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September 07, 2008
14:31
Getting to Know Brian Cox
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

I thought it would be interesting to get to know the real Brian Cox, so I sat down with him to talk about bee farming in the Ojai Valley, and a couple other things. Brian talks a little about what has affected the bee population, how not to get stung and why it’s important to close the door to the honey room. He also talks about being the lone conservative voice on these pages and gives a plug for a presidential candidate. Tune in to the full 12-minute interview on Radio Ojai, where you can also hear an interview with Smitty West and new music from Delaney Gibson.
September 06, 2008
15:33
Stop the Trucks: Ventura County Officials Finally Admit there are Problems and MAC Candidate Jerry Kaplan Responds to our Election Year Questions
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

(Caltrans photo of the collapse of Maricopa Highway in Cuyama Valley)

Last week in a Ventura County Star article by Tony Biasotti, Ventura County officials conceded that there are significant problems in the Planning Division but the real questions is this: Are they Willing To Change?

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/sep/04/officials-concede-land-use-problems/

According to Biasotti Ventura County officials hosted an unusual meeting in a conference room just off of the courthouse cafeteria.

"Everyone on our team has affirmed we have a problem here," Matt Carroll, the top deputy to County Executive Officer Marty Robinson, said at the opening of the meeting. "The facts speak for themselves."

"Complaints about the system from developers and property owners are nothing new..." " But this time, the county is listening and often agreeing..."

"Last year, the county commissioned a report on its land-use procedures by Tom Berg, a consultant who once held (Chris) Stephens' current position as Resource Management Agency director. Based on interviews with 75 people in and out of county government, Berg's report concluded that the land-use process was in need of "systemic changes."

"The county put together a committee of high-level managers, including Carroll and Stephens, to analyze Berg's recommendations and start putting them into action."

(Gravel Truck cutting through Ojai at Summer & Signal. Photo credit to Daly Road Graphics, Ray Smith)

One participant said "she's particularly concerned that the committee isn't supporting Berg's recommendation to hire a land-use ombudsman, a high-level person outside the Resource Management Agency who would deal with citizen complaints."

"There's also some skepticism from players in the process who aren't developers. Howard Smith is a founding member of Stop the Trucks, a group in Ojai that has filed complaints with the county against the companies that send trucks through the Ojai Valley from the quarries and gravel mines to the north. He was interviewed for Berg's report and he has spoken to the Board of Supervisors about the proposed reforms, but he said he wasn't invited to last week's workshop.

"Smith said he's worried that his group's concern — the lack of attention paid to enforcing the conditions of permits granted to the gravel mines and other companies — will be pushed aside."

"I don't sense any willingness on the part of the mid-level staff to actually deal with this," he said. "The notion of having to discipline someone seems like an anathema to them."

(Gravel Truck stopped on Ojai Ave. Photo credit to Daly Road Graphics, Ray Smith)

Jerry Kaplan, the first candidate competing for a seat on the MAC (Municipal Advisor Council) has joined Suza Francina in responding to our questions for candidates. Jerry is running for the seat from District Seven, which covers most of the East End and the Far Northwest side of the Valley. "Stop the Trucks" hopes the other MAC candidates and those running for the City Council will take a few moments to answer a few questions online. We would like each candidate to share their thoughts with the public on the how they intend to deal with the long term threat posed by gravel trucking through Ojai and the blind eye that the Ventura County Planning Division is seemingly paying to regular daily violations of the existing Conditional Use Permits (C.U.P.'s).

1. Do you now or have you in the past personally supported “Stop the Trucks!”

As a founding member of “The Coalition to Stop the Trucks” I have been a very active and supporting member of this Coalition. I first became aware of this potential problem when I attended a meeting of the Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Council over a year ago. I immediately contacted Howard Smith, a community active Ojai resident, who was then President of VCEDA (Ventura County Economic Development Association), to see if he was aware of the problem of gravel trucks coming through the Ojai Valley. After Howard did some research, we formed the “Coalition” and Howard immediately alerted the Ventura County Star and the Ojai Valley News. From that start the “Coalition” has grown into a hard hitting successful advocate of the Greater Ojai Valley’s fight to stop the potential extremely harmful effects on the Citizens way of life in the Greater Ojai Valley. Everyone living or working the Ojai Valley should be big supporters of the “Coalition to Stop the Trucks”. My concern over this issue, as well as other issues facing our valley, caused me to run for the Municipal Advisory Councel (MAC).

2. If so please give examples of actions you have taken

Besides being a founder of the Coalition I have donated money and time and energy in helping to develop the Coalition. I have done substantial research in support of the successful actions taken to stop the trucks and my wife, Anne Grupp-Kaplan, a successful attorney, continue being involved in the decision making process of the Coalition. We, along with several other members of the coalition traveled to Santa Maria to participate in hearings by the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission on applications for new mines in Santa Barbara County which could have sent hundreds of gravel trucks through the Ojai Valley every day. I arranged for an Ojai Rotary Club informational forum on the potential substantial problems with highways 33 and 150 as a result of gravel trucks use of these highways. The discussions were between Howard Smith (delete this: who was then president of the Coalition), and Sameer Haddadeen, Chief, Office of Traffic Investigations, Caltrans, District 7. I have been a speaker before several groups, organizations and Los Padres Forest personnel and volunteers explaining how continued and increased Gravel truck traffic through the Greater Ojai Valley would have catastrophic effects on all aspects of this area. I continue being an active member of the Coalition and do everything I can to support its activities.

3. Do you believe the Ojai City Council should take a more active role in the truck campaign, such as providing funding and legal support?

I am running for the MAC, which advises the County Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission. However, I believe the city of Ojai should be providing substantial support for the Coalition in all areas including financial, legal, research, personnel, and assistance with dealing with other government agencies at all levels. The potential adverse effects include economic, environmental, safety, to name a few. We could be dealing with the life or death of our Valley as we know it.

4. If so, can you name specific steps that you believe the City can and should undertake?

The City of Ojai, with a population of around 8,000 people is the hub of the Greater Ojai Valley which has a population of around 30,000. As a result I believe that the City Council has the responsibility of being substantially involved in anything that threatens all of the residents of the Ojai Valley. There is substantial interaction between the City and the surrounding non incorporated areas. The City Council is the glue that holds the Greater Ojai Valley together. In this instance, which is similar to the Weldon Canyon situation, the City Council and the City of Ojai should be in the forefront of providing the where with all and leadership, in partnership with the Coalition to Stop the Trucks, to fend off this substantial attack on the Ojai Valley. The City should also be reaching out to all organizations in the Greater Ojai Valley for support and involvement, as partners in this project. This should include the Municipal Advisory Council, the community leadership group in Oak View and all other components of the Greater Ojai Valley. The City of Ojai should also be providing the leadership for a visioning and strategic planning for the next 25 to 50 years in order to get ahead of the curve and eliminating threats to our community like the “Gravel Trucks” Either the Greater Ojai Valley does its best to control the changes which will take place in the future, or others will. Since “Change” is the only constant in life I vote for doing our best to control it as much as possible.

The Coalition to Stop the Trucks is and has been doing an outstanding job of fighting off the Gravel Truck threats. The City of Ojai should immediately join with, add support in every possible way and participate with the Coalition in all aspects of this fight!

5. Do you believe the City should work with Caltrans to permanently ban all thru trucking on Route 33 north of Ojai and on Route 150 through downtown Ojai?

Absolutely! I also feel that joint City and County action should be taken to eliminate all unnecessary or high impact traffic on all of route 33 and 150. This concept would need to be researched so as not to harm healthy and necessary traffic through these areas. If I am elected to the Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Council I pledge to work hard to help these suggestions become fact.

6, if so, what specific steps would you take to see this accomplished.

Please see my answer to question 5, above. Also, because I have been and still am very substantially involved with the “Coalition” I would continue to strongly support the many and creative possible steps we have developed for accomplishing and monitoring such a ban on specific heavy truck traffic through the Greater Ojai Valley.

7.The Ozena mine’s county permit states its “normal hours of operation” for trucks traveling on Highway 33 in the Ojai Valley are from 6 to 7 a.m. and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., yet they seem to be in violation of these conditions and so far County officials have failed to take any action. What steps should the City take to see that County officials enforce the Permit?

