Coastal View News • January 26, 2023

Tumbling into the new year

From left, students Charlotte B., Camila V. and Emily H. work on their balance during the second 10-week gymnastics session held by Girls Inc. of Carpinteria. The classes are open to girls enrolled in transitional kindergarten through fifth grade, and the third session is set to begin on March 23, with registration open to Girls Inc. members and nonmembers.

clubs

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STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY

STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY

MONTECITO LAW GROUP

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559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363 stefanie@montecitolawgroup.com MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM

BRIEFLY CVN

COMPILED BY EVELYN SPENCE

City manager to retire after 24 years

City Manager Dave Durflinger will retire at the end of this calendar year, the city announced last week, after 24 years with the city of Carpinteria.

In a press release from Public Information Officer Olivia Uribe-Mutal, the city said Durflinger has played an important role in helping Carpinteria remain a “unique and vital small beach town.”

“Dave has not only provided his skills, intelligence and vast knowledge of Carpinteria on a 24/7 basis for the city, but he is also a resident and valued member of the community,” Carpinteria Mayor Al Clark said. “Dave has established a strong, stable and consistent government for over 20 years.”

Durflinger said it has been an honor to serve Carpinteria, and to work alongside city staff and Carpinterians.

559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363 stefanie@montecitolawgroup.com MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM

559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363 stefanie@montecitolawgroup.com MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM

STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY

STEFANIE HERRINGTON ATTORNEY

559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363 stefanie@montecitolawgroup.com MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM

559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363 stefanie@montecitolawgroup.com MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM

559 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, SUITE J MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 293-6363 WWW.MONTECITOLAWGROUP.COM

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CITY

The City’s Annual Work Plan meeting will be held at City Hall, Council Chambers, 5775 Carpinteria Avenue, on January 30, 2023, at 4:00 p.m.

Your participation and input are highly desired as the City embarks on establishing its Annual Work Plan. The City’s Annual Work Plan defines and prioritizes projects, programs and services to be undertaken over the next year and is an important part of the City’s implementation of community goals and objectives.

Is there a service you believe the City should provide that’s currently not available; or an existing service that should be modified? Is there an important public project that you believe is needed?

This is your opportunity to hear about work being planned for the 2023 year and to have input into the City Council’s consideration of priorities.

PLEASE ATTEND THE MEETING AND BE HEARD!

Brian C. Barrett, CMC, CPMC, City Clerk

Publish: January 19, 26, 2023

“Any success that I have had I owe to the team – a team made up of dedicated staff members, City Council leaders and involved community members,” Durflinger said. “I’d like to emphasize that nothing will change at the City in the near term. My priority is to leave the organization in capable hands. I want to allow the City Council sufficient time to plan and facilitate this transition and to provide time for some overlap with the new city manager prior to my retirement.”

“My employment with the city has afforded my family and me many wonderful opportunities and experiences we would not otherwise have had, none more important than being part of a true community. For that I am eternally grateful,” he added.

City tennis, pickleball courts now open

The Palm Avenue tennis and pickleball courts are now open to the public on Mondays, the city announced last week. The Carpinteria Middle School has full use of the courts during the school day Tuesdays through Fridays. To reserve a court on Monday or outside of school hours, visit carpinteria-community-pool.reservio.com.

Our Beautiful New Summerland School Nuestra Nueva Hermosa Escuela Primaria Summerland

Please join us in celebrating the opening of our beautiful new Summerland School!

Saturday, January 28th at 2:OO p.m. Thank you Carpinteria and Summerland communities for Supporting CUSD Measure U projects!

¡Por favor únase a nosotros para celebrar la apertura de nuestra hermosa nueva escuela primaria Summerland! El Sábado, 28 de Enero a las 2:OO p.m. ¡Gracias a las comunidades de Carpinteria y Summerland por apoyar los proyectos de la Medida U de CUSD!

135 Valencia Road, Summerland, CA 93O67

CITY OF CARPINTERIA

Dave Durflinger

The majority of Los Padres National Forest will remain closed through mid-March due to storm damage.

Los Padres National Forest closed through mid-March

Most areas within the Los Padres National Forest will be closed through March 14 due to the early January storms, including all of Ojai, Santa Barbara, Monterey Ranger and Santa Lucia districts, according to the Los Padres Forest Association. The Mount Pinos Ranger District is open, but winter gate closures remain in place.

“The Forest Service has been busy this past week primarily working on clearing roads, assessing infrastructure damage and assisting with the liberation of multiple stranded communities,” the association said in its newsletter Monday. “There remain over 150 people stranded due to road closures and storm damage. Most of the access roads into the forest are closed and, in some cases, may remain closed for quite some time.”

The association said it is seeing “substantial damage” across the area’s trails, including slides and sinkholes.

“We understand that many of us are frustrated at not being in the forest or visiting our favorite trail or camp. There is a lot of significant damage out there, please try to be patient. We’re pushing hard to help get the surveys completed, get damage repaired and hopefully get portions of the forest reopened as soon as possible,” the association added.

Learn more at fs.usda.gov/lpnf.

Weekly Covid-19 cases decrease

Santa Barbara County reported a decrease in Covid-19 cases between Jan. 13 and Jan. 19. Covid-19 community levels remain low within the county, according to the latest update; one new death related to Covid-19 was reported over the last week.

The county reminded residents that Covid-19 cases are underreported due to increased rapid at-home testing.

CUSD to hold parent meeting on kindergarten, TK enrollment

The Carpinteria Unified School District will hold an informational meeting for parents on March 16 regarding enrollment for kindergarten and transitional kindergarten, with registration opening on March 1.

In order to be eligible for kindergarten, children must be turning five on or before Sept. 1, 2023; children eligible to be enrolled in transitional kindergarten must be five years old between Sept. 2 and April 2, 2024.

On March 1, the district’s Aeries Online Enrollment website will open, and allow parents to begin the enrollment process. The district will hold informational meetings at Canalino School on Thursday, March 16, to answer parents’ questions and offer additional information. The presentation in English will be held 5:30–6 p.m., and a presentation in Spanish is scheduled for 6–6:30 p.m.

Requirements for registration include proof of address, a document that verifies student’s date of birth, proof of immunizations and a copy of the child’s last physical exam after March 1, or proof of appointment date for the next physical exam.

Annual city work plan: Jan. 30

The city’s annual work plan, where the city of Carpinteria’s various boards and commissions will meet to discuss work plans and city issues for 2023, will take place on Jan. 30. The meeting, held at Carpinteria City Hall at 5775 Carpinteria Ave., is open to the public. The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. and run through approximately 8 p.m.

FEMA approves flooding assistance

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved individual assistance for Santa Barbara County residents, who can now apply for federal financial assistance to help with any damage occurred during the early January storms. See more at disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362. Learn more about the January 2023 storm responses at readysbc.org.

Welcome to a special evening worship service converging traditional and contemporary styles into one creative worship expression in our beautiful candlelit sanctuary.

Gather for an evening of Praise, Worship, Prayer, and an inspiring testimonial from our Change for a Dollar experiment!

A gathering of food and fellowship will follow the service. Childcare will be provided.

Your presence will be the extra touch to something already very special. Hope to see you Sunday evening!

1111 Vallecito Rd. • 805-684-2211 • carpchurch@gmail.com

FRIED CHICKEN & WAFFLES WITH GRITS

Southern fried chicken breast on hominy grits with 2 waffles, topped with sweet red onion. Vermont maple syrup. $16.95

FRIED CHICKEN BURGER

Southern fried chicken breast on bun with dill pickle chips, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes and home mustard. / with onion rings, french fries or sweet potato fries. $15.95

BISON BURGER

Organic ground bison burger with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickles on side/ with sweet potato fries. $15.75

TIMMY’S TUNA MELT

House made albacore tuna salad with melted cheddar & grilled jalapeños on grilled sourdough / with onion rings and house made tartar sauce on side. $13.75

CHOPPED COBB SALAD

LUNCHSPECIALS

Local spring mix, house baked turkey breast, organic cherry tomatoes, chopped egg, crispy bacon, crumbled bleu cheese, local avocado chopped and tossed. $16.50

ORGANIC SPINACH SALAD

Fried Chicken &Waffles, with Hominy Grits

Buttermilk battered chicken breast on grits with two waffles. Served with Vermont Maple Syrup.

AVOCADO TOAST ON GLUTEN FREE BREAD

Bison Burger

Free range poached egg on gluten free toast with local avocado, organic cherry tomatoes and spring mix. $12.75

Organic baby spinach, tossed with chopped bacon, cherry tomatoes, dried cranberries and sliced almonds. Topped with goat cheese and alfalfa sprouts served with house made balsamic vinaigrette. $16.95

TAYLORS SALAD

Organic ground bison burger with pepperjack cheese. Served with sweet potato fries. Lettuce, tomato, and pickles on side.

Fried Chicken Burger

GLUTEN FREE AVO SANDWICH

Avocado, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, pepper jack cheese, red onions, on gluten free bread. with coleslaw or fruit $13.95

Buttermilk battered chicken breast on bun, with dill pickle chips, alfalfa sprouts, tomato, and house made special sauce. Served with onion rings, french fries, or sweet potato fries.

Local spring mix, tossed with chopped figs, green apples, dried cranberries, candied walnuts and organic goat cheese. Topped with southern fried chicken breast and alfalfa sprouts. honey mustard dressing on the side $16.95

Gluten Free Avocado Sandwich Avocado, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, pepperjack cheese, red onions, on gluten free bread. Served with coleslaw or fruit.

BOOZY BEVERAGES

Taylor’s Salad

Local spring mix, tossed with dried cranberries & figs, chopped green apple, buttermilk battered chicken breast. Served with honey mustard dressing.

Spinach Salad

Organic baby spinach, tossed with chopped bacon, cherry tomatoes, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, and goat cheese. Served with house made balsamic vinaigrette.

Fried Chicken &Waffles, with Hominy Grits Buttermilk battered chicken breast on grits with two waffles. Served with Vermont Maple

ROO SEAFORD

New lanes, portion of bike path open

A portion of the new Santa Claus Lane bike path will open on Jan. 26, leaving about six feet of room for cyclists and pedestrians, as construction progresses on the Santa Claus Lane bike path project as well as the Olive Mill Roundabout.

