a Summer Film Series

Summer Film Series sponsored by Nutiva

August 11 – The City Dark
August 25 – Revenge of the Electric Car
September 1 – Seeds of Freedom
September 15 – Cultural Creatives 1.0 – the (R)evolution
The films will be shown Saturdays at 4:30 P.M. at the Ojai Theatre, 145 E. Ojai Ave. So make a date to beat the heat and let OVGC stimulate and entertain you. Suggested donation is $10 at the door.
Click here to download the OVGC Summer Film Series flyer.
According to The New York Times, “The City Dark,” makes you want to go find a starry sky and camp under it quickly before it all disappears. In this award winning film, director Ian Cheney blends visual poetry and hard facts for a film that chronicles the disappearance of darkness. After the film, we’ll present how Ojai could become a designated ‘dark sky’ town, with the added bonus of a drawing for a Meade Telescope model 4501, valued at about $200.00. The telescope was generously donated by member Bobbie Boschan.
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In the next film, “Revenge of the Electric Car,” director Chris Paine goes behind closed doors at Nissan, GM, and Tesla Motors to chronicle the global resurgence of electric cars, only five years after thousands of new electric cars were destroyed by their own makers. Times they are a changing and with major car makers finally jumping into the market to produce the “best” electric model, “Revenge” is there to document it. According to the filmmakers, it’s not just the next generation of green cars that’s on the line, but the future of the automobile itself. A special thank you to New Energy Answers, Santa Paula Chevrolet, Team Nissan, and Ventura Toyota for their sponsorship of this film and EV car show event which takes place simultaneously with the film on Signal St. next to the theatre from 3:30 to 7:00 p.m.
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Our third film, “Seeds of Freedom” explores the history of the corporate takeover of seed and the resulting impacts on communities across the world. According to the film, agriculture has changed more over the last 50 years than in the previous ten thousand and the most frightening of all these changes is the drastic change in farm ownership and seed production. The concentration of all levels of agriculture in the hands of a few corporations is leading to the loss of indigenous seeds. With their loss goes the richness of biodiversity, cultural traditions, practices, and livelihoods and ultimately our agricultural independence. We’ll combine this film with updates and a call to action to get proposition 37 – The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act – passed in November.
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Finally, “Cultural Creatives 1.0 – the (R)evolution” promises a wallop by giving your brain something to wrap itself around and get your creative juices flowing. The filmmaker focuses in on what he calls an all-encompassing “creative cultural shift of over 200 million people across the globe.” The storyline follows the societal changes they see in the making due to the economic ramifications of reaching peak oil production and its eventual depletion. This film is not a “downer” but an “upper” as it spotlights positive changes despite the challenges across the globe. After the screening we’ll explore with therapist, Ruth Cooper, ‘feeling alone’, ‘community’, resiliency, and wherever the conversation takes us with the audience.
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Bringing Back the Art of Canning

On Saturday, July 14, the OVGC Culinary Club invites you to a canning get-together from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The class is hosted by Cecil and Sue Baumgartner, who sell their local Thunderbird Farms produce at the Ojai Farmers Market. Cecil will demonstrate traditional canning techniques and healthy alternatives to sugar. The tastes of summer can be yours year long, whether you harvest your own fruits and vegetables, or those of a neighbor or farmer. Come learn the fun and ease of canning, and bring a friend or make a canning buddy at this information packed hands-on event.
Refreshments will be served and you will take home a jar of homemade jam. Class is only $20 for OVGC members and $25 for non-members.Make your reservation right away. This class is being offered to a number of folks who were turned away last year due to lack of seats. Reservations are required and the class is limited to 20 participants.
Email ojaiculinaryclub@gmail.com or call (805) 669-8445. Please provide your name, phone number, email and the number of attendees. We will then confirm with location and class details.
Hope you can make it! Click here to see announcement.
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Dark Skies Takes a Leap Foward

At the June 12 Ojai City Council meeting, Scott Kardel of the International Dark-Skies Association, gave a well-received presentation on why we want dark skies and need an exterior lighting ordinance to support it.
Watch it here:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_rVGXVis8w&w=420&h=315]
Scott then met with city staff and community members to discuss the details of the ordinance. We look forward to a revised ordinance that educates and progresses us toward our goal of being a recognized Dark Skies community.
A big thank you to George Berg and Gail Topping for sponsoring Scott and to Scott for taking the time and making the effort to travel from Arizona to support our community.

Creek Habitat Restoration

The Coalition, working under a C.R.E.W. grant, wrapped up its Libbey Park Ojai Creek restoration volunteer work days for the season collaborating with Ojai Trees. Ojaitrees.org provided trees (under its dedication program) and the volunteers to help plant them.
Thanks to the C.R.E.W., Ojai Trees and all that have contributed to this ongoing creek habitat restoration project.
To see photos taken by OVGC member and photographer Timothy Teague go to:
https://picasaweb.google.com/tteaguephotography/LibbeyParkCreekRestorationJune2012