A Year to Remember by Montecito Journal

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30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

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Inside This Issue

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5 Editor’s Letter Making the case for optimism in 2022 — and beyond 8 Year in Review Get to know the artist behind our unique cover, plus a preview of what you’ll find in the back of this week’s Montecito Journal 10 Letters to the Editor A Cate alum speaks out about school’s board entrusting Head of School to continue; while Carlos the Bear is baaaaack! (Or at least in the pages of this trusty publication.) 11 Community Voices Pat McElroy says now is not the time to change the 911 system 16 On Entertainment The Simon & Garfunkel Story is coming to the Granada Theatre on January 5 18 Your Westmont Professor joins NIV Bible translation team; illustrator chalks up another award; and new director oversees Westmont Downtown 20 The Giving List Why the Unity Shoppe is already thinking about after the holidays 22 Brilliant Thoughts Who are you calling old? 23 Stories Matter A look at some great January reads Library Mojo Welcoming a pair of new faces to the library team 28 Far Flung Travel Hanging out with the California Condor in its natural habitat 30 Calendar of Events There’s plenty of New Year’s Eve revelry to go around . . . 32 Our Town Alan Parsons trades birthday gifts for funds to help the Alcazar Theatre 33 Year in Review: In Remembrance Honoring those that we’ve lost in 2021 34 Year in Review: Real Estate A look at 10 key transactions in the 93108 36 Year in Review: Top Stories Our panel of four writers reflect on their top stories from the year 40 Year in Review: MontecitoJournal.net What were you checking out online over the past 12 months? We tell you! 42 Year in Review: Wine Gabe Saglie reflects on a pair of key stories in the local wine industry 44 Mixing It Up How do you make a balanced cocktail? Ian Wickman has some tips. 45 Legal Advertisements 46 Classified Advertising 47 Monthly Meta Crossword Puzzle Local Business Directory

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Editor’s Letter by Gwyn Lurie CEO and Executive Editor of the Montecito Journal Media Group

The Case for Optimism In ‘22 — and Beyond

s we face the new year, it is lost on no one that those of us fortunate to have made it this far are heading into our third year living with COVID. At the same time, we are careening toward another all-important midterm election inside a nation seemingly as politically divided as ever. In addition, issues of wealth and health inequality, among other enormous issues, loom larger than ever. The one thing that seems easy during these difficult times is to be pessimistic. But don’t be. There’s an expression that has always resonated with me, “The short term is a long time when your head is under water.” And unquestionably our collective head has been under water. But still I believe that a strong case can be made for optimism. How’s that? By taking the long view, a.k.a. the historical perspective. First let’s look at the pandemic. As we head from more than 800,000 COVIDrelated deaths in this country inching up towards one million, it’s easy to look back despairingly at health messaging that could not have been more muddled. Local statutes were in conflict with state statutes which were in turn in conflict with federal statutes which were in conflict with corporate statutes. And all were constantly changing. Everyone seemed to be cobbling together their own science to suit their desired lifestyle. There seemed no way out of this mess. But regardless of whether you’re measuring Case Mortality Rate or Infection Mortality Rate or any other of the multitudinous metrics out there, the death rate for those who have caught COVID is somewhere around 1% and possibly even less regardless of variant. We’re all freaking out about Omicron because it sounds like something from a Transformers movie, but while Omicron is highly contagious, at the same time it is far less potent than Delta, requiring fewer — and shorter — hospitalizations to date. Which is not to undervalue the loss that 1% represents. That loss is profound.

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But to give even more perspective, let’s compare all the variants with another terrifying pandemic from not so long ago, AIDS, which, at its peak, had a mortality rate of something like 80%. It was seven long, horrible years before retroviral meds turned AIDS into a manageable disease. Compare that to the mere 10 months it took from the first COVID case in the U.S. till protease inhibitors like Pfizer’s were approved here for emergency use. A reason for optimism? COVID is awful and terrifying and we’re all looking forward to seeing it in our collective rear-view mirror. But keep in mind COVID has nowhere near the mortality rate of other epidemics we’ve lived through. Pandemics are not the

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Year in Review: What’s Inside by Nick Masuda

A Unique Cover for a Unique Year

ow do you blend businesses closing, a school scandal, a royal interview, the return of in-person events, and an inclusive playground? You just ask artist extraordinaire Karen Folsom to take on the project. On the cover, you will find a playful moment with 13-year-old entrepreneur Marco DiPadova (upper left), the return of live concerts at Music Academy of the West (center), and Oprah Winfrey’s sit-down with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (lower right). We can truly say that none of them have ever been in the same photo before. There’s also more sobering news depicted in our final issue of the year, including the closure of a trio of businesses, as well as the ongoing controversy at Cate School due to allegations of sexual misconduct by faculty. But we bring it all back to positivity with a little love thrown toward musician and community staple Glen Phillips, as well as Gwendolyn’s Playground, an epic playground on the way to our little slice of paradise. We thought we’d give you something memorable to close out the year. Can’t wait to see what our 2022 illustration might look like . . .

About the Cover Artist

Karen Folsom is a Santa Barbara-based illustrator and commissioned portrait artist, working with both individuals and businesses, including publishing, new and electronic media, institutions, and foundations. Karen’s work includes concept and editorial illustrations, portraits, children’s books, book covers, murals and other promotional materials. You can visit her website at kgfolsart.com, where you’ll find caricatures of former President Donald Trump, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and politician Nancy Pelosi, as well as an incredible array of portraits.

Y, LY! R R HU EK ON E W 1

Karen Folsom is the artist behind this week’s Montecito Journal cover

Elsewhere in This Week’s Issue

Make sure to flip to page 33 to begin our “Year in Review” experience, kicking off with a handful of remembrances of those we lost over the past 12 months, while continuing with standout real estate transactions in Montecito, our top stories of the year, what you were reading online at MontecitoJournal.net, and in typical New Year’s fashion, capping off your experience with some reflections on wine. 2021, at least you weren’t 2020. See you in the new year everyone! •MJ

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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

Cate Alum to Board: Believe in the Survivors

Editor’s Note: As part of the Montecito Journal’s reporting on the sexual abuse investigation at Cate School, a number of alums and victims have come forward. The following is a letter sent by an alum to the school’s Board of Trustees, with permission granted to publish:

Dear Cate Board,

am a concerned community member. Please share my concerns with the entire Board before or at your January meeting. In your email to the Cate community dated December 15, 2021, you make several statements which need discussion. 1. Page 1: The note about “social media’s anonymity and public nature can be particularly harmful in its insensitivities to those we are trying hardest to protect – our students, past and present.” This is either wildly misunderstanding the value of social media, or you are being purposely obtuse. The anonymity of social media has allowed vulnerable community members, including current students who are aware that their every move online is watched closely by the administration, to express true fears, stories, and questions. The Board apparently places a high value on their own privacy, as it is nearly impossible to find contact information for any Board members on the Cate website, and the members of the Accountability Team have never been identified or shared a contact email. Also, who is on the “SHIRT” and how many of them are married to or actual known abusers of children? Social media allows vulnerable survivors (not “victims,” as your email keeps calling them) to share as much as they feel comfortable sharing without further exposing themselves to attacks. For the Board to suggest that the anonymity of social media is a malevolent force, harming survivors, while simultaneously doubling down on support for Ben Williams and the current administration is exactly why

current students are so afraid of the school. Even many alumni or parents are afraid of retaliation from the Board or the School. If you have read some of the anonymous posts, you will be amazed at how much criminality and abuse has festered as an open secret for decades. Also, yes, during Ben Williams’ tenure and continuing through today. Because so many of the Board members are alumni, it is difficult to believe that all these stories are new information to you. 2. Page 2: “The report is clear that there were instances where the school’s response fell short...” This is a gross understatement. I would venture that in every single instance which appeared in the report, the school’s response fell short. Further, there were many other “instances” of sexual abuse where the school’s response not only fell short, but actively harmed the survivors, their loved ones, and friends. How many parents are ok with hearing that the Board thinks of their children being harmed as an “instance” where the school “fell short”? 3. Page 2: The pivot from “falling short” to “sometimes the greatest growth comes when we acknowledge those moments when we failed to meet the standards we expect of ourselves.” Who is the “we” here who is growing from failing to meet their own standards? Nobody wants the Board and Admin to “grow” from failure to respond to child sexual abuse. What are the standards that you, Board members who are also Cate parents, have for the faculty and staff who are supposed to be caring for your own children? Would you feel ready to talk about growth and

lessons learned so quickly if your children were the ones harmed? 4. Page 3: “The Board commends Ben Williams.” I believe that every single Board member who commends Ben Williams should resign or be fired, effective immediately. Save your own reputations if it isn’t too late. He is not a driving force behind the investigation. He was forced into it by public opinion and a drumbeat of potential lawsuits. The “Board continues to put its complete trust in Ben Williams.” This is the same head of school who learned of abuse and failed to act in 2017, and 2012, and 2019, and probably other years I don’t know about. The same head of school who allowed Dave Mochel to continue to live on campus and keep the illusion that he was some kind of guru of mindfulness after he had sexually abused students. The same head of school who accepted a short, incomplete, and 14-month report when other schools with similar investigations have produced much more extensively researched and developed results. The same head of school who conveniently is being excused from mishandling every single case of child sexual abuse which he encountered in the past 25-plus years except the one recent case that would not even have come to light if the faculty’s next employer had not promptly caught him repeating the same behaviors he had done at Cate. It cannot be coincidental that the only former faculty who has been vilified who worked at Cate under Ben Williams’ tenure is a Black man. More dispensable. Board, are you really commending and fully supporting Ben Williams? 5. Page 3: “...we intend to grow from.” Again, who is doing all this growing? The survivors of child sexual abuse who have carried the trauma with them their whole adult lives? The Board who seems cavalier about actual lives being affected by all this? 6. The Corrective Measures document: Throughout, this document is lacking in specifics, in accountability, and deadlines. Its continued use of the word “victim” is jarring in a world where survivors of sexual violence are usually called that, survivors. Will all existing HR records (even if spotty) be archived and recorded for future investigative analysis? When will all current students and parents be sur-

MONTECITO TIDE GUIDE Day Low Hgt High Thurs, Dec. 30 6:13 AM Fri, Dec. 31 12:24 AM 1.9 6:56 AM Sat, Jan. 1 1:12 AM 2.1 7:39 AM Sun, Jan. 2 2:02 AM 2.1 8:25 AM Mon, Jan. 3 2:52 AM 2.1 9:13 AM Tues, Jan. 4 3:44 AM 2.2 10:00 AM Weds, Jan. 5 4:38 AM 2.2 10:49 AM Thurs, Jan. 6 12:48 AM Fri, Jan. 7 1:40 AM

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veyed anonymously about their experiences with sexual assault on campus? Will the Human Development course be taught by someone with credible training and skills? Clearly, the community has suffered great harm from that important class being mishandled, and it seems as though the school has just thrown random faculty and spouses into that important job. Also, how can one Human Resources Director, no matter how talented or well paid, be asked to solve these systemic and endemic problems? Are these responsibilities not

Letters Page 224

The best little paper in America Covering the best little community anywhere! Executive Editor/CEO | Gwyn Lurie gwyn@montecitojournal.net President/COO | Timothy Lennon Buckley tim@montecitojournal.net VP, Sales & Marketing | Leanne Wood Deputy Editor | Nick Masuda nick@montecitojournal.net 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 Bookkeeping | Christine Merrick Proofreading | Helen Buckley Design/Production | Trent Watanabe Graphic Design | Esperanza Carmona Published by: Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC PRINTED BY NPCP INC., SANTA BARBARA, CA Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108. How to reach us: Editorial: (805) 565-1860; Sue Brooks: ext. 4; Christine Merrick: ext. 3; Classified: ext. 3; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Letters to Editor: Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108; E-MAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net

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30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

Community Voices by Pat McElroy

Now is Not the Time to Change 911 System

ast week I was forwarded a newsletter from the Montecito Association. I was struck by the recommendation to use the 10-digit phone number for the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s landline rather than 911 when reporting an emergency in Montecito, specifically Coast Village Road. Having dealt extensively with this issue during my career with Santa Barbara City Fire, I thought it might be useful to share some of what I learned and why I feel that this is a bad idea, especially regarding Fire and Emergency Medical dispatching. In 1967, President Lyndon Johnson’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Justice recommended the creation of a single number to report emergencies nationwide. 911 was selected as the number for the United States. It was a landline-based system that identified the address of the caller and First Responders were dispatched accordingly. It was a revolutionary change. In 1973, Gov. Ronald Reagan signed the Warren 911 Assistance act into law and established California’s State Emergency Telephone number account. If you look carefully at your phone bill you will see this small tax for every phone. This account funds the Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) or 911 dispatch centers throughout our state. California has over 350 such sites. In a foreshadowing of what would occur in the 21st century, the ability to call 911 from a car or mobile phone was addressed in the 1970s for the relatively rare number of such devices. Because it was thought that these calls would originate from vehicles, these types of calls were sent primarily to the California Highway Patrol. And for decades that system was adequate. A seismic shift for the system occurred with the explosion of cell phones in the 21st century. By 2015, more than 250 million 911 calls were being made in the United States and 80% of those were originating from cell phones. Currently Californians call 911 more than 29 million times a year, 90% of these calls originate from a cell phone. There are more than 300,000 wireless antennas in California. Each antenna is pre-designated to send any 911 call it receives to a specific PSAP. This technological explosion has had serious consequences for the nation’s 911 system. As recently as 2015, the California Highway Patrol’s 25 PSAPs still receives, and dispatches, 49% of California’s 911 calls. What is not commonly known is that as a result of the switch from a landline-based system to cell phones, a 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

911 dispatcher currently does not know the location of a caller who is using a cell phone. This has made the dispatchers job, already very challenging, that much more difficult. It is a curious phenomenon in a world of Uber and so many other apps that have caller location as an operating principle. How does that impact us on the South Coast? Well, because highways 101, 192, and 154 are state highways, a tremendous amount of 911 cell phone calls are routed to the CHP call center in Ventura County. Because of that fateful decision from the 1970s when the number of “car phones” numbered in the thousands the same rules apply in a state where virtually every woman, man, and child uses a cell phone. Cell antennae do not have the ability to distinguish from calls originating from highways and calls that come from neighborhoods adjoining these highways. This is especially true in southern Santa Barbara County where our highways bisect our communities. This creates the possibility of negative outcome when calling during an emergency where the dispatcher no longer is provided your address because 90% of the time the call is being made from a wireless device. Due to some tragic events that happened locally, your Fire Chiefs joined with then Assembly member Das Williams and his staff to craft and pass Assembly Bill 1564 to address auditing cell phone towers to switch calls from the CHP to local PSAPs if: • The call originates from a location other than the freeway. • The alternate routing is technologically and economically feasible. • The alternative routing will benefit the public’s safety. • It will result in 911 calls being routed to the responsible responding jurisdiction that covers the location of the call origination point. The bill passed the Assembly and Senate unanimously and was signed into law by Governor Brown in 2016. This auditing is done regularly but the cell phone world continues its explosive growth and cell towers are constantly updating or being installed by the carriers. Occasionally tragic mistakes regarding caller location occur, but they are still the exception rather than the rule. Why then do I feel that reversing course and going back to calling the 10-digit number for your local public safety agency is the wrong way to go? It is pretty simple: the 911 system is universally recognized as the best way to access emergency services. It is still the quickest way for you to get

the possibly life-saving service you depend on. As you moved through your day, you may frequently cross jurisdictional lines you are unaware of, your cell phone is continually being picked up by a variety of antennae who will send your 911 call to the appropriate dispatch point more often than not. It would be challenging, if not impossible, for you to be aware of each of the 10-digit numbers of each jurisdiction you move through on a daily basis. Calling 911 is the best way to ensure that you get the help you need no matter where you are. Trying to use workarounds is ineffective and ultimately dangerous. The best way to ensure that you get the appropriate response is to remember that, if you are calling 911 from a cell phone, the dispatcher, currently, does not know where you are calling from. Often you will be asked not “what is your emergency” but “where is your emergency.” Be prepared to give the best description of where you are calling from. The city, street, intersection, business name or home address. The dispatcher can then quickly get you the appropriate response headed your way. Two things give me hope that, in Santa Barbara County, things are going to be improving quickly. The first is that NextGen 911 will soon be available. That will give your 911 dispatcher

your location from your cell phone. This rollout, while delayed, will be a huge technological breakthrough. The second is that in the Fire/EMS world, all of your Santa Barbara Fire agencies will soon be dispatched out of a Combined Regional Dispatch Center. For the first time, using Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) technology, a dispatcher will be able to see all the Emergency response vehicles available in real time. This allows a dispatcher to send the closest available resource, regardless of jurisdiction, to the scene of your emergency. For example, if a Montecito Fire Engine is closer than a Santa Barbara City Engine to your emergency, the Montecito Engine will respond. This “borderless” philosophy is a force multiplier that sends the closest available and appropriate response every time and keeps more equipment available for additional response. In summary, the 911 system was challenged by the unexpected proliferation of cell phone technology. The gaps in information available to dispatchers are being addressed. New technology that allows a single dispatch center to monitor and dispatch all Fire and EMS resources is on the way. Now is not the time to abandon a system that has been incredibly effective for 50 years. Your 911 system is strong and getting better. •MJ

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30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

Did you know that 99 percent of the fruit and vegetables grown in Santa Barbara County are exported while 95 percent is imported?*

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(above) Planting seeds for El Centro Santa Barbara’s Somos Semillas (We Are Seeds) program at Parque de Los Niños (The Children’s Park) in Santa Barbara. PHOTO J ANDREW HILL / PHAROS CREATIVE *Cleveland, David, et al. “Effect of Localizing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Nutrition, Santa Barbara County.” Environmental Science & Technology 45, 10 (2011): 4555-4562.

