Ojai Valley News Blog

Friday, August 31, 2012
By Tiobe Barron

Ojai Mayor Betsy Clapp wasn’t shy about letting her feelings toward the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa’s proposed “employee” housing plan.

“When I first read this, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it got this far,” said Clapp at the Ojai City Council Tuesday night meeting. “I’m shocked and disappointed that this proposal is even before us. This is a betrayal to our citizens … This is a disgrace and an embarrassment.”

When the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa sought the city’s approval to expand and renovate in 2003, the city conditioned the project on the Inn’s ability to offset the resulting increase in traffic to the valley by building a minimum of 10 units of housing for Inn employees.

According to city staff reports, approximately 250 Inn employees commute to Ojai from Oxnard and Ventura.

The original contract, signed July 26, 2005 by Ojai Valley Inn & Spa President A. Steven Crown requires that the units be built at the sole expense of the Inn. Further, the agreement says the project “shall not be subject to Federal, State, or local affordable housing laws,” must be occupied by Inn employees only and must be completed by July 2010.

The Inn came before Ojai City Council last Tuesday to request modifications to its original agreement. Teaming with the Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura, the Inn proposed a 24-unit project that would be funded in part by a tax credit. The Inn also sought to move the project to the corner of Hermosa Road and Highway 33, across the street from the original location.

Housing associated with a federal or state tax credit cannot legally stipulate that residents be Inn employees.

“It’s very interesting that the AHA even got involved,” said Councilwoman Carol Smith.

The new plan includes units with two and three bedrooms, prompting Smith to say that several factors perhaps counterbalance the shortcomings of the proposal, such as the demand for affordable housing and the need for more children to combat declining enrollment in the Ojai Unified School District.

“It seems like we’re mixing apples and oranges here,” Blatz countered. “Well, we need kids in our schools, so we’re not going to hold anybody to the environmental impact mitigating factor when the Inn was developed? I don’t buy that rationale.”

“We believe that building 10 units is not feasible — it’s what we’d call unsuitable — because of economic reasons,”  Peter Ells, managing director of the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa said Thursday. “In lieu of that, we’d be able to lease or purchase 10 units somewhere in the city of Ojai, so Ojai won’t get any new units.

“Many of the Inn employees at the hourly level are our clients. We see Inn employees both episodically homeless and low-income and in danger of becoming homeless on a monthly basis,” said HELP of Ojai’s Terri Wolfe. “While the Area Housing Authority does a fabulous job in providing low-income housing and managing that in the county, the fact (is) that they cannot guarantee that the Inn employees, or Ojai Valley (residents) in general, are the people who move into these housing units — I think that’s the fundamental issue.”

“The initial proposal was not for affordable housing,” added Ojai resident Leonard Klaif. “It was not titled ‘affordable housing.’ It was employee housing. And the intent was to take people who are working at the Inn and live in Ventura, Oxnard, move them to Ojai to reduce traffic.”

“We had a chance to build what I thought would be 24 really high-quality low-income housing units that would benefit the city and certainly benefit us and the community as a whole,” Ells added. “Before we could get out of the gate, we were shut down.”

The council took no action Tuesday and no date was set to revist the issue.

The next Ojai City Council meeting is set for Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. at 402 Ventura Ave.

Thursday, August 30, 2012
By Tiobe Barron 

Dale Sumersille resigned her position as Ojai Parks and Recreation director Tuesday, prior to a joint meeting between the Ojai City Council and its Parks and Recreation Commission. Sumersille’s last day will be Sept. 6 and no reason was given for her departure.

According to a city press release, longtime Recreation Department employee Sophocles Cotsis was named acting director. Steve McClary, current assistant to the city manager, who will devote half of his time to help the the Department’s administration.

At the Tuesday meeting, Mayor Betsy Clapp told Sumersille, “We wish you the best of luck, Dale.”

Sumersille had a parting suggestion for the council members and the Recreation Commission members regarding future joint meetings.

“Next time, ask the Recreation staff for their recommendations,” said Sumersille. “There have been a lot of cutbacks, a lot of challenges and hardships, but this is an extraordinary group of people. They always have a can-do attitude.”

“Over the last two months, she (Sumersille) has taken a beating from this commission, and she has taken it in stride, she’s listened,” said Commission chair Randy Haney. “I feel pretty good about where we are now, and the direction we’re headed.”

Some community members have expressed a different perspective, however.

“The state of our department has floundered under stagnant and passive sports coordinating; suffering from absentee representation within the community; as well as a complete unavailability of leadership during scheduled program hours,” said Ojai resident and former Recreation Department employee of 20 years, Russell Connick, in a letter submitted to City Council. “Our city management and administrative decisions have unfortunately illustrated a priority towards policy and revenue, and not a sincere conscience or commitment on behalf of our community and its families. The fact that we continue to blame our folding leagues on Jayden Morrison only reiterates our complacent and dismissive attitude towards tenaciously competing and striving to reestablish our brand name and credibility … And in probably the gravest display of our administration’s disconnect with our program needs is the decision to pull Vicki out of her gymnastics position to serve as an office staff (member).”

Morrison, who resigned from the Recreation Department in July 2010, said recently that he created his independent Wrec Room sports programs to fill a need in the community — not to be accused of creating unfair competition with city programs.

“I love recreation, be it with the city or through the private sector, it doesn’t make a difference to me. I don’t play politics. I do what I feel is right and fair. I don’t do things for notoriety. I do things for the community. I have the best interests of my kids, of my friends’ kids at heart,” Morrison said. “I resigned from the Recreation Department because of Dale, her utter lack of knowledge and integrity. She would flat-out lie. Repeatedly. She cancelled a program without discussing it with me, and it was a very valuable program.”

Morrison also said that if offered his former position within the Recreation Department, he would accept.

“I would love to make a difference in this community. I would create a teen program, an adult-sports program. And it would happen quickly, it would not be a process,” Morrison said. “The best thing for the Recreation Department to do would be to have the whole department put under public works director Greg Grant, have him oversee Parks and Recreation. The Department also needs serious restructuring. Sophocles and Vicki do great programming. But there are unneeded positions in the department. It’s all about accountability.”

Recreation Commissioner Robert Roddick said Tuesday he interviewed 120 Ojai Valley residents regarding the state of the Recreation Department.

“First, you need to understand that we serve 32,000 residents, not just the 8,000 who live inside city limits,” implored Roddick. “Parents feel that the parks are not safe and the reduction in services is a problem.”

“The city of Ojai is 8,000 people. You can’t ask the city to bear the burden of 30,000 people,” disputed Councilwoman Carlon Strobel. “But you can ask Rob Clark to contact the county so they can pay their fair share.”

Visit www.ci.ojai.ca.us to view the meeting in its entirety, and to view future meeting agendas.

Thursday, August 30, 2012
By Kit Stolz

A proposal that would have placed additional permit review requirements on proposed remodeling or demolition of Ojai buildings that are more than 50 years old was rejected by the Ojai City Council Tuesday.

“This is a train wreck right here,” said Mayor Betsy Clapp. “I think this is just too much of a mess to proceed with anything right now.”

The proposal was sparked by the reconstruction of a home built in 1946 on El Toro Road. In July, Historic Preservation Commission Chairwoman Jolene Lloyd called for the implementation of a preservation plan to amend zoning ordinances to prevent the destruction of historic buildings in town without review of the permit by the city. The Commission approved the recommendation.

“The Commission recommends that such a change been done as an urgency matter, through a moratorium, so that this additional protection can be put in place as soon as possible and avoid any further loss of historically valued structures,” the HPC recommendation stated.

In comments to the council Tuesday, the current owner of the El Toro Road home said Lloyd is the previous owner of the property and suggested this may have influenced the moratorium proposal. He objected to being singled out unfairly

“The chair of the Commission, who was asking for more oversight, was the person who sold me my house,” Ajay Sahjal said. “I feel this speaks to an imperfect process by which oversight by a small group of people who are taken at their word.”

Lloyd did not attend Tuesday’s meeting, but confirmed that her family did previously own the El Toro Road house.

Sahjal said that he had paid $1,800 for the preparation of a historic resources survey, plus “hundreds of dollars of fees” to the city, to show that the home was not worthy of preservation for its historic value. The permit for renovation of the home was granted.

“The chair was quoted as saying this is a historic house, this is a perfect example of a Cape Cod, and she wished there were more she could do to save it,” he added. “But the historians who did the windshield survey [of properties for the city], and who also did the historic resources report on the property, said there was nothing to save.”

Comments from the public supported Sahjal. Robert Barnett, a construction estimator from Oak View, said he had worked on the El Toro Road property twice. “Most of that house is from the 1970s,” he said. “It has nothing to do with being 50 years old. There’s only a small percentage of the house that is original.”

City Council members said the proposal’s assumption that all buildings in Ojai over 50 years old were worthy of official review for historic value was too vague.

“Age is not a standard. Charm is not a standard,” said Paul Blatz. “We have nothing before us to consider in an adequate and meaningful workshop.”

