Cruisin’ Kyoto – Yakitori, castles, and a primer in Japanese – Benjamin Tolan tells of his 10-week Kyoto program, P.20
What’s That Smell? – The cannabis odor concerns continue – the CPC meets to debate odor regulation, P.38
FORGING NEW PATHS
THE BUCKET BRIGADE IS CONTINUING ITS QUEST FOR A MORE WALKABLE MONTECITO, BUT THEIR NEWEST PATH RECEIVES SOME PUSHBACK AT THE RECENT LAND USE MEETING (STORY STARTS ON P.5)
The urgent need for more Legal Aid Foundation, page 24
On Auction – It’s all smiles, bottles, and Direct Relief support at the Santa Barbara Wine Auction, P.44
What Don’t They Do?
Montecito Community Foundation – the soft-spoken, omnipresent organization that helps the town shine, page 6
A Pig Parade
Pigs on the lawn, pigs in the house, pigs everywhere… What’s the story behind that house near Butterfly Beach? page 16
until november 30th book a relaxing pedicure this november and indulge in a free hot stone massage ( 30 value). complimentary stonehouse dining and free valet parking are always included with every appointment.
MASTERSERIES AT THE LOBERO THEATRE SEASON SPONSOR: ESPERIA FOUNDATION
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2024, 7:30PM
ANNE AKIKO MEYERS, violin FABIO BIDINI, piano
Anne Akiko Meyers, among the world’s most esteemed violinists, makes her CAMA recital debut with a program that includes Philip Glass’s New Chaconne, as well as Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2 in a new arrangement by the composer. Ms. Meyers will play the exquisite 1741 “ex-Vieuxtemps” Guarneri del Gesù, considered by many to be the finest sounding violin in existence for its powerfully luxuriant sound and mint state of preservation.
PROGRAM: CORELLI, arr. POXON: “La Folia” Sonata
GLASS: New Chaconne
BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 5 in F Major, “Spring” (Frühlingssonate) LAURIDSEN, arr. LAURIDSEN: “Sure on This Shining Night” and “Dirait-on”
MÁRQUEZ, arr. MÁRQUEZ: Danzón No. 2
Exclusive Sponsors: Marta Babson and Bitsy Becton Bacon
Tickets at the Lobero Theatre Box
Meeting at MA – The Bucket Brigade and Santa Rose Lane neighbors hash out details
Beings and Doings – The rumors are true: Montecito’s otherworldly glow is the work of a secret cabal of cloaked zealots. How lucky can a community be?
Montecito Miscellany – The Next Walz , Pagliacci , designer Wade Weissmann’s new tome, and more
The Optimist Daily – Medicaid support for traditional healing practices in four states Letters to the Editor – Supervisor Capps’ message and comments on approval of Miramar’s plan
Please contact us to see how we can help you or to provide a second opinion.
Jerrad Burford Senior Vice President Financial Advisor 805-695-7108 jerrad.burford@ morganstanleypwm.com
Jeanine J. Burford Senior Vice President Financial Advisor 805-695-7109 jeanine.burford@ morganstanleypwm.com
Butterfly’s Pork Palace – Ever wonder what the story is behind the “pig house” along Butterfly Lane? So did we.
Westmont – The museum features local landscapes,
20 Dear Montecito – Beatrice interviews her brother Benjamin Tolan on bolstering his Japanese in Kyoto
The Giving List – The Legal Aid Foundation’s services are needed now more than ever
26 Far Flung Travel – Chuck shares the fall bounty with the foxes and skunks
Brilliant Thoughts – It’s all fig leaves, organs and staircases when Ashleigh reflects on sin and skin
30 Robert’s Big Questions – What is going to happen after this election? And what is the right side of history?
Elizabeth’s Appraisals – A traditional mask from the Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe brotherhood
Foraging Thyme – Get fermenting in the kitchen with this healthy and tasty Napa cabbage kimchi
36 Montecito Health Coach – The role that philanthropy plays in wellness
37 Ernie’s World – Ernie & Pat head to Vermont but first they have to brave the rush of flights
38 Local News – The County Planning Commission takes on the stink around cannabis odor
39 In Passing – Remembering the life of the Honorable Judge Nancy J. Guthrie
41 An Independent Mind – Jeffrey looks at the history of the country and why it’s all going to be okay
44 Santa Barbara by the Glass – The Vintners Foundation’s wine auction is back with plenty of pours and support for Direct Relief
48 News Bytes – The Baja 1000 is ready to start, plus some Carp news
50 Election Results – A review of the local results from last week’s General Election
52 Calendar of Events – A medley of musical moments, dancing wildflowers, and the annual painted parade of reindeer, plus others
54 Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads
55 Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles
Local Business Directory – Smart business owners place business cards here
Meeting at MA
November’s Land Use Meeting Heats Up
by Joanne A Calitri
The Montecito Association Land Use Committee [LUC] November meeting was held Thursday, November 7, in person at the Montecito Library community room and on Zoom. The meeting was called to order by its Chair, Dorinne Lee Johnson. Attendees were the Land Use Committee members, MA Executive Director Houghton Hyatt, MA President Doug Black, and Montecito residents.
The LUC provided its written statement to me for this report – summarizing the result of their closed-door meeting held immediately following the public LUC meeting November 7, as follows:
“The Land Use Committee fully supports efforts to enhance public safety on local pathways. However, we are mindful of important considerations around liability, as well as the necessary surveying and engineering involved in developing these paths. To ensure these factors are thoroughly addressed, the Land Use Committee will bring these issues to the Montecito Association Board. The Montecito Association Board will make a decision on whether or not to submit a formal request to the SB County for additional information and clarification.”
The LUC public meeting on the topic had presentations by Santa Rosa Lane resident Peter Dealy, San Leandro resident Hugo Croft, and Abe Powell, Executive Director of the Bucket Brigade [BB] and their Walk Montecito project. Santa Rosa Lane is next in the queue for the BB’s project to create paths for pedestrians. Powell’s statements in defense of his BB trail work were:
- I’m here by invitation of the Land Use Chair, and to request continued endorsement and support for the project called Walk Montecito.
- The project is for pedestrian safety.
- The project is Montecito led and funded.
- It was requested by the community [Montecito] to restore and improve pedestrian paths/trails and bike lanes.
- The Walk Montecito Campaign specifically asks for a four-foot-wide clear path, in front of property and exclusively in the public’s right of way.
- In 2018, trail restoration of 5.5 miles was done – Sheffield, East Valley, Ennisbrook, Casa Dorinda, Cold Spring School. Since then, trails include Barker Pass, Camino Viejo and Hot Springs, San Leandro near Ennisbrook.
- Next 12 months plan: Santa Rosa neighborhood trail, Sycamore Canyon, and then Jameson Road [after 101 construction is done].
- Caltrans is scheduled to build a sidewalk down Eucalyptus Lane to the beach.
- The Bucket Brigade received the CSAC Challenge Award [statewide] in 2022 for suburban disaster and emergency response.
MA Meeting Page 514
DESIGN BY BECKER HENSEN NIKSTO ARCHITECTS
Bucket Brigade’s Abe Powell reviews the trail plans (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
WINTER’S GOLDEN TAPESTRY
ALONG THE SANTA BARBARA COAST
Fostering Farmers Series with Oliver English 11/21 5pm to 8pm
Join us in our Sensorial Gardens for an evening of savory appetizers, cocktails and meaningful connections with Feeding Tomorrow Filmmaker Oliver English and Co-hosts Belle Hahn and Lillian Hahn Shining of Twin Hearts Foundation. Special guests include Regenerative plant-based Chef Camilla Marcus, Jesse Smith, director of land stewardship at White Buffalo Land Trust, and James Arthur Smith, Founder of Seatopia to discuss the regenerative food movement and the role farmers can have in fostering a healthier, more equitable world. Proceeds will support the Feeding Tomorrow Documentary Impact Campaign.
Come explore a carefully curated selection of conscious wellness and lifestyle wares made by local artisans, Chef’s Garden delights and seasonal beverages. Shop and discover a variety of unique gifts to share with loved ones.
Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony
12/4 5pm – 7pm
From a sunny sanctuary to cinematic soirées, the festive season is all about celebrating timeless traditions with loved ones. Join El Encanto for a Tree Lighting Ceremony, festive music and sweet treats on its beautiful Pacific Lawn under the stars.
Contact our Concierge at 805-845-5800 to plan your festive seaon.
Beings and Doings
Montecito Community Foundation: The Village’s Benevolent Secret Cabal
by Jeff Wing
You’re driving south on the 101, headed down to the celebrated City of Angles (or whatever it’s called) when you suddenly get a hankering for what your grandpa used to call “a sody pop.” Happily, a left-lane exit looms just there – the deceptively nondescript Exit 94B – and you ease over and hop off the freeway. There is a traffic light at the exit’s terminus, and you are given to understand that turning right will take you to a gorgeous oceanfront drive possessed of the towering palms and heartbreakingly beautiful views that typify the splendor that is the Golden State’s proffered promise to starry-eyed dreamers the world over. But you really want that sody pop and turn left.
Up ahead you negotiate the meddlesome roundabout, yet another prank gift from “The Olde World,” and take one of its bewildering exits called, ominously, Hot Springs Road. To your dawning amazement you are now driving through a forested wonderland.
“What. The hell. Is this?” you ask the windshield. Often the unannounced spirit of a place can be discerned in its catalog of street names, but this enchanted village boasts both the whimsical Butterfly Lane and a thing called Golf Road. Traveler, you have stumbled upon a marvelous and complex Shangri-La. Welcome to Montecito.
“There are so many gems in Montecito, it’s crazy,” says Ruth Green, President of the Montecito Community Foundation (MCF). Alixe Mattingly of MCF’s
Project Committee concurs.
“I just think of the Corner Green,” Mattingly says. “We have pictures of what it looked like when it was a gas station. Now it’s my favorite place.”
A dense woodland idyll whose deciduous neighborhoods wind happily through a fragrant coastal forest, Montecito is rife with picturesque public spaces, lovingly maintained walking trails, and a welcoming citizenry with arms extended. Yes, it’s all a little suspicious. But Montecito is indeed a community like no other. How does the place keep its mojo year after year after year? The answer takes us back to 1966, and today’s happy-go-lucky stewards of a hometown that is second to none.
Rubber Soul.
Gemini 9. MCF.
1966! The Beatles’ album Rubber Soul reinvented pop music and studio recording, Astronaut Gene Cernan nearly fainted in outer space, and the Montecito Community Foundation launched its evergreen mission to keep Montecito non-pareil. Since ‘66, the MCF’s projects map to our community’s ongoing story. A reliable, all-hands funding mechanism for civic village projects, the Montecito Community Foundation has brokered funding for efforts large and small, from Casa del Herrero to the Triangle Restoration Project at the corner of Hot Springs and Olive Mill roads.
“The Montecito Community Foundation keeps a very low profile,”
Beings & Doings Page 454
Former site of a Unocal gas station, the Corner Green lives up to its name (photo courtesy of MFC)
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Montecito Miscellany
Next but Not Last
by Richard Mineards
Local rockers The Doublewide Kings were supersized when they performed The Next Waltz, celebrating the classic rock group The Band with the Santa Barbara Symphony under conductor Brett Strader at the Granada.
The hugely entertaining sold-out show, presented by the theater and Earl Minnis, under executive director guitarist Palmer Jackson, Jr. – a symphony board member and executive chairman of the Granada –launched with gusto with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony followed by works from Elgar and Dvořák’s “New World”. All of which was skillfully interspersed with
music composed by Bob Dylan’s former backup band who, after 16 years on the road, called it quits with their legendary 1976 farewell concert at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom. That storied concert was captured by Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese and shaped into the legendary documen-
tary film called The Last Waltz. It was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in 2019. By sheer coincidence I met The Band in 1969 at the second Isle of Wight Rock Festival when Dylan was the headliner
Miscellany Page 224
The Doublewide Kings and performers after the encore (photo by Priscilla)
Diamond Sponsor Earl Minnis with Bridgette and Tom Parker of Hutton Parker Foundation (photo by Priscilla)
Santa Barbara Symphony Guest Conductor Brett Strader and his wife Krista along with patrons Howard Smith and Patricia Dixon (photo by Priscilla)
WELCOME BACK TO STEARNS WHARF
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Thursday, November 28th 2024 12 pm - 8 pm
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Sunday, December 8th 2024 4 pm - 9 pm
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Medicaid Expands to Cover Traditional Healing Practices for
Native Americans in Four States
In a historic move toward culturally inclusive healthcare, Medicaid will now fund traditional healing treatments for Native Americans in four states: California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Oregon. This new pilot program will allow Medicaid to cover Indigenous cultural therapies like sweat lodges, music therapy, and ceremonial rituals, a significant step toward bridging conventional and traditional approaches to health and healing.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the pilot program, which represents a significant victory for Native communities. The pilot program will last two years and apply to services provided at IHS facilities, tribal clinics, and urban Indian health organizations.
Many Native Americans rely on traditional healing practices to manage substance use disorders. These treatments not only aid in physical recovery but also address underlying issues of trauma and spiritual separation. Emery Tahy, a 43-year-old Navajo Nation member, is fully aware of this. Tahy’s journey from addiction and depression to recovery included reconnecting with his roots, which was made possible by traditional healing methods at Friendship House, a Nativeled treatment clinic in San Francisco.
Tahy participated in prayers, songs, and sweat lodge sessions, all of which helped him reconnect with his cultural and spiritual roots. “From that day moving forward, I was able to reconnect to my spiritual and cultural upbringing,” he disclosed.
Tahy’s experience exposes a broader dilemma in Native communities. Addiction rates among Native Americans are among the highest in the country, with overdose deaths increasing year after year. Experts contend that Western medical methods alone cannot effectively treat these diseases in Native societies
Historically, Medicaid has not supported Indigenous healing modalities, leaving Native American patients without culturally appropriate care. Though some practices were available through IHS appropriations, tribal monies, or specific grants, formal Medicaid coverage remained out of reach until recently.
In California, the new program under Medi-Cal is noteworthy. California has the greatest Native American population in the country. Governor Gavin Newsom stated in a press release that the initiative represents the state’s dedication “to healing the historical wounds inflicted on tribes, including the health disparities Native communities face.”
The program now covers two types of care. Patients suffering from substance use disorders can seek help from traditional healers who perform cultural ceremonies and rituals, or from trusted figures within tribal communities, such as spiritual leaders and tribal officials, who provide trauma counseling, psychological support, and recovery assistance.
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Letters to the Editor
A Message from Supervisor Capps
Santa Barbara County is a place where we value inclusivity, compassion, and support for all residents, regardless of gender, faith, ethnicity or political affiliation. There is still more that unites us; we are stronger together.
Beginning today, we will be even more vigilant to ensure the safety of all people, especially the most vulnerable. Immigrants are and will be safe and supported here. LGBTQ+ people are and will be safe and supported here. People of color are and will be safe and supported here. Women are and will be safe and supported here.
I’m committed to working hand-inhand with you all to uplift a Santa Barbara County where everyone feels secure, respected, and heard. I welcome your ideas and partnership as we move forward with empathy – supported by a unified local government that upholds our quality of life. Santa Barbara will forge a future our children deserve.
Laura Capps, SBC Board of Supervisors, District 2
Hats Off to CPC
My hats off to the County Planning Commission and Staff for their fair and thorough review of the Miramar plan. They led their two hearings very professionally, listening to all sides of the issue and thoughtfully studying the facts in a sensible and reasonable way before reaching a unanimous vote of approval.
The plan will be very positive for Montecito. It gives us affordable housing we so badly need in our Community. It was designed carefully, with a lot of public input. This was the right choice. I am confident that the Caruso team will execute their plan with the same quality
Montecito Tide Guide
and attention to detail as they have with the Miramar. I am excited for them and our beautiful community. Thank you, Commissioners!
A very fortunate resident, Jim Nigro
A Proud Supporter
I was proud to be among the many supporters of the Miramar hotel last week when its plan for future improvements won a unanimous 4-0 vote from the County Planning Commission. And I was in good company – dozens of other supporters also attended the various local hearings on the plan, and more than 150 signed letters showing their support as well.
This is a smart plan, designed with community input, that will make a huge difference for the Miramar’s employees and fit naturally into the neighborhood. I’m glad the Miramar and All Saints-bythe-Sea could find a compromise.
Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Scott, Natasha Kucherenko
Contributing Editor | Kelly Mahan Herrick
Copy Editor | Lily Buckley Harbin
Proofreading | Helen Buckley Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz
Contributors | Scott Craig, Ashleigh Brilliant, Kim Crail, Tom Farr, Chuck Graham, Stella Haffner, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Robert Bernstein, Christina Atchison, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye, Elizabeth Stewart, Amélie Dieux, Houghton Hyatt, Jeff Wing
Gossip | Richard Mineards
History | Hattie Beresford
Humor | Ernie Witham
Our Town/Society | Joanne A Calitri
Travel | Jerry Dunn, Leslie Westbrook
Food & Wine | Melissa Petitto, Gabe Saglie, Jamie Knee,
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Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108.
