Ojai Valley News Blog

By Logan Hall

The Ojai Valley Pageant crowned a new Miss Ojai on Saturday night in the Matilija Auditorium. Crystal Zelenka took the honors not only for the title of Miss Ojai, but also Miss Congeniality for her division.  “I’m kind of shocked,” said Zelenka, who was born and raised in Ojai and is now a soldier in the U.S. Marine Corps. “This is a different part of the spectrum for me. I’m used to crawling through the mud and hanging’ with a bunch of marines.”Also taking titles this year were Little Miss Ojai, Elizabeth McCollock; Miss Preteen Ojai, Karley Jones; Miss Teen Ojai, Amanda Rhodes; Mrs. Ojai, Angela Clerou; and  Male Ojai, T.J. Morrison.The pageant was sponsored by the Ojai American Legion Auxilary. The winners in the Ojai Valley Pageant are as follows: Little Miss Ojai, Elizabeth McCollock;Miss Preteen Ojai, Karley Jones; Miss Teen Ojai, Amanda Rhodes; Miss Ojai, Crystal Zelenka; Mrs. Ojai, Angela Clerou; Male Ojai, T.J. Morrison; Little Miss Congeniality, Breanna Nicols; Preteen Congeniality, Lilly Lamon; Teen Congeniality, Amanda Rhodes; Miss Congeniality, Crystal Zelenka; Mrs. Personality, Christa Waydo; Male Personality, T.J. Morrison; Mrs. First Runner-up, Tara Ransom; Most Likely to Succeed, Jarrett Morrison; Most Shy, Gwen Morrison; Most Daring, Jarrett Morrison; Biggest Flirt, Steve Vega; Most Likely to Be Seen on ESPN, T.J. Morrison; Grade Point Average 3.8 and Above, Kaitlin McComas; Community Service, Mahalia Woodall; Best Legs, Joe Thomas. A new award this year for Stud Muffin went to Steve Vega.

Ojai parents, officials gather
for substance abuse discussion

By Logan Hall

The Ojai Valley has seen its share of funerals for the young people of the community. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office statistics show that since the year 2000, there have been 21 drug overdose deaths in the 93023 and 93022 area codes. To try to help combat the never-ending trail of drug abuse that winds through the valley, a town meeting was held Wednesday evening for Ojai’s citizens. More than 70  people attended the public meeting, about 10 appeared to be teenagers, and had the opportunity to obtain information from experts in the field of substance abuse. Led by the Ventura County Alcohol and Drug Program (ADP) as part of the county’s Behavioral Health Program, the meeting’s focus was geared around educating parents about their community, and the severity of drugs in the valley.Two representatives from the ADP, prevention manager Dan Hicks, and clinical administrator Richard LaPerriere, as well as Ojai’s Chief of Police Chris Dunn spoke to attendees about different aspects of substance abuse, and helped make them aware of the resources that are available to help with potential drug issues.The meeting began with Hicks thanking everyone for attending before diving into the topic of substance abuse. “Tonight we will focus on important things that every person should know,” he began. “Research is clear that parents play the critically important role in shaping expectations and supporting young people in an ongoing dialogue about health and safety.”Dunn also believes that parents are integral in keeping their children on the right path. “Parenting is knowing where your kids are and who they are with,” he said.Hicks first brought everyone’s attention to alcohol, minors and the subtle ways that alcoholic beverage producers target young people. Called “alcopops” many of these beverages appear very similar to popular energy drinks that fly off store shelves every day.Hicks believes that this camouflage is a big reason why young people are drawn to drinking. “The average age for a child’s first drink is 13 years old,” he said as he held up two colorful, flashy containers. “Many times it’s a malt beverage like Mike’s Hard Lemonade or Smirnoff Raspberry Burst. It is very difficult for parents to tell the difference between‘alcopops’ and energy drinks.”

Another topic that was high on the county’s list of dangerous substances running rampant through the valley was heroin and the ways that the drug is consumed. “Avenues for ingestion of heroin are extremely dangerous and will lead to overdose,” said Dunn. “My hope is that everyone in this room takes this to heart.”

Maureen Murphy McGrath attended the meeting just one day before the sixth anniversary of the death of her son, Cody Murphy, who according to McGrath, had taken just one methadone pill, which is a synthetic opioid substance, and suffered a blood clot in his heart. “We have seen too many of our children’s funerals,” said McGrath as she searched through her purse, trying to find her son’s obituary that she keeps with her. “Between me and another mom, we’ve collected at least 10 obituaries for kids that have overdosed. Here I am carrying around obituaries instead of baby pictures.”

The final speaker of the night was Richard LaPerriere, M.A., ADP’s clinic administrator. LaPerriere discussed the county’s treatment program for drug abuse, and the hardships that addicts and their families have to endure. “This is a heavy subject and I don’t plan on lightening it,” he began as he described the county’s treatment program. “When your children come to treatment, a whole lot of stuff has gone on. It is never a happy time when they come to us. What surprises me is that you (parents) are surprised when it happens.”

All of the speakers also agreed that marijuana is a serious problem in the valley as well. “A common misconception is that marijuana is innocuous,” said Hicks who then described weed as a gateway drug to other more harmful substances.

“I believe that marijuana is the drug that we see the most involved with our youth,” added Dunn.

All of the speakers stressed the importance of education and the resources in the community that can help people in a time of great need. Hicks referred to the S.A.F.E. Coalition, Help of Ojai and other organizations that can, at the very least, help point people in the right direction. Dunn reminded everyone that the Sheriff’s Department has an open door policy and anyone with concerns is welcome to come to the Ojai substation to speak with department personnel.

Other notable figures in attendance were Nordhoff High School principal Dan Musick, NHS assistant principal Susana Arce, Matilija Junior High School principal Emily Mostovoy, NHS health teacher Todd Dickey, Bruce Gladstone, Ph.D., and Cindy Cantle from County Supervisor Steve Bennett’s office. Bennett could not attend due to traveling conflicts.

“This is an issue that we are all really concerned about,” said Arce. “Trying to find treatment for the kids is very difficult. It’s a serious problem that we have with the state.”

The meeting adjourned after about an hour and a half, although people stayed and chatted long after the last words of the speakers. For more information on the county’s Alcohol and Drug Program, log on to vchca.org/bh/adp.

Citing protection of the public, county wants
dog owners to meet licensing requirements

By Logan Hall

The Ventura County Animal Regulation Department is stepping up a campaign to enforce their dog licensing program. Animal regulation workers are going door to door in the Ojai Valley to gather information, issue notices, and hand out citations to violators. Although most citizens of Ventura County seem to be unaware of the current dog license law, the county is actively pursuing people who own dogs and have not licensed them.County Code Section 4411 states: “Every person who owns, harbors, or keeps any dog over the age of four months for 30 days or longer shall obtain a current license …”If a dog is found without a current license tag, the dog could be taken away from their owners and the owners themselves could land in the hot seat. County Code Section 4411 says: “A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. Any dog found without a current license tag may be taken up and impounded.”According to Bryan Bray, supervisor of the Ventura County Animal Services License Ambassador Team, the dog license code has been a law in Ventura County since the 1960s and is enforced on a regular basis. Although some perceive that the dog license push by the county is an attempt to gain revenue, others believe that it is necessary, and there are very good reasons for it. “You are required by law to have a license for your dog,” said Jolene Hoffman, the Ventura County Humane Society Ojai Shelter director, “and what it really comes down to is protection of the public.”Hoffman says that rabies outbreaks are of major concern to the county, and are a big reason to enforce the license law. “This is to make sure that dogs in the county have their rabies vaccinations,” continued Hoffman. “The main thing is that we don’t want a rabies outbreak, and this is how we can stop it from happening.”Often when issuing notices or citations, the county places the name of the animal on the notice itself. For some people, this raises the question of how their pet’s name was obtained. David Van Pelt from the Animal Clinic of Oak View says that the information is not obtained from their records. “We absolutely do not give out any personal information,” he said. Bray says the county has a database of all animals that were previously licensed in their system and they refer to that to gain the needed information. “We don’t obtain information from any of the neighbors,” he said. “Most of the time, the information comes from complaints or previous encounters.”There have been allegations from some dog owners that county workers, when conducting door-to-door inquiries, will question neighbors, look into back yards and have even been spotted looking through binoculars to check check animals for current license tags. Other times, residents of the valley have reported that notices are handed out by workers, driving county vehicles, that have no uniform or identification. “I’m well aware of what their uniforms look like,” said one Fierro Drive resident who had encountered the “ambassadors” and preferred to remain unnamed. “This guy didn’t look official to me.”

Despite this evidence, Bray again states that these reports are inaccurate. “All of our license ambassadors are county employees that wear a uniform and carry identification. If the person cannot provide proof of who they are, call local law enforcement immediately.”

The current fee for a Ventura County dog license is $20 for a spayed or neutered dog, and $75 for an unaltered dog. In order to obtain a current dog license, proof of a valid rabies vaccination must be submitted along with any fees that are due.

Authorities searching Lake Piru for body of Marcia (Litoff) Forsberg

By Logan Hall

1967 Nordhoff High School graduate Marcia Forsberg, who has been missing since February, is now believed by authorities to have been murdered by her husband, Richard Gustav Forsberg, 61, of Rancho Santa Margarita. Investigators are now searching for her body in the area of Lake Piru.According to Jim Armormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Coroner’s Office, friends and family of Forsberg — some of whom are from Ojai — had reported earlier this year, that she had not been seen since February. In initial interviews, when asked the whereabouts of Forsberg, her husband had indicated she was with friends in Arizona. On a second attempt by authorities to question Forsberg’s husband, he was nowhere to be found until the Sheriff’s Department received a tip from Palm Springs Hospital. “We got a call last night from medical staff that he was in the hospital in Palm Springs,” said Armormino. “He had been treated for attempted suicide. During the interrogation he made incriminating statements implicating himself in the murder of his wife. We have found no motive at this time. Homicide detectives are now following a lead at Lake Piru.”While authorities seem to be getting closer to a conclusion of the case, friends and family of Forsberg are beginning to get the answers to questions that have plagued them for months. “The entire story is just unfathomable,” said Forsberg’s brother Tony Litoff of Ventura. “Not having any knowledge of what happened made it feel like we were blowing in the wind. Knowing my sister and her husband’s personalities, this is a really big shock to everyone.”Litoff said that he is grateful to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for their efforts in the investigation. He also says that he appreciates the people who came forward with their concerns regarding Forsberg’s whereabouts. “My sister had a very tight-knit relationship with a handful of people that she graduated Nordhoff High with,” said Litoff. “I really want to praise her longtime friends that raised the questions that helped create the outcome.” Richard Forsberg is now in custody in the Orange County

By Logan Hall

By Bill Buchanan

Just when you think, “Well, that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard allegedly done in the name of religion,” someone comes along and trumps it.

I refer to the folks at the Dove World Outreach Center, a nondenominational church in Gainesville, Fla., who plan to host an “International Burn a Quran Day.” They say the event is to “remember 9/11 victims and take a stand against Islam,” which the minister of the congregation calls a religion “of the devil.”

What could be less Christian than that? Exactly how does burning a book that another religion recognizes as holy promote and advance your own religious views? How does burning the Quran (Koran) foster anything but separatism and intolerance? And what is the purpose? Are they trying to convert others? Do they think people will look at this act and say, “Wow, what a great idea, let’s go join up with this progressive group”?

I was also curious about how you would invite people to one of these things. Do you issue an invitation like it was a church social? Would you look down in the church bulletin one Sunday and see something like:

Event: Burning the Quran

Date: 9/11 (of course)

Time: 6 to 9 p.m.

Place: In the big fire pit out behind the church

Food/Drink: Fire and brimstone served from 6 to 7 p.m.

Dress: Flame-retardant casual

Special Note: Coffee mugs and T-shirts available in the foyer

Now I am not saying that the folks at Dove World Outreach don’t have the right to do this. Our Constitution provides the right for our citizens to do pretty much anything within reason to peacefully demonstrate for or against any cause — no matter how stupid it may make the participant look. In fact, the right to look ignorant and stupid is one of our most precious freedoms —- or at least, one of the most frequently used ones. My favorite example of this is the guy who has that church in Kansas who goes to soldiers’ funerals, and holds up signs saying that the death of this brave young man or woman is God’s punishment for people being gay. I’m afraid if I was at the funeral of a relative or friend who gave their life for this country and in the middle of the ceremony, I heard some idiot yelling and holding a sign saying this was somehow justified, I might have to take umbrage —- which might well take the form of getting a tire tool out of the trunk and wearing it out over his head.

Perhaps one of the problems with religious zealots is that they are so busy waving the Bible around they fail to pull it down and actually read what it says. In the 22nd Chapter of the Book of Matthew, Jesus is asked what is the greatest commandment? He replies, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The line above does not come with any caveats. Jesus does not say, “Love your neighbor as yourself — unless he is Jewish, or Muslim.” He doesn’t say, “Love your neighbor as yourself — unless he is black.” And he doesn’t say, “Love your neighbor as yourself — unless he is gay.”

It is simply, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” And that is good advice for us all, no matter what you believe.—

By Mary M. Long

On July 22, the City Council voted unanimously to place city manager Jere Kersnar on paid administrative leave. On Tuesday, Aug. 24, the council met in closed session and made an announcement after the meeting that they will proceed into a separation agreement with Kersnar. The decision to hire John Baker as interim city manager was made by the City Council. According to Mayor Steve Olsen the council was unanimous in their approval of Baker. Baker’s rate of pay is $65 per hour with no benefits. It is expected that the arrangement with Baker will continue until a permanent city manager is hired. Baker served as interim manager in 2005 prior to the hiring of Jere Kersnar when the contract with Dan Singer was not renewed.

Project on schedule despite discovery of drainage channel

By Mary M. Long

Other topics that were discussed during the evening were the possibility of reviewing the Chain Store Ordinance. This was strongly opposed by city attorney Monte Widders and Carol Smith, who felt confident that the ordinance was doing its job and had been well thought out before it was implemented. Paul Blatz’s concept of a blighted building ordinance also came up for discussion, with positive reception and will be a subject of further study. At the close of the meeting Mayor Steve Olsen took a moment to remember the three tragedies that had occurred since their last meeting and asked that the gathering close in memory of Cody Doolittle, Jerry Myers, and Michael Ferrante.

Illness doesn’t stop local tyke from enjoying life

By Misty Volaski

But SMA makes the Marshalls earn each one of those little moments. A look at their daily to-do list shows a slurry of machines, procedures and medications that consume each day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The family has spent the last two Thanksgivings in the hospital, and with school starting this week for Joseph, that means the Marshalls must be extra careful about germs. “Micah’s immune system is fine,” Chelsea said, “but if a bug gets into his lungs, he can’t cough it out like most people,” which can be very dangerous for him.

Still, the family wants Micah to experience the world as much as possible. Not surprisingly, it takes the family about an hour just to get Micah and his equipment ready before leaving the house. “It takes a lot,” Marshall said. “We have his battery, his breathing machine, his medical-grade stroller, his suction, an oxygen tank. We have to make sure it’s not too hot or cold outside — the equipment has to stay cool. But we don’t want to keep him home because he’s sick. We want him to be part of everything we can.”

That includes trips to the park, to visit family, even camping.

“I have to thank everybody, especially from our family,” Chelsea said. “This is all just amazing, the love everyone has shown us. We could not have made it this far without everybody.”

For more information about the Marshalls and their fight, visit micahsmarchinfo.blogspot.com. For more information on SMA and to donate to GSF, visit GwendolynStrongFoundation.org.

Pilot Mark King walks away from this Cessna 182 that crashed Monday afternoon on the 12th fairway at Soule Park. Photo by Logan Hall

By Logan Hall

A single-engine Cessna 182 registered to Ojai resident Bill Burr, crashed on the 12th hole at Soule Park Golf Course Monday at about 5:10 p.m. Pilot Mark King suffered minor cuts and scratches, and declined transport to the hospital. King said he was flying into Santa Paula Airport from Sacramento.Norm Van Wieren and Adrian Frape were on the 12th hole, playing golf when they saw the Cessna overhead. “We were on the tee box on 12 and we saw him above us at probably 1,000 feet,” said Van Wieren. “We heard the engine sputtering and thought he was training. After we hit our shots, we could hear him trying to start the engine back up.” It was then that the two golfers knew something was wrong.“When he was coming down, I thought he was going to land on hole 11 into the wind,” said Frape, “but he banked right and to try to make it to 12 when he clipped the tree.”“We got to the crash site within seconds,” continued Van Wieren. “I saw the door kick open and he crawled out alive. I asked him if he was OK and he said ‘Ya, I’m alright.’ We couldn’t believe he was OK.”Also golfing close by, was Justin Rhoades on the 13th tee box about to tee off when he saw the plane heading for the open areas of the course. “He started getting really low,” said Rhoades, who was golfing with a friend. “He was coming in too fast and started to turn when his wing clipped a tree and he just came down. I dropped my bag and we started running. When we came up to the plane, he (King) was just crawling out and he was looking for his glasses. We were asking him if he was alright, but he couldn’t really hear us at first.”

King was walking around and making cell phone calls when emergency crews arrived on scene. “I remember it hitting the tree and coming down,” said King. “I’m just glad I’m here talking about it.”

Witnesses said that the plane was gliding without engine power as it came down. There was a general consensus on the ground of disbelief that he walked away from the crash. “When we saw him comming down, we thought the worst,” said Mike Bryant, who was playing a round of golf with friends. “I’m just stoked to see the guy walk away.”

Van Wieren and Frape were also glad to see that King survived relatively unharmed. “I’m happy he made it out alive,” said Frape. “When we got there, it did not look good. The guy was lucky. Really, really lucky.”

The Ventura County Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department responded quickly and cordoned off the scene.

The crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Firefighters have the blaze under control as smoke still lifts from hotspots in the garage which was destroyed by the flames

By Logan Hall

Firefighters from stations all over the Ojai Valley came to aid in a house fire on Pepper Tree Lane. At 5:51pm the call was dispatched and  firefighters from Oak View Station 23 quickly responded to the scene. There were no injuries in the blaze that consumed the garage and large portions of the house.

“At this point we are still trying to determine the cause of the fire,” said Battalion Chief Mike Milkovich, “but we haven’t found anything suspicious.”

Glenda Strosnider and Gerry Bradberry from the American Red Cross were on scene to help those affected, but friends of the home’s occupants had already offered accommodations and assistance.

By Lenny Roberts

Ojai’s Los Padres Bank was one of 14 branches closed Friday by the Office of Thrift Supervision, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation  as receiver.

According to a press release issued Friday, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with Pacific Western Bank, San Diego, to assume all of the deposits of Los Padres Bank based in Solvang to protect the depositors.

Tom Farmer, vice president of business development, said it’s business as usual, and the bank’s five full- and part-time employees will remain.

“We don’t anticipate any staff changes at all,” Farmer said Tuesday afternoon. “Pacific Western is a strong bank. It’s the 14th largest commercial bank in the state, and we’re very optimistic. I’m excited about this.”

All 14 branches of Los Padres Bank reopened Monday as branches of Pacific Western Bank. Depositors of Los Padres Bank will automatically become depositors of Pacific Western Bank, and will continue to be insured by the FDIC, so there is no need for customers to change their banking relationship in order to retain their deposit insurance coverage. Customers of Los Padres Bank should continue to use their existing branch until they receive notice from Pacific Western Bank that it has completed systems changes to allow other Pacific Western Bank branches to process their accounts as well.

Depositors of Los Padres Bank can access their money by writing checks or using ATM or debit cards, and checks drawn on the bank will continue to be processed. Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual.

As of June 30, 2010, Los Padres Bank had approximately $870.4 million in total assets and $770.7 million in total deposits. Pacific Western Bank will pay the FDIC a premium of 0.45 percent to assume all of the deposits of Los Padres Bank. In addition to assuming all of the deposits of the failed bank, Pacific Western Bank agreed to purchase essentially all of the assets.

The FDIC and Pacific Western Bank entered into a loss-share transaction on $579.8 million of Los Padres Bank’s assets. Pacific Western Bank will share in the losses on the asset pools covered under the loss-share agreement. The loss-share transaction is projected to maximize returns on the assets covered by keeping them in the private sector. The transaction also is expected to minimize disruptions for loan customers.

The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund will be $8.7 million. Compared to other alternatives, Pacific Western Bank’s acquisition was the least costly resolution for the FDIC’s DIF. Los Padres Bank is the 117th FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the eighth in California. The last FDIC-insured institution closed in the state was Butte Community Bank, Chico, which also closed Friday.

OJAI POLICE DEPARTMENT

MEDIA RELEASE

Nature of Incident: Possession of Stolen Property and Fraudulent Use of an Access Card
Location: Ojai Valley Area (Ventura County)
Date & Time: 8/10/2010 to  8/17/2010
Units Responsible: Ojai Valley Sheriff’s Station Patrol

ARRESTED:
Williams, David, 26
Transient in the Ojai Valley

Bridget Campbell, 21
Transient in the Ojai Valley

Narrative:
During the past two weeks the Ojai Valley has been plagued with several vehicle burglaries and thefts from vehicles.  It was reported that a small red Toyota sedan was possibly involved in the thefts.  Residents of the Ojai Valley assisted in helping the Ojai Valley deputies identify the suspects in the thefts by calling law enforcement for suspicious activity.

On 08/17/2010, the Sheriff’s Department Dispatch received several calls that involved a red Toyota sedan occupied by a male and female subject in the vehicle.  During the investigation deputies located the two subjects and they were arrested for possession of stolen property and using a stolen credit card at a local restaurant. Stolen property from the Ojai Valley and the City of Santa Barbara was found in the vehicle.  Some of the stolen property has been identified by victims and returned to them.

Both suspects were booked at the Ventura County Jail.  Bail was set at $10,000 and $30,000.

Officer Preparing Release:  Detective Mark Burgess. Ojai Valley Substation-Investigations

OJAI POLICE DEPARTMENT

MEDIA RELEASE

Nature of Incident: Increased Traffic Enforcement

Location: Areas around Ojai Valley Schools

Date & Time: Beginning August 24, 2010

Unit Responsible: Ojai Valley Station Traffic

With the new school year upon us, we wish for it to begin safely for the children as they find their way to and from their schools.  The Ojai Police Department will be patrolling the areas around the schools and enforcing violations observed.

Many of the children will be finding their way to school on their bicycles.  We wish to have the drivers make a conscious effort to be attentive to this fact.  Parents of the children riding bicycles must make every effort to ensure their child’s safety as well.

It is required by law that all children under the age of 18 wear a safety helmet while riding.  It is also required that bicycle riders ride with the direction of traffic, not against it.  We have observed many bicyclists not stopping at intersections as required and riding on the sidewalks along Ojai Avenue where it is prohibited by Ojai city ordinance.

Many of the violations that have been observed / enforced are listed below:

• Speeding in the school area when students are present.  The speed limit in a “SCHOOL ZONE” is 25 mph unless other wise posted.

• Passing school buses when red lights are flashing and stop signs are displayed.  This is required for drivers on both sides of a roadway, unless there are more than one lane in each direction and a median separating the traffic lanes.

• Failing to yield the right of way to pedestrians within a crosswalk.  It is also the responsibility of the pedestrians to remain in a location until it is safe to enter the crosswalk.

• Drivers parking / stopping in areas where it is prohibited by posted signs.  This is a large problem on El Paseo, in the area of Matilija Junior High School and Ojai Valley School.

• Failing to stop for stop signs or red traffic signals and pedestrian control signals.

