Chef Mollie Goes LOCAL!

JOURNAL

What’s the Plan? – Winter rains are on the way and the second Flood Control Master Plan meeting detailed what’s in the works, P.12

The State of Holidays – Stroll along State St. and see what holiday shopping is in store in the next part of the MJ’s holiday guide, P.32

SERVING MONTECITO AND SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA 7 – 14 DEC 2023 | VOL 29 ISS 49 | www.montecitojournal.net

The Giving List

Sansum Clinic… new changes, same excellent care for over 100 years, page 28

Editorial

Why Montecito’s Nets Got Das’ Boot

by Gwyn Lurie

CHEF MOLLIE

GOES LOCAL! Lavish layers of lasagna… meatballs dotted with raisins and swirled around spaghetti… delicate, decadent tufts of tiramisu… the irresistible Italian fare of Chef Mollie is coming to LOCAL Montecito (Story starts on page 6)

Have we no memory?

Have we no leadership?

Who in our local government is representing the interests of Montecito residents?

Are we considered too privileged to merit concern?

W

hen the debris nets on the mountains above Montecito were taken down on November 1, I was beside myself. As photos came in of helicopters lifting the nets off the mountain, I reflected upon all that it took to get them there in the first place…

Editorial Continued on Page 54 54

holiday cheers! christmas cocktails in the garden indulge in festive cocktails and the best xmas decor in town 805.504.1961 San Ysidro Ranch

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Choice of Roasted Chestnut Soup Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Brioche, Bellwether Farms Crème Fraiche, Micro Celery

House Made Spinach Capellini Shaved Périgord Black Truffles, Chanterelle Mushroom, Cured Egg Yolk, Seaside Garden Pea Tendrils, Parmesan Emulsion

Grilled Fig and Frog Hollow Pear Salad Candied Walnuts, Caveman Blue Cheese, Crispy Beets, Petite Greens Maple Vinaigrette

entrees Choice of Pan-Roasted Maine Diver Scallops Slow Braised Oxtail, King Oyster Mushroom, Baby Romanesco, Black Garlic Vinaigrette, Corn Pudding New Zealand John Dory Celery Root, Granny Smith Apple, Local Mussels, Bloomsdale Spinach Apple Cider Emulsion

desserts Choice of Valrhona Chocolate and Citrus Crepe Moelleux au Chocolate, Blood Orange, Grand Marnier Sauce, Tahitian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Persimmon Glazed Maple Leaf Duck Breast Porcini Mushroom Puree, Asparagus, Tokyo Turnips, Caramelized Persimmon Spiced Shallot Mostarda

Crème Fraiche Cheese Cake Red Currant Gelée, Caramelized Figs, Oat Crumble

Center Cut Prime Filet Mignon Wellington SYR Pomme Puree, Asparagus Sauce Bordelaise

Gingerbread Yule Log Toasted Meringue, Candied Cranberries, Whipped White Chocolate Ganache, Cinnamon Gelato

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december 25th, from 12pm-7pm 250 per person enjoy a visit from santa and his elves!

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Montecito JOURNAL

805.504.1964

7 – 14 December 2023

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Montecito JOURNAL

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Editorial – The MJ’s Gwyn Lurie and geologist 5 Larry D. Gurrola respond to the Board of

Supervisors following the removal of the debris nets

Appraisals – A reader’s inherited hat Wine Traveler – Just an hour away, take 18 Etellslizabeth’s 41 Pa etite a story of a burgeoning American industry tour through the sights and sips of the Santa and one manufacturer’s success in it

Maria Valley

Local – The indomitable Chef Mollie and Whaler’ – The area has a new tall Winter in Summerland – A touch of holiday 6 Therotally 20 Tshiphe ‘Mystic esteemed Italian fare is going Local soon (and associated nonprofit) ready to set sail 42 spirit and cheer is coming to the town of ontecito Miscellany – Soup and crowds fill Empty 8 MBowls, 5k gives a leg up to Arise International, Lotusland honors Corey Welles, and more

Beat – The story of the Hathaway tree 10 Vandillagea synopsis of the Housing Element Update Tide Guide

towards youth education

eel Fun – It’s the perfect Dream Scenario – 22 RNicolas Cage playing a tenured professor in

everyone’s dreams On Entertainment – Go backstage with The World Goes ‘Round, Grace Fisher and friends are back on stage, and other holiday fun

from MA – The community elves came 24 11 Moutessage Ashleigh’s musings on duty and the relationship this past week to decorate the Hathaway tree

Brilliant Thoughts – It is our duty to read between who is serving who

– it’s tradition!

The Giving List – In the over-100-year ur Town – Details from the Montecito Flood 28 12 OControl history of Sansum Clinic, there are some new Master Plan meeting and Richie’s Barber Shop’s annual holiday donation collection is back

ociety Invites – Summerland is looking 14 Sbeautiful at its 2nd annual holiday event and

changes but with the same stellar service to the community

Home for the Holidays – This week, take a 32 stroll along State Street and discover some of the the SB Museum of Natural History’s new board

4

members

Montecito JOURNAL

endless summer

our Westmont – Men’s soccer scores a national 45 Ychampionship, bidding underway for 675 pieces of art, and the college lands a spot on Monopoly plus a visit from Mr. Monopoly himself

alendar of Events – Jazz and holiday joy 52 Ccoming to the stage, The Nutcracker’s reign continues, and more

– Our own “Craigslist” of classified 54 Cads,lassifieds in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales

ini Meta Crossword Puzzles 55 MLocal Business Directory – Smart business

festive gift-giving opportunities along the way

“Why do people say they wish every day was Friday? If it was always Friday, we’d be here every freakin’ day.” — Ed Bernard

owners place business cards here so readers know where to look when they need what those businesses offer

7 – 14 December 2023

Editorial

Why Montecito’s Nets Got Das’ Boot

by Gwyn Lurie

(Continued from cover) The worldwide search for resiliency solutions. The months of fundraising. The countless hours of work to get the approvals needed to do something that could give us some protection. The days and weeks and months that followed the 1/9/2018 debris flow. The bungled evacuation process. The tragic loss of life and property. The fear that gripped our community.

Post 1/9/2018 the County was [understandably] overwhelmed. The wheels of government move too slowly to find solutions in the moment of a catastrophic disaster.

There was no cavalry coming. Private citizens, with a huge stake in protecting its hometown, could only count on themselves to come up with solutions.

And so, The Partnership for Resilient Communities was born (TPRC). Full disclosure, I was originally part of that group. For legal reasons the name was changed to The Project for Resilient Communities. But at the time no one grasped the poetry of losing that single word: Partnership.

TPRC found the ring nets, used around the world to protect against debris flow disaster. As our naked, fire-scorched mountains slowly began to revegetate, TPRC raised millions of dollars to pay for the nets, the insurance, the necessary bonds. It wrangled the multitudinous approvals from local landowners, county, state and federal agencies, Fish and Wildlife and other environmental groups, to get the emergency permits it needed to install the nets.

The nets were never meant to be a silver bullet, but part of a larger community resiliency plan imperative for us to sleep safely and soundly beneath the beautiful Santa Ynez Mountains.

But at the time no one grasped the poetry of losing that single word: Partnership.

Initially it was thought that perhaps the nets would only be necessary until our mountains revegetated. What was subsequently learned, unlike what we were initially told after 1/9/18, is that this was not a once in 500 years event or a once in a millennium event. In fact, as an independent study by respected geological engineers Larry D. Gurrola and J. David Rogers showed, debris laden flooding or debris flows have hit the South Coast 42 times since 1820. Often in the same exact locations. TPRC forwarded all that information to First District Supervisor Das Williams and Flood Control two years ago.

When our San Ysidro Net filled on 1/9/2023, exactly five years to the day from the 1/9/2018 event, TPRC felt that its concept of stopping an incipient debris flow high up in the canyons of Montecito had been proven. And apparently, according to an article by Nick Welsh in the Santa Barbara Independent on 1/18/23, Supervisor Williams agreed: “I don’t know that we know,” said County Supervisor Das Williams – whose district includes Montecito – of the steel nets’ impact during last week’s torrential downpours… But it seems like it was somewhere between successful and very successful.”

Because of this, TPRC kept pushing the County to consider taking over the nets as part of its Flood Control System.

TPRC received permission from private landowners to extend the nets on their Gwyn Lurie is CEO land until 2029 and began the process and Executive Editor to extend its permits. of the Montecito According to former Santa Barbara Journal Media Group City Fire Chief and TPRC Executive Director Pat McElroy, on October

Editorial Page 164 164 7 – 14 December 2023

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5

Totally Local

The Indefatigable Mollie Ahlstrand

by Jim Buckley

A

fter nearly 30 years, the mudslide of 2018 put an end to her elegant Trattoria Mollie on Coast Village Road.

She opened a new Mollie’s next to the Granada on State Street, but COVID-19 crushed that endeavor too.

Armed conflict broke out in the Tigray region of Ethiopia in 2020 and the country is now under a State of Emergency.

Mollie has family in Tigray and the fighting has affected many of her relatives.

Mollie had a devastating accident that totaled the car she was driving up near Toro Canyon and left her close to death.

She spent a full month at Cottage Hospital after a 13-hour surgery led by Dr. Moore, who said aloud that he didn’t understand how she survived. When released from Cottage, she spent the next few months in bed. Eventually, her broken bones began to heal and after nearly a year of rehabilitation, she was able to get up and move around with the help of a walker.

6

Montecito JOURNAL

Then a cane.

Today, she scurries around like a mouse on a treadmill (she’s a small one, at 4-ft 10-inches) in her new space just off the Casitas Pass exit in Carpinteria. She’s settled in and completely re-designed what had been a Domino’s Pizza outlet.

Mollie’s opened quietly in July of this year, but the trickle of customers drawn to her place has already become a steady flow.

Dinner for eight at Mollie’s She may have to hire more help if that The “Local” news is that Mollie, whose keeps up.

Which goes to prove you can’t keep a own place in Carpinteria is closed on good woman down… at least not for long. Sundays, will be cooking some of her If you’re new in town, Mollie has been specialties beginning December 10, on serving up dishes featuring her unique Sundays at LOCAL, the restaurant at 1187 blend of Italian staples with an Ethiopian Coast Village Road, just a hop, slip, and flair for the better part of half a century. couple hundred agonizing steps away from She has cooked for Oprah Winfrey, her former restaurant.

Ellen DeGeneres, Kirk and Anne You should know this about Mollie: Douglas, been hosted by President Obama She’s old school. and his then Vice President Joe Biden. She She was old school before there was an has given cooking lessons in Santa Barbara old school. to some of the best chefs in town.

Which means she makes all her own Mollie is a celebrity in her own right pasta right in her shop in Carpinteria. and her place in the culinary firmament She molds each of her famous turkey is warranted and secure. meatballs (w/raisins) by hand.

Mollie’s lasagna is right up there with the best of the best.

Ditto for those turkey/raisin meatballs, tiramisu, panna cotta… …And pretty much everything else.

If you decide to have dinner at her place, she’ll be at the stove and often she’ll be helping serve the food.

I did say she was old school, didn’t I?

Lasagna at LOCAL For her first Sunday stint at LOCAL on December 10, Mollie has proposed the

Totally Local Page 414 414

7 – 14 December 2023

SOLD

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Montecito JOURNAL

7

EMBRACE THE HOLIDAYS Montecito Miscellany Empty Bowls Runneth Over IN THE HEART OF THE RIVIERA

Jordan benShea of Empty Bowls, Foodbank CDO Alisse Harris, Foodbank CEO Erik Talkin, and Empty Bowls founder Danyel Dean (photo by Priscilla)

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E

mpty Bowls, the popular fundraiser for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, staged its 26th event at the new $20 million Sharehouse in Goleta, with a record 750 guests being shuttled by the Santa Barbara Airbus from the Hilton Garden Inn, a short distance away.

The 77,000-square-foot Foodbank property, which boasts 10 times the refrigerated storage space, opened in October and the sold-out fun food fest, which raised around $120,000, provided three varieties of soup – vegetarian minestrone, butternut squash, and gumbo – made by the Santa Barbara company, Food From the Heart, which provides nourishment to low-income residents.

Previously the liquid assets were made by various local restaurants, but that was con-

Longtime ceramicists and contributors: Merrillee Ford, Kat Knowles, and Lizzie Olson (photo by Priscilla)

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sidered too cumbersome and complicated to organize. Hence the new streamlined, shorter menu with scrumptious artisanal breads.

The concept, which includes a free ceramic bowl included in the ticket price, started in Wisconsin in 1991 and was brought to our Eden by the Beach in 1998 by ceramicist Danyel Dean, being held in recent years at the Page Youth Center.

“It is now all around the globe,” says Danyel proudly. “But I’m delighted to say Santa Barbara raises the most money of all of them!”

More than 230,000 people in the community are helped by the Foodbank and, to date, Empty Bowls has raised a hefty $2.5 million for the community.

Liquid assets, indeed.

Getting an Arise Out of Runners Everybody was certainly in the pink at Arise International’s third 5K run-walk along the beachfront at Chase Palm Park, which had a record breaking entry of 250 participants raising a record $50,000 for Bethel House, a women’s residential treatment program at the Rescue Mission.

The monies will enable the facility to complete renovations on the property, which started last year after the second run-walk raised $20,000.

The ubiquitous Drew Wakefield

Miscellany Page 434 434

Guests and volunteers with empty bowls that need filling (photo by Priscilla)

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Montecito JOURNAL

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7 – 14 December 2023

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INVESTING IN COMMUNITY

Montecito JOURNAL

9

iday season. There have been few exceptions, including in 2017, when the tree trimming, scheduled for mid-December, was canceled as the Thomas Fire raged in the Montecito foothills. Just days after a community-wide evacuation was lifted, a handful of dedicated elves turned out on Christmas Eve to trim the tree, without the usual help of Montecito firefighters. In 2020 the pandemic was cause for another quiet event; the tree was trimmed by a skeletal crew of elves.

This year the usual crew turned out to help decorate the tree last Friday, including Montecito firefighters, Montecito Association Beautification committee members, MA board members, and MUS school kids. Big thank you to Dana and Andrea Newquist and Mindy Denson, who turn out every single year with ornaments in hand to help continue this small town tradition.

Trimming Montecito’s Tree

by Kelly Mahan Herrick

I

t wouldn’t be the holiday season without the trimming of the giant pine tree near the Manning Park tennis courts on San Ysidro Road. It’s a festive tradition that goes back many decades, and we retell it here each year to keep the memory alive.

As the story goes, in the early 1960s, then Montecito Fire Chief Don Hathaway and his wife, Helen, and children Dean and Ronda, would rise in the middle of the night each December to conduct a super-secret mission: to decorate the Monterey Pine tree at the corner of North Jameson and Highway 101, which at the time was only about seven feet tall. Montecito residents would awake to find the tree decked out in garland and ornaments, wondering who among them had decorated the tree.

The tree grew and grew, and so did the group of “elves” who decorated it: friends and neighbors were let in on the secret and invited to join, and Helen would make gingerbread cookies and hot chocolate for everyone. Eventually the Montecito firefighters got involved, bringing ladders to help decorate the top of the tree. The story goes that each year, Helen would look in the newspaper in the days following the decoration mission, to see if there was anything written about it; she kept a scrapbook full of photos and article clippings over the years.

In the late 1970s, Doug Coale, owner of Mesa Tree, began bringing his cherry picker to hoist volunteers to place garland on the top half of the tree. In the ‘90s, Don enlisted Dana Newquist to carry on the tradition, and Dana aka “the head elf,” would organize the tree-trimming event

Houghton Hyatt, Trish Davis, head elves Dana Newquist and Mindy Denson, and Dana Hansen at the Hathaway Family Tree on San Ysidro Road

each year, eventually enlisting the help of the Montecito Association Beautification Committee. Members of the community were also invited to take part, and a large collection of miscellaneous holiday decorations were used year after year.

It was in 2011 that the tree became distressed and had to be removed; Don Hathaway passed away that same year, in July. With the help of some generous donors, Newquist organized the purchase and installation of a new, 18-foot Blue Aptos Redwood tree, which was planted near the tennis courts at Manning Park on December 15, 2012. Beneath the tree is a plaque honoring the Hathaway Family.

Since the relocation of the tree, the decorating has taken place during the day, and many firefighters, the Montecito Association Beautification Committee, and school kids decorate the tree every year to mark the hol-

modate its fair share of the region’s housing needs, or Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA); there are 5,664 housing units slated for the South Coast of the county. What was approved on Tuesday was a potential list of sites that could be re-zoned in order to meet RHNA numbers, as well as a list of County-owned sites that could accommodate future development. Meeting the County’s RHNA numbers will reduce commuter trips, in part helping the County to achieve its climate goals.

Supervisor Laura Capps and many members of the public brought up the disproportionate number of re-zone sites and subsequent units proposed in Goleta

JOURNAL

Village Beat

Housing Element Update Approved

Executive Editor/CEO | G wyn Lurie gwyn@montecitojournal.net President/COO | Timothy Lennon Buckley tim@montecitojournal.net VP, Sales & Marketing | Leanne Wood leanne@montecitojournal.net Managing Editor | Zach Rosen zach@montecitojournal.net Art/Production Director | Trent Watanabe Graphic Design/Layout | Stevie Acuña

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors narrowly approved the Housing Element Update (HEU) on Tuesday, solidifying the State-mandated housing chapter of the County’s Comprehensive Plan.

The purpose of the Housing Element is to accommodate existing and projected housing needs for all residents of the unincorporated County.

County planners presented the HEU to the Supervisors, explaining that Santa Barbara County is experiencing one of the nation’s most severe housing crisis, with inadequate supply, skyrocketing rents and property values, and overcrowding. The majority of the workforce in critical services, including agriculture, healthcare, public safety, and education, struggles to afford local housing and is forced to commute long distances from their jobs.

Each day, approximately 31,000 workers commute to the South Coast from areas outside the county, or in North County.

The County is required to accom-

Administration | Jessikah Fechner Administrative Assistant | Valerie Alva Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Scott, Bryce Eller Contributing Editor | Kelly Mahan Herrick Copy Editor | Lily Buckley Harbin, Jeff Wing Proofreading | Helen Buckley Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz Contributors | Scott Craig, Ashleigh Brilliant, Kim Crail, Tom Farr, Chuck Graham, Stella Haffner, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Sharon Byrne, Robert Bernstein, Christina Atchison, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye Gossip | Richard Mineards History | Hattie Beresford Humor | Ernie Witham Our Town/Society | Joanne A Calitri Travel | Jerry Dunn, Leslie Westbrook Food & Wine | Claudia Schou, Melissa Petitto, Gabe Saglie

MONTECITO TIDE GUIDE Day

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1.7

“If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving definitely isn’t for you.” – Steven Wright

newspaper

Published by: Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108.

How to reach us: (805) 565-1860; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108; EMAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net

7 – 14 December 2023

compared to other areas of the county.

“The decision to put 75 percent of these units in the Goleta Valley, on agriculture, I don’t support,” Capps said. “I am a champion of affordable housing, and this plan falls short.” The 18 sites listed proposed in the HEU in the South Coast are divided between Eastern Goleta Valley, Isla Vista, un-incorporated Santa Barbara, and two nursery/greenhouse sites in Carpinteria.

“The unique thing about eastern Goleta valley is that it’s one of the only areas in the South Coast that has vacant or under-developed parcels that are located in the urban areas. It was the most suitable land in the county suited for re-zoning,” said one of the planners on the proposal.