How to reach us: (805) 565-1860; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108; EMAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net
that before Caruso re-opened the Miramar, it was an abandoned eyesore behind a chain link fence with moldy, deteriorating buildings. Caruso changed all that, and now the Miramar is one of
MCRIME
the biggest taxpayers in the County and a great all-around resource. Caruso has never let us down, and I think they’re earned our support for their plan.
Carol Anne Werner
IN
THE ‘CITO Sheriff’s Blotter 93108 . . . .
Trespassing / Inebriated Suspect / Humphrey Road
Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024, at 05:21 hrs
Deputies responded to a call regarding a subject going through resident’s recycle bins. Deputies responded and detained the subject, who displayed signs of being under the influence of drugs. Deputies conducted a 7 step Drug Abuse Recognition (DAR) examination and determined subject to be under the influence of a controlled substance and arrested the subject. The subject was transported to the Santa Barbara County Jail, where he willingly provided a urine sample which was presumptive positive for amphetamines and methamphetamines.
Trespassing/ Montecito Union School to Birnam Wood Golf Club
Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024, at 08:36 hrs
Deputies responded to investigate the report of a trespassing in progress at Montecito Union School. The suspect left and deputies searched the surrounding area, eventually locating him when security from Birnam Wood Golf Club called about a suspicious subject. Deputies arrested the suspect for PC 459 and PC 148.9.
Car Burglary / 3700 block Santa Claus Lane
Friday, Nov 1, 2024, at 14:24 hrs
The victims discovered their vehicle had been broken into, and three suitcases stolen out of their vehicle with an estimated loss of $2,000 dollars.
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On Friday, November 8, I’m just off the phone with the Santa Barbara’s Botanic Garden about their new panoramic view Tipton Trail, to be officially launched for public use on November 17 in collaboration with National Take a Hike Day. In addition, it will be a free admission day at the SB Botanic Garden, but do make reservations.
The trail is affectionately named after the J. E. and Lillian Tipton Foundation, which was run by a former Garden trustee, Nancy Byrne, who passed away in 2012. The trail, built by the Garden and the SAGE Trail Alliance, was funded largely by the Santa Barbara Foundation through their Conservation, Environment and Public Trails Grant.
What to expect during your 1.3-mile hike are panoramic views of Mission Canyon, downtown Santa Barbara, and the Channel Islands, the garden’s native plant restorations, and a remote weather station maintained by the garden. The
highest elevation point is 873 feet, the trail’s average grade 12.5%.
Keith Nevison, Director of Horticulture and Operations, explains in his press release, “It’s an awesome spot to go birding and explore the seasonal creek, but be prepared for a workout that will reward you with some of the best views of the Channel Islands the Garden has to offer. There are also wonderful, large specimen toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), laurel sumac (Malosma laurina), and coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), as well as abundant patches of foothill needlegrass (Stipa lepida).”
It’s a great time to get in some exercise, connect with nature, and breathe before the holidaze rush food and beverages. Additional trails to explore and support are our Montecito Trails Foundation trails, and the Los Padres Trails. Check websites for updates and what is open.
Advice for what matters most, when you need it most
Congratulations to Stephen Hepp for being named to the Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” 2024 list, published on April 3, 2024. Rankings based on data as of June 30, 2023.
The JJD Group
Stephen Hepp Managing Director Wealth Management Advisor Portfolio Manager
805.963.6362 stephen_hepp@ml.com
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management 1424 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 805.963.6302 fa.ml.com/jjdgroup
2024 Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list. Opinions provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due-diligence meetings that measure best practices, client retention, industry experience, credentials, compliance records, firm nominations, assets under management and Firm-generated revenue (investment performance is not a criterion). SHOOK’s rankings are available for client evaluation only, are not indicative of future performance and do not represent any one client’s experience and available for investor help in evaluating the right financial advisor. Compensation was not received from anyone for the study. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Details available at the SHOOK Research website. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S) is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, and Member SIPC. Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC and MLPF&S are wholly
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Staff taking a preview hike along the Tipton Trail at the SB Botanic Garden (courtesy photo)
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On Entertainment
The Threepenny Opera: More Meaningful than Ever
by Steven Libowitz
If truth be told, UCSB Theater’s Annie Torsiglieri probably would have preferred that The Threepenny Opera, which she is directing at UCSB’s Performing Arts Theater, wouldn’t have turned out quite so resonant for its November 15-23 run. But she very intentionally chose Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s groundbreaking musical – and dark satirical commentary on capitalism, power and corruption – to produce at this time.
“We do theater to change the world in some small or large way, so I want to do things that are really juicy and meaningful,” Torsiglieri said. “I knew this would run in conjunction with the election, and I figured this could make people sneakily pay attention in a way that makes sense for our world right now. This play is about desperation, and what desperate people will do to survive, including maybe following people who are shiny and bright, but don’t ultimately have their interests at heart. And it’s about how power changes hands, what people will do to stay in power. Ultimately, there’s the conclusion that the people with the most power are the people who get to tell the story.”
UCSB’s production of Brecht and Weill’s 1928 work comes via the recent adaptation by Simon Stephens (of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time fame), set in a gritty underworld where the characters navigate the streets of the East End of London. Weapons, assault, and even murder mark the action.
“It’s nasty and saucy and hilarious and disturbing,” Torsiglieri said. “We witness some very disturbing behavior perpetrated on other people, and then all of a sudden they’re singing a song. It flips back and forth, which is a big part of the humor.”
That was the intent of the musical’s creators, with Brecht’s biting lyrics set off by
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Weill’s jazz-infused score, including the song “Mack the Knife” – actually a dark and violent number originally – which Frank Sinatra turned into a jaunty swing tune.
“The lyrics of the song are horrifying,” Torsiglieri said. “The fact that it became a sexy jazz hit is so crazy.”
But shaking things up in a jarring way was precisely the goal of Brecht and Weill in writing The Threepenny Opera.
“The creators wanted to break the form of what was usually done theatrically at that time,” Torsiglieri said. “They weren’t writing merely to entertain people but rather to create a theatrical experience that was larger than life, one that confronted people, jolted the audience awake into awareness of the systems that allow the common man to be exploited in order to benefit those on top.”
The director’s take on the new adaptation sets the story in a theater – a sort of meta twist that features reversals of power and other assorted layers, she said. “It’s a dilapidated old theater, very grimy and broken down, and we have no furniture, which with the costumes adds the sense of desperation.”
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UCSB’s The Threepenny Opera has even more impact in the context of recent events (photo by Jeff Liang, UCSB)
Butterfly’s Pork Palace Living High on the Hog
by Leana Orsua
It’s fair to say the path to everlasting love comes in many shapes, sizes, colors, and in some cases fabrics. Just steps away from the white sands of Montecito’s Butterfly Beach, there is a quiet beauty and tranquil ambiance lining the road to one such love story that sits on full display – many years in the making.
In 1969, Nikki Grosso wanted to do something different that would bring some humor to her L.A. cop husband Ronald’s birthday – so with tongue in cheek, she wrapped the perfect gift that would bring the desired effect she was seeking – inside a box lay a small ceramic pig. “Pig” was a pejorative term used by the ‘60s counterculture to slander officers and detectives. Nikki thought it would be a good idea to turn that around by taking ironic ownership of the word. The spontaneous and silly gesture would mark the start of a 50-year obsession –one that would travel across the globe, and throughout lifetimes. The decadesold little birthday piggy is one of 6,000 curly-tailed swine residing in and out of the Grossos’ home at Butterfly Lane – it is the largest known collection of pigs in the U.S.
The Grossos’ pork palace boasts a collection that spans areas inside, outside, upstairs, downstairs, in bedrooms, in bathrooms, by the pool, in the kitchen, in the living room, in the hallway, and on the driveway and entrance of the home. The four-legged creature comforts come in every material imaginable – crystal, wooden, bronze, steel, ceramic, glass, ivory granite, jade, leather, wicker, canvas, and fabric. There are swine that tell time, swine to whisk your eggs, toast
your bread, and grill your burger. There’s swine to keep your money safe, and even swine prepared to deliver your bills –even when you wish they wouldn’t.
And there is no pig too tall or too short. The Grossos’ smallest oinker extends barely to the tip of your pinky while the tallest is a bartender on skates topping out at six feet tall. Small figurines line the interior walls in cases purchased to store the collections.
There’s one place in the Grossos’ home where the presence of pork could not be found – in the refrigerator. Nikki, a Kosher Jew from Nebraska, never indulged in the savory meat, although now in her 70s she says she just started trying bacon.
The Grossos’ purchased their Butterfly Lane residence in 1993. Throughout the years a plethora of pigs have been added to grace the home’s exterior – charming locals and tourists young and old – passerby filled with curiosity about the history of the swine story – some even taking their pork appreciation a step too far.
“One of my large outdoor pigs was vandalized and decapitated,” recalls Nikki. “Some kids took the head and put it on the railroad tracks. Luckily I was able to retrieve it.” That now bodyless pig continues to greet passersby and even has a body double with a duplicated original standing a few feet away.
The Grossos’ collectibles have included gifts to each other, gifts from friends and family, and gifts from colleagues – still, the majority of them came from purchases the pig-loving pair made throughout their travels. Their multi-cultural swine collection
Pork Place Page 424
You may have spotted this iconic parade of pork along Butterfly Lane
Nikki Grosso with her collection of oinkers
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Your Westmont
Oak Group Paintings Offer
by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
More than 30 members of the Oak Group, a collection of landscape artists passionate about nature and committed to preserving local lands, will each exhibit a painting in “The Oak Group Presents the Grace of the World” from Nov. 21Dec. 21 in the Westmont Ridley-Tree
Museum of Art. Many of the artists will take part in a free public opening reception on Thursday, Nov. 21, from 4-6 pm in the museum.
“I’ve always appreciated the work of the Oak Group artists,” says Judy L. Larson, Askew professor of art history and museum director. “They celebrate the splendor of nature in our coastal community and remind us to be protective and respectful of the pristine landscapes that surround us.”
Michael Drury’s oil painting, Winter Afternoon, Pt. Conception
All of the works in the exhibition are for sale with 10% of the proceeds supporting the museum and another 10% funding the publication of the Oak Group’s 40th anniversary catalogue. Oak artists paint beautiful, endangered landscapes to raise public awareness about threatened lands and to generate funds to help preserve them. The group has donated more than $3 million to more than 20 nonprofits to preserve open space.
The artists include: Meredith Brooks Abbott , Whitney Brooks Abbott , Marcia Burtt, Chris Chapman, John Comer , William B. Dewey , Rick Drake, Michael Drury, Karen Foster, Rick Garcia, Carrie Givens, Kevin Gleason, Whitney Brooks Hansen, Jeremy Harper, Kerri Hedden, Tom Henderson, Ray Hunter, John Iwerks,
Larry Iwerks, Manny Lopez, William Mitchell, Linda Mutti, Hank Pitcher, Rob Robinson, Ann Sanders, Richard Schloss , Skip Smith , Ray Strong , Arturo Tello, Thomas Van Stein, Sarah Vedder, and John Wullbrandt
Tello and Strong came up with the idea to create O.A.K., which stands for Open Airing Club, in December 1985 and held three exhibitions in Santa Barbara the following year after adding seven members.
Stargazing Features Beaver Moon, Owl Cluster
The November public stargazing event will feature a Beaver Moon, Owl
The Westmont Observatory
All Santa Barbara County residents can access programs funded by the Cancer Foundation at Ridley-Tree Cancer Center regardless of your physician or treatment location.
Services include: Genetic Counseling, Wellness, Nutrition, Social Services, Patient Navigation and more.
Dear Montecito Ten Weeks to Learn Japanese in Kyoto, Japan
by Beatrice Tolan
My brother Benjamin Tolan – and you can ask anyone who went to MUS, Crane or Laguna Blanca High School – is best known for his uncanny excellence in whatever he pursues. He can pick up any tune on the flute, saxophone, or piano in just a few listens and dominate in any video game you put in front of him. So when he changed his major to Japanese language two years into university, our family wasn’t worried, nor were we surprised when it culminated in a 10-week sojourn to Kyoto for a post-graduation accelerated language program.
Here is how my brother Benjamin became a regular at a chicken-skewer bar in Kyoto, Japan:
Q. When and how did your interest in Japanese culture start?
A. When I was a child, I would watch anime like Dragon Ball Z or Naruto, and thought the shows were cool. I didn’t even know they were originally in Japanese. It wasn’t until I took a trip with my family to Japan in 2017 that I really became interested. The food was amazing, the streets were clean, and the cities were all walkable. I couldn’t understand anyone, however, and communication proved difficult. That being said, I could tell everyone was hospitable and kind. Later at home, during a brief stint at community college, I took
some Japanese language classes on a whim. I only got two classes in before returning to university, but that was all it took to hook me.
How have you spent the years leading up to your adventure abroad?
These programs and services— made possible by your
and our funding—
I attended UC Irvine, studying Computer Game Science. I have loved video games since I was a kid, so it made sense at the time, but programming wasn’t really for me. The Japanese classes I took at community college, in comparison, gripped me. After some deliberation, I switched majors to East Asian Studies with a Japanese language focus. When I wasn’t in class or studying, I was practicing and competing in tournaments for the fighting game Super Smash Bros. Melee ; I attended roughly three tournaments a week for nearly a year. At one point, I was ranked 15th best player in California, known for my skills with the character Luigi. I credit those tournaments for developing my post-high-school social skills, as I made a ton of friends and met a lot of new people.
Tell us what an average day in Japan looked like for you.
I’m not much of a morning person –thankfully my Japanese classes in Kyoto were in the afternoon. I would usually wake up around 11 am, and after getting ready I would either go out to get some breakfast or watch Japanese television if I wasn’t hungry. My classes began at 1:30 pm, Monday-Thursday. There was a deliberate focus on conversation practice above everything else, though we would still learn new vocabulary or Kanji (Japanese
Dear Montecito Page 404
My brother Benjamin and me in our mother’s kitchen pre-Japan
Benjamin’s favorite haunt, Hard Rock Bar
COMING SOON!
with the Moody Blues, The Who, and Joe Cocker.
They were staying at the Halland Hotel in Seaview near a cottage my parents used to rent each summer. A small world!
OSB Not Clowning Around
Opera Santa Barbara’s latest production, Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci with conductor Kostis Protopapas at the Lobero, was a triumph!
Under director Octavio Cardenas, New York-based tenor Robert Stahley as the principal character and Los Angelesbased soprano Alaysha Fox as Nedda were quite superb, with baritones Ben
Lowe as Taddeo and local resident Matthew Peterson as Silvio, and Santa Barbara-based tenor Benjamin Brecher as Harlequin well on par.
Daniel Chapman, set and projection designer, also deserves kudos for his creative design of the 85-minute production, as well as Heather Sterling for her wigs and colorful circus makeup.
Next up Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro in February...
Perlman and a Little
Help from His Friends
Itzhak Perlman, one of the world’s greatest violinists with 16 Grammys and
Miscellany Page 464
The cast of Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci takes a bow (photo by Priscilla)
Kostis Protopapas, Alaysha Fox, Joan Rutkowski, Bob Urquhart, Karin Jacobson, and Heather Sterling (photo by Priscilla)
Sally Nazerian, Anaiya Mussolini, Paul Cuellar, Bob Weinman, Teresa Kuskey, and Karen Knight (photo by Priscilla)
The Giving List Legal Aid: Continuing to Close the Justice Gap
by Steven Libowitz
Earlier this fall, the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County (LAFSBC) marked its 65th anniversary with an early evening gathering at the Anchor Rose in Santa Barbara Harbor. LAFSBC – which works tirelessly to close the justice gap for low-income residents in the area – took the occasion to make note of its own history.
“It’s an exciting milestone for us as an organization, a moment for us to celebrate with our board members and supporters,” said Executive Director Jennifer Smith
Six and a half decades is indeed quite an accomplishment in the never-ending endeavor to ensure equal access to justice for people of all income levels. The growth of the organization over the years reflects its importance in balancing the scales of justice by providing free legal services for those confronted with eviction or other landlord-tenant dis-
pute, for those who may require a civil domestic violence restraining order, for those facing immigration problems, and other issues.
“We started with a single part-time attorney and a part-time secretary, with pro bono (volunteer) attorneys taking the majority of cases. Today, we have 12 attorney positions, three administrative staff members, and more than half a dozen other legal support staff, totaling more than 20 employees countywide,” Smith said. “Our attorneys are graduates of highly respected law schools and two of them have over 30 years of legal experience. It’s incredible to reflect on that and just think about how things have grown and changed over the years. But despite our growth and changes over the years, the demand for our services is overwhelming and there’s still a huge unmet need.”
The numbers tell the story.
