Ojai Valley News Blog

CHP Press Release from Officer Steve Reid:

On September 30, 2009 at about 7:20 am, a traffic collision occurred involving a pickup truck and an Ojai Unified School District bus on Baldwin Rd. at Los Encinos Rd.

Kim Fullenwider, age 53 of Ojai, was driving a school bus as she was traveling westbound on Baldwin Rd approaching Los Encinos Rd.  She was picking up students on her regular route.  There were thirty-one students on the school bus from Meiners Oaks Elementary School, Nordhoff High School and Matillija Jr. High School.

Dimitrios Poulos, age 60 from Ojai, was driving a Ford pickup truck traveling eastbound on Baldwin Rd. approaching Los Encinos Rd. Fullenwider made a u-turn in the intersection of Baldwin Rd. at Los Encinos Rd. directly ahead of Poulos’ vehicle. Poulos applied his brakes but could not stop in time.  The right front end of Poulos’ vehicle struck the right rear end of the school bus.

Poulos’ vehicle sustained major front end damage in the collision.  The school bus sustained moderate right rear end damage.  Another bus driver was dispatched to the collision scene and transported the students to their respective schools.  No one was injured in the collision.

Fullenwider was determined to be driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision.  She was arrested for driving under the influence and was booked into the Ventura County Jail.  Fullenwider was also charged with child endangerment.  Fullenwider has been a school bus driver for the Ojai Unified School District for 19 years. The collision is still under investigation.

Energy-efficient materials touted at open house

By Nancy Gross
An open house Saturday at the Paul Massey and Lynn Coleman residence, still under construction at 1055 N. Signal St., offered visitors an opportunity to talk with a number of experts in green building technology.

The building’s architect, Marc Whitman, was available and spoke with people about his pleasure in designing one of the premiere super energy-efficient homes in the area. Whitman said, “We’re promoting all aspects of this particular house. The owners have gone the extra mile.”

This open house was especially timed to show off the use of a cutting-edge building material called Perform Wall. Stephen Dobbie, renewable energy consultant for California Solar Electric, whose display focused on LED par 30 bulbs that can replace and outperform incandescent lights, told a visitor to be sure to talk with Wade Vernon of Perform Wall Sales and Consulting. Dobbie remarked, “It’s all about the walls today.”

Whitman said, “We’re going to start covering up this block.” This was an opportunity to see the house’s grand, thick and yet elegant skeleton. “I liked it as a designer because I got to sculpt with this,” Whitman adds.

Vernon explained that along with concrete, Perform Wall is made from 85 percent post-industrial pre-consumer recycled polystyrene. In other words, the plant that makes it is located in a district where electronics companies do completion work, and Perform Wall recycles the foam that electronic components are packed in prior to being assembled for final sale to consumers.

Perform Wall is mold resistant with no chemical out-gassing, and sound resistant, reducing interior noise for a low-stress kind of hush indoors. It is highly energy efficient, and has a four-hour fire rating, which is an enormous benefit in fire interface zones such as the Ojai Valley.

Building and energy consultant Tim Broderick came by the open house and asked Vernon, “On supporting the roof, are the blocks taking the load?” Vernon replied, “Every 15 inches there is a 6-inch core of rebar and concrete, vertically and horizontally.” Another visitor, Pat McPherson asked, “Does the foam go in between the blocks?” “The foam is actually integrated into the blocks themselves,” Vernon explained.

Vernon, along with Patrick Lawrence of Lawrence Construction, a Perform Wall installation specialist and builder on this project, also fielded questions about the costs associated with choosing Perform Wall, and the energy savings expected. “We’re seeing 5 to 10 percent premium on our overall building costs,” but costs are recouped in the first two years because “there is no added insulation, and you downsize or eliminate your overall heating and air conditioning needs.” Homeowners who incorporate Perform Wall along with solar don’t need as much wattage from their solar because the walls do so much of the temperature-control work.

Ojai resident William Moses stopped by to see the work in progress. He was one of the influences on Massey and Coleman to build this way, as he built a house on Thacher Road 19 months ago using Perform Wall and other green and energy-efficient methods. “It’s on these 102 plus days you can really feel the difference,” Moses remarked, “It is quite easy to keep cool, and has a great feel for a habitat.” Moses added that “These types of homes are pretty special. Living in it is fantastic. There is a certain stateliness. It is a modern interpretation of an adobe style, it emulates adobe,” which Moses said fits in well with Ojai’s aesthetics, where Spanish-style architecture is common. Moses also asserted that the four-hour fire rating is especially appreciated in zones like ours.

Rather than a typical 6-inch wall, Perform Walls are 10 or 12 inches thick, which is reminiscent of sturdy, cool adobe dwellings in the Mediterranean.

Whitman commented that Massey and Coleman have been the driving force on the project. “We’re fulfilling their desires. As the project proceeds, new ideas about how to make it more energy efficient keep pumping up the standards.” California Door and Hardware’s Jim Roberts and Ken Beisel were on hand to speak about Eagle Windows and Doors, and Frank Layton was there to introduce Fluid Stone to prospective clients. In addition, Steve Lott of Southern California Edison’s Advanced Home Programs gave out information about incentives and rebates for people who build with energy-efficient devices.

Fluid Stone’s Layton said, “The paradigm shift has occurred and the codes are catching up.” He added, “It doesn’t get much greener than Perform Wall and Fluid Stone.” Fluid Stone is natural stone and recycled glass in a non-toxic water-based acrylic polymer. It is decorative, flexible and crack-resistant, waterproof and eco-friendly. Fluid Stone can be used for walkways, floors, driveways, interior and exterior walls, and pool decks. Layton says, “Our products are extremely affordable compared to the toxic waste that’s been sold for years.”

Eagle Windows, the design-oriented division of Andersen Windows, was showcasing a broad palette of colors home builders can choose for window frames, enhancing design and architectural style. With high performance glass and low E-4 glazing, the windows assist in maintaining a home’s energy efficiency. Colors baked onto extruded aluminum over a wood fiber core create windows that Beisel says are “maintenance-free for the most part.”

Architect Dave Intner, who gave the home its Greenpoint rating, as a certified rater through the Bay Area organization Build It Green, said Tuesday that the Massey-Coleman residence right now is tracking 36 to 39 points over code, and this may increase to 49 points over code depending on the approaches to water heating and radiant floor heating that are adopted. The Greenpoint rating, Intner explains, “is a third party verified, holistic and whole building quantified measurement.”For more information, visit whitmanarchitect.com, performwall.com, fluidstone.com, californiasolarelectric.com, socalgas.com/construction/, cadoorandhardware.com, and builditgreen.org.

A sheriff's patrol unit was used to simulate Avary's Mercedes during this January 2009 test on Highway 150 just east of the city.

By Daryl Kelley
Ending a tragic chapter for two grieving families, Oscar-winning screenwriter and Ojai Valley resident Roger Avary was sentenced Tuesday to one year in jail and five years probation for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, resulting from a late-night car crash in which an Italian newlywed was killed and Avary’s wife was injured.

Avary, 44, showed little emotion as Ventura County Superior Court Judge Edward Brodie imposed the sentence. But before the sentencing Avary apologized for his admitted crime, and he and his wife, Gretchen, tearfully requested forgiveness from the family of Andrea Zini.

The 34-year-old mechanical engineer was killed about 20 months ago when an impaired Avary lost control of his speeding Mercedes sedan on a curve and smashed into a telephone pole on Highway 150 near Ojai Lumber.

Avary had just met the Italian couple that evening in January 2008, and he invited them to his home after sharing dinner with common friends.

The victim’s widow, mother, father and best friend traveled from Italy to ask the judge for justice, but left the courtroom in tears, refusing an invitation by the Avarys to speak with them.

Avary, an Academy Award winner for “Pulp Fiction” in 1994, remained free, pending evaluation of whether he qualifies for a work-furlough program.

Once the work-furlough screening is completed by the county Probation Department, Avary will return to court on Oct. 26 for the judge to either send him to jail or allow him to remain free to work and support his wife and two children.

At the same hearing Tuesday morning, attorneys announced that Avary had settled for $4.1 million a civil lawsuit filed by the Zini family, after hiring his own independent lawyer to press his auto insurance company for a swift settlement.

That factor, along with Avary’s clean criminal and driving record before the Jan. 13, 2008 crash, were key considerations in his sentence, Judge Brodie said. Avary’s stellar life story and obvious remorse were also factors in his decision, the judge said.

Avary admitted guilt to five felonies last month, and faced a maximum of 12 years and eight months in prison, or a minimum sentence of six years and eight months, if Brodie decided to send him to state prison. Prosecutors asked for the six-year minimum.

Indeed, Brodie said he considered imprisoning Avary, who he concluded had made “fatal errors,” by drinking too much and driving far too fast.

“What happened was fairly predictable on a country road like that,” the judge said. “A life was lost for no apparent good reason … (but) not because Mr. Avary intended to take a life.”

Brodie chose a more lenient sentence partly because “of the life you have led,” he told Avary.

While Deputy District Attorney Michael Lief had asked for a prison sentence because of what he saw as a lack of remorse, the prosecutor said the judge’s sentence of one year in jail, or work furlough, along with probation was “perhaps appropriate,” given the judge’s explanation.

“This is a case deserving of a prison sentence,” Lief said. “But I can’t say the court was wrong.”

Lief said the Zinis did not want to speak with the Avarys, at least not now.

He said the Zinis were heartbroken and did not think that Avary could begin to understand their loss.

Zini’s best friend, Alberto Reggiani, speaking for the family, said Andrea’s death had destroyed two families. The dead man’s parents “don’t believe in life any more,” Reggiani said. And his wife “was never given a chance to have a family.”

