OjaiNews.com

Scroll down for recently posted news and happenings throughout the Ojai Valley and surrounding areas!

The County of Ventura Fire Department's Public Information Office tells me that the BRUSH FIRE at Barnett and Cameron in the City of Ventura is receiving a full brushfire response including bulldozers and air support, and that units from the City and County of Ventura are responding. No units from Ojai have been called into service yet.

As the major annual fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Ojai West, empowering them to donate over $20,000 annually to our community and charities around our nation and world, the Ojai Wine Festival is quite an event. This year was the Festival's 21st year, featuring at least 38 wineries...ALL from California and MANY very local (there are microbreweries too!)

My wife and i first attended in 2005, to celebrate our near-to-the-date first wedding anniversary. We brought friends, cheese, and crackers...and made a tradition. This year was our first with our daughter, who will turn one in August. There weren't any 2007 wines out yet for us to buy and put away for her, but when they're ready the Wine Festival is where and when we'll select one. In the four years that i've attended, the weather has been gorgeous (i know, it's Ojai in June next to the lake, but still...), the event has been affordable and superbly staffed, the crowd has been huge and very alive, the vendors have been plentiful and varied, the pourers have been generous and delightfully friendly, and the live music has been grand.

My only gripe this year is that rather than having Tom Thumb and the Hitchikers play the entire event, a new act was added that left me less than thrilled: Sgt. Pepper, a four piece tribute band that does mostly Beatles tunes...and only sort-of well, in my opinion. Now, i know it takes a lot to perform musically, and certainly there were plenty of folks willing to let the wine lead them writhing to the dance floor, but i thought the vocal harmonies and the overall playing could have been a little tighter...i've seen live bands communicate nonverbally and just "click" much better. But hey...for great wine, a free trolley ride to and from, a free boat ride, Los Caporales, and Sea Fresh, i'm not gonna let a band with rough edges get me down.

And now, exclusive video of our FAVORITE Wine Fest dancer (in the red shirt and black pants) setting the dance floor ablaze to the tunes of Sgt. Pepper:

Schedule of events for Monday May 26, 2008:

• PANCAKE BREAKFAST: 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
American Legion Post #686, 475 Old Ventura Ave in Oak View

• OAK VIEW PARADE: 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM
The 2008 parade theme: “We Never Forget”

• MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE/PROGRAM: 12 NOON - 2:30 PM
Ojai Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #11464, Libbey Bowl/Park
The United State Air Force Band from Vandenberg Air Force Base will be performing. There will also be Army memorabilia and vehicles, Wall of Remembrance, Patriotic Singers: Richard Lyons & Ellen Johnson, and Veteran Speakers. It is being sponsored by Rabobank, The Ojai Lions Club, Ojai American Legion, The United States Army, Rotary Club of Ojai-West, and the Ojai American Legion Women's Auxiliary.

***

Memorial Day Prayer
by Reverend Barbara Pescan

Spirit of Life
whom we have called by many names
in thanksgiving and in anguish—
Bless the poets and those who mourn
Send peace for the soldiers who did not make the wars
but whose lives were consumed by them

Give us courage to answer the cry of humanity’s pain
And with our bare hands, out of full hearts,
with all our intelligence
let us create the peace.

There is life after taxes (even though said taxes are funding the estimated $3 trillion war bill and and annual $54 billion in nuclear weapons, which are all about Death), and in the Valley of Plenty, there's lots of living to be done:

Tomorrow (Friday April 18th, 2008) sees parents socializing about their joys and challenges and Besant Hill School students performing Broadway's 27th longest running musical. The long-fenced Wetlands Project between Nordhoff High and Meiners Oaks is newly restored and open once again to the public, and a rally and fundraising kickoff to Save Ojai Schools (from State budget cuts) will be held on Sunday April 20th at OUSD Headquarters. An ongoing art exhibit titled "A Sense of Place" will feature the paintings of local artist Tegan Hope at Busy Babes hair salon until May 31st, and the Ojai City Council will meet on Tuesday the 22nd at 7:30pm. That same evening, co-founder of afterdowningstreet.org, David Swanson, will be speaking at the Ojai Retreat on strategies for saving our Constitution, Economy and Environment.

Just around the corner, the Ojai Storytelling Festival will open May 1st in Libbey Bowl, and an organizational meeting for Ojai's new locavore group is slated for May 10th (sign up here).

Click on over to the Ojai Post for current discussions of global warming, downed power lines, ending the war, illegal immigration, 9/11, childbirth, and more!

Something to say?
The Editor's Journal is cross-posted at the Ojai Post, where you can make comments and generate dialogue!

This is a notice and reminder that the regularly scheduled Ojai City Council meeting of Tuesday April 8th has been cancelled. The next council meeting will be on Tuesday April 22nd at 7:30pm at City Hall.

