Reflecting 100 – MJ Historian Extraordinaire Hattie Beresford looks back at Santa Barbara’s culture and community in 1925, P.11
Stars Shine – The Teen Star Santa Barbara show is back and has two Montecitan students joining the dream team, P.24
Through fires and natural disasters, the Montecito Emergency Response and Recovery Action Group, or MERRAG as it is lovingly known, has been here for the community… and after 37 years of dedicated service, the volunteer organization says farewell (Story starts on page 6)
Future Smiles keeps the community grinning (in alignment), page 22
Heart Felt – Dan Shapiro exactingly recounts his experience of having a long-play, nearly lethal heart attack at 50. We can call this a must-read, P.30
After a unanimous vote to require carbon scrubbers for cannabis farms, Supervisors Capps and Nelson speak with the MJ, page 5
Shelton designs, fresh shells, and swell seats… Clark’s Oyster Bar is open and it’s shucking awesome, page 28
brunch bubbly grab the girls and indulge in a divine champagne brunch with a Ty Bellini... or two, and a side of ocean views 805-504-1962 from 10am-2pm and san ysidro ranch .... every sunday
for?
20 Elizabeth’s Appraisals – You never know what you’ll find in a thrift store –in this case, a quartz crystal singing bowl
The Giving List – Future Smiles is giving low-income families something to smile about by providing orthodontic services to kids 24 On Entertainment – Teen Star Santa Barbara hopefuls, Kids Helping Kids, SBIFF is coming, and more
Your Westmont – Researchers win prize to examine local homeless, and the legends will turn out to honor men’s basketball
Food Files – Clark’s is open and talking terroir of oysters – stop in for a bite and see what’s cooking
30 Community Voices – Jeff Giordano questions the need for a $160M jail, and Dan Shapiro shares his harrowing heart attack experience 36 Calendar of Events – The unparalleled Fran Lebowitz, soulful La Santa Cecilia, and moving Tommy Orange, plus more happenings this week 38 Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales 39 Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles
Local Business Directory – Smart business owners place business cards here so readers know where to look when they need what those businesses offer
by Tiana Molony
Following the legalization of recreational cannabis in California in 2016 and the subsequent implementation of licensing regulations in 2018, the Carpinteria Valley witnessed a surge in cannabis cultivation operations. With this growth came an onslaught of resident complaints regarding the pungent odor emanating from these facilities. Since 2019, 3,900 complaints have been filed about the aroma of cannabis which, without proper odor control, can travel long distances.
Years of complaints with little redress inspired newly-seated Santa Barbara County Supervisor Chair Laura Capps and Vice Chair Bob Nelson to introduce a Cannabis Odor Abatement Plan at a January 14th Board of Supervisors meeting.
According to Capps and Nelson, it was important for them to secure the collective support of their fellow supervisors prior to presenting this plan. Going into the January 14th meeting, Capps says she knew they could count on at least three “yes” votes from supervisors, so she was happy to see that it passed unanimously. “I am kind of still pinching myself that we were able to do that because it really represents a dramatic shift,” she said from her office.
First District Supervisor Roy Lee , who replaced Das Williams this year, represents the Carpinteria area and campaigned on the use of “state-ofthe-art odor technology” for cannabis odor abatement.
MThe plan that Capps and Nelson initiated would modify Chapter 50 of the Santa Barbara County Code of Ordinances to require mixed-light cannabis growers to install carbon scrubbers in their facilities. Until now, usage of vapor phase technology by farmers was voluntary.
According to Capps and Nelson, however, leaving it up to the neighbors and the cannabis growers to find common ground has not worked. “So, I think it was time for government to step in,” said Capps.
Capps and Nelson started drafting these changes after a 2021 volunteer agreement between The Cannabis Association for Responsible Producers (CARP) and the Santa Barbara County Coalition for Responsible Cannabis “broke down.” The growers agreed to take the necessary steps and install carbon scrubbers to reduce the smell emanating from their facilities. Still, few actually did, and the issue persisted. “As I said yesterday in the hearing, we didn’t have to do this if the industry had kept their bargain with the neighbors,” said Capps.
The proposed amendments state that farmers must implement “carbon scrubbers or equivalent effective technology” into their farms. However, as discussed at Tuesday’s meeting, Supervisors Capps and Nelson believe that operators effectively mitigating odor impacts with their current scrubbers should not be burdened with unnecessary equipment upgrades, even as more
Local News Page 344
Negligent Discharge from a Firearm, Victim Injured / 400 block Woodley Rd Wednesday January 15, 11:35 hours
Deputies responded to the 400-block of Woodley Road for a report of a shooting. When deputies arrived, they found an adult male victim who had been shot in the upper arm while he was walking his dog. Deputies quickly determined that the round came from inside a nearby residence, as indicated by a bullet hole in a window facing the direction of the victim. Deputies quickly detained the resident who had been rendering aid to the victim. It does not appear that the victim and the suspect are familiar to one another. The victim was transported to an area hospital and is expected to recover. Subject was booked at the Main Jail for discharge of a firearm with gross negligence (felony). He has since been released on bail. Detective served a warrant at subject’s residence where they recovered the handgun they believe was used.
Starting January 23rd, OPEN EVERY NIGHT AT 5PM
by Jeff Wing
The world is changing. Not to sound ill-advisedly sentimental, but the Human Touch is quickly going the way of the Triceratops. Today our consensual twin summits – Efficiency and Optimization – are turning us into almost childlike fans of automata. Robots, algorithms, and computer-generated flapdoodle are obsoleting such exotica as warm-blooded human beings walking through your neighborhood with two-way radios. “Hey! Hello! You okay?”
Trish Davis remembers a big wildfire many years ago and the calming effect of … people? “I wasn’t with MERRAG at the time, but I was coming through the intersection and everywhere you looked was just nothing but black. People were out of their cars taking pictures and everything, it was just terrible. But I looked down the hill and saw the MERRAG tent, and I just felt like – okay – I have a connection. The world’s not going to end.”
Bill Vollero describes an occasion of seeing it from the other side – manning the MERRAG base camp at the Corner Green in Montecito’s Upper Village. A cohort of familiar faces can profoundly settle the nerves, take the paralyzing edge off a calamity. “It is true,” Vollero says. “You could feel the anxiety of people, but by the time you finished, they were a little better. They were a little more settled.”
Whole “eras” come and go, on both history’s grand stage and in small forested towns. Sometimes as a chapter draws to a close there is an accompanying burst of public pageantry – THIS MARKS THE END OF SOMETHING. More often, though, meaningful, decades-long stories conclude with little more than a bittersweet fare-thee-well among friends seated around a table; they who have seen a particular epoch to its conclusion. I’m seated around such a table at Fire Station #91 – Montecito Fire Protection District Headquarters – with a handful of Montecitans as they tie up the final loose ends of a unique community enterprise to which they’ve long been devoted.
“We did a lot together,” says Vice President Yolanda Clements with some
emotion. Her colleagues silently nod. “We were a tight team. As small as the team became by the end, it was a very tight, supporting team. We never wavered. And I just want to thank all of you for having me on the team. I loved it.” The mood isn’t exactly melancholy, but a door is closing as the minutes pass, and you can almost hear the hinges working. Yolanda, David Boyd, Trish Davis, Maude Feil, and Bill Vollero have gathered one last time to do a little housekeeping; the final rolling up of an all-volunteer emergency response group called MERRAG.
In distant 1987, Montecito Fire Protection District Chief Herb McElwee came up with a terrific idea. In the event of a natural catastrophe, our woodland idyll would rally in a state of trained preparedness – thanks to the organized efforts of a mobile, all-volunteer citizens emergency auxiliary who would interweave their learned skill sets with the town they knew and loved. Chief McElwee called his new program Montecito Emergency Response and Recovery Action Group; MERRAG. The spoken acronym sounds like “Mirage” and indeed, in the midst of a dispiriting emergency, seeing these neighborly volunteer Montecitans – with their rolling radio command center of a van, their vivid MERRAG canopy, and their confidently
Beings & Doings Page 294
by Richard Mineards
Billionaire developer Rick Caruso, owner of the Rosewood Miramar, hired private firefighters and arranged for water tankers to save his Palisades Village Mall from the Pacific Palisades Fire that burned through 23,713 acres of prime California real estate, destroying 5,000 properties and (at the time of writing) killing at least 10 people.
Jarring video showed many of the properties near the mall burned to ashes, but Caruso’s prescient decision saved his multimillion-dollar property.
Fire crews for hire can cost between $3,000 to $20,000 a day and are normally contracted with insurance companies and the government.
“Our property is standing,” Caruso told the New York Times. “But the surrounding area is gone. It is like a war zone.”
In 2022 Caruso ran for mayor against Karen Bass, who has been heavily criticized for her handling of the devastating fires.
Two of his children’s homes were destroyed in the conflagration. Rick and his wife Tina have donated
$5 million to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Foundation.
Meghan Markle, who visited fire victims in Pasadena with husband Prince Harry, flew solo while supporting teenage girls struggling in the aftermath of
the catastrophic Los Angeles blaze which devastated 23,700 acres.
Last week the Duchess of Sussex, 43, dropped off donations and volunteered at a relief center in Altadena run by Altadena Girls, a new organization founded by eighth grade girls whose school was burned down in the Eaton Fire.
Locals rallied to provide items such as clothes and hair and beauty products to teenage students who lost everything in the conflagration and are working to rebuild their self-confidence.
In a video on Instagram posted by Altadena Girls, the Riven Rock resi -
dent is seen carrying large bags filled with donations.
Camerata Pacifica was going for baroque at the Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall in its first concert of the New Year, curated by acclaimed flutist Emi Ferguson with celebrated French American jazz and classical keyboardist Dan Tepfer on the clavichord, an instrument that would have been
Stanton D. Anderson, age 84, passed away on Sunday, January 12, at his home in Santa Barbara. Stan was a proud graduate of Westmont College (Class of 1962), where he was a star basketball player, setting scoring records and earning the distinction of Small College All-American. He went on to earn his law degree from Willamette University, where he was a member of the Law Review.
An avid golfer and lifelong learner, Stan had a distinguished career spanning law, politics, and business. His involvement in national political affairs began in 1972, and he played key roles in managing several Republican conventions. Notably, he served as Counsel to the Reagan-Bush Campaign in 1980 and held a senior position in the Presidential Transition of that year. His career also included time in the White House during the Nixon and Ford administrations, along with senior roles in the State Department under Henry Kissinger.
Stan was honored with several Presidential appointments, including serving on the President’s Advisory Committee on Trade Negotiations and the Presidential Commission on Personnel Interchange. He chaired the U.S. delegation to the 1981 United Nations conference on New and Renewable Energy Resources.
In 1981, Stan, along with three law partners, founded Anderson, Hibey, Nauheim & Blair, a prestigious firm specializing in corporate law and international trade. He later joined McDermott, Will & Emery in 1995, where he became a key figure, serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. There, he played a pivotal role in legal reform efforts, including chairing the successful initiative to pass class-ac-
Along with a distinguished career spanning law, politics, and business, Stan was honored with several Presidential appointments over his lifetime
tion reform legislation. Stan also oversaw the National Chamber Litigation Center, the Institute for Legal Reform, and the Chamber’s Office of General Counsel.
In addition to his legal career, Stan was Chairman of Global USA, Inc., a consulting firm he founded in 1982, and served on the Board of Directors for several public companies, including Physicians Realty Trust, CBRE, and Aegis Communications Group, where he also chaired their Audit Committees.
Stan is survived by his son, Stanton D. Anderson, Jr. (Tad); his daughter, Mimi Anderson; and his grandson, Conor Anderson. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Lloyd T. and Marion Anderson.
The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to Norma Lou DePoy, his dedicated administrative assistant of 36 years, his caregivers, and VNA Hospice Care. Special thanks also go to his lifelong Westmont classmates and dear friends, Dave and Anna Grotenhuis and Sharol and Wayne Siemens, for their unwavering support.
A celebration of life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Stan Anderson Scholarship for Women’s Basketball at Westmont.
It is with heavy hearts we announce the loss of Brian Robertson, who passed away peacefully in his home on November 13, 2024.
Brian Thomas Robertson was born August 19, 1941 – the eldest son of parents Dr. Robert Robertson and Dorothy Robertson. Brian’s early childhood was spent in La Jolla, CA, and in Hawaii while his father served in the U.S. Marine Corp and U.S. Navy during World War II. Following the war, the family settled in Santa Paula, and Brian’s youth was spent between the family ranch in Aliso Canyon and the family beach house on Faria Beach.
A graduate of Santa Paula High School, Brian attended University of Colorado, Boulder initially as a pre-med student. Mid-way through his studies, Brian’s true calling presented itself by way of a summer job at a Boulder travel agency where he worked as a ticketing agent. By 1962, Brian returned to California, settling into Santa Barbara as manager of the American Express Division for Booher Travel. Brian purchased Booher Travel in 1970, and the legacy of Brian T. Robertson International/Robertson International Travel Consultants began. Brian’s career in travel spanned 56 years, and took him to over 100 countries, before his eventual retirement from the business in 2017.
Though his love of travel was great, Brian’s biggest and truest love was his wife of 37-years, Judy. A true yin and yang, Brian and Judy both complimented and completed each other in every possible way.
Brian is preceded in death by his parents and two younger brothers (Robbie and Bruce). He is survived by his loving wife Judy, his son Scott A. Robertson, daughter-in-law Devon Sedlacek, and
Jan 31
four grandchildren.
