Ojai Monthly - January 2021 by Ojai Quarterly

OJAI D I S C O V E R M O N T H LY

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Real Estate & Visitors Guide

CAREY APPEL’S LIFE, IN & OUT OF THE BOX BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS OJAI’S BEST HIKES Cover Photo: Donna Sallen, ReMax Realty • 805-798-0516, See Page 17 For More Information Visitor Information

Events

Activities

Lifestyle

Tips & Tactics. See more at the OJAIHUB.COM

DOWNTOWN MIXED USE HOME/STUDIO This beautiful downtown building is Contempo Hair Salon, an Ojai business for over 40 years. The property is zoned mixed use, so it can ser ve as a business/retail location as well as a residence. With large windows, high ceilings and an open ďŹ‚oor plan, the interior feels light, spacious and elegant. The ex terior has beautiful landscaping with mature trees, a patio with a pergola, a covered porch and ample parking. It could be used as a turnkey salon with eight spacious stations or re-imagined as something entirely new. It could easily convert to many types of uses: a family residence, a mixed living/office space, an art studio or gallery, a retail space, a restaurant or a day spa. 205SouthSignalStOjai.com

$1,295,000

PAT T Y WALTCHER

25 years matching people and property in the Ojai Valley

Offered at $13,500,000

Upper Ojai Estate

Offered at $3,750,000

The El Toro Estate

L D

3428 Calle Moreno

Offered at $2,150,000

The Ojai Playhouse

I match people and property. My goal is always to creatively solve problems so that everyone in a transaction is happy. I am proud to represent some of the grandest properties in Ojai and I specialize in unique architectural homes. I am equally enthusiastic to represent family homes, commercial property and buildable lots. Building positive and lasting relationships is the secret to my success.

O L D

PAT T Y WALTCHER

25 years matching people and property in the Ojai Valley

815 Canada St

Offered at $1,840,000

DRE#01768956

YOU DON’T HAVE TO PUT YOUR HOME SELLING PLANS ON HOLD unless you want to. People are actively buying homes from a distance. We are open for business and here to help you!

LET’S TALK.

805.646.6768

NextHome 307 A East Matilija Street

Jeri Becker 805.340.2846

OM — January 2021

Lynn Goodman 805.573.5927

Ojai

Heather Erickson

805.798.3358

Riley Becker

805.646.6768

611 Emily Street - $849,999 3 bed/2 bath, 1,562 sq. ft. home with updated gourmet kitchen, updated bathrooms, owned solar-electric, bamboo wood flooring, vaulted wood ceilings, arched doorways, newer roof and more! Located just a few blocks from the center of town. Sale Pending

12251 Linda Flora Drive - $525,000 Step 1: Imagine summer evenings spent sipping your favorite drink, sitting on your patio, facing the majestic Topa Topa mountains as the sun sets. Step 2: Realize the dream when you build your custom home on this 2.03 acre parcel in Rancho Matilija! Sale Pending

8025 Camp Chaffee Rd. - $539,000 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1,206 sq. ft. cutie with wood & beamed ceilings. Sale Pending

P: 805.272.5218 E: ContactUs@TeamDeckert.com VenturaAndSantaBarbaraHomes.com

DRE# 01761150, 01859199

OM â€” January 2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS

JANUARY 2021

Editor’s Note

Calendar of Events

Featured Pro: Cary Appel’s Artistic Approach(es)

Four Ways to Get Out of Debt

20 Local New Year’s Resolutions 21

Ojai Founding Fathers & Mothers

Who’s Who in Real Estate

Dine Ojai — Restaurant Guide

Chef Randy: Oh Baby, Dutch Babies!

Top Hikes Into Ojai’s Backcountry

Editor & Publisher/Bret Bradigan Uta Ritke/Creative Director Liz Spiller/Social Media Manager Ross Falvo/Distribution Manager Cover: Donna Sallen, ReMax Realty 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.

