Mystery over Water Contamination Continues

Peace Builders

AHA!

Mid-year Conference 2020

21-28 January 2021 Vol 27 Issue 4

SERVING MONTECITO AND SUMMERLAND

MYSTERY OVER WATER CONTAMINATION CONTINUES

AHA! provides social-emotional learning to more than 25,000 students at local middle and high schools, page 34

Crossword Crossroads

The Golden Age of Crosswords: at the height of Photos: Carly Otness its popularity, the pleasurable pastime reaches a crossroads, page 11

Treat Your Shelf

Montecito Library welcomes patrons back inside to browse the shelves, one household at a time, page 16

ALL AGENCIES INVOLVED IN MIDDLE ROAD COPPER-WATER CONTROVERSY TO MEET NEXT WEEK WITH HOMEOWNER AND SUPERVISOR DAS WILLIAMS (STORY BEGINS ON PAGE 6)

Montecito on the Move

COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been bumpy, but all residents age 65 and up will have access soon, page 10

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MONTECITO JOURNAL

21 – 28 January 2021

f i n e p ro p e rt i e s r e p r e s e n t e d b y

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21 – 28 January 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

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Inside This Issue

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5 Editor’s Letter Teachers are going above and beyond during these challenging times, providing a high level of moral and emotional support 6 On the Record The great Montecito Copper Water Caper continues; local restaurants struggle to adjust to outdoor dining ban; Carpinteria city officials working to achieve some measure of solace for aggrieved restaurateurs 10 Montecito on the Move Delays and confusion surround the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, but Sharon Byrne gives an update on the current status in Montecito Tide Guide 11 Fun and Games The Golden Age of Crosswords: at the height of its popularity, the pleasurable pastime reaches a crossroads 12 Letters to the Editor A collection of communications from readers Michael Marino, Michael Edwards, J.W. Burk, Rog Colley, and Steve Gowler 14 Senior Portrait This week’s column profiles author and SB Cares Foundation co-founder Josie Levy Martin 16 Library MoJo Montecito Library welcomes patrons back inside; outdoor pick-ups continue; new Homebound service offered; and more 18 Seen Around Town Lynda Millner puts on her docent hat and dashes around the history of various local landmarks 21 Montecito Miscellany Dick Wolf lends a hand to Broadway; Jeff Bridges making progress; Julia Child’s life to hit the small screen; much, much more 22 At Home with Lou Part two of our profile of venerable journalist Lou Cannon: his beat with The Post, his heroes, and his favorite fantasy character 26 Perspectives by Rinaldo S. Brutoco

Gerrymandering must go so we can escape minority rule

The Optimist Daily New Zealand city closes busy road for weeks to let sea lions nest safely; recent study shows that seagrass balls remove millions of plastic particles from the ocean 27 On Science The temperature on Mars is so cold that liquid can’t exist on its surface, but compared with Earth’s “evil twin” Venus, it’s downright hospitable 28 Dear Montecito Isabelle Davenport graduated from Laguna Blanca in 2018, a few months after the Thomas Fire and debris flow 31 Ernie’s World Ernie has a bad night of sleep in the wrong room and it gets him mixed up in some home improvement 32 On Entertainment Stream Estella Scrooge before it goes on hiatus until next winter; Ed Giron and Topanga Actors Company present Morocco; Ensemble Theatre Company now accepting applications for 4th Annual Young Playwrights’ Festival; and much more 33 Nosh Town Burgers, vegan comfort food, and savory pizza pies are just some of the many delicious take-out options in Santa Barbara 34 The Giving List AHA! provides social-emotional learning to more than 25,000 students at local middle and high schools 35 Brilliant Thoughts

How Ashleigh Brilliant came to question the idea of how the World Wars are counted 37 Race to Justice UCSB’s second segment of its Race to Justice series of virtual talks kicked off last week with a conversation with author Ta-Nehisi Coates; check out the upcoming events in this column 42 Our Town On the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s birthday, Joanne Calitri talks to famed Elvis collaborator and TV music producer, Steve Binder 46 Classified Advertising 47 Local Business Directory

n o s p e c i a l o r d e r s o r l ayaway s . w e w i l l b e c l o s e d T U e s d ay j U ly 2 1 s T i n p r e pa r a T i o n .

1 4 7 0 E A S T V A L L E Y R O A D M O N T E C I T O , C A • ( 8 0 5 ) 6 9 5 - 0 2 2 0

1 4 7 0 E A S T V A L L E Y R O A D MONTECITO, CA • (805) 695-0220

4

1 4 7 0 JOURNAL E A S T MONTECITO

• Available to care for our neighbors, and accepting new patients.

• Infection control protocol followed, with all areas sanitized including wait area and exam room.

1483 E. Valley Road, Suite M | 805.969.6090

V A L L“TheEsecret Y of change R isOto focus A allDof your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” – Dan Millman

21 – 28 January 2021

Editor’s Letter

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

Zooming it in, yes. Phoning it in, no.

S

omeone once said, “Journalism is what somebody doesn’t want you to know. The rest is advertising.” I find that quote not just clever, but true, and precisely why local journalism is so vital. With so much overwhelming national news, not to mention two diametrically opposed sets of news to choose from, both biased, I often find it comforting to immerse myself in and celebrate not only our local news, but our not infrequent local triumphs.

With our national news media leading the rebel yells of division in our country and both sides choosing which facts to acknowledge, much national news has taken on an echo chamber quality and, logically, the trustworthiness of our national news media is at new lows the likes of which we have not seen since the inglorious days of “yellow journalism.”

Thankfully, the story is rather different on the local front. According to a study by the Gallup and Knight Foundations, half of Americans say they trust reporting by local news organizations “a great deal” or “quite a lot.” It’s not hard to find local news triumphs. For example, local news did incredible work reporting on the Flint, Michigan water crisis while the national news media dawdled.

And the Palm Beach Post single handedly reactivated the Jeffrey Epstein case after Mr. Epstein originally received an implausibly lenient sentence, the court decreed his victims to be “prostitutes,” and the original sentencing allowed Mr. Epstein to use his personal car and driver to go on appointments – from prison!

The reason local journalism still works, in my opinion, is we report on issues that are of daily vital importance to our readers, concerns which typically have no political vector, rather than getting our marching orders from a corporate overlord with a shrill and rigid political agenda.

So while the national news media was happy to let the Epstein case die, for the locals in Palm Beach, who had to deal with the daily comings and goings of Mr. Epstein and his coterie, the Epstein saga was still news. The fact is, we all have a much greater connection to, understanding of, and fortunately, influence over matters which are closer to home.

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You may have read this past week about the middle school teacher called up to the National Reserve who is still Zooming his music class from the back of his National Guard Humvee. But I have to tell you that on the local level I’ve seen our teachers be every bit as dedicated.

I Love Local

And journalism is not the only local institution with a profound importance that continues to be refreshingly robust. This is a confusing time for all of us, but especially for our children who are gaining their political and moral consciousness amidst this messy and combustible moment.

This week, Joseph R. Biden, the 46th President of the United States, was inaugurated in the midst of a still raging deadly pandemic and in the active wake of violent protests in our nation’s capital. I wouldn’t envy any incoming president, unless he or she had magic healing powers and the super-human capacity to influence the hearts and minds of an electorate deeply and seemingly intractably divided.

But as a parent I’ve been paying close attention to what our schools are doing to help our kids process these times. Because our kids are stuck at home to learn remotely, like other parents I’ve had special fly on the wall status to witness how their teachers are handling this tumultuous and scary time. And I’m impressed.

Not just by how “on it” these teachers are. How sensitive and present they are.

But the lengths to which they are going to reach through the internet to our kids and engage with them. And I truly marvel at how directly our local educators are addressing what these young minds have bore witness to this past year.

21 – 28 January 2021

Editor’s Letter Page 414 • The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

5

On the Record

by Nicholas Schou

Nicholas Schou is an award-winning investigative journalist and author of several books, including Orange Sunshine and Kill the Messenger. If you have tips or stories about Montecito, please email him at newseditor@montecitojournal.net

The Great Montecito Copper Water Caper, Continued

R 2021-New Year,New Strategy?

Time to revisit your plan and investments Thankfully, it is time to leave 2020 in the past. A true disruptor, last year upended our lives in fundamental ways: health, jobs, education and money.

Pre-COVID decisions about your financial plan and portfolio need to be revisited and possibly revised. 2021 will also bring more change in the form of booming emerging trends, likely tax law changes and questions over interest rates.

Contact me to consult and review or create a financial plan along with an investment strategy for the coming years. *28 years local finance experience *UCSB alumni

Christopher T. Gallo, CFP®, CIMA® CPWA Vice President - Wealth Management Portfolio Manager 805-730-3425 christopher.t.gallo@ubs.com

Christopher Gallo UBS Financial Services Inc. 222 East Carrillo Street Suite 106 Santa Barbara, CA 93101-7146 805-730-3425 800-262-4774

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MONTECITO JOURNAL

eaders of this column are already aware of the bizarre situation unfolding on Montecito’s Middle Road, where the Montecito Water District (MWD) recently informed resident homeowner Trev Broudy of abnormally high copper levels in his drinking water. Subsequent tests showed that a stray electrical current was likely responsible for causing the copper to leach into Broudy’s pipes, and that there was at one point enough alternating current connected to his house that it posed an electrocution risk.

Months after MWD first became aware of the problem, both Southern California Edison (SCE) and Cox Communications have responded by checking their nearby power lines and other equipment; both agencies have refused to comment on what, if anything, their probes have uncovered. MWD’s sub- A Cox trucked parked outside Trev Broudy’s home sequent testing of 75 additional homes in Montecito has revealed a total of 10 elevated copper readings, but only two of those locations subsequently tested above California’s limit for copper. Both cases, per MWD’s executive director Nick Turner, are still under investigation.

First District Supervisor Das Williams told the Montecito Journal his office has facilitated a meeting to be held next Monday including all agencies involved, including MWD, SCE, and Cox. “We are setting up a meeting next week with Cox and Edison and the Water District to get to the bottom of it,” he said.

Although Williams has yet to hear anything fruitful from any agency regarding who might be responsible for the problem, he credited MWD with facilitating the meeting. “From my perspective, the water district is treating this seriously,” he said.

As of press time, neither SCE nor Cox was able to provide a comment for this story, however the Montecito Association’s executive director Sharon Byrne expressed worry that no explanation has so far been offered for what caused the elevated copper readings. “We are concerned about it and want to get to the bottom of it,” Byrne said.

According to Byrne, the Montecito Association looked into whether the January 2018 debris flow might have somehow contributed to Broudy’s problem, given that the last time the water district tested his pipes was a year before that disaster happened. However, Byrne said, Broudy’s home was not affected by the debris flow, so any explanation would have to lie elsewhere. “It’s concerning that we still don’t have a root cause here and we don’t know how extensive or widespread it is,” said Byrne.

In a January 19 interview, Broudy told the Journal that he was still awaiting the most recent test results MWD performed on his water, which he expected to receive later this week. He added that since the Journal began covering this story, Cox had returned to his street doing some kind of underground repair work. “Cox was out there digging up stuff,” Broudy said. “They dug up a whole section of asphalt directly adjacent to my house.”

“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start.” – Nido Qubein

On The Record Page 244 244 21 – 28 January 2021

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21 – 28 January 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

7

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8

MONTECITO JOURNAL

21 – 28 January 2021

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21 – 28 January 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

9

Montecito on the Move

Vaccine doses allocated to our county by the state: 38,075 Administered: 17,033 – 44.7%

by Sharon Byrne, Executive Director, Montecito Association

Vaccine Rollout Bumpy and Confusing

I

f you feel confused and uncertain about COVID-19 vaccinations, you’re in the majority. The rollout has been confusing and startling, at times. The federal government releases buckets of vaccine to states, based on population. States set their priorities, hopefully in line with what the CDC recommends, and then allocate doses to counties based on their populations. These buckets of vaccine are finite, and as of now, the federal stockpile of vaccines is empty.

On Tuesday, January 12, at the County Board of Supervisors briefing, the guidance given by the state was to start inoculating the population aged 75+, followed by those aged 65+, with underlying health conditions that made them more vulnerable to COVID-19. That guidance has shifted to age 65+ with no health conditions.

There is no registration process to sign up. Your health provider notifies you, as they had part of the vaccine supply, and it was clear our Public Health Department really wasn’t in charge of that process.

Wednesday, Governor Newsom announced everyone 65+ would get a vaccine. No county had been notified in advance, and their phones all lit up with those eagerly seeking the vaccine.

Some of our members aged 75+ let us know they’d been contacted by Cottage Hospital to pre-register for a vaccine appointment, as soon as the weekend. What if you’ve never been a patient at Cottage, or never given

them your email address?

Thursday, Samsum issued guidance that they were going to begin giving vaccines to their patients aged 75+, but had too few vaccines for the 7,000 patients they have over 80. They were receiving 500-800 doses per week from the county public health department.

They felt they could get up to administering 300-400 doses on a weekend day, but complete coverage of all their patients (some of whom presumably might also be Cottage patients) could take some time.

Friday at 4:20 pm, we received notification from Supervisor Williams that a limited number of appointments were available on the county’s public health department website for vaccinations for those aged 75+ in Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Santa Barbara County. Within two hours, those 1,200 slots were all filled. Ralph’s started taking reservations for vaccine appointments, but all slots were taken thru March, and the option to select COVID-19 vaccine was removed from their website.

Compounding the confusion and problems, Los Angeles County swiftly moved to start vaccinating their population aged 65+ starting this Thursday, by executive order of their Board of Supervisors Chair, Hilda Solis.

On Monday, January 18, Santa Barbara County Public Health announced it stopped using its Moderna vaccines because some people received medical treatment after experiencing possible severe allergic

Coming soon:

reactions. Six people in California experienced the symptoms. They all received the vaccines at the same community site. The county expects to have that lot cleared for use by authorities. If it’s destroyed, it will not be replaced.

Tuesday Evening’s County Press Conference:

16% testing positivity – we still need to slow down the community transmission rate.

We have 2,465 active cases in Santa Barbara County at present.

205 are hospitalized, 49 in the ICU. Less than 15% ICU capacity is projected for the next four weeks for Southern California, so we will remain under the regional stay-at-home order.

Substantial rise in cases in past week.

15 business outbreaks (three or more employees) occurred in the first week of January. There were 14 new congregate care outbreaks reported over the previous week. The majority of cases report attending a gathering of family and friends around December holidays and New Year.

Local updates on vaccinations:

We are currently vaccinating healthcare workers and those aged 75+, but all appointments are currently full.

1. Persons 65+ 2. Those at risk of exposure in following sectors: Education, Childcare, Emergency Services, Food & Grocery, and Agricultural Workers

For more vaccine info:

You can sign up for the vaccine newsletter at publichealthsbc.org/ vaccine You can also call 211, and select option 4.

Approved medical providers will be contacting their eligible patients to schedule vaccines.

There is no waitlist, to the county’s knowledge.

It doesn’t look like it, but we are under a regional stay-at-home order.

Don’t gather with people outside your household. Stay six feet away from others.

This is the first time we have developed and deployed vaccines this rapidly in response to a global pandemic, to inoculate millions. It’s an unbelievably enormous scale of operations. There are going to be delays and confusion. We need to have patience and be calm right now as the bureaucracy and machinery involved in mass vaccine deployment cranks up, finds its footing, gets more efficient, and more predictable. It’s a frustrating time, to be sure. Join the Montecito Association to get frequent updates as this situation continues to develop.

•MJ

Montecito Tide Guide Day

Low

Hgt High

Hgt Low

Hgt High

Hgt Low

Hgt

Thurs, January 21

4:03 AM

4.3

11:37 AM 1.6

05:34 PM

2.6

09:42 PM 2.3

Fri, January 22

4:50 AM

4.6

12:33 PM 0.9

07:07 PM

2.8

010:47 PM 2.5

Sat, January 23

5:35 AM

4.8

01:14 PM 0.4

07:59 PM

3

011:46 PM 2.6

Sun, January 24

6:16 AM

5.1

01:49 PM -0.1

08:34 PM

3.2

Mon, January 25 12:34 AM 2.6

6:54 AM

5.5

02:21 PM -0.5

09:04 PM

3.4

Tues, January 26 1:16 AM 2.5

7:32 AM

5.8

02:53 PM -0.9

09:32 PM

3.5

Wed, January 27 1:54 AM 2.3

8:08 AM

6

03:25 PM -1.1

010:00 PM

3.7

Thurs, January 28 2:31 AM 2.1

8:45 AM

6.2

03:57 PM -1.2

010:29 PM

3.8

Fri, January 29

9:23 AM

6.2

04:30 PM -1.2

011:01 PM

3.9

3:11 AM 2

10 MONTECITO JOURNAL

“Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to.” – Bill Vaughan

21 – 28 January 2021

Fun and Games

by Guillaume Doane

The Golden Age of Crosswords

At the height of its popularity, the pleasurable pastime reaches a crossroads

Specializing in Fine Homes • Concept to Completion • Exceptional Home Design

Will Shortz, who holds a virtual talk on January 28 for UCSB Arts & Lectures, has arguably done more than anyone alive to spread the popularity of crosswords

W

In March, Pete Muller will launch an innovative crossword puzzle in the pages of the Montecito Journal and a major newspaper online (photo by Dewey Nicks)

hen Will Shortz took over as its editor in 1993, The New York Times crossword puzzle was widely viewed as moribund (clue: lacking vitality). At the time, the crossword was the stodgy province of literary types where straightforward dictionary definitions passed as clues. But Shortz helped breathe new life into a stale American pastime, elevating it to the pleasurable ritual of wordplays, juicy themes, and tantalizing twists we know today.

“The evolution is slow, but there are lots of crossword submissions made to The Times today that I would have accepted ten or twenty years ago that I can’t accept now because the standard of puzzle making has increased,” says Shortz, who hosts a virtual talk about crosswords and table tennis on January 28 for UCSB Arts & Lectures. “We get more interesting, cleverer themes. The crosswords are more playful than ever.”

Shortz is the world’s most recognizable puzzle master and the only person known to hold a college degree in enigmatology (clue: the study of puzzles).

He has arguably done more than anyone alive to spread the popularity of crosswords. Since he joined The New York Times, he has published hundreds of crossword books and many other crosswords have spawned in that time. The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament he founded in 1978 breaks records in attendance year after year. The 2020 tournament, which was cancelled due to the pandemic, would have been no exception.

Yes, it can be said we are living in the golden age of crosswords. The modern crossword craze is partly a product of technology. In 1993, virtually all puzzles were created by hand on draft paper. Today nearly all puzzle constructors use computer software equipped with digital troves of possible answers that can be finetuned and amended with words not available in the dictionary. “The entire world is at your disposal,” says Shortz. ”That’s one way that crosswords have gotten better and it’s gotten more competitive.”

The Internet has only widened the arena of available options. In 2018, The New Yorker, a magazine that had barely dabbled before in crosswording, launched an online weekly crossword. “Most of our readers have e-mail addresses now, and the Web has given us the space to try new things – and to try old things again,” the magazine’s editor David Remnick wrote at the time.

Crossword popularity has only surged since the start of the pandemic. When Shortz started at The Times, he said he received between 40 and 50 submissions per week from crossword constructors. Since March, he has gotten as many as 200 submissions per week and the newspaper can only publish seven. “Since the pandemic two things have changed,” Shortz explains. “One, people are at

21 – 28 January 2021

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Fun and Games Page 204 • The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

11

Letters to the Editor

VILL AGE PROPERTIES

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

CONGRATULATES PATRICIA GRIFFIN

Setting the Record Straight

C For her outstanding representation and successful closing of: 956 MARIPOSA L ANE M O N T EC I TO, C A OFFERED AT $9,150,000

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All information provided is deemed reliable, but has not been verified and we do not guarantee it. We recommend that buyers make their own inquiries.

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12 MONTECITO JOURNAL

old Spring School has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the best public elementary schools in California. Year after year, we have earned high honors for student achievement, family engagement, innovative instruction, and effective administration. Our students are given an exceptional foundation for life-long learning and they excel in junior high, high school, and beyond.

Cold Spring School is a strong community asset that enhances the quality of life and economic vitality in our neighborhoods and brings tremendous value to the residents and property owners it serves. Cold Spring is a small school with a BIG reputation.

This pattern of success is being impugned by a few community critics whose attacks on district leaders rely on unsubstantiated allegations, misrepresentation of facts, and outright lies.

These individuals are attempting to fabricate fake news to malign the integrity of district administrators, cast doubts about the fiscal practices of CSS, and disrupt the educational focus of the district. Op Ed pieces that include false information, often by fictitious individuals, are being portrayed as fact.

The shameful campaign of character assassination, baseless conspiracy theories, and wanton disregard for the truth is destructive to our community and does not represent who we are.

Oversight and implementation of the Cold Spring School Measure C facilities bond has complied with management best practices, all state laws and regulations, and generally accepted accounting principles. To falsely claim, without a shred of evidence, that a forensic audit is needed to “uncover” alleged mistakes and errors is insulting, unnecessary, and an affront to the many community leaders who have worked tirelessly over the years to enhance our excellent school district.

