Carpinteria Magazine Summer 2022

CARPINTERIA MAGAZINE

SUMMER 2022

Your health. Simplified.

Sansum Clinic provides complete and coordinated care with more than 30 medical specialties, convenient Urgent Care, and state-of-the-art outpatient surgical care — close to home.

Our secure and easy-to-use technology including MyChart electronic health record, mobile access and custom apps, online payment portal and appointment reminders by text keep you connected to your healthcare from anywhere at anytime.

Carpinteria Family Medicine 4806 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, CA 93013 (805) 566-5080 Monday - Thursday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Friday 8:00 am to 12 noon Same-Day and Telehealth Visits Available

Providing primary care for you and your entire family in Carpinteria.

Call 1 (800) 4-SANSUM SansumClinic.org

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SUMMER2022 3

“5 Stars! Beautiful Store.

Quality Furniture”.

Steve Thomas • Google Review

“This store is a true local treasure.” – Shannon M. • YELP “Unique one-of-a-kind furniture and made so well.” – Carri N. • Camarillo “I drive up from LA to buy my furniture here. Great prices. Friendly staff .” – David S. • Venice

Bamboo Amish

Mid Century Modern

Since 1976

For Y our Home California Style Furnishing Mission • Arts/Crafts • Mid-Century Modern • Amish-crafted • California Casual • Rustic • Shaker • Eclectic • 50s • Lamps • Rugs • Sleep •

805

628- 4744 • 443 East Main Street • Downtown Ventura • Open 7 days a week

• 16,000 sq.ft. historic two-story showroom • Over 75 manufacturers • Take a tour: fyhfurn.com • We gladly deliver throughout the Central Coast and Southern California

Voted First Place Home Furnishings 2021 Reporter Magazine

$900,000,000 IN CAREER SALES OVER

Top 5 Individual Agents in Closings since 2000* Top 10 Individual Agents in Sales Volume since 2000* #1 Individual Agent in Carpinteria 2020* Real Estate Broker for 27 years.

Attorney for 30 years (non-practicing) THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING? CALL ME TODAY AT (805) 455-8910

Gary@coastalrealty.com garygoldberg.net DRE #01172139

GO WITH GOLDBERG *Based on Individual Rankings from Santa Barbara Board of Realtors

Fine Body Products, Candles, Robes, Loungewear, Jewelry and Purses featuring: Kai, Votivo, Pre De Provence and much more

Serving Carpinteria for over 20 years

910 A Linden Avenue Downtown Carpinteria OPEN DAILY

805.684.6695

CELEBR ATING CARPINTERIA SHOP DINE PLAY STAY WORK LIVE EXPLORE Final.indd 1 6Carpinteria_7,62x4,68 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

SBSCchamber.com (805) 967-2500

4/23/21 10:04 AM

Who’s #1 in real estate in Carpinteria?

My clients.

Nancy Hussey REALTOR

NancyHussey.com 805.452.3052 S/B 01383773

SUMMER2022 7

Buying or selling a home with us is like a walk on the beach!

Seascape Realty Shirley Kimberlin

Nancy Branigan

Leah Dabney

Sylvia's vast experience and innovative marketing strategies help Sellers get the highest possible price in the shortest possible time.

pe Realty roud To Welcome

Sylvia Miller

Sylvia Miller

aconnection.com - sylvia@sanbarb.com

Terry Stain

And, her complete representation for Buyers can help you realize the perfect home to meet your needs. Betty George Manuras Sylvia's reputation for outstanding customer service makes her -

Lloyd

View our properties for sale at Look4Seascape Realty.com

Diana Porter

(805) 448-8882 4915-C Carpinteria Ave. • 805.684.4161 BRE Lic#: 00558548

THE RIGHT REALTOR® FOR YOU TM

DRE Lic. #01484280

PREPARE YOUR YARD FOR A DRY SUMMER! WATERING TIPS

For more information visit cvwd.net CarpinteriaWater_Summer2022.indd 1

8 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

Landscape irrigation accounts for approximately 50% of household water use. Reduce use by: • Decreasing lawn watering NOW! • Installing drought tolerant or native shurbs and trees.

• Converting sprinkler to drip irrigation in plant beds.

• Mulching plant beds to keep soil moist and minimize evaporation.

• Capturing the cold water before you shower to water plants.

• Fixing leaking or broken landscape irrigation fixtures asap.

04/18/2022 1:41:17 PM

Live in Carpinteria?

PlanMember has career opportunities!

Excellent benefits.

Flexible work environment.

Career growth opportunities.

We’re looking for career-minded candidates to join our growing team at the PlanMember headquarters overlooking the Pacific. Carpinteria employees enjoy a short commute, valet parking and other substantial benefits that may make PlanMember the ideal next step in your career.

Contact us for an interview

scan to learn more

Call Kimberly Globerman at (800) 874-6910 x2001 Email your resume to jobs@planmember.com Visit us online at planmember.media/carp-jobs

6187 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria, CA 93013 Registered broker/dealer, investment advisor, and member FINRA/SIPC.

Greenleaf Landscapes • Tarpitz Gardening & Landscapes Growing Relationships • Carpinteria Chamber of Commerce Large Business of the Year 2019

www. gcelandscapes.com

P. O. Box 629 • Carpinteria, CA 93O14 8O5-448-5381

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Commercial • Residential

805.252.9999

Adam@ACavalliContruction.com

JASON RICK PHOTO

JASON RICK PHOTO

JASON RICK PHOTO

SUMMER2022 11

> edwardjones.com | Member SIPC

We Understand Commitment At Edward Jones, we deliver candid guidance and personalized investment strategies to help you plan for and realize the possibilities of your future – for you, your family and generations to follow.

Samantha F Anderson Financial Advisor

5320 Carpinteria Ave Suite J Carpinteria, CA 93013 805-684-8470

MKT-1952H-A © 2022 EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

RISDON’S

®

SERVICE

PROPANE•LUBE•TIRE CENTER AND CAR WASH

Hand Car Wash: M-Sat 7:30-5 & Sun 7:30-4 Repair & Maintenance: M-Sat 8-5

805-684-7676

4401 Via Real

WHEN YOU THINK TIRES, THINK RISDON’S. NOW OPEN on 516 Palm Ave 805 - 318 - 9300

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THIS LIFESTYLE WILL MOVE YOU HOMES

•

VIEWS

•

LIFESTYLES

Carpinteria’s most celebrated Real Estate Advocate for both Buyers and Sellers.

Call Yo and Ask her why!

DRE: 01308141

YO L A N DA VA N W IN G E RD E N 805.570.4965 • Yolanda @AskYo.com

www.AskYo.com

SPARK45 Fitness and Physical Therapy 466O Carpinteria Avenue • 8O5.275.3OOO NEW CLIENT SPECIALS

1st class: $2O (includes socks) 3-Class package: $6O ONGOING PACKAGE OPTIONS:

5 Classes: $135 1O Classes: $225 3O Classes: $6OO

Get strong and be safe Classes limited in size for safe distancing • UV air filters • Hospital grade cleaning products.

Offering the patented Megaformer workout, Lagree Fitness, indoor cycling and Physical Therapy.

www.spark45.com

We accept most major health insurances.

SUMMER2022 13

$2.00 Admission

Leah Wagner, Realtor Kim Fly, Broker Associate Debbie Murphy, Broker Rebecca Griffin, Realtor Heidi and Jim Michener, Vacation hosts

Sales • Vacation Rentals • Notary Public Property Management

805.684.4101

805.689.9696 DRE #00580025

5441 Carpinteria Ave. Carpinteria, CA 93013

www.murphykingrealestate.com

SUMMER2022 15

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CARP SUMMER2022

features

39 C OASTING B ACKWAR D S : C ARPINTERIA B EACH L I FE I N B L AC K AND W HITE

The joy of summer beach days never ages, and we’ve got new (old) proof. Take a look at this stunning collection of Carpinteria Beach photos from the 1920s-1940s and see if you don’t recognize the same smiles and silliness of today.

46 IT’S OUR JAM! THE CRO US E FAMILY SQUEEZES EV E RY D R O P FROM ITS B ACKYARD BO UN T Y

Water, sunshine, hard work and lots of love go into the Crouse family’s backyard garden. What comes out are fruits, veggies and jams, pickles and preserves in every color of the rainbow.

54 #B L ESSED: DISHING WI T H T HE DISCIPL ES OF ST. JOE’ S R ES A L E

Churches provide community, and Saint Joe’s Resale Shop proves that churches’ thrift shops do too. Devoted patrons and volunteers have their own unique history with this secondhand treasure trove.

66 OUT OF THE B L UE: AR T, S UR FI N G AND AIRSTREAM DW EL L I N G

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There’s more to the friendly park host at Rincon County Beach than the sacred responsibility of opening and closing the parking lot gate each day. Artist, professor and surfer Pecos Pryor channels emotion into art while savoring each day in his house on wheels.

72 PL UG IN AND PL AY : THE E- B IKE REV OL UTIO N COMES TO C ARPINTER I A

What has two wheels and electricity and just zoomed by you with a happy rider aboard? An e-bike, of course. New e-bike fans are created daily, and Carpinteria is home to many.

76 PADARO B EAC H GRILL : W HERE CARPINTERIA I N S I D ER S DINE OUTSIDE

One of the best reasons to exit the 101 at Santa Claus Lane is Padaro Beach Grill, a restaurant that pleases young and old with a fresh and tasty menu served under the sun and beside the sand.

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P 944 Linden Ave. • Carpinteria • pacifichealthfoods.com • 805-684-2115

COME SHOP WITH US!

YOUR LOCAL, ORGANIC MARKET

@INGRIDBOSTROMPHOTOGRAPHY

Juices • Smoothies • Açaí Bowls Sandwiches • Coffee & Tea Baked Goods • Fresh Salads Groceries • Vitamins

Follow us on Instagram @pacifichealthfoods and check out our menu online at www.pacifichealthfoods.com Monday-Saturday 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

SUMMER2022 17

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MAG …and more 20

FROM T HE E DIT OR

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93013

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SOU ND W IT H ST YLE

81

RE COMME NDE D E AT S RE STAU RANT GU IDE

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RE AL E STAT E RE VIE W

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CONT RIBU T ORS

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FINAL FRAME

ON T H E COVE R

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STATELY STAND The poppy is California's flower. The quail is the state bird. Here at Carpinteria Magazine, we vote for the lifeguard tower to be California's official state structure. This one, perched it the sand near the end of Palm Avenue, is ready for summer to begin and lives to be protected. ~ Photo by Ingrid Bostrom 18 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

G

ARTIZEN

FLOOR CORP Experts in all phases of hardwood sales, custom fabrication, installation, stairs, recoats, and finishes QUALITY YOU CAN STAND ON SINCE 1983

805.650.1900

artizenfloorcorp.com

Lic#998696

SUMMER2022 19

Have it your way

CARPINTERIA MAGAZINE SUMMER2022

Do you read magazines front to back?

