The Unstoppable Tom Snow

SERVING MONTECITO AND SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA

THE UNSTOPPABLE TOM SNOW

You’ve heard the songs – now hear the story behind the songwriter. Tom Snow has written for the icons of the music industry and his tale doesn’t fall flat (Story starts on page 6)

The

Hotel Happenings

Rosewood Miramar meets with the MA while the Biltmore is back at the MBAR – see the most recent updates on their expansions inside, page 5

Vivacious Sphinx Virtuosi

The 18-member Sphinx Virtuosi are playing in Santa Barbara for the first time with some youthful spirit yet venerable skills, page 18

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– A murder mystery at the Maritime Museum, an app for Lotusland, a fifth anniversary for Rosewood Miramar, and more miscellany

10 Tide

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Society Invites – Lunch with CADA, Montessori’s rocking gala, and a Tiara Ball for Cottage Hospital

20 Your Westmont – Jupiter jumps into view, powerful voices featured at recital, and Warrior earns top honors

22 Body Wise – Spring is here and it’s time to do some emotional cleaning by decluttering the home. Here are some tips for the process.

26 Brilliant Thoughts – Empires may rise and fall, but the one consistency over time is Ashleigh’s words

28 The Giving List – The SBCC Foundation has kept its promise of making the campus easily accessible to local high school graduates and the community

29 Ernie’s World – Ernie is ready to see the sights of Kauai but his ride has some questionable features – or lack thereof

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Dear Montecito – Dawson Fuss is heading back to SB for Spring Break with a new EP and music video that morphed into a short film

On Entertainment – The Sphinx Virtuosi makes its debut in Santa Barbara, plus some more music, films, and dance around town

The Optimist Daily – The Harris Poll is proving the compatibility of CEOs from different generations in both its leadership and its research

31 Elizabeth’s Appraisals – During a trip to the local flea market, one reader finds an interesting painting and a story about Peruvian art schools

32 Far Flung Travel – It’s a day of bushwhacking, seal spotting, and constantly checking for ticks

33 Robert’s Big Questions – What is the benefit of using email for communication? How do you organize your inbox?

34 Foraging Thyme – The striped red and white tardive adds its earthy flavor to this luscious risotto

38 In Passing – Cynthia I. Nolen was a lover of dogs and an artist in the garden – having designed many in her lifetime

44 Calendar of Events – Celebrating David Krieger at Hahn Hall, honoring RBG at the Alcazar, rocking Queen at the Granada, and more happenings

46 Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales

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Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles

Local News

MA’s Land Use March Meeting

by Joanne A Calitri

Montecito Association held its Land Use monthly meeting March 5 via Zoom. Key issues on the table were the updates from the Rosewood Miramar Beach and the pedestrian paths in Montecito. The meeting was led by MA Land Use Chair Bill Babbitt.

First up was Executive VP, Development & Acquisitions Bryce Ross for Caruso, Inc. He presented updates on the development proposed for the Rosewood Miramar Beach. Ross explained, “This is our fourth time in presenting updates to the MA, and we are still in listening mode, open to feedback from our neighbors, and to find a good balance. Our website launched six weeks ago – https://themiramarinfo.com. On our website is real time updated information made available for anyone to get the latest info on what we are doing, share feedback, or request a meeting – we want to hear it. I also have my and Katie Mangin’s direct cell phones and emails for contact.

“We started this process for development a year ago, out of a need with Santa Barbara County for housing. As a significant employer of the area, we understood the need for housing, and for it in Montecito –we raised our hands. We want to work with our neighbors and also to make economic sense. We are open to constructive conversations and public feedback matters.”

He discussed the meetings held with MBAR, pointing out that, “The feedback we received from MBAR was that the project is a beautiful building, lush landscaping, great architecture, and so on. They wanted us to add open green space.”

He emphasized that the apartments to be built are for employees that work at the Miramar with the greatest need – the housekeepers, the cooks, the workers commuting

from Ventura and Goleta. He showed via slides the current plan with the amendments requested as follows: the removal of the third floor of the building/reduced height; elimination of the Eucalyptus Lane driveway; added green space; fewer shops and the shops will remain interior, facing away from Eucalyptus and S. Jameson Lanes; the 16 affordable apartments for employees; a visual buffer adding extensive landscaping and mature trees; and parking on the west lot.

Babbitt led the Q&A. Residents attending the meeting and Land Use members asked about the number and location of parking, the final height of the building, what economic level are the housing units for, and are the units for a single person or families. Attending residents also asked for an increase in the frequency of updates mailed to the neighboring area residents, and requested that the build sequence be housing first and then the shops.

Ross replied stating that, “There are already four affordable housing units at the Miramar for workers and the company is renting homes in SB and Montecito for their employees. The current need is for 14 studios and two-family apartments. When the project is completed, they will have over 50% affordable housing units. We are the only project moving forward in Montecito with affordable housing included. A lot of people in the area do not want affordable housing in the community. There is the concept of the missing middle in affordable housing – never getting housing built for the moderate need people. Whatever we build meets the need of our employees; the cooks, landscapers and so forth. The apartments and retail shops cannot be uncoupled in development. Half the visits to the shops come from hotel guests and half from the community. The shops are very low foot

DESIGN

Bryce Ross’s Updated Miramar Development Plan

Beings & Doings

Let’s Hear it for Tom Snow

By Jeff Wing

Third-grader Tom Snow came home from school one day with the devastating news that most parents regard as the sum of their deepest fears. “I told my mom that I wanted to play the trumpet.” When the poor woman had regained her composure, she gently but firmly took Tom by the shoulders and aimed him at the family piano. Some years later the discouraged trumpet enthusiast would team up with Melissa Manchester to compose a song for Barbra Streisand to sing at her wedding to James Brolin. Seriously. Yes, Mrs. Snow had unknowingly started something. Like most momentous forks in the road, this one came with a delicately poetic benediction. Snow remembers it well. “I think her exact words were ‘… you’re not playing trumpet in this house!’ I mean, can you blame her?”

Recalibration in E-flat

Tom Snow is one of those guys. Long known to friends and music biz insiders as a sought-after and prolific songwriter, to the uninitiated (that’s you and me, dear reader) he is a soft-spoken guy with a quiet wit and the sort of “who, me?” facial expression that suggests ongoing mischief. Born and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Snow finished high school and looked at his options. A self-described “terrible student,” Snow once said in a TED Talk that he was always surrounded by successful academic types with letters after their names. “I have letters after my name, too,” he’d said in his own defense. “A.D.D.” By the end of high school Snow was a gifted pianist and petitioned his parents to let him apply to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. He was readily accepted.

A feverish fan of pioneering jazz pianist Bill Evans, Snow envisioned exiting Berklee with the chops to take him to the highest echelons of professional musicianship. When he got to the school he found himself surrounded by an intimidating student cohort of annoyingly masterful musicians. It rattled him. “In your first week at Berklee, every student is required to take a proficiency exam in front of the faculty,” Snow says. “So I went in and they asked me to play the e-flat arpeggio, two octaves up and back. I was so nervous my finger got stuck on the headboard of the piano.”

Snow would soldier on, ultimately

adopting Composition as his Berklee major. At graduation a small combo performed an intricate sonata for flugelhorn and piano Snow had composed. That this flugelhorn sonata guy would one day write a song recorded by Tom Jones likely didn’t occur to those present. Life’s funny that way – to characterize the madness as amiably as possible. Throw Art into the mix and the kaleidoscope goes truly haywire. At any rate, shortly after graduation the Berklee grad hopped a plane to – wait for it – Los Angeles. Here comes Pandora’s Box.

Venice in the Springtime

Once in La La Land, Snow took a job at Viscount records and almost immediately met his catalyst. “One of the other guys working the floor was a songwriter. He had actually made a demo and I was very impressed. This would be August of ‘69.” Co-worker Michael Fondiler – later of the Red Roosters, Western Union, and Spirit – was an aspiring songwriter, too. Snow and he would share an apartment in Venice Beach and start writing together. “In those days,” Snow says, “you could walk around on Venice Boulevard and knock on café doors and say, ‘you mind if we come in and play for you?’ And so we started performing, and then Michael added his younger brother as bass player...” Still later the songwriters would add drums, lead guitar, and dobro. Calling themselves Country, the band would come to the attention of Ahmet Ertegun, legendary founder of Atlantic Records, and record a thoughtful, melodic, beautifully produced album for an Atlantic subsidiary. Like many a gilded effort launched in the tornado in a candy store whirlwind of the early seventies, the album was gorgeous, self-assured, and invisible.

Tom in a pensive moment – 1980s (photo by George Hurrell)

Montecito Miscellany

A Maritime Mystery

by Richard Mineards

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum was even more magical than usual when it hosted the “Heist at the Harbor: An Evening of Mystery and Intrigue” gala for 120 guests, which raised around $100,000 for the harborside institution.

The boffo bash, co-chaired by immediate past president Sigrid Toye and Cindy Makela, also celebrated benefactors Robyn Parker and Marie L Morrisroe with the

museum’s inaugural Admiral’s Award for demonstrated leadership and stewardship.

The tony twosome helped finance the $250,000 for the building’s new 20-table Dart Coffee Shop, which replaces the former gift shop and is scheduled to open later this month with glorious terrace views over the harbor.

As guests quaffed and noshed away, a classic who-done-it was taking place with many principals joining in the fun – and even a butler!

Among the nautical hoard were Greg Gorga, Sabrina Papa, Robert

and Val Montgomery, the ubiquitous John Palminteri, Luke Swetland, Tara Zanecki, Chuck and Mary Wilson, Leonard and Sandra Himelsein, and Wayne and Sharol Siemens

Lotusland Goes Global

Lotusland – Montecito’s 37-acre botanical paradise which is limited by a conditional use permit to just 20,000 visitors annually – is going global thanks to a free arts and cultural app from Bloomberg, joining 380 cultural partners worldwide with an astonishing 29 million users.

“It will certainly bring Lotusland to a considerably larger audience,” Executive Director Rebecca Anderson told me at the

Miscellany Page 424

Introducing the Cottage Women’s Heart Clinic

Cottage Women’s Heart Clinic

is led by Dr. Bina Ahmed, interventional cardiologist and structural heart disease specialist.

Expert consultation to women for management of various cardiovascular diagnoses.

SERVICES OFFERED

• Sex-specific risk assessment

• Patient education

• Diagnostic testing

• Comprehensive treatment recommendations

Guests solving the mystery (photo by Baron Spafford)

Bob Sedivy, Erin Graffy and David Powdrell (photo by Baron Spafford)

Honorees Marie L Morrisroe and Robyn Parker (photo by Baron Spafford)

traffic. Valet parking is being added to the west lot so we do not have cars coming in/out four times, so drive in and leave via Jameson. The parking is moved as requested.” He also arranged one-on-one phone meetings with people who had more concerns.

Next discussed was the pedestrian paths and community plan to make Montecito safer for pedestrian walking and the project being done by the Bucket Brigade.

Mostafa Estaji from County of SB Public Works affirmed anyone with issues on the paths to contact public works, and gave his phone number (805) 568-3060, and email: mestaji@countyofsb.org.

Babbitt showed slides delineating the following points: In keeping with past plans, curbs and sidewalks shall not be constructed except in neighborhood commercial zones and multifamily residential zones. Paths that are not concrete come with erosion issues, and residential mailbox placement issues.

A Santa Rosa Lane resident brought up that the historic Montecito hedgerows are being affected by the paths, and why doesn’t the COSBPW put out bids for contractors instead of using the Bucket Brigade who he stated, “The Bucket Brigade is a 501(c)3 and our community gave them funding, and now they are pivoting to be a private contractor.” Estaji said the Bucket Brigade has good pricing and can cover more lane miles with the limited budget the department has. He said, “COSBPW can open it up to local contractors for bidding. These small projects are less than $60K and do not require formal bidding.” Babbitt mentioned the Land Use committee had the same concerns about the Bucket Brigade and found the organization is a contractor with insurance.

411: https://themiramarinfo.com

Bryce Ross: 310-422-9787; Email: bross@caruso.com

Katie Mangin: 708-514-4756; Email: kmangin@caruso.com www.montecitoassociation.org

Biltmore Back at MBAR

by Zach Rosen

Mark Lloyd, a private land use agent representing Ty Warner’s Biltmore Hotel, presented their plans for a major renovation project to the Montecito Board of Architectural Review on Thursday, March 7th, seeking preliminary approval for the 136,126 square-foot overhaul of guest rooms, public areas, and back of house facilities.

The proposed changes include remodeling the Central Plant building, guest rooms in several buildings, and cottage bungalows. Among the planned renovations are exterior door and window modifications; the addition of private patios with 6-foot fences to bungalows; retail area remodeling; pergola structure replacement; guard shack demolition and rebuilding; the conversion of a reception room into a theater; and a pool excavation project that will require 138 cubic yards of cut to fill.

However, the board expressed concerns regarding several aspects of the project. The most significant issue raised was the plan to enclose all 44 bungalows with green wood fencing and private patios, which board members felt would diminish the open and romantic atmosphere of the resort. They suggested maintaining a mix of enclosed and open bungalows, as is currently the case.

Other concerns included the use of transom windows instead of full-height doors and windows in some buildings, asymmetrical changes to doors and windows on end units of one building, and landscaping plans that may not comply with water-efficient landscaping ordinances.

As a result of these concerns, the board decided to continue the application to a future meeting. The applicant will modify plans for the bungalow area and return for preliminary and final approval of just the main building and back of house

work to expedite the reopening process.

The Biltmore Hotel, a 12.32-acre property located at 1260 Channel Drive, has been closed since March 2020 and its reopening is highly anticipated.

Chumash Exhibit and NAGPRA Compliance

by Joanne A Calitri

Administered by the National Park Service, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was updated effective January 12, 2024.

The act was first established in 1990.

The NAGPRA requires all Federal agencies and all museums, institutions, universities, colleges, state agencies, and local agencies that receive Federal funds, to identify all Native American human remains, funerary items, and objects of cultural and sacred significance in their collections, to research the tribal owner(s), and to repatriate them.

Many of these human remains and sacred objects were looted during anthropological fieldwork in the 19th century, and are held in museums and universities. Of further concern are the organizations not reporting items on loan publicly or privately, and others claiming lack of funding and labor to comply. One survey relates that only 6% of said items were identified and returned.

The updated regulations strengthen the law’s enforcement and streamlines the repatriation process, establishing new timelines and civil penalties. Going forward, museums must also obtain consent from direct descendants before exhibiting or researching human remains and artifacts subject to NAGPRA in their collections.

It is unclear why the law states that tribes unrecognized by the U.S. Government are excluded, and must collaborate with tribes that are included to secure the return of their sacred objects and remains.

Supporting the updated laws is the 54th U.S. Secretary of the Interior,

MONTECITO TIDE GUIDE

Deb Haaland . Her press statement reads, “The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act is an essential tool for the safe return of sacred objects to the communities from which they were stolen. Finalizing these changes is an important part of laying the groundwork for the healing of our people.” Haaland is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, a 35th generation New Mexican, and the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary. According to the ProPublica’s Repatriation Database website, “Three decades after legislation pushed for the return of Native American remains to Indigenous communities, many of the nation’s top museums and universities still have the remains of thousands of people in their collections. The University of California, Berkeley still has the remains of at least 4,900 Native Americans that it has not made available for return, Harvard University 5,600, and The Department of the Interior at least 3,600.”

