Experience luxury with color correction, balayage, or a complete color transformation surrounded by serene waterfalls and the scent of Jasmine. Enjoy a complimentary gourmet menu from The Stonehouse, free valet parking, and the most exclusive product lines Shu Uemura Art of Hair and Milbon.
T H E S A L O N a t
BOOK HERE
S A N Y S I D R O R A N C H
APPOINTMENTS
• Graduate of UCLA School of Law and former attorney (with training in Real Estate law, contracts, estate planning, and tax law)
• Dedicated and highly trained full-time support staff
• An expert in the luxury home market
Remember, It Costs No More to Work with The Best (But It Can Cost You Plenty If You Don’t)
440 WOODLEY ROAD • MONTECITO
Nestled privately in Montecito’s coveted Pepper Hill enclave, this sophisticated single level home is a chic blend of quality and design. An extensive recent renovation offers a fully functional open floor plan flowing effortlessly from room to room and out onto the scenic terraces and charming manicured gardens. A luxurious master suite provides tranquil seclusion with its exquisitely re-envisioned private bath. Gourmet
and
and great room collectively enjoy brilliant natural
vistas of the property’s enchanting landscaping.
410 E. Haley St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101
The Burford Group at Morgan Stanley Jerrad Burford
Jeanine J. Burford Senior Vice President Financial Advisor
jerrad.burford@ morganstanley.com
805-695-7109
jeanine.burford@ morganstanley.com
1111 Coast Village Road | Montecito, CA 93108
805.965.9555 | @ themillsb | www.themillsb.com
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
5 The Giving List – The Kick Ash Bash fundraiser with big-name musicians is slated to resurface Sept. 20; and conditions dramatically improve for One805LIVE!
6 Montecito Miscellany – Zoofari “Jungle After Dark” crusade; NetJets Pacific Coast Open; cruise for super moon; The Pearl Social Cocktail Club; And more...
8 News Bytes – GODMOTHERS’ Grand Opening weekend in Summerland (Sept. 7- 8) is the first chapter of a community and literary epic on the central coast
10 Letters to the Editor – Letter writers take issue with the framing of student protests, empty political discourse, and Harding’s electoral indecision Tide Guide
11 Community Voices – Watch out for rocks atop sand – caused by accretion, not erosion – at Miramar Beach’s Eucalyptus Lane entrance; BEACON and Coastal Commission meet Sept. 20
12 In the News – At the behest of Dr. Leonie Mattison of Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara County mental health groups are encouraged to participate in a Zoom meeting Sept. 6.
14 Real Estate – A spotlight on available properties in the $7- to $8-million range
18 The Way It Was – All about that one time Andrew Carnegie came through town, and the lasting impact he and his two cohorts had on the area
20 Golden Gala – Joanne Calitri spotlights the yearly Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation’s The Golden Gala fundraising crusade, which a private Montecito estate will host on Oct. 5.
22 On Entertainment – Painter Sophie Cooper at Studio Artists Open Studios Tour; PCPA presents The Agitators in Solvang
25 Dog Days – In honor of National Dog Day on Aug. 10, the Dog Days of Summer photo contest – replete with award winners – was of pet-icular interest to canine-craving attendees.
28 Elizabeth’s Appraisals – One reader’s 1984 Olympics poster tells of the importance of art in the games (and keeping your art out of the pool)
30 Our Town – Joanne Calitri, with insight from Parks & Rec Director Jill Zachary, dissects the Ortega Park revitalization plan, which requires additional funding for construction
33 Brilliant Thoughts – Ashleigh Brilliant leaves plenty of room for doubt while exploring the role of religion from the perspective of believers and nonbelievers alike
34 SB by the Glass – In its 35th year in business, Fess Parker Winery has cracked open a new tasting room in downtown Napa, to the delight of Northern California oenophiles
35 Dear Montecito – Bea Tolan reunites with friend Kylan Tyng, a filmmaker and shutterbug who has been focused on the air up there
37 Robert’s Big Questions – What do believers and atheists agree on? Is it that the world is all good or all bad?
40 Calendar of Events – Forrest Gump showing at Granada; Toad the Wet Sprocket at the Lobero; Raw Silk performs at SOhO
42 Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales
43 Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles
Local Business Directory – Smart business owners place business cards here
The Giving List
Nonprofit Kick Ash Bash rises Sept. 20
by Steven Libowitz
Will any public event in town ever come close to matching the Kick Ash Bash in pure megawatt star power? Back in 2018, over the course of a full day and evening, just about everybody in the entertainment industry with a local connection – rock legends, pop princesses and other celebrities – participated in the largest nonprofit event in Santa Barbara history. Will we see something like that again on Friday, Sept. 20?
In a way, let’s hope not.
The spectacular inaugural event was born of the twin tragedies of the Thomas Fire and Montecito Debris Flow that devastated the community, the concert framed as both a coming together in the spirit of healing, and a chance to thank the First Responders who spent months combating both disasters. The Kick Ash Bash was also the birth of One805, the permanent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that exists to raise funds for all three major First Responder groups –the fire, police and sheriff departments –in order to purchase equipment, support public safety and continue to take care of those who take care of us; including through increased mental health and counseling services.
September 2022 saw the return of a singular major fundraising event, now called One805LIVE!, staged on the grounds of Kevin Costner’s stunning seaside estate. So, while Kick Ash might still stand as an unparalleled entertainment, the nonprofit keeps ratcheting up the annual concert with each successive year, going bigger and better and deepening the ties to the community. This year’s event boasts a mesmerizing mix of
the old and the new, combining acts that have previously appeared and those new to the party.
The headliners are You + Me, the Canadian American folk music duo consisting of the softer side of the singer-songwriters Dallas Green , better known as City and Colour, and Alecia Moore, better known as P!nk, who lives in the Santa Ynez Valley with her family. Montecito’s longtime hometown favorite Kenny Loggins, who retired from the road following his final tour last year, will give his first live show in town – and first performance for One805LIVE! since his final tour gig closed out the Santa Barbara Bowl season last November. (Loggins will also receive One805’s 2024 “Heart of the Community Award” for his philanthrop ic work in Santa Barbara and beyond.)
The spectacular event was born of the twin tragedies of the Thomas Fire and Montecito Debris Flows that devastated the community.
Alan Parsons, the multi-hyphenate British recording artist, songwriter, musi cian and record producer nonpareil, began his career as a teenager working on engineering the Beatles’ storied Abbey Road and Let It Be albums, as well as Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. Parsons then went on to create a string of hits with his own Alan Parsons Project, and he returns as this year’s musical director. The west Goleta resident and
labor day garden soiree a three-day celebration, featuring the worldrenowned Krug Champagne. live music, exquisite canapes, and endless champagne. x krug champagne
Saturday, Sunday, Monday
Color me musical: P!nk and Dallas Green – the recording duo known as You + Me
Three-chord Marxism will rule when pop institution Richard Marx takes the stage
CATCH SOME SUMMER TIME VIBES
Locally owned and operated for over 44 years 14 State Street | 962-0049 | Mon-Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5
mountainairsports.com
Montecito Miscellany
It’s a Jungle Out There
by Richard Mineards
Our tony town’s party animals were out en masse for Santa Barbara Zoo’s sold-out 38th annual Zoofari “Jungle After Dark” with more than 750 guests converging on the 30-acre hilltop menagerie housing more than 600 animal inhabitants and raising around $700,000.
Like fireflies in the night, the creatively costumed guests – covert camouflage, jungle jewels, and ferocious creatures – revealed their dark sides at the Rincon Events-catered fête with a carrot walnut soufflé, Rincon Oak smoked tri-tip, grilled and baked cedar planked salmon dinner and wine from Santa Ynez vintner Fred Brander and Foxen Vineyards, which was co-chaired by Rich Block , who is retiring as zoo director in January after 26 years, and
his wife Tracy , executive director of Meals on Wheels Santa Barbara.
The colorful event, co-designed by Tyler Speier and Megan Nuss, offered a cornucopia of prizes, including a Tahitian getaway, a stay in Cabo San Lucas, and a trip to see the rock group Maroon 5 – whose lead singer Adam Levine lives in our rarefied enclave – in their Las Vegas residency.
Among the nocturnal names were Janet Garufis, former mayor Helene Schneider, Chris and Mindy Denson, Jeremy Lindaman, Dacia Harwood, Ginni Dreier, Chuck and Margarita Lande, Maitland Ward, Sheriff Bill Brown, Adam McKaig and Melissa Borders , fun-loving Franciscan friar Larry Gosselin, Dan and Caroline Encell, Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey, Thomas Rollerson, James Garcia and
Miscellany Page 294
Ginni Dreier and guests (photo by Nik Blaskovich)
2024 Zoofari Ball Committee (photo by Nik Blaskovich)
The Crawford Family (photo by Nik Blaskovich)
“It’s
Thank you to these generous sponsors for supporting TBCF’s Gold Ribbon Campaign & Golden Gala on October 5th
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Earl Minnis
GOLD CHAMPION SPONSOR
Michael & Kathy McCarthy, Nurture Foundation
AMBASSADOR SPONSOR
Virginia Benson Wigle
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians
VISIONARY SPONSORS
Alan & Mary Jane Miller
Sansum Clinic, now part of Sutter Health
The Leifur Thordarson Living Trust
ADVOCATE SPONSORS
AIMdyn, Inc. - Igor & Adriana Mezic
Ray & Michelle Avila, James & Vanessa Bechtel
Tom & Misook Burk, Kate & Art Coppola
J Paul Gignac, Martin & Kerrilee Gore
Herring, Imming, LLP, Diane Kees
Peter & Kathryn Martin, Pacific Premier Bank
Pati Kern & Andrew Pfeffer
Mark & Nicole Romasanta, Village Properties
HEALER SPONSORS
American Riviera Bank, Michael Yang & Wells Hughes of Arlington Financial Services, Martin & Gina Bell
BrightStar Care, Cheryl DeSimone & Scott Goodman
Hearts Aligned, Luci & Rich Janssen
Sarai Anderson of Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, Susannah E. Rake, Trudi Timm
News Bytes Bookworms Unite!
by Ella Catalfimo
These godmothers are transforming the bookstore experience with an emphasis on community and a hint of luxury.
The longish venture from Montecito to Summerland for the Summerland Block Party last month paid off with interest, as it included a visit to the newly launched GODMOTHERS in the former Garde space. GODMOTHERS is neither an antique store nor a high-end décor shop, as many of the stores along Lillie Avenue are. Rather, the beautifully renovated 1920s gambrel barn, adorned with the word GODMOTHERS in large letters above the door, is “a bookstore and gathering place” that is best described as a luxury shopping experience – a bookstore. The walls were adorned with neatly placed hardcover and paperback books, and in the back corner of the shop a small, raised platform held two wingback chairs – the perfect space for book signings and author readings. French doors led out to a patio appointed with plenty of outdoor seating for readers to enjoy, as well as a GODMOTHERS Café food truck set to serve customers soon. The “soft opening” was bustling with people, all browsing the shop’s wide-ranging inventory, from young adult books and classics to cookbooks, children’s books, and nonfiction. In the center of the shop, coffee table books in a tasteful spread occupied their rightful
place – just a reach away, that is, from the plush couch in front of the fireplace. The bookstore sells candles, journals, children’s toys, and more curated items. First impressions rely on a feeling, and the GODMOTHERS’ vibe that co-owners Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and Victoria Jackson wish to convey was in full evidence. Godmothers promotes itself not only as a bookstore but as a community gathering space, a retreat where readers and writers come together and connect through the power of literature and storytelling.
GODMOTHERS’ official grand opening will take place on September 7th and 8th at 2280 Lillie Ave in Summerland. On September 7th the opening will include Minh Lê and Dan Santat presenting Built to Last from 11am – Noon; and Nicola Yoon and David Yoon in conversation, presenting their latest releases, One of Our Kind and City of Orange, respectively.
On September 8 look for In Every Life author Marla Frazee from 11am – Noon. This second day of the Godmothers grand opening event will also include an “Acoustic Concert & Musitation” by MILCK titled A Sonic Journey from Inner to Outer Peace, from 1pm – 2pm. Finally, Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd will join Godmothers co-founder Jennifer Rudolph Walsh in conversation on the topic of Connection.
For more information, follow @godmothersbooks on Instagram or visit godmothers.com.
Ella Catalfimo is a Montecito local entering her third year at the University of Edinburgh. She is studying English Literature and with an interest in Fashion Journalism.
A cozy communal living room awaits as Godmothers opens her doors and begins a new central coast literary epoch
He did it
Way to go Kevin Goodwin, 2 closed sales and another record breaking price for the neighborhood. $2,625,000 SOLD
5091 Yaple Avenue
Santa Barbara / 93111
/ 5BD / 3.5BA / Sold for $2,625,000 Unprecedented price for the neighborhood
2525 State Street #20
Santa Barbara / 93105 / 2BD / 1.5BA / Sold for $1,150,000 Sold in just 22 days - highest price at Villa España
$1,150,000 SOLD
Letters to the Editor
Not a Pogrom
Gwyn Lurie makes statements about anti-war protesters yet leaves out valuable information in her claims. She states that protesting outside of a synagogue is antisemitic while leaving out the very important substance of the protests. This is incredibly misleading. No one inside the synagogue was practicing their religion; there was an illegal sale of Palestinian land taking place inside the synagogue, and that land was marketed for sale to Jews only. This is not only a clear violation of international law, it is ethnic cleansing. Another point the author conveniently left out is in regard to violence at protests. No mention of who committed the violence. It certainly wasn’t the students protesting genocide. When students of conscience began camping out at UCLA in April to demand an end to Israel’s genocide, they came under violent attack. While the LAPD stood by, far-right Kahanist mobs severely beat students with poles, sprayed them with Mace, and tried to destroy their encampment using fireworks. Dozens of students were injured and needed emergency medical care. It is important to note that many of the students leading protests against the ongoing genocide are, in fact, Jewish and are supported by a broad coalition of humanitarians including rabbis, rabbinical students and Holocaust survivors.
