From left, one of the brains behind Small Town Art Publications, David Powdrell, tosses an arm around photographer Hal Price on Sunday, April 6 at the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center. The pair joined dozens of Carpinterians in celebrating the release of Small Town Art Publications’ second book: “Small Town Big Appetite: Savoring the Arts and Eats of Carpinteria” (2025). “Small Town Big Appetite” showcases local recipes, restaurants and artists; all proceeds go back to the arts center and the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. Learn more on page 12 of this week’s print.
KARLSSON
DomingodeResurrección
“O r an l s cristianos o r ndas de alaban a m triunfant t s levanta ¡Resucitó t d vera r s mi am Domingo, 0 d abril el Misa a la 7:00 am 11:0
s A u
St Jos h Ch rch + I l sia San Jos + 1500 Linden
From left, Roy Lee, Santa Barbara County first district supervisor; Jerry Wilson, Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit; Jessie Altstatt, Santa Barbara Audubon Society; Mike Wondolowski, Carpinteria Valley Association; Chuck McPartlin, Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit; Pat McPartlin, Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit; Susan Bott, WE Watch; and Joan Hartmann, Santa Barbara County third district supervisor.
County declares April 21-28 International Dark Sky Week
At a meeting last week, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors declared April 21-28 International Dark Sky Week. The proclamation was accepted by the Carpinteria Valley Association (CVA), Santa Barbara Audubon Society, WE Watch, Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit and Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The week raises awareness of the effects of light pollution. “What is great is this is one of the rare forms of pollution that is completely reversible immediately – as soon as the light is turned off or pointed down, the pollution is gone,” CVA President Mike Wondolowski said.
This week was first celebrated by a high school student in Virginia in 2003. The Carpinteria City Council is set to review a proclamation also designating April 21-28 as International Dark Sky Week at next week’s city council meeting, scheduled for Monday, April 14.
Household Goods and Hazardous Waste Day: April 12
Drop off unwanted household goods and waste at Carpinteria City Hall on Saturday, April 12, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. during the city’s Household Goods and Hazardous Waste Day.
The city will accept appliances, electronics, furniture and more, as well as pesticides, automotive fluids, cleaning products, fluorescent bulbs and medications. Donations are limited to 15 liquid gallons per car. The city will not accept tires, explosives, biohazards or radioactive materials.
Businesses that want to drop off small quantity generators must make an appointment beforehand; hazardous waste ID is required. Large quantity generators and businesses without appointments will be rejected.
Carpinteria City Hall is located at 5775 Carpinteria Ave. Learn more by calling (805) 755-4431 or emailing sustainability@carpinteriaca.gov.
Mosaic Therapy Collective accepts donation from Kyle’s Kitchen
The Mosaic Therapy Collective — run by Executive Director Sharon MacDonald of Carpinteria — recently received a $4,244 donation from Kyle’s Kitchen, a Goleta-based restaurant.
The nonprofit Mosaic Therapy Collective helps “bridge the gap between therapists and families with disabilities,” MacDonald said in a press release sent out last week. The collective has served over 450 families and children since its launch in February 2023.
Kyle’s Kitchen was founded by Jay and Deena Ferro and inspired by their son, Kyle, who was born with special needs.
“It has been a privilege to address the significant needs within our community and help build a supportive network for families of children with disabilities,” said President Shay MacDonald. “At Mosaic, families receive more than just therapy — they become part of a compassionate, inclusive community where they are welcomed with open arms. We provide a space for families to connect, grow, and build lasting friendships, creating a safe and supportive environment that helps them thrive.”
Learn more about Mosaic online at mosaictherapycollective.com.
April 7–11 is Adolescent Immunization Action Week
The week of April 7–11 is Adolescent Immunization Action Week, the Santa Barbara County Health reminds residents.
Per the county, preteens and teenagers should stay up-to-date on vaccines that protect against meningitis, influenza, cancers caused by HPV, Covid-19, and whooping cough.
“Whooping cough is a serious infectious disease on the rise in the US, across all age groups. Adolescents are at risk for infection and need a booster dose to be protected,” County Health Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg said in a press release sent out this week. For the full list of recommended immunizations, visit sbcphd.org/iz or call (805) 346-8420. To get an individual’s full vaccine history, visit myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov. 26 April 5-9pm 5050ElCarroLaneCarpinteria,CA
Kyle’s Kitchen owners Deena Ferro and Kyle Ferro, with Mosaic Therapy Collective President Shay MacDonald.
FOR SALE
Buildable lot on golf course on the 12th hole of the Mission Club Golf Course in Lompoc, .47 acre. Sight plans, lot & house plans included. Price reduction NOW $325,000 Owner will carry financing, for qualified buyer.
Amazing Opportunity on the edge of the estuary! This large lot with commercial planned development, residential zoning and utilities at property is ready for your vision. A 2nd story would bring stunning sunset and estuary views.
$1,600,000
Sweet 1 bd / 1 bath, loft condo at Sandpiper, just 1/2 block to the beach. 220 Elm Ave. #10, in Carpinteria $739,000
CVWD seeks input on property tax option for CAPP project costs
BY BOB MCDONALD, GENERAL MANAGER, CARPINTERIA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT
The Carpinteria Valley Water District (CVWD) is asking for input on a crucial decision that will affect how customers pay for the Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project (CAPP).
Should CAPP costs appear as a line item on semi-annual property tax bills, or as a new fixed charge on monthly water bills?
SOLD
2 bd. /1 bath at desirable Beachwalk complex. Light, bright and airy corner unit with balcony and garage. $779,000 Contact Leah Wagner @ 805-901-6096
VACATION RENTALS
Spring Availability at Carpinteria Shores
Fantastic 2 bd. / 1 bath Beach front condos
$500 nightly. Units 102, 104, 112, 208, 308. To view units, visit our website @ www. murphykingrealestate.com.
Spring Availability at Sunset Shores
Several stylish 1 bd./ 1 bath condos available. $199 - $285 per night depending on unit. Units 139, 211, 230 & 233. To view units, visit our website @ www.murphykingrealestate.com.
LONG TERM RENTALS
Coming Soon…2 great units at Singing Springs Complex, 2bd./2bath $3100. Available 4/15/25 CREEKSIDE, 3 bd/ 2 bath, new carpet and paint.
Debbie Murphy, Broker
Kim Fly, Broker Associate
Leah Wagner, Realtor
Carolyn Friedman, Realtor
Heidi & Jim Michener, Vacation Hosts 805-684-4101 murphykingrealestate.com
Real Estate Sales•Rental Housing•Property Management Vacation Rentals•Notary Services
Beach town, Hootennanny sing-along
4 Fridays 4/18-5/9 1:30-3pm $65 for joyous fun singing songs you know. Contact Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center 805-684-7789
Providing local news and information for the Carpinteria Valley
Managing Editor Evelyn Spence
Assistant Editor Jun Starkey
Sports Editor Ryan P. Cruz
Photographer Robin Karlsson
Advertising Manager Karina Villarreal
Publishers Gary L. Dobbins, Michael VanStry
Coastal View News is locally owned and operated by RMG Ventures, LLC, 4180 Via Real Suite F, Carpinteria, CA 93013, and is published every Thursday. Coastal View News has been adjudged a newspaper of general circulation by the Superior Court of Santa Barbara County, Case No. 210046. Coastal View News assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.
CAPP is a drought-resistant, locally controlled water source project. The project takes treated wastewater, purifies it to drinking water standards and injects it into groundwater, for reuse as a potable water supply. As a result, Carpinteria Valley is less reliant on imported water, which is becoming increasingly expensive and unreliable. CAPP enhances longterm water sustainability and reliability for the region.
The big question: property tax or water bill?
The CVWD needs to decide how to recover the costs of the CAPP project, which is now moving into its final design phase. There are two main options: add a line item to each parcel’s property tax bill, paid twice a year, or add a new fixed charge to each customer’s monthly water bill. It’s important to understand the total amount that customers pay for CAPP will be the same under both options. The difference is how and when customers pay the charge. In both cases, the charges are scaled based on meter size to ensure fairness across customers.
Coastal View News welcomes your le ers
Le ers must include your name, address and phone number. Le ers are subject to editing. Le ers over 300 words will be edited in length. Submit online at coastalview.com
There are two main options: add a line item to each parcel’s property tax bill, paid twice a year, or add a new fixed charge to each customer’s monthly water bill. It’s important to understand the total amount that customers pay for CAPP will be the same under both options. The difference is how and when customers pay the charge.
Why consider a property tax?
One of the primary advantages of placing CAPP charges on property tax bills is the potential to minimize the financial burden felt by customers. In a climate of rising consumer prices and persistent inflation, sustained increases in monthly water bills could strain household budgets. By shifting the charges to property tax bills, CVWD believes the financial impact may feel less burdensome to customers, even though the total cost remains unchanged.
Adding the charge to property tax bills aligns the cost burden with the long-term beneficiaries of the CAPP project — property owners. Property owners are the long-term beneficiary of the CAPP project because property values can be affected by water supply reliability. Some towns in California have experienced stagnant property values as a result of inadequate and unsustainable water supplies.
Placing the CAPP charge on property tax bills avoids adding a new fixed charge to customer water bills. This is beneficial because CVWD’s monthly water bills are already complex. Adding another fixed charge would further complicate the water bills.
Additionally, the more fixed charges on the water bill, the less control customers have over their monthly bill. Placing the CAPP charge on property tax bills avoids complicating the water bill and it avoids reducing customer control over their water bill.
PUBLIC NOTICE
The transparency concern
CVWD understands that adding a charge to property tax bills might raise concerns about transparency. To address this, the district is committed to open communication. Follow CVWD on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), or Nextdoor for regular updates. Look for a summary document with the April water bill. Visit cvwd.net/capp/public-participation-meetings/ for additional detail. CVWD’s goal is not to hide the cost of the CAPP project, but to choose the collection method that minimizes the financial burden on customers.
How to participate
CVWD is asking for input from customers. Your feedback will help shape this important decision. Provide written comments through the online form at cvwd.net/capp/public-participation-meetings/. CVWD’s General Manager Bob McDonald is available to answer questions at (805) 263-4826.
CVWD’s Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on this decision on June 25, 2025. Attend any board meeting before then to voice your opinion. Meetings are typically held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 5:30 p.m. at Carpinteria City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave.
Robert McDonald is the general manager of the Carpinteria Valley Water District. He can be reached at bob@cvwd.net.
Carpinteria Groundwater Sustainability Agency (CGSA) Public Listening Sessions
The Carpinteria Groundwater Sustainability Agency (CGSA) invites you to participate in a series of public listening sessions to help shape the Well Registration and Metering Policy for private wells in the Carpinteria Groundwater Basin (CGB).
√ Well registration process & timeline
Key Topics:
√ Future billing periods
√ Metering requirements & data collection When & Where:
Listening Session Dates:
Session #1 Monday, March 31 – 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Session #2 Monday, April 14 – 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Session #3 Monday, April 28 – 5:30-6:30 p.m.
√ Exemptions & compliance
Carpinteria Valley Water District Board Room 1301 Santa Ynez Avenue, Carpinteria, CA 93013
Join via Zoom: carpgsa.org/listening-sessions
Your input is essential! Help us develop a policy that supports sustainable groundwater management for our community.
Stay Updated: Sign up for CGSA email updates at carpgsa.org.
The cost of a settlement
Abusing children is irrefutably wrong. But in our society, doing the right thing in seeking justice isn’t always obvious. First, I would argue it is wrong to assume all victims of child abuse suffer a lifetime of pain, as did last week’s letter writer (CVN Vol. 31, No. 28). People may see this as a compassionate point of view, but in essence, it is relegating victims of abuse to a label that can never be transcended, a life with no light at the end of the tunnel in regard to mental health and well-being, and the weight of having to bear a mark of shame or embarrassment imposed upon them by society because what they endured has irrevocably changed them.
This perspective defines child abuse victims as victims of their entire life story. Society will afford victims the status of ‘victors’ when perpetrators are punished, but there is no victory when the legal system monetizes this pain, and in the case against Carpinteria Unified School District (CVN Vol. 31, No. 28 ) demands $50 million that will bankrupt a school district and cause harm to hundreds of other children. Huge monetary settlements do not heal trauma. The money serves to emphasize the suffering rather than the redemption of suffering, which could come in the form of making the school system safer and better for today’s children, not destroying it.
Maggie Light Carpinteria
Legal victory for middle school teacher
I am glad that a female judge gave the legal victory to Carpinteria Unified
CVN
LETTERS
“The
money serves to emphasize the suffering rather than the redemption of suffering, which could come in the form of making the school system safer and better for today’s children, not destroying it.”
— Maggie Light
dren in the park fills my soul with joy. I enjoy sharing “good morning!” greetings with total strangers, and positively love saying hello to all the dogs, especially that sweet beagle at the nail salon. It sometimes surprises me that people are so kind, helpful, and friendly. Does Carpinteria have its issues? Of course. Every town does. But, on the whole, I’d say that Carpinteria is one of the best places in the world to live.
Phoenix Hocking Carpinteria
School District Union President Jay Hotchner and he can now return to teach at the middle school if he so desires (CVN Vol. 31, No. 29).
Two of my daughters had Mr. Hotchner as their history teacher and they have nothing but respect for him as a teacher and as a person with good moral values. The $3.5 million thrown away by the district on lawyers should have been spent on teachers’ salaries, student programs and the students testing results would have been improved.
