MAC supports project to add 147 new beds to retirement center
By Sondra Murphy
St. Joseph’s Health & Retirement Center is nearer to upgrading and expanding its facilities. Representatives of the center appeared before the Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Council Monday seeking to create structures to accommodate 147 new beds and demolish its existing 60-bed skilled nursing facility.
The council supported the project, which next moves on to the county’s Planning Division.
St. Joseph’s is located on East Ojai Avenue between Gorham and Carne roads on two parcels totaling less than 15 acres and is zoned as “rural residential” by the country’s general plan and land use designation. The Planning Division issued a negative declaration last month, meaning the proposed project would have no significant effect on the environment.
During the meeting, architect Bruce MacPherson presented plans to MAC council members detailing the construction of one 12-bed assisted living facility, a two-story, 59-bed assisted living facility, a two-story, 58-bed skilled nursing facility and a 30-bed independent living facility.
While the upgrade will require the removal of some of the citrus orchard, “the orange trees between our facility and the main highway will not be taken out,” said MacPherson. “Part of the appeal of the site is the rural setting.”
“Will that make it less commercially sound?” asked council member Terry Wright.
“We have not heard from the people who lease the trees that this would be a problem,” said MacPherson.
St. Joseph’s Brother Ignatius Sudol said the current facility was built in 1960 to house the brothers who came to serve at the site. Besides more space for residents, the new design includes low-level lighting of pathways, allows for more natural light indoors and uses recycled water for some of its landscaping needs. The swimming pool will be removed.
“I’m a little concerned about ingress and egress,” said council member Russ Baggerly. “The amount of traffic can be high sometimes.” MAC advisor Steve Offerman of Supervisor Bennett’s office responded that a left-hand turn lane for eastbound drivers entering the property is also included in the plans, but Baggerly said he would liked to have seen the addition of a merge lane for westbound traffic entering or exiting the facility.
Included with St. Joseph’s plans was a 2008 Ventura County Public Works traffic study concluding less than one additional afternoon peak hour trip would be generated by the project. A 2004 study by Associated Transportation Engineers estimated the addition of one morning peak hour trip and the loss of one afternoon peak hour trip.
Council member Mike Zielsdorf also noted changes to St. Joseph’s access road. “It’s not intended to be a grand entry,” said MacPherson. “It’s been widened up to make it more user-friendly, but not so much to make it out of character with what is out there.”
Some tree removal will be needed to widen the road, as well as to construct the new buildings. “Part of the rural feeling is that you don’t even know that buildings are out there,” Zeilsdorf said. “If you start to see buildings peeking up through the trees, it might take away from the rural feeling.” The highest point of the remodeled facilities is 34 feet.
“Our goal is not necessarily to change the character of what is out there, but to make it a more viable facility,” said MacPherson. He said it is proposed for the new structures to have extended metal roofs of olive green, “pretty consistent with all the buildings we’ll be putting out there.”
Council member Jeff Ketelsen voiced concerns about how the reduction of staff by eight positions might impact working conditions. MacPherson referenced plans to modernize the kitchen facilities during the upgrade, which is expected to increase staff efficiency. “Hopefully, with the assisted living, we’ll have more economy of scale,” said Sudol.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
NHS' Silva On Road To Success
Diego Silva, one of 243 to graduate in Nordhoff’s class of 2008 last week, will be attending the University of California at Davis in the fallBy Linda Harmon
Diego Silva is an inspiration, a fresh-faced, good-natured Nordhoff graduate on his way to bigger and better things. He brings to mind the Dale Carnegie book,”How to Win Friends and Influence People.” His story of success includes “pulling himself up by his bootstraps” and “reaching for the American dream.”
Silva, a 19-year-old legal immigrant, has been accepted to three colleges this year and will soon leave Ojai to study mechanical engineering at the University of California at Davis. He remembers a day back in Mexico when his father, a welder, asked for his help to figure the area of a corral he needed to construct.
“I didn’t know how to do it. My father had to go find someone else to help him,” said Silva, who is as amazed as anyone else how far he has come. “Now, I love math. I have discovered math is part of me. I have learned things that I didn’t even know existed.”
Silva, who has made Ojai his home since 2004, leaves Ojai to attend college in September with the respect and support of teachers and students alike. Silva was awarded a full scholarship and also received the honorary George Valle Memorial Award.
“The Valle Award is one of Nordhoff’s highest,” said Nordhoff vice principal Susana Arce, who was among those who recommended Silva for the award. “George Valle was an outstanding 1964 alumni who was a self-made man who did a lot in our community. The award is given to the student who rises above in three areas: sportsmanship, enthusiasm and community service. Diego earned it for his achievements.”
Denise Thomas, Nordhoff curriculum support administrator and AVID coordinator, agrees. She had Silva in her AVID class last year. AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a college preparatory program for students that enables disadvantaged secondary students to succeed in rigorous curricula, enter mainstream activities in school, and increase their opportunities to enroll in four-year colleges.
“Diego came to Ojai without speaking a word of English, but it wasn’t long before he moved out of special classes,” said Thomas. “He was one of those students who actually wanted to talk to me. It’s part of the AVID program to guide students who don’t have support at home to successful college entrance. He wanted to tell me about his day and I got to know him really well right away.”
Silva came to Ojai from a small town in Michoacan, Mexico, Santa Ana Maya, on his own.
“Santa Ana Maya is similar to Ojai but not as green,” said Silva smiling. “My parents bought my plane ticket for my birthday to visit my cousin and aunt here in Ojai.”
Silva says his aunt, Lucemaria Garcia, treated him like her son and his cousin, Alejandro Garcia, treated him like a brother. It was only after the then 15-year-old Silva’s visit was due to end that he was asked if he wanted to stay and go to school in Ojai.
“My family wasn’t a united family so I thought this would be a good opportunity for me,” said Silva. “In Mexico I hated school. My mom would yell at me for my grades. Here, I was inspired by Nordhoff and all the opportunities to go farther in life. I was kind of determined to learn English and get what I wanted.”
Thomas said Silva was singled out for another honor three weeks ago when he was asked to speak at the AVID awards banquet held on the California Lutheran College campus. He was chosen out of all the seniors in the county to be the main speaker and share his story.
As for now, Silva visited the U.C. Davis campus last April.
“I got really amazed,” said Silva. “First I come to Nordhoff from Mexico and I am amazed. Then I see the college. I loved the buildings, the gym, and the stadium. I love the campus and the town.”
Silva will be living in a dorm on campus. He says he doesn’t plan on working as “it will be tougher and I want to focus on my studies.”
Silva has been used to working and studying. He got his first job in Ojai at the Deer Lodge washing dishes and then waiting tables. “It was a little stressful.” Silva sometimes worked 43 to 48 hours a week while attending school.
“Then I started working for McDonald’s where I work now,” said Silva. “I am a cashier and I love the job because my schedule can adjust. They even let me do homework if there are no customers. One of my best friends there is driving me to college in September.”
Thomas can also attest to Silva’s perseverance out of school. She often saw him jogging to work after school on the bike path when his first and only car broke down this year.
He has since replaced it with a bike.
“I figure I didn’t need a car,” said Silva, who won’t be able to have a car as a freshman on the U.C. campus. “And I’m saving money for September.”
Silva hopes to finish school, become an American citizen and get a job in his field that will enable him to buy a home and help his family back in Mexico.
Silva, one of the featured speakers at this year’s graduation, read his poem about Nordhoff, a tribute to his alma mater.
THE CLASS OF 2008:
Rabih Abasi, Erica Aguilar, Jamie Allen, Lance Allen, Alexandria Anderson, Robert Anderson, Claudia Angeles, Zane Ashby, Hannah Atkinson, Alyse Bader, Chloé Baer, Brandon Baker, Dustin Baker, Kelsey Baker, Hansel Balayan, Eric Banks, Casey Barker, Pamela Barron, Alyse Benavente, Amber Blanks, Jonathan Bower, Garrett Boyd, Yesenia Brambila, Joseph Brooks, David Brown, Victoria Brown, Chloe Bunker, Clinton Burger, Aran Burke, Evan Bush, Salina Butterfield, Rebekah Caballero-Perez, Adriana Calderon, Angelina Campitelli, Dillon Carlson, Chad Carr, Rebekah Casas, Barry Case, Angie Castañeda, Cody Christie, Patrick Christl, Leonidas Christofides, Amanda Clark, Matthew Clark, Shawn Clark, Allison Clifford, Annaliessa Coffman, Nicholas Colbern, Michelle Cole, Byanca Contreras, Enoc Cortez, Sophia Cotsis, Ruby Covarrubias, Tyler Cowles, Tenaya Cowsill, Katherine Cresto, Katie Damas, Chelsea Davy, Ashley De La O, Zachary Deneen, ChoCho DeSantis, Adam Devine, Ulysses Diaz, Christian Dominguez, Brooke Downard, Alina Downer, Scott Doyle, Ryan Drury, Elizabeth DuBrin, Yesenia Echeverria, Kelley Egus, Shane Elder, Jason Endo, Adam Erickson, John Espinoza, Danielle Fariseo, Sara Faulstich, Mishone Feigin, Joseph Finley, Michael Finley, Maria Flores, Rogelio Flores, Miranda Frost, Kosuke Fujikura, William Fulton III, Stephen Futujma, Jose Galindo, Shantay Garcia, Jordan Garst, Gracie Gartrell, Matthew Gay, Roxanne Geering, John Gianelli, Chad Gibson, Christopher Gibson, Brandon Glennon, Yvonne Gomez, Edgar Gonzalez, Dayanne Gordillo, Aaron Gottesman, Garrett Graham, Madison Gram, Amy Gronnebeck, Garrett Gross, Ryan Hallsten, David Halpern, Aaron Hamilton, Matthew Hartmann, Morgan Harwell, Thomas Hedley, Dale Henderson, Adam Hennigan, Shelby Herbruck, Sekoya Hibbard, Katie Hinks, Justin Homze, Alex Hunsaker, Kelsy Jehle, Dylan Jones, Kristina Jones, Jesus Jungo, Max Kaffel, Damian Kaiser, Miranda Kapin, Cody Keller, April Kenney, Gregory Kiddie, Michelle Kilpatrick, Kyleigh Kirkland, Kyle Kline, Henry Kruchko, Ryan Lagos, Andrew Laird, Daniel Landis, Elide Lara, Samantha Law, Trevor Lawry, Sang Eun Lee, Annelore Leupold, Emily Levett, James Lewis, Bradley Loe, Amanda Lopez, Nataly Lopez, Angie Luna, Noel Luna, Josuel Lupercio, Stephanie Lynn, Martin Mares, Anthony Martinez, Daniel Mathis, Miguel Maya, Justin McCallum, Claire McCarthy, Meredith McCormick, Ana McDaniel, Paris McGraw, Sarah Meade, Riley Meisch, Albert Mireles, Angelica Montelongo, Daniel Moon, Alexsandre Moore, Annelise Moore, Kelsey Moore, Cristina Moreno, Bryan Morris, Tyler Morris, David Mulligan, Taylor Myers, Molly Nation, Harley Neiderhiser, Molly Oakland, Garrett Ochoa, Brock Odle, Belen Ortiz, Kelsey Owen, Samantha Perez, Sarah Phipps, Omar Plaza, Jesus Ponce-Calderon, Emily Praetorius, Zoe Quinn, Emma Radding, Maria Ramirez, Scott Reames, Riley Reasor, Kacy Reed, Alissa Rennacker, Robin Ring, Casey Robbins-Peterson, Pietro Rocco, Jaymie Rodems, Charles Rodriguez, Juan Rodriguez, Shane Rogers, Mieko Romming, Rigoberto Ruiz, Alexandro Samano, Ramon Sanchez, Julia Scott, Dalton Seek, Steven Sharp, Joseph Shelby-Dunn, Diego Silva, Sofie Skriung, Adam Slifkin, Joshua Slifkin, Tahnee Smith, Erik Solecki, Gerardo Soria, Daisy Soriano, Jacob Spencer, Jeremy Spencer, Kellye Spencer, Allen Stage, Hollie Stanley, Cody Stephens, Jessica Stern, Bryce Swetek, Shruti Thukral, Lindsay Tilmont, Ronni Townley, Taylor Triggs, Alan Tucker, Barbara Tucker, Veronica Vaughan, Pilar Vega, Evelyn Villares, Brianna Viveros, Tyler Wadsworth, Katya Welborn, Joseph Wells, Graham Whipple, Tuesdé White, Forrest Whitman, Bryan Whitten, Brandon Widder, Chelsea Wilson, Lindsay Wilson, Grant Winfrey, Devin Witt, and Joslyn Wood.