The Coalition is doing and has done an incredible job of researching, investigating and demanding public records relating to these violations. As MAC advises the county, I would hope to bring pressure so that these enforcement problems are solved.

8. Would you actively support the Coalition’s request to have an independent Ombudsman appointed to not only undertake a further investigation into the abuse of CUP 5170 by the permit holders, but also the very operation of compliance monitoring by the Planning Division?

Absolutely! Again, because of my ongoing involvement with the “Coalition” I am very aware of the great need for an appointment of an Ombudsman not only to investigate the Ozena Mine’s activities, but possibly more important, the seemingly absolute faultiness of the Ventura County Planning Department to do their duty of correctly and consistently monitoring the Conditional Use Permit’s they issue. The Director of the Planning Department admitted this during a meeting with the Supervisors of Ventura County! Also, if I am elected to the Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) I will actively pursue this request until it happens!!

9. Given the Planning Divisions claim that it is seemingly impossible to monitor C.U.P. compliance, do you agree that the County has no business, under CEQA guidelines, approving the CUP in the first place?

Absolutely! The Coalition has done substantial research into ways of providing accurate and consistent monitoring of CUP’s such as Ozena’s. This has been discussed with the Planning Department of Ventura County yet they still have done nothing to make it happen.

10 Do you believe the County should begin the process to terminate Ozena’s current C.U.P.?

The Coalition has provided the County Planning Department much more than all the information they need to proceed with this termination. Again, if elected to MAC I would bring this to the attention of the other members and suggest that immediate action be taken by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to assure that the Planning Department does its job, correctly and quickly, including terminiating the current C.U.P.

11. And if so, how would you persuade the County to accomplish this?

See answer for question 10, above. Also, I would continue to work hard, as a founding member of the Coalition to Stop the Trucks, to use all of our creativity and persistence to cause a permanent ban on all through heavy trucking, such as gravel trucks, on all of Highways 33 and 150.

As a member of the Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Council, I would do everything possible to educate the council and the Board of Supervisors on this threat to the Greater Ojai Valley, including facilitating meetings with members of the Coalition which, I believe, would help them understand and take action on the threats and evidence of wrongdoing by Ozena and the misconduct of the Planning Department.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Send your donations to the Stop The Trucks! Coalition – c/o The Ojai Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1134, Ojai, CA, 93024, or you may also walk your contribution into the Chamber’s offices anytime during the business week, at 201 S. Signal Street -- in the Ojai Festivals building -- in downtown Ojai.

(The "Stop the Trucks!" Coalition reserves the right to remove any comments that are either off topic or otherwise inappropriate.)
9:59
Preserving the Spirit of Ojai
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

Suza Francina for Ojai City Council

Dear Ojai Post Reader,

As you may know, I am running for re election to the Ojai City Council. This election takes place the same time as the General Election, on November 4th.

There are two open seats on the Ojai City Council. I am asking for your vote for one of them.

If you are a regular reader of the Ojai Post you have probably seen my articles on a wide range of topics, from birth to death to animals, leaf-blowers, alternative transportation and other environmental issues*. The fact of the matter is that local, national and global politics touches every aspect of our lives from the moment we enter the Planet till our inevitable departure.

When I ran in 1996 there were no web sites like the Ojai Post. E-mail and the Internet was not yet a part of our daily lives. After I was elected, the city manager laughingly told me that I sent the first ever e-mail to City Hall. So here I am, posting the first Ojai City Council fund-raising letter on the Internet.

My return to the council will give residents the transparent, responsible government they deserve. I will work hard to protect Ojai’s unique village atmosphere while keeping it affordable for families of all income levels.

I served on the City Council from 1996 to 2000, and as Mayor for the last year of that term. Many citizens have urged me to run again now that more people understand that my proposals to create a model green and sustainable city are simply common sense. During the past eight years, I have continued to research the shift toward green thinking. I applaud and support the hard work done by the Ojai Valley Green Coalition.

Conservation is now the watchword of every conscientious government and business around the world. As we grow increasingly aware of traffic congestion, air and water pollution, water shortages, global warming, and other issues, we are forced to confront the fact that sound economic development must be tied to environmental responsibility.

I am most concerned about the inappropriate development that is eroding Ojai’s unique quality. The City of Ojai's General Plan is a clear mandate for "small town character." I was the only member of the City Council to vote "No" on the Los Arboles condominiums. I believe in “Better, not bigger.” The scale of recent projects and proposed building projects violates our City’s mandate to preserve our village atmosphere.

This race will be strongly contested by those who would turn Ojai into an exclusive enclave for the wealthy. We need your support to stop this trend.

When facing development decisions, I will ask: “Are we looking at the land as something embedded in an ecosystem, with a history and a future that extends beyond our area and life span? Or do we see it as a “blank canvas” on which you can draw something that will make investors a short-term profit at the expense of our one-of-a-kind village?”

In the fifty-one years that I’ve lived in Ojai I’ve worn many hats: mother of two children who attended local schools, small-business owner, yoga and therapeutic exercise instructor for seniors, professional writer on health and environmental issues, and health advocate for the older population. I’m also a consultant for research studies on yoga, and the author of four books. My writings are featured on web sites and print publications world-wide.

The Ojai Valley is one of the most beautiful and sacred places on earth. Our economy, our tourist industry and our quality of life depend on protecting its uniqueness. Together, we can preserve the spirit of Ojai and become a model green community for the whole world to admire!

Please share this letter with your Ojai friends and neighbors. I look forward to seeing you at upcoming forums and events, and listening to your ideas, questions and concerns.

Sincerely,

Suza Francina
Candidate Statement

Name____________________________________________

Address_____________________________________________________

Phone______________ email____________________________________

Donation: $5 __$10 __$25___$50____$100 __$150__$200 __Other__

* You may use my name for endorsement.__
* I want to help with campaign ___

Your donation of any amount is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

The Committee to Elect Suza Francina
511 W Eucalyptus Street
Ojai, CA 93023
Email Sfrancina@aol.com
805) 646-2613; Cell: (805) 603-8635

*Suza's articles on the Ojai Post archives
September 05, 2008
9:39
Celebrating Organizers
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

Upon reading my crank fest about Governor Palin's jab at Barack Obama and community organizers around the country, Tyler responded by suggesting that we take a moment to celebrate the people in our community who step up, again and again to be helpful.

This is ultimately a much better response than my rant! So, I'd love to invite people to share their thoughts about who has made a difference in this valley.

We are blessed with an extraordinary community of people who give their time, their energy, and their passions to make this a marvelous place.

Who are your local community organizer heroes?
0:12
From a Cranky Former Community Organizer
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I have been a community organizer. I left a full time job to work for free in my community for three years, pulling together neighbors, government, and nonprofits to create a fiercely-needed community center in my town.

I have felt great pride about our accomplishments with this project, and felt that the financial sacrifice I made in the salary I lost was well worth it. For the first time, we have a legitimate library in my little town. Our children have safe, creative, embracive places to go after school. Neighbors have a place to meet neighbors, and we have a swath of green in the middle of a fairly tightly packed residential neighborhood that hosts everything from Little League to pick-up soccer games on the weekend.

I drive or walk by this center every day, as it is half a block away from my house. There are few things that I've done in my life that feel like they have even close to such a tangible and lasting meaning.

There are a lot of things that I could have done with the money I would have earned had I not left my paying job. My graduate degree could have been paid off, or the remaining debt on our house. We could have afforded the kinds of travel that my husband and I dream of on slow Sunday afternoons. Or I could have had a far different kitty to start my own business than I have, allowing me to move forward far more quickly towards my own version of the small-business-owning American dream.

Giving that up was, to me, worth it. And I recognize that it pales in comparison to the lifetimes that many people spend doing this kind of volunteer work.

But according to Sarah Palin and her scriptwriters, it was an exercise in pointlessness.

In her speech at the Republican National Convention last night, Governor Palin, in a dig about Barack Obama's step away from a high paying position at a law firm into the trenches of inner city community building, stated, "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organiser", except that you have actual responsibilities."

