Coastal View News • February 20, 2025 by Coastal View News

CARPINTERIA

Love for open spaces

On Friday, Feb. 14, the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County announced that it had acquired the 2.48-acre Rincon Gateway property on the Carpinteria Bluffs, guaranteeing that the property will remain undeveloped. The announcement was a star-studded event, with Carpinteria and county leaders in attendance, as well as many of the original members of the Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs, which has led the efforts to preserve the bluffs since the group was formed in 1996. Read more about the acquisition of the Rincon Gateway on page 4 of this week’s print.

BRIEFLY

COMPILED BY EVELYN SPENCE | COURTESY PHOTOS

Woman pronounced deceased after Tuesday train accident

A pedestrian was pronounced deceased after being hit by the Pacific Surfliner train near Calle Ocho in Carpinteria around 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Raquel Zick told CVN on Tuesday that the victim was an adult female, with identification pending. No other information was immediately available.

Hop into ‘50s attire with AgeWell’s Sock Hop

Carpinteria’s AgeWell Senior Programming invites community members aged 50 and older to a ‘50s Sock Hop Dance, scheduled for Saturday, March 1 at 5 p.m. AgeWell’s Jena Jenkins told CVN that music, dancing, food and fun is expected. “It’s the perfect opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new ones while enjoying the classic tunes from the 1950s. Dress in your best 50s attire – whether it’s a poodle skirt, leather jacket, or anything else that brings back those vintage vibes –and let the good times roll!” Jenkins said in a press release.

The dance will take place at the Carpinteria Veterans Hall, 941 Walnut Ave. Admission is free. Guests must RSVP by emailing agewell@carpinteriaca.gov or calling (805) 881-1271.

Downtown “T” board member given management service award

One of the city of Carpinteria’s Downtown “T” Business Advisory Board (DTBAB) members, Michelle Carlen, was honored with the management service award earlier this month by the Western Association of Chamber Executives for her years of service to local business communities.

Carlen, a DTBAB member-at-large, has over 25 years of management service. In a press release, Carlen said she is “delighted to have the opportunity to continue to serve Carpinteria using (my) expertise and experience to support the economic vitality of Carpinteria alongside (my) board member colleagues.”

Downtown “T” Business Advisory Board Michelle Carlen, left, with W.A.C.E

Emergency preparedness classes offered through LISTOS

LISTOS — a basic emergency and disaster readiness public education program for vulnerable populations — is offering three emergency and disaster preparedness classes locally over the next few months, sponsored by the city of Carpinteria, FSTI and the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District.

The LISTOS program was launched after an Aware & Prepare Initiative roundtable discussion between community members and organizations that work with on-English-speaking populations, according to a press release from LISTOS.

The ﬁrst basics virtual class is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26 and Thursday, Feb. 27, 6–9 p.m. This class is oﬀered in English, and participants must attend both days.

The second is scheduled for Saturday, March 8, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., at Carpinteria City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave.

The third — a train-the-trainer class for those interested in becoming a trainer for the LISTOS program — is oﬀered Friday, April 4, Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. The classes will be oﬀered in English and Spanish.

Land Trust buys Rincon Gateway

The 2.48-acre property will remain undeveloped

BY JUN STARKEY

In a purposeful Valentine’s Day announcement, the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County announced that it had acquired the 2.48-acre Rincon Gateway property on the Carpinteria Bluffs.

“With the addition of this property, we’ve now protected over 75 acres of the Carpinteria and Rincon bluffs,” said Land Trust Executive Director Meredith Hendricks.

The trust was able to acquire the property thanks to a nearly $3.9 donation from the La Centra Summerlin Foundation, Hendricks told CVN.

A luxury AutoCamp RV park was once proposed for the property. The project — with 24 Airstream trailer units, two larger ADA-compliant trailers, a 2,200-squarefoot clubhouse and a 28-space parking lot — was received poorly by city representatives and members of the public during a March 2021 joint Carpinteria City Council, Planning Commission and Architectural Review Board meeting. One resident at the meeting said it would be “tragic” to build the project on the Rincon Bluffs, CVN previously reported.

The event was star-studded, with many of Carpinteria’s leaders in attendance, as well as many of the original members of the Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs, including Artutro Tello, Vera Bensen and Ted Rhodes.

“At moments like this, it’s always good to remind ourselves how important open space is. Being in contact with nature is essential for children and for us as adults to really reach our full potential as human beings,” Rhodes, a former Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs president, said. “Along this road it’s been an amazing process,

Land Trust for Santa Barbara County

Announcement attendees formed the

and I’m proud that we have forged a really solid relationship with the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County.”

The announcement was also attended by members of the Carpinteria City Council, including Mayor Natalia Alarcon, Vice Mayor Mónica Solórzano and councilmembers Wade Nomura and Al Clark.

“This place is precious, it’s sacred, it’s special,” said Nomura. He told attendees Friday that he was on the original team that helped preserve much of the bluffs. “So the vista that we have here will be preserved forever, the way it was originally when the Chumash were here.”

Community members ask board to preserve Carpinteria Family School, GATE

The board has proposed not rehiring several full-time employees during the 2025-26 school year

BY JUN STARKEY

More than a dozen community members spoke during public comment at the Carpinteria Unified School District (CUSD) Board of Trustees Feb. 11 meeting, asking the board to find other ways to make budget reductions without sacrificing teachers and programs.

The majority of speakers were parents, teachers and students from Carpinteria Family School (CFS), who implored trustees to find a way to preserve the second and third grade classroom at CFS in the next school year.

During the board’s previous budget presentation on Jan. 28, several potential reductions were presented for the 2025-26 school year. One of these proposed reductions includes not replacing the second and third grade classroom teacher at CFS once they retire, and moving the remaining students to a class at Canalino Elementary School. CUSD Superintendent Diana Rigby told CVN that any budget decisions will not be finalized until June of this year. One combination fourth and fifth grade class would remain at CFS.

Parents from CFS said they chose the school based on the smaller class sizes, dedicated educators and combination grade classrooms, which all contribute to offering a more personalized and well-rounded education for students.

A few families at Tuesday’s meeting told the board that they moved their families to Carpinteria to attend CFS.

“When I found this school, I knew I’d found what I’d been looking for — a small

Carpinteria Family School (CFS) parent Elissa Margolin asked the CUSD Board of Trustees to preserve CFS for Carpinteria families. school with highly engaged teachers, a rich community of families, specific focus on whole child development, prioritizing social, emotional and academic flourishing,” said parent Elissa Margolin.

She told the board she and her family moved to California from Washington D.C. three years ago, and chose CFS after looking at dozens of private and public schools from Woodland Hills to Santa Barbara.

Lori Lee Collins, the fourth and fifth grade teacher at CFS, also spoke Tuesday, asking trustees to consider all options when looking at CFS.

“It’s about the community, it really is, and we’re all doing this together and

I invite you to please consider all the options out there,” Collins said. “I love and adore what I do, and I’m hoping I can keep doing it for all of you.”

GATE Teacher Crystal Marshall also spoke about proposed reductions, imploring the board to preserve the district’s elementary GATE program, which works with gifted students. This district’s 202526 budget proposal includes the removal of one full-time elementary GATE teacher. Marshall said she works with about 80 students across three CUSD campuses. The program is essential for students who need further stimulation and challenging materials in their education, she told the board.

“As a child, I experienced first-hand the disenfranchisement of learning in a district that did not provide services for its gifted population. That is why I take my job so seriously (…) Please reconsider eliminating GATE.” — GATE teacher

Crystal Marshall

“As a child, I experienced first-hand the disenfranchisement of learning in a district that did not provide services for its gifted population. That is why I take my job so seriously,” Marshall said. “Please reconsider eliminating GATE. Maybe we could make smaller cuts to multiple endeavors, or as Lety Garcia suggested last week, look into buying from less expensive material suppliers.”

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTOS

The

celebrated the acquisition of the Rincon Gateway on Friday, Feb. 14.

shape of a heart, in honor of Valentine’s Day.

The original members of the Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs attended the announcement on Friday.

Appeal on Foothill Road cannabis processing building continued to March 5

Local air quality group Concerned Carpinterians is fighting the approval of G&K Farms’ plans

BY JUN STARKEY

G&K Farms’ plans for a 25,000-squarefoot cannabis processing structure in Carpinteria hit another delay earlier this month, after the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission continued the hearing for the project to March 5.

The project comes to the board from G&K Farms co-owner and Carpinterian Graham Farrar, who wants to build the structure on his 14.6-acre property at 3561 Foothill Road. The project received preliminary approval from the South Board of Architectural Review (SBAR) in September 2024, which was appealed less than two weeks later by members of Concerned Carpinterians, a local air quality group that has been fighting for stronger cannabis odor controls.

Staff members reminded the public and Planning commissioners at the commission’s Feb. 5 meeting that the appeal was regarding the design of the project. The commission looks exclusively at aspects of the cannabis processing building’s design, which includes overall scale, colors, building materials, exterior lighting and other aesthetic properties.

The appeal heard on Feb. 5 was filed by Jill Stassinos, a longtime Carpinterian and member of Concerned Carpinterians. Per the commission’s staff report, she takes issue with the overall size of the project, especially when combined with neighboring cannabis operations; the impact the processing building would have on public views; potential increases in traffic; and an incompatibility with the neighborhood.

G&K Farms first submitted plans for a

processing building at the Foothill Road site in 2019. Since then, residents have filed five appeals against the project, including with the California Coastal Commission in 2023, which found “no substantial issue” with the application, per county staff.

Staff briefly acknowledged each claim in the appeal and provided explanations. The processing structure would be well under the height limit of 30 feet, staff said, and would not be visible from Via Real or Foothill Road. The building would be at least 750 feet from Foothill Road, 650 feet from Via Real, and 1,700 feet from the Highway 101 overpass.

Regarding the other two concerns, staff said the concerns over increases in traffic and incompatibility with the neighborhood do not fall under the purview of the appeal, which was for the design of the cannabis processing building.

Commissioner Michael Cooney, who represents the county’s first district on the board, said he would not consider approving the item without further discussion.

“The whole purpose of asking for a continuance is to help me… There is a concern I think that others might share that we didn’t look hard enough or deep enough to try and come up with the right answer,” Cooney said.

Commissioner John Parke, representing the third district, said he supported Cooney’s desire to continue the item, given that the project resides in Cooney’s district.

Commissioner and Chair Laura M. Bridley disagreed.

“I would not be inclined towards a

Halos& Pitchforks

Farms has plans for a 25,000-square-foot cannabis processing structure at

continuance because I’m really not sure what more could be achieved at another hearing,” said Bridley. “This is clearly on design review… Today’s matter is just about how it looks, its height, its consistency.”

A reader sends a halo to the Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning for inviting the Playa Del Sur 4H Club to bring baby animals to the meeting and for hosting a fundraiser for the group. “It was a fun event and much appreciated.”

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 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.”

Bridley went on to say that although everything brought up by members of the public was important, many of the issues had already been litigated at a higher level.

“I want to be clear that our function is design review,” Bridley. Cooney motioned to have the item continued to the March 5 commission meeting. The motion passed 3-2, with commissioners Roy Reed and Bridley voting no.

When is a good time for Roth conversion?

In life, you often get second chances — and the same is true with investing. To

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 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 Visiting Angels for sponsoring a spectacular AgeWell chocolate tasting, with a generous donation from local Chocolats du CaliBressan. “Twenty seniors showed up during the worst of the rain for this event!”

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!”

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 Marcussens “for standing up for their rights for peaceful enjoyment of their home.”

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?”

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 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 Jean-Michel Carre and Chocolats du CaliBressan for providing delicious bonbons for the AgeWell’s chocolate tasting party. “What a memorable treat!”

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!”

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 halo to the gentleman in the white Suburban who helped the reader get their car “out of the horribly placed cement trough on the corner of Cravens Lane and Foothill Road. I wish I had gotten your name, you were cool under pressure and saved my car.”

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 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 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!”

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 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?”

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 Don Risdon and his staff at Risdon’s 76 on Via Real. The reader had a funeral to attend in Northern California on Saturday and discovered a screw in one of her run flat tires. Almost impossible to repair in time for her trip departure, and no time to order a new tire, they made the repair at once and the reader was able to make the drive and attend the service. “Good Samaritans definitely live in Carpinteria. Thanks, from the bottom of our hearts.”

A reader sends a pitchfork to the Linden planters. “All the mushrooms growing there indicate too much water. Nice weed farm.”

There were no pitchforks submitted this week that were suitable for publication.

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 Diana, a caregiver at Carpinteria Senior Lodge for nearly three years.

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?”

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 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.”

Santa Via believes her stolen by Polo deputies. Vehicle / about Sandtagged and vehicle The 1100 lot not was possearch located, meth. violations. Submit Halos & Pitchforks online at coastalview.com. Submissions subject to editing.

