Coastal View News • March 2, 2023

A group of kids took advantage of the flooding of Linden Field to “surf” across the field with their boogie boards, enjoying the post-rain weather. Judah Smith, center, sails on his board, pulled by Asher Smith, right, as their brother Canon Smith, back, and their friends cheer them on.

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The petition to stop county from moving rock and sediment from the Carpinteria Valley debris basins onto the Carpinteria Beach hit 1,000 signatures this week.

Anti-dumping project petition hits 1,000 signatures

A petition asking Santa Barbara County and Supervisor Das Williams to stop moving sand and sediment from Carpinteria Valley debris basins onto the Carpinteria Beach hit 1,000 signatures this week.

The petition was launched by Carpinteria resident Michelle Carlen in mid-February. Carlen told CVN earlier this month she is concerned with unsafe material being transported to the beach, and that is “disruptive” to have dump trucks moving through the area. City staff said all sediment and debris on the beach are tested.

The operation, which moves sediment and small rock from Carpinteria’s debris basins to the Carpinteria beach at Ash Avenue under emergency permits, was set to end March 3. The timeline has been delayed due to last weekend’s rough storm.

Planning Commission, ARB meetings canceled

No new Covid-19 deaths reported

Santa Barbara County has seen nearly 112,000 reported Covid-19 cases as of last week, with a weekly average of 6 cases per 100,000 residents. The weekly average of PCR-confirmed cases – cases identified using PCR tests, not at-home rapid tests – decreased last week.

Covid-19 community levels remain low, but the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reminded residents that cases confirmed with at-home rapid tests are often not reported. It is recommended that everyone six months and older receive an updated, bivalent booster; see more at vaccines.gov.

Upcoming Carpinteria Architectural Review Board (ARB) and the Carpinteria Planning Commission meetings are canceled. The next ARB meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 16; the next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 3.

Seniors Inc. to hear from arts center

Seniors Inc. will hear from Kristina Calkins, executive director of the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, on Friday, March 3 at the Carpinteria Community Church. She will discuss senior programming and a small art project planned for local seniors. All seniors over 55 are welcome; for any questions, contact (805) 220-6845. The Carpinteria Community Church is located at 1111 Vallecito Rd.

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Women Making Change announces second year of programming

With the arrival of Women’s History Month on Wednesday, local group Women Making Change Committee announced several events scheduled for the coming weeks. Women Making Change was formed in March 2022.

Throughout March 2023, the committee and the Alcazar Theatre will highlight female musicians, artists and comedians, showcase women-focused documentaries and films and host local business and organizations. The month kicks off with an event scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Corktree Cellars on Friday, March 3; comedian Cat Alvarado will follow with a performance on Saturday, March 4, and a Songwriter Soiree on March 5.

“Female leaders have shaped Carpinteria from its beginning, and their legacy continues to influence our community. Today we see confident, talented women leading Carpinteria toward an exciting future. ‘Women Making Change’ applauds women on the local, regional and international stage who have made change and are making change,” said Beth Cox, Chair of the Women Making Change Committee.

See the full schedule of March events at thealcazar.org.

Nomuras, TV Santa Barbara win Best Magazine Show

TV Santa Barbara, Debbie and Wade Nomura, Tina Love and Erik Davis won a first-place award for their magazine show “Carpinteria Living” at last week’s Alliance for Community Media West Region’s annual conference and trade show. “Carpinteria Living,” which airs on Channels 17 and 71, highlights the Carpinteria Valley’s restaurants, stores, local attractions and residents.

TV Santa Barbara hosted the annual conference and WAVE Awards show, which saw attendees from California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Nevada. Across the 17 award categories, TV Santa Barbara took home six awards.

“We were very excited to participate in this important conference, which supports diverse community voices, through Public, Educational and Government Access channels and other forms of media,” said Davis, executive director of TV Santa Barbara. “The event showcased the important work that media access centers provide communities lucky enough to have them.”

See more at tvsb.tv.

COURTESY PHOTO

From left, TV Santa Barbara Executive Director Erik Davis and editor Tina Love show off their award for the show “Carpinteria Living.”

County’s proposed rezonings are inappropriate for Carpinteria, council argues

Housing letter from council, staff requests changes to County Housing Element

BY EVELYN SPENCE

In a letter sent to the county planning department Tuesday, the Carpinteria City Council requested the county leave two agriculture parcels in the Carpinteria Valley alone, arguing rezoning and building high-density housing on those lots would be inappropriate for the area.

The county is looking to rezone three properties just outside of the urban-rural boundary, which separates residential and agricultural properties: the Van Wingerden 1, Van Wingerden 2 and Bailard Avenue parcels. Because the properties are just outside of city limits, control of the properties fall to the county, not the city.

The letter, crafted by city staff and submitted to the council for approval at its Monday night meeting, urges the county to not rezone the Van Wingerden 1 and Bailard Avenue parcels. The properties, the letter argues, would not meet state regulations for converting to high density-use, and would unfairly impact Carpinteria with high-density housing.

“Wise planning practices call for higher residential densities to occur within or immediately adjacent to the urban core. City and County land use policies and the Coastal Act support these practices,” the letter states.

Rezoning the Van Wingerden 1 and Bailard Avenue properties “contradict” this principle – the properties are located at the very edge of the city and outside of the urban-rural boundary, “at significant distance from the urban core, with no immediate access to pedestrian, bicycle and public transit routes, and not within reasonable walking distance to grocery shopping and other necessities and conveniences of daily living,” the letter argues.

The letter also asks the county to prioritize producing rental housing units over ownership units; provide a “significantly greater” number of lower income rent restrict units than required by law; prohibit vacation rentals in new Carpinteria multi-family residential housing units; introduce rent stabilization on multifamily rental units; implement no-cause eviction prohibition regulations; and establish a vacancy tax on second homes.

Councilmembers also requested housing priorities for service agriculture workers be added to that list.

While the Van Wingerden 1 property

County staff is looking to rezone three sites in the Carpinteria Valley, including

Wingerden 2 and the Bailard Avenue parcels, seen in green and

currently has no proposed developer, a proposed development for the Bailard Avenue property – known as the Red Tail Housing Project – is currently undergoing conceptual review at the county level. The proposal has faced severe Carpinterian backlash, in part due to its high density, but also because of its sole ingress and egress: a strip of land at the end of Bailard Avenue.

In the draft letter, city staff initially suggested that the county look at two other parcels in the Carpinteria Valley, known as the Kono properties, to compromise with the county. The Kono properties had initially been considered but were dismissed due to the Highway 101 widening.

“We’ve been put in this position because the state’s (housing) process has been pushed down to a local level,” City Manager Dave Durflinger said. “Work has to be done to try and harmonize… these competition interests.”

“In the long run, (suggesting other properties) gives us some level of control that we might not have otherwise,” he later added.

But councilmembers strongly disagreed with offering the Kono properties, concerned the county would then rezone additional parcels beyond those proposed. “I think collaboration with the county is one way,” Clark argued. “We’ve bent over backwards trying to collaborate

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with the county… I do believe they’ll go, ‘Hey, thanks for giving us Kono – by the way, we’re taking Red Tail too.’”

Councilmembers Mónica Solórzano, Natalia Alarcon and Roy Lee agreed. “I just think that the county won’t listen,” Lee said. “I think the county won’t care.”

Public commenters sided with the council.

“I don’t think the county is listening,” commenter Gail Marshall said. “Once you breach the urban limit line, it’s breached

for all other reasons that come next.”

Commenter Mike Wondolowski, speaking on behalf of the Carpinteria Valley Association, said it is “unacceptable to expand the boundary solely because it’s inconvenient.”

‘That’s the point of the boundary. It’s doing its job. Don’t just change it,” Wondolowski argued Monday.

The council voted 4-0, with Councilmember Nomura absent, to send the letter with requested changes.

Debris basin removal timeline pushed back

While the Santa Barbara County Flood Control Operation was set to finish removing debris from Carpinteria Valley Debris basins by March 3, that deadline is now pushed back due to the past weekend’s storm.

ation and Facilities Department, said the project is “not that far away from completion.”

Roberts again confirmed that all sediment and debris on the beach are tested for contaminants.

“The watershed from where the sediment comes from is considered fairly pristine,” he explained. “It’s fairly sorted and fairly cleaned.”

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Over the past month, sediment from the basins has been moved to the Carpinteria Beach at Ash Avenue, leading to resident complaints over the trucks and concerns with materials on the beach.

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Workers could not finish removing debris from the basins due to the late February storm; it is unknown at this time exactly when the debris removal will be complete, although Matt Roberts, director of the city’s Parks, Recre-

He explained that much of the early debris from the early January storms did wash away around Feb. 23, but that the latest storm brought back wood debris along the coast. The city will have to remove that wood from the beach in the near future, which will involve trucks coming in the area, Roberts said.

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the Van Wingerden 1, Van

purple.

KARLSSON

The debris basin removal operation was pushed back due to the late February storm; the city will also have to physically remove new wooden debris from the beach.

Girls Inc. to offer limited senior programs

Beginning March 14, Girls Inc. of Carpinteria will offer limited senior programming every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to noon, City Assistant City Manager Michael Ramirez told the council Monday.

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria Director Jamie Collins, part of the Seniors Ad-Hoc Committee working group, offered the location so Carpinteria seniors can socialize immediately, while the city works on permanent senior programming and a possible senior center. The organization will have coffee and snacks and offer discussions on what an active adult center could look like.

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria is located at 5315 Foothill Rd.

Proclamations: Women’s History Month, California Arbor Day

The council approved two March proclamations on Monday. The first designated March 2023 as Women’s History Month in Carpinteria, and the second designated Sunday, March 12, 2023 as California Arbor Day.

Beth Cox, from the Women Making

Change Committee, spoke on behalf of the group. City Public Works Director John Ilasin spoke on the arbor day item, thanking the council for its support of arbor day. He said the city’s public works department will plan a ceremonial tree on arbor day, in collaboration with Girls Inc.

Hansen celebrates 100th birthday

The council and members of the public celebrated Carpinterian Phyllis Hansen on her 100th birthday, which fell on Monday. Hansen was born in Nebraska on Feb. 27, 1923, and moved to Carpinteria when she was in high school, she told the council on Monday, escorted by her daughter.

“I’ve been in Carpinteria since I came from Nebraska,” she said. “I went to school here, and then I was Tyson Willson’s secretary until I retired. Carpinteria has been a wonderful place to live, and I thank everybody for being so nice to me.”

Councilmember Al Clark asked if she had any tips for how to live to 100 years old – “live it all like you know you’re going to live to 100,” she joked.

City employees honored with special commendations

City Aquatics Superintendent Amber Workman honored two Carpinteria employees with special commendations at Monday night’s council meeting: Ron Mousouris and Vic Anderson.

Mousouris, who has run tennis clinics within the city since 2016, was honored for his dedication and service to the community. Workman said he teaches low- and no-cost lessons and thanked him for his love of the sport and dedication.

“I sort of feel like we are all given some sort of gift when we are born,” Mousouris said Monday. “I learned that my gift really was working with kids like this” – gesturing to one of his students – “sharing our passion for the game.”

“Thank you for entrusting me with these courts,” he added.

Anderson was chosen as Person of the Year by the City Aquatics Department. He has been working with the city of Carpinteria since the pool opened in 1989 in several capacities. “We’re lucky to have him,” Workman said, describing him as a “very pleasant person to be around.”

Anderson thanked the council for the recognition. “Thank you for much and

hopefully with all that good talk, you’re all interested in going swimming very soon,” he said.

KARLSSON

Phyllis Hansen celebrated her 100th birthday with the county on Monday.

KARLSSON

The county designated March 2023 as Women’s History Month, alongside local group Women Making Change. Councilmembers and group members gathered to celebrate including, from left, Tina Fanucchi-Frontado, Kristina Calkins, Roy Lee, Aja Forner, Beth Cox, Monica Solorzano, Kim Gutierrrez, Al Clark, Bunni Lesh, Connie Geston, Natalia Alarcon, Marybeth Carty, Terri Simber, Wade Nomura and Karen Graf.

Vic Anderson, center, was chosen as Person of the Year by the City Aquatics Department.

Ron Mousouris was honored for the City Aquatics Department for his contributions to Carpinteria.

KARLSSON

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County Planning reviews Bailard Avenue multi-unit housing project

Carpinterians say project is too large, urban for the residential area

BY JUN STARKEY

The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission conducted a conceptual review of the Bailard Avenue multi-family housing project proposed by Red Tail LLC. last week, allowing the applicant and dozens of public commenters to weigh in on the proposed high-density housing project.

The project – also known as the Bailard Avenue housing project – has been highly contested since it was proposed more than two years ago, with many Carpinteria residents feeling the 173-unit complex is too large and urban for the area.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty with what this project is, and (could) be,” Third District Commissioner John Parke said.

The complex would include seven buildings, with 41 affordable units and 132 market-rate units, 276 on-site parking spaces, a playground, dog park, community garden, pool, outdoor cooking area and community center.

Other residents brought up issues with the tax on local infrastructure, the lack of control Carpinteria will have over the project despite its proximity – the property falls just outside of the city’s boundaries, meaning the county has control over the project – and concerns with the sole entrance and exit point.

“At this current time, we would not be in support of this project,” City Councilmember Wade Nomura said, later stating there are other properties in Carpinteria that could potentially be better suited for the housing project.

Commissioners heard from the applicant and more than 20 public commenters at the Feb. 22 meeting, including local Carpinteria leaders who expressed concern over the viability of the project and its potential impact on the city.

“We want to be engaged, we want you at the table,” said project applicant Brent Little during his response later in the meeting. “Our goal is to embrace a collaborative effort on this.”

The process of a conceptual review involves commissioners hearing from the applicant and public, asking questions and providing input on a project, including potential issues with the project or issues with the surrounding neighborhood and community. The commission does not issue a consensus opinion or make a motion once the review is complete.