The portion of the bike lane set to open is near Summerland, between Sheffield Drive and North Padaro Lane. The space will remain limited as crews continue building the safety barrier, and the full 12-foot width will open on Feb 1. Also on Feb. 3, northbound traffic lanes will be shifted, and the northbound off-ramp at Lillie Ave will open.

For the Olive Mill Road roundabout, Caltrans construction crews have removed old light fixtures, and will soon move on to drainage, roadway and electrical work. Drivers should be aware of flaggers at San Ysidro Road and North Jameson Lane on weekdays, from 7:30–9 a.m. and 3–5 p.m.

On the northbound side of the highway, one lane between Santa Monica Road and Sheffield Drive, as well as the on- and off-ramps at South Padaro and Santa Claus lanes and North Padaro Lane, will be closed Monday through Thursday, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., and Sunday, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The off-ramp at Evans and Lillie avenues will be closed until Feb. 3, and drivers may use the off-ramp at North Padaro Lane; the on-ramp at Ortega Hill Road will be closed until Feb. 14, though drivers may use the on-ramp at Sheffield Drive and the off-ramp at Olive Mill Road will be closed for up to seven months, and drivers may use the off-ramp at San Ysidro Road.

On the southbound side, one lane between Sheffield Drive and Carpinteria Avenue will be closed Monday through Thursday, 9 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., and Sunday, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The southern on-ramp at Santa Claus Lane will be closed until Jan. 29, and drivers may use the detour on Via Real, Santa Ynez, Carpinteria and Reynolds avenues. The off-ramp at North Padaro Lane is expected to reopen in mid-March, and drivers may use the detour at South Padaro Lane and Via Real; the on-ramp at Olive Mill Road is expected to re-open in late February, and drivers may use the on-ramp at Sheffield Drive.

– Jun Starkey

The new northbound off-ramp at Lillie Avenue will open on Feb 3. Mud was seen on the southbound off-ramp at North Padaro Lane after the intense January storms, which caused flooding throughout the county.

Construction crews will install cobblestone paving, build a new median island and update bike lane connections on Carpinteria Avenue, near the intersection with Estero Street.

BY JUN STARKEY

Canalino Elementary School second-grade teacher Sonia Aguila has been named Teacher of the Year by both California Association of Bilingual Education and – most recently – the National Association of Bilingual Educators (NABE), for her work advocating for bilingual students and their families.

“My heart is full of joy,” Aguila said to CVN of her recognition. “I am very proud of my accomplishments. The path to where I am now was not easy.”

Aguila is currently a second-grade dual-language immersion teacher at Canalino Elementary School, where she has served as an educator for the last 25 years, teaching kindergarten, first and second grade. Aguila also assisted the district with creating the Dual Language Immersion program, serving as its chair and writing the Plan Maestro for the program.

Aguila was born in Santa Barbara, but moved to Mexico when she was five years old, and returned to California when she was 11. Once she returned, Aguila said she “only knew how to count to ten in English.” Her relationship with the language didn’t improve much in secondary school, she said, breaking down crying several times throughout high school because she didn’t understand the language.

“I was determined to succeed,” Aguila said, eventually graduating as salutatori-

an from Santa Barbara High School at 16, and received a full scholarship to attend UC Santa Barbara, where she earned an Elementary Teaching Credential and a master’s degree in Education. She would begin teaching in the Carpinteria Unified School District after graduating in 1998.

“Five-year-old me, who sat her dolls on the sofa and pretended to be a teacher, would be very proud,” she told CVN, saying her recognition is “proof that anything in life is possible.”

Now, Aguila is immensely proud of her work as a bilingual instructor, and helps her students become not only bilingual, but “biliterate and bicultural as well,” she said. In her classroom at Canalino, she hangs a poster reading: “Ser bilingüe es un superpoder. Being bilingual is a super power!” She told CVN she finds it “rewarding” to be part of her students’ journeys to bilingualism.

“Carpinteria Unified School District, and its staff, students, and families are so proud of Sonia’s amazing accomplishments,” Canalino Principal Jamie Persoon said in a press release. She said Aguila not only serves parents and students as an instructor, but also, “facilitates English Learner Advisory Committee meetings, supports culturally relevant instruction and events for students and families and hosts a radio show in Santa Barbara, helping parents in how to best support their students.”

As Teacher of the Year, Aguila will represent bilingual instructors across the

nization that represents bilingual and multilingual students, and bilingual and dual language education professionals.

Carpinteria Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group

Do You Have a Family Member with Memory Problems?

You Are Not Alone - We Can Help.

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Wednesdays, 2-4pm

Faith Lutheran Church ~ Vallecito Place at Ogan Road Questions? 805-881-3390 • carpcaregivers1@gmail.com

“Five-year-old me, who sat her dolls on the sofa and pretended to be a teacher, would be very proud.”

–Canalino teacher Sonia Aguila

Canalino Elementary School instructor Sonia Aguila was named Teacher of the Year by the National Association of Bilingual Educators. country at the NABE conference from Feb. 21 to Feb. 23 in Portland, Oregon. NABE is a national professional orga-

CITY BEAT

Dog park debate roils Carpinteria El Carro off-leash dog park pilot program under

siege at city meeting

BY EVELYN SPENCE

A significant part of Monday’s fivehour Carpinteria City Council meeting saw fierce debate over the fate of the El Carro off-leash dog park pilot program, and the council found itself caught between dueling residents.

“I’m not a dog hater,” commenter George Lehtinen said during public comment, showing off photos of his childhood dog to the room. But he doesn’t like the dog park, he said, arguing El Carro Park is too small and used by too many people.

“In our worst nightmare, we couldn’t imagine that the city would allow a doggy bathroom on top of a children’s playfield,” he added.

At one point, one resident – Patricia Nicholson – played a loud recording of dogs barking, which she said she captured from her nearby home in Seacoast Village. “I’ve been listening to this for two and a half years,” she said; another commenter contradicted this, saying that the people complaining “are the ones who complain about everything.”

No one could find a middle ground. Those in favor of keeping the dog park at El Carro argued the area was vital to Carpinteria health and living, while others said the dogs were dangerous to children playing on the field and did not

fit in.

“No one uses the park on the off hours,” commenter Jackie Morris said, after another commenter said the park’s rules are abused by dog owners.

“We deserve a place where we can meet, run our dogs. (Our dogs) do not pose a threat to the children – no children have been hurt by C-DOG (Carpinteria Dog Owners Group) dogs. Ever. The children love the dogs.”

But after a lengthy public comment and discussion, Mayor Al Clark summed up the council’s thoughts: “The pilot program basically failed because of all the conflicts and complaints,” he told the room Monday.

The council first approved the one-year pilot program in September 2020 and approved another extension in late 2021. But several issues arose, with complaints largely relating to noise, excrement and field-sharing issues; El Carro Park is also used by local sports groups, including soccer teams.

C-DOG owns a temporary fence that was previously up between the sports fields and the off-leash dog park. But city staff said the fence is a temporary, clumsy fence that became “too laborious” to put up.

“We knew this was going to be an issue (tonight),” Parks, Facilities and

CITY OF CARPINTERIA 5775 CARPINTERIA AVENUE CARPINTERIA, CALIFORNIA 93013

PUBLIC NOTICE

SUMMARY OF ADOPTED ORDINANCE NO. 758

(AS PRESCRIBED BY GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 36933(C)(1))

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARPINTERIA AMENDING CHAPTER 14.72 OF TITLE 14 (ZONING) OF THE CARPINTERIA MUNICIPAL CODE BY RESCINDING AND REPLACING RESIDENTIAL SECONDARY DWELLING UNIT PROVISIONS WITH PROVISIONS CONCERNING ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS AND JUNIOR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS, AND INCLUDING AMENDMENTS TO VARIOUS OTHER CHAPTERS WITHIN TITLE 14 TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THIS INTENT

The proposed Ordinance was introduced and first reading was approved at the regular City Council meeting held on September 26, 2022. The Ordinance was adopted at a regular City Council meeting held on January 23, 2023, by the following vote:

AYES: Lee, Nomura, Solórzano, Alarcon, and Clark

NOES: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTAIN: None

Summary of Ordinance: This Ordinance will adopt Case No. 19-2008-LCPA/ ORD, which proposes to amend the City’s Local Coastal Program to reflect changes to the City Municipal Code, Zoning Code, and Zoning Map to include regulations regarding Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units. Changes to the Municipal Code include the rescission of provisions of Chapter 14.72 entitled, “Residential Secondary Dwelling Unit” and replacement within this Chapter with new provisions entitled, “Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units”, addition of a new definition to Chapter 14.08, addition of new uses and processes of various zone districts that permit residential uses, adoption of a new Chapter titled, “Accessory Dwelling Unit Beach Overlay District;” and approval of an exemption pursuant to Sections15061(b)(3) and 15282(h) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. The project would be applicable to a number of parcels throughout the City.

A certified copy of the full text of the ordinance is posted in the Office of the City Clerk, 5775 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria, CA. The full text can also be viewed on the City’s website at https://carpinteriaca.gov/city-hall/publichearings-legal-notices/, under “Public Hearing & Legal Notices.”

Said Ordinance will become effective 30 days after adoption on February 22, 2023. Brian C. Barrett, CMC, CPMC, City Clerk

Recreation Director Matt Roberts told the council. “There is no clear path.”

Roberts spoke to the council about the possibility of another off-leash dog park –for example, near Lagunitas in the eastern part of Carpinteria. In years past, designs for a full-class facility, including a dog park, were drawn up for the Lagunitas area, Roberts said, which councilmembers expressed interest in.

The council elected to move the issue to the public facilities and site acquisitions committee, which will look at possible solutions for an off-leash dog park mov-

ing forward.

City Manager Dave Durflinger said the committee has a range of options, which could include recommending the extension of the pilot program and working with C-DOG to find another fence.

For now, the entire park remains closed to the public, likely through March, due field renovations.

