08 22 DISCOVER MONTHLY OJAI Real Estate & Visitors Guide Cover: Aloha Beach Festival, September 3-4, AlohaBeachFestival.us Visitor Information Events Activities Lifestyle Tips & Tactics. See more at the OJAIHUB.COM ALOHA BEACH FESTIVAL IS BACK! OJAI COUPLE’S LIVING TREASURES JOURNEY SEVEN WAYS TO GET MADE IN THE SHADE
The historical Foothill Road hosts some of the most beautiful properties in Ojai. The location is ideal, close to downtown as well as the many hiking and biking trails that originate at the Pratt ThisTrailhead.home includes 100% owned solar panels and raised beds for a kitchen garden. it is a perfect family home with ample room for kids and grandparents alike. Location is Everything
PATTY WALTCHER (805) pattywaltcher.com340-3774 natural beauty of Ojai. The park-like setting cradles the living space and large windows allow interior and exterior to blend, drawing the gaze outdoors and bringing in the light. The 4br/4ba home includes a formal dining room, a cottage style sunroom and a gym/office. Two primary bedroom suites feature fireplaces and luxurious bathrooms. The large kitchen has granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Crown molding and floors of wood and tile create warmth and charm. An expansive front porch along with an outdoor BBQ and a stone seating area in back offer many opportunities to entertain while enjoying the beauty and serenity of the lushly landscaped nearly 1 acre lot. Offered at $2,750,0001464FoothillRdOjai.com
4 OM — August 2022 Nantucket® Window Shadings Discover innovative window fashions from Hunter Douglas that enhance safety at the window. Ask today about a wide array of cordless operating systems including the ultimate in operating convenience, PowerView® Motorization. His curiosity: limitless. Your window fashions: cordless. ©2022 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas or their respective owners. 16CSMAGNAC2 Chisum's Floor Covering 118 Bryant St Ojai, CA M-F: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Sat: By Appointment Only Sun: Closed (805) www.chisumsfloor.com646-2440 Contractors License #242944 Ask us about special savings on select Hunter Douglas operating systems.
6 OM — August 2022 Editor & Publisher / Bret Bradigan Uta Ritke / Creative Director David Taylor / Sales Manager Ross Falvo / Distribution Manager Cover: Patty Waltcher, LIV Sotheby’s Realty 805-340-5774 Contact Us: editor@ojaiquarterly.com805.798.0177 The contents of the Ojai Monthly may not be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written consent of the publisher. TABLE CONTENTSOF 7 Editor’s Note 11 Calendar of Events 12 Featured Pro: Aryna Swope & Phil Caruthers, Living Treasures 20 Seven Ways to Make it in the Shade 21 Ojai Founding Fathers & Mothers 22 Who’s Who in Real Estate 24 Dine Ojai — Restaurant Guide 25 Chef Randy: Roasted Beet Salad 27 Sold In Ojai 27 Prop 19? Tax Attorneys! 29 Ojai’s Top Ten Hikes 25 21 07 22 DISCOVER MONTHLY OJAI Cover: Aloha Beach Festival, September 3-4, AlohaBeachFestival.us Visitor Information Events Activities Lifestyle Tips & Tactics. See more at the OJAIHUB.COM ALOHA BEACH FESTIVAL IS BACK! OJAI COUPLE’S LIVING TREASURES JOURNEY SEVEN WAYS TO GET MADE IN THE SHADE DINING, HIKES, MAPS & MORE AUGUST 2022 29 12
The de-nihilists say that as China and India increase their prosperity these coming decades, the climate crisis will only accelerate. But it will be communities and innovators like Ojai that show that it doesn't have to be the case. We're seeing the more remote regions of the globe hurdle past the old infrastructures of electric and communications grids. Why shouldn't we?
OJAI MONTHLY
More proximately, Ojai's "reach" codes, designed to reduce carbon emissions through requiring electrical appliances, rather than gas, in new construction, is a step in the right direction. A small step. As someone who loves to cook, I can tell you that it is widely presumed that gas is much better than electric. That's wrong, according to Consumer Reports. The gap has been closed.
Imagine if Ojai was entirely energy-independent, that we generated all of our needs through wind and solar, and were able to store the surplus with heat pumps, compressed air, flywheels and small hydro-electric structures, that we had a self-contained grid. It would not only save money (in the long run) but it would free us from the political vagaries of public utilities, fossil-fuel producers, ease our consciences and become a rallying point of pride for a community in need of a unifying force.
DISCOVER DE-NIHILISM
OM — August 2022 7
Bret Bradigan
If you look at the pace of change in the world, it wasn't that long ago that people predicted massive infrastructure projects would be required to bring Africa and central Asia into the modern world; that thousands of miles of phone and cable and electrical lines must be built to connect them to the rest of the world. Then along came cell phones, efficient lithium ion batteries and off-grid systems that bypassed those big projects. China's Belt and Road initiative is a response to these facts. No matter how off-grid the world becomes, we will still need ships and roads and airports to move goods and people around.
''More men die of exhaustion than any other cause'' — Napoleon It is interesting to watch the stages of climate crisis denialists. 1. Deny the problem exists. 2. Deny that humans are the cause. 3. Deny it's a problem. 4. Deny we can do anything about it. 5. It's too late. This comes against a backdrop of severe summer heat across Europe (106 degrees in England!?) with 2,000 dead in Spain and Portugal. It wasn't that long ago (2015) that a U.S. Senator brought a snowball into the well of Congress as proof positive that the planet wasn't heating up. It's sad that the distinction between climate and weather is lost on the people who actually have the wherewithal to do something about it. But not surprising. As Sinclair Lewis put it, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it." It's all to do with energy, and it always has been. In his epic book, "Energy & Civilization," Vaclav Smil take us through the entire span of human history through the framing device of our energy consumption. For example, the gathering of roots gave early humans 30 units of energy for every one expended; versus a one-to-one ratio for hunting small game. The gathering part of hunting and gathering is much the more profitable.
