Calendar of Events

12 – 19 March 2020 MONTECITO JOURNAL36 “Music sounds different to the one who plays it. It is the musician’s curse.” – Patrick Rothfuss THURSDAY, MARCH 12

Dutton Honey – Philadelphia-born alternative hip-hop specialist Garrett Dutton, better known as G. Love, is back with the original version of Special Sauce, a trio with Jeffrey Clemens on drums and Jim Prescott on bass that took their simultaneously sloppy yet laid-back sound across the nation back in the mid-1990s to lots of airplay on college and alternative radio stations. After a five-year hiatus since the band’s association with Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records banner, which came after Johnson had been a guest on the Special Sauce album Philadelphonic and included three studio releases as well as three more solo albums by Dutton, G. Love and the boys have produced a new album called The Juice, the latest displaying Dutton’s desire for upbeat and uplifting high-spirited music. “I’ve always tried to make music that’s a force for positivity,” Dutton said as the record – which was co-produced and co-written with Grammy-winning blues icon Keb’ Mo’ and recorded in Nashville with a slew of special guests including Robert Randolph, Marcus King, and Roosevelt Collier – came out in January. “It was important to me that this album be something that could empower the folks who are out there fighting the good fight every day… a rallying cry for empathy and unity… I’m more inspired right now than I’ve ever been before. I feel more thoughtful, seasoned, marinated, confident. I’m making the records I’ve always wanted to make.” Hear those achievements when G. Love and Special Sauce sashay back to SOhO in downtown Santa Barbara tonight. New acoustic blues up-and-comer Jontavious Willis, who some might say recalls a young Keb’ Mo’, opens the show. WHEN: 8 pm WHERE: SOhO, 1221 State Street, upstairs in Victoria Court COST: $35 INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com FRIDAY, MARCH 13

Piano Prodigy Performs – British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor was just 11 when he became the winner of the Keyboard Final of the 2004 BBC Young Musician Competition. By 19, he performed with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Opening Night of the 2011 BBC Proms at London’s Royal Albert Hall, one of the country’s most prestigious gigs. Now, just 27, Grosvenor has been described as “the best pianist to come out of England in the last fifty years,” and “one of the world’s most sought-after young pianists.” The accolades seem well-deserved as critics have found his playing reminiscent of the late legendary pianists Rachmaninoff, Schnabel, Rubinstein and Serkin. Grosvenor makes his Santa Barbara recital debut for CAMA’s Masterseries with a program that features Rameau’s Gavotte and Six Variations from Suite in A minor, RCT 5; Schumann’s Kreisleriana, Op.16; and Berceuse in D-flat major, S.174 (second version) and Sonata in B minor, S.178, by Liszt. WHEN: 8 pm WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $45- $55 INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com FRIDAY, MARCH 13 CCR Founder at CCR – With a career spanning more than 60 years, John Fogerty has become one of the most influential musicians in rock history, one who helped create the soundtrack of a generation and then kept going for decades more. As co-founder and chief musical architect of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fogerty was the writer, singer, and producer of numerous classic hits, including “Born on the Bayou,” “Green River,” “Proud Mary,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” “Lookin’ Out My Back Door,” and “Bad Moon Rising” over just a couple of years in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. After CCR parted ways in 1972, Fogerty also found success as a solo artist with such singles as “Rockin’ All Over the World,” “The Old Man Down the Road,” and “Centerfield,” the latter still a standard at baseball stadiums across the country. CCR was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, while Fogerty came in at No. 40 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of 100 Greatest songwriters and No. 72 on the magazine’s list of 100 Greatest Singers (at number 72). The Berkeley- born rocker, who turns 75 in May, returns to the area for a show tonight at the Chumash Casino Resort’s Samala Showroom. WHEN: 8 pm WHERE: 3400 Hwy. 246, Santa Ynez COST: $79-$139 INFO: (800) CHUMASH or www.chumashcasino. com SCAPE Coasts – More than 100 artists who comprise Southern California Artists Painting for the Environment (SCAPE) will participate in the eighth annual “Visions of the Gaviota Coast” art show at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, special exhibition and sale that benefits the Gaviota Coast Conservancy (GCC). Forty percent of proceeds from the show – juried by famed Oak Group artist Rick Garcia – will go to the GCC, the nonprofit that works tirelessly to hold the line on development on the last open coastline in Southern California with an off-the-charts biodiversity rating. SCAPE painters help people to see the magnificence of the stunning Gaviota landscapes from the mountain tops to the shoreline, and this is their way of returning the favor. An awards presentation takes place at tonight’s reception, featuring mixing and mingling with the artists, a selection of raffle prizes, the opportunity to view and purchase the approximately 200 pieces of artwork, plus live music, appetizers and local wines. Tomorrow afternoon’s activities include screenings of two documentaries focusing on the Gaviota Coast: Shaw Leonard and Tamlorn Chase’s Gaviota: The End of Southern California and Losing Ground, the latter featuring Gunner Tautrim, a rancher who is also a board member for GCC. The show takes place at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara Resort, the five-star hotel that has hosted the “Visions of the Gaviota Coast” exhibit since it began in 2013. WHEN: 1-8 pm today (reception 5-8 pm); 10 am-5 pm tomorrow WHERE: Ritz-Carlton Bacara, 8301 Hollister Avenue COST: free INFO: (805) 683-6681 or www.gaviotacoastconservancy.org Meandering the Edges – The new exhibit at the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara is an installation of works on paper and sculpture by Nathan Huff, an associate professor of art at Westmont College whose work has also been featured in solo exhibitions in town at Sullivan Goss Gallery and Lotusland, as well as UCR Culver Museum and Sweeney Galleries (Riverside), D.E.N. Contemporary (West Hollywood), Minthorne Gallery (Oregon), among others. The exhibit examines ways in which we inhabit homes and move through domestic spaces based on memory and emotion. Installed in unconventional ways on the walls, floor, and corners of the AFSB’s meeting space/gallery, Huff’s paintings on paper of furniture, wood floors, tables and shovels are meant to draw attention to the space itself as an important part of the narrative. WHEN: Opening reception 5-7 pm tonight; exhibit continues through May 6 WHERE: 229 E. Victoria St. (in the historic Acheson House on the corner of Garden) COST: free INFO: (805) 965-6307 or www.afsb.org SUNDAY, MARCH 15 Beatunes – Just when it seemed every possible permutation and combination of words and ideas to pay tribute to the Beatles must have been taken already, here comes Beatunes. Perhaps it’s an unfortunate choice for a name as it conjures elevator music rather than rock ‘n’ roll, but The Beatunes have a much more honorable mission, as the four SoCal musicians aim solely to honor and play The Beatles songs as faithfully to the recordings as possible. Eschewing costumes, mop top wigs, backing tracks or anything other gimmicks, The Beatunes simply continue to increase their repertoire and precision in replicating the sound of The Beatles, from the early “Fab Four” days to the final recordings, constantly searching for new ways to bring more realism to the show with the caveat that every sound you hear at a Beatunes concert is played live by the band. Basically, the Beatunes revel in playing the Beatles songs for audiences of all ages to enjoy. In other words, close your eyes and they’ll kiss you with arguably the greatest pop music of all time. WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: SOhO, 1221 State Street, upstairs in Victoria Court COST: $10 INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www. sohosb.com A Gripping Handel – Joyce DiDonato headlines MET Live in HD’s repeat simulcast of Handel’s brilliant and tuneful comedy Agrippina, in a new staging by Sir David

