The Ojai Post

Nomi Morris, an honest-to-God foreign correspondent, who put together a special report on Haiti a few years back for the Canadian newsmagazine Macleans, will speak on the earthquake and the humanitarian crisis in Haiti tonight evening at Theater 150.

She's a friend, a good speaker, and a good answerer of questions, so I encourage the curious and the concerned of Ojai to come out and join us at Theater 150's excellent space for presentation and talkback.

Here are the details, as reported by the Star:

OJAI — Theater 150 will host journalist Nomi Morris at 7 p.m. Monday for a presentation and discussion entitled “Haiti: Where It Has Been, Where It Is Heading.”

Morris, a former Middle East bureau chief for Knight Ridder Newspapers, and a former Berlin correspondent for Time magazine, reported from Haiti after the Clinton-era intervention of the mid-1990s.

Now a resident of Ojai, she writes and speaks on current affairs, focusing on the issues behind the news headlines. Her talk will put the Haiti earthquake disaster in the context of the country’s history and decades of international aid efforts.

For details on the address, etc., please see below:

The event is part of Theater 150’s new Local Access initiative, a community service provided to residents of the Ojai Valley.

The theater is at 316 E. Matilija St.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for students and seniors. Admission is first come, first served. For more information on Theater 150, go to http://www.theater150.org.

Posted by Kit Stolz at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today is January 30: Day One of the 64-day Season For Nonviolence that spans the death dates of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. It is in honor of the lives, work, and commitment of these men and others who advanced the consciousness and practice of nonviolence in profound and dramatic ways, and who continue to inspire peoples’ personal, social, and political lives to this day, that we invest the energy to consider one reflection or practice each day during this period.

1. Today, I will reflect on what Peace means to me.

COURAGE: Light a candle to symbolize your commitment to accept the courage to practice 64 Ways of living nonviolently.

Follow the Season at ojaipeace.org!

Posted by evan austin at 08:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

What's up, Ojai?

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Ojai Calendar Project is celebrating the birthday of Mr. February, Buddy Wilds tonight at Made in Ojai from 6 to 9pm. The party will continue at Movino's where Daniel Ash will spin.

This event is the final event in Ojai for the calendar. As many of you know, this year's calendar has been an uphill battle since the beginning. Between Bret's being fired and my injury in December, all calendar sales came to a screeching halt. So, we've got to get them out there and recoup our losses. But it's about more than selling the calendar. It's about promoting the events of Ojai. Most people don't realize that the Men of Ojai calendar has most all of Ojai's arts events posted in the calendar. We're taking that a step further with a new website and posting events on Ojaievents.com (thanks Tyler!) Our goal is to have a nonprofit organization that helps support the arts community with fund raising events and collaborative projects between the arts and business communities, and supporting arts education. There are future events planned, such as collaborations with a couple of Ventura nonprofits coming up and this spring, a Fabulous Hat Party! We still have bills to pay and a children's art program to fund, so we need your support.

Calendars will be distributed to stores and sell for $10. A portion of the proceeds from these sales will go to the arts organization that the retailer chooses. There will be a raffle of Valentine prizes and a sale of the remaining framed calendar portraits. You can also make a tax-deductable donation.

So, come out and have a good time and support a local cause. Your attendance will be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Posted by Demitri Corbin at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Join the Ojai Valley Democratic Club for a FAREWELL CELEBRATION in honor of

SUE BROIDY

Many people in Ojai know Sue, not just through her work with the OVDC and the California Democratic Party, but through her volunteer work in everything from the OVGC to affordable housing and the homeless task force. Come help us celebrate this wonderful member of our community.

When: Monday, Jan 25th at 7 pm

Where: Ojai Art Center
113 S. Montgomery St
Ojai, CA 93023

Potluck information and Details after the break.

It is with sadness that I must report that our Secretary and Financial Officer, Sue Broidy, is leaving Ojai and moving to Colorado next month. It is not mere hyperbole to say that Sue has been like a force of nature in Democratic politics here in Ventura County. In addition to serving as our prime motivator and Secretary here in Ojai, she is also the Region 10 Director for the California Democratic Party.

I have often marveled at Sue's energy and dedication which propels her, on her own dime in her own car, from the Monterey County line to Los Angeles in the service of the Democratic Party and democracy.

In addition to her volunteer work for the Democrats, she is also a Director and Resource Chair for the Ojai Valley Green Coalition, a member of the Ventura County Homeless Task Force and until recently she sat on the board of the McCune Foundation Grant Committee. This is but a partial list of Sue's affiliations and achievments.

Her ability to keep tabs on all facets of national, state, regional, county and local politics will be sorely missed and impossible to replace.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Come and join us for a potluck at the Ojai Art Center. If you are interested in bringing something, please read the following:

People with last names ending in
A-G bring a salad,
H-S bring a main dish,
T -Z desserts.

UPDATE - Also, a bottle of wine or other libation is greatly appreciated, though we do need volunteers to participate in the potluck.

2nd Update - I'm currently cooking the best Chicken Andouille and Shrimp Gumbo ever. Also, you need not be a member of the OVDC to come at try some. Just come on out and say farewell to Sue.

If you would like to assist in planning and setup for the party please contact Carol Smith at csmit2u@yahoo.com.

Posted by Sean P. Keenan at 06:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

from Randy, who I'll try to get to introduce himself beyond a first name...

Happy New Year Watchers! Our local crime activity was relatively slow during the holiday season, which is always a good thing. As we leave the holidays behind us, things are still slow. However, a developing trend might put some Ojai Valley ranchers and rural property owners at risk for theft of their high $$$ equipment.

The cold wet weather we’ve been experiencing usually puts a damper on many police-related issues. However, professional thieves steal for a living and never take a break. These crooks often prefer to work in nasty weather. Rain and wind help mask their activity making it difficult for anyone to catch them in the act. We currently have some of these pros working down the Central Coast into our area stealing agricultural equipment under the cover of darkness and bad weather.

Detectives from Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura County have been monitoring an organized theft ring that has targeted pumps, generators, welders, air compressors, and spray rigs on ranch properties. However, anything of value is fair game. They usually break into storage containers (connex boxes, shipping containers) defeating the lock with bolt cutters.

These thieves were last reported to be working the north part of Santa Barbara County and are probably moving south. The Ojai Valley area ranches and rural properties, especially along S.R. 150, are prime targets for this group.

This type of equipment is expensive and often difficult to replace. I would suggest locking all containers, sheds and barns with a lock that has a hardened shackle. This makes it very difficult to defeat with bolt-cutters. Some locks even have modifications that shroud the shackle. These types of locks make it nearly impossible for bolt cutters to get a grip on the shackle.

Recovering stolen property and proving who actually owns it can be very difficult for law enforcement. I would suggest you write down the brand, model and serial number of your equipment. These identifiers are critical in the investigative process and the return of your property.

The information you provide could solve a crime spree that spans across at least three counties. Let's catch these crooks!

Be Safe,
Randy

========================================

This is a follow-up to yesterday's alert. One of our Watchers is a retired deputy sheriff and had some previous experience with similar theft rings. He recalled the thieves used pickup trucks towing trailers (i.e. landscape, tree services, etc..) If you see something like this driving around in the middle of the night just right down a license plate if possible, the vehicle description , and the name of any business displayed. These types of work trucks are rarely out on the road late at night. You can then email me the info and I'll pass it along to our detectives.

However, if you encounter anyone like this driving away from a ranch or rural business in the middle of the night chances are you stumbled across our thieves. Please call the info immediately into our dispatch center at (805) 654-9511.

Thanks,
Randy

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 05:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

most clearly-beauteous-awakening day ever ...

and not a 'Chief' among us!

the Canalino-Chumash (pre-Chumash?), as much Matrifocal as 'Patri-modified' by the Franciscan Missionaries, never had a Chief -- though many a prosperous Wot and an ?Antap did sing ...

Frog, Toad, Salamander, Turtle ...

and uncounted Condors and Buzzards, Owls and Eagles, Hawks and Falcons
(Foxes, Coyotes, Wildcats, Puma ...)

did, joyously, abound ...

(what 'see', say, thee?)

Posted by Millennium Twain at 06:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

from the VCSD: Special Services Bureau / Narcotics Unit...

On January 13, 2010, Sheriff’s narcotics investigators completed an investigation into methamphetamine sales with the arrest of Arcelia Gil (Age 36, Casitas Springs). Investigators had received information from several sources that Gil was selling methamphetamine. Detectives were surveilling Gil when they observed her meet with another subject near Rose Ave and Lockwood St in the city of Oxnard. Detectives saw what appeared to be a narcotics transaction and arrested Gil while seizing approximately one ounce of methamphetamine. Gil was booked into the Sheriff’s Main Jail for sales of a controlled substance.
Location: 8200 Block of North Ventura Ave, Casitas Springs

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 08:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Corporatist Rising

Not many people realize that we have a constitutionally limited, representative democracy in this country. It hasn't worked perfectly, but it did work better than no democracy at all. I say DID because it is now dead. This post isn't about the election Tuesday in Mass or the DLC infiltration of the of the Obama administration or any of those little problems. All of those little problems are swept away with today's Supreme Court decision.

In a 5-4 decision written by the weak sister in the Opus Dei cabal, Justice Anthony Kennedy proclaimed that corporations are the same as "natural persons", meaning that they have all of the same rights that we mere mortals have. Specifically, corporations have the right to free speech which means that laws to limit or regulate campaign contributions, like McCain Feingold, are now unconstitutional.

Previously, the idea that corporations were the same as "natural persons" existed in Supreme Court precedent because of the head note of a Supreme Court ruling during the previous Gilded Age in 1886 called Santa Clara County v Southern Pacific Railroad. That actual ruling did not grant personhood to corporations. In fact, the chief justice at the time, Morrison Waite, did not even address the issue anywhere in the decision. Nevertheless, this decision became the foundation for the whole corporate personhood theory because the court reporter, J.C. Bancroft Davis, stated the following in what is called the head note of the decision:

"The court does not wish to hear argument on the question whether the provision in the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which forbids a State to deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws, applies to these corporations. We are all of the opinion that it does."

