Coastal View News • June 20, 2024

BRIEFLY

COMPILED BY EVELYN SPENCE AND JUN STARKEY

County allots $800k for Carpinteria Bluffs preservation

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted last Tuesday to set aside $800,000 for preservation of the Carpinteria Bluffs. The money will be included in the county’s 2024-25 budget.

First District Supervisor Das Williams, who requested the funding, said in a press release sent out Thursday that the county is “committed to preserving this important coastal open space.”

“It is my hope that this $800,000 will be seed funding to support the eventual fundraising effort to purchase the property for the public, and protect it for future generations,” Williams said.

Developers came before the city’s Architectural Review Board earlier this year with plans to turn the 5669 and 5885 Carpinteria Ave. properties – currently the site of the Tee Time golf driving range – into the Farms Preserve and Bungalows. The resort would have 99 hotel rooms, 40 bungalows, cabins, an organic farm, open space and 41-income restricted units of housing.

Carpinterians filled that January meeting wall to wall, arguing against the project and urging the city to consider purchasing the property.

Patrick Crooks, president of the nonprofit bluffs advocacy group Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs, said last Thursday that the investment is accepted with “overwhelming gratitude.”

“The county’s support gives us continued hope that we will succeed in preserving additional bluffs property, and that any owner of undeveloped coastal open space will understand the seriousness of the public sentiment to preserve the bluffs forever in our community,” he added.

Carpinterians raised money to purchase nearby bluffs parcels – 51.8 acres – in the late ‘90s, preventing the area from development.

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Beach Store building declared unsafe

Carpinteria’s Beach Store at 100 Linden Ave. – typically the spot where Carpinterians pick up their summer rental gear – has been declared unsafe, according to a city of Carpinteria Building and Safety notice posted on the store.

The structure was declared “substandard” on May 9 and no entry is allowed.

City spokesperson Olivia Uribe-Mutal confirmed that the city’s Boathouse, located at the end of Ash Avenue, will be taking over as the place for rentals. As of publication, there is no confirmed opening date.

Entry to the city of Carpinteria’s Beach Store is barred.

KARLSSON PHOTOS

The city of Carpinteria’s Beach Store has been declared unsafe; rental pick-ups will be moved to the city’s Boathouse, located at the end of Ash Avenue.

Man arrested after fire on Carpinteria Bluffs

Jordan Ramirez, 24, was arrested for arson on Thursday, June 13 after local firefighters put out a fire on the Carpinteria Bluffs.

Ramirez – who is listed as a transient – was also arrested for possession of narcotics and paraphernalia and an outstanding no-bail warrant from Ventura County, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Raquel Zick confirmed to CVN. According to Sheriff’s Office records, he is being held with no bail.

Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District firefighters responded to reports of smoke on the Carpinteria Bluffs near the 6100 block of Carpinteria Avenue at 9:37 a.m. on Thursday, per district spokesperson Grace Rampton.

“First on scene reported light smoke showing, our firefighters made contact, extinguished the flames,” Rampton said. The fire stayed within a 20’x’20 area, according to Rampton.

Locals establish scholarship foundation

Sisters Marisol, Caroline, Rebecca and Natalia, alongside their niece Isa, have established the Alacron Foundation in honor of the sisters’ parents, Victor and Lucia Alarcon, Natalia – the city of Carpinteria’s vice mayor – told CVN.

The foundation has since given out $800 in scholarships to students at Aliso Elementary, Canalino Elementary, Carpinteria Middle School and Carpinteria High School.

A press release from the family called Victor and Lucia “immigrant parents whose unwavering dedication to education amidst adversity serves as a profound source of inspiration.”

“We want to recognize deserving first generation students who are not typically awarded scholarships due to their grades, but for their resilient character,” Marisol said.

Arts center seeks gallery host volunteers

The Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center has announced that it will hold a Gallery Host training event on Saturday, June 29, 11 a.m. to noon in the Charles Lo Bue Gallery, for locals who are interested in volunteering with the arts center.

Volunteers will meet new people, make connections and build stronger ties with the community, Christy Schofield, arts center gallery coordinator, said.

Those interested in learning more can visit the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center website at carpinteriaartscenter.org or call (805) 684-7789.

Happy Hour with county’s Commission for Women

Carpinteria’s First District residents – and surrounding locals – are invited to a happy hour with the County of Santa Barbara Commission for Women at the Santa Barbara Biergarten on Thursday, June 27, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

The commission will have snacks, refreshments and raffle prizes available. SB Biergarten is located at 11 Anacapa St. For more information or to RSVP, visit bit.ly/ CommissionHappyHour.

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From left, Carpinterians Barbara Menne, Nancy Bradbury and Connie Geston volunteer at the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center.

COURTESY PHOTO

From left: Lucia Alarcon, Caroline Alarcon, Marisol Alarcon, Rebecca Alarcon and Natalia Alarcon.

SCHOOL BOARD

Middle school dual language program expands to seventh grade

BY JUN STARKEY

Carpinteria Middle School (CMS) will expand its Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program to include seventh graders in the 2024-25 school year, CMS Principal Lisa O’Shea reported at the June 11 Carpinteria Unified School District (CUSD) Board of Trustees meeting.

The middle school will also have Tom Pavia, a music instructor at CUSD, full time for the next school year, O’Shea told board members.

With Pavia on board, the school can now host two different classes for the band and string orchestra. He will also oversee an exploratory music class.

Pavia and Christina Peña-Eckert, the Spanish teacher at CMS, spoke during the June 11 board meeting about what their 2024-25 classes will look like.

Peña-Eckert said the seventh grade DLI students will have Spanish language Arts in conjunction with English Language Arts, in accordance with the DLI model CUSD developed in 2016. She said students will use a variety of texts, and language arts classes will focus on two novels: “A Seed in the Sun,” by Aida Salazar, and “Marcus Vega no habla Español,” by Pablo Cartaya.

Peña-Eckert will also teach a seventh grade Spanish history class, which will include the ancient history of medieval Europe, Islam, South Asia, West Africa, China, Japan and the Americas.

“By examining the cultural elements, challenges and feats for each of these an-

cient civilizations, students will attain a better understanding of how each group helped transform the world forever,” she said.

Pavia spoke to board members about his exploratory music course being offered next school year. “Exploratory music is a semester-long class where students spend time exploring instrumental and vocal music,” Pavia said, explaining that students will focus on weeks-long units focused on the piano, guitar, ukulele, recorder, drums nad voice.

CITY OF CARPINTERIA 5775 CARPINTERIA AVENUE CARPINTERIA, CA 93013 (805) 684-5405/www.carpinteria.ca.us

CITY OF CARPINTERIA

ORDINANCE TO PROHIBIT SMOKING IN MULTI-UNIT HOUSING

Monday, June 24, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.

Carpinteria City Hall - Council Chambers 5775 Carpinteria Avenue Carpinteria, CA 93013

On June 24, 2024, the City Council will consider a first reading of Ordinance No. 778, an Ordinance amending the Carpinteria Municipal Code, Chapter 8.52 to, among other changes, regulate smoking in multi-unit housing developments, and update requirements for tobacco retail signage and smoking prohibitions in hotels in accordance with State law. Public comments are welcome!

For more information, call Mindy Fogg, Principal Planner at (805) 755-4408 or visit: https://carpinteriaca.gov/city-hall/agendas-meetings/

“Students will get to use musical production software to produce music. This is an amazing opportunity for anyone who enjoys music but does not want to perform in a traditional concert band or string orchestra,” he added.

The middle school will also offer vocal music as a club, Pavia said, to build up interest.

“The program at the middle school is really impressive, and it’s great to see you embracing that with the passion you’ve brought to all your classes,” board member Andy Sheaffer told Pavia. “Hopefully it carries forward and we can start rebuilding the program at the high school.”

Superintendent, board review selfassessment for district goals

Superintendent Diana Rigby presented CUSD’s annual update on its local indicators at the Board of Trustees’ June 11 meeting. Local indicators are used to measure progress in certain priority areas of a school district, such as school climate or academic standards.

Local indicators for CUSD include student achievement, other student outcomes, parent involvement, student engagement, school climate, course access, implementation of state standards and the district’s alignment of resources to reach district goals.

“We’re required to measure this progress, report the results and also report the results to the public on our dashboard, which is located on a link on our website,” Rigby said.

Rigby reviewed the district’s self assessment of its local indicators, focusing on the areas of appropriately assigned

teachers; the implementation of state academic standards; support for teachers and administrators; parent and family engagement; school climate; and access to a broad course of study.

For misassigned teachers, Rigby said, there was one misassignment for the teachers of English learners, and 16 total teacher misassignments. Regarding the English learner misassignment, Rigby said one DLI instructor needed to complete a certification.

Regarding the total misassignments, Rigby explained that California has increased its requirements for special education instructor’s credentials. The state now requires an authorization – that many instructors do not have – to work with students with a particular disability.

Rigby said this is a similar situation other districts are facing, because many special education instructors do not receive the authorization when becoming certified. “Many of our veteran special education teachers do not have this most current authorization required by the state,” she said.

Rigby also looked at the implementation of state standards, specifically regarding instructional materials being aligned with the adopted academic standards.

Some materials will be adopted for history and social science at the middle school this next school year, Rigby said; after that, the district will have provided fully aligned materials for all areas, including English, math, science and history.

Regarding parent and family engagement at the district, Rigby said teachers, administrators and staff at every school site “work hard and effectively in developing and cultivating parent relationships and parent involvement and engagement at the schools.”

One area of improvement for the district, she said, would be to have more Hispanic parents and families in the parent groups. The district offers Spanish and English for all communications, Rigby said, as well as interpreters for all family events at school sites.

For school climate, Rigby cited results from the most recent California Healthy Kids Survey, which is administered to fifth, seventh, ninth and 11th grade students at CUSD. Rigby specifically looked at school connectedness, academic motivation and students’ perception of school safety.

The survey showed the majority of fifth, ninth and 11th graders – at least 89% of each group – reported feelings of school connectedness, academic motivation and said school felt safe.

Among seventh graders, the numbers were slightly lower, ranging from 82% to 86%.

“Grade seven at the middle school has some work to do. Even though it’s positive, it could be a lot higher,” Rigby said.

COURTESY PHOTO

Christina Peña-Eckert will teach the newly expanded Dual Language Immersion classes for seventh grade students at Carpinteria Middle School.

Carpinteria

CITY BEAT

Following previous direction from the ARB, Lagunitas Project developers replaced the plaster for the buildings with shingle siding and a color palette that adheres to grays and browns.

Lagunitas Project’s lack of affordable housing is concerning, Carpinteria review boards say City

lawmakers, members of the public share concerns during Tuesday conceptual review COURTESY

BY ATMIKA IYER

The Lagunitas Apartments and Mixeduse Project proposed for an empty lot at 6380 Via Real did not fare well during its second formal meeting before the city of Carpinteria’s review boards.

During a Tuesday night conceptual review, both members of the public and of the city’s Architectural Review Board (ARB), Planning Commission and City Council all shared concerns with the project’s density and lack of affordable housing.

“You’re building all this housing without affordable housing? That’s a non-starter,” Planning Commissioner Jane Benefield said during the city review portion of the meeting.

A conceptual review allows developers – such as the project’s RPG Carpinteria, LLC – to solicit feedback from local lawmakers and the public prior to submitting or resubmitting an official proposal.

The city’s ARB first heard the project during an April 2024 meeting. At the time, both groups disliked the developers’ request to exceed the city’s 30-foot height limit and the buildings’ industrial architecture style, calling it incompatible with Carpinteria.

The parcel at 6380 Via Real was originally slated for an entirely commercial project, which developers shifted to mixed-use following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The city’s review boards discussed three different versions of the project on Tuesday, June 18, alternating between 159, 147 or 153 apartment units for the 8.63-acre parcel. The units would include studios, one bedrooms and two bedrooms.

The main project proposal includes 6,718 square feet of research and development office space and 2,224 square-foot café/deli.

The first option presented during Tuesday’s meeting adhered to the developer’s original vision, with 159 apartments and 301 parking spaces. The proposal requests that one building exceed the 30-foot city height limit, 47 parking spaces be reserved for compact cars and to extend parking into the front yard setback.