Furthermore, we could have had a healthy budget, had the district officials not (overspent) those $3.5 million in vain. They showed a lack of leadership that needs to be corrected for the benefit of teachers, students and families. We are property taxpayers and we need as a community that money to be invested on education, not on attorneys.
Monica M. Delgado Carpinteria
Gratitude for Carpinteria
My usual morning jaunt turned into a gratitude walk today. I go down Palm, across the boardwalk, and up Linden, stopping at the Worker Bee Cafe for a cup of coffee before heading home. I feel incredibly fortunate to live in this beautiful little town. I appreciate the homey houses with their sweet porches. I chuckle at “stump tower” with the long nose. The ocean view from the boardwalk is magnificent. The innocent play of chil-
Sign up at
Coastal View News welcomes your le ers Le ers must include your name, address and phone number. Le ers are subject to editing. Le ers over 300 words will be edited in length. Submit online at coastalview.com
CVN
Aliso School recognized as a 2025 California Distinguished School
SUPERINTENDENT’S DESK
announced that 336 elementary schools have been selected for the prestigious 2025 California Distinguished Schools Program, California’s school recognition program that recognizes two categories of exceptional schools: those closing the achievement gap and those demonstrating exceptional student performance.
A great opportunity for a quali ed
DIANA RIGBY
CUSD SUPERINTENDENT
Editor’s Note: A copy of the Superintendent’s Report is run in print as a service for parents, students and community members who cannot attend Carpinteria Unified School District Board of Trustee meetings. This report was read aloud during the school board’s April 8, 2025 meeting.
Aliso Elementary School has been recognized as a 2025 California Distinguished School. Last week, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond
From the California Department of Education (CDE): “Since its inception in 1985, the California Distinguished Schools Award remains one of the state’s most important ways to celebrate exceptional schools, districts, teachers, and classified employees for their innovation, talent, and success in supporting students. The exceptional elementary schools recognized this year are illustrative of the persistence and promise of California’s students, educators, and schools. To select California Distinguished Schools, the California Department of Education uses multiple measures to identify eligible schools based on their performance on the state indicators as specified on the California School Dashboard (Dashboard).
Dashboard, with a focus on demonstrating excellence and growth in academic achievement and ensuring a positive school climate. Schools recognized for closing the achievement gap have demonstrated exemplary growth for student groups that have experienced persistent achievement gaps and have also demonstrated strong overall outcomes for all students.
A rare chance to enjoy this mountain view plus the bene ts of home ownership. This mobilehome will be an excellent value for a buyer with some trade skills and some cash. Straight talk here: It’s a small home, it needs a new roof and other repairs (info available), it has “good bones” and it’s in a unique view spot in one of Carpinteria’s better parks. It’s priced with all this in mind, the purchase is nanceable with a 25% down payment, and the space rent is under Carp’s rent control ordinance.
Specifically, schools were selected by analyzing data reported through the 2024
To qualify for a closing the achievement gap recognition, schools must enroll at least 40% of students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds and have demonstrated exceptional growth in English language arts (ELA) or math to close persistent achievement gaps. The school must have also achieved a ‘blue’ or ‘green’ status on the Dashboard for all students’ ELA achievement, math achievement, chronic absenteeism, and suspension indicators, or have received a ‘yellow’ indicator that demonstrates a significant increase from prior years’ achievement on those indicators. In order to certify the legitimacy of these results, schools must have ensured that 95% of students participated in statewide assessments for the 2022–23 and 2023–24 school years.”
robotics and computer science activities: remote controlled tank obstacle course, Lego sumo challenge, drone coding, robot racing, fix the robot and pinball launcher. Engineering tasks include designing a marshmallow launcher, building a catapult and 3D printing.
Talent Showcase: April 12
On April 12 at the Alcazar Theater, the Rotary Club of Carpinteria will produce its annual variety show with proceeds supporting the Carpinteria Unified School District (CUSD) music program. We appreciate their generosity in sponsoring the arts, music and theater programs in our schools.
Spring open houses
All families are encouraged to participate in our spring open house, including: Carpinteria Middle School, April 10, 5–6 p.m.; Carpinteria High School, April 14, 6 p.m.; Canalino/CFS, April 17, 5–7 p.m.; Summerland Elementary School, April 25, 5:30–6:30 p.m.; and Aliso Elementary School, May 1, 4:30–6:30 p.m.
Measure U
Congratulations to Canalino teacher
2
MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM
stefanie@montecitolawgroup.com
MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM
Martha Rugg, Canalino Elementary School’s instructional assistant, has been awarded the Environmental Stewardship Award by Explore Ecology for her dedication to protecting the planet. At Canalino and Carpinteria Family School, Martha has spearheaded composting and garden education programs, led the Whale Mural Project, and inspired our students to become stewards of our campus. She will be honored at the Environmental Stewardship Awards luncheon on April 17.
Single-Family f rom 2-bedroom cottages to luxury estates
Career technical education for fifth grade
Multi-Family investment properties and investment analysis
MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM
stefanie@montecitolawgroup.com
559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363
559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363
559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363
stefanie@montecitolawgroup.com
ATTORNEY
STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY
STEFANIE HERRINGTON
STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY 559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363
MONTECITO LAW GROUP
MONTECITO LAW GROUP
When my elderly mother recently had a serious emergency, she decided that she wanted to her will. My mom’s mind was put at ease knowing was handled and I’m sure this helped in her recovery process. Stefanie was compassionate, gracious, responsive and professional throughout the She is the right person to handle these sensitive important personal matters.
559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363 WWW.MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM
During April, all fifth grade students will be introduced to robotics, computer science, engineering and manufacturing at CHS. Students will spend two mornings at CHS with high school teachers and students participating in the following
The new TK/kindergarten Building Project at Aliso Elementary received the initial response from DSA’s Access Compliance, Fire Life Safety, and Structural Safety on March 24. These comments are standard and will be addressed by the design team. The coastal development permit and development plan submitted to the City remain under review. The required environmental testing of all seven portables at Canalino and Aliso scheduled for removal has been completed with test results scheduled this week. Bid and award schedules have been set to begin in May with plans and specifications being finalized. Portables are scheduled for removal at the beginning of summer. Diana Rigby is the superintendent of Carpinteria Unified School District. For more information about CUSD, log on to cusd.net, or contact Diana at drigby@cusd.net or (805) 684-4511x222.
Residential Land Residential acreage and farm land
Manufactured Homes i ncluding mobilehomes and park-model homes
I can’t recommend Montecito Law Group (Stefanie Herrington and her Team) highly enough! When my elderly mother recently had a serious medical emergency, she decided that she wanted to change her will. My mom’s mind was put at ease knowing this was handled and I’m sure this helped in her recovery process. Stefanie was compassionate, gracious, responsive and professional throughout the process. She is the right person to handle these sensitive and important personal matters.
559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363
559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108
(805) 293-6363
WWW.MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM
WWW.MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM
I can’t recommend Montecito Law (Stefanie Herrington and her Team) highly
Working with Stefanie and the team at Montecito Law Group was a pleasure. They made the complexities of establishing an estate plan and trust, very easy to understand and implement. By asking insightful questions, Stefanie ensured that our specific needs were accommodated and that all areas of concern were proactively addressed. Having our trust planned by Stefanie, lets us rest more comfortably, knowing that our children will have expert representation, and counsel as needed in the future.
I can’t recommend Montecito Law Group (Stefanie Herrington and her Team) highly enough! When my elderly mother recently had a serious medical emergency, she decided that she wanted to change her will. My mom’s mind was put at ease knowing this was handled and I’m sure this helped in her recovery process. Stefanie was compassionate, gracious, responsive and professional throughout the process. She is the right person to handle these sensitive and important personal matters.
STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY
STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY
_ Jim Soriano
— Becki Norton
STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY
— Becki
STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY
Norton
STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY
559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363
STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY
STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY
STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY
559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108
559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363
Homeless housing nonprofit DignityMoves eyes expansion to Carpinteria
BY EVELYN SPENCE
DignityMoves — a nonprofit that builds transitional housing units for homeless community members — is eyeing an expansion to Carpinteria, DignityMoves’ Regional Advancement Director Jack Lorenz told Coastal View News
The nonprofit builds rent-free “villages,” with dozens of tiny units, on what Lorenz called borrowed land. Counties or private landowners temporarily donate the land for DignityMoves’ use; the villages remain for roughly three to five years before being moved.
“Oftentimes, you might have a developer who plans to develop a site but probably won’t break ground for fi ve years,” Lorenz said. “So we say to them, ‘Hey, this land is going to sit here for fi ve years. Would you mind if we used it?’”
To date, the statewide nonprofit has opened three other sites in Santa Barbara County: the Santa Barbara State Street Village, with 34 units; in Goleta, an 82unit village called La Posada; and one in Santa Maria, Hope Village, with 94 units. These adult-only villages are always at capacity, and DignityMoves is curently pursuing plans for a Family Village in Santa Barbara.
All three were built on county land and funded by private donations. Over the past three years, these villages have served 500 homeless residents, and close to 70% have moved on to stable housing.
Lorenz said the nonprofit has the support of the city of Carpinteria and members of the council — and donors who will fund the construction have been secured — but DignityMoves hasn’t found suitable land.
“We’ve come close a few times, but it’s just not worked out yet,” he said. “Everybody in Carp has been incredibly supportive… it’s not for a lack of support, it’s for a lack of land that we’ve been unable to build a village there.”
The steel-framed modular units, which have heating and air conditioning, cost roughly $50,000 each. Each resident gets their own room with a door that locks, and the rooms are decorated pre-move-in by local volunteers. At the Santa Barbara site — operated by Good Samaritan Shelter — residents share a dining area, bathrooms and a laundry room. Three meals a day are provided.
Once a community member is flagged as experiencing homelessness, they are entered into the Coordinated Entry System and assigned a case worker from either a county agency or a nonprofit, like DignityMoves. That case worker will work to get them into DignityMoves housing as long as they meet the criteria: they are willing to accept help, and they’re willing to come up with a plan to get off the street, Lorenz said.
Residents must sign a code of conduct beforehand, which bars drugs and visitors. DignityMoves also has cameras up, and at night, a security guard on site.
Once they are living in the village, residents are connected with local social services on-site to get help with rehab, education, documentation, applications, job training and financial aid. The goal is to get residents into permanent housing within six to 12 months of entering the
The DignityMoves Santa Barbara State Street Village has 34 units. Each resident is given their own unit; the goal is to get all residents into permanent housing within six to 12 months of entering the village. village.
Many residents come in with medical, substance, legal and mental health issues.
“Without an address, it’s almost impossible to function,” Lorenz said.
At heart of the DignityMoves villages are the four Ps: possessions, partners, pets and privacy. Homeless community members can bring their pets to the village, and if they have a partner, DignityMoves will provide a double bed.
“We’ve tried to knock down all barriers to accepting help,” Lorenz said. “... It’s amazing how quickly people get on the right track once they just get a good night’s sleep. Most of our residents sleep for the first two or three months. They close that door, they turn on the air conditioning, and they sleep.”
An ideal Carpinteria village — a similar model to the Santa Barbara site — would have roughly 20-25 units for adults on a quarter of an acre. Per last year’s Point In Time Count, which tallies the number of homeless community members in Santa Barbara County, 42 Carpinterians are living on the street.
“Twenty-five units would really address the problem (in Carpinteria),” Lorenz said.
There’s sometimes pushback when DignityMoves comes into a community, but Lorenz attributes this to “fear and a lack of information.”
“We only build where the homeless people are. Initially people will say, ‘Why are you bringing all these people into my neighborhood?’ And I’m like, ‘No, they’re already there, that’s why we’re building it there,’” he explained. In Santa Barbara County, 78% of homeless community members lived in the county before becoming homeless. “They already are our neighbors. We went to school with them, we shopped with them, we worked with
HAPPY EASTER
“We’ve come close a few times, but it’s just not worked out yet (...) Everybody in Carp has been incredibly supportive… it’s not for a lack of support, it’s for a lack of land that we’ve been unable to build a village there.”
—
DignityMoves
Regional Advancement
Director
Jack Lorenz
them — they had some hard luck.”
The project also has the support of prominent locals including Marybeth Carty, a longtime proponent of DignityMoves. Carty is the executive director of the Natalie Orfalea Foundation, which fiscally supported all three Santa Barbara County DignityMoves villages.
Carty, who has toured the sites, said the villages are incredibly quiet. The residents are people who are “ready to get off
the streets” and get some much-needed rest, she said.
“They end up getting jobs, getting other places to live. This gives them the opportunity to get back on their feet again (…) The people that are unhoused in our area — we know them. We know them by name. Those would be many of the people who would be housed (in the villages) and given an opportunity to reset and be rehoused.”
Thursday, April 10 2:30 - 4:30pm
COURTESY PHOTO
A decorated unit at the DignityMoves Santa Barbara State Street Village.
SCHOOL NOTES
COMPILED BY JUN STARKEY
Damian Barrera joins CCP board of trustees
Damian Barrera is the newest member of the Carpinteria Children’s Project’s (CCP) board of trustees. He will serve a three-year term on the nonprofit’s board.
“I joined the board because I believe in the organization’s mission to provide essential resources, support, and a nurturing environment that helps children and families thrive in Carpinteria,” Barrera said in a press release.
Barrera — who is originally from Argentina — and his wife Stephanie recently moved to Carpinteria with their son, Enzo, who is a student at CCP, according to a press release from the organization.