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 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

COURTESY

G&K

3561 Foothill Road.

Coastal View News • Carpinteria, California

Obituaries

Janice Mary Dolge 04/14/1936 — 01/28/2025

Janice Mary Dolge (nee Banks), widow of Dix Alan Dolge, daughter of George and Mary Louise Banks, passed away peacefully at home on Jan. 28, 2025. Born in Lansford, North Dakota, on April 14, 1936, Janice moved with her family to California as a young girl, eventually settling in Santa Barbara, where she graduated from Santa Barbara High School, as a proud Don, in 1954.

She met the love of her life, Dix, at the dances in Oak Park, and they were married in November of 1954. They moved to Carpinteria and raised their family here.

Janice was active in the Junior Women’s Club and was a lifelong member of the Carpinteria Community Church, where she ﬁlled a variety of roles, including Sunday School teacher and Bell Choir ringer.

As a teenager she worked as an usherette at the Granada Theater, including a stint dressed as a nurse to provide “medical assistance” to frightened audience members watching a monster movie. Along with three of her children, she worked for several years at the Foster’s Freeze restaurant in Carpinteria.

She loved to travel, spending many summers at Cascade Lake in Idaho, in a variety of tents, campers and trailers. She also frequently visited the MacDougall family farm in Dayton, Oregon, the ﬁnal resting place of her beloved husband Dix, who passed away in 2016.

She is survived by her four children: Creig Dolge of Carpinteria, California (Kathy); James MacDougall Dolge of Phoenix, Arizona (Maria); Louise Ann (LuAnn) Ames of Santa Maria, California (Javier); and Holly Galer of Hopewell, Oregon (Lloyd).

She is also survived by her brother, Geoffrey Piper Banks of Carpinteria, California and Bullhead City, Arizona (Terry), and was preceded in death by her sister Toni Green.

She was also blessed with eleven grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, ﬁve nieces and nephews, and eight grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

A memorial service is planned for later this year.

In lieu of ﬂowers, donations may be made to the Carpinteria Community Church.

St. Jude

Oh Holy St. Jude, apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in Miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful special patron in time of need, to you do I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg you to whom God has given such great powers, to come to my assistance. Help me in my present urgent petition. In return I promise to make your name known and cause you to be invoked. Pray for us all who invoke your aid. Amen Say three Our Fathers, three Hail Marys, three Glorias. This Novena must be said for 9 consecutive days. This Novena has never been known to fail.

Publication must be promised to St. Jude.

James “Jim” Woodrow Summerlin

10/12/1945 — 02/11/2025

Longtime Carpinteria resident James “Jim” Woodrow Summerlin passed peacefully in his sleep in the early morning of Feb. 11, 2025, at his home in Ventura. Jim was born in Casper, Wyoming on Oct. 12, 1945, and was raised in Brookhaven, Mississippi.

Jim is survived by his loving wife of more than 61 years Johnnie Summerlin, son Jerome Summerlin (Trevor), daughter Julie Latham (Van), and grandchildren Emily Summerlin (Chris Hildrith), Wilson Summerlin, Madison Rondon (Jeremy), Wyatt Juul and Dylan Juul. Jim is also survived by his sister Patricia Jones and her family in West Virginia, as well as numerous extended family members in Mississippi.

Jim loved to work and had a long career of more than 57 years in the oil and gas exploration and production industry that started in Mississippi / Louisiana / Gulf of Mexico in the mid-1960s and extended to California and the Santa Barbara Channel in the early 1970s. Jim enjoyed his career and his many work colleagues within the oil ﬁelds of Santa Barbara, Ventura, Monterey, Fresno, and Kern counties, as well as across the western United States and the Mississippi Delta.

Jim and Johnnie raised their family in Carpinteria, where they made life-lasting friendships with many friends and neighbors. Jim always enjoyed visiting with friends and neighbors, as well as heading up a tri-tip and ribs BBQ and deep-frying large numbers of turkeys at Thanksgiving for family and friends.

Jim was a great provider for his family and extended family and was always happy to assist others in need.

His family and friends will miss him and will cherish his memory forever.

What’s new at the harbor seal rookery?

This report covers Feb. 10–16, 2025

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.

Valentine’s Day is usually when pups really start arriving, and this year appears to be no exception so far.

NATURAL HISTORY NOTES

Male and female harbor seals are not easy to tell apart. Viewers often assume a fat seal is pregnant, but if it rolls over a “belly button” penile slit may be seen. Harbor seals do not have harems, and although there is competition for females, it’s reported to occur primarily in the ocean.

Seal Watchers have not reported apparent competition on land, and males and females both rest at the sanctuary beach. Of interest is the fact that the “nursery” area just east of the main beach is so named because as pups arrive a higher ratio of females, particularly moms with pups, haul out there.

VISITORS

Volunteers recorded 1,239 visitors at the overlook. People came from Finland, France, Germany, Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, Puerto Rico, Wisconsin, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Maine, North Carolina, Nevada, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Vermont, Alaska, Texas, Montana, Florida and Illinois.

DISTURBANCES

A woman thought she would get a better photo of the seals from the beach than from the overlook. She was mistaken, as the seals — including two pups — ﬂed to the ocean. Two other women who approached along the beach as far as the pier caused a disturbance.

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.

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!

Coastal View News welcomes your le ers

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KARLSSON

Goulart, Lorien Rennie, Mary Lemke

Editor’s Note: The Carpinteria Unified School District Board of Trustees has discussed not replacing a retiring teacher at Carpinteria Family School (CFS) and moving students from that class into a combination third and fourth grade classroom at Canalino Elementary School for the 2025-2026 school year. One combination fourth and fifth grade class would remain at CFS. This discussion is in the preliminary stages, and the board will make a final decision on budget reductions in June.

District needs to get creative to save family school

As a mother of two Carpinteria Family School (CFS) students, I can speak to the beneﬁts of Carpinteria Family School, the transformational relationships my children have built with fellow students and teachers, the conﬁdence they have gained by having teachers who know them from the time they are in Kindergarten, the arts and environmental education they have been taught, and the way that being a part of a small, multi-aged class prepared my oldest son for the successful transition to the middle school.

Having CFS on the Canalino campus has expanded the social connections both my children have made with students attending Canalino English-only and DLI programs. My sixth grader now has a social network of friends older and younger, from CFS, DLI and Canalino English-only. I believe that the Family School focus on building community has taught my children the importance of engagement with all students, both in the classroom and on the playground.

The proposal by Superintendent Rigby to not replace retiring 2nd/3rd grade CFS teacher, Jan Silk, is a shortsighted solution to a near-term budget challenge, ignoring the long-term value CFS brings to the district and the Carpinteria community as a whole. While the proposal doesn’t overtly suggest closing CFS, if adopted by the board, this decision would eﬀectively dismantle the innovative and successful educational program that has beneﬁted students and families for over 23 years, without the district being held accountable for closing a school.

Carpinteria Family School holds a 9/10 rating on GreatSchools.org; the highest rating in the CUSD district demonstrating academic excellence. Public school choice is essential. Families deserve the opportunity to select the best educational

LETTERS

“While the proposal doesn’t overtly suggest closing CFS, if adopted by the board, this decision would eﬀectively dismantle the innovative and successful educational program that has beneﬁted students and families for over 23 years, without the district being held accountable for closing a school.”

— Autumn Fiore Palm

experienced many fun things: the River Trail project, new games, new friends, fun ﬁeld trips, and many more.

Meanwhile, my sister Zuri still has three and a half years to go in Family School and every day after school she has come home with a big smile on her face and has been so joyful and eager to share about her day. I would hate for that to stop happening. It’s been so fun to see all the work she has been doing and to hear the excitement as she tells us about it. I love this school with all my heart, and I bet there is something else you could do instead. I would do anything to keep Family School, and it would make me cry if it turns out to be gone forever.

Thank you for your time and please don’t make a change.

Harper Haroz Carpinteria

Bailard Farm feeds families

environment for their children within the public school system. If Carpinteria Family School is lost, so is a vital alternative learning model that has proven successful for decades. There are ways that the school board can get creative to maintain CFS; I would ask that they please do so.

Autumn Fiore Palm Carpinteria

In solidarity for CFS

I could not have been more proud to be part of the Carpinteria Family School community this past Tuesday evening. Parents, teachers, and students alike spoke at the school board meeting in support of Family School and its strength in the district for the last 22 years! These speakers were current, past and potentially future Family School members who wish to continue the commitment and hard work of so many families that came before them in maintaining this school of choice!

Family School attracts and retains many families into the district through not only strong academics but also through musical productions and the arts, a commitment to the environment, multi-age classrooms and an innovative parent body. At its core, it engages families and emboldens their opportunities to be involved in their students’ education. I know this intimately because I have worked in service with these families for the last 22 years. Family School resides

on the Canalino School campus. Working together, these two schools have created a diverse campus, sharing and building resources for all students, broadening the reach.

Let’s continue this work by maintaining a powerful Family School, a strong DLI program, and dedicated school opportunities at Canalino, Aliso and Summerland Schools! It would be too easy to cut one of the smallest schools in the bunch without digging deeper for other solutions. Carpinteria Family School is at the very heart of our Carpinteria community, building its future! I am optimistic that there will be many creative ideas and a continuing discussion to maintain this bright beacon of light that we know as Carpinteria Family School.

Jan Silk Carpinteria

Family school student speaks out

My name is Harper Haroz. I am in the ﬁfth grade and have attended Carpinteria Family School for three years. It has been a great pleasure to me by being there. I love that the teachers like a lot of the same things that I love.

I was enrolled in forest schools all the way until when I was in second grade, so I love the wilderness, and I really enjoy that the teachers at Family School share the same level of interest in nature as I do.

During my three years there, I have

A great letter from Susie Anderson (CVN, Vol. 31, No. 22)!

Brief, to the point and easy to read. That farm feeds a lot of needy families. Red Tail developer only cares about proﬁts. So sad.

Elizabeth Ann Arey Santa Barbara

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. Call Debbie today @ 805-689-9696 for more information. $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

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

SCHOOL NOTES

COMPILED BY JUN STARKEY | COURTESY PHOTOS

Carpinteria Middle School students who placed in the 39th annual spelling bee included, middle from left, Abner Freund in third place, Emma Acevedo in second place and Emiliano Jimenez in first place.

Three students place in annual spelling bee

Carpinteria Middle School (CMS) recently held its 39th annual spelling bee at the Carpinteria Mason’s Lodge on Feb. 6. The winners included Abner Freund in third place, Emma Acevedo in second place and Emiliano Jimenez in first place for the third year in a row.

Cate students offer tours of local tidepools

Students from Cate School’s marine ecology class will offer tours of the tidepools near Tar Pits Park on Saturday, Feb. 22, 12:30–2 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 23, 1–2:30 p.m.

“A group of my Cate students will be present each day and will offer to teach families about the marine life and help kids observe creatures safely without harming themselves or the organisms,” said Cate science instructor Beth Caylor. “These teenagers are committed and will do their best to find the coolest creatures they can!” Cate students offering tours will be wearing blue Cate School T-shirts.

Howard students participate in forensicsthemed science lab

Middle school students from The Howard School recently explored various scientific methods used in criminal investigations in Señora Tejada’s science lab, which students participate in once a month.

Students learned the basics of fingerprinting, including how to take a fingerprint and how to find them on objects. Students would move between different stations over the course of the lab, participating in different activities.

In one area, a student put a fingerprint somewhere on a piece of paper. A partner would then “dust for prints,” carefully using a magnetic dust to scan the paper for marks invisible to the naked eye.

“The students learned a lot and had a great time!” said Anita Betancourt, the associate head of school at The Howard School.

A letter to my readers: a moment of reflection

MY WELLNESS NOW

VICKIE GONZALEZ

Dear Readers,

I sit here looking at my computer, trying to figure out what to write for my February column, and I’m having a tough time. It isn’t that I don’t have ideas — I keep a list of items I want to research and share with you all. The struggle I’m finding is that all of the topics are overshadowed by the awareness that many are feeling uncertain, scared, angry, sad, and a myriad of other emotions.

This week, in particular, has felt heavy. I’ve had to take some extra pauses since Monday’s Jan. 20 events, and all that has transpired since then, feeling a weight of sorts. How do I find words to soothe and guide others, including clients, when I, too, have found myself disjointed, discombobulated and discouraged (to say the least)? How can I write or remind people of relaxation techniques when they are worried about being deported or the safety of their loved ones? How do I discuss things like goal setting and self-care techniques when people are unsure what rights will be taken away today? How do I keep myself centered and present so as not to let my personal life seep into the professional one?

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, nor do I think I’ve it all figured out — far from it. What I do try my best to do is to provide a space for clients to share in whatever way they can. Sometimes in life, we may feel we can’t be messy in our

words and that things need to be structured perfectly. Therapy is a place where we can hopefully find a little bit of breath. And I think that may be what we all need outside of the therapy room as well.

