Ojai Valley News Blog

Backed by court order, final 27 properties treated with pesticides

By Daryl Kelley
Serving court warrants, police-escorted state crews entered 27 Ojai area properties without permission on Saturday to spray trees and shrubs with an organic pesticide to halt the spread of a tree-killing moth, a move some homeowners declared an outrage.

With Saturday’s action, officials said they’ve now treated all 577 properties within a designated spray zone in Mira Monte and Meiners Oaks just as caterpillars have hatched from larvae on their way to becoming gypsy moths.

Officials said they sprayed without permission because the period during which eradication is most effective was ending. A Superior Court judge issued the pest abatement warrant allowing the spraying on Friday as an emergency action.

The Ojai area infestation of the gypsy moth, which has ravaged forests on the East Coast and around the Great Lakes, was discovered in 2007, found again last summer and confirmed as a “breeding population” when two clusters of larvae were identified last fall.

If the first of three rounds of spraying had not occurred in March, a more powerful pesticide would have been required, said Steve Lyle, spokesman for the state Department of Food and Agriculture, which is running the $800,000, two-month program.

“At this point, we’re treating young caterpillars,” Lyle said Saturday, after monitoring the forced sprayings by five pesticide crews. “The month of March is the known window for treating with (organic pesticide) Btk.”

The pesticide Btk, which officials describe as a naturally occurring soil bacterium called bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki, is certified for use by organic growers and affects only leaf-eating caterpillars, officials said. 

Board OKs $3 million for system upgrades, sections of Ojai Valley Trail to be affected

By Sondra Murphy
While other agencies struggle over funding infrastructure maintenance and repairs, Ojai Valley Sanitary District is quietly improving its system.

The OVSD board of directors held a special meeting Monday, where they voted unanimously to give the project a green light. They received the final declaration of negative impact in preparation for construction of the Ventura Avenue sewer system improvements project.

The purpose of the $3 million project is to improve the efficiency and reliability of the waste water collection and transportation systems, as well as to meet the needs of planned growth in the area. Project components include replacement of the Orchard lift station, the abandonment and demolition of the Petrochem lift station, construction of a new gravity sewer pipeline to transport waste water flows formerly handled by the Petrochem and Orchard lift stations, construction of a new force main waste water pipeline to transport water from the new Orchard lift station to the OVSD waste water treatment plant, rehabilitation of an existing gravity sewer where it crosses under Highway 33, abandonment of the Orchard and Petrochem lift station force mains, abandonment of the gravity sewer between the Petrochem lift station and the Brooks Institute of Photography and removal of the sewer pipelines and associated concrete encasements within the Cañada Larga Creek.

The project sites will be along Ventura Avenue immediately north of the city of Ventura. Proposed pipelines are to be located primarily within the public right-of-way along Crooked Palm Drive, Ventura Avenue and the Ojai Valley Trail.

Efforts to minimize impacts to the Ojai Valley Trail will include safe passage zones for pedestrians and cyclists during daily construction and restoration to pre-construction conditions following pipeline installation.

OJAI POLICE DEPARTMENT
Media Release

Nature of Incident: Ventura Man Saves Two Toddlers from Drowning
Location:  800 block of Thomas St., Oak View, CA
Date & Time: 03/27/2009    7:00 p.m.
Involved Parties
Female Child, 2 ½ 
Female Child, 22 months
Scot Olson, 47 

Narrative:   
Landscaper Scot Olson was working in a yard in the 800 Block of Thomas Street in Oak View.  A family reunion was in progress next door with several children playing outside.  Olson noticed two toddlers near the swimming pool and called to them to stay away from the pool.

Believing adults were monitoring the children he returned to his work.  A few moments later he looked over at the pool again and saw one of the toddlers floating on the surface of the water.  Olson broke through a picket fence that surrounded the yards, pulled the floating child from the pool and began rescue breathing.  Seeing the other child was at the bottom of the pool he yelled for help and continued rescue breathing on the first.  A woman came running to the pool and dove in to retrieve the child from the bottom.  Olson was able to revive the first toddler, then helped pull the second child from the pool.  He immediately began rescue breathing on her too and was able to revive her.  Both girls had regained consciousness prior to the arrival of emergency medical services.  The children were transported to local area hospitals where they were treated and later released to their parents.

Mr. Olson’s decision to take action, quick intervention and knowledge in resuscitation techniques clearly saved the lives of these two girls!   

Officer Preparing Release:  Detective M.  Burgess
Date of Release:  March 30, 2009
Approved By:  Capt. C. Dunn

ADDED: The Sheriff’s Department will present Olson with a proclamation at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 1, 2009, in the lobby to the jail annex at 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura.

FROM: Sgt. Joe Evans

Good morning Watchers.
The past two weeks have been great. Our calls for suspicious vehicles and persons are up and our crimes are down. Wow just like we planned. Even those vehicle burglars have taken a break for now. Speaking of that, new signs have been posted at our local trail heads warning people not to leave items in their cars while hiking. These sign are very blunt and to the point. We hope this helps decrease the number of crimes in those areas.

Well summer is on the way and with it comes vacations. It’s the time of year when we might want some extra security for our home while we area out of town. Our Volunteers in Policing Program (V.I.P.) offers home vacation checks thru City Watch to anyone living in the Ojai Valley. While you are out of town your V.I.P.’s will come to your home and walk around the exterior looking for signs of crime or other problems. If they find a problem, deputies will be called and the investigation begins. This service is free and the checks will be done as often as time permits during you absence.

This should not take the place of normal security measures you would take prior to leaving on any vacation. It  must not replace the good neighbor policy that I know each of you are working on in your neighborhoods. Remember your neighbor is in the best position to watch out for you while you are away. This service just adds to the already top notch security at your home. It is just another way to help keep our homes and neighborhoods free from the fear of crime.  

I have attached a Patrol Request form to this report. Just fill out the form and send it back to City Watch. I will let you know that I received it and sent it on to the V.I.P.’s. I would suggest you submit the form at least two or three days before you leave. This way your V.I.P.’s will have time to schedule you into their route.

It is easy to fill out the form. Just right click on the attachment, then click open with, when the form comes up you can only type where there are lines for boxes. There should be enough room for all your information.

You can also print the form and fill it out by hand. Then bring it to the Ojai Police Station and leave it at the front desk. Hey remember to ask if I am working so I can say Hi.

I would like to thank all of our V.I.P.’s for offering this great service. You may not know this but all our V.I.P.’s are also members of City Watch. I would like to add a special thank you to V.I.P. Judy Downard for helping me with this form. We all know how bad I can mess up a good thing. In this case Judy did all the work and It went great.

If you have any ideas for programs that you believe would help keep our community safe, please send them to me. This is your program and I want each of you to know that your input is valuable. I say take the gloves off and send me your ideas. 

Your friend and neighbor, Joe

P.S. Your friends can sign up for City Watch by sending an E-mail to ojaivalley.citywatch@ventura.org

Despite months of determined opposition, council votes 3-2 to send in housing plan numbers

By Sondra Murphy
After years of community and agency discussion, the Ojai City Council voted Tuesday to recommend that city staff submit a Housing Element draft to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

Councilwomen Sue Horgan and Betsy Clapp requested more time to review the 175-page document before voting on its submission, but Mayor Joe DeVito, Mayor Pro-Tem Steve Olsen and Councilwoman Carol Smith felt comfortable with submitting the plan to get the process rolling.

An Ojai Housing Element was to be submitted by last summer, but community concerns over preserving Ojai’s character and about the valley water supply delayed a council decision until such apprehensions could be addressed.

“It’s time that we pass it,” said DeVito, who referred to the previous Housing Element drafts that have been presented during his 23 years on the council. “If we wait another three weeks, there will be people who will come back and find reasons to object to it.”

The Housing Element is a required plan to accommodate new housing to be certified by the HCD and is based on the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) mandated by state housing law as part of the periodic process of updating the General Plan. The RHNA quantifies the need for housing within each jurisdiction during specified planning periods. 

In May, council members said they were not ready to adopt a plan to accommodate 427 new housing units required by the state. In December, the council determined it could not support any of the three options presented to accommodate a state mandate that conflicts with the city’s growth management plan. 

Ojai was to have created a Housing Element plan by June 30, 2008, and the lack of one is troubling to city staff. “As of July 1, you’ve been vulnerable,” planning and redevelopment consultant Tom Figg told the council in January. “The farther out we get from the target deadline of June of last year, the more problematic it is for us to meet our requirements.”

Figg tried Tuesday to assure the council that the submitted draft does not obligate the city to any specific increase in housing responsibilities, but instead shows good faith in the city’s willingness to work with the process. He also said that until a Housing Element was submitted to HCD, environmental impact reports on habitat and water supply could not be initiated. 

Figg submitted three options to the council over the course of about two years before bringing a fourth option in January that addressed the city’s growth management program in relation to a Housing Element. It was Option No. 4, with an estimated 427 additional housing units, that the council voted to submit to the state on Tuesday.

“It is true the growth management of the formula is really geared to the market rate. That ordinance still remains intact,” said Figg. “We have suggested you evaluate it. Taking a look at making the plan a little more flexible may be prudent.” Figg added that the formula is a suggestion, not an obligation.

“So they will not be required at any time?” asked Olsen.

