Local Hero: Etc.

Subscriber Happy Hour Coming Jan. 27th

Andra Belknap — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 02:22:06 GMT

Greetings Readers!

I imagine we’re all anxious to get through Wednesday. Let’s all stay on our best fire weather behavior until then — alright?

I’m reaching out today with an invitation: it’s time for our first Subscriber Happy Hour of 2025!

I hosted the last Subscriber Happy Hour in late September: topics of conversation included the 2024 election, pickleball, Ojai’s 12.7 million in ERF funding, and so much more.

Like last time, this will be a casual event. It’s an opportunity to come together with community members interested in local government and politics, chat, joke and support local businesses.

Now that we’re in the winter season, and the sun will set around 5:30. Luckily, the Ojai Valley Brewery has a tremendous view of the pink moment — and outdoor heaters.

And since I’m in your inbox: remember the story about the Ojai Valley Inn’s proposed redevelopment of the former Topa Mountain Winery — including the “shuttle path” through the Ojai Valley Bike Trail? They’re coming back to t…

A look at Ojai in the late 1960s

Andra Belknap — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 22:01:13 GMT

Hello folks! Yesterday, I spent most of my day in the Ojai Valley Museum looking through 1968 and 1969 editions of the Ojai Valley News. As I flipped through the aging pages, I got completely distracted from my original mission1 and began taking photos of interesting headlines, initially just to share with a history buff friend.2 Ultimately, I found a wild mix of interesting/hilarious/heartrending stories that are worthy of a larger audience. As you cruise through, remember this: local news is invaluable.

Since the valley received some rain today, let’s begin with precipitation. 1968-1969 was an unbelievable rain year.

Check out the 1969 rain totals! 😱

Here’s a quote from the February 26, 1969 edition of the OVN:

“On January 19th (1969), Ojai’s season total was six inches (of precipitation). In eight days two major storms dumped 24 inches and resulted in the valley being declared a national disaster area… That was a prelude to this week. Nine inches in the valley and up to 15 inches in the…

Citrus Olive Oil Cake for Pixie Month

Andra Belknap — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 22:59:45 GMT

I mentioned in an earlier post that I’m working on a project with the Ojai Valley Museum: a series of interviews to inform a forthcoming exhibit about the past and future of agriculture in Ojai.

So, over the past twelve weeks, I’ve spent a great deal of time chatting with farmers and farmworkers. I’ve also sharpened my citrus palette.

One thing you may or may not know about me is that I love to bake. It’s a longtime hobby that was supercharged during the pandemic. I’ve become very passionate about local, seasonal, organic food.

So, inspired by local citrus, I hunted around for a cake recipe, arriving at this Orange Upside Down Cake recipe from Broma Bakery. I modified it a bit — my modifications are reflected in the ingredients list/instructions below. And readers, it turned out SO GOOD that I wanted to share it with you. At this point, I’ve made this with tangerines, blood oranges, navels, even mulberries! It’s a very forgiving recipe that’s fun to experiment with.

If you make this, ple…