The Races for City Hall

The Giving List 30 SEPT - 7 OCT 2021 VOL 27 ISSUE 40

SERVING MONTECITO AND SUMMERLAND

The United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara is utilizing merger to find new ways to thrive, page 48

The Races for City Hall

Meet all 12 candidates on the ballot for mayor & city council spots in Districts 4 and 6 in our 16-page guide to Santa Barbara’s municipal elections slated to be determined on November 2.

Story starts on page 27

A New Look?

How will the new Census numbers potentially impact districting for Montecito and Santa Barbara County?

You can have a say in the new map, page 5

Local Connection

Van Morrison is coming to town, a fitting stop considering former manager, Montecito’s Ronnie Haran Mellen, used to manage the band, page 6

Nice New Digs

The Laguna Blanca School’s Hope Ranch campus opened a new 5,500-square-foot Center for Science and Innovation, page 26

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MONTECITO JOURNAL

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30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

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5 Village Beat Just how will the new Census numbers impact districting in Montecito and the county at large? We take a look.

6 Van Morrison As Van Morrison descends on the Santa Barbara Bowl on October 3, Montecitan Ronnie Haran Mellen reflects on her years managing the band 8 On Water What can California learn from Israel about water management? Bob Hazard investigates in the fourth of a five-part series on the state’s water crisis.

10 Letters to the Editor One letter writer says that Bob Hazard’s water series might be cherry-picking some data, while another offers clarification on Bellosguardo 12 Fun with the Force 911 At Ease International offers community chance to save lives 13 Community Voices Alicia St. John tells you why you need to experience Angela Ferraro’s exhibition “Avanti!” at the Santa Barbara Tennis Club 14 In Memoriam Remembering Bob Short, a community icon 15 Perspectives by Rinaldo S. Brutoco Water, Water… and Not a Drop to Drink: Santa Barbara’s Solution The Optimist Daily Science Spotlight: New Zealand – Kiwi scientists take a stand on using Maori language 16 On Entertainment Camerata Pacifica finds ways to improve despite time off, while Pete Muller answers six questions 18 Montecito Miscellany Thomas Markle takes in CADA event at the Miramar, while the Granada debuts a new sound system 20 Travel Buzz Enjoying the endless summer in Laguna Beach, which features plenty of must-do excursions 22 Dear Montecito Mack Ellis has grown to appreciate what Montecito has to offer, but it hasn’t always been that way

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MONTECITO JOURNAL

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” — Albert Camus

24 Robert’s Big Questions Are Monsanto and GMOs evil? Robert Bernstein explores the topic.

25 Brilliant Thoughts Hats off to you, says Ashleigh 26 Our Town Joanne A Calitri was on the scene as Laguna Blanca School opened its new Science Center 27 Election 2021 Enjoy 16 pages of Election 2021 profiles of each of the candidates running for mayor, as well as the District 4 and 6 seats on Santa Barbara City Council 44 Far Flung Travel The Morro Bay Estuary is a treasure trove of experiences, including an opportunity to see the southern sea otter 46 Calendar of Events From that mysterious light elephant to classic rock in Ojai, a look at the week ahead 48 The Giving List The United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara is utilizing merger to find new ways to thrive 49 Your Westmont Alumnus Dr. Rob Hughes is the new student health services director; Michelle Hughes has co-edited a new book to inspire teachers; and Paul Willis reads poetry for Chaucer’s 50 Library Mojo

Members Only, a novel by local author Sameer Pandya, will be the topic of an October 7 event at the library 51 Stories Matter A look at a trio of great reads for October Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles 52 Legal Advertisements 60 Santa Barbara by the Glass A new wine label, Turning Tide, is putting a focus on sustainability 62 Classified Advertising Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales 63 Local Business Directory Smart business owners place business cards here so readers know where to look when they need what those businesses offer

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30 September – 7 October 2021

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.

Redistricting Will Impact Montecito Santa Barbara County’s Supervisorial District Map is being redrawn, and the Commission in charge of the redistricting is seeking the public’s input before October 18

T

he Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission, which is comprised of 11 commissioners representing all five supervisorial districts in Santa Barbara County, is seeking input from the public regarding redrawing our district map, which will be in place for the next 10 years.

“We’ve been working on this for over a year, and we are now at the point where we really need the public to submit their ideas of what they want the new maps to look like,” said Montecito resident and Commissioner Cheryl Trosky, who, along with Mission Canyon resident Karen Twibell, is representing the First District.

Every 10 years, following the national census, election lines are redrawn, which changes district constituencies. The new election lines determine which community members are placed in each supervisorial district, and voters within each district will elect one of their own as a County Supervisor.

Currently, the First District comprises Carpinteria, Summerland, Montecito, East Beach, downtown Santa Barbara, the Riviera, the Upper East, Mission Canyon, and San Roque in the South County, as well as New Cuyama in the North County.

“Every ten years we have the cen-

sus, and every ten years the population shifts,” Trosky explained during an interview earlier this week.

Prior to this redistricting, the maps were drawn by County supervisors themselves, but Measure G, which passed in 2018, authorized the Board of Supervisors to create an independent commission to adjust the boundaries of the supervisorial districts. The new districts should all have roughly the same amount of people; this year each district should have 89,300 people – give or take a 10% total deviation – based on census data showing a total population of 443,000. Currently District 1 has 83,500 people, so part of this year’s redistricting task is to add more people to the district.

“We want to make sure, that as a community, people feel like they are represented in their districts,” Trosky said.

Districts should be cohesive, contiguous, compact, and comprised of people that are like-minded, so factors such as shopping areas, school districts, religious centers, cultural demographics, racial and ethnic compositions, and economic and social interests are of utmost importance.

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30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

5

Van Morrison

by Jeff Wing

I

Ronnie and Them

t’s no secret that Montecito … has its secrets. Many of the town’s unprepossessing burghers, they of the shopworn André Rieu tee shirt and ill-fitting cargo pants, have hidden lives as movers, shakers, and candlestick makers (so to speak), their “gee whiz” dowdiness a performative feint to distract us from their collective, red-carpeted alias.

One of these secret argonauts is villager Ronnie Haran Mellen. Following a vague rumor, I reached out (as they say) and she was indeed momentarily hesitant to open up. She had, after all, been sheltering in what she self-deprecatingly describes as a “witness protection program” since moving to Montecito in the late ‘70s – living under the rock ‘n’ roll radar she and her pals had once illuminated with some regularity. Among other stations in a notably Candide-like life, Ronnie once managed (as it happens) Van Morrison – the legendary Irish songster appearing in performance at the Santa Barbara Bowl this coming Sunday, October 3. That Ronnie also once managed the other name on Sunday night’s marquee – Taj Mahal –

is a testament to her peripatetic nature.

She met Van and his band “Them” in 1966.

“I’m working as the booking manager and publicist for the Whisky A Go-Go,” she says in her NYCinflected, rapid-fire present tense. “[Van Morrison’s song] ‘Gloria’ was a huge, huge hit. So I went to my boss at The Whisky, Elmer Valentine. ‘We have to get this group in here if we can.’ So, he negotiates with their solicitors.” She pauses. “In 1966, it was the largest amount of money the Whisky had ever paid to book a group. I want to say that it was about $34,000 and I don’t know if that was for a week or two.” The band flew in from Europe and Elmer dispatched Ronnie to collect them.

“So, I pick them up at the airport, and the first thing I found out was that they didn’t have a dime, didn’t have any of the money we’d sent to their solicitors. They had arrived in America with no money, no hotel reservation, no nothing. Oh my God.” The unflappable Ronnie got it sorted.

Somehow.

Montecitan Ronnie Haran Mellen managed Van Morrison

“I don’t know if I got money from Elmer or if I took it out of my own pocket, but somehow I got some hotels and you know – what could I do?!” The gig went well, and led to some ‘sixties Kismet.

“They played the Whisky and it was a huge success. Then I was partly involved in orchestrating one particular night, when Van Morrison and Jim Morrison got together on stage at the Whisky, which was one of the most magical nights of my life. They sang and played together. It was –

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it was unbelievable.” In the day’s informal contractual milieu, Ronnie fell into the role of promotion manager for Van’s band for a time. There was some squabbling and back-biting between the members, she recalls, but that was not unusual as the Age of Aquarius inched inexorably toward the Me Decade.

“I mean, it was so pure and wonderful, and everybody just wanted to play music and make music and hang out and – you know – be part of the scene on the Strip. None of us realized – or at least I didn’t, for sure – what I was involved in. If I had I would’ve kept journals!” Ronnie would later manage Arthur Lee’s transformative Los Angeles band Love.

A previous decade in the acting game (Come September with Rock Hudson, TV’s Death Valley Days, Dobie Gillis, Ben Casey, The Fugitive, and many more) had inoculated the young New Yorker to star power. A little research reveals that Ronnie’s relaxed friendships with the day’s incandescent minstrels were many, and included The Mamas & the Papas, The Rolling Stones, The Loving Spoonful, The Byrds – let’s just call them rock history’s definite-article demigods.

“These were just my friends and I loved it! I was having fun and I loved, loved, loved the music.”

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30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

7

On Water

by Bob Hazard

What Can California Learn From Israel About Water Management?

Lake Cachuma is one of the many lakes throughout California that are not being replenished due to a lack of rain (Photo by Mike Eliason)

I

srael is located in one of the driest regions of the world and has traditionally suffered from a scarcity of freshwater resources. Despite that challenge, it is now considered “the best nation in the world for water efficiency” according to Global Water Intelligence, an international water industry publisher.

In fewer than 20 years, this parched nation has turned itself into the unlikeliest of water giants, due to large-scale investments of private money and a public commitment to innovative leadership in water planning and management. By the end of next year, Israel will have achieved a miraculous transformation from being a virtual desert into a thriving, green paradise.

As California moves through another multi-year drought and struggles to deliver enough water to support its urban and agricultural needs, Israel’s success story stands as a working model for affordable recycling, lowcost desalination plants, and private-public teamwork to lessen the cost of legal opposition and regulatory approval.

Israel Leads the World in Wastewater Recycling and Water Re-Use Israel has revolutionized wastewater recycling. In a world thirsty for advanced solutions, the nation now recycles almost 90% of its wastewater, the highest rate in the world. By comparison, the world’s No. 2 country for wastewater recycling is Spain with 12%. The entire U.S. struggles to recycle 6% of its wastewater.

Spread on more than 250 acres, Israel’s largest wastewater treatment plant uses biological and mechanical means to gather and treat munici-

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MONTECITO JOURNAL

pal sewage effluent from the 2.5 million residents in the greater Tel Aviv region. Yielding approximately 140 million cubic meters (173,000 AFY) of reclaimed water per year, the plant pumps most of its output to bone-dry farms in the region to meet irrigation needs.

In recent years, the plant has been generating enough energy-rich biogas from its anaerobically treated sludge to provide 90% of the facility’s energy needs. Remaining sludge is also used to make bioplastics, fertilizer, and other products.

Israel Leads the World in Seawater Desalination

Currently in Israel, desalinated water supplies 85% of domestic urban water consumption and 40% of the country’s total water consumption.

Israel’s commitment to seawater desalination began on August 3, 2000, when the Israeli Cabinet endorsed desalination as its preferred water security strategy and committed to the construction of its first seawater desalination plant on the southern coast at Ashkelon for 115 million cubic meters of drinking water, or 93,000 acre feet per year (AFY).

In the last two decades, the Israeli government in partnership with private industry has constructed five mega-desalination plants along Israel’s 117-mile Mediterranean coastline: Ashkelon (2005), Palmachim (2007), Hadera (2009), Sorek (2013), and Ashdod (2015), currently producing a total of 750 million cubic meters of drinking water per year (equivalent to 608,000 AFY).

Two additional plants, Sorek II and Western Galilee, each capable of producing 200 million cubic feet per year, are now in varying stages of construc-

tion. These two new plants will boost total desal production to 1.2 billion cubic meters per year (equivalent to just under a million AFY).

What’s Happening in California?

During this same 20-year timeframe, with the exception of Orange County recycling, California has failed to make any real progress in generating increased water supplies, either through large, efficient regional wastewater reuse projects, or in planning and building multiple low-cost seawater desalination mega-plants.

Several small desalination plants have been built, but only one large regional plant, located in Carlsbad, is in operation. Policymakers, water planners, and environmentalists have thrown up enough roadblocks to make planned progress in innovative water management minimal.

Carlsbad Desalination Plant

California’s Carlsbad desalination plant in San Diego County is the nation’s largest seawater desalination plant, producing 50 million gallons of desalinated seawater each day (56,000 AFY), enough water for about 400,000 people, or 10% of the potable water distributed by the San Diego County Water Authority.

The project, which sits on a fouracre leased site adjacent to the existing Encina Power Station site owned by Cabrillo Power, includes a desalination plant, a pumping station, product water storage and a ten-mile water conveyance pipeline.

Plant Design, Construction, Operation, and Ownership. The $922 million Carlsbad plant was privately developed by Poseidon Resources and its venture capital partners. The Poseidon business model shifts the financial risk of plant construction, operations, and financing away from San Diego County Water Authority, placing the burden on Poseidon to secure all project entitlements and permit approvals; negotiate longterm water purchase agreements with water districts at a fixed price; design the plant; procure equity and debt financing; operate the plant for the first 30 years; and then transfer ownership to the governing water district or another public agency.

Inexplicably, many in California have great difficulty with a private company drawing seawater from the Pacific Ocean. They prefer public ownership and high risk to private ownership and no risk. Israel made the opposite choice for private ownership and a public transfer of plant ownership.

Cost of Water. Desalinated water from the Carlsbad plant is purchased by the San Diego County Water

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Authority (SDCWA), on behalf of its 24 water agencies, under a 30-year Water Purchase Agreement (WPA) at a fixed price of $2,513 to $2,796 per acre-foot, as of 2020. The first 48,000 acre-feet of water purchased each year will pay for the fixed costs of the project and the variable costs of water production.

The Water Authority has the option to purchase an additional 8,000 acrefeet per year at a lower rate that reflects only the variable costs of incremental water production. The Water Purchase Agreement allows for annual price increases for inflation estimated to average 2.5% per year.

This compares favorably to the average 9.9% increase per year in rates imposed by the Metropolitan Water District between 2005 and 2018 for state water and Colorado River water Comparative Cost. Carlsbad water sold to San Diego water agencies comes in at $5.97 per HCF (hundred cubic feet) billing unit. That is somewhat less expensive than Montecito Water District (MWD) water purchased from the city of Santa Barbara at $7.35 per HCF. In the latest seawater desalination plants in Israel, such as Sorek II and Western Galilee, technological improvements have allowed the two new plants to offer an “unprecedented low price of $0.41 per cubic meter,” equivalent $506 per AF, or $1.16 per HCF. When government and private industry both share a common goal to do whatever it takes to reduce the cost of desal water to ratepayers, bid prices of $1.16 per HCF become possible.

Carlsbad’s water costs of nearly $6.00 per HCF reflect California’s mandated union labor costs for construction, high operating and maintenance costs, humongous regulatory approval costs and self-inflicted high energy costs.

California’s Paralyzing Regulatory Process. Along the road to development of the Carlsbad regional desal plant, a committed California environmental community filed 14 separate lawsuits to delay or block the plant.

The Carlsbad project originated in 1998 and began producing desalinated seawater in December 2015 after 17 years of planning, permitting approvals, and construction delays.

Bidding for the Carlsbad plant was initiated in February 2006; a contract was awarded in 2007. Approval from the State Lands Commission and the California Coastal Commission came in 2008; approval from the Regional Water Quality Control Board in May 2009; approval from the City of Carlsbad in September 2009, after completion of a certified Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

Construction of the first phase started in November 2009.

In January 2010, the project received $530 million in private bond fund-

On Water Page 244 244 30 September – 7 October 2021

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• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

9

Letters to the Editor

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

Data Cherry-Picking?

I

am reading Bob Hazard’s series on our water crisis with great interest.

He is a strong writer and does his research, but I think there are instances in which he is cherry-picking the data.

In his first piece, he mentions that 5% of California water is used for outdoor residential purposes. That may be true statewide, but water is a localized resource. In 2019, Melinda Burns reported that Montecitans were using 200 gallons per capita per day, with 85% of that going to landscaping.

In the recent piece focused on desalination, Mr. Hazard uses an ‘us/ them’ narrative that I find disconcerting. In an effort to make his case that desalination is viable, he positions the “environmental community” as unified in opposition. I’m not sure that this is the case, although there are many ecological red flags with heavy reliance on desalination, the number one issue being energy use. He also backs up his assertion that open ocean intake is safe for marine life with a quote from an industry spokesperson.

Those “tiny little organisms” that are sucked into the intake system may seem inconsequential, but they are the basis of the food chain for larger members of the aquatic community.

The impacts of climate change are now squarely upon us, and I hope we can move past the “us/them” narrative to one in which we recognize that we are all in this together.

Kathi King

Clarifications on Bellosguardo Article

In last week’s Montecito Journal, Lynda Millner wrote a lovely article about a talk I recently gave at The Santa Barbara Club about what it was like growing up at The Clark Estate-

Bellosguardo and bringing it forward through the years to the current day.

I would like to clarify several points in that article.

The book, Empty Mansions, was written by Bill Dedman, not I. I did write articles for several publications and most recently, I wrote the chapter on Bellosguardo for David Myrick’s Volume III of The Great Estates of Montecito.

My book, The Gates of Bellosguardo, My Enchanted Childhood, is still a work in progress.

Also, last week’s article has Morton mentioned incorrectly as the chauffeur. Actually, he was the butler.

Armstrong was the Scottish, bagpipe playing chauffeur who drove the cars in his starched, brass buttoned uniform.

Although imagining Morton, the kind, “very proper” English butler wearing his “morning coat” and actually driving the 27 Rolls Royces, Pierce Arrows, or Cadillacs makes me smile.

Thank you to the Montecito Journal for your fine magazine and interesting articles.

Barbara Doran

Well Done, Rinaldo

Kudos again to Rinaldo Brutoco, this time on his commentary “intimidation politics” regarding Republican “thug-ocracy” as in threatening retaliation against the American business community for cooperating with the Congressional Investigation into the January 6 insurrection attack on the Capitol and the “Big Lie” of a stolen presidential election that preceded it.

Recently, Ken Burns, the famous filmmaker and chronicler of American history, said that American Democracy is currently facing its greatest crisis since the 1860s with the onslaught of the Civil War and the 1930s with the

rise of Nazism and Fascism around the world.

In the 1860s, millions of Americans believed in the continuation of the enslavement of black people, that brought us the Civil War. In the 1930s, millions of Americans were resistant to, or even adamantly against, getting into the fight to stop Nazism and Fascism until Pearl Harbor in 1941 and our entry into WW2. In 2020, 70 million Americans voted for Donald Trump, a purveyor of lies, hate, and cruelty even though he clearly lost the presidential election to Joe Biden.

The current leaders of the Republican Party (Trump, McCarthy, McConnell, Govs. DeSantis, and Abbott) as well as Trump’s current and previous advisors (Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, Mike Flynn, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort – some of this group pardoned by Trump as convicted felons) are not interested in national service for the public good, but only attainment of raw political power.

In convenient subservience to their base voters that include those that are anti-science, anti-vax, anti-abortion, right-wing religionists, white supremacists, climate change deniers, gun rights extremists, and conspiracy theorists there is clear intent to capture the national government and as Mr. Brutoco warns “pave the way to fascism.” Biden and the Democratic Party, even with its faults, are the only national political party with the maturity, enlightenment, and vision to govern the country at this disturbing and troubled time. Their proposals for national economic and infrastructure renewal, science-based decision making on the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, support for multi-racial democracy and expansion of the social safety net may be the last best hope to save the evolving American Democracy. All Americans of good will must now speak up, and act socially and politically to protect the nation from this clear danger to our future.

Sincerely, Barry Gordon

Social Media is a Drug

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There are only two industries that call their customers “users” – illegal drugs and software. Social media is a drug.

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“Autumn passes and one remembers one’s reverence.” — Yoko Ono

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Executive Editor/CEO | Gwyn Lurie President/COO | Timothy Lennon Buckley VP, Sales & Marketing | Leanne Wood Deputy Editor | Nick Masuda Contributing Editor | Kelly Mahan Herrick Copy Editor | Lily Buckley Harbin Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz Editors -At-Large | Ann Louise Bardach Nicholas Schou Contributors | Scott Craig, Julia Rodgers, Ashleigh Brilliant, Sigrid Toye, Zach Rosen, Kim Crail, Tom Farr, Stella Haffner, Pauline O’Connor, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Sharon Byrne, Gretchen Lieff, Robert Bernstein, Christina Favuzzi, Bob Roebuck, Leslie Zemeckis Gossip | Richard Mineards History | Hattie Beresford Humor | Ernie Witham Our Town | Joanne A. Calitri Society | Lynda Millner Travel | Jerry Dunn, Leslie Westbrook Food & Wine | Claudia Schou, Gabe Saglie Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Casey Champion Bookkeeping | Christine Merrick Proofreading | Helen Buckley

MONTECITO TIDE GUIDE Day Thurs, Sept. 30 Fri, Oct. 1 Sat, Oct. 2 Sun, Oct. 3 Mon, Oct. 4 Tues, Oct. 5 Weds, Oct. 6 Thurs, Oct. 7 Fri, Oct. 8

Watch: The Social Dilemma. A Netflix documentary that won a 2021 Emmy and explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, especially for our youth. Never in our lifetime have we had such societal discord, depression, and chaos and that started as algorithms combined with social media platforms and driven by advertising profit incentives that have become universal, evolved, and now wield such control over our lives. See it on Netflix or YouTube – it is one and a half hours, but worth it for our future.

This paradigm shift of understanding is something people need to grasp.

Pass it on.

John Burk •MJ

Hgt

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30 September – 7 October 2021

30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

11

Fun with the Force

by Sara Bush

Beyond ‘Fun’:

911 At Ease International Offers Community Chance to Save Lives

Donuts is a therapy dog utilized by 911 At Ease International

T

he annual Fun with the Force is more than just another fundraiser. It is an opportunity to support the men and women who risk their lives for the communities they serve every day. Money raised at this year’s event goes directly to the rapidly expanding 911 At Ease International (911 AEI), a nonprofit that offers free, professional, confidential, local, trauma-informed counseling and therapy to first responders and their families.

Chairman and CEO of The Armand Hammer Foundation and the Hammer International Foundation Michael Hammer and retired Santa Barbara Police Sgt. Mike McGrew co-founded the program in 2014, after recognizing a dire need for the lifesaving services.

“The emotional injuries incurred in service are invisible, but no less real and often more damaging than physical trauma. As a result, first responders suffer from staggering rates of alcoholism, divorce, and suicide,” explained McGrew. “Worse, services offered through employers are frequently riddled with red tape and tempts those looking for help to look over their shoulders instead. The need for independent professional trauma-informed counseling for those on the front lines is evident.”

The nonprofit could not have come at a better time, according to San Luis Obispo Police Captain Brian Amoroso.

“We went through a summer and fall of protest, and an election cycle that was a very negative time in law enforcement, probably the worst time I’ve seen in my 20 years of working,” Amoroso said.

Amoroso was serving as the inter-

12 MONTECITO JOURNAL

im chief of his department last year, when the unthinkable happened.

Detectives for the San Luis Obispo Police Department, including 37-yearold Luca Benedetti, were serving a search warrant at an apartment, when the suspect opened fire.

“When they attempted to make contact at the apartment, the suspect ambushed them and shot Detective Benedetti. It killed him instantly in the doorway,” Amoroso said. “Even though we train for this, it still never prepares you when one of your officers is shot and killed.”

The tragedy came on the heels of another officer-involved shooting in Paso Robles, in which two other law enforcement officers were shot, but survived. Amoroso knew his agency needed outside help to cope with the back-to-back incidents.

“I saw the grief and pain on my officers’ faces, and thought, ‘How do I support them and how do we even come back to work and handle shifts the next day?’”

Fortunately for Amoroso, McGrew had visited the San Luis Obispo Police Department earlier in the year and extended the 911 AEI’s services as part of an effort to expand the program.

The goal of the At Ease program is to encourage the men and women who often serve selflessly, to also take care of themselves.

“When difficult times and circumstances affect our lives and our neighborhoods through traumatic critical incidents, personal threats, or natural disasters, the spirit of our first responders never wavers and sometimes they don’t know if they will make it home,” said Hammer.

“Supporting At Ease gets us to think past ourselves and begin to help the people who risk their lives for us every day.”

After the deadly shooting in San Luis Obispo, employees from every part of Amoroso’s agency, from dispatchers to officers who were on the scene, had the opportunity to see a counselor, confidentially and free of charge, through 911 AEI. “That’s the beauty of the program.

There’s a real stigma in law enforcement, of being weak,” Amoroso stated. “In our career, you need to have a mechanism for coping with stress, and At Ease provides a lot of that. It’s an available tool for our people.”

911 AEI’s counselors and therapists are thoroughly vetted through the program and specifically understand

the culture and lifestyle surrounding first responder professions.