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Contributors | Scott Craig, Ashleigh Brilliant, Chuck Graham, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Robert Bernstein, Christina Atchison, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye, Elizabeth Stewart, Beatrice Tolan, Leana Orsua, Jeffrey Harding, Tiana Molony, Houghton Hyatt, Jeff Wing
Gossip | Richard Mineards
History | Hattie Beresford
Humor | Ernie Witham
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by Hattie Beresford
No popping champagne corks announced the arrival of the new year in 1925. Prohibition still ruled the land. Nevertheless, Santa Barbarans could look back with pride to 1924 along with enthusiasm and hope toward 1925. The Morning Press headline blared, “Santa Barbara Greets the New Year with Noise and Church Services.” The dance floors were bustling as local lodges and hotels hosted celebrations which took on a carnival spirit. The Recreation Center was hopping early on, and dancers at Terpsarcada, the former Beach Pavillion at 10 Castillo Street, shimmied and fox trotted the year away. To add to the general cacophony, hundreds of motorists cruised State Street, said the Morning Press, “with exhaust pipes open and the horn button taped down.”
There was reflection and jubilation at Watch Night services, which commemorated the end of slavery as the Emancipation Proclamation had gone into effect on January 1, 1863.
Participating were All Saints-By-theSea Episcopal Church in Montecito, the First Presbyterian Church, the First Baptist Church and the First Methodist churches.
Disturbingly, however, one of the New Year editorials discussed the “National Disgrace” of lynchings. Citing statistics published by the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, there were 16 lynchings accounted for in 1924, with
have been pleased with the seven-piece jazz orchestra. (photo courtesy of Daily Press)
45 more prevented by officers of the law. But for the vigilance of the police, the report asserted, the total would have been 52, only a few less than the high record established two years ago. The Morning Press editor remarked, “So the low record established in 1924 is not to be taken as indicative of any decided diminution of the lynching spirit. The devil of hate and intolerance and brutality has not yet been exorcised.”
The Morning Press editor failed to mention that in 1923, the Ku Klux Klan had recruited over 2,000 members from Santa Barbara County with the promise of preserving American traditions and protect-
ing American women. A burning cross on a hillside of Sycamore Canyon signaled meetings. That membership would quickly dwindle to near-nothing when in March 1925 the Grandest Dragon of the
Way It Was Page 264
by Joanne A Calitri
The Santa Barbara South Coast Firefighter Foundation – in conjunction with the CarpinteriaSummerland Firefighters and the Carpinteria Firefighters Local 3368 – set up a donation drop-off at the house next to the Carpinteria fire station on Walnut Street. Heading the drive from the SBSCFF is its founder Gail Kvistad of “Living Local,” who has served as board member of Santa Barbara City College Foundation, Youth Interactive Media for Good, is a Save the Mermaids founding member, and has been a committee member of Partners in Education, Dream Foundation, SB School of Squash, Audubon Society, and One805 Foundation.
On Sunday, January 19, I met Kvistad and the SBSCFF President, CarpinteriaSummerland Firefighter Brian Lombardi, at the drop-off center where they had boxed the donations to be picked up at 1 pm that day. We talked briefly about how the drive and the foundation started.
Kvistad, “We started our organizations when two firefighters reached out to me saying we need an organization that is helping our community specifically. We need funding for a new firefighter training center and needs for the Santa Barbara South County that aren’t being addressed by other agencies. I then called Ursula Nesbitt and Arlene Montesano to form our foundation with Brian Lombardi, and we also have Jim Nigro on our Board. We set up our first fundraiser, the Fire Bash, at the Bella Vista Estate in Summerland, scheduled for February 22. The L.A. Fires hit, and we wanted to do something so we set up the donation drive. In the beginning of our drive, we called the Red Cross, Catholic Charities, Good Will, Los Angeles Fire Department and many others who said yes send us donations – and then later they said no we can’t take any more donations. So, we pivoted and focused on baby diapers, toys, children, health care necessities, bedding, and pets. We are donating proceeds to Baby2Baby from our joint event with FestForums on February 13 at SOhO. We are so thankful to the community because they came out in a big way.”
Adding to the data points, Lombardi said, “The donation pickup today was initiated through a partial donor that wanted to do a large contribution to the foundation’s drive and they came up with a partner, Silas Fallstich from the SB Public Market, who got a U-Haul that the Public Market is using for their donation drop-offs to the National Council for Jewish Women Los Angeles. For our donations that can’t get on the U-Haul, we have an off duty retired Pacific Palisades firefighter who is going to bring down clothes to people he knows that need them. The Local Council of Boy Scouts Troop 50 Summerland made 500 toiletry kits we are donating.”
At around 1 pm, Fallstich arrived with his wife Gina at Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Station 61 driving a 20-foot U-Haul truck. Fallstich is part of the social media team for the Santa Barbara Public Market. The SB Public Market initiated their own drive for those impacted earlier last week. Those donations were on that U-Haul. Carpinteria firefighters Barnett, Schafer, Blattler, Tunney, Joyner, Foster and Borum joined with Lombardi, the Fallstichs and Kvistad to load the SBCSCFF donations in the U-Haul. Once they did, the Fallstitches took off to L.A. to drop off the goods at three main organizations they said they had verified needing specific donations. Gina, “We are making drop-offs at the Pasadena Community Job Center who are taking a lot of the baby stuff and helping the community there with that. Other donations are going to the Los Angeles Dream Center and the YMCA in downtown Pasadena.”
Our Town Page 334
by MJ Staff
The Los Angeles area fires are a reminder to be prepared for any emergency situation. Start by registering for the Santa Barbara Countywide ReadySBC Alerts. The system is managed by Santa Barbara County’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) in partnership with local cities. ReadySBC Alerts provide timely and accurate information during emergencies. OEM’s robust emergency management experience and infrastructure are available to cities for swift disaster response and prompt release of critical information throughout crises such as fires, floods, and other disasters.
411: www.readysbc.org
SB MTD will be increasing fares this Spring. They have both online survey and four town hall meetings scheduled for community feedback in both English and Spanish.
Their pitch is they have not raised the rates for 16 years. “We have carefully reviewed our fare system and are proposing an alternative fare structure that would adjust the base fare from the current $1.75 to either $2.25 or $2.50, consistent with the increased expense of operating services.”
There are no fare increases scheduled in Montecito although a large percentage of rides from the surrounding towns for workers at Montecito businesses and residences use the lines.
The outreach and survey period will run through mid-February.
411: See the QR Code and https://sbmtd.gov/ farechange
Santa Barbara City College Continuing Education’s Nutrition for Longevity class starts on January 30 and will be held weekly on Thursdays from 3:15 to 5 pm.
Instructor Gerri Cardillo will teach students how wholesome food can enhance your quality of life and help you live longer. The class will take place in the Carpinteria Veterans Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave., Carpinteria.
411: Register at SBCC: https://tinyurl.com/sbcclongevity
For a wellness escape, try out the El Encanto Belmond Hotel Santa Barbara’s Winter’s Harmony of the Senses Day Retreat, offered by their spa.
This is a fully customizable retreat, assembled by you from the list of menu options tailored for healing and tranquility, and in collaboration with PALMA Colectiva. The Spa menu options are a signature massage or facial rejuvenating treatment with celebrity esthetician Linda Ross, a healing lavender plant workshop, a Sound Bath and Reiki treatment, a Peruvian Cacao Ceremony and Meditation, or a Restorative Black Light Yoga session.
411: https://tinyurl.com/elencantospaday
by Jeffrey Harding
Iwatched the entire inauguration ceremony, and this article is written on that day. You would have to be dead to not appreciate the ceremony and its symbolism. Yes, it was mostly a Trump lovefest, but it was more than that. It was another peaceful transition of power of our Republic. No riots or coups today.
The setting in the beautiful Rotunda of the Capitol Building, the shining faces of our young military entertainers, the somber entrances of the presidents and their families, the cheerful welcoming speeches of Rep. Klobuchar (D) and Sen. Fischer (R), the attendance of the Supreme Court members and party bigwigs, the swearing-in ceremonies, Carrie Underwood ’s singing of “America the Beautiful,” the stem-winding benediction from Rev. Sewell
After witnessing this Inauguration one has to appreciate what the United States of America is and represents. Be thankful for the intellectuals and brave
founders of our hard fought ideal of a country. Yes, we’re not perfect, but to rephrase Winston Churchill’s famous retort to critics of messy democracies: “The U.S.A. is the worst country in the world, except for all those other countries that have been tried from time to time.”
President Trump gave a stirring speech promising a new Golden Age for America. I like his optimism and I think it will help Americans see a brighter future. He said that “national unity” is coming back, but that’s not what it sounded like. He said a lot during his 30-minute speech, much of which was a summary of his campaign promises and his vision of a golden age, and much of it was an angry attack on the former president sitting to his left. I thought his comments about Biden were undignified for the occasion. They should have been saved for his post-Inauguration speech. Better would have been a broad appeal for unity after a bitter election, something that should be on top of a president’s do-list.
In Trump’s own words:
“America will soon be greater, stronger and far more exceptional than ever before. I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success. A tide of change is sweeping the country. Sunlight is pouring over the entire world, and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before… … In recent years, our nation has suffered greatly, but we are going to bring it back and make it great again, greater than ever before. We will be a nation like no other, full of compassion, courage and exceptionalism, our power will stop all wars and bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent and totally unpredictable. America will be respected again and admired again, including by people of religion, faith and good will. We will be prosperous. We will be proud. We will be strong, and we will win like never before. We will not be conquered, we will not be intimidated, we will not be broken, and we will not fail. From this day on, the United States of America will be a free, sovereign and independent nation. We will stand bravely, we will live proudly. We will dream boldly, and nothing will stand in our way. Because we are Americans, the future is ours, and our Golden Age has just begun.”
I don’t mean to throw cold water on his flowery rhetoric. But I am a realist. I have studied what works and what doesn’t for 50 years as a student of history and economics. I think many of his goals are laudable, but I believe many of his goals would lead to unintended negative consequences. The promise of a Golden Age needs to be translated into policies that work.
There are things he will do that are laudable. Immigration needs to be fixed; cheers for that. Cutting government waste and regulations is laudable. Political cronyism (draining the Swamp) is a problem. Bringing back meritocracy is a praiseworthy goal. Marxist DEI objectives as government policy must end. Weaponizing lawsuits for political gain must end. Taxation that punishes success must end.
In future articles I will discuss things like tariffs, manufacturing and industrial policy, immigration, spending and the deficit (which he didn’t mention), Ukraine and the Middle East. I think it will be important to see what he actually will do rather than what he says. Be patient.
Trump’s speech, starting and ending, was mostly uplifting. Despite all the flaws of the man, I believe that he will instill a feeling of confidence, optimism, and opportunity in America. I’m hoping that his First Hundred Days will be good for America.
Sincerely,
Milena Hernandez
by Ashleigh Brilliant
When I was in my teens and still living in England, both that country and the U.S. still had what was called a “Draft.” It applied only to men within a certain age range. But there were stiff legal penalties for failing to register. You might be exempted for medical reasons, but for healthy young men, there was only one way to avoid undergoing two years of “National Service” – and that was as a “Conscientious Objector,” (or “C.O.”). If you were not so recognized, you risked imprisonment, or being sentenced to some kind of alternative compulsory labor. In Britain, with whose system I became more familiar, that might include working in a hospital, or on a farm, or even in a mine.
In the U.S., your fate as a C.O. was determined by your local “Draft Board” and, in Britain, by a specially constituted “Tribunal.” In my case, after I appeared before the Tribunal, their decision was delayed until after I had completed my University course, which I was then in the middle of.
But that Tribunal experience was itself an ordeal which began far in advance. I knew that people whose objection was religion-based had a far easier time than those who, like me, simply didn’t want to kill anybody, or to be trained to kill. I wrote a long “statement” about my reasons, including the futility of war, and the fact that settlements of disputes without violence are far more likely to endure. I also read books on what it’s like to live in prison.
My views, however, were never put to the ultimate test, because of several factors. One was that the doctor at my College knew that I had, not long before, had what (at least in those days) was called a “nervous breakdown.” This had resulted in my being a patient in a mental hospital for several months. He therefore assured me that, given that recent history, I would never be subject to conscription. Another factor was that, having lived in America for my entire childhood, I had always wanted to go back. And I had an uncle who had moved to Los Angeles and was willing to sponsor me as an immigrant.
There was no legal barrier to my leaving Britain, so shortly after I graduated I took that momentous trip back across the Ocean. Here in the U.S., I was required to register once a year – but this could be done simply by sending in a short form, available at any post office, mainly reporting my current address. The idea was that all they needed was to be able to find you if you were needed. So I did this faithfully every year until I was past the age which was considered draft-eligible.
I still wanted to become an American Citizen. This was normally a process which required just five years of residence. The story of why, in my case, it took nine years, will have to wait for another article. In this one, I want to say more about War. Having grown up as a child during World War II, I had been bombarded with propaganda assuring my generation and me that the war was being fought for our sakes – so that we would live in a world of Peace, and never again be involved in another war. I swallowed this whole-heartedly, and it was what eventually turned me into a Conscientious Objector.
