Appliance Repair in Miramonte, CA

Though Ojai has been a spiritual retreat for a century, material-world anxieties have never been far away.

And now, as more wealthy Angelenos make the 90-minute journey to this valley at the foot of Ventura County’s Topatopa Mountains, the lodgings of Ojai are getting trendier and spendier by the day.

In a proudly sleepy town whose visitor calendar once was dominated by the spring Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament (founded in 1896) and the summer Ojai Music Festival (founded in 1947, this year June 9-12), just about every weekend now brings a tide of Angelenos and others filling Ojai Avenue, the main drag.

This is a welcome boost for many local entrepreneurs, but in a community that has debated for decades over how much tourism to invite, it’s an issue of supply, demand and style.

Unlike many other booming Southern California destinations, including greater Joshua Tree, Ojai has banned short-term vacation rentals. And there are just 12 hotels within city limits.

“There’s not enough hotel rooms for the people who want to be here,” said Diana Hawk, manager at the Emerald Iguana Inn. “Half of Los Angeles is coming up here.”

If you can find a weekend bed in the city under $250 per night, you’re doing better than most. If you don’t book two months ahead, you might get shut out.

Ojai counts about 7,600 residents, with another 20,000 or so (and many lodgings) in the neighboring communities of Meiners Oaks, Mira Monte, Oak View and Casitas Springs.

The community’s spiritual leanings go back to at least 1922, when Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti arrived as a young man (and stayed, on and off, for 64 years). It’s been a getaway for show business people for almost as long.

But national brands have been effectively banned in the city for years, so you will find no Hiltons, Holiday Inns nor even a Motel 6.

The 306-room Ojai Valley Inn, opened in 1923, remains the grandest lodging in town. Its 220 acres include a golf course, tennis courts and recently renovated spa. Nightly rates start around $600, and management says bookings are “far outpacing” 2019, with frequent sellouts.

The area’s other lodgings are mostly boutique hotels, including the 30-room Capri Hotel and 17-room Ojai Rancho Inn (both run by Shelter Social Club); the 46-room Casa Ojai Inn and its pricier sibling, the 12-suite Su Nido Inn; and the 22-room Chantico Inn. The 13-unit Emerald Iguana Inn is full of art nouveau curves and Gaudi-esque flourishes, while its sibling the 23-unit Blue Iguana Inn (about 2 miles outside town) projects a Mexican hacienda look.

When I sat down in May to check these lodgings’ weekend rates for mid-July, I found many options between $300 and $500 a night, nothing under $259. Most required a two-night minimum. Ojai in 2020 raised its hotel tax from 10% to 15%, one of the highest rates in the state.

At first glance, the offbeat Caravan Outpost — 10 Airstream trailers and one tiny house, no swimming pool — might seem a budget option. But the outpost’s van-life vibe and lush landscaping attract guests who routinely pay $375 a night.

For a weekend room under $250, your chances are better at the Hummingbird Inn, the Lavender Inn B&B (a converted 1874 schoolhouse) or one of Ojai’s retreat centers, which stress quiet and contemplation.

The Krishnamurti Foundation’s Pepper Tree Retreat (an alcohol-free, vegetarian, six-unit property, no children under 12) is one. The Ojai Retreat and Inn (12 rooms, no TVs, no pets, no children under 12) is another.

At least one big change is due in 2024, however. That’s when an Ojai-based ownership group expects to complete a major renovation of the historic Hotel El Roblar (formerly known as the Oaks, built in 1919 and closed since late 2017), which will include 50 rooms, a restaurant and bar.

Ojai’s city council approved the hotel project at a standing-room-only May 10 meeting despite dissent from Mayor Betsy Stix.

As for the vacation rental ban, the city council imposed it in 2016 (and has brought enforcement actions against 16 alleged violators). In 2018, Ventura County banned short-term rentals in the surrounding Ojai Valley, although there’s an exception for “homeshares” in which the owner is present in the same dwelling . Airbnb lists many properties in and around Ojai, but to rent most legally, you must book 30 days or more or use a county-approved homeshare.

She and a second teacher, from Dougherty Valley High School, will represent the county at the state Teacher of the Year program.

