Wonder Woman

All in the Family 17-24 December 2020 Vol 26 Issue 51

SERVING MONTECITO AND SUMMERLAND

Family Service Agency supports seniors and caregivers at a time when it’s needed most, p. 30

WONDER

WOMAN P.5

MONTECITO RESTAURATEURS, SHOPKEEPERS, AND RESIDENTS ALIKE UNITE AGAINST THE GOVERNOR’S BAN ON OUTDOOR DINING

AFTER A DOZEN YEARS IN SACRAMENTO FIGHTING FOR DISASTER RELIEF AND EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL, HANNAH-BETH JACKSON IS HANGING UP HER CAPE

Where to Shop

Montecito’s best boutiques and stores in Part 2 of our holiday gift guide, p. 14

WHERE’S P.6

THE SCIENCE?

Hail to the Chief

Alan Widling will retire as Montecito Fire division chief after 31-year service as firefighter, p. 28

The Christmas Revels

Montecito resident Susan Keller stars in a virtual celebration of the winter solstice, p. 18

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17 – 24 December 2020

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• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

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Inside This Issue

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5 Santa Barbara’s Wonder Woman Hannah-Beth Jackson hangs up her cape after a dozen years in Sacramento fighting for disaster relief and equal rights for all 6 On the Record Protesters of Governor Newsom’s outdoor dining ban meet outside Tre Lune; Dana Newquist delivers toys to Unity Shoppe in 1937 Ford Fire Engine 8 Letters to the Editor A collection of communication from readers Peggy Wilson and Dan Seibert 10 Montecito on the Move Montecito realtor Adam McKaig’s career was sidelined by the pandemic and so a humanitarian aid distribution agency sprang in its place

Tide Chart 12 Village Beat New storm map to be released this week; MFD Chief of Operations Alan Widling to retire; Montecito Association meeting updates 14 The Shopping List Part two of our local shopping guide 16 On Entertainment Jackson Gillies brings it home; Grace Fisher finds a way; Joss Jaffe shines on; Revels goes joyously virtual; Ensemble holiday shows keeps it together; and more holiday merriment 20 For Goodness’ Sake Could we be giving more?

21 Dear Montecito Montecito Union alumnus Shaye Grant, in a letter about relationships and the memories we hold on to 22 Santa Barbara by the Glass Our resident sommelier offers 2020 a really good kick in the rear and a list of sparkling wines to toast its departure 26 Perspectives by Rinaldo S Brutoco Escaping minority rule: a plea for “one ‘man,’ one vote” The Optimist Daily Tracking tech: Portable plant sensors to keep farms healthy and fastcharging batteries to increase electric car ranges 30 501(c)3 Weekly Family Service Agency has strengthened its mental health programs at a time when needed most 31 Brilliant Thoughts In Ashleigh Brilliant’s “Declaration of Dependence” he holds one truth to be self-evident: the only true dependable entity in life is yourself 32 Montecito Miscellany Richard’s jubilee (kinda) celebration; Toni Stern’s third album; Montecito real estate stuns; the Resilience Tree; and much more news, gossip, pomp and circumstance 34 Nosh Town Claudia Schou climbs the stairway to sweet and savory heaven at San Ysidro Ranch and catches up with the kitchen staff on seasonal favorites 36 Your Westmont Recent grads find success despite pandemic; a student’s venture aims to protect sea turtles 38 Our Town Lockdown be damned, the show must go on and the annual holiday Parade of Lights went on virtual and paradeless 54 Classified Advertising Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales 55 Local Business Directory

“Winter is not a season, it’s a celebration.” – Anamika Mishra

17 – 24 December 2020

Santa Barbara’s Wonder Woman

by Leslie A. Westbrook

A third-generation Californian, Leslie, currently resides in Carpinteria but called Summerland home for 30 years. The award-winning writer assists clients sell fine art, antiques and collectibles at auction houses around the globe. She can be reached at LeslieAWestbrook@gmail.com or www.auctionliaison.com

Hannah-Beth Jackson may have run out of time as State Senator, but she never ran out of the fierce will that got her to Sacramento. She looks back on a legacy of fighting for disaster relief and equal rights for all.

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A. “I love Wonder Woman – that’s how I would visualize myself.

She’s fighting for good, takes no grief from anybody, and is clearly an equal to anyone she comes in contact with. And in the movie, she was willing to withstand cold temperatures and difficult circumstances to continue pursuing her goals and was pregnant as well!”