I was still too young for the war in Korea, and too old for Vietnam. But the “Cold War” between the U.S., its democratic allies, and the Soviet Union as leader of a whole “Communist Bloc,” persisted all through that period. Communism, as President Ronald Reagan characterized it, was an “Evil Empire.” The very idea of being a Communist, or “Red,” or even “Pink” was anathema in the U.S. for decades. And both sides had nuclear weapons in the form of bombs capable of being launched as rocket-propelled missiles.
But I was one of those disparaged as “Peaceniks,” and I actively endeavored to improve relations between the two “superpowers.” This included making difficult trips through the so-called “Iron Curtain” which separated them.
I also incorporated ideas about Peace into my “Pot-Shots” cartoons.
E.g., one had the message “Peace is Vital to the Defense of our Nation.”
It showed a large cannon with a Dove of Peace, still holding an olive branch, perched at the muzzle trying to look down inside the barrel.
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.
314 E. Carrillo St., Santa Barbara 93101 L eases starting at $3,500
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by Elizabeth Stewart
he Boys and Girls Club Thrift Store in Ventura was an unlikely place to find a Kundalini yoga ‘sound bath’ practitioner’s quartz crystal singing bowl, but JE writes me that her “FIND” is a whopping 12” diameter 10” tall delicate blue bowl. She thought it was expensive at $75 (with rubber mallet); shoppers can find real bargains in the higher priced items at these places. Online, JE says, she might have spent $600 for this bowl. But did she really need a quartz crystal singing bowl? She writes me: “…what is it FOR?” She was attracted to it as a centerpiece fruit bowl. It is much more than that, say some practitioners of sound healing.
JE has a tuned piano in her home: I asked her to match the sound of the bowl to a note: she reported it is G or G#. Makers of Hindu and Buddhist bronze singing bowls for centuries have found that G natural or G# has a highly beneficial rate of vibration, measured today in Hz (~392Hz). The “science” of sound healing assumes that many parts of the body and mind have certain vibrational frequencies which, like the note on JE’s piano, a sound can “match.”
This frequency of G or G# is associated with the Ascension Point or the Throat Chakra. JE’s thrift store treasure was “tuned” to respond to – and balance the vibrational energies of – the throat, the voice box, the thyroid, the lungs, and the cellular structure of the neck, ears, and mouth. Since communication is primarily experienced through the voice or through hearing, the proper balance between the inner person and the outer sound aids in the ability to communicate clearly with others, and with ourselves in dreams; also to
positively communicate our needs, to listen mindfully, to express ourselves harmoniously. That word, “harmony,” is also a musical term that means a simultaneous combining of notes in a chord – sounds that blend. Maybe the term points to something deeper?
Practitioners say that every part of a person’s body has a vibrational frequency. JE’s bowl is meant to correspond with the bottom of the skull and base of the spine (5th Chakra). I have a large collection of bell-metal singing bowls (in bronze, a mixture of copper and tin) so I have researched the properties and theories behind these ancient tools, but I was not aware of the popularity of quartz crystal singing bowls until JE shared her thrift store find with me. Why quartz crystal? Under pressure, two simple elements can do marvelous things. Silica and water are the main ingredients of quartz crystal, which occur in nature but can also be exactingly manufactured. Because quartz crystal can store, amplify, and transfer energy, the microchips of the electronic world also use quartz crystal – an absolutely necessary component in our modern technology, essential as a semiconductor. In sound healing theory, parts of our bodies are semiconductors as well. Healers claim that we are energy, and we have crystalline structures in main areas of our bodies – for example, a primary crystalline structure is in our bone matrix. Significantly, the inner ear contains calcium carbonate crystals, which is amazing if you assume a connection between the frequency of G or G# and the 5th Chakra that concerns the ear and the mouth. We have a com-
plex crystalline structure in the enamel of our teeth (which arguably enable speech), and in the collagen molecules of our connective tissues. Maybe there’s something to the healing properties of sound?
If JE’s quartz crystal singing bowl is more than just a bargain, and if she makes it “sing,” MIGHT she report to us that the sound is responsive to her own crystalline structures, and therefore she is enabled to harmoniously communicate? What is the dosage amount? That is, how many strikes of the mallet per week would it take to realize the resonance of the bowl?
These quartz crystal bowls are meant to “cure” dissonance, an interesting use of a musical term to describe a modality we know very little about. We know more about the properties of healing through art, a visual balancing through the eyes. Devotees who have participated in ritual “sound baths” often report that they “see” the sound in a color, possibly because both sound and light are waves. A sound bath can include many of these bowls in various frequencies (determined by shape and size) as well as gongs, and drums, chimes; natural sounds played to a quiet, willing listener to create resonance in “perfect pitch” with the listener’s body. What a marvelous find – even if it becomes JE’s new fruit bowl after a few weeks.
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
An Evening with Tommy Orange
Wed, Jan 29 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall
FREE copies of Orange’s new book, Wandering Stars , will be available while supplies last (pick up at event, one per household)
Justice for All Lead Sponsors: Marcy Carsey, Connie Frank & Evan Thompson, Eva & Yoel Haller, Dick Wolf, and Zegar Family Foundation
Award-winning Historian Sir Niall Ferguson
Why We Study History: Standing at the Crossroads of Past, Present and Future
Sat, Feb 8 / 4 PM (note special time) / Granada Theatre
Major Sponsors: Susan McCaw and Laura & Kevin O’Connor
Just added!
Award-winning Palestinian-American Poet An Evening with Naomi Shihab Nye
Tue, Feb 4 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall
Justice for All Lead Sponsors: Marcy Carsey, Connie Frank & Evan Thompson, Eva & Yoel Haller, Dick Wolf, and Zegar Family Foundation
Just added!
The Most Prolific Private Conservationist in History Kristine McDivitt Tompkins
Rewilding on a Continental Scale
Wed, Feb 12 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall
by Steven Libowitz
Health insurance companies and even Medi-Cal still think of orthodontics as a non-essential, even esoteric expense, even for kids – one that they’re not willing to cover. But brace yourself for the truth: getting braces is by no means simply a cosmetic procedure.
For kids who have misaligned teeth –including crooked teeth, gaps between teeth, overcrowded teeth, overbites, underbites, crossbites and misaligned jaws – having teeth that don’t fit together properly can cause a lifetime of issues. These issues can be both physical, including chewing function, inability to properly care for teeth and speech clarity – and emotional issues that threaten mental health.
Enter Future Smiles. The nonprofit program connects low-income public school students facing significant issues of misaligned teeth, with partner orthodontists who provide braces and follow-up care at virtually no cost to the families.
“Orthodontic care costs anywhere from $8- to $10,000 these days, and children from low-income families have no way to afford that,” explained MaryEllen Rehse, Executive Director of Children and Family Resource Services, which is a nonprofit partner of the Santa Barbara County Education Office. “There are literally hundreds of kids in our county that really need braces each year who aren’t able to access that care. Future Smiles allows us to identify the kids who have the most severe needs and arrange for them to get the treatment they need. It really is an equity issue because there are whole populations of people left out of this benefit because of the high economic costs.”
Rehse reiterated that not being able to get braces is truly a healthcare issue with ramifications that continue long beyond childhood.
clear correlation between kids with obvious teeth problems and their being bullied at school, while adults may miss out on career opportunities and a healthy social life due both to stigma and the damage to self-confidence.
Indeed, Future Smiles’ program staff members discovered that some students in our community afflicted with misaligned teeth kept wearing face masks even after Covid restrictions were lifted, and not to reduce chances of infection. In fact, one student who was being bullied about her teeth actually attempted to take her own life.
That child, who was able to get braces thanks to Future Smiles, was obviously thrilled to participate.
But the program also carefully screens everyone to make sure the funds will be well-spent. Each of the kids has to already be practicing good dental hygiene and be willing to commit in writing to following through with all aspects and phases of treatment from start to finish.
“Our vetting process includes interviewing both the parents and the student to see what their motivation is,” Rehse said, “and to make sure that they’re good candidates for the program. This is a long-term commitment, and you have to follow the directions,”
“It’s the same way with a lot of preventative work that isn’t covered, because it’s not considered an urgent need or emergency,” she said. “But if somebody doesn’t have a bite that’s properly aligned or teeth that are crowded, they’re in for problems sooner or later, because the teeth are going to wear down much faster and perhaps need to be pulled. Same thing with the overlapping or crowded teeth. Even if you take care of them, when teeth are in that position, they can’t be properly cleaned. So you get decay and might lose those teeth sooner than necessary.”
To be sure, the mental health impacts in childhood and beyond are equally, if not more, severe. Studies have shown a
The financial commitment for the families is a $50 buy-in, just one percent of the reduced fee of $5,000 that the partner orthodontists accept. The rest is covered by Future Smiles. And as generous as (county-wide grantmaking organization) Audacious Foundation has been – to the tune of about $1 million each year – the need is even greater, Rehse said.
“We have a wait list right now of 37 low-income kids that we can’t serve yet, and the funding from Audacious
Giving List Page 314
Fri, Jan 31 / 7 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall
Program includes Mozart, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, O’Carolan and contemporary arrangements of Nordic folk tunes
Event Sponsor: Anonymous
Great Performances Suite Sponsors: G.A. Fowler Family Foundation and The Shanbrom Family Foundation
Double Grammy Nominee in 2024
Lakecia Benjamin and Phoenix
Fri, Feb 7 / 8 PM UCSB Campbell Hall
Saxophonist and composer Lakecia Benjamin fuses soul and hip-hop with a strong foundation in the canon of modern jazz. Fans of John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter and Ornette Coleman, listen up – there’s a new horn in town, and she’s ready to roar.
Sun, Feb 2 / 4 PM / Hahn Hall
Jazz Series Lead Sponsor: Manitou Fund
Hear & Now Series Sponsors: Linda Stafford Burrows and Dr. Bob Weinman
Wed, Feb 19 / 8 PM / UCSB Campbell
by Steven Libowitz
Teen Star Santa Barbara started as a small event meant to employ the American Idol model to highlight the vocal talents of local students in the wake of arts budget cuts in the schools, but it quickly outgrew its original home at San Marcos High’s auditorium. A few years at the Granada turned into an annual event at the Arlington before the pandemic got in the way. Teen Star is now happily ensconced at the Marjorie Luke for a second year, where, as always, 10 finalists will compete on stage for the chance at a prize package that includes a scholarship, connections to local musical luminaries and – new this year – a direct audition with the executive producers of American Idol
The youngsters are in grades 7-12, and go through a video screening process and a preliminary round to pare the hopefuls down to 10 finalists (and two alternates) who perform at the live showcase, slated this year for February 2. They get to work with a professional mentor to hone their craft in a working studio; while previous pros include Alan Parsons, Kenny Loggins, and Tariqh Akoni, this year it’s the debut of Adam Zelkind, a recently-Santa Barbara-based songwriter, composer and producer with more than 2,600 credits in TV episodes, feature films, records and commercials. Zelkind’s accolades include ASCAP’s Most Performed Music on Television for two consecutive years.
Previous Teen Star winners have gone on to earn college degrees, and some have found success on Broadway or working in music in Los Angeles, or even right here in town. This local category includes Jackson Gillies, whose out-of-nowhere victory in 2016 proved the competition – which combines judges’ opinions with audience voting to determine the winner – is much more than a popularity contest.
“He rolled into town, showed up at San Marcos High School and didn’t know anybody before he got on the show,” recalled Joe Lambert, Teen Star’s creator and executive producer, of Gillies’ win following performance of an original song and opera aria. “He didn’t have a bunch of friends packing the house, and just won strictly on his talent and wowing the audience.”
This year’s judges include longtime K-LITE morning show host Catherine Remak, who has participated every year, along with PCPA Casting Director Erik Stein and Dishwalla lead singer Justin Fox
Two Montecito residents are among the finalists this year: Lila MacPhail, a 10th-grade day student at the Cate School, and Bradley Duran, who goes to San Marcos. Other hopefuls, including two previous Teen Star finalists, attend Dos
Pueblos, Goleta Valley Junior High and Solvang School. They’ll be judged on a number of factors, Lambert said.
“Most important thing is vocal talent, and I tell the judges that they’re professional opinion matters. Also, how did they connect with the song – do they really understand what they’re singing? And how does their presentation come through to the audience?”
But before all that, the big opening number gathers all 12 young singers on stage to belt out a song as a group, a tradition that brings everyone together, Lambert said.
“It’s a chance to get to know each other and work together,” he said. “It’s a team effort and it builds camaraderie as they learn to support each other doing harmonies and more. It reduces the pressure of a competition and it’s a beautiful thing. That’s why even when they don’t get into that second round, they’re pulling for the other ones.”
See previous Teen Star shows on their YouTube page, www.youtube.com/@TeenStarUSA, which will also stream the 2025 event live. For tickets for the Marjorie Luke show, visit www.teenstar.us.
This week, teens find themselves not only among the performers, but also acting as producers, programmers, presenters, publicists, and everything else for the Kids Helping Kids concert at the Arlington Theatre. The student-run nonprofit originated as an AP economics class at San Marcos in the early 2000s, and has grown over the years to raise funds not only locally but around the world, even as it relocated with founder Jamie DeVries to the private Providence School. Two sets of student duos will perform at the concert.
Of course, an undeniable attraction at the annual extravaganza is the headliner. This year that honor goes to Andy Grammer, the multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter who returns for a third performance at the big benefit concert. Like all the touring acts who play for Kids Helping Kids, Grammer carries a positive vibe, with song titles that include “Honey, I’m Good,” “Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah),” “Best of You,” “Fresh Eyes,” and “Love Myself.” Brad Corrigan, of the indie band Dispatch, opens the show.