The project would also include a pool/ spa, a gym and a rentable clubhouse. Fifteen parking spaces would be reserved for the café/deli and offices.

T he second option offers 147 units and 292 parking spaces. This project proposal option would not require modifications, such as requests to exceed the city’s height limit. In this option, parking spaces would be shared among residents and visitors.

The third option includes 153 units and 318 parking spaces. The only modification includes requesting parking in a front yard setback, similar to the first proposal.

Mark Kirkhart with RPG Carpinteria, LLC explained that unlike the previous version of the project presented to the ARB, the current proposal replaces the plaster for the buildings with shingle

“The scope of this project, the scale is unbelievable – it’s overwhelming. Nobody’s talking about the community next to it. We’re residents, and we bought into this understanding that this is going to be a commercial building and this scale is insane.”

––Resident Tim Grimes said during public comment

siding and a color palette that adheres to grays and browns.

Thoug h the project does not take advantage of density bonus laws that allow developers to bypass certain city restrictions such as density in exchange for income-restriction units, it has been counted toward the city’s efforts to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation amid the state and local housing crisis.

Lawmakers asked on Tuesday why the proposal doesn’t include income-restricted units..

Councilmemb er Mónica Solórzano asked if the developers were interested in including affordable housing. City staff said that the option has been brought up many times by staff – noting that a density bonus project would eliminate several hurdles moving forward – but that the owners and applicant hadn’t chose to include affordable housing.

Following the staf f presentation, principal planner with RPG Carpinteria, LLC Troy White made his own project presentation to the council, planning commission and ARB.

Councilmember Solórzano asked White – who previously said developers would prefer “affordable by design” – if developers would be willing to provide affordable, income-restricted housing.

“When I look at a project like this,

I’m more interested in an affordable by income level, and so I want to know, is that something that you would be open to… having some income-restricted units as part of this plan?” Solórzano asked.

White said while local lawmakers may be looking for affordable housing options through the project, he believes “from our neighbors’ perspective, I think it’s exactly what they don’t want.”

“So, we’re kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place,” he added.

Solórzano said she would feel more comfortable supporting the project if it included income-restricted units.

Local lawmakers expressed interest in eliminating research and development offices to offer a higher density of housing; this would require a housing rezone, more opportunities to offer affordable housing, and, subsequently, a more streamlined approval process.

As public comment began after a small break, community members came out in droves to speak out against the project’s density, noting that zoning laws originally designated this parcel for commercial.

“As you can tell, the homeowners of Lagunitas are not excited about this development and we have grave concerns,” commenter M. J. Yardley said.

“I know the developer addressed some of the concerns that were identi-

fied in the ARB almost two months ago, but they didn’t really address the most significant concern that not only the homeowners had, but the ARB had… the density of the project (buildings).”

Yardley was among the majority during public comment advocating for a smaller or less dense version of the original proposal.

“The scope of this project, the scale is unbelievable – it’s overwhelming. Nobody’s talking about the community next to it,” Tim Grimes said during public comment. “We’re residents, and we bought into this understanding that this is going to be a commercial building and this scale is insane.”

Following public comment, ARB, planning commission and councilmembers offered their feedback. ARB members mostly spoke against the project, fundamentally labeling it incongruous with the surrounding community.

Commissioner Benefield also spoke against parking in the front yard setback, and said at this juncture, she would not be in favor of the project.

Councilmember Roy Lee asked the developers to speak with local employers to ensure that the project is tailored to the local workforce.

“Currently, I do not support any of it,” Lee said.

Councilmember Solózano said while she’s sympathetic to public concern, the city’s uncertified Housing Element leaves the city vulnerable, and that affordable, income-restricted housing must be incorporated. Mayor Al Clark and Vice Mayor Natalia Alarcon agreed.

“I can absolutely see myself supporting a project like this, but I would need to see some affordable, income-restricted housing,” Solórzano said.

“...The people that would benefit from that are a very real part of Carpinteria, and they’re not always the ones who are able to come and speak out at meetings or give public comment, but they are a vital part of our community.”

The apartments and mixed-use project proposed for 6380 Via Real would include research and development space, a cafe/deli, and up to 159 apartments.

Cannabis tax reform fizzles out

“For the moment, this is on pause,” a county supervisor says BY MELINDA BURNS

A proposed cannabis tax increase that was designed to address the problem of chronic under-reporting by some outdoor growers failed to pass muster at Tuesday’s Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors hearing, at least for now. Currently, as approved by the county voters in 2018, cannabis growers are required to pay a quarterly cultivation tax of 4% of their gross receipts, or sales. On the table Tuesday was a “hybrid” option that would have assessed a minimum quarterly tax of 10 cents per square foot for outdoor cannabis and 50 cents per square foot for greenhouse cannabis – or 4% of gross sales, whichever was greater.

The reform was billed as a way to address both the underreporting and the glaring tax disparity between outdoor growers, who operate chiefly in the North County, and the greenhouse, or “indoor” growers of the Carpinteria Valley. During fiscal year 2022-23, records show, the county collected $5.5 million in cannabis taxes. Indoor growers paid 82% of the total, and outdoor growers paid 18%.

“You’re trying to put a blanket over the industry to resolve the issue of a few operators who are not paying appropriate tax.”

– David Van Wingerden, co-owner of Carpinteria’s Farmlane

Tuesday’s hearing was the board’s last chance to put a cannabis tax measure on the November ballot, but they needed four votes to do so. Supervisor Bob Nelson proposed lowering the quarterly square footage tax to 5 cents for outdoor growers and 37.5 cents for indoor. Only he and Supervisor Laura Capps voted in favor.

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY ZONING ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

DATE OF HEARING: July 1, 2024

HEARING BEGINS: 9:00 A.M.

PLACE: SANTA BARBARA COUNTY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING ROOM 123 E. ANAPAMU STREET, RM. 17 SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The Zoning Administrator provides in-person participation as well as virtual participation until further notice.

The following methods of participation are available to the public.

1. If you wish to provide public comment, the following methods are available:

• Distribution to the Zoning Administrator - Submit your comment via email prior to 12:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to the Zoning Administrator hearing. Please submit your comment to the Secretary at martinj@countyofsb.org. Your comment will be placed into the record and distributed appropriately.

• Attend the Meeting In-Person: Individuals are allowed to attend and provide comments at the Zoning Administrator meeting in-person.

• Attend the Meeting by Zoom Webinar - Individuals wishing to provide public comment during the Zoning Administrator meeting can do so via Zoom webinar by clicking the below link to register in advance. Register in advance for this meeting: After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing important information about joining the webinar.

When: July 1, 2024 09:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Topic: Zoning Administrator 7/1/2024 https://countyofsb.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_i44rB3qgQm-68Pvkth03DA OR PARTICIPATE VIA TELEPHONE:

Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 213 338 8477 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 720 928 9299 or +1 971 247 1195 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 602 753 0140 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 470 250 9358 or +1 646 518 9805 or +1 651 372 8299 or +1 786 635 1003 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 267 831 0333 or +1

8592 or 877 853 5257 (Toll Free) or 888 475 4499 (Toll Free) or 833 548 0276 (Toll Free) or 833 548 0282 (Toll Free) Webinar ID: 889 7921 8893

The Zoning Administrator will accept written comments and interested persons may appear to support or oppose the proposal. If written comments are filed, three (3) copies should be provided. Comments should be filed with or mailed to Planning and Development, Attn: Hearing Support, 123 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Continuances will not be granted unless there are exceptional circumstances. This matter may be dropped from the agenda unless the applicant is present and ready to proceed on the date set herein.

Please be advised that the Zoning Administrator’s decisions made under the authority of Chapter 35 & 21 of the Santa Barbara County Code may be appealed to the County Planning Commission by the applicant or any aggrieved person adversely affected by such decision. An appeal, which shall be in writing, and accompanying fee shall be filed with the Planning and Development Department Zoning and Permit Information Counter located at either 123 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA, or 624 West Foster Road, Suite C, Santa Maria, CA, within the 10 calendar days following the date of the action by the Zoning Administrator. There is a $669.06 fee for both non-applicants and owner/applicant appeals to the Planning Commission. A fee will not be charged if the development which is the subject of the appeal is defined as development that may be appealed to the California Coastal Commission in compliance with Public Resources Code Section 30603(a).

If you challenge the project 23CDH-00031, in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence to the Zoning Administrator prior to the public hearing.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need a disability-related modification or accommodation or are exempt from applicable Health Officer Orders, including auxiliary aids or services such as sound enhancement equipment or an American Sign Language interpreter, to participate in this hearing, please contact Hearing Support Staff at 805-568-2000. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the hearing will enable the Hearing Support Staff to make reasonable arrangements. If you have any questions or if you are participating in the hearing telephonically or electronically and need a disability-related modification or accommodation or have any issues attempting to access the hearing telephonically or electronically, please contact Hearing Support Staff at 805-568-2000.

1. 23CDH-00031 SoCal Gas Gaviota Repairs Gaviota Coast 23EMP-00017 Katie Nall, Planner (805) 884-8050

Hearing on the request of SoCal Gas to consider Case No. 23CDH-00031

• for a Coastal Development Permit in compliance with Section 35-169 of Article II, the Coastal Zoning Ordinance, on property zoned AG-II-100 and AG-II-320 to allow inspection and repair of three sections in SoCal Gas’ existing 16-inch high pressure natural gas transmission pipeline identified as Line 24 (L247) located along the Gaviota Coast; and to

• determine the project is exempt pursuant to Section 15269(b) of the State Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act. The case is a follow up permit to the emergency work done by the applicant in December 2023. On February 6, 2024, the Director Board of Supervisors received and filed the Emergency work report (Case No. 23EMP-00017).

The application involves APN Nos. 081-250-014, 081-230-035, 081-150-033, 081-150-042, 079-080001, & Caltrans ROW, located in the Gaviota Coast area, Third Supervisorial District. SANTA BARBARA COUNTY ZONING ADMINISTRATOR

Supervisor Joan Hartmann abstained, saying she could not support last-minute changes.

Supervisor Das Williams abstained, too, saying, “We want growers to stay in-county.” Williams also questioned the wisdom of placing two tax measures on the same ballot; on Tuesday, the board voted on a first reading, to put a measure on the ballot that would increase the hotel “bed tax” from 12% to 14% in unincorporated areas.

(The record shows that county voters often have approved more than one tax on the same ballot. On the November 2016 ballot, for example, they approved school bonds and an increase in the hotel “bed tax”; and in the city of Santa Barbara, they approved a marijuana business tax, too.)

Board Chair Steve Lavagnino, an opponent of cannabis tax reform and a co-architect, with Williams, of the county’s 2018 cannabis ordinance, was absent. Lavagnino represents the Santa Maria Valley.

At Tuesday’s hearing, which was held in Santa Maria, a number of cannabis industry representatives warned the board that any change in the cultivation tax status quo might force them to quit or take their business elsewhere. They noted that the hybrid option would allow the board to adjust square footage rates upwards every two years, to a maximum of 75 cents and $2.50, respectively, for outdoor and indoor “grows” – rates they said were extreme.

Calling the proposal “unpredictable and burdensome,” Kevin Wilson, the chief financial officer of LEEF Brands –one of the largest cannabis companies in California – said that after spending four years and raising millions of dollars, the firm was finally ready to start planting on 180 acres in the Cuyama Valley.

T he LEEF operation, located at 100 Salisbury Canyon Road, is poised to become the largest in the county, but Wilson said it would not survive if the board “has the authority to increase the tax rate at will.”

“The cannabis industry operates on thin margins, and any unexpected tax hikes could be detrimental to the livelihood of hundreds of workers,” he said.

David Van Wingerden, a co-owner of Farmlane, with 14 acres of greenhouse cannabis at 1400 and 1540 Cravens Lane in the Carpinteria Valley, urged the county to rely on tax audits to make sure all growers were paying their fair share.

“You’re trying to put a blanket over the industry to resolve the issue of a few operators who are not paying appropriate tax,” he said.