I heard an analogy a while back of “stepping into the shade” to find relief from the weather; I think right now, that may be the best we can do some days. Find ways to feel just a little bit better, soothing our hearts and finding a bit more center. On other days, we may find ourselves laughing with loved ones, enjoying the sounds of nature, and appreciating the scent of the ocean breeze. It’s okay to have all those experiences, and neither mean we are “better” or “worse” humans than others.

Though it won’t fix the big things going on around us, I’ve realized that it is still vital to take care of the bare essentials.

Back in August 2022, I wrote an article titled “The Daily Peace” in which I shared seven items that are ways of self-care. Today, I reread the article and continue to feel they can be used to bring us closer to a place of feeling how we would want to feel; they won’t bring immediate calm or hope, but they can provide relief and help us feel a little more grounded. They are helpful so we can interact in healthy ways with those we love, and also those we don’t…some days we will just get through the day and on other days to find moments of joy and connectedness. Briefly, here are the items; you can look up my previous article for more details. Hydration. Drink water! Dehydration can affect mood, exacerbating anxiety and depression. Be mindful of all the beverages you are drinking. Caffeine can further dehydrate you and increase anxiety; alcohol is a depressant that is better avoided/eliminated when in a low mood. Food. Proper nutrition is essential for mood and focus. Try to feed yourself healthy foods that will give you energy rather than contribute to sluggishness.

Sleep. Sleep affects mood; mood also affects sleep. Healthy sleep patterns will help improve overall mood. Get off social

I’ve

been grateful to witness our community come together to rally for each other. I’ve been grateful for acts of kindness I’ve seen, from the small to the big ones, and for how I’ve felt receiving kindness as well as being someone who has been able to do that for others.

media and devices such as your phone, computer, and TV before bed.

Get outside. Get some fresh air and vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to depression and fatigue. Movement. Exercise if you can. Take a walk on the beach, walk the dog, and take stretch breaks frequently.

So cial connections. I’ve spoken in several articles about the importance of connection with others. Find ways to connect and get support, as well as provide support to others. Having a healthy connection with others has a direct correlation to better overall wellbeing.

Spiritual connections. Do you feel connected? Ideas to help with this include meditation, prayer, and time in nature.

As I reflect on the way to conclude this letter, I recall moments of extreme grief in my life, as well as others I have supported during their grief, be they loved ones or clients. I’ve been grateful to witness our community come together to rally for each other. I’ve been grateful for acts of kindness I’ve seen, from the small to the big ones, and for how I’ve felt receiving kindness as well as being someone who has been able to do that for others.

I’ve found breath during very scary times so that I could be someone to help uplift another, or in many cases, just sit with and listen to another. I’ve also had to check myself when I’ve been unkind or responded in a way that is not who I want to be. It isn’t always smooth or clear,

but I’m grateful for all of this because it is a way I’ve found to sift through all of what is around me and figure out how to best live today, now.

For our community, I hope we all pause before responding to others, whether in person or online, and if we do share, it is done with clarity and a desire to help others, looking for unity and not push people down. I hope we listen and try to grow to a place that joins and will cause change that is necessary now more than ever. I hope we continue to find ways to uplift and connect and understand.

With love, Vickie.

“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”

Desmond Tu

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.

Derick Rossignol dusts for fingerprints in a forensics-themed science lab at The Howard School.

Avenue Bridge Project are some of the few that have received partial funding and precedential actions to prepare for construction.

“Aliso School: For the Mexican Children” author dies, leaves legacy

the city several weeks ago to have plans approved with complete designs for a much stronger chance at receiving federal funding.

Sunday, Dec. 22

In other city news…

CALENDAR

Thursday, Dec. 19

Additionally, the Living Shoreline project has been partially funded, with all environmental work costs covered. The project will address coastal erosion and coastal flooding mitigation; it also includes the relocation of the Linden lifeguard tower and improvements to Ash and Linden parking lots.

BRIEFLY

AgeWell Senior Program: Veterans Morning Meet Up Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 8:30–10 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

Carpinterian John McCafferty — author of “Aliso School: For the Mexican Children” (2003), which chronicled the lives of children attending the then-segregated Aliso Elementary School — passed away on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024.

Parks, Recreation and Community Services

Friday, Dec. 20

The Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department will focus on completing the Rincon Bluffs Preserve Project and responding to the Community Pool Facility Needs Assessment within the upcoming months, staff said.

“Having a priorities list helps us seek funding,” Environmental Program Manager Erin Maker told the council. City Manager Ramirez agreed, explaining that Congressman Salud Carbajal advised

English Language Conversation Group / Grupo de Conversación en Inglés Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 8:30 a.m. For ESL students. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Raised in Carpinteria, McCafferty attended Carpinteria Main School after it was integrated in 1947. McCafferty’s wife, Sharon Dirlam, told CVN that McCafferty got along well with all his schoolmates, especially his teammates on the various sports teams he joined.

One-on-One Tech Help Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. carpinterialibrary. org, (805) 684-4314

AgeWell Senior Program: Zumba Gold Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 11 a.m. – noon. 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

Carpinteria Farmers Market 800 block of Linden Ave. Thursdays, 3–6:30 p.m.

Dungeons & Dragons Club for Tweens Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 3–4:45 p.m. Every Thursday. Full. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Southern California Edison (SCE) set up at Carpinteria’s Veterans Hall on Wednesday, giving out kits with LED bulbs, solar chargers and sanitizer packs to those affected by recent power outages. These Community Resource Centers — where community members can also charge their mobile devices and sign up for alerts — are set up in areas most likely to experience Public Safety Shut Offs, per SCE.

Dirlam said McCafferty’s origins, traveling to California from Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl at just two years old, played a role in his decision to write about the segregation he witnessed. “I think that motivated him, his poverty, to write that book,” she said. McCafferty interviewed his classmates and peers, as well as anyone else he could find who lived through those segregated years at Aliso. The first edition of his book “Aliso School: For the Mexican Children,” was published in 2003, and the second edition was published in 2011. His follow up book, “Aliso II: Recuerdos” was published in 2004. Dirlam said McCafferty also spent many nights in the Carpinteria Library, reading through years of the Carpinteria Herald, to find more information.

Live Music: Soﬁa Guerra Corktree Cellars, 910 Linden Ave. 6–9 p.m. corktreecellars.com, (805) 684-1400

AgeWell Senior Program: Pickleball Free Play Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, 5315 Foothill Road. 8–10 a.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Live Music: Bob Schetter Island Brewing Company, 5049 Sixth St. 2–5 p.m. islandbrewingcompany.com, (805) 745-8272

941 Walnut Ave. 1–1:45 p.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Chaney Avenue Emergency Repair project authorized

The city of Carpinteria’s community pool, city hall, AgeWell programming and library will be closed on Thursday and Friday due to the Thanksgiving holiday, city staﬀ said Monday.

On Monday night, the Carpinteria City Council unanimously authorized the Chaney Avenue Emergency Repair Project and approved the not-to-exceed budget of $358,000. Mayor Natalia Alarcon was absent.

ARTCETRA CVN

AgeWell Senior Program: Mind Games Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 2–3 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Early Music Concert: Medieval and Renaissance Music Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 4 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Friday Fun Day Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10–11:30 a.m. arpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Additionally, the department will prioritize improving accessibility within the Veterans Memorial Campus, Library and El Carro Park Playground.

AgeWell Senior Program: Creative Studies Veterans Hall Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 1–2:30 p.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

––Liv Klein

John McCafferty was born in Oklahoma and raised in Carpinteria. He passed away on Dec. 28, 2024.

SCE gives out supplies at Veterans Hall

Live Music: Morganfield Burnett Island Brewing Company, 5049 Sixth St. 6–9 p.m. islandbrewingcompany.com, (805) 745-8272

Live Music: Bobby, Finn & Dave Corktree Cellars, 910 Linden Ave. 6–9 p.m. corktreecellars.com, (805) 684-1400

Saturday, Dec. 21

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

the January

Holiday Performance: “Lime Creek” Spoken Word Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 2–3:30 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

Rincon Classic registration opens Sunday

Carpinteria’s Community Resource Center will be open through Thursday, 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. Another center in Goleta at the Residence Inn, at 6350 Hollister Ave., will also be open through Thursday, 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Live Music: Dusty Strings Island Brewing Company, 5049 Sixth St. 6–9 p.m. islandbrewingcompany.com, (805) 745-8272

Registration for the 2025 Rincon Classic opens Sunday, Dec. 1 and closes Dec. 31. The waiting period for the annual classic, put on each year by Surf Happens, is Jan. 11 – Feb. 16 , 2025.

Open Mic Night brewLAB, 4191 Carpinteria Ave., #8. 6:30 p.m. Hosted by Beau James Wilding. Every third Thursday of the month. Message @brewlabcraft, @beaujameswilding on Instagram

See more online at sce.com/outage-center/customer-resources-and-support/ community-resource-centers.

Before writing and publishing his book, McCafferty taught at San Marcos High School soon after it opened in the 1960s, and later at Santa Barbara City College. McCafferty’s book is currently available for viewing at the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History.

Live Music: The Coveralls Corktree Cellars, 910 Linden Ave. 6–9 p.m. corktreecellars.com, (805) 684-1400

This will be the contest’s 44th year, and the 25th year since Surf Happens took over. It was founded in 1979 by Roger Nance, Jeﬀ White and a crew of local surfers. It ran for 17 consecutive years before pausing in 1996, and was revived in 2001 by Chris Keet and Surf Happens.

––Jun Starkey

“Aliso School: For the Mexican Children,” was written by John McCafferty and published in 2003. A second version was published in 2011.

The community pool will reopen on Saturday, while the library will reopen on Monday, Dec. 2. “These temporary closures allow our staﬀ to enjoy the holiday period while ensuring services resume promptly afterward,” City Manager Michael Ramirez wrote in the city manager’s report presented to the Carpinteria City Council on Monday.

Dancing with Santa Gordo On the rooftop of Dirt Botanicals, 3815 Santa Claus Lane. 5–8:30 p.m.

During spring 2024, a considerable amount of groundwater was observed on the roadway of Chaney Avenue where it meets Highway 101 and Aragon Drive.

Live Music: The Neighbors Corktree Cellars, 910 Linden Ave. 5:30–8:30 p.m. corktreecellars.com, (805) 684-1400

Tuesday, Dec. 24

Arts center calls for submissions

Monday, Dec. 23

Holiday: Christmas Eve

Wednesday, Dec. 25

The Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center is now accepting submissions for its latest exhibit, “The Art of Everyday,” which will open Thursday, March 6. Those interested can submit their works online until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27.

Holiday: Christmas Day

According to a city engineer’s inspection, it is not common for this considerable amount of groundwater to seep through street pavement. In order to maintain the structural integrity of the existing street infrastructure, including both the sidewalks, gutters, and road pavement, but also underground facilities related to electricity, water, and natural gas, city staff advised council to authorize the repair plans and costs for Chaney Avenue.

AgeWell Senior Program: Line Dancing Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 10:30–11:30 a.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Submissions can be sent in online at carpinteriaartscenter.org/ingathering. An arts center membership is not required to apply.

ONGOING

“Ponding water can degrade the pavement over time and create a slip-and-fall hazard,” Environmental Program Manager Erin Maker told the council.

Monday Mahjong All levels of play. 1 p.m. (805) 729-1310

AgeWell Senior Program: Holistic Movement Veterans Memorial Building,

Council designates January 2025 Human Trafficking Awareness Month

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

Special jurors for the new exhibit include Coastal View News contributing photographer and “Bosses by Bostrom” columnist Ingrid Bostrom and Gary Campopiano. Bostrom is an editorial, portrait and event photographer, and her work is regularly published in the Santa Barbara Independent and CVN.

Staff presented a grand cost proposal of $358,000 for the project, with construction and inspection costs from Toro Enterprises and Filippin Engineering.

Campopiano grew up in Fresno, California, and has been painting since the age of 12. He studied art in high school and at Fresno State College and has worked in Ventura schools teaching art to mostly junior high students for 35 years. His website is garycampopiano.com.

On Monday night, the Carpinteria City Council designated January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the city of Carpinteria.

“(Campopiano’s) favorite subjects for his work are the soft, central California hills and modern farm equipment. He currently paints in acrylics and watercolors,” the art center’s Nikki Ziehl told CVN.

Since 2017, there have been 269 human trafficking investigations within Santa Barbara County. Almost half of the survivors were identified as county residents, staff said.

The exhibit will open at the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, at 865 Linden Ave., on March 6.

In recent years, the risk factors for human trafficking have grown exponentially for a number of reasons, according to Tiffany Carty, Victim Witness Supervisor with the Santa Barbara County District Office.

Stay updated or sign up online at rinconclassic.com.

Cate School Winter Performance Showcase:

Feb. 22

Crew members work on slope paving, new sidewalks, curbs and gutters and drainage improvements at the South Padaro Lane Undercrossing.

“Human trafficking awareness month is a time when we have the ability to bring attention to the reality of human trafficking within our own community,” Carty said. “People often think of human trafficking as something that happens out there in larger cities, without realizing that our neighbors, friends and at-risk youth in our own backyards are frequently exposed to the pain of this trauma.”