Or do you start at the back like I do? If that’s the way you do it, your introduction to our summer edition was that Final Frame photo of baby birds (spoiler alert for the front-tobackers) and these words mark the end.

Back-to-front readers, you’ve already had the fun of looking closely at those black and white images of Carpinteria beach life in the early 1900s. I’m guessing that you paused to read the fascinating backstories of those volunteers and shoppers at Saint Joe’s Resale Shop and satisfied your e-bike curiosity with Glenn Dubock’s story and photos. Maybe you’re still salivating over those Padaro Beach Grill food photos or you’ve picked up some gardening, pickling or jamming tips from the talented Kelsey Crouse. Those of you who started at the back, well, you know there’s lots to love in this edition.

If, on the other hand, you’re a more traditional magazine reader who starts at the start and ends at the end, then you have all these wonderful ideas, people, activities, businesses and history still ahead of you. What luck! May you enjoy each piece as much as the Carpinteria Magazine team enjoyed creating them.

I’ll be straight with you. We want you to read Carpinteria Magazine any way you want.

Nibble on every word or just look at the pictures. Start at the front or the middle or 23/27ths of the way through. Cut it up for a collage. Flip through it on the bike at the gym, or check it out Dr. Seuss style, on a boat with a goat. Wherever and however you experience Carpinteria Magazine, we hope it puts a smile on your face.

Happy summer!

Onward and upward,

Lea Boyd, Editor

Published by RMG Ventures, LLC Michael VanStry, President • Gary L. Dobbins, Vice President 4180 Via Real, Suite F, Carpinteria, California 93013 Tel: (805) 684-4428 Email: info@carpinteriamagazine.com

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EDITOR Lea Boyd PRODUCTION & DESIGN Kristyn Whittenton WRITERS Ryan P. Cruz Glenn Dubock Peter Dugré Chuck Graham Debra Herrick Amy Marie Orozco Evelyn Spence PHOTOGRAPHERS Ingrid Bostrom Glenn Dubock Chuck Graham Debra Herrick Michael Kwiecinski PRODUCTION SUPPORT Carpinteria Valley Museum of History Rockwell Printing ADVERTISING Karina Villarreal karina@coastalview.com (805) 684-4428 GET SOCIAL WITH US CarpinteriaMagazine.com Instagram and Facebook @CarpinteriaMagazine

All articles, photographs and artwork appearing in this publication are the copyrighted intellectual property of RMG Ventures, LLC. RMG Ventures, LLC aggressively protects its intellectual property rights. No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any form without the express written permission of the publisher. ©2022 RMG Ventures, LLC.

California Avocado Festival Carpinteria, CA

36th Annual

AVOCADO FESTIVAL Sept. 30 & Oct. 1-2, 2022

“Back to our Roots”

CATERING FOR ALL OCCASIONS Best Bagels Since 1996 • Delicious Salads Gourmet Sandwiches • Grand Parties Hors D’oeuvres • Social & Corporate Catering 5050 Carpinteria Avenue • To Go 805.566.1558 Monday-Friday 6:30am-2pm • Weekends 6:30am-3pm

AVOFE ST.COM

53 S. Milpas St. • 805.564.4331 Daily 6am-2pm

Catering 805.319.0155 • bagelnet.com SUMMER2022 21

SURF ‘N’ SUDS AUGUST 13TH - 14TH

2-D IN 2 AYS 022 !

CRAFT BEER & MUSIC FEST!

MUSIC FEST

SUN. AUG. 13TH featuring Reggae Legend

PATO BANTON w/special guests

ARISE ROOTS • CORNERSTONE

BEER FEST - SAT. AUG 14TH 70+ CRAFT BREWERIES

1 & 2 DAYS PASSES • SURFBEERFEST.COM BENEFITTING:

A team specializing in multi-generational Financial Planning and Wealth Preservation Strategies for Professionals and their Families.

Serving the Central Coast for over 28 years

JEFF MOORHOUSE CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR

CARPINTERIA

VENTURA HARBOR

PO Box 122 1575 Spinnaker Dr. Ste. 201 Carpinteria, CA 93014 Ventura, CA 93001

8O5.684.2245

8O5.586.3636

moorhousefinancial.com Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. Moorhouse Financial is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services.

SUMMER2022 23

29 years Offering Personalized Service for Finding Just the Right Gift!

Experienced local senior care for total peace of mind.

PROVIDING: Bathing Assistance Dressing Assistance Assistance with Walking Medication Reminders Errands & Shopping Light Housekeeping Meal Preparation Friendly Companionship Flexible Hourly Care Respite Care for Families Dementia/Alzheimer's Care

805.284.0221 VisitingAngels.com/SantaBarbara

www.susanwillisltd.com

FIRE SAFETY

P

(805) 684-0805

“Your Fire Protection Connection Since 1978”

FIRE SAFETY INSPECTIONS • TESTING SALES • REPAIRS • INSTALLS

INSPECTIONS • TESTING Fire Sprinkler Systems SALES •• Suppression REPAIRS • INSTALLS Fire Extinguishers Systems

PRIVATE RESIDENCES • COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Kitchen Hood Systems

Private Residences • Commercial Real Estate Fire Protection Property Assessment / Evaluations Fire Protection Fire •Sprinkler Systems Paints • Foams Gels Pumps • Fire Hoses • Suppression FirePool Extinguishers

Systems

"YOUR FIRE PROTECTION CONNECTION Kitchen Hood Systems SINCE 1978 SERVING SANTA BARBARA"

Fire Protection Property Assessment/Evaluations WWW.JOYEQUIPMENT.COM

Fire Protection • Paints • Foams • Fire Hoses

5690 CASITAS PASS ROAD, CARPINTERIA, CA 93013

Pool Pumps CA LICENSE C16-741286

805-684-0805 Each Visiting Angels agency is independently owned and operated. ®2021 Visiting Angels is a registered trademark of Living Assistance Services, Inc.

W W W. J O Y E Q U I P M E N T. C O M

5690 Casitas Pass Road, Carpinteria, 93013 CA. LICENSE C16-741286

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Tempting your taste buds… Truffles, Bon Bons, Single Origin Chocolates

chococalibressan.com

A place to

EAT LUNCH order 4 19 3 C arpinteria A v enue, “ Sw eet” 4 8 0 5 - 6 8 4 - 6 9 0 0

CATERING take a

COOKING CLASS enjoy a

POP-UP DINNER Skip the Wait …simply fine wines at great prices!

Wines for all occasions

NEW ARRIVALS WEEKLY Stop in and shop our expansive selection!

4193-1 Carpinteria Ave.

684-7440 M-F 10-6pm Sat 10-5pm Take the Carpinteria Avenue exit from 101 South - 4th building on the right

Order Online Lunch Counter Mon-Fri 11am-3pm TheFoodLiaison.com 1033 Casitas Pass Road Carpinteria 805.200.3030 SUMMER2022 25

DANNY’s

DELI &

SELF-SERVE CAR WASH Home of the Famous Tri-tip Sandwich

Locals favorite for 37 years and counting SELF-SERVE CARWASH HOURS:

7am-10pm

DELI HOURS:

9am-5pm

OPEN 7 days a week

Full Vegan Menu • Family Style Venue • Ocean & Island Views • Casual Catered Events by the Sea

4890 CARPINTERIA AVENUE DOWNTOWN

805.684.2711

MURPHY’S

VINYL SHACK RECORDS • POSTERS WALL ART • COMICS • DVD’S BOOKS • CD’S & MORE!

NEW LOCATION 977 Linden Ave.

805-318-55O6 • Open Daily 10am

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Discover Carpinteria’s Rich & Colorful Past at the

Carpinteria Valley MuseuM of History

Consignment Boutique

Featured Exhibits: Native American Chumash Summerland Spanish & Mexican Ranchos World War I Carpinteria Pioneers Victorian Homes Agriculture & Tools

Why Pay Retail $

684.3112 956 Maple Ave. Carpinteria Exhibits Hours: Tues.-Sat. 1-4 p.m.

carpinteriahistoricalmuseum.org

Monday- Friday 10-5 • Saturday 10-4 • last Sat 8-3 805-684-1808 • 957 Maple Ave Downtown Carpinteria across from the History Museum

We’re proud to use only the leanest meats, tender chicken, fresh seafood, and traditional herbs and spices to create the essence of real Mexican flavor in all our family recipes.

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner • Catering

Every item Fresh and Made-to-Order Menudo Saturdays 7 Flavorful Soups Daily

Breakfast All Day • Chile Rellenos • Tortas • Birria Champurado • Hamburgers • Burritos • Chilaquilles Mole • Enchilades • Homemade Corn Tortillas Huevos Rancheros • 13 Meat Choices • Shrimp/Fish Tacos

Dine In or To Go: 1-805-684-2212 Open Daily 7:30am-8pm

Closed Sundays 4795 Carpinteria Ave. www.reyesmarket.com

SUMMER2022 27

The Arts & Entertainment Center of the Entire Carpinteria Valley

The Alcazar presents

• • • • • • •

First Run Movies Music Concerts Theatre Productions Community Events Improv Classes Special Presentations Private Events

and so much more!

The Alcazar is such a wonderful asset of our community; one that celebrates music, dance, drama, film and so many other wonderful acts. - David Powdrell

4916 Carpinteria Ave • 805.684.6380 www.thealcazar.org

For questions or to book an event: info@thealcazar.org

Explore your Options and Expand your Future

Toni Wellen, M.A.

Life Coach & Certified Hypnotherapist Office: 805-684-8434 • Cell: 805-895-0477 www.toniwellen.com • toni@silcom.com

30 minute free consultation • Local office or Zoom

28 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

Friends of the Carpinteria Library Used Bookstore

“Always good for an armload.

Kids books, too!”

5103 Carpinteria Avenue (Next to the Carpinteria Library) Donations welcomed.

805-566-0033

WANT YOUR

Dog

NOW OPEN IN CARPINTERIA

PHOTOGRAPHED?