When we experience increased market volatility, one of the most asked questions we hear is, “Should I keep contributing to my 401k?” The short answer is yes, but let us explain why. By contributing to your 401k with every pay check, you automatically take advantage of an investing strategy called Dollar Cost Averaging. Here’s how it works: every two weeks (or at any regular interval), you invest a set amount of money, regardless of how the stock market is performing. The beauty of this approach is that when the markets are down, and prices are low, you are able to purchase more shares for your money. Conversely, when markets are up and prices are high, you buy fewer shares.
Source: Charles Schwab
Consider a hypothetical example. Let’s say you invest $100 the first day of every month for six months into a fund whose value fluctuates wildly month to month: from $10 per share to $5, to $6, back to $5, to $8, and then back to $10. With dollar-cost averaging over this six-month period, you invest a total of $600 dollars and purchase just a tad over 89 shares, for an average cost of $6.73/ share and an ending value of about $892. If, instead, you had invested the entire $600 at the beginning of the six months, you’d have only purchased 60 shares, with a much higher average cost of $10/share, that would continue to be worth just $600 at the end of the six Ofmonths.course, the results will vary depending on the real numbers. In our example, if the fund had continued to decline, with dollar-cost averaging, you’d have purchased even more shares over the six months. On the other hand, if the fund had continued to go up every month, you’d have been better off investing all of your money at once instead of spreading it out. While the road can be rocky (particularly over the short term), over longer periods of time the stock market tends to rise. In this way, dollar-cost averaging is not a guarantee of the biggest profit or absolute protection against a loss, but it is a great way to stay the course during a volatile market. A built-in benefit of whoaboutWetoitaveragingdollar-costisthatisanantidotemarkettiming.allhearpeoplewantto find that perfect moment to invest and make a killing, and we wantyouunderstandcompletelywhensayyoudon’ttoinvestjust to see your values go down, but timing the market is pretty much impossible. In fact, the length of time you invest matters much more than entering the market at the best Investmentstime.in stocks have outperformed cash over every 20-year period from 1926 to 2019 by a large margin. During these 90-plus years, the average ending wealth for an investor who put $2,000 a year in cash investments for 20 years is approximately $64,500. The average ending wealth for an investor who puts their $2,000 a year in the stock market with perfect timing (always investing at the low) is approximately $175,000. And the most interesting data point of all is that the investor who put their $2,000 in the market on the first day of the year, without any thought for timing, would end up with approximately $162,000. In other words, they made almost as much as the perfect timer and outperformed the procrastinator by a threefold margin.
8 OM — August 2022
Let us repeat: perfect market timing (which, in reality, even the experts can’t implement) doesn’t make nearly as much difference as consistency, year over year. One of the easiest ways to be consistent? Dollar-cost averaging. Despite the wild gyrations of the last several months, the stock market remains the best place to build long-term wealth. Again, it is not a way for the average investor to make a quick profit. Start slowly, but start now, and continue to invest regardless of market conditions. Integrity Wealth Advisors, Inc. is a Registered Investment Adviser. This material is solely for informational purposes. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Integrity Wealth Advisors, Inc. and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure.iwaplan.com(805) 947-0202 COST AVERAGING
OFFICES IN OJAIDOWNTOWN&VENTURA Financial Planning: DOLLAR
CHRISTOPHER WAGNER Investment Advisor & Financial Planner, CPFA with Integrity Wealth Advisors July 2022
10 OM — August 2022 14th annual AlohaBeachFestivalAlohaBeachFestivalPromenadeParkSurfersPointVenturaPromenadeParkSurfersPointVenturaSaturdaySundaySept.3&4SaturdaySundaySept.3&4 Aloha Beach Festival chooses to support social and environmental non-profits This year’s proceeds will go to benefit THE MERITO FOUNDATION Live Entertainment Arts & Crafts Vendors Surfing & Outrigger Canoes Hawaiian Dancers Great Food & Beer Garden C-Street Classic Surf Competition alohabeachfestival.us Thank you to our sponsors: Ride your bike! Parking is limited FREE ADMISSION ALL DAY, BOTH DAYS
Contact: Location:805-698-5555MatilijaStreet city parking lot behind the Arcade. Open air market featuring locally grown produce, as well as plants, musicians and handmade items.
Location: Chaparral High School Courtyard
AUGUST 10 Richie Kotzen Time: 5 Location:p.m.Libbey Bowl 210 South Signal Street Richie Kotzen has always been on a clear, laser-focused mission as an artist. He is acknowledged worldwide for being a stellar guitar player, an emotive singer and a dynamic live performer.
Drawings of Jean-Baptiste Camille Coret, Gustave Courbet, Jean-Francois Millet
The Ojai Film Society’s summer series in cludes the award-winning “Summer of Love,” the Questlove-produced documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969. This is a free event but please RSVP. (RSVP please)! at Ojai Film Society’s Eventbrite page.
AUGUST 26 Ojai Film Society: “Yesterday” Time: 7:30 pm Location: Libbey Bowl 210 South Signal Street
Ojai Community Farmers Market Every Thursday Time: 3-7 p.m.
Contact: Thisojaifilmsociety@gmail.comojaifilmsociety.orgDannyBoyle-directed gem posits a future in which The Beatles had never existed, except in the memory of one struggling street musi cian, played by Himesh Patel, who goes on to captivate the world while feeling like a fraud. What happens when he encounters a few rememberwhopeoplealso The Beatles? SEPTEMBER 3-4 Aloha Beach Festival Location: Surfers’s Point Shoreline Drive, Ventura Times: Thealoha@alohabeachfestival.usContact:Varies805-200-8674funandfantasticfestival returns after its pandemic hiatus workshop. Described as “surfing contest, frisbee contest and music festival” the Aloha Beach Festival is the cre ation Chipper “Bro” Bell, Patagonia’s goodwill ambassador. THURSDAYS “Ojai: Talk of the Town” Podcast New episodes come out Thursday evenings through OjaiHub.com newsletter. Sign up at OjaiHub.com (Image credit: Ivon Hitchens, Algerian Woman No. 1, 1948, oil on canvas © 2021 Artists Rights events "Summer of Soul," free screening August 12 Aloha Beach Festival, Sept. 3-4
Contact: canvasandpaper.org
WEEKLY Certified Farmers Market Every Sunday Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Free admission — canvas and paper is a non-profit exhibition space showing paintings and drawings from the 20th century and earli er in thematic and single artist exhibits. Covid precautions: Please wear a mask inside.
