The Ojai Post

Guest editorial by Michael Shapiro, Ojai activist and one of the leaders of Stop the Trucks

Why I'm Endorsing Lenny Klaif for Ojai City Council

While his opponent is a talented individual who brings professional expertise and experience, only Lenny Klaif adds to his own career as an attorney - years of regularly attending Ojai City Council meetings.

His constant vigilance and attendance at Ojai City Council meetings – frequently and actively engaging the Council on a wide variety of issues that are important to Ojai’s citizens – has truly demonstrated an unyielding interest in, and concern for, his beloved Ojai while also gaining invaluable experience and understanding of how to best govern if he were to be elected.

For example, while Lenny Klaif appreciates that our Council must often interact with be advised by the City Manager and the City Attorney – he also understands that the City Council is independent of these two offices.

Lenny’s years of interacting as a “citizen activist” at City Council meetings, combined with his ability to more fully comprehend the numerous legal issues that often confront the City Council, has uniquely prepared and qualified him for taking a Council seat himself.

Indeed - Ojai would be well-served having Lenny Klaif elected to its City Council.

Michael Shapiro
Ojai, California

Note:
For video interviews with Ojai City Council Candidates Paul Blatz and Leaord Klaif visit http://ojaivalleynews.com/

Posted by Suza Francina at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi all - if you've clicked around the site last night or this morning, you may have noticed some weirdness. While I've hoped to pull aside the curtain with a grand voila, I think it's better that I simply say we have a brand new Ojai Post coming very shortly, and that there are some tech steps we're working through.

For the technically inclined, we're currently testing the new platform on the same domain as the existing site, and redirection of the correct old page to the new one is a tricky thing to get just right 100%.

Thanks for your patience, and I think you'll really enjoy the new look and features of The Ojai Post.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 09:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tonight at Chaparral Auditorium, 414 E Ojai Ave, 7pm, check out a presentation by Brock Dolman, Director of the WATER Institute and author of Basins of Relations: Think Like a Watershed. This will be preceded by a short film: The Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 05:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

from reader Kathy Couturie...

Matilija Junior High School students are competing in a talent show Friday, May 28 at 7:00PM in the school’s auditorium. “MATILIJA’S GOT TALENT” will feature 10 acts. Twenty students will perform in bands, plus singing, dancing, and more. The show is sponsored by the PTA and is an important fundraiser for the school. All are welcome to come out and support this unique display of highly talented students! Tickets are available in advance at the Matilija school office at 703 El Paseo Rd., or just prior to the event at the door. Doors open at 6:00PM; tickets cost $5. For more information contact Matilija Junior High at 805-640-4355 extension 1657

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

A note from reader Lion Everett Batey:

Capp Loughboro passed 2010 May 23. The funeral will be Friday, 5/28 - 10:00am at Ted Mayr Funeral Home (per Director Allison), 3150 Loma Vista Road Ventura, CA 93003-2979 - (805) 643-9977, The service will be officiated by the VFW. After the service he will be interred at the Ivy Lawn Memorial Park, 5400 Valentine Road, Ventura, CA 93003-7445 (805) 485-6085. He is survived by son, Glen and daughter. His obituary is in draft.

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

from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department / Ojai Valley Station Detectives...

In light of ongoing residential and vehicular burglary trends, investigators with the Ventura County Sheriff Department’s Ojai Valley Station would like to remind the public of some very important security tips.

Investigators remind the public to keep their personal belongings and valuables out of view in their vehicles. It is also important to keep vehicle windows closed and doors locked. In the Ojai Valley area, there has been a recent increase in the number of vehicle burglaries and thefts from vehicles. Often, the stolen items have been left in plain sight within the vehicle making them a prime target for thieves. There have also been several other reports of unlocked vehicles being targeted, rummaged through and items stolen.

Another important reminder for citizens during the coming summer is to keep doors and windows secured when they are away from their residences. A recent trend of residential burglars is to target homes where it appears no one is home. If you intend on being out of town or on vacation, remember the following tips:

1. Secure your residence and make sure all doors and windows are locked.
2. Let a trustworthy neighbor(s) know to keep an eye on your house.
3. Stop mail / newspaper delivery or have a neighbor collect it.
4. Request a “house check” from the local law enforcement agency.
5. Talk to your neighbors and report any suspicious subjects or activity in the neighborhood.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 07:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The City of Ojai will present John Zeretzke with a Lifetime Achievement Award tonight to kick off the Nordhoff High School Jazz Band concert at 7pm. The Arts Commission decided to move the ceremony to the bowl because of all the students he has influenced will be there at the same time as the city council meeting. The council meeting will proceed as usual at 7:30. And thank you Bill Wagner for honoring our request. So, if you planned to go to the city council meeting, come over to the Libbey Bowl for the ceremony and honor John and the work he does in arts education and support the Nordhoff Jazz Band and Should be great fun!

Posted by Demitri Corbin at 09:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today is the last day to register to vote for the upcoming June 8th Primary Election. If you are not yet registered you can still do so before this evening. Go to the post office and you can register there.

The next meeting of the Ojai Valley Democratic Club is today, Monday, May 24, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Ojai Art Center, 113 South Montgomery St. At the beginning of this meeting we will be doing phone banking on behalf of Ojai City Council Candidate, Len Klaif. Those interested in helping in phone banking and discussing future planned precinct walks, please feel free to come to the Ojai Art Center Gallery early at 6:00 p.m. Bring a charged cell phone and a laptop computer if you have one. If you don't have a laptop, that's not a problem. The rest of the meeting after 8:00 p.m. will be given over to operations planning and a discussion of Get Out The Vote strategies for the June 8th Primary election.

If you're not sure about other people/things on the ballot, follow after the break to see the OVDC, County and State Democratic Voters Guide.

Many of you may have received your ballots in the mail by now and here are the Ojai Valley Democratic Club (OVDC), Ventura County Democratic Party (VCDCC) and California Democratic Party (CDP) voting recommendations for the June 8th Primary election:

Endorsements of the Ventura County Democratic Party:

* Leonard Klaif - Ojai City Council
* Jim Dantona - Ventura County Clerk and Recorder
* Ed Summers - Ventura County Treasurer Tax Collector
* Bruce Thomas - Ventura County Supervisor, 4th District
* Ellen "Gay" Conroy - Ventura County Superior Court Judge, 10th District

Endorsements of the California Democratic Party:

* Barbara Boxer - U.S. Senate, incumbent
* Lois Capps - U.S. Congress 23rd District, incumbent
* Tim Allison - U.S. Congress 24th District
* Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown - Governor
* Debra Bowen - Secretary of State, incumbent
* John Chiang - Controller, incumbent
* Bill Lockyer - Treasurer, incumbent
* Dave Jones - Insurance Commissioner
* Chris Parker - Board of Equalization District 2
* Das Williams - 35th Assembly District
* Ferial Masry - 37th Assembly District
* Diana Shaw - 38th Assembly District
* Julia Brownley - 41st Assembly District

* YES - Proposition 13 - Limits on property tax assessment for seismic retrofitting of existing buildings. Legislative Constitutional Amendment. (Please note the VCDCC to "no position" on this proposition.)
* NO - Proposition 14 - Greater participation in elections and primaries.)
* YES - Proposition 15 - California Fair Elections Act
* NO - Proposition 16 - Imposes new 2/3 voter approval requirement for local public electricity providers. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
* NO - Proposition 17 - Allows auto insurance companies to base their prices in part on a driver's history of insurance coverage. Initiative Statute

If you are registered to vote as a Democrat, The OVDC endorses the following candidates for Ventura County Democratic Central Committee (VCDCC) in District 1 (Ventura, Ojai):

* David Atkins - DCV member, Young Dems President, small business owner

* Helen Conly - OVDC member, DCV Vice President, VCDCC Endorsement Committee Chair, grant writer
* Chip Fraser - Educator, union representative

* Sandra Kinsler - DCV President, VCDCC Communications Committee Vice Chair, small business owner
* Marie Lakin - DCV member, NWPC - Ventura Chapter, writer

* Brian Leshon - DCV member, VCDCC Chairman, small business owner

I know most of these folks and it is critical that we vote for these candidates for the VCDCC. They are dedicated volunteers and activists. Half of the people who will vote in this election WILL NOT vote for the Central Committee candidates at all. Thus 400 votes can make the difference between winning and loosing. And great progress has been made with the Central Committee and it is moving toward being a fully-functional branch of the CDP. We would like to continue our good work. So, PLEASE vote for the endorsed Committee candidates of the OVDC.

