, after Ogren was handed the Los Osos sewer job (that included a fat pay raise), Ogren's Public Works Department eventually selected MWH to the short list of contractors to build the project -- the same firm that Nash-Karner hired back in 1999, along with Ogren, to fail building their first project, and the same firm that gave Nash-Karner's "Coalition" $10,000 AFTER the Los Osos CSD recall election.
Considering the fact that Bruce Gibson was elected with the help of MWH’s money, via his Parks Commissioner, and now the engineering firm stands to make tens of millions of dollars off of his decisions, via his Parks Commissioner's former employee, Paavo Ogren, Gibson, at the very least, needs to immediately recuse himself from ALL SLO County discussions involving the Los Osos wastewater project, or, more appropriately, immediately resign. Nash-Karner needs to immediately be removed from anything whatsoever that has to do with County government, and Ogren needs to immediately be reassigned or resign.
Currently, Gibson is the lead thug for the County leading the charge to force the central sewer down the throats of Los Osos residents. Once elected to the County Board of Supervisors, Gibson became the leader of the government terrorist faction and has been instrumental in bullying the other Supervisors and anyone from the public sector who dares speak out during public comment at a Supervisors meeting.
He has also led the attack against former LOCSD president Lisa Schicker who has presented hundreds of pages of documents regarding the long-term alleged illegal activities and conflict-of-interest relationship between Paavo Ogren and MWH.
With a willing accomplice in the County Counsel’s office, Gibson has dismissed the allegations and evidence as frivolous and not worth investigation. This despite the fact that Ogren was responsible for Buel illegally signing the LOCSD/MWH contract before he was officially hired by the LOCSD, and has continued a cozy relationship with MWH to this day.
Gibson and Ogren have deliberately sabotaged open bidding on the project and have secured the first position for MWH. Many millions of dollars were paid to MWH for alleged padded and non-existent expenses previously billed to the LOCSD and many millions more are being thrown their way thanks to Gibson and Ogren.
Paavo Ogren is an accountant who chose a path of alleged political corruption. He was a major player instrumental in creating the LOCSD in 1998 and was the Interim GM and responsible for hiring Bruce Buel.
Ogren is a key player with Gibson in the current terrorist move to force the vaccine-resistant, deadly pathogen-producing factory on Los Osos and has a more than a friendly relationship with the alleged corrupt MWH.
Ogren and Gibson, the County “Mutt & Jeff,” must be brought to the Bar of Justice.
SHIRLEY BIANCHI
Shirley Bianchi, the previous County Supervisor and Chair, like Gibson, unfortunately included Los Osos within her representative jurisdiction. In the 1990s she was an outspoken opponent of the county sewer project and in favor of on-site septic tank maintenance.
Early on in her capacity as a County Supervisor, Bianchi switched gears and attempted to further the myth that the LOCSD was doing a good job but that the RWQCB was making it difficult.
In an article written by Lee Sutter that appeared in The Sun Bulletin entitled, “Bianchi raps sewer system,” Bianchi called the sewer an “antiquated system.” She said the LOCSD was doing a good job but the RWQCB was impeding their efforts.
On July 28, 2001, a few weeks after the [illegal] June 2001 Assessment District vote, Bianchi sent an e-mail to a close friend and Los Osos resident, Vita Miller. In that e-mail Bianchi said: “Now that the LOCSD has its funding mechanism underway through the Assesment District, and has the RWQCB off their backs, is the time to begin lobbying everyone, everywhere to do what Tom Ruehr has wanted to do for ages, and that is a nitrogen study of the soils to carbon-date (I believe that is the term) to determine whether the nitrogen in the soil is truly from septic tanks or is ‘old’ from the plant life upslope. If it is ‘old,’ a sewer system is totally unwarranted.”
At no time did she ever make an effort to promote the “a nitrogen study of the soils to carbon-date (I believe that is the term) to determine whether the nitrogen in the soil is truly from septic tanks or is ‘old’ from the plant life upslope.”
Within a year or so, Bianchi began publicly supporting the central sewer and condemned all those who opposed it. She condemned the 2005 recall of the last three miscreant Directors, Gustafson, Hensley and LeGros and urged voters to vote “No” on Proposition B that ended the Tri-W site for consideration of any project.
GAIL McPHERSON
GAIL McPHERSON (Link to McPHERSON HISTORY) blew into town in 2004 and immediately inserted herself into the fray by aligning her talents with the Los Osos Technical Task Force (LOTTF). The LOTTF were a group of engineers and scientists who live in Los Osos and who banded together because of the abuses by the LOCSD and the obvious split in the community.
The LOTTF was headed by Lisa Shicker and included Chuck Cesena, Steve Senet and other qualified residents. Their intent was work with the Board, to offer their expertise, help bring the community together and unify opinions based on science. Unfortunately the LOTTF members were naive. They really believed they could work with the LOCSD terrorists and had no clue they were lambs walking into the lion’s den.
From the beginning they were treated with vile contempt by the Board, vilified and mocked by the Queen of Greed’s propaganda machine and deliberately ignored. The LOCSD terrorists were afraid of this group.
McPherson was a confident, knowledgeable voice at public meetings and worked hard behind the scenes. She appeared to breathe new hope into the LOTTF because of her background as a manager at the Riverside Sewer Plant and her track record in dealings with the State Water Board.
In 2005 she co-organized the recall that unseated the last of the three LOCSD terrorists, Gustafson, Hensley and Le Gros. A majority of the community believed the new day would bring unity, common sense and economic stability. What the community did not know was that McPherson had an agenda of her own.
She also helped craft Measure B that had the appearance of ending the use of the Tri-W site for a sewer and moving it out of town. Most of the community focused on the Tri-W site aspect and took their eye off the ball. What Measure B really did was simply move the same gravity sewer out of town. McPherson knew it, so did Tacker.
To most of the community Measure B appeared to be a successful culmination of the “Move the Sewer” movement Julie Tacker had fraudulently created after betraying the community by sabotaging the 2002 recall in order to promote her own political ambitions.
The sewer issue and recall were perfect venues for McPherson to deceive a majority of the community into believing what she wanted them to believe while she wove the fabric of her scheme to deceive people into believing that she worked in the best interest of the community when she actually was working for herself, the State Water Board and outside developer interests.
As soon as the new Board had been sworn in, Lisa Shicker was elected President. The new Board was comprised of four members of the LOTTF and Tacker. The LOTTF trusted and relied on the guidance of McPherson.
McPherson went to work guiding them down the path of community destruction. The first move she made was to have the Board vote to accept all of the outrageous conditions set by the State Water Board that would have incurred millions of dollars in debt for the community and stripped away any ability of the new Board to explore and implement better opportunities. Fortunately the Water Board was stupid enough to reject the vote.
The next move was to ingratiate Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee into Los Osos’ business. The LOCSD and the Water Board were at loggerheads over money and project and McPherson provided what appeared to be the perfect mediator, newly elected Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee.
What was thought to be a new ray of light for the community turned out to be one of the worse betrayals imaginable. Urged on by power-crazed McPherson, the new Board allowed Blakeslee to craft a bill (AB2701) that gave away the entire sewer project to the County. It was based on the lie that 4500 homes were allegedly polluting the groundwater. Of course there was no science or truth involved. It was the convenient reason to guarantee passage of the bill.
To keep attention diverted and continue to deceive the community, McPherson created and promoted the “Trust the County” campaign. “Trust the County” to do it right. “Trust the County” to save the day… "Trust McPherson" to lead the way!
Many people and the Board continued to trust her, despite some who were speaking out at public meetings with facts that exposed McPherson, Blakeskee and the County scheme.
McPherson’s “Trust the County” theme was echoed by some and eagerly promoted by the Queen of Greed and her gang. What the majority of the community did not know was that “Trust the County” was a euphemism for “Now That We Have AB2701 Trust the County to Finally Screw Los Osos and There’s Nothing You Can Do About It!” Their first act was to pass the illegal blank-check Prop 218 of 2007. Thanks to Gail McPherson and Sam Blakeslee.
Almost immediately after the new Board had been sworn in, Roger Briggs issued [illegal] Cease and Desist Orders (CDOs) against 45 specially selected Los Osos residents who live in the gerrymandered Prohibition Zone.
This was a contrived move to bring fear to the community and prevent any further resistance to the illegal sewer project. Once again the powerful terrorist knight in tarnished armor led the state charge to smash all resistance.
It was another opportunity for McPherson. She immediately organized Citizens for Clean Water as her latest moving platform, an idea stolen from the Lake Havasu sewer wars. CCW is a developers lobby posing as a citizen's group to further deceive the community. McPherson then organized and headed the Prohibition Zone Legal Defense Fund or PZLDF to capitalize her legal misadventures and tap the community from funding lawsuits with far better potential to succeed in higher courts.
Desperate people continued to trust McPherson to lead them. These 45 CDO victims coughed up unknown thousands of dollars and, under McPherson’s guidance, hired Shauna Sullivan, a local real estate attorney, with no property rights or civil rights experience, to challenge the Prohibition Zone.
Because the legal action was incompetent, it failed and, at the same time, legitimized the Prohibition Zone all over again.
