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104-534: He was born on November 30, 1934, to Jack and Patricia Hilder. His education was at prep school in Ojai , California , and later at University High in West Los Angeles. He majored in film and communications at USC where he later attended. In the late 1950s, he was known as Tony Hilder and performed A&R work for Modern Records . In the early 1960s Hilder became a prolific producer of surf music. According to Who Put

208-578: A $ 122,000 Superior Suit over breach of contract, fraud and money owned. This was over royalties not being paid as per an alleged agreement for the masters of various albums. This included recordings by The Centurians , Dave Myers and the Surftones , the Sentinels and an LP Battle of the Surf Bands . Also in the same year, Hilder approached Myron Fagan a playwright-director for information. He urged Fagan who

312-608: A 3 record set that Hilder produced. Hilder's music publishing company Anthony Music AKA Anthony Music Corp was based in Hollywood , California . The company handled releases such as "Commanche" / "Rampage" by the Revels, and their earlier release, "Church Key". Lil' Ray and the Premiers were another act to have the same. Others include, Emmett Lord, the Charades , Ray Agee , Bob Linkletter and

416-470: A female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

520-451: A fire started in a gasoline stove in a store in the Arcade and the stores in the western half of the Arcade burned down. Part of the Arcade suffered smoke damage but did not burn down. A new Spanish-style Foothills Hotel was built in 1919–1920 to replace the one that burned down. The Taormina neighborhood was established as the first historic district in the city in 2016. The housing development

624-735: A memorial service to be held on May 10, 2019, from 2 p.m. at the Woodlawn Cemetery at the Sunburst Chapel in Santa Monica, California . In 1993, Hilder teamed up with Jordan Maxwell for the first time in Lucifer 2000 . The film was about the American Illuminati's plan for global domination. Similarly, another documentary of Hilder's that was released in the 1990s was Millennium 2000 . Featuring Ray Yungen, Terry L Cook and Jordan Maxwell, it

728-488: A position to head the label's Midwest Radio-TV promotion. From his base in Denver, Zook's first efforts were concentrated on the promotion of the Revels' single which had been featured in the 1961 film, The Exiles . The Revels, a local Californian band, had been around since 1957. They had four singles released on the label from 1960 to 1962 which included the single they were best known for, their 1960 hit "Church Key". The single

832-562: A practice session by Rendezvous Ballroom regulars, the Rhythm Rockers, and heard them doing their version of a song he held the rights to, "Church Key". They would have two singles released on Impact, "Moment Of Truth" bw "Frogwalk and "Church Key" bw "Passion". In late 1962, he reached out to a group called the Latin Knights in a bid to get them recorded. He did several sessions with them in the studios in L.A. He later changed their name to

936-526: A similar position to what he was doing in California the previous year. His Radio Free America show was broadcast on KEAG . Around the mid-1990s, he was hosting his controversial show in Los Angeles. His past radio show guests have included ufologist , Norio Hayakawa . His controversial side was noted in a two part Anchorage Daily News news article about him that ran from October 11 to October 12, 1992. In

1040-531: A special tax district would be formed. This was approved by almost 90 percent of voters but it was tied up in court by the private water purveyor, Golden State Water Company . Casitas Municipal Water District took over management of the Ojai water system by purchase of the franchise from Golden State Water Company in April 2017. The Ojai Valley Sanitary District treats the sewage from the city and surrounding areas. In 2020,

1144-427: A whopping 23.46 inches (595.9 mm) in eight days from January 19 to 26. In contrast, the median annual rainfall for all years in Ojai is only around 18.1 inches (460 mm) and in the driest "rain year" from July 2020 to June 2021, just 5.46 inches (138.7 mm) fell in twelve months. The wettest "rain year" was from July 1997 to June 1998 with 48.29 inches (1,226.6 mm). The city's population dropped between

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1248-399: Is Nordhoff Junior High and High School . The former public middle high school, named "Matilija", formerly served as Nordhoff Union High School and still features large tiles with the initials "NUHS" on the steps of the athletic field. The Ventura and Ojai Valley Railroad connected Ojai to the national rail network near Ventura station in 1898. The Southern Pacific Railroad acquired all

1352-584: Is about 10 miles (16 km) long by 3 miles (5 km) wide and divided into a lower and an upper valley, each of similar size, surrounded by hills and mountains. The population was 7,637 at the 2020 census , up from 7,461 at the 2010 census . Ojai is known for its boutique hotels, recreation opportunities, hiking, and farmers' market of local organic agriculture. It has small businesses specializing in local and ecologically friendly art, design, and home improvement. Chain stores are prohibited by city ordinance to encourage local small business development and retain

1456-651: Is approximately 745 feet (227 m) above sea level and borders the Los Padres National Forest to the north. It is approximately 15 miles (24 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean . The Ojai Valley lies within the Topatopa Mountains on the north and south and is actively shaped by a web of earthquake faults. The Sisar fault in the valley was the epicenter of a magnitude 5.1 earthquake on August 20, 2023. The Santa Ynez Mountains lie to