Thursday, August 30, 2012|
By Angelique LaCour

Casitas Municipal Water District (CMWD) is moving forward with the proposed takeover of Golden State Water Company’s Ojai service district. Its next task is to determine how much the utility is worth.
“There is no easy button for this kind of undertaking, that’s for sure,” said CMWD manager, Steve Wickstrum.
One of the tools CMWD is using to accomplish this is a 57-page analysis by Ojai Friends of Locally Owned Water (FLOW) member, Richard Hajas, a former CMWD employee who once worked with Wickstrum.
Hajas’ analysis was completed with the premise that there can be no negative impacts to the approximately 3,000 CMWD rate payers in Mira Monte, Oak View and the beach communities from the Santa Barbara county line to Solimar.
“When we went to CMWD with the petition, we were told that we had to understand that if they were to move forward, we would have to pay for all of it,” Hajas said. “And we accept that.”
“Richard has worked in the water industry for almost 40 years,” Wickstrum said. “He is very knowledgeable and I have tremendous respect for his abilities.”
Golden State officials do not think as highly of the report however. “The FLOW report is not an appraisal, and relies solely on rate base for the estimated value of the system. Under California law, fair market value does not equal rate base,” said Golden State Counsel Joe Conner. “In addition, neither FLOW nor Casitas have taken into consideration the value of Golden State water rights in Ojai. The value of Golden State’s water rights alone is at least $50 million and that doesn’t include the cost of purchasing the system itself. It is disappointing to see the Casitas Board embrace a report that is not prepared by an independent appraiser or that follows appraisal standards.”
In his estimate of GSWC’s fair market value, Hajas uses GSWC’s master plan’s estimated capital improvements through 2015, its annual corporate reports to shareholders and testimony submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in rate increase applications.
To show widespread support for the effort, FLOW collected 1,900 signatures on a petition asking CMWD to buy GSWC’s Ojai district and take over its operation.
For the Ojai GSWC ratepayers to accomplish the takeover, a community facilities district must first be formed. Every registered voter who lives within the proposed service area will be eligible to vote on whether they support paying for a bond issue to cover the fair market amount. GSWC water users who are not registered voters within the area will not get to vote.
In determining the bond amount it will seek, CMWD is looking at three things, the net “plant-in-service” value, estimated capital improvements through 2015 and legal costs.
Plant-in-service includes the value of all facilities, assets, overhead and operating costs. This is the value GSWC submits to the CPUC as its “rate base.”
Estimated capital improvements are improvements and planned replacements of infrastructure and pipeline projects listed in GSWC’s master plan.
Legal costs must include those that CMWD will likely incur in negotiating the GSWC purchase including an eminent domain condemnation — going to court to force GSWC to sell — if an agreement can’t be reached through negotiation.
GSWC Coastal District Manager Ken Petersen has said that his company has no interest in selling its Ojai operation.
“Richard’s analysis puts the total cost of acquisition just on the north side of $41M,” Wickstrum said. “It’s questionable whether GSWC’s net plant of service value is accurate, and that may have to be determined through negotiation, settlement or having a court decide the value of Golden State’s assets.”
If the two companies are unable to negotiate an acquisition price, the value would likely be decided in court. If a jury places GSWC’s value higher than the bond amount approved by voters, CMWD would have to walk away from the purchase. But a jury could also place the value lower than the bond amount, resulting is less money to GSWC, so going to court is a risk for both sides.
Hajas emphasizes that borrowing the money today to buy and fix the system (including the $25 million in improvements in the GSWC master plan), locks in the total cost for the 30-year life of the loan at no more than a 5 percent interest rate.
“Golden State’s rates today don’t include the $25 million they want to spend in the future,” Hajas said. “Our analysis includes that $25 million. So we’re going to have Casitas rates plus a debt-service payment every year, and all of the improvements will be paid for. But Golden State’s rates are two to three times higher than Casitas now, and they still want to spend $25 million on improvements for which they get to charge us 8 to 10 percent.  No matter how you look at the numbers, we come out ahead.”
Legal costs must include those that CMWD will likely incur in negotiating the GSWC purchase including an eminent domain condemnation — going to court to force GSWC to sell — if an agreement can’t be reached through negotiation.
GSWC Coastal District Manager Ken Petersen has said that his company has no interest in selling its Ojai operation.
“Most communities do not receive a clear and complete understanding of all the facts about the condemnation process on the front end before they start spending money,” continued Conner. “There is no ‘free look’ for a system takeover. If the jury awards a price that exceeds the bond capacity, CMWD has stated they will walk away from the purchase. But Ojai taxpayers will be liable for the legal expenses which could range anywhere from $1 million  to $4 million.”

Tuesday, August 28, 2012
By Tiobe Barron

Following on the heels of Lissie and Ray Fresco, another pair of back-to-back benefit concerts are coming to the Libbey Bowl.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros will perform Sept. 6 for the Ojai Valley Community Nursery School; the next day, the Dave Mason All-Star Jam concert will benefit the Libbey Bowl Foundation.
The second event will feature Ojai resident Dave Mason, formerly of Traffic; Eric Burdon; three-time Grammy-Award winning saxophonist Tom Scott; bass guitarist Stuart Hamm; jazz guitarist Brian Nova and others.

“This is seriously a once-in-a-lifetime event happening right here in Ojai!” says Beth Sutherland, who manages Libbey Bowl.

The concert is part of an all-day effort Sept. 7 to raise money for the Libbey Bowl Foundation, supplementing the efforts of the Malcolm McDowell Celebrity Golf Tournament.

Mike Donohue, executive director of the tournament, says McDowell loves giving back to the community. The tournament will feature 18 celebrities, from professional athletes — including an Olympic gold medalist — to television and film stars, all of whom rotate through the golf course at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa to give attendees time with a variety of celebs.

Donohue stresses the Libbey Bowl Foundation is a worthy charity cause, especially in a city known for its artistic community and love of music. “The goal is making it (Libbey Bowl) like a mini-Santa Barbara Bowl, with a regular concert series,” Donohue says. “It’s a really professional venue. Steve McGillivray, the contractor, did a great job.”

Sutherland explains that the money garnered from the event will go to a production fund, which will be used to secure performers for commercial events at the Bowl. The Libbey Bowl Foundation manages and rents the bowl largely to non-profit groups for a minimal fee.

“There have been well over 15 events at Libbey Bowl since last April, all of which have been non-profit oriented,” explains Sutherland.

If the foundation wished to retain a performer with mass appeal for commercial purposes at the Bowl, it would have to fork over a substantial deposit for each event. The foundation has only been in place for 11 months, with Sutherland retained to manage to Bowl on a part-time basis.

“We started out with absolutely nothing. This is our first year out, and we don’t try to do everything,” says Sutherland. “This is an amazing opportunity to create a production fund, which would allow us to move in a different direction of procuring talent. We are extremely fortunate! This is such a huge gift from Mike Donohue and our friends at Paradise Artists!”

Sutherland says it was Donohue and Bill Monot of Paradise Artists who approached the foundation about the fundraisers.

“He (Monot) is very interested in seeing the Bowl become successful. We’ve developed a rapport, and that’s what it’s all about,” says Sutherland.

Paradise Artists is a talent agency established in 1988 by Monot and Howard Silverman, which has an office in Ojai.

“This is really exciting. Ojai has really become an art enclave, more so than ever, and it seems that process is accelerating,” says Monot. “I’ve been around thousands of venues, and we have the real deal here in Ojai. It (Libbey Bowl) is beautiful, well run, professionally managed now! I think we have a real gem in Beth (Sutherland), we’re lucky to have her! And we have a great board assembled. They’re awesome, putting together the management tools to make sure it’s successful. How could you not want to be a part of that?”

Monot compares Libbey Bowl to The Wolf Trap, a performance arts mecca in Pennsylvania. He claims his efforts are small potatoes next to the “heavy lifting” that was done in raising $4 million to restore Libbey Bowl.

“I would love to put on my beret, walk down and see James Taylor perform at Libbey Bowl,” says Monot. “It’s poignant seeing artists rallying around the bowl, which is central to the community. These are our local heroes! They stepped up to do whatever they need to do to get this venue up and running. We’re that close, and all of them know it. We just need the funds so the board can book and promote a regular concert series.”

Another worthy cause for fundraising efforts, according to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, is the Ojai Valley Community Nursery School. The band known for its hit “Home” is performing a benefit concert the day before the Mason concert, also at Libbey Bowl. OVCNS was established in 1955, and is parent owned and operated. In recent years, it has seen a sharp decline in enrollment, as the economy crippled the pocket books of many.

“We have a parent whose daughter goes to this school, and somehow this parent is affiliated with the band. We’ve been hit by the economy like everyone else, and the band was generous enough to offer (a benefit concert to raise funds for the school),” says Tracy Beisel, director of OVCNS.

Beisel says OVCNS takes a Montessori approach in the classroom, but outside, “We get dirty!” They have an organic garden, parents who teach the kids music with the instruments they bring from home, and an “it takes a village” approach that creates what Beisel refers to as “almost a family bond … It’s so much fun. I’m very lucky to be here,” says Beisel.

Log on to www.libbeybowl.org for tickets to either concert, and for additional details.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012
By Misty Volaski

After five years of planning and grant writing, the Ojai Valley Sanitary District is set to begin a $1.3 million project next week to replace about 800 feet of sewage pipe on Creek Road near Encino Drive.
When heavy rains flooded portions of San Antonio Creek in 2005, the OVSD board conducted a survey of the Creek Road lines that carry sewage to its treatment plant on Highway 33 south of Casitas Springs.
“This is primarily a location issue,” said OVSD general manager Jeff Palmer. “There’s an ‘S’ curve in the creek, so the fear is, if a flood came and wiped out that ‘S’ curve, that it could wipe out the pipe and we could have raw sewage (spill) in the river.”
So, in 2007, OVSD applied for a hazard-mitigation grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The grant will cover $900,000 of the project cost; the remainder will come from the OVSD reserve fund.
“It comes from money we set aside every year in reserve funds that are used for operations and maintenance and capital projects … it’s fully funded. There aren’t any loans of any kind. We kinda have a policy of pay as you go.” He added that the project will not result in rate increases for their customers.
Work on the project will begin Tuesday, and most likely will be completed by November. Drivers on Creek Road will likely experience brief construction delays as equipment is brought to the work site. OVSD customers will not experience any service interruptions.
The work will be performed by Kinnan Engineering, an Oregon-based company. “When we bid something large like this,” Palmer said, “we have to follow California public contractor code which requires  us … to accept the lowest bidder. For regular purchases and products, we try to deal with as many local contractors as possible. The recent work at Bristol Road was done by a local contractor.”
The existing pipe is an Army Corps of Engineers repair from Ojai’s infamous 1969 floods, when several portions of the line were washed out.
“This project benefits the district because it eliminated the risk in a storm that has broad consequences for all users and the environment. It’s safe and efficient and saves us all time and money.”

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

By Hannah Guzik

The new co-coordinators of Ojai Day are working full-time to pull off the annual celebration and are confident the show, which had its beginnings nearly 100 years ago, will go on.

The city hired Ojai residents Lynda Killingsworth and Phil Casanta last week as co-coordinators of the festival, after longtime organizer Jody James resigned in June, citing a lack of support from the city.

The Ojai City Council had initially considered scrapping the Oct. 20 event, which will cost an estimated $17,000 to run this year, but opted instead to fill James’ position in the hopes of making the festival sustainable in the coming years.

Because Killingsworth and Casanta bring different skills to the job, and because they will have only one-third the usual time to prepare for the event, city officials decided to hire both, city manager Rob Clark said in a recent press release.

“I am pleased that we were able to put together a team with considerable experience on short notice to make this a wonderful event for the community,” he wrote.

Ojai Day — a celebration of life, culture and art that attracts thousands — began in 1917, took a hiatus in the 1920s and was revived in 1991. The 19^th annual street fair will feature a giant mandala, children’s parade, dozens of booths and entertainment from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Ojai Avenue and in Libbey Park.

Killingsworth will handle the volunteers, budgeting and vendors for the festival, while Casanta will oversee the production, musicians and street closures.

Killingsworth and Casanta said they don’t plan to make many changes to Ojai Day. The event will bring back many vendors, entertainers and musicians from previous years. Ojai artist Lisa “River” Sauvageau plans to create a 50-foot mandala as a centerpiece of the event, as she has for the past 17 years, Killingsworth said.

“As with all programs, there will be some subtle changes from year to year, but we plan to have the same wonderful Ojai Day,” she said. “Jody’s always done a great job and we’re following in the same pattern.”

While Killingsworth may make minor changes to the budget in the hopes of making the festival more sustainable, Casanta hopes to improve emergency and administrative communications by using local ham radio operators as volunteers.

Much of the preliminary planning for the event has already been done by Amber Young, the city manager’s assistant who was appointed interim Ojai Day coordinator after James resigned.

Hiring two people for the position won’t cost the city more than hiring one because of the short contract time, said Steve McClary, assistant to the city manager.

“As we were interviewing finalists, we realized that we didn’t see one candidate who had everything we were looking for, but between them, they had everything we were looking for and more,” he said.

Both are hired just for this year’s event and the city will revaluate the job in the coming months, he said.