To say that I am insulted by this statement doesn't even begin to cover my rage. This country and the world have benefitted from Americans who have chosen to step away from the rewards of lucrative careers into working for free or for minute salaries to make their communities, and communities around the world, safer, stronger, more functional, and more vibrant.

How dare she? How dare she attack those who choose to give of themselves?

These are true American values, Ms. Palin. Family and community values where people roll up their sleeves and take responsibility for fixing what is broken in our communities.

These are the kinds of responsibilities we can be proud of.

What you took on in your tenure as mayor of Wasilla included an attempt to ban books from the library, firing those on the town staff who didn't agree with you or didn't support your mayoral campaign, and leaving the town $20 million in long term debt as you moved forward to your new responsibilities as governor.

For shame.
September 04, 2008
17:48
Stop the Trucks" County Officials Admit There Are Problems
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

BUT WILL THEY DO ANYTHING ABOUT THEM?

From the Ventura County Star: (For the Full Story Go To:)
[www.venturacountystar.com]
Officials concede land-use problems
County promises changes to policy
By Tony Biasotti
Thursday, September 4, 2008

Some excerpts:

"Everyone on our team has affirmed we have a problem here," Matt Carroll, the top deputy to County Executive Officer Marty Robinson, said at the opening of the meeting. "The facts speak for themselves."

...Alary said she's particularly concerned that the committee isn't supporting Berg's recommendation to hire a land-use ombudsman, a high-level person outside the Resource Management Agency who would deal with citizen complaints.

There's also some skepticism from players in the process who aren't developers. Howard Smith is a founding member of Stop the Trucks, a group in Ojai that has filed complaints with the county against the companies that send trucks through the Ojai Valley from the quarries and gravel mines to the north. He was interviewed for Berg's report and he has spoken to the Board of Supervisors about the proposed reforms...

...Smith said he's worried that his group's concern — the lack of attention paid to enforcing the conditions of permits granted to the gravel mines and other companies — will be pushed aside.

"I don't sense any willingness on the part of the mid-level staff to actually deal with this," he said. "The notion of having to discipline someone seems like an anathema to them..."

We need the continued support of everyone in Ojai to see that these past travesties do not happen again. Please send your donations to the Stop The Trucks! Coalition – c/o The Ojai Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1134, Ojai, CA, 93024, or you may also walk your contribution into the Chamber’s offices anytime during the business week, at 201 S. Signal Street -- in the Ojai Festivals building -- in downtown Ojai.
12:58
Palin's Appalling Record on Wolves, Bears and Other Wildlife
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

Tonight Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will accept the Republican nomination for Vice President, a position that would put her second in line to be President of the United States. The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund is asking for help letting people know where she stands on the brutal and needless aerial hunting of wolves and bears. So I am posting the video below in response to this request:
[actionfund.defenders.org]

Warning: This video is extremely disturbing. It contains graphic images of aerial hunting of wolves -- a brutal and needless practice that Governor Palin has fought hard to promote and expand. Despite strong scientific, ethical and public opposition to aerial hunting, Governor Palin has:Proposed paying a $150 bounty for the left foreleg of each dead wolf; Approved a $400,000 state-funded propaganda campaign to promote aerial hunting; Introduced legislation to make it even easier to use aircraft to hunt wolves and bears.
September 03, 2008
19:52
New Ojai Police Chief
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

Official announcement is coming tomorrow that Ojai Police Chief Bruce Norris is moving on to another assignment in the Sheriff's Department. His official last day will be Sunday, September 21. Captain Chris Dunn is taking over as the Ojai Police Chief, starting Monday the 22nd. Best of success to Captain Norris and welcome to Captain Dunn - you can read a letter from him following the jump...

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

My name is Chris Dunn and I am a Captain with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. I have been in law enforcement for over 20 years, 14 years with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and over 6 years with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. During my career with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, I have held numerous assignments, including but not limited to, Camarillo Patrol, Headquarters Patrol, Fillmore Patrol, Camarillo Special Enforcement, Court Services Bureau, and Major Crimes Bureau. My most recent assignment has been that of Watch Commander in the Sheriff’s Communication Center.

I was born in the City of Los Angeles and spent several of my childhood years living in a very rural area of Northern Idaho, Sandpoint. When I was 13 years old, I returned to Southern California, taking residence in the City of Camarillo. I attended and graduated from Camarillo High School. I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix in 2004 and have been working towards a Masters Degree in Emergency Services Management at California State University Long Beach.

I married my high school sweetheart, Gina, and we have two teenage sons, Blake and Austin. We still live in Camarillo and have no intentions of leaving the Ventura County area. Gina and I have been active in our community through coaching youth sports and being active in the Boy Scouts of America program.

My strong desire to contribute to my community and country lead me to enlist in the United States Navy Reserves at 17 years old. I continue to be an active member with the Navy Reserve and received a commission in the Navy on June 1, 2007. I currently hold the position of Executive Officer for Navy Reserve Security Forces at Naval Base Ventura County. I will be taking over as the Commanding Officer of that reserve unit in November of 2008.

I look forward to serving the City of Ojai and the surrounding communities in the Ojai Valley area. My wife and I look forward to spending more time in Ojai and taking advantage of the numerous events, festivals, and activities Ojai has to offer.
10:10
Open Thread: RNC Edition
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

as promised, the RNC photo and open thread... go to it, Ojaians!
September 02, 2008
22:26
Rainwater Harvesting Recap
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

OVN covered the Rainwater Harvesting presentation featuring author Brad Lancaster and Jim MacDonald, director of building and safety for Ventura County. The event was sponsored by the Ojai Valley Green Coalition. Looks like attendance was great, as was the information. Yet another positive step towards making Ojai a model sustainable valley.

Lancaster, who has presented nationwide, impressed audience member, Ojai Planning Commissioner John Mirk. “It’s exciting to see things that are actually being done and we actually get twice as much rain here,” said Mirk after the presentation. “I loved the street treatments, the whole idea of a meandering street. I think there are definitely a lot of these things that we can do here.”
22:23
Ojai Street Sweepers
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

Interesting OVN article on Street Sweepers... one particular quote caught my eye :)

“The streets are full of contaminants, insecticides, urine, rubber from cars,” said Ernie Salomon, owner of the Matilija Plaza Group. “Now all you have is a machine that sweeps that stuff up into the air.”

And here's an article largely on the "Tymco Model 600," the beast that roams our streets.
20:07
New at Lulu B's...
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Lulu Bandha's has come out with a new fall schedule, including some new classes now being offered, including Yoga Basics, Strong Vinyasa, Morning Glory, Green Yin Yoga and a six week Intro. More after the jump... (and hey, Kira-ji, Ojai Post readers would love to hear from you :)

NEW offerings:

Yoga Basics with Alana
Monday & Wednesdays
5:15 to 6:45pm

A slower class for new students or those seeking a gentler practice. Emphasis on easing tension, increasing flexibility and clarity with breath and movement.

Strong Vinyasa with Uschi
Tuesday & Thursday Mornings from 9 to 10:30am
Friday Mornings from 8:30 to 10am
Sunday Mornings from 8 to 9:30am

If You've attended Uschi's Soft Vinyasa Classes lately, you've probably noticed something: it's getting stronger!
In the interest of initiating a safe and supportive exploration of less familiar territories in the the Asana practice, we've decided the rename the morning practice Strong! Uschi's unique sequencing, and gentle leadership create a space in which you can test the waters of dynamic Vinyasa flow at your own speed.

Morning Glory with Winifred
Wednesday & Friday Mornings
7 to 8:15am

A devotional practice to honor your body,
mind and spirit with pranayama, asana and meditation.

Green Yin Yoga with Amber
Wednesdays 7 to 8:15 pm

Donate to the Environment: We are excited to welcome Amber on the Fall schedule! Green Yin Yoga is a slow, passive, deep stretch class. All proceeds go to Mother Earth. $10 flat fee. No class cards.

Course Night

Begin or refresh your yoga journey with a Six Week Introduction to Yoga with Betsy Stix. We will gather Tuesday Nights from 7:00 to 8:30pm Session Begins: September 16 thru October 21.

