VOICE Magazine: April 18, 2025 by Voice Magazine / CASA

8 0 5 . 5 0 4 . 1 9 6 7

Dr. Mahdi Ashrafian

“When we help our patients, they’re going to be better, healthier members of society.” – Dr. Mahdi Ashrafian

By Isaac Hernández de Lipa / VOICE

WITH

A SENSE CELEBRATION AND GROWING ANTICIPATION, Santa Barbara

Neighborhood Clinics will break ground on their new Westside Clinic next week.

Leading the organization is Dr. Mahdi Ashrafian who joined Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics as CEO in 2022, bringing six years of experience as Chief Medical Officer for the Community Health Systems in the Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties. Already at SBNC he has added a medical and behavioral health mobile unit, and a mobile dental unit that visits schools, as well as acupuncture and podiatric services.

VOICE spoke with Dr. Ashrafian during SBNC’s fundraising campaign for the last $12 million to build the new Westside Clinic. The clinic is projected to be completed in September of 2026. With that completion, the number of patients served by SBNC could increase by 25 percent, from 20,000 to 25,000.

VOICE: How does your past inform you in your work with SBNC?

Dr. Mahdi Ashrafian: When we immigrated to this country many years ago, my family and I benefited from the services of federally qualified health centers. If it was not for health centers like SBNC helping us at the beginning, I’m not sure I could have gone to school and achieved what I achieved.

VOICE: SBNC has been growing so much.

Dr. Ashrafian: I’m fortunate enough to be leading an amazing, high achieving team. And obviously our board of directors have been very supportive.

VOICE: Are you concerned about losing federal grants?

Dr. Ashrafian: We are a federally qualified health center, part of the safety net of 8,000 or more health centers across the country. It’s a very important part of the fabric of society.

That’s the reason why I have dedicated my career to health centers. I believe in their mission. It’s a way to pay back, and make sure that more communities receive these services: medical, dental, behavioral health, chiropractic, acupuncture.

If tomorrow SBNC did not exist, where would our patients go? They would end up in the Cottage emergency room, and in urgent care. And even in those places, they’re not going to be receiving the care that we give them. They’re not going to be receiving preventative care, medical, dental, behavioral health. It’s just going to be a triage emergency service or urgent care service. And the cost of that service is going to be a lot more expensive.

We keep the community healthy and safe. And in addition, we hire from the community, and we make the community economically more viable and better.

So, I don’t think our grants are being threatened in terms of the government. I don’t know the future, but I highly doubt that, because if something like that happens, the communities across the country are going to be in a very bad situation, health wise, health care wise, safety wise, and in terms of local economies.

VOICE: What does the new clinic represent?

Dr. Ashrafian: A lot of good things have happened in our old Westside clinic. A lot of people have received good care. But it’s just a house converted to a clinic. The space is so tiny, and it’s very difficult for the staff.

It’s long overdue for us to have a new dignified state-of-the-art clinic, a bigger space, so we can start offering dental services, expanded medical services, and have actual behavioral health rooms, similar to what we are offering in Goleta.

We’re going to have eleven parking spaces, one of them van accessible, and a dedicated drop-off zone. We are going to have eight medical rooms, six dental rooms, and two behavioral health rooms. And health promotion

offices, labs, a community education center, a conference room, and a kitchenette, where we can educate our patients on healthy eating and cooking.

The old clinic is maybe 1,700 square feet. The gross square footage for the three floors (of the new clinic) is 19,110 square feet.

VOICE: What’s going to happen with the old clinic?

Dr. Ashrafian: The old Westside Clinic will be our specialty center: podiatry, acupuncture, and chiropractic services. It will open up for other clinics to expand medical services.

What are you most proud of?

Dr. Ashrafian: I don’t know of many communities in this country that would get together to help build a clinic like this. That’s what I’m the most proud of. If it was not for the community, our donors, key community stakeholders that came together, we would not have been able to construct this building.

VOICE: What possibilities do you see from your patients?

Dr. Ashrafian: When I look at those patients, I see in them the potential to grow up and do their best to pay back to the community. I think it’s a full circle. We make them healthier with dental care, medical care, behavioral health care.

They’re going to be better, healthier members of society. And they will remember that, just like I remember. Many of them come back to health centers, to help other people, those who are in need.

Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics SBNC was formed in 1998 with the merging of the Carrillo Clinic (born as the Freedom Clinic, in 1971), and the Westside Clinic (1973). Currently they operate eight clinics and two mobile clinics in Santa Barbara County, including four medical clinics, two dental clinics, a bridge clinic, and health promotion services. www.sbclinics.org

Rendering of the SBNC Westside Clinic that will break ground next week

Two of the Mobile Clinics

Photos by Isaac Hernández de Lipa

Dr. Mahdi Ashrafian

We are proud to congratulate these exceptional agents for their outstanding representation and successful closings. Their dedication and professionalism continue to set the standard for excellence in our industry.