The Benefit Concert was originally set for January 25, but has been temporarily postponed. Visit www.kidshelpingkidssb.org for more information about the new date.
After briefly considering canceling the milestone 40th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival in the wake of the Los Angeles fires, SBIFF did postpone announcement of the full lineup and schedule for a few days. But the slate is now complete for the fest, which runs February 4-15, its longest iteration yet, showcasing a total of 33 world premieres and 74 U.S. premieres from 60 countries among its offerings. SBIFF will be raising funds for wildfire-impacted communities via partnership with Direct Relief, the globally-massive Montecito-based nonprofit, with donations earmarked for those affected by the unprecedented disaster.
Meanwhile, at least one of the featured films focuses on the destructive ferocity of wildfires, as a new National Film Board of Canada documentary called Incandescence makes its stateside debut on February 13-14. The film weaves together immersive on-the-ground footage with first-person accounts from Indigenous elders, first responders, and ordinary people forced to react to a rapidly evolving ecosystem. We imagine we’ll see many more entries specific to L.A.’s disaster in next year’s fest.
The 2025 fest will be bookended by French-language features, with the charming romcom Jane Austen Wrecked My Life playing on Opening Night, while SBIFF 2025 closes with another U.S. premiere in the dramatic comedy A Missing Part. And Oscar nominations will be announced as this issue hits newsstands on January 23, so we’ll soon know how many of SBIFF’s impressive slate of tribute honorees – including Angelina Jolie, Ralph Fiennes, Zoe Saldaña, Timothée Chalamet, Colman Domingo, Adrien Brody, and Guy Pearce, among several others – have received the coveted nods (Hint: probably nearly all of them).
Look for much more about SBIFF in our upcoming issues as the area’s biggest event of the season gets underway.
Whether for confronting, coping or merely cackling, topical comedy abounds this week, including three shows within five days at the Lobero. Paula Poundstone sets the pace as perhaps the most politely political of the trio. The veteran stand-up from Boston – now better known for her regular appearances on the NPR news-quiz show Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me and her own podcast – often comments as much on culture and quirkiness drawn from today’s news as on Congress and corruption. But while her stream-of-consciousness musings and rants run the gamut from human hypocrisy to members of the animal kingdom in her own family (including her anti-social cat), her love for TV news is well documented.
by Scott Craig
AWestmont student and professor have won the Hatfield Prize, which will allow them to conduct research this semester through interviewing churches, nonprofits and government agencies who are preventing and addressing homelessness in Santa Barbara. Kate Robinson, a sophomore political science major, has received $5,000 and Katherine Bryant, assistant professor of political science, has received $1,500 for their project that will culminate in a policy report published by the Center for Public Justice in September.
“I’m most excited about the project enabling Kate to really lean into her passion for this topic,” Bryant says. “She’s been consistently involved in homelessness outreach programs here in Santa Barbara, and the Hatfield Prize offers an excellent way for her to expand her research and writing skills while also serving our community and working with such a reputable organization.”
Robinson, a native of Beverly, Massachusetts, serves as a resident chaplain on campus and works as an intern with Kingdom Causes Inc., a local non-
profit working with homelessness and human trafficking.
By participating in Westmont’s Bread of Life, a student-led ministry, she developed relationships with people living on the streets. “Then, through my studies at Westmont, I was able to understand more broadly the issue of homelessness institutionally, and my interest in pursuing more research into this area started,” she says. “I was always interested in doing a more qualitative case study that gives me the opportunity to talk to a lot of people who are doing this hands-on work and to understand their partnerships with other organizations to address the issue.”
The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara oversees more than 4,000 affordable rental housing units. “The hard reality of this list is that only the people who qualify at the very top are often eligible for housing,” Robinson says. “So even if you get into the system while homeless, the chances are you will not receive permanent or supportive housing from it.”
Her research will focus on faith-based efforts in the community to serve the poor and homeless. “Religious congregations in Santa Barbara are very involved in providing services to those experiencing homelessness,” she says. “A variety of institutions, both those in government and civil society, are poised to aid those in homelessness, and many of them are doing
hands-on work on the issue. I’m excited to continue to learn about the relationships between these different actors and how they play out more specifically in the city.”
The Hatfield Prize is named in honor of the legacy of the late U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield of Oregon, known for integrating his Christian faith and his public policy commitments.
Legendary Westmont men’s basketball coach Chet Kammerer and assistant Randy Pfund will be part of an alumni event to celebrate Westmont’s 1983-84 team on Saturday, Jan. 25. The team, which finished the season with a 31-4 record and reached the semifinals of the NAIA National Tournament, was unbeaten in 14 games inside Murchison Gym.
The celebration begins with Jersey Mike’s sandwiches at 2 pm outside the gym before the current men’s team tips off at 3 pm against Chaminade (Hawaii) for the PacWest Conference.
After the game, guests will gather at the Global Leadership Center for a reception to honor the ‘83-84 team, which included Jeff Azain, who set Westmont’s all-time record for season field goal percentage in the 198485 season, shooting .676 from the field. Azain went on to serve as an assistant coach to the Warriors for three decades.
The hardcourt inside the gym is named after Kammerer, who coached the Warriors for 17 seasons from 1975 to 1992 amassing a record of 357-158 (.693). Kammerer left Westmont in 1992 to take an assistant coaching position with the Los Angeles Lakers before serving as the vice president of player personnel for the Miami Heat, where he is currently senior advisor of basketball operations. Pfund was the Lakers’ head coach for 1992-94 seasons, and general manager for the Miami Heat from 1995-2008. Alumni are encouraged to RSVP to head coach Landon Boucher at lboucher@westmont.edu.
Empire, D.C. Stephenson, kidnapped and raped Madge Oberholtzer, thereby exposing the Klan’s true violent and corrupt nature.
Officers of the law were out in force on New Year’s Eve and both Sheriff Ross and Police Chief Desgrandchamp
warned the public that they would not be looking the other way if hip flasks were brandished. When the Law received word that 50 cases of whiskey had been unloaded in Santa Barbara from a northern rum runner’s cache, they went on an exhaustive search for the hooch but came up empty handed.
One scofflaw, Ora L. “Speed” Landreth, however, did not escape the long arm of the Law when he was picked up on State Street with, according to the police report, “a pint of whisky on his hip and another on his breath.” As officers led him to the jail house, he broke out in song, singing in a rich baritone that “it ain’t gonna to rain no moh, no moh!” Once incarcerated, Landreth pretended his cell door was an upright bass and plucked out imaginary tunes on the bars while he treated an unappreciative audience to his complete repertoire of jazz melodies.
The police had enjoyed better luck earlier in the day when they raided the home of E. Harrington at 934 Alphonso Avenue. There they found five bootlegged cases of bonded Scotch whiskey, a barrel of corn whiskey and
several bottles of white mule (aka moonshine) all ordered for several local New Year’s patrons. Bootlegger Harrington pleaded guilty, paid a fine of $300, and announced defiantly, “I’ve drank whiskey all my life, and I’m going to continue to drink it. You’ve got this booze, but I’m going up north to get some more!”
At the end of 1924, Santa Barbara could boast two new performing arts theaters (the Lobero and the Granada), as well as several movie houses. The Community Arts Association sponsored both a drama and music branch, and it supported the School of the Arts. The Civic Music Committee brought top notch orchestras and other professional music groups to town. Local booking agents, like Mrs. Clara E. Herbert, a leading spirit in the musical world in Santa Barbara, had developed the Philharmonic Course and Artists Series for the Potter Theatre.
For January 1925, the Civic Music Committee brought the Philharmonic Orchestra of Los Angeles (LA Phil) to the Granada Theatre. British musical phenom, Arthur Bliss, who had resided in Santa Barbara for a few years past and become involved in all aspects of Santa Barbara music, gave a free preconcert lecture for the Granada concert at the
Lobero Theatre. Showing its versatility, the Granada followed up the next day by presenting two days of Vaudeville movies with Dolly Dumplin & Co “in a
remarkable juvenile comedy,” The Little Runaway, as well as “Tootsie Wootsie.” At the California movie house, Tom Mix together with Tony the Horse and Duke the Dog thrilled moviegoers with Teeth
The Potter Theatre started the new year with a concert by the Chamber Music Society of San Francisco. Headed by violinist Louis Persinger, the principals of the organization would spend two seasons (1926-27, and 1927-28) in Santa Barbara as the Persinger Quartet, where they were sponsored by the Community Arts Association. Persinger had appeared
as a soloist with the Community Arts Orchestra in 1922 and performed throughout that year for the Sunday Evening Musicale Committee which brought the entire Chamber Musical Society to various Montecito homes.
For those who preferred the culture of sports, the morning was given over to donning Irish green or Cardinal red before hieing to the Daily News Building at De la Guerra Plaza. There, leather-lunged “Hippo” Espinosa would narrate the rousing details of the gridiron battle between the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and the Stanford Cardinals. The Daily News announced that play by play would be relayed instantly over a special wire by the Associated Press and passed along via megaphone to the audience. Residents were invited to “thrill to the smashing gallop of the four horsemen and the answering surge of the sturdy Cardinals in the game to secure the National Championship.”
One hundred years too late for a spoiler alert, Knute Rockne’s famous four horsemen brought on a “typhoon of speed” and swamped Stanford with a 27 to 10 score.
In another legendary game, U.C. Berkeley prevailed over Pennsylvania, 14-0, to win the East West championship. The AP article announced, “There was a Quaker meeting here this afternoon and the congregation, numbering some 50,000, was confirmed in the belief that football is a great sport.”
By 1925, Santa Barbara had been inching away from the Victorian Age and its architectural style for several years. Moving through Craftsman and Mission motifs, many Santa Barbarans settled on Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial styles of architecture after the 1915 Panama California Exposition in San Diego had popularized the style. The Plans and Planting branch of the Community Arts Association, under the direction of Irene and Bernhard Hoffmann and Pearl Chase, promoted the Spanish style for a uniform architectural landscape appropriate to Santa Barbara.
In the January 1925 edition of California Southland, Santa Barbara was featured in several articles. In addition to articles on the School of the Arts, the Community Arts Players, and Santa Barbara gardens, the Lobero was shown
in the
as an example of the new architecture. The magazine also sported ads for the businesses in Hoffmann’s new El Paseo complex, built to resemble a small Mexican village.
By 1925, several residences in Montecito and Santa Barbara, as well as downtown businesses, had been built or renovated in the new style. George Washington Smith had designed a Spanish Colonial home for the Little Town Club on the corner of Anacapa and Carrillo streets, and the venerable Carrillo Adobe had seen its first restoration. Roland Sauter and Keith Lockard had designed the new City Hall to supposedly blend in with the De la Guerra Adobe, and the Daily Press Building had followed suit.
The majority of the residences in town, however, continued to look like
On June 29, 1925, the earthquake severely damaged most of the main business district. Business owners were encouraged to rebuild in Spanish style. (photo courtesy of Edson Smith Collection, Santa Barbara Public Library)
Victorian dowagers with steep gabled roofs and elaborate wooden detailing, while the red brick business district resembled Main Street, U.S.A. On June 29, Spanish Colonial style was to get an unexpected boost when a 6.7 earthquake roared through the town and heavily damaged State Street businesses. In the aftermath, the Community Arts Plans and Planting Committee took steps to advocate and facilitate the renovation of Santa Barbara in the Spanish style.
Sources: contemporary news articles; California Southland, January 1925. For more information on the KKK in Santa Barbara, see “The Mystic Knights of the Invisible Empire,” by Hattie Beresford in the Montecito Journal, 2009; “Elias Hecht and the Chamber Music Society of San Francisco: Pioneers of West Coast Chamber Music” by Katherine Isbill Emeneth, 2013.
by Tiana Molony
Upon sliding into one of the booths at Clark’s Oyster Bar, I disclosed to co-owner and chef Larry McGuire that I’d never had oysters before. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to try them; I’ve just never gotten around to it. This also seemed like the perfect time to admit to him that I don’t really get their appeal. “They’re like wine or something,” he informs me from across the booth. “They represent the terroir – in this case the water, the sea, the conditions where they grow. So they’re really made by the surf where they are.”
Clark’s sells a variety of East and West Coast oysters. McGuire, who resembles a salt and pepper-haired John Krasinski, tells me that West Coast oysters have wavier shells with flavors of melon, whereas East Coast oysters are saltier and brinier. “We’re getting them really fresh and shucking them within a few days of them being pulled out of the water,” he shares.
When the oysters come out, McGuire checks that the meat is separated from the shell and slides it forward with his finger before throwing it down the hatch. On my first try, I basically swallowed the whole thing, but the second time, I chewed and explored some of the flavors. It was salty and reminded me a bit of when you accidentally swallow ocean water – but high-end, well-seasoned ocean water. McGuire turns over the shells and exclaims, “So yeah, you’re in the oyster world now.”
While oysters are a specialty of Clark’s Oyster Bar, they’re proud to offer a wide selection of foods – from lobster rolls to crab cakes to the perfectly packed burger. When you thought we’d explored every way to slice and dice a French fry, Clark’s gives us their signature take: impossibly thin fries cut with a mandolin. They can be enjoyed as a fry, on a burger, or even as a pasta topping. “People either love it or hate it,” jokes McGuire. I loved it.
