Settlement with Diamond Rock Mine tentatively keeps some trucks away
By Nao Braverman
A settlement between Stop The Trucks Coalition and owners of the proposed Diamond Rock Mine, leaves coalition members a bit uneasy.
While the agreement does tentatively keep the Santa Barbara County mine’s trucks from traveling through Ojai until the year 2012, a simple donation from an unknowing community member could nullify everything.
“There are some benefits to the settlement, but it is very fragile,” said coalition spokesperson Michael Shapiro.
The Troesh family, owners of the mine and Troesh Materials Inc., are not to send any of their transport trucks through Ojai under the condition that no coalition member or Ojai resident participates in a lawsuit against them, their mine or their company. If any member of Ojai’s public directly or indirectly contributes funds to any legal challenge against Troesh Materials Inc., the Diamond Rock Mine or its owners, the contract is retracted.
“The coalition can’t pretend that we control the mind-set of a vast number of individuals,” said Shapiro. “All we can ask is that the citizens of Ojai understand the coalition’s objective.”
In mid-May, the Santa Barbara Planning Commission granted the Troesh family a conditional use permit to mine sand and gravel in Cuyama Valley, but added the condition that they could not send trucks through Ojai. Coalition members were pleased with the condition, but feared that it could easily be lifted in the future. This recent settlement, they hope, will help ease those concerns.
If the Troesh family did decide to appeal the Santa Barbara Planning Commission’s condition regarding Ojai, officials would turn to the project’s environ-mental impact report in the appeal process. But as the coalition members see it, the existing EIR does not adequately address impacts to the Ojai Valley.
With the new settlement in place, if the Troesh family wants to send trucks through Ojai after Jan. 1, 2012, they will have to prepare a new, more complete EIR, focused specifically on the effect that trucks will have in the Ojai Valley. This new EIR would completely analyze the impacts of project-generated traffic, noise, safety issues, and air pollution. In addition, they would also have to order and include the results of a special geologic study of the roads prepared by Caltrans.
Santa Barbara County officials did not put it in writing that a focused EIR would be prepared, but assured members of Stop the Trucks that such a preparation would be almost certain, according to Shapiro.
Following the settlement, coalition members also dropped their appeal to the Santa Barbara Planning Commission regarding the Diamond Rock Mine’s EIR.
“While we may have great empathy for the people in Cuyama Valley who claim to be suffering from the mine in their midst, we had to be pragmatic,” he said.
Shapiro added that coalition members would have liked to zero in on the mine itself as the root cause of the truck problem in Ojai. But that would be a painfully long process, with no assured victory, he said.
If community members are able to abide by the conditions of the agreement, it would eliminate one source of untold numbers of heavy double cargo trailers filled with gravel, he said.
The Diamond Rock Mine’s original application proposed 69 daily round-trip deliveries passing through Ojai during peak operation days and 46 round trips on an average day on top of existing truck traffic from other mines in the area.
Coalition members hope that if local residents refrain from contributing to any litigation against Troesh Materials Inc., the agreement could set a precedent for future mine projects.
Ali Virgilio, a member of the family owning the Ozena Valley Mine, would not comment on the coalition’s new settlement with Diamond Rock’s owners.
The Ozena mine is currently allowed to generate an average 66 one-way truck trips to and from the mine and 100 trips on days of peak productivity. The Ojai Quarry is allowed to generate 40 one-way trips, and the GPS mine has no restrictions at all.
Shapiro notes that it would be easy for owners of the Diamond Rock to trump the agreement. They could just get someone in Ojai, perhaps a truck driver to contribute to litigation against them, he said.
But Kerry Shapiro, the San Francisco-based attorney representing the Troesh family said that he didn’t think the owners of the Diamond Rock Mine would consider breaking the agreement in such an unscrupulous manner. “First of all, all the components of the company have acted in good faith,” he said. “But there is also marginal benefit of getting out of the settlement agreement in such a risky manner. If they did so, and the word got out, it would be a public relations disaster for the company.”If Troesh representatives were to settle on a condition regarding members of the Stop the Trucks Coalition only, they would still be subject to lawsuits from other Ojai residents. While the settlement does pose some challenges to the coalition, it was a necessary requirement for Troesh, said Kerry Shapiro.
At most, the agreement will give the coalition three years of respite during which they can turn their attention toward upcoming applications from the Ozena Valley Ranch and other mining companies.
“We just hope that people do take heed that if we don’t want the Diamond Rock Mine’s trucks coming through Ojai, we have to refrain from sending any money to litigation against Troesh, for Cuyama Valley and anyone else,” said Michael Shapiro.
“This agreement, together with the county’s unconditional ban, ensures that the wild landscapes and quiet solitude of the Los Padres National Forest are safe for now. This agreement will now let us focus on other mining proposals to ensure that they do not send trucks through our forests and communities. We hope that our achievements to date send a clear signal to other mining companies that our national forest should not be used as an industrial trucking route,” said Jeff Kuyper, executive director of Los Padres Forest Watch.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Businesses Cited In Underage Alcohol Sting
An undercover alcohol sales sting conducted in the Ojai Valley Wednesday by Ventura County Sheriff's deputies and investigators from Alcohol Beverage Control resulted in citations issued to seven businesses.
Citations were issued to Giorgio's, Valero, Circle K, Mira Monte Liquor, Oak View Shell, Thrifty Gas and Casitas Market.
The operation used an underage decoy to purchase alcohol from 14 targeted valley businesses.
UPDATE:
Those business which refused to sell alcohol in the undercover operation were The Hub, Rite-Aid, Scotty's Liquor, Ven Oak Market, Dahl's Market, Corner Market and A-1 Market.
Citations were issued to Giorgio's, Valero, Circle K, Mira Monte Liquor, Oak View Shell, Thrifty Gas and Casitas Market.
The operation used an underage decoy to purchase alcohol from 14 targeted valley businesses.
UPDATE:
Those business which refused to sell alcohol in the undercover operation were The Hub, Rite-Aid, Scotty's Liquor, Ven Oak Market, Dahl's Market, Corner Market and A-1 Market.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Planners Want Montgomery Condo Redesign
Commissioners don’t want another Los Arboles
By Nao Braverman
Planning commissioners were almost evenly divided over plans for a condominium development in the heart of Ojai.
Montgomery Street developers Lance and Scott Smigel, now somewhat familiar faces at City Hall, approached the Planning Commission with another design proposal for Ojai Creek Village at 119 and 201 S. Montgomery St., near Libbey Park and the Ojai Art Center.
This time the plans for Craftsman-style, mixed-use units were downsized a notch and pulled back from the street to make more room for pedestrians. Architect Marc Whitman also added a plaza and entry for pedestrian access. Local resident Len Klaif was not appeased.
“This is a bit nicer dressed than the last proposal,” he said, “but does it fit better with Ojai? I don’t think so.”
At least seven designs prior, the Smigel brothers had looked into building a series of smaller, affordable units, but found the city ordinance did not allow for such density, they said. Later they returned with Santa Fe-style, million-dollar luxury condominiums. But planning commissioners rejected the designs, saying they looked too similar to the Smigel’s other Montgomery Street project, the highly criticized Los Arboles town houses.
Their most recent Craftsman-style condominium designs were rejected by the Planning Commission two weeks prior because they were too massive. But Commissioner Cortus Koehler was still not pleased with the redesign.
“I still think we are dealing with mass that is not compatible to the site,“ he said. “I like the treatment that has been done to the structures, but we still have a mass problem. I think it is still too big in too small of a space.”
Commissioner John Mirk agreed.
“I think it is still too big and too out of scale,” he said. “I think Marc has been working overtime and doing a really good job. I like the Craftsman style and the plaza is looking really good. But I think it is the wrong project for that area.”
Commissioners Susan Weaver and Steven Foster, however, said they were satisfied with the new preliminary designs. With some minor tweaking, they would be prepared to approve them, they said.
Commission Chair Paul Crabtree agreed. “I think the applicants really did listen,” he said. “I like what they did with the courtyard and the streetscape, that really satisfied my concerns.”
The commission voted 3 to 2 to allow the applicants to continue to work on their redesign and return for yet another meeting. Commissioners Mirk and Koehler cast the dissenting votes because they thought the project still looked too big.
In other planning news, commissioners approved the replacement of a barn, stable and corral at Ojai Valley School. They also agreed to the transformation of a residential dwelling into a dentist office at 207 Fox St.
By Nao Braverman
Planning commissioners were almost evenly divided over plans for a condominium development in the heart of Ojai.
Montgomery Street developers Lance and Scott Smigel, now somewhat familiar faces at City Hall, approached the Planning Commission with another design proposal for Ojai Creek Village at 119 and 201 S. Montgomery St., near Libbey Park and the Ojai Art Center.
This time the plans for Craftsman-style, mixed-use units were downsized a notch and pulled back from the street to make more room for pedestrians. Architect Marc Whitman also added a plaza and entry for pedestrian access. Local resident Len Klaif was not appeased.
“This is a bit nicer dressed than the last proposal,” he said, “but does it fit better with Ojai? I don’t think so.”
At least seven designs prior, the Smigel brothers had looked into building a series of smaller, affordable units, but found the city ordinance did not allow for such density, they said. Later they returned with Santa Fe-style, million-dollar luxury condominiums. But planning commissioners rejected the designs, saying they looked too similar to the Smigel’s other Montgomery Street project, the highly criticized Los Arboles town houses.
Their most recent Craftsman-style condominium designs were rejected by the Planning Commission two weeks prior because they were too massive. But Commissioner Cortus Koehler was still not pleased with the redesign.
“I still think we are dealing with mass that is not compatible to the site,“ he said. “I like the treatment that has been done to the structures, but we still have a mass problem. I think it is still too big in too small of a space.”
Commissioner John Mirk agreed.
“I think it is still too big and too out of scale,” he said. “I think Marc has been working overtime and doing a really good job. I like the Craftsman style and the plaza is looking really good. But I think it is the wrong project for that area.”
Commissioners Susan Weaver and Steven Foster, however, said they were satisfied with the new preliminary designs. With some minor tweaking, they would be prepared to approve them, they said.
Commission Chair Paul Crabtree agreed. “I think the applicants really did listen,” he said. “I like what they did with the courtyard and the streetscape, that really satisfied my concerns.”
The commission voted 3 to 2 to allow the applicants to continue to work on their redesign and return for yet another meeting. Commissioners Mirk and Koehler cast the dissenting votes because they thought the project still looked too big.
In other planning news, commissioners approved the replacement of a barn, stable and corral at Ojai Valley School. They also agreed to the transformation of a residential dwelling into a dentist office at 207 Fox St.
Reported City Violent Crime Drops
Police chief says gangs moving criminal activity to valley’s unincorporated areas
By Daryl Kelley
Property crime in Ojai dropped dramatically during the first half of 2008 as petty thefts and auto burglaries plummeted, while violent crime remained at the same low level as the year before, according to a new police report.
Overall, Ojai experienced 92 serious crimes from January through June, compared with 148 for the same period last year and 139 for the first half of 2006, reported the county Sheriff’s Department, which polices Ojai and the rest of the Ojai Valley.
That’s a 38 percent overall drop in crime in Ojai from the first half 2007 compared with the same period this year.
Meanwhile, major property and violent crime in the rest of the valley was down slightly through the first six months of 2008 compared with 2007, despite a spike in gang activity in Meiners Oaks and Oak View.
In the city of Ojai, there were reports of only seven serious violent offenses — rapes, robberies and assaults (no murders) — during the first half of this year. But petty thefts were cut by more than half, from 87 to 38, accounting for most of the overall drop.
“Crimes of violence in the city remain low, at about the same level as last year” wrote Capt. Bruce Norris, who serves as Ojai police chief, in a report to the City Council. “As for property crimes, we saw a big decrease in thefts from vehicles.”