Swing in at SOhO – They say March comes in like a lion, and the Santa Barbara Jazz Society must be taking that adage to heart, as the organization has booked the 17-member big band Swing Shift for its monthly show at SOhO. Headquartered in Oxnard, Swing Shift has been keeping the music of the “Swinging’ Years” alive through playing the music of the jazzy ‘30s and the jumping ‘40s, with an occasional tune from the ‘50s – aka the so-called Swing Era. The band will be featuring the original music of Big Band greats Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Les Brown, and others, while Jan Nelsen, a quintessential big band singer, adds vocals to the mix. WHEN: 1-4 pm WHERE: SOhO, 1221 State Street, upstairs in Victoria Court COST: $22 INFO: (805) 962-7776 / www.sohosb.com or (805) 687-7123 / www. sbjazz.org

McVicar that The New York Times hails as “bold, snicker-out-loud funny, magnetic.” Handel’s tale of intrigue and impropriety in ancient Rome receives its first Met performances, with mezzo-soprano DiDonato as the controlling, power-hungry Agrippina and Harry Bicket conducting. McVicar’s production reframes the action of the black comedy about the abuse of power to “the present,” where critics have noted that it loudly resonates: “An imperial capital aflame with shady power grabs, family intrigue, sexual aggression, and a round-robin of betrayals – who said opera isn’t like real life?” raved New York Magazine. The all-star cast features mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey as Agrippina’s son and future emperor Nerone, soprano Brenda Rae – a 2008 Music Academy of the West alumna who returns via video to Hahn Hall (nee Abravanel) – as the seductive Poppea, countertenor Iestyn Davies as the ambitious officer Ottone, and bass Matthew Rose as the weary emperor Claudius. WHEN: 2 pm WHERE: Hahn Hall, Music Academy of the West campus, 1070 Fairway Road COST: $28 ($10 students, Community Access; free for youth ages 7-17) INFO: (805) 969-8787 or www.musicacademy.org

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18

Howard Shakes it Up – It was less than a decade ago that Brittany Howard blasted onto the music scene as the lead vocalist and guitarist for the blues-rock band Alabama Shakes that turned eyes and ears with an indelible roots-rock sound. The band earned multiple Grammy Awards for its second album, 2015’s Sound & Color, after which she decided to take a break from the band who met each other in high school in favor of making a solo album. Howard’s solo debut, Jaime, has been called her most ambitious recording, with Rolling Stone calling it “full of synthed-out psychedelic funk, druggy soul ballads, hip-hop loops, and lyrics grappling with her past, including sexuality, family tragedy, religious guilt and more.” Now, Howard – who thrilled local audiences when the band played in town a couple of years ago – is headed back our way, as the second show of her second solo tour arrives at the Arlington Theatre tonight, a “a funk-rooted tour de force” that should, ahem, shake the foundation of the Santa Barbara landmark. WHEN: 7 pm WHERE: 1317 State St. COST: $35.50-$75.50 INFO: (805) 963- 4408 / www.thearlingtontheatre.com or www.axs.com/venues/2330 •MJ

TUESDAY, MARCH 17

State Street Ballet presents SLEEPING BEAUTY Sat MAR 14 7:30 pm

Network Medical presents SEALED FEAT. CHAD WILLIAMS Thu MAR 19 7 pm

Santa Barbara Symphony presents AN AMERICAN IN PARIS The Film Accompanied by Live Orchestra Sat MAR 21 8 pm Sun MAR 22 3pm

CAMA presents ROTTERDAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Thu MAR 26 8pm

CALM Auxiliary Presents ELIZABETH SMART COURAGE AND RESILIENCE Sat MAR 28 3 pm

What, He Worry? – Spencer Barnitz, Santa Barbara wise and versatile wizard of local rock ‘n’ roll best-known for his decades-long stewardship of Santa Barbara stalwarts Spencer the Gardener, dons one of his other hats for the annual St. Patrick’s Day show at SOhO with The Worried Lads. The Mesa-raised Barnitz leads serves as ringmaster for the Irish-PirateTex/Mex-Calypso sounds of the band, turning the front room at SOhO into a Dublin-like (but all-ages) pub where you can also chow down on traditional helpings of corned beef and cabbage. WHEN: 5-9 pm WHERE: SOhO, 1221 State Street, upstairs in Victoria Court COST: $5 INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents LYON OPERA BALLET TROIS GRANDES FUGUES Wed APR 1 8 pm Thur APR 2 8pm

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BID NO. 5829

DUE DATE & TIME: MARCH 27, 2020 UNTIL 3:00 P.M.

PARKS & RECREATION SIGN REPLACEMENT PROJECT –INSTALLATION PHASE I

Scope of Work: The City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department is seeking quotes from interested, qualified persons or firms for installation of approximately 255 park regulatory and informational signs provided by the Parks and Recreation Department, including removal and disposal of approximately 265 existing signs, at 28 park and facility locations.

Bidders must be registered on the city of Santa Barbara’s PlanetBids portal in order to receive addendum notifications and to submit a bid. Go to PlanetBids for bid results and awards. It is the responsibility of the bidder to submit their bid with sufficient time to be received by PlanetBids prior to the bid opening date and time. The receiving deadline is absolute. Allow time for technical difficulties, uploading, and unexpected delays. Late or incomplete Bid will not be accepted.

If further information is needed, contact Caroline Ortega, Senior Buyer at (805) 564-5351or email: COrtega@santabarbaraca.gov

FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE ACT Contractor agrees in accordance with Section 1735 and 1777.6 of California Labor Code, and the California Fair Employment Practice Act (Sections 1410-1433) that in the hiring of common or skilled labor for the performance of any work under this contract or any subcontract hereunder, no contractor, material supplier or vendor shall, by reason of age (over 40), ancestry, color, mental or physical disability, sex, gender identity and expression, marital status, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics), national origin, race, religious belief, or sexual orientation, discriminate against any person who is qualified and available to perform the work to which such employment relates. The Contractor further agrees to be in compliance with the City of Santa Barbara’s Nondiscriminatory Employment Provisions as set forth in Chapter 9 of the Santa Barbara Municipal Code.