1560-506: Is home to several private boarding schools as well as other private and alternative school programs: The Ojai Valley News is a weekly, community-oriented newspaper that has been published since October 27, 1891. The newspaper was called The Ojai until 1958. A newspaper called The Ojai Valley News was founded in competition to The Ojai in 1949. In 1958, J. Frank Knebel bought The Ojai , The Ojai Valley News and another small paper called The Oaks Gazette . He called this combined paper

1664-499: Is one of two cities in the county that initially allowed retail sales. Voters approved a 3% tax on retail marijuana sales on 2020, which could eventually grow to a 10% tax. State law says local governments may not prohibit adults from growing, using or transporting marijuana for personal use but they can prohibit companies from growing, testing, and selling cannabis within their jurisdiction by licensing none or only some of these activities. The state requires cities to allow deliveries. By

1768-700: Is today) and most of the buildings there were demolished. In 1916, he hired the architectural firm of Frank Mead and Richard Requa of San Diego to transform Nordhoff into the Spanish-style town center seen today. The project included a Mission-style arcade along the main street, a bell-tower reminiscent of the famous campanile of the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Havana, Cuba (also known as

1872-526: The Challenge label, it was backed with a Robert Hafner composition, "Rendezvous". It was given a B+ rating by The Cash Box in its October 17 issue. It was also a prediction that month by Billboard to do well, and became a local hit year. Hilder was also involved in the release of Rickey Agary's rocker single, "Everybody Needs Someone". Agary was backed by the Mark Anthony Band. The two part single

1976-691: The Ojai Tennis Tournament is held. It is the oldest tennis tournament west of the Mississippi River (founded in 1896) and has been an early competition for many players who went on to earn one or more Grand Slam titles. The Wall of Fame in Libbey Park honors players who competed and went on to win at least one Grand Slam. William Thacher (brother of Sherman Thacher) founded the Ojai Valley Tennis Club in 1895. There were five years when

2080-668: The Ojai Valley News and Oaks Gazette. A competition newspaper called The Ojai Press was founded in 1959 and another called The Oaks Sentinel came out the following year. When both of these papers floundered a group of over 100 people called "Voice of the Valley" pitched in to take over these papers and began publishing the Press Sentinel . Members of the Voice of the Valley group felt strongly that there needed to be an alternative viewpoint in

2184-663: The Ojai Valley Visitors Guide ) and the Ojai Quarterly , magazines published every three months. In early June, often coinciding with the Music Festival, the Ojai Wine Festival is held at Lake Casitas. Over 3,000 wine lovers sample the products of more than 30 wineries. Proceeds go to charity. The town of Ojai and the surrounding area is home to many recreational activities. Los Padres National Forest borders

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2288-498: The poverty line , including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over. Ojai is a tourism destination known for its boutique hotels, recreation opportunities, hiking, and farmers' market of local organic agriculture. The 306-room Ojai Valley Inn , which opened in 1923, is situated on 220 acres with a golf course and tennis courts. There are just 12 hotels within city limits but short-term vacation rentals (STVR) were banned in 2016. A few accommodations are available in

2392-525: The " Orange County Home of Richard Nixon, Disneyland and rightists" article by Kay Bartlett in the March 16, 1974 issue of The Free Lance-Star , Hilder was a self-proclaimed new-rightist and his book War Lords of Washington argued that international bankers conspired to involve America in World War II. He said that London, New York and Washington were the seat of the international cartel which wanted to dominate

2496-500: The 1950s on Sultan Records and Aladdin Records. In 1954, they had a single "Moving Up King's Highway" bw "Where Is My Wandering Child" out on Score 5054. The B side was composed by Wakkins. They also had recordings released in the 1960s. Watkins may no longer been a member by then. By October 1959, Wakins had a record out on the Challenge label. The record "You're Unforgettable" bw "Rendezvous" which Billboard predicted could do well

2600-501: The 1990s, Hilder debated Khalid Abdul Muhammad . In 2011, Hilder appeared on the UK television show, On the Edge which was hosted by Theo Chalmers . Hilder died at St. John's Hospital at Santa Monica, California. According to various sources, Hilder died on April 26, 2019. Ufologist Norio Hayakawa who has in the past been associated with Hilder, confirmed his death on his website with details of

2704-475: The 86 minute documentary was asking who was really behind the attack on the World Trade Center . In 2003, Panic Project was out. Hilder is joined by Norio Hayakawa and Jordan Maxwell. They look at Area 51 and what may be going on there. His other documentary Area 51 was of a similar theme. In 2004, 911: The Greatest Lie Ever Sold was released. Running at just over two hours, it features news clips of