Casanta has more than 30 years of production-management experience and has helped manage the Ojai Shakespeare Festival and Ojai Storytelling Festival, as well as events at the Ventura County Fairgrounds and Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Killingsworth, a Nordhoff High School graduate, has organized events for Pittsburgh State University and the city of Pittsburgh, Kansas, where she supervising the annual street fair. She returned to Ojai in June.

The co-coordinators said they are certain they will be able to work together to produce a successful Ojai Day, even on the short timeline.

“This is such a beautiful way to showcase Ojai and who we are and our little community, that this thing can’t stop,” Casanta said. “It’s going to go on.”

Thursday, August 23, 2012
By Monica Lara

Note: Please do not comment on this report as they will not be published.

A preliminary hearing Thursday determined an Oak View resident charged with battery and assault for allegedly beating up an Ojai veterinarian will stand trial.

Ventura County Superior Court Judge Matthew Guasco ruled there was sufficient evidence that defendant Scott Doornbos could have committed the crime. Doornbos will be answering to his charges at his arraignment, set for Sept. 27.

Doornbos, 55, of Oak View, is being accused of battery and assault, as well as several additional felony charges. Doornbos allegedly assaulted Dr. Steve Sallen, owner of the Ojai Village Veterinary Hospital on West Ojai Avenue in February. The incident is suspected to have occurred after Doornbos learned his 5-year-old dog died while under the hospital’s care.

The preliminary examination was a pre-trial procedure where the prosecution, Deputy District Attorney Brian Weilbacher, had to prove there is sufficient evidence that there was a crime, and enough probable cause to suspect the defendant could have committed the crime.

During the preliminary examination the prosecution and the defense, represented by defense attorney Ron Bamieh, attempted to prove Doornbos should not go to trial for his charges by presenting a series of physical evidence and witness accounts.

Three witnesses, called to the stand by Weilbacher, identified the defendant as the perpetrator. The witnesses included Donna Sallen, wife of the victim.

The defense did not call any witnesses for the examination.

Thursday, August 23, 2012
By Misty Volaski 

Ojai’s public schools already have several emergency and natural disaster measures in place. But, in response to a Ventura County grand jury report titled “Earthquake Safety in the Classroom,” they’re about to add one more level of precaution to their plans.

Superintendent Hank Bangser and the Ojai Unified School District board have committed to purchasing three days’ worth of food and water for each student and employee in the district. Assistant superintendent Dannielle Pusatere told board members at their Tuesday meeting that this would cost about $22,000, with each packet costing about $7.50. “They’re useable for up to seven years,” said Bangser Thursday. “We felt at this time, given what we’ve learned about the best way to be prepared, this was merited, so we’re going to do it.”

The funds for the food and water packs will come from the School District’s reserve fund — essentially a rainy-day fund which has a current balance of about $300,000 (about 1.5 percent of the OUSD’s total budget, although in better fiscal years it should be closer to 3 percent).

“That (money) is for everything that could happen during the course of 12 months,” emergencies and all, Bangser said.

While the grand jury did not mandate that Ventura County schools have these supplies on hand, it did offer individualized reports and recommendations to each district. Of the county’s 21 school districts, only three — OUSD, Rio Elementary and Santa Clara Elementary — did not report having enough food and water on hand for each student for a few days.

“Despite our very severe financial condition, this is one thing that I’ve reconsidered; we’re just going to do it now,” Bangser said.

Currently, the district has several plans in place at each school site. The elementary schools practice four earthquake drills each year, where the kids get under their desks and hold on, with their backs to the windows. Matilija Junior High and Nordhoff High School practice the same thing twice each year. All schools also perform fire drills.

“We have a really good system of staff being well trained, and we make a concerted effort to train students as well,” said Nordhoff principal Greg Bayless. “We’ll go over safety protocols with the staff (Monday) … our teachers are broken into certain teams, a communication team, a triage team, and we’ll practice all of that … and we start off our school year with safety protocols — that’s the most important thing, even more so than educating them. The new students need to know what to do.” He added that there are also first aid kids in many of his school’s classrooms.

Topa Topa Elementary School has tubs filled with basic supplies like flashlights and water, said principal John LeSuer, which were donated a few years ago. “We update the supplies yearly … And our teachers have special jobs in case there is an emergency. At our staff meeting Monday that’s one of the things we’ll go over.”

Although the district no longer employs nurses at each site (due to lack of funds), there is a district nurse, and a first aid kit at each school.

To ensure that the school buildings are safe, inspections of each building and the individual classrooms take place districtwide several times a year. These are conducted by “the district superintendent, the principals, maintenance personnel and the local fire department,” according to the grand jury report.

Bangser contradicted the grand jury’s report, however, in its claim that the schools did not have emergency communications devices. “We do have two-ways radios, which is our third level of communication,” he said. “We have the land lines, then the cell phones, then the two-way radios.”

As board member Thayne Whipple pointed out at the meeting Tuesday, the valley has several groups that are well-versed in handling emergency situations, from the Red Cross (which would station itself at Nordhoff), to the Community Emergency Response Team, which is comprised of volunteers who are trained to handle a variety of emergency situations.

The valley also has two mass casualty trailers — one in Oak View at the Park and Resource Center, and one in Meiners Oaks at Fire Station 22. They include emergency supplies like stretchers, bandages, medical tape and other general first aid supplies. These trailers are managed by the Community Emergency Response Team.

Thursday, August 23, 2012
By Tiobe Barron

When the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa sought permission to remodel and expand back in 2003, a condition of approval was that the Inn must also build 10 low-income housing units somewhere in the city. The Inn originally hoped to do this on a 2.39-acre parcel it owns on the northwest corner of West Ojai Avenue and Hermosa Road.

The agreement requires the Inn to bear the entire cost of the project; no public funds can be used. It was an attempt to reduce commuter traffic and air pollution in the valley and provide affordable housing for those working in the valley. According to city staff reports, the Inn has more than 250 employees who live in Ventura and Oxnard.

The Inn will present a plan at Tuesday’s meeting of the Ojai City Council that proposes 24 units be built across the street from the original site.

That proposal also includes the involvement of the Area Housing Authority (AHA) of the County of Ventura

Working with the AHA, the Inn determined the original site was not suitable for the development.

The two groups instead selected the three-acre parcel and bumped the number of units to 24 units.

“In order to have the project be viable, it had to be bigger,” says Ojai community development director Rob Mullane. “A 10-unit project didn’t pencil out” for the AHA and desired tax credit for the project.

According to city manager Rob Clark, “Our priority (in this arrangement) is Inn employees. The bottom line goal was to connect workers and their housing so they don’t have to commute on the highway every day.”

The Ojai Planning Commission reviewed the project July 18.

Commission vice president Marleen Luckman, said her group had concerns about the frontage view of the proposed project and whether there is adequate screening and landscaping Other concerns included the lack of a sidewalk along the project’s Highway 33 frontage and the lack of a left-turn option from the project parking lot onto Ventura Avenue.

“Although the project could potentially increase traffic a bit, hopefully this will actually reduce vehicle miles traveled by providing housing for Inn staff, some of whom commute to the Ojai Valley,” said Luckman. “There are plans for walkways to connect the apartments and the Inn so employees could walk to work.”

“One of the things I want to explore are design alternatives,” said Clark.

Those interested can comment on the project Tuesday at 7 pm. at City Hall.

Visit www.ci.ojai.ca.us for more information.

Thursday, August 23, 2012
By Kit Stolz

The City Council will consider a proposal by the city’s Historic Preservation Commission Tuesday that would require a design review permit for the demolition or substantial alteration of buildings in Ojai which are 50 or more years old. Obtaining such a permit, however, could trigger complex and expensive environmental and historical review.

In a meeting July 12, Historic Commission Chairwoman Jolene Lloyd, brought up the house at 821 El Toro Road as an example. This house, built in 1946 or before, was one of the few examples of good Cape Cod architecture in the city and it was being substantially renovated, she said.

Although the house is under reconstruction, a photograph of the property before renovations began is available on-line via Google Earth at: http://goo.gl/n4jdu.

“[Lloyd] felt that the [Historic Preservation] Commission should have had the opportunity to review the alterations …” the meeting’s minutes state. “[Lloyd] would like a clear and concise stop gap measure to provide more discretion on similar projects.”

The six-person Commission approved the request unanimously. If the proposal is adopted by the City Council, a moratorium would be imposed on the demolition or substantial alteration of all buildings within city limits more than 50 years old without review of the design by staff.

According to Rob Mullane, the city’s Community Development Director, Ojai already requires a design review permit for most additions or substantial alterations to properties within city limits, but single-family residences are largely exempt from this requirement, unless it means construction of a substantial addition or a second floor.

“The Historic Preservation Commission wants to ensure that significant historic structures are not lost to demolition or reduced in value by incompatible or improperly-designed alterations,” he explained in a report to the City Council.

In an administrative report to the City Council, Mullane said the preparation of a report on a property’s value as a historic resource typically costs $1,000 to 2,000, but that the historic properties survey allows staff to rule out the necessity for such a survey in some cases. One example would be an older property that had already been substantially altered.

Craig Beam, an attorney who lives in Ojai and is familiar with the California Environmental Quality Act [CEQA], which governs the environmental and historical review process, warned that the process of environmental review can be time-consuming and expensive for homeowners.

“What the CEQA guidelines say is that if you’re looking at a discretionary approval on a historical resource, you have to presume that it has historical significance,” he said. “The city will have costs associated with that process. It requires a public notice, which takes 90 to 120 days, and there is the possibility of an Environmental Impact Report, which takes a year or more.”

Last year, the city commissioned a survey of historic properties within city limits conducted by San Buenaventura Research Associates, a historic architecture firm in Santa Paula. According to Mitch Stone, a partner at the firm, the intent of the survey was to give decision-makers at the city information on the number of buildings in Ojai that might have historic value.

“What we were called in to do was to determine which buildings should be subject to additional review, and we did that on the basis of a reconnaissance, or ‘windshield’ survey,” he said. “What’s complicating all this is a lot of misunderstanding. The city already has a threshold requirement for design review for historic properties, but also had a lack of knowledge on what they had in terms of historic buildings.”

Tuesday, the City Council will consider the measure, which is described as the scheduling of “a workshop with the Historic Preservation Committee to revise the city’s zoning code to provide more discretion for demolition or substantial alteration of potentially historic structures.”

The meeting, held at 401 S. Ventura St, begins at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012
By Monica Lara

After his nine-year stint enriching the community through the Ojai Music Festival, executive director Jeff Haydon is moving to a new position as chief executive officer of Caramoor, a renowned music and arts center in New York.

During his leadership in Ojai, Haydon established himself as a public figure in Ojai working with volunteers and the community, and leading the festival’s organization, administration and fundraising efforts.

“Looking back at my tenure, the Ojai Music Festival has undergone tremendous transformations and has expanded vocally and regionally, and the Libbey Bowl was a great accomplishment not only for me but the whole community of Ojai. Those are the things I am proud of.”

The Ojai Music Festival executive director since 2003, Haydon helped the festival increase its budget through donation and subscription sales. His fundraising efforts allowed for the expansions of festival’s artistic and education programs in Ojai, including the BRAVO! Music Education Program, which provides free music education and workshops to youths in Ojai Valley and Ventura County public schools.