The website has a public database to search for information on the approximately 600 federally funded institutions that reported having such remains to the Department of the Interior, albeit a self-reporting system.

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Gossip | Richard Mineards

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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

As an interim move, museums, universities, and organizations have “covered” the exhibitions and areas containing the items, while they inventory and return them to the tribal owners.

Locally, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History covered its Chumash Life exhibit space on January 12th while tribal consultation is pending. Museum staff are planning display text to educate the public about NAGPRA.

According to the ProPublica data at the time of this news report, the SBMNH reported having the remains of at least two Native Americans. The institution has made available for return almost 100% of the more than 1,000 Native American remains and artifacts that it reported to the federal government. The SBMNH made Native American remains available for return to 47 tribes, including Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians, Santa Ynez, CA; Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians CA; California Valley Miwok Tribe; Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of CA; Ione Band of Miwok Indians of CA; Hopi Tribe of AZ; Zuni Tribe of the Zune Reservation NM; Ak-Chin Indian Community; Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, AZ; and Navajo Nation, AZ, NM and Utah.

SBMNH President/CEO Luke Swetland explained the museum’s position, “In fall 2021, the Museum received a large repatriation request for thousands of items. In 2022, we fulfilled that request and hired a full-time specialist to focus on NAGPRA. Since hiring NAGPRA Officer Jonathan Malindine, the museum has been proactively repatriating all Native American ancestors and NAGPRA-eligible cultural items. The scientific nature of our institution is built on the opportunity to learn and change. We have been proactive in our efforts to work closely with our tribal partners to ensure that we have adhered to the law and are doing what is right in this situation. The long-term future of the hall will be informed by a lengthy collaborative process, and I’m confident in our collective ability to ultimately create a compelling and educational experience for students and guests.”

411: www.sbnature.org

https://projects.propublica.org/repatriationnagpra-database/institution/santa-barbaramuseum-natural-history www.nps.gov/subjects/nagpra/frequentlyasked-questions.htm

Yuri Calderon New ED of SSDA

by Zach Rosen

The Small School Districts’ Association (SSDA) announced Tuesday the appointment of Yuri Calderon as its new executive director, effective June 1st.

Calderon, who holds a law degree, brings over 30 years of experience serving public institutions and school districts in California and beyond. His expertise includes fiscal management, crisis and emergency management, collaboration, and team building.

Currently, Calderon serves as the Chief Business Official and General Counsel for the Cold Spring School District. In this role, he has been instrumental in ensuring the district’s fiscal stability and providing legal guidance on various matters.

“I am very excited to have Yuri on board as our next SSDA Executive Director,” said Eric Bonniksen, president of SSDA. “I know under his leadership SSDA will continue to be the foremost association dedicated to students in the State of California.”

Throughout his career, Calderon has served as general and special counsel for numerous school districts, providing strategic legal advice and managing complex negotiations and litigation. He has also led large-scale projects, including multi-million-dollar bond programs for the construction of educational facilities.

The SSDA, which serves the needs and interests of small school districts across California, said Calderon’s appointment comes at a pivotal time as the association looks to navigate future challenges and opportunities.

“SSDA is confident that Calderon’s visionary leadership and comprehensive experience will greatly benefit our member districts, fostering a collaborative environment where innovation, excellence, and strategic growth are at the forefront,” the association said in a statement.

The SB Museum of Natural History has covered its Chumash Life exhibit while complying with NAGPRA (photo courtesy of SB Museum Natural History)

“Santa

-Santa Barbara Resident

Auctioneers & Appraisers

Santa Barbara Consignment Appointments

Our Specialists are traveling throughout the San Diego area collecting Jewelry, Watches, Handbags, Fine Art, Silver, Coins and more for auction consignment, outright purchase or private sale.

Society Invites

CADA’s 13th Annual Gratitude Luncheon

by Joanne A Calitri

The Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction held its 13th Annual Gratitude Luncheon Honoring its Mentorship Program, Wednesday, March 8 at the El Encanto Santa Barbara. The luncheon was founded by Anne Smith Towbes to celebrate the mentor program, which is 28 years strong.

This year, the CADA honoree mentor is Kenny Slaught. He was born in Los Angeles, attended UCSB and was a founding board member for the Storyteller Children’s Center. A father of six children with wife Elizabeth, he volunteered seven years ago to be a mentor at CADA after his kids went off to college. He has been a mentor to two students for that time, one of whom was recently accepted into Loyola Marymount University to study law. Slaught is a member of the Santa Barbara Dream Foundation Board and the UCSB Board of Trustees.

The luncheon program commenced with CADA Director of Major Gifts Catherine Remak as emcee. She introduced the program highlights and the 2023 Teen Star winner, Andrew Diffenderfer, a Dos Pueblos High School student. He sang, “You Lift Me Up” while a slide show of the mentees played.

Cartier Multistrand

Chrysoprase Bead, Gold, Coral and Diamond Necklace. Est. $15,000-20,000. Auction April 18

Emily Marchick, G.G. & Nan Summerfield, G.G. DoyleLA@Doyle.com

The CADA Executive Director Scott Whiteley spoke next. He quipped, “Five years at CADA… not bad for a temp job!” He thanked CADA’s first President and CEO Penny Jenkins, and the community treasures who attended the luncheon, including Rona Barrett and the recently retired SB Zoo President & CEO Rich Block; President of the James S. Bower Foundation Jon Clark; President & CEO of CALM SB Alana Walczak; Executive Director of New House SB Adam Burridge; City of SB Councilmember Eric Friedman; Erin Graffy; Chairman & CEO Montecito Bank & Trust Janet Garufis; and Remak for her years of service with CADA. Whiteley remarked that CADA has matched over 1,000 kids with mentors in its 28 years, and many are the first in their families to attend college.

Next, Towbes introduced the keynote speaker, Joe Lambert. She said, “I am grateful to once again celebrate CADA’s mentor program. I know the room is filled with friends and mentors who have affected each of us. Let’s take a moment to thank them for their importance in our lives. Joe and I met 15 years ago over coffee. We share a love of music and the arts. We know how important the arts are in raising self-esteem, teaching camaraderie, learning how to focus and being willing to do the hard repetitive work to get it right. Joe has deep roots in SB and has lived here for 60 years – looking good Joe, just sayin’! [with a laugh] His true passion is bringing out the best in young people through music, and he founded Teen Star 14 years ago. Thank you, Joe, for giving our young people a way to share their talent.”

Lambert began by saying, “Anne I disagree with you, you look better than me!” He then shared his personal journey, where at eight years old he lost his mother to cancer, and his dad became an alcoholic. A track coach encouraged him to join and another to be the Student Body President. He had a scholarship for college, built a successful business, invested in his church, and rebuilt a childhood he never had.

Alison Brainard, CADA 2024 Honoree Kenny Slaught, and Joe Lambert (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Anne Smith Towbes and Rona Barrett (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Lambert encouraged his kids to go for their passion, and he did the same for himself when he founded Teen Star. He showed a video of students in the Teen Star program. He provided his grateful thanks to Virgil Elings of the renowned Elings Family, Remak who is a celebrity judge for Teen Star, Michelle Apodaca, Bob Bryant, and Earl Minnis

Garufis and Remak led the ask, drawing in approximately $23,000.

Noted attendees were Rinaldo and Lalla Brutoco , Jon Clark , CarolAnne Lonson , John and Marti Daly , Andria Kahmann and John Raymont , Melody Taft , Perri Harcourt , Gordon Auchincloss , Cynder Sinclair , and Jill Nida

411: https://cadasb.org

Montessori Center School “Rocks” Annual Gala

The Montessori Center School held its annual soirée fundraiser on March 9 at the Santa Barbara Women’s Club. This year’s theme was ‘90s Rock ’n’ Roll, and they rocked that ballroom! The top costume was sported by Primary teacher Kacy Cristofani and her husband Chris Burke as Wayne & Garth of Wayne’s World

The cocktail reception featured specialty cocktails by Cutler’s Artisan Spirits, two tables packed with silent auction items and a step ’n’ repeat photo op. The top theme-related auction item was the denim jacket by Carpinteria artist Chris Gocong who painted his rendition of Taylor Swift on the back of the jacket.

The Auction Committee was Hayley Carradine, Keith Carradine, Birgit Crable, Kacy Cristofani, Lisa LavoraDe Beule , Susan Do , Christina Doheny , Amelia French , Lizzie Golden, Erin Ohlgren, Dasha Russ, Rachel Tennant, Amy Whiteford, and Jillian Gould

After seating, Vanessa Jackson, the interim and newly appointed Head of School, welcomed the guests and provided thanks to the primary donors of the evening, Susan and Phong Do. She talked about the school and this year’s fundraiser, thanking everyone for their contributions.

Following dinner, Geoff Green, CEO of CalNonprofits, led the live auction and the ask. Live auction items included the sixth-grade artwork made of paper and paint on canvas inspired by LA-based artist RETNA; a hand-painted guitar; and a vinyl record tribute constructed from actual records and paint on canvas. Next, guests were treated to a dessert station by GenV and Rascal’s Vegan, live dance music by The Last Decade band, and a Glow Game Lounge hang.

Attendees were teachers, staff, volunteers, parents and alumni. Noted guests were Kami and Tim Morton-Smith, Anne Shaw-Hey and Michael-James Hey; and Amy and Don MacLeod.

And nods to the classroom representatives for their work: Sarah Anthony, Tania Society Page 404

CADA 2024 Honoree Mentor Kenny Slaught with CADA mentors Marybeth Carty (left) and Jane Sweeney (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Tim and Kami Morton Smith (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Dear Montecito Dawson Fuss

by Stella Haffner

Dear Montecito!

I miss you! I can’t wait to be home for Spring Break next week! I’m getting ready to finish my second year at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, and a lot has happened since the last time we spoke about my single “Oblivious,” which at the time was a track on my upcoming sophomore EP, Maybe

The big news now is that the five-song EP was released on February 22nd and is available on all streaming platforms! This EP explores the major milestone of leaving everything I know in Santa Barbara and heading off into the unknown beyond our beautiful, safe, and supportive community. Moving across the country to Florida alone created plenty of moments of terror with equal parts excitement. I marked off the calendar for the first day of college. Those emotions also provided plenty of songwriting material. Like many things in life, with hindsight it wasn’t quite as traumatic as I imagined. But knowing that I always get to come home to Santa Barbara has made the transition a whole lot easier. My parents better never leave!

I wrote the title track “Maybe” during my senior year of high school when I broached to my parents my apprehension of leaving, and we had the whole “What’s the worst that could happen?” conversation. My dad reminded me of a story called “The Farmer’s Luck” from one of my favorite books. My parents would read to my sister Grace and I a book called Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth. It follows a panda bear named Stillwater who teaches kids important life lessons, one of which encompassed the idea of “maybe.” Sometimes, when things are scary or bad, they may end up being events that send us off in new and exciting directions. I

have taken this positive “maybe” philosophy to heart, and the ideas are woven through all of the songs on my new EP. Santa Barbara was such a great place for a creative kid like me to grow up. The community is so dedicated to ensuring that kids get exposed to art, music, theater, and a ton of other things. I was always drawn to music from a young age, and my parents made sure to find opportunities for me to explore my passions. The first venture they found for me was Kindermusik, a place where I could make noise, hit drums, and dance wildly. I was in love! At MUS we had music classes and even learned how to play the violin. Not necessarily my favorite but I do like to add strings to as many of my songs as possible, so maybe the root of this can be traced back to my own screechy attempts at the instrument. And like most “music kids,” I ultimately got involved with musical theater and Janet Adderley’s “Santa Barbara Youth Ensemble Theatre” where I started to discover “my people.” I was also fortunate to be able to participate in Joe Lambert’s incredible Santa Barbara Teen Star competition for two seasons and made it to the final round both times. The best part was being mentored by industry icon Tariqh Akoni and judged by none other than American Idol ’s Randy Jackson! Pretty cool for a kid from a small town. In high school, I was fortunate to have the amazing Agatha Carubia take me on as a voice student to help me manage my cracking voice, and she changed the trajectory of my life. Although all of these experiences helped me build my self-confidence, it was Agatha’s introducing me to Erland Wanberg that helped me learn how to express myself emotionally through songwriting. I have to say the work we did together throughout

“Some leaders are born women.” – Geraldine Ferraro

“Maybe. The Film” was just accepted as a semi-finalist at the Los Angeles IndieX Film Festival

Savor traditions with an Easter Sunday Brunch Buffet at The Revere Room in a relaxing, fun, and family-friendly environment.

11:00 a m to 3:00 p m

Adults $165

Children 4 to 12 Years $65

Celebrate the festive fare with brunch at Caruso's Offerings will include an elevated Prix-fixe dining experience highlighting the local landscape of the central coast

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Join us for a weekend full of holiday-themed activities Crafting, movies, and more await for our Miramar families to enjoy Not to mention, meet The Easter Bunny himself!

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On Entertainment

The Symphonic Sphinx Virtuosi

by Steven Libowitz

The Sphinx Organization was founded in Detroit back in 1997, and much like Motown Records more than three decades earlier, it has championed composers and musicians of color – in this case in the realm of classical music. Sphinx’s vision for more than three decades has been to make classical music more representative of our communities, championing Black and Latinx musicians in an effort to evolve the classical music canon and achieve greater diversity in the arts.

Sphinx now has more than 1,100 alumni, among them the Catalyst Quartet – which has performed at Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Mary Craig Auditorium several times over the years. But the Sphinx Virtuosi, the nonprofit’s premier touring ensemble founded in 2004, will be making its Santa Barbara debut when the 18-member group performs March 15 to conclude CAMA’s 2023-24 Masterseries at the Lobero Theatre.

The Sphinx Virtuosi plays a wide-ranging repertoire and particularly champions work by historically excluded composers, as well as new pieces it commissions.

The CAMA concert is no exception, as the ensemble will perform four commissioned works, including two by SV members in Quenton Blache’s “Habari Gani” and Xavier Foley’s “Concertante for 2 Double Basses and String Orchestra, ‘Galaxy,’” plus Javier Farias’ “Abran Paso,” Andrea Casarrubios’ “Herencia.”

The program will also feature “Dona Nobis Pacem’’ and “Exultate” from Sonata da Chiesa by Adolphus Cunningham Hailstork III, and “Sinfonietta No. 2, ‘Generations,’” by the late ColeridgeTaylor Perkinson.

We spoke with Canadian violinist Maïthéna Girault on a lunch break from a recording session with Sphinx Virtuosi, currently making its sophomore CD after its DG debut last year. Girault, who has Caribbean Island heritage, said she wasn’t familiar with Sphinx before moving to New York to study at the Manhattan School of Music, and only applied for its competition during the pandemic just to “push myself, not expecting anything.”

