2010-2011
Betsy Goodspeed
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- Category: 2010-2011
Betsy Goodspeed is active with the Ojai Choraliers who offer an entertaining and eductional program for elementary schools to demonstrate the benefits of music. She is a fiction writer who is self-published. An instructor in harp, piano, and voice, Betsy teaches music at the Oak Grove and Atrium Schools and has served as Musical Director at several shows at the Art Center. She has given workshops at the Art Center to encourage amateur actors to audition for shows. She has taught yoga at Far Horizons with a referral from Suza Francina.
Ed Guerena
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- Category: 2010-2011
Ed Guerena has been the Pastor of the Live Oak Baptist Church the past 32 years. Ed was tired of his 7 daughters telling him they were afraid to go to school because of harassment and bullying. He took his daughters to Flores Brothers Kenpo Karate in Meiner Oaks and is now owner and instructor of Mr. G's Ojai Valley Kenpo Karate Studio. The bullying stopped. He was named Oak View Citizen of the Year for 2002. He is active as a Board Member of the Oak View Park and Resources Center, Board Chair of the Ojai Valley Neighborhood for Learning, and Sunset School Chair of the School Site Council. Ed has sponsered many community projects including Random Acts of Kindness, Acts of Love Project, Project Based Leadership Training, and the Annual Food Drive to benefit Project Understanding.
James Weblemoe
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- Category: 2010-2011
James Weblemoe was a Professor of Physics at Midland College in Fremont, Nebraska. He has been active over the years as a volunteer at Help of Ojai. He was awarded the Older Volunteers Enrich America Award in 2008. He is an active member of the Ojai Optimist Club where he participates in a variety of community services.
Javier Ramirez
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- Category: 2010-2011
Javier Ramirez came to Ojai at age 11 from Guadalajara, Mexico. He graduated from Norhdhoff High School in 1995 and went to Cal State Northridge, graduating in 2000, returning to Nordhoff to teach mathematics. Javier is an advisor to the Nordhoff High School Leaders (NHL), and the Guitar Club. He teaches a catechism class at St. Thomas and is a youth minister there. Having arrived in this country, unable to speak English, he was encouraged by his instructors to reach higher and now gives that same encouragement to his students. In 2009, he received the Educational Hero Award.
Kim Armstrong
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- Category: 2010-2011
Kim Armstrong is the owner of It's All About Me and has been a hair stylist for the past 44 years. She is a member of the Oak View Civic Council and has been the Honorary Mayor twice. Kim was elected to receive the Outstanding Presidents Award for her PTA service. She was instrumental in organizing the Memorial Day Parade in Oak View, and has been the Oak View Pageant Director for the past 5 years. She loves to serve in volunteer cooking for different fund raisers and has been on the Homeless Committee in 2010. She is also active in the Beautification Committee for Oak View.
Phil Harvey
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- Category: 2010-2011
Phil Harvey has enjoyed a long career as a professional baritone soloist, during which he performed in opera, light opera, film, and television. He has been associated with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, the Ventura County Master Chorale, and the Gold Coast Chorale. He is best known locally as the musical director for the Ojai Community Chorus, bringing a wide variety of professional quality choral music to the City of Ojai. Mr. Harvey is also an award-winning photographer, capturing the images of the "Natural Mystique of Ojai". In 2003, he was awared the Lifetime Achievement i the Arts Award.