Barrera attended Cal State Fullerton, where he earned an accounting degree, and spent a decade as a sales tax auditor for the state of California. Since 2021, he has worked for the BDO USA public accounting, providing tax consulting. According to the press release, Barrera also coached eight seasons of girls basketball at a high school in Santa Ana, while also working to sustain the program through fundraising campaigns.
“We are thrilled to add Damian Barrera to our hardworking board of trustees,” said CCP Executive Director Teresa Alvarez. “He brings key experience in community development along with a personal investment in our programming as the parent of one of our preschoolers.”
The Carpinteria Children’s Project is located at 5201 Eighth St.
Howard School celebrates five years on campus with auction
The Howard School will host an auction celebrating five years at its 5050 El Carro Lane campus on Saturday, April 26, 5–9 p.m., with a cocktail hour, a silent auction, live auction and dinner.
Due to The Howard School — which serves kids from preschool through eighth grade — being a nonprofit, events like this help fund scholarships and keep costs low for families, parent helper and The Howard School board member Leah Harding told Coastal View News. An online auction will also launch on April 22 and remain open through April 27.
Tickets for the event can be purchased online at ticketstripe.com/howardanniversarygala, and online donations can be made at 32auctions.com/THSAuction25.
Aliso Elementary to host Children’s Day on Thursday
Friends of the Carpinteria Library and Artesania Para La Familia are collaborating on a Children’s Day/Book Day celebration at Aliso Elementary School on Thursday, April 10, 2:30–4:30 p.m.
Kids will meet local authors and tackle different crafts and activities. The event is sponsored by Friends of the Carpinteria Library, the Ann Jackson Family Foundation, La Centra-Summerlin Foundation and Montecito Bank & Trust.
The school is located at 4545 Carpinteria Ave.
Smartphones and social media parent workshop: April 24
Carpinteria Family School will host a parent workshop about smartphones and social media, led by TechWell with pediatrician Dr. Kristen Hughes and school psychologist Kym Ozburn, on April 24, 5:30–7 p.m., at Canalino Elementary School, at 1480 Linden Ave.
Those interested and in need of childcare while attending the event can email Parents for Carpinteria Family School at board@parentsforcfs.org by April 15. Spanish translation will be available.
COURTESY PHOTO
Damian Barrera
New office, same smiles: Aloha Dental Care relocates to Eugenia Place
BY EVELYN SPENCE
Aloha Dental Care, which was on Carpinteria Avenue for roughly 18 years, is now at 1145 Eugenia Pl. #102.
The decision to move ultimately came down to accessibility, owner Michael Harrington told Coastal View News. Their old location was on the second floor, in a building with no elevator; a few of their patients, who had left because they could no longer climb the stairs, are now back.
“We’ve seen an uptick in patients,” Michael said. “They’re amazingly gratified by the new location.”
Michael’s wife, Jan — the brains behind the office’s decoration and redesign, and the painter of much of the office’s beach-inspired decor — said before the move, “(Michael) came home and said, ‘I can’t stand people telling me they can’t come to me anymore, they can’t walk up the stairs.’ We had a (patient) who was 105 years old.”
Michael, who earned an undergraduate degree from Northwest Nazarene College in Idaho and his DDS from Meharry Medical College in Tennessee, got his start as a dentist in Ventura in 2000. He opened up a solo practice there in 2002, before coming to Carpinteria in 2008.
He told Coastal View News he always wanted to help people, thus the draw to dentistry. “I always was scientifically minded,” he said. “I’m creative, I like the art of shaping teeth, the precision cutting of the teeth that we do (...) the mix of art and science, along with helping people.”
He still splits his time between the Carpinteria and Ventura Aloha Dental offices, but after years of regularly commuting, Jan and Michael moved to Carpinteria two years ago. “We love both communities, but Carpinteria is just such a nice, walkable town,” Michael said.
The Aloha Dental practice has been open on Eugenia Place since January of this year. With the move, the practice welcomed a new associate dentist: Dr. Sherwin Owiesy. Beyond Michael and Owiesy, Aloha has two dental hygienists,
Amanda Ramirez and Annie Doyle.
Owiesy is bringing additional techniques into the practice, Michael said, and the office is now replacing implants and offering root canals. Owiesy completed his undergraduate degree at Baylor University in Texas and then pursued his master’s degree and dental schooling at Midwestern University College in Arizona.
Both Owiesy and Michael were drawn to Carpinteria by a love of surfing. Owiesy grew up in Corona, California, and spent some time in Texas; Michael grew up in Bakersfield before heading down south.
The love of surfing also inspired the practice’s name. Michael and Jan have spent extensive time in Hawaii, with a preference for the Big Island. His favorite surfing spot is Pine Trees on the Big Island.
“We love Hawaii. Eventually, that will be the retirement location,” Michael said. “We just wanted to bring that spirit of Aloha — happy, grateful, you’re here, we’re gonna treat you like family.”
Although Michael and Jan signed a
lease for the new office in 2023, construction wasn’t completed until late 2024. The place had to be gutted and redesigned. More than a dozen of Jan’s nature-inspired paintings now decorate the walls; most were created specifically for the new office, while a few others were brought over from the old location.
The rooms are themed: a mermaid room, a sea turtle room, a lifeguard room, and a surf room. “I wanted to do a really beachy, natural design that I think patients would be comfortable in,” Jan said.
Beyond the office, Jan’s art is all over Carpinteria; her latest exhibit is up now at Santa Barbara Hives. Her work has been featured in several galleries and stores locally, as well as in Hawaii. She cites artists Patrick Chung and Arturo Tello as inspirations. “I love to (paint) mermaids, surfers, the waves,” she said.
Learn more about Aloha Dental online at alohadentalcare.net.
SPENCE
Aloha Dental Care owner Dr. Michael Harrington, with associate dentist Dr. Sherwin Owiesy.
KARLSSON
From left, Dr. Michael Harrington, Deidre Sklar, Jan Harrington, Winddance Twine and Ron Goeschl at last week’s opening of Jan’s latest exhibit at Santa Barbara Hives. Jan designed several pieces of art for the new Aloha Dental Care office.
Breaking up (with friends) is hard to do!
MY WELLNESS NOW
VICKIE GONZALEZ
When we hear the phrase “breaking up,” most of us think of a romance. But what about when a friendship ends?
Losing a friend can be just as heart-wrenching as the end of a romantic relationship and sometimes even more so. Friendships don’t always come with defined roles or language around how to part ways. There’s not really a script for closure, and even when the decision to end the friendship is clear, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.
I’ve often sat with clients navigating how to break up with a friend. More recently, in today’s socially and politically polarized world, people are reevaluating friendships that no longer feel aligned with their values and, at times, may not feel emotionally safe anymore. Grief can be great, but so is the opportunity for reflection and growth as we move forward with relationships that feel healthier.
So, why break up?
Friendships may end for a variety of reasons.
Growing apart/major life events: life transitions such as moving, career changes or shifting family priorities can change how people relate. Major events like marriage, parenthood, loss or personal growth often shift our sense of what matters most.
Toxicity and unhealthy patterns: when a friendship becomes draining, one-sided or emotionally harmful, it may need to end. Broken trust, feeling unsupported or having different expectations about friendship
Losing
a friend can be just as heartwrenching as the end of a romantic relationship and sometimes even more so. Friendships don’t always come with defined roles or language around how to part ways. There’s not really a script for closure, and even when the decision to end the friendship is clear, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.
can also indicate a time for endings.
Evolving values and beliefs: political, religious, ethical and/or ideological differences can create chasms in a friendship. In recent years, these value-based differences have become more common reasons for the rupture of friendships. A 2022 Pew Research Center report found that almost half of adults had said they had grown distant or cut ties with someone over political or ethical beliefs, with many citing recent election cycles as catalysts.
Healthy vs. irreconcilable differences: when can a friendship still work?
Some friendships can endure these differences when both people still value and respect one another. If they can discuss differences with curiosity and care, agreeing to disagree while still maintaining care and support, the friendship can remain healthy.
It is essential to ask oneself: “does this relationship support my well-being?”
Irreconcilable differences would occur when core values no longer align. When core values collide in a way that emotional safety is eroded — such as when racism, sexism, homophobia or other cruelties are excused or minimized — then maintaining that relationship is not a healthy choice. Moral or ethical breaches that break trust are difficult to repair. Friendship cannot be sustainable with ongoing emotional distress, exhaustion or harm. It definitely cannot continue if one
or both people feel they can’t be themselves safely and if attempts at discussion or compromise or boundaries have failed repeatedly.
Breaking up with grace, especially in a small town
In close-knit small communities like ours, ending a friendship may not always mean cutting someone off completely. You may still run into each other at community events, kids’ games, or mutual gatherings. So, how do you create distance while preserving peace whenever possible?
Shift friendship to an acquaintance level. Gently reduce how much you share emotionally, decline invitations, or just let the connection fade. You might say, “I feel we are in really different places right now I need to step back.”
Set clear and gentle boundaries. Express appreciation while acknowledging the need for change. “I appreciate the time we’ve spent as friends, but I feel that we’ve grown apart in ways that are hard to navigate, and for my own well-being, I need to take a step back, but I wish you the best.”
Handling of mutual friends and social circles. Keep the explanations brief and neutral; don’t gossip or over-explaining. “We are just in different places right now/ we have grown apart, but I wish them the best.” Avoid speaking negatively about the ex-friend to mutual friends, and do not ask them to “pick sides.” Additionally, you do not need to maintain the same
level of connection for appearances.
Social media is a new factor to the discussion on breakups, both with romantic and friendship breakups. A recent study found that limiting or unfollowing a former friend’s digital presence supports emotional recovery. Therefore, consider unfriending the person; blocking them is entirely acceptable if needed. Do not monitor their posts or vent publicly. Be mindful of group chats or shared digital spaces.
Self-reflection necessary
After a friendship ends, give yourself time to self-reflect and let yourself grieve the loss. Find lessons learned. It is essential to reflect on your role in the former friendship. Were there red flags that you ignored? Did you set clear boundaries?
Take an inventory of what you’ve learned. What values and qualities do you want in future friendships and relationships? Reframe the ending as growth. Journaling is a great way to engage in self-reflection; journaling and reflective writing significantly reduce distress related to relational loss.
Show yourself self-compassion. Ending a friendship is not a failure; it’s self-care. Although breaking up with a friend is not easy, it is compassionate for your own overall well-being. Be gentle with yourself and trust the process. As always, may this topic inspire curiosity, compassion and conversation.
“Not all friendships are meant to last forever — and that is okay.”
Vickie Gonzalez has been licensed for almost 20 years as an LMFT and currently provides counseling, coaching and consulting services. Her private practice is currently online only. She specializes in private practice, including grief loss, addiction/codependency and anxiety disorders. She works with people around themes of identity and purpose as well, primarily with individuals and couples. Coaching services focus on collaborating with clients on setting and reaching their wellness goals, whether those goals are career, relational, financial or personal in nature. On a personal note, she has lived in Carpinteria all her life and became a therapist to give back to the community.
The arts and eats of Carpinteria
PHOTOS BY ROBIN KARLSSON
Carpinterians celebrated the release of the latest book from Small Town Art Publications on Sunday: “Small Town Big Appetite: Savoring the Arts and Eats of Carpinteria” (2025). At the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, attendees at the April 6 book release party met the names behind the combination art/cookbook, which highlights local restaurants, recipes and artists.
Copies of the book are on sale now for $50; only 500 copies have been printed. Community members sponsored the print costs, so all proceeds will go back to the arts center and the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.
This is the publication’s second book highlighting Carpinteria talent. The first, “Small Town Big Art: 100 Artists of Carpinteria,” was released in 2021.
The Garden Market.
Attendees of the book release party met several of the artists and chefs highlighted in the book.
At right, Lynda Fairly bought Bonnie Butler’s painting of the book release party.
From left, the creative volunteer team behind the art/cookbook: David Powdrell, Ingrid Bostrom, Janey Cohen, Marco Rigonati and Lea and Christie Boyd.
Valerie Powdrell and Vin Perez Bennett
Photographer Mikaela Hamilton
Christie Boyd, at right, buttons up Ingrid Bostrom; Boyd embroidered a chef’s jacket with everything on the menu at local favorite Clementine’s Steak House.
Aliso, CMS teachers chosen as 2024 educators of the year
BY JUN STARKEY
The Carpinteria Community Association has announced the 2024 educators of the year: Rene Mireles, a first-grade dual language immersion (DLI) teacher at Aliso Elementary School, and Elizabeth Poulin, a Carpinteria Middle School science teacher. Both will be honored at the upcoming Carpinteria Community Awards Banquet on April 26.
Elizabeth Poulin, Carpinteria Middle School
Elizabeth Poulin is relatively new to the Carpinteria Unified School District (CUSD). She joined the district at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year as a science teacher at Carpinteria Middle School (CMS).
Poulin is originally from San Diego County — wher e her mother was also a teacher — and graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a background in environmental management and protection. She went on to earn a master’s degree in inspired teaching and learning from National University, San Diego, before she officially began her teaching career about five years ago.
Poulin has taught a variety of science subjects to high school and middle school students, CMS Principal Jamie Persoon said in a press release, including marine biology, biology and floral design. She currently teaches seventh grade science and also oversees the school’s environmental club, which began in January of this year.