I think these two items are worth passing on, from the City of Ojai's website:

Vehicle and pedestrian-vehicle accidents have captured local news as Ojai counted its fifth since New Year’s Eve on Wednesday evening.

Many accidents involve a single second of inattention or distraction, a moment when one takes for granted, “There is nothing coming.” We aren’t really looking to see what we might. We are trying to verify what we already know: the coast is clear.

The Ojai Police wants to remind everyone who drives to be careful, give your full attention to the job, and expect the unexpected. The safest driver is one who gives a little more room, slows down a bit, and looks both directions—really looks.

Please drive attentively and give yourself plenty of time for your travels. To cross the street use crosswalks or intersections. Be alert. Be alive tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The popular sculpture Early Bird Shopper (appears just above this message in the City's website banner, top right corner) was stolen from its perch in the Arcade Plaza. If you have any knowledge about the disappearance of this lovely piece by Sylvia Raz, please contact the Ojai Police at 646-1414.

Something to say?
The Editor's Journal is cross-posted at the Ojai Post, where you can make comments and generate dialogue!

The rain continues steadily, with a forecast for continued sky-water through Saturday night (AccuWeather) or Monday (Weather Channel). Our local Police and Highway Patrol are reporting no road closures or major accidents, but there are many flooded areas which are mostly marked with cones and/or signs. As always in the rain, simply be cautious and aware, reduce your speed, and increase your stopping distance.

The second half of this week is all about Energy, Nature, and Music: the Green Coalition's Energy Committee meets Thursday night at 7pm and the Land Conservancy hosts a nature hike on Saturday (i could not reach them for rain alternatives). Saturday the 26th at 7:30pm, you have your choice of either the "We Are All Related" concert at EarthPlay EcoStore or the Matilija Auditorium's featured Bearfoot Bluegrass.

The Ojai Post explores cell phone recycling and local transportation issues, while the OVN Blog covers local oil spills and a woman struck by a police car. If you're a Raptor Center groupie, the VC Star says you can see the birds on February 15 for a special free show with refreshments.

Meanwhile, the Thrifty Gas station in Oak View is selling 87 Octane today for $3.01/gal while Ojai's Chevron and Union 76 continue their bid for "Most Expensive Gasoline" at $3.29/gal.

Something to say?
The Editor's Journal is cross-posted at the Ojai Post, where you can make comments and generate dialogue!

Happening in the Valley today and into the weekend: "Bringing Up Baby" at the Nan Tolbert Nurturing Center in Oak View begins today (which i can personally vouch for as an excellent parenting/partnering/caregiving experience with real benefit to our community and planet), followed by music, cooking, peace, and theater tomorrow. Saturday sees the 22nd Annual Peddler's Fair, free chiropractic, and tequila tasting. Sunday is all about more eating, more drinking...and supporting Democratic presidential candidate and Ojai visitor Dennis Kucinich.

The Ojai Arts Commission meets tonight, and the City is looking for new Commissioners for the Arts, Historic Preservation, and Parks and Recreation Commissions. "All that's required," says City Clerk Carlon Strobel, "is that you are interested in taking an active role regarding specific issues in our community." You can download an application here, or visit the City website for other contact methods.

The Ojai Post pays a few tributes and takes on global warming (yet again), while the OVN blog reports a possible State housing plan rejection, naming of this year's Independence Day Parade Grand Marshall, and a glimmer of hope for restoring Ojai's famed (and long abandoned) bowling alley (property owner Gail Bazzano says “We’re tossing around the idea to see how much interest people in Ojai would have. Before putting four to five million dollars into something, we would want to know if people are really going to use it." Would you use it? Tell us!) Ventura County Star coverage is all blood, injury, crash, and burn.

Presidential Primaries are February 5th in California, which means we've all got until January 22nd to be registered to vote. It's never been easier to register, change Parties, update address info, etc. Visit our OjaiNews registration page to fill out the simple form, then print and mail it before next Tuesday!

Something to say?
The Editor's Journal is cross-posted at the Ojai Post, where you can make comments and generate dialogue!

Whether you're celebrating Hanukkah, Eid Al-Adha, Chalica, Yule, Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, something else, or nothing at all...this is an energy-filled time of year!

Ojai's got a "new" mayor (it's not Joe DeVito), holiday songs are filling the air, the water rate hike has been approved, and the Y's "Peace On Earth" sign and holiday tree are lit along with dozens of homes throughout the valley.

Meanwhile, the Ojai Post contemplates everything from democracy to housing, water power to Palestine, sustainability to life and death. The OVN blog takes on Santa requests, dying traditions, rats, and the loss of an outstanding educator. All this and more in Sleepy Valley, U.S.A.!

Merry Everything!

Something to say?
The Editor's Journal is cross-posted at the Ojai Post, where you can make comments and generate dialogue!