Lots more at LuluBandhas.com!
11:05
Ojai City Council Debate announced
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The Ojai City Council Candidate Debate, put on by the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Ojai Valley News, will be held Oct. 20, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Chaparral Auditorium. Hold your absentee ballots until after you've had a chance to attend!
3:31
Welcome, Future Bloggers!
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

i'm excited to let you all know that i've accepted an offer to teach a 10-week course in Weblog and Design for Valley Oak Charter School, a "home-based independent study program" serving grades K-10.

From the school's website: Organized as a parent cooperative learning center, VOC stresses family involvement and individual responsibility. Our program provides homeschooling and parenting support, funding for curriculum materials and a consistent social group in a multi-age setting.

i'm very excited! the class is for grades 7-10, and i'm making this post now so we can read it at our first class meeting in...ack!...just over 6 hours!

FIRST OF ALL, thanks to Tyler and many of you in the Ojai Post community for teaching me everything i know about blogging in the relatively short time i've been doing it. at one time, i swore to myself that i'd never "blog"...not because i had any idea what that meant, but because it was such an ugly word. sounds like something you have removed from your body, right? i'm glad to have betrayed my uninformed oath, because - as many of you know - i've got stuff to say! and it's validating and therapeutic to have a community in which to test ideas, generate dialogue, and make new connections.

i'll check in from time to time and have the students do so as well. thanks in advance for your support, and for sharing what YOU know and have learned about blogging along the way!
September 01, 2008
16:09
Stop The Trucks - Second Election Edition
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

Do You Support this Vision of Ojai?

(Downtown Ojai in Winter, photo credit to Lauren Simone)

Or This Vision?

(A traffic at the "Y." Photo credit to Daly road Graphics, Ray Smith)

Suza Francina was the first of the five candidates competing for two City Council vacancies to respond to our questions for candidates. (see below) "Stop the Trucks" hopes the other City Council candidates and those running for the MAC (Municipal Advisory Council) will take a few moments to answer a few questions online. We would like each candidate to share their thoughts with the public on the how they intend to deal with the long term threat posed by gravel trucking through Ojai and the blind eye that the Ventura County Planning Division is seemingly paying to regular daily violations of the existing Conditional Use Permits (C.U.P.'s).

(This Gravel Truck allegedly came through town from Santa Paula on Grand Avenue before cutting back to Ojai Ave by way of Summer and Signal Streets. Each double hopper truck weighs up to 80,000 pounds. According to recent Federal government reports one such truck does as much road damage at 9,600 cars. Photo Credit to Daly Road Graphics, Ray Smith.)

Our Questions for Candidates:

1) Do you now or have you in the past personally supported "Stop the Trucks!"

2) If so, please give examples of actions you have actually taken.

(Monday, 5/19/08 8:05 AM During the morning rush hour, a fully loaded double hopper truck turns at the intersection of Signal & Ojai Ave. Photo credit to Daly Road Graphics, Ray Smith)

3) Do you believe the Ojai City Council should take a more active role in the truck campaign, such as providing funding and legal support?

4) If so, can you name specific steps that you believe the City can and should undertake?

(A Gravel Trucks coming down from Ozena whiz past Nordhoff High School and "Stop the Trucks," Chair, Michael Shapiro. Photo credit to Rob Varela, VC Star)

5) Do you believe the City should work with Caltrans to permanently ban all thru heavy trucking on Route 33 north of Ojai and on Route 150 through downtown Ojai?

6) If so, what specific steps would you take to see that this is accomplished.

(A double hopper cruises down Ojai Avenue during the morning rush hour. Photo credit to Daly road Graphics, Ray Smith. According to Ray, "This afternoon, Wednesday, April 16th, after some shopping at the 'Y', I noticed a tandem turn left instead right of at the light. That's eastward along 150, and not South on 33. So I followed along to see what was up. The truck went past the museum, past the Post Office through the center of town, and on past Ojai Lumber, past Boccali's and up the Dennison grade.)

7) The Ozena mine's county permit states its "normal hours of operation" for trucks traveling on Highway 33 in the Ojai Valley are from 6 to 7 a.m. and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., yet they seem to be in violation of these conditions and so far County officials have failed to take any action. What steps should the City take to see that County officials enforce the permit?

8) Would you actively support the Coalition's request to have an independent Ombudsman appointed to not only undertake a further investigation into abuse of CUP 5170 by the permit holders, but also the very operation of compliance monitoring by the Planning Division?

(The Ozena Mine from Google Earth)

9) Given the Planning Division's claim that it is seemingly impossible to monitor C.U.P. compliance, do you agree that the County has no business, under CEQA guidelines, approving the C.U.P. in the first place?

(Each fully loaded double hopper truck weighs close to 80,000 pounds, the same as fifteen SUV's stacked on top of each other. Photo credit to Daly Road Graphics. Ray Smith shot this on Friday, August 10, 2007, mid-morning. The truck was going up the Arnaz Grade when the engine quit, blocking the right lane until a tow truck arrived and got it restarted. Afterward, the driver climbed to the top of the hill and used and Dahl Supermarket parking lot to turn his rig around and head down again. The picture shows him in the market parking lot.)

10) Do you believe the County should begin the process to terminate Ozena's current C.U.P.?

11) And if so, how would you persuade the County to accomplish this?

We also need the continued support of everyone in Ojai to see that these past travesties do not happen again. Please send your donations to the Stop The Trucks! Coalition – c/o The Ojai Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1134, Ojai, CA, 93024, or you may also walk your contribution into the Chamber’s offices anytime during the business week, at 201 S. Signal Street -- in the Ojai Festivals building -- in downtown Ojai

(The "Stop the Trucks!" Coalition reserves the right to remove any comments that are either off topic or otherwise inappropriate.)

Response from Ojai City Council Candidate Suza Francina to "Our Questions for Candidates":

1) Do you now or have you in the past personally supported "Stop the Trucks!"

I have read all the editorials, letters and miscellaneous articles by the Stop the Trucks Coalition and have conveyed to family, friends and co-workers that the trucks represent a serious problem for the future of the valley, comparable to Weldon Dump.

2) If so, please give examples of actions you have actually taken.
(See previous response.)

3) Do you believe the Ojai City Council should take a more active role in the truck campaign, such as providing funding and legal support?

Yes! I strongly feel that the City should do much more to support your efforts. It is my understanding that Jere Kersnar and Carol Smith did go to Santa Maria to speak to the County Board of Supervisors. I read the letter dated January, 2007 to the Planning Commissioners, County of Santa Barbara (posted on the City web site) which states the City of Ojai's absolute and unanimous opposition to the proposed Diamond Rock Sand and Gravel Mine.

4) If so, can you name specific steps that you believe the City can and should undertake?

The City should take a leadership role similar to when we fought and defeated Weldon Dump. I believe the City should provide funds for legal fees as this is an investment for Ojai's future that has far-reaching economic effects.

Regardless of who wins the presidency there will be a big push to rebuild the infrastructure of this country. These mines will be an integral part of this rebuilding and without intervention Ojai could see more trucks than currently imaginable.

The Ojai City Council and the citizens of Ojai need to go to Sacramento to lobby the Governor, Caltrans, EPA, Tourism etc. for a Save Our Town lobby day. Make a splash that will attract the press and change the dynamics of this issue in the minds of the government.

In addition, I would explore the following points:

Stop the Trucks needs to go after the press in Los Angeles and Sacramento and get much more publicity. You need B Roll Video Footage for the TV and print for the papers. 30% to 50% of all news comes from groups out side of the newspapers and TV staff. We have to produce the news for the news reporters.

I would want to find out if there is an organization of small towns in California or the US that fights similar scenarios.

Stop the Trucks and the City of Ojai must to talk to the California Travel & Tourism Commission to find ways to legally protect our tourist economy.

Stop the Trucks appears to be fighting the trucks on the battlefield that best suits the trucking companies. Change the battle field and throw the gravel truckers off balance.

5) Do you believe the City should work with Caltrans to permanently ban all thru heavy trucking on Route 33 north of Ojai and on Route 150 through downtown Ojai?

YES but with possible exceptions for Agriculture, Home movers, Building Supplies, Groceries, etc.

6) If so, what specific steps would you take to see that this is accomplished.

While working on the ban, there are some steps that can be taken to make it more difficult for trucks traveling through the valley.

First we should contact the California Department of weights and measures to make sure the scales are accurate and that all gravel trucks meet weight requirements.

