Great op-ed from Marianne Ratcliff in today's Star on fracking in Ventura County. How much fracking is going on, and how much more will be going on? Difficult to say. According to her research, most wells in this area have already been fracked — but that's not to say that more couldn't be, or couldn't beContinue reading “Fracking in Ventura County: the next oil boom?”
Category Archives: Ventura County
Earthquakes and fracking well issue brewing in Upper Ojai
As discussed in this piece from Scientific American, there is good reason to think disposal wells for fracking fluids can cause earthquakes. To wit: Earthquakes have become more than 10 times more common in normally quiescent parts of the U.S., such as Ohio and Oklahoma, in the past few years. Given the simultaneous uptick inContinue reading “Earthquakes and fracking well issue brewing in Upper Ojai”
Fracking in Upper Ojai: the latest
Fracking — which as you all no doubt know is the injection of water and chemicals below ground at pressure, to break up rock formations and release natural gas and/or oil — has come to rural Upper Ojai and Ventura County. In truth, fracking turns out to have been going on in this area for aContinue reading “Fracking in Upper Ojai: the latest”
A pilgrimage to the snow on the mountain: 2013
Every year for the past fifteen or so I've walked up our local mountains, called Topa Topa, during the snows. This year, as you can see, we've had only dustings… …but still, I was not alone. Saw nearly two dozen fellow travelers, from age one or so to seventy, in all shapes and sizes, withContinue reading “A pilgrimage to the snow on the mountain: 2013”
50 Shades of love and sex/Valentine’s Day 2013
From my cover story in this week's Ventura County Reporter: Since the genetic basis of our species, Homo Sapiens, stabilized approximately 100,000 years ago, the reproductive nature of the human body has not substantially changed. But in the last few years, human sexual experience has substantially changed, especially among the adventurous. For Valentine’s Day, andContinue reading “50 Shades of love and sex/Valentine’s Day 2013”
Knitters gone wild: “Guerilla grannies” surprise Ojai
Thanksgiving is the heaviest on food of all our national holidays, and perhaps the lightest emotionally — coincidence? Not sure, but for the Ojai Valley News, here's a fun story that I think fits the occasion, about the latest in organic chic — yarn bombs. Other descriptors: Yarn bombers. Guerilla knitting. Yarnstorming properties. Guerilla granies, Here's anContinue reading “Knitters gone wild: “Guerilla grannies” surprise Ojai”
No El Nino or La Nina this year, just La Nada
Like the headline the Star put on my story from Saturday: No El Nino or La Nina this year, just La Nada. The crucial quote couple of graphs from the story, featuring media star and friend Bill Patzert: Veteran forecaster Bill Patzert, who works with the NASA-affiliated Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena on long-range forecastsContinue reading “No El Nino or La Nina this year, just La Nada”
Butch Cassidy’s last chance goes for 175k
The auction covered here last Sunday really was fascinating, for all sorts of reasons. Who knew that Butch Cassidy thought he had a chance at a peaceful, law-abiding life, even after becoming infamous for robbery? Different time, different place. (Here's the basics, plus some of the backstory, for the curious.) And here's a pic fromContinue reading “Butch Cassidy’s last chance goes for 175k”
How to be a nerd (at the Ojai Playwrights Conference)
Had a chance to write a story on the "word nerds" at the Ojai Playwrights Conference, the lucky young people taught by always eloquent and funny teacher/founder Kim Maxwell. Story should be of interest to anyone who likes comedy, I think. Here's the quote that best explains the class and Kim, in response to theContinue reading “How to be a nerd (at the Ojai Playwrights Conference)”
Amber waves of grain…in Ventura County?
A fun story I wrote for the Star about two young farmers determined to turn back agricultural time in California. Amber waves of grain have not been seen much in Ventura County for more than a century, but this year, two young farmers in Ojai set out to turn back the clock, planting wheat, a cropContinue reading “Amber waves of grain…in Ventura County?”
Kit Stolz 