EDUCATED GUESS: With millions in high-tech equipment...

EDUCATED GUESS: With millions in high-tech equipment to forecast the rains, the National Weather Service in Oxnard still gets a lot of its information the old-fashioned way: word of mouth. . . . “Weather spotters” throughout the county call in with tips--from overflowing creeks to flooded streets. “I happen to own a weather station, so I can check all the conditions myself,” says William Edler, 57, a Thousand Oaks spotter. Forecasters also boast that a new radar tower has put them ahead of this season’s rains (B1).

DROP IN DEFAULTS: Consider it an omen of prosperity: Fewer homeowners defaulted on their loans last year. That signals an end to the spiraling cycle of foreclosures pulling down prices in past years, analysts say (Valley Business, Page 18). . . . In Ventura County, the decrease was particularly pronounced, with foreclosures down almost 18%, compared with 7% in Los Angeles County. Still, 2,549 Ventura County homeowners were served default notices in 1994.

SCHOOL AT WORK: It began with a purely selfish goal: finding a way to keep his children interested in school and close to his Moorpark plant. But the school that George Tash started near the assembly line in his G. T. Water Products building has turned into a key benefit for his employees (B4). . . . And it has won him national accolades. Last fall, he and son Adam, 15, sat at a dinner table with filmmaker George Lucas, both honored for their efforts to make life a little easier for working women.

REMAKING HISTORY: Amid the rubble of the Northridge earthquake lay the ruins of many historic buildings: Fillmore’s Towne Theatre, Piru’s classic downtown and private homes across Ventura and Los Angeles counties. . . . Monday, the federal government announced $5 million more in disaster aid for historic sites. “We’re thrilled,” says Liz Westerfield, who runs the program. “We’re able to meet the needs of people who already applied.” Fillmore has secured $440,741 and Piru $380,000 to rebuild their historic treasures.