“All of you have valid points,” Councilmember Roy Lee told the public. “It’s difficult. Our youth comes first. So hopefully I trust the committee to do the rest.”

This item will come back to the council.

CITY OF CARPINTERIA 5775 CARPINTERIA AVENUE CARPINTERIA, CALIFORNIA 93013

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING OF THE CARPINTERIA CITY COUNCIL MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023 AT 5:30 p.m.

Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held before a regular meeting of the City Council on Monday, February 13, 2023 at 5:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber, City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria, California to consider adoption of an amendment to the Local Coastal Program, as further described:

Ordinance No. 760, Amending Title 14 (Zoning) of the Carpinteria Municipal Code by Adding Chapter 14.53 Regulating the Establishment of Formula Businesses within the City Limits and Adding the Definition of “Formula Business” to Chapter 14.08

Applicant: City of Carpinteria

Hearing on the request of the City of Carpinteria to consider adoption of Case No. 22-2151-LCPA, which proposes to amend the City’s Local Coastal Plan to reflect changes to the Carpinteria Municipal Code and the City’s zoning regulations to include regulations regarding establishment of formula businesses within the City. Changes to the Carpinteria Municipal Code include (1) the addition of Chapter 14.53 containing regulations restricting the establishment of new formula businesses within the City limits, with the exception of the parcels fronting the portion of Casitas Pass Road from Carpinteria Avenue to Highway 101, including the entirety of Casitas Plaza Shopping Center and the Shepard Place Shops, and (2) the addition of the definition of “formula business” to Chapter 14.08. The City also proposes to find that approval of Ordinance No. 760 is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to sections 15060(c)(2), 15060(c)(3), and 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines.

The City Council agenda and associated staff report will be available on Thursday, February 9, 2023 on the City’s Website here: https://carpinteriaca. gov/city-hall/agendas-meetings/. Details and procedures on how to provide public comment are available on the posted agenda at https://carpinteriaca. gov/city-hall/agendas-meetings/. All interested persons are invited to attend, participate and be heard.

Note: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact City Clerk by email brianb@carpinteriaca.gov or by phone at 755-4403, or the California Relay Service at (866) 735-2929. Notification two business days prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements for accessibility to this meeting.

Brian C. Barrett, CMC, CPMC, City Clerk

KARLSSON

The El Carro off-leash dog park pilot program found itself under fire at Monday’s council meeting, as Carpinterians fought over the program’s future.

“The pilot program basically failed because of all the conflicts and complaints.”

–Mayor Al Clark

Bike Path remains closed, Carpinteria continues recovery processes

Commenters argue against beach “dumping” at Monday meeting

BY EVELYN SPENCE

The Carpinteria Creek Bike Path will remain closed for the immediate future due to debris and structural damage, city staff told the council Monday.

“There’s some parts of the bike path that has been structurally undermined,” Public Works Director John Ilasin told the council Monday, stating he doesn’t know the full extent of the damage at this moment.

Removing the debris could take five working days, Ilasin said. He added, however, that fixing any structural damage is a significant project, and could take much longer.

“I don’t have a schedule for that. Right now, we need to get the (debris) out of the bike path,” he said.

City staff will put up water walls at the entrance to the trails “for more of a deterrent,” according to Ilasin.

The city also needs an emergency permit to get into Carpinteria Creek and clean out the debris, as there is still

a “significant amount of debris” in the area,” Ilasin said. He is in the process of preparing those permits for the Army Corps Office in Ventura; the Army Corps Office needs to approve those permits, so the city’s federal aid funding isn’t jeopardized.

Debris around the Carpinteria Avenue bridge also needs to be removed. Ilasin said that could take between two and three working days, with a tentative start date of Feb. 13.

“We’re looking at a couple of months (of work),” he added. “This type of work, especially emergency repair, is (harder) to pin down than a regular construction project (…) We want to unclog those obstructions.”

The city is also working with the county to clear out the Arroyo Paredon, Santa Monica and Toro Canyon debris basins, moving rocks and sediment from those basins to the Carpinteria beach near Ash Avenue. Debris from the Gobernador debris basin may also be cleared out in

Two proclamations passed, Callender honored for 15 years of service

The council passed two proclamations at its Monday night meeting, the first naming February 2023 as Black History Month in Carpinteria.

The second honored John Callender, longtime Carpinteria Planning Commission member, for his 15 years of service on the Carpinteria Planning Commission. He will retire at the end of this month.

the future through Carpinteria.

“The county doesn’t anticipate any other debris basins (around the county) to be involved, other than those four,” Ilasin said.

The rock and sediment, city staff said, help with beach nourishment; if the debris basins were not in place, the debris would make its way down to the beach naturally, but the basins prevent significant flooding and damage to houses.

Ilasin clarified that only sediment and sand pulled out of those four debris basins are being moved to Carpinteria Beach, contrary to statements from the public that debris from other areas in the county are being moved to Carpinteria’s beaches.

But some commenters argued fiercely against the decision to put move rock and sediment onto the beach at all – one claimed that what was being “dumped” on the city beach was not, in fact, sand.

“These are all nice charts, but I disagree

with a lot of that,” Carpinterian Rick Olmstead said Monday during public comment, pushing back against city staff. “The coastline of California is 840 miles. (Our beach) is ¾ of a mile. Why are we a disposal site? (…) I don’t understand why we’re always the catch basin.”

Commenter Michelle Carla said the Carpinteria Beach has “never been the same” since the clearing out of nearby debris basins five years ago.

“For heaven’s sake, what on earth just happened?” she said Monday. “Suddenly we have another flood, and we’re calling this critical dumping of dirt and mud that doesn’t belong there (…) How does that make sense for our tourism? How does this make sense for our ecosystem?”

City staff clarified that all rock and sediment moved to the beach is tested. “(The sands are) sub one inch,” Ilasin said. “As far as rocks go, we’re looking at suitable rock material that’s 10 inches or less.”

In other city council news…

Emergency storm proclamation extended

The council extended the emergency proclamation related to the January 2023 storms for 30 days.

Questions, applications for city boards modified

The council modified questions for the city’s various boards and commissions, eliminating several similar questions and adding others. The council also went over assignments for city representatives, reassigning former Councilmember Gregg Carty’s previous positions.

Flag flown at half-staff

The city flew its flag at half-staff on Monday, in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the mass shooting at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park on Jan. 21, city staff said. Eleven people were killed and nine were injured during Lunar New Year celebrations.

In the final minutes of the Monday night meeting, city council members received news about a second mass shooting: Seven people were killed in Half Moon Bay Monday afternoon.

“Looks like it’s starting up again,” Councilmember Wade Nomura said bitterly.

KARLSSON

The Carpinteria Creek Bike Path, seen in early January, will remain closed for the immediate future.

DAVID DEMMOULPIED

On Monday, commenters at city council argued against the city moving sand and rocks from nearby debris basins onto Carpinteria’s beaches.

“This type of work, especially emergency repair, is (harder) to pin down than a regular construction project.”

–City Public Works Director John Ilasin

CITY OF CARPINTERIA

John Callender, right, retired from the Carpinteria Planning Commission after 15 years of service.

CA passed away peacefully on Jan. 12, 2023. Rich was born April 26, 1954 in the Bronx, NY to Dorothy (Desmond) and Lawrence Dunne. Rich grew up summering at the Jersey Shore and on City Island, where his love for the beach began. He went to St. Nicholas of Tolentine Grammar School until sixth grade, when he transferred to the Horace Mann School, graduating in 1972. Rich also attended Fordham University.

His talent for music came from his parents and he honed his skills on guitar with his older brother, Bob. As a teenager he started his first band, Sumus, with many of his neighborhood friends. Rich went on to continue his music career playing with Kenny Loggins, Meatloaf

and Michael McDonald. In the 1970s, he also became a regular on the “Soap Opera, Another World.” He also starred in “Getting My Act Together and Taking it on the Road” off Broadway, a touring production of “Godspell,” and “Equus” in Miami, FL.

Rich moved to Los Angeles in the 1980s, playing with a variety of bands, including The Drinks, a mostly classic rock cover band with whom he performed for 12 years. During his time in Los Angeles, Rich was fortunate enough to meet the love of his life, Linda Tandrow. They moved together to Carpinteria to enjoy life at the beach, something they both loved.

He is survived by his stepsisters Jean Shames and Lorraine Gearing; nieces Julia Dunne, Kate Salvi, Krissy (Danny) Alexander and Samantha Smith; honorary daughters Bridget and Jennifer Tandrow; sister-in-law Marti Dunne; cousin Patricia Ramisch; nephews Alex Shames and Ricky Salvi; and many close friends who became his extended family.

He is predeceased by his partner Linda Tandrow; father Lawrence Dunne; brother, Bob Dunne; mother Dorothy; stepfather Bill Dunn; aunt Lorraine (Carl) Ramisch; and cousin Carla Salvi.

Donations made be made in his honor to the American Diabetes Association or the Surf Rider Foundation. A celebration of life will be held at Island Brewing Co. on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 2 p.m.

Beatrice “Bea” Artellano Rosales, as she was affectionately known, was welcomed into the pearly gates on Jan. 21, 2023. She was greeted by her heavenly father and her true love, Martin.

Beatrice, 87, was born on June 7, 1935, in Santa Barbara to Margaret Ramirez, the eldest of seven siblings. She lived in Carpinteria most of her life and married her high school sweetheart, Martin Rosales, shortly after graduating from high school. Martin joined the navy and whisked them to Virginia, then to Los Angeles, before settling back into their hometown of Carpinteria. Martin and Bea were married 55 years before Martin took a step upstairs in 2008 and has been patiently waiting for her. Together, they had three beautiful

children: Carole, Lorraine (Michael) and Marty (Jen). Their family grew, adding eight grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren along the way.

Beatrice held a special place in many people’s hearts. Her career had her involved in different aspects within the community. She worked most of her life for the school district helping migrant families. In her spare time, Bea sold Avon. Bea was a phenomenal storyteller and loved a good punch line that usually ended with a little woodchuck chuckle. She was an avid cruise ship sailor who loved everything from the views to the entertainment.