Comparing student protests to a pogrom is unacceptable. As a Jew whose grandmother had to flee Poland due to actual pogroms, I take great offense at this comparison. Let’s not create false antisemitism claims. It disrespects and dilutes what so many of our ancestors experienced and endured.
Despite Israeli forces killing nearly 40,000 Palestinians (not the actual number of civilians killed since so many are buried under the ruins and rubble of Gaza), these deaths being mostly women and children with at least 20,000 children missing, 90,000 civilians wounded, nearly 90% of Gaza’s population displaced, and starvation being used as a weapon of war – but yes, let’s do go on about the protesters.
Robin
VanTassell
What I want to hear from Kamala Harris
We are about to be immersed in our presidential campaign. It promises to be the shallow, embarrassing mud-slinging spectacle that has become the awful, if inevitable element of the election. Every four years, I promise myself not to be upset or sidetracked by the name-calling, innuendo, hyperbole and outright lies that both parties have made central to this foundational exercise which is an essential element of our democracy.
Just once, I would like to see a candidate refuse to participate in this mutually degrading display, but I don’t have much hope that this year will be much different. One candidate has become famous and successful for his aggressive, overstated and confrontative style. Chances are slight that he will alter what has been, for him, a winning strategy. The other candidate, regretfully has to prove the toughness of her gender and refute the reservations some have concerning her race and ethnicity. She will need to respond to her opponent’s charges by counterpunching in much the same fashion. But could she amend her approach? In my
healthy fantasy life, I wish for a new tone in her stump speech.
“Good evening, my fellow Americans. Thank you for being here tonight and for giving me the opportunity to share with you my visions for our country. We all know what is at stake and what the issues are. The list is significant and the challenges are complicated. I will talk to you tonight about these challenges, my plans to address them and what I will ask of you to help in that important effort. These are difficult and complex problems. If they were easy, we wouldn’t still be dealing with them after all these years, and in some instances, decades.
“Before I begin, I want to make a pledge to you – a pledge that I will honor throughout my campaign and a pledge I urge you to hold me to. I promise to devote only one sentence to my opponent. Granted, it will a long sentence, but once I have said it (and I will say it again at other events like this one), I will not mention my opponent again. I may contrast or criticize his policies, but beyond this sentence, I will not refer to him personally again. I give you my word.
“As I said, it is a long sentence. I have considered every word carefully. Everything in this sentence is a verifiable truth. It is a sentence of proven facts. There is no opinion, with the possible exception of the concluding phrase.
“Donald Trump is a convicted felon because he has been tried and found guilty on multiple counts surrounding the payment of hush money to a porn star in order keep from making his infidelity public, and he was judged guilty of sexual abuse in a separate civil trial, and he is a bigot, and he is a sore loser unwilling to accept the peaceful transfer of power resulting from a fair election, and he is a liar, and he is not fit to serve as President of the United States.’
“Now we can get to the truly important issues that we face. My purpose tonight is
MONTECITO TIDE GUIDE
to have you understand my position as we struggle to cope with and address these crucial challenges.”
As I said, this suggested approach may be naive and unrealistic in this unprecedented time. But the only thing most Americans agree on today is the need to end the rancor and unending belligerent partisanship. Despite the lip service paid to this need, all we get are the hackneyed and overworked promises from campaign candidates to “begin the healing” and “seek common ground,” promises that we have regrettably learned to be sadly hollow.
Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Scott, Natasha Kucherenko
Contributing Editor | Kelly Mahan Herrick
Copy Editor | Lily Buckley Harbin
Proofreading | Helen Buckley
Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz
Contributors | Scott Craig, Ashleigh Brilliant, Kim Crail, Tom Farr, Chuck Graham, Stella Haffner, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Robert Bernstein, Christina Atchison, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye, Elizabeth Stewart, Amélie Dieux, Houghton Hyatt, Jeff Wing
Gossip | Richard Mineards
History | Hattie Beresford
Humor | Ernie Witham
Our Town/Society | Joanne A Calitri Travel | Jerry Dunn, Leslie Westbrook
Food & Wine | Melissa Petitto, Gabe Saglie, Jamie Knee
Published by:
Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108.
How to reach us: (805) 565-1860; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108; EMAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net
Community Voices
Beachgoers Beware of Rocks at Eucalyptus Entrance
by Peter Hunt
Montecito Journal staff urges Miramar beachgoers to be cautious at the Eucalyptus Lane entrance due to a mound of rocks atop the sand at the base of the stairs. As one who has been running/walking and observing the local beaches for more than 50 years, I can assert the annual littoral sand movement toward Ventura was radically different this year.
Typical winter storms erode beach sand, sometimes washing out many feet of it. That’s why the City of Carpinteria builds a large sand berm each year to protect buildings. This year, sand was not taken away – and rocks from nearby creeks were deposited at the high-tide level.
See photo taken this past January at Biltmore Beach, which is 1.5 miles west of Miramar Beach, showing the radical rock deposit.
During the summer months, offshore sand is redeposited on our beaches. The next photo, taken last week at Biltmore Beach, shows summer sand deposited on top of the rocks from last winter.
Finally, a current photo at the Eucalyptus Lane entrance to Miramar beach indicates the rocks likely deposited by Montecito Creek, which is but 1/4 mile away. That creek helped build local surfing spot Hammond’s Reef. See the gray-haired surfer walking across the rocks? Note how high the rocks and sand are under the houses at Miramar Beach.
My point is, this is not an erosion issue, but an accretion of sand. BEACON (Beach Erosion Authority for Clean Oceans and Nourishment) will deal with the Coastal Commission on Sept. 20 as an erosion issue. Whether the taxpayer must spend more to solve a crisis that did not happen is questionable.
“Santa Barbara Design and Build was fabulous. Don and his crew were the BEST from day one. He was honest, timely, flexible, artistic, patient and skilled. They understood my vision and built my dream home”.
-Santa Barbara Resident
In the News
Dr. Mattison’s Mental Health Call to Action
by Joanne A Calitri
Dr. Leonie H. Mattison, Ed.D., MBA, president and CEO of Pacifica Graduate Institute (PGI), is inviting mental health organizations in Santa Barbara County to join a free event via Zoom on Sept. 6, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. PGI will provide a platform to connect and work together on the mental health issues in the county, which she states are in need of urgent action.
After coming on board in 2022 and completing her self-directed 100day journey across the Santa Barbara and Central Coast communities, she assessed a need for a joint effort between the mental health needs of the area and the education, training and employment of the PGI students. With that, she created the Pacifica SOUL Promise Initiative.
The statistics that require urgent action, according to Mattison, include the following: “In California, nearly 1 in 20 adults experience serious mental illness each year, affecting over 1.24 million people. Among our youth, 1 in 6 are diagnosed with a mental health disorder annually. Despite these staggering numbers, our mental health workforce is dwindling.
“With nearly 45% of psychiatrists and 37% of psychologists nearing retirement, the California Health Care Foundation warns of a shortfall of nearly 20,000 mental health professionals by 2025. Here in Santa Barbara County, we’ve seen a 35% surge in emergency room visits for mental health issues over the past two years.”
PGI plans to address the mental health issue of increasing need and decreasing practitioners available to render proper care. The Pacifica SOUL Promise Initiative includes developing 1,500 diverse depth psychological practitioners over the next 10 years, individuals trained to meet the SB community’s diverse mental health needs.
In addition, the practitioners will come from underserved communities themselves to bring a deep understanding of the cultural and societal factors that shape mental health in that environment. Mattison explained that PGI is seeking to create community partnerships with leadership, faculty, students, alums, employers, providers, and community organizations to work together to make a lasting impact.
To join and find out about all PGI events, check the 411.
411: https://extension.pacifica.edu/
Dr. Leonie H. Mattison, president and CEO of Pacifica Graduate Institute
Real Estate
by Mark Ashton Hunt
Dear
Faithful Reader,
I do hope you have enjoyed a joyous summer and are ready for the fall, as we head into this next season in our lovely enclave of Montecito.
Although it is still summer on the tail end, the on-again, off-again love affair our area has with coastal low clouds and fog seems to stretch out month after month nowadays. First I believe there was May Grey, then June Gloom, recently we discovered No Sky July (also called, Cry in July), and now we have had a bit of Fog-ust. This writer is counting on clear and lovely days in fall, also known as the secret summer for local residents.
The Montecito Summer social season that is wrapping up has seen some wonderful community bonding gatherings. From the 4th of July festivities (the firefighters’ pancake breakfast, parade, post party) to the Coast Village Road events for shopping, and even a day for doggies. The Rosewood at Miramar’s continued community engagement on the 4th, and the recent Best in Show doggy competition event (that was so well set-up and operated I can’t even begin…), and so much more.
In looking at our Real Estate market in Montecito’s 93108, sales for the summer were a mix of wow and whoa, what? From the earlier months and multiple more than $10mil sales in Montecito each month to now, only a few weeks ago, when the pending (in escrow) sales in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) numbered just two. That’s right, only two homes were in escrow in Montecito in early August. Normal in the sales pipeline would be eight to 12 or more in escrow at any time. Then, over the course of a few days, another 10 homes went into escrow in all price ranges. We will see what closes and for how much as the weeks go on.
In general, this summer has been similar to last summer in terms of sales numbers and prices. While some homes are not getting their full ask, and Sellers may wonder if they missed the peak, I offer that we are still seeing high sales prices, regardless if there was a price reduction from the original high ask. Montecito’s 93108 has seen 25 sales between June 1 to Aug. 24, down a few from last year, and certainly down from previous years considerably. We had six sales above $10mil so far this summer, and a few condos and starter homes sold in that rarely available price range of under $3mil, but the prime center of the market seems to be the $5mil to $8million range.
As I prepared this article on the $7million market, I asked myself, is seven the new eight? Million, that is? Is what was $8million or more just a season ago now in the $7s? At this moment, it may seem so. Of the half-dozen or more homes on the market in the $7s right now, more than half have been reduced in price from at or above $8million. So, does this mean yesterday’s $7s are now in the $6s and so on? Maybe.
Here are four homes on the market in the $7s, of which a couple of them started in the $8s or higher. Enjoy the last weeks of summer, and remember to keep Montecito friendly.
2267 Featherhill Road –
$7,450,000
This traditional Mediterranean home was built in 2002 and is set on just under an acre in the romantic Romero Canyon neighborhood in East Montecito, within the Montecito Union School District. An impressive approach leads to the palm
Please contact me directly MARK ASHTON HUNT Call/Text Mark @ 805-698-2174
founding One805 board member will also perform. Legendary blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa, whose records include 27 No. 1 Billboard blues albums, also makes his One805LIVE! Debut.
Also newly joining the One805LIVE! roster are Scottish singer-songwriter Al Stewart, best known for his 1976 hit single “Year of the Cat” (which was produced by Parsons), as well as Grammy-
winning songwriter and singer Richard Marx, whose first seven singles reached the Top 5 on the Billboard charts, including “Right Here Waiting.” Rounding out the luminous lineup are Nashville veteran Alyssa Bonagura and newcomer Jordan Asher Huffman, whose single “Out Loud” serves as this year’s anthem for all One805LIVE! Events. Local band Plastic Harpoons will spearhead their own performance.
“What we are delivering is an experience that’s very, very different from what you might see anywhere else in town,” said Richard Weston-Smith , One805 co-founder and CEO. “That combination of artists and styles of music and variety, plus support from the orchestra – all in one evening – is just absolutely without equal. And it represents all the different people in our community, which is what the first responders are all about.”
That diversity extends all the way to the participation of the Santa Barbara Symphony, who will appear live on stage behind several of the acts throughout the concert, a first for One805LIVE! and in fact for any rock concert in town ever, save for the symphony’s ice-breaking collaboration with the Doublewide Kings at
the Granada last November. It’s quite a coup and an extraordinary addition, one that Parsons is particularly proud of.
“We’re so pleased to have the symphony involved,” said Parsons, who of course has worked with orchestration on records as well as live throughout his career. He’ll have the 25-member contingent of the Symphony supporting his selection of hits including “Eye in the Sky” and “Games People Play.” The ensemble will also play behind Stewart’s “Cat,” Marx’s “Right Here Waiting,” and several others.
“It’s really exciting to have an orchestra on stage with you. By all accounts, they’re excited to be doing this show, too.”
Tom Brooks, who is Parsons’ keyboardist and music director, will conduct the orchestra as well as sit in with the regular members of Loggins’ band, who are serving as the house musicians for the whole show.
Meanwhile, among other celebrities expected to attend are newish Montecito resident Cameron Diaz, long-timer Rob Lowe and Montecitan-before-ThomasFire Jeff Bridges.
But One805LIVE! isn’t just about rock stars and movie heroes. It’s about once again filling the nonprofit’s coffers so that the first responders are ready and able to confront whatever Mother Nature has in store for us next.
“We’re still buying vital equipment and expanding our mental wellness programs beyond just the firefighters, things that are not provided from their own budgets,” Weston-Smith said. “That takes a lot of funding to make sure we can support three years ahead, because it’s too important to fail. And what’s new is we’re building up a war chest, so that if the (bleep) hits the fan again in Santa Barbara – a fire, a mudslide, a major earthquake or tsunami, or anything else – we have a big enough reserve that we can immediately respond and throw
money where it’s most needed by our first responders. Nobody else is doing that, either.”
Lessons learned for One805LIVE!