OM — August 2022 11 AUGUST CALENDAR OF EVENTS
AUGUST 7-14 Ojai Playwrights Conference Location: Besant Hill School 8585 Santa Paula-Ojai Road Times: The805-633-1170Contact:Variesojaiplays.orgesteemedworkship and readings return for their 25th year. Renowned playwrights Stephen Aidly Guirgis (“Between Riverside and Crazy”) and Bill Cain (“How to Write a New Book for the Bible”) will be developing new works for readings, with another cohort of promising young playwrights. Readings take place at the school’s Zalk Theater.
JULY 28 TO SEPTEMBER 25
Location: canvas and paper, 311 North Montgomery Street Times: Thursday to Sunday, 12 noon to 5 p.m.
AUGUST 12 Ojai Film Society: “Summer of Soul” Time: 7:30 pm Location: Libbey Bowl 210 South Signal Street Contact: ojaifilmsociety.org
ARYNA
BALL,
12 OM — August 2022 BY ILONA SAARI
HOSTING THE
“Back in the day” kids played a schoolyard game by either jumping rope or bouncing a Spaulding ball under one’s leg… “A, my name is Anna and I come from Alabama… B, my name is Billy and I come from Baltimore…” – you get the picture. Full disclosure: Aryna Swope and I went to school together, though we didn’t know each other back then … but, in keep ing with the schoolyard theme, in alphabetical order: & PHIL NIGHTINGALE 2013
A, her name is Aryna, and she comes from Astoria… oops, from Elmhurst. Born to Rose and Al Kurens, Aryna was raised in the borough of Queens, New York and attended Bayside High School where she excelled in academics, made the Honor Roll and was in Arista (for the smart kids). Her Mom, Rose, a high school math teacher, was the first woman in her family to have attended college, and returned to teaching when Aryna started school. Her Dad, Al, came to America from Russia as a child and grew up to be a pharmacist. He owned a drugstore (aka pharmacy, that not only filled prescriptions, but sold various “sundries” – some even had lunch counters).
When she hung out at her father’s drug store, “He often would show-off that I could do arithmetic problems in my head,” she remembers. The apple doesn’t fall far from the math and science tree. Though her parents encouraged Aryna and her older siblings to be whatever they wanted to be, sister Judy became a pharmacist and brother Larry an electrical engineer. That apple-tree Becausething. Bayside H.S. was a large public school (over 6,000 students), Aryna wanted something less “crowd ed” for her continuing education and decided on Sim mons in Boston, a small women’s college where she earned a Bachelor in Science in mathematics and began a career at IBM on her 21st birthday.
After pitching three no-hitters in a single year in Little League, Phil’s youthful ambition was to play professional baseball for the Yankees, just like Whitey Ford. “I also had fleeting dreams of being a jazz musician, since I led a dance band in high school.” Bored one day with his saxophone part in the school band (where he was the band leader), he started playing the trumpet by ear. “The band director caught me, demoted me from First Chair to Last Chair and gave me a C- for the se mester,” Phil says. The grade cost him the Valedictorian honor. That band director “had no sense of humor or ap preciation for my musical talent!” he rails, tongue firmly planted in his cheek. His practical father kept him in tune, however, suggesting more sensible careers
OM — August 2022 13
P, his name is Phil but he doesn’t come from Punxa tawny. Born and raised on the Gulf Coast of Texas, Phil attended high school in the Rio Grande Valley. His par ents, Pat and Evelyn (nee Perry) Caruthers, were staunch Methodists. His dad was a school superintendent, a ship yard owner, a house builder, then ended his career as a school teacher. Phil’s mom was a homemaker who raised four boys (all of whom graduated college), but returned to teaching elementary school after the boys left home.
As a little girl, Aryna could recite, “my father’s fam ily came to America to escape religious persecution.” And, precocious as she was, she could clearly say and understand the words, “persecution and prescription.”
14 OM — August 2022 — engineer or physicist. After high school, Phil entered Rice University in Hous ton, Texas, where he graduated with a Master of Science degree in chemical engineering. “Being accepted by Rice was a huge honor, because at the time tuition was free, and competition was intense,” Phil says. He enrolled in the Army ROTC at Rice and served two years active duty after graduation. NASA had a deal with the mil itary to recruit people with advanced degrees in math and science and place them in NASA facilities for their military service. While many of his ROTC buddies were sent to Vietnam or Korea, Phil was assigned to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Califor nia, researching solid rocket propellant. He arrived one month before the 1963 assassination of JFK in Dallas, and kept his Texas roots on the down-low. While at JPL Phil fell in love and married in 1966. He had planned to return to Texas, but his family (a wife and two daughters) kept him in California. When he was discharged from active duty, he interviewed for IBM in L.A. which was pursuing people with scientific and engineering degrees at that time to help launch their 360 computer line. Phil fit the bill. After Aryna spent nine years as a “Systems Engineer” at IBM, where she was the tech support for the sales reps, she figured out that “sales reps were making all the money” and switched to sales, “a true growth for me, taking on the ultimate account responsibilities for the first time. Meanwhile, I had married a fellow IBMer and had my daughter, Rachel.” After the marriage, she and her family moved to Washington, D.C. where she lived for seven years, then the family moved to L.A. in 1976 “when IBM needed professional liaisons with lawyers who were fighting an anti-trust suit,” she explains.
OJAI FESTIVAL WOMEN’S COMMITTEE
When the lawsuit ended, Aryna was able to get back into sales by joining an office in L.A. where she was partnered with Phil. A “meet cute?” You be the judge. “Phil was having a good sales year calling on oil companies and didn’t have any wish for a partner, especially a woman from New York,” Aryna says. “And he proceeded to basically ignore me until the end of the year when we had to make a joint presentation to our manager, at which time I recall him saying, ‘I didn’t know you did all that.’” Phil denies that he ignored her and believes he did welcome her as his partner, but “I was going through a divorce at the time, so I was a bit down on women in general and didn’t think I needed a partner. At the end of the year, we had to do an account review for our branch manager. Aryna
CRONIES
Aryna and Phil had bought a house in Brentwood, Cali fornia and loved living there, but after retirement they wanted to live somewhere with less traffic, less noise. They considered Santa Fe, Carmel and Pacific Grove, among other towns and cities, but friends invited them to visit Ojai. They had been to Ojai previously for the international tennis tournament and for their friends’ wedding and liked the valley, so they decided to explore the real es tate market. “We came, we saw, we bought!” Aryna says.
