2013-2014

Details

Category: 2013-2014

Alan is the owner and manager of Rains Department Store founded in 1874, which has served to community's needs for general merchandise. He has also served many functions for the Ojai Community: Alan served as grand marshal in the Ojai Independence Day Parade in 2012, chaired the campaign to raise money to rebuild Libbey Bowl and helped raise the money to build the Nordhoff football stadium. He has served on various city commissions for the past 40 years, including as chairman of the Architectural Board and the redevelopment Board.
He has also been a member of a number of community boards, including those for HELP of Ojai, the Ojai Music Festival and the Ojai Valley Community Hospital.
Rains worked in banking for about 30 years, mostly working part-time while also running his department store. Since 1976, Mr. Rains has served on the board of the Ojai Tennis Tournament, the oldest amateur tennis tournament in the United States. He also served as Treasurer and board member of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy.

Details

Category: 2013-2014

David and Angela May moved to Ojai from Arizona in 2002. They immediately started volunteering in every available capacity at San Antonio School, where their children attended. Angela served on the PTA for 7 years, assisting with bake sales, book fairs, and art/music programs for the students. David assisted the school with its audio-visual needs. He pre-recorded music for their jog-a-thons and annual Halloween Parade. Both have been active volunteers in Boy and Girl Scouts. David helped refurbish the floating classroom boat sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ojai West. The Mays have served the Ojai Wine Festival. Angela handles the bookkeeping, advertising, website upkeep, coordinating the winery and brewery vendors, and advertising for the event. David plays a critical role in organizing the event, setup, and tearing down, and keeping everything running smoothly. Angela says, "We do what we can, when we can. It gives us a lot of pleasure (to volunteer), because it just helps.

Details

Category: 2013-2014

Dr. Tony and Barbara Hirsch have "worked tirelessly to bring peace through compassion and understanding", as founder of Living Treasures put it. Barbara, with the help of local artist, Richard Amend, helped establish Art Matters, which brings artists to speak to and teach patients at the Ojai Valle Community Hospital Continuing Care Center. Tony has also been involved in the Arts as Past President and Board Member of the Ojai Film Society. He has also served on the Board of Ojai Valley Hospital, and Program Chair for the Ojai Hospital Guild. They have worked together on fund raising events for the Ojai Music Festival. In 2005, Barbara started Operation Picasso. 200 paintings by local artists were donated to grace the rooms and halls of Ojai Valley Hospital. She has been able to export this program to the soon to be new Community Memorial Hospital, and at other places around the country. As Tony observes, "Behind every creative,energetic woman is a man. And that's my role, and I see nothing wrong with that.

Details

Category: 2013-2014

Fred and his wife, Ila came to Ojai 13 years ago after retiring from his Rothenberg Health Systems. As a young adult, he worked for his brother's photography company. Photography became his hobby and he has donated freely his technical and artistic talents to the Ojai Community. He took astonishing photos of all phases of the demolishing and reconstruction of the Libbey Bowl. By focusing his lens, he focused our attention on the Bowl and helped make it a reality. Fred and his wife volunteers at HELP of Ojai, creating the book "Faces of Help of Ojai", recognizing other senior volunteers. He has photographed paintings for theOjai Studio Artists Tour. He has photographed houses for the Ojai Music Festival's Holiday Home Look In fundraiser. He has served as Treasurer for the Ojai Valley Library Friends and Foundation and chaired the Finance Committee for the local Jewish synagogue. He has helped to establish and run the Twice Sold Tales bookstore whose profits benefit local libraries. He and his wife volunteer at the Ojai Valley Community Hospital by entertaining the patients at the Continuing Care Center. On community service Rothenberg noted: "It makes me feel good. It's providing a useful service that people appreciate. I've been very fortunate. I have a wonderful family, am financially secure, and have reasonable health. It's a little bit of a way to pay back".

Details

Category: 2013-2014

For the past ten years, the Farrs have called Ojai home. Gary saw a need to form a group to increase awareness of the critical role that Ojai Valley Community Hospital plays in our community. The Ojai Valley Community Hospital Foundation and Guild was started. He proposed that the group hold an annual black-tie event to raise much needed funds to sustain the hospital. The Farrs organized the first Nightengale Ball which has raised more than $1.5 million dollars for the hospital. Brenda is Past President of the Guild and has been active on it's committees. Brenda has served on the Ojai Music Festival Women's Committee and as a docent at Lotus Land in Santa Barbara. She is on the Ojai Garden Tour Planning Committee. Gary is Vice-President of the Foundation Board of Ojai Hospital, a former Board Member of Casa Pacifica and Past Chairman of the Ventura County UCLA Chancellors. Family is their priority and they have five grown children and enjoy spending time with their seven grandchildren.

Details

Category: 2013-2014

Kathi Smith came to Ojai in 1994. She is an attorney full time and is Program Chair for Women Lawyers of Ventura County. She has served on the Board of Directors for Help of Ojai. She has been in the PTA for Ojai Unified School District, served on San Antonio's Site Council and has wrote District Grant proposals for funding. She ran for and was elected to the School Board, seeking public policy experience. She is a very dedicated advocate for public education. She is proud of the public education that her children have received in the Ojai Valley. "The texture of life for my kids was richer because of the diversity of both the students they went to school with, and the teachers that taught them." She has participated in the Oak View Memorial Day Parade and Ojai's 4th of July Parade. Her future plans include one day being a judge.