“They don’t have to get just any therapist that their insurance company pays for,” said Jim Nigro, board director of 911 AEI. “Our people are all specialized and know what the first responders need.”

Since its inception, 911 At Ease International has grown, from serving the local Santa Barbara and surrounding communities, to agencies across the country, and around the world.

“Everyone that hears about it wants it, and that’s why it’s been travelling across the country,” Nigro said.

“It keeps our first responders strong.

These are people we depend on and when we need them.”

“The emotional injuries incurred in service are invisible, but no less real and often more damaging than physical trauma.

As a result, first responders suffer from staggering rates of alcoholism, divorce, and suicide.”

– Mike McGrew In addition to first responders, 911 AEI serves emergency hospital personnel, dispatchers, district attorney staff members, life flight personnel, and other frontline emergency professions and their family members in the region where a chapter is located.

“Chapters are stewarded by local team members and volunteers,” McGrew explained.

In addition to counseling, the nonprofit provides peer-to-peer support, chaplaincy, referral services, and critical incident response.

Shortly after establishing a 911 AEI chapter in Kern County, the local Sheriff’s Department lost a member of its team. Deputy Phillip Campas was shot and killed while responding to a call of a gunman in a home in Wasco, California. In addition to his work with the Kern County Sheriff’s Department, Campas served in the U.S. Marines and also as a recruit training instructor.

911 AEI personnel, including therapy dog, Donuts, responded immediately to offer support, not only to employees of the Kern County Sheriff’s Department, but also to the academy trainees.

“Their instructor had been killed the day before, and they still had to do academy to become officers,” explained Christine Trunick, 911 AEI Communications and Development Director. “They had a week and a half left in the academy, and many expected

them to quit, but At Ease showed them they have support now and for the rest of their career. They did not have anyone drop out of the academy.”

This year’s Fun with the Force event includes a special tribute to Campas, Benedetti, and other fallen officers who died in the line of duty in the past year. The event also features guest speakers who have used and have seen the impacts of the 911 AEI program, interactive displays from law enforcement agencies across the TriCounties, and food and wine from vendors across Santa Barbara.

“It’s really a collaborative event to give our community an opportunity to honor some of our local heroes,” Trunick said. Following a live auction and paddle raise, the event will wrap up with entertainment by the Boogie Nights Band. “Bring your dancing shoes. It’s going to be a lot of fun!”

Trunick added.

Pat and Ursula Nesbitt will host the event at their Bella Vista Ranch Estate.

Ursula Nesbitt also serves as a director on the 911 AEI Board.

“First responders are the first on the scene to face challenging, dangerous, and draining situations. They are also the first to reach out to disaster survivors and provide emotional and physical support. These duties, which are essential to the entire community, are strenuous to first responders, putting them at an increased risk of trauma which you can only imagine carries into their daily lives and is brought home with them even after work hours,” Nesbitt said.

“At Ease provides confidential trauma-informed professional counseling and is readily available to all first responders and their families, which has saved lives and marriages and keeps our first responders strong. It may sound cliché, but it’s true: When our first responders are strong and supported, our communities are strong.”

Along with 911 AEI, the event is co-sponsored by the Santa Barbara Police Foundation, which provides support for injured, disabled, or catastrophically ill police officers or employees of the Santa Barbara Police Department and their families. The SBPF supported the At Ease program until 911 AEI became its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

The event will be held Sunday, October 3, from 3 pm to 9 pm. 911 AEI offers a chance to support local law enforcement, for those who cannot attend the event.

“Maybe you are not ready to come to events yet, or you can’t make this event, but you can still purchase a ticket and donate it back to be used by a first responder and their spouse,” explained Trunick.

For more information or to purchase tickets, go to https://911aei.org/funwith-the-force-tickets or call Christine Trunick at (805) 245-4030.

•MJ 30 September – 7 October 2021

Community Voices

by Alicia St. John

Following Dreams:

“V

‘Avanti’ is a Must-See

ai Avanti!” is translated as “Go forward! Follow your dreams; create from the heart; treasure life’s beauty; embrace destiny!”

All of the works in the upcoming one-woman exhibition “Avanti” by Italian-born artist Angela Ferraro speak of rich, individual stories, as well as contributing to the overall theme of forward momentum.

These stories are deep, evocative, intelligent, and highly personal, revealing the sophistication of the artist. The complexity of the materials used in the assemblage works, the intricacy of collage, as well as the mastered techniques of the oil paintings, all reflect the wealth of hours, days, weeks, and months the artist has devoted to the creation of this body of work.

Longtime Montecito residents, Angela and Michael Ferraro designed and built Italianate and Spanish inspired residences in our heaven by the sea, leaving an indelible contribution to the area’s architectural heritage. Then, they fell in love with a view, and the home of their dreams came into vision, within the Hope Ranch area. Their home became the perfect surrounding for a life of artistry. Visiting Angela’s magnificent residence and studio is a delight; the guest discovers the artist’s wide range of works, which grace every room. Community is important to Ferraro, and she is part of a sisterhood of painters, women who meet once each week. Although they all work independently, the women come to their group with new ideas and are supportive of one another, as they achieve new heights of excellence.

Ferraro’s one-woman exhibition at the Santa Barbara Tennis Club, with the artist’s reception on October 8, is a vast endeavor, taking on a scale of grand proportion. On exhibit are three themes: “Masquade,” “Natura,” and “Ballet,” all of which are exhibited in entirely different media, of assemblage, collage, and oil painting. Of note are the Venetian masquerade and ballet-inspired pieces, describing the rich, Italian tradition of Carnival, the Teatro La Fenice, and the La Scala Theatre Ballet. These exquisitely executed works of art are further enhanced by the presence and participation of the rising stars of Santa Barbara’s State Street Ballet, who interact with the audience, to create a Tableau Vivant with Ferraro’s art.

On special loan to the exhibition will also be Ferraro’s life-size, oil on canvas portrait “The Spanish Shawl” inspired from the anthology The Spanish Shawl, Early Tales of Santa Barbara, by Alicia St. John. Captivating to many, Ferraro’s portrait is a window into another time, where Spanish history, passion, and destiny guide a young woman’s heart – a story which draws the spectator into the work of art itself. The painting’s subject, whose spirit shines through her gaze, is Lluvia, Ferraro’s granddaughter, as she portrays the main character of the original short story. The story won the Profant Foundation for the Arts Award, History of Santa Barbara, in 2018, and when Ferraro read the story, she immediately recognized her granddaughter as the main character.

Ferraro explains, “It is the character’s intellect, achievements, strength, and beauty... all of which are Lluvia.”

When Angela contacted me, I brought her the original costume described in the story and Ferraro created a photoshoot with her granddaughter.

Dressed in the same pearl-colored silk gown, tone on tone silk embroidered shawl, hand-carved fan, and mother-of-pearl pieta, the character came to life and stepped from the pages of the book. As Lluvia gracefully moved, the silk of her costume, the fringe of her shawl, and the movements of her fan were spirited, romantic, and vivacious. Ferraro expertly captured the vision, the rich textures of Lluvia’s costume, and the luminescent pearl hues, using chiaroscuro and sfumato techniques. The resulting masterpiece will be given to Lluvia, upon her wedding day. It is an expression of love, of generations reaching from the past into the future, one day to be cherished by Lluvia’s own children and grandchildren.

When asked about her work, Ferraro smiles, “I have been an artist all of my life and the tradition of Italian art is in by blood. So, my love of art is inherited, and I feel that we all have gifts and are guided to use them. My personal vision is to exalt the hand of God, to express themes of family, duty, honor, safety, trust, love, and beauty.”

Experience Angela Ferraro’s exhibition “Avanti!” at the Santa Barbara Tennis Club. Curated by Gallery Director Susan Tibbles, the show runs from October 4 through December 2. The Artist’s Reception is on October 8 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

•MJ 30 September – 7 October 2021

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• The Voice of the Village •

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MONTECITO JOURNAL

13

In Memoriam

by Sharon Byrne

SAT OCT

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role in the Montecito Association, most recently serving on our Transportation Committee, supporting Hands Across Montecito, and our legislative efforts with the state of California.

The lane that expands the 101 North from the Hot Springs on-ramp to Salinas St – Bob Short got that installed. He left us a huge legacy, and we will forever miss him.

Bob passed away peacefully at Casa Dorinda, surrounded by his loving daughters.

•MJ

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• WE NEED NEW LEADERSHIP •

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A Community Icon

ob Short, an icon and pillar of the Montecito community, passed this week.

While we all adjust to the news, we will be visiting with his friends and family in the coming days to do a much longer piece on his remarkable life and significant contributions to Montecito next week.

But, for now, please know that Bob was a force in this community for decades. Montecito would not be what you know and love if not for Bob. He played a significant

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30 September – 7 October 2021

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

Science Spotlight: New Zealand

Water, Water… and Not a Drop to Drink Santa Barbara’s Solution

Y

ou may recall the 18th century poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It is an incredible story of one man’s abuse of nature causing devastation all around him. In the tale, the Ancient Mariner is the navigator of the vessel on which he sailed, and after some misadventures, his ship is caught in ice. A beautiful albatross appears, seeming to be a blessing, and frees the ship from the ice flow that encapsulated it. The albatross in the poem represents the nurturing beauty of nature – much as earth’s biosphere does to us.

Like today’s “big game hunters,” the Mariner shoots the albatross for reasons of pure “sport.” At once the ship is cursed and loses the wind necessary to carry it forward. The Mariner is left to observe that he is surrounded by death and nothing but saltwater – which, of course, he cannot drink. His abuse of nature has left him stranded in a desert of non-potable water.

If only he could have been able to drink salt water. Perhaps then his pure folly and environmental desecration would have been ameliorated. The surface of the Earth, after all, is three-fifths water and as the sea level rises, that proportion is only getting bigger. Turning seawater to fresh water would not exempt the Mariner from his overtly bad conduct in abusing nature, but it would provide an “escape hatch” when environmental destruction has gone too far.

As you read this, you are no doubt aware that the most severe drought in California’s history is ramping up even as the Colorado River (once a mainstay of Southern California water) is drying up, and our lakes and reservoirs are at only 35 percent capacity or less – and dropping. The Sierra snowpack is badly reduced, and Santa Barbara has had hardly any rainfall this year. Agriculture continues to be “entitled” to about 75% of the water that does get down here, and a lively business has arisen where farmers are “selling” their water allotments. This even as the Inland Valley continues to grow massive amounts of water-intensive almonds and cotton, which is happening in the context of an entire Inland 30 September – 7 October 2021

Valley that has literally dropped by several feet due to the depletion of underground water reserves. What are our choices to stave off death by thirst – first of our green environment and then ourselves?

One option hinted at above, would be to immediately alter the state water rationing system with a preference for human survival over almonds and cotton. Why don’t we give priority to our scarce water reserves to folks who live in the cities rather than the crops in the field? Losing some farm revenue is a fraction as harmful as the economic damage that will be done to the 38 million of us who live in California’s cities and suburbs.

Frankly, it’s surprising that voters haven’t forced this on the legislature by now.

A second possible solution has been proposed many times over the years.

Most recently it’s been championed by comedian Bill Maher on his HBO show, where he has been aggressively asking the question, “If we can build oil and gas pipelines all over the country why can’t we build one to carry water from the Midwest where they have too much to the drought ravaged states of California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico?” Or for that matter, from the Northwest if the drought in Washington and Oregon is alleviated in future seasons. This idea is so attractive to many that it is going to be the subject of next week’s column, so be sure to watch for it.

A third option, and the most obvious, is to get Santa Barbara’s desalination plant up to capacity and running (and ultimately expanded to carry more water) so it can supply at least the 17 percent of Montecito’s planned water budget for this upcoming year and increasing amounts in years to come. For a great summary of how Montecito will stay sufficiently wet this year, read Bob Hazard’s five-part “On Water” series about local and state water issues (this week’s column starts on page 8).

The problem with this third option, however, is that Santa Barbara is doing absolutely nothing to protect the desalination plant from rising sea levels. That’s right, the plant is built at today’s sea level which means in future years it will be below water and thereby cease to function! When

Kiwi scientists take a stand on using Maori language

I

n 2017, California Academy of Sciences ichthyologist Graham Short and collaborator Tom Trnski of the Auckland Museum identified a new species of pygmy pipehorse that is endemic to Aotearoa, New Zealand.

The researchers were excited to write about the find in the relevant scientific journals but sought to incorporate local knowledge in the task.

The iwi (Maori tribe) Ngatiwai held mana whenua / kaitiaki / stewardship of the area where the pipehorse was identified, and thus the researchers reached out to the iwi to name the new species of pipehorse and help describe it in the written language te Reo Māori.

The Indigenous language is the most authoritative scientific descriptive language that could be used, so the article Short and Trnski authored included detailed descriptions in both English and te Reo. However, the editors of the European science journal that was planning to publish the research cut out all the Indigenous words. We only use “major” languages in our publications, they explained when the authors complained about the edit.

For Short and Trnski, the nuanced language of the te Reo descriptions was an essential part of the paper, and they withdrew the article. They stood their ground, knowing it would take time to find a new publisher. Happily, the paper found a new home in Ichthyology & Herpetology, which was delighted to incorporate the te Reo in the manuscript.

Fossil Discovered by Junior Naturalists Identified as New Species

When the members of the Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club headed out on a fossil-hunting expedition, they expected to find some interesting shells and perhaps bones, but what they didn’t expect was to stumble upon the fossil of a previously undiscovered species of penguin.

In 2006, the students were in the Waikato region of New Zealand’s North Island when they found the bones of a giant fossilized penguin.

Called the Kairuku waewaeroa, which is Māori for “long legs,” the fossil is between 27.3 and 34.6 million years old, a time when the region was largely covered in water. The ancient penguin stood about 1.4 meters tall.

The researchers published the discovery in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology and created a 3D replica of the fossil for the naturalist club to commemorate their find. Now, 15 years after the discovery, some of the students in the club have gone on to establish their own careers in the scientific field as botanists and conservationists.

•MJ a recent mayoral candidate was asked what steps Santa Barbara was planning on taking to deal with climate change, the candidate feebly responded “nothing, as that is a regional or federal issue.” How wrong he was.

Climate change is very much a local issue, and the desalination plant is but one perfect example.

Currently, the plan is to run the desalination plant at sea level, then pump clean water uphill to the park, and inject it into the municipal water distribution system. What happens when sea levels continue to rise, rendering the desalination plant obsolete just as we increasingly need it as climate change causes the drought to deepen through the upcoming years?

More to the point, what can we do about it now?

It’s time for some serious long-term planning. Shouldn’t we be pumping seawater up the hill (that way rising sea levels will never adversely affect its operations and only shorten the

• The Voice of the Village •

distance seawater must be pumped), powering it with renewable energy, and desalinating it there so the fresh water can still go straight into the same injection point? This will cost money and time but waiting for sea level rise to stop the desalination plant from running will be far more tragic and far more expensive. Let’s not be ostriches sticking our collective heads into the sand. The sea level is rising, and that rise is accelerating. Now is the time to address it so all the “water everywhere” will in fact be drinkable indefinitely into the future.

As to the Mariner, he did eventually obtain absolution from a holy man on shore for his abuse of nature and the cycle of death immediately stopped.

Altering our behavior now is one way to acknowledge what we’ve done to the biosphere so we can obtain absolution for our earlier follies as we begin, each place along an ocean, to prepare for the inevitable dislocations human civilization has caused.

•MJ MONTECITO JOURNAL

15

On Entertainment

by Steven Libowitz

‘Chance to Reflect’:

Camerata Pacifica Finds Ways to Improve Despite Time Off

P

rior to the pandemic, Camerata Pacifica wasn’t really looking for an excuse to do some tweaking to its approach. After all, the chamber music ensemble had grown over its 30 years from performing sporadic concerts at a single small stage in town to largely selling out an eight-show season at four venues from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, attracting world-class musicians and sophisticated audiences along the way.

But COVID gave founding Artistic Director Adrian Spence a chance to step back from relentless programming to make some adjustments.

“It was a chance to reflect and analyze what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and what we should change,” Spence said on the eve of the ensemble returning to live in-person performances after more than 18 months.

Part of getting the ducks in a row was to hire a new executive director who starts later this week – or as

Spence put it, “having the administration of the organization catch up to the artistry.”

The artistic adjustments are more evolutionary, he said, naming eliminating intermission as a practice to present programs that have been put together as a set that runs straight through.

“I’ve always hated the clap-on, clapoff model, where the artists receive applause and come back on for another bow and more applause.”

Camerata will also be experimenting with lighting effects and “theatrical” presentations as well as “choreographing” the set changes with a goal of getting transitions down to 60-90 seconds.

“It’s all part of getting further away from the 19th century model that was still popular 20 years ago with a standard set up of an overture, a concerto, and a symphony.”

Changes that are likely to be even

Camerata Pacifica will play Hahn Hall on October 8 at 7:30 pm

more evident are the influx of musicians new to Camerata as several stalwarts – most notably pianist Warren Jones and violinist Richard O’Neill (who joined the Takács Quartet that is in residence at the Music Academy) – are no longer with the ensemble. That’s not an issue with the season opening concert which features violinist Paul Huang, pianist Gilles Vonsattel, and wizened veteran cellist Ani Aznavoorian performing Franck’s “Violin Sonata in A Major,” Corigliano’s “The Red Violin Caprices,” and Smetana’s “Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15,” perhaps one of the least challenging or unfamiliar initial concerts in decades.

“We’re just thrilled to be back playing in front of people,” said Spence, who is known for his ambitious, forward-thinking concerts. “It’s so exciting to have the musicians back.

So, we’re not going to launch with anything too challenging, but more full-blooded romantic with just a hint of contemporary expression. To be honest, it’s more about the musicians than it is about the music.”

The off-the-beaten path and perhaps edgier stuff comes later in the six-concert season, for which tickets are only being sold on a per-concert basis as the pandemic still looms large.

On Entertainment Page 554 554

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license #01954177 s a n t a b a r b a r a ’s n u m b e r o n e r e a l e s t a t e t e a m DINA LANDI 30 September – 7 October 2021

SARAH HANACEK

JASMINE TENNIS

• The Voice of the Village •

ROBERT RISKIN

MONTECITO JOURNAL

17

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 14 years ago.

Oh, Brother, What a Mighty Big House

Entering the Rosewood Miramar are Truman Davies, Anne Towbes, and Xorin Balbes (Photo by Priscilla)

Thomas Markle, Joe Delo, Dana Mazzetti, and Jennie Strait (Photo by Priscilla)

M

eghan Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, chose the perfect weekend to wing to New York for Global Citizen Live in Central Park with the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Coldplay, and Cyndi Lauper, calling for the G7 and EU to share at least one billion COVID-19 doses with needy countries, which coincided with similar events across the globe including London – with Elton John and Duran Duran – as well as Rio,

18 MONTECITO JOURNAL

Seoul, Lagos, and Los Angeles.

While the tony twosome was away from their $14 million Riven Rock estate, the Duchess of Sussex’s half-brother Thomas Markle, 55, freshly back from Australia starring in Big Brother VIP with the likes of Caitlyn Jenner, decided to visit our rarefied enclave for CADA’s – Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse – sold-out 34th annual Amethyst Ball at the Rosewood Miramar, which raised

around $250,000 for the cause.

Tom, who has a different mother from the former Suits actress, has been less than complimentary about Meghan, describing her as “shallow” during a TV trailer for the Sydneybased show, and in a letter to Queen Elizabeth’s grandson before the wedding at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, told Harry that she was “obviously not the right woman” for him.

Even when trusty shutterbug Priscilla asked if he minded having his photo taken, he replied: “I don’t, but maybe my sister will!”

The boffo bash, which had a Motown at the Miramar theme organized by special events tsarina Merryl Brown, was limited to 140 guests given the pandemic, with the ubiquitous Andrew Firestone acting as auctioneer for the 10th year selling off a shopping spree at bling king Bob Bryant’s emporium, a Santa Barbara safari scavenger hunt for 12, and dinner for the dozen at Ca’Dario.

An online auction also offered trips to Cabo San Lucas, Guadalajara, and a visit to an alpaca ranch.

Carl Westcott, who founded 1-800-Flowers, was honorary chair of the fab fête and given the CADA Champion award for his outstanding support. In 2003 he received the Horatio Alger Award, presented

annually to outstanding Americans who exemplify dedication, purpose, and perseverance in their professional and personal lives.

A sextet of amazons co-chaired the event, including Catherine Remak, Diana MacFarlane, Holly Murphy, Susan Neuman, Anne Towbes, Betsy Turner, and Dana Mazzetti, with Bob Bryant, Virgil Elings, Bob Fuladi, Peter Hilf, and Earl Minnis on the men’s committee.

Others helping the purple reign included Janet Garufis, Alan and Lisa Parsons, John Daly, Fred Brander, Robert and Robin Fell, David Edelman, Arlene Larsen, Gordon Auchincloss, Ernesto Paredes, Rick Oshay, Nigel Gallimore, Susan Keller, and Penny Jenkins.

What’s That Sound?

VIP donors were on the crest of a wave, a sound wave that is, when the venerable Granada Theatre unveiled its new $800,000 sound system installed by multi-Grammy Awardwinning producer Allen Sides.

Allen, who has produced more than 1,000 albums, also installed the audio system at the Riviera Theatre, home to the Santa Barbara Cinema Society.

“We have worked on this project for three years and the new system gives a great deal more flexibility,” he explained. “The sound is now super crisp and clear!”

Palmer Jackson, chairman, said the

Miscellany Page 564

Allen Sides and Palmer Jackson (Photo by Baron Spafford)

Eric and Nina Phillips with Pauline and Marc Lowe (Photo by Baron Spafford)

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.” — Henry David Thoreau

30 September – 7 October 2021

Tu r n i ng m y c l i e n t ’s d r e a m s i n t o a r e a l i t y , no m a t te r h o w b i g o r s m a l l t he y m a y b e . . .

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© 2021 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (BHHSCP) is a member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates LLC. BHHS and the BHHS symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. 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.. *Invidividual agent for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services for 2020 based on sales volume.

30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

19

Travel Buzz

Let’s discuss your real estate needs.

by Leslie A. Westbrook

Let’s Get Away From It All:

The Endless Summer in Laguna Beach

The Ranch at Laguna Beach has plenty of iconic views around the property (Courtesy of The Ranch at Laguna Beach)

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“Let’s motor down to Miami Let’s climb the Grand Canyon Wall Let’s catch a tuna Way out in Laguna Let’s get away from it all” – Lyrics from “Let’s Get Away From It All” (music by Matt Dennis and lyrics

by Tom Adair, published 1941) commonly associated with Frank Sinatra ne of my best female friends and I have traveled together over the decades – often “in between” boyfriends – to get away from it all.

She snores; I’m bossy.

She likes to close all the windows and curtains at night and lock everything up.

I often wake up pre-dawn and prefer open windows and morning light.

The best way we’ve solved this travel buddy dilemma is to either book two separate hotel rooms, or a cottage or room with two bedrooms. (My mother, also a good traveling companion, wakes up and reads during the middle of the night – so the bedside lamp becomes an issue.)

Sometimes we bicker, but mostly we have fun.

Sound familiar?

So, our two-story, two-bedroom unit at The Ranch at Laguna Beach, a tranquil golf resort getaway tucked into a canyon that reaches down to the Pacific, made for a perfect retreat and excellent slumbering on comfy beds where we each had our own lovely bedrooms, with blackout drapes to open or close at our own discretion.

I hadn’t been to Laguna for a zillion years, but the town holds lots of memories for me, beginning with occasional childhood visits. My Great Aunt Josephine, who lived in a huge house in Pasadena with her rich husband, Artie, had two houses or “summer cottages” (popular then and now with

“If I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” – George Eliot

Pasadena families) in Laguna that we visited when I was little. Many decades later, my first fiancé and I took our first “trip” here and stayed at the old Surf and Sand Hotel (now much fancier and larger, I believe).

I’ve been to the amazing Pageant of the Masters and Sawdust Festival and have enjoyed contemporary exhibits at the Laguna Museum of Art. This trip, the beaches (a friend thinks they are the best in California), the cozy town with charming boutiques and galleries and a new-to-me (but not to others who know the golf course well) charming six-year-old Ranch at Laguna Beach were added to my memory bank.

First Stop, Lunch by the Sea

We kicked off our two-night getaway by meeting a friend and his darling two-year-old son at a lunch spot smack dab on the ocean called Driftwood Kitchen. Two old houses strung together on a couple of levels offer indoor ocean-view dining and veranda dining, an indoor clubby bar, and a steps-from-the-beach patio called The Deck. We moved from our original upstairs spot down to The Deck, where a gal swimming just moments earlier in the jade green Pacific Ocean waters popped onto a bar stool in her bikini. Very SoCal. Lunch was delish: we all opted for the lobster salad; wee Alex had a nice stretchy cheesy quesadilla which he had fun playing with, as we sipped rosé prosecco.