The HEU was approved in a 3-2 vote,

with Supervisors Laura Capps and Bob Nelson dissenting. The re-zone sites will

be further discussed next spring.

For more visit www.countyofsb.org.

Kelly Mahan Herrick, also a licensed realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, has been editor at large for the Journal since 2007, reporting on news in Montecito and beyond.

Message from MA

Hathaway Tree Tradition in Montecito

by Houghton Hyatt

U

ndoubtedly the most heartwarming event of the year is decorating the Hathaway Memorial Tree in Upper Manning Park. Last Friday, many elves, young and not so young, adorned the tree with lots of ornaments and tinsel! The presence of all the school kids, Dana Newquist arriving in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the firefighters ascending the ladder to the top

of the tree, and the collaborative effort of Dana, Andrea [Newquist], and Mindy Denson in gathering all the decorations – it made for a really fun and festive afternoon.

Children walking home from school took a moment to lend a hand and even passersby walking their dogs enthusiastically joined in! What a fantastic way to usher in the holiday season in Montecito with this delightful tradition. When you are driving down San Ysidro Road, take a moment to

admire their beautiful work!

Call for

In Memoriam Images

• The MJ will be publishing an In Memoriam feature in the final issue of 2023. For those who lost someone in the Montecito community this year, please send by Monday, Dec. 18: the name of your loved one, an image, and any note (50 words or less) you would like to include, to: letters@montecitojournal.net 7 – 14 December 2023

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11

Our Town

Second Meeting for Montecito Flood Control Master Plan

No Job Too Big or Too Small!

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Matt Griffin presenting on the Montecito Flood Control Master Plan (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

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n its second of three scheduled meetings with the residents and business owners in Montecito, the Santa Barbara County Flood Control (SBCFC) Project Team for the Montecito Flood Control Master Plan laid out their various plans to control debris and for flood management at Cold Spring School auditorium on Wednesday, November 29 from 5:30 – 7 pm.

The SBCFC team present were Tom Fayram, retired SBC Deputy Public Works Director drought and flood plain specialist; Matt Griffin, Water Resources Deputy Director; Walter Rubalcava, Deputy Director Water Resources; and Linda Potter, engineer Certified Flood Plain Management.

Also speaking was First District Supervisor Das Williams.

Attendees included reps from Montecito Fire Protection District and Montecito Water District; Donna Senauer, Montecito Planning Commission; Chris Sneddon, Deputy Director, Transportation Santa Barbara County; Pat McElroy, Executive Director of The Project for Resilient Communities; Wendy Motta representing the office of Congressman Salud Carbajal CA 24th District; Jordan Sweeney, General Manager of Birnam Wood Golf Club; Harry Rabin; Cold Spring School Superintendent and Principal Amy Alzina; Bob Hazard with his wife Victoria; and approximately 20 residents.

Williams opened the meeting by say-

“The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs... one step at a time.” — Joe Girard

ing, “It is pleasing that you are here.

The Master Plan requires community input; we need to hear from you. We believe it is possible to achieve 100year flood control, to create a better flood control capacity, underground water conveyance, sediment basins, and clean out existing debris basins. The Master Plan is to have the best plan the community allows within the financial means. If you are worried about flooding from rains, watch the cameras during a storm, we want to be transparent to you.”

Griffin went over the slide presentation that outlined the Project Goals, Schedule, Challenges, Improvement Alternative, and Next Steps. The goals outlined were: Prepare a coordinated master plan for flood control and debris control, which they emphasized are two different systems; seek public input and implement it; facilitate grants; have a long-term plan; and have alternatives for a 100year (1% annual chance) event floodplain reduced.

The implementation date is TBD, as the Master Plan will be completed in April 2024. Challenges to the project include public vs. private property, cost, bridge replacements, environmental issues, access to debris basins, and creeks and the disposal of the debris. The improvement alternatives being considered are channels, underground drains, basins, sediment and debris control, bank stabilization, open

Our Town Page 464 464

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13

Society Invites

Summerland Beautiful Second Annual Holiday Event Summerland Beautiful team: Penny Mathison, D’Arcy Cornwall, Elizabeth A. Winterhalter, and Sharon Curry (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Beautiful gateway park area near the Summerland Post Office.

There was an official tree light ceremony, and the San Marcos High School’s Madrigal Singers performed being led by their director, Eleni Pantages.

Seen at the event were locals Nora McNeely Hurley and Michael Hurley, Suzie and Bob Mecay, Ingrid and Fred Nicol, Don Nulty, Lucy and Jim Witmer, Aimee Miller of Home Crush, Diana Dolan of Porch, Kara Richard of Summerland Salon & Spa, Megan Tingstrom of Red Kettle, Mimi Doll of The Well, and Summerland Winery donated the wine.

The nonprofit organization is working to keep Summerland beautiful with

Society Page 464 464

Leslie Person Ryan lighting the official Farm to Paper holiday tree (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

by Joanne A Calitri

T

San Marcos High School Madrigal Singers with their director Eleni Pantages (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

he 2nd Annual Summerland Beautiful Holiday event took place on Friday, December 1, at Farm to Paper on Lillie Avenue, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm.

The event was spawned by Summerland Beautiful President D’Arcy Cornwall and her team: Secretary Penny Mathison, Treasurer Elizabeth A. Winterhalter, and members Sharon Curry and Leslie Person Ryan.

Guests were warmly greeted with libations and treats; the specialty cocktail was Stoli and Cranberry. The team displayed the finalists in the Summerland Beautiful photo contest along the interior wall of Farm to Paper. Guests were invited to vote for their favorite photos, and winners will be featured on the Summerland

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Once outside, an enchanting garden oasis features a variety of fruit trees, flower gardens, tiered lawns, loggias and patios, pool and spa, and a pool cabana for friends and family to enjoy! The Ennisbrook gated community offers a number of amenities: two heated pools, three championship tennis courts, pickle ball, gym, private wine lockers, basketball court, BBQ facilities, 50 acres of protected open space and a clubhouse. Conveniently located near world-class beaches, resorts, and fine dining and shopping at Montecito’s coveted Upper & Lower Villages. Montecito Union School District.

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7 – 14 December 2023

Montecito JOURNAL

15

Editorial (Continued from 5) 25 of this year, during a Zoom call with County Planning and Development, TPRC was told the County was likely to recommend to the Montecito Planning Commission (MPC) that they extend the permits. That they wanted to schedule a hearing with the MPC on November 15 – two weeks after TPRC’s established deadline to decide whether or not to pull the nets.

When TPRC realized that the County was not seriously considering being part of the future of the nets, it made the decision that, however unfortunate, the nets would have to be removed. According to McElroy, TPRC didn’t feel it would be responsible to keep the nets in place if they would be expected to continue raising millions of dollars should the nets fill again. I think it’s fair to ask, should local Montecito residents have to pay, above and beyond our myriad taxes, to keep our town safe?

At last week’s public meeting at Cold Spring School called by County Flood Control, as reported by the Montecito Journal’s Joanne Calitri in this issue [see page 12], County Supervisor Das Williams, in response to a question about the nets being removed, said this: “First of all, we did not take them down, I personally would like a Buena Vista net in place until the debris basin gets built. We made an offer, the Partnership did not like that offer because it did not include all of the nets. But we are particularly interested in Buena Vista, and we still are in some dialog; I’d love to have one of those nets back, because getting it permitted from the County standpoint is a little bit easier than what they had to go through because we don’t have to issue a permit to ourselves.

The challenge would be Fish and Wildlife, and the challenge would be whether it is an opportunity through an emergency permit or whether we would have to go through the normal process, which is a pain as Pat will tell you.”

This statement belies the facts. Supervisor Williams has known for over a year of the specific dates and looming deadlines and the decisions he needed to make, yet he chose to kick the can down the road until it was too late. He panicked on November 1 and began to “Das-plain.”

So what are the facts?

Supervisor Williams is correct. He did not take down the nets. TPRC did. TPRC repeatedly told the County, and it had been made abundantly clear in hundreds of

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The nets were never meant to be a silver bullet, but part of a larger community resiliency plan imperative for us to sleep safely and soundly beneath the beautiful Santa Ynez Mountains.

TPRC had been engaged with the County on two fronts. It was in the process of extending its five-year permits which were due to expire on December 21 of this year, and to explore the possibility of the County taking over management of the nets in the future. The nets were on private land. TPRC had received permission from the landowners to extend its agreement with them for five additional years and had insured the landowners until 2029. The County, in a letter to TPRC supporters, not to TPRC, listed some conditions.

TPRC responded to those conditions in an Executive Summary with 10 attachments. TPRC did not receive a response. TPRC knew its time was running short, so it sent a letter to the Supervisors establishing a deadline of October 30 to get either a yes or no on the possibility of the County taking over the net system. After that, TPRC would have no choice but to remove the nets. On October 26, TPRC sent one last term sheet to the County. It was returned with about 80 percent of the text redlined by the County.

The October 30 deadline came and went. On November 1, TPRC’s contractors began the process of removing the nets.

Editorial Page 424 424 B"H

A project of

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letters sent to the Supervisors by county residents, that unless a deal was made the nets had to be removed by November 15. After the 15th, technically the start of the rainy season, no work could be done in the canyons. No work would be allowed until the end of the season, which is usually May. They were looking at a potential El Niño year with heavier than usual rain.

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7 – 14 December 2023

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7 – 14 December 2023

Montecito JOURNAL

17

Elizabeth’s Appraisals

Vintage hat from the great American hatmaker Mallory

Vintage Mallory Hat

by Elizabeth Stewart

F

M of Montecito sends me a photo of his grandfather’s vintage Mallory hat, and wonders what became of the venerable custom and manufacture of American fedoras. The story is a sad one in my mind because a handsome man with a hat is irresistible. FM’s hat was made in 1920 by the great American hatmaker Mallory; in this great condition it is worth $75.

Since clothes were worn, headgear was worn, that is, until about 1960, when hats, almost always a statement, became used for outdoor work only.

Hats are featured in some of the most iconic images in fine art: Jacques-Louis David’s 1802 portrait of the mounted crusading Napoleon shows the future Emperor wearing a bicorne hat (one of Napoleon’s bicornes just sold at a Paris Auction for $2.1M); Eugene Delacroix’s 1830 Liberty Leading the People shows the bare-breasted French heroine Marianne lofting the Tricolor and sporting a Phrygian cap (since Roman times, associated with liberation from oppression); think of the 50 canvases by René Magritte that feature the Bowler hat of respectability (the Bowler was invented in 1849 by a British nobleman Edward Coke); and remember the Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck of a nuptial in 1434, a pregnant bride with the homely groom in a huge black hat.

FM’s hat is in a box labeled for

Mallory Hat Company, a fedora, and men’s fedoras were invented by Ezra Mallory. The Mallory hatters represent the oldest hat company in the U.S., founded in 1823 by Ezra Mallory in Danbury, Connecticut. Note that Danbury was known as “Hat City” because of the Mallory firm; and the firm is responsible for the colloquial (although some say Lewis Carroll is due this distinction) expression “mad as a hatter.” In fact, so widespread was this neurological disorder amongst hat factory workers that it became known as the “Danbury Shakes’’ or Erethism, caused by the fumes and touch of mercury used in making the felt for hats.

The symptoms included slurred speech, tremors, stumbling, and hallucinations.

The company made hats for 129 years under one family (all Mallory men but the founder Ezra senior lived to a ripe old age) until it was bought by John B Stetson Co. in 1952.

Ezra (senior) – the most famous U.S. hatter outside of Stetson – was born in Connecticut in 1785; his shop in Danbury’s Great Plain district produced high beaver “stovepipe” hats with bellshaped crowns and heavily rolled brims.

Ezra loaded up his horse with a few dozen hats and rode out to the docks at Norwalk to export his hats to NYC. His hats were made from beaver, muskrat, rabbit, and nutria furs brought to his shop by pelt traders from Russia, Australia, South America, and Scotland.

Ezra’s son Ezra Jr. began making other styles of hats, including caps and soft hats

for men, and mechanized the company, installing machines for mixing, blowing, forming, and napping hats. He brought in sewing machines that caused a stir with employees – innovation is always a challenge. Instead of fur traders coming to him, he travelled to Canada and bought furs from the Native American trappers. He didn’t trade in cash until 1850; all trade was barter.

Success came in 1856 with a yearly production of 8,640 hats made by 95 workers with total receipts of $155,000.

The onset of the Civil War, however, meant that the lucrative trade with the Southern states stopped, and the company fell into a decline; Ezra picked up hatting jobs in New York, but at the age of 60 returned to Danbury and reopened the business with this son Charles. By 1872 the company was again flourishing, due in part to the new railways that now functioned to unite the East Coast and were used by Mallory travelling salesmen. Another Mallory son and grandson joined the firm, which was incorporated in 1902 under the direction of the octogenarian Ezra: E. A. Mallory and Sons.

Elizabeth Stewart, PhD is a veteran appraiser of fine art, furniture, glass, and other collectibles, and a cert. member of the AAA and an accr. member of the ASA. Please send any objects to be appraised to Elizabethappraisals@ gmail.com

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Charles was probably the Mallory who was at the helm when FM’s hat was made in 1920; he had taken complete control and turned the shop into a huge factory complex of 21 brick buildings over many city blocks. In 1925, the company’s assets were over $2 million, but American fashionable men went largely bareheaded by the late 1940s; Stetson bought the declining business, and the last Mallory hat was made in July of 1965. I still love a man in a hat, FM; I will look for you wearing that Mallory wide brimmed

fedora around town.

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18 Montecito JOURNAL

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WHAT DOES A DONATION TO COMMUNIFY MEAN? When 1 in 5 children and 1 in 6 adults in Santa Barbara County are currently living in poverty,* your donation to CommUnify means improving the lives of our children, youth, families and seniors. It means a hand up, not a hand out.

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Montecito JOURNAL

19

County of Santa Barbara Montecito Planning Commission

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Housing Bill Implementation Project Ordinance Amendments

The ‘Mystic Whaler’ A Schooner for the Schools and Community

Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Planning Commission Hearing Room 123 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Hearing begins at 9:00 A.M. On Wednesday, December 20, 2023, the Montecito Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing and consider making a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors regarding proposed ordinance amendments to the County Coastal Zoning Ordinance (CZO) and Montecito Land Use and Development Code (MLUDC). The amendments will revise existing and create new development standards and permit procedures to implement recent changes in State legislation regarding streamlined permit processing and increased production of housing. The Montecito Planning Commission will consider the following in order to recommend that the Board of Supervisors adopt the proposed amendments:  Adopt an ordinance (Case No. 21ORD-00000-00002) amending the Montecito Land Use and Development Code (MLUDC), of Chapter 35, Zoning, of the Santa Barbara County Code.  Determine that ordinance (Case No. 21ORD-00000-00002) is exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State Guidelines for the Implementation of CEQA.  Adopt an ordinance (Case No. 21ORD-00000-00003) amending the Coastal Zoning Ordinance (CZO), of Chapter 35, Zoning, of the Santa Barbara County Code.  Determine that ordinance (Case No. 21ORD-00000-00003) is exempt from the provisions of CEQA pursuant to Sections 15061(b)(3) and 15265 of the State Guidelines for the Implementation of CEQA The Montecito Planning Commission hearing begins at 9:00 A.M. The order of items listed on the agenda is subject to change by the Montecito Planning Commission. The staff analysis of the proposal may be viewed at the Planning and Development Department website, located at https://www.countyofsb.org/1647/Montecito-Planning-Commission prior to the hearing. For further information about the project, please contact the planner, Lila Spring, at springl@countyofsb.org.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION The following methods of participation are available to the public.

1.

You may observe the live stream of the Montecito Planning Commission meetings on (1) Local Cable Channel 20, (2) online at: https://www.countyofsb.org/1333/CSBTV-Livestream; or (3) YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/user/CSBTV20

2.

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



Distribution to the Montecito Planning Commission - Submit your comment via email prior to 12:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to the Commission hearing. Please submit your comment to the Recording Secretary at dvillalo@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 Montecito Planning Commission meeting in-person.



Attend the Meeting by Zoom Webinar - Individuals wishing to provide public comment during the Montecito Planning Commission 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: December 20, 2023 09:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Topic: Montecito Planning Commission 12/20/2023 Register in advance for this webinar: https://countyofsb.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EbRWvanzSrKShZrVq3rBVQ After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

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 +1 301 715 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)

The Mystic Whaler recently arrived in town

by Sigrid Toye

H

ello Santa Barbara! There’s a new charity in town. Organizations devoted to charitable endeavors are the beating heart of our generous community, but this foundation brings something very special into the mix. Officially designated as the Central Coast Ocean Adventure Foundation (CCOAF) its main venue is a 110-foot-tall ship called the Mystic Whaler, a replica of a 19th century coastal cargo schooner, dedicated to promoting ocean conservation, environmental stewardship, marine related education programs, activities, and events to inspire and delight the young… of all ages!

The CCOAF is the brainchild of Sarah and Roger Chrisman, a couple deeply involved in Santa Barbara’s cultural and community endeavors. As a longtime director of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum and owners of the yacht Polariis, Roger and his wife, Sarah, share a common interest in the museum’s educational programs and are longtime supporters. “The museum had

Webinar ID: 816 0222 6332 The Montecito Planning Commission’s rules on hearings and public comment, unless otherwise directed by the Chair, remain applicable to each of the participation methods listed above.

Attendance and participation by the public is invited and encouraged. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Hearing Support Staff (805) 568-2000. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the Hearing Support Staff to make reasonable arrangements.

If you challenge the project 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 Planning Commission prior to the public hearing.

20 Montecito JOURNAL

Sarah and Roger Chrisman “People who work sitting down get paid more than people who work standing up.” - Ogden Nash

been known up and down the coast for its innovative Tall Ship Program for 4th to 6th grade kids to experience the life as a sailor during the 1800s as did Richard Henry Dana in Two Years Before the Mast,” shared Roger Chrisman. “The Spirt of Dana Point, a tall ship berthed at Dana Point Harbor, owned by the Ocean Institute, sailed north to Santa Barbara each year to host the Maritime Museum’s program. In March of 2020 the Spirit was needed at home due to the sinking of a sister ship, thus ending the Maritime Museum’s Tall Ship Program.” It was the moment the Chrismans stepped in to search for another vessel to resume this innovative program.

The journey began online with ‘Tall Ships for Sale,’ however, finding a schooner similar to the Spirit of Dana Point, outfitted for a learning environment, became quite a challenge. In Mystic, Connecticut, a reproduction of a late 19th-century cargo schooner with 3,000 square feet of sail, a steel hull, and a diesel engine appeared to the surprise of the Chrismans. Moored at the harbor in Mystic, she is known to have carried up to 52 passengers on day sails and 31 on overnight trips, food service included. On board are Italian oak floors and fir wainscoting with mahogany accents along with six bathrooms with hot showers. Built in 1967 as a tribute to the coastal trading schooners, she hosted thousands of visitors before being retired in 1990. A trip to the East Coast followed and after several months the Chrismans had themselves a tall ship!

“So… now we had a ship,” laughed Sarah Chrisman, “but no crew, no specific plan to get her to the West Coast or exactly how

Mystic Whaler Page 444 444

7 – 14 December 2023

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BHH Affiliates LLC and BHHSCP do not guarantee accuracy of all data including measurements, conditions, and features of property. Information is obtained from various sources and will not be verified by broker or MLS. Buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of that information. If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for your listing.