BONDING Bidders are hereby notified that a Payment Bond in the amount of 100% of the bid total will be required from the successful bidder for bids exceeding $25,000. The bond must be provided with ten (10) calendar days from notice of award and prior to the performance of any work. The bond must be signed by the bidder and a corporate surety, who is authorized to issue bonds in the State of California.

PREVAILING WAGE, APPRENTICES, PENALTIES, & CERTIFIED PAYROLL In accordance with the provisions of Labor Code § 1773.2, the Contractor is responsible for determining the correct prevailing wage rates. However, the City will provide wage information for projects subject to Federal Davis Bacon requirements. The Director of Industrial Relations has determined the general prevailing rates of wages and employer payments for health, welfare, vacation, pensions and similar purposes applicable, which is on file in the State of California Office of Industrial Relations. The contractor shall post a copy of these prevailing wage rates at the site of the project. It shall be mandatory upon the contractor to whom the contract is awarded and its subcontractors hired to pay not less than the said prevailing rates of wages to all workers employed by him in the execution of the contract (Labor Code § 1770 et seq.). Prevailing wage rates are available at http://www.dir.ca.gov/oprl/PWD/index.htm

It is the duty of the contractor and subcontractors to employ registered apprentices and to comply with all aspects of Labor Code § 1777.5.

There are penalties required for contractor’s/subcontractor’s failure to pay prevailing wages and for failure to employ apprentices, including forfeitures and debarment under Labor Code §§ 1775, 1776, 1777.1, 1777.7 and 1813.

Under Labor Code § 1776, contractors and subcontractors are required to keep accurate payroll records. The prime contractor is responsible for submittal of their payrolls and those of their subcontractors as one package. Payroll records shall be certified and made available for inspection at all reasonable hours at the principal office of the contractor/subcontractor pursuant to Labor Code § 1776.

The contractor and all subcontractors under the direct contractor shall furnish certified payroll records directly to the Labor Compliance Unit and to the department named in the Purchase Order/Contract at least monthly, and within ten (10) days of any request from any request from the City or the Labor Commissioner in accordance with Section 16461 of the California Code of Regulations. Payroll records shall be furnished in a format prescribed by section 16401 of Title 8 of the California Code ofRegulations, with use of the current version of DIR's “Public Works Payroll Reporting Form” (A-1-131) and “Statement of Employer Payments” (DLSE Form PW26) constituting presumptive compliance with this requirement, provided the forms are filled out accurately and completely. In lieu of paper forms, the Compliance Monitoring Unit may provide for and require the electronic submission of certified payroll reports. The provisions of Article 2 and 3, Division 2, Chapter 1 of the Labor Code, State of California, are made by this reference a part of this quotation or bid.

A contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of Section 4104 of the Public Contract Code, or engage in the performance of any contract for public work, as defined in this chapter, unless currently registered and qualified to perform public work pursuant to Section 1725.5. It is not a violation of this section for an unregistered contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Section 7029.1 of the Business and Professions Code or by Section 10164 or 20103.5 of the Public Contract Code, provided the contractor is registered to perform public work pursuant to Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded.

This project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations.

CERTIFICATIONS In accordance with California Public Contracting Code § 3300, the City requires the Contractor to possess a valid California Class B General OR C45 Sign contractor’s license at time the bids are opened and to continue to hold during the term of the contract all licenses and certifications required to perform the work specified herein.

CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE Contractor must submit to the contracted departmentwithin ten (10) calendar days of an order, AND PRIOR TO START OF WORK, certificates of Insurance naming the City of Santa Barbara as Additional Insured in accordance with the attached Insurance Requirements.

• The Voice of the Village • 12 – 19 March 2020 MONTECITO JOURNAL 39 The best little paper in America (Covering the best little community anywhere!) Executive Editor/CEO Gwyn Lurie • Publisher/COO Timothy Lennon Buckley Editor At Large Kelly Mahan Herrick • News and Feature Editor Nicholas Schou Associate Editor Bob Hazard • Copy Editor Lily Buckley Harbin Arts and Entertainment Editor Steven Libowitz Contributors Scott Craig, Julia Rodgers, Ashleigh Brilliant, Sigrid Toye, Zach Rosen, Kim Crail Gossip Richard Mineards • History Hattie Beresford • Humor Ernie Witham Our Town Joanne A. Calitri Society Lynda Millner • Travel Jerry Dunn • Sportsman Dr. John Burk • Trail Talk Lynn P. Kirst Account Managers Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Casey Champion Bookkeeping Diane Davidson, Christine Merrick • Proofreading Helen Buckley Design/Production Trent Watanabe Published by Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC PRINTED BY NPCP INC., SANTA BARBARA, CA Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite H, Montecito, CA 93108. How to reach us: Editorial: (805) 565-1860; Sue Brooks: ext. 4; Christine Merrick: ext. 3; Classified: ext. 3; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Letters to Editor: Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite H, Montecito, CA 93108; E-MAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net “urbane” in his L.A. Times tribute), Jack Smith of the Los Angeles Times, daily columns 1958 to mid-‘90s (my mom was also a big fan). I had the pleasure of meeting Jack and his lovely wife, Denise, at a book signing at Chaucer’s (God and Mr. Gomez) in the early ‘90s. More on Jack Smith if you’re interested: https://www. latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996- 01-10-mn-23066-story.html Best regards, Steve King Carpinteria Community Litigation

So, it looks like a Class Action lawsuit was recently filed against certain cannabis growers in the Carpinteria Valley.

No surprise to me as Class Actions are not about any one person, they are about communities. A community that suffers odors reducing their quality of life and quiet enjoyment, i.e. “nuisance.” A community where 186 acres of pot can be grown, yet where only about 60 acres are “in ground”. In other words, these odors – that travel for more than one mile – will spread and/or intensify by a factor of 300%. While the lawsuit was filed in Carp, let’s not forget that the Ordinance is the most sweeping piece of Countywide legislation passed in decades. Commercial cultivation is an existential threat to our brand, avo industry, wine industry (yes, terpene odors penetrate grapes) and the air that we breath. We have all become guinea pigs with respect to Vapor Phase Odor Systems, VOC’s and terpenes that are used in turpentine’s and varnishes.