Poulin said her students have been very engaged with the materials, especially those with hands-on labs and activities. “I don’t think I’ve had more fun with a different grade,” Poulin told Coastal View News. “I enjoy getting to be silly with them.”
Some of the labs Poulin has tackled with her students include a natural resources activity, where students fish gummy bears out of lotion, or a project where students learn about the monarch butterfly and their declining migration and theorize why it’s happening.
“Science can sometimes feel intimidating or exclusive to students and I want to change that,” Poulin said. “My goal is to create a supportive learning environment where all students feel empowered to explore the many paths science has to offer — science is for everyone!”
Since starting at CMS a year and a half ago, Poulin said her coworkers have been supportive and helpful, with the science department working like a “team,” she said. Persoon said Poulin goes “above and beyond,” when it comes to engaging her students.
“Her ability to connect real-world environmental issues to the classroom helps students understand the importance of science in their everyday lives,” Persoon said of Poulin.
“Her dedication to academics and environmental awareness makes her an exceptional teacher and role model for her students. With a passion for teaching and ecological stewardship, Elizabeth continues to create a positive, inspiring, and enriching learning experience for all her students.”
Rene Mireles, Aliso Elementary School
Rene Mireles has worked at CUSD for more than 30 years. He has spent the last two years as a first grade teacher for Aliso’s Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program.
Mireles is passionate about language and believes that anyone can become bilingual through dedication and consistency, he told Coastal View News
“Being bilingual is a beautiful thing,” he said. “But if you want change, you gotta be consistent.”
Mireles was born in Oaxaca, Mexico. His first language was Zapotec, a spoken language indigenous to the area. His second language was Spanish, which he learned when he was about 10 years old, when he began baking and selling bread in the early mornings to help support his family. Mireles would learn English years later, as a young adult living in America in the 1980s.
Mireles joined CUSD 31 years ago after attending Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) and UC Santa Barbara. He began at Carpinteria Main School, where he taught for 14 years before moving on to Aliso Elementary after Main School closed. In the early 2000s, he began teaching English as a second language (ESL) to adults at SBCC, where he remained for about 17 years.
“I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in a small community,” Mireles said. “It’s rewarding to walk around (Carpinteria) and recognize people.”
Mireles has taught a range of grades since working with CUSD, but he told Coastal View News that he was surprised at how much he has enjoyed teaching first grade students.
“I never thought I’d be able to do it, but I’m enjoying it,” he said. Though Mireles has the credentials to work in administration, he said he felt his time was best spent in the classroom, with students.
Aliso’s principal, Brett Wieberg, said in a press release that Mireles was crucial in launching the school’s DLI program, which began in 2021.
“Mr. Mireles is more than a teacher — he is a visionary,” Weiberg said. “His commitment to his students goes beyond the classroom. He sees their potential because he has lived through their struggles. He understands the challenges of being an emergent bilingual student and uses his journey to inspire them.”
Mireles also helped establish the annual Día de los Muertos celebrations in Carpinteria. In 1995, Mireles was developing his curriculum while working at Main School when he realized he needed to find a way to connect his students with the Chumash people and their cultural achievements; he came up with the idea of using Día de los Muertos as a bridge to make Chumash culture come alive for his students, Coastal View News historical columnist Jim Campos reported.
The first celebration was held at Main School, and continued for many years until the school closed. By the time he came to Aliso, Día de los Muertos celebrations had expanded widely in Carpinteria.
“All of us stand on the shoulders of those who came before us,” Mireles told Coastal View News in October 2022. “We must never forget the benefits they made to make our own lives better.”
Mireles said he plans to retire at the end of this year. He hopes to travel back to Oaxaca, to help improve education for children in the area.
“He is a role model, a mentor, and a leader,” Weiberg said of Mireles. “His legacy is one of dedication, perseverance, and an unwavering belief in the power of education. Our district, our students, and our community are better because of him.”
KARLSSON
Rene Mireles has worked in the Carpinteria Unified School District for more than 30 years.
KARLSSON
Elizabeth Poulin joined the district at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year as a science teacher at Carpinteria Middle School.
IN THE NATUREHOOD
NANCY BARON
Like many of us, I feel discouraged by the daily onslaught of bad news.
Yet I can always turn to one antidote to bolster my spirits. I walk outside to observe what’s happening in that other world — the natural one.
I wander into the avocado grove to see if the pair of western bluebirds are still scouting for a nest site. Spying them popping in and out of our nest box carrying grass, my mood kicks up a notch. There is a reason for that expression “bluebirds of happiness.”
Most mornings I have been spotting the red-shouldered hawks copulating on their favorite branch of the scraggly redwood tree on my neighbor Cliff Ad-
Neighborly connections
am’s property.
Good grief. Shouldn’t they be getting down to nesting soon, I wonder?
I phoned Cliff to ask if he has any idea where their nest is this year. A few years ago, the pair of hawks nested on the crown of a palm between our properties. It was a flimsy abode. One chick fell and broke its wing. Cliff and his wife Gayle rescued it. The Ojai Raptor Center rehabilitated it and later released it back here.
Cliff doesn’t know where the hawks are nesting this year, but he tells me that he bought that redwood tree in Big Sur in the mid ‘90s for $1.50.
“That was a good investment,” I said. It is the highest — albeit skinniest — tree in the neighborhood that offers a vantage point for hawks, woodpeckers and jays at all times of day. It’s like a busy bus stop. The tree’s top has died due to drought but now Cliff, bless him, has put water to it and it is greening out from the sides.
But the hawks…
Next, I emailed Mark Holmgr en, who curates the Santa Barbara Breeding Bird Survey. “We have 16 records of nest building in Dec., Jan. and Feb.,” he reported. “Yet all nestling records occur after April 25.”
So, it appears the hawks are on schedule.
Later I go for a walk up past Greenwell Preserve, where I spot a female American kestrel. This beautiful little falcon is flying slowly with stiff, fluttering wingbeats. Aha! This is a courtship ritual. I look around and watch a male kestrel watching her.
Returning home excitedly I emailed David and Nancy Hill, who live just above Greenwell Preserve. They know all about the kestrels. In fact, last year the pair nested in their barn owl box and fledged two young — also good news, since kestrel populations have plummeted in recent years. “We’re honored to have kestrels in our neighborhood, and we don’t use pesticides or herbicides,” David said.
Each day I try to get out — not only for exercise, but to feel connected to the world. In Carpinteria, we are fortunate to have many nearby options.
At this time of year on the Franklin trail, California thrashers are flooding the air with their boisterous incessant song, a definite mood lifter.
At Carpinteria Salt Marsh I always find birds to thrill and entertain. Last week I caught a glimpse of a sassy belted kingfisher flying fast and rattling its loud call.
The salt marsh is the prowling grounds of Laurel Luby and Tom Beland, who do a weekly bird count. Theirs is a long-standing Sunday morning ritual which they jokingly call “going to church.”
I love their updates and those of others
filled with the promise of nature carrying on.
My neighbor Gail Herson let me know she has a greater roadrunner on her property, after reading in this column that we had failed to find one during the Carpinteria Christmas bird count.
NATUREHOOD continued on page 15
PAM VIALE
Pairs of western bluebirds are currently scouting for nesting sites.
NANCY BARON
DAVID HILL
LEFT: This scraggly redwood tree, planted by Cliff Adams, is the birds’ favorite. Tall trees help hawks hunt. RIGHT: A female American kestrel, nesting in an owl box, brings home a mouse.
GAIL HERSON
Is this greater roadrunner gazing at its own reflection? It later found a mate.
Now she reports she has two! She recently observed the roadrunner with a stick in its mouth and then saw two birds together! Roadrunners gift their mates with sticks or blades of grass in courtship. Maybe there will soon be little roadrunners.
And, for the second year in a row, we have a crazy ménage à trois that parades around our property: a male and female pair of mallards with a male wood duck. What to make of this? I asked my friends
for their hypotheses. Cris Sandoval, the director of Coal Oil Point, replied: “Well, this is breeding season. Maybe this is a free-spirited couple of mallards that met a lonely, handsome wood duck.”
Glimpses into birds’ lives bring joy, and “The Peace of Wild Things” to quote one of my favorite poems by Wendell Berry. And since April is National Poetry month, I will share it.
The Peace of Wild Things
When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world and am free.
Wendell Berry
is a biologist and writer who lives in the hills above Carpinteria on a small av-
For the second year in a row, we have a crazy ménage à trois that parades around our property: a male and female pair of mallards with a male wood duck. What to make of this?
farm
her husband Ken Weiss. She welcomes hearing about your nature sightings. Reach out at ancyebaron@gmail.com.
PAM VIALE
Tightly bonded pairs of red-shouldered hawks call incessantly to each other.
KEVIN LAFFERTY
California thrashers can be seen and heard singing boisterously on the Franklin Trail.
PAM VIALE
A belted kingfisher tosses its catch into the air.
NANCY BARON
Who could resist this handsome dude — a male wood duck.
Nancy Baron
ocado
with
ConnectinggenerationsatGirlsInc.
BY ROBIN KARLSSON
Carpinterians young and old arrived in their best garden party attire on Saturday, April 5 at Girls Inc. of Carpinteria for the third annual Intergenerational Tea. Organized by the Women Making Change Initiative, the tea offered an afternoon of elegance and conversation.
Sponsors included Corktree Cellars, Carp Events, Carp Moon Cafe, the Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning, Carpinteria Woman’s Club, Carpinteria Wine Company, Dirt Botanicals, Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, MarBorg Industries and Milpas Rental.
Marla McNally Phillips
Volunteers and staffers from the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center raise their glasses for a toast.
Asa Olsson strikes a pose.
City of Carpinteria Mayor Natalia Alarcon, center, with her family.
2024 Spirit of Fiesta Georgey Taupin was this year’s keynote speaker.
PHOTOS
CLUB SCENE
COMPILED BY JUN STARKEY | COURTESY PHOTOS
Lions welcome Chris Helt
Morning Rotary learns about dementia, adult services
Kathryn Westland, executive director of Friendship Center — a dementia care center for older adults who are living with memory loss, dementia or other cognitive impairments — stopped by to speak to the Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning about adult day services and the challenges of dementia, on Wednesday, April 2.
“One in five adults over 65 will suffer dementia in some form,” Westland told club members. “Dementia care falls on all of us. It’s not just a medical responsibility.”
The Lions Club of Carpinteria recently welcomed new member Chris Helt, a chemist who has lived in Carpinteria for 21 years.
Helt was raised in the Bay Area, club member Doug Treloar told Coastal View News. He currently works for a company in Camarillo, and is married to Brittany Hawthorne, who will soon become a local deputy sheriff. Helt was sponsored by member Chad Tito.
Carpinteria Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-2pm •Sat.-Sun.
The Friendship Center opened a satellite location, the Carpinteria Healthy Aging Hub, at the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center on March 18. The program offers several activities to keep people alert and provide a break for family members and caregivers. It also operates on a sliding pay scale, meaning no one will be turned away if they can’t afford to pay.
Carpinteria Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-2pm •Sat.-Sun. 6:30am-3pm Bagelnet.com for Restaurant menu
The hub meets Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the arts center. Those interested in learning more about the Healthy Aging Hub can visit FCSB.org/ Carpinteria or call (805) 450-6333.
Chris Helt, right, recently joined the Lions Club of Carpinteria. He was welcomed by his sponsor Chad Tito, left.
Friendship Center Executive Director Kathryn Westland, right, recently met with the Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning, including President Mary Layman.
& TIDES
ON THE ROAD
The importance of sleeping, volunteering, and proper packing
CVN
AGEWELL W.I.S.E.
In this column, we celebrate the power of aging well, with four segments designed to inspire and engage.
W for Wellness: tips and insights for maintaining a healthy body and mind.
I for Inspiration: real-life tales of individuals 55 and older who are living life to the fullest.
S for Sharpen: activities and exercises to keep your brain active and sharp.
E for Education: a quick lesson or fun trivia to keep you learning and growing. Join us on a journey of health, inspiration, mental agility and knowledge!
Wellness: wake up and pay attention! It’s time to talk about sleep
No need to sell me on this one — I’m a bit of a sleep-aholic, but I feel it’s my civic duty to remind you all how important sleep really is.
According to the Harvard Health Blog, sleep affects almost every aspect of our body, with some of the biggest impacts on our hormones, immune system, and, most importantly, brain health. The amount of sleep we get influences our ability to form new memories and learn new things. This is so profound that a new study from Washington University School of Medicine found that decreased deep sleep is associated with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
Now, shh — I hear my bed calling!
Inspire: the legacy of Dr. Pauline Nagle Olsen
We know that volunteering is wonderful, but when you take it a step further and create a platform so impactful that it enables others to volunteer and save lives, that’s even beyond wonderful.
I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Pauline Nagle Olsen, a retired obstetrician/ gynecologist and the co-founder of the Malta House of Care Mobile Medical Clinic. Malta House is a fully equipped, custom-made van that operates as a mobile medical clinic, traveling to multiple low-income neighborhoods in Hartford, Connecticut, to serve the uninsured.
Since its creation, the clinic has provided over 50,000 no-cost patient visits and is staffed by more than 80 volunteer doctors, including Dr. Olsen herself. In an interview with the Points of Light organization, she shared that, at the age of 81, her meaningful work continues to feed her soul. Dr. Olsen, you are truly inspirational.
Sharpen: anagram challenge
The letters in each of the words below can be rearranged to form other words. I’ll provide the word and the number of anagrams you can make from it. The rest is up to you. Good luck — or should I say,
To help you get the best rest, here are a few helpful tips:
• Create a sleep routine where you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
• Stay away from screens and stimulants at night — put the phone and the chocolate away when it’s sleepy time.