Q. Can you take me through some of the new pieces you’ll be playing?

A. Quenton Blache’s “Habari” is very exciting and virtuosic, with a theme of five going through the whole movement, kind of a play on the composer’s name,

Quentin. Habari (which loosely translates from Swahili as “What’s new?”) is used during the celebration, Kwanzaa, and the piece is about imitating the chatter between people in a community. It’s so tightly wound in terms of rhythm, like a Swiss clock… Xavier Foley’s double bass concerto is very diverse, like Xavier. There’s some movie-like themes, a salsa section in the middle, and the double bass cadenza that gets pretty rock and roll, and some sections that sound more classical but always with a bit of a twist because Xavier is such a charismatic and very colorful composer.

Andrea Casarrubios’ “Herencia” was written for the ensemble with 18 individual string parts that beautifully weave in and out together. Herencia means both heritage and inheritance in Spanish, and the theme of the work is to express our journeys, the instincts and challenges and triumphs that everybody has gone through. So it’s very lyrical work, very passionate. There’s some singing in the middle, where the voices kind of create this halo around the string. It’s always a hit.

How is it to work with these living composers commissioned by the ensemble, two of whom are members?

One big advantage is you can ask them anything, find out the background of what inspired them to write the music. But there’s also a bit of a challenge to

The Sphinx Virtuosi debuts in Santa Barbara on March 15th (photo by Scott Jackson)

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Your Westmont

Viewing Features Jupiter, Orion Nebula

by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott

Jupiter and the Great Orion Nebula, M42, will be part of this month’s free stargazing event Friday, March 15, beginning about 6 pm and lasting several hours at the Westmont Observatory. Along with Westmont’s powerful Keck Telescope, members of the Santa Barbara Astronomical Society bring their own telescopes to share with the public.

Views of the gas giant should be good this month, though the planet will appear lower and lower in the western sky. The Great Orion Nebula, a giant stellar nursery in Orion’s Sword, sports a collection of stars called the Trapezium. “Four

The Orion

of these stars should easily stand out in the center of the sword,” says Thomas Whittemore, emeritus instructor of physics and SBAU member. “If the sky is clear and steady, Westmont’s 8-inch refractor should bring out at least one or two other

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Nebula seen with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope

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Body Wise

Spring Clearing: Time to Declutter and Lighten Your Load.

by Ann Brode

Growing up in cold climates, I used to sort my winter and summer clothes twice a year. Here in California I just move things around in the closet. Unfortunately, when I simply shift stuff around, I don’t need to think about how my wardrobe functions. Clothes and shoes simply get shuffled, stored, and never really sorted. Recently, wanting to downsize, I needed to take a look and get sensible about what I wanted to keep and what I wanted to let go.

Beginning with my closet, I applied the two-year rule and rooted out the clothes, scarves, and shoes that I’ll never wear again. Then, moving on to the boxes stored in the shed, loft, and under the bed, I found extra everything – pillows, Tupperware, and even hammers. Assessing current and future needs – I bagged, boxed, and delivered all

the extras to my favorite thrift store. Although coming face to face with all this accumulated stuff was both daunting and embarrassing, doing something about it has been therapeutic.

Even if you’re not downsizing and have plenty of space (maybe, a storage unit or two), I guarantee you’ll benefit from a little spring clearing. As the decluttering gurus tell us: all those piles and boxes belong to you and, like stuff stored in the “cloud,” it consumes energy. Certainly, it made me feel lighter and freer when I unloaded all those extra scarves and hammers. Research at the University of Connecticut confirms this experience – finding that when people declutter it reduces stress and anxiety while simultaneously increasing happiness and confidence. From a purely physical point of view, this makes sense. Simply clearing clutter lightens your load, creates more space to move around, and frees up energy to explore your options.

If your garage looks like this – it’s time to do some cleaning

Getting your mind on board: It’s important to think of spring clearing as a process. You’ll be tempted to make excuses, put it off, blame circumstances. Understanding the psychological underpinnings of clutter is a good way to bolster your resolve. For instance: perhaps, all of that stuff in the attic/basement/storage unit is a reflection of your subconscious emotional baggage. Psychologists tell us that clutter can represent a kind of denial and/or resistance to live in the present moment. Considering this, it’s probably a good idea to check in once in a while as you go along. Many people report being surprised that their stuff brings up old issues. Once they declutter and let go, it seems as if old patterns and stuck attitudes let go as well. In addition, unloading the extra stuff often has a positive effect on posture, digestion and sleep. For some, clearing space helps them think more clearly. For others, it clears the way for being present and feeling joy.

So why not use the momentum of springtime to declutter and lighten your load? Although spring clearing is a task, for sure, the rewards are worth it.

Getting Started: To start – on one of these upcoming mornings, dedicate a few hours to decluttering a specific area; perhaps your desk or closet or pantry.

Desk: Systematically go through the piles of papers and file away or digitize what you want to keep – assign the rest to the trash or shredder.

Closet: Sort through clothes and shoes and decide what you want to keep and what you need to let go. Realistically, if something in your wardrobe hasn’t been worn in two years, it’s time to let it go. Fold and box or bag the giveaways and place in a pile for your favorite thrift store.

Pantry: Scour the shelves for past due items and put them in the trash before you organize by category.

As you go along: Take breaks every once in a while. Stretch and shake your limbs

to dislodge any emotions and replenish your energy.

Finishing up: At the end of your clearing session, sit down and check in with how you feel. Yes, you feel tired. But perhaps there’s also feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. You may feel lighter, less encumbered, and/or softer, less restless, more at peace. Linger here, breathing freely and listening to your deep knowing and inner guidance.

When you sort it out and move it on, the stuck, stagnant energy begins to flow again. You’ve created more space. There’s more room to breathe, more room to be inspired. Truthfully, this whole process has been cathartic. In addition to the feeling of personal accomplishment, you’ll probably feel a “generosity dividend” when you cart it all off to thrift. Taking time to note the positive results of your labor is a lesson in healthy living. It’s also a motivator for your next bout of spring clearing. Symbolically, the act of clearing space is very powerful. Everything you sorted and sent on lightens your physical load. Dusty old ways of thinking got jettisoned along with those outfits you haven’t worn for ages. Emotional baggage stored in those boxes is no longer part of your life. Space has been cleared for what’s important now – the relationships and projects that nourish you. If this all makes sense to you, Spring couldn’t have come at a better time!

Ann Brode writes about living consciously in the body. She is the author of the book A Guide to Body Wisdom. Visit bodywisdomforlife.com for more information.

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Apr 3

Economist and Former U.S. Secretary of Labor

Robert B. Reich

What Really Happened to the American Dream? (And How Can it be Restored?)

Wed, Apr 3 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

Tickets start at $20

FREE for UCSB students (registration required; limited availability)

Supporting Sponsor: Jennifer & Jonathan Blum

Apr 7

Malian Singer-songwriter

Fatoumata Diawara

Sun, Apr 7 (note new date and time)

7 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

Tickets start at $30 / $15 UCSB students

“The Malian artist’s music [is] luminous... she amplifies African rhythms and Wassoulou traditions of storytelling with her deep, commanding voice and unrelenting electric guitars, which rip through her songs like beautiful streaks of lightning.” The New Yorker

Apr 9

Lauren Groff in Conversation with Pico Iyer

Tue, Apr 9 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

Tickets start at $20 / $10 UCSB students

“A gifted writer capable of deft pyrotechnics and well up to the challenges she sets herself.”

New York Times Book Review

Speaking with Pico Series Sponsors: Martha Gabbert, Siri & Bob Marshall, and Laura & Kevin O’Connor

Apr 10

U.S.

Danish String Quartet

The Doppelgänger Project, Part IV

Wed, Apr 10 / 7 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

Tickets start at $25 / $15 UCSB students

Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, D. 956

Adès: Wreath (for Franz Schubert) (A&L co-commission)

Schubert (arr. Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen): “Die Nebensonnen” from Winterreise

Event Sponsor: Anonymous

Apr 17

Legendary Jazz Master

Herbie Hancock

Herbie Hancock, piano/keyboards

Devin Daniels, saxophon

James Genus, bass

Trevor Lawrence, Jr., drums

Chris Potter, saxophone

Wed, Apr 17 / 8 PM / Arlington Theatre (note new venue)

Tickets start at $45 / $19 UCSB students

Event Sponsors: Russell Steiner and Susan & Bruce Worster

Jazz Series Lead Sponsor: Manitou Fund

Apr 18

Pop Culture Icon

RuPaul

The House of Hidden Meanings

Thu, Apr 18 / 7:30 PM / Arlington Theatre

Tickets start at $50 / $20 UCSB students

Includes a copy of RuPaul’s new book, The House of Hidden Meanings (pick up at event)

During this special event, international drag superstar RuPaul offers a manual for living – a personal philosophy that testifies to the value of chosen family, the importance of harnessing what makes you different and the transformational power of facing yourself fearlessly.

“Hancock shows that it is possible to play the same songs for over 40 years and still find meaning within the notes, stretching and bending them into new shapes.” The Guardian (U.K.)

Premiere of Thomas Adès Commission

Brilliant Thoughts Empires

by Ashleigh Brilliant

In size and extent, the British Empire (even without the American colonies which it lost in 1776) was the greatest the world has ever known. It was usually colored red on world maps, and you could easily see, by looking at a globe, the truth of the expression, “The sun never sets on the British Empire.”

I was born in England between the two World Wars, when that Empire still made Britain a major world Power.

Yet, before I had become an adult, that status, along with the Empire itself, had more or less disintegrated.

Of course, there is nothing new historically about the rise and fall of empires.

That process can be traced back to regimes thousands of years earlier than that of Rome. But the Romans had the most impressive one up to that time, including all the lands around the Mediterranean, and even extending as far north as Britain.

And while the British were building their empire, a number of her European

neighbors and competitors had also got into the act. This included other powers with strong shipping fleets – the Spanish, the French, the Portuguese, and the Dutch. And wherever they went, they carried their languages with them – which explains why this is still such a polyglot world, with (some) Canadians speaking French, South Africans speaking a derivative of Dutch, Brazilians speaking Portuguese, and the rest of South and Central America plus Mexico speaking Spanish.

So, what did it mean to inhabitants of those areas to be part of an Empire? First, it meant loyalty to the “mother country” –which frequently meant involvement in that country’s wars. Secondly, it meant trade –although in this, some colonies were allowed more freedom than others. Back in the 1500s, the Spanish colonies were supposed to trade only with Spain, and it was interference with this by the British, whose own empire hadn’t yet got started, which brought a terrible debacle – an episode known as the “Spanish Armada.” Intending to punish England, in 1588, Spain sent against her a huge fleet, heavily armed and overly loaded

with fighting men. But British resistance at sea, plus unfavorable climatic conditions, turned that whole expedition into an enormous disaster, and very few Spanish ships ever got safely home again.

This of course delighted the British Queen, whom we know today as Elizabeth the First, and encouraged her and her people to think more seriously about establishing colonies in the “New World” – a process which occupied their energies increasingly throughout the next century.

visited that colony only about two years previously in the course of a tour to Antarctica; and I had seen how negligible it was as a territory worth fighting for.)

Under the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher, though, the UK did decide to fight, sending the most powerful naval and military force it could muster. (For some reason, I am always moved to recall that as the British troops prepared to board their transports, the band played a song from a stage musical popular at that time, called Evita,” which said, “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina.”)

And the American government, under President Ronald Reagan, supported the British effort.

So to some extent, the defeat of the Armada marked the beginning of the long decline of the Spanish Empire, which more or less culminated in war with the U.S. in 1898; bringing a decisive American victory and seizure of Cuba and the Philippines. And it signified the beginning of the rise of the British Empire, which at its height included huge geographical entities like Australia and India, but also a host of much smaller territories, like Hong Kong and Gibraltar.

The last gasp of Imperial Britain may be said to have occurred only as recently as 1982, with what is known as the Falklands War. The Falkland Islands were closer by far to Argentina – which claimed them – than to any other country. But they’d been part of the British Empire since early in the Nineteenth Century. When Argentina invaded and occupied them, it appeared to be a fait accompli. How could little England keep holding on to a small, sparsely populated, and practically worthless territory thousands of miles away?

(Incidentally, it happened that I had

Although neither side actually declared war, and it lasted only two months, it was a real war, with hundreds killed on both sides. It ended with complete surrender by Argentina. The Empire still existed in British hearts – and Thatcher was re-elected with an overwhelming majority.

Ashleigh Brilliant born England 1933, came to California in 1955, to Santa Barbara in 1973, to the Montecito Journal in 2016. Best-known for his illustrated epigrams, called “Pot-Shots,” now a series of 10,000. email: ashleigh@west. net. web: www.ash leighbrilliant.com.

Rick Garcia

Thomas Van Stein

The Giving List

SBCC Foundation

by Steven Libowitz

It was Geoff Green , the longtime CEO of SBCC Foundation, who created and spearheaded the organization’s SBCC Promise, the program that provides all recent local high school graduates with the opportunity to attend the community college full-time free of charge for up to two years. The Promise is comprehensive and robust, covering virtually everything a prospective student might otherwise have to handle themselves, including tuition, books, course materials, student health and other fees; and even the bus pass to travel to and from class at the seaside campus. Launched in fall of 2016 – just 18 months after Green started at SBCC – the program has served to remove financial barriers to those students wishing to attend SBCC, and opens inclusive access to campus that is not restricted by means or past academic performance, making our community college fully accessible to all local students who are willing to make the commitment.

At a cost of about $2 million per year, The Promise initiative is the single biggest thing the Foundation does.

Green moved on at the end of the year, leaving to assume the top position at the California Association of Nonprofits, although he’s still in town. The new CEO for SBCC Foundation has been selected from among a field of highly qualified candidates and will be announced soon, as the plan is to have the CEO fill the new position on May 1. But the organization hasn’t missed a beat in the meantime with The Promise, and all of its other programs that have been providing Santa Barbara City College with private philanthropic support since 1976.

“We had a record number of students enrolled in The Promise last fall, and it’s just continuing to grow,” said Jennifer LeMay , SBCC Foundation’s Director of Marketing and Communications. “We’re back up to the way things were before the pandemic, during which enrollment really plummeted. Overall enrollment for the college is a bit lower compared to pre-Covid, but The Promise enrollment is back up where it was, which means it’s really making a difference.”

later worked as a Financial Aid Assistant Director. He understands the fruits of the program and joins his team as they figuratively pound the pavement, proselytizing The Promise.

“They go out to the high schools, go to events and have special presentations whenever they can come and talk about the program,” LeMay said. “They’re out on the road quite a bit, and it helps more parents and students understand that this is available even before they get to their senior year.”

And now there’s an extra incentive for graduating seniors to enroll in the program: a new event on campus called The Promise Registration Rally.

SBCC experts will be onsite at the April 19 event to help students – they who have completed the required SBCC Steps to Enrollment – actually enroll in classes during the priority registration period for fall. The students will be bussed from their local high schools to complete all the steps with whatever help they might need. More than 800 students from all the local high schools are expected to attend, LeMay said.

Part of that is due to the Foundation’s determination to do what it can to make sure the secondary school environment – students, administration and families – are aware of the opportunity afforded by The Promise. Promise Manager Luis Naranjo attended SBCC before transferring to UCSB, where he

“There will be food and beverages, and tons of academic counselors, teachers, administrators, volunteers – it’s like all hands on deck,” she said. “They’ll be answering all questions and helping students get enrolled in the Promise and helping them sign up for classes. They’ll also be helping the students sign up for academic counseling, which is one of The Promise requirements. The idea is to make the transition really smooth and easy, and fun, too.”

