A Tree Falls In Ojai

Photo by Rob Clement

Sunday afternoon marked the final day standing for the ancient valley oak on the corner of Grand Avenue and Park Road. Tom Bostrom, chairperson of the Ojai Tree Committee, spoke to those gathered about valleywide tree health and the likely causes of this particular tree’s demise. He cited the close proximity of both the street and the power pole as being key players in the relatively rapid decline of the tree’s health. Chumash elder Julie Tumamait led a ceremony celebrating the life of the oak, burning white sage and inviting those present to leave offerings of tobacco, acorns and prayers, saying, “We are sorry for driving this pole into the heart of your roots, and we thank you for all that you have given — we thank you.”

With State In Slump, Ojai Home Sales Rise

Sales rally pushes closings to highest tally since 2003

By Daryl Kelley
Amid a deepening housing recession in Southern California, the Ojai area has experienced a sales rally thanks to a flurry of purchases of expensive homes in late summer and early fall, new data shows.
Completed sales of single family homes and condos were the highest since 2003 in September and October for the 93023 zip code, which includes Ojai, Meiners Oaks, Mira Monte and the Upper Ojai, according to an Orange County data firm.
Twenty-four escrows closed in September, the highest number for that month since 54 closed during the furious real estate run-up in 2003. September’s total was also the most sales in the Ojai area zip code in the last 14 months.
October could turn out to be even more impressive, since 21 sales were recorded during the first three weeks of the month, up from 12 for the same month in 2006, 15 in 2005 and 18 in 2004. There were 30 for October in 2003.
Those figures are based on escrows of houses and condos recorded with Ventura County and reflect actual sales begun during the previous 30 to 60 days, according to Melissa Data Corporation of Rancho Santa Margarita.
By comparison Southern California home sales reached their lowest level in more than 20 years in September, and were only about half of what they were for the same month in 2006.
“Ojai is a surprise,” said Zack Lyon, of Melissa Data. “Most of the region is going the other way.”
But some Ojai real estate agents were not surprised. They said that after a few skittish months during the spring and summer, buyers are coming back, especially for upper-end homes. And sellers are becoming more realistic about their prices.
“I’m seeing a big surge,” said agent Sharon MaHarry, with Coldwell Banker. ‘’Prices are more affordable. Sellers have decided that if they’re going to sell, they better sell right now, because a lot of people think prices are going to come down even more.”
With prices more affordable, buyers who’d been on the fence for months, have jumped for deals with prices down tens of thousands of dollars from just a few months ago.
Prices for homes and condos in the city of Ojai alone were down $93,000 from 12 months earlier to a median of $542,000, according to DataQuick Information Systems.
“The buyers have gotten the message that they can get good deals right now,” MaHarry said. “And if you have good credit, you can get a loan. It’s kind of energized the market. Nobody knows what’s going to happen.”
Average home sales prices — as opposed to the median price DataQuick reports — surged to $889,000 in September and $760,000 in October, according to Melissa Data. Those were the highest average prices for those two months ever, showing that expensive homes are selling even better than usual in this affluent community, agents said.
The median price is the point where half of the homes sell for more and half for less. The average price is the total value of sold homes divided by the number of homes.
“These numbers don’t surprise me,” said Gold Coast ReMax broker Don Edwards. “We’re ahead of last year in sales. You can only keep people who want to make a move down for so long before they make that move. People put it off, but they finally have to go.”
Edwards noted that the average mortgage rate for jumbo loans exceeding $417,000 is at 6.37 percent, the lowest in two years, and coming down even more.
“The upper end of the market is a little busier,” he said. And most of his sales are from Los Angeles buyers, who think the Ojai prices are pretty good.
It hasn’t hurt the Ojai market, which was bulging with an early summer inventory of 250 houses, and has now fallen to 189, Edwards said. That has occurred because of the recent increase in sales, and because some sellers have pulled their properties off the market until it becomes stronger.
“Our inventory is not that good right now, and we’ll see what that scarcity does to prices,” MaHarry said. “But right now it’s a good buyers’ market, and it isn’t horrific for sellers. So deals are being made.”
Dawn Shook, executive officer of the Ojai Valley Board of Realtors, said member agents sold just 12 homes in September and 15 in October, but that does not consider sales by owners without assistance from an agent or the rising number of sales by banks or lenders after foreclosure.
“Over a million dollars, seems to be a good market right now,” she said. “That is where our sales are coming from.”
Foreclosure sales have swept the California housing market in recent months. But so far the Ojai Valley has fared fairly well because expensive properties in attractive communities continue to sell better than marginal properties in low-income areas, said Jaime Diaz, an Ojai resident who specializes in selling foreclosed homes.
There have now been 25 foreclosure sales or notices of default in the last three months, he said. Another eight properties in default are listed on the valley multiple listings. So that’s 33 properties that have sold or will make their way to the market he said.
“Sales have picked up,” he said. “The problem is getting buyers to qualify right now. But if you have the traditional 10 percent down payment, you can qualify.
“It’s definitely a better time to buy than a year ago,” he added. “Great deals are out there, but there may be even better deals later on.”

