ojai blog - news and events in the Ojai community

The Ojai Post

in case you haven't noticed... i'm doing all of my blogging over at The Ojai Post...

Ojai Author named as book award finalist

of interest...

Local Authors Named as Finalists in the 22nd Benjamin Franklin Awards™
from PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association

He is a double cancer survivor and a trained marriage and family therapist who always wanted to be a writer; she is a formerly overweight double divorcee with a 30-year career as a writer/journalist who always wanted to be a therapist.

Ventura County residents, Patricia Alexander and Ojai-born Michael Burgos, met, fell in love, and felt compelled to write and publish a book. Called The Book of Comforts: Simple, Powerful Ways to Comfort Your Spirit, Body & Soul, it offered them the chance to merge their voices, expertise, experiences, styles and gender perspectives.

And together, they created an inspirational book that, frankly, breaks all the rules.  Every chapter is only six pages, flowing with original art on glossy paper. It’s funny; it’s tough; it’s tender; they published it themselves.

And now it’s being honored.

PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association, has named The Book of Comforts as one of three finalists in the New Age/Metaphysical/Spiritual category. Patricia and Michael, who live together in Camarillo, will be flying to New York on May 31st for the Awards dinner to see if they won, of course, but mostly to celebrate their long road to this achievement. (They are also celebrating the fact that they have just signed with a national distributor!)

Meet The Champion Ojai Masters Swim Team

press release from a reader... congrats, team!

OJAI MASTERS SWIMMERS PLACE FIRST IN SO. CAL.

The Ojai Masters Swim Team, coached by Rick Goeden, came away with the first place trophy at the Southern California Regional Swimming Championships in Santa Clarita. Competing against 21 other teams, 42 Ojai swimmers from 25 through 89 years of age bested the field. Ojai’s final point total was 1897, almost twice that of second place Long Beach with 953.

For about 10 years, Ojai and Santa Barbara were a combined team and won many championships. This is the first time Ojai has won the championship as a single team. Ojai’s domination of the meet was attributed not only to the fast swims posted by many swimmers, but also to its depth. In relay competition, Ojai fielded teams in age groups all the way up to 80 and over.

Ojai’s Jennie Taylor, the most senior swimmer of the meet, won two events and received standing ovations after many of her swims. She competed on the 80-plus relay with Eleanor Brown, Boyd Ford and Bill Mors. The time posted would have placed them fifth in the nation in 2006. Many Ojai relay teams posted times that would have placed them in the 2006 National ‘Top Ten’. Results for the 2007 Top Ten relays will be announced later this year.

Three Ojai swimmers, Mitnee Duque, Rich Sojka and Eleanor Brown won the high-point award in their respective age groups.

Coach Rick Goeden contributed to the team effort by winning three events and swimming on several winning relays.  Goeden commented “For a small town such as ours to compete with 21 other teams that draw from a much bigger area is an amazing accomplishment.” He also noted “an incredible camaraderie that most coaches can only dream of.”

Swimmers who contributed to first place relay wins were Christel Rogero, Donna Whitman, Camilla Denton, Barbara Wood, Laurie Edgecomb, Tina Drennan, Sheri Ann Cate, Katherine Erickson, Nancy Voyer, Courtney Harris, Franco Campana, Bryan Tally, Kerry Ellison, Peter Christl, Beck Selzer, Grant Wilson, Richard La Plante, Harry Delatre, Peter Lawrence, Brock Bernstein, Jim Beckett, and Bill Wechter.

Ojai also has a junior swim team for children. For more information on Masters or Junior Swim Teams, call coach Rick Goeden at 646-6884.

Other Ojai swimmers who won individual events in their age group were:
Laura Schreiner, 50 free, 50 butterfly, 100 free.
Sara DelVecchio, 100 I.M., 200 breast, 50 breast
Kitty Johnston, 100 butterfly, 200 breast, 200 I.M.
Jermaine Britton, 50 free, 100 free
Carole Borland, 50 breast, 100 I.M.
Scott Wilson, 50 free, 100 back
Kelley Van Houten, 100 back
Sue McMahon 1000 free

Social Justice Action Convening

press release...

Social Justice Action Convening

United States Congressional Representative Lois Capps will be the featured speaker as the Ventura County Working People's Alliance, a coalition of labor, community, and faith-based organizations, hosts a series of speakers on various social and economic justice issues at their 2nd Annual Action Convening.

This free event will be held on Saturday, May 19th, 2007, from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm at the North Oxnard United Methodist Church, 2300 West Gonzales Road, Oxnard.  Lunch will be provided.  For more information, call 805-385-4487 or email laborfoundation@aol.com.

local Eagle Scout awarded

from reader Shirley...congrats, Nate!

Nate Cornelius was honored this month with the highest award in scouting, the Eagle Scout Award. A member of Boy Scouts of America Troop 36, Nate was recognized in an Eagle Court of Honor on May 5, 2007.

