here is proof of an afterlife. For beautiful old trees, anyway. You’ll find it at BC West Creek Gallery in Casitas Springs, where trees that would have otherwise met a woodchipper or been turned into firewood find a second life...
By Karen Lindell
Satya Twena’s halo hats go through hell to become heavenly.
Most hats begin as a piece of felt — not the stuff used to make kindergarten crafts, but a super-strong fabric that is essentially the compressed, matted and...
by Kit Stolz
About five years ago, Michelle Ellison, a young mother living with her family in bucolic Ojai, experienced what she calls “a climate awakening.” This was not a joyous, uplifting experience. A story she encountered about the existential...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Luis Chavez
The small-town charm of Santa Paula can be felt most prominently in its downtown district. Main Street is lined with historic storefronts and could be mistaken for a movie set....
By Karen Lindell | Photos by Dina Pielaet
The team at the Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) Trauma Center is like a NASCAR pit crew during the golden hour.
The mixed metaphor works, these medical professionals say.
Similar to a racing...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
Amara Bessa is helping to make Ventura County a more fashionable place, one customer at a time. The groovy stylist, designer and entrepreneur offers up an eclectic array of clothing, accessories and jewelry at her...
By Emily Dodi.
One of Christine Ren’s first memories is of being a little girl at the community pool in rural Pennsylvania where she grew up. She hadn’t yet learned how to swim but, as Ren recalls, “I would...
Make the most wonderful time of the year even sweeter with these decadent recipes.
INTRO BY NANCY D. LACKEY SHAFFER
PHOTOS BY VIKTOR BUDNIK
The holidays simply aren’t complete without something sweet. And while we’d never thumb our noses at a good,...
The Turtle Conservancy works at home and abroad to save turtles and tortoises from extinction.
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
On Ojai’s East End is a little oasis of beauty and serenity, some 10 acres filled with oaks and a few...
The hard rock art of Michele Chapin
By Emily Dodi, Photos by Cecilia Ortiz
It’s a mind blow,” sculptor Michele Chapin says as she gives a tour of Stoneworks Studio and Gallery, her workspace in Ventura. She’s holding one of her...