OJAI Real Estate & Visitors Guide

CAREY APPEL’S LIFE, IN & OUT OF THE BOX BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS OJAI’S BEST HIKES Cover Photo: Donna Sallen, ReMax Realty • 805-798-0516, See Page 19 For More Information Visitor Information

Donna Cover - Jan.indd 1

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D I S C O V E R M O N T H LY

Events

Activities

Lifestyle

Tips & Tactics. See more at the OJAIHUB.COM

12/29/20 9:30 AM

OM — January 2021

DISCOVER

OJAI MONTHLY OJAI, SINCERELY YOURS “The ironic man, with his sly stillness and his ambuscading ways, may be viewed as a pest to society.” — Thomas Carlyle, “Sartor Resartus.”

Bret Bradigan

David Foster Wallace called the counter-reaction in the 1990s to corrosive irony “The New Sincerity.” These expressions of vulnerability may have best been voiced by Daniel Johnston, who died last year after decades of struggling through mental illness and depression to write such haunting and beautiful songs as “Love Will Find You in the End,” and “Life in Vain.” Other musical acts such as Arcade Fire and Cat Power also exemplify this brave openness. Filmmakers Lars von Trier and Miranda July, with their absence of cynical distance from and between their characters, also model this new sincerity. Many commentators such as David Brooks mocked this earnestness as the debris of a certain kind of liberal mindset that they thought should have faded away with the 1970s Back to the Land movement and the Whole Earth Catalog. We now live in the age of Four Seasons Landscaping, Ben Shapiro and anti-vaxxers. To engage in a little snark myself, that’s hardly an improvement. This arch-ironic, meta-level smug dismissiveness of those who want to make the world a better place is seductive. How much easier to sit on the sidelines and snipe rather than roll your sleeves up and act? And what fat targets some of these do-gooders make of themselves, with their delusional belief in their own moral superiority, their privilege reeking of solipsism’s florid stench. This is the kernel of much of the “alt-reich” owning the woke libs that has led us these past five years into the chaos and disintegration of America’s standing in the world. These impulses are not new, as Richard Hofstader, 60 years ago, titled one of his best-known books “The Paranoid Style in American Politics.” While he dealt most proximately with the John Birch Society and its allegations that Eisenhower and Gen. George C. Marshall were “commie symps,” the book was a trip through the fever swamps that have always stewed in the recesses of our discourse. The earnest abolitionists of the fledgling Republican Party of 1850s had to make common cause with the nativists of the Know Nothing Party and their conspiratorial ravings about first, the Papists, then the international Jewry. Before that, at the dawn of our republic, the alleged puppet masters were the Freemasons, the Illuminati and the Rosicrucians. Ojai itself got caught up in witch hunts of the McCarthy era, as we were a haven for key members of the Hollywood 19 — those brave blacklisted souls who refused to name names or give legitimacy to the demogaguery of the right-wing mob. Talking about public art, we should be erecting statues of Dalton Trumbo, Paul Jarrico, John Howard Lawson, Michael Wilson, Floyd Crosby (whose son, David, might strike a familiar note), among them. These are people who paid a real price and whose courage contains lessons for generations to come. Our recent elections repudiated the tide of sneering cynicism. From the passing of Measure K’s $45 million investment in our public school students to a political novice deciding to run for mayor because she read Ojai resident and author Gay Hendricks’ “Big Leap: Conquer Your Fear,” this election showed that Ojai’s values are flourishing. Our new pandemic-driven wave of residents were drawn here in some part because of our values of showing up and being the change we want to see in the neighborhood, as well as the world. With anything, there’s a balance between sincerity and insufferability. As the lyric goes, “A little irony is like yeast, it helps us rise. Too much? We rot, we fester, we draw flies.” More than anywhere I’ve ever lived, Ojai manages to strike that balance. OM — January 2021

“You must understand

the whole of life,

not just one little part of it.

That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing, and dance, and write poems, and suffer, and understand, for all that is life.” J. Krishnamurti, Founder

PRESCHOOL—HIGH SCHOOL & BOARDING

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THERESE HARTMANN PROVIDING HOME LOANS FOR OVER 25 YEARS!