2808-460: The 9/11 tragedy and commentary by Hilder. In the film, Hilder attempts to present a Nazi world domination type of theory as for what may be behind the 9/11 attacks. In 2007, Skull & Bones: The Catholic Connection was released. It featured William David Cox, a former seminarian who had a 30-year history at uncovering attacks on the Catholic faith. The film presented a theory that a NeoCon Nazi cabal

2912-725: The Bohemian Club, the Skull and Bones society and freemasonry . In the sequel The Illuminati II: The Antichrist Conspiracy , which also featured Jones, Maxwell and Icke, the film looked at the fixing of the 1992 presidential election, the Free Tibet campaign, Aleister Crowley & the Evil Eye and the Manhattan Project . Hilder appeared in the Andre Eggelletion documentary Thieves in

3016-633: The Bomp magazine, Hilder's name as publisher, producer etc., appears on many records, both 45s and albums. His name would have appeared on more if it wasn't for the poor crediting on the budget releases. As a producer, he produced records such as Jim Waller's "Surfin' Wild". He was credited as producer on the Surf Battle various artists album. He produced the Bombora album by the Original Surfaris . He supervised

3120-420: The California coast, Christianize the native population, found military presidios and relocate Chumash people from their villages into Spanish missions . Due to violence and imported disease, Chumash people died at devastating rates under Spanish rule. According to George Tinker, a Native Scholar, “The Native American population of coastal population was reduced by some 90 percent during seventy years under

3224-553: The Charades and signed them to his label. Two songs were released on Impact, "Sophia" and "Christina". In 1963, he produced the album The Winners Of The 18 Band Surf Battle , which was released on the GNP Crescendo label. It included titles by the Rhythm Kings and Dave Myers & the Surftones. In 1966, represented by attorney Al Schlesinger, Hilders company Anthony Music was involved in legal action with Del-Fi records, filing

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3328-535: The City of Ojai Recreation Center. The center was formerly the Boyd Clubhouse which was built in 1903 and located on the south side of Ojai Avenue east of Libbey Park. The Boyd Club was a men's athletic and activity club. The Boyd clubhouse was moved to Sarzotti Park in 1957. The city's recreational program offers soccer, softball, football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, exercise programs, and many other classes. In April,

3432-537: The Havana Cathedral), and a pergola with two arches opposite the arcade. In March 1917, just after completion of the renovation project, the name of the town was changed to Ojai. The valley had always been known as "The Ojai". Leading up to and during World War I, American sentiment became increasingly anti-German . Across the United States, German and German-sounding place names were changed. Some Ojai writers in

3536-453: The Kent / Modern organisation, Hilder would form CT Records, which would be his first record label. Two singles were subsequently released on CT. In time to come he would take advantage of the surf music craze. Hilder would become involved with Billy Watkins , Jesse Belvin and Charles Wright . With the assistance of Hilder, Wright penned "You're Unforgettable" for Billy Watkins. Released in 1959 on

3640-574: The Libbey Glass Company of Toledo, Ohio. He fell in love with the valley, bought property in the Foothills tract in 1909, and built a Craftsman-style house designed by Myron Hunt and Elmer Grey. Steeped in City Beautiful ideals, Libbey began thinking about what could be done to beautify the existing rustic town. He bought up all the properties on the south side of Ojai Avenue (where Libbey Park

3744-518: The Ojai Valley when his book came out in 1873, but made several visits to his namesake town in the early 1880s, and he mentioned the Ojai Valley in the revised 1882 version of his popular book. The discovery of hot springs in Matilija Canyon and subsequent development of hot springs resorts in the late 1800s contributed to the valley's healing mystique. The public junior high and high school in Ojai

3848-688: The Santa Clara River at Santa Paula. The high mountains above the Ojai Valley and further east are drained by Sespe Creek, which empties into the Santa Clara River at Fillmore. In 1991, 31.5 miles of the 55-mile-long Sespe Creek was given federal Wild & Scenic River status. The climate of Ojai is Mediterranean , characterized by hot, dry summers, at times exceeding 100 °F (37.8 °C), and mild, rainy winters, with lows at night falling below freezing at times. During dry spells with continental air, morning temperatures, due to Ojai's valley location, can drop well below most of Southern California, with

3952-500: The Sentinal Six . During the 1960s, Hilder oversaw Impact Records , a Los Angeles-based record label. One of the functions of Impact Records was to be an outlet for masters that Hilder couldn't release on other labels. Much of the material released by the label was from local aspiring artists and bands. It was announced in the May 8, 1961, issue of Billboard that Hilder had put Dean Zook in

4056-454: The Sixties by Robert J. Dalley, and various other surf music related publications. He is also credited with bringing the surf sound to a host of independent California record labels in the early 1960s. According to Who Put the Bomp magazine, Hilder was responsible for more local surf music being recorded and released than any other individual. Years later his status as a producer in the surf genre

4160-543: The Soule Park Golf Course, and the Ojai Valley Inn Golf Course. The town completed a new park, Cluff Vista Park , in 2002, which contains several small themed regions of California native plants , two water features, and three public art works. The park is located on a small hill which has a view of the mountains surrounding the town. Sarzotti Park is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) city park that is home to