After lunch (we left our cars with the valet where it’s $9/hour to park) we all walked down to a beachfront playground where Alex enjoyed the swing and slides, and I peeled off

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30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

21

Dear Montecito

and every sunrise my fears are assuaged.

We have desert, the beach, a chill urban area, homes scattered through the mountains, a world-class film festival. I feel like we have it all.

by Stella Haffner

I

A Love/Hate Relationship with Montecito

t is a truth universally acknowledged that those in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a Montecito property with an ocean view – to paraphrase ever so slightly. What our friend Ms. Austen said with irony, Mack Ellis does not. Having gained perspective since leaving for college, Mack’s letter contrasts the natural beauty of Santa Barbara with its more alienating properties. Discussing our inherited social privilege, today’s author explores how we can reconcile a complicated relationship with the town in which we live.

Dear Montecito,

I initially turned down the offer to write this piece multiple times. What can I say aside from the fact that I have a perspective that is planetary distances away from what it used to be? I grew up in Montecito. I grew up in a town that is a marvel of architecture, an oasis of food, a short walk to some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen, and home to some of the highest-ranked elementary schools in the country. But it’s not a place I ever loved growing up.

In the 19 years since I moved here, I have not been around people who excite and engage me in nearly the same capacity as the people I’ve met outside of Montecito. In this way, I think my hometown and I are simply at odds.

I don’t want this piece to be entirely negative. What’s the point then? If you want negativity with no hope, get a Twitter. One thing Santa Barbara as a whole can claim is that it inspires hope. I’ve been back here for most of the time since March 2020, and I’m ever surprised that I can’t get enough of how beautiful the natural world is here. I remember running off the plane at LAX after leaving freezing New York City plagued by ever-increasing COVID numbers, and I can’t tell you how happy I was that day, that week, for the next two months just to be home in Santa Barbara. With my friends, my family, reminiscence of my childhood. Sure, any childhood hometown brings up nostalgia. I could probably re-open Franny and Zoë if I’d grown up in Huntsville and feel the same way, and as long as I had friends and family whom I loved and loved me it wouldn’t have mattered in that regard where I’m from. But that’s not all of why I was so excited to be home.

There was something so magical about seeing this place through new eyes.

For years, my Santa Barbara friends and I have remarked how we live in paradise. How lucky we are that unlike many of our friends from other places, we’re actually sad to leave home when winter break ends. While I was home, I rediscovered that I could walk to the beach. And even though my mask was a bit too tight those blissful walks, I cherish each. I can’t tell you how often I try to relive the joy I had when I got back to Santa Barbara that spring. Every sunset I worry that I won’t feel the same joy upon seeing the mountains again,

There was something so magical about seeing this place through new eyes. For years, my Santa Barbara friends and I have remarked how we live in paradise. How lucky we are that unlike many of our friends from other places, we’re actually sad to leave home when winter break ends. While I was home, I rediscovered that I could walk to the beach. And even though my mask was a bit too tight those blissful walks, I cherish each.

Whether it’s the glimmering light on the purple hills, the creeks that still stand, the preserves that the Chumash have so desperately fought to keep alive and protected from ecological destruction, it’s the nature of Santa Barbara that reminds me why I want to be here. And it is the Chumash to whom this land I call Santa Barbara belongs. They were its shepherds for more than 10,000 years, and they deserve to have it back. I ask my readers to seriously consider what should be done with stolen property, even if you did not steal it yourself or know that you were buying from someone who bought from a thief. If you love this land, as I do, ask yourself who should be in charge of it. I have listed so many things that the land of the Chumash people has given me, and I know many of my readers, Chumash and not, feel blessed to live on this land. What is the right thing to do with something that was stolen? Especially something as meaningful as a home.

And whether I like it or not, this town is my home. I have so many memories.

So many memories I don’t want to share with you – because they are mine and special, and I want to keep them that way. But one more memory: I remember the last night I was in Santa Barbara the winter of the mudslides, just came back from Call Me By Your Name at the Riviera Theatre with my friend, hugging in the car for as long as possible, not wanting each other to go. We didn’t want to have to face the world again. Even though we’d been home a month, it was too short. Interrupted by the mudslides. I’d never thought I would feel so connected to my community, but tragedy has a way of uniting. I can’t claim it was my tragedy. It wasn’t. It was for people I knew, and for the natural world that still shows scars of the devastation years ago. I don’t know when they’ll heal.

And now I rest my ramble.

Yours, Mack Ellis •MJ Did you grow up in Montecito? I’d love to hear from you at stellajanepierce@gmail. com!

Joe McCorkell A MODERN, DESIGN-FORWARD APPROACH TO THE REPRESENTATION OF DISTINCT PROPERTIES IN SANTA BARBARA AND MONTECITO.

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• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

23

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.

Are Monsanto and GMOs Evil?

H

ow many of these claims about Monsanto and/or GMOs have you heard?

Monsanto sues farmers for having GMO crops on their land due to windblown pollen?

Monsanto uses a terminator gene to make their seeds infertile?

Monsanto’s policies in poor countries are causing widespread suicide of farmers?

GMOs favor large agribusiness over small farmers?

GMOs are unhealthful to eat?

GMOs put pig genes in tomatoes?

I had heard all of these claims and even repeated many of them for years.

But a few years ago, I was at the Santa Barbara Library and picked up the book Seeds of Science by Mark Lynas – one of the original eco-terrorists in the UK who was destroying GMO crops.

I was astonished to learn that every one of these claims about the evils of Monsanto and GMOs was untrue and/or greatly distorted. Lynas is an idealist who wants to make the world a better place. The same idealism that led him to eco-terrorism also led him to follow the truth.

Reading his book, I learned the history of Monsanto, starting as a small family business. Monsanto wanted to get away from the bad connotations of “chemicals” that started with Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring. Carson suggested the use of biotechnology as a substitute for chemical pesticides.

Specifically, “bacterial insecticides.”

Bacillus thuringiensis produces a toxin specific to insect pests exactly as advocated by Carson. This “Bt” toxin has been sprayed as a pesticide for decades. Monsanto added a gene to

corn, cotton, and other plants to produce Bt internally. This eliminates the need to spray pesticides.

This is also a benefit to small farmers as they can buy these Bt GMO seeds and save money. There is a myth that small farmers depend on collecting seeds and replanting them for the next season. In fact, long before there were GMOs there were hybrids.

Replanting hybrid seeds leads to inferior crops. Farmers are used to buying such hybrid seeds each year.

Does Monsanto sue farmers when GMO pollen is blown onto their land?

There was a famous case of Percy Schmeiser in Canada being sued by Monsanto. But he had deliberately collected and cultivated the windblown crops. Monsanto has never sued someone for accidental pollen drift.

Monsanto did develop “terminator” genes to prevent seed collection.

But they never implemented them.

That is why they do need to go after farmers like Schmeiser who cultivate Monsanto’s patented crops.

You may have also heard stories of how Monsanto’s Round Up Ready crops are a way for them to sell more Round Up chemicals. But the patent for Round Up ended in 2000 and most of the generic glyphosate is now imported from China.

Using glyphosate instead of tilling the soil reduces soil erosion and saves energy. And eliminates back-breaking work for poor farmworkers.

As for Monsanto’s alleged evils in poor countries? Monsanto actually has given away some of their GMO technology for free in poor countries.

To be used on local crops not of inter-

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est to Monsanto. This was done for Bt brinjal (eggplant) in Bangladesh.

The story of GMO-caused farmer suicides in India was promoted by activist Vandana Shiva. In fact, GMO Bt cotton increased crop yield by 24% and farmer profit by 50% and reduced pesticide poisonings by 2.4 million per year. The GMO suicide story is not true.

I was astonished to learn that every one of these claims about the evils of Monsanto and GMOs was untrue and/or greatly distorted.

Tanzania biologist Joseph Ndunguru developed a GMO cassava to save his country from famine. You don’t need to be Monsanto to create a GMO. But anti-GMO activists caused a ban on this lifesaving crop.

But aren’t GMOs “unnatural”?

Humans have been creating “unnatural” new crop varieties with selective breeding for centuries. For about 100 years, humans have used “mutagenesis” to alter genomes with radiation and chemicals to create new crop varieties. Transplanting a gene found in one species into another happens naturally via viruses and bacteria. GMOs just do this in a controlled manner.

Hundreds of thousands of children become blind each year due to Vitamin A deficiency. GMO Golden Rice can prevent this. Greenpeace has fought this, resulting in suffering on a vast scale. Former Greenpeace President Patrick Moore calls this a “crime against humanity” and left Greenpeace. So have I. It pains me to think of how many lies I repeated about Monsanto and GMOs. I hope this will be a lesson always to seek new information and be willing to admit your mistakes and remedy them.

•MJ

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“Love the trees until their leaves fall off, then encourage them to try again next year.” — Chad Sugg

On Water (Continued from page 8) ing (PABs) by the California Debt Limitation Allocation Committee (CDLAC). Full project financing was negotiated in December 2012.

Numerous lawsuits and appeals have been denied by the courts, despite public pressure, up until the plant opened in 2015.

The Proposed Huntington Beach Desalination Plant

The story of the proposed Huntington Beach Desalination plant is even more of a tangled web. After spending 22 years and $100 million navigating a thicket of state regulations and environmentalists’ challenges, the Poseidon developers are down to one major regulatory hurdle – a construction permit from the California Coastal Commission – and most critically, a binding deal with a public agency to buy 50 million gallons per day of purified seawater.

In April 2021, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board gave final approval for a permit on the condition that the company increase its commitment to rehabilitate the nearby 1,449-acre Bolsa Chica wetlands reserve, an important bird habitat, and build an artificial reef. Such add-ons are classic tactics in California to delay infrastructure projects and make them uneconomical and non-financeable. The approval came on a contested 3-2 vote.

If Huntington Beach receives the remainder of its permits by the end of this year, the $1.4 billion plant could go online to produce 50 million gallons of drinking water daily for residents of Orange County by 2025, enough water for 16% of the homes in the Orange County Water District.

Like Carlsbad, the facility will be built at no cost to taxpayers. The Huntington Beach project at best, will take 25 years to complete, compared to 17 years for Carlsbad, and five years for one of Israel’s mega plants.

Conclusion

Amazingly, Israel has transformed itself from one of the driest countries in the world to producing more freshwater than it needs using a combined strategy of (1) partnering government with private industry to embrace low-cost water management projects on a large regional scale; (2) recycling 90% of its wastewater into potable water; (3) supporting large, regional desalination plants; and (4) championing water conservation. •MJ Next Week: Shaping the Future of Water for Coastal California Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a five-part series about the water issues facing Montecito, as well as California.

30 September – 7 October 2021

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

Storybook Ennisbrook Estate 266 Penny Lane | Sold for $6,900,000

Hats Off to You

S

ince usually we each have only one head, it’s amazing how many different types of headgear there are, for such purposes as protection, decoration, and identification. It’s also remarkable how much you can tell about a person, in terms, for example, of their occupation, status, gender, even their beliefs.

One hat I remember was on the head of a young man who used to walk up and down Haight Street in San Francisco in 1967. The Vietnam War was raging, and he was wearing a sort of mock military uniform, with a peaked hat that made him look like some kind of high-ranking officer, only it was decorated with miniature bombs and missiles. At that time, the top American commander in Vietnam was General William Westmoreland – and this hippy character passed out cards identifying himself as “General WasteMore-Land.”

I myself devised my own type of demonstrative headpiece when, for the first and only time, I was the leader of a cause – albeit a local one. It was the movement to ban those noisy polluting machines called leaf-blowers. I happened to have a yellow version of the “hard hats” which many workers wear, and I made it my emblem of office, fixing to its sides, signs with our acronym, BLAST, in large letters, and smaller letters spelling out the message “Ban Leaf-blowers And Save our Town.” (I still have this relic of that happily successful cause and hope the local historical museum will not wait for my demise before becoming interested in acquiring it.)

Certain traditional hat styles have been so much a part of our culture as to develop into institutions. One of these is certainly what began in England as the Bowler, becoming part of the virtually required uniform of stockbrokers and civil servants. Then it crossed the Atlantic and became acculturated as the Derby, but was somehow associated with people lower on the social scale. Southern California, for several decades, hosted a wide variety of oddly designed commercial structures. One of the most notable was a restaurant (subsequently a whole chain) known as the Brown Derby, which, of course, it was built to resemble.

Another hat style with a remarkable fashion history was the straw boater, which flourished for about 40 years around the turn of the 20th century, especially in the summertime. There are images of large crowds, in places like New York’s Times Square, which appear from above to be a virtual sea of boaters.

Another very popular straw hat, of quite a different style, is the so-called Panama hat, which has always been made primarily in Ecuador, but which became associated with Panama, because that was where most visitors to Ecuador either were going or had just come from.

There are times when the very color of a hat can be of great significance. In “Westerns” of a certain era, even if you came in late to the movie, you would know that those in white hats were the good guys. But, whether white or black, if the hat were of good quality, it was made by a company founded in 1865 by John B. Stetson. The basic design, of a wide brim and tall crown, has never changed.

As with many industrial processes, before health and safety regulations were widely enforced, there was an occupational disease so common among the makers of hats that it gave rise to the well-known idiom “mad as a hatter.” The neurological symptoms, including nervousness, tremors, and dizziness, associated with hat-making were all traceable to the mercury which was extensively used in the process.

But there are many other ways in which hats, and the ways they’ve often been symbolically used, have taken root in our language. We all know what is meant by needing a place to hang your hat, or taking your hat off to some achievement, or that someone is ready to do something “at the drop of a hat,” or that a potential candidate has decided to “throw his hat into the ring.” And we know something exciting’s about to happen, when we are cautioned to “hold on to your hats” – even though most of us may no longer even have, or be wearing, hats appropriate for these gestures.

In case you wonder how I ever get ideas for a subject like this, the truth is, I sometimes need suggestions, and in this case, the idea was that of my counselor. (This of course is confidential – so keep it under your hat.) •MJ 30 September – 7 October 2021

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• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

25

Our Town

Shuji Nakamura and his wife, Yuki, with Elisabeth Fowler

by Joanne A. Calitri

Joanne is a professional international photographer and journalist.

Contact her at: artraks@yahoo.com

Laguna Blanca School Opens New Science Center

Additional funders of the $4 million campaign not present were Chris and Bob Emmons, Alixe Mattingly, Lisa Hearst Hagerman and George Hagerman, Alicia Miñana and Robert Lovelace ’80, the Gainey Family’s Elaine F. Stepanek Foundation, and the Zegar Family Foundation, along with funder co-chair Josh Connor.

Laguna Blanca School Science Chair Staci Richard and students cut the ribbon on the school’s new $4 million Science Center on September 27 (Photo by Joanne A Calitri)

I

t’s open – and it’s beautiful.

On Monday, September 27, there was a ribbon cutting and VIP guest reception for the new 5,500-squarefoot Center for Science and Innovation at Laguna Blanca School’s Hope Ranch campus, which houses the Nakamura STEM Research and Innovation Lab, the updated Jackson Physics Labs, the Mosher Foundation Outdoor classroom, Gainey Biology and Chemistry Lab, and the Hagerman Environmental Research Space.

Guests who funded the center included Shuji Nakamura, a Nobel Laureate and UCSB CREE

Distinguished Professor in Materials Science, and his wife, Yuki; Jim Jackson of Montecito’s Ann Jackson Family Foundation; Ed and Sue Birch of The Mosher Foundation; Tracy and Michael Bollag; and Elisabeth Fowler, co-chair of the fundraising campaign and recently named Philanthropist of the Year. Sue, a former Laguna Blanca teacher, opened the school’s first computer science lab in the 1980s. Jackson at his Physics Lab shared, “The campus improved their science facility to offer a broader array of programs, and our family is proud to support it now and in the future.”

Laguna Blanca students with Mosher Foundation funders of Laguna Blanca School Science Center and former computer science teacher Sue Birch with husband, Ed

26 MONTECITO JOURNAL

“It was an absolute pleasure to work with our whole community to realize this project to benefit our students, faculty, and campus for the long term.”

– Elisabeth Fowler Also attending were Jim and Mary Morouse, Billy Fitzpatrick and Tom Tolles, Science Department chair Staci Richard, STEM/Science Instructors Zachary Moore and Clara Svedlund, Innovation Center Director John Pagano, August 2021 appointed Head of School Ron Cino, Head of Lower School Montecito Andy Surber, students, faculty, and staff.

“Co-Chairing Building on Strength:

“It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.” — Sarah Addison Allen

The Campaign for Laguna’s Future, it was an absolute pleasure to work with our whole community to realize this project to benefit our students, faculty, and campus for the long term,” Fowler said.

Tech equipment in the center includes fume hoods, biotechnology equipment, and a controlled growth chamber in the Gainey bio and chem lab; 3D printing, fabrication tools, circuit design, digital creation of augmented reality, virtual reality, and 3D CAD content in the Nakamura lab; PASCO Scientific Stations for collecting experimental data in the Jackson Physics lab; marine biology and environmental science studies via the Mosher Foundation Outdoor classroom and Hagerman Environmental Research Space.

The ribbon-cutting program notes speeches by Surber who announced the purchase of their Montecito campus, Fitzpatrick and Tolles, Fowler, and Richard – all presenting a detailed listing of the equipment and courses to be taught, avenues of development with UCSB and schools nationwide, and the legacy of the center.

Along with students, Richard cut the ribbon on the center.

Cino concluded the reception, leading the guests in the traditional school cheer of “Go Owls!”

•MJ

STEM science teachers Clara Svelund and Zach Moore with Jim Jackson at the Laguna Blanca Science Center

30 September – 7 October 2021

ELECTION 2021 SHAPING OUR CITY

A 16-PAGE GUIDE TO SANTA BARBARA’S MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS MAYORAL RACE JAMES JOYCE, 28 | MATT KILRAIN, 29 | CATHY MURILLO, 30 | RANDY ROWSE, 32 | DEBORAH SCHWARTZ, 34 | MARK WHITEHURST, 36

DISTRICT 6 ZACHARY PIKE, 37 | NINA JOHNSON, 37 | MEAGAN HARMON, 38 | JASON CARLTON, 39

DISTRICT 4 KRISTEN SNEDDON, 39 | BARRETT REED, 41

30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

27

Election 2021

by Nick Masuda

James Joyce:

J

Challenger, Mayor, Santa Barbara

ames Joyce has been the ultimate guy behind the scenes, working with a California State Senator on a daily basis, guiding Hannah Beth Jackson’s attention toward what was needed.

A key contributor to a beloved senator.

And now it’s his time to step out front, although many in the community already know him from Coffee with a Black Guy, a series of conversations that has prompted discussions rooted in equality and transparency.

These are two qualities he wants to demand as the next mayor of Santa Barbara, as he has thrown his proverbial hat into the ring to take on incumbent Cathy Murillo, as well as fellow challengers Matt Kilrain, Randy Rowse, Deborah Schwartz, and Mark Whitehurst.

And Joyce says he looks at the position of mayor a bit differently than others.

“We see the effects of the lack of workforce housing in our economy, our tax base, and our quality of life. We need to ensure that folks who work here can live here, which will ensure that local dollars stay in the local economy.”

– James Joyce “Is it a top position or is it a position that requires a certain skill set?”

Joyce said. “I think I would argue that it’s the latter. I think it’s particularly given the way that district elections have kind of made the city council a little bit different over the past five or so years.”

While his time with Jackson proved fruitful for himself personally, he is also aware of his detractors that say he doesn’t have enough experience to take on the job.

But he feels his communication skills will allow him to band together a city council that has outwardly been critical of one another, particularly during the pandemic.

“So, we’ve been rehearsed in these things and so we can have conversations, and the fact that we disagree

28 MONTECITO JOURNAL

is part of it. Right, it’s that disagreement that’s going to get you to the best compromise,” Joyce said. “And I think that this may be an area where we could grow as a city council, but when you’re in a disagreement, really, voicing your position, and then listening to where the other person – really listening – to help truly understand where they’re coming from. That’s how you really learn, and I think that’s where our biggest opportunities are as a city.”

Each of the six candidates were asked six key questions facing the city, with the Montecito Journal and Sonos partnering to expand upon this with a debate on September 29 that is available on demand at montecitojournal. net.

Here are Joyce’s responses: What is the most important issue facing the city?

Workforce housing. We see the effects of the lack of workforce housing in our economy, our tax base, and our quality of life. We need to ensure that folks who work here can live here, which will ensure that local dollars stay in the local economy.

This city acts like a seven-headed hydra... how will you cut through this dysfunction and bring the council together in order to build some consensus?

I want to be a mayor who empowers my fellow councilmembers. I will continuously meet with my colleagues, keep careful track of their priorities, and match them with the priorities of other councilmembers. I know that there are things we could easily be getting done that we are not because of a lack of communication, a lack of humility, and a lack of compassion for our fellow councilmembers. I want to change the tone of our council, remove the bickering and negativity that has been a staple of this council for the last four years, and build on the good ideas and positive energy of each district representative.

The Santa Barbara area is heavily reliant upon tourism; what is your plan to supplement that in case of other natural disasters or lack of travel? What are you going to do about bringing in good businesses that pay good wages?

First, we need to be more aggressive about targeting state and federal funds. We also need to do a better job

at embracing the growing diversity of our local economy and create a tax base beyond the tourism-based TOT that we currently have.

Climate change will lead to changes in our weather and likely, changes in our floodplains. We need to explore sea wall options today, not wait for the next disaster. We need to severely limit housing development in high fire areas, and we need to spend our reserves earlier and more effectively to keep our local economy afloat.

Do you think Santa Barbara would be better served as a city manager-run city, or a mayor-run city?

We don’t need to change how we run our city, we simply need to change who runs our city. Our current mayor lacks the leadership skills, experience, and visions to direct our city. We need leaders who are bold, open-minded, and level-headed. As mayor, I would bring a new approach and a different tone to City Council: one that works for the people, not for the special interests around City Hall. Our job is to raise the quality of life here in Santa Barbara. That job simply isn’t getting done today.

Tell us one thing about you that most people don’t know.

I used to play semi-professional football and that was the first time I had played organized, full-contact football – I was 26 years old. After not being allowed to play football while growing up in my mother’s house, I decided to try out for the local team when I was living in Yakima, Washington. I made the team and worked my way into the starting lineup as a wide receiver. I played for the

Yakima Mavericks for two years.

We believe that one must be willing to lose in order to win. Can you give us an example of a brave position you have taken on principle that cost you politically or personally?

It was politically and socially risky for me to launch a community conversation called Coffee with a Black Guy in Santa Barbara. The concept was, and continues to be, to have authentic and uncomfortable conversations about race and perspective to build a better community.

“We don’t need to change how we run our city, we simply need to change who runs our city. Our current mayor lacks the leadership skills, experience, and visions to direct our city. We need leaders who are bold, openminded, and level-headed.”

– James Joyce

Please list all endorsements to date.

I’ve received numerous endorsements from individuals including Hannah-Beth Jackson, Kate Ford, Joyce Howerton, Lori Brown, Warner McGrew, and former Superintendent Bill Cirone. I am in the process of seeking out and adding endorsements every day.

•MJ 30 September – 7 October 2021

Election 2021

by Nick Masuda

Matt Kilrain:

I

Challenger, Mayor, Santa Barbara

f you’ve driven around town over the past six weeks, it’s been hard to miss the posters calling to elect “Boat Rat Matt” as Santa Barbara’s next mayor.

It’s a moniker that Matt Kilrain embraces, and one that will take him to the November 2 ballot as he takes on incumbent Cathy Murillo, as well as fellow challengers James Joyce, Randy Rowse, Deborah Schwartz, and Mark Whitehurst.

Kilrain even has a catchy slogan: “Stop the Divide; Raise the Vibe; Unite the 805.”

“The most important issue facing the city is the attitude of the city employees and the attitude of the citizens. Many city employees and many citizens of Santa Barbara are a bunch of cutthroats who would sell their neighbor down the river for a couple bucks.”

– Matt Kilrain

How he intends to do this is through what he calls his “four cornerstones,” which include: – Santa Barbara will become a safer community for children to grow up; – Stop the middle-class squeeze and resolve the housing crunch; – Santa Barbara Green Power capital of the world initiative; –Santa Barbara Economic Development and Waterfront Reformation Act. He also has already revealed three amendments he’d pursue as mayor, including: Flintstone Amendment: A Santa Barbara anti-stoner/jab-refuser discrimination initiative will allow people who consumed marijuana yesterday or refused to get the jab qualify for a good job tomorrow.

Keystone Amendment: A profit-sharing initiative where the citizens of Santa Barbara will own the business of Santa Barbara and receive a dividend and pension for living in Santa Barbara and owning the business of Santa Barbara.

Hiddenstone Amendment: An initiative that will give Santa Barbara 30 September – 7 October 2021

fathers some say to halt spontaneous pregnancy terminations.

Each of the six candidates were asked six key questions facing the city, with the Montecito Journal and Sonos partnering to expand upon this with a debate on September 29 that is available on demand at montecitojournal.net.