The fence is down around the soon-to-open E' Bello structure in downtown Ojai, joining an ancient oak and state-wide housing sales in things that are seeking lower ground. Meanwhile, things on the rise include the new Arcade Plaza sculpture, Ojai home sales, and the sun!

On Capitol Hill, recent Ojai visitor Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio shook up the House of Representatives this past Tuesday by bringing forward a resolution calling for the impeachment of Vice President Richard Cheney for high crimes and misdemeanors. After some tactical voting by House Republicans, the resolution now sits in the Democrat-controlled but impeachment-uninterested House Judiciary Committee. Our representative, Elton Gallegly, sits on said committee...if you want impeachment, call him: 1-202-225-5811

Closer to home, the Buddhist association Soka Gakkai International - a grassroots movement promoting a Cultural, Educational, and Humanistic Network pursuing nonviolence & dialogue - will host a food, music, and panel discussion event entitled "Creating a Culture of Peace" this coming Sunday November 11th from 1-3pm at the Ojai Retreat (160 Besant Road, Meiners Oaks). The event is free and open to the public!

Posted by Tyler on October 26, 11:40am: From the USFS: Since the winds have calmed, significant progress has been made in containing the 58,396 acre Ranch Fire. It is now considered 87% contained and fire managers are planning for full containment on Tuesday, October 30. The estimated control date has been extended by 5 days to allow for mopping up in inaccessible areas of low threat. If everything goes according to plan, the Ranch Fire should be fully controlled on November 5.

According to County Supervisor Steve Bennett at yesterday afternoon's third and final Ojai Valley-Wide Discussion, we will very soon be validated by the L.A. Times when Ventura County is listed as among the best in the nation in terms of fire response. That's due in large measure to the consolidation by Chief Roper of our dispatch system, which stands in contrast to San Diego County's 20-some different dispatching stations.

What i find amazing about disaster coverage lately is how the Citizen-fueled, grassroots aspect is both a) so powerful on its own, and b) so well-integrated into the official public safety systems. People everywhere are posting updates using all kinds of web tools, such as this one on Twitter, which is billed as a cutesy teen-targeted social site. i'm glad that someone's finding something useful to do with it.

Information links:

Inciweb

Ventura County Fire Department

KVTA AM 1520

Weather Underground

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Google Map of San Diego area fires

a non-interactive map of fire progress

A Google Map showing the locations of the many fires currently burning in Southern California, with stats and updated info for each:

View Larger Map

OjaiNews.com is in fire coverage mode!
Much reporting and link-posting is happening over on the Ojai Post, and i'll be cross-posting the best stuff and a set of resource links here in this space.

Read on for links.

Someone from the crowd yelled out a birthday greeting to Jackson Browne shortly after his first song ended on Sunday afternoon, to which he responded "Today I am 58....and tomorrow I'm 59!"

Ojai then sang "Happy Birthday" to the activist performer, who was in Libbey Bowl as the headliner of a benefit concert for the Ojai Raptor Center. The day was perfect even by Ojai Valley standards, which included a healthy dose of magic.

Just several minutes before 1pm (showtime), there was still a healthy - and growing! - line to enter the Bowl, as well as lines for tshirts, concessions, and information about the Raptor Center's programs and resident birds. Inside, the Bowl was elbow-to-elbow full and the lawn was getting there.

From the stage we were greeted warmly and introduced to about a dozen of the Raptor Center's resident birds of prey. Up close, i could tell that a couple of them had eye problems and one was even missing an entire wing. The others - whole, beautiful, powerful - gave no outward indication of what care they were needing. The Center's mission, we were told, is the rehabilitation and release of orphaned and injured birds. Metaphors abound. [To get on the ORC's mailing list for news, volunteer opportunities, and event schedules, click HERE.]

The Household Gods graced the stage first, putting me that much closer to losing count of the number of times i've seen and heard them perform. Their opening set was short but energetic and included songs both ancient and old, with plenty of the playful stage banter between J.B. White and Jim Lashly that is a hallmark of their shows. They sealed my fan-hood yet again with their hauntingly beautiful rendition of Brian Wilson's "God Only Knows" and their better-than-the-original version of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'". For extra magic points, they invited local goddess Perla Batalla (of recent Locally Grown 2 fame) out for a gorgeously heartfelt closer (bird-themed, as i recall, but not in a corny or cheesy way), for which she and they received a standing ovation. Hearing her made me so proud to be honoring her with the Earth Charter and the Arts award this coming weekend at Ventura College.

About 25 minutes later and with no ado whatsoever, Jackson Browne simply walked on stage in a tshirt, jeans, and the same haircut he's had for 30 years. He looked great. With a row of acoustic guitars behind him (One for each song, i had joked earlier with an ORC volunteer), he simply sat and played and sang with a voice as fresh and clear at 59 as it was the first time he set foot in a recording booth.

