Open Thread
I was cruising through the articles on OjaiNews.com, and came across A Spa in Shangri-La in the NY Sun.
First sentence of the article: With its oak tree-studded hills, Ojai is wryly known to travelers as a Wal-Mart-free zone.
Five paragraphs later: But it isn't solely the spa resorts that lend Ojai its air of serenity. The Ojai Valley appears intrinsically at odds with anything resembling fast food or big-box stores.
Get it? Our primary industry, up to 43% of our city's revenues, is based on cultural tourism. "Formula retail establishments" undermine our primary industry. Business wisdom says Subway hurts our bottom line.


Comments (6)
Thanks for posting this, Tyler. I have a collection of articles where journalists tout Ojai as free of chain stores.
Anyone can view them on Kenley's wiki: Formula Retail and Restaurant Establishments, under References.
http://www.ojaipost.com/2007/04/ballot_initiative_submitted.shtml
Comment #1 Posted by: Leslie Davis | May 21, 2007 11:41 PM
Thanks, Tyler. The big mystery to me is why for all these years the Ojai leadership has not protected itself from the likes of Wallmart and Subway, with so much at stake, economy being one of the main stakes.
Comment #2 Posted by: Dennis Leary | May 22, 2007 03:34 PM
Maybe those in leadership positions lost touch with Ojai's, it's people's common interpretation of what is Ojai. I do believe they are rethinking their concept of Ojai, and hope they continue to move forward in preserving what's left, and rebuild what was lost, of the common interpretation of Ojai. There are plenty of locals who would work for a better Ojai, as we have seen lately. But I think they would be more comfortable furthering a goal embraced by leaders and the people rather than having to take drastic courses of action.
I would love for the council to work towards getting a burger joint for the teenagers of Ojai.
I would like them to work on adding more routes for the Trolley, particularly one that goes to Lake Casitas so the kids can take advantage of the Water Park when it opens daily. Now it is open only weekends.
The Lake has so many choices for everyone to benefit from: The Basket ball courts, Fishing, Boating, Bike riding, Hiking, Jogging, Picnicking, A restaurant, or simply a place to sit and relax. It would be nice to have a late trolley ride back from the Lake on one of the movie nights they put on up there.
When I think of Ojai, I always go back to the freedoms of where we could go, that is in my youth here, that are now fenced off. All I want is Ojai to open more and more opportunities for our young and old. The Trolley is literally the vehicle that can accomplish this without too much pain.
Comment #3 Posted by: Dana and Alyeska | May 23, 2007 04:05 AM
One of the main reasons I take drastic measures in preserving Ojai (wouldn't you consider impersonating Jimmy Stewart's Mr Smith, as drastic) is that when I
immigrated to CA twenty one
years ago,each township each had it's own autonomy and flavor.Now they are not only looking the same but merging with each other.Managed growth is about preserving what real value exists in small towns. Take a look at "Four Square Miles" for successful results.
Comment #4 Posted by: pete lafollette | May 23, 2007 12:27 PM
Glad you are there Pete.
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