30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

• The Voice of the Village •

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30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

• The Voice of the Village •

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On Entertainment

by Steven Libowitz

Folk Heroes

he popularity of Simon & Garfunkel, the most famous duo in folk music history, remains unabated more than a half-century since the pair first broke up over artistic differences and personal issues following the release of the groundbreaking album Bridge Over Troubled Water. Problems persisted each time Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel contemplated reuniting after their first comeback show that drew 500,000 people to Central Park in New York, where the two first started out as childhood friends before creating a duo that has sold upwards of 100 million albums. The last effort lasted just one show back in 2010, and with Simon and Garfunkel both marking their 80th birthdays earlier this year, and still reportedly not on speaking terms, it seems that ship has sailed. But with the Santa Barbara debut of The Simon & Garfunkel Story set for the Granada Theatre on January 5, locals will have a chance to cruise down memory lane via the song-filled internationally acclaimed hit theater show. The immersive concert-style show chronicles the folk-rock duo’s journey, from their teenage beginnings under the pseudonyms Tom & Jerry to their astonishing success as one of the best-selling artists of the 1960s through their dramatic split in 1970 before culminating with “The Concert in Central Park” reunion in 1981. The show was created in 2014 by Dean Elliott, an actor who had performed big roles on big stages, including portraying the bespectacled rocker Buddy Holly in the West End version of the Broadway musical. He wrote the show thinking it might do well enough to justify a limited six-week run in the UK, never expecting that he was launching a juggernaut of a show that has toured nonstop ever since, with several troupes on the road simultaneously. Elliott played Simon for 18 months, then stepped aside for young actors, moving into the executive producer and director role, supervising each cast, and keeping his hand firmly on the throttle. Elliott talked about the genesis of The Simon & Garfunkel Story — which features more than a dozen cuts including a full live band performing “Mrs. Robinson,” “Cecilia,” “Homeward Bound,” “America,” and “The Boxer” — over the phone from London in advance of heading stateside for the musical’s winter run.

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Q. You were finding a lot of success starring in The Buddy Holly Story and elsewhere. What made you want to write a musical about Simon & Garfunkel?

A. I thought I could come up with another biopic-type musical. Going through my CD collection, I realized that even though they have a huge body of really great material. It also seemed like their musical story had a natural theatrical arc, going from a simple folk duo to doing more complicated material and the last of their five studio albums being the biggest seller, the way a show might build to a climax. I couldn’t think of another act that has had that trajectory. There’s natural drama in how despite getting more successful their conflicts drove them apart. And I figured that just like with Buddy Holly, there was no way to see them live anymore, so people might really like it. It turned out to be one of those shows that just sparked the imagination of the public, and people come back over and over again. How do you cover all that on the stage? One reviewer hit the nail on the head when he called it a “tribute documentary.” It doesn’t have scenes, but it’s also not a pure tribute act where the actors are pretending to be them. But the idea is to take people back in time, so we rely quite heavily on video technology, footage of what was happening in the ‘60s, commercials and newsreels to provide setting for the songs, while the actors who play Paul and Art also provide the narration. They’re in their early twenties and with the lighting and video and sound design, you can almost feel like you’re there. For example, there are scenes from a documentary about the Summer of Love in San Francisco and then they sing Simon & Garfunkel’s psychedelic song “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme.” It’s because Simon was really a storyteller who wasn’t just writing songs about love but also talking about what was happening in the world. The show poetically weaves that all together. So, you wrote it as a vehicle for you to star in? No, not at all. In fact, I wasn’t going to be in it at all. I was going to just serve as musical director at first so I could work out all Simon’s guitar parts which are really very complicated and often tricky on the fingers. My voice is also somewhat similar to his, a bit of a sweet tenor. But because I was really too old even then, we wanted to cast someone else. But back then it was hard to find someone who could tick off all those boxes in terms of acting, singing, playing the guitar. The original director then said, it’s only a few weeks. Why don’t you just do it?

On Entertainment Page 264 264 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

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Happy Holidays and a Joyful New Year from our Village to Yours

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Your Westmont

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

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Richter Joins Top Bible Translation Team

andra Richter, Robert H. Gundry professor of biblical studies, serves on the New International Version (NIV) Committee for Bible Translation (CBT). Few women have joined the prestigious team translating the top-selling English-language Bible. “Knowing the reach of the NIV and the reputation of the excellent scholars already serving on the CBT, it was a quick ‘yes’ for me,” Richter says. “I tell my students it’s like going from nine months of teaching P.E. to getting to play on the All-Star team.” Richter, who has taught at Westmont since 2017, serves a life-long appointment to the 15-member CBT with two other women. “It’s a sad testimony that we, the Christian community, have failed for so long to encourage women to pursue their gifts in leadership and biblical studies,” Richter says. “As a result, there’s a dearth of women to fill these roles. But that’s changing rapidly.” Classically trained in biblical exegesis and the history, language, and anthropology of the ancient Near East, Richter offers expertise in Hebrew, its cognates, and the world of the ancient Near East. She attended her first meeting in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in June 2021. “These contexts become critically important when we try to move an idiom or practice in the Old Testament into current usage, both in the U.S.

Sandra Richter joins the all-star Bible translation team

and throughout the English-speaking world,” she says. “If the committee doesn’t fully understand what’s going on in a particular text, how can we translate it for the everyday Christian studying the Bible at church? We dive deep on these issues, doing our best to understand the ancient authors so we can best communicate their words to the modern reader.” Some 75% of the committee has to approve a proposed change before it takes effect. “This group is so careful to hear every voice, consider every option, and deliberate fully before taking action,” Richter says. She’s identifying passages that feature new, emerging research as possible areas for change. “My dissertation research and work on Deuteronomy — particularly the sexual misconduct laws — are the sorts of proposals I’m bringing before the committee,” she says.

Your Westmont Page 264 264

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18 MONTECITO JOURNAL

30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

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MONTECITO JOURNAL

The Giving List

Unity Shoppe relies on volunteers, including this group from Deckers Brands

by Steven Libowitz

Beyond Christmas Unity:

No Off-Season for Food and Services

t might seem like bad timing to be writing about Unity Shoppe in the last week of the year, considering the nonprofit just held its 35th annual holiday telethon — the latest edition of the annual marathon fundraiser that airs on KEYT-TV — on December 12. After all, the event brings together all sorts of local luminaries including longtime Montecito-based Unity Shoppe supporters Kenny Loggins and Brad Paisley to encourage people to donate to fill the coffers for the organization that grew from a small charity to serve more than 20,000 people each

year with free food and essentials from its downtown “store.” But as it turns out, January is more than just a time of renewal for the nonprofit, as it’s also when restocking is a requirement. “Our Quarter 4 is when everybody needs services, everybody needs food and toys and everything,” explained Liat Wasserman, Unity Shoppe’s director of development & communications, who assumed her position in September after working for the organization as an independent consultant for years. “We come into January 1,

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and we are decimated. We’re depleted. We have nothing: No food on the shelves, nothing to shop for. The place is a mess and it’s like we’re starting from scratch.” It’s not that Unity supporters stop caring when the calendar changes to a new year. But things go in cycles, especially when you’ve got a fundraising event as well known as the telethon. “Everybody remembers us at Christmas,” Wasserman said. “In spring when it gets warm again people are doing food drives and coming out to help us. But we’ve got this really dark period in between. But for our clients, their needs are not seasonal.” Of course, Wasserman and her colleagues at Unity know how to handle the situation, as decades of experience have resulted in all sorts of refinements to the process that is summed up in the organization’s tagline: “Dignity. Respect. Choice.” It’s spelled out even more clearly in its statement that “Unity serves residents in need by providing essential services that offer them choice and preserve their dignity and self-respect.” That’s reflected at Unity’s Grocery Distribution Center, where its clients have the opportunity to shop in a storelike setting for groceries that support a

healthy and well-rounded diet and to pick up other household necessities, personal care products and clothing at no cost. But times are changing and so is Unity, Wasserman said. “With the backdrop of the pandemic, some of the ways in which we do what we do have shifted,” she explained. “The pandemic just reinforced that we have to be responsive to our clients’ needs, not what we thought they were, but what they really need.” So, when it became clear that the decades-old model of having clients come into the store to shop excluded some of its clients, Unity and its partners developed Unity Shoppe Delivers to meet those needs, too. “We discovered that there is a very large swath of low-income people who may not have access to a vehicle, those who are immunocompromised and people who are in multi-aged households that don’t have the capabilities to come to us,” Wasserman said. “Now, we are able to deliver their customized groceries and essentials to them so they can still receive our services.” What has also shifted in the wake

The Giving List Page 274

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Letters (Continued from page 10) more broad and should not several people be entrusted to get this right? The alumni who have come forward so far do not owe their pain, their stories, or their time and effort to Cate School. The alumni survivor and ally community pushed for this investigation: see www.cateorganizingteam. com and “Petition to Cate School Board of Trustees: End Sexual Abuse” on www.change.org (there are 681 signatures on that petition as I write this). It is plainly absurd that the Board is congratulating Ben Williams for cooperating. He really had no option, and he really should have launched a better, more thorough investigation years ago, as soon as all the other schools were doing the same. Who (Board or Admin) can say they had no idea that it could happen at Thacher, Exeter, Emma Willard, Sonoma Academy, Marlborough School, and Choate, but never at Cate? Also, how have all those other schools done so much better jobs in responding to the abuse with meaningful investigations and actions? It is way too soon to talk of “growth” and healing. There can be no healing when there has not been any real accountability. This basic, lacking, delayed, obfuscating report is not the same thing as community healing. Where is the community conversation? Thacher held open community calls when their (much better-done) report was published. Cate has had nothing of the sort. Where is the conversation with current students? They are so terrified of not getting good college recommendations, any genuine conversation with them would have to somehow use credible anonymity. Even then, I suspect they would be afraid of reprisal. In the 1980s, when students were harmed, we were always afraid of the survivor, not the perpetrator, being punished. It is too soon to talk of healing. All your talk of supporting Ben Williams and this report only further destroys your own credibility. I agree with you on one point — this is an important moment for the school. Many families and alumni are learning about all these horrible transgressions for the first time, and thinking about where their donations have gone, and who has been making all these bad decisions. And even more are rethinking rumors and memories and realizing that what seemed normal at the time

was in fact violent and criminal. And yet others are using the word “Believe” on social media to send cookies to faculty. Which group will you listen to? The Board should make tangible efforts to show they believe survivors of child sexual abuse, by launching a better investigation, by withdrawing support for Ben Williams, and by opening up meaningful community dialogue instead of hiding behind Board and Committee meetings that the community is not invited to. I hope that at least some of you will seriously consider my input and think about changing your viewpoint or maybe stepping down. A wholesale change of the Board and Administration is in order. Diana Froley de Forest Class of 1987

Bearing Gifts

Carlos, The Bear, remembered reading the email blast from The Montecito Association. There was to be a new Holiday Tradition in The Cito beginning this December. Planning from the start to hide, just like he did during the Fourth of July parade for this new, inaugural event, The Montecito Holiday Car Caravan. And hide he did. He hid, right under the noses of everyone waving and wishing Happy Holidays. Wearing his Santa Hat, he hitched a ride on a Porsche. He felt good, helping to decorate his friend’s car with color lights, snowflakes, and tinsel. So much so that he offered to be a mascot of sorts. His soul was into this parade thing. This time he was not only going to watch a parade, but he would also be in it! It took some magic to get this done, but then, that is what this time of year, this season of celebration, is all about. Magic. He was so full of love and life as the caravan of cars, trucks, and emergency vehicles passed families with human cubs gathering, waving, and wishing good tidings! He might be a bear, but Carlos felt part human as he cruised down Coast Village Road. It all came down to getting through this time of year and helping others do the same, with peace, love, and music. For Carlos, making people happy was his way of bearing gifts! Michael Edwards •MJ

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22 MONTECITO JOURNAL

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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

What’s Old?

ne personal favorite of my epigrams says: “There’s nothing wrong with growing older – but where does it lead?” There are more answers to that than you might think. To my friends in the “antiques” trade, older usually means more valuable. “Antiques,” which used to require an age of at least a century, is now much more flexible. And dealers, at least in America, talk in terms of “vintage,” which used to apply only to wines, but now refers to anything 60, 50, or even just 40 years old. Which, if you’ll permit another self-quote, reminds me that I once said, “Live long enough, and you may find your entire life in a museum.” Speaking of that, I once actually did find myself in a museum, not as an exhibit, but as a member of the staff. With a PhD in History from Berkeley, I was unsatisfied, after several years in the business world, and aspired to return to academia. But the hiring market for college teachers was particularly tight that year (1970), and, after going all the way to Washington, D.C., to attend the American Historical Association’s annual convention, and failing even there to find a job, I was finally forced to accept a position as an “Associate Curator of History,” at the Oakland Museum in Oakland, California. My career there could hardly be called a triumph, but I did at least attempt to accomplish one memorable feat. It happened that, at that time, the state of California was seriously considering abolishing the death penalty — which was sometimes administered as poison gas, in special sealed chamber, located in San Quentin Prison, wherein the condemned person was strapped in a special chair. (There was a window through which their final moments could be witnessed.) I had seen this “artifact” (a sort of sealable metal booth, inside a much larger room) on a tour of San Quentin. It was constructed in 1938, so was nearly my own age, and, under current guidelines, we both would qualify as antiques. And, in my new curatorial position, it occurred to me (apparently before anybody else had the idea) that it might make a fascinating new attraction in the History Section of the Oakland Museum.