All Measure C funds and developer fees have been used appropriately with transparency to advance the educational quality of the CSS learning experience. But please don’t just take my word for it. The facts are posted on our district website (www.coldspring school.net) for everyone to see. These critics have had full access to this information all along... they just choose to disregard it.

Cold Spring School’s teachers, staff, and administration work tirelessly to ensure that our children are receiving the highest quality education in a safe and secure environment. However,

“New beginnings are in order, and you are bound to feel some level of excitement as new chances come your way.” – Auliq Ice

what truly makes a Cold Spring education so special is the promotion of respect and kindness towards one another above all else. As we reflect on recent national events and the threeyear anniversary of the January 9 debris flow right here in Montecito, I hope that our community can learn a lesson from our children and renew our unity of purpose and start treating each other with more respect and kindness.

Thank you, Michael Marino, Esq. Cold Spring School District Trustee - Board President

Grin and Bear It

Carlos, the Bear, awoke puzzled.

What could wake him? It was not time yet. He shook off his tired fuzzy mind and picked up his TV remote, then tuned into CNN. Carlos could not believe what he was seeing. An angry mob had overrun the Capitol Building in Washington, DC. A full-scale riot was taking place.

Carlos switched to the local news.

COVID was raging. The numbers were staggering. Santa Barbara County had become the top of the tier for infection in California. The hospitals were becoming crowded because of a strange new strain of the virus that was very contagious.

This was the first week of January, he had only been asleep for a month!

So much had happened in such a short amount of time.

Carlos clicked his remote to The Weather Channel to find the local, Montecito, high temp for the last two days to be 82 degrees! Much warmer than normal for this time of year. And what really got his eyes wide was there was no rain predicted for at least thirty more days!

“Things are not starting out good for year 2021,” he thought.

Carlos stretched then curled into a ball: “Silly humans, when will they learn?”, he thought, then fell fast asleep to finish his hibernation.

Michael Edwards

Founding Fathers Got it Right

This letter is in response to MJ contributor Rinaldo Brutoco (and supportive letter-writer 1/7 Evan Aptaker) who often times criticizes the wisdom of our founding fathers in establishing a Republic (not a true Democracy) and

Letters Page 404 21 – 28 January 2021

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• The Voice of the Village •

ROBERT RISKIN

MONTECITO JOURNAL

13

Senior Portrait

by Zach Rosen

O

Josie Levy Martin

ur childhood shapes who we become and for Josie Levy Martin, it has led to a lifetime of studying childhood experiences. Josie is a teacher, school psychologist, writer, and author of Never Tell Your Name, a book that captures her own experiences as a German Jewish child being hidden around France during the Nazi occupation. Josie was born in France in 1938 during the outbreak of WWII. A week after she was born, her father, a sales representative, and mother, both German Jews, moved with her to southwest France near Bordeaux at the direction of the French government. As the occupation progressed, the family was later split up with Josie and her mother staying in very simple, tight accommodations with other Jewish refugees in Montbron.

In the winter of 1943, when the war was looking lost for the Nazis, German soldiers returning from North Africa were raiding villages in the southern regions of France as they headed north, pillaging and sending off any Jewish people they discovered along the way. No longer being safe in the village, her parents arranged to have her sent to a small Catholic boarding school in Lesterps at the suggestion of the LeRoi family that they had befriended. Soeur St. Cybard, the head nun at the school, was sympathetic and the only one who knew of her Jewish identity. She quickly helped convert Josie to Catholicism to hide her identity while she attended with some of the girls from the day school. During her nine months there she was faced with confusion where her parents were and conflicting feelings about her faith. Events and emotions that she would later detail in her book on the experience.

Her family arrived in America after the war in 1947 with a sponsor from the foundation set up by Carl Laemmle, producer and founder of Universal Pictures, who had been married to her father’s aunt. His foundation supported Jewish families emigrating from Europe and helped her family eventually settle into South Gate, just southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

With no one in her family speaking English, Josie, now nine years old, had to quickly learn a new language and adapt to a new school system. As the only Jewish girl in her school, much of her school years were spent trying to fit in as an American. It wasn’t until she saw the film Lili with Leslie Caron in high school that she embraced her French heritage. Growing up among a community of Midwestern transplants, she aspired for a different life than the ones sought by her classmates. Her high school emphasized athletics over intellectual pursuits, and it wasn’t until she attended Los Angeles Community College that she discovered a passion for the liberal arts after being exposed to subjects like theater, psychology, and history.

She transferred to UCLA after two years, which was only $75 a semester at the time. She paid for school working as an au pair for a distantly related family, taking care of their three boys in between classes.

During college she realized she was skilled at teaching and became an elementary school teacher after graduating. For the next 11 years she continued teaching elementary school and eventually began helping with special needs students. Not wanting to go into administration and now married and with a son, she was drawn toward childhood psychology from her own

Supporting You to Achieve Your reAl eStAte goAlS Montecito | Santa Barbara | Goleta Hope Ranch | Beach Front Janet Caminite

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14 MONTECITO JOURNAL

Josie Levy Martin wrote Never Tell Your Name about her own experiences as a German Jewish child being hidden around France during the Nazi occupation

experiences as a child. After getting her credentials, Josie became a school psychologist throughout Los Angeles schools from 1975 until her retirement in 2002. As an inner city school psychologist, she witnessed many immigrant children facing serious cases of loss from family separation and other life hurdles, recognizing the severity of their cases compared to her own childhood experiences.

Josie had always been drawn to writing and over the years of her career she wrote a range of journal and periodical articles. Many of her pieces focused on her experiences as a school psychologist and eventually she was offered a column on children in school settings which she wrote for almost two decades. Her interest in writing led her to join a writers’ group, started by poet Holly Prado and consisting of about a dozen writers. It was with their support and encouragement that she decided to write a book detailing her experiences as a child.

After shopping it around to some publishers, she decided to self-publish the work, which was becoming more acceptable in the writing community.

The book was noticed by the mayor of the French village where she had been hidden as a child. He invited her to the millennial celebration of

“As long as I am breathing, in my eyes, I am just beginning.” – Criss Jami

the town in the year 2000. She agreed and the book was quickly translated into French. It was soon picked up by a publisher and upon returning to America she went on a book tour.

With Josie and her husband’s retirement in 2002, they moved to Santa Barbara, which they found immediately inviting and soon became involved in the community. In addition to being a very loyal member of the ACLU and working on elections, Josie became a docent for the Santa Barbara Museum of Art shortly after arriving in Santa Barbara and has continued contributing to the museum up until its closure for the pandemic. In response to the 2016 election, Josie and a group of about a half dozen women founded the SB Cares Foundation, along with the support of the Jewish Federation and Congregation B’nai B’rith, to help refugee families both locally and abroad. Through her own understanding of the immigrant experience and childhood memories, Josie has spent a lifetime studying and improving the childhood of others, ultimately shaping who they become.

You can read more about Josie’s journey in Never Tell Your Name or visit cbbsb.org/sbcares for more information on the different SB Cares programs.

•MJ 21 – 28 January 2021

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21 – 28 January 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

15

Library Mojo

Outdoor Holds Pick-up Continues

by Kim Crail

Kim is the Branch Lead of the Montecito Library. Questions or comments?

Contact her: kcrail@santabarbaraca.gov

Welcome Back!

W

e now offer limited indoor browsing for our patrons, one household at a time. We will admit that staff were wary about this. We have been pleasantly surprised by how cooperative and respectful people have been with our new procedures.

“Grab-n-Go” is offered Tuesdays from 2 pm to 5 pm and Thursdays from 10 am to 1 pm. Masks, hand sanitizer, and your library card or photo I.D. are required to enter and there is a 15-minute time limit.

We are using a mix of appointments and walk-in spots to accommodate people and prevent lines or long waits, so please call ahead if you would like to reserve a time.

This has been very popular and people have remarked The Montecito Library welcomes back patrons to browse inside, one household at a time that it feels great to be back.

Fortunately, we are also able to continue offering the majority of our pick-ups outside. To request items, please find them in our online catalog (sbplibrary. org/catalog) or give us a call if you would like staff to assist you.

When your materials are ready, you will be notified by email or phone and you can let us know when you would like them on the table outside during Grab-n-Go.

Stay-at-Home Library Card

There is a new library card status that has been created for users who need books delivered in the mail. This is one of the ways that the library has pivoted during the pandemic to provide more equitable service.

Homebound service will be provided to residents of Santa Barbara Public Library’s service area who are not able to visit the library. “Homebound” is defined as being generally confined to the residence either temporarily, due to illness or accident, or permanently, due to age, disability, or other mobility problems.

To apply for a library card with homebound status, get in touch or check our website for the new application. You are eligible to receive two deliveries (up to ten items) per month.

Digital Services

Lynda.com, movies through Kanopy, ebooks and audio through Hoopla and Libby, learning languages with Mango, Chromebooks, and internet hotspots are all accessible through the library.

The digital service that I use most is our free online subscription to The New York Times, which you can access daily through the website (SBPLibrary.org). If you have any questions or need assistance with any of these resources, we’re glad to help over the phone.

Wishing You Heart and Courage

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Happy Reading! See you at the library!

•MJ

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21 – 28 January 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

17

Seen Around Town

Fiesta at the Courthouse

by Lynda Millner

Art collector Keith Moore in front of the Courthouse where his Van Cina painting hangs

The “roundhouse” as it is today, with an exterior wall in a design similar to the famous Plaza de Toros in Seville

O

ne of these days the Santa Barbara Courthouse will be open to the public once again.

Meantime there is an interesting story about the sixth Theo Van Cina painting that hangs on the ground floor near the lawyer’s entrance titled “Fiesta at the Courthouse,” circa 1930s.

There are five others on the second floor: “Cabrillo Landing,” “Figueroa Funeral,” “Presidio Cross Ceremony,” “Bouchard Coastal Voyage,” and “Wedding at del la Guerra House.”

These were commissioned by Mortgage Services for the 1929 opening of the new Courthouse. Only “Fiesta at the Courthouse” somehow disappeared and somehow it disappeared along with the “Lost Cannon” painting. Not only was the cannon lost historically, but literally, never to be found.

Who was the artist Theo Van Cina?

He was born in Holland and became a painter, sculptor, and educator. He studied at the Academy of Arts in Rotterdam. Before immigrating to the United States he traveled throughout Europe: Spain, Italy, France, and England studying medieval art. He lived in Chicago first. He was a talented costume designer joining the Metropolitan Opera Company at age 24 to design for them. While working with stage productions he was discovered by Hollywood. He was so acclaimed that he was offered to come to California to work with directors like Cecil B. DeMille. Without hesitation he went and met the Santa

18 MONTECITO JOURNAL

Ms Millner is the author of The Magic Makeover, Tricks for Looking Thinner, Younger and More Confident – Instantly. If you have an event that belongs in this column, you are invited to call Lynda at 969-6164.

Barbara-Hollywood art community.

The tie between the two remains, even today.

It’s interesting to note that California in the ’20s was undergoing a Spanish renaissance. Its architecture and art were going Spanish. This was driven by a wish to retain the heritage of early Alta-California. After Theo lived in Hollywood for a short while, he moved to Santa Barbara. Historically Holland was having its own struggle to throw off the yoke of Spanish oppression. Fortunately this didn’t seem to bother the native Dutchman Van Cina when he was asked to paint Spanish scenes for the new Courthouse.

Fast forward to 2009 when Keith Moore, a young art collector, purchased a 9-foot-by-18-foot painting from an estate signed by Theo Van Cina. Keith hung it in his Summerland home where it took up one whole wall. It wasn’t framed because there was no room for one.

Then Keith decided to downsize.

In his new home there was no room for the Van Cina. He decided to see whether the Courthouse would want it to go with their other Van Cinas.

He called supervisor Naomi Schwartz and Courthouse Legacy Foundation (CLF) board president Tom Thomas.

They were thrilled and couldn’t believe Keith would just give this valuable painting away. They held a reception for Keith where one of his friends wanted to know, “Why isn’t it framed?” When she learned why, she offered to pay for the gold frame. No small donation because it cost $5,000.

Keith not only donated the picture but ended up joining CLF and serving on its board for nine years as a fundraiser. The picture was also chosen by El Presidente Michael Dominguez to be the Old Spanish Days poster for 2010.

Next time we can be in the Courthouse again, have a look on the first floor. Thank you, Keith!

The Rotunda

Did you ever wonder about the Plaza del Sol or the Rotunda at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort, formerly Fess Parker ’s Resort? Was it originally for bullfights because it’s patterned after the bullring in Sevilla, Spain. Why was it built there anyway? The arches are reminiscent of the façade of the Old Mission.

The answer is it used to be the site of the old train turntable and roundhouse. The turntable allowed train cars to be turned in a different direction and put back on the main tracks and the roundhouse had stalls to house the steam engines during cleaning. My husband Don’s grandfather used to have that job back in West Virginia. Not exactly picturesque.

The great earthquake in 1925 destroyed the original roundhouse and apparently Southern Pacific’s

“Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas.” – Charles Kettering

new design wouldn’t pass the tough building codes until they made the exterior wall in a design similar to the famous Plaza de Toros in Seville (bullring). I used to attend bullfights there.

The Historic Landmarks Commission listed the roundhouse as a potential historical structure. On its site the “skeleton” was incorporated into the Rotunda when Fess Parker’s Red Lion Resort opened in December of 1986. I always love walking by and knowing the history of the Rotunda and its connection to Spain.

History Trivia

Santa Barbara has always attracted the rich and famous – even presidents – eight of them out of 44 have visited.

Benjamin Harrison arrived by train in 1891. William McKinley came in 1901.

In 1903 there was Theodore Roosevelt and in 1941 Franklin Delano Roosevelt making plans to create a summer White House here in a Riviera mansion (now Marymount School), but WWII got in the way.

In 1953 senator John F. Kennedy honeymooned at the San Ysidro Ranch. Governor Ronald Reagan purchased Rancho del Cielo in Santa Ynez in 1974 and hosted British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Queen Elizabeth II, and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Bill Clinton stopped for a bite at the Nugget in Summerland in 1992 and jogged on East Beach. In 2007 Barack Obama rallied at City College while campaigning for the presidency.

And so it goes today with a mighty push in real estate sales as we speak.

And many of us are here because we wouldn’t want to live anywhere else on earth. Here’s to 2021, the way it used to be!

•MJ 21 – 28 January 2021

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21 – 28 January 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

19

Fun and Games (Continued from page 11) home and they have a lot more time on their hands. The other is that we started accepting submissions electronically. It used to be that you had to send them by mail, which was kind of a pain. That convenience factor has increased the number of submissions we get.”

Last month, The Times pushed the technological boundaries of crosswording even further, announcing the debut of a new augmented reality-enabled game, Shattered Crosswords, available on Instagram. The game allows players to solve clues by rotating broken crossword pieces in augmented reality.

Crossworders at Cross Purposes

The crossword puzzle is a distinctly American invention, like jazz or Eggs Benedict. The first was created in 1913 and the activity became vogue in the 1920s and immediately jumped to England and then around the world.

As the community has grown, The New York Times crossword has functioned as a critical touchstone of American culture. In the process Shortz has emerged as an unexpected gatekeeper of culture. “I consider myself an arbiter of what is significant,” he said in 2018 in a segment of the HBO show Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

But with a peak in popularity, the “crossworld,” as it is known by insiders, has also reached a crossroads of sorts. As competition and the crossword lexicon have expanded, so has the realm of responsibility for a typical crossword editor. As arbiters of what is significant, crossword editors face increasing pressure from a younger generation who demand more diversity within the crossword grid and the workplace. That includes publishing more puzzles created by females and people of color and striking a greater balance of content – i.e. fewer white baseball players and Eurocentric references. The crossword grid, like so many other landscapes of American life, has become a battleground for social justice warriors. “The hidden bigotry of crosswords,” rang the headline of an article published in The Atlantic last year complaining about tone-deaf crossword editors, opaque publishing practices, and other transgressions.

The Times sparked fury in 2019 when it published a crossword containing a word that as one connotation can be a racial slur for people of Mexican descent.

Shortz said he and his colleagues weren’t previously aware of the slur but he issued an apology anyway. In doing so, he also sparked a lively debate about the benign usage of words that also have offensive connotations – as in “a chink in one’s armor.”

To some extent, the differences in perspective are generational. Shortz cuts the figure of a dowdy suburban dad. He’s 68, mustachioed and he’s kept his AOL email address for so long he says it could soon become “retro-cool.” As crossword editor, he says he tries “to strike a happy medium and include everybody’s language and culture.” But as he points out, a crossword can’t be everything to everyone. “This has always been true, but now maybe more than ever,” he says. “Things that today’s young people know are often quite different from what older people know, and vice versa.”

Take this clue from The New York Times crossword in 2001: “unexciting, low-

paid work, in modern lingo.” The word “McJob” may have qualified as “modern lingo” 20 years ago. To a millennial audience of today, the reference would be as square as a pair of khaki pants.

With all due respect to your literary grandmother, crosswording is increasingly a young person’s game. And the competition is increasingly the dominion of math and music prodigies. Just ask Dan Feyer, a San Francisco-based musician.

Feyer is indisputably the most accomplished crossword competitor of our lifetime, winning the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament eight times in the last 10 years. But at 43, he qualifies as a senior citizen of the crossword circuit.

And he’ll be the first to admit it.

“There’s always new geniuses popping out of the crossword world,” says Feyer. “It seems that people are getting hooked on puzzles more and more every year. I tell everybody that I’m the reigning champion but that I’m really the second best puzzle solver in the country at best.”

The distinction for best solver, he says, belongs to Erik Agard, a crossword wunderkind who destroyed the record for fastest finish when he won the competition in 2018, at the age of 24.

A Profusion of Puzzles

In the golden age of crosswords, the marketplace is large enough for anyone to be their own crossword editor. Exasperated by the lack of inclusion at traditional publications, a number of women and LGBTQ+ people launched their own successful subscription puzzles series like Women of Letters, Inkubator, and Queer Qrosswords.

“It’s a situation of many flowers blooming,” says Marie desJardins, a computer scientist and competitive crossword puzzle solver, of the profusion of puzzles.

Pete Muller, the Montecito-based hedge fund manager, quantitative trader, and musician, presents another example. A fervent solver since he was a teenager, he started creating his own puzzles in 2005 and he began publishing puzzles in The Times, Fireball Crosswords, and The Wall Street Journal. It was only a matter of time before he went out on his own.

“I probably had something like seventeen or eighteen in The New York Times and then I realized a couple things,” Muller said. “I kinda wanted to be my own editor and decide what was worth publishing and what wasn’t.”

Muller fell in love with meta puzzles, which add a theme that has to be guessed once the crossword is completed. For the past 10 years, he has been running the Muller Monthly Music Meta, which started appearing exclusively in the Washington Post and the Montecito Journal in 2019.

In March, Muller will be launching yet another puzzle in the pages of the Montecito Journal and a major newspaper online. It’s his own invention, combining six mini crosswords in a novel way. And of course it’s a meta.

“There’s something incredibly satisfying when you get the good ‘aha!’ of a good meta,” he says. “Wow, boom! It’s more satisfying than a normal crossword when you get that meta answer.”

Puzzles & Ping-Pong with Will Shortz takes place on Thursday, January 28 at 5 pm.

Tickets are $10. For more info visit artsandlectures.ucsb.edu.

•MJ

2021 Puzzle 1: “Double Meaning” Solution The first meta of 2021 challenged solvers to find a famous band.

There are six grid entries (including the four longest) that contain the letters “UU” consecutively: JUUL DO YOU UNDERSTAND PERPETUUM CONTINUUM POLITICAL VACUUM NUUK Two U’s? Not too hard to go from there to one of the most famous rock bands of all time, and this month’s meta answer, U2.

Pete always does a cover version of the meta answer (usually with his band, the Kindred Souls), and this month he learned one of his favorite U2 songs. You can watch the video (stay for the outtakes) and see this month’s full write-up here: https://pmxwords.com/jan21solution.

20 MONTECITO JOURNAL

“New year — a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? The choice is ours.” – Alex Morritt

21 – 28 January 2021

Monte ito Miscellany

they’re required to work a minimum number of days to remain eligible for the plans.

he returned home “elated with the news.”

We all wish him the very best...

Happy News

Julia’s Back

by Richard Mineards

Jeff Bridges shares positive medical news (photo

by Gage Skidmore)

Richard covered the Royal Family for Britain’s Daily Mirror and Daily Mail, and was an editor on New York Magazine. He was also a national anchor on CBS, a commentator on ABC Network News, gossip on The Joan Rivers Show and Geraldo Rivera, host on E! TV, a correspondent on the syndicated show Extra, a commentator on the KTLA Morning News and Entertainment Tonight. He moved to Montecito 13 years ago.

Lending a Hand to Broadway

M

ontecito mega director Dick Wolf, 74, is coming to the aid of Broadway, which has suffered major damage during the current pandemic.

His long-running NBC TV show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which has been on the air for more than two decades, has been turning to actors more used to the stages on the Great White Way to populate its many criminal scenes.