• Talking on the phone while driving.  Adult drivers, 18 yrs and older, are required to use a hands free device.  Drivers under the age of 18 cannot use any cellular phone devices.  Texting while driving is also prohibited.

The members of the Ojai Police Department wish to make an effort to educate the community members of the various laws and violations that are frequently violated and place drivers and pedestrians at risk.  Therefore, we will be out patrolling the areas around the schools and will be enforcing the laws and citing violators to maintain safety for everyone at this time of year.

Safety for the children is everyone’s responsibility.  Don’t get caught up in the high-speed daily activities and fail to see the children on their way to school.  We can all do our part to become part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.  Drive and ride safely.

Officer Preparing Release: Senior Deputy Jim Popp

Approved By: Sergeant J.P.Ruby #1852

Rides will be stopped after Sept. 17
as budget cuts take yet another toll

By Misty Volaski

Animal rights activist Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., makes a point to Cyndy Treutelaar and Sherry Brockus at Wednesday’s Humane Society of Ventura County ground-breaking ceremony.

Valentine’s $2.3M donation makes vision possible

By Logan Hall

Imagine being abused and tormented, and being unable to reach out for help. Imagine if, in the time of your greatest need, you couldn’t communicate with anyone around you. This is the life that abused, neglected and sometimes tortured animals throughout the world have to endure every day.Thanks to organizations like the Humane Society of Ventura County, animals not only have a voice, they have genuine help from dedicated HSVC staff and volunteers. The HSVC Ojai Shelter has recently boosted its ability to aid animals in need by breaking ground on their new expansion project. Thanks to a $2.3 million donation from Harry Valentine who died before seeing his vision come to fruition, the project will update the aging facility that has served the Ojai Valley since 1982. The ground-breaking ceremony took place outside the shelter’s front entrance where the new Visitor’s Center will be built. After a prayer and blessing from Bishop Bill Downey from the Liberal Catholic Church, shelter president Cyndy Treutelaar thrust the shovel into the earth and marked the official start of construction.While including a new Visitor’s Center and renovations to the administration building and parking lot, the main focus of the project will be the expansion of the shelter’s existing spay and neuter clinic. According to the HSVC, there is currently an eight- to 10-week waiting period for people who need to bring their pets to the clinic. The expansion will help reduce that waiting period by increasing the number of surgeries veterinarians can perform from 17 a day to about 28.The ground-breaking ceremony, which took place on Wednesday, was a chance for Humane Society staff to officially move forward on the plan and  express their gratitude to everyone involved with the project. “We have a lot of volunteers that help out our staff,” said Ojai Shelter President Cyndy Treutelaar as she addressed attendees of the ceremony. “Our staff and volunteers are absolutely the backbone of this shelter.”Also present at the ceremony was Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., who spoke to the crowd and praised the good work that the Ojai Shelter has accomplished. “My greatest pleasure is helping make these things happen,” said Gallegly, who is an outspoken animal rights activist. “There are lots of fine people in this community. This is an example of how Ojai is ahead of the curve.”The Ojai Shelter seems to be unique in that much of the staff has been with the shelter for many years. Shelter director Jolene Hoffman read a list of staff and volunteers and the time they’ve been with the shelter. Treutelaar has been with the shelter for about 20 years. Linda Allison has been on staff for 22 years, and Hoffman herself has been with the Ojai Shelter for 28 years. All hold a passion for their positions and the animals at the shelter.

Also present at the ground-breaking was project contractor John Johnston who was on hand to answer questions about the project design and show people where the construction will be taking place. Johnston, like the others who work for and with the Humane Society, thinks of the project as much more than just a job. “The Humane Society here is such a great group of people with great ideas,” he said. “The thing I found most compelling was how the people here need the animals as much as the animals need them. Everyone really cares.”

“He has spent many hours at the site,” said shelter executive director Sherry Brockus on Johnston’s involvement. “He has really done an excellent job.”

One point that was emphasized at the ceremony was the need for more donations from the public. While costs of the expansion and renovation are covered by funds from the late Valentine’s estate, things like food for the animals and maintenance of the facility are covered solely by donations. “We rely totally on our donations to keep the doors open,” said Brockus on the HSVC web site. “These funds (from Valentine) are designated and restricted. They must be used specifically for Mr. Valentine’s wishes.”

The project is scheduled to be completed mid-2011 and the shelter will remain operating as much as possible through the construction process. Log on to hsvc.org to donate to the Humane Society.

By Mary M. Long

The Ojai Planning Com-mission met Wednesday with interim city manager John Baker to discuss the following issues.The proposal to install a vault rest room at Sarzotti Park had been continued from the Aug. 4 meeting to study the cost effectiveness of putting a standard sewer line in instead of a self-contained rest room. The vault rest rooms are pumped out at a cost of $350 per clean-out. Bob Daddi pointed out that the capacity of the tank could be reached in one day during an event the size of Ojai Day. While the stumbling block was the price of upgrading the sewer line to handle the larger rest rooms, this turned out not to be an issue when the independent company, AM PM Rooter & Plumbing, inspected the existing line and found that was in good condition. Daddi, acting on behalf of Skate Ojai is looking into the possibility of a sewer hookup for the new Skate Park rest rooms and will be negotiating to reduce fees for the installation.   The Hummingbird Inn was approved as a Best Western Motel, which created a bit of concern from both citizens and commissioners. The Planning Commission had thought that the approval would come to them as an agenda item, and seemed surprised that Baker had approved it. Baker made it clear that he, consulting with city attorney Monte Widders, was operating by the book and his decision was in keeping with the tenants of the Chain Store Ordinance. The Best Western motels do not qualify as chain stores according to the current Ojai Chain Store Ordinance. The property on the corner of North Montgomery and Franklin Street which was acquired by the city came up for discussion. The city is interested in possibly using it for the construction of affordable housing. While it is zoned R-2, it has been considered for as many as four units. Commissioners John Mirk and Cortus Koehler expressed their concerns about having that kind of density on that property. “I don’t want to put the city in the position of over-developing this property,” said Mirk. Koehler also handed out a list of citizen groups which he felt should receive the first consideration for affordable housing which included veterans, military families, city employees and seniors. He also feels that affordable housing should include the consideration of rehabilitating older houses, which will help preserve existing homes. Baker reminded them that the future of the property would probably be driven by the economy and that with less density than four units it would probably not be feasible to develop it for affordable housing.  The subject of publicizing subcommittee meetings was the most debated topic of the evening. There are two new subcommittees. One is the subcommittee to study the state ordinance requiring cities to follow the state model for water-wise landscaping. Commissioner Kathy Nolan is the chair for that subcommittee and Commissioner Susan Weaver also sits on that committee. They are working to come up with an “Ojai compatible” ordinance which will then go before the Planning Commission and City Council to meet the state requirements on water conservation. The second subcommittee is the Complete Streets Committee which will study the suitability of streets for pedestrians, motorists and cyclists in compatibility with the Circulation Element. Since the subcommittees do not fall under the Brown Act they are not legally subject to noticing requirements. However it was the decision of the commission to exceed the requirements and the discussion was on how to notify the public. It was decided that the notices will be posted on the chamber door, the city website and will be published in the Ojai Valley News, as well as Channel 10. Baker also recommended mass e-mailing notices to interested parties. Those who wish to be placed on the e-mail list need to contact the Community Development Department at 646-5581.

By Bill Buchanan

I hated to miss the ground-breaking ceremony for the Ventura County Humane Society. My trip back to Ojai was delayed, and I didn’t get to attend the ceremony. But all pet lovers have to be excited about the proposed expansion, which will also allow more services to help the least fortunate animals in our community.

My wife and I have always been supporters of the Humane Society. All of our dogs (and cats, when we had them) have been strays. Some have come from animal shelters, some from friends who knew about a dog who needs a home, and several were animals Ava just picked up off the highway. I think they make the best pets. They seem to understand what a good deal they have now, and show their appreciation every day.

One of the great things about Ojai is that everyone seems to have a dog — or two. Dogs on leashes are everywhere, which I absolutely love. Being allowed to pet others people’s dogs makes me miss my own a little less.

So, for all the dog lovers here in town, I wanted to let you take the following test to see if you merely own a dog, or if you have a special animal. Simply select the answer below that best reflects how your dog is treated.

• You have just bought new living room furniture.

A. Your dog is not allowed on the furniture under any condition.

B. Your dog is allowed on the furniture occasionally but only if there is a blanket or towel underneath him.

C. Your dog has his own special chair.

• At Christmas, your dog:

A. Is treated no differently than he is during the rest of the year.

B. Receives some type of special holiday treat.

C. Has his own stocking with the dog’s name on it, which is hung up with the rest of the stockings and stuffed with goodies on Christmas Day.

• When you go to a fast-food restaurant for a hamburger or ice cream cone, your dog:

A. Is not allowed to come along.

B. Is allowed to come along and receives a small bite of whatever you are eating.

C. Gets his own hamburger or ice cream cone, which you feed by hand to the dog while getting mustard, ketchup, ice cream and/or dog slobber all over you.

• Whenever you are eating something and your dog begs for some of it:

A. The dog is told to hush, and lie down.

B. You simply ignore him until he stops whining and begging.

C. Your spouse scolds you unmercifully until you share with the dog.

• When you go on a trip:

A. The dog is always left with friends or is boarded in a kennel.

B. The dog is taken along on some trips, but only if convenient.

C. The dog is pretty much always taken along and, if necessary, is sneaked into the elevator where you are staying, and then into your hotel room.

• When you go on a trip where you simply cannot take the dog and it must be boarded, you:

A. Take the dog to the vet, drop him off.

B. Take the dog to the vet, send a toy along.

C. Take the dog to the vet; go into hysterics about leaving him; take his favorite toy as well as a back-up toy; take his blanket; take his favorite food and some snacks; give the vet a two-page list of dos and don’ts; break down again out in the car; continue to cry, or at least sniff intermittently all the way to the airport.

Let’s grade the results:

If you chose “A” to most or all questions, then you are lord and master over your dog, and you recognize it for what it is — an animal.

If you chose “B” to most or all questions, you allow your dog a few liberties, but you maintain a healthy superiority over him, and both you and your dog recognize and respect the established hierarchy.

If you chose “C” to most or all questions, then you are a hopeless dog lover and are the proud owner of a “special animal.” In fact, because of your love and devotion to your dog, every animal you ever have will be a special animal. Love and enjoy them.

Badham to field questions at outdoor screening at Ojai Valley Inn Saturday

By Mary M. Long

As the haunting melody of Elmer Bernstein’s one-fingered piano underscores the opening credits of the timeless movie, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” so the sun will sink slowly in the western skies of the Ojai Valley and the gibbous waxing full moon will rise slowly over the fading “Pink Moment” of the Topa Topa Mountains. Nobody who has ever read the book, or seen the movie, is left untouched by its nostalgic tale of civil rights, morality and dignified courage, and few more than those who were involved in the filming. Fifty years after Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book was published and 48 years after it was released on screen, the Academy Award-winning movie, starring Gregory Peck and Mary Badham, is being presented by the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in concert with Diablo Magazine’s Peter Crooks as part of their Outdoor Classic Film Series.

The movie is told through the eyes of 6-year-old tomboy Scout, played by Badham, who was the youngest actress ever to win an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Badham now resides in rural Virginia with her husband of 36 years, and takes time away from home to travel with “Mockingbird” to share its message, and her passion for literacy with another generation. Just as Peck’s character, Atticus Finch, is remembered as one of film’s greatest heroes, Scout has a special place in the hearts of American readers with children still named after the plucky tomboy many years after the film’s release. The story revolves around an incident which was set in the 1930s involving the alleged rape and beating of a white Southern girl by a wrongly accused black man. In the famous courthouse scene, the prosecutor asks, “What were you doing the night of Aug. 21?” Ironically, the Ojai Valley Inn booked the screening of “Mockingbird” Saturday,  Aug. 21.

Although the date of the booking was entirely coincidental, one might ask if anything in Ojai  happens by accident, or does this echo the very substance of the book in its complexity of life’s random circumstances.

Badham will be hosting a question-and-answer session before the screening, giving classic film buffs a rare opportunity to meet one of film’s most enigmatic personalities, for as she refers to Gregory Peck as Atticus, so entwined is she in the character of Scout, it’s impossible to tell if Badham defined the character or the character defined Badham.

Badham responded to the following questions in a phone interview from her home in Virginia:

OVN: How did you get the part of Scout?

Badham: They had a big cattle call in Birmingham, Ala. They probably had interviewed 4,000 kids before they even got to Birmingham. They interviewed kids all throughout the South. They wanted Southern children … they wanted real Southern  accents.

OVN: Did they explain the story line to you? Were you aware of the racial message?

Badham: No, they didn’t explain it, I am not even sure we got full scripts. I don’t think I saw the full story until later.

OVN: I understand that your mom was an actress, and took you to the interview.

Badham: My mother had been the leading lady for years at the local theater where I tried out. She was the real thespian in the family, she and my brother, John. John wanted in the business in the worst kind of way. At the time he was at studying drama and philosophy at Yale and he got this phone call, “Guess what, your baby sister is going to be in a movie!”

OVN: Did your mom dress you up or cut your hair to look the part of Scout for the audition?

Badham: No, that haircut was the haircut that I had. I would rather have been mucking stalls, than dressing up and going to a party.

OVN: Do you ride horses?

Badham: Oh yes, that’s all I wanted to do. My goal in life was to be large animal veterinarian.

Marisa and Nathan Knupp

Facebook helping Oak View family cope with illness

By Amber Lennon

If you log on to “Nathan’s Journey” on Facebook, you’ll see a caption beneath the picture of 2-year-old Nathan Knupp that reads: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” It’s this kind of community attitude that organized Sunday’s barbecue benefit in Oak View. With more than 600 attendees, the Knupp family will take home $30,000 to put toward Nathan’s medical expenses.

Nathan was diagnosed with a glioma brain tumor in April of 2009, and since then the Knupp family has struggled to keep up with the cost of treatment. When Nathan’s mother, Marisa, decided to organize a fund-raising event, the response from the community was overwhelming. Volunteers and donations abounded, and all throughout the Ojai Valley, signs and fliers for “Nathan’s Journey” advertised the event.

“It was amazing,” says Ashley Meier, longtime friend of the Knupps, who also helped organize the event. “We had to use our back-up tickets because we ran out of the 400 bracelets we had.”

With the far-reaching capabilities of Facebook, even the greater Los Angeles area became aware of Nathan’s story when it was profiled on KCAL-9, adding to the extensive coverage of local media and radio.

The leverage of pre-event efforts was matched by the variety of activities and displays at the Oak View Park and Resource Center. Above rows of polished semi-trucks, vintage cars and old tractors parked on the grassy lawn, the long arms of crane trucks towered and seemed a candid symbol of the strength gathered to support Nathan and his family.

Marisa and her husband, Jestin, could be found embraced by friends and strangers, while Nathan played in the kids’ zone. Marisa said that the crowds and the heat were hard on Nathan, who was unaccustomed to so much activity. A motor home was parked on the premises, where the Knupps could retreat before emerging again to mingle.

Among the many faces Marisa saw that day was a 6-year-old boy named Aaron Easley, who has been living with a brain tumor since 18 months of age. Marisa was especially drawn to Easley and his grandmother when fate found them in the same hospital lobby while Marisa awaited her son’s diagnosis in 2009. Easley’s grandmother proved to be a well of information and support along this tough road.

“For her to be there was so awesome,” said Marisa. “She drove from Hemet with a special needs kid that just finished six weeks of radiation treatment.” Along with her donation, Grandma Easley wrote a note for Marisa that read, “We will fight.”

The silent auction boasted an array of items from local merchants ranging from tattoos to a pendant necklace, along with raffle items to accommodate a wide range of needs and wants, such as haircuts, tires and electronics.  Nate Minkel, who donated a plasma television and his dirt bike, said, “One of the great things about living in a small town is seeing everyone come together with big hearts to give back to the community.” He added, “A bike is replaceable, a life is not.”

While people perused auction and raffle items in the shade, the smoke of La Salle’s BBQ signaled that lunch soon would be served. In the meantime, kids could be found cavorting in the Jolly Jump, getting their faces painted or twirling in front of the live entertainment. Tunes from Vaughn Montgomery on Wurlitzer piano were followed by singer-songwriter Ted Lennon, whose song, ‘Face Up,’ seemed to speak of the event with his appeal, “People, oh people, come on and do what you can!”

To cap it all off, the band Caught Red Handed spiced up the afternoon with classic rock covers as people meandered between big trucks, the beer garden and the food line for La Salle’s roasted meats.

Many attendees agreed that the community’s reward for doing their part along Nathan’s journey was when he made cameo appearances with his endearing smile. Said Meier, “He’s just such a happy little guy.”

“To Kill a Mockingbird” trailer

By Bill Buchanan

For those who are planning to attend the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa’s Aug. 21 screening of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” you are in for a treat. I do not mean just the movie itself, which, of course, is a terrific film — a classic that was far ahead of its time. You are in for a treat seeing one of the movie’s stars —Mary Badham, who will do a Q&A for the movie prior to its showing. Ms. Badham, who was age 10 when she made the movie, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, the youngest actress ever nominated in the category at that time.

I developed an instant crush on “Scout,” the lively young daughter of Atticus Finch. I don’t remember exactly when I saw the film for the first time — I was probably around 8 or 10. But I remember three things that struck me immediately — I didn’t understand why the girl was named Scout; I could not believe that she got away with calling her daddy by his first name; and Scout was tomboyish but very, very cute.

I had the good fortune a few years ago to meet Ms. Badham in person. I was active with Theatre Tuscaloosa, which sponsored the Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame. Ms. Badham was a guest at two events, one in 2000, and again in 2001. You would have thought we were her guests rather than the other way around. She was friendly, charming and absolutely delightful.  And still very cute.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” was a rare “double” — both the book and the movie were outstanding. They are both classics. So many times a great book is made into an average or even disappointing movie. In my opinion, there are very few cases where the movie is as good as the book, and almost none that are actually better. For me, four exceptions come to mind.

The first is “The Shawshank Redemption,” from the Stephen King novella “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.” I don’t know that it is entirely fair to say the movie was better than the book. The book was a novella, very readable, but pretty short. The movie, while being true to the book, goes into much more detail and really fleshes out the characters. The narrator, “Red,” is given particular attention. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that “Red” is played by Morgan Freeman, one of my favorite actors. I would listen raptly to Morgan Freeman reading the phone book for three hours. I thought he was just incredible in this role. The movie also does an outstanding job of providing many memorable minor characters that enhance the richness of the film without diluting the main characters or story.

Next on the list would be “The Godfather.” I read the book long before I saw the movie, which came out a few years later. I thought the book was pretty good, but some of this had to do with my being in high school when I read it.  When I reread the book as an adult I tended to agree with the reviewer who said something to the effect that Mario Puzo wrote the first 100 pages of the book, but typed the rest of it. “The Godfather” also has the distinction of being one of the few movies where the sequel was as good (some would say better) than the original. I loved them both.

Then there is “Terms of Endearment.” In this case, I saw the movie first. I enjoyed it initially, saw it a few more times, and liked it even better. I had seen the movie probably four or five times before I finally read the book. What a disappointment — and I, like Larry McMurtry, felt the movie was so much better. James L. Brooks was not only the director, but was also credited with the screenplay. He did a fine job with both. Another big reason for the movie outshining the book was the strength of the cast. What talent with Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Debra Winger, Jeff Daniels, and John Lithgow. Even I could probably make a good movie with that cast. But in my mind, Shirley MacLaine’s performance really stands out. Her character drives the movie, and lifts it up several notches. She certainly deserved the Academy Award she received for Best Actress.

Finally, there is “Forrest Gump.” I will never write a novel, much less one that will become a major motion picture. But if I ever do, I want the guy who adapted Winston Groom’s novel to adapt mine to the silver screen. That guy is a genius. When I saw the movie, I thought it was wonderful — touching, humorous and just plain fun.

Then I read the book, which I thought was meandering, and often silly with several cartoon-like characters. To me, the book and movie are two different animals, and the movie is much better. In preparing to write this column, I looked at a couple of reviews of the book which touted it as “a superb novel,” stated that it was “unfortunate that most people are more familiar with the movie,” and added, “it is not by any stretch a substitute for the book.”

Maybe that guy read a different book than I did. OK, readers, do you have others for the list? Let us hear from you about what movies you think are as good as the book — or perhaps even better. Leave a comment here.

Lisa Snider

By Misty Volaski

Ojai Valley foodies will simmer in a jealousy reduction when they hear what Lisa Snider got to do at the Ventura County Fair this year.

The free-lance food and wine writer (and host of Radio Ojai) was asked to be a judge for the fair’s second annual “Bounty of the County” competition.

Snider, along with fellow judges Jane Handel (of Edible Ojai), Lisa McKinnon (of the Ventura County Star), Dianne Linderman (of Ventura County Fair) and Nancy Raibaldi (an audience member), judged two teams of local chefs, wine and beer makers and farmers on a three-course meal. The foods and wines were required to be grown and made locally, hence the name of the competition.

“The (fair representatives) called me!” she explained on being chosen for judge. “This is (a judging panel) I would’ve begged to be on! I had already helped them with the wine judging, so they knew me. I got lucky and got a spot on panel. These are gourmet meals!”

One team was from Ventura’s SideCar Restaurant, which teamed with Ojai’s Rio Gozo Farm and Oak View’s Old Creek Winery. The second consisted of Ventura’s Zoey’s Cafe, Camarillo’s McGrath Family Farms, and Santa Barbara’s Telegraph Brewery.

The judges began with Zoey’s Cafe and crew, which presented a first course of a goat cheese, beet and dandelion green salad (from McGrath Family Farms), complemented with reserve wheat ale from Telegraph Brewing Company. Watkins Cattle Company of Piru contributed the main dish, a steak filet with a turnip puree, three types of beans and succotash of corn (all from McGrath’s). Telegraph Brewing paired that with its California ale. Dessert was Trufflehounds’ pots de creme, McGrath’s fresh berries and Telegraph’s stock porter.

Snider said she was quite impressed, especially with the brave pairing of food and beer over the more traditional food and wine. “Zoey’s isn’t necessarily known for the food, but, oh my gosh, they will be now!” Snider said. “You can see a lot of up-and-coming musicians there, but they recently moved and got a bigger kitchen, so are offering more food. I’m definitely going to have to have dinner there soon. They did an excellent job.”

Team SideCar offered a first course of an heirloom tomato, cucumber and Vidalia onion salad from Rio Gozo Farm, on which was drizzled a vinaigrette featuring Petty Ranch’s Meyer lemons. They paired it with Old Creek Winery’s 2009 Loureiro (grown in Santa Ynez). Short ribs from Watkins Cattle Co. were served with Rio Gozo’s Yukon mashed potatoes, creamed swiss chard and roasted garlic, which was paired with an Old Creek Ranch carignane for the main course. Dessert was a blackberry shortcake and an albarino ice wine, all of which also came from Old Creek.

“I hadn’t even heard of two of their three wines!” Snider said. “(John and Carmel Whitman) are doing a lot with Mediterranean-influenced grapes. The Loureiro was a very light, floral wine. The carignane was beautiful, smoky and smooth and paired wonderfully with the dish. It was neat to try new things, it wasn’t just the same old cabernet or chardonnay, it was totally different.”

Snider was pleased with both entries. Team SideCar’s creamed swiss chard “… was so so good! It was such a rich, decadent dish.”