4264-517: The Temple , a film about the privately owned banks which was released in 2005. Ojai, California Ojai ( / ˈ oʊ h aɪ / OH -hy ; Chumash : ’Awhaỳ ) is a city in Ventura County, California . Located in the Ojai Valley, it is northwest of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara . The valley is part of the east–west trending Western Transverse Ranges and

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4368-405: The United States records the name Ojai as being derived from an Indigenous word meaning "nest", though the specific Indigenous language is not identified. In 1837, Fernando Tico, a Santa Barbara businessman, received the 17,716-acre Rancho Ojai Mexican land grant, which included both the lower and upper Ojai valleys. Tico operated a cattle ranch on the land and moved his large family to an adobe in

4472-727: The Ventura River just north of Casitas Springs. The Ventura River flows through the Ventura River Valley and empties into the Pacific Ocean at the city of Ventura. The Ventura River was once known for its steelhead fishing before Matilija Dam and Lake Casitas were constructed, eliminating habitat for this trout species. The eastern part of the Upper Ojai Valley is drained by the Sisar and Santa Paula creeks. These creeks flow into

4576-521: The area. On July 8, 1999, former Apollo astronaut Pete Conrad , one of the twelve men who walked on the Moon, died of injuries suffered from a motorcycle accident in Ojai. The Ojai Music Festival (founded in 1947) is an annual festival of performances by some of the world's top musicians and composers, and occurs on the first weekend after Memorial Day . Notable appearances include Igor Stravinsky , Aaron Copland , Esa-Pekka Salonen and Pierre Boulez , who

4680-591: The capital stock in the Ventura and Ojai Valley Railroad in April 1898. A nine-day Pineapple Express with rainfall intensity reaching 6.2 inches (16 cm) per day caused floods destroying the rail line in January 1969. The former rail line was converted to the Ojai Valley Trail in 1989. Nordhoff became a popular wintering spot for wealthy Easterners and Midwesterners. The elite Foothills Hotel, which catered to them,

4784-522: The city banned new hook-ups to natural gas except for restaurants and pools. Public libraries: Ventura County Library —14 county locations, with three branches in the Ojai Valley: The City of Ojai operates the Ojai Trolley bus system. Gold Coast Transit connects Ojai with Ventura . Billy Watkins (singer) Robert Bartha L. " Billy " Watkins (July 25, 1927 – January 24, 2010)

4888-401: The city was 88.01% White , 0.60% African American , 0.50% Native American , 1.58% Asian , 0.17% Pacific Islander , 6.26% from other races , and 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.84% of the population. There were 3,088 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had

4992-423: The city were built between 1940 and 1980 with about a dozen mobile-home parks included in the housing stock. With rapid growth in the 1970s, a slow-growth ordinance was passed. From 2008 to 2018, there were no new multifamily developments with a single six residential unit apartment being built in 2019. Ojai is situated in a small east–west eponymous valley, north of Ventura and east of Santa Barbara . The city

5096-408: The costs as well as the profits. In 1960, the group released "Vesuvius" bw "Church Key" on Tony Hilder's CT label. Then it was later released on Impact, this time with "Church Key" as the A side. Hilder helped with much of the writing and arrangement for the 1961 film, The Exiles , a docu-drama about urban Indians from L.A. and with garage rock music provided by The Revels. In 1962, Hilder attended

5200-491: The country. The "Garrett Lemire Memorial Grand Prix" began in 2004 as a tribute to a 22-year-old cyclist from Ojai who died racing his bicycle in Arizona the previous year. The race is held on a one-mile (1.6 km) circuit that circumnavigates Libbey Bowl in the heart of downtown Ojai. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement services for the city. No homicides were recorded in 2015–2018. The Ojai Valley

5304-511: The end of 2018, three recreational marijuana storefronts were open in close proximity to each other. In 2020, there were two manufacturing businesses that were going through the permitting processes and the city was considering allowing on-site cannabis consumption. Ojai's culture is heavily focused on ecology , health and organic agriculture , NIMBYism , walking / hiking , spirituality , music and local art . Weekends may include exhibiting classic cars or motorcycle clubs touring

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5408-518: The end of the Civil War and cheaper imports from the east, Scott and Stanford ceased oil exploration in the valley area. Thomas Bard then began selling the surface rights to parcels of Rancho Ojai in late 1867. As the president of Unocal , Bard would return in the 1890s to dig about 50 oil tunnels into Sulphur Mountain, which produced until 1998. The town was laid out in 1874 by San Buenaventura businessman R.G. Surdam and named Nordhoff in honor of

5512-508: The film The Hideous Sun Demon which was released in the late 1950s. Westco was a label located in Morro Bay, California . It was one that Hilder co-owned with Norman Knowles . One act that had material released on the label was Jeff Hamman and the Surf-Teens. Other acts were Kenny Hinkle, Kenny Karter and the Sentinels. Westco started out as WCEB, a division of Impact Records. In 1974, Hilder