Showrunner Warren Leight says: “We are trying to hire every Broadway actor we can while we and they wait for the curtains to rise again.

“We know how hard the community has been hit. The goal is to get as many jobs to as many theater actors as we possibly can.”

Dick Wolf gives his regards to Broadway

The acting work can be particularly beneficial for stage actors trying to keep their union health insurance through the likes of SAG-AFTRA, of which I am a longtime member, as

Matthew Pifer, MD

Oscar winning Montecito actor Jeff Bridges, 71, who revealed he has lymphatic cancer in November, is making great progress in his medical battle, I’m delighted to report.

The Big Lebowski star says in a statement on his website that a “new protocol” he’s under seems to be a success.

“I go in for a CAT scan to see if my new protocol is shrinking my tumor,” says Jeff. “Turns out it’s working beautifully. The thing has drastically shrunk.”

The Hollywood veteran of such films as Crazy Heart, Starman, True Grit, and The Last Picture Show, says

After being wonderfully portrayed

by Meryl Streep on the big screen in 2009 in the Nora Ephron-directed film Julie & Julia, beloved culinary goddess Julia Child is about to hit the small screen again in an HBO Max TV series Julia, based on the world-renowned chef who spent the final chapter of her colorful culinary life at Casa Dorinda in Montecito before moving to more heavenly pastures in 2004 at the age of 91.

The initial eight-part series, from Lionsgate Television and 3 Arts Entertainment, stars English actress Sarah Lancashire from the PBS Masterpiece Theater show Last Tango in Halifax as the towering chef, who wrote Mastering the Art of French Cooking and became a regular presence on American TV screens for decades in The French Chef, with her original kitchen now exhibited in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Frasier’s David Hyde Pierce will play her devoted husband. It is scheduled to shoot under House of Cards director Charles McDougall in Boston this spring.

Miscellany Page 304

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At Home with Lou

by Leslie A. Westbrook

Last October (MJ #26_43), we spoke with award-winning biographer of President Ronald Reagan and The Washington Post reporter Lou Cannon about politics prior to the 2020 election. In part two with the 87-year-old Summerland resident, Cannon ponders life during the COVID lockdown, aging, family, favorite books, his heroes, and more.

Lou Cannon, an award-winning Summerland resident, has enjoyed a fascinating career that’s taken him from California’s State Capitol to the White House as a reporter

to Cannon’s work commute to Los Angeles when moving west from their North Virginia home when Cannon transferred to the Post’s West Coast bureau in Century City.

“I didn’t want to add time to the commute, so, we didn’t look north of the stop lights,” is where the author launched our chat, in which he cited his good luck, more than once, especially when it comes to their Summerland house with its gorgeous ocean views. The father of four (who also has seven grandchildren and five great grandkids spread around the Western Hemisphere) says he writes about people he has a regard for, but that he doesn’t necessarily agree with.

I always wondered, when I’d see the Reagan biographer at the Summerland Post Office, if he was a Republican and supported Reagan politically. He has registered both as a Democrat and a Republican but is currently “No Party Preference” the same as he declared when covering Reagan in the White House.

Life in Summerland

I

t’s no surprise that Lou Cannon does a pretty good imitation of President Ronald Reagan. After all, he covered Reagan from his governorship in California to his time in the White House through to his final days, writing five books about California’s former governor and president, including President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime, among other tomes.

The highly regarded, award-winning Summerland resident has enjoyed a fascinating career that’s taken him from California’s State Capitol to the White House beats as a reporter, most famously for The Washington Post. He continues writing a column for State Net Capitol Journal covering legislative politics across the nation, from his desk in the downstairs of he and his wife’s Summerland aerie.

As the former senior White House correspondent noted, “One of the things about writing about politics – or just getting old generally – you learn humility because you learn you don’t know very much and you realize the more you know, the less you do.”

The former traffic signals on the 101 in Santa Barbara were an important contributing factor for Lou Cannon and his wife of 35 years, Mary, settling on their Summerland house in 1990.

The Reno and California native (he refers to himself as a “Westerner”) became familiar with our area while trailing President Ronald Reagan on his beat with The Washington Post, that often brought him to the President’s “Western White House” just north of Santa Barbara.

The now long-gone traffic stop would have added considerable time

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Cannon says hunkering down during the pandemic hasn’t been bad for him personally – he’s working on his memoir along with his monthly column for State Net Capitol Journal.

For his column, he says that talking to people he hasn’t known before has kept him engaged.

“It’s important to reach out and expand your horizons during COVID,” he said. “Every column I’ve written this year I’ve talked with someone I haven’t talked to before. I think that in the long run, even with the 200,000-death level (nearly 400,000 now in the U.S.), and it’s probably going to be double that, these are all human beings, people who had wives, husbands, mothers, children, grandparents. But for the people who survive, which is most of us, the questions of isolation and loneliness and mental health are going to be very important, too.”

He cites missing the annual visit with their 13-year-old great granddaughter Jenna, who has been visiting on her own from Colorado since she was nine.

“If you’re used to seeing these kids and can’t see them, it’s a big deal,” he says. “One misses that sort of thing.”

He and Mary have had out-of-town friends over for socially distanced masked visits on their deck and says that even with six feet distance, this has helped.

He doesn’t use the term “when we get back to normal.”

“The normal will change, but when we’re able to socialize again – even from a six-foot distance helps. I think Zoom helps.”

Zoom helped the writer celebrate his 87th birthday with participants from multiple states and Puerto Rico, organized by his oldest son Carl, who is the Washington bureau chief for RealClearPolitics and executive editor for Real Clear Media Group. I asked Carl about growing up in the Cannon household and to comment about his father’s “role of a lifetime” as head of the Cannon clan.

“My father influenced me in more ways than I can count,” he says. “But let’s start with this: He taught me to be fair to everyone, even those I disagree with, and to take pride in trying to report honestly and write well. Politics was discussed at dinner – breakfast, too. Along with sports, race relations, environmental policy, religion, you name it. It was an intellectually vibrant household. Both of my parents were avid readers and free thinkers, and encouraged the same in their four children.”

Lou and Carl collaborated on an important story when Carl was covering criminal justice for the San Diego Union Tribune and Lou was West Coast bureau chief for The Washington Post.

“We were both interested in the same event: how authorities in Imperial County didn’t pursue the killers of a striking UFW member named Rufino Contreras,” Carl recalls. “Dad came to San Diego from L.A. We drove over to El Centro, did our interviews, and wrote an investigative story together for our respective newspapers. It was a highlight of my career.”

He adds: “Many years later, we collaborated on a book: Reagan’s Disciple, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan, who Dad covered with unparalleled distinction, and George W. Bush, who I covered, well, adequately, I suppose.”

Father and son each won the two most prestigious awards for White House correspondents, The Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished

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“Each year’s regrets are envelopes in which messages of hope are found for the new year.” – John R. Dallas, Jr.

21 – 28 January 2021

Lou and Carl Cannon each won the two most prestigious awards for White House correspondents, The Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting of the Presidency, and the Aldo Beckman Award (in different years)

Reporting of the Presidency, and the Aldo Beckman Award (in different years).

“In 2004, when I was president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, I introduced my family, including my dad, to George W. Bush,” says Carl. “Bush and I briefly compared notes about being eldest sons who went into the family business – politics in his case, journalism in mine.

I think we both realized that neither one of us would be where we were that night without our fathers. I felt fortunate – blessed is probably a better word – and that’s still how I feel.”

After hearing from an adoring son who followed in his father’s footsteps led me to ponder Lou’s heroes, including what he’s been reading, and rereading.

“My heroes are many and varied,” says Lou. “As a writer, I respect George Orwell tremendously and reread not just 1984, but The Road to Wigan Pier and others. Orwell always has something to say to you.”

He is a great admirer of the conservative Catholic author and historian Garry Wills, who has been personally generous and kind to him.

“I reread his books – Nixon Agonistes: The Crisis of the Self-made Man I love…

Bare Ruined Choirs – about the Catholic Church problems in the seventies.”

Lou, a Catholic, acknowledged the church has had problems in every era.

“I like to read historical novels,” he says I’m finishing finally The Mirror and the Light – the third in Hilary Mantel’s trilogy about Thomas

Cromwell. It has a disadvantage when you are on the last chapter because you know Cromwell’s beheaded!”

When asked about personal heroes, Cannon says they include newspaper colleagues including Richard Harwood, whom he calls “a great inspiration” and hired him to work at The Post. Harwood was editor of the national staff during Cannon’s tenure there.

“He was a Marine in the South Pacific in World War II,” he says. “He lost a lung at Iwo Jima. When I’d been there just a few days, I was editing a story that a reporter referred to someone as an ex-Marine. ‘There are no ex-Marines at The Washington Post,’ he said – taking out the ex!’” Cannon recalls.

And political heroes?

“Everyone has Lincoln as a hero,” he says. “I think very highly of both Theodore and Franklin (FDR) Roosevelt. I was born two months after Roosevelt took office and he died when I was 12. The teacher came in and told us that he died and broke into tears. I asked my parents, Who could be president? This man had been president my entire life. He filled the sky.”

Among modern politicians, Cannon has high regard for two people who were defeated and never made it to the presidency.

“One is Hubert Humphrey, whom I covered for The Washington Post during his last campaign,” he says. “The other is Barry Goldwater – he had guts and vision and courage. Even though the vision may not have been mine, he

stuck to his guns. He was very good.

When most politicians were against treating gay people equally, Senator Goldwater came out for that. I think we’ve changed – maybe in some bad ways – but we’ve changed in some good ways. One of the ways we’ve changed that’s really important is that gay or LGBT are no longer considered second-class citizens.”

He even supports more contemporary politicians: “Even President Obama, whom I respect, endorsed marriages as between a man and woman. The guy who pushed him on that was VP Joe Biden.”

And on the topic of systemic racism: “I just don’t think that any person should be treated less than equal. I know a lot of people are uncomfortable about this movement to root out the racism in our society, but I think we have to do it to keep our own self-respect.”

Who Would You Be?

Lately, I’ve been ending interviews asking every subject which character from a movie, literature, comic book hero or fantasy they would want to be. Hannah-Beth Jackson recently expressed being a fan of Wonder Woman. Lou also chose an awesome character.

“If there was somebody I’d want

to be – fantasy answer – it would be Lawrence of Arabia,” he says.

“When I was a kid I imagined if I was Lawrence it would be great. He did a lot of things – some of them sensible, some of them foolish, all of them brave. One of Lawrence’s views was that you have to treat the Arabic people as fully equal. The reason he got the confidence of the Arabs was that he cared about them. He saw himself as one of them. That’s the hardest thing for me as a writer, the hardest thing for me as a human being, is to put myself in someone else’s shoes and say what it is like for them.”

And from his long look back on democracy and covering politics during his four score and seven years on the planet?

“The struggle to maintain a democracy is a never-ending battle,” he says.

“It’s not that someday you achieve a perfect democracy or just system.

Every generation and every people are going to have to fight for themselves.

If we ever reach that Nirvana, we will find other things that have to be fixed.

Think of life as a series of problems and opportunities to solve. I know this is silly, but I don’t think of myself as old. I don’t feel old (except for when I get out of bed in the morning) when I’m talking to you or writing or listening to some piece of music. It is who I am, at any age.”

•MJ

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On The Record (Continued from page 6) According to Broudy, the most recent tests of his water reveal that there is no longer any electrical current connected to his house. “There is no AD or DC current or electric current in my pipes,” he said. “My assumption is that water test will come back hopefully with levels not at 3000 parts per billion.”

“Cox needs to be held accountable,” Broudy said. “They put in the equipment that caused the DC current to create the electrolysis that I did not have before and which resulted in my contaminated water, not to mention the very high AC current, which was initially an electrocution risk, which somehow they corrected, even though they did not correct the DC current which gave me elevated levels of copper.”

Although Broudy said he is encouraged that there is scant evidence so far of a broader contamination of drinking water, he also worries about the lack of transparency, given that there must be a relatively simple explanation for what happened, no matter how agencies were involved, although he’s hopeful at least one agency can get to the bottom of it. “How exactly can this happen?”

Broudy asked. “And how are you going to prevent such a thing from happening in the future?”

Santa Barbara Restaurants Struggle with State Restrictions on Outdoor Dining

Ever since California Governor Gavin Newsom declared an outdoor ban on dining in Southern California, a regional policy including Santa Barbara and Montecito, local restaurants have struggled to adjust to the “new normal,” with varied results. Both Coast Village Road and the Upper Village have suffered under COVID-19 restrictions, although restaurants in town have so far managed to survive via take-out and delivery orders.

Certain businesses have managed to do well despite the outdoor dining ban, including Bree’Osh. “It’s very difficult for restaurants, but as a bakery we are lucky to have some traffic and be busy,” said Bree’Osh executive chef Pierre Henry. “We will be okay.” Although Henry wishes he could serve customers outdoors, he understands the statewide restrictions. “We felt very grateful to have our customers able to dine outside before the stay-at-home order,” said Henry. “It was a great initiative for the city to allow us to do that and the cus-

tomers appreciated that as well.”

One silver lining of the COVID-19 era in both Santa Barbara and Montecito is the growing recognition by public officials that pedestrian friendly outdoor dining, be it along State Street or Coast Village Road, is a worthy proposition for economic recovery. Bree’Osh’s Henry agrees. Although he’s been lucky to survive the pandemic so far, Henry said he misses the days when Coast Village Road, which still boasts a weekly Farmers Market, enjoyed a more thriving dining scene.

“We were able to keep social distancing in place for breakfast and lunch,” Henry said. “Even though it is now very quiet, it is still a very nice street. I would really like to keep it like this, a European street, Paris style, with people going out to dine, this is what we want. It will be great.”

According to Coast & Olive owner Jim Copus, a loyal customer base and a Thursday through Sunday take-out menu has helped him stay in business. “We have limited staff to four days a week for dinner only,” Copus said. “Right now we have sixty seats outside and sixty seats inside, and going forward, if we can make this permanent, it will be the best thing ever.”

Carpinteria City Council Aims to Help Local Restaurants Recover From COVID

As restaurants struggle to adjust to a seemingly indefinite ban on outdoor dining, Carpinteria city officials are working to achieve some measure of solace for aggrieved restaurateurs. The city council’s ad hoc economic recovery committee has proposed asking Newsom for tax relief for struggling local restaurants and their landlords based on the total square footage of estimated economic losses resulting from COVID-19.

“Our city council recovery committee was formed to develop ideas and bring it back to the council,” said Carpinteria City Manager David Durflinger.

Since early last year, the city has been doing a lot to respond to the pandemic.

According to Durflinger, city councilman Roy Lee, owner of Uncle Chen’s Chinese Restaurant, had helped propose the strategy. “We were brainstorming,” said Durflinger, and he was the person who specifically came up with it.

“We are still in the early stages of planning. In the weeks to come we are likely to have a report ready for the city council look at.”

•MJ

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• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

25

Perspectives

by Rinaldo S. Brutoco

Rinaldo S. Brutoco is the Founding President and CEO of the Santa Barbara-based World Business Academy and a co-founder of JUST Capital.

He’s a serial entrepreneur, executive, author, radio host, and futurist who’s published on the role of business in relation to pressing moral, environmental, and social concerns for over 35 years

Escaping Minority Rule: Ending Gerrymandering Gaining Control Over Self-Perpetuating Politicians

O

ne hundred and thirty-nine members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted, after the insurrection (which sacked the Capitol building and took five lives), to support the mob’s demands to overturn the results of the recent presidential election. An election found, after sixty meritless legal challenges, to have been a free and fair exercise in democracy.

Seriously? How could these members of Congress do something so damaging to our democratic institutions without fearing the reprisal of the voters “back home”? How could they be so bold as to put their own individual political obeisance to Donald Trump in front of their sworn duty to uphold the U.S. Constitution? After all, according to every founding document of this democratic republic, the People were to be sovereign – not a mad king like George III. The People were to pick who was elected, rather than have elected officials pick who the people could vote for. So, how has that worked out?

What will happen when those one hundred and thirty-nine renegade representatives stand for re-election in two years when the whole world knows that they engaged in an insurrection against our political system? Probably the vast majority will get re-elected! Why? Because they mostly come from gerrymandered districts that were designed to re-elect a Republican no matter what heinous crime they committed (and the same is true for Democrats who reside in gerrymandered districts). Instead of the voters choosing their elected leaders, it is the elected leaders in those gerrymandered districts who determine the most weight for their ballot! That’s crazy, and totally unacceptable because it is yet another way that a minority of votes can create a disproportionate number of electoral wins.

Wisconsin is a shining example of how gerrymandering robs the voters of the right to elect the politicians they want. In 2018 Democrats won a significant majority of votes, and swept all statewide offices, yet the Republican state-house delegation was only reduced by one seat, from 64 to 63 of 99 in total. That means, though losing the entire election statewide, Republicans retained more than twothirds of the state-house seats through their carefully drawn districts. The 2020 election, now being reviewed in the courts, produced a similarly lopsided result which will continue Republican dominance of the state even while Republicans are receiving dramatically fewer votes than the Democrats who control all statewide offices. They are effectively handcuffed from running the state by a minority Republican party that blocks all reasonable attempts at governance.

Let’s look at history to understand gerrymandering.

Elbridge Gerry, one of the singers of the Declaration of Independence, created what we now call “gerrymandering.” Although Governor of Massachusetts for only two years (1810-1812), his lasting “gift” to American politics was the way he intentionally drew a redistricting plan for his state senate that gave his political party a disproportionate control of statehouse votes. Thanks Governor Gerry!

The literal definition of gerrymandering is to “manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency so as to favor one party or class,” and the effect is that one political party can solidify its power in a region despite the will of the majority of voters. This is frequently done to disenfranchise Black voters by drawing absurdly irrational lines around full, or even partial, blocks of homes. Consequently, the vast majority of Black voters end up in districts that are very heavily Black, thereby limiting the ability of those Black votes to be scattered rationally amongst several different, more rationally drawn, district boundaries. By concentrating Black votes in this example, or known Democrat votes in Wisconsin, the result is the same: Minority Rule.

With the exception of six states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, and Washington), every other state permits district boundaries to be drawn by the very same politicians who seek to retain improper minority control.

Looking at California’s direct experiences is helpful. In this state the elected politicians of both parties blocked legislation that would have created a neutral citizen panel to draw up redistricting boundaries after each ten-year census. You see the Republicans and the Democrats enjoy their shared political oligopoly.

They wanted to do the “horse trading” just between themselves so they could ensure their respective parties would retain the maximum amount of power regardless of how crazy the district boundaries became.

Fortunately, because California has an actively utilized Petition and Referendum

26 MONTECITO JOURNAL

Great News from the Coasts

New Zealand city closes busy road for weeks to let sea lions nest safely

T

he harbor city of Dunedin, New Zealand, regularly shuts down roads during the summer months to allow safe passage to wildlife, for no longer than one or two days at a time. This year though, the city council decided to close a popular road for an entire month in order for a sea lion to nest safely with its pup.

“A New Zealand sea lion and her pup have taken up residence at the golf course next door and are regularly crossing the road to get to the beach,” the council said. “You can still visit the area by foot or bicycle, but please give the sea lions lots of space (at least 20m)… New Zealand sea lions are endangered and one of the rarest sea lion species in the world.”

The closure has been welcomed by locals, many of whom urged the council to make it permanent to protect vulnerable wildlife.

Seagrass balls remove millions of plastic particles from the ocean

A recent study from the University of Barcelona shows that underwater seagrass in coastal areas appears to trap plastic pollution in natural bundles of fiber known as “Neptune balls.”

Unaided by humans, seagrass anchored to shallow seabeds may collect as much as 900m plastic items in the Mediterranean alone every year, according to the study. “We show that plastic debris in the seafloor can be trapped in seagrass remains, eventually leaving the marine environment through beaching,” said marine biologist and lead author Anna Sanchez-Vidal.

To better understand the plastic bundling capabilities of seagrass, SanchezVidal and her team studied a species called Posidonia oceanica. Over the course of one year, they counted the number of plastic particles found in seaballs that had washed up on four beaches in Mallorca, Spain.

They discovered that plastic litter was present in half of the loose seagrass leaf samples. About 17 percent of the tighter bundled seagrass fiber known as Neptune balls contained plastic, but at a much higher density.

Estimating how much seagrass fiber the Mediterranean may produce, the scientists calculated that around 900m plastic items could be filtered in the entire basin.

•MJ process, the citizens were able to bypass their political representatives and passed the Voters FIRST Act as Proposition 11 on the 2008 General Election ballot.

Californians had to literally force their legislators to stop rigging the district lines for political purposes and use sensible geographic criteria instead. From the website established by the Citizens Redistrict Commission, we find this description of its job: “The Commission must draw the district lines in conformity with strict, nonpartisan rules designed to create districts of relatively equal population that will provide fair representation for all Californians. The Commission must hold public hearings and accept public comment. After hearing from the public and drawing the maps for the House of Representatives districts, 40 Senate districts, 80 Assembly districts, and four Board of Equalization districts, the Commission must vote on the new maps to be used for the next decade.”