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Montecito JOURNAL

21

Reel Fun

‘Dream Scenario’ “Have you been dreaming about me?”

I

t’s a question asked by Paul Matthews, played to perfection

by Nicolas Cage, in Kristoffer Borgli’s newest surreal dark comedy, Dream Scenario. And the answer to that question? Yes. In fact, millions of people around the world have!

In a bizarre, Luis Buñuel-esque turn of events, Paul Matthews – a painfully average, but lovable professor – finds himself the subject of a global phenomenon: everyone is dreaming of him! Or more aptly put, he just kind of happens to be in everyone’s dreams.

He’s just there.

This revelation brings some much-needed excitement to Paul’s life. From zero to hero in one dreamfilled night. Well, maybe hero is overstating it. Because frankly,

Reel Fun Page 304 304

A Well-Rounded Musical

by Steven Libowitz

I

by Christopher Matteo Connor

On Entertainment

Dream Scenario is playing now in theaters

n a strange coincidence, three Broadway music revues have arrived on our shores in sequence, and, as it turns out, you have your choice to see any of them for one night on Thursday, December 7. The Cher Show winds up its two-day run at the Granada, Ensemble’s Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash continues at the New Vic, and Rubicon Theatre Company (RTC) launches The World Goes ‘Round at its Ventura theater. For fans of the traditional Broadway musical, there’s only one option: RTC’s World, which weaves together a collection of story songs drawn from the catalog of Kander & Ebb, the duo behind smash hits Chicago and Cabaret, Woman Of The Year and Kiss of the Spider Woman, and the movie New York, New York.

The World Goes ‘Round not only features such classics as “Mr. Cellophane,” “Maybe This Time,” “Cabaret,” “New York, New York,” and the title song, but

Rubicon’s The World Goes ‘Round is coming to Ventura (photo by Lore Photography)

also a true thread tying them together, namely an up and down examination of the humor, joys, and poignancy of the human condition.

“The title just sums it up,” said director Wren T. Brown, the founding producing artistic director of L.A.’s Ebony Repertory Theatre, who helmed Rubicon’s production of Ain’t Misbehavin’ in 2022. “The planet

On Entertainment Page 264 264

7 – 14 December 2023

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Montecito Estate Offered at: $10,500,000 On 1.3 level beautifully landscaped acres, this spacious 5100 sqft single level home has been updated with the addition of sunny bedrooms and an expansive lower-level recreation space with an incredible wine room and entertainment area. An abundance of amenities includes a primary suite with fireplace, 4 dual purpose bedrooms plus a guest bedroom in a luxurious 795 sqft tranquil cabana, 6 full baths, 2 half baths and a vast covered patio with an outdoor fireplace, pool, spa, and tennis court. A long private entry drive leads to a 3-car garage and motor court. Close to both of Montecito’s villages, convenient to restaurants, shopping and Cold Spring Elementary School.

STEVE SLAVIN, Estates Director Luxury Property Specialist Coldwell Banker Realty - Montecito DRE: 00493760 Cell: 805-886-3428

Steve@SteveSlavin.com www.santabarbaraluxuryhomes.com The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2023 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved.

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7 – 14 December 2023

Montecito JOURNAL

23

Brilliant Thoughts Duty

by Ashleigh Brilliant

T

here are many different kinds of duty, but one thing they all have in common is a sense of obligation, which often attaches to a particular role or job.

It can also be an amount owed to a government, or to some other authority, especially as a form of tax, in connection with imports and exports. And there is the matter of human relationships. What is the duty of spouses towards each other, of parents towards their children, tenants towards their landlord, employers towards their employees, and vice versa?

How about citizens towards their country? My own comment on that has taken the form of a sardonic epigram:

ment in a college class. This essay explored some of the less attractive features of Housman’s personality, and I wrote the poem as a kind of apologetic preface. It included these lines:

“If only it were always my patriotic duty to have unlimited pleasure.”

Many of these duties are spelled out in legal or other documents, such as contracts and professional codes. Others are more a matter of morality, ethics, tradition, or custom. And let’s not forget politicians and the people they supposedly represent – or sports teams, and their fans or supporters. There is some kind of duty involved in all these.

It might also be argued – perhaps first and foremost – that we have a duty to ourselves – to stay healthy, to maintain a positive attitude, to enjoy life as much as possible.

But most of the classic stories about people who did their duty in difficult circumstances concern heroic acts in war. One that comes to mind goes back to ancient Rome, though it was made famous in modern times in a poem by Thomas Babington Macaulay, called “Horatius at The Bridge.” It celebrates a legendary defense of a bridgehead which controlled the only feasible route over the Tiber River to the City of Rome, when it was besieged by a horde of enemy soldiers from Tuscany. Horatius alone held off the whole enemy army, until other Romans behind him had had time to destroy the wooden bridge. Horatius then jumped into the river, and was able to swim to safety on the other side.

The Macaulay poem contains one line which is often quoted to show how a heroic act can win the admiration even of the foe. Horatius’ deed was so astonishingly brave that, upon this success, “Even the ranks of Tuscany could scarce forbear to cheer.”

I myself wrote a poem about a certain kind of duty – the duty, as I saw it, of the writer of a supposedly learned paper to tell the truth about his subject. I was submitting a study of one of my own favorite poets, A. E. Housman, as an assign-

“Now, since the world has more need yet, To be reminded than forget, I’d hold it as a scholar’s duty To show the other side of beauty.”

Another classic tale of duty performed, this time quite tragically, is told in the (at least once) famous poem by Felicia Hemans, published in 1826, called “Casabianca” (no, not Casablanca) which begins with the line, “The boy stood on the burning deck” This was based on a true incident in the 1798 “Battle of the Nile,” between British and French fleets. The ship was the French flagship, the Orient, which had a hold full of ammunition. Casabianca was the name of its Captain, and he was also father of the boy on the deck, whom he had instructed to remain at his post, until further orders came. Unknown to the boy, his father was dead. The ship was on fire, and had already been abandoned, but the boy had not been told, and remained, doing his duty, waiting for word from his father – until there was a tremendous explosion. End of story.

But finally we come to the really big question: What is your duty to me, and mine to you? At least the sequence is beyond question: I, the writer, must write before you, the reader, reads. We may be vastly sepAshleigh Brilliant born arated by time and space. Nevertheless, England 1933, came to there’s a certain bond between us. You, California in 1955, to Santa as reader of these words, could not exist Barbara in 1973, to the without me, as the writer of them. The Montecito Journal in 2016.

Best-known for his illustrated fact that you are reading me means that epigrams, called “Pot-Shots,” my duty as writer is fulfilled. And, much now a series of 10,000. as I would like to require one, there won’t email: ashleigh@west. be a test. So, we can now relax. Just by net. web: www.ash getting to this point, we have both perleighbrilliant.com.

formed our duty.

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“They’re all just so proud and grateful that Unity is still functioning and doing well, and that they have the opportunity to be a part of keeping it going and helping it to continue for another 100 years,” said Angela Miller-Bevan, Unity’s executive director and CEO. Details at www.unityshoppe.org.

On Entertainment (Continued from 22 22)) spins and the world goes ‘round. It takes you into the depth of what’s poignant about life; these meditations on marriage and relationships of all kinds. There’s an extraordinary range of fun and pathos, and a balance of power ballads and 11 o’clock numbers (pivotal songs at the end of a musical). It’s the best of the American musical in one show.”

Each character also has something of their own arc within the revue, although it’s a subtle suggestion, Jones explained.

“It sneaks upon you but it’s very creatively impactful,” he said. “By the end of the musical, you realize that they’ve each had some movement along the way.”

Which is why the order and assignments of the songs between the five actors – five Broadway veterans are in RTC’s cast, including Ventura native Andrew Samonsky – stays the same even though Jones mixed things up by setting the production backstage at a theater.

“That adds to their characters because we see them at their dressing tables and mirrors where they have their own elements that inspire them,” he said. “It’s a peek into the preparation of artists who then come on stage to deliver a performance that hopefully touches the audience and sends them away talking about an evening in the theater.”

Rubicon’s The World Goes ‘Round plays through December 23. Call (805) 6672900 or visit www.rubicontheatre.org.

Final 1st Thursday of 2023 The holiday shopping season is as good a time as any to open your doors, and the monthly art and culture walk on lower State Street and environs known as 1st

ciymca.org/2024

26 Montecito JOURNAL

Thursday has a few new folks participating for the December 7 event. Broc Ellinger Gallery (931 State) features artwork by the surfer and photographer… KAAREM (1221 State) boasts art by Hope Okere along with drinks from Sông Cái Distillery and a Creaminal ice cream popup, while the same address also features new spaces for PALMA Colectiva, with work by Venezuelan jewelry artist Monica Sordo and Mexican-made essentials from SLOAN, plus tastes of YOLA Mezcal’s new premium collection, Pechuga; and Domecíl with Joslyn Lawrence and Brian Kuhlmann’s photography chronicling disappearing landscapes through traditional portraiture of trees.

Other special events include BOGO tickets for tonight’s performance of Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash by Ensemble Theatre Company (33 W. Victoria); a pair of performances from local luminaries at the first anniversary celebration of Legacy Arts Listening Room (1230 State) with harpist Laurie Rasmussen and an afterhours party with Lois Mahalia, complete with food and wine; and the Quire of Voyces’ preview of its December concerts in Ludington Court at Santa Barbara Museum of Art (1130 State). Info at (805) 962-2098 or www.downtownsb. org/events/1st-thursday.

Holiday Shows of the Week: A Grace-ful Evening Most folks in town are familiar with Grace Fisher, the Santa Barbara native who contracted a virus that spread to her spine and left her paralyzed from the neck down in her senior year in high school in 2014. The story bears repeating, especially at this time of year, as Fisher quickly

Choral Concerts Central Grace Fisher Foundation’s 6th Annual Winter Music Showcase returns (courtesy photo)

turned her tragedy into an opportunity to pay forward the healing that music therapy and adaptive art brought her by creating a foundation as a pathway through the arts, therapeutic movement, and creativity to help bring joy to those with physical and cognitive disabilities. The Grace Fisher Foundation’s 6th Annual Winter Music Showcase, set for Sunday, December 10, at the Granada, continues her already favorite local music tradition that presents music, dance, and art from some of the best local performers each December – raising both awareness and critical funds. The diverse roster boasts the Santa Barbara Folk Orchestra, pop-classic guitarist Jackson Gillies, flamenco guitarist Chris Fossek, Selena Valencia from Flamenco Santa Barbara, participants of the Grace Fisher Foundation’s own programs and, as always, original art and compositions

by Fisher herself. Find more info about the concert and the foundation’s work at www.gracefisherfoundation.org/donate.

Diggin’ the Beats… and Dignity Even more locals know about Unity Shoppe’s annual holiday telethon, which was co-founded by Montecito’s own Kenny Loggins during the heyday of his career back in the mid-1980s. That was also when the nonprofit opened its first store after six decades of moving around, engendering the idea of maintaining dignity and autonomy for low-income residents in need. That still pervades all of Unity’s work, hence the theme for the 37th annual telethon – “Dignity in the Community” – which takes place 5-8 pm on December 8 at the Kenny Loggins Event Center on Sola Street, and airs on KEYT. Performances and conversations with local heroes including Loggins and fellow long-time Unity supporters Brad Paisley, Rob Lowe, Michael McDonald, and other celebrity surprises are earmarked to both entertain and encourage support.

“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” — William Blake

Choir lovers rejoice: It’s the most wonderful time of year as several of the city’s classical vocal groups perform holiday concerts this week. Sing! – the Music Academy’s free community youth choral program – gets things going at 6 pm December 7 with a free one-hour concert featuring Christmas carols and holiday songs from across faiths and around the world at the Marjorie Luke Theatre…

The Sing! children’s choir will also be a part of the Santa Barbara Choral Society’s ninth annual “Hallelujah Project” concert program at the Lobero on December 9 & 10, which also features Dishwalla lead singer Justin Fox narrating an orchestral version of Clement Moore’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas story. This year the Choral Society singers and orchestra, conducted by Artistic Director JoAnne Wasserman, take on Bach’s “Magnificat” and Randol Bass’ “Gloria” as well as familiar carols from Christmas and Hanukkah traditions, before the audience joins in the famed “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah.

Sunday afternoon also brings Holiday Lights, the Santa Barbara Master Chorale’s musical celebration with audience sing-along at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Montecito, where Artistic Director David Torres leads the vocal ensemble through a program to be announced.

The audience is even more important participants for the 41st Annual Messiah Sing-Along on December 12 at First Presbyterian Church, where Phillip McLendon conducts Handel’s choral masterpiece performed by an orchestra that includes members of the Santa Barbara City College Symphony and soloists. The audience provides the chorus for the piece, although it’s perfectly fine to simply sit and listen.

Parades in Paradise The pandemic-propelled State Street parklets are still preventing the return of the Santa Barbara Downtown Holiday Parade, but neighbors just a bit east and south are both staging their marching extravaganzas on Saturday, December 9.

Carpinteria’s Holiday Spirit Parade begins at 3 pm on Linden Avenue, the seaside city’s main drag, with floats, marching

On Entertainment Page 304 304

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The Giving List Sansum Clinic

by Steven Libowitz

T

he Montecito Journal’s 2024 Giving List book for Santa Barbara was just published last month in time for Giving Tuesday, but already the twopage spread about Sansum Clinic is out of date.

Not the part that takes note of the fact that Sansum’s breadth of services are so pervasive in the area that it’s likely that the person standing on either side of you at any given moment is a patient at the clinic. It’s still true that one out of two people in southern Santa Barbara County comes to Sansum Clinic, which is capable of taking care of patients throughout their lifetime, from pediatrics to geriatrics.

No, what’s changed is the part that says Sansum Clinic remains the largest independent nonprofit outpatient healthcare organization between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay. Independent is what’s no longer true, as on October 2, Sansum Clinic became part of Sutter Health, marking one of the most significant milestones in Sansum’s 103-year history.

The move came after a 15-year courtship between the two nonprofits, each of which has a century-long commitment to improving the health of the communities they serve. The new relationship is about economies of scale and the capabilities that size can bring. While Sansum currently cares for more than 160,000 patients annually across 23 different locations on the Central Coast and spanning more than 50 specialties and service lines, Sutter Health’s integrated, not-for-profit system of associated clinicians, employees, and volunteers support more than three million patients in communities across two dozen counties.

CEO and Chief Medical Officer Kurt N. Ransohoff with Medical Director Marjorie Newman

Unified by their common missions and values, the two organizations are embarking on a shared journey to shape the future of healthcare on the Central Coast to secure Sansum’s financial footing, build on the clinic’s legacy, and forge a new path forward.

“This partnership is a great opportunity for growth and long-term stability,” said Kurt N. Ransohoff, MD, and Sansum Clinic’s longtime CEO and Chief Medical Officer. “With this transition, we will be able to do things for our patients, our healthcare team, and our community that we would not be able to accomplish on our own….

In the face of industry challenges, the joining of our organizations creates long-term sustainability and the scale necessary for capital investments in our patients and communities.”

A key focus of the Sutter-Sansum partnership is continuing to increase the number of Clinic physicians and advanced practice providers, as well as the technology and infrastructure needed to support these clinicians. The goal is to place Sansum in an even better position to recruit and retain extraordinary physi-

cian talent, which has been an increasing challenge over the years in part because of the high cost of living on the South Coast. The result has often been long waits for appointments, and residents needing to drive to other areas for more immediate care.

“Healthcare organizations across the country are experiencing a shortage of primary care doctors, rising costs for modern technology and pharmaceuticals, and an increasing gap between the cost of care to patients insured by governmental programs and reimbursement for those services,” explained Vicki Hazard, chair of the Sutter-Sansum Clinic Community Advisory Board. “Our partnership with Sutter will create some relief from these financial pressures, so we can maintain the same high-quality delivery of healthcare our patients have come to expect from us.”

David Phreaner, MD, a Sansum family medicine physician for 27 years, agreed: “I am looking forward to this partnership with Sutter Health. With their support, I think we will be more successful in recruiting more bright, young providers to come to Santa Barbara, which we greatly need.”

The first Sutter financial investment in our community, which was announced in September, will fund improvements to Sansum’s ambulatory surgery center technology and services, including the addition of three more operating rooms, increasing both availability and access. Subsequent areas of capital investment include facilities and equipment improvements, more advanced diagnostic imaging services including a new breast imaging center, and expansion of other crucial services for our region. There are many other expected benefits of the partnership, however they will likely come over time.

But what won’t change, Sansum officials said, is the kind of quality care that most recently earned a 2023 5-Star “Elite Status” award from America’s Physician Groups and previous awards from California’s Office of the Patient

The Sansum-Sutter collaboration will let them expand facilities, technology, and attract new talent to the organization

Advocate, confirming Sansum Clinic’s care meets the highest standards. With Sutter Health as its partner, Sansum Clinic plans to carry on its legacy while forging a new path forward.

What also stays the same is that Sansum will retain its nonprofit status, and every dollar raised in this community will stay in this community. Which means the clinic will still be reliant on the generosity of donors to fund certain state-of-the art technology and treatments, and many critical projects and programs, like the Lovelace Fund for Medical Excellence and Physician Housing Program, the McNamara Fund for Professional Development & Education, the Women’s Health Initiative, Visiting Professor of Surgery Education Program, and Camp Wheez – a free summer program for children with asthma.

A great tradition of giving from Santa Barbara’s donors has recognized these achievements and sought to build on

them.

To join them, visit www.sansumclinic.org/donate-now.

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Reel Fun (Continued from 22 22)) most of these dreams are more akin to nightmares, anxiety filled scenarios depicting terrible situations in which Paul just shows up and… does nothing. Always in his easily forgettable sweater and slacks, with his innocuous little smile, Paul witnesses, walks by, and ignores the pleas of the terrified dreamers.

It’s a reflection of his own insecurity. He’s not really doing anything with his life. He’s a tenured professor, but he wants more than that – specifically, to publish his book on ant theory.

He sees this new five minutes of fame as his chance to further his career.

He’s not content just being someone’s dream wallpaper.

Because is there anything worse than just passively existing, lost in the crowd? Well, maybe being Freddy Krueger is worse. Careful what you wish for, Paul! The movie takes a dark turn when Paul goes from passive observer to violent terrorizer. Just when he’s getting the hang of being everyone’s favorite Dream Guy, he is just as quickly ostracized by the community when his dream self-starts becoming ultra-violent. The flip side to fame is the target you paint on your back.

Kristoffer Borgli, an L.A.-based Norwegian filmmaker, seems most comfortable when he’s satirizing the culture, drawing out the dark and uncomfortable elements that many would rather keep hidden, reveling in those squeamish moments that would make most people cringe and turn away. In his previous film, Sick of Myself, a young woman goes to alarming lengths to be famous – or at least culturally relevant – going as far as to take dangerous drugs knowing that they will cause her skin to melt off her body, all in a conceited effort to get people to notice her. It’s a hilarious, hair raising, cringe inducing, sharp and dark satire of our culture of narcissism and the sad desperate attempts to be at the top of the attention Olympics.

And like that film, Dream Scenario is also about being noticed; about being

On Entertainment (Continued from 26 26)) seen and perceived by others, and the risks that come along with it. It’s about our attempts to control how people see us, and the pointless attempts at doing so. It’s our social media obsessed culture in a nutshell. But in Dream Scenario, Matthews is a hapless nobody thrust from the safety of the pack and into the limelight, whereas in Sick of Myself, the vain protagonist forces the issue. The thing is, the results are nearly the same.

