Family Security – Your family can rest safely at night knowing that the family-run Post Alarm Systems is now in town, P.6
Bean Town – Hold onto your outerwear… It’s official – L.L. Bean is coming to The Mate Gallery with its very first California retail presence, P.14
Rob & Brolin Get the Audience Rollin’
Hear about the good (and bad) ole days from the ‘Cito Rat himself, Josh Brolin, as he chats with Rob Lowe about his new memoir, page 24
A tree, a constellation of stars, a connected community – Hospice Santa Barbara’s annual Light Up a Life event, commemorates departed loved ones and links us through shared remembrance with Singer Lois Mahalia giving Montecito something to really remember (Story starts on page 5)
wink ing Ligh
Get your fill of turkey? Good, because the MJ has four weeks of local gift guidance that will help you find something for the whole family, page 30
After the sun sets, twinkling lights cast a festive glow, holiday cocktails flow, live music fills the air, and late-night easy eats satisfy every craving.
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
On Community – This year’s Light Up a Life ceremony is set to make some moving memories with a special program featuring Lois Mahalia
Beings & Doings – Post Alarm Systems has been securing SoCal since 1956 and this celebrated crime fighting family has come to town
Montecito Miscellany – ACS at the Bacara, Waterhouse hits 40, drinks with the SB Symphony and more miscellany
On Entertainment – The JACK Quartet is Modern Medieval, a golem is getting hitched, The Nutcracker taps, and Livingston Taylor plays New Bytes – The Ojai Playhouse reopens and crafting classes for the holidays Tide Guide
An Independent Mind – Here is what happens when a country equips their government workers with chainsaws
Our Town – Factory Racing comes back from the Baja 1000 with a big win and UCSB’s Longevity Lab is on the forefront of extending life
Society Invites – The Mate Gallery is L.L. Bean’s first California retailer and double pop-up brings beads and watches to Poppy Marché
16 Brilliant Thoughts – All the things that Ashleigh learned at camp – including who not to trust with deep secrets
18 Real Estate – With the leaves falling – the housing prices still ain’t, but here are four options in a range of budgets
20
Montecito Health Coach – Do you hear that? It’s the power of silence – and it’s golden. Here’s why…
22 Elizabeth’s Appraisals – A bronze sculpture tells of naturalism and its appeal in the 19th century and today
24 The Giving List – Modern Life is an intricate, globally-connected scene and the SBMA has the pieces to prove it
Noted Talks – Josh Brolin comes to Godmothers to chat with Rob Lowe on his new memoir and the conversation is inevitably charming
41 Robert’s Big Questions – Could education be done differently?
Foraging Thyme – Fall into the autumn flavor with this maple-glazed baked pear recipe
43
Your Westmont – Students learn how to pay for college, physics students examine exotic isotopes, and sports updates
44 The Optimist Daily – Scientists identify key factors in the aging process – immortality, here we come
45
Dear Montecito – Bridget Mitchell’s costume design dream has taken her across lands AND seas
47 In Passing – Remembering the life of Mary Caroline Knudtson Tilton – a loving wife, mother, and friend
52
26
Stories Matter – Historical stories, thrillers with a taste of Hitchcock, and more fill this month’s reviews
30 Home for the Holidays – The annual fourweek gift buying bonanza is here – first up, it’s where to look in the Lower Village
54
Calendar of Events – The turkey is baked and the holidays are being served up next with seasonal events already on the way
Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads
55 Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles
Local Business Directory – Smart business owners place business cards here
by Christopher Matteo Connor
Montecito’s free Light Up a Life event is fast approaching, set for the evening of December 5th. Hosted by Hospice Santa Barbara – the second oldest hospice organization in the country, and one which provides free services to people for as long as they need it – Light Up a Life is back to offer a break from our busy schedules to remember our lost loved ones.
This year, the beloved community tradition of honoring those who are no longer with us will reunite with the esteemed local singer songwriter Lois Mahalia. That’s indeed a special treat, for Mahalia is a busy touring musician who performs all over the world, as well as with musicians of note like Joe Walsh of The Eagles. The best part is she’ll be singing a longer set specifically for Montecito.
I spoke to Lois Mahalia and Charles Caldwell, Director of Strategic Advancement of Hospice SB, to discuss the ceremony. Our conversations covered life, the inevita ble curtain call, the mystery and existential beauty of it all – and maybe most impor tantly, how grief doesn’t need to be an isolating experience. Life Up a Life offers a chance to use grief to bond and strengthen community.
I’ll leave it to Charles and Lois, who eloquently and thoughtfully share why Light Up a Life is so important. Here is but a snippet of our conversation. The conversations below have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Q: Christopher M. Connor (MJ). What is the driving force behind Hospice and Light Up a Life?
A: Charles Caldwell (CC). When people are dealing with death, it’s more than just a medical occurrence. Hospice was born out of that ethos, which was to have a tremendous respect for the whole individual who’s dealing with life-threatening illness or who’s grieving the loss of somebody. In our society, we’re allowed to grieve, but only for a week or two. You’ve got to keep working and keep on going out and having fun with friends.
MJ. You realize that the world doesn’t stop for you, and you have to navigate that realization.
CC. Absolutely. That whole journey happens again and again. So Hospice came about to change that dynamic through community education. Everybody’s very scared of it. There’s a stigma.
MJ. That idea that time doesn’t stop for us ties nicely into Light Up a Life. This is a moment to stop for a moment and remember the ones who aren’t with us.
CC. We all know that time does speed up as we move from Thanksgiving into the December holidays. With the craziness of shopping and dinners with friends, you can forget what’s super important. Well, maybe not forget. But it sets up this conflict because you’re thinking about those loved ones, but you’re also supposed to enjoy your life. How do those fit together?
MJ. Yeah, how do you reconcile that?
CC. We conceived of it long ago that the community needed an opportunity to come together and have a moment to pause in that scheduling before it gets super busy. You can put first things first and think about family members or a good friend
On Community Page 42
CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Saturday, December 14 I 10AM – 1PM
BRAIDED: MINDFUL CHALLAH MAKING Sunday, December 15 I 2PM – 4PM
LIVING SUCCULENT WREATH MAKING Sunday, December 22 I 10AM – 1PM
NUTCRACKER AFTERNOON TEA, FEATURING THE STATE STREET BALLET CO.
Saturday, December 14 + December 21 I 11AM – 1PM
CANDLE POURING + ROOM SPRAY Saturday, December 21 I 10AM – 3:30PM
CHOCOLATE MAKING WITH JESSICA FOSTER Sunday, December 22 I 2PM – 4PM
‘Tis the season for celebration with those who matter most. For your 2024 winter holidays, gather with family and friends in the heart of the American Riviera for a celebration like no other at El Encanto.
Our enticing lineup of seasonal festivities include craft workshops, wellness activities, Hannukah celebrations, Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts and an intimate New Year’s Eve dinner under the stars. Featuring authentic feasting and merriment, the ambiance is enhanced by fireside cocktails, and glittering decorations that evoke a sense of seasonal joy.
Please contact our Reservations Team at 805 845 5800 to plan your festive season retreat.
by Jeff Wing
“There’s a new security blanket in town.”
Given the stakes, it’s just possible that a more dramatic opening is called for. But this operation – Post Alarm Systems – does summon the image of a protective force field being gently draped over Montecito and environs. Through their 68 years of providing innovative security solutions in Southern California, Post Alarm Systems has evolved that improbable combination of qualities – a security service as impenetrable as riveted titanium and as assuring as the fuzzy interior of your favorite old sweatshirt.
“What differentiates us,” says Gina Post, “is that we’re a family operated company. That to me that means we truly care about and know our customers. We’re here to provide concierge level service, so any way we can be involved in the community, that’s what we do. Rob and I personally do it.” Rob is Robert Post, Gina’s brother and Post Alarm Systems’ owner.
These lofty promises are not a strategic posture hatched in a necktie-bedeviled marketing meeting, but the organic persona of a family-run outfit that is both solemnly dedicated to the security mission and delighted to immerse themselves in a new community. It’s what they do. Lest the reader visualize Post Alarm Systems as an adorably earnest skeleton crew of family members
running a shoestring operation out of a garage somewhere? Uh…no.
Post Alarm Systems launched the year Elvis guested on the Milton Berle show. That was in 1956 (and had Berle’s stunned audience dropping TV dinners onto shag carpet from coast to coast – another story). In the decades since, Post Alarm has moved from strength to strength, building a sterling reputation, a broad, unmatched expertise, and the means to offer blue-chip security to home or business. They do not work with templates. Post Alarm Systems tailors your security arrangement to your unique situation – hand to glove.
“We’re one of the largest privately owned companies in Southern California,” Gina says matter-of-factly. “So we have the resources to actually take care of our customers throughout southern California. Rob and I are always available to talk to clients, and we want them to know … you may be a grandmother in a cozy cottage or a family living in a large estate. We’re always here to make sure that we’re providing peace of mind.”
The Home Security sector hasn’t always made the best use of its technology.
Enjoy our beautiful California Central Coast to the fullest while entertaining family and friends this holiday season. Hayward’s has the largest selection of fine outdoor furniture and accessories between Los Angeles and San Francisco—in stock and ready for your next gathering.
We are closed Thanksgiving Day and Friday, November 29, so that our sta can enjoy this wonderful time of year with their families.
by Richard Mineards
To the Ritz-Carlton Bacara for the American Cancer Society’s annual Riviera Gala “Where Hope Grows,” which hosted 150 guests and raised around $200,000.
The bustling bash was emceed by David Moorman , with a welcome from Greater Los Angeles board member Adam Lopez, and 2024 corporate chair Karina Kulangara – a scientist with Agilent Technologies, who holds
Auctioneers
Michael Thieling and Chuck Dukas kneeling with bidders
Denise Sanford, Stephanie Petlow, Gretchen Lieff, and Mouhanad Hammami (photo by Priscilla)
a degree in Immunology and Pathology from Geneva University, Switzerland.
Dr. Meghan Morrissey, an assistant professor at UCSB, was recipient of the American Cancer Society’s prestigious Trailblazer Award, recognizing her research in using a quantitative understanding of macrophage cell biology to inform cancer immunotherapy. Her creative approach fuses cell and synthetic biology to uncover basic principles of macrophage signaling with an eye to designing new therapeutics.
Veronica Corona – a member of
the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce and a Greater L.A. board member – was honorary speaker, while auctioneer Chuck Dukas sold off lots including an escape to Trailhead Lodge in Colorado, a Fiji vacation, and tickets for next year’s French Open tennis at Roland Garros in Paris.
At the conclusion of the fun fête guests danced the night away to Area 51.
Among the supporters were Mayor Randy Rowse, Gretchen Lieff, Fred Kass, Janet Garufis, Oscar Gutierrez, Stephanie Petlow, Tim Martinez, Joe Garcia, Claudia Lash, Edgar Gascon, Kieran Shah, and Kristen Miller
Miscellany Page 504
Direct,
Vacation/Special
Extensive
GPS-tracked
Proprietary
by Steven Libowitz
Violinist Ari Streisfeld has garnered critical acclaim worldwide for his performances of diverse repertoire after originally establishing himself as one of the foremost interpreters of contemporary classical music. He’s also the co-founder of the world-renowned JACK Quartet, the fearless foursome that quickly became one of the experimental engines of new music after forming at Eastman School of Music in 2005. The JACK Quartet focuses almost exclusively on recent repertoire, works they’ve commissioned, or something they call Modern Medieval – programs that explore the work of long-past European composers through the lens of contemporary American composition.
Streisfeld left the JACK – which was titled after the first names of its four original members – in 2016 for a less-travelled life on the faculty at the University of
On Entertainment Page 184
by MJ Staff
The Ojai Playhouse reopened on November 22 after shutting down 10 years ago. Historically, it is one of California’s oldest single-screen theaters, hosting 200 seats in 5,500 square feet. Located on the main drag in Ojai, this 1914 building has been renovated and updated. The renovations and design are by Architect Bob Kupiec of Kupiec Architects – who just incidentally contributed to the Montecito Debris Flow rebuild, glowingly expanded the SB Museum of Art, and gave us the LEED Gold-certified Hollister Industrial Park. The Ojai Playhouse’s new owner (purchased 2020) is David Berger. The venue updates include a Meyer Sound cinema system, Yamaha Active Field Control Immersive Audio System, Nexo live PA, Dolby Atmos for cinema and listening events and Sony FR7 PTZ cameras for video capturing and live streaming. The theater is equipped with Simplex 35mm reel-to-reel projectors and a Barco 4k laser projector, and includes both professional theatrical lighting and flexible mood lighting. It also has a café, bar, green room, a microcinema, and an outdoor garden. Berger is marketing the Ojai Playhouse for events, private screenings, and of course Hollywood Academy members. The playhouse was designated an Ojai Historic Landmark in 2020.
Check out the film listings for December. 411: @ojaiplayhouse
Not sure what to gift this season? How about making a few of your own? Check
out the craft classes coming up at Explore Ecology! There is a Furoshiki workshop on December 4 led by Emily Adams. There is a candle making workshop with Claire Giroux on December 14.
Giving up on the holiday spirit? Try working out the stress with a sewing class or the knitting workshop! 411: https://exploreecology.org/calendar
Executive Editor/CEO | Gwyn Lurie gwyn@montecitojournal.net
President/COO | Timothy Lennon Buckley tim@montecitojournal.net
Managing Editor | Zach Rosen zach@montecitojournal.net
MoJo Contributing Editor | Christopher Matteo Connor
Art/Production Director | Trent Watanabe
Graphic Design/Layout | Stevie Acuña
Administration | Jessikah Fechner
Administrative Assistant | Kassidy Craner VP, Sales & Marketing | Leanne Wood leanne@montecitojournal.net
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
by Jeffrey Harding
Now that the dust has settled we need to talk about what president-elect Trump should do to better our lives. I’m not talking about making America great again because America is already great, but it could be better.
I am not a Trump fan and wish we’d had better candidates from both parties but we didn’t. So like it or not that leaves us with Trump v. 2.0. I think what he actually will do will be pretty far from what he says he will do. No mass deportations. No authoritarian coup. No federal changes of women’s rights to an abortion. No mass firings of federal civil servants. He either doesn’t have the money or manpower or authority or competency to achieve his loudmouth goals. Not that he can’t chip away at things as he should.
As a libertarian and advocate of free market capitalism I would advise Trump that the best thing he could do for us citizens is to reduce the burden of
government and deficit spending. I can say that based on the history of big governments everywhere. There are many examples around the world where mostly free economies slouched their way into authoritarian government, stagnation, and poverty under the guise of welfarism-socialism.
When I say “libertarian” I am usually greeted with comments like, “Maybe that works on paper but not the real world” or “That’s just a fantasy and it’s never worked anywhere” or, “Get your head out of the clouds and deal with the real world!”
But now there is one country that is breaking away from socialism and transforming their economy to free market capitalism. Mirabile dictu. It’s working because it has always worked. That country is Argentina. It is led by a self-described libertarian anarcho-capitalist, President Javier Milei, who was elected by popular vote.
Milei is a firebrand advocate for freedom and a powerful foe of
Independent Mind Page 474
by Joanne A Calitri
Truck racing superstar Dan Chamlee, founder of The Factory Racing, Inc. has officially won the Class 7 Title at the 2024 Baja 1000 race on November 15-16. This is the 9th Baja 1000 win for Factory Racing, Inc.
On Dan’s team this year were his wife Laurie as Crew Chief. Riding in the truck with him as co-drivers were Montecito’s Kurt Kimball of Granny’s Garage Montecito switching as needed with Todd Craven. Their job is to monitor the gauges, watch the Garmin GPS to tell him which turns to take, and keep him alert. If the truck breaks down, they hop out to fix the problem. His “chase team” – aka his team that travels simultaneously with him but along the highways – waits at access roads, monitoring Dan’s truck, and are prepared if the truck requires repairs on the course. The chase team drives in with parts and tools needed to get the truck moving again. Dans chase team were Johnny Williams, Jennifer Craven, Nick Tonelli, Kelley Tonelli, Brennan Tonelli, and Stella Tonelli. I called Dan on Wednesday to confirm his win. Laurie answered and put us on speaker for my interview.