Solar Solutions Sought For Ojai

Government loans advocated to spur energy efficiency

By Nao Braverman
With rising concerns about climate change, and the increasing cost of electricity, some of Ojai’s environmentally conscious residents are turning to solar power. But while the new energy-efficient technologies often save money and resources in the long run, not everyone can afford the pricey start-up cost.
To achieve California’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by the year 2020, decision makers may need to help make solar technology more accessible.
One solution, already being considered by several other California cities, is a government loan program which would finance the initial costs of solar panels for property owners who agree to pay it back over time in installments, with an assessment on their property. Such a program could be considered for Ojai, though not until the city is in a better financial position, according to city manager Jere Kersnar.
Christopher Blunt, owner of Ojai Solar Electric, a local solar panel installer, charges between $9,000 and $10,000 per kilowatt of solar energy. That means $20,000 to $40,000 for an average household using between two and four kilowatts, which can be reduced to between $13,000 and $26,000 with the $2.50 per watt state rebate, according to Blunt.
He recently installed a solar electric system in the approximately 16,000 square foot Ojai home of actor Larry Hagman.
Blunt’s company does not offer financing, nor do any other solar panel installers he knows of. But not everyone has good credit or can afford to pay a substantial down payment.
Next week Berkeley’s City Council will vote on a proposal which includes financing the cost of solar panels for property owners who can pay the city back in installments over a 20-year period, with no down payment. If the program works for Berkeley, Ojai could consider following in its footsteps one day.
For now, Ojai should be prudent and replenish its depleted reserve fund, before investing in any programs other than the most essential, according to Kersnar.
“Any time I am talking about public money I tend to be very conservative,” he said. “I prefer all the beta testing be done in other cities. I know that means we are not going to be innovative but you have less exposure to risks..”
Councilwoman Rae Hanstad agreed. “I would certainly support such incentives,” she said. “But probably on a smaller scale. I don’t think that the city has the funds to finance every home that wants to install solar panels.”
Cisco DeVries, assistant to Berkeley’s Mayor Tom Bates, explained that the actual program being considered for Berkeley wouldn’t actually cost the city, but rather serve as a go-between to help property owners afford the solar technology.
According to the plan the city would finance the installation of panels for about 25 homes to begin with and issue a bond of about $500,000 to pay the installers up front. The property owners would, in turn, pay the city back in installments, with a low interest rate. Once established, the program would be expected to sustain itself, said Alice La Pierre, Berkeley’s building science specialist.
Ojai still couldn’t jump on the bandwagon just yet even with its budget completely intact, because it is not a charter city, according to DeVries. While charter cities are able to do essentially anything the state has not told them they can’t, general law cities need authorization from the state for such a program to be put in place.
A year ago several of Ojai’s community leaders formed the Green Coalition with hopes of propelling Ojai into an environmental leadership position, setting environmental standards for other communities throughout the country and eventually the world.
But if the city can’t help people afford it now, some banks have already begun to do so.
Ojai Community Bank recently approved a program that offers favorable rates on loans for customers looking to install solar panels. Rates vary according to the situation and the recipient. But for some customers, the bank would consider issuing a loan with no down payment at all, said Shari Skinner, CEO and president of the bank.
“It’s something we really support,” she said.

Turn To Green Seen

Forum identifies ways to make Ojai Valley a model green community

By Sondra Murphy
When the Ojai Valleywide Discussion first met last November, participants were able to bring all issues to the table.
Organized and hosted by the office of County Supervisor Steve Bennett, valley residents were invited to be part of a cooperative effort in identifying community needs and then playing a part in facilitating changes.
Nearly a year later, the people have spoken, voting one of the top priorities, making the valley a model green community. “What we have committed ourselves to do is set the scene so we can really run with the ball,” said Bennett about the compiled OVWD data.
The ongoing community meetings have impacted awareness of participants as well as discussion facilitators from Bennett’s office. By Sunday’s final meeting, water bottles and plasticware had been replaced by jugs of water, paper cups and potato starch forks for the apple pie. Even Nordhoff gym, where the meeting took place, illuminated the group with retrofitted, low-energy use lights.
“The first thing we have to do when we’re trying to reduce is hop on the scale and weigh ourselves,” said Steve Offerman of Bennett’s office. After encouraging people to measure their carbon footprints, he offered various statistics about the Ojai Valley, including the fact that 87,798 tons of carbon dioxide is emitted from our area each year, mainly due to automobiles. Offerman then presented information about links to green building and resources to be found at ventura.org.
OVWD participants had an instant opportunity to help make the valley more environmentally friendly by becoming involved in the Ojai Valley Green Coalition, formed since the first discussion took place last year. Coalition co-founder Tim Baird explained the coalition’s mission to create Ojai into a model green community, showed a short video and introduced action committee members, who briefed the crowd on the priorities of each and invited people to join the committee of choice.
Those action committees are building-construction; energy conservation, food and agriculture, transportation, waste management, and water and land use. Help is also needed with organizational committees to help the coalition function effectively: communications-publicity, coordination and evaluation, event planning and fund raising. During the final OVWD meeting, Baird estimated that about 75 OVWD participants signed up to serve on committees, a number awaiting confirmation by the various committee coordinators.
“The food and ag committee is thrilled to report 30 people gave us cards to contact them for participation in our committee work,” Dulanie Ellis later told OVN.
There are other issues from the OVWD meetings that made it to the top eight that can be addressed through green coalition involvement, such as preserving existing open space in the valley, decreasing car use and expanding public transportation and other alternatives. For more information, go to ojaigreencoalition.com.