• Don’t forget to get some exercise during the day. It makes a huge difference in your ability to sleep.
“clog duke”?
Triangle - 3 anagrams
Mesa - 2 anagrams
Stare - 3 anagrams
Stable - 2 anagrams
Elbow - 2 anagrams
Did you enjoy these mind-bending puzzles? Join us at Mind Games! It’s a fun, supportive class designed to keep your mind sharp with challenges like these and more. We meet every Monday, 2–3 p.m., at the Veterans Hall meeting room, 941 Walnut Ave. Come play with us!
Educate: the perfection of packing cubes
As we start to think about our summer adventures, here’s a travel hack I had never heard of: packing cubes! It sounds like something you’d put in a drink or build a tower with while hanging out with the grandkids. But in fact, packing cubes are a relatively new travel accessory that I might just run out and buy. They’re simple fabric pouches designed to help organize the contents of your luggage.
Imagine opening your suitcase and seeing it organized like an ice cube tray, with each compartment neatly filled with categorized items. Instead of a jumbled mess that needs to be reorganized at every stop, you’ll know exactly where your socks are.
My favorite feature is that you can keep all your dirty clothes in one cube, separated from the clean ones. This completely eliminates the terrifying “smell test.” I haven’t tried them yet, but I might just be square enough to fall in love with this travel item.
A communication specialist whose heart lies in storytelling, Jena has a knack for bringing groups together and building understanding through programming. She currently serves as the community services program coordinator assigned to AgeWell for the city of Carpinteria and is a member of the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District Board of Directors. Jena holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in counseling psychology. For more information on AgeWell and its programing, visit carpinteriaca.gov/agewell.
JENA JENKINS
CALENDAR
Thursday, April 10
English Language Conversation Group / Grupo de Conversación en Inglés Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 8:30–10 a.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314
Carpinteria Valley Museum of History Digitizing Days Carpinteria Valley Museum of History, 956 Maple Ave. 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Community members invited to bring up to 10 hard-copy photos for scanning. (805) 684-3112, info@ carpinteriahistoricalmuseum.org, carpinteriahistoricalmuseum.org.
Dementia Caregivers Support Group Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10:30 a.m. – noon. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314
Food Bank Senior Food Distribution Veterans Memorial Building Courtyard, 941 Walnut Ave. 1–2 p.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279
Carpinteria Creative Arts Eighth Street and Linden Avenue. 2:30–6 p.m. Handmade pottery, beach art, cards, jewelry and sewn articles. (805) 698-4536 Children’s Day / Book Day Aliso Elementary School, 4545 Carpinteria Ave. 2:30-4:30 p.m. Presented by The Friends of the Carpinteria Library, Artesanía Para La Familia
Dungeons & Dragons Club for Tweens Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 3–4:45 p.m. Every Thursday. Full. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314
Live Music: Hibiscus Moon Thario’s Kitchen, 3807 Santa Claus Lane. 5–8 p.m. (805)-684-2209
Friday, April 11
AgeWell Senior Program: Pickleball Free Play Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, 5315 Foothill Road. 8–10 a.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279 Friday Fun Day Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10–11:30 a.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314
Maker Space for Teens Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 3–4 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314
Live Music: Forbidden Fruit Corktree Cellars, 910 Linden Ave. 6:30–9:30 p.m. corktreecellars.com, (805) 684-1400
PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Holy spirit, you who made me see everything and showed me the way to reach my ideals. You who gave me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I thank you for everything and confirm once more that I never want to be separated from you no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with you and my loved ones in your perpetual glory. Thank you for your love towards me and my loved ones. Amen Persons must pray the prayer 3 consecutive days without asking the wish. After 3rd day the wish will be granted no matter how difficult it may be. Promise to publish this dialogue as soon as favor is granted. Thank you.
Salt Marsh Nature Park Docent Tours Meet at the entrance across from the corner of Sandyland and Ash Avenue. 10 a.m. – noon. Free. (805) 886-4382
Live Music: Bob Bishop Island Brewing Company, 5049 Sixth St. 6–9 p.m. Rotary Club of Carpinteria 2025 Talent Showcase The Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave. 7–9:30 p.m. Tickets: $25. Doors open 6 p.m.; showcase starts 7 p.m. thealcazar.org
Sunday, April 13
Poetry Reception Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, 865 Linden Ave. 2 p.m. info@carpinteriaartscenter. org, (805) 684-7789
Live Music: Americana Cats Island Brewing Company, 5049 Sixth St. 2–5 p.m.
Monday, April 14
AgeWell Senior Program: Tai Chi Together Veterans Hall, 941 Walnut Ave. 9:30–10:30 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca. gov, (805) 881-1279
Monday Mahjong All levels of play. 1 p.m. (805) 729-1310
AgeWell Senior Program: Mind Games Veterans Memorial Building meeting room, 941 Walnut Ave. 2–3 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279
AgeWell Senior Program: Matter of Balance Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 3–5 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279
Meeting: Carpinteria City Council Carpinteria City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. 5:30 p.m. bit.ly/CarpinteriaCityMeetings
Clases de Computacion Intermedia Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 6–7 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314
Tuesday, April 15
Compassionate Care of Carpinteria Breakfast Carpinteria Woman’s Club, 1059 Vallecito Road. 7:30–9 a.m. No longer accepting RSVPs. compassionatecareofcarpinteria.org
AgeWell Senior Program: Walking Club Meet at Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 9 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279
AgeWell Senior Program: Mind Body Balance Exercise Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 11 a.m. – noon. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279
Senior Arts & Crafts Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, 865 Linden Ave. Tuesdays, 9–11 a.m. Free. info@carpinteriaartscenter.org, (805) 684-7789
Carpinteria Writers Group Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10 a.m. – noon. (202) 997-0429
Chair Yoga The Gym Next Door, 4915 Carpinteria Ave., Suite A. Tuesdays, 11 a.m. – noon. $15. (805) 684-2595
Bridge Group Veterans Hall meeting room, 941 Walnut Ave. 1–4 p.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279
Spanish Conversation Group Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 2–3 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314
Carpinteria Songwriters Circle Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 4–5:30 p.m. carpinteri-
Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 218 | Santa Barbara Presents
VIET NAM: 50 YEARS ON
Join us in observing the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War on:
Sunday, April 27, at 3pm
Carpinteria Community Library Arts & Lectures Room | 5141 Carpinteria Ave.
A free screening of “Last Days in Vietnam”, the 2014 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature. Written, produced, and directed by Rory Kennedy, it covers the last two chaotic months leading up to April 30, 1975 as North Vietnamese tanks and troops close in on Saigon. The few remaining U.S. diplomats and military personnel face an impossible choice: who among the thousands of South Vietnamese would be airlifted out and who is left behind. Co-presented by the Carpinteria Community Library. (Limited seating)
Wednesday, April 30, at 6pm
Carpinteria Veterans Memorial Building | 941 Walnut Avenue
“From Saigon to Hollywood via Jerusalem”. Hear a first-person account by Bihn Pham, who along with his wife, spent several years in a “re-education” camp following the fall of the South. In 1977 they, along with 50 others, escaped in the dead of night on board a boat that would be adrift at sea for several weeks. His story of escape, rescue, relocation, and eventual sponsorship to a host country is incredible. A “Talk & Talkback Series” event hosted by the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History.*
Admission: $10—Free to museum members and Veterans.
Friday, May 16, at 6pm
Carpinteria Valley Museum of History | 956 Maple Ave.
“Vietnam: In Our Own Words”. A panel of local Vietnam Veterans will speak about their experiences, how it shaped their lives and what it has meant to them over the decades since. A Q&A will follow. Another “Talk & Talkback Series” event hosted by the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History.*
Admission: $10—Free to museum members and Veterans.
VVA Chapter 218 is a non-profit organization that welcomes all who served our country during the Vietnam era (1959-1975), whether they were in Vietnam or not. For more info go to: vvachapter218.org or contact Peter Bie, President at: info@vvachapter218.org
Carpinteria Improv Classes The Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave. 7–9 p.m. Tuesdays, weekly. $10 at the door. thealcazar.org, (805) 684-6380
Wednesday, April 16
Meeting: Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning Carpinteria Woman’s Club, 1059 Vallecito Road. 6:45–8 a.m. Talk: Rotary International Peacebuilding Conference in Istanbul
AgeWell Senior Program: Pickleball for Beginners Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, 5315 Foothill Road. 8–10 a.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279
AgeWell Senior Program: Veterans Morning Meet Up Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 8:30–9:30 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279
Babies Are The Best Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 9–10 a.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314
Science for Teens 11–13 Years Old Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 11 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314
Knitting Group Carpinteria Library Community Room, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 1–3 p.m. Free. (805) 886-4382
Senior Nutrition Program Carpinteria Veterans Hall, 941 Walnut Ave. Monday–Friday, 12:15 p.m. No cost for seniors ages 60+. (805) 925-9554, meals@ centralcoastseniors.org
*The Carpinteria Valley Historical Museum is a non-profit foundation and does not receive funding from the City of Carpinteria.
The Weekly Crossword
Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing. Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square.
by Margie E. Burke
Sunday, March 30
1601 hrs / Incident / 4200 block Via Real
Deputies responded to a report, and upon arrival, the vehicle owner stated he left his vehicle parked near the office in the west end of the parking lot from 1800-2200 hours on March 29. The next morning at approximately 0930 hours, he noticed a dent in the right driver side front fender of his vehicle. A follow up will be conducted by patrol.
2203 hrs / Incident / Dorrance Way
Deputies responded to a report of a subject attempting to break into an apartment. Deputies contacted the subject who said he was there to meet a teenager. The subject became upset when the juvenile would not let him in, and he took the screen off in attempts to enter the apartment. The subject was arrested and transported to Santa Barbara Main Jail.
1442 hrs / Theft / 1000 block
Casitas Pass Road
The reporting party called to report an item was stolen from her package.
1121 hrs / Incident / Foothill Road
A deputy responded to a local school for a report of a student who made a joke about a school shooting in observance of April Fools’ Day. Based on the investigation, it was determined that the juvenile made a poorly considered joke and did not fully understand the potential seriousness of his statement.
1426 hrs / Incident / Meadow Circle
The reporting party called to report an inappropriate conversation between her juvenile daughter and an adult male at the community’s shared jacuzzi, which occurred the week prior. The adult male subject joined the juvenile in the jacuzzi area and began asking her questions and making inappropriate comments. Deputies made contact with the man and he stated he had no ill intentions, and that he would leave the juvenile alone moving forward.
Friday, April 4
Union School: fabulous but fleeting
Monday, March 31
2320 hrs / Public Intoxication / 1000 block Concha Loma Drive
The reporting party called to report an intoxicated male outside. The subject was contacted and placed under arrest for being drunk in public.
1715 hrs / Incident / 5500 block
Carpinteria Avenue
A subject was found intoxicated and wandering around the property of a local hotel by the manager. He was arrested and transported to jail.
Saturday, April 5
By the early 1900s Carpinteria’s collection of small schoolhouses were bursting at their seams, and a plan emerged to consolidate. a new school board formed to unite the formerly separate districts, and a modern school was built where the Carpinteria Community pool sits today. Bond sales paid for new two-story school, which amounted to about $33,000 by the time the doors opened to students in the fall of 1913. the building boasted a sewing room, a cafeteria, seven classrooms, a 300-person auditorium, drinking fountains, a library, a woodworking room and principal’s offices. “the completion of the structure marks the beginning of a new era in the educational life in the valley,” reported the Carpinteria Valley News in 1913.
The Union School offered the first opportunity for Carpinteria kids to attend public high school in the valley, starting with ninth-grade in 1913. the high school classes were so small that in 1916 the local newspaper reported that a new student, Vera rasor from san Joaquin County, had increased the senior class by 50 percent.
History doesn’t have to be boring. Readers sent in their funniest captions for the photo above, and we selected our favorites (in no particular order). Enjoy.
“Why, Ted’s an Aries and I’m a Sagittarius—thanks for asking.” ––Anonymous
“I think we shudda staid in skool.” ––Robert Miller
The occupant was lying in bed, heard noises outside and saw a hand coming through the room window. The occupant yelled and the unknown suspect left the area. The surveillance video was checked, and the suspect could be seen running eastbound on Carpinteria Avenue.
“We probably should have just bought a philodendron at the store.” ––Anonymous
Tuesday, April 1
“We better hustle before someone calls David Griggs.” ––Anonymous
on March 10, 1933, the long Beach earthquake hit southern California, destroying 70 schools and damaging another 120 (luckily it hit outside school hours, and no children were injured). the earthquake’s epicenter was too far to cause any damage to santa Barbara area schools, but its political aftershocks eventually led to the demolition of the union school. though the building had survived the devastating 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake unscathed, school officials decided that it was too risky to continue educating local youth in the two-story structure. in 1936, the building was condemned and demolished, leaving local students without a brick and mortar school. a tent school went up and educated Carpinteria kids until new schools were built.
“Jack-in-the-Box, it just occurred to me that we need not be busting our butts. Marty bikes this route, and sooner or later he’ll take it out just as he did the lemon tree last month.” ––Ward Small
To learn more about Carpinteria’s unique and interesting past, visit the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History, open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at 956 Maple Ave.