5616-418: The form of rain between the months of October and April, with intervening dry summers. As with all of Southern California, rain falls on few days, but when it does rain it is often extremely heavy: the record being 9.05 inches (229.9 mm) on February 24, 1913, followed by 8.15 inches (207.0 mm) on January 26, 1914. During the wettest month on record of January 1969, 25.76 inches (654.3 mm) fell, with

5720-632: The late 1940s. The following year Barclay appeared in a low budget film, The Skydivers . One album that Hilder produced for his Impact label was Shake! Shout! & Soul , which was recorded live at Santa Monica's 2nd Annual Surf Fair. It featured Lil Ray, The Original Surfaris, Dave Myers and the Surftones, the New Dimensions, Steve Korey and the Virtue Four. Robert Hafner also worked on compositions with Hilder and for artists on Impact. Both Hilder and Hafner had previous involvement with their roles in

5824-530: The lower valley. Tico sold the entire Rancho Ojai in 1853. The rancho changed hands several more times before it was purchased in 1864 by Thomas A. Scott , a Pennsylvania oil and railroad baron. The petroleum exploration of the Ojai Basin was the result of a report of oil seeps (oil springs) along the Sulphur Mountain area. In 1866, Scott's nephew Thomas Bard used a steam-powered cable-tool drilling rig on

5928-411: The north side of Sulphur Mountain. On May 29, 1867, Ojai No. 6 produced an oil gusher , at a depth of 550 feet, and the Ojai Field eventually produced 10-20 barrels of oil a day. Also in 1866, Leland Stanford 's brother Josiah dug oil tunnels on the south side of Sulphur Mountain, producing 20 barrels a day for the Stanford Brothers refinery in San Francisco. For economic reasons, falling oil prices at

6032-449: The north, while Sulphur Mountain and the lower Black Mountain lie to the south. Nordhoff Ridge, the western extension of the Topatopa Mountains, towers over the north side of the valley at more than 5,000 feet (1,500 m). Sulphur Mountain creates the southern ranges bounding the Ojai Valley, a little under 3,000 feet (910 m) in elevation. The Sulphur and Topatopa mountains are part of the Transverse Ranges system. The Ojai Valley and

6136-469: The past have speculated that anti-German sentiment contributed to the name change of Nordhoff to Ojai in 1917. There is no clear evidence that this was the case for the name change in Ojai. To thank Libbey for his gifts to the town, the citizens proposed a celebration in the new Civic Center Park (later changed to Libbey Park) that they wished to call "Libbey Day," but Libbey suggested "Ojai Day" instead. The first Ojai Day took place April 7, 1917. Ojai Day

6240-639: The population) lived in households, 48 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 132 (1.8%) were institutionalized. There were 3,111 households, out of which 876 (28.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,396 (44.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 366 (11.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 128 (4.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 151 (4.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 25 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 992 households (31.9%) were made up of individuals, and 496 (15.9%) had someone living alone who

6344-412: The population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,038 people (40.7%) lived in rental housing units. As of the census of 2000, there were 7,862 people, 3,088 households, and 1,985 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,773.0 inhabitants per square mile (684.6/km ). There were 3,229 housing units at an average density of 728.2 per square mile (281.2/km ). The racial makeup of

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6448-430: The record being 13 °F (−10.6 °C) on January 6–7, 1913. In contrast, Ojai is far enough from the sea to minimize marine cooling, and very hot days can occur during summer, with the record being 119 °F (48.3 °C) on June 16, 1917 – when it fell as low as 65 °F (18.3 °C) in the morning due to clear skies and dry air. As is typical for much of coastal Southern California, most precipitation falls in

6552-413: The recordings of the Revels , a California group remembered for the instrumental hit " Church Key ". He was also the president of Impact Records , a label that released recordings by The Revels, Lil' Ray and the Premiers and Dave Myers and the Surftones . He had a role in providing the music for the 1961 film, The Exiles . In 1971 Hilder was ejected from Lou Gordon's television interview show. He

6656-464: The single "XKE" by Boss Martians which was released in 1993. In 1994, Intoxica! The Best Of The Revels was released on Sundazed LP 5010. Just as John Hodge , the manager / producer for the Pyramids worked with Sundazed's Bob Irwin to get the product out, so did Hilder, Sam Eddy and Norman Knowles. Hilder's voice is featured on the track "Radio Free World" which was included on the various artists album Audium Capsule 1 , released in 1996. His voice

6760-429: The sole proprietorship of Serra’s mission system.” Whether due to Spanish rule or as part of the California Genocide under the land's eventual control by the United States , by 1900, the Chumash population had declined to just 200, while current estimates of Chumash people today range from 2,000 to 5,000. The name Ojai is derived from the Ventureño Chumash word ʼawha'y meaning "moon." A 1905 book on place names in