When you stop and think about it, we weren’t supposed to have a permanent political class composed of people who had never worked as a farmer, merchant or other participant in the general society. The idea was that average citizens would leave their normal occupation for a limited time, serve in public office, and then “go back to their plows.” Minority Rule, reinforced with the power to gerrymander, created the self-perpetuating political class.

It is no wonder that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans want to give up the enormous power this has given them – including the power to keep those two political parties forever in power regardless of the shrinking percentage of people who identify with either one! That’s right, a December 17, 2020 Gallup poll revealed that a total of only 56 percent of voters identified as belonging to either party, and showed that the number is declining annually. Yet these two parties share virtually unrestricted control of the nation.

When you realize how gerrymandering enshrines so much power to a minority, for example the 435 congresspeople, you can understand how they get a 90 percent re-election rating even when the Congress itself has abysmally low approval rankings. Clearly, this gerrymandering “must go” so we can Escape Minority Rule.

•MJ

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

21 – 28 January 2021

On Science

by Tom Farr

Tom Farr joined NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1975 and has helped develop the first geologic applications of imaging radar using aircraft, satellites, and the Space Shuttle. He has taught a class on planetary exploration at Santa Barbara City College for more than 10 years. He currently resides in Montecito.

Our Solar System: Mars

O

n July 20, 1976, seven years to the day after humans first walked on the moon, a bunch of us new employees of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory trooped over to Caltech’s Beckman auditorium (the one that looks like a circus tent) to see the first landing of a spacecraft on another planet. Viking 1 was about to touch down on Mars and it didn’t matter that it was three in the morning. We even managed to sneak in a bottle of champagne and waited in the balcony for the big event.

Down on stage was the eminent Mars scientist Tim Mutch commentating on the preparations for landing, how it had to be autonomous as the time lag for radio commands was too long. We had to wait to find out whether the landing was successful, but the first pictures would come through shortly afterward. No one had seen the surface of Mars, though we had some good photos from orbit. But we couldn’t see enough detail from orbit to know whether Viking 1 would land on a smooth plain or a bunch of rocks, ending the mission before it started.

Finally, the landing time came and we waited 20 minutes to find out how it went. Success! And then the first pictures came in. As a geologist, I wanted to know whether we could see evidence of the work of water, as the orbital pictures showed. But the slow scan appearing on the screen showed a plain of rocks. That didn’t stop Dr. Mutch from getting so excited he called out “and we can see light rocks, and dark rocks!” It was a punchline we used for years after.

Viking 2 landed soon after and both landers performed many experiments to help understand Mars’s geology and history. One experiment, designed to see if the soil contained living organisms, seemed to confirm life was present, but later analyses showed that inorganic reactions could produce the same results.

We wouldn’t land again on Mars for 21 years when Mars Pathfinder and its rover Sojourner landed in Ares Vallis. As its name implies, Pathfinder was more of a tech demo, though it performed its tasks perfectly. It demonstrated for the first time an airbag landing, bouncing along the surface after the parachutes released. The lander platform carried the rover, which was about the size of a toaster oven and weighed only 23 pounds. The rover had to communicate with Earth through the lander platform so it couldn’t rove too far.

In the years since, over a dozen spacecraft have orbited Mars and 16 have landed (nine successfully, seven crashed: Mars is hard). And in February, three more spacecraft, from NASA, China, and the United Arab Emirates, will arrive at the Red Planet. NASA’s Perseverance and China’s Tianwen will land on the surface while UAE’s Hope will study the planet from orbit.

So what have we learned about the Red Planet? Well, compared with Earth’s “evil twin” Venus, Mars is downright hospitable. In fact, if you were shown a picture of a Martian landscape and asked where it was taken, you might guess the Mojave Desert, Death Valley, or the Sahara. In fact, many of the geological processes that create and modify our terrestrial desert landscapes also operate on Mars so we planetary geologists spend a lot of time doing fieldwork in those places. But Mars is different too: It’s only about half the size of Earth, and it has some of the most extreme topography anywhere: Hellas impact basin is 23,000 feet deep, while Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the solar system, is 88,000 feet high. Valles Marineris is a rift valley as long as the U.S. is wide and four miles deep. Another big difference is that Mars has very little atmosphere: equivalent to about 100,000 feet altitude on Earth. Combined with its distance from the Sun makes Mars a cold place, and although it can get above freezing in the warmer areas, it goes down to about -195° F at the poles, enough to freeze carbon dioxide (dry ice). The low atmospheric pressure also makes for an interesting situation: liquid water can’t exist at the surface because the pressure is too low. A glass of water placed on the surface would either immediately boil away or first freeze then evaporate like dry ice.

Being farther from the sun than Earth, its year is almost twice that of Earth’s (687 days), but its day is 25 hours, making for a case of continuous jet lag for rover controllers at JPL operating on Mars time. Mars also has a tilt to its axis similar to Earth, so it has seasons – the polar caps come and go 21 – 28 January 2021

as can be seen even in small telescopes.

The biggest mystery of Mars has been why do we see river valleys and ocean shorelines all over Mars when liquid water can’t flow on its surface.

Early on, some scientists proposed that it was liquid hydrocarbons, but finally we realized through further measurements and modeling that Mars lost a thick atmosphere in its first billion years because it had no magnetic field to shield it from the solar wind. The atmosphere literally blew away.

In 2004, the rovers Spirit and Opportunity helped cement the notion of an early watery Mars when they found layered outcrops that were set down by flowing water and modified later by percolating fluids. Layered outcrops are the holy grail for geologists as we try to put them together into a stratigraphy defining the history of a place. I like to call the layers ‘pages in the book of Mars’ as we try to piece together the story of the planet. We found a mountain in the center of Gale crater that showed from orbit layers of Mars history from the wet times to the dry times and now the Curiosity rover is slowly climbing Mount Sharp (named after one of my Caltech professors), reading those chapters and pages.

Early on, some scientists proposed that it was liquid hydrocarbons, but finally we realized through further measurements and modeling that Mars lost a thick atmosphere in its first billion years because it had no magnetic field to shield it from the solar wind

Now that we’ve established that liquid water existed for a long period on Mars’ surface, the obvious next question is: did life evolve? And if life ever existed, there may be fossils. This has also increased the possibility that life could currently exist in places more hospitable than the surface, like subsurface hot springs. Perseverance is the next step toward answering those questions. It will land on delta deposits (just like the Mississippi Delta) in Jezero crater. The rover includes a microscope to examine rocks for small fossils and an internal chemistry lab to analyze samples for organic molecules. In a first for a Mars mission, Perseverance will select rocks for further analysis back on Earth and cache them for pick up by a Mars Sample Return mission sometime in the future.

Another first for the Perseverance rover is that it will carry a small helicopter called Ingenuity that will be used to capture aerial HD video as well as help plan rover traverses. While we’ve added lots of smarts to our rovers, we still worry about them driving autonomously too far, so Ingenuity will help move the rover more quickly over the Martian terrain.

Mars is well positioned in the evening sky these days – you can see its ruddy hue high up in the southern sky, but you’ll have to imagine the small armada approaching their February rendezvous.

•MJ

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MONTECITO JOURNAL

27

Dear Montecito

by Stella Pierce

Montecito Alumni Write Letters from Life’s Front

M

y mom, Carrie Haffner, has two stickers on her car.

One is a harbor pass that expired six years ago, the other is a Bucket Brigade magnet. She likes both and says she keeps them because they “show other people that we’re locals.”

This week we’re hearing from an old classmate of mine, Laguna Blanca alumna, and current student at the University of San Diego, Isabelle Davenport. I was grateful when Isabelle agreed to share her experiences following the 2018 debris flow because I knew what she has to say would resonate.

Between the challenge of applying to college during evacuation, the guilt precipitated from being unharmed by the natural disasters, and Isabelle Davenport graduated from Laguna Blanca in 2018, her work with the Bucket a few months after the Thomas Fire and debris flow

Let’s discuss your real estate needs.

The Morehart Group Mitch Morehart Beverly Palmer Susan Pate Paige Marshall

28 MONTECITO JOURNAL

805.452.7985 themorehartgroup.com themorehartgroup@compass.com DRE 01130349 | 01319565 | 00828316

Brigade, I think Isabelle’s letter is a strong representation of the complex and evolving relationship us locals have with the outdoors.

Dear Montecito,

I moved here from Des Moines, Iowa when I was 12 years old. Nine years later, I am in my final few semesters at the University of San Diego where I am majoring in English with a minor in Psychology. And let me say, it’s strange to be rounding the corner to graduation again when I remember what my senior year in high school was like.

I graduated from Laguna Blanca in 2018, a few months following the Thomas Fire and the mudslides. Despite the natural disasters, my family and I were extremely fortunate. The afternoon before the big storm, my dad had decided to stay at the house while my mom, sister, and I stayed at a hotel. Like many people, we did not have flood insurance, so my dad wanted to make sure the water was able to drain away from the house. When we woke up the next morning, the news was terrifying as reporters showed that pieces of our town that had once been very familiar were now unrecognizable from mud and rocks. We could not get a hold of my dad for hours, and we had no way of knowing what had happened to our house.

That day, we stared at the TV for hours, hoping to get more information.

Eventually, we got a garbled voicemail from my dad telling us that he was okay and that our house was also in one piece. Even though several houses surrounding our own had been destroyed, our house had been spared. We didn’t even have mud on our property. Of course, I was thankful that we’d been left alone, but I also felt very guilty that so many others had lost so much. When I had the chance to help rebuild my community, I immediately said yes and joined Bucket Brigade. It was nice to give back a little.

Between school and my job taking over most of my weekend hours, I didn’t have as many chances to work on Bucket Brigade as I would’ve liked.

But each time I did, I found it very rewarding. I remember one friend’s house in particular. Luckily the mud hadn’t managed to creep inside, so I was there helping to remove it from the outside of the house. It was nearly five feet tall in several areas and not at all what you’d expect. I remember the smell of the mud. It was awful. I think it’s because of things like that that made me so happy to help others who’d been affected. I feel grateful, especially after seeing how damaging and toxic mud could be. It was both a very humbling and rewarding experience.

Now that I’m at USD, it’s even more strange looking back to a point where college was everything I was thinking about. Or had been anyway. As my family and I stayed in hotels and the homes of friends for several weeks, the displacement began to sap my motivation. At school, I had a really hard time focusing and honestly caring about what had been important. Even though college had been the number one goal all throughout high school, I nearly forgot about it. I nearly did not apply to USD at all, but luckily remembered two hours before the deadline.

I was accepted into USD’s Honors Program, and even though I barely applied, I chose that college the minute I walked onto campus. It was gorgeous, with a lovely overlook on the ocean. Since moving out here, the outdoors has been a huge part of my life. My house in Montecito is only a mile away from the Romero Canyon trailhead and throughout high school I’d gotten really into trail running. I always wanted to do and see more. This forms a large part of my plans for the future.

After USD, I plan to apply to law school. My dad is a lawyer, and he has always encouraged me to consider law school. I used to tell him no, but now I’m seriously considering it. I’m not set on a specific type of law yet, but I realized this was a serious interest of mine, partly after taking a course called “Psychology in Legal Contexts,” which I found fascinating. I’m studying for the LSAT next semester, but until then, I have backpacking on the mind!

My boyfriend, John, and I spent some time in Silverthorne, Colorado recently. The several hikes we had over those three days were my absolute favorite part of the trip. We were at 10,000 feet at a site that intersected with the Continental Divide Trail at many parts. I just knew I needed to come back to those beautiful mountains, so I started doing some research. The Continental Divide Trail starts in New Mexico and ends at the border of Canada, passing through many states I’ve never been to but would like to go. The experiences I’ve had at previous trips and outdoor programs have given me the tools to take on more ambitious backpacking trips, so before I set my sights on law school, I think it’s time for another adventure.

Yours, Isabelle P.S. Parents of Montecito children, if you have recommendations on people to feature in “Dear Montecito” please contact me, stellajanepierce@ gmail.com •MJ

“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written.” – Melody Beattie

21 – 28 January 2021

JUST ADDED VIRTUAL EVENTS

FEB - MAR Winter Virtual Pack $60 (Includes the six virtual events slated for Feb - Mar)

Single tickets start at $10 UCSB students: FREE! (Registration required)

Leading activists, creatives and thinkers confront racism in America, guiding us towards racial equality.

More events will be announced soon.

Feb 2 / 7 PM Pacific

Feb 5 / 5 PM Pacific

Anna Deavere Smith

Minnijean Brown-Trickey

Feb 11 / 5 PM Pacific

Return to Little Rock: A Seminal Moment in American Civil Rights and Education

W. Kamau Bell

Feb 23 / 5 PM Pacific

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Dr. Mae Jemison

LaToya Ruby Frazier

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Notes From the Field / Snapshots: Portraits of a World in Transition

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(805) 893-3535 | www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu 21 – 28 January 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

29

Miscellany (Continued from page 21)

The series, written by Daniel Goldfarb of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, also stars Isabella Rossellini and Bebe Neuwirth.

Paul Walker’s Shelby Cobra

limited menu of the bar’s most popular cocktails, wines, and beers.

The Miramar Food Truck, conveniently parked adjacent to the bar, will continue to serve existing to-go offerings, including casual comfort foods – burgers, tacos, salads – as well as Paul Walker’s exotic Shelby Cobra up for grabs (photo: mecum. com)

The late Santa Barbara actor Paul Walker was an avid car collector and one of his prized autos is coming up for auction.

The Fast & Furious franchise star, who died in a car accident in 2013 in Santa Clarita aged 40, had a number of exotic cars in his collection, including the 1965 Shelby Cobra.

One of only 14 produced in the signature paint color of Ferrari and the interior is dressed in the saddle leather tan of classic Ferrari cabin schemes.

The Cobra features a 550 horsepower V8 engine and a Tremec five-speed manual gearbox.

It is being auctioned by the auction house Mecum in Glendale in March.

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30 MONTECITO JOURNAL

Carpinteria Oscar-winning actor Kevin Costner, who owns a beach house on Padaro Lane, is suing a former business partner who helped propel him to stardom for $15 million, after the latter allegedly refused to relinquish stock in a company Costner, 65, is attempting to dissolve.

He asked Jim Wilson to be his partner in his production company, Good Ones Production, in 1992, but is now attempting to dissolve the organization and retrieve the stock Wilson acquired in the company, according to People.

However, Costner claims Wilson has refused to turn over the stock, and is now suing him for conversion, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and unjust enrichment.

The lawsuit alleges Wilson demanded $500,000 for the stock and made derogatory comments about the actor.

Christie’s is selling 106 Chanel pieces from the collection of Susan Gutfreund (photo: christies.com)

New York auction house Christie’s is selling more than 100 pieces of rare vintage Chanel jewelry estimated to be worth more than $163,000.

The 106-piece hoard of designer necklaces, earrings, brooches, and more comes from the collection of Susan Gutfreund, an interior designer and Manhattan socialite, who was a good friend of the Kate fan fluttering Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld.

Susan’s late husband, John Gutfreund, was CEO of the investment bank Salomon Brothers, who was dubbed The King of Wall Street

by Business Week, before he died in 2016 aged 86.

I used to know the dynamic duo quite well given their son, Peter, was a fellow student of my godson, Carlitos Curkin, at Buckley, the elite Upper Eastside prep school.

They lived in great splendor in a 12,000 sq. ft. Fifth Avenue apartment, which later sold for $53 million, and an equally magnificent Paris townhouse. They even rented

“Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, do it. Make your mistakes next year and forever.” – Neil Gaiman

the Duke of Marborough’s country home, Blenheim Palace, for a lavish bash and the Musee Carnavalet in Paris for John’s 60th birthday, even buying two seats on Concorde for the cake and its baker to be flown in from New York.

Never Say Never

Montecito actress Gwyneth Paltrow says she’s no longer comfortable in front of the camera.

The Oscar winner, 48, tells former supermodel Naomi Campbell, 50, in an internet interview that she’d have to be the writer.

“But that’s sort of it. If my husband, Brad Falchuk, writes something and he wants me to do it then I’d do it.

“I could never say never. I would like to go back on stage one day. I really loved doing theater.”

Gwyneth, whose last film was 2019’s Avengers: Endgame is now focusing on her global lifestyle brand, Goop, worth $250 million.

Remembering Eve

Chock Full of Chanel

Cocktails at Caruso’s

Rick Caruso’s Rosewood Miramar beach bar is now open for walk-up service for locals and guests alike, given the pandemic.

A full bar is available, in addition to a

Legal Dispute for Costner

On a personal note, I mark the passing of the extraordinary Eve Branson, mother of Virgin Atlantic tycoon Sir Richard Branson, 70, who has died at the age 96 after a valiant coronavirus battle.

Over the years I met the former ballet dancer who gave her son 100 pounds to start his Virgin empire, a number of times, the last being at a party in Beverly Hills to celebrate her new cooperative to help Berber tribeswomen in Morocco, near Richard’s Kasbah Tamadot resort outside Marrakech, market their carpets through her eponymous foundation.

Having been a guest on many of his inaugural Virgin Atlantic flights, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as staying at his private Caribbean retreat, Necker Island, in the British Virgin Islands, I met Eve and her late barrister husband Ted, who died in 2011.

Eve, who experienced a very colorful life, was one helluva lady who took glider lessons disguised as a boy in her youth, served in the Royal Navy in World War II, and was an air hostess for British South America Airways.

She was also an avid croquet, golf and tennis player in her later years, and at the of 89 penned her amusing autobiography Mum’s The Word: The High Flying Adventures of Eve Branson.

Sightings are suspended during the total lockdown ordered by Governor Gavin Newsom, hopefully to return in due course.

Pip! Pip! - Be safe and wear a mask.

•MJ 21 – 28 January 2021

Ernie’s World

- VIRTUAL EVENTS by Ernie Witham

Read more exciting adventures in Ernie’s World the Book and A Year in the Life of a “Working” Writer. Both available at amazon.com or erniesworld.com.

A Paint in the Neck

F

Isabel Wilkerson

or five nights, my wife and I slept in the guestroom, while relatives slept in our room. “This bed is too hard. My back is killing me,” Pat said.

“How are you holding up?”

I could have said: “Fine. You probably just slept wrong.” Instead I said: “My neck’s a bit sore.”

Two days later we dragged the kingsized mattress, base, and frame to the curb. The room looked really empty now and the skylight was in need of paint. I could never get to it before because the bed was in the way. I got out my 30-year-old, cheapest-one-Icould-find-at-the-time, wobbly wooden stepladder. It was too short.

“Gonna need an eight-footer,” I said in my deepest DIY voice and headed Ernie at home with his eight-footer covering his walls with several gallons of JoJoba green off to the closest hardware store.

“Through the double doors,” they told me. I ended up in the garden section.

I asked another person. “Through the double doors,” they told me. I ended up in an alcove. I asked another person. “Through the...” Right. I ended up in the warehouse finally finding a few ladders off in a corner. There were no salespeople. And no prices. I located a small chart on the wall. The fiberglass ladder I wanted was $149. Too much. I found an aluminum one for $99. I took it to the front of the store, carefully maneuvering through the narrow aisles. “’Scuse me.

Pardon me. Sorry.” At the register the cashier said. “That will be $149.”

“The chart said $99.” Ten minutes later, a manager arrived, looked at the cash register and said: “Yup, it’s $149.” “The cart said $99,” I repeated. “You must have read it wrong,” she said cheerily. “You should have asked for help.”

I left the ladder at the register and drove to Home Depot. As I walked in I spotted a guy in a checkout line with exactly the fiberglass ladder I wanted. It rang up for $99. Ha! Lucky I didn’t buy that other one. I went to the ladder section. It was empty. That guy bought the last eight-foot fiberglass ladder in the store. If I had gone there first, it would have been mine. “Arrgggh!”

At home I checked online. Home Depot would ship one to me for free. Yay! In three weeks. Boo! Turns out they had a few in Oxnard and I ordered one for curbside pickup. I measured the inside of my CRV. Eight feet and a couple of inches from front to rear window.

“I’m here for curbside pickup,” I told a guy in front of the store. “Through the double doors,” he said. Inside the sign read: pickups and returns. I got behind a guy returning a dripping water heater. Things could be worse, I guess. Couple hours later, I wrestled the ladder into the room and was inside the skylight, paint running down my arm, but I had done it!

“Wow,” Pat said. “The ceiling looks really bad now that the skylight is so white.”

We headed back to Home Depot for more paint, brushes, rollers, trays. It took several coats to cover, but by the next evening I was through, holding my lower back, trying to figure where I was going to store my new eight-foot stepladder.

I looked around. “I know what you’re thinking,” Pat said. “We should do the walls, too. How about a nice green?”

The guy at Home Depot said: “Welcome back.” We bought several gallons of JoJoba green, more rollers, and a new tray. When I got home, I sighed. In the 20 years or so since the last paint job, we had filled the wall with all kinds of objects. It took several hours to get them all down.

“Wow, that’s a lot of holes, huh?” Pat said. “Did we buy spackle?”

“Hey Pat and Ernie,” the paint department guys said in unison. “Great day for home projects right?”