Here are Kilrain’s responses: What is the most important issue facing the city?

The most important issue facing the city is the attitude of the city employees and the attitude of the citizens.

Many city employees and many citizens of Santa Barbara are a bunch of cutthroats who would sell their neighbor down the river for a couple bucks.

The city of Santa Barbara is divided and emits a lower frequency vibe that what she should. In order for me to lead Santa Barbara into the Golden Do you think Santa Barbara would Age, I will have to stop the divide, be better served as a city manager-run raise the vibe, and unite the 805. city, or a mayor-run city?

When we pass my Keystone This city acts like a seven-head- Amendment the mayor will be the ed hydra... how will you cut through Chief Executive Officer. The City this dysfunction and bring the council Council will be the Board of Directors. together in order to build some con- The citizens will be the shareholders sensus? and the City Administrator will be When the City Council and city the Manager who can be fired by the employees realize Boat Rat Matt got mayor and City Council. more votes than all the other mayoral candidates combined, they will Tell us one thing about you that most understand that there is a grassroots people don’t know. movement behind me and they will I have no secrets. There is nothing change their attitude before I am about me people don’t know. I stand inaugurated. I will unite all of the behind everything I have ever said or city employees and all of the citizens done. I am not ashamed of anything I behind my agenda. have said or done. I am very proud of the way I have lived my life. I do have Santa Barbara area is heavily reli- the Hidden Stone Amendment to my ant upon tourism; what is your plan to agenda but I have made it public so supplement that in case of other natu- the people will know what my hidden ral disasters or lack of travel? What agenda is. It is an initiative that will are you going to do about bringing in give Santa Barbara fathers of unborn good businesses that pay good wages? children some say to halt spontaneous The third cornerstone of my pregnancy terminations. four-cornerstone agenda is to make Santa Barbara the green power We believe that one must be willing capital of the world. The Keystone to lose in order to win. Can you give Amendment to my four-cornerstone us an example of a brave position you agenda is to make the citizens of have taken on principle that cost you Santa Barbara, owners of the busi- politically or personally? ness of Santa Barbara. When we sign I had a mask burning ceremony my agenda into law, I will give the way back in 2020. Additionally, I business of Santa Barbara more than refuse to get vaccinated. Furthermore, a billion dollars of green technology I support the police officers, nurses, along with a multi-billion-dollar busi- and firemen who are not allowed to ness plan. I will also invite smart peo- work because they refuse to get vacple with good ideas to Santa Barbara cinated. Furthermore, I have includseeking capital investment to invest ed the anti-vaxers into my Flintstone in manufacturing green technology Amendment, which is an anti-disendeavors to rent the commercial real crimination initiative that will preestate and provide green jobs. vent people who use marijuana and • The Voice of the Village •

people who refuse to get vaccinated from being discriminated out of the workforce. My Flintstone Amendment was very popular until I included the anti-vaxers. I am aware that more than half of the people believe people who are not vaccinated should be discriminated out of the workforce, and I have been called stupid for refusing to get vaccinated.

“The third cornerstone of my four-cornerstone agenda is to make Santa Barbara the green power capital of the world. The Keystone Amendment to my fourcornerstone agenda is to make the citizens of Santa Barbara, owners of the business of Santa Barbara.

When we sign my agenda into law, I will give the business of Santa Barbara more than a billion dollars of green technology along with a multibillion-dollar business plan.”

– Matt Kilrain

Please list your current endorsements.

Organizations: Pura Vida; WWG1WGA •MJ MONTECITO JOURNAL

29

Election 2021

by Nick Masuda

Cathy Murillo:

W

Incumbent, Mayor, Santa Barbara

ith numerous issues facing the city, the race for Santa Barbara’s mayor seat features a plethora of different backgrounds, with five challengers taking on incumbent Cathy Murillo.

Murillo will take on James Joyce, Matt Kilrain, Randy Rowse, Deborah Schwartz, and Mark Whitehurst in an election that begins in early October as mail-in ballots arrive.

For Murillo, she has been a City Hall mainstay for the better part of a decade, with her most recent term as mayor in the shadows of a pandemic that brought local businesses, medical outlets, the school system, and tourism to a screeching halt.

Over the past 18 months, Murillo has been lauded for her efforts to reopen State Street, pushing for outdoor seating in an attempt to aid restaurants and other businesses survive the economic impacts of COVID-19.

She’s also seen a number of key members of the city leave their posts, including the city manager, with

Murillo’s critics calling into question the city’s current state of leadership.

Each of the six candidates were asked six key questions facing the city, with the Montecito Journal and Sonos partnering to expand upon this with a debate on September 29 that is available on demand at montecitojournal.net.

Here are Murillo’s responses: What is the most important issue facing the city?

Homelessness and affordable housing are the top interrelated challenges.

Santa Barbara and its regional partners are implementing strategies to address homelessness and its impacts, and the city is working collaboratively with the County to help people get off the streets and into shelter, bridge housing, or permanent housing. Everything is in focus: clearing encampments, addressing mental health, increasing case management, preventing homelessness, and finding locations for housing for the homeless.

During my 10 years of public service, new housing of all income levels has been built, through the dense housing program [Average Unit-Size Density Program – AUD], second units, and most importantly, capital-A affordable housing programs.

This city acts like a seven-headed hydra... how will you cut through this dysfunction and bring the council together in order to build some consensus?

While consensus building is important, I believe residents are more interested in the council delivering policy results, providing municipal services, and balancing our budgets – we

accomplished all of this under duress of pandemic and the flat-lining of revenue sources. Because we had operating reserves to draw from, our city continued to serve our residents, businesses, and institutions. The mythical Hydra is at its core venomous; this is not true of my colleagues on the council, nor of city staff. We all work hard at our jobs, and as mayor, I set the example of keeping accessible and open, no matter our disagreements.

The Santa Barbara area is heavily reliant upon tourism; what is your plan to supplement that in case of other natural disasters or lack of travel? What are you going to do about bringing in good businesses that pay good wages?

Santa Barbara must be a city that provides good jobs with livable wages for all residents. We must support our tourism industry, but also diversify our economy. Downtown vacancies now provide an opportunity for office space for companies that bring in higher paying jobs. The State Street Promenade is drawing foot traffic, excitement, and possibilities that our Economic Development Manager, State Street Advisory Committee, and business organizations can build upon. I will work to keep that section car-free while other candidates have been historically pro-car, and a pri-

FOR

MAYOR

Local Leadership, Local Priorities RowseForMayor.com Paid for by Rowse for Mayor 2021 ID #1436925

30 MONTECITO JOURNAL

“It was a beautiful bright autumn day, with air like cider and a sky so blue you could drown in it.” — Diana Gabaldon

@RowseForMayor 30 September – 7 October 2021

mary second-term goal is to make our City more business friendly.

“While consensus building is important, I believe residents are more interested in the council delivering policy results, providing municipal services, and balancing our budgets – we accomplished all of this under duress of pandemic and the flatlining of revenue sources.”

– Cathy Murillo

Do you think Santa Barbara would be better served as a city manager-run city or a mayor-run city?

A city of our size should be a City Administrator-strong municipal government. Our full-service city with its water, wastewater, fire, police, library, harbor, and airport functions requires a professional to oversee operations.

As demonstrated by our City Council, elected officials set policy and aim for

values such as government transparency, environmental protection and climate resiliency, a healthy and welltrained public employee workforce, a vibrant economy, and services supporting families and children. Our Charter, General Plan, and public participation are strong guiding forces in policy-setting and decision-making.

Tell us one thing about you that most people don’t know.

I have a strong creative side, in particular I am a writer, which came from spending afternoons in the public library as a child. I tell the teens I mentor that reading and writing go together. My major at UCSB was Dramatic Art; I am a classically trained stage actor and taught theater arts to children through the Children’s Creative Project after graduation. On a personal note, I adopted two kittens last year when our 21-year-old cat died, the pandemic making the grief more difficult and the joy of kittens sweeter. My secret addictions are BritBox television and Dodgers baseball.

We believe that one must be willing to lose in order to win. Can you give us an example of a brave position you have taken on the principle that cost you politically or personally?

Developing and adopting the Bicycle Master Plan took courage, as

it included removal of on-street parking to make way for dedicated bicycle lanes. We mitigated that loss as much as possible, still moving forward to encourage transportation of a lighter carbon footprint. Likewise, I exhibited political bravery reigning in the vacation rental industry, after hours of heated testimony from people wanting to use rental stock as “hotel rooms” rather than housing for local hardworking residents. I will take this courage into my second term, focusing on bringing housing downtown and especially finding suitable locations for housing for the unsheltered.

Please list all endorsements to date.

Organizations: Santa Barbara County Democratic Party; Planned Parenthood Central Coast Action Fund; Sierra Club – Los Padres Chapter; Latinas Lead California; CAUSE Action Fund; Santa Barbara Young Democrats; Central Coast Labor Council; Tri-Counties Building and Construction Trades Council; SEIU 620; UFCW 770; United Domestic Workers; Teamsters Joint Council 42; Sunrise Movement Santa Barbara Politicians and key community figures: Gregg Hart, Santa Barbara County Supervisor; Joan Hartmann, Santa Barbara County Supervisor; Das Williams, Santa Barbara County Supervisor; Paula Perotte, Goleta

Mayor; Wade Nomura, Carpinteria Mayor; Oscar Gutierrez, Santa Barbara Mayor Pro-Tem; Mike Jordan, Santa Barbara City Council Member/ Ordinance Committee Chair; Meagan Harmon, Santa Barbara City Council Member / California Coastal Commissioner; Rose Munoz, Santa Barbara School Board Trustee; Gloria Soto, Santa Maria City Council Member; Marcus Lopez, Barbareno Chumash Tribal Council Chair; James Kyriaco, Goleta Mayor Pro-Tem; Kyle Richards, Goleta City Council Member; Spencer Brandt, Isla Vista Community Services District President; Ethan Bertrand, Isla Vista Community Services District Board Member; Jonathan Abboud, Santa Barbara City College Trustee; Al Clark, Carpinteria Vice Mayor; Lauren Hanson, Goleta Water District Director; Bill Rosen, Goleta Water District Director; Pegeen Soutar, Isla Vista Recreation and Park District Board Chair; David Bearman, Goleta West Sanitary District Director; Margaret Connell, (Ret.) Goleta Mayor & Santa Barbara School Board; Janet Wolf, (Ret.) Santa Barbara County Supervisor; Marty Blum, (Ret.) Santa Barbara Mayor; Grant House, (Ret.) Santa Barbara City Council Member; Roger Horton, (Ret.) Santa Barbara City Council Member; Jackie Reid, (Ret.) Santa Barbara School Board Trustee •MJ

ELECTION 2021 WATCH OUR MAYORAL DEBATE ON DEMAND.

The Montecito Journal & Sonos hosted all six candidates, asking questions about leadership, influences, homelessness, the environment, and a series of wild card questions geared at each candidate. Come watch now!

WATCH AT: MONTECITOJOURNAL.NET/ BROUGHT TO YOU BY: 30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

31

Election 2021

by Nick Masuda

Randy Rowse:

R

Challenger, Mayor, Santa Barbara

andy Rowse admits he had left it all behind – the politics, the late nights watching City Council meetings, the rigors of owning a business.

The former Santa Barbara City Council representative was retired, and his wife loved it.

But, over the past 18 months or so, monitoring City Council meetings became commonplace. He questioned direction and leadership.

So, he’s jumping back in, this time chasing Santa Barbara’s mayor seat, running against incumbent Cathy Murillo, as well as fellow challengers James Joyce, Matt Kilrain, Deborah Schwartz, and Mark Whitehurst.

Rowse is well-known around town for owning the Paradise Cafe, a staple for journalists, politicians, and well-to-dos around town. He sold the property in 2019, looking to cast off into the sunset.

“You know what they say about best-laid plans . . .” Rowse quipped.

Rowse says he has tired of the divisiveness that has come with political

party in-fighting and is enjoying the mayoral race due to its nonpartisan nature.

“It’s supposed to be about what the people want, not what a political party wants,” Rowse said.

Each of the six candidates were asked six key questions facing the city, with the Montecito Journal and Sonos partnering to expand upon this with a debate on September 29 that is available on demand at montecitojournal.net.

Here are Rowse’s responses: What is the most important issue facing the city?

The people I meet while canvassing overwhelmingly feel like the lack of leadership the city is currently experiencing has shaken their faith in local government. The issues involving homelessness, public safety, and water are all problems, but not unique to today or to other agencies. These issues all have solutions or impactful management strategies that are within reach. What folks

want is the confidence that our leadership is focused on our city and not on politics or ideology.

This city acts like a seven-headed hydra... how will you cut through this dysfunction and bring the council together in order to build some consensus?

This is our first fully districted council and our first fully party-endorsed council. We have good people on this council, but these new distinctions have caused confusion and disparate direction. I would meet individually and collectively with all

seated council members to review our purpose and focus as outlined in the city charter. While council is now elected by district, every act of governance they perform affects the at-large constituency. Belonging to a political party is an individual choice, but these seats are, by definition, non-partisan. Embrace your beliefs and party, but park them at the door when you come to work at City Hall.

The presence of civility is not optional for elected representatives.

The Santa Barbara area is heavily reliant upon tourism, what is your

ISN’T IT TIME FOR ...

... Housing for first responders, ... Smart use of public funds for the homeless crisis, ... A locally responsive Economic Development Plan ... Santa Barbara S. A. F. E. for natural disasters

DEBORAH SCHWARTZ HAS THE PLAN, THE VISION, AND THE LEADERSHIP TO GET US THERE.

Paid for by Schwartz for Mayor of Santa Barbara 2021/FPPC #1435580.

32 MONTECITO JOURNAL

“Aprils have never meant much to me, autumns seem that season of beginning, spring.” – Truman Capote

30 September – 7 October 2021

plan to supplement that in case of other natural disasters or lack of travel? What are you going to do about bringing in good businesses that pay good wages?

The city currently invests in downtown Santa Barbara, the Chamber of Commerce, and Visit Santa Barbara, all visitor-serving agencies. The city (particularly downtown) needs a deep cleaning, better lighting, and a secure atmosphere. Other industries that pay more than hospitality must be recruited, welcomed, and facilitated through a reformed permit process. Creating a robust live/work atmosphere in our downtown will attract the kind of “clean” industry that will provide a higher income level. In addition, engaging our world-class university to develop assets in the city will help to energize the next generation of creative executives in our community.

Do you think Santa Barbara would be better served as a city manager-run city, or a mayor-run city?

Our charter spells out our structure clearly. Making our top executive subject to the whims of politics is a bad idea that is played out in numerous larger cities in our country. A professional manager that recruits, hires, and retains talent has served us very well. A “strong mayor” could possibly be influenced by special interests

or have their authority compromised by the impression that they are under such outside influences. On the other hand, choosing a capable mayor to serve in our present structure is vital.

That person has to answer directly to the electorate. If the mayor’s leadership abilities are in question,

ence a multitude of cultures from the Mediterranean, Africa, the Canaries, the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico. Upon returning home, I worked managing a retail stereo store in Bakersfield. You can be the judge of my life’s trajectory at that point.

“The people I meet while canvassing overwhelmingly feel like the lack of leadership the city is currently experiencing has shaken their faith in local government. The issues involving homelessness, public safety, and water are all problems, but not unique to today or to other agencies.”

– Randy Rowse

the organization becomes muddled in chaos. Leadership qualities cannot be assigned, but they will be revealed through actions.

Tell us one thing about you that most people don’t know.

I worked on a small sailboat that sailed from Italy back to Santa Barbara in the mid-‘seventies. During the yearplus that I was gone, I got to experi-

We believe that one must be willing to lose in order to win. Can you give us an example of a brave position you have taken on principle that cost you politically or personally?

During my former stint on Council, I made a few votes that in retrospect were wrong. However, I never voted for the wrong reasons, and that gives me peace. I’ve taken heat for some of my stances, but no one can accuse

me of ulterior or political motives.

I defended traffic, circulation, and parking capacity, but championed narrowing northern Milpas after the Sergio Romero tragedy. Likewise, I worked for the relinquishment of Cliff Drive, the expansion of bike lanes, and the addition of a middle turn lane. That hasn’t sit well with many, but I believe it has been a net positive.

“Political Capital” is not a currency I choose to trade in.

Please list your current endorsements.

Organizations: Santa Barbara City Firefighters’ Association; Santa Barbara Police Officers’ Association; Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce Politicians or key community members: Sheila Lodge, former Santa Barbara mayor; Pat McElroy, former Santa Barbara fire chief; Pete Jordano, CEO of Jordano’s Foodservice; Roger Aceves, Goleta City Council; Jerry Shalhoob, retired local business person; Gary Simpson, owner Home Improvement Center; Mary Louise Days, Santa Barbara Urban Historian; Jim Thomas, retired SB County Sheriff, Solvang City Council member; Lori Luhnow, former SB City Police Chief; Angel Martinez, former CEO Deckers Corp; Eric Peterson, former County Fire Chief •MJ

ELECT / ELIGE

Mark Whitehurst

Mayor / Alcalde Mark Whitehurst

Publisher/Owner VOICE (CASA)Magazine, 27 Years Downtown Organization: Past President and Treasurer, Board of Directors, 14 Years • Santa Barbara Beautiful, 25 Years • CASA Gallery – 1st Thursday, 12 Years – A Community Builder – Editor / propietario de VOICE (CASA) Magazine, 27 años Downtown Organization: Ex presidente y tesorero, junta directiva, 14 años • Santa Barbara Beautiful, 25 años • CASA Gallery – 1st Thursday, 12 años – Un constructor comunitario –

For more information, visit www.MarkforMayorSB.com • Para más información, visita www.MarkforMayorSB.com Paid for by Mark Whitehurst for Mayor 2021 / ID#1440635 / Pagado por Mark Whitehurst para alcalde 2021 805-635-7977 • 924 Anacapa St. #B1F, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

33

Election 2021

Deborah Schwartz has served on Santa Barbara’s Planning Commission for 12 years.

by Nick Masuda

Deborah Schwartz:

W

Challenger, Mayor, Santa Barbara

ith more than a decade served on Santa Barbara’s Planning Commission, Deborah Schwartz has navigated plenty of tough decisions, aiding in projects such as affordable housing and local economy relief.

It’s all been good practice for her latest venture: running for mayor.

It’s here that she will be faced with not only affordable housing and the city’s budget, but also homelessness, the environment, and downtown transformation.

But before any of that can happen, she will have to defeat incumbent Cathy Murillo, as well as fellow challengers James Joyce, Matt Kilrain, Randy Rowse, and Mark Whitehurst.

Schwartz’s passion was borne locally, where she helped voter registration in the fifth grade, while also participating in local events after the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara.

“Tourism overdependence jeopardizes economic stability.

I have publicly advocated for good-paying jobs to complement the tourism economy like other cities do. I will balance that with genuine support of our locally owned businesses left behind by City Hall.”

– Deborah Schwartz

She graduated from UCSB before relocating to San Francisco, where she worked with Project Homeless Connect, a key experience in helping local residents that were homeless or at risk of being so – something that Santa Barbara has seen increase significantly over the years.

Schwartz is currently the board president of Santa Barbara Beautiful, a nonprofit that supports community projects in arts and culture, as well as the natural environment and education. Meanwhile, she is also board director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, while also serving on the Dean’s Council for the

34 MONTECITO JOURNAL

UCSB Bren School of Environmental Science and Management.

“I believe in serving and investing time in the community,” said Schwartz, a graduate of Santa Barbara Junior High and Santa Barbara High after her family relocated to Santa Barbara in 1967. “Santa Barbara is my home, and I want to restore its greatness.”

Each of the six candidates were asked six key questions facing the city, with the Montecito Journal and Sonos partnering to expand upon this with a debate on September 29 that is available on demand at montecitojournal.net.

Here are Schwartz’s responses: What is the most important issue facing the city?

Three critical intersecting issues include: 1) increasing homeless on our streets; 2) a shortage of first responder housing; and 3) economic uncertainty.

Mr. Rowse and Ms. Murillo served together as elected officials for years.

Their lack of effective administrative oversight and inaction in the face of these crises put our city in today’s painful crossroads. Leaders anticipate problems before they become emergencies. It’s time to change the mayor, reject business as usual, and move our city forward towards a brighter future.

This city acts like a seven-headed hydra... how will you cut through this dysfunction and bring the council together in order to build some consensus?

City Hall dysfunction has been Santa Barbara’s worst-kept secret for more than a decade. Restoring respect and a productive work environment is not feasible under a former or current elected – as they have actively or passively contributed to the dysfunction. The mayor is the most important role among the seven elected officials: setting the meeting agenda, leading constructive discussions, facilitating timely common-ground decisions, and building regional relationships to secure funding for vital city needs.

Only a cooperative attitude toward colleagues will tame the “hydra” – which I bring from experience as chair of the Planning Commission.

Santa Barbara area is heavily reliant upon tourism; what is your plan to supplement that in case of other natural disasters or lack of travel? What are you going to do about bringing in good businesses that pay good wages?

Tourism overdependence jeopardiz-

es economic stability. I have publicly advocated for good-paying jobs to complement the tourism economy like other cities do. I will balance that with genuine support of our locally owned businesses left behind by City Hall. During Wednesday’s forum I shared highlights of my Santa Barbara S.A.F.E. Plan: Strategically address emergencies that put Access in/out of the city at risk. Incorporate new Flexible planning approaches and more effectively plan for environmental disasters. A policy priority of my plan will be championing housing for first responders – which no other mayors or council members have done.

ty. I believe shifting excessive authority away from the City Administrator is long overdue. Voters have lost trust and confidence in passive, indecisive city elected officials. It’s time that authority and responsibility are legally required of the mayor and six council members – through a vote of the people by changing the city charter.

“City Hall dysfunction has been Santa Barbara’s worst-kept secret for more than a decade. Restoring respect and a productive work environment is not feasible under a former or current elected – as they have actively or passively contributed to the dysfunction.”

– Deborah Schwartz

We believe that one must be willing to lose in order to win. Can you give us an example of a brave position you have taken on principle that cost you politically or personally?

The new police headquarters that will deprive the community of the decades-long popular Farmers Market location is one such example. In 2018, city staff presented several downtown options to the Planning Commission.

Knowing they had researched more than the cherry-picked list presented to the Commission, I requested the full inventory. By challenging the staff’s reasoning for their narrowed list, I could tell the former police chief and staff project manager were irritated with me. The mayor and council approved the staff’s narrowed list, ultimately choosing staff recommendation over the public’s broader interests. My decision-making independence cost me politically and personally.

Do you think Santa Barbara would be better served as a city manager-run city, or a mayor-run city?

Mr. Rowse and Ms. Murillo spent a decade relinquishing leadership to the City Administrator without responsible oversight. This has created a hostile, low morale work environment, causing unnecessary lawsuits and hardship for our entire communi

Tell us one thing about you that most people don’t know.

My life-long passion for horses started when I dreamed of being a professional barrel-racer. The grace, athletic strength, and unbridled (no pun intended) affection of horses has stayed with me through all the years, even when I’m no longer riding.

Please list all endorsements to date.

Organizations: Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS; Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County •MJ 30 September – 7 October 2021

30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

35

Election 2021

Mark Whitehurst is the publisher of VOICE, a newspaper in Santa Barbara

by Nick Masuda

Mark Whitehurst:

A

Challenger, Mayor, Santa Barbara

native of Iowa, Mark Whitehurst has made his impact on the Santa Barbara community through the use of his VOICE – the newspaper publication, that is.

Whitehurst is a man of the world, having taught in Australia, while also working in Oregon at his brother’s newspaper before relocating to Santa Barbara some 27 years ago.

He’s taken in some of the area’s best education, studying at both the Santa Barbara School of Law, as well as attaining a certificate in mediation from UCSB. And now he’s looking to take on the ultimate mediator role: the Mayor of Santa Barbara, where he is taking on incumbent Cathy Murillo, as well as fellow challengers in James Joyce, Matt Kilrain, Randy Rowse, and Deborah Schwartz.

While a relative newcomer to the political scene, Whitehurst has spent time as an SBCC Continuing Education instructor, as well as active in the nonprofit sector.

Each of the six candidates were asked six key questions facing the city, with the Montecito Journal and Sonos partnering to expand upon this with a debate on September 29 that is available on demand at mon tecitojournal.net.

Here are Whitehurst’s responses: What is the most important issue facing the city?

Economic revitalization is the most important issue facing Santa Barbara.

Following an economic downturn and a pandemic, the city has about a million square feet of unused retail space and is in need of a marketing plan and more. After 38 years in marketing and three successful startups, I begin by asking, “Where is the energy?”

In Santa Barbara it can be found in the environment, culture, architecture, health, and education. In short, these are the economic engines in place and each comes with lots of energy. Santa Barbara needs to market these engines using a sustainable and green model.

This city acts like a seven-headed hydra... how will you cut through this dysfunction and bring the council together in order to build some consensus?