Bea loved to dance and followed good music. Little Joe, with his Tex-Mex music, was one of her favorites. He came to Carpinteria on numerous occasions to honor Bea on her birthday. If Elvis were alive, she would have him play at her parties as well.

Although Beatrice will be sorely missed, her family truly believes that she is more alive than she was ever before. Until we meet again, please watch over us, save us a dance and know that we will see you again. We love you so much!

The Rosary/Vigil Service will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. and the funeral mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 10 a.m., both at St. Joseph Church, 1532 Linden Ave. The graveside service will follow immediately at Carpinteria Cemetery, 1501 Cravens Lane. A Celebration of Life will be announced. All are welcome. Arrangements are entrusted to Pueblo del Rey Funeral Services.

Kathy Ornelas

Bryan Ornelas #CA4068943 bornelas@alegacys.com

Richard “Rich” Kevin Dunne

Richard “Rich” Kevin Dunne of Carpinteria,

and is published every Thursday. Coastal View News has been adjudged a newspaper of general circulation by the Superior Court of Santa Barbara County, Case No. 210046. Coastal View News assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.

CARPINTERIA

Managing Editor Evelyn Spence

Assistant Editor Jun Starkey Sports Editor Ryan P. Cruz

Graphic Designer Kristyn Whittenton

Photographer Robin Karlsson Advertising Manager Karina Villarreal Publishers Gary L. Dobbins, Michael VanStry

Beatrice Arellano Rosales 06/07/1935 – 01/21/2023

Previously published obituaries may be read online at coastalview.com

Please speak up for seniors

As my “senior moments” come and go, there’s something I’d like the city to know. A senior center is needed in Carpinteria. Socialization with others helps keep us vibrant and sharp! Please let your voices be heard at the city’s annual work/plan meeting on Monday, Jan. 30 at 4 p.m.

Addressing concerns about Ash Avenue

I want to acknowledge the concerns I’ve received from residents regarding the sediment transfer from our flood control basins to Ash Avenue. Ash Avenue is in District 1, and as the representative for District 1, I want to better understand this process so I can respond to your concerns.

On Jan. 11, I toured the Santa Monica flood control basin, speaking with representatives from County Flood Control and Lash Construction. I learned that this crew includes workers from the 2018 mudslides. They explained how debris materials are now being separated, ensuring that cobble, gravel and sand are transported to Ash – with far less mud and dirt than was deposited in 2018. I learned how these foothill materials are caught in the basins, not mixed with oil, pesticides and chemicals present in stormwater runoff from city streets. These same natural materials can help rebuild the losses our beach sustained from decades of erosion. Beach erosion is all too familiar to us – I appreciated learning how this type of beach nourishment can help us fight back.

This is not to say that I don’t understand, or empathize, with the very real concerns accompanying this process. The trucks are noisy and disruptive. Although the beach is being repopulated with natural materials, the foothill rocks are often sharper than creek-smoothed cobbles. And it’s fair to ask why some debris is not shared with other county beaches. I believe some of these concerns can be addressed by the county seeking a permanent permit for this work, rather than relying on emergency permits that don’t include the oversight and planning that residents deserve.

CVN

LETTERS

We need an off-leash dog park

Carpinteria Dog Owners Group (C-DOG) would like to thank our many members and fans who showed up and gave support, submitted comments, or attended by Zoom to speak in favor of extending the Off-Leash pilot program at El Carro Park at the Jan. 23 Carpinteria City Council meeting (item 17). Despite overwhelming support (over 60 favorable comments and a dozen speakers compared to a handful against), Al Clark astonishingly decreed the pilot program “a complete failure.”

Others were more supportive, such as Wade Nomura for suggesting the city form a committee to evaluate options, Roy Lee for suggesting several alternative locations and Matt Roberts for his resourcefulness.

I am grateful that constituents are raising these critical concerns – like you, I am learning as much as I can about this process, so that we can move forward together.

Mónica Solórzano Carpinteria

Inconsistency from county planning director

CVN’s interview with County Planning Director Lisa Plowman (Vol. 29, No. 18) had good information in it about the County’s Housing Element Update. However, Director Plowman made two assertions that are not true.

Most strikingly, she stated the Bailard property across from Monte Vista Park is within the urban-rural boundary. That is completely false! On the County’s own interactive map (tinyurl.com/RHNAmap), you can select the layer titled “Urban Area” and see the Bailard property is not included. You can also select the layer titled “Rural Area” to turn on a dashed line showing the Bailard property is indeed in the Rural Area. It is incomprehensible the head of the County’s Planning and Development Department would make this false statement, especially in an interview where she was responding to public concern about proposed rezoning outside the urban-rural boundary.

Coastal View News welcomes your letters

Letters must include your name, address and phone number. Letters are subject to editing. Letters over 300 words will be edited in length. Submit online at coastalview.com

But her second untrue assertion is even worse. “The rents are ridiculously high. Home sale prices are ridiculously high. We need more housing to serve our community.”

In that statement she says building more housing will reduce local rents and home prices. This is a fantasy. We do indeed need adequate housing for people who work here. However, there are far more people who want to live in Carpinteria than we could ever accommodate with new housing, even if we replaced every avocado orchard with condos. That unmet demand from Ventura County commuters and others who want to move here ensures that more housing will not decrease housing prices. In a desirable coastal community like ours, we simply cannot build our way out of expensive housing. For more details, see my CVN column from last year titled “Can’t build our way out” (tinyurl.com/bigfallacy). Even more info in this column by Dr. Harvey Molotch: tinyurl.com/more-housing. Mike

El Carro is a high-density shared use field. Our tax dollars support it and we should all be able to use it respectfully in consideration of all needs, not just the needs of those few who live on the fence line. Over 40% of Carpinteria residents own dogs. Dogs need a place to play offleash and there is nowhere else in the city where it is allowed.

C-DOG was formally organized as a 501(c)(3) in 2018 as a result of decades of pleas by residents to have a park where dogs could play off-leash. C-DOG members have raised funds and purchased amenities at El Carro Park for the specific benefit of the off-leash area and have collectively devoted thousands of hours of volunteer time to educate and promote dog socialization and responsible ownership.

Wondolowski

Carpinteria

For the Record…

In short, C-DOG has been a reliable partner to the city and to the whole community, and we need your continued support. Please write to the city council, show up at future meetings, help raise the level of our voices so that we can achieve a common goal of creating a safe place to let our dogs just be dogs.

Lorraine McIntire Carpinteria

Amarisse Camargo (Vol. 29, No. 18) is a junior at Carpinteria High School.

The proposed Red Tail Multi-Family Housing Project (Vol. 29, No. 18) is outside the urban-rural boundary. In an interview with CVN last week, the county’s planning director misspoke when discussing the Red Tail Multi-Family Housing Project.

Get social with us!

“Beach erosion is all too familiar to us – I appreciated learning how this type of beach nourishment can help us fight back. This is not to say that I don’t understand, or empathize, with the very real concerns accompanying this process.”

–Councilmember Mónica Solórzano

Rosalyn Kohute Carpinteria

DIANA RIGBY CUSD SUPERINTENDENT

During the first semester of the 20222023 school year at Carpinteria Middle School, 66% of students earned a 3.0 or higher GPA with a school average GPA of 3.19. At Carpinteria High School, 67% of students earned a 3.0 or higher GPA with a school average GPA of 3.32.

Summerland Opening Ceremony scheduled for Jan. 28

The opening ceremony for Summerland Elementary School is planned for Saturday, Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. Please join us for a celebration and tour of our beautiful new school!

Appreciation

I would like to recognize our IT team, Aaron LaPlante and John McClure, for their outstanding professional work in resolving all network, internet and computer issues with speed and accuracy.

Professional Development

The Santa Barbara County Office of Education is providing professional development for the Carpinteria High School (CHS) math department and elementary teachers to strengthen the work of their professional learning communities to improve student learning. Professional learning communities collectively analyze student performance data to evaluate student learning and needs, and determine improvement in instructional strategies. Teachers talk about their instructional practices, share knowledge and observe one another for continuous adult learning and improvement.

School Accountability Report Cards (SARC)

Every school in California is required by state law to publish a School Accountability Report Card (SARC) by Feb. 1. The SARC contains information about the condition and performance of each California public school. Additionally, all local schools are required to prepare a Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) which describes how they intend

to meet annual school-specific goals for all students, with specific activities to address state and local priorities. Data reported in an LCAP is consistent with the SARC data.

The CUSD School Accountability Report Cards are posted on the district website at cusd.net.

2023-2024 State Budget Proposal

Governor Newsom released the State Budget proposal on Jan. 10. The revenue forecast has declined since the 2022 State Budget Act, with an estimated budget gap of $422.5 billion in 2023-24. The proposed budget includes Prop. 98 funding of $108.8 billion for 2023-24, which is $1.5 billion lower compared to the level when the 2022 Budget Act was enacted.

The proposed budget also includes: 8.13% cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) districts (CUSD is Basic Aid, not LCFF); $690 million to implement the second year of transitional kindergarten for students turning five years old between Sept. 2 and April 2; 8.13% COLA applied to special education, a delay of the 202324 planned Facilities Grant program for preschool, transitional kindergarten and kindergarten; $941 million to fund Prop. 28 Arts and Music in Schools; reduction in the Arts, Music and Instructional Materials Discretionary Block Grant; and $250 million one-time funding grant for literacy coaches and reading specialists. More detailed information is needed before we can determine the impact on CUSD.

Diana Rigby is the current superintendent of Carpinteria Unified School District. For more information about CUSD, log on to cusd.net, or contact Diana at drigby@cusd.net or (805) 684-4511x222.

Sixty-six percent of Carpinteria Middle School students earned a 3.0 or higher GPA with a school average GPA of 3.19.

CVN

Bringing high quality olive oil to Carpinteria

BOSSES

BY

BOSTROM

CVN INGRID

BOSTROM

Founders and co-owners of Amore Sabino, Giacomo and Jazmin Lampariello, share a passion for high quality olive oil. The two were inspired to import their own extra virgin olive oil brand after moving back to Carpinteria, and thus, Amore Sabino was born, now available in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara and Ventura. Dip into the following interview before you run out for freshly baked bread and their organic extra virgin olive oil.