Judging a three-course meal in front of an audience was an interesting experience, she said. “Here I am chomping on my food, trying to articulate what I think about it without talking with my mouth full!” she laughed. “I ate six plates of food, six beverages, and before I went (to judge), I had deep-fried Oreos and pan bread. I didn’t even eat the next day!”

With full tummies, the judges gave SideCar the edge, but by just two points out of 100.

The weekend before, however, was a little more “interesting,” as Snider judged the wine competition with a group of five others. Last year’s event, which Snider also helped judge, offered both commercial and noncommercial wines; this year, commercial wine judging was moved to the Mid-State Fair.

While homemade, the 2010 entries did offer some bright stars, like Shadetree Winery, whose petit sirah-petit verdot blend not only placed first in its class, but also received the highly desired Best in Show ribbon.

“We didn’t have to pick a Best in Show if the entries didn’t merit one,” Snider said, “but this was a standout wine, it was that good.”

Many of the 36 entries, however, were less than fantastic, Snider confessed. “Some were just awful. Rosemary should never be made into wine. You know that show ‘The Best Thing I Ever Ate?’ That was the worst thing I ever drank!”

Still, it was an adventure. Snider tasted 20 wines this year; reds, whites, and all the in-betweens. Part of wine judging is strategizing to preserve your palate for the duration of the tasting process. She and her fellow judges opted to taste the heavier wines last, because “after a while your palate is just killed.”

Judges didn’t get to see the names or labels of the wines they tasted until afterward, when they gave each label a score to add to each entry’s total.

“Some of them don’t have labels, just masking tape with a marker,” Snider said. “But some had fancy labels, and got points for that.”

Snider hastened to explain that the term “competition” is a little deceiving. “We weren’t comparing the wines against each other,” she said. “We’re not necessarily saying, ‘Yeah, that one was way better than the last one.’ They all stand on their own merit.”

Snider offered praise to the fair organizers. “They do such a great job! Everyone who works there is so nice; they love what they’re doing. They have plenty of water, crackers, bread and cheese available, and a sandwich buffet afterwards.” Good thing, she laughed, because “some of us were a little tipsy after!”

Speculation ends as Francina does not pull
papers for November City Council election

By Mary M. Long

The papers are filed and the race is on. Wednesday at 5 p.m. was the filing deadline for the upcoming Ojai City Council race, which will be on the Nov. 2 General Election ballot.

The deadline was extended from Friday when incumbent Mayor Steve Olsen decided not to run for re-election. There could be a major shake-up at City Hall because seats currently held by Carol Smith and Paul Blatz are also up for grabs.

Candidate Lenny Klaif, who was defeated by Blatz in a June special election for the seat vacated by longtime Councilman Joe DeVito, will again enter the race, along with Blatz, Smith and challengers Carlon Strobel, Dennis Leary and Demitri Corbin. Speculation that Suza Francina might be a challenger ended with the filing deadline.

Strobel is stepping down from her position as records manager and city clerk to make a run for City Council, with veteran Cynthia Burrell taking the position as city clerk in Strobel’s absence.

Strobel leaves her salaried position of $87,669 to be a newcomer in the City Council race for a position that pays $5,700 annually. She describes her decision as sort of an epiphany. “One day I was telling a citizen who was complaining, ‘If you don’t like the way the city is being managed then step up to the plate and do something.’ Then I thought, why don’t you take your own advice? I was absolutely certain, and I’ve been certain ever since,” Strobel said.

The position of records manager is mandated to be objective, and Strobel felt that the voice of the citizens of Ojai was just not being heard. One of her complaints was the lack of transparency in the city manager’s office. She said the Skate Park and Libbey Bowl projects were taking too long to be completed, and the city and the public were not interacting in a way to move things forward. “When the public asks for documents or information, our priority as servants is to get that information to them immediately,” she said. “I felt like I was spending a lot of time dragging records out of people.” She made it clear that 98 percent of city records, including financial records, are public. “It’s almost as though we have forgotten that we are stewards, servants. We are not the owners of the city, the citizens are,” said Strobel.

She has a positive opinion of interim city manager John Baker, and had experience working with him when he filled the gap between outgoing Dan Singer and incoming Jerry Kersnar in 2005. She describes Baker as a bottom-line kind of guy who likes to get thing done, claiming, “We can have an hour’s conversation in 30 seconds. I think he is very skilled and has a tremendous amount of expertise,” she added.

Qualifying for the November ballot for the position of city clerk, which pays a stipend of just $350 a month plus benefits, are Cynthia Burrell and Shari Herbruck. Burrell is currently acting as interim city clerk for the outgoing Strobel, resuming a position that she held for 20 years. Burrell said, “Right now, people are not happy and it’s time to get it back,” naming the years between 1989 and 2001, under city manager Andy Belknap as years of teamwork. “I must love this city,” she said, citing her reasons for running for office and wanting to be part of the upcoming city government team she describes as “exciting.”

Herbruck will be retaining her present position of planning and building technician for the Community Development Department which has an annual salary of $48,470, and cites her reason for running for city clerk as a desire “to keep the city running smoothly while in transition.” The position of records manager vacated by Strobel, with compensation ranging from $72,126 to $87,669 annually, will be filled through a process of interviewing and processing applicants by the city manager’s office. Interim city manager Baker is currently out of the office, but is expecting to announce his appointment for the records manager position as early as next week.

In November, the wild card in the elections may just be the luck of the draw. Yesterday, the State of California was expected to draw for the order that the candidates will appear on the November ballot. Studies have shown that candidates whose names are listed first on the ballot have an advantage in the voting. The results of this drawing will be available on the California Secretary of State’s Election Division web site at sos.ca.gov.

To see the county’s filing list, click HERE

Quality food at affordable prices goal of Pastor Thomas

By Logan Hall

The Ojai Valley Wesleyan Church is hunting for treasure boxes. It’s not the kind you could locate with a map or find on a sunken pirate ship. The church has set out to get the Ojai Valley involved in The Treasure Box, a nonprofit subsidiary of the food distribution company, Good Source Solutions, that is dedicated to making quality food available to families at an affordable cost.

According to the company’s web site, a Treasure Box consists of 21 to 25 pounds of frozen foods ranging from beef and pork to fettuccini and chicken parmesan, enough to feed a family of four for about a week or an individual for almost a month. Families or individuals can purchase a box from their local host site for $30 and there are no qualifiers or restrictions. The contents of the boxes have a retail value of $65 to $100, and The Treasure Box has ties with more than 500 major food manufacturers, including Foster Farms, Nestle and Sara Lee, giving people access to grocery store-quality items.

“The main thing here is that the treasure boxes help people in all financial situations,” said Weselyan Church Pastor Lyn Thomas. “A member of our church had heard about it and it looked good so we said, ‘Let’s do it.’”

While the boxes seem like a great way for families to stock up on quality food at a decent price, it can also be a great way for people to donate to their community. A Treasure Box can be purchased and donated to a needy recipient. “People can purchase a box and designate the Help of Ojai’s Community Assistance Program as the recipient,” said Thomas. “C.A.P. can then distribute it to who they know.”

Everyone has a chance to fill their freezer with name-brand foods that won’t empty their bank accounts, and the company also seems to focus on including healthy items in the boxes. “The food is all really healthy and high quality,” said LaNette Donoghue, of the Wesleyan Church. “You don’t feel like you’re getting secondhand food at all.”

People interested in purchasing a Treasure Box will have until Aug. 15 to place their order to guarantee delivery in time for the month of September. Call the Ojai Valley Treasure Box at 640-5946 or log on to ojaivalleytreasurebox.org.

Photo by Scott Wintermute

By Scott Wintermute

One Ojai family is displaced from their home today due to a Tuesday night fire that destroyed their garage, damaged their home and burned countless irreplaceable family heirlooms

Becky Monahan went out to check the laundry in the dryer shortly after her two girls headed to rent a movie, only to find smoke and flames billowing out from between the wall and machine.

“She started screaming, ‘Fire,’ so I grabbed the fire extinguisher.” said Tim Grant, the girls’ father who fought the blaze to little avail before it got into the walls and attic of their home and became too much for a garden hose to handle. Luckily, firefighters from Stations 21, 22 and 23 arrived at the scene and were able to contain the damage to the attached garage.

“Once they got here, it didn’t take them long to get it 90 percent contained,” said Grant.

No one was harmed in the incident, which occured around 10 p.m. Tuesday, including beloved pets Frankie the dog and Squirt the cat, after Grant ushered them out of the house. “The firemen got the guinea pig out.” added Grant.

By Bill Buchanan

I was really looking forward to the Ventura County Fair, which continues through Aug. 15. I hurt my knee Sunday night, and will be going a little slower for the next few days until it either gets better or I get faster on crutches.

I hate to miss the fair, because when I was a kid few things caused more excitement at my house (well, for my sister and me at least) than the annual county fair. For one week each October everything else became secondary as the rides, exhibits, games of chance, sideshows and “fair food” took over our lives.

At night, you could hear the carnival organ music, and see the bright lights of the midway and the rides from my house. That meant sleep was pretty much out of the question for that week as my sister and I plotted our every move.  In fact, I doubt the D-Day invasion of Normandy was as well planned as our visits to the fair. Each night my sister and I would go over what we were going to see, what rides we were going to ride and what food we were going to eat. We would tally the cost of each event, and then see if we could add something to the itinerary, or would be forced to take something off. We shook our piggy banks until they were a blur, making sure we got every last coin out to take and blow on games, rides and food.

And although I was fascinated by all of it, I guess the rides were my favorite thing about the fair. This was due in part to my total inability to win anything at any of the games of chance. Over the years, I probably spent $40,000 trying to win stuffed teddy bears for myself, and later on, the girls I had a crush on — including my wife. At least I was consistent — I was awful at all the games. I would put down dollar after dollar shooting basketballs, tossing rings, throwing darts, you name it, and then walk away with my hands as empty as my pockets. Then, as if on cue, some guy and his girlfriend would walk by weighted down with stuffed animals until their knees buckled —- to make sure that I felt even more incompetent.

In all those years at the fair, there was one particular ride that always held me spellbound —- the Rock-O-Planes. At night, the Rock-O-Planes looked like a neon octopus with long tentacles shooting out in all directions. At the end of the arms were little prison-like cages that housed anyone brave enough (or stupid enough) to climb aboard. The entire gizmo rotated in a clockwise motion, taking you from ground level to 30 feet or so in the air, then hurtled you back toward the earth. All the while, the cages rocked independently to insure that you never felt in control of your destiny.

I watched in awe for many years as boys and girls, men and women, went bravely into the cages to challenge the beast, often exiting the ride weak-kneed and disoriented, with someone’s corn dog from two hours ago all over their shirt. These images kept my curiosity and adventurous spirit at bay, until one fateful day, I was walking past the ride and a classmate corralled me into going on it with him. The boy who called out to me was Gary “Chunky” Paris.

Chunky saw me, pointed to the Rock-O-Planes, and yelled out, “Hey, Buck, let’s go ride it!” My first impulse was to run and hide in the photo booth. But since I was with a group of friends, peer pressure got the best of me. I couldn’t back down in front of my friends, so I climbed into the cage to ride the Rock-O-Planes with Chunky. He was one of those annoying people who were never bothered by anything. My theory, at least with him, was because he was just plain crazy. Truly crazy people don’t worry about injury, death or other trivial matters like the rest of us. And Chunky was certifiable. The story about him that stands out is that once when he was young, he was driving his motorcycle, and hit a house. It was never made quite clear what led him to hit a house on his bike, but that is beside the point. After the accident, he got up, shook himself off, got back on the bike, and drove himself the hospital to get treated.

Crazy. And I was on the Rock-O-Planes with him. I knew I was in real trouble when Chunky began to flip the cage over before the ride even started. Then things got worse. Each time we went up in the air, he would roll the cage so that we were almost parallel with the ground. Once we reached the top and began our descent, he would flip the cage forward so that you felt like you were going to hit the ground face first. We repeated that cycle over and over again until the Lord finally took pity upon me.

When my fervent prayers that the ride would stop were finally answered, I was thankful for three things — that I was out of that cage, that I was alive, and finally, that the engine and crowd noise had been loud enough to muffle my screams. I don’t know that I actually screamed out loud, but I was certainly screaming on the inside.

I didn’t know if Rock-O-Planes even still existed, so I “Googled” it just out of curiosity. I halfway expected to either get nothing at all, or maybe get a hit about a stoner garage band called “The Rock-O-Planes” playing at some obscure venue. But sure enough, the ride is still around. You can even see a YouTube video of some fool flipping over and over and over in the cage as he rides to glory.

I couldn’t tell for sure, but it just might have been Chunky Paris in there.  Have fun at the fair.

Construction continues on Ojai’s long-awaited skate park as workers add gravel to help potential drainage system issues. The park is scheduled to be open on Ojai Day, Oct. 16. Funding for the $3 million facility was raised by contributors and the city of Ojai. Photo by Mary M. Long

Baker takes control of skate park construction after concerns arise

By Mary M. Long

The dream team arrived and started shooting the concrete for the Ojai Skate Park early Tuesday morning. This is the same team that built the skate facility for the X games and, most recently, the Maloof Money Cup, which is now under construction in Orange County.

Joe Ciaglio, owner of California Skate Parks, has donated pool coping for the rim of the 9.5-foot-deep skate bowl at the rear of the park. “This is no small thing,” said the foreman Sergio Acosta, smiling. This coping was developed by Ciaglio specifically for skateboarding and is the same surface they installed in famed skateboarder Tony Hawk’s home, state-of-the-art facility.

A snag in the project unraveled this week resulting in an urgent on-site meeting Wednesday morning between volunteer construction liaison Chet Hilgers, representing Skate Ojai with Bob Daddi and Chris Hilgers, city engineer, Glen Hawks, Public Works director Mike Culver, Earth Systems representatives Rick Beard and Todd Trandy, Parks and Recreation director Dale Sumersille, Councilwoman Betsy Clapp, former City Clerk Carlon Strobel and foreman Acosta. The Hilgers had been asking for an accounting of the Skate Park construction funds for some time, which allegedly had not been provided by the city under Kersnar’s management. As additional construction expenses had been submitted, there was some confusion as to what money was available and what the current accounting was. The change work order involved additional drainage components and permeable fill soil to ensure the integrity of the construction and the longevity of the park. Gravel has been added to the bottom of the skate bowl for additional drainage, as well as the Earth System’s engineer calling for a permeable soil mix to replace the hydrophobic native soil to backfill the retaining walls. This will protect the walls so they will not be exposed to the pressure of the contraction and expansion of clay soil.

“The purpose here is to build the best skate park possible,” said Chet Hilgers, who was adamant that the basic structure not be compromised from the foundation up.

Hilger’s query to city officials when they tried to economize on these necessary components was, “Where’s the money?” This meeting led to an urgent Thursday morning meeting at City Hall where Ojai Skate Park representatives Chet Hilgers and Bob Daddi met with the interim city manager John Baker in closed session to discuss the management of the park construction. According to Hilgers the meeting went extremely well and he was very happy with the new interim city manager. “He said he will be the Skate Park project manager from now on and will take responsibility for the project,” said Hilgers, happily. He went on to say that Baker reassured them that there were no issues regarding money for the Skate Park based on his preliminary review, and that an accounting will be released soon. He claimed that Baker wanted to make it really clear that the Skate Park would be completed and done on time. The official Ojai Skate Park opening and ribbon cutting has been confirmed for Ojai Day, Oct. 16.

Leslie Clark at work in her hpme studio as she prepares for her humanitarian trip to Niger. Photo by Logan Hall

Local artist will embark again on aid mission to Niger

By Logan Hall

When stepping into Nomad — The Leslie Clark Gallery in Ojai, one might feel like they have been transported to the plains of  West Africa. With paintings from Clark depicting the scenes of life as an African nomad, and artifacts and jewelry made by tribesmen from the heart of the continent, the gallery focuses on a lifestyle that is incomprehensible to most of the western world.

Although Clark is well known for her command of a paint brush over a blank canvas, she isn’t just an artist who visually captures a land that is a stark contrast to a place like the Ojai Valley. After traveling to Ethiopia and Niger, she began to see the remote parts of the world as more than just a travel destination. She saw the opportunity to reach out and help those who struggle to survive every day of their lives. “I went to Morocco and South Africa in late ‘80s,” said Clark, “but the trip that really knocked my socks off was when I traveled cross country in West Africa in ‘92. Then I went to Niger and saw the poorest, least-developed place in the world.”

Clark decided she had to help out in Niger, a country where ,according to United Nations statistics, the life expectancy is 52 years as apposed to the U.S. life expectancy of almost 80 years. Taking the reins, in 1997, she started the Nomad Foundation. “We started out to help preserve their cultural and artistic traditions, but it kind of transformed into helping them with economic development. We’re really working toward giving them the tools to survive as best they can with their existing skills, while teaching them new skills as well,” she said.

When dealing with the wide range of issues that plague Niger, Clark takes an “If you teach a man to fish” approach that she hopes will lead to more long-term stability for the nation’s nomadic population. To accomplish this, the Nomad Foundation is in the process of building the Tamesna Center for Nomadic Life located on the indigenous people’s annual migration route. “They pass by this region twice a year,” Clark said, “so we started by building a medical clinic last fall. Most of these people had never seen a doctor before.”

The Nomad Foundation has received a lot of support from the Ojai Valley, including funding from the Ojai Rotary clubs. Aside from contributing to the cause financially, Rotary Club members have also donated their time to help on-site in Niger.

Rotary member and retired physician Dr. Bob Skankey has been to Niger twice to make his medical expertise available to the people of the region. Simple things that people of the western world might take for granted, such as vitamins, are an exotic and lifesaving element in a Third World country like Niger. “When we got there, one of the most effective things was vitamins,” said Skankey. “We’ve had people with chronic illness come into the clinic looking like they were going to die. I gave them vitamins and ibuprofen, and two or three days later, they were up and about. These are wonderful, wonderful, loving people. We have truly made an impact on their quality of life. It really makes me feel good.”

Skankey has dealt with various illnesses when helping the locals with their medical issues. According to him, malaria is one of the more prevalent diseases, although respiratory problems were common due to the steady inhalation of the constantly shifting desert sands.

While Skankey helps with illness and disease within the population, Clark is busy with the logistics of helping bring the nomads what they need to adapt to a lifestyle that will help them through times of famine and drought. “We have a solar engineer coming in September to teach the local people how to fabricate solar panels to help power the water pumps, and next year we want to purchase a well drilling rig and have the rig crew come out to train them,” said Clark. “Right now, in order to get water, they either have to use buckets at a well, or they can pump it by hand. We want them to be able to have a business that will help expand their access to water and help boost their economy.”

Clark, Skankey and others who help the Nomad Foundation, face many challenges when trying to accomplish their goals. Aside from the dangers of working in such a harsh environment, there is a severe language barrier that is further complicated by a lack of reliable translating.

The main challenge that the foundation faces is the need for outside funding. “A big problem we’ve got is that we’re just to small for the big organizations to help out. Raising money is a big challenge,” said Skankey, who at the age of 79, vows to make the trip out to Niger twice a year.

In order to help raise money for her upcoming trip to Niger in September, Clark is holding her annual “African Marketplace” at the Nomad Gallery at 307 E. Ojai Ave., across the street from the Arcade on Aug. 15 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Live African music will help set the tone as artifacts and different works by the people of Niger will be set out on the patio and discounted 20 to 40 percent. Proceeds from the sale of items such as traditional African daggers, woven baskets, and masks will go toward funding the projects that could help these impoverished people lead longer, more fulfilling lives.

“Everything we are doing is very important because of the severe famine in Niger this year,” said Clark. “Millions of people are on the verge of starvation. We have been at it for a long time. It’s an ambitious project, but we’re really on the way now.”

To learn more about the Nomad Foundation, go to nomad foundation.org.

Ruth Torrance has entered her works in the Ventura County Fair once again.

Torrance racks up ribbons, enters VC Fair again

By Mary M/ Long

“It’s still a thrill to walk into the fair and see a ribbon hanging on my picture,” said Ruth Torrance. Her walls are covered with the l watercolors she has painted and the ribbons they have won still hang on them. At 99 years old Torrance is proud of being “almost a century old.”

She got her start in painting when art classes were offered at her mobile home park in Ojai about 30 years ago. “I went to see what it was all about and I decided I liked it,” she said. Watercolors are her specialty, with landscapes, flowers and animals being her favorite subjects. She jokes that she might have to retire from painting as she has all of her children supplied with her artwork. With three children, 11 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and 8 great-great-grandchildren, this is one busy woman. When she is not painting, she is recycling greeting cards and crocheting afghans for veterans.

When someone told her she ought to be exhibiting her paintings in the fair she asked her art teacher Lois Powers for help. It’s been about three years now that she has been hanging her paintings at the Ventura Fair and she is looking forward to this year’s competition with three  paintings entered. After the fair she is looking forward to visiting her grandson in Baja where she hopes to try her hand at painting a seascape. A few years ago she had tried living in an environment where she was “waited on” and she said, “I couldn’t take it.”

She proudly shows a photograph of her 99th birthday party where her family made a 99-candle display on a 13-foot plank. “My great-great-grandson Brandon drilled the holes and my great-great-granddaughter Tayler put the candles in them.” Next March they will have to drill another hole and add another candle.

By Mary M. Long
The Ventura County Fair kicked off its pre-fair party Monday with a hoot and holler in keeping with this year’s theme of “Western Nights and Carnival Lights.” Fair president and all-around Ojai cowboy, Michael Bradbury, set the tone, proudly claiming that the Ventura Fair is the crown jewel of all country fairs.

“Nowhere else do you have the ocean weather, and the expansive beautiful views that this Ventura Fair has,” he stated. Quelling any rumors that the fairgrounds would be sold, he said there was no way that  willever happen. “The fair is in good hands,” he said, with the conviction of a man who knows what he is talking about and lives by his word. “My commitment when I joined the fair board,” said Bradbury, “was to retain this fair’s country atmosphere.” Not only is the fair keeping its country roots, but they are actually expanding, and will begin building a new, state-of-the-art livestock facility.

Excitement was in the air as the crowd rambled in and availed themselves of the hearty vittles served up by Marshall’s Bodacious Barbecue. With a good old-fashioned barbecue, plates were filling up with seconds and thirds of steak, chicken and beans. “Fantastic” was how Chet Hilgers described the feast, and his family agreed.

“The best-kept secret” and favorite country band of Mike and Heidi Bradbury, Caught Red Handed, took the stage to the knee-slapping, boot-scootin’ pleasure of the crowd. Playing country music and a lot of George Strait tunes, the band had the party up and dancing on the turf, with the Ventura palm trees as a scenic backdrop. Dusting it up were Fred and Margaret Menninger, who were really kicking it, country style. “They were the couple to watch,” said Hilgers, although a lot of the guests took a turn, trying their boots out on the dance area. “This is our shotgun start to the fair,” laughed CEO and general manager Barbara Quaid. Claiming to be “a country girl at heart,” she thanked the over 2,000 volunteers who made this fair possible. Board members and former board members stood for introduction with their contributions recognized and applauded. The air excitement as the party drew to a close and Troy Robinson, called out the last song of the evening as “one more for Heidi.”

“Mike and Heidi Bradbury are our biggest fans,” said Robinson, lead singer of the band. “I think we were all kids tonight,” said Bradbury, as guests and board members, children and adults tipped a hat to the opening of the 2010 Ventura County Fair. It was a first-class, cowboy-style hoedown.

For more information about the fair, see a video interview with public relations and marketing director James Lockwood at ojaivalleynews.com. Also access the Ventura County Fair’s web site at venturacountyfair.org.