Cate School will host its winter performance showcase at The Alcazar Theatre, located at 4916 Carpinteria Ave., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 7–9 p.m.

Crews focus on landscaping in Summerland, grinding pavement near Padaro

TEAM WITH EXPERIENCE

The showcase will include performances from Cate’s Rock Band, the Jazz Combo and the Chamber Ensemble, as well as original dance pieces and one-act plays. Community members are invited to attend along with Cate School families and friends.

The Santa Barbara Human Trafficking Task Force — a multidisciplinary coalition of law enforcement agencies, community service providers, community advocates and a District Attorney Victim Witness Program — provides training, public outreach, survivor centered services and other supporting tools to prevent and decrease human trafficking locally.

Tickets are $30 for general admission and may be purchased at thealcazar.org.

We have over 3O years’ experience serving clients with every type of residential property. Let us serve you!

Between Nov. 4 and Dec. 7, construction crews are focusing on landscaping in Summerland, with planting and mulching along Wallace Avenue and Via Real, and grinding pavement in the Padaro Lane segment, to improve traction and long-term noise reduction. Night noise should be expected.

“Please know that our task force is always at-the-ready to provide prevention and awareness training at any local sights,” Carty shared with the council.

The Santa Barbara Human Trafficking Task Force invites residents and community members of Carpinteria to join their in-person vigil for freedom on Wednesday Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m. in De La Guerra Plaza in Santa Barbara.

For closures on the northbound Highway 101, on Sunday nights between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., one lane between Santa Monica Road and Lillie Avenue, as well as the onand oﬀ-ramps at North Padaro Lane and South Padaro Lane will be closed non-consecutively. Those same areas are closed Monday – Thursday nights, 6 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The Juniors Under 17 heat paddles out during

2024 Rincon Classic.

––Liv Klein

KARLSSON

Not my president, protestors say

PHOTOS BY ROBIN KARLSSON

On Presidents Day, Santa Barbara County locals took to the streets to protest recent policies introduced by President Donald Trump at the start of his second term. In Carpinteria, over 100 people gathered at the corner of Linden and Carpinteria avenues — a spot locally known as the Peace Corner — chanting and waving signs promoting diversity, women’s rights and immigration.

Carpinteria’s protest was organized by Indivisible Carpinteria, a new protest group that organized a Seal to Sea March in Carpinteria in January ahead of President Trump’s inauguration.

Debi Haymie and Lauré Brecher

Elaine Musick

Jan Brown

Bart Dickens

Tina Culver

Jennifer Ruth, Barbara Gundy and Gary Paudler

Lorraine Triolo

Located in beautiful Carpinteria, California, SuperSprings International is a leader in the automotive aftermarket suspension market. The company has grown in revenue, profitability, and operating complexity and is in need of an experienced, detail-oriented Accounting Manager/Controller to manage its Finance and Accounting Team.

The Accounting Manager/Controller is focused on providing expertise and oversight of all Finance Team functions, assuring the department’s overall efficiency and accuracy. This role demands a high level of technical knowledge and the ability to lead people and process-improvement initiatives. The position can transition to a hybrid position once the training phase is completed.

Duties and responsibilities include:

- Oversee financial management, including financial reporting

- Manage tax return payments, government filings, and share holder distributions

- Lead the accounting period closeout process

- Provide expertise in Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable duties

- Oversee specialized financial tasks and ensure compliance with regulations

- Liaise with external partners and manage high-level financial administration tasks

- Participate in the development and implementation of new processes and procedures to enhance the workflow of the department

- Assist with audit and internal control processes, including coordination with management and other teams within the company

- Identify and suggest improvements to accounting processes to enhance efficiency and accuracy

Requirements, skills, and qualifications:

- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field

- CPA or CPA candidate preferred

- 3-5 years of financial management experience

- Demonstrated leadership and financial department management skills

- Strong analytical, problem solving, and management skills

- Excellent communication and teamwork abilities

- Prior ERP system experience is required. Experience with Sage 100 Cloud or a similar - Sage ERP system preferred.

- Experience with multiple state sales tax reporting and exemptions

- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, with advanced Excel skills

Compensation

- Competitive salary, including a target bonus and a

- Excellent health, dental, and

Jennifer Gardner

Jean Fox

Protesters signaled to drivers passing through the intersection of Carpinteria and Linden avenues.

Presidents Day protesters lined up along Carpinteria and Linden avenues.

IN THE NATUREHOOD

NANCY BARON

I recently returned from Cuba. With all the news of countrywide black outs and hurricane damage, I wasn’t sure we should go.

Travel to Cuba remains feasible from the United States for now, although it requires a special visa. We were instructed to check the box for humanitarian aid and participated in an educational endeavor as part of the program. All in all, it was an easy trip, and one that I’m glad I made.

The first week was spent scuba diving on a live aboard boat in an archipelago called the Gardens of the Queen National Park (Jardines de la Reina), a marine protected area that lies about 60 miles from Cuba’s southern coast. We took photos, videos, and recorded the species we saw.

Our group was a mix of biologists, journalists, humanitarian professionals and businesspeople with a shared love of nature. The wide-ranging conversations on conservation and world events were enlivened by experiencing an abundance of marine life. Each day we dove up to four times, led by local dive masters.

Gardens of the Queen has banned commercial fishing since 1996, except for a well-regulated artisanal lobster fishery, making it a destination among divers looking for big fish.

As part of the education component of our visas, we were encouraged to pick a specific fish species and record its abundance at each dive site. There were numerous species of groupers. I picked the Nassau grouper — a big-lipped predator easily identified by a black square near the base of the tail. Most beguiling was a goliath grouper nicknamed Lola. She was the size of a giant pig, reportedly more than 40 years old. She trailed behind us like a giant Labrador retriever, charming us all.

On many dives we were swarmed by Caribbean reef sharks and silky sharks. It made me nervous. To distract myself, I examined each shark for its inevitable remora fish attached by a sucker. Remoras glean parasites off the sharks and eat food scraps that escape their jaws.

Our dive masters pointed out the hidden critters like moray eels and octopus. I especially loved the night dives when luminescent comb jellies and blizzards

A Cuban nature adventure

underwater cosmos. It was good for the soul to see an area with such abundance of marine life.

After a brief visit to Havana, we went in search of birds — my passion. Although Cuba is a poor country, it is rich in bird life. And, because of its isolation, there are many bird species in Cuba that are endemics, meaning they are found nowhere else on earth.

We hired one of Cuba’s top birders named Alejandro Llanes Sosa to be our guide. First we traveled to the Zapata Swamp near the famed Bay of Pigs, in search of the secretive Zapata wren — a tiny bird with a boisterous song. We caught only glimpses of it, but we reveled in its music. American flamingos, wood storks and other abundant waterbirds made birding like sampling treats in a candy store.

We especially hoped to see Cuba’s special hummingbirds, including the glittering Cuban Emerald and the world’s smallest bird, the Bee Hummingbird, locally known as Zunzuncito.

Alejandro took us to the home of a poor farmer named Bernabe. Bernabe and his wife live on the edge of a dense forest. They love the hummingbirds and have created a haven for them. Many of the feeders Bernabe makes are rustic affairs made of empty cigar cases. The hummingbirds don’t care. The sugar water he provides is a reliable source of food.

The threats to these tiny gems are many. Loss of habitat and hurricanes have taken their toll. Before the last hurricane, Bernabe coaxed the hummingbirds inside by bringing the feeders into his home. Then he enclosed the hummingbirds and feeders in a mosquito net to protect them. The house creaked and groaned all night, but withstood the hurricane winds. The next morning, after the hurricane passed, he released the birds and put the feeders back outside.

Even if the winds don’t kill the birds,

the hurricanes blow all the flowers off the trees, which can cause the hummingbirds to starve. Bernabe’s many feeders tide them over.

To cover the costs of sugar, Bernabe carves and sells wooden replicas of the hummingbirds. We bought four carved hummingbirds, which our friend Winfred Van Wingerden has made into a mobile for his daughter Eva’ s first child: Lily Hope. I am hoping they will inspire her to become a bird lover.

Our final day was to Viñales, a UNESCO world heritage site where karst mountains rise above a lush valley. I wished we had more time to explore but we managed to see several more local specialties including the Cuban solitaire, Cuban trogon and Cuban pygmy owl. Alejandro took his job very seriously and in four days we saw 21 endemic bird species.

Across Cuba, we saw birds thriving. Kestrels dotted the powerlines and sat atop broken palm trees where they nest in cavities. In North America, Kestrel populations have plummeted due to pesticides, and lack of cavity nesting sites. Cuban farmers do not have the money for expensive and toxic pesticides favored by their North American counterparts. We met several farmers who proudly showed us their crops and their natural and organic pest controls. A side benefit is that the forest fringe is filled with bird song and dazzling displays of colorful feathers. Nature abounds.

Cuba exceeded my expectations. I would urge anyone with an interest in nature to visit. By visiting you are helping local people and providing much needed income to a beautiful but struggling country.

Nancy Baron is a biologist and naturalist who lives in the hills above Carpinteria. Write her with questions or comments at nancyebaron@ gmail.com.

and other insects in this low-pesticide environment.

KEN WEISS

A farmer named Bernabe cares for Bee and Emerald hummingbirds.

NANCY BARON Kestrels, a small falcon, are abundant predators of grasshoppers

LEFT: The Bee Hummingbird, known locally as Zunzuncito, is the world’s smallest bird.

FAR LEFT: Vinales is an UNESCO world heritage site of beauty and abundant birds.

PEGGY LUBCHENCO

The Cuban trogon is the national bird of Cuba and is found nowhere else in the world.

STEVE GAINES

A Cuban Emerald Hummingbird sips sugar water from feeder fashioned out of an empty Cuban cigar case.

NANCY BARON

PEGGY LUBCHENCO

The perfect stage for the best wave riders 2025

BY SURF HAPPENS PHOTOS BY DUBOCKGALLERY.COM

On Saturday, Feb. 15 and Sunday, Feb. 16, the sun was shining, a summer like 70 degrees in the middle of winter, with glassy to light offshore wind puffing under five knots from the northwest to grace the annual Rincon Classic.

The cove at Rincon set the perfect stage for the best wave riders in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties to showcase their skills and enjoy a weekend of perfect 4-6’ surf while catching up with friends and family. The community gathered to celebrate the legacy of our region and gather as a tribe and put on display of wave riding mastery.

Each y ear the community eagerly awaits the start of the waiting period, and the anticipation builds further into the period the event goes. It came down to the wire in 2025 with the event called on for the last waiting weekend in the regular waiting period. Like a football game in the fourth quarter, the Surf Happens crew made a Hail Mary pass that landed in a perfect touchdown on Valentine’s Day weekend.

Two weeks before the weekend the swell models were calling for little to no surf and south winds, but one week out it was clear there would be a significant storm with heavy rainfall followed by a solid combination of swells. Like a cliff hanger the variables that could not be controlled all had to align in order to create a classic weekend.

The storm had to be strong enough to create the swell, which means heavy rain. But the rain couldn’t be too heavy. The clearing winds and swell needed to come the day before the event to wash away runoff, and then fade so that the surf would become clean. Everything aligned in the exact chronology and Saturday, Feb. 15 dawned with well overhead, clean, consistent surf and it just improved from there. The magic and energy of the Rincon and the community that calls her coastline home unfolded with many a Cinderella story within the fabric of the event as dreams came true.

This truly local event featured legends and heroes such as Shaun Tomson, Dane Reynolds, all of which was captured on the live webcast with commentary that was raw, real and unfiltered.

The 12U division was won by a charging Henry Goldstein who has been coming to watch the event since he was really little. The first alternate in 2024, “@hendodgthefrother” came out of the gate from start to finish with an intensity, 100% focused on winning. His rail game and flair was paired up with wave selection and positioning as he sealed his first Rincon Classic title over an in-form Kai Landers.

14U was dominated by Santa Barbara’s Dominic Arce, one of the most improved surfers of the event. Not only was he picking off some of the best waves of his matches, he was holding nothing back, throwing everything at overhead sections while showcasing a new blend of rail work, power and control to take the win over last year’s champion Ronin Castorino and the stacked local crew.

17U Juniors was a flair fest and see-saw battle with Ventura’s Fynn Neth netting a backup score in the final five minutes with two huge layback turns to overtake an in-form Nathan Stepan, who had held the lead for over ten minutes. Neth was another surfer who linked together beautiful combinations but really unloaded when critical sections emerged.

T he 18+ Mens division was highly contested, with Brandon Benjamin tak-

continued on page 14

Rincon Classic: Feb. 15–16

Lisa Luna of La Conchita, 1st Place Lady Legends

Dimitri Poulos, 1st Place Pro Division

The 2025 Rincon Classic, presented by Surf Happens, took place on Saturday, Feb. 15 and Sunday, Feb. 16.