Haydon led the efforts to raise $4 million to rebuild the 1,000-seat Libbey Bowl in downtown Ojai.

“His extraordinary success over the past nine years at Ojai makes him the ideal choice to lead Caramoor, one of the finest and most intimate music destinations in the country,” said Caramoor board chairman James A. Attwood, Jr. “We look forward to working with Jeff as we expand Caramoor’s audience and programming.”

The Caramoor Center for Music and Arts in Westchester County, NY, provides extensive educational programs, and hosts an international music festival every summer. Haydon is expected to start his new position Sept. 17.

“It is too early to say what my plans are for Caramoor,” said Haydon. “Ojai (is) very unique in the way people share a strong standing, grounded sense of place, when I was approached by Caramoor I was struck by how it shared the same feelings as Ojai had.”

Having worked with Haydon as part of a two-person organizational lead for the festival and its programs, Ojai Music Festival Artistic Director Thomas Morris was proud to work with Haydon.

“It has been my enormous pleasure and privilege to work with Jeff Haydon in Ojai for these past nine years, ” Morris said. “He has played a key role forging strong relationships with the audience, volunteers and the community, and has been a steadfast partner in developing and expanding the Ojai Music Festival.”

The Ojai Valley Music Festival’s board of directors is working to fill the executive director’s position before next year’s festival in June.

The board is in the process of assembling a search committee to seek an equally or more qualified replacement from a nationwide pool of candidates. With the future hire, the board hopes to keep improving on the work Haydon has done for the festival.

“We’re conscious Jeff has been (a) particularly charismatic and effective executive director,” said Stuart Meiklejohn, incoming board president. “We are looking to build on what he has done and we’re confident we’ll be able to do that.”

Tuesday, August 21, 2012
By Tiobe Barron

One of the many things that make Ojai Valley residents so proud to live where they do is the natural beauty of the land itself. Without the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, access to this raw splendor in this area simply would not be the same.

Formed in 1987 by Ellen Hall and Richard Handley — with Patagonia owner Yvon Chouinard contributing substantial funds to the couple’s brainchild — Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s motto is “Protecting your views, trails, water and wildlife.” The organization now cares for approximately 2,000 acres in the Ojai Valley, more than Ventura County or the City of Ojai. More than any other group, in fact, in the area, other than the U.S. Forest Service. Preserves protected by the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy include the Ventura River Preserve off of Rice Road, the Meadows Preserve adjacent to Nordhoff High School, the San Antonio Creek Preserve and the Ventura River Steelhead Preserve by Foster Park.

According to OVLC director of marketing, Darcy Gamble, the Steelhead Preserve is touted as the best habitat for the endangered fish, as it offers deep perennial pools when the Ventura River dries up seasonally. The roughly 60-acre parcel of land is also home to nearly 30 other endangered or threatened local species of birds, frogs, fish and plants. Indeed, Gamble ventures that most do not know how rich and diverse an ecosystem lies in the Ventura River.

The organization has worked hard to establish itself as a credible and reliable presence in the valley. OVLC obtains funds through mitigation; for example, if CalTrans needs to build a bridge over the Ventura River, but also mitigate the environmental impact of construction and traffic. Funds also come in through donations from inspired nature preserve frequenters; and for each dollar obtained from private donation, OVLC’s team of grant-writers secures an additional $10.

Those dollars get put toward land acquisition, restoration and maintenance. One example of a success story for the group is the Meadows Preserve, which was purchased, at no small cost, as a denuded, abandoned field. It has since been rehabilitated to a fully established wetland. The bird population alone has jumped from 66 species to more than double that amount.

Last summer, OVLC acquired the historic Hollingsworth Ranch, which includes one mile of property along the Ventura River and the Hollingsworth House —which OVLC hopes to designate as an official state historic landmark and utilize as a conservation and cultural education center. Future plans also include protecting an additional 2,020 acres by the year 2020.

OVLC will be celebrating the past 25 years Sept, 8, from 3:30 to 8 p.m. at the Meadows Preserve. The birthday party is open to the public, and will feature a reading of Dr. Suess’ “The Lorax,” live music and dancing.

“We hope to raise awareness, and celebrate,” says Gamble. “More than anything, though, we want to honor the people who, over the last 25 years, have made all of this possible. We have accomplished so much!”

Attendees are welcome to bring their own food, though a barbeque will also be available for $25. Visit www.ovlc.org for more information.

Friday, August 17, 2012
By Misty Volaski

Until February, Jake Larkin was an average 5-year-old. But one day, his dad, Bob, and sister, Catie Jo, noticed there was something wrong with the youngest member of the family. “Bob called Kimberly (Jake’s mom) and said that he’s got no energy and he’s covered in bruises,” recalls grandmother and Ojai resident Sheila Cluff. “They decided to take him in to the doctor.”

A short time later, the family received the frightening, life-altering diagnosis: Jake had severe aplastic anemia. According to the family’s website www.matchjake.org, “For reasons currently unknown, Jake’s bone marrow has stopped working — which means that it is not producing red or white blood cells or platelets.”

Treatment had to begin immediately, and the family moved from their Northern California home to Milwaukee so Jake could be close to doctors specializing in his condition.

Now 6, Jake “has about six drugs he has to take, and goes in for four to nine hours for a blood transfusion,” said Cluff. “Once he gets his blood transfusion, he acts like a normal 6-year-old. He said to me the other day, ‘Grandma, I have to go in for a tank of fuel!’”

But the boy’s immune system is greatly compromised by his condition; serious infections are a constant threat, so he must wear a mask anytime he goes outdoors.

And, as time goes by, “there’s a diminishing return” on his treatments, Cluff said. “From what I understand, if we don’t get a match by Sept. 15,  then there are some not-so-good options” to keep Jake alive.

The best option? To find a bone marrow donor for Jake before the Sept. 15 deadline. The Larkin and Cluff families have set up two testing dates: Aug. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Oxnard’s Channel Islands Ice Center (where Cluff ice skates), 830 Wagon Wheel Road. The other testing will be Aug. 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ojai’s Rainbow Bridge, 211 E. Matilija St. Donations can also be made at either testing day.

Any healthy individual between 18 and 60 can take the test, which is quick and painless, says Jill Kendall-Erb, Be the Match program director for City of Hope. “They will then be given a swab kit which consists of four mouth sways (which look like long Q-tips),” Kendall-Erd said. “The donor gently swirls each swab in his or her mouth to collect a cell sample which will later be tested and added to Be the Match Registry.”

If a match is found for anyone on the international registry — not just Jake — they’ll be asked to take a blood test and physical exam. If there’s a match, according to Kendall-Erb, the marrow can be withdrawn from the back of the donor’s pelvic bone through special hollow needles. This is the preferred procedure, although it does usually require general anesthesia and a few days to recuperate. The other way is through peripheral blood cell donation, which does not require anesthesia.

Although there is some risk for anyone undergoing general anesthesia, Kendall-Erb emphasizes that over 98.5 percent of donors “feel completely recovered within a few weeks.” All costs for the donor are covered by the Be the Match Registry.

“Finding bone marrow matches is like finding a needle in a haystack,” sighed Cluff. “But he’s been such a soldier through all of this.”

For the founder of The Oaks at Ojai — who has dedicated her life to fitness and good health — her grandson’s condition is particularly difficult to swallow. It is “very frustrating. You go back to the history of our families, and there’s no genetic background. The whole family is vegetarians, and this little guy was very active — it’s not a questions of poor nutrition or poor health. There’s no explanation.”

Log on to www.MatchJake.org for more information and to follow Jake’s progress.

Thursday, August 16, 2012
By Hanna Day

Mail is strange, and if anyone should know that, it would be Liz Macdonald.

A clerk at the Oak View Post Office. Macdonald has worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 30 years as of June 14.

“You wonder why people don’t pick up their bills or mail, why some people have had boxes for 50 years and why some people just come and go, she said.”

She began working for the Postal Service when she was a single mom with two boys. “I knew I had to make good money,” she said. She said she started as a letter carrier and then moved to a part-time job once she married. She currently works as a clerk, and is responsible for delivering mail to the post office boxes, the carriers and for helping customers at the window.

Although she lives in Oxnard with her husband, Greg, a UPS-employee, she likes working in Oak View. She said she enjoys the friendly atmosphere of the small Oak View Post Office, where she has worked for 15 years. “Everyone here is part-time,” she explained. “None of us are stuck doing one job, and it’s nice because you’re not stuck in one place all day.”

She has four children.

For a short time, she attended Ventura College, but left to work at the post office. “I regret not going back to school,” she said. If she were to attend college again, she would like to study psychology and possibly go into teaching or tutoring after she retires.

Macdonald loves watching and listening to people who pass through the post office. “I love my customers,” she said. “I love hearing their stories, and I get to meet so many interesting people. Movie stars, writers and foreigners also come in. I love talking to them.”

Some of her more interesting stories come from interaction with local customers. “Once I was watching American Idol and I saw a customer on the show! He was a voice coach,” Macdonald said. “I told myself, ‘oh my god, wait ’til I see him!’” Customers also like to interact with the clerks. “Customers bring us stuff and remember us,” she said. Some bring in thank you gifts, or bring excess produce from their gardens or share pictures of their newborns.

Over the years, she has noticed changes to the workplace. “Post offices used to be more individualized,” she said, “but policy changed to make them all the same.”

Technology, while facilitating the organization process of incoming mail, also creates generation gaps. “I used to work with the old-timers here. They are a whole different generation, and are from a whole different world. The younger generation doesn’t know how to mail letters or packages, mostly because everything is online now.”

Macdonald finds her work rewarding. “I could have retired in June, but I’m not ready to leave. I need something to help transition. This was a good place for me,” she said. “I feel like I was so meant to be here.”

Thursday, August 16, 2012
By Tiobe Barron

The Ojai Valley moved closer to being a slightly more expensive place to spend the night Tuesday after the Ojai City Council voted to approve the Tourism Business Improvement District’s (TBID) management district plan.

The TBID would add a 1 percent tax to the per-night charge for all temporary lodging in the Ojai Valley. Money collected from guests would be used to promote Ojai as a tourism destination through the Ojai Visitor’s Bureau.

A majority of lodging owners in the city and unincorporated areas of the valley voted in favor of participating. Of the businesses in the unincorporated areas, over 73 percent approved the measure, while 89.9 percent of the businesses within city limits approved.

The approval vote was weighted based on how much Transient Occupancy Tax each business pays.

Not everyone involved was 100 percent satisfied, however.

“I would like to see all the effected businesses, including non-profits, have an equal vote, especially if we pay as all the others,” said Ulrich Brugger, founder of the Ojai Retreat. He said he was in support of the TBID, but added, “I ask Council to do this in a fair way.”

Brugger also urged Council to consolidate the two Ojai tourism offices into one that is run full-time by a professional.

Councilwoman Carlon Strobel clarified that the existing visitor’s center at the Ojai Museum is precisely that, while the Ojai Visitor’s Bureau is geared toward advertising and promoting Ojai as a tourist destination. The two entities have separate and distinct purviews.