Offering Home Health, Outpatient and Aquatic Physical Therapy in Santa Barbara for 40+ years

contact: Robin Karlsson jagheterobin @ yahoo.com Purchase books at Animal Medical Clinic • 1037 Casitas Pass Road Seastand • 919 Linden Avenue Lost & Found • 905 Linden Aveue

MULLER & WEBER Carpinteria

MULLER & WEBER Santa Barbara

MULLER AQUATIC CENTER Santa Barbara

1110 Eugenia Place, Suite A Carpinteria, 93013

2324 Bath Street, Suite A Santa Barbara, 93105

22 Anacapa St. Santa Barbara, 93101

805.318.9393

805.682.3870

805.845.1231

WWW.MULWEBPT.COM SUMMER2022 29

Successfully Selling Local Real Estate for 32 Years EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & INTEGRITY

Dirt Botanicals

with Richard Cheetham

Carpinteria's Hometown Florist

CAROLYNMFRIEDMANNICLOUD.COM

Locally Grown, Locally Designed, Delivered to Your Doorstep!

www.Sothebyshomes.com www.santabarbara-realtor.com

1165 Coast Village Rd. Montecito, CA 93108

805-755-2205

HELLO@DIRTBOTANICALS.COM

Authentic Thai Food

NOW OPEN

933 LINDEN AVE. CARPINTERIA

Weekday Lunch Special $11.50

incl. Appetizer & Soup or Salad

Seafood & Vegetarian Dishes Chilled Wine & Thai Beer 509 Linden Ave. • 805-684-2391 Dine-In • Take Out Tues. - Fri. 11-2:30 and 5-9:30 • Sat. 12-9:30

30 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

THRIFT SHOP Clothing Home Goods Shoes • Jewelry Follow us on:

FLEA MARKET Vintage Tools Collectibles

805-318-9147

TUESDAY—SATURDAY 11a.m.-5p.m.

OCCASIONALLY OPEN ON SUNDAYS & MONDAYS CHECK ON YELP.COM FOR UPDATED HOURS

Donations of lightly used goods accepted. No furniture or large items please.

Portion of in-store sales benefit

The Food Of the People

THARIO’s Kitchen Open Wednesday thru Sunday Lunch & Dinner 11:30 to 8

805-684-2209 3807 Santa Claus Lane, Carpinteria Book your Table

DESIGN PRINT BIND DELIVER

805-684-0013 rockprint.com …EXCELLENT, BEAUTIFUL, AND FANTASTIC…ON TIME, AS PROMISED

4850A Carpinteria Avenue Carpinteria, CA 93013 SUMMER2022 31

INSPIRATION COMES FROM MANY PLACES.

93013 32 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

CHUCK GRAHAM

BOUND AND DETERMINED A surging, extreme high tide in July of 2019 scooped up a western snowy plover nest and swept it downcoast from its sandy origin along Coal Oil Point in Goleta. The full clutch of three tiny, speckled eggs bobbed with the currents before being rescued by biologists.

Taken to the Santa Barbara Zoo for incubation, one of those fledglings has now established a nest of its own on the low-lying dunes of the Carpinteria State Beach.

Last year, in May 2021, a snowy plover nest was established virtually in the exact same location as this year’s nest. Hatched successfully in early June 2021, and under the watchful eye and protective wings of their father, the three chicks fledged by early July. It was the first successful western snowy plover nest on the Carpinteria State Beach since 1960.

That 2021 nest also benefitted from a roped off perimeter by biologists, and a sturdy cage placed over it to thwart any predation by marauding crows, western gulls, skunks or raccoons. Further protections were established by State Beach lifeguards who coned off an even wider swath of beach down to the shoreline to prohibit beach walkers trampling the plover habitat.

The mother of this year’s nest made an earlier attempt to nest on the State Beach in 2020. That viable nest was also swept away by an encroaching high tide.

“Coastal zones are dynamic environments,” says Nathaniel Cox, senior environmental scientist for California State Parks Channel Coast District. “There are lots of disturbances, whether natural or not.”

The Carpinteria State Beach is a popular, high-use beach with a busy campground, but western snowy plovers are hardy little shorebirds and possess a high tolerance for disturbances. They race to and from their nesting sites seeking out beach hoppers along the wrackline, where tangled balls of kelp rest after an incoming tide.

Parent snowy plovers trade off incubation duties until th e eggs hatch. Once they do and the chicks are mobile, the mother leaves her brood to possibly nest again elsewhere. The chicks are then raised by their father, who remains with them until they fledge a month later.

If all goes well for this current plover nest, the tiny plover chicks will fledge by mid-May. “I’m not surprised they would attempt nesting on a busy beach,” says Nathaniel. “Plovers are drawn to it historically.”

— CHUCK GRAHAM

ROBIN KARLSSON

ONE WEEK AT A TIME…

Santa Monica Creek Trail Just a few blocks away from Carpinterian Ray Kolbe’s house lies a portion of the Santa Monica Creek Trail: a quiet walkway tucked between neighborhoods, shaded by a massive sycamore and surrounded by sprouted greenery, but a space that lacked needed resources for the pollinators in the area—the bees, butterflies and birds.

Six years ago, Ray, a former software engineer, saw that there was more that could be done to help the area thrive.

And so, once a week for the past few years, he has done just that, stepped out onto the Santa Monica Creek Trail, mulch and native plants in hand, to nurture his portion of Carpinteria.

“When I started, I thought I would be complete in year five,” Ray says. “But now, I think I’m just a little bit more than halfway done.”

The ultimate goal is weed abatement, which Ray says spurred him to begin in the first place, after witnessing a lack of native plants in the area. “It’s a beautiful trail, beautiful views, but then there’s all these non-native, invasive grasses and weeds. It occurred to me that maybe we could do something to help.”

He first approached the city and confirmed he could do the work by hand. From there, Ray took it upon himself to help the trail, one week at a time, adding the Catalina Current and Santa Cruz Island buckwheat—just a few of the hundreds of plants he has put in the ground over the past six years—to encourage the area to prosper.

“I’ve always had an interest in gardening,” Ray emphasizes.

“This is just one little way of helping to save the planet.”

Although he launched the effort, Ray is no longer alone in his pursuits. He has received hundreds of donations, both in plants and funding, from others who support his mission.

Yes, Yes Nursery in Santa Ynez and Seed Technologist Donna Grubisic have been particularly generous in their support.

And the “working days” that Ray organized this spring also yielded important results. Volunteers came out and helped him weed the area and focus on “layering,” a process in which the ground is covered in mulch then cardboard to help prevent non-native weeds from sprouting.

Further interest in the ongoing project? Visit raykolbe.com or check out the trail yourself—a little piece of Carpinteria ingenuity, right around the corner.

— EVELYN SPENCE

Ray Kolbe battles the weeds on Santa Monica Creek Trail.

SUMMER2022 33

93013

PASSIONFRUIT 101 From the outside, they look like enormous hard-skinned raisins, while the inside is filled with gooey, tangy pulp and crunchy seeds. They are purple passionfruit. This tropical fruit goes gangbusters in Carpinteria soil, and it has found its way into scores of main dishes, cocktails and desserts emerging from Carpinteria kitchens. The fruit has not only a unique look and taste but also a story. Here’s your crash course!

— LEA BOYD NATIVE TO SOUTH AMERICA, this sweet-tart fruit has become naturalized in tropical and subtropical climates around the world .

TWO MAIN TYPES OF PASSIONFRUIT: are grown commercially. The yellow passionfruit is cultivated for industrial juice processing, while the purple, which is grown in backyards and farms throughout Carpinteria Valley, is primarily used for fresh consumption.

PASSIONFRUIT GOES BY MANY NAMES: Lilikoi in Hawaiian, Maracuyá in Spanish, Maracuja in Portuguese, Fakihat Aleatifa in Arabic, Grenadille in French, and Krishna Fal in Hindi.

VITAMINS A AND C ARE ABUNDANT in purple passionfruit, which can help reduce inflammation and boost the immune system. The fruits also contain some potassium, phosphorus, iron and folate, and the seeds are an excellent source of fiber.

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE FRUIT! Purple passionfruit flowers, which are bizarre and beautiful, have been used for centuries to help reduce insomnia, asthma and anxiety.

Both flowers and leaves are edible and can be used as garnishes or dried for teas.

The list of DISHES THAT BENEFIT FROM PURPLE PASSIONFRUIT is nearly endless. It’s delicious as a topping over ice cream, yogurt, cakes and fruit salads, or it can add tropical flavor to ceviche, dressings, sauces, syrups, jams and jellies. See page 46 for Kelsey Crouse’s peach passionfruit jam recipe.

THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME PASSIONFRUIT MAY SURPRISE YOU. In the 16th Century when Spanish missionaries first encountered the climbing vines in Brazil, they believed that the flower’s intricate structure resembled icons of the crucifixion of Christ, also known as “the passion.”

Missionaries used the flower parts as visual symbols to share the crucifixion story with native peoples, and eventually, the entire plant was called the passion plant.

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WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE? Some people express themselves in their clothing, others in comments on social media. And some have decided that their government-issued license plate is the ideal place to distill themselves down to a unique set of seven characters. What we've found in our quest for interesting local plates is that for many folks, Carpinteria is front and center in the short-but-sweet message they put out to the world.

SUMMER2022 35

93013 FLOWER SELECTION AND PREP Select your flowers either from the farmers market or foraged from your own garden!

Flowers should match the height of your vase.

Focus on selecting a range of flowers that show off different tones and textures.

If you want a monochromatic look, select flowers with the full spectrum of the color. Either selection will create depth in the arrangement.

Choose accent greenery, including tall thin grasses or woody elements such as curly willow Clean all the stems of dead or wilting leaves.

Cut to a length that is about three or four inches taller than the top of the vase.

Cut all flower stems at an angle.

Clean the bottom of the stems so no leaves will be in the water.

Leaves in water create bacteria.

HOW TO BUILD A WOW FLOWER ARRANGEMENT Asking Suzie Schneider to sit down in mid-April and detail the steps involved in building a bouquet is like asking a surgeon to write down the steps in the middle of brain surgery. She’s a very busy lady in the spring. But fortunately for Carpinteria Magazine, Suzie, owner of PacWest Blooms and Dirt Botanicals, took the time between weddings, nonprofit luncheons and other events to explain flower arranging. Learn more about Suzie’s flourishing businesses by visitingpacwestblooms.com/.

VESSEL SELECTION AND PREP Select your vessel. Suzie recommends a 10 – 12-inch clear upright vase. The diameter should be at least 4 inches. For a shorter or lower arrangement, use a vessel that is about 6 - 8 inches in diameter.

Fill your vase with water.

Using floral tape, create a pie shaped grid across the top of the vase in order to hold your stems in place. Place the tape across the top of the vase to create about six pie-shaped sections.

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ARRANGING THE FLOWERS Start by adding your greenery and grasses.

Place the stems inside each pie shaped opening in your grid. This technique creates a base to hold your stems in place. Remember, there should not be any stem leaves in the water.

Place your flowers in the vase, making sure that some of them are cut taller than your greenery and that your greenery only extends an inch or two past the top of your container.

Add your flowers one at a time and pepper them throughout the vase evenly. But don’t overthink placement too much! Visualize the natural form a flower takes growing out of the plant.

For some it might be easier to place the larger flowers first, and then move on to smaller, more compact flowers.

Place fragile flowers in last to keep them protected and make sure the other flowers don’t cover them.

Look at the arrangement and add flowers where there’s an open space or in an area that could use color.

MAINTENANCE Clip the stems and change the water every other day to keep the flowers fresh. 