The growers who, for the most part, drafted the most lenient Ordinance in the country needed to be saved from themselves, but the county utterly failed. Our Political Monarchy (i.e. Board of Supervisors) didn’t pushback even slightly by requiring, perhaps over time, sealed greenhouses and carbon filtration – a broadly accepted solution where neighborhoods and other crops exist. It really is sad to see that lawyers and non-cannabis profiting residents are now needed to define the term “good neighbor.”

In the county that gave birth to the environmental movement, I don’t understand why commercial Cannabis cultivation is not couched in environmental terms. This is a water affecting and extremely thirsty crop whose terpenes can increase ground level ozone, not a good thing. Do environmental organizations jump-in to help? No, actually the opposite – they laud the environmental track record of our pols as litigation and suspicions swirl. Anyway, I want to echo Ms. Lurie’s recent piece – get involved, be involved! It’s the reason why I’m thankful to the Coalition for Responsible Cannabis and their efforts to protect us. Someone had to do something because, unfortunately, neither the County nor the growers will.

Jeff Giordano SB County Resident A Message to Women

We must be our own advocates in closing the gender gap.

A female must function in a world that all too often treats her like prey, clips her wings, and burdens her with fear and shame.

The challenges to women exposed during #MeToo reopened discussions about harassment, gender, and power. The struggle with stereotypes against girls who are intelligent and articulate, who speak up for themselves, and who are active members of school and society, is very real.

The World Economic Forum’s most recent Global Gender Gap Report finds that while women worldwide are closing the gender gap in areas such as health and education, inequality persists in the workplace and politics.

However, data shows that when women are present and in leadership roles, more women are hired at all levels. This holds true even when taking into consideration the disparities in the size of female talent pools across various industry sectors.

As president of ShelterBox, a Santa Barbara based disaster relief organization that works globally, I see how even disasters disproportionately affect women. From higher death rates, increased gender-based violence, economic loss and loss of education, disasters exacerbate gender inequalities. However, women are pivotal in the recovery process – they often are the first responders to a crisis and play a central role in the survival and resilience of families and communities.

International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, and political achievements of women. It also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality.

Right now, it is estimated that gender parity across the world will take another 100 years. None of us will see gender parity in our lifetimes, and neither will our children. We must do better.

Women must have opportunities to be represented as powerful figures, from politicians, to corporate board directors, to musicians. The race is on for a gender equal boardroom and workplace, a gender equal government, gender equal media coverage, gender equal sports coverage, and more gender equality in health and wealth. There is not enough being done to change the view of “girl.” Each of us, working together, can initiate change.

We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perspectives, and lift and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, each one of us can work to create a gender equal world.

While we need men as our allies, we must be our own advocates – both for ourselves as well as for each other. We must speak up. We must speak out. We must stand together.

Melinda Gates said, “A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.”

Having a voice can be a challenge when we, as women, are told we are not valued, when sexism is institutionalized in many spaces across our society and culture, and when we are punished and silenced for speaking out.

But our silence will be interpreted as our acceptance.

I’ve been able to rise to a leadership role as a female by having the courage to find my voice and connect that voice to causes I believe in. The road for me has been long and rife with unimaginable obstacles along the way. But I remain steadfast on this path to progress and greater gender equality in our world.

I am reflective on the progress made and inspired by acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played extraordinary roles in the history of their countries and their communities. But, so much as we want to celebrate achievements, we must acknowledge just how far we still have to go.

I encourage you to give, get, and gather. Give your time to issues that matter to women, get a mentor who can give you support and provide perspective, and gather fellow females and allies to join you in raising our collective voice.

#IWD2020 #EachforEqual Kerri Murray •MJ LETTERS (Continued from page 8)

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The lawyer says, “I can answer three questions for $1,000.” “Bloody hell,” the guy said, “Isn’t that expensive?” “Yes,” the lawyer said. “What’s your third question?” Send us your best joke, we’ll decide if it’s funny. We can only print what we can print, so don’t blame us. Please send “jokes” to letters@ montecitojournal.net L aughing M atters You can subscribe to the Journal!! Please fill out this simple form and mail it to us with your payment My name is:____________________________________________________________________________ My address is:____________________________________________________________ ZIP__________ Enclosed is ____________ $150 for the next 50 issues of Montecito Journal to be delivered via First Class Mail P.S. Start my subscription with issue dated: Please send your check or money order to: Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite D, Montecito, CA 93108

Tipper Gore (left), A&L Leadership Circle member Leslie Bhutani, and Beryl Kreisel (photo by Emily HartRoberts)

nudging and fist bumping because of coronavirus concerns, included Paul and Jane Orfalea, Roger Himowitz, Rich and Luci Janssen, Gretchen Lieff and Miles Hartfeld, Tipper Gore, Jeff and Hollye Jacobs, Richard and AnnetteCaleel, Bill Allen, Leslie Bhutani, Todd and Allyson Aldrich, and Michael and Kimberly Hayes.

Little Women Lunch It may have been written in 1868, but Louisa May Alcott’s Civil War classic Little Women continues to stand the test of time, with the first silent film of the work in 1917, George Cukor’s 1933 film with Katharine Hepburn, and last year’s Oscar nominated Greta Gerwig version with Meryl Streep, the seventh one made. And United Way of Santa Barbara County’s Women United chose the theme for its second Classic Storybook sold-out lunch at the Coral Casino, chaired by Andria Kahmann, suitably attired in period costume for the occasion, which raised more than $60,000 for the cause.

Keynote speaker was Michelle Branch, chair of the organization’s Global Leadership Council, along with Casie Killgore, principal of 537-student Franklin Elementary School.

Among the 200 guests were Bob and Patty Bryant, Jelinda DeVorzon, Bobbi Didier, Melinda Cabrera, Anna Grotenhuis, Penny Jenkins, Ursula Nesbitt, Steve and Amber Ortiz, Nancy Schlosser, Marcia Wolfe, Suzanne Danielson, and Maryan Schall.

Karla Parker, Tracy Bollag, Gloria Clark, Jelinda DeVorzon, and Leslie Person Ryan at the Little Women lunch (photo by Isaac Hernandez)

An Open Book Ever youthful British singer Peter Noone, 72, likes to do things by the book.

The Birnam Wood resident with his French wife, Mireille, still does 160 shows a year around the country, but admits that being on the road gets “kind of boring.”

“You wake up somewhere and you’ve got the whole day until sound check,” Peter tells the latest AARP Magazine. “So, I have a mission. I get up and ask, ‘Where’s the bookstore?’” The first thing he asks for is first editions. “The initial printing of a book is the most collectible. I’m also only interested in books about England or France... I probably have 300 or 400 first edition books.”

Peter, who speaks mostly French at home, says he has loads of books on rock n’ roll.