6864-518: The surrounding mountains are heavily wooded with oak trees. The mountains to the west of the Ojai Valley are drained by the Coyote, Matilija and Santa Ana creeks. These empty into the Ventura River. The Matilija Dam, Casitas Dam and Lake Casitas Reservoir alter the historic drainage of these creeks and the river. The creeks that drain the mountains directly north of Ojai empty into San Antonio Creek, as does Lion Canyon Creek that lies between Black Mountain and Sulphur Mountain. San Antonio Creek drains into

6968-411: The surrounding unincorporated area where the county has placed similar restrictions on STVR. It has small businesses specializing in local and ecologically friendly art, design, and home improvement. Chain stores are prohibited by city ordinance to encourage local small business development and keep the town unique. Under the legalization of the sale and distribution of cannabis in California, Ojai

7072-428: The tournament was not held: 1924 because of a hoof-and-mouth epidemic and from 1943 to 1946 during and just after World War II. Ventura County parks in the area include Foster Park near Casitas Springs, Camp Comfort on Creek Road, Soule Park and Soule Park Golf Course, and Dennison Park on the Dennison Grade. Annually, in early April, the town hosts a bicycle race that draws professional and amateur teams from around

7176-458: The town on the north, and many back country areas within the forest are accessible from Highway 33 , the major north–south highway through town. Matilija Creek is a spot to enjoy splashing under waterfalls and backpacking. To the west, the Lake Casitas Recreation Area offers camping, picnicking, hiking, boating, fishing, and has a water park. The valley has several public tennis courts in downtown Libbey Park. There are also two major golf courses:

7280-431: The town's character. The name Ojai is derived from the Mexican-era Rancho Ojai , which in turn took its name from the Ventureño Chumash word ' Awha'y , meaning "Moon". The city's self-styled nickname is " Shangri-La " referencing the natural environment of this health and spirituality-focused region as well as the mystical sanctuary of the 1937 film adaptation of James Hilton 's novel Lost Horizon . Ojai sits on

7384-466: The traditional territory of the Chumash , a Native American people who inhabited the central and southern coastal regions of California, in portions of what are Morro Bay in the north to Malibu in the south and the Channel Islands . Before the arrival of European settlers, at least 10,000 Chumash people lived in over 150 independent villages, speaking variations of the same language. Starting in 1769, Spanish soldiers and missionaries arrived to colonize

7488-518: The valley from the views expressed in Knebel's paper. The Press Sentinel was published for two years. When Fred Volz purchased The Ojai Valley News and Oaks Gazette in 1962, changing the name to Ojai Valley News, the Press Sentinel ceased publication. A collaborative blog covering local news, The Ojai Post , also once existed. In 2013, a plan to take over the private water system was approved by voters. Up to $ 60 million in bonds would be issued and

7592-543: The world. By 1976, Hilder who was once a staff member of Senator George Murphy had now become a force in the Liberty Lobby . In the late 1980s, he was a member of Citizens Against Organized Crime which was based in Arizona. In July 1988, there was a movement taking place within the National Rifle Association of America by some of its members to oust President George H. W. Bush from the association. Bush

7696-436: The writer Charles Nordhoff who had written a book about California titled, California for Health, Pleasure and Residence: A Book for Travelers and Settlers . Most early settlers to the valley had one or more family members who were ill, particularly with respiratory illnesses, and the Ojai Valley developed a reputation for having healthy air quality. Many did get well after moving to the valley. Charles Nordhoff had not visited

7800-519: The years 2000-2010. The 2010 United States Census reported that Ojai had a population of 7,461. The population density was 1,695.3 inhabitants per square mile (654.6/km ). The racial makeup of Ojai was 6,555 (87.9%) White , 42 (0.6%) African American , 47 (0.6%) Native American , 158 (2.1%) Asian , 1 (0.0%) Pacific Islander , 440 (5.9%) from other races , and 218 (2.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,339 persons (17.9%). The Census reported that 7,281 people (97.6% of

7904-406: Was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males. The median income for households in the city was $ 44,593, and the median income for a family was $ 52,917. Males had a median income of $ 40,919 versus $ 30,821 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 25,670. About 7.9% of families and 10.7% of the population were below

8008-400: Was 47.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males. There were 3,382 housing units at an average density of 768.5 per square mile (296.7/km ), of which 1,717 (55.2%) were owner-occupied, and 1,394 (44.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%. 4,243 people (56.9% of

8112-430: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34. There were 1,890 families (60.8% of all households); the average family size was 2.95. The population distribution was spread out, with 1,520 people (20.4%) under the age of 18, 515 people (6.9%) aged 18 to 24, 1,446 people (19.4%) aged 25 to 44, 2,547 people (34.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,433 people (19.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