Borgli follows in the footsteps of other European provoc-auteurs, an amalgamation of Michael Haneke, Lars Von Trier, and Yorgos Lanthimos – with just a dash of Charlie Kaufman. Cold, distant, sharp, disturbing, funny, surreal, and with moments of unflinching violence. And Cage excels in these types of absurd roles, where he’s allowed the freedom to explore difficult, compelling places, and show off his incredible range.

It’s a film that speaks to our fears and insecurities, of a groupthink culture that values, above all else, being seen, digested, and regurgitated. It reflects a world where being known is both currency and risk, while being in the pack is safety and comfort; and where being a pariah – or worse, forgotten – is the ultimate death sentence. Do your dreams a favor, and

check out this flick!

bands, youth groups, city officials, and more, followed by dance performances at the Seal Fountain. The nearby Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center will also be open all day for the Carpinteria Lions Club’s Festival of Trees. Visit www. carpinteriaevents.com.

Back in town, Santa Barbara Eastside Society hosts the 69th annual Milpas Street Holiday Parade at 5:30 pm, this year sporting the theme of “Tradiciones Navideñas/Christmas Traditions.” Expect local school marching bands and cheerleaders, nonprofit organizations, classic cars, floats, local dignitaries and such traditional Mexican entries as an Oaxacan Puppet Dancer as well as both Santa Claus and the Grinch, all marching on Milpas Street. Info at https://sbeastside. org/holiday-parade.

Sunday, December 10, signals that it’s time to saunter to Stearns Wharf for the Parade of Lights. The free festivities begin at 3 pm with a Winter Wonderland on the city pier featuring 12 tons of man-made snow, goodie bags, holiday elves, and a visit from Santa. Water-bound competition starts at 3:30 pm with the Human-Powered entrants featuring dozens of standup paddlers and kayakers dressed in jolly attire powering their way through the harbor and around Stearns Wharf. At 5 pm, Dos Pueblos Jazz Choir offers seasonal tunes as part of the tree lighting ceremony next to the Sea Center. The

Dream Scenario is playing at Metropolitan Paseo Nuevo 4 Cinemas, The Hitchcock Cinema & Public House (Metropolitan Theatres), and Metropolitan Camino Real Cinemas.

Christopher Matteo Connor is a writer and filmmaker.

When he isn’t writing, watching movies, and working on projects, you can be sure he’s somewhere enjoying a big slice of vegan pizza.

main course launches at 5:30 pm, with dozens of imaginatively illuminated power and sailboats decorated to the “Holiday Disco Extravaganza” seasonal tunes, departing Leadbetter Beach and sailing down the coast to the Cabrillo Arts Pavilion, making a U-turn and heading back even closer to shore before thrilling the throng gathered on Stearns Wharf. A brief fireworks display follows after the final watercraft wanders away from the pier before the festivities wrap up with a no-host awards party at the Anchor Rose restaurant in the harbor. Visit https://santabarbaraca.gov/ events/santa-barbara-harbor-paradelights-2023.

Book ‘em: Two Birds with One Signing Chaucer’s Books closes out its impressive year of in-store events on December 12 with husband-and-wife authors Neal Allen and Anne Lamott surrounding Allen’s latest, Better Days: Tame Your Inner Critic. The new book finds the former journalist and corporate executive turned writer and spiritual coach diving into how our own internal critical voice gets in our way, and using simple exercises to meet, confront, and ultimately quiet the inner critic for more peace and happiness. Lamott is the author of multiple bestsellers including the influential Bird by Bird, which has been called “a 12-step program for surviving the craft of writing.” Lamott wrote the foreword to her husband’s Better Days: Tame Your Inner Critic, and will be part of the event

at Chaucer’s.

Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage Husband-and-wife authors Neal Allen and Anne Lamott will be at Chaucer’s to promote Neal’s new book (courtesy photo)

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“Winter is not a season, it’s a celebration.” — Anamika Mishra

Luxury Real Estate Specialist 7 – 14 December 2023

BALANCE IS EVERYTHING Your investment plan should be created just for you; however, developing and maintaining a comprehensive financial plan can be a bit of a balancing act.

I can deliver the guidance needed to develop a wellbalanced investment plan.

Call to schedule a consultation today.

Jorge Morales, cfp®

Wealth Advisor CA Insurance Lic #0D70984

Located at Montecito Bank & Trust

(805) 564-7305 Office jmorales@mbtadvisors.com

1000 State St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Jorge Morales is a registered representative with, and securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. Montecito Bank & Trust and MB&T Advisors are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using MB&T Advisors, and may also be employees of Montecito Bank & Trust. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, Montecito Bank & Trust or MB&T Advisors. Securities and insurance offered through LPL or its affiliates are: Not Insured by FDIC or Any Other Federal Government Agency

7 – 14 December 2023

Not Bank Guaranteed

Not Bank Deposit or Obligations

May Lose Value

Montecito JOURNAL

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Home for the Holidays A Holiday State of Affairs

by Jeff Wing

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hanges to Santa Barbara’s State Street – recently reborn as a cozy, sun-soaked pedestrian promenade – have transformed the palm-lined commercial-and-arts district into an almost park-like destination for calming and convivial holiday shopping, the salt-scented, sparkling beach mere blocks away.

Seriously. How do we love State Street over the holidays? Let us count the ways…

In 1965, The Sound of Music hit movie theaters, the Houston Astrodome opened

PROENZA SCHOULER PLAN C CLOSED RACHEL COMEY DEMYLEE LOULOU STUDIO LAUREN MANOOGIAN TIBI MARLA AARON JAMIE HALLER NO.6

Miss Daisy’s Consignment & Auction House

Bryant & Sons

* 18k white gold diamond, rubellite and amethyst earrings

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stablished in 1965, Bryant & Sons has been a purveyor of fine jewelry and timepieces, featuring renowned designers like Cartier and Mikimoto.

Located in its original El Paseo location, the store boasts graduate gemologists who aid in custom designs, appraisals, and repairs. Ideal for both first-time buyers and collectors, they offer timeless pieces of the highest quality, with expert guidance for selecting the perfect addition to any collection.

1235 COAST VILLAGE ROAD MONTECITO, CA 805.565.2800 • WWW.WHISTLECLUB.COM • @WHISTLECLUB

812 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 * 19th Century Working Pendulum Train Station Clock in nine-foot Ebony Case

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iss Daisy’s offers a blend of vintage and contemporary furnishings. With an ever-changing collection of lighting, rugs, furniture, and high-end fashion at the Louis John Boutique, it’s a treasure trove for unique gifts and home decor. This ultra-sustainable store in Santa Barbara is a go-to for those seeking distinctive items.

3845 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (805) 770-7715 consignmentsbymmd.com

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“December, being the last month of the year, cannot help but make us think of what is to come.” – Fennel Hudson

bryantandsons.com

for business, and Bob Bryant founded the beloved State Street destination that bears his family’s name: Bryant & Sons. Santa Barbara’s hometown jeweler deals in Panthère de Cartier, Mikimoto pearls, Breitling, Omega, and Baume & Mercier timepieces, and a hopeful little startup called Gucci. Bryant & Sons’ in-house gemologists and jewelry professionals will maintain your jewelry (heirloom and otherwise), and their goldsmiths will even create a dazzling piece according to your specifications and preferred materials. In the category “beloved and trusted community jewelers” – Bryant & Sons is a standout.

Moving Miss Daisy is a local service provider expertly addressing the needs of a cohort we all treasure – folks in their

7 – 14 December 2023

autumn years who need help downsizing and moving. As one would hope, Moving Miss Daisy is swaddled in certifications, licenses, and insurance assurances. A card-carrying member of the globe-spanning National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers (NASMM), Moving Miss Daisy is focused on your personal property, valuations, distribution, sale, consignment, auctions, and donations – and your peaceable relocation. Moving Miss Daisy makes downsizing and moving a loved one a peaceable and professional piece of cake. And who doesn’t like cake?

If you happen to be visiting Moving Miss Daisy’s Consignment & Auction House, swivel your noggin and you’ll see Daisy’s neighbor Furniture Gallery by Mattress Mike. In the annals of company names, this one surely takes the prize for product clarity. Family owned and operated since ‘94, FGMM has the sleep and comfort sector cornered. Mike’s sales floor is beautifully appointed with TEMPUR-PEDIC, Aireloom, American Leather, Fjord’s of Norway, Stressless, and other brands that have long signified an approach to rest and relaxation whose pricing won’t keep you up at night. FGMM’s sales floor is the approximate size of the Space Shuttle hangar, so if you love wandering thoughtfully amongst – and laying hands on – your

7 – 14 December 2023

prospective gift purchases, head on over.

And speaking of sliding down the side of a massive ice-covered pyramid, Mountain Air Sports’ nature-embracing name says it all. Born in ‘75, MAS purveys the brands Blundstone, Rossignol, Helly Hansen, North Face, Obermeyer, Hobie, Thule, Yakima, Salomon, Altra, Oboz, Sorel, and XTRATUF – to name a representative, interdisciplinary few of the gazillion brands they carry. Mountain Air Sports is Gift-Giving Central for that skiing, snowboarding, kayak-fishing, tousled, limit-teasing friend whose cluttered car-rack screams an all-season “get outside!” Footwear, beautiful/rough & ready clothing, skis & snowboards, racks, electric bikes, kayaks, swim stuff, camping gear, backpacking, daypacks, sunglasses, luggage… of course, you’re likely wondering: “But what about dog beds?”

Yeah – dog beds, too. Mountain Air Sports is a bewilderingly rich nature advocate disguised as a “store.” Luckily, they offer gift cards for we plebes who don’t know a Mirage Drive from a DIN setting.

Holidays Page 344 344

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Show your LOVE for LOCAL

Holidays (Continued from 33 33))

Mattress Mike Give the Gift of Adventure!

*Stressless® Sunrise Recliner in Paloma Maroon Leather, Made in Norway

FREE INSTALLATION WITH RACK PURCHASE

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urniture Gallery by Mattress Mike, a family-owned business for 29 years, now occupies a vast 70,000-squarefoot Furniture Gallery in Santa Barbara.

Featuring top brands like Stressless®, American Leather, Aireloom, and an exclusive La-Z-Boy gallery, it offers a diverse range of quality home furnishings. Partnering with Moving Miss Daisy’s consignment store, it’s the Central Coast’s largest destination for fine furniture.

3845 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93105 www.mattressmikesb.com

Fashion and Fine Art with a View Locally owned and operated for over 42 years 14 State Street | 962-0049 | Mon-Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5 mountainairsports.com

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THE LARGEST SELECTION OF HOME FURNISHINGS ON THE CENTRAL COAST!

Website Scan

Moving Miss Daisy LLC Your Trusted Resource

Estate Sales Downsizing Consignments and Auctions www.ConsignmentsByMMD.com

34 Montecito JOURNAL

On a more fashion-forward note, Catherine Gee has the immediate benefit of sounding like the title of a sweet old Beach Boys song (the achingly lovely “Caroline, No” to be exact), but is in fact an eponymous, nationally-lauded womenswear brand of local vintage. Gee herself launched her line in 2015 as an all-silk collection, and by the very next year won the WWD x Galeries Lafayette Paris 2016 Crème de La Crème Emerging Designer competition. Then in 2018 Gee walked away with Sportswear International’s “Best Travel” brand winner at the NYC trade shows. These two awards perfectly summarize the sartorial continuum that makes Gee’s designs so beloved – and stocked in over 220 retail stores across the U.S. Cozily ensconced in Santa Barbara’s bustling La Arcada, Catherine Gee rightly adjoins the town’s celebrated Museum of Art. Her Fall ‘23 collection features printed cashmere with vivid, artistic colors in crewneck and V-neck silhouettes.

In the realm of “art for art’s sake,” Waterhouse Gallery – co-owned by Diane and

Mountain Air Sports

ountain Air Sports, a family-owned specialty outdoor, ski, and snowboard shop, has been a Santa Barbara staple for 45 years. Known for exceptional customer service and high-quality outdoor and lifestyle products, they offer everything from everyday clothing to adventure gear.

The store embodies the Santa Barbara lifestyle.

14 State Street Santa Barbara CA 93101

LOUIS JOHN

mountainairsports.com

Designer fashion consignments, estate wardrobes and assessments.

Instagram:@louisofmontecito

3845 State Street La Cumbre Plaza

805-770-7715

*PENDLETON DOUBLESOFT SHERPALINED SHIRT JACKET Crafted from soft cotton chamois, with a smooth Sherpa body lining and quilted insulated sleeves.

“December, you’re the present beneath my Christmas tree.” – Neil Sedaka

7 – 14 December 2023

Santa Barbara Fine Art

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anta Barbara Fine Art presents the allure of Santa Barbara as seen through the eyes of local artists. This gallery, located next to The Arlington Theatre, offers a diverse collection of artworks that capture the region’s stunning beauty and charm.

1321 State St (next to The Arlington Theatre) Santa Barbara, CA www.santabarbarafineart.com *“Shoreline Beach Light”, Oil on Canvas, 24x18 Artist Richard Schloss

her husband, celebrated landscape painter Ralph Waterhouse – boasts a selection of fine art that uniquely speaks to the gallery’s exacting curatorial process. “I have to love it. I want to own it, and I want to hang it,” the disarming Diane once explained to an interviewer. Her intuitions have made Waterhouse Gallery an art lover’s must-visit since 1991, when Diane and Ralph took occupancy of their present La Arcada location.

From Mark Laguë’s urban cityscapes to Ellie Freudenstein’s sumptuous floral vistas,

Catherine Gee

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atherine Gee’s boutique, nestled in La Arcada, Santa Barbara, showcases her Fall ‘23 collection featuring printed cashmere with vibrant colors. Recognized for her silk creations, her store now offers an expanded range of luxurious fabrics and accessories, embodying a blend of timelessness and sensuality in fashion.

1114 State Street in La Arcada Santa Barbara, CA catherinegee.com *Catherine Gee Cashmere Crewneck sweater in Stella Print

2938 San Marcos Ave Los Olivos,CA Open 10-5 Everyday (805)-693-2913 www.loulosolivos.com

loulosolivos 7 – 14 December 2023

Montecito JOURNAL

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Holidays (Continued from 35 35)) Waterhouse Gallery’s tastes in spellbinding work match our own, from the local to the universal. Is there any gift more lastingly marvelous than a singular work of art? That’s a rhetorical question.

And if your taste is for fine artist depictions of our American Riviera? Santa Barbara Fine Art is, as it happens, exactly what its name suggests – and is as Santa Barbara-centric as the grand old Arlington Theatre with which the gallery rubs shoulders. SB Fine Art’s offerings are largely given to exquisite, museum-quality works depicting – yes – Santa Barbara and environs in all their alluring glory, from movingly familiar, gorgeously rendered downtown scenes and beachfront beatitudes, to SB’s wildflower-bedecked frontiers. Some of those museum-quality paintings may even be lovingly crafted from owner Richard Schloss – whose plein air paintings are featured in numerous collections found locally and afar. Operated with his wife Julie, the gallery also features further-flung western landscapes to soothe the viewer’s *The Ginew Waxed Rider Coat with Pendleton Blanket Lining - Made in the USA hurried soul. Santa Barbara Fine Art is known to be something of a salon (from endrel is a contemporary men’s the French “reception room”) where the clothing store located in the Funk lucky visitor can engage in conversation about art, sometimes with the creators Zone, emphasizing selvedge denim themselves. Art is a gift. ‘Tis the season to and classic styles. This boutique offers literalize that sentiment.

Another gallery whose art is selection durable, high-quality apparel, catering localized – Sullivan Goss: An American to those who appreciate longevity in Gallery – buys and sells between 300 and fashion. Explore their collection in-per- 400 works of art every year, the austere son or online. and well-lit space focused on curation of American artists active between 1850 and 111 Santa Barbara St. Unit B 1975, and “contemporary American artSanta Barbara, CA 93101 ists of note.” The list of artists whose work the gallery buys runs to nearly 300 names, shoptendrel.com and includes such giants as Rothko, de @shoptendrel Kooning, and Lichtenstein. But Sullivan Goss’ contribution to SB’s art seeker is surely the gallery’s element of surprise.

Theme and artist-based exhibitions number about 20 a year. Any unsuspecting pedestrian idly wandering into the place from a nearby restaurant will attest to having been positively stunned at what is found there. Sullivan Goss is a gift box of delicious surprises.

Tendrel

Need help with your holiday libations?

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(805) 969-5939 www.MontecitoVino.com

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Books, Hats, and Even the Rack to Put ‘em On

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Another gift box of delicious surprises goes by the name “book,” and the treacly epigram “a book is a gift you open again and again” is as accurate as it is sentimental. Chaucer’s Books has been around since 1974, the bookstore’s namesake – reputed “father of English literature” Geoffrey Chaucer – since around 1343. Handwringing about the decline of reading won’t survive 10 minutes in Chaucer’s Books; every available inch of the place is tastefully crowded with paper, glue, and avid readers milling about with ardent expressions.

Their newly published hardcovers section alone is sufficiently magisterial to lift the heart of the most downbeat defender of the written word. Chaucer’s carries some 150,000 titles and is otherwise the swirling galactic center of Santa Barbara’s literary universe. Gift someone a book this season, and throughout the year. Both Chaucers will thank you.

Unless it is your habit to read stark naked (and who are we to judge?) you will also want to be thinking of swinging vêtements. Here’s an idea: Tendrel is located in the Funk Zone, as it should be. The boutique clothing shop works with a handful of charmingly eclectic brands you will not have seen at Sears. Iron Heart [flannels and denim], 3SIXTEEN [Japanese-produced fabrics + American craftsmanship], Ginew [Native American-owned denim collection], Battenwear [ “..from heavy outerwear and cozy sweats to beach-ready “Who is not a love seeker when December comes? Even children pray to Santa Claus.” – Rod McKuen

7 – 14 December 2023

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Coast 2 Coast Collection

ocated in La Arcada Courtyard, Coast 2 Coast Collection offers a range from luxury to casual tableware, featuring crystal, linens, porcelain, and silver. Home to luxury brands like Baccarat Crystal, Bernardaud, and Christofle Silver, as well as other renowned brands like Juliska and Vietri. It’s a go-to destination for diverse gifts including frames, baby items, jewelry, and more. Visit their downtown boutique or shop online.

Store Hours: M-F 11am-5pm; Saturday Noon - 5pm La Arcada Courtyard, 1114 State Street, Ste 10, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 www.Coast2CoastCollection.com *Baccarat Crystal Bubbles Box Flute Set - Includes Six Assorted Baccarat Flutes in Gift Box, $1,300

summer gear”], Freenote Cloth [brother-owned jeans, pocket T’s, Henleys, and denim], Mister Freedom [bitchin’ Ts, twill, and linen shirts], and Gitman Vintage [1932-founded contract shirt-makers reborn in 2008 as a self-styled brand]. Owned by a couple of married, sweet-looking adventurers (one of them a music biz escapee), Tendrel’s mellow cool is the perfect gift-giving vibe for your favorite fashion cynic.

At a glance, sbmidmod looks like a side salad of letters, but there is music in the snippet of rhythmic labeling. For some 20-plus years now, owner Tracey Strobel has been entranced by and immersed in mid-century modern design, and her shop is stuffed with “lighting, objects, and art,” much of it lovingly restored by Tracey herself. The cozy grotto she calls a shop is an enormous X on the treasure map carried by those whose gift-giving tastes run to the singular, and the singularly lovely. If mass-produced and over-familiar “stuff” gives you the gifting blues, sbmidmod is your antique/artisanal cup of tea.