“No, if you read the proposal for growth management … you are not obligated,” Figg answered.

It is the state mandate and possible loss of local control over population growth that troubled many speakers to the issue, including the council members. Ojai Basin Groundwater Management Agency’s Jim Ruch again addressed the council about water supply challenges. His concerns were countered by Golden State Water Company’s Skip Faria, who expressed confidence over his agency’s ability to supply water to city residents, whatever their numbers. Many speakers to the issue Tuesday and at previous meetings asked for environmental studies before submitting a plan to the state.

City manager Jere Kersnar asked special counsel Julie Biggs to address the issue of the EIR process. “The process hasn’t begun yet,” said Biggs. “The initial study will highlight and identify the impacts of the plan.” 

Biggs then pointed out that an EIR for any of the previous Housing Element plan options would have been “entirely different” than one set up for Option No. 4. “This is not an end point, this is a beginning point,” she said.

To read the entire Draft Housing Element update, go to ojaivalleynews.com and click OCC Housing Element Update.

$500k OK’d for next phase of construction

By Sondra Murphy
Appraising Libbey Bowl as a significant treasure to the community, the Ojai City Council voted unanimously to commit $500,000 in development funds to the next phase in its reconstruction.

“We’re bringing this to you tonight to formally begin this process,” said city manager Jere Kersnar. “The concepts are not binding and we will have to take it back to the other side of the house to regulate it.” Kersnar added that, because the city is also the owner of the bowl, “You’re sort of, in a sense, applying to yourselves.” He said the historic issues represented in the physical and creative presence of the bowl would likely require agency collaboration, which may get confusing at times.

Architect David Bury reviewed the efforts to save the crumbling 52-year-old structure before elements and insects do in the beloved, open-air performing arts venue shared by dozens of community groups each year, most notably the internationally recognized Ojai Music Festival.

Independent studies undertaken last year concluded that the bowl has been irreparably damaged by years of improper drainage and termite rot. As a result, the city of Ojai, the Ojai Music Festival, area foundations, and the Ojai Valley community are joining together to raise $3 million for the rebuilding project. 

Construction is now projected to begin next year following the 64th Ojai Music Festival and will open with the 65th Ojai Music Festival in June 2011. OMF has procured $1 million in pledges toward preserving the building, but its executive director, Jeff Haydon, reported that only about $30,000 is cash in hand at this point in time.

To continue the many logistical processes, more funds would need to be committed by the project and Haydon said it would, in turn, assist with efforts to raise the remainder.

“Pledges are not cash and while I’m sure (donors) will honor their pledges, we’re nearly $2 million short,” said city attorney Monte Widders. “The question is, who is going to be responsible for that $2 million.”

The city has already spent $100,000 on Libbey Bowl repairs, renovation studies and the contract with David Bury and Associates.

After determining that the bowl was a legitimate use of redevelopment dollars, the council voted to set aside half a million dollars from the fund for the next phase in the bowl’s reconstruction. Council members acknowledged the risks, but felt that the bowl was worthy of such a gamble.

Libbey Bowl has undergone numerous emergency repairs over the past five years, which the city of Ojai, OMF, and community businesses underwrote. These repairs precipitated a full analysis of the bowl in fall 2006 to develop a long-range maintenance schedule. Upon completing the analysis last February, the city of Ojai determined that the bowl was beyond reasonable long-term repairs and recommended that a study be done to completely rebuild the facility. The city also completed immediate repairs to ensure the short-term usability of the bowl.

“We’re not committing to construction tonight,” Councilwoman Sue Horgan clarified.

“No, but we’re committing to soft costs,” Widders replied. He added that if there was still a shortfall when the project was ready to go out to bid, the city could opt not to proceed.

Council members concurred that to do nothing was not an option. “I’m very comfortable at this point setting aside $500,000,” said Councilwoman Carol Smith. “This is a project that needs to be done.”

A memorandum of understanding between the city and OMF is the first order of business, and will acknowledge the efforts OMF has made to help save Libbey Bowl.

Haydon said that the time line was tight, but low construction costs and labor would likely help the project move quickly. “And maybe stimulus money is available, which it wouldn’t have been a year ago.”

Bury unveiled his design in January to rave reviews at a joint meeting of the Ojai City Council, Planning, Arts and Historic Preservation commissions. Bury’s plans keep the original shape largely intact, while incorporating natural light and green building elements. 

The design is also able to address the Americans with Disabilities Act and modern safety standards, concepts that had not been developed at the time of its initial construction.

The Rebuild Libbey Bowl Campaign needs volunteers to help with the project. To learn about volunteering or making contributions, call 646-3117 or visit the web site at LibbeyBowl.org.

Ventura County Sheriff’s Department
PRESS RELEASE: 

Gypsy moth spraying brings fears of intimidating tactics

By Daryl Kelley
A Mira Monte woman who refused to allow gypsy moth spraying on her property has complained to authorities about what she considers “strong-arm tactics” by a Ventura County biologist who urged her to reconsider that decision.

Despite official assurances that homeowners would not be forced to participate in the eradication program, Vivian Jakab said Monday that she was shaken and intimidated by county supervising biologist David Van Epp when he came to her door last Thursday.

“He was telling me the state can come onto my property,” said Jakab. “He said they could come back later and there could be fines and a state attorney could come out to see me. It’s just strong-arm tactics.”

Jakab said Van Epp pressed the issue for about 15 to 20 minutes. Authorities have also tried to persuade two of her neighbors to allow spraying, she said. 

Van Epp, who works in the county agricultural commissioner’s office, declined to discuss the situation or the law as it pertains to 577  homeowners who live within a designated spray zone in Mira Monte and Meiners Oaks.

“I don’t really have any comment,” he said in a brief telephone interview. “I was polite and not rude and I threatened no one. I don’t have anything to say about this.”

Van Epp’s supervisor, County Agricultural Commissioner Henry Gonzales said county officials are working hard to gain full compliance with the spraying. Gonzales said that he, personally, spent Saturday knocking on doors. “We’re trying to get everyone to join us,” he said. “We have a small window of opportunity here and we need to work together to keep this from spreading.” County and state are still reviewing options if a resident refuses to allow spraying.

But state spokesman Steve Lyle said in an e-mail Tuesday that “we have had outstanding cooperation from people in the area who understand the threat to their community.” The State Department of Food and Agriculture is running the $800,000 program.

Twenty-four property owners have expressed concern about the spraying, and state and local agricultural officials are working with them, he said.

“(We) are hopeful that the people who have expressed concerns will eventually support the treatment program once they come to understand the importance of treating each and every designated property, and the low risk of … … Btk (spray), an organic material that targets caterpillars.”

Lyle did not respond directly to questions about whether the state has the right to spray a property without permission or whether the owner could face fines or legal action for refusing to cooperate.

“We’re reviewing our options,” he said.

Jakab’s complaint was lodged amid controversy over whether pesticide spraying is the safest way to end the infestation, which authorities say could threaten woodlands throughout California if allowed to spread. 

Local anti-pesticide activists protested two weeks ago as the two-month spraying program began. Indeed, on the first day of spraying, four of 62 homeowners refused to allow it because of concern about potential health hazards or lack of information.

But agricultural officials said that Btk, the organic pesticide being sprayed here, had been used safely and effectively on 30 infestations of the gypsy moth in California in the past 30 years. It is also commonly used to kill mosquitoes and is certified for use in organic gardens.

“Our own experience, plus sound science, tells us it works,” Lyle said.

The gypsy moth infestation of Mira Monte and Meiners Oaks, discovered last year, is the only one currently in California, although gypsy moths have ravaged forests in the northeastern United States and around the Great Lakes.

Before this treatment regimen is complete, trees and shrubs at the target residences are scheduled to be sprayed three times and homeowners will be notified before each visit, officials said.

Although officials insist the spraying is safe, veterinarians have recommended that pets be kept away from it for at least four hours.

And representatives of Pesticide Free Ojai Valley have called for a halt in the program, favoring an attack on the gypsy moths manually, crushing the females, which can’t fly, and scraping egg masses off of trees.

Others have advocated attacking the pests with hot water or planting “beneficial insects” that would eat the moth’s larvae.

But agricultural officials said the time to act is now, and that they must use an eradication method that has been proven effective because a spread of the leaf-eating gypsy moths could be devastating.

Application of Btk is timed to destroy moth larvae before they hatch this spring.

“If a larger infestation were to develop in Ojai,” Lyle said Tuesday, “the gypsy moth caterpillars would threaten oaks in the region as well as other hardwoods, evergreens, manzanita, cottonwood, willow and others. It is also a threat to forests and agricultural crops, such as fruit trees.”

Jakab said she never uses pesticides on her yard and didn’t want to use them this time.

“So I called them on March 3 and told them I didn’t want it,” she said. “Within hours I had a person come to my door. But I had worked in agriculture for a seed company lab, and things we were told were safe, they’d later have us wear gloves to touch.

“I’m old enough to remember the guy who drank DDT on TV to show everyone how safe it was,” she said. 

Then Van Epp showed up on Thursday.

“I gave my concerns,” she said. “I said I have a few health issues. I said people are complaining about running noses from the spraying, and he said it was from the oak trees (blooming). I thought, ‘Now he’s a doctor too.’ It was just poor communication.”