At the same meeting, Seafresh owner Gus Garcia spoke during public communications to plead with Council to waive the additional $1,800 to $2,000 in fees for changes made to the newly-remodeled restaurant’s lighting, sign and landscaping, which deviates from the original city-approved plan.

“It seems you have the authority to say that this is fine the way it is,” Mayor Pro Tem Paul Blatz told Ojai City Manager Rob Clark. “This feels like it’s a lot to do about nothing. It really shouldn’t cost him more as far as I can see.”

Strobel agreed that she would like to see the matter dealt with “as quickly and painlessly as possible.”

There has been nothing quick or painless, however, in the city’s dealings with the dissolution of the Redevelopment Agency. Just as Ojai Finance Director Susie Mears and the Council had finished the Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule to submit to Sacramento, state legislators passed AB-1334. The bill requires the city to revise the reports.

“It is ridiculous that the state of California has put us in this position,” said Councilwoman Sue Horgan. “I mean, how much time and money has already gone into this?”

The meeting ended on a lighter note via staff and council reports. Public works director Greg Grant announced that the neon-yellow pedestrian crossing signs the city installed on Ojai Avenue will soon be removed becasue there have been so many complaints from community members.

Mayor Betsy Clapp also shared that she recently attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the public bathrooms at the Ojai Skate Park. “People are relieved,” said Clapp.

The next Ojai City Council meeting is scheduled for Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. At that time, the Parks and Recreation Commission will also give a presentation to the Council. Visit www.ci.ojai.ca.us for more information.

Thursday, August 16, 2012
By Monica Lara

Thursday, August 16, 2012
By Angelique LaCour

Ojai is positioned to qualify as the fifth city in the world to be designated an International Dark-Sky community by the International Dark-Sky Association.

Wednesday, the Planning Commission adopted a resolution recommending the Ojai City Council adopt the Exterior Lighting Standards Ordinance that establishes a set of standards for outdoor lighting in Ojai.

Five years ago, when county resident Gail Topping and husband, George Berg, visited Tucson, they were surprised to discover that such a sprawling city had a high degree of dark-sky visibility. They discovered that this was no accident; it was the result of the community’s commitment to reducing unnecessary lighting and insuring that exterior lights were shielded to prevent glare.

Topping was inspired by what she saw in Tucson, and, along with Deborah Pendrey, executive director of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition, began working with Ojai’s community development director, Rob Mullane, to create the new exterior lighting ordinance.

“Light is a myth,” said Berg. “We’ve lit up cities all across America for no good reason.”

According to Berg, most people think that more light is better and safer. But research doesn’t bear that out.

In the United Kingdom, he said research has shown that excessive exterior lighting does not reduce crime. Bright, unshielded light can create shadows where criminals can hide and potential victims are blinded by the glare.

Ojai’s proposed ordinance is designed to encourage voluntary compliance for a year, and will be enforced through building permit requirements for both residential and commercial properties, or in response to nuisance complaints.

At the end of the year, compliance effectiveness will be assessed, and changes made where necessary to give the city “a mechanism for enforcing existing lighting that is obtrusive.”

Only those projects requiring a building permit and that will cost more than 25 percent of the property value (based on tax assessment) must comply with the new exterior lighting ordinance. Even interior improvements would force compliance with the exterior lighting requirements if the project goes above the 25 percent threshold.

In answer to Planning Commissioner Troy Becker’s question, “is this a dark-sky or lighting ordinance?” Pendrey replied that those are “two sides of the same coin.”

“Quality of life is much better when you don’t have glare in your eyes. Dim lighting can be adequate and helps your night vision,” said Rachel Pratt during the public hearing.

Becker commended Mullane, Topping and Pendrey for their hard work drafting the ordinance.

“This was an exemplary effort and a great example of public collaboration to bring us to this point tonight,” Becker said.

Also speaking in favor of the resolution were Stuart Niebel, Scott Eicher, Pat McPherson and John Broesamle.

“I was hiking this morning before sunrise and looking down on the city I thought about how much this ordinance is going to mean for all of us,” said Broesamle.

The Commission approved the resolution unanimously.

The OVGC will spearhead education and community outreach by encouraging businesses to serve as role models by shielding exterior lights to reduce sky-brightening glare.

“We would like the city not to glow after 10 p.m.,” Topping said. “Starr Market and the Chevron station are good examples of businesses that make an effort to reduce unnecessary night lighting.”

Starr Market extinguishes all of its exterior lights when the store closes at 9 p.m. When Chevron station owner Paul Robie renovated the property several years ago, he hired a company to design an efficient and unobtrusive exterior lighting plan.

OVGC recently held a showing of the film, “The City Dark” and followed it with a presentation to discuss how Ojai could become a designated Dark-Sky community.

A suggestion was made that neighborhoods “adopt a street light” and change it to a shielded light for a total cost of $180.

Topping is committed to seeing Ojai join Flagstaff, Ariz., Borrego Springs, Calif. and Homer Glen, Ill. as the fourth American Dark-Sky city along with Isle of Sark on the English Channel.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

With the November elections quickly approaching, Ojai Mayor Betsy Clapp has filed for re-election to the City Council, along with challengers Bob Daddi and Severo Lara. Former Councilwoman and mayor Sue Hogan has decided to end her political career.

• 26th U.S. Congressional District:

Tony Strickland and Julia Brownley

• 37th District, State Assembly:

Das Williams and Rob Walter

• Ventura County Supervisor, First District:

Bob Roper and Steve Bennett

•  Ojai Unified School District board:

Bill Ansell, Thayne Whipple, Linda Taylor and Kevin Ruf

• Ojai City Council:

Bob Daddi, Betsy Clapp and Severo Lara

• Ojai City Clerk:

Rhonda Basore

• Ojai City Treasurer:

Alan Rains

• Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Council, Division 4:

Todd Wilson

• Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Council, Division 6:

Tom Kennedy

• Ojai Valley Sanitary District, Division 1:

William Stone and George Galgas

• Ojai Valley Sanitary District, Division 3:

Pete Kaiser and Jeff Ketelsen

• Ojai Valley Sanitary District, Division 5:

Russ Baggerly

• Ojai Valley Sanitary District, Division 7:

William Murphy

• Meiners Oaks Water District:Norman E. Davis, Dale Carnathan, Neil Friedrichsen and Larry Harrold

• Casitas Municipal Water District, Division 2:

David Norrdin and Jim Word

• Casitas Municipal Water District, Division 3:

Pete Kaiser and Jeff Ketelsen

• Casitas Municipal Water District, Division 5:

Russ Baggerly, Jerry Conrow and Troy Becker

Tuesday, August 14, 2012|
By Tiobe Barron

There appears to be a failure to communicate between the Ojai Parks and Recreation Commission, the Ojai Recreation Department, the Ojai City Council and the community they serve.

“We don’t feel like the Recreation Department is reaching out to the community at all,” said Sandra Wooff, an Ojai resident for more than 60 years. “I only know two people here: Jayden and Sophocles. Why is that?”

That was just one comment heard by members of the Commission and Recreation Department employees, when they met Thursday to prepare for a one-hour joint meeting with the Ojai City Council.

Recreation Department director Dale Somersille, recreation supervisor Sophocles Cotsis, recreation specialist Vicki Hollingsworth, Commission chair Randy Haney, vice chair Severo Lara and commissioners Duane Basore, Sage Intner and Sunday Rylander attended the “informal” meeting at Sarzotti Park.

Also there were former recreation supervisor Jayden Morrison and three Ojai residents, including Woof.

The purpose of the meeting was to agree on what information to present to the Council and how best to do so in the 60 minutes allotted for the upcoming joint meeting.

City staff and commissioners hoped to clarify the duties and responsibilities of the Recreation Department staff; explain the use of staff hours and funds, list  improvements they would like to see in recreation programs and facilities, inquire about the transfer of park maintenance costs to the Public Works Department, discuss the addition of outdoor basketball courts and evaluate the return of a teen program that would open the game room after school for kids.

Somersille voiced concerns that staffing the teen program would be a budget issue. Haney asked how this had been run in the past.

“I’ve had five of my kids go through this program. Everything was free. There was one staff person in the office,” Wooff, explained.

“We had 100 kids every Friday,” offered Morrison. “I did it for 13 years. It was an extremely successful program. There’s nothing happening here now.”

Basore had a different take.

“Why talk about how things used to be back in the day? Who the heck cares,” Basore asked.

Lara and Rylander countered that local taxpayers may disagree, and would most likely be very interested in the program, even if it operated one day a week to start.

“Okay, I think it’s a heck of an idea, but do we broach it with Council?” wondered Basore. “If we could leave Council out of it as much as possible, that would be a good thing.”

Hollingsworth said she would simply like more time to spend one-on-one with participants in her gymnastics program, something she sees as a way to improve the program itself quickly and simply.

Cotsis bemoaned the 5-percent pay cut the independent contractors all recently took, and referred vaguely to new sports programs that compete with the Recreation Department for youth during the summer.

Morrison, who runs flag football and other youth sports programs out of his Wrec Room restaurant, lamented the current state of the Recreation Department’s basketball program until Haney reminded him that the purpose of the meeting was not to discuss specifics about the basketball program, but to decide what will be conveyed to Council.

At that point, Morrison left the meeting.

The joint meeting between Ojai City Council and the Recreation Commission is slated for Aug. 28.

Visit the City’s website at www.ci.ojai.ca.us for more information.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012
By Lenny Roberts

The California Highway Patrol reported Tuesday the death of longtime Ojai resident Ronnie Gene Hagar following a single-vehicle motorcycle accident on Interstate 5 in Santa Clarita. According to the report, at approximately 4:25 p.m. Monday, Hagar, 59, was riding his 1992 Harley Davidson northbound on the freeway in the No. 4 lane approaching Vista Del Lago Road at an unknown rate of speed when an article of clothing, which had been secured to his motorcycle’s sissy bar, became dislodged and got hung up in the rear spoke.

Hagar lost control and struck the concrete “K” rail adjacent to the right lane.  He was ejected onto the right shoulder and subsequently transported by a Los Angeles County Fire Department airship to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital. Hagar was pronounced dead at 5:25 p.m.

The collision remains under investigation, according to the CHP office in Newhall.

According to buildzoom.com, Hagar, a licensed landscaping contractor since November 1978, owned and operated Ronnie Hagar Landscaping.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012
By Hanna Day

Shedding light on the night sky is what Ernest Underhay does. When it comes to explaining the origins of meteors, he strives to be enlightening.

He brought he skills to Lake Casitas Saturday to help a crowd of stargazers understand why they were seeing what they were seeing during the Perseid meteor shower.

“The comet is basically a dirty snowball,” said Underhay, “and the Earth acts as a street-sweeper” when annually it enters the comet’s debris field. A NASA-accredited astronomer, Underhay, lives in the Ojai area. He has conducted free, public, astronomy programs at Lake Casitas for several years. The Perseid Meteor Shower, which peaked Saturday night, influenced his latest lecture.

Underhay likes to make his lectures fun and informative, sometimes by dropping jokes or by explaining the history behind the astronomy. “Earth is about two-thirds away from the galactic center. You could say we’re in the affordable-housing section of the Milky Way,” he said during his latest lecture.