Q. What was it like this year?
A. It is different every year, especially because they change the racecourse each time and there is the weather factor. This year, however, my main competitor from the 1000’s qualifying races had already stacked his points – I won the 500, but he won the 400 with more points than I had going into the 1000. In order to get the 1000 Championship Title, I had to win the 1000. He and I were within 5-25 miles of each other throughout the race. Towards the end I got ahead. He was 30 minutes behind me and also had so many penalties he ended up being four hours behind me. He had penalties for not driving over the required Virtual Checkpoints on the racecourse. Missing a checkpoint can be easy to do if you turn the wrong way on a corner. Penalties are also issued if you drive in places that the local ranchers along the course specifically asked drivers to not trespass, and if you drive on a road too close to the highway.
Any issues with the course itself?
This year the race was 864.13 grueling miles. We had light rain before the race and at the start of the race, making the course treacherous. And there was no windshield so we had to keep wiping our helmet visors. I drove with one hand on the wheel and one wiping my helmet visor. In one situation, a truck had flipped on its side and blocked the racecourse in an uphill dirt area. I had to winch up the hill around it. The racecourse also has poorly constructed areas that end up like speed bumps and can cause issues.
How did you communicate with Laurie and the crew?
Communication between race truck and our teams has always been a challenge in the deserted mountain roads of Baja but with the new Garmin thread, we were able to satellite text each other via Starlink and see where the competition is.
What was your average speed?
That is deceptive because you can drive faster in some areas than others, the point being to keep moving safely to the finish. My average speed came in at 40 mph, which to the uninitiated seems low, but actually worked out best.
For one exclusive night, AMA Sushi presents The Macallan Omakase Experience at Miramar. Join us at our intimate 13-seat omakase bar for an evening that marries tradition and innovation through a six-course menu, each dish thoughtfully paired with a selection from The Macallan’s finest expressions. Curated by our Sushi Chef de Cuisine Scott Yonmaine, Director of Bars Sam Penton, and The Macallan's Jon Feuersanger, this evening promises an evening of culinary artistry and exceptional spirits. For reservations, visit rosewoodmiramarbeach.com or call 805.900.8388
@amasushimiramar facebook.com/amasushimiramar 1759 S Jameson Lane, Montecito, CA 93108 X
L.L. Bean Brand at The Mate Gallery Hold onto your holidaze ‘jammies’!
by Joanne A Calitri
The Mate Gallery co-owners Matt Albiani and Ron Brand have confirmed with me on Monday, November 25, L.L. Bean will be sold for the first time in a California retail store at their Mate Gallery in the Montecito Country Mart!
In the store will be L.L. Bean’s Boat and Tote open top tote bag, classic boots, assorted flannel shirts, shearling-lined slippers, men’s Classic Ragg Bird’s-Eye sweater, Fisherman sweaters, chamois shirts, socks and knit caps. Their store is affectionately titled, “The Preppy Handbook” and suits the L.L. Bean brand which was established in 1912 in Freeport, Maine.
Albiani is a fashion photographer for such designers as Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Elle magazine and for the past six years – L.L. Bean – who chose to have his store be the first in California to offer the brand. He is a Bostonian who rowed crew at Fordham University, and shares, “The L.L. Bean fisherman’s sweater is a wardrobe staple.” His partner Ron can be found in Albiani’s ad campaigns wearing just that.
L.L. Bean now joins classics in the shop like the original Miramar Hotel baseball caps, menus and matchbooks; vintage oil paintings, books ends and unique finds. I asked Mate Gallery’s sixyear faithful shopkeeper Robin Lill to pose for our readers with a few of the top notes in the shop.
The owners and their store appear as a local small business. They have, however, been featured in the Financial Times, LA Times, WSJ, Coastal Living, and Goop –and now with L.L. Bean in the mix, have created a legend in our town.
411: @mategallery
The cutest dual pop-up ever to hit Coast Village Road was held at Poppy Marché on Friday, November 22. The independent shop owners for the dual pop-up were owner of Bunny Shapiro Beads Bunny Shapiro and Courtney Ormond of laCalifornienne Shapiro and Ormond have been Instagram friends and met in person at the pop-up. The combination of their brand looks, stacking bracelets with matching watches, make an excellent match for fashionistas of any gender at any age.
Nine years ago in November, Shapiro, a NYC native and fashion merchandiser, landed in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and started making one of a kind beaded bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. Her local store there yielded a niche online business that was featured in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazines. Montecito Country Mart owner Jim Rosenfield came across Shapiro’s podcast on her beads and invited her to show them at his Montecito, Marin, and Brentwood Country Marts.
Society Page 484
by Ashleigh Brilliant
Summer camp can be an educational experience, but not necessarily as the organizers intended. My first time was in 1943 at Camp Airy in Thurmont, Maryland. (It is still in operation today.) I was nine years old. World War II was still on. I went together with my best friend, Nathan Mensh, whose family lived just across the alley from mine in Washington, D.C. We went by train – and that in itself was a big adventure.
At camp I learned to recognize the different bugle calls, for getting up (“Reveille”), for meals (“Come and Get your Beans, Boys”), and for lowering the flag at night (“Taps”). But the main and lingering lesson I learned was a sad one: Be careful whom you trust – even your best friend can let you down.
For the background to this story, I must tell you another, about my names. The two I was given at birth were “Ashleigh Ellwood.” But they were never used. My mother, for some reason – although my father’s name
was Victor – thought it would be cute to call me her own little “Junior.” And so she did – and, as a result, so did everyone else. And I went through my entire childhood being known as “Junior Brilliant,” in consequence hating my “real names,” and signing my name, when necessary, as “JBrilliant.” Only a few people knew my secret, one of whom was Nathan Mensh.
In the different atmosphere of Camp, Nathan somehow lost any sense of loyalty he might have felt to me, and, to exert some kind power he might have had over me, started threatening to tell my names to other kids. I had to write to my parents to write to Nathan and tell him to stop doing this.
Somehow our friendship survived all this, but I had learned my lesson about trusting. The saga of my name stretched on until I got to college. In the interim, I adopted the not very satisfactory expedient of saying that the “J” stood for John, a name I never felt comfortable with. Finally, when I had turned the traditional coming-of-age of 21 and was already in my first year at University College London, I made
BY Colin Escott AND Floyd Mutrux DIRECTED BY Brian McDonald
what was for me the momentous decision to come out of the Name Closet and go public.
On the bulletin board In the Student Lounge, I put up a notice announcing that the real name of the person they knew as John Brilliant was Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant, and that, in future, he wished to be known as such. I felt I had been very brave – but some of the drama of this occasion was spoiled for me when I went back the next day. My notice was still there, but some wickedly witty person had put quotation marks around the word “such.”
My only other summer camp experience occurred many years later, when I was not a camper, but a Counsellor, at a camp outside Glendale, California for underprivileged boys. It was sponsored by the Jewish Big Brothers of Los Angeles and was called Camp Max Straus. Each Counsellor was responsible for one cabin, containing 12 boys. My happiest memory was of telling bedtime stories, which I made up, after the campers had gone to bed and all the lights were out – except for a flashlight I held and just directed upwards.
Unfortunately, none of those stories got written down, or recorded. But they had their effect of putting the boys to sleep. (The only other time I felt called upon to use this talent was when my wife Dorothy was ill, and already in bed, while I was still up. Those stories I did preserve. I based them on
things I knew Dorothy was interested in, like figure-skating (“The Skater Who Couldn’t Fall”), plumbing (“The Magic Plumber”), and animals (“The Elephant Who Forgot”).
Something else I learned at Summer Camp were the songs we sang. One that lingers in my memory was about a great true disaster – the sinking of theTitanic. But what impressed me was how joyfully the chorus seemed to be sung by those kids:
Oh, it was sad, so sad, It was sad when the great ship went down –
All the husbands and wives – even children lost their lives, It was sad when the great ship went down.
Inevitably, this eventually inspired a thought of my own:
“If we were totally prepared for every disaster, what would be the point of having disasters?”
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.
South Carolina School of Music and head of strings at the Carolina Summer Music Conservatory. But he’s heading to the Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall on December 7 to take in the current quartet’s concert – a Modern Medieval entry that features music by Juri Seo, Austin Wulliman, and works by JACK’s in-house arranger Christopher Otto based on Rodericus, Solage, and Nathaniel Giles, plus more contemporary pieces by Taylor Brook and Vicente Atria –where Streisfeld will join the JACK onstage for a post-performance discussion.
It’s not a random occurrence. Streisfeld will be performing for two private MAW events later in the weekend, representing another return to the institute where he spent three summers in the early 2000s.
“There’s so much I remember from my time there, including performing Mahler’s 9th with Jeffrey Tate conducting, but the chamber music was the most influential for me,” said Streisfeld who spent summers in Santa Barbara to keep working with his violin teacher Zvi Zeitlin. “Things (then faculty member) Peter Salaff of the Cleveland Quartet said in his coaching resonated so strongly with me that I brought some of those ideas to the JACK Quartet when we started two years later. They helped form the sound that we were looking for as well as our overall aesthetic and approach to contemporary music.”
One of the coaching sessions still stands out, Streisfeld recalled, adding that Salaff’s suggestion on a Bartok string quartet formed the underpinnings of the JACK’s early understanding of how to play modern music.
“We were showing off all of that kind of Bartok Hungarian energy, putting it all out on the table from the very beginning. But he stopped us after a few pages of the opening of this movement. After complimenting us on our energy, he advised us to approach the movement as if it were a Haydn quartet – focus on perfection and intonation, everything resonant and beautiful. We took that to heart and we spent the next three weeks playing it really slowly, really precisely trying to make everything perfectly in tune, perfectly together.”
Streisfeld’s fellows’ quartet then played the piece in a masterclass for the visiting Brentano Quartet and the coach said the intonation was perfect, but it didn’t sound like Bartok. It needed more edge.
“We were thrilled,” he recalled. “We added back all of that Bartok edge that we had intentionally taken away while maintaining the clarity and the beauty of the sound and it really opened my eyes to the possibilities of how one can play in a string quartet. When JACK formed two years later, we were immediately playing the most avant-garde, thorny music you could think of, including “Tetras” by Xenakis, which is much crazier than Bartok ever got. And we had this mindset of we’re not just going to play this piece; we’re going to play it as accurately as we can, and the sound should be exactly the sound we want, fully committed to finding perfection in whatever the sound is that we were trying to make. Including the scratch tones that get passed around the strings, which we spent about an hour mapping out. Things like that really elevated our performance of contemporary music, and I first learned it at the Music Academy.”
Visit www.musicademy.org.
It’s a tradition, or a cliché, that Jewish families head out to Chinese restaurants for dinner on Christmas Day (at least mine always did). So maybe it’s appropriate to think of I Married a Golem!, a new theatrical work by Kalinka founder Fred Nadis, in terms of ordering off a family dinner menu. As in one from Column A, two from Column B, etc.
The columns in this case are Klezmer/Balkan music, traditional Yiddish theater melodrama, Beauty and the Beast, Borscht Belt humor, a staged reading/radio play, Bertolt Brecht and Frankenstein – basically everything except puppets, although Nadis originally conceived the piece for marionettes, with music by Kalinka, the veteran local klezmer band collective.
“We’d been talking about branching out into storytelling forms, and also added Yiddish theater tunes because they have that jazz influence we can improvise with, which is a lot of fun,” said Nadis, who plays clarinet. “One of the songs I really liked turned out to be the main theme of Yiddish theater where a daughter wants to marry outside of the faith and I thought I could build on that with Beauty and the Beast, and Jewish folklore about the Golem, and how fun it would be to splice it all together.”
Nadis said the strings went by the wayside when he realized the only performer would be the puppeteer, negating the idea of creating material for the full band. Not wanting to be a Golem-gone-bad – the creature from Jewish folklore that rises from clay or mud animated through mystical rituals to serve as protector of the On Entertainment Page 394
by Mark Ashton Hunt
Greetings neighbors and visitors to Montecito. Sending a hearty wish for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving and holiday season ahead for us all. The holidays are a busy time in Montecito like anywhere else; shopping, dining, gathering with family and friends… and all the recent work on the freeway and various streets around town is not helping us get around any easier, that’s for sure. At least they (the city/county/etc) seem to be doing every imaginable project at once, (phone pole replacements, repaving, sidewalks…) on top of what feels like a new house build or remodel on every other block.
I have been enjoying (and am thankful for) our recent weather. These are the lovely fall days I promised in my last article, the months of September to November that find us with fewer crowds on weekends, mostly sunny skies, some billowing clouds, and even more stunning sunsets as the sun moves closer to her winter, ocean dipping position. With all this beauty and the constant buzz on Montecito, it is no wonder that people are still clamoring to move here. Accordingly, our available home inventory remains near all-time lows.
Of the 33 homes that have sold in Montecito’s 93108 between September 1 and November 20 this year in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), six sales were over $10 million, and five of those six larger sales were off-market, meaning they were not in the MLS or on Realtor, Zillow, etc. In contrast, just four homes out of the 27 sales under $10M were sold off-market. This average of between 12-15 homes selling per month is becoming more consistent. We are not seeing the big buying months like we did in 2020 – 2022 and even into 2023.
Interesting fact I discovered about the past 12 weeks of sales:
Roughly 85% of all sales OVER $10M were OFF-market sales.
Roughly 85% of all sales UNDER $10M were ON the market sales.
There are plenty of amazing homes on the market in the over $10M range, but it seems many buyers are finding needles in haystacks off-market as well in that upper price point.
Although Montecito’s available housing inventory is low, I am finding homes in all price ranges that seem to be good opportunities, both when compared to recent sales prices and when looking at what is currently on the market. It may be that prices are beginning to really level off, and if you overprice a new listing by 20%, especially those under $10M, the market may let you know. That said, when it’s a done home or something special and the right buyer sees it on or off-market, many homes still fetch top sales prices each month.
Here are four homes to consider, at the $5, $6, $7 and $8 million price points.
Until soon, Happy House Hunting and Happy Holidays.
Nestled in the prestigious neighborhood of Pepper Hill, find this private, sophisticated, single level home on just over an acre, featuring three bedrooms, with two- and one-half bathrooms and an extensive recent renovation that will benefit a new owner.
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Please contact me directly
Call/Text Mark @ 805-698-2174
Mark@Villagesite.com www.MontecitoBestBuys.com DRE#01460852
M e r r y a t M I R A M A R T H E
S U N D A Y , D E C E M B E R 8 T H | 5 P M - 7 P M
Join us this December as we gather at the resort to kick-off the month with a festive celebration at Rosewood Miramar Beach Bring the whole family to enjoy a holiday concert, experience a California Coastal "snowfall" and meet Santa Claus himself In addition, get your holiday shopping complete with a special Holiday Stroll featuring exclusive offers by our participating property retailers
by Deann Zampelli
Last week, my daughter and I both had tests to study for, so I suggested we go downtown to the library, a place that holds many fond memories for us both. Years ago, they had an incredible program where young children could sit with therapy dogs and their companions and read together. It was transformative for my kids and became a weekly tradition we all looked forward to.
We were excited to see the library after so many years of construction. Both of us had popped in now and then to check out books, but neither of us had really spent any quality time there in years. I walked in filled with anticipation and a sense of longing I hadn’t realized was even there. After a bit of exploring we climbed to the top level, which we had been told would be the quietest space. That should have been the first red flag. Why wouldn’t the entire library be quiet?
