Howard Smith

Profile

Chairman of the Board, VCEDA

Howard J. Smith is Chairman of the Board of VCEDA, the Ventura County Economic Development Association, and was honored this year as one of the top fifty Business Leaders in the Central Coast by the Pacific Coast Business Times. A Past President of the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce, Smith has also served in an advisory capacity to the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, the Ojai Community Hospital Foundation, the Ojai Valley Youth Foundation, the Wild Foundation, the Ojai Film Festival and numerous other community organizations.

He recently organized an exhibit at the Ventura County Maritime Museum; "When China Ruled the Seas, The Treasure Fleets of the Ming Dynasty." Smith is an active member of the Estate Planning and Planned Giving Councils of Ventura County as well as the Business & Technology Partnership at CSUCI. He taught for five years at UCLA Extension and has lectured nationally. A frequent Op Ed contributor to the Ventura County Star and the Ojai Valley News, his articles have also appeared in the Washington Post, Horizon Magazine, The VCEDA News, The Journal of the Writers Guild of America, and numerous trade publications. Random House published the paperback edition of his second book "Opening the Doors to Hollywood."

Posts

Stop The Trucks: *Ojai Quarry Revocation Hearing Set for Thursday, December 15th

by Howard Smith December 5, 2011

The Ventura County sent out the following Notice below for a hearing before the Planning Commission. 

We urge you all to attend and SUPPORT the Planning Division’s move to revoke the C.U.P. for the Ojai Quarry.  

The hearing is expect to last most of the morning, if not…

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Stop The Trucks: County Supports Delinquency of a Miner w/ Million Dollar Payouts Despite Notice of Permit Revocation

by Howard Smith November 29, 2011

The Coalition has learned from inside sources that potential payments for rock delivered to the Ventura County’s Watershed Protection District’s project in Camarillo from the quarry in Ojai could exceed a Million Dollars of Taxpayer funds to the Mosler Rock Ojai Quarry at the same time the State of California…

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Stop The Trucks: County Aiding and Abetting the Delinquency of a Miner

by Howard Smith November 27, 2011

Rock Haulers similar to this one flooded the Ojai Valley Thanksgiving week

Even as the State of California issues a “30 Day Notice to Delist” the Mosler Rock Ojai Quarry as an acceptable supplier to government agencies and the Ventura County Planning Department files a “Notice of Revocation” of the quarry’s Conditional Use Permit (C.U.P.), another County…

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Stop the Trucks: County Continues Aiding and Abetting the Delinquency of a Miner

by Howard Smith November 25, 2011

Rock Haulers like this one from DMT Trucking flooded the Ojai Valley Thanksgiving week

Even as the State of California issues a “30 Day Notice to Delist” the Mosler Rock Ojai Quarry as an acceptable supplier to government agencies and the Ventura County Planning Department files a “Notice of Revocation” of the quarry’s Conditional Use Permit (C.U.P.),…

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Stop The Trucks: NY Times lists Ojai Quarry & Golden State Water as top violators of Clean Water Act in Ojai Valley

by Howard Smith November 18, 2011

Ojai Rock Quarry Fill in North Fork Matilija Creek 4-4-10

The New York Times lists the Mosler Rock Ojai Quarry, with 4 violations, and Golden State Water with 34 violations as the top “toxic waters / polluters” in the Ojai Valley as part of a national review of compliance with the…

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Stop The Trucks: Ojai Quarry Hearing Postponed Until December 15th

by Howard Smith November 7, 2011

Surprise, Surprise… Has the foot-dragging begun already???

Come on, Kim, is this anyway to run a Planning Division?

(Kim Prillhart, Director of the Ventura County Planning Division)

Is Kim trying to buy more time for the Ojai Quarry or is it simply County incompetence – again?

Minutes ago we received the following…

———- Forwarded message…

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STOP THE TRUCKS: Ojai Quarry’s History of Violations Demands Closure

by Howard Smith November 5, 2011

For years, the Coalition registered complaints with Ventura County about the Quarry’s regulatory non-compliance and serious safety violations.

Recently Ventura County officials  informed the Ojai Stop the Trucks! Coalition that the Mosler Rock Ojai Quarry’s numerous regulatory violations render it ineligible for inclusion in the state’s AB 3098 approved vendors…

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Stop The Trucks: Did Caltrans Defy Ventura County Regulators by helping Ojai Quarry Regrade Dangerous Slopes at Taxpayer Expense?

by Howard Smith November 3, 2011

THE OJAI (MOSLER) QUARRY, VENTURA COUNTY GOVERNMENT &
THE CALIFORNIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY

In Reversal – County Admits Using Mosler Rock
Under pressure from Ojai’s Stop the Trucks! Coalition (“Coalition”) – Ventura County Deputy CEO Matt Carroll did an about-face and formally acknowledged what had already been well-known:  That several different Ventura County…

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STOP THE TRUCKS: Caltrans says River Undermines Route 33 at Ojai Quarry

by Howard Smith October 29, 2011

Improper Grading May Pose Serious Threat to River & Highway

From Caltrans:
Approximately two years ago, Mr. Mosler, the owner of the rock quarry dropped some large rocks into the creek.  These rocks diverted the flowing water toward the creek bank on roadway side.  

Ojai Rock Quarry Fill Clogs…

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STOP THE TRUCKS: Mosler Quarry Issued Notice to Cease Operations:

by Howard Smith October 28, 2011

Quarry Violates Permit by using a Non-permitted Rock Crusher in June 2011

Supervisor Steve Bennett’s office sent out the following note this week:

The County Planning Division has issued the Mosler Ojai Quarry operator a notice to cease operations, and has issued a notice of a permit revocation hearing.  The notice…

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