Accordingly, on museum stationery, I wrote a very formal letter (dated September 21, 1970) to the warden of San Quentin, asking that, if and when this object became available, we might be on record as having lodged a first claim for it. The reply I received was not from the warden, but from Mr. R.K. Procunier, director of the California Department of Corrections. As expected, it was very non-committal, since nothing had yet been legally decided, but simply said that our request would be put on file. Unfortunately, at least from our point of view, California voters approved the resumption of the death penalty in 1972. The gas chamber is still there in San Quentin and was last used at least as recently as August 1993. After only a few museum months, as a result of feeling that I was in a place where I just did not belong, my curatorial career suffered its own demise, and I resumed my role as the world’s only full-time professional epigrammatist. But, getting back to the question of oldness, “antiques,” historically speaking, really belong to antiquity, which takes us back, at least in common usage, to a much earlier time. One thing that interests me is that even truly ancient artifacts which have survived into our own time are not necessarily of great value today. For example, there are good specimens of coins from the Roman Empire, and even earlier which can still be purchased today for a few dollars. Of course, it’s really a matter of rarity. Metal coins, by their very nature, tend to survive much longer than materials of wood, fabric, or paper, so there are still plenty of them around. On the other hand, children’s toys are a good example of common items which tend not to last, and so can often, especially if long bygone, and in good condition, be extremely valuable today. It’s a good argument for holding on to the relics of your childhood. Of course, whether we like it or not, oldness eventually afflicts those of us who get that far. It does have some advantages. Financial value isn’t usually among them — but we do tend to become more precious to each other. So, whatever your age, here’s wishing you a vintage year. •MJ 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

Stories Matter

by Leslie Zemeckis

January’s Best Reads

plan on starting the new year exactly as I ended it: diving into a stack of great books. I ended with 150 books for 2021, reading everything I can to help you readers navigate interesting, entertaining, and diverse books, from memoir to thriller to everything in between. Put Shauna Robinson’s Must Love Books on your list. It is a charming romance about Nora, a floundering editorial assistant at a San Francisco publishing house. Budget cuts have forced her to secretly moonlight at a rival publishing house to pay the rent. Both publishers offer her a promotion if she can sign a handsome bestselling author to their list. Nora finds herself in hot water when her deception is discovered, not to mention her new romance with said author. This is a relatable, heartfelt story about a young woman, struggling with depression and her future.

he Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher is historical fiction about Sylvia Beach, an American who opened the iconic Shakespeare and Company in Paris in 1919. Every prominent writer from Hemingway to Ezra Pound to F. Scott Fitzgerald made themselves at home in her bookstore. Beach publishes Ulysses, James Joyce’s banned book despite great financial risks and the jeopardy to her store’s reputation. Maher writes her most tender scenes between Beach and her lover Adrienne Monnier, a fellow bookseller. You will find yourself swept up in 1920s Paris.

o not do what I did and read Beneath the Stairs in a house alone in the woods. It was creepy from the very first scene. Author Jennifer Fawcett makes an electrifying debut with her atmospheric story. A young woman returns to her upstate New York hometown after her childhood friend attempts suicide in an abandoned house in the woods. The house had been the scene of some horrific murders in the past, and yet over the years beckons young girls to explore its cold, rotting basement. Not only a ghost story, but it is also the exploration of friendships and those “lost to time,” girls trapped in childhood history, haunted by people and events.

uthor Alex Danchev believes the surrealist René Magritte to be the most important artist of images in the modern world. In his insightful biography Magritte: A Life, he explores the influences on the Belgian-born man, with a mother who killed herself, to other surrealists he admired and fought with (famously André Breton). The man was quirky and controversial and thought provoking. Great for art lovers.

n absolutely riveting read is Karen Brooks’ The Good Wife of Bath. Geoffrey Chaucer’s unforgettable character (the Wife of Bath) in The Canterbury Tales, was a woman ahead of her time. In Brooks’ book, Eleanor gets to tell her own story and it is funny and saucy. Set in medieval England, Eleanor is married at 12 to an elderly farmer. It is the first of five husbands. She will use her body and her brains for control of her life — her story – and along the way there will be murder and lovers. •MJ 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

Library Mojo

by Kim Crail

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

Introducing New Recruits

t is with great joy that I announce our two new Library Technicians, Kelly and Carli. Starting a few weeks ago, they have been working hard, training on the many facets of public library work and the small branch culture that we cultivate at the Montecito Library. They are looking forward to meeting you! We now have six library staff here to help you navigate our digital resources, new online catalog, as well as your information and pleasure reading needs. This Kelly and Carli, our new Montecito Library staff members also allows us to be open for more hours and days per week.

Blissfully Normal

Our library hours have been so messy and hard to remember since the pandemic started. This location was closed for three months and then we had some short windows of time available for curbside pickup, indoor browsing, and such, expanding here and there, but never feeling quite right. With our new staff on board, we will be open five days a week again! As we’ve had so much time to ponder and come up with what would best optimize our staff time, we will be starting earlier in the day, opening at 9 am, instead of our previous 10 am. Hopefully this will make the library more accessible to little ones with early nap times or just the many active people in our community who are early risers. Saturday hours are returning with a shorter time frame of 10 am to 2 pm. This was the busiest time period when we offered weekend hours in the past and is a great time for families to come in together or for people that work a nine-to-five job to enjoy the library.

2022 Montecito Library Hours Tuesday through Friday, 9 am-5 pm Saturday, 10 am-2 pm

Balance in the New Year

As we welcome 2022 with tentative hope, we continue offering the option to pick up your items outside if you would prefer not to come in. Masks are still required inside the library; however, we have started offering some of our popular adult programming outside where masks are optional. Having these opportunities for adults to gather in person has brought back some of the community spirit that we had been deeply missing at the library. We are anxiously awaiting the chance to offer more children’s programming, too. Currently we are offering outdoor activities, once a month at Cold Spring School and once a month at Lower Manning Park. Please check them out if you can. Youth programs encouraging play and early literacy are coming in the new year. Stay tuned or check the library calendar to attend these excellent programs at other Santa Barbara Public Library locations by visiting SBPLibrary.org.

January Events

Library Van at Cold Spring School: January 6, 3:30-5:30 pm Storywalk at Lower Manning Park: January 12, 2-3:30 pm Montecito Book Club: The Sun Does Shine, January 25, Noon-1 pm Poetry Club: Countee Cullen, January 27, 2-3:30 pm Knit ‘n’ Needle: Fridays, 1-2:30 p.m.

Winter Closure Dates

Friday, December 24th - Monday, January 3rd See you at the library! • The Voice of the Village •

•MJ

MONTECITO JOURNAL

Heal the Ocean extends our deep Appreciation to our Supporters Undisclosed Amount

Georgia Funsten Revocable Trust

$150,000

Nora McNeely Hurley and the Manitou Fund

$25,000

Nora McNeely Hurley & Michael Hurley

$15,000-$19,999

Brittingham Family Foundation Charles & Brynn Crowe/ Kirby-Jones Foundation Dan & Rae Emmett/ Emmett Foundation Abby Turin & Jonathan Gans Ken & Nancy Goldsholl/ The M and M Foundation Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Brad Hall/ Hall Charitable Trust Sam Scranton in memory of Sherilyn Scranton

Tomchin Family Foundation

$10,000-$14,999

Jeanne & Robert Anderson/ RJA Foundation Roger & Sarah Chrisman/ Schlinger Chrisman Foundation Thomas & Nancy Crawford Roy E. Crummer Foundation Greg & Elisabeth Fowler/ G.A. Fowler Family Foundation Brian Hodges/WWW Foundation La Centra-Sumerlin Foundation La Cumbre Animal Hospital for the HTO Doggy Bag Program

Cece Morton Jackson/ Morton Family Foundation in memory of Hughes Morton

Tokai Nordegaard/ Moller Family Foundation Poehler-Stremel Charitable Trust The Radis Family Adam & Kara Rhodes/ WWW Foundation John & Lacey Williams

$5,000-$9,999

Anonymous Larry & Wendy Barels BigSpeak Inc. Susan Baerwald & Marcy Carsey/ Just Folk Tom & Sheila Cullen Dr. David Dawson/ Montecito Pet Hospital/ San Roque Pet Hospital for the HTO Doggy Bag Program

Pamela de Villaine Frank & Joseph Gila Trip & Lisa Proctor Hawkins/ The Hawkins Foundation Johnson Ohana Foundation Patagonia.com

24 MONTECITO JOURNAL

Ron & Stacy Pulice/The Pulice Trust Jay & Talia Roston Mary Jane & Ron Steele/ Steele Family Foundation

$3,000-$4,999

Patricia & Paul Bragg Foundation J’Amy Brown Paul & Downing Denison/ Denison Family Foundation Steve Starkey & Olivia Erschen

in honor of Luise Phelps, Peter & Nini Seaman, Victoria Hines, Bill & Dani Hahn, Bob & Ann Diener, Valeria Hoffman, Art & Heather Tiddens, and Duke Howard

New Day Marketing, Ltd. Susan Petrovich

Terri Carlson, MD The Casillas Family Jim & Jolene Colomy Thomas Dabney Susan Eng-DenBaars & Steve DenBaars Jim & Wendy Drasdo The Ebbin Group

for the HTO Doggy Bag Program

Beth & Dodd Geiger/ The B & B Foundation Nancy Grinstein

Alexander Power Phyllis de Picciotto & Stan Roden Christine Ryerson/The Jim Ryerson Environmental Foundation Fund Mary Staton & Michel Saint-Suplice Bill & Jane Tully Evan Turpin in memory of Paul Turpin

in honor of Harry Rabin for his devotion and passion

Nancy Gunzberg Roberth Martinsen & Marybeth Cook Hammond Duncan Dylan Henderson in honor of Nora McNeely Hurley & Chris Baker & Jodie Ireland/ Michael Hurley LOJO Foundation $2,000-$2,999 Melanie & K. Leonard Judson William Adler Dorothy Largay in honor of Harry Rabin for his The Levisay/Saliers Family Summerland work Charitable Fund Advanced Veterinary Specialists Judith Little for the HTO Doggy Bag Program Kenny Loggins/Higher Vision Inc. David & Lyn Anderson Janet McGinnis Anonymous Denise Nelson Martha Blackwell Devon Geiger Nielsen/ The Ruth Brown Foundation B & B Foundation with special thanks to Charla Brown John D. Olson Elizabeth Denison/ William J. Otto, DVM The Denison Family Foundation Ann Linnett Pless Steve Starkey & Olivia Erschen Eileen & Charles Read Tisha Ford Stephen Aizenstat & Maren Hansen Ray Link & Jill Taylor Nina Terzian Dick & Peggy Lamb Evan Turpin Austin Lampson Alan & Kathryn Van Vliet John & Gloria McManus Susan Venable & Charles Vinick Night Lizard Brewing Company Zog Industries Steve & Blair Raber Peter & Nini Seaman $500-$999 Melissa Riparetti-Stepien & Peter & Rebecca Adams Christian Stepien Michele & Arnold Brustin Patsy Tisch Darlene Chirman Alex & Gina Ziegler John Mike & Marcia Cohen Natalie Cutler $1,000-$1,999 in memory of Christopher & Kent & Brier & Cooper Allebrand/ Timothy Cutler Turpin-Allebrand Family Albert DiPadova Foundation Robert & Christine Emmons/ Anonymous Emmons Foundation Gordon Auchincloss Joan Fried Mary Parker Bacon IBM Employee Services Phil & Leslie Bernstein Daniel & Marilyn Johnson John & Caron Berryhill/ Janice Kaspersen Agnes B. Kline Memorial Foundation Julie & Marc Kummel/ in memory of Agnes B. Kline & Kummel Family Fund Ford G. Kline Gary & Lynn Larson Dr. Michael Brinkenhoff in memory of Gayle Tower Brinkenhoff Kathleen McCauley Laurain Steve & Christina Brown Patrick Marr in memory of Eric Brown 1% for the Planet Donald Burg Sharon Metsch Carbon2Cobalt Andy & Yvonne Neumann Frederick C. Herzogg III & Marla J. Mercer Robin Tost

Hunter Turpin Gebb Turpin/Turpin Family Charitable Foundation Travis Turpin/Turpin Family Charitable Foundation in memory of Paul Turpin

Libe Washburn Jim Winter

$250-$499

John Baran Art Dennis & Liz Boscacci Hope Bryant Bonnie Burgess Judi & Brian Cearnal Rich & Krista Coffin Lloyd & Richard Dallett Mimi deGruy Tom DeWalt Dennis Doheny Debbie & Bill Fisher Patricia & Michael French Barbara Gallisath Hermine & Gary Gallup Betty & Peter Gray Paul Greene/Home Crush Lee Heller Cindy Pitzer & William Howard in honor of Madelyn Stone

Susanne Humbel-Heierling Myla Kato Chris Lambert Family Sheila Lodge Jim Marshall Stephen & Jane Murray N.E.W. Fund Anne Neubauer

in honor of Richard Cheetham

Nancy Roberts & Bruce Ohannessian in honor of Bruce loves Nancy

Donley Olson Oniracom Oran Young & Gail Osherenko Peter & Shelley Overgaag Lisa & Alan Parsons Karen Yoon & Bruce Raph Marsha & Al Roberson Anthony Allina & Christiane Schlumberger Judith Bennett & Stephen Schweitzer Elden Shiffman Ron & Jeanie Sickafoose Thomas Stevens 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

And we wish you all a very Peaceful New Year! Thomas Sturgess Wasco Junior Woman’s Club in memory of Justin Herzberg

Cath & Steve Webb Maureen White Sophia Wong Hank Yeiser Jeff & Jana Young

$200-$249

Shane & Genny Anderson Audrey Austin Jude Bijou Geoff Brown Manuela & Rob Cavaness

for the HTO Doggy Bag Program

Rebecca Davis Frank Hood Steve & Dianne Lopez

in memory of Peter Michael Ryan

Margaret Pinney David Rockey Ruth Rowe Sheldon & Alice Sanov Lee Scheuermann

in memory of John Scheuermann

Gayla & Santi Visalli David & Julie Wexler Barbara Willett George & Judy Writer Mary Beth & David Yudovin

$100-$199

to $99

Jack Finnegan

in memory of Chuck Vinson

Patricia Adams

Jennifer Fry

in honor of Ryan Patrick Moore

in memory of David Fry

Gary Fuller Jon Gilkeson Barbara Greenleaf Roy Hauser Jeff Heyman Michael F. Hoover Vicki & Lach Hough Infrared Ahead Gail Kennedy

in honor of Andrew Velikanje

J. Kenny Michael Visser & Ursula Lamberti Russell Russo Levasseur Jon & Sue Lewis Lori Lewis Light Yoga in honor of Charlotte Brace

Gail Marshall Loraine & Billy B. McIntosh Teresa McWilliams Robert & Linda Meyer Tom & Kim Modugno Deb Monroe Sylvie Monsivais

in honor of The Stanczyk’s

in honor of Hillary Hauser

Brett & Susan Caine William & Margaret Callahan Alex & Marilyn Callender Cotty & Isabella Chubb Dave Clark

in memory of Maxine Knight Clark

Kate Mead & Marty Conoley Bob Cunningham Natalie Cutler

in honor of Patty & Thayer Bigelow

Meg Miller & Dean Dawson

in memory of Peter Ryan

for the HTO Doggy Bag Program

Doug Cummings Andrew & Adrianne Davis Fran & Roger Davis Nicholas & Margaret Dewey Matt & Karen Dodson

in honor of Hillary Hauser

Barbara Murphy-Shannon

in honor of Leonardo Curti & Dion Lyman, Wally Millicah & Greg Benton, Danny Paulin & Rocky Miller, Michelle Bone & David Montoya, John Troutman, Bill Robbins, Michael McDonnell, Refugio Bob, Hope Ranch Rick, Steve Wood, Jack Schuyler, Rod Lock

in honor of Sarah McLean

in honor of 4 Great Grads

Beverly Decker Karla Shelton & Bruce Dobrin Sylvelin Edgerton Pamela Elliott Barbara & Charles Farish/ The Farish Family Brad & Ann Fiedel

Robert DuDomaine

in memory of Genay Andre

Deacon Shorr Victoria Shorr

in honor of Stanley Eigner

Nancy Smith-Tubiolo Clayton Stanford Joan & Gary Stauffer Ed Stetson Dr. Richard Nagy & Julie Taguchi Erika Thost Grant & Dana Trexler The Trigueiro Family Turpin-Allebrand Family Foundation Christy Venable in memory of John K. Venable, III