“This is really not a place for us to deliberate, try to hammer out compromises and ideas and make motions… That’s not our role today,” Parke said.

Regarding the concerns with the access point, Anthony Tomasello with RRM De-

sign – speaking for the applicant – said the only legal access point to the site is the 25.5 foot-wide access point near the corner of Bailard Avenue and Pandanus Street. Pandanus Street is privately owned, Tomasello said, and the city owns the adjacent park, making them not public right of ways.

Tomasello also said the group has pro-

posed two roundabout options at the top of Bailard Avenue to improve the entryway, but without the city’s cooperation, there are “limited viable access points.”

A traffic study is currently underway, he said, which will also be included in the project’s environmental impact review.

Little also responded to concerns over the access point later in the meeting, regarding fire and safety issues. “We know we need to have two access points, and we will have two access points,” he said.

Some members of the public spoke in support of the project, citing a dire need of housing throughout the county, and the impacts the lack of housing has on local institutions.

“We need housing without further

delay,” said Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) Board of Trustee member Johnathan Abboud, explaining that SBCC has lost employees, faculty and students due to the exorbitant housing prices.

“We have such a lack of supply that even lower quality apartments… are priced as luxury apartments,” he said. Though no official conclusion was reached as part of the conceptual review, commissioners thanked the applicant for the work in addressing concerns and encouraged Carpinterians to take up the offer of collaboration.

“Obviously ther e’s questions that remain and there’s answers to be had,” said Fifth District Commissioner Vincent Martinez. “I think this is a great opportunity… with both sides coming together and finding common solutions.”

The planning commission will not hear the project again until the full application process has been completed. The developers must complete the application process, and the project must receive an environmental impact report and design review, resolve outstanding issues and be reviewed by other local agencies.

“At this current time, we would not be in support of this project.”

–City Councilmember Wade Nomura

COURTESY PHOTO

County Planning Commission reviewed the conceptual design for the proposed 173-unit housing project on Bailard Avenue last week.

Parklets important to downtown’s survival

So dismayed to read the letter to the editor regarding the parklets (CVN Vol. 29, No. 23), notably the title describing them as “an eyesore.” The fact that our wonderful town council allowed all businesses a glimpse of survival by suggesting and temporarily allowing parklets was not only a stroke of genius but a reflection of how our council people care deeply about the businesses that keep this city alive. Here are some rebuttals to the misinformation.

Parklets “cobbled from materials,” and “owners who believe we should adopt them unquestionably”– Remember that these structures were put up during a time when there was almost zero income for nearly a year for most restaurants, materials were difficult if not impossible to come by and even now replacement parts (such as tarps) are hard to find. We have personalities, just like our city, and being held to codes and standards has always been a given.

What is best for the city are thriving businesses that employ our locals and draw people to our city. Closed businesses and empty buildings are much worse for Carpinteria than your “eyesore.”

No parklet in any way shape or form obscures our bike paths. The bike paths are clearly marked and not one parklet forces bikers off of the path. This is just a non-fact.

We business owners simply ask to have a say in how we represent ourselves and our hard work by staying alive in this economy, adhering to codes and safety issues and staying within financially viable parameters.

Your opinion is yours to have, but when you make an opinion public that drastically affects people’s lives, please be wary. Someone’s business and ability to remain open seems more important than what you think is an eyesore.

Taylor Stanley Carpinteria

Week after week, drug related crimes

Reading through the “Commander’s Recap” in the CVN (that’s the report from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s office for the Carpinteria area), I am stunned by the incredible amount of meth and other drug related arrests week after week. Every recap features mostly meth and other drug related arrests and citations. What is going on here? Are we in the midst of a meth epidemic or is this just normal for a community our size? It seems like every other vehicle pulled over is packed with meth addicts and their paraphernalia. Most are simply cited and let go. Are there no consequences?

I suppose the jails would be overflowing if all were to be incarcerated. It must be frustrating for police officers to arrest these people only to see them go out the other door. Are these people just paying their citations and continuing their drug

filled lives? Are the same people being arrested repeatedly? Now I am very concerned about just driving into town. You wonder if the guy ahead or behind you are meth addled drivers.

Another thing you read about is the unbelievable stupidity of those arrested. They like to drive down Linden Avenue at night with no headlights on or no license plates. I don’t know about you, but I am fed up with this senseless system of catch and release. Something needs to be done and we all need to talk to those in charge about common sense solutions to this “epidemic.” I am very sympathetic to those addicted to drugs as they are people and must be treated as such. But the current laws are not working and there must be a better way to treat those addicted and to protect all of us from harm.

Bob Franco Carpinteria

Protect Carpinteria from urbanization

As a small California coastal beach town, Carpinteria is an endangered species. And it is being threatened by the County of Santa Barbara, the very entity that used to fiercely protect it from urbanization.

But last week, at the Feb. 22 County Planning Commission hearing on the Red Tail proposal (for the county land at the end of Bailard Avenue) the residents of our small town showed that they are willing to defend it, sending in close to 150 letters, zooming in to make comments, showing up and making their voices heard.

This was a conceptual review allowing the planning commission to consider presentations by the developer and the public and then provide their initial comments on the proposal. Also, a staff report was presented outlining the laws to be followed for the project to move forward.

The proposed development is 173 apartments, 41 of which would be in a separate block with 1 on-site manager, an estimated 20 homeless apartments and 20 low-income apartments all managed by the Housing Authority. The other 132 apartments would be market-rate, owned and managed by Red Tail. Market-rate in Carpinteria on Dwellics.com is $3,035 for a one bedroom and $3,444 for a two bedroom. This is simply not the affordable housing development that Carpinteria needs or wants.

A drive down the coast shows what happens when small coastal beach towns are urbanized, their borders violated, paved and taller buildings erected.

It’s up to us to see that our small California coastal beach town is permanently removed from endangered species list.

Thank you to all who have acted to make your concerns known. The Carpinteria Valley Association has established a Facebook page where you can sign up for information, updates and actions you can take at tinyurl.com/carp-news.

Susie Anderson Carpinteria

Patricia Ann Stephens

Lauer Guzik

09/09/1946 – 02/22/2023

From a chance meeting on The Palm’s dance floor, to the halls of Ventura Community Memorial Hospital, to sitting in nursing school, to the compound next to Red Barn Liquor or being served a drink at the Holiday Inn bar, if you knew her, you were impacted.

From the womb, Pat shared her heart and soul with her brother Michael Stephens, allowing her brother to go first in birth. It was always in the stars that she would enter the world with a heart filled with a giving nature.

Growing up in Ohio with her parents, Jerry Stephens (Ol’ Jer) and Mary Brady, her two sisters Margaret and DeeDee, and twin brother Mike, Pat was a carefree, good Catholic girl (wink), walking miles in snow to and from school. In 1959, the family moved to Lompoc, CA, and then, in 1962, moved to Goleta when Pat was just 14, where she and her siblings attended Bishop Diego High School.

Pat attended Santa Barbara City College. Not too long after beginning college, she met “car-guy” and dragster driving Edwin Lauer, and the Lauer History began. Aaron, her first born, was her pride and joy. Justin came a few years later and was a bundle of love. Her brother had purchased a home in Carpinteria, and Ed and Patricia followed just around the corner on Azalea Drive.

Their home was that home where the door was always open to everyone and all-inclusive to many neighbor kids, even to a plethora of all animals – the neighborhood would never forget “Cheese” and “Quackers,” ducks, aka Local Pest Control. Countless people tell tales of their time and impact at The Lauer House, with many calling it their second home and Pat their second mom. Two boys would have life transformation from that open door: Michael and Grant Cox. A summer stay turned into a lifetime of adoption of love, support and family.

Pat and Ed began Carpinteria Wholesale Floral Company in the 80s and the boys all worked from early ages in the family business. In her spare time (wink) Pat was avid about giving back to her community. We all know she loved the stage, any stage, and was a huge part of the thespian community in Carpinteria. She and many other Den Mothers were

the power behind the funding and building of Carpinteria Troop 50 Log Scout House, a beloved place to gather and host for events therein.

Pat and Ed parted ways in marriage, however their everlasting love remained for each other and the entire family. Pat moved to Ventura after the family home on Azalea was sold. After attending Bartending School, her infamous job as a bartender at The Holiday Inn was how she put herself through nursing school – and you knew what nights Pat worked, because it was packed! In 2004 she graduated from Ventura College with a degree in nursing, and, to this day, people still talk of her speech and her “Bare Ass” presentation.

A whole new world, a whole new life, never stopped her from continuing to give to her family and friends. She fell so hard into her career and was so befitting and incredible at it. Because of her presence throughout the halls and walls of CMH and Same-Day Surgery, the hospital was fortunate to receive a major infusion of love and affection for their patients and staff members.

One fateful night in 2002, at the Holiday Inn Bar, Pat found her true love in Jimmie Guzik. Jim and Pat were married and moved into the befitting Sunnyway Drive in Ventura in 2008. Their home became the “compound” for so many family and friend gatherings of “September Birthday Bashes” and holidays filled with so much love, laughter and craziness. Just off the Avenue, Pat would be found feeding and blanketing many of whom her family would refer to as the “Ole Mosey Grubstakes” that slept on the sidewalk, under the eaves of Red Barn Liquor. “Saint Pat,” who never judged, and only gave, had an incredible gift of making anyone she met feel like they mattered and were cared for.

If you were fortunate enough to meet and or even be in a hallway, room or dance floor with Pat Stephens Lauer Guzik, you were deeply impacted in laughter, love and an aura of familial acceptance and circle of giving that seemed never-ending and was always just what you needed.

Pat is survived by her husband, Jimmie Guzik; her brother and sister Michael Stephens (Susie Stephens) and Maureen Stephens Carlson; her sons Aaron Lauer (Susie Lauer), Michael Lauer (Denette Lauer), Grant Cox (Beth Cox), Justin Lauer (and Pat-anointed Zakia Abedin); stepchildren Belinda Lee and Shawn Panduren; grandchildren Tyler Lauer, Tyler Schwartz, Mia Cox, Isabella and Isaac Lauer, Carter Cox and Sophia Lauer; nieces and nephews Adam Simmons (Linda Borgatta), Deborah Schroder (Cole Schroder, Connor and Carly Schroder), Eric Simmons, Michael Nightingale (Melissa, Maddie, Michael), Jessica Kwiatkowski (Ryan, Brandon, Maxton), Matthew Stephens and David Stephens.

A celebration of life will be held on March 19, 2023 at 1 p.m. at The Lions Club, 6197 Casitas Pass Road, Carpinteria, CA, 93013. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to ALS in honor and memory of Patricia Lauer Guzik.

“...when you make an opinion public that drastically affects people’s lives, please be wary. Someone’s business and ability to remain open seems more important than what you think is an eyesore.”

– Taylor Stanley

Building housing creates demand for more housing

OF THE LAND

We all know it is incredibly expensive to buy or rent housing in Carpinteria or anywhere nearby. People often settle for a home that is smaller than they would like or not located where they prefer. However, as you explore the price range of different housing options, you find even the lowest-cost housing available is simply out of reach for a large part of the population. Many local workers end up with longer and longer commutes from someplace else to get to their jobs.

Often it is asserted that since housing is expensive, we need to build more to bring prices down for everyone. However, this does not work.

There is far more unmet demand from people who want to live here than there could possibly be housing built here to satisfy that demand. That means that building more will not bring down prices. Over the past few years, the city of Santa Barbara discovered this fact through its AUD (Average Unit Size Density) housing program. That program was highly successful in getting new rental units constructed. However, the rents for those units are what the market will bear (which is a lot!) and have done nothing to reduce housing costs in the area.

Well, at least there is now more housing, and it didn’t make the situation worse, right?

Wrong.

To understand why, let’s consider a couple hypothetical situations here in Carpinteria. First, consider a fancy new mansion built in the foothills above town. A family with a couple children moves in. This place has a half-time groundskeeper, a nanny for the kids after school, housekeeping a couple days a week, a pool cleaner and a cook that comes in every Friday to make a nice dinner. The kids’ school has teachers and staff. The home’s utilities and services (police, fire, water, sewer, gas, electricity, telephone, cable, mail delivery and trash collection) are handled by local workers for the various governmental agencies and companies that provide these services. The family often eats at local restaurants, usually buys

their groceries here, fills their cars with gas here, and so on. The fact the house was built resulted in a good amount of additional work (jobs) for various service providers. The family doesn’t have any full-time employees, but if you add up all the services they use, it could be two to three or more full-time equivalent workers.

The vast majority of the jobs created are lower-wage or moderate-wage jobs, with very few being higher-wage.

Now consider a family living in a new one-bedroom unit in a subsidized apartment complex. There are some jobs for the administration of the entire facility and maintenance of the buildings and grounds. The family occasionally eats

at local restaurants and buys groceries and gas locally. They also have utility hookups like the foothill mansion. But overall, they spend much less for services than their uphill neighbors. Adding up all workers’ time for the services for the family in this unit, it is likely to be less than one-half a full-time equivalent worker.

The sum of services for a housing type somewhere in the wide range between these two examples is between those two extremes. This tells us two things: All housing creates demand for service jobs which are primarily low and moderate-income; and high-priced housing (which in this area includes all “market-rate” housing) creates more of that demand.

This is exactly why we end up chasing our tail when we build new housing to try to meet housing demand – we don’t account for the new jobs demanded by the type of housing being built.

Related to its AUD program, Santa Barbara hired a consultant to study the connection between market-rate (highpriced) housing and the increased need for units affordable to those filling the new service jobs created. That study concluded that for each 100 new market-rate rental units, about 20 affordable units would be needed just to keep up, and that would do nothing about the existing shortage of affordable units! (For units sold as condos, that number increases to over 30.)

