Editorial printed in the Ojai Valley News 11-11-2009 by Alan Rains, President of the Ojai Valley Service Foundation, businessman and lifelong resident of Ojai.
Bowl Raising
The centerpiece of cultural life in Ojai for much of the last century is an old friend who’s fallen on hard times and badly needs a helping hand.
You probably know the name: Libbey Bowl. And while the vital signs are not good – creaky joints, fallen arches and unreliable plumbing – there’s every reason to expect a full recovery . . . provided the community steps up to the plate.
Set among the majestic oaks and sycamores in the center of Ojai, Libbey Bowl has been the heart of our community’s cultural life for over 50 years. Originally designed by esteemed architects Austen Pierpont and Roy Wilson, the Bowl has been a welcoming showplace for music, drama, pageant and community spirit.
Unfortunately, the Bowl now needs a serious makeover. The bad news is that wood rot and termites have compromised the structure beyond repair. The good news is that efforts are already under way to build a new Libbey Bowl, one that will preserve the distinctive charm and function of the original, and bring significant improvements for audience and performers alike.
The cost of the new Bowl, including improved audience seating, dressing rooms and landscaping, is estimated at $3 million. To date, $2 million of this money has been raised or pledged through the auspices of the City of Ojai, the Ojai Civic Association and the Ojai Music Festival. To get the job done, we need another $1 million.
The time has now come for the community at large to step forward.
To spearhead the community effort to raise this $1 million, a Save Libbey Bowl Committee has been formed under the auspices of the Ojai Valley Service Foundation. I have accepted the responsibility as President, and have a team of almost 50 community leaders behind me. The task ahead is challenging, but doable.
The timetable is short. We intend to start demolition of the existing structure immediately next June, and have the new Libbey Bowl in place in June 2011. As the lead agency in the consortium behind this project, the City of Ojai requires that all $3 million be in place before work begins.
Why is Libbey Bowl important to Ojai? Apart from its cultural and artistic benefits to the community, the Bowl is a significant generator of income for business and government here. Currently, activities in Libbey Bowl bring in about $3.5 million annually in the form of tourism and other spending. With a new Bowl that amount could increase to $6 million a year.
Libbey Bowl has been a community treasure for more than half a century. It has enriched our cultural lives and brought us countless other gifts. Isn’t it time we returned the favors?