For the next hour and a half, we were treated to a meandering and thoroughly enjoyable collection of songs ("I've never performed with a set list", Jackson confided in us), given fresh voices by the two young women who joined him on stage. Of note to me were the stinging "Lives in the Balance" (written during Reagan but just as poignant now), followed smartly by the Steven Van Zandt-penned "I Am a Patriot". At the end of the day, though, it's Jackson's first single that continues to ring in my mind.

"Doctor my eyyyyyyes!
Tell me what is wrong,
Was I unwiiiiiiiise to leave them open for so long?..."

We cheered him out for an encore that included a cute and clever song "about people who don't know about Ojai, and who you don't WANT to know about Ojai": the good folks of Culver City. Before we left, i got one more story:

In 1986, a very famous Jackson Browne was performing in Iowa City or some such place when a few dirty hippies with backstage passes invited him to come out and see their little camp an hour or more away. He hesitated because the band was due in Chicago the next day, but said he'd talk to the bus driver and see if they could arrange a stop. Back in camp, nobody but the nightwatchers were up to see three huge buses rumble up the road at about midnight, but the word was quickly spread about their special visitor. Jackson came out alone, hoarse from the night's concert, and sang for about an hour and a half around a campfire for a couple hundred peaceniks.
The camp was the Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament, a close-knit family of activists who still have reunions to this day. There are several Marchers living in this valley, including the one principally responsible for Jackson's roadside concert. If she wants to, she can correct and expound upon the second-hand, twenty-one-year-old tale above.

Meanwhile, Jackson's off to co-host a Pray for Peace concert and prayer ceremony at the National Cathedral in Washington DC to coincide with the Dalai Lama's visit to receive the Congressional Gold Medal for "his enduring and outstanding contributions to peace, non-violence, human rights and religious understanding". The event is a call to the religious community to advocate for an end to violence and to denounce the "most 'un-religious' of actions": killing in the name of God.

Rock on, and Peace out.

[continue for photos]

...are not a new kind of underwear.

• Tomorrow (Oct 4) could be a busy day for the new parent with a love for the environment, pets, and jewelry: Hit up the first of six weekly baby-nurturing gatherings at the newly-opened Nan Tolbert Nurture Center from 11am-12:30, then pop over to Gem Quest Jewelers for their liquidation sale until 4pm, followed by a Blessing of the Animals at St. Thomas Aquinas from 4-6pm. Cap the evening off with a Green Coalition Waste Management Committee Meeting at 7pm!

• A little time on the Ojai Post will currently yield such diverse topics as wars past and present; DNA, LSD, and Ojai; gorgeous photos from Tyler's recent trip to Alaska; and President Bush's veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program in celebration of Child Health Day.

• The "misguided actions of this well-meaning teacher [...] followed up by the misguided actions of well-meaning parents" lands the Ojai Unified School District in court over a book.

• Meanwhile, the Ojai Film Festival begins with a FREE outdoor screening of "In the Shadow of the Moon" with "Origins" & "Bliss" at 7:30pm in Libbey Bowl.

• "Jail to jewel" conversion of former Honor Farm to new HELP of Ojai West Campus becomes more real every day as the growing site begins to house nonprofits.

Something to say?
The Editor's Journal is cross-posted at the Ojai Post, where you can make comments and generate dialogue!

Or: As Ojai Goes, So Goes The World

The Ojai Valley News reports that a potentially gang-related vandalism and assault incident took place on Tuesday on Santa Ana Road in Oak View, resulting in one arrest.

This comes on the heels of the Ojai Valley community's first major International Peace Day celebration, convened by the Retreats of Ojai, the Ojai Peace Coalition, and the Ojai Interfaith Alliance and titled "Living Peace in Ojai". The weekend-long event included the awarding of the first-ever Noble Peace Prize to local activists Clive and Marion Leeman, performance of the nation-traveling play "The Gift of Peace" which explores and urges support for the creation of a U.S. Department of Peace, and a well-attended and inspirational interspiritual gathering.

The Peace Alliance's campaign to establish a Cabinet-level Department of Peace - which holds "Effectively treat and dismantle gang psychology" as one of its foundational efforts - is led by Ohio Congressman and Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, who was in Ojai over the weekend for two appearances. At the Ojai Retreat on Sunday afternoon, Dennis outlined his philosophy of "Strength Through Peace" to over 100 local supporters. Later that evening at the Glen Muse estate on Libbey Ave, a more informal gathering left many feeling uplifted and hopeful for the Kucinich's new post-election home.

The White House will soon see a $23 billion package that contains a nation's-worth of water- and flood-control projects, one of which is the $144.5 million removal of the Matilija Dam. President Bush has threatened to veto the bill because it's expensive. Meanwhile, war costs us $259 million every day.