In addition to not being qualified to represent these 45 victims, Sullivan is or was a member of the Bay Foundation which is supported by the RWQCB, an undisputed conflict for an attorney going up against the RWQCB.
The LOCSD under Chuck Cesena (McPherson’s hand-picked successor to Schicker as Board president), McPherson received a percentage of matching CSD funds for PZLDF. Neither PZLDF nor the CSD has publicly disclosed the amount of their matching funds and the 45 selected victims will not discuss how much they coughed up individually or collectively. It is alleged that at one time McPherson controlled upwards of $300,000. Where did the money go?
The home McPherson owns now was once owned by Robin Hayhurst, head of an O.C. developers association and a Blakeslee organizer -- who said she brought McPherson here from Riverside "for something to do." It was not just "for something to do" but for a major political move to take over Los Osos.
The naive and foolish continue to be victimized by McPherson’s grand-standing, poor judgment and deliberate treachery. Based on her past performance, she has been pegged as a water board stooge and developer-backed politician who aches to run for County Supervisor but has more personal baggage (visit the Riverside Free Press archives) than Paris Hilton.
McPherson did her job well, pushing AB2701, paving the way for the County and the illegal Proposition 218 vote, assuring the gravity sewer and steering the CDO victims down a dead-end road through deliberately improper advice and incompetent legal action. She no doubt stands in line with other Villains to be handsomely rewarded by the County for leading the community to the slaughterhouse with barely a peep.
AL BARROW
AL BARROW, a Section 8-certified sociopath, narcissist-thief and con man, has caused more damage to Los Osos than most know. Ever since he arrived in Los Osos he has done nothing but browbeat seniors for money, intrude himself into every positive action to stop the nightmare and done his best to sabotage anything that he wasn’t involved in or was not the center of attention.
Virtually every business in Los Osos has banned him from their premises. He thinks nothing of entering stores, verbally accosting people in parking lots and yelling filthy profanities at anyone, anytime, anywhere.
He needs no reason or provocation to launch into one of his out of control rants. Many seniors are afraid of him and he uses that fear to bully them into giving him money for useless or poorly thought-out causes so he can play messiah. If they try to refuse he launches into another tirade of filthy language and threats until they give in.
He has allegedly been caught skimming money from donations and to this day continues to interfere, con and collect. He also has a reputation for repping different technologies which he attempts to force on people for a salesman's cut. Using real causes like affordable housing and the plight of the poor and middle class to speak at seemingly every public government meeting, he has used the sewer scam to line his pockets and attempt to raise his stature above the curb.
A few years back someone nicknamed him Al “Wheelie” Barrow because, when you come down to it, “Wheelie” is a con and a thief who has always been only about himself. He is the bipolar poster boy for sewering the town up to the tree tops. He’s the bi-polar Gail McPherson on the street.
“Wheelie” attempted to undermine two Proposition 218 actions by LOTA (Los Osos Taxpayers Association) in 2005 and 2007. In 2005 the board of LOTA was forced to take action and voted him out of LOTA completely to avoid guilt by association based on his terrible reputation. [The LOTA suit was later dismissed without prejudice.]
In 2007, the law offices of attorney Timothy J. Morgan, a heavyweight in State and national Republican circles, submitted a Prop 218 protest letter to the County on LOTA’s behalf. (Link to TIMOTHY J. MORGAN LO PROTEST LETTER). The eye-opening document was dismissed by the Board of Supervisors.
Because he was closely allied with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, once the peoples’ advocate but who are now working with government and industry AGAINST taxpayers to circumvent the 218, Morgan backed out of his initial commitment to LOTA.
With only weeks to find another attorney before the 218 protest period deadline passed, “Wheelie” called all his donor friends and told them to take back their money from LOTA because, according to him, "it was a bad suit." So LOTA had to return their money in full.
“Wheelie” personally did all he could to sink both LOTA 218 actions. Either suit would have saved the LOCSD and Los Osos, but saving the town is reserved only for Al Barrow and no one else. Through his unrelenting greed and stupidity he’s made absolutely sure of that.
Today he’s trying to launch yet another poorly conceived suit and is again busy trying to raise money for it. Unfortunately, when “Wheelie” finds a good cause he only sees people’s pockets and it’s the community that pays. Because anything that this rabid salesman is selling is bound to fail.
RICHARD MARGETSON
RICHARD MARGETSON is another out-of-town low-life realtor who has his sights set on making a profit from the PZ sewer fraud. He originally allied himself with Julie Tacker and Jeff Edwards and stooges for Gail McPherson as well.
It seems that Margetson is not new to profiting from people’s misery. It has been alleged that he was involved in the Keating Savings & Loan scandal of the 1980s and spent time in prison.
Margetson specializes in selling coaches in mobile home parks where he is able to ingratiate himself with seniors.
In the period from late 2003 on, he and real estate buddy Jerri Walsh conned themselves into the trust of the Los Osos Technical Task Force and many individual residents by appearing at LOCSD meetings to speak out against the Board.
Margetson continues to speak at LO, TAC, LOCAC and BOS meetings as if he lives in LO. He doesn't; he lives in Cayucos. But, like “Wheelie” Barrow, he uses his speaker platform to gain the confidence of seniors. He is for the fraudulent gravity sewer and wants development so his real estate interests prosper.
Margetson is #1 mole for the County, infiltrating opposition group meetings in LO, dulling their resolve. This is his valuable role in the scam.
Margetson continuously downplays the real costs and damage of the sewer on the community because he works closely with Jeff Edwards, Tacker and McPherson, who all have the same big-sewer-out-of-town agenda.
Again, it's all about money and getting rich for these low-lives, and to accomplish their selfish goals they rely heavily on Margetson’s treachery, his penchant for interference, stalking the opposition and preventing them from being effective.
When more people began to question McPherson’s true motives and failed strategies to “Trust the County,” moles like Richard Margetson kept the grumbling to the background where it remained until it was too late.
JOEY RACANO Few can claim to have done as much harm to Los Osos as Joey Racano. An escapee from Orange County, Racano single-handedly turned the “Move The Sewer” movement of 2005 into a circus that made hundreds of dedicated citizens look stupid and foolish. When news cameras caught a snarling Racano in a eucalyptus tree protesting the groundbreaking for the stillborn Tri-W project (he was soon arrested for trespassing), he became the poster boy for the uncouth, unwashed Los Osos opposition. A fake environmentalist with a history of violence and a long rap sheet to prove it, Racano was McPherson’s bully henchman pushing Sam Blakeslee’s AB2701, asserting 4,500 homes were criminally polluting; the County’s Prop 218 which robbed the community of cost controls and cheaper alternatives; gravity collection resulting in the most expensive sewer Los Osos can’t afford; McPherson’s "Trust the County" campaign to deliver the best project which backfired when the County dropped all alternatives; and even McPherson’s failed, ill-conceived regional plan. Racano can always be counted on to be on the wrong side of the issues. Once a frequent speaker at LOCSD meetings, Racano still occasionally speaks out on environmental issues, including the Morro Bay Estuary and Malibu’s current sewer crisis, for which he charges pollution without proof and a gravity sewer as the solution. Fortunately, as Clown Prince of Los Osos/Morro Bay, this Humpty-Dumpty has achieved permanent fool status without a shred of credibility in either (any) community. Racano has lived in Morro Bay for the past several years. While in Morro Bay he ran for City Council and finished dead last, a public referendum on his uselessness. As proof of his diminished mental capacity, Racano has tried his hand at writing, issuing a collection of his emails, short story writing about a hero named Joey who fights for the butterflies, and even rap music – noise pollution at its very worst! Fake environmentalist, fake poet, fake rapper – is Racano even real? Word is that Racano has moved back to Los Osos, instantly returning the community to the Stone Age it evolved from when he moved to Morro Bay. As a direct result of Racano’s partnership in crime with McPherson (he once used her house as his voting address), through their shared tactics of fear and intimidation and intentionally misleading the community to speed development, thousands of homeowners and residents will be forced to sell their homes and leave Los Osos. JULIE TACKER Since she had younger children by her first marriage, Julie Tacker began by seeking a position on the School Board. She attended meetings, made a few remarks, then began laying plans to run for a position on the Board. But then something happened to alter her course: a recall movement was beginning. As it happened, one of the leaders of the Total Recall movement encouraged Tacker to get involved. He thought she would be a good choice to run for one of the Director seats. So in 2002 Tacker began attending the Total Recall meetings and after some self-serving coaxing, agreed to be a candidate.
Encouraged by some of the local terrorists who promised her what she wanted, Tacker betrayed the Total Recall movement, the people who worked so hard and the safe future of the community by sabotaging the efforts at the eleventh hour, after it was too late for damage control.
Along with Al “Wheelie” Barrow and Linde “I Just Want To Be Accepted” Owen, Tacker created the fictional “Move the Sewer” campaign and launched herself as an independent candidate for LOCSD. She lost to Richard LeGros. More importantly, the community lost its opportunity for truth and justice, thanks to Tacker and her selfish clique.
Tacker spent more than a year with Owen making remarks at LOCSD meetings and convincing many good people that she was a real concerned citizen with the best interest of the community at heart. Eventually she was elected to the LOCSD and began her political downfall.