Yes, this is a complicated issue, which is why we haven’t solved this problem already. The best we can do now is make good decisions as we move forward. We must carefully consider the real effects of the housing we build and not just continue wrongly believing that building new market-rate housing will help our teachers, first responders, mail carriers and grocery clerks live locally.

Mike Wondolowski is president of the Carpinteria Valley Association (facebook. com/carpinteriavalleyassociation), a local organization dedicated to maintaining the small beach town nature of our community. In over 30 years of involvement in planning issues, he has witnessed visionary successes, as well as decisions that were later widely regretted. When not stuck indoors, he can often be found enjoying Carpinteria’s treasures including kayaking and snorkeling along the coast, running or hiking on the bluffs or the Franklin Trail, or “vacationing” as a tent camper at the State Beach.

MIKE WONDOLOWSKI

As you explore the price range of different housing options, you find even the lowest-cost housing available is simply out of reach for a large part of the population. Many local workers end up with longer and longer commutes from someplace else to get to their jobs.

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO

There is far more demand from people who want to live in the Santa Barbara area than there could possibly be housing built here to satisfy that demand, the author says.

Cathy Foss, Kim Ishida, Yvette Torres, Kathy Daly.

City, planning commission review new housing bills

BY ZOË COSGROVE

Last week, Carpinteria City Council and Planning Commission went over several housing bills with city staff, reviewing parking reform, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), streamlining approvals and more.

City attorneys Cody Sargeant and Mack Carlson went over the 16 new bills, separated within key areas of housing law. Carlson told the council and planning commission that none of the bills, at this point in time, have been tested and made it through court processes.

“There’s still a lot of uncertainty about how the implementation of these bills will evolve, and we’ll continue to monitor them and implement the legislation on a case-by-case basis,” Carlson said.

Streamlining Approvals and Incentivizing High-Density Development

The Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act, AB 2011, allows accelerated production of lower-income affordable housing and mixed-income housing on commercially zoned land. This is restricted to zones of office, retail or parking uses.

Developers must meet a lengthy list of criteria to qualify under AB 2011. Sargeant said each project must undergo an assessment to see if they meet requirements under AB 2011.

The next bill, SB 6, allows the residential use of commercially zoned properties without a rezoning, Carlson said. “It’s our job to review and confirm the developer’s plans meet the criteria as they assert,” he added.

AB 2234 requires the city to clarify local permitting procedures. Although the bill will go into effect in 2028, Carpinteria Community Development Director Steve Goggia said he wants to think ahead.

“Because it’s so far off, we do have to plan for it,” he said. “As we get closer, we will need to plan on having additional help to meet these deadlines.”

Under AB 2295, provided certain conditions are met, housing development projects are now permitted on property owned by a “local education agency,” such as school districts and county offices. This bill allows those entities to utilize surplus property while providing affordable housing for their employees.

AB 2668 deals with planning and zoning, clarifying SB 35, a 2018 law that introduced a streamlined review process for certain affordable housing projects, Sargeant said.

“The State Legislature has been in a very intentional process of passing laws to try to promote the production of housing in California cities, and it’s requiring a lot of work at the local level,” said Dave Durflinger, Carpinteria city manager. “There are a number of new laws that we need to work into our zone code.”

Goggia stressed the importance of understanding these four bills. “We have to look at the entire project to make sure we’re all in agreement about what the law would allow,” he said.

Extending State Density Bonus Law

AB 2334 “allows developers to increase density, access concessions to reduce development costs, waive development standards and reduce parking in exchange for providing affordable housing,” according to a presentation from city staff.

AB 682 defines a new category of “shared housing” projects eligible for a state density bonus. These projects must have five plus units and at least one common kitchen or dining area; residents must live in the units for more than 30

AB 2097, one of the new California housing laws discussed at last week’s special city meeting, prohibits the city from enforcing a minimum parking requirement on any developed project within a half mile of a major transit stop – in this case, Carpinteria’s Amtrak station.

The city must report the number of new units built, the number demolished and the city’s progress toward building “Extremely Low-Income Units.”

“City council will be hearing our yearly report on March 13,” Goggia said. “There’s a lot more information that will be included in the report.”

days. The bill will require approvals from multiple commissions before it goes into effect, Goggia said.

AB 1551 reenacts and extends a previous law through Jan. 1, 2028. The law extends “certain State Density Bonus benefits to commercial projects that include an affordable housing component,” said Sargeant.

Parking Reform and Other Cost Reductions

AB 2097 “prohibits the city from enforcing a minimum parking requirement on any developed project within a half mile of a major transit stop,” city staff said. For Carpinteria, the city’s Amtrak station serves as its major transit stop.

AB 2536 “requires agencies to evaluate the amount of a new fee or capacity charge prior to levying it,” according to the city staff report. The information in the evaluation must be published publicly at least 14 days before a hearing. Goggia said the city will conduct a fee study within this fiscal year.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Increased Bedroom Counts

AB 2221 clarifies prior ADU application laws, reducing the number of permitting obstacles for ADU applicants. “The city’s ADU Ordinance, which is about to take effect, will govern the development of ADUs within the city,” Sargeant said.

The next bill, SB 987, will not take effect in Carpinteria until an amendment to the city’s ADU Ordinance is processed. The bill increases the minimum required height limits of ADUs to 16 feet. New opportunities will arise for developers

of proposed multifamily residential projects, as they can now construct two detached ADUs.

Sargeant said the final bill in this section, AB 916, allows home remodeling projects that add two or fewer bedrooms to forego public hearings. “The bill does not apply to public hearings or proposals that would increase the number of units consistent with other State housing laws,” he added.

Changes to Housing Element Law

The city’s annual housing element report now requires additional information, under AB 2094 and AB 2653.

The final bill discussed, AB 2339, “ensures that zones identified for shelters and other interim housing are suitable and available,” Sargeant said. The city of Carpinteria recently submitted a Housing Element draft to the state, meaning that these requirements are likely inapplicable, he added.

Goggia noted that the city updated its zone code several years ago. “We do have areas in the city where emergency shelters are allowed, and I believe we meet the intent of this law existing without having to go and change our zone code,” he said.

See the full staff report on the city’s housing law review at bit.ly/3Kws4Jj.

Zoë Cosgrove is a CVN intern. Have any questions for CVN? Email editor@coastalview.com.

“There’s still a lot of uncertainty about how the implementation of these bills will evolve, and we’ll continue to monitor them and implement the legislation on a case-by-case basis.”

–City legal counsel Mack Carlson

Carpinteria Sanitary District builds resilience through energy efficiency

BY CRAIG MURRAY, GENERAL MANAGER OF THE CARPINTERIA SANITARY DISTRICT

In simple terms, the word resilient means “built to last.” In order to serve our customers, the Carpinteria Sanitary District (CSD) must be resilient; our infrastructure and wastewater management systems must be built to last. And they are! Weathering the January storms was a big test and testament to our durability.

In recent years, public agencies have broadened the definition of resilience. We are now considering the question of how to build a better and more sustainable future through conserving resources, reducing our carbon footprint and factoring the health of the planet into our long-term planning. Carpinteria Sanitary District has been productive and intentional in our efforts toward this bigger picture resilience. Along these lines, we have some news to share.

CSD has nearly 45 linear miles of sewer pipeline that convey wastewater from your homes and businesses to the treatment facility. For decades, we have used closed-circuit television (CCTV) equipment to regularly inspect every inch of our collection system to identify defects and prioritize repair and replacement projects before small problems become big ones.

When the time came to replace our existing CCTV vehicle – a 14-year-old gasoline fueled box truck with an onboard gasoline generator – we made resiliency a focus point. In January, the district took delivery of a new, fully electric CCTV

inspection vehicle.

The unit is built on a 2023 Ford E-Transit van that has a 100-mile range – perfect for the work we do around Carpinteria on a daily basis. The camera system, computers and other equipment are powered by a bank of lithium phosphate batteries that are recharged by roof mounted solar panels. The new CCTV van does everything we need it to do, with zero emissions.

To toot our own horn, CSD is one of the very first adopters of an all-electric CCTV sewer inspection van in California. As more and more public agencies build out plans for resilience, vehicles like this will become a key investment in a better future. The technology has arrived. We can now best serve our customers and do our part to protect the planet.

We also recently had the pleasure of cutting the ribbon and welcoming the public into CSD’s new administration building and board room located at 5300 Sixth Street. The contrast between our new permanent building and the aging portable buildings we had occupied is stark, to say the least.

The new administration building is built to endure a 100-year flood, and from building design to landscaping, electrical and heating, every part of the new facility reflects environmental sustainability and resiliency.

As a “Net Zero” building, it is engineered to power itself or even be a net supplier of electricity to the grid. The 20-kW rooftop solar system generates enough electricity to run all of the building systems including heating and cooling, which are accomplished through the use of high-efficiency electric heat pumps.

Designed to harness the power of Mother Nature, the building is oriented to take full advantage of natural light and climate control, honoring the old axiom, “waste not, want not.” The selected building materials provide optimal insulation value while requiring very little maintenance over the life of the structure. Entirely native landscaping and a stateof-the-art irrigation system help make local water resources more sustainable.

If you’ve lived in Carpinteria for a while, you may know that Sixth Street is prone to flooding in heavy and pro-

Valley sees rain and snow

longed rain events. To protect our new administration building, we raised it well out of the floodplain. While rain lashed the Central Coast in the January storms, our new administrative building stayed high and dry.

We believe that a resilient CSD and community go hand-in-hand with efficient and effective public services. It’s our duty to make sure we’re “built to last.”

The Carpinteria Sanitary is located at 5300 Sixth Street in Carpinteria. See more at carpsan.com.

The Carpinteria Sanitary District purchased a new all-electric sewer inspection vehicle in January.

Carpinteria saw an unusual combination of weather this past weekend, with snow, rain and wind hitting the county in a late February storm. CVN photographer Robin Karlsson captured photos of the snow settling over the mountains, blanketing Carpinteria with clouds and puffy white backgrounds.

Carpinterian aids in search and rescue efforts in Turkey

BY JUN STARKEY

Los Angeles County Fire Chief and Carpinterian Bob George recently returned from a deployment to Turkey, where he and his working dog Shadow aided in search and rescue efforts following two devastating earthquakes.

Turkey was struck by a massive earthquake on Monday, Feb. 6; more than 53,000 people were killed across Turkey and Syria. George and Shadow were deployed at midnight on Feb. 6, George’s wife Amanda told CVN. The pair returned to the U.S. on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

George and Shadow work as a live search and rescue team, Amanda said, meaning Shadow will alert George if he detects any signs of life. The two were not able to do any live rescues during their nearly two weeks in the country, though Amanda said this provided its own closure to families unsure if their loved ones survived the collapses.

“People would ask them to search a structure,” she said. “And if Shadow didn’t detect any life… that allowed them to start their mourning process.”

George was able to communicate with Amanda frequently during his time in Turkey, and would describe some of his experiences. Due to the weather conditions in Turkey, and the delay in search and rescue efforts, many people were left trapped in the destruction for several days.

After returning, George was given three days off to recover from the experience, but his wife said it seemed like he needed a month. “It definitely affected him big time,” she said. George and Shadow spent more than 10 days in the area, said Amanda, providing a secondhand account of what George described to her. The pair searched through more than 8,000 demolished structures as families waited nearby.

This was George and Shadow’s first international search and rescue mission together, Amanda said. He and his canine partner have been working together since 2017, with Shadow attending work with George every day.

Shadow is a lab and German Shep-

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Bob George and his dog Shadow recently returned from Turkey, where they aided in search and rescue efforts following two massive earthquakes.

herd mix, and was initially classified as an “unadoptable” dog due to his high energy, toy driven behavior. This behavior, Amanda said, made Shadow a good candidate to train in search and rescue, allowing trainers to utilize his high intensity to search for victims in rubble.

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His reward for finding a scent, Amanda said, is a ball. Now, George and Shadow have returned to their lives in Carpinteria, along with Amanda and their three children.

“George is a strong man,” Amanda said. “He can handle anything.”

That time it snowed in Carpinteria

Santa Barbara County faced a heavy winter storm last week – leading to closures of the 154 due to impactful snow, flood warnings for the area of Carpinteria and dipping low temperatures – calling to mind an old winter storm that hit the area over 70 years ago. A winter storm on Jan. 11, 1949 left snow blanketing the town, including over the Carpinteria Community Church.

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CMS posts Honor Roll

The Carpinteria Middle School Fall 2022 honor roll is out, with a little under 300 students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades earning a 3.0 or higher.

“CMS would like to celebrate our learners who show academic endurance and responsibility each day,” Carpinteria Middle School Principal Lisa O’Shea told CVN. “These honor roll students give their best academic effort daily, and we celebrate them!”