For information on the propositions visit your OVDC website and the League of Women Voters .

Hope to see you at the OVDC meeting Tonight, Monday May 24th!

Posted by Sean P. Keenan at 02:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Here's a cool Father's Day Weekend event that's making me thirsty.
If you love to celebrate with finely crafted beers, delicious food and hang out at the beach, then the Ojai Beverage Company and 33 Productions, Inc. have put together just the event for you.
On June 19 The Salute Beer Festival will bring a variety of widely acclaimed breweries, restaurants and live musical entertainment to the Ventura State Beach. Net proceeds from the event are being donated to Food Share; Ventura County's regional food bank, which feeds more than 55,000 people through 150 plus partner agencies in Ventura County. That's a worthy cause to celebrate.
With dozens of American Craft Breweries and the regions finest restaurants signed on for the for the beer and food pairing event, the blessing of the California Small Brewers Association, music by Jack Maness of Sublime and Long Beach Dub All Stars the only real thing left to let you know is to buy your tickets at salutebeerfestival.com. General Admission $50, VIP $125 until June 1, then $60 and $135 respectively.
Props to Joby Yobe of OBC and Christine Hansen of 33 Productions for putting together such an impressive lineup. Full press release after the jump.

‘SALUTE! A FESTIVAL TO CELEBRATE FINELY CRAFTED BEER & FOOD’ AND TO BENEFIT
FOOD SHARE ANNOUNCES HIGHLY RESPECTED PARTICIPANT LINEUP

Father’s Day Weekend, Saturday, June 19th, 2010 at San Buenaventura State Beach in Ventura, CA, Premier Beer and Food Pairing Festival Presents Widely Acclaimed Breweries and Restaurants alongside Renowned Musical Entertainment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

VENTURA, Calif., May 5, 2010 – Taking place at the beautiful San Buenaventura State Beach in Ventura, Calif. on Saturday June 19, Salute! A Festival to Celebrate Finely Crafted Beer & Food, readies to present a Father’s Day weekend event that is sure to become a highly anticipated annual tradition for years to come. Presented by Ojai Beverage Company and Thirty-Three Productions, Inc., Salute! will raise funds for and awareness of FOOD Share, Ventura County’s regional food bank.

Salute! has earned the support and endorsement of the California Small Brewers Association. The unique craft beer and food pairing festival will feature locally and nationally celebrated craft breweries alongside renowned regional restaurants, for two sessions of beer & food pairing for the general public and VIPs between 11am – 5pm. The element of pairing food with beer provides a perfect synergy between the event and it’s sole beneficiary, FOOD Share of Ventura County, which will receive 100% of the net proceeds from all sales generated by this trend setting event.

Salute! is excited to announce its current food and beer slate, which is being added to daily. Current participants include, but aren’t limited to: Alaskan Brewing Co., Anacapa Brewing Co., Angel City Brewing, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Bootlegger’s Brewery, Brophy Brothers Restaurant & Clam Bar, Buckbean Brewing Company, Craftsman Brewing Company, Dogfish Head, Enzo’s Italian Restaurant, Fireman’s Brew, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Island Brewing Company, Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Kona Brewing Co., Ladyface Ale Companie, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Le Dolce Vita, Lindeman’s, Margarita Villa, Maui Brewing Co., McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream, Mendocino Brewing Co., New Belgium Brewing, Ojai Beverage Company, Pyramid Breweries, Red Hook Liquid Goodness, Robeks, Samuel Adams, Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery, Santa Barbara Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Soup Kitchen Inc, Speakeasey Ales & Lagers, Stone Brewing Co., Strongbow Cider, Sudwerk Brewing Co., Telegraph Brewing Company, The Greek at the Harbor, Vesta, Westmalle Trappist, Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, Woodchuck Draft Cider, Wyder’s Cider, Yolies Fresh Mexican Grill and Zaragosa.

Guests of Salute! will be in for a musical treat thanks to an all-star entertainment lineup featuring some of Southern California’s best singer-songwriter and rock & roll talent, many of whom have graced stages to global fanfare. Acclaimed singer-songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist, Jack Maness who is most widely known for his work with Sublime (40 Oz of Freedom, “Rivers of Babylon”) and Long Beach Dub Allstars (keyboard and vocals) is a key featured performer who recently released his debut solo album “Simple Man.” Southern California Indie Rock Band, Vinyl Candy, will debut and release their third album entitled “The Dirty Third” during their performance at Salute! Australian born, San Diego-based acoustic singer-songwriter-guitarist, Lee Coulter, who has been compared to the likes of Jack Johnson, will also take the stage at Salute! alongside other exciting entertainment announcements coming soon.

Salute! would not be possible without the support of its sponsors, donors and event partners which include Classic Party Rentals, International Paper, The Marriott Hotel and Mutineer Magazine..

General Admission tickets are $50 in advance and $60 beginning June 1st, 2010. Each ticket includes a souvenir 4 oz. tasting glass, four hours of unlimited beer and food tasting, and live entertainment. For $125 in advance and $135 on June 1st and after, guests can purchase a VIP Tastemaker ticket, which also includes early entry for a two-hour private reserve beer tasting with invited brewers, special beer and food pairings and exclusive access to a private VIP lounge area before and during the general admission session. VIP Tastemaker access, which is limited to 500 people also provides exclusive access to Salute! breweries one hour prior to the festival gates opening. Tickets for Salute! are limited and only available at a reduced price until May 31st so the time to act is now while supplies last.

For more information on the breweries and restaurants being presented and to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.salutebeerfestival.com.

# # #

Press Contact: Karen Marines / (818) 505-0876, karen@33productions.com

Posted by Chris Wilson at 09:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Following is a letter to the Vons Corporation from the fine folk at the Ojai Valley Green Coalition. At issue is that Vadnais Investments, the owner of the Ojai Vons shopping center, has historically refused to allow or install bike racks, despite Vons' public commitment to sustainability initiatives.

My two cents: Vons corporate should strongly encourage Dean Vadnais to take the Green Coalition up on their offer, and then issue a press release on their commitment to sustainability with this Ojai project as an example. Don't do anything, and they risk getting pulled into the negative PR that could ramp up as a result of stonewalling. Do the right thing for the community and the environment, and reap the rewards - pretty simple.