The Alan Wann Ohana Scott & Laurie Waters Janet & Harvey Wolf Grace Yoon Donald Young C.S. Young Cynthia Ziegler Mark Zwickel

in memory of Paul Turpin

Mary & Stebbins Chandor Shivkumar Chandrasekaran Carrie Clark-Kenny Mary Conrad Barbara Coster Kathryn Courain

Liza Jane MacNaughton Timothy Accurso Bill & Tina Palmisano in honor of Opera Santa Barbara’s Julia Pizzinat production of El Amor Brujo/II Tabarro Valerie & David Powdrell Mike Allen Meagan Prasad/805 Bracelets Judy & Bruce Anticouni Trish Reynales MJ Bakove in memory of Carlos H. Reynales Jeanne Barnard Elvira Rose Kathy B. Beyers Christine Ryerson Suzanne Brown Carol Sawyer Bryant & Sons Jewelers Deborah Burns

Anonymous (5) Betty Austin George & Betty Baffa Chip Bell Tammy Berouty Jack & Marguerite Bianchi Marty & Joe Blum William & Rose Bordin Travis & Debra Bower Sam & Pat Burke Nancy Castro Steb & Mary Carolyn Chandor

Jettie Edwards Tom Farr Kevin & Shelley Fitzpatrick Jennifer Fry Kathy B. Gallo Amanda & Bob George Givz.com Marina Gonzalez Patricia Guilfoyle Juliette Haggh/ Raytheon Employee Giving John Hankins Hillary Hauser Steve Hausz Steve Hausz in honor of Hillary Hauser

Christopher Horner Michael Howard Susie Howell Rick Hummel

in memory of Wes Bortolazzo

Abhijit Karandikar

in honor of Megha Manjunath

Francine Kirsch Anna Kokotovic Lane Family Fund

in memory of Peter Michael Ryan

Robert & Mary Ann Latham Talithia Laurain/AbbVie Employee Match Program Glenn & Alison Leopold David Levenson Marian Lindner G.R. Loustalot Jeppe Madsen Frances Marsh Ria Marsh Nancy Masse Penny Maynard Tom & Therese McClachrie Carolyn McCleskey Jane McCluskey Horia & Jane Metiu James Mitchell Jr. Kim & George Morales in memory of Blanton Jones

Carter Morgan Denbar Movado Lucinda Winters Nash Vera Nelson Ashley Newbill in honor of Carpe Data

Ronald & Roberta Nye Pauline Paulin Lauren Perry

in memory of Dan Sutherland

Bill, Pam & Lily Poehler Lydia Deems & William Prothero, Jr. Simone Reddingius Craig Rice James Riegert/ Raytheon Employee Giving Susanne & Randall Roberts Ashley Rusch Jayne Ryan Pamela Scott Mary Louise Scully Bill Paxson & Lynne Sherman Ryan Shields Maida Smith Melinda Staveley Harrison E. Stroud Deb & Tom Trauntvein Family Jo Beth & Gary Trimble in memory of Billy B. McIntosh

Hugh & Karen Twibell Nancy Vogel Jill Wayne in honor of Dia

Corinne Williams Skip Willis Theresa Yandell Arnette Zerbe

HTO thanks the Phyllis S. Poehler/Water E. Stremel Charitable Trust, St. Paul, Minnesota, for the funds for our public outreach, including this tribute to our supporters. *Donations received as of 12/16/2021. Full donor list to be published in HTO Annual Newsletter.

30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

On Entertainment (Continued from page 16 16))

Why do you think that Simon & Garfunkel have remained popular for so long? No. 1 is Paul Simon songwriting, which was phenomenal and timeless right away. Think about “The Sound of Silence” and lines like “People talking without speaking / People hearing without listening” that could have been written yesterday. But it’s also their harmony singing. The sound of those two voices together is so iconic and so pleasing to hear. We’re just hard-wired to be drawn in. We open the show with “The Sound of Silence,” and everyone starts applauding the moment they hear “Hello darkness my old friend” with those two voices blending. Being able to recreate that sound faithfully is our job and we love doing it. And for anybody who was around back then, there are a lot of personal attachments to their music as well. It’s not a bad thing to say it’s very nostalgic. Do you know if either Simon or Garfunkel has ever seen the show or commented on it? I know Art’s family, so I know he’s aware of it, but I don’t think either of them has seen it. We’d love it if they want to get in touch and are open to having them talk to us about the show and how we could make it more accurate. But I’m not holding my breath. The American Theatre Guild presents The Simon & Garfunkel Story as part of Broadway in Santa Barbara at the Granada Theatre for a single show at 7:30 pm on January 5. Only balcony seats, which cost $56-$81, remain on sale. Call (805) 899-2222 or visit www. granadasb.org.

Quite the Quintet

Prior to November, you’d be hardpressed to recall the last time John Jorgenson played in town. Best known for his inventive guitar work in Desert Rose, the mid-1980s California country-rock band he co-founded with former Byrd/Flying Burrito Brother Chris Hillman and country-bluegrass stalwart Herb Pedersen, Jorgenson also

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played in the guitar trio Hellecasters, toured for years with Elton John, and has recorded or performed with Sting, Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, and Bonnie Raitt, among many others. In November, J2B2, Jorgenson’s bluegrass band that also features Pedersen, showed up at SOhO to close out the fall season from SBAcoustic, a comeback series from the nonprofit Santa Barbara Acoustic Music Association. The show was such a smashing success, the series is bringing him back to launch its winter season in January, only this time in another guise as The John Jorgenson Gypsy Jazz Quintet. The five-some that features Casey Driscoll on violin, Simon Planting on bass, Rick Reed on percussion, and Rory Hoffman on guitar, piano, and accordion play that style of string-driven swing originally created by “Django” Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli in 1930s. Still, gypsy jazz might be an even more esoteric genre than bluegrass, but the guitarist has found the format completely compelling for more than 40 years. Credit the internet for making it possible for him to pursue that path in public. “I’ve loved gypsy jazz ever since I first discovered Django back in 1980, but it was too under the radar and there were no festivals or any chance to tour back then,” he said when we talked in November. “So, I just kept playing it for my own enjoyment. But the internet has allowed people that love these sub genres to find each other and now there’s a whole circuit for people to perform that music I have loved for such a long time.” Fast forward 20 years and the quintet reigns as the only American act to ever headline the Django Reinhardt Memorial Festival in France, and has been featured at Djangofests in the U.S., UK, Germany, and Canada. Jorgenson even portrayed Reinhardt in the 2004 film Head in the Clouds. But Jorgenson’s compositions for his quintet expand upon the formula founded by Reinhardt and Grapelli to draw on elements on Latin, Romanian, Classical, Rock, and Greek music. “Honestly, I would have been plenty happy to just be a Django Reinhardt tribute act and do exactly what he did,” the guitarist said. “But when I would play shows, it was hard to do a whole set of that. And when I started putting in the original compositions, they resonated better with the audience because they were unexpected. Maybe it’s because sometimes I don’t have a genre in mind when I start writing, so there’s one I wrote as a techno dance song then became a more Romanian flavored piece, and another that I thought I’d do with the Hellecasters that became two of our most popular songs with the quintet. It’s cool with me to be where the genres cross.” The John Jorgenson Gypsy Jazz Quintet performs at SOhO at 7:30 pm on January 5. Tickets cost $45-$77. Call (805) 962-7776 or visit www.sohosb.com.

Your Westmont (Continued from page 18 18))

Illustrator Chalks Up Another Milestone

keting strategies. The concentration resembles the college’s existing studio arts major, with a few substitutes to some required courses.

Scott Anderson speaks through illustration

A steady string of awards continues to paint an impressive career for Scott Anderson, Westmont professor of art. A jury has chosen his illustration commissioned by the Westmont College Festival Theatre, for the 64th annual exhibition of the New York Society of Illustrators, one of the most prestigious and competitive shows in the field of professional illustration. Anderson both illustrated and designed the typography for the poster of Westmont Theatre’s spring production of A Winter’s Tale, Interrupted. “I have had a wonderful collaborative relationship with our two Theater Arts major professors for many years now, and am honored and grateful that this poster has received this recognition,” Anderson says. He earned a Bronze Award from the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles for a cover he created for the Miami New Times. The 2020 American Illustration annual, the most prestigious illustration industry competition, also accepted the cover. He has won multiple firstprize awards in publication design from the American Association of Museums. Numerous illustration competitions have recognized his work, including Communication Arts, American Illustration, and the New York Society of Illustrators. The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles awarded Anderson their Gold Award in Advertising in 2018, also for a Westmont Theatre poster. With colleague Meagan Stirling, Anderson recently helped co-create a new concentration in graphic arts within the art major at Westmont. “Westmont already has an all-Cintiq graphics lab, which is unheard of for a school our size,” he says. “We’re adding new courses to fill out this studio track, specifically Typography and Design for Web and Screen.” The program will serve students interested in graphic design as well as illustration, and some may create hybrid programs of graphic design and communication studies or economics and business. Students can take one or two communication studies classes as electives, as well as a class in mar

An Innovator with a Global Vision Rick Ostrander heads up the expanding Westmont Downtown program

The Westmont Downtown semester program has become an important link between the college and the Santa Barbara community. With the acquisition last summer of a second building on Anapamu Street in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, Westmont has the opportunity to extend its reach even further. Rick Ostrander has assumed the new position of executive director of Westmont Downtown and assistant to the president for global education, innovation, and new program development. In overseeing Westmont Downtown and global education, he’ll lead the next phase of extending Westmont’s reach and influence. “Rick’s 20-year career of serving and leading in various executive positions in higher education and his global experience make his contributions highly valuable,” says President Gayle D. Beebe. “I have long admired Westmont as one of the nation’s leading Christian liberal arts colleges, and I’m thrilled with the opportunity to contribute to its continued development,” Ostrander says. In addition to directing Westmont Downtown, Ostrander will promote and coordinate innovative efforts across various departments and entities on campus. His deep experience in global higher education will help the college develop new academic programs and partnerships to strengthen enrollment on campus and expand off-campus programs. Ostrander’s extensive background includes a doctorate in history from the University of Notre Dame and work as a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Germany. He has also served as provost of Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and as vice president for academic programs at the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities in Washington, D.C. Throughout his career, he has visited more than 80 colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. Christian colleges nationwide have used his book, Why College Matters to God: An Introduction to Christian Learning, as a first-year text. •MJ 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

The Giving List (Continued from page 20) of the COVID crisis is an increased demand for services via a spike in the number of agencies that vet and refer people in need to Unity, Wasserman said. “When an agency such as a hospital, or social service agency, schools, religious institutions, or community center — 308 in all — sees someone or a family in need, they refer that person to us so they can get services. What’s happened since COVID hit is that the list of referring agencies has grown and now even includes organizations like law firms who work with low-income clients. That’s something that’s brand new.” Among the other upgrades at the organization in the last year is a new digital and automated inventory program to help Unity manage its resources and keep track of the quantity of foods and other goods coming in and going out. “We count every client who comes through the door,” Wasserman said. “We count what they took off the shelves so we can manage the depletion and know how much we need to put back on the shelves.” The more accurate info made Unity realize that limiting its clients to only one visit per month wasn’t meeting the need, especially during the pandemic, so in addition to the new delivery service, clients are now allowed to come twice a month if necessary. “We don’t want our clients to rely on us for services,” Wasserman said. “We’re here as a safety net when they hit hard times and most only come six to nine times a year. But with the pandemic, that need is growing.” Wasserman pointed out that with the pandemic still not defeated — and the Omicron variant looming ominously as winter weather creeps in — the area might be headed into another cycle of people getting sick and families needing help. “The ripple effect on people who are low income is significant, and we want to be here for them.” So even though the wrapping paper

from Christmas presents might still be in the recycling bin, it’s a good time to consider supporting Unity Shoppe again, whether it’s through financial gifts, donations of food and new clothing, or joining the community of almost 2,000 volunteers who come through Unity’s doors every year. “The need is year-round and every day,” Wasserman said. “This is exactly the time frame when we need support, for people to remember that we’re still here serving that need.” •MJ

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• The Voice of the Village •

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MONTECITO JOURNAL

Far Flung Travel

by Chuck Graham

First Encounter

A California Condor at the Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge

To our valued Clients & Neighbors During the holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our success possible. It is in this spirit that we say thank you for your continued support, referrals, and for making our local community so special. We truly believe we have the best job in the best community. Sending our best wishes for your holidays and New Year. With Gratitude, Calcagno & Hamilton Real Estate Partners

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chose a broad sandstone stage, dropped my camera pack, and kicked back on the gritty slab in the Sierra Madre Mountains of the Los Padres National Forest. It was the spring of 1997, and the sun was shining overhead with intermittent puffy clouds drifting north to south. My hands were behind my head and my eyes were closed. Occasionally clouds would block out the sun — or maybe it was a condor. After several shadows passed overhead, I looked up and saw a condor circling above me. It was looking at me. Potential prey or just simple curiosity? I sat up and marveled at its wingspan, its velvety black feathers shimmering in the midday sun, and its ability to cover ground like no other land bird in North America. Before I knew it, the condor had soared off, disappearing over the next ridge. I was thrilled. It was a backcountry moment I’ve never forgotten. Seeing an Old World vulture that was staring at extinction, was now gazing back at me. It was inspiring. That steely gaze made me want more experiences in wild places with endangered wildlife, something I’ve sought ever since.

Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge

Through my binoculars and about a half mile away, there was no mistaking its pumpkin-colored head. A solitary California condor soared majestically over the Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge. It circled above in broad, sweeping arcs before it vanished into a narrow canyon cloaked in dense chaparral. As large as condors are with their nine-foot plus wingspans outstretched, they can suddenly vanish in a blink. This was the first of nine condors that were “worked up” and released on a recent crisp fall day in the refuge. A couple times each year, condors are trapped by biologists and given health checks at various release sites in California. While photographing these iconic raptors, remnants of the Pleistocene Epoch, I got to observe all the hard work and preparation by biologists to keep these birds safe while expanding their range. North America’s largest flying land birds are always battling habitat loss, and especially poisoning from lead bullets, where condors are susceptible after locating gut piles left by hunters in the backcountry. Lead gets into their bloodstream, and affects their crop, which doesn’t allow them to digest properly. Eventually, condors that suffer from lead poisoning experience a slow death if they aren’t found and treated by biologists. However, through tireless efforts by biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and release sites up and down the West Coast, there are now almost 470 condors flying free throughout their historic habitat with 170 of those in California. Although, over the years, since releasing condors began in 1992, there’s been a throng of obstacles facing the condor’s survival. Besides lead, there’s been an increase in wildfires, trash consumption, and encounters with humans in varying degrees. Condors average about 150 miles per day in the air, so there’s always a threat of collisions with powerlines, vehicles, and the unknown.