It soon became known that she was involved with a local developer Jeff Edwards who has always been one of the terrorist enablers with grand dreams of developing Los Osos to its fullest with himself leading the charge.
Tacker had her own dreams of becoming wealthy and living in a mansion on the hill. Together with Edwards, their ambitions clicked and they were soon an item. She abandoned her family in favor of the Promised Land where she might finally crown herself Empress of Los Osos. But this Empress had no clothes.
Initially, as an LOCSD Director with access to private information, Tacker had the ability to pass along info to Edwards. One thing Edwards did not want was a Proposition 218 vote, and Tacker did what she could to help make that a reality. Even though her constituents wanted a 218 vote, Tacker-Edwards believed it would not have been good for their plans.
It was soon suspected that Tacker was on the Edwards payroll and, in 2008, she had to publicly admit it – but only announced she had just been hired. Of course it came with a disclaimer that she wasn’t making any decisions or passing information to Edwards. Right! Just like Les Bowker did not make decisions while seated on the RWQCB or pass information that helped his wife, ex-LOCSD President Rosemary Bowker, or the LOCSD.
Unlike the married Bowkers, though, it was believed Tacker had been working for Edwards long before she was forced to publicly admit it and had been passing him closed session information and making decisions benefitting Edwards all along. The community recognized the conflict right away and that she had irreparably breached the public trust. Her downfall began to snowball.
As the County moved through its corrupt process of imposing costly gravity collection on Los Osos, if Tacker supported STEP, vacuum or any other small-pipe alternative she did not fight for them, nor for the affordability a cheaper alternative would bring to the community. Because any alternative to gravity was another thing Edwards did not want, even though her constituents did.
Measure B, co-crafted by McPherson, CSD attorney Julie Biggs and Barrow to move the sewer from the midtown Tri-W site (which Edwards didn’t want either), conveniently left out the collection system and cost so the same big Tri-W gravity sewer could be moved out of town for maximum build-out, which was always the Tacker-Edwards developers agenda.
By this time, Tacker had squandered whatever political capital she had gained as a CSD board member, for Edwards, for greed. Overlooked for the CSD presidency because of her conflicts, Tacker decided not to run again in 2008 because she knew she wouldn’t win. She wanted to avoid the final humiliation that would have rightfully left her atop the political junk heap without a voice in the community she had betrayed.
When Tacker decided not to run for re-election, Maria Kelly, a vacuous Gordon Hensley clone promoted by the County, ran and took her place on the LOCSD board, tilting the balance of power to the terrorists -- a fine legacy for Tacker's years in office: surrendering power, because of her own personal corruption, to the very Tri-W die-hards that many fought so hard to repel.
Now, if the sewer ever comes back to the CSD, Tacker, even though she is no longer in office, will have screwed the community yet again. The terrorists have the votes and are ready to pounce. Thank you, Julie Tacker, for your years of corrupt service to the community.
MARIA KELLY
When Maria Kelly arrived in Los Osos from Oregon in 2005 she moved next door to Richard LeGros in the PZ (he soon moved out of the PZ up to Cabrillo Estates with the “wife” he found in a newspaper ad) and quickly found a job as a law firm secretary through Gordon Hensley. That terrorist pedigree in itself was enough to send up a wall of red flags and, sure enough, in 2006 Kelly ran for one of three open seats on the Board. Her running mates were Taxpayers Watch witch Lynette Tornatzky and Taxpayers Watch-backed Joe Sparks. Sparks won a seat, Kelly and Tornatzky did not. Kelly came close but no cigar.
After her loss, Kelly refused to stop campaigning. She and her husband Shaun launched a plan to attend and participate in a score of community volunteer events. With the assistance of Gordon Hensley, Kelly and Tornatzky created the Water Health 2 Outreach group, which held events around San Luis Obispo County to promote water conservation and water quality information. Other members in the group include other Villains such as Sylvia Smith (Treasurer) and Richard Leslie (Secretary). Over the course of two years, Kelly created the impression that she was an expert on water conservation.
When the County took over the sewer project from the LOCSD in 2006 as a result of Sam Blakeslee’s Assembly Bill 2701, Public Works Director Noel King and Deputy Director Paavo Ogren began their search for qualified candidates inside and outside the community for the formation of a Technical Advisory Committee to review all technical memoranda related to the sewer project.
Riding high on her success as a community volunteer, Kelly became a member of the Los Osos Technical Advisory Committee after receiving encouragement from members of Taxpayers Watch including Richard LeGros, Gordon Hensley, Joyce Albright and Sharon Fredericks. Kelly arranged meetings with Taxpayers Watch. After the SLO County Local Agency Formation Committee denied the Taxpayers Watch’s petition to dissolve the LOCSD in 2006, Taxpayers Watch needed a public relations boost. Kelly was the best candidate to carry on TW’s ideals while acting as a positive influence with a “perspective of an outsider.”
Kelly repeatedly met with County leaders including then Public Works Director Noel King and staff engineer John Waddell, expressing support for the process. After convincing County staff that her perspective as an “outsider” was – in actuality – that of an insider, Kelly’s application was approved.
Rejected for the TAC were the area’s top two scientists, Dr. Tom Ruehr and Dr. John Alexander. Amazingly, Kelly was added to the TAC, not for any technical knowledge or experience (she had none), but because, according to Ogren, she was “first runner-up” in the last CSD election! The TAC was also stacked with old school terrorists such as Bob Semonson, Russ Westmann, Bill Garfinkel, George Call, Don Asquith and CSD drop-out/sell-out John Fouche, among others.
It was the TAC’s job to make sure the County plan was executed without a hitch. The TAC never listened to a word the public said during public comment. Kelly and cohorts were too busy passing the rubber stamp and dreaming of their payday.
Simultaneous to the formation of the rigged TAC, King retired and Ogren was promoted to Director of Public Works.
Boosted by the many televised sham TAC meetings, simply because she was there in the room – not because she contributed anything, Kelly sucked up the monthly exposure like a dry sponge.
As a member of TAC, Kelly frequently urged the other members to do a “side-by-side” comparison of Tri-W (then called “Mid-Town Site”) to see how other sites and plans compared to something that, according to Kelly, was legally permitted and approved by varying state agencies. Her decision to put the comparison on the record stemmed from conversations she had with Taxpayers Watch.
The County was hesitant in invoking the comparison at first because the Public Works staff determined there was “social infeasibility” (the election results of the 2005 LOCSD recall and the passing of Measure B) that was attached to the Tri-W site, but Kelly insisted that the comparison was bound to happen anyway.
After TAC reached sunset, Kelly immediately launched into her campaign for a seat on the LOCSD in 2008 left vacant by the corrupt Tacker and weary Schicker. To create a platform for herself, she started silly little volunteer efforts to raise her profile and even wasted preciously limited CSD money on a water conservation calendar for children when the CSD was supposed to be watching every dollar. But using CSD money to further her career was more important to her than who paid for it, the taxpayers.
Once again Kelly ran a shallow campaign revealing little about her true positions, other than that Los Osos was too small a town to take on building its own sewer and that she supported absolutely anything the County wanted to do, even if it wanted to build at Tri-W, which the community had already rejected.
Once on the Board, her extreme biases and ignorance of issues shielded by running mate Ochylski, she embarked on a negative campaign against anyone whose views differed from the County’s (hers), publicly assailing members of the community who spoke during public comment at CSD, RWQCB and BOS meetings, and Planning Commission hearings on the sewer. Embracing her role as self-appointed hatchet lady for the County outraged many in the community.
As a Board member, Kelly’s contributions to Los Osos so far have been to propagate Taxpayers Watch’s Tri-W agenda, blindly support the County against the needs of thousands in the community, and publicly attack their spokespeople.
Just when the community needed a break in the cycle of corruption that has crippled the town for over a decade, we get the twisted sister of Hensley-LeGros, the most polarizing figure in the community since her recalled Tri-W mentors tore the town in half. She has learned their politics well. With the bumbling, biased Kelly and Ochlyski running the town until 2012, the only thing guaranteed for sure in Los Osos is more poor governance and continued deep divisions within the community for years to come.
MARSHALL OCHYLSKI
Marshall Ochylski was elected to the LOCSD in 2008 when Tacker wisely decided not to run again and Lisa Schicker bowed out for health reasons, but his involvement in the sewer predates his entry into the political arena by almost a decade.
During the Total Recall campaign of 2002, volunteers were setting up a table in the Vons Shopping Center for signing of recall petitions when Ochylski appeared and said he was the attorney for the Williams brothers, the real estate operators who owned the center, and gave them one hour to take their tables off the property.
One of the tablers went home and returned with a two-page printout of three court decisions regarding petitioning in public places. Included was a form that someone had to sign if they were kicking you off of the property without cause. When attorney Ochylski returned and asked why they hadn’t moved he was handed the form and a pen and told: “All you have to do is sign that form and we’ll move.”
He looked at the form, grimaced, handed it back and left.
Ochylski also represented the Williams brothers’ legal interests in the sale of the Tri-W site to the LOCSD for their sole purpose of building a sewer facility – and “Pandora Park” – in the middle of town, next to the Community Center, library, church, tennis courts and skatepark, surrounded by hundreds of homes and located directly across the street from the Chamber of Commerce … on the road to tourist mecca Montana de Oro!
