Brazen Burglars by Montecito Journal

JOURNAL

Water Out of Thin Air – With the press of a button, and a little electricity, this machine can pull water out of the air and into your office, page 11

SERVING MONTECITO AND SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA 1 – 8 FEB 2024 | VOL 30 ISS 5 | www.montecitojournal.net

The Giving List

Seeing the ways Wayfinder Family Services helps, page 20

BRAZEN BURGLARS

Lee. Das. Leaders?

MJ’s Gwyn Lurie has some thoughts on Das’ reign and the new contender in town for the seat of 1st District Supervisor in the upcoming election, P.5

Four robberies… One night… And a worried community…

Realty Reality

a string of sophisticated burglaries hits the community. Here is what is known as of now and what you can do to protect your own home (Story starts on page 10)

After an unprecedented 2023 real estate market, Kelly Mahan Herrick looks at the stats and predicts where it’s going, page 6

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1 – 8 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

– MJ’s Gwyn Lurie pointedly ruminates Appraisals – One reader has a flair Thyme – Get your garlic fix with 5 Eonditorial 18 Eforlizabeth’s 30 Fthisoraging the office of 1st District Supervisor: its past, the aesthetic, including this Flair stove and tasty pasta where the aromatic bulbs are present, and future.

Estate Snapshot – The inventory is down 6 Rbutealthings are looking up for real estate around Montecito, Santa Barbara, and beyond

range found in her condo

he Giving List – Wayfinder Family Services is 20 Tlighting a path forward for children and families struggling with visual and multiple disabilities

ontecito Miscellany – Evenings with State Street Your Westmont – Exhibit explores the art 8 MBallet, 21 Love Letters with ETC, Pretty Woman with of Hopi Katsina dolls, Christine Emmons is ATG, and other miscellany

– Four burglaries in a single night 10 LputocaltheNews community on edge – here are some tips for your own home’s security Tide Guide

honored, a Dallas Willard author speaks, and the baseball champs begin anew

rilliant Thoughts – Read Ashleigh’s cutting 24 Bwords on the incisions made through time, people, and land

Stories Matter – A range of historical novels, eings & Doings – James Margolles’ company, 26 11 BStratus, thrillers and more from women authors and conjures water out of nowhere. Read that again if you have to.

12 the She Rocks Awards and NAMM show, plus Our Town – Highlights, gear, and more from other details from around town

characters

he Optimist Daily – Get your brain in 27 Tsummer shape with these intellectual exercises to work out your gray matter

ear Montecito – Mission Scholar Kristine On Entertainment – The film fest (and its crowd 16 DCarrillo 28 discusses her experience of and getting of celebrities) is almost here, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell

into college

Montecito JOURNAL

Me! It’s Peter Sagal! Plus family stories on stage.

“Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” – John Lewis

front and center – just don’t kiss the chef after

n Passing – Remembering the life of Sharon 31 IBevan. Maryan Schall’s Celebration of Life date announced.

ar Flung Travel – Along the coast of South 36 FAfrica lies a lighthouse with a little history and some exotic animals accompanying the iconic spire

alendar of Events – Ice on the stage, a 40 CRoomful of Teeth, a magical land full of

normal, and other unusual occurrences this week

– Our own “Craigslist” of classified 42 Cads,lassifieds in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales

ini Meta Crossword Puzzles 43 MLocal Business Directory – Smart business

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

1 – 8 February 2024

Editorial

Montecito, The Das, and a New Kid in Town

3,500 PROJECTS • 700 CLIENTS • 35 YEARS • ONE BUILDER DESIGN BY BECKER HENSON NIKSTO ARCHITECTS

Carpinteria’s City Councilman Roy Lee will be running against Das Williams for the County’s 1st District Supervisor seat (courtesy photo)

by Gwyn Lurie

or the first 11 years my family owned our home in Montecito this town was represented on the Board of Supervisors by then Supervisor, now Congressman, Salud Carbajal. Carbajal was and is a politician with the soul of a civil servant who prioritizes constituent services. Which is one of the reasons the MJ supported his candidacy to represent the 24th Congressional District in Congress. What I didn’t realize was, with the election of Das Williams in June of 2016, our community would be left largely without an advocate on our County’s Board of Supervisors. Since Williams was elected as the 1st District Supervisor, I’ve been surprised by Williams’ downright lack of support for the interests of this district and its residents. But when the NY Times wrote a recent piece entitled “What is it about Montecito?” I nearly fell off my chair when I read Williams’ quote when he said it was “good” that Montecito’s property values were going down. Examples of low hanging fruit of Williams’ underrepresentation of our community’s interests can be seen in his handling of the cannabis permitting process in Carp, and in Williams’ opposition to SBCAG’s decision to award 1.1 million dollars for the City of Santa Barbara to do master planning around the La Cumbre Plaza properties which was to include up to 2,000 housing units. The money was instead spent on other projects that finished in the need scoring process behind the City of Santa Barbara; and of course, there’s the aftermath of the 2018 debris flow in Montecito, about which I can speak firsthand. I can say, unequivocally, that Williams has been neither particularly helpful in coming up with innovative strategies to address Montecito’s serious resiliency challenges, nor supportive of our hard-fought homegrown efforts. The removal of the ring nets is just one glaring example. Williams is now talking about starting a special flood control district in Montecito, which is important. But the reality is this will depend on a supermajority of the vote in Montecito in 2026. And I fear that Williams being associated with this in our community will hurt Gwyn Lurie is CEO its chances of passage. and Executive Editor That said, Williams will likely get of the Montecito reelected to the Board of Supervisors in Journal Media Group March. And from there, all indications are that he plans to run for the State

Editorial Page 384 384 1 – 8 February 2024

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Real Estate Snapshot

Recapping 2023’s Real Estate Market by Kelly Mahan Herrick

appy January! Here is a deep dive into the state of the housing market in Montecito, Santa Barbara, and the Santa Ynez Valley, along with my predictions for 2024. Let’s look at the numbers.

South Santa Barbara County Stats South Santa Barbara County (Goleta to Carpinteria) saw the sale of 1,011 homes and condos in 2023; this is down from 2022 when the total number was 1,382, and down significantly from 2022, when the total number of homes and condos sold was 2,107. Single-family home sales were down 28% from 2022: 735 homes sold in 2023 vs.1,022 in 2022. and 1,542 in 2021! While the number of sales slumped, prices stabilized. By end of year the median sales price for homes in South Santa Barbara County landed at $2.1M, compared to $2.2M in 2022 and $1.9M in 2021. Median sales price for condos rose significantly, crossing the $1M mark and landing at $1.2M. This is compared to $960K in 2022, and $830K This home on Stone Meadow Lane is one of 42 properties on the in 2021. Sales of condos are

down 22% from 2022; 276 condos sold in 2023 vs. 356 sold in 2022. Sold prices range from a 1/1 for $515K in Goleta to $6.3M condo in Bonnymede for a 3/3 in Montecito Shores. November and December were extremely slow months in our local markets: 46 homes closed in November and the same number closed in December, marking the two slowest months of the year. For perspective: in an average year, we’d expect to close 80-120 homes in each of those months.

Montecito Montecito’s sales volume was significantly down from prior years. We saw the sale of 164 homes and condos, which coincidentally is the exact same number of sales we saw in 2018, the year of the 1/9 debris flow. That number was 203 in 2022. Sales ranged from a $1.3M condo on Coast Village Road to an 8-acre estate with pool and guest house on This home on Padaro Lane was the highest priced sale in San Ysidro Road for $22M. That the County last year, closing at $46.8M in September (listsame estate was then flipped and ed by Riskin Partners of Village Properties) listed for $46M five months later; it was taken off the market after 30 days. The number of high-end sales in Montecito seems to have stabilized; 27 homes over $10M sold in 2023, compared to 31 in 2022 and 46 in 2021, at the height of the market. Average and median home prices are comparable to last year: $6.7M and $5.1M, respectively, compared to $6.7M and $4.7M in 2022. January has brought renewed momentum in Montecito: 10 properties have closed, and 12 new properties have been listed. There are currently 42 homes and condos in the market in Montecito, with 10 properties in escrow.

Real Estate Snapshot Page 144 144

market in Montecito (listed by Amanda Lee of The Agency)

Montecito JOURNAL

1 – 8 February 2024

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Montecito JOURNAL

FIND ROMANCE ON THE RIVIERA

Montecito Miscellany Entertaining ‘Evenings’ of Ballet

THIS VALENTINE’S DAY

State Street Ballet dancing to “Moonlight Sonata” by Marcin Patrzalek (photo by Priscilla)

by Richard Mineards

alletomanes packed the Gail Towbes Center for Dance when State Street Ballet celebrated the 20th anniversary of its annual show Evenings, which gives the talented dancers the opportunity to create their own dance works and experiment with new movement, music, and themes. Nine works were performed in all, including “Luna Luna to Clair de Lune,

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No. 3” by professional track director Meredith Ventura with dancers Brenna Chumacero and Arianna Hartanov. Other budding choreographers included Amber Hirschfield, Ethan Ahuero, Oscar Bravo Ly, Tanner Blee, Hartanov, Rachel Hutsell, and Saori Yamashita. Ryan Lenkey’s “Ska Lake” with dancers Rachel Hutsell, Aimee Le, Anna Nader, and Noam Tsivkin, was particularly innovative with music to “Swan Lake” by Madness – based on Tchaikovsky’s original score – but with distinctly Caribbean overtones, including elements of mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. “The event can be a little nerve wracking as everyone is shown in closeup,” says Megan Philipp, the company’s artistic director. “It’s an intimate production to show your creativity. There’s no doubt it’s a confidence builder and a good experience in teamwork.” A lot of talent on show in a delightful setting...

The final pas de deux with Marika Kobayashi feeling the agony of turning away from tortured love (photo by Priscilla)

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Miscellany Page 274 274

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1 – 8 February 2024

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1 – 8 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

Brazen Burglars Hit Montecito by Journal Staff

anta Barbara and the surrounding areas were rocked last week by a series of four burglaries, including one targeting an estate in our tight-knit community. The break-ins all occurred over the course of a single evening, Wednesday, Jan. 24, according to a statement from Raquel Zick of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff ’s Office. The modus operandi was consistent across the recent spree of burglaries – homes were being targeted that “backed up against open spaces such as golf courses as well as creeks, streams or the ocean.” Of the four burglaries, two occurred in Carpinteria, with one in Goleta, and the other being in the 1500-block of Las Tunas in Montecito. The homes were being targeted between 6-10 pm. In these cases, the burglars were often accessing the house through the second floor and/or a window, although ground floor acccess has occurred as well. The homes being targeted were all unoccupied at the time of the break-in. In two of the cases, an alarm was triggered with a local well-established security company responding within minutes of the alarm being activated. The MJ spoke with Jim Frost, general manager of the security company and a retired California Highway Patrol Captain Commander and patrol officer of 31 years. “There were four in one day last week, yes,” Frost confirmed. He described the perpetrators’ tactics, noting, “The burglars appear to hit around dinnertime and they tend to target houses that are completely vacant – nobody’s home. They will usually target the second story, not always, but they did in both [of the alarm responses].” In the case of one of the alarm triggers:

“The suspects were in a residence that was empty at the time of break-in. The homeowner happened to come home, realized someone was there, and hit a panic button – we were there within minutes. The suspects took off. They were gone, so there was no confrontation.” In the other alarm response, the company and Sheriffs similarly responded within minutes of the alarm being triggered. The house was unoccupied at the time. “In the particular burglaries that I was out on, they broke a window out – not opening a door,” Frost stated. “Just broke a window and went through the window, therefore not setting off the alarm – unless somebody has a glass break detection sensor. But if the alarm is not set, the alarm will not go off. And a lot of time people don’t set those alarms when they leave for a short period of time.” According to Frost, the burglars were specifically targeting home safes in order to make off with valuables. “At least in the four that I’m aware of here. They’re targeting safes. They access the safe in various ways. Try to defeat the safe, then take the contents, and then flee,” he revealed. Frost emphasized that all of the houses were unoccupied at the times they were hit, conjecturing that the perpetrators may have staked out the homes in advance. “If the house was being watched, and they left, that’s when the suspects would know that nobody’s home,” he said. “If you’re watching a house, and you see everybody leave, that’s when you make entry, knowing that they’re not there.” He noted that the conditions of this string of burglaries indicate a particularly sophisticated operation. “This group of suspects is very stealthy. If you’re going to be in a populated area and be that covert ... they’re basically undetected.

They weren’t seen getting ready to do the crime. They weren’t seen actually accessing a residence, which means they planned it. And then they weren’t seen leaving ... They’re planning these burglaries and with in-depth planning.” The recent string of break-ins bears striking similarities to a wave of “Chilean tourist burglaries” that has plagued affluent communities up and down the West Coast since 2016, according to an exposé published last year in The Atlantic magazine. Quoting a special agent with the FBI, The Atlantic traced the onset of the crime spree to Chile’s 2014 inclusion in the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization program. “Word of mouth led more and more Chileans with larcenous plans to take quick vacations” to the United States, lured by tales of thieves returning home with suitcases full of valuable stolen goods, the report stated. The Atlantic noted that the Chilean burglars carefully research targets in secluded areas seldom trafficked by neighbors or passersby. “The homes,” related L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Bureau supervisor Michael Maher in The Atlantic article, “had values of $15 million, not $1 million.... It’s common that one burglary will yield $100,000.” Frost ticked through a list of tips for local residents to protect themselves in light of the recent spate of break-ins, stressing the importance of home alarm systems – especially so-called “stay modes” that continue to monitor for broken glass even while homeowners are present. “So when the motion lights come on, the cameras pick up on somebody. There’s some very sophisticated AI cameras that can analyze motion, including infrared, so you can also see people at night. I think that those are all benefits, and certainly helps with early detection.” But Frost emphasized prudent alarm use even for quick trips, admonishing that “sometimes it can be hard to do that. You’ve got to do it.” With the burglars particularly targeting safes, Frost stressed the importance of having a high quality, heavy duty safe, ideally

secured or anchored in the concrete of the home. “If you can conceal it – that’s even better. If you have a locking room or door, and then have the safe inside there that’s secured and locked, again: harder for people to access. You can even put an alarm on the safe itself as well.” He warned residents against oversharing vacation plans on social media, lest burglars monitor public posts to discern when houses will sit vacant. Setting social media accounts to private can help limit access to unwanted eyes. “Get to know your neighbors and have good communication with your neighbors so that they know your comings and goings, and likewise. So that if someone is gone, the neighbors can have a little bit more vigilance,” Frost advised. He also recommended getting to know your local sheriffs and watching their website for press releases. Also that security companies, including theirs, will offer vacation services, sending out a daily patrol to the home and retrieving mail and packages from the residency. He said anyone who observes suspicious vehicles or persons should immediately notify law enforcement. “If you see something, say something,” stressed Frost.

JOURNAL

Local News

Executive Editor/CEO | G wyn Lurie gwyn@montecitojournal.net President/COO | Timothy Lennon Buckley tim@montecitojournal.net Managing Editor | Zach Rosen, zach@montecitojournal.net MoJo Contributing Editor | Christopher Matteo Connor Art/Production Director | Trent Watanabe Graphic Design/Layout | Stevie Acuña Administration | Jessikah Fechner Administrative Assistant | Valerie Alva VP, Sales & Marketing | Leanne Wood leanne@montecitojournal.net Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Scott, Bryce Eller Contributing Editor | Kelly Mahan Herrick Copy Editor | Lily Buckley Harbin Proofreading | Helen Buckley Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz

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“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker

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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, Jamie Knee, 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 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.