And Coast 2 Coast Collection? Thanks for asking. As its name suggests, the place is a blue-chip aggregator of some of the world’s most storied luxury brands. Their self-description is that of a “luxury gift and tableware boutique”; nomenclature that clearly understates their elegant and recherché proffer. Authorized dealer of such tony brands as Bernardaud, Christofle, Hermes, Lalique, Juliska, Match, Vietri, Waterford, Wedgewood, Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, and Miriam Haskell (to call out but a select few) – Coast 2 Coast even offers a special collection of autographed sports memorabilia.

Unless you’re looking for a chili dog with the works, consider this your one-stop holiday luxury shop.

Richard Schloss Santa Barbara Fine Art 1321 State St. (next to the Arlington Theater) 805 845-4270

www.santabarbarafineart.com

Holidays Page 384 384

Grand Central Hats

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rand Central Hat makers, based in Santa Barbara, blend tradition with craftsmanship in their handcrafted hats. Offering more than just hats, they specialize in sizing, cleaning, refurbishing, and custom creations. Their unique hat bars add elegance to any event, be it private, corporate, or weddings, ensuring a touch of personalized service. *Casanova Hat: Wool, Handcrafted with Grosgrain Ribbon and Leather Patch

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334 Anacapa St #2, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 www.grand-central-fashion-llc.myshopify.com

223 Anacapa Street | 805.364.2447 | Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Thu-Sat 12-5 | Sun-Mon 11-4 | Private Appointments Available sbmidmod | sbmidmod.com Montecito JOURNAL

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Holidays (Continued from 37 37)) When it comes to dressing your head (never thought of it that way, did you?)

Grand Central Hats certainly lives up to its name. GCH gets its wool from Bolivia and Argentina, producing hand-made, feltbased hats that are as authentic as the old-world process that creates them. GCH also specializes in felt hat sizing, cleaning, refurbishing, and other bespoke detailing to do with your one-of-a-kind chapeau, no matter how old. “We are the only ones between L.A. and San Francisco who provide that service,” says owner Edgar, who with his wife launched Grand Central Hats *Jens Quistgaard for Dansk, Denmark, 1960s in 2019. Honored to partner with Lucchese bmidmod is a curated boutique Bootmaker, the legendary 140-year-old Texas manufacturer, Grand Central Hats in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, must be doing something right. Edgar sums showcasing a rich collection of antique, up the magic: “We work hard, we try our vintage, and mid-century modern fur- best, and we care about quality.”

As for beautiful things that sprang into niture, art, and décor. Perfectly sitbeing Once Upon a Time, these gathuated amongst wineries, galleries, ered objects accrue more character and and unique shops, it’s an ideal spot charm with the passing years – at which for design enthusiasts. Open Thu-Sat point Ashley Fox steps in and brings her 12-5pm, Sun-Mon 11am-4pm, with pri- deep love of vintage goods and antiques to bear in her namesake store. The Vintage vate appointments available.

Fox offers antiques, enchanting vintage finds, home décor, and idiosyncratic gift 223 Anacapa Street, Suite C, items. The place is even located in one of Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Santa Barbara’s stately old Victorian houses.

Vintage Fox also hosts estate sales, and even www.sbmidmod.com works with realtors to compellingly stage homes throughout Santa Barbara County.

As author William Faulkner once famously noted: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Vintage Fox wonderfully brings the gentility and hand-made artfulness of the past glowingly into the present.

Yes, the past can be found to form the present in any number of ways. Take downtown Santa Barbara’s shopping and chilling destination La Arcada, for instance. In the wake of the devastating 1925 earthquake that leveled SB, superstar architect Myron Hunt designed and built (on the ruins of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church) the delightful La Arcada – a “paseo” in keeping with Santa Barbara’s then-new Spanish Revival architectural identity. La Arcada is living history, and a throwback to when shopping was not an aspirin-fueled exercise in mall-marching, but a calming, cobbled, shade-dappled visit to restaurants, galleries, spe-

sbmidmod

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BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED License # 785983

SHOWROOM HOURS MON-FRI 10-5, SAT BY APPOINTMENT 805.450.0599 10 FIGUEROA ST SANTA BARBARA CA 93101

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La Arcada Plaza

a Arcada Plaza, nestled in downtown Santa Barbara’s Arts District, is a holiday wonderland. This picturesque destination features a mix of boutiques, flagship stores, and art galleries. Whether you’re looking for custom-fit jeans, silk blouses, or unique gifts, La Arcada Plaza offers a diverse shopping experience. Enjoy the turtle fountain, sculptures, fine wines, and exceptional eateries, making it an ideal spot for holiday merriment.

La Arcada Plaza 1114 State Street, Santa Barbara

sbcabinetco.com

*Basket & Clogs - Field Trip, Scarf & Cookbook - Lewis & Clark Wine - Barbieri & Kempe Glass - Coast 2 Coast Sunglasses Urban Optics Shirt - Ace Rivington

LaArcadaSantaBarbara.com

“It is December, and nobody asked if I was ready.” – Sarah Kay

7 – 14 December 2023

Choose from our wide variety of premium olive oils, balsamic vinegars, gourmet foods as well as our selection of beautiful homeware items including handmade olive wood products. We have a little something for everybody!

WE SHIP TO ANYWHERE IN CONTINENTAL USA • ORDER IN STORE OR ONLINE 927 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 | (805) 886 4342 | www.VivaOliva.com

OPEN NEXT SATURDAY AT NOON!

CARPINTERIA AVE.

EL CARRO LANE

CHRISTMAS TREE LOT

Viva Oliva

ince 2010, Viva Oliva has been a haven for the finest extra virgin olive oils, balsamic vinegars, and gourmet foods. Located in Santa Barbara, this store also offers unique olive wood and ceramic homeware.

Ideal for holiday gifts, with online shopping and shipping within the contiguous United States available.

ST. JOSEPH’S FIELD 1531 Linden Ave.

Handcrafted, bespoke hats.

Holidays Page 404 404

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CHRISTMAS TREES!

Sizing |Cleaning | Fitting |Refurbishing

334 Anacapa St #2 Santa Barbara CA 93101 (805) 637-1921

Elevate your events with our unique hat bars, perfect for private events, corporate gatherings, and weddings.

grandcentralhats

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P ER F E CT G I F TS F O R T H E H O LI D AY S E A S O N

LINDEN AVE.

The Vintage Fox

cialty shops, and spirit-soothing vino-pourers. The dusky month of December at La Arcada includes carolers, lamplight, ornate decorations, and enough holiday Victoriana to burnish your old-world vibe. This is “shopping” like a luxury foot massage is podiatry. Partake and breathe easy.

Where’s the olive oil, you ask? Take it easy, we got this. A scant two blocks away, Family-owned Viva Oliva is, as its name suggests, your one-stop for the highest quality extra virgin olive oils, as well as fused and infused olive oils. If “fused and infused” leaves you mildly confused, the happy folk at Viva Oliva embrace your epicuriosity.

Viva Oliva offers the rustic culinary magic of small batch artisanal food producers “... whose passion for their work and trade is so clearly reflected in the flavor and quality of their products.” Owners Sven and Amanda *Holiday Brooch, Vintage Fur Stole, Set of Antique Dybdahl also offer cookbooks, inspired Gold Rimmed Wine Glasses pantry items, health and beauty products, ocated in a historic Victorian in tinned seafood delicacies, kitchen accessories downtown Santa Barbara, The – a selection of unusually cool gifts to melt the heart of your hardest-to-please foodie Vintage Fox offers a wide selection of friend. Yes, it can be done. Let Sven and antiques, vintage treasures, home décor, Amanda guide you.

We would call The Yes Store a Santa and unique gift items. Family-owned and Barbara institution if that word didn’t operated, this shop is a favorite among summon gray concrete and the whir of locals. Hand-selected by Ashley Fox, the an air conditioner. The kaleidoscopic Yes items reflect a deep love for vintage and Store has been convening Santa Barbara’s multivarious artist community under antiques. Additionally, they host estate one retail roof for 56 years. Fine jewelry, sales and work with realtors for home dazzling glassworks, visual art, unforeseen staging across Santa Barbara County. ceramics, warm woodwork, fragrant leather — the tranquil, home-grown gifts found 609 Chapala Street in The Yes Store are not imports from a Santa Barbara, CA 93101 far-flung assembly line in Manufactureville (not a real place), but the output of actual www.thevintagefoxsb.com artists living in our globally revered creative bastion. Now open year-round, The Yes Store trades in human creative expression. Added bonus: the hand-made objet d’amour you gift your dear pal will be the only one of its kind in the world. Just sayin’.

And speaking of deeply local, longstanding businesses – Hayward’s on Parker Way has a pleasant enough-looking shopfront. Step across the threshold, though, and

927 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 www.vivaoliva.com *Gourmet Oil and Vinegar Gift Set - Three 60ml Flavored Olive Oils Paired with Three Balsamics

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Holidays (Continued from 39 39))

The Yes Store

*Healy Designs Ring, Pink Tourmaline and Diamonds, 18k Gold

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he Yes Store, a Santa Barbara tradition since 1968, offers unique, hand-made gifts by local artisans.

Originally a holiday shopping destination, it now provides a year-round experience for those seeking one-of-a-kind treasures. Visit for a diverse and artistic selection of items.

1100 State Street (corner of Figueroa and State) in La Arcada Plaza Santa Barbara, CA 93101 theyesstore.com

you’ll enter a grin-producing 12,000foot showroom containing a completist selection of patio furniture you will have tried and failed to imagine. Santa Barbara’s unreasonable meteorological blessings makes our town the perfect “outdoor living” Shangri-La. Hayward’s boasts a stunning and varied selection of furnishings for dining, seating, and lounging, shade-producing umbrellas and entertainment accoutrements, and – for those cocktail-sipping starry nights – conversation-warming fire pits.

Hayward’s has been in town since 1890 (no, that’s not a typo), so of course the fifth-generation Hayward who runs the place has our beloved town – and your outdoor living aspirations – dialed in.

Lounging outside is delicious. Doing that in style? Hayward’s.

Santa Barbara Interiors: Design firm?

Retail space? Decorous idea incubator?

Yep. Perfecting your beloved living space (or “home” in the friendlier parlance) can feel as fraught as summiting Everest.

Let SB Interiors be your sherpa. Yes; if you ask, they offer personalized design and space planning consultation for both residential and commercial spaces. Yes, their sunstruck showroom – embraceable livingware, designer furnishings, fixtures,

Our 56th Season!

Ho Ho Ho & Fa La La

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Local Artwork in Santa Barbara Since 1968

Enjoy Holiday Shopping U

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SALE Holiday Hours for December Monday J U LY– Saturday 2 2 ND U 10amT H – R5:30pm AUG 8 T H – 5pm Sunday 11am 25 – 75% OFF on selecTed iTems n o s p e c i a l o r d e r s o r l ayaway s . w e w i l l b e c l o s e d T U e s d ay j U ly 2 1 s T i n p r e pa r a T i o n .

1 4 7 0 E A S T V A L L E Y R O A D MONTECITO, CA • (805) 695-0220

info@imagineartfulthings.com www.imagineartfulthings.com

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rugs, lighting, artwork – is so deliciously homelike they may have to drag you out of there at closing time. And yes, Interior Designer Colleen Macey and Santa Barbara Cabinet Company’s Thomas Mehling are there if you need them. Home is where the heart is. Santa Barbara Interiors can help you find the beat.

Santa Barbara is summarized by sun, surf, glowing mountains, and the late Bud Bottoms’ beloved and town-defining dolphin statuary. The town’s State Street is likewise the exuberant and endlessly colorful gift-giving horn of plenty you would expect in an unlikely place like Santa Barbara. Grab a java, tipple a little

wine, explore. See you there.

SB Interiors

If you need a little more help on what to look for this season, scan this QR code for more gift ideas!

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anta Barbara Interiors combines an interior design firm with a retail shop, offering comprehensive services to enhance living spaces. They provide personalized design consultations, space planning, and assistance in selecting furniture to fit clients’ styles and budgets. Their expertise extends to both residential and commercial spaces, ensuring a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing environment.

Jeff Wing is a journalist, raconteur, autodidact, and polysyllable enthusiast. He has been writing about Montecito and environs since before some people were born. He can be reached at jeff@ montecitojournal.net

10 E Figueroa St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101 santabarbarainteriors.com *Izapa Rocking Chair - Handcrafted with Sustainably Sourced Wood

THE BIG BAG HAND MADE SANTA BARBARA EXCLUSIVELY AT:

THE YES STORE 1100 STATE STREET, SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA LOCATED IN LA ARCADA PLAZA “Welcome winter. Your late dawns and chilled breath make me lazy, but I love you nonetheless.” – Terri Guillemets

7 – 14 December 2023

Petite Wine Traveler

Totally Local (Continued from 6) following menu items:

Santa Maria Valley: A Wine and Fun-Filled Weekend Escape for Santa Barbara Locals

Antipasti Bruschetta Insalata Mele e Noci (Mixed salad with apple and walnuts) Minestrone

by Jamie Knee

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The Petite Wine Traveler on tour through the Santa Maria Valley

a serene hike along the Oso Flaco Lake Trail, nestled within the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. This 1.7-mile trail is perfect for families and nature lovers, leading us to a freshwater lake surrounded by diverse natural habitats. With over 200 bird species and wildflowers, it’s a slice of heaven on Earth.

Old Orcutt – Treasure Hunting: Shopaholics will be in paradise when exploring Old Orcutt. Browse for antiques at Deja Vu Antique Mall and indulge in some retail therapy.

Tiramisu à la Mollie The menu may change depending upon ingredient availability, and there is a possibil-

Mollie makes her own pasta, tiramisu, panna cotta, sauces, meatballs, and buys most of her produce from a farmers market

Steller’s Cellar – Unique Sipping: In the heart of Old Orcutt, you’ll find this must-stop destination for all wine and

Petite Wine Traveler Page 444 444

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Mollie’s is open six days a week for lunch from 11 am to 2 pm and for dinner Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 5 pm to 9 pm, by reservation only. Mollie’s also has a thriving take-out business, and you can order dinner-to-go every day (except Sunday) to pick up before 7 pm.

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Dewlson Family Farm – A Sustainable Oasis: Our journey began at Dewlson Family Farm, a sustainable haven off Highway 101. Judy Dewey and Ron Paulson have poured their hearts into cultivating lemons, coffee, tea, and more on this beautiful farm. Their sustainable practices make it possible for you to walk the farm, savor their fruits, and indulge in tasty treats with confidence. From lemons to coffee, it’s an educational and relaxing oasis that’s not to be missed.

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s a wine and travel writer, I’ve had the privilege of exploring some of California’s most charming wine regions. However, I recently stumbled upon a hidden gem a mere hour’s drive from Santa Barbara but a world away in terms of experiences: Santa Maria Valley.

With 34 tasting rooms, over 50 restaurants, and unique attractions and experiences galore, this Central Coast haven offers everything you need for an unforgettable weekend getaway.

Whether you’re a foodie, a wine connoisseur, a nature enthusiast, or simply seeking new adventures, Santa Maria Valley has something to delight and inspire every traveler.

ity she can snag a white truffle or two direct from Alba, Italy. Prices will be the same as she charges in Carpinteria, which are very moderate indeed (Lasagna at $21!). Mollie promises you won’t go home hungry.

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41

Winter in Summerland Businesses Bring the Holiday Spirit to Town

Winter is coming to Home Crush and the surrounding stores of Summerland (courtesy photo)

by Jeff Wing

S

ummerland – an impossibly picturesque village arrayed along .7 miles of oceanfront hillside – will be rolling out its holiday finery for the aptly-named Winter in Summerland this coming Saturday, December 9, from 11 am – 4 pm. In the event, 38 of the town’s businesses will be opening their doors to offer holiday spirit to lucky and joyfilled passersby on Summerland’s celebrated Lillie Avenue. This holiday-themed walkabout will feature food, wine, music, delightful pop-up vendors, and – courtesy of Home Crush and Juniper – a free concert provided by Christian Love, Will Breman, and DJ Mint Dolphin. There may even be a light dusting of snow.

Wouldn’t it be nice? (One is not encouraged to place a bet on this meteorological outcome.) December 9 will also be the final day of a Summerland Toy Drive that will have begun on December 4. Donate

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42 Montecito JOURNAL

a new toy or stuffed animal at a participating Summerland business between December 4 and 9 for a chance to win a Summerland Gift Card Tree valued at over $1,000. Donated toys will mean the absolute world to kids whose unspoken wishes will be answered by your kindness.

If the event’s title has a mild Lewis Carroll quality, that’s due to this prototypically gorgeous California town (figuratively) donning a snowman suit and (figuratively) dancing a snowman jig.

Summerland is surely the Central Coast’s unsung holiday destination. Stunningly beautiful, communally cozy, and a shopping district possessed of ocean views you have to see to believe. Home Crush’s Aimee Miller concurs: “Summerland is a terrific destination town with 38 boutiques, restaurants, and luxury services. We’re all about community, so we encourage and invite all of Santa Barbara to come enjoy the holiday with us and walk our lovely little town. Our celebra tion will delight the whole family.”

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Editorial (Continued from 16 16)) On November 3, TPRC received a text proposal from Supervisor Williams.

The nets were already on the ground. The proposal kept almost all the financial responsibility on TPRC. It had not been approved by the Board of Supervisors, had not been vetted by County Counsel nor, to the best of my knowledge, the County CEO. Please read the letter below sent to the County Board of Supervisors this September by Geomorphologist Engineering Geologist, Larry D. Gurrola, strongly urging them to keep the nets.

And to Supervisor Williams I say this: Montecito needs a County Supervisor that has our back. One who works hard in the calm moments to make sure that we’re okay in the storms. A representative because of whom, not despite whom, we can feel safe. We need a Supervisor who sees us, and values us, and works with us to understand our needs. One who shows up every day. Not just when political pressures build; and not just when an election looms.

Montecito needs a County Supervisor that has our back. One who works hard in the calm moments to make sure that we’re okay in the storms. A representative because of whom, not despite whom, we can feel safe.

Letter from Larry D. Gurrola Members of the Board of Supervisors, I am writing to express my deep-seated support for extending the permits of the six debris ring nets installed by The Partnership for Resilient Communities (TPRC) and for the consideration of County of Santa Barbara to take responsibility of all six nets. Six debris nets were installed by TPRC across the west and east forks of Cold Spring, San Ysidro, and Buena Vista creeks as part of the Montecito Emergency Debris Flow Mitigation Project in 2019. It is my opinion that these nets serve as an additional system of debris retention and impede the buildup of debris flows in Montecito’s watersheds before they are discharged out of canyons. By incorporating the nets with existing debris basin mitigation, the County of Santa Barbara will increase the resiliency and public safety of the community of Montecito.

The devastating January, 9, 2018 (1-9) debris flows resulted in 23 fatalities, destroyed over 500 homes, damaged infrastructure including closing Highway 101 for 13 days, caused an estimated $1 billion dollars in damages, and instilled trauma in not only those that experienced the destruction of their community, but also for first responders who were first on the scene to assist victims (Lancaster et al., 2021; County of Santa Barbara OEM, 2018; Kean et al., 2019). The 1-9 event overshadows the 1934 New Year’s Day Montrose debris flow which is generally recognized as the first flood event termed a debris flow. However, the 200-year history of Montecito reveals that the dangers of fire were known 150 years ago to remain long after the fire was extinguished because winter rainfall would discharge destructive logs, trees, and boulders from the steep terrain canyons onto the coastal (alluvial) plain. In fact, native Californios and Native Americans would prepare by clearing the creek channels and move to higher ground not only after fires, but also Editorial Page 484 484

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7 – 14 December 2023

ductor of the Santa Barbara Prime Time Band, led the congregational music.