War is the subject, or at least a main character, in no less than four (and as many as six) of the over 50 feature films, shorts, and videos in this year's Ojai Film Festival, which runs from October 4th through 7th with screenings at Libbey Bowl, the Ojai Arts Center, Matilija Junior High School, and the Ojai Playhouse. Brief descriptions of the films are HERE, and the schedule is HERE.

Something to say?
The Editor's Journal is cross-posted at the Ojai Post, where you can make comments and generate dialogue!

The heat is off, and the sixth anniversary of 9/11 has just passed. Today's common thread: Diversity.
Take a look at the variety of things going on in our Valley lately!:

• Wilma Melville, founder of locally-headquartered National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, receives a $100,000 Purpose Prize for her efforts to help the two- and four-legged, which will be used to build a centralized local training center.
See and hear her story here.

• The Ojai Valley Green Coalition drew over 125 people to its most recent meeting, the purpose of which was to organize volunteers into action committees for food and agriculture; alternative energy; building and construction; environmental health; waste management; transportation; and water and land use. Per the OVN, the remaining committee meetings are as follows:
- Food and Agriculture Committee will meet Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. at the old Honor Farm, a.k.a. new Help of Ojai West Campus on Baldwin Road.
- Energy Conservation Committee will meet Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at a location to be announced.

• Affordable housing issues return to City Council chambers, where over the years project after project has run up against some type of trouble or another. Currently awaiting a home: the $500,000 that the City set aside in 2002 to aid the Area Housing Authority in purchasing a then-$600,000 lot, a transaction which ultimately failed.

• The office of County Supervisor Steve Bennet and Ojai Rotary have arranged a special Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) to be held on the next three Saturdays - September 15, 22, and 29 - from 10am-noon and 1:30-3:30pm in Room 3 of the Oak View Park and Resource Center. There are only a few openings left in these classes, so if you're interested contact Cindy Cantle in Supervisor Bennett's office at 654-2703 or cindy.cantle@ventura.org by 5pm on Friday September 14th!

• The Upper Ojai Search and Rescue Fundraiser will be on Sunday September 23 from 4-7pm at Boccali's Restaurant, with dinner, live music, raffle, and silent auction! Cost is $30, and funds will go toward the following equipment needed to serve our community:
2 - Kokatat SAR Gore Tex Dry Suites ($3,000-3,500)
10 - GPS mics for our HT1250 Radios $(400 each)
8 - Tracker DTS™ is the world's first digital avalanche beacon ($800-1,000)
1 - Motorola Vehicle Repeater GR1250 ($2,000-3,000)
30 - Brush Jackets for Wildfire residential evacs ($4,000)
30 - Smoke masks (carbon X) ($2,000)
1 - 4x4 quads with winch ($8,500)
1 - titanium stokes litter ($1500 each)
4 - GPS Garmin Etrex Summit units ($300 each)
4 - hand held portable radios, Motorola HT1250 (~$800 each)
8 - extra radio batteries Motorola HT1250, HT1000, MT1000 and Kenwood TK-270 (~$80 each)
1 - Honda 4,500-5,500 Watt portable generator ($1,500-2,000)
For more information call 987-8197

• The Ojai Valley Birth Resource and Family Support will hold the grand opening of the new Nan Tolbert Nurturing Center on September 29 from 11:30am to 2:30pm at the Oak View Park and Resource Center, 555 Mahoney Avenue in Oak View. The celebration will include live music, children's plays, and great summery goodies to eat, along with a guided tour of the new infant-toddler space. Many in our community will remember that Nan was a wonderfully gentle and nurturing spirit who died a few years ago from brain cancer.

• In celebration of the United Nations' International Peace Day, the Ojai Valley community celebrates "Living Peace in Ojai" from Friday September 21 to Sunday the 23rd. The suite of events is intended to "explore and exemplify how we can activate and express Living Peace in ourselves and in our beautiful community every day, to help heal our fragile world." Visit the website for a full schedule of events, as well as contact info for volunteers!

• And finally: PIIIIIRATES! They descend upon Lake Casitas once again, on the weekends of September 22-23 and 29-30 from 10am to 6pm each day. The Gold Coast Pirate Faire, touted as the "World's Largest Gathering of Pirates", will feature a recreated 15th to 17th century pirate village complete with three stages of continuous entertainment, an outdoor market, and themed food and drinks, with plenty of activities for kids. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 62 and older, $7 for children under 12, and free for children under 5; pARRRking is $5.

This Editor's Journal has been brought to you by today's word: Diversity!

Something to say?
The Editor's Journal is cross-posted at the Ojai Post, where you can make comments and generate dialogue!

A Report from Tonight's City Council Meeting

The Ojai City Council met tonight per their regular schedule (second and fourth Tuesdays of every month, at City Hall), and i arrived just a few minutes before the published start time of 7:30pm -- just enough time to fill out my speaker card and find my seat.