By Bill Buchanan

I was talking to Tom Farmer the other day, and the subject of golf came up. He asked me if I played. I said I used to, and played a lot at one time, but had not played in several years. After I had back surgery, I decided to quit. If I ever re-injure my back, it will be doing something I enjoy more than golf.

I used to love golf. However, I do not possess the right temperament for the game. Any time you throw the club farther than you hit the ball, you might need to take up something else. Or as Tom said, “Your problem is that you are standing too close to the ball after you hit it.” Exactly.

Another frustrating thing about golf is that unlike other sports, you are usually not rewarded much for a good shot. For instance, in tennis, if you hit a good serve, you might ace the other guy and win the point immediately. But in golf, unless you hole out, you have to hit another shot.

Case in point — years ago when I was playing regularly I was having one of those rare days where I was just crushing the ball on my drive — and it was staying in the fairway. We came to a par five, a little over 500 yards. I hit a very nice, straight drive, and decided to go for the green on my next shot. Any attempt to go for the green in two shots had to carry the creek, which ran about 15 yards in front of the hole. The idea being that you had to hit a good second shot, you could not just run the ball up to the green.

I caught all of a three wood, and wound up just over the green in two — two of the best back-to-back shots I had ever hit. I had avoided the sand trap (which was good, as I was famous for pulling an “Adolph Hitler” when in a sand trap — also known as “two shots and still in the bunker”). I was chipping for an eagle three. I was thrilled.

Now the game of golf senses when you are thrilled. It only allows you to experience temporary excitement so it can devastate you that much more when it takes it away. Sure enough, on my next shot, I looked up too soon, and moved the ball about 18 inches. There is a common term for this in golf, but it cannot be published in a family newspaper.

I tried to gather myself, but I was angry — not a good emotion to carry around with you if you want to play your best golf. I hit my next shot far beyond the hole, and proceeded to three-putt. So I went from chipping for an eagle three to knocking it in disgustedly for a double-bogey seven. Perhaps that is why one avid golfer was quoted as saying, “There is nothing I love as much as I hate golf.” Amen to that.

Now there has been a debate for many years as to who is the greatest golfer of all time. Many people feel that the title belongs to Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer or Gary Player. Others hearken back to an earlier age, and make the case for Sam Snead, Ben Hogan or Bobby Jones. The more contemporary theory is that Tiger Woods is the Babe Ruth of golf, and that he will one day be, if he is not already, the greatest to ever play the game.

I am afraid they all labor under a misconception. I humbly submit that the greatest golfer who ever lived was my cousin, Howard — as long as he was allowed to keep his own scorecard.

It’s not that Howard wasn’t a good golfer. He was. Howard was strong, could hit the ball a mile. And he had an above-average short game that allowed him to play well. However, Howard had an ego the size of Texas, and he just couldn’t stand for his score to be spoiled by one or two bad holes. I’m not saying he cheated, but let’s say he just didn’t let the scorecard stand in the way of having a good round.

Many days Howard would be playing well, but would run into a patch where his swing would fail him. When we were kids, his son and I would often play along with Howard, and it might go something like this:

Howard tees up his ball, a Black Titleist No. 4. He hits his drive into the woods, looks around for his ball. He “finds” his ball which has miraculously moved to a different area than it seems it had originally landed. No longer stymied by the trees, he takes a mighty cut at the ball, but nothing happens — “That was just a practice swing,” he mutters. He winds up again and he shoots for the green — but goes over. He then chips onto the green, and now stands over his putt as he says, “Well, gotta’ sink this for my par.” Howard sinks the putt, and I retrieve his Red Slazenger Three from the cup, and toss it to him. No sense in arguing that this is not the ball Howard hit off the tee,  as I would only have to walk home.

None of those guys would have stood a chance against Howard.

By Bill Buchanan

I am not a huge soccer fan. What little I know about the game comes from a friend of mine who gets up early on weekends to follow club soccer and absolutely lives for the World Cup. David’s love for the game probably came from watching and coaching his four kids when they played.

Now while I am not a fanatic (or even very knowledgeable), I do enjoy the World Cup. It is kind of like the Olympics only with a singular sport. And people not only take it seriously, it is life and death for many — some almost literally. A friend of mine who is originally from Colombia recently told me her dad had a heart attack while watching his beloved native team in the World Cup several years ago. Fortunately, he was watching with his two sons and they called an ambulance to take him to the hospital, where he was treated and later released. She didn’t say whether her brothers went with her dad to the hospital, or stayed behind to watch the game. I suspect the latter.

Three things stand out to me about soccer — flopping, magic spray, and the penalty or free kick.

Flopping occurs every time an opposing player even looks at a guy cross-eyed. Players seem to hit the ground on any type of contact. Now while some of the contact is rough and physical, other contact is less than you would receive bumping into someone at the grocery store. No matter, whenever an opponent gets close to another player, that guy goes down faster than Lee Harvey Oswald. I guess the idea is to draw a penalty, but it seems like the referees would get pretty tired of it.

Now compare that to American football, where linebackers hit running backs like a June bug hits a windshield. It seems no matter how vicious the hit, the ball carriers often manage to stay on their feet and run or at least dive for more yardage. When they do get popped and go down, they jump up and return to the huddle. It amazes me how hard some of these football hits are. And the guys pop right up. I know some of it is toughness (or craziness, perhaps), but some of it has to do with ego. The ball carrier just doesn’t want to let the defensive guy know that he hurt him. He jumps up like, “Hey, is that all you’ve got?”

The exception to this rule was the great Jim Brown. When Brown played for Cleveland, I was a Packer fan, but I loved watching him run the ball. No one ran like Jim Brown. When they finally did manage to tackle him, Brown would lay on the ground for a long time, and slowly get up and trudge back to the huddle. He was moving so slowly you didn’t think they were going to get the next play off in time. But when they handed him the ball he came alive. He would run over the first guy, put a move on the next guy, then sprint by other defenders and leave them there modeling their shoes while he raced for a touchdown. It was beautiful.

Now, back to soccer — when a guy goes down, and really appears to be injured, they often trot out the magic spray. The magic spray has not been used as frequently in the World Cup as it seems to be in club soccer. For the uninitiated, what I call “magic spray” is something mysterious the trainers bring out when a player is injured. I don’t know what is in that bottle, but it seems no matter how severe the injury, no matter how close to death the player seems to be, when the trainer pulls out that aerosol can and hits the injured guy with the magic spray, he seems to be reborn. He springs to his feet, ready to run at full speed and battle on until the end of the match.

The penalty kick seems to have similar recuperative powers. I have seen players hit the deck and roll around like they were thrown from a motorcycle — but when the referee calls for a penalty kick, they jump up like nothing happened. They get up, kick the shot and most times score the goal. Then, the guy who was just writhing on the ground is suddenly running around doing back flips and somersaults like something out of a Cirque Du Soleil show.

Now it occurs to me that with medical costs spiraling out of control, we should take a serious look at incorporating both the magic spray and penalty kicks into our health care system. Instead of costly hospital stays, let’s just hit the sick with a dose or two of magic spray, and let them go on their way.  For more serious injuries, or for those recovering from surgery, offer them the option of a penalty kick.

Now you ask, what or even who do they get to kick? My suggestion would be a BP executive. I’m not talking about a rank-and-file worker, or some guy who works at a BP station or convenience store. I’m talking about taking a high-ranking BP executive and just kicking him around like a rented mule. Wouldn’t that make anyone feel a lot better? Imagine the health care savings.

Since this column deals with sports, I have to include a great sports-related story I heard the other day from Hank Bangser, Ojai Unified School District superintendent. Hank was in the office last week to film the weekly OVN “In-Depth Interview,” and he and I visited afterward. During our conversation, we talked about playing sports back in high school. It turns out that Hank was a three-sport man in high school — football, baseball and basketball — with basketball being his least accomplished sport. As Hank tells it: “I was 6 feet 3 inches, 225 pounds and the coach pretty much told me that my jobs were to set picks (i.e., physically abuse the other team), rebound, and get their best big man into foul trouble. In a word, I was expendable.”

Hank grew up around New York City, and one day his team was picked to scrimmage the undefeated national juggernaut, Power Memorial High School, whose center was a guy named Lew Alcindor. Many might know him better by the name he went by later on — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Hank got in the game in the third quarter, and had the “privilege” of guarding Mr. Alcindor. Hank was determined not to be intimidated, and to hold him to as few points as possible.

Hank told me that he held Alcindor/Abdul-Jabbar to only 20 points. I was impressed, until Hank added slyly, “but that was in only four minutes.” When you do the math, that would be 160 points in a full game.

Hank did say that he was able to dominate Alcindor/

Abdul-Jabbar in one statistic, “TIAHBs.” When I asked what that meant, he said it was “throw-ins after his baskets.” Ha. What a great story.

The column was on sports, but I didn’t get around to college football, and being a major Alabama fan, I will eventually devote a column (or more) to my love for college football — and especially my Crimson Tide. But that is for another day.

By Bill Buchanan

“This is my last next-to-last move. My next move will be to either the nursing home or the funeral home.”

The idiot who uttered that statement was me — in 1992, when my wife and I moved from my hometown of Fort Payne, Ala., to Tuscaloosa, Ala. At the time I said that, I had moved 15 times in 16 years. Some of those moves were across town, and some were across country. Some were made when I was single and one or two carloads would get everything, while others involved professional movers and commercial 18-wheelers. But, at any rate, I was determined to settle into one house and stay put. Period.

That pledge lasted only a few years. So much for putting my foot down. Or I guess you could say that I did put my foot down, it just didn’t stay there long.

Now I am moving to Ojai to run the Ojai Valley News and the Ojai Valley Visitors Guide. While being a veteran of many moves, it is kind of like golf — if you haven’t played in awhile, you get rusty and out of rhythm.

I have had several partners who have “coached” me through this move. I would like to say thanks to:

• Geoff Wells — for providing me a very nice room on very short notice.

• Barry Snyder —for finding me an apartment more quickly than I ever thought possible.

• Jodie, Michelle, Lenny, and Ross here at the newspaper for helping me with my apartment — everything from locating it, to hooking up cable and electricity, to sending me a video of it to view.

• Vic Adam — for locating furnishings for my apartment despite being in the middle of phone book deliveries of the new Ojai Valley Directory. You are my decorating warrior.

• Ren Adam — for staying out of Vic’s way.

• Bill Moses — for lending me a couch.

• Bob Kemper — for lending me a lamp.

As in Olympic diving, all moves have their own degree of difficulty. But the one outstanding thing about my move to Ojai is — I don’t have to move any cats.

Ava and I have always had dogs. I love dogs — all breeds, sizes and personalities. But at one time, along with our dogs, we had cats — lots of them. We inherited the cats years ago, when Ava found the abandoned mother and six nursing babies and took them in. The cats were malnourished and weak. Ava said she was going to let them get a little stronger and find a good home for all of them. And true to her word, she did. Ours.

I know of no one who loves living things as much as my wife, who is sometimes referred to as “St. Francis of Nebraska.” It pains Ava to kill ants. She will catch spiders, bees and other bugs, and put them outside. Ava even refuses to kill snakes (we will save those stories for another day).

So Ava made it her mission to nurse the cats back to health. One kitten was just too small and weak to make it. He died within a few days and was buried in a Velveeta cheese box. But the rest of the cats flourished, growing sleek and strong. One of the cats, a male, repaid our kindness by running off a couple of months later. But the mother and the lone surviving male, as well as the two surviving females, lived with us for many years.

The mother and the male were great cats. They were very mellow and affectionate. The two females could best be described as miniature versions of the monsters in the “Alien” movie series. They were wild and absolutely crazy. They would not come to anyone and refused to be petted. Even if you came up to them casually and in the most non-threatening manner imaginable, they would fix you with a wild saucer-eyed stare, then immediately bolt away.

This did not cause too many problems until it was time to move.

These two cats were always the last things to go. The house would be completely cleared out. Ava would lure the cats into the house with food, shut them off into a confined area, and then attempt to get them into their kennels.

This became known as “The Great Cat Rodeo.”

Ava would place the cat carriers nearby, put on a pair of heavy work gloves, wrap towels around her arms, take a deep breath and proceed to round up the two females.  The process would begin with Ava sweetly cooing something like, “Here kitty, kitty — it’s OK, it’s OK …” but would soon evolve into total chaos, with the cats tearing around the room and yowling followed by Ava giving chase and cursing. It was something of a cross between “The Roadrunner and Wily  E. Coyote” cartoons and a remake of “The Exorcist.”

On our most recent move, we were down to just one cat. Naturally, it was one of the crazy ones. We tried everything to catch her. Finally, we bought a raccoon trap — a big wire cage with a spring trap door in which to capture the cat. The cat was old, but was still sure-footed and crafty. We hid around the corner of the house to observe the cat. We watched as the cat cautiously entered the cage, ate the food used as the bait, then stepped nimbly over the trip wire, and dashed away. This soon became a daily ritual, and I think, somewhat of a game to the cat.

We were in agony. We were running out of time and patience. Finally, Ava was forced to put the food in the bait dish, and hide behind the corner of the house with a water bottle. When the cat entered the cage, Ava fired a strike with the water bottle, hitting the cage hard enough to trigger the trip wire and capture the cat.

All that makes this move look like a piece of cake. And thanks to those mentioned above, it was.

P.S.: Thanks to the Ojai Independence Day Committee; the fireworks display was outstanding. You made my Fourth.

Photo and report by Logan Hall

Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies on the ground and in the air responded to a call of an armed robbery at Baskin Robins ice cream store in Mira Monte Thursday at around 10:30 a.m. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken after the suspect reportedly handed the clerk a note. Arrested at 3:15 p.m. on Fairview Road by Sheriff’s Department Gang Unit officers was 30-year-old parolee Tomas Sambolin, of Oak View. Above, Ojai Chief of Police Chris Dunn gathers information while Sgt. Steve Capuano cordons off the store’s entrance with yellow caution tape. After being questioned at the Ojai Police Station, Sambolin was booked at the Ventura County Main jail on suspicion of robbery and kidnapping.

Editor’s Note: Many of the comments posted on this blog allege that Tomas David. Sambolin is an illegal alien. The suspect is a convicted felon and a parolee. It is safe to assume that as an illegal alien, he would not have been granted parole after his convictions in 1998 for vandalism and grand theft by embezzlement, for which he was sentenced to a year in County Jail, and his 1999 conviction for carjacking. These off-topic comments are irrelevant to the arrest made and charges to be filed in this case.

Revised agreement reduced to 25 years

By Mary Long

Tuesday night the Ojai City Council unanimously approved the finalized lease with the Ojai Festivals with the enthusiastic support of both council and festival members. Jeff Haydon, executive director of Ojai Festivals, said, “The Festivals are pleased to be working with the city on building this historic project and codifying a relationship that has been in existence for more than 50 years.”

“I appreciate your great work and your commitment to the project,” said Councilwoman Sue Horgan. According to Paul Blatz, the newest member of the council, the lease made “all the sense in the world” and after many hours of the committee working out the details with council and the festivals, he said, “What we negotiated and what we told staff we wanted is exactly what the Ojai Festivals agreed on.”

City attorney Monte Widders walked the council and audience through the basic tenants of the lease and explained why there had been so much misunderstanding of its provisions. “It’s not your traditional commercial lease … they will pay their rent, virtually most of the cost of the building, up front — $1 million paid when we execute the lease, we already have $500,000 in our account, the other $500,000 will be paid to the city within three days of executing the lease … an additional $1.7 million by the Festivals to the city over the next five years, primarily coming from community pledges. So close to $3 million is being paid by the Festivals and their other fund-raising partners, the Ojai Service Foundation and the Ojai Civic Association, to the city, virtually up front and not over time. That’s the reason … the monthly rent is a nominal figure … we needed the money to rebuild the bowl, we couldn’t wait.”

The terms of the lease have been revised from the original and will be for 25 years instead of the 99 years first released; 14 days will be allocated for the Music Festival with 11 days to be designated by the Ojai Festivals for other performances of a similar quality. The lease has been adjusted to make a provision for an additional 25-year lease possible, linked directly to the amount of pledge money the Ojai Festivals has raised. This creative financing then builds into the lease an extra incentive for them and their fund-raising partners to continue their efforts to secure gifts and pledges. The city of Ojai will continue to maintain Libbey Bow, but Ojai Festivals will be required to carry their own liability insurance and fire and casualty insurance which will cover 90 percent of the value of the bowl.

The cash deposit agreement between the city and Ojai Festivals was also mutually agreed upon. As pledges are collected, the money will be turned over to the city in monthly intervals. That money can only be used for the construction of Libbey Bowl or to repay the city for the advancement of construction funds. According to Councilwoman Carol Smith, “We have poured $35K to $40K a year scotch-taping it together.” She said, “This new bowl will be for everyone,” and restated her support for the lease agreement which includes the provision that the local groups which have legacy events in Libbey Bowl will have their dates protected.

With money collected by Ojai Festivals outpacing expectations, the council was able to approve the construction of the dressing rooms, currently with the construction of the shell and stage, which will be an additional saving. Money has already been secured for the seating areas, which will not be constructed, until sometime next spring. At the time of this initial construction, compacting and excavating of the base will be done for the entire building plan as the compacting will be good for years. By preparing the site all at once, more money is saved and the base will be ready for construction of the rest of the alternates as soon as funding permits.

When contacted for comment after the meeting Haydon expressed his excitement with the entire project and said that the bowl could be used under Ojai Festivals for performances other than classical music as long as they were quality events. He said that in the history of Libbey Bowl they have hosted Shakespeare productions in the late ‘40s and produced jazz at Ojai Festivals between 1961 to 1983, which featured such notables as Roger Kellaway, the Dirty Dozen Super Band, Benny Carter, Phil Woods, and Bobby Sheu. “The initial premise of the (Ojai) Festivals was to produce multiple festivals,” said Haydon.

Architect for the rebuilding project, David Bury, was contacted for comment after the meeting and wanted to correct the council’s supposition that the “reasonable life span” of the bowl was only 50 years. “This bowl is built out of concrete and steel to last,” he said, stating that a more reasonable life expectancy for the new bowl would be 100 years. “Donors need to know that this bowl is built for the ages.”

Other topics of action for the Tuesday City Council meetings were the approval for the application of Sharrows on Grand Avenue, which had been recommended by the Planning Commission last week. They also provided for the restriping of center and fog lines on Grand to be done at the same time.

Reports came in from Ojai Trolley driver Jay Simons on ideas to increase trolley ridership with a goal of doubling their revenues.

The 2009 Preservation Award was presented by Blatz to Lou Torres, who accepted the award on behalf of the Rotary Club of Ojai-West, for their creation of the 2007 Rotary Community Park at the entryway to Ojai. The city of Ojai Historic Preservation Commission had nominated them for the Historic Preservation Award which was ratified on July 13.

City Council then retired to closed executive session.

By Mary M. Long

Ojai city manager Jere Kersnar was placed on paid administrative leave Tuesday night by the Ojai City Council for undisclosed reasons.

Retiring to an executive closed session, council members deliberated for nearly an hour over the fate of this highly paid city employee. Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957(b), the public employee discipline-dismissal-release code, Kersnar was officially relieved of his position immediately following the meeting. Council vote on this action was unanimous with all council members present. The city will be seeking an interim city manager until the position can be filled permanently. Asked to comment on this action, Mayor Steve Olsen replied that he was unable to do so. The official announcement was released at 10:55 p.m. Tuesday.

Kersnar was hired in October 2005, coming to Ojai from Lodi, where he served as deputy interim manager. He replaced Dan Singer, whose contract was not renewed.

Council members had not expected to make a statement Tuesday night, but were advised by the two attorneys who were present, city attorney Monte Widders and his associate Steven Lee, that since the council had taken a vote, they had a legal obligation to make an official announcement. The first vote was to put Kersnar on paid administrative leave and the second vote was to hire an interim city manager.

According to Steven McClary, assistant to the city manager, he received a phone call from Olsen Wednesday morning, confirming his position as de facto interim city manager until Monday. McClary automatically fills the seat whenever the city manager is indisposed or unable to hold office until the council can make further decisions. McClary accepted the position of assistant to Kersnar in March 2009, relocating from the city manager’s office in Fillmore where he held the position of administrative services manager.

Wednesday afternoon Olsen confirmed that former Ventura city manager, John Baker, will be taking the position of interim city manager of Ojai. Baker has served in this position in previous instances at the request of the city of Ojai.

Kersnar held the position of city manager of Ojai since Nov. 14, 2005 after the City Council, consisting of Rae Hanstad, David Bury, Sue Horgan, Joe DeVito and Carol Smith, voted to not renew Dan Singer’s contract in May of 2005. After months of research and interviews, Kersnar was appointed to the city manager position with a starting salary of $145,000, a $17,000 increase from his predecessor’s salary.

Kersnar was chosen from a pool of 67 potential candidates for the job who were selected by the independent executive research firm Bob Murray & Associates of which seven were invited for interviews with the Ojai City Council.

Reasons given at the time for their selection of Kersnar were that “he has a very strong city management background, including financial management and city planning,” according to then-Mayor Hanstad.

Kersnar, who said he was excited about accepting the position, cited similarities between his home town of Carmel and Ojai as both being tourist destinations. His ability to handle the fine balance between meeting the needs of local residents and enhancing the city as a tourist attraction were cited as reasons for his appointment.

Reached for comment on Wednesday, Hanstad said that in 2005 when Kersnar was being considered for the position she and Councilwoman Sue Horgan traveled to Carmel where Kersnar had held the position of city manager and interviewed the mayor of Carmel and council members who gave Kersnar an excellent recommendation. “I felt excellent about his appointment at the time,” said Hanstad, claiming that Kersnar had taken the position in Ojai at a “critical time” when Ojai was in a financial crisis and had been unanimously approved by the City Council.

Kersnar was reached for comment Wednesday, to which his reply was an official “no comment” response. Kersnar’s current salary from the city of Ojai is listed as $159,000 plus benefits.

By Logan Hall

The veritable war that law enforcement has waged on marijuana growers seems to be never-ending, and the mountains above Ojai have often been the battlegrounds. Until recently, however, most of the marijuana eradications in the area have not involved the arrests of the individuals connected with the growing operations. In the last year, Ventura County Sheriff’s  narcotics officers have put an emphasis on catching the growers themselves, along with the eradication of the marijuana plants.

On July 21, the narcotics officers seized more than 23,400 marijuana plants and arrested 11 suspects believed to be involved with the large-scale growing operation that included several marijuana growing sites along Highway 33 to the north of the Ojai Valley. Two of the suspects were arrested at the grow sites while the others were found nearby. Authorities were able to link all 11 suspects to the plants that were seized.

In past years, although seizing thousands of plants, authorities have had difficulty in making arrests of the people involved in the gardens. Now, after adapting their tactics to counter those of the growers, the department has successfully made 34 arrests since 2009.

The next step for authorities is to go after those who are running the growing operation. “We always like to get to the top of the food chain,” said Narcotics Bureau Sgt. Mike Horne. “The people that we arrested are pretty low on the seniority list. They’re mostly farm worker types, but we are looking for a connection to the top.”

One of the main concerns of officials is the seizure of weapons when the arrests were made. Marijuana growers are often armed in order to protect their crops from potential invaders. The danger lies when unsuspecting citizens stumble into a grow area and accidentally confront the armed growers.

According to Horne, two of the suspects on July 21 were armed, one with a .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun, and the other with a .22 caliber long rifle. “We often find weapons or evidence of weapons at the grow sites or when we make the arrests,” said Horne. “Last year we got a guy that had an AK-47.”