Bob Curtis

bob@villagesite.com | DRE 00938841

628 JUANITA AVENUE OFFERED AT $2,095,000

20 E. VALERIO STREET OFFERED AT $1,349,000

Gene McKnight

mcknight@villagesite.com | DRE 00880030

344 ROSARIO DRIVE #A & B OFFERED AT $1,850,000

340 ROSARIO DRIVE #A & B OFFERED AT $1,600,000

Steven Sharp

steven@villagesite.com | DRE 02139049

1186 ALVIRIA DRIVE OFFERED AT $1,225,000

2027 BURNHAM ROAD

AT $1,075,000

1242 S. RICE ROAD OFFERED AT $850,000

David M. Kim

david@villagesite.com | DRE 01813897

414B ANACAPA STREET #102 & #202 OFFERED AT $5,000,000

235 CONSTANCE LANE OFFERED AT $3,875,000

Bryan Munoz bryanmunoz@villagesite.com | DRE 01892357

4597 CAMINO MOLINERO OFFERED AT $3,595,000

5975 MATHEWS STREET OFFERED AT $700,000

7368 HOLLISTER AVENUE #54 OFFERED AT $199,000

Devin Wong

devin@devinwong.realtor | DRE 01976444

414B ANACAPA STREET #102 & #202 OFFERED AT $5,000,000

234 COOPER ROAD OFFERED AT $1,995,000

2971 SAN MARCOS PASS ROAD OFFERED AT $1,350,000

Community News

Sable Offshore fined $18 million

In a California Coastal Commission hearing, the Texas oil company was penalized for over 130 violations to the Coastal Act on the old “Swiss cheese” pipeline that caused the Refugio Spill

By Nancy Black / VOICE

SABLE

OFFSHORE CORP. WANTS

TO RESTART A MASSIVE OIL AND GAS DRILLING OPERATION on

the Gaviota Coast, including a heavily corroded pipeline — the same one that burst at Refugio in 2015. But in doing so, they’ve blatantly ignored stop work orders from the California Coastal Commission (CCC) and other state agencies. Using heavy equipment and overnight crews, they’ve excavated and altered resulting in over 130 site violations, including vegetation clearing, excavations, pits, grading, and watershed crossings, with work in the sensitive coastal zone of the Gaviota Coast or offshore.

At their hearing on April 10th, the Coastal Commission tried to put a stop to flagrant

violations by the new Texas oil company, issuing an $18 million fine for extensive, unpermitted work harming habitats and waters on California’s coastline in violation of the Coastal Act. The Commission voted to levy a third Cease and Desist Order, until Sable obtains approvals for both past and future activities with onshore and offshore pipelines, as well as a Restoration Order to address the significant impacts of the unpermitted work. If Sable undergoes this collaborative permitting process, they would receive a $4M discount.

Commission staff presented extensive evidence that Sable ignored state orders, plowed through sensitive habitats, and conducted large-scale excavation, all in violation of California’s Coastal Act. “In light of the failure of Santa Barbara County to act and Sable’s utter disregard for the law, I’m left with no choice but to support the application of these penalties today,” said Commissioner Meagan Harmon.

The room at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Hotel was packed at the five-hour Coastal Commission meeting, including testimony from elected officials, nonprofits, pipeline workers,

and over a hundred concerned citizens and students, but surprisingly without any representation by Santa Barbara County. It was the County Planning Commissioner and staff who determined that the new Texas oil company could actually rely on the original pipeline’s permit from the 1980s to basically dig up, lay new pipe, and install shutoff valves and safety equipment onto an old pipeline that inspectors in 2015 called “swiss cheese.”

“This pipeline is significantly corroded, and so all of these efforts (to rebuild) remind me of the expression, ‘You can’t put lipstick on a pig’,” said Hannah-Beth Jackson, Santa Barbara’s state senator at the time of the 2015 Refugio Spill, during public comment.

The Commission called out the County, saying it should have intervened. Coastal Commission member Dayna Bochco summarized, “We saw no evidence today that

these 40-year-old (County) permits would include the extensive work (already undertaken without Coastal Commission permits)… and it was extensive. The people of Santa Barbara have been through so much in terms of oil spills, in terms of people not really caring about their community, and caring mostly about more oil, more money. I’m just shocked, in a way, that the County wasn’t here to tell its own citizens why it wanted to let this go unreviewed, and unresponded to.”

As such, the Coastal Commission has stepped in as the enforcement authority, as legally allowed under the Coastal Act. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has also received letters from the Commission and state legislators, asking him to step in. This Coastal Commission hearing follows another packed Town Hall held last month, with Monique Limon, Gregg Hart, and a host of state agency officials.

Lawsuits Filed against State Fire Marshal and CalFire Over Safety Wavers

GRANTING SAFETY WAIVERS TO SABLE OFFSHORE WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE RISKS was the basis of a lawsuit against CalFire and the State Fire Marshal filed on Tuesday. The lawsuit was filed in California Superior Court in Santa Barbara by the Environmental Defense Center on behalf of Sierra Club, Get Oil Out!, the Santa Barbara County Action Network, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, and EDC members.

“The Office of the Fire Marshal did not offer any cognizable public process in advance of its decision or even release key documents; did not conduct environmental review of the State Waiver applications; and did not provide any supporting analysis or justification for its decision to grant the Waivers,” according to the lawsuit. “In doing so, OSFM entirely disregarded applicable pipeline safety laws, bedrock environmental laws, and its own previous commitments to state legislators and the public.”

The lawsuit challenges the decision by the Office of the State Fire Marshal to grant waivers allowing the pipeline to operate without effective protection against corrosion, which was the exact cause of the 2015 spill. The lawsuit states that OSFM approved the waivers at the end of last year without properly considering the risks of operating the corrosion-prone pipeline and without conducting an environmental review or allowing for public input as required by state and federal law.