CLASSIC continued from page 13

ing a strong win over Sam Reichel with a combination of power, vertical off the bottom off the top backside surfing and impeccable technique. He accepted his awards with his new baby on his chest, and for the second year in a row, the division was won by a new father.

The 17U Wahines and Womens 18+ was dominated by Vela Mattive. Her overall performance in the event was one of the highlights as she made history by surfing in the pro division as the only female and dismantled some of the heaviest male pros, shall I digress, but I will come back to that. Vela has a love for the Queen and puts in more time than just about anyone out there. Her connection shows as she found the best waves in every match. She put forth a brilliant display of style and power along with new school flair to dominate the Wahines and the Women’s, proving she is truly the heir to the throne of the Queen.

As the only female competitor in the RB Pro, she won her opening quarter final in eye watering conditions and was on the best waves taking down Pete Mussio, Conner Coffin and Frank Curren, before falling just short in the semifinal, where she bested Dan Malloy.

The Masters 35 and up was won by Pete Mussio, a dominant force in the event since its resurrection in 2021. Pete seems to just get better every year and arguably is one of the best 40 something surfers on planet Earth. His blend of raw aggression, spontaneity, stoke and speed is literally like fine wine. Pete was also the recipient of the 2025 Chris Brown Eternal Stoke award for his positive energy, commitment to sharing the sport with kids and lifting others up.

The Grand Masters 45+ final was a see-saw battle that came down to the final exchange where style master and power bandit Greg Venable put together a series of beautiful combinations to overtake Chris Keet and Jake Nesheim from Carpinteria to round out the top three.

The Legends division 55+ also featured a buzzer beater finish as Tony DeGroot came from behind on a big set wave with his signature flow and rail work to

overtake an in-form Chris Willingham, who held the lead for most of the final.

The 65+ Super Legends was a battle of the icons as Goleta legend Dave Johnson showcased progression and wave knowledge and put together a beautiful 7-point ride to overtake Hammonds icon Steve Hanson.

The Lady Legends featured some of the Queens of the Queen and Carpinteria’s Lisa Luna made a triumphant return to the top of the podium winning her 9th Rincon Classic title over Lynn Cochrane. Lisa has one of the most polished and powerful backside styles of any woman ever to grace Rincon and was timeless in her approach to take the win.

The main event — as some may call it was the Rincon Brewery Pro featuring Santa Barbara and Ventura’s top professional surfers. The finalists have all been surfing in the event since they were in the 12U division and are pushing the level of the sport on the international stage. Dane Reynolds, a global core lord, and an innovator of aggression and aerial surfing, was injured and served as one of the commentators serving it up raw and real as the action unfolded.

Dimitri Poulos won his second pro title and looked to be the man to beat from the first heat. The speed he carries through his rides was second to none as combined powerful rail work with dazzling tailblows and radical air reverses. He overtook Jabe Swierkocki, who has now finished runner up three years in a row and is arguably one of the most stylish up and coming pros in the world. The final two spots in the final were filled with the raw unfiltered surf stars

Micky Clarke and Eithan Osborne, who are heirs to Dane’s throne of pushing progression of the sport and are taking radical approaches and following their own unique directions.

The awards ceremony was held at Padaro Grill in Carpinteria, where all proceeds from the raffle went to support Los Angeles fire victims.

Surf Happens organizes the Rincon Classic. Learn more online at rinconclassic.com.

Jabe Swierkochi, 2nd Place Pro Division

Pete Mussio, 1st Place Masters, gets a Merrick Lager shower from Britt Merrick.

Dominic Arce takes a victory lap.

2025 Rincon Classic Results

Gremlins U12

1. Henry Goldstein

2. Kai Landers

3. Zachary Adam

4. Jack Keet

5. Christian Relis

6. Sawyer Osbore

Wahines U17

1. Vela Mattive

2. Madyson Stone

3. Eloise Grewe

4. Lea McCleery

5. Lulu Rankin

6. Luella Pace

Boys U14

1. Dominic Arce

2. Ronin Castorino

3. Koby Wachter

4. Wyatt Holsted

5. Maddox Keet

6. Corbeau Pappas

Juniors U17

1. Fynn Neth

2. Nathan Stepan

3. Beckett Mechtenberg

4. Elias Smith

5. Aiden Albada

6. Owen Barragan

Mens

1. Brandon Benjamin

2. Sam Reichel

3. Elias Smith

4. Marley Sapp

5. Holden Osborne

6. Cole Robbins

Womens

1. Vela Mattive

2. Makena Burke

3. Riley Malmsten

4. Mackenzie Warner

5. Maddie Malmsten

6. Jessie Engel

Masters

1. Pete Mussio

2. Patrick Ecker

3. Colin Anderson

4. Dennis Rizzo

5. Christopher Melton

6. Teddy Travers

Grand Masters

1. Greg Venable

2. Chris Keet

3. Jacob Nesheim

4. Andrew Jacobowski

5. Daniel Fennell

6. Alex Pappas

Legends

1. Tony De Groot

2. Chris Willingham

3. Shawn Quien

4. George Johnson

5. Travis Bower

6. Tony De Groot

Lady Legends

1. Lisa Luna

2. Lynn Cochrane

3. Lyn Burich

4. Stephanie Jamogchian

5. Simone Reddingiuous

6. Deborah Booth

Super Legends

1. Dave Johnson

2. Steve Hanson

3. Andy Neumann

4. Michael Gordon

5. Steve Reichel

6. Bill Urbany

PRO

1. Dimitri Poulos

2. Jabe Swierkocki

3. Micky Clarke

4. Eithan Osborne

Dominic Arce, 1st Place Boys 14U

Vela Mattive, 1st Place Wahines U17

Eloise Grewe of Carpinteria, 3rd Place Wahines U17

Event highlights

2024 Legends Champion Brett Jordan paddled out and surfed in a heat on a shortboard after having open heart surgery and a stroke. Pure heart.

Vela Mattive — the Wahines and Women’s Champ, and the only female in the pro division — made semiﬁnals and beat Pete Mussio, Conner Coﬃn and Dan Malloy.

RB Pro champ Dimitri Poulos won second title. He is the ﬁrst person from Ventura to win two.

Highest single wave score was 9.87 by Chris Keet in the Grand Masters 1/4 ﬁnal.

The highest combined two waves totaled 17.77 by Mike Billgren in the Grand Masters Round One.

Alexander of Carpinteria, Womens

Jack Keet

Andy Neumann of Carpinteria, Super Legends division

Shaya

Division

Classic organizer Chris Keet

Jupiter Moore

Wyatt Pitterle, Carpinteria Surf Team

CVN

THE SEAWITCH SAYS

AMY OROZCO

Dear Amy O., Hey, I’m struggling to see how the city of Carpinteria’s new appointment policy for Advisory Groups and Ad Hoc Committees is supposed to be transparent. It’s a closed ballot process, and incumbents don’t even have to say if they’re reapplying — so new applicants have no idea who they’re up against. That doesn’t seem fair, let alone democratic. A truly open process should give everyone a fair shot, not keep people in the dark. I think the city’s latest eﬀorts toward transparency are hampered by this process. Signed, Who Voted for Whom?

Dear Who Voted for Whom?,

You’re not the ﬁrst person I’ve heard not pleased about the lack of transparency in choosing individuals to sit on the Architectural Review Board, Planning Commission, and other committees and groups. Carpinteria City Councilmembers make these choices, but who voted for whom is not shared.

Carpinteria Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-2pm •Sat.-Sun. 6:30am-3pm Bagelnet.com for Restaurant menu

5050 Carpinteria Avenue • 805.566.1558 ext. 1

A demand for transparency

I agree with you: “I think the city’s latest eﬀorts toward transparency are hampered by this process.” We deserve and must demand more transparency. I hope a copy of your letter to me also was sent to the ﬁve members of the city council. The process can be changed toward more transparency the next go ’round, and if enough of us demand transparency the likelihood of this happening increases.

Carpinteria Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-2pm •Sat.-Sun. 6:30am-3pm Bagelnet.com for Restaurant menu

5050 Carpinteria Avenue • 805.566.1558 ext. 1

You didn’t ask me why the City Council would opt for secrecy? I’m going to give you a theory anyway. Consider it a late President’s Day weekend gift. Here goes — we don’t know how to disagree.

Disagreement can be awkward or unpleasant. I get it. Feelings get hurt. Tempers ﬂare. Avoiding it, however, is shirking our responsibility to democracy.

ate discussion instead of defaulting into a ﬁght?

BAGELS SINCE 1996 PRE-ORDER bagels 805-319-0155

I’ll go one even deeper — we also don’t know how to agree.

Carpinteria Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-2pm •Sat.-Sun. 6:30am-3pm Bagelnet.com for Restaurant menu

Along with “chew with your mouth closed” and “don’t make smacking noises when you eat,” never talk religion or politics in polite company is a basic tenet of good manners in our society. So, by not talking about these important subjects, we miss out on developing a necessary skill for democracy — being able to discuss, decide, and debate — resulting in things like closed ballots. Disagreement is a hallmark of democracy not a shortcoming of it.

Also, when politics and religion are omitted from polite company, that puts them in the circle of impolite company. And, well, that’s just no bueno. Don’t believe me? Just take a gander at the state of aﬀairs from local to international levels.

1996 PRE-ORDER bagels 805-319-0155

I remember on a high school ﬁeld trip to Sacramento the feeling of shock and disbelief when visiting the Assembly Room and learning how the members voted was loud and clear on what looked like a very large scoreboard. I found that courageous. Looking back, that’s kind of sad that a 16-year-old girl would ﬁnd transparency an act of bravery. But there you have it.

Disagreement can be awkward or unpleasant. I get it. Feelings get hurt. Tempers ﬂare. Avoiding it, however, is shirking our responsibility to democracy.

So, what do we do? Listen and let the speaker know they’ve been heard is a good ﬁrst step. Share your thoughts

using “I” statements instead of “you” statements. Stay away from ad hominem attacks, i.e. attacking the person rather than the position they are maintaining.

And what don’t we do? Bully, name call, approach the conversation as an argument, force one’s opinion… for starters.

And when do we do it? We do it now, right after sending the ﬁve members of City Council a copy of the letter you sent to me. Because you know what? Transparency, and democracy itself, depend on it.

Former CVN editor Amy Marie Orozco loves living in Carpinteria, including all the sometimes socially sticky situations happening in our seaside setting. Have a question for her? Email it to news@coastalview.com.

Wouldn’t it be better to keep disagreement and conversation alive to perpetu-

FOOD

Carpinteria Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-2pm •Sat.-Sun. 6:30am-3pm Bagelnet.com for Restaurant menu

BAGELS SINCE 1996 PRE-ORDER bagels 805-319-0155

Carpinteria Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-2pm •Sat.-Sun. 6:30am-3pm Bagelnet.com for Restaurant menu

ON THE ROAD

CVN braves Kilimanjaro

From left, Carpinterian Angi Duas, carried her copy of Coastal View News to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, Africa, on Sunday, Jan. 29, along with her friends Bryan Kerner and Christy Calder-Baeza. “Myself and two friends can be seen here repping the paper and our American Cancer Society Team Determination shirt,” Duas told CVN. “Our team raised over $25,000 for (the) American Cancer Society for this trip!”

CVN

lobbies in Sacramento

From left, former First District Santa Barbara County Supervisor and current Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) member Das Williams and 3CE Chief Executive Officer Rob Shaw packed their copy of Coastal View News for a trip to Sacramento, California, to lobby in the state capitol for alternative energy.

GOING ON THE ROAD?

Snap a photo with your Coastal View News in hand and email it to news@coastalview.com. Tell us about your trip!

CLUB SCENE

Morning Rotary learns about farm animals, local support

The Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning had an animal-themed meeting on Feb. 12. The club heard from members of Carpinteria’s Playa Del Sur 4H club, who brought some of their baby goats and lambs along to visit, and from Carpinteria’s C.A.R.E.4Paws.

Members of the 4H club spoke about raising farm animals, and throughout the meeting, members of the Morning Rotary club raised more than $400 to donate to 4H. Chris Harris, president of the C.A.R.E.4Paws board of directors, spoke about the organization, a Santa Barbara non-profit that provides resources for low-income, senior, disabled, unhoused and veteran pet families in underserved communities.

“We are not a shelter or a rescue group. Our goal is to prevent dogs and cats from ending up in shelters and improve the quality of life for pet families in need,” Harris told club members. C.A.R.E.4Paws operates mobile community medicine and spay/ neuter outreach, Harris said, with free and low-cost spays/neuters, veterinary care and vaccine clinics. The organization also offers a companion pet assistance program, which helps families with pet food and supplies, grooming, foster care and dog training.

Spark45 Fitness owner meets with Rotary

The Rotary Club of Carpinteria Noon recently heard from Danielle Bordenave, who spoke about her business Spark45 Fitness & Physical Therapy, located at 4660 Carpinteria Ave. Bordenave spoke to Rotary members about the Lagree Fitness and indoor cycling classes she offers, as well as physical therapy to help decrease pain, increase mobility and increase strength.