Since the time of the arrests, there have been no further developments in the prosecution of the suspects. “Right now we’re putting the reports together,” said Horne. “We haven’t found anymore grows in that area that we can tie to the same guys.”

The Narcotics Bureau spends a lot of time and effort in trying to put an end to the pot-growing activity in Ojai’s mountains. The eradication process alone takes considerable manpower and the investigations can last months. The department works closely with other agencies to help curtail the multi-million-dollar growing operations. “We use the U.S. Forest Service law enforcement division for surveillance and eradication,” said Horne. “and we also utilize the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (C.A.M.P.) in our eradications. The Forest Service is a big help and C.A.M.P. can cut more weed than anyone I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Although much progress has been made in the ongoing battle, authorities seem to constantly be playing cat and mouse with the growers. “We have some historical grow sites that we check every year,” said Horne. “After we eradicate the grow, they’ll go back and use the site again. We have to stay on top of them.”

Horne and his team are hoping to eradicate more pot-growing sites and make more arrests before the season is over. Last year, the Narcotics Bureau seized 11,100 plants with an estimated street value of $16 million in a similar bust of two large marijuana cultivation sites in Matilija Canyon. That helped make 2009 a record year for marijuana eradication with about 110,000 plants seized along with 23 arrests made. With the marijuana growing season still in full swing and more than 70,000 plants seized so far, Horne is hoping to have another record year of weed eradication and arrests.

By Logan Hall

The Ojai Valley has been the subject of many publications over the years. Whether through the use of colorful pictures, or stories about life in the community, there always seems to be something about the valley that was meant to be seen and heard.

Arcadia Publishing’s Postcard History Series has brought a new book to the shelves of Ojai that takes a look into the history of the valley through postcards that have been submitted to the authors and the Ojai Valley Museum. The book boasts 200 black-and-white postcards of various locations around the valley that are complete with detailed captions describing the pictures — from Creek Road, long before it was paved, to Matilija Reservoir when it was a popular destination for recreation. “It was a lot of fun to make the book,” said Craig Walker, co-author of “Ojai.” “They’re all vintage postcards. It was great meeting the people that donated them. There are some great stories out there.”

Walker and one of his co-authors, Richard Hoye, who sadly passed away before the book was printed, would study a postcard, conduct research and compile it all to create an informative caption to go along with each picture. “We would talk about it together and one of us might have a lead,” said Walker. “With some of the cards, we would go and talk to people to get information. David Mason helped out a lot to help ensure our accuracy, but Richard was the principal researcher. I really learned a lot working with him.”

Tom Moore, another co-author of the book, said it was hard work and took a lot of careful planning, but was well worth the effort. “I did a lot of scanning and some Photoshop work,” said Moore, who had worked on the Ojai book from a few years back and has done two similar books for Carpinteria. “We had a great time with the people though, and I love the old photographs and working with the museum. It was great getting the community involved.”

“I grew up in Ojai,” added Walker, who was a teacher at Matilija and Nordhoff for 35 years altogether, “and with all of our local knowledge, the three of us made a really good team.”

“Ojai” can be found on shelves in bookstores and gift shops in the Ojai Valley or can be found online at arcadiapublishing.com.

Jacob Dallas tosses parts of the oak tree that fell on the home of Dan and Olga Singer Wednesday afternoon. Their Park Road home sustained heavy damage.

Injuries avoided in Wednesday mishap

By Logan Hall

A loud crack, followed by shaking ground and the sound of shattering glass would send anyone running for safety. As he was jumping out of the way of a collapsing roof, and dodging broken glass and debris, Aaron Singer thought he was caught in the middle of an earthquake. After clearing the crumbling walls behind him and checking on his brother, he quickly realized that the chaos was due to a giant valley oak tree that had uprooted and crashed down onto his bedroom.

“The tree shook the whole house,” said the 15-year-old Nordhoff High School student who was enjoying summer break by playing his ukulele on his couch. “I jumped up and ran into the living room and the roof was collapsing. It scared the crap out of me.”

According to certified arborist Mark Crane, the tree had been fermenting, meaning it was rotting internally. “These valley oaks are more prone to this kind of thing,” said Crane, who owns and operates Mark Crane’s Tree and Arborist Services. “This time of year, they are very active and are pulling a lot of water from the ground the roots to the canopy. The wood gets too heavy and the tree comes down. We call it summer branch drop.”

The tree itself actually sat on the adjacent property, but had fallen toward the Singer residence on Park Road. Giant limbs and branches littered the rooftop and back yard, and a large portion of the house itself was pulverized. “I got the call and had to leave work to get over here,” said homeowner and former Ojai city manager, Dan Singer. “The tree took out about a third of the house.”

Singer’s wife Olga was outside walking to their next-door neighbor’s house when she heard the crashing that had sent her sons scattering out of harm’s way. “It happened in a matter of seconds,” she said. “I heard a crack and saw this huge tree fall on the house. I ran inside to check on my kids and got them out of the house. I’m just thankful that no one got hurt.”

Crane says that the Singers’ ordeal is not an isolated incident, but their’s was more brutal than most. “That’s about as bad as it gets,” said Crane, who had pulled his crew off a job in Santa Paula to respond to the Singers’ emergency. “There was pretty severe damage to the home and we filled up a 40-yard roll-off bin with wood. One of the large leader stems of the tree weighed 15,000 pounds. We had to block off most of the street to get the crane in there.”

Although it’s a bad situation for the family, the Singers believe they are lucky and are thankful that they all made it out unscathed, and say that the estimated $100,000 in damages will be covered by their insurance.

While not uncommon, the trees that fall and create havoc could, oftentimes, be prevented with proper upkeep. “With proper pruning and care we can prevent these beautiful trees from dying and save people’s property,” said Crane. “If you see any wounds or cavities in the tree, it should be inspected by an ISA-certified arborist. We don’t want people to overreact and start cutting down a bunch of trees, but they should be aware and respond to problems if they need to.”

For more information about consulting a certified arborist, contact Mark Crane’s Tree and Arborist Services at 646-9484 or visit markcranestree.com.

‘Sharrows’ approved for Grand Avenue

By Mary M. Long

Ojai’s Planning Commis-sion took steps Wednesday evening to enhance Ojai’s attractiveness as a people-friendly, pedestrian-friendly, historic city. Sharrows, a coined term which combines the words “share” and “arrow” were approved for Grand Avenue. A sharrow is an international biking sign which, when painted on streets, works to remind the driver that the roadway is to be used equitably by both cars and cyclists. The commission’s decision was based on what they felt was the most practical and economic solution to the ongoing bicycle safety problems on Grand Avenue.

One sharrow will be painted just past each intersection and on intervals of at least 250 feet from Signal Street on the west to Orange Road on the east, a total of 60 sharrows plus five “Share the Road” signs. The commission hopes that the county may pick up the thread and continue the sharrows farther east on Grand.

Suza Francina, former mayor and chair of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition Transportation Commit-tee, was reached for comment after the meeting and expressed her approval at the commission’s actions. “I’ve been working on this for 15 years and I’m happy to see that this will finally become a reality,” she said. This implementation of sharrows follows the lead of many other cities, such as Long Beach and Santa Cruz, but is just part of the long-term vision to make Ojai’s streets equally safe for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. More than 10 years ago the City Council had created an Ojai Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, but had not made much progress until a few months ago when the commission appointed a Complete Streets Committee, consisting of Planning Commissioners Susan Weaver, Paul Crabtree and John Mirk. Weaver stressed that they as a committee were seeking “pragmatic solutions” to city issues with the cash they have in hand.

More study was recommended as the commission reviewed the application of the Anthony and Suzanne Bohnett family on their proposed four-lot subdivision, from the two existing lots 708 and 712 Drown Street. Council was reserved about the prospects of the proposed development, citing as many as 13 similar lots in Ojai. “How many other lots are there like this and what kind of precedent are we setting,” said Weaver, who expressed discomfort with the proposal. If passed,we could be looking at this another 13 times,” said Commissioner Kathy Nolan. Mirk and Weaver did comment that the project might be more suitable under the “planned unit development” strategy which would create additional units as condominium-type developments without having to subdivide existing lots.

Ojai Presbyterian Church representatives were at the meeting to exhibit their plans for a proposed remodeling and enlargement of the Foothill sanctuary. Neva Williams explained the remodel plans while the need and immediacy to enlarge their facility to accommodate their growing congregation was expressed by Dr. Jim Halverson. While the commission was complimentary on the church’s growing membership, they felt that the historic architecture of the church needed to be carefully protected. Crabtree recommended that they “bring in someone who is a specialist in church architecture,” to study their remodel design. Architect for the past Presbyterian Church remodel, Marc Whitman, was mentioned, and complimented on the current design, which commission hopes can be preserved with the proposed expansion.

Closing the meeting, newly sworn-in City Councilman Paul Blatz, liaison to the meeting, took the lectern to compliment the committee on their approval of the sharrows for Grand Avenue. He said he was looking forward to working with them to implement a “blighted building” ordinance for Ojai and to pursue the construction of a permanent bus shelter at the “Y” intersection.

The sharrow approval will come before the City Council on July 27, and will be open for public comment at that time.

Fresno firefighters Gary Schafer, left, amd Nordhoff High School 2000 graduate Josh Henderson recover from recent kidney transplant surgery. Schafer received Henderson’s kidney June 9.

Nordhoff 2000 graduate donates healthy
organ to fellow Fresno firefighter

By Misty Volaski

There’s an old saying about firefighters: they don’t preach the brotherhood of man. They live it.

That’s something Josh Henderson takes to heart. A 2000 Nordhoff High School graduate, Hender-son has been an engineer with the Fresno Fire Department for more than six years, and knows a thing or two about taking care of his fire “family.”

Earlier this year, Hender-son’s fellow firefighter, Gary Schafer, went in for a checkup and was found to have only 13 percent of normal kidney function. Dialysis or a transplant seemed inevitable. So when Henderson heard the Fire Department was seeking volunteers to test for a possible match, he didn’t hesitate to sign up.

“It was a pretty easy decision for me,” he said nonchalantly. “Others got tested too. I was just the better match.”

“It came down to Josh and one other guy, depending on their physicals, but Josh ended up being the guy,” said Schafer. “I just felt very relived that it was going to work out. I was really close to dialysis.”

Fresno Fire Capt. Miles David Talmage said he wasn’t surprised when he heard Henderson was going to go through with the procedure.

“When he first told me he was going do it, I said, ‘That’s awesome! So are you nervous?’ He just said, ‘No, I have two kidneys. I only need one. And Gary needs one.’ And that was it. No second thoughts. It is an amazing act of generosity, but I have known Josh long enough to know that this wasn’t out of character for him. That’s just the way he is. These are the model firemen, what we all strive to be.”

When Henderson told his family about his decision, his mom, Pam, “… kind of fell apart,” she said. “I said, ‘Oh my God, but we almost lost you two years ago (in a dirt biking accident)!’”

“My mom was kind of worried at first,” Henderson said. “But once I explained the procedure and they got more educated about it, they became a lot more comfortable with it. They were really supportive through the whole thing.”

After several months of testing showed the two to be a perfect match, Schafer and Henderson went to San Francisco’s California Pacific Medical Center on June 9 for the transplant procedure.

“That’s all they do, is transplants,” said Pam. “The doctors were amazing, the nurses were so helpful. It was an emotional roller coaster, but a great experience. Josh gave Gary his life back.”

“Now Josh is an extension of our family, and our family is an extension of his,” said Schafer. “I’ve got a whole new family — I’ve got a little brother!”

Just after the surgery, Schafer’s kidney function more than doubled, and he is “feeling great,” said Henderson. “We both are!”

Henderson downplayed the healing process. “I’ve had back surgery, knee surgery, lots of surgeries before. This was a pretty straightforward deal. Just some abdominal pain and a few weeks of not lifting anything. My girlfriend, Misti Sanders, is a police officer, so she understands the ‘brotherhood,’ and made it really easy on me. She was like my own private nurse.”

Both Henderson and Schafer were out of the hospital in a matter of days, and both are scheduled to return to work before the fall — Henderson in August, Schafer in September.

Said Schafer: “Ojai should be proud of Josh Henderson.”

Blatz assumes seat vacated by DeVito after winning special
election, but will face opponent and others in November

By Mary Long

Cheers and applause greeted the swearing in of Paul Blatz, Ojai’s newest City Council member. Finally filling the seat vacated by the departure of Joe DeVito, Blatz lost no time in removing his jacket and settling into his position.  “He’s rolling up his sleeves,” joked Councilwoman Sue Horgan, to the amusement of fellow councilmen and members of the audience. With Blatz beating out Leonard Klaif in the June 8 special election with a vote of 1,019 to 710, the long process of certification of the vote was over and Blatz was ready to get down to business. After a noisy moment of congratulations the council reconvened with only Councilwoman Carol Smith absent from her seat.

Klaif congratulated Blatz on taking office, and joked that there was a certain irony in being sworn in the day after they both pulled papers to run in the November City Council election. He ribbed Dennis Leary about his “awful poetry,” but observed that Leary raises some very important questions about the lack of affordable housing in Ojai. Klaif also pointed out that in his opinion the council has exhibited a double standard in how they have treated the Libbey Bowl project as opposed to their treatment of the Skate Park or Mallory Way issues.

E.J. Harrison & Sons was approved for their proposed rate increase of their waste collection services which they provide for the city of Ojai. This will be a 1 percent increase for residential accounts, and a 2 percent increase for commercial accounts. For the average homeowner this will mean an increase of about 30 cents per month. For a 3-yard trash bin it would be an increase of between $2 and $3 per month. Horgan thanked them for their services and commented on their generosity to organizations in the community.

Public comment then opened for the closed session topics. Horgan informed those in attendance that there had been some confusion over versions of the proposed lease for the Libbey Bowl to the Ojai Festivals. “The lease that was in our packet on the 22nd of June was the correct version,” said Horgan,  who stated that the provision requiring the city to bear the cost of relocating the festival if the bowl rebuild wasn’t completed in time for the 2011 Music Festival had been removed.

Kathy Richards, a resident of Ojai, spoke about her concerns with the lease.  Her first caution was the wisdom of “diving into a 99-year lease,” when the city has no experience with this type of situation. She pointed out that the Ojai Festivals are only bound to the lease for 10 years at which point they may terminate it “without cause.” She also noted that the lease had required the festivals to have construction money in place, which has not happened and felt that the lease “was too favorable for them under those circumstances.” She also questioned the wisdom of giving the Ojai Festivals the right to sublet Libbey Bowl and recommended that the city retain a lot more control, including keeping some rights for the city to retain a percentage of profits. During these events the city is still liable to provide security in the park, even though Ojai Festivals are required to provide security within the bowl area during concerts. Since half the annual city budget is for police, she was concerned that the city was taking on too much of the cost for park security. “Alcohol is an issue in my opinion,” she said. “If alcohol concessions are allowed in Libbey Park it could generate an influx of  money which would also go to the festivals. At this point the city prohibits the sale of alcohol within the park, and it would require a change in the city ordinance to allow it.”

Richards said that she hoped there would be a public hearing on the subject of the lease before the city signed any long-term agreement with Ojai Festivals.

Council adjourned to go into closed executive session with the city manager and city attorney to deliberate on the proposed lease agreement for Libbey Bowl which is expected to come before the council for a vote on July 27.

Ojai City Councilman Paul Blatz

Councilman seeks new ordinance for blighted buildings

By Mary M. Long

Newly elected Ojai City Councilman Paul Blatz responded to the following questions before being sworn in Tuesday night:

Q: Tonight you will be sworn in and you will take your seat on the City Council. How does that feel?

A: It feels good. You know, I was on city commissions for so long, an excess of 10 years on the Planning Commission, that it’s nice to be getting back involved.

Q: What issues are you most anxious to take on?

A: The first issue that I’m going to take on, and I’m going to take it on tonight, is that of the empty blighted buildings on Ojai Avenue. One of the things that I feel that I have been mandated to do is to have an ordinance put into place to address the blighted buildings. For instance, the gas station across the street from The Oaks, the old Bronk Vreeland building, the Mandulay building and the bowling alley. I will be asking staff to begin preparation of an ordinance to have those buildings declared as public nuisances if they don’t agree to a landscaping plan and a guideline for design, if they are going to be vacant for more than 90 days. If they don’t go along with the ordinance, then I’m proposing that the city charge them $1,000 a month.

Q: Have there been proposals that didn’t pass on some of these properties?

A: The bowling alley has had a couple of proposals. The owners and the purchasers have not come together on the price — same thing with the old Texaco building across from The Oaks.

The second thing I’m going to do is, not having a shelter at the bus stop at the “Y” is absolutely ridiculous. It’s taking too long … I was involved with the construction of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga., and it was constructed in one-third of the time that it took the Skateboard Park to be approved. The other thing I will be concentrating on is to make sure that the management of the Libbey Bowl reconstruction is done properly. That’s probably the biggest thing in the city right now.

Q: Have you studied the Music Festival’s proposed Libbey Bowl lease and what do you think about it?

A: Well, first of all, the lease as it currently exists, is not a lease that was proposed by the Ojai Festivals. The Festivals proposed a lease and it was given to the city, and now the city has negotiated it and has written the lease which is before us now. However, the council is going to be going into executive sessions tonight with the city attorney and the city manager to discuss the negotiations of that lease.

Q: You mentioned the possibility of the city taking over the water company.  Are there any precedents out there for this?

A: There are plenty of cities where the public utility is owned by the city. Whether or not there is precedent out there for a city to take over as dilapidated and run-down a system as ours is, I can’t tell you. Because of the condition of our water system … I tend to believe that you could build a new water system for less than it would cost to bring that one up to date.

Q: You are taking over Joe DeVito’s seat and then you have another election coming up in November. As I understand it, both Steve Olsen’s seat and Carol Smith’s seat are coming up again so there is a possibility that you could be running for election at the same time as Lenny Klaif. How would you feel about working with Lenny if you should both be on the council at the same time?

A: I would look forward to working with Lenny. We just finished a campaign which I think the city should be proud of. We focused on the issues … clean, which is how campaigns should be run everywhere, but particularly in a small town. I think Lenny has a lot of valuable talents to bring to the council.

Q: You mentioned in the campaign that you were interested in forming a commission to attract business to Ojai. What do you think that would add to the budget?

A: I would treat it very similar to the Visitor’s Bureau, which is really a committee.

Q: The budget for the Visitor’s Bureau has been set at $160,000, right?

A: The Chamber of Commerce was charged with the responsibility to operate the Visitor’s Bureau to bring tourists to Ojai and to promote Ojai as a destination city. Well, when that happened, that’s when the City Council authorized the $160,000. That’s in this year’s budget.

Q: Would the Business Bureau be a similar expense?

A: I don’t think it would be as much. My idea is to contact businesses and attract them to Ojai. For instance, I think an excellent use of the bowling alley would be if we could find a university, a Cal State University, UCLA, or USC … some university with an arts department that could use it as a classroom facility and utilize local artists to be professors. They could use it as a summer facility or something like that.

Q: I have wondered why we don’t have a summer theaterfest like the Old Globe does in San Diego, or the Black Hills summer stock company in South Dakota or the Solvang Theatrefest in Solvang.

A: You see, you wouldn’t hold the performances at the bowling alley but you could turn that into an art and music and drama center and then with the new Libbey Bowl, look, you would have a perfect venue for it.

Q: I come from an agricultural family. How do you feel about preserving agriculture, do you feel that is still an important part of Ojai?

A: Yes, I think it’s just as important a part of Ojai as anything is. One of the things that I am an absolute and firm believer in, if you are building a community, is that you have to be very cognizant and appreciative of its past. One of the things about Ojai is that it has been agricultural and particularly when it comes to citrus. It’s very important to maintain that.

Q: You are for a valley-wide city. What areas do you propose be annexed on to the city?

A: I am for a valley-wide city from the standpoint that I believe … that a lot of the services that we are proving outside our city limits we are paying for indirectly, particularly the police. I would think that the areas that I would first be looking at are those that would generate a little more tax revenue for us. Meiners Oaks, for instance, and Mira Monte. The problem is that …. Ojai doesn’t allow chains, and Mira Monte because it’s in the county has them.  So you have a McDonald’s, you have a Subway … so what do you do in those areas that don’t conform to the Ojai strict sense ordinance? It makes it difficult.

Q: Many ranchers on the East End are against annexation because of the building moratorium putting even more restrictions on large land parcels and more government controls, more zoning issues.

A: A lot of people don’t want it because of that.

Q: I have a quote from Thomas Jefferson that I would like to get your response to, “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.” We’ve just discussed a number of things that are more government, more bureaus, more committees, bigger budgets.  How do you feel about this quotation?

A: Jefferson probably had the insight to see that more and more emphasis is going to be put on the government, over time. Whenever the government becomes entrenched in our lives we give up certain liberties. There’s no question about that. I, for the most part, want to keep government as far out of my life as I can. However, there are certain times when because it goes to the general common good, that government has to be involved.  When I speak of the general common good, I’m talking about the environment, the water we drink, the air we breathe. When it comes to calling a vacant building a public nuisance, then government has to take a step to do that.

Q: You don’t feel that flies in the face of property rights?

A: No I don’t. And the reason that I don’t is because we’re not taking any property rights away. We’re simply saying, “If you’re going to have vacant building, then here’s what you have to do.” Just like if you have a non-vacant building, we have architectural and landscaping guidelines. That’s an intrusion into property rights, sure, but is it an onerous intrusion? No … I don’t believe  it is. The reason that these buildings are vacant, is not because they can’t be rented, it’s because the owners are absentee owners, for the most part. The people don’t have to look at it, and they have them so ungodly high-priced they will never sell. I don’t care if they don’t want to sell, but keep it clean! That is the biggest eyesore, across from The Oaks, that I have ever seen. You don’t have to sell it, but if it’s going to be in Ojai, and it’s going to be vacant, it had better look nice!

Help of Ojai teams with OUSD to provide special counseling

By Misty Volaski

This is the third in a series of articles about the myriad services offered by Help of Ojai to residents valleywide.

It’s not easy being a kid. Statistics suggest that youths today have higher levels of stress than ever before.

But in Ojai, there is help. Whether it’s everyday stressors like homework and friendships or the death of family member, kids can find someone to talk to right at their schools.

Help of Ojai and the Ojai Unified School District have teamed up to offer the Student Bereavement Program, which gives students a place to process their problems. Unique to the county (and most of the state), the program offers confidential counseling, at no cost to the student.

Funded by Help of Ojai, OUSD and a grant from the Harriet Samuelsson Foundation, the program began seven years ago and offers a therapist at each school site.

“We recognized that children’s mental health needs to be better served,” said John Shallenberger, OUSD’s director of student services. “Especially for grief counseling. But that can get very expensive. We have great private mental health in Ojai, but many families cannot afford to access those services.”

So it was only natural that Help of Ojai get involved. Student bereavement fits in well with Help of Ojai’s mission — “to respond to identified unmet basic human needs of individuals in the Ojai Valley.”

“This is definitely a basic human need,” said Help of Ojai executive director Terri Wolfe. “It’s an access issue. But at school, it’s free, it’s completely accessible.”

OUSD students from kindergarten up can access the program in many ways. Most commonly, it is through the recommendation of a teacher, school psychologist, principal or other administrator to the program directors, although friends (and sometimes the students themselves) have also reached out on behalf of others. Some call Help of Ojai, which refers children to the program.