Quoting from a letter by Andrea Zini’s father, Sergio, prosecutor Lief told Brodie that the family would never be able to forgive Avary, who “shattered” their lives in what the father described as “such a reckless manner.”

A spokesman said the Avarys were relieved by the sentence.

“They’re relieved that this is over,” said defense lawyer Mark Werksman. “But this is a tragedy for everybody, and they’re deeply humbled by it. Roger deeply regrets this awful tragedy. They’re thankful the judge showed compassion in his sentence.”

Avary declined comment outside of court. But during the hearing he told of “the gravity of despair that I feel. … I’ve been consumed by grief.”

His voice breaking, Avary apologized to the Zini family and acknowledged that he was “fully responsible for the ordeal that they are going through.” He said the first thing he thinks of each day is Andrea Zini.

“The remorse this tragedy manifested has become the fabric of my life,” he said. “I accept full and complete responsibility.”

And he said he would make amends in any way he could to the Zini family, and to his own.

The pain to the Avary family was punctuated by the choked comments of Gretchen Avary, who spoke as a survivor of the crash and as someone who has suffered through the aftermath.

“I watched as Roger did everything in his power to avoid” crashing head-on into another car, she said.

“Roger is so sorry,” she said. “Everyone notices the change in him since the accident.”

Then she asked the judge to give her husband a chance to continue to make a living and to provide restitution.

“This is only possible if Roger is able to work and provide for us,” Gretchen Avary said. “Allow Roger the ability to work and make a living.”

Werksman also noted that Avary is working on two films and that the jobs of hundreds of workers would be affected if he went to jail. Werksman asked that Avary be allowed to leave Ventura County to work on his films if he is placed in the work-furlough program, instead of jail.

The judge said that decision would be made once the probation report is completed.

Werksman said that Avary, who was supported in court by 14 friends and bolstered by 138 letters to the court, had also funded anonymously the Ojai Free Ride program, which provides transportation home for bar and restaurant patrons who’ve had too many alcoholic drinks.

Avary pleaded guilty last month to felony charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and causing injury while driving under the influence of alcohol. He also admitted to three felony violations of the state vehicle code.

Prosecutors said Avary had a blood-alcohol level of .11, while a level of .08 or greater constitutes drunken driving in California. Prosecutors also maintained that skid marks showed Avary was driving at 100 mph and that his sedan crashed into the pole at a speed of 25 to 35 mph.

Defense lawyers acknowledge that Avary was driving faster than the 45 mph speed limit, but far slower than 100 mph. They also said that a blown tire caused the accident, and a dangerous road contributed to it.

By Sondra Murphy
Changes in the Ojai Trolley Service schedule have been racking up riders since July. Stops being increased from hourly to every 30 minutes have helped bring more business, but there have also been some hassles for some customers.

In effort to make the trolley more user-friendly, Ojai Public Works director Mike Culver has been fine-tuning the trolley routes that were modified in response to Gold Coast Transit Route 16 changes hoping to make the service more cost effective. The new schedule takes effect Monday.

“The good news is ridership is up 10 percent,” Culver told the Ojai City Council earlier this month. He said he is working to adjust timing for transfers and stop locations to better meet riders’ needs and the majority of new changes are occurring in the city areas of the route.

“Most of the new route will remain the same, but the East End of the route, beginning in the downtown area, will have the changes,” said transit operations supervisor Drew Lurie. “Essentially, the trolley will go back to the way it ran that part of the route for years. Service will be restored to some key spots, such as Matilija Plaza, Grand at Montgomery, and Whispering Oaks. After running the new route for about two months, it became clear that we could better serve the community with these revisions.”

Culver reported that the revised route will run at least another month before additional modifications are made. Rider feedback and tracking were used for the revisions. Schedules reflecting these changes are available on the trolleys, as well as the Ojai Library, Chamber of Commerce and City Hall. The schedule is also online at ojaitrolley.com.

“The Trolley Service has recently added bike racks to the trolleys,” Lurie added. “We hope that this may encourage more people to use all of the transportation options here in the valley.” Questions about the trolley service may be directed to Lurie at 653-2230 or 646-5581, Ext. 207.

On September 23, 2009, the Ventura County Environmental Health Division (EHD) received confirmation from the State Department of Public Health that one wild bird collected by EHD vector control technicians the third week of September 2009 tested positive for the West Nile Virus (WNV).  The bird was collected from the Ojai area and is the third bird to test positive for the West Nile Virus in Ventura County this year.  Now that West Nile Virus is established in Ventura County, we expect that additional West Nile positive birds will be collected.

Environmental Health Division vector control technicians routinely monitor and control mosquito breeding sources throughout Ventura County.  In response to the positive bird finding, all mosquito breeding sources near where this bird was collected will be inspected and treated, if necessary.  Additional mosquito traps will be deployed in this area and trap results will be used to determine mosquito population densities and species.  If an adequate number of viable mosquitoes are collected, samples will be sent to a State laboratory to determine if they are infected with the West Nile Virus.

West Nile Virus is transmitted to humans from the bite of a mosquito infected with this virus.  Mosquitoes acquire WNV when feeding on infected wild birds.  Fortunately, in humans, WNV usually causes no symptoms or a mild illness.  Rarely, WNV can cause severe illness and death.

The public is advised to take the following precautions to minimize exposure to West Nile Virus:
• Eliminate standing water from their property to reduce mosquito breeding, including water in buckets, barrels, old tires, children’s toys, ornamental ponds, and neglected swimming pools.
• Make sure exterior doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Screens should be replaced if they are torn or have holes.
• Limit outdoor activity when mosquitoes are most active, especially at dawn and dusk.
• When outdoors, wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts.
• Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaradin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, according to label instructions.
• The West Nile Virus also affects horses.  For information about the West Nile Virus infection in horses and preventative measures, horse owners should contact their veterinarian.  Water troughs, barrels, and other similar water containers for horses provide excellent mosquito breeding sources.  If possible, water in these containers should be drained and replaced on a weekly basis.  If water cannot be drained, mosquito fish can be used to control mosquito breeding.

The West Nile Virus finding is a result of on-going countywide surveillance efforts by the Ventura County Environmental Health Division.  In addition to these efforts, vector control technicians routinely monitor approximately 1,900 potential mosquito-breeding sources in or near urban areas and implement control measures when evidence of mosquito breeding is observed.  Mosquito-eating fish are available from the County at no charge to residents for use in ornamental ponds and similar water features.  To order fish, the public should call 805 662-6582.

Time line still on track as renovation price rises with new round of estimates

By Sondra Murphy
It was a good news-bad news night at Tuesday’s Ojai City Council meeting for those watching the progress of the Libbey Bowl rebuilding.

The good news is the project time line is right on schedule. The bad news is estimates place construction at least $338,000 over its $3 million target budget.

Neighbor Danny Cole watches the flames burn through the roof next door to his Grand Avenue home. Photo by Ray Smith

By Lenny Roberts
and Daryl Kelley
Fire investigators are trying to determine the cause of an early-morning fire that destroyed a home at 411 Grand Ave. and caused extensive damage to the attic of a neighboring residence.

Ventura County Fire public information officer Bill Nash said upon arrival, responding firefighters from nearby Fire Station 21 on East Ojai Avenue reported that the single-story, single-family residence was completely involved in flames, making it difficult to immediately determine the point of origin. They upgraded it to a second-alarm working fire at 3:02 a.m.

Nash said four minutes later, firefighters reported the neighboring home at 415 Grand Ave. was threatened. It, too, soon started burning.

“Both fires were knocked down at about 10 minutes to 4, and extensive overhaul was needed,” Nash said.

Neighbors reported hearing three explosions in rapid succession at 2:58 a.m., followed by a fourth within a minute and then another at 3:02 a.m. Local massage therapist Cori Latimer said he believes the fire started in the garage. “I think it was electrical because the first thing to go was the power,” he said.

his computer in his bedroom adjacent to the garage at the time. He said he immediately heard J.T. Erickson, a boy who lives in the home with his parents, begin to scream.

“Then within minutes, the whole house had burned down. I managed to get out with a pair of shoes and shorts, but all my clothes and everything was destroyed by water and mud and ash.”

Latimer also lost his income-earning massage table in the fire, but said his dog, Gaia, was one of three that made it out safely. By Thursday morning, one cat was confirmed dead at the scene.

There were no reported injuries, according to Nash. Nash added the six residents from both homes were offered assistance from the Ventura County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Latimer said the rental home is owned by Mark Halverson of Yorba Linda.

People who wish to help out can contribute household items or money on Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Made in Ojai’s first anniversary celebration, 323 E. Matilija St.

Latimer was working on

Freed after posting $90k bail, Villalpando re-arrested hiding in Oak View attic

In February 2007  Jimmy Villalpando was arrested by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department for attempted murder in a gang related shooting in the city of Ojai. Villalpando posted $90,000.00 bail and fled to Mexico.

On 9/23/09 at approximately 8 a.m., the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department received information that Villalpando was at 258 Burnham Rd. Villalpando was wanted for an outstanding felony warrant for discharging a firearm at a dwelling and discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle. Villalpando was located in the residence, hiding in an attic. He was arrested without incident and booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility with bail set at $250,000. His arraignment is set for Tomorrow, Sept. 24 at 9 a.m. in Court Room 12.

Original reports and postings:
Arrest
Police chief comments
Villalpando faces gang charges

Among the speakers at Monday’s meeting were winery owners Manfred and Elaine Krankl.

Council votes against expanding regulations

By Nancy Gross
Approximately 200 people attended Monday’s Municipal Advisory Council meeting and the MAC, County Planning staff, and County Supervisor Steve Bennett were ready for them, having prepared the large auditorium at the Oak View Community Center for a big turnout.