“We just got some data that estimates that in the state of California, there’s only one civil legal aid attorney for every 5,000 eligible people,” Smith said. “Our
attorneys average 100 cases per year, but that leaves a lot left over.”
Indeed, a 2019 study from the California State Bar indicated that while nearly 40% of low-income Californians who sought legal help reached out to legal aid organizations, the system was only able to fully resolve 30% of the problems presented to them. And while State Bar-funded legal aid organizations employed approximately 1,500 attorneys and leveraged pro bono services from 16,000 others, an estimated additional 9,000 full-time legal aid attorneys would be needed to fill the service gap and fully resolve all civil legal problems experienced by low-income Californians.
“The need is critical,” Smith said. “The sad fact is that LAFSBC has to turn away potential clients who are qualified simply due to a lack of resources and personnel.”
Smith said Legal Aid does its best to deal with the shortfall by prioritizing just a few legal issues that are the most pressing for individuals and critical for our community, focusing on areas that involve people’s shelter, safety and wellbeing. Even within those limited areas of civil law, the organization prioritizes certain types of cases.
“In housing, we put a lot of attention on eviction defense because in addition to
The Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County recently celebrated its 65th anniversary (courtesy photo)
Arrive starting at 5:30 PM for a FREE all-ages dance class and music and prizes from
West Coast Premiere / One Night Only!
Dorrance Dance
The Nutcracker Suite
Thu, Dec 5 / 7:30 PM / Arlington Theatre
Trade pointe shoes for tap shoes as Dorrance Dance’s highenergy Nutcracker Suite boogies, slides, struts and dives to Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s extraordinary interpretation of the classic Tchaikovsky score.
Lead Sponsor: Jody & John Arnhold
Dance Series Sponsors: Margo Cohen-Feinberg, Barbara Stupay, and Sheila Wald
30th Anniversary Tour Pink Martini
Featuring China Forbes
Tue, Dec 17 / 7:30 PM / Arlington Theatre
Pink Martini brings its signature blend of jazz, classical and pop music to a festive holiday show, performing classics like “White Christmas” alongside Chinese New Year tunes and a samba-inspired version of “Auld Lang Syne,” as well as fan favorites from their studio albums.
Major Sponsor: Audrey & Timothy O. Fisher
Event Sponsor: Ellen & Peter O. Johnson
KLITE host Catherine Remak
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET DECEMBER 5-22
By Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux
Directed by Brian McDonald
Far Flung Travel Figs Falling
by Chuck Graham
Ineeded a snack, and I had eyeballs on a girthy, ripe fig. I climbed up on the fence and balanced myself by holding onto a fig tree branch. What I didn’t notice was an island fox on the same limb, concealed in the large, clover-shaped leaves. As I reached out for a purplish-colored fig, the island fox nabbed another fig just a few inches away. Fortunately, there was way more than enough to go around on the southeast fringe of Santa Cruz Island.
In the fall of 2023, I couldn’t remember so many great tasting figs in Scorpion Canyon. The winter of 2022-23 was a rainy one, and it was followed by another wet winter in 2023-24.
I knew the fall of 2024 was going to be fruitful one on Santa Cruz Island... literally. There’s the changing of the seasons, but other signs signify a change in the ocean air. And in Scorpion Canyon on Santa Cruz Island, figs are like gold to a myriad of island fauna, including some of us kayak guides.
For about eight weeks in September and October, there’s an annual congregation around the fig trees left over from the ranching era on the largest, most biodiverse isle off the California Coast. Those few remaining fig trees are around 100 years old, but they still produce tasty figs. I’m not the only one that thinks so. I must share with all the island foxes, island spotted skunks, ravens, island scrub jays, house finches, and anything else avian that
might move through Scorpion Canyon during the annual fall bird migration.
Fig Fodder
They scale the spindliest of fig tree branches with nimble, calculated motions using semi-retractable claws and a bushy tail that acts like a rudder. Island foxes, the smallest canid in North America, are fig fiends come fall. They scour the base of the trees, nabbing fruit already on the ground, but also benefit when the ravens clumsily knock figs from the highest branches.
Once the island foxes have found every ripe fig on the ground, they easily clamber up into the fig trees searching for more fruit. When they find fresh figs, they’ll either eat them right off the branches, or grab one and climb down to cache it for later somewhere in the surrounding coyote bush. They don’t have any problem at the very end of the skinniest branches. They’re incredibly nimble with their bushy tails swaying back and forth, enabling them to balance in the trees even when northwest winds are blowing over the island and down Scorpion Canyon.
This behavior around the figs goes on 24 hours a day during September and October. The fig leaves continue to fall, making it easier for the island foxes and the birds to locate the figs. As the leaves thin it’s also easier to observe them feeding on the seasonal fruit. There are three fig trees at the ranch house in
Far Flung Page 424
#FigLife
Imagine Having a Whole VILLAGE Behind You.
Brilliant Thoughts
Sin and Skin
by Ashleigh Brilliant
You probably know Cole Porter’s songs that say:
“I’ve got you under my skin. I’ve got you deep in the heart of me. So deep in my heart that you’re really a part of me.”
And that other verse:
“Night and day under the hide of me There’s an oh, such a hungry yearning burning inside of me.”
I must confess that, whenever I hear these lyrics, my own immediate thought is that maybe he ought to have seen a dermatologist.
I myself am, of course, no such expert –but one thing I can tell you is that the skin is considered to be the largest organ of the human body. And another fact is that it is prey to some of the nastiest conditions, caused by some of the most insidious infestations, to be found in the medical books.
But nasty or not, Nature has arranged that one of our five senses has a special relationship with the skin. The other four are highly localized – Sight depends on the eyes. Smell goes with the nose. Hearing is related to the ears. And Taste is mainly a job for the mouth. But TOUCH goes all over, although, as we are well aware, certain areas are much more sensitive than others. This seems to make good sense in connection with our palms and fingertips. But just why the arch parts of the soles of the feet should be so ticklish may have been a case of Evolution going the wrong way. It certainly doesn’t provide me personally with any particular benefit that I am aware of.
But, if it comes to that, what good does being ticklish do, on the whole, for Humanity in general?
And let us not forget – (how could we ever?) the role played by our skin and its sensitivities in the whole process of reproducing our species, all packed into that one little word: SEX.
This brings us to the other half of that scintillating duo, Skin and Sin. Whoever wrote the first book of the
Bible obviously had this subject very much in mind. Right from the start, it comes up. We are told that the first Man and first Woman were naked and felt no shame – not until they ate the fruit of a forbidden tree and thereby acquired the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Then they knew the evil of being unclothed, and covered themselves with fig leaves.
As it happens, I have a fig tree in my own garden. But sooner than try to make its leaves into any kind of garment, I would prefer to go naked entirely. However, once I stepped beyond my own property line, I would almost certainly be breaking some law, which would probably refer to public decency. It would seem that we haven’t really come that far from Adam and Eve. In order to be decent, you have to conform with some standard in your society of what is proper. I need hardly tell you that this brings us back to the parts of our skin connected with reproduction – and this applies even to people whose bodies (not necessarily their minds) are long past that activity.
Physical attraction is largely a matter of “Beauty,” which supposedly wise words assure us “is only skin deep.” A good reply to that might be that Character goes all the way to the bone. But nudity continues to have its appeal in our culture. An outstanding example of that phenomenon goes back to 1912, and a notorious painting by the French artist Marcel Duchamp, which he chose to entitle Nude Descending a
Staircase. When it was first exhibited to the public, those who rushed to see it – remembering previous celebrated paintings of nude women – were disappointed, outraged, and puzzled. Why? Because this so-called Cubist work depicted nothing recognizable as a person – nude or otherwise – or, indeed, any object. Not even a Cube.
As for sin: apart from the doctrines of certain religious groups, the very concept seems somehow dated. In an age of mass murder, how can any activity be condemned as morally wrong? Nothing in our Constitution can be thus interpreted. (Perhaps the closest was the 18th Amendment which inaugurated an era of “Prohibition,” which lasted just thirteen years.)
Finally, in an effort to combine the ideas of Skin and Sin in one epigram, I offer the following:
“I don’t like being rubbed the wrong way, but it’s better than never being rubbed at all.”
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.
C alcagno & Hamilton Real Estate Group
CLOSING SALE
Robert’s Big Questions Post Election Power?
by Robert Bernstein
Reflecting on this election involves both Big Questions and smaller thoughts.
Some of my friends offer conspiracies of how the election was rigged. For weeks we knew that this election was too close to call. Statistician Nate Silver predicted the election had a 40% chance of being a blowout for either side. In short: I think Trump really won. What does it mean? Here is one data point. The most Googled searches on the eve of the election? “Who is running for president?” and “Did Biden drop out?” In other words, for millions of voters it didn’t mean much. Truly low information voting.
demonize all men and all white people. That sort of thing elects Trump and his ilk.
One interesting theory sent by a friend: “Transcendence.” ISIS promised “transcendence” through horrific cruelty and violence. Perhaps Trump has similar appeal? I explained this in my article “Some Want to Watch the World Burn.”
What now? In recent decades, almost every major city in the country has voted for the Democratic candidate. As true for Montgomery, AL, as for Seattle, WA.
VILLAGE PROPERTIES
Proudly Congratulates Patricia Griffin
One friend sent me an article explaining it as a victory for right wing media and social media. I would agree this is a major factor. As noted in my previous article, the issue was not so much truth as it was focus. A focus on a false narrative of economic decline and an “invasion” of immigrants while ignoring the issues that really matter most. People go bankrupt from health care, not the price of bacon. Republicans have always been on the wrong side of health care affordability.
Which brings me to a Big Question: What is the right side of history? Progressives have much to be proud of. We fought for worker rights, shorter work hours and a living wage. Against child labor. For voting rights, housing rights and civil rights for minorities and women. For human rights and against torture. For Medicare and Social Security. For environmental protection, the climate and preventing humancaused extinctions.
But not every progressive cause turned out to be a good idea. Some progressives did advocate for eugenics and for world Communism. Oops.
As I wrote in my article “Grievance Industry,” some progressives created and nurtured grievances – rather than bringing people together for common needs like universal health care and good jobs building the future we want.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness (DEI) programs really did turn into a way to cancel people without due process. Taken to an extreme, this grievance industry pits one group of disempowered people against another.
JK Rowling and biologist Richard Dawkins got canceled for raising these issues with regard to biological gender. We have to be able to acknowledge gray areas of rights. And we can’t
Much can be achieved through pooled efforts of cities and urban counties. Notably, investments in sustainable transportation and energy to combat the Climate Crisis. The National League of Cities is celebrating its 100th anniversary. A great deal more could be achieved if these cities were willing to tax themselves a bit more and pool their resources. This can be a powerful parallel government to state and national governments.
Trump’s horrific plan to deport millions of undocumented Americans has shockingly high support in polls. Most of these people have lived here for decades, many since they were children. If it were any other law, the statute of limitations would have expired and they would be safe. But cities and states can fight back and refuse to cooperate. Trump has established that lawlessness can escape justice. It is time for our side to fight back the same way.
Trump’s Project 2025 allies want to enact a national abortion ban. But anything short of that can be fought state by state. In this latest election, almost all states voting for abortion rights won those rights.
The 2016 Trump election brought out a surge of activism in the streets. I don’t see that happening this time. But coordinated efforts among cities and states could achieve positive transcendent change with health care and the environment on an unprecedented scale. Perhaps the rest of the country will be inspired to follow.
Robert Bernstein holds degrees from Physics departments of MIT and UCSB. His passion to understand the Big Questions of life, the universe and to be a good citizen of the planet. Visit facebook. com/questionbig
Elizabeth’s Appraisals Kifwebe Masks
by Elizabeth Stewart
Kifwebe is a word meaning “mask” for the people of the Congo River basin, the Luba and Songye tribes. High-ranking, ruling elite men in a tribal secret brotherhood called Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe would wear these masks in a ritual dance, complete with a disguise of a woven, tight-fitting net-like costume, animal pelts, and long, thick, dark raffia beards. The ritual was danced to ward off unseen enemies; to accompany a soul during a funeral; as a celebration in initiation; to conquer evil spirits and illness; and to protect from disaster. Some scholars believe the kifwebe were used in a human sacrifice ritual.
The masks were sacred to the Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe brotherhood and played a role in the establishment of order and retention of elite power in the community. Varying in size from a whole helmet to a small maskette or pendant, the mask wearers would appear at secular and sacred events, such as healing rituals and new moon rites.
The kifwebe masks of the Congo River basin are distinctive and stylized representations of a human skull, and are painted in combinations of white, red, and black. Red was associated with aggression and blood, white with purity. White was used on female masks; the noses, eyes, and mouths did not protrude as much as the male masks’ features. The white is a pigment made from kaolin powder. The masks were carved with deep grooves or striations, which retained the pigment and thus empha-
sized the grooves, as seen in LL’s mask around the eyes. In a ritual dance setting, the lines on the masks would catch the firelight or the sunlight, providing the masks’ face an illusion of being rippling and alive. Some scholars believe that the tradition of the striated grooves on the kifwebe masks indicate a connection between the mystical powers held by both the porcupine and the zebra, striped creatures of high contrast, representing good and evil, black and white.
LL’s mask is a male mask, as we can see from the forehead line down to the prominent nose, a feature on all male masks. The exaggeration of the nose and the mouth indicate that the skull’s spirit could smell and project speech. The mask was sculpted in three dimensions creating a balanced symmetrical face, featuring that characteristic extended mouth. The masks were attached to a human face by threading cords into the holes around the mask and wrapping the head. The masks covered the entire face and ears while the neck was covered by a huge beard. The costume would have disguised the wearer.
The lines carved on the mask contain magic themselves in that they represent certain numbers and elements of magic associated with those numbers. This knowledge was known to the Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe brotherhood and passed down. The esoteric knowledge was associated with the ideology of magic, sorcery, and witchcraft used for good and ill, with the central focus on control and power. The Bwadi Bwa Kifwebe members, acting as community policemen, would don the masks and dance away disruptive
elements, reestablishing order and their own rulership of the group. LL’s mask is the very essence of its former owner’s belief in mystical power, and represents an attempt to control the uncontrollable and to know the unknowable. That attempt seems to lie at the heart of humankind’s search for a spirit power larger than the human being.
These masks became associated with the quest – in the first quarter of the 20th century – for a new language in modern art; so their creative spirit lived on. The kifwebe masks were widely collected through French-speaking Belgian dealers who traded in Congo. The best and most knowledgeable of all early African art dealers were based in Paris, and still are to this day.
Each feature and color and carving on the mask represents a spirit force, whether that spirit be human or animal. The shape of the face on the mask indicates the type of spirit and the method of control the mask might exude. For example, a round-faced mask with round concentric grooves would have been used for benevolent purposes. LL’s mask was likely used for more aggressive purposes, such as to purify the community of evil sorcerers.
Today in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the Kifwebe masked dance rituals are used to pass down cultural traditions, as well as for performance and entertainment. In the 19th century, however, the masks were as serious as demonic possession. Tradition, history, power, and beauty are represented in these kifwebe masks; LL’s is worth $1,500.
Elizabeth Stewart, PhD is a veteran appraiser of fine art, furniture, glass, and other collectibles, and a cert. member of the AAA and an accr. member of the ASA. Please send any objects to be appraised to Elizabethappraisals@ gmail.com
This kifwebe mask was used in dance rituals, possibly to ward off evil spirits
Time 100 Most Important People in Health 2024
Dr. Uché Blackstock
Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons With Racism in Medicine
Wed, Nov 20 / 7:30 PM
UCSB Campbell Hall
FREE copies of Blackstock’s new book, Legacy , will be available while supplies last (pick up at event; one per household)
Through the lens of a generational memoir, ER physician and leading health equity advocate Uché Blackstock reflects on the deep inequities in the U.S. healthcare system and offers prescriptions for how to change them.
New York Times Bestselling Author and Relationship Therapist An Evening with Esther Perel The Future of Relationships, Love & Desire
Tue, Jan 14 / 7:30 PM Arlington Theatre
“The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives.” – Esther Perel
Join Esther Perel for an evening unlike any other as she helps us rethink how we connect, how we desire and even how we love. With her signature wit and captivating charm, Perel will interact with the live audience to talk about desire, heartbreak, sex and other topics we usually only discuss with the lights off.