If all of that history and Supreme Court precedent sounds pretty thin, it's because it is pretty thin. The entire thing is based on the head note of a former Railroad President who wasn't even a justice. Well, today the Robert's Court blew away all question with this 5-4 decision. It is arguably the worst decision since Dred Scott v Sanford or Bush v Gore. The Dred Scott decision held that African Americans brought into the country as slaves and their decedents were not and never could be citizens. This ruling today effectively makes us all slaves of a corporatist state because our rights will be drowned out by the vast resources of corporations. That is how bad this decision is for our country.

If you are still not getting it, this decision means that corporations can spend as much as they like to get candidates they want elected to any and all elected positions. They can buy airtime the night before the election on every station and run whatever content they like. The vast sums of money donated to Barak Obama in 2008 by individual citizens in small denominations can now be blotted out by one check from a corporation like Goldman Sachs. This ruling turns our democracy into a fascist state.

The only way to fix this is with a Constitutional Amendment. Several concerned citizens are trying to mount a move to amend to get a new Constitutional Amendment that will clarify the founders intent that only "NATURAL PERSONS" are citizens with the attendant rights of citizens. There are a number of amendment strategies that could be employed and I will be writing about those as they develop. My current favorite is an amendment to the 14th Amendment itself that changes the word "person" in the language to "natural person" everywhere it appears. Doing so would eliminate the whole argument and I like the elegance of the solution, but it may be that we will need write an entirely new Amendment to eliminate the corporatist threat. If you have read this far, go to this link and sign the online petition. Go on every social media platform you can find and tell people about this issue. Blog about it, comment about it, go out in the street and yell about it. We cannot allow this thing to stand.

For a long time we have been laboring under an artificial left-right paradigme where people who have everything in common decide that they are against each other because of minor, cultural issues used by the corporations to divide us. The new paradigm in this country is actually the same that the founders faced. This country was started with a Revolution against a royally chartered CORPORATION.

Cross posted at ismskism

Posted by Sean P. Keenan at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (69)

Good morning, who's ready for a big storm today? Thunderstorms should start around 2pm, with some fairly heavy rain coming in this morning. CHP is reporting that Highway 33 is closed at La Luna, due to rock and mud slides at Wheeler Gorge and Rose Valley. Get your sandbags at the fire stations if you need 'em, and consider Wii Fit instead of a hike into the mountains today...stay dry and report in if you have news.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 08:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

from the fine folk at the Ojai Foundation...

Malidoma Somé, author, diviner, ritual specialist and initiated Elder of the Dagara Tribe of Burkino Faso, West Africa will be in Ojai all next week offering a public talk, private divinations and a weekend-long retreat. Given the name “be friends with the stranger” at birth, Malidoma believes he is fulfilling his destiny by bringing Dagara wisdom and rituals to westerners seeking to revitalize their connection with nature, magic and community.

For many years, Malidoma Somé has been sharing the stories, wisdom and spiritual practices of the Dagara tribe with people all over the world. These ancient ways which sustained his people and the environment they lived in for thousands of years are now being called for in the west. Malidoma explains, “At this critical time in history, the earth’s people are awakening to a deep need for global healing. African wisdom, so long held secret, is being called on to provide tools to enable us to move into a more peaceful and empowered way of being, both within ourselves and within our communities.”

Malidoma’s personal story of being kidnapped at age four by Jesuit missionaries and his fifteen years at an English-speaking boarding school, gives an intimate glimpse into some of the horrors of colonization and is told in his award-winning book “Of Water and the Spirit.” More about his life and work can be found at www.malidoma.com.

For information about his Public Talk on Thursday, January 28, 7:30 pm at The Ojai Foundation go to www.ojaifoundation.org or call 646-8343. For information about his Jan.29-31 retreat and grief ritual at Casa De La Luna call 633-4624. For appointments for Private Divination Sessions with Malidoma call Yetunde at (407) 574-5350.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A little public service announcement from the Sheriff's Dept 2/2:

The Ventura County Emergency Operations Center is issuing the following advisory regarding the possibility of damaging landslides and debris flows occurring throughout Ventura County due to heavy rain.

There are several areas throughout Ventura County containing landslide hazards and areas susceptible to mud and debris flows. The 1995 and 2005 landslides that struck the community of La Conchita are an example of a hazard area that continues to threaten life and property.

Portions of Ventura County have also been subjected to wildfires and are therefore susceptible to potentially hazardous debris flows. These areas include localities that are adjacent to and downslope from these recent burn areas, especially in locations that are within ravines and canyons, and at the mouths of canyons.

Landslides and debris flows can begin without warning and move rapidly. Whereas debris flows may occur suddenly during or immediately following a period of heavy rainfall, landslides may occur many days or even weeks later when hillsides become saturated and destabilized.

Individuals living on or below hillsides or in canyons should be especially alert for potential land failures. Hillsides and canyons that have demonstrated landslides or debris flows in the past are likely to experience them again.

For additional information, please visit the County of Ventura website and click on the Disaster Information page (www.countyofventura.org/disasterinformation).

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 09:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A little public service announcement from the Sheriff's Dept 1/2:

The County of Ventura continues to get battered by recent storm activity. As these storms move through our area, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Aviation-Search and Rescue Unit would like to remind all residents, parents and school administrators of the dangers that accompany this type of weather.

As the local mountains and hillsides reach their saturation points, the chances for flash floods, mudslides, and large amounts of storm run-off in the local drainage channels, increases dramatically. Recent calls for service can serve as a reminder:

• Hikers in the Ventura County back country ventured into the wilderness knowing of the approaching storm systems. These individuals were subsequently overcome by a flash flood and mudslide, and had to be evacuated by a Sheriff’s helicopter and rescue crew.

• Two young children entered a drainage channel in the Thousand Oaks area. Both children subsequently ended up in the fast moving and potentially deadly water. Luckily, one child was able to pull both herself and her brother out of danger.

The Ventura County back country is a beautiful place. However, during heavy storms the creeks rise quickly and without warning. Mud and rockslides also occur frequently during these heavy rain events. Please refrain from entering the backcountry until after the storms have long passed, and always notify a friend or loved one of your plans and location when entering the wilderness.

Please ensure that your friends and loved ones do not attempt to cross moving water - either on foot or in vehicles. Normally shallow water crossings become very hazardous during heavy rains as the water flows increase without warning.

Increased water flows in the local drainage channels can be very attractive and luring to kids and young adults. A simple slip and fall into this fast moving water often proves to be fatal, even to the best of swimmers. Please ensure that your children are admonished on the dangers of the fast moving water and told not enter any of these areas.

Increased surf activity at the local beaches is another hazard that draws people to the shoreline to view the large waves and heavy surf. Please do not enter the water or venture out onto the jetties or rocks along the local beaches. Large waves are unpredictable and past incidents have taught us that getting washed into the heavy surf often proves to be fatal, even to the best of swimmers.

Please report any dangerous activity on or around waterways and beaches over the following days. Prevention and early detection is key to avoiding tragedies.

A Sheriff’s Department water safety video can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/venturasheriff

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 09:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

quite a photo, courtesy RoscoeFoto, h/t HS

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 05:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

From the CHP:

A rockslide has been reported on Creek Road at Country Club Drive in the Ojai area.

A large boulder is creating a traffic hazard on CA-150, just east of the 101.

Traffic hazard on CA-33 at Camino Cielo, approx. 1 mile north of Bodee's Restaurant

UPDATE: 3:30pm - none of these incidents are appearing as active on the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 02:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I received this from an Emergency Management email list - it was written yesterday and distributed this morning...

A tornado touched down in Huntington Beach today (actually it was a water spout that came on land); for public safety purposes procedures are the same as land tornados. There continues to be lots of instability and moisture, so there is a chance of more tornado/funnel cloud activity for the rest of the week, so you may wish to educate your staff on basic tornado safety instruction (follows).

Tornado Public Safety Instruction (from the National Weather Service):

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE... SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE... LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

That National Weather Service predicts a lull in storm activity tonight and into tomorrow morning, which is good news for the morning commute. There are TWO more BIG storms coming, as opposed to the ONE we have heard about to date.

The next BIG storm will be late tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon and night; likely see the pattern similar to what we saw today. Rain will begin in earnest in the evening, 1 to 2 inch of rain. A 4th storm coming in Thursday afternoon will continue into the night. Rain amounts similar to what we have seen.

The ground is pretty close to saturated, so this additional rainfall will create problems in urban and rural area street and stream flooding is expected until Friday afternoon/night. Saturday is expected to be dry.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I had a meeting at the Ojai Valley Museum offices today, and had a bit of time after to walk through the Go Green Ojai exhibit which runs through February 14th. It is an extremely impressive community collaboration, with fantastic displays, real materials crafted for the exhibit, great documentation and a lot of love for the sustainability movement and the OVGC's efforts valley-wide. Please do make the time to go see it while its up. Following is information on a series of talks that will act as an educational companion to the exhibit.

"GO GREEN, OJAI!” LECTURE SERIES AT OJAI VALLEY MUSEUM
Talks Scheduled from January 24 through February 11

(Ojai, Calif. ~ January 18, 2009) Never tiring in its drive to educate, inform, and even entertain, the Ojai Valley Green Coalition is now presenting, in collaboration with the Ojai Valley Museum, the “Go Green, Ojai!” lecture series.

The series of eight talks will investigate the concept of going green and the newest tests, tools, and tips on how to do it. It is a companion to the well-received “Go Green Ojai” exhibit running until February 14 at the museum, located at 130 W. Ojai Avenue.

Local representatives of the green building industry, including architects, builders, and designers, will answer big questions like, “What is green building and why does it matter?” and “How do I decide what green products and designs will work for me?” The lectures will offer information focused on different aspects of green design, from the practical underpinnings to the eye-catching finishing touches that keep the environment in mind.

All lectures are $5 suggested donation. For more detailed information, go to ojaivalleygreencoalition.org or call (805) 669-8445, or visit ojaivalleymuseum.org or call (805) 640-1390.