Friction in the beginning, then life-long partners. How very TheirTracy/Hepburn!careersflourished.
The Ojai Valley Athletic Club became their second Ojai home when they became members. Phil played advanced tennis but, after a few weeks of being bat tered and bruised, then “shelving his ego” as he put it, he became part of the Cronies, an “older group” that plays three mornings a week. Sadly, hip and knee replace ment surgeries have put him “on hold,” he says. Aryna took advantage of the Club’s yoga classes and joined the Technical Swimming Class where “Coach Rick drills us and tries to make us better swimmers.”
OM — August 2022 15 did a great presentation of all the work she had done, and I soberly realized she was a much better salesperson than me! Later Aryna also went through a divorce, and our relationship developed into a full-blown romance.”
TENNIS
Phil’s customers were mostly large petroleum companies “selling the ‘big iron’ as we called the computers which took up large rooms,” he says. Aryna’s customers were the major L.A. film studios. At one point she became the Team Leader for the Disney account when IBM won the major computer installation for the yet to open Euro Disney. This landed her a trip to Paris to work with the IBM France team that would be installing the computers. Nice perk!
P hil and Aryna also jumped into the community service pool with both fee t Aryna volunteered at the Ojai Library Book Store. She joined the Ojai Festival Women’s Committee where she served as President and chaired the OFWC Holi day Home Tour and Market Place fundraiser and was a founding member of the Ojai Women’s Fund where she co-chaired the Education Committee. Both she and Phil served on the Board of the Ojai Film Society, and became involved with the Ojai Valley Community Hospital Guild, where Phil also served as President. Phil also vol unteered at the Ojai Education Foundation. L.T., their names are Living Treasures, so the Rotary Clubs of Ojai anointed them in 2017- 2018 and they continue to be living treasures for our town and valley to this day. Letter perfect.
16 OM — August 2022 DONNA donna4remax@aol.com805.798.0516SALLEN 4 BEDROOMS 3 BATHROOMS GATED PROPERTY There's no place like home. Let me find yours. $4,200,000FOR SALE ABOUT THE PROPERTY Gated and private, this beautiful Mediterranean-style estate is sitting perfectly on 2 acres in Rancho Matilija. Designed by renowned local architect, Marc Whitman, the special attention to detail can’t be overlooked. With a dramatic entry which leads you to the open spacious great room, you can’t help but notice the perfect mix of indoor/outdoor living where light-filled rooms blend with the lush landscaping. Perfect for entertaining with two outdoor kitchens, saltwater pool and spa and a private pool house or art studio. Back inside you will love the gourmet kitchen with commercial grade appliances. Vaulted ceilings, three fireplaces, a media room. There is a gentlemen’s orchard, an oversized three car garage along with lovely mountain views. This home is one of a kind and a must see.
OM — August 2022 17 There's no place like home. Let me find yours. GEMMATILIJARANCHO $3,500,000 ABOUT THE PROPERTY Welcome Home to this wonderful Ranch style VIEW home. Located behind the gates of Rancho Matilija, this home has some of the most magnificent views. Enter into the home and you enjoy the light-filled living room show casing the mountains. The great room opens to the kitchen and leads out to the backyard. The views are breathtaking with pink sunsets and early morning sunrises. You won’t want to miss this home. Bring your creative touches and make this charmer your home for life. With the trail right outside your door, you can walk your dogs, take a hike or ride your horses. Horses are welcome on this equestrian property. Private and gated. PROPERTY DETAIL 4 BEDROOMS 3 BATHROOMS3,042SF GATED PROPERTY www.donnasallen.com donna4remax@aol.com FOR SALE
www.donnasallen.comGARAGE donna4remax@aol.com
18 OM — August 2022 PLANOPENDOWNTOWNFLOOR FOR SALE $1,650,000 DONNA 805.798.0516SALLEN
BATHROOMS
ABOUT THE PROPERTY You will love your downtown Ojai home with an open spacious floor plan, vaulted ceilings and gleaming wood floors. The kitchen has a large island and is open to the dining and great room. The living room is light-filled and has a beautiful rock fireplace. All the bedrooms are generous in size and the bathrooms have been remodeled. You will love the great room looking out into the very private back yard. Bring your finishing touches to the unfinished building in the back and create a dream space for your guests to come stay and/or Art Studio. Don’t miss this one! 3ATTACHED
PROPERTY DETAIL 3 BEDROOMS
OM — August 2022 19 There's no place like home. Let me find yours. 227 Baldwin Rd., 805-646-0459Ojai www.frontierpaint.biz Now available at frontier paint 805 272 POTTERYGALLERYwww.firestickpottery.com87601804EastOjaiAvenueWORKSHOPSPARTIESFREETOURSCREATIVESPACEOPENTOTHEPUBLICOpenDaily10-6GalleryOpentothePublic
By Aimee Jo Davis-Varela
Hang patio curtains: If you already have some type of roof structure over your outdoor living area, you can increase the shade while also enhancing privacy by hanging patio curtains. Install an awning: Awnings protect from both sun and rain and are available in stationary and retractable styles.
Now in our third year of navigating life during a pandemic, most of us are ready for life to get back to some version of normal. For many, this includes an in creasing number of social gatherings and hanging out with friends more often and with fewer protocols in place. One way to reduce risk while sharing time with friends and family is to do it outside. So, let’s look at ways to create shaded oases where you and your guests can escape the sun’s radiation and enjoy time together in your outdoor living areas.
Ojai summers are hot and dry with July and August being the hottest and driest months of the year. This does not keep folks from getting outside to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, but it does mean that most folks are seeking out opportu nities to cool off in the shade whenever possible.While the air temperature is not actual ly cooler in the shade than it is in the sun, it generally feels 10 to 15 degrees cooler when you are out of the sun because you are not being bombarded with solar radiation. This is why working outside in the sun on hot days is nearly unbearable but relaxing on your covered patio with a glass of iced tea feels perfectly fine.