“With the current administration undermining progress on the climate crisis, California should be leading the transition away from fossil fuels,” said Linda Krop, Chief Counsel of the Environmental Defense Center. “Instead, the State Fire Marshal

is allowing a dangerous project to move forward without critical safety requirements. The decision clearly conflicts with requirements under state and federal law and puts the California coast, wildlife, our communities, and local businesses in harm’s way.”

When the pipeline ruptured near Refugio State Beach nearly ten years ago, the resulting spill poisoned habitats; killed untold numbers of animals, including hundreds of seabirds and marine mammals; closed beaches, state parks, and fisheries for months; and spread across 150 miles of California coastline. Now, Sable Offshore Corp. is attempting to restart the same pipeline, along with three offshore drilling platforms, onshore processing sites, and other facilities that have been shut down since the spill.

In the wake of the Refugio disaster, it was discovered that the pipeline’s cathodic protection system — its foremost means of corrosion prevention – is ineffective. The waivers allow the pipeline to return to service despite this defect, leaving it vulnerable to continued and pervasive corrosion, and creating the risk of another massive oil spill.

“Last week, the California Coastal Commission fined Sable $18 million for ignoring cease-and-desist orders and doing unpermitted work on the pipeline, much of which disrupted or destroyed sensitive habitats in the Coastal Zone,” said Ken Hough, Co-Executive Director of SBCAN. “This behavior should be disqualifying for any company. Sable has shown that it can’t be trusted to operate responsibly or in compliance with critical laws and regulations.”

Some of the student participants who spoke at the meeting.

Some of the student participants who spoke at the meeting and Linda Krop.

Photos by Isaac Hernández de Lipa

Harvard won’t comply with demands from Trump administration

By Alvin Powell, Harvard Staff Writer

HARVARD

ON MONDAY

REJECTED DEMANDS FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

that threaten $9 billion in research funding, arguing that the changes pushed by the government exceed its lawful authority and infringe on both the University’s independence and its constitutional rights.

“The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” Harvard President Alan Garber wrote in a message to the community. He added: “No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”

Garber’s message was a response to a letter sent late Friday by the Trump administration outlining demands that Harvard would have to satisfy to maintain its funding relationship with the federal government. These demands include “audits” of academic programs and departments, along with the viewpoints of students, faculty, and staff, and changes to the University’s governance structure and hiring practices.

The $9 billion under review by the government includes $256 million in research support for Harvard plus $8.7 billion in future commitments to the University and several renowned hospitals, among them Mass General, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Boston Children’s. Late Monday, the Trump administration announced that it was moving to freeze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard.

The Trump administration has been critical of Harvard’s handling of student protests related to the Gaza war. It has accused the University of failing to adequately protect Jewish students on campus from antisemitic discrimination and harassment, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Changes pushed by government ‘unmoored from the law,’ Garber says. ‘The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.’

Garber emphasized that Harvard remains committed to fighting antisemitism, including through a series of campus measures implemented over the past 15 months. In addition, he said, the University has complied with the Supreme Court decision that ended race-conscious admissions and has worked to broaden intellectual and viewpoint diversity at Harvard.

The University’s objectives in fighting antisemitism will “not be achieved by assertions of power, unmoored from the law, to control teaching and learning at Harvard and to dictate how we operate,” Garber said. “The work of addressing our shortcomings, fulfilling our commitments, and embodying our values is ours to define and undertake as a community.”

Harvard is just one of dozens of schools targeted by the Trump administration in recent weeks. Last month, the Department of Education sent letters to 60 universities, including Columbia, Northwestern, the University of Michigan, and Tufts, threatening enforcement actions for noncompliance with anti-discrimination provisions in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The administration has taken the additional step of freezing research funding at several institutions.

Robust research and innovation partnerships among universities, the federal government, and private industry date to World War II. Government-backed research conducted at schools across the nation has led to countless discoveries, devices, treatments, and other advances that have helped shape the modern world. Computers, robotics, artificial intelligence, vaccines, and treatments for devastating diseases have all stemmed from government-financed research that crosses from labs and libraries into industry, creating new products, companies, and jobs.

In March, a report from the nonprofit United for Medical Research showed that every dollar of research funded by the National Institutes of Health — the nation’s largest funder of biomedical research — generates $2.56 in economic activity. In 2024 alone, the NIH awarded $36.9 billion in research grants, generating $94.5 billion in economic activity and supporting 408,000 jobs, according to the report.

In an interview on Monday, Daniel P. Gross, an associate professor of business administration at Duke University and co-author of a recent NBER working paper on the decades-long partnership between the U.S. government and higher ed, said the withdrawal of research funding from universities would be “catastrophic” to American innovation.

“Universities are such an integral part of the modern U.S. innovation system that it wouldn’t stand without them,” said Gross, who taught at Harvard Business School before moving to Duke.

George Q. Daley, dean of Harvard Medical School, said that biomedicine has long depended on a strong partnership with the federal government, one that has paid off for Americans in life-saving advances. Just this month, he noted, the Medical School’s Joel Habener was recognized with a Breakthrough Prize for his work on GLP-1, which has led to diabetes and anti-obesity drugs. Daley also cited transformative work in cardiovascular health, cancer immunotherapy, and a host of other conditions.