This willingness to hear the voices of many residents who had been calling, e-mailing and contacting local newspapers for the last five weeks led the MAC, nearly speechless, to arrive at a unanimous decision against expanding the Ojai Valley Scenic Resource Protection Overlay Zone.

Though the MAC acts only as an advisor on Ojai Valley issues, 1st District Supervisor Steve Bennett said he would honor the MAC’s decision.

The decision gratified many of the concerns of property owners, builders, agriculture, architecture, and real estate, the overwhelming majority of resident attendees at both this and the Aug. 17 MAC meetings.

Additionally, what began as an opportunity to provide testimony about whether to adopt more protection of scenic resources in the valley became a forum where faults within the county’s planning process were outlined repeatedly. Guy Bratton, general manager of Forest Home Camp in Oak View, said, “I am grateful to this process. It has brought together so many of us frustrated by planning. We have a problem here with trust. Even if we agree with the principles, this is clearly a flawed process for achieving the aims.”

Bratton, who said that he has been waiting eight months to hear back on a conditional use permit concern — one of the smallest wait times mentioned — said that he would not want to “put things into the hands of the discretion” of planning. But, after visiting Elaine and Manfred Krankl’s ranch and winery location that very day, remarked, “I would put trust in their discretionary judgment on anything I would do!”

For property owners who already have strict zoning ordinances to contend with, the amended SRP would have required discretionary permits for most building and grading, and for clearing over 1,000 square feet of native vegetation. Elaine Krankl, the most prominent local organizer of the opposition to the expansion of the SRP zone, has spent the last month reading, researching and talking with other property owners and spotlighting the excesses and contradictions that the proposed amendment would seem to only exacerbate.

Most speakers were able to assert a great deal, with examples, in the short times allotted at the podium. Bill Gilbreth of Hermitage Ranch was clear, bold and eloquent in stating what a number of other speakers echoed, that the process to bring about changes to existing SRP documents that had been years in the making “was cobbled together in a few months with no real input from those who are going to be burdened by this.” Although, as MAC Chairman Russ Baggerly and Supervisor Bennett have pointed out, the group that produced the original SRP for the Ojai Valley considered their work incomplete, the original process, Gilbreth said, “took three years, included meetings of diverse groups and public hearings, took testimony from all the stakeholders.” Gilbreth argued that an enormous expansion such as has been in the works contains “no real cost benefit analysis, and was undertaken without first ensuring fundamental fairness and administrative due process.”

Gilbreth and many others said that as environmentalists, in principle, they agree that some revision of the SRP may be within reason, and could be a wise future undertaking, but only if safeguards are considered and the process is fair and balanced.

MAC member Jim Combs expressed this view, stating that “planning staff were unaware on a lot of points that could have been considered,” when MAC members were allowed to speak and deliberate. He suggested that any resumption of these considerations might begin by reconvening the original group who drafted Ojai’s SRP.

One of these people, Rich Handley, was present at Monday’s MAC meeting and was the final attendee to approach the podium. He said, “I support the concept of ridgeline protection. It is very obvious to see when places do not have it. The existing policy is a valuable policy that we take for granted. If we lose it, it would be lost forever and we’d be sorry.” He suggested the existing SRP could potentially be massaged at some point, but not in a way that takes from people.

Deborah Pendrey, Ojai Valley Green Coalition executive director, who has lost equity in a river bottom property, nevertheless spoke about considering seven generations, and not losing sight of continuing this process in a line-by-line fair, judicious manner. Upper Ojai resident June Behar, who, along with her husband, Shed Behar, participates in almost every environmental group in the valley, has also spent most of the last 15 years involved in one or another permit process with planning. She expressed strong opposition to this expansion, but believes “a new approach is needed to obtain consensus,” and added, “I would lend my time and energy to such a process.”

Most of the large property owners who spoke at the meeting had been in the Ojai Valley for 30 or more years, and are involved in environmental protection of some kind, even though they strongly censure this recent measure. Lynn Jensen of Jensen Design and Survey said that, in spite of the fact that in doing estate planning on large lots her company benefits financially from the chaotic and lengthy permit processes clients go through with the county, they see the families going through such processes as similar to those ill with cancer going through chemotherapy, and they don’t want to see this worsen.

The MAC was quiet during their deliberation time, except for aforementioned remarks by Combs, brief remarks from Jerry Kaplan stating more or less the same thing as Combs, and a more lengthy speech by Florencia Ramirez that aroused some groans and tensions among those seated. Ramirez spoke of revisiting the SRP expansion in the way Napa Valley has implemented protections, such that agriculture would be considered among those views that are aesthetically pleasing, and therefore exempt from environmental impact studies and discretionary permit processes.

A few moments of levity were offered midway through the evening by Jim Coleman, apparent up-and-coming comedian, and valley resident of 31 years, who read a short speech which included these words: “I don’t know any of the property owners affected by these restrictions … I’m here to offer them some compassion. I think the county should stop water boarding these unfortunate, greedy, capitalistic souls with all these restrictions. Given that between the county, state and federal governments, the government is the largest landowner in Ventura County, I think the county should use the newly expanded powers of eminent domain, as delineated in the 2005 Supreme Court case Kelo v. City of New London, CT, and just confiscate their land, putting them out of emotional and financial torment. That sounds fair and reasonable, doesn’t it?”

Although Supervisor Bennett’s comments at the beginning of the meeting were the very general words of a politician, and not as engaging as some of the evening’s speakers, he invited all present to “respectfully debate and disagree,” and he helped put away the folding chairs in the auditorium, chatting with various community members, at the end of the evening.

FROM: Sgt. Joe Evans

FROM THE VENTURA POLICE DEPARTMENT:
INCIDENT: Two people beaten at Ventura Pier, Sunday, 9/20/09, 1:10 a.m.
ARRESTED:
Richard Blume 21, Oak View
Francisco Bonifacio 21, Ventura
Ethan Rutland 20, Ventura
Roberto Beltran 21, Oak View

Victim 1 is a homeless male sleeping on the pier. The four suspects approach and begin kicking him while he slept. When he awakens, the suspects begin verbally harassing him and striking him with their hands. The suspects then turn their attention to Victim 2, who just happens to be in the area. All four suspects begin to batter him as well, until he falls to the ground, at which point they begin to kick him repeatedly.  A citizen on the pier observes the violence and calls the police.

All four suspects are found at or near the pier and were booked at County Jail for Assault by Means Likely to Cause Great Bodily Injury, a felony.

Both victims were transported to VCMC by ambulance and are still being treated as of this time.

The motives for the beatings are unknown.

The Sheriff’s Department has released the 2009 mid-year crime statistics for the city of Ojai.

Click here for PDF

With loss of $155 million for Matilija Dam project, officials propose alternatives

By Daryl Kelley
Faced with the possibility of losing the $155-million Matilija Dam Removal Project, local officials proposed Wednesday a long-discarded alternative for disposing of 2.1 million cubic yards of silt now wedged behind the obsolete dam near Ojai.

At a meeting of the local-state-federal committee formed to oversee the dam’s demolition, county officials offered an unexplored option that may save the project by moving it along more quickly and for much less money.

A basic study of the new alternative by the federal Bureau of Reclamation could be ready in two months, said County Supervisor Steve Bennett, who represents the Ojai Valley.

“There are a lot of reasons to suspect that delay is the way the project dies,” Bennett said in an interview. “We need to make good-faith efforts to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

State and federal budget deficits have placed into question even money previously approved for projects such as taking down the silt-and-sediment filled Matilija Dam and restoring the Ventura River to its natural state, he said.

Funding for $90 million of the project, the first large dam removal in the nation, was approved by Congress last year after a decade of lobbying.

But with every passing month, costs continue to rise, and the probability that the project will be completed continues to drop, officials said.

“It’s dying a slow death, because we’re in a stall,” said county Public Works director Jeff Pratt. “Every year, construction costs escalate $5 million to $6 million. And every dollar this project’s cost goes north of $150 million is a dollar less likely that this project will get done.”

Storing the fine silts behind the dam could save $20 million, he said.

A decision on what to do with those 2.1 million cubic yards of silt was to be made by last February.

But the costs of two main options — disposal along the Ventura River at Meiners Oaks or farther downstream near Baldwin Road — have increased exponentially, and now range from between $30 million and $50 million, officials estimate. Plus, owners of the Meiners Oaks property decided not to lease it to the county because of community opposition.

So officials shifted their attention back to another alternative that had been discarded years ago during early stages of study because of widespread opposition.

Officials will now will focus on the costs and engineering involved in storing the silt in a disposal area behind the dam, instead of pumping it miles downstream below the Robles fish ladder.

The behind-the-dam option had not been seriously analyzed initially because of concerns by Casitas Municipal Water District that the silt would clog the Robles facility and dirty the water that the agency diverts during storms into Lake Casitas, the Ojai Valley’s main source of drinking water.

But Steve Wickstrum, Casitas general manager, said after hearing the county’s briefing on the new option that it might be workable.

“This is the first time this option has been presented to our (design and oversight) group,” Wickstrum said. “This sounds great and has some good chance of being a success, but it’s very preliminary.”

Blair Greimann, a Bureau of Reclamation expert in the migration of soil, will study whether the silt could be placed in the reservoir area behind the dam, but well away from the flows of Matilija Creek, so it would not erode during storms.

The concept is not new, since about 4 million cubic yards of heavier sediment that also fill the Matilija Dam reservoir are already planned for distribution in several spreading areas behind the dam.

“The idea already was to use sites above the dam so erosion takes place in stages — some during a 10-year storm, some during a 20-year storm and so on, so it would take one section at a time,” Wickstrum said. “This new site would not erode during normal storms, but maybe (somewhat) during a 100-year storm.”

