MJ WRITING CONTEST 26 March - 2 April 2020 Vol 26 Issue 13
SERVING MONTECITO AND SUMMERLAND
HERE TO HELP Ticket to Hollywood
Santa Barbara Teen Star Sofia Schuster earns coveted Golden Ticket at American Idol auditions, p. 6
Wiped Out
Quarantine getting you down? Enter our short story contest and win prizes, details p. 32
DURING THESE UNPRECEDENTED AND UNCERTAIN TIMES, LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, GROUPS, AND INDIVIDUALS ARE STEPPING UP TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY THEY CAN. OVER THE COMING WEEKS, MONTECITO JOURNAL WILL HIGHLIGHT THESE GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS. FIRST UP IS ONE805, BORN FROM THE 1/9 DEBRIS FLOWS. (STORY BEGINS ON PAGE 36)
Toilet paper shortages may cause Americans to finally adopt the bidet, p. 29
Keep Your Distance
Montecito trails remain open for now, but social distancing mandatory, p. 20
Free Home Delivery kindly brought to you by Village Properties
Congratulations Sotheby’s International Realty would like to congratulate Dusty Baker on the sale of
1422 East Valley Road Represented seller
Listed at $4,595,000
DUSTY BAKER
805. 5 70.0102 | D ustyBake r RealEstate.com © Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All rights reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark. This material is based upon information which we consider reliable but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. This offering is subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. We are happy to work with them and cooperate fully. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity. Dusty Baker DRE: 1908615
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MONTECITO JOURNAL
26 March – 2 April 2020
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• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
3
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 5 Editorial
Executive Editor Gwyn Lurie on why Montecito Journal has expanded its distribution and added home delivery. It’s all about social solidarity, folks.
Laughing Matters 6 Montecito Miscellany
San Marcos High’s Sofia Schuster heads to American Idol; Montecito arborist and amateur composer Gene Tyburn brings his opera dreams to YouTube; Katy Perry wins a copyright lawsuit, plus more celebrity news and sightings
10 Letters
Readers reflect on self-quarantining and social distancing and urge the donation of N-95 masks
Tide Guide 12 Village Beat
Montecito business and real estate update, plus a call for help from Unity Shoppe
14 Seen Around Town
Direct Relief celebrated International Women’s Day with a benefit for African school girls; sold-out Spanish-language opera at the Lobero
16 A Dog’s Life
For Paws Salon now offers curbside drop off or at-home pickup for pet grooming
Dream. Design. Build. Live. ’
20 On the Record
Social distancing trail etiquette; solo sunrise summitting; pandemic pet fostering and wildlife rescues; shopping with the Bucket Brigade
22 Ernie’s World
Nothing spells fun like hanging with Amazon’s Alexa during a global pandemic
Brilliant Thoughts
Despite civilization’s tendency toward greater self-care, our collective death rate remains 100 percent high 412 E. Haley St. #3, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 805.965.9555 | frontdesk@beckercon.com| www.beckerstudiosinc.com @beckerstudios
24 Village People
Meet the crew of Village Auto Repair
27 Robert’s Big Questions
How can we vote for the best candidate if we aren’t brave enough to vote for a better political system?
28 Perspectives
“We’re in this together.”
Rinaldo S. Brutoco delves into the utility of microgrids during a power crisis
The Optimist Daily 29 Sheltering in Place
With toilet paper beating a rapid retreat, it’s high time to break out the bidet, says veteran humorist and debut columnist Les Firestein
30 Santa Barbara in a Glass
The Los Olivos tasting room for the recently-closed Tercero Wines is now ground zero for wine club shipments
32 Grab and Go
Instead of our usual event listings, a list of local restaurants that are still open and ready for curbside take out or delivery
33 Village Voice
An open letter from Margerum and Barden wines owner Douglas Margerum. Hint: Don’t worry; keep tasting.
34 Spirituality Matters
Certified Equus Coach Rebekah Powell hosts a virtual meditation gathering; spirituality meetups migrate to Zoom and other live streaming services, plus Santa Barbara’s Center for Successful Aging offers free phone calls for isolated folks 50 and older
Important message from General Manager Nick Turner: “Montecito Water District is providing water that meets the highest quality water standards, and has plans in place to ensure this will continue. Customers can use and drink tap water as usual. As a community our focus is on staying healthy.”
Please note these temporary changes for COVID-19 prevention and response: • Our office counter is closed. Customer service is available by phone at 805.969.2271 during regular business hours (Monday – Friday, 8am - 5pm.) • Most business can be conducted via email: customerservice@montecitowater.com or online: www.montecitowater.com • Teleconferencing information is now available on meeting agendas for remote public participation. • Meter reads are on schedule; meter replacements and other capital improvement projects are postponed.
As Always, Report Leaks 24/7 to 805.969.2271 For additional information please visit www.montecitowater.com
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MONTECITO JOURNAL
36 Living in the Age of Social Solidarity
It’s counterintuitive to care for each other by keeping our distance. Welcome to the new reality, writes Mitchell Kriegman.
37 Top Docs
Cottage Hospital ER physician Dr. Jason J. Prystowsky gave a webinar about the coronavirus and we were there to share it with you
41 Five Acts of Social Solidarity
Best-selling novelist Martha Cooley eloquently elaborated on how to handle a crisis among friends and family with minimal friction
44 Real Estate
Four new estate listings in Montecito offered at between $5.1 and $16.9 million
46 Classified Advertising
Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales
47 Local Business Directory
Smart business owners place business cards here so readers know where to look when they need what those businesses offer
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Suess
26 March – 2 April 2020
Editorial by Gwyn Lurie
Superheroes and the Everyday Heroism of… Waiting
T
his week we have increased our distribution to 15,000 papers. In the spirit of supporting this challenging time of necessary social distancing, we are pleased to announce that we will be delivering to homes in Montecito, Summerland, and many parts of Santa Barbara. A special thanks to VILLAGE PROPERTIES for making possible this week’s MONTECITO JOURNAL HOME DELIVERY! These little things make a huge difference in a time like this and Village Properties helped make it happen. I’m no Pollyanna, though it is my nature to look for hope in challenging moments – and this pandemic certainly meets the criteria. Undoubtedly, this crisis is testing us. But amidst the fights over hand sanitizer and toilet paper, plentiful, also, are the instances of heroism playing out all around us. Scientists, doctors, nurses, local officials, educators, paramedics, law enforcement officers, restaurant owners, grocery store clerks, postal workers, mechanics, delivery people, construction workers, community leaders, nonprofits, other essential service-workers and individual community members including kids and millennials – are stepping up to make sure our community is cared for and will emerge from this crisis intact. (See this week’s reporting by Mitchell Kriegman, Kelly Mahan Herrick, and Nick Schou on the important work being done by some of these local heroes.) Around the country we’re seeing an incredible influx of nurses coming out of retirement and, along with other nurses, working more hours than they’ve ever worked before. Doctors are bravely entering hospitals and improvised healthcare facilities, ready to care for patients regardless of dwindling supplies – even for themselves.
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Let Us Not Confuse Superhero with Superhuman
These incredible 2nd responders, who have now become our 1st responders, are running a perilous marathon to save lives. But let us not confuse superheroes with superhumans. Like us, our heroes have lives and families to protect and they have feelings and fears and anxieties. But unlike us, they don’t have the luxury of showing that they’re scared when they walk into a room to help another human being who has tested positive for a highly contagious virus. They don’t let us see that they’re panicked as they await the protective equipment needed to spare themselves and their families the same fate. It’s not lost upon them, I suspect, that Dr. Li Wenliang, the Chinese doctor who sent out the original Covid-19 warning to the world, is no longer with us. Then there is the other kind of heroism, the kind that is being demanded of each of us. MJ writer Mitchell Kriegman calls it “social solidarity.” Meaning, an active commitment to the common good – the kind of thing needed in times like this, where we place the greater good of the larger community above our own immediate needs and desires. And it will require a tenacious social solidarity from all of us to endure these weeks ahead. Many are already seeking out new forms of human interaction. But for most of us, this crisis calls for a kind of individual heroism that demands we separate from our familiar social fabric and just… wait. And it’s not easy. I wonder if there will be a lasting shift in consciousness when this is over and we all go back about our busy schedules – if there might be a shift in the way we view the world? At the moment we’re dealing with a virus that does not discriminate. It makes no racial, gender, political, or socioeconomic distinction between its victims. From the most impoverished to the Prince of Wales. Nothing, in my lifetime, has better magnified the ways in which we are all more alike than different, and the inevitability of our human interdependence. From a national perspective, there may or may not be cavalry coming. But once again, the 805 community has banded together. We’re donating gloves and masks if we have them. We’re paying our housekeepers even if she or he can’t work, if we can. We’re social distancing. We’re staying home. And we’re waiting.
EDITORIAL Page 324
26 March – 2 April 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
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Monte ito Miscellany by Richard Mineards
Richard covered the Royal Family for Britain’s Daily Mirror and Daily Mail, and was an editor on New York Magazine. He was also a national anchor on CBS, a commentator on ABC Network News, gossip on The Joan Rivers Show and Geraldo Rivera, host on E! TV, a correspondent on the syndicated show Extra, a commentator on the KTLA Morning News and Entertainment Tonight. He moved to Montecito 12 years ago.
Headed to Hollywood
S
For 45 years, Montecito Bank & Trust has been serving our local communities and we will continue to stand by you as we face another challenge together. Stay healthy friends and please take care of yourself, your loved ones and your community.
Help protect our community by:
For the safety of our staff & community, all of our branch lobbies will be closed. We will be providing service through Walk-Up or Drive-Through ONLY.
an Marcos High sophomore and Santa Barbara Teen Star Sofia Schuster really is a golden girl! The 16-year-old singer traveled down to Los Angeles to an audition for the latest series of the popular ABC TV series American Idol in front of local warbler Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan, and received the golden ticket to Hollywood from the tony triumvirate. Sofia, daughter of ShelterBox USA president Kerri Murray, is a longtime performer in our Eden By the Beach, including Girls Rock and bubbly Janet Adderley’s Youth Ensemble Theater. The youngest performer of the current season, she sang her own original song, a controversial piece about women’s reproductive rights, with lyrics like: “My body, my choice. It’s not up to the boys.” Richie gave her an A-plus for songwriting, while Katy compared Sofia, who was born with paralyzed vocal cords and told by doctors she’d never talk, to a younger version of herself as she made it through the first round of Hollywood Week in the singer-songwriter category. “I am thrilled for Sofia,” enthuses Kerri. “She’s an inspiration for me, not just for her achievements, but for being someone who goes after her goals and doesn’t give up.” You go girl... Viral Vibrato
• Washing your hands for 20 seconds
Gene Tyburn a hit on YouTube
• Staying home if branches, you are feeling well For availability of all visitnot montecito.bank/alerts • Remaining home if you are 65+
• Keeping a responsible distance from others Additional Services Available:
24/7 Online & Mobile Banking*: montecito.bank 24/7 Telephone Banking: (800) 608-1995
Service Center (Monday–Friday • 7am–6pm): (805) 963-7511
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MONTECITO JOURNAL
Montecito arborist and amateur opera composer Gene Tyburn is on a high note! A video of his opera Macbeth on YouTube has now achieved more than one million views. “It was all filmed in just one take by a friend,” says an elated Gene, owner of TLC Tree Services for more than 45 years, who was introduced to opera as
“The most wasted of days is one without laughter.” – E.E. Cummings
Sofia Schuster lands American Idol’s Golden Ticket
a youngster. “It has long been my dream to create opera works that would have popular appeal for Americans. Thus I have created works from Shakespeare’s plays that interested me the most, and that I felt had the best opportunity to be good opera material.” Gene has also written two new works, Iago and Hamlet. His website is www.tyburnoperas.com. It’s good to see him branching out into to new arias.... When it Rains, it Pours As if the coronavirus restrictions weren’t enough, Milt and Arlene Larsen, owners of the Magic Castle opposite the Andree Clark Bird Refuge, have had their computers hacked. “It really was an absolute mess,” says Arlene. “Whoever did it fixed it so we could not send out letters to let everyone know.” The dynamic duo have now invested in a new computer just for members for security. “With luck that should help. After we were compromised, we cleaned everything off the old computer. We are going to use this enforced down time to re-program the new equipment and fix up the club’s gift shop.” The couple say they are trying to keep the club’s staffers working as long as they can afford to keep paying them. “It is a little hard with no income,
MISCELLANY Page 184 26 March – 2 April 2020
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26 March – 2 April 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
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To Our Valued Clients, Friends and Community As a homegrown Santa Barbara business, Village Properties stands united with our community in this unprecedented time. Our hearts and thoughts go out to everyone affected with the COVID-19 pandemic. We understand the concern and uncertainty you may be experiencing. All the more so, we must remain strong, united and above all kind. Our community will prevail. We care deeply about our communities where we live and work, and through these challenging days this is a message we want to share with you more than ever. Please be assured that our agents and staff will continue to serve you and your real estate needs. Let us know however we can assist you. We remain committed to providing you unparalleled knowledge, and service.
From our Village to yours stay safe and healthy.
Locally Owned | Globally Connected VILLAGESITE.COM | 805.969.8900 | DRE 01206734
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MONTECITO JOURNAL
“It isn’t where you came from. It’s where you’re going that counts.” – Ella Fitgerald
26 March – 2 April 2020
Welcome to our Virtual Village Our mission is to serve our community. At this time we are focused on how to best protect and support our community. For the safety of everyone we now offer many of our real estate services virtually.
Consultations We will host consultations with you virtually through Facetime, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Slack, Skype, GoToMeeting, etc.
Virtual Tours At this time virtual property tours are most appropriate. We can provide video tours and a detailed analysis of any homes you are interested in buying. Visit our Virtual Village to view our listings from the comfort of your home at: villagesite.com/visit-our-virtual-village
Writing Offers As a technology driven company, we have the ability to create a comparative market analysis, and write and sign all offers for your dream home virtually.
Questions or Concerns Now more than ever our team will be available to provide any assistance you may need. if you have more specific questions on our available services at this time, contact your Village Properties agent or us at info@villagesite.com. We look forward to assisting you!
For more information visit us at VILLAGESITE.COM
Locally Owned | Globally Connected VILLAGESITE.COM | 805.969.8900 | DRE 01206734
26 March – 2 April 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
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LETTERS
Crisis TO THE EDITOR Coronavirus Today, the world and America are
If you have something you think Montecito should know about, or wish to respond to something you read in the Journal, we want to hear from you. Please send all such correspondence to: Montecito Journal, Letters to the Editor, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite H, Montecito, CA. 93108. You can also FAX such mail to: (805) 969-6654, or E-mail to letters@montecitojournal.net
At Home in the Age of Corona, March 19, 2020
I
am looking out my window at a grey and dripping sky, reflecting upon our new reality. Like millions of people everywhere in the world, I am at home. I am lucky to be in a nice warm house, and to have my wife and daughter with me, so I am much more comfortable and much less isolated than so many others. But, as I spend my time in contemplation, I still have a palpable sense of loneliness. There is almost nothing on my calendar. I don’t think I have ever experienced this before, certainly not in the last six decades. Not having scheduled work feels strange and disconcerting... I am consciously trying to come to grips with feelings of guilt that I am not productive every day. Small tasks which I have always considered as having little importance have now taken on more value, and are providing unexpected pleasures. I am happy I have a dog to play with, a garden to work in, and chickens to care for... getting eggs has become a daily highlight. I am thinking about a new art project... maybe a totem pole made of driftwood. So this isolation is also a gift of time, and an opportunity to gain a deeper sense of appreciation for all that life has to offer, besides work. As I sit during these idle times, one of the challenges I have been facing is coming to terms with loss. I feel a palpable loss of freedom to visit friends and to go to stores, restaurants, the gym. And, like so many others, I am experiencing a
loss of financial security as I watch my retirement savings dwindle. These losses are real and painful, but as I contemplate, I am beginning to understand how these losses do not have the degree of importance I previously thought. Despite the uncertainty of the future, our isolation is also an opportunity to reflect upon hopefulness and positivity. I am hopeful (and believe it is possible) that our current public health policies will be effective, that the number of critically ill patients in our communities turns out to be fewer than feared, and that our health system is not overwhelmed. I am hopeful (and believe it is possible) that this epidemic burns out here as it appears to be doing in Asia, and that normality will return sooner than expected. I am hopeful (and expect) that some of the viral treatments now under investigation will prove effective, and that we will soon be able to mitigate or even prevent this illness. And finally, this has been a time to reflect upon the possibility of my own mortality, to appreciate the life I have had, and to come to accept whatever will come to pass. Of all my reflections, these have been the most powerful. It is too easy in these times to get caught up in a frenzy of worry and anxiety. In contrast, the road towards acceptance of whatever lies ahead leads to a sense of calmness, and to peace. Ken Waxman MD Montecito
facing a very serious coronavirus crisis. It is so sad and disgusting that it took a health pandemic to get politicians in America to work together and help President Trump. Now, it is time for the media to do the same. Diana Thorn Carpinteria
Social Distancing Necessary
Not sure where Bob Hazard gets his information, but scare quotes about panic and scorn for social distancing are unworthy of him and profoundly irresponsible. “Create a nation of hermits to limit the spread of disease and destroy the US economy.” Really, Bob? If we don’t limit the spread of infection NOW and diminish the impact on our chronically under-resourced public health facilities (thanks, Republicans; hope you are enjoying your enormous tax cut), not only will we see the economy crash but many more will likely die from jammed emergency rooms and the lack of access to care, to ventilators, to hospital beds, to doctors and nurses. Social distancing is the only way to manage that. An infected person sheds the most infectious viral particles BEFORE symptoms appear. Limit your exposure, wash your hands carefully and often, and stay away from other people. We don’t get know how bad this is going to get. Under this shockingly incompetent Administration, seemingly most concerned with its re-election prospects, the prognosis isn’t great. Be safe. Take great care. That’s not panic talking. That’s reason backed by data. Cotty Chubb
Mencken was Right
I agree with you Gwyn, there was never a perfect presidential candidate,
man or woman. But Hillary Clinton was as good as it can get. During the presidential primaries and campaign of 2016, there were shining moments when it looked possible that the final crack in the ceiling would break, and “women’s rights are human rights” would be part of our political system. But then the political prediction of H.L. Mencken (7/26/1920) came roaring: “As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more clearly, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their hearts’ desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” Donna Handy Montecito
Call to Action
Montecitans need to know about and respond to an immediate and critical community health issue – the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), like N-95 masks, for Santa Barbara’s health care workers. Without sufficient PPE, health care workers at Sansum, Cottage, and elsewhere are faced with the unthinkable prospect of attending to COVID-19 patients while placing their own lives at risk. We cannot allow this. A call to action is warranted and requires all of us to respond, just as we did during and since the debris flow. Specifically many Montecitians purchased N-95 masks and other PPE during the Thomas Fire, just after the debris flow or in preparation for a disaster. Cottage’s Goleta Hospital has established a collection center for PPE donations and Sansum will follow suit. Donate PPE now so that health care workers can be adequately protected to save others – maybe even you, a loved one, or a dear friend. Charles Newman Montecito •MJ
Montecito Tide Guide
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Day
Low
Hgt High
Hgt Low
Hgt High
Hgt Low
Thurs, March 26
5:26 AM 0.5
11:32AM
4.1
5:20 PM
0.9
11:34 PM
4.8
Fri, March 27
6:02 AM 0.5
12:08 PM 3.7
5:39 PM
1.4
11:58 PM
4.8
Sat, March 28
6:44 AM 0.6
12:53 PM 3.2
5:57 PM
1.9
Sun, March 29
12:26 AM 4.7
7:36 AM
0.7
Mon, March 30
1:01 AM
4.5
8:49 AM
0.8
Tues, March 31
1:54 AM
4.3
10:26 AM
0.7
Wed, April 1
3:22 AM
4.3
11:51 AM
0.3
7:44 PM
3.2
Thurs, April 2
5:03 AM
4.4
12:49 PM
-0.1
7:57 PM
3.5
Fri, April 3
6:20 AM
4.8
1:33 PM
-0.5
8:18 PM
3.9
12:28 AM 2.6
“You must do the things you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
1:57 PM
2.7
6:12 PM
Hgt
2.3
10:59 PM 3.1
26 March – 2 April 2020
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• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
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Village Beat by Kelly Mahan Herrick
Kelly has been editor at large for the Journal since 2007, reporting on news in Montecito and beyond. She is also a licensed realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, and is a member of Montecito and Santa Barbara’s top real estate team, Calcagno & Hamilton.