The Foundation is also proudly presenting testimonials from The Promise program’s inaugural class, including Adrian Flores Mejia – the first of his family to attend college, and a gratified participant in The Promise. One of the program’s first year entrants in 2016, Mejia graduated from SBCC two years later with four AA degrees, earned both a BA and a master’s degree in Chicana/o Studies at California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI), and now works for Yardi Systems in town.

“I am a proud member of the first SBCC Promise cohort,” Mejia said. “The tech company I now work for donates to the SBCC Promise, and just this spring semester, I have returned to SBCC as an adjunct faculty member teaching Chicana/o Studies courses. I have always been a strong advocate for the SBCC Promise as it provides students, including first-generation college students like me, the opportunity to pursue higher education.”

Skateboard artist Inga Guzyte, Easy Lift Transportation Executive Director Ernesto Paredes , veteran Santa Barbara journalist Joshua Molina, and Los Arroyos founder Tony Arroyo are among other local luminaries who are alumni of SBCC.

The Foundation is planning on expanding SBCC Alumni Connect, its new effort to reach out to graduates of the program and SBCC in general within and around the community to keep them engaged and pay it forward by inspiring other prospective students to check out the community college and reap the benefits of an education at SBCC.

“We want to keep them updated, have them sign up for email lists so that we can invite them to events and to take part in mentorship opportunities,” Le May said. “The idea is to create a network that will hopefully grow over time. We’re starting little by little, and this summer we’ll probably have some events here in town for local alumni.”

Other SBCC Foundation programs include Rising Scholars, which prepares the incarcerated for college re-enrollment on their release; SPARC, supports Single Parents Arriving Ready for College; and Guardian Scholars, which supports foster youth – all of which aim to make access to college easy and affordable.

SBCC Foundation relies entirely on private donations. There are myriad ways of supporting the organization, including the upcoming 5th annual Spring Forward! gala set for May 4 at the ocean-view meadow of SBCC’s West Campus. More than 300 guests will enjoy a special evening celebrating our community’s college and raising funds for student success, including the SBCC Promise as well as student achievement programs, scholarships, book grants, emergency funds and more.

“I have as much muscle as any man, and can do as much work as any man.” — Sojourner Truth

Launched in 2016, the SBCC Promise helps make access to the college easy and affordable

Ernie’s World No Doors? No Problem...

by Ernie Witham

That surely can’t be it I thought, as we walked across the tarmac toward a Volkswagen Beetle on skis with a long purple tail and a spinning propeller on top!

Oh, and NO doors!

I looked at Pat. She was zipping up her sweatshirt and adjusting the flotation device strapped around her waist... “We will be flying over water,” they told us at the staging area explaining how to operate the device. The brochure hadn’t mentioned water landings.

There were four of us. A couple from Minnesota were in the rear seats, Pat and I had the front. I wondered as we approached where the pilot was going to sit. Then I spotted him, taking up almost half of the front seat.

Pat had originally reserved a flight on a six-passenger glassed-in helicopter, but they called us the day before we were to tour the island of Kauai by air and told us only four people had signed up and they needed six to fly. That’s when I said: “Ask them about the doors-off flight.” Forgetting for a moment that I have a fear of heights. A guy helped Pat into the front seat next to the pilot, strapped her in and gave her headphones and a mic in case she wanted to chat during the flight. I looked at the remaining space in the front. It was about half the size of my butt. Before I could question that, the same guy helped me up and into the helicopter. I looked at Pat, she moved over an inch-and-a-half. Thank you, I mouthed, as the sound was deafening. The guy strapped me in. It was the same kind of strap that was on the grandkids’ car seats – a strap over each shoulder and one up from the crotch, connecting into a big round button. I thought about Jack and how at age six, he had learned how to push that big button when we arrived somewhere to release himself. Don’t touch the button, I said to myself. Don’t touch the button.

Our pilot was named Chris. According to a placard we had seen, he’d flown for a number of years for various groups including as a search and rescue pilot. This made me feel better. We took off.

There was a looped strap hanging just inside the doorless door. I grabbed it as we gained altitude and banked toward my side. Dangling from my wrist strap was my cellphone. Around my neck was my Canon camera with the telephoto lens. We were not allowed to wear hats, flip-flops or anything that might fall out. I wondered if they would admonish Pat for bringing me.

After a few moments we had leveled off and the pilot was giving a narration about taro and coffee plantations we were flying over. I took a photo...of my knee. We climbed. I was having a terrifyingly good time. We went over the mountain and banked into a canyon and saw our first waterfalls.

Chris got us close and then hovered. You may not know this but a hovering helicopter the size of a compact car in the wind moves around a bit. I took a quick video...of the ceiling.

We were now on the Nā Pali Coast on the west side of the island. It was breathtaking. Breathe, I told myself. Breathe. We entered several more canyons with waterfall after waterfall. My camera was set for continuous shooting. I had no idea if it was working. We headed out over the ocean. How did the life jacket work again? Chris pointed out some caves and “Puff the Magic Dragon,” the formation the song was made for, in Hanalei. Then we headed into a dark foreboding canyon that Chris told us received more than 400 inches of rain per year. We hovered. I now know what a sock in the dryer feels like.

We headed back over the mountains and landed safely on the tarmac. It took me several minutes to unlock my fingers from the strap. They helped us out and took photos of us standing near Chris. At the staging area, there were a dozen new people. “How was it?” they asked.

“Stupendous,” I said, as I staggered away heading for the nearest Mai Tais.

Ernie Witham has been writing humor for more than 25 years. He is the author of three humor books and is the humor workshop leader at the prestigious Santa Barbara Writers Conference.

Ride with a view – just not doors

The Surprising Compatibility of co-CEOs from Different Generations

At the heart of The Harris Poll is an unorthodox leadership team that defies generational assumptions. Will Johnson , who straddles the millennial and Gen X generations, teams up with seasoned CEO John Gerzema , a baby boomer with two decades of expertise. Together, they navigate the obstacles of heading to a prestigious institution created by Louis Harris , who was John F. Kennedy’s pollster.

Johnson critiques the assumption that age differences impede collaboration, focusing on their ability to balance each other’s strengths and limitations. Despite established generational differences, the duo discovers common ground, challenging the idea of irreparable divisions.

“People are way closer together than you would see by looking at the top lines,” said Johnson. The Harris Poll’s examination of views in many places, such as Chicago, reveals common concerns that cross generational lines. Johnson highlights the need to disrupt conventional perspectives and break them out of a partisan lens.

While there are macro variations, such as opinions toward job flexibility, Johnson believes that there is widespread agreement on bigger themes such as health, equality, and happiness.

Johnson acknowledges that he and Gerzema have occasional differences, but emphasizes the need to take a step back, develop empathy, and understand different points of view. He promotes mutual tolerance and genuine interest as elements of achieving common ground. He claims this method applies not only to leadership but also to managing a multigenerational workplace.

With five generations in today’s workforce, Johnson addresses the common perception of silenced voices among Gen Z and millennial workers and the concerns of workers over 50 who may feel excluded. He emphasizes the importance of representation, appreciating every voice at the table, and cultivating a genuine interest in other perspectives.

Johnson promotes open debate and honest expression of viewpoints in the workplace, where various experiences shape perspectives. He dismisses concerns about provoking arguments, arguing that respectful discourse, especially on delicate themes, adds to a good work atmosphere. The ultimate goal is to foster closer connections among employees who have wildly different worldviews.

The Harris Poll’s distinctive leadership dynamic defies prejudices and provides a road map for managing generational diversity in the workplace. Johnson and Gerzema show that, despite age differences, leaders may achieve unity by emphasizing empathy, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to finding common ground. In a world filled with generational divides, their story stands as a testament to the potential for unity amid diversity.

Want more positive news? Sign up for our daily newsletter on optimistdaily.com and start your day off right.

COVID helped to keep me sane for the most part. This album, however, is particularly important to me as it explores not only my own journey from the little kid smashing a drum at Kindermusik but also the important role my father had in sharing his love of music with me.

As I wrote the songs for this EP and worked through what I wanted other creative components to be, I knew I wanted to create music videos for most of the songs including “Life Sucks,” “Say the Words,” “Growing Pains,” and “Oblivious,” but as I started to work on the video for “Maybe” I realized I wanted to do something more autobiographical. The project morphed into a nine-minute short film called “Maybe. The Film.” In it I pay tribute to my dad and how he has supported me, even gifting me his entire vinyl collection with a turntable for my 15th birthday. I now realize that it may have just been an excuse to come into my room and share the memories the songs brought back for him. I loved our “listening” sessions and how they created a way of communicating with each other when sometimes our differences seemed so vast. I still look forward to fitting in a few whenever I’m home.

The short film was released on YouTube on March 1st and I’m excited to share that it has been accepted as a semi-finalist at the Los Angeles IndieX Film Festival. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.

That’s my update for now, but I’m busy writing new songs and am looking forward to releasing more new music later this summer, so if you want to stay up to date on what I’m up to please follow me at @dawsonfuss. I hope to see some of you on Coast Village Road when I’m in town soon.

With love, Dawson

From the shores of Scotland, Stella Haffner keeps her connection to her home in Montecito by bringing grads of local schools to the pages of the Montecito Journal

Dawson Fuss made the song “Maybe” into a nine-minute short film that also pays tribute to his dad’s influence

Elizabeth’s Appraisals

Flea Market Find

by Elizabeth Stewart

JShas a small painting on canvas purchased from a booth at the Earl Warren Flea Market. Those two figures are saints, but what else can I say about the work? She writes she has never before seen such an unfortunate looking canine and had to have this work!!

First, congratulations JS; you scored. This is a late 18th/early 19th century Cuzco School painting originating from Peru. The work looks slightly naïve, as if it were painted by an artist who had little classical art training. And this is indeed the case.

Peru was “founded” (in Colonial terms) in 1543 as Spain’s Viceroyalty (until 1824), and painting was a means of Colonial evangelizing. Thus Spanish, Italian, and Flemish painters were enlisted to come to paint religious works in newly erected churches. This settlement of European artists left Europe just as a new genre of art was developing, the Mannerist School. If you remember El Greco, you can picture the mannerist style: elongation of figures, flattening of perspective, symbolism. But their training was in the bedrock of Classical European Realism called the Academic style.

In 1688, the indigenous painters who had assisted in the workshops of European painters for decades departed the Artist’s Guild, leaving the minority Spanish painters without talented aides (the indigenous and mestizo painters could not themselves attain the positions held by Europeans). These dissenting indigenous painters formed their own school – The Cuzco

School – forging their own path.

These artists generally rejected the staid academic realism of their former bosses, instead painting images that seemed to tell a story in symbols and colors. Using archetypes such as the Saints, but coloring them with local features and clothing, the work dressed holy figures in rich brocades accented with gold, painted in reds, ochers, greens, blues, and white. If a scene was to be spotlit, it virtually WAS, as paintings portrayed light pictured from heaven itself. Notice the clouds opening and light spewing forth in JS’s painting.

In JS’s painting we see an older bearded figure in a pallium (papal cloak); a vested apostle who is holding the keys of heaven.

The keys are the attribute of St. Peter, born Simon, but named Cephas (Peter) by Jesus. The other attribute is that book he carries; he is an author, as the New Testament contains Peter’s letters, or epistles. He is portrayed as a common-looking man – born a lowly fisherman, but raised to be the keeper of heaven’s gates. St. Peter is patron saint of sailors, fishermen, and locksmiths, and the first of all the contiguous popes.

In JS’s painting, Peter stands beside a dark featured woman with flowing hair tied with a red bow and sporting a gold crown. This is Saint Margaret of Antioch; she’s dressed in a red girdle-corset and wears an indigenous-style apron which is heavily embroidered. On a chain and subdued at her side is a timid little dragon, the attribute of St. Margaret.

Margaret is the patron saint of women in childbirth. A famed beauty, she was courted by a pagan during the Roman reign of Diocletian, then raised by a Christian nurse, as her mother died in childbirth.

She endured imprisonment rather than marry, and for her pains the devil appeared in her cell as a dragon, who ate her whole. In his belly, she made the sign of the cross – and out she popped. Margaret symbolizes victory; the triumph of the spirit over the flesh. A cult figure in medieval England from the ninth to the 16th century, she was not canonized till later because of the hard-to-swallow dragon part of her hagiography. She is one of a handful of female saints who face “the dragon.” Male saints are usually the dragon-slayers.

Another attribute is her palm frond, a symbol of martyrdom (she was executed after she burst from the dragon). The palm is a symbol of the spirit and eternal breath, as we see the palm frond ever swaying in the wind – though never changing or falling.

Both saints are a symbol of the believer who overcomes terrible trials and is

justly rewarded. No coincidence that this image was painted by an indigenous Peruvian artist in the 1800s who also overcame a powerful Colonial system. Very non-European, this is painted as a sensual narrative in a heartfelt, earnest way – notice how both saints gaze directly at the viewer. This is a small devotional work; not a grand Europeanstyle altar painting, but a work for the people. The value is $800.

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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This Cuzco School painting originated from Peru

A closer look at the interesting canine

Far Flung Travel

Ticked Off

by Chuck Graham

After bushwhacking and rambling across three mountain ranges and crossing two rivers between Nira Camp in the Los Padres National Forest and the Carrizo Plain National Monument, amazingly I didn’t find a single tick on me. It was December 2023, and fortunately, the same went for my five comrades as we spent seven days and 70 miles in the rugged Santa Barbara backcountry.

The chaparral-choked San Rafael, Sierra Madre and Caliente Mountains were overgrown in manzanita, yucca, oak woodland

and poison oak, but not a single tick attached itself to any of us during the long haul throughout the remote San Rafael wilderness and Caliente Mountains. Still, every time we thrashed through what sometimes felt like seemingly impenetrable backcountry flora, we anticipated finding at least one of those menacing burrowers attached to each one of us or our backpacks.

At the end of each overgrown route that required bushwhacking, we always did a tick check before rambling onto the next squiggly line on the map. It seemed like ticks would be a guarantee considering how overgrown national forest mainstays like Hurricane Deck and sections of the Sisquoc River were. And yet, we went tickless. I couldn’t recall, but I think it was the first time I didn’t come home after a stint in the backcountry with at least one of those little devils clinging to me. However, it’s amazing where you can potentially cross paths with them. Sometimes it’s the place you would least expect.

I love getting ground level while photographing wildlife. I’d scoped out a possible spot to photograph northern elephant

seals along the Central California coast. I found public access along Highway 1, and walked north for about two miles in the dark to a year-round creek that flows over a gravel bar and right into the ocean. The northern elephant seals, the second largest seal in the world, love this section of coast where they have the choice to haul out on the soft sand or just above on a grassy, windswept meadow. Some of the juveniles even enjoy wallowing in the deeper pools of the creek just before it converges with the ocean.

For me, it’s a great place to lay down, concealed amongst a flotsam of battered driftwood and tangled giant bladder kelp and hopefully capture some behavior of one of the most amazing mammals on the planet. I think it’s safe to say that when most people see northern elephant seals, they understandably view these marine mammals as perpetually lazy, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Elephant seals migrating back and forth from the Bering Strait in Alaska, spend about 80% of their route underwater, where they have the incredible physiology that allows them to dive 5,000 to 7,000 feet to the ocean floor. They are able to do this by shutting off a third of their brain to slow their heartbeat down to three beats per minute. These deep divers can spend up to 90 minutes underwater where they feed in the dark depths for sea cucumbers, squid, and other bottom dwellers.