Early in 2007, the city was hit hard by thieves prowling for property in parked vehicles, and smashing windshields if the doors were locked, Norris reported. Several thieves were arrested in mid-2007 and convicted, he said.
Since then, “many fewer thefts from vehicles have been reported,” he wrote. “Within the last few weeks, however, we’ve had a repeat of these crimes. In several of those cases, the victims’ vehicles were unlocked, and they left valuables inside.
The biggest spike in Ojai crime came in felony vandalism, which rose from nine incidents in 2007 to 22 for the first half of this year. Misdemeanor vandalism also rose in the city, from 65 incidents to 69.
“Senseless damage” to property, such as vehicles and homes, accounted for much of the increase in felony vandalism, Norris reported. Some of the damage was done by graffiti, he said.
But the most significant development of the year may have been the near absence of gang violence inside Ojai city limits, Norris reported.
“The most telling thing I’ve noticed about city crime over the last year is that violent and assaultive gang activity is almost nonexistent,” he wrote. “For whatever reason, most of our Hispanic gang activity has moved out to the unincorporated areas. We are having the ‘normal’ levels of gang graffiti in town, but much of that seems to occur in Libbey Park. We’re enjoying the quiet for now, knowing that it might not last.”
But the story was different in valley areas outside the city, where assaults and vandalism were up sharply.
There, misdemeanor assaults rose from 33 to 43, and felony and misdemeanor vandalism increased from 86 incidents in the first six months last year to 120 for the same period this year.
“This appears to be the result of tensions between our local Hispanic gang and non-Hispanics from Oak View and Meiners Oaks,” Norris reported.
“There are only a few troublemakers on each side,” he wrote. “But those few require significant law enforcement attention. We have made repeated arrests of members of those groups, but their rivalry is strong and a long-term solution is difficult.”
Calls for police assistance were down slightly throughout the Ojai Valley.
In the city, there were 42 fewer disturbance calls and 34 fewer suspicious circumstance calls during the second quarter of 2008 alone. There were also 51 fewer property crime calls in the first six months of 2008.
In the county areas, there were 50 fewer theft calls during the first half of the year.
“My hunch is that the decreases are driven by less gang activity in the city, and possibly the effectiveness of Social Host Ordinance enforcement,” Norris wrote.
That 2-year-old ordinance carries a fine of $1,000 for anyone who allows underage drinking at a residence. So far, 11 city residents and 24 residents of the rest of the valley have been fined, the police chief said.
“We seem to be responding to fewer underage drinking party disturbance calls,” he said.
By Daryl Kelley
Property crime in Ojai dropped dramatically during the first half of 2008 as petty thefts and auto burglaries plummeted, while violent crime remained at the same low level as the year before, according to a new police report.
Overall, Ojai experienced 92 serious crimes from January through June, compared with 148 for the same period last year and 139 for the first half of 2006, reported the county Sheriff’s Department, which polices Ojai and the rest of the Ojai Valley.
That’s a 38 percent overall drop in crime in Ojai from the first half 2007 compared with the same period this year.
Meanwhile, major property and violent crime in the rest of the valley was down slightly through the first six months of 2008 compared with 2007, despite a spike in gang activity in Meiners Oaks and Oak View.
In the city of Ojai, there were reports of only seven serious violent offenses — rapes, robberies and assaults (no murders) — during the first half of this year. But petty thefts were cut by more than half, from 87 to 38, accounting for most of the overall drop.
“Crimes of violence in the city remain low, at about the same level as last year” wrote Capt. Bruce Norris, who serves as Ojai police chief, in a report to the City Council. “As for property crimes, we saw a big decrease in thefts from vehicles.”
Early in 2007, the city was hit hard by thieves prowling for property in parked vehicles, and smashing windshields if the doors were locked, Norris reported. Several thieves were arrested in mid-2007 and convicted, he said.
Since then, “many fewer thefts from vehicles have been reported,” he wrote. “Within the last few weeks, however, we’ve had a repeat of these crimes. In several of those cases, the victims’ vehicles were unlocked, and they left valuables inside.
The biggest spike in Ojai crime came in felony vandalism, which rose from nine incidents in 2007 to 22 for the first half of this year. Misdemeanor vandalism also rose in the city, from 65 incidents to 69.
“Senseless damage” to property, such as vehicles and homes, accounted for much of the increase in felony vandalism, Norris reported. Some of the damage was done by graffiti, he said.
But the most significant development of the year may have been the near absence of gang violence inside Ojai city limits, Norris reported.
“The most telling thing I’ve noticed about city crime over the last year is that violent and assaultive gang activity is almost nonexistent,” he wrote. “For whatever reason, most of our Hispanic gang activity has moved out to the unincorporated areas. We are having the ‘normal’ levels of gang graffiti in town, but much of that seems to occur in Libbey Park. We’re enjoying the quiet for now, knowing that it might not last.”
But the story was different in valley areas outside the city, where assaults and vandalism were up sharply.
There, misdemeanor assaults rose from 33 to 43, and felony and misdemeanor vandalism increased from 86 incidents in the first six months last year to 120 for the same period this year.
“This appears to be the result of tensions between our local Hispanic gang and non-Hispanics from Oak View and Meiners Oaks,” Norris reported.
“There are only a few troublemakers on each side,” he wrote. “But those few require significant law enforcement attention. We have made repeated arrests of members of those groups, but their rivalry is strong and a long-term solution is difficult.”
Calls for police assistance were down slightly throughout the Ojai Valley.
In the city, there were 42 fewer disturbance calls and 34 fewer suspicious circumstance calls during the second quarter of 2008 alone. There were also 51 fewer property crime calls in the first six months of 2008.
In the county areas, there were 50 fewer theft calls during the first half of the year.
“My hunch is that the decreases are driven by less gang activity in the city, and possibly the effectiveness of Social Host Ordinance enforcement,” Norris wrote.
That 2-year-old ordinance carries a fine of $1,000 for anyone who allows underage drinking at a residence. So far, 11 city residents and 24 residents of the rest of the valley have been fined, the police chief said.
“We seem to be responding to fewer underage drinking party disturbance calls,” he said.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Three-judge Panel To Decide SLAPP Appeal
Lawyers say city attorney should not have refused to write 2006 ballot title
By Nao Braverman
The city and Ojai resident-attorney Jeff Furchtenicht will have to wait at least another month for a ruling that will decide the leagality of an anti SLAPP lawsuit. Oral arguments in the case were heard July 9 at the Second Appellate District Court of Appeal in Ventura, and lasted about 30 minutes.
According to city attorney Monte Widders, a court determination is due on Oct. 7, but should be issued sometime in September.
“We presented our argument and we hope the court will come back with the right decision,” said Michael Chait, of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, who is working alongside the American Civil Liberties Union in Furchtenicht’s defense.
Widders said he could not tell if the judges were leaning in either direction by the way they questioned both parties.
“It’s really hard to read them,” he said.
Furchtenicht appealed the November 2006 court denial of his anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) motion against the city.
At the oral argument earlier this month, his attorneys argued that Widders should not have refused to write a ballot title and summary for Furchtenicht’s proposed initiatives in August 2006.
Widders and the attorneys representing him argued that there are certain circumstances in which initiatives can be struck down before they are circulated. They believe that Furchtenicht’s proposals was one such circumstance.
But Furchtenicht and his representative disagree.
A Supreme Court case 30 years ago has already determined that a city attorney cannot refuse to write a ballot title and summary for an initiative, and then argue that it is not constitutional, according to Chait.
“There are times when it is proper to challenge an initiative before it goes on the ballot,” he said, “but it is clearly improper to refuse to write a ballot title and summary, to choose not to perform a duty that is required of you, based on your personal belief.”
City manager Jere Kersnar said that the ACLU and Furchtenicht want to change an existing law.
“The law says that there are certain circumstances in which an initiative can be challenged.” said Kersnar. “The ACLU’s view is that there should never be any pre-election challenges whatsoever.”
Furchtenicht and Chait deny that the ACLU has any intention of changing the law.
“It’s the exact opposite,” said Furchtenicht. “The ACLU is actually trying to defend the existing law. What Monte did was violate the existing statute.”
The initial dispute began nearly two years ago when Widders refused to prepare a ballot title and summary for two citizens initiatives regarding chain stores and affordable housing.
Widders claimed that the initiatives were not submitted in the proper format and refused to proceed with the process unless they were rewritten.
When Furchtenicht did not withdraw the initiatives, he was taken to court by Widders.
At the Nov. 29, 2006 hearing, a Ventura Superior Court judge dismissed the case. He said that even if Widders’ alleged complaints were true, there was no need for a lawsuit. He also denied Furchtenicht’s SLAPP complaint.
Furchtenicht appealed the denial of the anti-SLAPP motion with the ACLU on board. In response, the city filed a cross appeal, in order to have the entire case re-examined, according to Kersnar.
The three attorneys working for the city, Widders, his partner, attorney Roger Myers, and associate Nancy Hartzler, were each paid the standard $150 per hour for their work on the case. So far the lawsuit has cost the city more than $83,000, according to Kersnar. The city has not yet been billed for the hours spent on the oral argument in July, he said.
The ACLU has taken the case pro bono. Neither Furchtenicht nor Chait could say how much their work has cost the organization so far.
By Nao Braverman
The city and Ojai resident-attorney Jeff Furchtenicht will have to wait at least another month for a ruling that will decide the leagality of an anti SLAPP lawsuit. Oral arguments in the case were heard July 9 at the Second Appellate District Court of Appeal in Ventura, and lasted about 30 minutes.
According to city attorney Monte Widders, a court determination is due on Oct. 7, but should be issued sometime in September.
“We presented our argument and we hope the court will come back with the right decision,” said Michael Chait, of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, who is working alongside the American Civil Liberties Union in Furchtenicht’s defense.
Widders said he could not tell if the judges were leaning in either direction by the way they questioned both parties.
“It’s really hard to read them,” he said.
Furchtenicht appealed the November 2006 court denial of his anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) motion against the city.
At the oral argument earlier this month, his attorneys argued that Widders should not have refused to write a ballot title and summary for Furchtenicht’s proposed initiatives in August 2006.
Widders and the attorneys representing him argued that there are certain circumstances in which initiatives can be struck down before they are circulated. They believe that Furchtenicht’s proposals was one such circumstance.
But Furchtenicht and his representative disagree.
A Supreme Court case 30 years ago has already determined that a city attorney cannot refuse to write a ballot title and summary for an initiative, and then argue that it is not constitutional, according to Chait.
“There are times when it is proper to challenge an initiative before it goes on the ballot,” he said, “but it is clearly improper to refuse to write a ballot title and summary, to choose not to perform a duty that is required of you, based on your personal belief.”
City manager Jere Kersnar said that the ACLU and Furchtenicht want to change an existing law.
“The law says that there are certain circumstances in which an initiative can be challenged.” said Kersnar. “The ACLU’s view is that there should never be any pre-election challenges whatsoever.”
Furchtenicht and Chait deny that the ACLU has any intention of changing the law.
“It’s the exact opposite,” said Furchtenicht. “The ACLU is actually trying to defend the existing law. What Monte did was violate the existing statute.”
The initial dispute began nearly two years ago when Widders refused to prepare a ballot title and summary for two citizens initiatives regarding chain stores and affordable housing.
Widders claimed that the initiatives were not submitted in the proper format and refused to proceed with the process unless they were rewritten.
When Furchtenicht did not withdraw the initiatives, he was taken to court by Widders.
At the Nov. 29, 2006 hearing, a Ventura Superior Court judge dismissed the case. He said that even if Widders’ alleged complaints were true, there was no need for a lawsuit. He also denied Furchtenicht’s SLAPP complaint.