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

May 14, 2010

Tom Keller
Vons Corporation
618 Michillinda Avenue
Arcadia, CA 91007

Dear Mr. Keller:

We represent a nonprofit environmental group in Ojai, California, and we’re writing to ask you to promote alternative transportation by installing bike racks at your Ojai location: 1125 Maricopa Highway, Ojai, CA 93023. Given the recent efforts by the City of Ojai to install bike racks around the city, plus the many citizen complaints regarding the lack of bike racks and scarcity of parking spaces for cars in the shopping center where Vons is located, the Ojai Valley Green Coalition is initiating a campaign to correct this situation.

It is unfortunate that Vadnais Investments, the owner of the shopping center, has historically refused to allow bike racks. As our organization continues to promote bicycling as a smart mode of transportation and the city improves its streets to accommodate cyclists, the demand for proper and safe locations to secure bikes will only increase.

Reviewing the Vons corporate sustainability statement, and seeing firsthand the recent remodel of the Ojai Vons store, we see that Vons is making an effort to decrease its ecological footprint. However, of the twenty-seven Vons stores in our immediate region that we recently polled, only eight were providing shoppers with bike racks.

In March 2010, the US Department of Transportation announced a new policy which states that the needs of pedestrians and cyclists must be placed alongside, not behind, those of motorists. Cities everywhere are under orders by various air-control agencies to reduce vehicular trips. There is a growing sense of urgency to encourage people to leave their car at home as much as possible and walk, bicycle, car-pool or ride the bus or trolley.

We suggest that factoring in how your customers arrive at your stores is as important as calculating the greenhouse gases prevented by energy-efficient lighting. Bicycles are a mode of transportation whose legitimacy increasingly warrants retailer accommodation. Our research finds that the average cost to install bike racks is $150 to $300, whereas the average cost to provide parking for one car is $2,200 to $4,000. And the City of Ojai is offering installed bike racks for free!

Though Vons, as lessee, may not have the authority to decide whether bike racks are installed at the Ojai location, it surely does have substantial influence. We believe that if Vons insists that its customers (and those of all the retailers at this Ojai shopping center) have access to convenient and safe bike parking, it will happen.

We urge Vons to continue its green efforts by taking the lead on ensuring that bike racks are installed at its Ojai location. This will promote further bicycle use and reduce traffic congestion, as well as air pollution.

To quote from your website: Safeway is fully engaged in making a measurable difference in this important “sustainability” journey. And, continuing on another page: Safeway has adopted a guiding principle that promotes growth through the thoughtful use of our natural resources. Our company is focused on a core set of initiatives that make sense for both the planet and our business.
We applaud both of these statements, and we hope that you will act quickly to clear the way for bike racks to be installed at all your locations, starting with Ojai.

Thank you for your consideration of our request.

Sincerely,

Deborah Pendrey
Executive Director

Suza Francina
Chair of the Transportation Committee

Cc:
Todd Baker, Store manager, Ojai Vons
Dean Vadnais, Principal, Vadnais Investments
Mike Culver, Director, Ojai Public Works
Ojai City Council Members
Ojai City Planning Commissioners
Steve Bennett, District 1 Supervisor, County of Ventura

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 01:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Global Village School is celebrating its 10th anniversary this Saturday from 1-4 at their office at 207 N. Ventura St. (the former location of Ojai Creates!) The school offers an international K-12 homeschool diploma program that empowers students to cultivate their gifts and passions by engaging them in a creative, flexible educational process grounded in the principles of peace, justice, diversity, and sustainability.

As part of the festivities, Global Village is showcasing its new K-8 Whole Child, Healthy Planet curriculum, which is being used by private and charter schools as well as homeschoolers. The K-8 curriculum guides combine a student-centered approach (creative, flexible, holistic, and experiential, with a learning styles focus) with an emphasis on the four core principles of the Earth Charter: Respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, social and economic justice, and democracy.

The public is invited to take part in the celebration, which will include live acoustic music, refreshments, and the opportunity to meet Global Village staff and families.

Posted by Sally Carless at 05:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

from the fine folk at Ojai Music Festival...

Frank Zappa, America’s great musical iconoclast and innovator, once said “a composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians.” Famous to some for his rock band “The Mothers of Invention,” and to others for his sharp tongue and avant-garde classical music, Zappa enjoyed a legendary career that spanned more than 30 years and astonished the world by breaching the barriers of musical genres.

At the 2010 Ojai Music Festival (June 10-13) patrons will have a unique opportunity to experience Zappa’s music and learn more about his legacy. On Friday afternoon, June 11, the Festival Symposium will address “The World of Frank Zappa.” His widow, Gail Zappa, will be among the panelists connected with Zappa who will discuss his genre-bending career. Also present will be members of the Ensemble Modern, recounting the group’s tours and their recordings with Zappa in the 1990s, and former Zappa band member, Ian Underwood. The Symposium will be held at Matilija Auditorium at the Matilija Junior High School. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at OjaiFestival.org.

Whatever the field – philosophy, politics, social criticism, rock, classical music, or film – Frank Zappa was a gifted maverick. Born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1940, he wrote rock, jazz, electronic, orchestral, and musique concrète works. During his career he appeared as a solo artist, directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. Bestowed with a keen interest in music from an early age, he became conversant in everything from doo-wop to the “serious” music of classical composers Bartok and Stravinsky, and avant-garde pioneers Varèse and Schoenberg.

The Friday night concert on June 11, 8:00 p.m. at the Libbey Bowl, will juxtapose two works by Varèse (Density and Octandre) with selections from two albums by Zappa (‘Greggery Peccary & Other Persuasions’ and ‘The Yellow Shark’). ‘The Yellow Shark’ was recorded by Frank Zappa and the Ensemble Modern in 1992 and was the last Zappa album released before his death in 1993.

This year’s Festival will mark the first appearance in Ojai of the Frankfurt-based group Ensemble Modern, described by The New Yorker as “the best contemporary new music ensemble.” Included will be soloists: Hermann Kretzschmar, a pianist since 1985; Megumi Kasakawa, viola; Patrick Judt, who has worked with the ensemble since 2006; pianist Ueli Wiget, a member since 1986; and Dietmar Wiesner, flute and a founding member of the Ensemble Modern.

A special “Zappa Package” is offered to those who want to immerse themselves in the life and work of this extraordinary musician. The package includes ticket to the Friday afternoon Symposium; a pre-concert dinner with other Zappa friends at Jester’s Pub; and the Friday night concert for $100 per person (reserved seats) or $70 for lawn.

Visit OjaiFestival.org for detailed programming information, multimedia video/audio clips, artist biographies, and more. Audiences are invited and encouraged to participate in all Festival events and can turn to the web site OjaiFestival.org for help in planning, or contact (805) 646-2094 for more information and to make reservations.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Working for nearly a year at the Ojai Valley News I came to love writing about this valley. I am now taking on the task of being an editor and publisher of my own fledgling and homespun publication: The Ojai Bubble.
On Thursday, May 20, The Ojai Bubble will be available for $3 at the following locations:

Casa Ojai Hotel
Georgio's Subs
Ojai House
Java N Joe
Bonnie Lu's
Ojai Village Pharmacy
Right Click computer repair in Oak View
and Watkins Cattle Company and possibly Ojai Olive Oil at the Ojai Certified Farmer's Market

Other locations are in the works, and if you are a business owner and would like to carry this fresh new publication, the way I work is for every copy you sell, you keep $1. At least that is my initial and simple business plan. No up front cost to take it on, but some gain if it sells.