As fun as it was, last year’s One805LIVE! had some serious issues with exiting (or “egress” to use the technical term) after the concert was over – a rough ending to a great event, as people were virtually trapped in a narrow corridor waiting to exit. The nonprofit issued an apology shortly after the event, and, more importantly, has made some major changes to ensure a safer and more comfortable experience for concertgoers.
“We’ve added a second gate for entry and exit thanks to Kevin Costner’s generosity, and we’ve got more buses to get people back to their cars more efficiently,” Weston-Smith said. “There’s more lighting and better barricades, and we’ve hired expert security consultants from L.A. who deal with stadium crowd control, who have come up with a full plan on how to get everybody out of there much more easily. We have cleaned that up really well.”
Other changes to improve the experience for guests include fewer cabanas closer to the stage, with all obstructions to the view removed. Food service will be dramatically improved, and the original “VIP Club” layout from 2022 is returning, with the VIP tent and club-style lounge seating, as well as tables at various price points.
The adjustments serve to underscore that the cause is the main concern for One805, who are not professional concert promoters but rather a small group of local folks who are perennially grateful for our First Responders.
“We’re still learning. We just have to fix our problems each year and get better at it,” Weston-Smith said. “We think we’ve got it dialed in now.”
Al Stewart (Year of the Cat) will serve up his literate and unforgettable songs
Non-touring semi-retiree and local lovebird Kenny Loggins will take the hometown stage
PLACES TO LIVE. PLACES TO LOVE.
The Way It Was Carnegie Slept Here
by Hattie Beresford
In early 1910, the local newspapers were abuzz and the paparazzi were sharpening their pencils in anticipation of the arrival of the great philanthropist and Steel King, Andrew Carnegie, in Santa Barbara. Carnegie had left Pittsburgh on February 15 in the company of his wife Louise, daughter Margaret, his associate Charles Lewis Taylor, and four servants. Taylor, the president of the Carnegie Hero Fund, had been wintering in Santa Barbara since 1900 and his glowing descriptions of the healthful resort town piqued Carnegie’s curiosity. He determined to visit.
Their journey did not have an auspicious beginning. While Carnegie and entourage were preparing for dinner in the private car “Olivette,” an incoming train struck the car. The passengers were thrown to the floor and several sustained painful cuts and bruises, according to a United Press report that ran nationwide. Nevertheless, the train was able to depart for Chicago where the “Olivette” was transferred to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe line.
As the locomotive sped west over the next few days, journalists were disappointed that Carnegie did not make any appearances at train stops. Rather, he remained aboard the “Olivette” with the shades drawn. Most towns didn’t know they’d been “visited” by the great man until the station masters reported the
train’s passing. The people of Henrietta, Missouri, were especially excited that he had streaked by.
With nothing immediate to report on the four days it took the Carnegie party to travel to Santa Barbara, national journalists resorted to background stories about the rise of Carnegie’s steel empire, his political views, and the beneficence of his philanthropy, especially the community libraries.
In Santa Barbara
When the Southern Pacific train from Los Angeles pulled into Santa Barbara station on February 18, the kilted members of the year-old Caledonian Club greeted Carnegie with bagpipes and roses. The excited crowd of several hundred pressed close to the debarking party,
but Piper Robert Calder cleared a path for the Carnegies and swept the crowd aside while playing “The Campbells Are Coming.” Carnegie accepted roses from a wee lass and expressed his thanks to the Caledonians before departing in a waiting carriage as Cesar La Monaca’s band played “The Blue Bells of Scotland.” At the Potter Hotel, the Carnegie party went straight to their suite of rooms on the fourth floor and were served
Andrew Carnegie (photo courtesy of Library of Congress)
After he retired, Carnegie’s goal was to spend his fortune for the public good. In his Gospel of Wealth he wrote, “The man who thus dies rich, dies disgraced.” (photo via Wikimedia)
From left: Charles Lewis Taylor, Andrew Carnegie, daughter Margaret, and wife Louise on the rail platform in Chicago in 1910 (photo courtesy of Library of Congress)
The Santa Barbara train station in 1910 (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
Cesar La Monaca’s band played “The Blue Bells of Scotland” as the Carnegie party debarked at the Santa Barbara depot (photo courtesy Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
The Santa Barbara Caledonian Club was born on Robert Burn’s birthday on ane braw nicht in 1909, which was celebrated by 200 Scots descendants at a dinner of haggis and the dancing of Scottish reels and the music of bagpipes
Automobile excursions through Montecito found him especially impressed with Charles Frederick Eaton’s
Way It Was Page 384
dinner in the sitting room of the tower. Carnegie made it known that he was to be left strictly alone. He quickly settled into a routine of a morning stroll around the Potter grounds and along the beach. Afternoons were reserved for excursions in a Pierce Arrow, which had been reserved for him, or just relaxing at the hotel. Evenings were spent in the lobby or smaller rooms off the hall where he chatted with friends or enjoyed a quiet game of cards. One evening, however, he came down to the lobby to listen to La Monaca’s band, which again played “Blue Bells of Scotland” in his honor. Eventually small entertainments were added to the pattern of his days.
Carnegie was whisked away to the Potter Hotel, which stood across from West Beach. Seen here in a circa 1910 postcard, West Cabrillo Boulevard had been planted with palms, streetcar rails ran its length and horse and buggies mingled with early automobiles
Charles Frederick Eaton’s Montecito estate of Riso Rivo delighted Carnegie with its charm and landscaping (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
Despite news reports to the contrary, Carnegie did not play golf in Santa Barbara even though he was a devotee of the sport. He did tour Hope Ranch and the Potter Country Club, and he had lunch on the veranda of the clubhouse, seen in the background. (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
The Golden Gala
Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation
Annual Gold Gala Announcement
by Joanne A Calitri
The Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF) has announced its annual major fundraiser, The Golden Gala, to take place Oct. 5 at a private Montecito estate. Tickets are selling fast and maxed at 300 attendees, and sponsorships are available on the TBCF website.
The Gala marks their capstone event following National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September. The TBCF is inviting the community to participate in the campaign in any way they can, from wearing a gold ribbon pin, volunteering, making a donation, hosting a fundraiser, and attending the gala.
The Golden Gala co-chairs are Jamie Hansen, Giana Miller, and Angel Speier, lovely ladies who hold top-tier positions in our town. Hansen is a relationship manager at Pacific Premier Bank and serves on the TBCF Board. This is her second year as gala co-chair. Miller is an aesthetician at Montecito Med Spa and is the mother of a son who overcame leukemia. Now a healthy 9-year-old, Henry inspires the Miller family to give back by donating their time and resources to the organization that supported them through their journey. Speier is a real estate agent with Village Properties, is part of the Crawford Speier Group, and known for her extensive volunteer work with many local organizations.
Events director; Brittany Avila Wazny, MBA Senior Development director; and Taylor Fuller, Esq. Golden Gala Committee and board member.
Stuart briefed this year it was decided not to have a theme for the gala, to keep the focus on the TBCF and the work that it does. Gold is the color theme representing pediatric cancer awareness. Their fundraising goal is $458,000, from which 80% will support their programs to provide critical support for local families battling pediatric cancer, and to serve all families in the tri-counties battling pediatric cancer without a waiting list. Stuart and Wazny were most pleased to add that TBCF programs are approved to extend through 18- to 21-year-olds, provided they are treated on a pediatric protocol, which is common.
MJ: What are the top notes of this year’s gala?
The Gala Event Committee is Brittany Arntz, Taylor Fuller, Sheela Hunt, Kerry Kelly, Terre Lapman, Gary Lapman, Debbie Neer, Stacey Polo, Susannah Rao, Lisa Solana, Brigitte Welty, and Ely Wolfe.
To find out more about the gala, I met with Kirsten Stuart, Communications &
TBCF: The Golden Gala is more than just a beautiful event; it is a meaningful celebration of what our community can do when we gather to support local families in crisis. Guided by our mission, every aspect of the Gala, from selecting honorees to selecting TBCF families as vendors, is centered on the families we serve. They are our North Star. At this year’s gala, a classical pianist and TBCF mother whose son lost his battle with pediatric cancer will participate by playing piano and allowing us to share a part of their journey. The emcee is Andrew Firestone. Live auction items include a Platinum Package to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival; a Los Angeles getaway, including Los Angeles Lakers and Disney Land tickets; a week in Lake Tahoe; a week in a Cape Cod home; a trip to France; and a painting by local Carpinteria artist Chris Gocong
How was Brittany Rice chosen for the Humanitarian Award?
Through her personal journey with pediatric cancer, Brittany Rice has
transformed her experience into a lifelong commitment to giving back. She has served on TBCF event committees, hosted fundraisers, and provided delicious cuisine for our supporters and families. In addition to her role as winemaker at Sunstone Winery, Brittany is also a chef who passionately believes in the power of healthy eating as a form of medicine. Inspired by Brittany’s dedication, as well as our mission, Sunstone Winery owners Teddy and Djamila Cabugos have generously partnered with TBCF, supporting us through sponsorships, fundraising, holiday toy drives, and donations of premium wines.
How was Danny Molina chosen for the Pay It Forward Award?
Choosing Danny Molina was easy. During his niece’s cancer journey, Danny was so inspired by the support provided to his niece and sister’s family that he enthusiastically rallied his network of friends and colleagues to raise funds in support of TBCF’s mission through a large motorcycle and car show. He’s continued these shows in various locations, bringing new friends and communities to our organization. He is constantly advocating for our cause and networking on our behalf wherever he goes, even going live on radio interviews to spread word about our programs. In addition to becoming a friend to the TBCF staff, he extended his support to other families undergoing treatment, embodying the true spirit of community and compassion.
The Golden Gala’s presenting sponsor is Earl Minnis, with a Gold Champion Sponsorship provided by Michael & Kathy McCarthy of Nurture Foundation.
TBCF Golden Gala co-chair Angel Speier (Courtesy of TBCF)
Kirsten Stuart, Brittany Avila Wazny MBA and Taylor Fuller, Esq. (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
TBCF Golden Gala co-chair Jamie Hansen (Courtesy of TBCF)
TBCF Golden Gala co-chair Giana Miller (Courtesy of TBCF)
On Entertainment Towering Obsession: Cooper’s Water Tank Wonders Back on Tour
by Steven Libowitz
You won’t see any water towers rising above buildings in painter Sophie Cooper’s Montecito neighborhood on East Mountain Drive near Westmont College, nor anywhere in Montecito for that matter. But you will find paintings of scores of antiquated wooden tanks – which New York City required of all buildings higher than six stories starting in the 19th century – hanging on the walls of Cooper’s art studio this Labor Day weekend, when the space will be open to the public as part of the 23rd annual Santa Barbara Studio Artists (SBSA) Open Studios Tour.
Cooper has been featuring at least one water tank atop high-rise buildings in the city in all of her urban landscape works for more than a decade. Over the years, the structures have become an unlikely focus for the oil painter, who regularly exhibits at 10 West Gallery downtown.
It wasn’t always that way.
Cooper grew up in the French Alps, and for many years she dedicated her time to plein air landscapes of the mountain scenery and, later, the Southern California coast. Her transition to scenes dominated by architectural structures began with her series of Southern California piers, including the one at Goleta Beach, as she found herself drawn to the juxtaposition of angular man-made lines amid the ocean vastness.
“But then I needed a change,” Cooper recalled. “I was just stuck.”
A visit to New York City to get her daughter settled in college proved just the ticket.
the top floors of the buildings receive water pressure just as those closer to the ground do. They continue to captivate her imagination just as they do for fans of her work.
“I’m still obsessed with them,” she said. “People are asking me when I will change my subject again. But I am just not ready. There’s still so much to explore.”
Cooper will be participating in the SBSA tour for the first time since 2019, as the pandemic, travel, and construction at her house kept her away for half a decade. But she’s excited to once again welcome visitors to her home studio.
“I really enjoy it,” she said, “It feels very special.”
Tour attendees will be able to see a number of examples from the Water Tank series both on the walls and in a bin, but may also take a look at one the artist has just begun to work on.
“They can see how I start my paintings, working from the photographs I take on my annual visit to New York,” she explained. “I start with painting in acrylic before covering the base coat with oil.”
Gleason (plein air landscapes), Laurie MacMillan (abstract oils) and Francis Scorzelli (contemporary abstracts). New SBSA members participating in the tour include Anne Anderson (landscapes), Sophia Beccue (abstract in acrylic mixed media and watercolor), Kathy Leader (mixed media), Veronica Walmsley (assemblage, collage, and paintings) and Brian Woolford (oil paintings on recycled canvas and tissue paper).
The opening reception on Friday, Aug. 30, at the Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden St., features a single work from each of the artists and tour maps to help plan your visits.
“As soon as I saw my first water tank, I knew that was my new subject,” Cooper said. “I was completely pulled by the often big, round structures sitting on top of these little stands. It’s a very old technology and they look obsolete, but they’re actually still used nowadays, even on top of contemporary buildings. I love the contrast of the round form and the solid buildings below them that are made of metal or steel.”
Cooper’s paintings are immediately recognizable, with each featuring at least one water tower, often dominating the scene or a tiny item off in the distance. What’s remarkable is that despite their similarities, each work has its own personality and a sense of rhythm or energy that sets it apart, often evoking a sense of longing and even awe. She’s painted hundreds of them by now, but her fascination with the structures hasn’t waned, just as the tanks exist to make sure residents of
Cooper said she is happy to discuss her process with visitors, which was a revelation to the artist when she first joined SBSA and participated in her first open studios tour.
“I was surprised because I was a bit nervous about it, but it was a lot of fun to share with people who are really interested and enjoy learning. And being on the tour also means I have to get organized in my studio, which is a good thing to do.”
