SHIRLEY KIMBERLIN Everything I list turns to SOLD! 805-886-0228 skimberlin@aol.com
This week’s listings on the back page
Community Church faces sexual abuse lawsuit
Spring training
New victim emerges in civil case targeting youth pastor BY PETER DUGRÉ
According to the lawsuit, Louis Bristol developed a close relationship with the victim while counseling her through the divorce of her parents and exploited her while performing duties on behalf of the church.
A lawsuit filed in Santa Barbara Superior Court on March 3 lists Carpinteria Community Church and Youth Pastor Louis Bristol as defendants on complaints of negligence, child sexual abuse, fraud and deceit among other accusations put forth by a plaintiff in a 2004 incident of alleged abuse of a minor perpetrated by Bristol, a former youth pastor at the church. Bristol was convicted in 2013 of sexual assault on two underage females who were part of his youth group, but the victim in the civil case was not part of the criminal case. Among other things, the suit alleges a pattern of negligence on the part of Carpinteria Community Church and its parent organizations, Presbytery of Santa Barbara, Synod of Southern California and Hawaii and Presbyterian Church USA. Also listed in the suit is Holiday Inn Express, where Bristol was employed and committed sexual assaults in guest rooms. In a phone conversation on March 10, attorney Timothy Hale of Santa Barbara law firm Nye, Peabody, Stirling, Hale & Miller said, “The defendants had the opportunity to stop Bristol in his tracks, and it didn’t happen.” Failure to act on the part of the church and Holiday Inn enabled Bristol to continue to abuse the victim listed in the suit and the additional victims for which Bristol was convicted and sentenced to a year in jail and five years parole. He has been released and resides in Santa Barbara County. Nye, Peabody, Stirling, Hale & Miller has represented numerous sexual abuse victims in cases against the Archdiocese and Franciscans of the Catholic Church in
SEXUAL ABUSE continued on page 4
BILL SWING
Warrior softball player Ariana Macias slides into second at the home opener for Carpinteria High School softball on March 5. The Warriors took the field against Lompoc High School shortly after kicking off the season with a ceremony to thank the community for generous support in the team’s mission to construct its “Field of Dreams,” a renovation designed to outfit the team with new dug outs, equipment storage rooms and an announcer’s booth. See Sports on page 17 for more coverage.
Carpinterian jams her way to international honors
From California to England, Red Hen Cannery’s Spicy Orange Marmalade traveled the Atlantic Ocean to touch down at the 10th Annual Dalemain Marmalade Festival and Competition and won a Silver Award. Created by Red Hen owner and native Carpinterian Maureen Foley, the local marmalade was selected from among nearly 2,000 entries in the Feb. 28 to March 1 festival. A blend of Valencia oranges, red pepper flakes and other spices, the award-winning marmalade was one of just a few marmalades produced in the United States to win honors at the premiere, international marmalade competition. “I am delighted and so proud,” Foley said, of winning the award. “The oranges are grown on four 60 year-old Valencia orange trees owned by my grandfather, Lawrence Bailard, and the basic orange marmalade recipe is by my grandmother, Kathryn Bailard. I learned canning from my mom, too, and was inspired to start the jam business because of my dad’s successful 20-year career selling cherimoyas at the farmers markets in Santa Barbara. So, it’s a family thing!” This is Red Hen Cannery’s first major food award for its wide variety of seasonal flavors of jam including strawberry vanilla, meyer lemon and lavender and roasted peach and brown sugar. Foley sells her preserves directly at the Carpinteria farmers market, as well as other Santa Barbara County farmers markets, in retail stores and at redhencannery.com.
JOEL CONROY
Maureen Foley’s marmalade was selected from among nearly 2,000 entries.