By the time elephant seals reach their breeding and pupping grounds at places like San Miguel and Santa Rosa islands, and on north coast beaches like Año Nuevo State Beach, they’re pooped. It’s been a massive pelagic sojourn for these ginormous pinnipeds where the bulls reach 3,000 to 5,000 pounds. Once they’ve reached their “cushy” winter pitstops, there’s a lot of lying around, but there’s also a lot of mating, fighting amongst the bulls, and females birthing and nursing their adorable pups known as “weaners.” At ground level, I photographed the behemoths from the southside of the gurgling creek. My favorite look was of a big bull exiting the ocean, four-to-six-foot, windblown surf not even budging the girthy male as it plowed toward the shoreline. However, there was a more dominant bull snoozing on

the beach surrounded by his harem, gnarled kelp, and piles of driftwood. Somehow, that seemingly sleepy dominant bull knew the interloper was approaching and saw the need to reestablish his dominance. Like a giant inchworm, the biggest of the bulls left his harem and charged toward the shoreline, his massive body warbling toward the surf and the other bull. As soon as the dominant bull beelined it to the frothy surf, the other bull – treading water – ducked under a couple of foamy waves and vanished. The potential threat was a non-issue for the beachmaster of the central coast.

After the quick nonconfrontation between adversaries, I rose from the prone position and made my way back to Highway 1. I took a shortcut bushwhacking up a seasonal gully that fed the creek. For about five minutes I thrashed through thistle and coyote bush before reaching the grassy marine terrace. When I did, I felt something digging into my right hip, and discovered from the waist down a legion of ticks. Whether it’s the backcountry or the scenic central coast, those tenacious ticks always lurk.

Chuck Graham is a freelance writer and photographer based in Carpinteria, where he also leads kayak tours and backpacking trips in Channel Islands National Park

Head this way to stay clear of the ticks

In the thick of tick land

Ow! A tick!

Robert’s Big Questions

Do You Check Your Spam Folder?

by Robert Bernstein

Do you ever check your email spam folder? This may not seem very cosmic, but it reveals some odd biases. If you send an email to someone and they don’t reply, do you feel frustration that they didn’t check their spam folder to find your message? That is fair. But only if you also regularly check your own spam folder.

I have found that the most important messages sent to me end up in my spam folder. Perhaps this is Artificial Stupidity? In my view, you have not checked your email if you have not also checked your spam folder each time.

I don’t carry a phone. Yes, that makes me an odd outlier and you are free to ignore all advice from such an odd outlier. This means that email (and real mail) are my primary modes of communication. I was an early adopter of email in the mid-1980s. I immediately saw the value: It is not intrusive. I always hated phones because I hate disturbing other people. And I also hate it when I am disturbed by a phone call.

Email conveys a message immediately, but it usually does not convey a sense of urgency in an annoying way. You can answer in an appropriate amount of time and detail.

Some complex or emotional matters are best handled by phone. Emails can seem rude because of the lack of emotional subtlety. I have nothing against phones when used appropriately. It is part of my lifelong crusade for “appropriate technology” that I will write more about.

What I have zero tolerance for is “texting.” Even if I did carry a phone, no one could pay me enough to poke on a tiny screen. Texting has all of the interruption and annoyance of a phone call without the ease of use. Unfortunately, some friends and family are only reachable by texting.

Fortunately, Google Voice allows me to send and receive text messages for free on my real computer. On a real screen and keyboard. Like an email. Did I mention how I like email? Google Voice is also our home phone.

Yes, I am not always reachable. That is a feature, not a bug. When I am out in the world or with other people, I am engaged with the scenery and the people.

But I have had to learn proper email logistics. As an early adopter, I adopted Eudora as my email software. It was free and is far superior to any other program. Hence it was replaced by inferior products. I still use it.

My actual email is hosted by what was once Yahoo Small Business. Last week I received 1,747 emails – 120 went to my spam folder. I have set up a “filter” to send all emails with an “@” in them to a folder called “Hold.” Meaning, all emails first go to the Hold folder.

I then select any that may be of interest to read and/or require a reply and move them to my Inbox. Last week I moved 405 messages to my Inbox. Those get downloaded to Eudora, where I color code the messages; Orange for needing normal attention, Brown for urgent, Green for receipts, Blue for upcoming events. Also: Pink for travel and Red for messages that may get a delayed reply.

Last week I sent 63 emails.

If you don’t want to use Eudora, you can still sort things into folders and/or mark them in some other way. The advantage of Eudora: it is on my computer and I can back it up. I have never deleted a single email in over 35 years of doing email. Storage space is cheap. Deletion is forever. Yes, I do sometimes dig out an email from 35 years ago. Older messages are archived by year.

In summary, here is my advice. Which you are free to ignore.

1. Check your spam folder every time you check your email

2. “Filter” all of your email to a Hold folder

3. Just move stuff that needs attention to your Inbox

4. Color code, tag or sort Inbox emails to other folders as needed

Robert Bernstein holds degrees from Physics departments of MIT and UCSB. His passion to understand the Big Questions of life, the universe and to be a good citizen of the planet. Visit facebook. com/questionbig

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Foraging Thyme

Radicchio Rosso di Treviso / Tardivo

by Melissa Petitto

Radicchio Rosso di Treviso – or Tardivo – is an Italian heirloom belonging to the Asteraceae family. The name translates to ‘late’ or ‘tardy’ and is a type of Treviso grown as a late harvest crop. This vegetable has tightly clustered bunches of long and slender leaves and is part of the radicchio family. Treviso or Tardivo is crisp, succulent, and chewy. The leaves are edible cooked or raw and have a slightly bittersweet, earthy, and vegetal taste. The nutritional composition of tardivo is quite vast and falls in line with other bitter vegetables and their purification/detoxification effects. This bitter vegetable contains calcium and iron, both of which are great for our bone metabolism as well as lowering and maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. Tardivo is a great source of potassium, which balances fluid levels within the body, Vitamin K that aids in wound healing, Vitamin A to help maintain glowing skin and organ functioning, and copper to help develop connective tissues. The leaves are also a great source of fiber which aids in regulating our digestive tract. The red pigment found in Tardivo is from the antioxidant anthocyanin and help protect the body against free radicals and oxidative stress. Like I said, vast nutritional composition! Let’s take this lettuce into the kitchen and make some risotto.

Risotto with Radicchio Tardivo

Yield: 4 Servings

8 cups good quality vegetable broth

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

1 each shallot, peeled and minced

2 each garlic cloves, minced

4 heads radicchio Tardivo, washed and roughly chopped in bite sized pieces

2 ½ cups arborio rice

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons Miyoko’s butter

½ cup vegan grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Add the vegetable broth to a saucepan and heat over medium low heat until hot. Cover and turn off heat.

2. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once hot, add the minced onion and shallot and sauté, stirring frequently for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened and translucent. Stir in the garlic.

3. Add the radicchio and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.

4. Add in the rice and stir to coat with the olive oil, continue stirring for 2 minutes or until lightly toasted.

5. Add 2 ladlefuls of broth, about 1 ½ to 2 cups and stirring constantly in figure eight movements, cook until the liquid is absorbed. Add 2 more ladles of broth and stir until the liquid is again absorbed. Repeat until all the broth is absorbed and the rice is cooked. This takes about 45 minutes of stirring.

6. Season with salt and pepper and turn off the heat.

7. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, Miyoko’s butter, and parmesan, stir to incorporate. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and allow to steam for 5 minutes.

8. Serve hot.

Melissa Petitto, R.D., is an executive chef and co-founder at Thymeless My Chef SB, was a celebrity personal chef for 16 years, just finished her 10th cookbook, and is an expert on nutrition and wellness.

The elegant and nutritious Tardivo (photo by Zetagroup via Wikimedia Commons)

companions in the mix.”

He encourages visitors to bring their own binoculars and train them on the sword and go a bit higher to the belt. “You should be able to bring all three belt stars into view along with a number of nearby bright, white twinklers,” he says.

The moon will be a nice target as it rides high in the sky near Orion, the hunter. “The moon will be a young crescent this evening, a bit over five days old, and will make a nice triangular companion to the Pleiades and the head of Taurus, the bull,” he says. “This section of the bull contains Hyades, a wonderful collection of nearby stars.” He advises viewers to look for any red giants in the group.

Also, nearby is NGC 1647, a spectacular bunch of stars tailor-made for a pair of binoculars or a low-powered telescope.

Finally, to the east of and below the Hunter is Canis Major, the big dog. The open cluster, M41, lies below and to the west of Sirius, the brightest star in the constellation. “While still in Canis Major, take a trip to the lower part of the constellation to NGC 2362, a glistening collection of hot, white stars that are about 4,800 light-years distant,” Whittemore says. “And, as you stare at this ensemble, think about the 4,800year journey the light has made to your eyes.”

Free parking is available near the Westmont Observatory, which is between the baseball field and the track and field/soccer complex. To enter Westmont’s campus, please use the Main Entrance off La Paz Road after 7 pm. In case of inclement weather, please call the Telescope Viewing Hotline at (805) 565-6272 to hear if the viewing has been canceled.

Vocal Recital Offers High Notes, Drama

Two Westmont voice instructors will join forces in a recital, “A Song Celebration,” on Saturday, March 23, at 4 pm in Deane Chapel on Westmont’s lower campus. The performance is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the music department at (805) 565-6040.

Tenor Chad Ruyle and soprano Nichole Dechaine , who have taught vocal performance lessons at Westmont for four and 19 years respectively, will perform selections including Copland’s “Old American Songs,” along with song favorites by Fauré and Debussy, Mahler and Clara Schumann. They will also perform operatic arias from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi , Massenet’s Manon , and Bernstein’s Candide and West Side Story

Collaborative pianist Neil Di Maggio says the recital provides an opportunity for

musicians to hone their craft. “We often get so busy teaching and doing the stuff of life, we lose track of why we became musicians in the first place – the love of a moving performance, the shared experience with each other and the audience,” he says. “It’s also been an opportunity to make new friendships and deepen long-standing ones. We hope that this will inspire our students and that the beautiful pieces of music we share with the public will be meaningful.”

Dechaine, an active performer with UCSB, Opera Santa Barbara, the Music Academy of the West and the Amherst Early Music Festival Baroque Academy in Connecticut, graduated from the University of Redlands and earned a master’s degree and doctorate from UCSB, where she taught for six years.

Ruyle, who has also been on the music faculty of Allan Hancock and Cuesta Colleges, earned a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from California State University, Fullerton, and a Master of Music in vocal arts from California State University, Northridge.

Di Maggio, an active performer and collaborative pianist for Westmont, earned a bachelor’s in piano performance from San Jose State University, a Master of Music in piano performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and a Master of Music in collaborative piano at UCSB.

Anthony McIntyre is All-PacWest

In Westmont men’s basketball’s first season in the conference, senior Anthony McIntyre has been named to the First Team All-PacWest.

“From the first time he put on a Westmont uniform, Anthony’s continued to improve, especially during the offseason,” says head coach Landon Boucher. “To be the first Warrior in program history to be First Team All-League is a testament to how dynamic a scorer he is.”

McIntyre averaged 17.9 points per game, second in the PacWest behind Academy of Art’s Jamal Fuller by just two points (503 to 501). His .536 field goal percentage was tops in the league and his 2.8 assists per contest listed seventh in the PacWest. McIntyre tallied 35 points against Fresno Pacific, the second highest total in the conference this season.

McIntyre’s younger brother, Adrian , will headline Westmont’s returning group later this fall. The younger McIntyre was Westmont’s second-leading scorer, averaging 13.6 points-per-game.

Chad Ruyle and Neil Di Maggio

Nichole Dechaine

Anthony McIntyre finished with 28 points against UCSB

Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College

In Passing Cynthia Impey Nolen : April 18, 1933 – February 27, 2024

Cynthia I. Nolen, a lover of dogs, birds, books, and gardens passed away peacefully at Casa Dorinda in Montecito, California on February 27, 2024. A self- proclaimed “collector” of plants, her gardens and landscape designs continue to inspire around the U.S. Anyone who knew Cynthia was aware that she never left the house without dog treats in her pocket.

Born in New York, New York to Ambrose “Bud” and Victoria Impey, Cynthia was the middle child of three girls, Phyllis (Rippy) and Ann (Reed), both of whom predeceased her. Raised in Garden City, NY, she graduated as a National Honor Society member from Garden City High School. At Duke University, Cynthia was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Following her time at Duke, Cynthia spent many years in Indianapolis, IN where her talent for garden design blossomed at Eagle Creek Nursery.

Ultimately returning to the East coast, Cynthia later married Philip Chapin Nolen of Bedford, NY in 1981. In 1987, the couple retired to Montecito, CA. They were active members of both The Valley Club and Birnam Wood.

Volunteering and community service were a constant theme throughout her life. Starting with the Junior League of Indianapolis in the late 1950s, Cynthia joined the Santa Barbara Garden Club in 1987 and was recently honored for her lifetime of service. Mrs. Nolen also served on the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Board of Directors for six years and was one of the first docents at Casa del Herrero in Montecito.

Cynthia’s expertise with garden design became highly acclaimed and sought after; a hallmark project was the gardens at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello home. Her designs and thought process were featured in Los Angeles Times Magazine, Garden Design magazine and in the book: Making Gardens by Patrick Taylor. Mrs. Nolen’s signature was to create “a tapestry of texture” to lend color and form. Pea gravel and rosemary were her go-to ground covers.

Mrs. Nolen is survived by her husband of 43 years Philip Chapin Nolen, her daughter Victoria Randle Fine of Indianapolis, IN, and son John F. Randle of Durango, CO; and five grandchildren. Stepdaughters Catherine “Casey” Jackson of Montezuma, NM; Lisa Birmingham of Stowe, VT; and Wendy Nolen of Chagrin Falls, OH survive her as well.

There will not be a public service. Memorial contributions may be made to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden (sbbotanicgarden.org) or the National Rescue Search Dog Foundation (searchdogfoundation.org).

2:00 PM on Thursday, April 11, 2024 for:

EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT OVER COLD SPRINGS CREEK ABOUT 1.4

MILES NORTH OF STATE HIGHWAY 192 IN THE 1ST SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT

COUNTY PROJECT No. 862357, FEDERAL AID PROJECT No. BRLO-NBIL(526)

General project work description: Bridge Replacement over Cold Springs Creek

The Plans, Specifications, and Bid Book are available at https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874

The Contractor must have either a Class A license or any combination of the following Class C licenses which constitutes a majority of the work: C-8, C-12, C-13, C-31, C-50, C-51

The DBE Contract Goal is 23%

For the Federal Training Program, the number of trainees or apprentices is 1

Submit sealed bids to the web address below. Bids will be opened and available at the web address below immediately following the submittal deadline.

PlanetBids

https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874

Complete the project work within 105 Workings Days

The estimated cost of the project is $ 3,730,000

A optional pre-bid meeting is scheduled for this project on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at 2:00 PM at East Mountain Drive over Cold Springs Creek, near 895 E Mountain Dr This project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR).

A contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of PCC Section 4104, or engage in the performance of any contract for public work, as defined in this chapter, unless currently registered and qualified to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code (LAB) Section 1725.5. It is not a violation of this section for an unregistered contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Business and Professions Code (BPC) Section 7029.1 or by PCC Section 10164 or 20103.5 provided the contractor is registered to perform public work pursuant to LAB Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded.

Prevailing wages are required on this Contract. The Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations determines the general prevailing wage rates. Obtain the wage rates at the DIR website https://www.dir.ca.gov/

The federal minimum wage rates for this Contract as determined by the United States Secretary of Labor are available at https://www.wdol.gov/. Copies are also available at the office of the Department of Public Works – Engineering Division, 123 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

If the minimum wage rates as determined by the United States Secretary of Labor differs from the general prevailing wage rates determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations for similar classifications of labor, the Contractor and subcontractors must not pay less than the higher wage rate. The Department does not accept lower State wage rates not specifically included in the federal minimum wage determinations. This includes helper, or other classifications based on hours of experience, or any other classification not appearing in the federal wage determinations. Where federal wage determinations do not contain the State wage rate determination otherwise available for use by the Contractor and subcontractors, the Contractor and subcontractors must not pay less than the federal minimum wage rate that most closely approximates the duties of the employees in question.

Inquiries or questions based on alleged patent ambiguity of the plans, specifications, or estimate must be submitted as a bidder inquiry by 2:00 PM on 04/05/2024. Submittals after this date will not be addressed. Questions pertaining to this Project prior to Award of the Contract must be submitted via PlanetBids Q&A tab.

Bidders (Plan Holders of Record) will be notified by electronic mail if addendums are issued. The addendums, if issued, will only be available on the County’s PlanetBids website, https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=43874

By order of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Barbara this project was authorized to be advertised on 12/07/2021

Scott D. McGolpin Director of Public Works

Published March 13 & 20, 2024

Montecito Journal

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: I Do Consulting CO, 631 E Sola St. #A, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Samantha Siteman, 836 Anacapa St. #1561, Santa Barbara, CA 93102. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 28, 2024. 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. 2024-0000513.

Published March 13, 20, 27, April 3, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s)

is/are doing business as: Pooch Parlor, 1194 Mustang Drive, Santa Ynez, CA 93460. Natalie Taylor, PO Box 978, Santa Ynez, CA

93460. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 27, 2024. 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. 20240000503. Published March 6, 13, 20, 27, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s)

is/are doing business as: Casa Dorinda, 300 Hot Springs Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108.

Montecito Retirement Association, 300 Hot Springs Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 23, 2024. 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. 2024-0000469.

Published March 6, 13, 20, 27, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Stay Montecito, 412 East Haley Street, Studio 3, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. 2070 East Valley Road, LLC, 412 East Haley Street, Studio 3, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 14, 2024. 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. 2024-0000398. Published February 21, 28, March 6, 13, 2024

“Women have always been the strong ones of the world.” – Coco Chanel

Cynthia was a lover of dogs, birds, books, and gardens

find our way in the music, because there’s not any performance culture behind it, minds who’ve studied and dug at the notes. We really have to find our voice in a short time. But that is a beautiful journey that I think we all really enjoy, a very satisfying and self-fulfilling feeling.

Which brings up the question of a self-conducted ensemble. There’s no music director to decide any of that, let alone lead the concerts. How do you make that work with 18 musicians?

It’s definitely democratic, very equal among us. The section leaders do tend to lead the rehearsals, but everybody chimes in. Over time we have really learned to communicate better with each other, and everybody is sensitive to when to say something, when to wait or hold back, and yet we always end up covering everything. There’s so many different approaches and ears and people listen for different things, which is a huge resource because it provides perspective. It’s a very harmonious and diplomatic process, and everyone is involved, instead of being passive and feeling like they’re just kind of another piece in the puzzle.

How about at the concerts?

We gesture at each other, which is very similar to what a conductor does. People are designated for those spots when we need to focus on something, but we move a lot and we listen to each other. Everybody knows the music well enough that they know other people’s parts, so they know how to fit in and how to exchange. So it’s really a matter of everybody being a leader because they know the whole score and how it fits together the way a conductor would.

Classical Corner: Chamber Music Central

Camerata Pacifica’s 2023-24 season continues at Hahn Hall on March 15 with a trio of seminal chamber works that evince the link between composers Brahms, Schoenberg and Pärt. Violinist Abigél Králik, who one critic praises as “a shooting star in the truest sense of the word,” makes her Camerata Pacifica debut on the program, which also features the return of

violin Jason Uyeyama, a regular with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and viola Che-Yen (“Brian”) Chen, who will join the chamber music organization’s principal cello player Ani Aznavoorian, and principal piano player Gilles Vonsattel Králik and Vonsattel team up for Arvo Pärt’s “Spiegel im Spiegel” (Mirror in the Mirror) written in 1978, just before his departure from Estonia. The four string players will perform Schoenberg’s tone poem “Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4,” one of his earliest and most important works. All five musicians also come together to play Brahms’ “Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34.” Visit www.cameratapacifica.org.

The Verona Quartet, which received the Chamber Music America’s coveted 2020 Cleveland Quartet Award and has played such storied venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Library of Congress and the Smithsonian, makes their debut at our own little gem of a performance space at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Mary Craig Auditorium on March 21. Acclaimed by the New York Times as an “outstanding ensemble… cohesive yet full of temperament,” the Verona has premiered commissioned work by composers Julia Adolphe and Texu Kim among others, and their latest album, SHATTER, reached No. 1 on the Billboard classical charts last summer. The SBMA program features Walton’s “String Quartet No. 2 in A minor” and Dvořák’s “String Quartet No. 14 in A-flat Major Op.105,” along with Kim’s “Ritus Sanitatem.” Tickets at www.sbma.net.

Dancing Through the Realms

UCSB Dance Company, the ensemble that changes every year as it’s composed of senior dance majors, once again has no male members. But rather than deciding to double down again by creating a program with all female choreographers as in 2023, director Delila Moseley instead chose to diversify. In Different Realms... el arte perdura, which will be performed March 15-16 at Hatlen Theater on campus, features works by choreographers from a wide spectrum of the dance world, representing Moseley’s own desire.

“I love all forms of dance,” she said. “They all have equal value to me no matter what form the choreographer is using. It took me a long time to come up with the title, but the idea is that in different realms, the art is what bridges the divide.”

The el arte perdura, which means “the art endures,” came from one of the choreographers, Cihtli Ocampo, a dance lecturer at UCSB, whose Pasos (Steps), represents the “exploration of the journey from the ties of home, family, and tradition as restless travelers inch their way towards their destiny.” That’s in keeping with the dance concert’s greater theme of expanding on the “Border Crossing” exhibition and arts symposium that has been on campus since January.

The new works include guest artist Natasha Adorlee, a first-generation Asian American. She is restaging her piece MOMODA (Kiss, Kiss), which was created for Joffrey Ballet Winning Works Competition 2023. Associate Professor Monique Meunier, who danced with New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, choreographed Feux Follets. Still Photos: ReCollections of Georgia O’Keefe, which is inspired by photos of the painter Georgia O’Keefe, was choreographed by Betty Walberg back in 1987 for Tonia Shimin, who has now re-staged the solo piece for the company. Two works by Legacy Choreographer José Limón also continue the Border Crossings: Voices of Exile and Hope exhibition.

“One of the criteria for inviting people to do a piece was to incorporate some element of the border crossing theme, either physically or socially,” Moseley said. “So they’re about actually migrating, or crossing borders from classical to contemporary ballet, or stretching emotional and societal borders.”

The latter refers to a re-staging of Santa Barbara Dance Theater Brandon

Whited’s Miles to Go – that confronts the discrimination that the LGBTQ community faces – which was choreographed for two men and premiered last fall.

“We had two apprentices who worked very hard understudying that concert, and they loved the piece, and asked if we could include it on this program in a female version,” Moseley said. “The women are equal in their physicality.”

Focus on Film: Different Types of Casting

Web-slinging hero Miles Morales returned last year in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, released five years after the smash hit Into the Spider-Verse claimed the Academy Award for animation. The sequel, which features breathtaking animation that pushes the limits of the form and also received a nomination, features a large cast of SpiderPeople, paying homage to the character’s extensive history across decades, countries and media forms. As part of the Carsey-Wolf Center’s Black Hollywood series, director Kemp Powers will participate in a post-screening discussion of the film at UCSB’s Pollock Theater on March 16.

The Santa Barbara Fly Fishers of the Central Coast host the premiere of the Fly Fishing Film Tour 2024, a short film series that features experiences of the angling technique from around the globe, including wrestling peacock bass in the Amazon, conservation efforts in the Bahamas, a look at growing up with a fly rod in the Pacific Northwest, among others. Representatives of the organization will be on hand, as will its community partners, including The Mayfly Project, Merito Foundation, and Casting for Recovery to raise awareness of the work they are doing: introducing foster children to fly fishing their local waters, teaching conservation to students and teachers inside and outside of the classroom, and hosting fly fishing retreats for women with or recovering from cancer, respectively. Attendees can also enjoy food and drink at the event at the Lobero on March 19. Details at www.lobero.com.

All 18 of the illustrious Virtuosi (photo by Scott Jackson)

Students performing Missa Brevis by José Limón (photo by Stephen Sherrill)

Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage

Fiedorek, Sofie Blomst, Robin Deinhard, Josephine Lin, Tara Fergusson, Caitlin Slutzky, Heather Van Buren, Abby Alexiades, Jeni Janci, Julie Milham, Dasha Russ, Nikki Bowen, Genevieve Pelletier, Megan Hepburn, Grace Choy, Robin Deinhard, and Amy Whiteford.

The event organization and PR was led by Sr. Director Community Engagement Lisa Lavora-De Beule, whom we will soon miss as she is heading back to her home in the NYC area with her husband and children. The annual auction benefit is a celebration of the school’s unique educational experience that Montessori provides. 411: www.mcssb.org

SB Cottage Hospital Foundation’s 21st Annual Tiara Ball

The Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation held its 21st Annual Tiara Ball, traditionally known as the party of the year, at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara Resort on Saturday, March 9.

The Black-tie event saw five-star elegance in its 450 guests, with women in flowing silks and taffeta gowns, brilliant tiaras, Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahniks; and the gents in designer suits, tuxes and a select few wearing tiaras as well. I couldn’t help but wonder with all the runway couture that the seamless warmth among the guests was by far the diamond of the evening.

Top shelf champagne, wines by Fred Brander/The Brander Vineyard and hors d’oeuvres were afloat during the reception, along with a red carpet for formal photographs of the guests. At 7 pm, the Cottage Health surgical residents posed for their annual photograph on the ballroom stairs. Guests were called to the ballroom which was artfully decorated with soft centerpiece lights surrounded by flowers and name placards. As always, the venue’s impeccably delicious menu and table service did not disappoint.

Event co-chairs Heather Hambleton and Lisa Iscovich were supported by their committee volunteers Gina Andrews, Katy Bazylewicz, Mari McAlister, Sue

Board Chair Steve Zola welcomed the guests and thanked everyone for their support of Cottage Health and announced, for the first time in the organization’s history, the event’s Diamond Sponsors Ben and Naomi Bollag. In addition, he thanked Tiara Ball sponsors Christine and Reece Duca. Zola acknowledged the co-chairs, Cottage Health physicians, nurses, staff, volunteers, Board Members, his wife Belinda, and all significant others. A round of applause went to Linda Yawitz – aka “Mama Bear” of the surgical residents – who sponsors their tickets annually.

Zola talked about the power of art to heal and transform our environment, and the art displayed at Cottage Health. Zola brought attention to this year’s event design imagery from a painting by acclaimed local artist, Colette Cosentino. Her painting titled, Life, a Work in Progress, was featured in decor elements, the invitation and program. Also noted was event planner Gina Andrews of Bon Fortune Events.

In lieu of President/CEO Ron Werft who was not able to attend, Executive VP/ COO Lisa Moore talked about the many awards the Cottage Health system has received, from its hospitals in Santa Barbara and Goleta, to the Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital. She presented its specialties in rehab, maternity, child health, Neuroscience Institute, Heart & Vascular Center, Center for Advanced Imaging and Center for Orthopedics. She was followed by a brief video about a patient who had received superior stroke care and was fully recovered. He was present and received applause along with his caregivers.

Noted attendees were Cottage Health Board of Directors Chair Steven C. Zola, Vice Chair Ginger Salazar, Vice Chair Eric Seale, Secretary Richard S. Ponce, Thomas J. Cusack, Susan Christol-Deacon, Pamela B. Gann, Roberta L. Griffin, Robin Malone, Steve Ortiz, Ernesto Paredes, Gamble T. Parks, Wesley G. Schooler, Mark P. Scott, Bhupi Singh and Yulun Wang

Featured guests were Ben and Naomi Bollag, Andrew Brown and Lisa Moore, Jerry and Geraldine Bidwell, Ronna Hitchcock Hoffman, Sandy Seale, Katina Zaninovich, Mari and Patrick McAlister, Meghan and Robert Stoll, Jr.; representatives from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, and from SB City College was Superintendent/President Erika Endrijonas and Executive Director of Public Affairs & Communications Jordan Killebrew

The evening finale was dancing to the live 10-piece orchestra. Proceeds from the Tiara Ball help SBCH to deliver superior emergency, trauma, and critical care for our region.

411: www.cottagehealth.org

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

Neuman, Alex Nourse, Cathy Quijano, Magda Stayton, Esther Takacs, Betsy Turner, Mary Werft, and Margaret Wilkinson

Primary donors Phong and Susan Do with Lisa Lavora-De Beule (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Husband Chris Burke and primary teacher Kacy Cristofani with Chris Gocong’s Taylor Swift denim jacket (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Tiara Ball co-chairs Lisa Iscovich and Heather Hambleton (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Tiara Ball 2024 Committee (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Andrew Brown and Lisa Moore with Diamond Sponsors Ben and Naomi Bollag in the center (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Snow quit the band, pivoting to solo artist . The band’s manager followed him, to the chagrin of the label. It should be noted that chagrin has an outsized role in the music business. “Peter Asher took me on, and I made a solo album which no one has ever heard of.” Asher was the tactically adorable, heavily bespectacled redhead in UK’s strumming pop duo Peter and Gordon, whose lovely ‘64 hit “A World Without Love” (a McCartney tune Lennon had churlishly waved away) was a breakout. A few years later the Beatles would anoint Asher A&R man for their startup Apple Records label, in which role he would sign James Taylor as Apple’s first contracted artist, launching the songwriting legend’s career. Which is all to say, by the time he was managing Tom Snow, Peter Asher was a power producer who knew from songwriting. Getting the chronically distracted record-buying public to know from songwriting? That is the hellish game called the music biz.

Snowstorm in L.A.