C2 FINANCIAL CORPORATION IS THE # 1 BROKER IN THE NATION! MORTGAGE EXECUTIVE April 2019

MAGAZINE

“I’ve worked with Therese Hartmann on three loans now because she goes above and beyond the call of duty to make sure my loans are approved and handled professionally. I would definitely hire her again.” — Mary Maranville,

Estelle, 24x12”

SEEAG

EELLS

Gallery: OVA Arts, 238 Ojai Ave., Ojai, CA (805) 798-2158 | HEARTLOANS@SBCGLOBAL.NET | HEARTLOANS.COM

Collect Online at Eells.com Studio visits by appointment. • duane@eells.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

OM — January 2021

In the midst of a popular Ojai family neighborhood, sits a beautiful, oasis-like custom home with mountain views and close to bike trails. For more details go to OjaiRe.com

Gorgeous townhouse in Ventura. Great location near mall and freeway access. The home is a spacious 1,550 sq. ft., has lots of light and is multilevel. For more information go to 1017 Portola.com

Rosario Falvo

DRE # 01504988

805-207-5094 ROSARIOFALVO@KW.COM

OjaiRe.com

OM â€” January 2021

JANUARY CALENDAR OF EVENTS weekend seminars

lectures & Classes

4.22-26

Agora Foundation’s “Foundations of Our Republic, Take II” Date: January 14 Time: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. What are fundamental principles of our Republic? Readings include the Declaration of Independence, The Articles of Confederation, selected Federalist Papers, selected Anti-Federalist Papers, the U.S. Constitution, selected Lincoln speeches, Lincoln Douglass Debates (edited), Plessy v. Ferguson and Dissenting View (edited), Brown v. Board of Education, Letter from Birmingham Jail. “Eastern Classics” Date:Thursday, January 14 Time: 12 to 1 p.m. Like the West, the East has its own tradition of influential texts that address the perennial questions of human kind. Centering around the bodies of work from China, Japan, and India, this series will focus on the texts of Taoism, Confucius, Buddhism, and Hinduism. We invite you to join us. The January 14 reading is: Brihadaranyaka Upanishad — Part I “Shakespeare’s Henriad Tetralogy” Date: Saturday, January 16 Time: 12 to 2 p.m. “It would be argument for a week, laughter for a month, and a good jest for ever.” Reading: “Henry IV, Part One “The Wisdom of Humor - Part II” Date: Sunday, January 17 Time: 12 to 2 p.m.

“ Many of truth is spoken in jest.” Readings: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare, “Clouds” by Aristophanes, “On Lying” by Twain, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll, “A Modest Proposal” by Swift, Speech on Slavery by Frederick Douglass. Tutor: Karl Haigler “The Fire Next Tine by James Baldwin” Date: Saturday, January 23 Time: 12 to 2 p.m. “The most dangerous creation of any society is a man who has nothing to lose.” Tutors: Anika Prather & Paul O’Reilly Ocean and Underworld” — Selections from The Aeneid by Virgil Date: Saturday, January 30 Time: 12 to 2 p.m. W hat mysteries are hidden underwater and deep in the underworld? Will one who explores these realms discover ancestors, gods, monsters,... or even oneself ? This series will consider the ocean and the underworld as depicted in these classic literary texts. Reading: Virgil, Aeneid - Books 3, 4, 5, 6. Tutor: Elizabeth Reyes “Ojai: Talk of the Town” Podcast New episodes come out Thursday evenings through OjaiHub.com newsletter. Sign up at OjaiHub.com. Recent guests include Eric Goode, creator of “Tiger King,” Sandy Treadwell, former Secretary of State of New York, Ojai Mayor Betsy Stix and astrophysicist/ surfer Dr. Jon Swift.

OM — January 2021

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. Monday, Wednesday & Friday “Somatic Stretch for Self Healing” Instructor: Meredith Sands Keator Time: 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Location: Anywhere you can find a sturdy internet connection. Contact: somaticsanctuary.com email support@somaticsanctuary Phone: 805-633-9230 Mondays & Thursday “Introduction to Somatic Stretch” Instructor: Sultana Parvanka Time: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Contact: somaticsanctuary.com email support@somaticsanctuary Phone: 805-633-9230 Wednesday “Offerings with Sarah Grace” — Somatic Satsang, free community gathering and tools for resiliency Instructor: Sarah Grace Time: 7 p.m. Contact: somaticsanctuary.com email support@somaticsanctuary Phone: 805-633-9230 Thursday “Awareness Through Movement” Instructor: Mary Jo Healy Time: 4 to 5 p.m. Contact: somaticsanctuary.com email support@somaticsanctuary Phone: 805-633-9230 Every Day Farmer & The Cook Location: 339 West El Roblar Avenue, Meiners Oaks Times: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This popular farm-to-kitchen destination has reopened, with usual precautions in place to reduce exposure to coronavirus. 11