“As we look back over the 70 years of that partnership, it has returned brilliantly on the investments the government has made,” he said. “The fact that we have Harvard, MIT, and all these extraordinary hospitals, that has been a magnet for venture capital investment and now we have the pharmaceutical research infrastructure being brought into our community. All of this is a jewel in the crown of American bioscience.”

The threat to that science is an even bigger issue in an era of stepped-up competition with China, he added.

“It seems self-defeating and injurious to the economy and to U.S. leadership in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals,” Daley said. “It feels like the hammer has come down in a way that threatens something that is intrinsic to U.S. leadership and ultimately to our economic competitiveness with places like China, which are investing very, very heavily in biotechnology.”

In his message to the community, Garber stressed the contributions of university research to scientific and medical progress while underlining the importance of independent thought and scholarship.

“Freedom of thought and inquiry, along with the government’s longstanding commitment to respect and protect it, has enabled universities to contribute in vital ways to a free society and to healthier, more prosperous lives for people everywhere,” he said. “All of us share a stake in safeguarding that freedom.”

Photo by Grace DuVal Harvard University

California is first state to sue Trump on tariffs

It’s Gov. Gavin Newsom’s most direct

By Tyler Katzenberger / Politico

CALIFORNIA GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM

is suing Donald Trump over tariffs in an aggressive move to end the president’s stranglehold on global commerce.

Newsom’s lawsuit, announced Wednesday morning with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, is the first challenge from a U.S. state against Trump’s signature foreign policy cudgel.

California, the world’s fifth largest economy, stands to lose billions to tariffs with major state industries from Silicon Valley to agriculture heavily dependent on global trade.

“President Trump’s unlawful tariffs are wreaking chaos on California families, businesses, and our economy — driving up prices and threatening jobs,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’re standing up for American families who can’t afford to let the chaos continue.”

The lawsuit is Newsom’s most direct legal challenge to Trump’s agenda since the president retook office in January. The move instantly reignites California’s war with Trump and cements its place atop the resistance, after Newsom spent months appealing to the president for federal disaster relief.

It’s also notable as a unilateral challenge, underscoring the singular importance of the issue in California. Bonta has worked closely with other blue states on previous lawsuits challenging Trump’s immigration policies and federal funding cuts.

Newsom and Bonta’s argument targets the

Letter to the Editor

FOODBANK UPDATE:

Dear Editor,

After careful consideration, we are announcing the end of our in-person fundraising events, including our much-loved Empty Bowls events and our new Orange Ball gala. This decision wasn’t easy, but we’re finding it increasingly difficult to balance the focus and resources these events require with the urgent need to prioritize getting food to people, especially as government support continues to shrink.

We hope you understand.

Empty Bowls has been an incredible event for many years, bringing together our community to support those in need. The generosity and commitment shown by our sponsors, volunteers, and donors have made this event a memorable and impactful experience. We are deeply grateful for the support we’ve received over the years.

However, as we continue to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of hunger and food insecurity, we believe that focusing our efforts on direct, tangible needs within the Foodbank’s daily operations is the most effective way to create a lasting impact. By streamlining our initiatives, we will be able to use sponsorships to directly address the ongoing needs of our community,

move against Trump since the president retook

International Economic Emergency Powers Act, the law Trump is using to impose tariffs without congressional approval. The two Democrats argue Trump lacks the authority to levy tariffs under the law, mirroring a similar case filed Monday by a group of U.S. businesses.

Trump is the first president to impose tariffs using the act, which authorizes the president to regulate financial transactions and foreign assets during emergency circumstances. He has defended the move by asserting America’s trade deficits with other countries pose a “national emergency.”

Bonta, however, said the widespread economic fallout and sharp stock market declines from Trump’s whiplash approach on tariffs pose “near-daily threats” that exceed the bounds of presidential power outlined in the law.

office.

“The President’s chaotic and haphazard implementation of tariffs is not only deeply troubling, it’s illegal,” Bonta said in a statement.

Trump has both threatened tariffs on some nations – only to pull back at the 11th hour – and repeatedly changed the amount imposed on China while also both offering carve outs and saying they aren’t full exemptions.

Back in California, Newsom has scrambled to distance his state from Trump in hopes of fortifying California’s economy. On Monday, he launched a tourism campaign

providing food and support where it matters most.

Our community faces unprecedented challenges:

Federal food programs have been cut

SNAP benefits are being cut or reduced

Local poverty rates have increased

In response, we’ve decided to sunset some beloved but resource-intensive events to focus entirely on our core mission: distributing wholesome, locally-sourced food directly to those who need it most.

We will still provide exciting opportunities for the community to connect with us, so stay tuned for more information.

The dedication and generosity you’ve shown year after year have genuinely meant the world to us, and we’ve cherished the opportunity to work alongside such an incredible team. As we look to the future, we are excited about the continued opportunity to partner with you in new and meaningful ways as we work together to support those who need it most.

Thank you for your understanding and continued dedication to our shared goal.

With gratitude and hope, Foodbank of Santa Barbara County

aimed at attracting skittish Canadian visitors back to state beaches and national parks.

He’s also leveraging the state’s economic prowess — as well as its outsized influence over tech policy and climate standards, among other major industries — in hopes of forging “strategic” alliances with countries eyeing retaliatory measures on U.S. goods. Newsom earlier this month asked world leaders to spare California-made products like almonds, wine and Hollywood flicks from retaliatory tariffs.