CVN: Please share a brief background about how your business came to be.

CRUZ ON SPORTS

UNPREDICTABLE WILDERNESS

CHUCK

GRAHAM

RYAN P. CRUZ

Giacomo and Jazmin Lampariello: The story behind Amore Sabino started when we moved back to Carpinteria and noticed that we couldn’t find any organic fresh extra virgin olive oil. We’ve been enjoying it for years and thought, ‘What better treat to share with the community than this?’ We brought it up to our family in Italy and they also thought it’d be a great idea and slowly but surely, we began to import.

What is the story behind the name Amore Sabino?

Amore means Love, and Sabina is the name of the area where we produce the olive oil; therefore, we decided to name it after the love for the Sabina. This is an area 30 miles north-east of Rome. It covers most of the province of Rieti and it extends along the Tiber River. The logo is a Sabine woman; these women played an integral role in shaping the Sabina region, as well as the city of Rome. These women worked the land, planted crops and played a crucial part in society when the Romans required the men to leave to fight in the capital. These women have forever stood for endurance, courage, perseverance and honor, and without them we wouldn’t have the oil or area today.

Is there a distinct taste to your olive oil? How do you describe it?

The Sabine Hills produce some of the best extra virgin olive oil in Italy. Chronologically speaking, it’s the first Italian Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) oil to gain the certification from the European Community. The rocky limestone combined with the area’s climate creates the olive oil’s low acidity and characteristic peppery taste. Amore Sabino is made with a mix of three olives – the Leccino, the Carboncella and the Rosciola, all from our estate – giving it a smooth and buttery flavor at the front, with a peppery finish at the back of your throat that builds the more you taste. The best moment is when you get to taste the fresh olive oil on some warm home-made bread.

Where can we purchase your olive oil locally? What is your website?

Our product can be purchased on our website – amoresabino.com – or at the following stores: The Good Plow (Carpinteria), Santa Barbara Hives (Carpinteria and Santa Barbara), Porch (Summerland), Montecito Mercantile and Montecito

Grocery Store (Montecito), Folly Home (Santa Barbara) and Peirano’s and Findings Market (Ventura).

We also participate in markets throughout the year all of which we post on Instagram – follow us.

What are your favorite Carpinteria eateries?

My to-go place is Clementine’s Steak House. Not joking, we go at least once a month if not more. Just feels like home. The people are amazing and food – chef’s kiss!

Ingrid Bostrom is a photographer, drawn to open space and stories told in each new face. Send ideas of impactful Carpinterian bosses to ingrid@ingridbostromphotography.com

RIGHT, Amore Sabino is available for purchase at several stores across the county, including at The Good Plow.

TOP, Jazmin and Giacomo Lampariello are the owners of Amore Sabino, an extra virgin olive oil brand. Giacomo and Jazmin Lampariello told CVN they were inspired to bring Amore Sabino to Carpinteria after they moved back to the area.

Celebrating the Queen of the Coast

Artist Bill Robbins picks out his name tag.

Kathy Dubock serves up signature cocktails, “Rincon on the Rocks.”

Matt Moore donated and served a few beers.

Sam Jabbari votes for the People’s Choice Award.

PHOTOS BY ROBIN KARLSSON

The Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center honored Rincon Point, the aptly nicknamed Queen of the Coast, at a reception held over the weekend in the Koch Courtyard ahead of the upcoming famous Rincon Classic surfing contest. The Wrinkled Teenagers pumped up the crowd as visitors browsed the newly-opened Rincon exhibit, taking in the photographs and paintings honoring the coast. Arts Center Director Kristina Calkins told CVN the center has sold a record 22 art pieces over the past two weeks, with almost $8,000 in sales. The exhibit, featuring all things Rincon, will run through Feb. 26. The arts center is located at 865 Linden Ave. See more at carpinteriaartscenter.org.

The Wrinkled Teenagers – from left, Mike Clark with the bongos, Pam Simone on the guitar, Sandy Morrison on the drums, Danny Aaberg on bass and special guest Matt Moore on guitar – jam out at the Rincon exhibit reception.

Birgitte Ibsen

Joanna Norstedt

Susie Clothier and Carol Kernaham

CLUB SCENE

Girls Inc. launches second gymnastics session

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria kicked off its second round of gymnastics sections in early 2023, with 32 girls enrolled in the 10-week program. The club is also accepting applications for its upcoming $250 gymnastics session, set to begin on March 23, which is open to students from transitional kindergarten to fifth grade.

The classes focus on internal skills, coach Kendall Clark said in a press release, as well as foundational skills, such as completing a successful cartwheel, handstand and backspring.

Clark said past students displayed an “increased level of mind-body connection, rotation discipline and self-confidence… Many of the students could not do a cartwheel when we started and almost all of them have either mastered their cartwheel or have improved immensely.”

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria is accepting applications for both Girls Inc. members and non-members. A mandatory orientation for parents will be held at the Girls Inc. campus on Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. on Foothill Road. For more information, parents and guardians may email kendall@girlsinc-carp.org or call (805) 684-6364.

Muller is newest Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning member

The Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning welcomed new member Barbara Muller, wife of the late Dr. Robert Muller, the former United Nations Assistant Secretary General, at its Jan. 18 meeting.

Muller is chair of the 2022-23 Rotary Action Group for Peace, president of United Nations Southern California Division, founder and host for Peacepodcast.org and publisher of the Peace Community Magazine. She is also the author of “Revolutionary Conversations: The Tools You Need for the Success You Want.”

Lions Club welcomes newest member

The Lions Club of Carpinteria welcomed its newest member, Eric Rosenberg, at a recent meeting; Rosenberg is the first new member to join in 2023. Rosenberg told the group that he knew he was meant to join the club after he learned his grandfather had been a Lion in Long Beach back in the ‘50s.

Last year, Muller awarded the 2022 UNA Santa Barbara Peace Prize to ShelterBox, and through this, met current Rotary member Art Fisher. Muller told the club she continues the peace work of her late husband, and she has won awards such as the Visioneers Lifetime Achievement Award, the Spirit of the UN award and the Awakening Peace Award.

What’s new at the harbor seal rookery?

45

When Onshore

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) 684-2247. The rookery is located immediately east of Casitas Pier, between the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve and the Carpinteria State Beach.

Natural history notes

No pups have been observed. Typically, surviving pups are born in February. Visitors enjoyed watching dolphins several times.

About 1,432 visitors were recorded. These included officers from California Fish and Wildlife monitoring people exploring the tide pools and checking out the harbor seal population. Thanks to Chevron for providing new safety rope. School groups and a campground group arranged visits with Seal Watch docents. Seal Watch greeted people from the United Kingdom, Sweden, Canada, Utah, Idaho, Massachusetts, Ohio, New York, Alaska, New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and Washington.

Two dogs came into the overlook area and flushed about six seals. High tides resulted in four shift counts of no seals, as no beach was available.

Seal Watch volunteers began shifts on Jan. 1 at the overlook daily and at the beach ends during low tides. Please consider honoring the Marine Mammal Protection Act and not walking the seal 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 ask that dogs always remain outside the rope area.

The Lions Club of Carpinteria’s newest member Eric Rosenberg, center, was welcomed by the Chairman Harry Van Wingerden, left, and Mike Dawson, right.

Student artwork on display at Arts Center

Students from Carpinteria Middle School currently have their artwork on display at the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center in the Robinson Family Studio. Students, ranging in ages from 11 to 14, created color theory portraits, charcoal and watercolor animal drawings and collage silhouette portraits under the instruction of the middle school’s art teacher, Ryan Ethington. The gallery’s reception is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 28, from 2–3 p.m.

The Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center is located at 865 Linden Ave.

Local artist shows work at IBC

Carpinteria artist Peter Andrews showed off a new series of paintings at the Island Brewing Company on Tuesday, Jan. 24, which will remain on display through March.

Andrews has a lengthy history in the arts, spanning over 30 years. Andrews has participated in over 60 exhibits throughout Southern California, including juried and one man shows. He has also used poetry, written word, jewelry and assemblage to convey his art.

Andrews returned to painting during the Covid-19 pandemic, creating over 20 works throughout the last year and a half. Andrews is a member of the Santa Barbara Visual Artists Association, the Westlake Village Artist Guild and a participating gallery member of the La Cumbre Center for the Creative Arts.

The Island Brewing Company is located at 5049 Sixth St.

Lum Art, local organizations help keep Santa Barbara museum open

Lum Art Magazine, alongside the Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation and other community members, have collaborated to reopen the Museum of Contemporary Art of Santa Barbara (MCASB). The MCASB announced that it would be closing in July 2022, and officially closed its doors in August, but earlier this month, Lum Art Magazine and other organizations joined forces to bring the museum back to life.

The groups held a community event on Sunday, Jan. 22 to celebrate the museum’s return, which included a video installation by artist Cameron Patricia Downey, neon artist David Horvitz and Šmuwič-Chumash filmmaker Spenser Jaimes.

The MCASB is located at 653 Paseo Nuevo, Santa Barbara, in the upstairs arts terrace.

Carpinteria Middle School art instructor Ryan Ethington stands among his students’ artwork.

“Sleeping Giant at Twilight” by Carpinteria artist Peter Andrews is now on display at the Island Brewing Company.

1125 hrs / Incident / 5700 block Via Real

A traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle for equipment violations. During the investigation, it was discovered the driver had an outstanding felony warrant for their arrest. The driver was arrested and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail.

1413 hrs / Narcotics / Casitas Pass Road

A traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle for having expired registration. During the investigation, the passenger admitted to being a methamphetamine user and stated there was a used methamphetamine pipe in the vehicle. They were cited for the violation.

1837 hrs / Incident / Carpinteria Coast

Deputies were dispatched to a beached vessel off Padaro Lane. The Coast Guard was notified, and the owner was located. The owner advised he could not afford to have the boat removed at the time and he was currently out of the area. Deputies attempted to locate the vessel, however due to the nighttime hour and the high tide, the vessel could not be located.