– Hannah-Beth Jackson, former State Senator for California’s 19th District Sure, Montecito has Ellen, Oprah, Meghan, super-celebrities whose fame is so outsized that just their first name alone lives large in our collective imagination. But there is another woman in the 93108 whose (albeit hyphenated) first name alone is enough to stir amazement. That’s Hannah-Beth, as in Hannah-Beth An unabashed superfan of Wonder Woman, Jackson Jackson, the Boston-bred politician has been a superhero for women’s equality and and Santa Barbara’s own superhero. victims of natural disasters (photo courtesy: HannahBeth Jackson) Hannah-Beth Jackson has served fiercely in the halls of justice as an attorney, prosecutor, politician, and a California state representative, first as our assembly member (1998-2004) then as senator in Sacramento (2012-2020). And I imagine her just as competitive on the tennis courts of Knowlwood Tennis Club. On November 30, she finished her state senatorial duties because of term limits. Hannah-Beth, as we all know her, has ably and tirelessly represented some one million constituents for the past eight years.

The self-avowed feminist (also a wife, mother, and grandmother) has plenty

17 – 24 December 2020

Wonder Woman Page 374 • The Voice of the Village •

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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

Over a Hundred Protest in Support of Outdoor Dining on Coast Village Road

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ore than one hundred Montecito and Santa Barbara residents gathered at noon on Saturday, December 12 in front of Tre Lune Ristorante to protest California Governor Gavin Newsom’s ban on outdoor dining in several Southern California counties including Santa Barbara. Although Newsom’s order aims to help local hospitals avoid an unmanageable spike in COVID-19 patients during the winter holidays, protest organizers and attendees pointed out that Santa Barbara County, with its MJ journalist Nick Schou with Brenda Blalock relatively low case load compared (photo by Priscilla) to Los Angeles County, does not currently seem poised for such a catastrophe.

One of the protesters, David Schneiderman, said that it made no sense for Santa Barbara to be lumped in with counties such as Los Angeles that have a much higher patient load. “I don’t think that’s fair,” he said. “It’s almost like we are being penalized for doing the right thing, for doing all the social distancing, and wearing our masks. We got our numbers down and now we’re being penalized for it.”

On The Record Page 244 244

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17 – 24 December 2020

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17 – 24 December 2020

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

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San Ysidro Pharmacy Monday-Friday 9-6pm Saturday 9-3pm 805-969-2284 1498 East Valley Road Compounding Pharmacy Vitamins and Supplements Cosmetics and fine Gifts We offer expanded delivery, curbside pick up and walk in!

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Letters to the Editor

If you have something you think Montecito should know about, or wish to respond to something you read in the Journal, we want to hear from you. Please send all such correspondence to: Montecito Journal, Letters to the Editor, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite H, Montecito, CA. 93108. You can also FAX such mail to: (805) 969-6654, or E-mail to letters@montecitojournal.net

Governor Who Stole Christmas

T

he Board of Supervisors approved sending a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom at last Tuesday’s meeting. I was elated to hear Adams and Lavagnino lead a stronger pushback with the idea of keeping our County evaluated separately. However, Santa Barbara County needs to take even a stronger stand with a definitive timeline!

It is not the place of Grinch Newsom to continue trampling on constitutional liberties! People’s livelihoods are in peril, and people are dying from causes besides COVID, including mental illness and lack of medical care resulting from the lockdowns themselves!

(Note: Suicides are at all-time highs, if you can even find the statistics on suicide as that information has not yet been released, but in 2017 we lost 55 souls that way. Would the data for suicides and other causes in 2020 so far not also be important? Why are COVID deaths the only stats that are released before the death data is actu-

ally official?)

As a County citizen, I have asked Das Williams, Gregg Hart, and Joan Hartmann, “If you do not stop the lockdowns that are depriving law-abiding employers and employees of their incomes, why don’t you first surrender your own paychecks and your own livelihoods?” Why should they take away the constitutional rights of their constituents for the pretext of a virus that has a 99.8 percent survival rate?

The data of deaths do not warrant the closures of businesses, and certainly not the discrimination of some businesses over others. We the people know what to do to prevent the spread of the virus, because the Public Health Department has educated us. Besides, we have a flu season every year.