Oak View Reaches Out To Community
Civic Council looks for fresh faces, ideas to invigorate efforts, projects
By Sondra Murphy
Hoping to capitalize on the good will of the community after its 2008 pageant and Memorial Day parade, the Oak View Civic Council is looking for new council and board members as it prepares for another year of community service.
Discussed at its June 4 formal meeting were ways to get more people involved in the many events that provide opportunities for neighbors to connect while benefiting local organizations that help nurture the lives of residents.
Council board positions open for nominations are secretary, first vice president, treasurer and two members at large. One of the latter will be vacated July 1, when Al Buczkowski takes over as honorary mayor of Oak View.
Nominated at the meeting were Catherine Lee for parliamentarian, Danna Prock for member at large and Nancy Graham and Patrick Gorey as treasurer. The council elections will take place at the July 2 meeting.
After March’s Miss Oak View pageant, court members and parents are working to form a pageant committee. With the OVCC members having announced last month that they were considering withdrawing their sponsorship of the pageant, contestants and winners, both recent and from years past, attended to request that the council continue supporting the pageant.
The Miss Oak View Pageant stresses poise, community service, academics, public speaking and inner beauty in a way that reflects well on the community. The pageant is an intensive process that requires many hours of preparation. Kim Armstrong expressed interest in remaining as pageant chair, a job she has put her heart into for the last three years.
“We have two limitations,” said Gorey. “One is financial and the other is manpower.” During discussion, several council members expressed hope that the people to whom the pageant means so much will step up and become actively involved with its production.
The council voted to fund the pageant committee as they do a number of other groups in Oak View. “We will be a major sponsor, but not ‘the’ sponsor,” said Prock.
Community groups submit a written request to the council that includes a dollar figure and OVCC gives each what it can afford. This donation process has been used by such organizations as the Ojai Valley Little League and Art to Grow On.
With OVCC remaining as a pageant sponsor, the Oak View pageant will have the benefit of insurance coverage, the use of the Community Center and historical knowledge of the event’s needs.
Pageant participants will continue to help raise funds for the event.
Membership to the OVCC is open to residents of Oak View and the surrounding unincorporated areas. Cost to join is free or, with a $10 donation, local merchant coupons are received by the new member. Council meetings are generally the first Wednesday of each month at the Oak View Community Center, 18 Valley Road. For more information, contact President John Herndon at 649-2919.
Past pageant participants are particularly encouraged to join the pageant committee. For information, contact Armstrong at 640-0727. Check out the web site at oakviewca.org for examples of all the council does and watch for the Oak View float and pageant court cruising down Ojai Avenue in the 2008 Fourth of July parade.
By Sondra Murphy
Hoping to capitalize on the good will of the community after its 2008 pageant and Memorial Day parade, the Oak View Civic Council is looking for new council and board members as it prepares for another year of community service.
Discussed at its June 4 formal meeting were ways to get more people involved in the many events that provide opportunities for neighbors to connect while benefiting local organizations that help nurture the lives of residents.
Council board positions open for nominations are secretary, first vice president, treasurer and two members at large. One of the latter will be vacated July 1, when Al Buczkowski takes over as honorary mayor of Oak View.
Nominated at the meeting were Catherine Lee for parliamentarian, Danna Prock for member at large and Nancy Graham and Patrick Gorey as treasurer. The council elections will take place at the July 2 meeting.
After March’s Miss Oak View pageant, court members and parents are working to form a pageant committee. With the OVCC members having announced last month that they were considering withdrawing their sponsorship of the pageant, contestants and winners, both recent and from years past, attended to request that the council continue supporting the pageant.
The Miss Oak View Pageant stresses poise, community service, academics, public speaking and inner beauty in a way that reflects well on the community. The pageant is an intensive process that requires many hours of preparation. Kim Armstrong expressed interest in remaining as pageant chair, a job she has put her heart into for the last three years.
“We have two limitations,” said Gorey. “One is financial and the other is manpower.” During discussion, several council members expressed hope that the people to whom the pageant means so much will step up and become actively involved with its production.
The council voted to fund the pageant committee as they do a number of other groups in Oak View. “We will be a major sponsor, but not ‘the’ sponsor,” said Prock.
Community groups submit a written request to the council that includes a dollar figure and OVCC gives each what it can afford. This donation process has been used by such organizations as the Ojai Valley Little League and Art to Grow On.
With OVCC remaining as a pageant sponsor, the Oak View pageant will have the benefit of insurance coverage, the use of the Community Center and historical knowledge of the event’s needs.
Pageant participants will continue to help raise funds for the event.
Membership to the OVCC is open to residents of Oak View and the surrounding unincorporated areas. Cost to join is free or, with a $10 donation, local merchant coupons are received by the new member. Council meetings are generally the first Wednesday of each month at the Oak View Community Center, 18 Valley Road. For more information, contact President John Herndon at 649-2919.
Past pageant participants are particularly encouraged to join the pageant committee. For information, contact Armstrong at 640-0727. Check out the web site at oakviewca.org for examples of all the council does and watch for the Oak View float and pageant court cruising down Ojai Avenue in the 2008 Fourth of July parade.
Ojai Hospital Given Clean Checkup
Plans for new ER, upgrades outlined at address, public support given credit for financial success
By Sondra Murphy
Three years into the merger between Ojai Valley Community Hospital and the Community Memorial Health System, administrators, support groups, physicians and staff gathered Thursday to report on the valley hospital’s fiscal and structural well-being.
About 75 Ojai Valley residents turned out for the 2008 State of the Hospital Address.
Despite the state budget deficit, impending Medicare crisis and the fact that 20 percent of Californians are without medical insurance, OVCH’s 2007 operating revenues totaled $23,383,613, with net assets of more than $10 million and a net operating income of nearly $400,000. Salaries and benefits accounted for 58 percent of the hospital’s operating expenses.
“Approximately 50 percent of California hospitals are in the red,” said CMHS president and chief executive officer, Gary Wilde. He said that, with medical insurance providers offering higher deductible plans, hospitals are seeing reduced admissions as the insured postpone their care.
The hospital tallied 1,347 total admissions in 2007, averaging 65 patients per day, and had 8,002 emergency room visits, 658 surgical procedures, 18,173 radiological procedures and 18,013 physical therapy treatments. It also saw almost 22,000 outpatient visits, performed 72,397 laboratory tests and filled nearly 119,000 prescriptions.
Patients using Medicare services totaled 53 percent of those treated at OVCH, while 14 percent used Medi-Cal and 29 percent were insurance clients. The remainder were cash patients.
“I am very pleased to report we’re in the black,” said OVCH chief executive officer Mary Jo Garrett. OVCH has been able to add new equipment to its resources, such as a central monitor in ICU and more detailed CT scan. The hospital also now has 41 additional parking spaces and night lighting for the lot.
“The only reasons we exist is for our patients and for each other,” said Wilde. CMHS is made up of three entities: Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, Ojai Valley Community Hospital and nine family health centers throughout the county, including one in Oak View.
Of the 7,549 patients that the Center for Family Health in Oak View saw last year, most sought family services and three-quarters were MediCal patients. “Medi-Cal patients often have trouble finding Medi-Cal services,” said Wilde, adding the figures show valley residents are using its heath care facilities. The center also provided services to veterans and industrial workers.
Due to donations received last year, efforts to create new emergency room facilities at OVCH are under way. Plans still in the approval phase include triage and treatment rooms, enlarged waiting area and six separate patient bays. If approved, the new emergency facility will be built on the opposite side of the hospital from the current location, improving drive-up access.
“It’s still in the red tape of approval,” said Garrett. “But we expect it to be able to go out to bid in July and begin construction in September.”
Changes in state laws have mandated seismic upgrades to California hospitals and OVCH is slated to receive structural reinforcements to be completed by 2013. “While the hospital is estimated by engineers to be stronger by 50 percent than any other building in Ventura County, the new standard is a hospital must remain in full operation and meet the needs of the community in the event of an earthquake,” said Wilde.