BY ILONA SAARI

CAREY APPEL

OUTSIDE THE BOX

ome may know Carey Appel through her work with the Ojai Women’s Fund, some from the Ojai Women’s Festival Committee or, perhaps, when she was captain of an Ojai League tennis team. Yet others may know Carey through her whimsical shadowboxes. As an entrepreneur, singer, artist and doer-of-good-works, Carey checks all the boxes. Born in Los Angeles to real estate developer Don Appel and mom, Judy, Carey was a mere toddler and an only child when her parents divorced. A few years later, she was immersed in siblings … a stepsister and brother from step-

OM — January 2021

dad, Dick Carroll, and two stepsisters from her stepmother, Chickie Bristin. Not the typical Brady Bunch blended family, but a rambling, robust family unit. Early on, Carey dreamed of singing on Broadway. She wasn’t too sure what that entailed, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her. At age 7 or 8, she read an article about a young girl who had been cast in “Fiddler on the Roof.” She crossed out the girl’s name and inked in her own. From the balcony outside her bedroom, she’d often belt out show tunes from movies such as “My Fair Lady,” (starring Julie Andrews) giving free concerts to her neighbors. “Years later I met Julie

CAREY APPEL

LIFE Andrews when she became a customer of mine – handled her holiday gifts for years,” Carey states. “I was able to tell her what a role model she was.” Carey sang in her Temple (solos for Shabbat services), leads in grammar school plays, and chorale in Beverly Hills High School. She tried out for a high school production of “Fiddler…” but didn’t make the cut. Disappointed, she let go of her musical theater dreams, learned guitar and played and sang Joni Mitchell and Cat Stevens songs. At nineteen, she met Tracy Albert, whose parents owned a store on Rodeo Drive. They dated, but when Carey went off to college and jumped into campus life, the relationship ended.

After graduating from U.C. Berkeley with an art history degree, Carey moved to Manhattan and worked as an assistant buyer for Bloomingdale’s. She returned to California to open the women’s collection for Carroll & Co., her stepfather’s “clothing store-to-the-stars” in the heart of Beverly Hills. She and her mom did the buying and Carey was the manager. When a friend who owned a card and needlepoint shop across the street asked if she knew anyone who’d want to buy it, she jumped at the chance to be an independent entrepreneur. Her stepfather understood her maverick streak and loaned Carey the seed money. It was 1984, and owning and operating a specialty business was tough going; when the property went into probate, she was paid to vacate. But the valuable business lessons she had learned helped immensely when she opened Salutations Home, a home furnishings

and gift store in the tony town of Brentwood. After a brief first marriage, Carey met Dan Pearlman who owned an advertising firm. They married and had two children… (Erin now 29, a wedding photographer in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Katie, 27, a singer-songwriter under contract to Warner Chappel Music Publishing). Carey and Dan opened a second Salutations Home in Pasadena and purchased Shaxted, a well-known Beverly Hills linen store to add to their “brand.” Eventually, they sold Shaxted and closed the Brentwood store, but kept the one in Pasadena.

But, some dreams never die. After Carey and Dan’s marriage ended, she ran into Sandy Avchen, an old friend and musical director. They started to work together as Carey performed in her country club shows and began doing solo concerts at various Hollywood venues — jazz, pop, country.

During this time her old beau, Tracy, ended his long-term marriage. He, too, had two children (daughter Haley sets up Covid-19 testing sites in major U.S. cities — son Aaron has a web-based wellness website). Carey hosted a dinner party and invited Tracy. Both single again, they each offered to fix the other up, but when she asked him what kind of woman he would like to meet, he said “someone like you.” They’ve been together ever since, forming a new blended family for Carey. After they were reunited Tracy asked her what she wanted to do the rest of her life. “Sing!” she answered withOM — January 2021

