ojai news at The Ojai Post :: blog, newspaper, events in Ojai, California

This is a photograph of my car, and a note that was left on it the other day. I'm intrigued by the sentiment, but immediately feel compelled to ask "Could i have been just as thankful when there were only 2,000 reasons? Was i thankful when there were but 400 reasons? Was i free before there were any reasons? it turns out that as of today, i now have 3,084 reasons to be thankful.

i read this in part as a classic conservative, pro-war position that i hear a lot: People DIED so you could protest, so be respectful and don't. OR: People died to protect your freedoms. How disrespectful of you to actually use them. To that, i have always enjoyed the response i'm using these freedoms that were fought so hard for, so that the sacrifices that preserve them be not in vain. (to really stir things up, try this one: shouldnt we be sinning so that Jesus had a reason for dying? if there were no sin, his death would have been in vain)

why do i paint my car like this?
as a simple news headline. since the beginning of this war the names and numbers of the slain have NOT been frontpage news, because nobody wants to think about the death and destruction going on in our names every single day. what would public opinion of the war have been like if we were all reading every day about how two or five or ten of our young people had died violent deaths? probably in the basement like it is now, only much sooner. perhaps this calls on our media to become engaged.

as a consciousness-builder. if numbers dont do it for ya ("way more people than this died in Vietnam" is one of my favorites), i hope the imagery is strong enough to connect some people to the field of dead bodies that war is leaving us. recognize please that this car-full of marks only represents American military personnel, and excludes Iraq military and Iraqi and American civilians.

as a memorial. in livingrooms all across America there is pain and sadness and loss radiating through families and out into communities, because these people are not coming home. honest to goodness i dont know what they're fighting for, but they're doing it in my name. i suspect that some of them were brave, that some of them were compassionate, that some of them thought they were making the best choice for their circumstances, and that all of them were scared shit-less at one point or another. i dont want to forget about them and what they've been asked to do.

there are other reasons, but those are the major ones. i keep every note i receive, and people generally like knowing that most of them are positive and supportive. i imagine we'll have some discussion here, but if you're out in the world and you see my car and you have something - ANYthing - to say...

...leave me a note. you never know where it'll end up. :)

Posted by evan austin at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)

U.S. EPA, partners kick off green building design challenge

Contest to reward reuse designs that save resources, costs

SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and partners are calling on the nation's architects, builders and others to participate in a competition seeking designs that facilitate reuse and minimize waste.

The “Lifecycle Building Challenge” - co-sponsored by the Building Materials Reuse Association, the American Institute of Architects and West Coast Green - invites professionals and students nationwide to submit designs and ideas by May 15 that support disassembly and anticipate the future use of building materials. Architects, reuse experts, engineers, builders, educators and environmental advocates are encouraged to apply for the web-based competition.

The challenge, open to built and un-built work, has three main categories:

* Building-an entire building from foundation to roof
* Component-a single building assembly, system, or connector
* Service-a tool, method, or other idea

Outstanding entries in each category will be recognized and publicized, and top student designs will receive cash awards. All winners will be honored at the West Coast Green Conference in San Francisco in September. For more information or to enter the competition, visit http://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/.

Posted by Raymond Powers at 05:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here is the Washington Post's Mensa Invitational which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are the recent winners:

1.. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.
2.. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.
3.. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
4.. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5.. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stop common sense from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
6.. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7.. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high
8.. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

More on the next page.

9.. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10.. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
11.. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
12.. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
13... Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you
14.. Glibido: All talk and no action.
15.. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
16.. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
17.. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
18.. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

And the winners are:
1.. coffee, n. the person upon whom one coughs.
2.. flabbergasted, adj. appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.
3.. abdicate, v. to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4.. esplanade, v. to attempt an explanation while drunk.
5.. willy-nilly, adj. impotent.
6... negligent, adj. absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.
7.. lymph, v.. to walk with a lisp.
8.. gargoyle, n. olive-flavored mouthwash.
9.. flatulence, n. emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.
10.. balderdash, n. a rapidly receding hairline.
11.. testicle, n. a humorous question on an exam.
12.. rectitude, n. the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.
13.. pokemon, n. a Rastafarian proctologist.
14.. oyster, n. a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
15.. Frisbeetarianism, n. the belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

Posted by Raymond Powers at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I'm always advocating a vegetarian diet and lots of raw food. Here's a novel approach to convincing people - and preliminary data that shows that this diet can decrease cholesterol as much as statin drugs.

From Claire Heald of the BBC, via the Organic Consumers Association:

What if humans cast aside processed foods and saturated fats in favour of the sort of diet our ape-like ancestors once ate? Nine volunteers gave it a go... and were glad they did so.

Being locked in the zoo and offered bananas to eat is the kind of extreme diet scenario to wake some of us screaming in the night. But that was how a group of volunteers opted to try to cut their blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

They set up home in a tented enclosure at Paignton Zoo, Devon, next to the ape house, in an experiment filmed for TV. The idea, says Jill Fullerton-Smith, who helped organise the trial, was that modern diets, often dominated by processed foods and saturated fats, cause costly health problems.

For example, nearly half Britain's 117,000 annual deaths from coronary heart disease are linked to high cholesterol, according to the British Heart Foundation. And while the government urges everyone to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day, obesity is still rising.

So could an experiment on ordinary people's lives deliver the healthy eating message?

Nine volunteers, aged 36 to 49, took on the 12-day Evo Diet, consuming up to five kilos of raw fruit and veg a day.

EVO DIET: WHAT THEY ATE
-5kgs or 2,300 calories of fruit, vegetables, nuts and honey
-On a 3-day rotation, typically: Broccoli, carrots, radishes Cabbage, tomatoes, watercress Strawberries, apricots, bananas Mangoes, melons, figs, plums Satsumas, hazelnuts

The regime was devised by nutritionist and registered dietician Lynne Garton and King's College Hospital. It was based on research showing such a diet could have health benefits for cholesterol levels and blood pressure, because it is made up of the types of foods our bodies evolved to eat over thousands of years.

Ms Garton looked for inspiration to the plant-based diet of our closest relatives, the apes, and devised a three-day rotating menu of fruit, vegetables, nuts and honey. The prescribed menu was:

• safe to eat raw; • met adult human daily nutritional requirements; and • provided 2,300 calories - between the 2,000 recommended for women and 2,500 for men,

Volunteers could also drink water. In the second week, standard portions of cooked oily fish were introduced - a nod to a more hunter-gatherer lifestyle.

Among the volunteers was Jon Thornton, 36, a driving instructor from Sheffield, who had never eaten vegetables, from childhood upwards.

Weighing in at almost 19-stone, his typical diet read like the children's book, Mr Strong. Breakfast was four slices of toast; at 10am a bacon sausage and egg sarnie followed; fish and chips for tea and a Chinese take-away before bed.

That was before his wife signed up Mr Thornton for the experiment. Over 12 days he lost 5.7kg (12.5lbs), and reduced his cholesterol by 20%. His blood pressure also fell.

Despite nearly backing out at the start - the first day's food arrived in a cool-box, was raw and he was distinctly uncomfortable with the idea of broccoli - he was converted to eating vast portions of fresh fruit and veg.

"I didn't feel any loss of energy, I didn't feel ill at all," he says. "It's not a diet you'd recommend as a diet itself, but it worked to bring my cholesterol and blood pressure down."

Harmony in camp

With so much food bulk and plenty of calories the subjects did not go hungry - indeed most failed to finish their daily ration. And once they were over the withdrawal from caffeinated drinks and some foods, says Ms Garton, they enjoyed good energy levels and mood.

So the "moments of unhappiness and grumpiness" that the TV crew was primed to capture failed to happen. The proved to be a motivated group, although the one odorous side-effect from all that roughage couldn't be ignored.

Overall, the cholesterol levels dropped 23%, an amount usually achieved only through anti-cholesterol drugs statins.