“Everyone needs to talk and manage stress,” pointed out Jeanine Murphy, mental health clinician and clinical supervisor for Student Bereavement. The program sees, on average, about 100 students per year, with about 50 to 60 appointments each month; most students see a therapist more than once. Students are equally spread between boys and girls, and are about half Caucasian, half Latino.

Currently, the program has five interns (who have already completed graduate school and are earning hours toward their license) and two trainees (who are still taking classes). Many interns, like 2001 Nordhoff graduate Nichole Sandefur, are closer in age to the students they are counseling, which can make students feel more comfortable about opening up.

“But we’re careful to draw the line at ‘friends,’” Sandefur hastened to add; that is not the purpose of the program. Neither are the therapists meant to be “mentors.” Being younger simply helps some students in that “I’m able to relate to their stories, and validate their feelings,” Sandefur explained.

OUSD students from sixth grade down are often given art or play therapy, in which therapists let the children play individually and watch for patterns. “Patterns in how they play, what they play with. And they can often sort out (their issues) themselves through the play,” Sandefur said. She also does “life books” with students, where kids can write poems or letters, and make drawings in a book. “It’s a different way to process their feelings” other than just talk therapy, she added.

Older students usually meet one on one, but all students can access group or family therapy should the need arise.

When Seth Scarminach was murdered in April 2009, Nordhoff held a meeting to let students know about the Student Bereavement Pro-gram, and also opened up its cafeteria and allowed students to make memory books, talk as a group, or talk individually with a therapist.

“The school was really supportive,” said Murphy.

During summer school this year, there is also an intern therapist available at Nordhoff, so students almost always have access.

New this coming school year will be Teen Topics, a group session where kids meet to discuss family, friends, study habits, drugs and alcohol, divorce, stress management, and any other topics the youngsters feel are important to them.

Help of Ojai and OUSD are seeking donors for the program to give interns and trainees more time at each campus. The program currently operates on less than $40,000 per year.  Those wanting to donate to the program should contact Help of Ojai.

VENTURA COUNTY SHERIFF
MEDIA RELEASE

On July 15, 2010 at 12:03 a.m. Ventura County Sheriff’s Department / Ojai Police Department responded to call of an ambulance follow-up of a male victim who had been stabbed in the 600 block of Oak Street in the city of Ojai. Prior to the arrival of deputies, the suspect(s) fled the scene. An extensive search for the suspect(s) was conducted with negative results. The victim received multiple stab wounds and was transported to the Ventura County Medical Center in Ventura. The victim did not receive life-threatening injuries and is listed in stable condition. Investigation revealed an undisclosed amount of money was taken from the victim during the attack.

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

By Misty Volaski

The prospect of losing one’s home can seem like the end of the world. But for the clients of Help of Ojai’s Community Assistance Program, that reality is only the beginning of what can seem like a hopeless journey. Since 1998, C.A.P. has made a mission of tackling the myriad issues that come with being homeless, and the issues that may have led to homelessness. Some needs are easily filled — a box of nonperishable food, a fresh pair of socks, or simply a caring ear. But other needs, such as getting a client medical care, require time, patience and, perhaps most importantly, building trust with the client.

“Trust is a big issue,” said C.A.P. program director Jessica Murray. “We have to build relationships with our clients, especially those with mental issues, to get them the help they need.”

C.A.P.’s office, located at 108 Fox St., offers individualized assistance for the homeless and near-homeless. Clients can come in daily for a sack lunch, to make phone calls, pick up mail, do laundry, get a shower, or check e-mails. There’s also an emergency food pantry with pre-packed boxes of nonperishables, with special pop-top items for the homeless. But that’s only a small portion of what Help of Ojai offers through C.A.P. Should a client need clothing or household items, thrift store vouchers can be handed out; so can trolley and bus tokens. Murray and her mostly volunteer staff can drive clients to appointments, or help them fill out forms to register for food stamps, Healthy Families (a low-cost health care program), Home Energy Assistance Program (which gives low-income residents lower electricity and gas bills), or help prevent an eviction.

But the services aren’t limited to those named above. As much as possible, Murray and crew offer individualized help based on each person’s unique needs.

Many clients qualify for veteran’s benefits, Social Security, or other state and federal assistance programs, but they have no idea how to “walk the labyrinth of the county system to get it,” said Murray. Many don’t know they even qualify for help in the first place. “There is one case manager for the whole county. So there are limited resources. It takes patience and persistence” to get the client what they need.

This is especially true with clients suffering from mental illness.

“The nature of mental illness is that it makes it hard to connect with each other,” said Murray. She brought up the example of a woman who showed up at a local hotel one day. Unsure what to do with the woman, the hotel called C.A.P. After Murray worked with her for a while, it was determined the woman was from Arizona. Her parents were contacted, and gave C.A.P. “enough details to where we realized her situation could be an emergency,” said Murray, who called Ventura County Mental Health. “She had nowhere to go. So VCMH came to get her and helped her out.”

Another woman grew up in the Ojai area, but had long suffered from untreated mental illness. She had communication problems, and lacked continuous medical care. C.A.P. took her to the doctor, got her CT scans and other tests to find out if the woman suffered from anything else. “With this kind of case, you have to find the right person to help,” said Murray. And that person needs to be able to commit a significant amount of time to that client. Murray said she had spent well over 100 hours outside the facility with this one client alone, “but sometimes that’s necessary. It’s the trust issue, and knowing how to help keep them calm. It’s very individualized, one-on-one care.” Eventually, consistent medical care was set up, and V.A. back-payments began coming in to the C.A.P. office on the client’s behalf. That allowed C.A.P. to help get the woman into housing.

Last year, C.A.P. helped about 900 clients; most were single, male, and between ages 30 and 50. A trend is beginning to show a new segment of “chronic homeless”: adolescents aged 18 to 24.

“It’s a long way from homeless to being housed,” Murray added. “If they qualify for federal assistance it’s possible.”

Funding for C.A.P.’s programs — which operate on a “very efficient” budget of about $90,000 per year — comes equally from private donations, grants and the city of Ojai.

“We get no state or federal funding,” said Help of Ojai’s executive director, Terri Wolfe. “The city has been very generous to us, as have our donors.”

Additional donations — of money, time, or food for the emergency pantry — are always needed. Murray has a sign-up list for those who want to donate food for the sack lunch program. Donors commit to one day per month to bring 15 sack lunches for that day. “It should include a sandwich, drink, fruit and snack — healthy items, if possible.”

People with experience in dealing with those who have mental issues are also frequently needed to partner with and mentor clients. Bilingual volunteers for any service or program are always in demand.

Also needed: a dentist who would agree to donate a small amount of time each month to the dental needs of the homeless. Right now, there is a medical van that comes up once a month, but it does not offer dental services. “The closest dental services for these people is the Salvation Army in Oxnard,” said Murray.

C.A.P.’s Adopt-a-Family program, which gives low-income families a good Christmas with a full dinner and toys for the kids, will begin looking for adoptees in October.

And those who receive help from C.A.P. also give back. “They want to help us,” said Murray. “Whether it’s moving boxes, sweeping the parking lot. They’re very appreciative.”

For more information, or to donate or volunteer, see helpofojai.org or call 646-5122.

Barrier materials, not height, concern Skate Ojai backers

By Mary M. Long

Chet Hilgers, representing Skate Ojai, squared off with Ojai’s Planning Commission Wednesday to wrestle with a decision over fencing materials for the Skate Park perimeter fence which is now beginning construction.

Rebuking city manager Jere Kersnar, Hilgers chided him for presuming knowledge of the construction. “What I would like to say to Mr. Kersnar,” said Hilgers, “is you haven’t been out there once. So I don’t know how you could talk to any of the guys to figure out how we’re going to install the fence.”

The fence heights were decided on June 22, dividing the fence into three levels, but no decision was made at the time on what type of fencing or materials would be used. The lowest section of fencing will be a 4-foot fence on the parking lot side, which could be expanded to 8 feet if necessary. According to Hilgers, the requirements that this fence be built to facilitate a taller fence in the future are being met by installing fencing posts in a concrete wall. “These posts can be easily cored out and replaced if the fence needs to be extended in the future,” said Hilgers. In an attempt to satisfy the demands of Ojai Police Department that the fencing be easy to see through, coupled with the demands of the Ojai Unified School District that the fence be non-scalable and those of the designer who recommends durability, seemed to leave the commission with two unhappy choices, either the tubular steel prison-style fencing, or a fine mesh PVC link material which is currently in use in correctional facilities. Either choice is oppressive to Skate Park advocates.

The meeting nearly unraveled when the discussions reverted back to the original question of why there is a demand for any fencing at all. With the Skate Park in the center of town and an attraction to residents as well as tourists, Skate Ojai and many of the Planning Commission members would have preferred a clean vista. Santa Barbara, Fillmore and Venice Beach were named as examples of skate parks which are not fenced and are considered to be assets to the community.

“We’ve been there, so let’s not go there again,” said Vice Chair Steven Foster. The No. 1 recommendation of the fencing companies for durability was the steel tubular fencing, similar to that which Santa Paula has erected around its skate park. With the commission dismissing the need for 30-year fencing, since the park has only a 14-year lease on the property, a frustrated Hilgers waved his hands and reminded the commissioners that they have already wasted 14 years in stalling the park project. However, Wendy Hilgers was quick to remind the commission of the possibility that the lease could be extended at any time.                                                                                                       Durability and aesthetics were discussed with the possibility of using standard PVC-coated 2-inch chain link fencing similar to that which is in use at Soule Park and many other recreation areas in Ojai. Originally rejected because it has a tendency to sag or bow after exposure to stress, the commission kept returning to it as the best option. Chain link is also considerably safer than the tubular fencing which may entangle arms and legs with its rigid structure. With practical simplicity, Commissioner  Foster suggested that if a section of chain link failed, it could simply be replaced piece by piece if necessary. The prospect of installing a non-climbable fence was a subject of some derision for the feisty Bob Daddi who took the lectern to humorously explode the myth of the un-scalable fence. He expressed his opinion that the issue wasn’t really about fencing but about creating a barrier. “If we want that, I’d rather go with the bars, at least everyone would know what they are for,” said Daddi. Chet Hilgers also expressed his frustration with the Skate Park being singled out among other recreational facilities for perimeter fencing. “Why do the kids at the skate park get subjected to this and nobody else?” questioned Hilgers.

The commission and representatives of Skate Ojai kept returning to the standard 2-inch coated chain link as the best choice, with the possibility of using square instead of tubular framing and adding cap embellishments to enhance the appearance of the fencing. Let’s “kick it up a notch,” was the attitude of the commissioners. With heads nodding, and the meeting appearing to reach a consensus, Kersnar nonetheless insisted that a vote be taken to avoid any future altercation over the decision process. With the vote quickly taken, there was only one “no” vote and that was from Commissioner Cortus Koehler. Koehler’s dissenting vote was an objection to there being any fencing at all.

When asked for comments after the meeting, Chet Hilgers agreed that the city requirement for perimeter fencing was unnecessary. He claimed that the park could easily be power washed when necessary and that many parks maintain their facilities this way without any fencing at all.

Hilgers feels that the fencing requirement is a control issue for Dale Sumersille, who is the director of Parks and Recreation and under whose authority the park will fall. According to Hilgers, he received an ultimatum from Sumersille at the building site, “You get the correctional fencing or I’ll stall the project.”

“That was the edict from Dale to me,” said Hilgers, “which infuriated me, and I think she ought to be fired for that.”

At this time Hilgers is not only representing Skate Ojai, but also is acting as volunteer liaison for the construction project and is on the building site daily.

Sumersille is currently on vacation, and was unable to be reached for comment.

Mayor Steve Olsen was in attendance as the liaison for the City Council and Councilwoman Betsy Clapp was in the audience.

City workers remove the ‘1954 rock’ from center stage

By Logan Hall

Another milestone has been reached this week in the Libbey Bowl saga. One of the final remaining pieces of the original bowl was removed by city workers from the site on Wednesday. The “1954 rock” that was imbedded in the center of the stage at the bowl was carefully taken out by Public Works employees Ruben Martinez and Scott Davis and will be preserved for future generations to get a glimpse of the bowl’s history.

The rock that was removed was part of the original construction of the bowl when it was built in 1954. Although an insignificant part of the overall construction project, the “1954 rock” symbolizes the history of Libbey Bowl and holds special meaning to some locals.

Martinez, Ojai Public Works supervisor, has lived in Ojai his whole life and has been involved with the bowl many times over the years. Martinez is responsible for overseeing the Public Works employees in their day-to-day operations in Ojai and was working at the bowl to salvage some of the old fixtures and materials when he realized that no one had considered the “1954 rock” in the center of the stage wall.

“I brought it up at one of our meetings,” said Martinez. “A lot of people didn’t even know that rock was there.”

Although he is proud to be involved, and looks forward to having the new bowl completed, Martinez seems to have some mixed emotions about the demolition of the old bowl. “It’s hard to see it go,” he said as he looked up at the stage. “It’s kind of sad, but it’s really exciting seeing this thing move forward.”

“We’ve maintained it over the years,” added Davis. “It’s great for us to see this happening, but we won’t forget the old bowl.”

Aside from taking out plumbing and electrical fixtures to be reused around Ojai, the city is also using the wood from the old benches at the bowl, to help refurbish picnic tables and bleachers in the parks in Ojai. “We’re trying to reuse as much material as we can,” said Mike Culver, Ojai Public Works director. “Rather than have it all go to the dump, we can salvage some things and use them in the future.”

After the city removes any significant material from the site, including the old railings for the stairs, and the plaques indicating sponsors of the old bowl, the construction process can finally begin.

The first step in the construction plans will be the demolition of the old bowl. Before that happens however, McGillivray Construction, who won the bid to handle the demolition and ultimate construction of the new bowl, has many loose ends to take care of. “The first thing we have to do is make a plan for how to get it all done,” said Steve McGillivray, owner of the company. “We’ll have a lot of preliminary construction meetings. We have to meet with Edison, the drainage people and the contracted grader to make sure everything is in place.”

McGillivray continued to explain they will have the base plan ready in about two weeks, and will also get the final signatures from the city, at which point the physical construction can begin. “We’re scheduled to get the notice to proceed from the city this week,” said McGillivray. “We’ll have many things to get completed before we start turning dirt, but as soon as the mayor inks the paperwork, we’ll get started.”

Ojai Public Works employee Scott Davis cuts the bolts away to remove the old railing from the stairs at Libbey Bowl on Wednesday. Once all of the reusable materials are taken out of the site, the demolition process can begin. Construction on the new Bowl is expected to be completed in May 2011.

Judge disallows request for accused killer to attend great-grandmother’s funeral

By Mary M. Long

Tuesday, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Bruce Young continued the competency hearing for 15-year-old Alex Medina, of Mira Monte, until Sept. 14.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Bill Haney, who is prosecuting the case, has maintained that there is no evidence that Medina is incompetent to stand trial.

In January, a psychologist determined Medina was competent to stand trial, but defense attorneys asked the court for a trial to determine if he is mentally capable of assisting in his own defense.

Medina is accused of killing Seth Scarminach, 16, of Meiners Oaks, at around 2 a.m. on April 26, 2009 outside a residence in the 2400 block of Maricopa Highway — the site of a teen party.

Attorney Scott Wippert who is representing Medina, has requested that the court release Medina, under custody, to attend his great-grandmother’s funeral. Judge Young denied the motion “without prejudice.” According to Wippert, although Young denied the oral request, the court will study the logistics and expense of releasing Medina to attend the funeral. “I’m requesting this on behalf of my client,” said Wippert outside the courtroom after the hearing. “I’m doing this for him.”

According to investigators, Scarminach, a Chaparral High School student at the time, sustained multiple stab wounds, and Medina, who was 14 at the time, was an associate of an Ojai street gang. Medina was booked on suspicion of homicide while using a knife and committing a crime for the benefit of a criminal street gang.

That gang-related charge makes the potential penalties more severe. The maximum sentence that could be sought is 25 years to life in prison. Medina is not eligible for the more-severe sentence of life without the possibility of parole because of his age.

Loss of job, home adds
to strain on family

By Amber Lennon

When Marisa Knupp took her baby boy, Nathan, in for a routine six-month exam, she couldn’t have anticipated the tumultuous road ahead of her. Sure, Nathan’s head had measured larger than average, but doctors attributed this to his parents’ larger frames.

Marisa didn’t get concerned until she noticed her son’s eyes “shaking and wandering,” which she brought up at the routine doctor visit. “He’d open his eyes real wide,” says Marisa. “He was pretty much going blind.”

The doctor recommended an ultrasound through the soft spot on Nathan’s head. The excessive water around his brain, called hydrocephalus, was determined moderate to severe, and the doctor ordered an MRI from Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.

After three weeks of finagling with insurance companies and doctors’ receptionists at Children’s Hospital, Nathan finally got an appointment with a doctor who didn’t believe Nathan had a serious condition and ordered a CT scan. The scan revealed the devastating news of Nathan’s glioma brain tumor, which turned the Knupp family upside-down.

Multiple tests confirmed the results of the CT scan, and brain surgery was performed a few days later. When the surgeon emerged from the operating room five hours later, Marisa received yet another round of bad news. “They said the tumor was worse than expected because it had fingers and had grown,” she said and remembers thinking, “The more we get into this, the worse it gets.”

Numerous trips to Los Angeles for treatments, sleeplessness and financial stress wreaked havoc on the Knupp family. Marisa’s husband, Jestin, simultaneously lost his job, and the family lost their house. Dire circumstances put strain on the couple’s marriage, not to mention the emotional trauma suffered by their two other children. “It was really scary to watch my family fall apart, and I couldn’t work because taking care of Nathan was my job,” said Marisa.

After one year of weekly chemotherapy treatments at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, Nathan’s tumor has been 75 percent removed. Jestin is happy with his new truck-driving job at TNT Trucking, the couple has regained their relationship stability, and Nathan’s siblings have adjusted. Life has done one of those miraculous turnarounds that make it possible for Marisa’s family to get to know Nathan as a growing little boy.

Marisa recalls this story about Nathan: “We were in the hallway at Children’s, and there was a boy about 16 years old in a wheelchair who looked pretty out of it with fresh bandages on his head. This kid being a teenager, I didn’t know if he was going to like Nathan coming up to him, but (Nathan) held one hand to the wheelchair and with the other hand he was sort of rubbing the boy’s leg, and then he started dancing and smiling and looking at him, and the boy, I could tell, really appreciated it. (Nathan) just has an extra dose of strength and compassion.”

To help with exorbitant medical costs, the family is holding a fund-raising event on Aug. 15 at the Oak View Park and Resource Center. “The fund-raiser is result of the outpouring of love in the community,” said Barbara Kennedy, who manages the Oak View Center and donated the facility for the benefit. The event offers music by singer-songwriter Ted Lennon, barbecued food, a beer and wine garden, and a silent auction and raffle with donated items like Dodgers tickets and a day of spa treatment at The Oaks at Ojai. Kids can enjoy a Jolly Jump, face painting and other activities. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and can be purchased at Attitude Adjustment next to Vons and Papa Lennon’s Pizzeria in Meiners Oaks.

“Nathan’s Journey” bracelets are also available for $5 at Cowboy Babies in Ojai and A Secret Place Spa in Ventura. Proceeds benefit the Knupp family.

For more details on how to get involved or to keep up to date on Nathan’s progress, visit “Nathan’s Journey” on Facebook or nathansjourney.web.com.

Side of Arnaz Grade bluff being graded for safety

By Logan Hall

Residents of Old Creek Road have had their share of difficulties over the years when trying to access Highway 33. In the event of heavy rains, San Antonio Creek, which flows across Old Creek Road near the “33,” can rise high enough to prevent crossing, and residents are unable to get to the main highway.

The county of Ventura hired Rasmussen General Engineering Contractors to build a bridge from the highway to traverse the creek, and allow the people who live down Old Creek Road to make it to the main highway during even the worst storms. According to county specifications, the bridge will be a 210-foot-long, two-span, cast-in-place concrete box girder bridge designed to clear the 100-year floodplain. The total cost for the project has been estimated at about $2.5 million.

For those who use Old Creek Road on a regular basis, the bridge will provide them with much-needed relief from the stresses of being stranded and cut off from their only access to the rest of the valley.

Old Creek Road resident Dave Wilk has had experience dealing with the pitfalls of living next to a watershed like San Antonio Creek. Wilk and his wife had been out of town during a storm two or three years ago. When they returned later that evening to take care of their niece, who was living with them and couldn’t be left alone due to a debilitating brain injury, they found that getting home wasn’t going to be easy. “By the time we came home the stream had risen considerably,” said Wilk. “We had to get home to our niece so we attempted to drive across. Unfortunately, we misjudged the water and the car stalled out in the middle of the stream.”

After calling 911, they crawled through the sunroof and were eventually rescued by the Fire Department. Although they escaped unharmed, Wilk believes that the situation could have ended much worse for him and his wife. “Fortunately, the car didn’t move,” he continued. “Had we been pushed downstream, the car could have toppled over and been submerged. It could have been a life-threatening situation.”

Some locals, while understanding the necessity of the project, are not happy with certain aspects of the construction. Part of the plan includes the grading of the hill that lies directly behind the sign at the Rancho Arnaz cider barn on the corner of Highway 33 and Old Creek Road.

“I got a little sentimental when I saw them taking down that hill,” said valley resident Mark Metzner. “That hillside has been there for as long as I can remember.”

Glenn Derossett, engineering manager for the County of Ventura Public Works Agency transportation department, says there is good reason for grading the hill and that engineers on the project are doing everything they can to keep the natural surroundings as they are. “We are not completely removing the bluff,” said Derossett. “There are a number of factors that established the location of the new intersection, which required us to cut back the bluff alongside State Route 33. From a technical perspective, the safety and design factors include improved sight distance, clearing the 100-year floodplain, minimizing the length of the bridge, minimizing the reduction of the current climbing lane on State Route 33, and (adhere to) Caltrans’ requirements for slope stability.”

“Cars come around the corner from Oak View very fast,” added Wilk. “It’s important to improve sight lines for leaving the street. Otherwise there could be a disastrous accident. Nobody wants that.”

Locals like Metzner wish there could have been a way to build the bridge while leaving the current surroundings the way they are. “I’m all for them putting in a bridge for the people there,” said Metzner, who has lived in the valley since 1957. “I just wish they could have found an alternative to taking down that hill, cause once it’s gone, you can’t put it back.”

With completion of the project scheduled for March of 2011, engineers and construction workers on the project have a lot ahead of them, but all involved have expressed their efforts to minimize the impact on the surrounding environment. “The cider sign and the building are staying there,” said Mark Mayfield, grading foreman for Rasmussen. “All that we are taking away is dirt.”

The bridge is scheduled for completion by March 2011.

$140,000, 6-foot barrier proposed to stop illegal entry

By Logan Hall

In a world of heightened security, coupled with the snowballing effort of the nation to “go green,” the struggle of man vs. nature is at best an ongoing argument. At worst, it manifests into pseudo terrorism where extreme ideals can disrupt people’s lives, or even bring about physical harm to people or property.

In the Ojai Valley, man vs. nature comes in many forms. Many valley residents were appalled when the bear was killed in downtown Ojai, and residents have battled floods and fire as the urban sprawl of humanity edges closer to the natural domain.