Backcountry Triage

There were two stations with three to five biologists working each station. There were 13 condors in the flight pen waiting to be “worked up” and then

30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

California Condors travel up to 150 miles per day

released into the narrow canyons surrounding Bitter Creek. The refuge is located between the Sespe Wilderness and the Carrizo Plain National Monument. Over the last several years, the refuge has become a vital launching pad for releasing condors into the wild. A “work up” involves biologists wrangling condors one at a time inside the flight pen. Once a condor is secured, a biologist will get ahold of its legs. Another biologist wraps an arm around its wing while holding the bird’s body against their chest. The other hand will be placed around the condor’s beak, not allowing the bird to extend its neck where condor’s draw a lot of their power from while pulling flesh away from a carcass. Another biologist draws blood to check for lead levels. Each condor is administered a numbered tag and a GPS unit to keep track of each condor’s whereabouts as they soar in swirling thermal updrafts across their range. The other biologist gathers all the data for each condor on an iPad. I placed myself behind a pile of sandstone boulders as a biologist carried out a condor after its “work up.” The biologist was about to let the condor loose. Watching a condor take flight and immediately soar has always been impressive, but this one nearly took my head off as it flew just inches over my head. I felt a swift swoosh as the raptor flew over, momentarily blocking out the sun. I spun around tracking its route where it disappeared into a narrow draw, joining its comrades hidden in the backcountry wilds of Bitter Creek. •MJ

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• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

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)

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31 Me-ow! Go Wild at Twin Bars — The Wildcat Lounge was already one of the more popular joints for drinking and dancing in Santa Barbara even before expanding next door to create a whole separate (but connected) space called the Bobcat Room. The pair of pubs put on one heckuva New Year’s Eve party, boasting three rooms each with its own DJ, plus go-go girls (and boys) strutting their stuff on platforms, a bevy of flexible flying aerial performers, balloon drops at midnight, and tons of fun party favors. Wander between the Wildcat main room that evokes “Rat Pack”-era Vegas circa the 1960s and the Bobcat Room, which brightens things up with a “Palm Springs Modern” atmosphere. Top those off with two covered patios with close by bars for cocktail convenience and several fire pit tables, with a Hivemind silent disco among the planned festivities. Black and white attire is requested, but not necessary. WHEN: 9 pm-2 am WHERE: 15 W. Ortega St. COST: $15 general admission before 11 pm; table reservations $235 and up INFO: (805) 962-7970 or www.wildcatlounge.com Soaring Into ‘22 at SOhO — When a venue books a band called Con Brio, whose name is Italian for the musical direction “with spirit or vigor,” you can

count on the fact that they’re definitely not planning for a staid celebration to end the year. Indeed, the San Francisco Bay Area seven-piece plays uber-energetic soul music flecked with psychedelic rock and an R&B pulse befitting their hometown, which has given them a rep for acrobatic, adrenaline-fueled live shows. But the septet is not a brainless party band, as its 2016 debut Paradise addressed the struggles of inequality, capitalism, and the Black Lives Matter movement (way before George Floyd), while its sophomore disc Explorer took on questions about the country’s leadership and its love affair with guns, among other issues. Post the deaths of George Floyd and other recent victims of police brutality, Con Brio last winter put out a music video for the song “Nonsense,” in hopes of inspiring people to work harder to unite and strengthen their communities, to stop accepting the status quo, and to no longer be victims of the powers that be — with the proceeds earmarked for three Bay Area nonprofit organizations. But make no mistake: Con Brio mostly brings the joy and the irresistible beats, which seems like the perfectly balanced way to say farewell to 2021 and bring on whatever’s coming next. Also on the bill: Leslie Lembo and her brilliant band of Santa Barbara all-stars. WHEN: 9 pm WHERE: SOhO Restaurant & Music Club, 1221 State Street, upstairs in

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31 Rooftop Revelry — The Hilton Garden Inn in Goleta has a very simple formula for looking back four decades for its New Year’s Eve party theme: The 1980s were totally bodacious; the last two years were bogus. So, the plan is to say goodbye to 2021 and welcome 2022 with a phat party on its Roof Top Bistro & Bar. All are invited to don leg warmers and tease up your hair, lather on the makeup, and grab some glitter for a festive night featuring Roy Gavin Productions spinning the best jams of the 1980s and beyond, hot and cold hors d’oeuvres served throughout the night compliments of Chef Martin, treats, and even a candy bar for those with a sweet tooth. In the interest of safety as the pandemic marches on, there are no standing room tickets and no last-minute walk-ins, as every group (parties of 2-10) must be registered to attend. Those who flash their vaccination cards will also earn a free swag bag. WHEN: 9 pm-12:30 am WHERE: Roof Top Bistro & Bar at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel, 6878 Hollister Ave., Goleta COST: Tables $150 and up INFO: www.eventbrite.com

30 MONTECITO JOURNAL

EVENTS by Steven Libowitz

THURSDAY, JANUARY 6 Local Luminaries Light Up 2022 — SOhO Restaurant & Music Club begins the new year with the same formula that brought the club back from the ashes of the pandemic starting last September, namely relying on local talent sprinkled with regional artists and the occasional touring band. If you didn’t know any better, though, it would be hard to tell that Mendeleyev and Sio Tepper, who share the stage at SOhO tonight, fit in the former category as both are quirky and accomplished enough to sustain careers outside of their hometown. Mendeleyev, who hails from the Mountain Drive hippie community, did a blind audition for Season 17 of The Voice, but is probably better known around these parts for his decidedly offbeat virtual concert that launched the Marjorie Luke Theatre’s pandemic programming, a series of well-produced shows taped live on stage. Gigging has been sparse as shutdown still prevailed, but locals will have the chance to catch up with the singer-songwriter whose tastes runs from almost folky tunes to beat-filled grooves. Tepper is a pianist who first took up the instrument at age four and by her teens was on her way to becoming an accomplished singer-songwriter and musical score composer. She’s worked extensively with Out of the Box Theatre Company and Santa Barbara High School’s productions, composed original scores for movies at SBIFF, and created music for dance and other recitals. WHEN: 7 pm WHERE: SOhO Restaurant & Music Club, 1221 State Street, upstairs in Victoria Court COST: $15 INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com Victoria Court COST: $35 general admission, dinner packages with reserved seating available INFO: (805) 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com Entering ’22 at EOS — A silent disco, balloon drops, an hour-long open champagne bar and a champagne toast at midnight, and DJ music from Curly, Calvin, Chadillac, Teej, Kaution, and Jackie Chanel spread out over four bars within one location. Yes, that’s how Studio 500 at EOS Lounge celebrates New Year’s Eve. The final countdown of 2021 also features eats from food trucks and — get this — admission is just $20. COVID vaccines, tests, and masks are not required for entry, unless that was a typo in the Nightout listing. WHEN: 8 pm-2 am WHERE: EOS Lounge, 500 Anacapa St. COST: $20 INFO: (805) 564-2410 or www.eoslounge.com

In … Out … Repeat — Imbibing alcohol and dancing with wild abandon aren’t the only ways to alter your reality at year’s end amidst a group of people. There’s also breathing. Ecstatic Breathing, actually, a technique involving simultaneously breathing deeply and rapidly to drastically lower stress, improve focus, and potentially provide a “non-ordinary state of being”, an experience some liken to ecstasy. Led by Yoga Soup founder Eddie Ellner, the method is a non-polluting, self-generating, and direct way to “break through some psychic scar tissue in the way of truth,” Ellner says. The evening also includes some light stretching, feasting on special beverages and sweet potatoes, and “other really incredible short-lived things.” WHEN: 8:30-11:30 pm WHERE: Yoga Soup, 28 Parker Way COST: $45 in advance, $55 day of INFO: (805) 965-8811 or www.yogasoup.com •MJ 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

Andrea Elliott

Ballet Hispánico

Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City

Noche de Oro: A Celebration of 50 Years

Thu, Jan 20 / 7:30 PM UCSB Campbell Hall

Fri, Jan 21 / 8 PM Granada Theatre Ballet Hispánico celebrates diverse artists and ignites cultural pride with this 50th anniversary program featuring choreography by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano and Vicente Nebrada.

One of The New York Times 10 Best Books of 2021

“With compassion and curiosity, [Elliott]... makes visible the cycles of poverty, inequity, and resilience that plague families across the United States.” Publishers Weekly Justice for All Lead Sponsors: Marcy Carsey, Connie Frank & Evan Thompson, Zegar Family Foundation, and Anonymous Presented in association with CALM, Family Service Agency, and the Santa Barbara Public Library

Joshua Bell, violin

An Evening with

John Leguizamo

Peter Dugan, piano Thu, Feb 3 / 7 PM Granada Theatre

Wed, Feb 2 / 8 PM UCSB Campbell Hall

“One of the most imaginative, technically gifted and altogether extraordinary violinists of our time.” The Washington Post

Emmy and Tony Award winner John Leguizamo brings his irresistibly irreverent brand of comedy to a new evening inspired by his life story.

Major Sponsor: Jody & John Arnhold Justice for All Lead Sponsors: Marcy Carsey, Connie Frank & Evan Thompson, Zegar Family Foundation, and Anonymous Presented in association with the UCSB Department of Theater and Dance

Major Sponsor: Jody & John Arnhold Dance Series Sponsors: Margo Cohen-Feinberg & Bob Feinberg, Audrey & Timothy O. Fisher, Barbara Stupay, and Sheila Wald

Event Sponsor: Sara Miller McCune Corporate Supporting Sponsor: Covenant Living at the Samarkand Presented in association with the UCSB Department of Music

(805) 893-3535 | www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu Granada event tickets can also be purchased at: (805) 899-2222 | www.GranadaSB.org 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

Our Town

by Joanne A. Calitri

Joanne is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@yahoo.com

Some Birthday Fun-draising

Fred and Michele Higgins (Photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Geri Ann Carty and Jonathan McEuen (Photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Alan Parsons and wife, Lisa, with Mike Lazaro (Photo by Joanne A Calitri)

ne of our most renowned musical residents, Alan Parsons, held a star-studded fundraiser at the Alcazar Theatre Carpinteria on his birthday on December 20, to raise funds for the nonprofit venue in lieu of gifts. The event, produced by Mike Lazaro, of Lazaro Event Management and founding board member of the Alcazar Theatre, started with a red-carpet lineup and video interviews. Inside, KEYT’s John Palminteri welcomed the guests and introduced Parsons who shared, “Mike Lazaro has done a fabulous job for us here, and please

do leave a donation for the Alcazar in lieu of a present for me.” Next were film screenings of An Afternoon with Alan Parsons, followed by Parsons’ latest concert film, The Neverending Show: Live in the Netherlands (released in November 2021). Palminteri led the guests in singing happy birthday to Parsons as he was presented with his birthday cake. The event concluded with a surprise acoustic live performance by Parsons and his band of P. J. Olsson, Jeff Kollman, Todd Cooper, Guy Erez, Danny Thompson, and Dan Tracey. For many of the more than 140

Lorraine McIntire and Kathy Dubock (Photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Miles Hartfeld and Gretchen Lieff (Photo by Joanne A Calitri)

guests, it was their first time at the Alcazar Theatre. Noted VIPs were Parsons’ wife, Lisa, and daughters, Tabitha and Brittni. Also attending were: Fred and Michelle Brander, André Luthard, Ed Van Wingerden, Suzanne Summerlin, Lorraine McIntire, Kathy Dubock, Alan and Carol Koch, Miles Hartfeld and Alan and Carol Koch (Photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Gretchen Lieff, Geri Ann Carty, musicians Rodney Cravens and George Pendergast from Dishwalla, Jonathan McEuen, Chris Pelonis, Hector Hurtado, Jason Libs, Gregg Carty, Hans Brand, Terry Rankin, Diane McFarland, Rebecca Brand, Scott Topper, and Erik Davis. “Alan has been an ongoing friend to the theater, and I invited him to share his live DVD and celebrate his birthday,” Lazaro said. “He graciously accepted. We’re blessed to be friends with Alan Parsons, his family, and band. The Alcazar is a small but mighty theater working hard to provide the best quality programming for our beloved community, and we thank you for your support.” 411 To donate or learn more: thealcazar.org

Alan Parsons Live Project performs (Photo by Joanne A Calitri)

32 MONTECITO JOURNAL

•MJ

30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

Year in Review: In Remembrance

by Nick Masuda

The Community Cornerstones We Lost in 2021 . . .

he arts, entertainment, sports, and philanthropic worlds were hit hard along the South Coast this year, losing the likes of philanthropist Lee Luria, musician Peter Clark, beloved polo club icon Charles Ward, and the Metropolitan Theatres’ owner Bruce Corwin. It was a tough year, but also a reflective one that allowed us all to appreciate the impact that each had on our community. Here are excerpts from our remembrance pieces that celebrated their lives:

Lee Luria

Charles Ward

Peter Clark

n June 10, 2021, Lee passed away at the age of 93, leaving the music, arts, education, her beloved Boston Red Sox, and philanthropy communities without one of its cornerstones, instead showing the world that a payit-forward spirit can make a difference. She started on her philanthropic journey alongside her longtime husband, Eli Luria, a renowned South Coast real estate developer. She was his yin to her yang, perfect partners until his passing in 2006. “They complemented each other perfectly; he would provide the big vision and she would find a way to make sure it was executed,” said Scott Reed, the president and CEO of the Music Academy of the West. With a penchant for the arts — look no further than her sporty red Lexus that gave away her vibrant personality before ever talking to her — the community of Santa Barbara benefitted from Lee’s commitment to paying it forward. “Her generosity is so spread out that it not only speaks to what she cared about personally, but also speaks to what she cared about civically,” said Jill Seltzer, the managing director at Ensemble Theatre Company. “She was known for something she always said: ‘What are you waiting for?’ “She just had a way to always move things forward.” — Nick Masuda 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

hile his home was a treasure trove of albums of all genres — “We couldn’t go anywhere without him jumping into a record store to buy five or six albums,” Lee Hartley recalled — and his personal artwork, his activity within the community stood out considering his fame. He was a member of the Montecito Mafia, a social group that formed by utilizing private tennis courts to set up epic battles, the matches arranged only days prior, with participants simply told to show up at a location, with little more information. It was good tennis, but even better camaraderie. Steve Lew became fast friends with Peter on those courts, first marveling at his “very strong forehand,” but eventually won over by an infectious personality. “He loved being here, and it showed,” Lew said. “He was friendly to everyone. He had a grand smile; you just couldn’t ignore it.” Through the Mafia and its extended social circle, Peter found an extended family in Montecito, key with his daughter, Jackie, and twin sister, Wendy, both living in New Zealand. “We were always welcome in Peter’s world,” Lew said. — Nick Masuda

harles, who was also an accomplished triathlete, worked for the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club for 18 years and his was the first company to bring private jet travel to polo in the U.S., generating millions for the Santa Barbara and other polo clubs, with lucrative partnerships with Bombardier, Gulfstream, Maserati, Ferrari, and Silver Air to name a few. Flags at the club’s hallowed Holden Field were flown at half-staff in his memory and on August 15, the first match of the Pacific Coast Open season was renamed the Charles Ward Polo Classic; the club’s annual hat contest was always one of Charles’s favorite occasions. For Charles, every day presented an opportunity to live the good life, and he left this world having savored every minute of his. — Richard Mineards

• The Voice of the Village •

Bruce Corwin

hat can you say about a human being who embodied all the qualities for which there seems to be such a dearth these days – humanity, humility, grace, generosity, goodness, loyalty, optimism? A man who left every room he entered better than he found it; who always did more than his share, in everything and with everyone. A man who showed up for any good cause, often lending the use of one of his theatres (the Arlington or a Metropolitan Theatre). Bruce loved supporting good causes and he did so early, often, and generously. He lent his time, his wisdom, and his resources at a moment’s notice for anyone he called a friend. Bruce had a lot of friends. And when he decided he believed in someone or something, he was all in. Bruce was always a force for good and wrote a leadership playbook that put people first. I think his greatest joy was boosting leadership skills in others. He used that playbook to help his close friend Tom Bradley get elected, the first African American mayor of a major U.S. city; building theatres in Watts after the riots; and building the Discovery Cube Science Museum and the Martin Luther King Community Hospital in Los Angeles. — Gwyn Lurie Also leaving us in 2021 were: The Unity Shoppe’s Barbara Tellefson, wine pioneer Jim Clendenen (see Gabe Saglie’s tribute on page 42), philanthropist and film producer Anne Douglas, Noozhawk social columnist Rochelle Rose, philanthropist Charlie Alva, Santa Barbara High football legend Sam “Bam” Cunningham, inventor Ron Popeil, Kellam de Forest, and community leaders Alfred Nicholas “Nick” Katzenstein, Bob Short, and Dan Eidelson. •MJ

MONTECITO JOURNAL

Montecito Real Estate Sales

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.