But finally, on Monday, Jakab, who retired a year ago, said she was so frustrated with her failure to reach Van Epp or Gonzales in follow-up calls that she left the agricultural commissioner a message that the state could spray at her home.

“I thought about it all weekend, and I was very upset,” she said. “Finally, I just called and said, ‘You guys have won: I’m going to let you spray.’ I didn’t want to get into litigation somewhere down the road with them.”

Spraying at Jakab’s home is set for today, as part of the second phase of applications, which began on Monday.

“I didn’t want them to come out later and say there’s still moths here and it’s my fault,” she said.

Officials said they’ve been careful to try to avoid confusing residents about the spraying.

They said they’ve distributed fliers to each affected property prior to the spraying and held an informational meeting in mid-February after notifying residents of the state’s intentions. Fliers were also distributed last fall when a quarantine area was established in a much larger area, restricting the movement of outdoor objects such as recreational vehicles, trailers and even stacked wood without prior inspection by the county.

As the spraying continues, it will cover trees and plants within a 400-meter radius of two sites where gypsy moth egg clusters were found last fall. It will also cover areas where seven adult gypsy moths were found in traps last summer.

Gypsy moths were discovered in the same area in 2007 and two were killed in Meiners Oaks in 2000.

Discovery of a new “breeding population” of  gypsy moths prompted the quarantine of most of Mira Monte and Meiners Oaks and a western slice of  Ojai last fall.

Two clusters of up to 100 orange-colored moth eggs were found in Mira Monte.

A single gypsy moth caterpillar can eat 1 square foot of leaves every day, experts say. Once a tree is repeatedly defoliated, it is susceptible to disease, and often dies.

Elected activist says resolution will diminish role

By Sondra Murphy
Since Jerry Kaplan was elected to the Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Council in November, he has been very aware of the people who voted for him. All 5,485 of them. 

Kaplan brings documents outlining his campaign promises and vision to each OVMAC meeting and has worked with the process of getting items placed on the agenda. The process requires a second to his motion, plus a majority vote to place it on an upcoming agenda.

Having finally gotten the OVMAC mission placed on the March 16 agenda, Kaplan circulated his list of priority items during last week’s meeting. On his list, Kaplan states, “My extensive research indicates that over the 35 years that the OVMAC has been in existence, there has been a dramatic shift in the way the MAC operates.”

After citing the MAC is intended to address public health, safety, welfare, public works, land use, planning, significant environmental reports, as well as a forum through which to identify needs and goals and make recommendations on a continuing basis, Kaplan’s priority list goes on to say, “The council appears to spend most of its time (and) effort not on significant valleywide matters … As a result, and as an elected member of the MAC, I strongly believe that we are not living up to our responsibilities.”

Of $50,000 goal, $1,386 collected on challenge for local public schools

By Sondra Murphy
In the wake of Measure P’s narrow defeat, Sara Beeby issued a challenge to all supporters of the parcel tax effort to send in a donation anyway.

A two-thirds majority fell less than 1 percent shy of the 66.67-percent margin needed for the measure to have passed in November, or just 77 votes.

Ojai Unified School District Superintendent Tim Baird estimated the measure could have generated about $600,000 per year during its seven-year span. Instead, the school district sent out 60 layoff notices to teachers this month.

It is the 7,140 people who voted in favor of the measure that Beeby is challenging to put their money where their votes are. Beeby and husband, Bob, sent their donation in December. Beeby said that any donation would be appreciated. “We are fortunate to have a lot of dedicated teachers here,” she said.

School district could receive nearly $900,000 from feds

By Linda Harmon
Once again the budget crisis dominated Tuesday night’s meeting of the Ojai Unified School District board. Before a sparse audience, Superintendent Tim Baird outlined where the budget stands this week, what actions they needed to consider, and what next actions they needed to take. Or, as Baird termed it while making a stab at levity, “The budget package du jour.”

Baird did have some good news in spite of cuts. He said that the district can be proud that the state WASC accreditation inspection of Nordhoff went well, and added, “Based on comments I received the inspectors were very impressed with Nordhoff.” 

Topa Topa sixth-graders separate out the different types of wet and dry waste and write the totals on their waste audit sheets. Pictured are Sasha Ongley, left, Nicole Golden and, right, Chelsea Cross, 12-year-olds in Gregory Lepine’s class. Photo by Scott Wintermute

By Linda Harmon
Food For Thought, which last year received a grant for a pilot project called Up and Down the Waste Stream, has received a two-year $80,000 anonymous grant to continue greening our schools with its Green and Healthy Schools Program.

The grant funds the program to develop a more sustainable model for our schools and our children. It gives partners FFT, a local nonprofit that raises a healthy awareness of the food we eat, and the Ojai Unified School District, the funds to move forward.

“This year we are expanding our program to all the schools in the district,” said Marty Fujita, vice president and founder of FFT. She added, “We can save both kinds of green. We are not just looking at the waste stream, but looking at the whole footprint of the school, including all resources.” 

That’s a tall order, but FFT and OUSD are definitely on the road. With ongoing projects including school gardens, nutrition education, and its farm-to-field program, FFT provides a base for the expansion.

In June 2008, OUSD passed the Green and Healthy Schools Resolution. The resolution called for a two-year program, using the FFT team to provide advice and help, to structure a comprehensive Green Plan. The Green Plan laid out priorities and actions for OUSD, including instituting a sustainability curriculum and service-learning projects at all school campuses. It also called for examining all purchasing, operating and maintenance projects for potential environmentally preferable choices and savings. It also advocated exploring and instituting water and energy conservation policies and technologies.

“I think we got the grant on the strength of our pilot project,” said Fujita, “and the fact that we were able to get the resolution passed.”

“This grant is really about continuing to implement the resolution,” said Deborah Moore, an Oakland-based environmental scientist and executive director of the Green Schools Initiative. “Formalizing a program is important because often a good project gets off the ground, but then a teacher or parent leaves and it dies. It is important that it becomes part of the fabric of the school. We want to get to the point where all schools are healthy and green. Part of the grant is going to fund Susan’s position.”

Moore is speaking of Susan Dvortcsak, a sixth-grade teacher at Topa Topa and the green coordinator for the program. 

“Susan started the recycling program eight years ago as a service learning project with the kids,” said Fujita, adding she was a natural choice for coordinator, taking on the task of identifying a committed staff member at each school.

“When I came here in 2002 I wanted to tackle lunch food waste,” said Fujita, adding the five R’s are their bible: reduce, reuse, recycle, rot and re-think. “Kids have found out themselves that there is no ‘away’ to throw away. Food waste was the highest number on the waste chart.” 

“This is marrying the issues around nutrition to make them come full circle,” said Moore.

Lori Hamour, program director, said they have already done a waste audit in all the schools and the resulting waste stream audit identified 37 immediate changes for the schools, including temperature-controlling thermostats and educational recycling stations, 41 items for short-term goals such as solar water heaters, and 18 long-term goals using green building practices and furniture from recycled materials. They have also obtained data from all five elementary schools to generate a chart of estimated lunchtime landfill created, 70,952 pounds per year. The chart is broken down into recycling, dry waste, liquid waste, food waste, and unopened food waste.

According to the group, solutions have already been forthcoming from the kids themselves after doing the audit. 

“One solution was to supply separate napkins rather than packets of plastic cutlery and napkins together,” said Dvortcsak, “saving the cutlery from going to the landfill when it wasn’t really even needed.”

“This two-year project has been built on the shoulders of all these programs that went before,” said Moore. “We want to go districtwide, beyond recycling, beyond food, to include the whole environmental footprint.”

Food For Thought has just announced the lineup for its bi-annual fund-raising concert, “Locally Grown,” June 20 at Libbey Bowl. The bill will include Mason Jennings, Quetzal with Perla Batalla, and the Culver City Dub Collective. 

To find out more e-mail info@foodforthought.

St. Joseph's celebrates Stippler's 50 years of service. Photo by Scott Wintermute

By Sondra Murphy
As if the mountain views and orange blossom breezes of the East End were not welcoming enough, Brother Hugo Stippler greets his guests with kind eyes and a comfortable handshake.

St. Joseph’s Health and Retirement Center paid special recognition to this important person in its organization yesterday as Stippler celebrated his golden anniversary with the Order of Hospitaller Brothers of St. John of God by renewing his vows. Stippler entered the order in Ojai in 1957 and made his final vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and hospitality on the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19, 1959.

“Most of his life has been here,” said Brother Michael Bassemeir. “He’s quite a man.”

Stippler grew up in Evansville, Ind., received an engineering degree from Purdue University and worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II. “We didn’t know what it was, at the time,” he said.

He learned of the Order of Hospitaller Brothers of St. John of God in a newspaper advertisement and felt called to it because of the nursing aspect. St. Joseph’s is a nonprofit corporation sponsored by the Brothers of St. John of God. It offers skilled nursing and independent living facilities. The brothers live on the premises and integrate the spirit of hospitality into the daily life of the center. 

Stippler has worked at other locations, but came back to Ojai in 1986, so he has seen a number of changes in the valley over the years.

The Ojai center opened in 1960 and has slowly built up the 36-acre site. Stippler remembers each upgrade, be it barn or window. “When I first got here, land was going for $5,000 an acre,” said Stippler. “Now is goes for $50,000 an acre.”

