Ojai Magazine. Fall 2022 by Ojai Magazine

FALL 2022PUBLISHED SINCE 1982 BY OJAI VALLEY NEWS MAGAZINE PLUS: NEST OF KIN / THE VIOLIN MAKER / REWILDING THE EAST END / THE HOUSE ON HERMITAGE JERICHO GOES TO WAR / MOUNTED ARCHERY / COLD WAR ALBUM / WELL NOTED / FIRE TOWER HIKES OJAI • VENTURA • SANTABARBARA • WESTLAKE • MALIBU • SANTA MONICA • LA Trash30Days OF

2 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 www.MFWrealestate.com • mfwrealtors@gmail.com • 805.669.9933 10851 Encino Avenue Custom Home in Saddle Mountain, sold $300k over Asking Sold for $2,300,000 2364 Burnham Road Creative Hideaway Under a Canopy of Trees Sold for $949,900 884 S. La Luna Avenue Tastefully Remodeled Home down a Private Drive on over 1/2 an Acre Sold for $1,430,000

3OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 DRE 00878649 | DRE 01708004 | DRE 01414001 4320 Thacher Road Historic 1928 Austen Pierpont designed cottage on the East End Sold for $3,700,000 354 N. Brent Street, Ventura Sold for $220k Over Asking Sold for $1,342,765 281 S. Montgomery Street Los Arboles Townhome in the Heart of Downtown Sold for $1,116,000 216 Del Norte Road Enviable Arbolada Location with a Guest House Sold for Ventura1057-1059$2,000,000MontaukLane, Beach Duplex Steps from the Sand Sold for $1,490,000 1785 E La Loma Avenue, Somis Custom Home on over 40 Acres with Panoramic Views Sold for $2,252,000 908 Tico Road A Cottage Retreat with a Private Artist Studio Sold for $1,166,000 1239 Cuyama Road Oak Studded Private Home on One Acre Sold for $1,540,000 10 Maxine Avenue, Oak View Rolling Hills Estates Home with a Sparkling Pool Sold for $780,000

5OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 Midtown Ojai Love Enchanting Authentic Spanish Hacienda in Midtown Ojai, California! Elevate your spirits and spoil your soul in this extraordinary private, gated piece of heaven in a midtown setting. This sophisticated turnkey home lives like a dream and is close to the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, bike trails, Libbey Park, coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants, & wineries. Enter a world of serenity and wonder, where life centers around a glorious courtyard featuring a sparkling fountain with an outdoor ﬁrepit, and serene gardens with numerous terraced living spaces, each offering its own stunning view of the Topa Topa mountain range. Find your sophisticated haven in this thoughtfully-designed and lovingly maintained Spanish 3-bd, 2-bt, just-under 1,800 sqft. masterpiece infused with romance and beauty at every turn! 206 Topa Topa Drive | Enchanting Authentic Spanish Hacienda in Midtown Ojai | 3 bed, 2 bath | Just under 1800 sqft | $1,880,000 REALTOR | Luxury Specialist Berkshire Hathaway Unwavering commitment to my clients’ satisfaction Driven by passion for the work I do GABRIELA CESEÑA CA DRE #01983530 NO. 1 INDIVIDUAL AGENT IN PRODUCTION OJAI VALLEY, VENTURA COUNTY

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487 Montana Circle | $1,695,000 Ocean View Retreat Build your dream home on Ocean View Retreat, a private, 20-acre parcel with 360-degree views that include the Topa Topa Mountains, Oxnard Plains, and the Pacific Ocean. There are not many Ojai properties that offer both a country setting and ocean views, so do not miss this opportunity to take advantage of what is already on the property to help you get started. Features include gated entry, concrete driveway, well, two 5,000-gallon water storage tanks, electrical, parking structure, house pad, avocado orchard, and a citrus orchard.

13382 E. Sulphur Mountain Road | $1,000,000

Integrity, knowledge and experience you can trust Montana Sky Montana Sky offers mountain views, room to spread out, and a perfect homebase for exploring the valley. From here, you can bike or walk to the village of Meiners Oaks or enjoy a leisurely bike ride or short drive to downtown Ojai. Interior features include remodeled kitchen with breakfast bar, formal and casual dining, stone fireplace, travertine floors and granite vanities in the bathrooms, and freshly installed carpet in bedrooms. Outside, there is a two-car garage, workshop, covered patio, and fruit trees.

Nora DRE727www.ojaivalleyestates.comnora@ojaivalleyestates.com805.207.6177DavisOjaiAvenue,OjaiCA9302301046067

Integrity, knowledge and experience you can trust

Magnolia Cottage Magnolia Cottage sits on approximately one-quarter acre and is a remodeled, move-in-ready home with two primary bedroom options, two dual-sink vanities, laundry room, fresh paint, upgraded appliances, breakfast bar, and mountain views. The large, fenced backyard features fruit trees, gated RV parking, multiple outdoor living areas, plenty of space for gardening or hobbies, and access to the two-car carport. Bike to Ojai Valley Trail or Meiners Oaks, or just a short drive to farmers markets, cafes, golf courses, spas, and boutiques in downtown Ojai.

Gabbert Haus

963 Tico Road | $825,000

Just a few blocks from downtown Ojai, Gabbert Haus is a beautiful example of Streamline Moderne architecture and was thoughtfully remodeled to incorporate modern amenities for elegant everyday living and entertaining without losing its original charm. Interior features include three primary bedroom options, wood and travertine floors, and quartz counters, vanities, and fireplace hearth. Exterior features include a two-car garage, fruit trees, entertaining deck, outdoor kitchen, and paver parking area. You must see this one to appreciate all it has to offer.

701 Cañada Street | $2,150,000

7OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 THE DAVIS GROUP

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9OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 JUNE STREET .COM PHOTO: NOAH WEBB

10 OJAI MAGAZINE The historical Foothill Road hosts some of the most beautiful properties in Ojai. The location is ideal, close to downtown as well as the many hiking and biking trails that originate at the Pratt ThisTrailhead.home includes 100% owned solar panels and raised beds for a kitchen garden. it is a perfect family home with ample room for Location is Everything

Offered at $2,475,000 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 exterior to blend, drawing the gaze outdoors and bringing in the light. The 4br/4ba home includes a formal dining room, a cottage style sunroom and a gym/office. Two primary bedroom suites feature ﬁreplaces and luxurious bathrooms. The large kitchen has granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Crown molding and ﬂoors of wood and tile create warmth and charm. An expansive front porch along with an outdoor BBQ and a stone seating area in back offer many opportunities to entertain while enjoying the beauty and serenity of the lushly landscaped nearly 1 acre lot.

1464FoothillRdOjai.com

WALTCHERPATTY (805) pattywaltcher.com340-3774

UPPER FOOTHILL FAMILY PARADISE

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14 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 EDITOR’S NOTE - 18 BIG ISSUES 30 Days of Trash - 32 Rewilding the East End - 48 War in Ukraine hits home - 92 ARTS The Cold War Album by Arthur Grace - 22 The Violin Maker - 56 SPORTS & OUTDOORS Mounted Archery - 40 Four Fire Tower Hikes - 66 Nest of Kin - 76 CALENDAR - 42 CULTURE Well Noted - 86 FOOD & HEALTH Eating for the Season - 101 Marche Gourmet - 106 FARM The Forager - 114 OJAI PAST The House on Hermitagewww.0jaiValleyNews.com/magazine120 48101 56 22 66 76 92 FALL 2022 Volume 40 No.3 OJAI OVNewstheDownloadFUTUREapp

canvasandpaper canvasandpaper.org july 28 –sept 25 oct 6 –dec 4 311 n. montgomery street thursday – sunday noon – 5 pm paintingsdrawings jean-baptiste-camille corot gustave laurencejean-françoiscourbetmilletstephenlowry 16 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022

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www.greenwithtiPaige any.com MAGAZINE EDITOR / PUBLISHER Laura Rearwin Ward ASSISTANT EDITOR Karen Lindell ART DIRECTOR Paul Stanton WRITERS Karen TiRobinMimiSteveJessicaArthurKimberlyPerryKerstinLindellKühnVanHoutenRiversGraceCiencinHenriquezSprinkelWalkerGoldsteinanyPaige PRODUCTION Georgia Schreiner, Editorial consultant Mimi Walker, Editorial assistant Tori Behar, Calendar ADVERTISING Linda Snider, Director of Sales Catherine Miller, Account Executive Ally Mills, Advertising Assistant CONTACT @ojaimagwww.ojaivalleynews.comadvertising@ojaivalleynews.comteam@ojaivalleynews.com 18 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022

“The essence of community, its heart and soul, is the non-monetary exchange of value. The things we do and things we share because we care for others and for the good of the place.” — Dee Hock Ojai is battling for its identity during the new great migration from big cities to small towns. In addition, Ojai is dealing with the resulting fallout from becoming a wealthy hipster haven — at least in its imagined geography, or perceived sense of place. And locals anxiously await the day when Ojai “jumps the shark.”

charm actually requires adaptation by transplants and locals. Remaining static is not a choice. Blaming outsiders for Ojai’s problems is to shirk responsibility. Character by design will require vision, a big heart, inclusion, and some innovative community solutions to gracefully manage the oncoming flow of change. A well-rounded, sustainable community is one that includes people of all economic levels who live, work, shop and play primarily in the Ojai Valley. Our valley is changing; we can only control our response to that change. Let’s take care not to lose what we love about Ojai in the first place, into the vortex of an imagined geography. Take a moment to connect to Ojai through our story. Read the true tales of Ojai life in this Fall issue of Ojai Magazine; they are brought to you by the Ojai Valley News, and told not to sell you, but rather to sit beside you in peace.

Laura

The conversation is being had in every social circle in town: “Ojai is changing. What are we becoming?” The cost of our limited housing stock is skyrocketing, renters are being forced out, and big-city money is moving in. The angst is exacerbated as the fear feeds on itself and grows Keepingdivisive.oursmall-town

With aﬀection, Laura Rearwin Ward

A recent headline that ran in the New York Times described Ojai as “A [verdant] vortex of good energy (and great times).” In the margins, locals lurk around the corners of comment pages huﬃng and steaming over out-of-towners coming to Ojai. The commodification of this imagined geography — becoming the marketing hype and losing authenticity — could spell a Narcissus-like end for our community, where Ojai is sucked into its own reflection and sold back in reclaimed sustainable packaging. Observing tourists recording and posting their latest visit to Bart’s Books rather than actually reading in the bookstore does give one pause (and hopefully not because Bart’s manager was our Fall 2021 cover). But so does hearing locals brag, “I never go downtown anymore,” feeding a positive feedback loop where businesses are forced to cater only to visitors. People sojourn here, pulled by the warm glow of their perceptions of this place. They come to try on the storied vibe, or to bow out of the competitive dog-eat-dog world after they’ve had their fill, to find salvation from their past life indiscretions or, at the very least, to discover the best versions of themselves. To dwell in a place where people come to be better humans is a wonderful idea indeed, but when it’s their second home and a fence goes up around it, Ojaians are pretty sure the ideals have missed their mark.