As the council and mayor develop a strong agenda addressing the needs of each district, a collaborative

36 MONTECITO JOURNAL

atmosphere can be developed. This strong agenda and subsequent supporting budgets will create a positive direction that overshadows the peripheral negativity that has been present. As decisions are to be made, my role will first be to facilitate listening to needs and then to pull together the council to take decisive action.

This requires collaborative planning and relationship building with all the key players, both council and city administration to build consensus at City Hall.

“Economic revitalization is the most important issue facing Santa Barbara. Following an economic downturn and a pandemic, the city has about a million square feet of unused retail space and is in need of a marketing plan and more. After 38 years in marketing and three successful start-ups, I begin by asking, ‘Where is the energy?’”

– Mark Whitehurst Santa Barbara area is heavily reliant upon tourism; what is your plan to supplement that in case of other natural disasters or lack of travel? What are you going to do about bringing in good businesses that pay good wages?

I will encourage a multi-prong approach to addressing economic stability, including locals shopping local and valuing what the community already offers. Recruited new businesses need to have marketing plans to attract locals and visitors alike. The city needs to make it as easy as possible for businesses to get their doors open quickly. Business organizations and Visit Santa Barbara need to collaborate on marketing plans. Building community is an attitude. Residents will need to see the value in being a part of the Santa Barbara Community to sustain its economic vitality.

Do you think Santa Barbara would

be better served as a city manager-run city, or a mayor-run city?

I believe our city needs a team, made up of both the council and the administration, to develop an agenda and budget which has the city’s best interests at heart. The mayor should be the facilitator for these important discussions, but a facilitator with a vision that encourages others to share in that vision. When there is no clear goal, the city administration will move forward with maintenance details as the center of their agenda and improvements will not move forward.

“I will encourage a multi-prong approach to addressing economic stability, including locals shopping local and valuing what the community already offers.

Recruited new businesses need to have marketing plans to attract locals and visitors alike.”

– Mark Whitehurst

Tell us one thing about you that most people don’t know.

In the 1980s, I was the pastor (a lay minister) of an inner-city church in Kansas City, Missouri, that worked with Haitian refugees and the Cuban Mariel boat people. We helped to integrate them into the city’s workforce and community activities. The congregation grew from 50 to 200

“Days decrease, and autumn grows, autumn in everything.” — Robert Browning

and was highly diverse. I helped develop programs and worship services that were inclusive and intergenerational.

We believe that one must be willing to lose in order to win. Can you give us an example of a brave position you have taken on principle that cost you politically or personally?

As the publisher of a weekly paper in Oregon, I took an editorial stand supporting the construction of a state-run rehabilitation facility for a nearby prison.

The new facility would have provided hundreds of jobs, residual financial benefits, and a pilot social program.

This editorial position cost the paper thousands of dollars in lost advertising revenue, pulled subscriptions, and political capital.

A similar situation occurred locally with Voice Magazine, which took a stand against fracking in Santa Barbara County and refused any of the millions of advertising dollars they spent in the publications to support fracking.

Please list all endorsements to date.

Key community figures: Larry Feinberg, Nancy Gifford, Joan Rutkowski, Bela Bacsi, Jeanne Bacsi, Jan Baker, Jessika Cardinal, John Lawrence, Nicol Anandi, Deedee de Gelia, Elizabeth U. Flanagan, Chris Fletcher, Ruth Ellen Hoag, Francine Kirsch, Kerry Methner, Mary Dee Thompson, John Whitehurst, Jan Ziegler, William C. Knapp, Susan K. Knapp, Jack Hira, Susan Hira, Kevin Brun, Jeanette Casillas, Shelly Gardner, Connie Henze, Deanna Methner, Cheryl Peters, Eli Quesada, Collen Quesada, Connie Bills, Lisa Richards, Scott Richards •MJ 30 September – 7 October 2021

Election 2021 Zachary Pike:

by Nick Masuda

Challenger, District 6, Santa Barbara City Council

Z

achary Pike is the “everyman” in the race for the District 6 seat on Santa Barbara City Council, as he will take on incumbent Meagan Harmon, City Hall insider Nina Johnson, and local business owner Jason Carlton in the 2021 Election.

Pike has made a conscious decision to not chase endorsements of organizations or other political figures, but instead focusing his attention on his neighbors and people that call the downtown corridor home.

Pike is a newcomer to the local political scene and recently told the Santa Barbara Sentinel why he decided to join the race.

“Santa Barbara is going through yet another phase of changes. We are set to undergo some major visual and structural changes to the downtown State Street corridor, alongside some big changes in city government,” Pike said. “I have lived in this district for over two decades, and I have a lot of love for this city and its people. What the city council needs is representation for the working-class locals, the backbone of Santa Barbara. This is my experience, and this is the reason for throwing my hat into the ring.”

Pike is also keen on making sure the District 6 seat is filled by someone that understands the lay of the downtown land.

“The first priority would be maintaining a true representation in the city government for the people who live and work in the downtown neighborhoods. For the residents of District 6, downtown SB is not only a weekend out on the town, but also a workweek as well as our home,” Pike said. “That being said, a living wage for the workers downtown is important for the health of the city.”

All four District 6 candidates were presented with a trio of questions focused on issues that impact Santa Barbara’s downtown district; here are Pike’s responses: What is the most important issue facing District 6?

I am going to generalize this answer and say that balance and security are the major issues downtown. There seems to be an identity crisis in District 6, with there being a major push to design a corridor that attracts tourist dollars while also supporting the functions of a seaside residential town. The biggest concerns are the rising cost of living for local renters and the homeless crisis. The question is does the city council prioritize the tourist industry 30 September – 7 October 2021

and its benefactors over the needs of the local population?

Santa Barbara’s downtown corridor is heavily reliant upon tourism.

What is your plan to supplement that in case of other natural disasters or lack of travel? What are you going to do about bringing in good businesses that pay good wages?

This question also states the problem: The overhead for business downtown is so expensive that it’s tough for any local and independent entrepreneurs to compete with large corporations and franchises. The result is that the bigger war chest is the most desirable renter, and storefronts sit empty waiting for a desirable tenant. The city council might try and explore new policies that can help local businesses get started and keep their doors open. Keeping local dollars circulating in the community benefits everyone.

We believe that one must be willing to lose in order to win. Can you give us an example of a brave position you have taken on principle that cost you politically or personally?

I’ve been a musician for most of my life so I would say to anyone that following your innate intuition in choosing a career path is the definition of bravery. Politically? The biggest cost of entering public service is the time taken away from your personal life, and time is the greatest asset of all.

Please list all endorsements to date.

As far as the last question regarding endorsements: I have chosen to simply seek the endorsement of the Downtown community of Santa Barbara. This is a local election not a national spectacle.

Let’s find our common ground. •MJ

Nina Johnson:

Challenger, District 6, Santa Barbara City Council

T

he race for the District 6 seat on Santa Barbara City Council has turned into a four-person race, with City Hall insider Nina Johnson creating plenty of buzz in choosing to “pull her papers” at the very end of the filing period to take on incumbent Meagan Harmon.

Johnson isn’t just taking on Harmon, but also businessman Jason Carlton and “everyman” Zachary Pike.

Johnson putting her role at City Hall on pause was a significant sacrifice for Johnson, who has spent two decades behind the scenes.

In a recent interview with the Santa Barbara Sentinel, Johnson indicated that the decision wasn’t easy, but necessary in her eyes.

“I am fortunate to be a 25-year resident of the city of Santa Barbara.

After serving in the top ranks of City Hall for over 20 years, I bring invaluable experience and knowledge of government operations and services to help the city council better serve the community,” Johnson said.

All four candidates were presented with three key questions facing the district, here are Johnson’s responses: What is the most important issue facing District 6?

My top priority is restoring economic vibrancy downtown through innovative urban design of the pedestrian promenade, a wide range of housing, streamlined permitting to encourage business startup, and a safe, welcoming environment to shop and dine.

I led the demonstration of a promenade pre-pandemic to advance the community dialogue on whether to have vehicles on State Street, providing the framework and lessons learned to create the current promenade. I’ll collaborate with all stakeholders to ensure the next iteration of State Street will adapt vacant space to housing and other creative uses, while protecting our historic character and unique charm.

Santa Barbara’s downtown corridor is heavily reliant upon tourism.

What is your plan to supplement that in case of other natural disasters or lack of travel? What are you going to do about bringing in good businesses that pay good wages?

To prepare businesses for disaster resilience, I’m focused on businesses launching and operating with firm financial footing, which will result from nimbleness, flexibility, and predictability in tenant improvements

• The Voice of the Village •

and other business requirements.

This will help entrepreneurs develop emergency reserves they need during crisis. Encouraging residents to shop local is also key to economic resilience.

I’ll engage the business community to address and mitigate our high cost of living and develop strategies and partnerships that help employees and employers. Creating a business-friendly culture will strengthen local merchants, attract new ventures, and encourage investment that will result in good wages for employees.

We believe that one must be willing to lose in order to win. Can you give us an example of a brave position you have taken on principle that cost you politically or personally?

To quickly fill vacant spaces on State Street after the Thomas Fire, I started a pop-up program to help entrepreneurs launch with shortterm, lower cost leases without needing costly tenant improvements or lengthy permitting processes. I also created a sign template to forego signage approvals.

I engaged in intense conversations, convincing a skeptical real estate community and hesitant city staff of the value and benefits for all parties.

I developed a matchmaking concept and coordinated events for entrepreneurs to pitch their idea to commercial brokers. We now have 13 pop-ups on State Street that would otherwise be vacant storefronts.

Please list all endorsements to date: Organizations: Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County; Santa Barbara Police Officers Association Politicians and other community figures: “Endorsed by the Community, Not Politicians.” •MJ MONTECITO JOURNAL

37

Election 2021

by Nick Masuda

Meagan Harmon:

Incumbent, District 6, Santa Barbara City Council

T

he race for the District 6 seat on Santa Barbara City Council is a four-person race, with incumbent Meagan Harmon being challenged by Jason Carlton, Nina Johnson, and Zachary Pike.

Harmon, also a representative on the California Coastal Commission, is facing her first election, as she was appointed to council in 2019.

Each of the candidates answered a trio of questions in regard to Santa Barbara’s downtown corridor: What is the most important issue facing District 6?

Since the next question focuses on the critical issue of the downtown corridor, I will focus here on housing. District 6 residents are primarily renters; others are unhoused altogether. Protecting tenants from no-cause evictions, offering emergency rental assistance, and building affordable housing are essential to keeping our residents local, not commuting in on crowded freeways, gen-

38 MONTECITO JOURNAL

erating greenhouse gases. Providing housing with wraparound services for unhoused persons is essential: a strategic approach to homelessness means a humane alternative to squalid freeway-side encampments, and a reduction of the fire risk that

those encampments pose to all of the city.

Santa Barbara’s downtown corridor is heavily reliant upon tourism. What is your plan to supplement that in case of other natural disasters or lack of travel? What are you going to do about bringing in good businesses that pay good wages?

The pandemic reinforced the necessity of creative strategies to support business. I led the charge in creating the State Street Promenade, making downtown a draw for locals, the permanent backbone of our economy, and for tourists. Eliminating burdensome rules, reworking the Planning Department to be less bureaucratic, and rethinking zoning to include adaptive reuse policies that include housing, are critical to making our downtown appealing to businesses and locals. I am simultaneously working toward diversification by investing in the blue economy – funding our sustainable commercial fishing industry and prioritizing ecologically-sound aquaculture policy through my work on the California Coastal Commission.

We believe that one must be willing to lose in order to win. Can you give us an example of a brave position you have taken on principle that cost you

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

politically or personally?

Living a life of principle isn’t always easy and can cost us in real ways. But, as I’ve learned through my own experiences, both public and private, it is always worthwhile.

On Council, my support for limitations around no-cause evictions has come at a steep political cost, as there are those who are seeking to unseat me because of this stance. But 80%+ of District 6 residents are renters and they deserve representation.

Limitations on no-cause evictions are necessary for community stability and keep people from falling into homelessness. They are what working families in this district need – no matter the political cost.

Please list all endorsements to date.

Groups: CAUSE Action Fund; Central Coast Labor Council; Democratic Party of Santa Barbara County; Planned Parenthood; Santa Barbara Association of Realtors; Santa Barbara City Firefighters Local 525; Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee; Santa Barbara Young Democrats; Sierra Club; Sunrise Movement Santa Barbara; TriCounties Building & Construction Trades Council; United Food & Clothing Workers Local 770; IBEW Local 413 (Electricians); UA Local 114

Harmon Page 424

30 September – 7 October 2021

Election 2021

Election 2021

Jason Carlton:

Kristen Sneddon:

by Nick Masuda

by Nick Masuda

Challenger, District 6, Santa Barbara City Council

T

he makeup of the race for Santa Barbara City Council’s District 6 seat took on a dramatically different feel late in the filing period, with three candidates jumping into the fray to take on incumbent Meagan Harmon.

Jason Carlton, a well-known local business owner, is one of those that chose to challenge the seat; he is focused on other small businesses, as well as the homeless situation along the city’s downtown corridor.

Carlton is also facing City Hall insider Nina Johnson and “everyman” Zachary Pike.

Carlton has spent the past few weeks going door-to-door with his team, focused on showcasing his energy and vision for the city.

In a recent interview with the Santa Barbara Sentinel, Carlton was critical of the current leadership: “There are some issues downtown and in the neighborhoods that need addressing,” Carlton said.

“The lack of leadership with the city council has compounded these problems and Santa Barbarians I have talked to are not happy with the city and its lack of execution.”

He also indicated in the Sentinel interview that homelessness is a top priority, stating that his campaign will put a focus on the ongoing crisis in Santa Barbara.

“My team and I are looking at a management system for the homeless, mentally ill, and drug addicts to help clean up Santa Barbara,” Carlton said.

“Affordable housing for individuals/families working downtown.

Lastly, a balanced budget with transparency to the public who pay for city services.”

All four candidates were presented with three key questions facing the district, with a maximum of 100 words per answer. Here are Carlton’s responses: What is the most important issue facing District 6?

Homelessness and business vacancies are the two largest factors affecting District 6. Unfortunately, it appears to some extent to be self-feeding. When business fronts go unoccupied, it becomes more inviting for the homeless individuals to take up residence. Small business owners are good curators of their storefronts.

Let’s be clear though, this will not solve the homelessness problem, but could help clean up perception of it.

30 September – 7 October 2021

Incumbent, District 4, Santa Barbara City Council

W

hile the other city of Santa Barbara races feature a plethora of candidates, the battle for District 4 is a two-person showdown, with incumbent Kristen Sneddon taking on Barrett Reed.

Sneddon, a professor at Santa Barbara City College, has been on council as the pandemic forced both State Street and Coast Village Road into plenty of changes.

Here are her responses to three key questions facing the district:

Santa Barbara’s downtown corridor is heavily reliant upon tourism. What is your plan to supplement that in case of other natural disasters or lack of travel?

What are you going to do about bringing in good businesses that pay good wages?

We are a tourist town and depend on it. That said, we need to diversify our portfolio. We need to attract more small businesses through incentives.

Amazon and COVID-19 destroyed the brick-and-mortar model. We need a vacancy tax (or something like it) to push commercial landlords to seek new tenants.

The city needs to clean up the Planning Department. Ninety-five percent of the new businesses I talk to said: “If I knew how difficult the city was to deal with, I would have set up shop elsewhere.” That is a painful statement to me; I want to see small businesses thrive here. With a diversified portfolio, we wouldn’t be so crippled in the case of tourism and natural disaster.

We believe that one must be willing to lose in order to win. Can you give us an example of a brave position you have taken on principle that cost you politically or personally?

Yes, my team and I are not accepting any endorsements. We would if they didn’t come with money. I find it hard to do work for the public and small business if “your hands are not clean.”

Please list all endorsements to date.

None.

•MJ

What is the most important issue facing District 4?

Residents of District 4 want to be safe and protected from fire, water scarcity, crime, and over-development, while promoting economic development. I have worked hard to secure wildfire protections, water security, patrols, and minimize density in our vulnerable hillsides, while supporting the creation of an Economic Development Plan focused on Downtown and Coast Village Road. Another major concern is solutions to homelessness, as a humanitarian crisis and a concern in high fire areas and health of our waterways. We are actively progressing on this front with the implementation of our strategic plan to address homelessness, with more on the way.

you politically or personally?

There are many times when I have opposed development projects because their size, bulk, and scale were out of proportion with the neighborhood and did not offer true affordability in housing for our workforce “missing middle.” This sustained and consistent position has created a powerful lobby of developers who are working very hard and investing a lot of money in an attempt to unseat me with a developer opponent. I will continue to vote on principle and will not back down to this political pressure.

Coast Village Road is critical to the future of Montecito and the city as a whole, and it has been transformed during the pandemic. Where do you stand on its future?

Coast Village Road continues as the shining example of what the rest of the city should emulate in resilience and successful economic development. Following the devastating debris flow, I worked with businesses to expedite reopening – a model I pushed for State Street during the pandemic. CVR serves locals, has pride of ownership, and does not leave vacant storefronts to burden the community, while maintaining a clean, safe, and welcoming environment. I was happy to bring the Coast Village Business Improvement District to Council with unanimous support. I rely on this partnership to develop the next steps for this corridor.

We believe that one must be willing to lose in order to win. Can you give us an example of a brave position you have taken on principle that cost

• The Voice of the Village •

Please list all endorsements to date Organizations: Santa Barbara City Firefighters Association, Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood Central Coast Action Fund, Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee, Democratic Women, Santa Barbara County Democratic Party, Santa Barbara Young Democrats Officials and Community Leaders: Congressmember Salud Carbajal, State Senator Monique Limón, Assemblymember Steve Bennett, Santa Barbara City Councilmembers Eric Friedman, Oscar Gutierrez, former Mayor and Planning Commissioner Sheila Lodge, former Mayors Marty Blum and Helene Schneider, Goleta City Councilmembers James Kyriaco, Stuart Kasdin & Kyle Richards, Santa Barbara Community College Board Members Marcia Croninger & Peter Haslund, Santa Barbara Unified School Board Members Laura Capps, Kate Ford, Virginia Alvarez &

Sneddon Page 424 MONTECITO JOURNAL

39

Meagan Harmon —

Learn more at

MeaganHarmon.org

Working to Revitalize State Street

Meagan pushed for solutions to Santa Barbara‘s most pressing challenges including: • Creating concrete solutions to address homelessness • Leading the creation of the State Street Promenade • Protecting the environment as our voice on the California Coastal Commission

Solutions for Downtown Santa Barbara When the pandemic hit, Meagan Harmon walked her neighborhood and connected with business owners to help them navigate the process of securing relief funds.

Meagan also spearheaded the effort to close off State Street to vehicle traffic, allowing restaurants to set up outdoor dining.

The State Street Promenade is helping downtown businesses thrive and giving residents an opportunity to reconnect. Meagan will continue working with local businesses to ensure more people can enjoy the Promenade for years to come.

Vote Meagan Harmon for City Council Return your ballot by Tuesday, November 2nd

Paid Political Advertisement

Paid for by Meagan Harmon for Santa Barbara City Council 2021 | FPPC # 1419185 226 E. Canon Perdido #D, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Re-elect

KRISTEN SNEDDON for SANTA BARBARA CITY COUNCIL Steady & Experienced A proven voting record of:

KRISTEN SNEDDON for CITY COUNCIL

• Ensuring public health & safety — led efforts to update and fund Community Wildfire Protection Plan • Funding increased repair & replacement of roads and water/sewer lines • Planning for water security • Protecting open space, parks & important views • Preserving neighborhoods from over-development • Supporting economic rejuvenation & leading efforts to revitalize State Street • Alleviating homelessness by working with social services, law enforcement, & housing providers

Election Day is November 2nd Your ballot must be postmarked or returned by Nov 2.

Vote-by-Mail between Oct. 4 and Nov. 2!

40 MONTECITO JOURNAL

“Kristen Sneddon was most certainly and effectively an advocate and friend for our community in the aftermath of the debris flow. The city is better functioning as a result of her service, without question, Kristen has been thoughtful and responsive. I am grateful for her service.“ — Bob Ludwick “Kristen Sneddon led efforts to update and fund the Community Wildfire Protection Plan and fought for funding for improved dispatch and roadway improvements to help us keep you safe. She earned the support of our local Firefighters.”

— Justin Kiel, Santa Barbara City Firefighters Association

Paid for by Kristen Sneddon for City Council 2021, PO Box 20153, Santa Barbara, CA 93120

30 September – 7 October 2021

Election 2021

by Nick Masuda

Barrett Reed:

Challenger, District 4, Santa Barbara City Council

W

ith Coast Village Road’s well-being at the heart of the race for the District 4 seat on the Santa Barbara City Council, the two candidates have shown polar opposite tactics in portraying their vision for the corridor. Challenger Barrett Reed has been outspoken about the leadership style stemming from City Council, including that of his opponent, incumbent Kristen Sneddon.

Reed has deep roots in the area, having gone to Santa Barbara Junior High, Santa Barbara High, and SBCC, while also serving on Santa Barbara’s Planning Commission.

What is the most important issue facing District 4?

A failing city leadership. Our elected leaders have become paralyzed by their political posturing. The political self-interest in our City Council has led to negligence of key issues that are shaking the quality of life throughout our city. Our police force is currently 20% understaffed, and our downtown core

is unable to get back on its feet because the city makes no effort to work with businesses. These failings exacerbate the pervasiveness of homelessness in our downtown to the point of drawing criticism from the state. Internally, this lack of focus has reached a boiling point among professional staff who are abandoning their positions.

Coast Village Road is critical to the future of Montecito and the city as a whole, and it has been transformed during the pandemic. Where do you stand on its future?

Coast Village has grown into a core shopping destination in Santa Barbara.

While the city enjoys the added tax revenues, the most pressing needs of this community are being ignored.

The traffic situation continues to plague businesses and residents by making local access impossible during certain times of the day. There is no attention from the city to meet the requests for essential improvements to the medians and to address the concern of nuisance street behavior from spreading from our downtown core to Coast Village. We need to embrace Coast Village and support residents and shop owners with improved and increased city services.

We believe that one must be willing to lose in order to win. Can you give us an example of a brave position you have taken on principle that cost you politically or personally?

Recently on our City Planning Commission, I chose to take a stand against our City Council’s and city staff’s resistance to solutions for improving our broken and unfair permitting and review process. With City Council lacking the courage and lead-

ership to take action, my colleagues and I have been in an eight-month fight to make these much-needed changes, for the benefit of our residents and business owners. Businesses are failing before they open, keeping vacancies high, as a direct result of our costly, lengthy, and uncertain permitting process. On City Council, I will take immediate action to fix what is broken.

Please list endorsements to date: Organizations: Santa Barbara Police Officers Association; Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce; Santa Barbara Association of Realtors; Santa Barbara Rental Property Association Political figures and key community members: Mike Jordan, District 2 City Councilmember; Bob Ludwick, president of Coast Village Association; Loy Beardsmore, president of Eucalyptus Hill Improvement Association; Ruthy Green, former president of the California State Board of Education and former Santa Barbara Unified School Board Member; Alixe Mattingly, chair of MOXI Museum Board and former MOXI CEO; Kevin Moore, chair of Santa Barbara’s Architectural Board of Review; Roxana Bonderson, city of Santa Barbara planning commissioner and State Street advisory committee member; Jay Higgins, city of Santa Barbara planning commissioner •MJ

A SEASONED TEAM

with local and deep roots in the Santa Barbara Community REALTORS® AND TRUSTED ADVISORS FOR A COMBINED 39+ YEARS Top 1% in Santa Barbara $500+ Million in Sales

John A. Sener 805.331.7402 | Alyssa A. Jones 805.755.8735 senerjonesassociates.com | senerjones@villagesite.com DRE 00978392/02096482

30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

41

Harmon (Continued from page 38)

(Plumbers & Pipefitters); SMW LU 104 (Sheetmetal Workers); Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters; Vote Mama Community Leaders & Elected Officials: Congressman Salud Carbajal; State Senator Monique Limón; Assembly Member Steve Bennett; 1st District County Supervisor Das Williams; 2nd District County Supervisor Gregg Hart; Former 2nd District County Supervisor Janet Wolf; Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo; Santa Barbara City Councilmember Eric Friedman;

Sneddon (Continued from page 39)

Rose Muñoz, Goleta Union School Board Member Vicki Ben-Yaacov, Goleta Water Board Members Lauren Hanson & Farfalla Borah, Montecito Water Board Member Cori Hayman, former Congressmember Lois Capps, former State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, former Santa Barbara City Councilmember Bendy White, former County Supervisors Janet Wolf & Susan Rose, former Goleta School Board Member Susan Epstein, retired Santa Barbara City Fire Chief Pat McElroy, Bonnie Kerwin, Planning Commissioner

Santa Barbara City Councilmember Mike Jordan; Santa Barbara City Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez; Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte; Goleta City Councilmember James Kyriaco; Goleta City Councilmember Kyle Richards; Santa Barbara School Board Member Rose Muñoz; Santa Barbara Planning Commissioner Gabe Escobedo; Santa Barbara Planning Commissioner Lesley Wiscomb; Santa Barbara Planning Commissioner Roxana Bonderson; Santa Maria City Councilmember Gloria Soto; Linda Krop; Dave Davis; Eder Gaona-Macedo; Bob Stout •MJ Lesley Wiscomb, Yolanda MedinaGarcia, Water Commissioner Dave Davis, Linda Krop, Retired Judge George Eskin, Principal of Peabody Charter School Demian Barnett, former Chairs of Starr King ParentChild Workshop Nancy Weiss, Meg Miller, and Amanda Craig, Chair of Peabody Charter School Board Amanda Craig, Dennis Allen & Jennie Cushnie, Leslie Brtek, Roland & Joyce Bryan, Valarie Cherot, SBCC Professor Emeritus Karl Halbach, Lynn Hamilton, Bob Handy, Harvey Molotch, Mary O’Gorman, Ernesto Paredes, Lisa Reifel •MJ

Election 2021

by Nick Masuda

How to Vote in the 2021 Election

A

s October approaches, you will start receiving mail-in ballots for Santa Barbara’s mayoral race, and if you live in Districts 4, 5, or 6, you will also receive a ballot for those City Council races.

