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

This thought has been cooking in the back of my head since I posted, and four names have popped up to start:

1. Lanie Springer: Longtime resident of Oak View, Lanie has served on more boards and community efforts than I can count, including a long stint on the Municipal Advisory Commission. She has been a tireless connector of people and ideas for years, both out in the public eye and behind the scenes, and I think has made a tremendous difference both in Oak View and in the Valley.

2. Jerry Kaplan: if you know Jerry, you know he's a fomenter! He's got amazing energy and ideas and generosity and kickstarts things all over the valley.

3. Suzie Nixon-Bohnett: (She'll probably be mad at me for mentioning her!) Along with her work with the Ojai Valley Youth Foundaiton over the years, Suzie has donated time and talents to more community efforts quietly than almost anyone I know.

4. Severo Lara: From his days in high school, Severo has been a quiet, one-man peace making force in the Valley, mediating arguments between teens and helping a whole group of young people to step away from gang activity rather than towards it.

Okay, five:

5. Nan Tolbert: Though she is so sadly no longer with us, Nan brought incredible joy and kindness to families through the Birth Resource and Family Center. I'm so bummed she's not here any more, but her energy lives on in the Nan Tolbert Nurturing Center.

There are truly amazing people who live here!

Tyler!!!

he has made the biggest difference giving us this forum and maintaining buddhist-like equanimity as the egos and arrows fly...

Dale Hanson!

More about her later!!

When community organizers need money, they often put on a benefit concert and the first person they call is Alan Thornhill. Whether as a musician, singer or sound system technician, Alan has helped fund more causes in this valley than anyone I can think of.

ditto on Alan Thornhill.
I hope I can come back next lifetime and play guitar 1/2 as well as Alan.
Truly the James Taylor of the valley.

Kenley & Leslie!
When we had a shooting on Drown they opened their home to the entire neighborhood as a forum to discuss our fears and our hopes, and to remind us that we are all neighbors and in this together.
Oh, and of course all the time and effort they put in with the chain store initiative.

i'm impressed with Leigh for BOTH posts...so clear, poignant, and real! i'm also genuinely excited to see so much appreciation flying around, but i must admit to a tiny gripe:

the kind of volunteer work, humanitarianism, philanthropy, and consciousness that all of these people are being appropriately attributed precisely fits into my definition of Peace, and recognizing efforts like that is precisely the aim of the Ojai Peace Coalition's "Noble Peace Prize", to be awarded for the second time ever this year on Friday, September 19th as part of the opening ceremonies of "Living Peace in Ojai".

where were all of these great recommendations when i asked - TWICE - for Noble Peace Prize nominations? (the nominating period has closed for this year, but you can nominate for next year!)

Oh, mea culpa, Evan!

That's a legitimate gripe.

I saw that you were looking a while back, filed it away to think about, and never got back to it.

Solemn promise to do better next year!

Best,
Leigh

sorry Evan.
"Noble Peace Prize" carries such a limited lofty aura about it that I wouldn't dare nominate anyone.
People who are nominated for being "helpful" can run the gamut from promoting peace to being "agent provocateurs", agitating the system to reveal a deeper truth.

Suza Frazina!

thanks, Leigh...i'm glad to know it wasn't passed over completely! :)

Anonymous #9, i REALLY appreciate your feedback. if you feel up to it, i'd love to hear more about what "limited lofty aura" means to you. perhaps the NPP can be re-visioned to be less intimidating...

i don't mean to break the current of recognition, so please continue! i'll reiterate Leigh's call to post:
Who are your local community organizer heroes?

Howard Smith and Jerry Kaplan!

Howard Kaplan & Jerry Smith!!

Evan-
I'm not sure I can elaborate much further.
You obviously have a very heightened consciousness about "peace".
I see it as a fairly distant concept that doesn't get much traction in a current world seemingly filled with conflict, competition, posturing, etc.
Obviously there are "peacemakers" (perhaps better called "dealmakers"), otherwise humankind would probably have ceased existing long ago.
I guess I just prefer "activists", whether they use peace, "stink bombs", or can just plain embarrass someone/something into change.
I am not a big fan of NVC.
Just not enough "bite" for this ex new Yorker.

Peace out

that is very enlightening indeed, anonymous #9&14! thank you!

jock doubleday & dvorah adler for their thought provoking performance art in parks,parking lots, and trees.