CAREY AT POPPIES ART & GIFT

CAREY AND HER DAUGHTER KATIE PERFORMING AT THE UNDERGROUND ARTS EXCHANGE

out hesitation. But, life interrupted when Carey was stricken with breast cancer. After radiation, Tracy, a successful investment banker and financial advisor, helped Carey find a producer at Universal Music Publishing. She cut her first album, largely jazz, with a little bit pop and a little bit country. She refined her style, influenced by Patty Griffin, Cheryl Wheeler and Alison Krauss, and recut the album. She began writing her own songs and when she was ready to record her third album, Carey went to Nashville. One of the songs from that album was #1 for a year on a folk music station. She hired new management, put together a group of musicians and began performing around L.A. at such venues as Genghis Cohen, Room 5 and The Mint. Paying musicians proved expensive, so Carey focused on becoming more proficient on guitar, taking lessons from Severin Browne (Jackson Brown’s brother) and became involved in Folk Alliance Region West, a division of Folk Alliance Int’l, performing at annual conferences, networking with other artists, attending writing workshops, and practicing, practicing, practicing guitar. In 2007, Carey’s mom bought a home in Ojai once owned by Loretta Young. Carey and Tracy would come up on weekends and never wanted to leave. By 2015, they sold their home in Cheviot Hills, Carey sold her Pasadena store, and they bought Ojai’s Historic Landmark #28, a Tudor-style home surrounded by heritage oaks and decades-old rock walls, built in 1925 by Denny Miller who once played “Tarzan.” Carey decided she wanted to raise chickens, so they installed a chicken coop where she breeds more than a dozen varieties that lay an ar14

OM — January 2021

ray of colored eggs – pink, blue, green, brown and olive. The chickens get along famously with Tracy and Carey’s other beloved animals: three dogs, a bunny, and a cordon bleu finch. Next, they added an art studio in one of the out-buildings for Tracy’s passion as a photographer, and where Carey creates shadowboxes containing sophisticated, yet whimsical, miniature life scenes. Proudly displayed within each box is her signature chicken. These “story boxes,” (many of which incorporate Tracy’s photographs), are sold at Poppies gift store. A member of the Ojai Women’s Fund since its inception, Carey served on the Grants Committee for three years and was recently co-chair of the Membership Committee. She also wrote the newsletter for the Ojai Festival Women’s Committee benefitting BRAVO (a community education program bringing music into local schools) for four years. Tracy, while serving on the philanthropic boards at Cedars Sinai and LA Center for Photography, is also on the board of the Ojai Museum. In 2017, Tracy and Carey started the FAR-West Musicians Relief Fund which assists and helps those in need who have given so much to the folk music community worldwide. Which brings us back to Carey’s love of singing. Since moving to Ojai she’s performed at the Ojai Underground Arts Exchange with musicians Alan Thornhill and Martin Young, and was a guest artist with them at the Topa Mountain Winery. She was also in the ensemble of the Ojai Art Center Theater’s productions of “Anything Goes” and “Mama Mia.” Carey Appel’s love for Ojai has been demonstrated again and again with her civic pride, her volunteerism, and her musical dreams. A life definitely lived outside the box.

illage marketplace

OM — January 2021

Donna Sallen

WOW, Sitting on over three acres in the prestigious Persimmon Hill area of downtown Ojai. This five-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom sprawling ranch-style home showcases open-beamed vaulted ceilings, a stunning great room with a massive brick fireplace, formal dining room, hardwood floors and a large master suite. The magical meandering pathways will lead you to an Artistâ€™s studio where you can once again find your creative soul. Living off the grid is easy with your own private well and solar panels. This slice of Country living offers a prime location all within walking distance to Libbey Park, shops, restaurants, and the Ojai Bike/Hike Trail. Horses welcome.

Thereâ€™s no place like home ... Let me find yours.

Your Ojai life awaits in this 4,314 square-foot, 5-bedroom, 5-bath home amid the orange blossom-scented air of the legendary East End. With 2.38 acres, you’ve got plenty of room for gardens and projects. Perfect for entertaining and hosting friends and family in the guesthouse, cottages and writer’s studio, this two-story Victorian will open your sense of possibility and wonder.

Beautiful, flat useable lot, just under an acre located in the City of Ojai. great views from this lot. Zoned commercial — come build your dream!

If you are looking for a quintessential downtown cottage with a guest house ... then look no more. Located in the heart of downtown Ojai.

Donna Sallen

805-798-0516

w w w. D o n n a S a l l e n . c o m D o n n a 4 re m a x @ a o l .c o m

Located in the Golden West neighborhood of Ojai downtown, this incomegenerating home is very warm and welcoming. The backyard is a gardener’s delight.