McGuire and his partner chef Tom Moorman – the pair behind McGuire Moorman Hospitality (MML), which they founded in 2009 – opened the first Clark’s location in Austin 13 years ago. Since then, they’ve expanded to Aspen, Houston, and now Montecito. They’re also under construction in Malibu, which, at the time of our conversation, was still unthreatened by the Los Angeles fires.
McGuire and Moorman have had their sights set on Montecito for a while. “I mean, it’s the prettiest place in the country, probably,” shares McGuire, who has been coming here for over 12 years. So when Mexican restaurant Cava closed its doors after 24 years, the pair snagged the coveted Coast Village spot.
Understanding the nuances of the local community is paramount when opening a new restaurant. Every Clark’s is tailored to the town where it is located, including its menu and atmosphere. For the Montecito location, Santa Barbara muralist Emiliano Campobello spent almost every night for a month hand-painting a mural whose gorgeous mountains wrap around the bar.
Alongside Moorman, McGuire opened his first Austin restaurant, Lamberts Downtown Barbeque, in 2006 at the age of 25. Since then, the company has expanded to around 25 freestanding restaurants serving a variety of cuisines. They even opened a hotel, the Saint Vincent in New Orleans, where they restored a building
dating back to 1861.
Aesthetics is an essential aspect of every restaurant MML Hospitality opens. McGuire and Moorman are instrumental in the design process. Santa Barbara-based architect Jeff Shelton designed the building’s exteriors, while Lambert McGuire Design did the interiors. A vibrant cerulean tile mosaic adorns part of the exterior. Inside, you’re met with warm wood and a hand-picked art selection. One end of the bar has a yellow & white striped overhang that gives you the illusion you’re at a swim-up bar on a tropical beach. What’s more, each Clark’s has a fish tank representing the restaurant’s location; ours is a live coral tank hoping to receive some more fish soon, whereas the fish tank in Aspen has freshwater fish.
Before your meal, you can enjoy fresh-baked sourdough with butter and flaky salt. Alongside the oysters, McGuire ordered us the burger, the crudo, and crab cakes. “You can put meals together in a bunch of different ways,” he shares. Clark’s also offers a selection of desserts by pastry chef Hillary Grossman. We tasted the Key Lime Tart and the Butterscotch Pot de Créme made with local apples – both so good it’s hard to pick a favorite.
With a combination of indoor and outdoor seating, McGuire and Moorman aim for Clark’s to be a casual meeting place on Coast Village, and a spot to have a more formal sit-down dinner if that’s what you’re into. “We’re just here to show people a good time, make people happy.”
Longevity is the cornerstone of every space MML Hospitality imagines. Since 2006, they’ve managed to keep every restaurant they’ve created open. Clark’s Oyster Bar on Coast Village Road is no exception: “I mean, our goal is to be here forever.”
smiling faces – could be as spirit-lifting as the shimmering oasis the desert wanderer sees at the peak of dehydrated panic. But the MERRAG oasis was as real as it gets – neighbor helping neighbor with emergency readiness, with FEMAsponsored CERT training (Community Emergency Response Team) designed to authentically boost community self-reliance; with hometown preparedness fomented by fellow Montecitans whose expertise and cheery familiarity would project priceless community calm in the face of darkling emergencies. At a special farewell ceremony held at Fire Station 91 on December 6, current MFPD Chief David Neels eloquently summarized the nearly 40-year MERRAG saga:
“For 37 years, MERRAG volunteers served the Montecito community under the guidance and support of the Montecito Fire, Water and Sanitary Districts. MERRAG members responded to major incidents, including the Tea Fire and 1/9 Debris Flow, during the first, critical hours of emergency response. The dedication and service of these volunteers is memorialized with an olive tree planted at Fire Station 91 as well as a plaque in our lobby. These serve as everlasting reminders of the profound impact MERRAG made on our community and fire department, always in service of their fellow neighbors. We are forever grateful for the efforts of MERRAG.”
Trish Davis is unequivocal, characterizing Chief Neels as a MERRAGempathetic sweetheart, obliged to fulfill his duty to the changing norms of public safety but personally endeared to the MERRAG mission, gently slow-walking the group into the sunlight of the new reality.
“Chief Neels has been wonderful. So many times I watched him come into the room and he would have the courage to say ‘we’re changing this, we’re changing that…’” On one such visit Trish could just make out the faint traces of handwriting on a wall. “I finally realized there’s really no room for MERRAG in this new program.”
The very idea of “new” reminds us, sometimes piercingly, of the irretrievable flight of our days and nights, our delights and sorrows. “Yesterday” is a three-syllable pile of luggage we unpack at our peril. The melancholy isn’t finally to do with change itself, but with the way everything happens exactly once. MERRAG blossomed and served in a time before the internet, before email and texts, and today’s reflexive pursuit of immediacy – which comes in handy in an emergency, but in all other aspects of daily life serves to distractedly hurry the sands through the hourglass.
None of that is in evidence around this table in Station 91’s conference room, where this small band of wry MERRAG veterans perform the custodial duties of closure. These people are an almost teleplay-ready cross section, as Trish explained to me in an earlier meeting at the Corner Green – MERRAG base camp for decades.
“Bill’s a psychiatrist. And then you have Yolanda, who’s a physical therapist. You have David, who was a submarine commander in the Navy…” Maude Feil is a wardrobe stylist and costume designer. And you have Trish; Golden Age of Air Travel Flight Attendant for American Airlines (around the time Jacqueline Bisset played the role in the movies), Department of Airports tour guide for LAX (where she had to help sneak the disguised Charles Manson jury to their plane), Chair of the Montecito Association’s History Committee, and serial volunteer for decades in local efforts too numerous to name here. “Sometimes you just have to slow down,” she broadly concedes. MERRAG’s remaining assets and monies are being very generously donated to grateful, stunned orgs in the area, leading in one instance to a brief misunderstanding Trish was quick to correct. “I told my friend I’m working with Search and Rescue, and they said, ‘what – are you going to rappel over the side of a cliff and rescue people?’ I said, are you kidding me?! I can’t even open a jar of Mayo!”
The meeting is wrapping. David –former sub commander and ever the laconic commenter – offers up his own elegy. “Well, I’m the high tent pole in this group, being 96 years old,” he says with a rueful grin. “I certainly went through some great experiences with MERRAG, back when it was a different world. At this point, starting this new year, we have a few things to take care of and then it’s a final lunch. And that’ll be sort of the end.” He looks around the table. “Good morning.”
by Jeff Giordano
It’s been just two years since we opened our $120M, 376-bed North Branch Jail – and in March the Board will be asked to spend another $160M to add two new jail “pods” to the mix. Frankly, the complexity of the issue far exceeds my 300-word limit but given the cost, we need to “slow our roll” because I’m not even sure we’re asking the right questions.
Much of what is happening is based on a Class Action lawsuit filed by Disability Rights California (DRC) in 2017 and settled by the County in 2021. Among other things, the lawsuit alleged a lack of timely/adequate mental health care. On the heels of this litigation our own Grand Jury released a scathing report that focused on four in-custody deaths caused by a lack of mental health beds and a very poorly negotiated treatment contract with Wellpath
Slow It Down: DRC’s Remedial Plan does not need to be completed until July of 2029.
Anyway, it is now generally agreed that our Main Jail facility is beyond repair and that we should retain just 120 of its beds while adding 512 new ones with two Pods, bringing our total capacity to 1,008 beds. Last year’s average daily jail population was 744 and it has not exceeded 800 since 2020. Fun Fact: In 2022, Countyhired expert Mike Wilson outlined processes that could reduce our population to as few as 600 inmates.
Unfortunately, the average population doesn’t singularly dictate the number of beds needed because inmates must be separated (sexual orientation, etc.) requiring a “flex factor.” The flex factor is more art than science, but I used an accepted rate of 15%; i.e. we need 870 beds –which is more in keeping with one and a half Pods, at a savings of $28M – and a total bed capacity of 880. But, alas, things are never quite that easy. The Sheriff would argue that Proposition 36 (allowing a felony charge under certain circumstances if defendant has two prior drug or theft convictions) will increase the population – but even people in the criminal “know” are not so certain. Also, the litigation that forced L.A. to change its bail schedule, drastically reducing the population, will soon
(take my word!) be coming to SB.
But perhaps the real question, the better question, is not “how many jail beds” but is instead: Who is in our jail and do they belong there?
Sad Truth: 37% of our inmates are prescribed psychotropic medication; yet as designed, the Pods don’t – as required by Court Order – include clinically approved mental health units. And to be fair to Sheriff Bill Brown ’s foresight, he did recommend a 228 bed $42M mental health treatment facility (STAR), but in 2016 the Board, shockingly , refused $39M in approved State funding to build it. Today, of course, this rightly-focused $184k per bed cost is looking like a bargain!
In the past, I have been somewhat critical of Sheriff Brown, not because he isn’t a storied and nationally recognized Peace Officer (HE IS!) but instead because when it comes to budgeting, he has not demonstrated the acumen of an accomplished financial executive; and within his 766-person department he hasn’t surrounded himself with civilians who do demonstrate such acumen. Our North Branch Jail Mahal, for example, came in @ $42M – 55% over budget – with sworn Deputies (yes, they are the most expensive staffing alternative) and operating costs that are now $5M more per year than originally projected. In total, we spend $91M annually on custody (up from the $82M we were spending just four years ago), yet we still aren’t adequately staffed! Here’s a silly idea: Reimagine and redesign a Pod for clinical treatment with ongoing funding coming from the State/Community Corrections Partnership (CCP).
So, what’s a County to do? First and foremost, oversight and funding-strings need to be attached. I might also suggest creating an ad hoc panel with Supervisors whose views about criminal justice differ, and then holding public hearings with ideas from stakeholders – including the Director of Behavioral Wellness Toni Navarro , Chief Probation Officer and Chair of the CCP Holly Benton, our new Sheriff CAO Gary Warkentin , and others.
Do I have the answers? No. But the more I dig the more I sort of suspect that the County doesn’t either. Given the dollars involved we need to get this one right!
by Marian and Dan Shapiro
My beloved 50-year-old nephew, Dan, had no idea he was having a heart attack, and didn’t recognize the symptoms – but eventually did several very crucial things which ultimately saved his life. He was so wise to write down what happened while lying in the hospital, when things were still fresh in his mind. I’m passing on his story so others might know what to do and act quickly to avoid tragedy! I think 40 and 50-year-olds, especially, need this information, because they are NOT expecting a heart attack. But even old ladies like me are not sure sometimes if they should call 911 or their doctor. Here is Dan’s story in his own words:
Iwas running out of breath all day at work but didn’t think much of it. I felt normal, but when speaking, my words at the end of the sentence would taper off because I didn’t have enough air. I recognize in hindsight that it was dissonance between what my brain is accustomed to when talking and the oxygen shortage that was occurring.
At the gym at 5 pm, I was pushing really hard. I started feeling badly and had to stop 2/3 of the way though my workout. I initially just pushed harder, but thought I was going to be sick.
I had eaten some food earlier in the day that I had bought on a fridge shelf in the store where it seemed misplaced. I convinced myself that it must have been sitting out for a long time and then put back in fridge. It felt like an amplified version of my worst food poisoning experience, combined with the worst workout muscle strain.
I rested in the car for a bit and went to Costco. It took a long time as I was having a hard time focusing and kept having waves of nausea. While leaving, I started dry heaving in the parking lot. I almost had to pull over a few times on the drive home from the pain and nausea, but it was so extreme that I recognized that I wasn’t going to be able to drive again if I stopped.
I got home and unloaded the cold stuff to the fridge. I couldn’t do anything else due to the feeling in my chest which I thought was from overdoing
chest presses. It felt like someone had grabbed my sternum and was ripping my pecs towards my armpits. It kept getting worse.
An hour later, because I was shivering – and to hopefully make the soreness less extreme the next day – I decided to try soaking in a warm Epsom tub. I threw up on myself laying in the tub. I’m thankful for that because laying down probably saved me from throwing out my back with how aggressive it was.
No radiating pain, no lower back pain. My Apple watch continued to show nothing abnormal other than that my pulse was fluctuating. My teeth hurt. I had no idea that could be a symptom. I got out of the tub and climbed in bed. I began sweating. I was drenched in sweat. Dry off. Drench in sweat. Dry off … and it’s pouring down me before I can finish drying off. Chest soreness is more than seems possible for any workout. Just in case, I unlock the door to the house. I was scared where this could be going.
By the time it was 4:30 am, I was in so much chest ripping pain, pain in my teeth, and constant vomiting that I realized I needed an ambulance because I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t even stand up anymore. I knew I’d be in the Kaiser lobby a long time, so I might as well go and beat the crowds….
So I called 911. I didn’t let them speak until I had said my address, name, that the door was unlocked, my symptoms, and the medications I take. Only after I got out the necessities did I answer their questions. The EMTs arrived about 10 minutes later and came in the unlocked door. They ran some tests and told me I was in the middle of a heart attack. They skipped taking me to Kaiser and routed me to the nearest trauma/
cardio hospital, which thankfully is the generally agreed upon best one; UCSD Trauma. Scared as I suddenly was, I was reassured as I’d listened to colleagues say on repeat over the years “if I get shot, drive further to take me to UCSD Trauma.”
I normally have great veins, but they can’t find one and so I’m poked repeatedly. I have the panic of the words “heart attack” swirling with the learned focus I get when I hear our sirens and lights kick on. They try not to bounce while driving, even as the EMT loudly announces to the driver each time they’re switching arms, poking each in an attempt to find a vein.