Ten Notable Sales in 2021

ith nearly 350 sales of homes, estates, and condos in the “93108” this year, we saw many record-breaking transactions in all price points. Here is a short list of remarkable sales from 2021:

10. Monarch Lane: $3,895,000 for $2,375,000, after it was completely gutted after significant damage from the debris flow. The new owners brought it back to life, and sold it in March of this year. (Listed by Keith Myers of Re/Max)

7. Plaza Pacifica: $5,300,000

The sale of this three-bedroom, four-bath home in April broke the record for highest-priced sale of an Ennisbrook Casita. The home had been updated and expanded, and featured two primary suites plus an additional guest room. (Listed by Maurie McGuire & Scott Weslotorn of Coldwell Banker)

9. Miramar Avenue: $7,005,000 This single-level condo is the highest priced sale ever in Bonnymede. This ground-floor unit was remodeled to the studs and is just steps to the sand. (Listed by Lisa Foley of Goodwin & Thyne)

6. Santa Elena Lane: $3,568,500

This rare offering was comprised of two separate parcels, one with a home and guest house, totaling over 1.25 flat acres, in the Hedgerow, which is difficult to find. There was a lot of buzz about this property when it came on the market in June, and it sold in nine days with multiple offers, selling for over $1.5 million over asking price. (Listed by Dan Encell of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices)

8. Olive Mill Road: $6,605,000

The sale of this completely remodeled modern French Country Estate is an encouraging sign that nearly four years after the 1/9 Debris Flow, property values in affected areas are coming back strong. This home sold in late 2018

34 MONTECITO JOURNAL

While not technically the highest-priced sale ever in Montecito Oaks, the sale of this classic ranch home in September wowed agents and buyers alike. Montecito Oaks, parts of which were affected by the 1/9 Debris Flow, has historically been one of the most affordable areas in the Montecito Union School District. It is atypical to see homes sell at more than $3 million in this neighborhood, until now. (Listed by Nancy Kogevinas of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices)

30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

5. El Miraval: $28,000,000, $28,500,000, and $22,700,000

This 1923 George Washington Smith estate on Park Lane was purchased in March by well-known celebrity buyers who later sold it June for $28,500,000. It sold again two months later for $28,000,000; the latter deals were done off-market. The five-acre estate boasts a Spanish Revival main house, a two-bedroom guest house, one-bedroom cottage, and three apartments above the five-car garage. (Listed and sold by Riskin Partners Estate Group of Village Properties)

4. Bella Vista: $7,375,000

2. Channel Drive: $31,250,000

This nearly oceanfront estate had been on and off the market since 2016 before selling in March. Set on 1.13 acres, this rare property fronting Channel Drive offers a main house with four bedrooms and six bathrooms, a guest area with separate entrance, a cabana, and a gym, in addition to a pool, spa, three outdoor firepits, and two outdoor barbeques. (Listed by Phyllis Noble of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices)

1. Fernald Point Lane: $45,000,000

This stunning view property in Montecito’s foothills sold in March after being on and off the market for 655 days, making it the longest running listing to sell in 2021. The estate sits on 32 acres of private land, and features an elegant five-bedroom, four-bath home with infinity pool. (Listed by Lori Bowles and Dana Zertuche of Coldwell Banker) Montecito’s highest-priced sale of the year! With 130 feet of beach frontage, this epic entertaining home features an 8,000-square-foot, two-story Nantucketstyle main residence, a guest house, and charming studio apartment on 1.13 beautifully landscaped acres. This legacy property sold in March; the last time it changed hands was in 2004. (Listed by Kathleen Winter of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices) •MJ

3. Bonnymede Drive: $26,500,000

“We are flexible when the need arises, though, and lately we’ve focused on the array of new challenges that we have faced, from fires and the debris flow to the pandemic.”

This oceanfront estate was the highest sale ever in Sea Meadows, the prestigious gated community on Hammond’s Beach. The French Country style estate offers five bedrooms and five bathrooms, and sold after just nine days in October. (Listed by Harry Kolb of Sotheby’s) 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

• The Voice of the Village •

– Janet Garufis

MONTECITO JOURNAL

2021: The Year in Review by Kelly Mahan Herrick, Richard Mineards, Steven Libowitz & Nick Masuda

t was a year full of questions, sometimes without many answers. But we persevered. As a staff, we took a few moments to reflect on our 2021s, which featured a few tears, triumphant returns, overwhelming innovation, and news that no one likes to report. Here’s a look at eight of our standout stories from the year:

Bittersweet Goodbyes

This year we saw the closure of three legendary Montecito businesses: Read ‘N Post in Montecito Country Mart closed in April after nearly 40 years; Cava on Coast Village Road closed in September after 25 years; and Coast Village Road’s longest running restaurant, Little Alex’s, closed in November after 32 years. Read ‘N Post was a beloved favorite among locals thanks to an extensive collection of greeting cards, magazines, newspapers, wrapping supplies, gifts, and more. It was also a full-service post office, and a convenient spot in the Mart to send a package, mail a letter, buy shipping supplies, and stock up on stamps. The shop was originally located in Coast Village Walk next to Starbucks before moving to Montecito Country Mart in 2012. Owners Jan Hendrickson and John Devereaux reported to us that the store was no longer economically feasible, thanks to hardships from the pandemic, the Thomas Fire, and the 1/9 Debris Flow. On the last day in business, Hendrickson, who had been the face of the store for decades, was presented with two books of pictures and handwritten messages from doz-

Cava on Coast Village Road closed in September after 25 years in business

Little Alex’s, Coast Village Road’s longest running restaurant, closed its doors in November (Photo by Nick Masuda)

Jan Hendrickson (center), longtime owner-manager of Read ‘N Post, was honored by staff members and friends during the store’s closing activities on April 24. Jackie Terry, John Devereaux, Gerardo Marcos-Ocampo, Eva Bartha, Carol, and Robin Machado also pictured (photo by Blake DeVine, KEYT)

ens of customers. In June, the vacant space was transformed into Montecito Mercantile, which also continues to house a full-service post office. The Mercantile is designed to feel like a home, with distinct areas for home décor, clothing, kitchen products, and apothecary, and has become a wel-

come addition to the Mart. In September, Cava Restaurant & Bar closed its doors, after 25 years in business by the Lopez-Hollis family. The family has deep roots in both the Montecito and Santa Barbara community, opening the popular Carlitos Café y Cantina on State Street across from the Arlington in the late 70s, followed by Cava in 1997 in Montecito, in what was then considered Montecito’s sleepy lower village. Carlos LopezHollis became managing partner of Cava back in 2004, before he and his wife, Amanda, purchased the business from the family in 2011. They also opened a Santa Ynez Valley outpost, Dos Carlitos Restaurant & Tequila Bar, in 2009, and that eatery continues to be a culinary destination in the heart of downtown Santa Ynez. What’s next for the now vacant Coast Village Road space? It was recently listed for lease, and with its great location and ample parking, we expect it will attract a new restaurateur looking to reimagine the space. Little Alex’s closed in November, much to the dismay of many loyal and longtime customers. For 32 years the Briner family operated the family-friendly and affordable eatery, offering a healthy spin on Mexican favorites. Lynette Briner continued to work behind the counter of the restaurant until the very last day, giving warm goodbyes to her beloved customers, who came from all walks of life. The Briners continue to contemplate reopening in a different location, as the former home of Little Alex’s is slated for another casual Mexican food restaurant, according to Montecito Country Mart reps. — Kelly Mahan Herrick

Not Just a Park

One of the most exciting projects we reported on this year is Gwendolyn’s Playground, the area’s first universally-accessible playground designed to remove physical barriers to allow children of all abilities to play side-byside. Using evidence-based principles

Gwendolyn’s Playground, slated for Dwight Murphy Field, will be Santa Barbara’s first inclusive playground

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30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

of inclusive design, the playground will incorporate the needs of children and adults with physical disabilities, but also consider the needs of individuals with autism and sensory impairments, intellectual disabilities, and visual and hearing loss. To be located on a portion of the 10-acre Dwight Murphy Field near the Santa Barbara Zoo, the playground will offer multiple accessible slides, spinning and rotating structures, an interactive dance and play arch, multiple climbing features, a music garden, inclusive swings for kids and adults, and a multi-story, fully accessible, custom designed “Magical Tree” play structure. The project is spearheaded by Bill and Victoria Strong of the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, who lost their daughter, Gwendolyn, to Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which caused her severe disability in her short, seven-year life. “While many Santa Barbara playgrounds are ADA compliant, not a single one allowed Gwendolyn to play alongside her friends or participate fully on the equipment,” Victoria told us when we interviewed her for this story, which we published in November. The project is slated to cost $6 million, of which $2.5 million has already been raised. If you are interested in learning more or donating to the cause, visit www.nevergiveup.org. — Kelly Mahan Herrick

Harry & Meghan Get Involved

It is 18 months since Queen Elizabeth’s grandson, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his actress wife, Meghan Markle, bought a nine-bedroom, 16-bath Riven Rock home on seven-and-a-half acres in our rarefied enclave for $14.65 million. Having covered the British Royal Family for 45 years during my colorful career, including the Daily Mirror and Daily Mail in London, as well as ABC Network News, I found myself somewhat ironically living just a tiara’s toss or two from the tony twosome’s new home with their son, Archie, and now seven-month-old daughter, Lilibet, named in honor of Britain’s longest reigning monarch’s childhood nickname. I was bombarded with calls on the acquisition appearing on all three major TV networks, CNN, and Fox News, as well as doing interviews with many of the world’s top publications, including the London Daily Mail, my former employer, France’s Le Figaro and Germany’s Der Spiegel. Even after 1,000 years, the Royal Family, now known as the Windsors since World War II, still fascinates. The move by Prince William’s younger brother to America has drawn comparisons with the late Duke of Windsor, briefly King Edward VIII, 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

of Sussex get more involved in the neighborhood they have chosen to make their family home. — Richard Mineards

Cautiously Gathering

Harry and Meghan sat down with Oprah for a revealing interview in 2021

who gave up his throne to marry “the woman he loved,” American divorcee Wallis Simpson from Baltimore. Harry was undoubtedly the golden boy of Buckingham Palace, enormously popular in Britain, having served two tours of service with the British Army in Afghanistan, and immersing himself doing good deeds. But all that ended when he gave up royal duties much to the disappointment of the Queen, who will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee next summer, the same time Harry is due to deliver a tell-all tome for Penguin-Random House under a contract reportedly worth an astounding $20 million. Quite what he’ll serve up for that figure at such a relatively young age is anyone’s guess. During their time in our Eden by the Beach the dynamic duo has rarely been seen, other than dining at Lucky’s with music man David Foster and, last year, buying a Christmas tree at a pop-up site at La Cumbre Plaza, instead choosing to stay hunkered down with their young children and security team in Montecito. But now, as more and more people sensibly get vaccinated against the deadly COVID disease, both of them seem to be going more public, with Harry seen walking their black Labrador rescue, Pula, on Miramar Beach, and pedaling his bike, with his minders in a black Range River closely behind. I’m told His Royal Highness, who memorably drove an electric-powered E-type Jaguar from Windsor Castle after his wedding to the Frogmore House reception, was absolutely fascinated by the 27-foot-long Oscar Meyer weinermobile when it visited Montecito in October and even asked to drive it. Talk about hot dog! More recently the couple donated money towards the first ever Montecito Holiday Car Parade and earlier this month Meghan was spotted fashionably attired in a Massimo Dutti wool coat and Tamara Mellon boots wearing sunglasses and a mask, discreetly shopping accompanied by a bodyguard upstairs at Pierre Lafond in the Upper Village. She’s also been

spotted at the children’s clothing store Poppy and the home furnishings shop, Hudson Grace, at the Montecito Country Mart. Harry and Meghan are said to be staying here for Christmas and New Year while his brother the Duke of Cambridge, 39, and wife, Catherine, are scheduled to be meeting with other members of the Royal Family at Sandringham in Norfolk, the sprawling stately pile built for the future King Edward VII, Queen Victoria’s son in 1862. The formerly close relationship between the two brothers is now rumored to be at a breaking point after Harry and Meghan’s incendiary interview with fellow Montecito neighbor Oprah Winfrey earlier this year and they barely said a single word to each other when they attended their grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral at Windsor in April — which I covered for Fox News — and the unveiling of a new statue to their mother, Princess Diana, at Kensington Palace, where they spent their childhoods, in July. Hopefully 2022 will mend the considerable fracture between the future King William V and Harry, and we’ll continue to see the Duke and Duchess

What a difference a year makes! Twelve months ago, I celebrated half a century as a journalist, a career spanning my time in London, Manhattan, and Los Angeles on top newspapers, magazines, and TV as a host, anchor, correspondent and commentator, with the last 14 years in Montecito, 12 of them as a columnist for this illustrious organ. If everything had worked out, I would have been in England marking the 50 years with a dinner party for 30 friends in Cornwall, England, where I started my career humbly as a junior reporter on the Falmouth Packet weekly newspaper. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s edict limiting gatherings to six people or less scuppered those plans, not to mention my 68th birthday party for the second year last July at an old friend Cat Pollon’s new home outside Marrakech, Morocco, when the EU banned all U.S. flights. Montecito Miscellany, which normally covers events far and wide in the community, became a more people-oriented column since the pandemic cancelled innumerable nonprofit fundraisers, with virtual events becoming de rigueur, as well as revealing our rarefied enclave’s booming multimillion dollar real estate market. In March, I joined 1,700 other people at Cottage Hospital in Goleta getting the first of my two Pfizer coronavirus jabs, and in September having my additional booster shot at CVS on Coast Village Road, completing the requirements for my “passport” which is now sensibly obligatory

The Year in Review Page 38 384

From Zoofari Ball XXXV: Tracy and Fritz Krainer, Travis and Jenny Johansen, Jess and Robyn Parker

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

The Year in Review (Continued from page 37 37)

Kismet, brought to Santa Barbara by Sara Miller McCune, was a huge success at the Granada in October

for events in our Eden by the Beach including the Granada, Lobero, and New Vic. As the pandemic lockdown eased in May, the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club opened up for its 110th season after a successful previous season — but with no spectators allowed. It was quickly followed by La Primavera, the opening event of the 97th Old Spanish Days, a bustling Sunset Soiree at the Music Academy of the West, and a trip to the historic Rockwood Woman’s Club to speak to 80 guests on the Windsor dynasty at a Royal Tea.