Underhay pointed out several celestial objects, including planets and double stars, and gave a tour of the constellations visible at the time of the lecture. After his talk is over, people line up to view celestial objects in Underhay’s high-powered telescope and to ask him questions about astronomy.

Underhay said he enjoys lecturing at Lake Casitas due to the ideal viewing conditions. “Lake Casitas has wonderful dark skies,” he noted.

Both Underhay and his manager/wife, Kelly, a former opera singer, were excited and surprised by the turnout Saturday night. “Tonight we had the best crowd ever,” said Underhay. “We’ve never had so many people show up before. It was very successful!”

Before moving to Ojai, Underhay lived and worked in Santa Barbara as an astronomy teacher at Santa Barbara City College, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, where he worked for 20 years. Outside of teaching, he has covered events such as the Mars rover landings and co-authored the book “Crystals in the Sky,” which is about Chumash astronomy. “I also do astronomy programs in El Capitan Canyon Resort, which is near Santa Barbara,” continued Underhay. He also offers his services to private groups.

The next astronomy lesson will be held Sept. 1 at 8:30 p.m. at Lake Casitas.

For more information, call Lake Casitas Recreation Area at 649-2233, Ext. 103, or visit www.casitaswater.org to view the schedule.

Those interested in learning more about Underhay’s other activities may contact him at 300-9931.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012
By Angelique LaCour

Felton and Ojai have more in common than just being California cities. Both expressed considerable opposition to the way their for-profit water companies operated.

Ojai’s Friends of Locally Owned Water (Ojai F.L.O.W.) hopes that ousting that company in favor of a different operator will also be something it has in common with its counterpart in Santa Cruz County.

Four years ago, when California American Water (CalAm) agreed to sell its Felton water subsidiary to the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, CalAm spokesman Kevin Tilden warned that the sale was made under unique circumstances, and should not be considered precedent-setting.

“Felton’s an anomaly. I don’t think many people in the country would be willing to assess themselves a 30-year charge to buy their water system,” Tilden said.

But that is precisely what many of Golden State Water Company’s (GSWC) Ojai customers hope to do following an election in the spring of 2013 to approve a bond appropriation that would enable Casitas Municipal Water District to purchase GSWC.

Ojai FLOW, spearhead of the purchase movement, modeled its effort after Felton FLOW’s efforts that led to the purchase of CalAm in 2008.

Last year, CalAm customers in the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District also began exploring the feasibility of purchasing the water company there.

Jim Graham serves as Felton FLOW’s volunteer spokesperson. He has visited Ojai to share his group’s experience during the eminent domain acquisition process.

The Felton bond election took place three years after Felton’s FLOW was organized because of complaints about CalAm rate increases, rubber-stamp approvals by the California Public Utilities Commission and poor service.

According to Graham, SLVWD began preparing for the eminent domain takeover after 73.8 percent of Felton voters approved the revenue bond to fund the purchase in 2005.

In 2002, CalAm’s response to Felton FLOW had been the same as GSWC’s is today to Ojai FLOW: “We’re not for sale.”

Another three years passed while SLVWD’s legal team collected evidence to prepare for the eminent domain takeover trial.

CalAm decided to negotiate a settlement with SLVWD two days before the trial was to begin.

It took three days, but the two companies reached agreement on June 2, 2008.

“The minute we took over the system, our water rates were cut in half,” Graham said. “And that includes paying the annual property tax.”

SLVWD has issued rate increases in the years since acquiring CalAm, but Felton customers now have a voice when a rate increase is proposed by the public company.

Rate regulation and rate-payer representation are two big issues of contention by GSWC customers throughout the state.

All rate hikes proposed by private companies like CalAm and GSWC have to be approved by the CPUC after undergoing scrutiny by the Division of Rate Payer Advocates who then issue an analysis report to the PUC.

Unlike an elected board of directors tasked with regulating public company rates, private, for-profit companies are regulated by the CPUC, whose members are appointed by the governor.

“Felton once challenged a CalAm three-year, 78 percent rate hike that had been approved by the PUC,” Graham said. “But it cost Santa Cruz county $127,000 in legal fees to launch the challenge.”

The county succeeded only in getting the rate increase reduced to 44 percent.

But Felton customers learned that the cost of future PUC challenges was prohibitive. This was a major motivating factor in their decision to organize FLOW and pursue purchasing CalAm, he noted.

“If FLOW hadn’t organized, we would still be under CalAm,” said Felton FLOW activist Barbara Sprenger. “It’s just too important for individuals and small communities to be able to control their water destiny, and protect the watershed for the good of people who live here.”

Ojai FLOW delivered a petition to CMWD in the spring of last year requesting that they begin the process to purchase GSWC and manage the new Ojai water service district.

On July 18, CMWD’s board of directors approved a proposal from David Taussig & Associates and green-lighted a feasibility study to determine all costs associated with the GSWC purchase and determine a bond amount.

Two-thirds of voters in the proposed new Ojai district must approve the bond in the spring election for the purchase to go forward.

In Los Angeles County, Claremont’s GSWC customers, frustrated with paying higher rates than their neighboring communities, and having little recourse with the PUC, formed Claremonters Against Outrageous Water Rates in January.

The group is monitoring events in Ojai to help decide its next move.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012
By Monica Lara

The visionary behind a project proposed for Meiners Oaks  hopes it will become the model for similar projects throughout the world. But first, he has to buy the land and maneuver through the government beauracracy.

The pentaBEYOND building project is expected to include housing for people with disabilities, job training facilities and numerous services available to the public, according to project organizer David Griffin. Funded by private investors, it is the first part of a larger endeavor he hopes to expand into other countries.

The facility is slated for two lots totaling 5.5 acres, at 260 and 203 E. El Roblar Drive.

The 260 E. El Roblar Drive location is 3.53 acres and is in escrow, according to Andro Kotula, a realtor from Ask Now Investment Inc. Kotula is working with Griffin to purchase the two parcels.

Griffin has made an offer for the 1.93-acre, 203 E. El Roblar lot and is reportedly in negotiations for the purchase. The land is owned by Boligraphic Corporation of Ojai.

“We are getting closer,” Kotula said. “I feel favorable about it.”

Griffin, of Westwood, selected the Ojai Valley for the pentaBEYOND prototype because of its culture and his desire to become an Ojai resident.

“Ojai Valley is a religious and spiritual place,” Griffin said. “I think it is such a good area for which the project could build up and develop completely.”

Organizers hope to break ground in 18 months, according Griffin.

“I think if it is going to help the community, especially in hurting times, it has great potential to help a lot of people in Meiners Oaks and throughout Ventura County,” said Jon Furness, owner of Coffee Connection which is near the proposed project.

Seeking development approvals from various governmental departments would be next in the process for pentaBEYOND, according to Kotula.

The pentaBEYOND community prototype is the first of five community facilities expected to be built in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Additional locations in the U.S. are slated for Oregon and Washington. Each facility will be designed to benefit its community.

In the Ojai Valley, the facilities will have an emphasis on benefiting people with disabilities, hungry and homeless and battered women. Plans include affordable apartments, a rehabilitation complex and public services such as laundry, pharmacy and kitchen.

Throughout the planning and construction process, Griffin hopes to incorporate members of the community to help develop the facility and create jobs.

“Not only will it benefit through its programs by assisting people with disabilities, senior citizens, battered women and the homeless and hungry, the project will create a number of jobs,” Griffin said.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Shelters and rescue groups throughout Ventura County have seen a significant increase in the number of Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes in the past few years. These breeds now make up about a third of the dog population living in Ventura County shelters.

The Humane Society of Ventura County in Ojai reports approximately 36 percent of the dogs sheltered by them are Chihuahuas or mixed breed Chihuahuas. Although most make good pets, there are too many more of them and too few available homes, say shelter officials.

In an effort to reduce overpopulation, the HSVC is offering free spay and neuter services of full-bred and mixed-breed Chihuahuas. For a limited time, any Chihuahua or mixed-breed Chihuahua weighing 5 to 15 pounds qualifies for the free service. Surgeries are performed by appointment only

The Humane Society has long held a vision to reduce the number homeless animals in the community. It operates a low-cost spay and neuter clinic for cats and dogs which was recently renovated and expanded.

The Humane Society board of directors recently voted to celebrate the opening of the new clinic by offering free spay and neuter services to Chihuahuas and mixed breed Chihuahuas.

Low-cost spay and neuter services are offered to the public, and a limited number of vouchers are available to families in need of spay or neuter services for other breeds as well.

The Humane Society advocates spaying or neutering all dogs and cats, regardless of breed. Pets can be altered as early as 4 months and those who are spayed or neutered before they reach maturity are typically healthier and live an average of two to three years longer than unsterilized pets, according to HSVC officials.

Whether intentional or accidental breeding occurs, each new pet created contributes to the overall pet overpopulation in Ventura County. Every new dog or cat born has the potential to create hundreds, or even thousands, more pets during their lifetime if their offspring are not altered.

Thousands of homeless pets find their way to Ventura County shelters every year through no fault of their own. Though no-kill shelters and rescue organizations find homes for some, there are many more homeless pets than homes available. The reality is that the majority of these animals will be euthanized to make room for the endless stream of pets who become homeless every day.

To make a spay or neuter appointment, call 656-5043 or 646-7849. For Shetler and adoption information, call 646-6505 or 656-5031.