Erosion of the sediment downstream is not a problem, he said. But the fine silts could be a big one, he said.

If diverted to Lake Casitas, the silt-laden runoff waters filled with organic materials “could cause algae blooms, (foul) taste and odor, cause a loss of dissolved oxygen (in the water) and maybe even warrant additional water treatment,” Wickstrum said.

Russ Baggerly, a Casitas director who also attended the briefing, said the behind-the-dam alternative “could be a useful mechanism to reduce costs and allow the project to proceed. There seems to be terracing,  they can do it so the silt would be there for some time. It seems like it could work.”

Paul Jenkin, founder of the Matilija Coalition and executive director of the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, had pushed a Baldwin Road alternative, but its costs have soared to the $50 million range, officials say.

And Jenkin said this week that the behind-the-dam storage alternative could be workable, as long as the government does not insist that the silt be stored and capped in a way that does not jibe with the primary goal of removing the dam and returning the river valley to its natural state.

“If this is done right, there may be something to it,” Jenkin said in an e-mail to the Ojai Valley News. “If it’s mixed in and ‘stabilized’ without concreting the canyon, episodic release of fines (silt) may be tolerable for Casitas.”

But the county’s Pratt said that the new analysis will be looking only at permanently capping the silt with rock after it is spread on about 30 acres in the reservoir area. The analysis will not consider allowing the silt to erode because of possible dire consequences for the Casitas water agency, he said.

The earliest actual dam demolition could happen is during 2010-2012, according to a feasibility study completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers four years ago.

In addition to the federal government’s contribution, about $65 million would be required from state and local sources. Almost all of that would come from bonds issued by the state. So far, the state has spent several million dollars to design the dam removal project. But state and federal budget crises have raised questions about the reliability of that funding.

Matilija Dam, built in 1948 for flood control and water storage, has been obsolete for decades, because it quickly filled with sediment from Matilija Canyon runoff. Now, only 5 percent of its storage contains water.

Cuts to bus routes, instructional days spark debates

By Sondra Murphy
Ojai Unified School District board members met Tuesday looking relaxed after the always-hectic start of another school year was behind them and the hard choices of upcoming budget cuts would wait until next month.

“I think I can say by mid-September the rhythms of the schools are up and running,” said superintendent Hank Bangser. “Now I think education is unfolding.”

Dannielle Pusatere, assistant superintendent of business and administrative services, submitted a summary update to the board before they consider in detail cuts needed in October. New figures suggest the district may have $250,000 in available funds above the mandatory 3 percent reserve this school year.

Given the erratic nature of California budget politics, Pusatere’s calculations are based on estimates. She listed receivables of $1,050,000 from state fiscal stabilization funds, from federal monies, and an increase in the general fund balance for 2008-2009 of $50,000, minus a one-time revenue limit reduction of $250 per ADA of $750,000 and $100,000 in staffing changes for 2009-2010, that being additional teachers, to come up with the quarter of a million dollar figure.

Spreading that amount among the eight schools and countless programs within the district is never a simple task when balanced against regulations and spending restrictions.

Pusatere further related that a 20-percent loss of transportation revenue will take another $105,000 away from OUSD and the potential for state midyear budget cuts were again an unknown and looming threat to the district that has experienced dire financial losses for a decade due to declining enrollment and gradual to drastic economic crises.

President Linda Taylor asked when the district might know what the midyear cuts are.

“In my experience, the state will give us a hint that something’s wrong in December and they need to have a special session,” said Pusatere. “We typically don’t’ know what they are until January.”

Clerk Rikki Horne asked if the $250,000 could be used to get back the instructional days forfeited by the Ojai Federation of Teachers as negotiated earlier this summer to help balance the budget. When OUSD passed its $23.87 million budget in June, the union agreed to accept a contract with five fewer work days, but leaving the number adjustable if funds were made available later by the state.

Pusatere said the language of the agreement said, “If the state took instructional days, we would take instructional days,” so changes were dependent on the state and added that the district may end up with no excess.

“So you’re really planning on having zero?” asked Bangser. “Zero is really low.”

“Welcome to our world,” said Vice President Kathi Smith. She and the board agreed that, if any excess beyond the reserve was received, “I think we should give all our efforts to give back those days.”

Bangser told the board that administrative recommendations would be ready for them to consider at the next meeting of the board. “This period of time from Sept. 1 to Oct. 6 is information gathering and when you receive my final recommendation, you’ll see the persuasive position we want you to take,” he said. “Maybe you’ll vote on it or want to go back and look at it some more.”

A few speakers addressed the board regarding transportation. Cindy Sloan, an OUSD bus driver and certified bus driver trainer, read from accident statistics to show that bus transportation was safer than walking, biking or driving to school. She requested that the board consider it in their decision when looking at cuts to service routes that have already been condensed in earlier rounds of budget hits.

Smith thanked her for the data. “If you had not brought it to us, it might have gone under the radar,” she said.

Bangser said he planned to spend yesterday visiting all the school sites again and will be at the Nordhoff High School football game tonight. He was also invited to the Nordhoff Parent Association on Monday and will be there to speak to the members. That meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Nordhoff Library.

NPA membership forms were included in student packets at the beginning of the year. They may also be obtained from the NHS administration office or at the library during the meeting.

Distance learning school known for pioneering online curriculum, few changes for local operation

By Sondra Murphy
A Pennsylvania-based private school operator announced the purchase of Laurel Springs School for $12 million earlier this month. Nobel Learning Communities Inc. of West Chester, Pa. reportedly funded the deal with a mix of cash and credit..

Founded in 1991, Laurel Springs School became one of the first schools in the United States to successfully develop an online curriculum. It has 2,000 students in 50 states and 43 countries, with about 95 percent of those going on to college. In 1998, college preparatory courses were added that conform to the University of California A-G listing, a requirement created to ensure college freshmen will participate fully in the first year courses of study.

“We were approached by Nobel and met with them because they work with 208,000 students,” said co-founder and executive director Marilyn Mosley Gordanier. “We talked about the possibility of working together and they expressed their interest in the acquisition process.” Mosley Gordanier said that the purchase will only have positive impacts on the school.

“I will be staying on for a long time as executive director and Rex Bird, our CEO and president, who is responsible for our strategic planning, as is our staff,” she said. “We’re not moving and we’re not changing our staff. What we are excited about is that we will have support and resources from a company that really has a great educational track record, so we will be able to share best practices.”

Laurel Springs’ 73 teachers are based all over the United States and throughout the world, with the majority of them living in Southern California. Mosley Gordanier said that many students are professional athletes or actors and are often part of the remaining 5 percent that do not immediately pursue college upon graduation. One such student is Caroline Wozniacki, who was a 2009 U.S. Open women’s singles finalist.

“She’s a Laurel Springs senior who came to us from Denmark,” said Mosley Gordanier. “She’s an example of a student who will probably pursue a professional career and then go to college.” Laurel Springs encourages student athletes to take college preparation classes. “This is their moment,” said Mosley Gordanier. “We want to support them and have them follow their dreams, but we want to prepare them.”

Nobel’s purchase is viewed so positively because of the potential increase in their distance learning program. “It enhances our ability to provide students in other countries with a Laurel Springs education. This was a big adventure for us and we see this as an opportunity to assure the legacy of our school, the well-being of our students, staff, parents and community,” Mosley Gordanier said.

In a letter sent out to the school’s teachers, Mosley Gordanier said of her meeting with NLCI’s George Bernstein, chief executive officer, and Susan Race, senior vice president of education, “I had never met another organization with whom we were so closely aligned and this was a motivating factor in our decision to take this big step. We were also excited about their enthusiasm to help us expand our global reach and also share our program with the 180 schools that make up the Nobel Learning Community.”

“I’ve lived in Ojai for 34 years, so I’m very loyal to Ojai,” said Mosley Gordanier. “It’s the best of both worlds for us. We get to work with great people and continue to work in this village that means so much to us. Our staff is happy and our teachers embrace it.”

“We’re very excited to add Laurel Springs to our community of schools,” said NLCI’s Shari Anisman, vice president of marketing. “We believe that their online and distance learning programs provide the highest quality education in that market.” Anisman said Laurel Springs will become NCLI’s online division and will continue to run out of Ojai.

Nobel runs about 180 private schools, summer education and after-school programs. The corporation acquired two Camelback Desert Schools in Arizona in June 2008, Southern Highlands Preparatory in Nevada in August 2008 and Highpointe Children’s Academy in Texas in April of this year.

By Nancy Gross
It cannot be easy when someone you love dearly disappears, seemingly, into thin air. Jenny Newell, Niles Dohrn and wife Tara, Jennel Dohrn and Walt Dohrn Jr. hope that a fund-raising event held at the restaurant named in honor of their mother, Bonnie Dohrn, can help them continue efforts to find their father, Walter Dohrn, who has been missing since July 5.

“He was always so nice to me. He uplifted my day every time I saw him. He made my heart light. He always had a smile on his face,” says longtime Ojai resident Joy Kilpatrick.

Someone named Michael left the following comment on the Ojai Valley News Blog on July 20: “I grew up with Walt Jr. So I spent a lot of time at Bonnie and Walt’s house. I loved it there; it always felt like home. As Walt Jr. and I got older, we went our ways in life. But every time I saw Big Walt he would stop and we would catch up on the family and his cars. (I just loved his ‘57 Nomad). When I saw that Walt was missing, I was shocked. Come on home, Walt, we all miss ya.”

Dohrn had been visiting close friends in Cherry Valley, which is a remote part of Riverside County, and began to behave in a confused manner that was uncharacteristic of him. He questioned the friends about visiting him, when he was in fact visiting them, and then expressed a desire to leave. His friends’ neighbor saw Dohrn pacing outside, and next time anyone checked, he was gone without his car. The only other possible sighting of him was on July 7, about five miles away from where he had left.