Whirlwinds of doctors as I’m wheeled in. I can’t focus on any one question. The EMTs have taken over and are relaying all my info. I’m asked to sign waivers and all I can think of is that I
was just told “risk of death.” I smudge the writing stylus across the page as I can’t even hold the stylus properly. It hits me and I’m suddenly crying. I don’t want to be another tragedy hurting my family. It’s all I can think of as I pass out. I have to be there for them. I can’t do this to them.
Waking up… I’m hooked up to loads of machines. I had a large clot in my right ventricle which had blocked blood flow. I had a stent put in and I’ve been on six different types of blood thinners to try and break down the clot so they don’t have to crack my chest open. I’ve been told I have permanent damage to both ventricles of my heart. Too soon to know the extent.
The doctors say “normal life” but won’t answer if it will be my normal life. I have a long period of cardiac rehab ahead of me. I’m itching to go. I don’t want to go slow. This will require more patience than I give my body. I will learn. I will grow. I have survived and will survive.
My doctor told me that had I not come in when I did, I would not have survived much longer. It was a very major heart attack and yet I didn’t recognize it because I thought that certain classic symptoms HAD to be part of it. Even while I was having the heart attack, I felt that it was my body telling me to push harder during the workout session I was having. I fully support sharing the message and lessons that I learned that day – both medically and about what really mat ters most in life.
is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Montecito Sanitary District shall conduct a public hearing at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, January 27, 2025 at its Board Room located at 1042
Cristo Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93108 as well as via Zoom Meetings; meeting ID 861 1897 5917, to consider the adoption of an ordinance of the governing board of the Montecito Sanitary District increasing the compensation of Directors of the Board pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 6489.
public may attend and comment by calling 1-669-900-6833 and entering Meeting ID 861 1897 5917 or by visiting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86118975917 Copies of the text of the proposed ordinance are on file with the clerk of the District Board and are available for public inspection at the Districts’ offices. See https://www.montsan.org/ Publication dates: January 15, 2025 and January 22, 2025
only covers kids who were born in the Tri-Counties and go to schools in Santa Barbara or Lompoc. We have children who were born in L.A. or Texas, or – yes, Mexico – and we can’t accept them for Future Smiles. And we want to offer the program to the rest of the county, too.”
The good news is that the program has already covered all its administrative expenses for the current academic year, Rehse said. So any funds raised during
toward orthodontic treatments, helping to straighten out lives through straightening kids’ teeth.
“Through no fault of their own, they’re dealing with something that’s going to cause physical problems, and probably emotional problems for years,” she said. “Getting braces can literally change the trajectory of somebody’s life. By giving them this gift, you are actually providing a way for them to truly be more success-
You showed up with generosity
new, wool sock donations, we are providing an immediate impact & relief to our firefighters in Los Angeles
The funds we have raised will work towards our other initiatives to fill the critical gaps for first responders and their families. Our hearts & SOCK BOXES are overflowing
Maron comes to the Lobero on January 30th (courtesy photo)
“I am still completely addicted,” Poundstone said in our 2022 interview before her previous Lobero show. “I have no question in my mind that it’s unhealthy. And I don’t know why I watch, because the news never changes. If this were a crime show on TV, I would have stopped watching a long time ago because you know the other side is never going to win. But I tell myself that because I’m paying attention, I’m somehow in the ready position to rescue democracy.”
Does that mean she was unhappily glued to the TV last Monday? Find out on January 24.
Observations about Washington will be even more obvious the following night when self-professed “Liberal Redneck” Trae Crowder comes to the Lobero. That is the moniker for his viral YouTube videos, and part of the title of a best-selling book The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin’ Dixie Outta the Dark. “Liberal Redneck” covers as well his on-stage oeuvre, as the Tennessee native with a sharp Southern accent has toured coast to coast and appeared on a slew of TV talk shows and news programs. Now an L.A. resident, Crowder has also developed and sold five scripted pilots for Warner Bros TV, ABC, and FOX and co-wrote and produced an hour-long documentary Inherent Good, featuring Crowder and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, about universal basic income. So we imagine there might be some extended rants about this week’s executive orders in his Santa Barbara debut on January 25.
Marc Maron also makes it to town on January 30 in a reschedule of an August 22 show. Nowadays Maron is most notably known for his landmark podcast WTF with Marc Maron, which boasts more than 100 million listeners annually, as well as a bunch of major acting credits, including Netflix’s wrestling series Glow and the critical hit To Leslie, among other roles. But he’s also a supremely gifted stand up who has released five hit comedy specials including 2023’s From Bleak to Dark. Expect no punches to be pulled when he powers up at the Lobero.
Get your classic rock on with a pair of tribute concerts playing the music of two of the biggest bands in the land back in the 1970s at two different venues this week. Queen Nation, which promotes itself as one of the most accurate re-creations of a Queen concert in the United States circa 197585, features four musicians fully costumed, singing and performing in character, with frontman Gregory Finsley endeavoring to emulate the voice and energy of the late Freddie Mercury. The longest-running show of its kind on the West Coast, Queen Nation formed back in 2004 and in celebration of their 20th anniversary last year launched
their new “Symphonic Rock Show,” combining orchestral and rock elements of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are the Champions,” and many more hits. See them January 24 at Chumash Casino Resort’s Samala Showroom.
Formed a full five years earlier in 1999, MANIA The ABBA Tribute has brought the music of the beloved Swedish supergroup to more than three
million people for more than a quarter of a century. The cast of the tribute concert boasts stunning costumes and energetic choreography along with a stellar cast to recreate the magic of ABBA’s music in its heyday, from “Dancing Queen” and “Waterloo” to “Mamma Mia” and “Take a Chance on Me.” Lap ‘em up at the Lobero on January 26.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND PENDING ACTION BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO:
WAIVE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON A CDP HEARING APPLICATION AND APPROVE, CONDITIONALLY APPROVE, OR DENY THE CDP HEARING APPLICATION
This may affect your property. Please read.
Notice is hereby given that an application for the project described below has been submitted to the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department. This project requires the approval and issuance of a CDP Hearing application by the Planning and Development Department.
The development requested by this application is under the jurisdiction of the Montecito PC and therefore a public hearing on the application is normally required prior to any action to approve, conditionally approve, or deny the application. However, in compliance with the , the Director intends to waive the public hearing requirement unless a written request for such hearing is submitted by an interested party to the Planning and Development Department within the 15 working days following the Date of Notice listed below. All requests for a hearing must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Request for Hearing Expiration Date listed below, to Veronica King at Planning and Development, 123 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara 93101-2058, by email at kingv@countyofsb.org, or by fax at (805) 568-2030. If a public hearing is requested, notice of such a hearing will be provided.
WARNING: Failure by a person to request a public hearing may result in the loss of the person’s ability to appeal any action taken by Santa Barbara County on this CDP Hearing Application to the Montecito Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors.
If a request for public hearing is not received by 5:00 p.m. on the Request for Hearing Expiration Date listed below, then the Planning and Development Department will act to approve, approve with conditions, or deny the request for a CDP Hearing application. At this time it is not known when this action may occur; however, this may be the only notice you receive for this project. To receive additional information regarding this project, including the date the CDP Hearing application is approved, and/or to view the application and plans, or to provide comments on the project, please contact Veronica King at Planning and Development, 123 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara 93101-2058, or by email at kingv@countyofsb.org, or by phone at (805) 568-2513.
PROPOSAL: DUVAL - RESIDENTIAL ADDITION & ACCESSORY STRUCTURES
PROJECT ADDRESS: 1430 GREENWORTH PL, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93108 1st SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT
THIS PROJECT IS LOCATED IN THE COASTAL ZONE
DATE OF NOTICE: 1/23/2025
REQUEST FOR HEARING EXPIRATION DATE: 2/13/2025
PERMIT NUMBER: 24CDH-00026
009-190-002
ZONING: 20-R-1
PROJECT AREA: 0.52
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Applicant: Thomas & Julianne Duval
Proposed Project:
APPLICATION FILED: 9/20/2024
572 SF ADDITION TO (E) 2,185 SF RESIDENCE. (N) DETACHED GARAGE 491 SF. (N) POOL & ADU UNDER SEPARATE PERMIT. APPEALS:
The decision of the Director of the Planning and Development Department to approve, conditionally approve, or deny this CDP Hearing application 24CDH-00026 may be appealed to the Montecito Planning Commission by the applicant or an aggrieved person. The appeal must be filed within the 10 calendar days following the date that the Director takes action on this CDP Hearing application. To qualify as an "aggrieved person" the appellant must have, in person or through a representative, informed the Planning and Development Department by appropriate means prior to the decision on the Coastal Development Permit of the nature of their concerns, or, for good cause, was unable to do so.
Appeals must be filed with the Planning and Development Department online at https://aca-prod.accela.com/sbco/Default.aspx, by 5:00 p.m. within the timeframe identified above. In the event that the last day for filing an appeal falls on a non-business day of the County, the appeal may be timely filed on the next business day.
For additional information regarding the appeal process, contact Veronica King.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: information about this project review process may also be viewed at: https://ca-santabarbaracounty.civicplus.pro/1499/Planning-Permit-Process-Flow-Chart Board of Architectural Review agendas may be viewed online at: https://www.countyofsb.org/160/Planning-Development
Published January 23, 2025 Montecito Journal
The Santa Barbara South Coast Firefighter Foundation serves and supports the Carpinteria-Summerland community and beyond. Comprised of dedicated members of the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District, they work hand-inhand with the district and union to host and participate in events that strengthen our community and provide valuable services. For more info and about their upcoming fundraiser bash, see the 411.
411: Instagram: @carpinteriafirefighters3368 https://carpfire.com www.sbsouthcoastff.com
Huge shoutouts to The Montecito Country Mart shops and restaurants for their immediate, dedicated, and generous aid for the evacuees and first responders to the L.A. Fires in toto.
MCM owner James S. Rosenfield shares, “Our hearts go out to L.A. and everyone impacted by the devastating fires. Please know that we send our love and support to you. The Country Marts have always been places for families to gather and create memories together. In this situation where many of these same families are faced with unthinkable devastation and rebuilding, we are showing our support by making a donation to Save the Children’s Emergency Fund on behalf of Brentwood Country Mart, Marin Country Mart, and Montecito Country Mart.”
Bettina, Alma Fonda Fina, Merci Montecito, Rori’s Creamery and Oat Bakery joined together for a World Central Kitchen raffle. All donations to the World Central Kitchen will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 - $200 gift card to each restaurant. This effort is ongoing due to the overwhelming response. Send a screen grab of your donation to Bettina – check their Instagram (@bettinapizzeria).
The World Central Kitchen is distributing free hot meals to first responders and evacuees at several southern California locations in response to the wildfires. 411: www.instagram.com/wckitchen
Bettina Restaurant has held two additional funding sources in the last week. On January 13, 10% of its sales were donated to Side Pie Restaurant in Altadena, CA, which burned down; and on January 15, 10% of its sales donated to Lady & Larder Food Shop for feeding the firefighters in Los Angeles.
Merci Café & Bakery donated a percentage of its sales on January 12 to Baby2Baby, a nonprofit that provides children basic necessities and clothes.
Mate Gallery is accepting gently used and new clothing for fire victims. Bring in 12 or more items and receive 25% off an instore purchase.
Sunspel Men’s Fashion is donating 10% off to those impacted by fires.
Clare V Fashion is offering a 30% discount in stores for fire-impacted customers, and donating 100% of proceeds to the Red Cross on the purchase of their Los Angeles Je T’aime hats & tees available online, which has raised $100,000 as of Saturday, January 18.
Clare V Warehouse Stock donated to +COOP Los Angeles.
Caffe Luxxe (whose Malibu location is still closed) is providing free drinks to all firefighters and first responders as they continue their incredible work, and 20% off for all evacuees.
DÔEN fashion is holding donation drives all around Los Angeles to those who have lost homes; providing a monetary donation to Los Angeles Fire Department; and offering a discount to all their customers in impacted neighborhoods.
Cynthia Benjamin Eyewear is offering a discount on eyeglass frames and prescriptions to evacuees who lost their homes.
Poppy Marché kids’ fashion is sending care packages to those who lost their homes. And for evacuee parents of children who need a new “lovey” stuffed toy, let the store know and they will gladly get one to you.
Emily Joubert’s owner Judy Cottingham-Sieber, has put out the call for donations of new, unused travel-size toiletries kits, beauty supplies and cosmetics at their Montecito location, and all other stores. Brands are invited to donate in bulk. The care packages are scheduled to go out this week. Check with Montecito store manager Jen Williams Donations from Emily Joubert vendor brands who donated thus far are Patrick and Jacques, owners of Cerería Mollá 1899 home décor, and Lisa Rissetto, owner of 49 Square Miles who donated 100 travel bags. 411: www.instagram.com/emilyjoubert
For this week’s wellness feature, I dove into the pool of health offerings at the Montecito YMCA with its Executive Director Ryan Power. He said, “This is a great
time to join the Montecito YMCA. We are currently running a membership promotion, if you sign up by January 31st the joining fee is $0. Your membership provides you with access to 40 group exercise classes weekly, a five-lane heated swimming pool with spa, and discounts on youth programs. Thanks to the generosity of our members, the YMCA is able to provide Open-Door scholarships to those financially disadvantaged. Our dedication to the community is what sets us apart from other fitness facilities. And remember, our memberships are set up on a month-to-month cycle without contracts. To try out the Y, ask for a guest pass.”
The Montecito Y has new adult fitness classes like Technogym Circuit, the Les Mills BodyPump, Groove®, AOA-Fitness, SPRINT HIIT, and the-influencer-inspo’ed Barre.
On board at the Montecito Y is Ben Oler, NASM-CPT multi-certified Personal Trainer, UCSB grad and Youth Programs and Adult Wellness Director; and Aquatics Director Alia Di Gregori
Ryan Power adds, “Adults have the Les Mills BodyPump Class, the Les Mills Sprint Class, Zumba, Groove®, Ballroom and Hip-Hop Dance classes. In March, Pickleball is being added. Seniors have Aqua Aerobics, Senior Stretch, Senior Strength class, and a Senior Circuit Training class that focuses on resistance training using workout machines. Kids have swim lessons starting at six months of age, introducing them to water and establishing water safety, and we have a growing swim team that competes against the other Channel Islands YMCA’s. We have Youth Sport Leagues for basketball and baseball, and our Summer Sports Camp offers a variety of sports like soccer, tennis and volleyball.”
Details of the new classes are:
- Technogym Circuit beginning level with workout machines and free weights, held in the TechnoGym® training room. This strength training circuit class is a full body workout.
- Les Mills BodyPump with barbell, weighted plates and bench is an intermediate to advanced workout. The original barbell class that challenges all major muscle groups. Set to fun and energetic music with high-energy and motivating instructors.
- Groove® dance class, beginner to intermediate, takes easy dance moves and lets you make them your own, adding your own style and personality, and making every movement perfect for your body.
- AOA [Active Older Adults] Fitness with dumbbells and mat, beginner class emphasizing improved muscular strength, endurance, balance, and joint mobility to allow your daily functions to be performed with ease. A chair can be used as needed.
- SPRINT on a Stationary Bike, beginner to intermediate. In just 30 minutes, SPRINT will have you noticing fast results through a High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) cycling low impact workout.
- Barre with bar and mat, beginner through intermediate. A unique, no impact, high energy fusion of barre work and weight resistance that will tone your body, improve balance and flexibility.
- Pilates with Mat, Dumbbell, and a Pilates Ring, beginner through advanced.
Ryan Power invites the community to join, and shares, “Fitness isn’t just about physical health, it’s about overall well-being, and we’re here to guide you on your journey, whether you’re just starting out or ready to take it to the next level. Fitness at the Y also is about strengthening connections within yourself and your community. We are more than just a place to swim and get fit.”
411: www.ciymca.org/locations/montecitofamily-ymca
ORDINANCE NO. 24
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MONTECITO SANITARY DISTRICT ESTABLISHING AN ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDIES
PROCEDURE FOR CHALLENGES TO FEES, CHARGES, AND ASSESSMENTS
WHEREAS, the Montecito Sanitary District (“District”) is a sanitary district duly organized and existing pursuant to the Sanitary District Act of 1923 codified in Health and Safety Code section 6400 et seq.;
WHEREAS, under Health and Safety Code sections 6490 & 6491.3, the Board is authorized to adopt ordinances to establish general regulations for the District;
WHEREAS, the California Legislature adopted Assembly Bill No. 2257 to establish an exhaustion of remedies requirement for property-related sewer fees, charges, and assessments;
WHEREAS, Article XIIIC, Section 1(e) of the California Constitution defines fees, charges, and assessments; and
WHEREAS, the District desires to codify those requirements for all District related fees, charges, and assessments.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MONTECITO SANITARY DISTRICT DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS…:
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Directors of the Montecito Sanitary District on this 13th day of January, 2025, by the following vote:
AYES: Directors Glaser, Johnson, Newquist and Ohlmann
NOES: None
ABSENT: Director Barrett
ABSTAINED: None
Published January 23, 2025 Montecito Journal
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Evoke Design Studio; Evoke Design; Evoke; Evoke Studio, 636 West Ortega Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Evoke Interiors, PO Box 1104, Santa Barbara, CA 93102. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 7, 2025. 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. 2025-0000042. Published January 23, 30, February 6, 13, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Santa Barbara Senior Real Estate Planners; SB Home Prep; Santa Barbara Senior Move Manager; Your SB Rentals, 5276 Hollister Avenue, Suite 263, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. Rachel A Quittner, 5276 Hollister Avenue, Suite 263, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on December 18, 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. 2024-0002957. Published January 23, 30, February 6, 13, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Dr. Greenthumb’s Orcutt, 1604 E Clark Avenue, Suite 101, Orcutt, CA 93455. Citrus Real Property, LLC, 4675 MacArthur Ct FL 15, Newport Beach, CA 92660. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County
on January 3, 2025. 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. 2025-0000091. Published January 16, 23, 30, February 6, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Secret Garden Inn and Cottages, 1908 Bath Street, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101. Inn Paradise Inc, 2821 Ben Lomond Drive, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 3, 2025. 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. 2025-0000029. Published January 16, 23, 30, February 6, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Reillie Beauty, 4004 Modoc Rd, B, Santa Barbara, CA, 931101807. Idolina Guinto, PO Box 22736, Santa Barbara, CA, 93121-2736. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 2, 2025. 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. 2025-0000012. Published January 9, 16, 23, 30, 2025
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 24CV05504. To all interested parties: Petitioner Marla Witcher filed a petition with Superior
advanced technologies emerge. Capps acknowledged that they’d welcome the use of “better technology,” especially if new environmentally friendly innovations become available. “We don’t want to have some rule in place that is so scrubber specific,” said Capps.
The few farms that already have carbon scrubbers have found them effective. Farmlane in Carpinteria was the first to install scrubbers. At the BOS meeting, co-owner David Van Wingerden said that since installing them, they’ve received no odor complaints and hope they will not have to replace their scrubbers if they continue to do their job.
Besides their efficient odor masking, scrubbers have also been shown to benefit the plants by filtering mold and other pathogens. “Because, again, there are other benefits that having scrubbers in your greenhouse provide for your overall operations and the quality of your operations for your employees,” Nelson said.
Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name of minor from Ruby Grace Gomez Witcher to Ruby Grace Witcher. 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 January 8, 2025 by Preston Frye. Hearing date: February 19, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 3, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published January 16, 23, 30, February 6, 2025.
ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME: CASE No. 24CV07309. To all interested parties: Petitioner Carly Elizabeth Richardson filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to Carly Elizabeth Hughes. 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 January 10, 2025 by Preston Frye. Hearing date: February 26, 2025 at 10 am in Dept. 3, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published January 16, 23, 30, February 6, 2025.
regulatory framework and revocation of business licenses as part of the odor enforcement program.
County staff will determine how many carbon scrubbers each facility needs, depending on the size and location of the facility. Cannabis operators will be responsible for hiring county-approved experts to assess the site. “All of these systems will be signed off by a licensed engineer,” Nelson said.
When asked about the financial impact this regulation would have on the County, Capps noted that appeals and filed complaints can tie up a lot of county resources – from legal to compliance. By solving the odor abatement problem, the reduction in complaints (which have numbered in the thousands) would actually free up county resources and staff.
A 2022 study by Santa Maria Consulting firm SCS Engineers, found that the average efficiency of odor reduction of a carbon scrubber was 84%, and almost 100% at the property line, when compared with facilities that do not use scrubbers. The study used CFS-3000 carbon scrubbers from Envinty Group, an engineering firm based in the Netherlands.
The study also compared carbon scrubbers to vapor phase, commonly used by some Carpinteria farmers, and found that vapor phase technology actually resulted “in a net increase of odor emissions.” They also found that a scrubber from the study that had been in operation for a year without maintenance and filter change still had over 90% efficiency.
“These are not much more expensive to operate than Ecosorb or some of these other technologies in the past that they’ve had to do,” said Nelson. “So I think once [the operators] fully incorporate that into their program, I think they’ll be looking forward to it as well.”
One of the concerns raised about carbon scrubbers is their energy usage however Capps and Nelson noted that cannabis is an energy intensive industry, adding that Ever-Bloom farms in Carpinteria, who already has carbon scrubbers installed, has reported that the scrubbers account for less than 2% of their overall energy use.
Following the unanimous vote to approve the amendments, the board will direct the CEO’s office and Planning and Development to develop ordinances consistent with the board letter. The ordinances will include measuring odor at the property line in the
The BOS will review exceptions for growers who cannot meet the 12-month timeframe. An acceptable example of an exception would be if an operator ordered equipment shortly after the March 25th decision and if that equipment showed up after the 12-month mark. “We don’t want to put them out of business over that,” said Nelson.
Nelson also said there will be site visits to monitor operations between various county departments at least four to five times yearly. “That’s one reason why we put it both in the planning side and the CEO side,” shared Nelson. “That’s why we wanted both of those permits, because we wanted that responsibility not to be a finger pointing thing between departments in the future.”
When it comes to outdoor growers, both Capps and Nelson feel that smells emanating from those facilities are a separate issue. They hope to tackle it in the future, but right now they’re focused on implementing these new amendments and working together as supervisors to make a difference.
Nelson emphasized the importance of keeping all growers in business and acknowledged that outdoor operations may be an issue of geographical placement – making sure that farms are located far enough from residential areas, or even using landscape features like canyons that naturally restrict the smell. He also mentioned involving other supervisors who represent areas with outdoor grows to consider the problem – for example, District 3 Supervisor Joan Hartmann . “So I’ve often said that, you know, I’m interested in what solution she wants to bring to the table here,” said Nelson. “I’ve got a couple ideas, but, you know, I think that it’s a much more robust and difficult conversation.”
used by J.S. Bach in his heyday. It created a delightful dialog between Baroque traditions and contemporary work. Ferguson and Brooklyn-based Tepfer also showcased music by Francesco Antonio Bonporti, a composer whose “inventions” impressed Bach himself. A highly entertaining show...
Wolfgang Amadeus reigned supreme when the Santa Barbara Symphony staged its first concert of the New Year at the Granada under veteran maestro Nir Kabaretti
It was one weekend, two different concerts and eight masterworks, including the glorious “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” during the Mozart Marathon.
The highly entertaining two-part show, spanning Saturday and Sunday, included elegant concertos for piano with Natasha Kislenko, oboe with Lara Wickes, violin with Jessica Guideri, and flute and harp with Amy Tatum and Michelle Temple
The event included, as well, one of the Austrian composer’s final symphonies, “No. 35 in D Major (‘Haffner’).”
Mozart died at his home in Vienna at the all-too-early age of 35 and, depending on who you believe, was buried in an unidentified pauper’s grave.
The last time I was in Vienna I visited one of his homes, The Figaro House, which resembled a scene from a Dickens’ novel, hardly the residence of one of the world’s most famous composers.
State Farm, who yanked the fire insurance of 72,000 policy holders in April 2024, citing wildfire risks before the deadly blaze, has pulled its multimillion-dollar TV commercial from next month’s Super Bowl.
The ad was scheduled to run during Super Bowl LIX, set to take place on February 9 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Reports suggest Fox is charging $7 million for each 30-second spot airing during the game. It is unclear whether State Farm had already decided on the ad placement before opting to pull out.
“State Farm, State Farm agents, and our employees are all focusing on helping customers impacted by the Southern California wildfires in the midst of this tragedy,” the company said after the humiliating U-turn.
Former Montecito resident Michael Douglas has announced a hefty donation from his late father Kirk Douglas’s foundation, as well as himself.
Michael, 80, took to Instagram to say he had asked the board of the foundation, founded by Kirk and his wife Anne, to pledge a magnanimous amount to the Red Cross in response to the L.A. fires, which he wanted to match.
Kirk died on February 5, 2020, at age 103 and Michael’s stepmother Anne died aged 102 on April 29, 2021.
“I’m trying to get the ball rolling,” says Michael. “This is not a question of blue states and red states. Republicans or Democrats. This is humanitarian. And this really, really is a major crisis.”
Gwyneth Paltrow has donated $2 million worth of product to charities assisting those affected by the disaster.
The Montecito resident, 52, says the donation has been sent to charities like Baby2Baby, a nonprofit supporting children living in poverty, and Altadena Girls, a charity impacted by the Eaton Fire.
Goop’s Brentwood store has also been sending care packages of beauty and skincare products to Goop clients impacted by the flames.
The company’s resident chef also sent food to serve 800 firefighters.
“More to come as we rebuild Los Angeles,” promises Paltrow. “I love you.”
Montecito’s Cameron Diaz has returned to acting after a decade on hiatus.
The Holiday actress, 52, officially retired from Hollywood in 2018 and her last film was Annie in 2014.
She wanted to spend more time with her rocker husband Benji Madden, 45. Her new Netflix film Back in Action, about two former CIA in agents who setup a family, was released last week.
She was lured back by her friend Jamie Foxx, who is her co-star.
“I’m back all thanks to Jamie,” she told the U.K.’s Graham Norton Show, admitting she’d have been a “fool” not to resurrect her career.
“I had ten years of not paying attention to anything, not accepting any offer, then I got this script and thought it was time.
“If I was going to leave my family ten hours a day, I wanted to do it teaming with one of the most talented men in the entertainment business. It is a privilege to make films and we are all so lucky to
do that, the door being opened to me after a decade was amazing.”
Carpinteria’s former TV host Conan O’Brien is the newest recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in comedy.
O’Brien, 61, has carved an improbable career arc, moving from goofy television interloper to comedic elder statesman. Along the way, he survived one of the most public failures on the history of TV on The Tonight Show – only to launch and sustain a next act.