LAMORINDA, CA —Kristen Plant of Miramonte High School is one of two 2021-2022 Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year, County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey announced Thursday.

The other teacher is Michelle Wilson of Dougherty Valley High School.

The Teacher of the Year Program seeks to honor and recognize teachers throughout the county for the amazing work they do every day.

"Congratulations to Contra Costa County's newest Teachers of the Year," Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey said. "This community thanks Kristen Plant and Michelle Wilson for being such stellar representatives of the teaching profession and we wish them luck as they participate in the state Teacher of the Year program. All 21 teachers who were honored this evening and each of their colleagues throughout the county deserve thanks and appreciation for the work they do to support students, especially in this unique and challenging time."

Plant is the first recipient of the award from the Acalanes Union High School District.

She is a 19-year veteran at Miramonte High School and is currently teaching English and Visual and Performing Arts.

A former speech competitor, she leads a nationally recognized public speaking and debate program which operates as both an academic elective and an extracurricular competitive speech and debate team.

Plant is a graduate of Georgetown University and earned her teaching credential at Cal State East Bay.

According to the county, she holds leadership positions in several associations including the National Speech and Debate Association, and the California High School Speech Association (CHSSA).

Plant was named CHSSA Coach of the Year in 2016.

She is also recognized as being a "tireless and compassionate advocate for racial equity on her campus," AUHSD Associate Superintendent Amy McNamara said. "She is one of the teachers I most admire in the district: she is thoughtful, positive, steps up to leadership opportunities, and is always thinking about how to make Miramonte High School a great place for all students."

"As a public speaking teacher, Ms. Plant goes above and beyond to support her students," Miramonte high school senior Isabelle Bennette, who also introduced Plant in a broadcast announcement Thursday night, said. "While in Public Speaking, I developed confidence and writing due, in large part, to Ms. Plant's guidance. She has been an incredible ally to marginalized student groups. Ms. Plant creates an atmosphere of empowerment, trust, and hope for all her students to grow and strive in."

Plant and Wilson go on to represent Contra Costa County at the California State Teacher of the Year competition. The State Teachers of the Year are expected to be announced in mid-October.

The county teacher of the year program is coordinated by the Contra Costa County Office of Education and supported by:

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

Boys basketball

No. 3 Miramonte 46, Clayton Valley 44

Trailing 24-16 on the road at halftime, Miramonte rallied in the second half and held off Clayton Valley Charter in the closing seconds to win this Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division game.

Jeremiah Dargan’s 3-pointer with 23.3 seconds left pulled Clayton Valley to within a point.

But Miramonte, ranked third by the Bay Area News Group, survived to improve to 16-2 overall and 3-1 in the league.

Clayton Valley is 10-7, 1-2.

Ben Murphy scored 17 of his 18 points after halftime to lead Miramonte, which was coming off a six-point loss to No. 8 Northgate on Tuesday. Murphy had four 3-pointers.

The Mats also got 13 points from Marcus Robinson, who made three shots from beyond the arc.

“We played fabulous D,” Miramonte coach Chris Lavdiotis said in an email. “Just a gritty comeback on the road. Our defense on their best players won the game.”

Jake King (14 points) and Dargan (12 points) scored in double figures for Clayton Valley, which has lost five of its past eight games.

No. 13 St. Patrick-St. Vincent 52, Salesian 51

Playing for the first time in a month, St. Patrick-St. Vincent edged Salesian as Nick Medeiros made 1 of 2 free-throw attempts with 1.6 seconds left to break a tie.

Salesian’s Amani Johnson had evened the score when he sank two foul shots with eight seconds to go.

MORE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

The victory snapped SPSV’s nine-game losing streak against Salesian dating to 2017.

Medeiros scored 20 points and Tariq Johnson added 15 to lead SPSV, which improved to 11-1 overall and 1-0 in the Tri-County Athletic League’s Rock Division.

Tyler Harris (12 points) and Johnson (nine points) led Salesian, which fell to 4-6, 0-1.

Salesian point guard Austin Johnson (sprained ankle) did not play.