“So, Bud, Wilbur, we see that you guys decided to get to the root of the problem here. By the look of things we don’t think you made the best choice seein’ how you have both been diggin for days now, you look plumb tuckered out. You best be movin’ on.” ––JB’s Tree Service
Profile picture for tindr.com – Anonymous
Deputies responded to a local shopping center in reference to a report of a trespasser. During the investigation, it was determined that the subject had been repeatedly told to leave by both deputies and the property’s operations manager. The subject was placed under arrest for trespassing and transported to Santa Barbara Main Jail, where she was booked without further incident.
The reporting party returned home after having dinner on Linden Avenue. Once home, the reporting party discovered an unknown teenager passed out in the back of her vehicle. Fire and medics arrived on scene with deputies, and it was discovered the juvenile was intoxicated. The juvenile’s mother was contacted via the juvenile’s phone. The juvenile was discovered to reside in Santa Barbara and was on active juvenile probation. She was later transported to Cottage Hospital due to her intoxication level. At 2119 hours, a second intoxicated teenager was brought to station 39 by a citizen. This female was located on Linden Avenue intoxicated, lost and lost her phone and other belongings. The second females’ parents were contacted with the assistance of the Santa Barbara Police Department. The investigation revealed both juveniles were partying at Deltopia and somehow arrived in Carpinteria to continue partying. They were both intoxicated and got separated. The second female was released to her parents.
“Damn, Jack-in-the-Box, I’m whipped. Maybe we should just chop this eucalyptus down before Marty crashes into this hole with his BMX bike. Good call, Small. High five!” ––Jack Bevilockway
“You morons, I said the stash was buried 10 feet NE of the corner fence post” ––Bruce Montgomery
Adding a basement to the treehouse.
“Evidently have never heard of the saw.”
“There they are, Jack and Ward, just standing there taking a month to do a one-day job.”
“Gentlemen, keep digging. You may find truffles, then call me.”
“All this work just to make toothpicks.”
“Cheer up, guys. There are worse days ahead.”
The Wood brothers, Bark and Sap, slightly confused about the family tree concept, searching for their roots.
“We’re digging a hole as a surprise birthday present for our gopher.”
CARpINTERIA VALLEY MuSEuM of HISToRY
Carpinteria Valley MuseuM of History
Vehicle / about Sandtagged and vehicle
Halos& Pitchforks
A reader sends a halo to Ryan Moore for bringing dirt back to Carpinteria.
A reader sends a halo to everyone who supported the Playa Del Sur 4-H this year. “The members are looking forward to another successful year.”
A reader sends a halo to Valerie, the new volunteer at the Friends of the Library Bookstore, for cleaning and reorganizing the self-help section.
A reader sends a halo to Burlene for making the Carpinteria Lumberyard Nursery area a joy to visit. “Her outgoing personality (Southern style), friendly conversation and plant knowledge make it a pleasure to visit and shop.”
A reader sends a halo to the man who checked on the reader while they were measuring their blood sugar by the harbor seal statue. “Not only did he ask if I was okay, he then offered me some food and shared his own experiences with blood sugar challenges.”
A reader sends a halo to the generous person for paying for the reader’s gas when she forgot her ATM card at the gas station. “I’m sorry I chose the most expensive oil, I’d love to reimburse you, and thank you. I’m deeply moved by your generosity.”
A reader sends a halo to Desiree, the new masseuse at The Gym Next Door. “She could have coasted through it, but she worked really hard to relieve my back pain. I never experienced such a great massage.”
A reader sends a halo to whoever left a sign telling people to pick up their dog-waste bags and stop leaving them on Casitas Pass Road.
A reader sends a halo to eBikers who follow the rules of the road for the safety of others, not to mention their own.
A reader sends a halo to Sean and Dayna for being wonderful neighbors and helping the reader through another frazzled mom situation.
A reader sends a halo to the 93013 Fund, Uncle Chen Restaurant and Marybeth Carty for the surprise delivery of a delicious dinner complete with a fortune cookie, candy bar and painted rock. “Wonderful kindness and quite a thrill!”
What’s new at the harbor seal rookery?
A reader sends a halo to Uncle Chen Restaurant, The Garden Market and Tharios Restauran for helping the reader to make the Small Town Big Appetite book launch so much fun. “The food was incredible and received rave reviews by all!”
A reader sends a halo to the anonymous person who left a $100 donation in the HELP of Carpinteria office mail slot this past week. “Thank you for your kindness.”
A reader sends a halo to the staff of Jack’s Bistro for staying open during Covid-19. “Always a smile no matter how busy. A great way to start the day.”
A reader sends a halo to the Daykas for always being there to help with anything and never complaining. “Many thanks to the best neighbors ever. We love you all dearly.”
A reader sends a pitchfork to whoever has been leaving bags of dog waste on the ground along Casitas Pass Road. “Yes, it’s frustrating that the trash cans are gone, but is that really your best way of handling the situation?”
This report covers March 31 — April 6, 2025
A reader sends a halo to Mayor Wade Nomura for the city’s beautiful flower wreath at the Carpinteria Cemetery for the Memorial Day program.
A reader sends a halo to the Carpinteria Reality Church for providing an outstanding meal for the less fortunate in Carpinteria, and to Fon Ha, Carol Nichols and Brass Bird for helping.
A reader sends a halo to Tami and John at Robitaille’s for their constant smiles and over-the-top customer service. “The wedding favors were loved by all and brought a bit of Carpinteria to the Seattle wedding!”
CVN’s Seal Watch weekly report, written by Seal Watch volunteers, covers activities at the Harbor Seal Rookery. The group can be reached at carpsealwatch@ gmail.com or at (805) 364-3194. The rookery is located immediately east of Casitas Pier, between Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve and Carpinteria State Beach. There is no vehicle access from Dump Road.
A reader sends a pitchfork to the person who hit the reader’s pickup in front of the reader’s house and didn’t stop. “Shame on you, and I hope you have karma insurance.”
A reader sends a halo to Greg Leroy for teaching guitar classes at the Carpinteria Arts Center on Saturday mornings. “We’re very lucky to have this legendary guitarist share his craft with locals that want to learn how to play.”
A reader sends a halo to those who acknowledge people with disabilities. “When you encounter a person in a wheelchair or walking with a walker, please smile and say hello to that person.”
A reader sends a halo to Lance Lawhon at the Carpinteria Sanitation District for helping Kim’s Market.
A reader sends a pitchfork to the bicycle events on Foothill Road. “Purposely hosting huge rides that take up the whole road is irresponsible. There are countless bike lanes that were put in with our tax dollars to avoid this problem.”
A reader sends a pitchfork to the lifeguards braiding hair while swimmers are in the pool. “Not professional!”
A reader sends a halo to the Carpinteria Beautiful lady picking up trash in a neighborhood near the beach. “Thank you! We need all the help we can get keeping trash picked up in the neighborhoods on the beach-side of the tracks.”
A reader sends a halo to Westerlay Orchids for the gorgeous orchids they provided to the library. “They really add to the welcoming atmosphere.”
A reader sends a halo to Kassandra Quintero at The Spot. “When the roof-top flag was twisted and lodged in the rain gutter, Quintero jumped into action and climbed up to the roof and untangled it so that it could wave freely. Way to show patriotism!”
NATURAL HISTORY NOTES
What is the difference between a sea lion and a harbor seal?
A reader sends a halo to Brian at CVS Pharmacy. “Thank you for being so positive, kind, and incredibly efficient. A demeanor like yours does not go unnoticed.”
A reader sends a halo to Emma and Justin. “It was a wonderful wedding, great food, spectacular location and great people! It was moving and wonderful.”
A reader sends a halo to Carpinterians who put out boxes in front of their homes full of surplus oranges, avocados, etc. from their trees. “Thank you for sharing your abundance.”
A reader sends a halo to all the grateful dog owners who “utilize the city beach with respect for their neighbors and for the wildlife.”
A reader sends a halo to Nikki at HEAT Culinary. “I went to my first class this weekend with my sister, who has been to four so far. I had the best time! Someone get this girl a TV show, she should be on the Food Network already.”
A reader sends a halo to all the beach community residents. “Thank you for parking in front of your home with your permit.”
A reader sends a halo to Tracie at the Farm Cart Organics for providing the community with so much vibrant, nutritious food and pure joy. “Your positive energy is infectious.”
A reader sends a halo to Diana, a caregiver at Carpinteria Senior Lodge for nearly three years.
A reader sends a pitchfork to the employees of the newer businesses on the Carpinteria Bluffs. “Learn to share the bike/walking path with locals… There will be four to five of you walking together and not a single one will scoot over just a tad to let a local pass through?”
Sea lions can weigh up to 800 pounds, and they’re usually around eight feet long. Harbor seals, which are typically six feet long, weigh around 200 pounds. Sea lions have visible ear flaps, while harbor seals have no external flaps, only a hole.
Sea lions are more gregarious and social, while harbor seals are solitary and haul out in small groups. Sea lions have large, strong flippers that allow them to move quickly and climb. The harbor seal has smaller flippers and moves on their stomach.
A reader sends a pitchfork to the Linden planters. “All the mushrooms growing there indicate too much water. Nice weed farm.”
The sea lion is able to catch fish with their flippers or mouth. The harbor seal will eat smaller fish and invertebrates.
A reader sends a pitchfork to a restaurant owner for parking his vehicle in the spots right out front of his establishment. “Shouldn’t he leave those parking spots available for his paying customers?”
Lastly, the sea lions can bark loudly, and the harbor seal might just burp!
VISITORS
The 1100 lot not was possearch located, meth. violations. contacted as off by a probashowed container felon pepper in the wanted ownership 4100 vehicle reported to Department. A was stolen, by the on the only a actual pulled the car, motel they, cited for and investigation will obtained Palm regisviolation at his License / displayrecords was suspended. The man was cited, and his vehicle was released to a licensed driver.
A reader sends a halo to Tom Sweeney for going out on Elm Avenue by the beach to clean up plastic bottles, bags, dirty gloves and masks.
A reader sends a halo to Coastal View News for “the amazing tour they provided to AgeWell. It was fascinating to witness the dedication and hard work behind our award-winning community paper. We’re fortunate to have such a valuable resource.”
A reader sends a halo to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the local vet for working diligently to save the Rincon Beach bear. “It’s a terrible shame to lose one of these magnificent creatures; however, I wouldn’t want it to suffer to a miserable death.”
A reader sends a pitchfork to the City of Carpinteria for letting the bluffs turn into an ever-increasing dirt parking lot. “That is not what the bluffs were purchased for. Post No Parking signs immediately!”
A reader sends a pitchfork to the new parking zones. “All the “no parking/two hour” signs just made people park in my neighborhood. Seventh and the neighboring streets are a packed parking lot.”
A reader sends a halo to Bill and Rosana Swing for spending their Saturday taking photos for Junior Warriors Football. “We appreciate all you do for our families, players and program. You rock!”
A reader sends a pitchfork to whoever is responsible for maintaining the boardwalk at the beach. “It is so full of sand it is difficult to walk through it. Please clear the sand off so we can walk on it.”
A reader sends a pitchfork to those who lied on their FAFSA and took scholarships away from kids who need it. Santa Via believes her stolen by Polo deputies.
A reader sends a halo to DJ Hecktic for coming out early Saturday morning to support the Junior Warriors. “It made the kids so happy to hear you say their names—you’re a local celebrity to them!”
A reader sends a pitchfork to an accountant in town who “doubled tax preparation fees without giving any notice to long-term clients.”
Submit Halos & Pitchforks online at coastalview.com.
A reader sends a pitchfork to a local dental office for not letting a family know they no longer take their dental insurance.
All submissions are subject to editing.
A reader sends a halo to Diana Rigby, Superintendent of schools, and Debra Herrick, director of Boys & Girls Club, for removing the toxic Euphorbia fire sticks from the pots and landscape.
A reader sends a pitchfork to a local restaurant. “I was there over the weekend. I paid my bill without looking at it (big mistake!) I only had two drinks but was charged for four for $40 more.”
RECORDS • POSTERS • VINYL WALL ART • THEMED APPAREL & MORE!
2:37 a.m. / Public Intoxication / Bailard Avenue
A reader sends a pitchfork to the sheriff’s deputy using his radar gun the other morning in front of city hall. “Why don’t you go by one of the schools and catch all the speeders there in morning, and keep our children safe while walking to school.”
Seal rookery visitors numbered 1,424. Many were still on spring break. Visitors came from Russia, Netherlands, Canada, Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, Australia, Israel, Ireland, Oregon, Texas, Ohio, Washington, Florida, California, Colorado, Arizona, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Indiana, Minnesota, Vermont, Utah, Illinois, South Carolina, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Idaho, New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut and Wisconsin.
DISTURBANCES
A jogger on the beach caused a large flush. Paddle boarders, people taking pictures on the pier and dogs caused minor disturbances.
Submit Halos and Pitchforks online at coastalview.com All submissions are subject to editing.
MORE INFORMATION
Please consider honoring the Marine Mammal Protection Act by not walking the sanctuary beach all year. Do not bring dogs, bicycles or loud voices to view the seals. Harbor seals, when disturbed, may flee and become separated from their pups. Volunteers asked that dogs always remain outside the rope area.
A reader sends a pitchfork to everyone who does not cover their mouth when they cough. “I guess no one is teaching their kids this anymore? Strange.”