“I’ll use Kindle on a plane, but otherwise I like holding a book. I don’t want to just look at them. That would be like having a record collection and not playing the music.”

He says Mireille bought him his first “really cool” first edition on their wedding day 51 years ago – Winston Churchill’s History of the EnglishSpeaking Peoples.

“I don’t do much book shopping online,” adds Peter. “Yes, you can find something you want with Google, but I enjoy the hunt. If I’m in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with nothing to do, I’ll go on a trip of discovery and adventure. To the bookstore!”

Rock On Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, an American Theatre Guild production, hit the stage at the Granada recounting the all too short success story of the Texan singer known for classic hits like “That’ll Be The Day” and “Peggy Sue.”

Holly, one of the first artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, died in 1959 in a tragic plane crash aged just 23 with fellow rocker Richie Valens, 17, which was referred to as The Day the Music Died by singer Don McLean. The Steve Steiner directed show with Keaton Eckhoff as Holly was a rollicking rock n’ roll romp... Speaking Out Santa Barbara Speaks, a San Marcos High student-run charity which hosts events as a platform for teenagers to express their artistic talents, is this year spotlighting student filmmakers in collaboration with our tony town’s International Film Festival. Vice President Harrison Fell, son of former Santa Barbara Polo Club patron RobertFell and his wife Robin, tells me students can still submit short films through FilmFreeway for the April 5 event at The Riviera Theatre and the adjacent Towbes community space, with the winner receiving a one-on-one was Montecito Back to the Future Oscar winning director Robert Zemeckis. In the past SBS has produced a sold-out TEDx Youth event in the Funk Zone, A Night of Poetry and Collective Sounds.

It is also helping raise money for the SB Arts Fund which provides low-income students with the resources needed to supplement creative interests.

For further info check out https:// www.sbspeaks.org/

Please Mr. Postino Opera Santa Barbara was on a high note when it performed Mexican composer Daniel Catan’s Il Postino at the Lobero.

The Spanish language production, based on the charming 1994 film, was conducted by maestro Kostis Protopapas and directed by Crystal Manich, who made her debut with

Raul Melo with sponsor Mahri Kerley at Opera Santa Barbara’s production of Il Postino (photo by Priscilla)

Andrea Catan, Kostis Protopapas, and Nancy Golden at Il Postino (photo by Priscilla)

the company three years ago with The Cunning Little Vixen at the Granada. The opera tells of the real life of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, wonderfully played by Metropolitan Opera veteran Raul Melo, on a small island off the coast of Italy, where he meets the show’s lovelorn postman, sung by tenor Daniel Montenegro, who helps woo his love, soprano Sarah Vautour, ending in their marriage.

Neruda returns from South America to find the mailman following in his footsteps as a dissident author criticizing injustices of the Italian government, meeting a tragic end.

It certainly got my stamp of approval!

Punk Rock Patti Bruce Heavin and Lynda Weinman opened the doors of their charming Padaro Lane beach house for a concert by veteran rocker Patti Smith, 73, which raised $100,000 for CADA – The Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse – which hosts its 34th annual Amethyst Ball “Motown at the Miramar” on March 27.

The bustling beachside bash, sponsored by Earl Minnis and designed by Montecito event planner extraordinaire Merryl Brown, featured Smith, dubbed the Punk Poet Laureate, singing with guitarist Tony Shanahan. She also co-wrote the Bruce Springsteen hit “Because the Night” and 13 years ago was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Among the supporters turning out were Bob and Patty Bryant, Doug and Marni Margerum, Jeff and Hollye Jacobs, Palmer and Susan Jackson, Paul and Jane Orfalea,

Merryl Zegar, Geoff Green and Bruce Heavin at the CADA benefit (photo by Lisa Field)

Justin Fox, Dario Furtlati, Richard and Diane Tucci, Geoff Green, Lisa Babcock, Tammy Hughes, Ralph and Diana MacFarlane, Peter and Mireille Noone, Leslie and Bonnie Joseph, Gina Tolleson, Mike and Heidi Hollander, and Alan and Lily Koslowski.

Fighting Fire Santa Barbara warbler Katy Perry, who performed at the Kick Ash bash at the Summerland estate of Pat and Ursula Nesbitt after the catastrophic mudslides in Montecito, is now doing the same for fire ravaged communities in Australia. The American Idol judge, who just announced her pregnancy with British actor fiancé Orlando Bloom, will perform at Bright Pioneer Park in Victoria, with locals from the bushfire-affected town of Corryong being bussed to the concert, with tickets also allocated to communities in the northeast and emergency services workers. “As a native Southern Californian I know firsthand the devastation of wildfire across my home communities and was particularly heartbroken by the Australian bushfire,” the former Dos Pueblos High student posted on Instagram.

“Australia has always given me so much love and support so FIGHT ON is one way to return that love and help provide a little bit of joy to a community that’s given me so much joy.”

Katy, who has just postponed her 150-guest nuptials to Bloom in Japan in June because of the coronavirus, is in Oz for a cricket match final in Melbourne. Having a Leg Up How ironic that while talking about a balanced life, Montecito’s most famous resident Oprah Winfrey fell over on the stage at her 2020 Vision speaking event at the Forum arena in Los Angeles.

After tumbling down in front of hundreds of fans, Oprah, 66, exclaimed: “Wrong shoes!”

Following the mishap, she decided to go barefoot before switching to more sensible footwear and then having an ice therapy sleeve on her leg.

“It’s nice to be talking about balance and then fall,” she commented. Sole searching, indeed...

Magical Meetup

Alan Rose and Joe Buttitta reunited at Disneyland

It was a nice coincidence when former veteran KEYT-TV weatherman Alan Rose, who now works at KOAA-TV in Pueblo, Colorado, took some time off from his vacation to Palm Springs to visit Disneyland.

The complex’s California Adventure was hosting its annual food and wine festival, drawing media from throughout the country, including KEYT-TV morning anchor Joe Buttitta, and the dynamic duo reconnected.

“It was only for a few minutes, but it was nice to catch up,” says Alan.

Lynda Weinman, Patti Smith, and Lynn Robb (photo by Lisa Field)

Bare Necessities It sounds like one of the hilarious awkward plots from her days working on TV series Seinfeld. While shooting her latest film Downhill in Austria with Will Ferrell, Montecito actress Julia LouisDreyfus, 59, took time out of her busy schedule to visit a sauna.

But her relaxation was cut short when she, while completely naked, walked in on two nude men already enjoying the steamy atmosphere.

“I just went ‘Boop!,’ turned around and out I went,” recounts Julia. “I am not comfortable in that situation, but no disrespect to anyone who is.”