“All the credit goes to SPSV,” Salesian coach Bill Mellis wrote in an email. “They played very hard and played smarter than us. With that said, the game was close the entire way and if we had made 1 or 2 more plays, maybe the game would’ve turned out differently. But in the end, SPSV just wanted it more than us.”

Homestead 52, Mountain View 48

Homestead, last spring’s Central Coast Section Division I runner-up, has had trouble winning tight games.

That wasn’t the case Thursday night.

Playing on the road against a Mountain View team that had just won a thriller against 18th-ranked Los Altos, Homestead closed the deal to improve its record to 8-9 overall and 2-3 in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League’s De Anza Division.

Brian Sathy, a three-year varsity player and team captain, led the way with 15 points, five assists and five steals.

Will Hook, also a captain, had eight points and six rebounds. Jacob Tang added seven points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 16 seconds left.

Wyatt Hook chipped in with 10 rebounds, to go with seven points.

“Huge win for us,” Homestead coach Matt Wright wrote in an email. “We’ve struggled a lot to finish games this season.”

Homestead has a lot of new players, Wright noted, adding that a key piece to last spring’s run to the CCS final, Connor Kane, has been injured.

“I still feel like we’re trying to find our groove,” Wright said. “We’re five games into league play and feel like all five games have been really close ones that could’ve gone either way. Thought the key to our win tonight was that we communicated well on defense and brought high energy and a physical game. Looking forward to a bye tomorrow night and hopefully carry this momentum into next week.”

Joey Peir (17 points) and Joe Brown (15 points) paced Mountain View, which slid to 11-5, 3-1.

Elsewhere

No. 1 Campolindo ran its winning streak to eight games as Aidan Mahaney scored 26 points to lead the Cougars to a 69-46 victory at Las Lomas. Campo, which has won 33 of its last 34 games, improved to 14-1 overall and 3-1 in the DAL Foothill. Las Lomas is 7-9, 0-3. … Four Sacred Heart Prep players scored in double figures as the fifth-ranked Gators rolled over The King’s Academy 81-47 in a West Bay Athletic League game. Sam Norris and Aidan Braccia each had 16 points, Emmer Nichols added 15 points and Kevin Carney contributed 13 points for SHP (10-2, 3-0). TKA is 8-6, 3-1. … No. 15 Moreau Catholic cruised past American 69-33 in Mission Valley Athletic League play. Trey Knight (13 points, 10 assists, five steals), Matthew Villanueva (13 points, four steals) and Lebrie Goudy-Lee (10 points, eight rebounds, five blocks) led the way for the Mariners, who are 14-4, 6-0. American is 5-14, 1-6. … Danny Solomon scored 17 points and Will Eggemeier finished with 13 to lead Menlo School to a 48-46 victory over Priory in WBAL play. Menlo improved to 9-3, 3-0. Rehan Parwani had 15 points for Priory (7-9, 3-3).

Girls basketball

No. 3 Salesian 70, St. Patrick-St. Vincent 34

Salesian, playing for the first time in three weeks, cruised on the road over St. Patrick-St. Vincent as Kaylie Edge scored 18 points to lead the Pride.

Nevaeh Asiasi (11 points), Silivia Fonongaloa (10) and Makiah Asidanya (10) also scored in double figures for Salesian, which improved to 9-3.

SPSV is 6-3, 0-1.

No. 11 Moreau Catholic 53, No. 20 American 20

Playing on its home court in Hayward, Moreau Catholic delivered a defensive gem to stay undefeated in Mission Valley Athletic League play.

The Mariners allowed two points in the second quarter and led 39-9 at halftime.

Moreau coach Jose Alvarez said in an email that his team’s defense was “suffocating the entire game.”

Junior guard Dymonique Maxie led Moreau with 13 points and, Alvarez noted, was tenacious defensively.

Malia Radich and Tabi Aloo each finished with 10 points for the Mariners, who improved to 13-3, 6-0.

American fell to 11-3, 5-2.

No. 17 Evergreen Valley 60, Oak Grove 37

Ryka Aprameyan scored 27 points and Sophia Williams finished with 17 points as Evergreen Valley pulled away in the second half to win at home in San Jose over Oak Grove in a Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division game.

Evergreen Valley improved to 13-1, 3-0.