Printed with permission: Politico article, April 16, 2025

Community News

Righetti High School

Honored for Poetry Out Loud

BECAUSE OF A STRONG SHOWING AT THIS YEAR’S POETRY OUT LOUD regional competition, Ernest Righetti High School was recognized by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors for their efforts on Tuesday, April 8th as part of their National Poetry Month Resolution.

At the competition, sophomore Alicia Blanco Bautista took First Place for her moving recitation of “From the Sky” by Sara Abou Rashed. Also, on March 16th, Alicia represented Santa Barbara County at the California State Poetry Out Loud Finals in Sacramento.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is suing President Donald Trump over tariffs.

Photo by Mark Schiefelbein/AP

David Starkey, Melinda Palacio, Poetry Out Loud Champion Alicia Blanco Bautista, Perie Longo, and Chryss Yost

Fair & Expo To Flash Back

WITH A THEME OF 80’S FLASHBACK, the Santa Barbara Fair & Expo returns to Earl Warren Showgrounds for two exciting weekends of entertainment, carnival thrills, and community fun, April 24th to 27th and May 2nd to 4th.

“The Santa Barbara Fair & Expo is more than just rides and entertainment—it’s a place where our community comes together to celebrate tradition, joy, and shared experiences. There’s something magical about seeing families, friends, and neighbors connect over timeless fair fun. We’re thrilled to welcome everyone back for another unforgettable year,” reads this year’s announcement.

For the second year in a row, the Santa Barbara Fair & Expo will take place over two weekends, offering an extended

Police Blotter

opportunity for visitors of all ages to enjoy everything the fair has to offer.

Attendees can look forward to: Carnival Midway Rides & Games; Live Entertainment & Music; Fair Food & Sweet Treats; Farm Animals & Agricultural Exhibits; Community Exhibits & Local Art; Senior Days – On April 26th & May 3rd when Seniors 65+ enjoy free entry from 11am to 4pm; Free Off-Site Parking & Trolley Rides – Free off-site parking available at La Cumbre Junior High (2255 Modoc Rd.) and Bishop Diego High School (4000 La Colina Rd.), where the free trolley picks up & drops off every half hour on the hour, beginning 30 minutes prior to fair opening and ending 30 minutes after fair closing.

Discounted Early Bird Tickets are available through April 23rd at 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. For more info, visit EarlWarren.com, or call 805-687-0766.

Attempted Murder Charges Filed Against Eduardo Zermeno

ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED against Eduardo Zermeno, 36, a Goleta resident, in Santa Barbara County Superior Court, according to John T. Savrnoch, Santa Barbara District Attorney.

The charges were in connection with an April 6, 2025 attempted murder of an adult male in Santa Barbara in the 3100 block of State Street. Also, Alexis Garcia, 37 and a Goleta resident was charged for being an accessory after the fact to Zermeno’s crime.

Zermeno is charged with one felony count of attempted murder with premeditation and deliberation. He is also charged with the special allegations that he used a knife in the commission of the crime, causing great bodily injury to the victim. Zermeno is also accused of the special allegations that he committed the crime while out on bail in other cases and with having committed the crime after being convicted of two prior serious or violent felonies, otherwise known as “strikes.” Zermeno appeared in Department 8 of the Figueroa Division of the Santa Barbara Superior Court and pled not guilty to all charges and allegations. He is currently being held without bail at the Santa Barbara County Jail.

Ms. Garcia was charged with one felony count of accessory after the fact and is currently out on bail and scheduled to appear in Department 8 on June 13, 2025.

Which non-profits will you support?

ARE NOW OPEN ~ April 8 to May 18, 2025

Santa Barbara Beautiful is now soliciting nominations in nine categories for their 60th Anniversary Awards program which takes place on Sunday, September 28th.

Each of the last 60 years, Santa Barbara Beautiful has called on our community to recognize and appreciate their neighbors who work to build on the city’s natural beauty. At the Annual Awards, the results of their beautification efforts are recognized.

Property award categories have been adapted to meet the real and growing importance of climate change and the need for environmental stewardship.

Learn more at www.sbbeautiful.org

YOUR NOMINATION:

2025 AWARD CATEGORIES

1. Multi-Family Residence ~ Condos, Retirement Facilities... Sustainable (ie: water or energy saving) building elements? How does it fit in or enhance the streetscape?

2. Single Family Home, Small Lot (<1/2 acre)

~ Sustainable (ie: water or energy saving) building elements? Does it fit in and/or enhance the streetscape?

3. Single Family Home, Large Lot (>1/2 acre)

~ Sustainable building elements? Does it fit in and/or enhance the streetscape?

4. Mixed-Use Building: Commercial & Residential in one building; Sustainability elements? Does it fit in and/or enhance the streetscape? Does it have *LEED Certification?

5. Commercial Building ~ (Public Buildings, Hotels, B&Bs): Sustainability elements? Does it fit in and/or enhance the streetscape? Does it have *LEED Certification?

6. Commercial Sign

7. Art in Public Places ~ Murals, Sculpture, etc... (Hugh & Marjorie Petersen Award for Art in Public Places)

8. Historic Revitalization: Recently revitalized gardens and/or buildings with a historic character

9.Santa Barbara Commons: Public Open Space: Parks; Medians; Parkways; Streetscapes: places we gather to build community and connect with nature.