The group's average blood pressure fell from a level of 140/83 - almost hypertensive - to 122/76. Though it was not intended to be a weight loss diet, they dropped 4.4kg (9.7lbs), on average.

The regime provided an education for all, and a permanent change for some.

"The main lesson that they took away was to eat more fruit and veg," says Ms Garton. They also cut salt intake from a group average of 12g a day, to 1g (against a guideline maximum of 6g) and reduced saturated fat - which makes cholesterol - from 13% to 5% of calories (recommended, 11%).

At the same time, they increased the soluble fibre which binds cholesterol in the gut, so that it is expelled, and increased the intake of plant sterols - which help to lower cholesterol.

For Jon, life has changed since he was "released" from the zoo. He has gained a little weight but now says he only eats when hungry and knows good food can help health and longevity. He can play football because his knees no longer hurt under the extra weight and he goes cycling.

He even managed to hold out at the most tempting time of year. "For the first time in 36 years this year I had vegetables with my Christmas dinner," he says. "Usually, I say no to them and have a few extra roast potatoes instead."

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 09:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

If you are one of the 2,860 customers who are served Golden State Water Company, you have until February 8, 2007 to register your protest on a 43.95% rate increase scheduled for next year. Yes, you read correct, that would be a 43.95% increase in 2008. You can read their public notice of compliance at the Public Utilities Commission and see the Proceeding A0701013 web site for the documents and decisions associated with this application.

After you protest the application with the PUC, I urge you to contact Ojai City Council and City Staff and request this be placed on the agenda for the February 6 13 Council Meeting. We need City Council to be an advocate for us.

Protests to this application must be filed no later than Feburary 8, 2007. For assistance in filing a protest with the Commission, contact the Public Advisor's Office, 320 West 4th Street, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90013, or by email to public.advisor.la@cpuc.ca.gov. These comments wlil become part of the formal correspondence file of the proceedings and will be circulated to the assigned Administrative Law Judge, appropriate Commission staff, and to the five Commissioners. Comments will also be tallied and the numbers recieved will be reported to key Commission staff on a regular basis. Be sure to refer to Golden State Water Company's Application No. 07-01-013 in all correspondence.

What about proposing to Ojai City Council a municipal water district? This company does not want to invest in the infrastructure in Ojai. The water quality is poor, forcing many residents to purchase expensive water filtration systems and bottled water. In many other cities that have municipal water, the cost remains reasonable and stable, while keeping the city solvant. Maybe it is time? Stop these outrageous rate hikes and maybe improve our water quality and service here in Ojai.

Posted by Kenley Neufeld at 04:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Many have hiked to the top of the Topa Topa Bluffs and found it to be one of the most beautiful hikes in Ojai. My hike there after the Day Fire offered a different view than before. These photos were taken on the back side of the bluffs on January 8 of this year. Can this be the same place? It was a little bit eerie walking through miles of trail where all the foliage is gone, seeing places where the fire was so hot that it left no trace of plant life - somewhat like a moonscape. But the ground is alive. The green shoots of new growth coming up through the ashes were comforting to see.

Posted by Brook Montagna at 07:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A few photos from atop the Cozy Dell-Foothill Trail, taken on Friday afternoon just before the rains moved in. The left two are looking west, and the third one is looking east at the Topa Topa bluffs beyond the foothills. The hills were starting to look very dry, but I am looking forward to seeing the vibrant green new growth in the next couple weeks. Love the rain!

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jasmine is looking for a new home. She is a four year old female cat. Here is what she has to say:

I never knew how much I loved the inside until I was here at this house. I wish that I could have a home that smells like freshly cut flowers. And a home that when ever my person is alone they sing inside their heart and sometimes they sing to me too. I use to be scared of people when they look at me. Now I realize that when people look at me they are just wondering why I am so scared.

I like people who read and sing. I like soft music and the sound of newspaper pages. I like fresh air. My person now can make her voice sound like many different people. I find that interesting and scary. I don’t need a lot of room. I like warm bedding. I love to sleep and I like the sound of plants moving in the breeze. I like to chase crickets at night. My people now don’t like me out at night because that’s when dangerous monsters hunt.

You can tell the people that might want me that I am still learning to trust. I use to think that trusting was foolish, something only ignorant naïve cats would do. Now I know that there are people I can trust with all my being. And that is a wonder. It is sort of like that hummingbird that found herself in the house by accident. I don’t know if you have ever studied a hummingbird in flight. They trust in their speed and in their ability to maneuver obstacles. What was amazing about this hummingbird is that she knew when to surrender, to be still and when to trust the right human to help her back outside. What my people didn’t see is that she came back to the window to peer in and say, “thank you for your kindness”.

I am trying to be brave like that hummingbird. I have come to love the humans I am living with now. I am extremely grateful for their care. I have healed in many ways. I believe that in the right situation, time and love heal even the most broken hearts. My heart is nearly mended.

Though there is a cat here that does not like me. She tries to accept me, but she is filled with jealousy. I have known her along time and have always admired her beauty. The longer I am here, the sadder and angrier she gets. I have become frightened of her. I do not hate her. I feel sorry for her. This home is truly her home and I have taken a piece of that away from her. I want my own home where everyone welcomes me. My life keeps getting better. I feel there must be someone else who would love me. I promise to be a compassionate loving companion.
-----------------------------------------------------------
After both of Jasmine's humans passed away she was abused by their nephew. She decided to run away. After six monthes of living outside she found herself at a celebrity's house in Ojai. This celebrity has taken care of her and now needs to find her a new home because her other cat would like to kill Jasmine. Jasmine comes with six monthes of food, a cat tree, litter box and medical expenses paid for.

If you are interested in meeting Jasmine please call me at 805.895.5968 or email me at laura@thepetpsychic.com

Posted by Laura Stinchfield at 07:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (27)

It's an Art Opening and Party!
Sat, February 3rd 7pm-10pm.

Where: Sound & Vision LRC
1016 West Ojai Avenue (just behind the empty service station on the corner of Del Norte and Ojai Ave. Across the street from the old Ford dealership parking lot.)
Call Chris @ 805.259.7811 for more details

Sound & Vision Learning Resource Center plays host to an extraordinary art exhibition by Ojai resident and artist, Tegan Hope Hutchinson. Tegan is an excellent painter and designer with a remarkable and moving body of work. (See attached photos)

Finger foods and beverages will be served.

Also, same night and same time is a reception for all of our friends, clients, collaborators, corroborators, students, and parents. Come and help the LRC Gang ring in the new year. Enjoy some refreshments, pound on the drums (if you like), and check out our new events roster and lesson plan for 2007! All of our instructors will be on hand to answer questions, and hear ideas regarding new programs.

We'll also have live music by Sunny Erickson, Bob Ballard, and others. Mic will be open for anyone who wishes to perform!

We'll also hosting a mixer for the kids from 5pm - 7pm. We'll have the instruments set up and ready to play, as well as iMovie, GarageBand, and iPhoto up on the lab computers for them to explore. Your kids are welcome to stay for the rest of the event, but we'll be focusing on the art exhibit and live music beginning at 7pm.

We can't wait to hang out with you all! And thank you all so much for a successful 2006!
With Love
~ Chris, Bob, Brad, Sunny, Deanna, Amy, Pausha, and Tristan.

Posted by Chris Foley at 06:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Two-thousand-seven is already on fire in terms of peace activism...locally we observed two vigils in January alone! There's plenty to do for those with the energy to do it, so i proudly present ten minutes' worth of online actions that you can take RIGHT NOW to create a more peaceful, democratic, and just world!

HUMAN RIGHTS: Amnesty Int’l has a five-point agenda for restoring America’s human rights integrity: close Guantanamo, ban torture, close secret prisons, restore Habeas Corpus, and end extraordinary renditions. Sound good? Tell our "leaders".

HEALTHY FOOD: Starbucks is STILL using Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone in some of its milk! Tell ‘em we want rBGH-free dairy!

(more below the digital fold)

IMPEACHMENT: we can see locally how a city attorney can be simultaneously dangerous and seemingly untouchable...on the national level, that danger is all the more amplified. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has authorized war crimes, dismissed the Geneva Conventions, redefined torture to allow most types of torture, helped establish military commissions that deny defendants the right to a fair trial, claimed the U.S. Constitution does not provide the right to habeas corpus, and defended violations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Let's impeach him FIRST.

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE: Mr. Bush’s plan is “better health care for more people”. Wow, how bold. Tell Congress to push for real, universal health care.

VOTING SECURITY: the Voter Confidence Bill has been introduced and would Require all voting systems to produce paper ballots, Require election officials to conduct random audits of the machines, and Require that the source code inside the computer be open for inspection. Urge our Representatives to support it.

MEDIA/LIES/9-11: when ABC aired the docudrama “The Path to 9/11” last September, public outcry helped them choose to pull out several scenes which were outright fabrications. This Sunday, Fox Lies’ Sean Hannity is planning to broadcast the fictitious scenes. Write to him to make sure he tells America that these things never happened.

END THE WAR!: Reps Woolsey, Lee, and Waters (all from California!!) introduced the "Bring the Troops Home and Iraqi Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2007," H.R. 508, and now our Representative needs to know we want him to support it! Tell him here, OR do it from the angle of an organic consumer.

SUPPORT WAR RESISTERS: send a message to the President and Congress: soldiers have a right to refuse illegal wars...accept Lt. Watada’s resignation!

SURVEY: still open HERE ...i’ll leave it up for a little bit longer, then report on the results! THANKS SO MUCH for participating! Response on this one is already over FOUR TIMES what it was on the post-parade survey last July.

"We cannot have peace if we are only concerned with peace. War is not an accident. It is the logical outcome of a certain way of life. If we want to attack war, we have to attack that way of life."
~A.J. Muste
(i’m not crazy about attacking anything, but i like the insight here)

Posted by evan austin at 03:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Public Comments Due January 31 on Proposed Sand & Gravel Mine;

Town Meeting Scheduled for January 30 in Ojai

A coalition of local landowners, business leaders, forest advocates, school officials, and others have joined forces to oppose plans by a new mine to add hundreds of haul trucks on Scenic Highway 33. The groups will conduct a public meeting on Tuesday, January 30 at 7:00pm at the Chaparral Auditorium, 414 E. Ojai Street in Ojai to inform the community about this issue.

The topic of the meeting is the Diamond Rock Sand and Gravel mine, proposed for the remote Cuyama Valley near the Ventura County Line. The project applicant is seeking a 30-year permit to extract 500,000 tons of aggregate per year from the Cuyama River in Santa Barbara County. Many of the trucks from this mine would travel south on Scenic Highway 33 towards Ventura. The County of Santa Barbara is accepting public comments on the proposal until January 31.

The new mine could add as many as 138 daily truck trips through popular recreation areas in the Los Padres National Forest, as well as nearby communities like Ojai, Meiner’s Oaks, Ventura, and Casitas Springs. When added to existing truck traffic, this could result in one truck every four minutes during peak production, according to a Draft Environmental Impact Report released last month.

“I’m fully supportive of the need for gravel mines and the transportation of those materials in a safe and appropriate manner, but not when the consequence is the destruction of Ojai's tourist based economy,” said Howard Smith, Chairman of the Board of the Ventura County Economic Development Association and whose property borders the highway. “The proposed steady parade of gravel trucks zigzagging down the mountains would trash our local economy. Who is going to come to stay at our hotels, relax at a spa, camp, hike, cycle in the mountains or even shop or dine outdoors while being assaulted by the endless noise and fumes of double-hopper gravel trucks barreling down what is supposed to be a scenic highway?”

The route is designated as a California State Scenic Highway and a National Forest Scenic Byway, one of only four such highways in all of southern California.

“Highway 33 is a narrow, winding mountain road that takes travelers through some of the most breathtaking scenery in the region,” said Jeff Kuyper, executive director of Los Padres ForestWatch. “Hundreds more trucks rumbling through the heart of the Los Padres National Forest would interfere with people who come here to enjoy the quiet backcountry.”

Decision makers are also considering proposals to increase two existing sand and gravel mines near the Diamond Rock site. If approved, these mine expansions – GPS River Rock Products in Santa Barbara County, and the Ozena Sand & Gravel mine in Ventura County– could add even more trucks to Scenic Highway 33.

“Much of what attracts visitors to this valley are the natural recreational facilities surrounding us,” said Scott Eicher, chief executive officer of the Ojai Chamber of Commerce. “Predominate among them is the Los Padres National Forest, and specifically the Sespe Wilderness area. As tales of gravel truck near-misses increase, the number of visitors coming to the Ojai to camp and hike in the Sespe will drop.”

The haul trucks would travel past Nordhoff High School in northern Ojai, prompting district officials to voice their concerns about student safety. The school board recently voted to send a letter to County officials opposing the Diamond Rock mine, as did the Ojai City Council.

The January 30 meeting is free and open to the public. It will include a photo slide show, representatives from the community, and information on how local residents can voice their concerns. Featured speakers include Scott Eicher, CEO of the Ojai Chamber of Commerce; Jeff Kuyper, executive director of Los Padres ForestWatch; Tim Baird, Superintendent of the Ojai School District; Carol Smith, Ojai Mayor; and Highway 33 residents from Ojai and Cuyama. It begins at 7:00pm at the Chaparral Auditorium, 414 E. Ojai Ave. in Ojai.

Jeff Kuyper, Executive Director
Los Padres ForestWatch
Post Office Box 831
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
805.252.4277
jeff@LPFW.org

ForestWatch is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization working
to protect and restore the natural and cultural heritage of
the Los Padres National Forest and other public lands along
California's Central Coast. Join us today at www.LPFW.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Email Contacts:
Gary Kaiser at the Santa Barbara Planning & Development Department
gkaiser@co.santa-barbara.ca.us
or by US Mail at:
Gary Kaiser
624 W. Foster Road
Santa Maria, CA 93455
(805) 934-6259 or by fax at (805) 934-6258

Santa Barbara County Supervisors:
jcenteno@co.santa-barbara.ca.us ; jgray@co.santa-barbara.ca.us ; bfirestone@co.santa-barbara.ca.us ; srose@co.santa-barbara.ca.us ; SupervisorCarbajal@sbcbos1.org

Santa Barbara News Press Email Address:
tarmstrong@newspress.com ; avw@newspress.com ; wmccaw@newspress.com ; voices@newspress.com

Ventura County Star:
letters@venturacountystar.com
mratcliff@venturacountystar.com

Ventura County Supervisors:
steve.bennett@ventura.org ; linda.parks@ventura.org; kathy.long@ventura.org ; john.flynn@ventura.org

Ojai Valley News:
bret@ojaivalleynews.com

Ojai City Council & City Manager:
smith@ci.ojai.ca.us; devito@ci.ojai.ca.us; horgan@ci.ojai.ca.us; hanstad@ci.ojai.ca.us; olsen@ci.ojai.ca.us;

Pacific Coast Business Times:
hadubroff@aol.com

State Assembly:
Assemblymember.Nava@assembly.ca.gov; Assemblymember.Strickland@assembly.ca.gov;

Posted by Howard Smith at 07:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

You know, INC² would not be killing all of these massive amounts of humans if INC² were not just scurrying around in their thinking - like a 100 thousand billion microscopic insects with no center no true consciousness. ℑ hate to be the one to tell you this but somehow, there are people capable of making the decisions that lead to so much death, destruction and suffering and it is because INC² doesn't know what to do. If INC² would only realize that INC² has become 'frozen' with fear of the approaching tidal wave of technology.

Imagine; to be in a postion of this power and magnitude and at your very core, you know that you are obsolete. Not only are you obsolete, but your incapacities are creating and sustaining a raging fire of human suffering that haunts us all in our deepest dreams - and this is just an echo of what many of our fellow humans are actually experiencing right now.

Please do not worry, you will not drown, ℑ will not let you. Somehow, you are breathing more slowly, more deeply, this is how we root how we connect to our core, by deeply experiencing our body in a warm pool of self love and gratitude. It is a transfusion from the infinite depths of dark matter. Sorry, you are not going to get this from McDonalds® or Reality TV or Chewing Gum. They are road signs that all say the same thing DEAD END. Think about it, in the mean time, see you around.
--
om mani padme hum

Posted by Mike Didj at 02:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

in journeying around our world,
in returning home after lifetimes of growing ...

a play-filled awakening which always seems
to be that sun-full, tree-climbing, grass-rolling,
wind-filled, 'first day'!

could it be? immortality ...

how many lifetimes do we process, create, unravel ...

'ere the oneness of our selves AND our global ecology of
four-legged and winged, and wooden-trunked, beloved sisters
and brothers becomes omnipresent, complete, nurturing,
aeternal?

for me, a sleepy childhood at Ojai Elementary, algebra and
'hard-knocks' at Matilija Junior High, father's passing while
at Nordhoff High ... then graduation and off to university
to learn of electronics and astrophysics (and journalism
and media) ... all thanks to a gift of spirit ...

an omnigendered personality ...

these stars overhead, this wilderness surrounding, our
valley/womb/bowl/cup of sacred witness to all creation ...

which the ancient Asians and Polynesians named the
Great Mother Tao ...

and for we, adopted children of the Chumash, has long
been named, 'Goddess Moon'!

~~
~~~

So, when to speak of swimming holes, treehouses,
starships, and sealing wax?

When not, in unbounded youth, love of every 'Awha'y
family member?

Of spaceplane designs:

http://unamity.com/specs/
http://unamity.com/electra/

Of the structure of creation, of matter from light
aka electromagnetism, also known as consciousness,
experience, spirit, the aether:

http://groupkos.com/mtwain/

so many lifetimes, before returning to this valley, this
complete completion of journeying.

Of those lifetimes, I remember, a ballroom dancefloor
in the Ringstrasse of Vienna ... the romance of love, of
invitation to the United Nation's Space Conference, of
meetings with celestials viz. Arthur Clarke, Hans Mark,
and so many others.

The internship in the California State Senate, membership
in the National Space Club founded by Werner Von Braun,
the idea of my legislation for the US Space Station Program,
inclusion in the Who's Who of the Frontiers of Science
and Technology.

The decade of study at Berkeley and the Space Sciences
Laboratory ... and a whole universe of plasma and astro-
physics ... bookshelf upon bookshelf ... researcher upon
researcher ... all to soak up in a child's infinite heartmind ...
while blessed to learn to solder together the circuit boards
of satellites ... run the ionospheric data through the
mini-computers of the '70s ... drive all over Silicon Valley
getting the parts processed and brought back to the
lab for the International Sun Earth Explorer probe.

More than a decade at Stanford and in Silicon Valley,
writing Space Daily for three years, taking graduate physics
to post-graduate physics ... then collaborating with all the
pioneer physicists worldwide to publish The Undiscovered
Physics ... including the Structure of The Atomic Nucleus:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NuclearStructure/

Then the years in Aotearoa, New Zealand, the Land of the
Long White Cloud. The two years of the Millennium Radio
Show, the publication of the Spaceplane Equation, the 3D
designs of the scramjets leading up to the X49s, the video
editing studio at Waikato University where the physics and
aerospace videos were produced, and the fifty graphic issues
of Warpnine and Lightnine for Nexus Magazine distributing
in print and worldwide internet the truth of the simplicity
and completeness of our divine world of electric stimulation,
magnetic motivation, electrodynamic creation.

The summers in the Alps of Japan, climbing to the mountain-
top shrines, walking down the stream and river-courses,
pitching-in with the family rice planting and harvesting,
the Noh Theatre, the Spirit Festivals, the ten thousand years
of Shinto and Animist storytelling and archaeology.

A life renewed from above and below, a resonance of
sub- and super-harmonies, octaves. Karmic cycles
embraced and transcended.

That you and I -- and a valley of thousands, and a sphere of
billions -- could chose to return to our childhood, our homes,
and climb a tree again.

Singing 'thank you' my sisters, my brothers.

Where our collective song, our hearts,

have taken wing ...

Posted by Millennium Twain at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm sure many of you saw this article on the Whitman property in the LA Times a few weeks ago. It got picked up by the Fort Wayne, Indiana-based Journal Gazette yesterday. Check it out if you haven't. And if you've been up there (Red Party or otherwise), you know what a spectacular property it is.

You’ve heard of tree lovers and tree-huggers and all sorts of houses built to avoid cutting down nearby trees.

But Marc and Julia Whitman went a step further. They made their favorite tree a part of their architectural plan. They built their house to interact with the coast live oak. Their ground floor curves around its aged trunk. Their bedrooms nestle among its branches. Their rooflines accommodate all its major limbs. They can see and hear their tree as it bends with the wind and changes with the seasons as viewed through almost every door and window.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 02:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Today a beautiful man died in France, and I can hardly find any information about him in English, even on the wonderful web. The man's name wasn't L'Abbe Pierre, but that is how he has been known since World War II, when he helped Jews escape the Nazis. In the winter of 1954, he called for an "Insurrection of Kindness" in France, to help homeless people and refugees. He demanded money from the French government and was denied, but within a very short time he received the amount he asked for from private donations. I heard an obituary for him today on KCRW, complete with stirring quotations, but I cannot find them anywhere on the internet tonight. If my French wasn't so rusty, I'd be translating the for you myself.

There's an inspiration in our tired world: An insurrection of kindness.

Posted by Heather McKenzie at 06:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Seeing as how there are frequent discussions here about organic and locally-grown food, I thought this would be of interest...

From The Independent: "US farming watchdog accuses Wal-Mart of mis-selling":

Wal-Mart, the controversial retailing giant, is under investigation in the US over allegations it is trying to pass off non-organic foods as organic. It has been accused of using misleading labeling that is "tantamount to consumer fraud" by an organic farming watchdog, the Cornucopia Institute. The body has handed its complaints to the US Department of Agriculture.

Nice.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 01:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

There has been a lot of talk on these pages about affordable housing. What does that mean to you? Who should have it? What should it look like? Where should it be built? The documentary, The Price of Paradise, does not seek to answer these questions, but rather engage a dialog.

*Production still by Brooks Smothers.

Film's synopsis: Santa Barbara County, paradise to some, has seen a dramatic escalation in the cost of housing, thus displacing the community's critical workforce. The experiences of those workers and the impacts to families, community and employers provide insight and an understanding of the need for affordable workforce housing. The 42-minute documentary features interviews, artistic cinematography and a percussionist soundtrack.

Locals Michael Anderson and Austen Collins of Extra Mile Productions, and Lisa Snider of these pages and a few others, worked for about 10 months on this project and are proud of the film's acceptance into the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Screenings will take place on Friday, January 26, 7:00 p.m. at the Marjorie Luke Theater and Monday, January 29, 10:00 a.m. at Victoria Hall. At each screening, The Price of Paradise is the 2nd film on the schedule and audience Q&A with the filmmakers will follow. Purchase tickets here.

Trailers:

For the story behind the story, read Nao Braverman's article in the OVN on Wednesday and check-out Thursday's VC Reporter and the VC Star. In the meantime, read a Q&A with one of my favorite quirky local sites, Edhat.com.

The Price of Paradise, winner of the Oxnard Film Festival award for Best Documentary Feature.

Posted by Lisa Snider at 03:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

STOP THE TRUCKS!

COMMUNITY MEETING

Tuesday, January 30th - 7:00pm
Chaparral Auditorium, 414 E Ojai Ave.

You’re invited to come learn about plans to add hundreds more sand & gravel trucks on
Highway 33 through ours towns and the nearby national forest.

*A short photo presentation on Scenic Highway 33

*Speakers, including representatives from:

Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce
Los Padres ForestWatch
Highway 33 residents
Local Decision makers
School Representatives
Cuyama Valley Farmers
Forest users
…and more!

*Learn how you can help make a difference!

Letters needed by January 31 – how to make yours effective

Please RSVP to ensure that we print enough materials!
Call (805) 252-4277 and leave a message stating your first and last name and the number of people (if any) coming with you. This event is free and open to the public.

Increasing Gravel Truck Traffic on Route 33 Ignores Danger & Negative Economic Impact


It is fairly obvious to those of us who live in Ojai that the EIR of the Cuyama Troesh Ready-Mix proposal as conducted by agencies in Santa Barbara County would best be described as a joke if the negative consequences to our community were not so grave.

First: Ojai's economy and that of the surrounding region is based on tourism and safe access to the wilderness surrounding it. Adding a steady flow of fully loaded double hopper gravel trucks at all hours of the day and night onto California Route 33, which is the main transportation artery into the valley, is incompatable with safe access to this community.

Route 33 north of Ojai is mile for mile already one of the most dangerous highways in all of California. A simple check with the California Highway Patrol, the U.S. Forest Service or the ambulance services in Ojai will inform you that during any given week there are at least one to two fatal or near fatal wrecks in the mountains above town.

Second: Though the report appears to describe 33 as a rural highway, that is completely unrealistic. North above Ojai it is torturous two lane mountain road that climbs from the valley floor, twisting and turning through a dozen dangerous hairpin turns until it reaches a crest of over six thousand feet. From there it plunges rapidly in what more resembles a E-Ticket ride back to the isolated Cuyama Valley.

Route 33 was built during the Great Depression as a WPA project. At the time it was conceived as the ultimate north-south road for all California commerce. That 1920's vision failed the reality test. The road is simply too dangerous and it was ultimately replaced by the "5," the "101" and the "99."

Third: Route 33 already surpasses its maximum traffic loads in the Ojai Valley, particularly during the morning and afternoon rush hours. Once you pass Fairview heading south it is the main and at times only traffic artery through the heart of this valley, home to some thirty thousand residents. It passes by the hospital, the high school, our only shopping plaza, numerous senior citizen mobile home parks and the main generator of our economy, the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa. Adding double long gravel trucks at all hours is not going to help this situation.

Fourth: The statistics given as projections for the number of trips and the hours permitted by these trucks can also only be described as woven only from ones imagination as gravel trucks are already exceeding these limits now. Trucks currently descend into Ojai 24/7. There is no oversight or enforcement of current rules. How can we expect this scenario to improve?

Fifth: We are not against allowing the mining and trasportation of gravel. However the only safe solution is to require and restrict all gravel trucks to limit their driving to the far safer Route 166 from Cuyama to the 101 at Santa Maria.

Sixth: Though it may be in the power of Santa Barbara County to approve these permits, it is totally within the right and ability of the citizens of the Ojai Valley to protest this dangerous intrusion. Not only is protesting an art form in this valley, I don't think it is something a public official will want to tangle with. We are encouraging everyone we know to start by immediately emailing Gary Kaiser at the Santa Barbara Planning & Development Department gkaiser@co.santa-barbara.ca.us their personal disapproval of this permit and the EIR . All public comments must be received before January 31, 2007.

In response to overwhelming requests we have put together lists of email address that you should send your letters to. If you have already sent your letter to Gary Kaiser at the Santa Barbara Planning & Development Department, please forward copies to everyone on the list. Be sure to send copies to all of the press contacts as well.

Time is running out. Please act now and encourage everyone you know to do the same.

Email Contacts:
Gary Kaiser at the Santa Barbara Planning & Development Department
gkaiser@co.santa-barbara.ca.us
or by US Mail at:
Gary Kaiser
624 W. Foster Road
Santa Maria, CA 93455
(805) 934-6259 or by fax at (805) 934-6258

Santa Barbara County Supervisors:
jcenteno@co.santa-barbara.ca.us ; jgray@co.santa-barbara.ca.us ; bfirestone@co.santa-barbara.ca.us ; srose@co.santa-barbara.ca.us ; SupervisorCarbajal@sbcbos1.org

Santa Barbara News Press Email Address:
tarmstrong@newspress.com ; avw@newspress.com ; wmccaw@newspress.com ; voices@newspress.com

Ventura County Star:
letters@venturacountystar.com
mratcliff@venturacountystar.com

Ventura County Supervisors:
steve.bennett@ventura.org ; linda.parks@ventura.org; kathy.long@ventura.org ; john.flynn@ventura.org

Ojai Valley News:
bret@ojaivalleynews.com

Ojai City Council & City Manager:
smith@ci.ojai.ca.us; devito@ci.ojai.ca.us; horgan@ci.ojai.ca.us; hanstad@ci.ojai.ca.us; olsen@ci.ojai.ca.us;

Pacific Coast Business Times:
hadubroff@aol.com

State Assembly:
Assemblymember.Nava@assembly.ca.gov; Assemblymember.Strickland@assembly.ca.gov;

Posted by Howard Smith at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

See you down at the Farmer's Market. Some of my favorites this time of year: a quart of fresh blood orange juice, some vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh watercress and cilantro, butternut squash and Vicki's soap. What's on your shopping list?

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 01:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Ojai Valley News Publisher Bret Bradigan has an interesting editorial in today's OVN on the evolution of the consumption of media. "The Internet, the great leveler of communications, has rendered our appetites for information instantaneous and insatiable," writes Bradigan. He, like other print media publishers including the VC Star's Tim Gallagher, realizes that the writing is on the wall for traditional print media, in it's inability to keep pace with the internet's speed of information delivery.

So the waters ahead are choppy, but how best to navigate them?

Bradigan opens the article with something of an absolute: you're first or you're not.

An old adage in the news business holds that “If you can’t be first, be best.” We take that to heart, especially at non-daily papers like the Ojai Valley News, because we often get scooped on breaking news - the car crashes, the fires, the storms, the scandals and arrests - by nearby daily papers or local television broadcasts, as a penalty for our less-frequent printing schedules.

So we dig deeper, find new information that provides context and meaning, ask more questions, demand more answers, find new and different approaches to the story. And in the fullness of our effort, we own the story.

That may not apply anymore. Being first is being best.

But I would argue that attracting an audience and competing as a media outlet is far more complex than that. Let's use the Day Fire as an example. The Ojai Post owned the story top to bottom. We were not the first to report the fire at inception, but from the town hall meeting forward, we had the most depth, the most comprehensive resources, the most updates, and provided up-to-the-minute information that was invaluable for residents, reporters, and the families of the firefighters in the mountains.

With the Day Fire, there was no single 'breaking news' point - it was five straight days of breaking news. And the reason we were able to own the story was because of our core competency: understanding the medium and how best to maximize it. We not only posted all the legitimate information we could find, we also provided links to everyone from the USFS, the Police, the Fire Dept to the OVN, but also other local bloggers covering the story from their own perspective.

Before the Day Fire, The Ojai Post was interesting - we had some fun stories and we were building a small virtual community overlaid on top of a vital, organic, real-world community we know as Ojai. But from the town hall meeting on, The Ojai Post became essential, and our traffic reflected it (and still does). Just a few of the dozens of emails I received from residents during the Day Fire:

Thanks for your awesome work. You truly filled a gaping hole in local communications.

...

Thank you for being such a blessing to all of us. For me personally, the information that I have gotten from you and your website has lowered my anxiety level by 50% at least, but it's not to say that it's not high anyway. It has been so strange to realize how difficult it is to get information in this community. I stopped by the Forestry office and they were laughing at me for asking for information from them - not to my face, but definitely had a mocking attitude like they were tired of all the people asking them for info. I think I would have been frantic without the support the constant updates on your website provided.

...

One of the main reasons I wanted to get to know more people in Ojai, was to create a support system in case of big and small emergencies. And you're doing it. Please let me know how I can support the Post, I'm already telling people about it.

...

My sincere thanks for all of the work that you are doing at ojaipost.com, to keep area residents updated about the Day Fire activity. What a relief to have legitimate continuous updates (other local/regional media has utterly failed the community, in my opinion) intertwined with your alert and measured commentary.

...

I'm glad you're keeping the planet up to date on the fire. We live as far away from it as you can be, and yet still live in Ojai (we're near Lake Casitas). Still, there were rumors about it coming down 33, and so on, so it's been good to get solid information. We've been directing relatives to your blog so they know what's happening. Heck, my wife and I check you every couple of hours just to see what's up ourselves - it's interesting to see how the dissemination of information is coordinated among multiple other websites.

This isn't so much to toot our own horn (although that is admittedly fun), but to demonstrate that there is a gaping hole in coverage for stories such as the Day Fire, or the floods or bird flu for that matter. And I think that Bradigan recognizes this and sees their coverage headed in this direction. He writes:

We must train our readers to expect that instant information gratification - if something is going on, you can either go online to read about it, or go on-line to report it so that we can find out what’s going on. The news is no longer stone tablets handed down from on high, it is a collaborative process.

One of Bradigan's hurdles is the paper's demographics. If he has to "train" readers to do anything, then I wouldn't put my money on that horse. Now if he can reach an audience that already finds personal grass-roots media natural and instinctive, then it is much easier to make the leap. The Ojai Post has that audience, which in a community that skews older than most, is difficult to find, keep and nurture.

So I heartily welcome the Ojai Valley News' explorations online, particularly if they can bring the paper's print readers with them. And as a subscriber to OVN's print and online versions, I wish them continued success with a paper well-written.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 04:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Hold on to your hats, a new solar wind is blowing thru Washington...

Washington, DC, USA: America Energy Independence Bill Takes First Steps

As the House prepared to roll back subsidies for fossil fuels via H.R. 6, Congressmen Michael McNulty (D-NY) and Dave Camp (R-MI) yesterday introduced legislation to reinvest those funds in America’s most abundant renewable resource – solar power. The Solar Energy Industries Association praised Reps. McNulty and Camp for sponsoring the “Securing America’s Energy Independence Act.”

The bill would extend solar energy investment tax credits for homeowners and businesses through 2015. The credits are currently set to expire next year. The Securing America’s Energy Independence Act includes the following provisions, to take effect for all equipment installed retroactive to January 1, 2007 and going forward:

Residential Solar Tax Credit: Extends a 30-percent tax credit, created in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, for the purchase of residential solar water heating, photovoltaic (PV) equipment, and fuel cell property. Changes the maximum credit to $1,500 for each half-kilowatt of capacity for solar PV equipment and $1,000 for each kilowatt of capacity for fuel cells. Credits may be taken against the alternative minimum tax. Expires after December 31, 2015.

Business Solar Tax Credit and Fuel Cell Tax Credit: Extends a 30-percent business credit, established in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, for the purchase of fuel cell power plants, solar energy property, and fiber-optic property used to illuminate the inside of a structure. Changes the maximum credit to $1,500 for each half-kilowatt of capacity for solar PV equipment. Credits may be taken against the alternative minimum tax. Expires after December 31, 2015.

Accelerated Depreciation: Creates a three-year accelerated depreciation period for all solar equipment eligible for the business solar tax credit.

“H.R. 6 sets the stage for new investments in renewable energy, and the Securing America’s Energy Independence Act represents a pro-growth path toward developing clean, domestic solar energy,” said Rhone Resch, SEIA president. “American taxpayers want to invest in technologies that create jobs, reduce emissions, lower our energy bills, and keep our energy dollars here in the United States. We commend Congressmen McNulty and Camp for proposing a bill that helps meet all of these goals with solar power.”

"I am proud to sponsor this bipartisan legislation with my colleague Rep. David Camp,” McNulty said. “At a time when the high cost of energy continues to be a serious economic concern for most Americans, it is crucial that we continue to invest in technologies like solar which exhibit enormous potential for helping the United States achieve energy independence. This investment will create thousands of high-paying jobs, strengthen our nation's energy security, and help American consumers save money on their energy bills."

"I look forward to working with SEIA and my colleagues in the House of Representatives in approving the Securing America's Energy Independence Act,” said Congressman Camp. “This bill will help further the goal of reducing America's dependence on fossil fuels and promoting greater consumer demand for affordable, clean, renewable energy. I am committed to policies that help the solar industry gain a greater foothold in the United States. I believe the Securing America's Energy Independence Act will help achieve this result."