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1 – 8 February 2024

Beings & Doings

Stratus Produces Water from Nothing. Questions? by Jeff Wing

ames Margolles is a tall guy. When he stands next to his company’s groundbreaking “water cooler” and companionably places his hand atop it, there is a sudden but fleeting C3PO/R2-D2 vibe. But Margolles is not a droid (to say the least); he is an entrepreneur. Like many a brilliant and initially understated startup in the U.S. of A., James and Katie Margolles’ inaugural company was birthed in a garage in 2006 – this one in the Florida Keys; the tropical archipelago strung off Florida’s south coast. How to describe the glorious and incomprehensible Florida Keys? “It’s lots of little islands connected by bridges,” Margolles summarizes; an early glimpse of the no-nonsense approach that has defined the guy’s entrepreneurship. “No-nonsense” doesn’t mean James and Katie Margolles – and an unidentified humorless. James Margolles is a guy body of water (courtesy photo) with a baked-in, benevolent smirk – and what a writer less obsessed with vocab might damnably refer to as a “twinkle in the eye.” He and his family are recent Santa Barbara locals by way of Costa Rica, where they’ve spent the past six years remotely, and successfully, running their Florida company, Island Pure – whose sustainable, bottle-free water, ice, and coffee system handily shrinks the normally elephantine carbon footprint associated with home and office water delivery. The Margolles’ move from Florida to Costa Rica to Santa Barbara suggest they can’t live without a beach. They were actually chased back to the beach following a brief stint in the Rockies, where James and Katie hoped to actualize a next-step H2O dream. Floridians in Colorado. How’d that go? Margolles doesn’t equivocate. “We were like, ‘It’s too cold! There’s no way!’ I mean, I didn’t even see snow till I was 32 years old.” What prompted that move to Colorado in the first place? “I’m a fly fisherman, and spending a lot of time in Colorado, I’m seeing how low the rivers are that I used to fish, seeing all the reservoirs with the bathtub rings around them.” The American West is increasingly Drought Central, and it was there Margolles hoped to “land and expand” on a crazy-sounding water solution even more sustainable than the bottle-less Island Pure model. “But eight months in Crested Butte, which is at 10,000 feet? It was hardcore.”

Watery Big Bang We’re speaking in Margolles’ offices on Santa Barbara’s sun-soaked Riviera. His new company, called Stratus, makes an aesthetically pleasing and – yeah – revolutionary water cooler; polished aluminum, clean lines, a dashboard enlivened with colorful GUI. Rollout of a new water cooler doesn’t normally suggest ticker tape parades and above-the-fold hollering in the NY Times. Stratus’ water cooler, though, actualizes the murmured Latin “ex nihilo” – a spooky phrase invoked in awkward discussions about the Big Bang. It means “Out of Nothing.” James? “Take a look,” he says, gesturing at Stratus’ Cloud Water Station. “No water lines, no pipes, no plumbing. There are no bottles. All you need is an outlet.” He means an electrical outlet. You roll this thing into your home or office, plug it in, and water comes out of it. I examine the machine as an audience member examines the levitating magician’s assistant for evidence of wires. The silver obelisk

1 – 8 February 2024

Beings & Doings Page 374 374

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n January 25th the Anaheim Convention Center ballroom was rocked by the Women’s International Music Network (WiMN) She Rocks Awards. The group was founded in 2012 by Laura B. Whitmore to create a support system for women in the Music Industry and honor them via the annual awards presented with support by the NAMM Foundation. (See MJ Vol. 28, Iss. 25, 23-30 June, 2022). Whitmore welcomed everyone to “her party” and acknowledged the past honorees in the audience. She shared, “We’ve given out 137 awards and will be adding to that tonight, a journey of extraordinary inspiration. You are in the company of exceptional women who not only shape the present but ignite a spark that fuels others to do the same. These women embody true leadership. Tonight is not just a celebration, it’s a call to action. The 2023 Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum showed the pace of gender equality is back to 2019 levels. At the current pace it will take until 2154 to achieve equality. We are elevating the voices of women in the industry and unlocking a reservoir of untapped creativity to foster an industry marked by innovation and inclusivity. We are dismantling barriers and constructing a music landscape with equity, dynamism, and a genuine representation of the multifaceted voices within our diverse community.” She thanked the NAMM Foundation for being a supportive partner to champion Women in Music and bringing the She Rocks Awards to the convention center. Whitmore introduced the co-hosts Susanna Hoffs (Bangles) and AIJIA (Los Angeles based singer-songwriter, NBC’s Songland). Special presenters were Lyndsey Parker and Adam Weissler. The She Rocks 2024 Honorees are: Debbie Gibson – the youngest artist to write, produce and perform a number one hit for the past 30 years, and celebrating 35th anniversary of her LP Electric Youth. Lindsey Stirling – groundbreaking electronic violinist, dancer, and artist with 13.7 million subscribers and listed by Forbes at #4 in 2015. Bonnie McIntosh – keyboardist for Post Malone, and has worked with Halsey, Kehlani, Melanie Martinez, and Selena Gomez. She is a Roland Artist. Britt Lightning – lead guitarist for the all-female Platinum selling ‘80s rock band Vixen and the Musical Director at first women’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp. Kelsy Karter – Australian singer, songwriter, musician, and the frontwoman of Kelsy Karter & The Heroines, who sported a faux tattoo of Harry Styles on her face as a promo for her breakout hit, “Harry.” Holly G – writer and Founder of the Black Opry and Black Opry Records, champion for artists of color, to amplify the voices of those left out. (Only 19 black artists played on country radio and three are women.) Sylvia Massy – multi-platinum producer for Tool, System of a Down, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash, and Prince, with over 25 Gold and Platinum records. She is a best-selling author and entrepreneur. Lindsay Love-Bivens – Artist and Community Relations Manager for Taylor Guitars with an emphasis on BIPOC community. She is a performing artist, guitar

“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” – Dr. Mae Jemison

Our Town Page 344 344

1 – 8 February 2024

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Montecito JOURNAL

Real Estate Snapshot (Continued from 6)

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1 4 JOURNAL 7 0 E A S T 14 Montecito

V A L L E Y

In 2023, 139 homes closed in the Santa Ynez Valley – including Santa Ynez, Solvang, Los Olivos, Ballard, and Buellton – compared to 195 in 2022. Sales ranged from a 2/1 in Solvang for $725K to a 20-acre ranch in Solvang that sold for $15M, the highest sale of the year in the valley. The average sales price in the I sold this 6-acre ranch in Solvang off-market in 2023 for valley was just over $2M, with just under $2M (listed and sold by Berkshire Hathaway a median sales price of $1.5M. HomeServices California Properties) This is on track with 2022, when the numbers were basically the same. Prices have stabilized after skyrocketing 30% in 2022. On average, homes in the valley sell for 95% of their list price. The average number of days on market in the Santa Ynez Valley was 62 compared to 53 in 2022 and 55 days in 2021. A lack of inventory continues to plague the valley, which is very heavily due to the high interest rate we experienced the entirety of last year. While a slower year overall, we saw many local buyers trading up in the valley, as well as buyers who were priced out of Santa Barbara and Goleta. As is typical, we also have out-of-town buyers seeking the peace and serenity of the Valley, for both primary and secondary home use. Sales in the condo segment have dipped, as there were only 20 sales the entire year, compared to 26 in 2022 and a whopping 45 in 2021. The decrease was due to the previously mentioned lack of inventory; there are five condos currently on the market in the entire valley. As a whole, there are 59 homes, condos, and PUDs on the market right now in the valley. Of these, 17 have had price reductions; this is indicative of the “normalizing” we have been seeing, due to interest rates, holidays, and lack of inventory. It’s refreshing to see one to three homes currently available in each of the valley’s most popular neighborhoods, including Skytt Mesa and Sunrise Village in Solvang, and Sycamore Ranch and Meadow Ridge in Buellton.

Goleta In Goleta, 183 homes/PUDs sold in 2023. This is down over 40% from an average year when we could expect about 350 home sales in Goleta. The homes sold ranged in price from a 1/1 PUD near Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital to an $8M 22-acre ranch in the Goleta foothills, sold by my The most expensive home sold in Goleta in 2023 was $8M team in October. This plus a on Franklin Ranch Road (listed by Marsha Kotlyar of handful of sales between $4M Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, and $5M pushed the average Calcagno & Hamilton Partners represented the buyers) sales price up in Goleta to $1.7M, with a median price of $1.5M. This is in line with 2022, where the sales prices were nearly identical. Just five years ago, the average sales price in Goleta for a single family home was $1,049,000, with a median sales price of $923K. Condo sales in Goleta landed at 85 for the year, ranging in price from a 1/1 in Encina Royal for $515K to a 3/3 at the Tree Farm for $2.2M. On an average year we’d expect the sale of about 200 condos in Goleta, so the numbers are down significantly. Goleta tends to attract entry-level buyers – i.e. more likely to be borrowing funds – in most neighborhoods, so the increasing interest rate in 2022 and 2023 severely impacted the number of sales in the area. There are currently 42 homes, PUDs, and condos on the market right now in Goleta, and an additional 25 are in escrow. Real Estate Snapshot Page 334 334

R “If O A give D you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” – Shirley Chisholm they don’t

1 – 8 February 2024

Daniel Encell Director, Estates Division Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 1170 Coast Village Road Montecito, CA 93108 Office (805) 565-4896 Email: danencell@aol.com www.DanEncell.com DRE #00976141

CLIENT REFERENCES The greatest professional compliment a client can give their real estate agent is to use their services again (and again...) So far I have had: 53 clients use my services twice; 31 clients use my services three times; 15 clients use my services four times; 8 clients use my services five times; 7 clients use my services six times; 2 clients use my services seven times; 3 clients use my services eight times; 1 client use my services nine times; 2 clients use my services ten times; 1 client use my services eleven times; and 1 client use my services thirteen times!

“He knows the market intimately and was able to guide our search, help us strategize on the formulation of our offer and attend to all of the details associated with the closing. Dan is accessible, always available and a superb professional.” ~ Ron “We have bought and sold multiple luxury properties in Montecito over the course of 15 years with Dan and his Team, and never once did they fail to deliver. He makes it as easy as picking up the phone, and telling him what you expect, and he makes it happen, fully and completely.” ~ Eric “Dan handled my two real estate transactions in Santa Barbara seamlessly and extremely professionally. Having done many real estate deals I can assure you Dan was simply the best at his profession, plus he is an all around great guy!” ~ Charles

“Dan is not only the best real estate broker I have ever worked nationwide but he is a very likable and true business professional. Dan’s legal background has been an invaluable resource. I will always reach out to Dan in the future.” ~ Lee

“He is knowledgeable and informed about

the local market. His background in law lends a sense of confidence when negotiating contracts and legal documents. I wouldn’t work with anyone else.” ~ Kathleen

“We have used Dan’s expertise multiple times when buying and selling property and have always appreciated his marketing insights and negotiating skills. Dan’s in-depth knowledge of the SB real estate market and his ability to advocate for his clients while working out a good conclusion for all, is why he is clearly the best in the area.“ ~ Chip

“I highly recommend Dan to anybody looking for an experienced and trustworthy agent, who has a full professional team supporting him.” ~ Bruce “Dan is the best agent I’ve ever worked with. He knows everything there is to know about his market, he gets deals done, he works hard for his clients, and he’s a great human being.” ~ Mark

“Dan was knowledgeable, straightforward and helpful when we were selling our home. Our transaction was smooth and easy because of Dan and his team. I highly recommend Dan: trustworthy, super informed and professional.” ~ Charity

“I have worked with Dan buying and selling on five different transactions. I have continued working with him as he is simply the BEST! I highly recommend Dan!” ~ Jean

“Dan has represented us for over two decades in acquiring and selling properties. He is very knowledgeable, professional and respected.” ~ Georgia

“I’ve worked with numerous other RE agents throughout my years, but found that my experience with Dan has proven to be the most time efficient, rewarding and successful. Without question, he kept my interests and goals foremost in both negotiation transactions achieving outstanding results each time. Absolutely a delight to work with!” ~ Igor

© 2023 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (BHHSCP) is a member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates LLC. BHHS and the BHHS symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. BHH Affiliates LLC and BHHSCP do not guarantee accuracy of all data including measurements, conditions, and features of property. Information is obtained from various sources and will not be verified by broker or MLS. Buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of that information. CalDRE#: 00976141

1 – 8 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

Dear Montecito Kristine Carrillo by Stella Haffner

ho doesn’t love a full circle moment? Today we have yet another wonderful featuree who is an alumna of the Mission Scholars program. Inspired by her time in the program and her upbringing here in Santa Barbara, Kristine Carrillo is a current senior at Brown University where she studies International and Public Affairs and Education Studies and is developing big plans to improve our education system.

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Q. How did you get involved with Mission Scholars? A. I got involved with Mission Scholars in my junior year, and they’ve really helped me with everything from academics to college life and starting my professional career. They have been very much like a second family to me. I am constantly keeping in contact with them, even now being out of state, and I still feel like they’re very close to me which I appreciate. Do you remember the college application process well? Yes – my college application period started right when COVID hit so a lot of the workshops for my cohort at Mission Scholars were held over Zoom. Despite that, I feel that they were able to maintain a strong sense of community, and I got to meet a lot of other students from other schools around Santa Barbara which I really liked because I was able to make new friends that I otherwise wouldn’t, especially since it was during a time when it was very hard to stay connected. I always felt as though I had both my peers and the staff to turn to for college advice, or if I was struggling in other areas – they were always there to help me. What was it like getting your acceptance letter from Brown? I opened it right after my Zoom Econ class. I knew that it was waiting for me, but I didn’t want to open it during class – especially since I wasn’t expecting much. I was in complete shock. I never even considered applying to out-of-state schools before joining Mission Scholars. So yeah, it was a complete shock. I hadn’t even told my parents I had applied there. I was very happy to explain it to them once I had gotten my letter. You didn’t think you would be accepted? I was always looking up the acceptance rates and going on YouTube to see other

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” – James Baldwin

Kristine Carrillo, a Mission Scholar, is studying at Brown University

students’ college stats. I really didn’t think it was going to work out for me. But Mission Scholars really encouraged me to apply to whatever school I wanted to attend and not to be deterred from what I saw online. What made you want to go to Brown? I have been interested for a long time in pursuing a career in education policy and research. Brown offered a paired major in Educational Studies and International and Public Affairs that I was really interested in, especially since educational policy isn’t always taught until graduate level, but I knew I wanted to right away start learning about it and engaging in it professionally. When do you remember first being interested in education policy? I guess the seed grew for me when I first entered education. My dad used to be a custodian at the local private school where my three older siblings attended on scholarship. But once I was of age to go to school, my dad was laid off and the scholarships went away. Since I was too young, I couldn’t really understand why I didn’t get to attend the school my sisters had. But as I got older, I realized how heavily your socioeconomic status influences the education that you receive. When I was at San Marcos, I was a part of the AAPLE Academy, which is a leadership program. When college is discussed in that program, it was about how you can attend elite colleges, but not so much how you can get into a

Dear Montecito Page 254 254

1 – 8 February 2024

HOME IS OUR FAVORITE DESTINATION

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2740 Ontiveros Rd | Santa Ynez | 3BD/5BA DRE 00753349 | Offered at $6,495,000 Carey Kendall 805.689.6262

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8107 Buena Fortuna St | Carpinteria | 4BD/3BA DRE 01397913 | Offered at $4,750,000 Emily Kellenberger 805.252.2773

3595 W Oak Trail Rd | Santa Ynez | 3BD/4BA DRE 00753349 | Offered at $4,450,000 Carey Kendall 805.689.6262

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All information provided is deemed reliable, but has not been verified and we do not guarantee it. We recommend that buyers make their own inquiries.