Snow’s several solo records garnered little notice and the label dropped him. They’d never been happy with his decision to quit the band and were not neces-

sarily in his corner. It was then he decided to be a songwriter for recording artists. It began as a something of a slog. “I started doing hootenannies at the Troubadour,” Snow says, the club’s Monday night roster was a crowded, jostling showcase for the up-and-coming. “I was just kind of going nowhere.” As Snow morosely chiseled away at the goldmine with a teaspoon, immense, unannounced riches befell him anyway – a flood tide of treasure whose dividends continue to pour in. “I became good friends with Richie Hayward, the drummer for Little Feat, and he brought Mary Belle down to a gig. We fell in love right away and got married six months later. That was in ‘72.”

Around this time, Snow also began gigging at L.A.’s Bla-Bla Café, a club whose name belied its reputation as a thrumming entertainment industry showcase for every species of talent, from Jimmy Webb to David Letterman to The Motels. Between his Troubadour and Bla-Bla gigs (so to speak), Snow came to the attention of Capitol Records’ Al Coury, who signed him to the storied label. It is worth mentioning here that the cover of Snow’s lost ‘72 solo album Uptown Hopeful features the long-haired tunesmith glaring with what looks like open suspicion at the famous “stack of platters” Capitol Records building. At any rate, gears began turning in earnest.

“Rita Coolidge was hot at that time and Booker T. was producing her. They somehow heard a song called ‘You’ off my first Capitol album. I wasn’t even aware, but she cut it and they put it out as a single.” Coolidge’s “You” has a frank dance arrangement, but the verses skip lithely over the sort of uplifting chord progression that inexplicably soars. When in the second verse a string section whisperingly arrives to throw lamplight on the backbeat, you’re screwed – your previously haughty opinion of “The Seventies” notwithstanding. The song took off.

“I was invited to the BMI Most Played Songs of the Year gala,” Snow says. “I took advantage of the dinner to intro-

duce myself to Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.” That’s the legendary husband/wife songwriting team that gave us “One Fine Day,” “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” “On Broadway,” and scores of other American pop classics. “I said to Cynthia, ‘I would love to write a song with you.’ She and Barry were signed to ATV Music at the time.” To his amazement, the great Cynthia Weil replied in the affirmative – with a caveat. “She said, ‘Okay; write something with one of the ATV writers and let me hear it.” She liked what she heard. And from here we can go straight to the crazy denouement.

Crazy Denouement

Tom Snow has co-written 15 Top 40 hit singles. Eight of those made it into the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including the #1 hit “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” recorded by Deniece Williams for the movie Footloose, and the film’s multi-platinum soundtrack. Snow co-wrote “He’s So Shy” (the Pointer Sisters and, yes, Tom Jones), “Make a Move on Me” (Olivia Newton-John), “After All” (Cher and Peter Cetera), “You Should Hear How He Talks About You” (Melissa Manchester), and many many (many) others. Snow has also co-written songs for Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Randy Crawford, Johnny Mathis, Dionne Warwick, Joe Cocker, Sheena Easton, Diana Ross, Dusty Springfield, and of course Sting

Snow was twice nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Song category, for “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” (from Footloose) and “After All” (from Chances Are). Nominated for Grammy, Emmy and Tony awards, he also composed for the Broadway musical production of Footloose. This is an extremely partial description of an immense songwriting career and canon, all of which burst from the imagination of a would-be 9-year-old threatening to play the trumpet.

“You mentioned awe a little while ago,” Snow says. “The only time I was ever truly awestruck was when a melody would start pouring through me and I couldn’t stop it. And I’d be going, Holy sh*t, hold on! Just…stay on this horse!”

ON THE SIDE

A Blast

Another item from the vaults of ‘80s era village news – this one sketching out the daily rigors of our friendly neighborhood bomb squad. In the piece, entitled (yes) County Bomb Squad Gets a Blast Out of Work – there is a photo of a heavily costumed bomb disposal specialist, smiling through a helmet of thick, blast resistant glass and proffering a pipe bomb as one would a chocolate éclair. The hapless photog is no doubt anxious to snap the pic and flee the area. Note to bomb disposal guy: Your extra thick padding and fancy helmet will not protect your guest.

Up, Up, and Ophidiophobia

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

I n 1988 a Casa Dorinda resident released a helium balloon to which she had affixed a note. “Of all the means to ensure happiness throughout the whole of life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.” A year or so later, a resident of Oak View with an apparent case of ophidiophobia stumbled upon the note while walking around his ranch near Casitas Pass Rd. “I always look at the ground to see if there is a rattlesnake,” he offered. Seeing the note where he expected a vicious snake, the gentleman rancher contacted the sender and they met for a photo op at Casa D. The heartwarming moral of the story? Always use the word ophidiophobia if given half a chance.

Snow seeming to lecture the great B.B. King (courtesy photo)

Songwriting tools of the trade (courtesy photo)

annual meeting, where 96 guests were present in the Theatre Garden when President David Jones revealed last year’s revenue of $4,763,606 with expenses of $5,257,805.

But shrewd investing with financial giant Goldman Sachs showed a total of $21,450,222.

“Again we are limited by our numbers,” he told the 96 guests, as he pointed out Santa Barbara Zoo had 500,000 visitors last year and the Huntington Library in Pasadena more than 800,000.

Dan Bifano, past president, trustee and honorary council chair, was given a watercolor of the Rose Garden in recognition of his services, while Susie Read Cronin and Elizabeth Patterson were introduced as new trustees.

Peggy Perry, a professor emeritus in the Huntley College of Agriculture at Cal Poly Pomona University, gave a talk called

Theatre was back to its sparkling self when the 27-time Grammy winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performed as part of the CAMA Masterseries.

Conductor Nathalie Stutzmann, music director since 2022 and only the second woman in history to lead a major American orchestra, joined Chinese pianist Haochen Zhang – at 33 one of the youngest ever to win the Van Cliburn competition in 2009 – in playing a program featuring Beethoven, Dvořák, and Brahms.

Beethoven’s “‘Emperor’ Piano Concerto No. 5” kicked off the thoroughly intoxicating show with Dvořák’s “Symphony No.9, ‘From the New World’” concluding the concert with an encore of Brahms’ “Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor.”

A peach of a performance...

A Purr-fect Show

“Dames in the Garden: California Women Who Shaped the Landscape,” including Lotusland founder Polish opera singer Ganna Walska and Elizabeth Kellam de Forest, both of whom died in 1984.

Three days earlier, Lotusland hosted a dinner at the Belmond El Encanto hotel honoring Montecito cardiovascular specialist Steven Gundry that raised $18,000.

The annual meeting was followed by an al fresco picnic lunch on the Great Lawn with guests including Eric and Wendy Schmidt, Dana Newquist, Caroline Thompson, John Hilliard, Patti Prairie, Roger and Julie Davis, and Peter and Julie Morley

The Granada Is Back

Just six weeks after its disastrous sprinkler mishap the venerable Granada

Neo-cabaret diva Meow Meow, who has performed to sold-out to audiences worldwide including the Sydney Opera House and Lincoln Center, was in outrageous form when she sang at the Lobero as part of the popular UCSB Arts & Lectures series.

The show Sequins and Satire, Divas and Disruptors: The Wild Women of the Weimar Republic honored new women, vamps, sirens, composers, singers, poets, revolutionaries and sociopolitical influencers, including Marlene Dietrich.

Named one of the Top Performers of the Year by The New Yorker, Meow Meow’s award-winning solo works have been curated by the late David Bowie, Pina Bausch, and ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov, as well as numerous international arts festivals.

The two-hour energized show with a backup trio of piano, double bass, and percussion channeled the era’s urgent blend of art, entertainment and winking social commentary, with amusing audi-

ence participation including five male volunteers donning face masks, rubber gloves and even plastic bags.

Meow-Meow, who performs at New York’s Carnegie Hall later this month, was just purrfect!

Rosewood’s Fifth Anniversary

The star-ridden oceanside hostelry Rosewood Miramar celebrated its fifth anniversary with a socially gridlocked champagne-fueled bash on the Great Lawn with billionaire owner Rick Caruso describing the event as “a flash of the eye.”

I reminded the Los Angeles real estate developer of the time he was in a Sikorsky helicopter hovering over the Pacific admiring his $250 million Georgian-style property the night of his opening party, which replaced a former hotspot whose other prospective developers had included Beanie Baby billionaire Ty Warner, owner of the Biltmore and the San Ysidro Ranch, and former Studio 54 co-owner Ian Schrager, throwing in the towel.

The hotel now holds a rare triple fivestar rating – for Sense, A Rosewood Spa at Miramar Beach; the restaurant Caruso’s; and the 158-room property itself – from the respected Forbes Travel Guide.

It’s one of only 15 properties globally and one of only five in the U.S. with the coveted rating.

Rick Fidel, managing director, says: “We have firmly established the hotel as a major leader in the hospitality business.”

Among the 250 guests quaffing the bubbly and noshing on the bounteous canapés were Dana Newquist, Hiroko Benko, Mindy Denson, Arlene Larsen, Merryl Brown, Rebecca Brand, Nina Terzian, and Jennifer Zacharias

“You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.” — Serena Williams

Speaker Peggy D. Perry, Executive Director Rebecca Anderson, and Trustee Susanne Tobey with board members Mari Mitchel, Crystal Wyatt, and Daniel Bifano (photo by Priscilla)

Board President David Jones, Dr. Steven and Penny Gundry, Judy Jones, Rachael Douglas, and Connie Pearcy

Trustee Anthony Grumbine, former Trustee Mimi Michaelis, and President David Jones (photo by Priscilla)

Atlanta Symphony shines at dried out Granada (courtesy photo)

Meow Meow impresses with decadent show (photo by David Bazemore)

Rick Caruso welcoming the audience (photo by Priscilla)

House Off Market

Former TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres just signed off on one of Montecito’s biggest property sales this year, selling the iconic 1919 villa Pompeian Court on San Ysidro Road for $32 million, shy of the original $46.5 million asking price.

Less than one year prior the eight-acre estate traded hands for $22.5 million.

During their ownership, DeGeneres and actress wife Portia de Rossi gave the six-structure complex a complete overhaul. The two-bedroom, four-bathroom main house spans 7,800 square feet.

There are two guest houses on the estate which offer three more bedrooms, a pool house, an art studio, and a small staff office.

The buyer is mining billionaire Robert Friedland, who also bought a $47 million oceanfront property in Carpinteria, which he snapped up five months ago.

A Love Letter to Auctions

The late Princess Diana’s intimate love letters to James Hewitt are reportedly set to go on sale in the U.S. for about $1 million, spiking fears they will be made public.

Former Household Cavalry officer, Hewitt – who had a five year affair with the then Princess of Wales between 1986 and 1991 – owns 64 letters she wrote to him.

A U.S. company, Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, has reportedly lined up a rich client to buy the love letters priced at $1 million, in what has been called “the final insult” to the memory of the late princess who was killed in a tragic car crash in Paris in August 1997.

Hewitt, 65, is said to have previously

Q&A Reflections

Comedy queen Carol Burnett is having the last laugh.

Even with her sterling reputation Carol, 90, knows when she has taken it too far.

The Montecito resident cites one incident when she was touring with her famous Q&A act on the road in a new Harper’s Bazaar interview.

Shortly after 9/11 an audience member asked Carol if she could be a member of the opposite sex for 24 hours who would she be and what would she do. “I said I’d be Osama bin Laden and I’d kill myself,” Carol recalled.

She noted the situation is one she very much regrets.

Prized Literature

Prince Harry’s controversial memoir Spare has been shortlisted for two prizes at the British Book Awards.

upcoming ABC primetime special.

An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution airs Monday (March 18th) featuring the longtime Montecito resident, medical experts and patients discussing the “national impact” of prescription weight-loss drugs in front of a live studio audience.

“It’s a very personal topic for me and for hundreds of millions of people impacted around the globe,” says Oprah, who is also executive producer of the project.

She says the intention is to ultimately lift “the shame, judgment, and stigma” surrounding weight loss.

Stepping into the Role

Gwyneth Paltrow has candidly discussed the “rough process” of becoming a stepmother to her husband Brad Falchuk’s children.

offered the letters – penned between 1989 and 1991 – as collateral for a large loan.

Cover Model Makeup

Former Sports Illustrated cover model turned business tycoon Kathy Ireland, 61, is teaming up with beauty brand Luminess to launch an eponymous line including complexion and air-driven beauty solutions.

The cosmetics giant is partnering with Kathy Ireland Worldwide and says it will “transform Kathy’s appeal to beauty for all ages,” according to London’s Daily Mail.

Kathy became one of America’s wealthiest entrepreneurs when she launched her lucrative brand licensing company after appearing in Sports Illustrated for 13 consecutive issues, including three covers.

The 39-year-old royal’s headline grabbing tome included a revelation that his brother, the Prince of Wales, pushed him into a dog bowl in a row over Meghan Markle

The ghost-written autobiography has been listed in two categories –narration audiobook non-fiction and non-fiction narrative.

When the Nibbies first launched in 1990, King Charles was awarded Author of the Year.

Breaking Barriers in the Southwest

Meghan Markle joined actress Brooke Shields and former TV host and author Katie Couric on a star-studded keynote panel for the opening day of SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas.

South by Southwest, also referred to as SXSW, is an annual event that celebrates the convergence of technology, film, music, education and culture over nine days.

The Duchess of Sussex, described as “a feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity, and a New York Times bestselling author,” headlined the opening day – which fell on International Women’s Day.

The session titled “Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen” was moderated by Errin Haines, host of The Amendment podcast and watched by Prince Harry in the audience.

O so Special

Oprah Winfrey, 70, who recently left the WeightWatchers board of directors after revealing she used a weight-loss drug, will tackle the controversial topic of prescription weight-loss injectables like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy in an

Falchuk shares Isabella, 19, and Brody, 17, with his former wife and fellow TV producer Suzanne Bukinik to whom he was married from 2002 to 2013.

He first met the Oscar winner in 2020 and onstage at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel for the Visionary Women’s International Women’s Day Summit. Last week the Oscar winner looked back on the rocky transition.

“Yeah, frankly it’s bruising, right guys,” she told the audience. “I really like to talk about this because it’s one of my biggest learnings as a human being. My area of growth personally came from the initial different relationship with my step kids and now they’re like my kids ... But the path here was really rough.

“It’s like you have to embody the spirit of the sun and just give and not expect anything back. I just learned to try to keep shining like the sun and never keeping score.”

Sightings

Oprah Winfrey brunching with friends at Joe’s Cafe on State Street... Katy Perry shooting an episode of American Idol at Lotusland... Actor Michael Douglas visiting his alma mater UCSB.

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

Mindy Denson, Rick Caruso, Houghton Hyatt, Nina Terzian, and Doug Black (photo by Priscilla)

Caruso’s Senior VP Hospitality Philipp Posch, Rosewood’s Managing Director Rick Fidel, daughter Gianna Caruso with host Rick Caruso (photo by Priscilla)

Kathy Ireland teams up with beauty giant Luminess (photo by Kathy Ireland Worldwide via Wikimedia Commons)

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Calendar of Events

by Steven Libowitz

THURSDAY, MARCH 14

Krieger’s Fallout – “We made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb, and for better or for worse, we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world,” Cillian Murphy said in his Best Actor acceptance speech for portraying the conflicted nuclear scientist in the film that also won Best Picture at Sunday’s Oscars. “So I really want to dedicate this to peacemakers everywhere.” Locally, we have just that chance this afternoon, when the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation hosts a Celebration of the Legacy of David Krieger. The gathering honors the remarkable life and career of Krieger, the co-founder and President Emeritus of the 42-year-old NAPF, the Santa Barbara-based organization whose mission is: “To advance initiatives to eliminate the nuclear weapons threat to all life, to foster the global rule of law, and to build an enduring legacy of peace through education and advocacy.” The celebration features remarks, with a keynote address by Professor Richard Falk; poetry readings, including some poems by Krieger; and music, including a performance by Noel Paul Stookey from Peter, Paul, and Mary, plus a reception. The event pays tribute to the late Krieger’s tireless and lifelong efforts in promoting peace and nuclear disarmament.