8216-480: Was a gospel and song singer who later became a Christian minister. He was also founder of the gospel singing group, The Zion Travelers. He recorded for the Arwin , Challenge , Chess , Era , Imperial , Kent and Victor labels. Watkins was born to parents Bartha Lillard Watkins and Priscilla Kinard on July 25, 1927. When he was 11 years old, he and his family The family moved to California. A short time later Watkins

8320-537: Was a lifetime member and according to the article that ran in the Chicago Tribune , he had no intention of leaving the association. Hilder, who led the petition drive in Alaska, said that petition drives were underway in 23 states. Hilder was at a weekend gun show collecting 400 signatures according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Hilder claimed that just one NRA member could call the expulsion of another if he alleged there

8424-514: Was a news correspondent for the American Free Press , and a freelance writer. He was also a part of the alternative media . A speaker at Conspiracy Con , he was described by The Silicon Valley Voice as a favorite fact finder for many conspiracy theorists. In the late 1950s Hilder had minor or supporting roles in a few feature films and television shows. In 1957, he was at his early stage in getting acting work. In December that year, he

8528-625: Was a violation of NRA bylaws. One such bylaw was that members protect and defend the Constitution. Hilder also went into the committee's process and how it would handle the alleged offence. In June 1993, Hilder was kicked out of the studio at KLAV for his remarks about Janet Reno 's alleged relationship to Cult Awareness Network (CAN) which had a role in the whistleblowing of the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. He remarked that President Bill Clinton

8632-602: Was about the "One Party System", and looked at the supposed plan for World domination via the boardrooms of the Major Banking institutions. It also looked at the related symbiology. It also made the claim that "The One Party System" was run by and for the benefit and pleasure of the International Banksters. According to the 26 Jan 1995 issue of the Point Pleasant Register , a presentation of Millennium 2000

8736-465: Was acknowledged in a 1995 issue of CD Review . Records released on other labels such as Del-Fi Records and Challenge Records credit Hilder as either orchestra leader, publisher, or writer. He had also used the pseudonym of Mark Hilder. In the late 1950s, Hilder worked for the Kent and Modern record labels. His time at Modern Records gave him contacts he could use in the music business. In 1959 having left

8840-583: Was also interviewed by the Idaho-based Times News that year and voiced his strong opposition to property taxes and the system of education in America. Hilder believed Ronald Reagan was a tool for the bankers by the mid-1970s; previously he had supported him. He also had further issues with Reagan. In the mid-1990s, Hilder hosted the Radio Free World radio show in Los Angeles. Also in that period, he

8944-403: Was approached by Ray Badarat from the Charades who had come to Los Angeles in search of the group's old master tapes. These were the tapes that Hilder had produced ten years earlier. After catching up about old times, Hilder offered an opportunity for the group to do a musical score for a film, Black Lolita . From that they recorded the love theme for the film. Hilder provided the liner notes for

9048-757: Was behind the control of the US currency and commerce as well as Christianity. His documentary Illuminazi Bilderberg West Bohemian Grove was released in October, 2011. In 2012, he appeared in an episode of Jesse Ventura's Conspiracy Theory series. He appeared in two of Chris Everard's documentaries about the Illuminati, The Illuminati and The Illuminati II: The Antichrist Conspiracy . In addition to Hilder and Jordon Maxwell, Alex Jones and David Icke were also featured in The Illuminati which explored topics such as elections,

9152-482: Was being held at the Mason County Library on 26 January at 6:00 pm. The theme was current events and end times prophecies events. Also in 1995, Reichstag 95: An American Holocaust was released. It featured Ted Gunderson . In 2001, Hilder released Illuminazi 911 which featured Jordan Maxwell, Ted Gunderson and Clayton Douglas. Released in 2001, and possibly the earliest of the 911 conspiracy type of films,

9256-547: Was built in the style of French architecture of Normandy in the 1960s and 1970s by members of the Theosophy movement adjacent to the Krotona Institute of Theosophy . Taormina's founder, theosophist Ruth Wilson, envisioned the development as a retirement community for fellow theosophists but in the early 1980s a court ruling required the community to be open to residents of all faiths and backgrounds. The majority of homes in

9360-408: Was built on a mountain overlooking the town in 1903. Visitors enjoyed dining, music concerts, horseback riding, and hunting and fishing trips into the back country. Some of these businessmen built homes in the valley and contributed to the community's development. Among these winter visitors were Edward Drummond Libbey and his wife Florence. Their first winter in Ojai was in 1907. Libbey was the owner of

9464-501: Was celebrated each year until 1928. Local schoolteacher Craig Walker revived Ojai Day in 1991 and it has been celebrated since. The Ojai Day celebration takes place in October. In 1917 two fires struck the community. The first started in Matilija Canyon on June 16 and burned 60 buildings in its path, including many homes and the Foothills Hotel. The newly Spanish-style structures in the downtown were not affected. On November 28, 1917,