1 – 8 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

Elizabeth’s Appraisals

ON STAGE FEBRUARY 1-18

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An image from “Ideas for Living,” 1960 (photo courtesy of Cranbrook. Copyright General Motors)

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n 1960, the MET held its famous museum show of industrial design called “Ideas for Living.” A designer’s showcase of streamlined ways to simplify life, repercussions are still being felt today in post-post modernism. TT owns a stove and range combination that was built into a Santa Barbara condominium in 1962 and has stayed in the unit. Only ONE burner out of four works, and neither of the range’s two ovens is operable. TT tells me she doesn’t care – Flair is a work of sculpture; a work of art. Art has its way of dominating the stomach. The appliance was developed by one of the scholars trained at the Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan – one of the leading centers – then and now – of new ideas in science and art. I have a mural designed by one of their former presidents. Cranbrook has a wonderful Center for Collections and Research of Material Culture, and for this article on TT’s appliance I found MUCH information on the midcentury modern ‘Stove-Range’ at that center. This is a Frigidaire Flair (1962), produced when Frigidaire was owned by General Motors; hence the Michigan connection with Cranbrook. Even today there is such a range installed at the visiting scholar’s house (called the ‘Edison House’) at Cranbrook Academy. Flair is a triumph of space-saving modernity. The appliance is an electric range with four burners that are a part of a countertop ‘situation’ that rolls in and out of the wall like a drawer. Above it, flush with your kitchen cabinets (as designed), are two ovens at counter height, with unique dual flip doors – one for baking and one for broiling. These ovens have two settings: they can swing out or open with a press of a button. For 10 years, TT has cooked on one burner and a used 2022 toaster oven. She does not want to gut her Flair and install something that works, but has none of the artistry of her appliance. She is intrigued with this appliance that is essentially a range in a drawer, invented in 1960. The forward-thinking architect of her condominium unit in 1962 had a connection to the latest in modern design – and had the nerve to bring the Flair to Santa Barbara. TT tells me that every unit in her complex had such an appliance at one time. The Flair was designed by a female inventor, M. Jayne Van Alstyne, who was a ceramics Elizabeth’s Appraisals Page 254 254

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SANTA BARBARA REGION BROKERAGES | SANTA BARBARA | MONTECITO | SANTA YNEZ VALLEY © 2024 Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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1 – 8 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

The Giving List

Wayfinder Family Services provides support and early prevention services for youth with visual impairments, among many other services (courtesy photo)

Wayfinder Family Services by Steven Libowitz

hen Gina was preparing to adopt a baby girl, she experienced a rush of thrilling emotions that comes with going through the process for the first time that will dramatically change your life. First there’s making it through the selection process, then learning the name of your new child. With the day of the child’s arrival in her home approaching, Gina started imagining their new life together as a family. But when Kennedy arrived, Gina’s excitement turned to worry. Baby Kennedy was supposed to be a perfectly healthy three-month-old, but the infant was just half that age, merely six weeks old. More importantly, something seemed to be very wrong. “She didn’t cry at all for the first eight months,” recalled Gina. “And when her eyes were open, she’d just stare into a corner.” It was soon discovered that the little girl had been exposed to methamphetamines in the womb. An assess-

ment revealed that Kennedy was legally blind and her development was severely delayed. The prognosis from doctors was so bad that Gina didn’t think early intervention could help her vision. Gina was distraught. “I thought, how are they going to teach a blind kid to see?” Recalls Gina, who prefers to keep her real name private. That’s when Wayfinder Family Services stepped in. Since its founding as Junior Blind 71 years ago, the nonprofit has created a number of programs that have earned them a strong reputation for helping children and families that many other organizations are unable to serve. Wayfinder’s Child Development Services program may well be able to provide effective treatment for Kennedy, one of many children with vision impairment or multiple disabilities with which the nonprofit has worked for decades. Wayfinder’s Child Development Services helps young children who are blind, visually impaired, or have multiple disabilities to increase their visual functioning, sensory awareness, communica-

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tion and social skills. Its services improve children’s physical, cognitive and emotional development, and the nonprofit also helps families become successful advocates for their children’s education and care. Bertha Preciado, one of Wayfinder Family Services’ Early Intervention Specialists, was assigned to work with Kennedy. When the child was just four months old, Bertha started making home visits. Among other items, Preciado brought an iPad that featured a vividly glowing red bunny. Week after week, Bertha worked with Kennedy, patiently encouraging the little girl to follow the slow-moving red bunny with her eyes. “When I first met her, Kennedy was very unresponsive to stimulation,” Preciado explained. “If she wasn’t being touched, she was unaware of her surroundings.” To give Kennedy more tactile sensory input, Preciado introduced sand and water. The little girl loved it. It wasn’t long before Kennedy started showing abilities that seemed impossible months earlier. “It’s amazing how plastic babies’ brains are,” Preciado said, referring to the brain’s malleability. “It took a few months, but she started seeing.” By the time Kennedy turned one, she was able to follow the red bunny as it bounced rapidly all around the iPad’s display screen. Working steadily with the Early Intervention Specialist from Wayfinder, Kennedy’s vision continued to improve, and she made rapid developmental progress. Now, at age 4, Kennedy is attending a typical preschool and does not need special education services. But her case is not unique, as research shows that every $1 spent on early intervention saves $17 in future care and support, according to Wayfinder, which has had many dozens of similar success stories. “Working with Wayfinder’s Early Intervention was totally life-changing for Kennedy,” said Gina. “I don’t know where she’d be now without them.” Child Development Services is just one of Wayfinder’s wide array of services. Based on the belief that those facing the greatest challenges deserve an equal chance to thrive, Wayfinder has created more than 20 comprehensive programs that collectively provide high-quality, professional, trauma-informed services, individualized

“No person is your friend who demands your silence or denies your right to grow.” – Alice Walker

to support an increasingly diverse population of children, youth, adults and families. Among its offerings are special education, recreation, independence, workforce development and mental health programs; safe, temporary shelter for youth who have been removed from their families due to maltreatment; medical and mental health services for youth who are in the child welfare system; and foster care, adoption, and children and family services to ensure that children have safe, loving homes. Wayfinder has also developed its first program specifically for older adults with visual impairment. Older Individuals who are Blind (OIB) targets individuals aged 55 or older who have difficulty living independently due to their vision loss, which can reduce their ability to care for themselves and navigate their community. Each OIB client receives individualized, one-to-one services that are based on their personal needs. The program can help in so many ways, including providing assistive technology and devices, targeting re-training and orientation and navigation techniques. What’s also new is Wayfinder Family Services’ course adjustment to be more community oriented in its approach, as well as more proactive. “We are continuing to provide full services in our areas of expertise: foster care and adoption, mental health, and visual and multiple disabilities,” said Wayfinder’s president and CEO in the organization’s 2023 annual report. “The change is in where we are providing them. We are moving from campus-based to community-based services. We are going to where people need us: in their homes and schools. We are expanding prevention services in communities. And rather than play catch-up downstream, upstream prevention can avert the need for crisis services.” Last year, Wayfinder Family Services served more than 21,000 children, youth, and family members across the state, with offices in southern, central and northern California. More than 90% of the people Wayfinder supports are low-income, and its services are always free. Donations of any kind are always welcome. Visit www.wayfinderfamily.org/ways-to-help.

1 – 8 February 2024

Your Westmont

Exhibit Highlights Traditional Hopi Katsina Dolls by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott

opi Katsina dolls, carved and colorfully decorated wooden figures, are more than just beautiful works of art: They represent Katsinam spirits believed to bring blessings of good health, growth and fertility. A unique exhibition, celebrating the resurgence of a traditional carving method, features dozens of the Katsina (or “Kachina” to non-Hopi people) dolls and is open through May 4 in the lower level of the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. The exhibition draws from local collectors, including local artists Wesley and Donna Anderegg, and includes work by four carvers, whose pieces are available for purchase. Traditionally, young Hopi children receive these dolls during ceremonies and dances throughout the calendar year in conjunction with planting, harvesting and celebrations. The dolls, which feature hundreds of characters, also serve as educational tools teaching children about each specific Katsina spirit, which include all things in the universe, rocks, Kevin Honyouti’s Hania stars, animals, plants, weather and more. (Knife Sharpener) Beginning around 1900, as tourists began to venture into Hopi and other Native American lands, the dolls became highly sought-after collectables. Hopi carvers made and sold the dolls, sharing the rich cosmology of the Hopi people.

1 – 8 February 2024

Traditional Hopi Katsina dolls take shape from the roots of cottonwood trees. Like the Hopi, these trees live in an arid climate and grow only near stable sources of water. Although the Navajo Nation completely surrounds it, the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited land in the U.S., with the Hopi settling there between 900 and 1000 A.D. The four artists whose work is for sale include Cory Ahownewa, who serves as a cultural ambassador at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon; Kevin Honyouti, the youngest carver on display in the exhibition, who learned the craft from his father; Ed Seechoma, who is an award-winning Hopi master carver and lives in the village of Hotevilla on the Third Mesa; and Cordell Naseyoma also of the Hopi Third Mesa village of Hotevilla. The exhibition is of special interest to Chris Rupp, Westmont curator and art collections manager, who grew Honyouti’s Sooya’taka up in Arizona and from a young age had a strong interest in (Laguna Gambler) Native American culture. “My father and I visited petroglyph sites and explored remote ruins of ancient settlements, which he occasionally located from the air while on flights as an aerial photographer,” Rupp says. Rupp’s interest in Katsina dolls grew out of his friendship with the Andereggs (Wesley also grew up in Arizona). “I am struck by their visual power, their bold colors and elaborate decorations,” Rupp says. “As a ceramic artist I am drawn in by their handcraftedness — they are so carefully carved, painted and crafted, yet the hand is evident in their production. While some are intended to represent frightening characters, such as ogres, they tend to have a friendly

Your Westmont Page 334 334

Artists and collectors Wesley and Donna Anderegg

Montecito JOURNAL

Feb 12 Therapist and Educator

Resmaa Menakem

Setting a Course for Healing Historical and Racialized Trauma Mon, Feb 12 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall $20 / FREE for UCSB students “[Menakem] activates the wisdom of elders, and very new science, about how all of us carry in our bodies the history and traumas behind everything we collapse into the word ‘race.’” – Krista Tippett, On Being Known for his New York Times bestseller My Grandmother’s Hands and his Guerrilla Muse podcast, cultural trauma navigator Resmaa Menakem is the challenging yet compassionate coach we all need in this time of racial reckoning and near-global dysregulation.

Abraham Verghese

Feb 21

in Conversation with Pico Iyer

Wed, Feb 21 / 7:30 PM Arlington Theatre (note new venue) Tickets start at $25 / $10 UCSB students “Like Chekhov, Verghese is a doctor and is as authoritative about the workings of the human heart as he is of the human body.” The Sunday Telegraph (U.K.) The acclaimed author of New York Times bestselling novels The Covenant of Water and Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese is a prominent voice in medicine and a recipient of the National Humanities Medal.

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

Feb 23

Launching UCSB’s Campus Decarbonization Study Project as Part of the Task Force for a Fossil-free UC

Climatologist and Geophysicist

Michael E. Mann

Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons From Earth’s Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis Fri, Feb 23 / 7:30 PM UCSB Campbell Hall / FREE (registration recommended) “[Mann] shows us how we can take the bold steps we must all take together to win the battle to save this planet.” – Greta Thunberg

(805) 893-3535 | www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu Arlington event tickets can also be purchased at: (805) 963-4408 |

22 Montecito JOURNAL

1 – 8 February 2024

Feb 4 Live Taping! Produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting, Distributed by NPR Music

Mountain Stage with Host Kathy Mattea

Featuring Brett Dennen, Craig Finn, Ben Lee, Judith Owen and Raye Zaragoza Sun, Feb 4 / 6:30 PM (note special time) Arlington Theatre (note new venue) Feb 8 Tickets start at $35 / $19 UCSB students The Heart and Soul of Jazz

Blue Note Records 85th Anniversary Celebration Starring The Blue Note Quintet Featuring Gerald Clayton, Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, Kendrick Scott and Matt Brewer Thu, Feb 8 / 8 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall Tickets start at $20 / $15 UCSB students Jazz Series Lead Sponsor: Manitou Fund “Josefowicz is magnificent… whether negotiating ferocious technical challenges or playing with gentle lyrical wonder.” The Strad (U.K.)

Feb 25

Leila Josefowicz, violin John Novacek, piano

Sun, Feb 25 / 4 PM (note special time) / UCSB Campbell Hall Tickets start at $25 / $15 UCSB students Program Debussy: Violin Sonata in G Minor, L. 140 Szymanowski: Mythes, op. 30 Erkki-Sven Tüür: Conversio for Violin and Piano Stravinsky: Divertimento from Le Baiser de la fée

Event Sponsor: Luci & Rich Janssen

(805) 893-3535 | www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu

Granada event can at: also(805) be purchased Arlington event tickets can also betickets purchased 963-4408 at:| (805) 899-2222 | www.GranadaSB.org

1 – 8 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

Brilliant Thoughts Cut It Out by Ashleigh Brilliant

ne of the most famous of all historical events was the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. The killers were a group of men whom Caesar had considered his friends and supporters. The leader of this conspiracy, whose name was Brutus, is said to have been the last to deliver the fatal blow. And we are told that Caesar, recognizing him, uttered as his final shocked words, “Et tu, Brute” (“You too, Brutus!”) This event has been further immortalized by Shakespeare’s drama, Julius Caesar, of which probably the best remembered scene – apart from the murder itself – is that which depicts Marc Antony, a friend of Caesar who had not been part of the conspiracy, speaking at his funeral in the Roman Forum. One of the best-known lines in that speech comes when Antony displays Caesar’s bloody toga and points to the hole supposedly made by the knife of Brutus – and comments: “This was the most unkindest cut of all.” The questionable grammar of that statement is something we have to let

Shakespeare get away with – for several reasons: (1) Grammatical rules do often change over time. (2) In this case, the change made the words conform to the rhythmic pattern called “iambic pentameter. (3) “most unkindest” is a poetic way of emphasizing the extreme treachery of Brutus’ betrayal (4) and, after all, this was Shakespeare. Happily, there are today many instances of flesh-cutting which are more kind than unkind. There is, of course, legitimate surgery, whose applications may range from removing the infected tissue of a small wound all the way up (or down) to the amputation of an entire limb. This sort of medical treatment probably began on or near battlefields. In such settings, there came to be in attendance men known as “surgeons,” who regularly carried small sharp instruments, and who doubled (between battles) as “barbers” (from the Latin word for “beard.”) And that is why, even today, many barbershops proclaim their presence with some kind of red-andwhite striped pole, the stripes originally representing blood and bandages.

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Unhappily, the cutting of living flesh usually involves much pain – the development of anesthesia thus generally considered to be one of the greatest advances in the history of Medicine. But it did not happen all at once. The most significant modern chapter began with the discovery, in 1845, that the gas technically called Nitrous Oxide, but commonly known as “Laughing Gas,” could, under controlled conditions, be used by doctors and dentists to render the patient insensitive to pain for long enough to permit performance of what would otherwise be a painful procedure. The credit for this boon to mankind properly belongs to an American dentist, of Hartford, Connecticut, named Horace Wells. We still sometimes refer to being operated on as going “under the knife” although the cutting instrument most commonly used is more likely to be what is called a “scalpel.” But these too have changed greatly, and the scalpel today is usually some kind of handle with a small disposable blade. All this is to say nothing of new techniques, such as Lasers, which, instead of any kind of tangible tools, employ concentrated beams of light to do the cutting. Of course, some of the world’s most important cuts have been not through flesh, but through land. The Panama Canal saved sailing all the way around South America; and the Suez Canal did the same for Africa. (I have done both trips by both routes and, if you enjoy having a variety of weathers, I can recommend each of these travel experiences.)

One of the most famous “cutting” stories explains what was originally meant by “cutting the Gordian knot” – an expression we now use to mean “solving the problem with a swift and perhaps unorthodox action.” Going back two millennia, this stems from a legend concerning Alexander the Great, who is said to have been confronted by a knot associated with a king called Gordius. The knot was so complex that, in a then-hallowed tradition, whoever untied it would become the ruler of all Asia. Instead of trying to unravel it, Alexander simply took his sharp sword and cut through it. – And he did indeed, in his few remaining years, conquer and rule most of what was then known as Asia. Finally, if I may follow Alexander with one of my own Great Thoughts on this subject: “My dream is to cut all ties with Civilization, but still be on the Internet.”