As we unpacked our many study props (laptop, notebooks, textbooks, highlighters and glasses… okay, to be fair, she just unpacked her laptop), I started noticing ambient sounds I wouldn’t normally associate with a library. One man was rustling through a paper bag. Another was chatting away like it was a dinner party. And someone was on their cellphone. Did I mention this was in the library? I locked eyes with my daughter, and she said, “Mom, don’t.” I pretended to be ignorant of what her words were implying and made my way to the staff counter.
“Is cell phone use allowed here?” I asked politely.
“Yes, as long as they aren’t bothering anyone.” She replied.
“They are on the cell phone. At the library. Of course they are going to bother someone.”
“Well, we are trying to make the environment as flexible and as inclusive as possible,” She chirped.
“So, like a Starbuck’s?” I answered. Admittedly, it wasn’t my best moment.
But come on. There is an eating area, and cell phones are allowed, and nobody puts their finger to their pursed lips shaming you into quietude. For those of us who need, revel in, and thrive on silence, the library has always been a secret haven. To say I am noise sensitive would be like calling Roman Abramovich well-off, and I have always known that if my circumstances drastically changed and I ended up in prison, I would deliberately get myself thrown into solitary confinement.
I have just started reading Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise by Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz . Upon the writing of this piece, I am only halfway through it but can already see how they deftly navigate the power of quiet in a way that takes mindfulness to a whole new level. It is neuroscience, spirituality, psychology, and so much more. Anyone who has tried to meditate knows how the silence of even a few minutes can seem like an eternity. That is because we are no longer comfortable in true quiet. Our brains are constantly being bombarded by phones pinging, TV commercials at the gas station, even doctors’ waiting rooms are apparently too challenging to endure without a television blaring.
As always, I needed to know. Why does this matter?
According to The Cleveland Clinic, “Silence offers opportunities for self-reflection and daydreaming, which activates multiple parts of the brain. It gives us time to turn down the inner noise and increase awareness of what matters most. And it cultivates mindfulness – recognition and appreciation of the present moment. Silence also has physical benefits. ‘When we’re frazzled, our fight-orflight response is on overload causing a host of problems,’ says Dr. Daniel Sullivan . ‘We can use calm, quiet
moments to tap into a different part of the nervous system that helps shut down our bodies’ physical response to stress .”
So, there are physical benefits to silence as well as emotional. People who meditate can attest to their blood pressure going down, their heart rate lowering, and experiencing more of an overall sense of well-being.
Calm – the popular meditation app – sites as benefits of silence stress reduction, improvement of mental clarity, emotional regulation, and even increasing your self-awareness. So, if we don’t get this peace, this quiet, this stillness, what can happen?
Burnout.
If we don’t take the time to check in with ourselves, which can often only happen at a meaningful level if we are in a peaceful state, we risk burning our candle at both ends. Then when our stress levels increase, our cortisol production goes up (our stress hormone) which can compromise our immune system. See what I did there? Silence is also golden for our health.
With all of this in mind, the next time someone is watching a video with the sound on-at a restaurant, or talking on speaker while walking in front of you for five miles, or using the cell phone at the library, feel free to invoke my name as a free pass, put your finger to your lips and offer the tried and true tactic of librarians the world over.
Ssssshhhhhhhhh!
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.
FREE COMMUNITY EVENT!
Montecito
Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024
5:00 pm - Stars sales & music (Program starts 30 min later)
Special performance by Lois Mahalia
The Corner Green (Corner of San Ysidro and East Valley)
Join us for this beloved community tradition of remembering and honoring those you miss this holiday season. Each ceremony will feature speakers and special guests, entertainment, refreshments, and the lighting of a memorial tree.
See other locations, dates and times at Hospiceofsb.org or scan the QR code.
by Elizabeth Stewart
PPhas a 20” plaster casting of a Dromedary (Arabian) camel ‘after’ (reproduced from) a sculpture by Antoine-Louis Barye (1795-1875), the great bronze artist/animalier of the mid-19th century. Sculpture of this period, in which Barye was a leading figure, had a story to tell; and it was a monumental story. This is the period of large scale, commentative and narrative civic sculpture that appealed to sentiment, sensationalism, and great power.
A major theme of sculpture of this period are images of nature’s predatory violence; for example, a grand battle between a lion and a jaguar, the struggle and conquest usually involving exotic animals portrayed with stylistic realistic accuracy.
Barye made his debut as a sculptor in the Salon of 1831. Although he would never leave France in his lifetime, he exhibited what would become his signature theme: jungle violence. The Salons were strictly juried by conservative “academic” artists, and open to collectors who had the money and the taste for large scale garden or civic sculpture. Here, Barye showed his maquettes (smaller plaster casts). One particular work caught the eye of the Minister of the Interior of France, who purchased Lion Crushing a Serpent and had it cast in 1833 for the public Tuileries Gardens (today the Musée du Louvre). Barye’s
reputation was set; many more monumental government and Royal Family commissions were garnered. One notable commission was the “July” Column, built 1835-1840 at the Place de la Bastille, a memorial of the fall of Charles X of France to the July Monarchy of Louis Philippe. Barye created the bronze bas-reliefs for the base of the column, notably the Gallic Rooster, in full throated crow (the National symbol of France), and, of course, a lion and prey.
A monumental, seated lion was commissioned in 1846 to be placed alongside Lion Crushing a Serpent at the Tuileries Gardens. The Duc d’Orléans commissioned a series of sculptures of animals pursued by various regional human hunters portrayed throughout the history of France. The Royal Family began to collect smaller scale “Tabletop” sculptures as well as to commission large, monumental works for their sculpture gardens and parks, such as two monumental images of Napoleon I, mounted.
Barye’s smaller sculptures were created with new technological developments in bronze casting in Paris. Barye seized on this opportunity to create ½ scale or smaller works based on his famous monumental pieces, selling directly to the upper and middle classes in the U.S. and Europe.
As an entrepreneur, engineer, and artist of great ability in the reproduction of accurate animal physiology, Barye won the Grand Gold Medal for technical achievement in the Industrial Arts at the
Paris Universal Exposition of 1855. On the other side of the Fair Grounds, he took a medal for Jaguar Devouring a Hare in the Fine Arts Section. This marked the beginning of the debate that still rages today: What divides mechanically produced decorative art and fine art?
In 1854 Barye was made Master of Zoological drawing at the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle, and it was around this period in his life that PP’s ‘Camel’ (the original) was cast in a small scale and marketed to a middle class willing to pay a good price for scenes of exotic animals in jungle predation for their mantelpieces. This market was also interested in smaller reproductions of grand monumental civic sculpture by Barye.
A word on the subject of the camel: Barye had sculpted two of the three types of camels in his career. PP’s is a Dromedary camel, the largest of its species. A male can be 2.4 m at the shoulder and live to be 50 years old. The Bactrian camel is two humped and domesticated in the Mongolian steppes of central Asia. They are pack animals known for their tolerance to cold, drought, and high altitudes, and this fortitude made possible the great trade route along the Silk Road from the 16th century onwards. Barye
Today, Barye’s camel sculpture has more appeal than a ‘lion devouring something’
did not sculpt the Bactrian Wild Camel of Northwest China, (Gobi Desert), a separate species from the Bactrian Camel, as it was never domesticated. This hardy species has double eyelashes, and for hydration can survive on snow, and even water whose salinity exceeds that of seawater.
Barye, in works like PP’s camel, set the benchmark for animal and smallscale bronzes as fine art in the 19th century. If PP had a ‘Lion Devouring Something’ there is little market for such subjects today, despite their being important works of a certain taste and time. His camel, however, is worth $4,000 as a good quality reproduction of a work by Barye.
Elizabeth Stewart, PhD is a veteran appraiser of fine art, furniture, glass, and other collectibles, and a cert. member of the AAA and an accr. member of the ASA. Please send any objects to be appraised to Elizabethappraisals@ gmail.com
by Steven Libowitz
When Amada Cruz took over as Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s new Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Director and CEO about 13 months ago, she had a clear idea of how she viewed the museum’s evolving role in the community.
“I see a lot of value in the arts beyond the aesthetic,” she said in these pages in November 2023. “I see the museum as a community builder, especially now in this super polarized time. I think that the arts can really bring us together. It sounds corny, but I do feel that art can build empathy. A museum like SBMA that has a general collection of art from different cultures and different eras can really help you to build an awareness of what’s out there outside of your everyday concerns.”
SBMA’s new exhibition Modern Life: A Global Artworld is a giant step toward that goal. The installation in the RidleyTree Gallery features a large number of pieces from the museum’s extensive permanent collection, bringing together artists from North America, South America, and Europe representing the globalization changes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In addition to showing off some of the spectacular pieces and the breadth and scope of the museum’s collection, Modern Life – put together by James Glisson, SBMA’s Chief Curator and Curator of Contemporary Art – aims to share the story of how the early days of the world getting “smaller” is represented in the art of the times.
“One of the ideas is to highlight the way artists in the collection traveled and how they were part of the internationalization of the art world at that time, and how they moved between cultures,” Glisson explained. “These
artists and artworks are emblematic of how, starting in the 19th century with industrialization and the development of steamships and undersea telegraphs and cables, information in magazines and newspapers as well as people became much more mobile. Where this exhibition begins is one of the first moments that leads to the world that we have today, incredibly interconnected and with a global economy.”
The exhibition is organized into several schematics, including Abstraction, Art Science & Industry, Global Surrealism, and Landscape – in an effort to “give shape to this bigger story,” Glisson said. But they all share the concept that with increased movement, the old museum concept of showing artwork by geographic reason should no longer hold sway.
“We’re able to encapsulate the story – within the global breadth of our
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by Leana Orsua
It’s no hidden secret that Hollywood’s elite have a long history of escaping the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles for the secluded coastal charm offered up in Santa Barbara County. But only a small handful can claim true roots in the celebrity friendly oasis — actor, Josh Brolin is one of them. From his childhood in Paso Robles, to his rebellious teen years in Santa Barbara, the now 56-year-old whose film career began at age 16 on the 1985 set of the cult classic teens movie The Goonies has returned home permanently after a lifetime of self-reflection – beginning at the tender age of eight years old when he first started documenting his life in journals – 88 of them by today’s count.
The Academy Award nominee’s treasure trove of musings is now the basis of a 227-page memoir released by Harper Collins Publishing house this month titled: From Under the Truck. The autobiography chronicles the actor’s turbulent childhood, drug and alcohol abuse, and his numerous brushes with the law—nine of which resulted in jail time.
On a chilly Friday evening inside Godmothers Bookstore, Summerland’s chic new celebrity hotspot, Brolin sat down with fellow ‘80s’ heartthrob and long-time Montecitan Rob Lowe for a candid and honest conversation recorded for Lowe’s podcast – Literally! with Rob Lowe
Flanked by a small audience of guests, including Brolin’s wife Kathryn and
Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, it was clear to see the two handsome performers were no strangers in front of an audience, exuding a quick wit and engaging charm that frequently had the audience erupting in laughter. Sharing passages from his book, Brolin describes his path to self-destruction during his teenage years as a youth growing up in Santa Barbara. A self-described “rich kid on LSD,” he found a sense of belonging with a local band of brothers called the “Cito Rats,” a renowned group who skateboarded and surfed the beaches in Montecito in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. “Compared to everything else around us, it was the best thing going on.” Brolin’s adolescent years went beyond the prototypical teenage angst. He had rage. “Rage fueled by all the self-absorbed parents who would rather chew their respective eyes than bother themselves with children.” Brolin was introduced to drinking at age 8 by his mother. “I was birthed to drink. My mother drank exactly like I did, and I was raised to be a man and drink like the male equivalent of my mother.” Of the 50 or so “rats,” he estimates 37 are dead and 12 or so are in jail.
Brolin’s mother, Jane Agee Brolin was a wildlife activist and assistant casting director. His father is Emmy award winning actor James Brolin, now married to Barbra Streisand. Jane, he says, did the majority of the child rearing while his dad mostly stayed away, working long stints on Hollywood sets or on location. Brolin and his younger
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The doomed queen, Anne Boleyn, is given another look in Estelle Paranque ’s Thorns, Lust and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn. This is an excellent biography which goes into great detail on Boleyn’s early years spent at the French court, and the lasting influence that made her a worthy prize/ wife for King Henry VIII. Paranque does an admirable job digging into the French court and how Anne was used by her father, betrayed by her husband, and ultimately vilified by her country.
In The Close Up by Pip Drysdale, Zoe is a struggling young writer working a day job at a florist while she waits for her writing muse to reappear. Delivering flowers one day she runs into Zach, also known as the one that ghosted her years before and broke her heart. Zach is no longer a neophyte actor, but a full-fledged movie star and he wants Zoe back. Zach confesses he’s being stalked and Zoe seizes on an opportunity to turn his plight into her long-overdue next novel. This one is a slow burn that builds to a propulsive climax, blowing hot like the famous Santa Ana winds of Southern California.
‘The Silent Watcher’
Victor Methos writes a gritty murder mystery, with The Silent Watchers set on and off the Vegas strip. Piper Danes is a guardian ad litem for vulnerable
by Leslie Zemeckis
youths. Her latest charge is a 15-yearold survivor of a gruesome serial killer. Detective Lazarus Holloway believes the murder of the girl’s family is the work of the “Creeper” who struck years before in a similar fashion. This looks like book #1 in a series pairing Danes and Holloway, and let’s hope so. This book is a “creepy” thrill.
‘The Hitchcock Hotel’
Fi lm fans will love Stephanie Wrobel’s
The Hitchcock Hotel – set in an eerie Hitchcockian inn whose proprietor gives off a whiff of Norman Bates. When he invites his old college tormentors for a weekend of fun, a body is sure to turn up, and when it does it is a jaw dropping surprise. This is a fun, suspenseful read.
Iwas both blown away and inspired by Blues in Stereo: The early works of Langston Hughes. The book was curated by Danez Smith, who brings thoughtful insights into what formed the Harlem Renaissance poet, novelist and playwright. Hughes “pointed his words at his people,” lovingly celebrating Black lives and struggles at a time when, as Smith
writes, “That love was largely rejected.” This is a treasure trove of wisdom for all.
‘Carson the Magnificent’
He has been off the air for over thirty years and dead for twenty years, and yet the maestro of late-night T.V. is an enigma wrapped in a mystery still. Bill Zehme with Mike Thomas brings a fan’s eye to the ups and downs of a storied career in Carson the Magnificent – and a bygone era we will never see again.
‘The Last One’
I n her new “romantasy” novel The Last One, Rachel Howzell Hall writes a strong female protagonist into a fantasy world filled with “unnatural beasts” and a “desolate land of sickness.” Kai wakes up in the woods with no memory of who she is or how she got there. Hall’s kingdom of Vinevridth is richly painted, and not just for the Young Adult reader.
‘The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt’
Harriet has been abandoned by her abusive father and left in a crumbling Victorian mansion in London in Chelsea Iversen’s The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt. The magical garden surrounding Harriet’s home seems to always be listening and watching, especially after a nosey policeman starts asking questions, implying Harriet is responsible for her father’s disappearance. To protect herself, Harriet rashly agrees to marry a handsome stranger whose change in behavior brings the garden fully to life. This one leans towards the gothic, and I loved it.
‘The Champagne Letters’
Alight bubbly read is The Champagne Letters, a historical fiction by Kate MacIntosh. In 1805 the widow Clicquot is learning how to build her empire; despite the threat of Napoleon’s wars and society’s prejudice that a woman cannot run a business. Cut to modern day Natalie Taylor, a divorcee escaping to Paris who finds herself entwined with a charming, mysterious French man and inspired by the letters of Madame Clicquot. A perfect escape read.
31 December 2024
8:30 PM - 1:30 AM
Step into a world of enchanting allure as Rosewood Miramar Beach presents Le Bal Cristal en Rouge – a captivating new chapter of our annual New Year ’ s Eve tradition. For its third year, we ’ ve reimagined the night with a daring crimson twist, inviting you to ignite the night and lose yourself in the magic of Miramar. Under the adorned collection of Baccarat chandeliers, celebrants commemorate and toast the arrival of a new year as we take you through an unforgettable evening of passion, elegance, and electric energy of expecting the unexpected.