At the same time, Jules Nau, a board member of the Santa Barbara Coalition for Responsible Cannabis – a countywide group that seeks stronger regulation of

the industry – said the board should increase the square footage rates and “close the loopholes to prevent tax avoidance.”

“It’s time our community reaps the benefits through enhanced public services funded by these businesses,” he said.

In the past, the board has expressed frustration with the county’s ongoing tax audits, which are expensive and time-consuming. Projected cannabis tax revenues have come up short three years in a row: This year, they will be $5.7 million, or $1.8 million less than had been anticipated. The ongoing annual cost of administering the cannabis program, providing cannabis education and enforcing the law against illegal operators is $4.9 million.

On Tuesday, Nelson called on the industry to cooperate with the county, not only on tax compliance, but also odor control. The “skunky” smell of cannabis in residential neighborhoods in Carpinteria and Buellton has been a theme of countless county hearings during the past five years.

“The bad actors are giving us a bad name,” Nelson said. “There’s not peace out there. There’s a lot of concern, and we want to tackle that.”

Hartmann, who represents the wine country west of Buellton, where outdoor cannabis has taken root, and who came up with the idea of a hybrid cultivation tax, said, “For the moment, this is on pause. It was a huge investment and very educational for all of us.”

Hanging over Tuesday’s discussion was the knowledge that in January 2025, the makeup of the board will change, with Carpinteria City Councilmember Roy Lee replacing Williams, who represents the Carpinteria Valley and eastern Santa Barbara.

Williams, like Lee, lives in Carpinteria, but he narrowly lost re-election this March. Lee ran on more of an anti-cannabis platform, noting concerns with the smell in interviews with CVN. Both candidates supported installing carbon scrubbers as solutions to the odor.

After Tuesday’s hearing, Capps, who represents portions of the Goleta Valley and Santa Barbara, said there would be “new dynamics and more opportunities” once the new board is in place.

Cannabis taxes will come up again, she said, adding: “I don’t feel satisfied. The original intent of the cannabis program was to bring money into the county for the public good, for libraries and parks and combating climate change. I don’t want to lose sight of that goal.”

Melinda Burns is an investigative journalist with 40 years of experience covering immigration, water, science and the environment. As a community service, she offers her reports to multiple publications in Santa Barbara County, at the same time, for free.

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

CVN

LETTERS

”The real cause of this ‘hollowing out’ lies elsewhere: many families, even with dual incomes, cannot afford to live here. Token efforts at affordable housing won’t suffice unless rents and real estate prices align with economic realities.”

– John Zemjanis

Voters will remember the added sales tax

I’m writing in response to the story in last week’s Coastal View News, “Council favors cutting community service deputy position amid $448,000 operating deficit,” (Vol. 30 No. 39).

In 2018, Measure X promoted that in exchange for an increase of sales tax to 9%, the city of Carpinteria would create a priority in funding that would “maintain sheriff’s deputies.” Measure X also states that priorities in funding would go towards the repair of streets, potholes, prevent cuts to the local library, senior programs and help people who are experiencing homelessness.

Measure X was adopted by voters; 3,016 said yes and 2,340 said no. That’s a small margin of 676 votes. At 9%, Carpinteria has the highest sales tax in Santa Barbara County. I think our city council should consider that many were not in favor of this tax increase and remember to keep the priorities of the measure going forward. Finally consider the 3,016 voters who said yes to a sales tax increase. I wonder how many of them were swayed by what was implied/promised in the ballot language? If the increase in sales tax was important enough to ask voters to pass Measure in 2018 for sheriff’s deputies, library and senior programs to be maintained, then why are these same items the first to be cut?

If these services are cut, even temporarily, then you have lost my vote! I want a city council that works to keep the services close to the people who live and vote in Carpinteria!

Kathleen Bauer Carpinteria

Addressing affordable housing

A shortened version of this letter was submitted to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.

For years, local nursery and agricultural landowners have sought county approval to build housing for their employees and families on their properties, only to be consistently denied.

I was alarmed by a recent Coastal View News article on proposed housing projects: a community seemingly facing a predetermined outcome, likely orchestrated by developers with tacit approval from local government. This move aligns with a state mandate that disregards our unique environment and contradicts community preferences, violating our slow-growth policy and hastily eliminating agricultural zoning.

With Carpinteria’s population around 14,000, constructing nearly 300 units (each potentially housing four people) in a short span will undoubtedly impact the community. Our infrastructure is already strained, with ongoing freeway projects and water scarcity issues, yet local leaders

are prioritizing a state-mandated path seemingly tailored to developers; convenience rather than addressing housing affordability and the community’s longterm interests.

Quoted in the Independent one supervisor claimed a “lack of housing is hollowing our community,” echoed by a unanimous board vote to rezone for high-density housing. The real cause of this “hollowing out” lies elsewhere: many families, even with dual incomes, cannot afford to live here. Token efforts at affordable housing won’t suffice unless rents and real estate prices align with economic realities.

Current development mandates only require 20% of housing to be priced below market rate, while developers can sell the remaining 80% at market rate or higher. Moreover, so-called affordable units can lose their affordability once resold, exacerbating the problem. Coupled with property tax laws that burden locals with inflated assessments upon inheritance, making it unaffordable to stay in family homes, this situation truly hollows our communities. It’s disheartening to see our youth leave after struggling to remain in their beloved community.

John Zemjanis Carpinteria

Keeping Carp, Carp

Here’s Land Use Objective #3 from the Carpinteria General Plan: “Preserve the small beach town character of the built area… and avoid the development of sprawl at the city’s edge.”

The Lagunitas Apartment Plan – under conceptual review by a suddenly arranged joint meeting of the Planning and Architectural committees plus the Carpinteria City Council this week – is simply incompatible with this objective. More housing is a widely supported goal. But cramming six blocks of apartments (157), an underground parking lot and over 300 cars and their owners into a semi-rural residential area zoned for single story daytime use is simply too much. This high-density project needs to be downscaled.

It’s not just an issue for Lagunitas and Lomita lanes. If it’s approved, similar “big city style” apartment blocks will surely follow. Let’s keep Carp, Carp.

Marion and Bill Anderson Carpinteria

Respect the history of The Palms

In the article “ARB hears proposed renovations for Carpinteria’s historic The Palms,” (CVN Vol. 30 No. 38) Principal Planner, Laurel Perez, says “The primary goal is, really, to return The Palms to its original use.”

I find the only original proposal/use in this plan is the restaurant on the first floor. I recommend that she makes a research

appointment with our director at the Carpinteria Valley Historical Museum. Opening in 1912, The Palms Hotel accommodated visitors to our town with rooms. The restaurant came later, where patrons could cook their own steak (a 10-ounce rib eye or New York steak) with all you can eat salad, bread, baked potatoes and chili beans.

The bar that was within the restaurant offered locals and visitors alike a comfortable place for drinks and social chats. The roof was just that, a roof. I suppose the planners caught a day of sunshine to view our mountains, sea and islands in between the days of June Gloom. The planted palms have history, too. Will all the plaques commemorating passed Carpinteria family members be taken care of, also? Even though the building is over 100 years old, The Palms is not a designated Carpinteria Historical Landmark (Carpinteria has five historical landmarks). So please, give her the historical respect she deserves.

Rosana Swing Carpinteria

Jerzy Kosla 07/18/1954 – 06/12/2024

Jerzy Kosla passed away on June 12, 2024. He leaves behind his wife, Celina; two sons, Daniel and Roger; a daughter, Jennifer; and two grandchildren.

For the record...

In CVN Vol. 30, No. 39, “MTD a waste of money,” the new stoplight is located in front of Carpinteria Middle School.

In CVN, Vol. 30 No. 39 “Canalino student wins third place in countywide math bowl,” Toby Matthews was promoted from fifth grade to sixth grade.

Jerzy was a hard-working polish immigrant who defied all odds and prospered in Santa Barbara. He established his own plumbing business, George the Rooter Man, followed by several investment opportunities. His love transcended everyone he met, and he will be cherished forever.

A Rosary Vigil will be held on Friday June 28, 2024 at 9:15 a.m., followed by a Funeral Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1532 Linden Ave. in Carpinteria. Graveside service will follow at the Carpinteria Cemetery, 1501 Cravens Lane in Carpinteria.

McDermott-Crockett Mortuary is handling funeral arrangements.

5.40

5.40 5.35 6-Month 9-Month 1-Year

Aaron P Crocker Financial Advisor 1145 Eugenia Place Suite 203 Carpinteria, CA 93013 805-566-1828

Compassion fatigue: caring for yourself too

MY WELLNESS NOW

VICKIE GONZALEZ

Compassion fatigue is physical and emotional exhaustion that sometimes results from caring for someone over an extended period. It can affect anyone in a caregiving role, both in their profession and personal lives.

Compassion fatigue differs from burnout. Burnout results from prolonged unmanaged occupational stress and/or being overworked; compassion fatigue, typically, is the emotional strain that occurs from caring for another person(s)

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and does not need to accrue over time.

Professional exposure includes jobs such as nurses and doctors, healthcare workers, therapists and first responders. Personally, this can result from providing care for a family/friend with long-term/ chronic illness or caring for a family member with special needs. It can also come from exposure to someone else’s trauma, stress, or suffering, such as a child witnessing parents’ constant fighting.

Per an article released by TIME in November 2023: “Regular people may, similarly, be more likely to experience compassion fatigue if they identify with an issue in the news or that a loved one is experiencing.”

Signs of compassion fatigue can include feelings of hopelessness, irritability, and trouble concentrating; fatigue, headaches, insomnia and gastrointestinal issues; having trouble connecting with others and feeling indifferent towards their (struggles); and the diminished ability to feel compassion towards others.

Let’s discuss a few strategies to help with and decrease susceptibility to compassion fatigue.

Self-care. Engaging in regular exercise and hobbies that nurture your spirit, and prioritizing sleep hygiene and meditation practices are some of the most common beneficial self-care practices. Research in the Journal of Clinical Psychology suggests that mindfulness-based interventions effectively reduce symptoms of compassion fatigue and improve overall well-being.

Boundaries. Say no to excessive requests and practice energy management. The quality of your interactions is the key. You cannot care for others if you do not care for yourself.

Training and education. Whether in a caregiving role in your job or personal life or dealing with day-to-day happenings, get training/education on stress management (i.e., deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation), self-care techniques, coping strategies and trauma-informed care.

Screen time. Limit your intake of social networks, news and people who add to or exacerbate compassion fatigue.

Seek support. It’s important to have a strong support network. Reach out to colleagues, supervisors, friends and family. Seek out professional guidance from a therapist as well.

Say no to excessive requests and practice energy management. The quality of your interactions is the key. You cannot care for others if you do not care for yourself.

Over the last four years, I have seen an upward trend in compassion fatigue for those in professional caregiving roles and people in their personal lives. In the earlier years of the Covid-19 pandemic, being at home and not connecting with others was one of the most significant influences on the decline in the mental health of those coming into therapy.

There has also been a tremendous uptick in compassion fatigue, with people witnessing things in the news that tug on their hearts. Clients have been sharing more in therapy, feeling fatigued and overwhelmed by everything happening in the world. The continued exposure to images on the news and social media has further worsened the overflow of emotions and physical exhaustion.

Growing up, I had moments in my personal life where I had to battle compassion fatigue. Whether it was things that I witnessed as a child at home, friends who were going through traumatic life events, or loved ones who were struggling with addiction, I didn’t know how to get help or even what I was experiencing.

It wasn’t until I started seeing my first therapist at 22, doing the required therapy hours for my master’s degree, that I was first introduced to what was going on for me. Soon after, I cared for a family member as they went through the end of their very painful end-of-life journey; the therapy I received after she died helped me manage things much better than had I tried to go it alone.

Through the years, I have revisited these topics with various therapists when I have needed the extra support and reminders to care for me.

Because of my personal life and professional obligations, I have had to be extra mindful of my compassion fatigue since I started working full-time from home in March 2020. I have sometimes needed to

decrease social obligations and interact with or interact in a way that causes information overload.