Those interested in learning more about Spark45Fitness & Physical Therapy can visit spark45.com.

Morning Rotary opens 2025 grant applications

The Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning has invited local non-profit organizations serving Carpinteria to apply for financial support through the club’s annual grant program, which offers grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

A total of $20,000 in funding is available, and all applications must be submitted by April 23, 2025. Grant recipients will be honored at the Rotary Club’s annual award event on May 14, 2025.

Learn more online at carpmorningrotary.org.

Do you have a photo from Carpinteria’s past? Contact news@coastalview.com to share it with other readers!

From left, Karen Glancy, Kim Fly and Evelyn Calkins.

From left, Rotary club President Whitt Hollis, Otis, club member Bob Berkenmeier and Spark45 Fitness owner Danielle Bordenave.

Carpinteria

CALENDAR

Thursday, Feb. 20

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

One-on-One Tech Help Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. carpinterialibrary. org, (805) 684-4314

AgeWell Senior Program: Chair Yoga Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 11 a.m. – noon. 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

Carpinteria Farmers Market 800 block of Linden Ave. Thursdays, 3–6:30 p.m.

Dungeons & Dragons Club for Tweens Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 3–4:45 p.m. Every Thursday. Full. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

SBCC Nutrition Class Veterans Memorial Building meeting room, 941 Walnut Ave. 3:15–5 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca. gov, (805) 881-1279

Meeting: Carpinteria Birdwatchers Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 6–7:30 p.m. carpbirdwatchers.org

Friday, Feb. 21

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

Creative Studies: Block Printing Veterans Memorial Building meeting room, 941 Walnut Ave. 1–2:30 p.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Live Music: Annie Hall and the Remarkables Island Brewing Company, 5049 Sixth St. 6–9 p.m. Silent Reading Book Club Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 5:30 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Saturday, Feb. 22

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

Meeting: Carpinteria Valley Republican Club 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.RSVP, get location from Delcie Feller, (661)333-4133 Girls Inc. of Carpinteria Gala Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, 5315 Foothill Road. 5–9 p.m. girlsinc-carp.org, ( 805) 6846364

Live Music: Dylan Cunningham Corktree Cellars, 910 Linden Ave. 6–9 p.m. corktreecellars.com, (805) 684-1400 Cate School Winter Performing Artist Showcase The Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave. 7–9 p.m. Tickets: $30. thealcazar.org, (805) 684-6380

Sunday, Feb. 23

Heart of Community: Unveiling Carpinteria Healthy Aging Hub Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, 865 Linden Ave. 1–3 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca. gov, (805) 881-1279

Live Music: Joel Shaffer Island Brewing Company, 5049 Sixth St. 2–5 p.m. Live Music: Good Vibes Corktree Cellars, 910 Linden Ave. 5:30–8:30 p.m. corktreecellars.com, (805) 684-1400

Monday, Feb. 24

Preschool Storytime Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10–11 a.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

AgeWell Senior Program: Line Dancing Veterans Hall, 941 Walnut Ave.

10:30–11:30 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 Hall meeting room, 941 Walnut Ave. 2–3 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Death Cafe Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 3–4:30 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

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, Feb. 25

AgeWell Senior Program: Walking Club Meet at Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 9 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

AgeWell Senior Program: Program to Encourage Active Rewarding Lives (PEARLS) Veterans Hall Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 10:30 a.m. – noon. Available exclusively in Spanish. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

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. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Meeting: Carpinteria Uniﬁed School District Board of Trustees Carpinteria City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. 5:30 p.m. cusd.net

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, Feb. 26

AgeWell Senior Program: Pickleball Free Play 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. 8:30–10 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

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. carpinterialibrary. org, (805) 684-4314

Knitting Group Carpinteria Library Community Room, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 1–3 p.m. Free. (805) 886-4382

AgeWell Senior Program: Mindfulness Meditation Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 3–4 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

Adult Advanced-Beginner Spanish Classes Carpinteria Woman’s Club, 1059

the wildly popular show DISCUSS

Hit the peak of health with the Five Peaks Challenge

The Santa Barbara County Trails Council’s Five Peaks Challenge has returned, challenging community members to explore the area’s trails and ﬁve of its summits.

According to a press release from the council sent out last week, if community members hike at least five of the county’s peaks — Arlington Peak, Cachuma Mountain, Cathedral Peak, Flores Peak, Gaviota Peak, La Cumbre Peak, Little Pine Mountain, Montecito Peak, White Mountain and Ranger Peak — they will be featured on the council’s social media, receive a certificate and sticker, and be entered into a drawing to win gift certificates of $100, $75 and $50. The winners will be announced at the Trails & Ales event on Thursday, May 8, 2025.

This challenge is recommended for experienced hikers. For beginners, the council suggests training at Gaviota Peak.

To sign up for the challenge, visit sbtrails.org/peak-bagging. The challenge is open through May 1, 2025.

Vallecito Road. 3–4:30 p.m. $8 per class. carpinteriawomansclub.com Meeting: Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning Carpinteria Woman’s Club, 1059 Vallecito Road. 5:30 p.m. Speaker: Jayme Yahr, Carpinteria Valley Museum of History Live Music: Jayden Secor Corktree Cellars, 910 Linden Ave. 6–9 p.m. corktreecellars.com, (805) 684-1400 Sandpiper Community Bingo Sand-

piper Community Clubhouse, 3950 Via Real. 6:30 p.m. Fourth Wednesday of the month. $5 for six cards and ﬁve games. (310) 403-9973

ONGOING

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

AANJELAE RHOADES Hikers make their way up the region’s White Mountain.

Thursday, March 14

Library preschooler story time, 10:30 a.m., Carpinteria library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave., 684-4314

Rotary Club of Carpinteria meeting, 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m., lions Park Community Building, 6197 Casitas Pass road, non-members rSVP to 566-1906 Bingo, 1 p.m., Veterans Building, 941 Walnut Ave. Farmers Market and Arts & Crafts Fair, 3-6:30 p.m., linden Ave. downtown, Craft fair: 684-2770

Free Stress Relief Veteran’s Acupuncture Clinic, 6-7 p.m. drop in, 4690 Carpinteria Ave. Ste. A, 684-5012

Karaoke, 8 p.m., Carpinteria & linden Pub, 4954 Carpinteria linden Ave.

Dusty Jugz Country Night, 9 p.m., the Palms, 701 linden Ave., 684-3811

Friday, March 15

CVCC Lunch & Learn, noon-1 p.m., Curious Cup, 929 linden Ave., 684-5479 x10. The Peace Vigil, 5-6 p.m., corner of linden & Carpinteria Ave. Music in our Schools Month Concert, 7:30 p.m., CHS cafeteria, 4810 foothill road, 684-4701

Back Track, 9 p.m., the Palms, 701 linden Ave., 684-3811

Saturday, March 16

Carpinteria Salt Marsh docent led tours, 10 a.m., free walks start from the park sign, 684-8077

Magicarp Pokemon League, 11 a.m., Curious Cup, 929 linden Ave., (619) 972-3467 Energy Balancing, 2-4 p.m., Curious Cup, 929 linden Ave., free “The Quiet Man,” 8 p.m., Plaza Playhouse theater, 4916 Carpinteria Ave., $5 The Groovie Line, 9 p.m., the Palms, 701 linden Ave., 684-3811

Monday, March 18

Women of Inspiration, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Girls inc. of Carpinteria, 5315 foothill road, $70, 684-6364

Basic Bridge, 1 p.m., Sandpiper Mobile Village clubhouse, 3950 Via real, 684-5921 Mah Jongg, 1 p.m., Sandpiper Mobile Village clubhouse, 3950 Via real, 729-1310 Bingo, 1 p.m., Veterans Building, 941 Walnut Ave.

Celebrate Recovery (Hurts, Hangups, Addictions), 6 p.m., first Baptist Church, 5026 foothill rd., 684-3353

CVCC’s Cuba Trip Meeting, 6-8 p.m., Carpinteria library Multi-Purpose room, 5141 Carpinteria Ave., 684-5479 x10

A Community Toolbox: How to Serve the Depressed Person with Understanding, 7-8:30 p.m., Carpinteria Woman’s Club, 1059 Vallecito road, 684-2509

Tuesday, March 19

Coffee with Cops, 9-11 a.m., Crushcakes, 4945 Carpinteria Ave., 684-5405 x437

Carpinteria Writers’ Group, 10 a.m.-noon, Carpinteria library multipurpose room, 5141 Carpinteria Ave., 684-7838

Sandpiper Duplicate Bridge Club, 1 p.m., Sandpiper Mobile Village Clubhouse, 3950 Via real, 684-5522

Battle of the Books club, 3:30 p.m., Curious Cup, 929 linden Ave., 220-6608

Beginner Meditation Workshop, 6:30 p.m., Curious Cup back meeting room, 929 linden Ave., 705-4703

Al-Anon Meeting, 7-8 p.m., faith lutheran Church, 1335 Vallecito Place, 331-4817

ESL Class, 7 p.m., first Baptist Church, 5026 foothill road, free, 684-3353

Wednesday, March 20

Morning Rotary meeting with Cyndi Macias, The Gym Next Door, 7-8 a.m., Woman’s Club, 1059 Vallecito rd., $10 Meditation, 10:30-noon, Carpinteria Woman’s club, 1059 Vallecito rd., 847-208-6520

Knitting Group, 1-4 p.m., Veterans Memorial Hall, 941 Walnut Ave., free, 684-8077

Fighting Back Parent Program, 5:30-7 p.m., Canalino School, 1480 Carpinteria Ave., 963-1433 x125 or x132

Kiwanis Club Meeting, 6 p.m., Veterans Memorial Hall, 941 Walnut Ave., 368-5644

Coastal View Book Club meeting, 7:30 p.m., Carpinteria Branch library, 684-4428

8 Ball Tournament, 7:30 p.m., Carpinteria & linden Pub, 4954 Carpinteria linden Ave.

ONGOING

Lani Garfield photography show, island Brewing Co., 5049 6th St., 745-8272

Michael Fisher Fish art show, Corktree Cellars, 910 linden Ave., 684-1400

Liz Brady art show, Porch, 3823 Santa Claus lane, 684-0300

Sunday, Feb. 9

2045 hrs / Narcotics / Carpinteria Avenue

A subject was contacted while sitting in his parked truck at the east end of Carpinteria Avenue. Drug paraphernalia was observed in plain view inside his vehicle. During the contact more paraphernalia and a bindle of suspected methamphetamine were located. The subject was arrested for violations and his vehicle was towed.

Tuesday, Feb. 11

Thursday, Feb. 13

2253 hrs / Incident / Santa Ynez Avenue and Via Real

hindsight

0417 hrs / Incident / 5400 block Eighth Street

A subject was causing a disturbance in the home that he shares with family members. Some of the children woke up, and the subject became irate, yelling at the family saying he would batter them. He armed himself with a wrench and continued to make threats. When deputies arrived, he ﬂed back into the house and locked the door preventing deputies from entering. After an extended back and forth, another family member was able to open the door despite the subject’s efforts to prevent them from doing so, and invited law enforcement in. The subject was arrested for criminal threats, brandishing a weapon, false imprisonment and delaying, resisting, or obstructing.

Plane shocking

Wednesday, Feb. 12

0830 hrs / Theft / 500 block Maple Avenue

A known suspect opened up accounts and stole over $100,000 from her boss and employer based out of Carpinteria. The suspect was charged with embezzlement in 2008 and spent time in prison. A report was taken and sent to detectives.

A subject was stopped at Santa Ynez Avenue and Via Real. Upon contacting him, it was discovered that he did not hold a valid driver’s license. He was cited for the above-mentioned charge and his passenger who held a valid driver’s license, drove the vehicle to their destination.

Friday, Feb. 14

0959 hrs / Incident / 5400 block Dariesa Street

Deputies responded to a physical altercation between an adult daughter and her mother, though neither desired prosecution. CIT responded and oﬀered services, but neither met 5150 hold requirements.

1831 hrs / Public Intoxication / 4500 block Carpinteria Avenue

Deputies responded to a local hotel for a verbal altercation between a couple. The hotel staﬀ got involved and requested that the male subject leave the premises. Detectives discovered the male to be under the inﬂuence of alcohol, and he was arrested for public intoxication and transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked without further incident.

Saturday, Feb. 15

CArPiNteriA VAlley MuSeuM of HiStory

1503 hrs / Theft / 6200 block Via Real

Little old Carpinteria boasted the South Coast’s most popular airfield during the early days of flight. Before the construction of Santa Barbara Airport on Goleta slough and pasture lands in the 1930s, Carpinteria’s air strip was the hot spot for landings and takeoffs. Local air shows, like the one pictured above circa 1929, drew residents from up and down the coast. Many notables landed here, including Howard Hughes and Col. Charles Lindbergh. the airstrip was located on the Coast Highway—now Carpinteria Avenue—in the area where Carpinteria City Hall stands today.