This standard includes functions like intact water and gas systems in case of a communitywide disaster. “The current building is up to codes, but the planned upgrades reflect these new standards.” Wilde said that we are fortunate to have many physicians who live in or near the Ojai Valley, so in the event of a large-scale emergency, doctors will be abundant.
While the seismic work is being done, the hospital exterior will receive a Spanish Revival make-over more fitting with Ojai. “We feel the hospital ought to reflect the community it serves,” Wilde said. On the drawing board are red roof tiles, white or beige walls and a clock tower.
The hospital is also in the process of launching a fully electronic medical record system to replace hand-written notes. The primary advantage is to avoid transcription errors, but is also anticipated to save time during registration and while making appointments.
Wilde estimated the cost of the hospital construction projects total $10 million, which they hope to fund through a combination of loans, a modest net margin, CMHS reserves and community donations.
“We regret having to do this because this is money we could use for better things like medical treatment,” said Wilde. “But this is the law and we must comply.”
Martin Pops, board of trustees’ president, said that community donations have helped to keep the hospital financially viable. The Hospital Foundation Guild holds several benefits over the course of the year, including “Wild West Night,” the “Nightingale Ball” and the October Classic 5K and 10K races.
Guild efforts yielded more than $42,000 in donations last year, which went toward a new ultrasound machine and other equipment, a patient room remodeling and various items to assist with medical care. Fred Keeler III provided $180,000 of additional funds for the migraine center and auxiliary donations brought in another $20,000. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” said Pops.
“We are standing on the shoulders of giants that have given us this legacy, this asset,” said Wilde. “We will continue to appeal to the community to support our projects to have an ongoing legacy.”
By Sondra Murphy
Three years into the merger between Ojai Valley Community Hospital and the Community Memorial Health System, administrators, support groups, physicians and staff gathered Thursday to report on the valley hospital’s fiscal and structural well-being.
About 75 Ojai Valley residents turned out for the 2008 State of the Hospital Address.
Despite the state budget deficit, impending Medicare crisis and the fact that 20 percent of Californians are without medical insurance, OVCH’s 2007 operating revenues totaled $23,383,613, with net assets of more than $10 million and a net operating income of nearly $400,000. Salaries and benefits accounted for 58 percent of the hospital’s operating expenses.
“Approximately 50 percent of California hospitals are in the red,” said CMHS president and chief executive officer, Gary Wilde. He said that, with medical insurance providers offering higher deductible plans, hospitals are seeing reduced admissions as the insured postpone their care.
The hospital tallied 1,347 total admissions in 2007, averaging 65 patients per day, and had 8,002 emergency room visits, 658 surgical procedures, 18,173 radiological procedures and 18,013 physical therapy treatments. It also saw almost 22,000 outpatient visits, performed 72,397 laboratory tests and filled nearly 119,000 prescriptions.
Patients using Medicare services totaled 53 percent of those treated at OVCH, while 14 percent used Medi-Cal and 29 percent were insurance clients. The remainder were cash patients.
“I am very pleased to report we’re in the black,” said OVCH chief executive officer Mary Jo Garrett. OVCH has been able to add new equipment to its resources, such as a central monitor in ICU and more detailed CT scan. The hospital also now has 41 additional parking spaces and night lighting for the lot.
“The only reasons we exist is for our patients and for each other,” said Wilde. CMHS is made up of three entities: Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, Ojai Valley Community Hospital and nine family health centers throughout the county, including one in Oak View.
Of the 7,549 patients that the Center for Family Health in Oak View saw last year, most sought family services and three-quarters were MediCal patients. “Medi-Cal patients often have trouble finding Medi-Cal services,” said Wilde, adding the figures show valley residents are using its heath care facilities. The center also provided services to veterans and industrial workers.
Due to donations received last year, efforts to create new emergency room facilities at OVCH are under way. Plans still in the approval phase include triage and treatment rooms, enlarged waiting area and six separate patient bays. If approved, the new emergency facility will be built on the opposite side of the hospital from the current location, improving drive-up access.
“It’s still in the red tape of approval,” said Garrett. “But we expect it to be able to go out to bid in July and begin construction in September.”
Changes in state laws have mandated seismic upgrades to California hospitals and OVCH is slated to receive structural reinforcements to be completed by 2013. “While the hospital is estimated by engineers to be stronger by 50 percent than any other building in Ventura County, the new standard is a hospital must remain in full operation and meet the needs of the community in the event of an earthquake,” said Wilde.
This standard includes functions like intact water and gas systems in case of a communitywide disaster. “The current building is up to codes, but the planned upgrades reflect these new standards.” Wilde said that we are fortunate to have many physicians who live in or near the Ojai Valley, so in the event of a large-scale emergency, doctors will be abundant.
While the seismic work is being done, the hospital exterior will receive a Spanish Revival make-over more fitting with Ojai. “We feel the hospital ought to reflect the community it serves,” Wilde said. On the drawing board are red roof tiles, white or beige walls and a clock tower.
The hospital is also in the process of launching a fully electronic medical record system to replace hand-written notes. The primary advantage is to avoid transcription errors, but is also anticipated to save time during registration and while making appointments.
Wilde estimated the cost of the hospital construction projects total $10 million, which they hope to fund through a combination of loans, a modest net margin, CMHS reserves and community donations.
“We regret having to do this because this is money we could use for better things like medical treatment,” said Wilde. “But this is the law and we must comply.”
Martin Pops, board of trustees’ president, said that community donations have helped to keep the hospital financially viable. The Hospital Foundation Guild holds several benefits over the course of the year, including “Wild West Night,” the “Nightingale Ball” and the October Classic 5K and 10K races.
Guild efforts yielded more than $42,000 in donations last year, which went toward a new ultrasound machine and other equipment, a patient room remodeling and various items to assist with medical care. Fred Keeler III provided $180,000 of additional funds for the migraine center and auxiliary donations brought in another $20,000. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” said Pops.
“We are standing on the shoulders of giants that have given us this legacy, this asset,” said Wilde. “We will continue to appeal to the community to support our projects to have an ongoing legacy.”
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Ojai Farmers Face Another Water Hike
Casitas’ $14 million budget includes plans to raise rates 17 percent
By Daryl Kelley
Directors of the Ojai Valley’s largest water agency are set to consider a new budget supported by another sharp jump in the water rates to valley farmers.
The Casitas Municipal Water District imposed a 53 percent hike in the cost to irrigate crops last year, and is now considering another 17 percent increase in agricultural rates. At the same time, most Ojai Valley residents in the district will get a sharp reduction in rates resulting from the 2008-2009 budget to be considered at a public hearing later this month.
The hearing is to consider the water district’s $14-million spending plan for the year beginning July 1, which will be based partly on water rates that would be adopted after notification of customers in July and an appeals hearing in late August, officials said.
Casitas provides water for about 65,000 people and nearly 5,700 acres of farmland in the Ojai Valley and Ventura areas. About 200 farmers use approximately 44 percent of the district’s water.
“The net effect is we have come up with about a 10 percent increase, total,” said board President Jim Word at a water district meeting Wednesday. Indeed, the net operating increase to farmers is less than the 17 percent hike for water, because the district would reduce the monthly service charge to big users.
Unlike a year ago, when district chambers filled with concerned farmers, only two attended the meeting Wednesday during the first round of the budget discussion, as directors set a public hearing for June 20 at 4:30 p.m.
Also unlike last year, the two farmers who attended Wednesday’s meeting, although concerned about the new hikes, said they were pleased with how Casitas has gone about this round of increases, by hiring an independent consultant and inviting farmers to join the process.
“So far, it’s been open,” said Roger Essick, who farms more than 400 acres of oranges, avocados and tangerines in the picturesque east Ojai Valley. “But we still don’t have enough information. We still need to look at the rate model.”
“They’ve been very transparent,” said Jim Finch, who farms 200 acres of oranges, avocados and lemons near Foster Park and Ojai.
But, like the directors themselves, the farmers said they are waiting to see the details of the proposed rates when they are released by the district’s consultant in the next few days. The farmers said they’re concerned that basic 22 percent service charges for administration and overhead may be too high. They said they have not yet seen a breakdown to support that fixed charge.
The district is under pressure to follow state guidelines that require it to charge for water based on the actual costs of service, something it has not done in the past when it came to agriculture.
Homeowners already pay for the full cost of delivering their water. Historically, farmers have enjoyed a subsidized rate because the federally constructed Casitas Dam project was built partly to promote Ojai Valley agriculture. And even with the proposed increases, agricultural rates would still be much lower than residential rates.
A key consideration in raising farm rates has been a 2006 State Supreme Court decision in which justices ruled that Proposition 218, passed by voters in 1996, requires equitable distribution of water costs.
Even with the farmers’ rate increased from $208 an acre-foot to $312 this fiscal year, and perhaps to $365 by September, they would still pay far less than the $445 per acre-foot that residential customers pay.
Casitas officials have said they might be able to legally justify the lower rate because agricultural users do not need the high quality water delivered to their orchards since a sophisticated treatment plant was built a decade ago to meet state drinking-water standards.
If all costs, including treatment, were included, farmers would pay $521 an acre-foot, analysts have said.
But farmers fear that spiraling costs will eventually put them out of business.
“It’s the straw that will eventually break the camel’s back — the water costs and the fuel costs,” Finch said.
“The one thing,” Essick said, “that enables agriculture to continue in the Ojai Valley is reasonable water costs. And if that goes away, you’ll see a drastic change, especially in the East End … with its orange orchards.”
The panorama of orange orchards defines the bucolic East End. But oranges barely make economic sense even at today’s lower water prices, he said.
Higher water rates will force farmers to pump more from their own wells in years with good rainfall, like this one, then go back to Casitas supplies when underground water basins dry up during low-rain years.
That would create a yo-yo effect in Casitas revenue, Finch said, because the water district cannot count on selling water to farmers at the higher rates.
“I’ve often encouraged (the district) to look at what this will do to their sales,” Finch said. “In the end, the increases may not be beneficial to the whole (budget).”
Although calculations are tentative, water rate summaries released by Casitas this week show that the proposed new rates would be good news for about 2,600 residential customers in the Oak View area, with their water rates dropping sharply and their overall water bills dropping somewhat after an increase in the basic service charge is included.
The new water rates differ from customer to customer, depending on the size of a customer’s water meter and how much water is used.
For example, a resident with a typically sized water meter (five-eighths to three-fourths inch), using 34 units of water (748 gallons per unit) every two months, would pay $72.46 bi-monthly under the new rates, including a service charge of about $38. That’s $4.85, or 6.3 percent, less than the resident now pays.
For farmers, water rates would go up 17 percent regardless of the size of farm, but proposed reductions in fixed overhead costs would mean a smaller percentage increase in the overall water bill.
For example, a farmer with 40 irrigated acres would pay $30,347 a year for water service, $4,020 or 15.3 percent, more than now. That assumes the farmer has a 2-inch meter and uses two acre-feet of water per acre per year.
A farmer with 200 irrigated acres would pay $150,351 for water service, $19,359 or 14.77 percent, more than now. That assumes the farmer has a 4-inch meter and uses two acre-feet per acre.
And if the same 200-acre farm had a 6-inch meter, the annual tab would increase to $155,353, $12,529 or 8.77 percent, more than today.
By Daryl Kelley
Directors of the Ojai Valley’s largest water agency are set to consider a new budget supported by another sharp jump in the water rates to valley farmers.
The Casitas Municipal Water District imposed a 53 percent hike in the cost to irrigate crops last year, and is now considering another 17 percent increase in agricultural rates. At the same time, most Ojai Valley residents in the district will get a sharp reduction in rates resulting from the 2008-2009 budget to be considered at a public hearing later this month.
The hearing is to consider the water district’s $14-million spending plan for the year beginning July 1, which will be based partly on water rates that would be adopted after notification of customers in July and an appeals hearing in late August, officials said.
Casitas provides water for about 65,000 people and nearly 5,700 acres of farmland in the Ojai Valley and Ventura areas. About 200 farmers use approximately 44 percent of the district’s water.
“The net effect is we have come up with about a 10 percent increase, total,” said board President Jim Word at a water district meeting Wednesday. Indeed, the net operating increase to farmers is less than the 17 percent hike for water, because the district would reduce the monthly service charge to big users.
Unlike a year ago, when district chambers filled with concerned farmers, only two attended the meeting Wednesday during the first round of the budget discussion, as directors set a public hearing for June 20 at 4:30 p.m.
Also unlike last year, the two farmers who attended Wednesday’s meeting, although concerned about the new hikes, said they were pleased with how Casitas has gone about this round of increases, by hiring an independent consultant and inviting farmers to join the process.
“So far, it’s been open,” said Roger Essick, who farms more than 400 acres of oranges, avocados and tangerines in the picturesque east Ojai Valley. “But we still don’t have enough information. We still need to look at the rate model.”
“They’ve been very transparent,” said Jim Finch, who farms 200 acres of oranges, avocados and lemons near Foster Park and Ojai.
But, like the directors themselves, the farmers said they are waiting to see the details of the proposed rates when they are released by the district’s consultant in the next few days. The farmers said they’re concerned that basic 22 percent service charges for administration and overhead may be too high. They said they have not yet seen a breakdown to support that fixed charge.
The district is under pressure to follow state guidelines that require it to charge for water based on the actual costs of service, something it has not done in the past when it came to agriculture.
Homeowners already pay for the full cost of delivering their water. Historically, farmers have enjoyed a subsidized rate because the federally constructed Casitas Dam project was built partly to promote Ojai Valley agriculture. And even with the proposed increases, agricultural rates would still be much lower than residential rates.
A key consideration in raising farm rates has been a 2006 State Supreme Court decision in which justices ruled that Proposition 218, passed by voters in 1996, requires equitable distribution of water costs.
Even with the farmers’ rate increased from $208 an acre-foot to $312 this fiscal year, and perhaps to $365 by September, they would still pay far less than the $445 per acre-foot that residential customers pay.
Casitas officials have said they might be able to legally justify the lower rate because agricultural users do not need the high quality water delivered to their orchards since a sophisticated treatment plant was built a decade ago to meet state drinking-water standards.
If all costs, including treatment, were included, farmers would pay $521 an acre-foot, analysts have said.
But farmers fear that spiraling costs will eventually put them out of business.
“It’s the straw that will eventually break the camel’s back — the water costs and the fuel costs,” Finch said.
“The one thing,” Essick said, “that enables agriculture to continue in the Ojai Valley is reasonable water costs. And if that goes away, you’ll see a drastic change, especially in the East End … with its orange orchards.”
The panorama of orange orchards defines the bucolic East End. But oranges barely make economic sense even at today’s lower water prices, he said.
Higher water rates will force farmers to pump more from their own wells in years with good rainfall, like this one, then go back to Casitas supplies when underground water basins dry up during low-rain years.
That would create a yo-yo effect in Casitas revenue, Finch said, because the water district cannot count on selling water to farmers at the higher rates.
“I’ve often encouraged (the district) to look at what this will do to their sales,” Finch said. “In the end, the increases may not be beneficial to the whole (budget).”
Although calculations are tentative, water rate summaries released by Casitas this week show that the proposed new rates would be good news for about 2,600 residential customers in the Oak View area, with their water rates dropping sharply and their overall water bills dropping somewhat after an increase in the basic service charge is included.
The new water rates differ from customer to customer, depending on the size of a customer’s water meter and how much water is used.
For example, a resident with a typically sized water meter (five-eighths to three-fourths inch), using 34 units of water (748 gallons per unit) every two months, would pay $72.46 bi-monthly under the new rates, including a service charge of about $38. That’s $4.85, or 6.3 percent, less than the resident now pays.
For farmers, water rates would go up 17 percent regardless of the size of farm, but proposed reductions in fixed overhead costs would mean a smaller percentage increase in the overall water bill.
For example, a farmer with 40 irrigated acres would pay $30,347 a year for water service, $4,020 or 15.3 percent, more than now. That assumes the farmer has a 2-inch meter and uses two acre-feet of water per acre per year.
A farmer with 200 irrigated acres would pay $150,351 for water service, $19,359 or 14.77 percent, more than now. That assumes the farmer has a 4-inch meter and uses two acre-feet per acre.
And if the same 200-acre farm had a 6-inch meter, the annual tab would increase to $155,353, $12,529 or 8.77 percent, more than today.
Cause of Ojai Oil Fire Unknown
By Sondra MurphySome Ojai residents discovered that not all’s well that ends an oil well.
Leland Hammerschmitt was relaxing Tuesday night when the earth shook. “It’s the largest explosion I’ve ever felt,” said Hammerschmitt. “I was watching TV and savoring the Lakers’ win over the despised Celtics. Suddenly, there was an orange flash, followed by half a beat and then, ‘ka-bam.’ I felt the shock wave and the house shook.”
Hammerschmitt went outside to have a look. “The flames were huge and you could tell that it wasn’t just a structure burning, but something that was being fed.” When he called 911, the operator immediately asked if he was calling about the explosion, “So obviously Ojai reacted very swiftly,” said Hammerschmitt. “I said to the 911 person, ‘Whatever you’re sending, send more. You’re going to need it.’”
The late night oil tank explosion and fire at Bentley Family Limited Partnership property located off Creek Road took about 75 firefighters from seven different agencies to contain. According to Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Bill Nash, personnel and engines responded to the scene from state, county, Ventura City, Santa Paula City, Oxnard City and the federal agency at Point Mugu.
“The call came in at 11:04 p.m. as an explosion with fire. On arrival, we found about a quarter of an acre of oil tanks with fire spreading into the brush,” said Nash. “There were six tanks there and two were completely destroyed. The lid to one of the oil tanks was found 200 feet away. We figured that’s where the ‘boom’ came from.”
Nash said the fire was located on private property in what appeared to be an agricultural and industrial area away from residential neighborhoods. “The oil tank fire was stopped by Ventura County Fire Crash 50, which is a foam fire engine primarily used to fight crash fires. We spread a layer of fire retardant foam, which smothers the fire. By doing that, we greatly reduced the amount of hazardous runoff from the fire. We were very concerned that spilled oil products not enter the waterways in any way.”
Oil fires are perilous to combat. “It was a very dangerous scene but there were no injuries,” said Nash. “Environmental Health responded due to environmental concerns.”
Lack of wind and the cool temperatures worked to aid their efforts. “We were able to get containment of the fire within a couple of hours,” said Nash. “The June gloom helped us a little bit. The big concern was knocking down the oil fire. Once that was contained, we were able to get to the brushfire and after about 2:30 a.m., we were able to release some of the units.”
Nash said that because of the hazards associated with oil, they kept firefighters at the scene overnight to monitor the situation and continue to check on the investigation and cleanup. “Oil is a flammable liquid, which means that it emits vapors,” said Nash. “If those vapors reach a little ember, it is relatively dangerous. Anything that causes a spark could ignite it again.”
Back at Persimmon Hill, Hammerschmitt was still reeling from the experience. “I don’t know what a 500-pound or 2,000-pound bomb’s shock wave would feel like from less than a mile, but this could be very close and that is impressive.”
According to BFLP spokes-man Chuck Rodham, the property is just less than 1,000 acres and has producing wells from which oil is tanked out. He said the three tanks that burned were not full and it appears the foam did its job. “No oil was released,” said Rodham. “Everything stayed in the tank area.” He said the losses are still being determined.
Greg Smith, manager of the hazardous materials section of Ventura County Department of Environmental Health, said that they had someone on the scene around 3 a.m. and saw no signs of environmental damage as daylight helped the investigation. “The oil had been contained onto the property. There was some crude oil released, probably a few hundred gallons or so, but it did not reach any sensitive habitats and there was no runoff into the creeks.”
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Final Chapter For Arcade Bookstore
Local Hero Books’ closure pinned on on-line sales, slumping retail economy
By Nao Braverman
As gas prices soar and the stock market plunges, local residents can add Local Hero Books to the list of failed businesses in downtown Ojai.
The long-standing Arcade bookstore will be closing its doors on July 5 to make room for a wine- and tea-tasting venue.
According to David Mason, owner of The Village Florist, the Arcade space has housed a small bookstore since the mid-1970s. Since then, the shelves of best-selling paperbacks, literary classics and locally published books have been a refreshing contrast to many high-end boutiques and tourist shops found in the Arcade.
While the growing number of big box bookstores and internet venues may offer wider selections of cheaper merchandise, Ojai is losing much more than just the retail books that Local Hero offered. As owner Elio Zarmati has stated in his editorial, a bookstore has been “a cultural center, a temple of learning.” For years, Ojai’s local bookstores have been locations for writing and discussion groups, the most appropriate places for book signing events, and venues for local authors to promote their work.
When Mitnee Duque owned the store from mid-1980s to late 1990s, she had a slew of regulars who would come in every so often, to order books and chat, she said. Local writer and teacher Gabriel Arquilevich was one of those regulars at the shop which was then called Ojai Table of Contents. Duque, a relative newcomer to Ojai at the time, found that owning a bookstore was a splendid introduction to the local community. Her store was a place where readers could connect with authors and people of like minds would meet. It was during Duque’s reign at Table of Contents, 15 years ago, that Arquilevich struck up a conversation with Jamie, the then sales clerk, on one book shopping spree, and the two eventually got married.
Zarmati, who has owned the establishment for nearly six years, purchased Ojai’s two bookstores to see them consecutively go out of business.
“Owning a bookstore was a lifelong dream of mine,” he said.
But the first Local Hero, in the slightly larger location just a few stores down, was the first to go. It was replaced by Feast Bistro, and Zarmati’s book sales were consolidated to the slightly smaller location, renamed Local Hero Books.
Both stores’ sales began to dwindle when the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa closed for renovation, said Zarmati. And neither of them entirely recovered even after the inn re-opened.
He attributes the losses primarily to the proliferating book giants, like Borders and Barnes & Noble as well as Amazon. But that competition would not have hit so hard if tourists were doing a little more shopping, he said.
With the closing of the Visitors Bureau, once run by the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce and funded at its peak by $125,000 in 2001 by the city, Ojai is losing a lot of its tourist revenue, he said.
“There is no question that the people have less money to spend, but the question is how do we respond to that. The business community is expected to take over the marketing that the Visitors Bureau was doing, but the business community is running out of breath.”
An obvious challenge to the independent book market is that people are reading less, said Zarmati. His solution was to keep a lot of non-book items in the store. One such attempt was opening Casa Barranca’s wine-tasting corner in the back of the store, in a partnership with the local wine maker Bill Moses, last October. Zarmati and Moses shared in the sales of the wine, which made the fall more gradual, Zarmati said.
David Ray, general manager of Bart’s Books, said the closure of Local Hero is a sad reflection of America.
“There are well over 100 bookstores that have gone out of business in Southern California in the last couple of years,” he said. “People don’t read.”
Bart’s has its own clientele, people who travel all the way from Los Angeles to buy out-of-print books, essentially collectors’ items. He expects the closure of Local Hero, would help business for Bart’s, although he laments the loss.
Zarmati decided to hand the storefront over to Moses and Zhena Muzyka, owner of Zhena’s Gypsy tea as a shared tasting and retail space, after he realized he couldn’t find anyone to buy the store.
Some people had initially shown interest in purchasing the business, but he received no serious offers.
While the two local merchants are eager to share their first retail storefront, they are sorry to lose Local Hero.
“His going out of business is bittersweet for me,” said Moses. “The partnership with Elio has been ideal and I am really sad to see him go.”
But he is also excited to have a larger space for tasting and retail. Sharing the space with Muzyka made perfect sense as they both produce artful handcrafted beverages, with rich histories, and samples which require tasting.
“Our vision is to make it an experience where you walk into the store and are transported to a time where a handcrafted life can be cultivated,” he said.
Muzyka had a dream to have an Arcade storefront for her tea company even before Zarmati owned the larger of his two bookstores.
Muzyka approached then owner Bobby Houston with her plan and he ended up hiring her to manage the cafe behind the bookstore, a concept which she helped conceive.
“We are so sad about Local Hero closing,” she said. “That’s where I would buy books with my son, I don’t know what we are going to do without it.”
But she is excited about expanding her outfit with Moses, nonetheless, and expects to bring in a number of tourists to boost the economy while providing for local tea and wine drinkers.
She also envisions selling as many coffee table books as business will allow. “Imagine a place where you can buy a quarter blend of Ceylon tea and sit down with a book,” she said.
Zarmati is not moving too far away from books as he begins his new publishing gig with a Los Angeles-based health magazine.
Local Hero Books, the Ojai Valley Green Coalition, the Ojai Library and Friends of the Ojai Library, will put on a joint project called “Ojai Reads” today at the Ojai Library at 7 p.m. The reading and education event includes the presentation of several books which address how to begin facing pertinent environmental challenges by getting informed.
By Nao Braverman
As gas prices soar and the stock market plunges, local residents can add Local Hero Books to the list of failed businesses in downtown Ojai.
The long-standing Arcade bookstore will be closing its doors on July 5 to make room for a wine- and tea-tasting venue.
According to David Mason, owner of The Village Florist, the Arcade space has housed a small bookstore since the mid-1970s. Since then, the shelves of best-selling paperbacks, literary classics and locally published books have been a refreshing contrast to many high-end boutiques and tourist shops found in the Arcade.
While the growing number of big box bookstores and internet venues may offer wider selections of cheaper merchandise, Ojai is losing much more than just the retail books that Local Hero offered. As owner Elio Zarmati has stated in his editorial, a bookstore has been “a cultural center, a temple of learning.” For years, Ojai’s local bookstores have been locations for writing and discussion groups, the most appropriate places for book signing events, and venues for local authors to promote their work.
When Mitnee Duque owned the store from mid-1980s to late 1990s, she had a slew of regulars who would come in every so often, to order books and chat, she said. Local writer and teacher Gabriel Arquilevich was one of those regulars at the shop which was then called Ojai Table of Contents. Duque, a relative newcomer to Ojai at the time, found that owning a bookstore was a splendid introduction to the local community. Her store was a place where readers could connect with authors and people of like minds would meet. It was during Duque’s reign at Table of Contents, 15 years ago, that Arquilevich struck up a conversation with Jamie, the then sales clerk, on one book shopping spree, and the two eventually got married.
Zarmati, who has owned the establishment for nearly six years, purchased Ojai’s two bookstores to see them consecutively go out of business.
“Owning a bookstore was a lifelong dream of mine,” he said.
But the first Local Hero, in the slightly larger location just a few stores down, was the first to go. It was replaced by Feast Bistro, and Zarmati’s book sales were consolidated to the slightly smaller location, renamed Local Hero Books.
Both stores’ sales began to dwindle when the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa closed for renovation, said Zarmati. And neither of them entirely recovered even after the inn re-opened.
He attributes the losses primarily to the proliferating book giants, like Borders and Barnes & Noble as well as Amazon. But that competition would not have hit so hard if tourists were doing a little more shopping, he said.
With the closing of the Visitors Bureau, once run by the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce and funded at its peak by $125,000 in 2001 by the city, Ojai is losing a lot of its tourist revenue, he said.
“There is no question that the people have less money to spend, but the question is how do we respond to that. The business community is expected to take over the marketing that the Visitors Bureau was doing, but the business community is running out of breath.”
An obvious challenge to the independent book market is that people are reading less, said Zarmati. His solution was to keep a lot of non-book items in the store. One such attempt was opening Casa Barranca’s wine-tasting corner in the back of the store, in a partnership with the local wine maker Bill Moses, last October. Zarmati and Moses shared in the sales of the wine, which made the fall more gradual, Zarmati said.
David Ray, general manager of Bart’s Books, said the closure of Local Hero is a sad reflection of America.
“There are well over 100 bookstores that have gone out of business in Southern California in the last couple of years,” he said. “People don’t read.”
Bart’s has its own clientele, people who travel all the way from Los Angeles to buy out-of-print books, essentially collectors’ items. He expects the closure of Local Hero, would help business for Bart’s, although he laments the loss.
Zarmati decided to hand the storefront over to Moses and Zhena Muzyka, owner of Zhena’s Gypsy tea as a shared tasting and retail space, after he realized he couldn’t find anyone to buy the store.
Some people had initially shown interest in purchasing the business, but he received no serious offers.
While the two local merchants are eager to share their first retail storefront, they are sorry to lose Local Hero.
“His going out of business is bittersweet for me,” said Moses. “The partnership with Elio has been ideal and I am really sad to see him go.”
But he is also excited to have a larger space for tasting and retail. Sharing the space with Muzyka made perfect sense as they both produce artful handcrafted beverages, with rich histories, and samples which require tasting.
“Our vision is to make it an experience where you walk into the store and are transported to a time where a handcrafted life can be cultivated,” he said.
Muzyka had a dream to have an Arcade storefront for her tea company even before Zarmati owned the larger of his two bookstores.
Muzyka approached then owner Bobby Houston with her plan and he ended up hiring her to manage the cafe behind the bookstore, a concept which she helped conceive.
“We are so sad about Local Hero closing,” she said. “That’s where I would buy books with my son, I don’t know what we are going to do without it.”
But she is excited about expanding her outfit with Moses, nonetheless, and expects to bring in a number of tourists to boost the economy while providing for local tea and wine drinkers.
She also envisions selling as many coffee table books as business will allow. “Imagine a place where you can buy a quarter blend of Ceylon tea and sit down with a book,” she said.
Zarmati is not moving too far away from books as he begins his new publishing gig with a Los Angeles-based health magazine.
Local Hero Books, the Ojai Valley Green Coalition, the Ojai Library and Friends of the Ojai Library, will put on a joint project called “Ojai Reads” today at the Ojai Library at 7 p.m. The reading and education event includes the presentation of several books which address how to begin facing pertinent environmental challenges by getting informed.
Matthew Perry Commits To T-150 Benefit
John and Matthew Perry will participate in the June 28 programBy Bret Bradigan
One of Ojai’s first families of the performing arts will put their talents to the test on stage at Matilija Auditorium on June 28 at 7 p.m., with a variety show informally titled “Perry Home Companion.”
The event stars iconic actor Matthew Perry, of “Friends” and “Studio 60” fame, along with his stage-actor sister Maria Perry, singer-actor-comic father John and John’s jazz musician brother Tony Perry.
The Perrys are lending their support to Theater 150, which moved into its much-expanded location at 316 E. Matilija Street last year.
Fresh off a month of sold-out success for “Fractured Fables,” John’s wife, Debbie Perry, will help produce the event. The Perrys’ have a long association with Theater 150 — Debbie helped produce Theater 150 co-director Deb Norton in “The Whole Banana,” in Ojai and in Los Angeles. John Perry, aside from a distinguished acting career, is well known for his Ojai lonesome stylings with the country crooners, Ojai Valley Boys. He has also honed his comic talents through Theater 150 workshops and showcases.
The centerpiece of the evening will be a one-act play, “Intelligent Life,” written by David Babcock. Other performances include Tony Perry’s jazz trio and Matthew Perry’s monologue about a bored baseball announcer — which he performed at a recent ESPY awards ceremony. Maria Perry and friend Jessica Chanos will also be performing a song — the title of which is being withheld to protect the punchline.
Debbie Perry said, “It’s mostly comedy! Make sure people get that!”
“‘Intelligent Life,’” said John Perry, “should be lots of fun. Nobody knows what in the heck is going on — so it’s a great idea for the Perrys.”
Matthew Perry, one of the country’s best known, and, for 11 seasons as Chandler Bing on “Friends,” beloved actors, said he was happy to help out Theater 150. ‘I have always liked this community feeling in Ojai. I don’t get up here as much as I would like. And, of course, my father is really into horses, which is not something I happen to be into.”
John, looking over at his son with a rueful glance, interjected, ‘Yet. There’s still plenty of time.”
Tickets for the June 28 event are $50. Tickets for the after-party are $50 for Theater 150 members and $75 for non-members. Reservations can be made through theater150.org or by calling 646-4300. Theater 150 is located at 316 E. Matilija St. in Ojai.
Making The Sounds In Ojai
Ojai Music Festival strikes chord with ‘Intersection of Words and Music’By Sondra Murphy
An annual migration of music lovers was seen heading in and out of Libbey Park last weekend as Ojai Music Festival enthusiasts toted chairs, blankets and cushions into Libbey Bowl to enjoy the 62nd season.
The sidewalk scenes were reminiscent of the opening frames of “Modern Times,” screened Friday night, but the factory setting featured in the film strongly contrasted with the blissful demeanor of those around the bowl who seemed to personify the festival’s theme of “The Intersection of Words and Music.”
According to OMF director of marketing and communications Gina Gutierrez, 8,573 music lovers packed the park over the course of the festival to experience the music, bonus events and symposium offerings. Besides the passionate applause and calls of “Bravo,” a chorus of laughter was heard Friday from the audience watching Charlie Chaplin’s antics as the Little Tramp while the Ojai Festival Orchestra provided the musical score to “Modern Times” under the musical direction of conductor David Robertson.
The 62nd Ojai Music Festival featured a range of compositions by George Antheil, Francois Narboni, Steve Reich, Philippe Manoury, Michael Jarrell, Elliott Carter, Olivier Messiaen, and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. Dawn Upshaw, Barbara Sukowa, Signal, So Percussion and Reich were some of the featured performers this season.
“I think what’s pretty amazing about this year’s festival is the energy level and endurance of the audience,” said OMF executive director Jeffrey Haydon. “It was challenging music this year and the fact that everyone was interested in learning more is a great testament to the audience.” Haydon said more people than ever came from out of town, “… and completely fell in love with both Ojai and the bowl.”
Haydon noted as a highlight this year the presence of composer Reich. “When he first played here 30 years ago, he was an emerging composer,” said Haydon. “Now he’s beloved and revered and probably one of the most celebrated living composers today.”
Four members of Reich’s original ensemble played in the festival this year. “They played alongside a new generation of musicians,” Haydon said. “You really had a passing of the baton. That was a historical moment.”
Debuting at the festival this year was a green plan that encouraged patrons to bring their own containers for free water refills and offered organic souvenirs, reusable bags and zero waste stations. Organic and locally grown refreshments were also sold.
“The festival has always been recognized for its visionary musical programming,” said Christine Drucker, OMF board president. “Now we are also applying our creativity toward producing an environmentally friendly festival.”
Stroud Earns Living Treasure Status
Kim Stroud with Handsome, the turkey vulture, at their Ojai Day boothBy Nao Braverman
First of seven in an occasional series on the Rotary Clubs of Ojai Living Treasure for 2008-2009.
Young birds of prey learn to fly in the summer, making it one of the busiest seasons for Ojai’s only raptor and songbird rehabilitation center. For many years that center has been the home of Kimberly Stroud.
“Crows and red-shouldered hawks are coming in like crazy,” she said. They’re just learning to fly, so many of them get injured.” Her home is a bustling shelter for feathery creatures. Until reaching their official status as a 501(c) nonprofit, Stroud and her husband, Dave, cared for the birds as an informal service to the community. Today, the rescued raptors are being nursed in private homes throughout the valley, by educated volunteers who will host them until they are ready to fly again. It has been a demanding and costly labor of love for Stroud.
She works full time at Patagonia while tending to the demands of her avian guests, and organizing and training volunteers. But the many success stories are well worth it.
“It’s a really gratifying process,” she said.
There are some birds in her care that can never be released into captivity. A partially blind bald eagle from Alaska, a Swainson’s hawk with an injured wing, and a pair of great horned owls that spent too much time in captivity, are among a set of extraordinary household pets.
Stroud fell in love with raptors about 15 years ago while working at Patagonia, where she manages the sample room. The environmentally conscious outdoor clothing company has always sent their employees to volunteer at pertinent non-
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Plans Bring Anti-Chain Store Concerns
Ordinance invoked as debate breaks out plans presented to build mini-mart, self-serve car wash
By Nao Braverman
The owner of the Union 76 gas station on Maricopa Highway across from the Ojai Valley Shopping Center may be the second property owner to feel the consequence of Ojai’s chain store ordinance, which passed about six months ago.
Neil Abasi proposed to remodel his service station and construct a mini-mart and self-serve car wash on the premises at Wednesday night’s Planning Commission meeting. Commissioners, who were mostly lukewarm about the concept and generally disapproved of the design, might not be able to pass the project anyway, if it falls under the category of a fast-food chain establishment.
Subway, the first chain business to turn away from Ojai because of the chain store ordinance, never even braved a planning meeting. But Abasi is not yet sure his outfit will fall under the category of fast-food, a type of chain business that the ordinance prohibits outright,
“It all depends on what is sold at the mini-mart,” said city manager Jere Kersnar. “If he has soda machines and hot dogs, then he is selling fast food at the gas station, which is already a chain. If he has chips and soda cans it’s OK because that’s just retail.”
In order to make the additions to his gas station, Abasi needs a zone change from the current designation of “business professional,” to “general commercial,” to allow for the mini-mart.
“What you are asking for is a very significant change to the property,” said Planning Chair Paul Crabtree. “So if we are going to allow you to make all those changes, let’s make it good.”
Abasi left the meeting with encouragement for a remodel, but not the one he had brought forth. If the chain store ordinance was a hindrance to his plans, it was little in comparison with the Planning Commission’s design requirements, which his plans certainly did not meet.
“You are dealing with a highly visible corner,” said Commissioner Steven Foster. “You are going to have to jump into the creative well and come up with something that gets us on board, because right now I don’t think it’s happening.”
In other planning news commissioners disapproved the design for a fairly massive two-story single family residence with a second rental unit at 309 S. Montgomery St., because its style was too much like that of the nearby Los Arboles complex, and because it had a wall separating it from the street.
Commissioners did approve a subdivision of the former site of Clausen Funeral Home at 310, 312, and 316 E. Matilija St., now housing Theater 150. Property owner Jim Exon proposes to divide the property into four lots, separating the main building, now Theater 150, and three lots in back, which were once residences.
Four smaller lots would “increase the possibility of individual owner-occupied small business opportunities in downtown Ojai, and deter the future possibility for large development at this location,” Exon wrote in a letter to commissioners.
With the increasing vacancies downtown, particularly on Matilija Street, such a subdivision may make the property more affordable to prospective business owners.
Scott Eicher, chief executive officer of the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce, said he supported the subdivision as it would lend itself to smaller businesses, which fits with Ojai’s frame of mind.
Realtor Larry Wilde also agreed, adding that Exon was interested in doing what’s best for the community and was not “out to make a quick buck.”
By Nao Braverman
The owner of the Union 76 gas station on Maricopa Highway across from the Ojai Valley Shopping Center may be the second property owner to feel the consequence of Ojai’s chain store ordinance, which passed about six months ago.
Neil Abasi proposed to remodel his service station and construct a mini-mart and self-serve car wash on the premises at Wednesday night’s Planning Commission meeting. Commissioners, who were mostly lukewarm about the concept and generally disapproved of the design, might not be able to pass the project anyway, if it falls under the category of a fast-food chain establishment.
Subway, the first chain business to turn away from Ojai because of the chain store ordinance, never even braved a planning meeting. But Abasi is not yet sure his outfit will fall under the category of fast-food, a type of chain business that the ordinance prohibits outright,
“It all depends on what is sold at the mini-mart,” said city manager Jere Kersnar. “If he has soda machines and hot dogs, then he is selling fast food at the gas station, which is already a chain. If he has chips and soda cans it’s OK because that’s just retail.”
In order to make the additions to his gas station, Abasi needs a zone change from the current designation of “business professional,” to “general commercial,” to allow for the mini-mart.
“What you are asking for is a very significant change to the property,” said Planning Chair Paul Crabtree. “So if we are going to allow you to make all those changes, let’s make it good.”
Abasi left the meeting with encouragement for a remodel, but not the one he had brought forth. If the chain store ordinance was a hindrance to his plans, it was little in comparison with the Planning Commission’s design requirements, which his plans certainly did not meet.
“You are dealing with a highly visible corner,” said Commissioner Steven Foster. “You are going to have to jump into the creative well and come up with something that gets us on board, because right now I don’t think it’s happening.”
In other planning news commissioners disapproved the design for a fairly massive two-story single family residence with a second rental unit at 309 S. Montgomery St., because its style was too much like that of the nearby Los Arboles complex, and because it had a wall separating it from the street.
Commissioners did approve a subdivision of the former site of Clausen Funeral Home at 310, 312, and 316 E. Matilija St., now housing Theater 150. Property owner Jim Exon proposes to divide the property into four lots, separating the main building, now Theater 150, and three lots in back, which were once residences.
Four smaller lots would “increase the possibility of individual owner-occupied small business opportunities in downtown Ojai, and deter the future possibility for large development at this location,” Exon wrote in a letter to commissioners.
With the increasing vacancies downtown, particularly on Matilija Street, such a subdivision may make the property more affordable to prospective business owners.
Scott Eicher, chief executive officer of the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce, said he supported the subdivision as it would lend itself to smaller businesses, which fits with Ojai’s frame of mind.
Realtor Larry Wilde also agreed, adding that Exon was interested in doing what’s best for the community and was not “out to make a quick buck.”
Ojai Schools Safe But Jobs In Jeopardy
Board faces ‘lousy choices’ on budget
By Sondra Murphy
Schools have been saved until next year in the Ojai Unified School District, but at a cost to staff and programs. While the school board got to enjoy some good news at Tuesday’s meeting, they still were required to make what member Rikki Horne called “lousy choices.”
After honoring Teachers of the Year by school site and recognizing four retiring classified employees and the student representative, the board voted to officially eliminate five classified jobs and reduce the hours of another five due to lack of funds or lack of work. Food services took the bulk of the hits with three job eliminations and four positions in which hours were reduced. A nutrition services presentation will be given at the next board meeting to unveil a new plan for the district’s fiscally strapped student meal program. Included in that plan is a 25-cent price increase per meal as approved by the board Tuesday.
Of the remaining three jobs, a Matilija Junior High technology resource coordinator position has been reduced from 6.5 to 3 hours, one full-time plant manager position was eliminated at Nordhoff High, and one five-hour school support secretary was eliminated, also from the high school.
It was such decisions that allowed the board to keep one large and one small elementary school open for the 2008-2009 school year and work to keep class sizes low. The May budget revision combined with collective efforts of the Ojai Education Foundation and Save Ojai Schools campaign has also helped in keeping all OUSD school sites open — at least through next year.
“Are we reducing our work force down to where it’s going to be difficult to accomplish our services?” asked Linda Taylor, vice president.
“We have to recognize that when we cut like this, it is not all from declining enrollment and there will be gaps,” said clerk Kathi Smith.
“But making the cuts also allowed us to keep reduced class sizes,” said Horne.
“I believe we can provide all our services around these cuts but it will be difficult,” said superintendent Tim Baird. The usual end-of-the-year transfers within district funds and taking out of temporary loans were approved to get the district through until the state budget is agreed upon and voted in by legislators. Traditionally, this is a long summer process.
The board gratefully accepted a giant check for $62,445 from OEF’s Kimi Romming and thanked the community for its dedication to local public schools. “That does not include money sent directly to school sites, which is probably in the area of another $50,000, or the $30,000 from Summit’s PTO,” said Baird. He added that just a day or so before, $13,000 was donated to Nordhoff’s Career Center to expand its services to six hours a day and that the Nordhoff Parents Association gave $10,000 to continue the high school’s computer repair class. “I credit all this to the SOS campaign for getting the word out.”
Laura Meisch submitted a second draft of the 2008-2009 preliminary budget, which showed a projected ending balance of more than $40,000. “We are showing a positive ending balance, however, it is based on a number of things going right, first of all, the state budget,” said Baird. “Another is our staffing. We are continuing to get enrollment, but we are not out of the woods yet … We will not know the official ending balance until the start of the school year.” He said districtwide kindergarten registrations are strong for next year, as are those for Matilija.
The finalized budget will be presented for approval at the next OUSD board meeting June 24.
Classified retirees include Harry Delatre, 28 years; Janet Cull, 25 years; Bob Cannaday, 15 years; and Lowell Orcutt, 10 years.
Student representative to the OUSD board, Jordan Garst, was also recognized.
Teachers of the Year are: Margie Logan, Chaparral Adult Education; Nancy Welter, Matilija Junior High; Karen Courington, Meiners Oaks Elementary; Lori Ponce, Mira Monte Elementary; René Nakao-Mauch, Nordhoff High School; Sandra Hansen, San Antonio Elementary; Isabelle Turpin, Summit Elementary; and Tracey Anderson, Topa Topa Elementary.
By Sondra Murphy
Schools have been saved until next year in the Ojai Unified School District, but at a cost to staff and programs. While the school board got to enjoy some good news at Tuesday’s meeting, they still were required to make what member Rikki Horne called “lousy choices.”
After honoring Teachers of the Year by school site and recognizing four retiring classified employees and the student representative, the board voted to officially eliminate five classified jobs and reduce the hours of another five due to lack of funds or lack of work. Food services took the bulk of the hits with three job eliminations and four positions in which hours were reduced. A nutrition services presentation will be given at the next board meeting to unveil a new plan for the district’s fiscally strapped student meal program. Included in that plan is a 25-cent price increase per meal as approved by the board Tuesday.
Of the remaining three jobs, a Matilija Junior High technology resource coordinator position has been reduced from 6.5 to 3 hours, one full-time plant manager position was eliminated at Nordhoff High, and one five-hour school support secretary was eliminated, also from the high school.
It was such decisions that allowed the board to keep one large and one small elementary school open for the 2008-2009 school year and work to keep class sizes low. The May budget revision combined with collective efforts of the Ojai Education Foundation and Save Ojai Schools campaign has also helped in keeping all OUSD school sites open — at least through next year.
“Are we reducing our work force down to where it’s going to be difficult to accomplish our services?” asked Linda Taylor, vice president.
“We have to recognize that when we cut like this, it is not all from declining enrollment and there will be gaps,” said clerk Kathi Smith.
“But making the cuts also allowed us to keep reduced class sizes,” said Horne.
“I believe we can provide all our services around these cuts but it will be difficult,” said superintendent Tim Baird. The usual end-of-the-year transfers within district funds and taking out of temporary loans were approved to get the district through until the state budget is agreed upon and voted in by legislators. Traditionally, this is a long summer process.
The board gratefully accepted a giant check for $62,445 from OEF’s Kimi Romming and thanked the community for its dedication to local public schools. “That does not include money sent directly to school sites, which is probably in the area of another $50,000, or the $30,000 from Summit’s PTO,” said Baird. He added that just a day or so before, $13,000 was donated to Nordhoff’s Career Center to expand its services to six hours a day and that the Nordhoff Parents Association gave $10,000 to continue the high school’s computer repair class. “I credit all this to the SOS campaign for getting the word out.”
Laura Meisch submitted a second draft of the 2008-2009 preliminary budget, which showed a projected ending balance of more than $40,000. “We are showing a positive ending balance, however, it is based on a number of things going right, first of all, the state budget,” said Baird. “Another is our staffing. We are continuing to get enrollment, but we are not out of the woods yet … We will not know the official ending balance until the start of the school year.” He said districtwide kindergarten registrations are strong for next year, as are those for Matilija.
The finalized budget will be presented for approval at the next OUSD board meeting June 24.
Classified retirees include Harry Delatre, 28 years; Janet Cull, 25 years; Bob Cannaday, 15 years; and Lowell Orcutt, 10 years.
Student representative to the OUSD board, Jordan Garst, was also recognized.
Teachers of the Year are: Margie Logan, Chaparral Adult Education; Nancy Welter, Matilija Junior High; Karen Courington, Meiners Oaks Elementary; Lori Ponce, Mira Monte Elementary; René Nakao-Mauch, Nordhoff High School; Sandra Hansen, San Antonio Elementary; Isabelle Turpin, Summit Elementary; and Tracey Anderson, Topa Topa Elementary.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Jorgensen Stuns Demos, Gallegly Next Foe
Rep. Elton Gallegly, with aide Tom Pfeifer, at the OVN office last weekBy Daryl Kelley
Longtime Ojai Valley resident Jeff Bennett swept to victory in a rare contested Superior Court judge's race this week, as County Supervisor Steve Bennett, who represents Ojai, cruised to a third term and a surprise Democratic candidate emerged to face veteran Rep. Elton Gallegly in November.
Just 24 percent of registered county voters participated in Tuesday's state primary election, with about half of the nearly 93,000 voters casting a ballot by mail.
Jeff Bennett, a chief deputy district attorney, received nearly two-thirds of the vote in a race that pitted him against civil lawyer Roberto Orellana of Santa Paula, an apparently strong candidate with solid qualifications and funding and endorsements nearly matching Bennett's.
But Bennett, whose wife, Dee, is a teacher at Ojai's Matilija Junior High School, received 50,734 votes to Orellana's 26,781.
"It's very humbling, I have to tell you," Bennett said Wednesday. "I think part of it is that it's a law enforcement county and voters were looking to support someone who supports public safety."
Bennett said he was also helped by a sophisticated mailing campaign that targeted absentee and frequent voters, and by endorsements by a host of top law enforcement officials, including District Attorney Greg Totten and former District Attorney Mike Bradbury.
Bennett said he might have gained a few votes, too, by what he did during rush hour election morning: Standing in the bed of his truck along Highway 33 in Casitas Springs, holding a big "Jeff Bennett for Judge" sign. "I don't do things like that," the usually serious Bennett said. "It made me feel great. I was saying 'thank you' to the people of Ojai."
In a less competitive race, Supervisor Steve Bennett, a former Nordhoff High School teacher, retained his seat on the powerful five-member county Board of Supervisors, receiving nearly 97 percent of the vote to overcome a nominal challenge by write-in candidate Jeff Ketelsen.
The incumbent received 16,352 votes compared with 547 write-in ballots.
"I've got three" top goals for the next four years, Bennett said. "First, is the budget crisis. With the state budget situation, we are now going to be in permanent fiscal crisis. And we're trying to hold together our safety net of (social) services. Second, we're trying to push environmentally sustainable issues. And we're really trying to focus on constituent services such as volunteer organizations Ñ -they'll need more help in this tough economic period."
In a fourth race with local implications, government teacher Ferial Masry won the Democratic primary in the 37th Assembly District by routing Camarillo businessman David Hare by a 2-to-1 margin. Masry of Newbury Park now faces Republican incumbent Audra Strickland of Moorpark in the general election. Masry lost to Strickland in 2004 and 2006. If elected the Saudi Arabia native would be one of the first Muslim women elected to state office in the United States.