Two men were contacted in a parked truck and both were extremely intoxicated with open containers of alcohol observed in the vehicle. One man was not being the most cooperative, but once he was convinced to exit the vehicle, a pat down search of his person was conducted. Deputies located a collapsible
he found a small baggie containing a white powdery substance underneath the driver’s seat of his recently purchased vehicle. The man stated he purchased the vehicle three weeks ago but didn’t find the small baggie until he’d removed the driver’s seat to fix the reclining mechanism. The incident was documented, and the baggie was booked into Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office property for destruction.
A reader sends a pitchfork to the manager of a local store for “not only ignoring this hard-of-hearing person’s request to please speak slowly and look at the lip-reading customer, but also for rudely walking away and not answering questions.”
Saturday, May 23
5:49 a.m. / Domestic Violence /
Carpinteria Seal Watch volunteers monitor our local seal rookery. More volunteers are always needed. Contact Seal Watch at carpsealwatch@gmail.com or call (805) 364-3194 if you’d like to help!
Deputies responded after a woman reported her residence was burglarized the
Deputies responded to a motel on Via Real for a report of a domestic violence incident. Upon arrival, a deputy contacted a man and woman in the parking lot. After contacting both subjects, there were visible injuries on both parties. Due to conflicting statements regarding their mutual altercation and obvious injuries, both parties were arrested for corporal
Deputies responded to a report a of a black sedan crashing into a parked water truck. While en route, it was also reported the male subject driving the sedan fled the scene on foot. Upon arrival, deputies observed the sedan abandoned in the middle Cameo Road with major damage to the front right passenger wheel Submit Halos & Pitchforks online at coastalview.com.
A man was contacted after reporting
Meet Jazzy the adventure-ready shepherd
Meet Jazzy, a three-year-old, 65-pound German shepherd who has been in the shelter for almost a year.
Santa Barbara County Animal Services (SBCAS) staff describe Jazzy as loyal, energetic and playful. She would do best in a home that understands how to handle an active, working breed.
SBCAS staff said: “This smart and athletic girl thrives on activity and mental stimulation. She loves romping with other dogs who enjoy rough-and-rowdy play, making her a great match for a playful canine sibling. She’ll do best in a home that keeps her engaged — whether it’s hiking, training sessions, or puzzle toys, she’s always up for a challenge! (...) If you’re ready for a fun-loving, intelligent companion who will keep up with your adventures, she’s the perfect match!”
Jazzy is spayed, vaccinated and microchipped. Interested in fostering or adopting her? She’s at the Goleta shelter at 5473 Overpass Road. The shelter is open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Learn more online at bit.ly/JazzyTheShepherd.
THROWBACK
Elizabeth Antoinette Ward, ambivalent local booster
BY STEPHEN BATES
Around the turn of the 20th century, civic leaders started promoting Carpinteria to outsiders. One early promotional tract was a booklet called “La Carpinteria,” written by Elizabeth Antoinette Ward. Nettie, as she was known, left her mark as an educator, technical writer, civic crusader, and eloquent yet ambivalent town booster.
Born in Nebraska in 1874, Nettie Ward came to Carpinteria in 1888 when her father, Thomas W. Ward, bought a five-acre farm for $4,000, with local farmer Henry Fish brokering the sale.
According to lore, Carpinteria farmers at the time engaged in a friendly rivalry over who could cultivate the most exotic plants. Thomas Ward embraced the challenge, adorning his property — which included today’s Lucky Llama Coffee House on Carpinteria Avenue — with a diverse array of trees and shrubs from around the world. Most notable was a Torrey pine seedling brought back from Santa Rosa Island by botanist T. S. Brandegee. That pine still towers over Carpinteria Avenue today, recognized as Carpinteria Historical Landmark No. 1. Nettie Ward graduated from Pomona College in 1898, a notable accomplishment at a time when few women pursued higher education.
Throughout her life, she pursued a variety of interests. One was amateur theatrics. She played a dairy maid in a skit put on by the Young Peoples Society of Christian Endeavor in 1891, directed a play on her family’s front lawn in 1909, and sang the role of a sorceress in an operetta called “The Feast of the Red Corn” in 1913. The Santa Barbara Independent — a separate publication from the current Santa Barbara Independent, which was launched in ‘86 — praised her “true histrionic ability,” and the Daily News, perhaps more enigmatically, described her singing as “simply inimitable.”
Ward was a founding member of the Carpinteria Woman’s Club, originally known as the Carpinteria Literary Club. The women studied Shakespeare, listened to music, and discussed such topics as “Causes of the Financial Crisis of 1837.” They also collected books, laying the foundation for Carpinteria’s first library.
Independently and through the Woman’s Club, Ward pursued a range of civic causes. She fought to keep saloons out of Carpinteria. During World War I, she organized volunteers to sew hospital garments for the Red Cross. She led a campaign to bestow elegant names on prominent homes, though the only one that stuck was her family’s own: Wardholme.
Ward also took on beautification efforts. According to a 1955 remembrance by Benjamin Fish (one of Henry’s sons), it was common around the turn of the century for townspeople to collect their mail at the post office, read it on the walk home, and toss aside unwanted papers along the way. Ward responded by launching an anti-litter campaign.
Education was another of Ward’s pursuits. At the turn of the century, Carpinteria had no public high school. A small private school had recently closed after its teacher, Daisy Wiswell, married. Students hoping to continue their education beyond grammar school faced a long trip to Santa Barbara.
Elizabeth Antoinette Ward wrote the promotional booklet “La Carpinteria,” which the Carpinteria Woman’s Club published in 1910. Known as Nettie, she ran a private high school, published widely, acted in amateur theatricals, and crusaded against litter.
Nettie Ward died in 1928. Were she to rise from her resting place in the Carpinteria Cemetery, she might rejoice at some changes (a public high school) and lament others (saloons). But she would find much that’s familiar. Her father’s Torrey pine still stands; in fact, it’s now thought to be the largest in the world.
Ward responded by founding what came to be known as Miss Ward’s Private High School. Up to two dozen students attended morning classes at her family’s home, where she taught alongside one or two other instructors. Tuition, if there was any, remains unknown. In 1901, she arranged for a Pomona College professor to deliver a commencement address to her graduating seniors — all three of them. Miss Ward’s School appears to have closed around 1911. A few years later, in 1913, Carpinteria Union Grammar School opened and soon expanded to include high school classes.
NETTIE WARD
continued on page 27
PHOTOS COURTESY CARPINTERIA VALLEY MUSEUM OF HISTORY
Soon after arriving in Carpinteria in 1888, Thomas Ward planted a Torrey pine seedling from Santa Rosa Island. This photo shows the Torrey pine in 1925. It still towers today on the 5100 block of Carpinteria Avenue as Carpinteria Historical Landmark No. 1.
Thomas W. Ward moved his family from Nebraska to Carpinteria in 1888 and bought a five-acre farm. He took pride in growing exotic plants from all over the world. He’s shown here around 1925.
APRIL 10, 2025
Warriors swimmers show off midseason form
Carpinteria defeats Fillmore, but falls to high-powered Thousand Oaks
BY RYAN P. CRUZ
Carpinteria’s boys and girls swim teams are in the heart of the season, with the Warriors picking up a league win against Fillmore on April 2 but falling on the losing end of a non-league meet against a talented Thousand Oaks squad two days later on April 4.
The Warriors hosted the Fillmore Flashes on a windy day at Carpinteria Community Pool, where Carpinteria’s swimmers came away with wins in both the boys and girls team scores, with the boys taking the win 120-25 and the girls claiming victory with a score of 97-36.
Jake Ehlers set the tone for Carpinteria’s boys team, finishing as a double event winner in the 100-meter freestyle and backstroke. The Warriors had two more double winners, with Chris Reed taking first place in both the 200-meter individual medley and 500-meter freestyle, and Massimo Bonilla-Zakosek winning the 100-meter butterfly and 200-meter freestyle.
Carpinteria’s girls were equally dominant, with three swimmers finishing as double winners. Guilia Piccoletti won the 100-meter butterfly and backstroke; Lucy Moore took the 200-meter and 500-meter freestyles; and Izzy Scott claimed both the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyles.
Both the boys and girls won every relay race against Fillmore.
Two days later, the Warriors had their hands full against Thousand Oaks, whose boys’ team won the CIF Division 4 Championships last year. Although Carpinteria had a much smaller roster — about 29 swimmers compared to more than 50 from Thousand Oaks — the Warriors were able to win half of the events on the day.
“We definitely did not lack in effort,” said Carpinteria coach Jon Otsuki.
Ehlers was the only team member to win multiple events for the Warriors boys, while Sky Korling and Stefano Piccoletti both took individual wins against the Lancers. Carpinteria’s boys won the 4x50 relay race, though Thousand Oaks took the overall team win by a score of 101-69.
The Warriors girls fared a little better, with Piccoletti taking wins in the 200-meter individual medley and 100-meter breaststroke, and Scott winning both the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle
in a row sprints. Freshman Lucia Smith pulled out an individual win in the 100-meter backstroke with her first ever CIF playoff consideration time
Carpinteria’s girls were able to win two relay races, with the team of Moore, Piccoletti, Scott and Hazel Dugré winning the medley relay and the quartet of Moore, Piccoletti, Scott and Madison Lee taking the 4x50 relay.
After all scores were combined, however, the Lancers girls claimed the team win by a tally of 88-79.
“It was a great day for the kids to swim fast,” Otsuki said. “We had beautiful warm weather, great competition and excellent Warrior team spirit.”
Carpinteria will travel to compete in two invitational meets this week: the Tri-County Swim and Dive, hosted by San Marcos High School in Goleta, on Thursday, April 10, followed by the Arcadia Invitational swim meet on Saturday, April 12.
Hazel Dugré was part of Carpinteria’s winning medley relay team against Thousand Oaks.
ROSANA SWING PHOTOS Mina Handall keeps the pace for Carpinteria.
Jake Ehlers has been dominant in the pool, finishing with double wins in two meets
Freshman Lucia Smith earned a CIF Division consideration time in the 100-meter backstroke.
SHORT STOPS
BY RYAN P. CRUZ
Carpinteria girls track remains undefeated in league
Carpinteria track and field visited Santa Paula for a Citrus Coast League meet on April 3, where the Warriors girls claimed the win to remain undefeated in league meets.
The Carpinteria boys suffered a team loss to Santa Paula, 82-45, with three Warriors boys accounting for all six wins for the day. Sophomore Max Soto took first place in the 1600- and 3200-meter sprints, while senior Nathan Carrillo took wins in both hurdles races and senior Sawyer Kelly won the high jump and long jump events.
On the girls side, the Warriors had several double winners, including junior Vivian Huskins, who won both the 100- and 200-meter sprints; senior Melanie Avalos with wins in the shot put and discus; and Averi Alexander with first place in both the long jump and triple jump.
Carpinteria athletes set 48 personal records on the day, with sophomore Izzy Scott improving her previous record in the 300-meter hurdles by three seconds and sophomore Kaydance Gardner setting a new personal record in the 400-meter race.
With the 88-37 team win, Carpinteria’s girls are still undefeated in head-to-head league meets, with an opportunity to claim first place in the Citrus Coast League against Fillmore this week.
“It was another positive step forward for the Warriors,” said Carpinteria coach Van Latham. “We are poisoning ourselves for a strong final month of the season.”
Warriors baseball snaps losing streak
Carpinteria baseball snapped its eight-game losing streak this week, picking up a much-needed Citrus Coast League win over Malibu on April 8.
The Warriors started the year with five straight wins, followed by a month-long slump without a win. Most recently, Carpinteria lost a back-to-back series against Santa Paula during two games on April 2 and April 4.
On April 8, the Warriors traveled to Malibu, where the Sharks jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings. Carpinteria came back to tie the game heading into the fifth, before Malibu took the lead back 5-4 one inning later.
The Warriors sealed the game in the final two innings, scoring four runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to take the win 10-7.
Carpinteria had three pitchers take the mound against Malibu, with Sam Medel starting the game and Micah Smith navigating the middle innings before freshman Jonah Hernandez came in to pick up the save in the seventh inning.
The three pitchers also played a prominent role in Carpinteria’s offense, with Medel turning in three hits, Hernandez adding three hits and Smith knocking in the game-winning run with a two-run double in the sixth inning.
“A very hard-earned team win,” said Carpinteria coach Pat Cooney. “To come from behind is no easy deal. We were in a collective slump so it was great to see the group snap out of it and get the reward for a bunch of hard work.”
Carpinteria is now 6-8 overall and 1-5 in the Citrus Coast League, as the Warriors prepare for a rematch against Malibu this week.
Carpinteria boys volleyball sweeps Raiders
After suffering a loss in a thrilling five-set match against Nordhoff on April 3, Carpinteria got right back in the win column with a three-set sweep over Channel Islands on April 8.
The Warriors were on the losing end in a back-and-forth battle against Nordhoff, where the teams went into a final set that was forced into extra points, with the Rangers pulling away with a 23-21 win to claim the match victory 3-2.
Against Channel Islands, the Warriors were on the winning side of three closely fought sets, with Carpinteria claiming the 3-0 sweep (26-24, 26-24, 25-22).
The Warriors were led by Alan Maya, who finished with 10 kills, 11 assists and nine digs; and Alariuziel Rodriguez, who added six kills and 10 digs in the win.
“This victory meant a lot to us, especially considering we lost to them in five sets earlier this season,” said Carpinteria coach Favian Muralles. “I’m incredibly proud of the way our team played tonight.”
Warriors tennis wins back-to-back matches
Carpinteria boys tennis got back on the winning track with back-to-back victories against Citrus Coast League opponent Channel Islands.