Use temporary canopies: Pop-up can opies are easy to store when not in use and usually take just minutes to set up. This makes them perfect for impromptu play dates or creating multiple seating areas to give partygoers room to spread out. If you need to bring in a professional to help create shade in your yard by hanging shade sails or building a pergola or other roof structure, remember to support the local economy by using local contractors.
20 OM — August 2022
Use existing structures: The cheapest, fastest way to create a shaded seating area is to simply move your patio furniture into the shade created by an existing wall or fence. Add umbrellas: Another inexpensive, quick way to add shade to your yard is to place one or more umbrellas around your patio. Add a solid roof or pergola: If your budget allows for a bigger home improve ment project, consider adding a solid roof structure to your outdoor living area. If this project seems too big or expensive, a pergola is another attractive option that can have its shade-producing capacity enhanced by adding a fabric cover. Install shade sails: I just added a shade sail from the roof of my covered deck to the fence, and I love how it both blocks the sun and obscures the view from my neighbors’ second-story window. Shade sails are affordable and available in lots of colors and sizes, so this a versatile option that is going to work for most backyards.
Got Shade? Seven Ways to Make Your Own
OM — August 2022 21
While Edward Drummond Libbey is rightfully regarded among Ojai’s chief benefactors — having been behind the building of such Ojai landmarks as the Ojai Valley Inn, St. Thomas Aquinas Church (now the Museum), Post Office Tower and the Arcade — others have been very influential in shaping Ojai’s identity. Here’s a few:
FATHERS & MOTHERS
. The spiritual teacher and writer, came to Ojai in 1922, sponsored by the Theosophical Society, though he later broke with that group (“The Leaderless Path.”) He gave talks to many thousands of people each year, in the Star Camps in the oak groves west of Ojai (now the site of Oak Grove School. He once held the Guinness Book of World Records for having spoken to the greatest number of people.
. After coming West to farm and care for an ailing brother, the Yale-educated Thacher realized that he was going to need another source of income. So he founded The Thacher School in 1887. Now one of the most prestigious preparatory academies in the country, its founding creed was “teach a boy to ride, shoot and tell the truth.” Also, in 1896, his brother William founded “The Ojai,” the country’s oldest amateur tennis tournament. Among Thacher’s more illustrious students were industrialist, aviator and film producer Howard Hughes and three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist Thornton Wilder, who wrote his first play while a Thacher student. QUICK FACTS: 7,461 Valley: (est.) 21,300 3,176 745 Ojai The name “Ojai” is believed to be derived from the Ventureño Chumash word ‘awhaý, meaning “moon.” In 1837, Fernando Tico received a land grant and established a cattle ranch. Thomas A. Scott, who had financial success with oil and railroads, bought the Ojai Valley in 1864 for oil exploration. By 1868, Scott, through his agent Thomas Bard, began selling properties to homesteaders. By 1874, R.G. Surdam plotted out the town he would call Nordhoff, renamed Ojai in 1917. Ojai is about 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 30 miles east of Santa Barbara. The valley is about 10 miles long by 3 miles wide, surrounded by hills and mountains; the rare east-west orientation with a slight southward tilt gives the valley an extraordinary sun exposure; Ojai’s citrus and avocado crops are highly prized. This orientation also gives rise to Ojai as a spiritual destination. It was due to the resources and organizing energy of Ohio glass manufacturer Edward Drummond Libbey that Nordhoff was rebuilt and renamed Ojai, inspired by the City Beautiful Movement. By 1917, with the construction of the Arcade and Post Office Tower, the town took its present shape. The city’s self-styled nickname is “Shangri-La,” based on the story that Ojai was the backdrop (later left on the editing room floor) from the 1937 movie as the mystical sanctuary of James Hilton’s novel “Lost Horizon.”
Jiddhu Krishnamurti
FOUNDING
Elevation:
Ave. High (°F) Ave. Low Precip. Jan 67 36 5.04 Feb 67 38 5.24 March 70 41 3.35 April 74 43 1.22 May 78 48 .47 June 83 51 .12 July 89 56 .04 Aug. 91 55 .005 Sept. 87 53 .2 Oct. 80 47 .98 Nov. 73 40 1.69 Dec. 66 35 2.95 Average Annual Rainfall: 21.3 Weather in
Record High Year 115° 2018 Record Low Year 16° 1990
Beatrice Wood. The famed ceramicist’s (“The Mama of Dada”) greatest work of art may well have been her life. The irreverent, avant-garde Wood lived and worked in Ojai for decades until her death in 1998 at age 105. She inspired two classic movies, Francois Truffaut’s “Jules et Jim,” and James Cameron’s “Titanic.” She attributed her longevity to “chocolate and young men.” Her autobiography was appropriately titled, “I Shock Myself.” Many of her distinctive, whimsical, luminous luster-glazed pieces are on display at her former home, now the Beatrice Wood Center, in upper Ojai.
Population:
Sherman Day Thacher
OJAI
Households::
Annie Besant. Free-thinker, feminist and noted Theosophist. Though she only spent a few days in Ojai, she brought Krishnamurti to Ojai, and helped buy hundreds of acres of property in Ojai, (now the sites of Besant Hill School and, along with A.P. Warrington, the Krotona Center) which she called “the smiling vale.” She is considered one of the pioneers of introducing Eastern mystical thought to the West, and was an early advocate of India’s independence. and the labor movement.