6TH GRADE

4. 0

Joaquin Adam

Ayden Alvarado

Anisleidy Bernal

Blayden Bryant

Kaylee Camacho

Caleb Carmona

Amaya Cascante Kuryliw

Amalia Castaneda

Caroline Cooney

Isabella De Lira

Oswaldo Espinoza Rojas

Kenzington Gardner

Khloe Gonzalez

Viktor Juarez Lopez

Yoselyn Lara

Balencia Lawrence

Stasie Miranda Lara

Alanni Navarro

Angel Navarro Andrade

Bonnie Odgers

Allyson Padilla

Luz Patino Casique

Areli Reyes Antonio

Penelope Rowe

Carlos Serrano Jimenez

Eileen Solorzano-Bateson

Brickston Trumble

Carson Weber

Adalynn Wright

3.5-3.99

Stacey Alvarez Garcia

Ashley Avila

Evangeline Barton-Grimley

Van Der Kar

Ismari Bernal Miranda

Alexis Betancourt

Mia Diosdado

Alice Eliason

Jose Garnica Arroyo

Andrew Gonzales

Gabriela Gracian Ayala

Adelaide Griffiths

Christian Hernandez Ortiz

Faye Holmes

Emiliano Jimenez

Yajaira Juarez

Julian Lira

Jacob Lopez

Stephanie Lopez Lopez

Sarai Mora Soto

Lillith Nunez

Naima Palacio

Diego Pantaleon Martinez

Iliana Perez Neri

Belissia Pinedo

Eduardo Rodriguez

Isabella Rodriguez

Angel Sanchez Ramos

Tysen Saunders

Yulieth Segundo Avalos

Fernanda Valdez Montejano

Hannah Wade

3.0 - 3.49

Yuridia Alpizar-Flores

Andrea Andrade

Angel Arroyo

Dakoda Barnett

Atlanta Bartholic

Alan Calixto

Cesar Ceja Perez

Griselda Cervantes

Michael Contreras Valdez

Giovanni Delgado

Janely Dominguez Soriano

Rio Espinoza

Chloe Freeman

Genesis Garcia

Tara Ghahremani

Jaxson Harris

Emily Loera Zamora

Amaya Mendoza

Emma Newkirk

Diego Ortega

Estevan Ortiz Cardona

Duke Overbach

Juan Pascual Gregorio

Violet Perez

Ava Pittman

Alexander Ramos

Melani Raya Gamez

Brayden Real

Juniper Taff

Adan Vega

Julian Vega Arreola

Ozy Zuniga

7TH GRADE 4. 0

Aubrey Alcaraz

Evelyn Aviles-Moreno

Caleb Bahena

Callie Balch

Emily Banks

Jackson Brainerd

Maya Cooper

Halleh Gahan

Lila Garay

Mason Hampton

Aven Hardy

Gwyndolyn Hultman

Callie Labistour

Madison Lee

Khloe Lopez

Ryah Ma

Gioia Martins

Brandyn Moore

Avery Parra

Hollister Puentes

Mateo Quezada Zavala

Ella Sandu

Holliday Smith

Lucia Smith

Ayla Soicher

Matilda Tamony

Allison Thai

Vanessa Tlatenchi Vences

Jordan Volz

3.5-3.99

Audiana Aispuro

David Barbosa

Iyanna Carrillo

Valerie Carrillo Mora

Katherine Contreras-Dominguez

Michelle Cornejo

Molly Diamond

Deisy Flores-Miguel

Mariah Galvez

Ariana Garcia Varela

Kellen Glasgow

Gilberto Gomez

Isla Gonzalez

Iker

Guerrero Alamilla

Gordon Guevara

Sophia Handall

Ximena Juarez

Fatima Lopez

Mila Martins

Yazmin Morales Esquivel

Byoungju Nancarrow

Eva Overbach

Bryanna Perez

Isaiah Perez

Kayde Perez Sanchez

Wyatt Pitterle

Emi Quintero

Brianna Redfield

David Rosales

Ronny Rosales-Bui

Harper Rowbottom

Samantha Sanchez

Layia Suarez Mitchell

Emiliano Torres

Elliott Turcotte

Sophia Unterthiner

Surya Wachsman

3.0 - 3.49

Yeiren Acosta

Erick Andrade

Karla Carbajal

Lizbeth Cardona

Gabriel Chung

Ariana Cruz

Giselle Echeverriaa Eric Flores

Kaylee Flores

Monica Flores Lucio

Erasmo Frausto-Elizarraras

Isaiah Garcia

Elijah Hernandez

Travis Holmstrom

Antonio Martinez

Giovanny Martinez Huerta

Bryant Maya

Francisco Nova

Eduardo Perez

Jonathan Pulido Alonso

Isabella Ramirez

Yael Rosales

Sherlynn Salinas-Cruz

Isaac Sanchez

8TH GRADE

4. 0

Janalle Abdulhai

Mitzy Arenas Lagunas

Byron Baranda

Joanna Bernal Miranda

Connor Boyd

Wyatt Caskey

Madelyn Castillo

Christian Dominguez Atilano

Hazel Dugre

Avery Galvez

Sophia Garay

Jaqueline Guadian Fernandez

Olivia Hotchner

Jose Leobardo Juarez

Alan Julian Serrano

Naomi Lopez-Olvera

Alyssa Manriquez

Eva-Juliet Maya

Mila Micheli

Ashleigh Moore

John Morrison

Anaia Nunez

Jade Rochlitzer

Athziry Rojas

Lisa Stineman

Xiomara Trujillo-Gutierrez

Adan Vargas

Ashley Vences Abarca

3.5-3.99

Sienna Aguilar

Emmanuel Alvarado

Jaiden Ambriz

Elder Bernal

Kimberlei Bernal Miranda

Khai Bui

Leticia Carr

Kathryn Caskey

Addisyn Galvez

Kaydence Gardner

Jaxon Gentzel

Eliana Georges

Parker Hampton

Cesar Jaime Velazquez

Lucas Joles

Caleb Kelly

Daniel Lara Ortiz

Ismael Lopez Maya

Neri Manriquez

Samuel Martinez

Victoria Martinez

Amar Mbarka

Santiago Mejia Garcia

Franco Miranda Lara

Hayden Nordholm

Edwin Nova Cardoso

Penelope Ornelas

Stefano Piccoletti

Lizeth Reyes Marquez

Emily Rodriguez Garcia

Cesar Vega

Janelle Vega

Roman Velasquez Camacho

3.0 - 3.49

Natalia Andrade

Malakai Castaneda

Kelly Dominguez Martinez

Jared Escamilla

Abraham Galvan Nunez

Noah Gutierrez

Abraham Herrera

Jocelyn Jimenez Carachure

Sofia Lagunas Roman

Adrian Levinson

Josue Lopez

Grace Macabe

Alberto Martinez

Viviana Martinez

Alejandro Matute Calix

Yaretzi Moctezuma

Isaac Mora-Neri

Jorge Nava

Donovan Nunez

Cristal Pluma Hernandez

Jorge Ramirez Robles

Maria Sotero

Maximus Soto

Daniel Trejo Rodriguez

Michael Valles

Santiago Velazquez

Moses Werner

CUSD schools participate in Read Across America

CVN

SUPERINTENDENT’S DESK

DIANA RIGBY CUSD SUPERINTENDENT

Read Across America is an annual event celebrated on or near March 2, which is the birthday of children’s author Dr. Seuss. It is a nationwide reading celebration that was created by the National Education Association (NEA) in 1997 to promote literacy and encourage a love of reading among children. Guest readers will join our elementary classrooms for a read aloud on Thursday, March 2.

We are grateful for our Library Media Technicians – Alesia Aceves at Aliso Elementary, Julie Soto at Canalino Elementary and Carpinteria Family School and Pat Guarnero at Carpinteria Middle School (CMS) – for supporting our students as readers.

Appreciation

I would like to recognize Transportation Supervisor James Pettit, and bus drivers Jose Ochoa, Tammy Moreno, Gabriel Ochoa and Frank Colson, for safely transporting students while we continue to experience staff shortages and reduced transportation services.

Congratulations #22566 Warriors, Carpinteria High School (CHS) Robotics Team, received the

Motivate Award during the FIRST Tech challenge this past weekend. “The award celebrates the culture of FIRST and clearly shows what it means to be a team. This award celebrates the team that represents the essence of the FIRST Tech Challenge competition through team building, team spirit, and displayed enthusiasm. This is a team who makes a collective effort to make FIRST known throughout their school and community and sparks others to embrace the culture of FIRST.”

Parent Orientation for Eighth Grade Parents

Carpinteria High School will host the class of 2027 parent orientation on Thursday, March 2 at 5:30 p.m. An overview of CHS academic, athletic and art programs and a campus tour conducted by ASB leaders will be available.

UCSB Destination College

MESA Day 2023

CMS and CHS MESA students will attend UC Santa Barbara College MESA Day on Saturday, March 4. Our students will participate in college tours, college prep workshops and STEM events.

School Safety Plans

CUSD is committed to be prepared as possible for school emergencies and to maintain safe learning environments. Every year, school safety plans are reviewed, updated and adopted by the school site council or designated safety committee and approved by the school district. CUSD school safety plans are posted on the district website at cusd.net.

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.

Canalino Elementary School teacher Sonia Aguila attended the National Bilingual Education Conference in Oregon last week to receive her award for Teacher of the Year.

Aguila accepts award for Teacher of the Year

Sonia Aguila, the Canalino Elementary School teacher recently named teacher of the year by both the state and national bilingual educator associations, attended her award ceremony at the National Bilingual Education Conference on Friday, Feb. 24.

Part of her award includes a three-week trip to Spain, to take part in classes at the University of Granada. During the conference, Aguila was given the opportunity to attend a closed session meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, to discuss bilingual education.

“I shared about our Dual Language Immersion Program,” she told CVN. “I also met with representatives from the White House Hispanic Initiative. It was wonderful to see so many teachers passionate about bilingualism.”

COURTESY PHOTO

Former resident returns as new veterinarian

a new phase of experiencing her dream career in the city she loved as a young adult.

BY JUN STARKEY

Former Carpinteria resident Luciana Forti has returned as a veterinarian after leaving the city nearly 10 years ago, accepting a position at the Animal Medical Clinic on Casitas Pass Road.

Originally from Brazil, Forti came to Carpinteria 23 years ago to learn English, and soon after began taking classes at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) while commuting from Carpinteria. Forti said she fell in love with the city and met many people who became like family. “I love the city, I love the community,” she said.

While at UCSB, Forti was studying physical education, but said she knew it wasn’t her passion. “I always had a dream of being a vet, but I couldn’t afford it,” she told CVN.

She would not begin pursuing her dream until many years later. In 2015, once she was able to afford the courses, Forti decided to enroll in veterinary school in Brazil, at the age of 38. During her school breaks, she would fly back to Miami, Florida, to be with her husband who still lived in the U.S.

Forti would spend several years studying to be a veterinarian, flying back and forth from Brazil to the U.S., before finishing her degree and beginning her technician work in Miami. In January 2022, Forti was officially a licensed veterinarian, and had to decide where she would begin her work.

“I sat down with my husband to decide, and I knew I wanted to come back,” she said.

Forti’s love for the city brought her back, she told CVN, and now she begins

She has now been working at the Animal Medical Clinic for about a month, and Forti said she has been able to reconnect with many old friends and has enjoyed her work at the clinic so far. “It’s like I never left,” she said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better place to work.”

Morning at the marketplace

“I love the city, I love the community.”

–Luciana Forti

KARLSSON

Luciana Forti, the Animal Medical Clinic’s newest veterinarian, lived in Carpinteria more than 20 years ago and has returned to take on this role.

COURTESY OF AMY MARIE OROZCO

From left, Carpinteria Valley History Museum volunteer Sally Eagle, board member Jayne Diaz, board president Dorothy Thielges and executive director/curator Jayme Yahr enjoy Saturday’s museum marketplace despite the rain, wind and snow surrounding Carpinteria. This month’s marketplace saw a much lower turnout last week due to the rough weather, but local Amy Marie Orozco said this allowed the museum’s three new volunteers to introduce themselves in the smaller crowd. The next museum marketplace is scheduled for March 25. Learn more about the museum at (805) 684-3112.

Local first responders honored

First responders saved Ken Towers’ life in January

PHOTOS BY ROBIN KARLSSON

Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District firefighters were recognized Tuesday for their work in saving the life of Carpinteria man Ken Towers, who went into cardiac arrest in mid-January while at his home.

“Thanks to a team effort involving his wife Barbara, Santa Barbara County and South Coast Dispatchers, Carpinteria-Summerland Firefighters, and the American Medical Response Medic 1 crew his heart began to beat again,” Battalion Chief Noah Tunney said in a press release. Towers, who spent 17 days at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and has since made a full recovery, was welcomed by first

Barbara and Ken Towers, right, attended the ceremony alongside their family members, from left, Dallas, Mike, Reese and Emme.

Ken Towers, center, shows his appreciation to firefighters.

The Towers family and other first responders were honored on Tuesday at the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protect District. Fire responders saved the life of Ken Towers in mid-January, after he went into cardiac arrest.

From left: Logan Foster, Ken Towers, John Rieger, Marey Gauthier, Taylor Barnett, Noah Tunney, Barbara Towers and Kelley Baker

Bates, Burns go over Rincon history at arts center

PHOTOS BY ROBIN KARLSSON

Vince Burns and Stephen Bates, authors of “Rincon Point” – a book that explores the long and exciting history of Rincon Point – spoke at the Carpinteria Arts Center over the weekend. The pair discussed how the Queen of the Coast came to be, showing off their favorite photos of the Point and talking through the area’s long history

Vince Burns talks about what is – in his opinion – the greatest photo of Rincon Point, taken by Steve Bissell in 1973 from Rincon Hill.

Stephen Bates, co-author of “Rincon Point,” shows the crowd how Rincon Point came to be.

From left, Robert Schwalj, Ashley DeVan, Vince Burns, Stephen Bates and Alan Koch hold up copies of “Rincon Point.”

ARTCETRA

The People’s Choice Award winner for the “Rincon” exhibit in the Charles Lo Bue Gallery is Ben O’Hara, for his piece “Classic Evening in the Cove.”

“Rincon” People’s Choice winner: Ben O’Hara

Local artist Ben O’Hara’s piece “Classic Evening in the Cove” was voted the winner of the People’s Choice Award for the Rincon exhibit in the Charles Lo Bue Gallery. “Nothing like a pumping set when walking back up the point, to get you psyched for one more,” O’Hara told the art center of his piece. O’Hara was born and raised in Carpinteria, and said he drew artistic inspiration for his deep respect for the local history of the surfing community and his passion for long, perfect, right point breaks. The Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center announced its next exhibit will open on Friday, March 3, with the theme of “Shape & Soul.”

