SUMMER 2024 Part One: POOLS

JULY 1 - AUGUST 1

Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, I had a pond where I could ice skate in the winter and swim in the summer. It was a magical childhood. In 1988, my parents moved us to a nearby town called Towanda, into what I thought was a hideous mid-century house with a backyard with a filled-in pool. Knowing the potential of that 500 square feet was agony. I knew precisely which houses in a three-block radius had a pool. On particularly hot summer days, I'd don my swimsuit, walk to a random neighbor's house, knock on the door, and casually say, 'Sure is hot today, huh?' Miraculously, these kind strangers would let me use their pool unsupervised. The eighties were weird. Eventually, my parents, probably dying from embarrassment at their feral youngest child's uncouth behavior, dug the dirt out of the backyard and installed a tacky little vinyl pool. I remember them paying the contractor ten thousand dollars in cash. They let me hold it.

I was in heaven. I would bring packs of children home after school, put on my teenage sister's string bikini, and go nuts. I'd get rid of the boys and put on a swimsuit more appropriate for a nine-year-old before my parents came home from work.

Fast-forward to today, and I just got a quote for a pool installation: four feet by six feet, half-underground, four and a half feet deep. Sixty thousand dollars. And that doesn't include the permits, which I'm doubtful we could secure, what with the sprawling network of protected oak roots under our entire property.

Summer has already hit a scorching 105 degrees and Ojai has no community pool. It's a travesty. Despite citizens voting overwhelmingly for Measure K to fund a pool at Nordhoff, we're still high and dry. So you either have a private pool, or you have nothing. You might score an Ojai Valley Athletic Club membership if you're in the latter camp and lucky enough to have an extra two thousand bucks per year — plus the hefty initiation fee, which just went up. If that's not in the cards, there's always Casitas Water Adventure, where twenty bucks can get you a day pass to splash around.

Our first story this July is a satirical piece, 'The Hottest New Wellness Craze: Sharing Your Pool with Friends,' where I channel my brazen eight-year-old energy. It started out as a joke, but after reading it back, where's the lie?

Where to Get Wet in Ojai:

No Membership Necessary

Looking for the perfect place to cool off this summer? Ojai has something for everyone. Dive into the Lazy River, enjoy thrilling water slides, or book a private pool for a crowd-free experience. For the adventurous, explore local swimming holes in the Ventura River Preserve and beyond. Whether you want a day of family fun, a quiet retreat, or a natural oasis, we've got you covered. Don't miss out on Ojai's top swimming destinations!

POOLS PART TWO: SEPTEMBER 1 - 30

Here I was, sweating it, thinking pools again? — after a summer break, after handing the reins to Vana Dakessian, the kid from Villanova (didn’t she nail it?). Thought it might feel wrong; summer’s done, man, and school’s back in session. But it’s 106 degrees today — Ojai summer’s a stubborn bastard, still here, still burning us alive. I got my first sunburn in years just the other day — Labor Day. Rode my third-hand fixed gear from the Inn down the bike path — 14, 15 miles, hell, I don’t know, to Aloha Steakhouse. Too damn hot to look it up. Too hot to drag myself to the Club (I bit the bullet and joined). The Miata’s black, leather seats, like an oven on wheels.

So we’ll continue with the pool theme — seems only right, given the heat. Our first essay dives right into it. Take a read; it’s worth your time.

Writer and regular VORTEX contributor Jessica Pregnolato pulls you under into a world of sun-scorched afternoons and Wonder Woman bathing suits. Her words flow like the lazy ripples in a penguin-shaped pool, but beneath them, there's an unsettling current. She dives headfirst into the uncomfortable places. She tackles what it means to age and take up space in a world that doesn't expect you to. Pregnolato doesn't allow for regret, but she lets yearning flicker at the edges, like light bouncing off the water. Her essay isn't afraid to sit in the tension between wanting more and learning to settle into what is. It's not a celebration, and it's not an apology — it's life, thrashed out with every stroke under the water, while her face remains steady above the surface.

OLO Members-Only:

EVENTS CALENDAR

A curated list of regular and special events from Ojai, Ventura County, and Santa Barbara.

OLO TEA PARTY

Around Town, Real Estate, Food Scene, City Council Recaps, Quick Takes 🤦🏻♥️🤡😻and more!

Gallery shows
thru September:

OJAI VALLEY MUSEUM

OJAI ART CENTER

SANTA PAULA ART MUSEUM

BEATRICE WOOD CENTER

CANVAS + PAPER

CAROLYN GLASOE BAILEY FOUNDATION

SPORE SPACE

JS TINY RANCH

Drew Pulled the Trigger

Embark on a nostalgic journey through the life and times of Ford's iconic Model A. From childhood memories of navigating dusty backroads in a 1930s pickup to the eventual realization of a decades-long dream, Drew Mashburn's latest tale is a tapestry woven with heartwarming moments, vintage allure, and a deep-seated affection for a classic American automobile. Celebrate the storied history and personal connection to one of America's most cherished vehicles. Don't miss it!