Furchtenicht appealed the denial of the anti-SLAPP motion with the ACLU on board. In response, the city filed a cross appeal, in order to have the entire case re-examined, according to Kersnar.
The three attorneys working for the city, Widders, his partner, attorney Roger Myers, and associate Nancy Hartzler, were each paid the standard $150 per hour for their work on the case. So far the lawsuit has cost the city more than $83,000, according to Kersnar. The city has not yet been billed for the hours spent on the oral argument in July, he said.
The ACLU has taken the case pro bono. Neither Furchtenicht nor Chait could say how much their work has cost the organization so far.
Pesticide-free Movement Gains Strength
Group alleges Roundup, other presumed-safe products destroying more than weeds
By Earl Bates
Concerns about community health and the integrity of the region’s ecosystem have motivated a number of local residents to work toward making the Ojai Valley a pesticide-free zone.
An informational gathering, “Pesticide Free Ojai Meeting,” was attended by 40 people at Sacred Space Studio on Monday evening. Many expressed views critical of the usage of chemicals in the environment, some told stories of serious illnesses that they attributed to exposure to substances that were supposedly safe, and some offered information about scientific and medical studies.
“Pesticides are very violent, they are violent to the Earth, they are violent to the wildlife, they are violent to us,” said Ingrid Boulting, yoga teacher and owner of Sacred Space Studio. “We have to realize that everything we put into the Earth has an effect on the ecosystem and we are dependent on a healthy ecosystem for our health, so we have got to stop poisoning ourselves and our planet, period.
“For a long time now it’s come to people’s awareness, not just mine, that there are a lot of people getting sick in this town. Why is the illness rate so high here? We have a very high rate of cancer, little children are getting leukemia, a lot of people have joint pain and problems. I meet a lot of these people because they come to yoga to look for some kind of relief.”
Sacred Space Studio is commonly know as a place for yoga, and according to Boulting, “It’s a place to share ideas, it’s a place to raise consciousness, it’s a place people can come and feel safe to air their views about things and build a community to start to make a difference.”
Matilija Canyon resident Patty Pagala said she was made sick by the chemical herbicide that is currently being used in the attempt to eradicate the invasive arundo, giant reed plants, from the canyon river bottom. “Many people in Ojai are deeply concerned about the negative environmental and health impacts of the spraying of pesticides, not just in the canyon, as they are being sprayed extensively in the orchards in the East End of Ojai. We are coming together to create a pesticide-free Ojai, to bring about public awareness and to work with the city and county to go pesticide free.”
Concerns about the extensive program of application of the herbicide in Matilija Canyon seem to have instigated this movement for a pesticide-free Ojai.
Information from the Ventura County Watershed Protection District states: “Three methods are being used to remove and control giant reed. Each has been chosen for safety and efficacy.” The three methods are: shredding the plants, spraying an approved herbicide onto the foliage of the target plants, and painting the herbicide on cut plants.
The safety and efficacy of the herbicide has been questioned or denied by some observers.
“Glyphosate is what’s being used, which is generic Roundup, that’s what’s going in the water,” said Robin Bernhoft, an Ojai medical doctor with a specialty in the effects of toxic chemicals on human health.
“It’s dangerous stuff. The linkage to Parkinson’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia has come up over and over again, in this country and in Europe and in Japan. I don’t think people should use it at all because it does get into the water.”
According to many widely accepted studies, glyphosate is a safe herbicide.
According to Monsanto, producers of glyphosate herbicides including Roundup, the chemical presents a “low risk to human health.”
“That’s what Monsanto says. Monsanto has had a number of problems with the truth in the past,” said Bernhoft. “The evidence from the groundwater in North Dakota and Denmark is that it does not in fact break down and it does in fact get into the ground water.”
According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety Health, glyphosate is water soluble and the supervisors just ignored this, said Bernhoft. It’s not quite as soluble as table salt, but it’s pretty soluble. Monsanto told the supervisors it was not soluble, that’s a lie.
Could a common product widely reported as safe actually be hazardous?
“Politics,” said Bernhoft. “If you go to the National Library of Medicine and start looking for research on this — scientific literature is not a disinterested business.”
Marsha Angel, who was editor of the New England Journal of Medicine for about 15 years, ultimately quit because she got sick of being fed bogus papers by various drug and pesticide companies, Bernhoft said. For example, Vioxx and rotavirus vaccine were both taken off of the market because they started killing people. Both, in initial publication, were reported in the journal as clean as could be. Later, by means of legal subpoena, it was discovered that the papers ignored the known side effects of the products, making them appear safe.
“The level of integrity is not quite as high as one might wish,” said Bernhoft.
“When you read about a result, you would have to see who funded the study, and that usually correlates with the result,” he said. It might not be readily perceived that complex products may have been presented in a deceptive way. “You have to be fairly sophisticated medically or scientifically to see this.”
An article, “New Evidence of Dangers of Roundup Weedkiller” was distinguished as one of the top 25 censored news stories of 2007. The list of censored stories is created by Project Censored, a media research program at Sonoma State University (projectcensored.org).
“Three recent studies show that Roundup, which is used by farmers and home gardeners, is not the safe product we have been led to trust,” stated the article by Chee Yoke Heong. The article cites scientific studies in which Roundup was implicated in mortality in amphibians and cancer and liver damage in animals.
Dr. Bernhoft believes creating a pesticide-free Ojai Valley is something that should be worked toward. There is enough medical evidence that these chemicals are a public health hazard for everybody, at different rates, some people notice it quicker that others. Minimizing the use of them or practically eliminating them would be helpful. “I think it’s a good idea from a public health standpoint, it would be a very good thing for the people of Ojai not to have to deal with these hazardous substances,” he said.
“II think informed consent is as important in politics as it is in medicine, you don’t want to slam-dunk people. I think people need to be able to make an intelligent decision and to do that they need to see the available evidence.”
For anyone interested in reading on the topic, Bernhoft suggested “Our Toxic World” by Dr. Doris Rapp. “Doris goes into a lot of the realities of how pervasive pesticides, herbicides and other pollutants are, and what their medical impacts are.”
The next meeting of Pesticide Free Ojai will be Monday at 7:45 p.m. at Sacred Space Studio, 410-A Bryant Circle. For information, call 646-6761.
According to many widely accepted studies, glyphosate is a safe herbicide.
According to Monsanto, producers of glyphosate herbicides including Roundup, the chemical presents a “low risk to human health.”
“That’s what Monsanto says. Monsanto has had a number of problems with the truth in the past,” said Bernhoft. “The evidence from the groundwater in North Dakota and Denmark is that it does not in fact break down and it does in fact get into the ground water.”
According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety Health, glyphosate is water soluble and the supervisors just ignored this, said Bernhoft. It’s not quite as soluble as table salt, but it’s pretty soluble. Monsanto told the supervisors it was not soluble, that’s a lie.
Could a common product widely reported as safe actually be hazardous?
“Politics,” said Bernhoft. “If you go to the National Library of Medicine and start looking for research on this — scientific literature is not a disinterested business.”
Marsha Angel, who was editor of the New England Journal of Medicine for about 15 years, ultimately quit because she got sick of being fed bogus papers by various drug and pesticide companies, Bernhoft said. For example, Vioxx and rotavirus vaccine were both taken off of the market because they started killing people. Both, in initial publication, were reported in the journal as clean as could be. Later, by means of legal subpoena, it was discovered that the papers ignored the known side effects of the products, making them appear safe.
“The level of integrity is not quite as high as one might wish,” said Bernhoft.
“When you read about a result, you would have to see who funded the study, and that usually correlates with the result,” he said. It might not be readily perceived that complex products may have been presented in a deceptive way. “You have to be fairly sophisticated medically or scientifically to see this.”
An article, “New Evidence of Dangers of Roundup Weedkiller” was distinguished as one of the top 25 censored news stories of 2007. The list of censored stories is created by Project Censored, a media research program at Sonoma State University (projectcensored.org).
“Three recent studies show that Roundup, which is used by farmers and home gardeners, is not the safe product we have been led to trust,” stated the article by Chee Yoke Heong. The article cites scientific studies in which Roundup was implicated in mortality in amphibians and cancer and liver damage in animals.
Bernhoft believes creating a pesticide-free Ojai Valley is something that should be worked toward. There is enough medical evidence that these chemicals are a public health hazard for everybody, at different rates, some people notice it quicker that others. Minimizing the use of them or practically eliminating them would be helpful. “I think it’s a good idea from a public health standpoint, it would be a very good thing for the people of Ojai not to have to deal with these hazardous substances,” he said.
“I think informed consent is as important in politics as it is in medicine, you don’t want to slam-dunk people. I think people need to be able to make an intelligent decision and to do that they need to see the available evidence.”
For anyone interested in reading on the topic, Bernhoft suggested “Our Toxic World” by Dr. Doris Rapp. “Doris goes into a lot of the realities of how pervasive pesticides, herbicides and other pollutants are, and what their medical impacts are.”
The next meeting of Pesticide Free Ojai will be Monday at 7:45 p.m. at Sacred Space Studio, 410-A Bryant Circle. For information, call 646-6761.
By Earl Bates
Concerns about community health and the integrity of the region’s ecosystem have motivated a number of local residents to work toward making the Ojai Valley a pesticide-free zone.
An informational gathering, “Pesticide Free Ojai Meeting,” was attended by 40 people at Sacred Space Studio on Monday evening. Many expressed views critical of the usage of chemicals in the environment, some told stories of serious illnesses that they attributed to exposure to substances that were supposedly safe, and some offered information about scientific and medical studies.
“Pesticides are very violent, they are violent to the Earth, they are violent to the wildlife, they are violent to us,” said Ingrid Boulting, yoga teacher and owner of Sacred Space Studio. “We have to realize that everything we put into the Earth has an effect on the ecosystem and we are dependent on a healthy ecosystem for our health, so we have got to stop poisoning ourselves and our planet, period.
“For a long time now it’s come to people’s awareness, not just mine, that there are a lot of people getting sick in this town. Why is the illness rate so high here? We have a very high rate of cancer, little children are getting leukemia, a lot of people have joint pain and problems. I meet a lot of these people because they come to yoga to look for some kind of relief.”
Sacred Space Studio is commonly know as a place for yoga, and according to Boulting, “It’s a place to share ideas, it’s a place to raise consciousness, it’s a place people can come and feel safe to air their views about things and build a community to start to make a difference.”
Matilija Canyon resident Patty Pagala said she was made sick by the chemical herbicide that is currently being used in the attempt to eradicate the invasive arundo, giant reed plants, from the canyon river bottom. “Many people in Ojai are deeply concerned about the negative environmental and health impacts of the spraying of pesticides, not just in the canyon, as they are being sprayed extensively in the orchards in the East End of Ojai. We are coming together to create a pesticide-free Ojai, to bring about public awareness and to work with the city and county to go pesticide free.”
Concerns about the extensive program of application of the herbicide in Matilija Canyon seem to have instigated this movement for a pesticide-free Ojai.
Information from the Ventura County Watershed Protection District states: “Three methods are being used to remove and control giant reed. Each has been chosen for safety and efficacy.” The three methods are: shredding the plants, spraying an approved herbicide onto the foliage of the target plants, and painting the herbicide on cut plants.
The safety and efficacy of the herbicide has been questioned or denied by some observers.
“Glyphosate is what’s being used, which is generic Roundup, that’s what’s going in the water,” said Robin Bernhoft, an Ojai medical doctor with a specialty in the effects of toxic chemicals on human health.
“It’s dangerous stuff. The linkage to Parkinson’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia has come up over and over again, in this country and in Europe and in Japan. I don’t think people should use it at all because it does get into the water.”
According to many widely accepted studies, glyphosate is a safe herbicide.
According to Monsanto, producers of glyphosate herbicides including Roundup, the chemical presents a “low risk to human health.”