Lead Sponsor: Heather & Tom Sturgess
Foraging Thyme Napa Cabbage
by Melissa Petitto
NSUNDAY THRU THURSDAY 7:30 AM - 10:00 PM FRIDAY AND SATURDAY 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
apa cabbage is in season and – as cabbage goes – is one of the most flavorful, nutrient-dense varieties out there. Something Good Organics has the first available, and I grabbed some for myself and my clients. This cabbage, also called Chinese cabbage, is traditionally used in kimchi, but is also an incredible vehicle for lettuce wraps; or roasted, sauteed, rolled with filling, and so much more. In just one cup of Napa cabbage you can find vitamin B6, B9, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and thiamin. Vitamin B6 is one of the few vitamins that our bodies cannot produce on its own, and one of the most important for a robust metabolism, helping to build red blood cells, reducing chronic disease, and strengthening our neurotransmitters. Vitamin B9 is excellent for our heart health, circulatory system, and the production of red blood cells. Napa cabbage is also a good source of vitamin K, which is essential for keeping our calcium levels healthy and maintaining strong bones. Vitamin C, an antioxidant known for its immunity boosting, is also great for aiding in iron absorption. Copper is also found in abundance in Napa cabbage and is super important for our brain health through its facilitating of nerve development. As you can see, this simple cabbage is packed full of healthy goodness. Let’s take it in the kitchen and make some kimchi which, with its gut-friendly properties, is a perfect accompaniment to serve this upcoming cold season.
Simple Napa Cabbage Kimchi
Yield: 8 Servings
2 pounds Napa cabbage
¼ cup iodine-free sea salt or kosher salt
Filtered water
6 garlic cloves, grated
1 teaspoon fresh gingerroot, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon cane sugar
2 tablespoons vegan fish sauce
4 tablespoons Gochugaru or Korean red pepper flakes (you can use less)
8 ounces daikon radish, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
4 medium scallions, washed, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Directions:
1. Cut the Napa cabbage lengthwise through the stem and into quarters. Cut the cores out of each piece and
then cut each quarter crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips. Add the cut cabbage to a large bowl.
2. Add the salt to the cabbage and using your hands, massage the salt into the cabbage until it starts to soften. Add enough water to cover the cabbage and then put a plate on top and weigh it down with something heavy on top (like a can of beans). Let stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
3. Rinse and drain the cabbage under cold water, at least 3 times. Transfer to a colander and allow to drain for 20 minutes.
4. While the cabbage drains, make the seasoning. In a large bowl, add the garlic, ginger, sugar, fish sauce, Korean red pepper. Stir until a paste forms.
5. Put on some gloves! Gently squeeze any additional water from the cabbage and add to the paste. Add in the daikon and scallions. Using your hands, gently massage the spice paste into the vegetables until coated.
6. Pack the kimchi into a 1-quart jar, pressing it down until all the liquid comes to the top. Seal and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 5 days. You may see bubbles appear inside the jar and that’s great! It’s fermenting! Enjoy!
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.
Wrap it, ferment it, eat it, love it – it’s cabbage
(photo by Bayarta via Wikimedia Commons)
PRE-ORDER MOLLIE’S HOLIDAY DINNER
Traditional Italian Style
Organic Turkey
Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
Home-made Bread Stuffing
Mixed Vegetables
Roasted Sweet Potato
Bread
Apple Pie Italian Style
(Minimum Order for 2 people)
$60 per person
Whole Turkey Available (Feeds 6-$330-Free Delivery)
All pre-cooked, just warm up in your oven!
Reserve 8 days in advance. Mollie’s Italian Deli 1039 Casitas Pass Rd. Carpinteria, CA 93013 (805) 452-2692
Montecito Health Coach
The Gift of Philanthropy: And How Supporting Local Businesses Is Good for Us All
by Deann Zampelli
Some years ago, I was at a friend’s dinner party where I had the good fortune to be seated next to the late philanthropist, Lady Leslie RidleyTree. At the time, she was 92 and clearly had no intention of slowing down anytime soon. As I was in graduate school studying healthy aging, I used this fortuitous seating arrangement to do some unofficial research. After we chatted for a bit, I asked her if she wouldn’t mind letting me in on her secret to longevity. Without blinking an eye, she said, “Philanthropy,” then turned to speak to the man on her other side. Feeling simultaneously anointed and slighted, I let her words marinate throughout the night and have not forgotten them since. The word philanthropy itself can often seem intimidating, conjuring up images of large art donations and red ribbon cutting ceremonies (although, truth be told, I have always wondered where you get a pair of scissors that large). According to the good, old Oxford Languages, philanthropy is “the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.” But I decided to dig deeper. What are the origins of this word that is so often bandied about? Turns out, it’s kind of cool. It has Greek roots (doesn’t everything?) and comes from “philein” which is to love. And “anthropos” which is human being. To love fellow humans. How fabulous is
that? At one point, it evolved into meaning, “to help oldsters” which was one of the origins of the British pension. The word has clearly evolved into meaning so much more.
And while the donations are critical to any cause, most nonprofits will tell you that the heart of any organization is its volunteers.
I spoke with Crystal Wyatt, Montecito resident, who embodies the spirit of both philanthropy and volunteerism. I have known Crystal for over 15 years, and she has never had less than two to three causes to which she gives her all. She and her husband, Cliff, are not only very generous donors, but Crystal is also a boots-on-the-ground fundraiser, board member, party planner, and community activist extraordinaire. This made her the perfect person to ask about what role philanthropy plays in her life, to which she replied, “I count it as one of the greatest privileges to be able to put your personal values into action with charitable giving. It brings me longer lasting and deeper joy than any other use of funds because the impact reaches out far beyond myself and my immediate family to touch others.” And in terms of volunteering she says, “It’s basically similar in that the gift of time is almost more precious than money. You can tell what someone cares about by where they give their time.”
Carnegie Mellon led a study which found that “…older adults who volunteered for at least 200 hours annually decrease their risk of high blood pres-
sure by 40%, thus lowering their risk of heart disease and stroke, among other health problems.”
Numerous studies have also shown that it can lower depression, increase self-esteem, increase happiness and feelings of positivity. So, it feels good, and it is good. Talk about a win-win.
As the wreathe-adorned mail order catalogs begin to arrive, and the discounted shop skeletons are replaced by reindeer, it seemed like a good time to reflect on another type of giving that can benefit us all – supporting local businesses.
I was over the moon when Godmothers opened. Being a rabid bibliophile and an indie bookstore groupie, it was so exciting to see how the neighbors immediately embraced it. But what about the other locally owned shops who aren’t BFFs with Oprah, Harry, and Meghan? And why does it matter?
When I was growing up in Santa Monica, we had the Brentwood Country Mart (a totally different version from what it is now I assure you) which was comprised of a small grocery store, a candy shop (which was my first job at the age of 12), a meat market (no, not like Lucky’s), a tiny jewelry store, a little bookstore called The Book Nook, and the best french fries you have ever had. We had monthly accounts at most places and used our name instead of Apple Pay. Sepi and his mother ran the produce section. And Irene was the loveably cantankerous old lady who ran the candy store. Why am I telling you this, you might wonder? Well, apart from my tendency to overshare, these businesses and these people were so much a part of my childhood that I still remember them 40 years later. And they knew us. By name.
Locally owned businesses are what separate one community from another. Lily on Coast Village Road isn’t part of a multi-million dollar chain. Chaucer’s is Chaucer’s and has been for 50 years. Camp Canine was started by John and Mary and is now run by their daughter, Jayne. They gave me their cell numbers when I was pregnant with my daughter in case I went into labor in the middle of
the night so they could come and pick up our dogs. Fourteen years later, Jayne then gave that same baby girl her first job. We are part of one another’s history.
Supporting these labors of love not only encourages entrepreneurship, but it boosts the local economy and helps each town retain its spirit of individuality. “This is what we are about!” It screams. If towns were all made up of chain stores, how would you know if you were in Myrtle Beach or Montecito?
And the quality of goods is often so much better. I didn’t know one olive oil from the next until I shopped at Viva Oliva on State Street and now, I can’t make my focaccia with anything else. When I need a gift for a friend, I often go to Jules by The Sea, the Funk Zone-based jewelry and gift store owned and operated by local resident, Jules Kramer. I asked her what it means to her to be a local business owner and why it is important to support them.
“Shopping locally helps keep Santa Barbara’s unique small businesses alive, giving us all special finds you won’t see anywhere else. It also fosters community and lets me connect with my customers while supporting local causes.”
And while some will say “retail is dead,” the business owners of our little town are evidence to the contrary. So, before you next hit, “Click to Order,” take a beat, get some air, put the top down on that convertible and go look for hidden treasures.
From Carpinteria to Goleta, it is like finding the golden pot at the end of the rainbow. (No, not that kind of pot.)
Happy Hunting!
Trained at Duke Integrative Medicine, Deann Zampelli owns Montecito Coaching & Nutrition and has a broad range of clients working on everything from nutrition to improving their marathon pace. She also has a Masters in Clinical Psychology and has been a resident of Montecito since 2006.
Ernie’s World Time Trials
by Ernie Witham
Except for the overly loud, vapor-spewing Southwest jets, flying-lesson prop planes doing multiple touch-and-goes, and that obnoxious Osprey that sounds like two helicopters in a weird sexual entanglement, it’s nice being close to Santa Barbara Airport.
Even though we had a 6:23 am flight, we knew we could be at the airport in less than 10 minutes. And we had arranged for someone to pick up our car. So we jaunted off to short-term parking – or should I call it no-term parking, as there were exactly zero spaces and three of us circling looking for a hint of brake lights. They tell us a parking structure is being planned and an additional terminal so they can have MORE flights. I’m guessing the terminal will come first.
We headed for long-term parking. “What time is it?” I asked Pat. “5:40,” she said, a smidgen of concern in her voice. That’s when I found out they eliminated the closest entrance to longterm and we had to exit the airport once again to find the new entrance. Now there were a number of us grabbing tickets from the kiosk and searching for anything resembling parking. “Motorcycles only,” said Pat. “Handicap.” “Too small!” I wedged us in.
“We may have to climb out the moon roof, I’ll give you a boost.” But we were able to squeeze out, grab our bags, and head for the airport. “Time?” I asked as we trotted. “Almost six.” Pat said.
We briefly looked at the bag check area. There were several dozen perspiring couples with luggage the size of small SUVs. We ran up the escalator. There was a line at TSA security. “Time?” “Sixtwelve,” Pat gasped.
We made it past face recognition, though I’m sure we were somewhat distorted by anxiety. Then we threw our stuff into plastic trays, had our bodies scanned so that the images could someday be uploaded to a humorous Instagram post, and raced around the corner and directly into the plane. “Time?” “Six-twenty,” Pat said, emitting a deep breath she had been holding for an hour.
The small jet backed out as a flight attendant held up a chart showing us the exits in case of emergency. Right. Like we’d get off and do this all over again.
This was flight one of three in our hopes of getting to Burlington, Vermont, to see some beautiful dying leaves. We
were going to be staying in a cabin right on the shore of Lake Champlain “just outside” of Burlington.
First we had to navigate the Phoenix airport to find our second flight. It’s always fun to go from a small plane to a large plane because they never park them side-by-side. Instead we walked the equivalent of the Pacific Coast Trail past throngs of people going the other way who had gotten off big planes and were now looking for their little plane connection. Airports should not be designed by aerobics instructors.
Fast forward hours later on another no-frills flight – where dinner consisted of two little cookies, accompanied by an unhappy baby two rows back – and we arrived in Chi-town, which apparently no one in Chicago ever calls it. Kinda like Cali for California or Spud for Idaho. “What time is it?” I asked “Three-twenty-three.”
This time we took an Appalachian Trail-sized hike from our large plane to the next little plane. We finally found our gate and collapsed into seats next to a couple. Pat struck up a conversation, telling the folks that we were doing a home exchange with a couple that had a home in Burlington and the lake cabin. They instantly guessed the name of our exchangers. Wow! How small is Vermont? I wondered.
Several hours later, we arrived in leaf-peepers paradise. It was totally dark outside. “What time is it?” “Eight pm,” Pat said.
The owners of our exchange graciously picked us up and drove us to the lake house. It took a really long time to get there, the last leg on a single lane dirt road. They showed us around, demonstrated how everything worked, and drove away. We went to bed.
The next morning we looked out our bedroom window at Canadian geese paddling by on the sunlit lake. “What time is it?” “Who cares?” Pat said. Indeed.
Ernie Witham has been writing humor for more than 25 years. He is the author of three humor books and is the humor workshop leader at the prestigious Santa Barbara Writers Conference.
helping the individual or family, it also involves homelessness prevention,” Smith said. “In our domestic violence work, we prioritize restraining orders where safety is at risk.”
In some ways, the problem is even bigger, because in addition to the lack of sufficient legal providers, there’s also what the study called a “knowledge gap,” which Smith said shows up in different ways.
“Someone may not recognize that the problem they’re facing is one that involves a legal issue where a lawyer could help,” she said. “Even if they realize that, they might not be aware of what civil legal aid is and how it can help. “
That’s particularly true in Santa Barbara County, which has a relatively large immigrant population, which can create its own set of roadblocks, Smith said.
“Depending on where they come from, there may be distrust of legal systems in general and fear of engaging with the legal system at all, which adds another layer. With our limited resources, it’s challenging all around.”
LAFSBC is working to close the knowledge gap as a way to remove barriers to closing the justice gap, Smith said, pointing out programs for community outreach and collaboration with other trusted nonprofit organizations – where someone linking Legal Aid to the individual in need serves as a kind of conduit to LAFSBC’s work.
And the organization does its best to at least offer some help to all who might need its services; if not through actual representation then via its self-help Legal Resource Center. These exist at three county courthouses and are staffed by a California licensed attorney, and are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Assistance is offered in the completion of legal and court documents for various civil matters and infractions, and in properly presenting your case to the court, including small claims and name changes.
“They’re not able to provide full scope representation or legal advice, but they
are facilitating filling out forms properly, which helps people get access to and navigate the justice system effectively,” Smith said. “It’s not as in-depth but they can do a higher volume of work.”
LAFSBC’s Project Outreach offers “advice only” outreach from volunteer lawyers at community centers in Santa Barbara and Goleta, with attorneys who specialize in general civil law, immigration law, or consumer and landlord-tenant law. Legal Aid also has volunteer lawyers providing no-cost information about Chapter 7 bankruptcy, bankruptcy forms, and referrals for other consumer debt issues on a weekly basis. Its senior outreach program offers those over 60 attorney advice and information during a 30-minute consultation.
Following the election, Smith said LAFSBC is also “gearing up” to revive its family preparedness clinics that first opened in 2017 to assist on a variety of immigration-related issues, including, for example, having a plan in case the principal wage earner faces deportation, Smith said.
“It’s almost like estate planning, but on the immigration side. Very basic stuff to be ready if that happens,” she said. “We are going to collaborate with other nonprofit and legal service providers to help ensure that the immigrant community has access.”
The organization is also working to continue to build capacity and programs with volunteer attorneys to help reduce the unmet need in the community. Securing funding is an ongoing priority. Philanthropists and donors are, in many ways, needed to step-up more than ever.
“We’re concerned about potential cuts to federal dollars that fund legal aid, particularly in light of the fact that we’re also facing a state budget crisis,” Smith said. “Because we are a nonprofit, we’re not a government entity. We’ve always relied on the support and the goodwill of our local community and will continue to do so.”
Visit https://lafsbc.org for more information
Local News
Santa Barbara County Seeks Solution to Cannabis Odor Problem
by Clarissa Rios
From sufficient tax revenue to operating locations, the cannabis industry has received its share of heat – but no other complaint has been vocalized more than the odor surrounding the industry. Over 2,500 odor complaints have been filed in the past four years. As that number continues to rise, the county is grappling with setting and enforcing an odor threshold and determining which tools can be used to pinpoint odor sources.
The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission met on Nov. 6. to review complaints and the results of a recent study. The hearing was a follow-up to a September meeting where the board directed staff to develop a set of standards to verify odor complaints and determine where and how odor measurements should be taken. Although the November hearing did not result in a final decision, the commissioners voted to continue the discussion with a special hearing set for Jan. 22, 2025. Previously, ordinance provisions had been deemed unenforceable due to the lack of a clear way to measure cannabis odor levels. The county is looking to establish an objective threshold for the odor. A recent cannabis odor study conducted by Planning & Development staff sought help from a tool known as the Nasal Ranger. Gwen Beyeler, Supervising Planner for the county, describes it as a “standard tool to measure nuisance odor.”
The Nasal Ranger uses a field olfactometer to measure odor strength in the air. Individuals must be trained to use it and pass a required odor sensitivity assessment. The tool is commonly used by facility operators, air quality control managers, and various citizen groups. It’s lauded for being a quick and inexpensive answer to the odor complaint problem that is so prominent in Carpinteria. As Roy Reed, 4th District Planning Commissioner, remarked, it’s like “a Sommelier in a wine tasting room.”
The study began back in May, during cool, foggy weather, and wrapped up in August under the summer sun. Data was gathered over two four-day periods in Carpinteria, targeting these distinct weather patterns to better understand how factors like temperature could affect cannabis odor. Outdoor observations showed that 75% of the measurements were classified as no odor or barely noticeable. An additional 20% were recorded as very faint or faint. Most of the readings came in with low scores – zero (no odor), one (barely noticeable), or two (faint). Only a handful of measurements hit four or five, which are considered to be faint odors. The higher scores were recorded inside cannabis facilities, while the lower readings were taken outside, at property lines. The study concluded that odor-control technologies are generally working as originally intended.