This imagined geography is built upon a zeitgeist influenced by the regular release of “visit Ojai” puﬀ pieces in travel mags and national newspapers. From the Auto Club, to in-flight magazines, the vision of Ojai is crafted by brand-conscious writers on promo-junket tours.

photo: Ti any

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From 1977-1989, Ojai resident Arthur Grace was one of only a small corps of Western photographers with ongoing access to Soviet bloc countries behind the Iron Curtain “ ose who cannot remember the past are tocondemnedrepeatit.”

photography and words by ARTHUR GRACE Right: demonstratorsPro-SolidarityinWarsaw are tear gassed by paramilitary police during country-wide protests on August 31, 1982. Facing page: A marching unit of young women await the start of the May Day parade in East Berlin in 1977. Behind them are posters of East Germany’s leaders.

George Santayana Arthur Grace’s Cold War Album

“Even though the photographs in my book offer only the merest glimpse of the Cold War from one photographer’s perspective, I hope they will serve as a historical reminder of what autocracy looked like then, and could look like again in the not-sodistant future.” – Arthur Grace from the foreword to his book, Communism(s): A Cold War Album.

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Bottom right: Two men trying to sell used electronics at a ﬂea market in Warsaw in 1989. A wide variety of goods were sold by everyday people at these events, including used shoes, clothes, toys and household goods. Generally, there were no booths or stands set up, just individuals standing holding their used items or laying them out on the ground in front of them.

Above: A young couple share a quiet moment sitting on park benches during martial law in Poland in 1982. Top right: Women stand in line outside a grocery store in Warsaw in 1981. Sometimes people would get into a line not knowing what was being sold.

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Above: A young man waiting for a bus in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, in 1983. Above him is a poster of the country’s Communist dictator Marshal Tito who died in Left:1980.Schoolboys walking home with groceries in Sighisoara, Romania, in 1977.

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Top: Factory worker having soup and bread lunch in Nova Huta, Poland, in 1989.

A plainclothes secret policeman surprises three Warsaw college students after observing them talking to a Western journalist during martial law in 1982.

I learned quickly that often while I was busy observing what was in front of me, someone from State Security was busy observing me.

Top: Contestants in the Miss Poland contest wait for their number to be called to go on stage. The event took place in Warsaw during martial law in

Bottom:1982.

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27OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 The most inSolidarityshotSovietthephotographsnewsworthyItookduringtimeIwascoveringtheblocweretheonesIduringtheriseofthemovementinPoland1981andlifeundermartial Communism(s): A Cold War Album by Arthur Grace Published By Damiani Editore @damiani_books (@arcanabookslawin1982. The courage and unwavering deﬁance of the Poles was inspirational to people in Eastern Europe and around the world. Seven years later the Berlin Wall fell.

Top: Protesters gather at dusk at a location in Warsaw for a peaceful demonstration against the imposition of martial law. The “V” hand sign was a symbol of resistance.

1434 Foothill Road | 3 bed, 3 bath | Sylvan Half Acre | $2,229,000 Situated in Ojai’s Upper Foothill on a sylvan half-acre ringed by sculptural oaks and agaves, this single-story offers both privacy and proximity. Mere minutes from historic downtown Ojai, follow the lines of oaks, eucalyptus, and pepper trees up storied Foothill Road to discover a world all your own. Bathed in greenery, afternoon light, and birdsong, this 3 bedroom 3 bath home includes a hearth-centered living room, updated kitchen, and a spacious den - easily converted into a 4th bedroom. All common areas, as well as the primary en-suite, open to unique outdoor moments. Stretch your hammock or badminton net across the yard. Dine al fresco beneath the arms of a heritage oak. Enjoy the sound of cascading water pond-side. Entertain on the sprawling paved groundscape. Soak in the above ground spa. Vaulted pickled plank ceilings, thoughtful skylights, and meandering river rock rest spots accentuate the arboretum-like setting. Your private Ojai awaits... ELIZABETH JEBEF REALTOR | Luxury Property Specialist 805.889.0353 | elizabethjebef.comLic#: 02101730 Upper Foothill Sanctuary OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 202228

OJAI Each o ce is independently owned and operated. Live The Ojai 805-766-7889OjaiDream.comDream. Sharon MaHarry, Broker Associate BRE #01438966 23-ACRE SCENIC ESTATE Transport yourself to another world... a world of full moons and waterfalls, aromatic orange blossoms and papaya. Where every morning is a treat to the senses in a micro-climate that’s cooler than the valley, yet never freezes. This 23-acre biodynamic farm with 3,211 sq. ft. home is just 5 miles from the center of downtown Ojai but a world away from the city. Come sense the magic. $3,899,000 29OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022

21+ PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY. 31OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022

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As part of Rob’s trash travels, he made his way up the California coast, including a visit to Ojai. He visited the Farmer’s Market and downtown Ojai, and talked to many passersby who were fascinated by what they were seeing. A walking, talking art installation, Rob notes that it makes you pause to think…“Is that how much trash I’m creating? I want this to serve as a mirror for others to be able to self-reﬂect on their own way of interacting with the Earth.” Rob continued with talks and appearances even after May 20. By then the suit was even more impactful visually. “Even I myself, every day, am astounded by the amount of trash I’m wearing,” he said. He culminated his journey in L.A., speaking at a TEDxUCLA talk; “I wore all my trash for 30 Thankswww.youtu.be/Xay1YKpu6Nkdays”forstoppingthroughOjai, Rob, and thank you for your tireless work. To learn more about Rob, you can visit his website: www.robgreenfield.org

33OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 and-greets and speaking engagements. Each day the suit became larger and Theheavier.average American produces 4.5 to 4.9 pounds of trash per day, totaling 135 to 147 pounds in a month. In his everyday life, Rob pretty much leads a zero-waste lifestyle, so in order for this to work he had to change his ways. At the end of 30 days, his trash weighed in at 72 pounds. That’s 2.4 pounds a day — only half of what the average consumer generates, yet the visual is still so powerful.

OF the amount of organic material sent to the landﬁll, which reduces emissions. Residents add food waste to the yard waste container, and at the recycling center, food waste is separated and composted into soil products and renewable energy.

Rob Greenﬁeld’s TrashDays

e’s been called the “Robin Hood of Modern Times,” the “Forest Gump of Ecology,” and the “Trash Man Who Protects the Planet.” Have you heard of him? Rob Greenﬁeld is a man on a mission for food freedom, zero-waste activism, and building community by living simply and sustainably (and sometimes, o the grid!). He’s known for his extreme projects to get people’s attention and make them think — to bring awareness, and more so, inspire them to want to take action. Living in North Carolina, Rob came to California for his latest project: to wear all the trash he created for 30 days. From April 20 (Earth Day) until May 20, Rob would act as the “average” person: eating, shopping, and consuming. The only di erence is, instead of throwing everything away (where is “away,” anyway?), he had to wear it in a custom suit he built speciﬁcally for the purpose of carrying and displaying the trash he generated. Every time he went out, he had to wear the trash suit. Grocery stores, restaurants, errands, and of course, meete’s

To see all this waste in one place, from one individual, on their person, is a billboard for what we could be doing better. Yes, recycling is a great “last best” e ort, but 90% of recyclables don’t actually get recycled. Even if we recycled everything we could, we create way more waste than can be used. Plus, it’s costly (many times it’s easier and more cost e cient for companies to use virgin materials), can lead to contamination issues, and is not easily available everywhere. So how can we use less, care more, and all work together? One answer was recently instituted in Ojai, which put in place a new food waste recycling program that went into e ect January 1. This program aims to reduce

One man’s trash is another man’s mission words and photos by TIFFANY PAIGE

• Try the “Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refuse then Recycle” way.

• Carry your own utensils and to-go ware.

• Find package-free shops.

www.ojai.ca.gov/solid-waste-and-recycling Guest editor Ti any Paige of Green With Ti any is a podcast host and journalist with a devoted love of Ojai since she was a young girl. Ti any has been committed to promoting sustainability for over a decade. Green With Ti any was created as an empowering, mindful, and heartful resource about living each day more consciously, caringly, and sustainably.

• Single-use plastic is the most ubiquitous type of packaging trash. Using as little of the following as possible will have a huge impact: water bottles, plastic bags, plastic straws, plastic utensils, plastic to-go containers.

• Compost as much as you can.

• Use Ojai’s new food waste recycling program.*

*If you have a yard-waste cart, place food waste in a tied bag and add it to the yard-waste cart. All food waste—including meat, bones, ﬁsh, shells, dairy, bread, fruits, vegetables, peels, pits, cobs, and co ee grounds—must be placed in a bag, tied o , and added to the yard waste container. Once at the recycling facility, food waste will be separated from yard waste and composted into soil products and renewable energy.

34 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 WHAT CAN YOU DO TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WASTE YOU CREATE? • Carry reusable bags for produce, shopping, and groceries.

• Bring your own co ee cup to be ﬁlled, or at least forgo the lid and sleeve.

• Order an ice cream cone instead of a cup.

• Visit your farmer’s market and bring your own bags or basket — and don’t forget about produce bags, too.

• Buy from bulk bins for food when you can.

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1224 Alviria Drive | $950,000 Located in a highly desired neighborhood. Nice 4 bedroom, 2 bath home with large family room on 10,125 sq.ft. lot with family orchard and room for gardening. Close to Land Conservancy trails.

37 Cathy Titus DRE ctitus@livsothebysrealty.com805.798.096001173283 © 2020 LIV Sotheby’s International Realty. All rights reserved. All data, including all measurements and calculations are obtained from various sources and has not and will not be veri ed by Broker. All information shall be independently reviewed and veri ed for accuracy. LIV Sotheby’s International Realty is independently owned and operated and supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

309 Fulton Street | $1,549,000 Turn key 1928 California Bungalow in downtown Ojai. This great location retains the old town flair. Custom free form resort style walk in pool and spa with room to entertain. 3 bedroom, 2 bath with detached finished garage, easy ADU conversion.

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39OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 © Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All rights reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark. This material is based upon information which we consider reliable but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. This o ering is subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the o erings of other real estate brokers. We are happy to work with them and cooperate fully. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents a liated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity. Rosalie Zabilla 805.455.3183 Rosalie@ZabillaGroup.com DRE: 01493361 UPPER OJAI ESTATE 4BD | 3.5BA | 3,400 sf | 10 acres | $3,055,000 See More at 11400TopaVista.com Spectacular view property located on approx.10 acres in Upper Ojai! Modern interior with walls of windows and vaulted ceilings. Great potential for vineyard, equestrian facility, or vacation rental. ZabillaGroup.com

Teaching an ancient equine practice in Lockwood Valley When horse AND rider 40 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022

by KIMBERLY RIVERS photos by VINCENT MCLEAN

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The use of spears, lances, and bows and arrows from horseback is documented throughout history around the world, with the earliest descriptions of mounted archery dating to the ninth century B.C. with the Assyrians in the area today called the Middle East. The tactic quickly spread and was heavily relied upon throughout the Asian continent for thousands of years. In the Japanese tradition of mounted archery, a saying embodies the aim of the practice: “jinba ittai” means “horse and rider are one.”

Throughout history, approaches were developed to train, ride, and connect with the horse in ways that have shifted over time. These methods came out of utilitarian uses for horses in battle, travel, and daily life. From cross-country jumping and polo, to the meticulous dance of dressage and the tasks of working equitation, gymkhana and charrería, to long-distance riding, each competition discipline of the modern era is based on skills and training that horse and rider either needed on the battleﬁeld or in day-to-day tasks required for living.

partnershipthatworld,build,toonhumankindtrails,rivers,anddynasties,continents,civilizations,wars,throughmountains,andtracks,hasreliedandusedthehorseconquer,explore,andtraveltheandsomesayconnectionandhasallowed one

are

42 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 than I’ve been walking,” Lomax said. Like many people building their lives with horses, she describes the draw of the horse as an addiction: “It’s a passion; I’ve always loved them. I love the connection, the process it takes to try and be a part of a partnership with a 1,000-pound prey animal in a way that does not increase or develop anxiety” in the horse. “It is miraculous to me that they let us ride them.” her mother, who also introduced her to mounted archery about three years ago. Lomax then into the sport, taking clinics with Elizabeth Tinnan, an expert clinician in the art and skill of mounted archery based in Nashville, Tennessee. Today, Lomax o ers multi-day clinics, group and one-on-one lessons for riders with their own horses or on her horses. She o ers “experience” packages for people who might not have ridden before When the rider asks the horse to shift into a trot or the faster canter, the experienced rider can feel each hoof connecting with the ground. A horse that trusts the rider will be listening for direction through subtle changes in leg position and pressure, seat balance, or for a rotation of the shoulder. The rider, through their seat, is in rhythm with the gait. If truly in sync, horse and rider may join up further, matching breaths together as one. These skills are all needed

That experience, and the feeling of being unsure of the horse at the beginning, is helping Lomax as she instructs others who ride unknown horses.

Lomax emphasized that if a rider can take their horse places, and reasonably get out and walk, trot, and maybe canter around, they can do mounted archery.

The replacement was a young ﬁlly named Freya. She was a pretty grulla, or blue dun, quarter horse. Blue dun is a sort of shimmering gray coloring, with black legs, mane, and tail. “She was really brave and great on what we call the 90-meter straight track,” Lomax said. You start at one end and ﬁnish at the other. The horse doesn’t have to leave any buddies behind, which can be hard for a young horse. And on the straight track the targets are all on the same side, with a barrier fence the horse travels along, providing guidance that can be helpful for a horse that is still learning. But Lomax was shooting on the hunt course that day, a 500-meter cross-country track. “There are no barriers, the horse has to run away from their friends, into a dark part of the woods.” This can be di cult for a young “Shehorse.needed a lot of support from me” to keep her at the desired speed, direction, and to keep moving ahead, Lomax said. This meant Lomax did not shoot at every target, resulting in a lower score because she had to focus on guiding Freya during certain parts of the course. She took a lower score that day, but remembers the feeling of working with an unknown horse and having to make the choice to stay in connection— even if that means helping the horse do well.

“More people would try this sport if they thought they could do it,” she said. “They underestimate what their horse needs in training to go to an introductory lesson.”

Being able to canter a horse, drop the reins, then turn around and shoot at something behind the horse’s hip requires the rider to release control and trust in the horse.

The rider goes along the entire length of the shorter track with no reins in hand. Because the track is so short, Lomax explained, you have to truly partner with and rely on the horse “when you drop the reins — to maintain speed and direction until you say otherwise.” It requires trust on the part of the rider in a unique way. Over the past several months Lomax has been busy traveling for competitions, and depending on where she’s headed, she’ll either transport her horses, or ride horses at the competition. One recent riding experience helped her become a better teacher when she remembered the experience of riding an unknown horse through a challenging course. The horse she was initially assigned to ride at an out-of-state competition came up a little o the day of competition, so an alternative horse was provided.

43OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 In mounted archery the rider does not have time to sight and aim at a target as in ground archery, and those taking up a bow on a horse have to adjust to letting the arrow loose much quicker. Safety is always paramount, and beginners are taught to toss away the bow and any arrows in hand if they feel the need to pick up the reins with both Afterhands.beginners get the feel for shooting while standing, they’re asked to walk past several targets, shooting at each in turn. Learning to adjust aim and position arrows while walking helps prepare for the movement and timing of releasing arrows from Oncehorseback.inthesaddle, riders practice at the walk only, with one arrow. Hidden Creek Ranch has a straight 90-meter track and a 500-meter cross-country track that weaves through a wooded area with targets at various intervals. Both are used in competitions and clinics. The targets are set up to mimic historical scenarios a mounted warrior might face, such as a foe attacking from a tower, or an enemy soldier attacking from the ground and behind.

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Rewilding THE 48 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022

Left: asPierpontBelow:JulieCottagePierpontneighbors&BeauMansonThehistoricCottagestheywere

In late 2021, Goode committed to a full restoration of the property, ripping out huge eucalyptus trees that take water away from native species, along with all the dead citrus and avocado trees. “It was like a timber job,” he said. “This is a model as to what people can do with orchards that aren’t productive.”

Goode bought an adjacent plot of land on McNell Road in 1989 and founded the Turtle Conservancy in 2005. But he kept his eye on the Pierpont property, collecting snails in the orchard for his turtles.

The Turtle Conservancy, a champion of restoring the habitats of preserves around the globe, “wanted to do something in its own backyard,” said founder Eric Goode.

The East End Preserve, in the area of Thacher and McNell roads, is a partnership between the Turtle Conservancy, Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, The Thacher School, and nearby neighbors.

The removed trees were converted into mulch, which was spread out on the ground with ﬂower seeds underneath. Also needing removal were piles of trash from various agricultural endeavors that had been dumped in and around the seasonal waterway (riparian drainage area).

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Two years ago, Goode purchased the property from Phil Pierpont, whose family had for nearly 100 years grown walnuts and later citrus and avocados on the land. Goode donated the historic Pierpont Cottages, built in the late 1800s, to The Thacher School. The orchards had long been abandoned, due to the cost and availability of water, and problems associated with disease and pesticide use. Goode’s history with the property goes back to the late 1960s, when he lived there and his father was teaching at The Thacher School. Raised in New York City until the age of 8, Goode returned there as a young man and embarked on a career in art, then became a successful hotelier and restaurateur over more than three decades. But he couldn’t stay away from Ojai: “For whatever reason, Ojai was indelible in my memory my whole life, catching horned lizards and pond turtles and kingsnakes. I just couldn’t get it out of my head, all these years I lived in New York.”

East End “ ings happen in Ojai that don’t happen in other places,”

Goode went full tilt on the project this winter, partnering with OVLC, which has been doing habitat restoration work in the valley for more than two decades. Bringing in and planting native plants from the Land Conservancy’s native plant nursery, rewilding the land, took only three or four months, “which wasn’t that long because we had a lot of ﬁrepower on it,” said Rick Ridgeway, a member of the Turtle Conservancy board. Ridgeway, a mountaineer, outdoor adventurer, writer, and ﬁlmmaker who story by PERRY VAN HOUTEN photos by MAX MAURER is spring, 25 acres of abandoned orchards in Ojai’s East End were restored to native live oak and chaparral woodland.

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In February, project partners mobilized the neighborhood, bringing in stakeholders and neighbors who planted dozens of native trees, getting many people’s ﬁngerprints on the project. advocates for the environment and conservation, was a member of a four-man team who were the ﬁrst Americans to summit K2, the second-highest mountain on Earth, in 1978.

According to OVLC Executive Director Tom Maloney, the restoration provides a host of beneﬁts. “There’s a whole suite of ecosystem services that accrue from reestablishing oak woodland where there had been orchards,” he said.

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52 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 · OJAI VALLEY SCHOOL — LOWER CAMPUS SPORTS FIELD LIVE MUSIC · OPEN BEER GARDEN · FOOD TRUCKS · FILMS Visit our website, ovlc.org, or contact Adam adam@ovlc.org,Morrison: (805) 649-6852 x 208 We are excited to announce the big event will again take place under the stars at Ojai Valley School! Dig out your low-back chairs and blankets and join us on the field at OVS for another fantastic year of films and fun! All proceeds will protect the views, trails, water, and wildlife of the Ojai Valley. TICKETS Scan the QR code or visit ovlc.org to learn more and purchase tickets INTERESTED IN SPONSORING THE EVENT, OR DONATING TO THE SILENT AUCTION OR RAFFLE? THIS EVENT IS SPONSORED BY -vegetation management -wildﬁre VENTURA-ecologicalmitigationimprovement BRUSHGOATS 805-358-1841 | www.venturabrushgoats.com Follow @venturabrushgoatsus

53OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 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. (Add this for website disclaimer: The services referred to herein are not available to persons located outside the state of California.) C2 FINANCIAL CORPORATION IS THE #1 BROKER IN THE NATION MORTGAGE EXECUTIVEMAGAZINE 805.798.2158 236HEARTLOANS@SBCGLOBAL.NETW.OJAIAVE.,SUITE105,OJAICA 93023 HEARTLOANSC2.COMFINANCIALCORPORATION THERESE HARTMANN CONCIERGE MORTGAGE CONSULTANT FOR 25 YEARS ANSON FOR MAYOR .COM SUSTAIN AND THRIVE TOGETHER Paid for by Anson For Mayor 2022 Committee. Lisa Carter, Treasurer “I’m running to bring back the heart and spirit of Ojai. A community that saved my life when I was recovering from cancer and blessed me with my soul mate. Our challenges are tough, but with positive new leadership, we can join together to sustain and thrive in the city we love.”

54 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 From and to: Ojai, Meiners Oaks and Mira Monte For Just $1.50! The Ojai Trolley Service Continues to Run Serving the Needs of the Ojai Valley ADA, Medicare Card Holders, and Seniors 65-74 are 1/2 price. Seniors 75 and over, and children under 45” tall are FREE riders on the Trolley We’ll get you there!We’ll get you there! e Ojai Trolley Service, established in 1989, is owned and operated by the City of Ojai. e Trolley provides daily xed-route transportation to approximately 9,000 riders per month throughout Ojai, Meiners Oaks and Mira Monte. e Trolley is a well-known feature in the Ojai Valley, and in addition to the daily xed-route services, participates in many local community events, fund raising activities, community service, and educational functions. 408 South Signal Street, Ojai, CA 93024 Phone (805) 272 3883 • E-mail: transit@ojai.ca.gov • www.ojaitrolley.com

the MakerViolin 56 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022

At age 18, in 1976, Lisus was accepted into the acclaimed Newark School of Violin Making in Nottinghamshire in the U.K., securing one of just 12 available places from a pool of 400 applicants. “It was a wonderful experience where the seed of inquiry was planted,” he recalls. He spent three years studying the intricacies of violin making, although he admits that his craft requires lifelong learning: “It’s all about sound, and that’s a very elusive thing to capture.”