Kidney surgery in December 2007 and a current battle with prostate cancer have helped Stippler empathize with the residents at St. Joseph’s. On Wednesday, he was hoping the anniversary reception would be low key. “I would like something very simple,” he said.

“But he does enjoy other people having a good time,” said Stippler’s sister, Bertha Julian. She and Stippler’s niece, Ann Mays, came out from Indiana to celebrate the big event. “Hugo’s my older brother,” said Julian. “I’m No. 5 of six children, so he has lots of nieces, nephews and grand-nieces.”

Stippler recalled that locals were initially worried that the center would bring disease to the valley. Later, he said, St. Joseph’s cared for the first AIDS patient in the county. It is the people who come to the center that have made the biggest impression on him. “Lots of people have stories and struggles,” said Stippler.

While most of his time is spent at the center, Stippler does get a chance to circulate a little. “Ojai is beautiful because of the beautiful artwork,” he said. He attributes the creativity of the residents partly to the influence of the area’s natural features. “There’s something about the valley running east to west. Most valleys run north to south.”

For more information about St. Joseph’s Health and Retirement Center, go to hospitallers.org/stjosephcenter.aspx.

From: Sgt. Joe Evans
Good morning Watchers.

Spring is in the air and the weather is fantastic. Many of us are once again returning to the hills and enjoying our local trails. With all the flowers blooming and local wildlife showing up in all areas of the valley, who would not enjoy this type of activity.

Well the vehicle burglars have once again started hitting our local trail heads again. They too enjoy our zest for the outdoors. They love it when we visit the trails and leave our valuables in our car just waiting to be taken. What these crooks are not counting on is, we are now aware of their plans and we are all watching. When we go hiking we will be looking around the parking area for those people just sitting around and looking out of place. We are telling all our friends to leave their valuables at home. We will be taking our cell phones with us on the hike so we can alert police to any suspicious activities we might see. Many times we see the crooks leaving as we return to our cars.

Our police will be  extra patrolling the areas and questioning any suspicious people they see. Our detectives will be making contact with local criminals and getting information from them about who exactly is committing these crimes. We all know how trusting crooks are with each other and how well they keep a secret. Our Detectives will use this information to track down and arrest any of these crooks they can identify.

As our team grows, we become stronger and more of a problem for the local criminals in our valley. Our sharing of information is the exact thing that will bring the crooks to the realization that crime in Ojai is against the entire community and this community will not stand for it.

Our calls for service are increasing and I see many calls of suspicious subjects loitering in our neighborhoods. This is a clear indication that we are working together and having an impact on the local criminals.

I am working with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Crime Analysis Unit to create a document that will show each of you where the crimes are happening in our valley each month or maybe even each week. I hope to have this on line in the next three weeks. 

Keep up the good work and stay safe.

Your friend and neighbor, Joe

P.S. Your friends can sign up for City Watch by sending an E-mail to ojaivalley.citywatch@ventura.org

If gypsy moth infestation spreads, plan may soon be put to the test

By Sondra Murphy
While protests are organized against the county’s pesticide programs, the city of Ojai is quietly developing an integrated pest management program that will include a citizen’s advisory committee.

Public Works director Mike Culver brought a report about the city’s use of pesticides to the Ojai City Council last week.

Culver reported that the city uses herbicides rated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as having minimal risk to humans, animals or the environment. Culver added that city staff members who use the herbicides are licensed by the California Department of Pesticide Regulations.

According to Culver, the EPA web site refers to any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest as a pesticide, applying the term to herbicides and fungicides. Culver said the city uses treatments with active ingredients of glyphosate, triclopyr and oryzalin believed to pose no threat to human, wildlife or natural habitats, but said his research collected data from organizations that report the inert ingredients typically used in most compounds are suspected as being more toxic than the active ingredients. 

“I thought pesticides kill bugs and herbicides kill plants,” said Councilman Steve Olsen. “I didn’t know they were all lumped into one.”

Culver pointed out that staff applies herbicides to weeds between November and February each year, which keeps weed populations in check for the remaining months and if staff used more non-chemical forms of abatement techniques it would be a year-round project that would increase man hours and, therefore, cost.

“As part of our new stormwater permit currently under review, an Integrated Pest Management policy is going to be a required component,” said Culver. “It’s timely that this comes up now, because we would have to have done it anyway.”

Culver referenced examples from other cities with IPM, from the complex approach used by Santa Barbara, to those with zero pesticide use policies, such as Fairfax. “The Ventura County strategy is based on Santa Barbara’s,” Culver said.

The city recommended a citizen’s advisory committee be formed to work with staff as a steering committee to explore, develop and review a policy.

Suza Francina addressed the council regarding weeds. “In truth, the weeds have very deep roots and bring up minerals,” said Francina, who then offered an example of the basin on Signal Street. “It looks like it’s filled with weeds, but if you look very closely, there are thousands of ladybugs and now frogs, so there’s a whole ecosystem there.” Francina also warned the city to use care in making pesticide decision. “Think of the long term,” she said. “Sometimes there’s a hidden cost that we don’t calculate.”

Councilwoman Carol Smith pointed out that ladybugs are often used for pest control. Marleen Luckman asked the council to adopt the strictest pesticide policy it can in order to help Ojai meet its goal of becoming a model green community. 

Councilwoman Betsy Clapp said that many communities use goats as part of their weed abatement efforts and suggested 4-H get involved with the advisory committee. “They (goats) can munch the weeds and fertilize the soil,” said Clapp.

Councilwoman Sue Horgan moved to direct staff to develop an IPM policy for the city, which was unanimously adopted. Mayor Joe DeVito recommended the committee look to UCLA’s extensive studies on weeds and Clapp requested the city attempt to draw from a large group of people for the committee.

While the city’s concerns focus on weed abatement, the county of Ventura has initiated chemical treatment programs to address arundo growth and gypsy moth infestation. Treatment areas are in unincorporated areas of the Ojai Valley over which the city has no sway. Arundo efforts are aimed primarily at Matilija Canyon, while the organic pesticide Btk is being used in current gypsy moth larva eradication in the Mira Monte area.

Safety, parking issues in Meiners Oaks business district get scrutiny

By Sondra Murphy
After several months spent examining neighborhood safety concerns at El Roblar Drive and Poli Avenue, the Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Council decided Monday against recommending stop signs or no parking zones along the little business district.

Concerns about line-of-sight issues in the area prompted a Ventura County Public Works study in late 2008. Nazir Lalani of the agency came back to the council with a recommendation to create no parking zones near the Poli and El Roblar intersection, which would eliminate about four parking spots. Merchants in the district were upset by the plan, and attended MAC meetings to cite sparse parking that already exists in the neighborhood.

FROM: Sgt. Joe Evans
Good morning watchers.

A special thanks to all of you who got on the computer and began searching local sites like E-Bay and Craig’s list for the stolen jewelry. I am happy to tell you that the jewelry was recovered and the case has been closed. It turns out the victim in this case was mistaken and had the missing items the entire time. Oops accidents happen.

It was very interesting to see how many of you e-mailed me and said you were on the computer looking for these items. I have always told the chief that as a group, you are some of the most responsive people I have ever worked with. You have proved it over and over again. It is nice to know that when someone in our community needs help, You (all the members of City Watch and friends) really step up and give it your best. I am very honored to be involved with people of such high character.

Speaking of the Chief, he has asked me to pass on the following letter. Oh yea, he also ordered me not to edit this letter. I feel like myeditorial powers have been temporarily suspended. Ha Ha. 

City Watch Members:
I wanted to write and thank each of you for taking part in this great program. Through your efforts we have been able to put several crooks in jail and identify numerous areas of concern that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. As we begin to enter the warmer months, we can expect that criminal activity (especially at night) will rise. We ask that you continue to be vigilant in reporting suspicious activity in your neighborhoods and around your local businesses to the Sheriff’s Department. I believe that a rise in “suspicious activity” calls for service is a positive indicator, as it shows the community is watching and taking an active role in making their neighborhoods safe. It is only through a partnership with you, the residents and business owners, that we are able to keep a lid on criminal activity. The Ojai Valley is a very tight knit community and we are proud to be a part of it.  I would like to give special recognition to Sergeant Joe Evans, who brought this idea to me and ran with and made it a success. Sergeant Evans is a wonderful advocate for this community. He and the deputies assigned to this station take great pride in serving this community and work very hard to keep it safe. 

Sincerely
Captain Chris Dunn, Ojai Station

Ok have a great day and thanks for all you do.
Your friend and neighbor,
Joe

P.S. Your friends can sign up for City Watch by sending an E-mail to ojaivalley.citywatch@ventura.org

FROM: Sgt. Joe Evans
Good morning watchers. Well one of our neighbors has fallen victim to a crook. The crook stole numerous items of very distinctive jewelry. Detective Steve Michalec your area detective, is looking to get your help on this case. Please review the attached pictures of the missing jewelry. If you happen to come across similar jewelry, please call the Ojai Police Department. Now I know there are more than a few of you talented shoppers out there. You know just where to go to get the good best buys. This might be a good time to put those special shopping skills of yours to work. It would be great if we could recover this woman’s valuable jewelry and catch a crook in the process. Take care and keep up the good work.  Please forward this alert to all your friends and family.   Your friend and neighbor, Joe

P.S. Your friends can sign up for City Watch by sending an E-mail to ojaivalley.citywatch@ventura.org

Public comments heard, staff presents options

By Sondra Murphy
City staff will be better able to address code violations in the near future.