Seeing the Other Side Montecito actress Gwyneth Paltrow says her least favorite performance was in Shallow Hal, which she describes as “a disaster.”

The 47-year-old Oscar winner co-starred with Jack Black in the 2001 romantic comedy, in which she played an obese woman who is seen as a much slimmer version of herself after

Black’s character is hypnotized.

But, in a video for Netflix, she says she found it “disturbing” how terribly she was treated when heavier, wearing a fat suit to achieve the overweight look.

Paltrow revealed her first day wearing it when she walked through the lobby of New York’s Tribeca Grand.

“It was so sad and disturbing. No one would make eye contact with me because I was obese. I felt humiliated because people were really dismissive.”

Dream Machine Bentley has come out with its most expensive car ever.

The British marque is producing only 12 hand-made 200 mph Mulliner Bacalars costing $2,562,000 a piece.

The ritzy autos have two seats, a six-liter engine, and accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

Surprisingly it has no fixed or convertible roof, and the price could buy at least the equivalent of ten Bentley Continental GTC convertibles – which comes with a fabric roof and cost from $230,632.

It will be available for 2021 delivery. How long before we see one in our rarefied enclave I wonder?

Rest in Peace On a personal note I remember James Lipton, the erudite host of Inside the Actors Studio, who has died in New York after a courageous battle with bladder cancer at the age of 93. During his 22 seasons presenting the popular Bravo TV show, he interviewed more than 300 Hollywood guests.

I met him a number of times at Manhattan events, notably the annual Rita Hayworth Gala for the Alzheimer’s Association at the Waldorf Astoria, thrown by Princess Yasmin Khan, daughter of actress Rita Hayworth.

Lipton, who was dean of the Actors Studio, was much liked by his guests because he would talk about their art and not the usual celebrity chatter or project promotion.

Sightings: Rocker Nick Jonas and actress wife Priyanka Chopra riding horses on the beach in Carpinteria... Actor Shia Labeouf checking out the galleries at the SB Museum of Art... Ryan Gosling and wife Eva Mendes at the San Ysidro Ranch

Pip! Pip!

MONTECITO JOURNAL 41 Readers with tips, sightings and amusing items for Richard’s column should e-mail how at richardmin eards@verizon.net or send invitations or other correspondence to the Journal. To reach Priscilla, e-mail her at pris cilla@santabarbaraseen.com or call 805-969-3301 •MJ

MONTECITO JOURNAL42 “Most people die with their music still locked up inside them.” – Benjamin Disraeli market. In fact, the lack of onsite oil extraction at Autumn Brands may well explain why, despite its vastness, unlike other greenhouse operations in Carpinteria, the farm simply doesn’t emit the dank odor that has elsewhere descended upon the town. The Green Zone

The intensity of the controversy over Carpinteria’s cannabis odor is explained by the fact that while the city has no cannabis farms within its limits, the town is surrounded by unincorporated county land that used to be used for growing mostly avocados and flowers. Driving around town, you can tell the city limits block by block; on one side of the street are houses, schools, cemeteries, and the like; on the other are the ubiquitous greenhouses which are often built right up to the curb. Some of the houses were built after the nearby greenhouses – but while those buildings were still being used to grow tulips or orchids rather than cannabis. My first visit to Carpinteria was on a Friday afternoon a month ago, when my son’s Santa Barbara High School played an away game at Carpinteria High School. Driving into town I could smell marijuana here and there, but not nearly as strongly as when I watched him play. The dank odor of marijuana was nearly overpowering, which wasn’t surprising given that the school is bordered on one side by greenhouses. That said, none of the kids playing on the courts or the nearby softball field seemed to notice, and neither did any of the parents milling about mention it.

Some Carpinteria residents are so fed up with the smell that they formed a group called Concerned Carpinterians to lobby the county to do more to regulate the cannabis industry surrounding their town. The group’s main tactic is urging residents to call in their odor complaints or suspicions of illegal activity to the responsible county officials and writing open letters to newspapers decrying First District Supervisor Das Williams for cozying up to cannabis interests, exposing the fact he took in $62,000 in campaign contributions from the industry last year alone.

And on February 27, three residents, Gregory and Marllus Gandrud and Paul Ekstrom, representing the Santa Barbara County Coalition for Responsible Cannabis filed a class action lawsuit against four marijuana farms, Ever-Bloom, Ednigma, Melodious Plots, and Saga Farms. The complaint alleges that the home of one of the plaintiffs is located just 100 feet away from one of the defendants’ farms, making life there intolerable and the house impossible to sell. Interestingly, the plaintiffs claim they are not anti-cannabis ideologues and all they want is for the farms to live up to their responsibility as good corporate neighbors by either sealing their greenhouses or implementing “carbon-based filtration methods so that no odors or chemicals from the vapor-phase systems” intrude on their property. Instead, the lawsuit alleges, they have “focused on lining their own pockets with unimaginable profits from this modern-day cash crop.” A few weeks after my first visit to Carpinteria, I toured the area with Peter Dugre, a spokesperson for CARP Growers Association which was formed two years ago and represents farm operations such as Autumn Brands that are working hard to minimize odor, follow all state laws and regulations, make frequent charitable donations to the community and pay decent wages to their workers. According to Dugre, CARP Growers represents some 12 farms and other companies, or what he roughly estimates as 80 percent of the cannabis producers in the area.

As we drove around town, Dugre pointed to greenhouses being used to grow cannabis that were interspersed with those growing other plants, including avocados; several farmers including Hans Brand also grow both cannabis and avocados. Passing by certain farms, even those utilizing seemingly the same odor neutralization technology as Autumn Brands, one could still clearly smell the cannabis. But the odor wasn’t particularly strong and in most cases seemed confined to the immediate area surrounding any particular farm. “CARP Growers was formed by a core group of farms and from the start, the goal has been to lead by example, set best farming practices and establish ourselves as the best of the best,” Dugre tells me. “Some folks choose not to be members; it’s voluntary, like the chamber of commerce.” That said, potential members are subject to a vote by the group’s board of directors. “They have to qualify through our membership process,” Dugre continues. “First and foremost is compliance with every state and local code. If someone isn’t meeting the standards of best practices, then they won’t get the vote.”

The group’s mission took a substantial publicity hit last month when one of its founders, Barry Brand, who owns Arroyo Verde Farms, was raided by Santa Barbara County’s cannabis task force; sheriff’s deputies didn’t arrest Brand but cited him for a misdemeanor and confiscated 100 gallons of illegal cannabis oil extract from his property.