Newell says her father was “always friendly, and loves his family.” July 7 is mother Bonnie’s birthday, and the relatives always celebrate: “We usually go out to dinner. We watch her old ‘The Price Is Right’ show.” Bonnie was a contestant on the game show in the 1970s. When her father didn’t come back from his trip to participate in these usual festivities, Newell felt something was off.

She says, “It’s one day at a time. You have to keep going. It’s just haunting. He lives right behind me and I keep looking for him.” Birthed by the care and concern of friends, the benefit concert at Bonnie Lu’s restaurant is an opportunity for the family to soak up the warmth of the community, and to raise money to continue to pay some of Dohrn’s bills and keep his house going. In addition, “My brother goes down once a week on his days off, and this could help pay for gas, hotels, the printing of fliers.” If possible, the family would like to hire a private detective.

For the evening at Bonnie Lu’s on Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. Jonathan McEuen will perform, a chili and cornbread dinner will be served, and a silent auction will aid with efforts to raise money. Tickets are $12 if purchased in advance at Bonnie Lu’s, and $15 at the door, with no charge for children under 10.

Another post on the OVN blog, put there by “A friend” on Aug. 8, is a poem which begins as follows: “Out of our presence, but not our hearts.” And hearts aren’t ready to give up yet.

ORIGINAL REPORT

Sept. 19 event organized to help 14-month-old fight rare disorder

By Nancy Gross
“When he wants attention, he rolls his eyes. He’ll blink for yes,” says Nikki Clark of her 14-month-old nephew, Micah Marshall, who has spinal muscular atrophy, one of the more common rare disorders. Clark and her friend, Cristin Harrell, have arranged a walk from the Ojai Valley Baptist Church to the “Y” and back, along with a barbecue and concert following the walk, as a means to raise funds toward arriving at a cure, and to emotionally support the Marshall family, who cope with daily challenges. They have named the event “Micah’s March.”

SMA affects one in 6,000 babies, and one in 40 people are genetic carriers, almost always unknowingly. And yet, SMA is the No. 1 genetic cause of death among young children.

Though there is no cure at present for SMA, the Marshall family has joined with 19 other families to raise a total of $100,000 for research because the National Institutes of Health selected SMA from 600 neurological disorders as the disease closest to treatment. Additionally, Clark says, “We don’t want another family to go through this.” With adequate resources, there is hope that a viable cure could be attainable in as few as five years.

A promising research program, headed by Dr. Hans Keirstead, is in the works at the University of California at Irvine. The program also addresses Lou Gehrig’s disease and other conditions. Over the past five years, families coping with SMA, along with others, have raised $1.5 million, but there remains a funding shortage of $500,000. The Marshalls, as part of Unite for the Cure, are trying to raise $5,000. The family of 22-month-old Gwendolyn Strong of Santa Barbara is another of the 20 families pulling together on this project that hopes to fill one-fifth of the funding gap.

What comes to pass for children with SMA is that, due to a missing gene, an essential survival motor neuron is not produced. Muscles, especially those closest to the trunk, do not receive the nerve fibers they need to be fully functional. As the children grow, the ability to walk, sit, stand, eat, breathe and swallow is impacted.

The hope of the Marshall family and others is that the money they raise will allow for adequate staffing and studies to take the research program through a critical Phase I clinical trial in early 2010.

“Micah’s March” will take place Sunday at 5 p.m., beginning at the OVBC. The walk to the “Y” and back encompasses about four miles. There is a $10 registration fee for the walk and a $5 minimum donation to attend the barbecue and concert. To contribute, participate or attain more information, contact Clark at 340-4409. Visit micahsmarch.blogspot.com.

Stop the Trucks hosting Libbey Bowl show Oct. 3

By Sondra Murphy
Local activists trying to limit mine transportation through the Ojai Valley have decided to fight gravel with rock. And roll.

In anticipation of its next round of legal battles, the Stop the Trucks Coalition is throwing a benefit concert in Libbey Park the first weekend in October.

Many have noticed that Stop the Trucks has been a bit quiet since the Ozena Rock and Gravel Mine scoping meeting back in May that packed Chaparral Auditorium. “It’s the calm before the storm,” said Michael Shapiro, coalition chairman.

“We had a scoping meeting several months ago and that was our opportunity to express to the county specific concerns we had about (California Environmental Quality Act) law, and others as well,” said Shapiro. “The Environmental Impact Report, we understand, is about to be reviewed by an independent environmental consultant chosen by the county .… then it will be submitted before the Ventura Planning Commission and they will probably approve it and then it will go before the Board of Supervisors.”

Shapiro estimated that at the beginning of 2010, Ojai will have the chance to go over the report and attorneys and air and traffic consultants, “to point out areas we are convinced can never be mitigated,” he said, adding this will generate legal expenses. ‘Rock the Trucks’ is one way to buffer our war chest,” Shapiro said.

He added that the coalition is not against the trucking industry, but strives to limit the number of gravel trucks running through the Ojai Valley.

“People ask, ‘Where do you get 800 trucks a day?’ There are four mines up there right now and a potential fifth. They know they could have approached Ojai as an industry, but they decided to hit us one at a time so we would have to spend legal fees one mine at a time. Diamond Rock Mine asked for 200 trips a day. Ozena is asking for 200 a day. If all these mines get approved one mine at a time, then 800 is actually accurate.”

Shapiro feels confident his experience combating the Weldon Canyon dump plans left him qualified to counter the processes associated with such industrial efforts. “To have these gravel trucks plowing through Ojai 24-7 will transform it from the bucolic town whose economy flourishes on arts, education and tourism and turn Ojai into a de facto industrial trucking zone more resembling Mojave, Palmdale or San Bernardino,” said Shapiro. “Years ago, our city founders agreed to never allow industry in. This is the latest monumental fight for Ojai as we know it and the ‘Rock the Trucks’ benefit concert is just our way to try and fund that fight.”

The ‘Rock the Trucks’ concert is co-sponsored by the Ojai Valley Green Coalition and scheduled for Oct. 3 from 2 to 10 p.m. at Libbey Bowl.

The talent includes many local artists, plus special guest star Keith Carradine. Scheduled to perform are Jonathan McEuen with Jesse Sibenberg and Teddi Jack, Julie Christensen, Marty Grebb with Bob Glaub, B.B. Chung King and Gary Mallaber, The Jane Does, Lights — a Journey tribute band — and more surprise special guests are promised.

Lawn seating costs $25; premier seating costs $35; and VIP seating in the first three rows costs $50.

For more information or to order tickets, call 646-7980 or visit rockthetrucks.com.

Organizers put local focus on ‘Peace in Action’ at Libbey Park

By Linda Harmon
Building on the progress made by two valleywide Heal the Community events, members of the local peace group, Living Peace in Ojai, plan on combining a celebration of International Peace Day with events that focus on “diversity, conflict and community.”

The event “Peace in Action” being held Saturday, has events beginning with an 8 a.m. river cleanup and ending with an 8 p.m. dance of universal peace at the Ojai Art Center.

“In light of Ojai’s recent community-shattering youth violence,” said Living Peace spokesperson Laura Whitney, referring to a gang-related homicide in Meiners Oaks, “and ensuing unveiling of racism and disquiet, Living Peace is taking a very practical approach to this year’s festivities.”

Originally started to commemorate the United Nations International Day of Peace, Sept. 21, the title of this year’s event, “Peace in Action,” denotes a different tone for the third year of the celebration.

“We’ve planned an interactive day of workshops and happenings for practicing peace here in our own back yard,” said Whitney, who along with her co-facilitator, Roberto Garcia, made an effort to include representatives from the entire community. “We were able to get commitments from Supervisor Steve Bennett, Joanna Iwata of the Youth Foundation and have reached out to include our Hispanic community. It is our dream to have people come together as one human family.”

According to Whitney, who is also the president of The Ojai Foundation, she became involved with Living Peace after she saw the film, “Peace One Day.” The film was about Jeremy Gilley, the young actor who urged the United Nations to call for one day of international peace.

“After I saw that film I just decided I wanted to help spread the word,” said Whitney. “The whole world needs to hear about it, that’s the only way we will ever achieve any lasting peace and end violence.”

The day of peace includes activities throughout Libbey Park, on stages, under the shelter of three different peace tents, and around the fountain. Activities will include free workshops for “family tent,” with easy-to-use tools for listening, speaking, conflict resolution, and trust building.

There will also be “listening circles,” where community leaders and diverse segments of the community including youth, elders and members of minority communities, will be invited to sit together to speak and listen.

“These listening circles offer an alternative to traditional town meetings,” said Whitney. “There is no place for self-promotion, finger pointing, blame, or lecturing. Together, we will speak honestly about what divides us and discover what unites us.”

The arts will also be well represented throughout the day.

First the Ojai Studio Artists will take up John Aaron’s “Chalk for Peace,” around the Libbey fountain. Then the action continues in the family tent with a children’s version of “Chalk for Peace,” followed by a reading of “The Lorax,” the Dr. Seuss tale urging us to take care of the Earth and each other. There’s also the all-day presentation of John Zeretzke’s “Flutes across the World,” providing hands-on instruction in flute making for his international music and humanitarian program.

The Ojai Theatre will be the location for the organization’s last installment in its “Peace Film Series,” at 4:30 p.m. The third in its series, “The Day after Peace” follows the story of Gilley, who inspired the United Nations International Day of Peace. (They have also screened the film “Promises,” a film about children making friends amid conflict in the Middle East, on Sept. 12.)

Live music will offer a soundtrack to many of the events, and don’t miss the performance by the Aztec Dancers.