Three days and a bottle of Ibuprofen later, the job was done. “Perfect timing,” Pat said. “The new twin beds just arrived.” The four boxes were huge and flat.

“Some assembly required,” it said on the outside. As I dragged the last box in, Pat said: “Hmm, I think we need all new art for the new walls and beds, don’t you?”

“Up to you,” I told her. “I’m never sleeping in this room again.”

•MJ 21 – 28 January 2021

Pulitzer Prize-winning Author

Caste: The Origins of our Discontents

Tue, Jan 26 / 5 PM Pacific $10 / UCSB students: FREE! (UCSB student registration required)

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, Isabel Wilkerson examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America.

New York Times Crossword Editor and NPR Puzzlemaster

Puzzles & Ping-Pong with Will Shortz Thu, Jan 28 / 5 PM Pacific

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• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

31

On Entertainment Go with Gordon: Christmas in January

by Steven Libowitz

S

ure, Christmas is almost a month in the rear-view mirror. Yes, Estella Scrooge, which takes place on a present-day December 24-25, is absolutely meant to be a Yuletide holiday story. But if you have yet to see this clever mashup of A Christmas Carol with several of Charles Dickens’ other books, now would be a very good time to do so. Because not only will the filmed hybrid streaming version go on hiatus until next winter at the end of the month, but several of the local theater organizations are currently offering a 45 percent discount to stream it now (employing the code DICKENS45 Creator-composer-lyricist Paul Gordon makes rental pricing as low as $16.50 and the VIP package featuring unlimited viewings, free download of the original cast CD and additional behind-thescenes footage available for $24.75).

Choosing the Rubicon Theatre provides the added bonus of a bit of payback for the company where the show originated back in 2012 before going on an eight-year journey to Broadway that instead wound up as a brilliantly inventive COVID-coping hybrid. That’s where creator-composer-lyricist Paul Gordon and Tony-winning (Les Misérables) director-co-writer John Caird first workshopped Estella Scrooge, then known as Little Miss Scrooge, following a successful initial partnership at RTC with their original musical Daddy Long Legs.

Scrooge is the first digital theater piece filmed entirely during the pandemic, smartly employing cutting-edge technology to merge footage of the actors – 24 Broadway veterans – performing solo in front of a green screen with 3-D surreal digital environments created in post-production. It’s surreal but surprisingly effective, given that the second half is dominated by the appearance of the three Christmas Eve ghosts.

Gordon, whose credits also include musical adaptations of Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma (which the Ensemble Theatre premiered locally last February just before the initial pandemic shutdown), talked about the show’s concept and creation and the execution of the currently streaming hybrid over the phone from his New Jersey home last weekend.

Q. What sparked the idea of a musical mashup of the Dickens’ books?

A. John and I saw a Christmas musical together back when there really weren’t many of them, and were really disappointed. I started wondering what would be a great concept for a new one. I think I was inspired by doing a Dickensian mashup by seeing Into the Woods, starting with A Christmas Carol, but putting several of the novels together, using those characters and fun situations and making it contemporary. I wrote the first draft of it and showed it to John and he’s a Dickens scholar, having directed Nicholas Nickleby with Trevor Nunn. He brought this incredible layer of deep knowledge about the novels.

We just started wondering, wouldn’t it be fun if we did this? We spent years developing it into what it is now – a thoughtful, politically-edged Dickens story that is very appropriate to our times, perhaps even more so than it was when we wrote it in 2010.

The songs are so fun, and when the ghosts come in, the parodying of pop genres is a riot. How did you get the idea to re-imagine the ghosts that way?

It was a really fun show to write, partly because as you know my roots are in pop music. It was the first musical where I could write the way I wrote when I was growing up. There’s lots of typical musical theater songs in the show, but there’s just some straight-ahead rock, too. Doing it on film let the rock songs really shine, because with the digital design, we could go wild with it and make the ghosts really powerful and exciting.

How were you guys able to get hands-on with the shoot given the restrictions due to COVID? It was pretty crazy. The filming was at a small green screen studio in Harlem.

I was on my couch in New Jersey. John was in London directing from his living room, the producers were all over New York, or Los Angeles. And we spent all day on Zoom watching and being in contact with each other.

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Was there some disappointment at having to have Estella Scrooge’s big debut happen online?

Actually, there’s a great compatibility between streaming and live theater.

That’s been the missing element of live theater that can make it sustain itself financially because it’s ridiculously difficult for regional theaters and Broadway shows to be successful. With a big New York musical most of the time the investors spend millions and lose it all if it isn’t a hit right away. That is just a crazy business model and it’s why 99.9 percent of musicals written never get there even though there are some very beautiful shows that play for three weeks or a month, and then they’re gone forever. Streaming provides a way to get your show out to people, make back some of the money, keep paying the actors via residuals, and then maybe be able to mount live productions regionally or even on Broadway.

Why do you think your approach to turning classic books into musicals works so well?

Well, you know, I wasn’t really a Jane Austen fan growing up. I literally just saw the movie Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow and had the idea it would make a great musical. I wanted to try to adapt it myself. With musicals, it’s knowing which parts to musicalize and how to tell these stories in a succinct way. So I did Emma, and Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice (which are also available at StreamingMusicals.com along with Gordon’s original mystery musical No One Called Ahead).

Backing up, you had a couple of No. 1 hits as a songwriter, which is also rare. Why did you leave that side of things to have to play the lottery again with musicals?

It’s a question I’ve asked myself many times, but the answer is just I didn’t find any artistic fulfillment in pop music by the time I left, which was around when American Idol started. Pop music was going to this place where it was very sterile. I grew up with Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell and Brian Wilson and Burt Bacharach, the most incredible pop music ever. But it got too commercialized. Also, I got really tired of writing about myself. How many breakups can I write about?

When I opened Jane Eyre and started reading Charlotte Brontë’s prose I realized I could write songs from her thoughts that were still coming from my own artistic sensibility, and it opened up an entire new world to me where I was inspired the way I had been when I was fourteen. So I let go of a very lucrative pop career, but I’m much happier and I’m much more artistically fulfilled. So even though there are still struggles from time to time, I know that I’m on the right task. But that’s why my goal is to try to make our industry more sustainable, accessible, and affordable so that more people could make a living creating music and theater and art that we can share with more people. That’s literally my life’s goal now.

Out of Africa

Local actor-playwright Ed Giron leads a three-person cast when Topanga Actors Company presents Morocco, Allan Havis’ 1986 mystery, for two free online performances this weekend. The play won awards from HBO and the Kennedy Center 35 years ago and remains relevant as the compelling drama about Americans abroad examines attitudes in the international community towards our culturally foreign prejudices and presumptions. The New York Times lauded Morocco as “an absorbing cat-and-mouse game in which one cannot always distinguish the cat from the mouse… Havis artfully weaves a web of suspicion around his three principal characters and repeatedly encourages the audience’s sense of wariness leading the audience into his labyrinth… A Pinteresque puzzle, the play is concerned with politics and terrorism as well as with the polarities of personalities that can inhabit a marriage.”

Natalia Lazarus and Aaron Stall co-star in the play that will be directed by Stephen Hoye and produced via Zoom at 7 pm on Saturday-Sunday, January 23-24. Visit facebook.com/TopangaActorsCompany to find information on how to watch.

Theatrical Teens Take to the Pen

Is there a budding playwright – perhaps one who might someday be as successful as Paul Gordon – among the teenagers in your household? Ensemble Theatre Company is now accepting applications for its 4th Annual Young Playwrights’ Festival for aspiring writers aged 13-19. The four-month-long program provides young writers a safe and nurturing environment in which to learn the craft of playwriting – with a bonus. As part of the process, the participants each develop a 10-minute play that is subsequently produced and staged with professional directors and actors for public audiences.

“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” – Vern McLellan

On Entertainment Page 364 364

21 – 28 January 2021

NOSH TOWN VENTURING OUT FOR A BITE

by Claudia Schou

CRAVEABLE CARRYOUT: COLOSSAL BURGERS, SPICY VEGAN POP-UPS, AND SAVORY PIZZA PIES

I

t’s only natural to seek solace in food during an isolating winter. But with an ongoing regional ban on both indoor and outdoor dining severely affecting Santa Barbara’s restaurant scene, doing so has become much more challenging. Many restaurants continue to offer both take-out and delivery service, even offering wine, beer, and cocktails to go. If you don’t have the time or energy to go out, have food brought to your doorstep. So, take a break from self-quarantining. We’ve put together a list of local eateries with exceptional takeout offerings to help ease our minds and fill our bellies during the pandemic.

MONTECITO MESA BURGER ntil recently you could enjoy colossal gourmet burgers and locally brewed beer on the popular patio of this upscale burger joint, co-owned by celebrity chef Cat Cora. The latest restrictions haven’t slowed orders, so call ahead or be prepared to wait in line. All burgers are served on fresh brioche bread with a side of signature fries.

Popular To-Go Items: The Montecito Burger includes glazed mushrooms, grilled onions, arugula, goat cheese, truffle aioli, and it’s topped with a single fried onion ring ($15.25). Shoreline Veggie Burger combines pickled red onions, arugula, salsa verde and red pepper hummus ($15.25); and Iron Chef

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Cat Cora’s Slider Flight is a trio of the house’s best sellers ($17.50).

Reason to order: You’re craving a juicy backyard burger, all dressed up with gourmet toppings and ready to devour.

1209 Coast Village Road. To order, visit mesaburger.com, or call 805-565-0642.

BETTINA his chic trattoria gets its inspiration from the owners’ travels in Italy, experiences living in New York City, and the abundance of amazing produce growing in Santa Barbara. The pepperoni is a perennial favorite, but there are always a few seasonal pies inspired by the farmer’s market.

Popular To-Go Items: Wood-fired Ezzo sausage pepperoni, Bianco di Napoli tomato sauce, and hand-pulled mozzarella on naturally leavened pizza dough ($20); Baby Gems from Roots Organic Farm, pickled onions, goat cheddar, cucumbers, radishes, carrots, and house ranch dressing ($16); and Niman Ranch beef and pork meatballs made with fresh egg, milk, sourdough bread crumbs, onions, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, and harissa marinara ($17).

Reason to order: Bring the eatery’s chic vibe home by adding California wines, specialty cocktails, artisanal cheeses, and other gourmet treats – all the makings for one fun and fabulous self-catered meal!

1014 Coast Village Road at Montecito Country Mart. Order online at bettinapizzeria.com, or call 805-770-2383.

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DOWNTOWN SANTA BARBARA OLIO E LIMONE RISTORANTE, OLIO BOTTEGA & OLIO PIZZERIA live oil and lemon are essential ingredients at these bustling go-to eateries, specializing in Sicilian fare such as red sauce dishes, meatball plates, sautéed and grilled seafood, and wood-fired pizzas. There are antipasti, salads, and soups to enjoy too, along with lots of

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Nosh Page 444

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ridleytreecc.org 540 W. Pueblo Street Ridley-Tree Cancer Center provides patients with every opportunity for a successful outcome. Access to advanced treatments and technol0gy, national clinical trials, and research-based supportive care and wellness programs, right here in Santa Barbara.

21 – 28 January 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

In partnership with

MONTECITO JOURNAL

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The Giving List

by Steven Libowitz

AHA!

I

t wouldn’t be an exaggeration to suggest that to many folks in our community, everyone who works at AHA! could be called a hero. After all, the Santa Barbara nonprofit equips teenagers – and often their teachers and parents – with social and emotional intelligence, using the five pillars of mindfulness, awareness, connection, empathy, and resilience to dismantle apathy, prevent despair, and interrupt hate-based behavior.

Over its 22 years, AHA!, which stands for Attitude-Harmony-Achievement, has provided social-emotional learning (SEL) to more than 25,000 students at local middle and high schools, producing stunning self-esteem raising results that not only have reduced violent incidents on school campuses but also dramatically improved the lives of teenagers and those they touch, all from a staff that alumni almost universally praise as caring, dedicated, and graceful. Talk about heroic!

But heroes are also the catchword for the new program AHA! has produced in response to the pandemic shutting down the possibility of in-person connection on campuses and at its headquarters – the mainstay of its normal in- and after-school programs, which have largely migrated to online. Seeking a way to bring large groups of students together for online gatherings to provide hope, inspiration, positivity, and a sense of purpose as well as connection to help students cope in these decidedly isolating times, the nonprofit came up with the AHA! Hero Assemblies for the new academic year.

The virtual assemblies feature short video presentations from selected speakers drawn from a wide variety of celebrities, many with local connections, including actors Mary Louise Parker, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Dakota Lotus, author-newsman Van Jones, former Santa Barbara City Fire Chief Pat McElroy, civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, activist-filmmaker Valarie Kaur, and about 120 others. The program starts with one or two videos from the luminaries who have been filmed offering thoughtful, heartfelt (but non-politically partisan) answers to the question: “What does a hero look like to you these days?”

After watching the video, the students and teachers join small breakout groups of no more than seven participants where an AHA! facilitator leads discussions addressing related questions about character, facing adversity, social inclusion, and community.

“It’s just a really great way to connect deeply with one another and talk about what it means to be a hero, and access that part of yourself,” said Molly Green, AHA!’s Development Director and one of its facilitators. “We talk about how you can be a hero even if you’re struggling yourself, and discuss what ways people have shown up for you and how you like to show up for others. Every person in the group answers the questions in these little connection circles.”

Then everyone returns to the big group and watches another set of videos

AH a!

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ace Builders

year Conference 2020

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A H a!

before re-joining the breakout session for another series of questions that go a little bit deeper, Green said.

“What we want the teens to recognize is that every single person has a seed within them to step up and be a hero,” she said. “One of the people on the videos said sometimes being a hero is just getting out of bed in the morning. That is a really valuable lesson for young people who might be feeling so much anxiety Attitude.

Achieveme just to recognize that there are things that they can Harmony. do in their lives every day that makes them a hero. It’s about how they can help their family, their school community, and the wider community, just getting them to think about how they can be empowered even by helping their parents do the dishes, which can really make a big difference because parents are struggling along with everybody else. Shifting the focus on individual responsibility and initiative is a really powerful message.”

The 75-minute AHA! Hero Assemblies – which each encompass 170 participants at a time plus 25-28 staff members – have proved popular across the board, Green said. “Administrators, teachers, and students all just really, really love it. Students are saying it’s the first time that they’re able to have any kind of intimate connection with others in their grade, many of whom they may have never met before because they’re in a new school. Because they’re being vulnerable and really open in these small groups of their peers, it just binds them together in a way that they haven’t had an opportunity to do in an (online) classroom.”

The AHA! Hero Assemblies have already reached thousands of students across campuses in town and the organization has plans to expand to other schools across the county, as well as, perhaps, around the country, since Zoom has no distance issues. Non-school connected adults will also have their first opportunity to get a taste of the program on February 18 when AHA! hosts its first assembly open to the general public. Green said that the event, which will be offered twice during the evening, will serve as a fundraiser only via a “soft ask” at the end as admission is free.

Donations are more than welcome, Green said, noting that AHA! has had to cancel all of its fundraising events – including the annual Sing It Out performance at the Lobero – for the foreseeable future. But awareness and community connection are more important.

“We want adults to experience the same thing that the teens have been getting,” she said. “That’s always the best way to sell our programs in anything we do.”

(Visit www.ahasb.org to find out more about any of AHA!’s programs.

Email Green at Molly@ahasb.org for details about the public AHA! Hero Assemblies.)

•MJ

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on.” – Hal Borland

on the Double Dolphi

21 – 28 January 2021

Brilliant Thoughts

by Ashleigh Brilliant Born London, 1933. Mother Canadian. Father a British civil servant. World War II childhood spent mostly in Toronto and Washington, D.C. Berkeley PhD. in American History, 1964. Living in Santa Barbara since 1973. No children.

Best-known for his illustrated epigrams, called “Pot-Shots”, now a series of 10,000.

Email ashleigh@west.net or visit www.ashleighbrilliant.com

World Wars Re-Numbered

M

ost of us grew up thinking that there were two World Wars, the first in 1914-18, called the Great War, which became World War I, when its successor of 1939-45 qualified as Number Two. But let me tell you how I came to question that whole idea.

My father’s elder brother, Mortimer Brilliant, was, like him, a British career Civil Servant. They’d both been soldiers in that War of 1914-18, but my father managed to remain safely behind the lines, while Uncle Mort saw much more action. He was actually one of the troops, under General Allenby, who, in December 1917, took Jerusalem from the Turks.

(My father, Victor Brilliant, made up for that excitement in 1941, when he nearly lost his life as passenger on a merchant ship torpedoed by a German U-boat.)

Uncle Mort and his wife were childless, but I was their godson. Mort was

quite a formidable character, and I was never quite sure what being his godson entitled me to. He lived into his nineties, and, just once, I mustered courage to ask him to leave me his house in his will. (It wasn’t a very distinguished house, but was in the same part of North-West London where I’d spent my earliest and happiest years, in a house of which my parents had lost possession, after it was “requisitioned” for a bombed-out family, while we were away in America.)

My uncle made no commitment, and, in the event, he left the house to a Jewish charity. All I got were personal papers, and some books. Perhaps feeling bitter about the house, I wasn’t interested in the papers, and donated them to a Jewish Museum in London.

I kept the books, but hardly ever looked at them. They were mostly “prizes” Mort had won at school, for distinctions like “conduct, diligence, and punctuality.”

Recently, however, I got interested in the works of Thomas Babington, Lord Macaulay, the great British historian and essayist, and I remembered that among Mort’s prize books was a volume of Macaulay’s essays.

Almost at random, I chose to read one about Frederick the Great, who was King of Prussia from 1740 to 1786. And there I came upon a passage which I remembered having seen quoted, probably more than once. It said that, as a result of Frederick’s provocative actions, “The whole world sprang to arms...

In a war which raged during many years and in every quarter of the globe, black men fought on the coast of Coromandel [in SW India], and red men scalped each other by the Great Lakes of North America.”

War on that global scale was something new in History. Looking further into this conflict, I found it usually referred to as the “Seven Years War,” but, in the American part, as the “French and Indian War.” (It’s also known as “The War of the Austrian succession.) It actually appears to have been really started, not by Frederick the Great, but (incredibly) by a young George Washington. Moreover, it really lasted, not seven years, but nine (1754-1763). It involved all five of what were then the Great Powers.

And it spanned five continents, affect-

“They Get to Know Your Business”

ing Europe, the Americas, West Africa, India and the Philippines. Winston Churchill, himself a respected historian, referred to it as the first World War. I couldn’t possibly detail for you here how the whole debacle unfolded.

But I can tell you that the opening shots were fired in 1754, between French troops, asserting France’s claim to the Ohio Valley, and Virginians (then, of course, still British) commanded by the 22-year-old George Washington.

But the whole conflict – in which Britain and Prussia (there wasn’t yet a “Germany”) opposed France, Austria, and Spain – spread to Europe, and then to wherever the European powers had interests, including the Caribbean, West Africa, and the Philippines.

In 1759, General Wolfe’s capture of Quebec determined, in effect, that the whole of Canada would be British (as it still officially is). But it wasn’t until 1763 that the entire conflict was settled, in a Treaty of Paris.

Under that treaty, there was much re-drawing of colonial lines, generally in favor of Britain. Instead of Canada, France was happy to retain the rich sugar islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, which are still French territory to this day.

But what stays with me, thanks to Uncle Mort and Lord Macaulay, is that the World War of three centuries ago really should count as the First. •MJ

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• The Voice of the Village •

AmericanRiviera.Bank 805.965.5942 Santa Barbara • Montecito • Goleta San Luis Obispo • Paso Robles MONTECITO JOURNAL

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On Entertainment (Continued from page 32 32)) The program features weekly classroom instruction – initially online over Zoom – focusing on the study of playwriting techniques, a brief history of American theater and a lively forum for discussion and critique of student work. Next comes one-on-one mentoring from a professional playwright to help students engage in the revision process of their 10-minute piece before the students participate in a live casting session with professional actors, develop a creative collaboration with an experienced theater director and actors to produce the live staged reading in late May – in-person on the stage of The New Vic if the pandemic permits – and close by participating in an on-stage talk-back session with audience members.

The free program accepts up to 20 students from Santa Barbara County. The deadline to apply online at https://etcsb.org is January 31.

Suite Swinging ‘Sounds of Democracy’

The actual sounds of democracy have been heard all over Washington, D.C. this month, with the culmination of a (hopefully) peaceful transition to a new presidential administration slated to take place just before this issue hit the printer’s press. What a great time for UCSB Arts & Lectures’ Thematic Learning Initiative series to reprise the livestream video of Wynton Marsalis and a seven-member edition of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performing its “The Sounds of Democracy” program. The concert featured “The Democracy Suite,” a new Marsalis composition written during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis as a response to the political, social, and economic struggles facing our nation, rendered as a swinging and stimulating instrumental rumination on the issues that have recently dominated our lives as well as the beauty that could emerge from a collective effort to create a better future. The free rebroadcast, which also includes the hour-long conversation and Q&A with Wynton Marsalis moderated by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dr. Jeffrey Stewart, available through January 21, also takes the place of what would have been a February 3 concert at the Granada from the Pulitzer Prize winning Marsalis returns and the 15-member strong orchestra as part of the Race to Justice series. Register at https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu.