Want to Get Fiscally Fit? The Fastest Ways to Get Rid of Debt By Therese A. Hartmann

This is the time of year that folks eat, drink and spend far too much money and then end up in the land of regret come January. But stop a minute, could this be the year for some big shifts in your life? And, are there shortcuts to getting physically and fiscally fit? Just yesterday, I went to get a wellness check-up with a local (functional medicine) doctor, something I hadn’t done for over a decade. The goal being to create a baseline for new habits I’m putting in place. These involve my new Peloton bike, drinking a green smoothie every day and taking more time for reflection. This checks the box for me personally for physical health but what about finances? A great goal, getting out of debt — getting ahead financially — can be a fun “game.” There are a number of approaches that have merit. One, or all, might be perfect for you. • Debt Snowball — while conventional wisdom suggests paying off bills with the highest interest rate, this method has you make a list of all debts and pay off the smallest amount first. While making minimum payments on the other debts, once that debt is gone, you attack the next until all debt is gone. With “snowballing,” you rely less on willpower and more on the sense of accomplishment. This approach, as it turns out, is a lot more effective for sticking to goals.

• Finding Money — If you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck, you may be wondering where you can find the funds to add a little more to pay extra to your debt. Start by reviewing your regular spending and see if there are any areas that you can cut back — even if only temporarily — while you work on paying off debt. • Create a Budget — It’s hard to do either of the above without having a roadmap of where you’re going. This is when a budget helps. Define your needs and wants and do a written outline of expenditures with daily check-in’s and weekly reviews. Bringing in someone to keep you accountable wins you extra points! • Consider a Side Hustle — If you’re currently unemployed, you have a chance to reinvent yourself. This might just be the opportunity you’ve been looking for! Explore with confidence and don’t be afraid to reach out to professionals who might be more helpful than you could expect. Once, when I approached an individual representing a real estate investment firm — one of the fastest growing in the United States at the time — he surprised me by asking if I would act as their broker. I did this for several years just prior to the real estate decline in 2008 and earned unexpected tens of thousands of dollars. OM — January 2021

All from a simple meeting! Self-awareness is always the best starting point whether you’re focused on your health or your money, or both. Taking action and finding enjoyment in participating in your new life will bring the magic. And honestly, if not now, when?

Therese A. Hartmann has 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.

Donna Sallen

Donna Sallen 805-798-0516 w w w. D o n n a S a l l e n . c o m D o n n a 4 re m a x @ a o l . c o m

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

Five New Year’s Resolutions We Can All Keep By Aimee Jo Davis-Varela

The new year has finally arrived, and I am sure hoping it is a big improvement over this last year we all endured. As we look to the future and set our intentions for the year to come, I thought it might be a good time to focus on setting some New Year’s resolutions that will help us continue to come together as a community to get through these trying times. So, as you come up with your personal goals for the coming year, consider adding a few of these to the list. 1. Support local businesses. I’ve said this before and am sure to say it again, but supporting local businesses has never been more important. I know Amazon is a convenient way to buy everything from groceries to home improvement materials, but we gain more as a community while still meeting our needs if we shop at our local grocers and hardware stores instead.

2. Use local contractors. Many of us are spending more time at home and are taking on some of those home improvement projects we have been putting off forever. If you are considering painting, repairing your roof, adding a covered porch, or just tightening some loose doorknobs, commit to using local contractors whenever possible. 3. Donate regularly to Pantry 4 Paws. We are all still working our way through the pandemic and what life will look like afterwards. An important piece to this is coming together as a community to support each other in whatever ways we can. Folks who can afford to donate dry dog and cat food can help those in need by dropping off unopened bags of food at the Humane Society of Ventura County (402 Bryant Street) for the Pantry 4 Paws program. The food is then distributed through dispensers placed through-

OM — January 2021

out the county. 4. Set up a monthly donation for a local organization. Most non-profits and community organizations have made giving simple by setting up automatic, monthly donor programs. If your budget allows, find a local organization that resonates with you and could use your help, such as HELP of Ojai, Ojai Raptor Center, Ojai Land Conservancy, Turtle Conservancy, or Secure Beginnings. 5. Clear your clutter for a cause. If cleaning out closets or finally organizing your garage is on your list of resolutions this year, make clearing your clutter more enjoyable by doing it for a cause. For example, household items and clothing donated to 2nd Helpings Thrift Store provide lower-cost necessities for local families while supporting the services provided by HELP of Ojai.