Santa Barbara Hives welcomes Cox’s artwork

The Santa Barbara Hives Carpinteria Store will hold an artist opening on Saturday, March 4, featuring the works of Marcie Cox. The opening will be held for 4 to 6 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Hives store at 516 Palm Ave.

COURTESY KRISTINA CALKINS

“Beach Yoga” by Marcie Cox

Artist Marcia Cox will have an artist opening at Santa Barbara Hives’ Carpinteria Store on Saturday.

Thursday, March 14

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

Rotary Club of Carpinteria meeting, 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m., lions Park Community Building, 6197 Casitas Pass road, non-members rSVP to 566-1906

Bingo, 1 p.m., Veterans Building, 941 Walnut Ave.

Farmers Market and Arts & Crafts Fair, 3-6:30 p.m., linden Ave. downtown, Craft fair: 684-2770

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

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

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

Friday, March 15

CVCC Lunch & Learn, noon-1 p.m., Curious Cup, 929 linden Ave., 684-5479 x10.

The Peace Vigil, 5-6 p.m., corner of linden & Carpinteria Ave. Music in our Schools Month Concert, 7:30 p.m., CHS cafeteria, 4810 foothill road, 684-4701

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

Saturday, March 16

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

Magicarp Pokemon League, 11 a.m., Curious Cup, 929 linden Ave., (619) 972-3467

Energy Balancing, 2-4 p.m., Curious Cup, 929 linden Ave., free

“The Quiet Man,” 8 p.m., Plaza Playhouse theater, 4916 Carpinteria Ave., $5

The Groovie Line, 9 p.m., the Palms, 701 linden Ave., 684-3811

Monday, March 18

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

Basic Bridge, 1 p.m., Sandpiper Mobile Village clubhouse, 3950 Via real, 684-5921

Mah Jongg, 1 p.m., Sandpiper Mobile Village clubhouse, 3950 Via real, 729-1310

Bingo, 1 p.m., Veterans Building, 941 Walnut Ave.

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

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

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

Tuesday, March 19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday, March 20

Morning Rotary meeting with Cyndi Macias, The Gym Next Door, 7-8 a.m., Woman’s Club, 1059 Vallecito rd., $10

Meditation, 10:30-noon, Carpinteria Woman’s club, 1059 Vallecito rd., 847-208-6520

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

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

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

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

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

ONGOING

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

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

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

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

Imagination & Inspiration show, Curious Cup, 929 linden Ave., 220-6608

THE BOOK NOOK

From the Carpinteria Community Library

“Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships”

by Nina Totenberg

There has been much in the news these days regarding how to be happy. The pandemic has been harder on our mental health than perhaps we realize. The Happiness Challenge from the New York Times, for example, has us taking stock of our relationships and recommending short (eight minute) phone calls with friends. Baby steps. In some real ways, we are re-learning how to be friends after years of social isolation

filmmakers figure it all out. Pardon the long list, but this is just part of who it takes to make a movie: production manager, production designer, line producer, location scout, location assistant, production accountant, key production assistant, production office coordinator, transportation captain, key production assistant, director, first assistant director and second unit producer!

This is just part of the army necessary to get from script to screen. Nicolaides fills these positions with such characters – from experienced pros to naïve newbies. Mostly Los Angeles people, they are sent on location to the Owens Valley and the casting is completed as it expands to the locals, another set of quirky and provocative folks. Now we have a riotous combination of personalities that proceed to show us the daily grind of making a movie.

102 and still going strong

“Dinners with Ruth: a memoir on the power of friendships” by NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg is a personal reflection on a lifetime of meaningful friendships, how they began and what sustained them. It is reassuring, comforting, funny and poignant – all the things we want our friendships to be. Through sickness and health, happiness and disappointments, death of spouses, and in Totenberg’s case, remarriage, the friendships (mostly) flourish. Totenberg is a delightful storyteller, managing to share personal details of many friendships without being gossipy.

Russell Cup track and field meet brings hundreds of high schoolers and their entourages of coaches and supporters to Carpinteria every year and has been doing so since 1913, making it the oldest meet in state history. The first Russell Cup was the brainchild of Carpinteria union High school Principal francis figg-Hoblyn. in 1914, Mr. and Mrs. Howland shaw russell donated a silver cup to be given to the first school to win the meet three times. From then out, the large-scale event in little Carpinteria was called russell Cup.

CArPiNteriA VAlley MuSeuM of HiStory

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

We get humor, frustration, worry, compassion, love, fear, war, intrigue, rivalry, danger and surprise – the full Monty! The stunning geography of the Owens Valley with Highway 395, the Alabama Hills, Lone Pine and Bishop becomes more than setting: it lends character to the unfolding adventure. Making A Movie! becomes an absolute page-turner when the proverbial s**t hits the page. Things are not all fun and games; serious challenges have to be faced. This is the story of creative endeavor achieved by teamwork. Watching the teamwork is satisfying entertainment and a lesson in what it takes to make a movie. This is Nicolaides’ first book; hopefully there will be more. Perhaps he might venture into memoir, and we could see into the makings of some of the wonderful real movies he has been a part of. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see inside Boyz N The Hood, Misery or The Princess Bride?

Athletes from all over the state will descend upon Carpinteria Valley Memorial stadium for russell Cup 2015 on saturday, April 18. see next week’s issue of Coastal View News for local results.

––Susan Anderson, Friends of the Carpinteria Library volunteer

CVN Reads…

“Tears of the Silenced”

by Misty Griffin

He said, she said

Bring on the funny!

When so often text messages and emojis suffice as communication, this reflection on showing up, offering a shoulder to lean on and feeding people when they need it was a balm of a book. Available in all formats from the Community Library, including book club in a bag.

––Jody Thomas, Carpinteria Community Library librarian

From the Friends of the Carpinteria Library

CVN photographer Robin Karlsson is reading “Tears of the Silenced” by Misty Griffin, a true crime memoir about the author’s life and the abuse she experienced before and while living in an Amish community.

(Published December 2014; 442 pages)

“The Will to Change” by Bell Hooks

He said, she said Bring on the funny!

CVN to print any inappropriate language or innuendo. All submissions will be edited for grammar, punctuation, length and content. Please send captions to news@coastalview. com. Caption writers selected for publication will receive the following grand prizes: bragging rights, name in lights (well, black ink) and a free copy of Coastal View News from any rack in Carpinteria Valley.

CVN Assistant Editor Jun Starkey is reading “The Will to Change” by Bell Hooks, a candid novel that explores toxic masculinity, how men express emotions and common concerns facing men in modern society.

Send us your best caption for this photo by Monday, April 27.

(Published December 2004; 212 pages)

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

To learn more about Carpinteria’s unique and interesting past, visit the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History, open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at 956 Maple Ave.

“Making a Movie! Or How To Stop Worrying About the Budget and Save Your Ass”

“Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”

Civic

by Benjamin Alire Sánez

by Steve Nicolaides

Thursday, March 14

To learn more about Carpinteria’s unique and interesting past, visit the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History, open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at 956 Maple Ave.

“Making a Movie! Or How To Stop Worrying About the Budget and Save Your Ass” is hilarious and engaging. Lucky for us, Steve Nicolaides decided to write about making movies after retiring from a rich and rewarding career of doing just that.

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

Friday, March 15

SB S. County Architectural Board of Review meeting, 9 a.m., 123 . Anapamu St., rm. 17, Santa Barbara

Monday, March 18

SB County Zoning Administrator meeting, 9:30 a.m., 123 e. Anapamu St., rm. 17, Santa Barbara, 568-2000

Tuesday, March 19

His novel documents the creation of a fictitious movie. Bizarre and timely, it is about pregnant teens vanishing in the Eastern Sierras. From the first phone call to the last gasp, we follow the making of “Women in White.” We are irresistibly pulled through the process as the

CVN Managing Editor Evelyn Spence is re-reading “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Sánez , a heart-tugging coming-of-age story centered around two teenagers and their dive into friendship, love and the secrets of the universe. (Published February 2012; 359 pages)

SB County Board of Supervisors meeting, 9 a.m., Board of Supervisors Conference rm., 105 e. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara, 568-2000

Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District Board meeting, 6:30 p.m., Council Chambers, City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave., 684-5405

CArPiNteriA VAlley MuseuM of History

CLUB SCENE

Woman’s Club to hear from Girls Inc. director

The Carpinteria Woman’s Club will hear from Jamie Collins, executive director of Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, at the group’s March 8 meeting celebrating International Women’s Day.

The group will hear from Collins how the Girls Inc. organization is supporting “next generation feminism” through the lens of inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold. Students from the organization will also have an opportunity to speak to who inspires them and how they envision the world they want to live in.

Members and guests are invited to bring a women-centric poem, quote or short piece to share with the group. The meeting is open to the public and will take place at 7 p.m. at the group’s clubhouse at 1059 Vallecito Rd.

Children’s Project to host Carp kids breakfast

The Carpinteria Children’s Project will hold a “All in for Carp Kids” breakfast at its auditorium on Thursday, March 9.

The breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m., and will include words from keynote speaker Joanna Hendrix, the Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year, who will highlight the importance of early childhood education and supporting children with special needs and their families.

The breakfast will be from 7:30 to 9 a.m., and will be held in the CCP auditorium at 5201 Eighth St.

Girls Inc. hosts

“Sweetheart Dance”

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria held a “Sweetheart Dance” on Friday, Feb. 17, allowing dozens of students in the community to bring an important person in their life as their date for the evening. This was the club’s first Sweetheart Dance, and included a DJ, photo booth pictures, a frame making table, a nail painting table, a bead making table, snacks and dancing.

LENT IS HERE!

Isla and Robert Naughter

Gabe and Viv Pena

Eric and Amelia Yonker

COMPILED BY JUN STARKEY

COMMANDER’S RECAP

Sunday, Feb. 19

1331 hrs / Incident / Sandyland Cove

Deputies responded to Sandyland Cove at the tracks for an intoxicated subject. The subject was contacted and arrested for public intoxication, and transported to the Santa Barbara County Jail without incident.

0015 hrs / Incident / Hwy 101 at Santa Claus Lane

A traffic enforcement stop was conducted on a vehicle for having expired registration. During the investigation, the subject was found to be on probation with full search terms and a convicted felon. The subject was found in possession of pepper spray, so he was cited and released.

0036 hrs / Narcotics / Via Real at Casitas Pass Road

A man was contacted during a traffic stop. A records check revealed the man had an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest. The man admitted to being in possession of a methamphetamine pipe and a bag of methamphetamine, and was booked at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail.

pect, a citizen’s arrest form was signed for the battery and the woman was arrested. According to the victim, the woman entered the restaurant and asked for a large cup of hot water. The victim refused but gave the woman a small cup of hot water. This upset the woman, so she threw the cup of hot water on the victim’s face. The victim did not sustain serious injury due to the battery.

2128 hrs / Incident / Carpinteria Avenue

A man was contacted after he was observed smoking in public, and in possession of an open container of alcohol. He was cited and released.

0057 hrs / Theft / Reynolds Avenue

The reporting party reported unknown subjects stole a surveillance camera mounted on the front of the residence.

Tuesday, Feb. 21

1007 hrs / Incident / Carpinteria

State Beach

phernalia. Both were cited and released.

Thursday, Feb. 23

1951 hrs / Narcotics / Casitas Pass Road

Deputies responded to call for service and contacted a subject who had seven bicycles on a stolen grocery store dolly. The man said he had a methamphetamine pipe and suspected methamphetamine on his person. A records check revealed the man also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested for his warrant, narcotic violations and petty theft. He was processed and booked at Santa Barbara County Jail without incident.

2040 hrs / Incident / 5200 block Carpinteria Avenue

Deputies responded to a local store to reports of a victim being “attacked” by a hammer. When deputies arrived, they found the victim with blood on the left side of his face. He reported being attacked with a hammer by another man over an argument. The man was located at a residence and arrested, transported and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail.

Friday, Feb. 24

0058 hrs / Incident / 1000 block Casitas Pass Road

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Monday, Feb. 20

0827 hrs / Incident / 5000 block Foothill Road

A resident called to report an unknown male juvenile, about 10 years old, attempting to start a fire on a playground. The reporting party stated at about 0730 hours, he observed the juvenile walking on the property near the playground. RP contacted the juvenile and advised him he could not be on the property. After the juvenile was told to leave the property, he left without incident. At about 0800 hours, RP noticed smoke coming from the playground. When RP went to investigate, he saw one of the playground’s toys had a fresh burn mark on it and the wood chips around the toy were smoking. Upon further investigation, RP noticed two 16-ounce fuel cans and a lighter sitting next to the toy. RP did not see the juvenile light the fire but believed it was him because he was the only one in the area.

1325 hrs / Incident / 1100 block Casitas Pass Road

Deputies responded to a fast-food restaurant for a subject who threw hot water on the face of an employee. Prior to arriving on scene, deputies were advised the subject fled and was being followed by an employee. After locating the sus-

Deputies responded to the beach at the end of Linden Avenue for a female adult disturbing and making racial slurs towards others. Once on scene, deputies contacted the woman. The woman was verbally abusive and refused to cooperate with commands. The woman also refused to provide her name or identification. After several attempts to obtain her identification failed, she was arrested for delaying and obstructing the investigation. The woman’s identity was not discovered until she got to jail and custody was able to obtain her info from her last booking sheet.

1829 hrs / Incident / 5400 block

Carpinteria Avenue

While crossing the street in the marked crosswalk, a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle, and reported minor injury/ complaint of pain. The pedestrian was transported to the hospital for evaluation.

1911 hrs / Incident / 1000 block

Casitas Pass Road

Employees of a local business reported an intoxicated subject causing a disturbance inside the business. Upon arrival, a local transient was contacted and arrested.

1934 hrs / Incident / Taranto Circle

A homeowner stated she had left the residence for approximately four hours, during which time unknown suspects entered, possibly through an unlocked sliding door, and ransacked an upstairs bedroom. Entry was made into a safe kept in the bedroom closet. Cash and jewelry were taken.

