Ojai Monthly - July 2022 by Ojai Quarterly

OJAI 07 22 D I S C O V E R M O N T H LY Real Estate & Visitors Guide

AN OJAI WRITER: THE MAKING OF MARK PAY DOWN YOUR POINTS? SIX WAYS TO HARDEN YOUR HOME

Cover: Donna Sallen, RE/MAX Realty • 805-798-0516 • donnasallen.com

Visitor Information

Events

Activities

Lifestyle

Tips & Tactics. See more at the OJAIHUB.COM

Location is Everything 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 Trailhead. This 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. Come take full advantage of the peace and solace of magical Ojai!

UPPER FOOTHILL FAMILY PARADISE

This beautiful family home on a private drive off the historical Foothill Road combines modern, spacious living with the exquisite natural beauty of Ojai. The park-like setting cradles the living space and large windows allow interior and ex terior 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. 1464FoothillRdOjai.com

Offered at $2,750,000

PAT T Y WALTCHER

(805) 340-3774

pattywaltcher.com

FIRST AMERICANS MUSEUM

BYRON WINERY

OPUS ONE WINERY

WALL HOUSE www.johnsonfain.com info@johnsonfain.com | 323 224 6000 4

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illage marketplace

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TABLE OF CONTENTS JULY 2022

Editor’s Note

Calendar of Events

Featured Pro: Mark Lewis, A Life in Journalism

Six Fire-Hardening Tactics

Ojai Founding Fathers & Mothers

Who’s Who in Real Estate

Dine Ojai — Restaurant Guide

Chef Randy: Summer Quinoa Salad

Sold In Ojai

Paying Down Points, Pros & Cons

Ojai’s Top Ten Hikes

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: 805.798.0177 editor@ojaiquarterly.com 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. 6

25 OJAI 06 22 D I S C O V E R M O N T H LY Real Estate & Visitors Guide

FEATURED PRO: DEVIN FULTON, DANCER EXPLORING FINANCIAL OPTIONS AN EVENTFUL MONTH IN OJAI Cover Photo: “The Music Man” — June 24 to July 24 at the Ojai Art Center. Photo by Stephen Adams Visitor Information

Events

Activities

Lifestyle

Tips & Tactics. See more at the OJAIHUB.COM

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DISCOVER

OJAI MONTHLY THE BARN DOOR PROBLEM ''The cardinal sin, when we are looking for truth of fact of wisdom of policy, is refusal to discuss, or action which blocks discussion.'' — Sidney Bell Hooks

Bret Bradigan

As this tumultuous summer proceeds, we see crisis after crisis come tumbling after us like boulders down a hillside. It feels existential. Even our lovely little town is not immune to the polarizing tendencies and arguments of proof by assertion and not facts, of finger pointing and accusations of ignorance without basis. And that's just the annual Fourth of July chairs controversy. It gets nittier and grittier when it comes to Ojai's changing landscape. The El Roblar Hotel's return, the Ojai Unified School District headquarters future, historic preservation of our downtown, the climate crisis' dire impacts on our farms and the loss of citrus orchards — all of which have become so central to our identity — are just a few of the more proximate issues on hand. And the way we are talking to each other, as enemies rather than opponents, as bad-faith actors rather than holding differing points of view, of ignoring legitimate concerns and impugning motives, this just isn't the Ojai way. Social media is partly to blame, but the dark drift began even earlier. And yes, it's always been there. Just not so easily and eagerly spread around. We used to pride ourselves on our civility and fairness. Human nature works both ways in these situations. I think about the tragic shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas. And the solutions that came forward (is there a worse idea than restricting access to one door for a bustling school?) are all based on what happened, not what could happen. We are always looking to solve the problem that just happened. We don't admit that we don't know what we don't know. Worse, we don't even know that we don't know. Early in Nassib Nicholas Tassim's "Black Swan," he demonstrates this human characteristic with a thought experiment. Say sometime in early in the year 2000, the airlines decided to reinforce cockpit doors and require passengers to take off their shoes before boarding. Would the public lavish them with praise for the tragedy that was averted on Sept. 11th? Would they get any credit for something that didn't happen? I call it the "Barn Door Problem." We are always looking to close the barn door after the horse gets out. Maybe there is an obvious fix to a problem, but problems are often "black swans." That things we've never seen cannot exist. We ignore evidence that contradicts our assumptions or beliefs. It refers to the widespread belief that all swans were white. Because no one had ever seen a black swan, they must not exist. Until the Dutch explorers reached Perth, Australia in 1697 that is, and saw that yes, black swans exist. What this means for Ojai is that we need to worry less about planning for problems that may or may not come to pass, and worry more about building a robust social infrastructure that can deal with whatever problem comes our way, seen or unforeseen. Look at the community's response to the Thomas Fire. #OjaiStrong indeed. But that sense of resilience and unity has largely evaporated, and it would be foolish to think that those same underlying conditions of cohesion still exist. That we came together once, we will come together again. Look at those who bray the loudest and then look at those who do the most. They are seldom the same people. Those ideas of positive action and organizing must be encouraged, built and reinforced until nothing can tear us apart with anything like the energy that binds us together. Ojai, if anywhere, can build a better barn door.