While the rest of this section previews the candidates, the logistics of voting is just as important so you can make your voice heard.

Here are important websites and contact information to help you express yourself, with the election set for November 2.

City of Santa Barbara Voting Website: www.santabarbaraca.gov/ gov/vote Voting: All voters in the City of Santa Barbara will be receiving a ballot with prepaid postage to vote for a mayoral candidate. In addition to the city-wide mayoral race, voters in Districts 4, 5, and 6 will also be electing a Councilmember to represent their respective district.

Voting district lookup: Don’t know

what district you fall into? The city has a website for that at www.sbcas sessor.com/ElectionDataLookup/ Default.aspx You can also get descriptions of each district here: www.santabarbara ca.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload. aspx?BlobID=221515 Register to vote: Haven’t had a chance to get registered to vote this year? You can do so at https://reg istertovote.ca.gov/RegisterToVote/ en-us According to the city’s website, you can also call (805) 568-2200 (County Elections Division) to request a voter registration form. Voter registration forms are also available in the City Clerk’s Office.

How long will these candidates hold office? The Mayor and City Councilmembers serve four-year terms of office.

Financial disclosures: You can check out candidates’ financial disclosures here at https://public.netfile. com/pub2/Default.aspx?aid=CSB •MJ

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO SHARE OUR ENDORSEMENTS FOR NOVEMBER 2021.

CHECK OUT THE CANDIDATES’ WEBSITES TO DONATE AND VOLUNTEER!

MAYOR Deborah Schwartz

www.schwartzforsb.com/

CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 4 Kristen Sneddon www.sbsneddon.com

CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 5 Eric Friedman

www.friedmanforcouncil.org

CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 6 Nina Johnson

www.ninajohnsonsb.org

WWW.DEMWOMENSB.COM

42 MONTECITO JOURNAL

30 September – 7 October 2021

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30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

43

Far Flung Travel

by Chuck Graham

On Foot and by Paddle

White pelicans are North America’s largest pelican and migrate during fall and winter to Central, Southern, and Southeastern portions of California

Avian Retreat

You can observe the southern sea otter near Morro Rock, which offers a reliable canopy of giant bladder kelp for 20 to 25 otters on a good day

T

iming the surge of an incoming tide took me to the backend of the Morro Bay Estuary. Paddling my standup paddleboard, I glided effortlessly through serpentine-like channels choked in colorful pickleweed. Flanked by massive Morro Rock to the north, the rest of the seven sisters lied ahead, prominent rocky spires that fortify the backend of the estuary overlooking its teeming wetlands.

From Morro Bay south to Los Osos, the estuary spans 2,300 acres of marshes and mudflats, housing over 250 bird species, harbor seals, and sea lions and rafts of southern sea otters, a marine mammal boasting the densest fur in the animal kingdom.

Protected by a lengthy, dense sandspit of wind-groomed sand dunes, exploring its sheltered waters by kayak or standup offers intimate encounters with all its inhabitants. Launching is effortless at various locations within the estuary offering boundless opportunities throughout one of the few remaining coastal wetlands on the West Coast.

Dwarf Forest

Keystone Species

There are not many places in Central California to see sea otters, but Morro Bay is one of the best locales. You can literally drive right up to them just below Morro Rock. A reliable canopy of giant bladder kelp houses 20 to 25 otters on a good day. It’s a great observation point to watch these fastidious groomers and mothers tending to their kits.

However, the best vantage point is from a kayak at surface level seeing these keystone critters up close feeding on clams and crabs, continuously rolling, somersaulting in the kelp. And after it is all over, the otters wrap up in the kelp, that natural anchor keeping sleepy otters in place.

Highly sought after for their dense fur, southern sea otters were thought to be completely extinct up until 1938. However, 50 animals were discovered below the Bixby Bridge along the rugged Big Sur Coast. Protections went into place and from that small gene pool the population has climbed to just over 3,000 animals, still a far cry from when their population hovered around 250,000 otters.

SANTA BARBARA

HOPE RANCH

MONTECITO

GENERAL CONTRACTOR FOR LUXURY CUSTOM HOMES FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1983

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While scanning with my binoculars, I reflected on a wind-driven spring day going back at least 10 years ago. A broad raft of pickleweed crept into the estuary on a medium tide. It was thick enough to allow a flock of maybe 20 migrating American white pelicans to roost and preen their pearly white feathers while floating into the back bay.

White pelicans are North America’s largest pelican. They mostly breed in Montana but come fall and winter they fly south picking spots along the Central, Southern, and Southeastern portions of California. Morro Bay offers a safe haven for resident birds, but for many migrants too.

Several serpentine channels weave their way through the “forest” of pickleweed, and from many vantage points and with a good pair of binoculars, hundreds of birds can be spotted around the estuary.

Coastal access points can be had around the Baywood region on the southeast side of the estuary. My birding excursion revealed greater yellow legs and greater scaups, semipalmated plovers, long-billed curlews, blue-winged teal, and western sandpipers.

From a kayak, you get a unique perspective that is level with the birdlife but also the harbor seals. It makes it easier to approach with a camera from a safe distance. It allows intimate encounters and observations revealing the behavior of so many species in this vital wetland habitat.

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WWW.HOLEHOUSE.COM

44 MONTECITO JOURNAL

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LICENSE #645496

One of the more interesting preserves surrounding the Morro Bay Estuary is the El Moro Elfin Forest accessed from Los Osos.

Along the four- to five-mile boardwalk loop natural area are a throng of habitats highly concentrated in the 90-acre preserve. Eight separate habitats provide homes for a multitude of flora and fauna. Those include coastal dune scrub, maritime chaparral, coast live oak woodland, manzanita complex, riparian areas, brackish water, and salt marsh ecosystems. The raised boardwalk is ideal for viewing, but more importantly it protects these sensitive habitats.

The Elfin Forest supports more than 200 species of plants, 110 bird species, 22 species of mammals, and 13 species of reptiles and amphibians. Evidence left by Chumash Indians are hidden within the preserve.

Elfin Forest is not just another pretty place to experience Morro Bay. It is also educational. Periodically along the boardwalk visitors will find placards naming a specific plant. The placard also has a place to scan with your phone.

Simply hold your cell phone over the scan and it will reveal a detailed drawing of the native plant and specific information about it.

Sweetness

Another sweet little preserve worth exploring is the Sweet Springs Nature Preserve. It is also located in Los Osos. Acquired in 1989 and managed since then by the Morro Coast Audubon Society, the 32-acre preserve is tucked away in the southerly corner of the Morro Bay Estuary.

The region has been restored with native plants, shaded pathways, bridges, and overlooks with stunning views of the estuary and Morro Rock. It is a peaceful preserve where time slows down. It is another good spot to bird watch and enjoy the sunset with ever-present Morro Rock as a stunning backdrop.

•MJ

“If a year was tucked inside a clock, then autumn would be the magic hour.” – Victoria Erickson

30 September – 7 October 2021

Welcome Back to Live Classical Music with CAMA!

Presenting the world’s finest classical artists since 1919

2022 SEASON

103rd CONCERT SEASON

Sir Simon Rattle

international series

Vasily Petrenko

Elim Chan

at the Granada Theatre

Kirill Karabits

SEASON SPONSOR:

Sir John Eliot Gardiner

SAGE PUBLICATIONS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022, 7:30PM

ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

CAMA and Music Academy of the West co-present the London Symphony Orchestra in concert in celebration of the Music Academy’s 75th anniversary

Vasily Petrenko, Music Director Olga Kern, piano

THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2022, 7:30PM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022, 7:30PM

LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC Elim Chan, conductor Igor Levit, piano

Sir Simon Rattle, Music Director

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2022, 7:30PM

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022, 7:30PM

RUSSIAN NATIONAL ORCHESTRA

ENGLISH BAROQUE SOLOISTS Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Music Director

Kirill Karabits, conductor Mikhail Pletnev, piano

masterseries at the Lobero Theatre

SEASON SPONSOR:

ESPERIA FOUNDATION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2022, 7:30PM

JORDI SAVALL AND LE CONCERT DES NATIONS Jordi Savall, Director & bass viol

FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2022, 7:30PM

Jordi Savall

Benjamin Grosvenor

Isabel Bayrakdarian

James Ehnes

BENJAMIN GROSVENOR, piano SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022, 7:30PM

ISABEL BAYRAKDARIAN, soprano MARK FEWER, violin JAMIE PARKER, piano

TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2022, 7:30PM

JAMES EHNES, violin ORION WEISS, piano

Santa Barbara COVID-19 Live Event Requirement Lobero Theatre and Granada Theatre In an effort to create the safest possible environment for venue guests, please note that patrons of all ages, who plan to attend any CAMA event at the Lobero Theatre or Granada Theatre must show proof of being fully vaccinated or supply a negative COVID-19 medical test result (taken within 72 hours prior to each event), along with a photo identification, before entering the venue. Masks are currently required indoors, regardless of vaccination status. Protocols may differ by venue and are subject to change with local, State and national guidelines; please check venue websites for up-to-date information. This policy applies to venue and presenter staff, audience members and performers.

SERIES SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW 805 966-4324

| tickets@camasb.org | www.camasb.org

COMMUNITY ARTS MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF SANTA BARBARA 30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

45

CALENDAR OF Note to readers: This entertainment calendar is a subjective sampling of arts and other events taking place in the Santa Barbara area for the next week. It is by no means comprehensive. Be sure to read feature stories in each issue that complement the calendar. In order to be considered for inclusion in this calendar, information must be submitted no later than noon on the Wednesday eight days prior to publication date. Please send all news releases and digital artwork to slibowitz@yahoo.com)

EVENTS

by Steven Libowitz

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2- SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3

Two Decades of Fiery Flamenco — Roni Benise has come a long way since the Nebraska native traded in his electric guitar and visions of rock stardom for nylon-stringed classical after hearing flamenco music on the radio in Los Angeles. Busking on the streets and flea markets brought him a following that encouraged him to mash up his fiery approach to Latin-Afro rhythms he calls nuevo flamenco with a boisterous circus-style act to ignite passionate responses in audiences. PBS snapped Benise up for a TV special called Nights of Fire! in 2007 and the show aired across the nation, eventually winning an Emmy Award and more or less allowing Benise to achieve his original dream. Now the so-called “Prince of Spanish Guitar” is on tour celebrating his 20th anniversary with a show that leads the audience on a musical journey that has ports of call in Spanish Flamenco, Cuban Salsa, Brazilian Samba, Parisian Waltz, exotic drumming, and other world music, as Benise revisits fan favorites from the last two decades, including busking classics in Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” and debuts new songs from his fifth PBS special Strings of Hope.

WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $33.50-$97.50 INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1-

‘Ladies’ Going to the Dogs at Center Stage — DramaDogs, the Santa Barbara-based project-driven theater company that employs a body-centered process with its artists, emerges from the pandemic to produce The Ladies of the Camellias, a farce about an imagined meeting in late 19th-century Paris between the famous theater divas Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse. Company founder E. Bonnie Lewis portrays Sarah Bernhardt, Meredith McMinn takes on Duse, with Hannah Brudney, Ed Giron, Sean O’Shea, Justin Davanzo, Brian Harwell, Ethan Kim, and Phillip Moreno rounding out the cast. Co-founder Ken Gilbert directs and Eric Valinsky serves as music director for the three-performance run that promises to be fun, informative, and — given the cast and crew — very well-staged.

WHEN: 7:30 pm tonight, 2 & 7:30 pm tomorrow WHERE: Center Stage Theater, 751 Chapala St., upstairs in Paseo Nuevo COST: $15 INFO: (805) 963-0408 or www.centerstagetheater.org

Classic Rock Concerts — With settings in gorgeous outdoor venues, COVID concerns will be at a minimum for those wanting to check out a couple of concerts from classic rock acts whose careers began in the 1960s and whose songs can still be heard every day on KTYD-FM and satellite stations. Paul Kantner founded Jefferson Starship as a resurrection of the legendary San Francisco band Jefferson Airplane, envisioning the ensemble as something similar but exceeding its psychedelic roots with more fluidity. Half a century later, Starship still soars, although bassist-keyboardist David Freiberg, now 83, is the only founding member still sticking around to deliver such hits as “Count on Me,” “Miracles,” “We Built This City,” and other Starship/Airplane favorites, all featuring new lead singers. There are no such sub issues with tomorrow night’s show at the Santa Barbara Bowl, which once again hosts the mystical moondancer Van Morrison, the Irishman who blended soul and R&B with his Celtic crooning and stream-of-consciousness style lyrics to create something far more spiritual than the sum of its parts. (It’s still astonishing to look back and realize that Morrison made Astral Weeks when he was just 22 years old.) Morrison has forged his own path ever since, including a period where his concerts often appeared dialed in, then apparently moved back into the mystical, although the pandemic and polemics has recently led to some strange songs and sidebars. (Case in point: last May’s two-disc set Latest Record Project, Volume 1, which includes songs titled “Why Are You on Facebook?,” “They Own the Media,” and the anti-lockdown follow-up “Where Have All the Rebels Gone?”).

WHEN: Starship 7 pm Saturday; Morrison 7 pm Sunday WHERE: Starship: Libbey Bowl, 210 S. Signal St., Ojai; Morrison: Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St. COST: Starship: $38-$78; Morrison: $55.50-$300.50 INFO: Starship: (888) 645-5006 or https://libbeybowl.org; Morrison: (805) 962-4711 or www.sbbowl.com

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2 BASSH Burlesque at Backstage — BASSH founder Derrick Curtis couldn’t have participated in the annual dance show he’s produced for nearly two decades even if the coronavirus pandemic hadn’t canceled everything last fall – he was off dealing with what started as an ingrown toenail with agonizing pain

ENDING THIS WEEK Pachy Perched Above Paseo — Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara’s Light Elephant “site reflective” inflatable has been popping up in public places all month, from dozens of sites downtown to the lawn across from the Old Mission. Created by UCSB professors Iman Djouini and Jonathan Taube, the artists focused on cultural sites impacted by the pandemic including places of public services, quasi-public/private spaces and other iconic locations to broach the subject of the effects of the COVID crisis as the “elephant in the room,” particularly the closing of State Street to vehicles in favor of parklets and the promenade. MCASB is hosting the culminating exhibition of the airy pachyderm outside its site in Paseo Nuevo, where it looms above the open-air shopping mall (if it appears pink, maybe you shouldn’t operate a motor vehicle). Closing programs include a walkthrough and talk with Djouini and Taube at 3 pm Friday, September 24.

WHEN: Closes October 3 WHERE: 653 Paseo Nuevo COST: Free INFO: (805) 966-5373 or www.mcasantabarbara.org/exhibition/light-elephant

46 MONTECITO JOURNAL

that led to ultimately having his leg amputated from the knee down. But now the Montessori Center School teacher who has been dedicated to demonstrating for youths the power of movement and dance for decades is back, powered by a prosthetic and, with his passion for promoting local dance culture intact, once again spearheading not only next month’s two-day showcase but also producing this preview evening.

BASSH After Hours Cabaret extends the concept to more risqué offerings, from burlesque and cabaret to hip hop, drag acts, and other sultry singers whose sensuality sizzles a bit too much for the family-friendly main show while remaining classy and sophisticated.

WHEN: 7-10 pm WHERE: Backstage Piano Bar, 409 State St. COST: $10 INFO: www.backstagesb.com or www.eventbrite.com/e/bassh-afterhours-tickets-163301225361 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 How Will the Wolf Survive? — Well, for Los Lobos, at first it was lending their Tex-Mex approach to cover songs for

“Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits.” — Samuel Butler

weddings and parties before playing Hollywood punk clubs in the early 1980s when their rootsy approach landed them a dead with Warner Brothers.

How Will the Wolf Survive was the title of the debut, which impressed critics and the director of the Ritchie Valens biopic, who tapped Los Lobos to play “La Bamba,” which became a No. 1 hit, if an aberrational one. Mainstream success allowed Los Lobos to further explore its blend of styles that encompasses rock and country as well as traditional Latino styles of cumbia, boleros, and norteños, a process that culminated with Kiko, one of the greatest albums of the 1990s.

(The band’s show supporting the album at the Majestic Ventura Theatre in 1992 is still a top-10 concert for this writer.)

With the same four founding members plus saxist Steve Berlin, who joined in 1984, still intact, exploration remains key for the ever-curious wolves as evidenced by their latest, Native Sons, a tribute to both their cover-song past and East Los Angeles home.

WHEN: 8 pm tonight & tomorrow WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $59-$106 INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com •MJ 30 September – 7 October 2021

Arts & Lectures’ 2021-2022 Season of World-class Events Kicks off Oct 10 Julián Castro

The Wood Brothers with special guest Kat Wright

Waking Up From My American Dream

Tue, Oct 12 / 8 PM / Granada Theatre

Sun, Oct 10 / 7:30 PM UCSB Campbell Hall Former presidential candidate and U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro shares insight from his political journey and actionable ways we can effect change.

Dubbed “masters of soulful folk” (Paste), The Wood Brothers are celebrated for their freewheeling musical experimentation, fluid sound and the unparalleled energy of their live performances.

Danish String Quartet The Doppelgänger Project, Part I

Thu, Oct 14 / 7 PM / Rockwood (Includes a reception with the artists)

Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Fandango at the Wall with the Villalobos Brothers Fri, Oct 15 / 8 PM UCSB Campbell Hall

The Danish String Quartet introduces Doppelgänger, an ambitious four-year project pairing world premieres from four renowned composers with chamber music masterpieces by Schubert.

Program:

Schubert: String Quartet in G major, D. 887 Bent Sørensen: Doppelgänger Schubert (arr. Danish String Quartet): Der Doppelgänger

Inspired by the annual Fandango Fronterizo festival at the Tijuana-San Diego border, Fandango at the Wall fuses the richness of Mexican folk music with the intricate harmonies of jazz.

(805) 893-3535 www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu 30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

47

The Giving List

United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara is putting an emphasis on educational activities after a year of students learning remotely

by Steven Libowitz

United & Thriving:

Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara Combine Forces Upcoming fundraising events include a gala (Social on the Green) and golf tournament (UBGC Golf Tournament at La Cumbre CC)

I

t was just about a month into the pandemic when the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara (UBGC) fully united, as the downtown club agreed to merge and fully centralize the 83-year-old organization. That might seem like a strange time to be making structural changes, as the merger was completed in April 2020, right after the shutdown had forced the clubs to drastically downsize, at least temporarily.

“We went from a team of 100 down to 10, which was really hard,” recalled Laurie Leis, UBGC’s Executive VP of Advancement. “Merging together really helped me because I was running it all by myself. I was the grant writer, fundraiser, security guard, office cleaner. So, I was really grateful to have the support of the club directors, which was heartwarming that I wouldn’t have to keep it going alone.”

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info@bakanagold.com www.bakanagold.com

48 MONTECITO JOURNAL

But after a few months, the nonprofit also had to adapt to the new reality and step in to fill missing services while the schools closed.

“We were one of the first afterschool programs to open back up last year,” Leis said, noting that UBGC not only also expanded to full-day offerings right after the July 4 weekend, but kept it going past the summer and through most of the school year until this spring, thanks to assistance from United Way. “Our clubs became childcare for essential workers and first responders who can’t work from home and couldn’t have gone to work without having to leave their kids alone and unsupervised, which is never good.

We were one of the first agencies to offer that service, and started doing things like helping the kids with their homework before the vibrant afterschool programs kicked in. It was critical for us to be there for them.”

In truth, though, what the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara offers in normal times could be considered critical, too. That’s because nearly all of the clubs’ members come from the working-class families of Santa Barbara County, all the way from Carpinteria to Lompoc, Leis said. That explains the middle phrase of the organization’s mission: To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. These days that goal has also expanded to include breaking the cycles of poverty and inequity that were only exacerbated by the pandemic.

Collectively, UBGC serves more than 5,000 youth overall annually through its programs that include offerings in Education (Power Hour with individual tutoring, and College Bound with help on applications, visiting campuses, and more), Health and Life skills (featuring social and emotional learning plus snacks and supper), the Arts (ceramics, painting, theater, choral singing, and the Note for Notes instrument/instruction partnership), and Athletics (basketball, flag football, and soccer).

What’s astounding is that UBGC does all this at a cost of just $40 a year per student member. That used to

“No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face.” — John Donne

translate to 19 cents a day, but with the club’s expanded hours and days – it’s now open on Saturdays – it’s more like 13 cents, Leis said.

Even so, stepping up the academics remains a big priority as so many of the clubs’ kids are still recovering from many months of remote learning, Leis said.

“We need quite a few more mentors and tutors – what we call youth development specialists – for our learning enrichment centers. The kids need more support than ever, and we want to have our afterschool program be as strong as possible so that the members can thrive, not just survive,” Leis added.

Those programs all have a lot of impact, as United Boys & Girls Clubs reports that 96% of its members are on target to graduate, 80% regularly attend the clubs, and 66% engage in physical activity at least five days a week.

Easing of restrictions have also allowed the clubs to return to the physical aspect provided by the organized sports and other activities, although staffing back fully remains an issue, she said.

“We don’t have all of our athletic directors,” she said. “But it was important to get going.”

It takes a lot of funds to ramp back up again, and the $40 annual membership fee, of course, is truly just a drop in the bucket of what it costs for UBGC to run the facilities, which is where the bulk of Leis’ job as development director comes in.

“It probably costs a little more like $1,200 a year or more to support these kids.” she said. “We have to make up that difference with fundraising.”

Potential donors can peruse a number of success stories and thank you letters on UBGC’s website and choose from a variety of philanthropic opportunities.

A couple of special events are also coming soon, including the 2021 Social on the Green at Birnam Wood to celebrate the merger, with sponsorship still available for the October 16 gala, plus the fifth annual UBGC Golf Tournament at La Cumbre Country Club on Monday, November 8.

For information on all the programs and giving opportunities, contact Laurie Leis at Leis@UnitedBG.org, or call (805) 681-1315.

•MJ 30 September – 7 October 2021

Your Westmont

by Scott Craig (photography by Brad Elliott) Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College

Alum Returns as Doctor of Health Center

Michelle Hughes has co-edited an inspirational new book for teachers

Dr. Rob Hughes has begun serving students at the Westmont Health Center

D

r. Rob Hughes ’04 has wanted to direct student health services at Westmont since he worked in the Health Center as a student.

Now, more than two decades later, he accepted this position following Dr. David Hernandez’s retirement at the end of spring.

“I appreciate the care that me and my student colleagues received there,” Hughes says. “I am drawn to the idea of coming back to serve the students whose position I was in all those years ago, supporting them to their best health.

“Dr. Hernandez was a great role model for me as a student. I was inspired by his Introduction to Medicine course, and able to witness firsthand his demeanor and love for college students as patients. He taught me that if you spend enough time with any patient, they will lead you to the diagnosis.”

Hughes, a fourth-generation doctor, most recently served as staff physician and intercollegiate athletics medical director at UC Santa Barbara’s Student Health Service for six years. Prior to that he worked at Sansum Urgent Care.

“My work experience has prepared me well to serve our Westmont students,” he says. “My faith is what leads me to view each patient as a child of God and treat them accordingly.”

He earned his medical degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine and served as an intern/resident at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Family Medicine Residency, where he had a fellowship in sports medicine.

“My education at Westmont pre30 September – 7 October 2021

pared me for the rigors of medical school and helped me build a Christcentered framework that has sustained me throughout medical school, residency training, and my career as a physician,” he says.

It was at Westmont where he met his wife, Dr. Kristen Kleen Hughes ’04, a pediatrician for the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.

“I also have fond memories of Potter’s Clay, working as a resident assistant for Armington A my junior year, and countless hours in the chemistry lab,” he says. “I fully intend to live out the rest of my career serving in this role. I am looking forward to becoming more involved in the Westmont community along with my family.”