In June, British rocker Alan Parsons, 72, celebrated being awarded an OBE — Order of the British Empire — in Queen Elizabeth’s birthday honors list at a boffo bash for 150 guests at his avocado ranch in the Goleta foothills. A month later, the MAW hosted a Return to Miraflores gala with more than 300 guests raising around $450,000, yours truly celebrating his 68th birthday bash with 30 friends at the University Club, and Lotusland’s 26th annual gala Petal to the Metal collecting nearly $500,000 for the 37-acre botanical paradise. In September, the Ensemble Theatre

Glen Phillips, here with his longtime band Toad the Wet Sprocket, has been a community rock during a year marked by uncertainty

38 MONTECITO JOURNAL

Company revved back into dramatic action after 15 months of lockdown with its Curtain (Back) Up! fete at the Santa Barbara Club and Santa Barbara Zoo’s Zoofari Ball XXXV with 630 supporters raising nearly $200,000 for the popular 30-acre menagerie. October brought the 7th annual Fun With the Force at hotel magnate Pat Nesbitt’s Summerland estate with the 1,000 guests giving a record $2 million for the Santa Barbara Police Foundation, and the 9th annual Montecito Motor Classic at the Polo Club when 200 exotic and luxury cars went on display. Montecito über philanthropist Sara Miller McCune marked her 80th birthday in grand style underwriting the costs of the Broadway show, Kismet, at the Granada which lifted spirits galore. Early in December, Montecito Bank & Trust held its 17th annual Community Dividends lunch at the Hilton with 179 worthy organizations sharing $1 million. Certainly, a year to remember for many reasons. But with the new variant, Omicron, now ravaging our nation, who knows what 2022 will bring. It is to be hoped we can look forward rather than reverting back. — Richard Mineards

the one-time Montecito-based, Santa Barbara-native musician was already known for. First that emerged as a series of three-times-a-week concerts streaming over Facebook in which the singer-songwriter, armed only with an acoustic guitar, microphone, and camera regaled his growing group of fans. A weekly virtual version of his guided group singing circles over Zoom soon followed, enriching the soul even if the platform shortcomings failed to fully satisfy the communal aspect. So, when lockdown ended this summer, Phillips quickly revived the in-person circles with weekly gatherings in the courtyard space of a private home, attended by 20-30 people whose hearts seemed to join as seamlessly as our voices harmonized over rounds filled with hope and the power of connection. Those ceased only when Phillips took his 1990s hit-making pop band Toad the Wet Sprocket, which he founded as a 15-year-old at San Marcos High, back out on the road to promote its brilliant new album with the uplifting title Starting Now. A pair of performances at the Lobero in September signified a welcome return to normalcy, before Phillips closed out the year with a solo singer-songwriter set at SOhO in December. — Steven Libowitz

Man of the Community

Simply Smooth

The pandemic hit everyone hard. But somehow coping with COVID also caused Glen Phillips to tap deeper into community and service than

MARLI, the Music Academy of the West’s Remote Learning Institute created in response to the pandemic in 2020, proved the institute’s ability to

Music Academy of the West returned to live performances in 2021

30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

adapt on the run. Which is why its return to live performances, master classes, and more for the 2021 summer festival that began within days of the state’s reopening in mid-June almost seemed like it came too easy. Such was the smoothness of the operation that managed to keep its stringent pandemic protocols largely in the background so the focus could remain on the music. What a glorious season it was, if one that was truncated by the new reality, as 100 fellows — the vast majority of the virtual-only participants from last year — joined a full complement of faculty members on the Miraflores campus. Big symphony concerts featuring the fine fellows-powered orchestra returned to the Granada, master classes brought back the audience’s ability to peer into the exquisite learning process between faculty and fellows, while multiple chamber concerts saw musicians collaborating on stage at the intimate Hahn Hall. A highlight was the added Community Chamber Concert II on July 27 that encapsulated the entire season, offering 100 minutes of music from nearly 30 fellows bookended by bold brass numbers and spanning centuries of repertoire, including a world premiere of a piece written by its performer. Hard to top that. — Steven Libowitz

Critical of Cate

The year has definitely had its fair share of heartache, and none more so than for the community that surrounds Cate School, the exclusive private school situated in the Carpinteria foothills. The school launched an investigation into potential sexual abuse and misconduct in 2020, with the findings

released on December 15, 2021 — some 14 months later, which created plenty of chatter on social media about why the report was taking so long to be revealed. Seven former faculty members have been banned from campus as a result of the investigation from the Oppenheimer Group, including one that has lived on campus as recently as Spring 2021 and the other jettisoned in 2020. Another 10 were cited, but names were not revealed. With the report intended to provide clarity and a platform to help the school and community move forward, the seemingly shallow nature of the report (it’s 35 pages compared to hundreds for similar cases at other private schools) has inflamed both victims and alumni. Many are calling for the Board of Trustees to move on from the current Head of School due to his knowledge of the most recent cases — including allowing one alleged abuser to remain on campus for nine years after an investigation in 2012. The unrest has spurred a @ MeTooCate account on Instagram with more than 750 followers, as well as an online petition that’s calling for immediate change with more than 800 signatures. The community at Cate is a small one, but one with influence. It’ll be interesting moving into 2022 whether the school is committed to change, or if the report will be brushed under the rug like abuses had been for decades. — Nick Masuda

We Are in Good Hands

While we saw the end of some longtime and beloved businesses in 2021, it was also a time to celebrate entrepreneurship — and Marco DiPadova

Marco DiPadova has a bit of fun during a photoshoot with the Montecito Journal (Photo by Nick Masuda)

has that in spades. The catch? He’s 13. Marco is an eighth-grader at the forward-thinking Anacapa School, where students are taught about the ins and outs of the business world. It’s a novel concept, and one that should be embraced more throughout schools: allow students to follow their passions through immersion in the subject. Because brilliant ideas such as Planet Duck are borne from a bit of freedom. Marco’s budding business was a product of wanting to aid local animal shelters, particularly BUNS and the ASPCA. Heart meet innovation. The Planet Duck concept is simple: buy a rubber duck (which are ador-

able), help an animal in need. Marco doesn’t care about profit, he only wants to help (check out his website at planetduck.world. I had the joy of spending an hour at the Chromatic Gate (a dramatic name for the rainbow arch) with Marco and his dad, Albert. First, Albert is truly dad goals. Second, 13-year-olds aren’t made this humble and forward-thinking. I told my colleagues after our photo shoot, “This kid is going to be the next big thing. I’m going to tell people one day that I interviewed him when he was 13 — and it’ll make me cool.” In a town that is known for its philanthropy, we can all feel comfortable that the spirit of Santa Barbara is contagious, and it is secure in the hands of Marco moving forward. — Nick Masuda •MJ

“I’ve dedicated my career to supporting people to advocate for themselves and asking donors to trust the wisdom of those who are personally facing adversity. We all need to trust and support their leadership.”

– Geoff Green Cate School recently released an investigative report that led to the banishment of seven former faculty members due to sexual abuse and misconduct (Photo by Nick Masuda)

30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

Year in Review: Top 25 Stories on MontecitoJournal.net by Nick Masuda

3. A Sense of Belonging: Private Clubs Add to Santa Barbara’s Residential Appeal (10,914)

e know that you love picking up the Montecito Journal on newsstands, and it’s always a joy for us to see that. What’s been great in 2021 is to see how you’ve also come to enjoy what we have to offer online, both through our best-in-class newsletter, The Morning MoJo, as well as our revamped website. Traffic has been buzzing, with December marking a record for the site. So, what stories were you most interested in over the past 12 months? We’re glad you asked. It’s a mixture of good, ol’ fashioned curiosity, a bit of drama, and plenty of good reads from our stable of writers. Without further ado, here is a look at the Top 10 stories (as of December 21) you loved in 2021 on MontecitoJournal.net:

1. 1st Annual Montecito Car Parade of Lights (17,388 views)

ur 2021 Real Estates special section was a hit, featuring key stories about why it’s cool to relocate to Montecito. Gabe Saglie honed in on one of the coolest aspects of living here — the private clubs that can literally make or break a real estate deal.

4. The Man in the Miramar (9,392)

T ur Joanne Calitri was on the scene for the spectacular event, which was helped along by donations from none other than Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Looks like we also gained the attention of none other than the Daily Mail, seemingly checking in on their sweet prince.

Montecito JOURNAL

JOURNAL

he Rosewood Miramar Beach is one of his beautiful babies, and Editor Gwyn Lurie gives you a deeper look into the life of Rick Caruso. This story has climbed up the digital leaderboard quickly, as it just hit newsstands in our quarterly Montecito Journal Magazine in early December.

ontecito WINTER 2021

2. Harry and Meghan’s Riven Rock Estate on Giggster (13,858)

VOL. 14

his Richard Mineards’ story is from October 2020, but it is standing the test of time. The $14.5 million home was briefly listed for rent on the website Giggster, advertising the nine-bedroom, 16-bath property for $700 an hour.

40 MONTECITO JOURNAL

WINTER • 2021

30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

5. ‘Mistakes Were Made’: Seven Former Cate Faculty Members Banned From Campus Due to Sexual Misconduct and Assault Allegations (7,702)

9. Plate Tectonics: A Revolution in Geology (4,268)

his is so Farr Out. Pardon the pun. Tom Farr, one of our most popular freelance writers, made geology a cool read. It’s always fun to learn a little something but be entertained at the same time. Farr out, dude . . .

10. Polos and Ponies (3,987)

he report dropped on December 15, with a number of Cate community members sharing the news with our Nick Masuda, who had an exhaustive report ready by that night. Delivered directly into inboxes with a special edition of the Morning MoJo, it was our most popular news story of the year.

6. Former Cate Teacher, Under Investigation for Sexual Misconduct Here, is Arrested in Colorado for Alleged Sexual Assault (7,244)

here is a theme at this portion of the Top 10, as Cate School drew a lot of interest from readers over the past six months, particularly as the volume from the community amped up with complaints surrounding recent sexual misconduct allegations on campus.

7. The Culture of Cate? How Multiple Investigations into School are Revealing Decades of Potential Abuses (5,820)

ongtime Montecito Journal columnist Lynda Millner breaks down the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, the third-oldest of its kind in the United States. If you haven’t visited the polo club, Lynda tells you why you need to fix that immediately.

The fun didn’t end there; take a look at the stories that rounded out the Top 25:

11. In Memoriam: Jim Clendenen, Au Bon Climat Wine Legend, Remembered as ‘Larger Than Life’ 12. They Call it Mellow Yellow — The Case of the Hidden Staircase 13. Dear Montecito: Hope Saxon 14. Welcome to the Neighborhood: Montecito is Experiencing a Once-in-aGeneration Real Estate Boom That is Reshaping the Once Sleepy, Bucolic Town 15. How to Buy a Montecito Mansion During a Global Pandemic 16. Montecito’s Village Fourth Roadshow 17. Could it be Carlos the Bear? Sighting Creates a Bit of Thursday Chaos, and We’ve Got Video

his story was steeped in news, but also crossed over into student-on-student abuse, while also diving into the decades-long sexual misconduct that had come to light via a survivor publicly stepping forward.

8. It’s Now Montecito Club (4,364)

elly Mahan Merrick, the brains behind our weekly Village Beat column, cracks the Top 10 with this story from ... 2019. The Montecito Club holds a lot of interest not only locally, but also internationally due to the Jack Nicklausdesigned golf course and the unreal amenities.

18. Santa Barbara’s COVID Mess 19. The Farmer + The Flea 20. A Return to Her Dream School, with Montecito in Tow 21. Bruce Corwin, an Icon in the Santa Barbara Arts Community, Passes Away at 81 22. Former Councilmember and Paradise Café Owner Randy Rowse Joins Mayoral Race 23. ‘DUI Hunter’ Now Patrolling Streets of Montecito 24. DCC Puts Thumbs on the Scale for its Curated Cadre of Candidates 25. A (Tough) Love Letter to Out-ofTowners •MJ 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

Year in Review: Wine 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

Jim’s Passing; Santa Barbara Goes Alcohol-Free In reflecting on 2021, a pair of stories hit the wine industry hard, both a bit unexpected . . . Wine Pioneer Jim Clendenen Passes

anta Barbara County lost one of its most prominent champions in 2021. Jim Clendenen passed away May 15 at age 68. His ebullient, electric personality was certainly a Clendenen calling card, much like his undulating blond hair and steady parade of loud shirts. “It’s funny, I always think that winemakers are their wine,” winemaker and Montecito resident Doug Margerum told the Journal back in May. “But Jim wasn’t. If his wines were more reserved, he was certainly larger than life.” Indeed, it was his unapologetic approach to making wines that shot Clendenen to prominence. His foray into Santa Barbara viticulture took place in the late 1970s, during the county’s own early winemaking history, among names like Ken Brown, Adam Tolmach, and Fred Brander. He launched his soon-to-become-world-famous label, Au Bon Climat (or ABC among avid wine drinking circles) in 1982, with a focus on making pinot noir and chardonnay especially, inspired by classic Burgundian techniques. His consistently fresh, balanced, restrained wines gained global prominence not only for Clendenen, but for his home base of the Santa Maria Valley and all of Santa Barbara County, too. He won top-of-industry honors from publications like Food & Wine Magazine and the L.A. Times; the German magazine Wein Gourmet christened him Winemaker of the World. Jim Clendenen is survived by two children, Isabelle and Knox, as well as a family of ABC employees who worked with him for decades. Like his impact

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Jim Clendenen

on the local wine industry, Au Bon Climat, with various boutique sub-brands and with a tasting room in downtown Santa Barbara, lives on.

Santa Barbara Wine Industry Goes Alcohol-Free January Drinks features wines without alcohol

Winemaker Dave Potter gets credit for launching the Santa Barbara wine industry into buzzy new territory: wines without the booze. The move was definitely COVID-inspired. Early in 2021, stats emerged showing that, while closures led to fewer alcohol sales at restaurants and bars, sales of wine, beer, and spirits at supermarkets shot up — by as much as 54%, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. An American Psychological Association study showed one in four American coped with the new lockdown reality with booze. Potter, well known for his Potek and Municipal Winemakers labels, both with tasting rooms in Santa Barbara, assessed his own wine consumption and used it as inspiration for something new: January Drinks. Aimed at encouraging no drinking during the first month of the year, he launched two wine-inspired beverages in familiar 750-ml. bottles. The Juniper Grenache ($17) is made with grenache grapes and infused with juniper berries, laurel leaves, black tea, and angelica root. The Manzanilla Chardonnay ($17) sees chard grapes steeped in chamomile flowers, Meyer lemons, cinnamon sticks, and red peppercorns. In both cases, the juice is cold-pressed at below 32 degrees to prevent fermentation, and, in both cases, the imbibing experience is fresh and intriguing – an awesome alternative for those who like to drink wine, but who want to cut back. Santa Barbara’s wines-with-no-alcohol trend continues with a brand-new partnership between celeb chef Cat Cora and Santa Barbara’s Miller family that will launch January 1. Hand to Heart features a rosé, chardonnay, and cabernet sauvignon — but no booze. Look for a deep dive in the Journal next month. •MJ

30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

Editor’s Letter (Continued from page 5) least bit to be taken lightly but they don’t last forever. Today HIV barely cracks the Top 50 Causes of Death in the U.S. Magic Johnson has had HIV for 30 years and on his next birthday will have had it for half his life. Today the lifespan of the average patient with HIV, detected early, is nearly that of someone without. It used to be the case that artists and academic and, dare I say, journalists were, for the most part, independent thinkers. But today everything is driven by commerce, generally in the form of likes. The fact of the matter is the mainstream media portrays things one way or another because it supports their branding and business models. Ideas get magnified by the internet so that even the smallest tweet takes on exaggerated importance. Our perspectives and our passions are constantly being vied for and commodified. The more extreme our positions, the more valuable we are to one side or the other. But are the majority of us that far apart from one another? How many people actually moved to Canada when Trump was elected? The answer is a few hundred more than usual. Many outspoken celebs vowed to move to Canada if Trump was elected, including Bryan Cranston, Lena Dunham, Chelsea Handler, and Snoop Dogg (amongst many others) — but none of them actually did. Even Neve Campbell, who is Canadian, stayed put. So… is our country really that divided? Really that dystopian? How many of you would hesitate to drive across America, west to east? Or north to south? I’d argue the American landscape today is not the Gilead of Handmaid’s Tale that many in the media would have us believe. Even when our divisions seem most severe, keep in mind that even our worst feuds don’t last forever. Think of all the bitter enemies our country has faced and where those seemingly intractable feuds stand today: Japan — During World War II, the Japanese were feared and vilified much like Muslim extremists are feared today. Japanese Americans were rounded up and put in camps. But what a difference 75 years makes. Today Japan is America’s No. 4 trading partner. All feuds end eventually. Germany was another dreaded enemy. Since WWII, however, Germany has become a model nation, leading the way on climate initiatives and compassionate treatment of its refugees. Today Germany has progressive laws against hate speech, is a huge trade partner and benefactor of Israel, and is America’s No. 5 trading partner. All feuds end eventually. More recently, Vietnam has gone from a dreaded enemy to our No. 16 trade partner and a major Western tourist destination. That is not to say that we don’t have fences to mend, progress to make, serious problems to solve, and critical things to fight for. But there have always been and will always be battles to wage and work to be done. While our problems seem epic to us and are in fact epic in scale, there have been worse, more deadly pandemics. We have had worse feuds. Fought bloodier battles. And many of us are lucky to be enduring our woes here, in Santa Barbara, California. Things could be worse. We’re all familiar with the phrase “things are always darkest before the dawn.” While scientifically that is not, in fact true (things are actually darkest in the few hours after sunset), as a metaphor I think it’s true that things always seem darkest right before they get better. Take it from me. It’s easy to look in the fluorescent lit 5X magnifying mirror and see nothing but horrors and more work than you think you can possibly handle. But sometimes you need to step back and take stock. It will not always be this way. Even pandemics end. Even the worst feuds get settled. In the meantime, we keep on keeping on. Things will change. Things will get better. We will make it so. I wish you all a new year filled with peace and love and joy and light and laughter. A year of interesting experiences and mind-bending conversations and, first and foremost, good health. •MJ Happy New Year.

