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History The valley was home to Chumash Indians before becoming one of many Spanish land grants along the California coast. It became a cattle ranch in 1837, when it was granted to Fernando Tico. In 1853 he sold it to prospectors searching for oil, without much success. By 1864, the area had been settled, and in 1874, the City of Nordhoff was founded. The city was renamed Ojai — a Chumash word meaning 'the Nest' or 'Valley of the Moon' — when the name Nordhoff was deemed too German post-World War I. The main turning point in the development of the city was the coming of Edward Drummond Libbey. He saw the valley and fell in love, thinking up many plans for expansion and beautification of the existing rustic town. He helped design, finance and build a more modern and fitting downtown, including a Spanish-style arcade, a bell-tower reminiscent of the famous campanile in Havana, and a pergola opposite the arcade. His buildings still exist today in exquisite condition as the symbols of the city and its valley. To thank Libbey for his gifts to the town, the citizens proposed a celebration to take place on March 2nd of each year. Libbey declined their offer to call it "Libbey Day," and instead suggested "Ojai Day." The celebration still takes place each year. Today, Ojai is an active, though small, community. Libbey's pergola was destroyed in 1971 after being damaged in an explosion, and was recently rebuilt to complete the architectural continuity of the downtown area. The town completed a new park in 2002. Geography Ojai is located at (34.449079, -119.246654). The city is generally at 750 feet above sea level. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.5 km² (4.4 mi²). 11.5 km² (4.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.22% is water. Ojai is situated in a small east-west valley, north of Ventura and east of Santa Barbara. It is approximately 15 miles inland from the Pacific coast. Since Ojai is lined up with east-west mountain range, it is one of few towns in the world to have the Pink Moment * occur as the sun is setting. The fading sunlight creates a brilliant shade of pink on the Topatopa Bluffs that occur at the east end of the Ojai Valley, reaching over 6,000 feet above sea level. Nordhoff Ridge, the western extension of the Topatopa Mountains, tower over the north side of the town and valley at over 5,000 feet. Sulphur Mountain creates the southern ranges bounding the Ojai Valley, but only getting to a little under 3,000 feet. The Ventura River drains the valley, and was known for its Steelhead fishing before Matilija Dam and Lake Casitas were constructed, which severely degraded and eliminated habitat for this trout species. The weather in Ojai is Mediterranean, characterized by hot summer highs (rarely exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit - but it does at least a few times each summer), and cool winter lows (sometimes below freezing); but the climate is generally mild and temperate. As is typical for much of coastal southern California, most precipitation falls in the form of rain between the months of October and April, with very dry summers in between. Appearance in Film Noted Residents Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 7,862 people, 3,088 households, and 1,985 families residing in the city. The population density was 685.2/km² (1,773.0/mi²). There were 3,229 housing units at an average density of 281.4/km² (728.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.01% White, 0.60% African American, 0.50% Native American, 1.58% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 6.26% from other races, and 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.84% of the population. (A person can be Hispanic or Latino and of any race, accounting for the percentages adding up to over 100%) There were 3,088 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $44,593, and the median income for a family was $52,917. Males had a median income of $40,919 versus $30,821 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,670. About 7.9% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over. Film and Music Ojai is the home of the Ojai Film Festival*, which showcases independent films from around the world. There is only one movie theater in the town -- the Ojai Playhouse, located downtown. It houses only one screen. The Ojai Music Festival, founded in 1947, is an annual festival of performances by some of the world's top musicians and composers, and occurs on the first weekend after Memorial Day. Notable appearances include Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Pierre Boulez, who was festival director in 2003. The local public high school (Nordhoff High) also has a decorated music program. Its concert band held the California State Champion title in its division for three years in a row, until state budget cuts ended the festival, and performed in Carnegie Hall in April 2003, along with Nordhoff's award-winning choirs. The Nordhoff music department has also toured in San Francisco, New Orleans, Hawaii, Canada, Austria, Germany and will be returing to perform in Carnegie Hall in April 2007. Recreation The town of Ojai and its surrounding area is home to many unique recreational activities. Los Padres National Forest borders the town on the north, and many backcountry areas within the forest are accessible from Highway 33, which is the major highway through town south to north. To the west, the Lake Casitas Recreational Area offers camping, picnicking, and hiking as well. The valley is home to the oldest continuously-held tennis tournament in the world -- the Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament, and it has several public courts in the downtown Libbey Park. There are also two major golf courses: the Soule Park Golf Course, and the noted Ojai Valley Inn Golf Course. Annually, in early April, the town host a bicycle race that draws the top professional and ameuter teams from around the country. The "Garrett Lemire Memorial Grand Prix" began in 2004 as a tribute to a 22 year old cyclist from Ojai who died racing his bicycle in Arizona the previous year. The race is held on a one-mile circuit that circumnavigates Libbey Bowl in the heart of downtown Ojai. Proceeds from event promote cycling safety as well as education in local schools. In early June, often coinciding with the Music Festival, the Ojai Wine Festival is held at Lake Casitas. Over three thousand wine lovers come to sample the products of over thirty wineries. Proceeds to go charity. Public schools Nordhoff High School is a California public school. Recently, like many schools in California, it has run into financial trouble; declining tax revenues coupled with declining attendance has forced the district to lay off some teachers and cut some elective classes out of the schedule. Matilija Junior High School is a California public school. Privet Schools Ojai Valley School a lower campus for elemarty school and jounior high school, a upper campus for high school. Other schools In addition to its public school system, the Ojai Valley is home to several private boarding schools: Also located at Ojai is the Summer Science Program, currently hosted at the Happy Valley School. | ||||||||||
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