The race for the 19th state Senate seat, though uncontested in partisan primaries, promises to be one of the best and most expensive in California this fall: Sen. Tom McClintock has been termed out and former Assembly members Hannah-Beth Jackson of Santa Barbara and Tony Strickland of Moorpark are headed toward a general election match-up. Jackson received 47,825 in the Democratic primary and Tony Strickland 50,756 in the Republican primary, so their race could be close.
But the biggest surprise Tuesday evening was the domination of teacher Marta Jorgensen of Solvang in the 24th Congressional District race to see who would challenge Gallegly.
Jorgensen had dropped out of the Democratic primary race at one point, re-entering only two weeks ago after backers in Santa Barbara County complained that two Ventura County candidates, Jill Martinez and Mary Pallant, were ignoring the northern portion of the district.
Jorgensen, a former nurse, was stunned by her own success. She said she'd expected to get just a smaller share of the vote, but received nearly half: 46 percent to Martinez's nearly 32 percent and Pallant's 22 percent. Jorgensen, who had not campaigned much in Ventura County, even swept here, taking about 43 percent of the vote.
None of the Democratic candidates spent much money, so it's possible that Jorgensen's ballot designation as "educator" helped her, compared with Pallant's title of "insurance agent" and Martinez's as "businesswoman-housing developer."
Jorgensen, a member of the Sierra Club, has written screenplays on environmental issues and ran a private computer school for five years until 2006, when she began to direct a computer lab and student newspaper at a private school.
"We won!" Jorgensen said on her web site Wednesday morning. "We are humbled by this outpouring of support É Now the real work begins." She declined to comment Wednesday about how to fund her longshot chances against Gallegly, who has has always won by more than 13 percentage points.
Jorgensen is an environmentalist with a "green" platform and a fervent opposition to the Iraq War.
As for Gallegly, a conservative Republican from Simi Valley who is seeking his 12th term in Congress, this primary evening was a breeze.
He'd faced an aggressive challenge from Harvard-trained lawyer Michael Tenenbaum, who claimed the incumbent had abandoned his conservative roots.
But Gallegly, a former Simi Valley mayor, won nearly 77 percent of the vote, about the same margin as his 80 percent victory over Tenenbaum in 2006, and despite an anti-Bush backlash that has already cost three GOP congressmen their jobs in special elections this year.
"They spent a lot more money this time and basicly got the same outcome," said Gallegly in an interview Wednesday.
As for Jorgensen, Gallegly said: "I don't know about the woman on the other side. She said in the press that she hadn't been to Ventura County because it was too far to travel, so I was surprised she did so well here."
Gallegly said he doesn't yet know much about Jorgensen, but expects to spend all $900,000 in his campaign treasury making sure voters are fully aware of his positions and how they differ from hers.
"This was an overwhelming victory for her," Gallegly said. "That tells me that Democrats see her as a very strong, serious candidate. But I'll stay the course. It's worked well for 22 years."
Despite a narrowing of the Republicans' registration advantage to seven points, Tuesday's vote indicated just how high of a mountain Jorgensen must climb to defeat the incumbent: Gallegly received 36,618 votes (to Tenenbaum's 10,949), while all three Democratic candidates received a total of 32,059.
So Gallegly enters the general election campaign with an advantage of nearly 6,500 votes without picking up any of Tenenbaum's Republican ballots.
Perhaps the most compelling race for Ojai Valley voters was that for judge, in which Jeff Bennett became the third Superior Court Judge from the Ojai Valley, following Fred Bysshe and John Dobroth. Former Judge Arturo Gutierrez, who retired in March, also lives in this area.
Bennett, 52, also became the first local judge in a decade to be elected, since seats on the 29-jurist bench are usually filled by gubernatorial appointment. He was opposed by Orellana of Santa Paula, a graduate of nearby Thomas Aquinas College and a civil lawyer in the Ventura County Counsel's Office.
"My opponent was a gentleman throughout this process," Bennett said. "I have a lot of respect for him."
Both candidates were rated as "well qualified" by the county Bar Association. And both have been endorsed by a wide array of prominent local political and civic figures. Orellana spent about $55,000 and Bennett about $70,000 to get their message to voters.
Bennett ran on his extensive law enforcement experience, Orellana on his decades of work in civil and government law.
Orellana, who would become only the second Latino judge in a county that is more than one-third Latino, said he wasn't running on his ethnicity, but that the court should represent the larger community. Bennett said that while ethnic balance on the bench is a worthy goal, what was important in a judge was an ability to apply the law fairly.
Bennett cited 29 years of experience as a police officer, district attorney's chief investigator and the last 13 as a chief deputy district attorney.
"He is a person of fairness É and that is a hallmark of any good judge," said Bradbury, who hosted a fund-raising event for Bennett at his Ojai ranch.
Bennett is also known locally for his participation as a coach and referee in youth sports, as an amateur astronomer, and as the husband of Dee, a local physical education teacher, and father of Alison, a star college basketball player, and Andrea, a Nordhoff junior who is a standout in volleyball.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Ojai Video Closure Adds To Vacancies
Jonie Pearson took advantage of Monday’s clearance sale at Ojai Video to stock up on videos.By Nao Braverman
As soon as Ojai Video has sold all of its merchandise, the approximately 2,300-square-foot space will be added to the list of vacancies on Matilija Street in the Arcade Plaza District.
The privately owned video store, one of the few long-standing Arcade Plaza fixtures among many fleeting tourist shops, was one of the few downtown businesses that catered to both visitors and locals. It maintained the genial qualities of a small town establishment, with friendly service and knowledgeable employees, some who had worked there for more than 20 years. When the video rental business was in full swing, a trip to Ojai Video on the weekend likely meant a chance meeting with friends or acquaintances.
But as Netflix and other online DVD rentals came into the picture, frequenters dwindled, and the establishment, once crowded on weekends, began looking more and more desolate.
Since Monday, the store has been busier than it was during its most profitable years, with lines out the door during lunch hour, for the going-out-of-business sale.
They will continue to lease the place until everything is sold, said the assistant manager, Nancy Hunter-Bowles.
Despite recent complaints about the cost of commercial rentals, the video store’s failure had nothing to do with their landlord, Hunter-Bowles confirmed. The circulating rumor that Santa Barbara-based property owner, Ernest Borgaro, had raised the rent, was completely unfounded, she said.
In fact, the last time he had raised their rent was three years ago. Borgaro added that he had even lowered the rent by $200 about two years ago when the business owner began to see hard times.
“We really wanted them to stay there,” said Borgaro, who purchased the property, with the video store in it, and continued to lease it to the same tenants for 20 years.
In April he changed the lease to a month-to-month contract while Ojai Video put the business up for sale, but there were no offers, according to Hunter-Bowles.
“We have a really great landlord,” she said. She cites Netflix and internet downloads as the primary reason the business has failed. With rent just under $4,000 a month, she said, and a number of longtime employees who were treated well and got regular raises, the overhead was too high to handle the dwindling demand.
Needless to say, the market is privately owned video stores, it has not hurt business at Plaza Video store at the “Y,” according to Christina Ha, whose husband owns the establishment. The owner, Michael Ha, was out of town and could not be reached for comment. An employee said that they had not seen any change in business during the year that she had worked there and that the store had a slew of faithful regulars. The store, Monday evening, was entirely empty nonetheless, when an Ojai Valley News reporter stopped by.
But if it is not to be a video store, what will become of the prominent structure in the Arcade Plaza which will soon lose its 20-year tenant. Borgaro says he hasn’t found a business to fill that lot, or the 1,780-square-foot space above the video store which has been vacant since it was last leased to Lynda.com.
With the video store gone, there will be about 12,859 square feet of vacant space in the Arcade Plaza District’s approximately 140,204 feet.
The commercial buildings bordered by Ojai Avenue, Matilija Street, Signal Street and Montgomery Street are looking more sparse. A handful of businesses that have folded or moved to a different location, including the Iron Pan Bistro, Lynda.com, Curves, Ojai Sports, an office next to Cornerstone Architects, the sandwich shop next to Java & Joe’s, and soon Ojai Video, have yet to be filled. While some building owners, including Ernie Salomon, owner of the Matilija Plaza group, say they have tenants lined up, the Matilija side of the Arcade Plaza is still looking bleak.
But it’s not only the facade that has taken a hit, the city is already seeing a drop in sales tax, according to city manager Jere Kersnar, and long-term vacancies certainly won’t help alleviate the problem.
A joint marketing committee, made up of members of the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce, Kersnar, Councilwoman Rae Hanstad and Mayor Sue Horgan, was recently formed to address the issue. Horgan said that there was nothing specific to report at this time, but she expects they will have a more concrete plan after a meeting scheduled for June 11.
“I am pleased with the discussions we have had as a group so far and I am looking forward to a plan to address these issues,” she said.
Hanstad said that while the city should do their part, local residents can also make a difference by supporting local establishments.
“Ojai Video served as a film library for our community and I am sorry to see it close,” she said. “But while the city needs to figure out what it can do help support our local businesses, the citizens need to pay attention to local trends, and shop local whenever possible.”
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Persimmon Hill Homes Escape Brushfire
Firefighters quickly gained the upper hand on a two-acre grass fire Sunday afternoonPhotos by James Scheck/Brooks Institute of Photography
By Lenny Roberts
On the first day property owners were mandated to adhere to the county's annual brush-clearance ordinance, 10 to 12 homes escaped a quick-moving fire Sunday afternoon that began in the 300 block of Saddle Lane. A large plume of gray smoke could quickly be seen rising above the city.
The multi-million-dollar homes in one of Ojai's most prestigious areas were threatened as the wind-fed fire burned through the mostly dead grass.
"It was quickly outrunning us," said Ventura County Battalion Chief Glenn Garcia, "and was getting way too close." Garcia said the flames burned right up to where property owners had complied with the June 1 brush-clearance order.
As a precaution, Garcia called for, and received, assistance from the Ventura and Santa Paula city fire departments, and crews from the Los Padres National Forest. A county helicopter was dispatched an landed at the scene, but water drops were not necessary.
The fire, of unknown origin, was reported at 2:10 p.m. Full containment was reported at 3:12 p.m.
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