Montecito Business Update
W
ith all “non-essential” business coming to a halt last week after Governor Gavin Newsom mandated a “shelter at home” order, many small businesses in both the upper and lower villages have modified their business plans in an effort to stay afloat and help the community during this unprecedented time. “Now is the time for us to rally as a community, and help our small businesses survive this,” said Bob Ludwick, board president of the Coast Village Association. Many Montecito restaurants are open for curbside pickup/takeout, or delivery through third party companies. As of press time (and to our best knowledge), they include: Bettina, Blender’s, Bree’Osh, Caffe Luxxe, China Palace, Here’s the Scoop, Honor Bar, Jeannine’s, Juice Ranch, Little Alex’s, Los Arroyos, Lucky’s, Montecito Deli, Montecito Wine Bistro, Oliver’s, Pane e Vino, Panino, Pierre
Lafond, Pressed Juicery, Renaud’s Bistro, Rori’s Artisanal Creamery, Honor Bar, Tre Lune, and Via Vai. Hours and items available may vary, and customers are encouraged to call ahead to order. Grocery, liquor, and convenience stores still open for business include Vons, Montecito Natural Foods, Montecito Village Grocery, The Point Market at Chevron, The Bottle Shop, the Liquor & Wine Grotto, and Village Wine & Cheese. There is a new popup produce stand by Mesa Produce, located in Montecito Country Mart, and a produce cart in Summerland, run by Leslie Person of Letter Perfect. Many retail shops have modified their business plans, offering appointment-only shopping, curbside pickup, delivery, online shopping, discounts, and more. In the upper village, Village Hardware remains open. Mary Sheldon of Tecolote Books tells us she is still ordering books for customers,
Montecito Natural Foods is still open for business, allowing only two shoppers to shop at a time. Many other Montecito businesses have modified their business plans during the Covid-19 crisis.
A new produce stand at Montecito Country Mart, operated by Mesa Produce, is open for business
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12 MONTECITO JOURNAL
and is happy to offer curbside pickup and delivery. Sheldon, who only recently had full utilities turned back on at her home on Ashley Road, following the 1/9 debris flow, tells us she looks forward to the day when the upper village will be bustling once again. Skin Essentials is offering free shipping on all products, as well as discounts on future facials. In the lower village, Skin Prophecy is doing the same; offering their products online and selling gift certificates for future use. Also in the lower village: Daniel Gibbings Jewelry is available to purchase online, and is open by appointment only. Baske has its own shoe collection and other small collection of brands available for purchase online until normal business resumes. Maison K is offering a 20% discount on all items, available to view online and on Instagram. Ambiance is also selling online, via Instagram. Whistle
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot
Club and Whiskey & Leather both have their merchandise online as well. K Frank is available by appointment seven days a week, for in-person or FaceTime styling appointments. Portico Fine Art Gallery is selling their art online, and art class students are welcome to register for classes for the future. Letter Perfect is available for custom design work, and for orders online. Allora by Laura is offering 40% gift certificates, which can be used on all merchandise including fine jewelry. The Tennis Shop is closed for regular business, but open for restringing service and basic essentials; only one person allowed in the store at a time. Most service businesses – think architects, real estate agents, mortgage lenders, title companies, etc. – report to us that they are still available for consultations remotely. Diana MacFarlane reports that she and her
VILLAGE BEAT Page 264 26 March – 2 April 2020
montecito ...
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... a great place to call home.
2697 Sycamore Canyon Road • $12,900,000
Nancy Kogevinas • 805.450.6233 • Nancy@Kogevinas.com DRE: 01209514
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES CALIFORNIA PROPERTIES | DRE: 01317331
©2020 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (BHHSCP) is a member of the franchise system of BHH affiliates LLC. BHH Affiliates LLC and BHHSCP do not guarantee accuracy of all data including measurements, conditions, and features of property. Information is obtained from various sources and will not be verified by broker or MLS. Buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of that information.
26 March – 2 April 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
13
Seen Around Town
by Lynda Millner
International Women’s Day
Co-chairs of the DR Women’s Day event Kelly Walker and Kristin McWilliams Keynote speakers at Direct Relief Dr. Elizabeth Toro and Founder of Africa Schools of Kenya Teri Gabrielsen
D
Volunteers packing 2,000 hygiene kits at DR
irect Relief (DR) was a bustling place for International Women’s Day. Over one hundred folks gathered to learn and to help pack 2,000 hygiene kits for women. To begin the morning there was a baker’s delight of sweets and fruits of many kinds along with a variety of coffees all organized by Kelly Walker and Kristin McWilliams. The Direct Relief color is orange which I usually like only on pumpkins, but I’ll add Direct Relief to that list. Kelly
and Kristin combined it with hot pink in the floral arrangements. So pretty! I’m sure those bright orange boxes are a welcome sight when they arrive around the world following a disaster or to treat a health need. This group of supporters is called Direct Relief Women (DRW). We heard from two ladies who are working together to empower, educate, and preserve the human rights of young girls in Africa. Teri Gabrielsen, founder of Africa Schools of Kenya
Ms Millner is the author of The Magic Makeover, Tricks for Looking Thinner, Younger and More Confident – Instantly. If you have an event that belongs in this column, you are invited to call Lynda at 969-6164.
(ASK), and Dr. Elizabeth Toro, Santa Barbara based OB/GYN and director of health for Africa Schools of Kenya discussed delivery of healthcare in Kenya and community-driven efforts to end the practice of female circumcision or genital mutilation. After one of the “cutters” learned better she announced, “You girls are as important as boys. I will cut no more.” ASK is a nonprofit organization devoted to educating the residents of a rural region of Amboseli, Kenya. The group built Esiteti Primary School which is a fully accredited government school that now serves 580 students in grades K-8. Gabrielsen and Toro designed the curriculum for reproductive health for students and helped in the creation of the Alternative Rite of Passage program. This has helped end the harmful and long held practice of female genital mutilation in several Maasai communities. DRW co-chair Carolyn Chandler told us, “Each year more than 290,000 women die from preventable compli-
The overall co-chairs of all the Direct Relief Women events Carolyn Chandler and Beth Green
cations that occur during pregnancy and childbirth. Access to things like prenatal vitamins and a trained midwife with essential supplies can significantly reduce these numbers and keeps moms and babies safe.” Each midwife kit provided by DR supports about 50 safe births. These were designed by expert midwives themselves. A DR employee Samir Rai explained how DR partners with many businesses. Pharmaceuticals alone have given $1.3 billion to DR. For example FedEx donates the cost of all shipping needs
SEEN Page 454
The DR warehouse with flags from all the countries they have helped
14 MONTECITO JOURNAL
“Stay close to anything that makes you glad you are alive.” – Hafez
26 March – 2 April 2020
MONTECITO
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As we deal with the impact that Covid-19 has had on our local community, we want you to know we are here for you and wish you all well during this difficult time.
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26 March – 2 April 2020
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EASTON KONN
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A Dog’s Life
For Paws Salon now offers curbside or at-home pickup
by Jane Walker Wood Orfalea
Love the Ones You’re With
R
egular grooming shows love to your pet, and it also helps keep your house clean. That recently became more challenging since we’re now all working and studying from home. For Paws Salon, a locally owned pet grooming business in Montecito and Santa Barbara, plans to keep both locations open. They will now provide curbside or at-home pickup, says owner Jason Fiedtkou. “We are adapting with conscious and effective methods, so that you can maintain a healthy non-contaminated pet.” Our pets have never been more critical for our psychological and emotional well-being, according to Montecito’s Kaitlin Robinson, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. “Your pet’s loving and loyal presence have profound effects on alleviating anxiety, depression, and loneliness.” says Robinson. “Just being in their presence reduces cortisol – a stress hormone. We’re served a feel-good cocktail of neurotransmit-
Jason grooms a dog at For Paws Salon
ters – like oxytocin.” This is the same neurotransmitter that floods a mother when she first sees her baby. Robinson recommends spending some solid, uninterrupted 30 minutes with your four-legged friends. “Use this as a mindfulness technique to get present. Look into their eyes and pay attention to the sounds they make. You’ll feel your body begin to relax.”
These health benefits are a two-way street since, says Robinson, your pets receive the same neurological benefits as you! “If you don’t have a pet, you can still enjoy the emotional benefits by volunteering at your local ASPCA or wildlife rescue,” suggests Robinson. Many rescue shelters will become neglected because people are on lockdown. “Now is also a great time to offer to walk your friend or neighbor’s dog,” adds Robinson. “If you have room in your life, and you’re ready to adopt, now is a wonderful time!” Kaitlin Robinson has a degree in Clinical
Psychology from Antioch University. She has a private practice spanning Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. You can contact her at www.AskKaitlin.com. For Paws Salon has an extensive list of services and you can make reservations online at www.forpawssalon. com. In addition to grooming, For Paws also provides overnights, daycare, oral care, nail clipping/ filing, flea/tick treatments, dog walking, Sunday beach walk and wash, medicated baths, and a de-skunk remedy. There is even a Frequent Bather Program that uber clean parents are sure to appreciate! •MJ
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26 March – 2 April 2020
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• The Voice of the Village •
*Representing Buyer
MONTECITO JOURNAL
17
MISCELLANY (Continued from page 6) Milt and Arlene Larsen, owners of the Magic Castle
but we don’t want to lose them. We have a great crew. We are going to try to make lemonade and lemon pie out of the lemons we have been tossed.” Arlene says that as the club is relatively small they might be able to open again by May 1. “No one told us to close, but it just seemed the right thing to do and if we all do the right thing maybe this will all end soon.” That’s the spirit... Seas the Day Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is riding the crest of a wave having been designated Nonprofit of the Year. The harborside museum, which has received the accolade from the Chamber of the Santa Barbara Region, opened 20 years ago with the mission of interpreting the colorful maritime history of the Santa Barbara Channel. It was founded by a group of fishermen, divers, and sailors. Popular programs include Marine Science and Ocean Connections, the Spirit of Dana Point Tall Ship program, and Museum on the Move, Love Letters to the Sea.
Greg Gorga, Santa Barbara Maritime Museum executive director
18 MONTECITO JOURNAL
Hostelry Halts Beanie Baby billionaire Ty Warner has closed his Four Seasons Butterfly Beach resort The Biltmore because of the coronavirus restrictions. The tony hostelry posted a notice on Twitter saying: “Out of an abundance of caution in light of the evolving COVID-19 situation, #4S Santa Barbara will be closed until April 15, 2020. “We may be closing our doors for a short time, but our hearts remain open to you, our valued community.” Objection, Your Honor Santa Barbara warbler Katy Perry had a day in court to roar about. The 35-year-old songstress was on the right end in a $2.8 million copyright infringement lawsuit she was involved in. The former Dos Pueblos High student, along with producer Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald and Capitol Records, were relieved of paying the hefty sum in a reversal of a previous judgment from U.S. District Court judge Christina Snyder in an ongoing suit filed by Christian rapper Flame, according to the Hollywood Reporter. In his lawsuit, Flame, whose real name is Marcus Gray, claimed Perry and her collaborators lifted elements from his track, “Joyful Noise,” for their 2013 record Dark Horse. The judge ruled comparisons to the “riff” of each track failed an “extrinsic test” she considered with a Los Angeles musicologist. Selling New York Santa Barbara resident and horse racing enthusiast Barry Schwartz, the co-founder of Calvin Klein Inc., is selling his sprawling equestrian estate in New York’s Westchester Country for $100 million. Spanning around 740 acres, the property is among the largest privately held estates in the county, according to Christie’s International Real Estate. Known as Stonewall Farm in
Barry Schwartz selling sprawling New York estate (photo courtesy of Christie’s International Real Estate)
Granite Springs, the home features a turf racetrack, riding trails, a 40-stall barn, as well as two 24-stall barns, and numerous paddocks and pastures. Schwartz, 77, and his wife, Sheryl, have bred and raced 65 stake winners and several horses that have gone on to compete in the Kentucky Derby. The 24,000 sq. ft. Colonial-style house, completed in 2003, has eight bedrooms. There is also a 2,200-bottle wine cellar, a Zen garden, two-story library, and a 4,000 sq. ft. outbuilding with a 60-ft. pool, sauna, and gym. There are also eight staff residences, a guest house and a caretaker’s cottage. During the racing season the tony twosome spend several months in our Eden by the Beach and Saratoga, New York. Under the Tuscan Sun Montecito actress Gwyneth Paltrow has been reminiscing about her experiences in Italy, as the country is particularly ravaged by the coronavirus with more than 3,500 fatalities, even more than China. The 47-year-old Oscar winner took to Instagram saying the country holds a “particular place” in her heart given her father, film director Bruce Paltrow, died there in 2002 and it is where her second husband, TV producer Brad Falchuk, proposed in Umbria in 2017. Paltrow tied her message to the tragedy unfolding in the county. “Heed those very real warnings,” she urged. “This is an unprecedented crisis that we want to pass quickly.” She also featured a video “A Love Letter to Tuscany,” showing a youthful Paltrow driving through the rolling hills, sipping an espresso, making cheese, and participating in the colorful, rustic lifestyle. Paltrow first visited Italy in 1991 and a number of years later shot the
“You get what you give.” – Jennifer Lopez
film The Talented Mr. Ripley in Rome with Matt Damon and Jude Law. When I was gossip columnist on The Joan Rivers Show in New York, I would take the whole of September off each year and rent homes in Tuscany and Provence. Fond memories... Gigi Gets Candid Former Montecito Union School student turned supermodel Gigi Hadid can pull off any look. It was amply shown when she shot the cover of U.S. Harpers Bazaar’s April issue. Gigi, 24, is interviewed by her longtime friend, Grammy winner Taylor Swift, as well as Kendall Jenner, Serena Williams, Jimmy Fallon, Blake Lively, and Kacey Musgraves. “I’ve realized over time that I feel the most free when I express myself, whether through action, writing, or talking it out,” she told Swift. “Being honest always leads to something good, even if it takes a hard or awkward moment or conversation to get there. “You can never go wrong with telling someone how you feel and speaking your truth. And you always learn something from it.” Landing in L.A. Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle are now looking to buy a home in Los Angeles near her mother, Doria Ragland. The Duke of Sussex, 35, and the former actress, 38, are currently residing in a $10 million mansion on Canada’s Vancouver Island. As to plans for the Big Orange, a source tells People Magazine: “This is what Harry and Meghan have always wanted, to create their own life. It has
MISCELLANY Page 404 26 March – 2 April 2020
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618 Hot Springs Rd | Montecito | 5BD/8BA DRE 01010817 | Offered at $4,750,000 Crawford Speier Group 805.683.7335
2805 Spyglass Ridge Rd | Santa Barbara | 4BD/5BA DRE 01468842 | Offered at $2,500,000 James Krautmann 805.451.4527
1147 Hill Rd | Santa Barbara | 4BD/5BA DRE 01236143/01410304 | Offered at $11,500,000 Grubb Campbell Group 805.895.6226
956 Mariposa Ln | Montecito | 5BD/7BA DRE 01815307/00837659 | Offered at $11,450,000 Riskin/Griffin 805.565.8600
4558 Via Esperanza | Santa Barbara | 5BD/6BA DRE 01005773 | Offered at $9,975,000 Gregg Leach 805.886.9000
1398 Oak Creek Canyon Rd | Montecito | 6BD/7BA DRE 01815307 | Offered at $9,950,000 Riskin Partners Estate Group 805.565.8600
1684 San Leandro Ln | Montecito | 4BD/6BA DRE 01815307 | Offered at $7,995,000 Riskin Partners Estate Group 805.565.8600
811 Camino Viejo Rd | Santa Barbara | 5BD/7BA DRE 00914713/01335689 | Offered at $7,495,000 Walsh/Clyne 805.259.8808
854 Park Ln | Montecito | 6BD/8BA DRE 01815307 | Offered at $6,995,000 Riskin Partners Estate Group 805.565.8600
808 San Ysidro Ln | Montecito | 6BD/7BA DRE 01815307 | Offered at $5,950,000 Riskin Partners Estate Group 805.565.8600
796 Park Lane West | Montecito | 4BD/5BA DRE 01815307 | Offered at $5,450,000 Riskin Partners Estate Group 805.565.8600
103 Olive Mill Rd | Santa Barbara | 2BD/4BA DRE 00914713/00978392 | Offered at $5,250,000 Walsh/Sener 805.259.8808
640 El Bosque Rd | Montecito | 4BD/4BA DRE 01497110 | Offered at $5,250,000 Amy J Baird 805.478.9318
5162 Foothill Rd | Carpinteria | 2BD/4BA DRE 01005773 | Offered at $4,950,000 Gregg Leach 805.886.9000
4002 Cuervo Ave | Santa Barbara | 5BD/4BA DRE 00852118 | Offered at $4,650,000 Jeff Oien 805.895.2944
734 Sea Ranch Dr | Santa Barbara | 3BD/3BA DRE 01005773 | Offered at $4,550,000 Gregg Leach 805.886.9000
109 Olive Mill Rd | Santa Barbara | 3BD/5BA DRE 00978392/00914713 | Offered at $4,495,000 Sener/Walsh 805.331.7402
499 Crocker Sperry Dr | Santa Barbara | 3BD/5BA DRE 00852118 | Offered at $4,495,000 Jeff Oien 805.895.2944
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All information provided is deemed reliable, but has not been verified and we do not guarantee it. We recommend that buyers make their own inquiries.
26 March – 2 April 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
19
ON THE RECORD
Nicholas Schou
Nicholas Schou is an award-winning investigative journalist and author of several books, including Orange Sunshine and Kill the Messenger. If you have tips or stories about Montecito, please email him at newseditor@montecitojournal.net
Social Distancing Now Mandatory on Montecito’s Trails
D
espite mounting fears over the COVID-19, aka the “coronavirus,” on March 24, the U.S. Forest Service officially declared that the extensive trail network in the hills above Montecito will remain open for recreational activities until further notice. The news came as a relief to Ashlee Mayfield, president of the Montecito Trails Foundation (MTF), in part because the group continues to work with the Los Padres Forest Association (LPFA) to complete repairs to the trails, which were extensively damaged during the 2018 Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flows. (As the Montecito Journal reported last month, MTF and LPFA have nearly finished all the major trail restoration and had expected to be completely finished sometime in April.) “It’s a good thing that the Forest Service says the trails are still open,
Ashlee Mayfield near top of San Ysidro Trail
The San Ysidro Trail’s waterfall in action
so they can be repaired as needed,” Mayfield says, adding that recent rains have added to the LPFA’s ongoing workload. (Mayfield also pointed out that the rains have finally produced enough flow for the San Ysidro’s trail’s typically dry waterfall to actually live up to its name). Although any work that is carried out on the trails is subject to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on social distancing, Mayfield says that won’t impact the work. “The guys can work very far apart up there in groups of two or four for safety,” she explains.
“It’s perfect, actually.” That said, Mayfield worries that too many people on the trails may lead the Forest Service to reverse its decision to keep the trails open. She argues that it’s up to the general public using the trails to voluntarily adhere to CDC guidelines as well as practice common sense when they are out in nature. “Once you get out of your car, you have to think about social distancing from that very moment,” Mayfield explains. “And even before you get out of your car, if you see a lot of cars parked, maybe think about leaving
618 HOT SPRINGS ROAD $4,750,000 | 2.2 ±Acres | 618HotSprings.com #LetsGetVirtual
KIM CRAWFORD | ANGEL SPEIER | KATIE MOHUN 805.683.7335 | csgroup@villagesite.com | csgroupsb.com DRE 01440068 / 02037359 / 02047418
20 MONTECITO JOURNAL
All information provided is deemed reliable, but has not been verified and we do not guarantee it. We recommend that buyers make their own inquiries.
26 March – 2 April 2020
Sunrise after a pre-dawn cycle climb
tine to cycling. Strand loves the solitude of predawn cycling but says she wouldn’t mind seeing a few more folks out there. “Nobody gets up at 5 am to bike up the hill,” she explains. “I took my son up on Mesa today at 9 and there was hardly anybody. People are flocking to the trails, and my fear is if people keep doing that, we will all be kept off the trails.”
Pet Fostering in a Pandemic and coming back later. Everybody wants to hit the trails at 9 or 10 am. Either come back later or go early to avoid crowds.” Another important thing to keep in mind is not jamming up the trailhead. “Don’t gather at that narrow space where people are trying to get on and off the trail,” Mayfield advises. “The next thing is about passing: People should have room to pass – six feet of it – so step back off the trail and out of the way,” she continues. “Just don’t step into poison oak, because that will be an unwelcome surprise.” Because of the coronavirus crisis, MTF has suspended all its regular group hikes, which usually meet at various trailheads each Friday morning at either 6:30 or 8:30 am. “Generally, meeting up in groups is not advisable,” Mayfield says, unless everyone in the group is symptom-free and from the same household. Mayfield also has a warning for parents who might feel inclined to let their kids hike alone. “We’re seeing some teenagers telling their parents they are going for a hike, and then meeting a whole bunch of other teens out there, which we really don’t want,” she says. “But if you follow all the rules, it’s a great place to be for a few hours, just to get away from the news and not check your phone.”