The SBSA’s annual Open Studios Tour is the oldest such event on the Central Coast, and the self-guided event boasts 24 artists located downtown, in the Funk Zone, the foothills, along the coast and out in Goleta. Featured artists for the 2024 tour include Montecito residents Joan Rosenberg-Dent , an abstract porcelain sculptor, and landscape oil painter Dorene White, plus Misa Art (metal, wood, acrylic), Stan Evenson (pop realism paintings), Kevin
SBSA donates a portion of tour ticket sales to a local nonprofit. This year’s beneficiary is the Grace Fisher Foundation, founded by its namesake who as a high school senior suddenly became paralyzed from the neck down by acute flaccid myelitis. Fisher credits the music therapy and adaptive art she undertook as part of her rehabilitation with helping her heal her mind and soul. Her foundation’s mission is to connect people living with disabilities to music, art, dance, and other forms of artistic expression through programs such as the Inclusive Arts Clubhouse in La Cumbre Plaza.
Visit www.SantaBarbaraStudioArtists.com for tickets and more details.
PCPA presents The Agitators
Pacific Conservatory Theatre’s Solvang Festival Theatre season comes to a close with The Agitators, a powerful twohander about two titans of America’s troubled history that runs for just 10 days, Aug. 29-Sept. 8. Focusing as much on the friendship between Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony over the course of five decades as their tireless activism toward abolition and equal rights, the play moves from their meeting in Rochester in the 1840s when quests for freedom and equality collided over the 15th Amendment, which gave black men the right to vote, but not women. The play explores both the human side of the cultural icons’ alliance and the adversarial tension as they try to make change in the world.
Prior to The Agitators’ world premiere in Alabama in early 2020 – before George Floyd’s murder spurred the Black Lives Matter movement and before #MeToo crystallized with Harvey Weinstein’s conviction – playwright Mat Smart shared about the piece’s timing. “What scares me most about the political environment now is how it feels like there are two sides, and we’re not talking to
Tanks a lot: Sophie Cooper, whose paintings spotlight water tanks, brushes up at the annual Santa Barbara Studio Artists Open Studios Tour
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Oct 12
Aida Cuevas, Oct 20
Yotam Ottolenghi, Oct 14
Circa, Humans 2.0, Apr 8 Mavis Staples and The War and Treaty, Oct 8
Snarky Puppy, Oct 1
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, Nov 2
one another,” he said. “The distance between people in this country seems to be growing greater and greater. And something that is so inspiring to me about Susan and Frederick was their ability to have a healthy, hard dialogue with the people they disagreed with, the people who hated them.”
In September 2020, PCPA kicked off its virtual InterPlay series with The Agitators The Solvang shows extend PCPA’s area premiere of the play with a production that stars Polly Firestone Walker as Anthony and Cordell Cole as Douglass, helmed by PCPA artistic director and Dean Mark Booher. Visit www.pcpa.org.
“African Queens” jump-starts MAW series
The Music Academy of the West third Mariposa Concert Series, concerts and performances – each with a connection to at least one MAW alum – at Hahn Hall on the Miraflores campus is presenting its most ambitious season yet. The array of visionary artists, with a repertoire that spans more than 700 years, most assuredly furthers MAW’s mission to expand beyond the summer festival and bring exceptional music to the community throughout the year.
The 2024-25 series launches Oct. 5 with “African Queens,” an evening-length vocal recital by soprano Karen Slack and pianist Kevin Miller of new art songs celebrating the history and legacy of seven actual African queens, weaving a historical narrative through the pieces written by some of today’s most acclaimed composers, including three recent Music Academy guest composers in Jessie Montgomery, Carlos Simon and Joel Thompson. The highly prized contemporary music specialist JACK Quartet, who played multiple concerts at the Ojai Festival a couple of years back, is next on Dec. 7. The ensemble founded by Music Academy alum Ari Streisfeld will present “Modern Medieval,” a program exploring the work of long-past European composers through the lens of contemporary American composers.
Feb. 17, 2025, brings a chamber program performed by members of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) collaborating with celebrated Music Academy Exchange (MAX) alums, continuing the LSO & MAW six-year partnership. The event precedes the LSO’s concert for CAMA the next night at the Granada.
The Mariposa series closes on March 10 with yMusic , the American chamber ensemble that features MAW trumpet alum CJ Camerieri in a continuation of its collaboration with California composer Gabriella Smith , including a world premiere piece inviting commune with the fragile beauty of the natural world.
Tickets go on sale Sept. 4. Visit www. MusicAcademy.org.
Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage
Cordell Cole and Polly Firestone Walker star in The Agitators (photo by Luis Escobar, Reflections Photography Studio)
Dog Days of Summer
And the Winners Are...
by Ella Catalfimo and Beth Sullivan
The Dog Days of Summer photo contest held in celebration of National Dog Day has come to a delightful conclusion, and the results are in!
Hosted by Montecito Journal and Coast Village Association, sponsored by Rosewood Miramar Beach and Village Properties, this event transformed Coast Village Road into a dog lover’s paradise on Aug. 10. The atmosphere was filled with wagging tails, joyful barks, and smiles on all the humans and posh pups! Dogs of all shapes and sizes enjoyed treats, photo opportunities and the company of their fellow canine enthusiasts.
After much anticipation, the winners of the photo contest have been chosen. It was such a difficult decision with more than 100 entries. We applaud these paw-some pups who captured the hearts of both the judges and the crowd!
A big “thank you” to everyone who participated in the contest and to those who came out to celebrate National Dog Day with us. The Dog Days of Summer event was a “paws up” success, filled with laughter, joy and unforgettable memories with our furry friends. We look forward to seeing you and your pups at next year’s celebration!
1
W2
1
Top Dog’s Pick (Editor’s Choice): Sadie
S adie stole the show with her charming photo, landing the coveted title of “Top Dog’s Pick.” Her playful spirit and undeniable cuteness won over the Montecito Journal team, securing her humans’ a luxurious dinner for two at Caruso’s, complete with wine pairings. Congratulations to this top dog for her fur-tastic win!
Breed: King Charles Cavalier Spaniel
Birthplace: Los Angeles
Favorite place to walk and sniff: Butterfly Beach and Shoreline
Favorite treat/toy: Lambie, Squirrel, Poke Pony
Favorite activity: Following her mom around and sitting on top of pillows, going to the beach
What does the owner have to say about their dog?
“She is perfect, loyal – the sweetest that loves kids, treats, and road trips.”
Breed: French Bulldog
Birthplace: Ventura
ith the popular vote, Tabitha Tigglesworth was named the “Crowd’s Best in Show.” Tabitha’s fans rallied to show their support, earning her human the $500 prize. Her photo clearly struck a chord with the crowd. Well done, Tabitha!
Favorite place to walk and sniff: Anywhere she can see and be seen; Tabitha is the quintessential social butterfly.
Favorite treat/toy: Tabitha is an equal opportunity treat connoisseur and considers her “favorite” toy to be whichever one her brother, Barrett, is currently playing with – even if she hasn’t played with it in weeks.
What does the owner have to say about their dog?
R3 Crowd’s Best in Show
Favorite activity: Tabitha’s favorite past-times include: selecting her own toys at Cashy’s Playpen; brunch at Jeannine’s; wine tasting at Margerum; and visiting her favorite clerk, Wesley, at Vons (she refuses to call it Pavilions)
“Generating smiles and a friendly hello wherever we go, Tabitha’s love of people and community mirrors one of my favorite things about our village!”
3 (Fan Favorite): Tabitha Tigglesworth
ounding out the winners are Poppy and Lemon, who took home the title of “Fetch-tastic Finalist.” Their adorable charm and cuteness, earning them a custom portrait of his pup-tacular self. Congratulations Poppy and Lemon winning a beautiful portrait by Lisa Nelms!
Favorite place to walk and sniff: Any beach or our local parks’ wooded trails
Favorite treat/toy: Meat Jerky and soft, super-squeaky toys
Favorite activity: Chasing Lemon around on the beach (Poppy); going on long walks (Lemon)
What does the owner have to say about their dog?
Poppy and Lemon are both incredible sources of joy and energy in our lives. Lemon’s boundless affection and zest for life, combined with Poppy’s sweet and spirited nature, fill our days with so much happiness and laughter. We feel truly fortunate to have them with us.
DOG DAYS OF SUMMER
“Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost tradition.” – Jacques Barzun
Elizabeth’s Appraisals
Hockney
1984 Olympics Poster
by Elizabeth Stewart
The importance of art to the Olympics cannot be overstated. A case in point is TM’s poster of a coveted, historic, iconic image from the 1984 Olympics, a swimmer under the ripples of the water by David Hockney (born 1937), printed in a limited edition of 750. A poster can be valuable: in this case it certainly is. After the final day of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the publisher destroyed all but 250 of these Hockey posters.
TM’s is hand signed, but it does have some water damage to the bottom. He wondered what it could be worth in the present condition, and also questioned if it will increase in value as we near the next Olympics in Los Angeles. About this creation, David Hockney wrote: “Water, in swimming pools, changes its look more than any other form. If the water surface is still, and there’s a strong sun, the dancing lines of the color of the spectrum appear everywhere.” The original poster is an offset lithograph at 36” x 24” printed on Parsons Diploma Parchment
Paper. The poster, when purchased in 1984, included a Certificate of Authenticity from the Olympic Committee.
In 1984, the Olympic committee commissioned 15 artists from California to produce artwork that was used on lithographic
posters featuring various sports. About their choice of 15 posters by 15 California artists, the Olympic committee wrote: “The posters commissioned for the 1984 Olympics contained an enlightened selection of the best American artists with an emphasis of those who work in Southern California.”
But nothing produced in that year, in my opinion, compares to Hockney’s portrayal of a swimmer under those fabulous rippling waves. Hockney superimposes a grid system framed in 12 segments. The Hockney poster was published by Knapp Communications Inc., and printed by Lana Lithograph, Inc. There’s so much dynamism and excitement in this official poster!
To have chosen the controversial artist David Hockney to create this 1984 poster was a landmark, because Hockney was a key figure in the often-maligned British Pop Art movement. He represented America in this work because he had moved to Los Angeles in 1964. Those familiar with his work know that the pool in his backyard in Los Angeles was often a theme, as was his beloved Dachshund Boogie. David Hockney is an English painter, draftsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer. As one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century, he is known for painting landscapes, still life, portraits, architecture with swimming pools, and his dog. He also produced stage designs for the Royal Court Theatre, Glyndebourne, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Hockney’s Swimmer was created for the summer Olympics. Contingent on a near-perfect condition, the artist-signed poster sells for $3,000-4,000, and unsigned for $1,500-2,000. The water damage on RD’s poster is significant enough that I believe the poster might sell for $1000 or perhaps slightly less. A similarly themed Hockney poster was created for the 1972 Summer Olympics; The Diver featured Hockey’s distinctive rippling, reflective water. Hockney created a very different 1984 Winter Olympic Games poster for the competition held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. This work is collage of separate pieces, a photo montage of one subject – a spinning
male figure skater. Hockney’s rendering of movement is achieved through the patchwork of photographic images, which show several simultaneous angles of the skater’s spin at a glance. This poster was published by Visconti Art Lazo Vujic, who also commissioned artists of the stature of Twombly and Warhol for the 1972 games.
David Hockney’s work is in distinguished public collections including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; the Art Institute of Chicago; the National Portrait Gallery, London; The Tate Gallery, London; the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; the Museum of Modern Art, Vienna; the Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. He currently lives and works in Normandy, France. His achievements include the First Annual Award for the Archives of American Art, he is listed on the Board of Trustees of the American Associates of the Royal Academy of Art Trusts, NYC., and he was elected to the National Arts Association Los Angeles, and the Lorenzo de Medici Lifetime Career Award.
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
By Heidi Schreck | Directed by Matt Hawkins
David Hockney’s Swimmer was created for the 1984 summer Olympics
Erin Graffy, Anne Towbes, Jennifer Smith, George Leis, Hiroko Benko, and David and Louise Borgatello
All too beastly for words...
Polo Plaudits
The battleground is now set after a closely fought quarter final game in the biggest polo tournament on the Left
Schuyler Gray, board Chair Derek Shue, and Rich, Carter, and Tracy Block
Palmer’s Antelope won a real squeaker against real estate investor-designer Ben Soleimani’s Carbenella players, who led the match from the first minute.
Coast, the NetJets Pacific Coast Open on Sunday.
Billionaire film producer Sarah Magness’ Bentley Estates team beat Santa Barbara developer Justin Klentner ’s Klentner Ranch 11-8, while Grant
Antelope polo player Grant Palmer, flanked by Cottage Children’s Medical Center doctors Bishop and Tuso with nurses, celebrate Rene McMurray’s birthday and their win (photo by Priscilla)
In the final chukker, it was all square at 7-7 until Antelope delivered the death blow with a last-minute goal, making the score 8-7.
Between 3,000 and 4,000 spectators are expected to pack the stands and cabanas, not to mention tailgaters, at the Santa Barbara Polo Club’s hallowed Holden Field, where the impressive goldand-silver, 5-foot trophy will be awarded.
Blue Moon Swoon
The lunar-tics were out in force when bubbly Brenda Blalock and Alan Porter hosted 70 friends on a two-hour cruise on the 70-foot cruiser Azure Seas from Stearns Wharf.
The occasion was a rare, blue super moon, a four-time-a-year occasion when the planet is closest to Earth due to its elliptical orbit.
Among those putting the naughty into nautical were Terry and Kelley Pillow, Howard Cannon, Richard and Annette Caleel, Hayim Abulafia, Dana Hansen, Victoria Hines, Brian Jacobson and
Cate Wilkins, Della Cook, Maryanne Brillhart, and John Bridgewater We were all in the right orbit, at least socially!