Emergency Plan Focus of Valleywide Meeting

By Sondra Murphy
The Ojai Valleywide Discussion lured about 160 community members back for the final meeting Sunday at Nordhoff gym. 1st District Supervisor Steve Bennett and staff focused on the top two issues as defined by attendees in the previous two discussions. The No. 1 issue was disaster preparedness.
With Southern California fires fresh in the collective consciousness, proactive ways for local residents to prepare for emergency events was greeted with enthusiasm. As Bennett said, “It’s time for us to take the valley’s preparation to another level that gets the public more involved.”
Capt. Bruce Norris, chief of the Ojai Police, and Chief Bob Roper of the Ventura County Fire Department were on hand to speak about emergency preparedness in the Ojai Valley. One of the areas that earlier meetings identified as needing improvement is communication and Norris concurred, referencing reverse 911 as a great bridge to that goal. “We call portions of the county where there happens to be a disaster,” said Norris. “(911 operators) can phone a lot of numbers in an affected area and give information about evacuation.”
Norris said that county supervisors are supporting expansion of reverse 911 into this area for use during any type of emergency, such as fire, flood or earthquake. Ongoing communication among emergency responders is about to get a much-needed boost, as well. “Red Mountain, by Oak View, is getting ready to change out a microwave tower that will greatly enhance the communication ability of the Ojai Valley,” said Norris. He said that Sisar Peak is also to get an upgrade and both will expand the range capabilities of responding personnel.
According to Norris, the Ventura River County Water District is allowing an AM radio tower to be built on its property to allow for emergency broadcasts that anyone may tune into in the event of a disaster. Grant funds in the amount of $50,000 have been identified to help pay for the tower, which will not be dependent on other power sources for functionality and, if the project continues to go smoothly, Norris estimated the system could be in place in about six months.
Roper next explained that Community Emergency Response Training classes teach people skills to help their families and neighbors during a disaster. “The Day Fire ran for 30 days and the Zaca Fire ran for 60 days,” said Roper, adding that CERT trainings are most helpful in long-term disasters because responding agencies prioritize order of assistance in such a way that may delay response time to individual neighborhoods.
“CERT training teaches a little about disaster psychology. It teaches how to bring CERT trainees together,” said Roper, important processes in allowing people to assist their own communities. “It’s about family helping family and neighbor helping neighbor.” Once rescue agencies finish helping high priority locations, such as hospitals or care homes, neighborhood CERT coordinators can give them crucial triage information.
Roper encouraged participants to sign up for the next round of CERT training scheduled for Jan. 16 and said Ojai Rotary Club West is creating a DVD from class sessions. The DVD will be available to purchase in December by contacting Stephanie Midgett at 646-1470. For a preview, visit rotaryojaiwest.org and click on CERT.
The attendees next moved into groups based on their residence addresses to help define neighborhoods that are accessible to each other for CERT team purposes. Residents then listed vulnerabilities and resources in order to help with eventual county prioritization in emergency situations.
Bennett said that data from the discussions, including the other issues in the top eight, would be made available to everybody on the discussion groups web site. “People interested can take that data and run with it,” said Bennett. He said that the discussions were initially set up with two objectives in mind: “To establish win-win goals that residents could work toward and to give people the opportunity to make connections that they would not normally make.” Participant responses still being tallied are showing those goals were successfully met and “are overwhelmingly positive,” said Bennett.
The other issues that made it to the top eight include creating a valleywide recreation district, expanding youth programs, decreasing car use in the valley by expanding the public trolley and other alternatives, and preserving existing open space in the valley.
Cindy Cantle from Supervisor Bennett’s office also mentioned the $10,000 grant the Ojai Valley Youth Foundation recently received from the Allstate Insurance Company to develop a disaster preparedness web site. The site will be designed, built and authored by Ojai’s youth. “We are hoping it is up and running by spring,” project director Bobbi Balderman later told OVN.
The Ojai Valley Wide Discussion web site may be accessed at countyofventura.org /ovwd/default.aspx. Data collected from the final meeting will be posted in the coming weeks.

Invaders Threaten Lake Casitas

Board looks at closing lake to boaters to protect against mussel

By Daryl Kelley
First came ferocious winds and killer freezes, then this week's devastating firestorms. This has been a year of cataclysmic natural disasters for Southern California. And now comes a stealth invader that could add enormously to the toll for 2007.
The quagga mussel, a pernicious and prolific mollusk that overwhelms freshwater lakes like Lake Casitas, poses such a threat to fisheries and waterworks that the state enacted an emergency law this month allowing lakes to be closed to boaters altogether and contaminated boats to be seized.
Anyone who fails to report a quagga mussel infestation is subject to a fine of up to $1,000.
Reacting to the threat, directors of the Casitas Municipal Water District said this week that they would close Lake Casitas, which hosts 26,000 boaters a year, if state and federal officials don't come up with a plan to halt the northward spread of the mussel.
“This organism eats plankton that fish need to live, and it attaches to every hard surface such as the dam and pumps and filters and spills ways,” board President Russ Baggerly said. “It could cause such damage we couldn't afford to fix it. ... The solution of last resort is to close the lake to all private uses.”
Baggerly said the need to act is urgent, because the mussel, a native of Russia that was transported to the Great Lakes by ships two decades ago, was found in Lake Mead and Lake Havasu in January. It has since been discovered by dive teams in six lakes in Riverside and San Diego counties that are also part of the Colorado River distribution system. Lake Wolford near Escondido has been closed to public boaters by local officials.
A single boat entering Lake Casitas after fishing in an infested lake could bring the mussel here, Baggerly said. Quagga mussels have been found in concentrations of 30,000 to 50,000 per square foot, officials said, clogging water treatment and distribution systems to such an extent that they can hardly function.
Baggerly told the board that since 87 percent of boaters who use Lake Casitas come from outside this area, “we are overexposed to this infestation. It's only a few hours away.”
Casitas board members said they're taking the threat seriously.
“It sounds like the basis for a good horror movie,” Director Bill Hicks said.
The board authorized a team of Casitas officials to meet quickly with state and federal water officials and lawmakers to press the seriousness of the issue.
Casitas officials will ask the federal Bureau of Reclamation and the state Department of Fish and Game to implement a system that identifies boats that have been in infested waters in a computer database and with non-removable stickers, so officials at other lakes can keep those boats out or make sure they have been cleared of mussels.
“We need to give the (state) Department of Fish and Game the courage to protect us,” Baggerly told the board.
He said he has met with officials that operate Lake Piru near Fillmore and Lake Cachuma near Santa Barbara and that they will act in unison to try to force some action.
The state is already keenly aware of the problem.
Indeed, authorities reacted immediately after the quagga mussel was found in Lake Mead in Nevada on Jan. 6, forming a task force to identify the scope of the problem and attempt to halt the mollusk's migration.
Since then, state officials have hosted education programs for water officials, biologists and game wardens intended to raise red flags about the seriousness of the infestation.
Rob Weinerth, a Lake Casitas Recreation Area staffer, attended a briefing in San Diego County last week, and reported to the board Wednesday.
“The (message) in San Diego was this is coming your way,” Weinerth said. “We have an opportunity to keep it out ... But we don't have to tools to identity this stuff properly.”
Even if Casitas were to hire inspectors to scour every boat, a process that would take at least 30 minutes, it is difficult to find the tiny quagga larvae, he said.
“They feel like sandpaper, but so do a lot of boats,” he said.
Quagga mussel larvae can be killed with water heated to 140 degrees or with an acid mixture sprayed onto boats, he said.
He has asked for such decontamination kits, Weinerth said.
For now, noted Director Jim Word, “We're at the mercy of whoever brings the boat. Whether what they say is true.”
“Yes,” Weinerth said, “they could lie to us.”
The quagga mussel, a native of eastern Europe and Russia, found its way to the Great Lakes in the United States in 1988 and then was discovered early this year in a series of lakes and streams in the Colorado River watershed that feeds into Southern California.
According to the Department of Fish and Game, the mussels have been found in San Vicente Reservoir, Lake Murray Reservoir, Lower Otay Reservoir, and Lake Dixon in San Diego County and Lake Skinner and Lake Mathews in Riverside County.
“They present a serious threat to California’s environment, water delivery systems and recreational boating,” according to a Fish and Game statement released last week. “Quagga and zebra mussels clog water intake structures such as pipelines and screen, impair plumbing operations at power and water treatment plants, and contaminate vessels. They alter the food web by filtering out substantial amounts of phytoplankton necessary for fish and other species, and changing the pH of the waters they infest with their wastes.”
State Secretary for Resources Mike Chrisman had said in a previous announcement:
"With quagga mussels on the move from the Nevada border to inland San Diego County, we need the public’s help to keep them from going farther. Once the quagga are established in a waterway, they have significant environmental, recreational and economic impacts."
Although they range from microscopic to the size of a fingernail, the mussels are prolific breeders and attach themselves to hard and soft surfaces, such as boats and aquatic plants.
The mussels damage boats by blocking engine cooling, jamming steering equipment and increasing drag and destroying paint, the state release said.
They also “wreak havoc with the environment, disrupting the natural food chain and releasing toxins that affect other species. Spread of the quagga could result in millions of dollars in damage to water transport facilities.”
State officials asked boaters of infected lakes to inspect for mussels, wash hulls with hot water, remove all plants, drain water from boats and dry them. And not to enter another lake for at least five days.
Boat inspections are being conducted at a number of Department of Food and Agriculture border inspection stations and around the state.
As of Oct. 2, about 74,000 boats have been checked. About 8,200 boats contained water that needed to be drained. More than 70 vessels have been quarantined.
Thus far, the mussels have not been found in California's State Water Project (SWP), which draws its water from northern California watersheds.
A multi-agency taskforce that includes the Department of Fish and Game, the Department of Boating and Waterways, the Department of Water Resources and California State Parks has responded with surface and underwater inspectors to determine the extent of the quagga threat. For more information on the quagga mussel response, visit the DFG website.
A public toll-free number, (866) 440-9530, has been established for boaters and anyone involved with activities on lakes and rivers seeking information on the mussels.