State-of-the-Art Events Venue Corporate Events • Private Parties • Receptions • Retreats Reunions • Special Occasions • Weddings A beautiful 10,000 square foot venue located in the heart of downtown Carpinteria and a short stroll from the beach Spacious courtyard for a seamless indoor/outdoor experience Various spaces for both small and large events Art Gallery • Catering kitchen

For more information contact Joyce Donaldson at joyce@carpinteriaartscenter.org 805-684-7789 • 865 Linden Avenue Downtown Carpinteria CarpinteriaArtsCenter.org

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TheSurflinerInn.com CARPINTERIA, CA

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A boy fishes from Carpinteria pier, a structure located near the mouth of Carpinteria Creek. It was built in the 1920s and removed in the mid-1960s.

COASTING BACKWARDS: Carpinteria beach life in black and white W ORDS BY L E A BOYD PHOTOS COUR T E S Y OF CA RPI N T E RI A VA L L E Y M US E UM OF HISTO RY

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I

n 2021, the Fish/Brown family donated a cache of historic beach photos to the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History.

These images, most unpublished, are time machine tickets to the 1920s and 1930s, when Carpinteria beach and the camping opportunities nearby had begun to boom.

By the 1920s, the automobile had become widespread, paving the way for relatively easy travel to Carpinteria from populous areas like Los Angeles. Families motored into town, parked by the dunes and pitched their tents.

Thomas Fish, whose family owned about 30 acres of beachfront property in the tiny town of Carpinteria, saw the demand for a beach campground and opened the Carpinteria Beach Auto Camp in 1922.

Thomas’ nephew Henry M. Brown later wrote of those days in the Carpinteria Herald, “The merits of the area were always recognized by the local citizens for bathing in summer, duck hunting in winter, and at low tide someone would bring a team and plow up a bucket of clams for anyone who was handy.”

No matter how far back you go in history, the essence of a Carpinteria beach day is the same: warm sand sifting between your fingers, salty foam frosting your feet, a weightless dive through a crashing wave.

The accessories, however, have certainly changed: the fashion, the transportation, the picnic menu, the camping and even the beach structures. It’s these elements that make the pages that follow so fun. Come dip your toes in the water with us! 

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Along with the Beach Camp, this 1938 postcard depicts Linden Avenue and the marshland that predated the beach neighborhood. The photo was taken from atop a wildcat oil well located near the mouth of Carpinteria Creek.

Metal play structures at the base of Linden Avenue.

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Camp life circa 1940.

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This image and below left are from early days of Carpinteria Beach Camp, circa 1925.

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Kelsey Crouse in her happy place.

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The Crouse family designed their backyard with maximum growing square footage in mind.

It’s Our JAM! Crouse family squeezes every drop from its backyard bounty

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WORDS B Y DEBRA H E RRI CK PH OTOS BY DEB RA H E RRI CK & KELSEY CROU S E

he only thing sweeter than homemade peach passionfruit jam is the family that made it. The Crouse family: mom Kelsey, dad Aaron, and daughters Sadie, 7, and Quinn, 3, started growing their own fruits and vegetables a few years ago, filling their pantries, pots and plates, and nourishing their everyday lives.

The street view of the Crouse home on Vallecito Road speaks of family, classic Carpinteria style and landscaping savvy. There’s little evidence from the front yard that the backyard hosts a 1,800-square-foot farm where dozens of fruit, vegetable and herb varietals thrive among citrus and avocado trees and passionfruit vines.

From heirloom tomatoes and tomatillos, eggplants, fava and pole beans, Kelsey has taught her family to grow from across the rainbow of California’s bounty, including carrots, berries and cucamelon; lots of peppers, leafy greens and herbs; potatoes, pumpkins, artichokes; and bunches and bunches of flowers.

Fruits and fresh vegetables pepper any plate from the family’s Carpinteria home kitchen, but Kelsey also has SUMMER2022 47

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A F EW O F K E LS E Y ' S FAVO R I T E T H I N G S

COOK BO O K RE COM M E N DATIO NS

A chip off the old block, Sadie harvests carrots. created year-round pantry staples through preserving and pickling the garden’s abundance.

“In summer when our tomatoes go nuts, we’ll make big batches of salsa, four dozen jars. We love pickling, so we pickle a lot of cucumbers. Lots of pickles, lots of pesto, lots of jam, lots of jelly,” Kelsey says.

For Kelsey, it’s not just about the sweet or tangy products though; it’s the practice of preserving food that’s meaningful, a heritage custom tied to the changing seasons.

“It’s kind of always how women and men have done it.

We use what’s available. I find joy in being able to grow my own food and being able to preserve it and share it. It makes me happy,” Kelsey says. “It’s like taking a step back in time and living more of a simple life where that’s my focus.”

At the first inkling of spring, Kelsey and her family get to work planting, sowing seeds and tending to their backyard farm. By August, the garden is bursting with nutrient rich bounty, and the Crouses reap the harvest.

Then, during those late summer, early fall months, after the big harvest, Kelsey spends at least three days a week jamming, preserving and pickling until midnight.

Raising two kids and working for the family business, Terra Firma Drilling, Kelsey says that the garden and kitchen keep her sane by “having these little things to focus on.”

In addition to her daughters who are learning gardening and kitchen basics, Kelsey’s husband Aaron is also right by her side, in the garden and in the kitchen, sharing her passion for food.

Kelsey and Aaron met in first grade at Canalino School.

They were playground sweethearts in fourth grade, and shared their first kiss in eighth.

PAULA DEEN’S COOKBOOKS: Easy to follow basic recipes; a great beginner’s guide to cooking with love.

"THE JOY OF COOKING" BY IRMA S. ROMBAUER: Perfect for when I’m looking for a standard recipe that I can embellish upon.

"VEGETABLES UNLEASHED" BY JOSÉ ANDRÉS: My neighbor recently gifted me a copy and I’m obsessed.

W H AT T O PICKLE? Onions, radishes, beets, nasturtium capers (seed pods), eggplant, peppers and cucumbers I love a classic cucumber dill pickle, using actual dill flowers, along with other spices, to add flavor and beauty. Adding garlic and/or peppers can add a nice punch of flavor as well.

I also love to make bread & butter pickles, which include onion and a touch of sugar—a nice dichotomy of sweet and sour. When cooking, it’s always important to have an acidic component in each dish, and a good pickle always does the trick.

SUMMER2022 49

The Crouse family, from left, Aaron, Sadie, Quinn and Kelsey, with pooch Lily.

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eft, sey, ily.

JA M S E S SIO N

“We dated on and off for years following and reconnected at age 29 at a mutual friend’s wedding,” Kelsey says. “We both attended the wedding afterparty and when other party goers got the munchies, Aaron decided he’d grill ribs and I set to work in the kitchen creating a barbecue sauce from scratch. We had no idea of each other ’s love of cooking.”

Sparks flew in the kitchen that night, and Kelsey and Aaron have been inseparable ever since.

“Cooking is still our shared passion,” she adds. “It’s who we are; it’s who we will always be as a couple.”

As home chefs, Kelsey and Aaron complement each other. Aaron likes to grill fish, meats and other main dishes, while Kelsey enjoys making the sides, sauces and salads.

Kelsey, who grew up on an orchard in Toro Canyon with a five-tier garden, learned to work the land with her mother. Now, she says her home garden has created a link to her mom and her childhood, and a space for her daughters to experience the wonders of nature, as she did.

“There’s nothing more exciting than seeing a flower bloom that you started from seed. I love teaching my kids about plants and flowers—the simple things in life. I love cooking with them, and they are always eager to help measure and stir, decorate and deliver our homegrown and homemade goodies to our neighbors, family and friends,” Kelsey says.

“Cooking and preserving with our home-grown goods provides us with a sense of accomplishment, a true nod to the vegetable we’ve grown. Our garden and our kitchen have become a place where we can focus on the simple things, turn off all of the surrounding noise, the social engagements, obligations, work, etc. and where we can just be a family.” 

A quality jam requires a quality fruit at its perfect point of ripeness. Along with fruit, you will most likely include sugar, a type of acid (either lemon or citric acid), and some recipes use pectin to reach a gel point.

Some fruits have natural pectin in them and don’t require more than fruit, sugar and lemon juice. I like to experiment with flavor combinations —adding spice, heat, citrus, additional fruit and/ or wine, creating an explosion of flavor on the palate, something different, something exciting to add to your morning toast.

The secret to a great jam is patience. I’ve made jams with pectin in 10 minutes, while others I’ve stirred and stirred for hours on the stove until they reached their gel point, staying up way past my bedtime.

T OP JAMS Tomato Strawberry Jalapeño Pepper Passionfruit Peach Passionfruit Peach Champagne Blackberry Blackberry Ginger Persimmon Persimmon Ginger Up next: experiments with blueberries, stone fruits, lemons and raspberries SUMMER2022 51

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Peach Passionfruit Jam RECIPE BY KELSEY CROUS E My neighbor has a peach tree which explodes every spring, giving her more fruit than she knows what to do with. Last spring, I suggested a swap. In exchange for a basket of her peaches, I would give her a pint of jam. I combined her sweet peaches with our homegrown passionfruit, which gave traditional peach jam a tropical twist. We love to enjoy this jam on sourdough toast, with cheese and crackers, and as a topping for vanilla bean ice cream. Yields 3 pints.

1 2 L A R G E PA SSI O N F R U I T S 5 P O UN D S Y EL L O W P E A CH E S 4 C UP S SUG A R 1 TA BL ESP O O N F R E S H LY SQ UEEZED L EM O N J U I CE

1. Cut open the passionfruits, scrape the juice and seeds into a bowl and discard the outer shell.

2. To peel the peaches, cut an “X” into the pointed end of the peach. Blanch the peaches for 60-90 seconds each in a pot of boiling water. When the peaches cool, peel off the skin and discard. Cut the peaches into bitesize pieces, discarding the pits.

3. In a large metal pot, mix the peach pieces with the lemon juice and sugar. Let sit for 30 minutes to combine.

4. Place the pot on the stove and heat to a rapid boil, stirring constantly so as the peach mixture doesn’t burn. Continue to stir at a rapid boil for about 8 minutes, and then stir in the passionfruit juice and seeds. Stir for another 3-4 minutes until the jam has reached its gel point. If the jam is chunkier than you’d like, take a whisk and rapidly stir the peaches to break them down further.

5. Ladle your hot jam into your hot/sterilized pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace at the top. Check for air bubbles, stirring a sterilized knife through the jam in each jar. Carefully wipe each rim clean with a paper towel. Place the lids on the jars and seal.

6. At this point you can either refrigerate your jam once it’s cooled or process your jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes – making them safe to store for future enjoyment. 

CA RPI N T E RI A SEASO NS My year-round gardening calendar involves only two seasons: spring/summer and fall/winter. I turn my garden over two times a year (March and September) in preparation for the next season. In Carpinteria, temperatures don’t vary much, but even a 10-degree temperature difference can determine a vegetable’s success.