There are articles, and there is local literature. There are splendid contributions from other writers. I am full to the brim of ideas for future editions and am already beginning to tap into some remarkable literary talent that is all around us. This first issue will be out until the end of June (unless they sell out sooner), with hopes I'll have another one breaking on the shore at the start of July. Like Aphrodite who was born from the froth of the sea (if you know that whole myth, try not to apply it in its entirety), the bubble is coming.

Nancy Gross

Posted by Demitri Corbin at 09:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)

FREE Presentation & Demo of Alkaline/Antioxidant Water

WHEN: Saturday, May 22nd from 2pm to 4pm

WHERE: Casa de La Luna 710 La Luna, Ojai, CA 93023

Please Arrive by 1:45pm. Bring your own Bottles

& Jugs to take Water home with you.
For Questions call Peter Donovan at 310-625-6439 or e-mail pcdla@yahoo.com

IT'S GONNA BE ALOT OF FUN!

Change Your Water 5_22_10.pdf

Posted by Demitri Corbin at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm really pleased to see this. Thanks for offering this service, guys. Maybe they can share what their process is for recycling in the comments of this thread.

PC Pros (423 E Ojai Ave Ste 102 next to Jersey Mike's) has started an e-waste drop off program. They will take all electronics except appliances M-F 10am-6pm.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

from the fine folk at the Ojai Music Festival...

The Ojai Music Festival is still recruiting volunteers to assist at the 64th Festival slated for June 10 to 13, 2010. Volunteer positions include hospitality, production, set up, security, ushering, artist liaisons, and office assistance. This is an exciting and fun way to experience the Ojai Music Festival from behind the scenes and meet new people.

During Festival week there will be morning, day and night shifts available to choose from for every day of the week. The Festival also seeks assistance in pre-Festival activities or office help.

All volunteers receive a t-shirt, and those who work two shifts or more are given two lawn tickets to the concert of their choice.

The 64th Ojai Music Festival, June 10 to 13, will feature celebrated composer/conductor George Benjamin as Music Director. Joining Mr. Benjamin will be the Ensemble Modern in its West Coast debut, early music specialists Wildcat Viols, pianist Eric Huebner, and Indian musician Aashish Khan.

For a volunteer application, please visit Ojaifestival.org/support/volunteer. Or call (805) 646-2094 ext. 100.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 03:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PR from the Ojai Art Center...

Memorial Day weekend takes on an added degree of excitement May 29th and 30th with the return of one of Ojai’s main cultural events, the 33rd annual Art in the Park. The open-air juried show draws artists and art lovers from all over southern California to Libbey Park for two days of sales and socializing. From 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 pm. Saturday and Sunday the park will come alive with the art and chatter of over 50 artists hoping to make a connection and sell their work. Art lovers will be there to purchase their newest treasure or just to have a chance to appreciate the newest work of a previously unknown artist.

Four of Ojai’s local artists spoke about what the weekend holds in store for them and what they plan on showing in Libbey Park this weekend.

Gretchen Greenberg, known locally as both an accomplished painter and sculptor, is currently working on a series of pastels “of trees, gardens and other landscapes.” She is one of the artists who has exhibited at the event “off and on since the 90’s” and is known for her strong and feminine take on everything from her vibrantly saturated pastels, her richly detailed wood sculptures of teak, mahogany and walnut, to her whimsically beautiful masks made from natural found materials.

“I’ve been trying to get together with Tom to paint once a week,” said Greenberg, referring to her painting buddy and cohort Tom Hardcastle. Greenberg says she is excited to once again be showing her work along side her friend. “He’s been working on a whole new landscape series too.”

Hardcastle has been previously known for his jewel-toned canvases of animal and plant studies.

Also showing at Art in the Park are old friends and fellow artists Kirk Lowry and Iris Williams, who own Ojai Creates! and Ventura Creates!

Williams and Lowry are also anchors of the Ojai tradition. The two operate under the name Sticky Fingers Studio and work in a variety of media besides the traditional. Lowry will be showing his resin and canvas work that re-invent the drip method that Jackson Pollack made famous and Williams will be showing some new smaller works on canvas that continue her road series.

“It will be like old home week,” said Williams, referring to the artists who will return to the annual event. “Add to that the chance to meet new artists, you can’t beat that.”

Art in the Park runs 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sat. May 29 and Sun May 30 in Libbey Park, in downtown Ojai.

For further information, call (805) 646-0117 or go online at www.ojaiartcenter.org

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 03:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ojai acting troupe's leaders wed onstage in musical extravaganza

This is such a great story in today's VC Star --with fabulous photos.

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/may/15/ojai-acting-troupes-leaders-wed-onstage-in/

I expect that this story will travel around the world...

Posted by Suza Francina at 09:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Every Day is Bike-to-Work-Day in Europe!

The following video offers a look into the beautiful country of Holland, a place where transit is clean, efficient, and safe.
Translation: Everyone rides bikes and uses public transportation.

http://www.good.is/post/what-rush-hour-could-look-like-the-glorious-bike-traffic-of-utrecht-holland

Thanks to Ojai Trees for sending this video!

Posted by Suza Francina at 10:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)

Celebrate Bike-to-Work Week, May 17-- 21, 2010
May is National Bike Month, and the League of American Bicyclists is partnering with hundreds of cities across the country to promote Bike-to-Work Week from May 17-21 and Bike to-Work Day on Friday, May 21.

If you grew up in Ojai fifty years ago, as I did, you’ll remember a time when you could safely walk and bicycle everywhere, even during peak hour traffic times. Ojai was naturally bicycle-and-pedestrian-friendly. Times have changed. According to the most recent (2008) Ojai Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, 6,000 cars a day now travel on Grand Avenue.

Communities that are bicycle-and-pedestrian-friendly (the two go hand in hand) are seen as places with a high quality of life. Living where you can safely walk or bicycle usually translates into increased property values, business growth, and increased tourism. Bicycle-and-pedestrian-friendly communities are places where people of all ages, and especially more vulnerable groups like children, people with disabilities, or older citizens, feel safe and comfortable walking or riding their bicycles for enjoyment, for health and fitness, and for transportation to school, the store, or other everyday destination close to home.

More walking and bicycling results in reduced traffic demands (i.e., fewer cars on the road and more parking spaces), cleaner air and water, less reliance on petroleum, and improved public health. Studies show that using walking and bicycling as means of transportation helps assure a daily dose of exercise and reduces childhood and adult obesity.

Before we get to the top ten benefits, motorists and cyclists alike need to be reminded that bicyclists are drivers of vehicles. Every day I cringe when I see bicycles on the wrong side of the street and disobeying every traffic law, including not arm/hand-signaling when approaching an intersection. But I cringe even more when I see kids and tourists forced onto the sidewalk or the dirt at the edge of the street to keep from getting run over. Traffic law in every state assigns bicycle riders all the rights and duties of other vehicles on the road. One of the most important things we can do here in Ojai to make all our streets bicycle-friendly, especially during peak-hour traffic, is to educate drivers to please slow down if a bicycle is in the car travel lane. Drivers do not have the right to force a bicyclist off the street. The moment a driver sees a bicycle or group of cyclists up ahead, that’s a cue to slow down and prepare to share the road.

In celebration of National Bike Month, here are the top ten good things about bicycles:

1. Bicycling enhances family-friendly communities. A recent survey of potential home buyers found that 93 percent said quiet, low-traffic areas were very or extremely important in selecting the type of community they want to live in. More than 70 percent of the home buyers cited bicycling facilities as important to their decision. Parents recognize that children are more independent in bicycle-friendly communities. Women ages 30 to 50 tend to make far more vehicle trips than men, largely due to the "chauffeur" role they play in delivering children to after-school destinations. Safe bicycle routes liberate both parents and children.