Ochylski became a member of the Los Osos Technical Advisory Committee along with his friend, Maria Kelly, after previously refusing to participate in the “nastiness” of sewer politics. In reality, Ochylski felt skittish running for any public office since his last city advisory body he served on was the South Bay Advisory Committee in the early 1980s and his experience could be perceived as jaded.
Ironically, most of his friends and supporters have regularly contributed to what he’s called the “fractured” community of Los Osos. The very same supporters would later encourage him to run for the LOCSD board.
Before filing his TAC application in early 2007, Ochylski and Kelly mutually agreed to use TAC as a political platform to run for the LOCSD as a “Restore the Trust” ticket.
After being elected to the LOCSD, Vice President Ochylski is now an overly eager cog in the County plan to build the vaccine-resistant, deadly pathogen-producing factory – wherever they want to built it, as long as the treated effluent is kept in the basin, meaning the Tri-W site is as acceptable to him as out of town.
If for any contrived legal reason the County doesn’t accept the sewer project and it returns to the LOCSD to build, Ochylski will have a conflicted interest in seeing that the plant is built at Tri-W. Rather than acknowledge the obvious appearance of potential conflict, he has asserted in advance that he has NO conflicts, is supported by the broad community “on both sides,” and has trumpeted that he is more than ready to serve his County masters any way he can to make their town-sweeping, public waste of sewer a reality, no matter what the cost.
Vice President Ochylski’s brief tenure on the CSD board has been marked by boorish displays of ego and arrogance at CSD meetings (See RICHARD LeGROS) and nervous, fumbling speeches before the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors that seemed designed more to draw attention to him than contribute anything of substance to the forum.
It is clear that the self-centered Ochylski, failed landscape architect turned failed attorney turned County stooge, is busy padding his skimpy legal résumé while waiting in the wings for his close-up shot with the corrupt Board of Supervisors.
What can the vast majority of homeowners in Los Osos look forward to from this bad actor from a long, sad line of bad actors? When this former Tri-W agent becomes President of the LOCSD in 2010 (and he will since Kelly is inept), more than half the community will forfeit any leadership in their greatest hour of need.
THE TRIBUNE
We must include in the list of “Villains” a newspaper, the San Luis Obispo Tribune, formerly Telegram-Tribune. Ever since the LOCSD became legal in January 1999, the Tribune has always been there to print the story in whatever manner benefits the terrorists.
Whenever the terrorists were threatened with legal action, a recall or just general public resistance, the Trib would always print editorials defending the LOCSD and condemning the particular action or individuals.
There were a number of “Opinion” and “View Point” pieces written by the Queen of Greed, Pandora Nash-Karner, that were always given center stage. Whether it was her or one of her minions, a majority of the pages were always given to them. Dissenting voices were printed occasionally to give the impression of “fairness.”
Anytime the Trib or Sun Bulletin (a recently closed Trib-owned branch) did a story on the Los Osos sewer fraud, they always painted the picture in favor of the terrorists. Without any interest in fact checking the Trib always came to the rescue.
As has become a very sad act in newspapers and much of the TV media news outlets, the people in charge are more interested in using their platforms for personal agendas, usually on the side of wrong and injustice. This is why so many print media outlets are going out of business or trimming way back: not enough of the public is fooled anymore.
Nothing has changed since 1999. The Trib continues to parrot the lies and champion the cause of the terrorists. They continue to deliberately shun the facts, shill for the County and RWQCB, and have no idea of what investigative journalism is.
For example, they have one editor, Tony Prado, who, in the opinion of this publication, is a perfect little “yes man” who eagerly does the bidding of his superiors and is completely lacking any credibility or ability. He has been a trained hack for the Trib for years and continues along the same path today. He’s just one example of the coterie of “yes men” on the Trib’s payroll of editors, reporters and columnists. In fact, Prado is in the worst of company at the Trib, from the top of the masthead on down.
The Sentinel recommends that everyone in San Luis Obispo County who subscribes to the Tribune cancel their subscriptions and contact their major advertising revenue and let them know why they are canceling.
It’s important that we all send a clear message to the Tribune: We believe in freedom of the press but not the abuse of freedom to lie, distort and support terrorism. Unless and until the Trib decides to employ real investigative reporters and conduct business on a truly fair and balanced platform, we, the people, will not buy this paper.
HEROES
The Second Edition of Webster’s International Dictionary offers a number of definitions of hero, each with its own specialized meaning. Meaning number four was more to the point:
Webster’s Dictionary meaning number four defines a hero as: “A prominent or central personage taking an admirable part in a remarkable action or event ... a person regarded as a model of noble qualities...”
Real-life heroes were men and women of good character and integrity who served their community and their nation by their exemplary behavior and commitment to truth, justice and freedom.
Movie stars were not heroes simply because they were on screen; they had to earn it. People like John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Tyrone Power who lived their lives around the values and principles of America earned the title: hero.
Heroes are those who volunteer to serve in the defense of our nation and its values by enlisting in the military. These people and their families are heroes every day through their willing sacrifices, dedication and commitment to protecting our nation and preserving our freedom.
Heroes are everywhere. The list of heroes is long because everyone with good character and integrity is a hero.
There have been a number of heroes who have given of their time, money and expertise in the fight to bring truth to the residents of Los Osos and to prevent the terrorists from succeeding in their determination to perpetrate social genocide and devastate the community for profit.
These people and others who go unnamed earned the description: “A prominent or central personage taking an admirable part in a remarkable action or event.”
During the course of our investigations, The Sentinel learned about a number of Los Osos and out of town residents who did all they could to help stop the terrorists. We don’t know them all but do not want them to think they are not recognized and appreciated.
For now the “Heroes” list will be a short one, not because there are not a significant number, but because we don’t know who they all are. We will list some key people for now but ask that anyone who knows the name or names of some of these heroes to please send them to us with a short description of what they have done. Please send to:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
DR. JOHN ALEXANDER
DR. JOHN ALEXANDER is one of the most brilliant, honorable and accomplished men in the nation. His credentials are extensive and impressive. He has many patents in the construction, wastewater and other fields and is the 152nd entry in the International Book of Who’s Who Hall of Fame. He is a WWII hero and a champion of affordable, clean wastewater disposal and water conservation. His opinions are sought by nations and his projects in many water and wastewater fields are numerous.
He built the first abalone farm, located in Cayucos, and is active in every way to bring truth and facts to people regarding the water and wastewater issues. He is 93 and a force to be reckoned with.
Dr. Alexander’s credentials are most impressive. They include: Bachelor of Science Degree in Structural Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Doctorate Degree in Environmental Engineering from Occidental University in St. Louis, Missouri.
He has served as a science advisor at the Presidential level and in 2001, was elected “Scientist of the Year” by the International Biological Centre.
In 1942 he was commissioned as one of the first Seabee officers and oversaw the construction of several Naval bases in the Pacific Theatre, including the Aleutian Islands. After WWII, Dr. Alexander started John Alexander Construction and completed over 3,000 buildings in and around California. He invented “tilt up” concrete construction.
He is also the founder of John Alexander Research, Inc., A & W Smelter & Refineries, Inc., and Water Science Technologies, Inc. He created these companies in order to help address world problems and shortages in affordable and safe housing, in order to improve recycling and resource recovery, and to help eliminate the severe shortages in clean drinking water that exist around the world.
He is co-author of “Water Reuse,” Second Edition, published in 1980 by the Water Pollution Control Federation. He has been involved in marine research to save the Pismo clam and to construct housing using marine resources.
He has been researching algae, including seaweed, and the growth of other valuable marine life. He has a small research center in the Central Valley which has been investigating means of removing selenium and salt contamination from agricultural surface water.
He has been involved in the Los Osos sewer debacle for 30+ years. He has stated many times that “…there is no problem with a majority of the on-site septic systems currently in service.” He has concluded that “….the underlying soil is properly recycling the nitrogen loading that it is experiencing.” (
Since 1990 “…there has been continuous research regarding, and a steady trend is developing, against massive sewer projects. This trend has the support of many environmental groups which have witnessed the ecological damage that results from sewer projects and the largest residential developments that they have permitted along the coast.
“In addition, there is a growing problem with finding a home for the toxic sludge that is produced, and finally there are a number of problems associated with disposing of the treated effluent waters, which in the case of Los Osos may be as high as 1.5 million gallons a day.”
Dr. Alexander has taken his years of experience and research to the RWQCB only to be rebuffed and told that despite the truth of what he says, they are not interested. In the 1980s he was told by Jones and Leonard, who ran the RWQCB, that they would only look at something “with a 25-year track record.”
He has stated many times that “there are numerous, low-cost solutions available to the community of Los Osos. They include the following:
1. “If there is a true separation problem with some of the septic tanks, then the upper aquifer could easily be lowered to increase separation and percolation.” (Pumping down the groundwater).
2. “Any upper aquifer waters found to have trace nitrates could be sold or pumped to water local farm land, thus reducing groundwater pumping by those farms.”
3. “Any upper aquifer waters found to be of drinking water quality could be injected directly into the lower aquifer, thus recharging it and thus also addressing any salt water intrusion problems that may (or may not) exist.”