The following are the details of the lecture series:

Sunday, January 24, 5-6:00 p.m., “Green Building: What Is It, and Why Does It Matter?” with David Intner, AIA, LEED AP, of Firmitas Architecture and Planning

Thursday, January 28, 7-8:00 p.m., “Picture Your Yard’s Possibilities Using Computer Imaging” with Diane J. Squire of D. J. Squire Designs

Saturday, January 30, 5-6:00 p.m., “How to Decide what Green Products and Designs to Incorporate Into Your Home” with designer/builder Kerry Miller

Sunday, January 31, 5 – 6:00 p.m., “Building Performance and Energy Efficiency for Your Home” with Tim Broderick, Building and Energy Consultant

Thursday, February 4, 7-8:00 p.m., “How Green Design and Building Relates to Cost, Climate and Lifestyle” with Reggie Wood of West Wood Construction

Saturday, February 6, 5-6:00 p.m., “Renovating with Natural Materials” with Carolyn Marie Hernandez of the Natural Building Network

Thursday, February 11, 7:00-7:30 p.m., “Solutions to Create a Healthy Eco-Home” with Jon Cotham of Jon Cotham Construction & Environmental Testing

Thursday, February 11, 7:30-8:00 p.m., “Eco-Elegant Kitchens and Baths” with Cynthia Grier of Ecologic Life

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 08:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

...from Gobbell Productions. great stuff...

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 06:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

No doubt you are well aware of the disaster, needs, and response in Haiti, and if you're like me it can seem overwhelming to know how to help. Specifically, there can be a general doubt about where your money (if that's how you choose to reach out) is best placed, given that many relief organizations - including the Red Cross - have high overhead costs that divert some of the funds away from direct relief. It is not my intention to judge or discourage past or future donations to great orgs like the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and others...but i would like to make you aware - with a grateful hat-tip to Lisa Snider of Radio Ojai - of Direct Relief International, which "provides medical assistance to improve the quality of life for people affected by poverty, disaster, and civil unrest at home and throughout the world. We work to strengthen the in-country health efforts of our partners by providing essential material resources – medicines, supplies and equipment."

Why is DRI so special? For one thing, spending less than one-half of one percent of their annual support on fundraising and less than one percent on administration means that 99% of funds go directly to relief. For those of us in Ventura County, there's another bonus: DRI is based in nearby Santa Barbara. Two great reasons to donate to Haiti relief today? i think so.

Cross-posted on the Ojai Peace Coalition Action Blog.

Posted by evan austin at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From the Ventura County Sheriff's Department / Aviation-SAR Unit...

On 1-16-10, Jonathan Fulthorpe and Dylan Beckett went hiking and camping on the Potrero John Trail. They had planned to camp until Tuesday, 1-19-10, at which time they would hike out and be picked up by Dylan’s grandfather, John Beckett.

Today, 1-18-10, John Beckett decided that the camping trip should be cut short due to the incoming weather conditions. He drove to the trailhead and hiked up the trail to the camp. Once there, he told Dylan and Jonathan that staying the extra day was a bad idea and they should pack up and leave right away. Dylan and Jonathan agreed and broke down camp immediately.

On the hike out of the canyon, the trail crossed the river. The river had risen, but the group decided to cross anyway. All three of them were swept downstream in the river and separated. Jonathan managed to get out of the river after several attempts, but could not locate John or Dylan. He hiked out of the canyon and flagged down a passing Caltrans vehicle. The Caltrans employee called the Sheriff’s Department and reported the incident. The Ventura County Sheriff's Department sent it’s rescue helicopter, Copter 6, and a patrol deputy to the location.

Meanwhile, after several attempts, John and Dylan managed to get out of the river too. Shortly after getting out, a major mudslide roared through the canyon and wiped out the trail. In addition, large amounts of debris clogged the canyon and blocked any attempt for them to hike out. They decided to hike east and over a ridge to the next canyon in an attempt to get to Highway 33, which was still about one mile away.

Copter 6 arrived on scene and began a search of the canyon. They located the campground and the freshly used fire pit. Then, after a brief search, located a sleeping bag where the trail was washed away. Copter 6 continued their search and located Dylan on a ridge. The helicopter was able to hover next to the ridge top and load Dylan on board. Dylan then directed the helicopter to his grandfather, John, who was in the bottom of the canyon east of Potrero John. Both Dylan and John were flown to a landing area near the trailhead where they were evaluated and released. The hikers were all tired and cold, but none of them were injured in the incident.

The Sheriff’s Department would like to remind everyone that participating in outdoor activities during times of severe weather is a bad idea. Flash floods, mudslides and debris runoff from recent burn areas create huge dangers. Please use caution and avoid these danger areas.

John Beckett, Ojai, 60
Dylan Beckett, Ventura, 17
Jonathan Fulthorpe, Ventura, 17

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The other day Tyler Suchman posted a brief item entitled, Medical Marijuana on the OVN (January 17, 2010) in which he noted that the Ojai Valley News is accepting advertising for medical marijuana. He asked the question, "When did the public perception shift enough that a rather conservative publication such as the OVN would accept a medical marijuana advertisement? Was there a tipping point, such as Attorney General Eric Holder’s statement in February that the DEA would end its raids on state-approved marijuana dispensaries? "

Here's a related editorial by Ojai writer John Wilcock, who has been studying marijuana since 1961.

Guest Editorial by John Wilcock: Contemplating Medical Marijuana
Now that virtually every community is suffering a surfeit of medical marijuana clinics, it’s become an issue that clamors for discussion. Sure, there are too many of these places, many run by greed heads whose life plan is to make a good living out of patients’ suffering. (There are also too many for-profit hospitals).

But let us agree, to begin with, that if people are sick, they deserve to benefit from anything that makes them feel better. What kind of bigoted humbug is eager to challenge that?

As for sickness, who is it that has the arrogance to declare that if the sickness is mental, rather than physical, the patient has no right to a remedy that can alleviate the pain? We all know people so screwed up that only something like a drug can get them out of their funk. Thus, the success of Big Pharm’s Valium and its billion-dollar clones.

It’s almost half a century since “underground papers” ( precursors of the less-radical, commercialized “alternative press”) universally sought two things: ending the Vietnam War and the legalization of marihuana. Even by then, millions had become aware that, despite the posturing of drug-crazed pols, that here was a blessed herb that could benefit the world.

Everybody thought then that the rest of civilization would come to its senses and recognize this. Yet here we are 40 years later, still with enough defiantly ignorant simpletons insisting that boo is a “gateway” to more lethal drugs, when precisely the opposite is probably true: that legalizing it, is offering a step back for the addicted. Surely this is a less-harmful remedy than discredited methadone?

Let’s face the fact that, after several thousand years of use, hemp is here to stay. And currently it’s in the news as it again becomes legitimized through the back door. Which happens to be the way everything becomes legal when the tipping point arrives. Who could even guess at the number of people who have smoked marijuana? It has to be in the billions.

Maybe medical marijuana, should be overseen by some kind of Hemp Authority. Millions of voters might support a proposal like that, and which would offer a rational and acceptable concept that the many cowardly pols could exploit.

But back to the abundance of marijuana clinics. We don’t want them in every part of town just as we don’t want liquor stores on every corner. And if they’re not legalized they’re ripping their patients off and selling to minors. Alcohol makes people aggressive and shortens lives, including their own, but an aggressive pothead is an oxymoron.

And the first death from a marijuana overdose is yet to be reported.

Paul Krassner tells the story of political victim.

Peter McWilliams was a dedicated activist in the medical marijuana movement. He survived cancer but the pills that enabled him to control his AIDS nauseated him.. Ironically, if he threw up his lunch, the regurgitation would also include the nausea-producing pills he needed to stay alive. Smoking pot would both increase his appetite and counteract the nausea.

In 1998, he was arrested as the kingpin of a conspiracy to cultivate and distribute medical marijuana. In his essay Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do: The Absurdity of Consensual Crime in a Free Society, he had chronicled the cruelty of putting people in prison who had not harmed anyone. At his trial he was denied a medical-marijuana defense. and a federal judge prohibited him from smoking his medicine as he awaited sentencing.

"Something that a lot of people don't realize," he told me” , is that when you smoke marijuana regularly--several times a day--it loses its euphoric effect. The medical benefits continue--relief of nausea, pain (physical or emotional), spasticity, excessive eye pressure (glaucoma)--but the euphoria effects go away. Simply put, recreational marijuana you use to get high; medical marijuana you use to get by."

He was subject to random drug tests for two years as his sentencing date was repeatedly postponed. His AIDS medications caused nausea, but he couldn't smoke pot to keep it down. And he vomited, day after day. Two months before he was due to be sentenced, he was found dead in his bathtub. He had died from asphyxiation. He had choked to death on his own vomit.

Peter McWilliams was murdered by a system of power without compassion.

John Wilcock has been studying marijuana since 1961. His book, The Weed That Changed the World has never found a publisher. His articles on a wide range of topics can be found on http://www.ojaiorange.com/

Published in the Ojai Valley News, October, 28, 2009.

Note from Suza, recommended reading: The Emperor Wears No Cothes, by Jack Herer, Drug Crazy, by Mike Gray and Food of the Gods, by Terence McKenna.

Posted by Suza Francina at 08:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The legendary estate that sits on the far side of Sulphur Mountain is up for sale. I'm not aware of the Hagmans' plans going forward, but I know they have been good citizens and valued members of the Ojai community for many, many years.

Larry Hagman and his wife Maj have listed their 43-acre Ojai estate for $11 Million. The 9-Bedroom 14-Bath Mediterranean-style estate is located at 9950 Sulphur Mountain Road, Ojai, CA 93023 – about 50 miles from Santa Barbara and about 80 miles from Los Angeles. Apparently Hagman converted the entire estate to solar power so that his annual electrical bill was a mere $13.00 – down from $37,000...he spent $750,000 on the project but he did receive a $300,000 credit from the electric company.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Wow, its coming down. Over 1/2 an inch in the last hour in some areas including Sulphur Mountain, Matilija Canyon and Sisar Peak. Any reports of flooding out there yet? Any photos or videos to share?