After most in the room pledged their allegiance under god, the first order of business was Public Communications. i rose to ask the Council to issue a proclamation for the City's recognition of and support for the International Peace Day on September 21 and the local efforts being made to celebrate it. Council agreed to add this as an agenda item to their September 11 meeting. Dennis Leary had submitted the only other card, and used his 3 minutes to submit a Formula Retail Ordinance of his own drafting, using what he considers to be the best of the original City draft, the Planning Commission's recommendations, and the 600+ signature Citizens' Initiative drafted by Kenley Neufeld.

The Consent Calendar (a-h of rather mundane items such as payment of warrants, approval of past meeting minutes, and authorization of projects) was approved in total in one motion, and we leapt right into the Public Hearing on the Ordinance for Formula Retail Businesses which had been held over from the Council's August 14 meeting. Since that time the Planning Commission, in a meeting still celebrated for its integrity and length (just over three hours), rejected the City staff's proposed ordinance, which prominently features the controversial Historical Commercial District.
(Get caught up on the whole issue - complete with maps - at the Ojai Post's Chain Stores Resource Page)

i'm certain that someone more well-versed on this issue and with more logged Council Chambers time than myself will flesh out the subtleties and projected outcomes of the hearing (i'd keep an eye on the OVN blog and the Ojai Post), but here are the main points as i saw and heard them (not necessarily in chronological order):

About this time last year, Jessie and i were grumbling all the way to Vegas. We were on our way to celebrate the combined birthdays of some dear friends with some college-style shenanigans, drinking, costumed theme nights, and general foolishness in a neon-lit adult playground in the desert, but we were ALSO missing Jack Johnson playing literally down the street from our home at Locally Grown 1. So this year, with the bill of Perla Batalla and Brett Dennen to lure us, we had our brown paper tickets nice and early. Vegas can wait (and it helps to have a newborn).

We arrived just in time to hear MC Claud Mann welcoming everyone, and Battle-of-the-Bands fourth place winners The Imaginative Clams took the stage as we found a good spot to sit in the elite (as designated by the colored bracelets and plastic chains) "Front Lawn" section. i gazed sadly backward at the row of faces that made up the front of the "Back Lawn" section with the Five Man Electrical Band's "Signs" playing in my head over whatever Avant Garage or The Philosophy were sharing from the stage. And then it happened: Emy Reynolds began to play.

Although our air quality rests today at a cool 64 in the particulates department, registering a "Moderate" rating from airnow.gov, the Zaca Fire continues at our back door, having burned over 215,000 acres (nearly 1,000 of them in the last 12 hours alone) with over 3,000 firefighters working on it and at a price tag of over $87 Million. All that, and it's 77% contained.

There are many sources for updated fire info, including the free-standing kiosks that the County Fire Department has set up throughout the valley, mostly at grocery stores and gas stations. Online, your best bet is the Ojai Post's Zaca Fire Information & Resource Page, which features websites and phone numbers of all the relevant organizations, including the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, National Forest information center, road conditions, weather, media, and evacuation information.

Also, check out the Ojai Post main page for daily updates and community-driven breaking news and information! Check out this morning's thread for the most current info and comments as of this writing.

In the "The Story Everyone Knows About But Nobody Knows" Department, the Ojai Valley News is reporting that Victor Keith Stolz, 46, was found dead last Thursday the 16th in front of Ojai's public library. An autopsy has been performed, but the cause of death is being withheld pending further investigation. A commenter on the Ojai Post suggested that the man was beaten to death, but that is unconfirmed.

Something to say?
The Editor's Journal is cross-posted at the Ojai Post, where you can make comments and generate dialogue!

Lots of people travel out of the Ojai Valley on business or pleasure, and we sometimes are the beneficiaries of the insights that they gain upon their returns. Since i live, work, and - to a large extent - shop here, i seldom need to leave the nest, and when i do it's not for very long or far. But i've been away from the Goddess Moon for nearly a week as my wife and i gave birth to our beautiful daughter Noa at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, connected to Ojai only by the ash that rained gently down onto both places. We're glad to be home, and i noticed a few things upon our return:

• Someone (presumably the City) painted nearly all our sewer covers white. When i suggested that it might help City workers find them better, Jessie countered that it simply might have helped them find something to do.