2. Bicycling increases property values. Studies have shown that property values climb in neighborhoods near bicycle/pedestrian trails. "Community designs that deliver low traffic and quiet streets," "Lots of natural, open space," and "Walking and biking paths" were the top three priorities among 39 features identified by home buyers as crucial factors in their home-purchasing decision.

3. Bicycling contributes to community safety. Streets full of cyclists have a calming effect on motorists. Communities with high rates of cycling tend to have reduced rates of traffic deaths and injuries among bicyclists and pedestrians. It’s estimated that, for every dollar invested in bicycle and pedestrian improvements, we save double that amount in medical costs from averted traffic accidents. The most successful community-policing program around the nation is the bicycle-mounted police squad. Placing cops on bikes has proved effective in fostering goodwill among residents of crime-plagued neighborhoods, while the crime-fighting virtues of the bicycle —stealth, speed, and all-terrain mobility—are well-established.

4. Bicycling improves air quality and the health of the community. Place any living creature in a closed system and turn on even a brand-new combustion engine and death will result. Our planet’s atmosphere is a closed system about ten miles high. The burning of fossil fuels, primarily from cars, buses and trucks, contaminates the single most important element of human health: clean air. An average four-mile round-trip bike trip prevents nearly fifteen pounds of air pollutants from contaminating the air.

5. Bicycling conserves energy and resources. One quarter of our waking lives is spent in performing the involuntary activities associated with the automobile-transportation system. Bike trips are most likely to displace short car trips, which are less fuel-efficient than longer trips. Bicycle transportation saves an estimated 700 million gallons of fuel annually. By making our communities safe and practical for cycling, bicyclists can save the United States as much as three billion gallons of fuel each year, plus countless hours of time.

6. Bicycling helps relieve traffic congestion. Bicycle improvements can encourage motorists to shift some of their short automotive trips to cycling. About 40 percent of all car trips are less than two miles in length.

7. Bicycling is economical. Bicycling is the most cost-effective mode of transportation. As the cost of operating a car has climbed over 300 percent in the last twenty-five years, growing numbers of families have found that the replacement of a commuter car with a commuter bike can restore thousands of dollars to the annual household budget.

8. Bicycling is good for the economy. Besides increasing property values, we can’t afford to overlook that Ojai has a tourist-based economy. Tourists love to visit places where they can conveniently park and forget the stress of driving. "Car-Free Vacations," destinations known as a "Bicycle-Pedestrian Paradise," or "Walkable Cities" are recognized as desirable for both visitors and local residents who find noise and congestion from traffic to be the single most annoying side effect of tourism. Retailers are recognizing that healthy revenues don’t depend on heavy car traffic and lots of parking. Cars don't shop—people do! Studies show that bicycle-and-pedestrian-friendly street designs create a shopper-friendly atmosphere that increases retail business. Plus, bicycles free up valuable parking spaces for those who must drive.

9. Bicycling promotes health and fitness for people of all ages, including our older population. Bicycling is a lifelong, low-impact aerobic activity available to almost anyone. Modern gearing and electric-assist equipment allow all users to find their own level of effort. Older adults riding for the first time can use three-wheelers with large baskets. (And one study suggests that if one quarter of the nation’s sedentary adults—twenty million people—would exercise moderately on a regular basis, savings to the healthcare system would exceed $5 billion.)

10. Bicycling is fun! Riding your bike connects you to the earth and everything you see all around you. And May is a perfect month to get out and ride with your family, co-workers, and friends!

Guest Editorial, Ojai Valley News, May 12, 2010, published under a different title: Ojaians urged to bike to work.

Cross-posted at http://www.ojaivalleygreencoalition.org/action-committees/transportation/

Related articles:
http://www.ojaivalleygreencoalition.org/2010/05/pedaling_toward_a_greener_ojai.shtml

Suza Francina is Chair of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition Transportation Committee, www.ojaivalleygreencoalition.org.

Posted by Suza Francina at 10:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

from the VCSD / Ojai Substation...

During the first week of May two businesses in the downtown area of Ojai were vandalized with red spray paint. The vandalism included the moniker of the “tagger.” During the investigation, Deputy Gunnar Dike recognized the moniker as that of a subject he knew from prior criminal contact. Deputy Dike conducted a probation search and located evidence linking Ian Sangster (Age 19, Ojai) to both vandalisms. Sangster was arrested without incident for 2 counts of misdemeanor vandalism and was booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

from the VCSD...

Deputy Gunnar Dike has been selected as the 2010 Kiwanis Deputy of the Year for the Ojai substation. The award is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club. Gunnar was selected for this award due to his dedication to the Ojai Valley, exceptional work ethic, and professionalism.

He has been with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department for 9 1/2 years, and has worked in the Detention Services and Patrol Services Divisions. Gunnar has been assigned to the Ojai substation for the past 3 years, where he is currently working patrol. He was selected to be a field training officer and is currently one of the station’s gang liaison officers. His solid work ethic and positive character are a testament to the passion he possesses in serving members of his community and the Law Enforcement profession.

The Kiwanis Clubs of Ventura County will be hosting a dinner banquet at the Ventura Four Points Sheraton, 1050 Schooner Drive, Ventura, on May 28, at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $40.00 per person and can be purchased in advance by contacting Gloria R. Casa, (805) 642-0179.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

After a great deal of back and forth debating, Ojai will finally have its in ground skateboard park. I was beginning to wonder if this project was ever going to get off the design table. I am delighted to report that I just received the amazing news via Ojai Valley News Blog.

I'd like to congratulate all of the skaters, parents, members of the community and of course the city council for this accomplishment. Let the digging begin.

Posted by Mike Didj at 12:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

story from Linda Harmon...congrats to a worthy recipient.

I first met Zeretzke on the back patio of Local Hero (now Feast Bistro), on a beautiful Ojai summer night. He and tenor Mark Llewellyn were performing lilting ballads that floated on the evening air. The audience knew they were in the presence of two uncommonly talented and unique musicians when Zeretzke began to make weird, unearthly sound effects to accompany the old whaling song they sang, the sounds of breaching whales. This he accomplished on an electronic violin and a handmade set of rare Bulgarian bagpipes.

It was much later that I discovered what a truly talented and involved artist Zeretzke is.

“I’m a performer, an arts educator, a composer, and a director,” explained Zeretzke, who enjoys every facet of it. “Cindy, my wife, said it took her about a year to figure out what I do.”

Zeretzke wasn’t exaggerating much.

“I play with three different ensembles of talented musicians,” said the musician, “‘The Going South Band’ playing southern Americana, ‘Salaam Ensemble,” with masters of Near and Middle Eastern music; and ‘Ancient Grooves,’ an eclectic group of world music masters from all over.”

But with Zeretke it doesn’t stop there.

“I do a lot with Brian Bemel’s program, Performances to Grow On, and also Ojai Festival’s outreach program, Bravo!,” said Zeretzke, who has spent over 28 years working in arts education and artist in schools throughout programs California, including in Ojai’s Bravo!

“I teach about instruments from ancient times to today. I bring in my Stroh Viol (an old mechanical violin), my modern electric violin, one of the first commercial recording players invented by Thomas Edison (a 100 year old portable wax cylinder recording player), and I talk to the kids about how the current music industry grew from there.”

That commitment to his craft, along with his commitment to his community, is the reason why his name was chosen for the award.

Zeretzke has spent his life using his music to educate and inspire.