0402 hrs / Narcotics / 450 block Linden Avenue

Two subjects were contacted while sleeping in their vehicle in the Amtrak parking lot. Upon contact, both consented to a search of the vehicle. As the female exited, it was discovered she had been sitting on a used meth pipe. During a search of the vehicle, they were found in possession of meth, cocaine and para-

Deputies responded to an alarm activation and reports of a loud crash at the Goodwill Store. When deputies arrived on scene, deputies observed the roof caved in due to the rain. Major damage was sustained to the building which was taped off by fire and law enforcement. The store manager was contacted and later arrived at the scene to secure the store.

Saturday, Feb. 25

1724 hrs / Incident / Nipomo Drive

A man was arrested for an outstanding felony and misdemeanor warrant. The man was contacted after he attempted to flee the area when deputies arrived. He was apprehended and arrested and booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail.

1813 hrs / Incident / Linden Avenue and Sixth Street

The reporting party called and stated a vehicle was in the roadway and the driver appeared intoxicated and had urinated himself. The vehicle was last seen parked at the Amtrak parking lot. Deputies observed the vehicle and contacted the male subject in the driver seat. The man had an odor of alcohol emanating from his breath and person. Sobriety field tests were conducted. The man refused the PAS and consented to have blood drawn. He was arrested and booked at Santa Barbara County Jail without incident.

1820 hrs / Incident / 900 block Concha Loma Drive

Deputies responded to the report of a possible DUI with a traffic collision. When deputies arrived, they determined there was no traffic collision and the possible driver was located nearby and arrested.

0026 hrs / Narcotics / 4200 block Via Real

While on patrol, deputies were approached by a bystander who requested the check the welfare of a female throwing up in a gas station bathroom. A male and female were seen entering a vehicle. Records check of the vehicle revealed the registration tab on the vehicle was false. Records check of the driver revealed he was on probation out of Los Angeles County. A probation search of the vehicle revealed he was in possession of a used methamphetamine pipe with a usable amount of methamphetamine. The man was arrested, transported and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail. The female was transported to the hospital.

Reports from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office

THROWBACK

Rincon Yesterdays: Snodgrass, The Renaissance Surfer

BY VINCE BURNS

Let’s travel back forty years to the Rincon surf scene of the late 1970s and 1980s. One of the best written sources for the period is Don Balch’s seminal 1981 Surfer article on Rincon Point’s past and then-present. It’s full of delightful characters.

One who stands out – particularly because his name has popped up in conversations with other longtime Rinconers – is Snodgrass, or sometimes Mr. Snodgrass. As we’ll see, Snodgrass is a nom de surf, a surfing nickname. Don snapped a photo of him for his article with the caption “Mr. Snodgrass, a classic surfer through five decades, who has some great stories from the days of redwood planks. Despite crowds, his love for the free ride lives on.” Fellow photog, artist, and longtime Rincon surfer Simone Reddingius also remembered Snodgrass and supplied his “real” name: James B. Rea.

Both Simone and Don recalled Snodgrass for a few things: his relatively advanced age (for a surfer at the time), his distinctive full wetsuit, his oversized board and his tendency to get up on the biggest waves and charge ahead. Both remembered everyone in the lineup diving for cover to get out of the way of Snodgrass, a veritable runaway locomotive on his huge board. Wonderfully, Simone was able to put her hands on a photo she took of full-bore Snodgrass, leaving chaos in his wake just as described. Other

James B. Rea (aka Snodgrass) is seen at Rincon Point in the early 1980s.

memories: Snodgrass seemed to appear at the Point out of nowhere, parking his mobile home inside the gate for the length of the swell, and invite passersby in for tea. Simone also remembered Snodgrass taking her and her brother on a private flight over the Channel Islands – how he came by his pilot training we’ll describe shortly.

Don and Simone’s anecdotes and photographs have conjured up this Rincon surfing mini-legend and seeming eccentric after forty years. A good story so far. But the plot thickened when we turned up an obituary for Rea (1916-1995), describing him as a sort of Renaissance man of the waves, with world-class talents and careers in engineering, flying, and (perhaps most surprising of all) financial investments.

The obit noted Rea managed a fund that chalked up big gains while partnering with famed investor Benjamin Graham (1894-1976). Graham, of course, is the legendary father of “scientific” investing who wrote Security Analysis and The Intelligent Investor, hallmark books on “value” investing. Oh, yes, he was also the mentor of Warren Buffett. The obit also flagged Rea’s diverse careers as jazz pianist, Pan Am flight captain of the famous Boeing 314 Clippers, test pilot for Convair and missile engineer. It concluded with the statement that Snodgrass/Rea’s “surfing cronies were largely unaware of his academic, engineering and business background.” I’m sure they were!

Intrigued, we were able to track down Snodgrass’s son, James B. Rea Jr., portfolio manager for Bank of America, who filled us in on the incredible life of his father. Rea Senior was born with club feet in Hawaii and graduated from the fabled Punahou School (Obama attended, if it sounds familiar). James made it stateside to Berkeley in order to enroll in the University of California (supporting himself as a jazz orchestra leader), then hitchhiked to Boston to attend MIT, where he eventually received an undergraduate degree and, later, a doctorate in Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering. James Jr., says dad’s ca. 1947 dissertation is still classified, as James Sr. did his part in the Cold War and the burgeoning defense industry.

Through it all, Snodgrass/Rea kept surfing when he had time, only taking a break in the 1970s when he fell in with Benjamin Graham. For a couple years in the early 1970s the Rea-Graham Funds racked up big returns thanks to Rea’s computer-aided quantitative models, math analysis, and Graham’s nose for under-valued companies – all despite the era’s bruising bear market.

If you’re dizzy from these myriad accomplishments, that’s understandable. Snodgrass/Rea’s life is epic, and we’ve barely given the headlines. In the late 1970s Snodgrass/Rea returned to the waves he loved. He prowled all of SoCal, including Orange County, Malibu, C Street, and, of course, Rincon. Having learned to surf in Hawaii in the 1930s on the massive redwood planks of the day, Snodgrass/Rea maintained a preference

for uber-long longboards.

At this point in our thumbnail biography, we’re back to the 1980s and Balch and Simone’s (and no doubt many others’) memories of Snodgrass’s escapades at Rincon. Although eventually felled by Parkinson’s, Snodgrass kept surfing until he was 79, remaining a fixture whenever and wherever the surf was good. Quite a story!

If you have stories about eccentric Rincon surfers or more on Snodgrass, get in touch with Vince at vinceburns805@gmail.com. Vince and Stephen Bates have published a history of Rincon Point, cleverly titled “Rincon Point.” It is available locally and online at amazon.com/dp/1467108707. Vince and Stephen will be giving a book talk at the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History on March 15 at 5 p.m. Please join them.

Don Balch’s photograph accompanied his 1981 Surfer magazine article on contemporary Rincon Point.

SIMONE REDDINGIUS PHOTO

How to optimize your grocery shopping experience

WELLNESS WARRIOR

LEAH HARDING

For the last few months, I’ve been focusing on what makes up foods (macros: fats, proteins and carbs) and how to evaluate the foods you buy via the nutrition facts label.

This knowledge is helpful when trying to eat better, but for some people, eating healthier can be a challenge, especially when shopping for groceries.

However, by following a few simple steps, you can make grocery shopping a less daunting task and ensure that you come home with fresh ingredients to support your wellness journey. Here is a five-step foolproof plan to get out of the grocery store with the items that will serve your body and mind, not the ones that make you feel bad after consuming. Eat before you go. Food always looks better on an empty stomach. Before heading to the store, it’s best to have a meal or healthy snack to curb your hunger and help you avoid temptation.

Have a plan. Make a list and stick to it. This is one of the best ways to stay on track while shopping. This will help you focus on buying only the items you need and avoid getting sidetracked by unhealthy options.

Avoid the middle aisles. The middle aisles of the grocery store are often filled with boxed, frozen and processed food resides. Fresh ingredients like veggies, fruits, the meat and seafood section, and usually dairy will all be along the outside edges of the store. This doesn’t always hold true, as one (like me) could certainly argue that the deli section isn’t the best option with the ever-present fried chicken and ready-made salads. However, in general, this rule does work. The main point is to try to limit the number of processed foods you are buying. If the item has more than a few ingredients, it’s probably processed.

Avoid items that you crave, especially in bulk. Consider and reflect on those things you usually crave. If you don’t get

A family’s first dog

them, will you search for a replacement or accept you don’t have what you want and move on? Try to think up alternatives for those items. For example, if ice cream is your jam, perhaps you try sugar-free popsicles for a while. If it’s Oreos, perhaps you try a cookies and cream protein bar instead.

If you do indulge, make sure to limit the quantity and only buy one treat per shopping trip. Don’t get a box of donuts, buy only one. Don’t buy a three-pound bag of gummy bears, buy a small snack bag. (Okay, truth be told, this last example really happened when I first went shopping during quarantine. I mean, who knew when I’d get gummy bears again? That was the first and only time that happened.)

Stay mindful about which items you buy in bulk, especially if they are ones you crave. This will inevitably lead to over-consumption, probably in a short period of time, or will create more waste when you decide to toss out the excess.

If you end up bringing home more treats than usual, put some out of sight so they aren’t staring at you from the panty. Hide them in a cupboard or maybe in the closet but above all, don’t sweat the small stuff.

Utilize online shopping options. Even before the onset of Covid-19, there were many stores that had online shopping. Since then, it’s become even easier, with many stores/companies doing deliveries as well, with intuitive, easy-to-use software. It is great for those low on time, prone to grabbing the goodies or just hate grocery shopping. While shopping online, you’re forced to be intentional about your purchases. Instead of wandering through the aisles to see whatever strikes your fancy, you’ll need to have a list of items truly of need, not just what looks good.

Car • PET • teria

Zeke, a two-yearold French Bulldog, was spotted by CVN photographer Robin Karlsson while he took a walk around town. The family told CVN that Zeke loves to sleep, cuddle and play tug. “He snores even when he is awake,” the family said. “He is the Smith family’s first dog, and we absolutely love him.”

Tell us about your pet and send us a picture, too. Favorite snacks, special tricks, nicknames, let all of Carpinteria know about your furry, feathered or scaly family member. Email news @coastalview.com

CREATIVE COMMONS

The author recommends avoiding the middle aisles in the store, which are often filled with processed foods.

In conclusion, following these five steps will make grocery shopping a more manageable task and ensure that you come home with the ingredients you need to support your health journey. If you’re struggling with more than just grocery store temptations, reach out to me for support. With the right tools and mindset, you can achieve your health and wellness goals.

Leah Harding is a nutrition coach and mobile personal trainer. She specializes in helping people see food as an ally to reach their goals, both in and out of the gym. She previously worked out of Rincon Fitness and owned CrossFit Carpinteria/Foxwing Fitness. Contact her at leah@foxwingfitness.com with questions or with ideas for future wellness articles.

CVN flies down to Florida

Ian and Kathryn Stokes of Mussel Shoals smile outside the entrance of the EPCOT theme park with their copy of CVN, along with their children: four-year-old Oliver, two-year-old Theodore and five-month-old Alice.

The family recently vacationed in Disney World, Florida, where they took a safari ride at Animal Kingdom, rode the dinosaurs at Dinoland, drove cars at the

Speedway and enjoyed many other shows and rides.

Food always looks better on an empty stomach. Before heading to the store, it’s best to have a meal or healthy snack to curb your hunger and help you avoid temptation.

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On the first Thursday of each month, CVN publishes the Honor Roll to thank readers and advertisers for their generous support. For the past 13 years, this support has played a critical role in keeping CVN in the stands each week and full of local news that cannot be found in any other media. The outpouring of support inspired by the Honor Roll has established a deeper connection between the newspaper and its readers. Additionally, the hundreds of names that appear in the Honor Roll send a message to advertisers: Carpinterians are dedicated to their local newspaper. In turn, the staff of CVN is dedicated to its readers. As the publishers of your community newspaper, we appreciate the relationship we have with you, our readers, and we pledge to keep bringing you all the news of the Carpinteria Valley.

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RIP Berdee

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STEWART’S DE-ROOTING & PLUMBING

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Storm forces local sports to adjust, cancel events

BY RYAN P. CRUZ • PHOTOS BY ROSANA SWING

A heavy mix of wind, rain, hail and even snow forced many local high school sports to cancel some of this past week’s activities, with Carpinteria track & field, baseball, softball, baseball, golf and tennis teams all affected by the weather.

The annual Rincon Races track & field meet was rescheduled to this upcoming Saturday, while the Carpinteria Classic Softball Tournament was forced to cancel altogether.

Carpinteria softball was able to play a few games before the storm, but the Warriors had a tough time with three straight losses against Santa Paula (19-0), Foothill Tech (19-0) and Nordhoff (17-5).

Against Nordhoff, the Warriors fell behind 9-0 after the top of the first inning before junior Amarisse Camargo provided the highlight of the day with a two-run inside-the-park home run.

Senior Brenda Lemus, who is in her first year as a member of the softball team, also scored her first fun of the year as a pinch runner in the final inning when junior Bella Velasquez blasted a two-run double.

“It’s exciting to get Lemus in the game and for her to run bases and score a run,” said Carpinteria coach Matt Mora. “She has learned a lot in very little time, and I am proud of the progress she is making.”

Carpinteria boys volleyball was also able to play its first three scheduled matches of the season, but the Warriors have not been able to find a win under first-year coach Favian Muralles.

Carpinteria opened the season with a 3-0 loss to Bishop Diego, followed by back-to-back 3-0 losses to Foothill Tech on the road and at home. The Warriors are now 0-3 overall and will host Channel Islands at home on Thursday.