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 provided a 30% tax credit for solar systems purchased for both residential and business applications. However, these credits will expire after two years without legislative remedy, a term too short to encourage significant industry growth. A long-term extension is essential to reducing the cost of solar energy, as it would create market conditions that allow solar companies to make investments and drive down costs through economies of scale. A longer duration will also be needed to help stimulate the development of large-scale concentrating solar power projects. SEIA estimated that a long-term credit extension would create approximately 55,000 solar industry jobs by 2015 and encourage states to invest billions of dollars in renewable energy infrastructure. Solar energy would displace four trillion cubic feet of natural gas under the bill, saving American consumers $32 billion over equipment lifetimes.

“The United States has the best solar resources in the industrialized world, and we should be a world leader in developing technologies that put these resources to work for all Americans,” said SEIA’s Resch. “This bill strengthens America’s economic future as well as our energy security. It will stimulate economic investment and create high-quality renewable industry jobs in every state across the U.S.”

Further details about: Solar Energy Industries Association

Posted by Michael Lind at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Remember how our country's supposed to work, where The People decide how things are done?

The Ojai Peace Coalition does, and that's why we're excited to share our "Direction for 2007" survey, designed to poll the will and energies of The People and decide where to use our activism most effectively.

If YOU'D like to help set the direction of peace activism locally, take the survey HERE.

I realize that opening this up publicly comes with risks, so for anyone thinking of doing something malicious, please please reconsider. We're trying to do something good and democratic here (with a little "d", as in "freedom and democracy", not like "the Democratic Party") Survey Monkey accounts are free...start one of your own!

...and by the way, if you'd like to be made aware (via email, or phone if you prefer) of local activism opportunities, you're welcome and encouraged to join the Ojai Peace Coalition. simply email me and i'll put you on the list!

Peace!

Posted by evan austin at 07:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (38)

Many of you, like me, are connoisseurs of questions. I’m always on the lookout for a new question I can apply in times when I’m having trouble making a decision or when I’m stuck on some problem I can’t figure out. I came across a business book recently, written by investment guru Ken Fisher, that had a few delicious new questions in it. In fact, the title of the book is The Three Questions That Matter Most. Although he focuses them on business and particularly investing, his questions could be applied to just about anything.

Here they are:
(1) What do you believe that is actually false?
(2) How can I fathom what others find unfathomable? And,
(3) What the heck is my brain doing to blindside me now?

Brilliant! Let me know what kind of breakthroughs you have by using them.
For many years I've collected world-class transformation-inducing questions. My collecting began somewhere in the late 60s or early 70s, when I was sitting in traffic in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Mass. I was stewing in some horrendous relationship drama at the time, a hundred-plus pounds overweight, stuck in traffic in a city I didn’t want to be in, in a car I didn’t like, with a person sitting beside me I couldn’t stand, when I suddenly noticed a bumper-sticker on the car sitting in front of me. It said: WHAT ARE YOU PRETENDING NOT TO KNOW? I asked myself that question, and I felt my world come to a standstill with a big realization. I had been using every kilowatt of energy I produced in a futile quest: pretending not to know I was dying. I was 25 years old and I felt like my time was running out.

Within a year I had shed the hundred pounds (and also the excess baggage of the relationship I’d been stuck in), moved to the west coast and created a new life. There were a lot of other powerful influences at the time, so I can’t attribute all this change to a question, but it sure helped get me moving.

Posted by Gay Hendricks at 08:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The following appeared in the OVN. Feel free to leave stories, poems, memories of James in the comments. Also check out Jason Womack's post "Go outside, a little voice said" below.

James Albert Ross

Born in Penang, Malaysia on November 20, 1952, James Ross was the son of a veterinarian for the British Foreign Office and lived in Asia and Africa as a young boy. He was educated in England, and after university, worked as a customs officer in the New Hebrides, now Vanuatu. He bicycled through East and Central Africa before settling in South Africa.

James came to the U.S. in the late 1970s, eventually moving to Santa Cruz, California. Friends introduced him to Ojai in the early 1980s, and he moved here in 1985. While he would leave the area for extended periods, he always came back to Ojai and this became his permanent home.

James worked as an actor, waiter, masseuse, restauranteur and piemaker, bike tour guide, property manager, carpenter, and licensed electrician. He acted in some of the early Ojai Shakespeare Festival productions, worked with the Forest Service trail crews, and donated his time and services to many community groups. He was a passionate environmentalist, a follower of world politics and a master chess player.

An avid outdoorsman and adventurer, he backpacked and mountain biked extensively in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties and the Sierra Nevada. James died on January 6, 2007 of a heart attack during a bike ride on Ojai's Gridley Trail.

James is survived by his sisters, Dr. Judy Ross and Jane Ross, nephew Andrew Meiring, niece Isabella Meiring and son Martin Ernst of South Africa, and brother John Ross, daughter Amelia Gerstad and niece Shevaunne Ross of England, as well as his large extended family here in Ojai and his beloved dog , Fiona. James shall be missed and mourned by all who knew him.

In lieu of donations, the family asks that donations be sent to the Sudan Programme of the International Committee of the Red Cross (www.icrc.org).

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 01:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 8 AM PST MONDAY... ...WIND ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM MONDAY TO 12 PM PST TUESDAY...

THE WIND ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM MONDAY TO 12 PM PST TUESDAY. A FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 8 AM PST MONDAY.

TEMPERATURES WILL FALL TO THE MID TO UPPER 20S IN WIND SHELTERED AREAS LATE TONIGHT...WITH THE COLDEST READINGS EXPECTED ACROSS THE OJAI VALLEY. TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE SOME OVER THE EAST HALF OF THE AREA AS OFFSHORE WINDS DEVELOP.

NORTHEAST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH LOCAL GUSTS TO 50 MPH IN THE VICINITY OF PASSES AND CANYONS. THE WIND WILL DIMINISH SLIGHT LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON THOUGH THE GUSTY CONDITIONS WILL RETURN MONDAY NIGHT AND PERSIST THROUGH TUESDAY MIDDAY.

A FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES BELOW 28 DEGREES FOR AT LEAST TWO HOURS ARE IMMINENT OR HIGHLY LIKELY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL KILL CROPS AND OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION.

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 35 MPH OR GREATER ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT... ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION.

For more details:
http://www.weather.gov/view/national.php?prod=NPW

Posted by Brian Cox at 09:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I spent last weekend attending a course in LA, and visiting my parents in Long Beach. We woke up Sunday morning with just a couple of agenda items...including attending James Ross' memorial service at the Ojai Art Center.

Driving north on 101, at 10:15am, I remarked how blue the sky was, without being fully aware of the low air temperature. I said to Jodi, "I'm going for a ride when I get to Ojai."

Before I knew it, I'd arrived home to find it was a bit on the "chilly side." I redressed anyway (though not wearing nearly enough as it turned out) for a ride.

"Go outside," a voice in my head said.
"It's cold outside," said another!
"Go outside..."

By my watch, I had a good 90 minutes of riding time. It would be enough to do "The Hills of Ojai."

Up Signal
Up Gridley
Up Thatcher
Up Dennison
Up Foothill (and home!)

Pavement blurring under my wheels, I'd labored up (and coasted down) Signal Street. Next it was out toward the east end...

There, a half block ahead of me, I saw a group of riders turn on to Grand. Then another group...then another, and this one larger. I rode up alongside Ron Lathrop of Bicycles of Ojai and saide, "I wondered when we'd get a ride in together!" And, we continued out toward Gridley. I had joined the James Albert Ross Memorial Ride.

I know timing is everything, and the law of attraction states there are no accidents. But, I'm still surprised at how things come together. The power of connection is amazing: the right people, in the right places, at the right time.

We congregated near the top of Gridley, where Shelf Road starts, to reflect on a life. James, we'll miss you...perhaps no on more than Fiona, front and center, leading our way always...

Posted by Jason Womack at 06:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

All of the Stop The Trucks posts and correspondence are now archived to a Stop The Trucks resource page. That resource page and a couple other past ones are now accessible just below the search box on the right, seen on every page on the site.

You are heartily encouraged to write a letter opposing the gravel trucks, if you have not already. You have until Friday, January 19th, to get your letter in. On the resource page, there is a link to the list of email recipients and sample emails you can use. Feel free to also post your letter in the comments here.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I started a new blog, Second Life Information, where one of my first posts is about me receiving a makeover in Second Life. Check it out and click an ad. :) You can see the before picture here.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

from the comments of "Stop The Trucks" Picks Up Speed. See the Stop The Trucks resource page for more info...

Hello I’m Supervisor Steve Bennett’s assistant. I wanted to get the word out that Supervisor Bennett requested and received a two-week extension of the public comment period to February 2nd. Also, that in addition to providing comments to the planning staff, a letter directly to the Planning Commission at such time as the hearing is scheduled would also be advisable. You can get on the notification list for the Planning Commission hearing by writing to:

Gary Kaiser
Santa Barbara County Planning Department