“That’s what Monsanto says. Monsanto has had a number of problems with the truth in the past,” said Bernhoft. “The evidence from the groundwater in North Dakota and Denmark is that it does not in fact break down and it does in fact get into the ground water.”
According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety Health, glyphosate is water soluble and the supervisors just ignored this, said Bernhoft. It’s not quite as soluble as table salt, but it’s pretty soluble. Monsanto told the supervisors it was not soluble, that’s a lie.
Could a common product widely reported as safe actually be hazardous?
“Politics,” said Bernhoft. “If you go to the National Library of Medicine and start looking for research on this — scientific literature is not a disinterested business.”
Marsha Angel, who was editor of the New England Journal of Medicine for about 15 years, ultimately quit because she got sick of being fed bogus papers by various drug and pesticide companies, Bernhoft said. For example, Vioxx and rotavirus vaccine were both taken off of the market because they started killing people. Both, in initial publication, were reported in the journal as clean as could be. Later, by means of legal subpoena, it was discovered that the papers ignored the known side effects of the products, making them appear safe.
“The level of integrity is not quite as high as one might wish,” said Bernhoft.
“When you read about a result, you would have to see who funded the study, and that usually correlates with the result,” he said. It might not be readily perceived that complex products may have been presented in a deceptive way. “You have to be fairly sophisticated medically or scientifically to see this.”
An article, “New Evidence of Dangers of Roundup Weedkiller” was distinguished as one of the top 25 censored news stories of 2007. The list of censored stories is created by Project Censored, a media research program at Sonoma State University (projectcensored.org).
“Three recent studies show that Roundup, which is used by farmers and home gardeners, is not the safe product we have been led to trust,” stated the article by Chee Yoke Heong. The article cites scientific studies in which Roundup was implicated in mortality in amphibians and cancer and liver damage in animals.
Dr. Bernhoft believes creating a pesticide-free Ojai Valley is something that should be worked toward. There is enough medical evidence that these chemicals are a public health hazard for everybody, at different rates, some people notice it quicker that others. Minimizing the use of them or practically eliminating them would be helpful. “I think it’s a good idea from a public health standpoint, it would be a very good thing for the people of Ojai not to have to deal with these hazardous substances,” he said.
“II think informed consent is as important in politics as it is in medicine, you don’t want to slam-dunk people. I think people need to be able to make an intelligent decision and to do that they need to see the available evidence.”
For anyone interested in reading on the topic, Bernhoft suggested “Our Toxic World” by Dr. Doris Rapp. “Doris goes into a lot of the realities of how pervasive pesticides, herbicides and other pollutants are, and what their medical impacts are.”
The next meeting of Pesticide Free Ojai will be Monday at 7:45 p.m. at Sacred Space Studio, 410-A Bryant Circle. For information, call 646-6761.
According to many widely accepted studies, glyphosate is a safe herbicide.
According to Monsanto, producers of glyphosate herbicides including Roundup, the chemical presents a “low risk to human health.”
“That’s what Monsanto says. Monsanto has had a number of problems with the truth in the past,” said Bernhoft. “The evidence from the groundwater in North Dakota and Denmark is that it does not in fact break down and it does in fact get into the ground water.”
According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety Health, glyphosate is water soluble and the supervisors just ignored this, said Bernhoft. It’s not quite as soluble as table salt, but it’s pretty soluble. Monsanto told the supervisors it was not soluble, that’s a lie.
Could a common product widely reported as safe actually be hazardous?
“Politics,” said Bernhoft. “If you go to the National Library of Medicine and start looking for research on this — scientific literature is not a disinterested business.”
Marsha Angel, who was editor of the New England Journal of Medicine for about 15 years, ultimately quit because she got sick of being fed bogus papers by various drug and pesticide companies, Bernhoft said. For example, Vioxx and rotavirus vaccine were both taken off of the market because they started killing people. Both, in initial publication, were reported in the journal as clean as could be. Later, by means of legal subpoena, it was discovered that the papers ignored the known side effects of the products, making them appear safe.
“The level of integrity is not quite as high as one might wish,” said Bernhoft.
“When you read about a result, you would have to see who funded the study, and that usually correlates with the result,” he said. It might not be readily perceived that complex products may have been presented in a deceptive way. “You have to be fairly sophisticated medically or scientifically to see this.”
An article, “New Evidence of Dangers of Roundup Weedkiller” was distinguished as one of the top 25 censored news stories of 2007. The list of censored stories is created by Project Censored, a media research program at Sonoma State University (projectcensored.org).
“Three recent studies show that Roundup, which is used by farmers and home gardeners, is not the safe product we have been led to trust,” stated the article by Chee Yoke Heong. The article cites scientific studies in which Roundup was implicated in mortality in amphibians and cancer and liver damage in animals.
Bernhoft believes creating a pesticide-free Ojai Valley is something that should be worked toward. There is enough medical evidence that these chemicals are a public health hazard for everybody, at different rates, some people notice it quicker that others. Minimizing the use of them or practically eliminating them would be helpful. “I think it’s a good idea from a public health standpoint, it would be a very good thing for the people of Ojai not to have to deal with these hazardous substances,” he said.
“I think informed consent is as important in politics as it is in medicine, you don’t want to slam-dunk people. I think people need to be able to make an intelligent decision and to do that they need to see the available evidence.”
For anyone interested in reading on the topic, Bernhoft suggested “Our Toxic World” by Dr. Doris Rapp. “Doris goes into a lot of the realities of how pervasive pesticides, herbicides and other pollutants are, and what their medical impacts are.”
The next meeting of Pesticide Free Ojai will be Monday at 7:45 p.m. at Sacred Space Studio, 410-A Bryant Circle. For information, call 646-6761.
Fierro Drive Suspects Arrested For Terrorism
Gang Unit serves warrants at four locations, more arrests to follow in July 7 incident that ended in suspect being hit by car
The Ventura County District Attorney’s office Tuesday filed street terrorism charges against two Ojai gang members in connection with a July 7 incident wherein one person was struck by a car, according to information provided by Sgt. Bill Schierman.
On July 7, Ojai deputies responded to a disturbance in the 1100 block of Fierro Drive, and found that a car had struck 20-year-old Mario Oseguera during a gang-related disturbance. Oseguera was airlifted to the Ventura County Medical Center where he received treatment.
After investigating the incident, members of the county’s gang unit believed the car accidentally struck Oseguera while he and several other gang members were vandalizing a residence in the 1100 block of Fierro Drive. One of the other suspects in the vandalism was identified as 19-year-old Juan Arriaga.
Last week deputies from the Ojai substation, assisted by the Sheriff’s Gang Unit, served four search warrants on Bonmark Drive, Shady Lane, Quail Street and El Roblar Drive in connection with the vandalism. During the service of the search warrants\, Oseguera and Arriaga were arrested and booked for vandalism and street terrorism. Two high-powered handguns were also seized during the search warrants. Oseguera is being held in custody on $50,000 dollars bail and Arriaga is being held on $200,000 dollars bail.
The original report is linked here.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s office Tuesday filed street terrorism charges against two Ojai gang members in connection with a July 7 incident wherein one person was struck by a car, according to information provided by Sgt. Bill Schierman.
On July 7, Ojai deputies responded to a disturbance in the 1100 block of Fierro Drive, and found that a car had struck 20-year-old Mario Oseguera during a gang-related disturbance. Oseguera was airlifted to the Ventura County Medical Center where he received treatment.
After investigating the incident, members of the county’s gang unit believed the car accidentally struck Oseguera while he and several other gang members were vandalizing a residence in the 1100 block of Fierro Drive. One of the other suspects in the vandalism was identified as 19-year-old Juan Arriaga.
Last week deputies from the Ojai substation, assisted by the Sheriff’s Gang Unit, served four search warrants on Bonmark Drive, Shady Lane, Quail Street and El Roblar Drive in connection with the vandalism. During the service of the search warrants\, Oseguera and Arriaga were arrested and booked for vandalism and street terrorism. Two high-powered handguns were also seized during the search warrants. Oseguera is being held in custody on $50,000 dollars bail and Arriaga is being held on $200,000 dollars bail.
The original report is linked here.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Avary's Attorney Denies Charges
County plans to charge screenwriter with vehicular manslaughterBy Daryl Kelley
Ventura County prosecutors have tentatively decided to charge Oscar-winning screen-writer Roger Avary with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated resulting from a late-night car crash near Ojai in January in which a man was killed and Avary’s wife was injured.
But defense attorney Mark Werksman said Tuesday that the 42-year-old Avary, who won an Academy Award for ‘Pulp Fiction’ in 1994, denies being intoxicated and thinks the crash was caused by a tire blowout.
“He denies being under the influence,” Werksman said. “He did lose control (of the car). We know that a tire blew, then he lost control. It was a dark night on an unlit curve.” Nor was Avary speeding, the lawyer said.
Werksman’s comments were the first indication of the Avary defense.
Key evidence, the lawyer said, will be the results of blood samples taken to determine the screenwriter’s alcohol level after the crash, and the type of damage to Avary’s 2000 Mercedes coupe.
“There are things we can’t learn without court orders once the case is filed,’’ he said.
On Jan. 13, Avary was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony drunken driving after the car he was driving skidded and crashed into a telephone pole on Ojai Avenue in front of Ojai Lumber about 12:30 a.m.
The district attorney’s office submitted the manslaughter charge to the Superior Court this month, and prosecutors expect the court to officially file it shortly before Avary’s scheduled arraignment Sept. 19.
If convicted on the charge, Avary could receive up to 11 years in prison, authorities said.
“It’s the most serious charge we are considering. It really is the most likely charge that’s being considered,” said Chief Assistant District Attorney Jim Ellison this week.
But, he added, that there’s still “a lot of investigation going on into this.” An elaborate accident re-construction has been part of the investigation, he said.
“All sorts of factors” could have contributed to the accident in addition to Avary’s alleged intoxication, Ellison said.
Although the charge has not been officially entered by the court, case documents show that Deputy District Attorney Kathy LaSalle reviewed and accepted the gross vehicular manslaughter complaint July 15, then submitted it to the court clerk for filing.
Often, charges are not officially filed by the court clerk until a few days before arraignment, officials said.
“The court may not take any action until close to the (September) appearance date,” Ellison said. Avary’s arraignment has already been delayed three times, most recently on July 17, at the request of prosecutors.
In addition to the vehicular manslaughter charge, prosecutors have considered charging Avary with driving under the influence of alcohol and causing injury or death, a less serious charge that carries a maximum of seven years in prison considering the injuries in this case, Ellison said.
Werksman said he could not discuss the case in detail because a charge has not yet been filed. But he said he knows prosecutors intend to file the charge of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
“I’m aware of what they’re planning, and we’re waiting for them to actually file the case,” Werksman said. “Once that happens we can begin to work toward resolution of this case ... We can’t determine the true cause of this accident until a judge is appointed and we have an opportunity to inspect the vehicle and examine the district attorney’s evidence.”
Andreas Zini, 34, who was visiting Avary from Italy, died in the single-car crash, apparently from internal injuries, authorities said.
Avary’s wife, Gretchen, also suffered serious injuries after being thrown from the car when it crashed on East Ojai Avenue near Boardman Road. According to Ojai Police Chief Bruce Norris, Avary failed to negotiate a turn in the highway and crashed into a power pole.
Avary was uninjured, but his 40-year-old wife was found lying in the road next to the couple’s sedan. She was transported to Ojai Valley Community Hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. She was released about a week later as she recovered from a ruptured bladder.
In a statement the day after the accident, Avary’s publicist Julie Polkes, said: “Roger wishes to publicly convey his heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased. Words cannot express how sorry he is, and this tragic accident will always haunt him.”