•There is no limit to the number of entries a person may submit.

•Winners are selected by independent judges based on merit, not on the number of nominations.

• The Awards Committee reserves the right to adjust categories depending on the nominations received.

ELIGIBLE PROPERTIES:

• Entries must be visible from the street or via public access.

•Completed projects between Ortega Ridge Rd to Turnpike Rd. •Properties

Photo courtesy of SBC Fair & Expo

Perched on one of the Mesa’s most desirable streets, 1826 La Coronilla is a sanctuary of light, style, and

city views. From most of the rooms in this flexible 4 Bedroom, 3 Bath home, Santa Barbara’s skyline infolds

stunning detail—glimmering by day and twinkling by night—offering a daily backdrop of beauty and inspiration. Thoughtfully updated and freshly landscaped, the home is set on a private, elevated lot that feels worlds away, yet remains just minutes from the beach, Lazy Acres, and downtown. With vaulted ceilings, a seamless indoor-outdoor flow, and serene garden spaces framed by ocean and mountain vistas, this is a rare opportunity to experience refined coastal living with exceptional privacy and panoramic perspective.

Spirit of Fiesta and Junior Spirit Chosen

THE SELECTION OF FIESTA SPIRITS marks the threshold to the Old Spanish Days Fiesta season. Hundreds of audience members were drawn to the historic Lobero Theatre to watch the competition, which resulted in the naming of Natalia Treviño as 2025 Spirit of Fiesta and Victoria Plascencia as Junior Spirit. The audition included 20 contestants performing before an audience of 600 people, with former La Presidenta Denise Sanford and former El Presidente David Bolton acting as masters of ceremony.

Fritz Oldenberger, 2025 Fiesta El Presidente made the historic announcements to an enthusiastic and boisterous sold-out audience.

In addition to selecting this year’s Spirits, both outgoing 2024 Spirit of Fiesta Georgey Taupin and 2024 Junior Spirit Aleenah Soriano spoke to the crowd and then performed their farewell dances. Georgey and Aleenah then presented the official sashes and flowers to their successors.

Annually, the Spirit of Fiesta and the Junior Spirit serve as ambassadors throughout the Fiesta year.

This year’s theme is Capture the Spirit. Fiesta 2025 will take place July 30th to August 3rd.

For a schedule of events and celebrations and additional info visit sbfiesta.org

Photos by Alex Navarro

2025 Dignatarios: Junior Spirit Victoria Plascencia, El Presidente Fritz Olenberger, and Spirit of Fiesta Natalia Trevino

Junior Spirit Victoria Plascencia and Spirit of Fiesta Natalia Trevino

Birds Bees Bash 2025 and A

By Isaac Hernández de Lipa / VOICE

LMOST 400 SUPPORTERS OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD CENTRAL

COAST gathered at the 2025 Birds & Bees Bash “to do something about injustice and to have fun.”

The annual event raised well over $700,000, $380,000 of it through a spirited paddle raise led by emcee Kristin Flickinger, days after the organization was suddenly defunded from the Title X Federal Grant program, which had provided about $400,000 annually to fund family planning for low-income patients.

“The funding we have depended on for decades was here one day, and gone the next, in an email,” said Jenna Tosh, President/CEO of the organization that serves an average of 30,000 patients annually through six health centers in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties. “Do you want to know the reason given by the administration? Planned Parenthood’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusionand our service to undocumented patients.”

Tosh spoke passionately about the organization’s work, including birth control, breast and cervical cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, abortion care, gender affirming care, vasectomies, menopausal services, well-person care, vaccines, and the current political climate.

“Instead of forward progress, as we sit here tonight, we are without the protections of Roe v Wade. Only three years ago, a pregnant person could still receive an abortion in every state in the country. Today, 24 states have enacted abortion bans,” she shared.

“We have seen this administration pardon not only insurrectionists but also violent anti-abortion criminals, and at the same time we have seen them stop enforcing laws designed to protect reproductive health facilities from extremism,” she continued. “So while our first 60 years was during a time of forward progress, today, we are in a different era. An era of chaos and cruelty. Of division and discrimination. It is overwhelming. And it’s devastating.”

The charismatic leader didn’t discount the possibility of a national abortion ban or being defunded from the Medicaid Program, reminding attendees of the major rollback of rights and protections that we have already seen under the current administration including: “attacks on trans and nonbinary people, on immigrants, on the rule of law, reproductive rights, and on public health. We have seen the global gag rule reinstated, USAID and foreign aid including reproductive care around the world dismantled, federal workers, including experts at health and human services and the CDC, laid off in droves, and the prevalence of pseudoscience over the lifesaving medical research we have come to know and trust from our national experts.”

But despite this backdrop, Tosh inspired the attendees by focusing on the vision “of a more just world” and fighting for that future, by opening a new Santa Maria health center “that triples our capacity in an underserved community” and is powered by solar and battery.

Tosh also reminded PPCCC supporters that “abortion rights ballot measures pass because American voters are clear that at no point is a politician more

qualified than a health care provider to make decisions about pregnancy.”

Dr. Erin Berry, new Chief Medical Officer, and Dr. Kenya Lyons PPCCC’s first ever Associate Medical Director in the North, providing physician leadership and direct patient care in the San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria Health centers, spoke about their experience in reproductive health care.