For me, it has been important to have quality connections and relationships over quantity. Tending to mental and physical health and spiritual health daily is something that – even more recently – I’ve been reminded is key to overall well-being. My own recent journey through all of this, as well as what I have seen with a few of my closest loved ones, is what has finally prompted me to write this article for our local newspaper.

Know that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you for caring for and about others; it’s essential, though, that you remember to take care of yourself. Like with any stigmatized issue, the more we dialogue about it and learn more about it, the better.

It’s vital to have safe spaces to be validated, supported, encouraged, and understood. I hope that this brief discussion on compassion fatigue will help more conversations flow around it and let people know they are not alone.

“If your compassion does not include yourself, it’s incomplete.” – Jack Kornfield

Vickie Gonzalez has been licensed for almost 20 years as an LMFT and currently provides counseling, coaching and consulting services. Her private practice is currently online only. She specializes in private practice, including grief loss, addiction/codependency and anxiety disorders. She works with people around themes of identity and purpose as well, primarily with individuals and couples. Coaching services focus on collaborating with clients on setting and reaching their wellness goals, whether those goals are career, relational, financial or personal in nature. On a personal note, she has lived in Carpinteria all her life and became a therapist to give back to the community.

Library’s Death Cafe tackles the taboo

The Carpinteria Community Library will host its first Death Cafe on Monday, June 24 at 3 p.m., providing those interested with tea, cake and an open venue for conversations surrounding death.

Death Cafe is an international group; the Santa Barbara Library also facilitates a Death Cafe, which Carpinteria City Librarian Jody Thomas told CVN she attended some time ago. A Death Cafe is not a grief support group, but rather a venue for discussing all topics related to death, ranging from suicide to burial practices.

The Carpinteria Community Library is now among thousands of organizations across the world hosting the groups.

“It’s not meant to be therapy – it’s about topics that have been taboo and (letting) people talk about them,” Thomas said. “It’s just a place to explore our questions and feelings.”

The idea of bringing the Death Cafe to the library came from Carpinteria

resident Alex Baer-Peralta. Baer-Peralta told CVN that while training to become a Death Doula, she learned about the Death Cafes, and began asking her neighbors and friends to see if there was an interest in the group.

She then brought the idea to Thomas about two months ago, and Thomas agreed to establish the library as a host.

“It’s a community-minded opportunity,” Baer-Peralta said. “(There is) no agenda, expectations or judgment.”

A typical Death Cafe session is about 90 minutes long, Baer-Peralta said. There is discussion time for the whole group, but the majority of the session will take place with small groups, ranging from two to 10 people, depending on the number of attendees.

“(Death Cafe) is not meant to be therapy – it’s about topics that have been taboo and (letting) people talk about them.” ––librarian Jody Thomas

Thomas said she also has a “death deck,” a stack of cards with questions on it, to be used whenever conversations stall. Baer-Peralta and Thomas reiterated that conversations are open to any topic regarding death.

“It’s (for) whatever is on people’s hearts and minds,” Baer-Peralta said. The Carpinteria Community Library is located at 5141 Carpinteria Ave. See more online at carpinterialibrary.org or at (805) 684-4314.

––Jun Starkey

Sponsor of the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center 2024 Summer Concert Series

CVN

CALENDAR

Thursday, June 20

AgeWell Senior Program: Senior Lecture Series Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 9:30–10:45 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

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

AgeWell Senior Program: Zumba Gold Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 11 a.m. – noon. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

AgeWell Senior Program: Book Club Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 2–3:30 p.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Carpinteria Creative Arts Eighth Street and Linden Avenue. 2:30–6 p.m. Handmade pottery, beach art, cards, jewelry and sewn articles. (805) 698-4536

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

Friday, June 21

Agewell Senior Program: Pickleball Carpinteria Middle School Tennis Courts, 5351 Carpinteria Ave. 8–10 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

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

Agewell Senior Program: Winning Grids Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 1–2 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Bees! Inside the Hive Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 3:30–4:30 p.m. Speaker: Pat Carroll. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

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

Saturday, June 22

Salt Marsh Nature Park Docent Tours Meet at the entrance across from the corner of Sandyland and Ash Avenue. 10 a.m. – noon. Free. (805) 886-4382

I Larv-a Saturday Craft Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10:30–11:30 a.m. Every Saturday, June 8 – Aug. 10. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

AgeWell Senior Program: Bocce Ball GranVida Senior Living, 5464 Carpinteria Ave. 1–2:30 p.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Sunday, June 23

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

Hot Club of Santa Barbara Corktree Cellars, 910 Linden Ave. 5:30–8:30 p.m. corktreecellars.com, (805) 684-1400

Monday, June 24

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

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

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

AgeWell Senior Program: Holistic Movement Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 1–1:45 p.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Storytelling and Acting Classes

The Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave. 1–3 p.m. Mondays, weekly. thealcazar.org, (805) 684-6380, alcazarensemble@gmail.com

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

Death Cafe Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 3–5 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Film & Q&A: “Rematriation” The Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave. 7–9 p.m. Tickets: $15. thealcazar.org, (805) 684-6380

Tuesday, June 25

AgeWell Senior Program: Arts and Crafts Carpinteria Arts Center, 865 Linden Ave. 9–11 a.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Carpinteria Writers Group Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10 a.m. – noon. (202) 997-0429

AgeWell Senior Program: Mind Body Balance Exercise Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 11 a.m. – noon. agewell@carpinteriaca. gov, (805) 881-1279

Spanish Conversation Group Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 1–2 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Bri dge Club Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 1–4 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

Carpinteria Songwriters Circle Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 4–5:30 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Dreaming of France Happy Hour Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, 865 Linden Ave. 5:30 p.m.

Carpinteria Improv Classes The Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave. 7–9 p.m. Tuesdays, weekly. Cost: $10 at the door. thealcazar.org, (805) 684-6380

Wednesday, June 26

Agewell Senior Program: Pickleball Carpinteria Middle School Tennis Courts, 5351 Carpinteria Ave. 8–10 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

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

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

Agewell Senior Program: Mindfulness Meditation Meet at Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 3–4 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca. gov, (805) 881-1279

Agewell Senior Program: Line Dancing Meet at Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 3:30–4:30 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca. gov, (805) 881-1279

Nutrition for Longevity Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 4–6 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

All Ages Karaoke Giovanni’s Pizza, 5205 Carpinteria Ave. 5:30–9 p.m. Hosted by Larry-oke Nimmer

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

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

Discussion: Human Trafficking The Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave. 7–9 p.m. Tickets: Free. Reserve seats online. thealcazar.org, (805) 684-6380

ONGOING

Senior Nutrition Program Carpinteria Veterans Hall, 951 Walnut Ave. Monday–Friday, 12:15 p.m. No cost for seniors ages 60+. (805) 925-9554, meals@centralcoastseniors.org

Carpinteria High School (CHS) teacher Emily Garcia recently received her master’s degree in agricultural education from California Polytechnic State University, fellow teacher Noe Gomez told CVN.

Garcia is a CHS graduate, and recently finished her first year of teaching at the high school. She also has an associate’s degree from Reedley College and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from the California State University, Fresno.

She teaches several classes, including a middle and high school agricultural science bridge course, a soil science/chemistry course and a veterinary science course. She also is one of the instructors leading the CHS Future Farmers of America (FFA) program.

CHS teacher Emily Garcia recently earned her master’s degree in agricultural education from California Polytechnic State University.

“Though she just completed her first year teaching at CHS, she has already won over the community through her vast experience, wealth of knowledge, and ability to connect with students,” Gomez told CVN. “Ms. Garcia is an American Degree recipient through the National FFA organization – an accolade that less than 1% of all FFA members ever go on to attain.”

KIDS MUSIC

Camps & Classes in Carpinteria Babies to Big Kids 10 yrs Piano, Musicals, Movement & More! ALL IN THE KEY OF FUN! KindermusikwithKathy.com

––Jun Starkey

Hey, babies!

Ezri Duke

Sunday, May 17

9:54 a.m. / Unregistered Firearm / 1400 block Sterling Avenue

Ezri Duke was born on April 19, 2024 to Erika Delk and Daniel Duke of Santa Barbara, California. She arrived at six pounds, 14 ounces and 19 inches long. Her grandparents are Jeff and Betty Delk of Carpinteria.

Deputies responded to a call about a firearm and contacted a man who reportedly had an unregistered Kimber 1911 firearm in his possession. The firearm was taken from the man and secured into the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office property department for safekeeping.

Submit baby announcements online at coastalview.com

11:44 a.m. / Misdemeanor Hit and Run / 6500 block Rincon Road

Deputies responded to a misdemeanor

COMMANDER’S RECAP

Nilsen Christian Haag

& Pitchforks

A reader sends a halo to Malainy, Susan and all the others in the beach neighborhood who befriended and loved the reader’s cat, Roscoe. “He was one of a kind and will be greatly missed.”

was recovered and booked into Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office property.

Nilsen Christian Haag was born on March 13, 2024 to Samuel and Erica (Konieczny) Haag in Beaverton, Oregon. He arrived at nine pounds, six ounces and 21.75 inches long.

6:15 p.m. / Theft / 3200 block Via Real

A reader sends a halo to Burlene for making the Carpinteria Lumberyard Nursery area a joy to visit. “Her outgoing personality (Southern style), friendly conversation and plant knowledge make it a pleasure to visit and shop.”

A reader sends a halo to the generous person for paying for the reader’s gas when she forgot her ATM card at the gas station. “I’m sorry I chose the most expensive oil, I’d love to reimburse you, and thank you. I’m deeply moved by your generosity.”

A reader sends a halo to Ron Davisson for going way out of his way to find the reader’s lost glasses amongst all the treasures at the St. Joseph Church Resale Shop. “And for being a great neighbor. Thanks!”

A reader sends a halo to Sean and Dayna for being wonderful neighbors and helping the reader through another frazzled mom situation.

A reader sends a halo to the 93013 Fund, Uncle Chen Restaurant and Marybeth Carty for the surprise delivery of a delicious dinner complete with a fortune cookie, candy bar and painted rock. “Wonderful kindness and quite a thrill!”

A caller reported that she believes her laptop and credit cards were stolen by a female neighbor who lives at the Polo Field apartments. Follow up by deputies.

His grandparents are David and Alice Konieczny of Carpinteria and Chris and Kristi Haag of Beaverton, Oregon. His great-grandparents are Larry Ternes, Sr. of Bismarck, North Dakota; Bobbi Konieczny of Goleta, California; and Doris Marie Haag-Cupp of Salem, Oregon.

Tuesday, May 19

“Who knew such (not so) little feet could leave such big imprints in our hearts,” Alice Konieczny told CVN.

6 p.m. / Towed Abandoned Vehicle / 2200 block Lillie Avenue

FIXER OPPORTUNITY IN CARPINTERIA

bound on the northbound off-ramp of Highway 101 at Rincon Road. Deputies checked the area and were unable to locate the subject.

was checked and was not moved. The

2:12 p.m. / Narcotics / 4600 block Carpinteria Avenue

OPEN SUNDAY 1 TO 3

Deputies responded to narcotic activity and contacted a woman who had two outstanding warrants: one out of Hermosa Beach but was non-extraditable, and the other out of Santa Barbara. The woman was arrested for the outstanding warrant out of Santa Barbara County.

8:28 p.m. / Meth Possession / 1100 block Casitas Pass

A REAL xer, not a cosmetic xer but an excellent value for a buyer who’s willing to make a number of repairs and replacements. A small home with “good bones” in a unique view spot in one of Carpinteria’s better parks. Priced with all this in mind. $280,000. A great opportunity for the right buyer!

3 p.m. / 015F / Linden Avenue and Malibu Drive

A black purse was found at Linden and Malibu, then booked for safe keeping. The owner was not contacted.

A man drove into a parking lot not wearing his seatbelt. A traffic stop was initiated, and he admitted to being in possession of a meth pipe. During a search of the vehicle, his meth pipe was located, but also a baggie with 3.7 grams of meth. The subject was cited for the violations.