Avary, a screenwriter, director and producer, remains free on a $50,000 bail bond.
At the time, Werksman said Avary was “grief stricken.” And on Tuesday the lawyer added:
“This was a horrible accident, a tragedy, and he (Avary) feels awful about what occurred.”
The attorney said no civil lawsuit had been filed in the case.
Former Dist. Atty. Michael Bradbury, who owns an East End ranch, was a witness to the crash’s immediate aftermath, arriving as the dust settled and calling for emergency vehicles.
Bradbury said Tuesday in an interview that Avary was distraught and slurring his speech after the crash.
When Bradbury arrived, Gretchen Avary was on the roadway and her husband was holding her head in both hands, Bradbury said. Roger Avary said: “Gretchen, Gretchen, don’t die, don’t die. Gretchen talk to me,” according to Bradbury.
Bradbury said he asked Avary to move away from the woman, so she wouldn’t be harmed by the movement. But Avary said the woman was his wife and told Bradbury his name. “Due to a slight slur I didn’t hear his last name accurately,” Bradbury said. The former prosecutor said he asked if the man’s name was Avis, and he said, no, it was Avary.
Prosecutor Ellison would not comment this week on Bradbury’s account except to say that the case would be filed regardless. “It doesn’t have any bearing on it,” he said.
Werksman said he’d talked with Bradbury about what he saw at the scene.
“I spoke with Mr. Bradbury, and it is accurate that Roger was very distraught,” the lawyer said. “I don’t think he would describe Roger as slurring his words.”
But Bradbury said Tuesday that he stands by his account that Avary was slurring words.
The original OVN report and reader comments
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Kaddis Killed, Brother Charged
Tragic death leaves questions about man who was paying $500,000 fine to Land Conservancy
By Daryl Kelley
A Los Angeles real estate broker found guilty of illegally cutting down more than 300 oak trees on his Baldwin Road ranch near Lake Casitas has been shot to death before he could pay all $500,000 ordered in fines to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy.
Los Angeles police say William Kaddis, 63, was fatally shot last Wednesday by his brother, Edward, after an argument at the brother’s residence in the mid-Wilshire area.
A S.W.A.T. team arrested the brother after a six-hour standoff, but William Kaddis died of a gunshot wound to the head that night.
Whether the death of Kaddis will stop payment of about $200,000 in fines still due the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy is an open question, said OVLC executive director Fred Fox.
“I wish I knew the answer,” Fox said Tuesday. “I have not yet caught up with the court administrator. We believe the remainder due will be dispersed from the estate, but I cannot confirm that at this point.”
Even with an interruption in the $5,000-a-month payments, the conservancy will suffer no crimp in its financing, Fox said, because the Kaddis money was always placed in a special fund for oak tree restoration.
"It does not support our general fund at all," Fox said. So the agency's $353,000 annual operations budget will not be affected, he said.
Kaddis became notorious locally in 2001, when he bulldozed 301 coastal live oaks on his 44-acre ranch and was charged with illegally clearing his property.
During a 2002 trial, the real estate broker argued that he’d been framed by neighbors and county officials, who didn’t like him because he was a native of Egypt. But he was convicted on 11 criminal counts involving the destruction of the trees.
In a failed appeal, Kaddis also argued his land was not subject to state regulation, since he could trace its ownership to the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
A judge found that Kaddis fabricated a hate letter supposedly left on his property, refused to cooperate with environmental inspectors, and acted like “the neighbor from hell.”
Kaddis was placed on probation for 60 months, ordered to pay $500,000 for an oak tree restoration program and sentenced to 210 days in jail. In 2004, a judge added 45 more days because Kaddis failed to pay the fine.
The $500,000 penalty was the court’s answer to making restitution to the people of the Ojai Valley, Linda Ash, the assistant Ventura County counsel on the six-year-long case, said then.
Ash said the county felt the Land Conservancy would make the best use of the funds and had a demonstrated history of protecting oak trees.
The county felt that if Kaddis were simply ordered to replant the trees, there was no guarantee he would care for them, she said. This way the funds would be used by the conservancy to purchase oak habitat or reforestation in the valley.
Fox said Kaddis had been making double payments with interest in recent years to make up for missed payments. Fox said he had never met Kaddis, nor spoken with him about how the restitution would be used.
The conservancy did not apply to the court for the restitution, but was simply notified by the judge that the conservancy had been chosen as a worthy recipient, Fox said.
Police said William Kaddis was killed last week after he came to his brother’s residence at the request of a family member, who said the brother was ill. William Kaddis owned the house in which his brother was living, police said.
Speaking through the metal screen door, the brothers got into an argument, resulting in several gunshots through the door by the brother, police said.
When police arrived, they were able to help paramedics take William Kaddis out of the line of his brother’s fire, police said, but he died later at a nearby hospital.
By Daryl Kelley
A Los Angeles real estate broker found guilty of illegally cutting down more than 300 oak trees on his Baldwin Road ranch near Lake Casitas has been shot to death before he could pay all $500,000 ordered in fines to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy.
Los Angeles police say William Kaddis, 63, was fatally shot last Wednesday by his brother, Edward, after an argument at the brother’s residence in the mid-Wilshire area.
A S.W.A.T. team arrested the brother after a six-hour standoff, but William Kaddis died of a gunshot wound to the head that night.
Whether the death of Kaddis will stop payment of about $200,000 in fines still due the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy is an open question, said OVLC executive director Fred Fox.
“I wish I knew the answer,” Fox said Tuesday. “I have not yet caught up with the court administrator. We believe the remainder due will be dispersed from the estate, but I cannot confirm that at this point.”
Even with an interruption in the $5,000-a-month payments, the conservancy will suffer no crimp in its financing, Fox said, because the Kaddis money was always placed in a special fund for oak tree restoration.
"It does not support our general fund at all," Fox said. So the agency's $353,000 annual operations budget will not be affected, he said.
Kaddis became notorious locally in 2001, when he bulldozed 301 coastal live oaks on his 44-acre ranch and was charged with illegally clearing his property.
During a 2002 trial, the real estate broker argued that he’d been framed by neighbors and county officials, who didn’t like him because he was a native of Egypt. But he was convicted on 11 criminal counts involving the destruction of the trees.
In a failed appeal, Kaddis also argued his land was not subject to state regulation, since he could trace its ownership to the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
A judge found that Kaddis fabricated a hate letter supposedly left on his property, refused to cooperate with environmental inspectors, and acted like “the neighbor from hell.”
Kaddis was placed on probation for 60 months, ordered to pay $500,000 for an oak tree restoration program and sentenced to 210 days in jail. In 2004, a judge added 45 more days because Kaddis failed to pay the fine.
The $500,000 penalty was the court’s answer to making restitution to the people of the Ojai Valley, Linda Ash, the assistant Ventura County counsel on the six-year-long case, said then.
Ash said the county felt the Land Conservancy would make the best use of the funds and had a demonstrated history of protecting oak trees.
The county felt that if Kaddis were simply ordered to replant the trees, there was no guarantee he would care for them, she said. This way the funds would be used by the conservancy to purchase oak habitat or reforestation in the valley.
Fox said Kaddis had been making double payments with interest in recent years to make up for missed payments. Fox said he had never met Kaddis, nor spoken with him about how the restitution would be used.
The conservancy did not apply to the court for the restitution, but was simply notified by the judge that the conservancy had been chosen as a worthy recipient, Fox said.
Police said William Kaddis was killed last week after he came to his brother’s residence at the request of a family member, who said the brother was ill. William Kaddis owned the house in which his brother was living, police said.
Speaking through the metal screen door, the brothers got into an argument, resulting in several gunshots through the door by the brother, police said.
When police arrived, they were able to help paramedics take William Kaddis out of the line of his brother’s fire, police said, but he died later at a nearby hospital.
Hanstad, Horgan Qualify For Re-election
Citing lack of other candidates, incumbents reverse earlier decisions
By Daryl Kelley
Rae Hanstad and Sue Horgan officially reversed field this week, filing for re-election to the Ojai City Council in the November election.
The two veteran council members filed for re-election on Monday. Three other potential candidates have also taken out nomination papers, but have not yet filed as candidates — Betsy Clapp, Michael Lenehan and Garrett Clifford. Also mentioned as potential candidates have been attorney Len Klaif and community activist Dennis Leary.
City Clerk Carlon Strobel and City Treasurer Alan Rains have also pulled nomination papers for re-election, but only Strobel has filed them as of press time.
Also on the fall ballot are two seats on the Ojai Unified School District board, seats on the Casitas and Meiners Oaks water boards and on the Ojai Valley Sanitary District and the valley’s Municipal Advisory Council.
The filing deadline is Aug. 8 for each board.
“Several members of the community asked me to reconsider, and I did,” said Hanstad, 57, who announced in April that she wanted to return to private life and that she had done what she’d hoped on the council.
“I think everything is in good shape,” she said Monday, after filing. “But continuity is always good.”
She also acknowledged that her decision was influenced by candidates stepping forward so far to replace her.
“I don’t know them,” she said of the three who’ve pulled nomination papers. “I think if strong established citizens had stepped forward, it may have affected my thinking. Citizens I spoke with felt that not only did I have a strong track record, but there were no logical replacements.”
Hanstad herself had mentioned recently retired county chief executive Johnny Johnston and Bob Roper, county fire chief, as potential candidates, but Johnston has said he’s not interested and Roper has yet to publicly declare if he’ll run.
“So I feel like I’ve been drafted again,” said Hanstad, coordinator of Ventura County’s new anti-methamphetamine task force.
Horgan, now serving as mayor, told the Ojai Valley News recently that she had reconsidered her retirement from public life.
“It has come to my attention that we are not quite as far along with some projects as I had hoped we would be,” she said. “I don’t want to make it sound like I think I can do them myself, I can’t, but I think I have an impact. And I want to make sure the city is moving in the direction we have set.”
She was referring to a state mandate to provide more affordable housing and a long-standing effort to build a new skate park on school district property, which has not yet been secured.
Horgan added Tuesday that her decision to run again was also influenced by the apparent lack of candidates for the council.
“I announced seven months ago that I would not seek re-election,” she said. “I spent a lot of time … trying to get people to step up. And in that time, no candidates emerged so I needed to make a decision.”
Hanstad said she also wants to focus hard on the skate park, the housing plan and a new master plan for development within the city.
“I’m not saying no one else can do this,” she said. “But my contract with the county is flexible, and I’m delighted to serve again. I’m really looking forward to the next four years.”
Hanstad and Horgan have both served two four-year terms.
By Daryl Kelley
Rae Hanstad and Sue Horgan officially reversed field this week, filing for re-election to the Ojai City Council in the November election.
The two veteran council members filed for re-election on Monday. Three other potential candidates have also taken out nomination papers, but have not yet filed as candidates — Betsy Clapp, Michael Lenehan and Garrett Clifford. Also mentioned as potential candidates have been attorney Len Klaif and community activist Dennis Leary.
City Clerk Carlon Strobel and City Treasurer Alan Rains have also pulled nomination papers for re-election, but only Strobel has filed them as of press time.
Also on the fall ballot are two seats on the Ojai Unified School District board, seats on the Casitas and Meiners Oaks water boards and on the Ojai Valley Sanitary District and the valley’s Municipal Advisory Council.
The filing deadline is Aug. 8 for each board.
“Several members of the community asked me to reconsider, and I did,” said Hanstad, 57, who announced in April that she wanted to return to private life and that she had done what she’d hoped on the council.
“I think everything is in good shape,” she said Monday, after filing. “But continuity is always good.”
She also acknowledged that her decision was influenced by candidates stepping forward so far to replace her.
“I don’t know them,” she said of the three who’ve pulled nomination papers. “I think if strong established citizens had stepped forward, it may have affected my thinking. Citizens I spoke with felt that not only did I have a strong track record, but there were no logical replacements.”