Special events as part of the JLCO’s year-long residency also continue virtually, as experts from the orchestra’s Jazz Academy in New York lead free online sessions to elevate musicianship, broaden perspectives and spread the gospel of jazz through various educational programs for everyone from toddlers to adults. Visit https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu for details and registration.

Art and Shutdown

New York art critic Lauren O’Neill-Butler reflects on the highs and lows as well as the lessons she learned while writing art criticism during the COVID19 lockdown in 2020. An independent writer, editor, educator, and a cofounder of November magazine, O’Neill-Butler’s writing has appeared in publications ranging from Art Journal to The New York Times. From 2008 to 2019, she worked as an editor at Artforum and last year received a Warhol Foundation Art Writers Grant. A book of her collected interviews with women-identified artists will be published later this year by KARMA. Reserve tickets for the free talk, which is part of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Zoom lecture series on a wide variety of art-related topics, online at www.sbma.net.

Pointers on Point Conception

Barely 50 miles from downtown Santa Barbara is one of the most fascinating and important parts of the California coastline. Point Conception is the headland where the coast transitions between north-south and east-west orientation, a very rare delineation that works as a natural division between Southern and Northern California. It also marks the location of the treacherous waters where the Santa Barbara Channel and Pacific Ocean meet on the western edge of Santa Barbara County, long a dangerous zone for mariners, leading to its nickname as The Cape Horn of California.

Sailors have had an easier time, of course, since February 1, 1856, when the Point Conception Lighthouse was first lit on the land, which was considered sacred ground by the Chumash. Santa Barbara Maritime Museum Executive Director Greg Gorga will talk about the unique importance of the lighthouse and the original 165-year-old First Order Fresnel Lens that now resides at the museum. Attendees will learn about the history of Fresnel technology, the

36 MONTECITO JOURNAL

lives of the keepers who lived in the desolate lighthouse location and hear a first-hand account of all that was involved in relocating the 18-foot tall, 6,000pound lens from Pt. Conception to SBMM in 2013. Gorga will also talk about “lampists,” the work required to reinforce the Waterfront Building to house the lens, the stages of the lens travel from crane to helicopter to truck, and the cleaning and reassembly of the lens to its current appearance. The presentation

by Gorga – who has served as the museum’s ED for more than 12 years – will also include mention of Julia Williams and the Santa Barbara Lighthouse located on the Mesa.

Visit https://sbmm.org for more details and to register for the Zoom presentation.

Focus on Film: Stories of Overcoming Bias

Back in 2010, rising country music singer-songwriter Brandon Stansell was ostracized from his strict Southern Baptist family after coming out as gay. He spent the past decade healing from that pain, finding a new support system, and building a name for himself in country music by refusing to hide his truth. The 33-year-old’s 2020 EP Hurt People – which featured the songs “Like Us,” “Supposed to Be,” and “Wide Awake” as well as the title track – came out just before he also released a short documentary film.

Three Chords and A Lie follows Stansell as he returns to his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, revisiting those painful memories of social exclusion even as he discovers how much has changed in the years since his departure.

He also invites his estranged family to hear him perform his soul-baring songs for the first time.

Stansell and director Trent Atkinson join Tyler Morgenstern of UCSB’s Film and Media Studies department for a virtual conversation about the making of the 58-minute documentary that also considers larger issues of representation and diversity in the country music industry. A free viewing link for the film will be emailed two days in advance to those who register for the free Carsey-Wolf Center virtual event that takes place at 4 pm Tuesday, January 26.

On Thursday, January 28, CWC’s Subversives series re-examines the groundbreaking low-budget independent film Go Fish that celebrated lesbian culture on all levels, in the process subverting both the heterosexism of Hollywood romantic films and the male-oriented narratives of New Queer Cinema, and earning a nomination for the Sundance Film Festival’s 1994 Grand Jury Prize.

Go Fish may be streamed in advance on Amazon and Pluto TV of screenwriter/ actress Guinevere Turner being interviewed by UCSB PhD candidate Assatu Wisseh over Zoom at 4 pm. Visit www.carseywolf.ucsb.edu to register for both events.

Tak For Alt: Survival of a Human Spirit was released just over 20 years ago, but the story of the longtime Santa Barbara educator and activist Judy Meisel, a Holocaust survivor whose experiences during and after World War II inspired a life-long campaign against bigotry, intolerance, and racism, continues to be shown in classrooms and at screenings. The film follows her back to Eastern Europe and retraces her steps through the Kovno ghetto, the Stutthof concentration camp, and her liberation and recuperation in Denmark. After immigrating to the U.S., Meisel witnessed race riots in 1963 and decided that only unflinching vigilance against racism could safeguard the liberty of all peoples and began to champion the cause of tolerance at schools across the country, a campaign which she carried on until her death last November at age 91.

Tak For Alt filmmaker Laura Bialis, whose subsequent documentaries include Refusenik and Rock in the Red Zone, joins Louise Palanker – who has run a standup comedy program called Kid’s Comedy Club at the Santa Barbara Jewish Federation for 20 years and is herself the director of the documentary Family Band: The Cowsills Story – for a virtual talk as part of the Federation’s Matinee at the J program at 5 pm on Wednesday, January 27. Visit https://vimeo. com/225466583 to watch the film, and RSVP for the discussion via email to rvargeson@sbjf.org.

The Haunted Swordsman is a handcrafted epic puppet film that finds a lone samurai and his odd companion, a cursed severed head, seeking vengeance in a haunted world. Director Kevin McTurk, a veteran special effects pro, joins a SBIFF programmer to discuss his 2019 short animated film that features the voices of Jason Scott Lee, James Hong, Franka Potente, and Montecito’s own Christopher Lloyd in SBIFF’s Film Talk event at 6 pm January 21. Visit https:// sbiff.org/filmtalk.

•MJ

“Last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice.” – T.S. Eliot

21 – 28 January 2021

Race to Justice

Winter Series Preview with Belinda Robnett

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CSB’s second segment of its year-long Race to Justice series of virtual talks and Q&A sessions, which was created in part by the heightening of awareness of inequity raised by the Black Lives Matters protest after George Floyd’s murder-by-police last spring, got underway last week with a conversation with the compelling author Ta-Nehisi Coates. It’s worth noting that the event took place just six days after the invasion of the U.S. Capitol, where the comparatively tepid police resistance vs. the show of force facing BLM events over the summer once again evidenced the continuing institutional disparity in how people of different races are perceived and treated.

UCSB Arts & Lectures has teamed with multiple university academic departments and administrative offices to create the series featuring leading activists, creatives and intellectuals looking at systemic racism through a variety of lenses, including the lingering effects of slavery and reparations, the inequities in the criminal justice system, how the arts can impact perception and the role of the educational environment. The public facing Race to Justice events, which began in October, are also augmented by a similar campus-only series called “Anti-Blackness: Difficult Dialogues,” an initiative put together by Belinda Robnett, the university’s new Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, who brought the program with her when she left UC Irvine for her new position in September.

“Difficult Dialogues” features African American scholars, almost all associated with major universities, directly addressing issues of racial justice.

“The series gives voice to the African American experience, and provides UCSB participants with an opportunity to engage in an educational journey that lays bare the roots, and ongoing reality of racial injustice,” said Robnett, whose own experiences date back to her birth in South Central Los Angeles in the Jim Crow era before the Civil Rights Bill was enacted in 1964. “Things were very segregated.

I can’t think of a time when I wasn’t concerned about educational equity. It was just very much a part of my lived experience.”

That included attending underfunded schools, and having a science textbook that said “someday we’ll land on the moon” long after the 1969 moonwalk had happened, she said, and never having even hearing of Advanced Placement classes until 21 – 28 January 2021

by Steven Libowitz

Belinda Robnett, UCSB’s new Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

she discovered all her classmates at Stanford were calculating how many credits they’d earned in them.

“Quality of education is really the foundation of mobility in the United States,” Robnett said. “The biggest failure across the nation has been the inability to provide a decent quality education to every child. Addressing that has always motivated me.”

Her new position at UCSB “provides an opportunity for me to achieve my lifelong goal to increase student and faculty diversity and to create and support a climate of inclusion that fosters excellence,” she said. “I’m optimistic that I can move the needle at UCSB.” Being involved in the Arts & Lectures interdisciplinary Race to Justice series adds to the opportunity.

“The RTJ series provides a really broad perspective on the underpinnings of the Black Lives Matter movement’s concerns, addressed in various ways,” Robnett said. “It’s a broad swath of individuals who are really contributing to combating anti-blackness simply by their attainment or their engagement with either AfricanAmerican culture or the political landscape. They’re also helping to educate the UCSB community and beyond about a lot of issues that individuals may not often have the opportunity to engage in.”

Robnett will conduct the February 11 conversation and Q&A session with W. Kamau Bell called “Ending Racism in About an Hour,” interacting with the socio-political stand-up comic/ host who she said engages individuals from all walks of life, including those

on the far right. “I think I will most likely ask him questions about the human element that all of us share as a society. We seem very divided, now, but I think at the core of it there are commonalities and I would like to speak to him about that. I would really, really love to hear his perspective on the recent takeover at the Capitol.

“But all of the speakers in the series are terrific. So I’m really excited to hear them.”

••• Here is the schedule of the remaining events in the Race to Justice events for winter quarter, all of which begin at 5 pm. Admission is $10 for the general public.

January 26: Isabel Wilkerson – The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America. Q&A moderated

by Ingrid Banks, Chair of the UCSB Department of Black Studies.

February 2: Anna Deavere Smith “Notes from the Field / Snapshots: Portraits of a World in Transition” – The actress and MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” honoree uses her singular brand of theater to explore issues of community, character, and diversity in America. Q&A moderated

by Stephanie Leigh Batiste, UCSB Professor of English.

February 5: Minnijean Brown-Trickey “Return to Little Rock: A Seminal Moment in American Civil Rights and Education” – The now 78-year-old Brown-Trickey changed history as a member of the Little Rock Nine when she walked through the front doors of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, but helping desegregate public schools was just the beginning of her career as a social activist that has earned her the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal among other honors. Her conversation with Anne H. Charity Hudley, UCSB Chair in the Linguistics of African America, will be followed by a Q&A.

tion with Robnett.

February 23: Dr. Mae Jemison “Overcoming Obstacles, Breaking Barriers, and Reaching for the Stars” – Physician and engineer Jemison, a National Women’s Hall of Fame inductee and the first woman of color to have traveled into space, addresses building a world of opportunity and equality in a talk moderated

by Susannah Scott, UCSB Professor of Chemical Engineering, and of Chemistry & Biochemistry.

February 25: LaToya Ruby Frazier “Art as Transformation: Using Photography for Social Change” – The MacArthur Fellow discusses the transformative power of images and how she uses photography to fight injustice and create a more representative self-portrait, followed by a Q&A moderated by Kim Yasuda, UCSB Art Department Chair.

March 4: Michelle Alexander “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” – Alexander, a legal scholar, social justice advocate, and the author of The New Jim Crow, explores the modern legal system, revealing how mass incarceration has come to replace segregation. Victor Rios, UCSB Professor of Sociology and Associate Dean of Social Sciences, conducts the conversation and Q&A. •MJ

February 11: W. Kamau Bell “Ending Racism in About an Hour” – The sociopolitical stand-up comic and host and executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning CNN docu-series United Shades of America in conversa-

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

37

CITY OF SANTA BARBARA - GENERAL SERVICES DIVISION PO BOX 1990, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93102-1990

FY21 STORM DRAIN REPAIRS AND LINING PROJECT Bid No. 5867A

INVITATION FOR BIDS

1.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed bids will be received via electronic transmission on the City of Santa Barbara PlanetBids portal site until the date and time indicated below at which time they will be publicly opened and posted for: BID NO. 5881 DUE DATE & TIME: February 4, 2021 UNTIL 3:00 P.M.

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

Bid results and awards will be available on PlanetBids. The PlanetBids technical support phone number is 818-992-1771.

MACKENZIE ADULT BUILDING ROOF REPLACEMENT Scope of Work: Provide a new roofing system for the MacKenzie Adult Building. The flat roof areas will receive a single ply PVC roof system and the low sloped roof area will receive an asphalt shingle roof system.

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

Bid Submission. The City of Santa Barbara (“City”) will accept electronic bids for its FY21 Storm Drain Repairs and Lining Project by or before February 4, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. through its PlanetBids portal. Bidders must be registered on the City of Santa Barbara’s PlanetBids portal in order to submit a Bid proposal and to receive addendum notifications. Each bidder is responsible for making certain that its Bid Proposal is actually submitted/uploaded with sufficient time to be received by PlanetBids prior to the bid opening date and time. Large files may take more time to be submitted/uploaded to PlanetBids, so plan accordingly. The receiving time on the PlanetBids server will be the governing time for acceptability of bids. Telegraphic, telephonic, hardcopy, and facsimile bids will not be accepted.

2.

Project Information.

2.1 Location and Description. The Project location and scope of work is outlined below: 1.

If further information is needed, contact Jennifer Disney Dixon, Buyer II at (805) 564-5356 or email: jdisney@santabarbaraca.gov

2.

A NON-MANDATORY pre-bid meeting will be held on January 28, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., at MacKenzie Adult Building located at 3111 State St, Santa Barbara, CA, to discuss the specifications and field conditions. No relief will be granted to contractors for any conditions or restrictions that would have been discovered if they had attended the pre-bid meeting.

3.

4.

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

BONDING Bidder shall furnish a Bid Guaranty Bond in the form of a money order, a cashier’s certified check, or bond payable to the order of the City, amounting to ten percent (10%) of the bid. Bonds must be signed by the bidder and a corporate surety, who is authorized to issue bonds in the State of California.

2.2 Time for Completion. The Project must be completed within 40 calendar days from the start date set forth in the Notice to Proceed. The City anticipates that the Work will begin on or about March 15, 2021 but the anticipated start date is provided solely for convenience and is neither certain nor binding.

2.3 Estimated Cost. The estimated construction cost is $240,000.

3.

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

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

3.2 DIR Registration. City may not accept a Bid Proposal from or enter into the Contract with a bidder, without proof that the bidder is registered with the California Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code § 1725.5, subject to limited legal exceptions.

4.

Contract Documents. The plans, specifications, bid forms and contract documents for the Project, and any addenda thereto (“Contract Documents”) may be downloaded from City’s website at: http://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=29959 A printed copy of the Contract Documents may be obtained from CyberCopy Shop, located at 504 N. Milpas Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, at (805) 884-6155.

5.

Bid Security. The Bid Proposal must be accompanied by bid security of ten percent of the maximum bid amount, in the form of a cashier’s or certified check made payable to City, or a bid bond executed by a surety licensed to do business in the State of California on the Bid Bond form included with the Contract Documents. The bid security must guarantee that within ten days after City issues the Notice of Award, the successful bidder will execute the Contract and submit the payment and performance bonds, insurance certificates and endorsements, and any other submittals required by the Contract Documents and as specified in the Notice of Award.

6.

Prevailing Wage Requirements.

6.1 General. Pursuant to California Labor Code § 1720 et seq., this Project is subject to the prevailing wage requirements applicable to the locality in which the Work is to be performed for each craft, classification or type of worker needed to perform the Work, including employer payments for health and welfare, pension, vacation, apprenticeship and similar purposes.

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

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

6.2 Rates. These prevailing rates are on file with the City and are available online at http://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSR. Each Contractor and Subcontractor must pay no less than the specified rates to all workers employed to work on the Project.

The schedule of per diem wages is based upon a working day of eight hours. The rate for holiday and overtime work must be at least time and one-half.

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

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

A contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, subject to the requirements of Section 4104 of the Public Contract Code, or engage in the performance of any contract for public work, as defined in this chapter, unless currently licensed to perform the work and registered pursuant to Labor Code § 1725.5 without limitation or exception. It is not a violation of this section for an unlicensed contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Section 7029.1 of the Business and Professions Code or by Section 20103.5 of the Public Contract Code, provided the contractor is registered to perform public work pursuant to Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded.

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

CERTIFICATIONS In accordance with California Public Contracting Code § 3300, the City requires the Contractor to possess a valid California C-39 Roofing contractor’s license at time the bids are opened and to continue to hold during the term of the contract all licenses and certifications required to perform the work specified herein.

CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE Contractor must submit to the contracted department within ten (10) calendar days of an order, AND PRIOR TO START OF WORK, certificates of Insurance naming the City of Santa Barbara as Additional Insured in accordance with the attached Insurance Requirements. _______________________________ William Hornung, C.P.M. General Services Manager

38 MONTECITO JOURNAL

Published 1/20/21 Montecito Journal

License and Registration Requirements.

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

Note: All bids must be accompanied by a copy of the bid security uploaded to PlanetBids. Only the original bid security of the three (3) lowest bidders must be mailed or delivered to the Purchasing Office in a sealed envelope and be received within (3) City business days of the bid due date and time for the bid to be considered.

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

Cul-de-sac at Rialto Lane due west to St James Drive: Repair and lining of 420 linear feet of a 15-inch diameter CMP storm drain Between 865 and 869 La Milpita Road and running 150 linear feet southwest to its outlet: Lining of a12inch diameter CMP storm drain W. Carrillo Street starting at State Street and continuing to Canon Perdido Street: Lining of a 420 foot segment of the 24-inch diameter concrete storm drain Pedregosa Street at Chapala Street south 1,900 linear feet to the outlet into Mission Creek south of the Islay and Castillo Streets Intersection: video capture of the large diameter storm drain system with elevations

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

7.

Performance and Payment Bonds. The successful bidder will be required to provide performance and payment bonds, each for 100% of the Contract Price, as further specified in the Contract Documents.

8.

Substitution of Securities. Substitution of appropriate securities in lieu of retention amounts from progress payments is permitted under Public Contract Code § 22300.

9.

Subcontractor List. Each Subcontractor must be registered with the DIR to perform work on public projects. Each bidder must submit a completed Subcontractor List form with its Bid Proposal, including the name, location of the place of business, California contractor license number, DIR registration number, and percentage of the Work to be performed (based on the base bid price) for each Subcontractor that will perform Work or service or fabricate or install Work for the prime contractor in excess of one-half of 1% of the bid price, using the Subcontractor List form included with the Contract Documents.

10.

Instructions to Bidders. All bidders should carefully review the Instructions to Bidders for more detailed information before submitting a Bid Proposal. The definitions provided in Article 1 of the General Conditions apply to all of the Contract Documents, as defined therein, including this Notice Inviting Bids.

By: ___________________________________

Date: ________________

Bill Hornung General Services Manager Publication Dates:

January 20, 2021

January 27, 2021 END OF NOTICE INVITING BIDS

“You will never win if you never begin.” – Helen Rowland

21 – 28 January 2021

1.

Notice Inviting Bids

Notice Inviting Bids

RECYCLED WATER DISTRIBUTION PUMP STATION UPGRADE Bid No. 5585

BID NO. 5882 STEARNS WHARF ANNUAL MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS FOR 2021

Bid Submission. The City of Santa Barbara (“City”) will accept electronic bids for its Recycled Water Distribution Pump Station Upgrade Project (“Project”), by or before Thursday, March 4, 2021, at 3 PM, through its PlanetBids portal. Bidders must be registered on the City of Santa Barbara’s PlanetBids portal in order to submit a Bid proposal and to receive addendum notifications. Each bidder is responsible for making certain that its Bid Proposal is actually submitted/uploaded with sufficient time to be received by PlanetBids prior to the bid opening date and time. Large files may take more time to be submitted/uploaded to PlanetBids, so plan accordingly. The receiving time on the PlanetBids server will be the governing time for acceptability of bids.

Telegraphic, telephonic, hardcopy, and facsimile bids will not be accepted.

1.

The City of Santa Barbara (“City”) will accept electronic bids for its Stearns Wharf Annual Maintenance and Repairs for 2021 (“Project”), by or before February 16, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. through its PlanetBids portal. Bidders must be registered on the City of Santa Barbara’s PlanetBids™ portal in order to submit a Bid Proposal and to receive addendum notifications. Each bidder is responsible for making certain that their Bid Proposal is actually submitted/uploaded with sufficient time to be received by PlanetBids prior to the bid opening date and time. Large files may take more time to be submitted/uploaded to PlanetBids so plan accordingly. The receiving time at on PlanetBids’ server will be the governing time for acceptability of bids. Telegraphic, telephonic, electronic, and facsimile bids will not be accepted.

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

Bid results and awards will be available on PlanetBids.

2.

Project Information.

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

2.1 Location and Description. The Project is located at 520 E. Yanonali St, and is described as follows:

Bid results and awards will be available on PlanetBids.

Upgrades to Recycled Water Distribution Pump Station at the El Estero Wastewater Treatment Plant, including; five new vertical turbine pumps with new pumps and motors; electrical equipment including motor controls, variable speed drives, motor control center, conduit and wire, and accessories; new chlorine residual analyzers, piping, and accessories; replacement of a flow meter on the Recycled Water Storage Tank; installation of a new pressure transmitter; and associated demolition.