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I think its great that the Ojai Valley News is accepting advertising for medical marijuana. (disclosure: the advertiser approached The Ojai Post, but we've maintained a non-commercial position) It's a viable alternative healing medicine that otherwise would direct people into the clutches of Big Pharma for painkillers, muscle relaxants, anti-nausea medication, etc.

When did the public perception shift enough that a rather conservative publication such as the OVN would accept a medical marijuana advertisement? Was there a tipping point, such as Attorney General Eric Holder’s statement in February that the DEA would end its raids on state-approved marijuana dispensaries? Did El Marijuanero join the OVN board?

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 03:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

it's been nearly forty years since I walked on, played-around, Kahus, 'Black Mountain'. the hill below Sulphur Mountain, between Soule Park and Lion Creek.

Kahus, or Kaxus, is in the Matilija dialect of the Chumash, which was apparently spoken by all the greater valley tribes from S'eqp'e (knee), Sespe canyon, to Shisholop (Ventura), perhaps as far North as Mount Pinos, Iwihinmu, and far East as Mupu, Sanata Paula.

now of course (where Bear's head is?) the hill is scarred by oil wells, which can be seen from almost anywhere in the valley. I don't know if it got the moniker 'Black Mountain' from the oil wells, or because it may have been referred to in Chumash days as the 'Black' Bear (Brown Bear, Grizzly Bear?).

in the way WAY back -- when the Sabertooth Cats and Mammoths and Mastodons, and Giant Beavers, Giant Wolves, Giant Deer, Giant Condors etc. still ranged the valley -- there was also a Giant Pleistocene Bear, 'Giant Short Faced Bear', Arctodus Simus -- so we don't know how long the 'Bear' name/personality has been associated with this lone mountain.

I will ask our local Chumash Elder 'Red Bear' if he knew of the Kahus name from his 1950's youth, when Ceremonial Solstice and Harvest gatherings were still held by remaining tribal families here. (despite his name, Red Bear is from the Chumash Dolphin Clan, not Bear Clan, of which Gramma Adelina Padilla, and I believe Gramma Julie Tumamait, are members.)

other village placenames, from Coyote Creek to Santa Paula, that are still preserved today include Kaspat Kaxwa, Sulukukay, Nanuntsala'w, Koyo, Kalnahalkay, Kakuw, Matil'ha, Lewlew, Ketsiwin, A'aqta'waq, Ka'amamha, Auhay, Situk'e'm (lion creek), Sitotopa, Sihawha'w, Sisa, Siyopyop, Ka'alishaw ka'o, Aliwolhoyoy, Mupu, Kowach'iwshmu, Ka'alushyu hoch ka'o ...

Kaspat Kaxwa, or Kaspat Kahwa, translates as nest (kaspat) of the heron, and is the village area located just West of Ojala, South of Matilija Creek above the Matilija Lake. Koyo, 'beginning' or 'birth place', is the name of the Village on Coyote Creek, the river leading out of Mount Chismahoo, the creation goddess of the Matilija people.

Sulukukay and Nanuntsala'w are other villages on upper Coyote Creek; and Kalnahalkay and Kakuw are on the lower end of the creek, near Lake Casitas West. Kalnahalkay could be the famous 'demon with a pack-basket, 'Ka'alhelek'ech, but I may be off in in my spellings and pronunciations there, still checking that one. Lewlew village is just East of Lake Casitas, between it and the Matilija (Ventura) River, and just South of the expansive Matilija Village region. it was made famous in the "The Old Woman and the Lewlew" story, probably from Maria Solares, recorded by John P. Harrington in 1919, yet so far I can't recall reading about it, only finding it described as a "short semi-historical semi-mythological text" in the archives of the University of California, Berkeley (searching a Rutgers University site now ...)

ok, all I got out of the Rutgers database is that Lewlew was "a mythological creature" ... need to look in the "December's Child" book by Blackburn.

continuing: Ka'amamha, "to stalk", Village on our San Antonio creek; Sitoptopa means 'lots of cane' or 'lots of grass', for the village area between Senior and Horn canyons; Sihawha'w, Village of the Foxes, is in Upper Ojai, between Horn and the Sycamore and Sisar canyons; Sisa ("eyelash") is the village just beyond 'Sisar' canyon; Siyopyop Village, "much tar" is in our Canada de la Brea neighborhood; Ka'alishaw ka'o (Ka'Alishaw, the Sun) is the hot springs at Sulphur Mountain, again in Upper Ojai, just before Camp Bartlett, on the Ranches where the Chumash Princess and many other graves were uncovered decades ago, and committed to Museum boxes until a new home land preserve is found for them. [there is a famous valley story of the boy who discovered one of the skulls, and was haunted/possessed until the skull was returned to the place of its discovery.]

Aliwolhoyoy, or 'Alaliwolhoyoyo, was the Village at "One that Falls", the waterfall just past the Punch Bowl on Santa Paula Creek; Mupu Village site at Arroyo Mupu, become Sananta Paula, Santa Paula.

have been spending many hours of late in the Chumash collections at the Ventura Museum library, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History library, and downloading lots of journal articles and dictionaries off the net, and scribbling lots of notes, but as yet haven't had time to organize them -- so will have many many more animal and placenames, and stars and constellations, and stories soon, to add to this 'little bear' of a start.

a short, unfinished, list of animal, star, constellation and place names -- from a notepad at hand -- Ahsak, turtle place; 'Ahwawilashmu, dancing place; 'Akiwo, Star; 'Alahsaiyai, "Una Cosa Sagrada", a sacred thing; 'Alapay, sky; Ahlaj-bai, above in the sky; 'Alj-hia, 'anaqpuw, wildcat, near Maricopa; 'Aluwuk'u, eater of people, NorthWest of Ventura; Anap-ahp-man, racoon; Hoy, ancient flying creature; Huspat (Kaspat) hulkilik, nest of the kilik songbird; 'Ilihiy, Iluhui, Little Bear, Little Dipper, Guardian Stars constellation; 'ili'wi, the lost one; 'Iqut 'i qup, a comet, "news without foundation"; Iwihinmu, Liyik'shup, Mt. Pinos, Center of the Earth, "the place nobody knows where", "whence came the spirit"; 'Iyitaku, Yitimasih 'akiwi, the Pleiades; Kamup, "the cave"; Kasap shi'ishaw, "House of the Sun" on Red Mountain, NorthWest of Ventura; Kashomshomoy, "kind of animal", Village at Santa Ana, between Lewlew and Matilija; Kaspat kaslo'w, nest of the Eagle; Kayiwishiwash, the Skull, near Canada Larga; Kayowoyow, the demon; Kinapuh'e, vicinity of ocean mouth of Matilija River; Manohonoh awawaw, boys transformed into Geese, probably the Big Dipper; Maptalamaxax, Masaxihua, Orion's Belt aka Masiq loka 'iyilike, Three Bear Shamans, 'Three Steady People in their Places"; Mech, the Seven-Starred constellation in the South when Canis Major and Leporis are visible, resembles the Little Dipper; Mitsqanaqa'n, Jaw of the Coyote, Santa Buenaventura Mission Village; Pat 'akwich, nest of the Falcon; Pi'awaphew, house of the Pelican; Qinomnomo, hill between Ventura and Ojai;

Qshap, Rattlesnake; 'Qwa', kind of duck; S'aptut'u, house of the Squint-Eyed-Man, confluence of Canada Larga and Mailija River; Shak, Saq, Turtle; Shelmesmu' ach'ili, canyon "Where the Antelope jumps across"; Shishwashuy, place near Punta Gorda; Shish uch'i', den of the WoodRat; Si'ap sima', "house of the Rabbits", Sihi'm hul'ashk'a', "storage basket of the Coyotes", Sih'usus, one of the two Thunder Brothers, probably Venus as the Morning Star; Si'o n'atsk'a', water (spring) of the little coyotes; Siyo'kilik, water of the Kilik songbird; Sishulkuy, "One is Seated on it", Wheeler Gorge; Sismahk'u'y, placename near Santa Ana, viz. under Chisamahoo, Cismuhu; Si w'k, Deer; Sma'aiyi 'i akiwi, Venus as the Evening Star; Sonoq, at the Buzzard; Sqen'n, Shoulder, Village, North of Maricopa; Tikshma', "Ear of the Rabbit"; Tonto'n, Flying Squirrel in Casitas Canyon; Tsiwaya, sacred hanging-down place, San Emigdio Mtn; Tspok'ow, place near Santa Buenaventura Mission; Waha'as, Ominous, San Cayetano Mtn; Wayamu, sacred hanging-down place; Wash-tik-oi, Rainbow;

Black, White and Red colours: Akhimay, black; 'O'wow, white; Tasin, Red.

I am also scheduling what I hope will become regular short interviews with Gramma Julie Tumamait, our Matilija-Ojai Chumash Matriarch, in order to compile a much more extensive and comprehensive listing of the native placenames of the villages, creeks, canyons, mountains, springs, and other which can be shared publicly ... as well as the ceremonial sites and similar sacred names which will need to stay unpublished for a few more years perhaps, until the priceless ancestral heritage of our living-herstory landscape and culture is honored and protected for its infinite spiritual, and economic, wealth.

imagery note: the WHOLE greater Matilija-Ojai Valley region is a StoneHenge, 'Hanging-down-from-the-Sky' sacred site, home to tens of thousands of subtly, and not so subtly, Giant Carved Stones, and mountains. faces, effigies, profiles, figure-sculptures, ranging from a few feet in length to hundreds of meters in length. much of the pantheon of Todas Las Cosas, all our relations, including the Sky Deities, Pacific Ocean life, and more, is found here. on top, or underneath, that are tens or hundreds of millions of smaller effigy and sacred stones, once held in the pouches of astronomer/astrologer/healer/rainmaker shamans, grandmothers, leaders, and all peoples ... or kept in front of their homes, or at sacred sites, or kept on necklaces, or buried with them in ceremony.

the Stone People speak, sing the tens of thousands of years of Stone Age oral tradition, and art, culture, and 'architecture', and are here as an infinite outdoor museum and university of the sacred wisdom ways of humans-kind, the harmonies of all spiritual traditions, of all times ...