Some vegetables don’t do well in temperatures over 65 degrees, while others thrive in a hot and humid climate. We are pretty lucky here in Zone 10a, having the ability to grow delicious food year-round.

S PRI N G/S UMMER Tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, squash and zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, carrots, radish, strawberries, blueberries, beans, peas, cantaloupe, watermelon, pumpkins, corn, herbs, lettuces

FA L L /W I NTER Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, fava beans, peas, carrots, radish, turnips, Swiss chard, collard greens, cilantro, spinach, parsley, leeks, onions, garlic, potatoes, sweet potatoes, artichoke, beets  SUMMER2022 53

# BLESSED

Dishing with the Disciples of St. Joe’s Resale WORDS BY A M Y M A RI E OROZ CO PH OT OS BY I N GRI D BOS T ROM

S

t. Joseph’s Resale Shop works in mysterious ways —a thrifter ’s promised land, social hive, general store, ecology center, matchmaker, playground, tax deduction, creative inspiration and living parable, for starters.

In the beginning, Saint Joseph Catholic Church parishioners Louise Sanchez and Pauline De Alba held a little sale in the El Carro Lane parking lot to raise funds for new linens to adorn the church altar. That early 1970s event proved successful, and other sales for other purchases followed. Eventually, organizers Louise and Pauline convinced the pastor that a resale

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shop with regular hours could and would benefit the church and the community. And they were right. Today, some of the programs supported by the Resale Shop are church ministries, scholarships to Mount Carmel School, maintenance and repairs, and emergency help to escape an abusive or violent situation.

From the parking lot, the store moved to the former St. Joseph School bus garage. “At that time, we were only open on Wednesday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. We cleaned up and organized on Tuesdays while closed,” says Yvonne Davisson, who began volunteering 27 years ago and took over Louise’s responsibilities around 2001.

“About 15 years ago we decided since we were all there working anyway, we might as well open up on Tuesdays as well. Now it’s our busiest day.”

The shop took over the neighboring Scout House and an addition was constructed to house the merchandise in the parking lot. Now there is so much inventory, the asphalt space is necessary again. The building housing The Howard School was used previously as a boutique for finer goods, and now social media is used to sell upscale items.

It takes about 12 volunteers to cover the shop daily.

Managed by good faith, there are no shift schedules or detailed job descriptions. (There are lunch and a 50 percent discount, though.) The system of trust extends to the community at large—witness the checks left under the door for an item someone saw in the donation spot when the store was closed.

“The shop isn’t open when it rains because half the stuff is outside,” explains Yvonne, who sometimes pulls 12-hour shifts. “High school students can get their community service hours at St Joseph’s. Girls seem to enjoy it more, but we’d love to get more boys to do some of the heavier lifting.”

Keep reading to meet some of the volunteers and shoppers who make up the special spirit of St. Joseph’s Resale Shop.

SUMMER2022 55

VO L U N T E E R

M A RY WAT TS A notice in the St. Joseph Church bulletin seeking help for the Resale Shop caught the attention of Mary Watts. Since her youngest had entered preschool, she thought she could spare one morning a week to lend a hand. That was 24 years ago. Louise Sanchez was in charge and the all-star volunteer lineup included Nancy Mayer, Mary Lou Requejo, Pauline De Alba and Carmen Medel. These were the early days, before the volunteer discounts and lunches. “We didn’t have water or a bathroom,” Mary laughs.

Her career started with sorting and cleaning tasks. “Now, I’m kind of a roamer. Whatever needs doing.

If there’s a line at the cash register, I’ll help out with bagging … or give Ron (cashier) a break …” she says.

It turns out that, for the most part, volunteers don’t enjoy cashiering because it requires pricing items on the fly and working quickly with money. Only cash and local checks are accepted. Once in a while there are unpleasant customers, but Mary doesn’t mind, “I’m honored to help the store and the church.”

Other perks of the job? It suits the mother-of-four ’s commitment to recycling, allowing plenty of opportunity to reduce and reuse; she’s saved a lot of money over the years by shopping where she volunteers; and at least twice a month her sister comes from Ventura to volunteer.

From the point of view of 24 years on the job, Mary offers this advice to shoppers: “New stuff always is coming in. You never know what you’ll find … don’t haggle, it’s not like a yard sale where we don’t want to have stuff left over.”

Mary holds a favorite bowl and wears a tropical shirt from St. Joe's in honor of her late husband, who was Hawaiian.

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VO L U N T E E RS

A N N A N D J E R RY S M IT H Snowbirds Ann and Jerry Smith decided that their winter migration would include being active in their seasonal community. Ann said she was going to get a job. While attending mass their first week in Carpinteria, the church bulletin posted that the Resale Shop needed volunteers. She was a longtime volunteer at the thrift shop/foodbank in Stanwood—Camino Island in their home state of Washington for 12 years.

A day or so later, Ann walked up Linden Avenue from her Sandyland rental to the Resale Shop. Thensupervisor Yvonne told her she was hired, and when Ann asked about paperwork. Yvonne told her “Nope, just show up.” So Ann did and now is close to her six-year mark at St. Joe’s.

Her schedule is 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Saturdays. She takes in donations and sorts. A thrifter herself, Ann claims to be one of the Resale Shop’s best

customers and that she can find anything for anybody.

The advice she gives shoppers is, “If you see it and like it, buy it. It won’t be here tomorrow.”

Jerry began his career at St. Joe’s after Ann had established hers. Working a split shift, he arrives in the a.m. to help bring out the merchandise and returns in the p.m. to help put it back. In between, the handyman works on special projects, such as sealing the back of the building to guard against rain, fixing the gutters and maintaining the carts in front.

Ann and Jerry agree the best part of the job is the other volunteers and connecting with other people. The not so favorite part? “If I had one, I wouldn’t work here,” says Jerry, who did offer “finding places for all the little things” when pressed further for an answer.

Sums up Ann, “They’re always looking for volunteers.

Everyone has a skill or gift they can bring.”

Ann's clothes and surfboard are St. Joe's treasures, and Gerry's guitar is one of the several he’s found at the shop.

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VO L U N T E E R

RON DAVISSON Ron Davisson is the Patron Saint of the Resale Shop. He wasn’t born with a calling for thrifting, that came later in life, from his wife, Yvonne. He started helping 15 or so years ago as muscle power, stopping by after working in Santa Barbara to help put things away.

After retiring seven years ago, Ron started volunteering on weekdays and added the brains of cashiering to his brawn. Today, he describes his job as “holding down the fort,” which he calculates to take a minimum of 30 hours per week.

Affable and gregarious, Ron is arguably the most recognized face of the St. Joe’s all-volunteer crew and is credited with starting the lunch program, funded by him at first, for volunteers. “Everything I wear that is visible on my body I bought here,” he says and recalls, “The turning point for the shop was the La Conchita mudslide (2005). It used to be a cute little thing. One Sunday we donated 100 percent of the receipts to help out, and that spread the word.”

“It’s a community thing” is how he describes his interaction with the people, his favorite part of the job, while the most rewarding part is helping the world, such as putting aside sleeping bags for the unhoused.

His advice to shoppers boils down to two words: Don’t bargain. “They’ve got a fair deal. It’s not about the dollar.”

And other than bargaining, his least favorite part of the job? Shoplifters and people using the donation center as a dumping ground.

Ron and wife Yvonne are outfitted in St. Joe's clothing. Yvonne holds one of the many books she's scored over the years.

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SHOPPER

S H A R O N OTS U K I “Tuesdays are the best … pick of the week,” Sharon Otsuki advises new members to the thrifting flock. “People have been dropping off stuff all weekend.” She and her firefighter husband, who also is a St. Joe’s volunteer, are long-time thrifters, enjoying dates to Ventura’s famed haunts but always circling back to St. Joe’s. “Here is the best,” she says.

Sharon started shopping at St. Joe’s about a decade ago, when her twins, the youngest of the family’s five children, were babies. Now her children’s ages range from 9 to 16. With home schooling and swim coaching duties, there’s no time for a regular shopping schedule.

“It’s something fun to do for the kids and an easy morning destination, only a 1-mile bike ride from home,” she says.

Family finds include toys, clothes for the boys, kitchen things—a food processor and a $3 coffeemaker bought five years ago are standouts. It’s not just about the shopping. Though not an intentional lesson, the second-hand shopping has resulted in her children being happy with having used things and appreciating things that are new, instead of expecting new things all the time.

“It’s a nice community spot,” Sharon describes the operation. She runs into people, and it’s fun to make connections for her supplementation business, notes the athlete who swam for U.C. Santa Barbara.

Sharon’s best find is a dresser for an inset in her bedroom. “Not my style, but it fits perfectly,” she says.

Sharon shows off her favorite glasses from St. Joes, hand blown with rainbow specks.

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SHOPPER

NICOLE BODE Nicole Bode started a volunteer career at the Resale Shop in 2009 and converted in 2015. “Now I’m just a shopper. It’s so fun, the thrill of the hunt,” says the mother of six, whose message to shoppers includes, “they’ll never be disappointed, and they’ll find what they’re looking for and then some!”

When her family lost everything, literally, to a house fire in 2013, the Resale Shop proved to be more than a volunteering, socializing and shopping spot, it fully refurnished their residence with linens, furniture, kitchenware, everything else a home needs, and set up a fund for the family at the Carpinteria branch of Montecito Bank & Trust. Those acts of kindness were underscored by the firsthand lesson of not placing an importance on things or feeling the loss of things, her children learned. Also, Nicole says her best find, a true treasure, at the Resale Shop, is her mate. They met while she was volunteering.

Nicole’s devotion to shopping is “every single Tuesday or Wednesday at noon, unless sick or something, and always with my 4-year-old. We call it the church. ‘Today’s the church day.’

People think we’re super religious,” she laughs. “If I didn’t come, I’d miss out because with six kids, I need to talk to other people.” She is always the last customer at the Resale Shop, which confounds newish volunteers trying to close, to whom a veteran will say, “It’s just Nicole. It’s fine.”

Nicole with her best ever St. Joe's find— her boyfriend Fernando Contreras.

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SHOPPER

H E AT H E R ST E P H E N “If I really can’t find what I need, I’ll buy it new,” Heather Stephen describes her allegiance to the St. Joseph Resale Shop. The mother of four, ages 2 to 6, is more practical in her approach to thrifting compared to the treasure-hunter denominations. She visits about once a month or so, depending on need. “It’s nice to give kids a little thing. It’s something that feels almost free, and it’s fun. Children enjoy coming here.”

Her sister introduced her to St. Joe’s when Heather moved to Carpinteria about seven years ago. It’s perfect for when she's “looking for something to do with the kids, and I always see someone I know.”