Tuesday, Jan. 17

2233 hrs / Incident / Holly Avenue

An unknown suspect smashed two driver side mirrors to the victim’s vehicles causing approximately $1,000 in total damages. The suspect in the incident has not been identified.

Wednesday, Jan. 18

1534 hrs / Incident / 5300 block

Carpinteria Avenue

Unknown suspects entered a home

and stole a large amount of cash. The reporting party obtained video footage from the landlord, but no suspects were seen. The unknown suspect(s) have not been arrested.

Thursday, Jan. 19

0548 hrs / Narcotics / Santa Ynez Avenue

Deputies responded to a report of two subjects smoking narcotics inside a parked vehicle. Deputies made contact with the subjects, a man and a woman. Drug paraphernalia was in plain view while they were seated inside the vehicle. A records check was conducted, and dispatch advised deputies that the woman had various outstanding warrants. The woman was arrested for her warrants and drug violations, and the man was also arrested and booked.

2152 hrs / Incident / 5600 block Carpinteria

Avenue

A 35-year-old female was at a local motel when she started to experience shortness of breath. She was able to call 911 for help. Once the medics arrived on scene, she collapsed and could not be revived. Her death was pronounced at 2210 hours. The female is from out of state and next of kin notification is pending.

Friday, Jan. 20

1750 hrs / Incident / 5000 block

Carpinteria Avenue

Deputies responded to patrons fighting at a local restaurant. Dispatch notified deputies two males had not paid their bill and were fighting in the rear parking lot. Deputies contacted the two subjects, who were both shirtless, involved in a verbal argument and appeared to have been physically fighting. Both subjects were arrested and booked.

1945 hrs

block Carpinteria Avenue

1157 hrs / Incident / 5500

Thursday, March 14

/

Incident / 4500 block Carpinteria Avenue

The reporting party came to the station to report a theft, stating she believes her son took various items from her home after he was asked to leave due to a fake rental agreement. She didn’t see her son leave the home with the items but believes he may have taken them.

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

Deputies responded to an hotel for a subject that had not paid their outstanding bill with the hotel. The subject had an outstanding bill of approximately $2,400 and had no way of paying. The hotel desired prosecution, so the subject was placed under arrest for defrauding an Innkeeper and transported to Santa Barbara County Jail.

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.

Saturday, March 16

Monday, March 18

Women of Inspiration foothill

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

Arturo Tello art show, friends of the library used Bookstore, 5103 Carpinteria Ave., 566-0033

“SPACE” exhibit, 855 At the Arts Gallery, 855 linden Ave., 684-7789 Carpinteria Plein Air Painters art show, lucky llama, 5100 Carpinteria Ave., 684-8811

CVN

SNAPSHOTS

Beach moments

Rainbow over Carpinteria

Repairing Carpinteria

After the rough January storms – which brought along some high king tides – Carpinteria saw a low tide this past weekend, erasing the branches brought up to the shoreline by the storm.

Several lobster traps were found along the Carpinteria shoreline and in its waterways, brought up by the strong waves, where they were observed by curious onlookers.

Rainbows broke out over the county and its surrounding areas early last week following the rain. CVN contributing photographer David deMoulpied caught one behind two palm trees, as the rainy weather slowly retreated from Carpinteria.

CVN contributing photographer David deMoulpied spotted a fellow photographer taking some snaps of the post-storm lull in Carpinteria, observing the now-quiet waves.

The county and the city of Carpinteria continued clearing out its debris basins last week, moving some rocks and sediment that had piled up in the Arroyo Paredon, Santa Monica, Gobernador and Toro Canyon debris basins to Carpinteria Beach at Ash Avenue.

DAVID DEMOULPIED

Carpinteria Creek saw some damage after the early January storms; emergency repairs were ordered for the creek bed starting Jan. 15, when approximately 10,000 cubic yards of 2’-4’ diameter rock were placed across 250 feet of the creek bank to help prevent further erosion. The emergency work was completed last week, as Carpinterians continued to explore the aftermath of the storm.

DAVID DEMOULPIED

DAVID DEMOULPIED

DAVID DEMOULPIED

DAVID DEMOULPIED

KARLSSON

ANDY PATRICK

DAVID DEMOULPIED

An unfortunate reality

enough sightings and photographs of individual whales, identification becomes more streamlined.

Amiga was first sighted on Aug. 4, 2018. She was born in 2017, and she’s been documented 35 times. Before we were graced with her presence, her last documentation was Oct. 24, 2022. When we saw her, it was Nov. 23, 2022.

UNPREDICTABLE WILDERNESS

It probably didn’t have a chance anyway, but I was more than willing to give it a go.

A young sperm whale’s tail was bound tightly in fishing line. It was exhausted and struggling. At roughly 15 feet long, it was also without its mother. Life was cruel to this incredible marine mammal.

I came upon it in late Summer 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, while leading a kayak tour northwest of Prisoners Harbor, on Santa Cruz Island. Some of the folks on my trip thought it to be a humpback whale, but something was different about this young whale.

Sperm whales are the largest toothed whales in the world, and their spouts sag off to the left. This gives them an odd look, especially when exhaling. I could also tell this sperm whale was laboring. Mostly it rested at the surface or just beneath it, but its badly tangled tail sagged below.

Sometimes life isn’t fair

It was a balmy day off the northside of the largest, most biodiverse isle off the California Coast. Water visibility was excellent that day, and while paddling up alongside that tuckered-out sperm whale, I could easily see all the monofilament fishing line wrapped around its tail. I was also looking into the eye of the sperm whale. I was hoping it would trust me.

After watching it struggle to exhale, I took off my personal flotation device (pfd), pulled out my knife and slid out of my kayak into the 65-degree water. I was able grab the line twice and tried cutting it off, but the sperm whale kicked with its tail, moving a short distance away from me each time.

Even if I had been successful removing the line, this young sperm whale desperately needed its mother and the rest of its pod for survival. The next day a whale disentanglement team attempted to rescue the beleaguered marine mammal, but they didn’t have any luck either. Such is the life of whales these days. Some species were hunted to extinction for their oil. Others like humpback whales have steadily recovered, their populations on the upswing. However, being the most animated of the whales, means there’s going to be more possibilities with ship strikes and entanglement. Unfortunately, that’s the way of things on the open ocean.

Amiga – CRC-18116

Recently, my girlfriend Holly and I caught a whale watching boat out of Monterey Bay the day before Thanksgiving. On the southerly fringe of the bay several miles offshore, we came across a playful humpback whale, our first large cetacean of the four-hour trip.

Our first good look at this active humpback was a full breach with half a twist. She is known as Amiga or CRC18116. She’s a well-known baleen whale on happywhale.com, a website devoted to the documentation of whales with a good portion of its content relying on citizen science. People submit their photos to Happy Whale and those images are gleaned by experts for unique markings in the tail flukes of humpbacks. With

As the five-year-old humpback spouted and frolicked in Monterey Bay, she gently rolled in a raft of giant bladder kelp. We also noticed she possessed some unusual etchings and scarring on her tail fluke. Amiga was gratefully a survivor of entanglement, fishing line wreaking havoc on marine mammals around the globe.

On the left side of her tail fluke were circular-shaped cuts out of her tail fluke and scarring from entanglement wrapping around the base of her tail. There’s no telling how she disentangled herself, but watching her play in the floating kelp raft, it was easy to see why humpback whales become entangled.

For roughly 20 minutes we watched Amiga entertaining the passengers of the boat we were on and several other whale watching vessels in the vicinity. It was evident how much she enjoyed a teeming Monterey Bay, those deep underwater trenches and canyons providing pelagic sustenance for the largest creatures on the planet.

Adventure and travel writer Chuck Graham lives in Carpinteria and contributes his writing and photography to publications far and wide. For more wildlife photos, visit chuckgrahamphoto.com or follow Graham on Instagram at @chuckgrahamphoto.

Amiga the humpback whale shows off her tail fluke, revealing the effects of entanglement.

The author spotted an entangled sperm whale in Summer 2020.

CHUCK GRAHAM

The young sperm whale’s tail was bound in fishing line, the author said.

Carpinteria wins the week on hardwood

Boys and girls Warriors basketball squads pick up back-to-back league wins

BY RYAN P. CRUZ • PHOTOS BY ROSANA SWING

Heading into the final stretch of their regular seasons, Carpinteria boys and girls basketball had perhaps their best combined week yet, with both teams winning back-to-back Citrus Coast League games for the first time this season.

For the girls team, the two wins out of three games in the past week were a much-needed boost to keep the Warriors’ playoff hopes alive. When the week started out with a tough 54-36 loss at home against Channel Islands, the Warriors fell to 2-4 in league play.

Carpinteria coach Henry Gonzales blamed himself for the loss, but said afterwards, “Though we did not play our best game, I know and believe our team will bounce back with Warrior Spirit.”

Two days later, Carpinteria did just that. On the road at Hueneme, the Warriors were firing on all cylinders, led by the trio of junior Amarisse Camargo, freshman Jamaica Cook and freshman Charlotte Cooney.

After taking the first quarter, 17-7, the Warriors ramped up on defense and held Hueneme to only one point in the period, heading into halftime with a 32-8 lead. Carpinteria continued to dominate in the second half, holding on for a 53-27 win.

Camargo had the best overall game with 17 points and eight rebounds; Cook was a force on the boards, grabbing 13 rebounds and contributing six

points and Cooney was explosive on offense, with a game-high 18 points in the win.

On Monday, Carpinteria hit the road to face Malibu, a team that had lost only one game up to that point in the season and was ranked third in Division 5A. Heading into the game, coach Gonzales said the plan was to slow down and frustrate the high-scoring Sharks by playing a full-court defense and double-teaming Malibu’s 6-foot-3 center, Catherine McDonough, in the paint.

The Warriors executed the plan to perfection, holding Malibu’s top-scoring duo of guards below their season averages and grabbing rebounds on both sides of the floor.

On offense, Scarlet Torres fired off three three-pointers in the first quarter, and the Warriors were able to hold on to a 21-20 lead at halftime. In the second half, Carpinteria turned up the pressure and kept the Sharks at bay, holding Malibu to just seven points in both the third and fourth quarters and taking the 40-34 victory.