Second, we need to know to what degree the dust and diesel emissions add to the valley’s already failing air quality grades from organizations like the American Lung Association.

Third, find out if the trucks are subject to the slow traffic rules that require trucks to pull off the road when there are 5 or more cars behind them. Then find out if they are exceeding the safe speed required for heavy trucks with Cal Trans monitoring units. (You may all ready have this data in your reports) but this seems critical to know.

Fourth, make a point of having the sheriffs department check the driver’s licenses of truck drivers on a routine random basis and also have them check to make sure all gravel trucks meet California safety codes.

The idea is to make gravel haulers trips more difficult, slow them down and make the 33 and 101 uneconomical.

7) The Ozena mine's county permit states its "normal hours of operation" for trucks traveling on Highway 33 in the Ojai Valley are from 6 to 7 a.m. and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., yet they seem to be in violation of these conditions and so far County officials have failed to take any action.

What steps should the City take to see that County officials enforce the permit?

Contact Cal Trans and ask for copies of the time stamped trip/weight tickets that must travel with each load to make sure the travel guidelines are being followed.

8) Would you actively support the Coalition's request to have an independent Ombudsman appointed to not only undertake a further investigation into abuse of CUP 5170 by the permit holders, but also the very operation of compliance monitoring by the Planning Division?

YES!

9) Given the Planning Division's claim that it is seemingly impossible to monitor C.U.P. compliance, do you agree that the County has no business, under CEQA guidelines, approving the C.U.P. in the first place?

YES, however this is the 21st century, most trucks have or can be equipped with digital monitoring devices. These tracking devices are linked to satellites for real time data so show where each truck is at all times. This is not some new space age technology. It’s being used now by most major trucking companies in the world. The Planning Division is either staffed by Luddites’ or they are not being truthful.

10) Do you believe the County should begin the process to terminate Ozena's current C.U.P.? YES

11) And if so, how would you persuade the County to accomplish this?

In the EIR , the analysis concluded that there were negative quality of life impacts to the citizens of Ojai that could not be mitigated.

City leaders and council members should continue to convey their strong opposition backed up with legal teeth. The city should also demand air quality analysis based on the average exhaust and dust emitted by the trucks, then scale up the analysis based on proposed trips in the valley. The federal EPA should also be contacted to enforce air quality standards.

If I were on the Ojai City Council I would leave no stone unturned in solving this problem!

(The "Stop the Trucks!" Coalition reserves the right to remove any comments that are either off topic or otherwise inappropriate.)
9:45
World Affairs Council Presentation: When China Ruled the Seas, the Treasure Fleets of the Ming Dynasty 1405-1433
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

The World Affairs Council CA Central Coast Presents:
When China Ruled the Seas, the Treasure Fleets of the Ming Dynasty 1405-1433.

September 11, 2008 at the Ventura County Maritime Museum
2731 S. Victoria Avenue
Oxnard, CA 93035
5:30 p.m. -7:30 p.m.
(Reception with appetizers and no-host bar 5:30-6:30, presentation 6:30-7:30)
Cost: $15 members, $20 non-members

During the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics, China celebrated the achievements of the great navel fleets of the Ming Dynasty, events hardly known or recounted in the West.

By 1405 China had been a powerful empire for nearly two thousand years. The crown jewels of Emperor Zhu Di’s navy were his Treasure boats. These behemoths, nearly half the size of World War II aircraft carriers, were largest wooden sailing ships ever built. And although the wealth they carried back to China was staggering, it created conflict between the two factions that served the emperor; the Military and the Mandarin bureaucrats.

After the emperor’s death, the chief Mandarin sought to undermine the power of his foes by decreeing that the fleets be grounded, the records destroyed and overseas trade forbidden. The result crippled China for the next 600 years - a decline that is only being reversed today as witnessed during the Olympics.

And although the greatest navy in the world disappeared overnight, not all the records vanished. Copies of Zheng He’s charts made their way to Portugal and Spain, paving the way for the European Age of Discovery and the subsequent colonization of the world.

(replica under construction in Nanjing, China)

But those of us who study history can only speculate what would have happened had the great fleets of the Ming Dynasty continued to rule the seas.

The fleets represent perhaps the single greatest accomplishment in naval history up until the 20th century. The decision to ground the fleet in 1433 and destroy most official records of its existence was perhaps the single greatest blunder in all modern history. This act, whose repercussions shaped the modern world order within which we all now live, plunged China into 600 years of decline and represents the ultimate triumph of partisan politics over common sense and the national welfare.

(Scale Comparison of a Chinese Treasure Ship to Columbus' Santa Maria)

In 2005, our speaker, Howard Smith was the curator for an exhibits on the Fleets of the Ming Dynasty at the Ventura County Maritime Museum. Smith has been honored three times as one of the top Business Leaders in the Central Coast by the Pacific Coast Business Times. He served for three years as Chairman of the Board of VCEDA, the Ventura County Economic Development Association, for which he has been recognized as Business Executive of the Year by the Ventura County Leadership Academy and as Small Business Advocate of the Year by the SBA.

Smith graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude from the University of Buffalo and Nanyang University of Singapore with an Ed.M. in Administration and a B.A. in Asian Studies and was a Graduate Fellow at the American Film Institute. He taught for five years at UCLA Extension and has lectured nationally. A frequent Op Ed contributor to the Ventura County Star and the Ojai Valley News, his articles have also appeared in the Washington Post, Horizon Magazine, and numerous trade publications. His book "Opening the Doors to Hollywood," was published by Random House.

(Completed 1/2 scale replica on display in Nanjing, China)

For more information, please contact us at any time:

WACA-CCC
300 E. Esplanade, #1800
Oxnard, CA 93036

Lin Graf, Executive Director
805-299-2390
lin@paladinprinciple.com

Ashley Bautista, Asst. Executive Director
805-299-2394
Ashley@paladinprinciple.com
August 30, 2008
21:54
Mandatory Evac ordered, Hurricane Gustav "mother of all storms"
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

The Times-Picayune:

Warning that Hurricane Gustav is the "mother of all storms," Mayor Ray Nagin late Saturday ordered a mandatory evacuation of the West Bank of New Orleans for 8 a.m. Sunday and the east bank for noon. "We want 100 percent evacuation," Nagin said. "It has the potential to impact every area of this metropolitan area."

The Times-Pic has a good Hurricane Center set up on their homepage. Red Cross is encouraging registration in the Safe and Well program for residents and those who have loved ones in the potentially affected areas.
16:53
No More Nathan: Larramendy Gallery Closing?
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

I received this somewhat cryptic email today. I always enjoyed walking by the gallery and checking out the latest exhibits. Cassandra Jones' show was great, and the Men of Ojai Calendar launch party was a blast. Best of luck to Nathan in his next incarnation.

Dear Friends,

As I move on to the next leg of my career in promoting the arts, I no longer feel that having a static "brick and mortar" space is essential to cultivating rich and innovative art experiences. My passion to provide opportunities for artists and the art community remains the same. Please stay tuned for future projects presented by Nathan Larramendy – it will only get better!

Since the inception of the Nathan Larramendy Gallery in September 2003, the gallery has hosted numerous memorable exhibitions by important emerging artists, including Travis Somerville, Cassandra C. Jones, Penelope Gottlieb, Ruth Pastine, Amir H. Fallah, Emilie Clark and Stella Lai, to name only a few. The exhibitions at the gallery have been well received, with reviews in the Los Angeles Times, Beautiful/Decay, Art Ltd, Artweek, VC Reporter and Art in America, among others. The gallery has participated in art fairs in San Francisco, Miami, Santa Fe, New York, Chicago and London. In 2003 my mission was to create an exhibition program that would be recognized on a national level from my small home town of Ojai, CA, and I am satisfied and proud that this goal has been obtained.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who have supported the gallery – collectors, writers, fellow gallerists, interns, and mostly the artists who had faith in my vision of hosting exhibitions outside of the traditional urban setting. A very special thanks to Brad Hudson, Carmen McLeod, Allison Gibson, Catharine Clark, and Becky Elkins, without their support the gallery would have never been possible. Thanks to all of the Weekend Warriors and those that made the initial Road Trip to Ojai.