But many Carpinteria residents say otherwise.
News Page 434
The County Planning Commission recently met to review odor complaints around the cannabis industry
IN PASSING
The Hon. Judge Nancy Guthrie
The Prettiest and Smartest Girl in Law School (…aka
the only girl!)
The Honorable Nancy J. Guthrie, 81, a respected judge, dedicated public servant, and devoted mother, passed away among loved ones at her son’s home in California on October 19, 2024. Judge Guthrie was a pillar of the legal community in Wyoming for over 40 years, known for her unwavering commitment to the rule of law, her unique blend of toughness and kindness, and her trademark red glasses. She loved serving the Ninth District in Jackson, WY, a place she called “paradise” for 18 years. She ultimately moved to a retirement community in Santa Barbara to be “close to the ocean” and her family, in 2021. Beyond the gavel, Nancy had a remarkable ability to connect with people. Her quick wit and spontaneous sense of humor could lighten even the most serious of proceedings, reminding all that justice and humanity can coexist. Colleagues and defendants alike appreciated her compassionate approach. Judge Guthrie was a relentless community advocate who mentored many young women throughout her distinguished career. Whether supporting youth and family services, serving on the local school board, promoting arts and humanities, or fighting to ensure women’s reproductive rights, she brought a beautiful combination of wisdom, empathy and humor to every organization. Her friends and colleagues often described Nancy as “one
November 9, 1943 – October 19, 2024
of a kind,” a “trailblazer,” a “fabulous storyteller,” a “serious practical joker,” a “force of nature,” an “avid reader,” a “world traveler”… It went on and on.
Over her remarkable career, “Judgie” (a term used by her closest confidants) earned numerous awards and accolades, reflecting her exceptional dedication to her profession. She was proud to be the first female elected county prosecuting attorney in Wyoming history, the second female District Court Judge, and the ONLY female in her law school class at the University of Wyoming. Her accomplishments provided inspiration and paved the way for future generations of women in the legal field.
Born to Rodney and Mary Belle Pemberton Guthrie, she spent her childhood with siblings Mary, and Will, in the small town of Newcastle, Wyoming. She had a lively early life which included cheerleading, playing the saxophone, and initiating her life-long love of unique and bold fashion. The daughter of the Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court, Nancy defied the odds, and her father’s advice, to pursue a career as a lawyer. She attended the University of Wyoming on a special three-year undergraduate and three-year law school track, graduating in 1968.
Nancy married a fellow law student, Chris Hinckley, with whom she opened a practice they operated for over 20 years. Their son,
Becket, born in 1970, would take them all over the Rocky Mountain Region pursuing his athletic career. So devoted was Nancy, she adjusted her work hours to be home for Becket after school. Taking advantage of the ability to close their practice for the month of February, they discovered each of the Hawaiian Islands as a family.
She moved to Virginia Beach in 1991 to reunite with the self-proclaimed “love of her life,” Jim Schuyler, a retired Naval Aviator, whom she met as an undergrad. They married and eventually returned to her home state in 1993. After his passing, she was appointed, by Governor Mike Sullivan in 1994, first as the Special Master in the Big Horn Water Adjudication, and later as a Wyoming District Court Judge. While serving the 9th District as a judge, she was able to take advantage of long breaks where she could satisfy her wanderlust to travel, making friends in every corner of the world. She explored far-off lands and treasured her trips to places like Europe, China, Nepal, and Africa.
After retirement, Nancy continued serving her community as a mediator and an advisor to Governor Dave Freudenthal. Her service continued to extend beyond the law, to her numerous statewide committees and nonprofit boards, too many to include here. She continued her community service after moving to Santa Barbara, all the while making great friends at her
retirement community of Maravilla. She is preceded in death by her husband, Jim Schuyler, her parents, Rodney and Mary Belle Guthrie, and her brother Will Guthrie. Nancy leaves behind her son Becket, his wife Gingee (Prince), two beloved granddaughters, Madeline and Addison Hinckley, her sister Mary Guthrie, nephew Bartley McFadden, and her feisty chihuahua, Riggs
A memorial is planned in Wyoming, spring of 2025 (TBD), where friends, family, and distinguished colleagues will gather for a Celebration of (her extraordinary) Life led by the Reverend Jimmy Bartz in Jackson.
The Hon. Judge Nancy Guthrie, November 9, 1943 – October 19, 2024
characters). We’d perform skits or just have natural conversations, speaking only in Japanese inside and outside of the classroom. On Fridays, our class would attend extracurricular events, visiting temples, going to festivals, or traveling to different cities like Nara and Kobe. After class, when I first arrived, I would wander aimlessly looking for cool places or restaurants. After a month and a half or so I settled into a few shops, restaurants, and bars that I liked. Once I had a couple drinks and some good food, I would retire back to my apartment around 11 pm.
Who were some of your favorite characters during your stay?
There was a bar with an owner that everyone called “Boss.” He would let me make song requests on the jukebox and even gave me an awesome Goku figurine I keep on my desk. I also frequented a Yakitori izakaya (roughly translated, chicken skewer pub) near my school. The owner was a man in his 40s whom everyone just called “Tenchou,” literally meaning “owner” or “manager.” He was the type who didn’t take himself seriously in the slightest, often cracking jokes while cooking and conversing with regulars. As my Japanese improved, I was able to joke around with him myself, until one day I’d become a regular. If I came at a later time than usual, Tenchou wasn’t afraid to bark
out, “Ben! You’re late!” before asking me how I was or what I was doing. His eightyear-old daughter would often come into the shop carrying a resupply of mayonnaise or garnish, and Tenchou would pick her up and twirl her around. Eventually, some other regulars and I went to Karaoke with Tenchou, where I gave my goodbyes and appreciation before my departure to the U.S. I still occasionally text both Boss and Tenchou to update them on how I’m doing. Because of the other regulars and people like Boss and Tenchou, I never once felt lonely in Japan despite being so far from home.
What would you suggest to our readers curious about visiting Kyoto?
In both of my previous trips to Japan, Kyoto was far and away my favorite city because of its surprisingly small scale. It gives a more relaxed vibe than one would find in, say, Osaka or Tokyo. Because Kyoto was originally the capital of Japan, there are still many historical sites like castles and temples you can visit. The slower pace of life was one of my favorite
parts; I found myself wandering along rivers until I reached farms and woods on the outskirts of the city. If I craved more energy, I could take the subway to the Kamagawa River area where tourism booms and the city doesn’t sleep. You might be tempted to stay near places like Kamagawa, but my suggestion would be to choose somewhere quieter. You will get a more authentic snapshot of Kyoto by staying in a smaller neighborhood, using the same markets as the people living nearby or even going to the Sentou, or bathhouses, to try something new.
Tolan is a fine artist, animator, and writer living in Los Angeles after residing in Montecito for 20 years. She is invested in building community through unique perspectives and stories. beatricetola @gmail.com
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16,
Wittgenstein
Tenchou’s famous yakitori skewers with a side of beer
Nijo Castle in Kyoto
Beatrice
An Independent Mind
I Love My Country
by Jeffrey Harding
Ilove my country, America. There has been nothing like it in the history of the world. I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts about our revolution and the founders of our republic. It’s easy to be sarcastic or critical of their faults but these men, intellectuals, farmers, lawyers, and businessmen, founded the United States on ideals. Those ideals, borne of the Enlightenment, gave us liberty and the sovereignty of individuals above government which has enabled us to pursue our dreams and prosper.
We take our founders for granted today. We forget how brave they were. When they signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, a declaration of war against the British Empire, they challenged the most powerful military on the planet. As British citizens this was treason which put their lives on the line. Had they lost the bitter seven-year war they would have been hanged, their homes burned, and their property confiscated. Their families would have been harshly treated, pariahs for the rest of their lives.
But they won. They gave us the world’s best Constitution which granted us the right to life, liberty, private property, limited government, and the rule of just laws. Thanks to that formula Americans became the luckiest and most prosperous people on the planet.
Yes, slavery existed and it was evil, but this country would not have existed had not that fateful compromise with the slavery states been made at the founding. We did eventually abolish slavery at the cost of six or seven hundred thousand lives.
Contra the misinformation provided by the 1619 Project, America was not
founded on evil unless you can say the rest of the world was pure. The great free market economist, Thomas Sowell , a black intellectual at the Hoover Institute wrote, “Of all the tragic facts about the history of slavery, the most astonishing to an American today is that, although slavery was a worldwide institution for thousands of years, nowhere in the world was slavery a controversial issue prior to the 18th century.” America and Britain were one of the few societies to question the morality of slavery at that time.
Why am I saying all this? One is because we just had an election and a peaceful transfer of power. Readers may recall that I was not a fan of either presidential candidate and I spoke rather loudly about it. Perhaps there would have been more chaos had Trump lost, but we’ll never know that.
Despite what Trump’s detractors say about his authoritarian tendencies, he won’t be a dictator. The beautiful thing about America is that we have strong democratic institutions which protect us from autocrats. I have faith in those institutions because they have stood for 250 years and have protected us from authoritarians who would deprive us of our liberties. An attempt by anyone to seize power would be thwarted by the rule of law, one of the strongest and most enduring of American institutions. Those who doubt this have been watching too many apocalyptic movies.
In the last 100 years the closest we came to authoritarian rule was the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. His attempt to take over the economy during the Great Depression and run it from Washington, D.C. would have been, in essence, an economic coup. Instead of free markets and free choice,
the economy would have been run by intellectual bureaucrats setting economic goals similar to what was happening in the USSR, a system admired by many of his “Brain Trusters.” Fortunately FDR was thwarted by the Supreme Court which struck down his 1933 National Industrial Recovery Act. His threats to pack the Court lead to portions of the Act being approved piecemeal which led to further economic stagnation. I understand that many people believe FDR saved America during the Great Depression, but the data and policies do not support that belief. The reality was that it was caused and prolonged by the policies of Presidents Hoover and FDR which interfered with free market forces that correct economic busts.
Regardless of the setbacks caused by the New Deal, America survived the depression, won WW2, and by the late 1940s as most economic controls were lifted the economy took off. There have been 12 recessions since then and despite those blips, the economy has continued to grow, even accounting for the effects of inflation.
Despite all of these challenges to our freedoms and way of life, we have not only endured but we have thrived. That tells me that the institutions created by the Founders are strong and have preserved the basic freedoms which we Americans uniquely enjoy.
We still have a lot to do. No society is perfect, least of all ours. As strong as we are, we can’t take our individual and economic freedoms for granted. Our job as citizens of our country is to fight to keep our liberties. Despite whatever you think might happen under Mr. Trump, we will endure.
Jeffrey Harding is a real estate investor and long-time resident of Montecito. He previously published a popular financial blog, The Daily Capitalist. He is a retired SBCC adjunct professor.
comes from London, Venezuela, Mexico, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Fiji, Tahiti, Los Angeles, and locally in Santa Barbara, where Nikki’s favorite and priciest hog was born. Artist Joseph Bottoms created “Bess,” a $12,000 steel boar lovingly named after Nikki’s grandmother. Bess greets guests as they walk through the main hallway of the Grossos’ pig paradise. Nikki’s teenage granddaughter was raised in the house of pigs and is used to being greeted by their chunky faces. Her 18th birthday – three years from now – will mark a new chapter for the thousands of pigs that have called Butterfly
Lane home. That is when the house where Nikki has lived high on the hog for more than 30 years will be sold – and with that, the collection of pigs will find a new home too. “It could be an auction, it could be an estate sale, the method of sale has not quite been determined,” she says.
The last and final pig added to the collection came in 2019, partly because Nikki was running out of room, but mostly because the inspiration that started the oinker frenzy could no longer participate in the shared amusement each new addition brought. Ronald, Nikki’s husband of more than 50 years, had lost his battle with cancer. “He was a great human being. He is greatly missed.”
Each pig serves as a reminder of the love the two shared – a love that blossomed out of a derailed parking ticket on a street corner in Westwood, California. Nikki will always recall that day when she met a handsome man in blue who caught her eye and stole her heart.
Leana Orsua is a former TV News reporter and anchor at stations in the Southern U.S. and locally at KEYTTV and KSBY-TV. Orsua, a proud 3rd generation Santa Barbaran, has also covered local stories in print at the Santa Barbara News Press
“My fig! Come closer and I will spray you…”
Scorpion Canyon. At the back end of the lower campground are two more fig trees. Over the years, it’s also proven to be a great spot for watching island foxes ascending the highest branches.
Nocturnal Niche
Lurking in the shadows, I stepped out from behind a lemonade berry bush hoping for some nocturnal activity. Sure enough, a tiny island spotted skunk emerged from beneath an old fig tree. Cautiously curious, this little carnivore hopped toward me, went into a handstand just as it sniffed my foot, and then vanished into a thicket.
It’s the time of year to get some of the best, most consistent looks at one of the rarest, smallest carnivores on the planet. There’s only about 1,000 island spotted skunks in the world, and they’re all on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands. It’s also one of the few times when I’ll see any interactions between island foxes and island spotted skunks.
Island foxes are about four pounds, and island spotted skunks weigh just over one pound. The island fox is the largest land predator across the entire national park. Still, island spotted skunks possess the spray factor. Most interactions I’ve witnessed just involved some sniffing each other
from a short distance or eating figs just a couple feet apart from each species.
However, during one late fall evening, there were at least eight foxes around the fig trees, and one adult island spotted skunk. Whether the disagreement was over space or the sweetest fig, one lone island spotted skunk cleared out all the foxes. It charged toward two foxes’ side by side, went into a territorial handstand and sprayed. Really though, all the skunk needed to do was run at them. The foxes are more than aware of the consequence of being sprayed.
I’m aware of it too, but it seems like every time an island spotted skunk has approached me and went into a handstand, it always seems playful, even when they turn their back towards me. The island foxes don’t feel that. They turn and run, figs or not.
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
“Okay… we can all share.”
is independence.” – Hermann Hesse
This Butterfly Lane home contains the largest known collection of pigs in the U.S.
The tallest porker in the collection stands at over six feet tall
Cluster and two gas giants, Saturn and Jupiter, on Friday, Nov. 15 – beginning at 6 pm and lasting several hours at the Westmont Observatory. The college hosts a free public viewing on the third Friday of every month in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit whose members bring their telescopes to share with the public.
If the weather remains clear, Westmont’s powerful Keck Telescope, a 24-inch reflector, may zoom in on the Beaver Moon, the last super moon of the year. “The story goes that beavers are particularly active this time of the year in preparing for winter so they work under the full moon,” says Jen Ito, assistant professor of physics and director of the observatory.
Later in the evening, she may turn the Keck Telescope toward one of her favorite star clusters, NGC 457, also known as the Dragonfly Cluster, E.T. Cluster, or Owl Cluster. “If you haven’t seen that one, I highly recommend,” she says.
Free parking is available near the observatory, which is between the baseball field and the track and field/soccer complex. To enter Westmont’s campus, please use the Main Entrance off La Paz Road. The lower entrance from Cold Spring Road is closed to visitors after 7 p.m. In case of inclement weather, please call the Telescope Viewing Hotline at (805) 565-6272 and check the observatory website to see if the viewing has been canceled.
Soccer Teams
Playoff-Bound
Both the Westmont men’s and women’s soccer teams finished off their regular seasons with victories heading into PacWest Conference Tournament on Nov. 14 at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine.
The women (9-7-2, 9-2 PacWest) have won four games in a row, defeating Dominican University of California 4-0 on Nov. 9 on Thorrington Field.
“We have become so dynamic,” says Westmont’s head coach Jenny Jaggard “During the early part of the year we had trouble with our offense, but I knew we had more potential. The way we move
the ball is special. It’s not just one or two superstars, it is the whole team. It’s like a wave of creativity.”
The women’s team will be the fourth seed and take on top-seeded and 20th-ranked Point Loma Nazarene in the first semifinal Nov. 14 at 4 pm.
The men (10-4-4, 7-3-1) beat Dominican 4-3 in a nail-biter despite having an early two goal lead. Head coach Morgan Cathey said he was trying to rest some players while giving others an opportunity to play.
“It’s a unique senior class,” asserted Cathey. “We’ve had three of the seven seniors out injured and two of those have been basically season-long injuries. However, there aren’t enough adjectives to describe how impactful they’ve been for me as a coach and for the program.”
The men enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed, taking on No. 3 Hawai’i Hilo in the second semifinal game at 1:30 pm.
Before the hearing, dozens of emails flooded the inbox of Hearing Support Supervisor, David Villalobo s, many of which expressed frustration with the ongoing odor problem. Some residents went as far as to say that any amount of odor, no matter how faint, is intolerable. Concerned citizens also called for the use of carbon filter scrubbers to neutralize odor in the air and urged the commissioners to find ways to invite community members into the conversation. Some individuals also called for a halt on issuing new permits and licenses.