The Solo Joy of Sunrise Summitting
One person who has no problem practicing social distancing in Montecito’s front country is Andrea Strand, 42, a registered nurse and
nurse practitioner who gets up well before dawn each morning to ride her bike up various paved inclines, especially Gibraltar Road, with the goal of reaching the top by sunrise. “I’m the unofficial hill climbing champion of Gibraltar,” Strand says with just a hint of well-earned pride. “I climbed Gibraltar twelve times last year, 29,500 feet in one day; it took me just under 20 hours. It’s a global challenge and nobody’s done that. I own it.” On September 11, 2001, while obtaining her master’s degree at Yale University, Strand became a 9/11 first responder, taking the train down from Connecticut to Union Station, which was as close as she could get to the wreckage of the World Trade Center. “I walked fourteen blocks to the site,” she recalls. “I helped firefighters with saline flushes and nebulizers. It was just crazy. Everybody was trying to get out of there except for the firefighters who went in running, knowing they would not get out.” A Mission Canyon resident for the past 13 years, Strand works in primary care with Dr. Susanne Ramos, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Santa Barbara. Strand also teaches Pilates classes on her Instagram Live feed, which is @drea2motivate. “I do it maybe three or four times a week,” she adds. “Anyone can join; I’m not charging anyone.” In 2011, her zeal for workouts and blogging about workouts was so strong that it won her a front page story in the Wall Street Journal. The first female winner of the Santa Barbara Marathon, Strand was a competitive runner until a back injury forced her to switch her work out rou-
Summerland resident Lee Heller has lived in Santa Barbara County, including Montecito, for the past 23 years, and has been active in animal services for another few decades before that. She’s also a longtime volunteer with the cat-centric Animal Shelter Assistance Program, or ASAP, which is based in Goleta. According to Heller, animal shelters throughout not just Santa Barbara County but the entire United States are experiencing a high volume of drop-offs thanks to the economic dislocation brought by the coronavirus pandemic. “People are turning in their animals because they just lost their job and can’t pay the bills,” Heller says. “But meanwhile, people are at home sheltering in place and have all this time on their hands. If they are ani-
Lee Heller and her new friend, Brandi the Sheltie
mal lovers, it’s an opportunity to get these animals out of the shelters.” It’s an urgent mission, Heller says, because many shelters are having to send home the majority of their workers. “The volunteers are no longer able to take care of these animals,” she explains. “It’s just minimal kennel staff, and that’s no quality of life for the animals.” Heller already has four cats over her own, as well as three dogs, and before the pandemic began, she’d already taken in a friend’s Sheltie
OTR Page 424
A selfie, Andrea Strand style
26 March – 2 April 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
21
Ernie’s World
by Ernie Witham Ernie has been writing humor for more than 20 years. He is the author of three humor books and is the humor workshop leader at the prestigious Santa Barbara Writers Conference.
Three Women and a Condo
I
leaned over the small round Dot with the pulsating ring of light. She was breathing rhythmically. Waiting for me. Waiting to hear my most domineering voice command her to do my bidding. “Alexa… my love… play ‘I Am the Walrus’ from the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour album. Full volume.” “Playing ‘I Am the Walrus,’” she said… The music came blasting out. “I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together. See how they run like pigs from a gun, see how they fly. I’m crying…” “Yeah, man. Far out.” I flashed back to the ‘60s. What I remember of them I remember fondly. “See how they fly like Lucy in the sky, see how they run. I’m crying…” My wife rushed into the room, hands over her ears and nudged me aside with an iron-like hip. “Aaaahhhhh. Stop Alexa. Play Beethoven’s Seventh. Low volume.” “Playing Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony,” Alexa said. Soft instrumentation tinkled out. “Alexa, Walrus, full volume.” “Playing ‘I Am the Walrus’,” she said… “Sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come…” I sang along. “I am the egg man. They are the egg men. I am the walrus. Goo goo g’joob.” “Alexa,” Pat yelled over one of the greatest anthems to LSD ever written. “Play Beethoven’s Seventh, quickly and quietly.” “Playing Beethoven,” Alexa said. Tinkling instruments. “Walrus.” “Beethoven.” “Walrus.” “Beethoven.” I grabbed my iPhone and held the home button down. “What can I help you with?” came up on the screen. “Siri, Tell Alexa, I’m the voice to listen to.” “Calling Alexa,” Siri said. Pat grabbed her phone. “Siri, if you want to continue to live on my iPhone, you’ll ignore that.” “Not calling Alexa,” Siri said. I looked Pat in the eye. “Beethoven,” I said quickly. “Walrus,” she yelled before she realized I had tricked her. “Goo goo g’joob. Goo goo g’joob.” Pat shut Alexa off. Jon, the loving son, thought it would be great to buy an Amazon Dot for his Mom. He even set it all up for her. Then he went back to
22 MONTECITO JOURNAL
Los Angeles. This introduced Alexa into a household already occupied by Siri and Pat. I learned a long time ago that I couldn’t tell Pat what to do. But Siri and Alexa are supposed to do whatever I ask. I held the home button down again. “What can I help you with?” came up on the screen again. “Siri, when Alexa comes back on, please tell her that Ernie is the commander-in-chief in this household.” Pat double-thumbed her phone. “Siri, please tell Ernie that he’s delusional.” Siri sighed. In reality, Alexa is not the problem. Siri is innocent, too. The real problem is that Pat and I are spending a lot more time at home, together, in close proximity, with all the cancellations happening due to COVID19. And even though I have a back patio full of bonsai trees that I love to spend quiet time with, pruning and shaping, it has been raining for more than a week. A March miracle they are calling it. I think the Beatles would have described it differently. “See how they smile like pigs in a sty, see how they snide…” I held up two fingers making a peace sign. “TV?” I suggested. Pat smiled. “That sounds lovely.” Then she lunged for the remote and snapped on Downton Abbey reruns. “No way!” I said. “It’s my turn to pick.” I picked up the new Apple TV device, another gift from Jon. I pressed the microphone button. “The Godfather, parts one, two and three,” I said. Pat knocked the remote out of my hand. “The Crown,” she yelled. “Every episode.” I grabbed. She held the remote behind her back. We fell on the couch. We wrestled. We made out briefly. Then we wrestled some more. “Maybe we should just try regular TV.” “Good idea,” I said. We flipped through the channels. “A wild day on Wall Street…” “The President today announced yet another new plan…” “On the local weather scene, it looks like, well, more rain…” “Nope!” we both said. The TV went blank. “Read?” We both reached for the same magazine. We laughed. “Wanna wrestle some more, Mr. Walrus?” Pat asked. I dimmed the lights. “Alexa, something… romantic please.” •MJ
Brilliant Thoughts by Ashleigh Brilliant Born London, 1933. Mother Canadian. Father a British civil servant. World War II childhood spent mostly in Toronto and Washington, D.C. Berkeley PhD. in American History, 1964. Living in Santa Barbara since 1973. No children. Best-known for his illustrated epigrams, called “Pot-Shots”, now a series of 10,000. Email ashleigh@west.net or visit www.ashleighbrilliant.com
Handle with Care
O
ne of the most popular words in the lexicon of modern society is “care.” People in general don’t like to be handled roughly. Of course, there are exceptions, such as arranged fights, or episodes of sexual passion. But we are delicate creatures, in comparison with the hard surfaces of our natural and man-made environment. When collisions occur, it is our human flesh and bone which are most likely to suffer (as the staff of any Emergency Room will tell you). Skilled surgeons were not as available in centuries past – but that was, for one reason, because there was less need for them. In our progress towards a better society, we’ve also created all manner of new hazards, wounds, infections, and diseases. In the days when the fastest vehicles were horse-powered, the injuries suffered in an accident were far less likely to be life-threatening than they have since become, especially if the vehicle is one which travels through the air, with hundreds of people aboard. “Safety” as a watch-word is one gift of these dangers to our contemporary vernacular. As a child, I was taught to equate the word with such precautions as care in crossing streets, obeying traffic signals, and not running out from between parked cars. “Safety First” meant that survival was more important than speed or comfort. Vehicles eventually came with an increasing number of safety features, such as shatter-proof glass, seatbelts, and padded interiors. But meanwhile, we have been introducing all manner of “unsafety” features, such as portable telephones, narcotics, and built-in entertainment systems. Of course, the occupants of modern vehicles are far safer, with their airbags and warning signals, than the unprotected pedestrians who may be in their way. During the “Hippie Era” of the 1960s, it became fashionable, among adherents of the “Counter Culture,” to contend that motorization was the way of the Past, not of the Future, and that the streets had to be “taken back,” in the interests of safety and civility. As a close observer of this scene, I was moved to immortalize the movement in one of the songs I wrote to the tunes of well-known melodies, this one using the song “Hey, Look Me Over”:
“Some people look for a beautiful place. Others make a place beautiful.” – Hazrat Inayat Khan
Hey, Run Me Over, all ‘round the town – See every chauffeur try to knock me down! Streets are for people – that’s what people say – I figure that means a pedestrian should have the right of way – But you can die being right, man, wrong people thrive – Stay out of sight, man, and you may survive – So, if you want to live in security, avoiding violent shock – Just don’t ever leave your block! Safety at sea, of course, is a different matter. Ever since the Titanic went down in 1912, there have been iceberg patrols and improved regulations about the number of lifeboats a ship must carry. But in that strange situation called wartime, the object of the game becomes to make conditions for the other side as unsafe as possible, while still trying to maximize the safety of your own side. When it comes to shipping goods rather than people, different standards of safety apply. On the one hand, whatever is being shipped must be protected from all the hazards of rough handling and mechanical processing. (My own little company has experienced losses through the damage sometimes wrought upon such delicate items as Compact Discs by postal machines.) On the other hand, the Post Office and all its competitor shipping services are concerned about what may be in your package, which could be a hazard to those persons and devices handling it – which is why you may be asked to specify contents (as if any ill-intentioned person would be likely to give an accurate description of his bomb or poison gas). For all our emphasis upon safety, and despite the remarkable fact that longevity appears to be on the increase (have you heard that “100 is the new 80”?) the world still remains a very dangerous place, habitation of which is inevitably fatal. Whatever safety we find is, sadly, only temporary. There are statistical signposts, such as that married people tend to live longer than those who stay single. But the ultimate death-rate is still a staggering 100%. That is why such anodynes as religion, drugs, competitive sports, and political extremism are still so popular, and why so much of our economy is devoted to trying to ensure that, on our way into oblivion, we are still being handled with care. •MJ 26 March – 2 April 2020
Dear Montecito Community, I have always felt that a strong Montecito means a strong Montecito Union School (MUS). Over the last few years, we have all learned how inextricably linked we all are, and how important it is that during challenging times we work even harder to support one another. All of you are all doing your part to stay home, socially distance, wash your hands, and protect yourself and your family. Many of you have school-aged children at home. Others of you have grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or are connected to other young people whom you love. You might be wondering how you can help these special children in your life get through the next few weeks or months of life without school or spending time with your friends. Here are some things to keep in mind: Supporting Children Emotionally Whether you are caring for children directly or from afar, here are a few things to keep in mind (adapted from the Child Mind Institute): • Don’t be afraid to discuss the coronavirus. Not talking about important things can actually make kids worry more. Giving factual information will help children assess what they may hear from their friends or the media. • Be developmentally appropriate. My advice is always, “Start where the child is.” In other words, ask the child what questions he or she has and then just answer those questions. • Deal with your own anxiety. If you are taking care of children directly, you may not have taken the time to take care of yourself and deal with your own fears. Talk to a friend, take a five minute break, or speak to a therapist on the phone. This will allow you to be fully present to the child’s needs. • Be reassuring and focus on what you are doing to stay safe. Tell the child over and over all that you are doing to keep the family safe. • Set and stick to a routine. Kids may enjoy spontaneity, but they thrive on some degree of routine. Ideally, the child should be involved in setting up a routine for the “school week” and for the “weekend.” Build in plenty of time for the outdoors, play, and socialization. • Keep talking. Continue to inform the child as things change. Supporting Children Socially As the weeks at home go on, it becomes more important to work creatively to find social experiences for the child you love. Here are some ideas: • Quality time with the family. Though the family unit is likely spending a lot of time together, quality time still has to be thoughtfully planned. Take a hike as a family, pull our those board games, or turn your living room into a movie theater to watch something new to all of you. • Digitally connect with peers and throw digital parties. We live in a world filled with apps that help people connect over the Internet. A few weeks ago, many of us were complaining about these tools as ways that were getting in the way of social interaction...now we are relying on them to keep our children connected! MUS has used Zoom and Google Hangout as tools for this. Help the child you love connect with a digital pajama party, a crazy sock day get together, or just have all of the kids create art while on an open phone line. • 6-foot gatherings. Though difficult, neighbors can also organize a little bit of “distance fun” together. At 5:00pm, every child in the neighborhood can shout to each other for 10 minutes, or one family can eat a picnic lunch on their lawn while their “across the street neighbor” does the same. It sounds difficult, I know, but we will all need to look out for the social growth of the children we love during this time. Supporting Children Academically Many schools have sent home detailed instructions on how children can continue to learn at home. At Montecito Union School, students are reading, writing, doing art, participating in digital lessons, and even “meeting” in classes and in grade levels through technology. The most important things are: 1) to keep your child reading books at their level, 2) writing in a variety of forms, and 3) progressing with mathematics. Again, check with your child’s school for more information, or if you want some additional tips, feel free to email me directly at aranii@montecitou.org. Feel free to tell me what’s working and what, specifically, you need some help with and I will write back with some information. I am positive that the Montecito Community will do what we must to protect each other and to help our children continue to grow and learn. Best of luck, and don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of service. Sincerely, Anthony Ranii aranii@montecitou.org
26 March – 2 April 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
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Village People by Nicholas Schou
Jett, Jim, Josh, Mike, and Fabian of Village Auto Repair
L
Jett, Jim, Josh, Mike, and Fabian at Village Auto Repair
ast week – in the middle of the mess of coronavirus-related closures and several days of seemingly nonstop rain – the inevitable happened: I got a flat tire. The tire pressure light on my Prius had been on for a few days, so I did what any sensible busy person would do and swung by a gas station to fill the tire with air. Of course, an hour or so later, in the middle of a downpour, I found myself on the side of the road, replacing the once-again completely flat tire with a spare. This time, I did
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the smart thing, and drove my car over to the Village Auto Repair, which is almost invisibly tucked away in Montecito’s Upper Village, at the far end of a parking lot above Montecito Village Grocery. Unless you’re already aware of its existence, the only hint that there is such a place as Village Auto Repair is a small wooden sign at the side of a driveway leading uphill from the grocery store’s parking lot. (In fact, I only knew about the shop because my wife had her car serviced there last year.) “It’s really hard to see us up here,” confirms Josh Gospodnetich, Village Auto Repair’s general manager, who has worked there for six years. “You have to know about us to get up here.
There are people who come up here all the time saying, ‘I’ve lived here for thirty years, twenty-five years, whatever, and I never realized that you guys were here!’” Along with Josh, about five mechanics work at Village Auto Repair, including Mike and Jim who have worked at the shop, which first opened in 1965, for 30 and 35 years each, respectively. So far, they say, the shop is taking the coronavirus scare in stride, but business is slow: usually the crew works nonstop all day, fixing about 70 vehicles per week. Now, Josh estimates the volume of work has dropped to at best a third of that volume, and most of the jobs are small. “It’s been a big drop off,” Josh says.
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24 MONTECITO JOURNAL
Follow the sign
“Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.” – John Barrymore
“It’s usually packed, but not now. And it’s all little things, people coming in and asking for washer fluid and then they take off. I get that, but part of the problem is people just don’t know we’re open.” To fight that, Josh has been sending out email blasts to local customers reminding them that they are open through the pandemic as a so-called “essential” business. “It’s great,” he says. “I’ve been getting a lot of responses saying, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you were open; I will bring my car right up!’” Of course there are also the folks who call the shop thinking it’s the hardware store; most of those callers inquired if the shop had any toilet paper available. The only time anyone can remember Village Auto Repair closing was after the January 9, 2018 debris flow. For a few weeks before the disaster, during the Thomas Fire, Josh says, Village Auto Repair doubled as the Montecito Fire Department’s mechanic yard because the department’s chief mechanic had just retired. “Jim and I were out here helping them out for a few weeks,” he recalls. Fortunately the shop was spared any major damage during the debris flow because the creek which flows right next to the shop goes underground and the debris was thus diverted to either side of the shop. “We were lucky,” says Josh. “We couldn’t get back in for two months and had to be escorted in by the Fire Department.” Compared to that disaster, Josh adds, the coronavirus crisis doesn’t seem nearly as bad. “It’s just another disaster to us at this point,” he says, laughing. While my tire is being replaced, Mike shows me around the back of the shop. “We do everything from simple oil changes to major electrical diagnostics,” he says. “We stock all the filters for Priuses, Toyotas, all the recommended oils and coolants, plenty of wiper blades and all the filters we need for all manufacturers. Whatever they call for, we always use the proper types of oils and antifreezes. We keep on top of all of it so we are doing what we are supposed to be doing as far as manufacturer specs. It’s a pretty good, all around useful business up here. We even have sanitized pens so people can be comfortable when they come in they don’t have to grab a dirty pen.” After my brief tour, while I’m waiting to pay up, another customer who is just leaving waves goodbye to everyone. “See you, Mike,” the man says. “We’re shutting down, so I’m working remote, until I get the word to come back in.” “Yeah, we’re essential,” Mike responds optimistically, “so we’re staying open.” “You are essential,” the man agrees, smiling. “You’ve always been essential!” •MJ 26 March – 2 April 2020
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We’re all in this together A Group Effort
Sincerely Grateful
Local Businesses
Our thoughts are with those affected with COVID-19, as well as medical professionals, government officials and organizations working tirelessly on caring for those in need.
Our sincerest gratitude goes out to those working tirelessly to keep our communities safe, especially first responders and medical professionals.
Please continue to support local businesses. Small business owners are not only working to keep their businesses going, but are also responsible for supporting many families and employees.
Sotheby’s International Realty supports social distancing so our teams are operating from home, working diligently and leveraging technology to ensure our clients and agents are fully supported.
Collectively, we are all in this together, so please do not hesitate to reach out for help.
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© Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All rights reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark. This material is based upon information which we consider reliable but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. This offering is subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. We are happy to work with them and cooperate fully. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity. DRE License Numbers for All Featured Agents: Kristi Curtis: 2012866 | Sandy Stahl: 1040095 | Vivienne Leebosh: 01229350 | Caroline Santandrea: 01349311 | Joe McCorkell: 2051326 | Barry Fields: 1298879 | Harry Kolb: 00714226 | Gregory Tice: 462018 | Jason Siemens: 1886104 | Maureen McDermut: 1175027 | Wes St. Clair: 1173714 | Julie Greener: 1250774 | Marie Larkin: 523795 | Fred Bradley: 522262
26 March – 2 April 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
25
VILLAGE BEAT (Continued from page 12) team are working remotely, and are continuing to originate new purchase loans and refis. All but one of Montecito’s hotels or resorts are closed for business. As of press time, the San Ysidro Ranch was the only hotel still welcoming guests, despite full closure of both restaurants on site. The Four Seasons Resort the Biltmore closed last week, while the Rosewood Miramar Beach closed its doors earlier this week, sending their remaining guests to the Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Goleta. “Closing the resort in its entirety was the right thing to do given the current climate,” said Rick Fidel, resort manager of Rosewood Miramar Beach. “We have no reopening date currently scheduled, and we are committed to containing the Covid-19 virus, as everyone else is.” The Copus family of the Montecito Inn and Coast Village Inn made the decision earlier this week to close both hotels until April 15. The family was preparing to open their new restaurant, in the space formerly occupied by Montecito Café and then The Monarch, in early April; those plans have been postponed. “We can’t wait for the day that everyone’s shop fronts will be open once again. Until then, we are in this together,” Ludwick said.
Montecito & SB Real Estate Update Amid Covid-19
It goes without saying that the last few weeks have been a tumultuous time for everyone, and the global pandemic and associated social distancing and quarantines have had far reaching consequences for nearly every type of trade or commerce. The local real estate market in Santa Barbara
and Montecito is no exception; here’s what’s happening in Montecito and beyond. Many sellers have chosen to pull their listings from the MLS, either withdrawing them temporarily or canceling them completely. There have been 61 homes/condos canceled or withdrawn since March 1 in the South County (Carpinteria to Goleta), with 23 of them in Montecito, ranging in price in the 93108 from $1.3M to $42M. We’ve seen several closings in the past three weeks as well, and fewer sellers are listing their homes in this time of uncertainty. This has created an even tighter level of inventory for buyers who are still actively looking. As of this writing, there are 455 active home, condo, and PUD listings from Carpinteria to Goleta, with 148 of those in Montecito. Before the pandemic took hold in the United States, the number of active listings in the South County hovered in the mid-500 range. Buyers are still actively looking and submitting offers, thanks in part to record low interest rates. Seasoned buyers who are locked into their rates from earlier this year are trying to solidify a home in order to benefit from the dip; while new buyers may be finding that interest rates have increased slightly from two weeks ago. The volatility in the stock market has bled into the mortgage market, and mortgage lenders report that rates are fluctuating not just daily, but sometimes hourly. There have been 57 homes that have gone into escrow since the beginning of March, with a median list price of $1.2M. That is about 64% of normal activity; in the same time period last March (March 1-March 24), 88 homes went into escrow. In Montecito alone, we’ve seen 10 homes go into escrow, ranging in price from a $1M Fairway condo to a nearly $12M estate on Cold Spring Road, which had been on the market for over 500 days. In the same time frame last year, there were 14 homes that went in to escrow, so we
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are at 70% of what we would consider “normal” activity in Montecito. Some homes in the lower price points in Santa Barbara and Goleta have gone pending with multiple offers, which we were seeing a lot of before the pandemic crisis. At this point we cannot surmise how this crisis is going to affect sales prices. Once the homes currently in escrow are closed, we will have a greater understanding of how our median home price has fared during this unprecedented time. We are seeing a handful of listings come on the public market via the Multiple Listing Service every day; 21 listings have come on the market in Montecito since March 1, compared to just 16 that came on the market in the first three weeks of March in 2019. In the entire South County, there have been 109 new listings since March 1. Last year in the same time period there were 131, which is a 17% drop overall. There are many listings that are being held “quietly” by local agents, so as not to accrue days on market and not visible to the market at large, including on websites like Zillow and Redfin. The California Association of Realtors has mandated that agents no longer hold brokers’ tours or open houses, and are strongly suggesting that all showings are done via video chat. The Federal Housing Finance Agency directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to allow lenders to utilize “desktop” and exterior appraisals only, lessening the requirements of traditional appraisals. Last week, the California Association of Realtors also released a Coronavirus addendum/ amendment, which can be used in both new transactions and existing transactions, if agreed upon between both seller and buyer. The form offers sellers and buyers the ability to clarify what will happen to their transaction in the event that the coronavirus crisis causes either party to be unable to close escrow as planned. It also allows both parties to agree to cancel the agreement if the buyer is unable to obtain a loan due to new financial circumstances related to the crisis.