That includes bringing the family, including son, Bo, 8, and daughter, Summer, 5, to cheer on the Warriors from the sidelines at athletic events.

Book Offers Inspiration to Teachers

Beloved local educator Michelle Hughes has co-edited a new book that offers ways to reframe obstacles to teaching as opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Joyful Resilience as Educational Practice: Turning Challenges into Opportunities, a collaborative effort with Hughes’ colleague and friend, Ken Badley, is available for pre-order through Routledge at routledge.com/9780367644192. A 20% discount is available if you enter the code FLY21 at checkout.

“Teaching is hard work,” says Hughes, Westmont associate professor of education. “It is courageous work;

it is not for the meek or weak. This book is our love letter to all teachers.”

Hughes graduated from Westmont in 1989, also earning a Preliminary Teaching Credential in English. She served as assistant principal at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta from 1996-2009, and an English teacher at Goleta Valley Junior High School from 1989-1996. She earned a Doctor of Education from George Fox University.

The cover of the book features a rose growing and blooming from a crack in the sidewalk.

“As a journey, teaching requires pruning and growth,” she says.

“There are thorns in our daily work that don’t immediately bring to mind great rewards or reciprocities. Yet the consistent work that we all do in classrooms for students reveals why we keep showing up and why we keep making the best of the challenges – and why we keep transforming hurdles into opportunities. This book is our thank you to all the teachers who encourage and empower us. May it remind you that your work is mean-

Joyful Resilience as Educational Practice: Turning Challenges into Opportunities

ingful, joyful, and inspiring.”

The book includes a chapter, “A Long and Rewarding Apprenticeship: The Sustaining Inspiration of Our Mentors,” by Andrew Mullen, Westmont professor of education.

Willis to Read at Poetry Zoom

Former Santa Barbara Poet Laureates Paul Willis and David Starkey offer a 45-minute Zoom poetry reading on Tuesday, October 5, at 7 pm.

Links to view the event, sponsored

by Chaucer’s Books, are available at chaucersbooks.com/event.

Willis, Westmont professor of English, is promoting his latest book of poetry, Somewhere to Follow, which takes readers on a path through California’s coastal redwoods and giant sequoias in the Sierra, weaving in adolescent practical jokes and sharing unexpected epiphanies.

Willis’ seventh volume of poetry ascends the switchbacks of ordinary experience to cross paths with song-leading rangers, exhausted mothers and dirt-loving children. •MJ

Lost in the Weeds?

A Neuroscience Perspective on Cannabis Ronald See, a researcher at the forefront of creating experimental models of drug relapse and addiction, speaks on the benefits and harms of cannabis.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 5:30 P.M.

29 W. ANAPAMU

SPONSORED BY THE WESTMONT FOUNDATION

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

49

Library Mojo

Notice Inviting Bids

Error! Reference source not found.

Bid No. 4048 1.

Kim is the Branch Lead of the Montecito Library. Questions or comments? Contact her: kcrail@santabarbaraca.gov

Bid Submission. The City of Santa Barbara (“City”) will accept electronic bids for its FY2021B Pavement Maintenance Project (“Project”), by or before October 14, 2021 at 3:00 PM through its PlanetBids portal. Bidders must be registered on the City of Santa Barbara’s PlanetBids portal in order to submit a Bid proposal and to receive addendum notifications. Each bidder is responsible for making certain that its Bid Proposal is actually submitted/uploaded with sufficient time to be received by PlanetBids prior to the bid opening date and time. Large files may take more time to be submitted/uploaded to PlanetBids, so plan accordingly. The receiving time on the PlanetBids server will be the governing time for acceptability of bids. Telegraphic, telephonic, hardcopy, and facsimile bids will not be accepted.

If any Addendum issued by the City is not acknowledged online by the Bidder, the PlanetBids System will prevent the Bidder from submitting a Bid Proposal. Bidders are responsible for obtaining all addenda from the City’s PlanetBids portal.

Bid results and awards will be available on PlanetBids.

2.

Project Information.

2.1 Location and Description. The Project is located at various streets throughout the City, and is described as follows: Repair various streets by performing asphalt dig outs to repair failed areas; tree root pruning and concrete curb and gutter replacement; sidewalk removal and replacement; asphalt; reconstruction of existing non-compliant curb ramps; construct new curb ramps; traffic striping and markings; relocate and protect existing signs and roadway name stamps; perform traffic control, notifications, and postings, complete and in place.

2.2 Time for Completion. The Project must be completed within one hundred forty (140) working days from the start date set forth in the Notice to Proceed. City anticipates that the Work will begin on or about November 15, 2021, but the anticipated start date is provided solely for convenience and is neither certain nor binding.

2.3 Estimated Cost. The estimated construction cost is $5,931,000.

3.

License and Registration Requirements.

3.1 License. This Project requires a valid California contractor’s license for the following classification(s): 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.planetbids.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 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.

Prevailing Wage Requirements.

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.

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.

6.3 Compliance. The Contract will be subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the DIR, under Labor Code § 1771.4.

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.

10.

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.

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: ___________________________________

Date: ________________

William Hornung, C.P.M, General Services Manager Publication Dates: 1) September 22, 2021 2) September 29, 2021

50 MONTECITO JOURNAL

by Kim Crail

Community Discusses Members Only

R

ace, class, family, and belonging are central themes in Members Only, a novel by local author Sameer Pandya. Accused of racism at both his tennis club and university teaching job, the main character’s experiences provide ample opportunity for readers to use the book as both a mirror and a window.

How do we respond when we feel threatened or misunderstood in critical areas of our lives?

Members Only will be the focus of upcoming book discussions with the intention of hearing participants’ thoughts on the book and how race and class issues play out. Having experienced a lot of social disconnect during the pandemic, we’re kicking off this conversation to make up for lost time.

Pandya will give an Author Talk for the Montecito Library on Thursday, October 7 at 5:30 pm via Zoom. A professor of Asian American Studies at UC Santa Barbara, Pandya has been published widely in the popular press, with work appearing in The Atlantic, ESPN, Salon, Sports Illustrated, New York Daily News, as well as scholarly essays in Journal of Asian American Studies, South Asian Popular Culture, and Amerasia.

(Register on SBPLibrary.org for Zoom details to view Pandya’s talk.)

Two hundred copies of Members Only were supported by a grant through Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC): Focus on Small and Rural Libraries, a division of the American Library Association.

Purchased at Tecolote Book Shop, the books have been distributed at the library, during local school visits, and through a new collaboration with All Saints-by-the-Sea’s book group led by Rev. Vicki Mouradian.

The e-book is also available through the library’s Hoopla app, available for free with your library card.

Summer Storytime at the Y

Storytime at the Montecito Family YMCA Preschool, one of our favorite traditions, was able to take place this summer. Every week, we delivered a “magical bag” of 20 books for the teachers and kids to enjoy together all week long. Best of all, I got to read to the kids outside in the Y’s lower playground.

It doesn’t get much better than engaging with an audience of curious kids; this group of two- to five-year-olds was remarkably enthusiastic and affectionate. Some of the group’s favorite books this summer were Creepy Pair of Underwear, If Kids Could Drive, and Monster and Mouse Go Camping.

A big thank you to Preschool Director Annie Fischer and the whole preschool team for sharing your time with us. We applaud you for building a love of stories and books that the kids will carry with them forever.

We’re Hiring

Santa Barbara Public Library is seeking a customer service-oriented Library Technician who is flexible, creative, and has a passion for public libraries. In particular, the position will focus on modeling excellent customer service at the public service desk, facilitating the circulation of materials, and assisting patrons with account information. Bilingual spoken and written language skills (Spanish and English) highly desirable.

Are you interested in working at the Montecito Library? Please see the city of Santa Barbara’s hourly openings for more information and to apply.

October Events

Celebrating Latin American Immigrants

The Santa Barbara Public Library invites you to a month-long series of events celebrating the culture of Santa Barbara’s Latin American immigrants.

Events include “An Evening of AfroLatino Music and Dance with Radio Café”; “Art Gallery Exhibition, Things We Do Not Say: Intergenerational Conversations through Art on Taboo Subjects in Immigrant Families”; a poetry and zine workshop for bilingual young adults led by a local poet; and “Taste of Home” – home recipe contest and cookbook collection celebrating

“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” — Jim Bishop

Latin American cuisine.

More information is available at SBPLibrary.org.

Library Van at Cold Spring School: Thursday, October 14, 3:30-5:30 pm Montecito Book Club (Virtual) discusses Members Only: Tuesday, October 19, 5:30-6:30 pm Storywalk at Lower Manning Park: Wednesday, October 20, 2-3:30 pm Poetry Club: Pablo Neruda & Gabriela Mistral (Outside): Thursday, October 28, 2-3:30 pm

Current Library Hours

Tuesday and Thursday, 10 am-5 pm Wednesday and Friday, 1-5 pm See you at the library!

•MJ 30 September – 7 October 2021

Stories Matter

The play, about a young boy with an incurable disease, was chosen by the principal of the orphanage to prepare the children for the horrors that are to come. It is now 1972 and Jaryk

by Leslie Zemeckis

A Trio of October Reads

W

hen I first met Santa Barbara transplant Susan Orlean of The New York Times bestselling The Library Book, she had two friendly dogs in tow and was clearly “animalish.” It is no surprise her new book On Animals is a series of essays about our connection (and sometimes disconnect) with animals. With her wry wit and in-depth observations Orlean,

who has owned a variety of animals, including turkeys and cattle, writes a range of entertaining stories from Keiko, the killer whale, to a young girl’s love of her carrier pigeons to mules in Afghanistan, and Orlean’s very own tribulations with high maintenance chickens. The book is a delight, reaffirming we are all connected.

Pulitzer Prize winner Anthony Doerr has a magnificent, complex, deeply emotional new book, Cloud Cuckoo Land. The book follows a group of characters through six centuries: teens on the cusp of adulthood trying to make sense of the perilous world around them, including Konstance, who lives in a spaceship and has never set foot on earth; Anna, an orphan in Constantinople during the 1400s; and Omar and his loyal oxen. Five hundred years later, Zeno is 80 and rehearsing a play about Aethon, who longs to become a bird and live in a utopian paradise in the sky. Cuckoo Land is about longing for a different place, a better world, weaving Aethon’s story with rich, compelling characters, reminding us that no matter the century, we all sometimes don’t see paradise

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30 September – 7 October 2021

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has immigrated to American where he falls in love with Lucy. When his best friend, Misha, a fellow survivor dies in India while rehearsing Dak Ghar, Jaryk makes the pilgrimage to bring Misha’s ashes back. Struggling with decades-long survivor’s guilt, he finds his purpose, re-staging Dak Ghar for another community embroiled in political unrest, though at what cost to his relationship with Lucy? This is another story about the importance of art and how it can be used instead of weapons to change the world. •MJ

Last Week’s Solution:

By Pete Muller & Andrew White For each of the first five mini crosswords, one of the entries also serves as part of a five-word meta clue. The answer to the meta is a word or phrase (five letters or longer) hidden within the sixth mini crossword. The hidden meta answer starts in one of the squares and snakes through the grid vertically and horizontally from there (no diagonals!) without revisiting any squares.

1

in front of us. Doerr explained he was motived by the challenges facing kids today, with climate instability, pandemics, and disinformation. “I wanted this novel to reflect those anxieties, but also offer meaningful hope, so I tried to create a tapestry of times and places that reflect our interconnectedness – with other species, with each other, with the ones who lived before us, and the ones who will be here after we’re gone.” And boy does he.

A spine-shivering read comes from Jai Chakrabarti’s A Play for the End of the World. In an orphanage in the Warsaw Ghetto, nine-year-old Jaryk performs Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore’s Dak Ghar (“The Post Office”).

Down 1 Dangerous food contaminant 2 Office machine whose name became a verb 3 Item stacked in a cabinet 4 Presidents and doctors take them 5 Children's lessons taught to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"

• The Voice of the Village •

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MONTECITO JOURNAL

51

ORDINANCE NO. 6024 AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA

BARBARA

ADOPTING

THE

2020-2022

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA AND THE SERVICE EMPLOYEES' INTERNATIONAL UNION, LOCAL 620, HOURLY EMPLOYEES’ BARGAINING UNIT The above captioned ordinance was adopted at a regular meeting of the Santa Barbara City Council held on September 21, 2021.

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.

(Seal) /s/ Sarah Gorman, CMC City Clerk Services Manager ORDINANCE NO. 6024 STATE OF CALIFORNIA

) ) COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA ) ss. ) CITY OF SANTA BARBARA ) I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing ordinance was introduced on September 14, 2021 and adopted by the Council of the City of Santa Barbara at a meeting held on September 21, 2021, by the following roll call vote: AYES:

Councilmembers Eric Friedman, Alejandra Gutierrez, Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Mike Jordan, Kristen W. Sneddon, Mayor Cathy Murillo

NOES:

None

ABSENT:

None

ABSTENTIONS:

None

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my

PUBLIC NOTICE City of Santa Barbara NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Santa Barbara will conduct a Public Hearing on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, during the afternoon session of the meeting which begins at 2:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber, City Hall, 735 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara. The hearing is to consider the appeal filed by Levi Maaia of the Single Family Design Board’s Project Design Approval of a 463 square foot addition to the first-story and a new 695 square foot secondstory addition, to an existing 2,074 square foot, single-story residence, as well as a 66 square foot reduction to the existing 475 square foot garage (PLN2021-00040). The site is located at 347 Salida del Sol; Assessor Parcel No. 045-021-009; E3/SD-3 (One-Family Residence/Coastal Overlay Zones). The proposed 3,232 square-feet of development on a 10,982 square-foot lot, is 84% of the maximum Guideline floor-to-lot area ratio (FAR).

ORDINANCE NO. 6025 AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA APPROVING A FIVE-YEAR LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA AND RINCON BROADCASTING LLC, WITH THE OPTION FOR ONE ADDITIONAL FIVE-YEAR TERM FOR THE OPERATION OF A COMMERCIAL RADIO BROADCASTING TOWER AND RELATED EQUIPMENT AT THE YANONALI STREET CITY SERVICES YARD, AND AUTHORIZING THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE THE SAME The above captioned ordinance was adopted at a regular meeting of the Santa Barbara City Council held on September 21, 2021.

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.

If you challenge the Council's action on the appeal of the Architectural Board of Review’s decision in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City at, or prior to, the public hearing.

You are invited to attend this public hearing and address your verbal comments to the City Council. Written comments are also welcome up to the time of the hearing, and should be addressed to the City Council via the City Clerk’s Office by sending them electronically to Clerk@SantaBarbaraCA.gov.

In order to promote social distancing and prioritize the public’s health and well-being, the city council currently holds all meetings electronically. As a public health and safety precaution, the council chambers will not be open to the general public. Councilmembers and the public may participate electronically.

On Thursday, October 7, 2021, an Agenda with all items to be heard on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, including the public hearing to consider this appeal, will be available online at www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/CAP. The Agenda includes instructions for participation in the meeting. If you wish to participate in the public hearing, please follow the instructions on the posted Agenda.

hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Santa Barbara

(Seal) /s/ Sarah Gorman, CMC City Clerk Services Manager ORDINANCE NO. 6025 STATE OF CALIFORNIA

) ) COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA ) ss. ) CITY OF SANTA BARBARA ) I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing ordinance was introduced on September 14, 2021 and adopted by the Council of the City of Santa Barbara at a meeting held on September 21, 2021, by the following roll call vote: AYES:

Councilmembers Eric Friedman, Alejandra Gutierrez, Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Mike Jordan, Kristen W. Sneddon, Mayor Cathy Murillo

NOES:

None

ABSENT:

None

ABSTENTIONS:

None

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Santa Barbara

on September 22, 2021.

(SEAL)

on September 22, 2021.

/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, MMC City Clerk Services Manager

/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, MMC City Clerk Services Manager

I HEREBY APPROVE the foregoing ordinance on September 22, 2021.

/s/ Cathy Murillo Mayor Published September 29, 2021 Montecito Journal

52 MONTECITO JOURNAL

Sarah Gorman, MMC City Clerk Services Manager September 24, 2021 Published September 29, 2021 Montecito Journal

“Autumn… the year’s last, loveliest smile.” — John Howard Bryant

I HEREBY APPROVE the foregoing ordinance on September 22, 2021.

/s/ Cathy Murillo Mayor Published September 29, 2021 Montecito Journal

30 September – 7 October 2021

ORDINANCE NO. 6021

ORDINANCE NO. 6022

ORDINANCE NO. 6023

AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA AUTHORIZING THE WATERFRONT

AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

DIRECTOR

SANTA

DEVELOPMENT

SANTA BARBARA AMENDING THE SANTA BARBARA

AGREEMENT AND ONE, FIVE YEAR OPTION WITH MR.

AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF SANTA

MUNICIPAL CODE BY ADDING SECTION 3.08.215

CHRIS KIM, DOING BUSINESS AS SUSHI GO GO, FOR

BARBARA AND 711 N. MILPAS PARTNERS, L.P. FOR THE

REGARDING JOB ABANDONMENT

RESTAURANT SPACE LOCATED AT 119-B HARBOR WAY

PROPERTY AT 701 N. MILPAS STREET

TO

EXECUTE

A

FIVE

YEAR

LEASE

BARBARA

APPROVING

A

COMMENCING UPON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE ENABLING ORDINANCE The above captioned ordinance was adopted at a regular meeting of the Santa Barbara City Council held on September 21, 2021.

The above captioned ordinance was adopted at a regular The above captioned ordinance was adopted at a regular

meeting of the Santa Barbara City Council held on

meeting of the Santa Barbara City Council held on

September 21, 2021.

September 21, 2021.

The publication of this ordinance is made pursuant to the

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,

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.

California.

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.

(Seal)

(Seal) (Seal) /s/ Sarah Gorman, CMC City Clerk Services Manager ORDINANCE NO. 6021

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

) ) COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA ) ss. ) CITY OF SANTA BARBARA ) I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing ordinance was introduced on September 14, 2021 and adopted by the Council of the City of Santa Barbara at a

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

) ) COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA ) ss. ) CITY OF SANTA BARBARA )

ordinance was introduced on September 14, 2021 and adopted by the Council of the City of Santa Barbara at a meeting held on September 21, 2021, by the following roll

AYES:

Councilmembers Eric Friedman, Alejandra Gutierrez, Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Mike Jordan, Mayor Cathy Murillo

NOES:

Kristen W. Sneddon

ABSENT:

None

ABSTENTIONS:

None

None

ABSENT:

None

ABSTENTIONS:

None

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Santa Barbara

) ) COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA ) ss. ) CITY OF SANTA BARBARA ) I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing ordinance was introduced on September 14, 2021 and adopted by the Council of the City of Santa Barbara at a meeting held on September 21, 2021, by the following roll call vote:

call vote:

NOES:

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing

call vote:

Councilmembers Eric Friedman, Alejandra Gutierrez, Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Mike Jordan, Kristen W. Sneddon; Mayor Cathy Murillo

ORDINANCE NO. 6023

ORDINANCE NO. 6022

meeting held on September 21, 2021, by the following roll

AYES:

/s/ Sarah Gorman, CMC City Clerk Services Manager

/s/ Sarah Gorman, CMC City Clerk Services Manager

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Santa Barbara on September 22, 2021.

AYES:

Councilmembers Eric Friedman, Alejandra Gutierrez, Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Mike Jordan, Kristen W. Sneddon, Mayor Cathy Murillo

NOES:

None

ABSENT:

None

ABSTENTIONS:

None

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Santa Barbara on September 22, 2021.

on September 22, 2021.

/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, MMC City Clerk Services Manager I HEREBY APPROVE the foregoing ordinance

/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, MMC City Clerk Services Manager I HEREBY APPROVE the foregoing ordinance on September 22, 2021.

on September 22, 2021.

/s/ Cathy Murillo Mayor Published September 29, 2021 Montecito Journal

30 September – 7 October 2021

/s/ Cathy Murillo Mayor Published September 29, 2021 Montecito Journal

• The Voice of the Village •

/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, MMC City Clerk Services Manager I HEREBY APPROVE the foregoing ordinance on September 22, 2021.

/s/ Cathy Murillo Mayor Published September 29, 2021 Montecito Journal

MONTECITO JOURNAL

53

Buzz (Continued from page 20)

The Artist’s Table

ART SHOW

An outdoor table at the Lost Pier Cafe (Photo by Leslie A. Westbrook)

Ralph Waterhouse, Sunset at Douglas Preserve, 36x36

OCTOBER 2–10

FEATURED ARTISTS INCLUDE:

10:00 AM–5:00 PM

Jannene Behl Ann Shelton Beth Steve Curry Nancy Davidson Rick Delanty Karen Fedderson Ellie Freudenstein Rick Garcia Derek Harrison Wyllis Heaton Ray Hunter Linda Mutti Craig Nelson Garrett Speirs Ralph Waterhouse

Come enjoy the beautiful works of 15 celebrated local artists and support Museum exhibits by taking art home with you.

Art will be for sale in Fleischmann Auditorium (Wed–Sun) and online at sbnature.org/artshow 2 5 5 9 Puesta del Sol S a n t a B arbara, CA 93 1 0 5

for a little retail therapy on Forest Street. There’s a lot of hokey art here (although the Laguna Museum of Art does have tasty shows), but I did admire the canvases at the eponymous Marc Whitney Gallery. I stumbled onto the Hobie Surf Shop jam packed with fun surf wear (I hit the sale rack) and a nice home furnishings store called Tuvalu. Turns out that those two shops are also owned by major investors in our lodging retreat.

I also discovered a delightful children’s clothing and gift shop called Little Bohemian.

A few minutes down the road, we turned off the PCH and were swiftly checked into the Ranch (the staff is wonderful here by the way, everyone is eager to please and help). I jumped in the pool after unpacking and met two nice couples – one a pair of scientists from South Pasadena, who are regulars (“We like three things on the menu: the club sandwich, the wedge salad, and the scallops,” they opined).

Another couple, from nearby Seal Beach, celebrating a birthday also said they frequent the Ranch.

Rather than room service, we opted to order Asian food from Uber Eats for dinner in our lovely abode since we had a hankering for the recommended club sandwich that wasn’t on the

Ray Hunter, Harbor View,12x20

Media sponsor Noozhawk

54 MONTECITO JOURNAL

The mouth of Aliso Creek and the bottom of the property at The Ranch at Laguna Beach is one of many lovely property views (Photo by Leslie A. Westbrook)

“Autumn is as joyful and sweet as an untimely end.” — Rémy de Gourmont

dinner menu.

The next morning, we put on our workout clothes and took a walk along Aliso Creek, down to the bustling PCH, then under the PCH tunnel to the beach for breakfast oceanside at Lost Pier Cafe. Guests can charge breakfast or lunch there to your room (we opted for avocado toast with an egg; we could have split the large serving); a golf cart will meet you at the base of the canyon if you don’t feel like walking back up.

Spa Time

After an amazing, outdoor “Canyon Calming Massage” in a lovely tent and a few minutes in the infrared sauna in the cozy and calming Spa by Hudson, I went back to my very quiet and tranquil room. Should I relax, read, and nap? Or go back into town for lunch and exploring? A hard choice, but after my back of a thousand knots was unraveled like a Chinese rope trick by the fantastic masseuse, I opted for a good book that I highly recommend by longtime Montecito resident Joan Easton Lentz, the most engaging and beautifully written memoir Story of a Santa Barbara Birder – the canyon is a haven for bird watching by the way, as well as deer spotting.

Dinner was a feast fit for royalty.

We started with a delish hummus appetizer at Ben’s Pantry and listened to David Allen Baker croon some songs and whistle along to songs from the 1970s – but I’d happily return for Sunday afternoon jazz performed By Modern Times.

The open-air dining room at adjacent HARVEST, the main dining room with a terrace overlooking the greens, as well as a huge stone fireplace that would certainly be appreciated on chilly or rainy fall or winter evenings, did not disappoint. Our dinner was an embarrassment of riches: a great wedge BLT salad, terrific crispy Brussels sprouts with toasted pecans, green apple, and radicchio in a sweet

Buzz Page 594 30 September – 7 October 2021

On Entertainment (Continued from page 16 16))

“These programs are exciting, and they have exciting musicians that will be playing together with us for the first time,” Spence said. “It’s thrilling when new people are being brought in and having a chance to see how they work.”

Camerata Pacifica performs at Hahn Hall at 7:30 pm on Friday, October 8.

Visit https://cameratapacifica.org.

Six Questions: Mulling Things Over With Montecito Pianist Pete Muller, the math whiz who leveraged his skills to create and manage a massively successful quant-driven hedge fund company that uses complex models to detect and predict inequities in the markets, seems even more invested in his burgeoning singer-songwriter career these days.