One of his recent projects, “Flutes Across the World,” was recognized by the United Nations and he was awarded their highest peacekeeping award for the project working with children here and in the Philippines.

The program was no walk in the park and required special military escorts due to the political unrest in the country.

Zeretzke is involved with projects for The Ashland Shakespeare Company and composed scores for UC Santa Cruz productions of ‘The Tempest’ and ‘As You Like It’ and ‘King Lear’, numerous ballet companies, including The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, The Royal Danish Ballet, The Ballet de Monterey of Mexico, and Folklorico del Pacifico. His scores have been performed at venues from the LA Music Center and Disney Hall to Madison Square Garden and Rockefellar Center.

Zeretzke says he’s recently broke into film scoring.

“It’s a little tough to break into,” said Zeretzke, who did the score for the Robert Altman film “The Company” and a soundtrack for a Tony Shaloub movie “America East”. “I still love to work as a studio musician and hang out with all those guys.”

I wonder how he finds the time.

Join the City in recognizing this fine musician and teacher during the May 25 City Council Meeting held at Ojai City Hall. The meeting is open to the public and begins at 7:30 p.m.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 05:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PR on Ojai local and NY Village Voice co-founder John Wilcock's new edition of his 1971 book, The Autobiography and Sex Life of Andy Warhol. Also click through to see more on his new autobiography, Manhattan Memories.

Village Voice and Interview co-founder John Wilcock was first drawn into the milieu of Andy Warhol through filmmaker Jonas Mekas, assisting on some of Warhol's early films, hanging out at his parties and quickly becoming a regular at the Factory. “About six months after I started hanging out at the old, silvery Factory on West 47th Street,” he recalls, “[Gerard] Malanga came up to me and asked, ‘When are you going to write something about us?'”

Already fascinated by Warhol's persona, Wilcock went to work, interviewing the artist's closest associates, supporters and superstars. Among these were Malanga, Naomi Levine, Taylor Mead, Ultra Violet, and Viva, all of whom had appeared in the Warhol films; scriptwriter Ronnie Tavel, and photographer Gretchen Berg; art dealers Sam Green, Ivan Karp, Eleanor Ward and Leo Castelli, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Henry Geldzahler; the poets Charles Henri Ford and Taylor Mead, and the artist Marisol; and the musicians Lou Reed and Nico. Paul Morrissey supplied the title: The Autobiography and Sex Life of Andy Warhol is the first oral biography of the artist.

First published in 1971, and pitched against the colorful backdrop of the 1960s, it assembles a prismatic portrait of one of modern art's least knowable artists during the early years of his fame. The Autobiography and Sex Life is likely the most revealing portrait of Warhol, being composite instead of singular; each of its interviewees offers a piece of the puzzle that was Andy Warhol. This new edition corrects the many errors of the first, and is beautifully designed in a bright, Warholian palette with numerous illustrations.

John Wilcock is a British-born writer who was a founding editor of the Village Voice in 1955.
In the 1960s he edited New York’s first underground newspaper The East Village Other, was an early editor of the Los Angeles Free Press, and published his own influential alternative tabloid, Other Scenes. Wilcock also founded and co-published Interview magazine (in 1969) with Andy Warhol. He has written more than thirty travel books and lives in Ojai, California.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 05:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

from the fine folk at the Ojai Valley Green Coalition...

Thinking like a watershed is what Brock Dolman of the WATER Institute would like all of us to start doing. On May 26 he’ll be in Ojai to comment on a 20-minute documentary produced by the Surfrider Foundation called Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water and speak on water issues. Dolman, who is cofounder of the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, is a wildlife biologist and a permaculture, erosion control and watershed restoration consultant. He maintains that we’re not in a water crisis; it’s our water-management system that is in crisis.

This affects how much water we have in our reservoirs, storage tanks, and groundwater basins. Decision makers have focused on short-term solutions to long-term watershed problems. Members of the audience will receive a free copy of Dolman’s booklet Basins of Relations: A Citizen’s Guide to Protecting and Restoring Our Watersheds.

A series of slide images will support Dolman’s presentation of ideas that promote conservation hydrology. Rainwater harvesting and other strategies will show how we can move from “drainage to retainage.” Using a model of the water cycle as a template, the presentation will explore what the ideal water-management system would look like. Dolman believes that concern, critique, moderation, and conservation are the building blocks of progress. He urges citizens to become engaged in the issues that affect their local community and their access to clean water.

The May 26 presentation will take place at the Chaparral High School Auditorium, 414 E. Ojai Avenue in Ojai, at 7 p.m. A $5 suggested entry donation will include a copy of the Basins of Relations booklet.

For more information about the event, go to www.ojaivalleygreencoalition.org, leave a message for Deborah Pendrey, Executive Director of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition, at (805) 669-8445, or send an email to Deborah at coordinator@ojaivalleygreencoalition.org.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services (followup from the first post on February 8th)...

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services has ceased operation and testing of the Casitas Warning System, and released the system for disposal.

The eleven-site system, and two control stations have been offered as surplus property, and will be sold by sealed bid. The sale is being administered by County Procurement Services. Bids will be received until 4:00 pm Tuesday, May 18th, 2010. Further information about the system and sale may be found at: gsa.countyofventura.org . The successful bidder will be required to obtain all necessary permits to remove the system, and restore each site to it’s original condition.

The system, originally installed in 1999 during the seismic retrofit of the Casitas Dam, has been superseded by the modernized Emergency Alert System, the Reverse 911® and Code Red® Telenotification Systems installed by the County and City of Ventura. In addition, maps and evacuation information may be found on the Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services website: www.vcsd.org/oes .

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 03:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

'Octave-Scaled' Circle-of-Fifths?

the Light of a Hundred Suns, in ~Our~ eyes, Revealed ...

Earth-Song, the Landscape, the Land (Divinity), Revealed ...

her Voice reaches out to, touches, every 'One' ...

seen, heard, felt, tasted ... breathed ...
every moment of every 'day' ... every thee ...

the circle, the spiral, which is the whole, totality,
of thee and me ...

~~

two Baja California CoachWhip snakes,
racing through our garden yesterday,
as 'One' ...

~

and the facebook photo-album composition which this even occasioned ... Divine Revelation

Posted by Millennium Twain at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 02:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)

from the fine folk at the Ojai Music Festival...

The 64th Ojai Music Festival, slated for June 10 to 13, is seeking housing hosts for behind-the-scene production/technical staff and college music student interns. The Festival is in need of guest cottages, private rooms, and homes in the Ojai Valley.

“It’s been a tradition since the late 1940s for Ojai Valley residents to extend their hospitality by inviting artists and production staff to stay at private homes or guest houses during the Festival weekend,” explains Festival operations director Gillian McManus. “These opportunities have allowed artists to intimately experience the magic of Ojai, and it is a lifetime chance for residents to meet talented individuals in the classical music industry.”

From June 10 to June 13, 2010, the Ojai Music Festival will explore the works and celebrate major music influences of its music director, George Benjamin, widely known as one of today’s most inventive composers and sought-after conductor. Marking its West Coast premiere, the Frankfurt-based Ensemble Modern, a longtime artistic partner of Benjamin’s and one of the world’s preeminent new music ensembles, will perform four distinct programs during the 2010 Festival including works by Frank Zappa who worked with Ensemble Modern before his death.