Council OKs Skate Park Repair

City also issues new bond, saving $1.5 million by refinancing redevelopment debt

By Nao Braverman
The Ojai City Council decided, Tuesday night, that maintaining a moderately diminished skate park was better than pouring money into a facility that would soon be replaced, and certainly better than having no park at all.
City manager Jere Kersnar explained that the $10,000 budgeted for skate park repairs this year was not enough to bring the entire facility to a safe and serviceable level.
That left the council to decide between digging into the city’s general fund for the remaining $20,000 to make the $30,000 total needed for a thorough skate park makeover, shutting it down altogether and reallocating funds toward the construction of a new permanent park, or using the $10,000 to repair the more popular and less costly equipment while removing the remaining dilapidated obstacles, and maintaining a somewhat reduced park until it is replaced by a permanent facility.
Council decided on the latter, given that plans for a new permanent skate park seem to be moving quickly with the Skate Park Task Force scheduled to present their progress at an upcoming meeting.
“I would like to save the money and use it towards a permanent park,” said Councilwoman Sue Horgan. “From what it looks like we might have a permanent park by spring. I might even be in favor of saving that $10,000 for the new park and shutting down the existing park altogether.”
Councilwoman Hanstad said she agreed except for the last bit.
“I would hate to have no skate park at all until spring,” she said. Councilman Steve Olsen agreed with Hanstad. And the council made a unanimous decision to remove some of the park’s present equipment, and use the $10,000 budgeted to repair what is left of it until a new facility is built.
Also on the topic of city funds, the Ojai Redevelopment Agency decided to issue a new 2007 tax revenue allocation bond, in order to refund an outstanding 1997 tax allocation bond, saving the agency a total of $1.5 million.
Essentially a refinancing, the new bond would be issued in a large pool of tax revenue allocation bonds, from other redevelopment agencies, through the Association of Bay Area Governments.
The refinancing would decrease the city’s interest rate from about 6 percent to 3.5 or 4 percent at most, said the city’s finance director Susie Mears, cutting Ojai’s debt service costs by $1.5 million.
In addition the refinance also allows the city to access funds by 2012 instead of waiting until 2022, which would be required if the city were to keep its current bond. This makes it possible for the Redevelopment Agency to pay back some of its debt to the city.
Redevelopment agencies often borrow money from the cities they serve, said Mears. Ojai’s Redevelopment Agency still has not paid back the $3.4 million it borrowed from the city to get started. If the Redevelopment Agency can access some funds by 2012, however, it could begin paying the city back, thus helping replenish the city’s depleted general fund.
“We did an analysis of the refinance and we are going to come out great on this project,” said Mears.

Gang Crackdown Nets Six

Sheriff’s Gang Unit makes arrests after gang-related attacks

By Nao Braverman
Six suspected Ojai Valley gang members were arrested on Oct. 17 and 18 after a month-long investigation by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Gang Unit. Investigators examined the events of three separate attacks over the past month and arrested Kyle Root, Christian Hames, Fidel Duran, Rocky Holbert, and two juveniles.
Twenty-year-old Root, 18-year-old Hames and a juvenile suspected to be an Oak View Gang member, were charged for assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly attacking a 39-year-old male and 65-year-old female on the 500 block of Santa Ana Boulevard in Oak View on Sept. 18.
Gang investigators believe the Santa Ana Blvd. location to be the residence of a rival Ojai Surenos Locos gang member and suspect the attack to be a retaliation for a separate attack committed by the rival gang.
Duran, 18, a suspected member of the OSL was arrested for conspiracy in relation to a Sept. 27 incident where Duran, along with previously arrested Gabriel Arellano and another OSL member, allegedly threw a cup filled with soda into a car occupied by two female adults and a 2-year-old toddler, on Ojai Avenue at Fox Street, striking the female passenger. Investigators believe that at least one of the passengers had ties with an OVG gang member.
Holbert, 18, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon during the most recent Oct. 6 OVG attack where six individuals, ranging from 13 to 20 years old, were hit with a metal pipe, in front of Dahl’s Market in Oak View. Though the victims had no association with any gang, the assailants mistakenly identified them as members of the OSL gang.
The OSL, a Hispanic criminal street gang based in Ojai, has about 15 to 20 gang members and has been in the area for about 20 years said Ojai Police Capt. Bruce Norris. The OVG, a predominantly white, territorial, criminal street gang that claims the unincorporated area of Oak View, has about 10 to 15 members and has also been around for about 20 years, probably going by different names in the past, Norris said.
He added that the the conflict between the two gangs appears to be racial and territorial.
Though the police department has been working to tackle problems with the two gangs fighting over the past two years, gang-related violence in Ojai had been very low this year, up until the middle of September, said Norris.
The six person, Sheriff’s Gang Unit, created in February, was introduced to address a recent rise in gang-related crime within Ventura County, and is often called upon where a gang enhancement is included in the charge.
Residents are encouraged to call the Gang Tip Hotline at 1-88858GANGS to anonymously report criminal gang activity.