Posted by Millennium Twain at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) Search Team, based in Ojai, found three young girls trapped in the rubble yesterday. It is times like this that all the training, all the work over the years, really pays off. Three girls will now (hopefully) have a future.

From their website:
"At 1:15pm local (Haiti) time yesterday, an SDF Search Team in Port-au-Prince located three girls, trapped alive since Tuesday in the rubble of Haiti’s devastating earthquake.

Bill Monahan and his Border Collie, Hunter, were searching a neighborhood near the Presidential Palace, concentrating on a large bowl-shaped area of rubble which was all that remained of a 4-story building.

After criss-crossing the area, Hunter pin-pointed the survivors’ scent under 4 feet of broken concrete and did his “bark alert” to let Bill know where the victims were. Bill spoke with the survivors, then passed them bottles of water tied to the end of a stick. As they reached for the water one of the girls said, “Thank you.” Highly trained rescue crews from California Task Force 2 are now working to extricate the girls from the wreckage and provide first aid."

Bill and Hunter continue to search, as do the 6 other SDF teams on the ground in Haiti.

At Search Dog Foundation headquarters in Ojai, CA, SDF Founder Wilma Melville received the news with silent gratitude. “This moment is what SDF Search Teams train for—week in and week out—throughout their careers together. When one SDF team succeeds, ALL of our teams succeed. Our thoughts are with our teams in Haiti, who continue to comb the rubble into the night. Their perseverance, skill, and strength in the face of extreme challenges make us all proud, and give us hope.”

Captain Jayd Swendseid of CA-TF2 confirmed earlier today that the 72-member team Task Force with 70,000 lbs of rescue equipment is actively looking for victims around-the-clock. “The teams are working in 12-hour shifts so they have time to rest and recuperate. Yesterday the team put in a long and exhausting day. Roads are closed and there is a lot of debris that is making transportation difficult, but the team is managing to get to buildings and make rescues. Morale is good and supplies are sufficient so far.”

To learn more and see photographs:
http://www.searchdogfoundation.org/98/html/1-2_haiti.html

I'm proud to say that several of my yoga students were early vollunteers for the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. I remember them coming to class and laughingly telling stories about hiding in barrels and other places and waiting for the rescue-dogs-in-training to find them.

Founded by Wilma Melville in 1996, "the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Ojai, California. Our mission is to strengthen disaster response in America by recruiting rescued dogs and partnering them with firefighters and other first responders to find people buried alive in the wreckage of disasters. We offer the professionally trained canines and an ongoing training program at no cost to fire departments. And we ensure lifetime care for every dog in our program: once rescued, these dogs never need to be rescued again."

There are currently 69 SDF-trained Search Teams located in California, Florida, New York, Oklahoma, and Utah. Four Texas teams will be added to the roster in 2009. Thanks to Mutual Aid Agreements between counties, cities and states, these precious, life-saving resources can be shared regionally, nationally and now internatinally.

Ojai Address:
Search Dog Foundation
501 E. Ojai Ave. Ojai, CA 93023
(888) 459-4376
http://www.searchdogfoundation.org/98/html/index.html

Posted by Suza Francina at 07:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)

The infamous El Niño, bringer of warm winters and rain to Southern California, is back, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration says, and thanks to a surprisingly wet November, we're still ahead of normal in our total rainfall for this water year.

Wouldn't you like to know what all that really means?

The truth is, no one knows for sure. But for the latest in knowledgeable speculation, please see this week's cover story in the Reporter. Here's a snippet:

El Niño, the best-known and most powerful of all ocean climate patterns, in its warm (positive) phase brings a flow of warm water from the tropics along the equator toward the west coast, in what’s called a Kelvin wave, about every five years, which feeds moisture to rain patterns in our area. But the last El Niño episode, in 2003, brought only slightly more rainfall than normal to our area, and has already been forgotten, while the huge storms of 2005, which devastated the state and killed 20 people, had little or no connection to El Niño.

UPDATE: I happened to talk to the semi-famous forecaster Patzert at a conference on water issues yesterday, and he agreed that a "Pineapple Express" pattern looks possible for next week, but cautioned that these storms are coming from the North Pacific, which makes predictions of rain all next week uncertain.

Still, the recent images are impressive...see the next page for an example.

[cross-posted on A Change in the Wind]

Posted by Kit Stolz at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From the USFS/Los Padres National Forest:

With Heavy Rain Forecasted, Public is Encouraged to Exercise Extreme Caution in Los Padres NF

With the National Weather Service forecasting significant snow and rain over the coming week, visitors to Los Padres National Forest are encouraged to exercise extreme caution when driving and recreating in the National Forest and surrounding areas. Ice, mud, rock slides, washouts, flash flooding, slippery road surfaces, deep snow and heavy rainfall will present substantial safety concerns to the public.

Additionally, the NWS forecast for significant amounts of rain may create dangerous conditions in coastal areas where recent wildfires have reduced vegetation. The public is strongly discouraged from hiking in or around creek areas due to the potential for high waters, rock slides and debris flow.

The Los Padres National Forest recommends the following safety precautions:

• Contact the Forest Service office nearest to your destination prior to departure for current road and forest conditions.
Monterey Ranger District (King City) – (831) 385-5434
Santa Lucia Ranger District (Santa Maria) – (805) 925-9538
Santa Barbara Ranger District (Los Prietos/Santa Barbara) – (805) 967-3481
Ojai Ranger District (Ojai) – (805) 646-4348
Mt. Pinos Ranger District (Frazier Park) – (661) 245-3731
• Check local weather reports.
• Take a map of the area with you and know how to read it.
• Operate your vehicle only on designated routes, and obey all closure and caution signs.
• Do not attempt to drive across creeks or flooded roads where the water is deeper than 6 inches to avoid loss of control or possible stalling of your vehicle. Water one foot deep will will float many vehicles and two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles including SUV’s and pick up trucks.
• Make sure your vehicle has a full tank of gas, properly inflated tires and working wiper blades.
• Carry tire chains when visiting higher elevation areas where snow is possible.
• Forest roads are narrow. Drive at a safe speed at all times and allow extra stopping distance.
• Use parking turnouts. If you park on the road shoulder, make sure your vehicle does not obstruct the travel lane. On Mt. Pinos, roadside parking is only allowed along the downhill side of the road.
• Do not attempt through moving water over six inches deep.
• Bring a warm jacket, hat, gloves, appropriate footwear and an extra set of dry clothes. Layering of clothing is highly recommended.
• Pack extra food and drinking water, a first aid kit, shovel and flashlight with fresh batteries.
• Leave your itinerary with a family member or friend.
• If you become lost or injured, stay calm, seek shelter and remain near your planned route.
• Cell phones are helpful, but do not work in many areas of the forest.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

From the US Geological Survey. This is SoCal wide, so not entirely applicable to our neck of the woods, but it looks like a BIG storm is moving in. I'd love to get Kit Stolz's thoughts on this.

Currently, the strong El Nino is reaching its peak in the Eastern Pacific, and now finally appears to be exerting an influence on our weather. The strong jet has been apparent for quite some time out over the open water, but the persistent block had prevented it from reaching the coast. Now that the block has dissolved completely, a 200+ kt jet is barreling towards us.

Multiple large and powerful storm systems are expected to slam into CA from the west and northwest over the coming two weeks, all riding this extremely powerful jet stream directly into the state. The jet will itself provide tremendous dynamic lift, in addition to directing numerous disturbances right at the state and supplying them with an ample oceanic moisture source. The jet will be at quite a low latitude over much of the Pacific, so these storms will be quite cold, at least initially. Very heavy rainfall and strong to potentially very strong winds will impact the lower elevations beginning late Sunday and continu [communication was cut off - TS]

This is where things get even more interesting, though. The models are virtually unanimous in "reloading" the powerful jet stream and forming an additional persistent kink 2000-3000 miles to our southwest after next Sunday. This is a truly ominous pattern, because it implies the potential for a strong Pineapple-type connection to develop. Indeed, the 12z GFS now shows copious warm rains falling between days 12 and 16 across the entire state. Normally, such as scenario out beyond day seven would be dubious at best. Since the models are in such truly remarkable agreement, however, and because of the extremely high potential impact of such an event, it's worth mentioning now. Since there will be a massive volume of freshly-fallen snow (even at relatively low elevations between 3000-5000 feet), even a moderately warm storm event would cause very serious flooding. This situation will have to be monitored closely. Even if the tropical connection does not develop, expected rains in the comi [communication was cut off - TS]

In addition to very heavy precipitation, powerful winds may result from very steep pressure gradients associated with the large and deep low pressure centers expect ed to begin approaching the coast by early next week. Though it's not clear at the moment just how powerful these winds may be, there is certainly the potential for a widespread damaging wind event at some point, and the high Sierra peaks are likely to see gusts in the 100-200 mph range (since the 200kt jet at 200-300 mb will essentially run directly into the mountains at some point). The details of this will have to be hashed out as the event(s) draw closer.

In short, the next 2-3 weeks (at least) are likely to be more active across California than any other 2-3 week period in recent memory. The potential exists for a dangerous flood scenario to arise at some point during this interval, especially with the possibility of a heavy rain-on-snow event during late week 2. In some parts of Southern California, a whole season's worth of rain could fall over the course of 5-10 days. This is likely to be a rather memorable event. Stay tuned...

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Posted by evan austin at 09:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From the fine folk at the Ojai Valley Museum...

At their first meeting of the New Year, the docents of the Ojai Valley Museum and their guests were treated to a talk and tour given by Ellen Hall, President of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition. Marian Newman, docent coordinator, gave a brief address and then Hall, a former mayor of Ojai and past director of the Ojai Valley Museum, walked the docents through the newest exhibit, Go Green, Ojai!

“This is not only about celebrating how wonderful Ojai already is on the subject of protecting the environment, but how we can treasure it and make it even better,” Hall told us. “It took a long time to install this exhibit,” said Hall, who was there every day supervising and helping in its creation. About 50 people were involved including 3 contractors, an architect, and many builders and volunteers.