Kind Regards,

Nathan Larramendy
7:43
More locally grown food coming to Ojai and rest of California
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

Today's Washington Post has a great article entitled, "As Food Becomes a Cause, Meeting Puts Issues on the Table." It describes how far some people will go these days to get locally grown food. In California, more than 40 residents volunteered their back yards to an aspiring young bicycle-riding farmer who couldn't afford to buy land of his own. In exchange for a weekly supply of produce, they would let him till their all-American lawns into rows of lettuce, broccoli, squash and peas.

I bet the Washington Post would love to feature a story on Steve Sprinkel and his wife, Olivia Chase, of Farmer and the Cook; Dulanie Ellis-La Barre and other members of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition Food and Agriculture Committee; Kris and Joanne Young, leaders of the Ojai Locavores; and other Ojai foodies...
Here's a link to the Washington Post story:
[www.washingtonpost.com]
August 29, 2008
23:49
Metaphors Abound
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

photo taken today, August 29, 2008 by evan austin
16:22
Stop the Trucks: Sneaking Through Town on Grand Avenue???
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

Ray Smith of Daly Road Graphics sent us these notes and photographs about Gravel Trucks in which it appears that trucks coming and going from Santa Paula are driving on residential streets. If true this would a clear violation of local road and traffic regulations. While we await further confirmation, here is Ray's first person report:

" I spotted another truck near my home. Apparently, they are coming from Santa Paula, but instead of going through downtown via Ojai Avenue, they cut north to Grand Avenue. They head east, turn onto West Summer St.,
then south on Canada to pick up Ojai Avenue again. This is the third time I've seen one do this. "

"I tried to get a photo, but it looks bad. It's hard to whip out a camera, aim and shoot if you're not prepared to do it.

Here's the shot I took this morning. Not very pretty, but you can see the time stamp, and the sign indicates the location (corner of Signal and W. Summer) These are residential streets, kids playing, etc.

Ray"

(Monday, 5/19/08 8:05AM, During the morning rush hour, a fully loaded double hopper truck turns at the intersection of Signal & Ojai AVe. Photo credit to Daly Road Graphics, Ray Smith)
16:13
OJAI FILM FESTIVAL
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post
12:28
Ojai Education Foundation: 2008 Garden of Knowledge
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

The Ojai Education Foundation hosts its third annual Garden of Knowledge benefit Sept. 13, from 3:30 to 8 p.m., in the gardens of Marc and Julia Whitman in Ojai.

The event features gourmet food, art, music and entertainment. Works by national and internationally acclaimed local artists will be auctioned; Nordhoff High School Dance Department students will perform and Matilija Junior High School science teachers will give a physics demonstration.

Some of Ojai’s best-known artists’ work will be sold in a silent auction. Artists include Gayel Childress, Bert Collins, Sherri Loehr, Elisse Pogofsky-Harris, Julia Pfeifer, Jeff Sojka, Bruce Tomkinson, Leslie Thompson, Elaine Unzicker and Nancy Whitman. Collectors’ pieces will be raffled from Otto Heino, Ted Gall and Beatrice Wood. Artists Edward Morgan and James Menzel-Joseph will demonstrate the creative process during the event. OEF will also honor its Educational Hero of the year.

The cost is $100 per person, which includes a complimentary raffle ticket. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
To purchase a ticket or request a sponsorship, call 805-669-3075, e-mail info@ojaief.org or log on to www.ojaief.org. The Ojai Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides programs to benefit Ojai youths in public schools.
August 28, 2008
23:09
Open Thread: Convention Edition
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

Open thread this evening. I'll be sure to post a photo of the RNC in a few days for equal time. Quite a speech by Senator Obama tonight.
22:50
Physics for Future Presidents
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

Richard A. Muller is a professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a past winner of the MacArthur Fellowship. Physics for Future Presidents is based on his renowned course for non-science students. Richard Muller teaches this class at UC Berkeley and one of his past lectures can be seen on the link below.

[webcast.berkeley.edu:8080]
No prior physics is required. In fact, even if you had no physics in high school, you will not be at a disadvantage in this class. Even if you are a physics major, you will find that most of the material is new. Physics majors spend so much time learning the math and to abstract calculations that they often do not get to the important results. This course is now open for physics majors too, in fact, is is an excellent supplement for other physics courses.

The course does use some math. But he has never had a student complain that the math was too hard. He expects everyone to be able to use calculator notation, the symbols used on calculators when the numbers are large or small.

Link to book:

[nortonbooks.typepad.com]

Excerpts from the book below: Alternative Energy

Alternative Energy

When thinking about alternatives to petroleum and other fossil
fuels, it is important to know how the United States uses its current
supplies. About 5% is used to manufacture materials such as
fertilizer, chemicals, and plastics. The rest is used to generate
energy. Here’s roughly how that breaks down for the US use of
fuel:
28% is used for transportation (gasoline and jet fuel).
40% is used to generate electric power.
20% is used for direct heating (natural gas, coal).
32% is used by industry.
These numbers add to more than 100% because of overlap; some of
the electric power, for example, is used by industry.
Rather than learning these specific numbers, all you really have
to know is that fuel is used in four different ways—transportation,
electricity, heat, and industry—all in comparable amounts. That
fact has important policy implications for future presidents. For
example, if you are concerned that we are polluting the atmosphere
by driving automobiles and you decide to solve this problem by
replacing all gasoline with biofuels (alcohol made from plants), you
will affect only 28% of the total.
Equally important (and interesting) is the broad spectrum of US
energy sources:
29% from imported oil
11% from domestic oil
24% from coal
19% from natural gas (methane)
8% from nuclear
8% from others (solar, hydro, wind, biomass, geothermal)
Again, the diversity of sources is the most important fact. Here is an
example of the way you might use these numbers for an important
policy decision: Suppose someone proposes to replace all of our fossil
fuel electric power plants with nuclear power, in an effort to
reduce CO2 emissions. The first list tells you that 40% of our energy
is used to create electricity. The second list tells you that 8% is
already coming from nuclear. So making the change would affect
only the remaining 32% of our power use. Remember, if we are
going to reduce fossil fuel emissions, we have to address several sectors,
not just one.
August 26, 2008
22:36
Open Thread
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

(hat tip Knuttz)
August 25, 2008
15:13
That Crazed Matilija Reefer 'RoundUp' ...
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

[www.youtube.com]

just a little too much poison?
August 24, 2008
20:13
Hospital CEO Comes Out...Against Gay Marriage
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

I caught this story last night on KEYT and it has been gnawing at me ever since.

Gary Wilde, the President and CEO of Community Memorial Health Systems, which owns Ojai Valley Community Hospital and Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, was featured in a news story about members of the LDS church who went door to door to support Proposition 8, a ban on gay marriage. Wilde says he supports "preserving the traditional definition of marriage," which I am guessing doesn't include the agreement that the man will put the toilet seat down.

Having such a public figure who is a pillar of our community take such a strong position on this issue brings all sorts of questions, including I suppose, how are gays treated in his hospitals?

I've been in a "traditional marriage" for almost 18 years, but I would never take that right from same-sex partners choosing to exchange vows. Check out this site (you've probably seen the commercial), and vote no this November. Meanwhile, I might consider taking my healthcare needs to County hospital. I'm very conflicted about this because there are so many good people at Ojai hospital and they do good things for our community.
August 23, 2008
17:17
Toots and the Maytals - Ventura
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

Toots and the Maytals at myspace
11:03
Stop the Trucks: Election Year Edition
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

Do You Support this Vision of Ojai?

Or This Vision?

(A double hopper stuck in traffic at the "Y" heads into the heart of Ojai on Route 150/Ojai Avenue.. Photo credit to Daly road Graphics, Ray Smith Monday, May 6, 2008)

With five candidates competing for two City Council vacancies and several of the MAC (Municipal Advisory Council) seats also facing competitive races, the Ojai "Stop the Trucks!" Coalition is asking everyone running for office to take a few moments to answer a few questions online. We would like each candidate to share their thoughts with the public on the how they intend to deal with the long term threat posed by gravel trucking through Ojai and the blind eye that the Ventura County Planning Division is seemingly paying to regular daily violations of the existing Conditional Use Permits (C.U.P.'s).