The revised ordinance would establish the odor limit at under seven odor units for a continuous three-minute period at the property line of a commercial cannabis facility. The odor intensity for an odor unit measurement of seven would read as “nuisance.”
A handful of residents also took to the podium to voice their concerns in person. “The notion of a threshold makes great sense, but we’re picking some arbitrary thresholds,” said Jared Ficker of CARP Growers, “I think this needs more work.” Many residents have expressed their concerns over the current threshold
criteria, as well as the tools suggested to measure odor. Anna Carrillo of the Carpinteria Valley Association said, “We like measuring the odor threshold at the property line of the cannabis site, though we’re not sure about the objectiveness of using the Nasal Ranger tool.”
Derek Stucki , Vice President of Business Development at Cannabusters, a cannabis odor eliminating technology company, shared his disapproval of the Nasal Ranger arguing that it’s too subjective. “The problem with the subjectivity of it is we all have a nose, and they all have their own way,” he said. “I’m afraid you’re on the wrong track. At the end of the Nasal Ranger, guess what there is? A human nose.” Stucki suggested that the county consider using Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) monitoring instead, a method that provides more precise data by using specialized sensors or devices to continuously track the concentration of chemicals released by cannabis plants. In response, 3rd District Planning Commissioner, John Parke said, “I would presume they [VOC’s] can run on a 24/7 basis and be there to detect things when a human operator isn’t.”
Women’s soccer seniors
Connor Lynch is all smiles after scoring (photo by Kyler Hanson)
Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College
Santa Barbara by the Glass
Vintners Give Back: Biennial Auction Raises
Money for Direct Relief and Local Health Services
by Gabe Saglie
The MJ had a seat at the table, and we witnessed the power of giving back.
The Santa Barbara Wine Auction was back at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Goleta this past weekend, drawing hundreds of oenophiles who dressed up, showed up and raised their paddles up. This is a biennial party put on by the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation, an accomplished philanthropic vehicle for our region’s viticultural community.
I was lucky to be seated at the Foxen Winery table – one of close to 40 sponsored tables – and flanked by the label’s founders, Dick and Jenny Doré and Billy and Becky Wathen
Guests scoped out the silent auction items first, from an exclusive collection of Crown Points wines to a guitar signed by the Rolling Stones. Regional bubbly flowed freely. The team from Los Olivos’ Bar Le Côte shucked hundreds of oysters.
The sit-down feast inside the Bacara ballroom featured a multi-course meal prepared by Chef Jason Paluska from Santa Barbara’s The Lark, Chef Neal Fraser from Redbird LA, and pastry whiz Lincoln Carson. Wine pours were handled by a team of star sommeliers who came in from all over the state, led by the Wine Militia’s Lamar Engel. At our table, that meant ongoing pours of bottles like Foxen’s dry-farmed 2021 Tinaquaic Vineyard Chardonnay and their 2019 Block 43 Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir. Nearby, winemakers like Brewer-Clifton’s Greg Brewer, Hitching Post’s Gray Hartley and Margerum Wines’ Doug Margerum made the rounds regularly, pouring from double magnums.
Other vintners spotted working the room included the Clementine Carter brand’s Sonja Magdevski, the Brander Vineyard’s Fred Brander, Stolpman Vineyards’ Tom Stolpman, Cambria Winery’s Denise Shurtleff and Presqu’ile Winery’s Dieter Cronje
Apropos, the Murphy family behind Presqu’ile Winery – with its state-of-theart winery and visitor center in the Santa Maria Valley – was honored for their sustainable approach to farming and their generosity toward Santa Barbara County farmworkers; the Murphy Family Foundation has given more than $1 million to local charities focused on educational and healthcare resources for the local ag community.
But the real highlight of the night was the live auction, driven expertly by local celeb Andrew Firestone. The auction was impressive for the money it raised – a whopping $868,000! And for the lifestyle lots – like a five-night stay at winemaker Bryan Babcock’s beautiful Montecito
estate; a curated winemaking experience led by Doug Margerum; an immersive vineyard experience co-hosted by the Foxen and Carhartt vineyard teams; an impressive original painting by Santa Barbara artist Pedro de la Cruz; and an exclusive gourmet dinner hosted by a team of local winemakers – including Hitching Post chef and winemaker Frank Ostini – that was sold to multiple bidders who’ll be enjoying it together next year.
But the auction wowed mostly for what it represented: an ongoing commitment by Santa Barbara County’s winemaking community to give generously, to bolster critical causes, and to effect positive change.
Currently led by Story of Soil winemaker Jessica Gasca, the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation has been putting on this impressive gala since 2000 – this year marked its 13th biennial gathering – and raised more than $5 million on charitable giving in the process. The primary recipient each year is Goleta-based Direct Relief, with an impressive list of benevolent causes both near and far: mobilizing disaster assistance, including after the fires that swept across portions of Ventura County last week and after
the hurricanes that rumbled across the southeast last month; providing medicines to millions of low-income people across all 50 states; outfitting medical professionals who descend on disaster zones with drugs and healthcare equipment; and funding mental health programs for children and adults around the world, among many others.
Direct Relief CEO Thomas Tighe, whose 25-year tenure as the organization’s president and CEO comes to an end in early 2025, humbly and emotionally thanked the standing room-only crowd, and to thundering cheers.
The auction also featured a “Stand Up and Be Counted” portion that raised thousands of extra dollars for Community Health Centers, a nonprofit group that runs multiple clinics and mobile medical units to provide health services to underserved communities on the Central Coast, which includes many vineyard workers.
For updates on the Santa Barbara Wine Auction, which is slated to return in 2026, keep an eye on sbwineauction.org. And the generous work of the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation continues with Holiday Hope 2024, a program that benefits the vineyard worker community by fulfilling holiday wish lists; the public can participate by making donations –“Elf fees,” they’re called – and by getting matched with vineyard families in need. There’s a Vintners Golf Classic in the works for 2025, too. Find out more at sbvintnersfoundation.org.
Gabe Saglie has been covering the Santa Barbara wine scene for more than 15 years through columns, TV, and radio. He’s a senior editor with Travelzoo and is a leading expert on travel deals, tips, and trends.
MJ wine writer and his wife, Renee, represented the Journal at this year’s Santa Barbara Wine Auction
The MJ’s Saglie with the night’s emcee and auctioneer, Andrew Firestone
The Foxen Boys, Bill Wathen, left, and Dick Doré, right, hosted one of the dozens of winemaker tables at the Santa Barbara Wine Auction
The 2024 Santa Barbara Wine Auction was held at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara and treated guests to a four-course wine dinner
Clementine Carter winemaker Sonja Magdevski was kind enough to take her heels off for this picture with the MJ’s Saglie
The 3-liter bottles of Margerum Rosé wowed the auction crowd
Mattingly understates. “But our projects are highly visible; they’re right there before our very eyes, every day.” To her point, the Montecito Community Foundation, when its name drifts into the public arena at all, is often confused with another heartfelt civic org whose mission is completely different.
“People don’t always know who we are, or what exactly we do,” says MCF President Green. “Often they’ll say ‘–oh yes, the Montecito Association!’ To which I’ll reply ‘well… not exactly.’
It’s a credit to MCF’s anti-showboating posture that they are – historically and at this moment – the unsung fiduciary engine behind so many of the features that burnish Montecito’s utter uniqueness as a community. “The Montecito Community Foundation’s core mission is community enhancement – to better the community in this place we’re all privileged to call home,” Green says. “That’s really what the foundation’s business is about and why we all, as volunteer
board members, contribute our time and effort to this foundation.”
Heart-Powered Community Vessel
What are some examples of MCF at work in our community? (Note to self: when prompting the impassioned to hold forth on object of said passion, make way for eruption of Pandora’s Box) Um… Green is pleased to have been asked.
“One is capital improvements or physical improvements, as evidenced by the outpouring of support we received for the Triangle Restoration Project. It’s the YMCA, bus stop enhancement, our beautiful rural road signs. Oh gosh, there’s so many… we just made a large grant to the Montecito Trails Foundation –”
In other words, the MCF can be said to –
“– and there are also the community events –” Green gushes without taking a breath. In another corner of Zoom’s busy screen Alixe is nodding and grinning to Ruth’s soliloquy. These are not mere volunteers doggedly seeing to civic duty. Like the rest of MCF’s giddy-looking board (montecitofoundation.org) Alixe and Ruth are busy volunteer Montecitans in love with, and dedicated to, our nutty paradisical whistle-stop. “Those community events are so important to the board!” Green says. “We sponsor the 4th of July parade, for example, and the Beautification Day, in part.” And how does the MCF funding mechanism work? Mattingly’s eyes light up and the interviewer girds himself.
“We’re this vessel,” Mattingly says. “One analogy is that we’re sort of the bank account where – if somebody loves the 4th of July Parade, or the Corner Green, if you do love all these things – you can donate to the Montecito Community Foundation and your donation is going to benefit
Montecito’s beauty and safety and preservation. One classic old example; long ago, the Steedman-Bass family owned Casa del Herrero and wanted to bequest that property to the community. That process was going to take a long time, so they came to the Montecito Community Foundation to say, could you be the repository for this as the process moves forward?”
The Montecito Community Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt corporation, meaning all donations are tax-exempt to fullest extent permitted by law. Not to get all Tax Attorney about it. Do MCF’s donors ever ask that their contributions be directed at a specific Montecito project?
“Most donations go to our general fund,” Green says, “because the community trusts us to make those decisions. They know our rural road signs, for instance, keep going on and on and on, will always need maintaining, and so forth. So most donations go into the general fund, with the recent exception of the tremendous outpouring of support for the Triangle Restoration project – to do away with the horrid memory of the devastating debris flow. The town really came out for that.” Is it complicated to ask that a donation be earmarked? “It’s very simple,” Green says. “When you donate, just say ‘this is for X, Y, or Z.’ Your donation goes into that pot and will only be spent on that particular project.” MCF also partners with local, like-minded orgs, as Mattingly explains.
“We partner with other nonprofits too,” Mattingly says, “raising money from the community to help them fund things that are important to them.”
Astronaut Cernan’s deep space fainting spell notwithstanding, 1966 was the beginning of something wonderful – Montecito’s epoch of community-assisted self-care. Any awed accidental tourist in search of a sody pop will attest to the gorgeous, perennial success of
ON THE SIDE
Penny Bianchi’s Swiftie Conversion
As partially detailed in these pages (Vol. 30, Issue 39 to be exact) beloved local and celebrated designer Penny Bianchi is a near-semi-regular on HBO’s ensemble series White Lotus. While jetting to the new season’s Thailand location, Bianchi made a gilded pit stop in Singapore, where she was installed in a luxurious box seat next to a football player named Travis Kelce – the better to view the Taylor Swift concert to which she was treated by dear friend and White Lotus creator Mike White. “I didn’t know any of her songs, and now I am a complete and total Swiftie!” Bianchi exults. “Her love for her fans, you could feel it. I sound like a crazy person, but I’m telling you, it’s all really true.” Bianchi was similarly smitten by Taylor’s vaguely athletic beau. “And her boyfriend couldn’t be nicer! He spent the entire concert talking to me. I mean,” Bianchi says, tossing up her braceleted arms, “who needs to talk to the old lady? But I was the only person there who had never been to Taylor’s concert, and he was totally interested in what I was thinking and what I was experiencing.”
the Montecito Community Foundation’s all-volunteer, heart-driven mission. MCF President Ruth Green sums it all up with still more gray-flannel business-speak.
“This is a place where people can come together and experience one another and experience the joy, really, of living here in Montecito,” she says with some emotion, her pal Alixe nodding emphatically. “That’s what the foundation is about.”
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
Corner Green Sandstone letter – Montecito Community Foundation ’94 (photo courtesy of MFC)
Follow the Coast Village Road – entryway to Oz (photo courtesy of MFC)
four Emmys, played in a truly memorable chamber music concert at the Granada with the stellar Juilliard String Quartet and two global piano stars JeanYves Thibaudet and Emanuel Ax
The event, part of UCSB’s popular Arts & Lectures program, included Leclair’s “Sonata for Two Violins in E Minor,” Mozart’s “Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat Major,” and Chausson’s “Concert for Violin, Piano and String Quartet.”
Itzhak Perlman – who was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 – and Friends was an extraordinary performance, capturing and showcasing the talents of each member on their own.
It was a lush and thrilling program of works spanning three centuries, exploring the textures and nuances of expression only available to an extended ensemble.
Perlman was playing a 1714 Stradivarius formerly owned by another violin legend – the great Yehudi Menuhin.
A Video to Remembrance
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made their first joint appearance in more than three months as the Riven Rock duo shared a new video message.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wore blue blazers and poppies in their lapels in honor of Remembrance Day in a video message about online violence against children, a cause deeply important to them.
The twosome shared a special moment as Harry, 40, affectionately put his arm around Meghan, 45.
The video was played at the Inaugural Global Ministerial Conference on Violence Against Children, held in Colombia, as the dynamic duo called for greater protection for “the most vulnerable in our world” against the threat of digital violence and harm.
Empty Bowls Runneth Over
Empty Bowls, the popular fundraiser for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, staged its 27th event at the new $20 million Sharehouse in Goleta, with more than 750 guests participating in the artisan bread and soup event.
The 77,000 square foot Foodbank property boasts ten times the refrigeration storage space, and the sold-out fun food fest raised around $120,000 – featuring three varieties of gourmet soup made by the local company Freedom 4
Youth, which provides nourishment to low income residents, and fresh bread from Phoenix Bread Rising.
The concept, which includes a free ceramic bowl included in the $30 ticket price, started in Wisconsin in 1991 and was brought to our Eden by the Beach by ceramicist Danyel Dean , being held in recent years in the Page Youth Center.
More than 230,000 people in the county are assisted by the Foodbank. To date, Empty Bowls has raised more than $2.5 million for the community.
Liquid assets, indeed...
An Event of Elegance
Social gridlock reigned at the charming Provençal-style Montecito estate of international interior designer Penny Bianchi when more than 200 guests attended a sunset soirée for Santa Barbara-based designer Wade Weissmann’s new 260-page plus coffee table tome Homes of Quiet Elegance: A Collection of Recent Works
Wade, who splits himself between our Eden by the Beach and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – where I was a regular
Itzhak Perlman playing with the Juilliard String Quartet and pianists Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Emanuel Ax (photo by David Bazemore)
Designer Wade Weissmann (seated, right) and hostess Penny Bianchi (right) held a sunset soirée for the release of Weissmann’s new book (photo by Priscilla)
County Board of Education President Judy Frost and Board Member Vedamarie Alvarez Flores (photo courtesy of County Board of Education)
Judy Frost connects with student volunteers from the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District’s Culinary Program (photo courtesy of County Board of Education)
Hostess Penny Bianchi and architect Marc Appleton (photo by Priscilla)
guest on KDKA’s afternoon talk show Pittsburgh 2 Day talking on the Royal Family – says he aims to create a certain quality capturing romance, beauty, and history, no matter where the project is located.
The book includes a stunning range, from farmhouses and waterfront retreats to high rise units, and even a new greenhouse for an avid horticulturist from Southern California, Florida, Wisconsin, and Tennessee.
Among the aesthetic throng were Marc Appleton, John Margolis, Nancy Howes, Harry and Sari Ehrenreich, Jackie Taliaferro , Geoff and Kim Crane, and former Olympic diver Greg Louganis, clearly making a splash.
Area Codes Cure
Montecito actor Billy Baldwin and his wife Chynna Phillips think they’ve solved the puzzle of maintaining a healthy and happy marriage – living apart!
The tony twosome is gearing up to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary next year and got personal about their unusual living situation, revealing they not only live in separate houses, but stay in different area codes.
The Wilson-Phillips singer, 56, went into intimate detail about their living arrangements in a video on her YouTube channel earlier this month.
“Billy and I are sort of in this new kind of arrangement that is actually really working for me. I don’t know if it’s working for Billster, but I’m really happy with what we’re doing. Basically it’s totally unstructured. Let me explain.
“I said we should have a little test run to see what it feels like to have me in Santa Barbara, you in Beverly Hills, and then we flip-flop. Then in between we have close nights together, we have therapy, we have dinner with the children, and then go to the beach or the museum.”
The pair share three children – daughters Jameson, 24, and Brooks, 19, and son Vance, 22.
Phillips admitted Billy was a bit more reticent about the whole thing,” but was
willing to give the separate living situation a try.”
Stay tuned...
The Cost of Beauty
Former TV talk show titan Oprah Winfrey has plugged a $146 luxury body care set – gifted by her neighbor Meghan Markle and made by the millionaire Montecito beauty guru who appeared in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix series.
Oprah, 70, just published her annual “Favorite Things” gift guide on her website with items featuring a $110 plate of cheese and a luxury salt for $80.
This year Oprah appears to have turned to Markle for gifting inspiration and chose to include the luxury $146 body care set in her list.