Hanstad herself had mentioned recently retired county chief executive Johnny Johnston and Bob Roper, county fire chief, as potential candidates, but Johnston has said he’s not interested and Roper has yet to publicly declare if he’ll run.
“So I feel like I’ve been drafted again,” said Hanstad, coordinator of Ventura County’s new anti-methamphetamine task force.
Horgan, now serving as mayor, told the Ojai Valley News recently that she had reconsidered her retirement from public life.
“It has come to my attention that we are not quite as far along with some projects as I had hoped we would be,” she said. “I don’t want to make it sound like I think I can do them myself, I can’t, but I think I have an impact. And I want to make sure the city is moving in the direction we have set.”
She was referring to a state mandate to provide more affordable housing and a long-standing effort to build a new skate park on school district property, which has not yet been secured.
Horgan added Tuesday that her decision to run again was also influenced by the apparent lack of candidates for the council.
“I announced seven months ago that I would not seek re-election,” she said. “I spent a lot of time … trying to get people to step up. And in that time, no candidates emerged so I needed to make a decision.”
Hanstad said she also wants to focus hard on the skate park, the housing plan and a new master plan for development within the city.
“I’m not saying no one else can do this,” she said. “But my contract with the county is flexible, and I’m delighted to serve again. I’m really looking forward to the next four years.”
Hanstad and Horgan have both served two four-year terms.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Planners Again Reject Condo Project
Los Arboles builders face opposition on Montgomery Street
By Nao Braverman
The Ojai Planning Commission made it clear at Wednesday night’s meeting, that they were not interested in seeing anymore massive million-dollar condominiums in Ojai .
Several years, and seven or eight designs and redesigns into their development project, Scott and Lance Smigel were essentially turned down, once again, by the commission.
The Smigel brothers, developers of the controversial Los Arboles Townhomes, which have been unfavorably received by a number of vocal community members, have been trying to move forward with another relatively high-end village mixed use condominium at 119 and 201 S. Montgomery St. But some community members were not pleased.
“A while back, no one wanted million-dollar condominiums because they didn’t fit with the neighborhood,” said Ojai resident Len Klaif. “Now we have passed so many of them that they do fit. This is not mixed in any sense, it’s not village, and it’s not what people come to Ojai to see. There are plenty of condos elsewhere just like this. They aren’t going to come to Ojai to see what our condos look like.”
At a planning meeting in December 2007, the project was turned down for several reasons, but namely because the construction would endanger some protected trees, including a redwood about 100 years old.
This time, the applicants returned with a design that included some amendments to protect the trees, while catering to Ojai decision makers’ environmental concerns, by adding as many green elements as possible.
The four new condominium units are to be made with many recycled materials. Each is built on permeable paving, and all are equipped with electrical outlets in each parking structure, to encourage electric cars and plug-in hybrids. Architect Marc Whitman said that he also hopes to get solar panels on the roofs of the structure as well.
But the mass of the project, in an area that planning commissioners see as a quaint pedestrian village, was still an issue that the redesign had not resolved.
While several commissioners complimented the architectural and landscape design, the consensus was that the structures were too bulky, especially at street level.
“This feels like a little fortress,” said commissioner Tucker Adams. “And I don’t think that’s the way something on the street should feel,” she said.
Another concern, among commissioners, was the project’s proximity to the street. Commissioner Cortus Koehler said the sparse sidewalk space that would be left after the construction was finished, did not invite pedestrian activity.
All commissioners agreed that parking spaces out front were even less inviting.
Although the concept of a village mixed use zone was appealing to commissioners, it hadn’t yet been successful in generating a village feel so far. All commissioners said they wanted something smaller for the Montgomery Street location. Later they conceded to having the street-facing units smaller, in order to minimize the overwhelming size of the structures in comparison to the neighboring houses.
Lance and Scott Smigel were both frustrated as they had intended to give the commissioners what they thought the city wanted, a village mixed use project in the preferred Craftsman style. However, they agreed to consider drafting a new plan and continue the item to a later date.
They also agreed to add a disclosure that the project’s proximity to the Art Center might expose residents to disturbances from late night parties, and the smell of coffee roasting in the morning.
In other planning news a redesigned landscaping plan for a new patio and outdoor dining area for the Ojai Beverage Company, formerly known as Regal’s Wine & Sprits, passed unanimously. The former beverage store’s new bar is soon to have an outdoor seating area extending from the back of the store away from the street.
By Nao Braverman
The Ojai Planning Commission made it clear at Wednesday night’s meeting, that they were not interested in seeing anymore massive million-dollar condominiums in Ojai .
Several years, and seven or eight designs and redesigns into their development project, Scott and Lance Smigel were essentially turned down, once again, by the commission.
The Smigel brothers, developers of the controversial Los Arboles Townhomes, which have been unfavorably received by a number of vocal community members, have been trying to move forward with another relatively high-end village mixed use condominium at 119 and 201 S. Montgomery St. But some community members were not pleased.
“A while back, no one wanted million-dollar condominiums because they didn’t fit with the neighborhood,” said Ojai resident Len Klaif. “Now we have passed so many of them that they do fit. This is not mixed in any sense, it’s not village, and it’s not what people come to Ojai to see. There are plenty of condos elsewhere just like this. They aren’t going to come to Ojai to see what our condos look like.”
At a planning meeting in December 2007, the project was turned down for several reasons, but namely because the construction would endanger some protected trees, including a redwood about 100 years old.
This time, the applicants returned with a design that included some amendments to protect the trees, while catering to Ojai decision makers’ environmental concerns, by adding as many green elements as possible.
The four new condominium units are to be made with many recycled materials. Each is built on permeable paving, and all are equipped with electrical outlets in each parking structure, to encourage electric cars and plug-in hybrids. Architect Marc Whitman said that he also hopes to get solar panels on the roofs of the structure as well.
But the mass of the project, in an area that planning commissioners see as a quaint pedestrian village, was still an issue that the redesign had not resolved.
While several commissioners complimented the architectural and landscape design, the consensus was that the structures were too bulky, especially at street level.
“This feels like a little fortress,” said commissioner Tucker Adams. “And I don’t think that’s the way something on the street should feel,” she said.
Another concern, among commissioners, was the project’s proximity to the street. Commissioner Cortus Koehler said the sparse sidewalk space that would be left after the construction was finished, did not invite pedestrian activity.
All commissioners agreed that parking spaces out front were even less inviting.
Although the concept of a village mixed use zone was appealing to commissioners, it hadn’t yet been successful in generating a village feel so far. All commissioners said they wanted something smaller for the Montgomery Street location. Later they conceded to having the street-facing units smaller, in order to minimize the overwhelming size of the structures in comparison to the neighboring houses.
Lance and Scott Smigel were both frustrated as they had intended to give the commissioners what they thought the city wanted, a village mixed use project in the preferred Craftsman style. However, they agreed to consider drafting a new plan and continue the item to a later date.
They also agreed to add a disclosure that the project’s proximity to the Art Center might expose residents to disturbances from late night parties, and the smell of coffee roasting in the morning.
In other planning news a redesigned landscaping plan for a new patio and outdoor dining area for the Ojai Beverage Company, formerly known as Regal’s Wine & Sprits, passed unanimously. The former beverage store’s new bar is soon to have an outdoor seating area extending from the back of the store away from the street.
Commercial Vacancies Concern City Officials
Grad students take on Ojai marketing plan as class project
By Nao Braverman
The growing number of commercial vacancies in Ojai have been worrying city officials, local decision makers and concerned citizens; especially when the nationwide economy has taken a downturn and the city budget is highly dependent on revenues from tourism.
While elected officials and community members discuss ways to boost the local economy, several Claremont graduate students are working on a marketing plan for the city.
“Graduate programs like to use real-life examples, real businesses, as a way to study,” said Jenny Darroch, a professor of a marketing strategy course at Claremont University’s Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management.
Her students are divided into smaller groups, each focusing on various real-life organizations including a host of for profit and nonprofit business models. Two of her students, Lugene Whitley and Tyler Barrell, chose to work on a marketing plan for Ojai.
“Tyler has a real interest in sustainability and socially conscious business, and Lugene is has been working in art management,” said Darroch. “They were a perfect fit because they truly understand what Ojai is about.”
Darroch, who came to Claremont from the University of Otago in New Zealand, offered the city of Ojai as a study focus for her students, after speaking with Claremont graduate student and Ojai resident, Martha Groszewski.
Groszewski, former chief financial officer of Patagonia and friend of Jeff Haydon, the president of the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce board, has been facilitating a sub-committee of the Ojai Chamber of Commerce Marketing Group.
The recently formed sub-committee includes Mayor Sue Horgan and Councilwoman Rae Hanstad from the city, various chamber members including CEO Scott Eicher, and other highly engaged members of the local business community. The group’s goal is to come up with some concrete plans to help boost Ojai’s economy. Members hope that the Claremont graduate student study will result in some applicable solutions and plans to help Ojai’s struggling merchants and policy makers. If not, it should at least provide some interesting information, said Groszewski.
The marketing plan is a class project, not a city project or a Chamber of Commerce project, she clarified. The city has no obligation to adhere to any of the suggestions that the students offer. However, the study will likely be beneficial in some way, at no real cost to the city. Especially since the city doesn’t have a lot of money to spend on consulting, Groszewski added.
While some universities charge organizations as much as $50,000 for similar studies, Claremont’s Graduate University’s study is funded entirely by the school.
“We want to build partnerships with the community, we want to give back,” said Darroch. “Even if Ojai is not technically our neighbor, it is a nearby suburb and part of Southern California.”
Whitley and Barrell are just in the information-gathering stages of their research. They have made a few trips up to Ojai during the Ojai Music Festival and the Lavender Festival and interviewed City Council members Hanstad and Horgan, Eicher from the chamber, city manager Jere Kersnar, Peter Bowen, Ojai Valley Inn’s director of marketing, and Cathy and Don Cluff, of The Oaks at Ojai, among others. They still have plans to interview a few more merchants and key community members, Whitley said.
Because the scope of their work is limited, they have decided to focus on a tourist marketing plan, something Ojai doesn’t have yet.
“The fact is that Ojai is pretty tourist dependent,” said Groszewski. “I don’t know if that can change, or if that is a good thing.”
Already the two students have had a taste of some of the commonly debated topics, such has how to balance mom-and-pop shops that cater to locals, with establishments that cater to tourists. While some of these overlap, others seem to conflict. Some local merchants, while grateful for the traffic that the Ojai Valley Inn attracts, are frustrated that more and more visitors seem to be content to remain on the inn’s premises, and are less likely to venture to town to shop.
One thing both students understand is that city officials and Chamber of Commerce members are very concerned about maintaining Ojai’s character and charm, Whitley assured.
“Ojai is different from other communities and has a lot to offer. That is a real strength, we want to keep that,” she said.
They are also aware of the fears that many residents have of Ojai becoming purely a tourist trap.
While Whitley has a background in arts management, she also grew up in a small agricultural town in Illinois, and appreciates Ojai’s origins. Barrell grew up in a 4,000-person town in Maine and hopes to move to Ojai one day with his wife, who was born and raised in Ventura.
“Cities who rely to a certain degree on tourism are often uncomfortable having a certain amount of people in town,” said Whitley. “We understand that is a concern and we are sensitive to that.”
Whitley and Barrell are still compiling information and are far from making any solid recommendations. But a full marketing plan should be complete and ready to present to the Chamber of Commerce sub-committee by mid-August, said Barrell.
Both Barrell and Whitley have agreed to check the Ojai Valley News Blog for suggestions and comments from community members.
By Nao Braverman
The growing number of commercial vacancies in Ojai have been worrying city officials, local decision makers and concerned citizens; especially when the nationwide economy has taken a downturn and the city budget is highly dependent on revenues from tourism.