Upon entering the museum, the first thing visitors see is a tall model of a wind generator. “A real one is 300 feet high,” explained Hall. Visitors can watch videos on farming and agriculture in Ventura County and the documentary film "Watershed Revolution" about the Ventura River Watershed. One can also ride a stationary bicycle that turns on electric lights. The rest of the exhibit is made up of several components, featuring Transportation, Ventura River Watershed, Energy, Green Homes, Trees, Food and photos of some of the ‘green’ homes in Ojai.

There is a break-away home with several rooms and examples of environmentally friendly tiles, kitchen and bath ideas, insulation samples and an interactive game designed by Hall for hands on learning about green building materials. The docents and guests were so fascinated by the information and presentation that some suggested ways the components could be retained in Ojai venues after the exhibit is dismantled.

The meeting was adjourned amidst much hand clapping and exclamations of delight, praising this vital and very instructive exhibition. If you are interested in being a part of inspiring meetings like this and wish to become a docent or a volunteer at the Ojai Valley Museum, please call 640-1390 Ext. 1.

WRITTEN BY ANNE SHRAGE

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 09:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From the fine folk at The Ojai Foundation...

In light of fund-raising challenges shared by other not-for-profit organizations throughout the Ojai Valley and across the country, The Ojai Foundation has laid off six staff members at the education/retreat center it has stewarded for 30 years. The temporary staff reduction coincides with the winter months, which are traditionally slow ones for programs at the 40-acre center in Upper Ojai.

“It was a difficult but necessary step in bringing our expenses into healthy alignment with our current income and to ensure future sustainability of the organization,” said President Laura Whitney. “Because much of our work is with schools, our programs and income have always been seasonal. It became clear that it made no sense to continue to pay a full staff during this time of relative quiet on the Land. None of our programs has been canceled or compromised.”

Indeed, weekly “council” listening circle programs created by The Ojai Foundation in more than 40 public and independent schools in Ventura and Los Angeles counties will continue unaffected, as will the organization’s work in Israel, Africa and Europe.

“I am strongly encouraged by the loyal support of our long-time donors,” said Executive Director William Perkins Tift. “While the size of individual donations is down, we are looking at ways to broaden our donor base and reach out to new friends for support. Along with our cost-cutting measures, this continued outreach is vital to our long-term sustainability.”

The organization’s Ojai “heartquarters” ended 2009 with three highly successful and fully booked events, including a weeklong intergenerational gathering with deep ecology pioneer Joanna Macy, a Winter Solstice Celebration attended by more that 200 people (most of them local) and a New Year’s ceremonial overnight. A team of board members and volunteers will steward the Land until full programming resumes in March.

As always, the public is invited to join sitting meditation in the Council House each morning from 7:30 to 8, and to enjoy the Land with a self-guided Gratitude Walk or other quiet activities.

“We are preparing for a full calendar of spring programs with hundreds of students coming up for rites-of-passage retreats,” Whitney said. The spectacular new Council House has become a vibrant venue for all kinds of gatherings and is available for rent. Other community-oriented activities funded by donations are planned for springtime as well.

The mission of The Ojai Foundation is “to strengthen individuals, families, schools and communities by teaching ways to listen and speak from the heart, to honor life’s passages and to appreciate our connection with nature—supporting the emergence of a compassionate, sustainable and peaceful world.”

For 30 years its semi-rustic education/retreat center has practiced as well as preached a sustainable, environmentally conscious, nature-focused lifestyle. Powered by solar energy; featuring a variety of structures that demonstrate earth-friendly building materials and techniques; following the principles of Permaculture, composting and recycling, the Foundation has always honored the gifts and challenges of each season.

“In nature, this season is a time of rest, of dormancy, of going inward to gestate what is to come forth in spring,” Whitney said. “In this mid-winter period we are gestating with great excitement and anticipation for what is to come. In many ways, The Ojai Foundation has never flourished as it is now. It will continue to be one of Ojai’s many treasures.”

To learn more, visit ojaifoundation.org, or join the mailing list to receive updates by emailing contact@ojaifoundation.org, or check out facebook.com/ojaifoundation or youtube.com/ojaifoundation to view a variety of short films about the organization’s work.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 04:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Good news for Upper Ojai residents who have been longing to purchase necessary supplies without navigating the Dennison Grade on a daily basis.
After a nearly six month closure the Upper Ojai convenience store has reopened and is now selling beer and wine.
Located at 12679 Ojai Santa Paula Road, Stagecoach Station is open from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday - Saturday.

Posted by Chris Wilson at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Twitter...

@kenleyneufeld - 8:32pm, Jan 12
Sue Horgan just made a motion to reconsider appontment and do election instead. #ojaicc

@kenleyneufeld - 8:34pm, Jan 12
Ojai City Council voted unanimously to reconsider appointment. Second motion being made now to call for an election in June. #ojaicc

@kenleyneufeld - 8:48pm, Jan 12
Public comment going equally for and against an election instead of appointment. Public comment closed. #ojaicc

@kenleyneufeld - 8:51pm, Jan 12
Council voted 3-1 to hold special election in June. Deadline to submit papers is March 12. Only no vote was Carol Smith. #ojaicc

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 08:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (38)

It should be an interesting meeting tonight! This evening our City Council members will be deliberating on applicants for the vacancy created by the resignation of Joe DeVito last month. While appointing a fifth member to the council is a serious matter, I anticipate some humorous small town drama.

For those new to city meetings, they are held at Ojai City Hall, 401 S. Ventura Street. Meetings start at 7:30 p.m. This Item, "Appointment to City Council to Fill Unexpired Term," is number four on the agenda, so it might be after 8 p.m. before it comes up. I recommend arriving on time, if you can, so that you get your bearings, especially if you plan to speak at the podium for the candidate of your choice.

Delicious Pepperidge Farm cookies, coffee, assorted herbal teas and spring water are available in the city hall kitchen to add to the small-town friendliness of the meeting and to help keep you awake when things get bogged down. I have also been known to take home a handful of chocolate lady fingers to ease the pain of disappointment at the outcome -- or to celebrate small victories -- as the case may be.
WARNING: The coffee at city hall is real. This is not your low-caffeine-organic type brand. I drank it once and immediately felt a terrific jolt to my nervous system -- got the shakes and was up all night.

Back to the matter at hand:

As of this morning, five brave souls have applied for the position. In alphabetical order, the five candidates are:
Paul Blatz, Demitri Corbin, Leonard Klaif, Mike Lenehan and John Mirk.

While my first choice is the appointment of attorney Lenny Klaif, the only candidate who has a long history of regularly attending city council meetings and voicing his opinion at the podium, to be fair, all five candidates have qualities that could be useful on the city council. I applaud them all for stepping forth and hope they run next November, when there will be three open seats. (Even if someone is appointed tonight, he will still have to run for election in November 2010.)

The agenda is posted on the City website.

The first thing I noticed was that there is no staff report on this item (#4). I expect that the reason for this will be made clear tonight.

The following is the suggested Seven Step procedure for attempting to fill the Council vacancy.

According to the city manager, “…this [seven steps] is designed to eliminate the candidates without broad support first, leaving, hopefully, only potential compromise candidates for the final vote.”

Step 1: Ask each Council member for their nominations to fill vacancy and
ask for a second. This is done to assure possibly two favorable votes.
Those nominated will comprise the slate.

Step 2: Ask all nominated candidates to speak to Council (if they are
present). Allow five minutes each.

Step 3: Ask anyone from the public who wishes to speak on that matter to do
so for three minutes.

Step 4: Council votes on all candidates one at a time. The Council members
may vote for more than one candidate.

Step 5: If no candidate receives three votes, a motion for a special election should be made. The special election must be held at the next regularly-scheduled City election no earlier than 114 days from the January 12, 2010 Council meeting. (Gov. Code Sec. 36512.) 114 days ends on May 6,
2010. Therefore, the election should be held on the June primary election date already scheduled by the County.

Step 6: If only one candidate receives three votes, he or she fills the vacancy. If more than one candidate receives three votes, hold a second round of voting for those who received three votes or more.

Step 7: In second round of voting, each Council member may only vote for one candidate. Any candidate who receives three votes fills vacancy. If no candidate receives three votes, make motion for election.

My first reaction upon reading this was, “This sounds like something you would do in Elementary School to appoint someone to the Student Council!” But after awhile I calmed down and began to see the pros and cons to this interesting method. However, it still seems unecessarilly complicated.

I recommend reversing Steps One and Two. There are only five candidates (at least so far — there is no deadline for submitting application. There could be a last minute stampede of applicants). It seems to me to be more fair that any candidate that has taken the time to write a five-minute speech should be allowed to speak (if he wants to).

I’m VERY curious about the thinking behind this extra step that is tagged onto Step 4: “The Council members may vote for more than one candidate.”

As far as I know, this means the four council members can each vote for one, two, three, four or even all five candidates in the first round of voting.

I'm thinking, "There is only one vacancy. Why muddy the waters by allowing more than one vote the first round?"

Related to this, last night I received the following update from the Ojai Chamber:

Chamber Members,

Tomorrow night [Tuesday] the City Council meeting, Council will vote on filling the seat vacated by Joe DeVito. There are five candidates for the position. Originally, the Chamber endorsed a special election feeling it was proper for the voting residents to control their own destiny. However, the Council voted to appoint. The Chamber asked all five candidates for an opportunity to interview them before Tuesday’s meeting.

Of the three who responded, we feel Paul Blatz and Leonard Klaif would best represent the interests of the Chamber members.

City Manager Jere Kersnar has suggested a publicly vocal voting system for the appointment. It is somewhat convoluted, but doable. (It is attached to this email.) We will urge one change: that the Council members write their votes on seperate pieces of paper, pass those slips to the City Clerk and have her read the votes of each member aloud. This would forestall the undo extra influence on the outcome the last one or two votes would have if all were vocalized sequentially, yet let the public know for whom each Council member voted.