Warriors softball and boys tennis will have three games each this week, while baseball and track & field have two contests each. Boys golf is scheduled to open its season against Nordhoff.

ON DECK

Thursday, March 2

*Carpinteria Softball vs Malibu, 3 p.m.

*Carpinteria Boys Tennis vs Simi Valley, 3:30 p.m.

*Carpinteria Boys Volleyball vs Channel Islands, 6 p.m.

Friday, March 3

*Carpinteria Baseball vs Malibu, 3 p.m.

Carpinteria Softball at Bishop Diego, 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 4

*Carpinteria Track & Field hosts Rincon Races, 10 a.m.

*Denotes Home Game

Locals win in 60-and-over hockey tournament

Carpinteria locals Arnie Brooks, Scott Wicox and Dana Wilcox were part of a championship-winning ice hockey squad that took the top spot during the recent President’s Day tournament at Ice in Paradise in Goleta.

The trio are part of the 60-and-over team, “The Bottinators,” which is made up of veteran hockey players from Carpinteria and Santa Barbara. The team is named in honor of Joel Bott, a fixture in the local hockey community who passed away in April 2019 after a long battle with cancer.

Carpinteria locals Arnie Brooks, Scott Wilcox and Dana Wilcox celebrate a win at the President’s Day Tournament at Ice in Paradise in Goleta.

Juan Quintero (#17) keeps the ball alive in the Warriors volleyball loss to the Dragons.

Goodwill roof collapses early Saturday

The Goodwill of Carpinteria roof collapsed early Saturday morning following heavy rains in the area.

The Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the location around 1 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, district executive assistant Grace Rampton confirmed to CVN. First responders found glass, drop ceiling tiles, insulation and other debris across the area and in the nearby parking lot.

According to Rampton, approximately 20% of the roof fell into the building, likely caused by the storms. “CSFD personnel swept up debris and cautioned taped off the building for safety, front and back sides. Sheriff Deputies remained on the scene for the business responsible to arrive,” she said.

Lieutenant Ugo Arnoldi with the County Sheriff’s Office said the officers initially responded to the scene after the business’ alarm was activated, likely by the roof caving in. He said the building sustained major damage, and that the business’ store manager was contacted.

A notice on the business’ YELP page says it is scheduled to reopen March 31. The business is located in Casitas Plaza Shopping Center at 1024 Casitas Pass Rd. ––Evelyn

Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, private deck with estuary and mountain views. Amenities include two swimming pools, spa, laundry room and gated parking. A perfect unit to enjoy full-time, or as a vacation retreat that can be rented weekly or monthly. Great on-site management.

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OFFERED AT $475,000

Please call Shirley Kimberlin at 805-886-0228

LaurenMarkColomyJenkins)

AUGUST 21, 2022 +

NOTES ON THE DAY…

IS THERE A MOMENT FROM YOUR WEDDING THAT STANDS OUT?

We loved how our bridal party came to play. We had a groomsman walk down the aisle with the bridesmaid bouquet in his teeth, which totally lightened the mood. Our flower girl was not about wearing the fancy dress and shoes, so she walked down the aisle in a tie dye t-shirt, floral leggings and sneakers (and ROCKED it) and our best friend was our officiant. According to our guests, the vows didn’t leave a dry eye in the place. For us, all of the speeches were so beautiful and funny, and we felt so seen and loved by all of our people.

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR CEREMONY AND RECEPTION VENUES?

Mark always wanted to get married in the Sunken Gardens, which was perfect because my grandparents were married in the same spot in 1953. So that made the decision to have the reception at El Paseo easy. These two venues often go together, and El Paseo was the perfect solution to organizing and fulfilling the areas of weddings we did not want to coordinate ourselves (food, linens, drinks, seating).

DISCUSS YOUR ATTIRES, COLORS AND WEDDING THEMES.

This is the question I always avoided while wedding planning because I still don’t know how to answer it. We went with what felt like us, and our team of creatives did the rest. I wore a cotton eyelet dress that I bought second hand paired with hand-made floral earrings made by my dear friend Kathy, Mark wore a blue suit that brought out his eyes, and all I could give PacWest Blooms was that I wanted a sunflower incorporated in our bouquets. They delivered florals more beautiful than I could have ever designed or even imagined. Our color scheme ended up giving an indirect nod to us as Packer’s fans since our florals were primarily gold from the sunflowers, and my bridesmaids wore dark green.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON WHAT CAKE AND FOOD YOU WERE GOING TO SERVE? DID YOUR GUESTS ENJOY YOUR CHOICES?

This was one of the benefits of choosing El Paseo for the reception. We sat down with Troy (the manager) and Alex (the chef) and got to choose anything from a menu that sounded delicious (and delicious it was). They were also incredibly accommodating to meeting our needs for guests with dietary restrictions and allergies. I never worried about these guests because Chef Alex went out of his way to ensure all of our guests were fed something delicious. And we opted for the non-traditional dessert route – we ordered local from Tyler’s Donuts and had a donut-wall in lieu of cake. And a taco truck for the rehearsal dinner! Blue Corn Tacos went above and beyond for us, seriously hire them for your next event.

DID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CHANGE HOW YOU PLANNED YOUR WEDDING OR INFLUENCE THE DATE YOU CHOSE?

I mean, it definitely pushed the date! But that was such a blessing because we could take our time with decisions. Both of us were working full time. I am in a full-time graduate school program, and we moved twice since getting engaged. Yeah, we needed all the planning time we could get.

HOW DID YOU INCORPORATE YOUR OWN PERSONALITIES INTO THE WEDDING DAY?

The donut wall was definitely us, and it, along with all of our centerpieces, were hand-carved and decorated by Mark’s aunt Marlene. There were no two centerpieces alike and we loved that. I changed into a crop top, silk skirt and sneakers as soon as I could to be able to dance. The DJ played a Wisconsin Badgers hype up jam that Mark got to share with his college friends, and I shared a special mother-daughter dance to a slow cover of Free Bird that transitioned into the original. The dance floor was full all night. Honestly, our DJ nailed it with the music selection. It was a mix of oldies and '90s/'00s we all know and love. And it was all perfectly captured by one of my closest college friends (our photographer, Brian Lovelace). According to our guests, the whole day was perfectly “us.”

WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART FOR YOU IN PLANNING A WEDDING? WERE THERE ANY HICCUPS? IF SO, WHAT WERE THEY, AND HOW COULD THEY HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?

So, funny story – but not at the time – we almost lost our venue five weeks before the wedding! There was an error in scheduling that impacted three couples at the courthouse, but our hero of the day was Vanessa who was able to get to the bottom of the issue, solve the problem for everyone and every couple ended up ensuring their date was safe. That stress took a few years off my life though. Luckily it all worked out!

ANY ADVICE FOR COUPLES PLANNING A WEDDING?

Double check your reservations and don’t sweat the small stuff. There are too many details in a wedding that you can get lost in. The whole day is such a whirlwind, chances are you won’t even notice it. We were both surprisingly calm the day of, because we knew the little things didn’t matter, the most important part was when we said, “I do.”

THE MAGIC MAKERS…

Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Dulce Dia Events

Cake/Dessert: Tyler’s Donuts

Photographer: Brian Lovelace (SoCal Wedding Photographer)

Invitations: Minted

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken

Gardens, El Paseo Restaurant

Hair & Makeup: Blair Dessert (Beauty Crew 805)

Dress Shop: Maggie Sottero Designs

Tux: Generation Tux

Flowers: PacWest Blooms

Music: DJ Zeke (Zeke Monarrez)

Officiant: Steven Lozier

Rentals: Casas Party Rentals

Honeymoon: Mini Moon in Monterey

Rehearsal Dinner: Blue Corn Tacos (at Manning Park)

Spray Tan: Sweet Cheeks IV

Bridal Gifts: Solid Goods (Caitlyn Damron)

Bridal Jewelry: Noah’s Garden Creation (Kathy Wang)

Wedding Rings: Bryant and Sons Jewelers

Perfect, Hydrated Skin: Lend Your Love Body Butter

The beautiful sanctuary of Carpinteria Community Church, adorned with stained glass windows and intimate lighting, is the perfect place for family and friends to gather on your big day. The rose garden creates a colorful backdrop for wedding photos. Stay & celebrate in the Parish Hall for your reception, with a seating capacity of 105 people (champagne, beer and wine acceptable). High beam ceilings, french doors, hardwood floor, and adjacent patio sets the stage for lasting memories.

Request a tour & book your date, today!

Please call for more information.

Diamond Ring with 4.02 Carat Emerald Cut

Annamarie Rivas Alexander Gonzales)

JULY 23, 2022

NOTES ON THE DAY…

IS THERE A MOMENT FROM YOUR WEDDING THAT STANDS OUT?

So many moments. Our ceremony was very special to us. It took place at Mount Carmel Church. The first dance and the father daughter dance was memorable.

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR CEREMONY AND RECEPTION VENUES?

We always wanted to get married at Mount Carmel. Lion’s Park is beautiful and reminded me of family events. My grandfather Marty Macias always enjoyed BBQing there when I was young.

DISCUSS YOUR ATTIRES, COLORS AND WEDDING THEMES. Semi-formal. We used a lot of earth tones, with a touch of blush. The guys wore light grey suites. Our theme was an elegant rustic country style theme.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON WHAT CAKE AND FOOD YOU WERE GOING TO SERVE? DID YOUR GUESTS ENJOY YOUR CHOICES?

Our wedding coordinator Toby Theule recommended Pure Joy.

DID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CHANGE HOW YOU PLANNED YOUR WEDDING OR INFLUENCE THE DATE YOU CHOSE?

We had to postpone our wedding one year due to Covid-19.

HOW DID YOU INCORPORATE YOUR OWN PERSONALITIES INTO THE WEDDING DAY?

We incorporated country music, which we both love. We had an open bar with our personal favorite cocktails.

WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART FOR YOU IN PLANNING A WEDDING? WERE THERE ANY HICCUPS? IF SO, WHAT WERE THEY, AND HOW COULD THEY HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?

No hiccups. We had plenty of time to plan with the Covid-19 delays.

ANY ADVICE FOR COUPLES PLANNING A WEDDING?

Use a full-service wedding coordinator. It makes things go a lot smoother.

THE MAGIC MAKERS…

Wedding planner or coordinator: Toby Theule

Cake/Dessert: Pure Joy

Photographer: Joshua Shelly

Videographer: Isaiah Lin

Invitations, Signage: Shabina Dahlid

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Mount Carmel Church/Lions Park

Caterer: Pure Joy

Hair: Unveiled Makeup & Hair

Makeup: Shannon Jordan

Dress Shop: The Dress

Tux: Panoyan Custom Tailoring & Men’s Wear and Men's Warehouse

Flowers: PacWest Bloom

Music: DJ Hecktik

Officiant: Dr. Father Lawrence Sayer

Rentals: Tent Merchant Honeymoon: Bahamas

Rehearsal Dinner Location: Bluewater Grill

Ariana Garner Benjamin Hunt)

MAY 21, 2022

NOTES ON THE DAY…

IS THERE A MOMENT FROM YOUR WEDDING THAT STANDS OUT?

We did a log sawing tradition called Baumstamm sägen. This German tradition is celebrated directly after the ceremony. The newlyweds are expected to embark on their first challenge as a couple, mainly cutting a log of wood in half. The bride and groom must saw through the log together to prove their strength and teamwork as a couple. Our experience with this tradition stands out the most. At first it was difficult – our initial reaction was to argue about who was pushing and pulling properly. Our guests were laughing and cheering as the saw was bending incorrectly, watching us struggle to complete the challenge. It took some communication and support from our guests we were able to cut the saw, and everyone roared with excitement!

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR CEREMONY AND RECEPTION VENUES?

We spent some time researching venues in the Santa Barbara County area online and visited a few. While talking with friends about different venues we were visiting, one mentioned that they knew a family in Carpinteria that rented out their estate as a wedding venue occasionally. He then put us in touch with them and once we saw the property instantly knew this was the perfect space for our wedding. It was on an avocado orchard overlooking Rincon Point.

DISCUSS YOUR ATTIRES, COLORS AND WEDDING THEMES.

Our theme was rustic with a little bit of country. The guys wore bolo ties, and we encouraged cowboy boots and mustaches! Our colors were sage green, which were our bridesmaid dress colors. White and deep rose were our other colors. We also had a live painter there who painted our ceremony as it was going on, and then she finished it within the next six months and sent it to us.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON WHAT CAKE AND FOOD YOU WERE GOING TO SERVE? DID YOUR GUESTS ENJOY YOUR CHOICES?

Our food was an easy decision as my husband loves tacos. They are easy and you can’t really mess them up! I also like quality ingredients, so we were able to lock down our friends at Slate catering who did our tocos, rice, salad, chips, salsa and guacamole. The avocados used in the guacamole were picked from an avocado orchard.

Our cake and wedding cookies were made by my aunt Kelley Garner, who is an amazing home cook/ baker and holistic nutritionist. Like I mentioned, I love good quality ingredients and my aunt knows what ingredients to choose and how to use them to make the goodies taste delicious. Our cake was a four-tiered red velvet cake with cream cheese buttercream frosting. She also made many dozen chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, butter cookies and Italian wedding cookies. She baked gluten-free version of each of those as well.

DID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CHANGE HOW YOU PLANNED YOUR WEDDING OR INFLUENCE THE DATE YOU CHOSE?

The pandemic did not influence our date or location. We always wanted an outdoor wedding, which allowed for most everyone to feel safe and enjoy their time!

HOW DID YOU INCORPORATE YOUR OWN PERSONALITIES INTO THE WEDDING DAY?

Yes definitely! Ben and his groomsmen wore bolo ties, mustaches and cowboy boots which is unique to Ben’s country living’ style. For me personally, I changed into a juicy track sweatsuit during the reception so I could be comfortable and stylish in all white still! I love to be comfortable, and I also was a big Juicy Couture track suit girl growing up!