(A Gravel Truck heads up Maricopa Highway on Christmas Day. Each double hopper truck weighs up to 80,000 pounds. According to recent Federal government reports one such truck does as much road damage at 9,600 cars. Photo Credit to Daly Road Graphics, Ray Smith.)

Background:
There are six mines working or in the application phase. Permits are approved or pending would allow 600-800 gravel truck trips per day through Ojai on both Routes 33 to Ventura & Oxnard and 150 through downtown and the East End to Santa Paula. That is one truck every 3-5 minutes of the day, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

This volume of trucking through Ojai could permanently destroy our three key industries, tourism, agriculture and education, turn our town into an industrial truck road and irreparably transform the valley.

In addition to the danger of having this many trucks on 33 & 150, carcinogenic particulate matter combined with gaseous diesel exhaust will dangerously pollute the fragile Ojai Valley air shed dramatically increasing health concerns for what is already the second worse air quality in Ventura County.

(Monday, 5/19/08 8:05 AM During the morning rush hour, a fully loaded double hopper truck turns at the intersection of Signal & Ojai Ave. Photo credit to Daly Road Graphics, Ray Smith)

A) A recent agreement between the Coalition and the Diamond Rock Mine in the Santa Barbara, clears the stage for the Coalition to focus more of its attention on the operation of the Ozena Valley Ranch Mine in Ventura County.

B) Recently the Ventura County Planning Division acknowledged that no independent review was ever conducted on the prior Ozena Conditional Use Permit (C.U.P.) applications dating back to 2001.

C) In response to a complaint by the Coalition about violations of the existing Ozena permit hours of operation, County Planning Division staff claimed the violations were insignificant and that the Director of the Planning Division will not retroactively enforce violations.

D) Reviewing the same records the Coalition found that of the 649 weigh tickets examined, 476 were for trucks that used Route 33 north or south through Ojai and Casitas Springs. By our count over 268 -- or over 40% of the total, amounting to an astonishing 55% of those going through our valley -- were in apparent violation of Condition No. 72 of CUP 5170.

E) The Coalition has asked Ventura County Executive Marty Robinson to appoint an Ombudsman to investigate the conduct of the entire application process by Planning Division staff and to initiate the termination process due to significant violations of Ozena's existing C.U.P. conditions

(A double hopper cruises down Ojai Avenue during the morning rush hour. Photo credit to Daly road Graphics, Ray Smith. According to Ray, "This afternoon, Wednesday, April 16th, after some shopping at the 'Y', I noticed a tandem turn left instead right of at the light. That's eastward along 150, and not South on 33. So I followed along to see what was up. The truck went past the museum, past the Post Office through the center of town, and on past Ojai Lumber, past Boccali's and up the Dennison grade.)

Our Questions for Candidates:

1) Do you now or have you in the past personally supported "Stop the Trucks!"

2) If so, please give examples of actions you have actually taken.

(The same double hopper attempts to climb the grad past Boccali's. The truck struggles to stay within the lanes. Who says trucks won't cut through Ojai on 150 to get to Santa Paula? Photo credit to Daly Road Graphics, Ray Smith)

3) Do you believe the Ojai City Council should take a more active role in the truck campaign, such as providing funding and legal support?

4) If so, can you name specific steps that you believe the City can and should undertake?

(Two Gravel Trucks in a row coming down from Ozena whiz past Nordhoff High School. Photo credit to Rob Varela, VC Star)

5) Do you believe the City should work with Caltrans to permanently ban all thru heavy trucking on Route 33 north of Ojai and on Route 150 through downtown Ojai?

6) If so, what specific steps would you take to see that this is accomplished.

(Another fully loaded truck crosses the yellow line while coming around a blind curve on Route 33. Photo credit to Forest Watch, Jeff Kuyper)

7) The Ozena mine's county permit states its "normal hours of operation" for trucks traveling on Highway 33 in the Ojai Valley are from 6 to 7 a.m. and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., yet they seem to be in violation of these conditions and so far County officials have failed to take any action. What steps should the City take to see that County officials enforce the permit?

8) Would you actively support the Coalition's request to have an independent Ombudsman appointed to not only undertake a further investigation into abuse of CUP 5170 by the permit holders, but also the very operation of compliance monitoring by the Planning Division?

(Photo Credit to Ray Smith, who noted, "The morning traffic jam at the "Y" is getting worse. These two tandems have just cut across Ojai on it's main street, westbound. The red one turned south. The white one headed north.)

9) Given the Planning Division's claim that it is seemingly impossible to monitor C.U.P. compliance, do you agree that the County has no business, under CEQA guidelines, approving the C.U.P. in the first place?

(Each fully loaded double hopper truck weighs close to 80,000 pounds, the same as fifteen SUV's stacked on top of each other. Photo credit to Daly Road Graphics. Ray Smith shot this on Friday, August 10, 2007, mid-morning. The truck was going up the Arnaz Grade when the engine quit, blocking the right lane until a tow truck arrived and got it restarted. Afterward, the driver climbed to the top of the hill and used and Dahl Supermarket parking lot to turn his rig around and head down again. The picture shows him in the market parking lot.)

10) Do you believe the County should begin the process to terminate Ozena's current C.U.P.?

11) And if so, how would you persuade the County to accomplish this?

(Traffic backing up behind a gravel truck on Route 33. Photo credit to Daly Road Graphics, Ray Smith.)

We also need the continued support of everyone in Ojai to see that these past travesties do not happen again. Please send your donations to the Stop The Trucks! Coalition – c/o The Ojai Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1134, Ojai, CA, 93024, or you may also walk your contribution into the Chamber’s offices anytime during the business week, at 201 S. Signal Street -- in the Ojai Festivals building -- in downtown Ojai

(The "Stop the Trucks!" Coalition reserves the right to remove any comments that are either off topic or otherwise inappropriate.)
August 22, 2008
23:44
Fixing color issues in digital photos - Software Training
» ‎view full story at The Ojai Post

How do I take better photos?
One question I receive frequently is how to take better photos. Now this is a question whose answer can go on for miles and miles, as one can always take better photos, but I've realized that most problem photos I've seen boil down to the same old thing: Weird color and lighting effects caused by using your camera's built-in flash unit.

For the most part, my recommendation is this: If you own a simple point-and-click digital camera, you should refrain from using the built-in flash at all, except in the few cases when you find yourself outside at night after a dinner party wanting to take that final group shot before your friends all disappear into the night.

Typical digital camera flashes create more problems than they solve. Their purpose is to provide enough fill-light to allow for a proper exposure. Boy that sounds really nice, and in the professional world, flash units are as adjustable as you need them to be. But common point-and-click camera flash units usually have 2 settings:

But common point-and-click camera flash units usually have 2 settings:

1. Off
and
2. Violently bright.

The "violently bright" setting casts uneven light on your subject, causing washed-out colors, resulting too little contrast or even underexposing the background to the point where it disappears completely, and of course the ever-dreaded Red-Eye attack. With the steady improvements of computer-based digital photo software, red-eye is much easier to deal with, but consider how easy it would be to deal with if you did not have to deal with it at all.

Bottom line
Life does not occur under idea lighting conditions, but your built-in flash is not the answer.

First, you'll need to figure out how to disable your camera's flash function, which means you'll have to learn a little tiny bit about your camera here. Also, many point-and-click cameras return to default settings when you turn them off. You might therefore need to disable the flash every time you turn the camera back on and start shooting, so this will be something that you'll have to remain aware of.

Your camera does not always know best.
While some digital camera models have built-in sensors which determine whether or not the flash is required, based on available lighting, I feel strongly that if there's any available ambient light, the flash should still be avoided.

Without the camera's flash function, you'll need to rely on whatever ambient light is available. You'll need to think a little bit more about how you're going to frame your shot, and you might need to ask your subjects to move a few feet to one side or another, or even to relocate to the other side of the room for a moment. You'd be suprised how much your photography will improve when you start actually considering things like light source and composition. Anway, I digress.

Light pollution.
Another issue with relying on available lighting is that in most cases, the available light is almost never pure white. This will happen especially outdoors around sunset, and indoors where incandescent (normal household) lightbulbs are in use.