If you are not up for all the activity in the park organizers have thought of that too. “Yoga for Peace” will be offered at 9 a.m. at Sacred Space and Lulu Bandha’s at no charge. Or, rise early and make peace with the Earth by playing a part in the annual Coastal Waterway Cleanup, co-sponsored by the Green Coalition and California Coastal Commission. They’ll be meeting at 8:30 a.m. in the Rotary Community Park parking lot.

All in all, the day offers opportunities indoors, outdoors, solitary, and not so solitary, to practice peace in Ojai.

Whitney added this closing thought, “Earth day started the same way in 1975 and look where we are today.”

For a complete schedule of events go online at livingpeaceinojai.com.

Council votes to send $1,500 to countywide effort after lively discussion on tough issue

By Sondra Murphy
The issue of homelessness in the county and its prevalence in the city was up for discussion on Tuesday when a monetary request for $1,500 from the Ventura County Homeless and Housing Coalition came before the Ojai City Council.

Because the current council fiscal policy is to make no new expenditure from the city’s general fund until the reserve target is reached, and that target is not anticipated by city staff to be reached in the fiscal year 2009-2010, staff recommended for denial of the request.

Acknowledging that the council could use its discretion to give the relatively small amount, city manager Jere Kersnar cited in his staff report that several other cities in the county have agreed to provide funding support to the coalition.

The report listed Ventura, Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley as each contributing $15,000; Camarillo and Moorpark, $5,000 each; and Santa Paula, Fillmore and Port Hueneme as committing to $1,500 apiece. Kersnar’s report said providing the requested funding would have no fiscal impact and would likely be available from the unallocated ending cash balance for Fiscal Year 2009-2010,

Lynn Bulock, educator for the VCHHC addressed the board and expanded upon the coalition executive director’s letter of request.

“In terms of the number of homeless persons by percentage, Ojai tops the county at 3.05 percent,” said Bulock. “The county average is 1.16 percent and the national average is 1 percent at any given time.”The issue of homelessness in the county and its prevalence in the city was up for discussion on Tuesday when a monetary request for $1,500 from the Ventura County Homeless and Housing Coalition came before the Ojai City Council.

Because the current council fiscal policy is to make no new expenditure from the city’s general fund until the reserve target is reached, and that target is not anticipated by city staff to be reached in the fiscal year 2009-2010, staff recommended for denial of the request.

Acknowledging that the council could use its discretion to give the relatively small amount, city manager Jere Kersnar cited in his staff report that several other cities in the county have agreed to provide funding support to the coalition.

The report listed Ventura, Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley as each contributing $15,000; Camarillo and Moorpark, $5,000 each; and Santa Paula, Fillmore and Port Hueneme as committing to $1,500 apiece. Kersnar’s report said providing the requested funding would have no fiscal impact and would likely be available from the unallocated ending cash balance for Fiscal Year 2009-2010,

Lynn Bulock, educator for the VCHHC addressed the board and expanded upon the coalition executive director’s letter of request.

“How did you go about getting that amount, because I question it,” said Mayor Joe DeVito. “I don’t see anything near that number.”

“You don’t see near 60?” Bulock asked.

“No,” said DeVito.

Bulock explained that the count is made at the end of January and involves a formula that assumes some homeless individuals were unaccounted for.

“When you analyze it, it comes out to 3.05 percent,” she said.

“I’ve attended some of the Homeless Coalition meetings and it doesn’t mean they are homeless all the time, out on the street 365 days a year,” said Councilwoman Carol Smith, explaining that homeless people might stay with friends or camp for part of the year. “Three percent is astounding, but, in fact, if everyone thinks about some people they know, that figure is not so surprising.”

“You must admit it is a very modest amount compared to travel expenses and such,” said Sue Broidy regarding the requested $1,500. Broidy is a member of VCHHC and the Ojai Valley Homeless Task Force and said the support is vital to their efforts. “We do give you value for your money.”

Broidy went on to say that area churches have stepped up to meet the need, but in the current economy, the situation is dire and the churches are at their limits. “The requests have more than doubled, maybe tripled, for food, for rent money, for medical expenses as people are losing their homes and jobs. We as a community can surely do some strategizing to address the problem. Ojai’s homeless problem is not just ours in a bubble. We’re part of a regional problem.”

While they voiced support for VCHHC’s efforts, DeVito and Councilwoman Sue Horgan were reluctant to provide the funds because of the fiscal policy they committed to. DeVito also questioned why VCHHC had not made a request earlier when Community Development Block Grant Fund awards were being considered by the council.

“This is almost like a registration fee for a coalition that does things countywide,” said Councilman Steve Olsen. “It would help our community.” He, Betsy Clapp and Smith voted in favor of giving the money to VCHHC, enough to pass.

Olsen and DeVito brought up that methods of counting historically under-represented populations, such as homeless, are being emphasized in the 2010 Census complete count efforts. To find out more about the Ventura County Homeless and Housing Coalition, go to vchhc.org.

2nd-place prize of $50,000 likely to be spent on courses, courts

By Sondra Murphy
The Ojai City Council chambers were aglow Tuesday as council members, city staff and the public recognized the participants involved with the application of the U.S. Tennis Association’s Best Tennis Town contest that yielded a second-place award for Ojai Sunday during the U.S. Open.

Mayor Joe DeVito introduced the item, inviting Recreation Department director Dale Sumersille to present an overview of the weekend events in which Ojai and two other cities attended as finalists of the contest. In addition to the honor, Ojai will receive a cash award.

“The certified check for $50,000 is in the mail,” Sumersille reported to the council. “This was the first-ever nationwide search to find the town that exhibits the most passion for tennis.”

Once Ojai was declared a finalist in the contest, citizens had one month to vote online for the city of their choice. “Ojai was the smallest city entered among the 10 finalists,” said Sumersille. The other cities in the top three were Independence, Kan., and ultimate first-place winner Midland, Mich.

Besides Sumersille and DeVito, Rick Thompson and Jill Cox also attended the ceremonies involved with the contest, having been active in the efforts to get Ojai considered. Cox kept OVN readers apprised of events through phoned-in updates that were posted online.

“It was quite an event,” said Thompson. “They did treat us very well.” He added that it was nice to see Sumersille’s presentation because during the awards ceremony, the crowded press box blocked the view from those awaiting the announcement. “But we got to see some great matches, as well,” Thompson said. “We’re very thankful that this came about and we were able to be there.”

Ojai supporters wore bright green shirts or garb from “The Ojai” tournament. DeVito added that almost everywhere he went, he would bump into people who had either played in Ojai or attended tournaments and several asked if tea was still served during the “The Ojai” tournament.

“It was an honor for me, as a tennis player, to be on the Arthur Ashe Center Court,” Sumersille said of the experience.

Sumersille said the award money may only be used for facility enhancement and communitywide tennis programming and she was waiting for clarification about the requirements of dispersal with USTA. “I will be establishing a committee from members of the Ojai Valley Tennis Club, Rick Thompson and others to make priority list recommendations,” she said. One thing Sumersille said she would like to expand on is the Quick Start Tennis Program piloted at local schools last year, which provides tennis instructions to youngsters and builds courts proportional to their size to aid in early success in the sport.

“The money cannot be used for the lower Libbey tennis courts, which already have funds earmarked to upgrade,” said Sumersille.

Besides those already mentioned, many others contributed to the contest’s application process and video. Wayne Bruce, Tony Thacher, Alan Rains, Mark Weil, Vanguard Printing, Ojai Print Works, OVTC, Tony Luboff and Tom Friedman of Nordhoff High School’s Media Arts Academy, as well as the Ojai Recreation Department staff all participated in the application process. Besides the video, 40 pages of narrative, demographics and tennis program information were submitted, then the voting campaign began.

Sumersille also thanked, “the community, family and friends for their votes and getting the word out.”

To view the five-minute video produced by Jill Cox and Luboff, narrated by Justin Cox, and featuring local tennis players of all ages, scenic courts and our trolley, go to besttennistown.com and click on “Ojai, California,” then “Play Video.”

Expected completion date for long-awaited project moved up from August to June

By Sondra Murphy
In Tuesday’s Ojai Skate Park construction update to the Ojai City Council, Recreation Department director Dale Sumersille confirmed that the time line had been shortened since the last council meeting. She said the Skate Park Committee met in August to determine if the time line could be moved up.

“At the conclusion of our meeting, the new time line for completion is now June 5,” Sumersille said. “With that are hazards. We will now be doing construction between January and May.” Weather could impact the completion date, which was previously set for August of 2010.

Sumersille reported that prequalification bids for the project are currently being accepted until Sept. 24, when the committee will open and rate them at Ojai Unified School District.

“I was glad you had this meeting,” said Council-woman Sue Horgan. “Was it your understanding that everyone in the meeting was in agreement with the new time line?”

Council members expressed appreciation over the web site updates and that two-and-a-half months were eliminated from the time line. Mayor Joe DeVito requested the time line be color coded for completed tasks. Horgan asked that the time line be shown at every council meeting in order to see where the project stands.

Skate Park supporter Deborah Moe pointed out that Moorpark approved a $2.4 million, 14,000-square-foot skate park in February, broke ground in May and will hold its open house in October.

“It appears their schedule was very similar to ours,” said city manager Jere Kersnar. “The time between when plans were submitted and completion is very similar.” Sumersille added that the project manager for Moorpark is the same as for Ojai.

The council also approved a resolution waiving certain Community Development Department processing fees as part of the city’s contribution to the project. Kersnar said the waiver addressed hard, out-of-pocket and various sundry costs that will total about $5,000.

To view the updated Skate Park time line, click here.