22 OM — August 2022 DavisNora LIV comOjaiValleyEstates.RealtyInternationalSotheby’s 805-207-6177 Team Deckert Keller Williams 805-272-5218comTeamDeckert.ContactUs@BrokerRayRealtyDeckert,Associate Therese HartmannA. is a local (805)Therese298291.NMLS#01048403.CaliforniaLicensedration,FinancialfiliatedconsultantloanafwithC2CorpoandisaBroker,BRE#Calltodayat798-2158. HansonDale Ojai Valley Real Estate 211 E. Matilija Street, Ste. J, 206 E. Ojai Ave. 805-646-7229 dale@ovhl.com Don & EdwardsCheree LivinginOjai.comSellingOjai’sGoldRE/MAXCoastTopTeam 805.350.7575805.340.3192 GuernseyDennis LIV RealtyInternationalSotheby’s 805-798-1998 FalvoRoss Keller Williams “TheRealtyOjai Real Estate RossFalvo.comGuy” 805-207-5094 MoodyVivienne LIV RealtyInternationalSotheby’s 805-798-1099 OjaiLifestyle.netsbcglobal.netvmoody10@ SallenDonna Remax Gold Coast comDonnaSallen.max@aol.comDonna4ReRealtors 805-798-0516 HallLogan Logan PhotographyHall 805-798-0337 comloganhallphotos. WaltcherPatty LIV needs.yourCallRealtyInternationalSotheby’smeforRealEstate CurrierKristen805-340-3774 LIV RealtyInternationalSotheby’s 805-798-3757 comthehoffgroup. WildeErik LIV Wilde-Wilde.comRealtyInternationalSotheby’s 805-830-3254LarryWilde LIV comWilde-Wilde.RealtyInternationalSotheby’s 805-640-5734 WHO’S WHO IN OJAI REAL ESTATE? StanworthAmanda LIV Sotheby’s Inter national Realty Phone: 805-2188117 • worth.comWeb:comworth77@gmail.amandastanE-mail:Rooney-Stan TO BE LISTED HERE, PLEASE CALL BRET @ 805-798-0177 Clinton Haugan LIV | DRE#bysrealtyca.comchaugan@livsotheO:C:Ojai,727RealtyInternationalSotheby’sW.OjaiAve.CA93023(805)760-2092(805)646-728802019604
OM — August 2022 23 Ojai’s lOcally lOwned Ocally and andOperated magazines. magazines By BnatiOnally award-winning writers writersand phOtOgraphers. phOtOgraphers OjaiHub.com 805.798.0177 02047013CalBRE#TallentHildegard Keller BlancheRealty,Williams109N.Street Tel: WilliamsonAnnekw.comgard.tallent@email:1872805-798-hilde Keller Williams inojai.comAnneshomesRealty 805-320-3314KirkEllison LIV me.comKirkEllison@RealtyInternationalSotheby’s 805-340-5905 realtOrs rsupplying lOcal lschOOls Ocal
Dawn E. Shook - Executive Officer, Ojai Valley Board of REALTORS Did you know? The Ojai Valley Board of REALTORS created a program called OOSS many years ago, which stands for Operation Ojai School Supplies." Each August we contact Ojai Unified School District to inquire of teacher’s needs for the new school year. A list is compiled and sent to our OVBR Marketing Committee for review. We get the word out to our local agents and brokers in the Ojai Valley in July, who shop for school supplies for the next school year. All our local real estate offices, in addition to the Ojai Board Office, donate the school supplies! It is heartwarming to see all the crayons, markers, notebooks, pencils, pens, binder clips, rubber bands, folders, tape, index cards, paintbrushes, glue sticks, erasers and so much more, come into our Ojai Valley Board of REALTORS Office. We also have local service clubs help with this great annual program such as: Ojai Lions Club, The Optimist Club of Ojai, Ventura Downtown Lions Club, in addition to individual Ojai Valley citizens. The OVBR Marketing Committee boxes up the school supplies and we fill a truck, as we go half a block to the OUSD Principal’s Meeting in mid August. This year, we will drop off a box at Sunset School, as they are in our Ojai Valley, too. OUSD is introducing Pre-K classes in all schools this year, so the need is greater than ever. We will probably have completed our 2022 OOSS program before you read this. However, when you see the July 2023 school supply ads in store flyers, call us to donate your school supplies to our worthy cause next year! The OVBR Office is located at 338 East Ojai Ave, next to the Chevron Station. You can call us at 805.646.8453Seeyouabout town!
24 OM — August 2022 AGAVE MARIA Fresh, wholesome Mexican food & drink 106 South Montgomery Street (805) agavemarias.com646-6353 AJ’S EXPRESS CHINESE EXPRESS Gourmet Chinese food to eat in or to go 11566 North Ventura Avenue (805) ajchinesecuisine.com646-1177 BOCCALI’S Pizza & Pasta, from our farm to our tables 3277 Ojai-Santa Paula Road (805) boccalis.com646-6116 BONNIE LU’S COUNTRY CAFE Traditional American breakfast & brunch 328 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-0207 THE DEER LODGE An Ojai legend since 1932 2261 Maricopa Highway (805) deerlodgeojai.com646-4256 FARMER & THE COOK The best of organic Ojai 339 West El Roblar Drive (805) farmerandcook.com640-9608 YUME JAPANESE BURGER 254 East Ojai Avenue (Arcade) (805) 646-1700 JIM & ROB’S FRESH GRILL 214&Mexican-AmericanregionalfavoritesWestOjaiAvenue #100 (805) jimandrobsojai.com640-1301 HIP VGN Vegan sandwiches, salads & bowls 201 North Montgomery Street (805)hipvegancafe.com669-6363 HOME KITCHEN OF OJAI Breakfast and lunch in a warm space 1103 Maricopa Highway (805) HomeKitchenofOjai.com646-5346 MANDALA Pan-Asian Cuisine 11400 North Ventura Road (805) 613-3048 THE NEST 401 East Ojai Avenue (805) thenestojai.com798-9035 LO>E SOCIAL CAFE 205 North Signal Street (805) nosovita.com646-1540 OAK GRILL @ THE INN Al fresco dining under vine-covered pergola 905 Country Club Road (805) ojairesort.com646-1111 OJAI COFFEE ROASTING COMPANY Salads, sandwiches & superb service 337 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-4478 OJAI PIZZA COMPANY 331 Ojai Avenue (Downtown Ojai) TheOnlyGoodPizza.com545-7878 OJAI PIZZA COMPANY (Oak View) The go-to place for food & sports 820 North Ventura Avenue OJAI ROTIE Rotisserie, sourdough, winebox 469 East Ojai Avenue (805) ojairotie.com798-9227 OSTERIA MONTE GRAPPA Rustic menu of Northern Italian fare & seafood dishes.242E Ojai Ave, Ojai, CA 93023 (805) omgojai.com640-6767 PAPA LENNON’S Family owned, original & traditional Italian 515cuisineWest El Roblar Drive (805) papalennons.com640-7388 RAINBOW BRIDGE A community gathering place 211 East Matilija Street (805) rainbowbridgeojai.com646-6623 THE RANCH HOUSE An Ojai culinary destination for more than 60 102yearsBesant Road (805) theranchhouse.com646-2360 SAKURA OJAI A locals’ favorite for Japanese food 219 East Matilija Street (805) sakuraojai.wix.com646-8777 SEA FRESH Serving Ojai for 30 years 533 East Ojai Avenue (805) seafreshseafood.com646-7747 ZAIDEE’S BAR & GRILL Patio & indoor dining with Ojai’s most tranquil 1033views East Ojai Avenue (805) soulepark.com646-5685