As the nation gears up for March Madness (starting March 19), CVN thought it would be appropriate to stoke the fire of excitement with an image of Carpinteria’s version of highly competitive basketball. Sports rivals Carpinteria and Bishop Diego high schools vie for a piece of the ball at this Feb. 7, 1978 game.

The reporting party called to report her storage unit had been “cleaned out” and all the items she had stored inside were gone. The time frame for the theft is unknown as she’s been paying for the storage unit since 2014 and had not been back since and the total value of the items inside is also unknown. The investigation is ongoing.

He said, she said Bring on the funny!

Send us your best caption for this photo by Monday, March 25.

Meet Tyson the love bug

Get creative, get goofy, but keep comments brief and don’t expect CVN to print any inappropriate language or innuendo. All submissions will be edited for grammar, punctuation, length and content. Please send captions to news@coastalview. com. Caption writers selected for publication will receive the following grand prizes: bragging rights, name in lights (well, black ink) and a free copy of Coastal View News from any rack in Carpinteria Valley.

He said, she said Bring on the funny! Send us your best caption for this photo by Monday, April 25.

Meet Tyson, a lovable 11-monthold, 70-pound pit bull terrier who is looking for his forever home. In line with his immense love of food, Tyson was brought into Santa Barbara County Animal Services after he crashed a barbecue at a neighborhood park; and like most puppies, he is obsessed with squeaky toys and loves sleeping. A recent foster described him as a “cute seal pup” who loves to curl up on the couch and watch Netﬂix.

SBCAS staﬀ shared: “Tyson now ﬁnds himself with us and he is quickly becoming a play group rockstar. He’s still working on his leash skills but has already learned a lot and is becoming a volunteer fave. Two of his recent day-fosters commented on how playful, friendly and loving he is and how he can be energetic but knows when to settle down.”

Coastal View News is ready to get a little silly with Carpinteria history, and we’d like readers to join us by coming up with clever captions for photos from the past. At the end of each month we’ll publish our favorite caption submissions from readers. Get creative, get goofy, but keep comments brief and don’t expect CVN to print any inappropriate language or innuendo. All submissions will be edited for grammar, punctuation, length and content. Please send captions to news@coastalview. com. Caption writers selected for publication will receive the following grand prizes:

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.

Civic

Thursday, March 14

Tyson is at SBCAS’ Goleta location, 5473 Overpass Road. The shelter is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Learn more by emailing deannturner@yahoo.com.

City of Carpinteria Architectural Review Board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Council Chambers, City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave., 684-5405

Friday, March 15

MArty PANizzoN

CArPInTErIA VALLEY MuSEuM of HISTorY

THROWBACK

In early aviation, Carpinteria soared

BY STEPHEN BATES

Fly to Santa Barbara today, and you land in Goleta. For a short time, a century ago, you would have landed in Carpinteria.

The principal airport in the region in the 1920s was the Casa Loma Airfield, on what’s now the Santa Barbara Golf Club. It was founded and operated by Earle Ovington, who had carried the first official air mail pouch in 1911, from one Long Island town to another. Pilots complained about Casa Loma’s short, uneven runway bordered by trees (Louis Bauhaus of Carpinteria was killed while trying to land there), while neighbors complained about the noise.

Enter 20-year-old Henry Alexander Jastro Chadbourne of Santa Barbara, a yacht broker, pilot and wheeler-dealer who decided to start an airport. In Carpinteria, he saw opportunity where others saw vacant land: specifically, a flat, open stretch of parcels owned by the Higgins family and others between the Coast Highway (now Carpinteria Avenue) and the railroad tracks, on both sides of Dump Road.

Chadbourne teamed up with two aviator-brothers, Earle and Robert Donze, and the Chadbourne-Donze Airport opened on March 1, 1928. The hangar was about where Carpinteria City Hall stands today. The runway crossed Dump Road, so drivers had to look left, right, and up.

Chadbourne-Donze capitalized on the novelty of flying. The Ventura Daily Star offered rides to kids who sold five subscriptions. Ventura’s Scott Motor Co. gave rides to used-car buyers. The airport offered excursions of its own, with the ticket price depending on the passenger’s weight: a penny a pound. It offered flying lessons, too.

At a time when Casa Loma and many other airfields were perilous, Chadbourne-Donze was safe — more or less. (A high-voltage power line ran

just beyond the runway, from the Coast Highway to an oilwell on the bluffs, but only temporarily.) Harry F. Guggenheim, aviation booster and friend of Charles Lindbergh, called the Carpinteria facility the best airport on the West Coast.

Lindbergh himself took notice. Flying over Santa Barbara in 1928, he deemed the Casa Loma Airfield’s runway too dicey and diverted south until he spotted a more inviting landing strip.

The Chadbourne-Donze crew must have been stunned when Lindbergh stepped out of the plane. His 1927 transatlantic flight had catapulted him to global stardom to a degree that’s difficult to fathom today. He was not merely the most acclaimed person of the era, according to his biographer A. Scott Berg — he was the most acclaimed living person ever.

Harry F. Guggenheim, aviation booster and friend of Charles Lindbergh, called the Carpinteria facility the best airport on the West Coast.

Lindbergh returned to Carpinteria several times, staying with friends in Montecito but coming back to the Chadbourne-Donze field most days to spend time in the air. He gave rides to Chadbourne and the airport staff. Cate School founder Curtis Wolsey Cate got one too, according to Jayne Craven Caldwell. When Lindbergh needed a new plane battery, he strolled into the Rincon Garage and Machine Shop on Linden and bought one. According to the Carpinteria Herald, he was practically a local.

Other notables used the airport too. Hollywood stars Spencer Tracy, Wallace Beery, Norma Shearer and Will Rogers

AVIATION continued on page 23

CARPINTERIA VALLEY MUSEUM OF HISTORY

Henry A. J. Chadbourne co-founded the Carpinteria airport, Chadbourne-Donze, in 1928, at age 20. He went on to run at least five other California airports and a chain of flying schools.

CARPINTERIA VALLEY MUSEUM OF HISTORY

The Chadbourne-Donze runway crossed Dump Road, which runs diagonally downward in this photo from the late 1920s. The straight line near the top is the Coast Highway, now Carpinteria Avenue. The original hangar can be seen where the runway ends at the highway. The Higgins house is at left.

A flying show at the Carpinteria airport attracts a big crowd, possibly marking the opening of the new hangar in 1931. The Coast Highway is at left.

passed through, as did aviation luminaries Howard Hughes, Wiley Post, Amelia Earhart and Ruth Elder.

The Carpinteria Herald predicted that the airport would bring an influx of tourists, especially in summer. To take full advantage of the potential, the paper called for the construction of a fashionable hotel near the airport for air travelers — prefiguring today’s proposed Surfliner Inn for rail travelers.

Although Chadbourne once announced plans for passenger service between Carpinteria and Los Angeles in a glass-bottomed plane, he apparently never pulled it off. He did sell airplanes, manage a chain of flying schools, and control at least five other California airports. A newspaper referred to him as a “Santa Barbara millionaire-aviator-sportsman.”

Around 1930, Chadbourne turned the Carpinteria airport over to Walter Hoffmann and W.C. Smith Jr. of Santa Barbara. A freak windstorm flattened the hangar, and they built a new one in 1931 at the intersection of Carpinteria Avenue and Dump Road.

Coast Airways offered regularly scheduled flights between Casa Loma Airport in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles starting in 1931. When the city of Santa Barbara acquiesced to neighbors’ noise complaints by closing Casa Loma late that year, the airline started using the Carpinteria field as its Santa Barbara terminus, with limousines carrying passengers between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara. For a time, Coast Airways’ Santa Barbara airport was in Carpinteria. A roundtrip ticket to Los Angeles cost $8.25.

Kern County historian Gilbert Gia and aviation historian G.W. Hyatt have both chronicled Chadbourne’s subsequent life, which proved to be eventful. He flew as a mercenary pilot for Chiang Kai-shek’s forces in China (he claimed to have been paid $1,500 a month) as well as for the Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War, served on General Douglas MacArthur’s staff in Korea, and

survived several plane crashes, an auto crash (which injured him more than the plane crashes), and a stint at Camarillo State Hospital for a nervous breakdown. He ultimately settled in Spain, where he married for the fifth time and changed his name to Enrique.

As for the airport Chadbourne founded, activity slowed in the early 1930s as the Goleta airport (also opened in 1928, with big hangars added in 1930) grew increasingly popular. The Carpinteria airport closed in the mid-1930s. Its hangar still stands at the corner of Carpinteria Avenue and Dump Road, housing Peifer Woodworking and other businesses — a reminder of Carpinteria’s brush with aviation history.

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.

A freak windstorm destroyed the

CARPINTERIA VALLEY MUSEUM OF HISTORY

Aviators who used the Carpinteria airport included Ruth Elder (left) and Charles Lindbergh (above, in suit), as well as Howard Hughes and Amelia Earhart.

CARPINTERIA VALLEY MUSEUM OF HISTORY; GLEDHILL LIBRARY, SANTA BARBARA HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Carpinteria airport’s original hangar in 1930 (above), which was near the site of today’s City Hall. The airport operators constructed a new hangar at the intersection of the Coast Highway and Dump Road, as seen in the airshow photo (below). That hangar still stands.

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Monica.

got the scoring started for Carpinteria’s

Warriors reach second round of CIF Playoffs

Carpinteria girls soccer picks up big win at home before suffering loss

BY RYAN P. CRUZ

Carpinteria girls soccer played a near perfect game in front of the home crowd for the first round of the CIF Division 6 Playoffs on Feb. 12, knocking off St. Monica Prep 3-0 and advancing to the second round two days later, where the Warriors had a tougher time on the road against Segerstrom of Santa Ana.

The Warriors were determined to put on a show against St. Monica under the lights at Carpinteria Valley Memorial Stadium. Within 21 minutes, Carpinteria scored the first goal of the game with junior Evelyn Lara crossing the ball into freshman Callie Labistour, who finished in the back of the net to give Carpinteria an early 1-0 lead.

Eleven minutes later, Lara added another goal of her own, squeaking by the St. Monica goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation and extending the Warriors lead to 2-0 at the 33-minute mark.

In the second half, Carpinteria sealed the win with one more insurance goal from senior Averi Alexander, who found the back of the net in the 68th minute to give the Warriors the 3-0 win and advance into the second round of the playoffs.

“There was some great teamwork out there tonight,” said Carpinteria coach Freddy Martinez. “Girls were looking for that extra pass to get a teammate in on goal and there was a lot of chatter from our backline to keep everyone organized.”

Martinez credited the defensive back line of Vivian Huskins and Kaydance Gardner, who teamed up with goalie Natalie Gonzalez to keep St. Monica scoreless through the entire game.

“I love this kind of performance where us coaches can just sit back and watch all the work and preparation we did at the practice field come to life on the pitch,”

on the road

sealed

said.

Two days later, the Warriors hit the road to face Segerstrom of Santa Ana for the second round of the playoffs on Valentine’s Day.

This game was a back-and forth battle, with Segerstrom opening up the scoring in the 13th minute and holding onto a one-score lead for the remainder of the first half.

Carpinteria senior Charlotte Stoops then brought the Warriors back into the

goal by

and evened the score at 1-1 with a goal off an assist from Alexander in the 56th minute.

But less than 10 minutes later, Segerstrom took the lead back 2-1 with a corner goal that would prove to be the last of the game. Carpinteria scrambled to get a game-tying goal in the final minutes, but the Warriors were unable to convert and suffered the season-ending loss.

“It will take a bit of time for me to get over this result as I thought we had all

the elements and talent to win tonight but we could just not string some passes together when it counted,” coach Martinez said. “The girls played their hearts out tonight, and with this young talent we have returning, we hope to continue making strides in being a contender in our league and the postseason for years to come.”

The Warriors finished the season with an overall record of 9-6-4, and a Citrus Coast League record of 7-2-2.

CARLOS ALVARADO

Callie Labistour

Round 1 win over St.

ROSANA SWING

Senior Charlotte Stoops kept up the offensive pressure against St. Monica.

Martinez

ROSANA SWING

The Warriors

the 3-0 win with a late

senior Averi Alexander. game

SHORT STOPS

BY RYAN P. CRUZ

Carpinteria boys hoops earns playoff win

Carpinteria boys basketball reached the second round of the CIF Division 4A Playoﬀs following a thrilling 58-55 rivalry win over Bishop Diego at the “Brick House” in the ﬁrst round on Feb. 12.

The Warriors pulled out the last-second victory over Bishop Diego in the ﬁrst round thanks to a clutch three-pointer from sophomore Chris Reed that gave Carpinteria a 56-53 lead with just 49 seconds left in the game.