For more information on housing hosts for the Ojai Music Festival, please call Gillian McManus at 805 646-2094 ext, 109 or email at operations@ojaifestival.org. For more information on the 64th Ojai Music Festival, June 10 to 13, visit the web site at OjaiFestival.org.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Big story on Libbey Bowl in the LA Times (h/t SRS):

Events at Libbey Bowl pump about $3.5 million annually into the city's economy, making it an important economic as well as cultural landmark, Rains said. The Ojai Valley Service Foundation estimates that amount could double once expanded programs are brought to the revamped amphitheater, which will have a capacity of about 2,000.

"It will certainly drive more tourists here," said Rains, who sits on the foundation's fundraising committee. "That's more tax revenue for the city and more business for merchants."

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Noisy Donut Shop presents a special screening of Maynard James Keenan's (Tool, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle) new documentary film which follows his unusual adventure starting his own vineyard in an Arizona ghost town.

As the Los Angeles Times states, "The frisson between his [Keenan] well-crafted personal mystique and the way the film presents him as a dedicated new winemaker learning his craft is intriguing."

The film excited local artist and wine lover Attasalina Dews, so she and Christopher the Minister have teamed up with the Ojai Playhouse and the Village Jester to bring you this unique event. An after party will be held at the JESTER featuring wine from the ARIZONA STRONGHOLD...

CHUPACABRA

The Trickster. The Shape Shifter. The ever elusive shadow who mutates with the Sun and Moon. One year a Dragon, another a Snake. This is our mystery blend. Think forest, not trees. Think weather, not rain. Stare, and the CHUPACABRA, who dwells in your heart and not in your head, will vanish. Only a True Alchemist can draw holy blood from a stone, and the CHUPACABRA is his opus, his phoenix, his cherub, his child. Bravo, Mr. Glomski, Bravo!

RSVP and invite your friends! (Reserve your tickets today at 805.646.1011)

facebook event page http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102461589797546&index=1
facebook movie page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blood-Into-Wine/178422249785

Posted by Demitri Corbin at 08:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

pleased to share this community presentation and discussion with y'all...

International journalist Nomi Morris will speak this Monday, May 10th, at 7 pm, about the BP oil leak disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, and will lead a community discussion on the issue. Morris, who has offered the series “Behind the Headlines” at Theater 150 this spring, felt it was necessary to respond to community concern and so she changed her scheduled talk on China to the current news about the Gulf of Mexico.

“This troubling event is at the vortex of so many issues that Americans care about,” Morris said. “The economy, the environment, our reliance on oil, corporate accountability, and the direction of the Obama White House - to name just a few.”

The slick threatening the U.S. southern coastline was the size of state of Delaware by two weeks after the explosion of the oil rig. It could take months until the accident, now the largest oil disaster in U.S. history, is contained.

Morris, a former Middle East correspondent for Knight Ridder Newspapers and Berlin correspondent for Time Magazine will put the disaster in the context of other large scale accidents and discuss whether this is will be a turning point in public support for structural changes to help safeguard the environment.

Monday’s talk is the 7th in the open-forum continuing education series Morris has brought to Ojai. Theater 150 has sponsored the program as part of its Local Access initiative, opening its doors to events of value to the community.

In addition to teaching and lecturing, Morris also currently contributes freelance articles to the Los Angeles Times.

“Ojai has so many people with experience and expertise in areas that relate to this crisis. I hope they will come out on Monday night and air their views,” she said. “The discussions at ‘Behind the Headlines’ have been wonderfully comprehensive.”

Morris’ final talk will be Monday, May 24 when she will speak on the state of the terror threat to the United States nearly a decade after 9/11.

THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL DISASTER, “Behind the Headlines” takes place at Theater 150, 316 E. Matilija Street, at 7 pm on Monday, May 10th. Admission is $10 and $7 for students and seniors.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 02:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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

Ojai Shakespeare Festival - Looking Back With the Madrigali Renaissance Voices
Sunday, May 16, 2-4 pm

Join former artistic directors and actors Paul Backer, John Slade, Jaye Hersh, Susan Kelejian and Claire Haider for a rich and colorful look back at the Ojai Shakespeare Festival. This group presented its first play in the historic Libbey Bowl in 1981. Enlivening the gathering, the Madrigali Renaissance Voices will perform some of their entertaining stories and songs. . Everyone is welcome to this interesting and enjoyable afternoon.

The presentation is in conjunction with the Ojai Valley Museum's exhibit Ojai's Libbey Bowl, which runs from April 29 - July 11. The Ojai Shakespeare Festival is one of numerous local groups that have enriched the Ojai community using the cherished Libbey Bowl venue. The Ojai Valley’s love for Shakespeare dates to before 1900 when a group of Thacher School wives formed the Shakespeare Reading Club, which is still in existence today.

This gathering will be held at the Ojai Valley Museum, 130 W. Ojai Avenue. The event is FREE to 2010 museum members and $8 for non-members. Seating is limited, reservations suggested. Reservations for non-members must be paid in advance. Call the museum at (805) 640-1390, to make a reservation or for additional information.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 02:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

from the fine folk at Made in Ojai - take yer mama...

Made in Ojai’s Second Sunday Artisans’ Faire will feature a Mothers Day theme. Outside there will be artisans making jewelry and other art forms and in the store, you will find many Mothers Day themed gifts. You are invited to make a Tiny Self Puppet to take home and to visit with the artists. Sunday 10 am – 2 pm. Free to the public. 323 E. Matilija Street, 646-2400.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 01:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

VISIT BICYCLE CITY: http://www.bicyclecity.com/

Ojai Valley Green Coalition Transportation Committee Meeting
Wednesday, May 5, 4:00 -5:00 pm,
at Papa Lennon’s Pizzeria, 515 West El Roblar in Meiners Oaks
across the street from the Project Ride community bike shop.

May is National Bike Month! http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/

About the Ojai Valley Green Coalition Transportation Committee

The mission of the Transportation Committee is to promote transportation options that result in reducing air pollution, traffic congestion, and reliance on petroleum as a primary fuel source. The committee’s goal is to make Ojai a model walking, biking, and alternative-transportation-friendly community. Its current focus is to assist the City of Ojai in implementing the Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan adopted more than ten years ago.

Suza will give monthly updates on the Ojai Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan and Kelly Pasco will report on Project Ride's program to bring bicycle education to local schools and the Ojai Valley business community.

The group will meet on the first Wednesday of each month at Papa Lennon’s Pizzeria, 515 West El Roblar in Meiners Oaks, across the street from the Project Ride bike shop.

New members are welcome, and anyone who can’t attend the monthly meeting but would like to join or receive updates on making the Ojai Valley more bicycle/pedestrian/trolley/alternative transportation friendly may contact Committee Chair Suza Francina at Sfrancina@aol.com or (805) 646-2613.

For more information visit: http://www.ojaivalleygreencoalition.org/action-committees/transportation/

Drive Less! Live More!

Posted by Suza Francina at 03:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This seems important and direct to me. Maybe it does to you, too!

From AfterDowningStreet.org:
On Thursday, April 29, 2010, a "Teach-In on Capitol Hill," was held in Room 2168 of the Rayburn House Building, in Washington, D.C., dealing with the question of what the U.S. Congress must do to end the U.S. Wars and secure a peaceful Middle East. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) served as the moderator. On the panel were: David Swanson, Chris Hedges, Ann Wright, Jeremy Scahill, and Josh Stieber. You can view the entire 80-minute teach-in by clicking here.