Why would our government officials use the mongering of FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real), and the metric of the possibility that hospitals will

Letters Page 534

In light of Governor Newsom’s Regional Stay-Home-Order, please know, your health is our top priority and

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Throughout our history, Sansum Clinic has not just cared about our patients, we care about healthcare.

Today, Sansum Clinic has more than 200 physicians in over 30 specialties, working collaboratively to help our patients live their healthiest life.

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17 – 24 December 2020

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17 – 24 December 2020

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

9

Montecito on the Move

Adam’s Angels is a network of volunteers that collects donated clothing to deliver to seniors and women and blankets and food for the homeless

by Sharon Byrne, Executive Director, Montecito Association

When Your Neighbor is an Angel: Meet Adam McKaig of Adam’s Angels Montecito realtor Adam McKaig’s career was sidelined by the pandemic and so a humanitarian aid distribution agency, Adam’s Angels, sprang in its place

M

any of you are familiar with our Hands Across Montecito project – where Montecito neighbors are partnering as part of a Montecito Association initiative to help the unsheltered in our community find resources and housing.

We have wonderful partnerships on this community-based and -supported effort, including our Sheriff’s and Montecito Fire departments and City Net to do outreach and placements, Behavioral Wellness of Santa Barbara County for mental health and substance use resources, and more. That effort led me to Montecito neighbor Adam McKaig, of Adam’s Angels – a network of volunteers that pull together all kinds of resources for community members in need, from clothing for seniors and women, to blankets and food for the homeless.

I met Adam at Alameda Park in late October. Adam’s Angels was handing out bags of non-perishable snack items for homeless individuals that come to the park each Thursday evening for food and services, organized by Westmont College. Several agencies come to provide services and assistance. I was stunned to find out Adam lived in Montecito in the Toro Canyon area, and urged him to become a Montecito Association member, and he did, thankfully. I asked him what led him to do this. It’s quite a story.

Adam grew up here, loves this community, and enjoys giving back. His father took him to rest homes as a child, and they’d hand out candy canes, and sing carols to seniors. He has a passion for caring about the welfare of others, and he sometimes cares so much that he’s sacrificed his welfare. When talking with Adam, you immediately sense his compassion and selflessness. He truly does

10 MONTECITO JOURNAL

care about the people in our community, and when they’re not thriving, he wants to help.

The pandemic put him on time out, as realtors were not considered essential services in the initial onset.

Adam felt he needed to do something, so he started delivering groceries for seniors. Then he got a call from the Jewish Temple. They were hoping he could help distribute clothes needed for women, on the Jewish Sabbath. Adam was happy to fill in, and arranged for clothing donations, and delivered them. He discovered many of the women didn’t know how to protect themselves from COVID-19.

So he located a supply of some of the few remaining N95 masks from earlier fires, and delivered those. Then he started making food, and delivering it to them. That led him to serving homeless individuals who also had a lot of needs during COVID. Adam leveraged his multiple local connections for blankets, food supplies, and

storage for his now burgeoning operation. Nightclub EOS, which shuttered for the pandemic, offered to let him use their space for storage. He also drew a lot of volunteers to his side, as he’s very warm, charismatic, and open-hearted.

Adam’s Angels was born, with branding, a fetching T-shirt, a new storage van to haul supplies, and volunteers eager to help out in the pandemic. It sprang overnight into a humanitarian aid distribution agency.

I volunteered on Thanksgiving to help Adam’s Angels to distribute soup from the Organic Soup Kitchen, pumpkin pie slices, blankets, and snack kits in front the Unitarian Society, who kindly donated their space. It was clear after the initial rush we’d have plenty of supplies that could be distributed to other areas, including Montecito, so fellow Behavioral Wellness commissioner Marcos Olivarez and I loaded up my car and made deliveries, a great opportunity to do outreach.

Adam has created something very special in Adam’s Angels where people feel they can put their hands on their community, and make a real difference.

The global pandemic disrupted our normal lives, just like massive natural disasters. They strip away life as we knew it, and render what was important moments ago utterly meaningless

McKaig hands out non-perishable snack items to homeless individuals at Alameda Park

now. But these kinds of upheavals also open new doors to be humanitarian, to be the best of us. Adam clearly answered that call, and helped many others find their way to being the best of us too, in helping those most in need.

It’s an honor to have an angel like Adam living among us here in Montecito.