Always a glittering and festive occasion.

Miscellany (Continued from 8)

Welles-Wishes at Lotusland

The community and some familiar faces came out to support the event (photo by Priscilla)

These kids were ready to race (photo

by Priscilla)

Staff, trustees, and friends of Lotusland, the 37-acre Montecito botanical paradise, gathered at the University Club to celebrate Corey Welles after a career of 33 years tending to the estate of former Polish opera singer Ganna Walska.

Welles, recognized today as a leader in the field of sustainable horticulture, pioneered Lotusland’s sustainability efforts and is credited with making the estate the first and only pesticide-free botanic garden in the U.S. He developed his methods over the course of three decades harnessing the

area’s academic resources, enlisting researchers from UC Santa Barbara to share their expertise in botany, soil sciences, entomology, and more.

Welles transitioned the garden to organic fertilizers, mulches, and compost tea creating a system where the soil, insects, plants, and animals successfully support and regulate the estate.

Chris Ziliotto, who joined Lotusland last spring, was handpicked by Welles and will continue developing the garden’s sustainability program.

Among those wishing Welles well were Executive Director Rebecca Anderson, board trustees Connie Pearcy, Dan Bifano, Ron Caird, Jeanne Anderson, Crystal Wyatt, Rachael Douglas, and

Miscellany Page 504 504

The crowd gathered at Lotusland in support of Corey Welles (courtesy photo)

Palminteri, founder of Adam’s Angels Adam McKaig, and Joe Pasternack, UCSB men’s basketball coach.

A Joy-Filled Evening

Whether it was walking or running, the participants were all in support of Arise International (photo by Priscilla)

emceed the event organized by local event planner Zohe Felici, with local DJ Darla Bea providing the throbbing beat.

Among the supporters cheering the energetic pink T-shirt clad mob, aged six to 90, were singer Katy Perry’s parents Keith and Mary Hudson, KEYT-TV reporter John

Westmont College fielded its full arsenal at the Granada for its 19th annual sold-out Christmas Festival.

Always a great start to Yuletide, the concert Fullness of Joy was the third year at the historic State Street theater after years at the First Presbyterian Church.

Ruth Lin, chair of the music department, conducted the Westmont Orchestra, with other talents including the Choral Union, Chamber Singers, and the College Choir.

Alumnus Daniel Gee, Westmont director of choral activities and conductor of the Santa Barbara Youth Orchestra, directed the choir and chamber singers.

Lonnie Ostrander conducted the Choral Union. More than 100 musicians and singers filled the cavernous stage.

Zig Reichwald, Adams professor of music and worship, and alumnus Paul Mori, con-

Westmont College Christmas Festival, always a sell-out event (photo by Brad Elliott)

7 – 14 December 2023

Montecito JOURNAL

43

Petite Wine Traveler (Continued from 41 41))

Mystic Whaler (Continued from 20 20))

The tall ship will be used for the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s youth education programs

she could best be utilized considering all the possibilities.” After consulting with Greg Gorga, executive director of the Maritime Museum, Captain Christine Healy was recommended, then interviewed and consequently hired – sight unseen. “Hiring Christine was the best decision we ever made! She literally dropped into our laps and had experience on tall ships. It was the perfect match,” Chrisman exclaimed. “Her first task was to get us to California.” In the weeks that followed Healy hired a crew, and planned the voyage down the Atlantic Coast, over the Panama Canal and up the Pacific Coast to San Diego. As the Mystic Whaler could not be accommodated long term in Santa Barbara, the Channel Islands harbor became her new home. “In the process, we realized that we had a tremendous asset and the ship could be utilized in other ways than what was originally envisioned. We decided to expand our vision to include the California coast with a focus on Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Our board is still discussing community service projects and events that might serve our mission.”

Visitors to the Santa Barbara Harbor have seen the 110-foot tall ship Mystic Whaler docked for most of October. The schooner appears regularly in service to the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s Tall

Creating Beautiful Smiles Dr. Michelle Stivers, DDS 1805 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 805-569-1481

44 Montecito JOURNAL

Ship Program beginning with kids in the 4th grade. This program is now conducted by the CCOAF’s educational team, whose philosophy rests on the well-proven fact that practical application and a lived experience deepen and strengthen understanding and retention of newly learned concepts.

Sailing and navigating a traditionally rigged tall ship such as Mystic Whaler intrinsically offer nautical skills with the application of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) academic principles.

The challenge of handling such a sizable vessel is also the perfect medium for social and emotional learning. The young sailors must step out of their comfort zones and practice effective communication, efficient organization, courage, and self-discipline… in the 1800s no less!

While in Santa Barbara, hundreds of kids from Santa Barbara County schools will have the opportunity to experience a sail through time with this magnificent ship. “Mystic Whaler offers young people a unique and inspirational platform that truly provides long-lasting personal and academic benefits,” remarked Captain Christine Healy. “In keeping with our mission, we are happy to bring her here for the SBMM Tall Ship Program.” The schooner will be returning to the harbor multiple times to promote ocean conservation, environmental stewardship, and marine-related programs for both the young and those just a bit older. Do check the websites of both the CCOA Foundation and the Santa Barbara

Maritime Museum. https://centralcoastoceanadventures.org https://sbmm.org

Sigrid Toye is an Educational and Behavior Therapist with a PhD in Clinical Psychology, a freelance writer, and a storyteller. She loves all things creative, including her two (adult) artist children.

4869 South Bradley Road, Santa Maria, this cafe offers a high-quality, fast-casual Cuban dining experience where patrons can get the Cuban food they have come to love in a more traditional setting.

Santa Maria Wine Trolley – Sip & Savor: For wine enthusiasts, the Santa Maria Valley Wine Trolley is a must. Hop on this charming trolley, which takes you along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, offering a delightful wine-tasting experience with safe transportation. Running every Saturday and Sunday from May to November, it’s a journey that will undoubtedly leave you thirsty for more.

Rest and have a sip of wine at Dewlson Family Farm

beer enthusiasts. This cool wine/beer bar and bottle shop offers an exceptional selection of libations, with six beers on tap, over 40 craft beers in cans and bottles, and a staggering variety of over 350 different wines from local wineries as well as from around the world. Whether you’re in the mood for a refreshing craft beer or a fine wine, Steller’s Cellar has you covered. It’s the perfect place to unwind and enjoy a drink in the charming atmosphere of Old Orcutt during your Santa Maria Valley adventure.

Your wine adventure wouldn’t be complete without visiting some of the local wineries. After savoring the delightful wines on the trolley, it’s time to embark on the next part of your journey: exploring the diverse and exquisite flavors of Santa Maria Valley’s renowned wine region by visiting the nearby wineries. Santa Maria Valley is one of the seven unique AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) nestled in Santa Barbara County, and it holds the distinction of being the Central Coast’s first officially approved AVA encompassing a vast 7,500 vineyard acres. This unique geographical setting ensures a Mediterranean climate, resulting in grapes that boast complex and exquisite flavors.

The Luffa Farm – Natural Spa Goodies: If you’re like me, you might have believed luffas hailed from the sea. But guess what… they’re actually a gourd and grown on land, not under the waves!

Discover the enchanting world of luffas at The Luffa Farm, just a breezy 20-minute drive from Santa Maria. Deanne Coon tends to this unique farm, cultivating luffas year-round and offering free tours from Wednesday to Sunday. They feature natural luffas, soaps, bath salts, lotions, and more. Your skin will thank you!

Presqu’ile Winery – A Must-Visit: One of Santa Maria Valley’s most beautiful and renowned wineries, Presqu’ile, offers delicious wines and sweeping scenic views. Voted a top 10 tasting room in USA Today’s 2018 Reader’s Choice Awards, Presqu’ile focuses on making wines from the area, and their sustainably farmed vineyard. Try the Santa Maria Valley blend and compare it to the single vineyard designate wines for a true pinot noir educational experience.

The Homestead – Deli and More: For a delicious dining experience, visit The Homestead in Old Orcutt. This full-service deli offers cold and hot sandwiches, wine, spreads, pasta, and more. It’s the perfect place to refuel during your adventures in the valley, and savor the delectable flavors of Santa Maria Style BBQ. But that’s not all – if you have a hankering for baked goods or a cozy coffee shop, look no further than their sister restaurant, Cups & Crumbs in Orcutt. This local bakery and coffee shop is where you’ll find the best baked goods, aromatic brews, and a warm atmosphere that feels just like home.

It’s the cherry on top of your Santa Maria Valley culinary experience.

Bien Nacido Vineyard – Legendary Wines: Our wine adventure continued at the newly opened Bien Nacido Gatehouse at Bien Nacido Vineyard.

This legendary and renowned vineyard has graced the Santa Maria Valley for generations. Known for its exceptional chardonnay and pinot noir, Bien Nacido’s wines are a true testament to the region’s unique terroir.

Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard and Winery – A Wine Lover’s Paradise: We couldn’t resist a visit to Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard and Winery, specializing in hand-crafted pinot noir, syrah, and chardonnay.

This 78-acre estate, located on the Foxen

Cubanissimo Cuban Coffee House & Cafe – A Taste of Cuba: Join in on an exotic dining experience at Cubanissimo Cuban Coffee House & Cafe! Located at “Love has different shape, like this falling snow in winter.” – Rizki De

Petite Wine Traveler Page 484 484 7 – 14 December 2023

Your Westmont

Museum visitors at the opening reception

Men’s Soccer Wins National Championship NCCAA Men’s Soccer Champions (photo by Robbie Gawrys)

Head Coach Morgan Cathey gets a championship bath (photo by Robbie Gawrys)

by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott

W

estmont men’s soccer beat Campbellsville (Kentucky) 3-1 on December 2 in Kissimmee, Florida, to claim the 2023 National Championship of the National Christian College Athletic Association. This is the second time Westmont Men’s Soccer has claimed a national title. The first was by the 1972 team that won the NAIA National Championship.

“There is nothing more you can say about this group,” said head coach Morgan Cathey. “The reality is that they take every challenge and own it.

They have grown so much this season in ways that I could never have foreseen or imagined. Their commitment is incredible and they are such a joy to coach.”

“I am really thankful to do it with these guys and especially with Coach,” said senior Daniel Tuscano, who scored the first two goals in the championship game and was named the Tournament MVP. “He has revolutionized the program and made everything mean something.”

The national championship is the 11th in Westmont history and marks the first time Westmont has won two national championships in one calendar year.

Exactly six months prior, Westmont won the 2023 NAIA Baseball World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.

7 – 14 December 2023

Bidding Underway for Five-Inch Artworks A lively and enthusiastic crowd packed into the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art for the opening reception of “5x5: Westmont College Celebrating 85 Years” on November 30. There is certainly a lot to see with more than 675 small pieces of art hung in the gallery – all of which are being auctioned off to the highest bidder.

“I had so many guests tell me how terrific the exhibition was with many saying it was the best 5x5 yet,” says Judy L. Larson, R. Anthony Askew professor in art and director of the museum. “It certainly is the biggest ever!”

The exhibition is a fundraiser for the museum with an online auction that

ends Friday, December 15, at 5 pm. Find auction details, artwork images, artist bios, and bidding instructions at www. westmont.edu/museum/5x5.

Nearly all of the pieces remain at the opening bid of $20. A piece by Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, a Native American visual artist and curator, has the highest bid at $700 for a charcoal on paper, Coyote Sees the World Clearly.

Tim Hawkinson, a painter, draftsman and sculptor in the Bay Area, has the second highest bid, $200, for Normal, an India ink drawing on paper.

John Budicin, who was born in Italy and moved to Southern California with his family at 11, submitted an untitled oil painting on canvas board that has a bid of $181.

Mr. Monopoly Goes Straight to Westmont Westmont is on the board! Monopoly: The Santa Barbara Edition includes a space featuring the Montecito campus in the light purple section where Virginia Avenue sits in the classic game. The only college featured on the board, Westmont appears between two iconic locations: the Santa Barbara Harbor and the Santa Barbara Airport.

The square features a Brad Elliott photo highlighting the college’s iconic

Excited students with Mr. Monopoly in front of the Dining Commons

Italian fountain, a replica of one dating from the 19th century that graced the Dwight Murphy estate, which Westmont purchased in 1945. The board also includes Montecito’s famed Butterfly Beach, a favorite destination for Westmont students.

Monopoly debuted in 1935. Hasbro unveiled the new game on November 28 at the Lobero Theatre and visited the wooded campus in Montecito the following day to pose for pictures with excited students, staff and faculty.

Mr. Monopoly’s famous leisurely gait grabbed attention as he strolled around and posed at the campus bookstore to promote the game on display for Christmas gifts and available at the lowest price. He met President Gayle D. Beebe in Kerrwood Hall by the nine-foot Christmas tree and headed to the Dining Commons to the delight of

dozens of students.

Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College

John Budicin’s untitled painting

President Gayle D. Beebe and Mr. Monopoly pose in Kerrwood

Montecito JOURNAL

45

Society (Continued from 14 14))

Our Town (Continued from 12 12))

family-friendly events and by supporting local businesses. Their mission is:

space/flood corridors, roads and access and cleaning and maintenance. They showed an area map marked for areas to address.

“Summerland Beautiful strives to enhance Summerland’s appeal to residents, businesses, property owners, and visitors by facilitating various projects that will provide a more beautiful, enticing, and safe environment.”

411: https://summerlandbeautiful.org

New Board Members at SB Museum of Natural History Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History announced the newest members to its Board of Trustees: our town’s Hiroko Benko and Amanda Lee. Both women have long histories as professional businesswomen and philanthropists.

Benko is renowned for her historic ocean exploring vessel, The Condor Express, founded by her late husband Fred, for which she is the CEO and president. She has a profound love of the natural world and her work in the community attributes to it.

Jean-Michel Cousteau has been a longtime friend. Benko supports his Ocean Futures Society, recently donating The Condor Express for Hiroko Benko (courtesy photo) a whale-watching experience with Cousteau in November. She shared she could not be with Cousteau for that event because she was requested to lead a private tour and tea ceremony with family friend Kobori Sojitsu, the 13th Grand Master of the Enshu Sado School in Tokyo, for members of the Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub, while on a cultural tour of Japan.

Born in Japan, Benko has made her home in Santa Barbara for over 30 years and has worked in international relations and foreign service positions based out of Los Angeles. She is one of four co-chairs on the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage team with Cousteau, Greg Gorga (executive director of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum), and Holly Lohuis (Ocean Futures). Her nonprofit service includes being a member of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum Board.

She has been featured in the Montecito Journal’s Giving List (2022).

Amanda Lee is the Montecito Estates Director for The Haskell Group and she has worked in the real estate field for over seven years, following a career in boutique marketing and PR. This year she co-chaired the Montecito Union School Foundation Annual Gala with Cate Stoll. She holds a BA in Communications from UCSB. Lee and her husband Travis have three children: Cash (12), Harper (9), and Navy (almost 2).

Lee’s family are patrons and supporters of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History as it is home to countless priceless memories for them.

She is dedicated to helping preserve the history and unique offerings that the Museum provides for future generations of Santa Barbarians and visi tors of the area.

Amanda Lee (courtesy photo)

46 Montecito JOURNAL

411: www.sbnature.org

Questions From the Audience Sweeney asked about debris control, the removal of the nets from the Buena Vista creek area, removal of the debris there, and the large expense Birnam Wood Golf Club has endured.

Rubalcava replied, “It’s my understanding that the Buena Vista creek nets were actually cleared, right? It was San Ysidro that actually had material in it.

We have photos of that. Is that correct, Pat? [McElroy replied, ‘Yes, I don’t want this to be about the nets.’] This is not a nets versus debris basins. The SBC Flood District was supportive of the nets, we worked closely with Pat and his group through the whole process, and we had those there during the burned watershed period, and the watershed is cleared. They had their place, they provided a benefit.

There was a permitting issue with the nets so it’s not cut and dry. County take it over – we have them.”

Sweeney retorted, “To clarify, we hiked up there and there are large boulders [of ] about seven feet, trees, and other debris, so I wouldn’t say there isn’t debris there.”

Williams said, “First of all, we did not take them down, I personally would like a Buena Vista net in place until the debris basin gets built. We made an offer, the partnership did not like that offer because it did not include all of the nets. But we are particularly interested in Buena Vista, and we still are in some dialog. I’d love to have one of those nets back because getting it permitted from the county standpoint is a little bit

easier than what they had to go through – because we don’t have to issue a permit to ourselves. The challenge would be Fish and Wildlife, and the challenge would be whether it is an opportunity through an emergency permit or whether we would have to go through the normal process – which is a pain as Pat will tell you.”

They moved to other questions from the residents which included timely notifications of all plans – not just at a public meeting after the fact; the expense of the home owners to do remedial work on their properties; residents each doing their own work and having no guidance on efficacy for the whole plan; the massive permitting processes the residents have to go through to do the work on their properties; SBCFC informing the insurance companies of the remedial work to reduce the insurance rates of the property owners; and what the status of the 101 sound walls are.

Rubalcava said that the team is willing to review any of the residents’ contractors’ plans and provide feedback. Williams agreed the team will review the plans and provide commentary regarding if the plan will work without hurting neighbors, and for SBC to set up funding for an ombudsman to interface with residents countywide who are planning to do their own improvements.

Griffin stated the obvious, “The reality is, it is going to take a long time for some of these projects to be implemented. So, if private property owners want to do work before that, we are happy to look at the plans.”

Regarding insurance, Potter said: “FEMA is rating flood insurance rates differently now – it’s based on the distance from the flooding area. So when we submit the re-mapping after the work is done showing the control areas, rates

Proposed schedule for the Montecito Flood Control Master Plan (photo by Joanne A Calitri) “I heard a bird sing in the dark of December. A magical thing.” – Oliver Herford

7 – 14 December 2023

should go down.”

Regarding the 101 freeway sound walls, Griffin stated: “Potentially there’s a solution that if all the improvements are built to a 100-year capacity, the flood plain will reduce and that might allow for feasible construction of the sound walls.”

The general Q&A was stopped, and the Project Team formed four breakout rooms in the auditorium for more oneon-one questions.

I reached out to Rubalcava with questions from the Montecito Journal editorial staff: MJ: We want to know about the County’s plans now that the nets have been removed – how are they going to mitigate for future debris flows? Is there a chance the nets get put back up? Why did they not support continuing the nets program?

Walter Rubalcava: So the nets are out, and they are in New Mexico. The challenge: even if we did get them back, it would be extremely challenging to permit them – right? What’s important to know, and this isn’t a competition of debris basin versus net, but just as an example, the Randall Road Debris Basin, excavated out 90,000 cubic yards, the nets have a capacity of about 1,000 cubic yards. For us to remove the material it’s $25 to $50 per cubic yard, to not remove the material from the nets but to spread it – costs $1,200 a cubic yard. So as Supervisor Williams was mentioning, for us to put our resources to just clear the nets would wipe out our funds to do the Master Plan, would limit our opportunity to do debris basins.