For booth seating, tickets and more information, please visit our website or email our team at Miramar.NYE@rosewoodhotels.com or call us at 805.900.8388
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by Jeff Wing
Awintry evening and you are momentarily alone. Your friends will be by soon to collect you. You’re all headed to starry Coast Village Road, where your lovely gang will walk, arms linked, straight into the welcoming embrace of the lamplit Lower Village. For now, though, you’re lost in reflection. December. Another year! Cupping your hands around a warm mug and leaning against the mantelpiece, the dancing flames lull you into a reverie of contentment. Luxuriating in the fragrant crackling of hickory and maple, you take a sip of mulled wine. The decorative little cinnamon stick pokes you in the peeper, aromatic spices coating your eyeball with sudden, agonizing fire. In an instant you are a pain-maddened marionette. Your friends arrive amid shared, musical laughter – and are silenced at the sight of you through the window, waving your arms and lurching about the room with your mouth open. A half hour later you are all gamboling down Coast Village Road, laughing and singing, your right eye as hideously swollen as that of a prizefighter. What’s not to love? And what will you find in this cozy Lower Village lovefest? Here are some educated guesses.
Aquarius Cocktail — Lissa Zwahlen Thoeny grew up in Texas and Colorado, spent some time at the storied Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in NYC, gigged at Quicksilver (where she helped create the iconic Roxy brand), and was VP at Mossimo, eventually gathering her chops and CV – heading to SoCal to seek the freedom that would allow her to wield the genuine knockout simplicity that animates her designs. Hence AqC – a mélange of resurrected vintage, supple murmuring tees, and a host of mellow stealth accoutrements. Skip lithely up the stairs at 1151 #2 Coast Village Road and you will likely find Lissa in her lair; a functional, color-filled grotto where washed silks and elemental coastal couture combine to produce the unbuttoned west coast as wardrobe. Zwahlen Thoeny has been through the art-and-commerce fashion ringer. At this time she is distilling all that experiential whirlwind into elemental, elevated casualwear you want on your person. Her CVR walkup augments her shop in downtown L.A.
Though at a glance it looks like a tastefully glittering brick and mortar jewelry destination, Silverhorn Jewelers is in fact more like a genteel foundry. No, not the sort of foundry where molten metals are poured in their thousands of gallons from enormous
fiery ladles amid a rain of sparks. Walk into Silverhorn and you’ll be in the momentarily calming presence of brilliant stones and metals that once abided in the Earth but have now, though the alchemy of deep expertise and ... love? … been made whole – as stunningly unique, deliriously gorgeous jewelry alive with light and energy. Pan left and you’ll see something just as wondrous. Silverhorn Jewelers is a working design studio. Behind a glass partition, head designer Noel Bendle and goldsmith/stone setter Darby Farmer are hunched like microsurgeons over cluttered workbenches that speak to the unfettered human craftsmanship that once defined the dear artisanal world of making. You needn’t wonder how Silverhorn achieves its heart-seizing effects. Peek through the glass. These people create jewelry. Carole and Michael Ridding launched their enterprise in 1976 Colorado, decamping to Montecito in 1986. Today their award-winning designers and goldsmiths attract an international clientele. And you.
Daniel Gibbings came to his exquisite craft in rather a roundabout way – a hodgepodge of experiential exploration, the courage of youth, an inborn love of jewelry design, and a finalizing leap across “the pond” that separates the beautifully settled Old World from the inspiringly open-ended new one. Link bracelets, gossamer-like gold lattice, hewn rings whose gemstones blaze with subterranean heat – Gibbings fashions the mineral spirit of the home planet into indescribable, wearable wonder. Working exclusively with stones verifiably not mined in nefarious conflict zones, favoring pure silver and 22 karat gold – Daniel shapes heirloom-quality art, each and every hand-formed Gibbings piece the only one in the world. If you’re into that kind of thing.
If looking for the kind of antique and estate jewelry that can become a family heirloom, then Belrose Estate Jewelers has you covered with its range of transparent, sustainable, and timeless bejeweled artworks woven with gems, exotic metals and historic elegance. If you feel at home in their company, it’s likely because of the family service one would expect from a second and third generation father-daughter
timidly request?” Furnishings, jewelry, unique home décor – if you’ve ever wondered where a black cotton poet blouse and Astier De Villatte Adelaide pitcher might cohabit, wonder no more. Stop in and just try to describe the experience. Better yet, do the mesmerizing Maison K meander and travel the far-flung byways you’ve only imagined. World traveler and tireless enthusiast Kimberly Hayes has only deepened her curative intuitions over these 22 years, making her your globe-hopping personal shopper. Many strenuously eclectic places flatter themselves with the adjective “uncategorizable.” The wonderfully startling Maison K should be pictured next to the word in the dictionary.
Having planted their Coast Village flag in distant 1984, it’s tempting to call Peregrine Galleries a stalwart, but that summons an image – staid, reliable, staunch – that scarcely describes the deliciously kaleidoscopic Peregrine, and neither the living art piece that is owner Marlene Vitanza . When she and her dear pal, the late Jim, moved all the way out here from New Jersey in ‘71, they had a sort of open floor plan for their shared life of art and adventurism.
Their having found each other already struck the whimsical couple as bluechip kismet. On arrival in the Golden State, they soon followed their hearts, opening a gallery in SB, and nine years later the current Peregrine Galleries on Coast Village Rd. What does Peregrine offer, besides a spirit-lifting reminder that there are still Marlene Vitanzas in this increasingly monochrome world? Well, to quote Peregrine themselves: “Vintage Jewelry and California Plein Air Paintings. Chanel, Miriam Haskell, Taxco Silver (Spratling, Antonio, Matilda, Hector Aguilar, Los Castillos), Weiss, Eisenberg, Jensen, Don Lucas, Hermès, Native American, Turquoise, Renoir/Matisse and Bakelite.” As if that answers the question. I supposed just saying “Chanel and Bakelite” would suffice. Peregrine’s inimitable range of offerings is completely the proprietor’s doing. She loves things, acquires them, and takes joy in your discovering her discovery. You know what Marlene says: “Vintage doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be Fabulous.” The move from Jersey seems to be going well.
One might describe jewelry fabulist Gorjana as emblematic of the American Dream – having begun as an exciting leap of faith on the floor of a young couple’s
Holidays Page 364
DREAMY DAYS ON THE MTN ARE COMING!
SKI/SNOWBOARD RENTALS AND DEMOS TUNEUPS AND WAXES
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Laguna Beach apartment in 2004. In 2007, Gorjana and Jason Reidel managed to ease themselves into a tiny studio/fulfillment center in Laguna Canyon, and it would be far flung 2016 before the couple had the means to open their first shop. One can just imagine the excitement; which seems to have been nationally contagious. At this writing the Gorjana site’s store locator has a Browse by Region tool for finding which of their 50 shops is within biking distance of your U.S.
abode. But Gorjana and Jason have always had a soft spot for Montecito, and in 2021 made their dream move to our enchanted village. Relaxed, subtly compelling, “everyday jewelry” is their forte, glowing bijouterie designed to be mixed, mingled, and stacked. Catering to devoted acolytes of both fine and fashion jewelry, Gorjana has the stones, metals, alluring designs, and range of price points to delight the array of seekers and fans who have turned a Laguna Beach apartment floor into a sunstruck, California-infused empire. Do stop in and support these plucky kids.
Homer Montecito in the Lower Village may be just the most recent chapter in one man’s saga, and that is our good fortune. When a college student in Arkansas named Terry Pillow took a job to work his way through school, the Fates paused their hand of poker and gave the sitch their full attention. Pillow’s college gig was at Browning and White, a men’s clothing store in Conway, Arkansas. Working the sales floor at a time the Leisure Suit was in the ascendant, Pillow – possibly tormented by the very idea of polyester – found himself drawn inexorably to seersucker, houndstooth, and the whole boundless universe of fine attire. Whatever bug bit him at Browning and White, let the record show that from there Terry Pillow climbed into the upper reaches of fashion like a caffeinated Spiderman©: Neiman-Marcus, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Coach. In 2016 the CEO of Tommy Bahama, our Terry, retired. The man knew what he wanted, and in short order so did we. Homer Montecito trades in functional, handmade leather goods with sensory seduction. Deeply traditional leathercraft marries a modern design aesthetic to produce elegant leather goods available nowhere else. These one-of-a-kind fine leather goods are that increasingly rare phenom – functional objects of rare beauty and feel that you need only purchase once for a lifetime of distinct, and increasing, pleasure. Unlike that fancy fridge you bought last year, a Homer becomes more and more you with the passing years. Let’s see your Subzero 48” PRO Refrigerator/Freezer do that.
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community, but one that can also turn hostile and destructive – he turned it into a radio play with incidental music. Then realizing that two of his cast members were actually theatrical singers, he wrote a couple of songs for the show, including a wedding march for the golem, and a theme for his unfortunate bride.
“I call it a half-fledged musical,” Nadis said.
The story finds the heroine tricked by the golem’s lawyer father into marrying the creature, here a simpleton with the mind of a child who can understand language but only grunt and growl in response. She then becomes instrumental in his demise once the creature starts running amok and turning into a gangster, an adolescent autonomous agent, Nadis said.
Adding to the fun is the radio play experience of sound effects, many played live by multi-instrumentalist Jim Connolly, the owner of the Piano Kitchen, where I Married a Golem! performs on December 1. The over-the-top excesses of the tale come from its origins.
“Using puppets at first freed me up to get pretty goofy with it and made it more fun,” he said.
The klezmer music sets the piece in a shtetl and adds an upbeat feel. But Golem isn’t just jokes and silliness by any stretch, as it leans more toward dark or absurdist humor.
“There’s some kind of strange resonance with the idea of a golem right now, at least for me,” Naris said. “Hopefully it’ll have some similar echoes for the people who see it.”
Plus, everyone gets to enjoy a free cup of borscht before the show.
I Married a Golem! play at 4 pm on December 1 at the Piano Kitchen, 430 Rose Ave. Tickets ($15) are available at the door.
Does Santa Barbara really need another performance of The Nutcracker? What with the long-running productions from Festival Ballet (December 14-15 at the Arlington) and State Street Ballet (December 21-22 at the Granada) – both of which feature large casts, special guest stars and a live orchestra – plus myriad one-offs from several smaller dance schools for kids as young as pre-K, is there really a reason for more Sugar Plum Fairies, Claras, kitchen devices and creatures come to life scurrying to Tchaikovsky’s classic score?
In a word, when it comes to Dorrance Dance – Absolutely! Tap superstar choreographer/dancer Michelle Dorrance, a frequent visitor to Santa Barbara courtesy of UCSB Arts & Lecture, performed here last year with ballet superstar
Tiler Peck and a troupe of the best dancers in America in a wildly divergent evening of mixed styles that elicited the most raucous response from a dance audience I’ve ever seen. Now, the superstar tap choreographer/dancer is bringing her 2019 take on The Nutcracker to town, a vibrant version of this beloved holiday classic unlike anything we’ve ever seen. The show uses Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s extraordinary reinterpretation of The Nutcracker Suite as the soundtrack for a tap-filled spectacular boasting boogies, slides, struts, swing moves and dives to turn the fantastical Christmas adventure into a joyful, decidedly American, urban, inclusive and joyful romp.
Along the way, Dorrance and co-choreographers Hannah Heller and Josette Wiggan shift the Sugar Plum Fairy into a slinky Sugar Rum Cherry, the “March of the Toy Soldiers” becomes a swinging “Peanut Brittle Brigade,” “Waltz of the Flowers,” evolves into “Danse of the Floreadores,” and Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Reed Flutes” transforms into “Toot Toot Tootie Toot.” Sans much miming and extended scenes, the whole thing wraps up in a highly energetic 65 minutes.
Dorrance’s Nutcracker at the Arlington on December 5 will be preceded by a free holiday party on the plaza at 5 pm coinciding with 1st Thursday. Events include performances from Santa Barbara Revels and the UCSB Jazz Ensemble, plus light installations and free apple cider. Details at https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu.
Livingston Taylor is just two years younger than his famous rock star brother James, and two years behind him in launching his solo singer-songwriter career. Both have written truly memorable songs, including early efforts about growing up in North Carolina, although both returned to their native Boston area early in adulthood and still maintain homes on Martha’s Vineyard. James and Livingston sing in the same register and have similar vocal tone, but of course James is a household name who would instantly sell out the Santa Barbara Bowl were he to return to perform at the venue, while Livingston settles for sharing a double bill with literary singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III at the Lobero. Such are the vagaries of pop music life.
It was Jon Landau, who a few years later became Bruce Springsteen’s producer and manager, who pushed Livingston to sign with Macon, Georgia’s Capricorn Records back in 1970, just a year after Landau had raved about James’ debut album on the Beatles’ Apple label in Rolling Stone magazine. Landau also produced Livingston’s self-titled debut, which contained “Carolina Day,” with its references to his family (“Brother James is becoming a star”), although “Lost in the Love of You” was the album’s lush romantic treat.
Livingston’s subsequent records have featured minor Billboard hits in love songs “I Will Be in Love With You,” “First Time Love,” and “I’ll Come Running,” and over the course of his half-century-plus career, he’s released more than 20 albums in total, mostly self-penned songs but also some well-chosen covers as Taylor proved adept at selecting songs to sing. Since 1989 he’s also been teaching stage performance at the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston, sharing his road readiness with the eager young students.
All of this is to suggest that on December 5 at the Lobero, checking out Livingston Taylor – who still performs close to 100 shows a year at age 74 – is likely something you won’t regret. And Wainwright never fails to elicit chuckles, sardonic smiles and warm appreciation. Tickets at www. lobero.org.
Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage
The home offers a functional open floor plan, flowing effortlessly from room to room and out onto the scenic terraces and manicured gardens. The luxurious primary suite provides tranquil seclusion and includes a re-envisioned private bathroom.
Additional highlights of the home include a chef’s kitchen and a dining room / great room, that collectively enjoy natural light and panoramic vistas of the property’s lush landscaping. This location really is central to everything and the home sits on a low traffic street, surrounded by mostly more expensive homes, all within the Cold Spring School District.
840 Riven Rock Road – $6,995,000
Set in a serene, old-world Montecito setting with mature oak trees and glimpses of the ocean and Channel Islands, this reimagined contemporary estate combines a popular, timeless style with a modern and refined touch. Set on a sun-drenched 1.17-acre lot, this 4-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home enjoys a coveted Riven Rock address, just two miles from the vibrant shops and restaurants of Coast Village Road and Montecito’s Upper Village.
Framed by sculptural oaks, sandstone walls, and artfully designed walkways, the property showcases clean, contemporary architecture (hello art collectors). Expansive windows and high ceilings flood the interiors with natural light, creating seamless indoor-outdoor living spaces. Enjoy privacy and tranquility while being steps away from scenic hiking trails and surrounded by other equally and more expensive homes and estates… all within the Montecito Union School District.
2267 Featherhill Road – $7,250,000
This traditional Mediterranean home was built in 2002 and rests on just under an acre on a less travelled street in the lovely Romero Canyon neighborhood, within
the Montecito Union School District. The estate combines timeless grandeur and style with the luxury of a modern built home. The interior spaces blend warmth and sophistication with thoughtful architectural details, while the expansive outdoor spaces provide endless relaxing, dining, and entertaining options.
Boasting a rare dual primary suite configuration, (a main floor primary suite, complemented by an ocean-view second primary sanctuary upstairs), the residence offers flexibility for modern living. There are four additional bedrooms, a richly appointed wood-paneled office, and formal living room and dining room alongside an inviting family room. Completing this offering is a charming one-bedroom guest house, with a full kitchen, living area, and large private patio.