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If violin maker Brian Lisus were to time-travel back to the 17th century, he’d t right in by KERSTIN KÜHN photos by EMMA LARKAN

A true artisan at heart who likes to build things with nothing but his bare hands, he’s entirely comfortable without technology: Making his fine string instruments — violins, violas, and cellos — relies purely on natural materials and his workmanship. “That’s why my clients come to me,” he says. “They know their instrument is completely handmade and they appreciate that.” Indeed, as a luthier Lisus is known around the world as a rare talent, a renowned craftsman whose instruments are unlike any others’. As we meet in his tiny workshop in the East End of Ojai, where half-finished instruments adorn the walls and tools are neatly arranged above his workbench, Lisus says string music runs through his blood. Growing up in Johannesburg, South Africa, he was first introduced to it by his godfather, Joe Sack, an instrument dealer, music critic, and avid cellist, who would frequently host chamber music gatherings at his home. “He taught me how to play when I was 6, but I quickly gave it up in favor of cricket,” Lisus laughs. But something definitely stuck.

Lisus forgoes entirely the use of any electrical tools to build his violins, violas, and cellos, and instead meticulously carves, shaves, and bends the wood by hand. For his varnish, too, he avoids any chemicals and relies solely on natural ingredients, including unfiltered resin from pine trees, which he cooks for several days, then dissolves in sun-thickened walnut oil. “It’s more flexible than linseed oil,” he explains. And for the coloring, he mixes sandalwood, madder root, and cochineal, a red dye consisting of the dried, pulverized bodies of female scale insects. “Everything I use was available 300 years ago,” he insists. “I don’t use a brush to apply the varnish, either; I rub it on with my finger so that I have complete control.”

U.S. green card lottery and left South Africa for California. After a year in Santa Barbara, he moved to Ojai in 2013 in search of serenity and nature, and set up shop in the 600-square-foot tin-roofed backhouse of a larger home shared by a family of four, their dogs, goats, and chickens. This tiny workshop is where the magic happens, and it all starts with selecting the right wood, which Lisus sources mainly from Europe.

Everything Lisus does during his building process, every minute detail he focuses on, is all in the name of capturing the perfect sound. “To me that is a sweet and gentle sound rather than a bright and powerful sound; a sound that is soft rather than

Upon completing his studies and returning to his native South Africa, Lisus set up his first workshop in a small town called Greyton near Cape Town in 1981. From there he developed his unique model, which he says came about more by circumstance than choice: “On returning from Europe I found all my molds and templates were missing from my box of tools. So my only option was to draw my outlines from scratch.” He explains that while most violin makers copy the forms of old instruments made by the greats of Italy, such as Stradivari or Guarneri, his models are built entirely from his own design. “Instead of just copying the measurements of somebody else, I’ve created my own, which has given me a really deep understanding of the instruments,” he says. Lisus went on to craft instruments for some of the top musicians and orchestra principals in South Africa and gradually built a global following, picking up clients in all corners of the world, from Europe to New Zealand, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. He has built instruments for musicians across the spectrum, from hobby enthusiasts to concertmasters at celebrated institutions including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic. One of his most acclaimed projects, which won him international praise, was his Quartet of Peace, a collection of two violins, a viola, and a cello dedicated to the ideals of peace, reconciliation, freedom, and hope as represented by South Africa’s four Nobel Peace Prize laureates Albert Luthuli, Desmond Tutu, F.W. de Klerk, and Nelson Mandela. Built in 2010, the quartet has been played at venues including St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Germany (where 18th-century composer Johann Sebastian Bach is buried); London’s iconic Kings Place; and L’Atelier de Picasso in Paris, France; as well as at Tutu’s 80th birthday celebration. All proceeds raised from concerts are donated to charities that support uplifting children in impoverished areas of Africa through music programs. “We’ve made a lot of di erence to a lot of people’s lives,” Lisus says. Today, the Quartet of Peace belongs to a trust in South Africa, which recently flew him out to repair the instruments. It was the first time he had returned home in almost a

A UNIQUE DESIGN

The body of his instruments — the back, ribs, and neck — consists of maple from Bosnia (“the same wood Stradivari used”), while the soundboard is made with spruce, a light, strong, and ﬂexible wood from Northern Italy. For the purﬂing or inlay of the instruments, he adds a South African element by using stinkwood, of which he says he has a lifetime supply. “Unlike ebony, which is black, stinkwood has a nice dark brown color, which I like,” he says. “It’s one of my unique touches.”

When it comes to the intricacies of building his instruments, Lisus reveals that the trickiest and most critical part involves a small piece of wood called the sound post. “This is placed inside the instrument, and where it sits, how tight it is, and how well it ﬁts is crucial for the sound,” he explains. “You have to listen and adjust, listen and adjust — it’s the most fascinating bit of the process and it’s also the most important.” The one element he purchases are the strings, and he says he prefers to use gut rather than synthetic strings as these produce a warmer sound, which is what he’s after. And once an instrument is ﬁnished, he has a professional musician play it for him. “I need that distance, to listen to the instrument being played from afar so that I can really hear what it sounds like as though it was being played in a concert.”

CAPTURING SOUND

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For,COMINGdecade.TOAMERICAin2012Lisuswonthe

Over the years, Lisus has made more than 100 violins, around 30 violas, and 15 cellos.

The process from start to finish can take up to six months, and his prices range from $25,000 for a violin, to $27,000 for a viola, to $55,000 for a cello. “I o er very good terms of payment and interest-free loans to people who can’t a ord to pay for an instrument in full,” he adds. “Musicians don’t tend to get paid a lot, even the good ones, and I like to help people.” He also helps people by teaching. His five-day intensive violin-making courses, which are typically spread over a few weeks, encompass the process of building an instrument from start to finish. And while his classes are not intended to train professional violin makers, they give hobbyists a rare glimpse into Lisus’ world, and an opportunity to build an instrument under his guidance each step of the way. Lisus is a true artist, a devotee to an ageold trade, whose work skillfully combines music and craftsmanship. His may be a dying art, but his instruments will outlive many of the world’s maestros and continue to play to music lovers’ hearts and souls.

edgy,” he explains. “Think of a 1950s movie, where a violin is softly playing in the background, and hearing it makes you want to cry. That’s the sound I’m looking for.”

“In the past 10 years, I have predominantly focused on making cellos, which is now my specialty,” he says, adding that he builds only one instrument at a time because “there is a relationship between the parts.”

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970 LARMIER AVENUE, OAK VIEW 1122 FOREST AVENUE, OJAI OJAI VALLEY OASIS Tucked away at the end of the road in Oak View you’ll nd a gated paradise. Located on just under 1/4 acre with incredible panoramic mountain views, lush gardens, exotic fruit trees, patios and decks. The interior of the home is timeless. Vaulted ceilings, clerestory windows, and a replace in the living room, classic formal dining with replace, high style kitchen with walk in pantry, gorgeous primary bedroom ensuite bath with soaking tub. Step out to the patios and luxuriate in the views enjoying your morning co ee. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, laundry room and attached garage. Asking $869,000

NATURAL BEAUTY

© 2021 LIV Sotheby’s International Realty. All rights reserved. All data including all measurements and calculations are obtained from various sources and have not and will not be verified by Broker. All information shall be independently reviewed and verified for accuracy. LIV Sotheby’s International Realty is independently owned and operated and supports the principals of the Fair Housing Act.

This Bohemian paradise is an invitation to a happy life. The front door is engraved with four smiling angels playing in the sun. This home is a celebration of the senses. In addition to 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, there is a Sunny living room, formal and informal dining, country kitchen, and a family room with replace. Step out into the garden in bloom with owering trees some laden with fruit, patios and pathways, an o ce/studio as well as a workshop, and a spa. Perfect getaway or live the Ojai dream. Asking $799,000 Amanda Stanworth astanworth@livsothebysrealty.comDRE:805.218.811701262333 Teresa Rooney trooney@livsothebysrealty.comDRE:805.340.892800599443

www.bartsbooksojai.com INWINNERS9YEARSAROW! An Ojai tradition for over 50 years 302 W. Matilija 10am-6pm(805)646-3755Streetdaily 2021 64 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022

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words picturesandby VANPERRYHOUTEN

REYES PEAK

67OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 Lookout!

HikesFireFourTower

SLIDE MOUNTAIN Standing guard over Pyramid Lake and a huge area of steep canyons on the eastern edge of Los Padres National Forest, the tower is staffed at times by volunteers with the Angeles National Forest Fire Lookout Association. When I visited a few summers ago, there was a lookout on duty who invited me up into the cab to have a look around. To get there, take Highway 126 east to northbound I-5 and exit at Templin Highway. NORDHOFF PEAK

The nearest ﬁre lookout to Ojai, visible from certain areas in town, this tower was built in 1935 and destroyed 13 years later in the catastrophic Wheeler Fire. The lookout was replaced in 1950 but burned again in the 1970s and was dismantled. The metal superstructure is all that remains. The lookout, at an elevation of 4,850 feet, is accessible from the Pratt Trail (12-mile round trip) and Gridley Trail (14 miles) in the Ojai front range, and the Howard Creek Trail from Rose Valley (about 10 miles). Any route you take, the last mile to the peak will test your determination.

Here are hikes to the sites of four old fire lookouts in Los Padres National Forest. Each hike will give you a good workout, a bird’s-eye view of the wilderness, and a feel for a proud part of the forest’s past. The first two fire towers are somewhat close to home, while the others require a longer drive into the backcountry.

The all-wood structure burned to the ground in 1932, only five years after it was built, but you can still find old timbers anchored to the rocks atop the 7,514-foot peak. From Highway 33, take Reyes Peak Road (aka Pine Mountain Road), past the last campsite, to the trailhead. Just east of the parking area, the trail splits three ways. Take the middle, less-defined path steeply up the mountainside. The trail levels out, and then climbs again to a cluster of rocks and the old lookout site. Continue north until the road ends at a parking area. Walk north past the locked gate for not quite 2 miles and look for a gated, unsigned dirt road on the left. It’s about 5.5 miles one-way to the lookout.