We did try to negotiate with the group to see if we could come up with a compromise to help maintain some or all of the nets, there was a discussion about just the Buena Vista debris nets, and we just couldn’t come up with a compromise.

The challenges the County has beyond

the finances [for the nets] are there’s no legal access to them, they’re on private property, there are no roads to them, the only access is by helicopter, and as you saw with the Randall Road Project last year, we were able to remove 15,000 cubic yards in 11 days working 24/7.

The material behind the nets – it was very challenging. They had to hire a helicopter company to bring in the equipment to spread the material and they couldn’t even eliminate it because it’s a very challenging thing. With that said, while the watershed was burned, there was no one at SBC Flood Control who said it didn’t have value to it. But the watershed is now recovered, and we think that our resources right now are better focused on building debris basins and implementing this master plan. The debris basin has to factor in access, how quickly we can remove it, and cost to remove it. So, if you factor that into the nets, we don’t have access to it, we can’t clear it quickly, and it’s extremely expensive. So that’s why our focus is on the basins and master plan, it’s not because the debris nets are a bad idea.

Is there an interim safety net – so to speak – between now (since the nets are gone) and when the master plan will be completed?

We had interest in maintaining one or two of the nets on Buena Vista, but when that was communicated, they had already taken them out. Even if we were to maintain them, it is not a very high likelihood that the Department of Fish and Wildlife would say okay.

TPRC you don’t have to do it now but County you do. I don’t think the Department of Fish and Wildlife has shown any indication that it would be easy for us to permit or even keep them.

So there is no plan for debris flow?

The watershed has recovered.

Rubalcava went on to a breakout room, as meeting attendees were talking with other project team members. Many residents left. See the 411 for additional contact info to direct questions to the Project Team.

411: www.countyofsb.org/3824/MontecitoFlood-Control-Master-Plan Phone: speak with a project member at 805-568-3440 Email: fccontact@countyofsb.orG

Richie’s Barber Shop 12th Annual Holiday Donation Collection It was an animated holiday gathering of Richie and his Montecito barbers with this year’s selected nonprofit organizations for his annual holiday toys and funds drive. Richie’s Barber Shop is starting to collect the donations – feel free to drop off any time the shop is open or by appointment. The donations will be heading to Domestic Violence Solutions (DVS), St. Vincent’s Family Strengthening Program for children, and Adam’s Angels for the homeless. The leaders of these organizations shared for our readers what they need: Tina Ballue, Director of Development for DVS: “Donations of gas and grocery gift cards; women’s undergarments of all sizes and jackets XL to XXL sizes; new pillows and throw blankets; and for the kids – puzzles, coloring books, arts and crafts, soccer and footballs, and movie passes. DVS is Santa Barbara County’s only full-service provider of 24-hour emergency shelter and services for survivors of domestic violence.

Richie’s Barber Shop does so much in the community. They are the definition of full circle. Their unwavering dedication to bringing the community together, from the first haircut to giving back to nonprofits, is nothing short of inspiring. Their thoughtfulness and generosity have not gone unnoticed,

and DVS is honored to be part of their holiday drive.”

Adam McKaig of Adam’s Angels: “Adam’s Angels needs new and gently used jackets for this year’s donations. Richie’s Barber Shop has been a huge support of Adam’s Angels from the very beginning.

Thank you, Richie, for all you do for our community and for Adam’s Angels.”

Dr. Regina Ruiz, Chief Development Officer for St. Vincent’s Santa Barbara: “We would love un-giftwrapped toys for children five years old and under donated. Richie doing this for the children of St. Vincent’s truly puts the joy in Christmas; the children get to open these gifts and know that people love them.”

The Shop’s event chair and lead barber Jessica Jay is planning for people who donate can pick an ornament from the Barber Shop Holiday Tree. Shop owner Richie Ramirez wants everyone to know: “The holiday season is the spirit of love with family, friends, and our community.

We hope everyone will come out and support our drives. Every donation, no matter how big or how small, will make a huge impact and create a smile for someone in need. From my team to all of you

– Happy Holidays!”

411: Richie’s Barber Shop, 1187 Coast Village Road Drop off times: Monday through Saturday 9 am-6 pm or call (805) 845-9701

Joanne A Calitri is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@ yahoo.com

THE FLAT PACK

HAND MADE SANTA BARBARA

EXCLUSIVELY AT:

THE YES STORE Team Richie is ready for your donations! (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

7 – 14 December 2023

1100 STATE STREET, SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA LOCATED IN LA ARCADA PLAZA Montecito JOURNAL

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Petite Wine Traveler (Continued from 44 44))

Luffa in its natural form at The Luffa Farm

Editorial (Continued from 42 42))

As you can see Santa Maria Valley has so much to offer, and is more than just a wine region; it’s a place where you’re welcomed like old-time friends and fed like family. So, Santa Barbarans, if you’re yearning for an unforgettable weekend country escape, make Santa Maria Valley your next adventure. With its exceptional wines, an abundance of fun activities, and a treasure trove of unique experiences, this enchanting place will quickly find its way into your heart. As you raise your glass to good times and toast to great adventures, here’s to the memories you’ll create in Santa Maria Valley that will last a life time. Cheers!

Canyon Wine Trail, is a wine lover’s paradise, and it’s in an idyllic setting.

Costa de Oro Winery – Sip and Savor: Our adventure continued at Costa de Oro Winery, a vineyard that uses old-world winemaking styles and new-world grape growing methods to create complex and harmonious pinot noirs and chardonnays.

It’s a veteran of the Santa Maria wine industry, with the only tasting room located right off Highway 101. A visit here is a must for wine connoisseurs.

Jamie Knee is a global wine communicator and travel writer, has hosted 100+ winemaker interviews, international wine judge, and holds multiple wine, sommelier, and educator certifications.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Montecito Valley; Montecito Valley Estates; Montecito Valley Estates Group; 1101 Coast Village Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. Tyler Kallenbach Real Estate, 513 E De La Guerra St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on November 9, 2023. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2023-0002613. Published December 6, 13, 20, 27, 2023

48 Montecito JOURNAL

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Bosco Sportfishing, 7931 Rio Vista Drive, Goleta, CA 93117. Weston C Boyle, 7931 Rio Vista Drive, Goleta, CA 93117. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on November 17, 2023.

This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2023-0002682. Published November 29, December 6, 13, 20, 2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as:

during high rainfall seasons or intense storms.

Research of Montecito’s 200-year debris flow history established that in addition to the 1-9 debris flow event, four previous large magnitude debris flows were discharged from the Montecito watersheds (Gurrola and Rogers, 2022). It is important to note, that only one of the four events, the 1825 event, occurred in post-fire watershed conditions, the 1861-62, 1914, 1995 events occurred in vegetated conditions and were initiated by atmospheric river events or during intense rainfall in watersheds with high antecedent moisture conditions (due to preceding rainfall). There exists an erroneous perception that the downstream community of Montecito is only dangerous following wildfire and that is one of the contentions the Los Padres Forest Watch alleges. This is simply not the case, and our flood history demonstrates this assumption is completely inaccurate.

However, the 200-year history of Montecito reveals that the dangers of fire were known 150 years ago to remain long after the fire was extinguished because winter rainfall would discharge destructive logs, trees, and boulders from the steep terrain canyons onto the coastal (alluvial) plain.

The largest of all events, the 1861-62 debris flow and debris laden flood events occurred in vegetated conditions and were massive in scale. The 1-9 event pales in comparison to this event. Debris deposition backed up and filled all existing creek channels at the time, created new creek channels, and resulted in alteration of the Santa Barbara and Montecito landscapes. News accounts describe that acres of terrain, trees, and rock were mobilized in mere seconds as large landslides slid down Quinn Fiduciary Services, 601 E. Arrellaga Street #102, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Montecito Fiduciary Services, LLC, 601 E. Arrellaga Street #102, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on November 1, 2023. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2023-0002562. Published November 29, December 6, 13, 20, 2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT: The following person(s) has (have) abandoned the use of the Fictitious Business Name(s): Quinn Fiduciary Services, 601 E. Arrellaga Street #102, Santa Barbara, CA 93103.

Jaquelyn A Quinn, 333 Old Mill Road Space 168, Santa Barbara, CA 93110.

This statement was originally filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on December 22, 2020.

I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed October 25, 2023.

Original FBN No. 2020-0003043.

FBN 2023-0002506. Published November 29, December 6, 13, 20, 2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LONGEVITYON, 5455 8th Street

“Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments.” – John Boswell

#8, Carpinteria, CA, 93103. SCSB Protective Services, 5455 8th Street #31, Carpinteria, CA, 93103.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on November 8, 2023. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 20230002604. Published November 22, 29, December 6, 13, 2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MEXIPALI, 734 Olive St., Santa Barbara, CA, 93101. Dibya S Singh, 734 Olive St., Santa Barbara, CA, 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on October 20, 2023. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2023-0002467. Published November 22, 29, December 6, 13, 2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Still Point Santa Barbara Corp; Stillpoint Santa Barbara

Corp; Stillpoint Santa Barbara; Stillpoint SB; Still Point SB; SSB; Stillpoint, 212 Cottage Grove Ave Ste B, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101.

Still Point Santa Barbara, 212 Cottage Grove Ave Ste B, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on November 3, 2023. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 20230002580. Published November 15, 22, 29, December 6, 2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: In-Shape Family Fitness, 1318 S. Broadway, Santa Maria, CA, 93454. In-Shape Solutions, LLC, 2800 March Lane Suite #220, Stockton, CA, 95219. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on October 31, 2023. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 20230002552. Published November 15, 22, 29, December 6, 2023

7 – 14 December 2023

the steep canyon slopes, only to enter the main canyon drainage where boulders and trees bobbed like corks in floodwaters (i.e., debris flows). Multiple debris flow events were associated with atmospheric river storm events from late December 1861 to February 1862. This scenario occurred again in 1914 when atmospheric river events filled Montecito and Carpinteria creek channels with debris and formed new creek channels, some were over a half of a mile from the original channel. News accounts note that property line changes resulted, so all of the creek channels had to be cleared to be restored. It was noted in news accounts that similar landscape changes occurred in the 1825 and 1862 events where all of the boulders and trees from the mountains were washed onto the coastal plain.

In summary, this study revealed that while post-fire conditions significantly lower the threshold for debris flows, long duration and/or high intensity storm events occurred during high rainfall seasons producing high antecedent moisture conditions. Ultimately, sub-tropical moisture storms (i.e., Pineapple Express storm events) triggered debris charged floods including debris flows and debris laden floods. One highly overlooked phenomenon that has occurred nearly a dozen times in our history, is devastating landslide dam outbreak floods that pose a greater threat than debris flows to the downstream community. One such outbreak flood occurred in the upper tributary of the San Ysidro watershed and carried 30- to 40-foot-long logs to the Coast Highway, which today is the location of Highway 101. Automobiles were washed away from the Coast Highway and carried off to sea never to be found. The 1-9 event did not carry such large debris to the lower fan.

Another outbreak flood occurred on a clear night in December 1861 and flooded a vast area below the canyon mouth of Santa Monica Creek in Carpinteria. It only takes one large landslide to form a dam across a canyon drainage. The blockage creates a temporary lake behind the dam, and typically the dam collapses within 24 hours. Outbreak flood flows increase exponentially to peak discharge due to nearly instantaneous discharge of the lake. These catastrophic outbreak floods transition into debris flows and therefore, are more dangerous. If critics think this has only occurred in our past, a recent landslide dam in Ventura in 1998 threatened the City and downstream community. However, it was quickly discovered and oil well roads provided access to the landslide dam and allowed for equipment to pump water out of the temporary lake before it could collapse.

The County of Los Angeles Flood Control is considered by many as the Gold Standard in flood protection which was motivated by the 1934 New Year’s Day debris flows. They utilized debris basins at canyon mouths to capture debris and remove it from the flows, thereby reducing the bulking effect, volume of flows, and removing logs which act as devastating spears and boulders which ram and destroy residential homes. A residential home does not stand a chance against this debris moving at 30 to 35 mph.

Removal of the nets will eliminate the only redundancy in the County’s protective measures of debris basins.

The County of Santa Barbara Flood Control has taken action to increase the resilience of the community of Montecito following the 1-9 event and I support and encourage the continued development of additional debris basins. However, the best mitigation strategies do not rely on only one type of mitigation method, they employ multiple methods so there is a redundancy in the protective systems so that if one fails, another type is relied upon. This functional chain strategy serves multiple purposes for reduction of debris flow impacts. Given the historical record of large magnitude of debris flow events that affected the community of Montecito, it is essential that the County incorporates the debris nets into their mitigation strategy, in addition to increasing the debris capacity of existing basins and developing new basins. The 1-9 event revealed the current basin debris retention capacity remains woefully below the potential discharge volume from the watersheds.

Geobrugg, the manufacturer of the debris nets, has installed over 1,500 nets in over 30 countries and is well-respected for their designs and reputation. These types of debris nets have been utilized internationally and have been proven to work protecting downstream communities from the dangers of debris flows. It is important to note that no mammals or fish are documented to have been injured or killed by the nets.

The 2023 report by Cal OES Mission Task #2023-SOC-94072 tallied 1,162 landslides that were produced in the Montecito watersheds as the result of the 2023 atmospheric river events. This study determined that landslides including shallow debris slides transitioned into debris flows which were captured and retained by 7 – 14 December 2023

debris basins. The debris net in upper San Ysidro Canyon captured and retained (a) landslide(s) that transitioned into debris flows and retained the debris as designed.

The captured debris that can be seen consists of vegetation and basketball-size boulder debris in addition to finer sediment. Although one criticism mentioned by the Los Padres Watch stated the trapped debris lacks the large boulders that devastated homes in the 1-9 event, we are only observing a small percentage of the total retained debris and had this debris flow not been stopped, it would have entrained large boulder debris from the bottom of the channel and banks and bulked up in size and volume. This is what the nets are designed to do in locations such as the upper San Ysidro Canyon, capture debris flows before they build up. I believe this debris was captured just downstream of its source and the buildup to a larger debris flow was prevented by the nets. Again, the debris net worked as designed capturing and retaining a debris flow and preventing this flow from entraining more debris and increasing in volume.

The two debris nets developed in San Ysidro Creek supplement the debris retention of the San Ysidro and Randall roads debris basins. The recently developed Randall Road basin is a large basin but is located about half mile below the San Ysidro Canyon mouth, so a stretch of creek upstream of the basin remains largely at risk for debris flow inundation and damages. History has established that this area has been repeatedly inundated in the past by debris flows and there remains the possibility that debris flows discharged from the San Ysidro Canyon mouth break out-of-channel upstream of the Randall Road basin and miss entering the basin. Two nets are installed in the East and West Forks of Cold Spring Creek and supplement the Cold Spring basin.

The nets in Buena Vista serve as the only mitigation in that canyon and for the downstream community. Removal of the nets will eliminate the only redundancy in the County’s protective measures of debris basins.

How many fatalities are an acceptable loss in debris flow events? Are any deaths acceptable? Do we do nothing?

It is noted that basins such as the Gobernador debris basin designed with an open outlet concept and the Randall Road basin allow for sediment, gravel, and cobbles to pass downstream. This is an important advantageous aspect to these basins to allow sediment and smaller rock debris to pass and nourish downstream creek environments and beaches. The filled debris net in upper San Ysidro Canyon will be cleared of the debris and sediment and these materials will be redistributed to continue transport downstream.

Former Flood Control director, James Stubchaer, wrote in 1972 that, “...floods in the (Montecito) area pose a severe threat to life and property....” and he also wrote, “Some areas, such as canyon bottoms, areas near the mouths of canyons, areas close to the banks of erosive streams, and certain other high hazard areas should probably not be built on at all.” Mr. Stubchaer clearly noted, “Much of the developable land (in Montecito) is subject to some degree of flood hazard.” He noted that the Montecito watersheds yield very high flood flows and “That these floods typically consist of a wave or series of waves, from 10 to 25 feet high loaded with rocks, trees, and mud, speeding down the canyons demolishing everything in their path.” This scenario is what occurred in the 1-9 event, and occurred four previous times with greater magnitudes and will continue to occur in the future whether the watersheds are in post fire conditions or not.

The deaths of 23 community members are too high of a cost not to do anything. In my opinion, it is necessary to develop additional debris flow structures, both basins and nets, at key locations. Over 1,000 rescues were performed by first responders in the first 24 hours following the 1-9 event (Jackson, 2019). Fortunately, the loss of lives was significantly reduced by the determination of these responders.

However, entire neighborhoods were wiped out. Destroyed homes were only evident by the remaining concrete foundations. How many fatalities are an acceptable loss in debris flow events? Are any deaths acceptable? Do we do nothing? We can place a monetary value on the destruction of property and infrastructure, but it is the loss of life that should motivate us to do more. Therefore, I urge the Board of Supervisors to seriously consider taking ownership of the debris nets, continue to develop debris basins at key locations, and keep the community of Montecito and the 23 fatalities in mind, in making such a critical decision.

Respectfully submitted, Larry D. Gurrola, Ph.D, P.G., C.E.G. Expires 8-31-2024 TPRC Geomorphologist

Engineering Geologist Montecito JOURNAL

49

Miscellany (Continued from 43 43))

Ring of Fire hits the spot (photo by Zach Mendez)

Mari Mitchel; former staffers Anne Dewey, Bruno Reginato, Esau Ramirez, Marge Kelly, and Bob Craig; as well as longtime docents and volunteers.

He was gifted with an owl box which will be permanently located at Lotusland with a plaque in his honor and a bowl made from Monterey cypress that graced the estate’s Great Lawn until it was removed several years ago.

A botanical bash of note...

including “A Boy Named Sue,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” and “I Walk the Line.”

Great fun...

Hot chocolate, apple cider, and prosecco cocktails with colorfully decorated cookies and macaroons were the order of the night as the oceanside hostelry lit its 17-foot fir that had been flat bedded in from Silverton, Oregon, and festooned with 5,000 decorations by Petals by David, a Big Orange decorator, and Perla Mercade with her team of 15 ‘elves’ completing the Herculean task in just 24 hours.

The festive event, which attracted more than 300 guests and had real snow spread over the Great Lawn, also raised gifts for Toys for Tots Santa Barbara.

Singer Mo Hebert and the Peter Smith Quartet from L.A. entertained, as well as Victorian carolers.

Just a couple of days earlier, La Arcada, the charming thoroughfare off State Street – just a tiara’s toss from the art museum on State Street – held its 28th annual Christmas Walk with carolers in Dickensian costume, a snow-making machine, and free popcorn.

Yuletide is officially a go...

Bravo McDonald and Cho

Rick Caruso’s Rosewood Miramar attracted a hoard of parents and children when it staged its colorful Christmas tree lighting by managing director Rick Fidel.

UCSB Arts & Lectures provided a wonderful double bill at Campbell Hall when unparalleled Broadway singer Audra McDonald and Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho performed within 24 hours of each other.

McDonald, winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards and an Emmy,

Families and community members gathered at the Rosewood Miramar for the festivities (photo

by Priscilla)

Rick Fidel and Santa welcoming the crowd (photo

by Priscilla)

Lighting Up the Miramar Tree

A Fiery Performance The Ensemble Theatre Company’s latest production Ring of Fire, Richard Maltby Jr.’s musical review of singer Johnny Cash’s extensive body of work is a real Christmas cracker!

The hugely entertaining cast at the New Vic consists of five actor-musicians – L.J. Benet, Glenn Stanton, Valerie Larsen, Kasper, and Sam Linkowski – under the direction of Randy Redd reflecting their takes on Cash over his career with various interpretations.