Dr. Alexander does not live in Los Osos, let alone the PZ, yet he has never turned his back on trying to help our community. He has been ignored, even vilified by the terrorists. He has gone on Charter TV a number of times and fully explained the facts and has been listened to and consulted by other communities.
He continues today to do what he can to help save Los Osos from this massive fraud and development that now threatens so dangerously. Everyone in this community should know Dr. Alexander and thank him for his tireless, honorable dedication to truth and freedom. (Links to ALEXANDER 2002 NITROGEN ARTICLE and DEADLIER THAN THE BOMB ARTICLE)
WADE BRIMM
WADE BRIMM was a long-time resident of Los Osos who lived on Mar Vista Drive. He was a Registered Engineer of the State of California (CE13743) an a certified Waste Treatment Operator, Grade IV, by the California Department of Health & Services (#02187).
He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Connecticut, 1950, and has taken numerous post graduate courses and professional seminars including the Ground Water School run by the U. S. Geological Service.
He retired in 1986 after 30 years of professional experience with the State of California. Twenty-three of those years with the Department of Water Resources.
From 1968 to 1986 he was Chief of the Civil Engineering Section, Southern Field Division, Department of Water Resources where he was responsible for Dam and Aqueduct safety monitoring for the portion of the Department’s water project facilities South of the San Joaquin Valley. This included 12-miles of tunnel through the Tehachapi and the San Bernardino Mountains, more than 100 miles of open aqueduct, four major dam and reservoirs, 40 miles of large-diameter high-pressure (over 1800 feet of head) pipeline, and all appurtenant structures.
Mr. Brimm supervised all aspects of water quality monitoring and control, development of water treatment systems, and regulatory interface with State, County and local agencies and contractors.
From 1963 to 1968, Mr. Brimm was an Associate Engineer in the Water Quality Section, Southern District, DWR. His duties included providing advice to the Water Pollution Control Boards and providing “Protection Projects” for several threatened coastal groundwater basin barriers against seawater intrusion and other contamination problems.
He began his career with the State of California in 1953 as a Junior Civil Engineer (entry level) with the Division of Highways where he worked in the hydrogeology and hydraulics section. He was an expert witness on the hydrology of San Francisco Bay.
Prior to that, Mr. Brimm worked four years as a Civil Engineer for the Alaska Road Commission, for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, and in the private industry under contract to that agency, both in the United States and abroad.
From the mid 1990s through the early 2000s, Mr. Brimm investigated virtually all of the reports and assertions made by the RWQCB, the County and the LOCSD regarding the alleged [non-existent] pollution of water caused by on-site systems.
There are a number of pages of text from Mr. Brimm, including an Affidavit and groundwater monitoring well data that are included in The Sentinel (Links to WADE BRIMM 2001 AFFIDAVIT and WADE BRIMM 2001 WELLS REPORT). In order to give the reader a sample of his results, The Sentinel has selected one or two examples to include here.
On the original LOCSD Web site was this: “Every credible study of Los Osos nitrate contamination conducted over the last 20 years has concluded that septic tanks discharge is the principle source of nitrate contamination (in the ground water).”
In his 2001 federal Affidavit, Mr. Brimm said this: “My review of the literature reveals that, although several studies over the last 30 years did posit that conclusion, a critical examination of those reports indicates that the conclusion is based on a series of unfounded assumptions taken from earlier reports.
“No credible study supports such a conclusion backed up by reliable data to establish such a connection. There was a 1995 Metcalf & Eddy report that [however] is of dubious merit. The Metcalf & Eddy report was unanimously rejected by the County’s 12-person Technical Advisory Committee appointed by the Board of Supervisors and also rejected by the Board of Supervisors themselves in a 4–1 vote.
“The contract which authorized this study was a ‘sweetheart deal’ extension of an existing contract with the County of San Luis Obispo. It was NEVER advertised for bid. It [was] simply a self-validating tool to convince government agencies to hire Metcalf & Eddy to design and assist in the construction of a large sewer project.
Contrary studies and reports include:
1. The SLO County Nitrate Technical Advisory Committee’s 1992–1994 study and report (Link to WADE BRIMM 1997 SLO NITRATE STUDY).
2. The October 6, 1982 letter report of SLO Chemist Percy Garcia, who refuted the claims that urbanization in the area [Los Osos] was resulting in a correlated increase in groundwater nitrate levels.
3. “My (Mr. Brimm’s) own 1997 report analyzing the County nitrate [ground water] monitoring well program.”
Mr. Brimm concluded that the LOCSD statement “has no factual basis. There is no reliable evidence that septic systems, in general, in Los Osos, are a source of the nitrates being detected, and there is no evidence at all that they are a ‘primary’ source of nitrates.”
He continues by stating that the CSD is unable to “form a scientific opinion. There is no factual data that has been currently generated to support such an opinion. In fact, the CSD is serving water to the public from a well in the ‘upper aquifer’ which has produced excellent quality water for nearly 50 (now 60) years with no evidence of excessive nitrates.”
Mr. Brimm addressed a false statement sent by the LOCSD to voters prior to the [illegal] 2001 Assessment District vote. “Nitrate levels in shallow groundwater wells will be made safe” (by the sewer project).
Mr. Brimm stated in his Affidavit: “My investigation has revealed two definite sources for the nitrates being detected in the upper regions of the ground water aquifer lying under Los Osos. The first source is extensive acreages of agricultural lands lying Easterly of the community, plus five (5) horse farms/ stables.
“One farm that has a dense population of horses and no residual vegetation lies uphill in close proximity to residential areas and to monitoring and water supply wells.
“The second source is a large amount of surface water runoff from the surrounding water shed, inundating and flowing into old, improperly abandoned wells, including those installed in 1982 by Brown & Caldwell.”
Mr. Brimm personally inspected 10 “suspect” [illegal] groundwater monitoring wells in the community. “These are the wells the county has sampled four times each year since 1982 and published the data as indicating nitrates in the ground water.
“Four of these wells were B&C wells out of 10 which were auger-drilled by County Engineering under permit from DWR and the Coastal Commission. When first drilled they all reached good quality ground water. Only one showed high nitrates near the EPA maximum contaminate level.
“But they were not constructed in conformity with State Well Standards and the next time they were samples, and every time thereafter, showed greatly increased Nitrate levels and remained that way for the next 18 years” (Actually to present day).
Mr. Brimm’s federal Affidavit and his 1997 groundwater report that was sent to all State, County and local Agencies was ignored by all is, as vital as it was and still is.
When the LOCSD became legal in January, 1999, Mr. Brimm gave them 11 boxes of materials, test results and the like to assist the new Board in their fight against the RWQCB. He had no way of knowing then that the new Board would be worse than the County had ever been.
The Sentinel learned that during the Total Recall in 2002, a Public Records Request was sent to the LCOSD asking for access to all 11 boxes of materials. The response to the PRR was that the LCOSD was unaware of any such materials.
Mr. Brimm moved away from Los Osos in 2002 or 2003. He is missed but not forgotten.
GLENN STILLMAN
In 2002 Glenn Stillman was VP and Principal Engineer with Alaska Petroleum Environmental Engineering, Inc., which has an office in Garden Grove, California.
He has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Chicago, a Masters of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and completed all course work at the University of Alaska for as Masters of Science in Environmental Engineering.
Mr. Stillman has worked in the environmental, construction and petroleum industries for more than 30 years. Since March 1991, he has held California Contractor’s License #615579. The classifications under this license are General Engineering ‘”A,’” Hazardous Substance Removal and Remedial Actions Certificate (HAZ), Asbestos Certification and C-57 (Well Drilling).
During his career, Mr. Stillman has “…designed and drilled hundreds of wells including oil production wells, injection wells, potable water wells, water and waste disposal wells, groundwater remediation wells and groundwater monitoring wells.” He has also been responsible for inspecting hundreds of wells.
He was involved in the plugging and abandonment of scores of these wells. He was (and is) familiar with USEPA and State of California requirements for the proper installation of various wells, and the requirements for their closure.
He has worked with various California RWQCBs, including those in Los Angeles, Santa Ana, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, Lahontan and North Coast Regions. He was retained by the Law Office of Matt Nasuti “…to investigate and potentially provide expert testimony in a federal lawsuit regarding the proposed Los Osos sewer project.
Sentinel note: Here again, in order to give the reader examples of the testimony we will just include samples for this section dealing with the illegal groundwater monitoring wells.
“A major source of the nitrate contamination (in Los Osos ground water) is the ground water monitoring wells that were installed in 1982 (by Brown & Caldwell) as part of Agencies (County) environmental assessments to determine the source of the Nitrate contamination. Earlier this month (2001), I personally inspected almost 20 of these well sites. The vast majority of these wells have elevated Nitrate analytical results, which were used by the Agencies (County, RWQCB) to justify the necessity for the construction of the Sewer Project. All of the ground water monitoring wells are illegal as they were improperly installed and do not meet the requirements as set forth in California Well Standards, Bulletin 74-90, supplement to Bulletin 74-81, California Department of Water Resources, June 1991.