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69OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 One year, 4 issues, $10 each via priority U.S. Mail Published: March, June, September and December Name OrExpCreditPleasePhone......................................................Address..............................................................................................................................................chargemycardonetimefor$40CardNo..................................................................contact:805-646-1476|circulation@ojaivalleynews.com Experience the Ojai lifestyle wherever you live with a subscription to the Ojai Magazine. You can get local! Published since 1982 by the Ojai Valley News Mail to: P.O. Box 277, Ojai, California 93024

70 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 Our Saffron Salve is a one of a kind ToTrueUpperGeraniumButter,IranianAllyourcalmingmoisturizer--hydrating,andsoothingforbeautifulskin.organicingredients:Saffron,GhanaSheaEgyptianRoseandourownOjairawhoney.salvationforyourskin!purchase,pleasevisit: WOMAN-OWNED, MISSION-DRIVEN, ORGANIC AND SUSTAINABLE SKINCARE AND SELF-CARE PRODUCTS. We empower the women and families of our co-managed farms in Iran, India, Egypt, Morocco and Kenya where we source our sustainable ingredients. www.seebandsolace.com

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Bert Collins and Jannene Behl Art Exhibit featuring Ceramists Richard Franklin and Ruty Levy in the OjaithroughshowcasesAug.30ArtCenter113S.Montgomery St., Ojai ojaiartcenter.org805-646-0117 “Just The Ticket” Aug. 19 – Sept. 4 Ojai Art Center Theater 113 S. Montgomery St., Ojai Tickets: ojaiact.org or call 805-640-8797

Blood, Sweat & Tears Sept. Doors:105 p.m.; Headliner: 7 p.m. Libbey Bowl 210 S. Signal St., Ojai Tickets: www.axs.com or call 888-645-5006 Sergio Mendes Sept. Doors:165 p.m.; Headliner: 7 p.m. Libbey Bowl 210 S. Signal St., Ojai Tickets: www.axs.com or call 888-645-5006

October Canvas and Paper LaurencePaintings:Stephen Lowry October 6 – December 4 311 North Montgomery St. Open: Thursday – Sunday Noon – 5:00 p.m. Free canvasandpaper.orgadmission Ben Harper Oct. Doors:6 5 p.m.; Headliner: 7 p.m. Bowl 210 S. Signal St., Ojai www.axs.com or call 888-645-5006 Amy Grant Oct. Doors:7 5 p.m.; Headliner: 7 p.m. Bowl 210 S. Signal St., Ojai Tickets: www.axs.com or call 888-645-5006 Studio Artists Tour Oct. 8, 9, 10 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ojai

Gypsy Meets Choro. Guitarists Guitarists Olli Soikkeli and Cesar Garabini Sept. 17, 5 p.m. Beatrice Wood Center For the Arts 8585 Ojai-Santa Paula Rd. www.beatricewood.com805-646-3381

Guitarists Olli Soikkeli and Cesar Garabini at Beatrice Wood Center For the Arts. Sept. 17 “Blithe Spirit” Sept. 30 – Oct. 23 Ojai Art Center Theater 113 S. Montgomery St., Ojai Tickets: ojaiact.org or call 805-640-8797 Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite Sept. Doors:305 p.m.; Headliner: 7 p.m. Libbey Bowl 210 S. Signal St., Ojai Tickets: www.axs.com or call 888-645-5006

Libbey

August Canvas and Paper Jean-Baptiste-CamilleDrawings: Corot Gustave Jean-FrançoisCourbetMillet through Sept 25 311 North Montgomery St. Open: Thursday – Sunday Noon – 5:00 p.m. free canvasandpaper.orgadmission

Ojai

Valley Museum and Various Thisstudioswww.ojaistudioartists.orgwillbethe39thannual selfguided tour of more than 60 OSA members’ studios. Ojai Day - Free Festival Oct. 15 In downtown Ojai, followed by a free live music dance party hosted by the Ojai Valley News and Ojai Chamber of Commerce. Info: www.ojaiday.com www.ojaivalleynews.comand Chamber On The Mountain Anita Graef, Cello with Louise Chan, Piano Oct. 16, 3 p.m. 8585 Ojai-Santa Paula Rd. www.beatricewood.com805-646-3381 Judy Collins & Sophie B. Hawkins Oct. Doors:165 p.m.; Headliner: 6:30 p.m. Libbey Bowl 210 S. Signal St., Ojai Tickets: www.axs.com or call 888-645-5006 Ojai Storytelling Festival Oct. Various27-30showtimes and venues Visit ojaistoryfest.org for tickets and schedule November 2022 Ojai Film Festival Nov. 3-7 In-person Nov. 8-20 Virtual Ojai Art Center & other venues Thiswww.ojaifilmfestival.com805-640-1947info@ojaifilmfestivalwillbethe23rdAnnualOjaiFilmFestival,featuringindependentfilmsfromaroundtheworld,workshops,filmmakingseminarsandmore. BeatoFest Nov. 6, 11 a.m – 4 p.m. Beatrice Wood Center For the Arts 8585 Ojai-Santa Paula Rd. Art exhibits, demonstrations, live www.beatricewood.com805-646-3381Freemusicadmission 72 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022

Tickets:

Fall

Yesterday: Free Film Screening at Libbey Bowl Aug. 26 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 210 S. Signal St., Ojai Celebrate summer, music and love with the Ojai Film Society’s free summer series! RSVP required Email ojaiﬁlmsociety@gmail.com for more info. Michael Feinstein August 27 Doors: 5 p.m.; Headliner: 7 p.m. Libbey Bowl 210 S. Signal St., Ojai Tickets: www.axs.com or call 888-645-5006

September E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: Free Film Screening at Libbey Bowl Sept. 9. 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 210 S. Signal St., Ojai Celebrate summer, music and love with the Ojai Film Society’s free summer series! RSVP required Email ojaiﬁlmsociety@gmail.com for more info.

Libbey

Croptoberfest at Ojai Valley Brewery Sept. 24, 5 -10 p.m. 307 Bryant St., Ojai Visit ojaivalleybrewery.com for tickets and info. Craft beer, kombucha, hot eats, cold treats, live reggae, all ages! George Lopez – OMG HI! Comedy Tour Sept. Doors:245 p.m.; Headliner: 7 p.m. Libbey Bowl 210 S. Signal St., Ojai Tickets: www.axs.com or call 888-645-5006 2022

STORYTELLERS: SHEILA ARNOLD-MASTER OF CEREMONIES • NIALL DE BURCA • ADAM BOOTH • DEBORAH NEWBOLD • KEVIN KLING • MARA MENZIES • JOSH GOFORTH MUSICAL GROUPS: OJAI MADRIGALI (THURSDAY & SUNDAY MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (THURSDAY) • THE CHELSEA WILLIAMS TRIO (FRIDAY) THE SHERIFFS OF SCHROEDINGHAM (SATURDAY) WHAT: 21st Ojai Storytelling Festival produced by Performances to Grow On. Story Shop Boutique - Saturday and Sunday. Story Swap Workshops. WHEN: October 27-30, 2022 WHERE: Libbey Bowl, Fountain, and Gazebo (210 S. Signal) and Ojai Art Center (113 S Montgomery) TICKETS: www.tix.com/ticket-sales/ojaistoryfest/6604 WEBSITE: ojaistoryfest.org IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF THE STORY PLEASE EMAIL OJAIKARA@GMAIL.COM FOR INFORMATION ABOUT VOLUNTEERING! It’s not just a festival, it’s an experience. Thursday,October 27 ONE NIGHT ONLY Join us in welcoming Shakespeare back to Libbey Bowl! Step back in time for the sweet serenades of Ojai Madrigali, a twist on one of The Bard’s most famous tragedies, King Lear Retold by Deborah Newbold, and stick around for music from the bawdy beauties, THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR! Acrylic on canvas by Amy Lynn Stevenson

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JUDY SPAAR-HILLEWAERT by VANPERRYHOUTEN

From her observation post on Santa Ana Road, Spaar-Hillewaert documented Hannah and Mr. Majestic, their chicks whom she named Big and Lil, and the drama that unfolded in the spring of 2022. From the building of the nest to hatching and ﬂedging, we present the story here in pictures.

Nest of kin

Judy photosSpaar-Hillewaertby

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“Eagles are part of my soul,” Ojai resident Judy Spaar-Hillewaert told Ojai Magazine, as she watched and photographed a pair of bald eagles nesting near Casitas.Lake

Photo: Dan Dolinh

Mr. Majestic picks up a hitchhiker while making a ﬁsh delivery to the nest. The hitchhiker is demonstrating a behavior called “mobbing,” where smaller birds harass a larger bird by swooping at or dive-bombing it, to protect themselves or their chicks, according to Spaar-Hillewaert.

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With a full moon as a backdrop, Mr. Majestic rests in the nesting tree. This was the 10th nesting season for the eagle ﬁrst spotted at the lake in fall of 2010, when he was 3 ½ years old. It was Hannah’s second season at the nest. She laid an egg in 2021, but it didn’t hatch, according to Spaar-Hillewaert.

“30 days old!” Spaar-Hillewaert wrote on April 26. A chick watches mom, who is perched on a tree next door. The other eaglet is down low on the right side of the nest. Bald eagles lay two eggs 79% of the time. The eggs take 35 to 38 days to hatch.

Nesting season began in November and ramped up in January.

Hannah stares intensely and screams at an approaching osprey, which “diving full speed ahead just missed Hannah on her perch. Both eagles belted defense vocals,” SpaarHillewaert wrote. Hannah is the third female to nest with Mr. Majestic. She arrived in April of 2020 when she was 4 years old.

Nest building featured many huge branch deliveries by Mr. Majestic. “Watching the pair position this large and cumbersome branch made us laugh more than once as they worked together, tugging, pulling, ﬂapping, and ‘beaking’ each other to get it placed just right,” wrote Spaar-Hillewaert.

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Spaar-Hillewaert said Big (right) is likely a female, and Lil a male. With a smaller size and shorter wingspan, Lil will grow up just like his dad, with remarkable athleticism, agility, and prowess, she added.

The morning of June 21, 86-day-old Big fledged (took her first flight from the nest). She returned about an hour later and found a meal waiting for her.

Spaar-Hillewaert said she rarely saw the eagles with their eyes closed for more than a few seconds while preening or scratching. “Majestic had his eyes closed for a long time while preening and zipping up this tail feather,” she wrote.

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To see more of Judy’s photos, visit her Lake Casitas Eagles Ojai page on Facebook

In April, an adult red-tailed hawk gets too close to the nest. With talons out, SpaarHillewaert wrote, Mr. Majestic chased after the bird, “causing the raptor to skedaddle right back to its own territory.” To keep human intruders from getting close to the nest and disturbing the eagles, the area was cordoned o using fencing and barriers.

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84 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 Sustainable Style for Personal Well-being and a Healthy Planet 147 W. El Roblar Dr., Ojai • 805.640.3699 Open Tues-Sat 12-5:30 Organic mattresses, organic cotton sheets, duvet covers, blankets, baby clothes, women’s clothing, wool and down pillows, comforters and toppers.

85OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 Open Daily 11am to 5pm Call us for our most current shop hours 320 East Ojai Avenue • Ojai, CA 93023 On the web at: www.priscillainojai.com On Facebook at: facebook/priscillainojai On Instagram at: @priscillainojai IN OJAI (805) 646-9782

OJAI MAGAZINE Vanessa Hill RogersWellNoted by MIMI WALKER photos by LOU MORA 86

Apart from the aforementioned cards, which range from quirky and kid-friendly to psychedelic and tongue-in-cheek, the rest of Noted’s inventory is steadfastly dedicated to the handmade — mostly local, always Rogerspersonal.shares:“Many of the products, card lines, and writing instruments are things and brands I have come across in my own travels and everyday life, be it the beeswax candles by OVO Things from Lithuania, where my mother was born, or the Swiss Caran d’Ache rollerball pen I received as a gift in my 20s … “As for the stationery, we have dreamy journals and paper pads from Japan, notebooks that have whimsical hand-painted covers from Iowa, and fountain pens from Germany. Kids and adults fall in love with the set of teeny-tiny pencils not much thicker than a credit card, or unimaginably soft alpaca teddy bears … the list goes on.”

Just after the new year, a couple came in separately to buy each other an anniversary card. The following week, they came in to tell me that out of all of the cards, they bought the same card, so both of the unusual cards were on display on their ﬁreplace mantel. These are the stories that make running a shop so meaningful.”

Someone came in … and was close to tears when they saw a vintage-looking metal tape dispenser which reminded them of the one in their father’s study.

Perhaps Noted’s most — naturally — noted quality is its singularity as a paper goods store in a pixelated world. While those who have a one-stop shop in their phones might see the notion of a print shop in today’s climate as a romantic

Plus, she says, the locale only bolsters Noted’s sentimental raison d’être: “We have all sorts of people of every age coming through the door — which I love! The beauty of stationery, paper goods, writing instruments, and ﬁne art materials is that it connects people in a way reminiscent of slower, simpler times. It makes my day to see someone come in and tell me that they haven’t seen airmail envelopes with matching whisper-thin paper pads for ages, or how they remember being in school in Europe and learning to write cursive with their ﬁnicky fountain pen.

423 E. Ojai Ave., Suite 102 Ojai, California 93023 @noted.ojai on Instagram

risk, Rogers resolutely says her piece on the lingering timelessness of letter paper: “I don’t think we will ever stop wanting to hold things in our hands. And a handwritten note is, today especially, an expression of taking time and caring. It’s intimate in a way that something digital is not. I ﬁnd that with the pace and urgency of our lives right now, having a paper journal, notepad, or card helps us to slow down. To be more intentional. Or even just to relax and enjoy the simplicity of putting pen to paper. Or the way a heavy card stock feels to the touch. Or just the visual of a beautifully designed journal or notebook. The tiny celebration of washi tape on a lovingly wrapped package, or the momentary beauty of something imperfect … an ink blot, the bespoke script you see ﬂowing from your fountain pen. They are small things. But they add an artfulness and delight to the everyday. So, I believe, these are experiences we cherish, and will continue to.”

VANESSA HILL ROGERS GREW UP IN THE FAST LANE.

As the daughter of the late racing legend Phil Hill (1961’s Formula One World Champion and founder of the Hill & Vaughn automobile restoration shop), she had fast cars in her blood from inception. In the years before settling in the valley, she built a career in ﬁne automobiles that led to a job at Christie’s auction house in the International Motor Cars department. But there’s another element to Rogers’ life trajectory, one that is intrinsically measured and nostalgic and has led to her current career path: notepaper. “My grandfather was the postmaster of Santa Monica for 16 years, so perhaps my love of all things paper is genetic!” she says. After starting a family, and relocating to Ojai in 2017, she worked at the Ojai Valley Museum and the Nan Tolbert Center (now Secure Beginnings) before opening her dream business: a stationery store. She christened her shop Noted, and opened just after Thanksgiving 2021. “I have always, always, always loved paper goods,” Rogers confesses. “Early on it started by ‘playing’ o ce after getting my hands on one of my father’s old o ce ledgers, then I started journaling in elementary school; in high school, I had my beloved Filofax. There is just such a joy in having quality items with which to organize, create, and share your ideas, days, thoughts … what have you. These are tools to our imagination, even if it is just imagining what you are going to do that Rogersweek!”took great care to ensure that Noted’s interior would feel as hospitable as the goods it provides to the “Thecommunity.onevision I really had for the space was I knew I wanted a card wall to display 250+ cards. A close friend built a beautiful display that draws you into the shop, and honestly, once that was completed, everything else all settled into place,” she says. “I also adore cards — sending them, receiving them, ﬁnding just the right one. It all brings out, I believe, the best in us.”

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88 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 StationeryCardsGifts noted. 423 E.Ojai Ave. 805.272.8576#102@noted.ojai

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OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 Beautiful Smiles, Naturally. Cosmetic and Biological1511DentistsStateStreet, Santa Barbara CA 93101 805-899-3600 | santabarbaradds.com Lance Grant, DMD | Mark Weiser, DDS 90

91OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 FIRESTICK POTTERY Creative Workspace Open to Public FreePotteryWorkshopsGalleryPartiestours Open 10-6 daily 1804 E. Ojai 805-272-8760Ave firestickpottery3@gmail.com Outdoor, Indoor, Annual, Perennial, Trees, Organic Veggie Starters, Drought Tolerant Soil, Tools, Pottery & More. Hours: Monday - Saturday 9-5 Sunday 9 - 5 312 W. El 805-646-2546Roblar MOaksNursery

Jericho Skye has been gone for 177 days. Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, escalating a yearlong war and causing Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II, 26-year-old Army veteran and California native Skye left his home in Ojai and headed for the Polish border.

THE war IN hits close

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Since the conﬂict began, a growing number of American soldiers have gone missing in Ukraine. On June 9, two American military veterans were captured and detained while ﬁghting in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Russian o cials have made it clear that all foreign soldiers will be treated as mercenaries and will not be protected by the Geneva RussianConventions.President Vladimir Putin has hinted at the dire consequences captured soldiers would face for their involvement in this war.

Ukraine TO home.

by JESSICA HENRIQUEZCIENCIN

raine 93OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022

The night before his departure, he said goodbye to friends and family, and left a town that has been praying for him since he left. Skye boarded a plane after packing a du el bag with medical supplies, body armor, coldweather gear, bracelets that friends made, written letters from loved ones, and a teddy bear that he keeps in his pocket to feel close to the young son he’s leaving behind.

Before Skye felt compelled to leave home and go ﬁght, he owned and operated a construction and design company in Southern California, spending his days o hiking or at the beach with his dog, Lobo, and his family.

Aware of the many dangers, Skye still decided to join the 20,000 volunteers from all over the world who have entered Ukraine to help ﬁght. “People argued that I was joining a war without knowing all the facts, but it’s a fact that civilians are being killed, and it’s a fact that no one else is sending in troops,” Skye says, referring to multiple reports that NATO nations have refused direct combat and air defense that Ukraine is pleading for, with many leaders agreeing that to do so would trigger a third world war. “This is not a matter of nationality or a matter of politics,” Skye says. “It’s purely a matter of life.”

“I didn’t come here to die and I don’t plan on dying,” Skye says over the phone, while the sound of air-raid sirens continues throughout the call. “I’ll stay as long as it takes for this war to end, and while I’m here I plan to do whatever it takes to protect the people of InUkraine.”theearliest days after Russia’s unprovoked attacks on Ukraine, President Biden warned Americans not to get involved in this conﬂict as there would be very little the government could do to protect citizens once they were on Ukrainian soil. While the world watched what, even months into this war, has felt like a ﬁght between David and Goliath, Skye could not sit by and watch: “They were bombing hospitals, they were shelling schools, and that was only the beginning. Sitting on my couch and hoping someone else would do something was never an option for me.”

After high school, Skye served as a military policeman in the 137th Military Police Detachment of the U.S. Army. Although he entered Ukraine with no prior combat experience, he remained conﬁdent he could be trained to help in whatever way he was Afterneeded.he arrived in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, it took days to ﬁnd a point of contact for the Foreign Legion and weeks to receive his approval, credentials, gear, and weapons. “It was chaos, absolute confusion when I arrived,”

Skye soon began training as a ﬁrst-aid medic, putting together individual ﬁrst-aid kits packed with tourniquets, chest seals, needle decompression kits, and combat gauze. “There are still hospitals operating in some parts of the country, but road access to get there is dangerous and there’s no guarantee there will be space for you once you make it there,” Skye says.

Skye says. “That was no one’s fault; it took some time to get everyone settled, and that is hard to do when half the country is ﬂeeing and the other half is ﬁghting.”

Every day is di erent for Skye, who is now actively conducting combat operations in the Kharkiv region. Between missions, he and his unit are learning di erent weapon systems, medical training, and small-unit “Wetactics.are constantly hearing air raid sirens, machine-gun ﬁre just down the road,” he says. “It sounds like rolling thunder at night; usually I can sleep pretty well, but when the big bombs drop — no one can sleep through those. It’s intense, and yet, at the same time, you wake up in the morning and see people outside walking their dogs, watering their gardens — this is what survival looks like.”

shown me kindness and love, given me food to eat and clothes to wear. Whenever I walk into the building of the depot, we hug. I’m so moved seeing how everyone here is involved in this war e ort. Teachers and artists and students who have stayed are ﬁnding ways to help; it inspires me to keep doing what I’m doing.”

In April, Skye settled in with the SSO (a branch of Ukrainian special forces), joining a unit made up of men from all over the globe. “There’s German, French, Canadian,” he says. “I’m serving beside young kids, people in their 20s to fathers and grandfathers in their 60s. We are all here for the same reason: to protect the people of Ukraine.”

Entire cities in Ukraine have been destroyed, gutted by Russian shelling, and historical buildings and monuments have been left in ruins, unrecognizable from only a few months ago. According to a U.N. report released in June, more than 4,000 civilian lives have been lost since the war broke out in February, including at least 200 children. “My heart goes out to the parents who can only do so much to protect their kids and to a generation of kids who will grow up having lost their parents in this ﬁght,” Skye says. “I think about them when I’m tired, when things get tough here, when I miss my own family back home.”

Skye has been able to keep in touch periodically with his family and friends, posting photos on social media and checking in on the messaging app Telegram. “Back home, a few days without a phone call to my mom would go unnoticed; here, if there’s too much silence on my side, people start fearing for the worst,” Skye says.

Ukraine is no closer to peace or justice now than it was in the winter, but many are still holding out hope the circumstances will soon change, and as quickly as the war began, it will end. “The Ukrainian people are unbelievably strong and resilient,” says Skye in a recent phone call, months after his departure. “The young men I serve with on the front lines are normal civilians during peacetime and have been called to war to protect and defend their families and their way of life. They are ﬁghting for everything and I’m honored to be here ﬁghting beside them.”