While elected officials and community members discuss ways to boost the local economy, several Claremont graduate students are working on a marketing plan for the city.
“Graduate programs like to use real-life examples, real businesses, as a way to study,” said Jenny Darroch, a professor of a marketing strategy course at Claremont University’s Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management.
Her students are divided into smaller groups, each focusing on various real-life organizations including a host of for profit and nonprofit business models. Two of her students, Lugene Whitley and Tyler Barrell, chose to work on a marketing plan for Ojai.
“Tyler has a real interest in sustainability and socially conscious business, and Lugene is has been working in art management,” said Darroch. “They were a perfect fit because they truly understand what Ojai is about.”
Darroch, who came to Claremont from the University of Otago in New Zealand, offered the city of Ojai as a study focus for her students, after speaking with Claremont graduate student and Ojai resident, Martha Groszewski.
Groszewski, former chief financial officer of Patagonia and friend of Jeff Haydon, the president of the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce board, has been facilitating a sub-committee of the Ojai Chamber of Commerce Marketing Group.
The recently formed sub-committee includes Mayor Sue Horgan and Councilwoman Rae Hanstad from the city, various chamber members including CEO Scott Eicher, and other highly engaged members of the local business community. The group’s goal is to come up with some concrete plans to help boost Ojai’s economy. Members hope that the Claremont graduate student study will result in some applicable solutions and plans to help Ojai’s struggling merchants and policy makers. If not, it should at least provide some interesting information, said Groszewski.
The marketing plan is a class project, not a city project or a Chamber of Commerce project, she clarified. The city has no obligation to adhere to any of the suggestions that the students offer. However, the study will likely be beneficial in some way, at no real cost to the city. Especially since the city doesn’t have a lot of money to spend on consulting, Groszewski added.
While some universities charge organizations as much as $50,000 for similar studies, Claremont’s Graduate University’s study is funded entirely by the school.
“We want to build partnerships with the community, we want to give back,” said Darroch. “Even if Ojai is not technically our neighbor, it is a nearby suburb and part of Southern California.”
Whitley and Barrell are just in the information-gathering stages of their research. They have made a few trips up to Ojai during the Ojai Music Festival and the Lavender Festival and interviewed City Council members Hanstad and Horgan, Eicher from the chamber, city manager Jere Kersnar, Peter Bowen, Ojai Valley Inn’s director of marketing, and Cathy and Don Cluff, of The Oaks at Ojai, among others. They still have plans to interview a few more merchants and key community members, Whitley said.
Because the scope of their work is limited, they have decided to focus on a tourist marketing plan, something Ojai doesn’t have yet.
“The fact is that Ojai is pretty tourist dependent,” said Groszewski. “I don’t know if that can change, or if that is a good thing.”
Already the two students have had a taste of some of the commonly debated topics, such has how to balance mom-and-pop shops that cater to locals, with establishments that cater to tourists. While some of these overlap, others seem to conflict. Some local merchants, while grateful for the traffic that the Ojai Valley Inn attracts, are frustrated that more and more visitors seem to be content to remain on the inn’s premises, and are less likely to venture to town to shop.
One thing both students understand is that city officials and Chamber of Commerce members are very concerned about maintaining Ojai’s character and charm, Whitley assured.
“Ojai is different from other communities and has a lot to offer. That is a real strength, we want to keep that,” she said.
They are also aware of the fears that many residents have of Ojai becoming purely a tourist trap.
While Whitley has a background in arts management, she also grew up in a small agricultural town in Illinois, and appreciates Ojai’s origins. Barrell grew up in a 4,000-person town in Maine and hopes to move to Ojai one day with his wife, who was born and raised in Ventura.
“Cities who rely to a certain degree on tourism are often uncomfortable having a certain amount of people in town,” said Whitley. “We understand that is a concern and we are sensitive to that.”
Whitley and Barrell are still compiling information and are far from making any solid recommendations. But a full marketing plan should be complete and ready to present to the Chamber of Commerce sub-committee by mid-August, said Barrell.
Both Barrell and Whitley have agreed to check the Ojai Valley News Blog for suggestions and comments from community members.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Obama Supporters Open Ojai Office
Ksenia McEuen’s painting of Obama, which will hang at the presidential contender’s local campaign headquarters behind the Ojai Arcade.By Linda Harmon
Barack Obama will get a birthday present from Ojai on Aug. 4 when Ojai for Obama, a grass-roots group of supporters, opens its campaign headquarters at 323 E. Matilija St., Suite 116, at the corner of Montgomery Street, down from the Sunday Farmers’ Market.
“We are planning on opening a space where people can focus their energies,” said David Bush, an Obama supporter and one of four steering committee members that are setting up the Ojai headquarters. Other committee members are Sue Broidy, Stephen Rose and Peter Strauss. “We are a special community and we have a special candidate this year. We plan on making it a place where people can all come together, Democrats, Republicans and Independents, to elect Mr. Obama.”
According to McCain supporter and Republican caucus chair for Ventura County Mary Osborn, “We will not have an official storefront in Ojai, but we plan on launching a campaign in the valley.” Chris Collier, a McCain spokesperson, says the nearest headquarters is scheduled to open in Ventura at an undisclosed location.
The Obama office will operate under the direct supervision of one of the four alternating senior staff members, supplemented by volunteers, with Broidy as office manager.
“We already have a long list of volunteers,” said Bush, who held a successful Fourth of July fund-raising event for Obama in Meiners Oaks, part of the national Unite for a Change Day. “We raised $1,100 over the course of the day and an additional $530 was pledged online.”
According to Bush, the event drew more than 100 people over the course of the five-hour event, which featured live music and a barbecue, raising money by donations.
“As far as I know there has never been a campaign office here,” said Broidy. “For the last seven years that I have been involved with the Ojai Democrats it has usually been in my living room! I am thrilled that it is happening … It means we can all be campaign strategists now instead of relying on directions from a distant party consultant.”
David Mason, local historian, said that a trailer in the parking lot of what is now Starr Market served as a campaign office for John Kennedy’s successful bid for the presidency in 1960.
According to Broidy, Rose was the person to get the ball rolling.
“I was one of the original fund raisers for Obama over a year ago in L.A. right after he declared,” said Rose, who was then in the entertainment business and has since moved to Ojai. “The whole campaign has been about urging people to create their own experience. How could we not have an office in Ojai?”
The organization will have three main goals: phone banking, fund raising and voter registration. Rose says it will be a group effort and there will be “a main thrust to get teenagers involved in handing out fliers and registering voters.”
According to Bush, the organization already has plans for Friday night “socials” where volunteers can get together, brainstorm and plan.
“No more going over the hill for Obama supporters,” said Bush, who has joined others in Camarillo for earlier events. “As far as I know we are actually the Ventura County headquarters. I hope everyone will come join us for our grand opening (Aug. 4. 6 to 9 p.m.).”
To find out more e-mail dbush@ojaiforobama.com.
To Shop Or Not To Shop
Analysis: Shopping local makes cents, especially as gas prices rise
Tell Ojai merchants why you shop here, why you don't
By Earl Bates
To shop local or not to shop local, that is a question for Ojai Valley residents. Is it noble to shop out of town for products and services that should be available in Ojai?
“There are many reasons why people should shop locally,” said Scott Eicher, Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO. “If residents take their service patterns out of town, we will not have a vibrant, healthy local economy. If we have no businesses we will not have a community.”
“A vibrant economy is certainly in the best interest of everyone, including the city,” said Mayor Sue Horgan. “I think it’s important that we have a balance, that our merchants serve both residents and visitors and that we maintain that balance. I’m real passionate about this. I think if the merchants are supported they will be here for us, if we don’t patronize these people, how can we expect them to be here when we need them?”
Shopping locally can help the Ojai community in many ways; it helps support the local economy, it helps support local employment, it helps ensure that local businesses can continue to provide the community with needed products and services, and through sales tax it helps fund city services.
Local shopping can help residents save time, money and natural resources; and it contributes to the well-being of the community.
“On the self-serving level, people should be shopping locally to keep their gas bill down, and to reduce their carbon footprint,” said Eicher. “At $5 a gallon, driving to Ventura means you have to save an awful lot to make the trip worth the cost.”
The cost of an out-of-town shopping trip is becoming a bigger factor. One cruise around the county can roll 30 to 60 or more miles onto the odometer. The cost of gasoline is only part of the equation, there’s mileage on the vehicle and a person’s time to factor in, valuable time that could have been spent at work, at home or at recreation.
For a single trip from Ojai into the Ventura area, the value of a person’s time and the vehicle’s mileage costs can easily add up to $100, more or less, depending on specifics. One way to estimate the value of a person’s time is to multiply the hours spent on the trip by the amount the person would have been paid for working an hour. This puts a typical value of $25 to $100 for a person’s time for a three-hour trip. Mileage expenses are much more than the cost of gasoline, they should include the amortization of the purchase price of the vehicle, maintenance, insurance and registration. A typical personal vehicle has mileage expenses of about $1 per mile, gasoline’s part of that is about 25 cents.
For the trip to result in a net savings, all of these costs would have to be more than made up by the difference in prices between Ojai businesses and the out-of-town shopping destinations. Many Ojai residents seem to think they are saving by shopping elsewhere, but after all expenses are considered, how much saving actually happens?
What about Ojai’s movement to go green? How’s that carbon footprint? A shopping trip around Ojai, even by car, can make a common out-of-town shopping trip look extravagant in many ways. A trip around town by trolley, by bicycle or on foot can be remarkably inexpensive and enjoyable. “I would rather bicycle over to Rains for clothes or kitchen gadgets than drive to any mall in the world!” said former Ojai Mayor Suza Francina. “There is no question that shopping locally benefits not only the business owners but the whole community.”
In addition to basic economic and environmental concerns, staying local can help create social and cultural networking benefits that can enrich individual residents and the Ojai community collectively.
Can’t find it in Ojai?
“The town formerly devoted a larger portion of its mercantile activity to servicing local needs,” said longtime Ojai resident Jim Churchill, co-owner of Churchill Brenneis Orchard, an organic grower of Ojai Pixie tangerines and avocados.
“Within living memory Rains was a hardware store; it seems to me that they’ve been extremely agile in adapting their product mix to what people with money will buy, but there isn’t very much there for me anymore.” Ojai used to have four welding shops, four nurseries, and a farm supply store. But those services went away because of changes in the town, the nation and the economy. I don’t know how you repopulate the merchant community with a different mix of providers. There are not many merchants that stay around as long as Rains has and adapt successfully to changing circumstances. So we get into this chicken and egg situation, merchants won’t stock products unless they think there’s a customer base and customers won’t shop here if it’s worth it to them, for whatever reason, to shop elsewhere.
“I think the price of oil is going to be a game-changer,” continued Churchill. “All kinds of things are going to shift around and people will need to drive less. But they aren’t going to shop locally if the things they want or need aren’t available locally.”
“I think we always have to remember that we are not just a visitor town,” said Horgan. “We are a real town, we have real people and they have needs and wants. Hopefully, it’s going to be in everyone’s best interest if our local merchants can provide for those needs.
“Obviously there are some things we cannot get here,” said Horgan, “but to the extent that local merchants don’t have some of the things that we need, I think it is incumbent upon the residents here to make that known to the merchants. Wouldn’t it be interesting to know what the community goes out of town for?”
Many local merchants are happy to help find things the customer is looking for by searching what’s available from their suppliers. Special items can be ordered individually and merchants could consider stocking products that have consistent requests.
“There is a collaborative effort going on right now between the chamber and the city and some specific merchants and hoteliers,” Horgan continued. “We are trying to get our arms around this whole issue of how can we maintain a vibrant local economy. It’s all about knowing who the customers are, what do our residents want and need, and what do the visitors want and need? It’s a big issue and such an important one.”
