Brown Act matters
The 63-year-old Ralph M. Brown Act — California’s open meeting law — is as relevant today as when it was written, as long as its value is recognized and public officials adhere to it.
It is rare that a government code is eloquent, but the Ralph M. Brown Act reads:
Ojai roads must be made safer
The death of 83-year-old Edith Rubaloff on April 21 in a crosswalk on Valle Rio Avenue is a tragedy and with it comes a warning.
It is, sadly, not the first fatality on the wide road that has several crosswalks with no flashing lights in a busy area, most especially Nordhoff High School. Adding to the danger is the very poor visibility from the road's alignment with the sun.
Ojai teens strike for action on climate
Sixteen-year-old Swedish schoolgirl, Greta Thunberg, asked students worldwide to hold a school strike on Friday, March 15, as part of a Friday for Futures movement to combat global warming. The next worldwide strike is May 24 and Kristofer Young, D.C., of Ojai is hosting it.
Here in Ojai, Thunber’s message was taken to heart by Micaela Ellis, 13, and Bella Mooga, 15, both Lighthouse School of Ojai students, who stood at Libbey Park on March 15 with double-sided, homemade signs reading, “The Oceans are rising and so are we,” and “I’m with her,” referencing their teenage counterpart, Thunberg.
Ojai Unified Superintendent choice is critical
Ojai Unified School District’s board faces its biggest task this month choosing the next superintendent to navigate the school district at a most critical juncture. It meets Saturday, March 23, at 10 a.m. in the district board room in a closed-session meeting to interview three finalists.
Joining them in interviewing the candidates are community members: Alyssa Duclos, Amber Christensen, Angie Genasci (president of the Ojai Federation of Teachers) Blair Braney (Mira Monte parent volunteer), Severo Lara (member of Ojai Alliance for Education Equity), Shannon Hull (Meiners Oaks School Site Council), Chuck Crawford (California School Employees Association president), Javier Ramirez (Matilija Junior High School principal), Sheriff’s Capt. Jim Fryhoff, Lori Hamor (Food for Thought Ojai executive director), Sal Rivera (Ojai Education Foundation member), Sherilyn Wheaton (Mira Monte Parent Teacher Organization member) and Linda Taylor (former OUSD board member). We hope they ask the hard questions and don’t fall into a groupthink trap. Community members are there to provide additional perspective and input and that is especially needed with this insular school board.
Help board pick next OUSD superintendent
The Ojai Unified School District board has talked about finding a new superintendent in six closed-session meetings, including one Feb. 28, since Superintendent Andy Cantwell announced his resignation, effective July 8, to accept a head of school job in Texas.
Now, on March 6, the school board will publicly discuss the superintendent search. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at 414 E. Ojai Ave. The agenda item is very near the start of the meeting.