Heeere's Jesse!
The newest addition to the OVN staff talks about his family, his writing and his love of pigskin.

Many of you already know me - some probably all too well -but for those of you who don't, please allow me to share. I was born right here at the Ojai Hospital in May of 1973 to Chester and Jennifer Phelps. My mom worked at the Ojai Library for years, until moving to Foster in Ventura, and together with my father, who was also very literate, they cultivated in me a love of reading and writing at a very young age.
I can also thank the multitude of fabulous teachers I had over the years for allowing that interest to grow wings through their nurturing support. I attended many schools and colleges throughout California. I'll always have fond memories of Oak Grove. After many miles and many transitions, I emerged with a Nordhoff diploma, an associate's degree from Santa Barbara City College, and a bachelor of arts in film studies from UCSB.
I've always been a movie nut and a sports nut. I can watch either for hours and I can be found at a variety of local courts hoisting up long set shots on the weekends. I lettered in baseball as a freshman and sophomore in high school and I also played basketball, lacrosse and, somewhat less competitively, soccer. Not that I don't love the pigskin.
My work history is varied, from a first summer job as a prep cook at the Ranch House, to a deckhand on whale watching boats (thanks, Pop!), to construction, to teaching, to marketing, editing and freelance writing.
For the past year, I've been writing and editing for he@d, a hip little arts and culture journal my friend publishes in Santa Barbara. It's an honor to be writing for the Ojai Valley News - my hometown paper, folks -and I hope you will find my reporting to be detailed, honest and engaging.

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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