During the waiting period, Skye put his presence to good use by helping local volunteers stock and distribute supplies. “I’d never met Ukrainians before,” he says. “These people have stolen my heart. They accepted me from the ﬁrst day, they’ve

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Divide into 8 custard cups or ramekins set on a tray. Chill the panna cotta cups for 4 hours or up to overnight; loosely cover with a towel or plastic wrap. To unmold, cut around the edges of each panna cotta. Set each cup in a shallow bowl of hot (not boiling) water for 10 seconds to loosen it and immediately invert onto a plate. Spoon warm compote over or around each panna cotta and serve. If you wish, you can skip the unmolding process, and serve the panna cotta right from the ramekins, topping it with the warm fruit compote.

In a large heavy saucepan combine the water, wine, sugar, lemon and orange zest, spices, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat, add all the fruits and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the pears and apples are tender but still hold their shape and the dried fruits are plump. With a slotted spoon transfer the poached fruits into a bowl and set aside. Reduce the poaching liquid over high heat until syrupy and reduced by half, about 10 minutes or so; make sure the star anise and cinnamon sticks are left behind. Take o the heat, stir in the brandy and lemon juice, then strain right into the bowl with the poached fruits. Cool until barely warm before spooning over the panna cotta, or cover and refrigerate to store until ready to serve.

Autumninpublished2017.

Whisk in yogurt, lemon zest, and cinnamon until well blended.

Serves 8 2 cups water 1 cup red wine ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange 2 cinnamon sticks ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 star anise pods Pinch of sea salt 1 firm medium pear, cubed 1 medium apple, cubed ½ cup each of dried apricots and dried figs ½ cup grapes or ¼ cup raisins 2 tablespoons brandy 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

WithEatingtheSeason

It’s the time of year when everything seems to ripen at once! We have ripe gs, apples, and pears, and sometimes it’s a challenge to harvest and keep these fruits while they last! Look for fall fruits and vegetables in your area for the best avor in the season. Speci c crops and harvest of fall produce will vary depending on your region’s climate. Fall season reminds me of a dish that I often eat as a breakfast treat — dried fruit compote served over yogurt. I use dried fruits simmered with spices, lemon, apples, pears, and a few shots of brandy to create a rich syrupy compote. e compote is so good it can actually be enjoyed by itself; served over this creamy panna cotta making it an extra-special decadent dessert.isrecipe is from my RecipesCountryWineDeliciousSimply

Robin Goldstein, chef and author of A Taste of Ojai cookbooks, shares inspiration for the fall AUTUMN FRUIT COMPOTE

2 tablespoons brandy 4 tablespoons water 3 teaspoons unflavored gelatin 3 cups heavy cream 1 cup sugar ⅛ teaspoon sea salt 1 cup plain yogurt, nonfat 1 tablespoon lemon zest, chopped Dash of ground cinnamon Pour brandy and water into a small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over and let stand for about 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.

Meanwhile, place cream, sugar, and salt into a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot. Add the softened gelatin and whisk to dissolve.

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LEMON PANNA COTTA

131 W. Ojai Ave • Open Daily 7am - 9pm • Phone 805-646-4082 802 E. Ojai Ave • Open Daily 8am - 8pm • Phone 805-646-2762 westridgemarket.com Westridge Midtown Market Westridge Market

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OM: You’ve been in Ojai for almost three decades. What brought you here all those years ago? Pat Cluché: I had been running a catering business in Palm Desert for many years called Behind the Scenes Catering, and although I was very successful — I did events for Oprah Winfrey, among others — I wasn’t very good at the business stu . I mean, I would write proposals on a typewriter with white-out. Gay and I had reconnected after meeting at summer camp many years prior, and she had all this experience working with the Wine Society and o ce management and computers, so I convinced her to come and work with me in the desert and help me run my business there. Gay Martin: We did that together for two years, and then the crazy people who owned the place didn’t renew our contract and instead gave it to one of their relatives. So we started looking around Palm Desert for a new restaurant space but couldn’t ﬁnd anything. Then I brought Pat up to Santa Barbara for her birthday, and while we were there, I thought we should look in Ojai because it was a small, sweet little rural place, a bit like Palm Desert used to be. So we drove into town and saw a building on Ojai Avenue that we instantly felt would make a great restaurant. When we walked into the Realtor’s o ce and asked about it, she said that while it wasn’t o cially on the market, she knew the owners wanted to sell. It wasn’t easy to secure the lease as the banks wouldn’t touch restaurants with a 10-foot pole back then, but we got lucky. I always tell people if you’re meant to be in Ojai, everything will work out for you, but if you’re not meant to be here, you won’t be able to get in for anything.

ﬁsh and chips with a light tempura batter, pommes frites and a malt vinegar aioli. When Larry Hagman lived in Ojai, he would come in and say Pat was the best chef within 100 miles.

Gay Martin: We saw a need in Ojai for an events venue, and in 2007 we expanded and added a banquet room. Of course, that’s when the recession hit. We saw a 5% drop in business between 2006 and 2007, and between 2008 and 2009 it dropped another 40%. So we lost almost half of our business right when we had expanded, and that was tough. The landlord didn’t cut us any slack despite what was going on with the economy and increased our rent every year, plus we had [a] triplenet [lease], so our overheads were astronomical.

107OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 tucked between the ojai playhouse and the barbara bowman boutique, it serves an all-day european café menu as well as dinner on weekends. but these women have run restaurants in ojai for a lot longer than 10 years, having previously owned the garden terrace restaurant, and catering operation, which they operated for almost two decades. Ojai Magazine’s Kerstin Kühn speaks to them about the past 30 years of running restaurants in Ojai, how things have changed, and the secret to their longlasting success.

Gay Martin and Patricia Cluché are the owners of the Marché Gourmet café and deli, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this summer.

OM: So you took on that building and opened The Garden Terrace Restaurant in 1993. Can you tell me a bit about this? Gay Martin: We had a very big operation — in the space where both Ca Marco and the Bamboo Creek massage place are now — with a restaurant, catering business, banquet room, bar, tearoom, and two rooms of gift shop. We had a huge menu, with a whole page just with daily specials. We did eggs for breakfast like eggs Benedict Arnold with avocado instead of ham; we had great pizzas like shrimp and feta pizza or Thai chicken pizza; we did amazing sandwiches like a grilled eggplant sandwich that people were crazy about; and we did the best

Pat Cluché: Our menu had a little bit of everything, nice fresh things. We made a ginger-cashew stir-fry that you could order with chicken, shrimp, or tofu, and we sold a lot of that. And we did small weddings and big bu ets, and one Mother’s Day we served 400 people — breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

OM: Why did you decide to close The Garden Terrace Restaurant?

Pat Cluché: We su ered for a while, and eventually I said: “I’ve got to get out of this big restaurant scene and open something small, a little sandwich shop.” So we got this place, which we opened in July 2012.

OM: Pat, how would you describe your cooking style and the food you serve at Marché Gourmet?

Pat Cluché: I guess it’s quite eclectic, but if I had to deﬁne it, I’d say it’s classic continental cuisine, with Italian or Mediterranean ﬂavors and French techniques. We do a lot of sandwiches, salads, and quiches at lunchtime, and I always use fresh ingredients so the menu changes every week depending on what’s around.

Pat Cluché and Gay Martin

OM: So after 30 years in Ojai, you’ve seen it all and you’re still here doing your thing. Do you still enjoy it? Gay Martin: Yes, we like what we do, and we are very grateful to have a business in Ojai that after all these years is still solvent. Over the past 30 years we’ve been through the El Niño in 1997, the recession in 2008, the Thomas Fire in 2017, and now Covid, and we kept our doors open through all those events. And if nothing else, if it’s just the two of us, we know that together we can do it.

108 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 Living in California we’re really lucky because everything is so abundant. Right now [July] we have chilled gazpacho soup, quiche, ratatouille, Basque chicken with peppers, grilled lamb medallions with Greek salad, and crème brûlée on the menu, so it’s a real mix. I also love cooking wildcaught ﬁsh, although it’s not as easy to get these days and it’s a lot more expensive than it used to be. I like to be reasonable with my prices. Gay’s always pushing for me to up the prices, but I don’t like to gouge people.

OM: You’re open six days a week from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and only serve dinner from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. two nights a week, on Friday and Saturday. Why such limited hours? Pat Cluché: We used to be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, but we realized over the years when we’re busy and when we’re not. So now we’re only open when we know we’re going to get good business, which is mainly lunch and dinner on weekends. Our clientele is very faithful and we have regulars who come for dinner every Saturday night.

Gay Martin: That’s why I write all the proposals. She cooks the beans and I count the beans [laughs].

Gay Martin: We have people who drive up from Santa Barbara every week to stock up on quiches, tamales, and things, and we get a lot of people from the Ojai Valley Inn, who walk past and stay for lunch. They always say: “Your food is twice as good and half the price, which makes it four times better!”

Marché Gourmet serves an eclectic menu

gazpacho(middlesproutsginger,soy,seared(middleBasqueburrataingredients.ﬂMediterranean-inspiredofavorswithfresh,localTomatoandbruschetta(top);cherrygâteauleft);andsesamerareahiwithgingerwasabiaioli,pickleddaikonradishandavocadoright);chilledsoup(bottom).

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111OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 Ideally situated in town within walking distance to everything, this well-appointed 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condominium is located in the quiet & serene neighborhood off northern Cañada surrounded by large majestic Oak trees. Features include gas fireplace in living room with vaulted wood ceiling and handsome wood plank core flooring, which opens up to outdoor covered balcony with great views of stately oak trees. Master bedroom also connects to outdoor balcony and has walk-in shower and spacious walk-in closet. Two designated parking spaces and plenty of street parking for friends and visitors. ©2021 LIV Sotheby’s International Realty. All rights reserved. All data, including all measurements and calculations are obtained from various sources and has not and will not be verified by Broker. All information shall be independently reviewed and verified for accuracy. LIV Sotheby’s International Realty is independently owned and operated and supports the principals of the Fair Housing Act. KIRK ELLISON www.ojaiproperty.comDREkellison@livsothebysrealty.com805.340.59050188430 JUDY PUGH judith.pugh@att.net805.340.0494DRE0947569 609 Cañada Street, unit H $555,000

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This corn is late and corny. The first week, the crop was premature, but we felt we had to jump on it. Photo: Liz Otterbein 115OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022

116 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. We have answers to your Medicare questions. We help you with Medicare. Let us help at no cost to you. Lyndon Thomas Insurance is a California licensed insurance agency working with Medicare beneﬁciaries to explain Medicare Supplement, Prescription Drug Programs, and Medicare Advantage Plan options. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. To schedule an appointment with a licensed insurance agent, please call Lyn Thomas, CA License #0D96309 at 805-646-6409 Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 4:00pm 1211 Maricopa Hwy, Ste 222, Ojai, CA 93023 www.LT-ins.com Open Daily for Breakfast & Lunch 8am - 2pm Closed Wednesdays

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by KAREN LINDELL e house at 1901 Hermitage Road in Ojai ... talks 120 OJAI MAGAZINE | FALL 2022

Over the years, the overall Hermitage property and ranch house have been home to 11 di erent owners, including homesteader Andrew B. Bronson, who came up with the name “the Hermitage”; Harry Cockley, who built the 1901 Hermitage Road house; and state Sen. Orestes Orr. A few of the former owners didn’t actually live on the property, and most were from elsewhere in the country. Like others drawn west to California, they were seeking a warmer climate.