ADVICE FOR COUPLES PLANNING A WEDDING?

The advice we would give to other couples is to do your wedding your own way. Not everything has to be super traditional. You can add your own flare and personality into the ceremony. We stood at the alter on non-traditional sides. We sawed a log in half in front of our guests right after we said, “I do.” Have fun and make it a unique, fun and memorable experience.

THE MAGIC MAKERS…

Wedding planner: Nicole Leza

Cake: Made by the bride’s aunt, Kelly Garner

Food: Slate Catering

Photographer: Campbell Family Photography

Invitations, Signage: Mother and step-father of the groom, Bill and Kim Cooper

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Regina Ranch, Carpinteria

Hair and Makeup: Pamela Butler and Lucia Flowers and Altar: Heather Day

Music: DJ Le Funk

Officiant: Maressa Garner, bride’s sister Honeymoon: Kauai

Rehearsal Dinner: Barbareño

From left: Logan Foster, Ken Towers, John Rieger, Marey Gauthier, Taylor Barnett, Noah Tunney, Barbara Towers and Kelley Baker

Heather Nelson Photography

Jamie Goodwin Jamie Hill)

OCTOBER 2, 2022

NOTES ON THE DAY…

IS THERE A MOMENT FROM YOUR WEDDING THAT STANDS OUT?

Our first dance was spectacular! Neither one of us were particularly good dancers, so we went to Arthur Murray Dance Studio, and CC helped us choreograph a romantic, yet playful dance that incorporated salsa and flamenco. We practiced every week for three months prior to our wedding. Boy, did it pay off! We didn’t miss a beat and impressed the crowd (and ourselves).

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR CEREMONY AND RECEPTION VENUES?

Since we met and spent most of our lives together in Santa Barbara, it was important for us to have our ceremony at one of the most iconic sites in the city, the Santa Barbara Courthouse. We then researched nearby reception venues and Villa & Vine stood out immediately. The venue was gorgeous and only a five-minute walk from the courthouse. Chrissy was absolutely amazing to work with, and the food provided by Petros was delicious. We got so many compliments from our guests.

DISCUSS YOUR ATTIRES, COLORS AND WEDDING THEMES.

We went for a coastal Mediterranean look. Since it was fall, we wanted to incorporate warmer tones. The bridesmaids’ dresses had three different colors: taupe, terracotta and desert rose. The groomsmen wore dark grey suits with brown oxford shoes.

For my dress, I chose an elegant, off-the-shoulder style, with added button details on the back. My veil was cathedral length with an embroidered leaf pattern. My necklace was made from my grandmother’s 25th anniversary ring. My husband wore a custom ivory tux with a bowtie and patent black shoes.

The florals from PacWest Blooms complemented these looks perfectly, with blush and orange blooms, and varieties of greens, along with some dried vine wood for the table centerpieces. It turned out gorgeous! Suzie and team helped us build a design that allowed us reuse many of the ceremony flowers for the reception, which was great to help stay within our budget.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON WHAT CAKE AND FOOD YOU WERE GOING TO SERVE? DID YOUR GUESTS ENJOY YOUR CHOICES?

During the cocktail hour, we had passed hors d’oeuvres that included two varieties of bruschetta and truffle, honey and Gruyere grilled cheese triangles that were to die for. We did their “Victoria” family-style dinner in the courtyard – the short rib was our favorite! We brought in a personal cake from Crushcakes for cutting, and smaller cupcakes, or Bundtinis, from Nothing Bundt Cakes for the guests. All of the food and dessert were huge hits with our guests! 10/10!

DID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CHANGE HOW YOU PLANNED YOUR WEDDING OR INFLUENCE THE DATE YOU CHOSE?

When we got engaged in June 2021, we knew we would need to push out the date for later in 2022 in the hopes Covid-19 and the accompanying mandates would not impact our wedding. We had some safety protocols in place, but for the most part it felt like a pre-pandemic wedding.

HOW DID YOU INCORPORATE YOUR OWN PERSONALITIES INTO THE WEDDING DAY?

The coming together of both sides of our families and friends, and their support, made us feel so loved. Our personalities really came through in their toasts during the reception.

WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART FOR YOU IN PLANNING A WEDDING? WERE THERE ANY HICCUPS? IF SO, WHAT WERE THEY, AND HOW COULD THEY HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?

Near the end of planning for the wedding, we got a little fatigued, but once we got to the actual wedding weekend, everything went so smoothly! We can’t think of anything that went awry, at least to our knowledge. Having a stellar vendor team and the support of friends and family helped prevent any hiccups. It was our best day!

ADVICE FOR COUPLES PLANNING A WEDDING?

It can feel overwhelming where to start. Prioritizing will help with this. Start by choosing a date and location where to have the ceremony and reception. This will help guide all the other decisions. Having a wedding planner or coordinator is a must! We are so grateful to our coordinator, Toby and her team. They were vital to helping us plan and making sure the day went smoothly.

THE MAGIC MAKERS…

Wedding planner or coordinator: Toby Theule

Cake/Dessert: Cake (Crushcakes); Bundtinis (Nothing Bundt Cakes)

Photographer: Amber Jean Photography

Videographer: Peter and Bridgette Videography

Invitations, Signage: Jamie Goodwin, bride

Ceremony: Santa Barbara Courthouse

Reception: Villa & Vine

Caterer: Petros/Villa & Vine

Hair and Makeup: Cheek to Cheek Artistry

Dress Drop: Mary Me Bridal

Tux: Enzo’s Custom

Flowers: PacWest Blooms

Music: Tony Ybarra Entertainment, DJ Darla Bea

Officiant: Sirague Krizwold

Rentals: Bright Event Rentals, Dreams America Linens, Open Air Photo Booth

Honeymoon: French Polynesia (Moorea, Bora Bora and Taha’a)

Travel Agent: Tahiti.com

Rehearsal Dinner Location: Shalhoob’s Funk Zone Patio

Other: Arthur Murray Dance Studio

Other: Kimpton Canary Hotel (accommodations, ready room, and first look)

Kelsey Whittaker Connor Bitzer)

JUNE 4, 2022

NOTES ON THE DAY…

IS THERE A MOMENT FROM YOUR WEDDING THAT STANDS OUT?

Walking into the empty venue before any guests arrived and seeing everything I was anticipating come to life was so incredible to see! Of course, having my mom, Anne, walk me down the aisle and seeing Connor’s reaction was absolutely priceless. I know this is up for debate, but the traditional first look down the aisle (instead of a pre ceremony first look) is so worth it.

The reception was also so, so fun for us all. My sister – my maid of honor – performed a beautiful hula, that basically brought everyone to tears. It was so special!

Ending the night on the dance floor having a big, giant party with all of our closest friends and family was definitely a highlight as well!

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR CEREMONY AND RECEPTION VENUES?

It was a really easy choice for us! I grew up here in the Santa Barbara area and knew about Elings Park and knew how beautiful and simple it was. We went and checked it out one day and booked it a few days after! Connor was sold from the minute we walked up there, too. We had the ceremony on the grass field overlooking Santa Barbara, and the reception out on the deck under the stars!

DISCUSS YOUR ATTIRES, COLORS AND WEDDING THEMES.

The theme of the wedding was very classy and simple. My bridesmaids wore a sort of rust orange, very simple, flattering dress. Connor was in all black, and the groomsmen were in all black with a white shirt under. I wore one dress the whole night. Very simple and form fitting. Low back, with pearls down the entire back.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON WHAT CAKE AND FOOD YOU WERE GOING TO SERVE? DID YOUR GUESTS ENJOY YOUR CHOICES?

We decided on a small cake to cut and then cupcakes for guests. We went this route because realistically not many people eat the actual cake, and cupcakes were easy and bite sized. Some people even ate them out on the dance floor! For food we had tacos and apps by El Zarape. Raul is a family friend and my sister actually had Zarape cater her wedding, so we knew we wanted something so delicious! Who doesn’t love tacos?

THE MAGIC MAKERS…

Wedding planner or coordinator: Crowned Events

Cake/Dessert: Sunny Dawn (Sunnysdlights)

Photographer: Gin & July

Videographer: SoHi Productions

Invitations, signage Invitations: Zazzle Signage

One of my best friends designed and printed the signs for me!

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Elings Park

Caterer: El Zarape

Makeup: Rose Jones

Hair: Caitlyn Damron

Dress Shop: Revolve

Dress Tailoring: Maria at Design Studio MZ

Tux: Panoyan Tailoring

Flowers: PacWest Blooms

Music: Jerry Rodriguez

Officiant: Jon Woodcock

Rentals: Amigo Party Rentals

Honeymoon: Italy

Rehearsal Dinner Location: Arnoldi’s Cafe

DID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CHANGE HOW YOU PLANNED YOUR WEDDING OR INFLUENCE THE DATE YOU CHOSE?

Covid wasn’t really a factor for our wedding! We kind of had it at the perfect time!

HOW DID YOU INCORPORATE YOUR OWN PERSONALITIES INTO THE WEDDING DAY?

We wanted to make sure the music was fun and lively since that’s the kind of music we love. We love spicy, delicious food, so we made sure to have our favorite salsa at everyone’s tables. All the decor was very neutral and simple which we also loved. We really kept the day simple and were able to enjoy the day with all of our favorite people!

WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART FOR YOU IN PLANNING A WEDDING? WERE THERE ANY HICCUPS? IF SO, WHAT WERE THEY, AND HOW COULD THEY HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?

Surprisingly we didn’t run into many hiccups. I don’t feel that any part was particularly difficult – we just had a lot of fun with it!

ANY ADVICE FOR COUPLES PLANNING A WEDDING?

Definitely start planning early. I got most of the really important stuff out of the way early, that way we could enjoy the process and not be too stressed. I think a good way to look at it is act like you’re planning a big party! You want everybody – includ

ing you and the groom – to just have the best, most fun day with everyone you love!

Taylor Stanley Justin Fitzgerald)

FEBRUARY 5, 2022

NOTES ON THE DAY…

IS THERE A MOMENT FROM YOUR WEDDING THAT STANDS OUT?

Walking down the aisle was the moment that was most significant to both my husband and myself. The tradition of not seeing each other until the actual ceremony really heightens the excitement and surprise. It might seem old fashioned, but we loved it.

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR CEREMONY AND RECEPTION VENUES?

We had both our ceremony and reception at the same place. It saves so much hassle and confusion that way. My very close family friends have a house at the beach at Rincon. I grew up at this house and it holds so many beautiful memories. It was a no-brainer when they offered it for our wedding. So, it was a blend of childhood memories, family closeness and the beauty of nature.

DISCUSS YOUR ATTIRES, COLORS AND WEDDING THEMES.

We only had two people in the wedding party: my maid of honor and best man. My maid of honor’s dress color was a long, light pink dress. I wanted this because the color scheme for the wedding was dark and wintery, so I wanted her in a lighter color. The best man was in a dark grey suit. Our colors were dark red, white, pink and green. A wintery theme.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON WHAT CAKE AND FOOD YOU WERE GOING TO SERVE? DID YOUR GUESTS ENJOY YOUR CHOICES?

For food, we knew our party guests were all foodies! We decided on BBQ and a buffet. We went with Beans BBQ and they were amazing! They brought their own Santa Maria style grill and cooked all the meat right there on location. The guests really enjoyed that. I think the biggest excitement was our dessert buffet we had. We ordered 100 single mini cakes from Renaud’s. All different styles and flavors. That was the best decision.

HOW DID YOU INCORPORATE YOUR OWN PERSONALITIES INTO THE WEDDING DAY?

We put our personalities into all of the wedding. For instance, I really wanted both of my parents to walk me down the aisle, veering from the traditional father walk down the aisle.

Another example is that we are both pretty laid-back people and wanted this to feel like a big fun family party. For our dress rehearsal the night before, we decided to have a party for every guest to join instead of just the immediate family. We had a small guest list, so the party could last two days, and this way all of the family members could meet and mingle so the wedding was more about enjoying and less about formality. Weddings go by so fast, and we wanted to make sure we spent plenty of time with everyone who came to celebrate us.

WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART FOR YOU IN PLANNING A WEDDING? WERE THERE ANY HICCUPS? IF SO, WHAT WERE THEY, AND HOW COULD THEY HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?

The most difficult part in planning our wedding was planning the wedding of our dreams, but also staying within budget. We had a small, intimate wedding and wanted to make a beautiful wedding feel without all the dollar signs. Honestly, to prevent it, we would have done the courthouse, but we did our best with how we planned, and we loved it. Wouldn’t have done anything different.

Our wedding planners were amazing in helping us stay on budget and they made our dreams a reality for sure. We are very grateful for Suzie and Brian from PacWest Blooms.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR COUPLES PLANNING A WEDDING?

The advice we have for couples planning a wedding is to do what you want to do, not what everyone else is telling you. This is your day, and it only lasts a few hours – make it count and make it just the way you want. Also, during the wedding, take a moment with your partner off to the side to look around and see what you did, and see all the people who came to celebrate your love. It’s a beautiful quiet moment for just the two of you to really be present together on your day.

THE MAGIC MAKERS…

Wedding planner: PacWest Blooms

• Dessert: Renaud's Bakery

Photographer: LA Exposures (Jeremy Fraser)

• Invitations: Shutterfly

Ceremony & Reception: Rincon Beach (family home)

Caterer: Beans BBQ

Makeup: Rose Jones

• Hair: Amari Salon (Krysta Biancone)

• Dress Drop: LuLus

Flowers: PacWest Blooms

Officiant: Michelle Fulton (Aunt)

Honeymoon: Belize

• Tux: Men’s Warehouse

• Music: Gregorio Guerro

• Rentals: Amigos party rental

• Rehearsal dinner: Esau's Cafe

Wedding location: Donlon Family house