The evening also paid homage to Cecile Richards, who served as the President of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America from 2006 to 2018 and died after battling brain cancer on Martin Luther King Jr Day, also Inauguration Day.

Tosh remembered Cecile’s constant refrain during her last years: “It’s not hard to imagine future generations one day asking: ‘When there was so much at stake for our country, what did you do?’ The only acceptable answer is: ‘Everything we could.’”

Birds & Bees Bash 2025 cochairs were Ciji Madey and Natasha St. Clair. Yours truly was one of about 20 committee members. Fundraising efforts will continue this summer July 7th to 13th during Pink Week, where local businesses donate a portion of the proceeds from a pink item of their choosing to PPCCC. To get involved visit: ppcentralcoast.org

Emcee Kristin Flickinger during the paddle raise

Attendees Leslie Sweem Bhutani, Mary Blair, and Amy Baird

Jenna Tosh, President/CEO PPCCC

Photos by Isaac Hernández de Lipa

On the Street with John Palminteri

Photos and Stories by John Palminteri, Special to VOICE

State Street’s Evolution

Kites Flew on Sunday!

HUNDREDS OF KITES WERE IN THE AIR for the 39th Santa Barbara Kite Festival Sunday at the “Great Meadow” on the West Campus of Santa Barbara City College. This year’s theme was Help

Missing at Sea?

One Another. It recognizes how the simple act of flying a kite together invites everyone to help one another.

SANTA BARBARA MAY BUY “PEDLETS” from Modstreet. The company specializes in prefabricated, modular parklets and “pedlets.” Pedlets are adjustable platforms that create a temporary extension of the sidewalk. The funding would be $528,170 for the 500 block of State St. trial. Pedlets are available in four-foot and eight-foot widths and can include ramp sections to create ADA-compliant raised walkways.

By-the-Wind Sailors Return

THE CENTRAL COAST BEACHES are loaded with Velella sea creatures which are harmless to humans. They arrived with a specific condition in the ocean and a directional shift in the wind.

This is how Leadbetter Beach looked Monday morning.

THE U.S. COAST GUARD has been searching for a missing boater off the Santa Barbara and Ventura Coast since Saturday. The vessel has been found and recovered, and it’s believed one person was on board who can not be located.

Change of Ownership at Shoreline Cafe

THE WATERFRONT’S Shoreline Cafe in Santa Barbara has had its license assigned to Oliver Pihlar as the owner Palacika LLC. Former longtime owner Steven Marsh (since 1997) operating as Beachrok, Inc. made the request in February and it was passed and approved by the Harbor Commission in March.

Pihlar has 20 years experience as a business owner in New York and

real estate in Santa Barbara. He had an award winning restaurant in Manhattan.

The Shoreline Cafe lease has nine years remaining.

The Shoreline is on Leadbetter Beach across from Santa Barbara City College. It has a selection of tables where you can put your feet in the sand and mostly year-round soft

waves are nearby.

Pihlar told the commission the cafe is “amazing” and plans to keep the name, the staff, and add some healthier options.

John Palminteri is a veteran news reporter and anchor for Newschannel 3-12 TV and both KJEE and KCLU radio in Santa Barbara/Santa Maria/Ventura. Off the air, he’s often bringing his smile and positive energy to the microphone at fundraisers and civic events. John’s social media presence has one of the largest followings in Santa Barbara, and this page has the weekly highlights.

Twitter: @JohnPalminteri • Instagram: @JohnPalminteriNews • www.facebook.com/john.palminteri.5

Photo by TowBoatUS

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Yatchisin to be Named Poet Laureate

IN A NOD TO THE IMPORTANCE OF POETRY, George Yatchisin will be appointed Santa Barbara’s Poet Laureate by the city council on Tuesday, April 22nd, during council’s regular meeting at 2pm. This will be in conjunction with the city’s proclamation recognizing National Poetry Month.

Yatchisin is a longtime Santa Barbara resident and is the author of two poetry collections: Feast Days and The First Night We Thought the World Would End. His essays and poems have been widely anthologized.

As an active member of Santa Barbara’s literary community, George is dedicated to fostering all forms of artistic expression. In his own words: “Art is what makes us human, and it’s essential everyone is allowed to feel their imaginative spark. I believe bringing together all different genres of artists helps make that a reality.”

Yatchisin is a prolific writer whose work appears in the California Review of Books, Edible Santa Barbara, KCET’s food blog, the Santa Barbara Independent, Sunset, and VOICE Magazine

He is married to one of Santa Barbara’s former Poet Laureates, Chryss Yost.

Friday 4/18

COMEDY

Friday Night Laughs • LA

Comedians • Java Station • $20 • santabarbaracomedyclub.com • 7pm, Fri.

DANCE

A bailar! • SBPL and SB Dance Institute’s Rosalina present fun-filled dance session • Eastside Library • Free • calendar.library.santabarbaraca.gov • 9:30am Fri, 4/18.

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

Meditation Class • Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Ctr @ 1825 State Street (Upstairs) with Kadam Keli • $15 • meditationinsantabarbara.org • 5:30-6:30pm Fri.

MUSIC

We Are Family: The Vonettes • captivating harmonies and soulful melodies • Alcazar Theater • $20 • TheAlcazar.org 7:30pm Fri, 4/18.