Input sought from public on improvements for trailhead

By Sondra Murphy
The Matilija Trailhead is an area many locals go to when in the mood for a serene hike. In an effort to improve safety and sanitation while reducing flooding and erosion along the trailhead on Matilija Canyon Road, the U.S. Forest Service, Los Padres National Forest and Ojai Ranger District are proposing a project at the site that includes installing a rest room, improving drainage, upgrading paving with marked parking stalls and providing interpretive information.

Scoping, or the taking of public input, began Aug. 14 and the Forest Service is encouraging the public to submit constructive ideas regarding potential effect of the proposed trailhead improvements, as well as share information about which the Forest Service may not be aware.

By Nancy Gross
John Aaron is fond of something Arlo Guthrie has said: “If it’s just you standing on the street corner yelling, they think you’re crazy. But if a friend of yours shows up to join you, they’ll think it’s a movement.” Though the global movement Aaron has fathered, Chalk4Peace, has some resonance with Guthrie’s sentiment, and allows Aaron to assert, “Giving peace a chance is not hokey anymore,” Aaron’s endeavor would seem to be the direct opposite of yelling.

Colorful handouts have been circulated: “Chalk4Peace 2009, the global chalk art project 4 peace, coming again this September to a pavement near you!” The drawings themselves are as ephemeral as any seasonal change we see in nature; the many photographers who capture them are adding to a huge archive testifying to a heartwarming polychromatic shift. The time frame is late summer, early fall, the start of the school year.

“I get this great surge of energy beginning in September,” Aaron, a Thacher School graduate, says. Many schools have adopted Chalk4Peace as a way for kids to meet and socialize at the beginning of the term. Additionally, the feedback Aaron gets from educators is that “it creates a very subtle, but very clear anti-bullying climate on the playground. It sends the message that this playground is a place for peace, love and understanding.”

Though Aaron likes having the events in September, as with so many aspects of Chalk4Peace, this is not etched in stone. A participating school in Winnipeg, Canada chose Aug. 29, and when Aaron asked the Canadians about this, he was told, “It gets cold up here!” Chalk4Peace will have an event in India in October.

Chalk4Peace is a 501 (c) organization, or non-profit, and relies on donations and grants to cover the costs of organization and getting the word out. Aaron steers the main ship and also sends the project into the world where other capable captains, whose hearts, imaginations and organizational abilities accord with, and add to, his vision. He says, “I feel so blessed at the amazing positive power of the people who continue to show up.”

Chalk4Peace has been held in Ojai before, but for Aaron, who has lived in Arlington, Va., as well as San Francisco, and is currently living at The Ojai Foundation, the energy for Ojai’s upcoming event, part of Peace in Action Day on Sept. 19 sponsored by Living Peace in Ojai, is palpable.

Ojai is promoting urban scrawl by the fountain in Libbey Park. Local artists are encouraged to arrive around 10 a.m. for relatively quiet work space. Children of all ages are invited to participate, beginning at noon, in this and other peace-promoting activities.

Judy Gabriel, co-founder of Living Peace Ojai, was among those tossing around ideas for this day-long experiment, which is in honor of the United Nations International Day of Peace that will take place on Sept. 21. The Libbey Park celebration is one way Living Peace wants to keep up the momentum of peace efforts that Heal the Community began.

At the first Living Peace house meeting Gabriel said, “I’d like to do the Chalk4Peace thing. I’d like someone who knows about this to get it started.” Aaron was simply among those in the discussion circle, a guest of somebody else, and shortly thereafter he spoke and said that he had founded Chalk4Peace.

Aaron attributes this synergistic collaboration to “the Foundation, the sacred spirit of the land and the people.” He is tremendously honored to have met the Living Peace team. The dynamism Aaron brings also deserves elaboration.

The first Chalk4Peace event took place in 2005 at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C. Following this, Aaron sent out thousands of personal e-mails, letters and color brochures, and 2006 inaugurated worldwide participation. Cape Town, South Africa and sites in Ireland and England are among Aaron’s partners in peace art. How does he do it?

Aaron could be said to embody an interesting mix of fanciful and practical, as if he is the result of adding one part magician to two parts storyteller, to a cup and a half businessman, to two tablespoons cartoon character, to three dollops big brother to a generous sprinkling of unassuming child. Knead gently to let out bubbles of laughter and bake on warm asphalt or cement.

He says of his career as an artist, “I got started at Thacher. At that time Betty Saunders was the nurse and artist in residence.” Some of his work is an updated version of a Renaissance style of glazed ceramics that he began to learn at Thacher, when he had come from Michigan to attend the private high school. He has been the director and curator of his own Museum of Modern

Arf and some of his exhibitions have been internationally recognized.

Aaron has also completed more than 400 commissions in sculpting and painting, with a notable example being a collaboration with other artists on a diorama commemorating the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco, titled “Bygone San Francisco.”

Events at Peace in Action Day on Sept. 19 in Libbey Park are free of charge, though donations are welcome. Chalk4Peace co-creativity will run from noon to 4:30 p.m., with time from 10 a.m. to noon for local artists to begin. See chalk4peace.org for photos and to learn more about chalk4peace.

By Sondra Murphy
Trees have historically been strongly associated with Ojai’s identity and the city is working on new ways to protect this resource. The Ojai Planning Commission held a public hearing last week on the Community Forest Master Plan, a document long in the making by city staff and the Ojai Tree Advisory Committee.

“One of the reasons we’re doing this document is because it is a requirement of Tree City USA, which the council directed the city to obtain,” said city planner Katrina Rice Schmidt. Tree City USA is a program sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters to provide direction, technical assistance, public attention and national recognition for urban and community forestry programs. Becoming associated with the program assists communities with education, public image, and publicity and increases opportunities for financial assistance for urban forest efforts.

The comprehensive plan gives an overview and historic perspective of Ojai’s relationship with its trees, acknowledges precursors to the effort and addresses climate, geophysical make-up and vegetation of the area, including the historic natural tree distributions of Ojai.

Most notably, the plan identifies 20 different tree neighborhoods, complete with maps and characteristics of each zone and creates annual planting goals to maintain and improve the city’s native species populations, as well as complementary varieties.

The neighborhoods are identified as Krotona-Meadows, Descanso-Taormina, Maricopa Commercial, Cuyama, Ojai Valley Inn, Country Club, West Ojai Avenue Commercial, Arbolada, Del Oro-Signal, Downtown North, Downtown Commercial, Downtown South, Persimmon Hill, Bryant, East Ojai Avenue Commercial, Sarzotti, Topa Topa, Shelf, Golden West and Gridley-Boardman.

Street trees, parks and civic spaces are also addressed and lists of preferred and discouraged trees are included for planning purposes. Included in the two-page list of preferred are the native western redbud, Catalina ironwood, Coulter pine, coast live oak and valley oak trees. Of the unwelcome species, tree of heaven and Mexican fan palm are the two identified as severely discouraged.

Management and implementation recommendations are given in the plan, including education, outreach and tracking methods. A 102-page street tree inventory prepared in 2006 by West Coast Arborists is included in the packet.

Landscape architect Tom Bostrom, chairman of the OTAC, urged the commission to adopt the plan, citing the aging tree population and predominance of old and failing trees throughout the city. “We wanted to create a plan for the future, which is what you have here,” said Bostrom. “I’m sure this plan is not perfect, but it is a very important step forward in the process. Please approve this plan so we can continue to move forward.”

While the commissioners expressed an overall appreciation for the thoroughness of the plan, they did have ideas for improvement. “I have concerns about calling it a master plan,” said Commissioner Paul Crabtree, “and then we get to the real crux of the matter, and this is sustainability. Sustainability meaning, especially in planning, sprawl busting.” Crabtree went on to say that the city’s 60-year history of sprawl resulted in incomplete streets and over-emphasis on automobiles and said that a community forest master plan must be more integrated.

Because Ojai neighborhoods vary in street width, sidewalks and easement, the forest plan specifies that tree plantings would be initiated in neighborhoods with the ability to accept them. “There are people who don’t drive,” Crabtree said. “Elderly and kids who shouldn’t have to walk down the middle of the street, and there’s the ADA,” he added, referring to access for people with mobility challenges.

Crabtree and Commissioner Cortus Koehler also pointed out that the plan doesn’t address water adequately. “I don’t see much here about putting together the infrastructure for water and so on,” said Koehler. “If we start putting in trees and then have to go back and dig them all up, we’ll have a money problem again.”

Commissioner Steven Foster asked Bostrom to expand upon the different types of native trees in Ojai. “We have a predominance of three trees that are native trees that have evolved over millennia to suit the climate here and municipal arboriculture does recognize species diversity for the very reason you mention, but I think we have to recognize that we have a predominance of native trees and I think we should at least preserve the balance,” said Bostrom. He added that compared to other Southern California cities, “We still have a remaining population of native trees … They are remarkably adaptable and sustainable because they don’t require a lot of water, once established.”

Bostrom said that optimum diversity included in the plan would give the city the flexibility to balance the population of native trees. He reminded the commission that hydrology in the valley is changing and that acorns within the city are often removed by landscaping procedures. “What’s missing is the regeneration,” said Bostrom. “Acorns fall, we get good rains and a bunch of little oaks bud all over. But that doesn’t happen because the gardener comes along and rips them out.” He warned that drought periods will cause tree failure.

“The problem is taking half-steps doesn’t get us from here to there,” said Bostrom. “If you want to take the term ‘master plan’ out, I would support it. What we’re trying to do here is fit into the planning process.”

Vice Chair Troy Becker confirmed with Schmidt that Tree City USA applicants were required to create a management plan. “I don’t care what it’s called, I just don’t want to shoot ourselves in the foot,” said Becker.

“This is a half-step, perhaps, but I think one of the real values of this plan, if we can figure out the next step, is it forms the basis for community education, involvement and, more important, thinking about the public realm,” said city manager Jere Kersnar. He said education might create excitement that may compel people to work together toward upgrading their neighborhood urban forests. “How do we take this from a plan and really get it out on the streets?”