Thursday, August 9, 2012
By Misty Volaski

Big changes are on the horizon for horse owners in the Ojai Valley.
New mandates from the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board may soon require area horse properties to reduce the amount of horse waste on their property by 99 percent.
This would apply to all in the Ventura River Watershed — basically, all of the Ojai Valley — and would be implemented within the next 10 years.
“Quite frankly, that’s going to be very, very difficult,” said Marty Melvin, executive officer of the Ventura County Resource Conservation District. “It means you somehow will have to remove 99 percent of the urine and manure from your property so that it doesn’t get into the watershed … The question is, how? It’s not like you can have a urinal for the horses.”
Along with representatives from Melvin’s organization, a group of horse owners is meeting next Wednesday to discuss the proposed targets and the financial repercussions they could have. The public is encouraged to attend.
“The onus is on the equestrian community to respond now,” Melvin said. “Once these things (regulations) are in place, it’s really hard to undo them … this could be really expensive.”
According to Ohio State University, a 1,000-pound horse will excrete approximately 51 pounds of manure and a little over 6 gallons of urine per day. For a ranch with 10 horses, that could be in the neighborhood of 186,000 lbs. of manure each year.
LARWQCB is concerned that animal wastes are introducing excess amounts of nutrients into the watershed, which causes excessive amounts of algae. The algae is consumed by bacteria that create large fluctuations in oxygen levels in the River. That translates into a less-than-ideal habitat for wildlife — including endangered species such as the steelhead trout.
Melvin says that although the mandate wouldn’t immediately take effect, there is a limited time in which horse owners can voice their concerns to the LARWQCB. The deadline to send in letters, he said, is Sept. 4; the board will hold a public hearing one month later, on Oct. 4.
“We’re a non-regulatory agency, a conservation district,” explained Melvin of the VCRCD’s role. “We’re designed to be the bridge between (horse) owners and regulators. So we’re really encouraging people to get involved ahead of time. This (regulation) could be hugely problematic.”
He went on to explain that proposed nutrient reductions for organizations like the Ojai Valley Sanitary District (which runs a treatment plant on the river south of Casitas Springs) are significantly lower than the reductions that may be implemented for horse and livestock ranches. Further, he added, the preliminary total maximum daily loads for the nutrients are about one-tenth of the current limit for drinking water. “I’m not a scientist … but I think, for the general public, those targets they’re suggesting seem to be wholly unworkable.”
Possible ways to decrease the amount of manure and urine that gets into the watershed could include use of a biodigester, a machine that essentially breaks down horse waste into liquid fertilizer and energy. But these are expensive; further, they have drawbacks of their own.
Other options would involve laying down hay or other materials in horse stalls and in pastures to soak up the waste. There again, Melvin said, the issue is the cost; hay keeps getting more pricey. “In Las Posas Valley in the east county,” Melvin said, “very few boarding facilities are even making money this year … something like this could break a ranch, force it to go out of business … And think about how in Ojai, there are a number of (horse) sanctuaries, they’d basically be out of business too.”
Debbie Godfrey, a horse owner who is hosting the Wednesday meeting at her home in the Meiners Oaks riverbottom, said she’s worried about the ramifications of the regulations. “We need people to get involved and do something. Everybody’s gonna get screwed if we keep ignoring this.”
Melvin said in other areas, where TMDLs have already been implemented, groups of horse owners have organized and all pitch in to make sure they’re not violating  regulations and incurring fines. Godfrey said she’s been told that “the water board (LARWQCB) can fine you $13,000 if you’re not in compliance, and you have no recourse.”
Melvin acknowledged that “Much of the soil up there (in Ojai) is very permeable, so all of this urine is going down, down down, into the water table.” But, he said, it’s worth looking into alternative ways to protect the watershed. He suggested people go online and start doing their own research, citingwww.livestockandland.org and www.vcrcd.org as good places to start.
“What we’re trying to do is energize the equestrian community, get them engaged, so they can come in and hopefully have an impact on the final document,” Melvin said.
Local horse owners are invited to the informational meeting at Godfrey’s home, 795 Oso Road, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Email her at debbie@ojaionhorseback.com for more information.

Thursday, August 9, 2012
By Tiobe Barron

Plans for the formation of a new Ojai Tourism Business Improvement District are proceeding on schedule after Tuesday’s Ventura County Board of Supervisors 4 to 1 vote approving the new hotel tax for the unincorporated areas of the Ojai Valley.

“Tourism is very important to the economy of the Ojai Valley,” said Supervisor Steve Bennett. “We think it’s important to view the Valley holistically, as opposed to considering Ojai separate from the rest of the Valley.”

Supervisor Steve Bennett said although the county will receive no money from the tax, he believes the whole county stands to gain from an influx of tourists and the money they spend in the area.

Supervisor Peter Foy was the dissenting vote.

The TBID was proposed to the Ojai City Council last year as a way to fund the Ojai Visitor’s Bureau, which the city had agreed to fund until the end of December 2012. The OVB is largely responsible for marketing Ojai as a tourist destination. The money gained through the 1 percent hotel tax will be put toward those marketing efforts.

The next step in this process will be a vote by the businesses that will be charging the tax, namely the hotels, inns and bead and breakfasts in the Ojai Valley. Votes will be weighted according to how much Transit Occupancy Tax each establishment pays, so the Ojai Valley Inn’s vote will count for more than that of the Oakridge Inn in Oak View, for example.

As of Aug. 9, the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce had signed petitions from three hotels in the unincorporated area that comprise the majority of assessment to be collected: Blue Iguana Inn, Ojai Retreat and the Oakridge Inn.

The Chamber also has signed petitions from the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, The Oaks at Ojai, Casa Ojai Inn, Su Nido Inn and Emerald Iguana Inn. Chamber Director Scott Eicher said he expects to receive a petition from the Ojai Rancho Inn today. This represents a majority of the assessment to be collected within the city limits,” said Eicher. “The Chamber and the OVB are confident that it  will be successfully implemented.”

The Ojai City Council will vote on the resolution of intention to implement the TBID as of Nov. 1 at its next regular meeting Aug. 14. Following that, there will be a public hearing at the Sept. 25 Council meeting.

Visit www.ojaivisitors.com or the city’s website www.ci.ojai.ca.us for more information on the TBID.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012
By Monica Lara

Criminal proceedings for accused murderer Alex Medina, 17, will move forward after a jury unanimously ruled Tuesday he is competent to stand trial as an adult.
The criminal proceedings have been suspended since 2009 while the court addressed the issue of Medina’s mental competency raised by defense attorneys Scott Wippert and Robyn Bramson.
The competency ruling establishes that Medina is able to understand the court proceedings and can assist his counsel rationally during his criminal trial.
The jury deliberated for two hours before it reached its verdict in the nine-day trial.
“Obviously we don’t agree, but the important thing is all this is done,” Wippert said after court Tuesday. “We needed him to be competent, and now the case can start moving forward.”
Senior Deputy District Attorney Bill Haney said Tuesday he was not surprised by the ruling and looks forward to getting Medina in a criminal court.
“Our goal is to push this case as soon as possible,” Haney said after court concluded Tuesday.
The court plans to meet at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow to discuss issues pertaining to the criminal proceedings that had been tabled while competency was being determined, including a recusal motion and scheduling the preliminary hearing.
The recusal motion, raised by the defense, could disqualify the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office from prosecuting the case. U.S. Attorney General Richard Moskowitz would take over prosecution, if Superior Court Judge James Cloninger allows it. The motion risks causing further delays in the case.
“Your client has spent a long time in custody,” Cloninger said in court Tuesday. “Eighteen percent of his life he’s been locked up in juvenile hall on this matter. I’m not inclined to delay.”
Cloninger ruled for the preliminary hearing to be scheduled within 10 days of Wednesday. The hearing is a pre-criminal trial proceeding to determine whether there is sufficient evidence that Medina should stand trial for the charges against him.
Medina faces first-degree murder charges, a felony offense defined as unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought. Multiple additional felony offenses, or enhancements, could add to the length of his sentence, if convicted. The additional charges include use of a deadly weapon, committing of the crime for the benefit of a street gang and committing the crime while a participant in a street gang.
He could face a lifetime sentence in prison.
Medina is accused of stabbing and killing 16-year-old Seth Scarminach in April 2009. The stabbing took place during a party at the 2400 block of Maricopa Highway in Meiners Oaks. Scarminach was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident is believed to have been gang related, according to reports of the Ventura County SheriffÕs Office.
Medina was 14-years-old at the time of his arrest.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012
By Lisa Snider

Watch our In Depth interview with Lissie

When international rock star Lissie Maurus moved to Ojai more than three years ago, she came to mend a broken heart, seeking solace and sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. Now, she’s trying to help mend broken homes, rocked by the devastation of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Known in the music world simply as Lissie, the 29-year-old rocker will take a quick break from touring the Midwest and Northern Europe to hold a fundraising concert Aug. 17 at 6 p.m. at Libbey Bowl as a benefit for Changing Tides Orphanage in Haiti.

While shopping last summer, it was a chance meeting with Changing Tides board member Taffy Lowen at Lowen’s downtown clothing store, Julia Rose, which set the wheels in motion for Lissie.

“She told me about the orphanage and school, that they were making a really positive difference in the kids’ lives in Haiti. So I said I’d love to play a fundraiser for them!” says Lissie.

Lowen introduced Lissie to Vance Simms, and his wife, Cheryl, who opened the faith-based nonprofit organization last summer to serve orphaned and underprivileged Haitian children.

“I’d been looking for a while for a way to give back,” says Simms, a general contractor and 40-year Ojai resident.

A visit to Haiti after the earthquake served as a call to action for Simms, recalling vivid images of children walking around ravaged towns with “clothes rotting off their bodies. It’s something we couldn’t overlook.”

He says he bought a motorcycle, got an interpreter and soon found a facility in the town of Jacmel, three hours south of Port-au-Prince.

“The kids started to come,” says Simms.

Today, Changing Tides houses 15 children and hosts additional children who come for the day to go to school. Simms felt creating a school filled a significant need in Haiti.

“The government only sends 10 percent of kids to school. Parents have to pay for private school, so many don’t go,” says Simms.

The school’s cafeteria not only provides nutritious meals for the students, but also for poverty-stricken elderly in the local community. Simms also had a playground built, has a water truck deliver safe drinking water and provides rebuilt laptop computers from Ojai PC Pros.

In addition, Changing Tides is working to get scholarships to bring Haitian children to boarding schools in the United States. “Haiti needs educated people to come back and help their country.”

Simms and his wife have three children — two grown, and an 11-year-old still at home. Even though it means time away from his family, Simms makes a week-long pilgrimage to Haiti once every month. “It’s a sacrifice we were willing to make after seeing what was going on over there,” says Simms.

Simms usually tries to bring interested donors with him to have a “working vacation.” To get the playground built, for example, he brought students from The Thacher School to help.

Funds raised by the Aug. 17 concert will help pay for existing programs, with the hope that soon they can raise enough money to own their facility rather than rent.

“It’s really rewarding,” says Simms. “We’ve had kids come in that were days away from death. They’re all becoming brothers and sisters. It’s nice to see them grow.”

Though Simms had never heard of Lissie, he said his daughter and niece were quick to tell him about her music. Once he got a listen — her album “Catching a Tiger” was released in 2010 and earned critical praise from Rolling Stone, Spin and Paste — he was hooked. “Her music is appealing to any age group. She’s very, very entertaining.”

Along with Lissie’s performance, the concert will feature sets by George Stanford and Todd Hannigan. The Farmer and the Cook will have food for sale and the Lion’s Club will sell beer and wine. Changing Tides will have a booth to accept donations and provide information about the organization and working trips. An after-party event at The Deer Lodge will cap the evening.

“They’ve done a great job putting this concert together,” says Lissie, who goes into the studio soon after the Ojai concert to record her next album. “I hope people come out and support Changing Tides Orphanage!”

Visit www.changingtidesorphange.org for more information about the orphanage and www.libbeybowl.org to buy tickets to the event.

By Angelique LaCour
Thursday, August 2, 2012

The Ojai Planning Commission is drafting an ordinance that will establish standards designed to help residents, business owners and developers conform to exterior lighting standards with an eye towards enhancing the ability to see the night sky.

At the June 12 Ojai City Council meeting, Scott Kardel, public affairs director for the International Dark-Sky Association, said exterior lighting, particularly along streets and in public areas, is often wasteful and a liability to the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and even migratory birds.

Kardel recommended installing shielded fixtures that prevent excessive glare-creating shadows that cause pedestrians to literally “vanish” from view.

Bright, unshielded light is also harmful to migratory birds that are naturally drawn to the light, and often fly into and collide with light fixtures and “over-lit” plate glass windows and structures.

According to Kardel, $2.2 billion is wasted in U.S. cities on inadequate street and public area lighting.

The final draft is scheduled for presentation to the Planning Commission at its Aug. 15 meeting.