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26 MONTECITO JOURNAL
Len
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to Santa Barbarans who are now unemployed or unable to work due to the spread and impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. To meet the overwhelming need, Unity has consolidated its offerings to food distribution alone and now estimates it is serving more than three times the number of families that came in for services prior to the pandemic. As daily layoffs continue and vulnerable populations begin to run out of groceries, Unity anticipates that it will go through larger quantities of food and other supplies than ever before to keep up with the growing demand. Donations from the public are needed immediately to purchase both fresh produce, and canned, jarred, and boxed staples with longer shelf lives, as well as masks and disinfecting wipes to keep Unity staff and the public safe. “We are living in unprecedented times,” says Tom Reed, Unity’s Executive Director. “Hourly employees, whose work hours and wages have been scaled back dramatically or have been let go, either cannot work or must work skeletal shifts are finding their food supplies dwindling. The closing of their children’s schools and daycare centers are further complicating their lives. Our area’s seniors and disabled folks, who live on fixed incomes, or have compromised immune systems, who might be homebound or have trouble getting around, are wondering how they’ll possibly get through this alone.” Over the next six to 12 months, Unity anticipates that its services will be utilized to capacity much like they were during the Thomas Fire and Montecito debris flow. If you are in need of food or other essentials, call Unity’s main number at (805) 965-4122 for assistance. Unity Shoppe Food Distribution Services is located at 1401 Chapala Street, Monday through Friday, 1 pm to 4 pm, until further notice. To make monetary donations, go to unityshoppe.org or mail checks to 1209 State Street, Santa Barbara 93101. Donations of nonperishables can be dropped off at Unity’s side entrance: 110 West Sola Street, Monday through Friday, 10 am to 5 pm. •MJ
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26 March – 2 April 2020
Robert’s Big Questions
by Robert Bernstein
Degrees from Physics departments of MIT and UC Santa Barbara. Career in designing atomic-resolution microscopes. Childhood spent in Europe and the East of the US. Passion to understand the Big Questions of life and the universe. Duty to be a good citizen of the planet.
Voting Paradoxes
M
y immigrant wife Merlie is mystified by our complex voting system. She wonders what these “primaries” are all about. “Why don’t you just vote for your choice among all of the presidential candidates at once and be done with it?” I am going to break Godwin’s Law and invoke the following example. Suppose we had the following votes for the following people on the ballot: 33 Franklin Roosevelt 33 Wendell Willkie 34 Adolph Hitler If the top vote getter became President, then Hitler wins. Even though it seems that 66% of the voters would prefer anyone but Hitler. There is clearly a problem with this “plurality” voting system, yet that is exactly what we have in our presidential general election. Consider the 1992 election where Ross Perot got 19% of the vote and Bill Clinton won with just 43% of the vote. We don’t know who Perot voters would have taken as their second choice, but it is quite possible his supporters would have preferred Bush to Clinton. Which leads to one way to avoid this “voting paradox”: Have a runoff election if no one gets more than 50% plus one vote. Santa Barbara County does this with our County Board of Supervisors election. If no candidate gets a majority of votes in the primary election, then the top two candidates run off in November. But why waste the time and expense of a runoff? Why not allow voters to rank their choices all at once? In fact, 20 cities and the state of Maine now use what is called Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) or Ranked-Choice Voting. This allows voters to vote for their true first choice without risking electing the person they really detest. In the 2000 election we have no idea
how many people had Ralph Nader or Pat Buchanan as their first choice because many feared “throwing away their vote” and giving the other side’s leading candidate a win. IRV would give a true count.
thought Hillary was the “safe” choice to beat Trump. But “safe” may be the most risky choice when it comes to actual human nature and our current voting system. Stanford Professor Kenneth Arrow proved in 1952 that no voting system can avoid counter-intuitive outcomes. Suppose you prefer beer to tea. If Coke becomes available it should not make you prefer tea to beer. But no voting system can avoid such absurdities all of the time. Two other systems out of an infinity of possible systems that have been used are the Borda system and Approval Voting. Borda lets voters assign points rather than rankings. But
Most liberals I knew in 2016 thought Hillary was the “safe” choice to beat Trump. But “safe” may be the most risky choice when it comes to actual human nature and our current voting system. But careful analysis shows it is possible to “game” IRV by putting your “lesser evil” choice first and your hated most-viable opponent last. It can end up being similar to our current system in practice. The Marquis de Condorcet discovered “Condorcet’s Paradox” in the 1700s that is similar to an Escher Staircase of voting preferences. Google it to see the details. But some have argued that the worst paradoxes don’t occur in real life because people have a rational ideological spectrum. For example, one could argue that in 2000 there was a left to right sequence: Nader, Gore, Bush, Buchanan. But this is not necessarily true. In the 2016 election I met quite a few people who had Bernie Sanders as their first choice during the primary season. But when he lost the primary, those people voted for Trump rather than Hillary Clinton in November. Why? It is hard to get inside their heads, but there were clues in what they said. They were looking for an “outsider” who would “shake things up.” For them, Bernie and Trump had more in common than either had with Hillary. I am a math person, but I would rather avoid the arcane math of voting paradoxes and focus on this human issue. Most liberals I knew in 2016
it can be gamed in the same way as IRV. Approval Voting lets voters vote equally for all candidates that they approve of. Interestingly, this one is not easy to game with covert strategies. Apart from voting systems are political systems. Our “winner takes all” system means that 20% of voters might be Greens, yet there are no Greens at all in our Congress. Most Western democ-
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paradoxes of any system in use. And we have real problems like the climate crisis that need bold leadership. The people need to demand a better system. But we also need to do our best with our broken system to demand better leaders. And most important: The people must lead in order for the leaders to follow. An election is the start of progress, not the end. •MJ
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racies have “proportional representation”. If even 1% of voters belong to the Panda Party, then the Panda Party gets 1% of the representatives. And most Western democracies have a Parliamentary system: The party with the most representatives runs the country. Our system is unique in its ability to have total gridlock with a President of the opposite party to Congress. And no other system in the world has our “electoral college” that allows a voter in Wyoming to have over 50 times the voting power of a California voter. One thing is mathematically certain: Our voting system and political system are provably most subject to
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Perspectives by Rinaldo S. Brutoco Rinaldo S. Brutoco is the Founding President and CEO of the Santa Barbara-based World Business Academy and a co-founder of JUST Capital. He’s a serial entrepreneur, executive, author, radio host, and futurist who’s published on the role of business in relation to pressing moral, environmental, and social concerns for over 35 years
Transmission Woes on Central Coast
S
outhern Santa Barbara County is literally at the end of the line in terms of the electrical transmission grid. Sixty-six percent of our power is carried through a single pair of high voltage transmission lines owned by Southern California Edison (Edison). They sit in the back of the foothills that ring our county and bring the energy we use between Goleta and Ventura. Since they run on the same easement next to each other in the remote back country, if a tower goes down, we would be without power. As the World Business Academy dis-
ple: generate energy locally from renewable resources with a statewide “honeycomb” of interconnected microgrids to replace the existing grid one substation at a time. Microgrids can be built to rely solely upon renewable resources and economically store that energy in numerous ways. When the rest of the electrical grid goes down from transmission line failure, a microgrid could “island” itself and continue to function. It could also interconnect to other microgrids forming that honeycomb described above. The Academy several years ago pro-
Microgrids can be built to rely solely upon renewable
resources and economically store that energy in numerous ways. When the rest of the electrical grid goes down from transmission line failure, a microgrid could “island” itself and continue to function
covered in 2012 in an obscure filing made by Edison at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Edison specifically warned the transmission lines would fail from erosion under the towers from rain or fire. Edison hid this statement again in another unrelated 2014 filing. According to Edison’s report to the CPUC on this issue, when a tower goes down, “all 82,700 metered customers in South Santa Barbara County would lose power until emergency electrical power could be delivered to the area… Without an answer to local reliability needs in South Santa Barbara County, longterm outages could occur for several weeks.” Since Edison reported that the lines would come down, this is not a theoretical discussion. Based on Edison’s warning, City and County officials should have already initiated a full examination of the threatened transmission network crisis and started to develop local resiliency solutions. The Academy knows the solution to this precarious situation is sim-
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vided a detailed map to the CPUC for replacing the entire transmission network with solar cells. Abandoning the grid’s 1,100-milelong California “backbone” in favor of microgrids is the only feasible solution for Santa Barbara and ultimately the state. About a decade ago, I created a plan called the California Moonshoot to demonstrate that the state could shift to renewables-driven microgrids at no additional cost within ten years by deploying microgrids one substation at a time to avoid any power disruption during the transition. Santa Barbara has started to install microgrids for critical facilities like schools, fire and police departments, grocery stores, and shelter sites, but hasn’t begun to tackle this issue on a countywide basis. A proposal is now pending to build substantial battery storage at the Glen Annie substation as an immediate “hedge” against a sudden loss of power for a short period of time. The Academy advocated this step more than three years ago and is delighted to see this first small step taken. We could also build a
Helping Through Innovation & Community
I
3D-printed valves are saving the lives of COVID-19 patients t is clear that 3D printing will have a big impact on the medical world in the near future. When doctors in Northern Italy needed a replacement valve for a reanimation device and the supplier was out, they successfully printed one themselves. It is critical to slow the spread of the virus because many patients require oxygenation and intensive care to successfully fight off the disease, but many regions lack the resources to offer this care to large numbers of patients. Fortunately, 3D printing may be able to help close the supply gap in hospitals. A hospital in Brescia contacted FabLab in Milan on March 13 and asked if it would be possible to 3D print these critical valves. FabLab put the hospital in contact with Isinnova, a company that responded to this call by bringing a 3D printer to the hospital. By the evening of March 14, ten patients were successfully being supported by printed valves. Hundreds of hospitals have reached out for access to the model. The Italian company shared its plans in a downloadable file and other medical facilities around the world are adopting this life-saving solution!
Five Ways to Support your Community During COVID-19
Physical distancing is one of the best tools we have for slowing the spread of COVID-19 but isolating at home can leave you feeling helpless in a time of community need. Here are five ways to help your community while practicing distancing. Be conscious while shopping. If you can, visit stores at less crowded hours and be mindful to shop only for your family’s needs. If possible, try not to buy “WIC-approved” items as these are the only option for those using food stamps. Find novel ways to support small businesses. Consider purchasing gift cards from local businesses that are experiencing reduced demand such as boutiques or restaurants. Make donations. At-risk populations such as homeless or low-income community members will be hit particularly hard by this crisis. Contact your local shelter and inquire about what supplies they need most. Be the neighbor you would want to have. Something as simple as getting goods from the store for an elderly neighbor could make all the difference. Follow credible news sources. Following reliable and accurate news sources is critical for staying up to date. The CDC and verified local news sources are great options for national and regional updates. •MJ solar installation on the abandoned land surrounding Glen Annie. The real solution, however, is to locate a hydrogen fuel cell at each substation so that power can be generated indefinitely from renewable hydrogen. A study published in January 2020 by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy found that the most resilient cities in the world had common energy efficiency measures to combat climate change. The most common measures included encouraging sustainable transportation, benchmarking and auditing buildings, and establishing municipal build and fleet efficiency policies. The authors of the report concluded that the objectives of energy efficiency and other related measures are “to reduce damage to critical infrastructure, minimize disruptions, and shorten the duration of negative impacts.” Energy resilience measures increase
“Life changes very quickly, in a very positive way, if you let it.” – Lindsey Vonn
a community’s capacity to cope with stresses by providing benefits to public health, safety, and quality of life. In the case of Santa Barbara County, building local resiliency is literally a matter of life or death, as we are all too well aware. In addition to ambitious renewable energy (and climate mitigation goals) in the last year, the county of Santa Barbara, the city of Santa Barbara, and the city of Goleta have passed strategic energy plans, each with key sections focusing on resilience and emergency preparedness. However, to truly be both sustainable and resilient, our region must demand cooperation from Edison to assist with the widespread deployment of community microgrids rather than restrict them as they currently do. They must be forced, as our public utility, to actively support instead of block renewable and resilient plans. •MJ 26 March – 2 April 2020
Sheltering in Place
with Les Firestein
Les Firestein has been writing and building since his teens. As a writer Les ran some notable and notorious TV shows (In Living Color) and before that wrote for national newspapers and was the editor of The National Lampoon. Les will occasionally write about architecture and design for the Journal because he cares deeply about it. Until recently Les was a charisma coach for Mike Bloomberg.
With TP Scarce, Will the Bidet Finally Make it Across the Pond? Kohler’s Numi looks like it belongs at a fancy nightclub – or maybe it is one
Furthermore, wiping is bad science. Since this is a family newspaper, I’ll put it this way: If you went into a restaurant and they were simply wiping off the dishes with paper towels and putting them back out… you wouldn’t likely return to that restaurant. We don’t have to look any further than today’s Covid disaster to know there are dangers in the world not visible to the naked eye. And what is the remedy for these microbial menaces? In large part, say the global health experts and President Fauci, the solution is frequent use of running water and soap. Wisdom points to the spray options from overseas.
U.S. Behind the Times in Hygiene
It makes sense, of course, that while the US massively out consumes the rest of the world in per capita TP consumption, we also have amongst the lowest proliferation of bidets. In contrast, in Spain, bidets have been mandatory in new construction since 1975, Venezuela has almost 100% bidet penetration, and Japan actually uses bidet proliferation as a leading indicator of economic prosperity. The important thing is that with toilet paper in scarce supply (or perceived to be in scarce supply) and in a quarantine with many unknowns, the way we handle our personal hygiene – and waste – is ripe for a disruption. That disruption is a 200-year-old invention from France called the bidet.
Entry Level: the Shataf Spray [$42]
Ubiquitous in the Middle East, for those of you who think the bidet may be too pricey, for 42 bucks you can get a “shataf” which is basically a derivative of your kitchen dish sprayer, but fitted to draw H2O from the same water supply line as your toilet. FYI the average American spends at least $50 a year on TP so you can afford a shataf and even install it yourself.
F
or a smart species, humans can also have bizarre gaps in their logic. For example, the wheel was invented around 3500 BC… but wasn’t affixed to the bottom of luggage till 1970. In a similar brain fart of civilization, people have been duking it out over toilet paper at Costco, when, a few aisles over, you could buy a washlet aka inexpensive “toilet seat bidet” and go back to your bomb shelter, binge watch Friends, and let the Apocalypse play out as it may. There are two main reasons to consider scrapping our precious bleached white rolls of 2-ply and embracing the dancing waters from France instead. #1 the bidet is far superior for personal hygiene. And #2 toilet paper is essentially carbon-horrendous.
Slow Your Roll: The Case Against Cases of TP
According to Scientific American, our country consumes nearly 40 billion rolls of toilet paper per year, which is five times the global average per capita (or as I like to say, crapita). These clearings of forest represent the pulping of some 15 million trees annually. Put another way, since 1996, North America has converted six million acres of boreal forest into scorched earth in order to provide a product that simply gets flushed down the drain. As a commodity, tissue paper recently surpassed newsprint, which says a lot about both industries and also our priorities as a civilization. If you think you’re being “waterwise” for choosing TP over the bidet or washlet, you’re not. Weirdly, it takes about 500 billion gallons of water to produce those 40 billion annual rolls of Cottonelle we’re hip checking our fellow shoppers for. And the environmental evils of TP don’t stop at carbon. Our odd TP addiction consumes some 253,000 annual tons of chlorine necessary for bleaching boreal pulp, and 17.3 terawatts of electricity per year. That’s before we wrap our TP bundles in – what else? Plastic. And then stack those 36-roll bolsters on to wood pallets, whereupon they are wrapped in more plastic, only to be loaded on to diesel trucks bound for almost every home in North America. As the TP manufacturers compete for market share, they keep making their product thicker and “quiltier,” approaching velvet corduroy, with these new super papers more resistant to recycling. “Ultra-strong” toilet paper actually gets that way from an infusion of formaldehyde, which is like steroids for your TP, with, just for good measure, some BPAs (that nasty, endocrine disrupting part of plastic) thrown in like sprinkles. It’s quite the chemical tortilla we apply to the most vulnerable membranes on our bodies. 26 March – 2 April 2020
If James Bond ever used the toilet, which I don’t think he does, the Aston-Martin of loos is probably the Kohler “Numi” which can do everything to your nethers (wash, dry, perfume) short of delivering a mint and sending you a thank you note.
The Washlet – An Easy Switcheroo in the Loo
The next price point up from the shataf is the “washlet,” a toilet seat version of the bidet, which you substitute for your current toilet seat, can need electricity but which uses the plumbing you already have. Washlets run $100 - $500 and you can find them just a few aisles over from the toilet paper wars aka “bum fights” at pretty much every big box store in the country.
The High End, As It Were
If you don’t already have a bidet, or don’t have room in your WC for a standalone unit, people swap out their toilet for an all-in-one toilet/bidet combo that is fancily styled and can range in price from about $1,000 to ten times that amount. If James Bond ever used the toilet, which I don’t think he does, the AstonMartin of loos is probably the Kohler “Numi” which does everything to your nethers (wash, dry, perfume) short of delivering a mint and sending you a thank you note. The Numi will in fact play your very own theme music as you approach since it syncs with your smartphone, though I have to say in the age of the Russian hack, I fairly dread what could go awry with a smartphone camera in your home’s most private space… and your most private parts. Other high-end accoutrements include an ultraviolet system that is constantly disinfecting the bowl water, which would be nice for uncouth mutts like mine, colored lighting, and backup power that will give you 100 flushes even in an outage. When the actual Apocalypse comes, if this isn’t it, I may seek shelter in this toilet.
Get Off of My Cloud
Regardless of which way you go, high end or low, most people agree once you go bidet you’ll never miss your old rolls of Angel Soft. I never understood that brand anyway. The implication of “Angel Soft” is it’s like wiping your naughty bits with an angel. All that effort to get to Heaven and then… wow. As we face the perils of Covid, it definitely makes me think twice about how I might be spending the afterlife. •MJ
• The Voice of the Village •
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SANTA BARBARA IN A GLASS by Gabe Saglie Gabe Saglie has been covering the Santa Barbara wine scene for more than 15 years through columns, TV and radio. He’s a senior editor with Travelzoo and is a leading expert on travel deals, tips and trends. Gabe and wife Renee have 3 children and one Golden Retriever named Milo
Finding Opportunity in a Shutdown: How Santa Barbara’s Wine Industry is Taking on Coronavirus The Los Olivos tasting room for Tercero Wines, which is closed to visitors right now, has become ground zero for wine club shipments and online orders, which are being offered 20%30% discounts with shipping included (photo credit: Larry Schaffer)
T
he grinding halt wrought by a virus sprinting across the globe has certainly not spared the Santa Barbara wine industry. These are businesses that depend on foot traffic, on one-to-one connections, on personalized experience. Shut that down, as the recent mandate by Governor Newsom (understandably) did, asking all wineries and tasting rooms to temporarily close, and that critical connection, and the revenue it inevitably generates, comes to a standstill. Even the big players get hurt. Most Santa Barbara wineries, though, are individual endeavors, passion projects, and labors of love for many of our friends and neighbors. For them, the current reality is a scramble to stay afloat until we’re all on the downward slide of the coronavirus curve.
And to that end, local winemakers are doing everything but standing still. This week, Riverbench Vineyards launched a virtual tasting of the wines in their latest wine club shipment, which went out to thousands of club members in early March. The tasting was led by the winery’s Director of Hospitality, Danae Smith, and was broadcast live on Facebook. Those who tuned in got insight into, and tasting notes for, Riverbench’s 2018 Estate Chardonnay, 2016 Reserve Pinot Noir, and 2017 Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine, all grown from grapes on the label’s Santa Maria Valley property. They also got to sip with others, of course, which is always better than drinking alone. A second DSLR camera recorded the session, which allowed the team to upload the video to YouTube.