“Jamaica Cook was a monster on the boards,” Gonzales said, leading the team with 18 rebounds along with seven points. Camargo contributed 12 points, 11 rebounds and a game-high seven steals.

“We had many valuable contributions from everyone on the team,” Gonzales said. “I was very happy with our approach and willingness to compete for a

full 32 minutes.”

With the back-to-back wins, Carpinteria is now 10-10 overall and 4-4 in league play, with a big matchup against the first-place team in the league, Santa Paula, on Thursday.

In Warriors boys basketball action, the team lit up the home crowd when Carpinteria recovered from a 19-point deficit to rally back and defeat Channel Islands, 52-49.

Sophomore Sawyer Kelly led the team with 19 points and tough defense for all four quarters, while senior Kainoa Glasgow finished with 13 points and sophomore Sebastian Campuzano contributed 11.

Two days later, Carpinteria headed to Hueneme for a league matchup, and built off their previous win with a solid 56-50 victory. It was the second time this year Carpinteria defeated Hueneme.

Glasgow led the team with 17 points, sophomore Carlo Suarez contributed 12, and Campuzano and senior Rodolfo Jimenez both scored eight points each.

After the back-to-back league wins, the Warriors dropped a non-league game against crosstown rival Cate in the “Battle of the 192.” Carpinteria junior Mario Serrano led the team with 14 points, but Cate took the win, 61-55.

Carpinteria is now 5-17 overall and 3-6 in the Citrus Coast League, with three more league games left, starting with Santa Paula on Friday.

Carlo Suarez (21) hops past two defenders towards the basket.

Scarlet Torres (25) fires off a shot against Channel Islands.

Mario Serrano lets off a three; Rodolfo Jimenez (11) knows it’s good.

Junior Amarisse Camargo (32) brings the ball up the court.

SHORT STOPS

BY RYAN P. CRUZ

In the second game, six Warriors finished with two goals (Piccoletti, Delgado, Taylor Classen, Allison Banks, Francis Bennett and Malaya Morente) and three more scored at least one goal (Isaac, Nemetz and Ximena Briceno).

Starting goalie Erin Otsuki and backup Camilla Martinez split time in both games, with Otsuki recording 11 blocks and Martinez blocking nine.

Carpinteria is now 12-6 overall, and perfect in the Citrus Coast League at 4-0, heading into a tough league matchup this week at home against Nordhoff.

Carpinteria

boys soccer

drops three in a row

After picking up a league win over Malibu in the previous week, Carpinteria boys soccer struggled to get going this past week with three straight Citrus Coast League losses in a row.

On the road at Channel Islands, the Warriors fell behind 1-0 after a penalty in the first half, but Carpinteria responded with a game-tying goal in the 60th minute off a free kick from Ulises Segura. Unfortunately, Channel Islands would break the tie with a goal in the 70th minute to take the win 2-1.

“We played well, and I was proud of the boys for the way they played and fought the whole game,” said Carpinteria coach Gerry Rodriguez. “Sadly, we didn’t get the result we wanted.”

The Warriors’ struggles continued in back-to-back matches against Hueneme, starting with a home game on Friday, Jan. 20.

Hueneme scored the first goal in the 13th minute, then continued to pour on the goals, scoring three more unanswered and taking the 4-0 win.

On Monday, the teams met again – this time at Hueneme – to play a game that was rescheduled due to the recent storms. In their second matchup in three days, Hueneme took control again, scoring twice in the first half and taking a 2-0 lead into halftime. The Warriors responded with a Segura goal in the 62nd minute, but it would prove too little too late when Hueneme scored a third goal to seal the game 3-1.

Carpinteria is now 3-8, and 2-7 in the Citrus Coast League, heading into a Friday night league rivalry at home against Santa Paula on Jan. 27.

Tough stretch for Carpinteria girls soccer

Carpinteria girls soccer was riding a two-game Citrus Coast League winning streak heading into last week but hit a tough stretch with three straight losses against Channel Islands and Hueneme.

Carpinteria scored first in the home game against Channel Islands when midfielder Sophia Mora crossed a free kick into the box and forward Isela Zamora finished with a header into the net for a 1-0 lead. But it would be the only goal for the Warriors; Channel Islands tied the game in the 38th minute and scored again in the 55th minute to take the 2-1 win.

Then Carpinteria faced Hueneme in back-to-back games, starting with a Friday night road game on the Vikings’ home turf.

Hueneme took control with three goals in the first half, including a penalty kick that was blocked by Carpinteria goalie Natalie Gonzalez before it was rebounded by a Vikings player for the goal. The Warriors defense tightened up in the second half, but Hueneme would break through for a final goal in the 70th minute for a 4-0 win.

In the rematch three days later, both teams were scoreless for a majority of the game, but Hueneme broke the tie late off a corner kick in the 77th minute to take the 1-0 win.

Despite the loss, Carpinteria coach Freddy Martinez said he was proud of the Warriors’ effort, especially that of freshman defender Vivian Huskins, who he said “played smart and physically” to shut down one of Hueneme’s top offensive players.

“I really loved how this young team responded and elevated their game today,” he said. “We had freshmen and sophomores who played with the passion and confidence of a senior on the pitch.”

Cate Rams Roundup

Cate boys basketball is on a roll, with back-to-back wins over rivals Thacher (6253) and Carpinteria (61-55).

The win at Thacher was a return to full force for Cate star Babacar Pouye, who finished with a game-high 27 points – including 14 points in the fourth quarter and a monster slam dunk to seal the game with 20 seconds left.

Against crosstown rival Carpinteria, it was all Cate in the first half, and the Rams built a 19-point lead in the third quarter before the hot-shooting Warriors closed the gap. Cate held on to the lead to seal the game 61-55.

Warriors water polo wins both in doubleheader

Carpinteria girls water polo is in prime position for the postseason, and the Warriors continued their Citrus Coast League domination with backto-back league wins in a doubleheader against Channel Islands at Hueneme High School. Due to a freeway closure during the recent rainstorms, the teams were forced to reschedule and play two games in one day, which was no problem for the Warriors – the team took both games, 7-2 and 15-3.

Carpinteria coach Jon Otsuki used the doubleheader as a chance to give the younger players on the roster some in-game experience, and at least nine different Warriors scored in the two matches.

In game one, star sophomore Giulia Piccoletti led the team with four goals – including three in the fourth quarter – while Kate Isaac, Monica Delgado and Lilli Nemetz each scored one in the 7-2 victory.

Pouye led the Rams with 18 points; Jacob Gabbay scored 14 and added seven assists; and Tyler Martinez finished with 13, including two three-pointers.

In Cate boys soccer action, the Rams hosted Bishop Diego at Santa Barbara City College (game was moved due to field conditions). Cate jumped to a 3-1 lead by the end of the first half. Bishop Diego then fought back to come within one goal, but Cate was able to hold on for a 4-3 final score.

Jay Montoya (8) looks to get open in the Warriors’ loss to Hueneme.

Ricardo Rodriguez gets airborne for the ball against Hueneme.

Ashley Verduzco (10) weaves between defenders.

Watching sports together

CVN

UNPREDICTABLE WILDERNESS BOSSES BY BOSTROM

CRUZ ON SPORTS

RYAN P. CRUZ

This is my favorite time of the year – sports wise – as the college basketball season ramps up. Teams are deep in their conference seasons, playing rivalry games and jockeying for a spot in the holiest of championship (in my mind at least) tournaments that exists: the NCAA National Championship, or as its better known, March Madness.

You see, I’ve always loved watching sports, especially basketball, for as long as I can remember. Besides the soothing sounds of basketball shoes squeak-squeaking across the hardwood, whistles blowing, nets swishing, backboards clanking and cheers from the crowd, there is something deeply comforting about watching the game itself; it’s always ten players flowing back and forth for 40 minutes, where you always know what’s happening (get the ball in the hoop) but never know what’s happening next.

In fact, you could say I’ve been watching college hoops since before I can remember – it’s in my blood, passed down from my mother, Claudia.

I was born early in the morning on St. Patrick’s Day, the opening day of the annual tournament, and as my mom tells it, she spent that day in the hospital bed watching basketball with me bundled up in a mess of blankets in her arms.

My mom was an athlete long before I came into this world. In the early ‘80s, she was captain on the Santa Barbara High School Basketball team, with a sweet jump shot that is still deadly accurate to this day (there is debate in my family over who exactly is the best shooter in the

“Excuse me, what are you doing?” my mother asked.

When the nurse explained that she thought my mom would rather watch something else (maybe a soap opera perhaps?) my mom fired back: “No. I’m watching the game with my son.”

And that’s how it’s been ever since. On Saturdays in the fall, we watched football. Notre Dame, to be specific. On Thanksgiving and Christmas, after the family was full of food, my mom would round up the cousins and head to the park for a game of pickup. Whenever there was a big game on TV, we watched together.

I know now that she struggled, as a single mother of two, trying to make it work without her children noticing any problems. It’s true, I didn’t realize what we didn’t have. I didn’t know that we were without. I was wrapped up in being a kid, being happy with what we did have and playing and watching sports. Baseball season, football season, basketball season and then back around again. Looking back, it wasn’t even the sports themselves that I loved so much. I got to spend time with my mother, and I will always cherish that.

Earlier this month, my mom called me up on a Sunday morning. It was 10 o’clock on New Year’s Day, and I was still in my pajamas, lounging and checking the day’s slate of games. “The Rams are playing the Chargers in LA,” she said, which I already knew because I had just set my TV to record the game.

“Do you want to go?”

Of course, I went. It was our first time at a professional game together – there was no way we could afford an unplanned trip to an NFL game growing up – and

The author’s mother Claudia Renteria, right, was on the Santa Barbara High School basketball team in the 1980s.

the trip with just me and my mom was a reminder of how lucky I was to have a cool mom, a sports mom, in my life.

daytrip on the train to see the sights. Now, we have a growing list of sports meccas we hope to see together in person. The top of my list: the NCAA Final Four. Mom, do you want to go?

Ryan P. Cruz is the sports editor for Coastal View News. This is the second installment of a monthly column where he will explore local sports, sports history, and what’s in store for the future of Carpinteria sports. Have an idea, tip, or sports story? Email him at sports@costalview.com.