The Ojai City Council received plenty of input about code enforcement during its meeting Tuesday. 

Last month, council requested that city staff bring them options for improving code enforcement after a number of public speakers shared complaints about merchant violations of the sign ordinance and concerns for businesses struggling in the current economic.

City manager Jere Kersnar presented the council with four options to increase enforcement of various codes with varying impact on the costs. Those options ranged from maintaining the current, complaint-based process, setting aside time blocks to concentrate on enforcement, and hiring additional part-time staff to hiring additional full-time staff.

The first two options would not add additional salary expenditures, while Kersnar estimated a part-time officer would cost about $30,000 annually and a full-time officer would cost up to $100,000 annually.

After hearing public comments on the subject, council decided in favor of having staff bring back a plan to dedicate time for existing staff to focus on complaints and work with violators toward compliance. This plan will still be complaint based, but will allow for weekend enforcement and more effective follow-up than currently exists. Discussion favored a trial period to measure its success.

Kersnar said that most of the time people who are noticed for code violations do not realize they are out of compliance and respond positively to the notice. “The most troublesome situations are when there is  not compliance,” said Kersnar, adding that having the time to follow up on uncooperative individuals would be a benefit.

A large group of public speakers addressed the item, some who had recently been noticed of sign ordinance violations and others who had opinions about merchant displays in the city.

Speaking in support of merchant displays were Hildegard Tallent, Hallie Katz, Nigel Chisholm, Priscilla Stuart-Galgas, Suza Francina and Scott Eicher, Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer. Tallent said exterior displays of merchandise helped her to attract customers, a statement concurred by Chisholm, who said that downtown business owners are highly aware of the distinctive charm downtown Ojai offers. “Please don’t throttle the local businesses,” said Chisholm. “Just surviving right now is what we have to do and we could really do without the additional stress.”

Meg Goodwin pointed out that real estate open house signs are all over the downtown area on weekends and what merchants needed were maps and signs that visitors could reference to learn where businesses are located. “There’s nothing tackier than coming into Ojai and seeing the whole town is up for grabs,” said Goodwin. “I think people would like to see ‘Art Show Up the Street’ or merchant products outside.” She suggested the city paint a downtown wall with a map of businesses or a kiosk to direct tourists. “People like to see what’s going on. Otherwise, it becomes a sterile wasteland of shops for lease.”

Eicher urged the council to alter the sign codes to allow displays as developed by a special committee last autumn. “Rather than make criminals of our merchants, I think you should consider giving the outdoor displays a trial period, as approved by the Planning Commission and Historical Preservation Committee,” he said. “Why have them if you’re not going to follow their recommendations?” Eicher added that it was important to keep sight of the spirit of the law.

Francina agreed that the council should focus on the spirit of the law. “As a customer, I love outdoor displays,” she said. “I’m for anything that supports the merchants and makes the city more pedestrian friendly.”

Councilwoman Sue Horgan again supported the idea of merchant displays, as well as dedicated code enforcement time blocks as outlined in Option No. 2, especially if it allows for weekend staff. “It does not cost any more and is a good use of time,” said Horgan. “I think this solves the concerns my colleagues had about enforcement.”

“One of the things I don’t want our code enforcement officer to do is look at taste,” said Mayor Joe DeVito. “That’s like judging art.” He encouraged the merchants to be proactive in educating their peers about the rules and safety issues associated with signs and displays.

After the unanimous vote to direct staff to develop dedicated code enforcement staff time, Horgan requested that the merchant display standards developed by a committee headed by city planner Katrina Rice Schmidt be brought back to the council for consideration. The primary objection by council during its first presentation in February was the concept that having new policies without enforcement staff was a backwards plan.

Another agenda item during the evening concerned the city’s leaf blower ordinance. The public spoke about enforcement challenges with that ordinance, as well as the hazards leaf blowers created for humans, trees and ecosystems.

Councilwoman Betsy Clapp moved for staff to come back with a plan to ban all leaf blowers in the city of Ojai. Horgan said she supported the idea but would like more information about possible impact on commercial property owners, while DeVito and Councilwoman Carol Smith thought certain machines might be acceptable. Mayor Pro Tem Steve Olsen said he was interested in seeing what such an ordinance would look like before forming a decision.

Feds target $635k for road repair, trollies

By Daryl Kelley
The city of Ojai has applied for $625,000 in transportation aid from the federal stimulus package now being analyzed by local officials to see if they may benefit from efforts to pull the U.S. economy out of recession.About $425,000 of that money would be spent for replacement of two of Ojai’s six trollies, while another $200,000 would supplement a street resurfacing project just now getting under way, said city manager Jere Kersnar this week.

Other areas in which Ojai might benefit from stimulus money include energy efficiency measures for city buildings, vehicles and  infrastructure, Kersnar said.

In addition, the Ventura County Housing Authority is set to receive $600,000 from the stimulus package to make its public housing units more energy efficient, officials have said. They said the money will be spent on installing new windows in housing projects in four local cities, including Ojai.

“I’ve also heard that there may be some gang prevention monies for us,” Kersnar said. “But that would come through the Sheriff’s Department.”

Federal officials announced this week that more than $1 million in stimulus money is set to go to law enforcement agencies in Ventura County, including $91,000 to the Sheriff’s Department, which serves as the police force for Ojai and the Ojai Valley.

Ojai also seems likely to get some money from an increase in federal community block grant funds that are often used here for construction projects, Kersnar said. Ojai now receives about $50,000 a year in such grants.

The city is also nearly certain to receive some stimulus money on a per-resident basis. But 8,000-resident Ojai is so small — holding less than 1 percent of the county’s population — that payment won’t be much.

Officials announced two weeks ago that about $8 million in stimulus money and extra funding in this year’s federal budget would trickle down to Ventura County. But about $4 million of that will pay for cleanup of Santa Paula Creek, which remains clogged with silt and boulders from the floods of 2005, creating the potential for more flooding.

But nearly $1 million is also earmarked for the Matilija Dam removal project, part of an ongoing series of allocations. Federal officials approved spending $90 million on the $140-million dam-razing effort, the first in the nation, while the state is expected to pay nearly all of the rest.

Despite some housing foreclosures locally, Kersnar said he does not expect  much federal assistance in that area.

“One of the mysteries here is the whole issue of foreclosure,” Kersnar said. “But we’re relatively less hit.

“The last time we checked in December we had only 16 foreclosures in the whole city,” he added. “We have about 3,000 properties, so that’s only about  one half of 1 percent. It’s higher now, but I suspect it’s nowhere near other areas.”

Ojai has also experienced numerous short sales of houses, situations in which owners sell homes for less than is owed on their mortgages. But distribution of bailout money is based generally on foreclosures, not short sales.

Chris Jones and Patty Pagaling monitor the eradication spray effort for gypsy moths on Monday. Photo by Scott Wintermute.

Despite’ protests by residents, spraying goes on

By Daryl Kelley
Amid protests, state crews began spraying a pesticide to eradicate gypsy moths in Mira Monte this week, dousing trees and plants with a clear liquid meant to halt infestation of the tree-killing pest.

On Monday, owners of four of the 62 homes targeted for application refused to allow the spraying, with one saying he knew too little about the pesticide. 

A handful of masked anti-pesticide protesters, dressed in white protective clothing, also objected to the eradication program because of health concerns.

But agricultural officials said that Btk, the organic pesticide being sprayed here, had been used safely and effectively on 30 infestations of the gypsy moth in California in the past 30 years. It is also commonly used to kill mosquitoes and is certified for use in organic gardens.

“Our own experience, plus sound science, tells us it works,” said Steve Lyle, spokesman for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, who traveled from Sacramento to kick off the program.

The gypsy moth infestation in Mira Monte and Meiners Oaks, discovered last year, is the only one currently in California, although gypsy moths have ravaged forests in the northeastern United States and around the Great Lakes.

Before this treatment regimen is complete in about two months, trees and shrubs at 577 residences in Mira Monte and Meiners Oaks are scheduled to be sprayed. 

“We’ll visit each property three times,” said eradication supervisor John Hooper, as workers pulled long yellow hoses from nine spray trucks on or near Moreno Drive.

County Agricultural Commissioner Henry Gonzales, along with two of his inspectors, monitored the spraying. He said it was safe and that he wouldn’t bother keeping his own pets indoors if it was being done near his home.

“No, I probably wouldn’t,” Gonzales said. “They wouldn’t like the water part of it, but I wouldn’t have a concern about their safety. But the veterinarians have recommended that pets be kept away for four hours.”

As local and state officials answered reporters’ questions, Chris Jones and Patty Pagaling of Pesticide Free Ojai Valley observed the proceedings.

“We’re on a chemical treadmill,” said Pagaling, a Matilija Canyon resident who has led protests against chemical spraying to kill giant, invasive reeds along the Ventura River.

Pagaling said Btk kills butterflies as well as gypsy moths. She favors attacking gypsy moths manually, crushing the females, which can’t fly, and scraping eggs masses off of trees.