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

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24 Montecito JOURNAL

“You are your best thing.” – Toni Morrison

1 – 8 February 2024

Dear Montecito (Continued from 16 16)) college – because a lot of the students have parents who went to college or they have access to college counselors. I think I started to see the division between AAPLE Academy participants and the rest of the school. We had our own counselor, we had priority choosing classes, and despite the majority of the school being Latino, this program was majority white, affluent students. AAPLE Academy students were receiving a lot of extra support that the rest of the school didn’t have. And when did you officially decide you wanted to study in this area? After my first few days in the AAPLE Program, I was explaining my experiences to my older siblings. My sister talked a lot about how these sorts of divides pertain to policy and lots of other factors, such as socioeconomic status. She is the one who told me that I could study these issues and have a career in this. If wasn’t for my sister – if it wasn’t for the conversations I had with her – I wouldn’t have been able to see all this information cohesively. She played a big part in setting me up to do what I do now; even at college I still find myself incredibly passionate about these issues in education, and have a lot of drive to center my academic and professional experience around this. With only one semester to go, what has been your favorite class? Applied Statistics for Education Research. Before this class I did not feel confident in myself and my ability to build a quantitative background or pursue research. I was very scared of coding; it was never something I did in

Elizabeth’s Appraisals (Continued from 18 18)) high school. My professor, Dr. Pierre De Galbert, put a lot of time into supporting students who were new to coding, and that has made me confident pursuing in it professional spaces. I have had a few research experiences following that class, but I definitely would not have pursued them if it was not for that class. Are you leaning toward a career in research? I think I am leaning more toward a career in policy, but I think in order to be effective working in policy, you need to be able to understand the research. Finally, with what part of education policy would you most like to be involved? Because of my experience in Mission Scholars, I have been very interested in college access and the college success space. There is a lot of emphasis on getting first generation students into college but not so much support seeing them complete college. If I could make a change, I would want to extend the support to students who are already in college to make sure matriculation stays up.

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

major at Cranbrook in 1941-42. She went on to study Industrial Design at Pratt Institute, and continued to refine her skills at Alfred University in New York City in 1948-1950. She was snapped up by General Motors, working there from 1955 to 1969 and becoming one of the auto maker’s storied “Damsels of Design” under GM’s Harley Earl. Gender politics existed then as now, and even if she COULD have designed a great car, she was made studio head for kitchen appliances for GM’s Frigidaire, leading the research, development, and design of objects “women” used. But Van Alstyne was an engineer and efficiency expert: the blockbuster museum show, “Ideas for TT’s Flair stove and range combination Living” was her brainchild, and opened – showing her Flair – in 1960. Actor (in the 1960s she was an actress) Elizabeth Montgomery – a mere mortal playing Samantha, the suburban witch – was often seen cooking on her Flair on the set of Bewitched in that show’s run from 1964-1972. She made casseroles for TV husband Darrin Stephens (Dick York, and later the actor Dick Sargent) as an ordinary housewife. Advertisements for the Flair were also gender driven; the kitchen was female. Only recently are men pictured in a home kitchen, though chefs are thought of as male. And here is the kicker. Cranbrook’s Center for Collections and Research of Material Culture has a blog they call “The Kitchen Sink” for just this kind of design wonder. They admit that their Flair, which is on campus JUST for show, is also not functional. “Anyone who sees the Flair in Edison House will agree it is a marvel of design. While they won’t be whipping up lunch on the appliance, I hope the kids taking classes in the house will take a moment to appreciate it. Elizabeth Stewart, PhD is As Frigidaire promised in 1962, the a veteran appraiser of fine Flair is “The happiest thing that ever art, furniture, glass, and happened to cooking… OR YOU!” other collectibles, and a I have found the Flair advertised cert. member of the AAA online for sale – and I did find one and an accr. member of on eBay – all dusty and likely not the ASA. Please send any working, in Hollywood from a TV objects to be appraised to set, for $700-800. But can we think Elizabethappraisals@ of this as a kitchen sculpture? Yes!! gmail.com Who needs to cook?

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Montecito JOURNAL

Stories Matter

cast of quirky characters from her first book, Yamashita draws Cara into a tangled web of deceit as she searches for clues as to what really happened to her family. Was it murder? The story is layered and fast-paced, all drawing to a wild climactic scene in a strange, isolated women-and-children-only community in the woods. Yamashita brings unique voices and locations to this one.

The Month of Her-Stories by Leslie Zemeckis

he genius of Tracy Brown is that we like and root for the character Brooklyn, despite her endless selfishness and scorchedearth approach to relationships. Brooklyn, sadly, is the last book from Brown (she died two days after turning in the final draft). The story lives where Brown thrives best, in urban tales of struggling, successful characters loved and loving and betrayed and betraying. Brooklyn is a “church” girl; her father a minister, her mother the first lady where appearances are everything. But for Brooklyn, the lies and hypocrisy of that life eat at her. Thrown out of the house after her secret summer with a drug-dealing lover comes to light, Brooklyn flounders. She has big dreams of running a beauty salon someday, but in the meantime, she’s peddling cocaine and falling in with a crowd that, if messed with, will see her dead.

ristin Hannah has a sure winner with The Women. Hannah expertly crafts a heartbreaking, emotional story about love and loss. From a family of “heroes,” Frankie follows her brother to Vietnam feeling she wants to do her part for her country. It is 1965. Frankie comes from a conservative family where she is expected to do the right thing; represent the family, be a good girl, marry – but Frankie wants more. Her experience with the Army Nurse Corps is life changing and Frankie returns a different woman, struggling to find meaning and her place in the world after experiencing so much loss. Hannah writes with compassion for those that served and expertly captures a changing America, examining a group of previously overlooked women; the nurses that braved bullets and more during the Vietnam conflict. Get out your hankies.

ueens of London by Heather Webb is an amusing historical caper set in post WWI London. Diamond Annie runs a gang of female thieves. Officer Lilian, one of the city’s first female detectives, is in pursuit of Annie and determined to lock her up. Then there is the runaway, Hira. Having escaped from a tyrannical guardian, the ten-year old is deemed less than because of the color of her skin. The runaway must use her wits when she finds herself caught between Diamond Annie and Lilian. This is a fun and funny romp, where the women get to be the “bad guys” and “good guys”, and where loyalties are tested even if it means bending the law.

he Painter’s Daughters is the dazzling debut by Emily Howes. Peggy Gainsborough feels responsible for her older sister Molly’s well-being. Molly is suffering episodes of increasing mental confusion and Peggy will do anything in her power to protect her sister’s growing madness from probing eyes – even from their parents. Peggy is willing to sacrifice everything – even love – for Molly; only to experience her sister’s ultimate betrayal. Howes’ prose is gorgeous and evocative. You won’t be able to put this book down.

ris Yamashita returns to the weird and isolated town of Point Mettier, Alaska in her follow up to City Under One Roof. In Yamashita’s new novel Village in the Dark, Detective Cara is back, still grieving for her son and husband who perished in an accident in the woods. Cara finds herself puzzled as to why a photo of her family is on the phone of a suspected overdose victim. With the help of a

Leslie Zemeckis is an award-winning documentarian, best-selling author, and actor. The creator of “Stories Matter,” professional female authors mentoring the next generation of female storytellers, co-sponsored by SBIFF.

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Miscellany (Continued from 8)

Improve Your Daily Routine: A Neuroscientist’s Advice To Strengthening Key Brain Regions The Limón Dance Company during “Missa Brevis” (photo by David Bazemore)

with an innovative program of new and reconstructed works highlighting choreographer José Limón’s unique contributions to dance at a new venue, Campbell Hall, part of the entertaining UCSB Arts & Lectures program. In addition to New York-based Limón’s classic solo, “Chaconne,” the delightful evening featured “Danzas Mexicanas”; “Missa Brevis,” which incorporated dancers from the Santa Barbara Dance Theater, and “Migrant Mother,” a new commission by contemporary Mexican choreographer Raúl Tamez, who was honored with a 2002 Bessie Award for creating a powerful reflection on the migrant experience. The venerable Granada will be back in action in due course...

time all around the country, getting to share this beautiful story. What good fortune.” The twosome’s chemistry was undeniable. A fun afternoon for a good cause...

‘Pretty Woman’ Performs

‘Love Letters’ through Time Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross, who played husband and wife on the hit ‘80s TV sitcom Family Ties, were back together at the Ensemble Theatre Company’s New Vic for a special onetime benefit performance of Love Letters. A timeless play written by A. R.Gurney, the production unfolds through a series of letters exchanged over a lifetime between two people who grew up together, went their separate ways, but continued to share confidences. “Our first performance of Love Letters was in the mid-1980s and here we are in 2024,” says Baxter. “We have traveled half a life-

Chase Wolfe and Ellie Baker in Pretty Woman (photo by Matthew Murphy, MurphyMade)

Pretty Woman: The Musical, which the American Theatre Guild staged at the Granada, certainly had excellent credentials. The romantic comedy featured an original score by Grammy-winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, and a book by legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J. F. Lawton.

Miscellany Page 324 324

n today’s fitness-focused society, the importance of brain training is frequently overlooked. Daniel Amen, M.D., draws on over 30 years of clinical experience as a psychiatrist employing functional brain SPECT imaging to emphasize the need for frequent mental exercise in improving total brain function. Beyond classic word games, learn practical, daily exercises based on the most recent research and Dr. Amen’s significant therapeutic experience. Adopting a mindset of lifelong learning is critical for good mental health. Routine tasks, no matter how difficult, do not test the brain in the same way that novel activities do. 1. Exercise your prefrontal cortex (PFC): The brain’s CEO - Play language-based and strategic games, such as Scrabble or chess - Combine weightlifting and aerobic activities for a powerful PFC boost - Use meditation to maximize the PFC’s capabilities by boosting focus, judgment, and impulse control 2. Flex your temporal lobes: Improve memory and stability - Use memorizing techniques or recite poetry or prose to stimulate the hippocampus - Learn a musical instrument for a multi-regional neurologic interaction 3. Use your parietal lobes: Master spatial navigation - Play math games like Sudoku or participate in spatial exercises like juggling - Increase gray matter volume by traveling with a map rather than GPS 4. Flex your basal ganglia: Improve balance and stable movements - Test your balance with activities like yoga, Pilates, or hula hooping - Synchronize arm and leg movements using objects such as balls or ropes 5. Use your cerebellum: Coordinate reflexive and voluntary movements - Take part in coordinated activities like racket sports, dance, or Tai Chi - Maintain your brain’s agility with everyday exercises that involve coordination Making mental exercises a daily habit To reap the benefits, consider these useful strategies for incorporating mental exercises into your everyday routine: - Set aside at least 15 minutes per day to study something new - Take seminars or workshops, pursue a new hobby, or cross-train at work - Visit new locations to expose your brain to new inputs - Breaking habitual habits might stimulate different brain regions - Form friendships with people that challenge your intelligence - Seek expert help if you are having difficulty learning due to a condition like ADHD Daily flexing of different mental muscles helps to maintain a healthy and nimble brain. Engaging in targeted workouts empowers your mind, improving cognitive function and favorably impacting all parts of life.

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Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter charm in Love Letters (courtesy photo)

1 – 8 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

On Entertainment

Disney’s Madu opens SBIFF with a sold out show (courtesy photo)

Gettin’ SBIFF-y with It by Steven Libowitz

et ready, Santa Barbara. It’s time to roll out the red carpet and rev up for 11 roaring days and nights of film screenings, seminars, panels, actor tributes and other awards, plus parties, as the 39th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival takes over the town. Start stocking up on sleep and shore up your stamina, as SBIFF is perennially one of the more popular presentations around, one that is almost always ridiculously rewarding for even casual cinema fans. The star quotient will be, as always, sensational, as the fest has booked several actors, directors, screenwriters, producers and artisans (aka, the below-the-line filmmakers, as the industry puts it) who are favorites to take home a coveted statuette when the Oscars are handed out next month. Movie stars slated to appear at the Arlington are Maestro’s maestro Bradley Cooper (Outstanding Performer of the Year, Feb. 8); Oppenheimer’s Robert Downey Jr., who took down the Golden Globe, (Modern Master, Feb. 9); Poor Things’ Mark Ruffalo (American Riviera, Feb. 11); and American Fiction’s Jeffrey Wright (Montecito Award, Feb. 15). Just added to the schedule: Paul Giamatti, the 30-year veteran of film (Sideways) and TV (Billions) who is up as best actor for his current role in The Holdovers, and will get SBIFF’s Cinema Vanguard Award on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. The best bang for your buck trib-

NEW

ute-wise is SBIFF’s Virtuosos Award, a group event that honors eight actors for breakout performances and is emceed by the always entertaining, efficient, and well-informed Dave Karger, on February 10. This year’s lineup features five Academy Award nominees, plus a couple who perhaps should have been. And don’t miss the February 11 Artisans Awards, another group tribute featuring nine nominated individuals in such areas as hair styling, cinematography, editing and composing – nearly all of whom are odds-on favorites to snag an Oscar. There are no red carpets for the film screenings, but of course the movies are the reason for the event in the first place, and this year’s lineup looks to be a real winner. The nearly 200 films include 45 world premieres and 77 U.S. premieres from nearly 50 different countries, giving a lot of attention to the ‘I’ of SBIFF, which third-year Programming Director Claudia Puig is particularly proud of. “The festival is a real opportunity for people to see movies from places they will probably never go,” she said. “This year we have one from Burkina Faso for the first-time ever, and the opening night film (Madu) is from Nigeria.” Puig said she was also thrilled that a majority of the movies feature a woman filmmaker this year, especially first-time female directors. “The lion’s share of movies are still made by white males, so it’s great that we were able to program so many worthy films by women for the festival.” The 200 films are spread out among a wide range of genres, from dark documentaries to lighthearted comedies and everything in between; some that might particularly appeal to Santa Barbara (e.g. social justice, coastal/nature themes and Irish films), and other important films that need to be seen.

“It’s like a jigsaw puzzle with hundreds of pieces,” she said. “Some movies are slam dunks to draw a crowd, and there are others we talk about, at least in terms of when to play it. It’s always a balance of what we know audiences will love because they’re entertaining, and what we think the audience should see, movies that might be edifying, enlightening or inspiring. It’s important to include films that are challenging, too.” SBIFF runs February 7-17. Visit www. sbiff.org for passes, event descriptions, app info and more.