207 Eucalyptus Hill Drive – $8,900,000
This serene and elegant Mediterranean estate welcomes you with a magical Spanish-style courtyard, and the home is surrounded by lush gardens. Bathed in natural light, this single-story residence offers an open floor plan with refined interiors and exteriors. Complete with five bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms, the home is thoughtfully divided into two distinct wings and features spacious living, dining, and great rooms. Enjoy vaulted ceilings with chandeliers and a newly remodeled chef’s kitchen that features a large island and a butler’s pantry. Bi-fold doors throughout the home seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor living.
The luxurious primary suite is complete with a large closet, an office, and an en-suite bathroom with a large glass window overlooking the garden. The backyard features a fire pit and lawn, perfect for outdoor gatherings. Additionally, the home is equipped with a state-of-the-art smart home system. The recent remodel included many upgrades, such as a new roof and HVAC systems. This estate is in a great location, near to both the Upper and Lower villages in Montecito, as well as being just over the hill from Santa Barbara.
Mark and his wife, Sheela Hunt, are real estate agents. His family goes back nearly 100 years in Santa Barbara.
Mark’s grandparents – Bill and Elsie Hunt – were Santa Barbara real estate brokers for 25 years.
by Robert Bernstein
You have probably heard of educator Salman Khan and his Khan Academy. I recently attended a talk he gave for UCSB.
Khan had been a hedge fund analyst. A good family man, he wanted to help his cousin Nadya with her math back in 2004. He tutored her over the phone and was able to bring her up to grade level.
Nadya had been placed on the “dummy track” for math, where she might be stuck for the rest of her school years. Khan called the school and convinced them to let Nadya retake the placement test. She indeed was then moved to the smart kids track.
Khan’s point: Most kids are like Nadya. They are not dummies. But they missed some key pieces of understanding, and they ended up with gaps. The educational system is set up to keep students moving along with their age cohort, with no regard to whether learning has happened. It is more about testing and tracking than about actual learning.
Khan noted that, in ancient times, education was reserved for the few. Alexander the Great had Aristotle as his personal teacher. Perhaps we could all be Great with that kind of learning? But the Industrial Revolution created our system of mass education, and little has changed since then.
Historian Michel Foucault noted, “Is it surprising that the cellular prison, with its regular chronologies, forced labor, its authorities of surveillance and registration, its experts in normality, who continue and multiply the functions of the judge, should have become the modern instrument of penalty? Is it surprising that […] factories, schools, barracks, hospitals, all resemble prisons?”
Khan went on to help 10-15 cousins and friends. It was hard to keep up with demand, so he began recording his lessons as YouTube videos. His cousins said they actually preferred his videos to him in person. They could pause the videos, repeat bits and speed up other bits. He was surprised to discover that thousands of other people were benefiting from his videos.
He quit his profitable day job and created the Khan Academy as a nonprofit. He got funding to create and organize more videos on a wide range of topics.
But there are still times when a tutor would help. He wondered if the new
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools might help. Most educators were in a panic that these AI tools would create powerful new ways for students to cheat. Khan had a different idea.
With funding from the Gates Foundation he was able to create an interface for ChatGPT called Khanmigo. If a student asks Khanmigo for an answer, Khanmigo gently explains it won’t do that. But it will coach the student how to solve the problem, using the Socratic Method.
For the past 100 years there have been attempts to create “teaching machines” to automate teaching, and most have failed. But this time may be different.
Khan’s teaching methods have also led to the idea of the “flipped classroom.” Normally, a teacher stands in front of the class, repeating a lesson. The students then go home to do homework. The flipped classroom inverts this. Students do their “homework” before class by watching videos of lessons. Then they attend class with a human teacher who helps them solve problems interactively.
Preliminary evidence is that the outcomes from the flipped classroom are only slightly better than with the standard model. But student satisfaction is higher.
Khan’s central visionary belief is that almost all students can achieve mastery if some human and/or AI is there to fill in the missing gaps of knowledge. This is a revolutionary change in how we think about our society and how everyone can have a place. As a Star Trek fan, I was delighted when Khan ended his talk with reference to Star Trek economics. An economics of abundance for all.
I will add one more education thought: I was sometimes privileged to travel with my research biologist father. I missed school, but often learned more from the travel. We spend over $23,000/year per student in California. Perhaps part of that could be for travel?
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
by Melissa Petitto
Have you tried the fruit from Penryn Orchards Specialties? Wow! The Bosc pears they have in right now are absolutely delicious! There are so many varietals of pears ranging from Bartlett to Comice to Concorde to Durondeau to Anjou –and these come in reds, greens, and browns. A pear contains folate, Vitamin A, and Niacin, which is important for cellular function, energy production, skin health, and wound healing. The skin of the pear is so nutritious, containing six times more polyphenols than the flesh of the pear. The mineral copper is rich in pears, which aids in metabolizing cholesterol and maintaining healthy nerve function. Copper also supports the immune system. Potassium is also found in pears, and helps with heart function and muscle contractions. This fruit is a great source of soluble and insoluble fiber as well, making it wonderful for our gut health. Pectin is found in pears and has been shown to not only aid in our gut and immune health, but also help with constipation. Pears are an incredible anti-inflammatory fruit, they contain not only copper, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K, but are a great source of flavonoid antioxidants, all of which help to combat chronic inflammation. These flavonoids are also known to help reduce the risk of certain cancers. The fiber content in all types of pears may help reduce the risk of diabetes, as well as keeping you feeling full and satisfied. Let’s make a simple and healthy baked pear that will be an incredible addition to any holiday menu.
Yield: 4 Servings
4 small to medium firm Bosc or Bartlett pears
2 teaspoons coconut oil, melted
3 tablespoons coconut sugar or raw cane sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 scoops coconut vanilla ice cream
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease (I like coconut oil) a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
2. Halve pears through the stem and remove the core with a small spoon (a measuring spoon works great!). Place the pears cut side up in your baking dish.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. Pour evenly over the pears.
4. Flip the pears over so they are cut side down and transfer to the preheated oven.
5. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, uncovered, until a knife slides in and out easily.
6. Remove from the oven, carefully flip the pears over and transfer back to the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes or until lightly caramelized.
7. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
and wellness.
that’s not there. It’s a combination of music, song, poetry, and spiritual reflection. We can hold those people in our hearts and not just mourn them but celebrate their lives.
MJ. And you’re doing it with the community, not just doing it by yourself.
CC. It’s part of the healing process. We do need individual time, and then we need the time with our family. But there’s something about being there with dozens of other families, and each person is putting a star on the tree. You’re able to see that sharing things that are deeply personal, but doing it with a community, can lift us up higher than if we’re just doing it by ourselves.
MJ. Each experience is different, but there’s still so much overlap. You’re not alone.
CC. Absolutely. And in a time where people feel increasingly isolated, it feels important to take that step to come together.
MJ. What does Light Up a Life mean for you personally?
CC. I lost my father in my late 20s and became very close with my mom. She unexpectedly passed during a medical procedure where we weren’t expecting it to be life threatening. Now my mom and I weren’t able to just get in the car and go get those pastrami sandwiches we’d been talking about. So my community of friends rallied around me.
It’s a huge thing to lose those central figures in our lives. So Light Up a Life became a very special opportunity for me to hang up a star. And we actually now have a digital tree. It’s super easy to put up a photo of your loved one on this digital tree.
So I’ll take this photo of my mom from when she was young and vivacious and full of life. It’s not just about mourning – it’s about a heartfelt remembrance. I’m never going to forget her. And I don’t want her to be forgotten. There’s something about putting her name on the tree, or doing the digital star, that really feels like she’s being lifted up, if that makes any sense.
MJ. It’s hard to articulate those kinds of things into words. You’re having an emotional, spiritual connection that transcends the physical world.
CC. Yeah, it’s not about writing my mom’s name and hanging it on a tree. There’s a feeling that you are connecting to something that’s a bit beyond yourself. It feels like you’re doing a small ceremony at a time in our society where we’ve lost most of the meaning of our ceremonies. There’s something about the power of ceremony. Every year I’m taking a thoughtful, intentional moment to stamp my mom in time again.
MJ. Instead of feeling like a passive observer, you’re exerting agency. What do you think the long-term effects of an event like this are?
CC. When people with this particular shared experience gather, there’s a real closeness and intimacy. And in a way, it’s kind of like people belong to the club. That creates a really cool, intimate camaraderie for the people who attend. It’s those kinds of ties that really help make a community a special place to live.
Do you have someone you want to remember? (courtesy photo)
MJ. People can take for granted those kind of bonds. They’re fragile. They’re not guaranteed to always be there. You need to take active steps to keep those community bonds going strong.
CC. That’s exactly right. It binds the community together in a healthy way. And it allows them to think about their own life differently, so that they hopefully can live a little truer to their core, because they know that we only have this time on earth.
MJ. Light Up a Life can be such a layered experience. You’re honoring lost loved ones, but also celebrating life. The fact that we got to experience this person at all is a joy.
CC. Half the work we do is about things that are sad, and things that we mourn, but the other half of work is about living, love, and laughing.
MJ. Speaking of that, Lois Mahalia will be playing.
CC. This year Lois will be singing for longer at the Montecito event, before the talking program happens. It’s a more robust version, and we’ve curated it specifically for Montecito.
MJ. Lois, are you excited to be singing for Light Up a Life again?
Lois Mahalia (LM). It was always a beautiful experience, and it’s very moving for me. It’s a special event, and I’m grateful that I’ve gotten called to be a part of it again. My father passed away in 2021 so I think this will be extra special for that too.
MJ. I’m sorry. Do you feel that this time singing will be a different experience for you?
LM. I definitely feel like it’ll be a little more emotional. But music is always emotional, and it’s beautiful because it helps heal what we’re going through.
MJ. Music can give you permission to tap into those feelings.
LM. Exactly. Music gets through to everybody because it’s a physical connection that we can’t explain. People are allowed to sort of feel what they feel. I think that’s what music does: it helps us get through what we need to get through. It makes us connected – because we are.
MJ. Do you enjoy these community events?
LM. I’m always involved in something community wise. I just recorded with Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald for the Unity Telethon. I feel special. It’s a nice thing to be a part of it and I think it’s beautiful.
MJ. Giving your time and your love is a great way to strengthen your community.
LM. Exactly. It’s like relationships, right? We work at it; we give and we take.
Both Charles and Lois agree that it all comes back to community, and how we individuals are an integral part of it. In the end, Charles sums up perfectly why Light Up a Life is so important:
“Every step we take – to be daring enough to say that death is real, that grief is real, and that the journey can actually enrich, teach us, and empower our lives; not just make us sad or scared – can open doors for people who might get an idea that they don’t have to close off. It’s the awareness that leads people to the preciousness of life.”
Light Up a Life will take place at the Upper Village Corner Green (corner of San Ysidro & E. Valley Road) on Thursday, December 5th at 5 pm, with the free ceremony lasting about 45 minutes. Come by for cookies, treats, refreshments, music, guest speakers, and the lighting of the memorial tree. And enjoy a special set by Lois Mahalia , who’s latest album, Chasing the Sun , is available on all streaming platforms.
Christopher Matteo Connor is a writer and filmmaker. When he isn’t writing, watching movies, and working on projects, you can be sure he’s somewhere enjoying a big slice of vegan pizza.
by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
More than 170 high school students and their families attended Affording Your College Dream, a community event that explores the best ways low-income students can fund a college education. The annual event, hosted by Westmont in partnership with several county education initiatives, included Resilience, Education, Adventure, Community and Health (REACH), Program for Effective Access to College (PEAC), Mission Scholars, the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, and Santa Barbara Unified School District.
Denise Alvarado, executive director of elementary education for SBUSD, served as keynote speaker, sharing her story as a Mexican immigrant and English learner.
“The event was intentionally bilingual, ensuring that all families could fully engage in the experience and feel welcomed by Westmont’s hospitality,” says Araceli Espinoza, Westmont assistant director of admissions, guest and community relations. “It was an inspiring gathering that brought together community leadership with a shared vision to provide opportunities for the next generation of leaders.”
Twenty students received their Westmont admission letters during the event, which included lunch and a campus tour.
Westmont has become an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution with more than 23% of students identifying as Latino or Hispanic. The designation is a result of local partnerships, improved outreach efforts, and the addition of several key college employees.
Westmont students Josef Bingener (‘25) and Ethan Camp (’27) have participated in a novel nuclear physics experiment with Professor Robert Haring-Kaye. They traveled to Florida State University (FSU) to study the structural properties of an exotic isotope of gallium (72Ga) that survives for only a few hours before decaying to a different isotope.
“We’re interested in studying this nucleus since little is known experimentally about its shape and structure,” says Haring-Kaye, professor of physics at Westmont. “Contemporary theoretical calculations predict that it could be significantly more deformed (non-spherical) than its neighboring gallium isotopes. Thus, this case study could provide a unique test of state-of-the-art theoretical predictions.”
Westmont Page 464
brother Jess spent their early years on a ranch in Paso Robles, surrounded by wolves, cougars, and other wild animals his mother raised. After his parents divorced, his mother moved the family to Santa Barbara, where soon Brolin met his angry adolescent counterparts. “This was the beginning of a whole new era of angry. Adolescent LSD explorers spearheaded by the beginning of the cocaine phase that none of us would be able to afford and all of us would steal, fight, and f*** rich old ladies for.”
For Brolin, acting came out of desperation after being kicked out of his house as a teenager for his reckless behavior. “I missed 36 out of 56 days of school at Santa Barbara High.”
With no acting experience under his belt, he made up a fake resume which included stage work at Santa Barbara’s “Lobero Theatre,” slept on his dad’s couch in L.A. and went on 350 auditions before landing the role of Brandon Walsh on The Goonies, directed by visionary filmmaker, Steven Spielberg
Lowe led the evening’s conversation with a confident grasp of the book’s themes, referencing the challenges of writing something so personal where family members are a large part of the storyline. He related to Brolin’s experiences with a present but misguided mother and an absent father.
But Brolin said he sees his life in “vignettes,” and told the audience that he did not feel victimized in any way but acknowledged he grew up in a “chaotic vortex.”
Lowe described the book as “impressionistic.” “I knew immediately this was going to be a special book.”
The book’s title, Under the Truck , is a reference to a boyfriend of Brolin’s mother – the gentleman having talked the teenaged Brolin into a drinking challenge at a local bar. Warned by his mother – “you don’t want to do that” – Brolin emerged victorious
when the boyfriend was later found with his legs sticking out from under a truck.
Brolin, who has struggled with alcoholism most of his life, said his final “come to Jesus” moment came 11 years ago when he showed up drunk at his 99-year old grandmother’s hospital room. That was when he had an epiphany that he had to turn his life around.
The producer, director, and writer’s introspective life accounts are courageous and unabashed. His literary endeavor has received praise from actor Matthew McConaughey, whose poetic words grace the book’s back cover.
“Josh Brolin’s out to catch his breath between the slant-eyed suggestions and irrefutable evidence of his past. He hears voices, and he listens, reminding us with brutal honesty that our surroundings were never there to be carried, rather woven into the fabric of the freedom to be who we are.”
The book is available at Godmothers, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
Aging might seem like a slow, steady march, but science suggests otherwise. Researchers have found that human aging doesn’t just creep up on us – it leaps forward at two distinct moments in life: the mid-40s and the early 60s.
Michael Snyder, a geneticist at Stanford University, and his team conducted a groundbreaking study that reveals these shifts are far from subtle, occurring across nearly every biological system. By tracking 108 adults over several years, they uncovered fascinating patterns.
Their participants submitted biological samples regularly, offering an unprecedented dataset that included RNA, proteins, lipids, and microbiome taxa from the gut, skin, nose, and mouth. The results? More than 246 billion data points highlight changes across 135,239 biological features.