TO MARGARET MENNINGER, WHO LIVED THERE FROM 1996 TO 2016, THE LANGUAGE WAS BIRDSONG — SO MANY DIFFERENT SPECIES, ALWAYS WARBLING.

The term “Hermitage” refers to the property’s somewhat hidden nature, unseen from the valley below. The address was originally 2484 Gridley Road, but the ﬁre department requested a change, to be consistent with the home’s actual location on Hermitage Road; “1901” happened to be one of the address number options as well as one of two possible dates the home was built.

“I let the house tell me what it’s capable of,” Ward says. The 3,500-square-foot historical home, built in 1901 or 1903 (historians aren’t sure of the exact year), hasn’t lost its unique Ojai voice after more than 100 years. Ward and his husband, Michael Lombardo, lovingly spent two years restoring and renovating the interior, with the goal of maintaining its vintage features while adding new ones like skylights and a modern kitchen. They’ve done the same outdoors, gradually replacing water-ravenous foliage with California natives. “As much as possible, we’ve kept, added to, or moved around what was already here,” Ward says, referring to plants, buildings, and physical details of the home’s interior.

Ventura County conducted a Cultural Heritage Survey of unincorporated properties in the Ojai Valley in 1985, which found that the 1901 Hermitage Road house was potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places or designation as a Ventura County Historical Landmark. The county regards the home as a “site of merit.” Ward and Lombardo are committed, like previous owners, to maintaining the home’s Formerauthenticity.owner Menninger, who still lives in Ojai with her husband Fritz, says that “part of the responsibility of owning the Hermitage was recognizing its timelessness; it has Old World charm. It’s not anything I would have considered changing, from day one.”

Their nearly 43-acre property, which they call “the ranch,” sits o a private road at the north end of Gridley Road on a larger group of properties known as the Hermitage or Hermitage Ranches, nestled in a canyon against a hillside adjacent to Los Padres National Forest. The Hermitage started out circa 1878 as a single homestead of 160 acres acres that grew to 290 acres, and was eventually split into 10 parcels.

photos: NOAH WEBB

TO WENDY HILGERS, WHO LIVED IN THE GUESTHOUSE FROM 1969 TO THE EARLY 1970S, IT WAS LONG CONVERSATIONS IN THE MAIN HOME’S KITCHEN. AND TO SONNY WARD, AN ARCHITECT WHO LIVES THERE NOW WITH HIS HUSBAND AND THEIR DAUGHTER AND SON, IT’S THE VERY BONES OF THE HOUSE, WHICH ARE STILL INTACT.

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photo: AMY NEUNSINGER

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Ward o ered a tour of the property’s bumpy and sometimes steep pathways in a Kawasaki utility vehicle, accompanied by the family’s two boxers, Freddy and Elly. He pointed out additional features of the property, including a barn, pool, garages, horse corral, old aviary turned into a gym, and several structures he built Whilehimself.others were baking banana bread during the pandemic, Ward was making sheds. His handiwork included an open shed for growing seeds, an aerated compost shed that shortens manure-making time, and a chicken house made of cedar recycled from old New York dairy barns. He also created a meadow. After clearing a large area, he tossed wildﬂower seeds and let nature go to work, generating a rugged sea of purple and yellow blooms. Other residents of the ranch include three horses and three mammoth donkeys (a U.S. variety of tall donkeys originally brought to America by, among others, George WardWashington).andLombardo, an entertainment executive, also own a home in Los Angeles. They almost didn’t end up in Ojai, and deliberately stayed away for more than a Thedecade.couple used to rent a house in Ojai on Reeves Road for vacations, but had never been there during the toastiest days of summer until 18 years ago, the year their daughter Josie was born. “It was hot as hell — 100 degrees — and we had no air conditioning,” Ward says. “We were miserable.”

The home, which includes a 1,500-squarefoot guesthouse (designed by owner/architect Berkeley Brandt in 1930), is part of a working ranch surrounded by orchards ﬁlled with avocado, Pixie tangerine, and other citrus trees, as well as grapevines. The fruits of all this ﬂora are sold as produce or wine.

The landscape closer to the house includes ground cover of creeping rosemary (a remarkably dark green alternative to grass) and lantana; agave; azaleas; jasmine; California oaks; palm trees; a 100-year-old Italian cypress; poinsettias; and numerous other fruit trees bearing pears, plums, persimmons, lemons, and apples.

photos: NOAH WEBB

So it was 12 years before they came back, but for much more than a visit. On that trip, they bought the 1901 Hermitage Road Thehouse.home’s front porch was the biggest selling point. Ward and Lombardo had been looking for a house in Santa Barbara County, but couldn’t ﬁnd anything. A friend suggested they visit the Hermitage, which was up for sale, so they decided to take a look despite previous reservations about Ojai’s summer heat.

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The family spends a lot of time playing tennis. An arbor built in the 1920s, restored by Ward, leads down to a tennis court surrounded by stone walls. According to Ward and previous residents, the court featured matches as part of The Ojai Tennis Tournament, which dates back to 1896. Previous owners also o ered the home as guest accommodations and a social spot for artists who participated in the Ojai Music Festival and Ojai Playwrights Conference.

As soon as they ascended the 13 stone stairs leading up to the front porch, turned around to see the view of the heart of the Ojai Valley, and felt the breeze that constantly blows no matter how hot the weather is, they were hooked. “It’s just magical; it’s the most beautiful place in the world,” Ward says. That same covered porch has been around since 1901/03, and serves now as a spot for morning co ee, meditation, meals, and mingling with guests. Ward and Lombardo live in the city during the week and mostly visit the ranch on weekends and holidays, but spent two full years there during the Covid pandemic.

Menninger, who hosted many of those notables, did not want to share names of speciﬁc people who stayed there, out of respect for her former guests’ privacy. She did conﬁrm that a 48th birthday party for pianist Emanuel Ax took place at the house when he was artistic director of the 1997 music festival. Ward, a member of the California Architects Board, helped with the design of the restoration and renovation and wanted to make the home more modern while avoiding drastic changes. He’s proud, for example, of the original weighted windows, which move up and down via a rope on cylinders; the California redwood paneling in the dining room; and the pocket doors. The library, in addition to some of the original shelves (which hold, among other books, a set of Hardy Boys mysteries for Josie, who didn’t want to read Nancy Drew), features a hidden door that leads to their son Johnny’s room.

The historical report suggests the property could be eligible for landmark status

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the Shingle style and the Craftsman TheBungalow.”Shingle style, popular from 1880 to 1900, was distinctly American — informal and eclectic, featuring asymmetric buildings that blended into natural surroundings, often with stone foundations, and porches or balconies that encouraged outdoor Craftsmaninteraction.style features, according to the report, include “the interior use of wood paneling and other exterior features such as the use of dressed masonry for the foundation, ﬁreplace, and walls.”

Thomas and Hilgers’ dad, Chris, who did odd jobs around the ranch, were once working on a bulldozer, with Thomas out of sight underneath the machine, when “some guy came up in a Cadillac in a cloud of dust and asked, ‘Who owns this property? Maybe I could cut you guys in on a deal if you introduce me to whoever the sucker is.’” Thomas then popped out from under the bulldozer to introduce himself as the Chet’ssucker/owner.mom,Wendy Hilgers, who still lives in Ojai, said she and Chris moved to the ranch guesthouse in 1969 to help with repairs after the great ﬂood that winter. “We spent a lot of time in the big house,” she said. “The owners were so wonderful. Most of the time we were in the kitchen, in these big old chairs, talking.”

A historical report on the 1901 Hermitage Road home prepared by historian Judy Triem of San Buenaventura Research Associates describes the house’s architectural style as “transitional between To take full advantage of the natural light and canyon breezes, Ward and Lombardo added skylights and opened up the home to create axis lines from one end of the house to the other. In the entryway, for example, previously separated from the kitchen by a wall, you can see into the breakfast room, which has citrus-themed wallpaper on the Chetceiling.Hilgers, a longtime Ojai resident, lived in the main property’s guesthouse with his parents and sister for a few years starting in 1969, when the main house was owned by Bill and Margaret Thomas. Bill Thomas, who owned the JBL audio speaker company, retired in 1970 and bought the Hermitage. He and his neighbor William Myers combined their properties in 1975 and subdivided them into the 10 current Hilgersparcels. recalled a story that revealed the desirability of the Hermitage Ranch to unscrupulous outsiders: Left: The home’s architect, John C. Austin served as an architect for landmark buildings including Los Angeles City Hall, the Shrine Auditorium, and Gri th Observatory. photos: NOAH WEBB

The home’s architect, John C. Austin, was born and educated in England, and eventually lived and worked in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Pasadena. According to the Los Angeles Conservancy, Austin served as an architect for landmark buildings including Los Angeles City Hall, the Shrine Auditorium, and Gri th Observatory. He received a commendation from L.A. Mayor Samuel W. Yorty “for serving in an outstanding manner as a distinguished architect.”

One aspect of the home Ward wanted to preserve was portions of a concrete patio that included the handprints, initials, and etchings of former children and residents who lived in the house. He and Lombardo took out the concrete, but kept the pieces that included imprints from the past. Those pieces are now stones in a garden path.

photos: AMY NEUNSINGER

Ward and Lombardo have added “J1” and “J2,” referring to their own children.

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Creating the pathway, Ward says, “was sometimes heavy, sometimes joyful, like any restoration.”

One features the initials and handprints of “LB,” from one of the children of Berkeley and Grace Brandt, whose family lived in the house the longest, from 1923 to 1970.

because it is associated with the Ojai Valley’s citrus-growing history; showcases the Shingle and Craftsman styles, by Austin, a prominent architect whose early surviving works are rare; and maintains its integrity because the design of the home hasn’t been substantially altered.

The house seemed to whisper back, “Thank you.”

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Ojai Magazine. Fall 2022

Articles inside

The House on Hermitage

The Forager

Marche Gourmet

War in Ukraine hits home

Eating for the Season

Well Noted

The Violin Maker

Four Fire Tower Hikes

EDITOR’S NOTE

30 Days of Trash

Mounted Archery

Nest of Kin

The Cold War Album by Arthur Grace