Jones said communities all over the country are banning pesticides because they jeopardize people who are sensitive to chemicals or have weak immune systems.

“How can you trust these things are safe?” he said. “They said DDT was safe too.”

Jim Nichols, a Ventura County resident familiar with the Ojai Valley spraying, said he has gained renown on the internet by advocating eradication of  insect pests by spraying them with hot water.

“They’re dead in a half second if sprayed with water that’s 135 degrees,” he said. That’s the highest temperature at which home water heaters may be set, he said.

For tall oak trees, where such applications are impractical, he recommended planting a “beneficial insect” named podisus, which is commonly called the spiny soldier bug.

But agricultural officials said the time to act is now, and that they must use an eradication method that has been proven effective because a spread of the leaf-eating gypsy moths could be devastating.

Application of Btk is timed to destroy moth larvae before they hatch this spring, he said.

“We want to treat right now so we can prevent this pest from spreading,” he said.

Moreno Drive resident Sue Dickens, a nurse, said she never uses pesticides in her gardens, but decided to allow the spraying to prevent destruction of the valley’s fabled oaks.

“Personally, I don’t like pesticides,” she said. “But the gypsy moths are too much of a danger to allow them to get a foothold here. 

Yet, Dickens took no chances with the safety of her beloved cat, Maxine, keeping her indoors for four hours after the spraying. 

And when winds whipped up to 10 mph, the spraying was temporarily stopped to prevent drift.

Up the street from Dickens’ house, Harry Lehr refused to allow the spraying on his property. “There were seven trucks in front of my house, and I felt a little threatened,” he said. “I didn’t know what chemical they were spraying. It didn’t smell like air freshener.”

State officials, however, said they’d distributed fliers to each affected home prior to the spraying and had held an informational meeting in mid-February after notifying residents of the state’s intentions to spray. Fliers were also distributed last fall when a quarantine area was established in a much larger area, restricting the movement of outdoor objects such as recreational vehicles, trailers and even stacked wood without prior inspection by the county.

As the spraying continues, it will cover trees and plants within a 400-meter radius of two sites where gypsy moth egg clusters were found last fall. It will also cover areas where seven adult gypsy moths were found in traps last summer.

Gypsy moths were discovered in the same area in 2007 and two were killed in Meiners Oaks in 2000.

Discovery of a new “breeding population” of gypsy moths prompted the quarantine of most of Mira Monte and Meiners Oaks and a western slice of  Ojai last fall.

Two clusters of up to 100 orange-colored moth eggs were found in Mira Monte.

A single gypsy moth caterpillar can eat 1 square foot of leaves every day, experts say. 

Once a tree is repeatedly defoliated, it is susceptible to disease, and often dies.

“If a larger infestation were to develop in Ojai,” says a Food and Agriculture flier, “the gypsy moth caterpillars would threaten oaks in this region as well as other hardwoods, evergreens, manzanita, cottonwood, willow and others. It is also a threat to forests and agricultural crops such as fruit trees.”

Masses of eggs, appearing as buff-colored felt, are found on trees and on transportable items such as RVs, outdoor play equipment, barbecues and campers, according to state officials.

The eggs are laid in masses that are light yellow-orange in color, often on the bark of trees. Any sighting should be reported to a state pest hotline at (800) 491-1899, officials said.

Baker’s dozen of contestants entertain, earn honors for excellence

By Sondra Murphy
The Oak View Community Center glimmered and shimmered Saturday during the 2009 Pageant of Excellence.

The 13 contestants who participated in this year’s event provided the glamour, which was accented by instrumental music by Marc and Sandi, a formal meal by personal chef Sean Donwen and wit and wisdom from mistress of ceremonies Sharon Carr. 

Carr, new to the valley, charmed the crowd by explaining how a haircut at pageant director Kim Armstrong’s salon turned into a mistress of ceremonies gig. “Your daughters reflect this community,” said Carr. “They have integrity, compassion and enthusiasm. They are leaders. They embraced me and welcomed me and I consider them my girls now.”

Meagan Rose performed three crowd-pleasing a cappella songs, including “The Star-Spangled Banner,” after Boy Scout Troop No. 503 and Brownie Troop No. 385 presented the colors.

Besides family and friends, special mentors to the contestants attended the pageant to cheer on the competitors. Each young lady spoke about what she had learned from her new acquaintance during the weeks leading up to the pageant, fondly referenced her pleasant surprise at finding she had much in common with her new friend and expressed interest in continuing the relationship. Those mentors are Lou Angelos, Molly Boyle, Alice Bromwell, Kelly Hargett, Barbara Herbert, Leanne Kennedy, Tony McLennan, Susie Rivers, Sarah Reinhart, Ruth Sitton, Luanne Schlichter, Glenda Strosnider, Marko and Bert Weingart, and Anne Youngdale. Vickie Achee coordinated their special tea with the contestants.

“I think the highlight of the night for me is when the girls gave their speeches about what they’ve learned and handed the roses to their friends,” said Armstrong, who was able to enjoy herself a bit more this year thanks to a large pageant committee. “Trista and Jordan and Beth worked so much with them and gave each and every girl the attention they needed.”

Jordan Kelsch, Trista Thrush and Elizabeth Tousignant helped coordinate the pageant and spoke fondly of this year’s “amazing” contestants, as Thrush referred to them. “I came in thinking I was going to teach the girls all kinds of stuff,” said  Kelsch. “In reality, I think they taught me more.”

Judges were Catherine Lee, Scott Miller, Jeannie Schick, Anita Smith and Penny Watson, coordinated by Georgeanne Stewart and audited by Ron Futterman.

U.S. Navy ensigns escorted contestants to the runway again this year. They were Tristan Dedelva, Fernando Llamas, Justin Rowlison and Daniel Stubbs. Possible future Miss Oak Views Lily Hargett and Raquel Shusette were escorted by Luke Davis.

The winners were as follows:

• Miss Oak View: Amanda Ramirez, 19, Ventura College sophomore; First Runner-Up, Krista Prock, 16, Nordhoff High School sophomore; Miss Congeniality, Amanda Ramirez

• Miss Teen Oak View: Chyanna Thrush, 14, Nordhoff High School sophomore; First Runner-Up, Karrissa O’Hearn, 13, Matilija Junior High School seventh-grader; Miss Congeniality, Chyanna Thrush

• Miss Pre-Teen Oak View: Nicole Neumann, 12, Matilija Junior High School seventh-grader; First Runner-Up, Shyanne Ordoñez, 11, Topa Topa Elementary School sixth-grader; Miss Congeniality, Megan McGraw, 9, Sunset Elementary School fourth-grader

All contestants will serve as part of the 2009 Miss Oak View court, participating in Oak View Civic Council events through next March. The remaining court ladies are Aleena Dennis, Jessica Rae Nixon, Tawny Watson, Melani Woolwine, Victoria Neumann and Rianna Sharif. Look for the new court to make an appearance at the Easter egg hunt at the Park and Resource Center on April 4 and in cool cars during the Memorial Day parade down Old Ventura Avenue in May.

The pageant was made possible by the collective effort and sponsorship of many individuals and businesses working to honor 55 years of pageant tradition in Oak View. The court will begin organizing for next year’s event in December. For information about getting involved, contact Armstrong during evenings at 646-0727.

 

Tony Lake

Ojai Valley Inn hosts Legacy of Hope golf tournament to raise funds to help train land mine-sniffing dogs