3.

2.

2.2 Time for Final Completion. The Project must be fully completed within 200 working days from the start date set forth in the Notice to Proceed. City anticipates that the Work will begin on or about April 15, 2021, but the anticipated start date is provided solely for convenience and is neither certain nor binding.

2.2 Time for Completion. The Project must be completed within 40 business days from the start date set forth in the Notice to Proceed. City anticipates that the Work will begin on or about March 2021, but the anticipated start date is provided solely for convenience and is neither certain nor binding.

2.3 Estimated Cost. The estimated construction cost is $1,600,000.

2.3 Estimate. The estimate for this Project is $240,000.00

License and Registration Requirements.

2.4 Bidders’ Conference. A MANDATORY bidders’ conference will be held on February 2, 2021 at 9:30a.m., at the following location: Stearns Wharf Office (meet below), located at 219F Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, CA for the purpose of acquainting all prospective bidders with the Contract Documents and the Worksite. Bids will not be accepted or considered from parties that did not attend the mandatory pre-bid meeting. All attendees are responsible for bringing, wearing a facemask on-site, following current CDC, and Santa Barbara County Public Health social distancing guidelines.

3.2 DIR Registration. City may not accept a Bid Proposal from or enter into the Contract with a bidder, without proof that the bidder is registered with the California Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code § 1725.5, subject to limited legal exceptions.

5.

6.

Project Information.

2.1 Location and Description. The Project is located at Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara, CA and is described as follows: Remove and replace deteriorated piles, pile caps, stringers and deck boards.

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

4.

Bid Submission.

Contract Documents. The plans, specifications, bid forms and contract documents for the Project, and any addenda thereto (“Contract Documents”) may be downloaded from City’s website at: http://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=29959 A printed copy of the Contract Documents may be obtained from CyberCopy Shop, located at 504 N. Milpas Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, at (805) 884-6155.

Bid Security. The Bid Proposal must be accompanied by bid security of ten percent of the maximum bid amount, in the form of a cashier’s or certified check made payable to City, or a bid bond executed by a surety licensed to do business in the State of California on the Bid Bond form included with the Contract Documents. The bid security must guarantee that within ten days after City issues the Notice of Award, the successful bidder will execute the Contract and submit the payment and performance bonds, insurance certificates and endorsements, and any other submittals required by the Contract Documents and as specified in the Notice of Award.

3.

3.1 License. This Project requires a valid California contractor’s license for the following classification(s): Class “A” – General Engineering.

3.2 DIR Registration. City may not accept a Bid Proposal from or enter into the Contract with a bidder, without proof that the bidder is registered with the California Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code § 1725.5, subject to limited legal exceptions.

4.

Contract Documents. The plans, specifications, bid forms and contract documents for the Project, and any addenda thereto (“Contract Documents”) may be downloaded from City’s website at: https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=29959

5.

Bid Security. The Bid Proposal must be accompanied by bid security of ten percent of the maximum bid amount, in the form of a cashier’s or certified check made payable to City, or a bid bond executed by a surety licensed to do business in the State of California on the Bid Bond form included with the Contract Documents. The bid security must guarantee that within ten days after City issues the Notice of Award, the successful bidder will execute the Contract and submit the payment and performance bonds, insurance certificates and endorsements, and any other submittals required by the Contract Documents and as specified in the Notice of Award.

6.

Prevailing Wage Requirements.

Prevailing Wage Requirements.

6.1 General. Pursuant to California Labor Code § 1720 et seq., this Project is subject to the prevailing wage requirements applicable to the locality in which the Work is to be performed for each craft, classification or type of worker needed to perform the Work, including employer payments for health and welfare, pension, vacation, apprenticeship and similar purposes.

6.2 Rates. These prevailing rates are on file with the City and are available online at http://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSR. Each Contractor and Subcontractor must pay no less than the specified rates to all workers employed to work on the Project. The schedule of per diem wages is based upon a working day of eight hours. The rate for holiday and overtime work must be at least time and one-half.

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

License and Registration Requirements.

7.

Performance and Payment Bonds. The successful bidder will be required to provide performance and payment bonds, each for 100% of the Contract Price, as further specified in the Contract Documents.

8.

Substitution of Securities. Substitution of appropriate securities in lieu of retention amounts from progress payments is permitted under Public Contract Code § 22300.

6.1 General. Pursuant to California Labor Code § 1720 et seq., this Project is subject to the prevailing wage requirements applicable to the locality in which the Work is to be performed for each craft, classification or type of worker needed to perform the Work, including employer payments for health and welfare, pension, vacation, apprenticeship and similar purposes.

9.

Subcontractor List. Each Subcontractor must be registered with the DIR to perform work on public projects. Each bidder must submit a completed Subcontractor List form with its Bid Proposal, including the name, location of the place of business, California contractor license number, DIR registration number, and percentage of the Work to be performed (based on the base bid price) for each Subcontractor that will perform Work or service or fabricate or install Work for the prime contractor in excess of one-half of 1% of the bid price, using the Subcontractor List form included with the Contract Documents.

6.2 Rates. The prevailing rates are on file with City and available online at http://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSR. Each Contractor and Subcontractor must pay no less than the specified rates to all workers employed to work on the Project. The schedule of per diem wages is based upon a working day of eight hours. The rate for holiday and overtime work must be at least time and one-half.

10.

Instructions to Bidders. All bidders should carefully review the Instructions to Bidders for more detailed information before submitting a Bid Proposal. The definitions provided in Article 1 of the General Conditions apply to all of the Contract Documents, as defined therein, including this Notice Inviting Bids.

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

11.

12.

Mandatory Bidders’ Conference. A bidders’ conference will be held on February 18, 2021 at 10:00 AM at the project site for the purpose of acquainting all prospective bidders with the Contract Documents and the Worksite. The bidders’ conference is mandatory and bids will not be accepted from contractors not attending this site meeting. Bidders are responsible for bringing and wearing face masks and following social distancing guidelines while in attendance.

Specific Brands. Pursuant to referenced provision(s) of Public Contract Code section 3400(c), City has found that the following specific brands are required for the following particular material(s), product(s), thing(s), or service(s), and no substitutions will be considered or accepted:

Item: Variable Frequency Drives Motor Controls/Starters/VFD’s Magnetic Flow Meters Pump Motors Chlorine Residual Analyzers Conductivity Probe

Required brand: Schneider Eaton Rosemount U.S. Motors Wallace & Tiernan Hach

Reference: Section 3400 (c)(2) Section 3400 (c)(2) Section 3400 (c)(2) Section 3400 (c)(2) Section 3400 (c)(2) Section 3400 (c)(2)

By: ___________________________________ Date: ________________ William Hornung, General Services Manager Publication Dates: 1) January 20, 2021 2) January 27, 2021 END OF NOTICE INVITING BIDS

21 – 28 January 2021

7.

Performance and Payment Bonds. The successful bidder will be required to provide separate performance and payment bonds for 100% of the Contract Price regardless of contract dollar amount, as further specified in the Contract Documents.

8.

Substitution of Securities. Substitution of appropriate securities in lieu of retention amounts from progress payments is permitted under Public Contract Code § 22300.

9.

Subcontractor List. Each subcontractor must be registered with the DIR to perform work on public projects. Each bidder must submit a complete Subcontractor List WITH ITS Bid Proposal through the PlanetBids portal.

Failure to do will result in rejection of your bid. The Subcontractors List shall include the name, location of the place of business, California contractor license number, and percentage of the Work to be performed (based on the Base Bid) for each Subcontractor that will perform work or service or fabricate or install work for the prime contractor in excess of one-half of 1% of the bid price.

10.

Instructions to Bidders. All bidders should carefully review the Instructions to Bidders before submitting a Bid Proposal.

11.

Retention Percentage. The percentage of retention that will be withheld from progress payments is five (5) percent.

By: _______________________________________ William Hornung, C.P.M. General Services Manager

Date: ________________

Publication Date: 1/20/21 Montecito Journal

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

39

Letters (Continued from page 12) instituting the Electoral College. The EC is key to our country’s voting and the critical means of keeping a stable representative government and the guardian of our democracy. The genius of the founding of the Electoral College has many components but, unlike any other government worldwide, it gives the source of power to states, not individuals. Less populated states feared being overshadowed by larger ones and demanded protection; and they got it by two senators per state and the Electoral College.

Another component is that it helps prevent dissipating the popular vote among many minor candidates, hence the “winner-take-all” allocation of state electoral votes in almost all cases. 48 of 50 states do this but, each state decides how their electors are chosen and function. Within each state in America certain talents may cause a candidate to rise up or resonate in a particular geographic area among people of similar views. But on a national stage, different candidate talents and characteristics may be required to gain most voters’ confidence. The EC was designed to compel Presidential candidates to consider the needs of the whole country. Think of it as “reaching across the aisle” or approximating a nationwide consensus. The framers did not want candidates to cater to the most populated urban areas and not be concerned about the more sparsely populated rural areas. The framers of the constitution did their best to create a representative system that minimizes potential “tyranny of the majority.”

Preservation of the union was on their minds. The majority of electoral votes elect and legitimizes the President rather than a simple national majority of votes. Lincoln or Kennedy or Clinton would have lost otherwise. The Electoral College intent is to mandate a broad-based majority on a candidate who has won only a plurality among

three or more candidates. Lincoln received only 40% of the popular vote in 1860 but 59% of the EC votes. Nixon 43% to 56% EC votes in 1968 and Bill Clinton 43% to 69% EC votes in 1992.

Without the EC, continental diversification would suffer inviting more strife and campaigns would focus on voter-rich metropolitan areas.

Another consideration is how a national popular vote would turn America into an issue-driven multi-party democracy; things would become even more chaotic. Now, under a two-party system, candidates must make peace coalescing around one candidate as Biden recently did.

With greater number of parties and candidates each new party would form their own agenda around their particular issues and would dissipate the popular plurality of votes needed to win the Presidency. Over-zealous behavior would prevail and one can easily envision clashes becoming more common.

Yes, it could get worse.

Some, like Mr. Brutoco, are pushing to give electors from each individual state “discretion” to cast their votes for whoever won the national majority.

But, coming from California, wouldn’t you want your state electors to vote for who won in California? Well, so would Rhode Island or Hawaii. Most want to bind an elector to the wishes of its state’s citizens. Keep in mind, all election systems have flaws and problems and it is true some Presidents are elected without a true national majority vote but that is not common and does not take away the Electoral College’s aim for Presidential candidates to engage the nation’s diversity and earn votes

across many states and regions.

The Electoral College is a critical institution, a consolidating and stabilizing force within an often-raucous political system and it reflects the wisdom of the founding fathers. Witness the hysteria around Trump’s complaints and how the EC helped navigate through it and brought finality to the chosen winner amid the chaos. The Electoral College embodies independent, diverse, state-centered authority carried out through local stewardship.

It is our best defense against the power in the Federal Capital.

J.W. Burk

Balance is Needed

So nice in some arenas we can still voice dissent. I respectfully disagree with Rinaldo Brutoco’s “Escaping Minority Rule.” He believes we do not have a “meaningful democracy” because of the U.S. Senate equality, little populated state or heavily populated state the same. He believes we have to “escape” this situation if you “believe in democracy.” In my perspective, such an approach reveals an insufficient understanding of history and human nature. Our Founding Fathers were in a time where for hundreds of prior years landowners were the dominant forces in most societies, throughout the world. Democracy, that of representative government had been little attempted. Even the ancient Greeks believed only the educated citizens had voting rights. Our 1776 experiment witnessed 15 years before our full Constitution was ratified – the constant conflict between 13 new states with their own trade

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40 MONTECITO JOURNAL

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘it will be happier.’” – Alfred Lord Tennyson

rules, money, militias, customs versus a federal overlay to provide a united military protective force, one banking and money control, and regulation of trade among the new states and foreign countries. Ratification of a strong federal government barely passed the final votes, but part of the balanced compromise was that while the lower House representatives were to be elected by popular vote, the higher “deliberative” Senate would share equality by state. There would not be “mob rule.” To many of us this was simply “brilliant” to this very day. Democracy implies what nearly every philosopher has preached the last 2,500 years – that learning and wisdom result in the best perfection of man. One man, one vote, and majority rule sound good but realistically we have a universal public school system so that our citizens can become informed. Still, many react to their emotions and passions. This is human nature. I for one among many would not like to see the populous areas of Los Angeles and New York City completely controlling our national political destiny. We need balance, always. And you know, South Dakota and Montana are not bad places to live if we wish. Ah, freedom! And would you rather live in North Korea – officially named the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Respectfully, Rog Colley Rogercolley.com

On Survival Rates

A recent writer was wondering where the data was on the claim that “99% survive COVID” comes from.

I found it at the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker website. It is considered the gold standard of reported data. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/ map.html If you go down to the bottom of the USA map, there is a button labeled “Case-Fatality Ratio.”

Click on the State of California and the ratio reads out at 1.12% which pencils out to 98.88% survival.

If you dial down further to the county of Santa Barbara, the fatality rate as of 1-14-2021 is 99.07% survival.

My mother’s aunt passed away last week in Goleta from old age complicated by COVID. She was 107. She was a COVID case and she died, and was counted correctly as one of the 1%.

Her personal odds were of course much greater than 1%. At her age, her chances were nearly 100% that she might succumb to the virus. I’m sure she fought, but at her age the energy to fight had become limited.

Prayers, thoughts, blessings should be sent on behalf of her 98-year-old friend in the Goleta facility who also has COVID. Steve Gowler •MJ 21 – 28 January 2021

Editor’s Letter (Continued from page 5) You may have read this past week about the middle school teacher called up to the National Reserve who is still Zooming his music class from the back of his National Guard Humvee. But I have to tell you that on the local level I’ve seen our teachers be every bit as dedicated. In his inaugural address, President Biden called upon each of us to “listen to one another, hear one another, see one another, show respect for one another.” And from what I have witnessed, our educators are leading by example.

This nosey parent has overheard classroom Zooms with teachers drawing kids out of their shells, using the real time mayhem on our national stage to drive lessons in critical thinking. When might a crowd be justified in overtaking the Capitol Building? Is violent protest ever justified? How are the Capitol protests different from the Boston Tea Party? How are they the same?

And, refreshingly, I don’t hear the teachers looking for an answer. I hear them instead coaching our kids to think critically, for themselves, to weigh the facts and reach their own logical and supported conclusions. Helping them to process and discuss what this all means. Making room for all perspectives. And most importantly, I’ve been impressed, even moved, by the level of moral and emotional support and empathy expressed by our local teaching corps.

The following excerpt came last Friday from Leo Borden, my youngest daughter’s history teacher at Santa Barbara Jr. High School. Local engagement of which we can all be proud: “Congratulations! You are the first students to complete a semester of school conducted entirely online. And you not only survived, you somehow thrived.

I cannot tell you how impressed I am with what you were able to produce in this year that was like no other. Just know that because you were able to do this, there is nothing you won’t be able to overcome in your life. I also wanted to thank you for sticking with me. There were times I had no idea what I was doing, but you never gave up on me. And more importantly you helped me find the joy and meaning in what we did together. I have been teaching for 34 years and because of you I know that there is nothing else I would rather be doing. Enjoy your three-and-a-half-day weekend, you definitely earned it. I’ll see you on Tuesday.”

So, yes, this has been an incredibly difficult time for “us grown-ups.” But with our local teachers going above and beyond, teaching our kids critical thinking skills despite the COVID deck being stacked against them, I have high hopes that our next generation are being given the tools they will need to “bring down the heat in this country.” To, as Biden urged, “end this uncivil war.” Unless somehow, miraculously, we are able to get to it first.

•MJ

The best little paper in America (Covering the best little community anywhere!)

Executive Editor/CEO Gwyn Lurie • Publisher/COO Timothy Lennon Buckley Editor-At-Large Kelly Mahan Herrick, Ann Louise Bardach News and Feature Editor Nicholas Schou • Associate Editor Bob Hazard Copy Editor Lily Buckley Harbin • Arts and Entertainment Editor Steven Libowitz

Contributors Scott Craig, Julia Rodgers, Ashleigh Brilliant, Sigrid Toye, Zach Rosen, Kim Crail Gossip Richard Mineards • History Hattie Beresford • Humor Ernie Witham Our Town Joanne A. Calitri Society Lynda Millner • Travel Jerry Dunn • Sportsman Dr. John Burk • Trail Talk Lynn P. Kirst Account Managers Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Casey Champion Bookkeeping Diane Davidson, Christine Merrick • Proofreading Helen Buckley Design/Production Trent Watanabe Published by Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC PRINTED BY NPCP INC., SANTA BARBARA, CA Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite H, Montecito, CA 93108.

How to reach us: Editorial: (805) 565-1860; Sue Brooks: ext. 4; Christine Merrick: ext. 3; Classified: ext. 3; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Letters to Editor: Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite H, Montecito, CA 93108; E-MAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net

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21 – 28 January 2021

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Take 5 Bodywork, 2020 Alameda Padre Serra, STE 104, Santa Barbara, CA, 93103.

Suzanna Young Everett, 1646 Loma St, Santa Barbara, CA, 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 12, 2021. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL).

FBN No. 2021-0000073.

Published January 20, 27, February 3, 10, 2021.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Runner’s High, 6604 Sabado Tarde Rd, Unit B, Goleta, CA, 93117. Cole Diemer, 6604 Sabado Tarde Rd, Unit B, Goleta, CA, 93117.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 5, 2021. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL).

FBN No. 2021-0000028.

Published January 13, 20, 27, February 3, 2021.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Biz In English, 735 State Street, Suite 220, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101. Bubel Consulting, LLC, 735 State Street, Suite 220, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on December 18, 2020. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office.

Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2020-0003016. Published January 6, 13, 20, 27, 2021.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Maison K, 1253 Coast Village Road #205, Santa Barbara, CA, 93108. Maison K, INC., 1253 Coast Village Road #205, Santa Barbara, CA, 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on December 17, 2020. This state-

• The Voice of the Village •

CITY OF SANTA BARBARA - GENERAL SERVICES DIVISION PO BOX 1990, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93102-1990 INVITATION FOR BIDS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed bids will be received via electronic transmission on the City of Santa Barbara PlanetBids portal site until the date and time indicated below at which time they will be publicly opened and posted for: BID NO. 5885 DUE DATE & TIME: FEBRUARY 3, 2021 UNTIL 3:00 P.M. 2021 OR NEWER SEWER FLUSHER TRUCK Bidders must be registered on the city of Santa Barbara’s PlanetBids portal in order to receive addendum notifications and to submit a bid. Go to PlanetBids for bid results and awards. It is the responsibility of the bidder to submit their bid with sufficient time to be received by PlanetBids prior to the bid opening date and time. The receiving deadline is absolute. Allow time for technical difficulties, uploading, and unexpected delays. Late or incomplete Bid will not be accepted.

If further information is needed, contact Jennifer Disney Dixon, Buyer II at (805) 564-5356 or email: jdisney@santabarbaraca.gov The City of Santa Barbara is now conducting bid and proposal solicitations online through the PlanetBids System™. Vendors can register for the commodities that they are interested in bidding on using NIGP commodity codes at http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/business/bids/purchasin g.asp. The initial bidders’ list for all solicitations will be developed from registered vendors.

Bids must be submitted on forms supplied by the City of Santa Barbara and in accordance with the specifications, terms and conditions contained therein. Bid packages containing all forms, specifications, terms and conditions may be obtained electronically via PlanetBids.

The City of Santa Barbara affirmatively assures that minority and disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of age (over 40), ancestry, color, mental or physical disability, sex, gender identity and expression, marital status, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics), national origin, race, religious belief, or sexual orientation in consideration of award. _______________________________ William Hornung, C.P.M. General Services Manager

ment expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 20200003009. Published January 6, 13, 20, 27, 2021.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Economy Inn, 607 N Broadway, Santa Maria, CA, 93454. RONIAVI INC, 607 N Broadway, Santa Maria, CA, 93454.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on December 14, 2020.

This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 20200002981.

Published December 16, 23, 30, 2020, January 6, 2021.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE

Published 1/20/21 Montecito Journal

OF NAME: CASE No. 21CV00078. To all interested parties: Petitioner Erik Edward Ladd Hoegh-Guldberg filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name of child from Joseph Dillon Rush to Joseph Dillon Hoegh-Guldberg.

The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Filed January 13, 2021 by Terri Chavez. Hearing date: March 23, 2021 at 10 am in Dept. 3, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published 1/20, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10

MONTECITO JOURNAL

41

Our Town

by Joanne A. Calitri

Joanne is a professional international photographer and journalist.

Contact her at: artraks@yahoo.com

Arts in Lockdown Series Part 18 Producer and Director Steve Binder

Steve Binder directed the Elvis Presley ‘68 Comeback Special, which resurrected The King’s career (Photo courtesy: Steve Binder)

Phillips and his wife, Marla, realtors Mark and Sheela Hunt, the late John Harding and his son Chris, blues guitarist Shawn Jones and the late Waylon Jennings.

During our interview, his email and phone was going off the hook, so we sincerely appreciate his time to do this!