WHEN: 4 pm

WHERE: Hahn Hall at the Music Academy of the West, 1070 Fairway Road

COST: free

INFO: https://www.wagingpeace.org/celebration-legacy-of-david-krieger

FRIDAY, MARCH 15

Supreme Weekend at Alcazar – The Alcazar, Carpinteria’s iconic downtown theatre, screens the documentary about another icon, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to kick off a weekend honoring the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice. RBG, the award-winning feature-length doc that explores Ginsburg’s exceptional life, career, and the breathtaking legal legacy she created while surprisingly also becoming a pop culture hero. The screening is preceded by a talk by Joyce E. Dudley, former Deputy District Attorney with the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office, who specialized in prosecuting violent crimes against vulnerable victims. Ginsburg galore continues tomorrow with

FRIDAY, MARCH 15

Medium, Well Done – Tyler Henry, the American reality show personality, author and medium, brings his “An Evening of Hope and Healing” to the Chumash Casino –where we imagine a few folks could certainly use some of the former, and if that doesn’t work, the latter. Henry, who says he noticed he had clairvoyant abilities at 10 years old, gave a psychic reading in a 2015 appearance on Keeping up with the Kardashians. His television show, Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry, premiered the following year and ran for four seasons, until 2019. Henry has also published two books, a memoir titled Between Two Worlds, and in 2022 Here & Hereafter: How Wisdom from the Departed Can Transform Your Life Now That was also the year his Netflix show, Life After Death with Tyler Henry, led to a touring regimen where he offered people readings, hope, and closure while searching through his own family’s past. Henry now has over 600,000 people on his waitlist for a chance at a reading. The Chumash events are an opportunity to witness or possibly experience live readings, as well as an interactive Q&A.

WHEN: 8 pm tonight & tomorrow

WHERE: Samala Showroom at the Chumash Casino Resort, 3400 East Highway 246, Santa Ynez

COST: $59-$89

INFO: (800) CHUMASH (248-6274) or www.chumashcasino.com

SATURDAY, MARCH 16

The VADA Draw – Friends of VADA, Santa Barbara High School’s Visual Arts and Design Academy’s (VADA) annual fundraiser, isn’t the typical drink, dine and dance event. Rather, the centerpiece of the evening is the VADA Draw; the art raffle which guarantees that every guest leaves the event with a cherished piece of art in hand. Each year, both local artists and VADA supporters from around the country donate original art pieces that are raffled off at the event, with this year’s contributors including Pedro De La Cruz, Wallace Piatt, Meredith Brooks Abbott, Peter Horjus, Rod Lathim, Dug Uyesaka and many more – even Jeff Bridges. (Preview the artwork online at www.vadasbhs.org/ vada-draw-2024) And yes, the event also features food, drink, music and socializing, too, as VADA Draw raises more than 30 percent of VADA’s annual budget, funding art education for more than 300 students.

WHEN: 7-10 pm

WHERE: Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden St. COST: $50-$175

INFO: www.vadasbhs.org/the-vada-draw

two presentations of The Theatre of Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Supreme Court Oral Arguments, excerpts of eight cases focusing on bias and ethics, featuring Ginsburg either adjudicating as a Justice or arguing as a lawyer on each case. The arguments have been adapted for reenactments as well as classroom use by Jack Reuler and Michael Bigelow Dixon, with each edited piece running about 15-20 minutes. Actors from the Alcazar Ensemble will take on the role-playing, investing their personal passions and beliefs in performed constitutional debates intended to inspire viewers to a discussion of the issues and decisions – or simply to enjoy the opportunity to see and hear the brilliance, intellect, and wit of one of America’s great heroes.

WHEN: 7 pm tonight, 3 & 7 pm tomorrow

WHERE: Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria

COST: $15 tonight; $20 general, $15 students & children tomorrow

INFO: (805) 684-6380 or www.thealcazar.org/calendar

SATURDAY, MARCH 16

Orchestra-Oscars – The timing might be just a little bit off, as we finally closed out awards season last weekend with the Academy Awards show. But that’s no reason to skip this weekend’s concerts from the Santa Barbara Symphony as the ensemble offers one of its synchronized screening/soundtrack performances. And at least they’re skipping back a couple of generations to revisit the glamor and nostalgia of Hollywood’s Golden Age of Oscar, pairing classic scenes of iconic movies with their indelible symphonic soundtracks. Segments of Gone with the Wind, An American in Paris, The Wizard of Oz and several others will be projected onto the Granada’s giant screen with the orchestra on stage playing the accompanying soundtracks live. Montecito actress, documentarian, author, and MJ columnist Leslie Zemeckis serves as host, while Constantine Kitsopoulos, a dynamic world-traveling conductor known for his ability to work in many different genres and settings – from opera, to symphonic repertoire, to music theater and film with live orchestra – makes his Santa Barbara debut with this program. And then, we promise, no more Oscar talk for a while.

WHEN: 7:30 pm tonight, 3 pm tomorrow

WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street

COST: $35-$175

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

TUESDAY, MARCH 19

Killer Queen – When one of your hit singles actually includes the band’s name, you can’t expect tribute bands to work real hard to come up with some other play on

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

Chaucer’s Choice – The atomic bomb wasn’t the only weapon used by the U.S. in 20th century conflicts that has left a lasting legacy. For over half a century, the Vietnamese people have endured the harmful effects of Agent Orange, the toxic herbicide employed by the American military as a type of chemical warfare. While scientists and politicians continue to debate how to best address its human and environmental consequences, the nearly three million Vietnamese whose lives have been shaped by its lingering effects have been largely left out of the conversation. Local author and anthropologist Diane Niblack Fox, who lived in Vietnam for a decade in the 1990s, interviewed families and individuals across that country who have been coping with the aftereffects, so she could understand how Agent Orange has impacted the lives and livelihoods of everyday Vietnamese people. Her new book Living with Agent Orange shares the personal accounts of villagers as they describe caring for loved ones with chronic illnesses and disabilities and their attempts to secure medical and financial assistance. The book also chronicles the moving stories of rebuilt lives, of family and community support, and of the overriding power of the human spirit. Fox discusses the issue at a book signing this evening.

WHEN: 6 pm

WHERE: Chaucer’s Books, 3321 State St. in Loreto Plaza Shopping Center

COST: free

INFO: (805) 682-6787 or www.chaucersbooks.com

words for their own name. Such is the case with Killer Queen, who have been doing the tribute thing since 1993, just two years after the death of Queen’s lead singer Freddie Mercury. Patrick Myers faithfully assumes the role of the legendary frontman, and his impression has been called simply uncanny, while critics have called Killer Queen the kings of the musical impersonators. Thirty years in, we’re told, the band has grown to the point where they sell out the same arenas that Queen itself played at their peak. Myers’ own Bohemian Rhapsody bounds onto the stage at the Granada for what’s sure to be a rousing evening, one that might bring back memories, make new ones, and, quite possibly, damage your hearing.

WHEN: 7:30 pm

WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street

COST: $46-$81

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

MONDAY, MARCH 17

The Joy of Madeleine – It’s been 20 years since the release of Careless Love, the follow-up to Madeleine Peyroux’s breakthrough album Dreamland, which introduced the sultry singer whose voice and delivery earned her comparison to jazz-blues divas Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Now, Peyroux is revisiting the collection that included her inspired interpretations of songs by Elliott Smith (“Between the Bars”), Leonard Cohen (“Dance Me to the End of Love”), and Hank Williams (“Weary Blues”), alongside more traditional fare made famous by Smith (“Don’t Cry Baby”), Holiday (“No More,” “I’ll Look Around”), and Josephine Baker (“J’ai Deux Amours”). Tonight’s concert will focus on the certified-Gold LP plus select covers and original compositions from her more than half-dozen other albums. New Orleans singer-songwriter and lyrical guitarist Joy Clark, whose debut album on Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records is set for release this summer, opens the show.

WHEN: 7:00 pm

WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $66 & $76 ($105 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres)

INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING (805) 565-1860

ESTATE/SENIOR SERVICES

MOVING MISS DAISY

Full Service SAFE Senior Relocation and Estate Liquidation Services Including: Packing and Unpacking, Estate Sales, Online Auctions and our own Consignment Shop! We are Licensed, Bonded, Liability Insured, Workers Comped, Certified by The National Assoc Of Senior Move Managers (NASMM) and The American Society of Estate Liquidators (ASEL).

Glenn Novack, Owner. 805-770-7715 info@movingmissdaisy.com

MovingMissDaisy.com

Consignments@MovingMissDaisy.hibid.com

The Clearing House, LLC

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

TRESOR

We Buy, Sell and Broker Important Estate Jewelry. Located in the upper village of Montecito. Graduate Gemologists with 30 years of experience. We do free evaluations and private consultation. 1470 East Valley Rd Suite V. 805-969-0888

MENTAL HEALTH & WELL-BEING

Michael Bolton, MD

Harvard-Trained Board

Certified Psychiatrist

Specializing in Adult ADHD

BecomeYourAuthenticSelf. Com

ELECTRICIAN

Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections

Licensed C10485353

805-969-1575

PHYSICAL TRAINING & THERAPY

Stillwell Fitness of Santa Barbara In Home Personal Training Sessions for 65+

Help with: Strength, Flexibility, Balance, Motivation, and Consistency

John Stillwell, CPT, Specialist in Senior Fitness 805-705-2014 StillwellFitness.com

GOT OSTEOPOROSIS? WE CAN HELP

At OsteoStrong our proven non-drug protocol takes just ten minutes once a week to improve your bone density and aid in more energy, strength, balance and agility. Please call for a complimentary session!

Call Now (805) 453-6086

Serving Montecito for 23 years!

Pilates & Clinical Somatic Exercise

C.V. Physical Therapy 805570-5121

michelegracemorrow.com

REVERSE MORTGAGES

ATTENTION SENIORS!!!

IS A REVERSE MORTGAGE RIGHT FOR YOU?

• Access the equity in your home today

• No monthly mortgage payments

• You retain title to your home

• Lump sum or monthly distributions

• All inquiries are strictly confidential

Gayle Nagy 805-448-9224

Gayle@dmfsb.com

NMLS # 251258 / Company

NMLS # 12007

Direct Mortgage Funding

Santa Barbara

Equal Housing Lender

Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act

KNIFE SHARPENING SERVICE

EDC Mobile Sharpening is a locally

and operated in Santa Barbara. We specialize in

House Calls, Businesses and Special Events. Call 805-696-0525

an appointment

AUTOMOBILES WANTED

We buy Classic Cars Running or not. Foreign/Domestic Chevy/Ford/Porsche/Mercedes/Etc. We come to you.

Call Steven - 805-699-0684 Website – Avantiauto.group

AVAILABLE CAREGIVER

Trusted experienced live in caregiver. Background checked, excellent references, vaccinated, UCLA Grad. Cheri - 760-898-2732.

Trusted, Experienced Caregiver, CA State registered and background checked. Vaccinated. Loving and caring provides transportation, medications, etc.

Lina 805-940-6888

Trusted caregiver with 16 years of experience. CA Registered and Background checked. Loving, caring, and provides transportation 24/7. Call Violeta @ 928499-4441 w/ reasonable fee. Can service Montecito, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Ynez, and Buellton area.

TILE SETTING

Local tile setter of 35 years is now doing small jobs only. Services include grout cleaning and repair, caulking, sealing, replacing damaged tiles and basic plumbing needs.

Call Doug Watts at 805-729-3211 for a free estimate.

AVAILABLE FOR RENT

Beautiful renovated mid century 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom with Ocean views in Santa Barbara foothills, available May and June. 646-206-4391

CHARMIMG BRIGHT RIVIERA 1 BDM + 1 BTH

Hardwood Floors. Updated kitchen and bath. Carrara marble. Ocean & garden views. Quiet Street. Rare opportunity. No Smoking. No Pets. $3,250. 310-795-3867

POSITION WANTED

US/Kiwi/Brit Estate Manager available to run your estate. Celebrity references. Please call 805.280.6515 stephen@cook.nu

PAINTING SERVICES

Transform your home into a masterpiece with Casa Real Painting! Call Cesar Real at (805) 570-1055 or email casarealpainting@gmail.com for a free estimate today. Let us show you how we can transform your space with color and creativity!

Your Space, Your Color, Your Creation!

DOWNSIZING & MOVING SALE

Elderly Collection

Selling quality, antiques & newer items at 50% off marked price. Pr. of “Kargas Special Display Cabinets,” “Victorian” cabinet – “Lady’s Writing Desk” Misc. tables & chairs”, “Lg MHG.- Rosewood – Marble Victorian Cabinet” “Lrg. Mhg.” “ Kittenger Desk.”, “2 King BR sets. ; 1 by Davis & other by White”, misc. small table, chest, & chairs. “6 old paintings {all over 100 yrs} + others.”, Oriental rugs; some new, 26 ft. by 14 ft. near new & custom made. “Throw rugs, large french vase w/ cherubs / sterling silver roses. 42’ high.” Marble Statuary, Antique Pots, “Marghabe Linens” / Finest. A. Borsato Figurine Collection –known in Europe as “Modern Day Michelangelo”, “Antique iron outdoor furniture.” Handmade xmas items, trees, wreaths & table linens. Marble & iron fireplaces, a pr. oval doors.

Call 805-733-1030. Make apt. to come see great items for low prices. Lompoc Country Club area. Elizabeth Langtree.

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.

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

MiniMeta

ByPeteMuller&FrankLongo

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501 HODGES LN, MONTECITO 2BD/4BA • $6,750,000

Nancy Kogevinas, 805.450.6233 LIC# 01209514

1530 MIRAMAR LN, MONTECITO 3BD/3BA • $6,750,000

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1385 OAK CREEK CANYON RD, MONT ±6.27 acres • $4,650,000

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LIC# 00968247

1121 LAS ALTURAS RD, STA BARBARA 5BD/4½BA • $5,850,000

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1180 MESA RD, MONTECITO 2BD/2½BA • $4,300,000

Bartron Real Estate Group, 805.563.4054

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4613 VIA RUBI, SANTA BARBARA 4BD/4BA • $3,795,000

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734 EL RANCHO RD, MONTECITO 3BD/3BA • $3,389,000

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1260 NORTHRIDGE RD, STA BARBARA 4BD/3BA • $3,495,000

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2905 VALENCIA DR, SANTA BARBARA 3BD/2BA • $1,795,000

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1946 E VALLEY ROAD, MONTECITO 5BD/8½+½BA • $11,950,000

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645 OLIVE ROAD, MONTECITO 4BD/7BA • $9,500,000

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