Quick + VegetarianSummerEasy
OM — August 2022 25 SALAD INGREDIENTS
CHEF RANDY’S LIFE OF SPICE roasted beet & fennel salad
1 bunch red beets 1 bunch gold beets 2 large fennel bulbs 4 asparagus stalks (the larger around the better) DRESSING INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 10 ounces arugula 4 ounces aged goat cheese (crumbled) 1 cup walnut pieces Salt(roasted)andpepper to taste INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Thoroughly wash and then peel the beets. Slice them 1/4-inch thick. Place beets in a large baggie with the olive oil and shake to coat beet slices evenly. Pour beets onto two large baking sheets and roast in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove beets from oven and turn each on over. Return to oven and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Make sure they are room temperature (if not chilled) before Trimplating.a1/2 slice from the bottom of each fennel bulb and remove large tough sections of bulb. Thinly slice the remaining fennel and remove the “core” from each slice. Set aside. Trim the “woody” 2-3 inches off the end of each asparagus stalk. Use a potato peeler to shave thin ribbons of asparagus. Set aside.
Randy Graham is a noted chef and writer and has been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for over 38 years. Chef Randy has written and published a series of seven cookbooks with original recipes developed over the period 1975 through 2020. He writes for the Ojai Quarterly, the Ojai Monthly, and the California 101 Travelers Guide. His vegetarian recipes are published in newspapers throughout Central California under the header, Chef Randy. He and his wife, Robin, live in Ojai, California, with their dog Cooper. Robin and Cooper are not vegetarians.
Beets have a naturally nutty flavor and, when roasted, a wonderfully sweet taste. They are very low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, copper, manganese, Folate and fiber. Fennel is crunchy and slightly sweet. Like beets, it is a good source of vitamin C, potassium, copper, manganese, Folate, and fiber. In addition, it brings iron and vitamin B3 to the plate (so to speak). Asparagus has a wonderfully different texture when “shaved” raw and added to salads. Like beets and fennel above, it is full of nutrition including vitamin K, selenium, Folate, copper, vitamins A, E, B1, B2, B3 and B6. It is also a good source of fiber, zinc, iron and phosphorus. Suffice it to say that this earthy salad packs a large nutritional wallop. I like to serve it alongside a nice vegetarian entrée for dinner or, when served with fresh French bread, as a nice light lunch all by itself.
26 OM — August 2022 Call me for your real estate needs. Residential, commercial, or business opportunity. Dale Hanson Ojai Valley Real Estate dale@ojaivalleyrealestate.com(805)646-7229 B.R.E.Notary01229522Public Great location for commercial business or restaurant. Large parking in back. The building is updated and very clean. Forced air and heat ing, 3 private offices. A bath room and small wet kitchen. Separate attached unit with 3/4 bath and private entrance and address. $775,000
OM — August 2022 27 Whitman Architectural Design Providing the highest quality custom residential & commercial Architectural Design and Constructionwww.whitman-architect.comServices. “We Shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” Winston Churchill 805-646-8485 THERESE HARTMANN more!andmortgagesreverseOfferingsomuch (805) 798-2158 | HEARTLOANS@SBCGLOBAL.NET | HEARTLOANS.COM 236 W. OJAI AVE., SUITE 105, OJAI CA 93023 This licensee is performing acts for which a real estate license is required. C2 Financial Corporation is licensed by the California Bureau of Real Estate, Broker # 01821025; NMLS # 135622. Loan approval is not guaranteed and is subject to lender review of information. All loan approvals are conditional and all conditions must be met by borrower. Loan is only approved when lender has issued approval in writing and is subject to the Lender conditions. Specified rates may not be available for all borrowers. Rate subject to change with market conditions. C2 Financial Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Mortgage Broker/Lender. BRE #01048403 NMLS #298981 C2 FINANCIAL CORPORATION IS THE # 1 BROKER IN THE NATION! MORTGAGE EXECUTIVEMAGAZINEApril 2019 PROVIDING HOME LOANS FOR OVER 25 YEARS! Homes Sold Last Month 206 South Ventura Street #B, 2 bed, 2 bath, 902 sf, $530,000 27 Olive Street, Oak View, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,198 sf, $755,000 112 Summer Street, Oak View, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,368 sf, $835,000 80 Watkins Way, Oak View, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,296 sf, $875,000 311 Canada Street, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,261 sf, $910,000 98 Portal Street, Oak View, 1,746 sf, $912,000 2364 Burnham Road, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,824 sf, $949,900 711 Drown Avenue, 3 bed, 2 bath, 8,318 sf, $1,100,000 818 Grandview Avenue, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,274, $1,230,000 159 Burnham Road, Oak View, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,774, $1,289,000 883 Moreno Drive, 3 bed, 2.5 bath, 2,623 sf, $1,320,000 33 Reposo Drive, Oak View, 5 bed, 2.5 bath, 2,262 sf, $1,525,000 9650 Old Creek Road, Oak View, 3 bed, 2 bath, 2,539 sf, $1,690,000 539 Del Oro Drive, 3 bed, 2.75 bath, 3,234 sf, $2,350,000 545 Del Oro Drive, 4 bed, 4 bath, 3,944 sf, $2,575,000 12717 Blue Heron, 4 bed, 2.75 bath, 3,742 sf, $3,850,000 723 Oak Grove Court, 4 bed, 4.5 bath, 5,300 sf, $3,850,000 A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF RECENT HOME SALES SOLD IN OJAI
proposition 19 pros & cons
28 OM — August 2022