The commissioners had a few other suggestions about the plan’s language that they requested city staff modify and return to them for review before submission to the City Council.

Kersnar said the city will document the changes into the plan and if any commissioner is not satisfied with the document, then it would be brought back for discussion Sept. 16. If all commissioners are happy with the changes to the plan, that meeting will be canceled for lack of business and the tree management plan will progress directly to the City Council’s Sept. 22 meeting.

The commission adopted the resolution in hopes of not disrupting the Tree City USA time line. To view the community Forest Master Plan, go to ojaivalleynews.com, click on “Planning” near the OVN poll, then Attachment B under Item 4.

SEE VIDEO

Ventura County fire crews worked to contain a brushfire that broke out Sunday near Lake Casitas, when, at about 11:50 a.m., a motorcycle crashed into the hillside and apparently set it on fire. Fire crews battled the westside blaze to complete containment that afternoon. Chad Shoemaker, 38, of Oxnard, was transported to a local hospital with a dislocated shoulder and cuts and bruises, according to CHP Officer Steve Reid. He was wearing a helmet when he lost control of his 1989 Harley Davidso

Video and report by Scott Wintermute

New superintendent welcomed as cuts to local schools continue

By Linda Harmon
Ojai Unified School District’s Tuesday night board meeting bordered on festive before getting down to business, as more than 40 members of the public and staff gathered to welcome incoming superintendent Henry Bangser and his wife, Sarah.

“I’ve found Ojai unique and quirky in only the best ways,” said Bangser, who has been an administrator for 23 years in two states and three districts. Bangser added he had “found nothing but positive attitudes” despite the budget challenges of repeated education cuts and declining enrollment.

Audience members were treated to refreshments and met with Bangser before the board began to discuss the serious budget cuts needed in the transportation budget for the 2009-2010 school year. The audience gathered included the board and OUSD staff, Mayor Joe DeVito, City Councilwoman Sue Horgan, and interested members of the public including Noam Kywi. Kywi, a Life Scout, was observing the public meeting and will follow up with an interview of Board Member Rikki Horne, fulfilling the pre-requisites for one of his four remaining badges to reach Eagle Scout.

Bangser shook hands, mingled with the crowd, and then gave a short speech introducing himself and his wife of 36 years to the crowd. He ended his remarks saying, “I am looking forward to working with such an intellectually challenging and insightful group.”

After the social portion of the meeting, the room grew serious as the board once again took up the 2009-2010 budget and then newly required cuts.

Laura Meisch, director of fiscal services, gave a general budget update for the 2008-2009 school year, including the new OUSD revenue limit of  $16,991,967. That amount is down from $17,455,231 after revisions due to the latest state budget cuts. The district revenue limit reflects the maximum amount of property taxes a school district collects in state aid.

The district’s entire budget for 2009-2010 is $23.87 milion in June.

Meisch said because the state budget has been subject to repeated  delays the 2008-2009 OUSD budget was not amended on time, and this will mean about $750,000 of additonal cuts to 2009-2010 budget.

Staff was then applauded for helping clarify the newest round of changes. Board Member Pauline Mercado summed up everyone’s feelings when she chuckled, sighed, and added it is currently balanced “by the skin of our teeth.”

“I want to get a picture of what the situation is now,” said Bangser next, in introducing the budget subject for the night, cuts to transportation. Bangser added that he felt “it is important to get the total picture of the year before any action is taken.”

The OUSD transportation budget, based on a combination of grants and allocations made from the OUSD general fund, has already been impacted by cuts. According to Eric Ordway, director of maintenance, operations and transportation, the district budget is “already tight.” Ordway added that last year the district made cuts by increasing the boundaries for availability of bus services for its students and by laying off four drivers. He noted that the walking boundary for OUSD is currently three miles for high school, 2.5 miles for junior high, and one mile for elementary and “that boundary is already at the maximum for students.”

Board members concurred noting the heavy load of books and materials most students now must carry to and from school.

According to Ordway, the other issue to remember when considering cuts to service is that some special education students can ride regular buses while others cannot. Special education students are required by law to be transported from “curb to curb” when their disability qualifies. The system must provide for these students, which often means sending buses over the entire school district.

This complicated puzzle of requirements results in a schedule that is now being accomplished with one dispatcher, five school bus drivers (one of which also does certified bus driver training), one van driver, and two mechanics. OUSD also maintains 11 transit buses, two wheelchair mini-buses, and one van which handle four regular routes and three special education routes.

According to Ordway, the board will have to do all this with another 20 percent cut in state funding, resulting in a combined transportation fund loss of $105,973.

Two options were raised by Ordway; cuts to service or a pay for ridership. Ordway briefly discussed the pay for ridership option that has been used in other districts with limited success. He then went over possible service cutting strategies.

The options for service cuts to regular students are eliminating all high school afternoon transportation, eliminating all transportation for high school and junior high, eliminating all transportation for high school, junior high and mid-day kindergarten, or eliminating all afternoon transportation for kindergarten through 12th grade.

In summary, Ordway said that any option “will have a significant impact on students and families in the district,” adversely affect personnel, and create problems for day care providers and children’s well-being.

“An issue as personal as transportation,” said Bangser, “mandates the time of the administration to meet with any person who wants to meet with us. It’s not just about bus, bus drivers and money. It’s about the impact on young people and their families.”

Board members concurred in their concern about possible impact on families that rely on bus transportation.

Dorothy Williams, a bus driver for the district, spoke next, relating how many parents have told her they thought the “door-to-door service was awesome.” Williams worries about any further impact on the system.

“My Summit kids will have nowhere to go,” said Williams, who says her kids get dropped off in the morning by parents. “They drop them off on their way to work; they’re gone.”

Bangser and the board shared Williams’ concerns. Bangser then addressed Williams directly saying, “One of the groups I want to meet with is you” asking her to come see him before leaving.

The board will be busy gathering additional information and will discuss possible solutions at both the Sept. 15 and Oct. 6 meetings and invite public input.

ONE-MINUTE VIDEO: How to detect Asian citrus psyllids

Local residents cautioned about spreading deadly psyllids lice

By Daryl Kelley
Ojai Valley citrus farmers, threatened by the discovery of a potentially disastrous infestation of a plant-eating, tree-jumping lice in Southern California, are asking local residents to not bring any fruit or trees purchased elsewhere into the valley.

And, they say, local residents should also ask those they know who visit other countries, such as Mexico, not to bring fruit back with them.

Asian citrus psyllids lice, discovered in Echo Park near downtown Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Sacramento and Fresno in recent days, bring with them the potential for devastation of citrus crops, such as oranges, lemons and tangerines, which help provide the distinctive character of this valley.

And which provide a livelihood for many of its farmers.

Asian psyllids not only eat tree leaves, but also can carry citrus greening disease, which is incurable and kills trees over a period of years.

“Don’t transport citrus in Southern California,” advised Lisa Brenneis, a local tangerine grower. “That means trees, fruit or leaves. Transport is the most likely method of introduction.”

The state Department of Agriculture has issued dire warnings about the potential effects of infestation to California’s $1.6-billion citrus industry. It has destroyed citrus farming in much of Asia and has already ravaged citrus crops in Florida and other southern states and is moving across the border from Mexico.

In Fresno last month, a detection dog found infected curry leaves from India at a FedEx depot.

Then last week in Sacramento, a dog detected infested curry leaves and guavas shipped from Texas, which has an outbreak of the psyllids, but not the deadly disease. The closest outbreaks of the greening disease, also known as HLB, or huanglongbing, have been in Louisiana and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.

Two infestations were also detected in Los Angeles and Orange counties last week.

Ojai farmers say all local residents must be vigilant to keep the psyllids out of this valley, which has a strong farming base and dozens of citrus ranchers farming thousands of acres of citrus.

Emily Thacher Ayala, of Ojai’s Friend’s Ranches, said, “The best thing everyone can do is to not move fruit or plant material around the world; don’t move fruit or plants back with you when you travel — or if you’re moving, leave your beloved house plants.”

Brenneis said that landscaping crews should be asked to check trees for infestation and should be careful about transporting citrus plant material. A Spanish language flier is available at Califroniacitrusthreat.org.html.

And Ayala said that the threat to farmers is not just that of the Asian citrus psyllid and the associated HLB bacterium, but “oodles of invasive plants, pests and diseases we don’t want moved around the globe.

“Whenever I talk to people that are going on a trip abroad I ask them to have a good time and not to bring fruits or plant material home with them — this includes talking with orchard workers and housekeepers that go to Mexico (they often want to bring back their favorite fruits and veggies to share with family here).”

Farmers ask that Ojai Valley residents inform themselves, their neighbors and their gardeners and yard care workers about this issue, including owners of landscaping companies and those who are actually doing the work.

“I wonder,” Ayala said, “if farming will continue in California.

“We have so many people moving around and coming in and out of our state from other places,” she said. “That, coupled with our exorbitant water, labor and land costs. It’s a shame, we have the best climate and soils for growing such a diverse number of crops, yet development continues to gobble up the land resulting in our food coming from farther and farther away.”

Discussions polite despite sharp differences on approaches to issue

By Nancy Gross
Copies of a guest editorial written by John E. Nelson, M.D., and printed in the Ojai Valley News on Aug. 19 served two purposes at Friday’s town hall meeting on health care reform. People picked up the legal-sized papers to read for information, and people folded them to use as fans in the steamy Chaparral Auditorium.

As symbolized by the written words of Nelson serving the practical purpose of fans, the challenge of health care reform comes down to whether the written and spoken words of policy can translate into the practical application of quality, affordable health care, offered fairly.