Pearl Unfurled
Mega restaurateur Sherry Villanueva, founder of Acme Hospitality which owns The Lark and Loquita in the Funk Zone, has added another spot, The Pearl Social Cocktail Club – just a tiara’s toss away –and 100 guests turned out to celebrate the lustrous occasion.
Miscellany Page 364
Dana Hansen, Peter Wright, Kenya Ambassador April Sutton, and ShelterBox USA
representative Jenna Garver (photo by Priscilla)
John Bridgewater, host Alan Porter, Howard Cannon, Nick Sebastian, and Buck Brillhart (photo by Priscilla)
Mary Lou Mankowski, Kathy Sweeney, John Bridgewater, “Royal” Richard Mineards, Tara Ball, Susanna Menelli, Buck Brillhart, Jeff Menelli, and Mary Ann Brillhart (photo by Priscilla)
Heather
(photo by Nik Blaskovich)
Halftime break and wanting to take the win are Antelope Polo Team: Grant Palmer, Lucas Escobar, Felipe Vercellino, and Leon Schwencke (photo by Priscilla)
Paul Delagnes, Rosewood Miramar Chef Shibani Mone, and Gilbert Delagnes with congratulations to Antelope Polo Team (photo by Priscilla)
Howard Cannon, Alan Porter, Kelley Pillow, and Brenda Blalock (photo by Priscilla)
On the upper deck, Kelley and Terry Pillow catch the sun and sea breeze (photo by Priscilla)
Our Town SB Eastside News: Ortega Park Revitalization Project Updates
by Joanne A Calitri
The SB Eastside 9.5 acres Ortega Park located next to Santa Barbara Junior High School at 640 Salsipuedes Street, is awaiting funding to proceed with a revitalization plan. Current data shows funding from the City of SB at $1,390,000 and a Community Development Block Grant at $146,690. The amount for construction of the current site plan is estimated at $20 million.
Established in 1930, Ortega Park is known as a cultural and social hub for SB Eastside. According to the SB Parks & Rec department website, “In June of 2018, after ongoing community requests to see the park revitalized for local families, the City of Santa Barbara began outreach to understand the community’s vision for the future of Ortega Park.”
The proposed improvements include public art with an area dedicated to preserving its historic murals; aquatic facilities for wading, lap pools and waterslide; a multiwheel park for skateboards, scooters, roller skates, rollerblades and bicycles; a multisports field for soccer, baseball, rugby and lacrosse; a community plaza gathering spot with children play structures; and climate resilience built into it.
I reached out to Jill Zachary Parks and Recreation director, City of Santa Barbara; Justin Van Mullen, Capital Projects supervisor for Project Management Team at City of Santa Barbara Parks & Recreation Dept.; Sean Stewart Park Project planner; Monique O’Connor Associate Park planner; and Kevin Strasburg Project engineer, for a status update on the project. Zachary replied via email.
MJ: Where is the project as of August/September 2024?
Zachary: Our design team is completing the final plans and construction specifications so that we can submit the proposed project to the Community Development and Public Works departments for the building permit. We’re on track through item 4 in the timeline: 1. June 2018 - September 2021: Community outreach and plan development
2. September 2021: Project approval at Planning Commission
3. January 2022 - June 2023: Project design finalized
4. July 2023 - December 2024: Construction documents finalized, building permits
The timeline on our web page indicated that it is “Pending Funding.” We are on track through Number 4. Since the project is not yet funded, we do not have a revised timeline. The site plan on our website can be downloaded and saved as a PDF, dated November 2022.
Any neighborhood committee meetings scheduled?
We currently do not have any neighborhood meetings scheduled. Additional outreach will occur once the final plans are complete, and we have the funding to advance the project to construction. We do not have funding for construction in place and therefore cannot speak to when the revitalization project will begin.
For the Ortega Park Steering Committee, I contacted Andi Garcia , its volunteer organizer and co-lead. She informed that they are a group of four volunteers working on the project. At the time of this report, they declined to comment on the park updates.
Joanne A Calitri is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@ yahoo.com
SB Eastside Ortega Park Site Plan as of July 2022 (courtesy of SB Parks & Recreation)
2347 East Valley Road – $7,995,000
tree entry. Once inside, the interior spaces blend warmth and sophistication with architectural details, while the expansive outdoor spaces provide endless relaxing, dining, and entertaining options.
A main feature of this home is the dual primary suite configuration, with a main-floor primary suite and an ocean-view primary sanctuary upstairs. The residence includes an additional four bedrooms, a richly appointed wood-paneled office, formal living room and dining room, alongside an inviting family room, ensuring ample space for both relaxation and entertainment. Additionally, there is a one-bedroom guest house, with full kitchen, living area, and large private patio offering an ideal retreat for guests or potential for further customization.
680 Cowles Road – $7,495,000
Nestled on one of Montecito’s scenic ridges, just a block from Cold Spring School yet private in the hills, find Villa Cortina, with breathtaking views of the mountains and/or ocean from nearly every room. Crafted by renowned architect Donald Sharpe and meticulously updated, the expansive living room with its inviting French doors opens onto a sheltered patio ideal for relaxation. A chef’s kitchen features custom cabinetry and premium appliances, while the primary suite is a retreat of its own, offering a sitting area with a cozy fireplace and picturesque views.
The property is designed for outdoor living with meandering pathways leading to an approximately 45-foot swimming pool, a putting green, fruit tree orchard, and tranquil oak groves. True to its Andalusian inspiration, Villa Cortina includes a wine room. There is a secluded guest room and off-street parking for guests as well as a 4-car garage. Conveniently located in West Montecito near Lotusland, just minutes to both Upper and Lower villages in Montecito, or just over the hill and into Santa Barbara.
920 Hot Springs – $7,775,000
Located on one of Montecito’s finest streets in the Golden Quadrangle and within the Montecito Union School District, this chic and charming home is a private, secluded residence, with room for expansion, or the addition of new guest quarters. 920 Hot Springs Road is surrounded by estates valued at more than $10million, and many at more than $20million. The home has been extensively renovated and combines both Mediterranean and modern styles. Flooded with an abundance of natural light with French doors from most rooms, the versatile floor plan offers two or three bedrooms, an office, sitting room, living and dining areas, kitchen, and three bathrooms.
The stone courtyard marries the past with the present. The outside entertaining area features a pool, hot tub, fireplace, multiple trellises and seating areas, all enclosed in gorgeous stone walls, creating the feel of a French or Italian villa. The home and property includes a wine storage room, gated driveway, and a two-car garage. Take full advantage of Montecito’s famous indoor-outdoor living in this unique and desirable property, and enjoy close proximity to the San Ysidro Ranch, Hot Springs hiking trails and Montecito’s upper and lower villages.
This exclusive Montecito home offers over 7,000 square feet of living space, walled and gated for privacy, a pool with grounds and cabana and a unique approach to luxury living, all within the Montecito Union School District. The old-world vibe yet modern design of this estate includes a charming courtyard driveway with an outdoor fireplace as guests arrive. Step into a “wow factor,” formal living room, bathed in natural light with vaulted ceilings, an oversized fireplace and expansive doors that open to a lush, emerald lawn, seamlessly blending indoor & outdoor living.
The adjacent formal dining room features intricate wood-ceiling details and rich upholstered walls, creating a refined & luxurious ambiance. This estate includes five spacious bedrooms & five and a half bathrooms, including a primary suite that includes a generous walk-in closet, bathroom and an adjoining office or sitting room. Designed with entertaining in mind, the home offers a media/game room that opens to a stunning outdoor area, complete with swimming pool, spa & cabana. The home is reminiscent of a five-star resort and comes complete with a rich history and famed provenance.
Mark and his wife, Sheela Hunt, are real estate agents. His family goes back nearly 100 years in Santa Barbara. Mark’s grandparents – Bill and Elsie Hunt – were Santa Barbara real estate brokers for 25 years.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND PENDING ACTION BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO:
WAIVE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON A COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT THAT MAY BE APPEALED TO THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION AND APPROVE, CONDITIONALLY APPROVE, OR DENY THE COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT
This may affect your property. Please read.
Notice is hereby given that an application for the project described below has been submitted to the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department. This project requires the approval and issuance of a Coastal Development Permit by the Planning and Development Department.
The development requested by this application is subject to appeal to the California Coastal Commission following final actio n by Santa Barbara County and therefore a public hearing on the application is normally required prior to any action to approve, conditionally approve or deny the application. However, in compliance with California Coastal Act Section 30624.9, the Director has determined that this project qualifies as minor deve lopment and therefore intends to waive the public hearing requirement unless a written request for such hearing is submitted by an interested party to the Planning and Development Department within the 15 working days following the Date of Notice listed below. All requests for a hearing must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Request for Hearing Expiration Date listed below, to Kathleen Volpi at Planning and Development, 123 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara 931 01-2058, by email at volpik@countyofsb.org, or by fax at (805) 568-2030. If a public hearing is requested, notice of such a hearing will be provided.
WARNING: Failure by a person to request a public hearing may result in the loss of the person’s ability to appeal any action taken by Santa Barbara County on this Coastal Development Permit to the Montecito Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors and ultimately the California Coastal Commission.
If a request for public hearing is not received by 5:00 p.m. on the Request for Hearing Expiration Date listed below, then the Planning and Development Department will act to approve, approve with conditions, or deny the request for a Coastal Development Permit. At this time it is not known when this action may occur; however, this may be the only notice you receive for this project. To receive additional information regarding this project, including the date the Coastal Development Permit is approved, and/or to view the application and plans, or to provide comments on the project, please contact Kathleen Volpi at Planning and Development, 123 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara 93101-2058, or by email at volpik@countyofsb.org, or by phone at (805) 568-2033.
PROPOSAL: RAMSEY SPORTS COURT DECONSTRUCTION
PROJECT ADDRESS: 1104 CHANNEL DR, SANTA BARBARA, CA 931082804 1st SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT
The project is a request for a Coastal Development Permit with Hearing to allow for the deconstruction of an existing unpermitted 34’ x 64’ sports court and the painting of existing hardscape to match existing patio near the gym pavilion. No grading or tree removal is associated with this project. The property is currently developed with an existing single-family dwelling, pool, cabana and gym pavilion.
APPEALS:
The decision of the Director of the Planning and Development Department to approve, conditionally approve, or deny this Coast al Development Permit 24CDH-00006 may be appealed to the Montecito Planning Commission by the applicant or an aggrieved person. The written appeal must be filed within the 10 calendar days following the date that the Director takes action on this Coastal Development Permit. To qualify as an "aggrieved person" the appellant must have, in person or through a representative, informed the Planning and Development Department by appropriate means prior to the decision on the Coastal Development Permit of the nature of their concerns, or, for good cause, was unable to do so.
Written appeals must be filed with the Planning and Development Department at either 123 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, 93101, or 624 West Foster Road, Suite C, Santa Maria, 93455, by 5:00 p.m. within the timeframe identified above. In the event that the last day for filing an appeal falls on a non-business day of the County, the appeal may be timely filed on the next business day.
This Coastal Development Permit may be appealed to the California Coastal Commission after an appellant has exhausted all local appeals, therefore a fee is not required to file an appeal.
For additional information regarding the appeal process, contact Kathleen Volpi. The application required to file an appeal m ay be viewed at or downloaded from: https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/a332eebc-b6b5-4a1e-9dde-4b99ae964af9?cache=1800
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Information about this project review process may also be viewed at: https://ca-santabarbaracounty.civicplus.pro/1499/Planning-Permit-Process-Flow-Chart Board of Architectural Review agendas may be viewed online at: https://www.countyofsb.org/160/Planning-Development
Published August 28, 2024 Montecito Journal
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: Pro Balance, 1054 Palmetto Way, A, Carpinteria, CA 93013. Hortencia Torres, 1054 Palmetto Way, A, Carpinteria, CA 93013. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on August 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. 2024-0002036. Published August 28, September 4, 11, 18, 2024
this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2024-0001927. Published August 28, September 4, 11, 18, 2024
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT:
The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Start My Way, 1445 Harbor View Dr. Apt 115, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Ma Lourdes Cordero, 1445 Harbor View Dr. Apt 115, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on August 12, 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. 2024-0001898. Published August 21, 28, September 4, 11, 2024
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT:
The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PTSD, 2315 White Ave, Santa Barbara, CA 93109. Keld Hove, 2315 White Ave, Santa Barbara, CA 93109. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on June 26, 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. 20240001524. Published August 7, 14, 21, 28, 2024
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Perch Home and Lifestyle, 3558 Sagunto Street, B-1, Santa Ynez, CA 93460. Maureen A Hemming, PO Box 1749,
Santa Ynez, CA 93460. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on August 13, 2024. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that
The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Ocean Love Found, 892 Linden Ave, Carpinteria, CA 93013. Andreas K Gutow, 3600 Harbor BLVD 348, Oxnard, CA 93035; Paul M Garcia, 6375 Lagunitas Ct, Carpinteria, CA 93013. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on August 7, 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. 2024-0001838. Published August 14, 21, 28, September 4, 2024
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 24CV03464. To all interested parties: Petitioner Paul Douglas Seaman filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to Paul Bouchard. The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Filed July 15, 2024 by Preston Frye. Hearing date: August 30, 2024 at 10 am in Dept. 4, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published July 24, 31, August 7, 14, 2024
Brilliant Thoughts
How to Be A Heathen
by Ashleigh Brilliant
It’s not always easy to believe in a particular religion, even – or especially – one you were brought up in. And, from there, it’s not such a big step to disbelieve all the conventional religions. But that doesn’t mean to turn up your nose at them.