Satire Supreme with Peter Sagal The Marjorie Luke Theatre is marking its 20th anniversary this year, and the celebration launches February 3 with a visit from a humorist and writer whose current job can boast even more longevity. Peter Sagal has been hosting the weekly NPR News quiz show Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! almost since its inception a quarter-century ago, taking his turn at the dais to lightheartedly grill three comedian/panelists as well as call-in contestants and newsmaker guests playing the games “Who’s Bill this Time?” “Bluff the Listener,” “Not My Jobs,” “Listener Limerick Challenge,” and “Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank”. “An Evening with Peter Sagal” features a brand-new program from Sagal in his first visit to town since Wait Wait taped one of its episodes at the Arlington 15 years ago. Sagal said he plans to visit La

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“Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face.” – Carol Moseley-Braun

Super-Rica, out-of-towners’ (and locals’) favorite taco stand; a place he fondly remembers driving up to visit from L.A. decades ago, especially since it’s just a few blocks from the Luke. Here are severely edited excerpts from our nearly hour-long conversation last weekend. Q. What’s it like to ponder having hosted Wait Wait for 25 years? A. It’s a little weird. I’m having a hard time just dealing with the fact that I’ve done anything for a quarter of a century, let alone one job. It’s mind-boggling. But it’s been a very full and rich 25 years… There are worse jobs to have for that long. I’m not going to ask you to share favorite moments or bloopers, but I am curious about the Not My Job segment. You seem to really enjoy talking with the newsmakers who range from presidents to singer-songwriters. You sound like you’re just chatting with them at a cocktail party, except six million people are listening in. You nailed it. It’s very fun and I’m very grateful. Take last week. I interviewed Janet Yellen, who is in an extraordinarily influential and important position, and she’s used to discussing these important issues in situations which range from the inquisitive to the adversarial. But everyone is usually on the air because they have something to promote, whether it’s an actor or a government official. But our conversation is when they’re essentially off duty and they can just be themselves. People aren’t going to learn much about the state of the U.S. economy, but they’ll learn about her habit of playing Candy Crush. It’s a service to both the guest and the listener to see them as something else. And I really enjoy it. I love the show, but sometimes I wonder if there’s a danger in skewering somebody stuffing an animal down their pants the same way you guys poke fun at a threat to democracy. Does that come up for you? I have thought about that a fair amount. But let me put it this way: I don’t think that satire has any real-world effect. There’s no chance that any of us working in this area are going to make any difference. But what we can do is we can cheer people up. We hear from people who are doing that serious and absolutely necessary work

1 – 8 February 2024

of coalition building, opposition, and political organization – the ones who are actually making substantive change in the world in some form. If they can listen to our show and feel better…if they can feel empowered or even just distracted so they can go about and do that work better, then I’ve played a role. I’m told at your event here you’re going to provide colorful commentary on current events and a behind-the-scenes peek at the show, but you posted on Facebook that your evening is about “reviewing the lessons I’ve learned after 25 years of making fun of the news.” I wanted to do something that is interesting to me and valuable to the audience that knows me from the show. Not just highlights and stories, but what I’ve actually figured out. If you look at everything you find through-lines, and certain conclusions about people and the world and the way things work. Hopefully, in addition to being interesting, this will be very funny because most of the things we talk about are very funny. Not to ruin the surprise, but what have you learned? The short version is that classic saying: You can never go broke underestimating the American public. The grand tendency towards stupidity, and the basic human being’s ability to constantly repeat the same errors over and over and over again

Peter Sagal of Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! is coming to the Marjorie Luke this February 3rd (courtesy photo)

in different areas. But it’s not just me making jokes about other people, it’s also making jokes about myself. I’m fairly ancient, and it does seem that in exchange for everything you’ve given up by getting to this age, you should have gotten something in return. Which I guess is wisdom. I’ve gotten remarried and have small children again, so now I’m getting to repeat things that most people just go through once with no rehearsals or practice. But I’ve been through it before. I spent a lot of time thinking these things through, and I realize I’ve learned things the hard way because the first time wasn’t very successful. So the evening is observations about the world and reflections on my experiences, and gags and jokes. Farts and dinosaurs will come up because I’m spending a lot of time with my three-year-old.

Playing the Part Stepping onto the stage to perform a one-woman show in your first-ever theatrical acting experience might seem to be sheer folly. But for Mona Golabek – starring in The Pianist of Willesden Lane which makes its Santa Barbara debut at Ensemble Theatre from February 2-18 – it is an opportunity to share her family’s story; not a step toward stage stardom, more of a passion project than an ego trip. Set in Vienna in 1938 and in London during the Blitzkrieg, Willesden Lane is an account of what actually happened to Lisa Jura, a child piano prodigy in Austria who came to England as a refugee in the Kindertransport rescue operation while most of the rest of the family went to the concentration camps. Golabek, a Grammynominated pianist, is Jura’s daughter, and the play is an adaptation of her own book, The Children of Willesden Lane. Golabek performs selections from Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff as she shares her mother’s riveting story of survival, a show that hinges on hope and the life-affirming power of music. The inspiration to write the book came right after Golabek played Grieg’s piano concerto in concert for the first time, the piece her mother had always dreamed of performing for her debut. “I woke up the next morning and I started to remember the stories that she told me when she taught me the piano

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six million numbers etched on my heart. Maybe it was predestined, preordained; but it has become the passion of my life to share this story.” Which is why Golabek has eschewed her piano performing career, instead focusing on the show and, even more, the foundation that reaches many thousands of children with whom to share the story and provide a message of perseverance and uplift. “This is what I am meant to do,” she said.

Sullivan’s Travels

Mona Golabek stars in The Pianist of Willesden Lane (photo by Hershey Felder Presents)

as a little girl,” Golabek recalled. “She always said that each piece of music tells a story. I realized that there were incredible messages in her story that I should share with the world. I didn’t have any idea how to, but I had a fire in my heart.” The book became a bestseller and was quickly discovered by educators and young readers who found the story of fighting for your dreams through dark times, prejudice and unspeakable loss, Golabek said. Soon, she started doing reading programs and created a foundation. Eventually, Golabek connected with Hershey Felder – a theatrical Renaissance man whose own one-man shows include George Gershwin Alone, Monsieur Chopin, Beethoven, and Maestro. Felder adapted the book for the stage and directed myriad productions over the last dozen years. Critics have raved about Willesden Lane, while audience members are invariably moved, often experiencing deep emotions by the end of the 90-minute performance. As the years roll by, Golabek’s connection to the material and the message deepens, giving more poignancy to the performances and further embodiment of the message. “The more that I delve into it, the more I realized maybe I was trying to heal my parents’ pain, or my own generational trauma,” she said. “From what my parents told me, I’ve felt like there were

In something of a coincidence, Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre also stages a poetic, powerful and poignant family story, J for J – theater veteran Jenny Sullivan’s semi-autobiographical memory play about her relationship with her developmentally disabled older brother, Johnny. The title comes from a phrase her father – famed Hollywood actor Barry Sullivan (The Great Gatsby, The Tall Man) wrote in a journal when she was born. The obligation was supposed to work the other way around, but instead Jenny bore the awesome, sometimes awful duty of being responsible for another’s physical and emotional well-being, and the play explores the ache and anger of “not being enough”, as well as the strange, sweet surprise of being loved at an unexpected moment. Rubicon first produced the work in 2001 when Jenny Sullivan starred with Jeff Kober and the late John Ritter, the L.A. Times praising the play as “a quiet little miracle of a show about families everywhere.” Kober returns for the pair of staged readings on February 3 & 4 that also star Eric Lange and Nancy Travis as a benefit for RTC.

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

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by Melissa Petitto

arlic, part of the Allium family and closely related to the onion, chive, leek, shallot, and scallion, has been used in daily cooking in all parts of the world throughout history. It has not only been used as a flavor enhancer, but also to prevent and treat a variety of diseases and conditions. I know garlic seems like a basic ingredient, but its health benefits are so great that I thought it deserved some time in the spotlight. Ebby’s Organic Farm has some beautiful garlic right now! History shows that garlic has been used to treat high blood pressure, bronchitis, TB, dysentery, colic, fevers, diabetes, liver disorders, rheumatism, intestinal worms, viral infections, heart conditions, ear infections, high cholesterol and some cancers; quite an array of ailments. There are phytochemical compounds in garlic such as allicin, alliin, diallyl sulfide, diallyl disulfide, diallyl trisulfide, ajoene, and S-allylcysteine. These compounds are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, immunomodulatory, and protective of the cardiovascular system, just to name a few benefits. They also aid digestion. It’s been discovered that heating garlic immediately after slicing or crushing or pressing it can destroy the heat sensitive, medicinal compound allicin. BUT if you slice, crush, or press it and then wait ten minutes to add heat to it, the compound’s healing enzyme is activated, and all of its incredible properties are digestible. Simple and fascinating tip, right? Garlic is mainly used as a flavor enhancer, but in this pasta recipe, garlic takes center stage. Enjoy!

K LUC

OLD TOWN SANTA BARBARA

Garlic

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Foraging Thyme

Pappardelle with Garlic, Herbs and Green Olives Yield: 4 Servings

The health benefits of garlic are just as varied as the dishes and flavors it fits (photo by Ivar Leidus via Wikimedia Commons)

2 teaspoons lemon zest 2 teaspoons lemon juice Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper Directions: 1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and reserve 1 cup cooking liquid. 2. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once hot, add the garlic and smash in the oil until they are golden brown and soft, about 5 minutes. 3. Add in the parsley and cook for 1 minute or until it has released its oils. 4. Add in the olives and crushed red pepper flakes and stir for 30 seconds. 5. Add the cooked pasta to the pan, along with ½ cup of the cooking liquid and the butter. Lower the heat to medium low and cook, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes or until pasta reaches al dente. Add a little more pasta cooking liquid if needed. 6. Turn off heat, add the basil, lemon zest and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

12 ounces pappardelle ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 16 each garlic cloves, smashed and allowed to sit for 10 minutes prior to cooking 1 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 1 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and roughly chopped ¼ teaspoon crushed red chili pepper 3 tablespoons Miyoko’s butter, salted 1 cup basil leaves, chiffonade or cut into fine ribbons “You’ve got to learn to leave the table when love’s no longer being served.” – Nina Simone

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

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In Passing

Sharon Brown Bevan: January 26, 1932 – October 28, 2023

haron (Sherry) Bevan’s legacy of light and love came to a beautiful close on October 28th, 2023, at home in Casa Dorinda surrounded by her loving family. A private family ceremony will be held January 26, 2024, at Santa Barbara Cemetery. Sherry was a rare Mayflower descendant and fourth-generation Californian. In 1923, her parents built their home in what was then the new neighborhood of Beverly Hills. Sherry grew up happily with her older brother Volney (V.V.) and her many pets. She had a deep love of animals, which Sharon Bevan shared her selfless warmth, kindness and continued all her life. At Beverly generosity with everyone she met Hills High School she graduated as Class Valedictorian. In 1954, she graduated from UCLA after a transformative semester at Louisiana State University, thoroughly enjoying her time there as a Delta Gamma. After graduation, Sherry taught elementary school until, in 1956, she married Bruce Bevan, her beloved husband of 67 years. She was an active volunteer in L.A. community affairs, including the Assistance League, the Nine O’clock Players and the Junior League. Sherry and Bruce lived for years in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles, where they raised their daughter and son. Sherry was a brilliant gardener and created gorgeous, sprawling gardens in every home she lived in. Her specialty was growing magnificent roses that she was known to bring by the bucketful to delighted friends. When Bruce retired from his litigation practice in 1989, he and Sherry moved north to Santa Barbara. They had seven rewarding years at El Capitan Ranch on a large avocado orchard overlooking the ocean, and then moved to Montecito, where they spent their remaining years together. Sherry may be best remembered as a talented artist. Once her children were grown, she had time to return to her first love – oil painting. A frequent exhibitor at local and regional juried shows, she won dozens of awards and had one-woman shows in the Los Angeles area as well as in Santa Barbara. Also a published poet, Sherry initiated a popular class in poetry for teenagers at La Posada Juvenile Hall. She taught the reading of poetry as well as writing, helping her students find emotional release through telling their own stories. The students were drawn to her open-hearted kindness, and she helped many of them during a difficult

1 – 8 February 2024

period in their young lives. Sherry continued to write poetry in recent years. Her poem “We Wished So Hard for Water” commemorating the tragic Montecito mudslide of 2018 appeared in the Montecito Journal. She also wrote numerous poems for Casa Dorinda’s Spectator and published a book of earlier poems for her family. Sherry found time as well to volunteer for the Music Academy, SCAPE, and the Santa Barbara Art Association. She shared her selfless warmth, kindness and generosity with everyone she met. She is deeply loved, and will be greatly missed by her countless friends, but especially by her husband Bruce, her daughter Laurie, her son Craig, her daughter-inlaw Anne, and her four grandsons Rowan, Ian, Connor and Grant. Anyone who was ever lucky enough to meet her was invariably touched by her grace, her beauty, and her goodness. The world lost a true angel and treasure in Sharon Bevan, but was so fortunate to have had her.

Maryan Schall’s Celebration of Life Friends of Maryan Schall are invited to join her family in a celebration of her life on April 18th at 4:30 pm at Birnam Wood Country Club. Seating is limited, so please RSVP at: celebratemaryan@gmail.com.

Maryan Schall’s Celebration of Life will be at Birnam Wood on April 18th at 4:30 pm

Montecito JOURNAL

Miscellany (Continued from 27 27)) Add to the heady mix the choreography of two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell, who worked on Kinky Boots, Hairspray and Legally Blonde. Based on the late Roy Orbison’s hit song “Oh, Pretty Woman” which inspired the hit 1990 film with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, the original musical ran on Broadway for 13 months in 2019 before moving to London’s West End the following year. The visiting production starred Chase Wolfe and Ellie Baker as the principals. A classic film that translates well to the stage...

A Sweaty 66th Former TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres rang in her 66th birthday with an intense sweat session at a local gym, a moment caught on Instagram by her actress wife Portia de Rossi. “My darling wife! You continue to amaze me,” Rossi, 50, gushed. “Happy Birthday to the most brilliant person I know. “I’m so lucky to be standing next to you as we share this incredible life together. I love you!” The video begins with the Montecito resident flexing her muscles with dumbbells, shoulder presses, and then doing single-handed overhead presses, pull-ups and even pushing a training sled.” You go, girl...

Local Mom Gives Relationship Advice Montecito actress Gwyneth Paltrow has unveiled an extremely racy Goop Valentine’s Day gift guide complete with a $1,250 gold vibrator, $250 handcuffs, and $55 “sex oils.” The Oscar winner, 51, has become increasingly extroverted since she first launched her lifestyle brand Goop in 2008 – spilling intimate details about her bedroom endeavors, making a slew of “bare it all” confessions, and promoting numerous X-rated presents through the website over the years. So no surprise the Iron Man star has included five separate vibrators, numerous sex toys, and various other risqué items to spice up your love life, including a chocolate aphrodisiac, and an organ balm “designed to heighten” sexuality. Most expensive of the sex gadgets is the Kiki de Montparnasse gold wand, priced at a hefty $1,249 and described as being “wrapped in 24kt. gold.”

last month assuming his former NFL team would be playing in the NFC title game; a contest he didn’t want to miss. But Montecito resident Aikman, who has a reported $90 million five-year contract with ESPN, says he was “pretty shocked” when the Cowboys lost to the Green Bay Packers (48-32) at home in the playoffs. “I figured Dallas would be playing in the championship game,” says Aikman, 57. “I figured it would be in San Francisco. So I was planning on going to the game. I didn’t book a vacation. “I thought the Cowboys would separate themselves in the second half, but it didn’t happen!”

Letting Loose for ‘Footloose’ Montecito actor Rob Lowe has revealed his audition for the film Footloose ended in disaster after an ill-executed knee slide left him needing a stretcher. The iconic 1984 film saw Kevin Bacon shoot to worldwide fame as dancing teen Ren McCormack, but Rob, 59, has detailed his own botched audition for the movie during a chat on Bacon’s podcast, Six Degrees with Kevin Bacon. “It’s a dance audition apparently,” said Rob. “Dance. By the way it was to a Styx song of all things. And the end of the dance was a knee slide across the floor. “And I hit my knees and slid across the floor into a lineup of Sherry Lansing (head of Paramount Pictures), Dean Pitchford (screenwriter), and Craig Zadan (producer). And my knee explodes. Explodes! Pop. And they take me out of the soundstage on a stretcher.”

In the Thirty Mile Zone Harvey Levin, who founded the celebrity news program TMZ in 2005, interviewed yours truly from his L.A.

outpost via Zoom with a seven-man crew. Harvey is doing a documentary on Oscar winner Kevin Costner and his acrimonious divorce from wife Christine Baumgartner. Having written for this illustrious organ for 16 years, I was asked for my insights on our rarefied enclave and its 10,000 residents, many of them world famous as TV and movie stars, tech titans, and billionaires.

Kudos to these Student Artists Twenty student artists were honored by the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara during a presentation and reception at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Chosen as winners of the organization’s 2024 Art Scholarship Competition, each received a scholarship and their selected art submissions are exhibited in the museum’s Family Resource Center through February 12. A panel of prominent judges – Scott Anderson, Isaac Hernandez, and Baret

Boisson – judged the submissions with 71 students competing this year. Each winner received a $3,000 scholarship, with best of show winner receiving an additional $1,000 scholarship. Santa Barbara High student Elly Cuevas was awarded the Schall Family Best of Show prize.

Remembering Susan Rosas

Gil and Susan Rosas (courtesy photo)

On a personal note, I mark the move to more heavenly pastures of Susan, wife of pianist and entertainer Gil Rosas, at the age 86 after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. Gil, 88, and Susan, a former model and artist-illustrator, were married for 49 years, spending the final chapter of her colorful life at Serenity House. Susan’s father, Larry Matthews, became one of America’s longest living citizens, dying at the age of 111.