“Barry Brand was one of the founding members [of CARP Growers] but whatever licensing irregularity that went on there, disqualified him and he voluntarily stepped away from his membership,” says Dugre. “It seems to be an example of how strict cannabis rules are. You can’t mess around. If he was growing flowers on that farm, nobody would be over there inspecting where every piece of the product is, but in cannabis farming you have to expect a member of state or local law enforcement to show up at any time.” Green vs Green

The close proximity of so many avocado and cannabis crops has posed a major problem for avocado farmers in Carpinteria because the state tests cannabis contamination down to parts per billion and avocados, while not requiring as much pesticides as certain crops, are typically subjected to aerial spraying by helicopters. But last year, the two Oxnard-based companies that perform aerial spraying for avocado orchards refused to do so out of fear of the liability that would arise should the pesticides drift into nearby cannabis farms.

On May 16, 2019, CARP Growers sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors essentially offering to indemnify the companies of any liability. The letter stated that after a test was performed with a helicopter spraying water from the air, the cannabis community “agreed to explicitly hold applicators harmless for potential drift of pesticides” and that should any cannabis test positive for pesticides, “no legal action would be taken against pesticide applicators for product loss.” According to Dugre, the potential deal fell victim to an endless back and forth between lawyers and insurance companies and ultimately went nowhere. “Some people still manage to get around this and spray,” he says, “but to my knowledge the helicopter spraying didn’t happen last year.”

Typically, a chemical product called Agri-Mek with the active ingredient Abamectin would be used to spray avocados. With that no longer viable, farmers can choose between two organic alternatives: Entrust, whose active ingredient is Spinosad, or PyGanic. But farmers and sprayers ON THE RECORD (Continued from page 16)

Hans Brand (front, center) and crew

consider these products generally less effective, meaning they would be have to be applied more frequently to have any noticeable impact on the crop. Avocado farmer Scott Van Der Kar has been vocal in his criticism of cannabis farms but has a nuanced position when it comes to pesticides. “I kind of bristle when people talk about pesticides because the real problem is that the greenhouses were built 40 and 50 years ago and were built for flowers,” he explains. “Now they have been allowed to convert to cannabis, which has completely different impacts, and that is the crux of the issue.”

When it comes to pesticide drift, Van Der Kar agrees with what Dugre told me, which is that there hasn’t been a single documented case of that ever happening in Carpinteria. Yet despite this, and despite the fact that his farm, which also grows lemons and cherimoyas, doesn’t actually border a cannabis farm, he is still limited on what he can spray on his trees. “We are having to spray materials that require multiple sprays rather than once a year,” he complains. “Is four times with one pesticide better than one time with another?”

Van Der Kar also claims that despite the cannabis industry’s anti-pesticide stance, many farms do use organic sprays which can still be toxic to certain organisms, as opposed to simply populating the harvest with aphid-eating ladybugs, which is what I observed at Autumn Brands, for example. Van Der Kar says he used to see Barry Brand at meetings regarding pesticides and that Brand had always insisted he was following the rules.

“Here’s a guy I’ve known for years and have done business with,” Van Der Kar points out. “It’s a perfect example of the dangers of taking people by their word, which is what the cannabis industry wants. It gives them an opportunity to get a permit, but there’s a bad element, and this is what happens when regulations are enforced based on taking peoples’ word on what later turns out to be false.” •MJ

we talk ourselves out of doing almost anything that’s extremely challenging? The reality is, everything can’t be done until it can. We’ve gone from “there could never be a human on the moon” to now sending people to Mars. …When I took over the Montecito Journal, our premiere event was a candidates’ debate at Hahn Hall between our 1 st

District Supervisor candidates. My co-host and I decided that we would use a very sophisticated mechanism – a coin flip – to determine which candidate would get to answer the first and the last questions. Twice I stood on the stage, flipped a quarter up into the air and caught it, slapping it onto my wrist to see the result. After the debate the comment I heard the most was: “How did you stand on a stage in front of 350 people and flip a coin high into the air without dropping it?” The truth is, it never occurred to me that I might drop the coin. If I had spent any time considering that possibility, I quite possibly might have. Girls Inc.’s Teen programs offer academic enrichment, future planning and life skills in a safe, inclusive space for teens to build their self-esteem, learn about healthy relationships, and develop leadership

…Have Confidence and be Safe in the World

The desire to lead is something that is deep within you. And there are many ways to lead. Some people lead in obvious ways – chairing a board, running for office, starting a business. Other people lead in more quiet ways – by taking their own unique path, mentoring others, helping someone in a time of need, standing up for someone who isn’t in a position to stand up for themselves. I would call that leading by example.

I think that being a leader is a choice you make about how you live. Anytime you make a bold choice based on something you believe is right, in a way, you are leading. But I think it’s important to understand that the trust of those who are willing to be led by you, must be earned. No one is always a leader. Every leader is also sometimes a follower – which is important – because unless you understand what it is to put your faith in someone else, unless you have allowed yourself to be lead, you cannot possibly understand the awesome responsibility that comes with leading. …It’s important to remember that leading doesn’t always mean winning. When you put yourself out there as a leader, when you ask people to buy into your ideas or your plans or your beliefs, sometimes they will and sometimes they won’t. But in order to lead, in order to win, you have to risk losing. I don’t know a single leader who has never lost. And perhaps the greatest ones have lost the most. Because it is in those moments, when you lay it all on the line and you give something your all, that win or lose, you truly understand the journey of a true leader.

…Prepare for Interesting Work and Economic Independence Though I’ve been involved with the Journal for some time, and I began my career in TV Journalism at ABC News in New York, I have only been running the Montecito Journal Media Group for a few months, and every day I feel the weight of what I’ve taken on and the reverberations from lessons learned. It’s the first time I’ve run a company where I’m responsible not only to my investor partners and to my employees but to my entire community. I take each of those responsibilities very seriously and if I told you that it didn’t weigh on me, every day, I would be lying.

When you put yourself out there in such a public way, people are going to take shots at you, they’re going to have opinions about the things you do, and the things you say, and the quality of your work. For me, that’s a double-edged sword. I love the challenge and I love having the platform to write about important things, to give others a voice, and to be able to have some small influence over the way people think about things. But sometimes I find myself caring too much about what others think. This is why I often remind myself of Eleanor Roosevelt’s words: “Do what’s right in your heart, because people will criticize you either way.” •MJ

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than a year, with the prince meeting Aurora on her 16th birthday before she falls asleep, and she’s only out for a few months when he comes to her rescue. The new timeline serves to romantically reflect the cycle of the seasons, an allegory of life itself, with subtle hints in the costumes and the color schemes of the staging, MacDougall said.