History Happens At OVN Museum Exhibit

Ojai Valley Museum celebrates century-plus of news-making

By Sondra Murphy
The Ojai Valley Museum is throwing a reception and party for the Ojai Valley News Oct. 28 from 3 to 6 p.m. The museum is celebrating this newspaper’s coverage of the local scene since 1891 with an exhibit titled “History Happens.” Besides news stories selected from over the decades, the exhibit features trade equipment and art.
Several museum workers contributed to the project. Fred Kidder, director of creative services, worked with volunteer Roger Conrad to design and set up the displays of printing equipment, OVN archived pages and newsroom gear of bygone days. Richard Hoye and former museum director Jane McClenahan spent weeks on research for the exhibit before Kidder and Conrad took about five, seven-day workweeks to assemble the exhibit.
A graphic designer, Kidder especially appreciates some of the old, first edition issues on display. “The typography is beautiful,” he said. “What a valuable resource those newspapers were.”
Three local artists contributed original sculptures inspired by news racks and commissioned specifically for the exhibit. Steve Grumette, Doug Lochner and Sylvia Raz each created works they hope convey the many facets of news and its importance in keeping people connected to their individual communities, as well as to society at large.
Grumette chose to convert a news rack into a television set, but much had to happen first for his “News & Views” sculpture to take shape. The rack Grumette received was a little beat up. He spent one day taking it apart and realized that he would need some help in order to make the surface as clean as he wanted it. He found a man named Bill Driggs of Custom Industrial Finishes in Port Hueneme to sandblast the parts down to bare metal and repaint the surfaces.
Then came reassembly of hundreds of pieces, after which “It reminded me of a television set on a little table,” said Grumette. He proceeded to convert the frame into a television, complete with screen images, doilies, a piggy bank and rabbit ears. The result is a departure from the photo mosaics and digital giclée Grumette has been creating for about 10 years.
Grumette has lived in the Ojai Valley about 21 years is also known for his work in local theaters and has several projects coming up. He will take part in the Lux Radio Theater version of “The Lady Eve” being performed at The Gables in November with OVN columnist Mel Bloom, among others. Grumette will also perform in a radio play version of “It’s a Wonderful Life” at the Ojai Art Center in December.
In his museum contribution titled “Isis,” Lochner bypassed the news rack to create a sculpture from a variety of metal to resemble a human form. “My goal in the piece was to somehow tie the newspaper to the community and I kept coming to the idea that the newspaper reflects the community in which it serves,” said Lochner. “The female is holding a double-sided mirror, so she sees herself and her surroundings.”
“Isis” consists almost entirely of metal. Lochner dressed the body in a diamond plate steel metal jacket with a skirt of patina acid finish metal that uses a process that accelerates the natural weathering in metal. The mirror represents the newspaper and three commemorative quarters serve as jacket buttons denoting the 75-cent cost of the OVN. The figure is topped with the only non-metal component: a very Ojai-esque straw hat.
Lochner has lived in the Ojai Valley for about 10 years and been producing art all his life. He works with glass and metal a lot in his craft and has lately produced large monoliths. Metal work involves forging, welding, cutting, bending, grinding and polishing the material and he often uses tractors to move the heavy pieces. “This has been a fabulous distraction from doing real work and hopefully the community will appreciate it,” said Lochner.
Raz converted her news rack into a robotic form called “Extra! Extra!” The glass head is made of an old lamp while the creature holds a battery charger in one hand and an electrical calibrator in another. This self-professed queen of ecology wanted to make her rack into a person selling newspapers, and intends the lamp to symbolize enlightenment, while the other parts charge the reader with calibrated news.
“They are all recycled parts,” she said. “I feel incredible satisfaction when I find something old and give it new life.” Raz has lived in the Ojai Valley for about 10 years and has been an artist for 30. She works in a variety of media, but enjoys making found objects into art, as she did in the museum piece.
“I just feel the Ojai Valley News does quite a job here in town. Since I get excited about events in the community, I was excited when I got invited to participate in the exhibition.” She also creates works from old Barbie dolls and has lately been experimenting with zippers in her work, one of which can currently be viewed at the Ojai Art Center.
The Oct. 28 “History Happens” reception costs $20 and will feature speakers and offer prizes, food and drink. For tickets or more information, call the museum at 640-1390.

Chain Ordinance Passes Planners

Council to now consider measure aimed at formula fast-food and ‘big box’ retail stores