By Linda Harmon The green hills of the Ojai Valley are a lifetime away from the ravaged, mine-littered terrain of Afghanistan, but Monday these distant places were connected in a very special way. Knowing that every 28 minutes someone steps on a land mine, two nonprofit organizations partnered to raise funds to do something about it. The International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance and the Marshall Legacy Institute, held a charity golf and dinner event at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. According to Elise Becker, MLI program director, the golf tournament is one of their “Legacy of Hope” events which help provide start-up funds for de-mining programs in Afghanistan and nine other countries. “We had about 60 golfers in the event,” said Perry Baltimore, head of MLI. Golfers included four professional U.S. Champion golfers and members of both organizations. One golfer and the chair of the MLI board was Tony Lake. Lake, a longtime friend and golfing partner of Baltimore’s, is more than familiar with the destruction of war and its aftermath. He began working as a diplomat during the Vietnam era with a career that spanned more than 40 years, serving several administrations, including Clinton’s. Under Clinton, he served as special envoy to Africa, drafting an agreement to end the Eritrean-Ethiopian War. Lake was also a foreign policy advisor to Obama’s campaign and is currently a professor at Georgetown University. “You hear so many people saying things are terrible and the system is lousy,” said Lake. “In fact, the point of a democracy is you can change things, if you concentrate and work at it. That’s why I was so excited about the Obama campaign. We have created the opportunity for change. MLI is wonderful. This is one of my causes, it’s my passion.” The Virginia-based organization was founded in 1997 to extend the vision of Nobel Peace Laureate George C. Marshall, author of the World War II Marshall Plan that rehabilitated war-torn Europe. MLI believes that an estimated 80 million land mines are still buried worldwide affecting at least 84 countries and covering an area equivalent to the state of California. Lake and others like him want to help empower governments to remove them and end the cycle of destruction. “I had become passionate about land mines while I was in the White House,” said Lake. “Perry was representing the joint chiefs of staff and we traveled around to Angola and Mozambique. We visited a town in Angola that was just devastated by land mines.” According to Lake, while passing a field that had trees loaded with mangos he asked why they hadn’t been picked when people were starving. They hadn’t been picked because of the land mines. “It seemed to me to be a metaphor for the whole country of Angola,” said Lake. “It was an incredibly rich and beautiful country that had been ruined. The horror of land mines is not that they kill and maim people, but that if you’re in a village and you think there is a land mine in a field nearby, you’re not going to go into that field. The agriculture just dies. Kids are afraid to go to school.” The focus of MLI is to raise the money to train mine-sniffing dogs and the U.S. State Department supplies the funds to have the dog handler and the dog trained together in the country involved. The program is monitored by The Marshall Legacy Institute for a year and then turned over to the affected country’s government. “We don’t go in and clear the land mines for them,” said Lake. “We empower governments the way the Marshall plan did … It’s a sort of a giant apple seed.” When he joined MLI Lake didn’t know of the growing importance of canines as locaters of land mines. He is quick to sing their praises now. “Dogs are 10 times as fast at finding the mines,” said Lake, who explained that the dogs are trained to recognize the off-gassing of the primarily plastic land mines, buried close to the surface. “Traditional metal detectors don’t work as well because the mines contain only a small amount of metal.” Goran Gacnik, the director of ITF, also golfing at the event, knows the statistics all too well. He has been with ITF since its 1998 founding in Croatia. Both organizations are responsible for mine victim rehabilitation. Gacnik is particularly proud of their mine risk education program in Southeastern Europe where they have reached 80,000 children with education programs. “In the last three years we have had no new casualties in Albania,” said Gacnik, “which is good compared to Colombia with 900 casualties.” According to Gacnik, his organization reports to Washington twice a year to retain their funding. To date, ITF, now based in Slovenia, has received $113.6 million in U.S. funding over 10 years and raised a total of $274.3 million when including overseas, private and public funds. Afghanistan, currently their focus for mine removal, already has 18 dogs and Gacnik hopes to place 60 more over the next four years. “Macedonia, Montenegro, and Kosovo are mine safe because of the (program),” said Gacnik. “We are on track in Serbia and Albania to be mine safe this year.” According to Becker, MLI has bought and trained more than 120 dogs, placing them in start-up de-mining operations in nine countries including Afghanistan. “Utzi is our retired canine ambassador,” said Becker of the dog, who worked nine years before retiring to appear in de-mining demonstrations like the one given at this event. Becker said the group will be appearing at several more Southern California locations before heading back to their respective ends of the globe. All the folks at MLI and ITF have their work cut out for them, with more than 2,360 communities and 4 million people still affected by land mines. Once again it takes hard grass-roots work to bring about change. For more information go to marshall-legacy.org.

FROM: Sgt. Joe Evans

Good evening Watchers. Tonight we roll out our new ReUnite Program. Thanks for all your hard work and helping me get this program off the ground.

City Watch Reunite Program
From time to time we receive calls from people who have a family member with special challenges who is now missing. We also respond to calls of subjects who are confused and do not know who or where they are. Deputies arrive and find the person involved has certain challenges and is not able to communicate or remember simple but vital information that would allow the deputy to reunite them with their families or care takers.

This small population of our community can be very vulnerable during

times of need. For many of these people, finding themselves alone in public or away from their families or caretakers can be terrifying for both them and their families. 

I am talking about our friends and family members who have special challenges due to medical conditions or have just lived a full life and are now experiencing significant memory and communication issues. 

We (Our City Watch Team) have created a voluntary program that will allow families in the Ojai Valley to register their loved ones with City Watch. This will give your deputies access to direct information they can use to make sure the families are re-united with their temporarily lost loved ones.

I know this program will be of great value to those families with senior citizens. I know we also have younger citizens in our community who can and should benefit from this service. 

This program is designed to assist citizens in the Ojai Valley who sometimes finds themselves lost and or confused in public. It will also benefit people suffering from communication issues that prohibit them from telling people who they are and where they live.

In the event your member becomes separated from his home and a deputy locates him. The deputy will use this program to identify the member and contact the member’s family. The deputy may also return the member to his family if transportation is an issue at the time.

OK, so how do I sign up my loved one?

To sign up your loved one as a member of the Re-unite Program, fill out the attached application, attach a picture of the loved one and return it to the Ojai Police station. You can also forward this information to a friend and they may request an application through Ojai Valley City Watch.

Another option is to request one of our Volunteers in Policing to respond to your home and take the information. One of our Volunteers will come to the home and contact the parties involved. The V.I.P. will take a picture of the new member and gather the needed information on the standardized application. The V.I.P. will then enter the member into the program. I hope to have this option available sometime in April 2009. 

Each member of the Re-unite program and their families will be contacted annually to make sure the emergency information is still valid and take a new picture if needed. This follow up service is designed to insure the integrity and accuracy of the program.

The information needed on the application is simple and direct to the point. We start with the name, address and telephone number of the new member.

Then we would like several different emergency notification contacts. These are people who could respond to our calls if the member is found and in need. This will increase our odds of quickly re-uniting the member with his family or caregiver. 

The application can be submitted via e-mail or in person at the Ojai Police station. If submitting your application at the Police station, please bring an updated photograph of the new member. This will be attached to the application and placed into a secure binder.

If applying via e-Mail, please fit a picture of the new member into the application document prior to submitting it. I will send out instructions on how to accomplish this with the application. 

All information on the application will be maintained at the Ojai Police station and available only to your station deputies.

If you want any further information please contact Sgt. Joe Evans at the Ojai Police Department or e-mail ojaivalley.citywatch@ventura.org. 

I have attached the application and some instructions in case you want to try and fit a digital picture of your loved one onto the document.  

Have fun and please forward this alert to all your friends and neighbors.   

Your friend and neighbor, Joe

FROM: Sgt. Joe Evans
Good morning Watchers.

First things first. Deputy Matt Johnson would like to thank all of you who helped identify the young man in the photo we sent out last week. Thanks to you Matt was able to contact this young man and they took care of some much needed business.

Just so you know, I started receiving e-mails about this young man’s identity with in 30 minutes of the alert being sent out. Because of your quick action this young man was able to resolve a  problem that might have led to worse problems if more time was allowed to pass.

OK  second things second. Later today you can expect another City Watch Alert. This alert will be announcing the beginning of our ReUnite Program. This is the program we started talking about  more than three months ago. I took all your input along with my some what limited knowledge and guess what? We are ready to go. I have a couple of finishing touches to put on it and some staff training that needs to be completed later today.

OK last but not least. As you know many of our local fire fighters at the Ventura County Fire Department are also members of City Watch. I have asked them to provide us with some fire safety tips for our homes and families.

The following is sent to us by Chief Garcia. Chief Garcia runs the day to day fire fighting operations in our valley. We all hope this is the first of many such alerts sent to us by our fire department. Thanks Chief Garcia. 

March 4, 2009 Change clocks, change batteries – smoke alarms save lives. Daylight Savings Time began on March 8 this year, and changing your clocks is a good reminder to change the batteries in your smoke alarms according to the Ventura County Fire Department. The evidence is clear: smoke alarms save lives, but they must be properly installed and in working order to do that. The U.S. Fire Administration reported that, in the four-year period 2000-2004, 65 percent of the deaths in home fires occurred in homes that either had no smoke alarms, or had smoke alarms that were not working.

“Smoke alarms save lives,” says Ventura County Fire Department Captain Ron Oatman. “Having working smoke alarms in your home greatly increases your chances of surviving a fire. It’s as simple as that.” Keeping fresh batteries in your smoke alarms can save lives, but there are other ways to make sure your smoke alarm is working efficiently:

● Replace your smoke alarms every 10 years; aging smoke alarms don’toperate as efficiently and are frequently responsible for “nuisance” alarms.

● Test units at least once a month. Use the “test” button on the device or an approved smoke substitute, never use an open flame.

● Periodically clean your smoke alarms (follow the manufacturer’s instructions).

● Place smoke alarms outside each sleeping area and on each level of your home, including the basement. An alarm in the garage is a good idea as well.

● Alarms should be mounted on the wall 4-12 inches from the ceiling, and ceiling-mounted alarms should be placed four inches from the nearest wall. On a vaulted ceiling, mount the alarm at the highest point of the ceiling.

● Make sure everyone in the household knows the sound the alarm makes and what to do if they hear it.

● Have an escape plan for your home and designate a meeting place outside the home to account for family members in the event of an emergency.

● Never “borrow” smoke alarm batteries or disconnect them from the device.

● Never paint a smoke alarm.

As Daylight Savings Time begins, change your clocks and change your smoke alarm batteries, too. You might be saving more than daylight.

Again, thanks for all you do and please be safe. Your friend and neighbor, Joe 

P.S. Your friends can sign up for City Watch by sending an E-mail to ojaivalley.citywatch@ventura.org

FROM: Ventura County Sheriff’s Department

Narrative:
On March 2, 2009, both resident deputies at the Lockwood Valley substation were dispatched code-3 (lights and siren) to a “baby not breathing” call at 17501 Maple Trail in the northern unincorporated area of Ventura County known as Lockwood Valley. 