The Chamber has shown its strength over the last two years. We endorsed and worked to pass the Formula Retail Ordinance. We endorsed Betsy Clapp for City Council and she was elected. We worked for and gained the right for merchants to have outdoor displays of their merchandise. We worked for almost three years on a destination marketing plan for Ojai and just last December, the Council voted to fully fund that proposal beginning this month. None of this would have been accomplished without the support of our members. Tuesday’s meeting will be important for the future of our town. Keep in mind that even after this vacant seat is filled, there will be an election for this seat again in November, along with two, and possibly three, additional City Council seats, so we could have an almost completely new City Council in January 2011.

I urge you to attend the Council meeting on Tuesday and speak for the candidate of your choice.

Scott Eicher, CEO,Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce

Some background information to tonight's meeting:

On Dec. 8, the Ojai City Council voted 3-2 in favor of appointing a replacement for the position vacated by Joe DeVito, whose term would have naturally expired in November of this year. At that time, it was the council’s hope that they would have enough qualified applicants from which to appoint the replacement on Jan. 12, but they would also be within the appointment time line if a choice was made at the Jan. 26 council meeting.

With DeVito gone, who voted with the majority for appointment, there is a possibility that the seat will go to special election. The council has not yet established dates for such an election. If embedded in the June primary ballot, the city has estimated the cost to be about $6,000. As an independent ballot, the cost to the city could be as high as $36,000.“

Following are brief bios of applicants, listed alphabetically.

Paul Blatz, age 58. Occupation: attorney. Education: George Washington University, B.S.; Ventura College of Law, J.D. 26-year Ojai resident. Affiliations: Rotary Club of Ojai-West; Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce; Ojai Valley Living Treasures board; Ojai Performing Arts Theater Foundation; Ojai Pergola Committee; California and Ventura County bar associations; and Ventura County Superior Court Judge Pro-TemConcerns: Assuring fiscal responsibility while protecting the character of Ojai through preservation of open spaces, addressing traffic impacts and supporting youth programs.“I felt the council, in terms of who they appoint, should have as many applicants as possible. And I truly believe that my presence on the council would help assure the sustainability of the community.”

Demitri Corbin, age 48. Occupation: Professional actor. Education: Illinois State University, B.S. in theater; Chautauqua Professional Actor’s StudioEight-year Ojai residentAffiliations: Ojai Arts Commission; Virginia Avenue Project; Peachtree Theater Company; Cardboard Fairytale Theater; Ojai Playwrights Conference; Ojai-Ventura Film Festival; Theater 150; Ojai Shakespeare Festival; Ojai Performing Arts Theater Foundation; Ojai Valley Youth Foundation; and Ojai Library After School Homework LabConcerns: Better utilization of the city’s nonprofit status in applying for public and private funding for artistic and educational projects to help promote tourism to Ojai. “I want to be on City Council because I think I would bring insight into the arts community when decisions are made. All of these things lend to the profile that Ojai has as an artists community."

Leonard Klaif, age 61. Occupation: criminal attorneyEducation: University of Iowa College of Law, J.D; State University of New York at Buffalo, B.A. in economics; Institute of Psycho-Structural Balancing, massage technician certificate17-year Ojai residentAffiliations: Ojai Art Center; Theater 150; Ojai Film Society; California Appellate Project; California State Bar; California Appellate Defense Council, South Bay and Ventura chapters; and Los Angeles County Juvenile Bar AssociationConcerns: Fostering the arts, supporting local businesses and protecting the valley’s beauty and open spaces.“I believe that I can make a valuable contribution as a member of the City Council. I am familiar with the issues as I regularly attend council meetings … We have incredibly interesting, smart, caring people in our valley and the city needs to better harness this most valuable resource."

Mike Lenehan, age 49. Occupation: federal investigatorEducation: University of California at Santa Barbara, B.A. in law and society; Santa Barbara City College, A.A. in law and society; U.S. Army Command and General Staff College graduateNine-year Ojai residentAffiliations: Ojai Parks & Recreation Commission; U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, retired; Ojai American Legion; Veterans of Foreign Wars, Ojai; Knights of Columbus, Ventura; Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association; Emerald Society of Federal Law Enforcement Agencies; Santa Barbara Irish Festival; and Nordhoff High and Villanova Preparatory schools, coach. Concerns: Promoting youth recreation programs while offering a conservative perspective to the collective decisions made by the city.
“I have a common person perspective that I think appeals to people who are in a like situation.”

John Mirk, age 58. Occupation: IT support technicianEducation: William Marsh Rice University, B.A. in architecture16-year Ojai resident Affiliations: Ojai Planning Commission; Housing Element Task Force; Ojai Public Art Review Committee; Libbey Park Public Art Selection Committee; Ojai Raptor Center; Theater 150; Patagonia Environmental Grants Committee; Nordhoff High School music department; Volunteers in Service to America; and Channel Islands Bike ClubConcerns: Affordable housing and developing standards and programs to enhance the city’s future while maintaining Ojai’s special character. “I’ve enjoyed my service on the Planning Commission and am ready for new challenges. I consider service on the City Council to be one of the most demanding duties in our town, and see the chance to be directly responsible for the well-being of Ojai as one of the most rewarding opportunities in public service.”

Related Links:
Lenny Klaif
http://www.ojaipost.com/2009/12/ojai_city_council_vacancy_lett.shtml
Demitri Corbin
http://www.ojaipost.com/2009/12/demitri_corbin_files_for_counc.shtml

Note: The other candidates did not submit their application or letter to the Ojai Post. Interviews with all the candidates can be found on the Ojai Valley News and Ventura County Star website.

Posted by Suza Francina at 06:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

[text from the youtube vid page] In 2011, a referendum will determine whether or not the Southern region of Sudan becomes independent from the North. Experts fear that instability in the run-up to the referendum or its aftermath could reignite a civil war and cause massive human rights abuses unless international efforts are intensified to find a peaceful path through the next 12 months. (h/t: ali-sun)

HOW TO GET INVOLVED
====================
Take part in a world-wide drumming video and help us pressure world leaders to push for peace in Sudan. Simply post a video reply on YouTube - in your video description add a line about who's doing the drumming and where it's happening, then tag it with 'Sudan365' and 'beat for peace'. We'll take the best responses we receive and mix them into a final video - containing clips of drummers from across the globe - to demonstrate the support for international action to prevent further conflict.

WHAT IS SUDAN365?
=================
Sudan365 is a year of campaigning for Sudan. It has been organised by a coalition of groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Save Darfur, FIDH, Refugees International, Darfur Consortium and Arab Coalition for Darfur. More info at http://www.sudan365.org/

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 01:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

“Want to go to Theater 150 to hear the old folks sing?” Bert, in her usual efficient way had spotted the publicity, ably developed by our neighbor Shed Behar. ”We better hurry because it will probably sell out.” I mumbled something only heard by my inner self.

Our neighbor, Joan Rush, four other women and two men…all grandparents…were exposing themselves to the community in a way that most of us only dream of. Get up in front of friends and relatives. Stare into bright lights. Hope that you don’t forget the words, miss a high note or have a heart attack. Risk some polite applause. Go home to a stiff drink. Then do it three more times.

We drove to the Makows, exited the car and as they appeared in the doorway I said “Quick, we don’t want to miss a minute of this.” As usual, I mentally slapped myself for the sarcasm and promised to be a good boy for the rest of the evening.

We made all the lights coming into town, turned right on Montgomery, left on Matilija and grumbled when all the parking spots immediately in front of the former funeral parlor, now Theater 150, were full. I drove a hundred feet down the street, parked and mentally calculated how long it would take to get to the car once the performance ended. The four of us began the two minute trek to the theater entrance. We were not alone.

The billboard in front of the theater proudly announced This weekend’s performances are sold out—Sorry. A fourth performance had been added to accommodate the demand. I wondered “how many friends and relatives can these seven people possibly have?” Aryna, an ever present and supportive figure at our local events had similar thoughts when she asked me “Who is it that brings you here this evening?”

The lobby, more of a wide aisle than a lobby, was filled with people who looked like they were still celebrating New Year’s Eve. Probably because two glasses of free wine were included in the ticket price. I wondered if they would be refreshing drinks during the performance. Maybe delivered through the same kind of device that Jack Nicholson conjured up for that poor, bedridden guy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

There are no bad seats at Theater 150. Unless you count the half dozen or so straight backed, hard wood Torquemada seats along the east wall that, after thirty minutes, bring new meaning to the word posture. Like most other community theaters, you are close enough to count the pores in the performer’s face. So close that you cannot risk being discovered in sleep mode.

We settled into our seats, the lights dimmed and The Nanas and The Papas appeared. As usual I had counted the number of songs listed in the playbill’s first act, fully intending to begin a countdown as a way of making the time pass. I only managed to get to number one.

They were a delight. Sharing funny and poignant experiences as grandmas and grandpas, they mesmerized the crowd. It didn’t matter whether they squeaked during songs and creaked a bit as they moved about. It was all part of an endearing performance. I was reminded of the time Sweetie and I saw Carol Channing in her eighties in Hello Dolly. Needing help across the stage, she managed to captivate us.

Okay, so I’m an old guy with memories. And these songs were all about memories, youth and time. I Remember It Well, When I’m 64, Children Will Listen and Young at Heart made me smile and remember what it was like and what is yet to be. Even though my only French expression, omelette du fromage, was learned from a Steve Martin comedy album, I was seduced by Carol Kornhaber’s rendition of La Vie En Rose. The finale, Forever Young, stayed with us all the way up the Dennison Grade.

Surprises help make life worthwhile.

Posted by Fred Rothenberg at 08:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Transition Ojai is now live!

The Transition Town movement represents one of the most promising ways of engaging people and communities to take the far-reaching actions that are required to mitigate the effects of peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis. Here in Ojai I see the Transition Town model as a way to bring together and empower many different community projects, organizations and endeavors that are part of creating a sustainable community.

The first in a series of informative Transition Town meetings will be held on Tuesday, January 12, 7pm, at 1215 Drown Avenue, Ojai (above Grand, last house on left before intersection with Pleasant Ave).
For more information contact Wayne Thompson at 805 798 2152 or e-mail transitionojai@gmail.com

How Do Transition Towns Begin?