Recently, the struggle involves a new 6-foot fence topped with barbed wire around part of Lake Casitas that has been proposed by the Casitas Municipal Water District and is pending approval by the Bureau of Reclamation, which owns the land where Casitas is. The new fencing, which has a proposed budget of $140,000, would be erected around the northeast shore of the lake commonly referred to as the Wadleigh Arm. The new addition would replace the current barbed-wire fence that was built 50 years ago upon the lake’s opening in 1960. The new fencing will border Santa Ana Road in an attempt by the CMWD to stop people from entering the property without permission.

“It’s really a question of man vs. man,” said CMWD general manager Steve Wickstrum. “We aren’t putting up a fence to keep animals from getting to the lake. We’re doing it to protect the lake from people that cut and trample the existing fence. We have a job to do for the public. Many areas that people have gotten into have been damaged.”

Wickstrum explained that the CMWD believes that a boat was brought into the lake illegally through a section of cut fence. “We still have to worry about the threat of the quagga mussel,” continued Wickstrum. “We have to make sure that boats can’t enter without being inspected.”

Sue Williamson of the Ojai Wildlife League, believes that Casitas is going too far to keep people out, and the impact the fence will have on local wildlife isn’t worth the benefits that the fence will bring. “It’s really about them not wanting people in there without paying,” said Williamson. “Their concern is keeping people out. They don’t care about the wildlife. They didn’t even do an environmental impact report on the impact on the wildlife.”

Williamson argues that there aren’t enough culverts, or spaces in or below the fencing to allow passage of animals, to permit the local wildlife access to the lake as needed. “Without the proper culverts, animals like deer, coyotes or even bears won’t be able to get to the water,” she said.

Wickstrum counters by staying the issue of animals needing access has been taken into consideration. “We are keeping 4-foot-high barbed-wire sections of fence in certain areas where they can get through,” he said. “The idea that we are keeping animals out is a misconception.”

According to Wickstrum, the plan to put the fence in will move forward and is now awaiting approval from the Bureau of Reclamation. “We received the request from Casitas to put up a fence and it is now under review,” said Pete Lucero, the bureau’s public information officer. “This action involves a disturbance of land, which may require some sort of environmental review, especially if there is controversy involved.”

Lucero went on to say that the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act might come into consideration in their review of the fence proposal. If that is the case, there will be another chance for the public to voice their opinions to officials in the process. As of this time, the Bureau of Reclamation has not given a time line of when they will approve or disapprove the fence request.

By Scott Wintermute

In a scene of chaos rare to sleepy Ojai Sunday afternoon and for reasons unknown, a Toyota pickup with Maine license plates plowed into several vehicles  parked directly in front of Georgio’s Restaurant on East Ojai Avenue. According to Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Tony McHale, all involved escaped without life-threatening injuries, but the the wayward driver’s lapse took a heavy toll.

The first vehicle struck was a Harley Davidson motorcycle, which was about to pull out into the road when the pickup struck it in the left saddle bag, knocking the bike over and fracturing the leg of the single male rider.  A Ford Mustang was next and it, too, was occupied, though still parked. Debbie Bennett was sitting in the vehicle as her husband Todd was getting in. She complained of neck pain, and was eventually taken to the hospital for examination, but her husband was ejected and suffered greater injuries, which were treated at Ojai Valley Community Hospital.

The Mustang was shoved into three parked street bikes, coming to rest on top of two of them as their owners finished their meals at the outside table of Georgio’s only a few feet away from the destruction. The owners said the bikes were worth about $20,000 each, but still considered themselves lucky, as the too were only moments away from riding off.

The accident remains under investigation by the Ojai Police Department.

SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

Press Release

On 06-25-10, deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Ojai Valley Station responded to a report of an indecent exposure.  The initial investigation revealed a male suspect had exposed himself to three children in the greenbelt area adjacent to Pegusas Street and Silver Spur Street, in Miramonte.  The three female victims were ages 8, 12, and 12.  The suspect also solicited one of the 12 year old victims during the indecent exposure.  Independent witnesses saw the suspect get into a silver VW Jetta station wagon and leave the area.

The investigating deputy immediately radioed  a suspect broadcast for the other deputies searching the area.  Within minutes, deputies spotted the VW northbound on Ojai Avenue coming from the Miramonte area.  Deputies confirmed the driver of the VW, Brandon Torres (age 26), was the same suspect from the Miramonte incident.   Torres was arrested and later booked at the county jail for felony charges of Penal Code 314.1 / Indecent Exposure with a Prior Conviction and Penal Code 646.7 / Child Annoying with a Prior Conviction.  Torres’ bail was set at $60,000.

Prepared by Srt. Randy Watkins

Showing her appreciation to the Ojai City Council for approving the Libbey Bowl project, Joan Kemper shakes hands with Mayor Steve Olsen at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

By Mary M. Long

Ojai City Council members convened on Tuesday to unanimously award the construction contract for the rebuilding of Libbey Bowl to McGillivray Construction Inc. After last week’s 2-2 vote, with Councilwomen Sue Horgan and Betsy Clapp declining to approve the contract until a study could be done of the financial impact on the city’s reserve fund account, the council met again on Tuesday, determined to find a solution to the financing problems delaying the project.

Architect David Bury presented an artist’s rendering of the proposed bowl renovation, explaining what would be covered by the $2.4 million contract for the Core Components of the bowl construction. Projects of this magnitude are often designed with a core component, with additional components which can be completed as funding is available.  He assured the council that “this building is designed to last for the ages,” engineered with steel and concrete and equipped to accommodate a broad variety of performing acts “anything you could imagine,” he added.                                                                                                               The core and central components and Alternatives 1 and 3 are currently funded. This includes the shell, stage right and left, the Green Room, manager’s office, rear deck, paving, lighting poles, access off the front, driveway, handicapped ramp, new sidewalk, site drainage, fencing, underground cables, seating, paving for seating, trash enclosure, new landscaping (with the addition of two dozen new mature trees) and restored wetlands near the historic Libbey sycamore tree. According to Bury, the design of the bowl is “simple but elegant” and he says, “I have never designed a project that has gotten more favorable views and comments. We have retained the character of the historic Libbey Bowl.”

The hard wooden benches will be removed and replaced with ergonomically designed seating offering comfort to bowl patrons. Dressing rooms and offices are climate controlled and the stage right and left have been made large enough to store pianos so that delicate instruments are protected from the elements. Alternative 2 is the addition of group dressing rooms and additional star dressing rooms for which, according to Ojai Music Festival President Esther Wachtell, sufficient funds are nearly raised.                                      Anna Cho-Wagner, who is the director of fund raising for the bowl project, said they raised an addition $50,000 last week with the “Last Gasp Party” alone bringing in $30,000 as well as an outpouring of community spirit. With $200,000 raised towards Alternative 2, the additional dressing rooms and rotunda, they are well on the way to having funds in place for their construction. Bury feels optimistic that they will be able to complete the project in its entirety, but also cautions that it “depends on the fund raising efforts of the festival.”

City manager Jere Kersnar provided the council members with a financial study of the impact on the city general reserves that financing the bowl renovation would create. Kersnar brought graphs of city reserves and presented “cautiously optimistic” and “cautiously pessimistic” scenarios to the council. The possibility of attaining outside financing for the bowl was thrown out prior to Tuesday’s meeting, with the Music Festival and the City Council collaborating to put financing in place to start the rebuilding.                                                                                                                     According to Wachtell, the funds raised by the Music Festival come from their founders and they expect a 99 percent funding of the pledges already received which she felt should allay the “worse case” fears of council members. Many festival members “have already accelerated funding their pledges,” understanding that the clock is ticking, said Wachtell.

Since McGillivray Construction will need to be paid over the construction year, the city will have to finance the construction costs out of their reserve fund while pledges are collected and fund raising continues.

Horgan asked for a 10 percent contingency plan, which was established through the use of “value engineering” to create a contingency fund without raising the overall bid for construction. According to Bury, “value engineering” is an ongoing analysis which does not compromise the quality or integrity of the bowl but helps insure that costs are controlled so that the best possible value results from the money for construction. “There is no fear here that the city won’t be getting the most bang for their buck,” said Bury.

At the close of the session Peter Strauss took the lectern urging the council, Music Festival and the city population at large to see the vision of building an international-caliber outdoor theater. Challenging Ojai to live up to its image as an arts community, he imploring the city to build a “beautiful bowl” which would attract world-class music, theater and dance to the Ojai Valley. Strauss expressed the “build it and they will come” theme which was heard several times during the evening. He proposed that “we as a community have to accept the risk,” and promised that he as an individual will do “everything within my power” to raise money for the completion and success of the bowl project. Strauss also emphasized the business potential of the bowl to bring income to the city of Ojai, stating that it should be a profitable venture.

Kersnar expressed his opinion, saying, “I always thought that the argument of the bowl as a business proposition was weak,” but the consensus among the council members was that the bowl is an indelible part of Ojai which has reached a point where it must be rebuilt. To fully utilize the funds already spent on the design phase and to guarantee the pledge support the project must be completed before the 2011 Music Festival.

Mayor Steve Olsen voiced his approval stating that he felt comfortable with the projected 30 percent figure offered for the reserve fund. He said that he has always thought that “the reserve policy can be a flexible number” and that completion of a worthwhile community project outweighs the importance of adhering to the strict 50 percent policy which the council had set for its reserve funding.

“The opportunities outweigh the risks and I want to go forward,” said Horgan.  Clapp also voiced her enthusiastic approval for the project, but again justified last week’s stall with the responsibility to her constituents for a full financial impact report.

With Councilwoman Carol Smith nodding enthusiastically, reminding the council that events at the bowl would bring tourism to Ojai and that the money that comes from T.O.T. (transient occupancy tax) is what the city needs for income, the council came to a unanimous vote to award the building contract. With the 4-0 vote to award the construction contract the house burst into applause and shouts.

The vote on the proposed Music Festival lease has been postponed for 30 days to give council members time to study the provisions of the lease, although the festival claims to be willing to sign it immediately. As it is currently proposed, it gives an unprecedented control of a city-owned property to a private entity. The proposed lease of Libbey Bowl to the Music Festival provides a 99-year lease at a rate of $1 per each year of the term. The festival would have 25 days per year lease of the bowl. The June Music Festival would account for a 14-day block with 11 more days reserved annually. The city would also agree to refrain from booking any classical music acts into Libbey Bowl during the 30 days prior and after the Musical Festival dates.

Although the review of the proposed lease was postponed, the City Council meeting erupted in cheers, hugs and handshakes at the unanimous vote to award the construction contract. Funds will be released immediately by the Ojai Service Foundation as a down payment on the bowl construction.

Cho-Wagner, of the Libbey Bowl project, wants everyone to know that there is still time to donate money to the project and receive an engraved brick or seat for the donation. Interested parties can find more information at the Libbeybowl.org web site.

Walter A. Einhart Jr. has left his position as publisher-editor of the Ojai Valley News effective Thursday. For now, owner Bill Buchanan will be acting as interim publisher.

“As we go forward, we do not anticipate this change affecting our readers or advertisers. Our role is to properly cover our community as to news, commentary and advertising information, and we will work hard to fulfill that important responsibility,” Buchanan said, adding he plans to become involved in the day-to-day operation of the newspaper.

Buchanan may be reached at 646-1476, Ext. 220, or at publisher@ojaivalleynews.com.

Ozena granted permit extension as Ojai Quarry appeals violation notices

By Sondra Murphy

As Ventura County planners sift through 100 complaints about gravel truck travel through the Ojai Valley, the Stop the Trucks Coalition keeps adding to the load.

Since county enforcement is often complaint based, the coalition continues to serve as a catalyst to the process of holding mine companies along Maricopa Highway to their conditional use permits. But with government and attorneys involved, language interpretations for mining operations are in dispute, halting the process in appeals.

Besides STTC’s perpetual concerns about gravel truck travel during prohibited school peak hours on highways that merge into main Ojai Valley thoroughfares, new grievances against Ojai Quarry include supplying materials outside permitted work days. “There were two days, Jan. 15 and Jan. 16, during which the Ojai Quarry supplied to the Ventura County Watershed Protection District and we received a couple of complaints regarding that project,” said Dan Klemann, manager, commercial and industrial permits section for the Ventura County Planning Division. “One involved the Ojai Quarry operating on a Saturday when the conditions state they may only operate Monday through Friday and they may operate outside that providing they get planning director’s approval. The problem was the Ojai Quarry did that without getting the planning director’s approval.”

A possible misinterpretation of a letter given to Mosler Rock Products, the quarry’s owner, appears to be at the heart of that complaint. VCWPD operations and maintenance manager Karl Novak supplied the letter to Mosler for project clarification purposes, not as authorization. “We had some slope instability problems with an impending storm and needed to get rock out to stabilize the slope as quickly as possible,” said Novak, who stated in the letter that the project would be completed by Jan. 16. “It wasn’t finished in two days,” he said.

The number of trips it took to bring the materials to the project site is also being investigated. “Another complaint was that the Ojai Quarry exceeded the number of truck trips they may go in any one day,” said Klemann. “We issued a violation notice and the quarry has appealed it … They say we’ve gone beyond our authority and they point to the California Vehicle Code. But those conditions don’t come from the California Vehicle Code, they are our local zoning and ordinance requirements.”

Klemann was referring to a letter dated March 10 from Mosler’s attorney, Derek P. Cole. In it, Cole states, “As no provision of the California Vehicle Code authorized the county to impose this restriction, it is void and unenforceable.”

When investigating such complaints, the county requests weigh tickets to help them determine the number of trips a mine makes during periods in questions. “They provided the tickets for product, not spoils, transported from the quarry,” Klemann said.

In dispute is the language defining the “product spoils” of quarry productions. Cole cites Surface Mining and Reclamation Act definitions in his letter. “When the term ‘product’ is used … it is only reasonable to conclude that a ‘product’ truck means one carrying the actual commodity produced — in this case, hard rock. As I noted in my previous letter, a contrary reading would render the use of the word ‘product’ superfluous.” Cole continues to argue that mining waste known as overburden is not traditionally considered mining product. “If trucks hauling these materials are now included in the 20-trip truck limit, quarry operations may be rendered economically infeasible. The result would be considerable inverse-condemnation liability to the county for the taking in that situation.”

Cole goes on to say that because this condition, “cannot properly be interpreted to apply to trucks hauling mining waste or overburden, trucks carrying that material are not weighed prior to leaving the quarry. As no weigh tags are required, we accordingly cannot provide any such tags for your review.”

The county disagrees with Cole’s assessment. “Basically what they’re arguing is that limitations only apply to trucks hauling hard rocks,” said Klemann. “Our interpretation is (that it includes) product truck trips and non-product truck trips.”

Analyzing the quarry data is complex. “We knew the grading project for which the Ojai Quarry was providing. We contacted our grading inspector. We know how much these trucks can transport and we calculate how many trips would be required,” said Klemann. “We also know how many trips went to the Watershed Protection District on Jan. 16 and determined that they exceeded it.”

Klemann said the county also confirmed that the quarry exceeded the number and types of equipment allowed at Ojai Quarry properties.

“It’s just the latest of a sad history of noncompliance and chronic, grotesque violations,” said STTC Chairman Michael Shapiro. “What has been happening at the Ojai Quarry under Mr. Mosler’s management is unfortunate and, tragically, quite typical of what rock quarries are getting away with.” Shapiro said such practices are an “oversight of the Ventura Planning Division.”

That quarries continue to openly operate regardless of their conditional use permits continues to frustrate STTC. “Mr. Mosler hasn’t even tried to hide the violations of the CUP or what equipment he’s using,” said Shapiro. “That means to me he has adopted a culture of ‘I can do what I want and planning is not going to do a damn thing about it.’ If he really holds that point of view, I charge the Ventura County Planning Division and their utter, gutless and toothless authority for both monitoring, enforcing and penalizing violators, thereby giving Mr. Mosler carte blanche to do whatever he wants.”

While STTC provides the raw complaints necessary for enforcement efforts, the county must be more precise in its procedures, especially when legalities are in question.

Steve Bennett, 1st District supervisor, pointed out that there is a vast difference between seeing a truck driving through the valley and proving a quarry operations violation. “Whenever the county can document evidence that can stand up in court, they move forward,” said Bennett. “That’s what you see happening.”

“County counsel has been involved with this and all of our actions are following their advice,” said Klemann. “In this case, there are a number of options, but what we have been advocating all this time is Mr. Mosler needs to get down here. It’s making it very, very difficult for him to mine in compliance with his CUPs. However, this doesn’t let him off the hook about operating however he wants.”

Klemann added that to modify the CUP would mean the quarry representatives would need to appear before the Planning Commission and any appeals would go to the Board of Supervisors, affording opponents of the mining operation the opportunity to speak out in a public forum. While this has been avoided thus far, Klemann said Cole recently contacted his office about meeting to discuss such a modification.

But for the time being, efforts by the county to enforce Ojai Quarry’s CUP are on hold pending the outcome of legal appeals for the notices of violation regarding equipment, transport and January’s VCWPD activity, as well as complaints that the quarry exceeded its CUP while supplying materials to Sine Qua Non Winery last summer.

To add to the complexity of the situation, Casitas Municipal Water District issued a letter last month to the Army Corps of Engineers addressing allegations that Mosler Rock Products placed fill material into the North Fork of Matilija Creek, causing degradation of designated critical habitat by impacting water quality and in violation of the Clean Water Act.

“Casitas Municipal Water District is very concerned that the utility of our fish passage facility at the Robles Diversion is being undermined as a result of the unregulated activities at the Mosler Rock Quarry,” wrote CMWD board president in the letter. “Our board strongly urges the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to investigate the deliberate fill into the North Fork Matilija Creek as a potential violation of Section 404 of the Act, and further, to take the necessary regulatory or enforcement actions to implement mitigation measures to prevent or reduce impacts to migrating and spawning Southern California steelhead trout.”

Attached in the letter are photographs of the blockage and adult steelhead apparently attempting to navigate around it.

“I think Mr. Mosler should be shut down and his CUP revoked,” said Shapiro. “He’s lost all right to continue operating because of his numerous and egregious violations and for the negligence of causing a significant rock slide into the North Fork of the Matilija Creek which remains today.”

Klemann said there are time factors involved with the appeals process and he expects it to be several weeks before staff reports are complete, then a hearing date will be set and noticed for a Planning Division hearing.

The slow pace of enforcement only fuels speculation by STTC that governmental agencies weigh mining concerns over public concerns, but the county Planning Division continues its processing efforts as resources allow.

“Mines are supposed to keep everything contained,” Klemann said, adding that any possible violation from rocks or debris blocking the creek falls under county jurisdiction. “You must conduct mining operations pursuant to current conditions.”

Not forgotten by STTC is Ozena Valley Ranch Mine’s request for an extension on its CUP renewal, which the coalition called “irregular and inappropriate.” On June 9, the coalition sent a letter to Chris Stephens, director of the county‘s Resource Management Agency, saying STTC is “strongly opposing the county’s verbal extension of time granted to Alliance Ready Mix, Inc. to allow the Ozena Valley Ranch Mine until June 28, 2010 to complete its long-languishing application for renewal of a conditional use permit that expired four years ago. The coalition is also putting the county on notice that, if it grants any further extension past June 28, 2010, the coalition may seek injunctive and/or declaratory relief that the CUP is expired, and that the county is illegally permitting the continued operation of the mine.”

It is not just Ventura County that STTC is criticizing. “Caltrans seems to be 100 percent supportive of business and commerce even when such business and commerce are in violation of their CUPs and it seems to be the mind set to ignore citizen complaints about issues of safety and danger, turning Highway 33 into a massive, industrialized truck transit shipping zone,” said Shapiro. “There are many personnel in Caltrans that apparently look the other way. There’s a lack of due diligence, a lack of procedure when it comes to citizens filing complaints. I would like an investigation to find out why.”

By Mary Long

Ojai City Council members convened on June 22 to unanimously award the construction contract for the rebuilding of Libbey Bowl to McGillivray Construction Inc. Architect David Bury presented an artist’s rendering of the proposed bowl renovation explaining what would be covered by the by the 3,000,000 raised for the core components. He assured the council that “this building is designed to last for the ages,” engineered with steel and concrete and equipped to accommodate a variety of performing arts.                                                                                                     The core and central components and Alternatives 1 and 3 are currently funded. This includes the shell, stage right and left, the Green Room, manager’s office, rear deck, paving, access off the front, walks, driveway, handicapped ramp, new sidewalk, site drainage, fencing, underground cables, paving for seating, trash enclosure, new landscaping (with the addition of 12 new trees) and restored wetlands near the historic Libbey sycamore tree.  Alternative 2 is the addition of group dressing rooms and additional private dressing rooms for which, according to Ojai Music Festival President Esther Wachtell, almost enough funds have been raised.

City manager Jere Kersnar provided the council members with a financial study of the impact on the city general reserves that funding the Libbey Bowl renovation would create. Kersnar brought graphs of city reserves and presented “cautiously optimistic” and “cautiously pessimistic” scenarios to the council. The possibility of attaining outside financing for the bowl seemed to have been thrown out prior to last night’s meeting with the Music Festival and the City Council collaborating to put funding in place to start the rebuilding immediately.                                                                                                                    According to Wachtell, the funds raised by the Music Festival come from their founders and they expect a 99 percent funding of the pledges already received. Since McGillivray Construction will need to be paid over the construction year, the city will have to finance the construction costs out of their reserve fund while pledges are collected.

Councilwoman Sue Horgan asked for a 10 percent contingency plan which was established though the use of “value engineering” to create a contingency fund without raising the overall bid for construction.

At the close of the session Peter Strauss took the podium urging the council, Music Festival and the city population at large to see the vision of the benefits of building an international-caliber outdoor theater. Imploring the city to build a “beautiful bowl” which would attract world-class music, theater and dance to the Ojai Valley, Strauss expressed the “build it and they will come” theme, which was heard several times during the evening.                                                                                                                      Kersnar expressed his opinion that, “I always thought that the argument of the bowl as a business proposition was weak,” but the consensus among the council members was that the bowl is an indelible part of Ojai which has reached a point where it must be rebuilt and to guarantee the pledges it needs to reach completion before the 2011 Festival.”                                                                                                                             “The opportunities outweigh the risks and I want to go forward,” said Horgan.

With Councilwoman Carol Smith nodding enthusiastically, reminding the council that events at the bowl would bring tourism to Ojai and that the money that comes from T.O.T. (transient occupancy tax) is what the city needs for income, the council came to a unanimous vote to award the building contract.

The vote on the proposed Music Festival lease has been postponed to give council members time to study the provisions of the lease. As it is currently proposed it gives an unprecedented control of a city-owned property to a private entity. The proposed lease of Libbey Bowl to the Music Festival provides a 99-year lease at a rate of $1 per each year of the term. The festival would have 25 days per year lease of the bowl. The June Music Festival would account for a 14-day block with 11 more days reserved annually. The city would also have to refrain from booking any classical music acts into Libbey Bowl during the 30 days prior and after the Musical Festival dates.

Although the review of the proposed lease was postponed, the City Council meeting erupted in cheers, hugs and handshakes at the unanimous vote to award the construction contract.

The following statement was provided to the Ojai Valley News on Wednesday, June 23, 2010 in response to the deaths of Raechel and Jacqueline Houck:

Statement

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Reiterates Proceduresfor Automobile Manufacturers’ Recalls “If and when manufacturers recommend that vehicle owners park or ground their vehicles, we promptly do so. However, we also believe there are times when recalled vehicles need to be grounded regardless.”

With more than 30 million vehicle rental transactions every year, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is reiterating its policies and procedures for handling automobile manufacturers’ recalls.