• The new development going in at Ojai Avenue between Cañada and Blanche Streets has been named E' Bello, which my state-of-the-art language translating widget says means "Beautiful E'", whatever that means. At any rate, the current list of businesses who've staked out spots in the new building is as follows:
- Jim & Rob's Fresh Grill
- Curves Fitness for Women
- Troop Real Estate
- Tobi Redlich, DC (currently the resident Chiropractor at the Day Spa of Ojai)
- John Maggio, Allstate Insurance (also sits on the Advisory Council of the Ojai Valley FireSafe Council)
- Noah's Apothecary
- Body Essentials
- Ojai Business Center
- Ojai Valley Directory
i'd heard some time ago that Jim & Rob's wanted to move so that Sea Fresh could expand into that adjacent spot, and i spoke with the folks at OBC yesterday who confirmed the move not for a bigger space, but for better location (specifically, according to one young copyist, next door to Jim & Rob's). The phone-answerer at Curves also confirmed a move, not an additional location. Putting all of these diverse services and products into one building sounds convenient, but i'm left wondering if it's very "Ojai", and just what may fill all the vacancies left by the businesses that move there. Check out my map to see where the holes will be. be mindful also that Ojai Creates! is moving into the former location of Cardinali Brothers Music, and the Brothers are moving into the Smart Start building in Meiners Oaks.

• The Zaca Fire continues to rage, although the Valley doesn't appear to be in imminent danger as such. even so, an Ojai Community Meeting will be held this Friday the 10th to discuss the particulars. There's also a kiosk outside Starr Market with maps and in-your-hands info printed on actual paper.

* More after the jump! *

This just in from the City of Ojai: We’ve received word from VC Fire Chief Bob Roper who is closely monitoring the Zaca Fire that a Ojai Community Meeting is being set up for this coming Friday. Currently the fire is in a heavily-vegetated area—where no fire has burned in recorded history—and it is headed our way. There is little concern that it will be a real threat to the Valley, in fact, firefighters say that movement in this direction will make it easier to fight. But we could get even more smoke and ash. (thanks to Paulette Matheson Whiting for the info)

SB County Fire Dept. has good information, including Highway closures, Evacuation warnings and orders, and Health Advisories. Also, a link to a map of the Zaca fire perimeter (PDF).

Inciweb, like the Day Fire most of the time, is down. When its back up, here's the Zaca Fire incident page.

The US Forest Service has some information, including a map of the Los Padres National Forest Zaca Fire closure area (PDF), which dips down to about five miles north of Ojai on Highway 33.

Ojai Versus Big Trucks
Ojai Planners Eye Chain Ordinance
Ojai Residents Speak Out Against Mine Proposal
Ojai Residents Join Nation to Call for Troop Withdrawal and an End to War

The Ojai Valley seems to have its hands full with things to be AGAINST lately, and big things at that. The lineup of Goliaths – Trucks, Chains, Mines, Wars – seems like it’d make any David shake in his boots, but then Ojai’s no David, is SHE?
Ojai the moon – luna, a feminine word and calm energy
and Ojai the nest – motherly, protective imagery

but we’re not all about push-away energy; just look at the things that we’re FOR:

• A complete ordinance that protects the uniqueness and integrity of our City: As the initiative by Ojai City resident Kenley Neufeld has gathered 600 signatures and counting for a strict regulation on formula retail businesses for the entire city, the City comes up with one of their own which protects a tiny strip of the downtown area. The Planning Commission has begun to discuss the matter, with some Commissioners and Citizens urging an overlay of the two plans. Meanwhile, signatures for a City-wide restriction continue to be gathered, and the City Council will likely see this issue in their chambers soon.
• A community of engaged Citizens, and one that values Peace: This past Tuesday, as many as 25 local Citizens gathered at the Y for an hour in a MoveOn.org-sponsored “counter-filibuster”, to bring awareness to the move by Senate Republicans to block a vote on withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in 120 days. Tonight, international interfaith peacemaker Eliyahu McClean was in Ojai share stories of hope and reconciliation from his extensive work in the Middle East. International Peace Day is coming in September, and there are big things in the works locally for the weekend of the 21st...watch for it!
• Conservation of our precious resources: The County declared a drought in May, and although I’ve only seen one recently erected sign proclaiming such, it does ask that we not do any watering outdoors between 12:00 and 5:00pm (another source cites no watering between 9am and 6pm) because during the hottest parts of the day most of the water will just evaporate and not soak into whatever you’re watering.
• Health and safety for the sick among us: Tomorrow (Friday June 20) The Household Gods will put on a benefit concert for Glenn Emmanuel at the Ojai Playhouse at 5:30pm. Glenn has inoperable cancer and no health insurance, and is much loved in our community for his gentle and thoughtful spirit, engaged intellect, and commitment to peace. the concert is free, with donations encouraged toward his medical fund.

...and to think of all the articles i've seen that refer to Ojai as a "sleepy town"!
here
and here
and here
and here
and here...

Something to say?
The Editor's Journal is cross-posted at the Ojai Post, where you can make comments and generate dialogue!