Emilie Ngo scored 20 points for Oak Grove, which dropped to 10-4, 2-2.

“We got outplayed,” Oak Grove coach James Davis wrote in an email. “Both teams played hard but they executed better and stayed consistent throughout. That falls on me getting us better prepared.”

Davis added that a positive for his team is that some key pieces have returned from COVID and vacation.

“There’s plenty of basketball left to be played for us to get back in contention,” Davis said. “But it has to starttomorrow in practice.”

Boys basketball

No. 1 Campolindo 62, No. 4 Miramonte 57

A grueling stretch of seven games in 10 days came to an end for Campolindo on Saturday night in Orinda.

The Cougars extended their winning streak to 19 games with a victory on the road over rival Miramonte (22-4).

Aidan Mahaney had one of his best performances of the season. The St. Mary’s College-bound star finished with 26 points, six rebounds and four assists. Shane O’Reilly sank four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points. Cade Bennett added 12 points.

Campolindo ended the regular season 25-1 overall and 12-0 in the Diablo Athletic League’s Foothill Division. The Cougars have won 44 of 45 since February 2020.

They are all but a lock for the No. 1 seed in the North Coast Section Open Division when the playoff brackets are announced Sunday.

Given that the top two seeds in the six-team Open have byes in the first round, Campo won’t play its first postseason game until Feb. 23.

After a busy week and a half, coach Steven Dyer said his team could use the break.

“We’ve never really had that situation before,” Dyer said. “I’m glad we have at least five or six days off because we need it right now. We’re pretty tired mentally and physically after this grueling stretch.”

By now, Campolindo’s formula for success is no secret.

“These guys enjoy being around each other,” Dyer said. “I think that one of the biggest things that our program is built on is guys just accepting roles and knowing what your job is as part of a group.”

Miramonte, the runner-up to Campo in the DAL Foothill, is 22-4, 9-3. The Mats are also expected to land an Open Division berth.

No. 2 Archbishop Mitty 67, No. 13 Serra 51

Mitty avenged an 11-point loss last month at Serra, winning Saturday on its home court in West Catholic Athletic League play.

Mitty, which clinched the league title Wednesday, had three players score in double figures: Derek Sangster (21), Tyler Jones (15) and Aidan Burke (13).

“We had a big fourth quarter where we were able to get some good paint touches and open looks,” coach Tim Kennedy said.

Brady Smith scored 22 points and Ryan Pettis added 13 points for Serra.

No. 8 St. Patrick-St. Vincent 50, Salesian 42

SPSV won the Tri-County Athletic League Rock Division tournament title with a victory over Salesian to improve to 19-1.

Salesian is 9-8.

Nick Medeiros had 23 points and Jevon Blackmore chipped in with 14 for SPSV.

“I thought that they were the better team down the stretch and Nick Medeiros proved why he was chosen as our league’s MVP,” Salesian coach Bill Mellis said. “He made a lot of tough plays down the stretch and really took the game over at the end. I’ve got to give him credit.”

Logan Coverson and Alvin Loving scored a combined 22 points for Salesian.

Girls basketball

No. 5 Pinewood 57, No. 12 Bishop O’Dowd 47

It was a back-and-forth game through the first three quarters between two of the Bay Area News Group’s ranked teams.

But Pinewood (19-1) broke loose in the fourth quarter with a 14-2 run to cap off a road victory over Bishop O’Dowd (14-6).

Washington-bound Elle Ladine continued to add to her impressive resume as she recorded 21 points and 13 rebounds.

No. 14 Heritage 65, Freedom 54

The Heritage girls basketball team became the first program in the Brentwood school’s history to reach 300 wins.

The Patriots won their seventh straight Bay Valley Athletic League title, avenging a loss to Freedom, which snapped Heritage’s 55-game league winning streak this season.

Amanda Muse led the way for Heritage with 21 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks. Caitlynn Smith and Kendall McClure added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

No. 6 Salesian 69, No. 18 Pinole Valley 25

For the first time since the end of December, Salesian (15-4) had all of its players for a game. The Pride responded by routing Pinole Valley to win the TCAL Rock Division title.