Riverbench used a two-camera setup to livestream its virtual tasting on Facebook this week and then archive the video on YouTube (Riverbench Vineyard & Winery)
“We didn’t want to something just for tomorrow,” says Riverbench communications director Wil Fernandez. “If we’re going to create content, let’s think long term, let’s do something we’ll continue to do [even after the coronavirus scare] because it just make sense.” Indeed, moving forward, Riverbench is planning on doing virtual tastings in conjunction with all wine club shipments, which go out three times a year. Keeping wine club membership engaged is key for a company like Riverbench, whose club accounts for about a third of its business. The other two-thirds are almost entirely driven by visitation to its two tasting rooms in Santa Maria and in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, which remain shuttered. Third-party retail, a very small portion of the business under usual circumstances, is being ramped up now to offset the fallout, with distributors in states like Missouri and Kansas, along with California, pushing Riverbench wine into grocery store chains like Ralphs and Vons. And to support employees in the short term, the way business is done at Riverbench has also changed. Instead of outsourcing wine club shipments, which can take weeks, tasting room employees have taken on the task. And the winery’s phone number – 805-937-8340 – has been turned into a wine tasting hotline, meant to encourage customers to call in with orders, questions or “just to chat with someone else,” says Fernandez. Calls are forwarded to the cell phones of different employees, who are working from home now, each day, and average call times have gone from under two minutes to more than 15. Virtual tastings have become the flavor of the day across the wine
industry, with myriad wineries tapping their customer base through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, among other platforms. With the J. Wilkes Wines tasting room inside the Hotel Californian closed to visitors, for example, winemaker Wes Hagen launched daily 5 pm virtual tasting and educational conversation on his Facebook page (@ weshagen). And the Wine Militia, an L.A.-based marketing company, this week launched daily virtual tastings at 6 pm on their Instagram account (@ thewinemilitia), featuring a different Santa Barbara County label each day; consumers are linked to online shops to purchase featured wines ahead of time so they can sip along when they tune in. Online commerce, of course, is the primary defense against the coronavirus consequence. Most every local winery is offering incentives to get imbibers to shop online, in lieu of visiting their tasting rooms in person. Shipping is either included or deeply discounted on most orders. And then you’ve got creative hustlers like Jamie Slone, who, after having to close his tasting room in Santa Barbara El Presidio neighborhood to visitors, is hand-delivering wines for free to doorsteps from Goleta to Oxnard (jamieslonewines.com). In Los Olivos, Tercero winemaker Larry Schaffer, who can’t welcome visitors at his popular Los Olivos tasting room right now, admits he’s concerned about the next few weeks. “Margins, in the short term, will not be good,” he admits. But he sees opportunity during the coronavirus crisis, too, especially in the way wineries like his, which are driven by direct-to-consumer sales, are now able to focus on bolstering client relationships. “I’m sending longer handwritten notes along with each shipment right now,” he says, “and I’m not sending anything out until I’ve confirmed addresses on my mailing list on a one-by-one basis.” Schaffer is gearing up for his own virtual tasting soon, and he’s including shipping and offering a 20% discount (30% for his wine club members) on all orders of six bottles or more, at tercerowines.com. Cheers. •MJ
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• The Voice of the Village •
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EDITORIAL (Continued from page 5)
…The Less Togetherness we are Allowed, the More we Crave.
I suppose it’s ironic that the less togetherness we’re allowed, the more we crave. But I’ve noticed that as people surrender to this temporary reality, they are finding innovative ways to share their spirit and creativity in order to lift themselves and others. People in Italy and Spain are singing to each other from their balconies. The internet is packed with exercise classes, art classes, music, comedy, and endless ways for us to continue to connect. For all of the complaining I’ve done about my “screenagers” and the amount of time they spend staring at a rechargeable rectangle, at this moment I’m so, so grateful for the connectivity and access the internet can provide. (I suspect I will regret these words.) Presently I’m at home working and my colleagues are at their homes working, to continue to keep our community well informed. My three dogs haven’t noticed that anything has changed at all. (Or maybe they’re annoyed that they no longer have the house to themselves during the day.) My eldest daughter is in her room, playing her guitar and singing in between complaining about being bored. My other daughter is complaining about being bored, in between dyeing my husband’s hair various shades of blue and purple. She claims the color is only semi-permanent. Hopefully so is this quarantine. •MJ
MONTECITO JOURNAL’S
SHORT STORY CONTEST
W
e find writing to be the world’s best salve. Write a short story up to 250 words. It can be about anything, written in any style. What matters is your voice. For this story use the opening prompt: “I never knew I could be so wrong…” and continue from there.
Send your story by Sunday, March 29 to: letters@montecitojournal.net. We will publish the winning story and award the winning writer with a $100 gift certificate to a local restaurant of our choice for take-out food.
Laughing Matters
I A
have an EpiPen. My friend gave it to me when he was dying. It seemed very important to him that I have it.
bunch of cannibals are sitting around a campfire and they are eating a clown. One cannibal stops eating and looks up at the other and says, “Does this taste funny to you?” 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
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Grab & Go
Bettina: Open from 12-8 pm for take-out; 805-770-2383; bettinapizzeria.com Bree’osh: Call 805-969 2500 or 805-705-7415 or go online at www.breeosh.com to pick up in store China Palace: Pick up or doordash.com; 805-565-9380 Caffe Luxxe: To-go only, 8 am-3 pm, order in store; www.caffeluxxe.com George Dog Food: Complimentary delivery for orders over $40; 805-565-4777 Honor Bar: Curbside to-go service from 11 am-8 am, Market open at 10 for coffee and scones; 805-969-6964 Jeannine’s: Take out from 7 am-1:30 pm; 805-969-0088 Little Alex’s: Take out from 8 am-8 pm 805-969-2297; doordash.com Los Arroyos: 805-969-9059. Take out, regular hours. Delivery available at seamless.com, grubhub.com, or doordash.com Lucky’s: Take out or delivery orders accepted at 3:30 pm for delivery as early as 5 pm; curbside pickup service also available; www.luckys-steakhouse.com Merci Montecito: Take out only. 805-220-0877; www.mercimontecito.com Montecito Coffee Shop: Take out only, 10 am-2 pm. 805-969-6250; www. montecitocoffeeshop.com Montecito Cleaners: Leave your bag of laundry on your doorstep and have it returned, expertly cleaned, folded, and sealed in bags; 805-969-3880 Montecito Wine Bistro: The restaurant’s revised hours are 4-8 pm for pickup and delivery, limited menu; 805-969-7520; www.pierrelafond.com Oliver’s: Open for curbside pickup and take out, 5-8 pm, Tuesday-Sunday; 805-969-0834; or delivery via doordash.com Pane e Vino: Take out and delivery; 805-969-9274; doordash.com Sakana Sushi Bar: Regular hours; 805-565-2014 San Ysidro Ranch: Currently open and taking reservations until further notice. Dining for guests in-room only. 805-565-1700; www.sanysidroranch.com Tre Lune: Offering curbside pickup 11:30 am to 8 pm or delivery through restaurantconnectionsb.com; 805-969-2646; trelunesb.com Via Vai: Take out only from 11:30 am-2:30 pm and 4:30-8:30 pm; 805-565-9393; doordash.com Village Cheese & Wine Shop: Open for take out and curbside pickup: 805969-3815; villagecheeseandwine.com •MJ
Jack’s Weekly Forecast by Jack Martin
After a week’s worth of most-welcome rain, sunny skies will return by Friday. The weekend should be sunny and dry. The excellent news is that, for the month, we have seen great rain totals for Montecito’s hills – almost 10 inches – and in the last 10 days alone, we have seen almost six inches in Montecito. This has put Gibraltar over 100 percent and is spilling into Cachuma Lake. Jameson is over 90 percent and will likely spill soon. As we take this change in our daily lives one day at a time, let’s spread some positive news with everyone. Enjoy! •MJ
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
“Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.” – Mae Jemison
26 March – 2 April 2020
Village Voice by Douglas Barden Margerum Doug Margerum found his passion for wine as a teenager in the caves of Clos des Papes on a family vacation. Twenty-five years later, Doug chose to follow his passion to make wine and he established Margerum Wine Company in 2001. He lives in Montecito with his wife, Marni, and their dog, Chloé.
Wine Forever
I
’m hoping you know my wines. I suspect many Montecitans know Marni and I as participating residents. I have been involved in the wine scene as a retailer, restaurateur, and now as a full-time vintner for some 38 years. I am the producer of Margerum and Barden wines and a consultant for many other wineries as well. I reported on the goings-on in the wine industry, wine trivia, little-known facts, gossip, and intrigue for the Santa Barbara News-Press for many years, many years ago. Most all businesses have been hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic and the wine industry has taken a turn for the worse as many of our restaurant and retail customers have suffered. It’s a new game. The wine industry is not a shortterm business. We make wine once a year – most other alcoholic beverages are mass produced year around.
26 March – 2 April 2020
This is the beauty of wine, that each year there are a whole new set of experiences with each new vintage. Vineyards take years to develop and our best wines take many years to age and improve in barrel and bottle – the wine business is the antithesis of long-term. In my life I’ll get perhaps thirty chances to produce my wines – I did start a little later in life. I do plan to continue for a while. But, as my close friend Richard Sanford told me recently… winemakers don’t retire, we just die. So, my hope here is that the pandemic is a short-term event as I want to continue. We are all adapting, Margerum and Barden encourage customers to buy our wines online, take advantage of our free delivery or use the curbside pickup option to get wine from our Santa Barbara Tasting Room at the Hotel Californian. Our website has offers like never before – there is no better time to brighten your or some-
one’s day than to share the bounty of Santa Barbara County wines with friends and family to be enjoyed in the future at the table with favorite foods. Many of our retail partners continue to sell and support our brand. The best news is that the California Alcoholic Beverage Control has recently changed their regulations allowing restaurants to sell wine along with their to go orders. We love our Montecito restaurants and if you’re getting food to go like we are… just imagine a bottle of Margerum M5 Red with the fantastic Lucky Burger, add on a bottle of Margerum Sybarite Sauvignon Blanc with Cava’s Halibut Veracruzano, savor a bottle of Margerum Riviera Rosé as it is perfect with the Ahi Tuna With Shiitake Ponzu to go from Honor Bar, or as a refreshing complement to Los Arroyos’ Maria’s Enchiladas or
• The Voice of the Village •
try the rare and wonderful Barden Fonte with the Orata Mediterranea from Pane e Vino. Be assured you’ll be getting a great wine, as Margerum and Barden use only the highest quality estate and purchased grapes so that we can make wines that are indicative of the place where they are grown. We strive to make wines naturally, to make wines that have individual characteristics and to make wines with personality. The scale of production is kept at a level where we can touch and know the wine as it is raised to the bottle – the antithesis of mass production – old world techniques in the new world. We use lees and the CO2 from fermentation as antioxidants rather than excessive use of sulfur. We farm organically and sustainably – we are good stewards of the land. We love making wine, growing grapes, and working with inspired vineyard owners. Visit our websites to learn more about the variety of different wines we produce: margerumwines.com and bardenwines.com. Don’t feel guilty, buy as much as you want, we’ll make more. Rest easy that they’ll age and reward you for years to come – we have a longterm vision, and these are long-term wines. •MJ
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Spirituality Matters
similar skill set – coaching and songwriting in assisting other artists, which was my specialty, what I was groomed to do. You ask open-ended questions and support them in a safe container where they’re allowed to be vulnerable and share what they’re feeling. Then they identify those feelings and put words to it.” (For details and more information, visit www.meetup.com/HorseConnection or www.skyhouselc.com.)
by Steven Libowitz “Spirituality Matters” highlights two or three Santa Barbara area spiritual gatherings. Unusual themes and events with that something extra, especially newer ones looking for a boost in attendance, receive special attention. For consideration for inclusion in this column, email slibowitz@yahoo.com.
Horse Sense for Healing
R
ebekah Powell grew up outside of Nashville, aka Music City, USA, where her family’s business, not surprisingly, was songwriting. Her father, Monte Powell, was a longtime collaborator with Keith Urban, and other artists who recorded his songs include Tracy Byrd, Billy Ray Cyrus, Tim McGraw, Collin Raye, and Restless Heart. Rebekah’s older sister, Suzannah Powell, has a thriving career as an experimental rap-cabaret artist named Boyfriend. Rebekah’s biggest passion as a kid was writing songs and then going outside to sit with the horses and sing. “I came by my delusions of grandeur naturally,” Powell recalled recently. “I figured I’d go make a ton of money as a musician and songwriter right away and then maybe become a therapist.” When she got her first publishing deal, Rebekah relocated to Los Angeles, the West Coast’s hub for songwriters, but that’s where things went a bit awry, she said. “The music industry here is a lot more unwieldy than in Nashville, just brutal compared to what I was used to,” she said. “I hit a wall. I just started feeling so lost and depressed, wondering what would get me home, feeling like myself again.” That’s when her other side of her childhood pastime proved valuable – spending time with horses. After volunteering at an assisted equine therapy center, she heard about equine assisted therapy. Within minutes, she knew she’d not only found her own healing, but also a new purpose in life. “In that first session, my life was so changed by the interaction with the horses. It brought back the strong connection that I’d felt as a child. Growing up, I would go out and sit with the horses and soak up their sense of presence and peace in the herd. It was a real medicine for me as a child.” Powell received a clear lesson in that first equine therapy session, when the horse she chose to connect with and to take for a walk refused to budge no matter how hard she tried. “I was just pulling and tugging, just trying to get movement. Then I just suddenly lost it and burst into tears because it was just how I felt in my life.” The therapists asked her where she was feeling so stuck in her own life, and hearing that she didn’t know where to go with the songwriting, they asked if she had a destination in mind when she tried to get the horse to walk with her.
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“I realized that I hadn’t, just like in my life. As soon as I picked out a spot to walk to, the horse immediately began to walk with me,” she recalled. “I’d done a lot of talk therapy as a client, which was extremely supportive, but this physical experience of feeling the pattern play out with another creature and then being able to transform that energy with a horse that can’t lie about it – I knew it was the work I wanted to do in the world.” Fast forward a few years, and Powell is now a certified Equus Coach through the Koelle Institute for Equus Coaching, sees clients in Los Angeles, and has an ongoing apprenticeship with accomplished horse trainer Nicolette Birnie of Wild to Willing Horsemanship in Santa Ynez. The appeal and value for her clients is the same as it was for her in that first therapeutic encounter. “Because the horses are prey animals, they’ve evolved to communicate silently, so they can pick up on our energy and emotions and show us the patterns that are playing out in our lives,” she explained. “Any horse has that reflective ability. It’s how they’re wired. You get in an enclosure with a horse, whatever patterns are happening with your life will play out with the horse, usually pretty quickly. They’re always attuned.” Earlier this year, Powell founded “Connect with Horses, Connect with Yourself,” a Meetup group created to guide groups in observing and interacting with gentled mustangs and other herd horses. The first gathering in Santa Ynez took place just last month. But with social distancing due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, the Meetup and much of her work has moved online. An introductory session on Zoom last weekend drew more than a dozen participants to practice meditation, a breathing exercise, checking in with each other, and then watching videos of Powell amid the horses in a paddock and discussing what intuitively came up. “My intent is to use my gifts and expertise to support my community at this time,” she explained. “The work I do with the horses is about coming home to your true nature because the most effective way to feel peaceful and present and supported by the universe is to connect with nature, however that looks. The horses are an amazing partner. Since we can’t go outside and be with them now, we can go online
Certified Equus Coach Rebekah Powell hosts a virtual meditation gathering on Sunday, March 22
and gather and check in with our own bodies, which also have a tremendous amount of wisdom that we’ve been socialized to ignore. Creating a practice of getting back in touch with the wisdom of your own true nature, and then to spend time with the horses on the videos and talk about how they show up in the world, we can use them as a metaphor for how we might be different, too.” Powell has planned another free “Presence & Peace Virtual Herd Meditation” gathering for this Sunday, March 29, at 1 pm on Zoom, where she’ll once again be drawing on the wisdom of horses to lead the “herd” in a guided meditation on presence, and offer coaching tools to help participants get grounded when anxieties arise. “It was great to attune to the energy of the horses and experience media differently from just watching a YouTube video, to lean in and experience the energy of what was happening in that scene. I’m excited to continue because I have a ton of content we can explore online.” Powell also plans to rejigger what was to be an in-person, on-site threemonth program into a 90-day virtual visit with the horses and deeper dive into life coaching. The “Peace and Presence” program, slated to start in April, will consist of weekly group gatherings plus one-on-one coaching to explore what’s available during this time of social distancing. “A lot of people are in fear, or confused or stuck. But this time is also an amazing opportunity to get in touch with what we really value and need. I want to support people in making the most of this time and getting in touch with the inner peace and stillness to make decisions to make the most of their lives when things return to normal.” Meanwhile, Powell’s own earlier dreams have been coming true for a while, as her songwriting career and a collaborative coach has blossomed. “Once I stepped away from the music industry and was on my right path, listening to my internal wisdom and checking in with nature, I got a lot of success in the U.K., a sort of funny wink from the universe… But it’s a
More Meetups in Motion
Santa Barbara Spiritual Growth Meetup Group founder Kelsey Cordle doesn’t want to let the novel coronavirus curtail connection any more than necessary. So, she writes, “In light of what’s going on in the world, I’d love for us all to still ‘get together’ virtually.” Among the possibilities on the menu for the gathering over Zoom are meditation, breathwork, Tarot and other “card pulls,” prompts for journal writing, and just good, old-fashioned chatting and connecting. Be sure to RSVP for 1 pm Meetup on Friday, March 27, at www.meetup.com/SantaBarbara-Spiritual-Growth-MeetupGroup/events to receive the link to the Zoom call for the free event. Minette Riordan’s similarly sisters-oriented Art Journaling & Collage Playshops is also migrating to Zoom for a special free three-hour event on Sunday, March 29, called “Spring Cleaning for Your Spirit.” Join the creative sisterhood for a morning of inquiry, play, connection and creativity – a spring cleaning for your internal garden that might make use of some weeding and planting of fresh flowers. The playshop offers a feminine, sacred path to transforming your inner life and your business through creative play in a safe space with other women on a similar entrepreneurial journey. The intention is that by the end of the 10 am to 1 pm event you will be feeling inspired, refreshed, excited, and impressed with yourself and your creativity. No creative or artistic skills needed, just an open mind and an open heart. Riordan will provide a pdf of the workbook and list of things to have on hand. Visit www.meetup. com/art-journaling-collage.
Authentic Relating Games (Virtual Edition)
Carpinteria resident Damian Gallagher has been hosting Authentic Relating Games in person at Yoga Soup for more than a year, eager to share his practice and expertise in the relational field with the local community. By his own accord, AR games have allowed him to push his edges and find deeper and more meaningful ways to connect with himself and others. Now, Gallagher, who in normal times teaches 26 March – 2 April 2020
yoga and sound healing and facilitates breathwork, meditation and sound healing workshops, and conducts private sessions, is moving the practice online to Zoom. The intention for the as-of-now eight-event experiment is to host the games every Sunday and Thursday evening through April 16. At last week’s kickoff, about a dozen of us – all locals – played such games as Anybody Else (you share something true about yourself, then ask if it’s true for anyone else too), The Google Game (a round-robin in which one person at a time is asked what we might find if we Googled you and [fill in the blank]). Anyone interested is invited to join, even if you’ve never attended ARG nights in person. All you need to bring is your presence, awareness, and curiosity to explore via interactive experiences themes such as Relational Attunement, Projection, Ownership Language, Desire, Grief, Play, Connection, Vulnerability, and Fear, plus a willingness to show up as yourself, honor yourself, and honor others. (Don’t worry if you’re not sure what that means; Gallagher is happy to explain.) The events have a suggested donation of $5, but it’s purely voluntary, and the 7-9 pm evenings begin with a 15-minute “dance party” at 6:45 pm. Visit www.facebook.com/ AuthenticRelatingSantaBarbara for details and Zoom link.
A (Virtual) Kiss from a Rose
Santa Barbara healer-dancer-actress Teagan Rose’s mission is to support people in connecting more deeply to their sense of home in their body, to their truth, and to their primal creativity. Her Embodiment and Voice Activation sessions and workshops specialize in emotional liberation and integration, self-love and self-understanding, energetic balancing and clearing, embodied trauma release, and cultivation of creative life force energy. Of course, like everyone else in this era, Teagan has had to migrate online to continue her offerings. During this time of collective uncertainty, she is catering the Embodiment for Health virtual workshop, hosted by PratyAgati Embodiment, towards grounding the body, calming the mind, and integrating the spirit. Teagan will guide Zoom participants in voice activation techniques for grounding, energetic clearing, and emotional integration, and offer embodied movement techniques for presence and self-love and as a form of medicine. The intention is for everyone to gain a better understanding of the emotional and energetic qualities of these modalities and to leave with connection to community and self, and having enjoyed a powerful shared experience to carry 26 March – 2 April 2020
into the rest of the day. The event, slated for 10:30 am on Saturday, March 28, has a suggested donation of $12, but all are welcome regardless of available funds. Register at www.teagan-rose.com/contact to receive the Zoom link.