10:12 p.m. / Weapon and Dope Violations / Hales Lane and Via Real

A woman and man were contacted as their vehicle was getting dropped off by a tion and a search of her property showed she had meth, a meth pipe and a container of pepper spray. She is a convicted felon and prohibited from owning pepper spray. A baggie of meth was found in the center console and since no one wanted to claim it, the man was given ownership

A woman and man were in a vehicle with a stolen license plate, reported to Santa Barbara Police Department. A traffic stop was initiated, and it was determined the vehicle was not stolen, but was rented a few weeks ago by the woman. She thought the “PERM” on the Arizona license plate meant it was only a “permit” for the vehicle and not an actual license plate. So, to avoid getting pulled over, they placed a stolen plate on the car, she said. After a search of nearby motel rooms associated with the subjects, they, and the woman’s sister, were cited for possession of stolen property, meth and paraphernalia. Further investigation will be done for the fraudulently obtained

Registration / Carpinteria and Palm tration tab. He was cited for the violation and allowed to park the vehicle at his

A reader sends a halo to the anonymous person who left a $100 donation in the HELP of Carpinteria office mail slot this past week. “Thank you for your kindness.”

COMING SWOON IN SANDPIPER

A reader sends a halo to the staff of Jack’s Bistro for staying open during Covid-19. “Always a smile no matter how busy. A great way to start the day.”

A reader sends a halo to Danielle Renee for her art painting workshops. “Her passion for art and sharing it with the world is so inspiring. Highly recommended for parties and events to bring the community together with really creative activities that are not offered anywhere else.”

VILLAGE! BEAUTIFULLY

A reader sends a halo to the Daykas for always being there to help with anything and never complaining. “Many thanks to the best neighbors ever. We love you all dearly.”

A reader sends a halo to Mayor Wade Nomura for the city’s beautiful flower wreath at the Carpinteria Cemetery for the Memorial Day program.

A reader sends a halo to John Wullbrandt, Janey Cohen, Ana Bradley and Carpinteria Arts Center volunteers for planning and executing the annual Teen Mural Program. “It was so much fun and the mural looks amazing!”

A reader sends a halo to Tami and John at Robitaille’s for their constant smiles and over-the-top customer service. “The wedding favors were loved by all and brought a bit of Carpinteria to the Seattle wedding!”

A reader sends a halo to those who acknowledge people with disabilities. “When you encounter a person in a wheelchair or walking with a walker, please smile and say hello to that person.”

A reader sends a halo to Lance Lawhon at the Carpinteria Sanitation District for helping Kim’s Market.

A reader sends a halo to Carp Kitchen and Lantern Tree Books for “both being excellent at what they do and for coordinating and helping so much with a Carpinteria-based book club meeting. It was lovely and a great example of the Carpinteria community. Great books and food!”

A reader sends a halo to the Carpinteria Beautiful lady picking up trash in a neighborhood near the beach. “Thank you! We need all the help we can get keeping trash picked up in the neighborhoods on the beach-side of the tracks.”

A reader sends a halo to Kassandra Quintero at The Spot. “When the roof-top flag was twisted and lodged in the rain gutter, Quintero jumped into action and climbed up to the roof and untangled it so that it could wave freely. Way to show patriotism!”

A reader sends a halo to The Food Liaison, Tom Spadaro, Fon Ha, Brass Bird and Carol Nichols for helping the homeless in the community.

ing license plates on his truck. A records check showed his driver’s license was

A reader sends a halo to Carpinterians who put out boxes in front of their homes full of surplus oranges, avocados, etc. from their trees. “Thank you for sharing your abundance.”

A reader sends a halo to Emma and Justin. “It was a wonderful wedding, great food, spectacular location and great people! It was moving and wonderful.”

A reader sends a pitchfork to the city’s constantly flashing crosswalk lights. “The entirety of western Carpinteria Avenue, all the way from the freeway off-ramp to the Santa Ynez/Seventh Street intersection, is a traffic, biking and pedestrian safety nightmare. The auto speed limits are at least 10 mph too high, the buckled asphalt rattles the cyclist’s teeth, and the entirely unsupervised double, sometimes triple parked child loading in front of Aliso school provides false security to those children who dart in between mid-block to race to the other side.”

A reader sends a halo to all the beach community residents. “Thank you for parking in front of your home with your permit.”

A reader sends a halo to Nikki at HEAT Culinary. “I went to my first class this weekend with my sister, who has been to four so far. I had the best time! Someone get this girl a TV show, she should be on the Food Network already.”

Single-Family f rom 2-bedroom cottages to luxury estates

A reader sends a halo to Diana, a caregiver at Carpinteria Senior Lodge for nearly three years.

Residential Land Residential acreage and farm land

A reader sends a halo to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the local vet for working diligently to save the Rincon Beach bear. “It’s a terrible shame to lose one of these magnificent creatures; however, I wouldn’t want it to suffer to a miserable death.”

A reader sends a pitchfork to the city of Carpinteria for “the condition of the northbound side of Sterling between Malibu and El Carro. The road is so bad that a child or pedestrian is going to get seriously hurt trying to cross.

Multi-Family investment properties and investment analysis

A reader sends a halo to Tom Sweeney for going out on Elm Avenue by the beach to clean up plastic bottles, bags, dirty gloves and masks.

Manufactured Homes i ncluding mobilehomes and park-model homes

A reader sends a pitchfork to the new parking zones. “All the “no parking/two hour” signs just made people park in my neighborhood. Seventh and the neighboring streets are a packed parking lot.”

A reader sends a halo to Bill and Rosana Swing for spending their Saturday taking photos for Junior Warriors Football. “We appreciate all you do for our families, players and program. You rock!”

A reader sends a pitchfork to the city of Carpinteria for having the Fourth of July celebration on July 6.

reader an ever-increasing Post No A reader morning the speeders

A reader sends a pitchfork to anyone with an “I love the Constitution” bumper sticker. “First, as opposed to what? I hate the Constitution? And love is blind. How about respect it instead!”

A reader sends a halo to DJ Hecktic for coming out early Saturday morning to support the Junior Warriors. “It made the kids so happy to hear you say their names—you’re a local celebrity to them!”

A reader sends a pitchfork to those who lied on their FAFSA and took scholarships away from kids who need it.

Submit Halos & Pitchforks online at coastalview.com.

A reader sends a pitchfork to the greedy and mean landlords in Carpinteria. “Where is your sense of community and Carp heart?”

All submissions are subject to editing.

A reader sends a halo to Diana Rigby, Superintendent of schools, and Debra Herrick, director of Boys & Girls Club, for removing the toxic Euphorbia fire sticks from the pots and landscape.

suspended. The man was cited, and his vehicle was released to a licensed driver.

A reader sends a pitchfork to the teacher who “sacrificed her class by not disciplining repeat class disruptors. If you continue to teach, do better.”

2:37 a.m. / Public Intoxication / Bailard Avenue

Two men were contacted in a parked truck and both were extremely intoxicated with open containers of alcohol

Submit Halos & Pitchforks online at coastalview.com. All submissions are subject to editing.

he found a small baggie containing a white powdery substance underneath the driver’s seat of his recently purchased vehicle. The man stated he purchased the vehicle three weeks ago but didn’t find the small baggie until he’d removed the driver’s seat to fix the reclining mechanism. The incident was documented, and the baggie was booked into Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office property for destruction.

Deputies responded to a motel on Via Real for a report of a domestic violence

tacted a man and woman in the parking lot. After contacting both subjects, there were visible injuries on both parties. Due to conflicting statements regarding their mutual altercation and obvious injuries, both parties were arrested for corporal

with no response. The woman stated her garage door was unlocked during the night and is in the process of getting a new lock. She did not have any suspect information at the time. The incident was documented, and patrol will follow-up for further details of the stolen items.

2:07 p.m. / Found Drugs / 6000 block Jacaranda Way

A man was contacted after reporting

Deputies responded to a report a of a black sedan crashing into a parked water truck. While en route, it was also reported the male subject driving the sedan fled the scene on foot. Upon arrival, deputies observed the sedan abandoned in the middle Cameo Road with major damage to the front right passenger wheel

THE SEAWITCH SAYS CVN

AMY OROZCO

Dear Amy O, Yo there Sea Witch! Would you give me some thoughts on what to say to friends when a loved one has left this life? I hate to keep bringing up bad memories for people, but I guess that’s what happens with death. I didn’t know the deceased. I have another friend who died, a good thing in a way after living such a good long life and enjoying every minute. What do I say? Or write?

we have for, say, weddings. The overarching guideline for manners, however, is consideration for others. On that note, I suggest mailing a card or note versus calling or stopping by, unless you are invited. Should you see your friend(s) at the grocery store or other public place, you can say something like, “I was very sorry to hear about (name’s) passing.”

You wrote not wanting to bring up bad memories. Yes, that could happen, or you may trigger sadness. But isn’t that much better than the awkwardness of doing nothing even though you want(ed) to?

I remember a condolence letter making me smile when I read about my friend thinking of cheese when she thought of my dad, because he always had at least four different cheeses in the house to offer guests.

Did the family leave some kind of instructions such as in lieu of flowers, such as, “Please consider making a contribution to (name of organization)?” If so inclined, please follow the instructions.

The business of grief and parking woes

Dear Lagunitas Needs Street Parking, Um, OK, I’ll bite.

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

Again, the important thing is to consider the other’s feelings. Yes, it’s nice to send a dish of food but make sure the container doesn’t need to be returned. Write “Don’t return” on masking tape adhered to the dish. Flowers are nice but they need to be dealt with, adding another task.

Those poor poor people. And to rub salt into their wounds, I don’t even know if they prefer to be called Lagunitians or Lagunita-ites! Seriously though, I think cars should be parked in garages. And caveat emptor – Lagunitians (sounds better than Lagunita-ites) have CC&Rs that should be read before moving into the neighborhood. The parking in the garage thing is not a bait-and-switch thing.

Signed,

18 TAPS, FREE SMILES & MANY FRIENDS WAITING FOR YOU!

Usually Not at a Loss for Words

Dear Usually Not at a Loss for Words, I’m sorry for your loss. Sometimes life is extra rough and tough, and we get thrown two-fers.

We don’t have clear cultural guidelines or etiquette for dealing with death, like

I remember when my dad died and realizing how comforting I found cards and notes. I understood why we have the custom of sending condolences.

Not only do the bereaved have grief to deal with, but there’s also the business of dying – arrangements, paperwork, legalities, etc. For me, I prefer being left alone with my sorrow; others want visitors and distractions. If you’re not sure who wants what, it’s best to err on the side of not being intrusive.

I sought counsel on responding to your comment. This is what I received: “That’s what garages are for, so clear out those storage bins full of stuff you haven’t touched in 10 years and make room for your car. It’s better for the vehicle anyway to stay parked away from the elements!”

On a final note, Lagunitians have bigger issues right now. Have you seen the development proposed there?

If you would prefer to send a card, buying one and including a simple message is fine. The message could be along the lines of, “Please know you are in my heart. Sending love and light your way.” In the case of the person you knew well, I recommend sharing a memory and/or what specifically you really liked about

person. You will do the right thing. Trust your heart.

Carpinteria Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-2pm

Dear Amy O,

There’s no street parking in Lagunitas. Those poor people are forced to park in their garages!

Former CVN editor Amy Marie Orozco loves living in Carpinteria, including all the sometime socially sticky situations happening in our seaside setting. Along with giving advice (only when asked), Amy O edits Cannabis by the Sea Magazine. Have a question for her? Email it to news@coastalview.com.

Carpinteria Mon.-Fri. 6:30am-2pm •Sat.-Sun. 6:30am-3pm Bagelnet.com for Restaurant menu 805-745-8272 IslandBrewingCompany.com FOOD… FRI: DISFRUTA 3-8 PM SAT: SHRIMP VS. CHEF, 12 PM MUSIC… FRI: GORDON CROWL UKULELE, 6-9 PM SAT: SKA DADDYZ, 6-9 PM SUN: SANTA BARBABRA TROMBONE SOCIETY, 5-6, HOLIDAY SING ALONG, 6-8 PM

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Junior Guards splash into summer

PHOTOS BY ROBIN KARLSSON

This year’s Junior Guards cohort kicked off their summer this Monday on the beach, starting their day with morning warm-ups and runs. Junior Guards Director Lexi Persoon told CVN that each Junior Guard grabbed two rocks to place in a designated pile, to help clear out any obstacles.