Carpinteria seniors Sawyer Kelly and Carlo Suarez sank three late free throws to secure the lead and give the Warriors a 58-55 win over the Cardinals — keeping the Warriors’ playoﬀ run alive for at least one more game.

Two days later on Feb. 14, the Warriors traveled to Alhambra in the second round, but this game proved to be much more diﬃcult for Carpinteria, as the sharpshooting Alhambra team hit four three-pointers in the ﬁrst quarter to take an early 18-14 lead over the Warriors.

In the second quarter, Alhambra continued to build its lead over Carpinteria, and even with an aggressive push from Suarez — who sank seven of eight free throws in the second quarter — the Warriors went into halftime trailing by 13.

Carpinteria fought back in the third quarter, cutting the lead down to six points at one point before Alhambra’s sharpshooters hit four more three-pointers to extend the lead to 52-41 heading into the fourth quarter.

In the ﬁnal quarter, the Warriors made a late push for a comeback, coming within four points with just two minutes left in the game. But Carpinteria couldn’t close the gap completely and Alhambra held on to advance to the next round by a ﬁnal score of 64-58.

“I’m sad to be done but that doesn’t overtake the love, joy, and pride I feel for this group,” said Carpinteria coach Karl Fredrickson. “We fought hard and gave our best — tonight, and every night leading to it. It’s been a tremendous honor to go to battle with these Warriors.”

The Reed brothers — senior Sebastian and sophomore Chris — were a dynamic duo in their ﬁnal game together. Sebastian ﬁnished his last game with 21 points, while Chris contributed 14 points of his own. Suarez was aggressive at the rim against Alhambra with 16 total points, including 10 of 12 from the free throw line.

Carpinteria ﬁnished the season 13-12 overall and 9-3 in the Citrus Coast League, tying for second place in the league with Santa Paula.

Warriors girls basketball knocked out in ﬁrst round

Carpinteria girls basketball had a tough road test in the first round of the CIF Playoffs against Santa Ana on Feb. 13, where the Saints took control late in the game and held on to advance and put an end to the Warriors’ 2025 playoff run.

The Warriors started out with a strong ﬁrst quarter, taking a slim two-point margin into the second quarter before Santa Ana clawed back to regain its ﬁrst lead of the game. Heading into halftime, Santa Ana was up by one point, 20-19.

In the second half, both teams battled and exchanged the lead several times, with the score locked at 29-29 heading into the ﬁnal quarter.

The fourth quarter was a tight contest until the ﬁnal minute, when, with the game tied at 37-37, Santa Ana pulled away with a few late foul shots to seal the win by four points, 41-37.

Juniors Jamaica Cook and Charlotte Cooney were the top scorers for Carpinteria in the loss, with Cook scoring 15 points and Cooney ﬁnishing with 13. Carpinteria ﬁnished the season with an overall record of 10-10, and a league record of 6-5.

“I’m very proud of our girls,” said Carpinteria coach Henry Gonzales. “They competed at a very high level and showed tremendous grit. We had a wonderful year.”

High school surfers take on Rincon Classic

Carpinteria’s high school surfers participated in this year’s Rincon Classic, raising money for the 2025-26 season after ﬁnishing a successful ﬁrst season in the Scholastic Surf Series.

Carpinteria finished their first season in second place out of nine schools in the Los Angeles to Santa Barbara Division, with the local surfers showing up in the final rankings in each division.

A

true adventurer

Carpinteria’s surfers competed in boys and girls shortboard and longboard. For boys shortboard, the top ﬁnishers were Wyatt Pitterle, Luke Donahue, Owen Reeves, Ryder Shaw and Luke Anderson. In boys longboard, top ﬁnishers included Noah Morente, Haven Gritt and Alex de Leon.

For the girls, Izzy Scott and Charlotte Cooney competed in shortboard, while Cooney and Isla Moore competed in the longboard competition.

All Carpinteria High students interested in joining the surf team’s spring training should contact CarpSurfTeam@gmail.com to apply. The competition season will begin again in the fall.

Cate Rams Roundup

Cate boys soccer is on a magical run this season, turning in a perfect 14-0 regular season record and winning the first two rounds of the CIF Division 1 Playoffs, setting up a quarterfinal match against El Segundo for a chance to make it to the semifinals.

The Rams won a rainy first round playoff match over El Toro on Feb. 15, overcoming a sloppy playing field to hold on for a 2-1 win.

In the ﬁrst round win, it was no surprise when leading scorer junior George Marin got the scoring started in the third minute with a curling free kick that sent the home Cate crowd into a rain-soaked frenzy.

El Toro evened the score at 1-1 at the 53-minute mark, but Cate would regain the lead again in the 71st minute when Marin headed a corner kick into the goal to seal the game at 2-1 for the Rams.

“We’ve been getting a plethora of questions about how we feel about jumping from Division 1 to Division 6,” said Cate head coach Jorge Reynoso. “I can’t recall how many times I was asked if we are out of our league since the brackets were released… My answer has been the same: I’m not worried, our team wants to prove we belong and can play with anyone, and we have conﬁdence we can compete at this level.”

In the second round, Cate proved it belonged in Division 1 with another playoﬀ win, this one over the visiting Pasadena High Bulldogs.

Pasadena scored ﬁrst, forcing Cate to make a comeback with Marin tying up the game at 1-1 with his ﬁrst goal of the game in the 37th minute.

The teams battled in the second half, and when neither scored the game went into overtime. After a scoreless ﬁrst overtime, the game seemed like it might be headed for a shootout before Cate earned a late penalty kick, setting up a dramatic moment for the team’s star, Marin.

Marin stepped up to take the penalty, stutter-stepped and calmly scored the game-winning goal, sending his teammates and the crowd into cheers and giving Cate a spot in the CIF Division 1 Quarterﬁnals.

“We cannot emphasize enough just how proud we are of the eﬀort and resilience our team showed today,” coach Reynoso said. “This was the ﬁrst time in 16 games this season that we found ourselves behind in the scoreboard and the manner in which these young men kept their composure, regrouped, didn’t panic, and answered their goal in one minute is amazing. That’s what makes this team special.”

Cate is now 16-0, and will face El Segundo with a chance to advance to the CIF Semiﬁnal.

Over on the hardwood, Cate boys basketball made its own run to the CIF Division 4AA Quarterﬁnals with wins in the ﬁrst and second rounds.

Cate defeated Faith Baptist 61-55 in the ﬁrst round, overcoming a slow ﬁrst quarter to come back and seal the win in overtime. Cate’s Marcus Scudder led the way in the win with a game-high 39 points.

In the second round, Cate outlasted Savannah 67-63, with junior Josh Butler turning in a clutch performance with 23 points and some well-timed three-point shots.

Cate’s playoff run would be cut short in the next game, however, as the Rams had a tough battle against Pacifica of Garden Grove in the Division 4AA Quarterfinals.

In this game, Pacifica held on by a slim margin, knocking the Cate Rams out of the playoffs by a final score of 44-41.

Cate boys basketball ﬁnished the season with an overall record of 14-8 and a league record of 5-3 in the Rams’ ﬁrst season under head coach Casey Ortiz.

ON DECK

Thursday, Feb. 20

Carpinteria Softball at Santa Barbara, 3:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 21

*Carpinteria Baseball vs Coastal Christian, 3 p.m.

*Carpinteria Boys Volleyball Alumni Game, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 22

*Carpinteria Track & Field Alumni Meet, 10 a.m. Carpinteria Baseball at Santa Clara, 11 a.m.

*Denotes Home Game

Sven Brock of Carpinteria braved the Linden Field “creek” with his kayak last Friday, after the Thursday storm left Carpinteria feeling rather damp.

A delicious afternoon

Last week’s storm couldn’t keep shut down Carpinterians’ love of chocolate. More than a dozen seniors showed up to AgeWell of Carpinteria’s chocolate tasting party on Thursday, Feb. 13, in honor of Friday’s Valentine’s Day, including above, Carole Soden, and at right, Barbara Savage and Sally Gundlach. The tasting was sponsored by Visiting Angels, and Chocolats du CaliBressan donated the chocolate.

JOYFUL AGING

LESLIE SOKOL

Your heart is one of the most important muscular organs in the body, and taking good care of it should be one of your top priorities. February is Heart Health Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to check in on your heart health and the steps you are taking to protect it. With just a few simple lifestyle changes, you can keep your heart strong and healthy for years to come.

There’s so much you can do to keep your ticker happy and strong! Adopt a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. Stay active, maintain a healthy weight and get adequate sleep. Managing stress and prioritizing mental well-being also help reduce your risk of heart disease.

Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States for both men and women, but the good news is that many risk factors are preventable. There are a lot of ways you can protect your heart and stay healthy.

The heart’s deep connection to love and kindness

The link between love and the heart is

TEAM WITH EXPERIENCE

The rhythm of life

so deeply ingrained in our consciousness that we often see them as one and the same. Love takes many forms, making it diﬃcult to deﬁne, but one thing is certain — kindness is at the core of every kind of love. So much so that the fusion of the two has its own term: “loving-kindness.”

In addition to exercise and healthy eating, our emotional and mental well-being also play a crucial role in heart health. One of the best ways to nurture this is by connecting with others and showing that we care — whether through small acts of kindness, taking an interest in the lives of others, or simply being present. Expressing kindness isn’t just beneﬁcial for those around us, it’s also one of the most rewarding things we can do for ourselves. When we make time for loved ones, we uplift both our spirits and our hearts.

Home is where the heart is (and where good healthy habits begin!)

Staying active doesn’t necessarily require going to a gym — your home can be the perfect place to build heart-healthy habits! My For the Young at Heart dance and ﬁtness classes are designed for all ages and can be enjoyed right in your own living room. With fun, lively movement, you can improve your heart health, boost energy and stay motivated, all from the comfort of home. After all, true wealth lies in good health! Let’s build wellness together, inside and out.

Home is where we feel most comfortable, making it the ideal space to embrace healthy routines. Whether you follow along with ﬁtness videos, use exercise equipment, or create a dedicated workout space, staying active at home is convenient and accessible. Plus, getting family

Adopt a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. Stay active, maintain a healthy weight and get adequate sleep. Managing stress and prioritizing mental well-being also help reduce your risk of heart disease.

members to join in can make exercise even more enjoyable. So, why not turn your living space into a place for movement, joy and well-being? Let’s live for the moments that make our hearts beat and get started on our heart health now! For advice or tips on how to live healthy and stay young at heart, please contact Leslie Sokol for more information.

Leslie Sokol is the creator and founder of the adult dance and fitness program For the Young at Heart. She has been teaching adults and children for forty-ﬁve years. You can watch For the Young at Heart on Cox YurView, by visiting her YouTube Channel or on TVSB (times and channels can be found on her website). She also teaches in retirement communities throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. For more information, please contact Leslie at leslie@lesliesokolsdance.com, by calling (408) 836.8559 or by visiting her website LeslieSokolsDance.com.

Heart Smart Habits

Include all three components of exercise in your workouts: stretching, strength training and aerobic exercises

• Exercise regularly

• Maintain a healthy weight

• Balance calorie intake with your energy needs

• Eat whole foods — the healthiest foods come in their own wrapping

• Manage stress with relaxation and mindfulness

• Get enough sleep

• Drink plenty of healthy ﬂuids to stay hydrated

• Stay active — movement is life!

• Socialize with others to support mental and emotional health

• Participate in activities that you enjoy for a fulﬁlling life

• Keep good oral health for overall wellness

KARLSSON PHOTOS

Zucchini Fritters

CVN

CHEF RANDY

RANDY GRAHAM

Wikipedia defines a fritter as “any kind of food coated in batter and deep fried.” I generally take anything I read in Wikipedia with a grain of salt. I’m thinking of sending in a revision to their definition because our zucchini fritters are not coated in batter, but they taste just as good as any vegetable fritter I’ve eaten. This is how we use zucchini at the end of the growing season when we are tired of frying, baking and steaming it (and the neighbors won’t take anymore from us).

If you get really, really tired of zucchini, try substituting two cups of corn for the zucchini.

Ingredients:

2 medium-large zucchini (fresh from the garden)

1 clove garlic (minced — do not use if substituting corn for zucchini)

¼ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

3 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 large eggs (lightly beaten)

1/3 cup flour

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Directions:

Grate the zucchini into a large mixing bowl. Cover the mixture with paper towels and press down to absorb moisture. Remove the towels and add the garlic,

Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper and eggs. Mix to combine. Add the flour, stirring well so no lumps form.

Heat four tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Using a tablespoon, scoop a large amount of the zucchini mixture and carefully transfer it to the hot oil. Lightly flatten the fritter with the back of the spoon. Repeat until the pan is full or the mixture is all gone.

Cook the fritters for three to four minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Turn the fritters over and continue cooking for another three minutes, or until done.

Tip: If you want to try something different, add ½ teaspoons of Tabasco sauce to the zucchini mixture before cooking. Then, place a dollop of sour cream on each fritter before serving. Be sure to serve the fritters while still warm.

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 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.

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