SDI for SBI
Alan Wallace – the founder and director of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies and the motivating force behind the development of the Center for Contemplative Research in Tuscany, Italy – returned stateside due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is spending time in a remote cabin in Colorado for the now-in-progress Contemplative Path Through The Crisis: Inter-Contemplative Dialogues taking place in France. Wallace, Benedictine monk Laurence Freeman, and Eva Natanya – “Buddhist and Christian Friends Serving Peace by Seeking Truth” – are conducting the dialogues and meditations representing different traditions, long personal practices and a common love for unity among all sources of wisdom. The events – which are being offered as a “way for us all to stay centered in the peace of the good heart, which is our common humanity, and the best source of hope for our turbulent world” come to a close on Saturday, March 28. Each of the transmissions has (or will be) recorded and several have already been posted online as a “free will offering” at www.wccm.org/content/ contemplative-path-through-crisis-inter-contemplative-dialogues. Wallace is also staying stateside for SBI’s annual eight-week spring retreat, intended to take place in Italy but now located on live stream for the April 1-May 27 duration that focuses on the opening presentations of śamatha and vipaśyanā in Düdjom Lingpa’s classic Dzogchen text “The Vajra Essence: From the Matrix of Pure Appearances and Primordial Consciousness, a Self-Emergent Tantra of the Nature of Existence.” Visit www.sbinstitute. com/product/2020-8-week-retreat-audio-stream-registration for details and registration for the podcasts.
Buddhism Online Breakdown
All of Santa Barbara Buddhist Meditation’s in-person gatherings are on hiatus during the crisis with COVID-19, but at least the Tuesday Night Mindfulness Group has moved online. The evenings, that usually took place at Purnamaya Ayurveda & Sound Healing Center in Ventura and included a Dharma talk, sitting meditation and the opportunity to practice other mindfulness-building activities with occasional guest speakers, now takes place 7-7:30 pm weekly over Zoom at https://us04web.zoom.
us/j/443644980. Visit www.meetup.com/Santa-Barbara-BuddhistMeditation/events for details. Bodhi Path Santa Barbara’s bountiful online offerings, which also feature Sangha-led meditation on Tuesday evenings, has a few recorded sessions specifically addressing the pandemic available. Dharma teacher Tsony posted a brief video teaching focusing on current events from a Buddhist perspective, the first of a planned weekly diary, at http://bodhipath. org/tsony-videos, while Karmapa has created two videos giving guidance on the Chenrezig practice and a teaching on “Change, Karma and COVID19,” available at www.karmapa.org/ chenresig-karma-change-covid-teaching. Meanwhile, some Bodhi Path teachers in North America are offering online courses for their students through GroupSpaces, some of which are already underway, including classes by Santa Barbara’s own resident teacher Dawa Tarchin Phillips, and another by Khaydroup. Visit http:// groupspaces.com/BodhiPathOnline.
Somatics In Cyberspace
Dharma Body’s Tuesday and Thursday in-person Somatic Meditations at its yurt temple atop Mission Canyon – which some call the “space ship” – and downtown at Yoga Soup have been put on hold in favor of virtual online meditations beginning this week. Now the space ship will come to you, leaders Timothy Tillman and Laura Towne suggest. “And remember: encased within flesh and bones we all have access to our own ship of space, a way and a place to access universal love within our own bodies and breath.” The opportunity to participate in virtual social cohesion in a time of physical social distancing, helping to counter the collective fear and chaos, takes place at 7 and 8 am on Tuesdays, and 7:45 am on Thursdays as a community event offered by donation (suggested amount of $15). All are welcome, no experience is necessary. Email info@ inspriatia.org for the Zoom link or to ask questions.
Meet Your Voice
Holistic Health and Lifestyle Coach, yoga teacher and “Eat Here Now” author Britta Gudmunson, aka Britta GreenViolet, has long been using song to cultivate healing, confidence, and connection. She’s a song leader and co-founder of the inCourage Chorus, the low-stress, joy-filled non-audition community choir that has iterations at Yoga Soup and the Somatic Sanctuary in Ojai. So when she says that holding an online voice workshop makes sense during the coronavirus crisis, she’s not doing something akin to a
• The Voice of the Village •
string quartet playing “Nearer My God to Thee” on the deck of the sinking Titanic. Indeed, she says, vocalizing can serve as an antidote to anxiety. “Singing is one of the best prescriptions I know of to boost your confidence, calm your nervous system, unblock your creativity, deepen your connection to the essence of life itself and to the life force in your own body,” she says on the invitation to join Meet Your Voice, which has two separate classes, 5 pm this Thursday, March 26, and 10 am on Friday, March 27. Participants will learn two simple exercises to ease into the foundations of singing and to start befriending your voice in a non-scary, non-judgmental environment; discover the awesome power of your singing voice to heal emotional, mental, and physical wounds, making you a happier, healthier human, from the inside out; and learn how singing can seriously uplevel your confidence and creativity, even if you think you’re a bad singer. Visit www.brittagreenviolet.com/ meetyourvoice to preregister. Britta is also regularly posting on Facebook and Instagram and creating Facebook Live videos daily at www. facebook.com/britta.gudmunson. And the Ojai version of the inCourage Chorus is still meeting, albeit virtually, from 7-8:30 pm on Tuesday evenings. Single drop-in sessions are available on Zoom.
Somatically Streaming
Speaking of Somatic Sanctuary, the somatic-based healing and movement arts center in Ojai has migrated much of its offerings to live streaming, including several classes per with Meredith Sands Keator and Sultana Parvanta in Somatic Stretch for Self-Healing and Awareness Through Movement sessions with Mary Jo Healy and guest teacher Shivani Jane. A special Monthly Aura Clearing Women’s Circle led by Mirah Love takes place on Saturday, March 28, while Teja Anand offers “How We Awaken: an introduction to Meditation” on Wednesdays, April 1-29. Visit http:// somaticsanctuary.com/calendar for the schedule and to register to receive the Zoom link.
Outreach for the Over-50 Set
Santa Barbara’s Center for Successful Aging wants to help combat the loneliness and isolation caused by COVID-19. So the center is extending its CareLine Telephone Reassurance Program as a free service to anyone 50 years and older, ensuring that one of its volunteers will call you every day (or on any schedule that you prefer) to check on your well-being. Call the Center at (805) 898-8080 to enroll, or visit www.csasb.org. •MJ MONTECITO JOURNAL
35
Living in the Age of Social Solidarity The New Reality
by Mitchell Kriegman
One805 supports first responders and collects supplies for healthcare workers on the front line
S
Dawnielle Brownell, Angela Binetti Schmidt, and Shannon Garton of One805
ocial distancing, physical distancing, not emotional distancing is what the experts are advising. But it’s counterintuitive in our experience to care for one another by staying away from one another. The conundrum tears at the very fabric of society, culture, and resonates against our animal instincts to huddle close in emergencies. Livin’ La Vida Soledad isn’t easy. As the virus spreads with 24 cases at last count this week in Santa Barbara County, the people of Montecito and Santa Barbara are adapting quickly as the virus interacts with our social institutions and behaviors. The new reality raises the question, as Ezra Klein has written in a recent essay, “Can social trust and solidarity replicate faster than the virus?” Social distance sounds like a punishment akin to solitary confinement. Meanwhile we’re being called on to take actions for the sake of the greater good that aren’t always straightforward. To assume we’re asymptomatic as a way to rationalize the requisite six feet between us maybe a good rule of thumb and even true, but it’s worse-case scenario logic. While many twist themselves into linguistic knots to rationalize the need to stave off the worst possibilities of the coronavirus pandemic, it seems that there’s a simple concept that explains it all. Social solidarity.
Social Solidarity Today
Social solidarity isn’t something new. Social solidarity is why we keep our kids home from school when they are sick. Although only a percentage of Americans are old or fragile, we all know and love someone in those categories, and social solidarity is what compels us to knock on the door of an older neighbor to see if they’re okay. It permits us to sacrifice for each other. It’s even why at four-way stop signs in Santa Barbara people sit in their cars and keep waving each other to go first. Montecito and Santa Barbara have a long-storied history of serious social solidarity. It’s a matter of survival and pride that our communities have endured earthquakes, oil spills, fires, droughts, and mudslides. And now a pandemic. Each catastrophic event has made the community stronger with those that “have” helping those that “haven’t,” banding together to dig each other out of tragedy and even manage to lift our spirits and celebrate with a festival, a fundraiser, or a concert in the process. Not every community wears its social solidarity on its sleeve the way ours does. This is a community where first responders are revered and lauded even showered with gifts on occasions of survival, many communities could learn from our experience. So, in the time of this coronavirus that has upended lives around the world, where we have to quarantine and maintain social distance, the concept of social solidarity makes simple direct understandable sense of it all. Santa Barbara is as known for its charities and nonprofits as much as for its wine and weather. Montecito is known as much for its standard of giving as its standard of living. Social solidarity is our forte.
36 MONTECITO JOURNAL
Organizations Mobilizing
In this time of crisis, organizations like AHA!, the Bucket Brigade, One805 and more have already gathered their resources and regrouped to help. Even our institutions, banks and hospitals have recommitted themselves to join the fray. New paradigms of sharing, collaboration, and working together are being forged every day. New practices and protocols are being instituted to meet this unusual situation, sometimes solving old problems, while addressing the new. Many of these new practices will continue on long after the dreaded virus has moved on. Over the next weeks the Montecito Journal will highlight many of these institutions, companies, groups and, most of all, the pivotal people who have put a stake in the ground to help, to organize and to express their social solidarity in the most clear straight forward uncomplicated way as possible in these complicated times.
The Timely Work of One805
This week we’ll focus on One805, a group that sprung out of a celebration of first responders and their heroic efforts in the mudslides of 2018. The mandate and mission of One805 is compelling and simple – to care and help those who care and help all of us. Angela Binetti Schmidt is the voluble new executive director of the recently organized One805 501C that was born of the largest nonprofit event in Santa Barbara history – the Kick Ash Bash, which was fittingly a concert, a celebration, and a massive act of healing and appreciation for all the First Responders and their families who came to the rescue so many people in the Montecito debris flow. A UCSB graduate with over fourteen years’ experience in the nonprofit sector, Angela is a passionate voice for the need to care for the people who care for us – the First Responders and in this current crisis, the Second Responders as well.
The Hospitals are on The Front Lines
We think of the police, firefighters, and ambulance drivers as our first line of defense and the hospital and its doctors and nurses and other workers as our second line of defense. But in this time of the coronavirus, it’s our doctors and nurses who are on the front lines risking their lives every day to care for the community. It has become urgent front and center that the public understand this reversal and that we all support in our actions, especially the current order to social distance, and donations, masks, and other PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), the hospitals and hospital workers throughout Santa Barbara County. Our health and
AGE OF SOCIAL SOLIDARITY Page 414
26 March – 2 April 2020
Top Docs by Mitchell Kriegman
Cottage ER Doc, Dr. Prystowsky Lays It on the Line
O
n March 18, 2020, Dr. Jason J. Prystowsky, the ER Doctor at Cottage Hospital, gave a webinar talk to over a thousand participants including first responders, hospital workers, and support staff to update everyone on the coronavirus from the ER perspective. Emergency Rooms all over the country are getting slammed by every variation of concern about health issues and the coronavirus. A drastic lack of testing and general information in the public has made ER rooms even more intense than ever as it comes on top of other regular ER services. He covered the status of the virus, preparations, and procedures. As Dr. Jason J. Prystowsky we all know the situation has continued to change exponentially. With a keen sense of humor and humanity, Dr. P managed to deliver the entire presentation from home with a little good-humored prompting from his wife in the background to be succinct. Although his presentation was only a week ago, this is a fast-moving story and events have continued to move very quickly. However, there were a number of aspects to the presentation that resonated the perception and social issues that have overwhelmed the public and hospital workers. He did his best to dispel those misperceptions. We in Healthcare are at High Risk of Getting this Dr. Prystowsky: A lot of people are saying, this isn’t going to affect me. I’m young and healthy. 0% mortality for young and healthy people. Well we in healthcare are high risk of getting this. When you look at the China data, before they knew that there was a big outbreak, 63% of healthcare workers caught it. People are recovering from this. And I just want to say this is not, you know, World War Z. This is not the zombie apocalypse. When someone coughs on you, you’re not going to turn into a zombie thirty seconds later and start eating someone’s brain. People are recovering, but this is impacting us. Should you prescribe Tylenol or ibuprofen? The data is limited that said Tylenol may be better. I’ve seen the science and there’s some experts out there that think Tylenol is better, but we don’t have good data. So maybe now Tylenol is better. “So Here’s A Public Service Announcement: Don’t Be Racist.” Dr. Prystowsky: Start planning appropriately for social distancing and do it in a really calm, respectful way. Hate crimes are going up globally. When I first heard about how this was impacting our Asian American community one of my students came to me and said how scared she was and how she was getting bullied. So, here’s a public service announcement: don’t be racist. Just don’t be racist. If you see people being racist, tell them to stop because this virus doesn’t care what color skin you have or what language you speak or what your political affiliation is. It does care how old you are and what your comorbidities are. Frightened, selfish, misinformed people can be much more dangerous than this virus. So please do your part to spread good, reliable information. Communities that can do this Together are Going to do Better Dr. Prystowsky: We need to do it together as a community because communities that can do this together are going to do better… In public health, we use this principle called “harm reduction.” You can’t eliminate risk. What you can do is make it less risky. Airbags and seat belts do not prevent automobile deaths, but it’s better to have airbags and seat belts because they reduce harm. Social distance will not eliminate the spread, but it’s better to do it than to not. We’re engaged in it in a group collective harm reduction strategy. And we need to do it together as a community because communities that can do this together are going to do better. And communities that are every person 26 March – 2 April 2020
SAVE YOUR PIPES, DON’T FLUSH WIPES!
“Flushable” and disinfectant wipes and similar products can clog the machinery in our treatment plant, clog your household pipes, and cause a mainline backup or sewer overflow on your property. Please dispose of all wipes and similar products in the trash. More information on this topic can be found here: https://casaweb.org/wipes/. The Montecito Sanitary District remains committed to protecting your health and the environment by safely collecting, treating and disposing of Montecito’s wastewater. Although the District business office is closed, District staff continues to operate the system with the highest level of service and professionalism, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have any questions, please contact the District’s General Manager Diane Gabriel (dgabriel@montsan.org), or visit our website: www.montsan.org.
PROTECTING YOUR HEALTH AND THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT for themselves. So, if you take home a 95 (mask) a year, you could potentially be taking it away from someone who needs it to do their job. And that’s it’s important for me to get that message across. 95 is not going to keep you safe, you staying home is going to keep you safe. But our first responders, our healthcare personnel need this personal protective equipment to do our job and there’s an international shortage of them. So please don’t steal them. You know, we got this, we’re Santa Barbara. We had the Thomas Fire. We had the debris flow. We come together when our community needs us, and we will continue to come together, and we will prevail. •MJ
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
37
NOTICE INVITING BIDS
ORDINANCE NO. 5939
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport Northeast Apron and Taxilane Reconstruction – Phase 2
AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
Bid No. 3993
SANTA BARBARA AMENDING TITLE 9, CHAPTER 9.128 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE BY THE AMENDMENT OF
1.
Bid Submission. The City of Santa Barbara (“City”) will accept sealed bids for its NORTHEAST APRON AND TAXILANE RECONSTRUCTION - PHASE 2 Project (“Project”), by or before Thursday, April 23, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. 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.
2.
Project Information.
SECTIONS 9.128.010 AND 9.128.020 RELATING TO PAYMENT OF MANDATORY MINIMUM WAGE BY CITY SERVICE CONTRACTORS The above captioned ordinance was adopted at a regular meeting of the Santa Barbara City Council held on March 17,
2.1 Location and Description. The Project is located at Santa Barbara Municipal Airport 500 James Fowler Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, and is described as follows: BASE BID – WORK AREA 1:
2020.
1)
The publication of this ordinance is made pursuant to the provisions of Section 512 of the Santa Barbara City Charter as amended, and the original ordinance in its entirety may be obtained at the City Clerk's Office, City Hall, Santa Barbara, California.
2)
(Seal) /s/ Sarah Gorman, CMC City Clerk Services Manager
a)
Asphalt Concrete Removal
b)
Unclassified Excavation and Subgrade Preparation
c)
Cement Treatment of Subgrade
d)
Crushed Aggregate Base Course Construction
e)
Asphalt Concrete Construction
f)
Pavement Shoulder Construction
Asphalt Concrete Mill-and-Fill in close Proximity to the Hangar Building (Approximately 170 square yards) a)
Pavement Pulverization/Milling
b)
Asphalt Concrete Construction
BID ALTERNATE – WORK AREA 2: 1)
ORDINANCE NO. 5939 ) ) COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA ) ss. ) CITY OF SANTA BARBARA )
Reconstruction of Hangar Area 14 (Approximately 11,500 square yards)
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
2)
Reconstruction of Southside Area and Taxilane D (Approximately 9,800 square yards) a)
Asphalt Concrete Removal
b)
Unclassified Excavation and Subgrade Preparation
c)
Cement Treatment of Subgrade
d)
Crushed Aggregate Base Course Construction
e)
Valley Gutter Construction
f)
Asphalt Concrete Construction
g)
Pavement Shoulder Construction Pavement Marking Application
Asphalt Concrete Mill-and-Fill in Close Proximity to the Hangar Building (Approximately 700 square yards) a)
Pavement Pulverization/Milling
b)
Asphalt Concrete Construction
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing ordinance was introduced on March 3, 2020, and was
3)
adopted by the Council of the City of Santa Barbara at a meeting held on March 17, 2020, by the following roll call vote: AYES:
Councilmembers Eric Friedman, Alejandra Gutierrez, Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Mike Jordan, Kristen W. Sneddon; Mayor Cathy Murillo
Electrical Improvements a)
Relocation of Taxiway Edge Lights
b)
Replacement of Conduit and Conductor
c)
Relocation of Lighted Airfield Sign
2.2 Time for Completion. The Project must be completed as specified in the table below, from the start date set forth in the Notice to Proceed.
2.3
Contract Award
Mobilization Element
Construction Element
Total
Base Bid Only
25 Working Days
40 Working Days
65 Working Days
Base Bid and Bid Alternate
25 Working Days
60 Working Days
85 Working Days
Estimated Cost. The estimated construction cost is as follows:
NOES:
None
Base Bid - $1,430,210.00
ABSENT:
None
Bid Alternate - $1,270,955.00
ABSTENTIONS:
None
Total Base Bid & Bid Alternate - $2,701.165.00 The basis of award will be on the lowest responsive and responsible bid amount for the Base Bid only.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my
2.4
hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Santa Barbara
Federally Funded Project. The majority of this project is funded under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP). Contractor(s) will be required to comply with specific federal contract provisions as listed herein and contained in the Bid Documents.
on March 18, 2020.
(1)
NOTICE OF REQUIREMENT FOR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION to ENSURE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The Offeror’s or Bidder’s attention is called to the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Construction Contract Specifications” set forth herein.
/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, CMC City Clerk Services Manager I HEREBY APPROVE the foregoing ordinance
The goals and timetables for minority and female participation, expressed in percentage terms for the Contractor’s aggregate workforce in each trade on all construction work in the covered area, are as follows: Timetables Goals for minority participation for each trade: 19.7% Goals for female participation in each trade:
6.9%
These goals are applicable to all of the Contractor’s construction work (whether or not it is Federal or federally assisted) performed in the covered area. If the Contractor performs construction work in a geographical area located outside of the covered area, it shall apply the goals established for such geographical area where the work is actually performed. With regard to this second area, the Contractor also is subject to the goals for both its federally involved and non-federally involved construction.
on March 18, 2020.
/s/ Cathy Murillo Mayor Published March 25, 2020 Montecito Journal FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Stretchlab Montecito, 1046 Coast Village Road, Suite E, Montecito, CA 93108. Next Gen Wellness, LLC, 3913 La Colina Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93110. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 27, 2020. 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), filed by Maria F. Sanchez. FBN No. 2020-0000645. Published March 25, April 1, 8, 15, 2020. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Ur-
ban-Equestrian, 813 E Anapamu St. Apt 2C, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Joel A Chauran, 813 E Anapamu St. Apt 2C, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 5, 2020. 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), filed by Maria F. Sanchez. FBN No. 2020-0000719. Published March 18, 25, April 1, 8, 2020. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HOMES805 INC Trust Account, 1187 Coast Village Road #187, Santa Barba-
38 MONTECITO JOURNAL
The Contractor’s compliance with the Executive Order and the regulations in 41 CFR Part 60-4 shall be based on its implementation of the Equal Opportunity Clause, specific affirmative action obligations required by the specifications set forth in 41 CFR 60-4.3(a) and its efforts to meet the goals. The hours of minority and female employment and training must be substantially uniform throughout the length of the contract, and in each trade, and the Contractor shall make a good faith effort to employ minorities and women evenly on each of its projects. The transfer of minority or female employees or trainees from Contractor to Contractor or from project to project for the sole purpose of meeting the Contractor’s goals shall be a violation of the contract, the Executive Order and the regulations in 41 CFR Part 60-4. Compliance with the goals will be measured against the total work hours performed. The Contractor shall provide written notification to the Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) within 10 working days of award of any construction subcontract in excess of $10,000 at any tier for construction work under the contract resulting from this solicitation. The notification shall list the name, address, and telephone number of the subcontractor; employer identification number of the subcontractor; estimated dollar amount of the subcontract; estimated starting and completion dates of the subcontract; and the geographical area in which the subcontract is to be performed. (a) As used in this notice and in the contract resulting from this solicitation, the “covered area” is City of Santa Barbara, City of Goleta, County of Santa Barbara, State of California. (2)
CIVIL RIGHTS – TITLE VI ASSURANCE
ra, CA 93108. HOMES805 INC, 1187 Coast Village Road #187, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 12, 2020. 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), filed by Ma-
ria F. Sanchez. FBN No. 2020-0000791. Published March 18, 25, April 1, 8, 2020. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Blue.Studio Landscape Architecture, 1203 Diane Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Guillermo Gonzalez, 1203 Diane Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Crista Lee Sanders, 301
Oliver Rd., Santa Barbara, CA 93109. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 19, 2020. 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), filed by John Beck. FBN No. 2020-0000546. Published March 18, 25, April 1, 8, 2020.
