SHIRLEY KIMBERLIN Everything I list turns to SOLD! 805-886-0228 skimberlin@aol.com
This week’s listings on the back page
Sun swept
ALGIS KEMEZYS
DUGRÉ
Brooke Barnett, daughter of May and Bryan Barnett, stars as Clara in this weekend’s “The Nutcracker” performance by Curtis Studio of Dance.
With sunsets this striking, it’s hard to resist planting them on the cover of Coastal View News. Winter finds the sun dipping into the Pacific, making local beaches a hot spot for watching the sky go sherbet-colored and straining for a glimpse at the elusive green flash. All of these activities are even better from the top of a stand up paddleboard.
Barnett stars in City responds to homeless issue Nutcracker ballet Though it is laborious to BY LEA BOYD
Christmas classic “The Nutcracker” will be brought to life at Carpinteria Middle School this Friday and Saturday, and Brooke Barnett, a ballerina since before she could pronounce the word, will dance the starring role of Clara. “Ever since I was a little girl I’ve wanted to be Clara,” Barnett said. She has been dancing at Curtis Studio of Dance since she was 3, and 12 years later she got her wish. “I was really excited. I couldn’t believe it. I said, ‘Oh my God! I’m finally Clara.’” Over the years, she has progressed through the roles from Mouse to Snow Princess, and now she’ll hardly leave the stage. Her favorite dance is when Clara is surrounded by the 5- and 6-year-old snow princesses all around her. “I can’t wait to perform in front of everyone,” she said. The Carpinteria Christmas staple will show on Friday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. and on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 1 p.m. This year’s performance showcases the talented Curtis Studio dancers and three Carpinteria High School boys in addition to special guest dancers Gary Franco and Jean Michelle Sayeg. Franco, who dances the part of Cavalier, was a star of stage and screen including in “The Producers,” and Sayeg, the Sugar Plum Fairy, was the recipient of the Music Center Spotlight Award.
Carpinteria is on track to end chronic homelessness in the next two years, Chuck Flacks, Executive Director of Central Coast Collaborative on Homelessness (C3H), told the Carpinteria City Council at its Dec. 14 meeting. The city, with partners like C3H, has ramped up efforts to address the homeless issue in Carpinteria over the last year and is moving closer to finding housing for its homeless population, which at last count was 18 individuals. “Clearly there’s a commitment here to making this happen,” Flacks said. Establishing a connection with homeless individuals, many of whom suffer from mental health, drug and alcohol problems, and then successfully moving them into longterm housing is “painstaking and difficult,” Flacks said. Analyses show that the cost of homelessness is much higher than the cost of placing people in housing. Jail stays and hospital visits account for most of the $30,000 to $50,000 annual expense for each person living on the streets. “It’s much more efficient to house homeless people,” said City Manager Dave Durflinger. Point in Time counts of the Santa Barbara County homeless population are conducted every two years. Carpinteria’s count included 15 individuals in 2011, 10 in 2013 and 18 in 2015. Though the data doesn’t indicate significant growth in the population, the city recently
establish connections with members of the homeless community, that effort is a critical step in getting individuals housed.
has documented more public health and safety issues and public complaints and concerns for the homeless. In response, a collaborative push toward a solution has been made. The Carpinteria Coordination Committee was established with C3H, and interagency meetings are held monthly to pool information and resources from Carpinteria State Beach, CarpinteriaSummerland Fire Protection District, the Sheriff’s Department, Public Works and Code Enforcement, among others.
CITY COUNCIL continued on page 5