“The instructor team saw the importance of wanting to improve the beach conditions, in order to avoid the recurring injuries the rocks have created for JGs and beachgoers alike and will continue this new routine until we eliminate the hazard of rocks,” Persoon explained.

She added that this year’s instructors are looking forward to an exciting summer and seeing this year’s Junior Guards cohort continue to advance.

The Junior Guards will meet Monday through Friday, every week through Aug. 2.

B-Lead instructor Nico Kahlin leads the B-Group in a push

Hazel Dugré stretches with the group.

Junior Guards instructors lead the morning stretches.

Instructors lead the first jumping jacks of the season.

Safety aid Cora Nimmons stands behind the Minis during introductions.

Junior Guards Director Lexi Persoon checks attendance.

The Mini Junior Guards line up for their run.

From left, Minis Chandler Leah and Adaline Yonker stretch.

“Imagine” Carpinteria with local teens for 2024 mural

PHOTOS BY ROBIN KARLSSON

This year’s Teen Mural Project – with the theme “Imagine” – kicked off on Wednesday, June 12 with an in-painting day with John Wullbrandt and Janey Cohen at the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center.

Forty-five Carpinteria teens then each took home a panel, which will later become a large, united mural, Arts Center Executive Director Kristina Calkins told CVN. Teens will return in a month with their panels.

The project, supported by the Carpinteria Woman’s Club and Carpinteria Beautiful, has been active going on 10 years.

“We like to use theme ideas that leave our artists room to express themselves in many ways and lends itself to positive creativity,” Cohen said in press release sent out Tuesday.

Noel Cardona

From left, Petra Taylor and Ellie Lee.

Lily Munro, back, with Emma Lepper.

Leo Clay

Teens and arts center volunteers paint the word “Imagine.”

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”

DUNCAN’S REEL DEAL

organization she’s in. She bounces between a few different fortresses that are cultural centerpieces amongst the dusty desolation. But whether it’s in the grasp of Dementus, under the control of Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme), or on the road with Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke), Furiosa finds a way to make it work.

Editor’s note: Hey readers, would your house be a good fit for Throwback Thursday? If you have an old photo of your home that we can share, please contact Lea at lea@coastalview. com or 684-4428. We’re happy to take a contemporary photograph of your house to pair with the slice of history you have.

MATT DUNCAN

I’ve got a solution to toxic masculinity! The good news is, it’s easy. We don’t have to do a whole lot. We don’t even have to address the toxicity per se – the machismo, the egoism, the subjugation, the harassment, the violence and so forth. It’s simpler. All we have to do is make women do it too. Put them in those roles. Make them mean, and vengeful. You know, like men. Then voila. Problem solved. Battle won. Patriarchy smashed.

OK, I’m being sarcastic. But “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” isn’t. Nor are all the fawning reviewers. They’re quite confident that thrusting a female into an uber-male movie is, in fact, the antidote. If only John Wayne was Jane Wayne, everything would’ve been great. Keep the values, keep the norms… just trade a Y chromosome for another X chromosome at the top of the ticket, and we’re golden.

She’s still pissed, though. She wants to get home, but she also wants revenge on Dementus for all the bad stuff he’s done. At one point, Dementus points out that that’s no way to live – not really – and that it’s folly to try to heal wounds, honor the dead, through more violence.

Of course, it’s Dementus talking. Still, he’s not wrong. It’s a big concession, too! Dementus admits that the stereotypically male side of it, the macho vengeance-seeking, is stupid. And it is. Of course it is! How many people have undone meanness with more meanness? How many wounds were ever really healed with more violence?

The Ogan transplant

I’m being sarcastic again. But, anyway, for better or worse, vengeance – good ol’ manly vengeance – is the name of this movie’s game. And, certainly, Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) has every right to be pissed (talk about some prescient naming – way to go mom!).

As a little kid, she’s out playing with a friend in the one nice spot in an otherwise post-apocalyptic hellscape, when she’s kidnapped by some dopey dudes. A couple of women from “The Green Place of Many Mothers” hear of it and go after her – both to get Furiosa back and to keep anyone from finding out about the Green Place.

But, alas, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” doesn’t try another way, go a different direction, think imaginatively about how brave needn’t mean violent, tough needn’t mean unfeeling, loyal needn’t mean vengeful; it doesn’t even consider, or toy with, non-masculine versions of these virtues. Why? Because, fundamentally, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Sage” is a male movie. Its creators and corporate backers want us to think otherwise, or that it’s OK – even great, progressive, anti-patriarchy – just because they cast a woman in the role of Dirty Harry. But it’s a sham. It’s like trying to fix a toxically male work environment by encouraging the women in it to harass others, too; or responding to “Me Too” by promoting assault perpetrated by women. Making even more people more male… that’s feeble feminism.

The Ogan family may be best known now for the lovely tree-lined road named in its honor, but its contribution to Carpinteria traces to the town’s earliest days. The Ogans’ arrival stretches back to 1869, when James Simeral and Elizabeth Ogan led their ox teams into the valley. James Simeral’s son James Washington Ogan built a house near today’s Carpinteria Community Church in 1878. His wife, Ada, delivered all six of her children in the house. Later in James W.’s life, the building was removed from its foundation and relocated near Linden Avenue. A few years after that, it was moved again, about 150 feet, to its current location, just steps away from Ogan Road (which did not exist at the time). And that’s where the house still stands today.

Well, it doesn’t work out too great. The women kill some dopey dudes, but they also tangle with Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), who is also aptly named. Furiosa’s world is ripped from her; she loses those she loves most and ends up in Dementus’ “protective” custody. Over the coming years in male captivity, she witnesses unspeakable brutality, fends off attacks, get bartered away and more. Her most brilliant move is pretending to be a boy.

Furiosa is badass and highly competent. And that, by itself (well, plus the assumption that she’s a boy), gets her moving through the ranks of whatever

You might be thinking, “OK, sure, but how’re they going to make a cool movie about nonviolence, empathy, and care? How’s it going to be fun or exciting without a little anger, resentment, violence, and vengeance? That’s hard to even imagine.” But that we can’t imagine it is just a testament to how deeply ingrained masculine culture is. That we’re all hooked on the drug doesn’t make it any less toxic.

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Sage” is a pusher of that drug masquerading as its cure.

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is rated R for sequences of strong violence and grisly images.

Matt Duncan, a former Coastal View News editor, is now a philosophy professor at Rhode Island College. In his free time from philosophizing, Duncan enjoys chasing his kids around, watching movies, and playing the mandolin.

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KARLSSON

Community garden welcomes new coordinator Wendi Dunn

BY JUN STARKEY

Building confidence step by step

The Carpinteria Community Garden’s new garden coordinator Wendi Dunn has fallen seamlessly into her new role since beginning in October of this year, with plans to bring educational classes and community gatherings back to the garden.

JOYFUL AGING

Dunn has worked with plants for more than 15 years; she holds a certificate of horticulture and gardening from UC Los Angeles. Her green thumb is hereditary, she said, with several generations of her family working with plants, including her aunt, cousin and mother. “My passion is food production and farming,” Dunn told CVN.

LESLIE SOKOL

Confidence is a belief in oneself, a knowledge of your capabilities to face life’s challenges and succeed – no matter what. Most people want to feel more confident in life, but cultivating confidence is something you have to actively build and maintain.

Dunn moved to Carpinteria about a year ago from Malibu, she said, but has been visiting the Carpinteria Community Garden for years before finding a place in the city. She also taught a handful of classes under the previous coordinator Wendy Robins.

It’s important to understand that confidence is not an innate, fixed characteristic; it is something that can be acquired and improved on over time.

My philosophy has always been that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Never give up and feel confident every step of the way – the “I can do it” attitude is the best!

Confidence can feel elusive or easy to lose when you experience feelings of failure or make mistakes. Building up your confidence is crucial, and there are several easy ways to gain confidence in your life.

The author offers motivating workouts through her dance and exercise program, “For the Young at Heart.”

“I’ve seen (the garden) since its inception, and always said I wanted to be the manager,” she said.

There are four different types of confidence.

Social confidence, when you portray yourself as confident in social situations.

Confidence in your expertise . You trust your skills or abilities and can set realistic expectations about what you want to achieve in your personal and professional areas of life.

Like nearly all gardeners, Dunn takes pride in her work and in keeping sustainability in mind throughout all practices. She said she employs a precautionary principle in farming of doing no harm, and she adheres to this principle by encouraging pollinators, maintaining several compost heaps and planting certain vegetation for pesticides. “When you know what to plant, you don’t need chemicals,” she said.

Physical confidence , when you are certain you can do well in a specific sport, exercise or movement. You might also have a positive body image and take pride in your physical attributes.

Dunn learned almost everything she knows from her family, including most of her sustainability practices, she said. In 2016, she spoke in front of the California

Confidence in your self-worth as a person. You set high standards for yourself and have strong moral convictions and values. You believe in yourself and are unlikely to give up when presented with challenges. You live your life with dignity and self-acceptance.

It’s important to understand that confidence is not an innate, fixed characteristic; it is something that can be acquired and

improved on over time. You might find that you have high confidence in some areas of your life and less in others. It takes time to achieve balance within yourself.

Let’s explore a few simple ways you can increase your confidence.

Set a challenge for yourself to try a new activity or learn a new skill. Create a game plan that sets you up for success and makes you excited to keep trying, no matter how challenging it feels at times.

Department of Food and Agriculture to keep seed libraries available without intervention from outside companies. Currently, she is working with the Carpinteria Community Library to receive a grant for its own seed library.

Go one step at a time and take things slowly if necessary. It’s always a good idea to do something that you enjoy and will be committed to.

Dunn is at the garden several days a week, and along with maintaining the garden, she also works directly with gardeners. She answers questions about

Focus on the effort and the outcome may surprise you. Setting your priorities and staying focused is crucial for success. If you give one hundred percent and try your best, the results may surprise you. It is not how you start; it’s how you finish. Stop criticizing yourself. We all have that inner voice that underestimates and criticizes us. Remember that positive selftalk will increase your desire to take the next step in accomplishing and achieving your goals.

Surround yourself with people that lift your spirit, believe in you, do not judge you and give you unconditional support and love. Family and friends are always good to lean on and will support your efforts to build up your confidence. Be social and do fun activities with others. Dedicate time and effort to physical and mental self-care. Be sure to eat a healthy and well-balanced diet. Exercise regularly with a balanced fitness routine that includes stretching, strength training and aerobic exercise. For your mental well-being, try meditation, yoga, relaxation exercises and affirmations.

certain plants if a gardener is uncertain, and offers advice on how to get the most out of their plots. During her interview with CVN on Thursday, Nov. 30, a gardener approached Dunn to inquire about small sprouts popping up in their plot. Dunn identified the sprouts as calendula, and advised the gardener on how to use the plant in their plot without crowding other vegetables and roots.

Get a proper night’s sleep in order to feel happier and more optimistic. During the day, take time to do things that relax you and that make y ou feel good.

She also oversees the completion of tasks. As a condition of being a garden member, all 108 gardeners are required to volunteer a certain amount of time in the garden. Tasks include tending to the compost area, cleaning worm bins, tending fences and pulling weeds.

No matter what our age, we all lack or lose confidence in ourselves at times. We might feel afraid, intimidated, insecure, shy or worried. Through my dance and exercise program, “For the Young at Heart,” I love motivating and encouraging my students and helping them build up their confidence levels. Students and participants are always amazed at what they have accomplished by the end of each class.

Leslie Sokol is the creator and founder of the adult dance and fitness program “For the Young at Heart.” She has been teaching adults and children for 45 years. You can watch “For the Young at Heart” by visiting her YouTube Channel or on TVSB. She also teaches in retirement communities throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. For more information contact Leslie at Dancekidsfun@ gmail.com (805) 312-8089 or visit LeslieSokolDance.com.