Sightings The winning student artists (photo by Emily Hart-Roberts)

Kevin Costner in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the Joy Awards... Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Kingston, Jamaica, for a film premiere on the late singer Bob Marley... Katy Perry and Oprah Winfrey at Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos’ 60th birthday bash at his sprawling Beverly Hills mansion formerly owned by film mogul Jack Warner. 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

Change in Plans TV sports commentator Troy Aikman, former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 2000, left his schedule open

32 Montecito JOURNAL

Richard ready to shoot at Maison Mineards (courtesy photo)

Elly Cuevas with her winning the Schall Family Best of Show prize (photo by Emily Hart-Roberts)

“Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us.” – Susan L. Taylor

1 – 8 February 2024

Your Westmont (Continued from 21 21))

Real Estate Snapshot (Continued from 14)

quality. They are endearing much like a cast of characters from a storybook or play. While their meaning and cultural significance does not spring from my own culture, I have a deep admiration for the Hopi people and these characters that they bring to life through their carving. I have even found a place in my home for a few of them to reside.”

Santa Barbara

Emmons Earns Spirit of SB Award President Gayle D. Beebe gave Christine Emmons the 2024 Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree Spirit of Santa Barbara Award at the Westmont Women’s Leadership Council Luncheon on Jan. 19. Emmons, a trustee of the Mosher Foundation and a fixture of the Santa Barbara art, music, and education nonproﬁt scene for several decades, is also a former pilot. She said that while she and Bob, her husband of 43 years, have shared honors in the past, the last award she earned on her own was the result of winning an airplane race from Santa Monica to Bend, Oregon. “This award is incredibly meaningful to me,” she said. “I’m honored to be affiliated with Leslie’s name. She was a dear friend of mine and meant so much to our community.” Since 2016, the council has sought to recognize and empower women, to create a tradition of female leadership and support at the college, and to connect women in the community and strengthen their ties to Westmont. “To the students who are benefiting from the work of the Women’s Leadership Council, we wish you every success in finding your passion and making the world a better place,” she said.

Chapel, Lecture Explore Teachings of Dallas Willard The Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture and the Dallas Willard Research Center have chosen Michael Stewart Robb’s book, The Kingdom Among Us: The Gospel According to Dallas Willard, as the winner of the Dallas Willard Research Center Book Award. Robb, a Christian educator and theologian, will receive the award and speak in chapel Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 10:30 am in Westmont’s Murchison Gym. Robb will introduce key themes from his book to the Westmont community in a Provost’s Lecture, “Dallas Willard and Rational Spirituality: Claiming the Depth and Power of Protestant Spiritual Life,” on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 4 pm in the Simmons Center at the Global Leadership Center. Both events are free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase at a book signing reception following the lecture. Robb examined both Willard’s writings and hundreds of hours of audio recordings before expanding Willard’s theological vision in The Kingdom Among Us. “The book will help longtime readers of Willard’s books make sense of his position in professional theology and philosophy,” Robb says. “I hope all readers will encounter the most complete picture available of one of the giants of modern Christian spirituality.”

Opening Day of Baseball Westmont baseball Opening Day is Feb. 1

Westmont baseball, last year’s winners of the NAIA World Series, are set to make the first pitch of the NCAA Division II season on Thursday, Feb. 1, at 2 pm. The Warriors will play Regis (Colo.) in four games over the weekend. Members of last year’s national champions will receive their World Series rings at a special ceremony Saturday, Feb. 3, at 10:30 am. The team returns standout pitchScott Craig is manager ers Bryan Peck, Chase Goddard, of media relations at Lucien Wechsberg, and sluggers Westmont College Bryce McFeely, Michael Soper, and Shane Hofstadler. 1 – 8 February 2024

On par with other areas, sales in Santa Barbara proper were down from 2022: 492 homes and condos sold in 2023 compared to 626 sold in 2022. Prepandemic, sales hovered around 800 homes and condos in Santa Barbara per year. Average and median prices were both down: the average sales price for single-family homes was $2.375M in 2023, compared to $2.5M in 2022. Median sales prices dipped $2.185M in 2022 This ocean view, bluff front home on the Mesa closed in early 2023, making it the highest priced sale in Santa Barbara to $2.08M in 2023. The range of homes and con- proper (listed by Riskin Partners of Village Properties) dos sold in Santa Barbara was vast; the least expensive property sold was a one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo on Richland Drive for $547K. The most expensive home sold in Santa Barbara was an ocean view property on Shoreline Drive with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, closing at $16,200,000 after 184 days on the market. Not surprisingly, the highest price sales in Santa Barbara are oceanfront properties above the bluffs along the beach, or ocean view homes in the Santa Barbara foothills. We also saw several highpriced sales in the Upper East, the Riviera, and in Mission Canyon.

We sold one of the most gorgeous remodels I have ever seen in the foothills above Santa Barbara, on Holly Road for $5,525,000 (listed by Calcagno & Hamilton of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)

My Predictions for 2024 I’m expecting that 2024 will bring increased inventory, increased sales, and increased movement in our local markets, which is a good thing! It’s expected that interest rates will drop below 6% by the end of 2024, which will bring more buyers into the marketplace and could push prices up. However, a lower interest rate will also serve to bring more sellers into the market, and I foresee inventory increasing in all areas. In just the last two weeks we’ve already seen a marked increase in new listings, buyer activity, open house attendance, and pended listings. As always, a buyer can set themselves up for success by being pre-approved with a local lender, and moving quickly when they see a home they want. Sellers will need to be realistic when setting the price for their home, pricKelly Mahan Herrick, is ing in accordance with comparable a licensed realtor with the sales and remembering that the true Calcagno & Hamilton Real peak of the market was May 2021. Estate Group of Berkshire Strategy is everything in this nuanced Hathaway HomeServices market, and pricing at market value California Properties. She or slightly below may give you the can be reached at kelly@ best chance of getting the best price homesinsantabarbara.com for your home. Montecito JOURNAL

Our Town (Continued from 12 12)) player, and worked at Taylor in guitar production and repair. Melinda Newman – Billboard’s Executive Editor for the West Coast and Nashville, for over 25 years. She also writes for The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Forbes and others. She won the 2020 CMA Media Achievement Award. Laura Karpman – Oscar Award-winning film composer and the first female Governor in the Music Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She has won five Emmys, a Grammy, and a Critic’s Choice Award. Jamie Deering – CEO of Deering Banjos, which was founded by her parents Greg and Janet Deering. The company is a family-owned-and-operated American business for 48 years, with all Deering, Vega, Tenbrooks and Goodtime Banjos, and ProPiks being manufactured under the same roof in Spring Valley, California. Many honorees credited their mother, women friends, bandmates, fans, and prior women in music for supporting their career. In the acceptance speech by Lightning, everyone affirmed, “Let’s normalize girls dreaming of being rock stars.” Live music performances were by Hoffs, Kelsy Karter & The Heroines, Karpman, AIJIA, Billie Feather, Lightning, and Gibson. The opening music act was PRS Guitars international touring artist Jimena Fosado with her trio. The WiMN is an all-volunteer organization. Event sponsors: NAMM, PRS Guitars, Positive Grid, Monster Energy, Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Foundation, Reverb.com, Roland, Boss, Taylor Guitars, Exploration.io, Martin Guitar, Fishman, D’Addario, Ernie Ball, Freeman, Shure, Berklee Online, M.A.C. Cosmetics, 108 Rock Star Guitars, Sennheiser, Seymour Duncan, D’Angelico, AmpRx, EarthQuaker Devices, WRiiG, DW Drums, Cuccio, DiGiCo, SESAC, Hudson Audio Works, Rafter Marsh, TrueFire, The Sweet Taunts, Billboard, Guitar Girl Magazine, The Hollywood Times, Music Connection Magazine, Spin, and AXS TV. 411: www.thewimn.com

The NAMM Show 2024 Part 1 of 2: Gear, Artists & Awards The National Association of Music Merchants held their annual NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center on January 24 – 28. It featured over 3,000 brands, 500 events, 200 performances, over 200 educational tracks, with members from 101 countries. It was indeed booth intensive, with brands stacked together on the floor. Here is part 1of my top notes: gear, artists and awards. John Mlynczak was appointed President and CEO of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) in 2023. This is his first NAMM show as President, “It is truly an honor to serve you as NAMM’s new president and CEO, and I want to personally thank you for being here at the world’s largest global gathering of the music industry. Today, we begin our next chapter as we embark on the future of our industry.” Seymour Duncan (Goleta, CA) honored Maricela “MJ” Juarez, manager of the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop who is celebrating her 40th anniversary working for Seymour Duncan. She has built pickups for many of the biggest names in guitar. (See my BTS video clip with Juarez on the MJ website!) Jim Garza (Solvang) VP Sales for Orange Amplifiers confirmed via phone interview that Orianthi will have a signature amp coming out, date TBA. Doug Aldrich (Dead Daisies) promoted the HT Stage MK III amp for Blackstar Amplification UK. Aldrich’s wife, Daniela, does business in sustainable farming, herbs, and flowers in SYV area. Los Angeles-based DJ Roueche of VALA Entertainment was spinning amazing upbeat tunes at the STOKYO USA Technics booth. He is the official DJ for the Los

Perfecto De Castro performs at Cream Guitars (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

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Angeles Lakers, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, and U.S. Olympics DJ (2016 and 2020). His company, VALA Entertainment, provides event DJs. DJ Case Ace demoed Pioneer DJ’s newly released, fully all-in-one portable system – the OMNIS-DUO – that is out February. Details in video at the MJ online. Guitar virtuoso Dweezil Zappa (Zappa Plays Zappa) showed his techniques on guitar at the Shabat Guitars booth and his Optima Maxiflex 24K gold-plated guitar strings – “Like my dad used to use for a better sound.” Shabat Guitars is a family-owned, Seymour Duncan’s Maricela Juarez, with boutique, custom-made electric guitar and Cathy Duncan and Mark DiLorenzo (photo by Joanne A Calitri) bass company. Cream Guitars (Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico) had the most talked about booth and guitars at NAMM. They added aesthetics like naturally pressed flowers, mosaics and a color changing guitar. They have copyrights for body shapes and headstocks in America, Europe, and Asia and applied for three patents of their designs. Body styles and headstocks are registered as industrial designs and are protected as sculptures and NFTs. Yamaha Musical Instruments held court on the entire third floor of the convention center. They had Prince’s customized purple piano (of the Piano & a Microphone Tour) from Paisley Park. Matteo Mancuso performed on guitar at their booth stage with Take Six, Lindsey Stirling, and Jon McLaughlin & Friends performing on the Yamaha Grand Stage. Too much new gear to list, check their website. Jeff Carbone of Mogami Cables talked with me about their new stereo guitar cable, details in video on MJ online. Ellefson Coffee Co. booth hosted a wellness clinic for players by bassist David Ellefson and Dr. Randall Kertz. Tips included proper body alignment while playing, hand and finger exercises, and an ergonomic adjustable bass-guitar strap. Xvive’s Booth had Phil X (Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, Chris Cornell) and Wrecking Crew keyboardist Don Randi. EBS Professional Bass Guitars booth hosted Swedish Los Angeles musicians Bjorn Englen (Dio Returns/Soul Sign) and Mårten Andersson (Lita Ford), with Testament’s Steve DiGiorgio. Peavey Electronics Corporation-endorsed artist Adrian Vandenberg (Whitesnake, Vandenberg, Moon Kings) promoted the reisDJ Case Ace with new portable Pioneer DJ’s sue of his Adrian Vandenberg Signature Guitar OMNIS-DUO (photo by Joanne A Calitri) from Peavey, a new album, and 2024 US tour. The Boutique Guitar Showcase, curated by Jamie Gale, leading brands were Kauer Guitars USA, Strandberg Guitars Sweden, and OD Guitars Israel. Tim Carroll, Focusrite Group CEO, is the new President of the MIDI Association. Focusrite Group’s family of brands includes the iconic synthesizer brands Sequential and Oberheim, as well as MIDI controller and synth company, Novation. Gibson Brands, Inc., confirmed Luke Ericson to the role of permanent Chief Operating Officer (COO), reporting to Cesar Gueikian, President & CEO of Gibson Brands. 39th Annual NAMM TEC Awards honors individuals who set the highest standards of excellence in the creative application of recording technology. Hosted by Jon Batiste, the TEC Innovation Award went to Wu-Tang Clan producer and mastermind RZA (Robert Diggs). Brand winners include Apple, Universal Audio, Shure Inc. Sony Electronics, Neumann, and Sennheiser. Full list on the TEC website. NAMM’s highest honor, the Music for Life Award went to producer, songwriter and DJ Mark Ronson for his contributions to music and commitment to inspiring music makers. Ronson talked about his early musical influences and views on the rise of AI in music creation. His work includes the soundtrack of Barbie, and co-writing “Uptown Funk” featuring Bruno Mars, which was on the Billboard chart for 14 consecutive weeks. The 22nd Annual Parnelli Award winners are: Lifetime Achievement Award, Jim Brammer; Visionary Award, Carol Dodds; Audio Innovator Award, Buford Jones; NextGEN Award, Sam Boone; and Video Director of the Year, Stefaan De Smedt

“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” – Rosa Parks

1 – 8 February 2024

for U2 at the Sphere. Award categories are Visual, Sound, Video, Production Services, Production Personnel, and Transport/Logistics. Full list on the Parnelli website. 411: www.namm.org/thenammshow

Local News Updates Executive Director of Explore Ecology Lindsay Johnson announced the retirement of Melissa Brooks as Development Director of Explore Ecology. Incoming for the position is Morgan Coffey. Coffey majored in cultural anthropology at UCSB and interned as a Waves on Wheels Marine Biology Educator for the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. She volunteers as a naturalist for the Channel Islands National Park and National Marine Sanctuary, leading hikes on the islands and providing interpretation aboard whale watch and dive vessels along the coast. In twenty years Morgan Coffey Development as a conservation professional, her collaborations Director for Explore Ecology. [photo include restoring wildlife habitats, creating envi- Explore Ecology] ronmental education programs, and establishing nature preserves throughout Santa Barbara County. When she’s not building partnerships that further the mission of Explore Ecology, you’ll likely find her swimming just beyond the surf zone at El Cap or Butterfly Beach. It’s Beatlemania at Marjorie Luke Theatre! Peter Bie and Dennis Mitchell co-host “60 Years of Beatlemania” at the Marjorie Luke Theatre on February 9. The event includes a screening of the timeless Ed Sullivan February 9, 1964, show, a presentation by Bob Eubanks, an hour-long live music performance of Beatles songs by BFD [Bob, Fin and Dave] and photos of the Beatles. Eubanks, an L.A. radio icon, former host of TV’s The Newlywed Game and longtime concert promoter, was solely responsible for bringing the Beatles to Southern California. Mitchell said in a press release that, “Bob is the only living person to have produced a Beatles concert in all three years that they toured America. His role in being the promoter for the Hollywood Bowl shows in ‘64 and ‘65 and the ‘66 Dodger Stadium concert comes with some revealing and seldom heard stories that make 60 Years of Beatlemania! all the more special.” Mitchell, who owns and programs Carpinteria Valley Radio, is host of the long-running interScan this QR code for more information nationally syndicated radio show Breakfast with on 60 Years of Beatlemania The Beatles. The Wildling Museum is now renamed the California Nature Art Museum. Founded in 2000, and celebrating its 24th anniversary, Executive Director, Stacey Otte-Demangate ensures it will continue its mission to inspire stewardship of nature through art and education. “The new name better reflects who we are and what we do. The exhibits and educational programs we offer reinforce that, allowing our community and visitors to experience the beauty of art, and the nature all around us which inspires it. While not being preachy, our exhibition and education choices will certainly reflect the need for conservation of wilderness and open spaces here in the Golden State.” The first floor of the museum is renamed The Wildling Gallery. Incoming Board President for Cal-NAM, Kevin Walthers, shares: “We love the legacy of the Wildling name but understand the need to be more recognizable to visitors. The exhibits curated by our incredible staff are truly amazing, and we Joanne A Calitri are confident the new name will ensure is a professional that more people see the California international Nature Art Museum as an important photographer and must-see destination. So come visit, take journalist. Contact a class, attend an event. We look forward her at: artraks@ to welcoming you soon.”