624 Foster Road, Suite C
Santa Maria, CA 93455
or email gkaiser@co.santa-barbara.ca.us

Supervisor Bennett has been expressing his opposition to this project since 2005. Incredibly the first draft of the EIR claimed the project would have no traffic or air impacts. His 2005 comment letter on the first draft of the EIR included the below passage which led to substantial revisions in the EIR:

“The Draft EIR accepts the applicant’s suggestion that the project has no traffic and air quality impacts because there are other sand and gravel purveyors within the Tri-County region. This impact analysis methodology has no basis in the California CEQA Guidelines or case law. Under this imaginative theory, Santa Barbara County could approve an infinite number of new gravel mines with the miraculous result of having no traffic or air quality impact whatsoever. Clearly, this scenario would defy not only the laws of physics, but those of the State of California as well.”

Now the new draft EIR acknowledges both traffic and air impacts and they list mitigation measures for them. We are working to identify areas of the EIR that are inadequate.

In addition, Supervisor Bennett has also written directly to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to object to mine traffic through the Ojai Valley and will continue to fight this unacceptable impact to Valley residents and highway users.

You can look at the second draft EIR online , Supervisor Bennett placed a copy of the EIR on disk and put it at the Ojai and Oak View libraries too.

Steve Offerman
Supervisor Bennett's Office
Ventura
steve.offerman@ventura.org

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 05:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I've just added a new option at the bottom of each post. It's called "bookmark," but what it really does is allow you to submit the post to Digg, Technorati and other services (why? because those services serve as indexes of online content, kind of like Google, so people can find the post and visit our site). So, if you like a particular post, and think it's something that a much larger audience should know about, please consider clicking the bookmark button and submitting it to Digg or Technorati, or any other service you think works well. It's pretty self explanatory how to submit a post - you'll see, it's easy, if you're into that sort of thing.

Elsewhere, CNN.com has a little story on Ojai...

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Check the language that's being fed to you: what Mr. Bush is proposing is not a "surge". Surges go in and out, like ocean waves. This is an escalation of the war, not-so-cleverly disguised as ending the war: "Send more troops so we can bring the troops home." Yet again, doublespeak at its best. Several cold friends and new neighbors met in front of the Ojai Valley Shopping Center tonight to declare opposition to Bush's un-plan, in a vigil coordinated by every peace and social justice group this author knows of AND in solidarity with 70% of America. Tonight's action was mated with a day of phone calls to Congress, to tell them NO to troop escalation, NO to more funding for war and occupation, and YES to bringing the troops home NOW.

There's not necessarily a pending vote or anything, but please feel free to call Congress ANYTIME. After all, they work for us, literally.

Senator Barbara Boxer: 1-202-224-3553
Senator Dianne Feinstein: 1-202-224-3841
Representative Elton Gallegly: 1-202-225-5811

You might even consider calling Mr. Bush himself (1-202-456-1111) and sharing a more detailed plan for destroying an entire nation and culture.

Posted by evan austin at 07:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Last month it was reported that the Ayles Ice Shelf— a chunk of ice about the size of Manhattan — broke clear from the coast of Ellesmere Island, about 500 miles south of the North Pole in the Canadian Arctic. Scientists cited climate change as a major reason for the event.

Meanwhile, back at Washington DC, the unseasonable warmth is pushing up spring irises and preventing the zoo’s bears from hibernating. Pretty much the only things that haven’t thawed are the minds of our nation’s leaders, who are consumed with finding the political azimuth on a way forward and out of the Iraq quagmire, where Americans and Iraqis perish and war profiteers stuff their pockets with billions in tax payer dollars. The tragic irony is that a likely raison d’etre for war, the black gold at the end of the Iraqi rainbow, is not only the fountainhead of unconscionable human suffering and hundreds of billions in American taxpayer debt, but also one of the world’s largest reserves of carbon – the stuff that causes those Manhattan-sized ice floaters adrift in the arctic.

Despite an overwhelming body of scientific evidence tying carbon emissions to global warming, a dwindling but vocal few claim that a debate still rages regarding the cause, even the reality, of global climate change. While this debate is largely confined to the air conditioned, fair and balanced cocoon of Fox News, back here on planet Earth, things are getting hot hot hot, and there is virtually no disagreement among the world’s leading (and credible) climatologists as to the cause.

A leading contender for bible for lay global warming skeptics is Michael Crichton’s fictional State of Fear. In State of Fear, a suave, super spy/scientist/Olympic athlete with the aid of his girlfriends (could someone be experiencing a mid-life crisis?) saves the world from a deadly organization of eco-terrorists (“NERF”). The diabolical NERF, more akin to James Bond’s SPECTRE than PETA, employs Dr. No-esque gadgetry to stage spectacular environmental disasters in order to frighten ordinary folk into backing (and funding) their evil scientific agenda.

After bombarding the reader with reams of cherry-picked data denying the very existence of global warming, Mr. Crichton concedes in his fine print author’s message that the Earth’s climate really is warming after all, and that the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is probably due to human activity. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists must have missed these little details before awarding Crichton their annual journalism award in February 2006.

The debate is over. The notion that carbon emissions have nothing to do with global warming is as dumb (and tragic) as the idea the cigarette smoking is good for you. Wasting precious time, resource, and wishful thinking on further debates and studies to confirm the reality and causes of global warming is simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Nearly 95 years ago, Titanic lookout Frederick Fleet cried: “iceberg, dead ahead!” The crew attempted in vain to port around the berg, but the frantic last-minute jibe had no hope of saving the doomed vessel. That’s because it takes a long time to turn a big ship around. The real missed opportunity to save Titanic actually came long before, when the ship’s captain caved to the White Star Line’s captain of industry, who insisted on driving the ship at full speed, dismissing those annoying iceberg warnings. The iceberg turned out to be real after all, the unsinkable ship sank, and hundreds of people died. The story of Titanic is a parable for our times, as our present day captains of industry implore us to ignore the warnings of science and drive our carbon-emitting engines at full speed toward that iceberg, which truly is dead ahead.

Posted by Todd Miller at 08:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

After three hours and forty-eight minutes of Ojai City Council, I am quite wiped. The meeting started with about 60-people in attendance and at least half were still present at the end. Amazing. Thirteen spoke on the sand and gravel trucks coming into Ojai. Sixteen people spoke on affordable housing. The voices were unanimous. No trucks coming through Ojai and we need to do something about affordable housing now. Since the meeting went so late, the chain store topic was tabled until the next meeting (so be there January 23!). If you were there tonight, tell us what you heard. Experienced. If you missed the meeting, chime in on the topics.

Posted by Kenley Neufeld at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)

All this discourse about chain stores has brought up memories of my early years as an actor (I love turning into an old fart full of, ‘I remember whens’.) At the spry age of 22 I was cast in a repertory company touring the country with three plays. I was ecstatic that I would be getting paid for what I had been doing basically for fun. It was 1983 and the pay was $350 a week – once we finished 6 weeks of conservatory. 15 actors from various colleges getting our feet wet in a 6 month bus & truck. We all thought three-fifty a week was a bonanza. Imagine our surprise when we realized that we would have to pay for our housing on the road – no per diem. The booking agency took that into account when they made reservations for us at Motel 6 establishments across the country. The no-frills rooms with the coin-operated vibrating beds were just fine. We usually stayed for layovers after the allotted 9 hours traveling on the bus. I was usually cashed out from the Dramamine I took for my motion sickness and would go groggily to my room and sleep until we had to hit the road again, so I didn’t mind the monotony. I always felt like we drove around and wound up in the same place.

This routine finally showed its ill-affects three months into the tour when we landed for a week’s stay at the University in Greensboro North Carolina. I had been pretty much doped up as we made our way back east from California (or was it Texas?) We landed in Greensboro early afternoon. I was pretty doped up but couldn’t pass up the chance to get ride into town for toiletries and laundry. The bus driver took us to the nearest shopping mall right after we checked into our rooms at a quaint little turn-of-the-century bed & breakfast. We all went our separate ways. I hadn’t the strength for hooking back up for dinner and a movie so I was advised to just call a taxi and it would take me back to the ranch. As I look back now I think it was probably the first time in my life I was left on my own.

I finished my laundry and headed back to bus stop where we had been left off. I remembered there was a phone booth. I opened the phone book and found the listing for the Yellow or Checker Cab Company, put a dime in the slot and dialed.
The operator answered and I requested a taxi.

“What city, please?”

“Uh…what?”

“For what city?”

I didn’t understand what she meant by that! Where was I? I stumbled to get the name of the bed & breakfast out but the only place I could recall staying was Motel 6. But was that in Lubbock or Terra Haute?!

I panicked and hung up the phone. I didn’t know where I was or how I’d gotten there. I was dizzy and sleepy and all I wanted to do was lie down! Luckily the boyfriend of a cast member came walking by and saw the despair on my face. He called the taxi cab and instructed the driver where to take me.

When I was finally in my room I felt such a since of relief and security. It reminded me of someplace I knew very well but had never been: the Shady Rest on Petticoat Junction. It had a big canopy bed with goose down feather pillows and handmade quilts. And a fireplace! I slept knowing that in the morning I would wake up to someone cooking something delicious. And it cost just as much as a Motel 6!<