“As stated above, the ground water monitoring wells were either installed by the County and/or the Agencies’ consultant, Brown & Caldwell in 1982; therefore, the well installation was required to meet the minimum standards as set forth in 74-81.”
He further states, “All of the ground water monitoring wells are illegal for the following reasons:
1. Monitoring wells are required to have a minimum surface seal of 20 feet [74-81, page 29, Section 9.A]; (Well) 13Q01 only has a seal from the surface to one-foot and from 8–12 feet. All wells were similarly constructed.
2. The top of these wells are below ground. In addition, the PVC caps on the wells have holes drilled in them, and the caps were loose during my site inspection. I could literally unscrew a cap just by using my thumb and forefinger without any effort. ‘”Openings into the top of the well … shall be protected against entrance of surface water or foreign matter by installation of watertight caps or plugs’” [74-81, page 36, Section 10.A].
3. These wells are ‘”abandoned’” and should be ‘”destroyed’” (i.e., legally removed by drilling out and cementing the hole) as they have not been sampled in over one-year and do not meet the criteria to be considered ‘”inactive’”. An ‘”inactive’” well is one that ‘”the owner demonstrates his intention to use the well again… As evidence of his intentions for continued use, the owner shall properly maintain the well in a way such that:
a) The well has no defects which will allow the impairment of quality of water in the well or in the water-bearing formations penetrated.
b) The well is covered such that the cover is watertight and cannot be removed except with the aid of equipment or other use of tools.
c) The well is marked so that it can clearly be seen.
d) The area surrounding the well is kept clear of brush or debris.
He stated: “…None of the ground water monitoring wells used by the Agencies for nitrate sampling meet the definition of ‘inactive.’” He further stated, “Under the 1981 and 1990 standards, these wells would be considered no more than simply ‘”funnel’” that allow surface contamination to enter a well and contaminate the ground water; they are illegal wells and provide false and misleading analytical results.
“The analytical results obtained from the ground water monitoring wells are false and misleading and this is clearly shown by comparing results just after the wells were installed in 1982, and again after the Winter rains of 1983.
“The annual rainfall from 1982 to 1983 increased by a factor of almost two (17.9 to 35.1 inches). Correspondingly the Nitrate concentrations increased by a factor of 1.6 (about 36 to 56 ppm Nitrates reported as Nitrates).
“This shows that the ground water monitoring wells are direct conduits for Nitrates into the upper aquifer, and have been since their installation in 1982. All of the data used by the Agencies to support their position requiring the Sewer Project is based on inaccurate data.
“The Agencies even acknowledged this fact about two years after the ground water monitoring wells were installed; in a December 14, 1983 ‘”internal memo’” from [Roger Briggs] the RWQCB stated that contamination is due to ‘poorly constructed ground water monitoring wells… and agrees there is a potential for contamination from surface runoff.’”
Mr. Stillman conducted additional tests to confirm his findings, the results of which are in his Affidavit. (Link to STILLMAN 2001 FEDERAL AFFIDAVIT)
DR. TOM RUEHR (1943 - 2009)
Tom Ruehr was a giant in his community and county and a genuine hero of the Earth. A dedicated teacher, he was also a leading voice in the struggle for environmental and social justice for Los Osos and for transparent government absent in San Luis Obispo. Understandably, Dr. Ruehr was both revered and feared for his razor-sharp intellect and critical ability to separate the wheat from the chaff, science from myth, fact from fiction, and, ultimately, truth from its pale but highly active competitors. Dr. Ruehr had been active in the Los Osos wastewater debate since the mid-1970s. Through the years, time and time again, he volunteered his expertise, wrote and spoke out, protecting the community he loved by reminding the State and Regional Water Boards and County that they would be held to higher professional and evidentiary standards. He demanded documentation supported by science and fact, not unproven assertions and unchecked bias. Dr. Tom Ruehr, the gentle giant, never backed down from a fight when the truth was on the line. He relentlessly sought accountability from government agencies on the Los Osos Wastewater Project. Confronted by Dr. Ruehr’s findings (often confirmed by other independent experts), the County felt it had no other choice but to try (and fail) to discredit him simply because they could not refute him based on real science and cold fact, and still haven’t to this day. (From The ROCK) The Sentinel chose to present his credentials through his own words taken from an extensive interview in May-June 2007 with The Rock. (Link to RUEHR ROCK INTERVIEW). That interview as it goes to the heart of the corruption from the POV of a scientist, engineer and expert known and trusted throughout our community. “Thank you for this opportunity to explain the truth about the Los Osos sewer situation from one who has experienced it from the mid-1970s to today. I believe I am uniquely qualified to address these issues. First, I provided expert advice to the County Engineering Analytical Laboratory when they had analytical problems in testing nitrate in Los Osos. My research specialization focuses upon all biochemical and microbial transformations of nitrogen compounds in the environment.
“I served as a member of the Nitrate Study of LosOsos Technical Advisory Committee (1992–1994). I served as a member of the Los Osos Wastewater Alternatives Technical Advisory Committee. I have served on the County Health Department’s Technical Advisory Committee on Biosolids.
“I served as a chair of the Los Osos Blue Ribbon Committee on Water. I served on the Solutions Group seeking an effective wastewater treatment process for Los Osos. I served as a member of the Ripley Pacific Engineering team when they provided the recent report on alternative water treatment for Los Osos.
“I am a Professor in the Earth and Soil Science Department at Cal Poly State University. I have expertise as a soil microbiologist and biochemist. I am a co-author of a book on fertigation and understand the interactions of water and nutrients.
“This expertise is critical to understanding the problems commonly ignored regarding the recharge of the wastewater on the sand dunes of Los Osos. Engineers have ignored several major soil problems that plague the wastewater piping and collection process and the wastewater recharge.
“In addition, my understanding of microbiology provides me with a greater insight into the best way to biodegrade the sewage in the treatment plant and the subsequent decomposition of the resulting biosolids. The processing of the biosolids has been ignored by the proposed sewage treatment projects (prior to the Ripley Pacific Report).”
The Sentinel thought it best to let the reader hear from Dr. Ruehr through his quotes from the interview and his federal Affidavit taken for the 2000 federal legal action taken by 17 Plaintiffs against the LOCSD.
Dr. Ruehr was very active in the fight against the illegal sewer. He spoke at town meetings and lent his expertise whenever asked. Along with Dr. John Alexander and Wade Brimm, Dr. Ruehr did not hesitate to expose the fraud and campaign for truth and freedom.
“My first involvement in the Los Osos issue occurred unintentionally when I was consulted by the County Engineering Analytical Laboratory staff. Percy Garcia shared the County’s collected data with me. In five minutes, I was able to show how dividing the nitrate by the chloride concentration resulted in the chloride being a tracer. The numerical value decreased with depth. From a chemical point of view, this ratio should remain constant. From a microbiological view, if denitrification (loss of nitrate as nitrogen gas into the air) occurs, then the ratio would decrease as the nitrate disappears. This confirmed in my mind the obvious result of the County’s data and clearly indicated the septic tanks were functioning properly in Los Osos.
“Subsequently, while serving on the first Nitrate Study of Los Osos Technical Advisory Committee, I was told by Percy Garcia someone higher up in County Engineering had given him a gag order preventing him from sharing any facts with me.
“Many times I realized the information provided by the RWQCB staff to the board with recommendations was either wrong, over emphasizing minor points, and too often glaringly failing to report contrary information. This can be supported by anyone reviewing the RWQCB reports on Los Osos and comparing what is known by the people in the community. Obviously, it was not an objective scientific process, but instead it was definitely a political process.”
Dr. Ruehr served with Wade Brimm and others on the 1992-’94 County “Los Osos/Baywood Park Nitrogen Study.” (Link to LO-BAYWWOD PARK 1994 NITROGEN STUDY). It was Wade Brimm and Dr. Reuhr who wrote the conclusions to the study which found that there was no need for a sewer in Los Osos.
“Most citizens of Los Osos are being brainwashed by the Regional Water Quality Control Board staff and by County Engineering… Increasingly, I have felt a great injustice is being forced upon the community.”
When asked about the Prohibition Zone, Dr. Ruehr said, “No rational scientific basis exists for this zone… Interestingly, the wealthy people of Los Osos are primarily outside of the prohibition zone. If the sewer is paid for by the prohibition zone people, then these wealthy people can link up later without having to pay the major cost of the sewer.”
When asked what the RWQCB stands to gain, Dr. Ruehr stated: “The RWQCB will be making more money in the form of monitoring the Los Osos wastewater situation in the future. The larger the plant, the more money will be coming to the RWQQCB. Consequently, they have a vested interest in forcing Los Osos to have the most expensive sewer possible.”
Will a sewer do anything to protect drinking water? “Their eagerness to protect the water ‘quality’ will result in the total loss of all water useful for drinking.”
When asked about the [contrived] ‘White Knight’ intervention of Sam Blakeslee, Dr. Ruehr said in part: “This state intervention had nothing to do with local politics or the capabilities of the CSD members to provide direction to the community process.
“It is all about ensuring gigantic multinational sewer corporations can win in Los Osos. If they can win, then they can impose their own very expensive wills in every other small community in the nation.
“Los Osos is recognized worldwide as a test case of gigantic multinational sewer corporations versus reasonable community-wide small to medium-size modular sewer projects to use the most modern technology at ecologically-applicable means and economical costs.”