TEENS

The Hangout: Garden Party • DPlant, learn about worms, get dirty, and have fun. (Closed-toe shoes and waiver required.)

• Yanonali Community Garden, 118 N Soledad St

• 4-5:30pm Fri, 4/18.

Saturday 4/19

CHILDREN

The Great Egg Hunt at Elings Park • Children 0 to10 • Elings Softball Fields • Bring your own basket

• face painters, bouncers & more!• $10 parking fee • Elingspark.org • 9:3011:30am Sat, 4/19.

Egg Hunt Extravaganza • SB Golf Club 3500 McCaw Av • ages 0 to 12 • presented by SB Parks & Rec • RSVP required at playsantabarbara. com/events/event-registration • 2-4pm Sat, 4/19.

See the Easter Bunny • Montecito Country Mart • 12-3pm Sat, 4/19.

Storytime @ the Sea Center • stories of the sea • all ages • Free with admission • SBNature.org • 10:30–10:45am Sat & Sun.

Musical Learning with Lanny

• Grace Fisher Clubhouse La Cumbre Plaza• Free • 11am-12pm 1st & 3rd Sat.

Celebrate Spring with Easter Fun

Egg Hunt Extravaganza • SB Golf Club 3500 McCaw Av • ages 0 to 12 • presented by SB Parks & Rec • RSVP required at playsantabarbara.com/ events/event-registration • 2-4pm Sat, 4/19. Easter Bunny • Montecito Country Mart • 12-3pm Sat, 4/19.

MUSIC

Mivos Quartet • Olivia De Prato, violin; Adam Woodward, violin; Victor Lowrie Tafoya, viola; Nathan Watts, cello • UCSB Music 1145 • Free • https://music.ucsb.edu/events/calendar • 1pm, Sat, 4/19.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Goleta’s Earth Day • Evergreen Park • Free • 9am-12pm Sat, 4/19.

Sunday 4/20

CHILDREN

OUTDOORS

Sundays At The Ranch • Barn animals, outdoor fun & tractor rides! GV Hist. Society, 304 N. Los Carneros Rd • Free First Sunday Concerts! • 11am – 2pm Sun.

Monday 4/21

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

Scrabble Club • Louise Lowry Davis Center • All levels/ English/Spanish • Free • 1-4pm Mon.

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

Santa Barbara County Courthouse Docent Tours • Free • www.sbcourthouse.org • 10:30am Mon-Fri & 2pm daily.

Regenerative agriculture • Learn from a panel of regenerative agriculture experts • CEC’s Environmental Hub • Free • cecsb.org • 5:30-:30pm, Fri, 4/18.

To have your events included in VOICE Magazine's calendar or arts listings, please email information to Calendar@VoiceSB.com by noon the Monday before publication.

What About our Criminal Ancestors? • SBC Genealogical Society meeting • First Presbyterian Church, 21 E. Constance Av & zoom • Free • SBGen.org • 9:30-12pm Sat, 4/19. Earth Day Community Banner Celebration • Help create an Earth Day Banner! • Central Library • Free • library.santabarbaraca.gov • 12-2pm Sat, 4/19.

SB GO Club • Play or learn the ancient strategic board game. All levels welcome • Questions: Lorin 805-4485335 • Free • Mosaic Coffee, 1131 State St • 11-4 Sat.

Storytime @ the Sea Center • stories of the sea • all ages • Free with admission • SBNature.org • 10:30–10:45am Sat & Sun.

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

In Conversation with Artist Elliott Hundley • SBMA • $0-15 • SBMA.net • 12-1:30pm Sun, 4/20. Empathy Cafe • practice listening & empathy • Riviera Theatre upstairs • Free • theempathycenter.org • 11am Sun.

MUSIC

Wesley Arai, Carillon • UCSB Faculty Recital • Storke Tower • 2pm Sun, 4/20.

Photo courtesy of Elings Parks

Saturday, April 26th

Better Than The Average BOOK SALE!

Better Than The Average Book Sale!

Don’t miss this fabulous book sale in the Faulkner Gallery on April 26th from 10am to 5pm. Friends of the Santa Barbara Library will be collaborating with a local book seller who is liquidating his inventory. Half of the sale proceeds will go to the Santa Barbara Library to purchase books and support programs. The sale will include art books, photography books, magazines, signed political books, children’s books, vintage magazines, hundreds of $2 books, fiction and nonfiction books, movie DVD’s, and music CD’s.

A Silent Auction will feature:

• Sue Grafton’s Typewriter, including provenance note • Sue Grafton’s personal copies of limited edition Kinsey and Me • Vintage Book Ends • A Vintage Book Press • Hollywood Ephemera

• Signed Celebrity Photos and Books • Artworks • Printworks • Miscellaneous Collectibles

Celebration • Art & Soul, 1323 State St • $50 • artandsoulsb.com • 6-7:30pm Tues., 4/22

Intermediate Spanish Conversation • Central Library • Free • calendar.library.santabarbaraca.gov • 10-11am Tue.

Chess Club • Louise Lowry Davis Center • All levels/ English/Spanish • Free • 1-4pm Tues.

Area Meeting • Artists hear from Artists: Sue Van Horsen • CAW • $11.63 • RSVP: sbcaw.org • 6-8pm 2nd Tue.

Montecito Book Club • Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders • Montecito Library • Free • library.santabarbaraca.gov • 2pm Tue, 4/22.