The data revealed two sharp peaks in molecular changes: one in the mid-40s and another in the early 60s. Around 81% of the molecules studied showed significant shifts during one or both of these stages, indicating that these are not isolated phenomena but major biological turning points.
The first aging peak in the mid-40s affects processes like lipid, caffeine, and alcohol metabolism. It’s also linked to increased risk for cardiovascular issues and dysfunction in the skin and muscles.
While menopause and perimenopause might seem like the culprits for women, the researchers found that men undergo comparable changes at the same age. This suggests broader biological factors at play.
The second peak in the early 60s brings changes related to carbohydrate metabolism, immune regulation, kidney function, and skin and muscle health. These shifts come at a time when many people are already grappling with the visible and invisible signs of aging.
The team’s findings align with existing research on aging in animals, including rats, mice, and zebrafish, which also show stepwise patterns of biological aging. The parallels suggest that humans might share a universal aging process with other species.
Understanding these distinct aging peaks isn’t just fascinating – it has realworld implications. If scientists can pinpoint the molecular changes driving these shifts, they might develop interventions to slow down or mitigate aging-related health risks. For instance, by addressing changes in lipid metabolism or immune regulation during these critical windows, we could potentially extend both lifespan and healthspan.
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What was your time to finish the race? I drove the entire time, and it took 23 hours and 12 minutes. However, we had an hour of downtime to weld a component on the truck and then the episode of going around the truck that had flipped, so it would have been 22 hours.
The MJ also lending a few nods to David Ausserbauer, 30, Santa Barbara, who placed 8th riding a Honda CRF450X with his teammates Ryan Liebelt, 44, Reedley, CA; Shane Shorno, 35, Discovery Bay, CA; Jason Alosi, 40, Reno, NV; JD Triffon, 41, Sanger, CA. They finished the race in 21:05:27 (40.97 mph).
411: https://thefactoryracing.com/
Vistas Lifelong Learning organization held its annual Margerum Distinguished Speaker Program featuring Dr. Joel Rothman, at the Music Academy, Montecito, on Thursday, November 21. The event co-chairs were Leslie White and Jill Breedon
The program, entitled “Extending Healthy Lifespan: Promises and Societal Challenges of Longevity Science,” was sold out at standing room only. Rothman has been involved in longevity research for 32 years at three universities, UCSB, University of Wisconsin and University of Auckland.
The program commenced with a brief welcome and introduction of Rothman by Vistas’ President Robert Benham. He acknowledged supporters Mark and Linda Schwartz and Amy Margerum Berg. Berg provided the grant for this Distinguished Speaker Program in honor of her mother Barbara Margerum, a Vistas member.
Rothman thanked Vistas and Sue Wilcox who was in the audience, as Rothman is the Distinguished Professor and Wilcox Family Chair in Biotechnology at UCSB, and the inaugural Director of the Center for Aging and Longevity Studies. He introduced his grad students Juwel Chandra Baray and Samantha Fiallo, who were there to answer questions during intermission.
Rothman began by postulating that the science on aging is being done at such a rapid pace, he updates his lecture data points the same day he presents them. He stated that research is being conducted at the phase two level in humans preceded by successful studies in animals. For example, the drug rapamycin – which is studied for its use in antiaging – is in phase two clinical trials now.
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by Beatrice Tolan
Bridget Mitchell is a Montecito native living in Los Angeles pursuing a creative career in costume design. From backstage show repairs for recognizable characters to behind-the-scenes Hulu sets to cruise ship performances at sea, there have been diverse adventures in her craft. Mitchell’s achievements speak for themselves in her over decade-long pursuit towards her craft. I asked Mitchell what steps it took to get to her here and what the future holds.
Q. What were the signs in your childhood that you might become a costume designer? Who were the first artists that inspired you?
A. Ever since I was a child, I’ve had a passion for dressing up and using fashion as a form of self-expression. As a shy person, it allowed me to communicate who I was inside. I have always been curious about the world around me, and that curiosity influences my designs. My own “Bridgety” style mixes nature, art, music, and history. Growing up, I expressed myself on harp through compositions and listened to a variety of music genres. When I listen to music while making something, it tends to enhance my focus and put feeling into the work.
Though I was young, in middle school Jodi de Marcos (founder of the
eponymous fashion academy) became my mentor and taught me design, sewing and fabrication. By 2013, I was creating whimsical collections for the annual de Marcos Academy fashion show. One design was a gingham set with a skirt that stood upwards by itself. In high school, I worked as costume assistant for the SBHS theatre and sourced, fitted, styled, and designed costumes for student-run productions, further developing my craft. Some of the finest art instructors I had were Ms. Atwill at Montecito Union, Ms. Pincus at Crane, and Mr. Barnett from VADA at Santa Barbara High School.
My designs are inspired by nature, especially plant and animal species, as well as by ecosystems like coral reefs. For instance, after a Ganna Walska Lotusland visit I designed a water lily dress. I admire the work of designers like Hussein Chalayan, who incorporates technology into fashion. I draw inspiration from art history—surrealism and other 20th-century movements –vintage fashion eras, and films with stunning visuals like Eiko Ishioka’s costumes in The Fall.
What were some valuable lessons art school taught you?
In 2016 I attended OTIS College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. While I gained strong drawing skills, I found their focus on perfection and garment manufacturing limiting. I transferred to Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), a better fit for me. SCAD was a place where creativity and individuality were nurtured, and I switched my major to Production Design for Costumes while minoring in Fashion Design.
The flexibility and collaboration I experienced there, especially during the pandemic, helped my confidence and abilities grow. I even collaborated with students from different majors on several short films.
For my senior costume design project in my last year at SCAD, I chose to design and create a costume from the opera, Turandot by Giacomo Puccini. With thorough research, it is a historically respectful interpretation, tying in its Sasanian origins in Nizami’s Haft Paykar to eliminate racial stereotypes. The story is about a powerful princess who executes suitors to seek revenge for her ancestor’s suffering. In the end, she falls for one man who is able to solve her challenging riddles. It takes place in Ctesiphon, Persia, between 224- 651 CE.
What’s been the most interesting job you’ve worked thus far, any fun stories you’d like to share?
I’ve worked as a Costume Technician on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas , the world’s largest cruise ship at the time. The ship was so big it felt like you were on land – there were 19 decks, a park, a theater, golf course, and even real trees! I was a Costume Technician for three months handling performers’ costume fittings in ice-skating, aqua, and live theatre shows. My favorite aspect was working on the hats, including a Marie Antoinette-inspired wig with a ship on top. I also loved being part of the adrenaline-packed aqua show, where aerialists, acrobats, and high-divers performed. Although exciting, I realized that living on a cruise ship didn’t offer the sense of home and personal connection I value.
What is something unexpected you’ve encountered as a costume designer?
Working in film and TV taught me a lot about the demanding nature of the industry. Extraordinarily long hours and the lack of work-life balance or steady work made me realize that the film world isn’t the right fit for me long-term.
While I’m open to working on smaller projects, I prefer the stability of other costume-related fields, such as costume houses, which supply and store costumes for productions.
Tell us about your current job at Universal Studios, could you give us a glimpse behind the curtain?
Currently, I work at Universal Studios Hollywood as a costume dresser for the theme park’s performing characters. I help with costume repairs, dressing performers, and maintaining costumes, especially in high-traffic venues like Super Nintendo World, Minions, and Transformers. The Nintendo characters can talk, blink and interact with park guests. I’ve also worked as a skilled craft stitcher and distresser for Halloween Horror Nights and Grinchmas, aging clothes and adding weathering effects.
What is a future dream project for you? Looking ahead, I dream of working on projects with more creative freedom, perhaps with smaller companies where I can fully utilize my diverse skill set. I recently worked with Michael Curry Design in Oregon, where I contributed to fabric work for Disney, Cirque du Soleil, and other clients. I love problem-solving in imaginative ways, and I hope to continue growing in this field, whether through future opportunities in theaters, with designers, special effects, music videos, costume houses, or other creative ventures.
See more of Bridget Mitchell’s creations at her website https://bmitch26.wixsite.com/website
building community through unique perspectives and stories.
In his lab at UCSB, there are 37 research groups with over 300 researchers working on the goal of extending a healthy lifespan, which in turn ultimately extends lifespan. Areas of research include AI, drugs, sleep, exercise, food, fasting, dental health impact, alcohol, and other common areas related to excellence in health. Work is being done by Dr. Pradeep Joshi on dietary supplements and Dr. Thomas Weimbs on ketogenic supplemental powders via Santa Barbara Nutrients products. Rothman emphasized that any proven alteration that extends the health lifespan will remove all age-related diseases, not just target one of them.
Of keen importance to Rothman is the research in mice on genetic alterations that have proven to reverse the aging process. Yes, young Jedi, you may live to be 300 and have the health and body of a 30-year-old. Top studies are of methyl tag markers on DNA to study protein interactions with DNA in epigenomics; a handheld app on your phone to check your aging (not photoshop it); and ways to extend the length of the telomeres at the end of our chromosomes to extend cellular life and increase healthy lifespan. Research shows that, “Telomere length can be prevented from shortening by the enzyme Telomerase, which is a protein subunit (hTERT) and an RNA subunit (hTR). This enzyme is active in germline and stem cells and maintains their telomere length by adding ‘TTAGGG’ repeats to the ends of chromosomes. Longer telomeres should mean that cells can divide more often before entering senescence or dying, therefore increasing longevity.” (NIH/PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3370421)
His lab at UCSB just set up a bio-robotic research area to speed up elements of the research, making his longevity center one of the top 10 in the U.S.
In briefly interviewing Rothman during the intermission, he shared that he does intermittent fasting on a 16 hour fast/8 hour eating window daily, takes 1000 mg/day of taurine along with other supplements, does exercise, and partakes of other related antiaging methods. Further, he feels reaching age 150 is doable for all current youth.
Let’s hear it for science fact not fiction, running that marathon and ditching fillers and botox.
411: https://longevity.ucsb.edu www.vistaslifelonglearning.org
Joanne A Calitri is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@ yahoo.com
Using an array of detectors, they identified 72Ga as it relaxed from high to low energy in the nuclear fusion reaction that produced it. A larger group of researchers working on this project joined them at the array, including professors and students from Mississippi State University and FSU. This unique collaboration included researchers from at least five different countries, including Eritrea, Nepal, Nigeria, Indonesia and the United States.
The physics department puts a priority on mentoring student research. In the last four years, professors have supervised 17 summer research internships as well as numerous research projects during the academic year.
The addition of an engineering program and new professors has increased exciting opportunities for physics students. “In particular, we’re focusing on the core of the physics major to prepare students for stellar careers in academia and industry,” says Ben Carlson, assistant professor of physics.
Westmont men’s soccer (12-5-4), the first group of Warriors to make an appearance in a NCAA DII tournament, lost to Cal Poly Pomona, 2-1, in the
Super Region 4 Bracket on Nov. 22 in Wichita Falls, Texas.
The Warriors’ magical run included coming back from a two-goal deficit to defeat Fresno Pacific 3-2 and claim the 2024 PacWest Tournament Championship, the school’s first PacWest Championship title.
The loss in Texas marked the end of the collegiate careers of Miguel Alvarado , Landon Amaral , Brady Highfill, Jonah Houston, Donovan Howet , Jordan Graeme , Connor Lynch, Isaiah Pichon, Michael Stull, and Daniel Tuscano
“Those 10 guys are so unique and so special,” said head coach Morgan Cathey. “What marks them is that every time they have needed to step up, they stepped up. They love the responsibility and taking ownership. They are the most mature group of young men I have ever coached.”
Westmont was among 43 NCAA DII schools that receive Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence, given to colleges that have achieved an Academic Success Rate (ASR) of 90% or higher.
In 2006, the NCAA developed the ASR to track student-athletes’ eligibility, retention, and chances of graduation. Westmont, which earned an ASR of 92%, was one of four colleges from the Pacific West Conference.
socialism. It’s what got him elected as president. He does more than talk the talk, he walks the walk, bravely too. He campaigned with a chainsaw, saying he would cut back the role of Argentina’s big government and turn the country toward free market capitalism and prosperity.
Milei is a charismatic articulate intellectual thoroughly versed in free market economics as founded by the Austrian School of economics. Check out Lex Fridman ’s recent interview of Milei to gain an understanding of what he is all about. It will change your thinking.
In order to tell you about the miracles he has accomplished in Argentina almost overnight, you need to know what was happening in Argentina when he took over.
Argentina had been ruled by socialists and fascist Peronists (including military juntas) since the 1930s and 1940s. They turned a wealthy country into an impoverished, debt-ridden, corrupt state. The socialists, military, and labor unions have worked hand-in-hand to suppress freedoms in order to maintain their power and the corrupt money that flows from it.
When Milei took office a year ago, the poverty rate was 57% of the population and growing. With money printing to pay for deficit spending the inflation rate was 211%, growing at 25% per month and heading toward hyperinflation. Price controls on thousands of products led to food shortages. What food had been available, including formerly plentiful beef, was beyond the reach of poor Argentinians. Rent controls shriveled the rental market. The bureaucracy was huge and accounted for 42% of GDP. Nationalized companies were hemorrhaging money and draining the Argentine treasury – $250 billion left the country despite currency controls. They owed the IMF $42 billion. Things were bad.
Milei started his reforms right away and they are working. He slashed half of the government ministries and laid off 50,000 government workers. By the end of Q1 he cut spending by 40%. In his first nine weeks he achieved the first government surplus in 12 years thus also reducing the burden of corruption on citizens.
Inflation is coming down but it is still high at about an annualized 32%, but with central bank reforms Milei projects it will be down to 18% or less next year. The poverty rate has declined by 11 percentage points to 46%, in large part by taming inflation and removing price controls. Rent controls were lifted doubling the amount of rentals and dramatically reducing rents.
GDP in 2023 was a -1.5%. In Q1 2024 it was -5.4%, but by Q2 it was -1.7% and improving. The declines had to do with the impact of Milei’s radical reforms and Milei warned of this temporary setback. But now they are growing again and the IMF projects 3.5% to 5.0% GDP growth in 2025. He’s not stopping. He’s setting a good example for the rest of the world.
Trump should start with a chainsaw to bring the budget under control. I have my doubts but with Musk and Ramaswamy as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) it is a good start. After all, the idea came directly from Milei’s Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation.
July 24, 1928 – November 3, 2024
Mary Caroline Knudtson Tilton , 96, passed away peacefully November 3, 2024, with son, Peter, and daughter, Jennifer, at her side in Bend, Oregon, her home for the past eight years.
Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota to parents Earl and Catharine Knudtson, Mary graduated from Washburn Senior High School and entered the University of Minnesota where her grandfather, Lotus Delta Coffman, once presided as the fifth president of that university (serving 1920 to 1938). Mary pursued a BA in English Literature and History and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority.
During college, Mary worked two summers in Glacier National Park in Montana, sparking an interest in traveling west. Once graduated, Mary fulfilled her dreams and journeyed west to Santa Barbara, California. Visiting a friend of hers there, she decided to stay.
Mary met her lifelong love, David Tilton, on a blind date set up by a mutual friend. They raised four children in a close-knit equestrian neighborhood in Montecito, California.
Early on, Mary was active in the community, including her involvement with the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital League and others. She also served on the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury and the Santa Barbara County Drug Task force in the 1970s, reaching out to those incarcerated and finding fulfillment in contributing to the betterment of the community.
and was enthralled with marine life. Snorkeling her way around Wailea Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii, she sometimes found herself a little too far out but always managed to safely return to shore for the next exciting event. Her annual trek to the Big Island of Hawaii was their favorite getaway for over 25 years.
Mary is survived by her children Peter Tilton, Jennifer Tansey and her fiancé, Michael Setzer, Michael Tilton and his wife Cecilia , and Catharine White ; eight grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. Mary was predeceased by her husband, David, her parents, Earl and Catharine, her sister, Catharine Larsen, her brother William Knudtson, and her son-in-law, Bruce White.