Among the family’s best finds are a kayak with wheels,

a first edition of the book “James and the Giant Peach,” a brand-new kid’s bicycle and wetsuits. In the household needs category, she’s scored storage type goods like lots of organizational baskets, outside gear for the patio, lamps, children’s clothing, sports equipment, and the list goes on. The things aren’t the important part for Heather, who calls St. Joe’s a rare thrift shop and loves the no price tags. “I want my kids to understand value, whether you buy it new or used. A less caring about things.”

Her message to shoppers? It’s a relaxed place, there’s always a good deal and a huge inventory turnover. “This is a nice community exchange,” Heather says. “Donating [to the shop] more than pays itself back.” 

Heather displays a bike and wetsuit she found at St. Joe's for her kids.

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COURTESY PHOTO

SOUND WITH STYLE: An amp for and by audiophiles

T

W ORDS BY PE T E R DUGRÉ P H OT OS BY DE BRA H E RRI CK

he adage, “They don’t make ‘em like they used to,” undoubtedly applies to music amplifiers, which as a matter of technological evolution have shrunken so much in size and shifted so unrecognizably in their components that it’s hard to imagine the amps of old and new go by the same name and serve the same function.

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Shaun Sanders, a Carpinteria resident and lover of the purer sounds of amplifiers sourced from the first-half of the 20th Century, is in fact attempting to “make ‘em like they used to,” both for the appealing aesthetic of the antique woodwork and mid-century motif, and because he believes down to the core of his inner eardrum, the

Musician and music lover Shaun Sanders created the Malibu V3 to suit his taste for quality sound and style.

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COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

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old amps—given an expert tune up—fill the air with the stirring sound of music in a tone modern household amps cannot quite achieve.

“People are always chasing the perfect sound,” Sanders says over hot green tea last spring in his Carpinteria home studio. “It’s an elusive thing and a never-ending journey for audiophiles.” He’s stirring with excitement about his creation, The Malibu V3, the flagship model of the Sanders Amps line. Created by an audiophile for audiophiles, these stylistic amps pay tribute to a bygone era, when even casual listeners could speak fluently of the power their household amps were packing.

In Sanders’ pursuit of the perfect sound, the starting point has been the distinction between old-school tube amplifiers and the more fashionable 21st Century solid state amps, which can be compacted and perform well within the portable speaker that fits in the water bottle holder on your beach cruiser. In fact, modern solid state amps boom and are scaled-down miracles of modern technology compared to record-player amps occupying a spacious corner of household common rooms in the 1950s and ’60s.

“The tube amp adds magic to the tone that’s lost going to a transistor or ‘solid state,’” Sanders says. “We have music all around us, everywhere we go, but we don’t hear it the same way.”

Sanders speaks of the path that led him to creating a line of amps in his subtle New Zealand accent, which has been layered over by more than half a life in the U.S. and Canada. It all begins and ends with music. Music is the goal and the motivation itself and was so when Sanders set out for rock and roll stardom as a young man.

He grew up a theater family—“the stage was always there”—and when he started listening to Eric Clapton and The Beatles, it was over. “I never met a guitar I didn’t like,” Sanders says. His love of electric guitars went beyond strumming a song; he also wanted to know how they worked, so he built them.

Music dreams landed Sanders in Australia and England before Canada and the United States, and along the way he played guitar in rock bands and polished his production skills in home studios recording indie groups. All the while, technology advanced at lightspeed and helped to elbow out the little guy in favor of bigger studios with the latest equipment. Eventually, Sanders’ career focus drifted out of music and into writing and literature as an adjunct professor at Santa Barbara and Ventura city colleges.

Music never went away, nor did the urge to tinker with sound production. Sanders had snipped around

the circuitry of amps and continued to grow his “how to” music skills in fine-tuning his home recording studios. Popping open old amps and exploring the wiry innards became a hobby and a hunt. He’d track down antique amps discarded from grandpa’s garage and offloaded onto Craigslist. The outdated parts were essential to the task, and the pieces themselves—old time radios, record turntables, organs—were sturdy, ornate and beautifully crafted, like they were meant to last a lifetime.

The job is then two-fold. Sanders exhumes the insides and re-engineers the handy work of the factory worker who’d built the original almost a century ago, and he refinishes and repurposes the box itself, altering the shape of some salvaged pieces to suit their next life while retaining their mid-century look.

He repurposes the guts of the old amps and works them into reborn and repurposed modern amps that can then be used with electric guitars and pick up bluetooth signals.

“They’re like Frankenstein’s monster,” Sanders says with hands picking through spare parts of past projects.

“You can almost see in the way these old amps are wired what the engineer was thinking. They had to be clever and tuck some of the pieces under. It was a space issue, unlike today with much, much smaller parts, they had to figure out how to fit it all in the box.”

Sanders now is unleashing Frankenstein’s monster in a crowdfunding campaign for $300,000 on Kickstarter. He’s building out a marketing and production plan to fill orders of the Malibu V3 and believes there’s a market for small handcrafted amp production. Their price point is $7,500 and targeted for an audience of audiophiles unsatisfied with the sound produced through the complex layers and compressed copies that is central to digitally produced and amplified sound. Unlike with other Sanders’ creations that have been forged from salvaged pieces, for the Malibu V3, he designed the look and prototype and now local woodworker Danny Rhodes builds the cabinets that house Sanders’ amps. The fine birch wood is sourced from the Baltic states.

While Sanders Amps appeal to purists—there’s a whole global community hunting for the perfect sound— discerning the difference between a run-of-the-mill modern speaker and the Malibu V3 does not take a trained ear. Richness and tone make the music more intense.

“Close your eyes, it’s the nearest you’ll hear to actually being in the concert hall,” says Sanders, turning up the volume on a Steely Dan track.  SUMMER2022 65

Pecos Pryor on the threshold of this Rincon County Beach home.

66 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

COURTESY PHOTO

From left, Safety Cones, art in an Airstream cupboard and sketch in progress.

OUT OF THE BLUE Art, surfing and Airstream dwelling W ORDS BY DE BRA H E RRI CK PH OT OS BY I N GRI D BOS T ROM

T

o uncommon effect, 33-year-old artist, professor and surfer, Pecos Pryor, portrays a quiet sense of vulnerability in his recent work—much of which Pryor created over the past two years while living in Carpinteria’s Toro Canyon and Rincon County Beach parks where he has been a park host.

Through a study of prints, paintings, drawings and sculptures, Pecos, depicts solitary moments from his everyday life during a time of deep grief. Pecos lost a family member to suicide and another to a drug overdose in 2019. Around that time, he also went through a divorce.

The newer body of work is delicate, beautiful and summons a sense of connection.

Realizing that he couldn’t change tragedy, Pecos says he found that making art gave him something to do with his hands.

Pecos, who has a bachelor of arts from Westmont College and a master of fine arts from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, lives in an Airstream at Rincon County

Beach Park where he is the park host. Five days a week, he cleans the restrooms and empties all the trash, making sure the park is clean and tidy. He waters the lawn and blows off the sand that gathers on sidewalks and the staircase. And, most importantly to many, he opens the park gate each morning before sunrise and closes it each evening after dusk.

Living at Rincon has brought quiet rhythms and patterns to Pecos’ life that have helped him heal and have imbued his recent work with glimmers of natural decay and rejuvenation. He’s become more in tune with the ocean, the tide and the moon.

“I’m always up before sunrise so I’m able to track and be more aware of the seasons than I ever have,” Pecos says. “Conceptually, I’m interested in common things and daily rhythms and rituals. I like to work with what I have, and I like finding the significance that comes from normal rituals, progressions and paths.

“This last body of work, Attention to Loss, I needed to SUMMER2022 67

Safety Cones and works in progress.

COURTESY PHOTO

68 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

make it to heal from my divorce and losing my family members. That art was essential to make, and being near the water is similar. Going into the water almost every day, surfing, it feels like it’s important for my body to move, to exercise and to have fun. Living at Rincon, I’ve been able to put myself in positions where I’m having fun in nature, especially surfing, and that’s similar to my art practice.”

Repetitions and progressions appear often in his work.

Take for instance the series, Single Beds (graphite and watercolor drawings of empty single beds with rumpled comforters and pillows) and Safety Cones (wood, plaster, ceramic, paper and stone; wood block prints, sculpture and paintings of safety cones—some polished, others worn and cracked; some sprouting second cones and others spilling noodles of clay innards).

In each of these series, the viewer can perceive the passage of time. By their number and variety of processes and materials used, this is a collection of work that only can be created over a period of time. Folded, wilted clay cones speak to aging, death and dying while crumpled pillows and sheets with shadowy body impressions, tell the story of a time in the past when someone lay there.

Pecos says that ever since he was a kid, he was fascinated with making things with his hands: making little art carvings out of bark, building treehouses, playing in the dirt.

“I like to explore. I love watching a work of art come from nothing or just raw materials. You put energy into it, and then there’s something there. There’s the creative process and then the surprise of what can happen.”

Repetitions are inevitable in Pecos’ cerebral and haptic SUMMER2022 69

Work titled Unknowable.

Single Bed hanging and Safety Cones below.

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practice. “I like to use different materials because I like to learn,” he says. “I’m interested in experimentation and learning what’s in a material’s nature and what it’s good for. And then I like playing against its nature and stretching it to become something different.”

Pecos grew up in Dripping Springs, Texas, “a small town full of hardworking people where football is everything,” he says.

Pecos' grandfather, who went by the nickname Cactus, was an entertainer and MC for Lyndon B. Johnson. He wanted to name one of his kids “Pecos” for the eponymous Texan desert, wilderness, river and people, but he didn’t.

Later, when Pecos' parents were looking for a name for him, they decided on “Pecos.”

“It’s not a common name, but people know of the Pecos people, the Native American tribe,” Pecos says. “It’s pronounced ‘pay-kiss.’ That’s how people from Texas pronounce it because it’s a Native American word.”

As he grew up, Pecos would visit his grandfather, Cactus, in the beach town where he owned a home, Port Aransas, Texas. There, Pecos spent all day in the sand and surf, his dad pushing him into the waves. In middle and high school, his parents bought a rental property in Port Aransas, and while his dad spent

weekends working on the house, he passed the hours surfing.

Pecos surfed Rincon on vacations in California when he was young and throughout his time as a student at Westmont, but never as much as he does now. Between teaching classes at Westmont and Santa Barbara City College’s adult education program and installing art with Santa Barbara Museum of Art and Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, Pryor finds time to surf his backyard as often as possible.

“It is hard to describe one’s own style. Some people tell me I surf very smooth and relaxed,” Pecos says. “I can tell you that my favorite thing is when a wave comes to me at the top of Indicator, and I make it through the fast section at the river mouth popping out at the top of the cove near the flagpole. This is usually a little outside the line-up, and sometimes you are in the position for the next set wave that takes you all the way to the call box on the 101. Some friends of mine have connected the whole thing and it’s called a freeway ride. I haven’t yet, but I'm waiting for that wave.”

When Pecos' nine-month term as park host ends this summer, he plans to travel to some major U.S. cities and Mexico, and then return to Carpinteria in the fall, hopefully to Rincon. 