After all, religion serves a major role in many people’s lives. It provides answers to questions which otherwise seem unknowable. And, though it has caused many wars – in some of which people on both sides prayed to the same god – it also serves valuable social purposes, such as giving to people who might otherwise feel isolated, places and purposes to gather together and help one another.
Being a heathen doesn’t necessarily mean being an atheist.
I am sorry to have no religion. It must be a great comfort to have some feeling that you know where you came from and where you are going – or at least that somebody somewhere does and is somehow watching over you. Of course, I know that not all religions teach such a message – but they do in some way try to make life in this world easier than it would otherwise be.
Then how do people cope, who profess a lack of any faith at all? Whole societies, such as the communist Soviet Union, have tried to replace religion with a political agenda. But, as soon as that Union fell apart, it became obvious that the religious impulse which had been suppressed was always there, ready to spring forth at the first opportunity.
In my own case, my early years were entirely spent among people who con-
sidered themselves Jewish, and everybody not Jewish was a “goy.” This term was in no way disparaging. It was simply a statement of fact. But every one of the world’s major religions has words distinguishing nonbelievers from those who follow the faith. And historically, those who refused to submit have sometimes been treated with what may seem to us great cruelty. (It is said that the only great religion in whose name no war has been fought is Buddhism.)
And, sadly, some of the worst conflicts have occurred when divisions have developed within particular faiths. Christianity, a religion founded on ideals of love and brotherhood, has unfortunately seen some of the bitterest and longest-lasting internal struggles.
But being a heathen doesn’t necessarily mean being an atheist. However, many of us find it hard to believe in an invisible power greater than ourselves, especially one that is inscrutable, and by no means always benevolent. Some prefer to call it chance, or Fate, or just the way things happen. In such a universe, if such it is, we humans have no way of influencing events, beyond the motto of the Boy Scouts: “Be prepared.” Or, the ways it’s been put in other times and circumstances, such as “Trust in God, and keep your powder dry” (a remark attributed to the English military genius and religious fanatic, Oliver Cromwell, about 400 years ago. In those days, firearms had already come into use, but they were still in the form of muskets, for which every soldier had to carry his own supply of gunpowder).
Or, more recently, we have “Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition,” supposedly uttered by a U.S. Navy chaplain during the Pearl Harbor attack, while assisting at a Naval artillery battery.
Such stories are often dismissed as Folklore. Nevertheless, many people still believe in the power of prayer. It may be self-delusion, but who is going to quarrel with so-called scientific, or experimentally proven, results, as some-
times adduced by believers? People who play roulette, or even those just trying to call heads or tails, often believe that, in some dark, mysterious way, wishing (or prayer) will make it happen. But so far, there’s been no scientifically proven, verifiable evidence to bear this out. Over the centuries, however, particular individuals have been thought to have prophetic powers. Spiritualists and “Mediums” still gather ceremoniously around tables, thinking that those in the “Spirit World” will respond to their attempts to communicate. The best a Heathen can say about such efforts is that they do no harm, and probably make some people feel better, especially if they’ve recently lost a loved one.
But, in the absence of undeniable proof, Heathens and their whole clan of skeptics and doubters, will still flour -
ish. As for me personally, I can only add one of my own all-too-personal postcard messages:
“In some minds, there’s no room for doubt –In mine, there’s hardly room for anything else.”
Ashleigh Brilliant was born in England in 1933, came to California in 1955, to Santa Barbara in 1973, then 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.
The newest wine experience in Napa is giving guests a taste of Santa Barbara.
Fess Parker Winery, the well-known brand along Foxen Canyon Road that’s celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, opened the doors to its brand-new tasting room earlier this month. It’s located right in the heart of downtown Napa, along popular First Street, right across from the chic Archer Hotel. The sleek space features the full Fess Parker portfolio, which company president Tim Snider says will give the area’s well-heeled oenophile visitors “a wide range of Santa Barbara County wines that don’t know they love – yet!”
It’s a unique opportunity, to be sure – not only to showcase the comprehensive lineup of the third-generation Parker family’s wines, with labels like Fess Parker, Epiphany and Fesstivity, but also to elevate the appeal of the entire Santa Barbara County wine region.
“We’re promoting the region as a whole, captivating palates that may have otherwise ignored Santa Barbara,” con-
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
60+ YEARS EXPERIENCE - LOCAL 40+ YEARS
• FLOOR LEVELING
• QUALITY REMODELING
• FOUNDATION REPLACEMENTS
• FOUNDATIONS REPAIRS
• EARTHQUAKE RETROFITTING
• RETAINING WALLS
• FRENCH DRAINS – WATERPROOFING
• SITE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
• UNDERPINNINGS – CAISSONS
• STRUCTURAL CORRECTION WORK
• CONCRETE DRIVEWAYS
805.698.4318
billjdalziel@gmail.com FREE INSPECTION
William J. Dalziel
Lic#B311003 – Bonded & Insured
“The idea of expanding what we’re doing from a creative standpoint was definitely interesting, including to Ashley and [her brother] Eli. Some of the most iconic winemaking families in our business are multi-generational – they branch out, looking at making wines in other parts of the world. For us, inspiration is drawn from those types of families, too.
“We don’t want to mimic what people in Napa do, but rather, give it a spin. It’s our Santa Barbara-centric team’s interpretation of Napa fruit and the Napa experience, and that helps differentiate us.”
tinues Snider. “They’re in Napa now, maybe on their next trip, they’ll come to Santa Barbara, visit the region, and get to know it better.”
The NorCal connection is personal for Snider and his family – he’s married to Ashley Parker, founder Fess Parker’s daughter. Snider grew up in Knights Valley, where his family grew grapes, and he spent many high school and college summers working harvest in the northern stretches of Napa Valley. His work with
Gallo, early on in his career, involved various Northern California wine projects. As a family, the Snider-Parkers, including kids and company employees Greer and Spencer, regularly vacation in the area; Calistoga is a family fave visit.
There’s a very close Napa connection for the wine brand, too, with Addendum, a boutique line of cabernet sauvignon wines launched 10 years ago, made with fruit sourced from several premium Napaarea vineyards, such as Stagecoach and Skellenger Lane. Each harvest, grapes are picked overnight, loaded into refrigerated trucks and driven south to the Santa Ynez Valley, where winemaker Blair Fox and his team work their magic. Adds Snider, “It’s our way of showing the potential of Napa, but with a Santa Barbara flair.”
Adding Addendum to their portfolio, and now, offering a visitor experience in Napa, is “part of our family’s intrinsic interest in different regions, in different styles of wine,” says Snider.
The architectural design of the new Napa tasting room boasts an airy ambiance, with high ceilings with ample natural light, and plenty of table and bar seating. The visitor experience will include flights and tastings of the entire Fess Parker portfolio, including the Addendum wines, along with Sta. Rita Hills pinot noir and chardonnay on the Fess Parker label, Santa Barbara County Rhone wines – like syrah and grenache – on the Epiphany label, and the Fesstivity line of bubblies. The Napa tasting room joins Fess Parker tasting venues in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, in Los Olivos and at the 700acre home ranch, which the late actor and developer Fess Parker founded in 1989.
Aside from the new Northern California outpost for the brand, Fess Parker’s 35th anniversary celebration also includes the recent release of a new wine, the Home Ranch Cuvée ($56). Inspired by the family’s visit to Chateauneuf-du-Pape in France last year, the SIP-certified wine is a grenache-based blend that also features Mourvedre and Counoise. The fruit is sourced from Rodney’s, the home ranch’s estate vineyard, and the wine is medium-bodied, with a splashy mouth feel, red cherry and cocoa flavors, and a long, flavorful finish.
Find out more at fessparker.com.
Gabe Saglie has been covering the Santa Barbara wine scene for more than 15 years through columns, TV, and radio. He’s a senior editor with Travelzoo and is a leading expert on travel deals, tips, and trends.
Plenty of natural light helps create an inviting ambiance at Fess Parker’s new tasting room in Napa
The entire Fess Parker wine portfolio will be featured at the new Napa tasting room, including the Fess Parker, Epiphany, Fesstivity and Addendum labels
The new Fess Parker tasting room in Napa features high ceilings and plenty of indoor seating
The new Northern California tasting room for Santa Barbara’s Fess Parker wine brand is located along First Street, in the heart of downtown Napa
Tim Snider, right, with Ashley Parker-Snider and Eli Parker at the Fess Parker brand’s new Napa tasting room
Dear Montecito
Onward and upward with Kylan Tyng
by Beatrice Tolan
After years of winning accolades as a director in Santa Barbara, New York and Los Angeles, Kylan Tyng takes to the sky for his new venture behind the camera: aerial photography.
Photographer and director Kylan Tyng , born and raised in Santa Ynez and Santa Barbara, has spent the last two years exploring western North America to capture magnificent views of desert canyons, blue coasts and urban jungles.
On the reporting front, I’ve had the rare opportunity to witness my subject’s metamorphosis firsthand. Before Tyng
a place to study and gain a different perspective on the film industry, but I knew I’d come back,” he said.
He was doing just that when the 2020 pandemic hit. As the global crisis unfolded and he edited his senior thesis film, Tyng discovered a problem: his film Gigglebutt – which follows a disgruntled astronomer’s quest to convince a child to rename her adopted star – needed more transition footage.
With the pandemic swiping the possibility of bringing actors together, Tyng got creative. He collected drone footage to create a memorable montage of travel mixed with pre-existing shots, the pivot being a testament to his creative problem solving.
It was then he recognized a common theme among all his films: aerial shots. He followed the thread that ran through his work for years, leading him to produce the prints you see today.
was an artist, he was my childhood friend; many nights were spent playing Gamecube games while our parents bantered over a bottle of red downstairs.
I remember Tyng as the kind, inquisitive child who introduced me to the cinematic potential of LEGOs. He created films for his stop-motion dedicated YouTube channel before it was cool. “My interest in filmmaking came from my creative roots and a desire to share stories with a larger audience,” he said.
For this interview, I met Tyng in downtown Los Angeles at SOHO Warehouse, the exclusive artists-only club where he’d recently won a short-film contest with his movie Shipped. With six years of catching up to do, we looked back at our days at Laguna Blanca High School and respective college journeys, remarking on the things only time reveals.
During high school, Tyng discovered his natural creative strengths were in visual mediums like drawing, photography and film. “I knew I had a distinct point of view, but I was still figuring out how to channel it,” he explained. He entered Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s 10-10-10 student competition two years in a row, ultimately winning Best Student Director in 2016 with his submission Lost & Found.
But by Tyng’s internal metrics, it was only when he attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts that he believed he came into his own. “I was able to dive into my creativity. I was surrounded by like-minded voices and able to forward both mine and others’ creative interests.”
While completing his BFA in Film and Television Production, Tyng took up college internships back in California, networking to make his planned return easier. “I always viewed New York City as
Tyng’s day gig as an executive assistant to two talent managers at Magnolia Entertainment has also provided helpful skills. While different from his camerawork, “assisting successful artists as they hone their professional careers has given me great insight into developing my own,” said Tyng.
Tyng’s aerial pursuits fulfill his love for capturing life. “I’ve found something that I do solely for myself,” he said confidently, “but I’m grateful when others discover my work and think it’s cool too. I love seeing our world from new perspectives and then sharing its incredible beauty with others.”
Kylan Tyng’s photography prints can be purchased through his Etsy shop, KylanTyngPhotography. To keep posted about his aerial adventures, visit his Instagram @kylantyngphotography.
Beatrice Tolan is a fine artist, animator, and writer living in Los Angeles after residing in Montecito for 20 years. She is invested in building community through unique perspectives and stories. beatricetolan@gmail. com
A portrait of Kylan Tyng - Zebra Canyon, UT - Dec 2023
CARGO - Puget Sound, WA - May 2024
ADRIFT - La Paz, Baja California Sur - Feb 2024
Sherry Villanueva, designer Nathan Turner, Kathy Janega-Dykes, Stephanie Greene Fuller, and Jens Baake, president of Acme (photo by Priscilla)
an interview on the Today show. “It was a case of ‘Can you do this and not disappoint everyone?’”
Highs and Lowe
Rob Lowe, 60, credits the fallout from his notorious sex tape being leaked with helping him get sober.
The St. Elmo’s Fire actor tells People the 1988 scandal, while humiliating at the time, was actually a major reason he beat his struggles with addiction.
Enjoying the ambiance of outdoor seating are Bill and Barbara Tomicki, meeting Katrina and Josh Carl (photo by Priscilla)
Interior designer Nathan Turner, who resides in Ojai and Los Angeles, overhauled the bijou space with professional Liam Baer concocting the intoxicating drinks menu, including In It To Nguyen It with dark rum, coconut, cafe aymara, cold-brewed coffee, and market lime, and One Night in Bangkok, a loose spin on a Gimlet with gin and banana liqueur and plum sake.
Among the imbibers were Mercedes Smith, Gina Tolleson, William Tomicki, Karna Hughes, Charlotte Ronson, and Kathy Janega-Dykes.
Royal Treatment
Prince Harry and his former-actress wife Meghan Markle have done a new CBS TV interview about cyber abuse, with the Duke of Sussex paying homage to first responders.
During the interview with Jane Pauley, the Riven Rock twosome spoke about how parents need to protect children from online harm – reflecting on their
“The fallout definitely changed my life at the time, and, in hindsight, I realized it was another step that led me to recovery and reinventing my life.
“But the thing that really changed me was being able to show up for my family and myself.”
On Mended Knee
Former TV talk-show host Oprah Winfrey has revealed that having surgery on both of her knees is the “best thing” she had ever done after being overweight left her debilitated to the point that it was hard to walk “even three steps.”
John Bishop and Scott Reed with Nathan Mendez and Dune (photo by Priscilla)
experiences with children Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.