By Nao Braverman
After two strikes, city staff finally brought forth an ordinance to protect Ojai from the proliferation of chain stores that was accepted by the Planning Commission at Wednesday night’s meeting. With the rejections of two previous ordinance drafts behind them, all seven of the Planning Commissioners agreed to recommend the new ordinance to the council, as written.
Though not quite as radical as the emergency moratorium currently in effect, which temporarily bans chains altogether, the new ordinance would put Ojai on the map as a city that rejects formula fast-food and big box chains. Similar to San Francisco’s and Sausalito’s ordinance it also requires that any incoming chain business have a public hearing, where locals would be invited to comment.
Though vocal members of the public have voiced increasingly divided opinions aboutsuch an ordinance, the newly proposed draft appeared to be an even compromise. As it amended the definition of “formula retail” to a business that maintains ten or more locations with three or more standardized characteristics, increasing the standardized characteristics from two to three, it dropped many formula services from the “formula business” category entirely, quieting the concerns of local residents who were afraid of keeping out Ojai’s much-needed services. Some services such as insurance companies and banks, they argued are almost invariably chains.
While Scott Eicher, chief executive officer of the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce, and local developer Ron Polito both cautioned that creating a 10,000-square-foot cap on formula business might be a problem if existing buildings with a larger square footage such as Starr Market or Rains were to close, planning commissioners and other community members said they were confident that both chains and locals could find ways to fill those spaces.
A chain grocery store, for example, could lower its standardized features, change its sign and omit uniforms for Ojai, so that they would no longer fall into the formula retail category, said Planning Commissioner Susan Weaver.
Even if that fell through, city attorney Monte Widders confirmed that the City Council could call for a text amendment extending the 10,000square-foot cap to something larger if so needed.
Some community members thought the ordinance should be stronger but accepted staff’s recommendation nonetheless.
“I think what we have in front of us tonight is a reasonable compromise,” said a local resident and author of a recent ballot initiative regarding chain stores.
Local resident Marika Natalie added that that keeping as many corporations out of Ojai as possible has broader implications.
“We have the first generation of children whose life expectancy is shorter than their parents.” she said, referring to the ban on fast food chains. “that is because mass corporations find any way they can to make money with out any intimate connection with their customers. ... Ojai has a foothold, there is no reason to give that up.”
With a relatively brief discussion, the Planning Commission unanimously agreed to recommend the ordinance.
“This is a great opportunity for us to use our creativity and make Ojai what we want it to be so I would recommend that the city pass this,” said Planning Chair Tucker Adams.
In other planning news, commissioners continued the discussion on the Ojai Valley Community Hospital’s proposal to build a prefabricated metal building to be used for storage purposes.
Many nearby residents came forward with noise complaints and other building code violations regarding the hospital and argued that the storage facility was ugly and would reduce their property value.
Hospital representatives Mary Jo Garrett and Joe Panushka said that building a cement block wall, though it might reduce noise problems, would be too costly and might hinder their plans to expand their emergency room for which they were already behind schedule.
Planning Commissioner Troy Becker suggested that hospital representatives meet privately with nearby residents to discuss the matter before returning to the next planning meeting with a proposal.

Meiners Oaks Next To Raise Water Rates

Meiners Oaks County Water District board Secretary Sherrie Russell, Director Karol Ballantine, board President Bill Reynolds and Vice President Jim Barrett explain to residents their reasoning for a proposed rate increase, which threatens farm users with a 500 percent rate hike. Some have accused the board of piggybacking onto Golden State Water’s recent proposal for a 43.95 percent rate increase within their district.

By Daryl Kelley
Another month, another Ojai Valley agency is hiking water rates to astronomical levels for agriculture. And farmers are saying they’ll be forced to walk away from their orchards if things don’t change.
This time, the Meiners Oaks County Water District has proposed rates that would increase the amount farmers pay to water their crops up to 500 percent or more.
But barraged by angry farmers, district directors delayed a decision this week, citing the absence of one board member. They said they’d make a final decision Nov. 20 when all five directors are present.
“We’re very conflicted right now,” said Director Karol Ballantine. “If this is wrong … we can put a committee of citizens together to come up with an alternative. This (rate change) is not forever. It can be changed.”
But directors for the small community-based water agency, which has consistently offered the lowest water rates in the valley, said they had no choice but to impose only the second rate hike in the last 15 years.
Since 2004, the district’s aging water pipes, meters and storage tanks have begun to break, said board President Bill Reynolds, and officials have had to draw down reserves from $2 million to $1.3 million to pay for repairs. The budget deficit for the fiscal year ending June 30 was more than $500,000, he said, compared with an overall annual budget of less than $1 million.
In previous years, no money has been budgeted for infrastructure repairs, so it is simply falling apart, and will cost millions of dollars to replace, he said.
“At this rate, we have two or three years of reserves, and then we go negative,” Reynolds said. “And we’re not allowed to do that … What we’ve been doing is dipping into the till to cover repairs (of) things that actually get the water to your house.”
Even with a 79 percent hike in its base rate for residential customers, the average Meiners Oaks resident would still only pay $29.50 a month for water, officials said.
Indeed, only about 10 percent of the district’s 1,283 customers — the vast majority residential — filed protests of the proposed rate increase. And just 30 showed up to question the hike in person.
Several of those were farmers, whose rate would increase from 31 cents for each 100 cubic feet of water (748 gallons) to a maximum of $2 per unit on a tiered pricing scale that penalizes those who use the most water.
Farmers said that was not fair, since they have no choice but to water their crops, or to let them die.
“These increases are 500 percent to 700 percent for us,” said Steve Barnard, who farms 20 acres of avocados. “You need to be creative and think this thing through because there’s going to be some real nasty results.”
In an interview, Barnard said the cost to water his avocados would increase from about $7,000 a year to about $40,000. His trees are only five years old, and the freeze ruined his crop this year, so he hasn’t made a profit yet, he said.
“So, with this, I have to make a decision: Do I just turn the water off and let the trees die?” he said.
Another farmer, Camille Sears, said in an interview that she’d already pulled out 270 of her 1,300 tangerine trees and is thinking of taking out another 300 because of water costs.
“I planted those trees, so it’s heartbreaking,” she said. “The farm is my retirement. But now the Water District is saying we’re not sure we can serve you anymore.”
In comments to the board and a nine-page written analysis of flaws in the new rate structure, Sears detailed what she sees as legal problems with the proposal.
The district maintains that its new rates are fair because everyone would pay the same for water, with the only difference being the size of a customer’s water meter and how much water is used.
That jibes with a state Supreme Court decision last year interpreting a 1996 statewide proposition that requires that all water customers be treated equally and that they pay for the cost to deliver their water, district officials said.
But Sears said the district’s notice of its rate increase was so flawed that a judge would immediately strike it down. For example, she said, the district failed even in basic arithmetic, stating that its proposed increase in the base rate for homes, from $14 to $25 a month, was a $9 increase, when, in fact, it is an $11 increase.
And, she said, the district’s method of implementing its increase would be anything but equitable because it would punish the 33 farmers who use nearly one-quarter of the district’s water, and does not reflect the true cost of delivering water to them.
Sears said a powerful statewide taxpayers’ group is ready to jump into the Meiners Oaks fight if the water agency approves its new rates.
“I’ve talked with the people at the Howard Jarvis Foundation and you will be litigated if you go forward with this,” she told the board. “Please don’t make us sue you.”
She offered an alternative proposal: imposition of a base fee of $30 a month for all customers, plus 75 cents per water unit after that. That would raise the extra $230,000 the district needs for repairs each year, while keeping the typical resident’s rate relatively low, she said. “And I don’t think it would put farmers out of business.”
One after another, farmers said that would be the result under the proposed rates.
“A tree just needs so much water,” said grower Alan Walbridge. “This water rate will be up like 10 times for me … This is going to completely put me out of business.”
Other speakers voiced support for the farmers.
“Food security is a huge, huge issue,” said Dulanie La Barre. “We need to be encouraging farmers and community gardeners, not discouraging them … Let’s find something that works better.”
Other speakers, while acknowledging that the district needs more money for repairs, said capital improvements should be underwritten through the sale of bonds, and paid off through property taxes, which are deductible.
In the end, agency directors seemed poised to adopt the new rates.
“I’ve been here 27 years, and this district has been wholly neglected. It’s falling apart. And as we’re speaking, we’re losing money. We’re up against a wall here,” said Director Jim Barrett. “We are, quite frankly, fighting for our existence. “
But then they backed away from a decision until the full board, including absent Carrie Mattingly, could be present.
And one director, Beth Von Gunten, said she wasn’t comfortable with the proposal.
“I’d like to have a chance to go back to the drawing board,” she said. “For agriculture, once you’re down, you’re down. If people stop watering trees, they die.”
Barrett then moved to delay the vote.
But Sears said she was not encouraged by the delay.
“You don’t need a crystal ball to see they’re going to vote 4-1 or 3-2 on this,” she said. “They’re going to ignore my comments. They’re going to blow me off.”