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Ladd & Kelsey, Architects - The Von Hagen Residence, 1975

22035 Saddle Peak Road, Topanga, CA 90290 Beyond the steel gated entry, a long private drive gracefully ascends through park-like grounds to a broad plateau atop the mountain summit. Like the adobes at Acoma pueblo, living and working spaces hug the ground, and flow naturally across the landscape. From this 13 acre site, the vistas can honestly be characterized as nothing less than exhilarating. From above Malibu, views sweep over the Santa Monica Bay, Catalina, Palos Verdes, Long Beach and downtown LA, and continue to the San Fernando Valley, across the Simi Hills and far beyond to the San Bernardino mountains. The residence incorporates 4 bedroom suites, a kitchen, butler’s pantry, living room, dining room and den. Every room has views and direct access to the outside via tall glass sliding doors, except the living room which adjoins the dining room that opens to the ocean view and the atrium and pool opposite. The master bedroom suite includes a fireplace, luxurious large bath, dressing room, 2 cedar walk-in closets and a kitchenette. One suite has its own living room with kitchenette. The 4-car carport is attached. Across from the residence is a 3,300 sf. accessory building/showroom/ garage that lends itself to multiple uses. It includes a workshop, kitchenette, laundry, 2 baths and ample storage space. Christina Hildebrand 310.890.3313

$11,995,000

Exclusively Representing

in Southern California

ojai-quarterly-2022-04.indd 2

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310.275.2222

William Turnbull Jr., FAIA - The Tatum Beach House, 1972

12 Potbelly Beach Road, Aptos, CA 95003 First Offering: Of the many reasons this ingenious structure won Architectural Record’s Record House of the Year, perhaps the most important in terms of its gifts to living is its consciously elemental nature. The honesty of simple raw construction materials, now weathered like driftwood, and its glassy openness, enhance the occupant’s direct connection to the powerful natural forces and elements of the beach environment. To quote Donlyn Lyndon in Buildings in the Landscape: “Bill’s approach to the landscape was not one of emulation, but of cultivation. The land, the family, the acts of building, the joys of inhabiting, all merged in Bill’s mind into homes for the imagination. They are buildings that honor human presence in the land.” tatumbeachhouse.com 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1,830 s.f., .29 acres Crosby Doe 310.428.6755

$6,000,000 Ilana Gafni 310.779.7497

Crosby Doe Associates, Inc. 8645 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069 DRE# 01844144

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5/16/22 1:4

EVENT

BENEFIT FOR UKRAINE BY MICHAEL ESTWANIK

In February, Russia launched an unprovoked and merciless invasion of the sovereign democracy of Ukraine. The horrifying images of Ukrainians fighting for their lives were — and still are — heartbreaking. Millions have become refugees, leaving their families and friends behind to seek safety in other countries. What could I — what could Ojai — do to help? I recalled this quote from Leonard Bernstein upon the occasion of the assassination of his friend, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.” So that is what we are doing: 30 members of the Ojai community: actors, singers, dancers, musicians, crew, ushers, and other volunteers donating their wonderful talents and invaluable time to present a concert version of the Broadway musical “Rags” as a benefit for

the American Red Cross Relief Efforts in Ukraine. This not-to-be-missed event will take place one time only on Sunday, July 31 at 2 p.m. at Matilija Auditorium, 703 El Paseo Road. “Rags” is a powerful and timely musical about Jewish immigrants creating new lives for themselves on New York City’s Lower East side in the early 1900s. After fleeing from murderous (Russian!) Cossacks with nothing but the rags on their backs, these brave souls overcame countless obstacles in their quest to become “real” Americans. ''Rags’’ has a script by Joseph Stein (“Fiddler on the Roof”), music by Charles Strouse (“Bye Bye Birdie,” “Annie”), and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (“Godspell,” “Pippin,” “Wicked”). Its score of ragtime, Broadway, Jewish, Irish, and Italian melodies, patriotic (4th of July), klezmer, and jazz, is beautiful, romantic, funny, and life-affirming, evoking an era of tremendous social upheaval much like our own.

Tickets are for Reserved Seats, a $50 tax-deductible donation: americansongbooktoday.ticketleap.com Donations: tax-deductible donations of any amount Venmo and Zelle @ americansongbooktoday American Songbook Today‘s future events include: “A Songwriting Workshop” with Ojai’s own Amanda McBroom and Michele Brourman, an encore performance of 2020’s “An Evening of Oscar-Winning Songs” during Oscar Week, “An Evening of the Gershwins,” “Songs for Mothers and Those They Love” on Mother’s Day, and our monthly “Tuesdays at Twilight” open mics and audience sing-alongs of Broadway songs and standards. For further info: michaelsongbook@ gmail.com Michael Estwanik is the producer, director and founder of American Songbook Today, a 501(c)(3)