Producer and director Steve Binder live on Zoom with MJ’s Joanne Calitri

As you are reading this, it’s the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s birthday (January 8) and I’ve been talking to Steve Binder, an American producer and director born in Los Angeles.

Steve, who just celebrated his 88th birthday last month, is currently working as a creative consultant on Baz Luhrmann’s film Elvis, where Dacre Montgomery is playing Steve, Austin Butler as Elvis, and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker (release date November 2021). I interviewed Steve five years ago for his presentation and director’s cut of the ‘68 Elvis Comeback Special at the Plaza Playhouse Theatre, Carpinteria (MJ Vol. 21/Issue 1 January 7, 2015).

Steve’s impressive nonstop career carved new paths in TV and film by changing rigid formats for freedom of performer expression and audience appeal, often forging ahead against racial prejudice and advertiser influences in the industry, with many “firsts”: he used electronovision, the precursor to HighDef, to film The T.A.M.I. Show, the first live music

42 MONTECITO JOURNAL

concert film and precursor to music videos, featuring The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, The Supremes, and Marvin Gaye. Binder directed Petula, a taped TV special for Petula Clark featuring Harry Belafonte, marking the first time a man and woman of different races exchanged physical contact on American TV. The ‘68 Elvis Comeback Special, with an unscripted acoustic set, resurrected Elvis’s career.

His Diana Ross Live from Central Park Special drew more than 450,000 fans in pouring rain, and he brought Rick Springfield to the U.S. He taught producing and directing for more than 35 years at the UCLA and USC schools of cinema.

Steve took piano lessons when he was young. “I use my brain as my instrument,” he says. “When I hear music, I relate it to video immediately.” He holds an honorary doctorate of humane letters at Columbia College Hollywood, has been happily married to Sharon for 25 years, and has nine grandchildren. Steve’s many friends include local music attorney L. Lee

Q. Can we start with your consulting on the new Elvis biopic?

A. Yes. They started filming it in Australia in January 2020, but as you heard, Tom Hanks got COVID and so they stopped production, and restarted in September 2020; it’s still in progress.

I’m creative consultant on it. I’m really excited about it, because I love Baz’s work as a director. It seems to be like the movie Moulin Rouge, an abstract, and not a literal interpretation of the Elvis books and movies made prior. Before COVID, the actor who is playing me, Dacre, and I met at lunch, and I’m really impressed with him. He trained in England, and keeps emailing me how excited he is, at this point has actually completed his part in the film, and has become best friends with Austin, who plays Elvis. It seems like it’s a happy family and I’m looking forward to the movie release, it’s an interesting take on Elvis and not watered down like all the other Elvis movies.

My goal when I started the Elvis ‘68 Special was to show the real Elvis, and there’s a difference between what

“I close my eyes to old ends. And open my heart to new beginnings.” – Nick Frederickson

you think the public wants to see, and what you actually show them. I think the public is craving that authenticity that was so lacking in the Dick Clark movies.

And, the other big news is they are going to re-release my latest book, Comeback ‘68 / Elvis: The Story of the Elvis Special, in conjunction with the movie. The original book was released a while back for about a month, under 1,000 were sold at Graceland during Elvis Week. We pulled it because Warner Bros., which is doing the new movie, contacted my book partner to ask us to re-release it when the movie comes out as a favor, so we said yes.

Baz wrote the prologue for the new book. It’s currently being published and printed, with an initial run of 75,000 copies for the U.S. I really decided to write the book because there were many other books about my ‘68 Special, none of the authors knew the true story because I never opened up on it, and so I decided to set the record straight and write the book. They are promoting the book with the movie.

How do you stay creative and inspired?

That’s pretty easy for me, because I’ve never stopped! When I started my career I never intended to be in show business, I just wanted to please my parents who sent me and my sister to college. My dad worked hard at a gas station and my mom was a housewife. I was in pre-med at USC, and the air cadets 21 – 28 January 2021

In his TV and film career of many firsts, Binder often forged ahead against racial prejudice and advertiser influences in the industry (Photo courtesy: Steve Binder)

program when the Korean war broke out, and got notice they wanted us to double our commitment to four years, and my dad told me to not do it. I dropped out, was drafted, and served as the radio announcer for the Armed Forces Radio with Nick Clooney, George’s dad, in Germany.

I came back to L.A. to finish college. A high school friend who was an assistant editor on Star Trek at Paramount Studios suggested I get a job at the studios. I applied at CBS to be a typist for the scripts, and the mailroom at KABC. I took the mailroom job, and from there became the youngest network TV director with the Soupy Sales show, launching my career. One thing after another came my way. I directed 26 hours of Steve Allen’s Jazz Scene USA series with Stan Kenton, Cannonball Adderley, Nancy Wilson, and his syndicated Late Night Show with guests Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, and Frank Zappa, where I learned so much and met so many people. I directed Hullabaloo for NBC, the first time rock and roll was in primetime TV. That led me to my first feature film, The T.A.M.I. Show, and it continued. I can’t remember taking a legit vacation during my entire career!

Your experiences on diversity in TV, film, directing, and producing?

I’ve seen it my whole career. In NYC when I directed Hullabaloo, the executive in charge told me that out of 12 dancers only two to four could be Black. The first show I did on KABC, I was told that Blacks couldn’t dance 21 – 28 January 2021

with whites on the show. There’s always been racism and prejudice, and when I started in the business there were no females behind the scenes of any quality titles, maybe two white female assistant directors of the Lawrence Welk Show.

Harry Belafonte was the biggest example, where I had to fight to keep him on the Petula Clark show, when Petula touched Harry while singing the duet of “On the Path of Glory,” there was a racist person working for the sponsor.

When I was the executive producer of The Soul Train Music Awards, I learned there were different advertising rates for Black shows than white shows.

I pushed back on these boundaries

Real Estate Appraiser

consciously. I really feel strongly that once the doors open, there’s an audience for minorities, and it still hasn’t been opened all the way, I’m sure every job a minority gets is a struggle, it’s a dominantly white male industry.

I think the advertisers in TV for sure are responsible for a lot of this, what they would and would not accept, and they are obviously the person who holds the money purse, and dictate to a lot of the stations and networks what they can do and not do.

I think it’s easy to say anything you want, but it’s not easy to say, “No I want to do it this way not that way,” and you meet a lot of resistance.

As many times I’ve been told I’d never get another job or you’ll never work again [laughs], there’s always been people on the other side equally who are ready, willing, and able to hire you. Many times producers are frustrated directors, but they do it vicariously by telling the director what to do. I find that you can’t get ahead, sooner or later there is no one that respects you, and you risk your career, saying to yourself, is this job worth sacrificing your integrity and your values in life? And to me, no job is worth that. I always felt in my projects, to hopefully educate the public, to have everyone treated equally, to have a shot at the same dream everyone else has.

do the work, so many people love titles, and it’s not what the business is about, it’s hard work and you sacrifice a lot to succeed, including being with your families.

For your generation, what is the world looking like now?

Well for me personally, it’s scary, today I saw an interesting interview that we’ve become an autocracy and are in fear of losing our democracy.

It’s scary for us who went through tough times but never doubting our Constitution would be adhered to and our democracy would be solid.

When I was stationed in Germany, I said thank God we can never have a Hitler in the U.S. because we are so diversified with cultures, races, and religions. I’ve always accepted the fact there are leaders and followers in society, but I don’t want anyone thinking my thoughts for myself, I want to still believe I can express my opinions, and I believe in democracy and no man is above the law. It scares me to think it can happen if we don’t get involved. The greatest sign of being positive is the voter turn out, that’s encouraging.

I’m ready, willing, and able to speak out for a good cause and charity, and really proud when artists speak out.

I’m a big fan of George Clooney as a role model for youth today.

My generation is past the point of What’s your advice for the next genera- contributing to the world. It’s up to tion of producers, directors? the young people to make the world I’ve taught for over 30 years and they want to live in. I’m optimistic, told my students, even if you don’t even with all that is going on in the pursue a show biz career, you’re going world, it will be overcome because the to learn a lot about life and people. John Lennons of the world sent out an One of the textbooks for my class is incredible message to the youth, it’s How to Win Friends and Influence People up to them to change the world and

by Dale Carnegie. Life is a people not rely on their parents and grandworld and people business, the more parents to do it. We’ll get through the connections and friends you make lockdown, I’m positive. I have nine and are sincere about it, the more grandkids andPage want1 them to live a MontJournal_Jan18th'21:Layout 1 1/18/21 6:48 PM opportunities you will get in life. And great life!

•MJ

TAKEOUT + RETAIL

Tues-Sun 9:30AM-3:00PM

Greg Brashears California Certified General Appraiser Serving Santa Barbara County and beyond for 30 years V 805-650-9340 EM gb@gregbrashears.com

Photo courtesy of Olio Bottega

next door to sister restaurants 11 W. Victoria St., Ste.’s 17, 18 & 21, Santa Barbara

• The Voice of the Village •

| OLIOCUCINA.COM | 805.899.2699 MONTECITO JOURNAL

43

Nosh (Continued from page 33)

wine and a decadent dessert menu.

Popular To-Go Items: Filetto di Branzino at Olio e Limone Ristorante is a pan-roasted Loup de Mer (striped bass filet) sautéed in lemon-white wine sauce and served with sautéed spinach and asparagus tips ($30).

Arancini at Olio Bottega consists of rice balls filled with ragù (meat sauce) then deep fried to perfection ($7). The Signature Parma Pizza at Olio Pizzeria is made with fresh mozzarella, Prosciutto di Parma, arugula, and shaved parmesan ($20).

Reason to order: All three restaurants serve pan-Italian cuisine, but with Chef Alberto Morello hailing from Sicily, you’ll notice many touches of the island on each menu. Think Sicilian street food!

Victoria Court at 11 West Victoria Street. Order online at olioelimone.com or call 805-899-2699. All orders, including walkups, are being processed via Olio Pizzeria.

RASCALS POP-UP ON STATE STREET

RINCON BREWERY his craft brewery and restaurant is dedicated to sustainable seafood and local organic produce.

Popular To-Go Items: Crispy Chicken Sliders made with flaky golden fried chicken breast, blue cheese, Sriracha, lettuce, and tomato ($14); La Reina Lager Marinated Tri-Tip Sandwich ($15) is made with grilled tri-tip on a deli roll with mayonnaise, grilled onions, cheddar cheese, organic lettuce, and tomato. Choose either Rincon Brewery’s Rivermouth Stout BBQ sauce or pico de gallo, both housemade. Bate’s Blonde Fish and Chips is a superior take on this traditional seaside fare. It’s made with ale-battered and fried Alaskan cod served with a choice of fries or sweet potato fries ($14.50). The brewery offers a nice selection of IPAs, pilsners, and ales to pair with any dish.

Reason to order: Go for the sustainable seafood, enjoy a wide selection of brews.

5065 Carpinteria Ave. To place an order call 805-684-6044 or visit www. rinconbrewery.com.

T

BETTINA MEATBALL RECIPE INGREDIENTS Makes 25 meatballs 2 ½ lb ground beef 2 ½ lb ground pork Half bunch parsley, fine chop Lemon zest from one lemon 7 oz (half a loaf) day-old sourdough bread, cubed medium 10 oz whole milk 1/2 lb parmesan, fine grate 1 medium sized onion, fine dice 3 cloves garlic 3 eggs, large, and whisked Pinch dried oregano 1.5 oz salt Pinch black pepper, ground

A

s any follower of Dalan Moreno’s Rascals Instagram account can confirm, the tattooed chef cranks out some tasty American classics and Mexican street fare. Oh, and it’s 100 percent vegan. Fried Chicken Sandwich ($12), Chicharrón Chile Verde Burrito ($10), Mac N Cheese with pesto ($8), Elote ($6), and green pozole ($6) are just a few rotating favorites.

Popular To-Go Items: Pinguino, a Hostessinspired cupcake filled with sweetened whipped cream and topped with a cute squiggle ($6); Pambazo Torta with salsa, house-made chorizo, potatoes, lettuce, house-made cheese and cashew crema ($12), and a Chile Relleno Beyond Burger topped with a cheese-filled poblano pepper dipped in vegan egg and deep fried with lettuce, tomato, and veganaise ($14).

Reason to order: Rascals’ hip, underground vibe makes you feel like you’re embarking on a culinary adventure.

734 State Street (at Bibi Ji) on Tuesdays from 5 pm to 8 pm and Wednesdays from noon to 8 pm. Order at the window or via Instagram direct message at @rascals_sb.

44 MONTECITO JOURNAL

ASSEMBLY 1. Sweat the onion and garlic. Set aside and cool.

2. Mix all of the ingredients (except the meat) and add the cooled onion and garlic mixture. Let the mixture rest for at least 1 hour to overnight.

3. Mix ground meats together and combine with previously made mixture until everything is evenly incorporated.

4. Pan-sear a small patty of meatball mix to check for seasoning. Add more salt, pepper, or oregano if needed.

5. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Scoop out into 4 oz portion balls and place on a large sheet pan fitted with parchment paper. (Pro tip: first spray the tray with non-stick spray so the parchment sticks!)

6. Bake at 350 F until the meatballs hit an internal temperature of 160 F (approximately 20-30 minutes).

7. Plate the meatballs. Heat your favorite marinara sauce and pour it over top. Garnish with basil and parmesan.

•MJ

Ichiban Japanese Restaurant/Sushi Bar Lunch: Monday through Saturday 11:30am - 2:30pm Dinner: Monday through Sunday: 5pm - 10pm 1812A Cliff Drive Santa Barbara CA 93109 (805)564-7653 Lunch Specials, Bendo boxes. Full Sushi bar, Tatami Seats. Fresh Fish Delivered all week.

“Take a leap of faith and begin this wondrous new year by believing.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach

21 – 28 January 2021

DINE OUTSIDE |TAKE-OUT Montecito Journal wants to let readers know who’s offering a taste of winter with take-out and delivery service and outdoor dining.

We encourage you to support your local dining venues and wine boutiques!

CAFE SINCE 1928

GREAT FOOD STIFF DRINKS GOOD TIMES

FROM OUR TABLE TO YOURS Sunday-Thursday 11:00-8:30 Friday and Saturday 11:00-9:00

SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM

OLD TOWN SANTA BARBARA

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY 7:00 AM -12:00AM

Best breakfast in Santa Barbara

COME JOIN US BREAKFAST OR LUNCH OPEN EVERY DAY FRESHLY BAKED BREADS & PASTRIES

D’ANGELO BREAD

1209 Coast Village Road Santa Barbara, CA (805) 565-0642

7am to 2pm

25 W. GUTIERREZ STREET (805) 962-5466

‘ LUCKY S STEAKS - CHOPS - SEAFOOD - COCKTAILS 1279 COAST VILLAGE ROAD (805) 565-7540

Chef Dario Furlati serving pizza & authentic Northern Italian Cuisinein Montecito, Santa Barbara and Goleta We are grateful for the support of our wonderful community.

Wishing you the happiest and healthiest Holiday Season

Our new temporary hours are 11:30 am to 2 pm Monday through Saturday.

Dinner is served from 4 pm to 8 pm daily

Ask about our special pricing on family meals, gift cards and wines.

Now offering online ordering at cadariorestaurants.com, or call 805-884-9419 ext 2.

We recommend pre-ordering for 12/24/20

21 – 28 January 2021

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

45

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Elaine (805)708-6113 Christa (805)450-8382 Email: theclearinghouseSB@cox.net Website: www.theclearinghouseSB.com MOVING MISS DAISY

POSITION WANTED

This is a husband and wife team with over 350 happy clients. They will sell your house, car and contents with added services of packing & unpacking, moving jobs, hoarder clean outs, not interested in a sale then they will remove your items, and buy outs. Licensed, insured and bonded. Free Consultation. SellingYourEstate.com info@sellingyourestate.com Claudio & Maggie de Medeiros 805-881-8801

We Buy, Sell and Broker Important Estate Jewelry. Located in the upper village of Montecito. Graduate Gemologists with 30 years of experience. We do free evaluations and private consultation.

1470 East Valley Rd suite V. 805 969-0888

UPDATED CONTACT INFO! PRIVATE CHEF Private Chef/Estate Mngr/Shiatsu Practitioner 25 years experience specializing in fine dining, with an emphasis on natural wellness cuisine if desired. Live-in or live-out, full or part-time. 7 day menu available.

Excellent references. 781-856-0359 robertpdonahue@icloud.com AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY

Stickley Arts & Crafts Prairie Spindle Chair & Ottoman $1,650.00 Please call Kathy & Mike 687-4514.

WRITING SERVICES

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 WHO DO YOU TRUST WHEN SELLING YOUR VALUABLES? CARES, Compassionate & Reliable Estate Solutions is an INDEPENDENT CONCIERGE LUXURY SELLING SERVICE providing strategic selling options for your valuables in today’s most lucrative markets, helping you retain the profits from your jewelry, fine watches, fine art, silver, sculpture, wine, coins, memora-

Accomplish Something Exceptional While Sheltering at Home Preserve your life story! The story of a person’s life, told properly, is a marvel.

It can be preserved as family treasure, or it can fade away. I write biographies and autobiographies, producing beautiful books that are thorough, professional, distinctive, impressive and entertaining. Many of my projects are gifts to honor beloved parents or spouses. I also assist with memoirs or other books.

David Wilk (805) 455-5980 wilkonian@sbcglobal.net.

Excellent references. www.BiographyDavidWilk.com ITEMS FOR SALE For sale burial plot #586 CEMETERY 901 Block D , Channel Drive 805 448-1269 Make every day a pain free Riviera day. myrivieralife.com

$8 minimum

SPECIAL SERVICES Great condition hardly used woman’s Trek 8700 Mtn bike. $200. New Bike rack $50.

(805)717-1787 Miscellaneous Furniture and Miscellaneous Supplies Being Sold by El Toro Holdings, LLC located at 2509 N. Ventura Ave. Ventura, Ca 93001 on account of Robin Womack. *contents of container(s) only - container(s) not for sale* Auction will be held at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, January 27th.

PHYSICAL TRAINING Fit for Life REMOTE TRAINING AVAILABLE Customized workouts and nutritional

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

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 Monday before 2 pm.

We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex

46 MONTECITO JOURNAL

NOW OPEN GOT OSTEOPOROSIS? We can help! At OsteoStrong our proven non-drug protocol takes just ten minutes once a week to improve your bone density and aid in more energy, strength, balance and agility. Please call for a complimentary session!

CALL NOW (805) 453-6086

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Elementary Tutor I can oversee your child’s online learning and provide enrichment activities. References available. Contact Bernie at 805-450-1395 or bcpuron@outlook.com 21 – 28 January 2021

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

FAST TURN AROUND - QUALITY GUARANTEED

Just Good Doggies Loving Pet Care in Our Home

$50 a night Carole (805)452-7400 carolebennett@mail.com Free Pick-up & Drop-off with a week’s stay or more Come play and romp in the Santa Ynez Valley

WE BUILD

ARGENTINE BARBECUES Custom made Stainless Steel/Iron Cristian Salamanca - (805) 696 - 8507

www.larenaissanceofart.com/argentinebarbecue

ARCHITECTURAL FACTORY

Local Contractor Licence #911243 Cristian Salamanca (805) 696-8507

We design We fabricate We build We install

www.larenaissanceofart.com

STEVEN BROOKS JEWELERS Appraisals for Estates and Insurance Graduate Gemologist ~ Established 1974 Sales of Custom Designed and Estate Jewelry Purchasing Estates sbjewelers@gmail.com or 805-455-1070

WELLNESS COUNSELING Bio-Spiritual Wellness Coach Body, Mind, Soul Support Yoga, Stretching, Meditation Contemplation, 20+ yrs exp.

Ruthie Huron 484-357-6611 REAL ESTATE WANTED Local PP wants to purchase SFR; or 2 to 4 units with FHA financing; or lease with option; or seller financing.

805-538-1119 or JBG PO Box 3963; SB, Calif. 93130.

Over 25 Years in Montecito

Over25 25Years YearsininMontecito Montecito Over

MONTECITO MONTECITO MONTECITO ELECTRIC ELECTRIC ELECTRIC

EXCELLENTREFERENCES R EFERENCES EXCELLENT EXCELLENT REFERENCES • Repair Wiring • Wiring • Repair Repair Wiring • Inspection • Electrical Remodel Wiring • Remodel Wiring • • New New Wiring • 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

21 – 28 January 2021

Personalized house number mosaics by Elizabeth Gallery Mosaics Your favorite image • A perfect gift bgallerymosaics@gmail.com • www.elizabethgallery.com

DONATIONS NEEDED Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2340 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

CA$H ON THE SPOT CLASSIC CARS RV’S • CARS SUV • TRUCKS ! u o y o t e MOTORHOMES We com 702-210-7725 • The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

47

“Good Food for Good People”

LUCKY’S steaks /chops /seafood /cocktails

Dinner & Cocktails Nightly, Lunch Monday-Friday, Brunch Saturday & Sunday Montecito’s neighborhood bar and restaurant. 1279 Coast Village Road Montecito CA 93108 (805)565-7540 www.luckys-steakhouse.com Photography by Alexandra DeFurio