Blood Donor Joins Elite 400 Club

Oak View resident Dwayne McCullough receives his 400-unit plaque from JoAmy Rice, a platelet nurse at United Blood Services.

By Sondra Murphy
Oak View resident Dwayne McCullough has been donating blood regularly since 1976. On Oct. 11, he gave his 400th unit and was honored by United Blood Services staff in Ventura with cake and a commemorative plaque.
McCullough began giving blood while working at 3M and said his main motivation at the time was getting a long break from the office. Having the uncommon blood type of AB positive made McCullough popular with blood bank staff, who initially requested that he be on call to donate. Eventual advancements in technology changed the way blood is processed, increasing McCullough’s donation frequency.
Since the early ‘80s, McCullough has traveled to UBS in Ventura to give blood. The technology has changed since he first started his donations. “The machines have improved and the time frame needed to collect it has gotten faster. The machines are capable of separating out whatever they need from the blood,” said McCullough. Donors go back to computer terminals, where they may watch a movie, satellite television or use high-speed Internet during the appointment. When finished, donors are offered refreshments.
“I was on call for eight years or so and would get called once a year, maybe,” said McCullough. “Then they started the pheresis program, where they take the platelets.”
According UBS platelet nurse Judith Youngquist, platelet pheresis is a procedure in which the blood is filtered, platelets are separated and the remaining fluids are returned to the donor. “Platelets are cell fragments necessary for blood to clot. They only live for five days and must be kept at room temperature,” said Youngquist. She said it takes eight to nine platelet donors to collect one full unit. The platelets cannot be used after five days have passed, compared to 42 days for a unit of blood.
There are various types of pheresis techniques used to separate white blood cells, blood platelets and plasma. Youngquist, herself a platelet donator, said platelets are used for cancer, leukemia and surgery patients. People can donate up to three platelet units at a time, depending on their platelet count. Unlike iron levels in the blood, there is nothing a person can do to increase blood platelets.
“Dwayne is perfect for platelet donation. He gives up a split unit at one time,” Youngquist said, meaning two units. “Dwayne is fantastic.” She explained that, due to processing, platelets from any blood type may be used for anyone who needs them.
“A donation takes two, two-and-a-half hours, so these donors are very dedicated and we honor these donors,” said Youngquist. Platelet donations may be made up to 24 times a year, so McCullough gives blood about every two weeks. If he is sick or has been injured, such as when he broke his leg four years ago, McCullough must reschedule his donations.
Each appointment includes a questionnaire period, checking his vital signs and testing his blood for iron levels. He is a painting contractor, which gives him the flexibility needed for such a commitment. He has no special diet. “Most donors, I think, are more conscious of taking care of themselves,” said McCullough.
After so many years of giving blood, McCullough said that his arms have developed a little scar tissue, but not enough to prevent his donations. “It’s something that, once you get in the habit of it, you just do it,” he said, noting that most people don’t really think about donating blood until there is a catastrophe or someone they know needs it. “It’s one of those easy ways of contributing to the community,” said McCullough. “It’s such a good feeling when you walk out. It’s really lifesaving.”
United Blood Services is Ventura County’s only local blood supplier serving all Ventura County hospitals. “We are very thankful for people like Dwayne McCullough who is a truly dedicated donor,” said Holly Nash, donor recruitment manager for United Blood Services. “We wouldn’t be able to provide the level of service to Ventura County hospitals that we do without donors like Mr. McCullough.”
More information about donating with United Blood Services is available by calling (800) 715-3699, 654-1600, or going online to bloodhero.com.