Regarding newer technology, Dr. Ruehr said in part: “Many amazing technologies have recently been developed with much superior and effective water processing in the past few years. Within the past decade a major mindset change has occurred in the wastewater industry. This new mindset essentially argues previous massive sewer installations should be avoided because of the serious problems (long-term they create) and the realization smaller is more efficient, effective with lower long-term maintenance and providing better water quality at a much lower treatment cost.”
Regarding the new County TAC report: “It has been highly depressing to read (in the new TAC report) how the County intends to force the conventional gravity sewer onto the community of Los Osos with bait-and-switch tactics and a blank-check mentality.”
After the [illegal] 2001 June Assessment District vote, a summary of comments and questions made and asked at a Los Osos Sewer meeting on Friday, September 28, 2001 by Dr. Ruehr appeared in The Bay Clipper under the banner “Los Osos Sewer Watch, Opinion,” entitled “Los Osos Sewer Terrorism.”
Dr. Ruehr begins by calling on all people in the County that live in an un-sewered area to begin a letter-writing and telephone campaign. He urges everyone to write and call every news agency in the County and all appropriate politicians.
He warns that, “The recent action of the federal district judge (Judge Terrance Hatter) to dismiss the legal case (2000 federal action against the LOCSD) without comment is a unique form of political terrorism against the community of Los Osos.”
He raises awareness of the [illegal] June 2001 Assessment District vote with a number of questions that he urges residents to ask the media and politicians. They include: “Why was the ballot for the sewer NOT confidential as a secret ballot? Why were we prevented from voting in secret…? Were the citizens warned of this unique voting process ahead of time? What is the political influence which caused the federal district judge to dismiss the Los Osos case without comment? Why did the judge NOT want to examine the charge of social injustice in this community o Los Osos? Was the federal judge pressured into dismissing the case by pressure from the RWQCB?”
Dr. Ruehr covers the full spectrum of the issue in additional questions that include: “Why are almost all of the residents who are poor or on fixed incomes included within the Prohibition Zone, while the wealthy or politically influential are located outside the PZ? Why are these same poor and those on fixed incomes forced to pay the full cost of the sewer? Why were NOT all citizens who would potentially benefit from this sewer included in the [illegal] assessment district and included within the PZ?
“Is the PZ an admission by the RWQCB of some properly functioning on-site septic systems within the community?” He points out that the State and Regional Water Boards were created to monitor and regulate the state’s water resources. He states that “These agencies have been created as quasi-governmental agencies with vast unregulated powers and are beholding to no government body whatsoever.”
He addresses the issue of the RWQCB not being legally able to dictate any solutions and asks why they (RWQCB) “...are forcing the most expensive and environmentally unfriendly form of a sewer on the community of Los Osos?”
He was also asked, “Why is the RWQCB so obsessed with the Nitrate levels in Los Osos?” He addresses the continued illegal use of the illegal groundwater monitoring wells. “Why does the RWQCB continue repeatedly to monitor and report Nitrate levels from monitoring wells which even the best engineering firms have continually warned were improperly constructed and not properly sealed to prevent surface contamination?”
Regarding the on-going statements by the County and the RWQCB regarding new technologies, Dr. Ruehr stated in part: “Many times the County Engineering or the RWQCB has claimed the new technologies have not been ‘tested.’ They are speaking from a position of ignorance. Modern sewer technologies have been tested by having been installed and are functioning in many parts of the U.S. and in various countries of the world.
“When these people say they have not been tested, they are revealing their ignorance of modern sewer technologies. Also, they are strongly biasing the process by saying, ‘We do not want to use any modern technology. Why should we when our minds are already made up and we know the best thing for Los Osos is the conventional gigantic sewer for a city of 2 million people?’”
In both his interview with The Rock and article in The Bay Clipper, Dr. Ruehr asks a number of pertinent and relevant questions that the LOCSD, the County and the RWQCB have deliberately avoided, ignored or simply lied about and provides intelligent, scientific, truthful answers.
As was (and is) always the case, his words were ignored and silenced in The Telegram-Tribune because they have always been in the back pockets of the forces driving this fraud.
The two-page article in The Bay Clipper which also includes another opinion piece entitled, “What is the RWQCB?” Is an open indictment of the corruption and fraud that revolves around the entire sewer issue in Los Osos. Dr. Reuhr could have sat back in his comfortable home, going through each day at his secure Cal Poly job and say nothing.
Instead, he risked the contempt of some of his associates and neighbors and spoke out against the tyranny and terrorism that continues to this day. Until his death in 2009, Dr. Reuhr continued to champion truth, common sense, liberty and freedom. He will be remembered and sorely missed. LISA SCHICKER
LISA SCHICKER is another casualty of naïveté and corruption. In 2003, she and a group of scientists and engineers who live in Los Osos formed the Los Osos Technical Task Force. Their purpose was to bring true science, engineering and sanity to a divided community with the desire to end the constant fighting between the LOCSD and members of the public.
Miss Schicker and her fellow LOTTF members believed there was a problem that required a solution. They saw the LOCSD treat those who spoke out against their selected sewer project with disdain and contempt and believed that the collective experiences of the Task Force would help end the arguments.
It didn’t take long for Miss Schicker and the other LOTTF members to realize that no matter who or what you are or what you represent, the LOCSD was determined to force the unneeded, unaffordable sewer on Los Osos at any cost and had a closed ear to everything else.
Miss Schicker and LOTTF members remained dedicated to their mission, even struggling through the deliberate change of public comment by then LOCSD President Stan Gustafson from early in the evenings to after midnight in his deliberate attempt to discourage all further resistance.
Finally, after more than a year of frustration, Miss Schicker made the decision to run for a seat on the Board and succeeded in receiving the highest majority vote ever by a candidate. She found herself alone against three of the original terrorists and Julie Tacker who had her own agenda.
An unfortunate, destructive influence attached herself to Lisa: Gail McPherson. From the beginning, McPherson allied herself with LOTTF and especially Schicker. After leading the successful 2005 recall of the last three miscreant LOCSD Directors, McPherson guided a naïve Schicker through the labyrinth of deception designed by McPherson and her developer/County allies.
The new Board that included Chuck Cesena, Steve Senet, John Fouche and Lisa Schicker relied heavily on McPherson’s guidance. The first wrong move promoted by McPherson was to direct the new Board to approve all of the State Water Board conditions (that the State Board stupidly rejected).
Later it was at the urging of McPherson that the new Board worked with Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee and approved his introducing AB2701 that gave the County full control over the project, denied a proper 218 vote and eventually scuttled all hopes of the community prevailing.
After leaving office, Miss Schicker continued her quest to bring truth and justice. In 2008-09, she presented hundreds of pages of evidence implicating Montgomery Watson Harza (MWH), the international firm slated to build the billion-dollar fraud, and Paavo Ogren, the original interim General Manager of the LOCSD of fraud.
The issue involved Ogren illegally having the original LOCSD General Manager, Bruce Buel, sign a contract between the LOCSD and MWH before Buel was actually hired as the LOCSD GM.
Miss Schicker has been demeaned and belittled in the local press, ignored and treated with disrespect by Bruce Gibson, County Supervisor and lead County terrorist, and vilified by the Queen of Greed propaganda machine.
Miss Schicker deserves both community accolades and thanks for her commitment to truth and freedom and admonishment because of her continued belief in Gail McPherson who is a key cause of the current disaster.
TOM SALMON
Tom Salmon is a long-time resident of Los Osos who became involved in 1999 or 2000. He would attend LOCSD meetings and ask relevant questions for which he was rewarded (like everyone else) with no response or flippant replies.
Mr. Salmon persisted, undaunted by rudeness. He continued asking questions and speaking out against the fraud. In 2002, he teamed up with Budd Sanford to form the Total Recall Committee dedicated to recalling all five LOCSD Directors.
The TRC was comprised of a handful of residents, most over the age of 65 who, despite their small numbers, were able to raise community awareness and throw panic into the LCOSD and the RWQCB.
Their efforts failed to place the Directors on the ballot under recall. Each petition required 2475 signatures and the TRC were only able to raise about 1850. It was a matter of not enough people or money.
But at the same time, three of the seats were coming up for re-election so three members of the TRC were slated to seek them. They were Tom Salmon, Julie Tacker and Budd Sanford.
A campaign had been well planned including the use of the petition signatories for funding and support. At the last minute, Tacker sabotaged the effort by abandoning the plan when it was too late to find a replacement candidate, killing any chance for the community to prevail.
Tom Salmon moved away from Los Osos shortly after and was not involved in the 2005 recall efforts. It has been reported recently that Mr. Salmon has returned to the community though his voice has not been heard.
BUDD SANFORD
Budd Sanford moved to Los Osos in the early 1990s to take care of his mother after knee surgery and stayed. In or around 1999, he became aware of the sewer controversy and got involved.
He helped organize and conduct Town Hall meetings, spoke out at LCOSD public meetings and was a Plaintiff in the 2000 federal legal action against the LOCSD. After realizing the depth of corruption that existed in the state, county and courts, Mr. Sanford approached Tom Salmon and together they created the Total Recall Committee.