“So, as we can see what’s happening in the online space, we know there’s a lot of work to be done, and we’re just happy to be able to be part of a change for good,” says Meghan.
Hurtin’ for Burton
Montecito actor Michael Keaton has admitted he felt “nervous” returning to the iconic role of Beetlejuice for Tim Burton ’s highly anticipated sequel because he didn’t want to “disappoint anyone.”
He first played the role of the quirky bio-exorcist more than three decades ago. Keaton, 72, played the unforgettable character in the cult 1988 film with Alec Baldwin and Winona Ryder
The sequel is set for release September 6 with Willem Dafoe and Justin Theroux added to the Burton cast.
“I was nervous going in, because you didn’t want to mess up,” he explained in
The longtime Montecito resident, speaking with Al Roker on NBC’s Today show, explained her doctor told her to have the two operations “if she wanted to continue walking,” but admitted she felt intimidated by the whole thing.
Oprah, 70, says that as she gets older, “I felt a sense of urgency about living well” and stressed that “it was all about health.”
“And so, I’d never been through surgery or I was intimidated by it. It was the best thing I’ve ever done. I really felt like I had a new opportunity to live inside my body in a way that I hadn’t been able to for years because of being overweight, and the stress to my knees made it even worse.”
Sightings
Former Christian Dior designer John Galliano lunching at Pane E Vino... First Lady Jill Biden checking out The Book Loft in Solvang... Maria Shriver shopping at Pierre Lafond.
Pip! Pip!
From musings on the Royals to celebrity real estate deals, Richard Mineards is our man on the society scene and has been for more than 15 years
Robert’s Big Questions
Breaking this cycle of increasing contentious disrespect will take a genuine commitment from a leader of stature to loudly condemn the acrimony and personal insults, and even possibly take the bold gamble of a unilateral commitment to refuse to be part of this lamentable trend. We need a leader with a willingness to embrace meaningful compromise as an enlightened element of responding to our challenges, as a sign of strength, not weakness. We need someone who will accept consideration of differences of opinion and policy with the respect they deserve. Clearly the current political climate and apparent cast of potential leadership has seemed to exacerbate this lamentable trend. It is time for major change, to do something entirely different, to establish new elements of good practice and standards of civility. We can only hope that one or the other (or both) of our leading candidates recognizes this and is willing to implement this sorely needed change.
Arthur Merovick
Headmaster Laguna Blanca School (retired)
A Waste of Time
I recently read Jeffrey Harding’s letter, which spanned almost four columns, analyzing various issues he deemed important for determining whom to support in the upcoming November elections. Regrettably, after such an extensive analysis, he concluded with, “at this point, I can’t support either candidate.” Frankly, the letter seemed like a pure waste of time.
Mr. Harding wishes there were better candidates from both parties. In any presidential election, or any election for that matter, there are always better candidates than those nominated in primaries or who run unopposed. Thus, we end up with the candidates who possess the desire, courage, interest, talent, influence, knowledge of the process, experience and position to secure a place in the final round of the election. To have no inclination as to who might be the better incumbent is always based on insufficient information. For instance, who could have known whether Richard Nixon, a
sitting Vice President aged 47, or John F. Kennedy, a Senator with no executive experience aged 43, would be more adept? Prior to the election no one could have foreseen a crisis like the Bay of Pigs fiasco, from which Kennedy learned how to handle the Soviet menace during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
To imply that he would not vote for either candidate gives power to others. Most voters know very little about candidate policy positions. Evaluating candidates based solely on specific issues is not always the best method of evaluating a candidate. Instead, observe how the candidates act, how they speak, their truthfulness, fabrications, and prior actions.
Trump: He inherited wealth, has a history of corporate mismanagement, multiple bankruptcies, governmental actions compelling the closure of a fraudulent “university,” litigation involving sexual abuse of women, convictions for numerous felonies, questionable business practices, a reputation for dealing unfairly with suppliers, bullying, promoting a coup of the United States government, refusing to admit electoral defeat, threatening retribution, suggesting he would seek out opponents for prosecution, and failing to clearly reject Project 2025’s explicit plan to transform the United States government into an authoritarian state. Furthermore, Trump has not supported the protection of reproductive healthcare, including abortion rights, while simultaneously basking in the glory of the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the judges he appointed.
Harris: Kamala Harris has a record of fairness and effectiveness in her performance as prosecutor, U.S. Senator and Vice President. She is truthful. Harris has selected a capable vice-presidential candidate. Harris looks and acts presidential and has learned from past campaigns. She has articulated support for her positions on issues such as democracy, middle class, NATO, Israel, Ukraine, and military power. Harris has been particularly clear on her support of reproductive healthcare.
I believe there is more than enough information available for Mr. Harding to come to a reasonable conclusion regarding which candidate to vote for.
Lois Rosen
God Is all Evil?
by Robert Bernstein
Atheists and god believers often debate whether any gods exist. God believers actually mostly agree with atheists without realizing it. Most god believers reject 99.9% of gods as being fictitious. They only believe in their god or gods. Atheists just take it to 100%.
But I think there is a more interesting debate: If there are gods, are they worthy of respect? Polytheistic religions had a pantheon of gods. Think of the Greek, Egyptian or Hindu gods. Some of these gods were in conflict with each other and not all were admirable.
But the Abrahamic god of Jews, Christians and Muslims is endowed with “Three O’s”: Omniscience (all knowing), Omnipotence (all powerful), and Omnibenevolence (all loving).
The latter raises the Problem of Evil. If God has the Three O’s, including being all loving, why is there evil in the world? “Theodicies” – arguments designed to explain the world’s evil in the context of God’s goodness – are invented to answer this. One is that God gave us Free Will. This answer has problems. The Bible never directly mentions Free Will. In fact, some versions of Christianity deny free will. Calvinism says that you are preordained at birth for salvation. Or not.
Another theodicy says that some goods require evils. You can only be charitable if others are in need. Pleasures require pains for contrast.
Oxford philosophy professor Stephen Law wrote a brilliant counter to this called “The God of Eth” in the September 2005 Skeptical Inquirer magazine. He imagined a Great Debate on the planet Eth. The topic: Is God in fact all evil as their dominant religion believes?
Yes, there are some good things in the world. But only as part of His Plan to create as much misery and evil as possible. Remember that God is a mystery to us. Far beyond our comprehension.
Can you see that these arguments for God being all-evil make as much sense as those for him being all-good? Such arguments are called “mirror theodicies.”
As a secular humanist, these arguments are laughably absurd. It is clear that there is no guy in the sky who is all loving or all hateful. I think of a child at the beach who has just built a beautiful sandcastle. A wave comes in and destroys it. The child cries at his loss. Perhaps he thinks the ocean is mean and nasty. If he has heard of a god he will think it is a nasty god.
But to an adult, we see a bigger picture. The child built his beautiful work of architecture in the zone where waves regularly wash up and knock things down. Adults try to learn the forces of nature and work with that reality – not deny that reality, or attribute good or evil intent to those forces.
When anesthesia was first developed, some religious figures opposed its use for childbirth. Because Genesis 3:16 said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children.” Euphame MacCalzean was burned at the stake in Scotland for requesting pain relief while birthing twins.
When Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod, some religious leaders opposed it as interfering with God’s use of lightning as punishment. Franklin replied that lightning is no more supernatural than rain, evidenced in part by the fact that we are allowed to put a roof over our heads. It is up to humans to improve the world for humans and other living things. And humans are not all good or all evil. Human nature is another force that must be accommodated as we work to improve the world.
Their great philosopher Booblefrip argued that God is all evil. Their opposing great philosopher Gisimoth points out that God allows at least some good to occur. Why does God give us beautiful children to love? Why does he give some people good health, wealth and happiness? Why are there beautiful vistas and rainbows?
Booblefrip answered that some beauty is necessary in order to show off the vast amount of ugliness in contrast. God gives some people joy to make others feel miserable. And God snatches away the joy from many who have it. The children get sick. The wealth and health is lost.
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
Smith Pritchett served as the director of the Carnegie Corporation’s Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching from 1906-1930, and was president of the Carnegie Corporation from 1921-23, the latter being auspicious dates for the cultural development of Santa Barbara (photo via WikiCommons)
estate, Riso Rivo. Other excursions and activities included a motor trip to Casitas Pass, lunch at the Potter Country Club (today’s La Cumbre Country Club), and a party at the Vegamar estate (today’s zoo) owned by Lillian Beal (later Child). At a Santa Barbara Country Club luncheon given by Charles Taylor, Carnegie, whose stay was nearing its end, was fêted with several speeches including one by Edward Payson Ripley, president of the Santa Fe Railroad who had arranged for the private car “Olivette.”
On the evening of his departure, Carnegie expressed his surprise and pleasure with Santa Barbara. “If they try to make heaven much better than this, they’re likely to make a mistake,” he said.
He also expressed his delight with friends “whose thoughts were of his wishes and comfort, who protected him from the cares of business which he came to escape, from the appeals of charitable institutions and mercenary or mendicant individuals, and from the approach of insistent journalists.”
Uncle Charley
Philadelphia-born Charles Lewis Taylor had a longstanding connection to Santa Barbara. His brother Levi had come to California in 1873 to engage in the sheep business near Ventura. He married Maria De la Guerra, a granddaughter of pioneer Capitan José De la Guerra, at the De la
Guerra casa in 1881. They lived on the Simi Ranch and in the town of Ventura. Levi died in 1894, and Maria eventually returned with their daughter Sally to live with her family in Casa de la Guerra.
Charles Taylor, whose father had been the treasurer of the Pennsylvania Central Railroad, graduated from Lehigh University as a mining engineer. He worked at various iron and steel companies, eventually becoming superintendent of several. In 1893 he became assistant to the president of Carnegie Steel Company. In 1900, he made his first visit to his sister-in-law in Santa Barbara. From that point on, he began to spend many winters in Santa Barbara, and Sally visited him and her cousin Lillian in Pittsburgh.
At some point, Uncle Charley purchased a two-story Queen Anne home for Maria and Sally at 1528 Chapala Street. By 1907, he was chairman of the Carnegie Relief Fund and president of the Carnegie Hero Fund. He had also built a bungalow designed by local architect Francis Wilson on the lot next door to Maria’s home. His yearly visits continued, and he often brought his wife and daughter to Santa Barbara. The Hero Fund was set up to reward deeds of heroism. Those rewards were more complicated than just cash prizes, and they truly expressed Carnegie’s vision of giving. The awards were intended to relieve distress caused by those heroic acts, to reimburse losses
An early auto excursion to Valencia with Sally and Lillian (photo courtesy of Montecito Association History Committee)
Henry
Charles Taylor on the steps of 1528 Chapala Street. Others are (left to right) his sister-in-law Maria de la Guerra Taylor, daughter Lillian Taylor holding Maria Ealand, Kate Stow Ealand, and his niece Sally Taylor. (photo courtesy of Montecito Association History Committee)
Summer visits always included camping trips into the local mountains like this one circa 1911 (photo courtesy of Montecito Association History Committee)
Taylor and Pritchett were instrumental in obtaining a Carnegie grant of $50,000 to help construct the Santa Barbara Public Library (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
met through injury and to provide pensions for the dependents of those who lost their lives seeking to save others. In one case a captain – who had rescued passengers and crew from another ship – was given a gold medal and $6,500; $1,500 to liquidate his mortgage and a fund of $5,000 from which he could draw to educate his son.
Taylor was an intimate of Andrew Carnegie. At the 1908 dedication ceremony for Taylor Hall at Lehigh University, Carnegie said, “[Taylor] has an opportunity afforded few men … he is one of the Carnegie veterans, and they all seem to be sons. They never have to make appointments and ask when they can see me.”
Henry Pritchett
It was Taylor’s glowing descriptions of Santa Barbara that had inspired Carnegie’s visit, and it was Carnegie’s visit that inspired the visit of Henry
Smith Pritchett, another Carnegie veteran and president of the Carnegie Foundation’s Education Fund. Pritchett was an American astronomer and mathematician who had become head of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey and later president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining the Carnegie Corporation. At the end of March 1910, he passed through Santa Barbara on his way to San Francisco and stayed at the Potter Hotel.
By 1912, the local paper asserted that Pritchett was now considered to be an official Santa Barbaran, having lived there for nearly a year and having taken an active interest in local affairs. He had suffered a physical breakdown and regained his health in the Channel City’s salubrious environment. Soon he and his wife became annual summer visitors, and after renting for several years, they built a home on at 230 Junipero Plaza which was completed in 1916.
In 1914, Charles Taylor initiated requests
grant to support its programs (photo courtesy of Community Arts Music Association)
for Carnegie funds for a new library building for Santa Barbara, and Henry Pritchett added his voice to the project.
In August of that year, fifty representatives from Santa Barbara County, City, and Chamber of Commerce gathered for a moonlight picnic at the oak studded glen of C.D. Hubbard’s ranch in Carpinteria. The gathering was in honor of the news that the Carnegie Foundation was donating $50,000 toward the construction of a new library for Santa Barbara.
Andrew Carnegie died in 1919, but his charitable foundations lived on. In 1921, Taylor and Pritchett teamed up again, this time to ensure that the fledgling Community Arts Association would receive a five-year grant for its programs which came to include the Community Arts’ Drama, Music, and Plans and Planting
branches, as well as the Santa Barbara School of the Arts. The grant came through in November 1922 and was extended for three years after the 1925 earthquake to help the programs redevelop.
Taylor died in February 1922 after suffering a stroke. His obit credited him with devoting the last 20 years of his life to the alleviation of suffering and advancement of learning and peace. His many personal contributions to Santa Barbara institutions such as Cottage Hospital were much appreciated. Henry Pritchett continued to summer in Santa Barbara where he involved himself in all aspects of the community. He was often sought out as a speaker on various subjects, and he was a prolific writer on lofty topics. He died in 1939. Andrew Carnegie may have remained exclusive and reclusive during his one visit to Santa Barbara, but the community benefited tremendously from the two Carnegie men who adopted the Channel City as their own.