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411: www.calnatureartmuseum.org 1 – 8 February 2024

Montecito JOURNAL

Far Flung Travel

The lighthouse in Namibia – often confused for The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach

The Benguela Beacon of Southern Africa by Chuck Graham

he lighthouse towered prominently atop a desolate, wave-battered, weather-beaten crag in a remote region of southern Namibia. Surrounded by whitecaps, it seemed like a great place to construct a lighthouse. But what doesn’t feel far-flung in this desert country of Southwest Africa? There’s just over two million people living in Namibia, making it the second least populated country in the world. That brightly colored red and white lighthouse near the historic German enclave of Luderitz, felt almost as far away as anywhere I’d been on the planet. The Dias Point Lighthouse overlooked the frigid Atlantic Ocean and the seemingly always turbulent Benguela Current that travels north above the western cape of Southern Africa. Surely, back in 1488, Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias, had no idea the barren, coastal desertscape he claimed for King John II, would also be the same site for a lighthouse finished in 1915. The Namibian coastline is one of the least hospitable coastlines in all of Africa. Originally, Dias had orders from the Portuguese king to sail further south to the rugged yet breathtaking Cape of Good Hope at the southern fringe of Africa. However, early expeditions being what they were, Dias was blown off course, but on his return to Portugal, Dias landed at what is now known as Luderitz Bay. Today, the Dias Cross is one of the longest standing Namibian attractions, and it’s a national monument. It marks the spot where Portuguese explorers first set foot on the coast in 1488, coastal Luderitz seemingly a stone’s throw away.

the stern and bow of the catamaran. Once the catamaran left the pelagic food chain, we motored in and out of protective coves surrounding the lighthouse of Dias Point.

Touching Down

Uh oh, someone left the Benguela Beacon unplugged

– a coastal desert moonscape that was smothered in ripe seabird guano. Still, the waters surrounding the lighthouse were teeming with massive bait balls of fish. Thousands of raucous cape fur seals were hauled out on craggy rock outcroppings as large waves exploded on impact. Many more pinnipeds were in the chilly Atlantic, bobbing and foraging in heaving seas. With the Dias Lighthouse as a backdrop, hundreds of frantic cormorants flew off the bow of the catamaran. Groupings of South African penguins and feisty terns feasted on the plentiful bounty within the dense kelp forests. From the catamaran, Heaviside’s dolphins breached the capping seas, and enjoyed the mild boat wake cresting off

In the 15th and 16th centuries it was traditional for Portuguese mariners to prominently mark significant landfalls during exploration efforts. Dias’ crew erected a wooden padrão, to post Portugal’s presence within a region. The padrão resembled a cross/pillar, and was erected at prime geographical headlands, marine terraces, and river mouths. Miraculously, that rustic landmark withstood the test of time. Despite the frigid ocean air and consistently harsh sea conditions of that wind-groomed coast, Dias’ padrão survived for 300 long years. In 1825, the crew of the HMS Barracouta recorded seeing the weathered remains of the crumpled cross. Thirty years later, some of those remains were transported to the South African Museum in Cape Town. Since then, attempts have been made, taking some of those old remnants to construct a new padrão. It took a while, but a replica was finally placed at the original site, appropriately carved from local dolerite, a stone used for construction that can endure Namibia’s burly weather systems. The new padrão was unveiled on July 25, 1988.

On the Water

The Grit and Grind of Namibia

As my girlfriend, marine biologist Holly Lohuis, and I meandered through the hustle of the busy port, cargo ships and fishing trawlers alike gently rocked against sturdy docks. As persistent morning fog gradually lifted and swirled, building northwest winds filled in. We caught an 8 am wildlife cruise on a catamaran out of the bustling harbor that also offered great views of the weathered lighthouse. The harbor was hopping with fishermen and cargo destined to be transported around the treacherous cape, but also up the southwest coast of the African continent. The rugged landscape surrounding the lighthouse appeared barren, lifeless

At dawn, the following day, we drove south through the maze of dirt roads leading to the Dias Lighthouse and Cross. We drove around the backend of several coastal wetlands before heading north toward the prominent headland where the lighthouse overlooks unpredictable sea conditions. The tide was still on the wane while traveling across vast tidal flats frequented by greater and lesser flamingos. Narrow gullies had trapped receding tidal waters allowing plovers and terns to forage in the shallows. After reaching the shoreline south of the lighthouse, gale force winds were already sweeping down the coast as frothy whitecaps and dark, cobalt blue water dominat-

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Flamingos… the only known natural predator of the lighthouse

“Have a vision. Be demanding.” – Colin Powell

ed the horizon of the Atlantic Ocean. The powerful winds were piercing as we marveled at flamingos wading through kneeto-waist-deep surf, their brilliant pink feathers ruffled by the howling winds. After arriving at the lighthouse, we made the short, easy hike to the bluff where the Dias Cross stood, 2,000 feet to the west of the lighthouse. From that vantage point, great views of the turbulent seas we experienced the day before from the catamaran seemingly never subsided. The lighthouse, painted in broad red and white bands, stood out just east of Dias Cross. It’s just over 92 feet tall, and almost 1,800 feet north of the lighthouse is the foghorn that is vital for signaling ships in pea soup fog along the rugged coastline. A fog signal tower is also nearby and is still in use. After leaving Dias Cross, we walked out to the lighthouse as two black-backed jackals – looking over their shoulders – scampered away in front of us. They seemed more enamored with all the lesser flamingos wading nearby in rippling tidepools, and the throng of sea and shorebirds wading through puffy seafoam in front of the lighthouse. The lighthouse was closed, but the few visitors we saw traveling overland across Namibia enjoyed the remote desertscape and solitude surrounding “the Benguela Beacon.” All walks of life gazing at the Dias Lighthouse, including a four-legged predator. Even a marauding brown hyena momentarily peered upward at the height of the lighthouse. Maybe that roaming scavenger had been using the lighthouse for years as it found its way foraging across the vast coastal desert biome.

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

1 – 8 February 2024

Beings & Doings (Continued from 11 11)) plugs into the wall like a toaster and there are no other connections. I push a decorative blue button and cool water fills my cup. I cautiously sip, and it is delicious. I look at Margolles with furrowed brow, a neanderthal puzzling over nuclear fission. “Hey,” he says charitably, and tosses up his hands. “I don’t claim to be the smartest guy in the room.”

H2OMG Need we mention that water is a big deal? The wet stuff is perhaps the fundamental ingredient for life on Earth and makes up about 60-70% of the human body. For perspective – the most strikingly successful hedge fund manager is but 12 gallons of water buttoned into a charcoal grey Attolini suit. A scant 1.2% of the water on Earth is potable water – and we are feverishly pouring that into factory farming, water-intensive ag, and flush toilets. As our recklessly thirsty race of Nimbys bitterly argue over ginormous desal plants and dammed river valleys… we are aswim in H2O. “There’s more water in the atmosphere than all the lakes, rivers, and streams on the planet combined,” Margolles says, “…

You can’t just produce water out of thin air. Right? (courtesy photo)

1 – 8 February 2024

an estimated 37.5 quadrillion gallons of water. So we’re tapping into a pretty abundant source.” Uh… what source? It’s like this; Stratus’ Cloud Water Station/conversation piece sucks H2O out of the air, cycles it through an unforgiving tenfold gauntlet of high-tech filters and microbe-annihilating UV, and neatly dispenses it into your favorite cup. The attractive silver Cloud Water Station slakes our collective thirst without intervening plastic, huge delivery trucks, and other carbon footprint-swelling features of modern water consumerism. No plastic, no bottles, no pipes, no trucking, no hands. Plug in your whispering Cloud Water Station and water shows up out of nowhere; five gallons a day with this model. The press has a question, here sanitized for polite consumption: What the Hell?!

World-Changing Tech and You “People think that we invented this,” Margolles says. “We didn’t. This technology has been around for 30 years. In the Middle East air to water generation has been around a long time. Stratus is just taking the technology that’s already available and trying to make it mainstream. That’s our goal. Our niche has always been office water coolers. You’d asked me, ‘Is it scalable?’ There are companies that do that, and they have semi-truck size units that will make thousands of gallons a day.” Stratus is picking up where Margolles’ still-soaring Island Pure left off, while benefitting from Margolles’ mastery of a space he’s grown to love. “We’re the home and office water cooler. That’s what we’ve done for 20 years in Florida. I know what I’m good at.” The vaguely biblical miracle of water coming out of nowhere may inspire a degree of consumerist genuflection, but you still need attentive mortals to make the model fly. Crappy customer service was an early irritant/motivator for Margolles, and he is all over it. “We basically take the position ‘just drink the water and let us do the rest’. This is all microprocessor controlled and the filters all have timers. So if the water quality doesn’t meet a certain pureness, there’s an alert. If a filter needs to be changed, it’ll tell you. It’s not like most water coolers, where you’re like, uh, is this thing actually clean? We have a schedule where we go out every so often and do preventative maintenance. Usually we’re there before anyone ever calls.” Stratus makes other efforts on behalf of the home planet.

ON THE SIDE To Be or Not to Be (a City): Montecito’s Former Civil War

James and his Cloud Water Station strike a familiar pose (courtesy photo)

“Sustainability’s always been a passion of mine,” Margolles says. “So we have a partnership with 1% For The Planet. We kick back 1% of our gross to environmental causes. We’re interested in conservancy in places like Haiti and Africa where they don’t have access to clean water.” And why Santa Barbara? “It’s an awesome town, and beautiful! The people here are super cool, we’ve already made awesome friends. Our kids have a good crew at school…” Never mind that James is also a surfer. Of course. And there is one other thing that figures into the travelling Margolles clan having gone to ground. “I promised my wife,” Margolles says with sudden warmth, growing animated. “The past seven, eight years since leaving Florida, we’ve had that whole adventure of Costa Rica, and then the pandemic came and changed everything, and we did even more traveling. Now? My son, he’s doing the Friday night lights and basketball at the Page Youth center. There were no organized sports where we were, right? My daughter does horseback riding. We’re like, roots down!” Stratus’ CEO grins with the serenity of a guy whose thirst has been massively quenched. “We’re very happy to be here.”

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

he January 2, 1992, edition of the publication Montecito Life reported the end of a fractious village dustup. The issue? Montecitans for and against the blessing/curse of cityhood. Staff writer Laurie Koch Thrower wrote “On November 5, 61.8% of Montecito’s 7,171 registered voters cast ballots in the incorporation election, including 15% of absentee ballots. The measure was defeated by a scant 159 votes.” Things got so heated a local sculptor got behind the wheel and plowed down an anti-cityhood banner in the Upper Village. Talk about your close calls. Had Montecitans voted for cityhood that year, by now the place would be a futuristic metropolis of mile high titanium spires and skies crowded with flying cars. I’m pretty sure.

Butterfly Beach: A Gorgeous Deception

ast weekend I headed down to Butterfly Beach with a large net, intent on capturing the elusive Callippe Silverspot. It has long been my heart’s desire to imprison this noble insect in a mayonnaise jar and teach it to speak. For the occasion I wore head-totoe khaki and a bargain pith helmet. There were no butterflies, but there was a crowd of mocking beachcombers pointing and howling with breathless laughter. When I angrily charged, waving my lil’ net and hollering, a 13-year-old girl named Ambrosia punched me in the stomach and I sank slowly to my knees in the sand. The views were of course non-pareil.

Montecito JOURNAL

Editorial (Continued from 5) Senate in 2028 when Monique Limón terms out. He already set up a Das Williams for State Senate Committee in 2020 and will, in all likelihood, do so again. Probably soon. Williams is the consummate career politician, and we are a stone on which he is stepping. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with ambition. Politicians need ambition to succeed, and at its best it’s mined on behalf of constituents. But in this case, it’s clear to those paying attention that Williams’ ambition represents more of a commitment to self-service than to public service. He doesn’t love Montecito. I’m not even sure he likes it. In a town that elected such devoted public servants as Harriet Miller, Tom Rogers, Naomi Schwartz, Salud Carbajal, and Hal Conklin, how have we fallen so far? One answer is party politics, which when corrupted, systematically rewards its own. And Williams has been particularly adept at milking this perversion. Consider the fact that Williams’ Chief of staff is Darcel Elliott, who also happens to be the local Democratic Party Chair. So, no surprise that the Party endorsed Williams for Supervisor before his opponent, Roy Lee, an elect-

ed member of the Carpinteria City Council, even got into the race. Some might say that this is because Roy is a relative newcomer to Democratic Party politics, but what about four years ago, when now 2nd District County Supervisor, Laura Capps, challenged Williams for the 1st District Supervisor seat, and was also not interviewed by the local Democratic Party for a possible endorsement? Many of us rely on party endorsements to help decide for whom to vote. But do these endorsements correlate with our interests? Suffice to say that with the party’s endorsement comes money, exposure, and the perceived credibility that candidates need to get elected. Which may explain why so many of our elected officials, even those we hold in high regard, will endorse Williams, even if they don’t believe he’s doing a good job. The fact is, they must fall into lock step with the party, or it will cost them dearly. They will endorse Williams not because they believe in him, but because if they don’t, it’s political suicide. But sit down with one of them for a beer, even better two or three, and I suspect they will tell you, as several have me, that they have no choice. As one local leader told me recently, confidentially,

of course: “Das is a guy who’s never picked up a tab in his life. The round is always on us.” I also think it’s worth mentioning that none of Santa Barbara’s women’s political organizations are endorsing Williams. Not the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee, nor Democratic Women of Santa Barbara. I have nothing against Williams personally. But I do not believe that he represents the 1st District in the way we deserve. Our other choice is a man named Roy Lee, who currently serves as a member of Carpinteria’s City Council. I sat down with Mr. Lee to see if he has what it takes to represent our community on the Board of Supervisors. And I believe he does. Is he a bit green? Yes. Is he a charismatic, practiced politician? No. But maybe that’s just what we need. A true civil servant who wants to make things better for our community. One with pure intentions and a work ethic that will benefit us. Someone who can say the word Montecito without rolling his eyes. Who will show up for something that isn’t a photo op. Roy Lee immigrated with his family from Taiwan to Santa Barbara as a young child in 1986. His parents worked hard running small businesses, experiences Lee credits with instilling

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within him a strong work ethic. Lee attended local schools before graduating from UC Santa Barbara in 2006. Outside his role on the City Council, Lee works at the family-owned Uncle Chen’s Restaurant in Carp started by his parents in the 1990s. He believes that it is this connection with his local community that keeps him “grounded and focused on what’s important.” After six years on the City Council, Lee says he feels ready to bring his business background and small-town governing approach to the county. “The best government is local government,” says Lee. “My priority is preserving what we love, our open space, our agriculture, while allowing carefully planned workforce housing consistent with community needs.” Lee contrasts this vision with Williams, whom he believes pushes overly dense luxury development without adequate local input or infrastructure upgrades. Top of Lee’s policy priorities is reforming the county’s approach to cannabis zoning and regulation. Lee blames current county leadership for allowing cannabis growing operations near schools in Carpinteria without the public’s input, which he finds “upsetting,” as it directly impacts local youth, including his own children. Lee advocates for more inclusive community planning processes to allocate affordable housing where appropriate. Doing so, according to Lee, would provide local teachers, firefighters, and other essential workers the ability to live in the district without a degraded quality of life. Roy Lee believes Montecito, Carpinteria, and Santa Barbara share a common appreciation for preserving natural beauty and small-town feel. With deep local ties and a decade engaging community needs through local office and small business, Lee thinks he has what it takes to provide responsive, commonsense leadership as our next Supervisor. And I say, what do we have to lose by giving him a chance to prove it? Seems not much.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Root Kitchen Catering, 595 Avenue of the Flags, 207, Buellton, CA, 93427. Muhsin II Sugich, 595 Avenue of the Flags, 207, Buellton, CA, 93427. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 3, 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. 2024-0000011. Published January 10, 17, 24, 31, 2024

“Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.” – James Baldwin

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Fit Plumbing, 314 W Canon Perdido, 5, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Clarion Call Express, INC, 1401 21st St STE R, Sacramento, CA 95811. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on December 26, 2023. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2023-0002911. Published January 10, 17, 24, 31, 2024

1 – 8 February 2024

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Market Recap

Plunge into 2024

With 2023 behind us and sales volume at an all-time low, here’s the breakdown of last year’s real estate market, page 6

The New Year is here, and this group is jumping right into it with the 8th Annual Polar Dip, page 12

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Calendar of Events

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2

by Steven Libowitz FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2 Upgrade the Alcazar – Who else but the band for all people, aka the Doublewide Kings, to do double duty for a local landmark? Fresh off a smashing orchestral debut playing Van Morrison music with the Santa Barbara Symphony, the Kings continue conquering venues all around the area, this time settling in for two nights at Carpinteria’s Alcazar Theatre, the Art Deco style former burlesque and movie house now being run as a nonprofit community theater. Rather than focusing on a single artist, this time around the Doublewide gang will be playing a wide range of classic rock hits and deep cuts that is their more typical outdoor fare. Then again, with only 200 seats, the Alcazar is about as intimate as indoor concerts get. The Montecito-born quintet will be joined by keyboard and saxophonist Joe Farey for the pair of concerts, the first of which has already sold out. Net proceeds from the show go to the Alcazar Theatre to upgrade sound and lighting systems and the overall guest experience. WHEN: 7 pm WHERE: Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria COST: $25 general, $40 reserved VIP tickets $40 INFO: (805) 684-6380 or www.thealcazar.org/calendar SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3 Classical Meets Jazz – The Santa Barbara Music Club also gets into more adventurous music this afternoon with a program that features both of composer-pianist THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1 1st Thursday for (Art) Lovers – Valentine’s Day is a mere two weeks away as the monthly art-and-culture walk takes over lower State Street, and Maune Contemporary (1309 State) gets into the spirit with I HeART You! The exhibit will feature new mixed media originals by Thierry Guetta, the Frenchborn Los Angeles-based street artist better known as Mr. Brainwash, plus print works by contemporary artists Alex Katz and Donald Sultan… Faulkner Gallery (Public Library, 40 E. Anapamu) hosts the Santa Barbara chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) annual juried Design Awards Program honoring architectural work in our community. Entries, which were submitted in 10 categories and considered on three levels, will be on view for the entire month… Art & Soul (116 Santa Barbara St., Suite C) in the Funk Zone will host the opening reception of Christopher Colvin: Portraits and Abstracts, featuring work from the Bust Collection previously shown in conjunction with the African Film Festival at New York’s Lincoln Center. Enjoy live music, Fox wines, Nook nibbles and more… Stop by the Ensemble Theatre Company at the New Vic (33 W. Victoria) for 2-for-1 tickets to tonight’s preview of The Pianist of Willesden Lane, which features Grammy-nominated pianist Mona Golabek sharing her mother’s survival tale through music… Presidio by Candlelight (123 E. Canon Perdido) is an enchanting candlelit evening of history, culture, and community that features Chumash stories shared by an open fire, music, and dance of 1800s California, the Nihonmachi Revisited exhibit about Santa Barbara’s Japantown, and free champurrado and freshly-baked goods… SBIFF’s Santa Barbara filmmaker series screens Ryan Slattery’s Crossing the Channel, about Rachel Horn, who crosses over to the islands with no wetsuit, no breaks or physical support to help the Special Olympics. Think of it as our local version of Nyad. WHEN: 5-8 pm WHERE: Lower State Street and side streets COST: free INFO: (805) 962-2098 or www.downtownsb.org/events/1st-thursday

40 Montecito JOURNAL

Ice, Ice Baby – UCSB dance faculty member Valerie Huston and Arizona State’s Carley Conder, who has run her own eponymous dance company for 20 years, have collaborated on Avian and Aqua, the first two of a series of pieces around the theme of the environment. With Winter’s Song: An Elegy to Melting Ice, the choreographers now consider the transitional and transformative nature of ice melting into water, both in small quantities and on a glacial scale – a journey through the lifecycle of water. The evening-length program, in collaboration with the Opus One company, explores the color of water as well as the critical link between water and life, along the way creating their own language in curating the piece. The large cast includes 11 first-year dance majors plus senior-year students and a graduate student, joined by the CONDER/dance company for the production. Using unique movements and choreographic syllables, the dancers will communicate with one another on stage and build their own context in articulating their relationship with and connection to melting glaciers. Winter’s Song features ice sculptures and “ice instruments” created by Robert van Diggle, a local California ice artist, with ice music artist Terje Isungset, with the production designed to draw attention to the issue of melting glaciers around the world. WHEN: 7:30 pm tonight, 2:30 & 7:30 pm tomorrow WHERE: UCSB’s Hatlen Theater, 522 University Rd. COST: $15 general, $11 students/seniors/children INFO: (805) 893-2064 or www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu

Claude Bolling’s seminal works from the 1970s: Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio and Toot Suite for Trumpet and Jazz Piano Trio. The first piece was revolutionary as well as a best-seller, with one reviewer saying, “Bolling has not been tempted by an impossible fusion of classical music and jazz. Passing from one to the other with an angelic virtuosity, he has accomplished a strong and exciting juxtaposition for the ear.” The jazz trio of pianist Miriam Arichea, bassist Hal Onserud, and drummer Joshua Jones will be joined by flutist Mariana Smith and Randy Jones on cornet and flugelhorn. At one time some of the more ubiquitous and adored examples of jazz-classical fusion, neither work has been played publicly in town for many years, to the best of memory. The free program concludes with Robert Else performing several of Johannes Brahms’ late solo piano works: “Ballade in G Minor, Op. 118, No. 3,” “Intermezzo in B-flat Minor, Op. 117, No. 2,” “Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118, No. 2,” “Rhapsody in E-flat Major, Op. 119, No. 4,” and “Capriccio in D Minor, Op. 116, No. 7.” WHEN: 3 pm WHERE: First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St COST: free INFO: https://sbmusicclub.org SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4 Mountaineers Come to Granada – Kathy Mattea assumed hosting duties for Mountain Stage in 2021, the Grammy Award-winning country and bluegrass star becoming the latest to lead the program – for nearly 40 years, one of the most beloved in public radio history. Recorded in West Virginia, the program maintains its authenticity while traversing eclectic approaches with an unpredictable flair via guests that have included such iconic artists as John Prine and Townes Van Zandt, Patti Smith and Buddy Guy, Wilco and Phish. The mountain music magic moves West this weekend for a live recording session with Mattea – a West Virginia native who performed on the show long before she achieved national attention – and an impressive roster of special guest bands, including several who are familiar to local fans of folk and singer-songwriters. On tap tonight are activist/singer-songwriter Brett Dennen, who debuted at SOhO; Craig Finn, the former frontman of The Hold Steady; the jazz-influenced chanteuse Judith Owen, who has played solo shows and performed alongside Richard Thompson in town; Aussie eclectic Ben Lee who has collaborated with Ben Folds, comedian Margaret Cho and literary legend Tom

“What the people want is simple. They want an America as good as its promise.” – Barbara Jordan

1 – 8 February 2024

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3 Music to Sink Your Teeth into – Seven years after Roomful of Teeth made their Santa Barbara debut with a stunning performance at Hahn Hall that featured founding member Caroline Shaw’s Pulitzer Prize-winning piece Partita for 8 Voices, the absurdly talented ensemble of classically-trained, forward-thinking vocalists return to the venue for another special performance. The Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble is joined by highly lauded singer-songwriter/composer Gabriel Kahane in the Southern California premiere of a program featuring works by Shaw (The Isle), Kahane (Elevator Songs and more), and other composers known for creating meaningful and adventurous new music in alignment with Roomful’s mission of cultivating deeper relationships with technology in the interest of expanding the capabilities of the human voice. WHEN: 7 pm WHERE: Hahn Hall, Music Academy campus, 1070 Fairway Road COST: $40 INFO: (805) 893-3535 or https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu

Robbins; and Los Angeles-based indie pop/folkie Raye Zaragoza. WHEN: 6:30 pm WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street COST: $35-$100 INFO: (805) 899-2222/www.granadasb.org or (805) 893-3535/https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7 TFTT: Bluegrass to X man – Tales from the Tavern launches its new season of singer-songwriter sensations with Nefesh Mountain, the New York-based husband and wife progressive Americana/bluegrass duo who count some of the genre’s biggest stars as fans and collaborators. The spring series then veers to John Doe, the country-influenced co-founder of seminal L.A. punk band X, and bounces around the edges of folk and acoustic music with three more dates before closing out the six-show season with BettySoo and Jon Dee Graham on April 17. WHEN: 7 pm WHERE: The Maverick Saloon, 3687 Sagunto Street, Santa Ynez COST: $34 INFO: (805) 688-0383 or www.talesfromthetavern.com

Chabad of Montecito presents:

SUNDAY, FEB 25TH 3PM - 4:30PM

ISRAEL:

A CONVERSATION WITH

Gavy Friedson

AN EXCLUSIVE BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT THE ATROCITIES OF OCTOBER 7TH

Hors d'Oeuvres will be served

. Address provided after registration . Security presence

Gavriel "Gavy" Friedson, United Hatzalah's Director of International Emergency Management and Global Ambassador, brings over nineteen years of lifesaving experience. Responding to 10,000+ emergencies, including terrorist attacks. Gavy returned to the U.S. in 2017 to expand global rescue operations. As a key figure in disaster relief, he led teams in Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Fiona , and Ian. Gavy is a former IDF soldier and was also part of its International Spokesperson’s Unit. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE. CONTACT INFO@JEWISHMONTECITO.ORG

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Scan here to nominate and learn more!

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5 Emma’s Extremely Normal New Novel – Montecito bornand-raised and Stanford educated Emma Steinkellner is the daughter of TV-film legends Cheri and Bill Steinkellner (Cheers, Teacher’s Pet, Broadway’s Sister Act). Illustrator of the Eisner-nominated comic Quince and author and illustrator of The Okay Witch graphic novel series, Emma’s latest is the just-published Nell of Gumbling: My Extremely Normal Fairy-Tale Life, an utterly enchanting graphic novel/diary hybrid about a 12-year-old girl living an ordinary life in a magical land – full of disappointment, friend drama, adventure, mystery and more. The Magical Land of Gumbling is something out of fairy tales for most, but for Nell it’s just home. Sure, the town community center might be a castle, her dads run a star farm, and her best friend Myra is a fairy, but the seventh grader is much more interested in finding out if she’ll get the apprenticeship of her dreams with world-famous artist Wiz Bravo. How everything plays out in Steinkellner’s world comes complete with illustrations providing as much as the words, both of which she’ll share back home for a reading and book signing in town. WHEN: 6 pm WHERE: Chaucer’s Books, 3321 State St. in Loreto Plaza Shopping Center COST: free INFO: (805) 682-6787 or www.chaucersbooks.com

1 – 8 February 2024

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42 Montecito JOURNAL

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In home health care, 30yrs exp. excellent refs. Licensed & finger printed. Liz 805-807-9555 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

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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.

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1 – 8 February 2024

Mini Meta

Last Week’s Solution:

By Pete Muller & Frank Longo For each of the first five mini crosswords, one of the entries also serves as part of a five-word meta clue. The answer to the meta is a word or phrase (six letters or longer) hidden within the sixth mini crossword. The hidden meta answer starts in one of the squares and snakes through the grid vertically and horizontally from there (no diagonals!) without revisiting any squares. PUZZLE #1 1

D O F F C A P R I I F E A R T O R T S Y E A S T

WA N L A R G E A R E N A D I C E R Y A K S

F R OM S I E N A A F T E R L E R O Y T R O N

L A K E T A H O E R U E H L O R A L S D A D S

B U S H P A S T A O D O U L L E N D L R E Y

N B A G E OM M A L T A I S L A S C H E N

FIRST

LADY

AFTER

LAURA

BUSH

MICHELLEOBAMA

PUZZLE #2 4

PUZZLE #3

Down 1 Corp. such as Verizon or AT&T 2 Liver, e.g. 3 Cousin of a chimp 4 Liquid-Plumr ingredient 5 Cells aren't allowed in its cells

Across 1 QAnon, for one 5 Grenoble's river 7 Just getting the hang of 8 Bull from the pope, e.g. 9 Genre for the Bennies, the Interrupters, and the Resignators

Down 1 French filmdom 2 Like merchandise on the apps Letgo and OfferUp 3 Juliette of Showtime's "Yellowjackets" 4 "Lavender Haze" is the first one on Taylor Swift's 2022 album "Midnights" 6 James in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Across 1 Classic British roadsters 4 In opposition to, with "of" 6 Explosions in white dwarfs 7 Rodeo with big spenders, e.g. 8 Get some duck down, say

PUZZLE #5

PUZZLE #4 3

1 6

Down 1 See 7-Across 2 Option for pain management 3 Phenomenon in a draining bathtub 4 1982-2005 king of Saudi Arabia 5 Arctic Blast maker

Across 1 With 6-Across, do devastating damage 6 See 1-Across 7 The Sphere near the Strip, e.g. 8 Lid or lip application 9 Doc wielding a little flashlight

Down 1 A lot of people might be working on one 2 Exotic smoothie ingredient 3 Very cold fall 4 What "e" means in Brazil 5 "80 ___ Brady" (2023 sports comedy film)

META PUZZLE 5

Across 1 Last name of a famous Sallie? 4 Last name of a famous Sally 6 Emulated 4-Across 7 With 1-Down, Slayer's style 8 Drop in the editing process

Across 1 Lever, e.g. 5 Business partner of Ben 6 It may build up in a birdbath 7 Self-motivation mantra 8 Like slim odds

Down 1 Humphrey in the 2020 film "Dolittle," e.g. 2 ___ to go (gung-ho) 3 What's going on 4 Top-caliber 5 Chrysler platform of the '80s

Across 1 "Anger of a superior quality and degree," per "The Devil's Dictionary" 6 2019 sequel subtitled "Last Blood" 7 Aeropuerto arrival 8 Tubes inserted into mouths, not ears 9 Gin-flavoring fruits

Down 1 What secret things are under 2 Entangle or disentangle 3 The first "A" of PABA 4 Crash head-on into the side of, informally 5 Sharpens

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172 SANTA ELENA LN, MONTECITO 6BD/4BA • $8,495,000 Josiah Hamilton, 805.284.8835 LIC# 01415235

2815 E VALLEY RD, MONTECITO 6BD/7BA • $7,499,000 Easter Team Realtors, 805.570.0403 LIC# 00917775

433 ALCALA LN, MONTECITO 3BD/2½BA • $6,950,000 Rachael Douglas, 805.318.0900 LIC# 02024147

3035 HIDDEN VALLEY LN, MONTECITO 2BD/2BA • $3,595,000 Nancy Kogevinas, 805.450.6233 LIC# 01209514

2393 EMERSON ST, SUMMERLAND 3BD/2½BA • $2,950,000 Cristal Clarke, 805.886.9378 LIC# 00968247

3241 LUCINDA LN, SB 3BD/2BA • $2,099,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group, 805.565.4014 LIC# 01426886

1220 COAST VILLAGE RD#303, SB 2BD/2BA • $1,750,000 Maude Morehart Boersema, 805.881.2121 LIC# 02003961

1116 N MILPAS ST, SB 4BD/3BA • $1,550,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group, 805.565.4014 LIC# 01426886

7336 FREEMAN PL, GOLETA 4BD/2BA • $1,395,000 Barbara Neary, 805.698.8980 LIC# 01491532

516 W LOS OLIVOS ST, SB 3BD/3BA • $1,375,000 Chase Enright, 805.708.4057 LIC# 01800599

@BHHSCALIFORNIA