“I always felt that education was an important piece of my work, because many people in our marginalized groups don’t have access to it. There is a barrier in what we are taught and how we are taught. What I do now gives me access to information that I can share with others.”

– Warren Ritter 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

• The Voice of the Village •

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Mixing It Up

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The Balancing Act

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The Montecito Stroll

s we wind down 2021 and ring in the new year, it is time to discuss the single most important concept in crafting a cocktail and that is balance. Balance is that elusive point where all the ingredients harmonize, and the result is so much more than the mere sum of its parts. Have you ever tasted a cocktail where that first sip is pure magic? Layers of flavor play off each other. The cocktail sings. That is the symphony of balance.

The Concept

We have discussed the two primary techniques in making a cocktail, shaking and stirring. Now, let us dive a little deeper. This is where the art of balance comes in. Learning this art is a lifelong process (in so many more ways than one). This knowledge is also a key in adjusting cocktails to your specific tastes. Luckily, there are some shortcuts to achieving balance in cocktails, at least. Namely, learning the components of taste, understanding how to use flavor pairings, and leveraging classic cocktail templates. A cocktail becomes a classic precisely because it is well-balanced. Each of its components is in tune, with exquisite results.

The Inspiration

Using a classic cocktail template and swapping in some seasonal ingredients is a great way to come up with a unique cocktail that is well-balanced. What is more classic for New Year than a champagne cocktail and the queen of champagne cocktails is undoubtedly the French 75. Its contemporary recipe includes champagne, gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. We live amidst amazing abundance. The seasonal ingredients in Montecito and the surrounding area are almost unparalleled. Lately, as I have been walking my dog, I have seen lavender in bloom and plump grapefruit ready to be juiced. What better way to celebrate the New Year than with a local version of the French 75, using these beautiful ingredients.

30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

The Details

As you probably know, there are five basic tastes that we can perceive. They are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. The first four are instrumental in crafting balanced cocktails and umami, that indescribable element of savoriness, is more limited in its cocktail application. Sweet balances sour. For example, when you add sour ingredients, like lime juice, they are balanced with simple syrup (sweet). Likewise, bitter can balance sweet. This balance behaves slightly differently. You often still taste the sweetness and the bitterness, but they don’t feel out of balance. There are also many bitter or bittersweet ingredients for mixing. Cocktail bitters deliver concentrated bitterness and layers of flavor. Tonic water is a great example of bittersweet; the bitter quinine is balanced by a bit of sugar, and you still taste both components. Salt is perhaps a less utilized component, but it enhances sweetness, balances bitterness, and can make flavors pop. You do not need a lot. A few drops of saline solution or a quick pinch of salt can work wonders in a cocktail, particularly when using bitter ingredients. Flavor pairing deserves an entire discussion to itself. Until then, there are a couple of things that come to mind with the ingredients I’ve selected. The first thing I think of with grapefruit is a Paloma, which is a beautiful cocktail that pairs grapefruit and tequila. Let’s swap out the gin for tequila. I also love the combination of lavender and honey, so I want to try that as a sweetener. To put the concept of balance into practice, let’s walk through this example, taking the classic French 75 template and subbing in our ingredients. I have chosen to use tequila, grapefruit juice, honey simple syrup, and lavender bitters to bring in that lovely floral element. These are shaken with ice, strained into a glass, and then topped off with champagne. The result is good but slightly out of balance towards sweet for my tastes. In my mind, this is because grapefruit is a little sweeter and less sour than lemon juice. There is also a little more bitter finish with the grapefruit and lavender bitters. I would drink this version, but it is not yet singing. My two main options to change the balance are to reduce the sweet ingredients or increase the sour. To ensure we do not lose flavor, I want to add a touch more grapefruit juice. Likewise, the light bitter note is not an issue but adding just a pinch of salt to the shaking tin might help reduce that just slightly. Shaking up the new version, I love the result and am now happily sipping away. Time to mark this one down!

MONTECITO UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT A vacancy on the Governing Board of the Montecito Union School District was created on December 14, 2021. The Governing Board will be filling the vacancy by making a provisional appointment until the next election in November 2022. Any person is eligible to be a Governing Board member providing he/she is 18 years of age or older, a resident of the school district, and a registered voter. Interested community members are invited to complete an application and submit a letter to the Superintendent, Anthony Ranii (385 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108), indicating their interest and willingness to serve in this significant public capacity. The application and letter must be accompanied by a personal resume. The application can be found on the Montecito Union School District website at https://www.montecitou.org/569077_3 or applications are available at the Montecito Union School District Office at 385 San Ysidro Road between 8:00am- 4:00pm. The final date for submitting applications is 3 p.m. on January 14, 2022. Candidates will be interviewed individually at a special meeting of the Board on February 8, 2022 at 3:30 p.m. The person selected will join the Board at their regular meeting on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. The person appointed shall hold office until the next regularly scheduled election for district Board Members in November 2022. Questions should be directed to Anthony Ranii at (805) 9693249 ext. 401. Published December 29, 2021 and January 5, 2022 Montecito Journal

Montecito Stroll (aka Lavender Grapefruit 75)

1 1/2 oz reposado tequila (for a smoky variation try an equal split 3/4 oz tequila and 3/4 oz mezcal) 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice 3/4 oz honey simple syrup (1 part honey, 1 part water) 2 dashes lavender bitters Pinch of salt Top with 2 - 3 oz of champagne Garnish: Twist of grapefruit and lavender blossom. Directions Add all the ingredients except the champagne and the garnish to a shaking tin. Add ice to the shaker and shake until chilled and diluted, about 10 - 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled champagne flute, top with champagne, and express the twist of grapefruit over the drink. Garnish with the twist and lavender blossom.

Happy New Year

One final note: I am so happy to be sharing this little corner of Montecito with you. I am incredibly thankful for being able to connect with new people and discuss something that I love. I hope you are beginning to as well. So, cheers to new friends and new adventures, to laughing and learning, all over a shared sip! Now, let’s mix up that cocktail! •MJ 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

• The Voice of the Village •

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Full Service SAFE Senior Relocation and Estate Liquidation Services Including: Packing and Unpacking, Estate Sales, Online Auctions and our own Consignment Shop! We are Licensed, Bonded, Liability Insured, Workers Comped, Certified by The National Assoc Of Senior Move Managers (NASMM) and The American Society of Estate Liquidators (ASEL). Glenn Novack, Owner. 805-770-7715 info@movingmissdaisy.com MovingMissDaisy.com Consignments@MovingMissDaisy.hibid.com

GOT OSTEOPOROSIS? WE CAN HELP New Visual sent At OsteoStrong our proven non-drug protocol takes just ten minutes once a week to improve your bone density and aid in more energy, strength, balance and agility. Please call for a complimentary session! Call Now (805) 453-6086

will be ready in plenty of time for the 2022 holidays. David Wilk (805) 455-5980 www.BiographyDavidWilk.com

POSITION WANTED EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Organize receipts for taxes, pay bills, write checks, reservations, scheduling. Confidential. Semi-retired professional. Excellent references. Sandra (805) 636-3089. AUTOMOBILES WANTED

Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2430 Lillie Avenue Summerland CA 93067 (805) 969-1944 Donate to the Parrot Pantry! At SB Bird Sanctuary, backyard farmer’s bounty is our birds best bowl of food! The flock goes bananas for your apples, oranges & other homegrown fruits & veggies. Volunteers Do you have a special talent or skill? Do you need community service hours? The flock at SB Bird Sanctuary could always use some extra love and socialization. Call us and let’s talk about how you can help. (805) 969-1944 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED K-9 PALS need volunteers to be foster parents for our dogs while they are waiting for their forever homes. For more information info@k-9pals.org or 805-570-0415.

WRITING SERVICES The Magnificent Gift. A biographical book as a present for a beloved parent or spouse. Preserve their life story for family, friends and future generations with a professional, entertaining, comprehensive biography or autobiography, including family history. Gift them this season and our finished book

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It’s Simple. Charge is $2 per line, each line with 31 characters. Minimum is $8 per week/issue. Photo/logo/visual is an additional $20 per issue. Email text to frontdesk@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860 and we will respond with a cost. Deadline for inclusion is Friday before 2 pm. We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex “Grandparents are there to help the child get into mischief they haven’t thought of yet.” — Gene Perret

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MONTECITO MONTECITO MONTECITO ELECTRIC ELECTRIC ELECTRIC

EXCELLENTREFERENCES R EFERENCES EXCELLENT EXCELLENT REFERENCES • Repair Wiring • Wiring • Repair Repair Wiring • Inspection • Electrical Remodel Wiring • Remodel Wiring • Wiring • New New Wiring • New Wiring • • Landscape LandscapeLighting Lighting • Landscape Lighting • • Interior InteriorLighting Lighting • Interior Lighting

(805) 969-1575 969-1575 (805) 969-1575 (805) STATE LICENSE STATE LICENSENo. No.485353 485353

STATE LICENSE No. 485353 MAXWELLL. HAILSTONE MAXWELLL. HAILSTONE MAXWELL L. HAILSTONE East Valley Road, Suit 147 1482 East Valley Road, Suit 147 1482 East Valley Road, Suite 147 Montecito, California 93108 Montecito, California 93108 Montecito, California 93108

www.montecitoelectric.com www.montecitoelectric.com 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

Muller Monthly Music Meta http://www.pmxwords.com

Mega Meta 2021 Boxing Day by Pete Muller ACROSS 1 What you might get when you climb to the top 5 Top ___ 10 "Proud ___" (top 5 Ike and Tina Turner hit) 14 Billy who sang "Dancing With Myself" 15 Celebrated Carlo? 16 For ___ (not free) 17 Bottom ___ 18 Word at the bottom of a receipt 19 Bottom 17-Across watchers, for short 20 Pass 22 Revel 24 Cello gp. 26 That, to Enrique Iglesias 27 "Just a number" 28 Cutie ___ (sweethearts, if you lived 100 years ago) 32 Chasm 34 Important instruction in preparing a Negroni 35 Unlike the OED 36 Arm-y song? 37 #50 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" and #89 on "100 Greatest Guitarists" 39 Poet ___ St. Vincent Millay 43 "___ Years Gone" (Led Zeppelin classic) 45 Words after "Born on" in a classic CCR song 47 Targets for some crackers 50 With "The," classic Simone De Beauvoir treatise 51 Sheet music abbr. 52 When tripled, "Break a leg!" 54 Word that acquired subjective overtones in the last decade 55 Long-shot imaginer's mantra

31 Crème de la crème 33 One left by Hansel and Gretel 35 Consumed, in a stilted-sounding way 38 Joint compound? 40 "Brave New World," for one 41 "Climax" director Gaspar 42 Jack on a TV set? 44 Abbr. on a welcome sign 46 "Sons of," in Hebrew 47 One who calls left "port" 48 Cryptic 49 Lingua ___ 50 Vegas mobster Bugsy 53 Critter of which there is a surprisingly small number left in the world 56 ___-do-well (someone who does nothing right) 57 "Carry Me Back to Old DOWN Virginny" singer Gluck 1 Something often left 58 Duff Beer seller, on TV hanging 60 They're locked up 2 Deuce ace follower 61 Colin Kaepernick's right 3 Hermitlike, perhaps one is on the ground on his 4 Those with the right to vote Time magazine cover 5 Italian ___ (Subway sandwich originally named 64 "I ___ right!" for an NYC subway) 6 What's left for dessert, hopefully? 7 Broadway gp. since 1935 8 Vampire slayers 9 Monica who didn't serve right? 10 Ceremonial staff typically carried in the left hand 11 Ruckus 12 Office shuffles, for short 13 "That's exactly right!" 21 Believe, to the Bard 23 Utah mountain biking mecca 25 NYU's business school 28 "Gentleman" singer 29 Cash cache 30 Dockworkers' gp.

59 Boast formed by removing the middle two words of a popular Paul Simon song title 62 Actor Nathan with top billing in "The Producers" 63 Like the top of the Empire State Building at night 65 At the top of 66 "Falling Slowly" movie musical 67 Legendary lion's home 68 Taylor Swift song with the lyric "You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter" 69 Bottom 70 Like the bottom of some boats 71 Bottom

WHAT IS A META?

The MMMM is a free award-winning monthly crossword, published at noon on the first Tuesday of each month. Its difficulty level is similar to a NY Times Wednesday or Thursday puzzle. To finish the puzzle, solvers need to figure out the meta, which is usually a song or band. Solvers have until Sunday at 11pm to submit their answer to the meta. 1

21 24

22 26 30

37 43

51 55

54 57

This month’s meta is the 2021 mega-meta, an old pop standard.

ADVERTISE IN THE LOCAL BUSINESS DIRECTORY (805) 565-1860 1

FRENCH VINTAGES Art Collectibles & Furniture www.frenchvintages.net or jzaimeddine@yahoo.com

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WE BUY BOOKS Historical Paintings Vintage Posters Original Prints

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LOST HORIZON BOOKSTORE now in Montecito, 539 San Ysidro Road

CA$H ON THE SPOT CLASSIC CARS RV’S • CARS SUV • TRUCKS MOTORHOMES We come to you! 702-210-7725 30 December 2021 – 5 January 2022

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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.

at bhhscalifornia.com

813 ROMERO CANYON RD, MONTECITO 5BD/5½BA • $20,250,000 Cristal Clarke, 805.886.9378 LIC# 00968247

2285 BELLA VISTA DR, MONTECITO UPPER 4BD/6BA • $12,950,000 Team Scarborough, 805.331.1465 LIC# 01182792

796 HOT SPRINGS RD, MONTECITO 4BD/3½BA • $11,250,000 Nancy Kogevinas, 805.450.6233 LIC# 01209514

500 MEADOW WOOD LN, MONTECITO UPPER 4BD/3BA + 2 offices • $6,650,000 Daniel Encell, 805.565.4896 LIC# 00976141

840 TORO CANYON RD, MONTECITO 4BD/3½BA; ±10.01 acres • $5,950,000 Cristal Clarke / J.J. Gobbell, 805.886.9378 / 805.563.4094 LIC# 00968247 / 02063124

400 HOT SPRINGS RD, MONTECITO 4BD/6BA • $5,795,000 Cristal Clarke, 805.886.9378 LIC# 00968247

440 WOODLEY RD, MONTECITO 3BD/2½BA • $5,485,000 Daniel Encell, 805.565.4896 LIC# 00976141

810 COYOTE RD, MONTECITO 3BD/3½BA + 1BD/1BA studio • $5,325,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group, 805.565.4014 LIC# 01426886

130 VIA ALICIA, MONTECITO 2BD/3BA • $2,850,000 Daniel Encell, 805.565.4896 LIC# 00976141

186 CORONADA CIR, MONTECITO 2BD/2BA + office • $2,490,000 Daniel Encell, 805.565.4896 LIC# 00976141

1705 GLEN OAKS DR, MONTECITO ±0.87 acres • $1,825,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group, 805.565.4014 LIC# 01426886

1790 GLEN OAKS DR, MONTECITO ±1.15 acres • $1,695,000 Nancy Kogevinas, 805.450.6233 LIC# 01209514

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