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Nava Gaby Cleaning, 44 Portola Ln, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. Jaime Nava, 44 Portola Ln, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 9, 2020. This statement expires five years
26 March – 2 April 2020
The CITY OF SANTA BARBARA, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 USC §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders or offerors that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award. (3) DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DBE) A DBE Goal of 2% has been established for this contract.
ORDINANCE NO. 5940 AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE AIRPORT
The Owner’s award of this contract is conditioned upon Bidder or Offeror satisfying the good faith effort requirements of 49 CFR §26.53. The successful Bidder or Offeror must provide written confirmation of participation from each of the DBE firms the Bidder or Offeror lists in its commitment within five days after bid opening. (a) The names and addresses of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms that will participate in the contract; (b) A description of the work that each DBE firm will perform; (c) The dollar amount of the participation of each DBE firm listed under (1) (d) Written statement from Bidder or Offeror that attests their commitment to use the DBE firm(s) listed under (1) to meet the Owner’s project goal; and (e) If Bidder or Offeror cannot meet the advertised project DBE goal, evidence of good faith efforts undertaken by the Bidder or Offeror as described in appendix A to 49 CFR part 26. (4) FEDERAL PROVISIONS The following provisions are incorporated herein by reference with the same force and effect as if given in full text: (a) Buy American Preference (Reference: 49 USC § 50101) (b) Civil Rights Title VI (Reference: 49 USC § 47123) (c) Davis Bacon Act (Reference: 2 CFR § 200, Appendix II(D); 29 CFR Part 5) (d) Debarment and Suspension (Reference: 2 CFR part 180 (Subpart C); 2 CFR part 1200; and DOT Order 4200.5 ) (e) Disadvantage Business Enterprise (Reference: 49CFR Part 26) (f) Trade Restriction Certification (Reference: 49 USC § 50104; 49 CFR part 30) (g) Lobbying and Influencing Federal Employees (Reference: 31 USC § 1352 – Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment; 2 CFR part 200, Appendix II(J); and 49 CFR part 20, Appendix A) (h) Procurement of Recovered Materials (Reference: 2 CFR § 200.322; 40 CFR part 247; and Solid Waste Disposal Act)
DIRECTOR
TO
EXECUTE
A
LEASE
AGREEMENT WITH SKATE ONE CORPORATION, A CALIFORNIA S-CORPORATION, FOR APPROXIMATELY 4,600
SQUARE
FEET
OF
BUILDING
SPACE
AND
ADJACENT PARKING LOT SPACE AT 6100 HOLLISTER AVENUE, BUILDING 5 AT THE SANTA BARBARA AIRPORT FOR A TERM OF TEN YEARS WITH TWO FIVE-YEAR OPTIONS TO EXTEND The above captioned ordinance was adopted at a regular meeting of the Santa Barbara City Council held on March 17, 2020. The publication of this ordinance is made pursuant to the provisions of Section 512 of the Santa Barbara City Charter as amended, and the original ordinance in its entirety may be obtained at the City Clerk's Office, City Hall, Santa Barbara, California.
(See Federal Contract Provisions of the Contract Bid Documents for further details.)
(Seal)
Successful Bidder/Contractor will be required to insert applicable federal contract provisions in all subcontracts and shall be responsible for compliance by subcontractor(s). 3.
/s/ Sarah Gorman, CMC City Clerk Services Manager
License and Registration Requirements. 3.1 License. This Project requires a valid California contractor’s license for the following classification(s): Class A. 3.2 DIR Registration. City may not accept a Bid Proposal from or enter into the Contract with a bidder, without proof that the bidder is registered with the California Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code § 1725.5, subject to limited legal exceptions.
4.
Contract Documents. The plans, specifications, bid forms and contract documents for the Project, and any addenda thereto (“Contract Documents”) may be downloaded from City’s website at: http://www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/ebidboardplanetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=29959. A printed copy of the Contract Documents may be obtained from CyberCopy Shop, located at 504 N. Milpas Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, at (805) 884-6155.
5.
Bid Security. The Bid Proposal must be accompanied by bid security of ten percent (10%) of the maximum bid amount, in the form of a cashier’s or certified check made payable to City, or a bid bond executed by a surety licensed to do business in the State of California on the Bid Bond form included with the Contract Documents. The bid security must guarantee that within ten days after City issues the Notice of Award, the successful bidder will execute the Contract and submit the payment and performance bonds, insurance certificates and endorsements, and any other submittals required by the Contract Documents and as specified in the Notice of Award.
6.
ORDINANCE NO. 5939 STATE OF CALIFORNIA
) ) COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA ) ss. ) CITY OF SANTA BARBARA ) I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing
Prevailing Wage Requirements.
ordinance was introduced on March 10, 2020, and was
6.1 General. Pursuant to California Labor Code § 1720 et seq., this Project is subject to the prevailing wage requirements applicable to the locality in which the Work is to be performed for each craft, classification or type of worker needed to perform the Work, including employer payments for health and welfare, pension, vacation, apprenticeship and similar purposes.
adopted by the Council of the City of Santa Barbara at a
6.2 Rates. These prevailing rates are on file with the City and are available online at http://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSR. Each Contractor and Subcontractor must pay no less than the specified rates to all workers employed to work on the Project. The schedule of per diem wages is based upon a working day of eight hours. The rate for holiday and overtime work must be at least time and one-half.
vote:
meeting held on March 17, 2020, by the following roll call
AYES:
Councilmembers Eric Friedman, Alejandra Gutierrez, Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Mike Jordan, Kristen W. Sneddon; Mayor Cathy Murillo
NOES:
None
ABSENT:
None
Pursuant to Section 1773 of the Labor Code, the general prevailing wage rates in the county in which the work is to be done have been determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations. These wages are set forth in the General Prevailing Wage Rates for this Project, available at the City of Santa Barbara, General Services Manager, Purchasing Office, 310 E. Ortega Street, Santa Barbara, California, and available from the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Internet web site at http://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSR/PWD. Attention is directed to the Federal minimum wage rate requirements in the specifications. If there is a difference between the minimum wage rates predetermined by the Secretary of Labor and the general prevailing wage rates determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations for similar classifications of labor, the Contractor and subcontractors shall pay not less than the higher wage rate. The City of Santa Barbara will not accept lower State wage rates not specifically included in the Federal minimum wage determinations. This includes "helper" (or other classifications based on hours of experience) or any other classification not appearing in the Federal wage determinations. Where Federal wage determinations do not contain the State wage rate determination otherwise available for use by the Contractor and subcontractors, the Contractor and subcontractors shall pay not less than the Federal minimum wage rate, which most closely approximates the duties of the employees in question. Federal wage determinations issued under the Davis-Bacon and related Acts are available electronically at no cost at Wage Determinations OnLine.gov, http://www.wdol.gov/Index.aspx. This is a federally-assisted project and Davis-Bacon (DBRA) requirements will be strictly enforced. The Federal Contract Provisions will be incorporated into the successful bidder’s contract as applicable and are attached hereto as “Special Conditions Part 1 - Federal Contract Provisions for FAA AIP Projects.” Contractors, including all subcontractors and apprentices, must be eligible to participate. Actual prevailing wage rates will be determined as of the bid opening date. If any modifications have been issued to the wage decision, the contractor must adhere to the modified wage decision.
ABSTENTIONS:
hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Santa Barbara on March 18, 2020.
6.3 Compliance. The Contract will be subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the DIR, under Labor Code § 1771.4, and the Federal Contract Requirements for AIP Funded Projects, and the Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular 150-5370-10H. 7.
Performance and Payment Bonds. The successful bidder will be required to provide performance and payment bonds, each for 100% of the Contract Price, as further specified in the Contract Documents.
8.
Substitution of Securities. Substitution of appropriate securities in lieu of retention amounts from progress payments is permitted under Public Contract Code § 22300.
9.
Subcontractor List. Each Subcontractor must be registered with the DIR to perform work on public projects. Each bidder must submit a completed Subcontractor List form with its Bid Proposal, including the name, location of the place of business, California contractor license number, DIR registration number, and percentage of the Work to be performed (based on the base bid price) for each Subcontractor that will perform Work or service or fabricate or install Work for the prime contractor in excess of one-half of 1% of the bid price, using the Subcontractor List form included with the Contract Documents.
10.
Bidders’ Conference. There will be no bidder’s conference
11.
Retention Percentage. The percentage of retention that will be withheld from progress payments is 5%.
12.
Instructions to Bidders. All bidders should carefully review the Instructions to Bidders for more detailed information before submitting a Bid Proposal. The definitions provided in Article 1 of the General Conditions apply to all of the Contract Documents, as defined therein, including this Notice Inviting Bids.
By: ___________________________________ William Hornung, General Services Manager Publication Dates: 1) March 25, 2020
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following per-
26 March – 2 April 2020
I HEREBY APPROVE the foregoing ordinance on March 18, 2020.
/s/ Cathy Murillo Mayor
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), filed by Thomas Brian. FBN No. 2020-0000701. Published March 11, 18, 25, April 1, 2020.
Date: ________________
2) April 1, 2020
son(s) is/are doing business as: Montecito Millworks; Phillips Construction, 623 Chiquita Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Bradley R. Phillips, 623 Chiquita Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 21, 2020. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify
/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, CMC City Clerk Services Manager
Published March 25, 2020 Montecito Journal
END OF NOTICE INVITING BIDS
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), filed by Rachel Becerra. FBN No. 2020-0000749. Published March 11, 18, 25, April 1, 2020.
None
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my
that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed by John Beck. FBN No. 2020-0000566. Published March 11, 18, 25, April 1, 2020. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Collective Music and Media Group DBA
Santa Barbara Summerfest Music Camps, 5266 Hollister Av. Suite 301, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. Giuseppe Fratianni, 10061 Riverside Dr. #214, Toluca Lake, CA 91602. Laurie Robinson, 10061 Riverside Dr. #214, Toluca Lake, CA 91602. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 3, 2020. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the
• The Voice of the Village •
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Central Coast Wine Tours, 25 S. Salinas Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Crush Santa Barbara LLC, 25 S. Salinas Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 26, 2020. 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. Hol-
land, County Clerk (SEAL), filed by John Beck. FBN No. 2020-0000616. Published March 11, 18, 25, April 1, 2020. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Coast + Olive, 1295 Coast Village Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. Copus Hospitality Group, LLC, 1295 Coast Village Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on March 5, 2020. 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), filed by Maria F. Sanchez. FBN No. 2020-0000712. Published March 11, 18, 25, April 1, 2020.
MONTECITO JOURNAL
39
MISCELLANY (Continued from page 18)
got to feel like an immense relief to get out of the U.K. and go down their own path.” Stay tuned...
Remembering Lyle My condolences to actress-comedienne Carol Burnett, 86. Lyle Waggoner, who co-starred in her popular eponymous TV series from 1967 to 1974, and was a fixture on Wonder Woman with Lynda Carter from 1975 to 1979, has died age the age of 84. “He was funny, kind, and multi-talented,” says the longtime Montecito resident. “But even more than that, a loving friend. I will miss him.” Feeling Puzzled After suspending production of her long running Burbank-based TV talk show because for the coronavirus pandemic, Ellen DeGeneres is trying to stay entertained at her Montecito home with a 4,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. “I haven’t done this in a long time, but it shouldn’t be that hard,” the 62-year-old comedienne commented on Instagram. She initially believed the complex puzzle would only take about an hour, but updated her 85.3 million Instagram followers to let them know she wouldn’t be able to complete it because of a missing piece. “I counted the pieces and there are only 3,999, not 4,000. I don’t know about you, but when I get to the end of a puzzle I feel so good and accomplished, and there’s one missing. It’s not fun.” Ellen later found the missing piece under a table and was able to complete it. Intimate Nuptials The forthcoming royal wedding of Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, 31, to real-estate developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 36, could be one of the smallest ever. The nuptials, scheduled for May 29 in the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace – the same venue as Queen Victoria’s wedding to Prince Albert in 1840 – were scheduled to have 150 guests, but a new edict from the Archbishop of Canterbury, religious head of the Church of England, limits ceremonies to just the bride and groom, the officiating priest, and two guests as witnesses because of the coronavirus. Rather different from the wedding of Beatrice’s sister, Princess Eugenie, 29, to wine merchant Jack Brooksbank, 33, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, in October, 2018, which had 800 guests, featured an open carriage ride to Windsor Castle and was televised. The two young ladies are the daughters of the Queen’s beleaguered
40 MONTECITO JOURNAL
Waggoner and other cast members from The Carol Burnett Show in 1967. Clockwise from the bottom: Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner (on the right, the 1977 cast, with Tim Conway)
son, Prince Andrew, and his divorced wife, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, both 60. Met No More New York’s star-studded Met Gala, known as fashion’s biggest night out, is the latest victim of the coronavirus pandemic. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the celebrity filled event is held each year, announced the May 4 bash chaired by my erstwhile New York Magazine colleague Anna Wintour, has been postponed “indefinitely.” Wintour, who has run the $35,000 a ticket benefit for 25 years, is the longtime editor of U.S. Vogue and took over from two old friends, Pat Buckley and Nan Kempner, when I used to attend in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. This year’s theme was About Time: Fashion and Duration, with Meghan Markle expected to attend with British Vogue editor Edward Enninful.
ing of movie cowboy Stuart Whitman, who has died at his Montecito home aged 92 after complications from skin cancer. A charming man, who I would speak to often at Pierre Lafond, Stuart was best known for co-starring with John Wayne in the 1961 movie The Comancheros. Stuart, who invested successfully in real estate in his latter years, also starred in the 1962 World War II classic The Longest Day, and from 1967 to 1968 starred in the TV series Cimarron Strip. He also appeared in many TV series, including The Streets of San Francisco, Fantasy Island, The A-Team, and Knight Rider. Stuart, who sold his San Ysidro Road estate to philanthropist Sara Miller McCune, also earned an Oscar
nomination for his leading role of a child molester in the 1961 film The Mark. A rugged individual who will be much missed. Sightings: Rocker Michael McDonald at the Rose Café... Oscar winner Jeff Bridges checking out Pierre Lafond... Ashton Kutcher and wife Mila Kunis noshing at Oliver’s Pip! Pip! – and be safe Readers with tips, sightings and amusing items for Richard’s column should e-mail him 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
Stuart Whitman as Jim Crown and guest star Victoria Shaw (once Mrs. Roger Smith) from the television program Cimarron Strip
Moove Over Hundreds of Hindu worshippers in India have hosted a cow urine drinking party in the belief it will ward off the coronavirus. A group called Awhile Bharat Hindu Mahasabha – All Hindu Union – hosted the bovine bash in Delhi, the country’s capital, in the hope of curing themselves. Organizers hope to host similar events throughout the country. “We have been drinking cow urine for 21 years, we also often take baths in cow dung,” says Om Prakah, one partygoer. “We have never felt the need to consume English medicine.” It’s a fad that won’t catch on here, I suspect, however bad it gets. Some might say it’s udderly ridiculous. Rest in Peace On a personal note, I mark the pass
26 March – 2 April 2020
AGE OF SOCIAL SOLIDARITY (Continued from page 36)
survival, especially the vulnerable among us depend on our health care system, Cottage Hospital, Urgent Care Centers, and hospitals throughout the county. One805 has grasped this turnaround faster than any other organization. They’ve already set up a monitored drop box to accept urgently needed unused masks, gloves, liquid hand sanitizers and protective medical clothing at 2000 State Street conveniently located in the Goodwin & Thyne Properties Building with curbside parking and drop off, complying with all the guidelines of social distancing. Residents can also mail their supplies to One805, Inc., 2000 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. They are one of the few organizations that can get these supplies directly in cooperation with the hospitals and first responders. One805 has a lively and up-to-the-minute emergency feed that is well worth subscribing to and “liking” @One805sb on Twitter. Every community member who joins adds to the reach and power of the organization. “If the last few years have taught us anything,” Angela adds, “this community knows how to rally in times of need.” Santa Barbara is already well schooled in the ways of social solidarity. One805 is also searching for empty residences to be used expressly for first responders who are concerned about limiting potential virus exposure to their family members. If you have an empty home or residence in Santa Barbara County, you can notify One805 by email info@one805.org. It takes a moment to truly absorb the magnitude of the mission of One805. It is a singular mandate that other communities across the country are just catching on to.
They’ve Made an Oath
It’s easy to think of the people who defend and care for us as superheroes, but it’s glib and simplistic to see them that way. They are everyday people with children and grandparents, with personal needs and childcare concerns who have literally taken an oath to serve and protect all of us. In this cynical age where broken oaths and discarded promises abound, the commitment of first responders has remained unchanged. They take their oath with deadly seriousness, even when their own safety and health is at stake. Let that sink in beyond the clichés we’ve all grown up with and the importance and complexity of supporting our responders becomes eminently clear. Selflessness is their badge of honor. A willingness to dive into the fray is their call to duty. Hesitation, complaining are not within their job description. Caring for people who care for us is a powerful message. One805’s mission has to be executed in lockstep with the responders themselves and coordinated throughout the county. Furthermore, these support materials and services are donated money-blind, equitably, throughout the county, from North to South County without distinction providing an equal opportunity safety net for first responders all over the county, everywhere including correctional facilities. “All of the supplies will stay within our county,” Angela assures. “As of now, this is fluid, but we’re making sure Cottage Hospital is adequately stocked. Then we will move to the next location.” As the wife of a long time highly specialized first responder, Angela knows the appropriate way to help men and women in a profession that prides itself on being stoic and having everything under control. “We have three young children and being a family, I understand that the focus is on getting the job done,” she says. “They’re not focused on ‘what do I need.’ This has given me the unique ability to help and position One805 where it needs to be.” The organization is lean with only a few staff members, a few independent contractors. One of the most far reaching and compelling aspects of the organization is its unique and remarkable advisory council comprised of the head of each fire department and sheriff’s department in Santa Barbara County, including the Chief of Police, the Sheriff, Montecito Fire Chief and so on. Although One805 was sparked by the Kick Ash Bash, there’s a reason it’s changed structure and mission. “Before it was run through the Firefighter’s Alliance and the Kick Ash Bash was an appreciation festival,” Angela explains. “We’re different. We have the mission of supporting our whole community in the County in an equitable fashion. We do not want to be another black-tie charity. Anybody can join and contribute. It’s only $25 to become a member.” As the threat of the pandemic spreads, it’s no small feat to coordinate with hospitals and responders throughout the county.