Sources: The Gospel of Wealth by Andrew Carnegie; contemporary news articles; City Directories, U.S. Censuses, Wikipedia, obits
Hattie Beresford has been writing a local history column for the Montecito Journal for more than a decade and is the author of several books on Santa Barbara’s historic past
Thanks to Taylor and Pritchett, the Community Arts Association received a five-year
Photo of the library taken from top of the Roland-Sauter designed Presbyterian Church (today’s multistory parking structure). Notice that the old Santa Barbara County Courthouse (domed building to the left) and the Hall of Records still stand. (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
The Taylors were among the first to build a home on Junipero Plaza, seen here circa 1906 (photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Calendar of Events
by Steven Libowitz
FRIDAY, AUGUST 30
Silk-y Celebration – Also celebrating its 30th anniversary this year is SOhO, the downtown upstairs restaurant and music club that has been presenting shows virtually nightly for three decades – including frequent solo gigs with Toad the Wet Sprocket’s Glen Phillips. Tonight’s headline for the club’s series of celebrations is Raw Silk, the funk/R&B/jazz band that has been around even longer than that, wowing listeners and filling dance floors for what seems like forever. With powerhouse vocalist Leslie Lembo singing center stage and a list of special guests joining in, it would be a raw deal to miss this special Raw Silk show. The party starts on SOhO’s patio with an outdoor no-host bar including summer sipping specials and fun activities.
WHEN: 8 pm (pre-party 6:30 pm)
WHERE: 1221 State St., upstairs in Victoria Court COST: $15 in advance, $20 at the door
INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com
SATURDAY, AUGUST 31
Let’s Twist Again – Early rock ‘n’ roll Chubby Checker rolled into town for a big outdoor block party bash in front of the Lobero Theatre right around this time in 2023, when the still cherubic Checker and his band The Wildcats got the crowd twisting the early evening away to his array of 1950s and ’60s hits that pretty much all include some version of twist in the title. Tonight, Checker – who also somewhat shockingly showed up to sing “The Twist” with Lyle Lovett and his band at the Lobero a few months ago – gets his own show on the stage of the historic theater to once again rouse the rabble. Such songs as “The Twist”, “Let’s Twist Again,” “Peppermint Twist,” “Twist and Shout” and “Twistin’ the Night Away” as well as “The Fly,” “The Pony” and “The Hucklebuck,” all of which also inspired mini dances crazes, will almost assuredly be heard. Plus, you’ll be doing some good as you gyrate in your seat and the aisles, as the concert is a benefit for the Daniel Bryant Youth & Family Centers, which provides safe and effective outpatient treatment and other services for Santa Barbara County youth struggling with substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders in Santa
ENDING THIS WEEK
Ending with Gump-tion – The month-long Robert Zemeckis Family Films portion of the Granada’s Centennial film series, Santa Barbara Home Movies: Films by Artists and Performers Who Call Santa Barbara Home, comes to a close on Aug. 31 with the film that brought the then new-ish Santa Barbara resident his first Academy Award for directing. Forrest Gump stars Tom Hanks in one of his iconic roles as the IQ-challenged Alabama man who shares his life story from a park bench, simultaneously sharing highlights of American history from his perspective. The 1994 film, which won six Oscars, including one for UCSB-educated writer Eric Roth, will be preceded by a conversation with Steve Starkey, who took home a statue for co-producing the Best Picture winner. Polar Express, another Zemeckis film – and perhaps the filmmaker himself, because, um, you never know what you’re gonna get – will screen at the Granada in December.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State St.
COST: $5
INFO: (805) 899-2222 or www.granadasb.org
THURSDAY, AUGUST 29
Toad On Tilt – Tilting at windmills, that is, as Santa Barbara’s most famous and enduring alternative rock band in history, Toad the Wet Sprocket, pops into the Lobero once again, this time in one of the “An Evening With” shows in their tour that includes revisiting Dulcinea on the 30th anniversary of the platinum-selling album’s release. That’s the one that featured “Fall Down,” Toad’s biggest hit, which still shows up nowadays on such TV soundtracks as Billions, as well as catalog favorites “Something’s Always Wrong” and “Woodburning”. The San Marcos High School-formed band that still features a trio of founding members in Glen Phillips, Todd Nichols and Dean Dinning, are still making fine introspective, jangly guitar and harmony-filled new music. Expect to hear all of Dulcinea and a bevy of fan favorites, deep cuts and Toad’s current tour cover craze in R.E.M.’s early classic “Driver 8,” which has lyrics that Phillips could have composed: “The walls are built up, stone by stone / The fields divided one by one.” WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
COST: $71-$171
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com
Barbara, Santa Maria and Lompoc.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
COST: $25
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com
Yacht Rock in Ojai – Love will find a way, but will you find your way to Libbey Bowl in Ojai for the triple-bill trip down memory lane of what’s known as Yacht Rock? Headliners Pablo Cruise, who perfectly fit the genre’s theme as its extensive tours from 1975-85, invited fans to “Climb Aboard The Good Ship Pablo Cruise.” Pablo perched on the Top 10 singles list with the mega hits “Whatcha Gonna Do When She Says Goodbye?” and “Love Will Find A Way,” and scored several other top 20s, along the way selling several million albums and singles. The Cruise appeared on numerous TV shows, everything from Dick Clark’s American Bandstand to The Merv Griffin Show and The Dinah Shore Hour. In 1979, they performed at the Sahara Tahoe in South Lake Tahoe, becoming the first rock band to play a casino showroom. They were also the first rock band to grace the stage at the Grand Ole Opry, releasing seven studio albums in all before calling it quits for 20 years in 1995 – until a reunion a decade later. The second act is English musician and songwriter Peter Beckett, best known as the lead singer and guitarist for 1970s soft rock group Player, which scored a No. 1 record in the U.S. with “Baby Come Back.” Beckett has also written songs for many prominent recording artists, Janet Jackson, Olivia Newton-John, The Temptations and Kenny Rogers, and toured for eight years in the 1990s with the Little River Band. Opener Yacht Groove is a cover band that plays a fun-filled set of ‘70s and ‘80s radio rock – the hits you hate to admit you love – dressed in laid-back nautical attire. Dockers are not required for the audience.
WHEN: 6 pm
WHERE: Libbey Bowl, 210 S. Signal St., Ojai
COST: $38-$88
INFO: (805) 272-3881 or libbeybowl.org
SUNDAY, SEPT. 1
Rebecca Returns to the Ranch – The Music at the Canyon series at the Rancho La Patera-Stow House came to a close earlier this month, but more mellow music is in store this afternoon on the bucolic lawn as part of the free First Sunday Concerts. Folk singer-songwriter Rebecca Troon, who accompanies herself on
(photo by Chris Orwig)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
No Idle Threat -- Even though Eric Idle is one of the Monty Python members who did not live in Montecito, the funnyman is still launching a three-week, 11-city Western states tour of his new one-man show, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Live!” at our own Lobero Theatre. The show gets its name from Idle’s 2018 “sortabiography,” which of course was titled after the Idle-composed comedy song that was first featured in the 1979 Python film Life of Brian. Idle – who also cowrote the huge Broadway hit musical Spamalot – has compiled standup comedy, original sketches, brand new songs, and, according to a press release, “exactly one fart joke” to form his new one-man show. Only one problem: The show is sold out, with nary a ticket available even on StubHub.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.
COST: $73-$262 (sold out)
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com
guitar, banjo and percussion, some compositions from throughout her career as well as standards. Troon, a former member of the Honeysuckle Possums, a harmony-based old-time, originals and bluegrass band in town, saw her song “Animal Skin” end up as a finalist in the Best Folk/Americana/Roots category of the 2011 International Acoustic Music Awards. Pack a picnic, bring your blankets and chairs, and enjoy a super Sunday afternoon. Come early (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) for the weekly family fun at the ranch yard with visits with barn animals, tractor rides and other outdoor fun.
WHEN: 2-4 pm
WHERE: 304 North Los Carneros Road
COST: Free (donations appreciated)
INFO: (805) 681-7216 or www.goletahistory.org
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
Early Look at Ensemble’s Season – Ensemble Theatre Company announced its 2024-25 season way back in April, and single tickets have been on sale since August, but with opening night of its first show just five weeks away, ETC is looking to entice subscribers with a more in-depth look at its 46th season. The season opens with the recent Off-Broadway hit comedy Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, which answers the question of what would happen if you took Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire tale and put it into a blender with the comedic influences of Mel Brooks and Monty Python? Next up is Million Dollar Quartet, the popular Tony-nominated musical celebration of four legends in Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins, who all showed up in 1956 for one of the greatest jam sessions in history. In February, Hamlet hits the stage of The New Vic with a new feel to one of the most iconic tales of all time, a reinvention of Shakespeare’s tragedy for the 21st century, drawing new resonance from this 425-year-old play’s investigation of family, madness, murder and forgiveness. Spring brings Hershey Felder performing his amazing show George Gershwin Alone about one of America’s greatest composers before the season closes with Justice, about the first female Supreme Court justices — Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. ETC’s Executive Director Scott DeVine will host the evening preview that features conversations with guest artists and directors from the upcoming season.
WHEN: 6 pm reception, 6:30 presentation
WHERE: New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria St.
COST: free RSVP required
INFO: (805) 965-5400 or www.etcsb.org
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History will host an Open House for volunteer Museum educators on Tuesday, September 10, 10:00–11:30 AM for anyone interested in leading school groups on field trips at the Museum. Come learn about new and continuing volunteer opportunities at the Museum and Sea Center and get a chance to meet and mingle with our stellar group of Museum Educators.
New Museum educators commit to attending training classes on Tuesdays 10:00–11:30 AM, plus one additional weekday morning to shadow experienced educators or lead tours when ready.
For more information, visit www.sbnature.org/volunteer or contact School Programs Manager Jessica Prichard at jprichard@sbnature2.org.
2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
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).
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.
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
Timeless, eleganceNightwear, robes, loungewear
www.shopglamourhouse.com
805-969-5285
Ann@shopglamourhouse.com
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
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 Caregiver, CA State registered and background checked. Vaccinated. Loving and caring provides transportation, medications, etc. Lina 805-940-6888
PET/ HOUSE SITTING
Do you need to get away for a weekend, week or more? I will housesit and take care of your pets, plants & mail. I have refs if needed. Call me or text me. Christine (805) 452-2385
ELECTRICIAN
Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575
Bouchard Electric Lic #794284 C-10 415-499-2203
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
El Escorial East Beach Condo, 2 bed/2 bath, $5250/mo, Resort living with on-site amenities, furnished/unfurnished.
Minimum term. Call (928) 275-1108
Gorgeous remodeled 2BR guesthouse/ cottage in Montecito’s Golden Quadrangle. Private tropical setting, part of a gated estate.
Separate parking and entrance, furnished, lush private patio.
Full kitchen, A/C, W/D. All utilities, Wi-Fi and cable included.
Small dog possible. $7,200/mo.
Minimum 4 mos. lease. (215) 260-0207
PERSONAL SERVICES
Tell Your Story
How did you get to be where you are today? What were your challenges? What is your Love Story? I can help you tell your story in an unforgettable way – with a book that will live on for many generations. The books I write are as thorough and entertaining as acclaimed biographies you’ve read. I also assist with books you write – planning, editing and publishing.
David Wilk. Great references. (805) 455-5980 www.BiographyDavidWilk.com
It’s simple. Charge is $3 per line, each line with 31 characters. Minimum is $10 per issue. Photo/logo/visual is an additional $20 per issue. Email Classified Ad to frontdesk@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860.
LANDSCAPE
Casa L. M. Landscape hedges installed. Ficus to flowering. Disease resistant. Great privacy. Licensed & insured. Call (805) 963-6909
CARPET CLEANING
Carpet Cleaning Since 1978 (805) 963-5304
Rafael Mendez Cell: 689-8397 or 963-3117
SANTA BARBARA CEMETERY PLOT
Ocean view plot off of Bluff Ave. Island Edition-C #83 $45,000 For info (805) 455-0731
KNIFE SHARPENING SERVICES
EDC Mobile Sharpening is locally owned and operated in Santa Barbara. We specialize in (No-Entry) House Calls, Businesses, and Special Events. Call (805) 696-0525 to schedule an appointment.
GARDENING
Care and maintenance of all your gardening needs. Pruning fruit trees, roses, hedges, and more!
Reliable.
REASONABLE RATES. CALL Scott (805) 448 9824
SHORT TERM RENTAL
Mesa Furnished Rental – Ocean/ Island Views. Shoreline Park-100 Steps. By Wk. or Mo. - 3 BR/1BA OceanPalmsOasis@gmail.com
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
A TRULY LEGENDARY EVENING OF MEMORIES, MUSIC AND DREAMS
the Santa Barbara
Center for the Performing Arts will celebrate The Granada’s Centennial Year at its eighth Granada Theatre Legends Gala. In addition to celebrating The Granada, we will be honoring Susan Gulbransen and Joan Rutkowski for their vision and tenacity on behalf of The Granada’s restoration and grand re-opening in 2008.
The elegant affair takes place on the stage of The Granada where guests will be seated on an elevated platform extending over the front-of-house seats and will enjoy a gourmet three-course dinner and live entertainment celebrating The Granada’s past, present and future.
For more information, call 805.899.3000 or email
Jill Seltzer, Vice President for Advancement at jseltzer@granadasb.org
The proceeds from the Legends Gala go directly towards supporting The Granada Theatre.