Mary was a vivacious woman who loved parties and entertaining with her husband David at their home, and oftentimes showed up in the Society Section of the Santa Barbara News Press for their community efforts and gala events. She enjoyed golf at the Valley Club of Montecito, tennis at Knollwood, and playing bridge with friends. Mary loved the ocean
Mary was a loving wife, mother, and friend to those fortunate enough to have known her. A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations in memory of Mary made to Partners In Care Hospice House, 2075 NE Wyatt Court, Bend, Oregon 97701.
Ormand and Shapiro shared happily, “We were friends on Instagram for the longest time, exchanging likes and convo and now we finally got to meet in person for the first time! I also know Montecito Country Mart Manager Kristin Tueffel, and thus the dual pop-up was born! We love to combine our shop items of bracelets and watches for a unique look.” Ormand’s watches are Swiss made with the watch bands designed in California. “laCalifornienne was founded in Los Angeles in 2016. We draw inspiration from the infinite color palettes we see from dusk until dawn and in the magic hour of the California sky.”
Heather Rosenfield and Jenny Belushi [yes that Belushi] are the co-creators of Poppy Marché. Follow them all on Instagram for shop specials and events.
411: @shopbunnyshapiro
@la_californienne @poppy.stores
Friday late afternoon, I deliberately stopped by the Montecito Country Mart to find out the grand opening of Sunspel for you. The store was assembled and finishing touches on the clothing were being done. I spoke with Sunspel Manager Perle Overney, who shared that the grand opening will be Saturday, December 7, from 12-6 pm. Although the store is currently open now, the celebration will be next weekend.
411: @sunspelclothing
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GOODLAND SIGNS; GOODLAND ADA SIGNS, 375 Pine Ave., Suite 20, Goleta, CA, 93117. Paul A Strickland, 375 Pine Ave., Suite 20, Goleta, CA, 93117. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on November 13, 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. 2024-0002657. Published November 28, December 5, 12, 19, 2024
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Palma Catering, 432 E. Haley Suite A, Suite A, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101. Palma Vegan Group, LLC, PO Box 22615, Santa Barbara, CA, 93121. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on November 14, 2024. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk
(SEAL). FBN No. 2024-0002671. Published November 21, 28, December 5, 12, 2024
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
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
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
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 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
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 24CV05813. To all interested parties: Petitioner Corrina Louise Bonham filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to Corrina Louise Gilbert. 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 November 7, 2024 by Preston Frye. Hearing date: December 20, 2024 at 10 am in Dept. 4, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published November 21, 28, December 5, 12, 2024
Invitation to Bid No. 2024-005
Gates & Carport Fire Station 92
The Montecito Fire Protection District hereby invites the submission of sealed bids for:
ITB# 2024-005 – Gates & Carport at Fire Station 92
Bid Opening – Monday December 16, 2024 at 2:15 p m in the conference room at Montecito Fire Station 91, 595 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara.
ITB documents may be viewed on the Montecito Fire Protection District (MFPD) website at www.montecitofire.com or a copy may be secured from MFPD at 595 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara CA between the hours of 8:00 a m and 5:00 p m , Monday through Friday. Responses must be sealed, clearly marked “Station 92 Gates & Carport Project – General Contractor Bid” and returned to:
Montecito Fire Protection District
Attn: Anthony Hudley, Battalion Chief 595 San Ysidro Road Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Bids will be accepted until 2:00 p m December 16, 2024. Bids received after this time will be returned unopened. Faxed bids will not be accepted.
Published November 21 & 28, 2024 Montecito Journal
County of Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Appeals of the County Planning Commission Approval of the Miramar Acquisition Co., LLC – Housing – Mixed Use Development Project
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
County Administration Building Board Hearing Room, 4th Floor 105 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA Hearing begins at 9:00 A.M
On December 10, 2024, the County Board of Supervisors will conduct a public hearing to consider the following:
The applicant, Miramar Acquisitions Co., LLC, requests a Revision to Development Plan 14RVP00000-00063 to allow 56,485 square feet of development in the CV (Visitor Serving Commercial) Zone consisting of affordable employee and market-rate apartments and resort shops (Case No. 24RVP-00050), a Revision to Minor Conditional Use Permit 07CUP-00000-00047 to allow residential uses consisting of 26 affordable employee apartments and eight market-rate apartments (Case No. 24RVP-00051), an Amendment to Major Conditional Use Permit 07CUP-00000-00045 for hotel improvements in the Transportation Corridor Zone District (Case No. 24AMD-00008), and a Coastal Development Permit (Case No. 24CDP-00077 for the development and uses allowed under the revised Development Plan, revised Minor Conditional Use Permit, and amended Major Conditional Use Permit.
For current methods of public participation for the meeting of December 10, 2024, please see page two (2) of the posted Agenda. The posted agenda will be available on Thursday prior to the above referenced meeting for a more specific time for this item. However, the order of the agenda may be rearranged or the item may be continued.
Please see the posted agenda and staff reports available on the Thursday prior to the meeting at http://santabarbara.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx under the hearing date or contact the Clerk of the Board at (805) 568-2240 for alternative options.
For additional information, please contact Willow Brown at (805) 568-2040 or via email at wbrown@countyofsb.org
If you challenge the project in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in correspondence to the Clerk of the Board prior to the public hearing. G.C. Section 65009, 6066, and 6062a. Attendance and participation by the public is invited and encouraged. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this hearing, please contact the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by 4:00 p.m. on Friday before the Board meeting at (805) 568-2240.
Published November 28, 2024 Montecito Journal
Take…oh…security cameras, for instance. “This industry used to get a lot of great shots of guys in baseball hats committing burglaries,” says Robert Post with a wry grin. Criminal portraiture after the fact was never the object, but for a long time that’s what security cameras did best; forensic review.
Post Alarm took that tech to a new proactive level, a service they call Night Shield. As is often the case with paradigm-changing innovations, this one was catalyzed by a...well… y a bear. Robert explains.
“Six years ago, I had an incident at my house. In the neighborhood these guys were trying to break into cars and mailboxes up and down the street. It was a problem. And where I’m from (foothills of Monrovia, near Pasadena) there are a lot of bears and wild animals. So I’d wake up in the morning, turn on my phone and see that the system had detected a bear.”
But the would-be thieves loitering up and down the street and casing cars in the wee hours? The system wasn’t designed to flag a non-imminent, prospective threat. And the camera-loving bears didn’t help. “Gina’s husband is the VP of technology,” Post explains, “and I said, ‘how can we make this work?’ We came up with our Night Shield service. Now when you arm your system at night, our central station’s going to see a person detected around your property.” Post Alarm’s fully staffed, 24/7 monitoring center receives real-time video, all of it relevant thanks to Post’s AI-augmented analytic cameras.
This isn’t a wall of screens and a bleary-eyed crew staring from one screen to the next to the next, chugging caffeine and dismissing dozens of bear and raccoon triggers in search of the shadowy figure with a crowbar.
“There’s a term that’s used in the industry,” says Post Alarm’s Rob Bado. “Screen blind. People begin to be less attentive, and they tend to miss things, or they’ll look away.” Post Alarm’s AI-driven recognition technology makes a video event in Post Alarm’s central station actionable by definition. Post’s central station receives, in real time, an event the AI has identified as potentially nefarious. This diligence means earlier threat detection and a synchronized response.
“Response time is 30 seconds or less,” Gina adds. “The beauty of the Night Shield service is that there’s going to be action taken if somebody’s on your property. You can fall asleep knowing you’re protected and wake up knowing that you’re protected.” The system has earned Post Alarm plaudits, from both customers and recognized oversight orgs. Accreditations are on the site (postalarm.com). “We became a UL monitoring company about 30 years ago,” Gina says, “which is a very difficult accreditation.”
“ Our grandpa Sam was the chief of police for Canyon City, Colorado
back in the late 40s, early 50s,” Gina Post says. “And he always had a soft place in his heart for California. So when he retired, he packed up the family and moved out to Southern California.” Sam Post loved his work, and (as can happen) used his ‘retirement’ to extend the life of service he wasn’t ready to leave. “That’s when Post Patrol was born in 1956, and he did everything from commercial patrol to port security. He even had a private investigative service where he would sometimes help LAPD crack some cases.” When Gina and Robert’s dad took the business over in the ‘70s, it was largely commercial security. A corner was turned in the ‘80s.
“What blew up the residential side of the company was the Night Stalker in the early ‘80s,” Gina says. “There had always been residential crime, but it wasn’t rampant. People still left their doors unlocked. But there were a couple instances in the Monrovia area with the Night Stalker, and dad couldn’t help them fast enough. People were nailing their windows shut.” The panic was such that the manufacturers in the security industry really started to pointedly innovate better equipment and better protocols for the alarm industry. “Mom and dad grew the business for the next three decades.”
Now Post Alarm Systems has come to our town. Hopefully their publicity-starved bears haven’t followed. Having provided service for decades to SoCal in such enclaves as Bel Air,
First things first – Homer Montecito’s hours at this historical juncture are Wednesday through Saturday, 11 am to 5:30 pm. Founded by a certain Terry Pillow –late of Neiman-Marcus, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Coach, and Tommy Bahama — Homer Montecito trades in handmade, heirloom-quality leather objets d’art you want to run your hands over, purveyed in a cozy lamplit grotto that suits the exquisite, artisanal vibe. Longtime Director of Operations Steven Soria – himself a celebrated leather smith of note – invites us in for a gander; if only to breathe in the strangely calming scent of full-grain vegetable tanned leather.
Beverly Hills, and Brentwood, Post Alarm knows the landscape. “We take confidentiality and privacy very seriously with our customers,” Rob Bado affirms. “In Los Angeles we have some very high profile, high net worth customers.”
This is not a security solutions company that goes by the “set it and forget it” ethos. This is a family business whose founder’s heart for people has been well-preserved – even amplified – in the company DNA.
“We’re excited to be part of your amazing community,” Gina says. “Rob and I personally look forward to working with you. We just feel really blessed that this opportunity came up and to be part of it.”
Post Alarm Systems (800) 654-7678 https://postalarm.com/
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
Social gridlock reigned at the Waterhouse Gallery in the charming La Arcada complex on State and Figueroa, when owners Diane and Ralph Waterhouse celebrated the 40th anniversary of their eponymous locale with a fun wine-fueled fête in the store, just a tiara’s toss from the turtle fountain.
The tony twosome, who also own a Coast Village Road outlet in Montecito – opened nearly two years ago – jokingly refer to them as “his and her galleries.”
Among the aesthetic hoard turning out were former TV game show host Bob Eubanks (a longtime friend), Gerd Jordano, Luke Swetland, Monty Amyx, Mark Whitehurst and Kerry Methner, Alma Rose Middleton, Fritz, Teresa Kuskey and Rick Oshay, Carolyn and Bob Williams, Helene Segal, George Konstantinow, Leisa Cosentino, and Sandy Kelley and Michael Marshall. and Gretchen Olenberger
CAMA – Community Arts Music Association – hosted its latest Masterseries concert at the Lobero when violinist Anne Akiko Meyers showed off her undoubted talents.
The hugely entertaining program, with Grammy nominee Meyers, 54, playing her 1741 “ex-Vieuxtemps” Guarneri del Gesu, included Corelli’s “La Folia Sonata,” Beethoven’s “Sonata No. 5 in F Major ‘Spring,’” Lauridsen’s “Sure on this Shining Night,” and “Dirait-on.”
Minimalist music icon Philip Glass’ “New Chaconne” and Arturo Márquez’s “Danzon No. 2” completed the program with Italian pianist Fabio Bidini accompanying Meyers, who appeared twice on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson at the age of 11 and with the New York Philharmonic at the age of 12. She has also appeared at the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center.
An extraordinary musician...
Santa Barbara Symphony held its second Concert Aperitif event, one of five, at the charming and quirky new home of Joan Rutkowski on Chapala Street – starring Geneva-based conductor and pianist David Greilsammer before he headed to the Granada nearby for the
French Connections concert spanning three centuries.
The entertaining 100-minute program with Greilsammer, conducting from the keyboard, featured Rameau’s “Orchestra Suite from Platée,” Ravel’s “Piano Concerto in G,” Haydn’s “Symphony No. 85, ‘La Reine,’” and Milhaud’s “Le Boeuf sur le toit.” Greilsammer would be flying to Colombia a scant 24 hours later.
Among those enjoying the fun pre-concert fête were Todd and Allyson Aldrich, Max and Pam Cox, Thomasine Richards, Gary and Sue Gleason, Natasha Kislenko, Gretchen Lieff, Peter and Kathryn Martin, and Fred and Linda Wudl Music to their ears...
Local warbler Katy Perry is launching an iconic world tour with her daughter Daisy Dove in tow.
The 13-time Grammy nominated singer says it is an “adventure together” as they travel the globe.
The Montecito resident says her Lifetimes Tour will be traveling around the U.K. next year and says she loves how London is “so mature.”
The former Dos Pueblos High student will kick off her tour in Mexico in April before jetting to Australia and then performing in the U.K. in October, including London, Glasgow and Birmingham.
Katy has another U.K. engagement on Dec. 8, hosting the Jingle Box Ball at the 02 Arena, a futuristic sci-fi performance.
Montecito comedienne Ellen DeGeneres has made a quick exit from our rarefied enclave, seemingly for good, according to reports.
The 66-year-old TV talk show host has moved to the Cotswolds in rural England, says The Wrap. DeGeneres and her actress wife Portia de Rossi, 51, are taking up roots in the U.K. and reportedly have no plans to return to the U.S., supposedly in response to the new administration at the White House in January.
The Cotswolds, about 100 miles southwest of London, is home to King Charles III at Highgrove House, as well as actress Elizabeth Hurley, former model Kate Moss, and soccer ace David Beckham and his fashion designer wife Victoria. Ellen and Portia we’re pictured in a local pub last week owned by British TV star Jeremy Clarkson. Stay tuned...
Retired hedge funder Bruce Kovner has sold the second of his bluff-top compounds in Carpinteria for $65 million.
The billionaire chairman of CAM Capital built the 22-acre estate, which he dubbed “The Sanctuary at Loon Point” on a bluff overlooking the Pacific.
In August 2021, Kovner listed the entire Padaro Lane estate, which consists of two homes on a neighboring parcel and several vacant lots for $160 million.
Two years ago, former TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi, purchased two lots for $70 million, which she has since sold for $96 million.
The $65 million lot consisted of the three remaining parcels totaling 12 acres. They included a 10,902 square foot Mediterranean-style main home, as well as a guest house, a cabana and landscaped gardens with ocean views.
Built in 2018, the five-bedroom home in a gated community has a stone path connecting the bluff to Loon Point Beach, a scenic locale popular with surfers and locals.
The property was originally listed last October for $80 million and then $75 million.
The final sale price of $65 million makes it the third most expensive sale in the Santa Barbara area.
The 180-second trailer for Prince Harry’s Netflix show POLO has just been release prompting mixed reactions, with some excited by the realistic scenes, with others considering it elitist and promoting animal cruelty.
The series features five episodes showing the “serious rivalries” and “the intense training” those competing in the U.S. Open Polo Championships in Wellington, Florida, have to endure.
While the clip does not feature either Harry, 40, or his actress wife Meghan Markle, 43, it reveals they are “executive producers” on the production without them appearing on screen.
The duo’s titles are seen in the trailer which boasted a written credit saying, “Executive produced by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”
It was revealed earlier this year in the U.K.’s London Daily Mail Netflix bosses were “disappointed” the series didn’t feature King Charles III’s son at all, while feasting on his good friend Ralph Lauren Polo model Nacho Figueras, 47, who is mostly unknown by the general public.
Montecito actor Jeff Bridges, 74, who was presenting Entertainer of the Year at the 2024 Country Music Awards, ended the ceremony on an embarrassing note when he mispronounced the name of the winner of the top honor.