SUMMER2022 71

The author aboard his favorite toy.

PLUG IN AND PLAY! The e-bike revolution comes to Carpinteria WORDS A N D PH OT OS BY GL E N N DUBOCK 72 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

Tessa and Chris Bryan take kiddos, Cameryn, Melvyn and Coralyn on an e-cruise.

M

y personal journey in the e-bike world started just a few years ago. Looking for a quick way to get exercise and cruise to the beach with my cameras in a backpack, I picked up a used model that could fold up and fit in my trunk. Soon I was looking for something with more power and longer battery life. That became bike number two. Number three has fat tires and enough juice to get me off the roads and onto the sand, which I do only if there is no one else out there.

Hard to imagine going so far in a town that is only 2.5 miles across—but I have logged over 1,200 miles and lost 20 pounds doing it. Even though my biking friends snickered when I claimed great health benefits, I love taking the long way and using the electric peddle-assist mode only as needed. And I am not alone.

Tessa Bryan and her husband Chris have two cargo e-bikes that work well for hauling the three younger of their five children. They bought the bikes shortly after moving to Carpinteria in 2020 as an avenue to keep the kids outside and active during the pandemic.

“We began looking into Rad Wagons so that we could ride to and enjoy the beach, which is the reason we moved here,” says Tessa. “My husband found a used one on SUMMER2022 73

Lucy Stephenson heads out on her regular ride.

74 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

Skip Woodcock sells e-bikes from his downtown Carpinteria shop.

Craigslist and purchased it for me as a 14th anniversary gift.”

They now have two e-bikes, both of them designed and specially constructed to accommodate young children.

“We have two Rad Wagons, one that has a front cargo basket plus a kiddo rack on the back that even holds our youngest son Kelvyn in a toddler bike seat. This setup is great for young passengers, and we can use the bars on the back to take surfboards and boogie boards to the beach,” says Tessa. “Our other bike has a saddlebag and a grab bar. This works better for older passengers like our 8-year-old daughter Coralyn.”

The Bryan family makes use of the bikes daily and rides about 100 miles a month on trips downtown or to the beach. “We love that, for the most part, Carpinteria is a safe place to ride and the climate makes almost every day a good day to ride.”

Tessa does have some safety and etiquette concerns.

“People in cars often don’t give the 3-foot space that is required by law, and some will accelerate when right next to a bike. This scares the kiddos.” She thinks it would be wise for car drivers to look twice to keep the bikers safe.

In this era of ever-climbing motor vehicle operation costs, Tessa points out a surprising advantage for the electric bike user. “When we started riding daily, I called my auto insurance company and was able to lower my rate based on driving less miles. With gas prices going up, families don’t have to worry about around-town errands, just take the kids on the bike!”

When asked about what they like most about their bikes, the Bryans are quick to note that the bikes are extremely user-friendly and with a little maintenance will keep going for a long time.

When it comes to bike repairs, many riders just do it

themselves. While all e-bikes are based on the standard two-wheel platform that has been around for centuries, the electronics involved in powering the bike can get complex.

Skip Woodcock at Bikesmiths in Carpinteria has been in the bike business since 1978 and took over the shop at 5441B Carpinteria Avenue about three years ago.

When asked about his perspective on the rise of e-bike usage in Carpinteria, Skip replies, “I believe it will get stronger. It’s a great way to get around and run errands, and contrary to what some think, it is a great way to get exercise.”

“I sell Benno e-bikes for three reasons—their quality, their simplicity and their comfort. As far as motors go, the Bosch brand and mid-drive configuration are more efficient, and the technology is superior. If you get a flat tire on a rear motor bike it can be difficult to repair. For the first-time buyer, my advice is to not have price points as your first concern. Check into the after-sale maintenance and stick with a shop that services what they sell.”

Skip recommends a “comfort style” of e-bike for middle age or older folks because there is much less intimidation.

Lucy Stephenson is a frequent sight on the Rincon Bike Trail that starts near her home and leads past the legendary surf at Rincon Cove. “I love the step-thru style frame of my e-bike because it is so easy to get on and off and makes the bike substantially lighter in weight.”

She recommends all riders wear very bright and reflective clothes and turn their lights on, even in the daytime. “And don’t forget the sunscreen for all those parts that peek out into the sunshine from beneath your helmet.”

Lucy has been known to also pack a few dollars for a quick coffee stop at the Shoals Restaurant or at the food stand at Hobson Beach Park.

“I actually prefer to ride alone and just enjoy the views of the mountains and ocean … it’s my solitude on wheels as I motor and pedal 10 miles or more on each outing. The freedom and simple exercise this bike has brought to my life is remarkable. Whether I am cruising in my neighborhood or rolling down the Rincon, it makes me smile!”

Smiles for miles—what’s not to like about that?  SUMMER2022 75

INGRID BOSTROM

Jasmyn Arroyo at the pick-up counter.

Padaro Beach Grill: WHERE CARPINTERIA INSIDERS DINE OUTSIDE

W ORDS BY RYA N P. C R U Z PH OT OS BY M I CH A E L K W IECINSKI

C

ruising southbound on the 101 between Summerland and Carpinteria, with the Pacific sparkling in the bright sun and the contours of the Channel Islands stretching over the horizon, it can be easy to miss the strip of surf shops, boutiques and markets on Santa Claus Lane. But for nearby beachgoers or weary and hungry travelers lucky enough to happen upon exit 90, Carpinteria’s hidden gem, Padaro Beach Grill, awaits with open arms and ocean views.

The local favorite has anchored Santa Claus Lane as the go-to place for burgers, fish tacos and beachside parties for decades. Brent and Bruce Reichard, who also founded 76 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

SUMMER2022 77

From left, grilled fish tacos, the Padaro burger and the barbecue chicken salad.

BELOW, Cook Fernando Basave preps fresh, hot meals.

Hamburger Habit and Hook Burger, purchased the Grill and refined the menu in 2011. In October 2015, Will Ransone and Capp Raisin purchased the popular eatery and have added their own personality to it over the last seven years.

“We’re right next to the beach, and we got some killer views,” says General Manager Javier Orta. “The location is one of a kind—up and down the coast. I haven’t really come across any location that’s like this place, and I think that’s what makes it so attractive.”

Javier has been working at Padaro Beach Grill for six years, and he said that although he grew up riding up and down past the spot on the highway, he didn’t really know about the vibrancy of Santa Claus Lane. Since then, says he is happy to be part of the close-knit group of businesses on the small strip. “All the businesses on this lane get along well,” he says.

The restaurant’s local reputation has always been strong, but on summers and weekends, the tourists stopping by to grab a bite to eat and hang out on the outdoor patio make up more than half of the receipts.

On any given night, there may be a baby shower, a Little League baseball banquet and a corporate business dinner all taking in the sunset on the backyard wooden tables or near the fire pit.

“When the sun’s out and the weather is good, you could say it’s like a little piece of Hawaii here in Carpinteria,” Javier says.

Even on an overcast day, it’s ideal for a solo lunch. On a weekday afternoon following an early rain, Francesca Pascolini stumbled upon the grill while on a trip from Los Angeles. She was back in town to visit a local shop, Sacred Space, and thought Padaro Beach Grill’s outdoor patio looked like a perfect place to grab a bite and enjoy the seaside breeze.

“I just happened to get off this exit, and I saw this place,” she says. “It’s beautiful. This reminds me of Costa Rica.” Something about the outdoor seating makes 78 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

INGRID BOSTROM

From left, Westmont College students Arath Gomez and Isaiah Pichon enjoy a break from the books.

SUMMER2022 79

Armando Hernandez delivers trays of Padaro Grill favorites.

Bottom: Cheers to another great meal.

80 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

people forget where they are. It could be any beach town, Pantolini says, “where it’s just chill and laid back, unassuming but beautiful.”

During the pandemic, the already socially distanced outdoor seating was a major factor in the restaurant’s ability to stay afloat. Other than a handful of indoor tables, almost every seat is outdoors. “I think like everyone we did take a hit initially,” Javier says, “but after like three months we started noticing we were getting right back on track.”

Part of the reason was that Padaro Beach Grill was one of the few places families could go and eat together outside, but the other major reason is simple: the food is great. When Will Ransone took over in 2015, he retained the menu’s signature burger options, including the local fave, the Padaro Burger—complete with a beef patty, brioche bun, chipotle mayo, bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato and an onion ring.

The nachos, salads, sandwiches and fish options are all beachside classics, and the Grill’s handmade shakes and sundaes will satisfy any sweet tooth. Padaro’s management also prides itself on keeping the menu affordable. “People are used to the quality we offer and the value for the price, so why mess with something that works,” Javier says.

In 2018, the Grill added a full vegan menu featuring plant-based entrees from Hungry Planet. “It was all really based on feedback. It just got to a point where we felt like we need to have a menu designed for those that want 100 percent vegan food options,” Javier says.

The staff, Javier says, is more like family than coworkers.

Shift supervisor Gaby Lopez, who also coordinates the restaurant’s events, started working as cashier more than 10 years ago. She says in that time, she has seen the same families come year after year. “I’ve seen people here since I’ve started and they still come, now with grandkids,” Even some of the out-of-town visitors grow to be loyal customers. “There’s a family that comes from Brazil every year,” Gaby says.

The busiest times of year, she adds, are the summer months, when the patio is packed with wedding events or people coming over from the nearby beach to grab a snack and watch the sunset. And those sunsets, she says, are one of a kind. “They’re beautiful. I think you can find any employee here, and they’ll have like 20 pictures on their phone of just the sunset.”

And with plans in the works to connect Carpinteria and Santa Claus Lane via the Coastal Vista Trail, the restaurant may see another wave of traffic, this time from hungry bicyclists wanting to catch a breath and a bite at the Santa Claus Lane spot. “We’re really excited,” Javier says. “Once it’s all said and done I think it will only benefit the businesses—not just us but everyone on this lane.”

For hours, full menu and catering options, check online at padarobeachgrill.com. 

Recommended If you’re looking for anything from a snack to a nice dinner out with friends or family, try some of Carpinteria’s favorite local restaurants.

Call ahead for hours, reserved seating or curbside pickup B E A CH L IQ U O R

Best known for their award winning burritos, Beach Liquor has a vast array of snacks, drinks and adult beverages, as well as a full Mexican grill.

Must Try: Any of the burritos or tortas 794 Linden Ave, Carpinteria, CA 93013 805-684-2919

s t a E R EY ES MARK ET

Folks come from near and far to eat these burritos, tacos, tortas and other tasty options.

Close your eyes and you’re in Mexico.

Must Try: Chile Relleno Soup, Chilaquiles, Gordita 4890 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, CA 93013 805-684-2711

DA N N Y’S DE L I

REY NAL DO’ S BAKE RY

T H E F O O D L IA ISON

SI AM EL EPHANT THAI RE S TAURANT

G IO VA N N I’S P IZZA C ARPI NT ER I A

T HARI O’ S K I T C HE N

J A CK’S B IS T R O

T HE SPOT

Danny’s Deli has been serving Carpinteria for 32 years with tri-tip, turkey and roast beef all cooked on site.

