Nate Vince, the locksmith at Yosemite National Park until this month, protested the the termination of his and countless other positions at the park by hanging — upside down — an enormous American flag on El Capitan.
Category Archives: local heroes
10 Years of Reading Ojai
A decade of conversations with notable writers in and around Ojai.
Radioactive Rain
The Partial Nuclear Meltdown That Still Haunts Ventura County Here’s a new story I wrote for Ojai magazine on — believe it or not — a major nuclear accident, a partial nuclear meltdown, that still contaminates part of Ventura County. ‘Woody Guthrie used to say that some men will rob you with a six-gun, andContinue reading “Radioactive Rain”
Yvon gives away the store (Patagonia)
On the morning of September 14, Yvon Chouinard, the founder and owner of Patagonia, spoke to several hundred Patagonia employees and former employees at Patagonia’s Brooks campus in Ventura. In an address taped and transmitted to Patagonia stores and employees around the world, Chouinard announced that he and his family, the owners of the votingContinue reading “Yvon gives away the store (Patagonia)”
Patagonia’s environmental activism: a timeline
1960’s: Yvon Chouinard, a competitive rock climber, takes up blacksmithing to improve the quality of steel pitons and climbing gear. He quickly establishes a reputation for worth and reliability, and begins selling climbing gear to other climbers out of the back of his car. 1970: Chouinard Equipment is the leading supplier ofContinue reading “Patagonia’s environmental activism: a timeline”
Beatrice Wood stars again
Beatrice, the artist and icon, still lives on in the hearts and minds of Ojai residents, despite passing away 25 years ago.
Antidote to Despair: “Occupy the Y” in Ojai
How the Desert Oracle, despite a crusty attitude, believes that action to save the earth can heal the individual.
Medicinal Herbs of CA
This month the Ojai Quarterly published my “Off the Shelf” feature on Lanny Kaufer’s spectacular and informative new field guide to medicinal herbs in California: Here’s the opening: And below the fold [page 2, below] the full story in a more readable font for the web. Much respect to Lanny, who not only has beenContinue reading “Medicinal Herbs of CA”
Walking around Mt Tam
One of the most beautiful and least known poetical flowerings of that outpouring of youth and art we call the 60’s was, arguably, a journey on foot around Mt Tamalpais, in Marin County north of San Francisco. This honoring of “the quiescent one,” this circumambulation, a walk completely around the mountain, following with our feetContinue reading “Walking around Mt Tam”
How Yoko turned on John’s imagination
A charming piece via the BBC, drawn from a new book, reveals how Yoko’s idealism turned on John’s imagination and — pretty directly it seems — inspired the creation of his most iconic song: Imagine. Specifically, Yoko’s book Grapefruit. Lennon said: “There’s a lot of pieces in it saying like ‘imagine this’ or ‘imagine that’,”Continue reading “How Yoko turned on John’s imagination”
Kit Stolz 