They’ve Been Training for This
“We learned on the debris flow. We know from experience these heroes are just selfless,” she recounts. “They are so focused on their job and what they’ve been given, they’re there. They’ve been training for this. They’ve already pledged an oath to serve and protect our community. So, in a lot of ways, this is 26 March – 2 April 2020
Five Acts of Social Solidarity
S
ome credit to Émile Durkheim, the pioneering French Sociologist, with originating the concept of social solidarity which he defined as the “the interdependence between individuals and across groups.” In fact, the description served for Durkheim as a synonym for the normal healthy state of society, what holds society together, an essential tool for combating infectious diseases, particularly in the face of a worldwide pandemic. Best-selling novelist Martha Cooley, author of the national bestseller The Archivist and Thirty-Three Swoons, has been living in a tiny rural village in Italy as the pandemic has swept across that country. As we’ve seen around the world, and now here in the United States, the spread of the virus peaks in a particular city or area creating a spike and hotspot of illness. So many people require hospital care at once, some gravely ill, that doctors and nurses become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of care required. Some healthcare givers become ill as well. Much of our social solidarity and social distancing is designed to avoid illness ourselves but also to avert these peaks of illness that will make it difficult for us and others in our community to get adequate care. Despite hopes, wishes, and wild conjecture, there is no current cure, no treatment, or vaccine for Covid-19. As a result, patients can pass away due to many complicating illnesses. The only thing standing in the way of that is self-care and if you’re sick in the hospital the expert care of doctors and hospital equipment like ventilators. In her correspondence with friends, Ms Cooley has eloquently and succinctly elaborated on the concept of social solidarity, establishing “Five Acts of Social Solidarity” as a way to best define our safe practices at this difficult time. In adapting the concept her hope is to show how the crisis can bring us together and show how our interdependence can be fortifying rather than distancing, an emotional embrace even if we can’t physically embrace each other at this time. What follows is an abridged version of some of her correspondences. “So, the first act of solidarity is staying at home as much as possible and maintaining social distance to protect the vulnerable who can’t fend off the virus, to protect the elderly, to protect those with serious medical problems and to protect the healthcare workers themselves from burning out. “Solidarity also means not going to the hospital without serious reasons to do so. Having possible symptoms of the virus does not necessarily mean having to be immediately hospitalized; it means calling your doctor for advice on next steps. “Solidarity means not overburdening food stores and pharmacies. It means shopping and cooking mindfully. “Solidarity means using your time at home usefully. It takes discipline to organize one’s time effectively when one is constrained by a crisis to stay inside. “And solidarity means staying in touch with your families, friends, and colleagues, offering and receiving comfort. And staying aware of and open-hearted toward those you don’t know, too.” The spirit of Ms Cooley’s advice, while not a deep dive into the fine art of twenty second handwashing, provides a guide to avoid the kind of isolation and alienation that seems so difficult to avoid in our separation. She adds that Italy’s flash-mob singing events – everyone opening their windows and singing together – have been remarkably moving and helpful as well. If your voice is strong and you have a few friends nearby, you might try that as well. Her last piece of advice? “I would urge not getting into heated discussions about politics right now. Speaking for myself,” she notes, “I cannot afford the dissipation of energy that political rage causes I feel the important thing to do RIGHT NOW is focusing on taking care of the most vulnerable amongst us – which starts with taking care of yourselves. Because if you don’t, you can’t help anyone else.” •MJ business as usual for them. But this pandemic has never happened before. We have to be there to support them in every possible way.” People learn about their first and second responders in a crisis. They take them for granted the rest of the time. This one is a major wake up to what the hospitals do for the community, especially as we see how much doctors and nurses throw themselves into treating and addressing this unpredictable virus. There seems to be a paradigm shift happening where people see the people who support them and help them. We have to have the social solidarity to help those who are helping us and who we’re depending on.
One Love – One805
“The ‘One’ in One805 is key,” Angel concludes. “Sure, it’s one county, one area code but it’s really the whole ‘one love,’ ‘one together.’ That’s really important in our mission, we wa
• The Voice of the Village •
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OTR (Continued from page 21)
breed, Brandi. After the outbreak, she also took in a cat named Kitty, with help from ASAP. Heller recommends that anyone interested in fostering or adopting a pet cat simply go to the group’s website and follow the links. “If you see one you like, you can go out and have an interview and take the animal home,” she says. “Their program has always been very proactive, and with what’s happening, they quickly ramped up and sent home 36 cats into foster care last Friday.” Santa Barbara County maintains three animal shelters in Goleta, Lompoc, and Santa Maria. While the Goleta shelter is for cats, the county is also trying to find homes for north county dogs in south county homes. “An effort is being made to ship north county dogs down to the Santa Barbara area,” Heller says. “It makes it a lot easier for folks down here to adopt. The goal is to keep these animals out of the shelters as quickly as possible.” In case people are worried that animals might be vectors for the coronavirus, the good news is there is no evidence of that whatsoever. Whereas the virus has been proven to remain alive on hard surfaces, fur is too porous a surface for the virus to remain active on the surface of the hair. That said, Heller says that when she took her Sheltie home she took precautions. “When I got Brandi home, the first thing I did was immediately bathe her,” she says. “Why take a chance?” To adopt or foster a cat, contact ASAP at 805-683-3368 or visit www.asapcats. org. To adopt or foster a dog, visit www. countyofsb.org/phd/animal/petsearch.sbc to see a list of available pets in Santa Barbara County. If bunnies are your thing, visit Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter at www. bunssb.org or call 805-683-0521 and leave a message.
Spring Baby Season Adds Urgency to Wildlife Rescue Although for humans it might seem like life has come to a complete stop,
show compassion for the animals who are with us on this planet. Let us all live in peace and harmony together.” Sadly, Goodall’s upcoming appearance at the Arlington Theatre was recently cancelled thanks to the pandemic. “I’ve had her in my home and consider her a friend of mine,” Lieff says of Goodall. “She was supposed to speak this weekend, and we all had tickets. She is such a hero and this is what she’s fought for all her life.” To donate or volunteer with SBWCN call 805-681-1019 or visit sbwcn.org
Montecito’s Bucket Brigade Goes Shopping
Gretchen Lieff and Dr. Jane Goodall
the cycle of life and rebirth in the natural world around us continues. This pattern is never more striking than during spring, however, which to wildlife rescue experts has another name: “Baby Season,” which is when mammals produce the bulk of their offspring. This period tends to be the busiest time for wildlife rescue because so many baby birds are falling from their nests and other young animals are often separated from their mothers. “It’s our time of greatest need,” says Ariana Katovich, executive director of Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network (SBWCN). “Normally, we rely on hundreds of volunteers every year to rescue, transport, feed, and care for all these animals. Now, we need to respect CDC guidelines on social distancing, so our staff is basically ready to work as much as needed to keep up with the wild animals coming in.” According to Katovich, SBWCN is currently seeing nearly 20 animals per day. “We’re getting baby opossums, baby ducklings, baby squirrels, baby skunks, baby birds of all shapes and sizes – every spring baby you can think of,” she says. “We are going to be stretched really thin.” SBWCN began in 1988 as a loose conglomerate of people caring for res-
Baby birds rescued by Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network
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cued wildlife in bathtubs and kitchen tables, says Katovich. “Over time, it evolved and now we have a center in the Goleta foothills where most of our animal care takes place. The baby bird room will have 150 baby birds at any given time,” she continues. “The baby birds have to be fed every 20 to 30 minutes from dawn to dusk, so it comes out to 5,000 feedings a day. It’s gratifying but hard work.” Montecito resident Gretchen Lieff serves on the SBWCN board of directors. “This is the time when wild animals need our support the most,” Lieff says. “There are babies falling out of nests and getting in trouble all over the place. The fact is we are in this pandemic and casting around for ways to be useful, and saving wildlife is such a hopeful act, it’s something positive we can all do together.” Aside from donating to SBWCN, Lieff says Montecito residents should also know that now is a perfect time to put up owl boxes and birdfeeders, or simply plant wildlife- and pollinator-friendly plants in the garden. It’s also a terrible time to trim trees, given that baby birds are at their most vulnerable stage right now. “Just get out your binoculars and see what’s out there,” she suggests. Lieff finds cruel irony in the fact that the coronavirus pandemic now taking thousands of human lives apparently started because of unsanitary conditions in mainland Chinese wet markets, where rare live animals are sold in cramped, inhumane conditions and slaughtered onsite. She’s heartened by the awareness brought to the issue by famous primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall, who recently appeared on CNN to deliver a message about animal cruelty. “We have amazing brains,” Goodall told host Anderson Cooper. “We are capable of love and compassion for each other. Let us also
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Not even an epic coronavirus pandemic can slow down Abe Powell. The founder of the Bucket Brigade who became a local hero in Montecito after the 1/9 debris flow, when he led local residents in an impromptu effort to dig out their neighbors’ homes, is now taking a front-line role in educating the public about the coronavirus. In an interview, Powell says his group is busy filming webinars and otherwise urging residents to help each other through the crisis. “We knew that this type of pandemic was on the radar,” Powell says. “Not since the Spanish Flu have we seen anything like this.” In the wake of the debris flow, Powell and the Bucket Brigade focused on outreach to all local groups and organizations to help them prepare for the next disaster, which is now upon us. “We have identified more than 275 homeowner associations throughout Santa Barbara County, and have been reaching out to them to find out how organized they are and what kind of resilience programs they have,” Powell says. “Some of them are very organized, especially when they are located in fire-prone areas, and then there are groups that are barely organized, with like, just one lady keeping super-informed.” According to Powell, their message to the homeowner groups is to pay less attention to what color fence their neighbors might paint, and more attention to how to people can help their neighbors during an emergency. “One of the most important things when you have a quarantined population is that people get cut off and there is no plan for dealing with that,” Powell explains. “In my neighborhood, I know a man who has a caretaker, and without the caretaker, he’ll die. We have to outreach with these people to see if they have a list of medications that need to be filled, or if they have someone who can come help them get food.” When I spoke to Powell, he was putting finishing touches on a video instructing people on how to shop for neighbors. He’s also managing a wave of volunteer requests. “There are peo26 March – 2 April 2020
The Board and staff of The Granada Theatre look forward to welcoming the Santa Barbara community back into the theater as soon as we are able to open our doors. In the meantime, we wish safety and health to all our audience members and performing artists. Powell (left) and other members of the Bucket Brigade before the social-distancing era
We are grateful to the dedication and support of our world-class resident companies: Abe Powell is Montecito Strong
ple scrambling to do things that are outside their skill set,” he says. “There are non-professional groups trying to prepare food and deliver it. That’s a really bad idea if you are not trained to do that. But we’ve got a list of 3,000 people who we consider elite volunteers, people who are low-risk and willing to volunteer for things that have been vetted.” Because the coronavirus disproportionately affects senior citizens, the pandemic poses an especially diffi26 March – 2 April 2020
cult challenge for Montecito’s aging population. “There is an official order for high-risk people not to go outside,” Powell continues. “So shopping for them is now officially very important.” If there’s a silver lining to the pandemic, Powell says, it’s that Montecito, having already survived another disaster, is particularly wellpoised to remain resilient and make it through this one. “Fortunately, we saw this coming,” he says. “But now it’s here.” •MJ
The Granada Theatre · 805.899.2222 · GranadaSB.org
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
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Real Estate
by Mark Ashton Hunt
Mark and his wife, Sheela Hunt, are real estate agents. His family goes back nearly 100 years in the Santa Barbara area. Mark’s grandparents – Bill and Elsie Hunt – were Santa Barbara real estate brokers for 25 years.
Newer Listings in Montecito
T
he homes that comprise the Montecito Real Estate market offer great diversity in terms of style, price and amenities, as well as the varied topography and neighborhoods this lovely area offers to homeowners. From a canyon side home to a level lot in a private setting, a hill top view home, a historic property resting under a canopy of two hundred year old, oak trees or a beach house, Montecito offers properties of all shapes and sizes (and prices) for those who wish to own a home here. With the current lower inventory of available homes that is common in winter, we now look toward spring and summer, and toward the anticipated jump in the number of homes offered for sale. The MLS (Multiple Listing Service) usually shows a significant increase in the number of homes on the market in Montecito (common in most cities), between February and May, rising from the lower point where we are now with about 150 or so homes and condos on the market in Winter, to the 200 or so homes and condos usually on the market in the late spring and summer months. Although we are at a stage of lower inventory, today I have featured four newer listings in four different price ranges, with different architectural styles, to highlight my earlier point about diversity in the area. There are also differences in the situation or circumstances with many listings. Today’s featured listings represent a diversity in style, price, and property background. Consider a newly built estate on the multi-acre ocean view site where famed comedian Jonathan Winters lived for decades, or benefit from a recent remodel on San Leandro Lane, and own a historic, Reginald Johnson architectural estate with substantial guest parking and nearly 8,000 square feet of living space. Or drive up Park Lane and find a contemporary, ocean view estate compound with long meandering driveway, private pool and pool house, or consider the centrally located, historic, multi structure Spanish compound with a pool on Hot Springs Road situated between the Upper and Lower Villages in Montecito… Here is a closer look at these four newer offerings, all of which are located within the Montecito Union School District.
549 Hot Springs Road - $5,150,000
This is a special opportunity to own a gated 1920s Spanish, adobe style compound in Montecito’s Golden Quadrangle. Beyond the gated entrance, a courtyard welcomes you and features the authentic detailing of the main house and three other separate structures offering a total of seven bedrooms in all. Set among an acre of lawns, pathways and mature gardens, there is a three-bedroom main house featuring antique doors leading to a formal living room, a romantic master bedroom, a family room leading out to a sparkling pool and spa, and an outdoor dining area, with multiple sun-drenched patios & courtyards. The two detached additional structures enjoy a private courtyard patio and border a large lawn. On the other side of the property and down a secluded path is a remodeled 1909 pool house with mature landscaping and privacy surrounding. There really is nothing else like this on the market that I can think of and I feel transported every time I step onto the property.
915 Park Lane - $6,150,000
This Park Lane contemporary estate was designed by notable architect Robert Klammer and offers a mix of airiness and light in a style that blends into the environmental surroundings with a big ocean view backdrop. At approximately 5,900+/- square feet of living space, the interior can handle a crowd, but is scaled to function well for everyday use. The entry wing offers a two-story foyer with atrium and ridge skylights, a master bedroom suite, home office and two guest bedroom suites. Entertaining
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spaces include the formal living/dining rooms, gourmet kitchen, breakfast nook, adjoining family/media room. Patios and outdoor entertainment areas surround the home. Two additional bedroom suites and an art studio encompass the second story. Additional details of this compound include a gated entry, motorcourt, three-bay garage, separate guest house and a pool on this very private, three-acre lot.
1684 San Leandro Lane - $7,995,000
Architectural pedigree, historic finishes, meticulous attention to detail, and modern day comforts coalesce at this ultimate Hedgerow estate! This magical 1920, Reginald Johnson designed manor was significantly renovated in 2015 and is steeped in rich period details throughout. Located in Montecito’s Hedgerow neighborhood, the estate known as Midwood, is ideally positioned between the Upper Village and Miramar Beach, set back from the street and offering significant parking for guests and daily use. The genius of Johnson’s original design and finishes are felt throughout the 7,500+/- square foot, sprawling home. The single level floor plan is ideal for entertaining and offers flexible spaces for offices and/or bedrooms. Bright, sunlit rooms are surrounded by incredible Lockwood De Forest gardens epitomizing the indoor/outdoor living experience here in Montecito.
945 Lilac Drive - $16,995,000
After a multi-year design and building period, this truly impressive estate compound is now available for a new owner. The extensively remodeled, European-inspired contemporary estate, showcases breathtaking ocean, island and mountain views and is nestled serenely on approximately three picturesque, cascading acres in one of Montecito’s most sought-after neighborhoods. This project is the result of a collaboration between award-winning builder Allen Construction, internationally acclaimed architecture and design firm Harrison Design, and the visionary landscape architects of Arcadia Studio. Amenities includes an infinity pool and spa, two expansive porticos designed with alfresco dining in mind, an outdoor kitchen and generous seating areas, a movie theater reminiscent of Old Hollywood, a wine cellar/ tasting room, a sizable guest house, and a spacious four-car garage. Walls of folding and sliding doors invite an abundance of natural light in while capitalizing on the stunning grounds and panoramic views, and double as a welcoming gateway to the alluring porticos beyond. There is approximately 9,500+/- square feet of living space, plus the guest house, covered loggia’s and four-car attached garage. •MJ For more information on any of these listings or to have me arrange a showing with the listing agents, please contact me directly, Mark@Villagesite.com or call/text 805698-2174. Please view my website, www.MontecitoBestBuys.com, from which this article is based.
“Let us make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow’s reality.” – Malala Yousafzai
26 March – 2 April 2020
SEEN (Continued from page 14)
which is one of the largest expenses. Besides these companies have the knowledge to do it. There were 21,000 shipments sent out to 99 countries and 53 in the United States last year. DR began when two WWII refugees came to the United States after the war. They began sending CARE packages to relatives left behind who had nothing. It morphed into this amazing organization of today. “It is an honor to pack and provide hygiene kits to women around the world. We hope they can find strength in knowing that women from a different part of the world care for and support them,” said Kristin McWilliams. “I think it’s fabulous that in our local community we have a robust group of women who want to come together to make an impact by supporting DR and women everywhere,” added co-chair Kelly Walker, a member of Direct Relief Women. For more information about DR visit www.directrelief.org. Regarding African Schools of Kenya, please visit https://www.askenya.org/.
Ediben Bilog, artistic and general director Kostis Protopapas, Joyce Familara, and Timothy Accurso at the opera reception
Patron Mel Sahyun, Mahri Kerley, Andrea Puente Catan, and Raul Melo after the opera
Opera Santa Barbara
“Welcome to our first ever production of an opera in Spanish,” said Opera Santa Barbara’s (OSB) artistic and general director Kostis Protopapas and board chair Joan Rutkowski. There was a sold-out audience at the Lobero
Decorating chair for the OSB patron party Patricia Dixon, Sibo Msibi, and Nina Dunbar
Board intern Tanner Cassidy and OSB board chair Joan Rutkowski
26 March – 2 April 2020
to see Il Postino (The Postman). Some of you may remember the 1994 Oscar winning film which transferred the action to Italy before becoming Daniel Catan’s opera. The opera retained the Italian title and locale but repatriates its language to Spanish. Catan is one of the most important composers of the turn of the 21st Century. The opera places a historical figure – Pablo Neruda (one of the most important poets of Latin America) in the midst of imaginary characters and events. Neruda is a poet fixated on romantic love and the ocean. He was also an activist. It’s an opera with much humor as Neruda teaches his postman friend about metaphors so that he too can be a poet. And of course there is the romance between the postman and Beatrice. According to Kostis and Joan, “Neruda’s life brings to mind something JFK said in his tribute to another great poet, Robert Frost: ‘The artist however faithful to his personal vision of reality, becomes the last champion of the individual mind and sensibility against an intrusive society and an officious state.’” The stage director Crystal Manich tells us Il Postino is based on the novel by Antonio Skármeta. The action of the opera is moved from the novel’s Chilean setting to the fictitious Italian island of Cala di Sotto during Neruda’s political exile from Chile in 1950.
• The Voice of the Village •
Kostis was named general director of OSB in 2017 and has grown the company’s staff from three to seven. “They are an enthusiastic group of overachievers sharing an appetite for innovation and the desire to strengthen the company’s bond with the community.” Under his leadership OSB has seen the creation of Youth Opera, a program providing educational and performance opportunities for school age children, the expansion of the Chrisman Studio program and an impressive growth in the company’s community engagement (the audiences are getting younger) and educational activities throughout the Central Coast. There is also a runaway success of Operacurious, a new program that brings Young Professionals in Santa Barbara in contact with opera and its artists. Following the performance was a patron’s reception which had transformed the tent into a little bit of Italy by Patricia Dixon and her helpers. Platters of heavy hors d’oeuvres and goblets of wine were showcased among photos of Italy. I always have a special place in my heart for the country where my son was born. Come see OSB’s last production of the season, Romeo and Juliet, May 1 and May 3, 2020 at the Lobero Theatre. The 20-21 season will be La Traviata, Little Women, and Daughter of the Regiment. •MJ MONTECITO JOURNAL
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1 2 1 8 St at e St re e t | 8 0 5 - 7 7 0 - 8 3 0 0 | 8 0 5 - 4 5 2 - 2 6 9 2 | w w w. t m o l l i e . c o m 26 March – 2 April 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
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OUR FAMILY IS HERE FOR YOU O F R E A L E S TAT E C O M PA N I E S
Dear Valued Client, Our business brings us into your homes, and right now, home is where national and local health officials are saying we are the safest and where we should be. That alone means we need to be more mindful than ever, of the commitment we have to you and your home. We want you to have peace of mind, while we help you find that new home or sell your current one, during this very unique time in our market. As you would expect, we have robust business continuity plans in place within our company and Core Services Partners (escrow, title, lending and insurance). And, as we continue to support your goal of home ownership, all of us will need to exercise a degree of patience and understanding in everything we do. Our doors, whether physically or virtually, will remain open and our talented agents and staff are ready to serve you. Our health officials have stressed the importance of practicing social distancing and we are supporting that directive. Your health and safety, as well as the wellbeing of our agents and employees, are paramount to all other things. Our sales agents and Core Service Partners are receiving upto-date guidance from the CDC, the National Association of REALTORS® and local health officials on the best way to conduct their business at this time. Real estate transactions absolutely can and are still taking place; they just may be handled a bit differently. Our goals are to work smarter in this new environment, exercise responsibility, and deliver more value to our clients and customers. Mortgage rates have reached all-time lows and a window of opportunity is open for real estate.
We are proud to be part of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies with a commitment to Trust, Integrity, Stability and Longevity. As we mark 35 years of conducting business in our area, we are reminded of the hardships, recessions, natural disasters, and other challenges this great company has seen. In many of those events, situations were uncertain, yet our sales agents, employees, and partners persevered and continued to be the trusted real estate partner for our clients. This time will be no different. As the situation further develops, we will continue to adhere to best practices, all while keeping your best interests at heart. I encourage you to be mindful of your family’s health in the coming weeks. As our chairman and CEO Warren Buffett said, “A home is one of the most important assets that most people will ever buy. Homes are where memories are made and you want to work with someone you trust.” On behalf of all of us at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties and our Core Service Partners – Prosperity Home Mortgage, Pickford Escrow, The Escrow Firm, California Title and HomeServices Insurance, along with our home warranty partners, American Home Shield and First American Home Warranty – we thank you for trusting us with your home. With great respect, Mary Lee Blaylock, President and CEO Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, Inc.
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