“Was nice to be able to play to our strength, which is strength in numbers,” Salesian coach Steve Pezzola said.

The Pride outscored Pinole Valley 61-13 through the first three quarters.

Neveah Asiasi had 13 points to lead the way.

Soccer

De La Salle wins league title

It wasn’t an easy start to the season for De La Salle.

The Spartans lost five of their first seven games against a heavyweight schedule that included strong opponents from the Bay Area and Southern California.

But the Spartans turned it around. They lost just once in their final 15 regular-season matches and claimed a fourth consecutive East Bay Athletic League title along the way.

“We decided to embrace the struggle and not make excuses,” coach Derricke Brown said. “All of the injuries and COVID-19 cases during that time frame gave us a chance to really understand how we needed to respond when our backs were against the wall. It brought the group closer.”

The Spartans will find out their seeding for the NCS playoffs on Sunday.

Heritage girls shut down crosstown rival Liberty

For the first time since 2013, Heritage won an outright Bay Valley Athletic League title.

Madison Del Prado scored twice in the last eight minutes to give the Patriots a 2-0 victory over crosstown rival Liberty on their senior night Friday night. Liberty had won eight consecutive BVAL titles.

“This was a very special group of seniors,” Heritage coach Kellan Christensen said. “I think because of how well they knew each other for a long time, their continuity and friendship helped the team this season.”

One of the fastest rising prospects in NorCal, 6-5/195 Miramonte (Orinda, CA) High School quarterback Luke Duncan‍ visited Cal last weekend and pulled in his first collegiate offer, as the Bears extended an offer to the talented Orinda QB. The Bears’ offer was soon followed by San Diego State.

The visit through the Caldecott Tunnel was a strong one for the 3 star QB.

“I’m building a great relationship with the entire staff,” said Duncan. “What really stood out to me was how important life after football at Cal is.

“I’m looking for a program that wants the same goals as me, which is to get a great college education and win football games.”

Junior Season Highlights

Share Video

facebook twitter email

link<div>http://www.hudl.com/v/2GBdfb</div>

Copied

Rewind 10 Seconds

Next Up

Live

00:00

00:00

00:00

Chromecast

Closed Captions

Share Video

Settings

Fullscreen

Error loading media:

File could not be played

48 Play

As with many Miramonte kids, with an abundance of Cal alums and parents in Orinda, Duncan grew up frequently attending Cal games over the years so he’s no stranger to the Blue and Gold.

With schools closed and sports cancelled or postponed in the 2020 season, Duncan decided to spend a year at national powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida to further his development.

“IMG was a great experience. I learned a lot there and grew as a football player,” noted Duncan.

Duncan also trains with former Cal QB Ross Bowers, who gives the 3 star QB his hearty endorsement.

“I’ve had the pleasure of training Luke for almost a year now and his progression from the beginning until now has been spectacular,” said Bowers. “Skill set aside, his reputation around his program speaks for itself. He leads by example and is very mature for his age.

“Looking at Luke’s skill set, his arm strength tops out around 70 yards. He stands 6’6 inches tall and fits in Coach Musgrave’s offense extremely well. He has the ability to play action pass, throw receivers open and avoid defenders while staying strong in the pocket.

“My biggest advice to him while preparing for the leap from high to school to college is to fall in love with the weight room and training room. Much easier said than done, especially, coming from a skinny guy like myself but who understands how important durability is to survive a long career. I’m excited to see him lead Miramonte this upcoming season and the improvements he can make from last year.”

As a junior, Duncan completed 203 of 356 passes for 2,949 yards, with 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 11 games, leading the Mats to the second round of the NCS playoffs.

Duncan has recently risen through the rankings and currently stands rated as the nation’s 20th-ranked QB by 247 not long after earning MVP at a talent-packed Battle at the Beach 7-on-7 tourney in Huntington Beach earlier this month, helping lead his KT Prep Elite squad with fellow Cal QB offeree Jaden Rashada to a tourney championship.

With the increased recruiting focus on him, how does that affect the rising seniors potential commitment timeline?

“I haven’t really thought about that yet,” said Duncan, “I’m going to wait and see how things go.”

Other stories: