In the Stars – ETC’s Constellations takes rom-coms to the quantum plane with this multi-dimensional play... Is it star-crossed love? P.16
Top Scores – Westmont’s Adrian McIntyre is on the verge of breaking a 69-year-old basketball record set by Dan Heinrichs, P.27
The Love of Land
The Land Trust gives Carpinteria a special Valentine’s present, page 26
‘Separated’ Lines – The unimaginable impact of family separation at the border is explored in Errol Morris’s new documentary, P.23
The robot will see you now… Sansum-Sutter introduces the Intuitive da Vinci 5 Advanced Robotic Surgical System to its surgery center ( Story starts on page 5 )… Plus, Cottage Hospital’s new Board Chair, Eric Seale, talks goals, the CEO search, and future of the facilities ( Story starts on page 12 )
Burglary Rings & Insurance Things
The MA’s monthly meeting details the crime rings operating in the neighborhood, fire insurance rates, and tips on managing both, page 14
Off-shore Drilling Returns?
The Board of Supervisors to review the pipeline purchase by Sable Offshore Corp. Should the restart of oil production along Gaviota Coast be allowed? Environmental leaders speak up, Page 10
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On Health – Sansum-Sutter has a new addition to the team – the Intuitive da Vinci 5 is in scrubs (okay, not really) and ready for surgery
Beings & Doings – Warned for years of The Deep State, we are now stuck with The Shallow State. Transparency can be such a headache.
Montecito Miscellany – The Symphony’s Little Tramp, Valentine’s Day happenings, Twyla Tharp Dance’s Diamond Jubilee, and more miscellany
Community Voices – Environmental leaders discuss the possible restart of offshore drilling, plus a look at P&D’s approach to cannabis Tide Guide
Our Town – New Cottage Hospital Board Chair talks shop and the hospital’s future, plus a Black History Month poem from Dr. Leonie H Mattison
On Entertainment –
the way, and updates from Summerland
23 Reel Fun – Errol Morris’ new documentary, Separated, is a harrowing look at the U.S. border policy and its lasting effects
FEBRUARY 27, 2025 | 5pm to 7pm
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24 Montecito Health Coach – Fill your glass with the concept of the “new sober” and take in why people are abstaining from alcohol 25 Elizabeth’s Appraisals – A Minnesota garage sale find is the crux of a nearly 10-year-old legal battle – is it a real Van Gogh? 26 Robert’s Big Questions – What is constitutional? What are the inequalities between the branches of government?
The Love of Land – The Land Trust gave Carpinteria a lasting gift for this year’s Valentine’s Day 27 Your Westmont – Teen mathletes add up to victory, students now majoring in worship leadership, and Adrian McIntyre continues shooting down records
Petite Wine Traveler – These wines make a perfect match for this home available on the Montecito market 29 On Racial Justice – A USF professor visits UCSB to discuss her book, The Inner Work of Racial Justice, and mindfulness 30 An Independent Mind – Jeffrey shares his thoughts on what is causing poverty in Santa Barbara County
Calendar of Events – The Nightingale sisters, The Marriage of Figaro, antiques at Earl Warren, and other happenings
Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads
Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles
On Health
Intuitive da Vinci 5 Comes to Foothill Surgery Center
by Tiana Molony
Asurgeon enters the operating room and sits on a stool in the corner. They lean in and rest their forehead on a cushioned viewfinder before placing their fingers in the appropriate loops. The surgeon begins the operation while the patient is just feet away.
They’re using the Intuitive da Vinci 5, an advanced robotic surgical system. Sansum Clinic, now a part of Sutter Health, is one of the first outpatient surgery centers in the country to have the robot – a three-million-dollar device.
Foothill Surgery Center, at 4151 Foothill Road in Santa Barbara, recently acquired the advanced technology thanks to contributions from an anonymous donor, Sutter Health, and other supporters. Using the da Vinci 5, doctors can perform minimally invasive urology, gynecology, and other general surgery procedures.
Doctors can also record procedures and improve their techniques. The new technology increases efficiency with streamlined, less physically intrusive procedures; smaller incisions which lead to shorter recovery times.
At the Foothill Surgery Center on February 14th, surgeons performed a suture demonstration on fake skin to show how da Vinci operates. Placing their head on the viewfinder, they can see the patient up close and zoom in if needed.
A television next to the patient displays the surgeon’s movements. As is typical with any surgery, an anesthesiologist would be next to the patient, as well as a surgical assistant who can switch out
tools upon the surgeon’s request.
Urologist Dr. Scott Tobis explained that some areas of the body, such as the prostate, are difficult to access during traditional surgery, often requiring large incisions. He frequently performs prostatectomies, a procedure involving the removal of part or all of the prostate.
However, with the help of da Vinci, he can efficiently perform this surgery through a small incision. “With the robot, it allows us to really drive the camera right to where we need to work,” he said. “So it’s really revolutionized care for the most common cancer that most men get.”
Dr. Charmian Dresel-Velasquez, OB/ GYN, echoed this sentiment. She is especially thankful for the new robot as it allows her to perform minimally invasive surgery on women. “This is, you know, surgery on our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, our grandmothers, and we are providing them with access to minimally invasive care at another location, so I’m excited to be a part of that,” she said.
A hysterectomy, for example, used to require a large incision. That same procedure can be performed using the da Vinci 5. “It’s minimally invasive, meaning that rather than having a large incision, we’re doing all of these surgeries through dimesized incisions, which allows for better and faster and more comfortable recovery,” said Dr. Dresel-Velasquez.
Doctors want to emphasize that the robot responds to the exact movements of the surgeon – it doesn’t have a mind of its own and will not make any movements unless instructed by the doctor. “It’s still a surgeon performing a surgery it’s just via a robot,” reminded urogynecologist Dr. Benjamin Wisner
Although robotic technology has existed for some time, the da Vinci 5 is
On Health Page 204
Monday through Saturday 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
The team is happy to have the new da Vinci 5 advanced robotic surgical system
An imaging and control station allows the surgeon to perform procedures with precision
Beings and Doings
“Help! I’m Locked in the Waterloo!”
The Spectacular Rise of the Shallow State
by Jeff Wing
Our glowering POTUS has wrecked all our excited rumormongering with the usual blunt force. Isn’t it in the interest of a benevolent despot to keep his cards close to the vest? Promulgate an air of mystery? I suppose after all these years of having been enslaved by the deep state we should be grateful for our President’s utter and nearly deafening transparency. But c’mon… can we have a little fun with it? Just as we’re deliciously rubbing our little paws together and wondering aloud about the toxic depth of our President’s power fixation, he just comes out and aligns himself with Napoleon – not the delightfully flaky puff pastry with layered vanilla crème and fussily scalloped icing. The other one, with his hand in his waistcoat.
When Mr. President posted on X, “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law” he was tipping his inscrutable hair to the French Emperor – whose use of the quote is probably apocryphal, as
no records reportedly trace the words directly to the sword-swinging equestrian, but rather to a book by an admirer.
Our own Emperor-in-waiting is likely ignorant of the fact that the phrase has been more recently and verifiably utilized by the Norwegian terrorist and mass child-murderer Anders Behring Breivik in his 2011 manifesto The European Declaration of Independence. Hoo boy! The President’s researchers missed that little factoid. Strange, since his newish reign has otherwise been typified by a surgeon’s exactitude.
Our President’s scholarly commentary –flung like a rubber chicken into the public sphere for maximum effect – predictably unleashed the blowback that is the gentleman’s food and drink. Thoroughly energized by the force of the scorn storm, our Chief Executive doubled down by delightedly re-posting the quote and accompanying it with a picture of Napoleon riding into battle, presumably Waterloo. “Wait’ll they get a load of this!”
But these nettlesome details may be set aside in the interest of pell-mell
Republic-breaking. History is such a mess anyway! A little more broken crockery will hardly be noticed at this 11th hour of what was once The United States of America.
Sir: Your Derrière
The beloved French Emperor/rockstar who routed the Russians and Austrians at the Battle of Austerlitz and later had his ass handed to him at Waterloo? He has become an historic object lesson in overreach and may otherwise provide a glowing metaphor we can map to our current schoolyard maelstrom.
The beginning of Napoleon’s end was his mildly overconfident and fabulously disastrous 500,000-man campaign into wintry Russia, whose lousy weather and SuperSize® flu season decimated his army, the half frozen, half-starved remnants of soldiery
Beings & Doings Page 234
Thanks for passing along your ulcer, Emperor Bonaparte (photo by Jacques-Louis David, Public Domain)
Don’t drive angry. Our President’s official portrait (photo by Daniel Torok, Public Domain)
Montecito Miscellany Symphony Strikes Gold
by Richard Mineards
The audience for Santa Barbara Symphony’s latest concert at the venerable Granada was certainly ore-struck!
The musicians – under Grammywinning guest conductor Lucas Richman, music director of the Bangor Symphony, and backed by a giant movie screen – played the score from Charlie Chaplin’s 1925 film The Gold Rush, whose story was based on the 1896 Klondike event where thousands of adventurers experienced frigid temperatures and perilous terrain staking claims.
The entertaining black and white film, in which Chaplin was both star (as his Little Tramp character) and director, was released with sound in 1942, Chaplin having composed the score.
children and their families.
The nonprofit threw its third annual Hearts to Hearts Valentine’s lunch emceed by radio host Catherine Remak at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara for 250 guests raising an impressive $200,000 for the cause.
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One memorable scene shows Chaplin eating leather boots like a gourmand after food had run out for the 19th century pioneers.
Sole searching indeed!
When he died at his home in Switzerland in 1977 at the age of 88, he said the film was what he wanted to be remembered for.
One can understand why....
Serving Hearts for Lunch
It was quite a week for the local charity Hearts Aligned which helps critically ill
SBS President/ CEO Kathryn R. Martin, supporters Jim Garcia, Jill Nida and Gary Simpson, and Principal Viola Erik Rynearson (photo by Priscilla)
Just 48 hours later Catherine hosted a 12-hour long radiothon for the charity on her radio station KLITE which raised more than $13,000.
Brigitte Welty and Amie Parrish were lunch co-chairs, while Dr. Heather Sherman, from pediatric therapy services for Cottage Health, was the featured speaker.
“In three years we’ve made quite an impact!” gushed founder Vivian Solodkin. Among the supporters turning out were
Miscellany Page 344
Kathryn Martin, Lucas Richman, and Jessica Guideri (photo by Priscilla)
The Symphony and audience celebrating the Little Tramp (photo by Priscilla)
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Community Voices Community Voices
Oil and Water Restart of oil production on the Gaviota Coast
by Katie Davis, Linda Krop, and Sigrid Wright
Nearly 10 years ago – on May 19, 2015 – a corroded pipeline near Refugio beach burst, and at least 142,800 gallons of crude oil flowed down a culvert and into the ocean, contaminating one of the most biologically diverse areas of the West Coast. Over 300 dolphins, seals, sea lions, pelicans and other animals washed up dead. Others were found alive and suffering. Beaches and fisheries were closed. The tourism industry took heavy losses. The pipeline’s owner at the time, Plains All American, was convicted of criminal charges and so far has had to pay about $750 million for costs related to the spill.
This was not the first such incident on the Central Coast, and not even the worst. Since the 1969 Santa Barbara Oil Spill, our magnificent coastline has been a case study of what can happen when a community’s health, beauty, and economy is sacrificed to one industry and its record of disastrous accidents.
You can’t completely clean up an offshore oil spill. The oil sinks into the marine environment, damaging fragile underwater ecosystems, killing or contaminating fish and smaller organisms that are essential links in the food chain, including the food we eat. The environmental damage can last for decades.
So it is imperative that we stay vigilant. Currently three critical decisions are underway that threaten the future of this region:
The most immediate threat to our region is the proposal to restart production from the Santa Ynez Unit, which includes three platforms and pipelines off the Gaviota Coast, as well as two onshore processing plants and the pipeline that ruptured in 2015.
Last year, an unknown and newly-formed company – Sable Offshore Corp. – purchased this pipeline system used by Plains All American. Sable also took ownership of three offshore platforms (Hondo, Heritage, and Harmony), and the Las Flores Canyon and POPCO processing facilities. They financed the purchase with a loan from the former owner, ExxonMobil, and raised additional funds through a merger with a blank check company, Flame Acquisition Corp. Sable Offshore CEO James Flores previously served as the CEO for oil company Sable Permian, which filed for bankruptcy in 2020.
On February 25, the Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors will consider this change of ownership from Exxon to Sable. This operation has been shut down for the nearly 10 years since the pipeline burst. Restarting a faulty pipeline and allowing the operation of the offshore platforms, subsea pipelines, and onshore production facilities poses unacceptable risks to our coast. Specifically:
- The aging offshore platforms and pipelines are beyond their projected lifespan of 35 and 30 years, respectively, and inspections have documented problems of infrastructure corrosion and leaks.
Roy Lee Gambles on his Promise to “Fix” Cannabis
by Jeff Giordano
The Cannabis Ordinance is legally complex and so, as a long recovering attorney, I felt the need to clarify the overly rosy “things are about to change” reporting that I have read. Second District Supervisor Laura Capps and Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson are thoughtfully leading the way on Cannabis reform with a proposal that would retire legacy odor abatement technologies and mandate “Carbon Scrubbers” as a prerequisite to one’s annual Cannabis business license. This is a solid first step but – TAKE MY WORD – it is not a magic bullet, because just as important as mandating the best technology is changing the legal framework to determine if the technology is actually “working.”
Unfortunately, it’s this part of the legislative puzzle that is controlled by Cannabis’ best friend, Planning and Development. With more than 10% of P&D’s staff devoted to Cannabis their proposals to the Planning Commission are so pro-industry that they could easily have been written by Cannabis. First, they suggest a property line Odor Threshold of “7 D/T” which approximates the current level of Cannabis odor. Second, they propose retaining the same irrevocably broken and employee-intensive Complaint System where, after four years and 3,800 complaints, not a single complaint has ever been “verified.” There is gas chromatography technology that measures odor 24/7 but this innovation would require the Commission to intellectually brawl with P&D, to demand an entirely new land use scheme – something that our First District Commissioner has, absolutely, not done.
Montecito Tide Guide
Cannabis is a generational D1 issue that needs a leader to tear it down to its legislative foundation! It’s about bringing a gun to the Cannabis knife fight and requires someone to fight P&D’s ever-expanding role in a Cannabis program that generates $5.3M in taxes, yet costs $9M to administer. This is who Supervisor Roy Lee promised to be and what he promised to do. Indeed, it’s THE promise that is responsible for his slim victory! First appointed in 2004, our First District Commissioner C. Michael Cooney is the longest serving Commissioner in history. His past two-year term ended on December 31, meaning that the most important appointment that a Supe gets to make (certainly as it relates Cannabis) would be made by Cannabis’ bestie, Supervisor Das Williams, who reappointed Mr. Cooney just 19-days before leaving office. Fact: Commissioners serve at the pleasure of their Supervisor – so
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if Mr. Lee wanted to make a change he could have done so. To the chagrin of many of his Good Neighbor Cannabis supporters he did not, even going as far as needlessly announcing he was keeping Mr. Cooney in November of 2024.
There are few people more respected or philanthropic than Mr. Cooney. He is measured, thoughtful, and “gentlemanly” by all definitions of the word. But given the pro-Cannabis drivel that P&D proposed as far back as September 2024 couldn’t Lee have given one of his supporters (Mr. Cooney contributed $2K to Mr. Williams) the ability to freshly serve, to brawl and, when it comes Cannabis, to be a legislative change agent?
Prediction: Cannabis’ final Planning hearing is today and while I could have waited to publish, I thought it would be more fun to predict that the Commission will simply nibble around the edges of the status quo.
Advice: If I’m correct, Supervisor Lee will now need to be more than a third vote; he will need to lead from the dais and shred P&D’s proposals and the Commission’s non-binding imprimatur. In short, he will need to dig into the complexities of our legislative scheme and FIX Cannabis, just like he promised to do!
Jeff Giordano, Santa Barbara County resident
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Our Town
Interview with Eric Seale, the New SB Cottage Hospital Board Chair
by Joanne A Calitri
This week I sat down with Eric Seale, the 2025 appointed Board Chair of SB Cottage Hospital (SBCH), to talk about his role, SBCH’s strategic plan, directives, and a new President & CEO to arrive in the spring following the retirement of Ron Werft. (My interview with Werft here: https://tinyurl.com/ SBCHWerft.) We met at the SBCH Library meeting room. Also attending was Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President for Population Health, Katy Bazylewicz, who provided statistical data points.
Seale has served two years on the SBCH Board prior this Chair appointment, which will be for three years 2025-2027, after which he will serve four years again as a board member. Seale explains, “Board members serve nine years, which means we have a lot of collective wisdom and experience among the directors. I rely for guidance on our immediate past Chair, Steven Zola, and all the other directors, as well as our President & CEO Ron Werft and his executive team.”
As the Managing Partner at Accufy Analytics, LLC, Seale brings to the table expertise in finance, tax, and accounting, coupled with the relevant computer science. He speaks the Thai language fluently and some Chinese; is an avid surfer – “I started at age 40, I love it, I surf every Thursday at 6:45 am no matter what.” – and works out at the Variant Training Lab five mornings a week to support his hiking, surfing and rock-climbing activities.
He is husband to Sandra Seale – the Development Director at Las Cumbres Observator – and father to five children and grandfather to six kids. Originally from Oakland, CA, he traveled around as the child of a father in the U.S. Army. Seale arrived at Santa Barbara in 1986 for his current job. He holds an MS in Finance
from MIT Sloan School of Management, and a BSE in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University.
Here’s our interview:
Q. As the newly appointed Board Chair for SBCH, and with the retirement of SBCH CEO Ron Werft in July 2025, what can we be reassured of as continuing in health care services and policies from SBCH?
A. The board is committed to upholding the highest levels of quality patient care and experience, maintaining our broad array of clinical specialties, and supporting our workforce with a positive culture as we expand childcare and housing solutions.
What new services and collaborations will the hospital be funding and adding in 20252027 under your chairmanship working with the Board, hospital committees and a new President/CEO?
The management team will continue to execute Cottage’s strategic plan, which includes:
Our Town Page 314
Eric Seale, Board Chair for SB Cottage Hospital (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
Meeting at MA Crime in Montecito and Insurance Rates post-L.A. Fires
by Joanne A Calitri
The Montecito Association February 2025 meeting was held in person at the Montecito Library community room and on Zoom, Tuesday, February 11. Leslie Lundgren, 1st VP MA, called the meeting to order and moderated the presentations. Present were MA Executive Director Houghton Hyatt and the full MA board.
The top agenda item was the crime presentation by SB County Sheriff Lt. Rich Brittingham with SBC Sheriff’s Special Crime Division Detective Anthony Nunez and Sgt. Neil Gowing. They showed the data on the growing crime scene driven by organized gangs from Chile, Venezuela and other South American countries.
Nunez provided data points with a slide show on the gangs. Cogent points he stated were: “The burglaries are complex cases of organized crime by these gangs that come into the U.S. and station in Los Angeles, then go to New York and other cities. They are called the South American Theft Groups, aka SATG, who target U.S. residents’ homes. They have both men and women on the team, usually three to four total. While the men are observing the houses they are planning to burglarize, the women are at CVS taking people’s credit card numbers, copying your car key fob to rob the car and contents, including cell phones. The homes they prefer to rob are those of affluent celebrities and athletes. They conduct surveillance prior to the robbery to figure out your pattern of being home and being away, they place cameras on the properties they are targeting, and generally they want no one at home. They are highly skilled and are in and out in three minutes targeting primary bedroom’s safe boxes and jewelry. They use signal jammers to stop your alarms, cell phones and home video surveillance. They sell the stolen items back in their country of origin. After we do arrest a gang, things quiet down for a few weeks and then they are back.”
To find and arrest the criminals, Nunez explained, “The SBC Sheriff’s Department uses the Flock System network of cameras, which was given to us on a trial basis for two years with 25 cameras, of which three cameras are in Montecito – two at Birnam Wood and one at Montecito Union School. The trial period is up and we need to keep the Flock service agreement, and will speak to the SBC Board of Supervisors.”
For Montecito residents, Nunez advised:
- Purchase license plate readers (LPR) and install surveillance cameras on your property. If you own the camera and pay for the yearly subscription, it’s around $2,000, and you can then give the data to the Sheriff’s Office.
Detective Nunez goes over the criminal gang situation at the Montecito Association meeting (photo by Joanne A Calitri)
Retreat to The Manor Bar and explore Volume III of the Chronicle of Cocktails. Each cocktail is uniquely named after iconic villains. From jaw-dropping creatures, criminals, and psychological terrors we delve into the layered depths of the uncelebrated antagonists that balance the forces of good & evil.
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On Entertainment Stars on Stage
by Steven Libowitz
Romantic comedies are notorious for generally lacking depth or containing many thought-provoking moments, lest they get in the way of the jokes and romance. In Constellations, on the other hand, audiences are not only entertained but also challenged to consider the continuum of free will versus fate, and our perceptions of time, place and much more.
Nick Payne’s Olivier Award-winning 2012 play is a two-hander that has theoretical physicist Marianne and beekeeper Roland crossing paths at a party and sparking a relationship – nothing out of the ordinary for a rom-com. But their story unfolds across a series of alternate realities, with each choice and action leading to multiple divergent outcomes, leading to a journey through parallel universes that is both heart-opening and mind-blowing.
As director Jonathan Fox put it, Constellations is a romantic comedy at heart, but the romance story is refracted through the lens of alternate universes.
“The normal questions – do they hit it off, are they meant for each other, do they get together and does their relationship last – those all apply,” said Fox, who is directing the play’s belated Central Coast premiere at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura February 22-March 9. “But each of those chapters gets told in several different ways with both minor and major changes, which it very intriguing. You want this couple to thrive and succeed, but you see lots of different alternatives in their journey that could derail the relationship at any time.”
Driving those variations are the scientific principles of quantum physics and string theory, which posit that we may not be the only universe in existence. Which means, Fox said, there may be an infinite number of our lives being told in different ways that we’re just not aware of.
“Which is why the play works on philosophical and spiritual levels, too,” he said. There are similarities to the films Sliding Doors and Interstellar as well as Payne’s own 2024 movie We Live in Time, but while those explore themes of reality, time and certainty, Constellations has one major difference.
“They’re living in these alternate realities right from the get-go,” Fox said. “There’s no defining moment or single choice that changes everything.”
Kodi Jackman and Tom Ainsley, who are both making their Rubicon debuts, bested more than 4,000 actors who were interested in the roles. They were chosen, Fox said, because they came “closest to my conception of who these characters are and had excellent comic timing and depth of emotions, the qualities that I really thought were vital for these roles.”
The scenery and lighting design (by François-Pierre Couture) also enhances the concept of the story being refracted through the lens of alternate universes. The walls of the theater surrounding the stage have been outfitted with mirrors, inspired by the Infinity Room at the Broad Museum in LA.
“You get to see the actors reflected in several different ways even as you see them directly on the stage, which has a very abstract feel and a sense of outer space,” Fox said. “It amplifies the effect of going from one universe to another over and over again with slightly different outcomes in each of them that then affect future scenes.”
While audiences can expect to consider the paths of their own lives, Fox’s take on Constellations is an upbeat one, not meant to evoke regrets.
“I do take an optimistic view of the play,” said Fox, who twice previously tried to secure the rights to the play for the Ensemble Theatre, before it premiered on Broadway and later in Los Angeles, both productions that he saw. “To me, you come uplifted by the idea that life is full of infinite possibilities.”
‘Strange Birds’ Takes Flight
A park ranger and her trainee find blood in the snow outside a trailer. There’s an open door, but no people. Where they went, what happened and how to figure it all out as an
impending winter storm arrives is the story of a new play called Strange Birds that centers on five strong, smart and resourceful women, trapped inside of a small, isolated cabin in the mountains of Northeast Oregon. Questions of ethics and morality, and personal and institutional responsibility, are the themes of Strange Birds, which receives an extended preview production February 20-March 1 at UCSB’s Performing Arts Theater as part of the much-lauded Launch Pad program.
The idea for Strange Birds came to playwright E. M. Lewis when the Oregon native was living in a cabin as part of a writing residency up in the Wallowa Mountains.
“It’s very rugged and the people are a little bit rough, and when I was there storms were blowing through and there was ice and snow everywhere,” she recalled. “The remoteness and isolation just felt like a great place to set a story.”
Wanting to focus solely on women, as well as a wolf prowling outside the door, Lewis came up with the concept of Strange Birds that also has place as another character.
“I wanted to explore the interpersonal history, connections and secrets between these women,” explained Lewis, whose previous works include How the Light Gets In and Song of Extinction. “Three of them are sisters, so it’s definitely also a play about sisterhood.”
What starts as a thriller with missing persons turns into questions of what to do about what’s happened, she said.
“What do you need to do? Who can you trust? What’s the right thing to do perhaps, versus sometimes what’s legal,” she said. “There are personal demons and history as they try to figure out what’s right in their own hearts under complicated moral circumstances.”
Lewis only had about 25 pages of Strange Birds written when she brought it to Launch Pad’s summer reading program two years ago, working with the student actors and professional production team to flesh out the story and come up with an ending. Now it’s Launch Pad’s major preview production in the new-play development program’s 20th anniversary season.
Getting to spend time in the room with actors and directors lets you see what the play is really made of, because nobody is going to look at your character as closely as the actors who are trying to figure out how to play them,” Lewis said. “They dive right in and ask good questions, which forces me to understand my play even more.”
Launch Pad founding artistic director Risa Brainin, who is helming the new preview production, has become a big fan of Lewis’ work.
“She is unafraid to tackle stories of people dealing with the big stuff: grief, illness, marriage, divorce, domestic violence, love, loss and more,” she said. “Her characters are as real as your neighbors. They are flawed and funny and desperate and loving and full of life… Strange Bird is unexpected in every moment while it asks some very important questions.”
That’s music to Lewis’ ears.
“All of my plays ask big questions,” she said. “I don’t go in trying to give answers. I’m not an essayist. I’m a playwright. My plays are grappling with difficult questions, and I hope that the audience goes out still grappling.”
Further Focus on Film: Life after SBIFF
Maybe the best remedy for SBIFF withdrawal symptoms is to dive right back into the movies, perhaps particularly ones that are up for Academy Awards. Many of the nominated features can be seen at cinemas around town, but unless you’re an Academy member, chances are you haven’t viewed the vast majority of short films up for Oscars – and even then, likely not on the big screen. All 15 finalists in the Animation, Documentary and Live Action categories wind up five days of screenings at SBIFF’s Film Center (the former Fiesta 5) downtown as our issue hits newsstands on February 20, with showings at 2:10, 5:40, and 7:50 pm.
Meanwhile, now that Hollywood has returned home after SBIFF, locals can do the 101 shuffle in reverse to dive into Slamdance, the film festival founded in 1995 in Park City as an alternative to Sundance – focusing on independent films with budgets under $1 million. Slamdance has relocated to Los Angeles for its 30th festival slated for February 20-26, where screenings include Coroner to the Stars, about Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the controversial former L.A. County Chief Medical Examiner. The now 98-year-old Noguchi – who performed or supervised autopsies of Marilyn Monroe, Robert Kennedy, John Belushi, Janis Joplin, victims of the Manson family and many others over his tenure
Constellations asks every iteration of “What if?” (courtesy photo)
Strange Birds, women, and wolves (courtesy photo)
Brilliant Thoughts
Rest Easy
by Ashleigh Brilliant
In our society, the word “Rest,” and most of its connotations, have a generally positive resonance. Even when it comes to the matter of being dead, it has a somewhat soothing aura. But watch your Latin grammar and spelling here. The expression “Requiescat in Pace” means “may he – or she – rest in peace.” But if you are talking about more than one person, the correct word is “Requiescant.”
Fortunately – and very conveniently for English-speakers (I’m not sure about all the other languages) – the same words have the same initial letters in both Latin and English. So, instead of writing (or painting, or carving) them all out, you need only put “R.I.P.” This saves stone-carvers much time on tombstones, and wherever else it’s appropriate to write epitaphs. (As a matter of peripheral interest, you may like to know that the town of Tombstone, Arizona, publishes a newspaper called “The Tombstone Epitaph.”) A few unlettered people may confuse those initial letters with the word “rip.” And there was actually a very successful actor whose name, Rip Torn, was no theatrical gimmick. He
turing the face of an irascible old female with the caption: “RESTROOM? HELL! – I AIN’T TIRED! – WHERE’S THE CAN?”
But for many travelers on this nation’s highways, the signs indicating a “REST STOP” are always welcome. If they are on government property, they are generally well-maintained, but there may also be restrictions, such as forbidding overnight parking. Our word “restaurant,” has no direct connection with resting, but has more to do with restoring.
In Russian, however, there can be – for non-speakers of that language, such as American tourists – a different kind of mix-up, which is more alphabetical than linguistic. The Russian word for “restaurant” is, in pronunciation, very similar to our own word for the same thing. But in their “Cyrillic” alphabet, (the first thing you must learn when studying that language) the letters, as spelled out, look more like “PECTOPAN.”
The story is told of at least one American tour-group in Moscow, which became so accustomed to this resemblance that, around lunch-time, when they were looking for a place to eat—and they saw a sign bearing the Russian for “RESTAURANT” – would call out excitedly “PECTOPAN!” which had become their word for that kind of establishment. This matter of different alphabets became spectacularly evident to me when I was on a river cruise, following the Danube from Bucharest for the last part of its course, where it ends by emptying into the Black Sea. In that final section, it completely separates the two countries of Romania and Bulgaria, enabling the passengers to visit both countries. But what I learned in doing so was that the river separates not only two political entities, and even speakers of two different languages, but also two different alphabets. Romania, as indicated by its name, was part of the Roman Empire, and its language shows very much its inclusion with the other “Latin” nations of Western Europe. On the other hand (and other side of the River) the people of Bulgaria were strongly influenced by their
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.
one of the supreme robotic surgery technologies currently available. This model boasts 140 new design innovations, such as 3DHD visualization and improvements to precision and ergonomics. “The biggest thing that this does, compared to the predecessor robotic systems, is that it adds greater efficiency,” said Dr. Wisner.
Shorter recovery periods mean that some patients can go home the same day of their procedure. The Foothill Surgery Center features private recovery bays for post-op patients. David Clibrey, Director of Ambulatory Services at Sutter Health Greater Central Coast, said the surgical center averages up to 40 patients a day and around 750 a month across seven ORs and 22 post-op bays.
The da Vinci 5 offers improvements for both patients undergoing surgery and the surgeons performing it. Dr. Wisner says that this new design fixes issues surgeons have had with other robotic systems, such as forehead numbness and neck pain.
Efficiency is the primary goal of the Foothill Surgery Center. For them, better efficiency means a better experience for their patients.
“So surgery can be scary; it is scary for patients,” reminded Tom Parra , Area Administrator, Surgery Center Division, Sutter Health Greater Central Coast. “Us being able to have a kind of concierge level of service [for] our patients helps bring that anxiety down.”
The da Vinci 5 means less invasive surgeries and quicker recovery time
News Bytes Updates from the MA
by MJ Staff
The MA sent out a reminder that with the recent rainfall –Montecito had between 2.663.22” of rain – that sprinklers can be turned off for a while in an effort to save water.
Also, Montecito Fire’s Neighborhood Chipping Program begins next week and will run through June 23. There is now an Interactive Neighborhood Chipping Map that can be visited at:
https://tinyurl.com/MontChipMap
Community members may schedule a complimentary Defensible Space Survey with a member of the Montecito Fire Prevention Bureau by calling 805-969-7762 or emailing preventionmail@montecitofire.com.
As a reminder, the Montecito Association monthly community meetings are the second Tuesday of each month at 4 pm at the Montecito Community Hall. Agendas are posted in advance, along with a Zoom link for those who can’t join in person. Join the MA and community to hear updates from local partners, including Montecito Fire, the Sheriff’s Office, the Montecito Water and Sanitary districts, both school districts, and Roy Lee’s office.
“Vastly entertaining ... not to be missed”
RICHARD
MINEARDS, MONTECITO JOURNAL
BY William Shakespeare
Two Oil Wells to be RE-Abandoned
The California State Lands Commission and its consultant 2H California, will perform plug and abandonment work on newly discovered leaking Legacy Wells. Lookout Park parking lot will be closed for the workers starting February 23 through March 1, 2025.
The Wells are Well A and Well B, both are over 100 years old and are a source of minor ongoing oil seepage. The California State Lands Commission is working to stop the seepage and seal the wells completely. The project is expected to take five days, depending on weather and other data as it proceeds.
The Summerland Citizens Board of Directors – Phyllis Noble , Teri Guillies, Barbara McClain , Cathy Shelburne , and Dan Sturt , explain, “Summerland was the first location of oil drilling in California. The work to keep our beaches clean is ongoing between the poor technology used to cap Well Heads 100 years
News Bytes Page 244
DIRECTED BY
Margaret Shigeko Starbuck
The cast of Hamlet
Photo: Zach Mendez
Rain levels around the area
Summerland Legacy Wells Diagram (courtesy photo)
C alcagno & Hamilton Real Estate Group
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SALE PENDING
Pending after 4 days on market! This remodeled beauty has 3 bed, 2 bath on 0.33-acre, just minutes to Montecito.
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NEW LISTING
This stunning Contemporary home on 1.97 acres in Montecito has guest house, pool and incredible views.
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ACTIVE LISTING
Beautifully renovated Mission Canyon retreat on a quiet cul-de-sac with 3 bed, 2.5 bath and city & ocean views.
LISTED AT $2,875,000
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Premier Mediterranean Villa with 3 bed, 3 bath and 3 spacious view terraces in the heart of Downtown SB.
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Charming Mission Canyon compound with main residence, guest cottage, guest studio for 5 bed, 4 bath total. 2620 LAS ENCINAS ROAD
- Restarting the pipeline could result in a spill once a year and a rupture every four years according to an administrative draft environmental report prepared for Santa Barbara County.
- An oil spill threatens sensitive and unique ecosystems. The pipelines traverse the coastline and three counties, and cross rivers and streams, state parks, national forests, wildlife refuges, and the Carrizo Plain National Monument. An offshore spill could affect the newly designated Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. The 2015 oil spill spread as far as Orange County and devastated 150 miles of precious coastline and ocean waters.
- Offshore well stimulation, now banned in California, may result from restart because the former owner, ExxonMobil, represented that it needed to use offshore acid well stimulation, which poses more pollution risks.
- The Las Flores Canyon onshore oil facilities are in a high fire area. Since closure, two fires have burned onto the property – the Sherpa Fire in 2016 and the Alisal Fire in 2021 –and the Refugio Fire in 2024 threatened the facility.
- This project would be Santa Barbara’s largest source of greenhouse gas pollution. According to the Air Resources Board, before it shut down in 2015 the project was the County’s largest stationary source of greenhouse gas emissions. Restarting it would put the County’s climate goals totally out of reach.
- It would be the source of other air pollutants known to cause cancer, asthma, and heart disease. Before closing, Exxon’s Los Flores and Popco
were the largest facility source in the county of methane, volatile organic compounds, PM2.5 particulates, and formaldehyde – as well as one of the largest sources for sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, PM10, benzene and hydrochloric acid.
- Offshore oil is inherently risky and unpopular, with 72% of Californians and 90 coastal municipalities opposing it.
- Oil spills are bad for business. The Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast, which represents over 8,100 businesses, warns that spills put our coastal economy at risk. The 2015 oil spill shut down fishing for months and wreaked havoc on the local tourism, lodging, and recreational industries.
- Sable Offshore defied state law and enforcement. On September 27, 2024, the California Coastal Commission issued a Notice of Violation to Sable for unauthorized and unlawful development activities in the coastal zone. Sable received a second warning on October 4. On November 12, the Coastal Commission issued Cease and Desist Order No. ED-24-CD-02 for continuing violations of the Coastal Act. Sable has also served Notices of Violation from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and Regional Water Quality Control Board for unpermitted discharges and impacts to waterways.
Offshore Oil Drilling
As one of his final acts, outgoing President Biden signed an executive order banning all new oil and gas leasing in federal waters of the Bering Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean and Pacific
1946.
Ocean offshore California. The 1953 law used in the executive order does not allow for any future President to overturn the ban. However, that didn’t stop incoming President Trump from issuing an executive order reversing the ban on January 20.
This order will be litigated, as was a similar unsuccessful effort during the first Trump administration. If courts are favorable to President Trump, the state will need to vigorously oppose any proposed new federal leasing and enforce existing state laws that prohibit approval of any new infrastructure in support of such leases.
Oil Phase Out
Beyond oil spills and industrial accidents, there are other reasons that it’s past time to aggressively move away from fossil fuels. In Santa Barbara County, the remaining oil deposits are tar-like and incredibly polluting and energy-intensive to extract out of the ground. They are also located under our groundwater reservoirs, putting our drinking water at risk of contamination.
In addition – like all communities –ours is experiencing the climate related impacts of more than a century of fossil fuel consumption: more severe weather, species extinction, changing ocean chemistry, and projections for significant sea level rise. In Santa Barbara, cycles of higher temperatures, extended droughts, year-round fire seasons, and changes in rainfall patterns (such as microbursts and rainbombs) are the types of climate change impacts linked to catastrophic disasters like the 2017 Thomas Fire and the 2018 Montecito Debris Flow.
To address this increasing threat, the County of Santa Barbara has a goal to
cut existing greenhouse gas emissions 50% below 2018 levels by 2030. But to get there it must tackle one of the biggest emitters of emissions in our county: oil and gas facilities. Until now, the County has repeatedly failed to include these “stationary sources” in its Climate Action Plan (CAP).
Now 10 years in and on the third update to the CAP, we are pleased to see progress, after pressure from our organizations and other climate activists. Last summer the Board of Supervisors asked County staff to come back within six months with options to include oil and gas in the CAP. This item is expected to come before the Board of Supervisors in early April and will need voices of support from the community.
Upcoming related events:
Tuesday, February 25
8 am pre-hearing press conference and rally 9 am County Board of Supervisors hearing on Sable Pipeline
Santa Barbara County Administration Building,105 East Anapamu Street
During the meeting, County Supervisors will consider an appeal of the transfer of pipeline permits from ExxonMobil to Sable Offshore approved by the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission on October 2024. Community members are encouraged to provide testimony and/ or submit written public comments to the Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors via email before 5 pm on the day prior to the February 25 meeting.
Katie Davis, Energy Chair, Sierra Club Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter; Linda Krop, Chief Counsel, Environmental Defense Center; Sigrid Wright, CEO, Community Environmental Council
Photo courtesy of Olio Pizzeria® and Kevin Steele
Reel Fun
Separated —
And the Power of Documentary
by Christopher Matteo Connor
There are few filmmakers who can claim their work has had true and tangible social impact. Without a doubt, Errol Morris is one of them.
Errol Morris’s newest documentary Separated – winner of The Social Justice Award sponsored by the Fund for Santa Barbara and screened at this year’s SBIFF – takes a hard look at the policy of family separation at the U.S.Mexico border enacted during Donald Trump’s first term.
If there is such a thing as categorical evil, it is this policy. A manifestation of cruelty, Morris methodically examines how the separation of families – of “state created orphans” – was in fact the point of the policy, not a by-product of a complicated bureaucracy. It was designed and implemented to purposefully inflict harm with the goal to deter people from coming to the U.S. for a better life.
Errol Morris, a legacy documentarian, is most well-known for his groundbreaking 1988 film, The Thin Blue Line, a movie that focuses on Randall Dale Adams, a man who was tried and convicted of murdering a Dallas police officer in 1976, while always maintaining his innocence. Morris’ documentary was crucial in not only commuting Adams’ death sentence, but ultimately exonerating him in 1989.
In that film, Morris utilized reenactments to highlight the imperfect nature of memory, and how memories could determine someone’s guilt or innocence. It was a controversial style at the time, with detractors claiming reenactments go against the documentary ethos. Morris utilized this style to expertly highlight the subjectivity of memory and nuance of truth, similar to how Kurosawa used it decades earlier in his masterpiece Rashomon It proved to be incredibly effective in Morris’ film, helping save a man’s life.
In his new film, Morris once again uses reenactments, this time to show a mother and child making the dangerous journey to the U.S. Here, the style is used to bring us into a desperate family’s world as they traverse a hostile landscape where they ultimately land in the arms of a hostile people.
If there’s one criticism of the film, it’s that we don’t hear firsthand from any families that were directly affected by this barbaric policy. Rather we
mostly get our info from a variety of low to mid-level bureaucrats that did their best to fight back and expose the cruelty. The rest of the major players of the policy refused to comment.
Here Morris makes a crucial, but important point: the bad guys aren’t just your usual far right boogeymen. We’re reminded that the Biden administration chose to keep most of Trump’s border policies in place. And during his presidency, Congress failed to enact any laws that would prevent family separation from becoming policy again. We’re left not only scratching our heads, but also left with a burning anger. Were the cries of indignation from the Democratic Party simply performative? Promises of change have never felt more hollow.
Throughout Separated, Morris uses a zoetrope motif, and that ever-spinning children’s toy feels like the perfect metaphor for where we are now. Trump is back in office, and his administration has signaled that it’d be open to a policy like family separation again. That’s not to mention the major increase in ICE raids and deportation. Are we doomed to live in this never-ending nightmarish loop of cruelty, becoming increasingly numb – not only to the violence and trauma – but also to the documentaries that highlight such devastation? Are we destined, as a country, to repeat the same human rights atrocities again and again?
As Errol Morris has said, “the proper route to an understanding of the world is an examination of our errors about it.” A movie like Separated can help us examine our own errors and resist the apathy and hopelessness generated by endless cycles of traumatic news events. We can examine the errors of those in charge, and feel empowered as a collective to hold leaders and politicians on both sides accountable; and to make it known we won’t stand for policies of large scale cruelty, and neither for inaction.
Because the power of documentary filmmaking isn’t just its ability to save lives or expose corruption; it also has the potential to light a fire within us – to probe us to ask questions, help us reflect on how we as a community play an integral role in creating the world we want, and how it can empower us to defy a status quo that prioritizes oppression and brutality. We don’t have to be separated. But coming together takes work. What we need to remember is that it’s worth it.
arriving in “conquered” Moscow to find it already abandoned and aflame. Trudging back to Europe, then, his soldiers dropping like flies, Napolean reportedly departed by sled and returned to Paris. Wintering in summer uniforms and logistically screwed by the mass death of their pack animals, Napoleon’s troops wasted away in the thousands. Tolstoy produced War and Peace from the cataclysm (whose later classic film version featured the divine Audrey Hepburn – uh… where was I?) – but it was otherwise an unmitigated and ghastly booboo of Empire-ending proportions.
By then Europe was more than prepared to wash their hands of Mr. Tourette’s-onHorseback. The initial excitement that had attended Napoleon’s rapid rise? His stupendously clueless missteps in Russia had lifted the veil on his once-venerated chutzpah. Defeated in the Battle of Nations and exiled to an island called Elba, the vanquished Emperor sulked. And probably played lots of golf, his form hopefully more practiced than that of our Emperor, who addresses the ball like an animatronic panda.
Of course, Napoleon escaped his captors, sailed back to France, raised another army and began his brief but busy-bee second term. He was uber-pissed and had a lot of catching up to do. “Hey, est-ce que quelqu’un ici a commandé une pizza Mayhem?” Napoleon angrily rang some more continental bells – swinging wildly and with a stern expression – until his second defeat (and ABBA’s later victory) at the Battle of Waterloo. This time when they exiled the grown brat it was to a yet more distant island. *sigh*
The Republic for Which We Stand
We Americans have long believed in the ironclad foundation of our almost ridiculously young Republic. There is dishware older than our country. Our common fever dream of New World freedom and equality has produced crazy scenes and acts of selflessness in defense of what we had believed was an inviolable contract. Brother tragically fought brother in the Civil War, kids nauseous with terror and seasickness jumped willingly out of their Higgins Boats and sprinted up Omaha Beach into an expected fusillade of interlocking machine gun fire, the asshat Nazis determined to
rule the Old World they would first have to smash to its foundations. We even sacrificed 50,000 of our youngsters in someone else’s Civil War – we were so determined not to let (recent BFF) Communist Russia get the better of us in Vietnam.
But, look: startups stumble and fail with unsurprising regularity – dismantled by bad ideas, strategic ineptitude, and pedestrian incentives. And 236 years? It’s been a decent ride. What’s to complain? Now, in an atypically classical nod to the chattering classes, our President has invoked Napoleon to publicly suggest he is above the law. This would seem to confirm the claim that our Republic is indeed, after a comparatively scant 236 years, under assault “from within” (to borrow a popular phrase of the current administration). Our Emperor is at least doing us the favor of operating from what I’ll call The Shallow State, a refreshingly transparent answer to the sinister and secretive Deep State from whose tentacles we may now consider ourselves rescued.
The “Deep State” suggests a sinister subterranean syndicate – layer upon byzantine layer of secret codexes and dazzlingly interwoven cabals. Now that our Emperor is back in power – returned from Elba with a chip on his shoulder and fairly unfettered power – he is going straight for the deeply buried evil we’ve been assured is actually running the country, that diabolical substrate you can defeat by firing civil servants.
As our President continues his angry dismantling of the Federal government, up to and including his abrupt termination-and-woops!-faltering reinstatement of the National Nuclear Security Administration, we can at least know we are in the capable hands of the Meritocracy we have long been promised. His thrashing approach to governance and preparatory statements about the coming autocracy suggest our Chief Executive is blissfully unaware of the gangrenous template he is reenacting. Oh well.
It’s not clear what they teach at Wharton, the President’s alma mater, but history seems not to have been on his dance card in those days. What they say about ignorance of the past is still true. “Those of us who fail history are doomed to repeat it in summer school.” Yeah. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. See you in class.
You break it, you own it. The Battle of Waterloo (photo by William Sadler, Public Domain)
Montecito Health Coach
Sober By Choice: The New Sobriety
by Deann Zampelli
“Not for me, thanks,” our friend told the waiter who was about to pour his favorite red wine into his glass. “I don’t drink anymore,” he shared with a somewhat smug look on his face. This wasn’t the “I’m an alcoholic” moment of old. Neither, “I am trying to cut down,” nor “I don’t drink during the week.” This was a new, hard pass. A declaration. And as is often the case with me, I wanted to know why. This, however, is a tricky one – because I am also a big believer in letting everyone live their lives the way they want. I mean, if they aren’t hurting themselves or others, what business is it of mine? But for some reason, this seems like less of a privacy issue, and more of a social movement. And social movements are open for discussion, aren’t they?
In the last year, this societal shift seems to have gained much momentum and attention. What was formerly a change imposed by addiction or health concerns, has become a widespread lifestyle decision that involves people choosing not to drink for a variety of reasons.
News Bytes (Continued from 20)
With the recent publicity around the announcement by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, the trend of going on the wagon has only increased. To clarify, also included in this classification are asbestos, radiation, and tobacco. This is the highest risk group. There is no Group 0 if you see where I am going with this. The 2024 AACR report also called for cancer specific warning labels to be placed on alcohol. But this isn’t the first time this categorization has been made. They first declared alcohol a Group 1 carcinogen in 1998, and again in 2007 and again in 2010 in case nobody was paying attention. But the call for the warning labels on alcohol? That was new and surprising considering the links between smoking and cancer were discovered in the 1920s but it took over 40 years before the first warning labels were required on cigarettes.
Most of the people in our social circle who have stopped drinking have done so for health reasons. They are active, health-conscious people in their 50s who eat right, are extremely fit, get fresh air and try to maintain a healthy stress level. Alcohol no longer aligned with who they
ago, natural seepage, and the Ortega Fault line in the area, contributing to the geological natural seepage and the movement of past abandoned wells. We are grateful for the regulatory and local efforts as we collaborate to remediate oil well seeps and remove ocean hazards.”
411: (916) 574-1992 or email: ExternalAffairsChief.Public@slc.ca.gov
Summerland C-1 Zoned Ordinance for Outdoor Retail Sales
The Summerland Citizen Association sent a press release to inform of the updates regarding outdoor retail sales in their C-1 zoned locations – aka, Coastal Zoning Ordinance, Sections 35-77A, 3 C-1 Limited Commercial Permitted Uses, last amended on 6.23.1998. That ordinance requires all retail sales to be conducted within an enclosed building, except for restaurants, cafés, and tea rooms.
There are multiple retail establishments which also have an outdoor sales area along the C-1 Zone – Lillie Road in Summerland – The Well, Sweet Wheel Farm & Flowers, Home Crush, etc. It has come to the attention of the SCA to request an update from the SBC Long Term Planning & Development and the Coastal Commission.
The County sent the updated ordinance language to SCA as follows:
1. Outdoor areas devoted to a retail use listed in Section 35-77A.3.1 and that are accessory to the retail operation shall occupy less than 50% of the net lot area.
2. Outdoor areas devoted to a retail use that are accessory to the retail operation shall not be used to calculate parking requirements but shall be configured so as not to interfere with on-site parking as required in Division 6, Parking Regulations.
Note: A Coastal Development Permit is still required for retail use.
411: www.summerlandnow.org
were and how they were otherwise living. For this group, I suspect there is also a direct correlation to age. As we get older, it is harder to metabolize alcohol because your liver takes more time to process it, so you hold onto it longer. Hence, even if you don’t drink to excess, you might still have a nice little hangover the next morning.
But how does this line up with the decade’s worth of Blue Zone research (those global geographic regions with the highest concentration of centenarians) that tells us one of the commonalities between all the Blue Zones was that people in them typically drank every day? At least four of the original Blue Zones all enjoyed the occasional glass of wine with dinner and many of them had it daily. However, according to the Blue Zones research, this daily glass of wine for women and two for men seems to be done in correlation with a Mediterranean diet. Like most things in life, these tidbits of advice and guidelines need to be taken into consideration with an overall health profile. Someone who is obese, has hypertension and diabetes, for example, probably isn’t going to reap the same benefits from a daily cup of vino as someone who lives in Sardinia, walks five miles every day and is otherwise in excellent health.
Ironically, one of the touted health benefits of wine is Resveratrol. This polyphenol found in grapes has been found – get this – to have properties that can help lower the risk of cancer, heart disease and dementia. But don’t forget, it is also a Group 1 carcinogen. Huh?
How are we to make sense of it all? I am a health coach and a health columnist, and all the controversial and conflicting information is enough to give me a hangover.
To be fair to the fermented grapes of wrath, I wanted to talk to someone who had a positive spin on wine, so I reached out to Justin Grover , Owner & President of Fine Wines International and local Montecito resident. This is what he shared. “Wine is a great connector of humans; when sharing a glass of wine with friends we feel more connected and in touch with each other, and the conversation feels more elevated. Sharing something that comes from the earth, has been lovingly crafted, and that pairs so well with food – makes us happy.” This opens up a whole other line of thinking about the health benefits of sharing a meal, having a laugh, and enjoying your beverage of choice. Is it the food and
the wine, or is it the undisputed health benefits of human connectivity?
Another layer to the “new sober,” is that many people aren’t claiming to be “sober” at all. They are just choosing not to drink, and some are partaking of alternative mind-altering options. Microdosing, for example has become much more mainstream. According to good old Oxford Dictionary, “Microdosing is taking very small amounts of a drug to test, or benefit from, its physiological action, while minimizing undesirable side effects.” Basically, it is taking enough to achieve your desired result. One of the more widely taken substances is psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in over 200 species of mushrooms and are often taken in the form of a gummy or chocolate.
So, the “I’m not drinking” thing isn’t necessarily a “I’m not impaired” thing. You just can’t order it at The Honor Bar (yet). It seems that this is another issue that has become somewhat polarizing. Yes, drinking has long been linked to depression, fatty liver, stroke, dementia, high blood pressure and more. But is the answer that we can never partake? Is alcohol the new heroin? Just don’t go there. If that is the case, where are the warning labels for sugar? Sugar is highly addictive, is linked to diabetes, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline and cancer. Sound familiar? But you don’t see anyone demonizing the chocolate gâteau at Renaud’s do you? Well, at least not by the nine people left in town who still eat carbs.
I suppose time will tell – and with all things, balance is key. For now, maybe we should try and refrain from judging personal decisions one way or another. There is a big difference between having a drinking problem and occasionally enjoying a glass or two of wine. And making a life choice not to drink doesn’t make someone superior, possibly just healthier. Cheers!
Health and humor in the MJ National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach trained at Duke Integrative Medicine, Deann Zampelli owns Montecito Coaching & Nutrition. She also has a Masters in Clinical Psychology and has been a resident of Montecito since 2006.
Elizabeth’s Appraisals
Real or Fake Van Gogh?
by Elizabeth Stewart
Gloria, who wishes she were as lucky as the picker who found a so-called Van Gogh, sent me a Wall Street Journal article about a small 18x16” painting at the center of a $15 million dollar battle. Is it a real Van Gogh? The world of scientific art analysis says it is a Van Gogh (the opinion of the LMI Group from NYC), yet the many connoisseurs at Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum say it is NOT. The conflict – art and/or science in fine art authentication – has raged since the dawn of the technical revolution.
The former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas Hoving, world famous for his books on the primacy of the eye of the connoisseur, opines that an expert’s vision and gut sense are much more reliable than any science. In the Van Gogh case we are talking about some big money for a little work of art – if it is authentic, the owners might sell for $15M or more. And on the heels of this controversy, the art world sees the launch of startup scientific art authentication companies, such as the aforementioned LMI Group.
The painting was found in 2016 at a Minnesota garage sale for $50, and shortly thereafter photos were sent to the Van
Gogh Museum which said “NOT” Van Gogh. The picker/owner who found it approached the LMI Group, who bought it for an undisclosed amount. Thus began the costly (to the tune of $30K) research into authentication of the little image of a strange country fisherman shown in ¾ pose, smoking a short pipe and mending nets. For the many arguments that the Van Gogh Museum has against this attribution, LMI has counter arguments. For example, the colors are muted and somber, and although the world knows him as a colorist, he also painted (rarely) in browns. These arguments read like the future of art authentication in the AI world. The LMI Group, in an almost 500-page scientific exposé, claim that their science proves the painting was painted in 1889, towards the end of Van Gogh’s life when he was suffering at the Saint-Paul de Mausole asylum in the South of France. This report was sent to the Van Gogh Museum after the Museum had summarily dismissed the original (picker/ dealer) owner’s request for an opinion of authenticity. The LMI Group issued a press release on January 31, 2025 – after the Museum had received and reviewed their report – reporting that the Museum once again deemed the work “NOT” a Van Gogh. Disappointing! Museum directors like Thomas
Hoving would have insisted that the connoisseur has the last word, thus the Museum wins. Remembering $15M plus is at stake, LMI’s report is a mixture of old-fashioned connoisseurship, cutting edge science, and scholarship – not surprising, as one of LMI’s directors is the former head of the Whitney Museum of American Art.
The press release from LMI Group states that new startup art authentication companies – like theirs – aim to “expand and tailor the resources available for art authentication, integrating science and technology with traditional tools of connoisseurship, formal analysis, and provenance research.” If provenance is important, why can’t the LMI Group explain why the painting was found in a cold garage in Minnesota?
Since a Jackson Pollock was found in a dumpster in 2006 during a picker’s dumpster dive, that work was subjected to scientific analysis – 2006 style – of the paint, the board, and the technique – and was finally inconclusive. But there are over 350 un-attributed so-called Pollocks out there today. One fake sold for $17M. Since then, new scientific approaches to art authentication have gained popularity and have become pricey and highly technical – but these approaches are not yet mainstream. The science tools used? AI-generated visual analysis, chemical pigment tests, fiber tests, and a test of the glaze used; in this case egg white, a typical practice of Van Gogh. The LMI Group claims to have found a strand of male red hair in the paint. A mathematical analysis of the handwriting style was undertaken (the work’s title – ‘ELIMAR’ – matches another Van Gogh handwritten title to 94% accuracy). The stroke, the length of the letters, and the angle and width were analyzed forensically.
If you are interested in hearing the expert connoisseur’s side of the expert vs the science argument, read the classic book by Thomas Hoving on detecting works that are NOT authentic – False Impressions: The Hunt for Big Time Art Fakes – in which Hoving embarrasses some big collectors and major museum collections.
Elimar – Potentially a Vincent van Gogh painting (photo by LMI Group International, Inc.)
Robert’s Big Questions
Three Unequal Branches of Government?
by Robert Bernstein
“It Ain’t What You Don’t Know that Gets You into Trouble. It’s What You Know for Sure that Just Ain’t So.” Do you remember “learning” that the U.S. has three equal branches of government? Well, you may “know” that, but it is wrong.
Under the collective alias “Publius,” Father of the Constitution James Madison – along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay – wrote the Federalist Papers to explain the Constitution and promote its ratification.
They did not want a new incarnation of the King of England. Madison explained the three branches of government in Federalist #51. He explained the need for checks and balances on power:
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.”
But he emphasized that the three branches of government were NOT equal: “But it is not possible to give to each department an equal power of self-defense. In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates.”
In other words, it is Congress that forms the primary branch of government. Perhaps right now would be a good time for you to read the Constitution? The entire text is 4,500 words. At 225 words per minute, you can read it in 20 minutes.
“Promote the general Welfare” is in the opening sentence.
Article 1 is the largest and most detailed section at 2,200 words. Laying out the many specific powers of the legislative branch (Congress): Create laws. Raise taxes. Spend, borrow and coin money. Regulate commerce. Create infrastructure. Declare war. Fund armies, but never for more than two years at a time.
In contrast, Article 2 – on the executive branch – is just 1,000 words and gives very little power to the President. The President gets to command military forces, but only when Congress has called them into service by a declaration of war.
The president can negotiate treaties and appoint judges and other officials. But only with the consent of the Senate.
The president has no authority to create or destroy agencies or fund pet projects.
Article 3 has just 330 words describing the entire judicial system. The Supreme Court is barely mentioned, and is essentially posited as just the court of last appeal. In the 1803 case of Marbury vs. Madison, the Supreme Court declared it had the power to review laws for being Constitutional. Even though that power is not in the Constitution.
Everything unelected President Musk and his assistant Trump are doing is clearly illegal and unconstitutional.
It is also a distraction. Claiming to fight waste while lining their pockets, they are ignoring vast military waste while cutting vital programs that feed and educate children, protect the health of the citizenry and the environment, and prevent real consumer fraud. USAID is minuscule, but it saves millions of lives and shows U.S. humanity to the world. Russia and China will be happy to take our place. Why do Republicans hate America?
I am donating extra money now to organizations like Public Citizen and the ACLU, which are making court challenges to fight these illegal power grabs. But there is no guarantee this will save our democracy.
Judge Learned Hand warned in 1944, “I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes. Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it.”
If we want to save our country as a democratic republic, we must all read the Constitution. Understand it. Take it to heart. Discuss it. And demand accountability.
We have real work to do to bring prosperity, justice and equal opportunity to everyone – and to invest in the future technology that will avert climate catastrophe. We must demand our government serve the public interest as laid out in the Constitution.
Robert Bernstein holds degrees from Physics departments of MIT and UCSB. His passion to understand the Big Questions of life, the universe and to be a good citizen of the planet. Visit facebook. com/questionbig
The Love of Land A Valentine for Carpinteria.
(It’s a Bluff.)
by Hattie Beresford
Carpinteria celebrated a very special Valentine’s Day last Friday. Instead of dozens of red roses, she was gifted the final 2.48 acres of bluff property to connect all segments of the Carpinteria bluff lands and trail system.
Dubbed “Rincon Gateway,” the acquisition of the former King Ranch was brokered by the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County thanks to a generous donor – La Centra-Sumerlin Foundation.
“When we have a willing seller and terrific funding support,” said Meredith Hendricks, the Land Trust’s executive director, “We can make magic happen!”
The seller’s former plans for the property, creating an Airstream glamping complex, was strongly opposed by Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs, who worked with the Land Trust to advocate for keeping this area open space and adding it to the bluff lands. Starting in the year 2000 when the lands east of Carpinteria State Beach were acquired through the efforts of both groups for the city, the group had built trails, cleared ice plant, and worked to restore the native habitat, often with volunteer help. Today, and each day, hundreds of people (and dogs) enjoy the open space and walking trails created for them by this organization.
It was, therefore, an elated, smiling group who showed up on the mud-lucious and puddle-wonderful bluffs on Valentine’s Day morning. The Trust had set up a tent that distributed large paper hearts and offered Valentine cookies and cupcakes and, thankfully, warm coffee, since the wind was icy and strong. The happy crowd was undeterred, however, and local artists were out in force. Arturo Tello spoke about the effect landscape had on plein air painters. “While we paint, it brings out the soul of the place. It belongs to us and we belong to it,” he said.
Meredith Hendricks spoke on behalf of the Land Trust. “With this acquisition, the Land Trust ensures that this beloved piece of land will remain undeveloped and preserved for the benefit of the public and future generations. Conservation is an act of love and this is a Valentine to our community,” said Hendricks. She pointed out that since its founding in 1985, the Land Trust has protected 57,306 acres of land, thereby insuring the preservation of the county’s diverse landscapes for future generations.
Among the Land Trust’s work for Montecito are the Hot Springs Trail, a trail easement on West fork of Cold Spring Trail, and Ennisbrook Open Space and trails.
“A gentleman will not insult me, and no man not a gentleman can insult me.” – Frederick Douglass
Celebrants gathered to create a living valentine for Carpinteria
Our newest County Supervisor, Roy Lee, attended the celebration and thanked and congratulated the Trust
Artist Arturo Tello spoke on the importance of open space and its soulful connection to humans
Your Westmont
Teen Math Whizzes Solve their Way to Victory
by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott
The mathletes of Dos Pueblos High School claimed top honors, beating seven other regional high schools at Westmont’s 36th annual Mathematics Field Day on February 8. They won the 9-10th grade College Bowl and the 11-12th grade Chalk Talk to claim overall victories in both grade levels.
Oaks Christian claimed the 9-10th grade Written Team Exam and the 11-12th grade College Bowl. San Marcos won the 11-12th grade Written Team Exam, and Cate School was the runner up in the 11-12th grade Chalk Talk.
Before the event started, students enjoyed a demonstration from the physics/ engineering department, which included liquid nitrogen ice cream for everyone.
Anna Aboud, Westmont mathematics professor and event director, praised the Chalk Talk student presentations. “The finalists this year delivered sophisticated, interesting and informative talks that reflected deep and thoughtful preparation,” she says. “It was a privilege to listen to them.”
High school math students rarely get to speak to a large audience of about 100 people, so the event gives them a valuable opportunity. This year, they discussed base systems.
“Mathematicians who can effectively communicate their work to others are essential for society’s technological progression, and the world needs better technical communicators in all walks of life,” Aboud says. “Our competition provides a unique venue for high school students to practice these skills.”
For the first time this year, the College Bowl questions appeared on a screen in addition to being read aloud. The competition features buzzers, modeled after a 1960s TV show.
At the awards banquet, alumnus Manny Reyes (‘05), who earned a doctorate in mathematics at UC Berkeley, talked about his decision to study mathematics, and his journey as a mathematician and professor at Bowdoin College – a liberal arts institution in Maine – before becoming a professor at UC Irvine, a research institution.
College Offers Worship Leadership Major
Westmont has launched a new major in worship leadership designed for students pursuing careers as pastoral musicians with an emphasis on the contemporary worship styles more prevalent today.
The National Association of Schools of Music Commission on Accreditation, an organization of more than 600 colleges and universities that establishes national standards for degrees and credentials, approved Westmont’s Bachelor of Arts degree in worship music late last year.
New required courses for the major, which are open to all students, include Contemporary Writing and Arranging, Sound Recording and Production, History of Popular Music and Music in the Worshipping Church.
“This new and revised curriculum takes the first step toward making Westmont the West Coast hub for worship studies,” says Zig Reichwald, Adams professor of music and worship.
“Worship is part of our DNA and an essential element of the Westmont experience. It shapes our students’ spiritual lives, allows them to grow in their faith, and equips them for service to the church.”
While the college features excellent religious studies professors, a great music department and outstanding student worship teams, they’ve functioned independently from one another. The revised worship leadership track offers an interdisciplinary curriculum that prepares pastoral musicians who’ve become skilled performers, theologically grounded scholars and trained leaders.
Already, four first-year students plan to major in the revised worship leadership track. “Once our new and revised
curriculum appears in the next academic catalog and on our website, I expect a high number of prospective students to express an interest in this major,” Reichwald says.
The Sound Recording and Production course uses the renovated first-floor recording studio and state-of-the-art music lab in Westmont’s music building funded by a generous gift from longtime Santa Barbara resident and alumnus Rolland Jacks (‘55).
McIntyre Earns National Honor
Adrian McIntyre became the first athlete in Westmont basketball history to be named the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division
II Player of the Week following his historic performance February 8 – when he scored 51 points in a 99-89 overtime win against Point Loma. The 51-point outburst, which broke Westmont’s single-game record, was also a new PacWest Conference record. With his current average of 28.2 points-per-game, McIntyre not only leads the PacWest and all of NCAA DII, but leads all three NCAA Divisions in scoring.
McIntyre is on the verge of breaking Westmont’s single season scoring record of 706 points, a 69-year-old record set during the 1955-56 season by Dan Heinrichs.
The Warriors are also closing in on finishing in the top six of the PacWest standings, which would make them the program’s first postseason participant at the NCAA DII level.
Students at the Math Bowl
Violinist Phil Ficsor performs during chapel
Adrian McIntyre’s Final Basket of His 51-Point Game (photo by Kyler Hanson)
Petite Wine Traveler
Santa
Barbara: A Luxury Lifestyle
of Wine & Real Estate
by Jamie Knee
Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Barbara is a true slice of paradise. With its Mediterranean climate, stunning coastal views, and worldclass wine country, it’s no wonder this gem on the California coast is one of the most desirable places to live. From historic Spanish-style estates to contemporary architectural masterpieces, Santa Barbara’s real estate market is as diverse and exquisite as the wines produced in its rolling vineyards.
One company leading the way in this luxury market is Douglas Elliman California, with the Douglas Elliman Montecito team making an extraordinary impact in the Santa Barbara real estate scene. Their expertise in high-end properties, combined with a deep appreciation for the region’s unique lifestyle, ensures that buyers and sellers alike experience nothing short of excellence. Whether you’re searching for a serene coastal retreat or a vineyard estate in the Santa Ynez Valley, this dynamic team is dedicated to helping you find your next piece of paradise.
But Santa Barbara’s real estate isn’t just about breathtaking homes, it’s about the lifestyle they offer. That’s why last weekend’s Wine & House Pairing event in the sought-after San Roque neighborhood was truly one for the books. Presented by Douglas
Elliman Montecito’s Adam McKaig, Melissa Borders and Joel Knee, the event seamlessly blended the art of real estate with the rich flavors of Santa Barbara’s world-class wines.
I was thrilled to be asked to host this Wine & House Pairing, an experience that brought together an amazing community of wine lovers and real estate enthusiasts. The event was attended by Gary and Lillian Warkentin , Gary MacDonald , Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey , Jeff and Sharon Jordano , plus many others, making for an unforgettable evening of fine wines, stunning architecture, and lively conversation.
This stunning five-bedroom, threeand-a-half-bath home was an entertainer’s dream, featuring expansive
open spaces, a gourmet kitchen, and an indoor-outdoor flow designed for California living. To complement the elegance and character of this home, I had the pleasure of curating a selection of local wines that mirrored its style, personality, and ambiance.
The Wine Selections & their Perfect Home Pairings:
Storm Wines Sauvignon Blanc (Happy Canyon) – Crisp, vibrant, and full of life, this sauvignon blanc reflects the home’s sun-drenched ambiance and airy design. Perfect for sipping on the spacious terrace while soaking in breathtaking mountain views.
Brander Le Cul De Refugio (Los Olivos District) – A sophisticated blend of pinot gris, pinot blanc, and chardonnay, this wine mirrors the home’s balance of classic charm and modern elegance. Smooth and inviting, just like the open concept living spaces designed for both relaxation and entertaining.
ered, and refined, this wine encapsulates the home’s timeless appeal and luxurious finishes. Best enjoyed as the sun sets over Sunset Road, casting a golden glow over the landscape.
The event was a celebration of Santa Barbara living at its finest, showcasing not only the beauty of its homes but the rich terroir that defines its wines.
Living the Santa Barbara dream, whether you’re drawn to Montecito’s coastal opulence, Santa Barbara’s charming neighborhoods, or the vineyard-dotted landscapes of the Santa Ynez Valley, this region offers an unparalleled lifestyle. With an esteemed reputation in luxury real estate, Douglas Elliman Montecito is ready to help you find – or sell – your dream home in this remarkable enclave.
From world-class wineries to stunning estates, Santa Barbara is more than just a destination – it’s a way of life. And with events like this Wine & House Pairing, the intersection of fine living and fine wine has never been more beautifully realized.
Here’s to your next move, and your next glass of Santa Barbara’s finest. Cheers!
SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY 7:30 AM - 10:00 PM FRIDAY AND SATURDAY 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY AM - PM 7:0010:00 FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AM7:0012:00AM
D’ANGELO BREAD
Guests enjoying the Santa Barbara Open House & Wine Pairing (photo by Priscilla)
The Warkentins with author and wine specialist, Jamie Knee (photo by Priscilla)
– is scheduled to attend the world premiere. Visit https://slamdance.com. Next Thursday, February 27, brings the Santa Barbara premiere of Do I Need This?, a 2023 documentary about consumerism and excess, and the not-so-material stuff from which happiness is truly made. Emmy-winning director Kate Schermerhorn interweaves her own complicated relationship with her family possessions and a journey into the homes and minds of her fellow Americans. The free screening at CEC’s Environmental Hub will be followed by a discussion with UCSB Bren School of Environmental Management professor Roland Geyer. Visit https://cecsb.org/events.
Banff Is Back
The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour annual visit to Santa Barbara is just around the corner, with two nights of exhilarating mountain adventures and other looks into the people and places of outdoor life slated for March 5-6 at the Arlington, spanning ice climbing and extreme alpinism to mountain culture and the environment. Roman Baratiak, UCSB A&L’s Associate Director Emeritus who first brought Banff to town more than 30 years ago, still curates and hosts the festival films to be featured, choosing shorts especially for local audiences. An entirely different program of films screens each of the two nights, and both almost invariably sell out. Visit each screening’s page for film descriptions. Visit https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/events-tickets/events/24-25/banff-1 for details.
Light ‘em up… in 90 Seconds
The Illuminate Film Festival, which relocated to Santa Barbara for its 10th year in 2024, is accepting entries for its new Micro-Short Film Contest with a theme of “The Oneness of Humanity: Love, Kindness and Joy.” Entries in films or videos, which should illustrate or celebrate the ways we are all connected, must run 90 seconds or less and conform to the festival’s concept of elevating consciousness through film. A Grand Prize of $10,000 will be awarded to the overall contest winner, with a $5,000 second prize and an additional $15,000 in cash prizes for Honorable Mention categories including Best Animation, Best Editing, Best Original Music, and Best Use of AI as well as a People’s Choice Award.
The minute-and-a-half marvels are due by March 17 and must be submitted through Illuminate’s portal at https://filmfreeway.com/onenessmicroshorts, with prizes announced by March 31. The finalists will be exhibited at the in-person Illuminate Film Festival May 1-4, with the main venue The New Vic Theatre, and in the virtual version May 5-11. Meanwhile, Illuminate has also announced that the Opening Night program steps up from last year’s Lobero event to the glorious Granada Theatre. Early Bird passes are on sale through February 23. Visit https://illuminatefilmfestival.com.
Riff-ing on Hollywood
Russ Tamblyn, who was nominated for an Oscar for portraying Norman Page in the movie Peyton Place before playing Riff in West Side Story, has just published a memoir called Dancing on the Edge: A Journey of Living, Loving, and Tumbling Through Hollywood. Tamblyn, who grew up as a dancer and tumbling gymnast before hitting filmdom, later starred as Dr. Lawrence Jacoby in David Lynch’s popular TV series Twin Peaks, although most of the last few decades have been spent in choreography and working as a fine artist in Topanga Canyon. Now at age 90, Tamblyn is touring with the book, including a February 27 date at Chaucer’s where he’ll talk about Dancing on the Edge with his co-author Sarah Tomlinson. Visit www.chaucersbooks.com.
Write On
On Racial Justice
Professor Magee on Being Present Internally and Externally
by Tiana Molony
“Take a conscious breath,” instructed Rhonda V. Magee, a professor emeritus at the University of San Francisco, during her February 13th lecture at UCSB. “And as you do so, put your feet on the floor,” she continued. Magee gestured her arms around the room as the audience breathed in and out.
Magee is a mindfulness teacher and the author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness. She is also the founding Director of the Center for Contemplative Law and Ethics at the University of San Francisco.
Through her mindfulness work, Magee highlights humanity’s interconnectedness. She emphasizes the diverse historical and cultural influences and ethical underpinnings of mindfulness. Through Magee’s lens, mindfulness is both a self-help tool and a radical act of resistance.
Magee urges a return to mindfulness practices rooted in compassion, collective care, and cultural humility. “For me, mindfulness invites this kind of humility around what it takes to understand each other as human beings,” she shared.
Magee examines different cultures through her mindfulness studies to effectively apply their practices. “The ethical underpinnings of mindfulness have always been about reconnecting us to all that we are, not forgetting, you know, that we’re each kind of a miracle on two feet,” she shared. “But actually, so is everybody else.” During her lecture, she urged the audience to study cultures and their mindfulness practices beyond the commercialized routines we see today.
of shared problems she believes we can approach with mindfulness. She hopes mindfulness can heal our communities and foster unity. It is the first step to breaking down unconscious bias and systemic racism ingrained in our society. Magee believes that practicing mindfulness can unite us as people who all share the same home: Earth.
Mindfulness has great power, and Magee teaches that by applying it to our daily lives, we can see and think more clearly, thus becoming better decision-makers. “How can that help us meet the challenges a little better?” she asked. While mindfulness has different stages, Magee stresses that everyone can commit to it. “It does require of us a willingness to change.”
Mindfulness is as simple as listening to your intuition. She recalled a trip to Africa in September 2001, when she left early because she “had a feeling.” She listened to her gut and decided to leave Africa, arriving home on September 10th, a day before 9/11. She uses this story as an example of what being mindful can do for our everyday lives and how listening to our body’s signals can create meaningful change.
Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage
New Year’s Day took a depressing turn, thanks to a mysterious email announcing that “due to unforeseen circumstances” there won’t be a Santa Barbara Writers Conference in 2025. Five weeks later comes word that several SBWC workshop leaders are instead working to put together a long weekend of writing workshops to be called the Santa Barbara Summer Writers Fest, slated for the same time frame of June 19-22. The Fest will be held at different locations all around Santa Barbara with sessions on poetry, fiction, memoir, marketing, sci-fi, magical realism and more, and opportunities for writers to gather, network, hangout with fellow writers, eat and drink. Still no explanation on the hiatus of the official conference, but registration opens for the substitute event on March 8.
In her book, Magee “goes through a doorway of race.” She references her grandmother, who faced systemic barriers as a Black woman in the 1906 South, and her own experience growing up as a Black woman in the South. She encouraged the audience to draw upon their unique experiences and use them as a lens for mindfulness. “You are, by definition, already connected with a kind of circle, a cosmic community of folks,” she reminded us.
Magee views mindfulness as a way to approach our personal and shared challenges. She encourages a radical shift in how we learn, teach, and engage with the world, fostering adaptability and a sense of belonging and thriving together. Climate distress, political polarization, migration, and war are a few examples
At the end of her lecture, Magee shared the S.T.O.P. Acronym she created to facilitate mindfulness. It is a steppingstone for those interested in the practice. S means to stop what you’re doing, T means to take a deep breath, O means observing your thoughts, and P means simply proceeding with life. According to Magee, it’s a simple yet effective way to practice mindfulness. Toward the end of her lecture, Magee picked up her cell phone and praised its ability to connect people. However, she acknowledged that these impressive devices are often to blame, distracting us from achieving mindfulness to its full extent. In a way, she says, mindfulness can be as simple as turning off the television or phone and conversing with the people around you, connecting with the world. “That’s enough,” she reminded us.
Professor emeritus at the University of San Francisco Rhonda V. Magee during her February 13th lecture at UCSB
An Independent Mind
Santa Barbara’s Poverty Problem
by Jeffrey Harding
Arecent conference on poverty in Santa Barbara County sponsored by CommUnify revealed that we have the second highest poverty rate in California. The goal of the Upward Mobility Summit was to create work groups to come up with anti-poverty solutions using the Urban Institute’s Upward Mobility Framework.
The Public Policy Institute of California puts Santa Barbara County’s poverty rate at 16.9%, or about 69,300 (+/- 15,800) people. That puts us near the top of all counties. The poverty income threshold for a family of four here is $41,748.
Some of the factors that contribute to poverty in our county according to CommUnify are things like low wages, lack of childcare, lack of skills, lack of education, unaffordable housing.
Hannah-Beth Jackson, our former state senator and well-known leader of Progressive Democratic causes, told me that the wealthy and powerful perpetuate poverty by failing to support
Progressive policies.
I don’t believe this Progressive fantasy has anything to do with poverty.
In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson unveiled his War on Poverty. It’s hard to pin down an exact number but since then the federal government has spent an estimated $35 trillion on welfare programs. These programs have done little to alleviate poverty. According to U.S. Census data, the average percentage of Americans living in poverty from 1970 to 2023 has been about 13% (a range of about 11% to 14%). In other words, after 50 years these programs have yet to move the needle.
This begs the question: If the existing programs since 1964 haven’t done much to alleviate poverty shouldn’t we do something different?
We can’t reduce poverty without examining the causes of poverty. We know what won’t work and it isn’t the lack of welfare assistance. When you examine these programs many are in effect handouts and disincentivize poor people to take control of their lives and change their situation.
I am not insensitive to the needs of the
poor in Santa Barbara and some people are incapable or stuck in bad situations and need help.
But here is the reality: the drivers of poverty in Santa Barbara are undocumented immigrants, expensive housing, and single parenthood.
Immigration: Of the almost 70,000 poor people here there are an estimated 44,000 undocumented workers in Santa Barbara County. This is not an article on immigration and mass deportations that would be cruel and would wreck our economy. But many do not speak English or have limited abilities to speak English. Many are uneducated and lack basic skills. Most are hardworking and have jobs, permanent or temporary.
The vast majority are good people who want good lives here. But the labor market is flooded with unskilled workers who make $15 to $25 per hour. Not exactly a living wage. If they had more skills they would earn more money. If employers were forced to pay wages higher than the market-based productivity rate they would be unemployed. As many now legal immigrants have done, skills and hard work will eventually lead them out of poverty to successful citizenship.
Housing: Santa Barbara has one of the most expensive housing markets in the nation. There is no such thing called “affordable housing” here. The reason is increasing pro-tenant rent controls and high construction costs kill incentives for developers to build low-cost apartments. Other than massive tenant housing subsidies paid by taxpayers (good luck) this is not a solvable problem. Housing will continue to be expensive and it’s not because of greedy landlords.
Single Parents: These are mostly women. Census data say that here are
42,000 poor single female households with children under 18 in the county (28.4% of 149,000 households). Of those households, 47.5% are immigrants. 24,000 did not graduate from high school and they earn on average about $23,000 per year. The poverty rate for married mothers is only 5%.
The main driver of single motherhood are the choices women make. According to the Center for American Progress, a Progressive think tank, “Throughout the second half of the 20th century, women gained increased freedom and opportunity to shape their own lives … and cultural norms on premarital sex, cohabitation, out-of-wedlock births, and divorce evolved.”
What can we do to alleviate poverty in Santa Barbara County? Start with education. Make sure all children graduate from high school. The data show that education is a way out of poverty. Work with girls and young women to use birth control prior to marriage. Encourage marriage. Single motherhood is a road to poverty.
Unaffordable housing can’t be fixed. The numbers of people demanding apartments overwhelm our supply and very few are being built. Rent controls will only further limit supply. Welfare is available for those who cannot work or are not capable of caring for themselves or their children. These are people whose problems cannot be solved. Welfare should be limited to these people, not the able and competent.
I know I am simplifying a complex issue. But the main drivers of poverty here are undocumented immigrants, unaffordable housing, and single mothers. There isn’t an easy way to fix this. But we need to find a way to use welfare to incentivize people to better their lives. The 50-year experiment with government handouts hasn’t worked.
- Two key Montecito areas that should have camera surveillance are at Jameson Lane and Sheffield Road intersections. All the main in and out roads to Montecito should have these cameras.
- Hope Ranch has the cameras and shares their data with the Sheriff’s Department.
- Secure doors and windows, and store valuables in heavy well-constructed safes, or a security deposit box.
- Get to know your neighbors and have them call the Sheriff’s office if they notice anything suspicious.
Two action steps requested by the Montecito residents attending were:
- To have the SBC Sheriff’s Department do LE Training and start a Neighborhood Watch
- To provide Montecito with a list of the exact areas these cameras need to be placed.
Brittingham said he would act on both requests.
The second agenda item was an insurance info session with Kelly Weiser, of Weiser Insurance with her team. She presented a timeline on insurance rates and cancellations, the drivers of the rates, and suggestions for Montecito residents and businesses. Strategic points she made were: “The recent fires in L.A. have resulted in an estimated $30 billion or more in insurance claims. As a result, some insurance carriers have issued moratoriums in California as a whole. Remaining carriers are reevaluating what it takes to continue to operate in the state. In Montecito, residential owners are now being listed as high fire areas, and some people are being canceled, which has little to do with your home value, the amount of fire protection you have done, or the location. The rates went up or were cancelled in 2022 after the ban was lifted. The California Fair Plan is funded by the traditional insurance carriers in the state, and likely pass that cost onto their customers.”
Her advice:
- Be proactive in shopping your renewals.
- Regularly reevaluate your rebuild values.
- Consider layering policies if your rebuild value is above $3 million.
- Avoid filing small claims which stay on your record for 5 years.
- Request a Letter of Experience from your carrier to find out all claims filed on your property.
- If investment property is owned through a Trust or LLC, consider insuring it as a commercial property for access to higher levels of coverage.
- Strengthen your property’s defense with fire-resistant roofing, alarm systems, etc. in order to renew your policy. As of now the carriers are not giving rate discounts for those preventative actions.
- Know the difference between a formal indication and a policy.
Aida Thau staff from SBC 1st District Supervisor Roy Lee’s office, Aida reported that their priority is, “…the Hot Springs Trail and fire safety there, so we closed the gate. We had the stakeholders meeting and decided to start a pilot program, Phase One, on fire safety – to be presented to the SBC Board of Supervisors on March 4. If approved there will be signage and enforcement by the Sheriff’s Office and the Fire Dept.”
Montecito Union School District Superintendent Anthony Ranii (MUS) reported they have enrolled 40 new students from 28 families; 36 students expected to be long term through the end of the school year; and most are first graders. MUS has upgraded its safety procedures and security with AI, video monitoring and securing ground floor windows.
There will be a MUS and SBC Fire Fighters Local 2046 Community BBQ on February 22, 11:30 am – 1 pm at MUS, so all the families from the L.A. fires in the area can come together and meet with the local community.
Due to space limitations here, reports from the Executive Director and committees can be found in the MA minutes on their webpage.
411: www.montecitoassociation.org
Joanne A Calitri is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@ yahoo.com
- Continuing to grow our Ambulatory Surgery Centers.
- Implementing a Virtual Nursing Pilot.
- Improving access by enhancing digital capabilities.
- Initiating 60 new clinical research studies through the Cottage Research Institute.
- Advancing the goals of the Compton Center for Medical Excellence, the Innovation Center, and the Cottage Center for Population Health.
The Innovation Center’s vision is to transform ideas into solutions where collaborative research, design and engineering activate solutions that improve the way people provide and receive health care at Cottage Health. The Center aims to support Cottage’s innovators, educators, and researchers by providing strategy, technical and business acceleration support, and investment capital – all with the goal of advancing health care for patients and families throughout our region and beyond.
Cottage Center for Population Health conducts a triannual Community Health Needs Assessment to identify priority health and well-being needs in Santa Barbara County. Examples of new and expanding programs and initiatives to address prioritized needs include the following:
- Prevent T2 – Cottage Center for Population Health plans to launch the CDC’s type 2 diabetes prevention program this year. Prevent T2 promotes modest weight loss (5%–7%) and increased physical activity through a 12-month lifestyle change program.
- Maternity Community Health Workers (CHWs) – Population Health and Cottage Women’s Services are expanding support for pregnant individuals through Maternity CHWs, who promote health and wellness during the perinatal period. CHWs help pregnant women in accessing education, health care, and basic needs services.
- Pediatric Resiliency Collaborative (PeRC) – Co-chaired by Cottage Health, PeRC provides screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in pediatricians’ offices and connects families in need with therapy and basic needs resources to support patients’ health and wellness.
Has the Board set new selection criteria for potential CEO candidates, and when do you expect the new CEO to start?
Our selection criteria have not changed. We are emphasizing experience with shared governance, partnerships, innovation, and clinical program development. We expect the new CEO to join Cottage this spring.
What is your interest in health care and serving on the SBCH Board?
I admire health care providers for their dedication to service. The Board gives me a way to support Cottage in its mission to care for and improve the health of our community. I also am just wowed by how complex running a hospital is, how complex health care is. I like complex systems and get drawn into them. Before I was on this board, I was on the Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital Foundation Board, so that was my introduction into this realm. I learned a lot there and was asked to join this board.
How does your work and experience as a professional in the financial software industry – specifically for banking finance with Accufy Analytics – lend itself to your work as Board Chair at SBCH?
In my work role, I work on complex problems involving finance, tax and accounting. These tend to be very specific. The Board tackles broader and more important issues. All the directors bring their own experience in thinking critically and compassionately to their duties on the Board.
What is the coolest part of your profession?
The coolest part is that our company can participate in renewable energy. Our clients use our software to structure cash and tax flows of their transactions to finance wind, solar and battery installations.
Currently there are 15 board members, with room for five more. For anyone interested in serving on the SBCH Board, what is the procedure?
Interested community members can reach out to the Cottage Health President and CEO Ron Werft, or a current board member, to express their interest in joining. From there it would go to the Cottage Board Governance Committee. Prospective board members should have a passion for the health care mission and ideally have experience serving on not-for-profit boards. Skill sets we look for include legal, academic, finance, medical, large corporation, and community notfor-profit experience.
3. PROJECT LOCATION: 385 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108
4. PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
REPAINT CAMPUS EXTERIOR, REPAIRING SUBSTRATES AS REQUIRED FOR SUCCESSFUL REPAINTING. BUILDINGS EXTERIOR
• BUILDING A
• BUILDING B
• BUILDING B MEDIA CENTER
• BUILDING C
• BUILDING D – PARTIAL
• INCLUDES FRONT OF THE SCHOOL ORNAMENTAL CERAMIC CLADDING REPAIR
• BUILDING E - PARTIAL
• BUILDING F INTERIOR REPAINTING
• BUILDING B MEDIA CENTER IT ROOM ONLY SITE ELEMENTS
• WALLS
• STAIR TREAD NOSINGS
• HAND RAILS
• GUARD RAILS
• CONCRETE STAIR PATCH
• OTHER ITEMS AS INDICATED SIGNAGE
• AT DOORS INDICATED
WORK BY OTHERS DURING SUMMER CONSTRUCTION WINDOW (Dates TBD)
• BUILDING B MEDIA CENTER REROOFING
• BUILDING D REROOFING
• BUILDING E WALKWAY REROOFING
5. BID DEADLINE: Bids are due on March 24 2025 at 10:00 a.m on the clock at the School Office designated as the bid clock
6. PLACE AND METHOD OF BID RECEIPT: All Bids must be sealed. Personal delivery, courier, or mailed via United States Postal Service and addressed to Montecito Union School District, 385 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. ATTN: Virginia Alvarez
7 SCOPE OF WORK INFORMATION as described in project description in this notice Montecito Union School District, Business Department, Second Floor, 385 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. Job projected to start June 16, 2025 and be completed by August 4, 2025 and at https://www.tricoblue.com/jobs/public?status=bidding
8 ALTERNATES: If alternate bids are called for, the contract will be awarded to the lowest bid price on the base contract without consideration of the prices on the additive or deductive items.
9 MANDATORY JOB WALK: Meet at Montecito Union School Office March 3, 2025 at 10 a.m Attendance at the entire job walk is mandatory and failure to attend the entire job walk may result in your bid being rejected as non-responsive. Contact OWNER for details on required job walks and related documentation.
10 This is a prevailing wage project. OWNER has ascertained the general prevailing rate of per diem wages in the locality in which this work is to be performed for each craft or type of worker needed to execute this contract. These rates are on file at OWNER’s office, and a copy may be obtained upon request, or at www.dir.ca.gov Contractor shall post a copy of these rates at the job site. ALL PROJECTS OVER $1,000 ARE SUBJECT TO PREVAILING WAGE MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT BY THE LABOR COMMISSIONER.
It shall be mandatory upon the contractor to whom the contract is awarded (CONTRACTOR), and upon any SUBCONTRACTOR, to pay not less than the specified rates to all workers employed by them in the execution of the contract.
11 A Payment Bond (labor and/or material) and a Performance Bond for all contracts will be required prior to commencement of work. These bonds shall be the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the contract sum, and a Faithful Performance Bond in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Sum, said bonds to be secured from Admitted Surety insurers (an insurance organization authorized to by the Insurance Commissioner to transact business of insurance in the State of California during this calendar year). The surety insurers must, unless otherwise agreed to by Owner in writing, at the time of issuance of the bon ds, have a rating not lower than “A-“ as rated by the A.M. Best Company, Inc. or other independent rating companies.
Owner reserves the right to accept or reject the surety insurers selected by the contractor and to require contractor to obtain bonds from surety insurers satisfactory to the owner. The bidder will be required to furnish insurance as specified in the contract.
12 Pursuant to the provisions of Public Contract Code Section 22300, CONTRACTOR may substitute certain securities for any funds withheld by OWNER to ensure CONTRACTOR’s performance under the contract. At the request and expense of CONTRACTOR, securities equivalent to any amount withheld shall be deposited, at the discretion of OWNER, with either OWNER or a state or federally chartered bank as the escrow agent, who shall then pay any funds otherwise subject to retention to CONTRACTOR. Upon satisfactory completion of the contract, the securities shall be returned to CONTRACTOR.
Securities eligible for investment shall include those listed in Government Code Section 16430, bank and savings and loan certificates of deposit, interest bearing demand deposit accounts, standby letters of credit, or any other security mutually agreed to by CONTRACTOR and OWNER. CONTRACTOR shall be the beneficial owner of any securities substituted for funds withheld and shall receive any interest on them. The escrow agreement shall be in the form i ndicated in the Contract Documents.
13 To bid on or perform the work stated in this Notice, CONTRACTOR must possess a valid and active contractor's license prior to bidding and through the duration of the project, of the following classification(s) C-33 or B No CONTRACTOR or subcontractor shall be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of § 4104 of the Public Contract Code, for a public works project (submitted on or after March 1, 2015) unless currently registered with the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and qualified to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code § 1725.5 No CONTRACTOR or subcontractor may be awarded a contract for public work on a public works project (awarded after April 1, 2015) unless re gistered with the DIR DIR’s web registration portal is: www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/Contractors.html
14 CONTRACTOR and all subcontractors must furnish electronic certified payroll records (eCPR) to the Labor Commissioner monthly in PDF format. Registration at www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/Certified-Payroll-Reporting.html is required to use the eCPR system.
The following notice is given as required by Labor Code Section 1771.5(b)(1): CONTRACTOR and any subcontractors are required to review and comply with the provisions of the California Labor Code, Part 7, Chapter 1, beginning with Section 1720, as more fully discussed in the Contract Documents. These sections contain specific requirements concerning, for example, determination and payment of prevailing wages, retention, inspection, and auditing payroll records, use of apprentices, payment of overtime compensation, securing workers’ compensation insurance, and various criminal penalties or fines which may be imposed for violations of the requirements of the chapter. Submission of a bid constitutes CONTRACTOR’s representation that CONTRACTOR has thoroughly reviewed these requireme nts.
15 OWNER will retain 5% of the amount of any progress payments.
16. FINGERPRINT REQUIREMENTS: Contractors and their employees shall comply with the fingerprint requirements (live scan), set forth by the Education Code Section 42125.2 prior to the Notice to Proceed is given.
17. This Project does not require prequalification pursuant to AB 1565 of all general contractors and all mechanical, electrical and plumbing subcontractors Advertisement Dates: February 20 March 3 2025 - Virginia Alvarez 805-969-3249
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: Sundgot-Smith Counseling, 5266 Hollister Ave, Ste #212, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. Sundgot-Smith Counseling A Marriage and Family Therapy, 5266 Hollister Ave, Ste #212, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 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. 2025-0000308. Published February 20, 27, March 6, 13, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: Lindas Glow, 1211 Coast Village Road Suite #7, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. Linda J Bailey, 1211 Coast Village Road Suite #7, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 6, 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. 2025-0000351. Published February 20, 27, March 6, 13, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT: The following person(s) has (have) abandoned the use of the Fictitious Business Name(s): VONS #3326, 163 S. Turnpike Road, Santa Barbara, CA, 93117 . 1918 Winter Street ABS LLC, 7 Corporate Drive c/o Legal Department, Keene, NH 03431. This statement was originally filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on September 5, 2024. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed January 29, 2025. Original FBN No. 2024-0002119. FBN 2025-0000291. Published February 20, 27, March 6, 13, 2025
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS SUMMARY
Proposals due at 2:00 PM on Friday, March 14 2025 for:
INDEFINITE DELIVERY-INDEFINITE QUANTITY “AS NEEDED” CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
TESTING SERVICES – 3 YEAR CONTRACT TERM WITH COUNTY OPTION TO EXTEND ADDITIONAL 2 YEARS
Project Number(s): VARIOUS
General work description: CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS TESTING (QUALITY ASSURANCE)
Funding Source(s): State, Local
The RFP is available at https://pbsystem.planetbids.com/portal/43874/portal-home
All RFP questions are due Friday, March 7, 2025 by 2:00 PM and must be submitted via PlanetBids Confirmation of receipt will be provided. RFP questions and answers will be posted on the County PlanetBids website.
The cumulative total pages for the proposal must not exceed 30 pages (minimum 12 font size, single-spaced). Page count limit is exclusive of cover letter, blank pages or tabs, and required forms (i.e. Attachment A Agreement Cover Sheet, Attachment B Contractor Information Sheet, Resumes, etc.).
Proposals must be submitted electronically through PlanetBids by the deadline above.
The County hereby notifies all proposers that it will affirmatively insure that in any agreement entered into pursuant to this advertisement, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) will be afforded full opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, or disability in consideration for an award. You are encouraged to employ craftsmen and other workers from the local labor market whenever possible to do so. Local labor market is defined as the labor market within the geographical confines of the County of Santa Barbara, State of California.
This project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the California DIR. Prevailing wages are required on this Proposal. The State DIR Director determines the general prevailing wage rates which can be obtained at the DIR website at https://www.dir.ca.gov/
All times are 2:00 PM unless otherwise noted. Proposals must be received prior to or on the date due. Proposals received after the due date and time or received at the wrong location are considered nonresponsive and shall be rejected.
Published February 13 & 20, 2025 Montecito Journal
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT: The following person(s) has (have) abandoned the use of the Fictitious Business Name(s): Albertsons #3171, 1500 N H Street, Lompoc, CA, 93436. 1918 Winter Street ABS LLC, c/o Legal Department, 7 Corporate Drive, Keene, NH 03431. This statement was originally filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on September 5, 2024. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed January 29, 2025. Original FBN No. 2024-0002120. FBN 2025-0000290. Published February 20, 27, March 6, 13, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Ride the Bark Bus, 546 Asilomar Way, Unit 104, Goleta, CA 93117. Jonathan D Eymann, 546 Asilomar Way, Unit 104, Goleta, CA 93117. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 5, 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. 2025-0000326. Published February 13, 20, 27, March 6, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Fountain Square of Lompoc; Tharon Lompoc LLC, 1420 W North Ave, Lompoc, CA 93496. Tharon Lompoc LLC, 5967 W 3rd St Suite 360, Los Angeles, CA 90036. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 16, 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. 2025-0000148. Published February 13, 20, 27, March 6, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: The Wine Country Cowgirls Polo Team, 606 Alamo Pintado, 351, Solvang, CA 93463. Matthew B Orr, 606 Alamo Pintado, 351, Solvang, CA 93463. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 31, 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. 20250000295. Published February 6, 13, 20, 27, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: House of Brutal Power Building Gym LLC; Strength Crews; House of Brutal Power Building Gym, 865 Perry Ct, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. House of Brutal Power Building Gym LLC, 865 Perry Ct, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 29, 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. 20250000271. Published February 6, 13, 20, 27, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Home Cleaners Santa Barbara, 14 Romaine Drive, Suite B, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. Glenda V Oliva, 14 Romaine Drive, Suite B, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 30, 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. 20250000273. Published February 6, 13, 20, 27, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT: The following person(s) has (have) abandoned the use of the Fictitious Business Name(s): Dr. Greenthumb’s Orcutt, 1604 E Clark Avenue, Suite 101, Orcutt, CA, 93455. East Clark SB OPCO LLC, 4675 MacArthur Ct FL 15, Newport Beach, CA 92660. This statement was originally filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on April 8, 2022. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed January 29, 2025. Original FBN No. 2022-0000936. FBN 20250000260. Published February 6, 13, 20, 27, 2025
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: All Booked Up, 5659 Stinson Way, 101, Goleta, CA 93117. All Booked Up, 5659 Stinson Way, 101, Goleta, CA 93117. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 16, 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. 2025-0000157. Published January 30, February 6, 13, 20, 2025
When we fail, when we stumble, when we fall under the weight of systems never built for us, we do not break – we endure. And in enduring, we become something stronger.
Black History Month: A Healing Poem by Leonie
For Week Three of Black History Month we are blessed with a healing poem by Dr. Leonie H Mattison, EdD, MBA, President and CEO of Pacifica Graduate Institute, Carpinteria. I asked her how and when her poem came about. She said she wrote it this year, and shared, “This season has been very thick with grief, loss and pain for the black community. I’m hoping to invoke some hope for us all. I originally wrote the poem to help process my own grief – a way to channel the weight of sorrow, pain, and loss that surrounded me. Along the journey, I discovered that healing is not just about holding on but about finding the courage to let go. Releasing this poem is now part of that process – offering it as a gift to the world, hoping it might bring comfort, connection, and even a small sense of peace to those who need it. More than anything, I wanted others to know that I see them. I see their pain, their strength, and the quiet battles they fight each day. I wanted them to know that their grief is not invisible, their healing is not impossible, and they are not alone. If my words can be a bridge – a reminder that even in the darkest moments, we are held by something greater – sharing this Black History poem was worth it.”
“The Quilt That Holds Us All” by Dr. Leonie H Mattison, 2025 Sawubona. I see you.
I see our collective journey – stitched together with the bold, the broken, the beautiful. Black history is not a single thread; it is a vast, interwoven fabric of struggle and triumph, failure and resilience, loss and legacy.
We are not here because history was easy. We are here because we learned to live with the hard chapters.
We do not erase them. We do not rewrite them for comfort. We carry them, stitch by stitch, thread by thread, knowing that even our scars have a place in the pattern of our becoming.
We were never meant to be perfect. We were meant to be whole.
And wholeness is not the absence of flaws – it is the courage to keep weaving, even when the fabric tears.
For too long, we have been told that Black excellence must look effortless. That our success must be polished, pristine, without missteps or failures. But true strength is not found in perfection – it is found in the resilience that rises from imperfection.
Instead of chasing perfection, we learn to live with the hard chapters of our history.
Instead of hiding our struggles, we name them. Instead of erasing our pain, we honor it. Instead of defining ourselves by our wounds, we let them become wisdom.
Because our history is not just about what we have suffered. It is about what we have survived.
Sawubona. I see you – not just as you are, but as a reflection of those who came before and those yet to come.
Like the quilts of our ancestors – stitched from scraps, frayed at the edges, yet whole and unshaken – we do not discard what is difficult. We gather it. We weave it in. We create meaning from every piece.
Ubuntu teaches us that we exist through one another. That strength is not individual, but collective.
Sankofa reminds us that our future is shaped by the past. That we must reach back, retrieve what was lost, and carry it forward –not with shame, but with purpose.
So we do not pretend the hard times never happened. We build from them.
We do not ignore the missteps, the failures, the imperfections. We learn from them.
Because history is not only about what has been—it is about what we choose to make of it.
If you are still measuring Black worth by how seamlessly we succeed, you are looking at the wrong pattern.
We are not here to be perfect. We are here to be whole.
We are not here to erase the hard chapters. We are here to turn them into wisdom.
We are not here to prove ourselves. We are here to build – unapologetically, unshaken, unwavering.
Sawubona. I see you.
I see the hands that came before us, weaving, stitching, holding this fabric together.
I see the generations ahead, watching, waiting, trusting that we will leave them something strong enough to last.
I see the future unfolding – not as something handed to us, but as something we create.
Like the quilts of our foremothers, patched from hardship into beauty, our history is woven from the full truth of our becoming.
We are not defined by the easy moments. We are strengthened by the hard ones.
And under our watch, leadership is not about presence alone –it is about permanence.
This is Black resilience. Black excellence. Black wisdom.
Not perfect – but powerful.
And history will not just remember. It will be stitched with what we build.
Dr. Leonie H. Mattison, EdD, MBA, President and CEO of Pacifica Graduate Institute (courtesy photo)
Kieran Shah, Lailan McGrath, Ethan McQuivey, Diana Jimenez McQuivey and their Baby Moncerat, Christie Glanville, and Paula Bottiani (photo by Richard Garnica, RG Photography)
Shannon Garton, Lucy Kohansamad, Vivian Solodkin, Jonathan Pickert, Heather Sherman, DeeDee Nussmeier, Brigitte Welty (photo by Richard Garnica, RG Photography)
David Edelman, Paige Fleming, Diana MacFarlane, Jeff and Sharon Jordano, Kerry Kelly, Kristina Huberman, Lynn Kirst, CC Skye, Anne Towbes, Kirsten Stuart, and Jen Weeks
Verdi Interesting Books
Howard Jay Smith has just published his latest musical work Viva Violetta & Verdi following two years of diligent research and 18 months of writing.
Howard’s research also included many interviews with the late local Metropolitan Opera tenor Eduardo Villa, who shared a lifetime of working in opera and performed 18 of Verdi’s operas in his successful career, as well as assistance from Santa Barbara Symphony maestro Nir Kabaretti and his wife Gaja
It is Smith’s third work in his series on great composers, including Beethoven in Love and Meeting Mozart
In due course he is winging to Paris
with his wife Tricia to celebrate their first wedding anniversary and marking their tenth anniversary of living together.
While there, they will attend five concerts in five classic theaters while researching two new book projects on Beethoven and Puccini.
Howard will be reading from his new work at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club forum on March 3, as well as the University Club in due course.
Hearts en Rosé
Social gridlock reigned at vintner and animal activist Gretchen Lieff’s La Lieff tasting room in the Funk Zone when she hosted a Hearts & Rosé bash for 100 guests on Valentine’s Day.
Singer Nicole Sophia entertained on guitar while DJ Joseph Souza provided a throbbing musical background. There was also a photo booth for amorous couples and a Wheel of Love to spin.
Among the crowd were Robert
Adams, Lisa Osborn, Mindy Denson, Laurie Kirby , Peter and Kathryn Martin, Jim Melillo, Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey, D.C. McGuire, and Adam McKaig and Melissa Borders
Congratulations Frederick!
My congratulations to Montecito film director Frederick Toye, 57, who has just received two of the movie industry’s highest awards at the 77th annual Directors Guild of America Awards at the Beverly Hilton.
Frederick, whose mother is screenwriter (and MJ contributor) Sigrid Toye,
received the Outstanding Directorial Achievements in a Dramatic Series Award and an Emmy for Best Director of a Dramatic Series.
He is a TV director and producer. Shogun, the FX series finished its first season this year.
Frederick began his career as a production assistant and editor for 15 years before becoming a TV director.
A Taste of California
Meghan Markle’s long awaited lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, is coming to brick-and-mortar stores, courtesy of streaming giant Netflix.
Gretchen Lieff and guests with their furry loves (photo by Priscilla)
“Diabelli” kicked off the evening of dance (photo by David Bazemore)
The event was filled with wine, tunes, and heartfelt cheer (photo by Priscilla)
Kristina Huberman raising her paddle (photo by Richard Garnica, RG Photography)
Howard Jay Smith explores composer Verdi (courtesy photo)
The first of two American Riviera stores will open later this year in two of America’s biggest retails centers – the King of Prussia mall in Philadelphia and the giant Dallas Galleria in Texas, according to an old friend, Caroline Graham, Los Angeles correspondent for the Daily Mail Products available under her brand name will include jam, honey, and olive oil.
Netflix hopes to eventually open Netflix House stores coast-to-coast.
Diamonds of Dance
Twyla Tharp Dance’s Diamond Jubilee – the New York company’s first visit back to our Eden by the Beach in ten years – took place at the Granada with live music from the Third Coast Percussion, and was a true tour de force.
The energized performance, part of the popular UCSB Arts & Lectures program, kicked off with “Diabelli,” 33 variations on a waltz with music by Beethoven, concluding with “Slacktide” set to “Aquas Da Amazonia” by Philip Glass
Since graduating from Barnard College, Tharp, 83, has choreographed more than 160 works – 129 dances, 12 TV specials, six Hollywood movies, four full-length ballets, four Broadway shows and two figure skating routines –garnering one Tony Award, two Emmy Awards, 19 honorary doctorates, and a 2008 Kennedy Center honor.
She created her company in 1965, and her dances are known for creativity, wit and technical precision coupled with a streetwise nonchalance.
All abundantly on show at the Granada.
Can You Hear Me Now?
Montecito actor Billy Baldwin’s wife Chynna Phillips has gone a lengthy rant about iPhones, comparing Apple to Satan and claiming the device “kept tabs on her” and “scoured her brain.”
The former singer, 57, shared her disdain for cell phones in a new 20-minute video shared on her faith-based YouTube channel, California Preachin’.
She explained she had turned her phone
off for three days straight and noted “innumerable” changes in her mood.
Chynna claims she went from feeling “frantic, anxious and overwhelmed” to being “focused and present” and believes it was her phone that was causing her “brain to be scrambled.”
She says her phone was “keeping tabs on her” and had “hijacked her life for the last 18 years.”
Foundational Art
The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara honored 20 student artists during a presentation and reception at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Mary Craig Auditorium.
Each will receive a scholarship and their selected art submissions are currently being exhibited through this week.
Now in its 46th year, the program continues to attract exceptionally talented student artists from South County high schools, says Melinda Cabrera, president and CEO of the foundation.
A panel of prominent local artists –Isaac Hernandez, Scott Anderson, and Sara Hetyonk Duron – judged the submissions from 45 youngsters with each winner receiving a scholarship in the amount of $3,000 or $3,500.
Carolina Rodriguez, a Santa Barbara High School student, was awarded the Schall Family Best of Show Prize, winning an additional $1,000 scholarship.
For the first time in its history the foundation held a separate art competition for seniors at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School and hosted a reception for the winning students at the California Nature Art Museum in Solvang.
Edmondson on Council
Mike Edmondson, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Vice President of performance optimization at Amgen, has joined the advisory council of Dream Foundation’s Dreams for Veterans program.
Edmondson is a U.S. Naval Academy
graduate and served in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years.
He has since worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 25 years, including 17 years at Amgen.
He was also recognized in 2024 by SAVOY and BlackDoctor.org for his influence and tireless efforts.
Sightings
Actress Demi Moore noshing at Convivo... Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez checking out the FisHouse... Kevin Costner at the Super Bowl.
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 18 years
“Slacktide” was accompanied by Philip Glass’ “Aquas Da Amazonia” (photo by David Bazemore)
Mike Edmondson joins Dream Foundation’s Dreams for Veterans program
The winners of the Scholarship Foundation’s art competition (photo by Jay Farbman)
Carolina Rodriguez, a Santa Barbara High School student, was awarded the Schall Family Best of Show Prize (photo by Jay Farbman)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Calendar of Events
by Steven Libowitz
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20
CEC Conversation – Dr. J. Mijin Cha is assistant professor of environmental studies at UC Santa Cruz and a fellow at Cornell University’s Climate Jobs Institute. She will join UCSB’s Dr. David Pellow, Environmental Studies professor and Director of the Global Environmental Justice Project, to talk about her new book, A Just Transition for All: Workers and Communities for a Carbon-Free Future Cha’s book, published in December, delves into why the energy transition must be more than a fuel source replacement, and how we can seize the opportunity to build a more just future for all.
WHEN: 6:30 pm
WHERE: CEC Environmental Hub, 1219 State St. COST: free
INFO: (805) 963-0583 or https://cecsb.org/events
Hannah and her Sisters – New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters who embark on separate paths toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France. The novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women was a big bestseller and was named a Best Book of the Year by the Wall Street Journal Hanna’s most recent novel The Women has a single heroine, one who represents a little-known historical story of women serving in Vietnam – the story of the unpopular war through a woman’s eyes and what it was like to return to an angry, bitter and divided America. Just before the pandemic, sisters and actresses Elle and Dakota Fanning had signed on to play the earlier novel’s Isabelle and Vianne, but the film has yet to finish production. In the meantime, Hannah, a former lawyer turned writer, is touring a limited 10th Anniversary Edition of The Nightingale, and sharing her perspective on both books with Paul Levine, the John D. MacDonald Fiction Award-winning author of the Jake Lassiter and Solomon vs. Lord novels.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street
COST: $54-$84 (includes a signed copy of “The Nightingale”) INFO: (805) 899-2222 or www.granadasb.org
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21 & SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23
Figaro? Si! – The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart’s comic masterpiece of seduction, mistaken identities, and master-servant rivalries sails into the Lobero Theatre in a new setting on a luxury ocean liner in the 1920s from Opera Santa Barbara.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21-SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23
Antique Arts Arrives – The Santa Barbara Antique, Decorative Arts, and Vintage Show returns to the Earl Warren Showgrounds to once again dazzle and delight attendees with an array of merchandise covering more than two centuries. More than 60 quality dealers from around the country will offer a variety of treasures from tin and Tiffany to furniture, jewelry, paintings, silver, China, pottery, lighting, textiles, Native American goods, vintage fashion, oriental rugs, collectibles, posters and much more, plus many rare and hard to find items. Michael and Gae Ann McHale, who bring a multi-decade background in antique shows and exhibits, are both the owners and directors of the antique show that should both satisfy and surprise.
COST: $10 (visit https://sbantiqueshow.com/discount-flyer for $2 off), $7 seniors, free for children under 12, covers all three days
INFO: (805) 687-0766 or https://earlwarren.com/https://sbantiqueshow.com
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23
Tuba for Two – Gene Pokorny, who has been Principal Tuba of the venerable Chicago Symphony Orchestra since his appointment by Georg Solti in 1989, has performed under the baton of some of the world’s most famous conductors. During his time in Los Angeles, he played on the soundtracks to Jurassic Park, The Fugitive, and many other motion pictures. Now, he’s heading to town to play a special benefit concert to support The Santa Barbara Chamber Players, the pandemic-born ensemble whose mission is to grow audiences for chamber and orchestral music by presenting and producing affordable, professional-quality musical performances. He’ll be joined by pianist Mi-Young Kim, a faculty member at Westmont College and Director of Music at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Program to be announced from the stage.
WHEN: 3 pm
WHERE: Trinity Lutheran Church, 909 N. La Cumbre Rd.
COST: $25
INFO: https://sbchamberplayers.org
The company’s first production of Figaro since 2012, features direction by Sara Widzer and set design by Yuki Izumihara, who co-created OSB’s Semele at the Lobero in January 2022. Full of witty exchanges, devilishly clever disguises, and mayhem through misunderstanding, the opera is considered a classic for Mozart’s music and libretto, which creates realistic characters with complex emotions as he employs farce and satire to tell the tangled love story that takes place on a single day. The Southern California cast features alumni of OSB’s Chrisman Studio Program including leads Colin Ramsey (Figaro) and Sunwoo Park (Susanna), with artistic director Kostis Protopapas conducting the Opera Santa Barbara Chorus and Orchestra.
WHEN: 7:30 pm tonight, 2:30 pm Sunday
WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: sold out (waiting list available)
INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22
MacLeod, Not Loud – Award-winning acoustic blues artist Doug MacLeod returns to Santa Barbara for the first time in more than six years when the singer-songwriter-guitarist performs for the annual Santa Barbara Blues Society Member Appreciation Show. MacLeod, who has been nominated for more than 20 Blues Music Awards from the Blues Foundation, the largest blues music organization in the world, has won the BMA Acoustic Artist of the Year four different times, and has won as well multiple Album of the Year awards. (He’s up for the honors again this May in Memphis.) While MacLeod’s recordings have been well decorated, he’s even better known for his live performances that showcase his superb songwriting, guitar wizardry, warm soulful vocals, and his wit and knack for storytelling that brings characters strikingly to life. (MacLeod will also lead a workshop for intermediate and advanced guitarists earlier in the afternoon. Call for details.)
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Unitarian Society, 1535 Santa Barbara St.
COST: $10, free for SBBS members
INFO: (805) 668-6884 or www.sbblues.org
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23
Powers, ‘Playground’ and Pico – Montecito’s Oprah Winfrey says novelist Richard Powers “composes some of the most beautiful sentences I’ve ever read – I’m in awe of his talent,” while the New York Times lauds the writer as, “A soft-spoken eco-warrior and environmental prophet.” Powers, who traverses the field of speculative fiction that mashes up culture, the environment and technology, won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction with The Overstory, his visionary narrative account of the deep time embedded within the Earth’s forests. With his new novel, Playground, Powers pivots to the ocean, portraying the Pacific’s
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23
It’s his Thing – Darrell M. McNeill is a Santa Barbara-based producer, musician, composer, arranger, contractor, promoter, critic and journalist as well as the co-founder and director of operations for the Black Rock Coalition. He’s also the author of the 2024 book, The Isley Brothers’ 3+3, which dissects The Isley Brothers’ now half-century old album of the same name; the one that firmly established their music dynasty on a global scale. This was a rare crossover record by a Black act that struck a chord with urban, rock and pop consumers. The book looks at the album from a variety of angles and considers the band’s current situation, nearly seven decades after forming. McNeill will talk about the book and the band, including its place in history and cultural significance, and sign copies at Chaucer’s.
WHEN: 3 pm
WHERE: Chaucer’s, 3321 State St. in Loreto Plaza Shopping Center COST: free
INFO: (805) 682-6787 or www.chaucersbooks.com
last wild regions in a give-and-take with humanity’s ongoing project to subdue them. Powers comes to Campbell Hall for a Conversation with Pico Iyer event –sharing thoughts and ideas with Santa Barbara’s own curious and cultural writer and author of 17 books.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Campbell Hall (also available as a livestream) COST: $32.50-$47.50 (includes a copy of Playground) INFO: (805) 893-3535 or https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25
Moving to ‘Momo’ – The critically acclaimed Batsheva Dance Company – for whom Santa Barbara-raised Martha Graham served as co-founder and Artistic Advisor when it started in 1964 – returns to town to perform MOMO, its newest evening-length work from master choreographer Ohad Naharin. Israel’s larg est dance company, Batsheva boasts 40 extraordinary dancers from Israel and around the world in its senior company and the Junior Batsheva Ensemble. Na harin served as Batsheva’s artistic director for 28 years, created the company’s influential Gaga movement language, and is considered a titan of contemporary dance. His choreography for the piece presents separate yet conjoined narra tives that run alongside one another and connect through shared experiences of deep sorrow and beauty. Laurie Anderson and the Kronos Quartet’s Landfall and Philip Glass’ Metamorphosis provide the slow-simmering musical backdrop to the daring new work.
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street COST: $48.50-$108.50 INFO: (805) 899-2222/www.granadasb.org or (805) 893-3535/www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26
Wilcox Waxes Poetically – The veteran singer-songwriter David Wilcox’s folkie sensibilities always shine through no matter how close to the pop world he veers, which is a good thing as his knack for melody makes the heartfelt words of his songs go down even more compellingly. In the 35 years since his win at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival led to his 1989 A&M Records debut album How Did You Find Me Here, Wilcox has put wielded his warm baritone in a variety of settings, but solo in where his gift shines brightest, as heard on his latest album, 2023’s acoustic opus My Good Friends. Wilcox shares songs spanning his career in a return visit to the Tales from the Tavern series.
WHEN: 7 pm
WHERE: The Maverick Saloon, 3687 Sagunto Street, Santa Ynez COST: $36.05
INFO: (805) 688-0383 or www.talesfromthetavern.com
SERVICES
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
ESTATE SALE
559 Hot Springs Road Antiques, Fine arts, And household, entire contents to
PHYSICAL TRAINING & THERAPY
Stillwell Fitness of Santa Barbara In Home Personal Training Sessions for 65+ Help with: Strength, Flexibility, Balance Motivation, and Consistency
John Stillwell, CPT, Specialist in Senior Fitness 805-705-2014 StillwellFitness.com
GOT OSTEOPOROSIS? WE CAN HELP
At OsteoStrong our proven non-drug protocol takes just ten minutes once a week to improve your bone density and aid in more energy, strength, balance and agility. Please call for a complimentary session! Call Now (805) 453-6086
AVAILABLE FOR RENT
Beautiful renovated mid-century 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom with Ocean views in Santa Barbara foothills, Available Dec 15th - March 15th (646) 206-4391
Sunny, stunning mid-century classic home. Fully renovated, world-class art. May, June, Nov, Dec available. Monthly rental only.
3 BD / 3 BA
Pool & Hot Tub
Secured Community
$30,000 per month (574) 215-0213
PROFESSIONAL PET CARETAKER!
Mature female resides exclusively in your home for overnight pet care. Household chores no problem. Twenty years experience in dog training medical assistance dog walks with compassion and attentiveness. Originally from Marin County. Pet Nanny of Marin. References available. Contact: Tara 415.300.7667
FOR SALE
1987 Komfort Corp/Trailer for sale by El Toro Holdings, LLC located at 2509 N. Ventura Ave on account of James Armstrong. Blind Auction will be held Monday, February 16th at 12:00pm
PIANO LESSONS
Openings now available for Children and Adults.
Piano Lessons in our Studio or your Home. Call or Text Kary Kramer (805) 453-3481
PRIVATE FITNESS MONTECITO
In-home/outdoors guided fitness
1470 East Valley Rd Suite V. 805-969-0888
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
Montecito Electric Repairs and Inspections Licensed C10485353 805-969-1575
TILE SETTING
Local tile setter of 35 years is now doing small jobs only. Services include grout cleaning and repair, caulking, sealing, replacing damaged tiles and basic plumbing needs. Call Doug Watts at 805-729-3211 for a free estimate.
PRIVATE CHEF
In Home. Chef Bradley Mark 50 yrs. local experience - Comfort food for two, a specialty. Shop, cook, clean up, and go! Lv. msg. with your special request. (805) 403-1769 Serve Safe Cert. #6168504
& insured. Call (805) 963-6909
WATERLILIES and LOTUS since 1992
WATERGARDEN CARE
SBWGC
Carpet Cleaning Since 1978 (805) 963-5304 Rafael Mendez Cell:
TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD
It’s simple. Charge is $3 per line, each line with 31 characters. Minimum is $10 per issue. Photo/logo/visual is an additional $20 per issue. Email Classified Ad to frontdesk@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860. All ads must be finalized by Friday at 2pm the week prior to printing. We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex (3% surcharge)
All ages/levels, on your time Pick a trainer, pick a place Book TODAY: www.raresolfit.com Or email: contact@raresolfit.com
ESTATE SALE
ESTATE SALE 559 Hot Springs Road Antiques, Fine arts, And household, entire contents to be sold. SAT & SUN – Feb 22nd & 23rd 9-3 pm
DONATIONS NEEDED
Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue Summerland, CA 93067 (805) 969-1944
Donate to the Parrot Pantry! At SB Bird Sanctuary, backyard farmer’s bounty is our birds’ best bowl of food! The flock goes bananas for your apples, oranges & other homegrown fruits & veggies.
Volunteers
Do you have a special talent or skill? Do you need community service hours? The flock at SB Bird Sanctuary could always use some extra love and socialization. Call us and let’s talk about how you can help. (805) 969-1944
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
K-9 PALS need volunteers to be foster parents for our dogs while they are waiting for their forever homes. For more information info@k-9pals.org or 805-570-0415
LANDSCAPE
Casa L. M. Landscape hedges installed. Ficus to flowering. Disease resistant. Great privacy. Licensed