Must Try: Famous Tri-Tip Sandwich 4890 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, CA 93013 805-684-2711

Catering. Counter. Classes. Utilizing local, organic ingredients. Daily rotating entrees, soups and desserts, seasonal menus and gourmet salad bar.

Must Try: Avocado Meets Toast 1033 Casitas Pass Rd., Carpinteria, CA 93013

Specialty pizzas (meat and veggie), pastas, calzones, sandwiches and games in a casual, sit-down space, delivery or to go Must Try: Giovanni’s Original Lasagna 5003 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, CA 93013 805-684-8288 • giovanniscarp.com

Healthy California cuisine. Enjoy freshly baked bagels with whipped cream cheeses. Breakfast, lunch and beyond!

Must Try: Blackstone Benedict: w/avo, bacon, tomato 5050 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, CA 93013 805-566-1558 • bagelnet.com

Mexican & European Bakery. From handmade, traditional Mexican fare to the finest quality wedding cakes & desserts.

Must Try: Chile Verde Pork, Eggs & Cheese.

895 Linden Ave., Carpinteria, CA 93013 805-684-4981 • reynaldosbakery.com

With its reputation of authenticity and excellence, Siam Elephant stays true to the culinary culture and influences of Thailand.

Must Try: Pad Thai 509 Linden Ave., Carpinteria, CA 93013 805-684-2391 • siamelephantusa.com

“European Style” family restaurant. Homemade from scratch bread, pizza, pasta, salads and desserts. Catering and To Go. Must Try: One-pound Lasagna Brick 3807 Santa Claus Lane, Carpinteria, CA 93013 805-684-2209

Just steps from the beach, The Spot is a classic hamburger stand serving up delicious American and Mexican food at affordable prices!

Must Try: Famous Chili Cheese Fries 389 Linden Ave., Carpinteria, CA 93013 805-684-6311

P A CIF IC H E A L T H F OODS

U NC L E C HEN RE S TAURANT

P A DA R O B E A CH GRI L L

ZOOK ER S R EST AURANT

Pacific Health Foods serves the best smoothies in Carpinteria. Also fresh juices, organic baked goods, sandwiches, acai bowls, coffee & tea.

Must Try: Scarlet Begonia Juice 944 Linden Ave., Carpinteria, CA, 93013 805-684-2115

Great food, spectacular views, friendly service, pet-friendly, and a family-style atmosphere make Padaro Beach Grill the perfect place to dine.

Must Try: Any burger, especially The Padaro 3765 Santa Claus Lane, Carpinteria, CA 93013 805-566-9800

Longtime, family-run standby, Uncle Chen offers Chinese meat dishes, noodles and seafood in an informal setting.

Must Try: Casitas Green 1025 Casitas Pass Rd., Carpinteria, CA 93013 805-566-3334

Local organic produce, fresh fish, and sustainably raised meats. The “FARM TO TABLE” approach ensures the freshest food in town.

Must Try: Bacon wrapped Filet Mignon 5404 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, CA 93013 805-684-8893 • zookersrestaurant.com

SUMMER2022 81

REAL ESTATE REV I EW 82 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

Seascape Realty Buying or selling a home with us is like a walk on the beach!

PENDING

SINGING SPRINGS VILLAGE...This two bed, two bath condominium has been well maintained and updated.

An end unit with beautiful mountain views. Private patio for outdoor enjoyment and new dual pane windows throughout. Common areas: pool, clubhouse, spa. A walk across a footbridge and through a lovely neighborhood will lead you to the “World’s Safest Beach”. Near downtown Carpinteria with delightful shops, restaurants, and more.

OFFERED AT $715,000 Please call Shirley Kimberlin at 805-886-0228

CHANCE OF A LIFETIME

ENJOY THE BEACH LIFESTYLE...Delightful condominium located just steps across the street from the “WORLD’S SAFEST BEACH” and NATURE PARK PRESERVE. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, private deck with estuary and mountain views. Amenities include two swimming pools, spa, laundry room and gated parking. A perfect unit to enjoy full-time, or as a vacation retreat that can be rented weekly or monthly. Great on-site management.

OFFERED AT $1,150,000 Please call Shirley Kimberlin at 805-886-0228

SOLD!

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OPPORTUNITY! Alluring 1925 Beach House On 2 Parcels OFFERED AT $4,650,000 Please call Leah Dabney at (805) 509-4496

SOLD!

EVERYONE’S FAVORITE FLOORPLAN AT BEACHWALK! Light & bright 2 bedroom/2 bath (bedroom/bath on each floor), vaulted ceilings, & large loft overlooking expansive living room. Private, enclosed patio off both kitchen & primary bedroom, fireplace, large 2-car garage just steps away. Convenient location within complex includes beautiful mountain views from kitchen & loft. Close to freeway & easy access to downtown and the beach!

OFFERED AT $839,000 Please call Terry Stain (805)705-1310

VISTA DE SANTA BARBARA MOBILE HOME... Where the grass is always green. Relax on the inviting front porch or in the sunny back yard. This home has 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and many upgrades including double pane windows, new front porch with Trex decking and steps.

OFFERED AT $395,000 Please call Nancy Branigan at 805-886-7593

Explore Our BEACHSIDE VACATION RENTALS SeascapeVacation.com

4915-C Carpinteria Ave. Carpinteria • 805.684.4161 SUMMER2022 83

REAL ESTATE REV I EW

Over $950,000,000 sold in Santa Barbara Real Estate CAREER SALES Thinking of buying or selling?

Call me today: 805-455-8910 Top 5 Individual Agents in closing since 2000* Top 10 Individual Agents in Sales volume since 2000* #1 Individual Agent in Carpinteria 2020* Real Estate Broker for 27 years Attorney for 30 years (non-practicing)

Gary@coastalrealty.com www.garygoldberg.net

*Based on Individual Rankings from Santa Barbara Board of Realtors DRE #01172139 84 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE.com

Looking to vacation in Carpinteria?

Fantastic, fully stocked, 3 bedroom, 2 bath roomy condo with large front yard and private hottub area. This condo is perfect for a large family. It is walking distance to the beach and downtown Carpinteria.

Carpinteria Shores is right on the sand. Select from a range of prices for our individually owned and decorated two bedroom vacation rental condos which sleep up to six comfortably. Everything included except linens, which weʼre pleased to provide upon request. Available for short or long term stays.

Wonderful three bedroom, two bath in the heart of Carpinteria.

Beautifully remodeled home within walking distance to everything Carpinteria. Available for three night minimum stays. Everything you need for a perfect getaway.

805.684.4101 5441 Carpinteria Ave. Carpinteria, CA 93013

www.murphykingrealestate.com

The Beachcomber is located right across the street from Carpinteria Beach, where you can swim or just relax. At night you can enjoy the beautiful sunsets. All of the downstairs units are available for weekly rental. 1 & 2 bedrooms available.

DEBBIE MURPHY

Broker/Property Manager/Notary DRE #00580025

THIS LIFESTYLE WILL MOVE YOU HOMES

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VIEWS

480 TORO CANYON ROAD I $2,395,000 Private, enchanting fixer home with gorgeous ocean and mountain views, and pool.

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5522 CALLE OCHO I $2,395,000 Live the beach lifestyle! Incredible opportunity on almost a half acre, in desirable Concha Loma.

DRE: 01308141

YO L A N DA VA N W IN G E RD E N 805.570.4965 • Yolanda @AskYo.com

www.AskYo.com

SUMMER2022 85

CONTRIBUTORS EVELYN SPENCE

INGRID BOSTROM

PETER DUGRÉ

DEBRA HERRICK

ROBIN KARLSSON

is a graduate of the University of California and is going on her fifth year writing, editing and reporting on various hot-button issues within Santa Barbara County.

She has served as the assistant editor for Coastal View News for over a year and is passionate about covering local, city and school board topics.

has always let her imagination lead the way. Her photography career evolved from other creative endeavors—studying art, interior designing and training actors at a medical school. Landing in Carpinteria more than four years ago, she established her photography business and her belief that there’s no better place to live.

has explored every topic under the sun in his decade-plus of writing for Coastal View News and Carpinteria Magazine. In 2018, he co-founded Two Trumpets Communications, a Carpinteriabased company that provides public outreach for a variety of clients.

is the managing editor of Coastal View News and co-founder and editor-in-chief of Lum Art Magazine.

She holds a PhD in Latin American Literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a specialization in the intersection of contemporary art and literature.

is most likely to be seen with a camera up to her eye, riding a bike or walking a dog or two. She’s a lover of sea glass, fonts and always up for a good winter sunset, but her favorite photo subjects are her grandchildren, Carpinterians Sven, 3, and Zoe, 1.

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CHUCK GRAHAM is a Carpinteriabased writer and photographer who also works as a beach lifeguard and leads kayak tours at the Channel Islands National Park. His work has appeared in Backpacker, BBC Wildlife Magazine and National Geographic Books.

His award-winning book, “Carrizo Plain, Where the Mountains Meet the Grasslands,” was released in 2020.

RYAN P. CRUZ

MICHAEL KWIECINSKI

AMY MARIE OROZCO

GLENN DUBOCK

was born and raised in Santa Barbara and served as editor of The Channels at Santa Barbara City College before writing for Coastal View News and The Santa Barbara Independent. In his work, Cruz covers a variety of topics including food, sports, local news, city government, music, arts and culture.

received his first camera at 12 years old. He then studied fine art and photography at Cleveland Institute of Art & School of Visual Arts in New York City. After 20 years of experience he created Wonder Tribe, a fine art photography business specializing in portraits, weddings and family photography.

is a devoted dumpster diver who loves to write even more so than digging and sifting through thrift shops and cruising yard sales—making her a natural to pen the St. Joseph’s Resale Shop story. “Our stuff is the best sociology lesson; forget the textbooks,” hypothesizes Amy.

has been a resident of Carpinteria since 1975 and has had a camera in his hands since the lights went on. He retired last year from a 40-year career in marketing and editorial photography and now works at a second dream job as the owner of dubockgallery.com, his online store for purchasing photographic art.

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FINAL FRAME

FUL L H OUS E In Carpinteria, both humans and wildlife enjoy some of the most incredible real estate in the world. This hummingbird family built its petite home within a greenhouse at Airplant Alchemy on Casitas Pass Road. Will they flip it for something larger when mom and dad don't have two more mouths to feed? Nah. They're too "cheep." 

BY C HUC K G R A HA M

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Cultivating Excellence We strive to set best farming practices among California farmers in alignment with our community partners.

Consistent high-quality greenhouse cannabis grown by 10 member farms under the Carpinteria valley sun on the Santa Barbara coast.