Question: Well, hmmm. That means that whenever I shoot indoors with normal household lightbulbs without my flash, my photos will almost always have a slight yellow color cast applied to them.
Answer: Um.. yeah. They will. But hey, you're shooting digital, there's nothing we can't fix.

Additional weirdness.
Note to owners of Hewitt Packard digital cameras: HP cameras seem to like blue a lot, and often amplify the amount of blue in photos taken under even the most perfect whilte-balanced lighting conditions. Strange indeed, but don't toss out your nice little HP camera just yet...

Luckily for Mac users, these issues are non-issues. iPhoto 7 (included free with every new Macintosh computer, or available for $79 as part of the iLife '08 software bundle available HERE) includes some nifty new tools which make color correcting a snap.

Okay, lecture's over, let's play!

Orange Appeal.
This photo was taken at night, in an art gallery with bright orange walls, strobing lights, and a projector casting a slideshow against the back wall. You will also notice that the subject (my wonderful wife, Pausha) is wearing an orange dress, and has bright orange hair to match. With orange-tinted light bouncing off the walls everywhere, it's no big surprise that the photo is contaminated with a consistent orange glow.

Had I used my flash unit, this photo would have been a throwaway. The flash would have turned Pausha's skin bright white, and it would have caused the background to completely disappear, as the back wall was about 20 feet away from her. iPhotos, color correct tool to the rescue!

With the photo highlited in iPhoto's browser, we select the Edit icon from the toolbar to enter Edit Mode, and then we click on Adjust to invoke our Adjustment HUD (Heads Up Dispay).

Clicking on the little eye dropper icon next to the Tint controls will turn our cursor into a crosshair sight, which we are then prompted to use to locate a neutral gray or white point in our photo. I chose a white-ish spot over on the floor behind Pausha's left shoulder. Doing this forced iPhoto to re-evaluate the color information across the entire photo, and removed (to the best of its ability) the color cast (in this case, orange glow) from the photo.

(Click the above photo to view image in full size.)
Notice in this example, the orange glow is gone. You can now tell that Pausha's hair is not really the same shade of orange as her dress is. Her lips have returned to their proper color, her skin tone is distinguishable from her clothing, and as the exposure has been sublty altered, the contrast has been properly balanced out, making for a more dynamic and interesting photo. Not to mention the fact that this photo now looks the way that my eyes perceived the scene when I took the photo.

Click-click, done!
I'd like to mention that while you would be able to acheive the same effect in Adobe's excellent Photoshop software, this same job required 2 clicks in iPhoto.

Whether you're an avid hobby photographer, or you take photos only when you have to, learning to disable your camera's built-in flash, taking a moment to compose your shot based on your available light, and learning to perform very basic color correction in iPhoto can take your own photography to a whole new level. Such a simple adjustment in the way you currently approach snapping photos can reward you with higher quality, more interesting photographs which you'll enjoy forever.

Next up, we'll talk about sharing your photos with friends and families once you have them looking great!

Cheers for now
~ Chris

Author's Note:
I write about software available for the Apple Macintosh platform, because I am an avid Mac enthusiast and I utilitze them professionally. My workshops and trainings are all Mac-based.

Having said that, I am certain that quality programs exist for the Windows platform which provide some or all of the features described in my articles.

I encourage Windows users to comment back with any information regarding PC-based programs which provide similar functionality as readers will undoubtedly find any such information useful and inspiring.
9:57
Open Politics Thread
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Have you ever forgotten how many houses you own?
August 21, 2008
16:05
RIP Ronelle "Ronny" Letven
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Ronelle “Renee” Letven, M.D., died as the result of injuries suffered in a highway accident on July 12th, 2008. Born in Encino, CA, on Mar 7th, 1949, Ronny lived and practiced psychiatry in several U.S. cities during her career, spanning the country from the Northeast to the Southwest, ending in Encinitas. Though she never lived in Ojai, she loved to visit family here, and especially enjoyed hiking many of our mountain trails.
Ronny was preceded in death by her mother, Rita Baron Letven, and is survived by her father, Hal Letven of Boulder, CO, her sister Deborah and niece Annabel of Santa Monica, her sister Leslie and nephew Robben of Malibu, her son Sunny Letven-Erickson and granddaughter Caela Imbrogno-Erickson and Sunny's dad, Ronny's good friend Tom Erickson, all of Ojai.
A memorial service for Ronny will be held in Ojai on Sat, Aug 23rd, starting at 2pm at Tom and Judith's home, 209 E Eucalyptus. For further information, please call Tom at 805-625-0481.
August 20, 2008
23:25
Open Thread - Olympics Edition
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Wow, did you see that amazing gymnastics performance?...
21:12
Self-Employment Training Classes
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Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) is again offering its 14-week Self-Employment Training (SET) course, beginning the second week in September!

CLICK BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION:

WEV_SMALL_FLYER.pdf

During the course, participants will learn how to write a business plan, as well as practical information and training to an idea into a reality – launching a business! The class is divided into modules, beginning with start-up basics and continuing through marketing, finances, advertising, pricing, HR issues, etc.

WEV encourages all business owners (women & men) to sign up for a free, one-hour orientation. Space is limited, so register today.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact

Mary Anne Rooney
Regional Leader, Ventura County
Women's Economic Ventures (WEV)
& Small Business Loan Fund
400 E. Esplanade Drive, Suite 300
Oxnard, CA 93036
ph: 805.604.9000 ext. 241
fx: 805.604.7784
www.wevonline.org

WEV is dedicated to creating an equitable and just society through the economic empowerment of women across the globe
August 19, 2008
23:03
Skate Park Approved
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Jubilation erupted at the close of the two-in-half hour joint Ojai City Council, Ojai Planning Commission, and Ojai Parks and Recreation Commission meeting tonight. The Ojai City Council approved moving forward with an "in ground skate park that is a minimum of 10,000 square feet at the current location." The vote was unanimous and next week a design firm will be selected. Significant kudos goes out to the City Council, Skate Ojai, and all the public who showed up and spoke at the meeting. At times it was emotional and, for me, this was one of the best public meetings I have attended. Good feelings. Good motives. In particular the gentleman from the Rotary and the woman from Solvang spoke most clearly about how this was the right thing to do for the kids of Ojai now. If the time line goes as expected, we should have a skate park at the current location by next spring.
16:39
Spa Day to Benefit Dr. Edie Resto
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Friends of Dr. Edie are hosting a “spa day birthday benefit” to raise funds for medical expenses following Dr. Edie’s motorcycle accident. Dr. Edie is healing well. The afternoon should be loads of fun, and is hosted at a beautiful private residence.

Spa treatments include massage, foot baths, tarot card readings, yoga, acupuncture, cupping, reflexology and more! Partake of as many or as few as you like. Services are offered strictly by donation. Healthy snacks provided.

Raffle items include Dr. Edie’s famous detox cleanse, nutritional assessments, gift baskets, massages, jewelry and much, much more!

Date and Time: August 24, 2008, 2:00 - 6:00 pm
Location: Private Residence, 1450 McAndrew St. (Grand and Thacher)

Donations also gratefully accepted:
Dr. Edie Resto
PO Box 1386
Ojai CA 93024
August 18, 2008
1:26
Nominate Hearts of Fire project
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Bob Ballard, Exec. Director of Hearts of Fire, sent me this request. Let's help him out for the good work he is doing.
--------------------------
American Express has created a special opportunity to fund 25 selected projects. They have set aside $2.5 million for this purpose. The projects will be selected in large part by the number of votes received from the general public.

Go to: [www.membersproject.com] and NOMINATE our project! Please SPREAD the Word! Voting closes September 1! So take action now!

This is a great opportunity to support the transformation of homelessness in America WITHOUT spending YOUR money! Help American Express spend theirs! Thanks so much!

Bob Ballard
Executive Director
Hearts Of Fire Project
www.heartsoffire.tv
August 16, 2008
16:35
Vote for Exxon/McCain 08
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A friend of mine sent me this and I just had to share it with you all...
[www.democrats.org]
0:49
Life Just Got Easier
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What a joy to have this and Other Conveniences to make my feeding frenzy's more manageable. :)
August 15, 2008
11:09

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