“I’ve seen (the garden) since its inception, and always said I wanted to be the manager.”

–Wendi Dunn

COMMANDER’S RECAP

ON THE ROAD

an application for the project described below has been submitted to the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department. This project requires the approval and issuance of a Coastal Development Permit by the Planning and Development Department. At this time it is not known when the pending approval may occur, however, this may be the only notice you receive for this project. To receive additional information regarding this project, including the date the Coastal Development Permit is approved, and/or to view the application and plans, please contact Elizabeth Pearson at 123 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, by email at pearsone@countyofsb.org or by phone at (805) 568-2018.

PROPOSAL:

PROJECT ADDRESS:

1ST SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT; THIS PROJECT IS LOCATED IN THE COASTAL ZONE PERMIT NUMBER:

APPLICATION FILED:

ZONING:

A major goal for her new position is to share her knowledge with others, Dunn told CVN, as well as provide educational opportunities for the community. She said she plans on hosting quarterly events in the garden, including beekeeping classes,

PROJECT DESCRIPTION The project is a request for a Coastal Development Permit to allow demolition of an existing carport structure and construction of a 345 square-foot Accessory Dwelling Unit. Grading will include 143 cubic yards of cut and 143 cubic yards of fill, removed and recompacted. No trees are proposed for removal. The parcel will be served by the Montecito Water District, the Summerland Sanitary District, and the Carpinteria/Summerland Fire District. Access will continue to be provided off of Lillie Avenue.

APPEALS

The decision of the Planning and Development Department to approve, conditionally approve, or deny this Coastal Development Permit 23CDP-00093 may be appealed to the County Planning Commission by the applicant or an aggrieved person. The written appeal must be filed within the 10 calendar days following the date that this Coastal Development Permit is approved. To qualify as an "aggrieved person" the appellant must have, in person or through a representative, informed the Planning and Development Department by appropriate means prior to the decision on the Coastal Development Permit of the nature of their concerns, or, for good cause, was unable to do so.

Written appeals, with accompanying fee, must be filed with Planning and Development at either 123 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, 93101, or 624 West Foster Road, Suite C, Santa Maria, 93455, by 5:00 p.m. within the timeframe identified above. In the event that the last day for filing an appeal falls on a non -business of the County, the appeal may be timely filed on the next business day.

This Permit cannot be appealed to the California Coastal Commission, therefore a fee is required to file an appeal.

For additional information regarding the appeal process, contact Elizabeth Pearson. The application required to file an appeal may be viewed at or downloaded from: https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/a332eebc-b6b5-4a1e-9dde-4b99ae964af9?cache=1800

CVN takes a look at Noah’s Ark Carpinterians Jim and Donna Swinford recently took a trip to the Midwest in their motorhome, bringing a copy of CVN along with them. The couple is pictured outside of the “Ark Experience” – a life-size version of Noah’s Ark, located in Dry Ridge, Kentucky.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

GOING ON THE ROAD?

Information about this project review process may also be viewed at: https://ca-santabarbaracounty.civicplus.pro/1499/Planning-Permit-Process-Flow-Chart Board of Architectural Review agendas may be viewed online at: https://www.countyofsb.org/160/Planning-Development

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

SUMMONS CASE NUMBER 23CV03115 NOTICE TO DEFENDANTS: CASA BLANCA BEACH ESTATES OWNERS ASSOCIATION, A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION; 865-867 SAND POINT, LLC, A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY; LOVE LAMBS II, LLC, A CALIFORNIA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY; SBB VILLAS, LLC, A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY; JAY FARBSTEIN, AN INDIVIDUAL; ELLEN FARBSTEIN, AN INDIVIDUAL; JAY FARBSTEIN, AS A TRUSTEE OF THE JOSHUA COOPER TRUST NO. 3 (MONTEREY PARK) UNDER DECLARATION OF THE 1989 FARBSTEIN GRANDCHILDREN TRUST DATED OCTOBER 16, 1989; JAY FARBSTEIN, AS TRUSTEE OF THE ALEXANDER S. FARBSTEIN TRUST NO. 3 (MONTEREY PARK) UNDER DECLARATION OF THE 1989 FARBSTEIN GRANDCHILDREN TRUST DATED OCTOBER 26, 1989; DALE R. DONOHOE AND TAMARA K. DONOHOE, AS TRUSTEES OF THE DONOHOE 1994 FAMILY TRUST; MOHAMED SAMIR AMER AND C. MARGUERITE AMER, AS TRUSTEES OF THE AMER 1994 FAMILY TRUST; RANDHIR S. TULI AND SONIA TULI, AS CO-TRUSTEES OF THE TULI FAMILY TRUST ESTABLISHED MARCH 18, 2003; SANDYLAND PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION, A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION; ALL OTHER PERSONS UNKNOWN, CLAIMING ANY LEGAL OR EQUITABLE RIGHT, TITLE, ESTATE, LIEN, OR INTEREST IN OR TO THAT CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT ADVERSE TO THE OWNERSHIP THEREOF AND THE INTERESTS THEREIN HELD OR PROTECTED BY PLAINTIFF, OR ANY CLOUD UPON SAID PLAINTIFF TITLE AND INTERESTS THEREIN; AND DOES 1-12, INCLUSIVE

a spring fair for local goods, farm-to-table events, a pumpkin patch, chili cookoff, holiday fair and more.

The Commander’s Recap was not available at press time on Wednesday, May June 19

“It’s important to have events (because) we are so privileged to have a community garden like this,” Dunn said. “It’s one of the most beautiful (gardens) I’ve ever seen, and I’d like to utilize it more.”

The dispute at issue is the current location of the boundary between the State sovereign lands and privately owned uplands depicted on Tract No. 14,026, in the County of Santa Barbara, State of California, according to map thereof recorded in Book 156 of Maps, Pages 91-95. The State asserts the boundary of state ownership is the ordinary high water mark, without consideration of deed boundaries or tract maps, and that the last natural location of the MHTL, as depicted in the 1964

KARLSSON

Wendi Dunn took over the position of garden coordinator for the Carpinteria Community Garden in October.

THROWBACK

The Haggins

BY JIM CAMPOS

Lee and Ruth Haggin were originally from Iowa, arriving in Carpinteria in 1950 in their retirement years. They appear to have followed their son, Vin, to California. Vin had captained a PT Boat in WWII and made a rather late-in-life decision after the war, entering a California seminary to become a Catholic priest.

“Mom” and “Pop” Haggin, as they became affectionately known to Carpinteria, settled in the Serena Park neighborhood of the community, and became the proprietors of the Cottage Bakery on Linden Avenue. They were recognized for their generosity, often giving away as much of their baked goods as they charged in sales.

A common example at the Cottage Bakery would have Mom or Pop ask a customer how many children they had at home. If it was a large number, a couple of loaves of bread or pastries were added to the order free of charge. They made their greatest impact in Carpinteria in the late 1950s and early ‘60s as parish members of St. Joseph Catholic Church when the church was located on Seventh Street.

During Vin’s years at the seminary, he spent his summers as the lead counselor at the St. Vincent de Paul Circle V Ranch Camp in the San Fernando Valley. The idea of the Circle V had spiritual meaning, and Mom and Pop decided to start a Circle V Boys Club at St. Joseph Church. The Bernadettes Club followed for girls, under different leadership. These clubs were forerunners of the Carpinteria Boys and Girls Club and Girls Inc. of Carpinteria.

The Circle V boys wore rawhide badges pinned to their shirts with a Circle V stamped on them at Sunday mass services. Every first Sunday mass of the month at 9 a.m. was followed by a pancake breakfast in the church hall in their honor served by the church’s parishioners. It was at such an occasion that Father Francis Roughan debuted as the new parish pastor. Father Roughan could hardly contain himself for his new parish, his beaming face expressing a love and gratitude that would last for decades in his legendary and innovative career in Carpinteria.

The Haggins advocated fiercely for “their boys.” They raised funds to sponsor them every summer at the Circle V Ranch Camp. They took them to a

COURTESY PHOTOS

A picture of Father Vin Haggin, in military uniform, with his mom, “Mom Haggin” in Hawaii circa 1966. Vin was based in Hawaii and brought his mom to live on the base. Vin would be close to his mom while he served in Vietnam.

Dodgers game in 1959 at the Los Angeles Coliseum – a World Series championship year. They scheduled field trips to places like museums and botanic gardens, and often to wealthier citizens’ homes. Mom and Pop opened up a world of new horizons for the boys to aspire.

The roughest, toughest boys received regular visits from Mom Haggin. She changed lives! But it was Pop who received recognition as Carpinterian of the Year in 1959. It was a time when women played a subservient role to men. The award should have been shared publicly between the two of them.

Sadly, Pop was struck and killed by a train in 1961 on Padaro Lane. Mom carried on aided by Father Roughan and the St. Joseph parish.

As for Vin, who was responsible for bringing his parents to our fair city, he became a pastor in El Monte and later became a U. S. Army chaplain in the Vietnam War, one of those priests euphemistically called Sky Pilots. He had quite an illustrious life. One can read about him on the Internet: Chaplain (Major) Melvin V. Haggin.

Jim Campos is a native born Carpinterian. Upon retiring from a 35-year career with the Carpinteria Unified School District in 2006, he joined a group of local historians to publish two pictorial history books on Carpinteria.

Jim’s curiosity of local history grew from that experience. He is currently serving on the Carpinteria Cultural Foundation which honors the achievements and contributions of Carpinteria’s diverse community. He is

also on the board of the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History, where he writes occasional in-depth articles. In 2020, Jim wrote an entire year of columns for CVN’s Throwback Thursday.

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

A picture of the Circle V Boys, circa 1963, about to leave for the St. Vincent de Paul Ranch Camp aboard the St. Joseph Church School Bus. The driver is Sal Campos.

Father Vin Haggin, his back to the camera, boards a helicopter in Vietnam circa 1967 – the Sky Pilot in action.

Father Vin Haggin leads a Catholic mass service on Aug. 29, 1967, in Quang Nagi Province, Vietnam.

JUNE 20, 2024

Pushing the limits with triathlete and coach Erika Lilley Carpinteria local inspires others with “anything is possible” attitude

BY RYAN P. CRUZ

Completing a triathlon may be one of the most challenging tests of athletic endurance, but for Carpinterian Erika Lilley – a strength and conditioning coach and triathlete for more than two decades – it’s something that, once you put your mind to it, is achievable for anybody.

“Anyone can do this,” Lilley says. “You don’t need to be a millionaire or have expensive equipment.”

In high school, Lilley was a yearround athlete, competing in basketball, volleyball, swimming and track. She left the sunny skies of California to attend college in the colder climates of Minnesota and North Dakota, where she began taking cycling and distance running more seriously.

It was tough training year-round in North Dakota, she said, but soon she found a small group of dedicated runners and cyclists who would ride indoor in the winters and outside in the warmer months. By the time she was in grad school, Lilley ran her first marathon.

“I liked it because of the challenge,” Lilley said.

After school, Lilley moved back out to the West Coast, pursuing a career in coaching while immersing herself in the deep triathlon community in California. She met fitness power couple Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove, and began working as a strength coach while training to do her first Ironman triathlon.

Her love for the sport was forever sealed when she won her first half-Ironman – a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run – in Oceanside at the age of 26.

Eventually, Lilley landed in Carpinteria, where she began private coaching across Santa Barbara County, specializing in strength, conditioning and endurance training, inspiring athletes to push themselves to achieve their goals.

She found a true home in Carpinteria, which she says is perfect for triathlon training, with its endless trails for running and hillsides ripe for bike rides.

The community is also full of athletes who love to train together, whether it be mellow hikes or laps at the city pool.

“You become a community of athletes,” she said. “I moved here 17 years ago, and I will stay in Carp forever now.”

Thirteen years ago, Lilley met her husband, Santa Barbara City College baseball coach Jeff Walker. Together they are raising a daughter who is already following in their athletic footsteps, making her own way as a competitive swimmer and dancer.

Lilley’s own family is full of sports-minded folks. Her mother was an ice skater; her brother is a basketball coach at Vanguard University; and her sister was a basketball star at the University of Oregon who played several seasons in the WNBA before taking a career in coaching and helping ex-athletes find jobs after sports.