The show, which reflects the highs and lows of The Man in Black, runs through December 17, just a week before Yuletide, and includes more than 30 classic hits,

Singer Audra McDonald (photo by David Bazemore)

was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people, and received a National Medal of the Arts – America’s highest honor for achievement in the field – from President Barack Obama.

A Juilliard-trained soprano, she maintains a major career as a concert artist. McDonald was also Olivier Awardnominated in 2017 for her performance in London’s West End in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.

Her highly entertaining 90-minute Santa Barbara show, where she was accompanied by accomplished pianist Jeremy Jordan, included works from the Great White Way and the Great American Songbook including Jerry Herman, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Sondheim, and Bernstein.

Berlin-based Cho, who in 2015 won first prize in the Chopin International Competition in Warsaw, was on the top of his form playing Haydn’s “Sonata in E Minor,” Ravel’s “Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn” and “Miroirs,” Mozart’s “Adagio in B Minor,” selections

The audience was in awe of the carolers (photo by Priscilla)

Cheers to the Rosewood Miramar tree! (photo by Priscilla)

50 Montecito JOURNAL

Pianist Seong-Jin Cho (photo by David Bazemore) “December has the clarity, the simplicity, and the silence you need for the best fresh start of your life.” – Vivian Swift

7 – 14 December 2023

The ribbon cutting ceremony (photo by Daniel Noah)

Racketeers flood the new court (photo by Daniel Noah)

from Liszt’s Années de Pèlerinage, and “Deuxième Année: Italie.”

A dynamic duo, indeed.

Court-ing the Y Racketeers were out in force at the Santa Barbara Family Y when the local School of Squash, founded by British champion Robert Graham, opened its first squash court at the popular facility.

“We have basically been playing on the club’s racquetball courts, but with the help of $20,000 and a lot of persuasion, one of the club’s six courts has been made into a proper squash court,” says Robert.

“We hope to transform other racquetball courts in due course if it really catches on.”

Craig Prentice, the Y’s executive director, says it took a month to transform the court. “It’s a great program and we want to support it.”

All very impressive...

Remembering Kissinger On a personal note, I remember former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has moved to more heavenly pastures at the grand old age of 100.

We met through a good friend Pat Buckley, wife of political pundit and National Review founder Bill Buckley, and I attended a few parties at his mag7 – 14 December 2023

nificent home with his wife Nancy at the River House, overlooking Manhattan’s East River.

Kissinger was a man of immense intellect, and I well remember him giving an off-the-cuff half-hour-long speech at Ty Warner’s Four Seasons Hotel with nary a note or a single pause.

He bestrode the world like a colossus.

An extraordinary individual...

Sightings Oscar winner Kevin Costner chowing at Tre Lune... Weakest Link host Jane Lynch at Jeannine’s... Oprah’s beau Stedman Graham picking up his Java jolt at Pierre Lafond.

Pip! Pip!

From musings on the Royals to celebrity real estate deals, Richard Mineards is our man on the society scene and has been for more than 15 years

Montecito JOURNAL

51

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Calendar of Events

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8

by Steven Libowitz FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8 Yes, Virginia… – Third time’s the charm, as the Alcazar Ensemble is once again presenting the beloved holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street for a third year. The stage version of the story revolves around a Macy’s department store Santa Claus and a little girl who believes in him. Kris Kringle, who claims to be the real Santa Claus, quickly becomes a favorite at the company’s flagship store in midtown Manhattan, but when his authenticity is formally questioned, things lead to a court case to determine his mental health and his Christmas claim. More than 30 Santa Barbara and Ventura County residents star in the Alcazar’s adaptation, among them Van Riker as Kringle; Lee McHugh as Susan Walker, the precocious little girl whose well-meaning mother raised her not to believe in Santa Claus; and Jillian Bavar as Susan’s mother (and from Santa Barbara), who will be making her stage debut as Doris Walker at the Alcazar Theatre. Asa Olsson directs.

WHEN: 7 pm December 8-9, 15-16, 3 pm December 10 & 17 WHERE: Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria COST: $20 general, $15 seniors & students INFO: (805) 684-6380 or www.thealcazar.org/calendar SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9 Merry Music Club – The Santa Barbara Music Club’s annual Holiday Concert & Reception brings a festive and varied program of music to First United Methodist Church for a festival afternoon. Santa Barbara family guitarists David and Joseph Malvinni perform works by Fernando Sor, Joaquín Rodrigo, and Leo Brouwer; duo pianists Tachell Gerbert and Bradley Gregory play Libby Larsen’s 2014 piece “A Day” and 2004’s “Gavel Patter”; and the Adelfos Ensemble, directed by Temmo Korisheli, performs a selection of works. All concertgoers are invited to the reception immediately following the concert.

WHEN: 3 pm WHERE: First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7 Vocal Vouchers – The famed vocal quartet, The Manhattan Transfer (MT), isn’t completely calling it quits, but with their “50th Anniversary & Farewell Tour” the famed vocal quartet is definitively transferring out of their bullet train career into something a little more laid back. In addition to years spent on the road, Manhattan Transfer has 10 Grammys on their résumé, along the way becoming the first artist to win awards in both pop and jazz categories in a single year, and remain the only jazz artist to claim a dozen nominations for a single album, 1985’s Vocalese. Appropriately, their latest (and possibly last?) album is called Fifty, which earned MT its 21st Grammy nomination. The album was recorded with WDR Funkhausorchester during the pandemic, on two continents, and celebrates their many transitions recognizing their musicality and versatility, one that treats pop songs like jazz tunes and jazz like pop. Which means tonight’s concert at the Lobero – when the quartet once again turns the theater into their own version of “Birdland,” might be the last time we see them in Santa Barbara, a spot they’ve played many times over their half-century-plus career as perhaps the best-loved vocal jazz ensemble in history.

WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $65 & $75 ($131 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres) INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com

52 Montecito JOURNAL

Joy to the World – It’s a second consecutive night of Grammy-winning jazz singers performing downtown, in correct chronological order as the artists basically serve as bookends to each other, an almost literal passing of the torch. Manhattan Transfer won its first Grammy 1981, more than 18 years before the birth of Samara Joy, who earlier this year not only claimed the award for Best Jazz Vocal Album – besting MT’s Fifty among others – but also became the rare jazz musician to win Best New Artist. The feat for the then-23-yearold was even more astonishing since Joy grew up listening largely to the gospel music favored by her Philadelphia family, yet Joy has quickly embraced the great tradition of such singers as Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Her 2022 recording, Linger Awhile, brings her rich and velvety voice to elegantly-arranged versions of American songbook standards, while her six-song holiday music EP, A Joyful Holiday, came out in October. Joy’s concert at the Granada tonight is not only her Santa Barbara debut, but also a special holiday-themed concert featuring three generations of her professional gospel-singing family.

WHEN: 7 pm WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street COST: $40-$65 INFO: (805) 899-2222/www.granadasb.org org or (805) 893-3535/https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu

COST: free INFO: https://sbmusicclub.org SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10 Holiday Jazz Jam – Grab your Santa hats, your swinging songbooks, or just your sense of sound for today’s annual Holiday Party and Jam Session from the Santa Barbara Jazz Society. This year’s house band features Woody DeMarco on piano, Hank Allen on bass, and Craig Thatcher on drums. Musicians and singers should bring not only their instruments but also charts for anything the band might not know by heart. But you don’t have to be able to carry a tune with your voice or an instrument to enjoy the show, which always entertains the listening audience and often has some surprises.

WHEN: 1 pm WHERE: SOhO Restaurant & Music Club, 1221 State Street COST: $25 general, $10 students, discounts for members; free for today’s performers INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com MONDAY, DECEMBER 11 Feliz Navidad with Feliciano – The Grammy beat goes on as José Feliciano, the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter who claimed the award for best new artist way back in 1968, brings his holiday show to the Lobero. Considered the first Latin artist to effectively cross over into the English-speaking music market, Feliciano scored with his rendition of the Doors’ “Light My Fire,” originally a B-side that hit No. 2 on Billboard’s chart. This time of year, though, is when Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” earworms its way back into our consciousness as one of the most ubiquitous Christmas songs in history. Feliciano wrote the classic in Los Angeles in 1970, a simple two-phrase wonder that reflected both his joy at Christmas and missing his family back home. But Feliciano has a much more vast catalog than those two songs, including lots of work as an impressive acoustic guitarist and multicultural hero whose honors include more than 45 Gold and Platinum records and nine Grammys.

WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $83.25 INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com

“Winter is nature’s sleep.” – H. S. Jacobs

7 – 14 December 2023

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9 Decade of Dance – It’s a momentous occasion for Momentum Dance Company (MDC), which will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in a company concert at Center Stage Theater today. MDC owner Betsy Woyach – who has created a legacy in Santa Barbara with MDC’s national award-winning competitive company – offers a glimpse of the company’s 10th-season competitive pieces before they hit the road in February. A full 40 dancers, ages 5-18, will light up Center Stage Theater over the course of 35 different dances including pieces in such styles as Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, and Contemporary. Choreography comes from the entire Momentum faculty, including Landry Breaux, Christina Crocker, Mackenzie Groty, and Sasha Heinemann, as well as Woyach.

WHEN: 2 & 7 pm WHERE: Center Stage Theater, 751 Paseo Nuevo, second floor COST: $42 INFO: (805) 963-0408/https://centerstagetheater.org or www.MomentumDanceSB.com

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12 Mehta Makes his Return – Zubin Mehta, one of the world’s great conductors, was once a frequent presence in Santa Barbara under the auspices of CAMA’s International Series, mostly during his 16-year tenure as Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1962 – 1978. The maestro directed the LA Phil 51 times here in town as part of the organization’s long-standing relationship, but last appeared for CAMA conducting the American Youth Symphony on December 5, 1993. Fast forward 30 years and one week as CAMA welcomes Maestro Mehta back to be guest conductor of the LA Phil at the age of 87 and the tail end of a career that has seen him bring the power of music to bridge cultures and break social and political barriers around the world. The orchestra will perform Schumann’s “Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op.54,” with soloist Seong-Jin Cho, the Korean virtuoso who played a recital at UCSB Campbell Hall just last week and made his Santa Barbara debut performing Chopin’s “Piano Concerto No.1” with the Warsaw Philharmonic for CAMA seven years ago. The LA Phil will also play Mahler’s “Symphony No.1 in D Major, ‘Titan,’” with the original “Blumine” movement.

WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street COST: $38-$146

INFO: (805) 899-2222 or www.granadasb.org

Celebrate Coast Village Week with us with our Happy Hour menu Thursday & Friday from 3pm to close and Saturday from 2pm to close!

Located in the Montecito Inn with al fresco dining, Coast & Olive welcomes locals and travelers from afar to indulge in California cuisine.

Executive Chef, Chris Mottola, offers a menu that features local California produce, fresh seafood, roasted chicken, home-made pastas, and other savory dishes, paired perfectly with artisan cocktails and awardwinning California wines among others from around the world.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9 Almost a Half-Century of ‘Crackin – Santa Barbara Festival Ballet’s 48th annual production of The Nutcracker brings the cherished holiday tradition to the Arlington Theatre in a big way. The production features four internationally recognized guest artists hailing from renowned ballet companies, this year featuring principal dancers Alexandra Hutchinson and Kouadio Davis with Dance Theater of Harlem, and Misa Kuranaga and Esteban Hernandez, principal with the San Francisco Ballet. The quartet will grace the stage alongside the scores of students from UCSB and Santa Barbara Festival Ballet’s school accompanied by a live orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s timeless score. Add in mesmerizing stage sets and dazzling costumes, and no wonder the audience continues to embark on the captivating journey into a magical winter wonderland and the Kingdom of Sweets. Join Clara and the Nutcracker come to life as they battle, cavort with, or simply enjoy the Sugar Plum Fairy, dancing snowflakes and flowers, an army of mischievous mice, and much more.

WHEN: 2:30 & 7 pm WHERE: Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St. COST: $30-$65 INFO: (805) 899-2901/https://santabarbarafestivalballet.com or www.axs.com/events/509395

7 – 14 December 2023

1295 COAST VILLAGE ROAD, MONTECITO, CA WWW.COASTANDOLIVE.COM (805) 690-3920 Montecito JOURNAL

53

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AVAILABLE RENTAL Fully furnished Montecito guest cottage for rent $3,400/month w/1-year lease, 1-bed / 1-bath, part of larger estate near Upper Village, 1 outdoor parking space.

J.J. Gobbell, DRE#02063124 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (805) 403-5785 JJ@EstatesOfSantaBarbara.com www.EstatesOfSantaBarbara.com

Tell Your Story How did you get to be where you are today? What were your challenges?

What is your Love Story? I can help you tell your story in an unforgettable way – with a book that will live on for many generations. The books I write are as thorough and entertaining as acclaimed biographies you’ve read. I also assist with books you write – planning, editing and publishing.

David Wilk Great references.

(805) 455-5980 www.BiographyDavidWilk.com DONATIONS NEEDED Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue Summerland, CA 93067 (805) 969-1944 Donate to the Parrot Pantry!

At SB Bird Sanctuary, backyard farmer’s bounty is our birds best bowl of food! The flock goes bananas for your apples, oranges & other homegrown fruits & veggies.

IN SEARCH OF REAL ESTATE We buy land and homes in any condition.

Call 805-722-5792 for a free quote AVAILABLE FOR RENT

The Clearing House, LLC

Photo Booth Rentals for any event or occasion www.TruMusicLighting.com Call or text Moi (805) 403-6275 AUTOMOBILES WANTED We buy Classic Cars Running or not.

Foreign/Domestic Chevy/Ford/Porsche/Mercedes/Etc. We come to you.

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Recognized as the area’s Premier Estate Liquidators - Experts in the Santa Barbara Market! We are Skilled Professionals with Years of Experience in Downsizing and Estate Sales. Personalized service. Insured.

Call for a complimentary consultation.

Elaine (805)708-6113 Christa (805)450-8382 Email: theclearinghouseSB@cox.net Website: www.theclearinghouseSB.com

54 Montecito JOURNAL

$10 MINIMUM TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD It’s simple. Charge is $3 per line, each line with 31 characters.

Minimum is $10 per issue. Photo/logo/visual is an additional $20 per issue. Email Classified Ad to frontdesk@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860. All ads must be finalized by Friday at 2pm the week prior to printing. We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex (3% surcharge) “In cold December fragrant chaplets blow, and heavy harvests nod beneath the snow.” – Alexander Pope

Volunteers Do you have a special talent or skill? Do you need community service hours? The flock at SB Bird Sanctuary could always use some extra love and socialization. Call us and let’s talk about how you can help.

(805) 969-1944 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED K-9 PALS need volunteers to be foster parents for our dogs while they are waiting for their forever homes.

For more information info@k-9pals.org or 805-570-0415.

7 – 14 December 2023

Mini Meta

Last Week’s Solution:

By Pete Muller & Frank Longo For each of the first five mini crosswords, one of the entries also serves as part of a five-word meta clue. The answer to the meta is a word or phrase (six letters or longer) hidden within the sixth mini crossword. The hidden meta answer starts in one of the squares and snakes through the grid vertically and horizontally from there (no diagonals!) without revisiting any squares.

PUZZLE #1 1

2

3

4

WE D H E R B E R E T I R I S H G E E S E

A P E D D E V I L A R E S O B U N C O T OM

H EW J A N E F O N D A O S K A R R E S T S

M A D E C I E R A A N T I S MO N E Y P R A D A

G L A S S R A N T O A T T A R S K I R T S E C

P E E P E M E R R E P L Y A R T S P S Y

THE

DEVIL

WEARS

PRADA

STAR

MERYLSTREEP

PUZZLE #3

PUZZLE #2 5

1

2

3

1

6

4

7

6

6

8

7

7

9

Down 1 Volvo and Volkswagen, e.g.

2 Even a little bit 3 Shade similar to chocolate and russet 4 Bite-size goodies in Gijón 5 Hard-to-return court shot

Across 1 Something that boosts a batting average 4 One might get tagged on Facebook 6 Ear-relevant 7 Like a shrimp 8 One-named singer with the 2013 electropop song "Gentleman"

Down 1 Dances often done to "Hava Nagila" 2 "Call Me by Your Name" setting 3 Charge required for a Tesla, maybe 4 Step around the Seine?

5 Something to get over on Wednesday

PUZZLE #4

PUZZLE #5 1

5

4 6

2

3

Across 1 Dramatic opening?

5 Move like a ghost 6 Moves like a car 7 "Hmm ... sure" 8 Make a dent in, say

1

5

7

8

7

8

8

9

Down 1 "There's Something Wrong ___ the Children" (2023 horror film) 2 See 4-Down 3 Word after peach or before toast 4 With 2-Down, "Caribbean Queen" singer 6 Org. checking for leaks

Across 1 Endemic to 5 City that's home to Triple-A baseball's Aces 6 People, informally 7 See 1-Down 8 Regulation followers, for short

2

3

4

5

6

6

Across 1 All twins share one 5 Immobilize during a storm, maybe 7 They may give bluffs away in poker 8 Speaks Spanish?

9 Call for legislation negation

Down 1 It may accompany a wave in Waipahu 2 Gold, silver, or bronze 3 Interrogation exclamation 4 Word frequently cited by the Apostrophe Protection Society 5 "Daughter ___ Another Mother" (Netflix series)

META PUZZLE 4

7

9

4

8

2

3

3

5

8

Across 1 Sticks up while sailing?

6 Crack squad of players 7 Capital of Kalamata?

8 "My Days of Mercy" actor Koteas 9 It often separates two pronouns

1

5

2

Down 1 With 7-Across, product with the longtime mascot Toucan Sam 2 Moves that may accompany promotions, in brief 3 Like many dish-washing GIs 4 Carpet on a forest floor 6 ___ Milli ("In the Party" rapper)

Across 1 Pac-Man's "waka-waka," say 6 More perfect for picking, perhaps 7 In ___ (before delivery) 8 Drop behind a theater stage 9 "___ Hilarious" (2022 Charlie Puth song)

Down 1 Part of a pizza or the earth 2 It's good when something goes off without one 3 Tobias Picker's 2022 work "Awakenings," e.g.

4 Basis of a Boy Scout's badge 5 Crowning events in high school?

LOCAL BUSINESS DIRECTORY WE BUY BOOKS Historical Paintings Vintage Posters Original Prints

805-962-4606

info@losthorizonbooks.com

LOST HORIZON BOOKSTORE now in Montecito, 539 San Ysidro Road

7 – 14 December 2023

Looking for ONE client

15+years of experience in caring for the elderly.

PERSONAL CARE, DRIVER, LIGHT CLEANING, COOKING, COMPANY Available weekdays minimum of 20 hours per week

Lori Alvanoz 805-245-4550

BBQ's

www.frenchvintages.net

Driveways

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or jzaimeddine@yahoo.com

Walkways

Masonry

FREE DELIVERY ANYWHERE

661-644-0839

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Phone: 805-969-2284 Fax: 805-565-3174

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french vintages

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Diego Carrillo - Owner Call/Text 805-252-4403 SERVING THE 805 • LIC#1099725 Montecito JOURNAL

55

Journey

Purveyors of the Finest New, Custom, Reimagined and Estate Jewelry

Since 1965 14K 14 K White Gold Blue Sapphire and Diamond Pendant 812 State Street • Santa Barbara • 805.966.9187 • BryantAndSons.com