The second season of his travel series Conan O’Brien Must Go starts in March. O’Brien also hosts the Oscars three weeks before his Mark Twain ceremony in Washington.
He will be honored on March 23 in a special ceremony at which he will receive a bronze bust of Twain – the iconic writer and satirist whose real name was Samuel Clemens – with the ceremony streaming on Netflix.
Ellen DeGeneres spotted at Casa Dorinda... Former Charlie’s Angel Jaclyn Smith shopping at Emily Joubert House & Garden on CVR... Actor Kevin Costner at Lucky’s.
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
by Steven Libowitz
Avant Un-garde-d – Even as the wreckage from the Los Angeles fires is still being revealed, film producer and philanthropist Nicole Avant – who grew up in a home that served as a place of refuge and inspiration for a generation of geniuses, from Ella Fitzgerald to Bill Withers to Quincy Jones – heads to Godmothers in Summerland to celebrate the paperback release of Think You’ll Be Happy . Her bestselling memoir – sparked by the tragic shooting death of her mother during a 2021 home invasion – is about transforming unimaginable grief into a catalyst for profound personal growth. She’ll be joined in conversation by her husband, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos , who wrote the book’s foreword.
WHEN: 6 pm
WHERE: Godmothers, 2280 Lillie Ave., Summerland COST: sold out (waiting list available)
INFO: (805) 696-2340 or https://godmothers.com
The Agonies of Agnes – The Ojai Art Center Theater opens its 2025 season with Agnes of God , the 1979 three-character psychological drama by John Pielmeier that won both Tony and Drama Desk awards. After a dead newborn is found wrapped in bloody sheets in a wastebasket in the bedroom of a young novitiate, a psychiatrist is called in to determine if the seemingly innocent novice, who knows nothing of sex or birth, is compe -
RTC’s ‘WinterFest’ Trio – Pulitzer Prize-winner August Wilson’s Two Trains Running continues in repertory with Christina Anderson’s translation of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, and a single performance of Wilson’s autobiographical play How I Learned What I Learned Trains and Errors are part of a “launch partner” collaboration between Rubicon Theatre Company and famed touring theater The Acting Company of New York (TAC). The run in Ventura is a residency to kick off TAC’s national tour, which will see the company perform in 22 venues across the U.S. Set in Pittsburgh in 1969 during a turbulent time in American history, Trains offers a poignant, powerful, and at times surprisingly funny exploration of race, identity and the pursuit of the American Dream in a rapidly evolving world. Directed by Lili-Anne Brown, the riveting production brings Wilson’s vibrant, multi-dimensional characters to life with authenticity and passion. From gentrification and the death of a local preacher, to the influence of Malcolm X and the rise of the Black Power movement – the characters discuss and respond to the jarring changes taking place in the community and the world outside. New York Times critic Frank Rich called the original 1992 production “easily Mr. Wilson’s most adventurous and honest attempt to reveal the intimate heart of history.” Errors, performed by the same nine-person African American cast, is Shakespeare’s hilarious take on mistaken identity, a farcical tale of two sets of identical twins separated at birth. The production is helmed by TAC’s Producing Director Devin Brain Learned, a one-person monologue that looks back on Wilson’s remarkable career and forward to his goal of completing his celebration of the black experience, stars Lance E. Nichols, a veteran of TV and theater who returns to RTC after having previously appeared as Hoke in Driving Miss Daisy
WHEN: Learned January 28, Errors through January 28 and Trains through February 2
WHERE: Rubicon Theatre, 1006 E. Main St., Ventura
COST: $35-$79.50 (discounts for students, seniors, veterans & active military)
INFO: (805) 667-2900 or www.rubicontheatre.org
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24
‘Hear & Now’ Is Here Now – UCSB Arts & Lectures’ ongoing series presents the “stars of tomorrow” making their Santa Barbara debuts. This new season opens in the intimate confines of Hahn Hall with Alexander Malofeev, the pianist who came to international prominence in 2014 when he won the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians at the tender age of 13. Now 23, Malofeev has long been praised for high technical accuracy, crystal clear sounds, and perfect balance. This season Malofeev will also premiere as a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, as well as with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and Jerusalem Symphony. Tonight’s program includes works by Schubert, Kabalevsky, Janáček, Liszt, and Scriabin.
WHEN: 7 pm
WHERE: Hahn Hall, Music Academy of the West campus, 1070 Fairway Road
COST: $47.50
INFO: 893-3535 or www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu
tent to stand trial for the baby’s murder. While searching for the answer that her supervisors want, the doctor finds herself inevitably drawn into searching for the truth about the baby’s conception and death. Clashing with the protective Reverend Mother, the doctor perseveres in her exploration as the story unfolds, with the characters wrestling with belief, doubt, and deeply rooted secrets, simultaneously challenging audiences to reflect on profound themes of spirituality and science. Sophia Liliana is Agnes, Amber Bowyer portrays the psychiatrist, and Sindy McKay plays Reverend Mother, roles originated on Broadway by Amanda Plummer , Geraldine Page, and Elizabeth Ashley , respectively.
WHEN: Today-February 16
WHERE: Ojai Arts Center Theater, 113 S. Montgomery St., Ojai
COST: $20-$25
INFO: (805) 640-8797 or www.ojaiact.org
SUNDAY, JANUARY 26
Viva Cecilia – La Santa Cecilia returns to Santa Barbara once again under the auspices of ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! to continue its exploration of the modern-day creative hybrid of Latin culture, rock and world music. The Grammy-winning group draws inspiration not only from its native Mexico, but from around the world, utilizing such Pan-American rhythms as cumbia, bossa-nova, rumba, bolero and tango along with jazz and klezmer music. Named after the patron saint of music, La Santa Cecilia is fronted by vocalist La Marisoul, with accordionist and requinto player José ‘Pepe’ Carlos, bassist Alex Bendaña and percussionist Miguel ‘Oso’ Ramirez for a series of songs about love, loss and everyday struggles. Stay after the performance for a reception with the artists. WHEN: 7 pm
WHERE: Marjorie Luke Theatre at Santa Barbara Junior High, 721 East Cota St. COST: free
INFO: https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/learn/viva-el-arte-de-santa-barbara
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28
San Diego Soul Septet – The Sacred Souls found an audience and went out on the road for extended tours following the release of their self-titled debut in 2022. Now comes the follow-up, Got a Story to Tell, which features a dozen original new songs by the band that boasts millions of monthly listeners on Spotify. The new record expands upon the enticing mix of Latin soul, neo-soul, and very rich vocal harmony-based R&B that characterized the debut. Los Yesterdays, a Chicano soul band originally from Altadena, opens the concert.
WHEN: 7 pm
WHERE: Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St.
COST: $75+
INFO: (805) 963-9589 or www.arlingtontheatresb.com/upcoming-events
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25
Kings Getting Young-er – The self-professed “dad rock” band The Doublewide Kings has played just about every venue in town short of the Santa Barbara Bowl. Now the band is headed to the Marjorie Luke Theatre where, in a return to their 2018 roots, they’ll resurrect one of their signature tribute shows honoring Neil Young. From “Old Man” to “Southern Man,” the Kings will yield to Young’s classic songbook in a concert that also serves as a fundraiser for the Luke, with proceeds supporting the venue’s LED lighting project. Just as he did at Elings Park last autumn, one-time Montecito resident Johnny Irion will open the show, though rather than appearing solo, this time Irion will have the full faith and credit of his own crackerjack Santa Barbara ensemble U.S. Elevator rocking out with him. The Kings, for their part, will be joined by a trio of special guests, including the guitarist-singer Jackson Gillies, who also played the last two Elings shows with the Kings, plus Phil Salazar, the Ventura fiddle favorite, local master of the dobro Marc McKinnon, and Irion sitting in.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Marjorie Luke Theatre, Santa Barbara Junior High, 721 East Cota St.
COST: $30-$65, $95 VIP tickets include post-show meet & greet reception with the musicians
INFO: (805) 884-4087 or https://luketheatre.org/events
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29
Orange’s Searing Saga – Native American writer Tommy Orange, a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, has won acclaim for his books that explore both the history and complexity of contemporary Indigenous people. Orange’s bestselling novel and Pulitzer Prize finalist There There revealed a thrilling multi-generational story about the lives of urban Native Americans, asking what it means to be the children and grandchildren of massacre. The follow-up, 2024’s Wandering Stars, conjures the ancestors of the same family, sharing the story of epigenetic and generational trauma that traces the legacies of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School through three generations. Together the works delve into the violence and recovery, hope and loss, identity and power, dislocation and communion, and the beauty and despair woven into the history of a nation and its people. Free copies of Wandering Stars will be distributed at his talk tonight while supplies last.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Campbell Hall, UC Santa Barbara COST: $20
INFO: (805) 893-3535 or https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25
Libowitz on Lebowitz – For whatever reason, many folks still ask if I spell my last name like famed photographer Annie Leibovitz rather than writer Fran Lebowitz – although my taste and talent, if I may say so myself, align more closely with the wordsmith’s than the image-maker’s. Not that I would presume to be as sharp-tongued, quick-witted and cleverly world-weary as the very funny Fran, considered one of today’s great raconteurs. The cultural satirist and author – whom I first encountered when her debut essay collection “Metropolitan Life” was published in 1978 – is pointed, forthright, and unapologetically opinionated. Her dry social commentary on American life may (or may not) be even sharper than usual given the historical moment. Today’s event, Lebowitz’ first in town in decades, starts with a brief conversation with the media personality Jeff Greenfield followed by an hour-long Q&A with the audience before closing with a book signing.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Campbell Hall, UC Santa Barbara COST: $37.50-$67.50
INFO: (805) 893-3535 or https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu
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
TRESOR
We Buy, Sell and Broker Important Estate Jewelry. Located in the upper village of Montecito. Graduate Gemologists with 30 years of experience. We do free evaluations and private consultation. 1470 East Valley Rd Suite V. 805-969-0888
Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575
Stillwell Fitness of Santa Barbara In Home Personal Training Sessions for 65+ Help with: Strength, Flexibility, Balance Motivation, and Consistency John Stillwell, CPT, Specialist in Senior Fitness 805-705-2014 StillwellFitness.com
GOT OSTEOPOROSIS? WE CAN HELP
At OsteoStrong our proven non-drug protocol takes just ten minutes once a week to improve your bone density and aid in more energy, strength, balance and agility. Please call for a complimentary session! Call Now (805) 453-6086
AUTOMOBILES WANTED
We buy Classic Cars Running or not. Foreign/Domestic Chevy/Ford/Porsche/Mercedes/Etc. We come to you. Call Steven - 805-699-0684 Website - Avantiauto.group
AVAILABLE CAREGIVER
Trusted, Experienced Caregiver, CA State registered and background checked. Vaccinated. Loving and caring provides transportation, medications, etc. Lina 805-940-6888
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.
Slippers
Timeless, elegance - Nightwear, robes, loungewear
Beautiful renovated mid-century 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom with Ocean views in Santa Barbara foothills, Available Dec 15th - March 15th (646) 206-4391
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 PET/
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
Carpet Cleaning Since 1978 (805) 963-5304 Rafael Mendez Cell: 689-8397 or 963-3117
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.
In-home/outdoors guided fitness
All ages/levels, on your time Pick a trainer, pick a place Book TODAY: www.raresolfit.com Or email: contact@raresolfit.com
Private Chef Eliza Restaurant quality meals in the comfort of your home small gatherings & special occasions drop off & meal-prep 805.705.3618 www.chefeliza.com
Intro to Chair Yoga Series February 4, 11, 18 & 25 Santa Barbara Yoga Center Tuesdays Noon to 12:45PM Four classes $59 Register https://www.sbyc.com/workshops or Amardeep – (310) 702-6364
Need help with your homework? Having trouble in Computer Science, Math (Elementary School to Algebra), or Spanish? I worked as a software consultant for an IBM company in Santa Barbara and am a proud parent of graduates from Laguna Blanca, CATE, and Stanford University. Jesús Álvarez | 805-453-5516 | mytutor29@hotmail.com
Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue Summerland, CA 93067 (805) 969-1944
Donate to the Parrot Pantry! At SB Bird Sanctuary, backyard farmer’s bounty is our birds’ best bowl of food! The flock goes bananas for your apples, oranges & other homegrown fruits & veggies.
Volunteers
www.shopglamourhouse.com 805-969 5285 Ann@shopglamourhouse.com
It’s simple. Charge is $3 per line, each line with 31 characters. Minimum is $10 per issue. Photo/logo/visual is an additional $20 per issue. Email Classified Ad to frontdesk@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860. All ads must be finalized by Friday at 2pm the week prior to printing. We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex (3% surcharge)
Do you have a special talent or skill? Do you need community service hours? The flock at SB Bird Sanctuary could always use some extra love and socialization. Call us and let’s talk about how you can help. (805) 969-1944
ByPeteMuller&FrankLongo
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4 2-Down,e.g.
6 See8-Across
1 Wordbeforebakedor naked
5 Serapesporter,say
6 "Etal.,"inthenamesof manybusinesses
7 PoundsofTurkey?
8 Wasdowntodosome weeding?
1 TennisplayerJustinewho wontwoU.S.Opensinthe 2000s
2 PianistWattswhowona Grammyin1964
3 Smallerthanfederalor state
4 Worryingcropduster?
5 Poliovaccinedeveloper