CVN

ON DECK

Thursday, January 26

Carpinteria Girls Water Polo at Hueneme, 4:45 p.m.

Carpinteria Girls Basketball at Santa Paula, 7 p.m.

Friday, January 27

*Carpinteria Boys Soccer vs Santa Paula, 6 p.m.

Carpinteria Girls Soccer at Santa Paula 6 p.m.

Carpinteria Boys Basketball at Santa Paula, 7 p.m.

Saturday, January 28

*Carpinteria Girls Basketball vs Hueneme, 5:30 p.m.

*Denotes

The author, right, with his mother, Claudia Renteria.

family, but I dare anybody to challenge my mom at Super Shot at the arcade).

Although I was her second child, my older sister never really took to sports, and my mom saw in me a chance to share her love of sports. There in the hospital bed, she was enjoying the moment, watching the first-round tournament action on the small television in the corner of the room with her newborn son. There were 16 games on the slate that day, but she remembers watching my favorite team, the North Carolina Tar Heels (who were favorites that year) when a nurse, thinking she was helping my mother, came into the room and began changing the channel.

On the way there and back, we talked. About growing up, about playing little league, about my cousins who were once toddlers now making their way through high school and college sports. About how my mom started a career long ago, not knowing what would come of it, and how now she is proud to be able to take us to do the things she always wanted to do when we were younger, like an impromptu trip to an NFL game, or a

The 1969 floods

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DEBBIE BEACH

Early January 2023 brought harsh weather and flooding to Carpinteria, calling to mind, for some, memories of the January 1969 floods. In 1969, the creeks overtopped the Highway 101 bridges and spilled along the highway, flooding Carpinteria neighborhoods along Franklin Creek.

The headline of the Jan. 26, 1969 edition of the Santa Barbara News Press read “Wettest January since 1916 Douses Santa Barbara County.” The article noted than more than 1,000 fled their homes in Carpinteria, as “three raging creeks (roiling) up and out of their banks left only three parts of Carpinteria relatively flood-free.”

After the recent January storms that pounded the area, local Debbie Beach uncovered some photos of the 1969 flood and shared them with CVN. Her grandparents, the Robles family, lived in Carpinteria, she said, and saved pictures from the flood.

(805) 684-4428

IN CARPINTERIA THIS WEEK

JAN 26FEB 1

OCT. 6 -12

THURSDAY, JAN 26

CARPINTERIA COMMUNITY LIBRARY: INTERNET SAFETY FOR ADULTS

The Carpinteria Community Library will host a workshop titled “How to Keep Your Information to Yourself: Internet Safety for Adults,” which will include the latest and simplest ways to guard online information, manage and protect passwords and learn about online scamming. Those interested are advised to register. 5141 Carpinteria Ave. Thursday, Jan. 26. 1–2:30 p.m. FREE

SATURDAY, JAN 28

CARPINTERIA CITY HALL: ABOP DISPOSAL PROGRAM

The ABOP Program will accept recycling materials on Saturday, including batteries, oil filters, up to six fluorescent lightbulb tubes, up to three small household electronics and mercury thermostats. They also accept antifreeze, paint and used motor oil, with a limit of 5 gallons max per visit. Those who participate are asked to remain in their vehicles, bring only accepted items and keep the items separated in the trunk for staff to access. 5775 Carpinteria Ave. Saturday, Jan. 28. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

LYNDA FAIRLY CARPINTERIA ARTS CENTER: LUNAR NEW YEAR

The Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center and Artsesanía Para la Familia will host a Lunar New Year celebration at the arts center on Saturday, Jan. 28, to honor the cultural arts and traditions of Lunar New Year. The event will include crafts, entertainment by Ojai O’Daiko and refreshments provided by Uncle Chen Restaurant. 865 Linden Ave. Saturday, Jan. 28. 12–2 p.m. FREE

SUNDAY, JAN 29

THE ALCAZAR THEATRE: “CRAZY RICH ASIANS”

The Alcazar Theatre will have a matinee screening of the film “Crazy Rich Asians” on Sunday, Jan. 29. The film is rated PG13, and tickets will be $10 for admission. 4916 Carpinteria Ave. Sunday, Jan. 29. 3–5 p.m. $10 tickets

ONGOING EVENTS

MONDAYS

Preschool Story Time Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave., carpinterialibrary.org. Mondays, 10–10:30 a.m.

Mah Jongg Madness Silver Sands Mobile Home Park, 349 Ash Ave. Contact Roz at (805) 729-1310 for more details. Mondays, 1–4 p.m.

Mind Games Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. carpinterialibrary.org. Mondays, 2:30–3:30 p.m.

TUESDAYS

Carpinteria Improv The Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave. $10 at the door. Tuesdays, 7–9 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3

Family Friday Night Movie

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? 35th Anniversary 7pm • Adult $10, Child $5

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4 & SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5

OPEN AUDITIONS

S.H.E. - 4 one act plays Women Making Change 3 - 5 pm

Several Female Roles Ages 20- 70 Contact Asa Olsson at orsaasa@gmail.com or 805-901-3554

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4

Movie

Nominated for 11 Academy Awards Everything Everywhere All at Once 7pm • $10

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 Improv Show 7pm • $12

ONGOING EVENTS

Carpinteria Writers’ Group Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. carpinterialibrary.org. Tuesdays, 10 a.m. – noon

Spanish Conversation Group. Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. carpinterialibrary.org. Tuesdays, 1–2 p.m.

WEDNESDAYS

Knitting Group. Veterans’ Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. Call (805) 8864382 for more information. Wednesdays, 1–3 p.m.

Good News Club Meeting Canalino Elementary School Library, 1480 Linden Ave. Permission slips available at cefsantabarbara.org/locations/. Wednesdays, 1–2:30 p.m.

THURSDAYS

Carpinteria Community Library chess club For school-aged players and beginners. carpinterialibrary.org. Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. Thursdays, 3–4 p.m.

FRIDAYS

Peace Vigil on the corner of Linden and Carpinteria Avenues. No fees or requirements. Signs welcome. Fridays, 5–6 p.m.

SATURDAYS

Docent Tours of the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park. Meet on the corner of Sandyland and Ash avenues. Call (805) 886-4382 for more information. Saturdays, 10 a.m.

County closes two Covid-19 testing sites in Goleta, Santa Maria

Santa Barbara County will permanently close two Covid-19 testing sites in Goleta and Santa Maria on Feb. 2.

Appointments are required to get a test at the remaining sites. Alternate sites are open at: Santa Barbara: Testing Trailer at 267 Camino del Remedio, Santa Barbara; Lompoc: Health Care Center at 301 North R St., Lompoc; and Santa Maria Health Care Center at 2115 Centerpointe Pkwy, Santa Maria.

Feinstein introduces bill to permanently ban west coast offshore drilling

California State Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representative Jared Huffman introduced a bill this week to permanently ban oil and gas drilling off of Washington, Oregon and California, known as the West Coast Ocean Protection Act. The legislation is co-sponsored more than three dozen senators and representatives.

“The era of offshore oil and gas production in the Pacific is coming to a close,” Senator Feinstein said in a press release Tuesday. “We’re in the midst of a historic transition to cleaner energy sources, including offshore wind. Offshore drilling and the risks it poses to the environment and our robust ocean and coastal economies are not part of that clean-energy future. It’s time to permanently ban new drilling leases in federal waters off the West Coast.”

After the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California prohibited all new offshore oil drilling in state waters. Offshore drilling along the Pacific Coast in federal waters has been banned since 1984. In 2018, the Trump administration launched a five-year offshore plan to open up the west coast to drilling; the proposal was blocked, but a press release from Feinstein and Huffman said, “the threat of drilling will remain until a permanent ban is enacted.”

Representative Huffman added that offshore drilling has unacceptable risks, and said it is time to ban offshore drilling.

“The world is transitioning to a green, clean energy future – and it is past time that we ban new offshore drilling and shift our investments to safe, renewable energy sources. Californians have experienced first-hand the environmental disasters caused by oil spills, and we are ready to put an end to that risk once and for all by permanently protecting our coasts,” Huffman said.

Carpinteria business wins Green Business of the Year

Carpinteria business BEGA North America is the winner of the Green Business of the Year, the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce announced last week. BEGA, a lighting manufacturer, invested more than $4 million into solar energy production to power its Carpinteria campus, the chamber said in a press release.

“The solar energy project included 2,008 fully recyclable solar panels capable of generating an estimated annual production of 1,274,317 kWh of electricity. Complimented by two Tesla megapack battery storage systems, BEGA’s facility now has the potential to produce more energy than it consumes, remain fully functional in the event of major power outages and easily navigate seasonal marine layers often experienced in the City of Carpinteria,” the press release stated.

Don Kinderdick, President of BEGA North America, said the business is committed to operating responsibly.

“At BEGA, the pursuit of world-class extends well beyond product design and manufacturing excellence. We are committed to living responsibly, understand success is not just reflected in the profit and loss statement and fundamentally believe in our ability to do good by being good,” he said. “This project is just one part of our ongoing efforts to pursue environmental sustainability, zero landfill waste management, carbon neutral manufacturing and energy independence.”

The chamber covers Goleta to Carpinteria; winners of the awards will be presented on Thursday, Feb. 2, at the Chamber’s annual meeting and awards luncheon. The luncheon will take place at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

OFFERED AT $475,000

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view of the Salt Marsh Nature Preserve from the guest bedrooms. An attached one car garage with laundry area. Assigned exterior parking and direct beach access across the salt marsh. A short stroll will take you to charming downtown Carpinteria with unique shops, restaurants and more.

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LOVELY TWO BEDROOM, TWO BATH HOME LOCATED IN SANDPIPER VILLAGE... A beautifully maintained family community. The entry deck opens to the spacious open floor plan with living room, dining area, kitchen, and breakfast area. All extensively updated. Beautiful laminate flooring throughout. There is a garden area on one side and fenced yard with an open patio in back. Park amenities include: Pool, tennis courts, dog park, playground, clubhouse, gym, and more. Home is located on Sunset Drive which is the last street on the north side of the park.