It all starts off when a small collection of motivated individuals within a community come together with a shared
concern: How can our community respond to the challenges, and opportunities, of Peak Oil and Climate Change?
Answer: The path of cooperation, conservation and sharing, along with, the path of community solidarity and preservation; in a word: Resilience. A Resilient Community is one that is able to respond and adapt to internal and external shocks while still maintaining its basic function and structure, and is, more generally, an approach of community proactivity as opposed to reactivity.

Why Transition?
We are living in an age of unprecedented change, with a number of crises converging. Climate change, global economic instability, overpopulation, erosion of community, declining biodiversity, and resource wars, have all stemmed from the availability of cheap, non-renewable fossil fuels. Global oil, gas and coal production is predicted to irreversibly decline in the next 10 to 20 years, and severe climate changes are already taking effect around the world. The coming shocks are likely to be catastrophic if we do not prepare.

As Richard Heinberg, author of Peak Everything, states: “Our central survival task for the decades ahead, as individuals and as a species, must be to make a transition away from the use of fossil fuels – and to do this as peacefully, equitably, and intelligently as possible”.
(Note: Richard Heinberg is widely acknowledged as one of the world's foremost Peak Oil educators. A journalist, educator, editor, lecturer, and a Core Faculty member of New College of California where he teaches a program on "Culture, Ecology and Sustainable Community, he is the author of eight books including, The Party's Over and Powerdown.)

The Transition movement represents one of the most promising ways of engaging people and communities to take the far-reaching actions that are required to mitigate the effects of peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis. Furthermore, these relocalization efforts are designed to result in a life that is more fulfilling, more socially connected and more equitable than the one we have today.

The Transition Model is based on a loose set of real world principles and practices that have been built up over time through experimentation and observation of communities as they drive forward to reduce carbon emissions and build community resilience. Underpinning the model is a recognition of the following:

* Peak Oil, Climate Change and the Economic Crisis require urgent action
* Adaptation to a world with less oil is inevitable
* It is better to plan and be prepared, than be taken by surprise
* Industrial society has lost the resilience to be able to cope with shocks to its systems
* We have to act together and we have to act now
* We must negotiate our way down from the “peak” using all our skill, ingenuity and intelligence
* Using our creativity and cooperation to unleash the collective genius within our local communities will lead to a more abundant, connected and healthier future for all.

The Transition Movement believes that is up to us in our local communities to step into a leadership position on this situation. We need to start working now to mitigate the interrelated effects of peak oil, climate change, and the economic crisis, before it is too late. Together we can make a difference.

History of the Transition Town Movement
In 2001 Rob Hopkins began teaching a Practical Sustainablity course at the Community College in Kinsale, Ireland, based on the principles of Permaculture. It was the first two-year Permaculture-based course ever taught in Ireland and attracted very strong enrolments.

In the second year of the second course, in 2005, Rob Hopkins saw the film "The End of Suburbia" and subsequently showed it to his class. Around the same time he had Colin Campbell, the founder of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO), come and speak to his class. These two events put Peak Oil very firmly on the agenda of sustainability issues for the course and the combination of climate change and peak oil was given a lot of thought and attention for the rest of the course.

In June 2005 Rob organised a two day conference on “the challenge and opportunity of peak oil” with speakers such as Richard Heinberg, author of 'Peak Everything'. As a final assignment for his graduating class, Rob set them the challenge of coming up with a well-researched and meaningful set of plans for the local Kinsale community to adjust itself to a future challenged by the need to address its carbon emissions and the economic impacts of a growing scarcity of cheap oil. This project was subsequently presented to the community and the local government authorities and it was given the name "Energy Descent Action Plan".

The community and local government authorities, along with the college, then took the plan and begand working at expanding it, modifying and implementing it. This was the first attempt in the world at designing a timetabled strategy for weaning a town off fossil fuels, and towards a lower carbon footprint.

In September 2005, Rob moved to Totnes in Devon, England to commence work on a PhD through Plymouth University. Inspired and informed by his experience in Kinsale, Rob then co-founded the first "Transition Town" initiative in Totnes in 2006.

The rest, as they say, is history. From the learnings of the Totnes initiative and the great efforts by Rob and others to communicate their experience with the "Transition Model", it has inspired the start up of similar initiatives all over the world.

To read more on the Rob Hopkins story and the beginnings of the Transition Towns movement click here:
http://transitionculture.org/about/

First Steps
10 First Steps for a Transition Town Initiative
http://transitionculture.org/2007/01/10/10-first-steps-for-a-transition-town-initiative-1-awareness-raising/

Posted by Suza Francina at 06:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

cool stuff from Randy Graham... every vendor at the Ojai Farmer's Market.

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

Carrizo Plain:
http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/carrizo/html/thumbs.htm

Sapaksi, House of the Sun:
http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/1qd28483

Painted Cave, Chumash Astronomy Observatory
http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/03/compact_camera_to_th.html

Lizard Cave, San Emigdio
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/958478hg

Tierra Incognita: Rock Art, Landscape Biography, and Archaeological Blind Spots
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/scitech/research/rae2008/staff_profiles/files/ROBINSON-tierra_incognita.pdf

Chumash Pictographs from the Topa Topas
http://www.bsahighadventure.org/indian_lore/pictographs/pictographs.html

The Valley of the Matilija, SiTopTopa, Auwhay, Sisa ...
la arbolada ojai'la, las figuras sagradas ...

Posted by Millennium Twain at 09:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Posted by Mike Didj at 03:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

From the fine folk at the Ojai Valley Museum:

“An Introduction to the Museum,” the fifth children’s event in the series “Take Me to the Museum,” will be held on Saturday, January 9, at the Ojai Valley Museum, 130 W. Ojai Avenue. Two sessions will be available from 10 am to noon and from 1 pm to 3 pm.

School age children will tour the permanent collection and visit the current “Go Green Ojai” exhibit. The exhibit includes interactive activities as a breakaway house to enter, a game about green building supplies and other hands-on displays to explore. The event is free and participants will have the opportunity to respond in art or writing about their experience.

For more information on the children’s program or the exhibit visit the museum website at http://www.ojaivalleymuseum.org/ or call (805) 640-1390.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

100% compliance from the Ojai Police Department's Ojai Patrol:

On Saturday, December 30, 2009, Sheriff’s deputies and investigators from Alcohol Beverage Control, conducted an underage buy operation in the City of Ojai and the unincorporated areas of the Ojai Valley.

Deputies employed an underage decoy, in an undercover capacity, to attempt to purchase alcoholic beverages from businesses.

Deputies targeted various locations and were pleased to find that none of the businesses sold alcoholic beverages to the underage operative. The operation was a joint effort with county and state offices to monitor businesses and their compliance with state laws.

Captain Dunn, the chief of police for the City of Ojai, deemed the operation to be successful with the businesses employing proper practices for checking identification and refusing to sell alcohol to underage customers. Last year during the decoy operation, seven area businesses were cited for selling alcohol to the underage operative.

Additional operations are expected to be completed to ensure compliance in an effort to reduce underage drinking violations.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 01:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Laura Stinchfield - Pet Psychic interviews Tillman "The Skateboarding Bulldog" with Rodney Mullen - Pro Skater and Ron Davis Tillman's human. Tillman and Rodney find that they have similar experiences in the skating world and we discover that both skaters are full of heart.

Posted by Laura Stinchfield at 08:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The caption that came with the video below said, "Love is the answer to overcome anything." After watching it, I would add, "Having good parents helps alot!"

This video is a peek into the life of Patrick Henry Hughes, who was born with an extremely rare genetic disorder: arms that could not straighten, legs that would never be able to walk, and most devastating of all, permanent blindness. He had been born with no eyes -- the eyes he has are artificial. It shows him as a baby, and later as a toddler, playing the piano. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xwCG0Ey2Mg

About Patrick Henry Hughes, author of I Am Potential.
www.patrickhenryhughes.com

From the book: "In our lives, we all experience obstacles. But what if you or your child faced obstacles that seemed all but insurmountable?" Read more: http://iampotentialbook.com/home_description.html

Posted by Suza Francina at 06:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Below is a link to a great article in the VC Star about the 2009 adventures of Ojai locavores Kristofer and Joanne Young
and their new local-food project ~ Locavore Light 2010

The year of eating locally
Ojai couple's new challenge has easier guidelines
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/dec/31/the-year-of-eating-locally-ojai-couples-new-has/

Locavore Lite 2010 ~ What it is ~
Locavore Lite 2010 is a fresh, fun, healthy, Ventura County-based, local-food project which welcomes participants from our County and from around the world. The project is designed to increase public awareness of the importance and availability of local farm produce, by encouraging residents to involve themselves in their local food system. A major objective of the project is to reduce global warning.

A locavore is a person who eats food that is grown or raised locally. The term Locavore Lite suggests a form of local eating that is so easy, that anyone can do it.

Read the ground rules for participation at:
http://locavorelite2010.blogspot.com/2009/12/locavore-lite-rule-refinement.html

Posted by Suza Francina at 05:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

OK its Big Coffee, but an interesting project nonetheless...

(hat-tip Anjani and Ali-Sun...)

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 02:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Posted by Sally Carless at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I head out in the dark
to catch the magic moment --
the crack of dawn

My dog runs ahead
her exuberance, her ecstasy
is contagious

I look West
and the full moon
is hanging high in the sky
by an etheric thread

I look East
and the dark sky begins to blaze
from the hidden sun

My big booted feet
take strong, giant steps
The crow of the roosters
Cheers me on

I turn and head for the wild
I lean against a huge boulder
and watch the bright full Moon
Slowly sink

The Earth feels like Eden
Like a playground
Where all we are asked to do
Is feel the forces of Life

The first light of day
A mixture of the sun and moon
Illuminates the world
Everything is aglow

Together we stand
Between the sun and the moon
In a field of joy

Posted by Suza Francina at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Same band, different song, great video. Good morning, happy new year, Ojai!

Death Cab for Cutie - "The New Year" (nod to MK, hat-tip Bob Cesca)

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)