You might recall there being a lot of advertising around Proposition 19 in 2020, some for and some against. It ended up passing by only a very slight majority and went into effect in February 2021. Like any new bill, it’s taken a bit to see if the results match up to the promise. But what is Prop 19 and how does it impact you and your family finances? In short, Prop 19 was set up to create property tax savings for older homeowners, more revenue for fire districts and greater flexibility for wildfire victims. What could be wrong with this, you might ask? Well, the tax break does not apply to every homeowner, and it significantly modifies the parent-child exclusion that previously allowed a property owner inheriting to retain the tax rate of their principal residence instead of triggering a new property tax rate during the transfer. Let me give you an example ... let’s say a family purchased a home in Ventura County in the 1950s. As of 1975, the assessed value of the property was around $50,000. Under the old tax laws, the tax base of that property would be set at the market value of $50k with a two percent increase in assessed value every year. Let’s say this same family gave their home to their children the day before Prop 19 went into effect as a basis for comparison, the home would have a tax basis of around $95k. If instead they transferred the property to their children the very next day, it would be a very different story! Using a median home price of $700k, the pre-Prop 19 bill would be $950/year and after, a whopping $7K. Not a great scenario! Still, there are folks who benefit, especially seniors over the age of 55. They are allowed to transfer their tax basis anywhere in the state as long as it is within two years of selling their departing primary residence. And this would be regardless of the value of the new residence although there are adjustments if the purchase price of replacement home is higher than what the former residence sold for. As mentioned, it also benefits those who have had their residences burned down in a fire providing a small silver lining to the trauma of losing a home. And, as is typical, there are ways to “outmaneuver” the law. Some folks handle this through the use of a irrevocable trust or a land trust. But since I’m not a tax attorney and can’t give out tax advice, I can only suggest you look into speaking with a lawyer handling these kinds of things, either a tax attorney or an estate attorney. It’s important to do so considering the potential financial impact it can have upon future generations.
Well Worth Consulting a Tax Attorney
Therese A. Hartmann has more than 20 years’ lending experience. She is a Licensed Broker, California Dept. of Real Estate #01048403, NMLS # 298291, affiliated with C2 Financial Corporation. For a free consultation, call Therese today at (805) 798-2158. By Therese A. Hartmann
1 SHELF ROAD 3.5mi EASY | Elev. Gain: 200 ft | Overlooks downtown Ojai.
VENTURA PRESERVERIVER|7mi
GRIDLEY TRAIL 6-12mi MODERATE | 3 mi to Gridley Springs (Elev. Gain: 1,200 ft) 6 mi to Nordhoff Peak. Trailhead at north end of Gridley Road. MATILIJA CANYON 12mi MODERATE | Elev. Gain: 1,200 ft | Middle Fork. Trailhead at end of Matilija Road. First 1.5 miles of trail well-maintained, the rest a scramble. SULPHUR MTN. 22mi MODERATE | Elev. Gain: 2,300 ft | Trailhead on eastern side of Sulphur Mountain Road. Views are unsurpassed.
EASY TO MODERATE | Elev. Gain: 520 ft (Wills-Rice). Trailheads at end of Meyer Road, South Rice Road and Baldwin Road. Great for birding. HORN CANYON 5.5mi STRENUOUS | Elev. Gain: 1,600 ft. Trailhead near Thacher School’s gymkhana field. Goes to shady stand of 80-foot tall pines. ROSE VALLEY 1mi EASY | Elev. Gain: 100 ft Trailhead at Rose Valley Campground. Leads to a spectacular 300-foot, two-tiered fall.
OM — August 2022 29 OQ | HIKING MAP 5 482 396 107
PRATT TRAIL 8.8mi STRENUOUS | Elev. Gain: 3,300 ft | Trailhead off North Signal Street. Goes to Nordhoff Peak. Clear day? See forever. COZY DELL 2.2mi MODERATE | Elev. Gain: 740 ft | Trailhead 8 miles north of Ojai on Maricopa Highway. Short, intense hike that also connects to trail network. SISAR CANYON 22mi STRENUOUS | Elev. Gain: 4,800 ft to Topa Topa Bluffs. Trailhead at end of Sisar Road. Only for experienced, fit hikers.
We know Ojai. Nora Davis BRE License #01046067 nora@ojaivalleyestates.com805.207.6177 1961 ranch-style home close to town with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, remodeled kitchen, separate art studio, covered patio, stone fireplace, and mountain views. $1,695,000 Remodeled three bedroom, three bathroom with large backyard, RV park ing, fruit trees, enclosed carport, outdoor living areas, and mountain views close to bike trail, schools, shopping, restaurants. $825,000 1940 Streamline Moderne home blocks from downtown with four bed rooms, four bathrooms, fireplace, wood floors, outdoor kitchen and living areas, fruit trees, three primary suite options, and remodeled kitchen. $2,150,000 20 Acres with Mountain and Ocean Views, Gated Entry, Avocados, Citrus, Well, Two Water Storage Tanks, House Pad and Parking Structure. $1,000,000
ojaivalleyestates.com The Davis Group Enjoy resort-style living at this luxurious, private, 10-acre estate in Upper Ojai boasting gated entries, seven-bedroom main house with two guest wings and three fireplaces, pool house, swimming pool with beach entrance and wading pool, spa, gym, artist’s loft, lighted tennis court, horse facilities, out door kitchen with pizza oven, patio fireplace, family orchard, three-car garage + two-car garage, and spectacular mountain views. $5,595,000 www.RocaVistaRanchOjai.com We’re lifelong residents.
32 OM — August 2022 Unwavering commitment to my clients’ satisfaction. DRIVEN BY PASSION FOR THE WORK I DO! 805.236.3814 | gabrielacesena@bhhscal.com LIC# Gabrielacesena.bhhscalifornia.com01983530 Gabriela Ceseña THE NEXT LEVEL OF REAL ESTATE SERVICES Realtor® | Luxury Specialist © 2020 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties is a member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates LLC.