Indeed, many of the other updates come in costuming and props, including a massive 15-foot wearable dragon, designed by artist and UCSB professor Christina McCarthy, that serves as a sidekick to the wicked fairy Carabosse. “My whole vision had the four men acting as different parts of the dragon, which is four different pieces that can come together or separate as needed and help move the set around,” MacDougall said. “It’s unreal when you see it on stage, a huge scale, just epic.” Also on a huge scale is the cast of 66, which includes all of State Street Ballet’s Professional Track trainees as well as students from SSB-associated school Gustafson Dance, who join the company’s professional dancers to fill Sleeping Beauty’s 86 character roles. While State Street Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty – which has a single public performance on Saturday, March 14, at 7:30 pm at the Granada – is billed as a family show, the new production should appeal to all ages, she said, partly because of her more contemporary choreography, which requires skills beyond typical ballet.

“The show is very athletic, and the dancers are being pushed in their technique and what we’re asking of them. It’s very technically challenging work. The children may not understand that, but they’ll love all the colors and movement, while the adults will be wowed.” It’s Magic

You can’t get much of a greater span in approaches to magic than the acts appearing on It’s Magic!, whose 63rd edition, which annually showcases different types of magic – from subtle sleight of hand to big-stage illusions, performs two shows at the Lobero on Saturday, March 14. On the one hand, we’ll see Michael and Hannah Ammar perform the Spirit Cabinet, a trick that dates back to 1848, with direct lineage to Hannah’s grandfather known as Willard the Wizard, who got it from his elders, and so on. “No other magicians do anything like it,” said Terry Hill, who has co-produced the show with founder Milt Larsen – the former Montecito resident who co-founded the Magic Castle in Hollywood and just last year opened the Magic Castle Cabaret by ENTERTAINMENT (Continued from page 34) the Andree Clark Bird Refuge in town. “The secret is truly a secret that hasn’t been given away. They’re the only ones. It’s a family thing.” At the opposite end is Nick Diffatte, whose act seamlessly blends dry humor, quick wit, and incredible skill, so much so that at 23, he’s already appeared on The Late Late Show on CBS, won multiple awards for both his magic and his comedy, and held multiple long-term residencies on the Las Vegas Strip. “He’s really funny, very different, and has impeccable timing,” Hill said.

Stretching in yet another direction is David Zirbel, who towers over the competition and takes magic to new heights as he’s over seven feet tall. Another early bloomer, Zirbel he had already become one of the youngest members of the Academy of Magical Arts Junior Society at the Magic Castle at 13, as was the youngest magician ever invited to join the International Guild of Prestidigitators.

Sunday’s show also marks the Santa Barbara debut of Richard Burr & Josette, international masters of magic and illusion who together hold five Guinness World Records. Burr is the only magician in history to achieve eight silver dollars rolling on both hands continuously.

So, roll on into the Lobero for a magical afternoon or evening where you’ll find it hard to believe your eyes.

MONTECITO JOURNAL44 “Music is the moonlight in the gloomy night of life.” – Jean Paul Friedrich Richter The Words of Kahn

Santa Barbara physician, musician, and author James Kahn will read from Matamoros, his Civil War romance that has received strong reviews, at Chaucer’s Bookstore at 7 pm on Wednesday, March 18. The book takes place in 1862, when the Union Army had blockaded all Confederate ports. Just across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas, Matamoros was the only harbor where the South could ship its cotton to Europe, and smuggle in arms for the rebellion, so it became a haven for Yankee and Rebel spies and diplomats, gunrunners, and cotton smugglers, runaway slaves, bandits, Texas Rangers, and rogues of all kinds. But Matamoros was also full of French Foreign Legionnaires, because that same year, Napoleon III had invaded Mexico, to install Archduke Maximilian of Austria as Emperor. Set against the backdrop of the two wars, the book tells the story of Clay, an expatriate Southern gentleman running a gambling hall, and Allie, his ex-con artist partner who brings her cotton train to market, in a star-crossed affair that is tested by their conflicted allegiances amidst the tides of battle.

Kahn is an ER doctor, novelist, TV writer-producer, and singer-songwriter whose previous published works include the original sci-fi trilogy World Enough and Time, Time’s Dark Laughter, 1218 State Street 805-770-8300 | 805-452-2692 | www.tmollie.com

and Timefall, and the novelizations of the films Return of the Jedi, Poltergeist, The Goonies, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. His television credits span from St. Elsewhere to Xena: Warrior Princess, and he served as supervising producer on Star Trek: Voyager, co-executive producer on Melrose Place, and medical advisor on Spielberg’s ET: The Extraterrestrial. Call (805) 682-6787 or visit www.chau cersbooks.com.

Focus on Film Amazing Grace, the locally-made documentary about Grace Fisher, a 17-year-old dancer, cellist, pianist, and guitarist who contracted a rare polio-like disease that left her a quadriplegic, gets an encore screening at the Marjorie Luke this weekend. Encouraged by her mentors including Justin Hurwitz (the Montecito-raised Academy Award winning composer of the La La Land soundtrack) and Dr. Earl Stewart, a Fulbright Scholar and UCSB Professor Emeritus from Baton Rouge, who is also paralyzed, learns to write, create art, and compose symphonies using only a mouth-stick. The free screening of the inspiring 56-minute film, which premiered in January at SBIFF, takes place at 7 pm Saturday, March 14, at the Marjorie Luke Theatre, and will be followed by a Q&A with Fisher and director and family friend Lynn Montgomery. Details at luketheatre.org./event/ amazing-grace/.

The Wildling Museum-produced nature doc Carrizo Plain: A Sense of Place, which also appeared at SBIFF, has been selected for both the 2020 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival and NatureTrack Film Festival. The 32-minute film profiles a hidden corner of California’s Great Central Valley through the eyes of three artists with a special affinity for the rare and unique landscape that, prior to the influx of Europeans in the 1800s, was a vast open plain. The Carrizo Plain is the sole remnant grassland of that era. The doc screens in the Central Coast Filmmakers Showcase within the 2020 SLOIFF on Wednesday, March 18 (www.slofilmfest.org) and at the NatureTrack Film Festival on Sunday, March 22, at St. Marks In-the-Valley Episcopal Church in Los Olivos (www. naturetrackfilmfestival.org).

Santa Barbara Museum of Art says farewell to “Kehinde Wiley: Equestrian Portrait of Prince Tommaso of SavoyCarignan,” the artist’s Park Projects installation, with a free screening of the 2014 PBS documentary Kehinde Wiley: An Economy of Grace, followed by a 30-minute Q&A with Rachel Heidenry, SBMA Curatorial Assistant in Contemporary Art, at 6 pm on Thursday, March 19 at the museum’s Mary Craig Auditorium. Visit www. sbma.net. •MJ