She credits her work ethic and athletic success to her family, which came from a military background and prioritized organization and preparation. In school, she was active in Girl Scouts and ASB, and remembers that her parents always made sure that in everything they did they were “organized, prepared and

never made excuses.”

Now, Lilley carries that ethos into her coaching style – though she also tries to have fun and take things lightly.

“I’ll have a beer, and if I miss a workout I‘m not going to freak out over it,” she says.

What’s important in training, she told CVN, is consistency and finding a group of like-minded people to help push through the tough times and hold each other accountable.

“It can be a very lonely sport,” she said. “Find some friends.”

Lilley is part of “Team Smash Fest,” based out of San Diego. The group supports each other and encourages team building by doing online challenges and small competitions to incentivize distance training.

Here in Carpinteria, she finds time to train with neighbors, like gardener Gregorio Perez, who she joins for hikes at the Franklin Trail.

Paul Cordeiro, a Carpinteria resident and former school superintendent, met Lilley while swimming at the community pool. He said he is inspired by her story and her dedication to the sport.

“She’s a mom, works full-time as a personal trainer, and finds a way to swim, bike and run at a very high level,” Cordiero said. “She’s an example to everyone – women and girls in particular – of what is possible when someone puts his or her mind to it.”

“Erika is fearless,” he continued. “She answers and overcomes every challenge which makes her an elite athlete and a fierce competitor.”

For Lilley, that competitive nature is just the way she has always been. In the past two decades, she has completed over two dozen full Ironman races (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run) – including one in which she won while seven months pregnant.

“I guess I won’t really stop,” she said. “And now I want to place; I’m not racing just to finish.”

But even for a dedicated athlete like Lilley, training isn’t always easy. But it’s about “commitment and following through,” she says, even on days when you feel discouraged.

“Everybody’s going to have mental blocks,” she said. “Sometimes you just tell yourself, let’s do the first hour and see how it goes.”

And the hard work pays off. Lilley has traveled the world to compete in races, from Cozemel, Mexico – where she says the crystal-clear water made the swim “unbelievable” – to South Africa and

ABOVE: Lilley smiles through a 13.4-mile run during the

AT LEFT: Lilley approaches the finish at the Honolulu half Ironman, where she took third place.

Alaska, where the cycle courses climb through mountain sides with breathtaking views.

Just a few weeks ago, she took third place in her division at the Kona Half Ironman in Honolulu, Hawaii. She has no plans on stopping anytime soon, and hopes that she can continue inspiring other athletes to push their boundaries and not be afraid of the hard road.

“Hard things take time to do,” she says. “Impossible things take a little longer.”

COURTESY PHOTOS

Erika Lilley takes on a grueling but beautiful 56-mile ride in Honolulu in 2024.

half Ironman at Morro Bay in 2024.

Back East (again)

IT’S ALL SURFING CVN

CHRISTIAN BEAMISH

Having transferred four or five of my best surfboard templates to plastic sheeting, then rolled these into a cylinder which I placed in a suitcase-style rolling toolbox with my planer, screens and other shaping tools, I set off for Rhode Island last month. A knapsack on my back and tool case rolling behind me, I had an exhilarating sense of freedom and possibility as I strolled through LAX.

While my destination of Boston, Massachusetts didn’t suggest great surfing, it was the realization that I could go anywhere to practice my craft that had me fired up. Also, Boston isn’t a terrible surf destination, either: Cape Cod has numerous quality surf spots, and, as I soon discovered, Rhode Island offers a ton of interesting waves as well with its fractured coastline, estuaries, beaches, points and reefs.

August and September, with hurricane swell pushing up the Atlantic seaboard, is when the region comes alive. As we can all relate from people swarming to Rincon when the forecast looks good, the Rhode Islanders deal with an influx of New Yorkers and New Jersey guys on the best swells.

The beaches down south can’t handle real swell – it’s all close-outs – while the set ups in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine have enough structure to accommodate long-interval surf.

Deep winter, the guys told me, is an entirely different experience. The extreme cold is an isolation chamber, but the wetsuit technology is so advanced it would make even blizzard conditions survivable. Three different surfers told me of otherworldly experiences riding perfect beach break tubes by themselves, snow on the beach, a slurry of ice along the shore. I’m as partial to the tropical fantasy as the next surfer, but I’m also drawn to the idea of these dead of winter sessions in New England.

The Space Rock Glassing crew had sug-

with no plan, and trusted that I’d meet people who would help me figure out where to stay and how to get around. On this trip however – possibly due to the stage of life I’m in, and the price-persquare-foot of existing in New York or Brooklyn – I didn’t feel it was right to ask my newly made surf acquaintances if I could crash at their places. Instead, I acted like a grown up and got myself a nice hotel room for three nights in the neighborhood of my buddy’s Brooklyn shop.

The hotel was a bit of a splurge, but the moment I swiped my key card and entered the clean room with the crisp comforter on the bed, and the picture window looking out on a beautiful courtyard, I knew it was money well spent. Modern, and one might say “hipster” in its aesthetic (I was at ground zero of hipsterism of course), there was an invisible yet very real impact on the state of my wellbeing.

Somehow, a custom order had not made my queue back in Rhode Island, and Chris at Pilgrim Surf Supply arranged the shaping bay he keeps across the street, as well as a blank, and I was able to get the board done there in Brooklyn (which was a fun project to have).

August and September, with hurricane swell pushing up the Atlantic seaboard, is when the region comes alive. As we can all relate from people swarming to Rincon when the forecast looks good, the Rhode Islanders deal with an influx of New Yorkers and New Jersey guys on the best swells.

The crew at a surfboard factory called Space Rock Glassing had invited me out last year, after we’d met at the surfboard trade show in Del Mar. The factory is among a number of bar/restaurant/hotel holdings, along with a surf shop, run by a financial group – all this to say, they put me up in a historic place in Matunuck, just up from the beach, and the factory manager swung by each morning to pick me up for work.

It was a 15-minute drive inland, through beechwood forests just greening into the first weeks of spring. The country there is gorgeous, old farmhouses and rock walls dividing the properties as they do in Ireland. Creeks and ponds flow with abundant water. And as weather moved in and rain fell for two days, the cold grey Atlantic suggested not separation but connection to Ireland, seemingly just over the horizon.

I worked fairly long 10-hour days, from Sunday to Friday, and shaped eight boards, a giant 11-foot, triple-stringer glider among them. The factory crew is a cohesive group of guys who work well together, each of them hardcore surfers, and whatever lingering prejudice or snobbery I had over West Coast vs. East Coast surfing was finally and utterly snuffed out.

The set-ups are the main thing: the granite bedrock forms multiple surfing reefs in a relatively condensed area. When the surf comes, it’s really good. And the fact that there are not waves every day is attractive for the prospect of building a grown-up professional life, in which, theoretically, one could drop everything for a couple or few days when the waves are on.

gested I shape myself a board in the first part of the week, and they then glassed and sanded it ready to surf for a swell forecast to arrive on Thursday. We surfed really fun, punchy beach break down the coast a bit amongst sand dunes and a gravel beach. The sky was grey and charcoal-colored with rain, and then went to a brilliance of red and orange that blazed over the tree line to the West at sunset. Cold water (we all wore hooded wetsuits and booties) came in at 46 degrees on the outside buoy readings.

Once I finished the custom orders and boards for Matunuck Surf Shop, I headed down to New York City for five days. I took the train to Penn Station, then the subway to lower Manhattan to see my brother who came up for the weekend. The new board was now part of my kit, and walking New York City at midnight with an orange 7’7” channel bottom single fin under arm didn’t seem to register with anyone (New Yorkers, of course, famously absorbed in their own concerns). But the cliché of rudeness was not apparent, as a fellow late-night subway rider was willing to help me navigate the turnstile with my board and bags.

I’d had the local boys here at True Ames rush-mail a new fin design by Renny Yater to the Space Rock factory in Rhode Island that I thought would suit the board I’d shaped, which was a cool bi-coastal connection, a little bit of home while away. Early the next day I surfed at Far Rockaway beach in a one-day event called the Fish Fry, put on by my buddy Chris Gentil and his Brooklyn shop, Pilgrim Surf Supply. The surf was small and really clean, the New Yorkers a fun group to surf with.

Oftentimes surfing I’ve arrived places

Another great thing about getting the hotel room was the bikes they provided. I was able to tool around Williamsburg like I’d lived there since the bad old ‘90s, when multiple people made a point of saying “it was really sketchy here then.”

But mid-May 2024 was the opposite of sketchy: the riverfront parks, the bars and cafés full of lively people all looked like they made lots of money from hanging out and being cool. I took the ferry with the hotel bicycle (the best four bucks you’ll spend in NYC) and met a friend

one day over in Manhattan and did a lap through Central Park, nice and slow, sunlight dappling through the trees and all the walks of life like the fragments in a kaleidoscope. My buddy and I went to the Met, saw the Harlem Renaissance show and the Euro-boys Gauguin, Monet, Van Gogh (the whole crew), then got lunch at this old Manhattan burger joint. So that’s my travelogue. It was very refreshing to change the backdrop for ten days, and until next time…

Christian Beamish took leave of his position at Coastal View News in October 2020, to pursue his surfboard business, Surfboards California, full time. He continues his monthly column, and shapes at the surfboard factory showroom at 500 Maple Ave., in Carpinteria. The former Associate Editor of The Surfer’s Journal, Beamish is also the author of “Voyage of the Cormorant,” (Patagonia Books, 2012) about his single-handed expedition down the coast of Baja California by sail and oar in his self-built Shetland Isle beach boat. He now lives with his two children in Ventura.

SPORT SHORTS

BY RYAN P. CRUZ

Local girls water polo squad takes second

The 14-and-under girls Channel Island United water polo team traveled down to Ventura to compete in the Junior Olympics regional qualifying tournament over two days on June 8 and 9, taking on teams from Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

After winning four of six games over the two days, the girls jumped from a tenthplace ranking into second place overall. The team’s only losses came against the tournament’s first-place team, Santa Barbara 805.

This year’s 14-and-under team includes Carpinteria players Madison Lee, Lucia and Holiday Smith, Gwenyth Postma and Hazel Dugré. Channel Islands United will now advance to the Junior Olympics “platinum level national tournament” this July in San Jose.

COURTESY PHOTO

The 14-and-under girls Channel Island United team celebrates a successful weekend at the Junior Olympics regional qualifiers.

BEAMISH

The author recently took a trip to the East Coast, exploring New York City and shaping boards.

CLUB SCENE

COMPILED BY JUN STARKEY | COURTESY PHOTOS

From left: Rotary Club of Carpinteria Noon President Karen Graf, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Jeanette Gant, Carpinteria City Manager Michael Ramirez and Assistant City Manager Ryan Kintz.

Noon Rotary connects with new city employees

The Rotary Club of Carpinteria Noon met with two of the city of Carpinteria’s newest employees: Assistant City Manager Ryan Kintz and Jeanette Gant, the Parks,

Recreation, and Community Services director.

Kintz and Gant shared their backgrounds and prior work experience with club members, as well as their current positions and expectations. Carpinteria City Manager Michael Ramirez was also on hand to field questions from club members.

“It seems that Ryan and Jeanette are great additions to the city staff,” said Karen Graf, president of the Rotary Club of Carpinteria Noon.

Morning Rotary brings dinner to firefighters

Members of the Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning brought dinner to the on-duty firefighters at the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District station on Walnut Avenue on Monday, May 13.

“The firefighters do so much to keep our community safe,” said Carie Smith, president of the Morning Rotary chapter. “Providing a meal is one way we can say thanks.”

Firefighters on duty that evening included Tim Henigan, Dean Carey, John Rieger, Dan Hagstrom, Kelly Baker and Brian Roberson. Club members ate with the firefighters and paramedics, speaking with them and learning about their lives. Club members also received a tour of the fire station.

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From left, Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning members Stephen Gerteis, Sally Green and Eric von Schrader serve firefighter Dean Carey dinner.