Many attribute its limited success to the leadership of Sanford. He was attacked viciously by the Queen of Greed machine in opinion pieces, editorials and on the radio, and treated with fear and contempt by the LOCSD.
After Julie Tacker sabotaged the effort to take the three seats up for grabs in the 2002 election, Mr. Sanford deliberately disappeared from public notice and launched a campaign to accumulate evidence to support and expose the fraud and those responsible.
After approximately 14 months of silent, daily work, Mr. Sanford contacted the Justice Department and asked them to investigate the Agencies and certain individuals under federal R.I.C.O. statutes.
Sanford eventually proffered more than 4000 pages of evidence and support documents and was placed in contact with the FBI in Santa Maria. A meeting was set up that included Lisa Shicker, another LOTTF member, and Gail McPherson. It lasted approximately 3 1/2 hours with the FBI promising to investigate.
The enthusiasm and hope that was ignited at that meeting soon became an ember when the FBI backed away from investigating a number of federal statutes that had been admittedly violated in favor of evidence of political corruption.
As an example of what just one person can accomplish, it was Mr. Sanford who single-handedly discouraged 37 out of 40 contractors to bid on the fraudulent project. Prior to the bidding ceremony planned by the LCOSD, Mr. Sanford sent a series of two or three faxes to all prospective bidders.
In these faxes he enlightened them about the potential legal, actions and the recall that, if successful, would end the project and leave any of the successful bidders holding the financial bag.
Through his efforts, 37 of the 40 contractors elected to not bid the project. The LOCSD retaliated by filing a civil action against Sanford claiming that he had interfered with public business. The suit was thrown out.
The only other public appearance by Sanford was involvement in the 2005 recall effort. He was kept behind the scenes and away from public comment by McPherson. It was later realized that McPherson was afraid of Sanford and the negative influence he might eventually have regarding her personal efforts.
After that, Sanford quietly retired to devote most of his time taking care of his mother. However, Sanford did provide The Sentinel access to his storehouse of documents from which many of the documents of evidence in this publication have been culled.
Even though Sanford is now living outside the Prohibition Zone, he has made a generous “investment” in more than one ticket to board the Los Osos R.I.C.O. Civil Action Express and for that we are grateful.
RON CRAWFORD
Ron Crawford is an investigative reporter who has been turning out a blog (www.sewerwatch.blogspot.com) since the early 2000s, informing the public of the corruption surrounding the sewer. He has exposed a number of the terrorists and made available documented information that prove the fraud and intent of the terrorists.
Mr. Crawford is not a resident of Los Osos yet, like Dr. John Alexander and some others, continues to do what he can to expose fraud, those who commit it and champion truth, justice and freedom.
The community owes Mr. Crawford gratitude and kudos for his ongoing efforts. The Sentinel wants to especially congratulate him on his continued exposing of the Queen of Greed, Pandora Nash-Karner, and her willing band of terrorist enablers.
TOBEY SACKER
Tobey Sacker retired to Los Osos from the New York advertising world in the late 1980s. From what The Sentinel has learned, he became involved in the fight against the sewer fraud in the early 1990s and was one of the founders of a grassroots organization known as CAWS.
CAWS was a group of people who first spoke out against the project and was reinforced by accurate science. It was CAWS who was responsible for bringing Jim Kreissel and two of his scientist associates from the USEPA to investigate the Los Osos basin.
Kreissel and his team tested selected areas of the basin and determined that a central sewer was not only inappropriate but too costly and useless. Mr. Kreissel recommended a complete scientific basin exploration to determine where cluster plants might be needed (if at all) and a septic tank maintenance program in place that would allow healthy on-site systems to properly and safely continue to dispose of waste water.
After attempting to seek justice in the local courts and other set backs, CAWS dissolved but its members did not fade away. In early 2001, Mr. Sacker collaborated with Budd Sanford in the efforts to recall all five LOCSD Directors.
Apparently, after Tacker sabotaged the recall, Sacker continued to work for her election which failed miserably. After Tacker was soundly defeated by Richard LeGros, Sacker slipped back to obscurity and passed away in 2006 or 2007.
He devoted many years to exposing the fraud and those responsible. A successful R.I.C.O. Civil Action would also be a tribute to his memory and to the memory of others like Dr. Rehur who remained committed to the fight for freedom to the end.
CHRIS ALLEBEAt one of Supervisor Bruce Gibson’s office hours last year, I saw Christopher Allebe take a seat in the back of the room. He leaned his chair back against the wall while Richard Margetson chided Gibson on his rebuke of Los Osos public comment. After Margetson finished speaking, Allebe took a long sigh, looked in Gibson’s eyes and said to him tersely, “You know, I don’t appreciate our rights being taken away, Mr. Gibson. You don’t want to listen to us, do ya? That’s not right.” When Allebe said that to Gibson, I thought about John Wayne when he said, “A man ought to do what he thinks is right” (Hondo, 1953). Like Wayne, Allebe had a unique, “no-holds-barred” western swagger that left his political adversaries shaken -- but those who knew him best recognized him for his gentle soul and his unwavering sense of justice. In response to Allebe, Gibson looked around sheepishly before rolling his eyes. Gibson grimaced and uttered, “I’m not going to comment on that.” And Gibson backed down. Before and after that exchange, every Tuesday afternoon, Chris Allebe would stand at the podium at every Board of Supervisors meeting as “CDO #1019″ even though the supervisors showed no intention of listening to his plight nor the plight of many homeowners in the Prohibition Zone who have come and gone — and will have to go because of the expense of the sewer. After Dr. Thomas Ruehr passed away, Allebe took the responsibility of delivering Ruehr’s EIR comments to the board. Both Ruehr and Allebe — who remained defiant against common foes until the very end — recognized that a great injustice was being forced onto the community of Los Osos. Though both men were labeled as “no-sewer advocates” by gravity collection aficionados, they were committed to the design and construction of a wastewater treatment system for their community, but they did not support systems that were inherently, fatally flawed. Given the fact that the County dismissed STEP/STEG as a feasible alternative for consideration in April 2009, Allebe was not pleased with the uncertainty of the wastewater project in its current incarnation. At BOS public comment, he told the Supervisors, “We can’t say what’s going to happen until we spend $200 million on a project. The County doesn’t seem to have an answer to that except, ‘Well, we’ll find out after we build the project whether it’s successful or not’… You don’t spend $200 million on a maybe. Eventually, unless we grow fins and tails, we’ll be getting our water down at Trader Joe’s and taking sponge baths for the rest of our lives.” Allebe was one of 45 homeowners targeted by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (CCRWQCB). Allebe knew he wasn’t a “Discharger.” He also knew that his friends, neighbors and the other CDO recipients were being unfairly intimidated and prosecuted without proof. On March 7, 2007, Allebe told the New Times, “The state really hates this community [...] They just can’t believe this little podunk town would stand up to them.” And they did. On the October 4, 2006 Deposition of Roger Briggs, Allebe challenged Briggs and the water board’s stance on affordability. Said Allebe: “I haven’t heard affordability ever discussed [by the water board] concerning the project [...] That’s been the problem, as you call it, for the last 22 years is basically affordability. And the citizens have been filing lawsuits to keep themselves from paying these horrendous costs.” Briggs responded that the issue of affordability was discussed in a variety of ways at several public meetings and forums, but he would not elaborate any further. Allebe revisited the topic a year later when I spoke to him at a Los Osos Community Services District (LOCSD meeting). I remember him saying to me, “I’m not going to let them ram an expensive sludge factory down our throats and I’m not going to let them tax me out of my home. I won’t let them lay a hand on me.” Allebe’s tone of strong resilience was similar to that of John Wayne when he said, “I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people and I expect the same from them” (The Shootist, 1976). We need to acknowledge the sacrifices that Christopher Allebe has made for the community that he loved and deeply cared about. Not only will he always be in our hearts and minds — he will exist in everything that we do for the betterment of Los Osos. Chris has inspired us with his courage. He taught us to dedicate our lives to defying darkness with unrelenting, heartfelt altruism. He showed that it can all be done with a smile, a pat on the shoulder and a great sense of humor. And just for the record, Chris. You were right about everything. You always were … and always will be. Reprinted courtesy of The Razor/THE ROCK CONCLUSION
As we stated in the beginning, there are many heroes who have given their time, money and efforts to help win the war against local terrorism and a victory for freedom.
The Sentinel hopes the community will respond to the request to supply more names so that they too can be recognized.
Remember, a hero is “A prominent or central personage taking an admirable part in a remarkable action or event: …a person regarded as a model of noble qualities…”
The terrorists will only be defeated and the community saved if the residents become heroes by their participation the Los Osos R.I.C.O. Civil Action. All those who now stand together and help make the Los Osos R.I.C.O. Civil Action a reality are heroes.
You will know that your investment in a ticket for the Los Osos R.I.C.O. Civil Action Express struck a blow that helped defeat the terrorists and made the difference in the preservation of Freedom.
You can do something to help right now by investing in the Los Osos R.I.C.O. Civil Action. Click Here for Details.
You will know then that you are a real hero too. "GOOD PEOPLE DON’T LET BAD THINGS HAPPEN"
|