FOUNDING FATHERS & MOTHERS While Edward Drummond Libbey is rightfully regarded among Ojai’s chief benefactors — having been behind the buildbing 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 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

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

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 Year 115° 2018

Population:

7,461

Valley: (est.)

21,300

Record Low Year 16° 1990

Households::

3,176

Elevation:

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.

745

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 — January 2021

WHO’S WHO

IN OJAI REAL ESTATE?

TO BE LISTED HERE, PLEASE CALL ROSS @ 805-207-5094

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

Joe Davis Full service property management, residential • Commercial • Industrial JoeTheRentalGuy.com. 805-574-9774

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

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

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

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

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

Marsha Kaye Home Mortgage Consultant Phone: 805640-0654 Cell: 805-7469055 marsha.kaye@ homebridge. com

Stephen Adelman Broker Associate “Your Family Man Realtor” LIV Sotheby’s realestateojai@ gmail.com ojailuxuryrealestate.com 805-640-5563

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

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 — January 2021

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

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

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

Kathy Hoff LIV Sotheby’s International Realty (805) 290-6907 thehoffgroup. com

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

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

Deckert / DePaola Keller Williams Realty Cheryl Deckert, Broker Associate Ray Deckert, Broker Associate Maria DePaola, Realtor Associate Team@DeckertDePaola. com 805-272-5221

OM — January 2021

AGAVE MARIA Fresh, wholesome Mexican food & drink 106 South Montgomery Street (805) 646-6353 agavemarias.com

JIM & ROB’S FRESH GRILL Mexican-American & regional favorites 214 West Ojai Avenue #100 (805) 640-1301 jimandrobsojai.com

AJ EXPRESS CHINESE EXPRESS Gourmet Chinese food to eat in or to go 11566 North Ventura Avenue (805) 646-1177 ajchinesecuisine.com

JJ’S SPORTS ZONE The go-to place for food & sports 820 North Ventura Avenue (805) 649-4655 jjssportszone.com

OJAI PIZZA COMPANY 331 Ojai Ave. (Downtown Ojai) 545-7878 TheOnlyGoodPizza.com OJAI ROTIE Rotisserie, sourdough, winebox 469 East Ojai Avenue (805) 798-9227 ojairotie.com

AZU Spanish & Mediterranean comfort food 457 East Ojai Avenue (805) 640-7987, azuojai.com

HIP VEGAN Vegan sandwiches, salads & bowls 201 North Montgomery Street hipvegancafe.com (805) 669-6363

PAPA LENNON’S Family owned, original & Italian cuisine 515 West El Roblar Drive (805) 640-7388 papalennons.com

BOCCALI’S Pizza & Pasta, from our farm to our tables 3277 Ojai-Santa Paula Road (805) 646-6116 boccalis.com

HOME KITCHEN OF OJAI Breakfast and lunch in a warm space 1103 Maricopa Highway (805) 646-5346 HomeKitchenofOjai.com

RAINBOW BRIDGE A community gathering place 211 East Matilija Street (805) 646-6623 rainbowbridgeojai.com

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

KNEAD BAKING COMPANY An artisanal family bakery 469 East Ojai Avenue (310) 770-3282 kneadbakingcompany.com

THE RANCH HOUSE An Ojai culinary destination for more than 60 years 102 Besant Road (805) 646-2360 theranchhouse.com

CAFE EMPORIUM Locals’ favorite breakfast and lunch 108 South Montgomery Street (805) 646-2723 ojaicafeemporium.com CASA DEL LAGO Ojai’s original Mexican restaurant 715 E Ojai Avenue (805) 640-1577 THE DEER LODGE An Ojai legend since 1932 2261 Maricopa Highway (805) 646-4256 deerlodgeojai.com

MANDALA Pan-Asian Cuisine 11400 North Ventura Road (805) 613-3048 THE NEST 401 East Ojai Avenue (805) 798-9035 thenestojai.com NO SO VITA Ojai’s social cafe 205 North Signal Street (805) 646-1540 nosovita.com