History Of Ojai Day Goes Back 90 Years

Libbey’s philanthropy honored with first Ojai Day in 1917, was revived in 1991

By Linda Harmon
Ojai Day was created in 1917 as a public thank-you to one of Ojai’s more famous benefactors, Edward Libbey. The event began with a flourish but soon withered away, according to former Nordhoff teacher Craig Walker who led a small group that reincarnated the event in 1991.
Today the Ojai Day web site proclaims its main focus, “To feature the work of local artists” and provide “an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Ojai.”
According to Walker, the 1991 celebration was organized by The Friends of the Arcade, a volunteer group banded together to raise funds to retrofit the Arcade for earthquake safety and maintain the landmark. The group included, among others, David Bury, Joan Kemper, Dale Hanson and Walker. After successfully completing the retrofit, they decided to celebrate the community’s thank-you to itself.
The group hired Jody James, an ex-student of Walker’s, to organize this revived Ojai Day.
“I started at the very beginning,” said James. “I was working in the special events office in Ventura putting on the street fairs. Craig had this idea and came down to pick our brains. Since I had had Craig as a teacher in high school and lived in Ojai, I agreed to help put his idea into action. It was a blast and Craig began a great event.”
The displays and the participants were far fewer than today, but Walker considered it a success and the Ojai Day tradition was reborn.
Later, in 1993, the city took over the event and began organizing it through the Recreation Department under Carol Belser. James stayed on, and, along with Belser, enlarged the scope of the event to include hayrides, car shows, bed races, multiple musical and dance performances, a Chumash village, a teen area, a wellness area and more. James still organizes the event, held on the third Saturday of each October.
One of the day’s main attractions is the yearly street mandala, painted the Friday evening before Ojai Day at the intersection of Ojai Avenue and Signal Street. A traditional mandala celebrates the fleeting reality of existence representing a journey inward. Ojai’s first street mandala was painted by local artists Larry Heitz, Tony Gilliam, Steve Bartolemeo and Lisa Sauvageau. Each year it is re-painted in a different incarnation and removed at Ojai Day’s end. During the day the mandala provides one of seven stages where local bands and the popular Aztec dancers perform.
Another tradition is the Ojai artists’ banners. The 55 banners were designed, painted, and signed by local artists symbolizing what Ojai means to them. Each banner was traditionally sponsored by a local business to help pay for the expense of the day and hung in the Arcade arches. That has changed this year with the Historic Preservation Commission ending the practice in the Arcade.
“A lot of the businesses would request a particular artist,” said James. “In the past we’ve always sold out the banners. This is the first year we were not allowed to hang them with sponsors’ names in the Arcade, but we did hang them on Matilija Street. We were disappointed with the decision, but things evolve.”
A large part of the day’s success can be attributed to a laid-back but embracing management style that has kept the tradition alive despite tough budget cuts to its already modest budget. James says the event is a continued success because of its volunteers with their longstanding expertise and support, as well as the newcomers who provide fresh insights and renewed energy.
Each year brings something new to the celebration. This year there will be an organic market representing agriculture, which is an important part of Ojai, both past and present. Also expect Libbey Park to be filled with a larger presence of environmental groups. In tune with the popularity of Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore and the founding of the local Ojai Valley Green Coalition, Ojai Day will be capped off with a joint benefit for the Green Coalition and the Ojai Film Society. They will be showing the environmental film, “The 11Th Hour” with Leonardo DiCaprio, at 5 p.m. at the Ojai Playhouse; suggested donation is $10.
“It has been an amazing journey,” concludes James. “The event is never the same, it grows and changes with the community. I just try and keep up with it and do my best to keep in mind the mission that Craig started with.”

Halloween Safety Tips For Pets

Courtesy of petfinder.com
A pack of ghosts and goblins at your door can scare your pets, but ghouls are not the only thing to beware of on Halloween. Kellyann Conway, director of animal training and behavior at Animal Planet's Petvideo.com Pet Video and a certified, award-winning trainer, offers these tips to make sure everyone has a howlin' good time this Halloween.
First, beware of unsafe holiday decorations. Wires and electrical cords are an invitation to your teething pets or those who just like to chew on whatever is available. Use a cord container to prevent wires from being chewed.gnawed. Also, avoid dangling decorations that your pet may become tangled inentangle your pets.
Carving a pumpkin is fun - but placing a candle inside of it may be hazardous to your pet. Candles are easily knocked over and can burn wagging tails, paws and noses. So forget the candle and use a glow stick or battery-operated tea light instead.
Keep your bowl of candy up and away from your pets' reach. Most people know that dogs and cats shouldn't have candy - especially chocolate, which is toxic, but even the candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed. So remember, no matter how much your pet begs for a sweet, no sharing. If you think your pet has eaten something he shouldn't have, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Before the trick-or-treaters begin, take your dog on a nice long walk. The exercise will help her relax later. Make sure she's on leash during her walk in case you encounter any early trick or treaters. Dogs can easily be "spooked" by costumes, especially those with little people in them.
While most pets prefer to go au-naturel - some seem to enjoy dressing-up. If your pet will be in costume for Halloween, make sure it's safe and comfortable. Always avoid masks or any other costume parts that might impair his or her vision, hearing or breathing.
Your pets can be easily overwhelmed by trick or treaters coming and going. Manage your pets by limiting their access to the door. Use a leash or a baby gate or put him in his crate or even in a separate room while the trick or treaters are out and about. Turn on some music to muffle the knocking and doorbell ringing and prepare a yummy chew or catnip toy to help keep him occupied so he knows what a good boy he is.
Finally, keep your pet inside on Halloween. People have been known to tease, injure pets or steal pets and worse on Halloween.
To find other Halloween and other animal care tips, visit the following web sites:

Petfinder.com is an online database of pets that need homes in over 10,000 animal placement organizations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The site has facilitated over 10 million adoptions in the 10 years since it launched. Thanks to its sponsors, Petfinder.com is free to both visitors and to its animal placement organization members. Purina signed on as the Web site's premier sponsor. Other exclusive sponsors are BISSELL Homecare, Inc., a manufacturer of home cleaning and floor care products, PETCO, a national pet supply retailer that sponsors in-store adoptions and provides coupon books for new adopters, The Animal Rescue Site, and Merial, maker of the number one veterinary-recommended flea and tick preventative FRONTLINE(r), and heartworm preventative HEARTGARD(r).

About Petvideo.com
Animal Planet's Petvideo.com is a comprehensive website featuring free training videos on many essential dog and cat behaviors such as house training, chewing, jumping, litter box training, scratching, spraying and much more. The website also provides step by step instructions on teaching obedience and fun tricks, pet care tips along with funny and heartwarming user-submitted videos.

Nordhoff Girl Injured In Creek Road Crash

By Lenny Roberts
A 17-year-old girl was seriously injured Wednesday morning in a single-vehicle crash on Creek Road south of Hermosa Road.
According to CHP Officer Ron Erickson, the victim was northbound in Creek Road when she lost control of her 1997 Toyota Rav4. Erickson said the girl, later identified by Nordhoff assistant principal Susana Arce as Salina Butterfield, was “probably traveling at a high rate of speed” when her car left the road, spun back off the road to the right and crashed into a block wall made of river rock.
Arce said Wednesday afternoon that Butterfield, a senior at Nordhoff, was undergoing surgery at the Ventura County Medical Center after being transferred from the Ojai Valley Community Hospital where she was initially taken by Ojai Life Line paramedics. Butterfield was unconscious when extricated from her SUV by county firefighters, according to Ojai Police Chief Bruce Norris.
Her injuries, according to Erickson, included an open skull fracture and several contusions of the left side of her body. It was not known if she was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, listed at 6:45 a.m.