The piano-playing Montecito resident, who released three solo albums mostly as a side project during a hiatus from Process Driven Trading (PDT) back in the 1990s, has ratcheted up writing and recording in recent years, putting out an album in 2019 that spawned three Top 30-charting Adult Contemporary singles and solidified his band called Kindred Souls, logging 50 live dates across the country.

Another new album of Muller’s original material is due at the beginning of 2022 following hot on the heels of this year’s EP called The Sound that boasts fresh and tasty cover versions of songs ranging from Lyle Lovett’s “If I Had a Boat” to Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” and Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

When the COVID crisis closed clubs across the country, Muller co-founded Live Music Society, a nonprofit that gave grants of up to $50,000 to a variety of small venues around the country and produced Empty Spaces, a series of short films documenting the importance of the clubs, including SOhO here in town. With the nightspots now reopening, Muller is back on tour with the Kindred Souls, returning to his hometown club after an excursion to the East Coast and Midwest to perform at SOhO on October 5. He spoke from a stop in Connecticut earlier this week.

Q. Folks were mostly slowing down during the pandemic. But it seems that what with the cover album and the next original record already in the can, you’ve been very productive.

A. That’s because it’s afforded me the opportunity to have more time for writing. Years ago, I ran an in-person song circle in New York City that met every week for about five years.

I revived it and migrated it to Zoom.

The rules are that you have to show up with a new song each week. I work well on a deadline, so it was great, because if I don’t have that pres30 September – 7 October 2021

Zoom Author Chats: Flag Football & a Pair of Poet Laureates

sure, typically a song doesn’t come out unless I’m really touched by something deeply emotional. Commitment helps.

So, I got 12 good songs out of that.

Do any of them directly reflect on the pandemic?

“Light Up the Night,” which is on the new record, is about our search for connection to others, but also connecting back to ourselves, to our spirit. It’s going to be the second single. The first one, “The Other Side,” is about having a partner who’s grumpy and you’re trying to get them to the other side where they are happy again. We’ve been having fun in concert getting people to sing along to that one.

Most of your songs are about love and relationships in one way or another. Is that how you process the emotions that come up, work things out in the song?

Many of them are about the struggle we all encounter in love relationships. That tends to be where a lot of emotions come from. There aren’t all that many emotions but because relationships are so important, the emotion is amplified. But you can’t get too personal, because people have to be able to relate, so I try to make the stories more universal. The goal in everything I’m writing is not only to process or express my emotions but to inspire people, help them to feel and process, and to lift them up.

The Sound album you made earlier is all covers, but the material is really varied and the arrangements so surprising. What drives those choices?

A lot of times the arrangements start with me and [Santa Barbara-based guitarist/saxophonist] John Whooley sitting around figuring out how we can make it sound different from the original. Maybe it’s [switching genders] on the lead singer and/or changing the tempo, and since we don’t use bass or drums, we have to make it work as an acoustic song. And then we incorporate our trademark fourpart harmony, which we try to put in every song. So far, it’s working great.

The first two singles made the Top 20.

Creativity and working with patterns lie at the intersection of math and music. But it doesn’t seem like there’s space for emotion in math-driven trading, while music without emotion is virtually worthless.

Whenever and whatever you’re creating, there’s a huge amount of emotion in it because you’re investing in building something where you know you’re going to struggle and stumble when you try to get things across. The emotions are different but they’re there.

I know you don’t want to talk about business or how PDT is doing during the pandemic, but I’m wondering how you can run a hedge fund and have so much

Pete Muller

time to put into your music, let alone constructing crosswords, surfing and, of course, spending time with your family here in Montecito. I don’t know how you do it.

I have worked with and trained excellent people, so I can delegate. I don’t have to make all the decisions, because it’s not an ego thing for me.

I’m happy for them to thrive and grow… I take a lot of pride in having built this, but it’s not my identity.

Eventually I’m also going to take a lot of pride in handing it over to people that will do it better than I ever did.

On Stage: Advice for Those Who Have Strayed For two years beginning in 2010, Sugar was the online advice columnist alter ego for Cheryl Strayed, whose book Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, surged up the bestseller charts in 2012 and spawned a hit movie starring Reese Witherspoon. A collection of her columns was later published under the title “Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar,” and later adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, the actress-director-producer-screenwriter who wrote and starred in the hit autobiographical romantic comedy film My Big Fat Greek Wedding; she also portrayed Sugar in the 2016 off-Broadway production.

The play has received warm reviews, with The New York Times calling it a “handkerchief-soaking meditation on pain, loss, hope, and forgiveness (that) provides an ideal catharsis for those suffering from the various deep-dyed blues, all those afflictions that make us feel cranky, thin-skinned and intolerant.” Ojai’s Art Center Theater – the longest continuously-operating multi-disciplinary center serving the arts – hosts its own company’s area premiere of the play October 1-24. Lynn Van Emmerik stars as Sugar, and Ashley Osler, Elektra Cohen, and Isabel Roth play letter writers while Bob Blouch directs.

Tickets are $20. Info at https://ojaiact. org or (805) 640-8797.

• The Voice of the Village •

Chaucer ’s Books virtual series continues with Dave Zirin, who will discuss his new book The Kaepernick Effect, about how the quarterback’s simple and courageous act of taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem mushroomed throughout American society serving as a symbol of resistance to America’s persistent racial inequality, echoing such sports protests of the past. Zirin, the sports editor of The Nation, columnist for The Progressive, and the host of the Edge of Sports podcast, will join Chaucer’s events coordinator Michael Takeuchi at 6 pm on Monday, October 4. Watch on Zoom or YouTube.

The following evening at 7 pm brings a double shot of virtual poetry as 2009-’11 Santa Barbara Poet Laureate David Starkey and his successor Paul Willis trade passages from their respective new books.

Starkey is founding director of the Creative Writing Program at Santa Barbara City College and the publisher and co-editor of Gunpowder Press while Willis is a professor of English at Westmont College in Montecito. Join the reading on Zoom or YouTube.

Visit www.chaucersbooks.com for more information.

Dimensions in Dance: Tengo Tango La LoCA Milonga, the tango event co-hosted by Alejandra Folguera and Geraldine Freitag at Buena Onda on Haley Street, returns this Friday night, October 1, with live music by bandoneon player Hugo Satorre and pianist Winnie Cheung. Satorre, who has performed in venues as prestigious as the Sydney Opera House, Walt Disney Hall, and the Shanghai Oriental Art Center, not to mention in front of 120,000 people accompanying tenor Plácido Domingo in Buenos Aires, is a master of the instrument described as a large concertina. Cheung, who has a doctorate in piano from the Eastman School of Music, has devoted her career to tango music since 2015. But the Milonga isn’t just for watching as guests are invited to get up and move to the Latin rhythms and accents on the large temporary wooden dance floor. The goal is not only to entertain, but also create a strong tango community in town, even as the pandemic necessitates an all-outdoor event. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Info at (805) 455-1906 or https://nightout.com/events/la-lo ca-milonga-hugo-winnie/tickets. •MJ MONTECITO JOURNAL

55

Miscellany (Continued from page 18)

Dacia Harwood and Marlene Miller (Photo by Priscilla) Allen Sides gives a sound demonstration to Granada patrons (Photo by Baron Spafford)

original system installed in 2008 was “not right for the room. It has taken hundreds of hours to do this, but now we’re pitch perfect.”

Afterwards Allen, who played musical excepts to illustrate the new system, including Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing,” joined benefactors including Dan and Meg Burnham, Anne Towbes, Marni Margerum, Eric and Nina Phillips, Joan Rutkowski, Bruce Heavin, and Alan and Lisa Parsons, on the terrace of the Good Lion next door to celebrate the occasion.

The following day Allen, who used to own the sprawling Brooks Academy estate in Montecito, flew to Aberdeen, Scotland, where he tells

me, he and wife, Anne, have bought a castle a short distance from Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral.

Please Call It a Comeback

Susan Keller’s 13-year-old Santa Barbara Revels, after what seems an eternity of pandemic doldrums, is revving up for action and hosted an Equinox concert at the University Club for 80 guests.

Susan also announced the group’s Yuletide concert, with a California 1830s theme, at the Lobero on December 18-19, its first live performance in three years.

The al fresco bash on the Sola Patio drew its selections from three centu-

James Garcia with supporters Patty and Bob Bryant (Photo by Priscilla)

ries of Spanish and Mexican music of the New World played by the Equinox Ensemble led by music director Erin McKibben on flute, cellist Kathryn Mendenhall, Kristine Pacheco-Bernt and Rafael Vazquez Guevara on violin, harpist Rebekah Scogin, and Luis Moreno on guitar and vocals.

It’s a delight to have them back.

History Made

Social gridlock reigned at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum when it opened its latest exhibition “Borein

and His Circle of Friends,” which runs through January 22.

More than 50 works by Borein, who died in our Eden by the Beach in 1945, are on display over three galleries, including 25 watercolors loaned anonymously by a Santa Barbara family, curated by Marlene Miller.

During Borein’s colorful life, beginning with his brief time as an art student in San Francisco, continuing through his years in New York to his 1921 arrival in our tony town, he developed enduring friendships with a number of important artists, including Fernand Lungren, John Gamble, Alexander Harmer, Thomas Moran,

Marlene and Warren Miller (Photo by Priscilla)

Revels founder Susan Keller with music director Erin McKibben and guitarist Luis Moreno (Photo by Priscilla)

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“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” ― Oscar Wilde

30 September – 7 October 2021

HIRING FULL TIME SALES REPRESENTATIVE The Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC is looking for a highly motivated & self-driven Sales Representative to join our sales & marketing team. This is an exciting opportunity to work with a skilled team to build and develop a new advertising client base. We will help you develop innovative strategies to achieve sales goals, as well as make meaningful connections with customers.

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START: Immediate REQUIRED SKILLS A MUST: Chris Fossek, center, surrounded by Jeanne Martin, Hattie Beresford, Lisa Osborn, Danuta Bennett, and John Woodward (Photo by Priscilla)

and Carl Oscar Borg.

The exhibition coincides with the publication of the 320-page tome Edward Borein: Etched by the West by Byron Price, former director of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, to which Borein was elected posthumously in 1971. He is giving a talk at the museum on October 20.

Among the guests celebrating and listening to the guitar music of Chris Fossek were George and Laurie Leis, Luke Swetland, Greg Gorga, Lynn Kirst, Fritz Olenberger, Dacia Harwood, Sybil Rosen, Montecito Journal history writer Hattie Beresford, Frank Schipper, and Thomas Van Stein.

Granting a Wish

Montecito’s Troy Aikman, former quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys, brought joy to 25-year-old Mark Melchiore from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who had long admired the Hall of Famer.

After Mark had been diagnosed with Glioblastoma and given a life expectancy of just one month, his family reached out to Santa Barbara’s Dream Foundation, the only national dream granting organization for terminally ill adults, to help him meet Aikman.

Mark started playing football at just five years old and continued to play through high school.

When he learned he was facing the end of his life, he had only one dream – to meet Aikman, who he’d never had the opportunity to see play in person.

With the help of its new Ambassador of Sports, five-time NBA All-Star Brad Daugherty, and although the pandemic made an in-person meeting difficult, the twosome connected via Zoom with Mark expressing happiness and joy at seeing his hero.

Just three days later Mark died and his sister, Amanda, wrote: “It was the first time I’ve seen him smile in a 30 September – 7 October 2021

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Sheila Snow and Bill Reynolds (Photo by Priscilla)

while, and the last.”

What can you learn about senior living at our upcoming event?

Heroic Effort

My congratulations to Montecito dynamic duo Bill and Sandi Nicholson, whose Nurse Heroes Choir, featuring 18 nurses from Northwell Health, one of the largest healthcare providers in the U.S. – which started with an allstar concert broadcast worldwide on Thanksgiving Day, 2020 – reached the finale of NBC’s America’s Got Talent.

Unfortunately, the choir was one of five acts eliminated early in the finale with the eventual winner being magician Dustin Tavella, 35.

“We believe all the finalists are winners and are so grateful our nurses made it all the way to the finale,” says Sandi. “We chose Northwell nurses because they were the first hospital in America to be ambushed by this deadly COVID. We knew we had to do something for these selfless caregivers.”

Sightings

Mega director Steven Spielberg noshing on breakfast at The Pharmacy coffee shop... Oscar winner Michael Keaton at the Stonehouse at the San Ysidro Ranch... TV talk show host James Corden and wife, Julia, at the Rosewood Miramar.

Pip! Pip! Be safe – wear a mask when needed and get vaccinated. •MJ

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57

Village Beat (Continued from page 5)

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sewer, and fire protection areas.

The Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission has a dedicated website to keep residents informed and to gather input in various ways. People can draw their own ideal map, either a hard copy or through a simple online program (tip: take the quick tutorial and zoom in closely to see every street name). They can also send an email describing their ideal map boundaries, and what makes an ideal area to be reflected within a district.

Members of the public are also encouraged to subscribe to the Commission’s emails, to remain in the know of upcoming meetings and deadlines. The next deadline is October 18, which is the deadline for the public to submit their own ideas for the maps.

There will be multiple opportunities to help finetune three to five “focus” maps, at seven different meetings in October and November, which will take place in various locations throughout the county. A proposed final map will be posted December 5, and the public has three days to look at the proposed map and provide input before its adoption December 15.

“At this juncture, I’m not really sure how the map is going to look,” Trosky said, adding that it’s likely that District 3 (Lompoc, Vandenberg, Guadalupe), District 4 (parts of Lompoc and Santa Maria), and District 5 (part of Santa Maria) are going to change quite a bit.

“We’ve heard from those communities that it makes more sense for Santa Maria and Guadalupe to be in the same district,” she said. District 3, which comprises the Santa Ynez Valley and Isla Vista, may also change.

“We’ve heard from IV constituents that it makes more sense for them to be considered with Goleta or Santa Barbara rather than the Valley,” she explained. “In District 1, it might make sense to not include New Cuyama.”

It’s also probable that Santa Barbara will continue to be split among two Districts (Districts 1 and 2), as the population is too large for just one district.

The Commission wants your participation, as of press time only eight people had submitted draft maps.

“We really want to know what people want to see. It will impact our Board of Supervisors for the next 10 years,” Trosky said.

To participate, visit www.drawsant abarbaracounty.org. To draft a map online, click on the Draw a Map tab and click on DistrictR. Instructions can be found there. If you have questions, or want to email the Commission, email: redistricting@countyofsb.org.

Montecito’s First Michelin Star

Twenty-seven California restaurants were awarded Michelin stars earlier

“Autumn colors remind us we are all one dancing in the wind.” ― Lorin Morgan-Richards

Sushi Bar at Montecito Inn is the first Montecito restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star

this week, and for the first time ever, three eateries on the Central Coast made the list, including Montecito’s Sushi Bar, located in the Montecito Inn on Coast Village Road.

“This is all I’ve wanted for a very, very, very long time,” owner Phillip Frankland Lee said.

Sushi Bar is the brainchild of Frankland Lee, a Top Chef contestant who opened the critically-acclaimed omakase restaurant in April 2019. In June 2017, he opened the original Sushi Bar in Los Angeles, which is currently ranked the No. 3 best sushi spot in Los Angeles by Time Out Los Angeles.

Frankland Lee’s uber popular Pasta Bar in Los Angeles was also awarded a Michelin star earlier this week.

“To be awarded stars at two of my restaurants is something I never thought would be possible,” Frankland Lee said.

Sushi Bar in Montecito offers a 10-seat chef’s counter, which places patrons right in front of the action while they enjoy a 17-course omakase or “chef’s choice” menu. Guests are served by passionate and lively chefs, including head sushi chef Lennon Lee, who prepares unexpected versions of beloved favorites. The menu changes often and showcases the abundance of local seafood, including Santa Barbara sea urchin, spot prawns, and local halibut.

The menu includes a selection of drink pairings and Japanese beverages, including sake, beer, and Japanese whiskey all curated

by Scratch Restaurants Food and Beverage Director Gavin Humes.

The dining experience is enhanced by the restaurant’s glowing amber room designed by Frankland Lee and Gabriel Wischmeier; the sushi bar is enveloped in honeyed oak and designed to invoke the feeling of traditional Japanese sushi bars found in the 1930s.

The two other newly-starred restaurants on the Central Coast include Bell’s in Los Alamos and Six Test Kitchen in Paso Robles.

For more information, visit www. guide.michelin.com.

•MJ 30 September – 7 October 2021

Buzz (Continued from page 54)

House-made fettuccine with grass-fed beef and pork Bolognese at Harvest (Photo by Leslie A. Westbrook)

chili sauce that would make a great Thanksgiving/turkey accompaniment; homemade fettucine with grassfed beef and pork and huge braised pork shanks – with plenty of leftovers to take home the next day, as portions are huge, just like the Pasadena couple had forewarned.

Back in our aerie, I could hear the crickets sing. We’d spotted deer on the greens; that afternoon I’d helped put the chickens to bed with delightful Farmer Leo who grows organic veggies, flowers, and herbs (his lovely wildflower arrangements adorn the public spaces) and a low-hanging fingernail moon perched in the last of summer sky topped it all off.

It was a perfect two-day getaway, although I’d recommend staying three nights so you have two full days to do things I didn’t have time for including more time exploring tidepools, the beaches, and seeking out Pirate Tower at Victoria Beach, which will have to wait for future adventures in Laguna.

Oh yeah, and maybe I’ll even return to try and catch a tuna!

The Details

Getting there: From Montecito, it’s about a 2.5-hour drive – if you time it right – a straight shot down the 101 to the 405 to the 73 turn-off that leads to the coastline and the artsy town of Laguna. We broke up the

Gardens Are for Living

Braised pork shank, smoked gouda polenta, cider braised collard greens, and roasted cauliflower at Harvest (Photo

by Leslie A. Westbrook)

drive on the way back with a stop at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica to see the stunning Sebastião Salgado “Amazonia” photo exhibition at Peter Fetterman/Danzinger at Fetterman Galleries and took the more scenic and relaxing coastal route through Malibu home.

The Ranch at Laguna Beach: Among other attributes, the Ranch is a sustainable pioneer and features several planet-forward programs, from recycling glass bottles into sand for its golf course bunkers to saving 20 million gallons of water annually by irrigating with reclaimed water.

Rates start at $450 for a studio and up to $2,500 to $5,000, depending on the season, for the very cool Treehouse that sleeps up to six guests. www.ther anchlb.com Driftwood Kitchen: www.drift woodkitchen.com Lost Pier Cafe at Aliso Beach: www.lostpiercafe.com Shopping on Forest Avenue Hobie Surf Shop: Classic SoCal surf wear where they “want you to be stoked.” www.hobiesurfshop.com Tuvalu: Home furnishings store. If you like the décor at the Ranch, you will like Tuvalu and vice versa. www. tuvaluhome.com Little Bohemian: Darling children’s clothing and gifts. www.littlebohemi anlaguna.com Marc Whitney Gallery: www. marcwhitney.com •MJ

Gardens Are for Living

Montecito Journal newspaper.indd 8

6/8/17 2:12 PM

1. Adjust irrigation settings to reduce outdoor water use

It's time to reduce water use!

2. Fix drips and leaks as soon as they appear 3. Water landscaping before 10am or after 6pm 4. Evaluate and improve irrigation systems 5. Cover pools and spas when not in use 6. Use mulch to keep moisture in the soil 7. Convert to less thirsty landscaping 8. Maintain and/or upgrade plumbing fixtures 9. Meet with the District's Conservation Specialist (call 805.969.2271 to schedule) 10. We're here to help!

Find more conservation tips on our website: www.montecitowater.com

" We're in this Together."

Montecito Journal newspaper.indd 8

www.montecitowater.com

6/8/17 2:12 PM

805.969.2271

Outdoor dining and music is relaxing – especially in the constantly changing COVID times (Photo by Leslie Westbrook)

30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

59

Santa Barbara by the 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

Turning Tide:

New Wine Label Spotlights Sustainability

Turning Tide is growing white varieties on its proprietary Santa Ynez vineyard. These sauvignon blanc vines were planted last year and may see their first wine harvest in 2022.

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er new label, Turning Tide, marks a significant shift for winemaker Alisa Jacobson. As director of winemaking for 19 years for the mega producer Joel Gott, she oversaw the production of some 1.6 million cases of wine a year. With her new pet project, she’s spearheading a far smaller output of right around 1,000 cases a year.

“It’s a more thoughtful approach,” she says, “and one that connects me back to my roots.”

Turning Tide also opens the door to greater experimentation, she adds, and the increased creativity that comes from “ongoing modifications to make the wines you want.”

I met Jacobson at her new property along Baseline Avenue in Santa Ynez, a bucolic road speckled with equestrian centers and estate vineyards. The celebrated Camp 4 Vineyard is right across the street. Jacobson’s 10-acre property, which she purchased late last year, and which also features an already popular four-bedroom vacation rental set amongst the vines, was once home to an apple orchard. She’s got young sauvignon blanc vines growing there now, along with a small plot of the northern European white wine grape, Grüner Veltliner.

“It’s a hard grape to find in California,”

she tells me, “so I thought I’d grow my own!”

As we stroll the grounds, our chat quickly turns to sustainability.

“I’m all about it,” she insists.

Nearby, gardeners are pulling weeds that are sprouting along the base of the vines, where “more beneficial ground cover crops” will soon be planted in their place.

“You’ve got to have the right things planted in the right place,” she continues, delving deeper into her winegrowing philosophy. That means dependable daytime heat for a grape like sauv blanc and for some of the grapes growing in Jacobson’s 17-acre, all-red varietal vineyard nearby.

“And a natural water source is key.”

This zone, where morning fog stretches dozens of miles inland from the cool Pacific before the reliably warm afternoon sun melts it away, delivers both.

Jacobson, who lives near Pismo Beach, is an avid SCUBA diver and a regular camper, and she loves the outdoors. Her affinity for nature is something she brings to the winery – a reverence for all those natural elements at play in the vineyard and for the seasonal shifts that drive the life cycle of wine grapes. It all illustrates the “connectivity” among all things, she tells

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30 September – 7 October 2021

me, that is the driving force behind environmental mindfulness.

One of the important perspectives stemming from her nearly two decades with Joel Gott is a focused familiarity with the wide-ranging wine regions of the American West: California, Oregon, and Washington. With Turning Tide, she’s seeking out carefully vetted vineyards for her fruit sources. And she’s aiming to craft wines that represent those areas carefully and respectfully.

After sipping through some of Jacobson’s inaugural releases, it becomes clear that the Turning Tide wines share a common thread: they are subtly elegant, remarkably fresh, and very approachable.

Turning Tide 2019 White Blend ($20): Freshness prevails here, with plenty of citrus notes and lots of acidity and minerality. Sourced from the Santa Ynez Valley, this wine is 64% chenin blanc, which offers pretty lean notes on the palate, and 36% Grüner Veltliner, which enhances aromatics. The low 12.5% alcohol makes it extra easy to sip – wine with lunch, anyone?

Turning Tide 2019 Chardonnay ($30): “This is my own representation of what chardonnay can be in California,” says the winemaker, “and the Sta. Rita Hills was the place to do it.”

Fruit from the coveted region between Buellton and Lompoc creates a wine here that’s bright and vibrant, yet subtly supple on the edges.

Turning Tide 2020 Red Blend ($25): This luscious wine is made up of 72% grenache, which delivers lovely

The 2018 Pinot Noir comes from Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

The winemaker targets vineyards across California and Oregon that she came to know and love during her two-decade stint with Joel Gott Wines.

The 2020 Red Blend features grenache, mainly, which offers red berry flavors, along with mourvèdre, which delivers spice

red fruit notes, and 28% mourvèdre, which brings a dash of spice. The youth on this wine makes it bouncy and clean, but the silky mouth feel, and an impressive balance of peppery notes and red berry flavors, makes it extra food-friendly.

Turning Tide 2018 Pinot Noir ($42): Jacobson headed to the Eola-Amity Hills in Oregon’s Willamette Valley for this one. “Compared to their Santa Barbara counterparts, Oregon pinots

tends to be bigger, fruitier, riper,” she says. This one is rich but velvety, and the brightness on the palate balances out the darker fruit flavors. Sourced from organically farmed vineyards.

Jacobson’s eco-conscious commitment extends to her packaging, too: the labels feature recycled paper and compostable ink, the glass is lightweight, and the absence of foil diminishes waste.

Visit turningtidewines.com.

•MJ

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• The Voice of the Village •

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Luxury Consignment

Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, Hermes, etc Local Consignment in Montecito Call for Consignment Appointment: 805.245.3360 TheRealReal.com

CA$H ON THE SPOT CLASSIC CARS RV’S • CARS SUV • TRUCKS ! u o y o t e MOTORHOMES We com 702-210-7725 30 September – 7 October 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

63

“Good Food for Good People”

LUCKY’S steaks /chops /seafood /cocktails

Dinner & Cocktails Nightly, Lunch Monday-Friday, Brunch Saturday & Sunday Montecito’s neighborhood bar and restaurant. 1279 Coast Village Road Montecito CA 93108 (805)565-7540 www.luckys-steakhouse.com Photography by Alexandra DeFurio