Each candidate must earn 21 merit badges and successfully complete a community or church service project to earn his Eagle. Nate’s project was to beautify an area in back of Hollister elementary school where parents pick up their children. This area, once covered in weeds and dirt, is now landscaped with beautiful shrubs and flowers and a redwood bench. He wishes to acknowledge Buena Tool and Hayward Lumber who donated supplies for his project.

Nate is a senior at Dos Pueblos High school. He is the son of Shirley Cornelius of Santa Barbara and Mitch Cornelius of Ojai.

Theater 150’s Multi-Household Sale

from a reader...

Saturday, April 14th at 8 AM

at the Ojai American Legion
843 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai CA

Vintage dresses, coats, shoes and lingerie! Theater 150 will host a giant multi-household sale at the American Legion in Ojai this Saturday.  Furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing and much, much more. Don't miss it!

If you're interested in renting a space to sell your own goods alongside us, we still have a couple of prime spots left for $25 a spot, but they're going fast!  Reply to this email or call the theater (805-646-4300) for more details.

The Painting Experience: Life, Paint & Passion

here's an interesting event coming up...more at OjaiEvents.com

THE CREATIVE FIRE IS FUELED AT OJAI WORKSHOP

Ojai, California (March 6, 2007) -- For nearly three decades, Stewart Cubley has inspired thousands of people to recover their creative spirit using painting as a tool for self-discovery.  In 1976 Cubley co-founded The Painting Experience Studio in San Francisco and is author of the book "Life, Paint and Passion: Reclaiming the Magic of Spontaneous Expression". Cubley will be making his first trip to Ojai this month to present his popular workshop, "Life, Paint & Passion". The workshop will be held at Oak Grove School, 220 West Lomita Ave, Ojai, California.

"You don't need any prior art experience or training to participate in this workshop", says Cubley, "only the willingness to explore through color, shape or form.  De-emphasizing the finished product allows the whole person to participate in the process. Many people don't realize that art is such a powerful tool for transformation. The experience of creating purely for the exploration rather than for the result can be life-changing."

Cubley continues, "This work is accessible to everyone, regardless of whether or not you think of yourself as a painter. The workshop is a sanctuary where you can explore creativity without the pressure of performance, a place of refuge from the voices of criticism and judgment. Although we are working in a group setting, there is a tremendous sense of privacy and respect."

The 2-day intensive will be held at the Oak Grove School at 220 West Lomita Ave on April 21-22nd, 2007, Sat from 10 am - 5:30 pm and Sun 10 am - 5 PM. All materials are supplied, as well as gourmet lunches Sat/Sun. The cost is $275 plus $25 materials fee. Discounts may apply. New students will receive a free copy of Stewart's book, Life, Paint and Passion: Reclaiming the Magic of Spontaneous Expression.

To register go to www.processarts.com or call toll-free 888-639-8569.

"Weekend of Delight!"

Check out GlenMuse.com for the details on these two great events...

Friday March 9
Triple Bill World Music Concert

Incendio: Latin guitar world fusion
“whizzing through a musical virtual reality”

HuDost: alternative world rock "Country & Eastern"
a rich, eclectic blend of traditional Sufi music, Bulgarian and Balkan adaptations, Farsi, Turkish and Arabic pieces with elements of folk, pop, rock and Southern Gospel

Lisa Lynn: Celtic harp
Windham Hill and New Earth Record labels; her last 4 CDs have been among top 20 on the Billboard music charts

Saturday, March 10
"Radical Ecstasy" All Day Workshop

Based on Sufi teachings that have been evolving for over a thousand years, we work with music, sound, breath, energy, and magnetism, to develop an awakened sense of self (which in meditation is often oriented beyond life) directed toward creative action in the world.

These techniques ignite a power source in your body, emotions, and mind, to let you virtually explode with creativity in your actions, what you bring to life, and how life responds to you.

Improvisational Music and Ecstatic Dance

From a reader...

Session of Improvisational Music and Ecstatic Dance coming to Ojai March 9th
Contact:    Philip Novotny
(805)  748-3815
email:  philiption@aol.com
What:    The ŸUM Session from San Luis Obispo
Where:     Sacred Space Studio - -  410 Bryant Circle #A, Ojai
When:      Friday, March 9th   8 pm to 10 pm
Details: The ŸUM Session is an inter-play between dancer and musician, musician and dancer with an open invitation to playful, artistic, spontaneous movement.  The ŸUM Session is a practice of attaining heightened body awareness through breath, through beat, through dance, through movement.   It’s Live, continuous, improvisational music blending East / West grooves with ambient sound landscapes moving you through an energetic wave into a blissful stillness at journey's end.
No experience required...
$15 to $20 sliding scale @ the door…   

Ojai Garden time!

The Ojai Garden Tour 2007 is approaching.  Saturday May 5th is the big day - Cinco de Mayo!  Plan on touring Ojai's lush private gardens followed by a pitcher of margaritas at your favorite Mexican establishment.

Get in touch with the Ojai Chamber if you want to buy tickets, sponsor the event or show off your garden.