Dispatchers gave the infant’s parents CPR instruction as deputies were responding.  When deputies arrived, they immediately began CPR.  Kern County Fire and AMR Ambulance also responded and continued life saving efforts.  The infant, later identified as Steven Schimmel, was transported by ambulance to a nearby ranger station and airlifted to Kern Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Deputies interviewed Steven’s 19-year-old mother and Steven’s 32-year-old father, Jayson Schimmel.  Steven’s mother and father are not married, but have lived together for a couple of years, in a guesthouse behind Jayson’s parents’ house.  Initial information provided to investigators indicated that Steven awoke crying during bottle feeding and then went limp and subsequently stopped breathing for unknown reasons.  At that point a 911 call was placed.

The autopsy was performed by the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office.  The autopsy revealed that Steven Schimmel died of “blunt force head injuries due to Battered Child Syndrome.”  Steven also had multiple bruises on other portions of his body, as well as multiple fractures.

The investigation determined that Jayson Schimmel was responsible for the crime and probable cause existed to arrest him for murder.  Sheriff’s Detective Scott Peterson arrested Jayson Schimmel for the murder of his biological son, Steven Schimmel, on March 5, 2009 at about 3:20 PM in Frazier Park, CA.

Anyone with information about this crime should call the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit at 477-7000.

Declines in enrollment, budget bring ‘pink slips’

By Linda Harmon
The Ojai Unified School District board voted to notify 74 teachers of impending layoffs, the teachers’ dreaded “pink slips,” Tuesday night.

“The cuts are the largest I’ve seen in my 28 years as a school administrator,” said Tim Baird, OUSD superintendent. “I’m not happy about it.”

Positions scheduled to be noticed for layoffs include 32 elementary teachers, 31 secondary teachers, and 13 district positions such as English language support, elementary music and physical education.

According to Baird, the cuts are necessary based on the district’s prediction of declining enrollment and the uncertainty of the state budget. The recently approved state budget depends on the passage of five different propositions in the special election scheduled for May. 

“I think some of the propositions are shaky,” said Baird. “I think the state has its work cut out for it to get all these passed. My concern is we go back to square one … and that the decisions we make now give us the flexibility to respond.”

State law requires that the layoff notices go out by March 15 in preparation for the 2009-2010 school year. The cuts represent a 40 percent cut in teacher staffing, some employed since 1996.

“We are the canary in the gold mine,” said school board member Kathi Smith, who added she wanted teachers to know the board was not taking the cuts laying down.

Baird agreed saying, “Unfortunately, we are out in front in this because we have been dealing with declining enrollment for so long.”

Baird did say that layoffs are occurring in almost every district in the county and it may result in almost one-sixth of county teachers getting layoff notices. Several board members noted the negative impact that the notices would have on the local economy.

“I wish we had the Stricklands in the room,” said board member Rikki Horne.

Baird replied that 21 area superintendents had invited all six local legislators to meet with them, but only three out of six had shown up. 

“The three Democrats met with us, but the three Republicans declined,” said Baird. “We attempted to set up another meeting, but Audra Strickland said she was too busy for the next two months and Tony Strickland didn’t get back to us at all. It is a crime they are so unresponsive to their districts. I just don’t get it. We are trying to set up another meeting.”

Baird said he hoped they would be able to take some positions off the chopping block soon, adding the process isn’t fair to the teachers as some may get final notices before May’s special election. 

The board also approved the second interim report of the 2008-2009 budget presented by Laura Meisch, director of finance. The already obsolete document was required by state law even though it is based on state budget figures that are now inaccurate due to subsequent legislative changes.

“It’s really frustrating to spend three or four weeks on a worthless document,” said Meisch while summarizing the state-mandated 73-page document. 

According to Baird, the document does allow a positive certification to ensure the district’s standing if future borrowing is needed. Cash flow remains a big issue, but according to Dannielle Pusaterre, assistant superintendent of business and administrative services, the interest-only pool of county schools can be used to supplement funds if needed.

In future budget planning, Pusaterre outlined plans for the $600,000 budget reductions through the 2008-2009 school year and a $2 million budget reductions for 2009-2010.

Besides this year’s approved layoffs the OUSD 2009-2010 projected budget includes elimination of the $100,000 from the elementary P.E. program, elimination of $144,000 in the ninth-grade classroom reduction program, $120,000 in reductions of district office staff,  $72,000 in reductions in the special education program, and limiting textbook purchases.

The board is scheduled to meet five more times between now and June 23, and the public is invited to attend. In addition, the board is holding a budget conference today.

On a lighter note, Grace Song, an Ojai Valley School seventh-grade student, was applauded for winning the local round of the National Scripps Spelling Bee. Song won in the 13th round with the word “paradigm.” It was Song’s second attempt after being eliminated from last year’s competition by the word “egregious.”

Enforcement of merchandise displays likely to prompt furor before City Council

By Maureen O’Brien
City Council members are bracing themselves for an emotion-fueled evening at the next meeting on Tuesday.

At issue is the long-standing debate over the city’s enforcement — or lack thereof — of the merchandise display laws that have been on the books for years.

The topic, which has been on the City Council’s agenda for the past several sessions, threatens to turn into a bit of a brouhaha at Tuesday’s gathering as a result of the sudden issuing of several unexpected official “notices of violation” to local retailers last week, mainly along the Arcade, for such infractions as having a sign outside a shop or a small table or rack of goods on display. 

Sources say proponents on both sides of the issue have polarized and are planning to attend the Tuesday meeting “en masse” to express their opinions.  If so, they will be allowed to do so at the beginning of the meeting during the open microphone “Public Communication” segment of the session, during which each speaker will have exactly three minutes to convey their thoughts and concerns.

“This whole situation is just insane,” says Feast Bistro executive chef and co-owner Susan Coulter, who is one of the recipients of a violation notice.

She says she plans to be there front and center on Tuesday to voice her feelings. “I mean, let’s be reasonable, people! In these hard times, retailers don’t need this kind of hassle from the city. We are all struggling, very, very hard, to stay in business and we are all very mindful of keeping our town looking neat and beautiful. All we are trying to do is to promote our businesses as best we can with a little tasteful signage and merchandising. It’s not like we’re turning the main drag into Joe’s Flea Market for Christ’s sake.”

City planner Katrina Rice Schmidt acknowledges that the issue may be coming to a boil. “We have been struggling without a dedicated full-time code enforcement officer since 2005 due to our own financial difficulties, so we have been dealing with complaints on a case-by-case basis.” Apparently, severe violations of the code such as gawdy sandwich signs or large displays that could impede handicap traffic were handled swiftly with ease.  

In the past few weeks, however, Schmidt concedes that a group of citizens opposed to “any and all forms” of outdoor marketing rallied their energies and, as a result, the city was forced to respond to numerous specific complaints by issuing the notices. These notices can result in actual fines if recipients such as the Feast Bistro do not remove their allegedly offending menu, which has been on display outside the front door since the restaurant opened three years ago.  

Calls made to proponents against retailers displaying signage and goods were not returned in time for this story. Tuesday’s City Council meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Ojai City Hall, 401 S. Ventura St.

FROM: Sgt. Joe Evans

Good morning Watchers.
During the past two nights we have experienced several vehicle burglaries in the Meiners Oaks area. It seems that someone is walking around late at night looking for targets of opportunity. We all need to watch for people walking the streets in that area late at night and very early in the morning. If you live in that area and notice any suspicious activity, please call the police right away.

We also had someone break several windows at the Q-time bar and grill. This is significant because as we all know the business owners in Meiners Oaks are trying to improve this area for all of us to enjoy. We can and should support their efforts by keeping watch over their business’ when ever we can. Remember our local business’ are an important part of our community. Lets keep them safe. 

If you do see suspicious activity please call the police at 646-1414 or 654-9511 or in cases of emergency dial 911. In all cases one of your deputies will respond and do his best to CATCH A CROOK.

Recently one of you reminded me that you would like some simple tips on keeping your homes and families safe from crooks. Here are two easy tips for starters.

Tip #1
We all have that window in our home that is hidden away from public view and we worry about a crook using it to break into our house. Well spring is coming and I would like to suggest you plant a nice thorny cactus in front of that window. As the cactus grows you can trim it and shape it to be a true barrier for crooks. The cactus drought tolerant and many have beautiful flowers . Remember, crooks look for the easy target. They are not going to want thorns stuck in their arms and legs and will likely move on to an easier target.

Tip #2
Home alarms is a topic that could take many hours to talk about. I am going to take a short cut and talk about using an alarm you may already have. This is more of an all around emergency alarm that will give crooks a great reason to run and your neighbors a chance to call the police.

Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this:

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

It’s a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar won’t stick around… After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won’t want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there ….. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. 

I would also like to thank the folks at the Ojai Valley Estates Mobile Home park. They had a great neighborhood watch meeting. I was impressed to see how many people turned out and participated a in a great discussion about home and community safety. These residents were victimized by a crook recently and they are not going to take it any more. They had some great ideas and I believe the crook is in for a surprise next time he drives thru that neighborhood. 

Great job to all of you and keep up the good work.

Your friend and neighbor, Joe

P.S. Your friends can sign up for City Watch by sending an E-mail to  ojaivalley.citywatch@ventura.org