JULY CALENDAR OF EVENTS Ivon Hitchens at canvas and paper through July 17

Grateful Shred at Libbey Bowl, July 30-31

events

WEEKLY Certified Farmers Market

Every Sunday Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Contact: 805-698-5555 Location: Matilija Street city parking lot behind the Arcade. Open air market featuring locally grown produce, as well as plants, musicians and handmade items. Ojai Community Farmers Market Every Thursday Time: 3-7 p.m. Location: Chaparral High School Courtyard

MAY 19 – JULY 17 Ivon Hitchens: “Flowers” Location: canvas and paper, 311 North Montgomery Street Times: Thursday to Sunday, 12 noon to 5 p.m. Contact: canvasandpaper.org Free admission — canvas and paper is a non-profit exhibition space showing paintings and drawings from the 20th century and earlier in thematic and single artist exhibits. JUNE 24 - JULY 24 “Music Man” at the Ojai Art Center Times: Thursday - Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. Ojai Art Center Theater 109 South Montgomery Street Contact: OjaiAct.org, 805-640-8797 Meredith Willson’s classic, directed by Tracey Williams Sutton

2ND SATURDAYS — JULY 9 Ojai Studio Artists Open Studios Date: July 9 Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Location: Varied, check website at ojaistudioartists.org Select groups of OSA members artists open their studios to the public in this free event. Perfect for patrons, or just curious lovers of art. 2ND & 4TH SUNDAYS — JULY 10 & 24 Ojai Cars & Coffee

Times: 8 to 10 a.m. Location: Westridge Midtown Market 131 West Ojai Avenue Contact: IDriveSoCal.com Ojai Cars & Coffee events take place in a gorgeous setting in the parking lot of the Westridge Midtown Market. Come see beautiful collector and vintage cars and talk with their proud owners. JULY 22 The Zombies Times: 5 p.m. Location: Libbey Bowl Contact: 888-645-5006 boxoffice@wmmts.com The iconic British psychedelic pop legends and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees have returned to Ojai. JULY 23 “An Afternoon with Amanda McBroom” Time: Saturday, 4 p.m. The Ojai Art Center 113 South Montgomery Street Contact: ojaiartcenter.org, 805-646-0117 McBroom, composer of the much-covered song, “The Rose,” has been described as “anurban poet who writes like an angel and has a voice to match.”

Location: Libbey Bowl Contact: OVLC.org or 805-649-6852 ext. 2 Eclectic, Locally-Curated 2-Day Festival to FeaturingGrateful Shred, Cayucas, Nate Mercereau, Carlos Niño, Dan Horne, Gifted & Blessed, Shelley Burgon, Service Human, Barbarelle, Chuck & Luisa, Melody Bird and more to benefit the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy JULY 31 'Rags” A Benefit for Ukraine Time: 5 p.m. Location: Matilija Auditorium Contact: michaelsongbook@gmail.com “Rags” is a Broadway musical about displaced people finding their way.

THURSDAYS “Ojai: Talk of the Town” Podcast New episodes come out Thursday evenings through OjaiHub.com newsletter. Sign up at OjaiHub.com

JULY 30-31 Grateful Shred & Friends Times: 2 to 9 p.m.

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MARK LEWIS BY ILONA SAARI

MAKING HIS MAR Born in Washington D.C., Mark Lewis spent his early years in suburban Virginia and Maryland “with a two-year side trip” as he tells it, to Dallas in the late ‘50s. When Mark was eight his father, Craig Lewis, landed a job in New York City. The family, which now consisted of sisters Arden and Robin, and brother Kern, moved a commuter-train-ride away from Manhattan, to the town of New Rochelle.

Both Craig and Mark’s mother, Karen Kerns Lewis, graduated from UCLA. In the early ‘50s, before moving to New York, Craig worked as a journalist at Business Week in D.C., then at Aviation Week where he covered the space race. He was recruited by the Kennedy Administration to serve as the Communications Director at the FAA, where he wrote the speech that President Kennedy delivered at the opening of Dulles International Airport. The family moved to New York in 1964 when Craig was offered a job with Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin), which built the rockets that carried the Gemini astronauts into space. Mark’s mother, Karen, studied art in college and pursued 12

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a career as a painter, mostly in oils. She was an early member of Pindar, which began as a “women-only” SoHo gallery in lower Manhattan. She continued her education, earning her MFA at Lehman College and taught art, first at the local New Rochelle high school, and later at a local college. After graduating from New Rochelle High, Mark went on to get his B.A. in history at UCLA. “I had no particular career goals until after I graduated from UCLA in 1978, at which point I realized I’d better come up with some. I liked to write and seemed to be good at it, so I asked myself who will pay me a salary to do that? The answer was newspapers and magazines, so I went into journal

MARK LEWIS - CUB REPORTER OM — July 2022

MARK LEWIS WITH KEVIN WALLACE, DIRECTOR OF THE BEATRICE WOOD CENTER FOR THE ARTS — AN OJAI ART CENTER LITERARY SALON

ism.” With that new goal in mind, Mark enrolled in Northwestern University’s Medill School and earned his MS in journalism, “essentially to buy my way into the profession by getting a master’s degree,” he says, and thus followed his father’s footsteps writing for newspapers and magazines. Degrees in hand, Mark applied for a variety of newspaper jobs, and began his journalistic career at a small Hearst daily, the Midland Reporter-Telegram in Midland, Texas, “which is pretty much in the middle of nowhere,” he admits …“’Friday Night Lights’ territory.” With a bit of experience under his belt, he moved to the San Antonio Light, a larger Hearst daily in South Texas where, as he did for the Midland paper, “covered cops and courts and general assignments.” He continues, “Then for Light, I covered the Texas Legislature in Austin — a fun town and fun assignment. Then returned to Light’s home base in S.A, as deputy editorial page editor, churning out daily editorials on various subjects.” Mark was making his mark. In 1993, Light closed its doors, so Mark decided to take some time off and explore Asia. He had bummed around in Europe some years earlier, and thought doing the same in Asia would be an adventure he’d enjoy, as well as being a learning experience. Returning to the States, he scored a job covering the state Legislature for Gannett’s Burlington Free Press and moved to Montpelier, Vermont. It was there that he began freelancing for The Economist, “where my London-based editor exhibited an unexpected appetite for Vermont stories. (It gave her an excuse to run funny-looking photos of flinty dairy farmers in flannel shirts, posing alongside their cows.)” When Mark was hired as a wire-service reporter in the Reuters’ Wall Street bureau, he left Montpelier for Manhattan, after which he became a writer, then editor, for 14

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the Forbes’ magazine website, Forbes.com. He continued to make his mark when, in 2002, he broke the national news story of the plagiarism scandal involving noted historian Stephen Ambrose. Leaving Forbes in 2005, he continued his freelance career by writing book reviews for the Sunday New York Times Book Review, the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, as well as articles for the online magazine, Slate. Meanwhile, Mark’s parents had retired to Ojai in 1990 and he visited them often and got to know the valley. Then the Great Recession hit in 2008. By 2010, Mark decided to give up his Manhattan apartment with its “exorbitant Upper West Side rent” and moved to Ojai to be closer to family. “I knew I could easily adjust to Ojai, which is the same size as Montpelier, minus that state Capitol. I liked small-town living, especially in beautiful places.” By then, his parents had become active members of the community. Craig served on the local hospital and homeless shelter boards and Karen continued her art. She joined the Ojai Studio Artists, still participates in OSA’s annual studio tour, and served on the Ojai Arts

PARENTS 50TH ANNIVERSARY. FROM LEFT, KERN, MARK, CRAIG, KAREN, ARDEN, ROBIN.

Commission in the mid ‘90s when the city’s public art ordinance was developed. Recently, she had a solo exhibit of her work in the Ojai Art Center gallery. Not to mention, all Mark’s siblings and their children were in California. Brother Kern, a semi-retired marketing consultant, lives in Castro. Sister Arden is a kindergarten teacher in L.A. and an actor, theater director, playwright and an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Sister Robin is an eldercare provider and lives in Ojai. Sadly, in 2021, Craig passed away at age 91. “We miss him a lot,” Mark says. In his new life in Ojai, Mark’s reporter skills were called upon when he became a feature writer and contributing editor for the glossy magazine, the Ojai Quarterly. He also served on the Ojai Valley Museum board for five years, as well as its president for three, “including 2017 when we spearheaded the citywide celebration of the centennial of Edward Libbey’s Spanish-style reinvention of downtown Ojai.” He also conceived and wrote several major museum exhibits, most recently “Ojai at the Crossroads.” Like his mother, Mark served terms on the city’s Arts Commission. And, as the museum’s rep-

resentative on the Historic Preservation Commission, he played a leading role in creating several books on Ojai’s cultural history, including “Ojai By Design” about local architecture and “OSA: Three Decades,” which celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Ojai Studio Artists. Mark became the Chair of the Ojai Art Center Literary Branch just before Covid, and as the pandemic has lessened, he’s been able to revive the Branch’s literary salons, open to the community with guest writers, and he has recently joined the board of the Ojai Valley Hospital Foundation. “I’ve lived in big cities and small towns and enjoyed both lifestyles, but now that I’m semi-retired, a lovely, semi-rural retreat like Ojai makes the most sense for me. Peace and quiet and yet plenty to do. It’s a human-sized community; you can get your arms around it.”

The mark of a true writer.

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There's no place like home. Let me find yours.

FOR SALE 4 BEDROOMS

3 BATHROOMS

$4,200,000

GATED PROPERTY

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.

DONNA SALLEN 805.798.0516 do n n a4 re m ax@ a ol .com

OM — July 2022

There's no place like home. Let me find yours.

RANCHO MATILIJA GEM

FOR SALE

$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 showcasing 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

3,042SF

www. donnasa llen.c om

3 BATHROOMS

GATED PROPERTY

donna4remax@aol.com OM — July 2022

DONNA SALLEN

805.798.0516

DOWNTOWN OPEN FLOOR PLAN

FOR SALE

$1,650,000

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!

PROPERTY DETAIL

3 BEDROOMS

ATTACHED GARAGE 3 BATHROOMS

ww w. d o n n a s a l l e n . co m 18

OM — July 2022

donna4remax@aol.com

CREATIVE SPACE TO THElike PUBLIC home. Let me find yours. There's no OPEN place Now available at

frontier paint GALLERY

WORKSHOPS

POTTERY PARTIES

FREE TOURS

227 Baldwin Rd., Ojai 805-646-0459

805 272 8760 www.firestickpottery.com Open Daily 10 - 6 Gallery Open to the Public 1804 East Ojai Avenue

www.frontierpaint.biz

OM — July 2022

Six Home-Hardening Tips for Fire Season By Aimee Jo Davis-Varela

Living in California means treating the entire year as one big fire season. Weed abatement and tree trimming should be regular activities and choosing fire-resistant plants for landscaping should just be the norm at this point. However, as we now enter the official fire season, it is a good reminder to take a look at our defensible spaces and ways to harden our homes against potential wildfires. As the drought worsens and increases the risk for wildfires to spread quickly, reducing the potential for wildfires and limiting the spread of fires as much as possible is even more important. If we reduce the spread of fire, we reduce the amount of water needed to fight that fire. While there is no way to make your home completely fireproof or to create an impenetrable firebreak around your property, there are things we can all do to reduce the risk of losing our homes to fire. Here are six home-hardening options to get you started. 1. Follow weed abatement and Fire Hazard Reduction Program (FHRP) guidelines: Okay, you don’t have much choice here. If you are one of the many property owners in Ojai or Oak View who get an annual notice from the fire department reminding you to abate fire hazards on your property and you don’t do it, they will send a contractor to complete the work, and then send you the bill with an added administration fee. This means the abatement is going to happen one way or another, but you can avoid the additional fees and make sure your home is safer from wildfires as soon as possible by taking care of this yourself and maintaining your defensible space throughout the year. 2. Clean your gutters and your roof: 20

We have all heard about homes that are lost due to windblown embers igniting the roof. The thing folks often do not think about is that it does not always matter what kind of roof you have. Fire-resistant roofing materials, such as tile, composition, cement shingle, or metal, are an important part of keeping your home safer from fires, but simply having a roof made from these materials is not enough. If your roof is littered with dry, flammable debris or your gutters are filled with dead leaves, these materials can ignite and increase the risk of losing your home to wildfire. Keep your roof and gutters clear of debris to reduce this risk. 3. Store firewood away from structures and vegetation: According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), you should stack your firewood at least 30 feet from structures. Additionally, CAL FIRE recommends maintaining a 10-foot, vegetation-free area around your firewood storage. 4. Choose drought-tolerant, fire-resistant plants: Water conservation efforts can make it more difficult to keep vegetation green and reduce flammability, so it might be time to consider replacing water-loving plants with native, drought-tolerant plants that thrive with little water. There are no plants that are truly fireproof, but there are many that are fire resistant. As part of the FHRP, the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) provides their Plant Reference Guide to assist homeowners in choosing plants. The guide provides information on common ornamentals used in landscaping, including plants that should be avoided. The guide also includes information on OM — July 2022

each variety’s drought tolerance, which can help you find the best options for saving water and creating a beautiful yard that is fire resistant. You will also want to refer to VCFD Standard 515 – Defensible Space and Fuel Modification Zones for spacing and maintenance requirements, as well as Guideline 410 – Prohibited Plant List to find out which plants and trees are prohibited in new required defensible spaces and fuel modification zones. The publication also encourages homeowners to remove these plants and trees from existing defensible spaces. You might be surprised at some of the trees on this list that are commonly found near structures here, such as olive and pepper trees, so this list is worth a look. These publications can be found on the Ventura County Fire Department website at VCFD.org. 5. Choose fire-resistant patio furniture, cushions, and covers: Whenever possible, choose patio furniture and textiles that are fire resistant. Unfortunately, this means avoiding some popular options, such as wood or wicker furniture and doormats and outdoor rugs made from natural fibers. Instead, choose options that are less flammable, such as rubber or metal doormats, metal furniture, and flame-retardant fabrics for cushions, awnings, and umbrellas. 6. Look for places where flammable materials may collect: Flammable materials, such as leaves, twigs, and sometimes even trash, can accumulate under bushes, in shrubs, under decks, around the base of trees, or in corners. Find these spots in your yard and make sure to clear debris from these areas regularly.

FOUNDING FATHERS & MOTHERS 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: 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. Jiddhu Krishnamurti. 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.

Weather in Ojai Precip. 5.04 5.24 3.35 1.22 .47 .12 .04 .005 .2 .98 1.69 2.95

Average Annual Rainfall:

21.3

Record High 115°

Year 2018

Population: Valley: (est.)

21,300

Record Low 16°

Year 1990

Households::

3,176

Elevation:

Sherman Day Thacher. 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.

OJAI QUICK FACTS:

Ave. Low 36 38 41 43 48 51 56 55 53 47 40 35

Jan Feb March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Ave. High (°F) 67 67 70 74 78 83 89 91 87 80 73 66

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.

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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.” OM — July 2022

WHO’S WHO

IN OJAI REAL ESTATE?

TO BE LISTED HERE, PLEASE CALL BRET @ 805-798-0177

Logan Hall Logan Hall Photography 805-798-0337 loganhallphotos. com

Clinton Haugan LIV | Sotheby’s International Realty 727 W. Ojai Ave. Ojai, CA 93023 C: (805) 760-2092 O: (805) 646-7288 chaugan@livsothebysrealtyca.com DRE# 02019604

Therese A. Hartmann is a local loan consultant affiliated with C2 Financial Corporation, and is a Licensed Broker, California BRE #01048403. NMLS # 298291. Call Therese today at (805) 798-2158.

Vivienne Moody LIV Sotheby’s International Realty 805-798-1099 vmoody10@ sbcglobal.net OjaiLifestyle.net

Larry Wilde LIV Sotheby’s International Realty Wilde-Wilde. com 805-640-5734

Kristen Currier LIV Sotheby’s International Realty 805-798-3757 thehoffgroup. com

Donna Sallen Remax Gold Coast Realtors Donna4Remax@aol.com DonnaSallen. com 805-798-0516

Amanda Stanworth LIV Sotheby’s International Realty Phone: 805-2188117 • E-mail: amandastanworth77@gmail. com Web: Rooney-Stanworth.com

Patty Waltcher LIV Sotheby’s International Realty Call me for your Real Estate needs. 805-340-3774

Team Deckert Keller Williams Realty Ray Deckert, Broker Associate ContactUs@ TeamDeckert. com 805-272-5218

Ross Falvo Keller Williams Realty “The Ojai Real Estate Guy” RossFalvo.com 805-207-5094

Dennis Guernsey LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

Nora Davis LIV Sotheby’s International Realty OjaiValleyEstates. com 805-207-6177

805-798-1998

OM — July 2022

Dale Hanson Ojai Valley Real Estate 211 E. Matilija Street, Ste. J, 206 E. Ojai Ave. 805-646-7229 dale@ovhl.com

Erik Wilde LIV Sotheby’s International Realty Wilde-Wilde.com 805-830-3254

Don & Cheree Edwards RE/MAX Gold Coast Ojai’s Top Selling Team LivinginOjai.com 805.340.3192 805.350.7575

chairing ojai’s curious tradition

Dawn E. Shook - Executive Officer, Ojai Valley Board of REALTORS

Kirk Ellison LIV Sotheby’s International Realty KirkEllison@ me.com 805-340-5905

Hildegard Tallent CalBRE# 02047013 Keller Williams Realty, 109 N. Blanche Street Tel: 805-7981872 email: hildegard.tallent@ kw.com

Ojai’s locally owned and operated magazines.

By nationally award-winning writers and photographers.

Anne Williamson Keller Williams Realty Anneshomesinojai.com 805-320-3314

Well....the chairs were out! At least three weeks ahead of the festivities on the Fourth of July. It is a long-standing Ojai tradition, chairs waiting for the parade, one we cannot explain, but it exists in our small town. Since our office is in line with a Trolley Stop on Ojai Avenue, we cannot place our chairs out yet. So, we created a chalked area stating: “Trolley Stop, no chairs”! As time gets closer, we do hope to be able to move a few chairs forward. Our spot is very desirable as it is a shady spot. We begin our Fourth of July by attending the Lions Club pancake breakfast, as many of us in Ojai do. It is the spot we see so many people we know, and connect with them. The pancakes are always delicious! ND, the Pancake Express will even pick you up before the parade begins and deliver you to Chaparral Auditorium, where you can experience the pancakes for yourself. The Rotary Club of Ojai’s Children’s Run, another tradition, is fun to watch, as we wait patiently for the Parade to begin. We are looking forward to the Fourth of July festivities in Ojai, with marching bands, horses, floats, organization groups, specialty cars, and much more ... We hope to see you there!

OjaiHub.com 805.798.0177 OM — July 2022

AGAVE MARIA Fresh, wholesome Mexican food & drink 106 South Montgomery Street (805) 646-6353 agavemarias.com AJ’S EXPRESS CHINESE EXPRESS Gourmet Chinese food to eat in or to go 11566 North Ventura Avenue (805) 646-1177 ajchinesecuisine.com BOCCALI’S Pizza & Pasta, from our farm to our tables 3277 Ojai-Santa Paula Road (805) 646-6116 boccalis.com

hipvegancafe.com (805) 669-6363 HOME KITCHEN OF OJAI Breakfast and lunch in a warm space 1103 Maricopa Highway (805) 646-5346 HomeKitchenofOjai.com MANDALA Pan-Asian Cuisine 11400 North Ventura Road (805) 613-3048 THE NEST 401 East Ojai Avenue (805) 798-9035 thenestojai.com

BONNIE LU’S COUNTRY CAFE Traditional American breakfast & brunch 328 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-0207

LO>E SOCIAL CAFE 205 North Signal Street (805) 646-1540 nosovita.com

THE DEER LODGE An Ojai legend since 1932 2261 Maricopa Highway (805) 646-4256 deerlodgeojai.com

OAK GRILL @ THE INN Al fresco dining under vine-covered pergola 905 Country Club Road (805) 646-1111 ojairesort.com

FARMER & THE COOK The best of organic Ojai 339 West El Roblar Drive (805) 640-9608 farmerandcook.com YUME JAPANESE BURGER 254 East Ojai Avenue (Arcade) (805) 646-1700 JIM & ROB’S FRESH GRILL Mexican-American & regional favorites 214 West Ojai Avenue #100 (805) 640-1301 jimandrobsojai.com

HIP VGN Vegan sandwiches, salads & bowls 201 North Montgomery Street

OJAI COFFEE ROASTING COMPANY Salads, sandwiches & superb service 337 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-4478 OJAI PIZZA COMPANY 331 Ojai Avenue (Downtown Ojai) 545-7878 TheOnlyGoodPizza.com 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) 798-9227 ojairotie.com

OM — July 2022

OSTERIA MONTE GRAPPA Rustic menu of Northern Italian fare & seafood dishes. 242 E Ojai Ave, Ojai, CA 93023 (805) 640-6767 omgojai.com PAPA LENNON’S Family owned, original & cuisine 515 West El Roblar Drive (805) 640-7388 papalennons.com

traditional Italian

RAINBOW BRIDGE A community gathering place 211 East Matilija Street (805) 646-6623 rainbowbridgeojai.com THE RANCH HOUSE An Ojai culinary destination for more than 60 years 102 Besant Road (805) 646-2360 theranchhouse.com SAKURA OJAI A locals’ favorite for Japanese food 219 East Matilija Street (805) 646-8777 sakuraojai.wix.com SEA FRESH Serving Ojai for 30 years 533 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-7747 seafreshseafood.com ZAIDEE’S BAR & GRILL Patio & indoor dining with Ojai’s most tranquil views 1033 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-5685 soulepark.com

CHEF RANDY’S LIFE OF SPICE fresh summer quinoa salad What better time than summertime for a fresh salad made with quinoa, corn, cabbage, tomatoes, and cucumber. Serve with a loaf of fresh-baked bread for lunch or bring to the table at dinnertime as a side salad. Either way this savory-sweet salad is certain to be a hit with family and friends.

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.

Quick + Easy

Vegan

Summer

DRESSING INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons maple syrup 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon salt SALAD INGREDIENTS 1 cup quinoa (rinsed and drained) 1/2 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon (vegetable base) Fresh corn kernels (cut from 2 ears of corn) 1 1/2 cups sun-gold tomatoes (cut in half) 3/4 cup red cabbage (chopped fine) 1 cup cucumber (peeled and diced)

OM — July 2022

INSTRUCTIONS Mix all dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth. Set aside. Bring quinoa, bouillon, and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Set aside, uncovered. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in separate saucepan. Add corn, and cook for one minute. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again and set aside. Stir corn, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumber, and quinoa together in a large mixing bowl. Pour dressing over salad and gently mix until combined. Serve chilled. 25

Dale Hanson

Ojai Valley Real Estate (805)646-7229

B.R.E. 01229522 Notary Public

dale@ojaivalleyrealestate.com Call me for your real estate needs. Residential, commercial, or business opportunity.

Great location for commercial business or restaurant. Large parking in back. The building is updated and very clean. Forced air and heating, 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 — July 2022

SOLD IN OJAI

THERESE HARTMANN

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF RECENT HOME SALES

C2 FINANCIAL CORPORATION IS THE # 1 BROKER IN THE NATION! MORTGAGE EXECUTIVE

Homes Sold Last Month

12692 Ojai-Santa Paula Road, 3 beds, 2 bath, 1,069 sf. $734,000

401 Crestview Drive, 3 beds, 2 baths, 1,525 sf. $1,425,000

1217 Gregory Street, 2 beds, 1.5 baths, 1,114 sf. $775,000

1270 Foothill Road, 4 beds, 3 baths, 2,382 sf. $2,150,000

410 Church Road, #41, 2 beds, 2 baths, 1,329 sf. $790,000

10525 Ojai-Santa Paula Road, 2 beds, 2.5 baths, 2,650 sf. $3,825,000

111 Portal Street, Oak View, 3 beds, 2 baths, 1,571 sf. $830,000

567 Quail Oaks Drive, 2, beds, 2.5 baths, 3,663 sf. $3,900,000

871-885 South La Luna Avenue, 2 beds, 2 baths, 1,244 sf. $1,123,600

581 El Jina, 4 beds, 3.5 baths, 3,952 sf. $5,200,000

PROVIDING HOME LOANS FOR OVER 25 YEARS!

MAGAZINE

April 2019

Offering reverse mortgages and so much more!

(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

Whitman Architectural Design

www.whitman-architect.com Providing the highest quality custom residential & commercial Architectural Design and Construction Services.

805-646-8485 “We Shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”

Winston Churchill

OM — July 2022

buying down your rate How to Calculate If It’s Worth the Money

By Therese A. Hartmann

As our economy changes, so does our decision making and I find that revisiting financial decision becomes more important. Lately, with interest rates doubling, the option to buy down the interest rate becomes a key factor in being able to qualify and creates more future affordability. It’s referred to as buying discount points and while I never fully understood why they called it that, it doesn’t strike me so much as a discount. In fact, there is a cost to buying the rate down. A point is a percentage of the loan amount and is fairly simple to calculate. If we pay a point to buy the rate down and your loan amount is $300,000, the cost would be $3,000. The next question to ask is whether it’s worth buying the rate. The rule of thumb on this is if you have the budget for buying points, you need to look at a “break-even” timeline. For example, let say you pay that $3,000 to buy the rate down and it gets your rate down. 28

You’d want to take the payment and figure out what it would save you monthly from the rate where you pay no points. So let’s say it would save you $100/month. We would normally want you to be able to recoup the difference in 24 months to cover the amount you’d have to pay up front. In this case, you’d only save $2,400 and it’s questionable if it’s worth it. Now this changes, if you KNOW you’re going to stay longer term and, in that case, you might decide to buy the rate down even more. Your loan officer will give you options. You might also NEED to buy the rate down to qualify if your debt ratios are quite within lender guidelines. In the end, it will depend on your situation — do you have some extra funds to invest — and your break-even point. Contact a loan officer to understand this a little better and to get options in front of you. Definitely, in these times, it’s something to ponder!

OM — July 2022

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.

OQ | HI K I NG M AP 1

SHELF ROAD 3.5mi EASY | Elev. Gain: 200 ft | Overlooks downtown Ojai.

2 VENTURA RIVER PRESERVE | 7mi EASY TO MODERATE | Elev. Gain:

520 ft (Wills-Rice). Trailheads at end of Meyer Road, South Rice Road and Baldwin Road. Great for birding.

5 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.

8 ROSE VALLEY 1mi EASY | Elev. Gain: 100 ft

Trailhead at Rose Valley Campground. Leads to a spectacular 300-foot, two-tiered fall.

PRATT TRAIL 8.8mi STRENUOUS | Elev. Gain: 3,300

GRIDLEY TRAIL 6-12mi MODERATE | 3 mi to Gridley Springs

COZY DELL 2.2mi MODERATE | Elev. Gain: 740 ft |

MATILIJA CANYON 12mi MODERATE | Elev. Gain: 1,200 ft |

ft | Trailhead off North Signal Street. Goes to Nordhoff Peak. Clear day? See forever.

(Elev. Gain: 1,200 ft) 6 mi to Nordhoff Peak. Trailhead at north end of Gridley Road.

Trailhead 8 miles north of Ojai on Maricopa Highway. Short, intense hike that also connects to trail network.

Middle Fork. Trailhead at end of Matilija Road. First 1.5 miles of trail well-maintained, the rest a scramble.

SISAR CANYON 22mi STRENUOUS | Elev. Gain: 4,800 ft to

SULPHUR MTN. 22mi MODERATE | Elev. Gain: 2,300 ft |

Topa Topa Bluffs. Trailhead at end of Sisar Road. Trailhead on eastern side of Sulphur Mountain Road. Only for experienced, f it hikers. Views are unsurpassed. OM — July 2022

We know Ojai.

5 gated, private acres close to downtown with wrap-around porch, 5 bedrooms, media room, wine cellar with tasting room, library, gym/massage room, 4 fireplaces, pool and spa, sauna, family orchard, olive tree orchard with approximately 30 trees, Bocce court, putting green, volleyball court, chessboard, gazebos, pasture, private well, 150-year copper roof, copper gutters, RV parking with hookups, six-car garage and workshop, and more. $6,900,000 www.RoyalOaksRanchOjai.com

Remodeled three bedroom, three bathroom with large backyard, RV parking, 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 bedrooms, four bathrooms, fireplace, wood floors, outdoor kitchen and living areas, fruit trees, three primary suite options, and remodeled kitchen. $2,150,000

Nora Davis

BRE License #01046067

805.207.6177

nora@ojaivalleyestates.com

We’re lifelong residents.

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, outdoor kitchen with pizza oven, patio fireplace, family orchard, three-car garage + two-car garage, and spectacular mountain views. $5,700,000 www.RocaVistaRanchOjai.com

The Davis Group ojaivalleyestates.com

G a b r i e l a Ce s e ñ a T H E N E X T L E V E L O F R E A L E S TAT E S E R V I C E S Re a l t o r ® | L u x u r y S p e c i a l i s t Unwavering commitment to my clients’ satisfaction. D R I V E N B Y PA S S I O N F O R T H E W O R K I D O !

805.236.3814 | gabrielacesena@bhhscal.com LIC# 01983530

OM — July 2022

Ojai Monthly - July 2022

Articles inside

Six Fire-Hardening Tactics

Chef Randy: Summer Quinoa Salad

Editor’s Note

Calendar of Events