“Our customers’ safety is our top priority,” said Greg Stubblefield, executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Enterprise.  “Customers should know that when they come to our rental counter, they can count on our commitment to provide a vehicle that is safe and dependable. That’s been the foundation of our business for more than 50 years.”

Every year, auto manufacturers – together with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – issue hundreds of recalls and service bulletins affecting millions of vehicles in North America, including thousands of our rental cars and trucks, Stubblefield stated. In the vast majority of cases, manufacturers do not suggest grounding, but instead ask owners to contact their local dealers to schedule a service appointment.

“If and when manufacturers recommend that vehicle owners park or ground their vehicles, we promptly do so,” Stubblefield stressed. “However, we also believe there are times when recalled vehicles need to be grounded regardless.”

Over the last decade, Enterprise has taken a number of steps to address manufacturers’ recalls in an appropriate and timely manner. Among them:

• In addition to the evaluation that car manufacturers and NHTSA make in deciding whether to ground a vehicle, Enterprise also independently reviews all recalls. Importantly, recalls involving the risk of sudden loss of control, airbag failures or fire hazards will be grounded until repaired.

• The company also has made investments in information technology to help address auto manufacturer recalls. The ECARS computerized rental management system – which connects the reservations and reporting operations of more than 6,000 Enterprise rental offices – automatically identifies all affected vehicles in real time for employees to view throughout the day.
• Enterprise regional subsidiaries can monitor all notices and bulletins and track compliance –including individual rental transactions – in a timely fashion. In addition, many auto manufacturers have upgraded their systems so that more of their notices and bulletins are delivered electronically to the major rental car companies.

• In 2007, Enterprise added more than 100 service facilities across the country. At these facilities, certified technicians not only provide routine maintenance work, but also supplement local dealers’ efforts to respond quickly to recalls, particularly large-scale ones. The pace of repair work, however, can be subject to the availability of parts.

The issue of how rental car companies handle manufacturers’ recalls has been put in the spotlight following the resolution last week of a lawsuit in Alameda County, Calif. “This was a long, complicated and difficult case for all involved, one that had to work its way through the court system to reach resolution,” Stubblefield said. “But, more significantly, this is a terrible tragedy for the Houck family. Our hearts go out to them, and we are very sorry for their loss.”

In the Houck case, neither Chrysler nor the NHTSA recommended grounding the more than 400,000 PT Cruisers recalled in 2004. (Chrysler, the manufacturer of the PT Cruiser, was a defendant in the Houck lawsuit, but was dismissed due to bankruptcy in 2009.) Instead, owners were asked to contact their local dealers to schedule a service appointment.

“Given all we have learned, today we would ground the recalled PT Cruiser until repaired,” Stubblefield said. “That is why we continue to work with our employees and automobile manufacturers on ways to improve our policies and procedures for handling recalls.

“We share the Houcks’ goal of preventing anything like this happening again,” Stubblefield said. “Of course, nothing can change this heartbreaking situation for the Houck family and, again, we are truly sorry for their terrible loss.”

PRESS RELEASE
Ventura County Sheriff’s Department

Ian Sangster,  19
Johnny Jaramillo,  18
Jesse Lara, 19

Narrative:
On June 1, 2010, Sheriff’s Narcotic Investigators took up surveillance at Libbey Park in Ojai after receiving several reports of drug sales. Soon after arriving at the park, detectives observed Sangster involved in a drug transaction. Jaramillo and Lara were present along with 3 juvenile males. Additional transactions were observed and detectives contacted the group. Sangster was arrested for furnishing narcotics to a minor, possession of a controlled substance for sale, sale of a controlled substance, and furnishing narcotics in a public park. Lara was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Jaramillo was arrested for possession of hashish. The juveniles were arrested drug related charges. All subjects were additionally arrested for being present at a location where drugs are used. The adults were booked into the Main Jail for the listed charges. The juveniles were cited and released to their parents.

By Logan Hall

In January, Golden State Water Company applied for a rate increase totaling 44.7 percent over the next two years — this on top of rate hikes totaling 107 percent in the last decade for its Ojai customers.

Thursday afternoon, the first of two scheduled meetings was held at Chaparral Auditorium to allow GSWC officials to explain to the commuity the justification for the rate increase application, and give customers the opportunity to tell a representative from with the California Public Utilities Commission what they collectively thought of that idea.

“I don’t think we’ve gotten the quality of water we deserve,” stated  Maryanne Newman. “We need help in this situation.”

Golden State said in a January press release that the new rates would cover the increasing costs to operate and maintain the local water system, and fund more than $8 million in local capital investments that are critical to providing reliable, high quality water to the area. About half of the new revenue would be used to operate the aging water system — some of which is about 80 years old — and half to update it.

More than one attendee of the hearing, brought up the need for GSWC and its parent company, American States Water Company,   to provide returns to their shareholders.

“The expenses that they use to justify the rate increase could easily be absorbed by the company owners,” said Michael Seek. “It would be a great hardship for most people here in Ojai to cover these costs, but the shareholders could do it easily.”

The city of Ojai seems to be on the side of the public and Steve McClary, assistant to city manager Jere Kersnar, read Kersnar’s prepared statement urging the CPUC to approve a lower rate increase. “The city has been closely following the activity of GSWC since its substantial increase in 2007. The amount of the rate increase is out of proportion to the benefits to the Ojai customers,” read McClary to CPUC administrative law judge Douglas Long.

According to Long, the CPUC will make a decision on the final rate increase at the end of this year.

See Wednesday’s Ojai Valley News for comments from Ojai city officials addressing last night’s second meeting.

Horgan, Clapp concerned with city’s financial responsibility

By Walter Einhart

Time and time again the Libbey Bowl has proven to be an integral part of the culture, community and economy of Ojai, yet its future is in limbo.

Tuesday night’s surprise 2-2 vote by the Ojai City Council failed to award a $2.4 million contract to McGillivray Construction Inc. to begin rebuilding the bowl.

Councilwomen Betsy Clapp and Sue Horgan abstained from support of the motion made by Councilwoman Carol Smith to go ahead with the award, also supported by Mayor Steve Olsen. Clapp and Horgan main concern was that while the “Save Libbey Bowl” campaign has raised the needed $2.8 million to cover the estimated project costs, only $1.1 million of said funds are cash, and the remaining $1.6 million will be coming from pledge donations from the community to be paid over the course of one to four years.

“There are too many unanswered questions,” Clapp said.

Horgan added that she is well aware of the importance of Libbey Bowl, but she is also aware of the current financial resource of the city.

The major concern for the city is heavily based on the strain this project would put on the city’s $3.1 million reserve fund if pledges fall short or other difficulties arise.

“At this point we can’t even say we have the information we’d expect to have on a project this size,” said city manager Jere Kersnar.

In a presentation made to City Council earlier in the evening city manager Jere Kersnar said in order to proceed that evening there were basically two options, either city funding or outside funding for the project. He noted that neither were good options, they needed more information and time to analyze it in order to make a positive recommendation. Kersnar said that the only way to proceed at that time was to assume it would be a city-funded project and the city staff official recommendation was to delay consideration to allow time to prepare an analysis and risk assessment for further review by council members.

Many people in support of the bowl project disagreed with the council’s decision and felt it would potentially jeopardize the long-term relationship with the city and the Music Festival moving forward if a decision wasn’t made in time to allow for the 2011 festival to be held at Libbey Bowl.

Ojai Music Festival executive director Jeff Haydon said he was “shocked by the council’s claim for more information.” He said in the past month the “Save Libbey Bowl” leadership has spent countless hours working with city staff to provide analysis and information while also answering any questions posed, and he was unaware of any further unanswered questions or concerns.

“It defies explanation on a project that has so much good will and so many people pulling for it to be surprised by a change in recommendation by the city to not proceed with it and to have council members say they need more information,” Haydon said. “This has already been delayed three times, and we are on a tight time line. By not moving forward, at the latest, next Tuesday the city is sending the wrong message to its citizens and taking the chance the Ojai Music Festival could move outside of Ojai for future years.”

“The is a difficult decision,” Kersnar said, “but one that we have to make carefully with all of the proper information. Either way it affects the long-term future of Ojai’s citizens and we have to be careful and do it right.”

“The Last Gasp Party at the Bowl” was scheduled for Saturday from 4:30 to 7 p.m. as a final fund-raising event and a chance to say goodbye to the structure. Haydon said they will proceed with the event, but now it will be a rally to gain support from the City Council and gain further support for the cause.

Ojai film producer earns third Best Film Award

Special to the Ojai Valley News

Native-born Ojai resident Stephen Huyler has just received his third Best Film award for his new documentary film: ‘Sonabai: Another Way of Seeing’. In the following, Dr. Huyler is interviewed by Khaled Al-Awar, owner of Primavera Gallery.

*Khaled: You showed me your new film when you first made it last summer. I cannot get it out of my head. I think everyone should see it! You have made something that will resonate for everyone. The story is magnificent. It conveys one of the most important messages I have ever heard. It shows the remarkable capacity of the human spirit to rise above adversity and shine.

Are you surprised by the recent accolades your new film has received?

*Stephen: Completely. In my first film festival, the Santa Fe Film Festival last December, the other short films were so good that it never occurred to me that ‘Sonabai’ would be honored. I didn’t even attend the awards ceremony. When it was given the Milagro Award for Best Short Film, you could have knocked me over with a feather! Then, last January, it was given the Accolade Award for Best Short Documentary in La Jolla. Just last week I was awarded the Bronze MUSE for Video by the American Association of Museums, voted in by every museum in the U.S. It has been overwhelming!

*Khaled: Sonabai’s story is fantastic. I found the film spell-binding. Tell me about it.

*Stephen: It is an unusual story and yet it has elements in it that are universal and deeply compelling. When Sonabai was a young girl in a very remote village in central India, she was married to a much older man who sequestered her away from contact with any other human beings. Imprisoned in their windowless home, Sonabai saw no one other than her husband and their one male child for fifteen years! (Her situation was unique in that Indian state. Other women in her region have never been treated like this.) While other human beings faced with such desolation might have been depressed and disheartened, Sonabai used her isolation as a resource in which to invent an entirely new style of art, one that had no precedent in India’s five thousand years of recorded history. She covered her walls with colorful bas-relief sculptures and filled in the spaces between the columns supporting her inner courtyard verandah with sculpted lattices. Rather than reflecting her deprivation, Sonabai’s art is joyous, bright, humorous and whimsical. Years later she was discovered by the Indian art world and was given India’s highest recognition: the coveted President’s Award (India’s version of the Nobel Prize.) Sonabai’s art and message so inspired the people of her region that it has succeeded in directly improving the economy and the position of women.

*Khaled: I was struck by the positive message of the film. What were you trying to say?

*Stephen: In recent years our experts and media have told us that there is little hope for the world, that we are all doomed. The conditions we have created are deplorable: environmental crises, economic insecurity, violence everywhere. These facts are undeniable, but Sonabai’s story reminds us that humanity’s potential for creative solutions is inexhaustible. We can make a difference if we only allow ourselves to look deep inside for answers and act upon them. Sonabai’s remarkable vision is a paradigm for our own possibilities. My film directly discusses these issues.

*Khaled: How did you find Sonabai?

*Stephen: Well, that is a longer story. I have been documenting India intensely for almost 39 years. I am a cultural anthropologist conducting a cross-cultural survey of rural India. During these four decades I have interviewed tens of thousands of people. I have been privileged to meet interesting and unusual people throughout the subcontinent, but Sonabai is one of the most fascinating.

Khaled: How did you begin this work? Doesn’t Beatrice Wood fit directly into the picture?

*Stephen: Yes. Beatrice introduced me to India. When I was just 18 years old, she invited me to travel with her to India. I suppose I was one of the “young men” frequently referred to in Beatrice’s well-known comment that her longevity was due to “young men and chocolates.”

*Khaled: I seem to recall that there is a huge photograph of you sitting on her lap in the museum display at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Upper Ojai.

*Stephen: We were just hamming it up. We had a lot of fun together. But because of Beato’s invitation to India, I began to take university courses on South Asian art, history, politics and anthropology for the year before we left. Traveling by myself overland by local transport from Paris, I arrived in India on my twentieth birthday in 1971 and was joined by Beatrice shortly thereafter. Her introductions in India were invaluable. Through her I was able to stay in Indian homes wherever I chose to travel. We were together there for two months and then I continued to travel for five more months, beginning my research on folk arts and crafts. I have continued that work every year since.

*Khaled: You have been a prolific writer. How many books have you published by now?

*Stephen: Six full books of my own and then parts of more than twenty others, all of them about India and its arts and cultures.

*Khaled: And you are renowned as a photographer. Your books are beautifully illustrated.

*Stephen: Thank you. As I have traveled more extensively in India than any other American, perhaps more than any other foreigner, I have had unusual access to peoples, communities, rituals and crafts. I photograph everything and by this time have more than 250,000 edited images in my archives. It is a rare resource.

*Khaled: But your photographs are so intimate. They make me feel like I am seeing right into people’s lives. Indians seem at ease with you, so open and willing to share their lives.

*Stephen: First and foremost, I am no paparazzi. I never take a picture without permission. I deeply respect the culture and individuals’ boundaries and I am trained in understanding Indian social nuances. I usually do not take my camera with me when I first meet people. I get to know them first and make sure that they are at ease with me and then ask if I can bring my camera. And I give them copies of photographs I take. I think that Indians can sense that I love their culture and they loosen up around me.

*Khaled: Do you use these photographs in the museum exhibitions you curate?

*Stephen: Sometimes. My life is about trying to build bridges of communication between India and the rest of the world. I have found that one of the ways I can best convey that is through exhibitions. Sometimes I draw my material from the existing reserve collections of the museum. At other times I create collections of material in India. And often I enhance or give context to these objects with photo-murals or framed images I have taken.

*Khaled: How many exhibitions have you curated?

*Stephen: More than thirty, some in some rather large institutions. I always work freelance. It allows me the freedom to return to India for my field research when I need to do so.

*Khaled: What have your favorite museum exhibitions been?

*Stephen: Well, that is hard to answer. My most popular was my exhibition on Hinduism at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on the Mall in Washington, D.C. I was given carte blanche to choose art from the Smithsonian’s reserve collections and I created a show entitled: “Puja: Expressions of Hindu Devotion”. The purpose was to convey the pulse of the world’s third largest religion by showing these sacred objects in context, recreating Hindu temples and shrines within the museum and having the images reconsecrated by Hindu priests for the duration of the show. When it began, the exhibition was scheduled to be open for six months, but popular demand kept it open for four years. The Sackler staff recorded more than 750,000 visitors to the show!

*Khaled: But there were other exhibitions too.

*Stephen: Yes, based upon the success of that show, I created a traveling exhibition about Hinduism entitled “Meeting God” and wrote a book published by Yale University Press to accompany it. That show traveled around the world, even through India, but my favorite venue was New York’s American Museum of Natural History. It opened there just before 9.11 and became particularly popular as a place of sanctuary and healing in that disaster’s aftermath.

*Khaled: There is a rumor out that you are now working on a new show. Can you tell me about it?

*Stephen: Well, I am just beginning and it will be several years before it is ready, but I am preparing a new show and book about Beatrice Wood. During the years that I knew her so well and traveled with her, I continued to archive material about her. Then in the early nineties I spent several weeks interviewing her on tape with the view of being her biographer. I wanted to write a book that shows her thoughtful, intelligent, perceptive side, not one that just talks about her flamboyance and whimsy. Then my career took off and I have not been able to return to that project. Now I have that chance. The exhibition will be at Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park in San Diego, probably in 2015. It will be different from any others about her: I am borrowing parts of Beatrice’s own art collections from the Happy Valley Foundation and will display them alongside her finest sculptures and ceramic vessels in order to convey her inspirations. The exhibition will have the personal flavor of someone who knew her well.

*Khaled: You have received a lot of critical praise for your current exhibition about Sonabai at Mingei International Museum in San Diego. I was so impressed when I visited the show that I frequently suggest to customers who come into my gallery that they must go down to see it. I couldn’t believe your innovative uses of photography and design. Where did you come up with those ideas and what were you trying to achieve?

*Stephen: This exhibition (with the same title as the film and the new book:  “Sonabai: Another Way of Seeing”) has been a joy to work on. It took five solid years of planning and designing. My talented assistant, Kathleen Brown, and I worked closely with an amazing photographic studio in New York City, Duggal Visual Solutions, to push the envelope about how images can be displayed. I wanted to challenge the viewer to look beyond his or her preconceptions about India and folk art in order to see the contemporary relevance of this remarkable art. Some of the techniques we used are unique to this show. For example, I wanted to convey the stark contrast between the vibrant life of the community outside Sonabai’s home and her artistic interpretation in her isolated world inside.  To achieve this effect, we created an entire wall of ultra-thin LED screens separately hung with several inches of open space between each frame, each displaying one backlit color village photograph on one side and a completely different image depicting Sonabai’s vibrant art on the other. Throughout the show I was constantly working to balance the visual integrity of Sonabai’s sculptures with photographs that would invoke character and context. We spent weeks just choosing, mixing and painting the complex color palettes for the exhibition walls.

*Khaled: One of the aspects of the show that completely mesmerized me was your ‘Harvest Dance Room’. Can you describe that?

*Stephen: That room was my biggest challenge and most satisfying result. Many of Sonabai’s sculptures depict her impressions of her local rice harvest dance. I photographed the dance extensively and the results were some of the best images I have ever taken. I wanted to convey the visceral experience of being in the midst of that dance. So I commissioned Duggal to print huge images of the dancers on transparent chiffon (a technique that had never been tried before.) We hung those printed textiles in layers in a large room whose walls were covered with gigantic photomurals of details of the dance. One large wall is projected with a film of the dance taken by friend, David Wright. Nine speakers surround the room with the dance music and the entire effect is one of layer upon layer of images of moving dancers that change every step you take. Visitors love the room. Every day people ask the museum staff if it is okay if they dance in the room. That is my highest compliment.

*Khaled: So this brings us back to your new film. How did you make it?

*Stephen: I had visited Sonabai’s village in 2001 and realized that her story would make a good film. I returned early in 2004 with a team of eight friends that included David Wright, a well-known documentary filmmaker. We stayed two weeks as guests in Sonabai’s home, living with her and her family and recording their daily lives as well as their artistic production. By that time Sonabai was very old and had lost some of her capacity to speak coherently. My proposed interviews with her were unsuccessful. So when we returned to the US, we were challenged by the problem of how we could create a long enough film. I hired film editor David Berez of Post Office Productions to help me put the film together. His insights were invaluable. My assistant, Kathleen Brown, and I were working throughout this period on the exhibition and book and consequently film production was stalled for several years. We returned to it in the fall of 2008. At that time we sought the advice of Jeffrey Wolf of Breakaway Productions to help us reconceive the film project. It was his input that inspired us to spend the first half of the film talking only about Sonabai’s innovative creativity, defining its place in the traditional and contemporary art world before we gave the story of her abusive confinement. Jeffrey helped us realize that the message of her work (and of the film) is about the capacity of humanity to reach beyond its limitations and to reinvent itself in the face of oppression. With these insights, David Berez filmed pertinent new interviews and perceptively edited the film. It was a collaborative effort that has reached far beyond its initial intention as an adjunct to the exhibition. We were encouraged to submit it to film festivals and I guess its new awards are a testament to its success.

*Khaled: And now you are bringing the film to Ojai. How will you show it to your home crowd?

*Stephen: The film itself is just under half an hour. I will follow it with a short slide show of some of the personal shots of traveling to Sonabai’s village, living in her home and interacting with Sonabai, her family and the other villagers. And of course we will have time for questions and answers afterwards. I can’t guarantee that Beatrice’s ghost will be there to celebrate with us, but I wouldn’t be surprised…

*Khaled: Well, this is the chance for the people in your hometown to finally see what it is you really do. You are known internationally for your work, but have kept a pretty low profile here in Ojai. I am excited about it. It may sound silly, but Sonabai’s story reminds me of Nelson Mandela. You can imprison the body, restrict the movements of a person, but you can never really imprison the human spirit and self-expression. Your film has a quality that reaches out to the soul. It shows that each of us, no matter who we are and in whatever condition we live in, has a choice to make. We can except the status quo and live our lives according the mandates placed upon us, or we can reach deep within and redefine ourselves. This is the truest freedom. Thank you for making this film and sharing it with us.

Sonabai: Another Way of Seeing will be shown at the Ojai Theater at 5:15 on three consecutive evenings: Thursday, June 17^th, Friday, June 18^th, and Saturday, June 19^th. Tickets: $3 each.

Rental company agrees to pay $15M to Ojai girls’ parents

By Misty Volaski

Enterprise
Statement
6/23/2010

After more than five years of “delays and futile mediations,” experts and depositions, lawyers and paperwork, it’s finally over —- Cally and Chuck Houck have won retribution for the deaths of their two daughters, Nordhoff grads Jackie and Raechel Houck.

Last week, an Alameda County, Calif. jury awarded the Houcks $15 million for the wrongful and unreasonable deaths of their two girls, who died in a fiery head-on traffic collision with an 18-wheeler on the 101-north near King City on Oct. 7, 2004.

The defendant, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, claimed the deaths were a result of Raechel’s bad or negligent driving, but mom Cally knew her daughter better than that. “I knew in my heart, always, that Raechel was a very good driver,” Houck said. “Having lived in Europe for two years, she spent a lot of time driving the roads of rural Italy. She was very cautious and would never have taken any chances.”

Turns out, Cally’s gut feeling was spot-on. The Capitola, Calif. Enterprise branch which rented the girls a 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser had been informed a month before that the vehicle had a safety recall, but did nothing about it. The repair that would have saved the lives of the Houck girls — the replacement of a power steering hose that could leak and ignite on the catalytic converter, causing a fire under the hood — was never made.

Houck lawyer Larry Grassini, of Grassini and Wrinkle law firm, said that the branch had actually rented that same vehicle out four times before they gave the keys to Raechel. According to a Grassini and Wrinkle press release, “Both of the managers-in-training who rented the PT Cruiser to the Houck sisters provided statements to the parents’ lawyers saying that Enterprise intentionally overbooked vehicles ‘to get customers in the front door’ and knowingly rented out vehicles in need of service and maintenance. The recalled PT Cruiser rented to Raechel Houck was the last car on the lot and was represented to her as a ‘free upgrade.’”

A few hours later, the girls were dead.

“Our experts and our attorneys,” Cally Houck said, “remained steadfast and showed the conclusive proof that the car’s defect — power steering fluid leaking onto the catalytic converter which caused an under-hood fire — started the fire, and impaired the steering, causing the car carrying my girls to crash head-on into an 18-wheeler and explode into a ball of flames.”

Enterprise fought the allegations for five and one-half years with several major law firms, only admitting liability May 25. They had previously offered a settlement of $3 million in exchange for the family keeping the matter confidential, but the family refused.

“This case should be about consequences,” said Cally. “When a billion dollar corporation puts profit before life, then engages in a war of attrition to wear the family down, hoping we die, or our attorneys run out of money, then those tactics become something that should be shown to the world. We allow corporations to take these risks, with little or no accountability. Why should they be able to make billions of dollars a year without taking steps to protect their customers from defective or dangerous cars?”

“The Houcks weren’t going to be muzzled,” said Grassini. “We felt we had put together a strong case. I’d hired a lot of experts to testify to the validity of our claims. Enterprise thought they could wear us down. We spent $800,000 in experts to get the proof. But just for tactical reasons, (Enterprise) decided it didn’t want the jury to hear all the facts” about the company’s corporate policy of renting recalled vehicles if they were requested by t