Among the names were Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson, and Morgan Wallen, but Jeff left fans cringing when he messed up the last name of the winner – who incidentally didn’t even attend the event.
He pronounced the last name as something closer to ‘Waylon.’
Such are the joys of live broadcasts...
Prince Harry in Vancouver, Canada, promoting his Invictus Games... Katy Perry at the Kia Forum in L.A. for Sabrina Carpenter’s concert... Kevin Costner with Julianne Moore at a Deadline event in L.A.
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
collection and with these things on the walls – that there’s no reason to be ruled by geographical divisions, or show everything by an artist in one room devoted to where they come from. Many of these artists knew each other or at least knew of each other. So the mixing on the walls is a reflection of the mixing that was actually happening in the real world.”
But it’s not simply a history lesson, according to the exhibit’s curator.
“Art is a tool for breaking through national and geographic boundaries,” Glisson said. “Many of the artists in this show were displaced by the events of the second World War. That brings up contemporary issues around displacement and political instability facing much of the world today.”
Glisson said the installation also serves as a reflection of the museum’s desire to be more welcoming and inclusive to the broader community, a concept Cruz explained last year as becoming a “more porous institution that is informed by its communities, influenced by the communities, and that reaches out to those communities and makes them part of the story.”
Glisson explained that by creating a show that’s talking about cultural exchange and breaking down national and geographic boundaries, it sends a message about the different kinds of people the museum hopes will feel more engaged and want to come by the museum.
“We’re really trying to take the museum to a place that’s more open and more inclusive, and to actually show how the permanent collection, the objects and artworks already owned by the museum, are in fact already fairly diverse,” he said. “We’re excited to get a good part of our really phenomenal Latin American painting collection up on view.”
SBMA has also already begun implementing bilingual labels in Spanish and English throughout the facility, going “gallery by gallery, exhibition by exhibition” to complete the process.
In some ways, Modern Life is also a re-coming out party of the museum itself, as the exhibit contains an illustrated timeline of the history of the museum from its founding in the early 1940s through today.
“There are pictures of former directors, pictures of important exhibitions, photographs of artworks in the collection, some of which are very delicate so they’re not often on view,” Glisson said. “It’s really great to remind the public that this museum has been around for over 80 years, and it has a long and varied history. Before, there wasn’t anything that told you about the museum’s history on the walls. It doesn’t capture everything, but it is a great start.”
The exhibit itself is a reflection of the sheer size and breadth of SBMA’s permanent collection, which makes up the vast bulk of Modern Life. “What we have here in both quality and quantity is far more than you would expect for a city of our size. And the caliber of the collection enables us to tell these big stories about life over the past 150 years.”
Glisson stressed that many of the museum’s most impressive and beloved pieces from the last 200 years are on view as part of Modern Life That includes three Monets, paintings by Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keefe, Salvador Dali, Wassily Kandinsky, John Singer Sargent and Josef Albers – plus a selection of Rodin sculptures and casts – all of which are part of the new exhibition.
“There will be a lot of ‘old friends’ for people who know the museum’s collection to come and visit with again, and to invite newcomers to see them for the first time,” Glisson said.
With no set end date for the exhibition beyond (at least) until the end of 2025, people will be able to spend time with Modern Life, immersing themselves in the collection many times over to see what emerges.
“Our hope is that the show will be welcoming to anybody who comes, that they’ll find an artwork that resonates, or an avenue that they can relate to so they’re able to take this work and make it their own,” Glisson said. “The story we’re trying to tell is about people responding to the time they lived in. The art we’re seeing is how artists and creative people of another period dealt with the things in their lives. That’s something all of us can relate to.”
by Steven Libowitz
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29
Black Friday with Spencer – Looking for the perfect remedy for recovering from a turkey tryptophan or sugar-induced stupor? Spencer the Gardener has your day after Thanksgiving elixir in the form of an acoustic-electric show at a favorite downtown spot. Special guests include Nicole Mackenzie and Jim Connolly on theremin (that’s the spacey sounding thing on the Beach Boys “Good Vibrations”) and other instruments, plus Spencer Barnitz’s singing sister Liz and whomever else might jump in to jam. We’re sure to hear “The Gobble Song,” Spencer’s surprising ditty that is still an annual YouTube sensation. Check it out here: https://tinyurl.com/mwwhdbhu WHEN: 7 pm
WHERE: Restaurant Roy, 7 W. Carrillo St. COST: free
INFO: https://restaurantroy.com or www.facebook.com/spencerthegardener
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30
Bee Gees Barge into the G – Not the actual Brothers Gibb, of course, given that Barry is the only surviving original Bee Gee, and two of the pop smash sensation’s drummers died earlier this month within days of each other. But, we’re told, the tribute band called You Should Be Dancing does a more than creditable job careening through the band’s repertoire, from its early folk-pop oriented hits like “Massachusetts,” “I Started a Joke,” and “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” – through the insane instant international superstardom that exploded when the Gibb boys’ producer banked on the disco craze and Barry discovered his falsetto. Expect “Night
Miracle at Pearl Social – Popular Funk Zone bar Pearl Social Cocktail Club once again goes on hiatus through the end of the year in favor of the fourth annual holiday extravaganza. This season’s all-new experience beckons guests to step into a shimmering snow globe of holiday magic to enjoy the special time of year in a whole new Christmas light, with over-the-top holiday decor and displays, plus much more. Kooky Christmas collectible ceramic cocktail vessels come complete with yuletide cheer, and a bevy of ugly Christmas sweaters and fun holiday music keeps guests in a holly jolly mood. It all adds up to a must-see scene for every tinsel-loving, nostalgic Christmas fan. Miracle at Pearl Social is open daily, with the first three afternoon hours focused on family fun before the speakeasy turns into a 21+ adults-only adventure until midnight. Reservations are highly recommended – the $10 fee comes with both a complimentary Miracle light-up beanie and donation to CALM – but walk-ins are welcome as space allows. Special “Elfing Around” weekend attractions for kids take place November 30-December 1 and December 7-8 next door at Helena Avenue Bakery, where children can dive into a world of holiday wonder, which includes decorating a gingerbread house, dancing with elves, listening to festive stories and capping it off with a magical visit to Miracle at Pearl Social. ($45 tickets includes a gingerbread house, decorating materials, expert guidance, crafting essentials, a special letter-writing-to-Santa session, and an exclusive table reservation to Miracle at Pearl Social from 2 pm to 3 pm.)
WHEN: 2 pm-12 am midnight daily through January 1
(closed Thanksgiving and Christmas)
WHERE: Pearl Social, 131 Anacapa St., Suite B
COST: free admission
INFO: (805) 284-0380 or www.pearlsocialsb.com/miracle
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29
Strictly Ballroom – While most of America might still be feeling stuffed full of turkey, strutting like a turkey after eating so much stuffing, or maybe mashed up and cheesy after a day with the extended family, hundreds of folks who clearly won’t have overindulged yesterday will be gathering in town this weekend. Professional and amateur dancers from across the land will be competing and performing in the California Star Ball, once again the annual event of the California Star Ball Dancesport Championships – the longest running National Dance Council of America-sanctioned ballroom competition. Run for a third year run by highly decorated, Santa Barbara-based ballroom instructor/competitor David Alvarez, the Ball features a huge slate of competitions spanning everything from novice to pro divisions, single-digit youths to half-century veterans – all vying in Smooth, Latin, Rhythm and Ballroom division, plus Cabaret/Theater Arts and much more. Competitions and demonstrations take place during daytime and evening sessions, and spectators are more than welcome. You won’t see sports and movie stars like on Dancing with the Stars, just fantastic performances as national champions perform routines all through the weekend.
WHEN: Today through Sunday
WHERE: Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort, 633 E Cabrillo Blvd.
COST: $25-$45 per session
INFO: www.californiastarball.com
Fever,” “Stayin’ Alive,” “More Than A Woman” and other smashes from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and beyond, including young brother Andy Gibb’s “I Just Want to be Your Everything,” and songs Barry and the boys wrote which were covered by the likes of Yvonne Elliman (“If I Can’t Have You”), Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Samantha Sang and Frankie Valli. Thirty-plus songs in total should have the Granada going like gangbusters in tribute to the band that sold 120 million records and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. We’re hoping, given that band’s name, that they’re bringing in the dance floor previously used for the Locals Only All-Star House Band show in October. In other words, Granada people, how deep is your love?
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State St.
COST: $42-$72
INFO: (805) 899-2222 or www.granadasb.org
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1-TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3
Sounds at SOhO – The supper-music club has three stellar nights starting with a 30th anniversary installment with longtime local fave Glen Phillips. The singer-songwriter-guitarist behind Toad the Wet Sprocket has proven an even more substantial solo artist, as evidenced by his introspective-yet-elegant latest album There Is So Much Here, about the joys and sorrows of everyday life. Arroyo Grande singer-songwriter Chris Beland, a Santa Barbara Records artist, opens the December 1 show… Jump into jazz the next two nights as SBCC’s professional 19-piece big band Monday Madness Jazz Orchestra play on December 2, followed by local Antonio Artese’s West Coast Trio featuring Santino Tafarella on bass and Matt Perko on drums playing original compositions exploring the intersections of jazz and classical on December 3.
WHEN: 7:30 (Phillips), 7 pm (SBCC, Artese)
WHERE: SOhO, 1221 State St., upstairs in Victoria Court
COST: $30, $15 & $18
INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3
Adelfos’ Acoustic Alchemy – La Peregrinación, The Adelfos Ensemble’s holiday concert spanning centuries of works from Spain and Latin America, features the rich polyphony of choral composers Tomás Luis de Victoria, Cristóbal de Morales, and Gaspar Fernandes – along with the vibrant rhythms of Ariel Ramírez, Javier Busto, Eduardo
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1
Milestone for MORE – MORE Theater/SB marks their first year as Santa Barbara’s new site-specific theater company with an Open House Fundraiser full of activities on three floors at the Balboa Building. The historic site will be buzzing with celebratory excitement that starts with a sunset wine reception on the sixth-floor patio with stunning views overlooking the city and mountainscapes, followed by food served in MORE’s spacious second floor suite and the official announcement of the new 2025 productions – Tea with Ganna, Pearl & Beatrice in March; Anna Karenina in June and Whalers’ Triptych III in August. The event concludes with a jazz cabaret performance by Karole Foreman in the building’s basement theater.
WHEN: 4:30-9:30 pm
WHERE: 735 State St.
COST: free (donations accepted)
INFO: 805-951-8648 or www.moretheatersb.com
Falú, Alberto Grau, and Joaquín Nin-Culmell. From the timeless motets and villancicos of the Spanish Renaissance to the passionate folk-inspired carols of Latin America, the vocal ensemble’s program celebrates shared devotion and musical heritage across two continents. Erin Bonski-Evans, a collaborative pianist at Westmont College and Minister of Music at First Presbyterian Church, serves as guest conductor.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Trinity Episcopal Church, 1500 State St. COST: $20 general, $15 students & seniors INFO: https://adelfosensemble.org
The World According to Boyle – Over the past 30 years, Father Gregory Boyle has transformed thousands of lives through his work as the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world. The program was founded by Boyle after he served as pastor of Dolores Mission Church, then the poorest Catholic parish in Los Angeles and the one with the highest concentration of gang activity in the city. Two unwavering principles have guided the work for decades, namely that everyone is unshakably good, and that we all belong to each other – no exceptions. At a time when society is perhaps more fractured than ever, Boyle’s new book, Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times, offers an elixir by inviting us to see the world through a new lens of connection in order to build the loving community that we long to live in, following his books on “boundless compassion,” “radical kinship,” and “extravagant tenderness.” Boyle, who was named a Champion of Change by President Obama in 2014, received the 2024 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from Joe Biden a decade later. His talk tonight is based on the new book.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Campbell Hall (also available as a livestream) COST: $25
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4
Staples Does It Again – Mavis Staples, the chart-topping soulgospel-R&B pioneering singer and civil rights icon, is still going strong at 85, apparently ageless and as deeply soulful as ever. More than 60 years since performing as part of the Staples singers at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, and marching with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Kennedy Center honoree and recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award has been called “one of America’s defining voices of freedom and peace” by NPR. Staples is indeed still delivering roof-raising performances with youthful vigor and commanding maturity. Opening is the duo The War and Treaty, who blend traditional folk, country, R&B and spirituals into a soulful brew.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St.
COST: $52-$132
INFO: (805) 963-9589/www.arlingtontheatresb.com/upcoming-events or (805) 893-3535/https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu
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Santa Barbara’s Trusted Choice for Estate Liquidation and Downsizing
As the largest estate liquidators in the Tri-County area, we provide comprehensive services through Moving Miss Daisy, including expert packing, unpacking, relocating, and ensuring your new home is beautifully set up and ready to enjoy. We also host estate sales and online auctions at our own huge consignment shop—the largest in the area, offering an unmatched selection of items. Licensed, bonded, and insured with workers’ compensation coverage, we are certified by the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM) and the American Society of Estate Liquidators (ASEL). Proudly holding an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Glenn Novack, Owner 805-770-7715 | info@movingmissdaisy.com | missdaisy.org
We Buy, Sell and Broker Important Estate Jewelry. Located in the upper village of Montecito. Graduate Gemologists with 30 years of experience. We do free evaluations and private consultation. 1470 East Valley Rd Suite V. 805-969-0888
Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575
Local tile setter of 35 years is now doing small jobs only. Services include grout cleaning and repair, caulking, sealing, replacing damaged tiles and basic plumbing needs. Call Doug Watts at 805-729-3211 for a free estimate.
AVAILABLE FOR RENT
Beautiful renovated mid-century 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom with Ocean views in Santa Barbara foothills, Available Dec 15th - March 15th (646) 206-4391
Carpet Cleaning Since 1978 (805) 963-5304
Rafael Mendez Cell: 689-8397 or 963-3117
TRAINING & THERAPY
Stillwell Fitness of Santa Barbara In Home Personal Training Sessions for 65+
Help with: Strength, Flexibility, Balance Motivation, and Consistency
John Stillwell, CPT, Specialist in Senior Fitness 805-705-2014 StillwellFitness.com
GOT OSTEOPOROSIS? WE CAN HELP
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AUTOMOBILES WANTED
We buy Classic Cars Running or not. Foreign/Domestic Chevy/Ford/Porsche/Mercedes/Etc. We come to you. Call Steven - 805-699-0684 Website – Avantiauto.group
LANDSCAPE
Casa L. M.
Landscape hedges installed. Ficus to flowering. Disease resistant.
Great privacy. Licensed & insured. Call (805) 963-6909
WATERLILIES and LOTUS since 1992 WATERGARDEN CARE SBWGC 805 682 5750
With your LA kids and grandkids for the Holidays! This Malibu beach house can be all yours for December! Call Steve Drust, Realtor 310.733.7487
Trusted, Experienced Caregiver, CA State registered and background checked. Vaccinated. Loving and caring provides transportation, medications, etc.
Lina 805-940-6888
Sweet woman with 20 years of experience as a caregiver.
I had been living at the area for 25 years. CA State registered and background checked. Tiana 805-722-8015
In need of a Caregiver or Childcare Provider? Sage is the best that SB/Montecito has to offer!! A Santa Barbara native with over 30 years of experience with the elderly as well as children of all ages. Sage will assist with everyday activities, transportation to appointments, grocery needs, afterschool activities, etc. She can administer medication, is extremely knowledgeable in nutrition needs and has a heart of gold. She will provide all caregiver duties but just as important be a living companion to you in the comfort of your home. Please inquire for more details and impeccable references provided upon request.
805-886-3130 – Sage
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.
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)
HOUSE
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
Longtime Santa Barbara resident, retired, active woman. experienced with house sitting and dog sitting prefer small dogs or cats. Trustworthy, tidy, kind pet lover. Excellent local References upon request. (805) 451-3415
ADU
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
ByPeteMuller&FrankLongo
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