Funding an escalation of war in Afghanistan with $33 billion is:
illegal,
immoral,
against the public will,
economically catastrophic,
counterproductive on its own terms, and
a cynically motivated intentional failure
READ WHY

2. If they tell you they want to vote for aid to Haiti or some other lipstick included in the bill, tell them those things can pass separately and constitute no excuse. You want a commitment now to vote No no matter what.

3. If they tell you it's the very last supplemental, tell them you didn't believe that BS last June and won't believe it now.

4. If they tell you they want to obey the president, ask them to read the U.S. Constitution and see what's in Article I. Ask them why they think the framers put the war power in the Congress.

5. If they tell you they want to "support duh troops," tell them that a No vote merely avoids or undoes an escalation, thus preventing troops from being sent to risk their lives under illegal orders.

6. If they tell you they're voting for a toothless non-binding request for an exit time-table, tell them a growing causus opposing the funding sends a stronger message and builds toward the ability to actually end the war. Tell them the exit strategy approach, last summer, was rightly delayed until after the funding vote, and then garnered 138 votes, to which the president merely gave a one-finger salute. Let them know that ineffective rhetoric is no substitute for action.

7. Ask them to commit now to whipping their colleagues to vote No. And report on what they tell you at DefundWar.org.

Cross posted on the Ojai Peace Coalition Action Blog. evan austin is the Director of the OPC, and lives in Meiners Oaks.

Posted by evan austin at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I asked Quin at Mano Farm to tell me a bit more about what they are doing, and their approach to organic, sustainable agriculture here in the Ojai Valley...

We are a hand-cultivated farm on one acre of land in Ojai, California. We offer a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program for Ojai residents and are presently seeking new memberships. Members purchase a “share” that is essentially an investment in the farm covering expenditures such as seed, water, irrigation, tools and labor. In return, members receive a weekly delivery of vegetables, herbs and flowers along with our biweekly newsletter.

We offer about 10 or so items each week; in the present boxes are kale, chard, collards, lettuce (either mixed greens or heads), beets, rutabagas, fennel, flowers, green garlic, and both culinary and medicinal herbs. On the horizon are cabbages, turnips, collards and burdock. Summer shares will include tomatoes, basil, peppers, eggplant, summer squash, garlic, potatoes, sugar beets, and melons.

Shares can be purchased on either a monthly ($96 for a four week month; $120/five weeks) or seasonal basis ($275/three months). We offer a discount on seasonal shares because they help ensure the farm’s long-term stability. Members pick up and pay for their first share on the farm so we can introduce ourselves and offer a brief orientation to the program. All subsequent shares are delivered to your door.

We do not use petroleum-derived fertilizers, chemical-based insecticides/pesticides, or use genetically modified seed on our farm. We meet if not exceed organic standards and offer complete transparency to our members regarding our cultivation practices. Please email us at manofarmers@gmail.com or call 805.758.3184 if you’re interested in joining us.

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 03:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

from Co-Artistic Director Chris Nottoli and the fine folk at Theater 150...

On May 15th in Libbey Bowl, I’m going to marry Deb Norton, the coolest, smartest, most talented person I’ve ever met. There might be 500 to 1000 people witnessing the ceremony. Why? Because I’m ego-maniacal braggart? Hardly. As you’ll see in the musical, that is the ceremony, the last thing I wanted was to be married, much less involved in some culturally mandated, pair-bonding ritual. Was it because Deb’s dad has a shotgun to my back? Nope. Well, I hope he doesn’t…

I’m doing it this way because getting married any other way seemed downright alien. One man’s normal is another man’s nutty, I suppose. Turns out, I have what’s been called an ‘artistic temperament.’ Imagine the artistic brain like a pitch-back; that elastic thing you throw a baseball against and it lobs the ball right back to you. You throw a baseball at an artist, and what comes back to you is a mechanical trout singing a song about redemption. Thanks to my artistic temperament, I’ve been fired from almost every ‘straight’ job I’ve ever had because when the boss asked for customer service metrics, she usually didn’t want a poem about the ‘river-ness’ of communication. When the word “wedding” came at us, what pitched back was a full-length musical with krumping Jell-O, kale-loving cheerleaders, and special appearances by Greek gods.

Some folks might think that using a wedding as a fundraiser, plastering logos of sponsors, NASCAR-style, all over the bride, groom, wedding party, food and everything else and charging a ‘donation’ to come see two people get married is inappropriate, crass, profane, or at the very least…tacky. How they got ‘singing trout’ out of this pretty serious thing called ‘wedding’ is beyond me. So let me try to explain my brain.

I believe in transparency. I believe you are savvy enough to know that the arts are necessary – they make our lives better– and, they aren’t free. I’d like you to believe that we aren’t going to wreck your experience of a play by putting a Coke in Hamlet’s hand, having Willy Loman hawk adult diapers or using Stanley Kowalski to sell Prozac. But, when it’s time to fundraise we’re not going to pretend we’re not trying to raise money. And, of course, we’re going to make it fun.

The conceit of this particular fundraiser, is that two folks are donating their wedding to support theater by performing a musical about trying to get married. For those who can’t imagine how this event will also contain the sacredness of marriage, try this: Sit down with your partner and write a play about how much you love them, and why you should commit your lives to one another. Lay bare and make manifest all the reasons you’re a better person for being with them by singing to them, dancing with them and listening to why they like you so much. Mine your fears, worries and secrets for the key to the bond that keeps you together in the face of overwhelming odds that you won’t stay together. It will deepen your relationship profoundly. That was our journey in the creation of this ritual.

Our relationship began at, was hot-dipped and pressure-tested by, and is now contained within Theater 150. There is no difference between us at this point: We are the theater and it is us. Our fortunes are tied together.

A wedding is a community event that binds a couple and bonds the witnesses to that union and, to each other. We want you to know the names of the donors and the businesses forging community through art. While watching this wedding play, don’t feel bad when we remind you (via a sponsor’s logo) that they sacrificed a lot or a little for your enjoyment. Know that they did it out of love. It’s their gift to you and your community. We want you to thank them on the street when you see them. We want you to stand up and say, “Count me in.”

Perhaps one man’s tacky is another man’s artifice-free, humorous gateway to a better future for you and yours and ours.

So come on down and watch this story of goofy, transparent and soaring devotion. If I can remember all my lines and hit all my high notes, you’ll enjoy yourself knowing you are responsible for making sure your town has a theater that will continue to do innovative, stirring and sometimes calculatedly-inappropriate work.

Fundraising is Tacky
By Theater 150 Co-Artistic Director
Chris Nottoli

Posted by Tyler Suchman at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Have you ever been to a concert and just end up smiling the entire time because the music is positive, fun, and creative? A performance where the energy is just right, the lyrics are inspirational, and the performer is happy to be alive and share? Joe Reilly is that performer and he'll be in Ojai on Tuesday performing in the Soul Centered dome at 7pm. Tickets at the door.

Joe Reilly's heart is an infinite ocean and each song that he writes is a resonant wave. We call him Spiritboy because when he aligns his hands, his heart, and his harmonies, he not only displays his personal emotional journey, he also plucks the heartstrings of hope to bring us beyond despair into healing action. His heart has been nurtured by Native American, Buddhist, and Catholic teachings. As a result, he can howl a chilling splash-in-the face blues about treachery and historical injustice and inspire you with upbeat ditties that echo in your mind long afterwards.

Joe is from Michigan and this will be his second pass through Ojai. In the years I've known Joe, I've discovered that he is gentle, kind, loving, musical, creative, and fun. His music his perfect for kids of all ages and most who leave wanting more.

Listen to select tracks.

Posted by Kenley Neufeld at 09:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)