The teams met twice in a row, with Carpinteria winning both head-to-head matches by the same score, 11-7.
In the first match hosted by Carpinteria on April 7, the Warriors took control in doubles with eight wins out of nine sets. The duo of Servando Campuzano and Ethan Almgren turned in a 3-0 sweep, as did the duo of Lucas Martin and John Morrison.
In singles play, Elio Taha proved himself as one of the top players in the league with another three-set sweep, helping the Warriors claim the team win.
The next day, April 8, Carpinteria traveled to Oxnard for another match against Channel Islands. In this match, the outcome was nearly identical, with Carpinteria claiming eight of nine sets in doubles, and Taha finishing unbeaten at 3-0 in singles sets.
“It is hard to play the same opponent in such a short time frame, and I thought Channel Islands played much better today which made us have to step up our game,” said Carpinteria coach Charles Bryant.
Carpinteria is now 4-7 overall and 4-2 in league play heading into a busy week with three matches.
ON DECK
Thursday, April 10
Carpinteria Swimming at Tri-County Invite (San Marcos), Noon
*Carpinteria Track & Field vs Fillmore, 3:30 p.m.
*Carpinteria Softball vs Nordhoff, 3:30 p.m.
*Carpinteria Baseball vs Malibu, 3:30 p.m.
Do you have a photo from Carpinteria’s past? Contact news@coastalview.com to share it with other readers!
*Carpinteria Boys Volleyball vs Hueneme, 6 p.m.
Friday, April 11
*Carpinteria Baseball vs Santa Maria, 3:30 p.m.
Carpinteria Boys Volleyball at Pioneer Valley, 6 p.m.
Friday, April 12
Carpinteria Track & Field at Arcadia Invite, 9 a.m. *Denotes Home Game
CARLOS ALVARADO
Izzy Scott improved her personal record in the 300-meter hurdles by three seconds.
ROSANA SWING
Alariuziel Rodriguez has been all over the court for the Warriors.
CRUZ ON SPORTS
RYAN P. CRUZ
The tragic death of Gene Hackman earlier this year brought to the front of my mind one of his most notable roles — the first time I actually remember seeing Hackman — as the stubborn, hard-nosed but highly inspirational basketball coach Norman Dale in the 1986 film “Hoosiers.”
I sat down to rewatch the movie, where Hackman plays a coach with a questionable past who lands in a dusty farm town in the middle of nowhere, Indiana, and takes over the down-on-their luck high school hoops team. It’s the kind of story that we’ve seen so many times in our moviegoing lives — town hates new coach; team starts winning; then coach’s spotty past comes to back to haunt him and things start to fall apart just before the town, team and coach come together to make a magical run to the championship.
But as I watched, it occurred to me just what it was I found so intriguing about this simple type of storytelling in sports cinema, and why every time I watch these
The magic of sports movies
types of movies I get swept up and find myself rooting for the underdogs to pull off the upset, for the good guys to beat the bad guys while overcoming the odds to chase something bigger than themselves.
We all know how the story goes in sports movies. And when we see the dramatic finish with the last-second buzzer-beater that bounces around the rim in slow motion as the clock expires before the ball swooshes through the net, it still feels good every time.
Real life can be messy, and in real life the ball doesn’t always bounce our way. Things fall apart, the favorite wins, and as anybody who’s played a competitive sport can attest, there’s often more failures than there are winning moments. By contrast, the simpler world of sports movies can be a comforting escape.
Growing up — back in dark days of DVD rentals — I would often find myself looking for a sports movie to watch. “The Mighty Ducks,” “The Sandlot,” “Rudy” and “Bad News Bears” were my feel-good flicks. I laughed at kid-friendly comedies like “Rookie of the Year” and “Little Giants.” I learned about how baseball was bigger than just a game with “A League of Their Own,” “Field of Dreams” and “The Natural.”
These films taught me about life, history, race and social justice. Movies like “Remember the Titans” followed the familiar formula of the ragtag group of unlikely teammates coming together to win, but with the added layer of complexity that came with integration of sports in the early 1970s.
While sports movies can be full of cliché and overused tropes, there have also been
senior captain Peter Lehman pitched a complete game in a 16-1 win over Thacher.
Cate Rams roundup
Cate baseball won two more games, with the Rams lighting up the scoreboard for 16 runs in each game.
Cate took on Santa Clara on April 3, when senior captain Peter Lehman pitched a gem of a game, going a complete seven innings while only allowing one unearned run and one hit. The lefthander struck out 15 batters, throwing 63 strikes out of 93 total pitches.
The Rams’ bats were active, with the other senior captain Quinn Pullen going fourfor-four with two doubles, two singles, four RBIs and a stolen base. Junior catcher Noah Casbarro got on base three times, finishing with a double, two stolen bases and two RBIs. Altogether, the Rams put together a dominant 16-1 win.
On April 8, Cate had another high-powered offensive game with 14 combined hits against Villanova. Five different Cate players had multiple hits, while every starter reached base at some point in the game.
Pullen earned the win on the mound, pitching all seven innings and striking out 12 batters while allowing only three hits and no earned runs. The Rams won the game 16-3, and Cate will now prepare for a rematch with Villanova on April 10.
Cate girls lacrosse also picked up two wins, defeating Thacher 10-5 on April 1, and narrowly beating Dos Pueblos 14-13 on April 3. Against Thacher, the Rams’ were led by Sophia Ospina and Maia Holmes, who each had three goals in the win. Three more Rams scored in the win, while goalie Chelsea Newlove held strong in the net with five saves.
In the win over Dos Pueblos, Cate put together a fourth-quarter comeback, outscoring the Chargers 4-1 in the final period to hold on for a 14-13 final score. The Rams were led again by Ospina and Holmes with four goals each, while Newlove finished with 11 saves.
a few standout films that ventured past the tried-and-true overcoming-the-odds storylines. “Friday Night Lights” flipped the idea of a town being held together by high school sports, and showed what happens when things don’t always have a happy ending. “Love and Basketball” and “He Got Game” used sports as a way to explore family, relationships, and the pressures that come with being a highly recruited student athlete in America. Sure, there’s plenty of sports movies that miss the mark, with most of them falling into the category of lazily done remakes — like the cash-grab trainwreck that is “Space Jam 2” — or unnecessary sequels of movies that never needed a follow up (I’m looking at you, “Air Bud” cinematic universe). But there’s still something to love about even these “bad”
NETTIE WARD continued from page 24
In addition to her many civic and cultural activities, Ward published widely, often on scientific and technical subjects — an uncommon accomplishment for a woman of her time. While still a student at Pomona College in 1897, she submitted a detailed letter to The Outlook correcting errors in an article about entomology. In 1905, the Los Angeles Times Magazine ran her essay lamenting the near-extermination of California live oaks in the 19th century by “thoughtless pioneers.” Scientific American featured her 1913 article on asphaltum mining. She also wrote on farming techniques, road engineering, and other specialized topics.
Ward united her talents as a writer and civic activist in “La Carpinteria,” a 47-page illustrated booklet published by the Woman’s Club in 1910. Featuring photographs by George Gilbert McLean, the booklet sold for 50 cents, with 1,000 copies printed.
In the for eword, Stewart Edward White — a popular novelist and part-time resident credited with naming Sandyland — praises the Carpinteria climate, the play of light across the mountains, and the community’s public-spiritedness. He also touts the beach as ideal for a newly popular pastime: “The Hawaiian sport of surfboard riding can here be enjoyed as nowhere else outside the Islands.”
In the body of the booklet, Ward describes the Carpinteria Valley as “a happy necessity” for coastal travelers between Northern and Southern California, since both the railroad and the wagon road pass through it. Visitors, she writes, can escape their “sordid cares” in Franklin Canyon, marvel at the world’s largest grapevine, and enjoy what many consider the finest bathing beach on the West Coast. Although the valley then lacked a tourist hotel (the Palms would open two years later, in 1912), she mentions two
movies, and something comforting about the worlds they create.
Sometimes it’s better to be in these worlds, where Gene Hackman is Coach Norman Dale, leading Hickory High to the Indiana State Championship game. Where things end up as they should, and even when the chips are down, the underdog still has a fighting chance. So no matter how corny, simple or predictable they may be, these movies will always be my guilty pleasures.
Ryan P. Cruz is the sports editor for Coastal View News. This is the latest installment of a monthly column where he explores local sports, sports history, and what’s in store for the future of Carpinteria sports. Have an idea, tip, or sports story? Email him at sports@ coastalview.com.
mountain resorts: Shepard’s Inn and the new Stanley Park. Throughout the booklet, Ward marvels over the valley’s natural beauty. “If scenery is desired, it is impossible to get away from it,” she writes. She extols the walnut orchards that “make amends to some degree for the magnificent live oaks sacrificed for them,” and notes that lemons, olives, apricots, and strawberries also thrive. At least a hundred species of wildflowers grow on hillsides and in canyons, she says, while geraniums and nasturtiums flourish in gardens like “glorious weeds.”
Ward cautions that buying real estate in the valley can be difficult, because residents view their property as an excellent investment. They often ask, “Where can I better invest my money?” In addition, they’re so “rich in their contentment” that they see no reason to leave.
Even as “La Carpinteria” aims to promote the town, it closes on a note of unease about the kind of growth that success might bring. “It is with mingled feelings,” Ward writes, “that the old settlers watch the encroachments of the outside world upon the well-ordered routine of their pastoral life.”
Nettie Ward died in 1928. Were she to rise from her resting place in the Carpinteria Cemetery, she might rejoice at some changes (a public high school) and lament others (saloons). But she would find much that’s familiar. Her father’s Torrey pine still stands; in fact, it’s now thought to be the largest in the world. Carpinteria Beautiful has taken up her anti-litter campaign. The Carpinteria Woman’s Club remains active. Residents still cherish the natural beauty that surrounds them. And many remain quietly wary of outside encroachment.
Stephen Bates is coauthor (with Vince Burns) of a pictorial history of Rincon Point. It’s available at the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History and elsewhere.
COURTESY
Cate
ORION PICTURES
Gene Hackman as Coach Norman Dale in “Hoosiers.”
CVN
CHEF RANDY
RANDY GRAHAM
What are the differences between soup and chowder? Soup is made with water or broth and can contain various ingredients, such as pasta, vegetables, fruits, grains, meats or seafood. Chowder is a soup made with broth that is thickened with cream.
My chowder features creamy red potatoes, heavy cream and fresh peas. It is the perfect meal for the cold days of early spring. Serve it with freshly baked bread.
Makes 4 servings.
Red Potato Winter Chowder
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium leek, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced, rinsed, patted dry
3 garlic cloves (peeled, sliced thin)
¼ cup dry sherry
16 ounces small red potatoes (scrubbed, unpeeled, cut into wedges)
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup shelled fresh peas
2 tablespoons fresh dill (chopped)
Dill sprigs (garnish)
Directions:
Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Cook the leek and garlic cloves, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned and slightly softened, about three minutes.
Add sherry and cook, stirring often, until almost completely evaporated, about two minutes. Then, add potatoes, vegetable broth, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Cook uncovered until the potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes.
Using a potato masher, roughly mash some of the potatoes a few times to break them into smaller pieces. Add the cream and peas. Cook until the peas are tender, about five minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the dill.
Ladle chowder into bowls and top with dill sprigs.
Randy Graham is a noted chef and writer and has been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for over 38 years. Chef Randy has written and published a series of seven cookbooks with original recipes developed over the period 1975 through 2020. He writes for the Ojai Quarterly, the Ojai
Seascape Realty
LOVELY THREE BEDROOM - TWO BATH HOME LOCATED IN CARPINTERIA’S BEAUTIFUL VISTA DE SANTA BARBARA SENIOR COMMUNITY.
needs.
Manufactured in 2012, featuring vaulted ceilings and lots of closet space throughout. The living room is open to the dining area and large kitchen with a walk-in pantry and breakfast bar. There are mountain views from
Sylvia's reputation for outstanding customer service makes herTHE RIGHT REALTOR® FOR YOU TM
NEW LISTING
the living room and kitchen. The laundry room has washer, dryer and storage space. There is a two car covered carport and a large storage shed. Owners may have two pets. Park amenities include a Pool, Jacuzzi, and Clubhouse. There are walking areas and greenbelts throughout the park. Vista de Santa Barbara is within walking distance to the bluffs, beach, seal sanctuary, bike trails, and bus.
OFFERED AT $555,000.
Please call Shirley Kimberlin at 805-886-0228
and dual panned windows. There is a nice storage shed and small yard area in back. Park amenities include Pool, Clubhouse, and RV parking. Located near Carpinteria Bluffs, Beach and downtown Carpinteria. San Roque is a gated park, for added security. OFFERED AT $495,000. Please call Shirley Kimberlin at 805-886-0228
55+... Light and Bright home with lots of natural light. Large living room, dining room, and a room adjacent to the kitchen which can be used as a den/family room. Two bedrooms, two full baths. Two car covered carport and two storage sheds. Rancho Granada is located near the bluffs, beach, bike trails, bus, and downtown Carpinteria with shopping, restaurants, and more! OFFERED
Please call Shirley Kimberlin at
Discover Monthly, and the California 101 Travelers Guide. His vegetarian recipes are published in newspapers throughout Central California under the header, Chef Randy. He and his wife, Robin, live in Ojai, California, with their dog Cooper. Robin and Cooper are not vegetarians.
