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A small earthquake hit the region last Saturday, centered between Santa Paula and Ojai, a notoriously quake-friendly area in the vicinity of the San Cayetano Fault.
The Santa Paula-Ojai earthquake was a deep one, with the epicenter 17.1 miles below the earth’s surface. According to the U.S. Geological Survey there have been no aftershocks to the Oct. 16 earthquake.
The AP has a brief story on the possible removal of the Matilija Dam:
The Matilija Dam was designed to hold back water, but today it cradles mostly rocks and pebbles.Decades worth of sediment are choking the reservoir it created -- so much muck that a waterfall cascades over the dam’s lip when just an inch of rain falls in the mountains northwest of Los Angeles.
Environmentalists and engineers agree that the dam has outlived its usefulness and should be removed. The benefits, they hope, would include the restoration of eroded beaches downstream and one less barrier to endangered southern steelhead trout struggling to reach spawning habitat inland.
The removal of the Matilija, by itself a massive undertaking, is part of a nationwide effort by environmentalists and government agencies to restore dammed rivers where wildlife suffers and coastlines are deprived of silt that replenishes land lost to erosion.
"For a long time we looked at the benefits of water development -- dams, levees and such -- and ignored the costs," said Daniel McCool, a University of Utah political science professor who studies environmental issues. "Now the things that were damaged by the levees and dams are the things that we value."
The Ojai Ranger District is looking for volunteers to work in teams to maintain forest trails, conduct GPS surveys on trails, remove grafitti from rocks, rehabilitate campgrounds and eradicate invasive/exotic plant species, to staff a very active visitor center in the Wheeler Gorge area.
Contact:
Jeff Saley
805-961-5771
jsaley@fs.fed.us
or apply online.
Just watched Supersize Me on DVD. I am so fortunate to not eat much fast food, and to live in Ojai, where I am surrounded by locally produced fresh produce, meats and other unprocessed food. We have an organic Farmer's Market. We have an organic health food store. We have a Slow Food chapter and Edible Ojai.
America's health care system is literally collapsing under its own weight. The problem of obesity, which has skyrocketed in the last thirty years, is a direct result of the fast food industry. This problem affects all of us - it is a systemic and growing problem that needs to be addressed much more aggresively than it has been to this point.
The Supersize Me DVD is loaded with great extras, including an interview with Eric Schlosser, author of the equally impactful Fast Food Nation.
I think I need an orange.
About 10pm last night, the rain started, and kept going all night long. Today, the sun has intermittenly poked through the clouds, but the rain is expected to continue through Wednesday. The air is clean, the dust packs down and the Ojai Valley takes on a whole different feel when the storm rolls in.
A stunning report from Wall Street Journal reporter Farnaz Fassihi, filed from Baghdad. People need to know what is really going on in Iraq.
Iraqis say that thanks to America they got freedom in exchange for insecurity. Guess what? They say they'd take security over freedom any day, even if it means having a dictator ruler.I heard an educated Iraqi say today that if Saddam Hussein were allowed to run for elections he would get the majority of the vote. This is truly sad.
On Nov. 2, Ojai voters will be asked to approve Measure F, an amendment to the city's Business License Ordinance that would allow an increase in the annual cost of a business license, which would result in most businesses paying an average of $144.
The increase would raise an additional $100,000 a year for the city, officials estimate. The article (free reg req) does not mention where the money would go.
You must register. It's imperative. I know, I know, it's "hard work", but if you have not registered, do so. And then plan on voting November 2. Here's a link to the California Online Voter Registration Form. Do so - it is incredibly important that we exercise our right to vote, and take full advantage of our democratic rights (with a lower case 'd').