She says she was introduced to Tatcha Hinoki’s range of products by the former Suits actress, who is close friends with the brand’s co-founder and fellow Montecito resident Vicky Tsai
Tatcha claims the blend of cedar, hiba and hinoki oils “reduces stress, lifts mood, and helps improve well-being.”
Goop-less
Montecito actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness empire Goop has undergone a second-round of layoffs in just two months.
The cuts in late October affected 15 people in several divisions including the beauty, programming, and creative departments.
In September about 40 people were cut from the 216 person strong staff, accounting for 18% of the e-commerce site.
The goal of the cuts is to “optimize operating efficiency and revenue growth in key areas of beauty and fashion,” a Goop spokesman told Business Insider
The Oscar winner, who is the CEO, said the layoffs had put Goop “back in the growth mode.” But it appears there are still more cuts to be made.
New CPO for SFSB
Gina Carbajal – whose lengthy career in the nonprofit sector has included
leadership roles at organizations serving local children, families, and disabled individuals – has been appointed Chief Programs Officer for the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, starting next month.
A native of Los Angeles, Carbajal completed her undergraduate studies at UC Santa Barbara before earning a master’s degree in public administration at Cal State Northridge.
She currently serves as development director for Special Olympics in Santa
Barbara County, having previously been the organization’s regional director for almost five years.
Carbajal also served as executive director of United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County, director of health promotion at Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, and regional program manager for the Community Action Commission’s Head Start services in southern Santa Barbara County.
Sightings
Kevin Costner in Munich, Germany, for the Bambi awards... Gwyneth Paltrow noshing on a steak sandwich and fries, accompanied by giant ice cream sundae, at New York’s The Corner Store... Actor Josh Brolin checking out Pierre Lafond.
Pip! Pip!
From musings on the Royals to celebrity real estate deals, Richard Mineards is our man on the society scene and has been for more than 15 years
Gina Carbajal – new Chief Programs Officer for Scholarship Foundation (courtesy photo)
Emma Aquilon graciously serving guests George Millar, Peggy Platner, Lindsay Hunter, two-year-old Lady Adam with mother Alessandra Torresani (photo by Priscilla)
News Bytes
Hot Wheels! It’s the 57th iconic Annual Baja 1000 Desert Race
by MJ Staff
Attention all roadster and moto-fans, the 57th Annual Baja 1000 desert race is on! Locally we have contenders in both the car/truck races and the motorcycle races, competing with 271 official entrants from 32 U.S. states and 18 countries.
The MJ’s Joanne Calitri has covered this race off/on, from the November 2007 MJ issue, when she officially photographed the race, to the October 2021 MJ covering our town’s 16-time SCORE Class 7 Champion with eight Baja 1000 wins – Daniel Chamlee of Factory Racing, Inc. [https://www.montecitojournal.net/2021/11/23/ danger-dan-montecitan-will-race-baja-1000-for-19th-time/]
The Baja 1000 starts and ends in Ensenada, Baja, CA November 12-17. The racecourse is measured at 864.13 miles for the professional classes of motorcycles Trucks, cars, and UTVs, while All Sportsman classes, as well as Classes 7SX and 11, have a route of 736.61 miles with a time limit of 36 hours in the elapsedtime race.
GPS gear is required on each vehicle, there is absolutely no cheating, with recorded records monitored by SCORE official.
We’re cheering for you Chamlee and Factory Racing, Inc. to bring it home! Again!
The lots formerly leased by Brent and Suzi Freitas – owners of the well-known Eye of the Day Garden center, with its megalith garden statues and pottery – is
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
now empty with For Lease signage. The Freitas moved their business to two locations: Los Alamos, to join their daughter, owner of Michelin starred Bell’s Restaurant there, and the other in Camarillo, just off Highway 101. Visiting the Camarillo location will be by appointment only, and will focus solely on Italian, Greek and French pottery.
What will happen to the empty lot is up for speculation with the continued upgrading of the little town to a modernized millennial map.
Across the street at 4675 Carpinteria Ave., are plans for a two-story 2,784 square foot mixed use building with a 494-square-foot ground floor commercial space and two upstairs one-bedroom apartment units that are 880 square feet each. The Carp ARB will review it at their November 14 meeting. Stay tuned for what will likely be the start of a new Carpinteria Avenue.
411 and to add comments: https://carpinteria.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_ id=2&event_id=1633
Top Employment Opportunities Open with City of Carpinteria
Looking for that job to support you through the holiday season, or to get into Carp before it’s overpriced like its neighboring towns? Check out the City of Carpinteria’s job board.
Currently they are recruiting for a full-time Chief Building Inspector/Plans Examiner position. Must be a seasoned professional with an in-depth knowledge of building codes and construction practices. The ideal candidate thrives in a leadership role and ensures that buildings meet the highest standards of safety and compliance. The salary range for the position is $82,365.92 – $113,253.13/annually plus a generous benefits package. Apply by Sunday, Dec. 1.
Also accepting ongoing applications for those coveted part-time positions for Pool Lifeguard, Beach Lifeguard, and Swim/Water Polo Coach.
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Honor Nutrition, 4028 Invierno Drive, B, Santa Barbara, CA, 93110. Kathryn M Parker, 4028 Invierno Drive, B, Santa Barbara, CA, 93110. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on October 22, 2024. This statement expires five
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Santa Barbara Bowls, 2669 Montrose Pl, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105. Merrillee G Ford, PO Box 5336, Santa Barbara, CA, 93150-5336. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on November 6, 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. 2024-0002610. Published November 14, 21, 28, December 5, 2024
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. 2024-0002460. Published November 14, 21, 28, December 5, 2024
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Pivotal Management Group; PPG Marketing; Pivotal Promotions, 3201 Airpark Dr. Ste 201,
Santa Maria, CA, 93455. Pivotal Perspectives INC, 3201 Airpark Dr. Ste 201, Santa Maria, CA, 93455. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on October 16, 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. 2024-0002429. Published October 24, 31, November 7, 14, 2024
AMENDED ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 24CV03779. To all interested parties: Petitioner Matthew Tanner Haynie filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to Matthew Joseph Orosco. The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to
the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Filed October 16, 2024 by Terri Chavez. Hearing date: December 6, 2024 at 10 am in Dept. 4, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published October 24, 31, November 7, 14, 2024
On the racecourse at the Baja 2007 (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
Baja Racing 16-time Champion, Dan Chamlee (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
The production features student actors along with a number of lauded professionals behind the scenes, including Music Director Brad Carroll, multi-instrumentalist Jim Connolly creating the soundscapes, and Christina McCarthy’s choreography. And while the performers might be relatively young, and the action sounds like fun for the family, “Threepenny is definitely not for children or the super squeamish,” Torsiglieri said.
“We have lots of content advisories in the lobby because this is not a happy-golucky play,” she said. “Hopefully it will really shake some people in a good way, shine a spotlight on some things that are painful to look at, but critically important.” For tickets and showtimes, visit www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu
SBCC Does Christmas Before Thanksgiving
Cinema Society screenings that show Oscar-hopeful movie previews with directors and cast almost always on hand for Q&A sessions.
Now SBIFF is expanding yet again, having secured the lease on the former Fiesta 5 theaters downtown, where the SBIFF Film Center opens on November 15, screening critical darlings, foreign films, and other movies – including a Fellini retrospective! – that aim for actual achievement in storytelling; films, that is, that require some viewer willingness to actually engage, as opposed to sequels, tentpole wannabes or lesser animated efforts. The theaters will remain open through the 40th annual SBIFF, slated for February 4-15, then shut down for full Riviera-style refurbishing, including state-of-the-art sound and projection, new comfortable seating, high-quality concessions including local artisanal snacks, new heating and air conditioning, an art gallery in the lobby, and more.
Over here, that’s a cause for celebration, and maybe even a step toward revitalizing that area of State Street to renewed glory through cinematic splendor. Maybe you can even cancel Netflix!
SBCC Theatre jumps the gun on the holiday season, turning to Tony Award-winning playwright Christopher Durang’s Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge for its student showcase, even before the campus collectively takes a break to talk – er, eat – turkey. A twist on the classic A Christmas Carol, Binge gets all unhinged in a world in which Scrooge’s three ghostly visitors – played by a single actress – have lost all navigational skill and end up mistakenly sending Scrooge to the set of Oliver Twist and It’s a Wonderful Life’s Bailey Falls. The normally adorable Tiny Tim is an insufferable complainer and Mrs. Cratchit can’t take it anymore. The Christmas send-ups flow unendingly, resulting in a hilarious holiday show for the family. Department Co-Chair Katie Laris directs a cast full of SBCC theatre vets plus UCSB/Disney Performing Arts Conservatory alumna Ciara Barnes as the Ghost. Performances in the intimate Jurkowitz Theatre run through November 23. Visit www.theatregroupsbcc.com
Tantalizing Teen Theater Times Three
Santa Barbara’s three major public high schools’ theaters are all buzzing this weekend with their big fall productions. SBHS’s Teenage Wasteland is an original piece of theater created by the Theatre Department’s 19 performers, including three student designers and eight ensemble members who have come up with a combined performance, concert, love story, fashion show and party to consider the query: “What does it mean to be human right now, and where do we go from here?” Sixty years after The Who pondered such subjects, audiences can expect a journey that might give them a glimpse into what it feels like to be a teenager right now. Performances are November 14-22. Visit www.sbhstheatre.com
It’s the final weekend for Pride & Prejudice, San Marcos High’s fall feature, where the audience is invited to step into the world of Jane Austen’s oft-adapted tale where wit, love, and class collide in Regency-era England. This stage adaptation follows the spirited Elizabeth Bennet as she contends with societal expectations, family pressures and her growing feelings for the enigmatic Mr. Darcy in a piece marked by sharp humor, charming characters, and a timeless romance. Shows run through November 16. Visit www.smhstheaterdept.com
An even more enduring theatrical tale also closes out its run at Dos Pueblos High this weekend as the students bring Grover’s Corners to Goleta. Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, which Edward Albee called “the greatest American play ever written,” evokes everyday American foibles and issues through residents of the fictional town in the early 1900s, with unusual theatrical devices and a stage manager character who often breaks the fourth wall.
Visit www.dphstheatrecompany.org/shows for tickets to the last four shows, November 14-16
SBIFF’s Dashing Downtown Debut
The world of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival keeps expanding. What started as a tiny weekend film festival 40 years ago – a way to draw tourists to our seaside berg during the winter off-season lull – has exploded into a juggernaut of a festival that boasts more star power than any place outside of the majors. Every year, SBIFF routinely sees Oscar hopefuls by the literal dozens get profiled at the Arlington, a scant month or so before the actual Academy Awards are handed out. Eight years ago, SBIFF bought and refurbished the Riviera Theatre, turning the then-rundown place into a first-class art house emporium, not to mention home for
Northern Exposure at the Lobero
Although retail shops on State Street may not agree, it’s no exaggeration to say the pandemic is squarely behind us, at least in terms of the Lobero Theatre, where a big percentage of pop concerts have drawn capacity audiences this year. Now, as we head into the holiday season, the trend is continuing, with three more shows that are either sold out or well on their way, including the first two powerhouse performances provided by Portlandians, and the other who hails from Eugene, Oregon.
John Craigie is a Los Angeles native who has been recording and touring almost endlessly since starting out in the mid-2000s. The folk troubadour, who relocated to Oregon about a decade ago, favors a rustic and soulful Americana angle, adding lots of humor, especially in his live shows. His new album, Pagan Church, is about emerging from solitude to again engage in the world, although he’ll draw from the full catalog for the November 15 concert, for which a handful of tickets remain.
Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage
The next night brings fellow Portland indie artists Blind Pilot to town at the Lobero, with the folk-meets-indie-pop band also touting a new album, its first in eight years. In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain follows frontman Israel Nebeker’s years of being plagued by writer’s block. The project emerged from his decision to commit to writing the entire album in a month, which led to a more collective experience as the band explored their creative chemistry. Opening act for the November 16, Molly Sarlé, is a member of the folk group Mountain Man who also released a well-received solo album, Karaoke Angel, back in 2019. Two dozen tickets are still on sale at this writing. Originally from Oregon, Mat Kearney now lives in Nashville, his base for regularly releasing a new album every two or three years since 2004. Kearney has a knack for engagingly combining pop with elements of hip-hop, which has made him something of an Adult Contemporary star. His “Headlights Home” tour, named after a single from his eponymous 2024 album, stops at the Lobero on November 18, for which there are only half a dozen VIP tickets still available. Opener Darren Kiely, hailing from County Cork in Ireland, collected a number of national awards in the Irish traditional music genre before heading to Nashville via New York City to develop his own music and sound, which can be heard on his debut EP, Lost. Visit www.lobero.org to see if you can still get into any of the shows.
Celebrate Christmas early with SBCC’s upcoming wild binge (photo by Ben Crop)
Come see Blind Pilot at the Lobero on Nov. 16 (courtesy photo)
Election Results
What Happened in the Election?
by MJ Staff
The November 5th General Election was clearly a shock, but here is how the county voted locally for what was on the 93108 ballot:
President and Vice President
Democratic: Kamala D. Harris / Tim Walz: 83,248 / 61.89%
Republican: Donald J. Trump / JD Vance: 47,071 / 35.00%
American Independent: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. / Nicole Shanahan: 1,604 / 1.19%
Green: Jill Stein / Rudolph Ware: 827 / 0.61%
Libertarian: Chase Oliver / Mike ter Maat: 616 / 0.46%
Peace and Freedom: Claudia de la Cruz / Karina Garcia: 458 / 0.34%
Write-in: 678 / 0.50%
United States Senator, Full Term
Adam B. Schiff (D): 80,658 / 61.24%
Steve Garvey (R): 51,055 / 38.76%
United States Senator, Partial/Unexpired Term
Adam B. Schiff (D): 78,969 / 61.43%
Steve Garvey (R): 49,588 / 38.57%
United States Representative, District 24
Salud Carbajal (D): 83,066 / 63.32%
Thomas Cole (R): 48,110 / 36.68%
State Senator, District 21
S. Monique Limón (D): 84,615 / 65.07%
Elijah Mack (R): 45,428 / 34.93%
Member of the State Assembly, District 37
Gregg Hart (D): 79,413 / 62.00%
Sari M. Domingues (R): 48,665 / 38.00%
Santa Barbara Unified School District, Governing Board Member Area 2
Sunita Beall: 9,534 / 63.22%
John Robertson: 5,454 / 36.17%
Write-in: 92 / 0.61%
Montecito Fire Protection District Board At-Large (3 Seats)
Joseph Michael Pennino: 2,147 / 26.36%
Michael N. Lee: 2,135 / 26.21%
Sylvia Easton: 1,949 / 23.93%
Cliff Ghersen: 1,062 / 13.04%
Jason Copus: 833 / 10.23%
Write-in: 19 / 0.23%
Proposition 2
Authorizes Bonds for Public School & Community College Facilities
Yes: 75,093 / 58.58%
No: 53,085 / 41.42%
Proposition 3
Constitutional right to marriage.
Yes: 84,951 / 65.81%
No: 44,134 / 34.19%
Proposition 4
Authorizes bonds for safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, and protecting communities and natural lands from climate risks.
Yes: 77,257 / 59.89%
No: 51,742 / 40.11%
Proposition 5
Allows local bonds for affordable housing and public infrastructure with 55% voter approval.
No: 67,354 / 52.87%
Yes: 60,032 / 47.13%
Proposition 6
Eliminates constitutional provision allowing involuntary servitude for incarcerated persons.
No: 64,588 / 51.50%
Yes: 60,825 / 48.50%
Proposition 32
Raises minimum wage.
Yes: 64,634 / 50.32% No: 63,806 / 49.68%
Proposition 33
Expands local governments’ authority to enact rent control on residential property.
No: 79,773 / 62.98%
Yes: 46,885 / 37.02%
Proposition 34
Restricts spending of prescription drug revenues by certain health care providers.
Yes: 60,999 / 50.10%
No: 60,764 / 49.90%
Proposition 35
Provides permanent funding for Medi-Cal health care services.
Yes: 82,934 / 65.75% No: 43,196 / 34.25%
Proposition 36
Allows felony charges and increases sentences for certain drug and theft crimes.
Yes: 77,765 / 61.33%
No: 49,038 / 38.67%
SCHOOL:
SANTA BARBARA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT Measure P2024
Santa Barbara City College measure preserving affordable higher education career training without increasing tax rates.
Yes: 46,041 / 64.58%
No: 25,253 / 35.42%
COUNTY Measure H2024
Santa Barbara County essential community services measure.
Yes: 83,523 / 66.58%
No: 41,925 / 33.42%
CITY OF SANTA BARBARA Measure I2024
City Of Santa Barbara essential local services measure.
Yes: 19,316 / 62.90%
No: 11,392 / 37.10%
- The Montecito Association did a survey of its members a few years ago about the project, and 91.4% liked the trails and wanted more.