City manager Robert Clark said the city attorney has almost completed his review and the council is expected to vote on it in October or November.

Also in the works by the Planning Commission is the Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance that will put Ojai in compliance with a state mandate that grew out of passage of the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act in 2006.

Planning Commission chair, Kathleen Nolan, and local landscaper Tom Bostrom are among those drafting the ordinance.

“The committee is working on creating guidelines to make the whole process more user friendly,” Nolan said. “Mandated areas within the ordinance are not open to change while state recommendations within the mandate are only that — recommendations.”

Nolan’s committee is reviewing the state recommendations to determine how they may or may not apply to Ojai.

The California Constitution specifies that the right to use water is limited to the amount reasonably required for the beneficial use to be served, and that right does not extend to waste or unreasonable uses of water.

No date is set for final approval of this ordinance.

Photo by Christen Minnick/Brooks Institute
Thursday, August 2, 2012

Having just returned from his fourth deployment to Afghanistan, Army Sgt. Major Dan Stroud surprised his kids Scott (left), Garrett and Wyatt at Wednesday night’s Concert in the Park event. Scott is a member of the Ojai Band, which plays in Libbey Park’s gazebo each Wednesday evening through Aug. 15. Sgt. Major Stroud’s wife, Rebecca (second from left) — also an Army veteran — said, “It was hard to keep it a secret from the kids,”  who said they were “surprised” and “really happy” to see their dad. After big family hugs and a receiving a standing ovation from band members and the audience, the Strouds led the children’s balloon parade through the park.

By Tiobe Barron
Thursday, August 2, 2012

Location, location, location: the lack of an ideal site with ample parking may be all that stands in the way of a new outdoor market establishing itself in Ojai. Local artist Brianna Lamar proposed her idea of “Handcraft,” an artisans’ market, for conceptual review to the Ojai Planning Commission at its regular meeting Aug. 1.

Lamar proposed a weekly event, to be held Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., on the same site as the Ojai Farmers’ Market; but instead of promoting farmers, the emphasis would be on promoting young artists and artisans mostly from the Ojai area.

The idea met with less-than-enthusiastic responses from local merchants concerned that another event in that area would hurt their businesses even more.

Vendors would sell handcrafted, artisanal items, fine arts, jewelry, body care products and more. Space would also be available for events including workshops, educational talks, meditation circles and poetry reading.

“I’m pretty inspired about this project,” said Lamar at the Commission meeting. “It would be an opportunity for creative young people to strengthen that community that is currently under-represented and fragmented. This (artisans’ market) would actively seek to represent a new demographic of fresh talent.”

Despite Lamar’s intentions, for some local retailers the plan still encroaches too heavily into their turf — literally and figuratively.

“I am against the idea for several reasons. The last few years have been very difficult (for local businesses); it has been all we can do to just stay open. It frightens me to think of Saturdays taken up by another event, and blocking traffic to the Arcade,” said Jenny Nicklin, owner of the Arcade boutique Chameleon. “I feel like some days I would be happy to fold up and just have a trunk show out there once a week too, and not have to worry about rent and taxes and responsibilities and the city and all the stress that goes with trying to have a business in this town.”

“This is a really difficult issue for me to consider, because I have given four years of my life and basically my savings to open a store entirely, 100-percent dedicated to supporting artists and artisans of the Ojai Valley,” contributed Roberta Raye, owner of Made in Ojai. “I have been working really hard, and I don’t want to say that there isn’t enough to go around, because Ojai is a spiritual town, but this strikes fear into my bones. I am so torn! I want to see this happen, want this to be huge, but I am the one on the line! I would love to see this happen in the context of what’s already here.”

The major concern for most speakers was the issue of parking. Lamar had already scaled her proposal back, from 85 10-by-10 booths to 52, freeing a portion of the public parking lot on Aliso Street. The specter of scant downtown parking on Sundays during the Farmers’ Market was enough to gall retailers and commissioners alike.

“This is such a lovely, high-minded concept, but I think that a weekly market that takes up parking on the weekends is such an anathema to retailers,” said Meg Goodwin, owner of Nutmeg’s Ojai House. Goodwin further suggested that Lamar perhaps seek to meld her idea with the bi-monthly Peddlers’ Fair or Made in Ojai.

“This is a little challenging. I’m wondering what we can come up with, if there is a solution here,” mused Commission chair Kathy Nolan.

Commissioner Troy Becker said he heard more concerns than opposition with the proposal, and seemed optimistic that a solution could be had through communal brainstorming.

“I am all for promoting artists and artisans. I am self-employed, I know what it’s like,” said Commissioner Laurence Nicklin. He went on to say that the issues of parking and competition remain a real concern.

A subcommittee is being formed to work with Lamar and interested retailers to find an appropriate site and to refining the proposal.

According to Community Development Director Rob Mullane, at least a half dozen other sites exist as reasonable alternatives to the parking lot on Aliso. Mullane said it is too early to determine whether the artisans’ market is a viable project or when it may come to fruition.

Visit www.ci.ojai.ca.us for more information or to watch a video of this Planning Commission meeting.

By Maria Saint
Thursday, August 2, 2012

There is a 15-year-old in Ojai suffering from a bit of an identity crisis and hopes to straighten it out.

It’s not a case of teen angst, it’s probably just a case of mistaken identity.

The Ojai Playwrights Conference Summer New Works Festival is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year and OPC Board President Carl Thelander wants people to know this is not an event only for those in the entertainment industry.

“People in the community need to understand that it’s not an invitation-only workshop where a bunch of really well-known playwrights come together and meet in Ojai. … We generally get close to selling it out, but we’d really like to get a broader audience and for people to understand this is not a closed system; this is an open opportunity for people to come up for those afternoon and evening readings of the plays,” he said. “It’s really a wonderful opportunity for anybody that’s ever wanted to see a play. It’s a full-on reading of a play by very professional actors in a small, intimate setting. I hope more people in Ojai take advantage of it.”

For regular festival-attendee Dave Hackel, part of the fun for him is that the plays are works in progress so it’s a chance to peep behind the curtain.

“It takes the mystery out of it a little bit. … I’m getting to see some of these performances that might be the first time that they’ve ever been performed for the public. So, it sort of draws you in because you now feel a part of things,” he said. “Another thing is it’s an opportunity to see such great actors and great writers work in a much more relaxed setting — it’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s not formal. It’s your friends and neighbors, and some actors you might have seen somewhere, but so what? They’re just people doing good work.”

Hackel added that many of the festivals he’s attended include a discussion at the end with the director, writer and actors about how the audience felt about the performances.

“They invite this in – I won’t say audience participation, but they do a performance and then they’re anxious for your feedback,” he explained.

“Some of them are more than just readings, some are sort of chairs with music stands where their scripts are and they just read the play for you, and for others they’ll actually have a built set and put on a play, but even in some of those cases, the actors just got their lines an hour ago. … Personally, I like to see it a little rougher around the edges because I love watching the evolution of these performances. If I see something in Ojai and then I’m fortunate enough to see it on Broadway, I sort of like to be able to say, ‘Oh, I remember that. Oh, they changed that part – they took that out, they added this,’” he said.

Jim Exon and his wife, Kim, who helped with the formation of the OPC, have attended every festival. They won’t be able to attend this year, but Jim Exon encourages those who have yet to attend a festival to go.

“I can’t say enough about it. To be able to have that going on in our little town is truly amazing,” Exon said, adding that although the OPC has certainly grown in its 15 years, it has kept its core idea — “giving playwrights a place to try to do work and work them out, and giving Ojai a level of talent that you just cannot get anywhere else.”

Kathy Glassman has had the opportunity to see both sides of the festival since she and her husband have opened their home to visiting playwrights, dramatists and directors.

“We’re the ones who benefit because we’ve met such interesting people — to bring this caliber of artistic talent to the valley has really just enriched our lives and enriched our experience of the Ojai Playwrights Festival,” Glassman said, sharing that she will house Jack Cummings, the director of Terrence McNally’s new play, “And Away We Go.”

As for encouraging others to participate in the festival, Glassman points out one of the events, the “Milestones: A 15th Anniversary OPC Celebration.” It will take place at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 9 at Matilija Auditorium. The event will showcase the talents of female writers, playwrights and performers and will feature original pieces about birth, marriage, death, love and lost love. Glassman said the event will honor a resident who passed away this year, Lynn Taylor.

“She was a very active volunteer,” she said. “That’s certainly one of the ways the community is asked to participate, certainly to honor Lynn Taylor for her work all these years.”

Glassman adds that overall, the festival is a community event.

“Certainly the work that (OPC co-founder) Kim Maxwell does with students … and it’s so accessible, especially for people who don’t normally go to the theater to have the caliber of talent that we do in our own little valley makes it very special,” she said.

The festival will be from Wednesday through Aug. 12. Along with McNally, others attending the conference are Luis Alfaro, Robert Askins, Jennifer Haley, Matt Hoverman and Liza Powel O’Brien.

An all access festival pass, that includes admission to all nine festival events, is $190. Single tickets ranging from $10 to $25 are also available. For more information or to order, visit http://www.ojaiplays.org or call 640-0400.

By Monica Lara
Thursday, August 2, 2012

Making decisions that benefit the community is a major responsibility for city staff. According to Steve McClary, assistant to the city manager, however, more than half of the Ojai’s department managers do not live in the city.
McClary explained that the city can not legally require residency as a hiring qualification some are unsettled by those numbers.
“You have to have the most qualified person in those positions and what we do not want to do is limit the pool of applicants,” McClary said.
McClary has been involved in the hiring process for numerous employees including department managers and entry-level positions in the city. He lives in Ventura.
Carlon Strobel, council member, worked for the city for 20 years before serving as city clerk. She lived in Casitas Springs the first three years and moved to gain more knowlegde of the city’s goings on since her interest was in the City.
“I just think people who live and work in a community have more depth of understanding,” Strobel said.
“if you are only coming into Ojai between 8 to 5 how much do you really understand Ojai? I know everyone  says their city is unique, but Ojai really is unique. The thing that appeals the most to me is that residents are so vocal it hard if you’re not around to listen and hear their concerns.”
An Ojai resident for 20 years Len Klaif, 64, has been a previous city council candidate. He said he was not happy with those statistics because residents pay for the employees’ salaries and in the event of an emergency, nonresidents are not as easily accessible.
“It’s dopey that it is the way it is,” Klaif said. “If you live in Ojai you have more at stake.”
“The only solution is for more oversight from the council to give more preferential treatment to residents,” he said.
There are several benefits and setbacks to only hiring within Ojai, according to McClary.
“Residents know what’s going on and can do a better job because of local connections. On the other hand, this person could be a really good friend and now they’ve got a conflict of ideas,” McClary said.
City Manager Robert Clark is among those who live outside on the city. A resident of Mira Monte, Clark was appointed by the Ojai City Council from a statewide pool of applicants. Prior to relocating to the Ojai Valley, Clark lived and worked in Mammoth Lakes, a city comparable to Ojai in size. He was recruited for the job about a year and a half ago.
“I think the important thing is for people to be qualified and be able to work in a smaller community,” Clark said.
“If they are professional and doing their jobs well, it should not matter too much where you live,” McClary said.