Tell Ojai merchants why you shop here, why you don't
By Earl Bates
To shop local or not to shop local, that is a question for Ojai Valley residents. Is it noble to shop out of town for products and services that should be available in Ojai?
“There are many reasons why people should shop locally,” said Scott Eicher, Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO. “If residents take their service patterns out of town, we will not have a vibrant, healthy local economy. If we have no businesses we will not have a community.”
“A vibrant economy is certainly in the best interest of everyone, including the city,” said Mayor Sue Horgan. “I think it’s important that we have a balance, that our merchants serve both residents and visitors and that we maintain that balance. I’m real passionate about this. I think if the merchants are supported they will be here for us, if we don’t patronize these people, how can we expect them to be here when we need them?”
Shopping locally can help the Ojai community in many ways; it helps support the local economy, it helps support local employment, it helps ensure that local businesses can continue to provide the community with needed products and services, and through sales tax it helps fund city services.
Local shopping can help residents save time, money and natural resources; and it contributes to the well-being of the community.
“On the self-serving level, people should be shopping locally to keep their gas bill down, and to reduce their carbon footprint,” said Eicher. “At $5 a gallon, driving to Ventura means you have to save an awful lot to make the trip worth the cost.”
The cost of an out-of-town shopping trip is becoming a bigger factor. One cruise around the county can roll 30 to 60 or more miles onto the odometer. The cost of gasoline is only part of the equation, there’s mileage on the vehicle and a person’s time to factor in, valuable time that could have been spent at work, at home or at recreation.
For a single trip from Ojai into the Ventura area, the value of a person’s time and the vehicle’s mileage costs can easily add up to $100, more or less, depending on specifics. One way to estimate the value of a person’s time is to multiply the hours spent on the trip by the amount the person would have been paid for working an hour. This puts a typical value of $25 to $100 for a person’s time for a three-hour trip. Mileage expenses are much more than the cost of gasoline, they should include the amortization of the purchase price of the vehicle, maintenance, insurance and registration. A typical personal vehicle has mileage expenses of about $1 per mile, gasoline’s part of that is about 25 cents.
For the trip to result in a net savings, all of these costs would have to be more than made up by the difference in prices between Ojai businesses and the out-of-town shopping destinations. Many Ojai residents seem to think they are saving by shopping elsewhere, but after all expenses are considered, how much saving actually happens?
What about Ojai’s movement to go green? How’s that carbon footprint? A shopping trip around Ojai, even by car, can make a common out-of-town shopping trip look extravagant in many ways. A trip around town by trolley, by bicycle or on foot can be remarkably inexpensive and enjoyable. “I would rather bicycle over to Rains for clothes or kitchen gadgets than drive to any mall in the world!” said former Ojai Mayor Suza Francina. “There is no question that shopping locally benefits not only the business owners but the whole community.”
In addition to basic economic and environmental concerns, staying local can help create social and cultural networking benefits that can enrich individual residents and the Ojai community collectively.
Can’t find it in Ojai?
“The town formerly devoted a larger portion of its mercantile activity to servicing local needs,” said longtime Ojai resident Jim Churchill, co-owner of Churchill Brenneis Orchard, an organic grower of Ojai Pixie tangerines and avocados.
“Within living memory Rains was a hardware store; it seems to me that they’ve been extremely agile in adapting their product mix to what people with money will buy, but there isn’t very much there for me anymore.” Ojai used to have four welding shops, four nurseries, and a farm supply store. But those services went away because of changes in the town, the nation and the economy. I don’t know how you repopulate the merchant community with a different mix of providers. There are not many merchants that stay around as long as Rains has and adapt successfully to changing circumstances. So we get into this chicken and egg situation, merchants won’t stock products unless they think there’s a customer base and customers won’t shop here if it’s worth it to them, for whatever reason, to shop elsewhere.
“I think the price of oil is going to be a game-changer,” continued Churchill. “All kinds of things are going to shift around and people will need to drive less. But they aren’t going to shop locally if the things they want or need aren’t available locally.”
“I think we always have to remember that we are not just a visitor town,” said Horgan. “We are a real town, we have real people and they have needs and wants. Hopefully, it’s going to be in everyone’s best interest if our local merchants can provide for those needs.
“Obviously there are some things we cannot get here,” said Horgan, “but to the extent that local merchants don’t have some of the things that we need, I think it is incumbent upon the residents here to make that known to the merchants. Wouldn’t it be interesting to know what the community goes out of town for?”
Many local merchants are happy to help find things the customer is looking for by searching what’s available from their suppliers. Special items can be ordered individually and merchants could consider stocking products that have consistent requests.
“There is a collaborative effort going on right now between the chamber and the city and some specific merchants and hoteliers,” Horgan continued. “We are trying to get our arms around this whole issue of how can we maintain a vibrant local economy. It’s all about knowing who the customers are, what do our residents want and need, and what do the visitors want and need? It’s a big issue and such an important one.”
Mallory Way Project Goes To Public
Motor court to make way for 23 condo units
By Nao Braverman
Four years after its first appearance at City Hall, the controversial Mallory Way condominium project is to be reviewed by the public once again, starting today.
All but seven of 25 quaint rental bungalows near downtown are to be demolished to make way for a group of 23 new two-story condominiums, if plans are approved.
The fact that the development would destroy so much of what was believed to be affordable housing, which was both attractive and of historic significance, garnered the project many local enemies.
The shortage of affordable housing was even more apparent two years ago when the Mallory Way project re-emerged just in time for local City Council elections, and became a favorite topic for council candidates.
Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood just walking distance from downtown Ojai, the cluster of Mallory Way rental units was once an old motor court during the post-World War II era. With each cottage named after a famous racehorse, the lodge was built for auto tourists with a swimming pool and all the luxury of a motel, in the secluded, somewhat rustic town that Ojai was in the late 1940s.
Today, the original swimming pool is filled with cement and the original motor court bungalows have been renovated to make cozy, inexpensive rental units.
While the architectural design of those Mallory Way cottages is still reminiscent of the old motor court, and has been unofficially recognized as historically significant, it has no landmark status, according to city manager Jere Kersnar.
Moreover, while the existing units are often referred to as affordable housing, they are not all considered affordable, he said. Mallory Way studio rentals on the Becker Group web site are listed at $875 a month. That may seem cheap for Ojai. But for studios, they are priced higher than the affordable bracket, according to Kersnar.
He said he is not sure what the exact price range is for official designated affordable housing, but most Mallory Way cottages just don’t cut it. Prices for affordable housing are determined to cost the residents about 30 percent of their income. So an affordable two bedroom rental for very low income resident in Ojai would cost $900 a month according to figures from Ojai’s Community Development Department as determined in November 2007.
“Most Mallory Way rentals, I believe, would be cheap if they were one bedrooms, but many of them are studios,” said Kersnar. “Because they are studios they have a lower price threshold.”
But even if they were affordable units, there wouldn’t be much that the city could do to stop the property owner from destroying them to develop the property.
Despite the lack of much-needed affordable housing, the city doesn’t even have a stringent replacement program, which would require a property owner to replace affordable units that were destroyed, said Kersnar.
The most recent design for the condominium project proposes to keep only seven existing units on the property that are officially affordable and sign a contract to keep them that way.
In the latest proposal, the owner of the property, the Matilija Investment Cooperative, plans to demolish 18 existing units on Mallory Way. In exchange for the original cottages ranging from 400 to 1,000 square feet with yard space, the investment cooperative offers 23 new two-story Craftsman-style condominiums of about 2,000 square feet with carports.
Though a little more cramped than Ojai’s ordinance allows, the Matilija Investment Cooperative is requesting a density bonus as a concession which it is entitled to because it is providing seven contractually affordable units.
Property owners are asking to essentially streamline any environmental review of the project with a Mitigated Negative Declaration which states that the project will have essentially no environmental impact according to the California Environmental Quality Act standards.
Jeff Becker, the Matilija Investment Cooperative representative, did not return e-mailed questions in time for print.
Residents who want to comment on the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Mallory Way project can do so at the City Hall today until Aug. 18 at 5 p.m.
The Mitigated Negative Declaration will be discussed at the Historic Preservation meeting on Sept. 8 and a public hearing is tentatively set for the Planning Commission meeting on Sept. 17.
In the quickest scenario, the project would come before the City Council at the end of October, said city planner Katrina Rice Schmidt.
By Nao Braverman
Four years after its first appearance at City Hall, the controversial Mallory Way condominium project is to be reviewed by the public once again, starting today.
All but seven of 25 quaint rental bungalows near downtown are to be demolished to make way for a group of 23 new two-story condominiums, if plans are approved.
The fact that the development would destroy so much of what was believed to be affordable housing, which was both attractive and of historic significance, garnered the project many local enemies.
The shortage of affordable housing was even more apparent two years ago when the Mallory Way project re-emerged just in time for local City Council elections, and became a favorite topic for council candidates.
Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood just walking distance from downtown Ojai, the cluster of Mallory Way rental units was once an old motor court during the post-World War II era. With each cottage named after a famous racehorse, the lodge was built for auto tourists with a swimming pool and all the luxury of a motel, in the secluded, somewhat rustic town that Ojai was in the late 1940s.
Today, the original swimming pool is filled with cement and the original motor court bungalows have been renovated to make cozy, inexpensive rental units.
While the architectural design of those Mallory Way cottages is still reminiscent of the old motor court, and has been unofficially recognized as historically significant, it has no landmark status, according to city manager Jere Kersnar.
Moreover, while the existing units are often referred to as affordable housing, they are not all considered affordable, he said. Mallory Way studio rentals on the Becker Group web site are listed at $875 a month. That may seem cheap for Ojai. But for studios, they are priced higher than the affordable bracket, according to Kersnar.
He said he is not sure what the exact price range is for official designated affordable housing, but most Mallory Way cottages just don’t cut it. Prices for affordable housing are determined to cost the residents about 30 percent of their income. So an affordable two bedroom rental for very low income resident in Ojai would cost $900 a month according to figures from Ojai’s Community Development Department as determined in November 2007.
“Most Mallory Way rentals, I believe, would be cheap if they were one bedrooms, but many of them are studios,” said Kersnar. “Because they are studios they have a lower price threshold.”
But even if they were affordable units, there wouldn’t be much that the city could do to stop the property owner from destroying them to develop the property.
Despite the lack of much-needed affordable housing, the city doesn’t even have a stringent replacement program, which would require a property owner to replace affordable units that were destroyed, said Kersnar.
The most recent design for the condominium project proposes to keep only seven existing units on the property that are officially affordable and sign a contract to keep them that way.
In the latest proposal, the owner of the property, the Matilija Investment Cooperative, plans to demolish 18 existing units on Mallory Way. In exchange for the original cottages ranging from 400 to 1,000 square feet with yard space, the investment cooperative offers 23 new two-story Craftsman-style condominiums of about 2,000 square feet with carports.
Though a little more cramped than Ojai’s ordinance allows, the Matilija Investment Cooperative is requesting a density bonus as a concession which it is entitled to because it is providing seven contractually affordable units.
Property owners are asking to essentially streamline any environmental review of the project with a Mitigated Negative Declaration which states that the project will have essentially no environmental impact according to the California Environmental Quality Act standards.
Jeff Becker, the Matilija Investment Cooperative representative, did not return e-mailed questions in time for print.
Residents who want to comment on the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Mallory Way project can do so at the City Hall today until Aug. 18 at 5 p.m.
The Mitigated Negative Declaration will be discussed at the Historic Preservation meeting on Sept. 8 and a public hearing is tentatively set for the Planning Commission meeting on Sept. 17.
In the quickest scenario, the project would come before the City Council at the end of October, said city planner Katrina Rice Schmidt.
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