- Every school and church wrote letters in support.
- Powell referred to their website: https://sbbucketbrigade.org/walk-montecito/
The main questions to Powell from the Land Use Committee regarded liability and maintenance. Powell stated, “Liability is directed to the SB County Department of Public Works.” He then showed a slide for the Responsible Parties for the trail/ path maintenance. (see photo) He added, “The size of the right of way varies widely, and incorporates public safety, trees and neighborhoods.”
Dealy detailed his rationale against the project on Santa Rosa Lane in a four-page report he handed out at the meeting:
- Any funding be directed towards flood control on Santa Rosa Lane first.
- SBC 1st District Supervisor Das Williams wants sidewalks in front of all Montecito properties.
- Incoming SBC 1st District Supervisor Roy Lee told him that the Bucket Brigade is to present their plans to the MPC and to address flood control.
- Reading from materials he had from lawyers and the SB County Dept. of Public Works [SBCDPW], he said the Bucket Brigade is liable for the trails/paths.
- He questioned if the Bucket Brigade is a qualified contractor, has insurance, has adequate funds, has a Board President and board members as a nonprofit organization.
- SBCDPW never provided a feasibility study or engineering analysis of the streets and trails.
- Santa Rosa Lane hedgerows are historic, and the Bucket Brigade wants the hedgerows removed so they can build the trails.
- Santa Rosa Lane floods with every rainstorm, needs drainage installed by SB Public Works, but the SBCDPW told him they do not have funds for it.
- The right of way on Santa Rosa Lane is in the property owner deed.
- Impediments to a trail on Santa Rosa Lane are flooding, debris flow, trees, lights, hedges, and a Southern California Gas vault.
Croft affirmed Dealy’s points, adding his residence is impacted by flooding and debris from Santa Rosa Lane, and there is a four-to-five-feet-wide poplar tree. Both Croft and Dealy also disputed kids needing a trail from MUS to Crane Country Day School, and a bike/walk path from Summerland to Montecito. Chair Dorinne Lee Johnson asked Dealy to conclude, and said the SBCDPW has put a hold on the project.
Powell rebutted saying, “I want to clarify the misinformation Dealy said. We [the Bucket Brigade] are fully insured, and hold a contractor license reviewed by SBC Public Works. We are not liable, SBC Public Works is, and the trails work is permitted use of the right of way.” Johnson asked that the general public meeting be adjourned, and the Land Use Committee remain to review.
The second agenda item was a presentation of the Montecito YMCA’s updated construction/renovation plan which is slated for the Montecito Planning Commission’s November 20 meeting.
Margo Byrne, President & CEO Channel Islands YMCA, gave the 136-year history of the Y, stating the Montecito Y was built in 1966 and has had no renovations. The Y’s Master Plan was begun in 2008, spawned by its members’ requests in 2000. Initial renovation applications to the city done in 2012 and 2013 were met with the
parking allotment issue and guarantee in perpetuity. The current plan addresses the parking by eliminating all outdoor sports areas and moving its beloved preschool to a location yet to be decided. It adds a parking lot to be used by employees that is entered and exited from San Ysidro Road. She restated the Y’s ongoing successful relationship with Montecito Union School [MUS], recalling their land swap a few years ago. Once approved, construction will be a three-phased approach supported by funding. Funds are based on the Y’s strong support in Montecito and via government funds. Also attending was Director of Montecito Y Ryan Powers
Kevin Dumain AIA, Senior Project Architect, DesignARC quipped he has been working on the project since his partner’s son attended the Y’s preschool and now is in college. His data points were:
- To clarify, a Masterplan was required by SB County prior to any design plans.
- Current facilities are undersized for the membership; it needs seismic, ADA and energy compliant upgrades, improved light and acoustics; its buildings to be used as community shelter during crisis events.
- New square footage is 31% less and parking requirements for 99 vehicles are met.
- The new parking lot is a right turn in and out only.
- Landscaping proposed will screen a large percent of the buildings from view by cars and pedestrians on San Ysidro Road.
- The main building is a modern aesthetic, will be built larger to the west [left side], and has been reduced to one floor from two.
- He reviewed the building heights, which are under the required 35 feet.
- The updates accommodate the interim plan after the debris flow.
- The locker room building will be rebuilt.
- The outdoor pool will have two more lanes.
- A new Multipurpose building will be located in the NW corner which is at a lower land level of the property. It will have rural wood siding, a terrace area, an interior court design for regulation and kids’ sports, the height meets clearance required for indoor sports. As this building has the greatest height, they put up story poles and revisions were made.
- Support is from the MBAR, MUS Board of Trustees, Cold Spring School District, County Planning staff and many neighbors.
The Q&A generated these points:
1. The new parking diverts staff from main lot and will have spaces for members as well. Powers said mostly 10-12 staff work in morning, which is typically the busiest time.
2. Restrictions in their Conditional Use Permit prohibit large regional events to be held on the property, and membership capped at 1,950.
3. A funding sources study will come after MPC approval.
4. Concerns about ongoing construction over three phases were heard.
5. All sports, weights, and gym equipment will be inside. Noise will be cut down.
6. Yes to using solar panels and building as “Green” as possible.
7. Total cost of the plan is approximated at $20 million from comparison with other Y’s.
8. No employee housing due to parking required and limited land area.
9. Considering the Y-preschool be moved to MUS or Cold Spring School.
Johnson asked for consent to support the project from the Land Use Committee. Their vote was unanimously in support. It will be added to the Montecito Association meeting agenda November 12.
411: www.montecitoassociation.org
Walk Montecito trail map of completed and proposed trails (courtesy of Bucket Brigade)
Architect Kevin Dumain reviews the new Montecito Y plans (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Calendar of Events
by Steven Libowitz
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15
Cam Pac’s Creative Concert – “‘Veiled’ for Solo Viola and Live Electronics” – young Iranian composer Niloufar Nourbakhsh’s tribute/message of empowerment to Iranian women who have rebelled against repression – serves as the emotional centerpiece on a varied program; one whose wide variety of approaches finds expression through just three instruments in Camerata Pacifica’s November concert. British violist Timothy Ridout will also perform Bowen’s “Viola Sonata No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 18.” Principal Oboe Nicholas Daniel reprises Helen Grime’s “Two Birthday Fragments,” composed for him for his 60th birthday, after opening the concert performing Saint-Saëns’ “Sonata for Oboe and Piano in D Major, Op. 166” with Principal Piano Irina Zahharenkova. All three musicians close the concert performing Thomas Oboe Lee’s trio “Parodia Schumanniana.”
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Hahn Hall, Music Academy campus, 1070 Fairway Road
COST: $75:
INFO: (805) 884-8410 or www.cameratapacifica.org
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15-SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17
Reworking Repertoire – Santa Barbara Dance Theater’s 48th season opens with a program called “A Place for Us,” billed as offering a quiet reprieve, and retreat into an evening of beauty and poignant self-reflection at the tail end of a year of socio-political strife. The performances feature updates of two of artistic director Brandon Whited’s recent works in HER, which explores, via gestural explorations, themes of building community and mutual support among women in an era of restrictions on personal health and body autonomy. Miles to Go draws from the lived experiences of the choreographer and dancers Derion Loman and Calder White – who use the duet form and interactive sound design to illustrate the physical, mental and emotional trauma experienced by the LGBTQ+ community. Both pieces feature new lighting design by studio professor Vickie Scott and projection design by student Elijah Frankle. Also, SBDT dancer Nicole Powell’s A Warm Window premiered earlier this year in State Street Ballet’s concert “Other Voices.” The piece explores resilience, in a reflection on personal moments of struggle and joy, and the complexity of emotions.
COST: $17 general, $13 children & seniors in advance ($2 more at the door)
INFO: (805) 893-2064 or www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15
Teen Arts Mentorship Exhibition – The Arts Fund’s gallery may have moved a few times in the last half-dozen years or so, from the Funk Zone to downtown to La Cumbre Plaza, but the annual show –showcasing the emerging high school artists of Santa Barbara County – has always come along for the ride.
This year’s exhibition features multimedia work from the 12 young South County artists who have been participating in The Arts Fund’s fall mentorship program workshops, including “Creative Expression with Typewriters” with Simon Kiefer and “Expressive Figure Drawing” with Austin Raymond and Chiara Corbo. Today’s opening reception takes place during the bimonthly La Cumbre Art Walk, which boasts a number of other galleries, entertainment, shops, kiosks and more.
WHEN: Reception 5-8 pm tonight; exhibit continues through January 26
WHERE: La Cumbre Plaza, 120 S. Hope Ave., Suite F119
COST: free
INFO: (805) 900-7005 or www.artsfundsb.org
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17
French Connections – Internationally acclaimed David Greilsammer will perform in a dual role as guest conductor and piano soloist in the Santa Barbara Symphony’s November concert; presented just a single time. The program boasts Ravel’s jazz-infused “Piano Concerto in G” as part of a rich exploration of three centuries of French-influenced music, spanning from the Baroque elegance of Rameau’s “Orchestral Suite from Platée” to the classical refinement of Haydn’s “Symphony No. 85, ‘La Reine,’” and the vibrant modernism of Milhaud’s “Le Boeuf sur le Toit.” Greilsammer, a Juilliard graduate renowned for his innovative interpretations and passionate engagement with Baroque and contemporary music, will conduct the ensemble from the piano.
WHEN: 3 pm
WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street
COST: $45-$195
INFO: (805) 899-2222 or www.granadasb.org
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16
Blues with Odabi – Oakland-based multiple Blues Music Award nominee Terrie Odabi makes her overdue Santa Barbara debut in the final Santa Barbara Blues Society show of the year. Odabi, who one critic praised as “easily the most dynamic blues and soul woman to have emerged in the Bay Area since Etta James,” will front a full seven-piece band, including a horn section, to support her powerful and moving vocals. Influenced by James as well as Mavis Staples, the mesmerizing soul singer employs both power and finesse in evoking on-stage charisma that has won over audiences regardless of whether they are longtime fans or firsttime listeners. Dancers take note: Carrillo Ballroom has a large, cantilevered dance floor that flexes under every step, cushioning impact for knees and other joints.
WHEN: 8 pm
WHERE: Carrillo Recreation Center, 100 E. Carrillo St. COST: $35 general, $45 VIP seating, $10 students INFO: (805) 668-6884 or www.sbblues.org
Key Concert with Music Club – Concordia University’s award-winning organ professor Tom Mueller will perform works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph-Ermend Bonnal, Heinrich Reimann as well as one of his own recent compositions in a return engagement with the Santa Barbara Music Club. Presented in collaboration with the American Guild of Organists, Mueller will employ First United Methodist Church’s Aeolian-Skinner/Schantz 54 rank, 2,500 pipe organ to perform Bach’s “Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C Major,” Joseph-Ermend Bonnal’s “La Vallée du Béhorléguy, au matin,” Heinrich Reimann’s “Fantasie über ‘Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern,’” and his own “Seven Versets on ‘Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern’” (“How Brightly Shines the Morning Star”).
WHEN: 3 pm
WHERE: First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu (at Garden)
COST: free
INFO: www.sbmusicclub.org
Off Register Print-astic Event – More than 60 vendors and exhibitors – along with live screen printing, RISO printer demonstrations, pinback button and zine making, panel talks and readings, a gallery show, music from DJ Hannah Yoo and guitarist Sam Adams and much more – are all in store for the first annual “Off Register: Santa Barbara Art Book & Print Fair.” The free day-long public event organized by a team of local artists and academics boasts the opportunity to meet purveyors of a plethora of printmaking practices, covering the gamut from super-indie zines to fine art publishing. Interactive activities include several workshops, while panel discussions dive into such topics as “What Is a Book?” and “New Life in the Public Domain.” Available eats from local food trucks will make it easy to stick around to your literary delight.
WHEN: 11 am-6 pm
WHERE: Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden St.
COST: free admission
INFO: www.offregistersb.org
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21
Wildflowers & Paper Dolls – Elemental Arts, Selah Dance Collective and Paper Doll Militia come together to tell a story through aerial, circus art and dance that aims to answer the question “How do art and movement help us to grow?” More than 40 artists from Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and beyond come together to create a two-hour theater show with acts that cover such disciplines as modern dance, silks, lyra, chains, straps, rope, heart, hammock, contortion, hula hoop and more – centered around the theme of “Like wildflowers blooming through the ashes of a forest fire, we have the power to rise again.”
WHEN: 8 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $46 adults, $36 students and seniors
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16-SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17
Vengan Conmigo! – The Santa Barbara Master Chorale invites all music lovers to join them on an exploration of the soundscapes and rhythmic fire of South America in a concert featuring two extraordinary masses. The tangy two-hander features twin Argentine composers in Ariel Ramirez’s “Misa Criolla” and Martin Palmeri’s “Misa a Buenos Aires (Misatango),” who both utilize the harmonies, syncopated rhythms and indigenous instruments of that South American country. Master Chorale’s artistic director and conductor David Lozano Torres – a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate in Choral Conducting at UCSB / founder and artistic director of the elite choral ensemble Vocal Infinity – will conduct the pair of performances by the SBMC, now celebrating its 40th anniversary. WHEN: 7:30 pm tonight, 3 pm tomorrow
WHERE: First Presbyterian Church, 21 E. Constance Ave. at State St. COST: $22 general, $20 seniors, $12 college students, free for children in grades K-12
INFO: (805) 563-2360 or www.sbmasterchorale.org
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20
Musing on Mendelssohn – Former longtime Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra maestro Heiichiro Ohyama collaborates with four former members of the Chamber Orchestra – Amy Hershberger, Joel Pargman, Colleen Sugata, and Trevor Handy –in a behind-the-scenes musical investigation which will conclude with the four performing Mendelssohn’s “String Quintet No.2 in B Flat Major, Op.87,” the third movement: “Adagio e Lento” together for the first time. The on-stage performance starts with an impromptu riff, sending Ohyama and former SBCO members employing trial and error to recreate the composer’s intent, breaking down the reasons behind artistic choices and deconstructing manuscripts to uncover their hidden meanings. The “Music Dialogue” event begins with appetizers and cocktails in the Lobero Courtyard before the guests are seated on stage surrounding the musicians, and the concert is followed by a Q&A session with the performers.
WHEN: 5:30 pm
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $75
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21
Yes, ‘deer – Veteran Santa Barbara painter Brad Nack gets a jump on the holiday season, unveiling his annual “100% Reindeer Art Show” a full two weeks before Thanksgiving, six before Christmas. Each of Nack’s miniature masterpieces feature the bountiful beasts in poses displaying a range of emotions, from whimsey to wonderment, and anger to antipathy, in an ongoing series that combines traditional themes with a contemporary edge. Each work is beautifully framed and priced between $200-$500 to sell on the spot at the annual gathering at Restaurant Roy in the heart of downtown.
WHEN: 6 pm
WHERE: Roy, 7 W. Carrillo St. COST: free
INFO: (805) 331-3351 or www.bradnack.com
Included with museum admission. Don’t forget your socks!
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TILE SETTING
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PET/ HOUSE SITTING
Do you need to get away for a weekend, week or more? I will house sit and take care of your pets, plants & mail. I have refs if needed. Call me or text me. Christine (805) 452-2385
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$10 MINIMUM TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD
It’s simple. Charge is $3 per line, each line with 31 characters. Minimum is $10 per issue. Photo/logo/visual is an additional $20 per issue. Email Classified Ad to frontdesk@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860. All ads must be finalized by Friday at 2pm the week prior to printing. We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex (3% surcharge)
KNIFE SHARPENING SERVICES
EDC Mobile Sharpening is locally owned and operated in Santa Barbara. We specialize in (No-Entry) House Calls, Businesses, and Special Events. Call (805) 696-0525 to schedule an appointment.
LIBRARY
OF
THE PRESIDENTS FOR SALE
Leather-bound Library of Presidents. All 58 volumes of the library. Including signed editions by Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter. Easton press. (805) 705-8001
FERGUSON DESIGN INTERIOR
ESTATE SALE
THE CLEARING HOUSE - A Hilltop Estate Sale. Art, Sculptures, Rugs, Designer Clothing and Accessories (Vuitton, Chanel, Givenchy, more).
Nov 16/17 at 848 Miramonte Dr. 9am-3pm Please visit our website for photos. www.theclearinghousesb.com
DONATIONS NEEDED
Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue Summerland, CA 93067 (805) 969-1944
Donate to the Parrot Pantry! At SB Bird Sanctuary, backyard farmer’s bounty is our birds’ best bowl of food! The flock goes bananas for your apples, oranges & other homegrown fruits & veggies.
Volunteers
Do you have a special talent or skill? Do you need community service hours? The flock at SB Bird Sanctuary could always use some extra love and socialization. Call us and let’s talk about how you can help. (805) 969-1944
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
K-9 PALS need volunteers to be foster parents for our dogs while they are waiting for their forever homes. For more information info@k-9pals.org or 805-570-0415