9568-585: Was charting locally that year. Later he had another single released on Challenge. I was "Go Billy Go" bw "Good Times" in 1960. The A side was co-written with Tony Hilder and Charles Wright . By October 1966, he had "Little Things Mean a Lot" out on the Chattahoochee label which was a Hot 100 prediction. Around 1970, Watkins was in Japan. He had an album released there on the Japanese Victor label. The album

9672-433: Was distributed nationally by Liberty Records but was issued under the banner of Impact to keep the identity of the label. Another artist that had a release on the label was Latino singer, Little Ray Jimenez in 1962 with "Shake! Shout! & Soul!" bw "Soul & Stomp". Other artists included Shorty Bacon, and the Charades . Another artist to have a release on the label in 1962 was Rue Barclay who had been recording since

9776-530: Was festival director in 2003. The outdoor bookshop Bart's Books , subject of news programs and documentaries, has been in Ojai since 1964. Ojai is home to the annual Ojai Playwrights Conference , a two-week playwrights festival that brings professional writers and actors from across the country to Ojai. The community is served by the Ojai Valley News , a weekly newspaper, the Ojai Valley Guide (formerly

9880-451: Was hosting his syndicated television show, Millennium 2000 . Hilder hosted radio shows and at one stage had a radio show in Alaska. Hilder became involved in conspiracy films from the early 1990s. His films include Illuminazi 9-11 which featured Jordan Maxwell, Clayton Douglas and Ted Gunderson who Hilder has been associated with. Other films include Panic Project , 911 : The Greatest Lie Ever Sold . and Skull & Bones . He

9984-422: Was in "The Trail to Christmas" episode of General Electric Theater . He also appeared in M Squad that year. Along with Robert Hafner , Hilder had a role in the 1958 sci-fi film, The Hideous Sun Demon which was directed by Tom Boutross and Robert Clarke . Hilder had a prolific output as a producer in the surf genre. He's mentioned and referenced in books such as Surfin' Guitars: Instrumental Surf Bands of

10088-417: Was looking for a band to back them while on tour. Norman Knowles wanted him to think about using the Revels as the backing band. Not that impressed, Hilder didn't consider them. However he left his business card. The second time Hilder came into contact with the group was in the summer of 1960. The group had driven down to LA to record at a small studio located on the corner of Santa Monica and Western for what

10192-553: Was nearly 80 to pass on his knowledge of the CFR, Illuminati and its new world order plans so it could be preserved. In 1967, the result was an album called The Illuminati CFR . According to the book by Mark Jacobson, Pale Horse Rider: William Cooper, the Rise of Conspiracy, and the Fall of Trust in America , it was recorded at a studio where Hilder normally recorded the surf-rock groups. It was released as

10296-430: Was put together and later the title "Church Key" was given to the musical piece. Barbara Adkins who was Hilder's girlfriend (and later his wife) provided the giggles on the recording. Hafner brought some other tunes with him, one of which was "Vesuvius". The band learned it there in the studio and recorded it. Not having a label of his own at the time, Hilder and Norman Knowles started their own company as partners, splitting

10400-541: Was released on the Bel Canto label in 1959. In 1960, his Impact label had its first release. The record was "Church Key" by the Revels, released on Impact 1. Hilder's association with the Revels began in early in 1960. One day, the Revels were at a Chevrolet dealership in San Luis Obispo , playing for a March of Dimes benefit. Hilder had come into town to promote two artists of his, Billy Watkins and Charles Wright. He

10504-523: Was sampled and appears on the track "A Sorrowful Empire" by the group Haunted By Rivers on their Drain the Sky album released in 2008. In 1964, Hilder was involved with Barry Goldwater and his presidential campaign. At the time, he considered Goldwater to be the most honorable and courageous candidate he'd ever seen. Hilder put together a record album for the Goldwater camp called Stars for Barry . According to

10608-507: Was the "velvet" on the iron fist of Commu-Fascism and he should be impeached. As a TV host he has hosted the Millennium 2000 TV series. During 1967, he had a radio show on Pacifica KPFK 90.7 FM . He also hosted two radio shows, Radio Free World and Radio Free America. He's also responsible for the creation of Radio Free America. By 1989 he was hosting a radio show in Anchorage , Alaska , in

10712-431: Was their second recording session. The session wasn't going coming along that well so Knowles decided to ring Hilder to come over, and with his experience help them out. Soon Hilder arrived with his partner and songwriter, Robert Hafner . Hilder's attention was focused on guitarist Dan Darnold's playing around with the vibrato bar of his guitar. Hafner helped with a melody centering around the vibrato's hook. An arrangement

10816-540: Was working in a barber shop shining shoes. While working there he met Nat King Cole who would have a significant influence on him. He was also a member of the gospel group, The Zion Travelers. Known as Bartha L. Watkins, he was a member The Zion Travelers, a group that was formed in 1944 and first recorded in late 1947. Watkins was one of the lead singers. The other was L.C. Cohen. Other members were Tenors, L.W. Van and Garland Fate Mason, baritone singer Wesley Sherman and bass singer Felton Vernon. The group also recorded in

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