FARMER & THE COOK The best of organic Ojai 339 West El Roblar Drive (805) 640-9608 farmerandcook.com

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

FOOD HARMONICS Nutritional Love 254 East Ojai Avenue (Arcade) (805) 798-9253

OJAI COFFEE ROASTING COMPANY Salads, sandwiches & superb service 337 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-4478

OM — January 2021

traditional

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 SOULE PARK GOLF COURSE BAR & GRILL Patio & indoor dining with Ojai’s most tranquil views 1033 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-5685 soulepark.com Check websites for specific information, due to the pandemic, hours, offerings and on-site dining options may change frequently.

CHEF RANDY

Baby Dutch Babies Dutch baby pancakes, sometimes called German pancakes or Dutch puffs, are a hybrid of pancake, crepe, and popover — all in one skillet. I like to pour the batter into a mini-muffin pan and serve them like popovers as opposed to puffy pancakes. Your friends and family will smile when you bring these to the breakfast table. Think of each mini-popover as a bite of sweet dessert after a satisfying meal.

INGREDIENTS: 4 large eggs 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup flour 1/4 cup butter (melted) 21 ounce can cherry pie filling (such as Duncan Hines)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat Oven to 425 degrees Pour (in this order) eggs, milk, sugar, salt, and flour into a blender. Blend until smooth — about 12 seconds. Scrape down sides of blender if necessary. Set aside.

Randy Graham is a noted chef and writer and has been a lactoovo 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.

Brush melted butter into each of the 24 cups in a mini-muffin baking pan. Fill cups to within 1/4-inch of the rim of each cup. Place pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 18 minutes, or until well browned. Remove from oven. Loosen the baby Dutch babies from the pan using a knife and small spoon. Make a cut in the top of each Dutch baby and place a small spoonful of cherry pie filling into the center (one cherry each plus filling). Serve immediately. See Chef Randy’s website for more recipes at: valley-vegetarian.com

Healthy

Fall/Winter

Quick + Easy

Vegetarian

OM — January 2021

Design and Supply for Your Living Spaces

Dale Hanson

Ojai Valley Real Estate (805)646-7229

Whitman Architectural Design

B.R.E. 01229522 Notary Public

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

www.whitman-architect.com

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

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 — January 2021

CREATIVE SPACE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

GALLERY

WORKSHOPS

POTTERY PARTIES

FREE TOURS

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

Now available at

frontier paint

227 Baldwin Rd., Ojai 805-646-0459

www.frontierpaint.biz OM â€” January 2021

OQ | HI K I NG MAP 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. 28

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 — January 2021

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We know Ojai.

Corral Canyon Ranch in Cuyama Valley is a 277+ acre ranch with five recently renovated houses, equestrian facilities, pastures, hay fields, beautiful views views set against the stunning Sierra Madres Mountains. www.29443hwy33.com Price Upon Request

2020 Remodel on 17 acres with gated entry, lighted tennis court, approximately 15 acres of avocado orchards, multiple outdoor living areas, outdoor kitchen, 3,000-square-foot shop, two fireplaces, multi-room master suite, amazing views, and much more. $5,900,000

Three-bedroom, 2.5 bathroom Golden West home remodeled in 2020 with two fireplaces, swimming pool, fruit trees, flexible spaces for home office or hobbies. www.1116DelNidoCourt.com $1,250,000

The Davis Group ojaivalleyestates.com

Nora Davis

BRE License #01046067

805.207.6177

nora@ojaivalleyestates.com

Weâ€™re lifelong residents.

Rancho Tranquilo is located on 5+ acres in Upper Ojai with five bedrooms, flex rooms, two fireplaces, pool, tennis court, caretakerâ€™s quarters, horse facilities, solar, RV garage, views and more. www.12605HighwindsRoad.com $3,375,000

Four-bedroom, two-bathroom, remodeled home with laundry room, two-car garage, gated RV parking, oval soaking tub, dual-sink vanity, and amazing mountain and river basin views. $885,000

Charming, updated Oak View cottage with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, gated parking, Jacuzzi spa, great outdoor living areas close to shops, restaurants, and the Ojai Valley Trail. $649,000

Kellye Lynn

BRE License #01962469

805.798.0322

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 — January 2021