Citing concerns that happiness connotes childhood frivolity, hippy-hood, or troubled teens, the 61-year-old Happy Valley School changed its name to Besant Hill School with the help of student, parent, and faculty feedback which sought to honor founder Annie Besant and move away from recruiting stigmas associated with the "Happy" reference. Head of School Paul Amadio encourages us to pursue happiness, but not actually use the word. These folks are quick: the former hvalley.org now redirects to the new besanthill.org.

Meanwhile, Food For Thought Ojai - our schools' healthy food program - gears up for its Battle of the Bands on August 4 and 5, where the winners will open for Locally Grown 2, the program's main fund- and awareness-raising event. This year local favorites and legends Perla Batalla and Brett Dennen will grace the Libbey Bowl stage, and it'll only cost you $100 to see it up close (and party with 'em afterward).

In other school news, the budget struggles of the the Ojai Unified School District prompted approval of an $111,000 snack bar trailer at Nordhoff Stadium, which will serve the foods banned from the school's cafeteria by the wellness policy. The decision is an admitted contradiction with the policy in general, and especially with the same-night move to add some new items to the nutritional menu. Still no solar panels though.

On the way up: Sanitary District rates, due to “fiscal requirements for operating and maintaining the systems in compliance with the increasingly rigorous environmental regulatory requirements for treating the water discharged into the Ventura River.” We love our Valley, our water, and our planet...for $50.31-a-month (in Ojai City).

According to BreathingEarth.net, in the time it's taken me to write this Journal, worldwide:
14,000 people have been born,
6,100 people have died, and
256,1000 tonnes of CO2 have been emitted.
Not a very sustainable model, thinks i. (Thanks to Heather for the resource!)

Dear neighbors: be happy, be aware, eat well, and tread lightly. In the words of Lesley Littlefield in the song "Oranginess": Blessings for the derrière, for villagers, and windy air.
(courtesy of Radio Ojai)

...and while it's not quite as early as last year (i swear i saw the first chair a full week before the 4th), we all know that it means that our nation's birthday - and the only I-Day parade in our entire county - is just ahead. More signs of summer: the heat, and the related shift of the every-Friday-evening peace vigil to a cooler 6-7pm under the Pergola in front of Libbey Park.

The Stagecoach Station General Store & Hardware in Upper Ojai got ahead of the game by having its "Freedom Celebration" today, which apparently included the freedoms to make, sell, and buy art, to eat tri-tip, and to enjoy a Jolly Jump. That's followed directly by the Farmer and the Cook's "Brand New Opry", which every Sunday features local musicians paired with organic beer and wine from 6-9pm in Meiners Oaks. Both of these events were only slightly upstaged by the dedication yesterday of the Rotary Community Park, which now features a big white flagpole with a big red-white-and-blue flag. That very park also features this stone:

It reminds me of two things: gravel trucks, and SiCKO.

With graduates of Nordhoff and Chaparral barely a week into their summer, there's probably still plenty of celebration going on...even if it takes the form of relaxation and recreation before school starts again for the 95% of Nordhoff graduates who principal Dan Musick says intend to attend college. Between both schools, every student that the VC Star interviewed plans on pursuing their passions and talents, and that means leaving the valley, often for very distant places. For those who stay behind - as well as for the rest of us - our world of opportunities is in the Valley all around us.

Watch this space! The Editor’s Journal is where I’ll be preparing a regular snapshot of our Valley’s news and issues so you can quickly see what’s going on. I am very excited to serve as this project’s first Editor, and to serve you in so doing. I’d like in this very first Editor’s Journal to let you know a little bit about who I am, how I see my role and that of this site, and address some specific groups to whom I feel especially connected.

My name is evan austin, and I live in Ojai City with my wife and soon-to-be-born child. I am 27 years old, and recently graduated from Santa Barbara City College with a degree in Graphic Design. I have lived in this valley for 10 non-consecutive years, and I currently have family in Meiners Oaks and Oak View, as well as friends all over. I am very active politically and culturally in creating a world at peace, most notably in my roles as director of the Ojai Peace Coalition and board member of the Ventura-based group Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions. I also enjoy music of many kinds.

The two-word mantra and goal of ojainews.com is beautiful in its simplicity: TRANSPARENCY and ACCOUNTABILITY. It is my hope that as a visitor to this space you will consistently find the information and tools that you need to be empowered as what I consider the highest role in our democracy: Citizen. I believe that the workings of our government Of, By, and For the People are meant to be in plain view of us all, and if the will of the People is truly at the helm, then holding those who are elected to represent us as accountable agents is both our right and our responsibility.

Welcome to OjaiNews.com, where you can find a snapshot of what's going on in Ojai, in the news, upcoming events, politics, video and more. This site will be growing rapidly, and will work with a number of other media outlets in Ojai and Ventura County to bring you the most up-to-date Ojai news, period. Also check out our document archive on the left, where you can keep up on what's going on in the City of Ojai, in the Valley, Ventura County at large and what your representatives are doing. Start your day at OjaiNews.com!