He’s going to have a crew handing out food and supplies at Unity Church on Christmas. We’ll be there. You can learn more at adamsangels.life. •MJ

Montecito Tide Guide Day

Low

Hgt High

Thurs, Dec 17

4:23 AM 2.5

Hgt Low

Hgt High

Hgt Low

Hgt

10:38 AM 6.1

06:03 PM

-0.9

Fri, Dec 18

12:57 AM 3.8

5:19 AM

2.8

11:25 AM

5.5

06:54 PM

-0.4

Sat, Dec19

2:00 AM

3.8

6:28 AM

3

12:19 PM

4.8

07:47 PM

0.1

Sun, Dec 20

3:04 AM

4

8:00 AM

3

01:23 PM

4.2

08:41 PM

0.5

Mon, Dec 21

4:00 AM

4.2

9:44 AM

2.8

02:47 PM

3.6

09:35 PM

0.9

Tues, Dec 22

4:46 AM

4.4

11:10 AM

2.3

04:21 PM

3.3

010:24 PM 1.4

Wed, Dec 23

5:23 AM

4.7

12:10 PM

1.7

05:44 PM

3.2

011:08 PM 1.7

Thurs, Dec 24

5:54 AM

4.9

12:53 PM

1

06:50 PM

3.2

011:47 PM 1.9

Fri, Dec 25

6:23 AM

5.2

01:30 PM

0.5

07:42 PM

3.3

“Every winter has its spring.” – H. Tuttle

17 – 24 December 2020

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17 – 24 December 2020

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

11

Show your LOVE for LOCAL

Village Beat

by Kelly Mahan Herrick Kelly has been editor at large for the Journal since 2007, reporting on news in Montecito and beyond. She is also a licensed realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, and is a member of Montecito and Santa Barbara’s top real estate team, Calcagno & Hamilton.

New Storm Map to be Released Helping You Collect Memories All Season Long!

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A new Storm Impact Consideration Map is being released this week, which identifies 445 parcels at risk for debris laden flooding during significant rain events

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his Thursday, December 17, the Montecito Fire Department, in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), the Carpinteria Summerland Fire Protection District, and First District Supervisor Das Williams will host a virtual community meeting to provide winter preparedness information and to publicly release the updated Interactive Storm Impact Consideration Risk Map. This map is a new iteration of the map released this time last year; it identifies properties in our local community that may be at risk from debris flow or flooding this storm season.

We sat down with Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor earlier this week to discuss the new map, and what it means for future flood warnings and potential evacuations. With three years of growth on our watershed, and our fourth winter since the Thomas Fire (December 2017), it is estimated that there is 80-90% of the canopy cover in the upper watershed, as analyzed by biologist Kevin Cooper. “We expect the watershed to tolerate this year’s storms at least as well as 2020,” Taylor optimistically said, while being clear that Montecito is still at risk for debris laden flooding, as evidenced in 1969, when Montecito suffered a significant debris flow five years after the Coyote Fire of 1964. “The soil is recovering but it’s not at pre-fire conditions,” he said, adding, “Our community will remain at risk for up to five years after the Thomas Fire.”

This new map, to be released to the public following Thursday evening’s meeting, identifies 445 parcels in the “red zone,” meaning they are at risk for flooding during certain wet weather events. These properties are adjacent to waterways, or are downstream from areas in which obstruction of a waterway or creek channel may occur. The 445 parcels is down from 517 identified in 2019, and 1,568 identified in 2018. “As the amount of material available for mobilization decreases, the likelihood of the debris flow expanding beyond the existing creek channels decreases as well,” Chief Taylor said. The reduction in parcels on the map is evident along several creek channels, including San Ysidro Creek through the Hedgerow, Romero Creek on the south side of the 101, and Montecito Creek in the Olive Mill/Coast Village roads area, as well as below the 101. The map, as always, is interactive, and users will be able to type in their address to see if their property is in a red zone.

As was the case this past winter season, there will be no set rain amount threshold to determine an evacuation this winter; evacuations will be determined from a combination of factors. If there is a prolonged “saturation event,” which is defined as 8 to 10 inches of rain in 2-3 days, which is followed by or includes a high intensity, short duration rainfall, an evacuation may be ordered. But it will also be dependent on the status of the debris basins and creek systems; the District, OEM, and County Flood Control continually monitor the creeks, debris basins, and debris nets during weather events, to see if everything is holding up well. They also monitor the choke points including

Village Beat Page 284 284

“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.” - Aristotle

17 – 24 December 2020

OSTERIA CARUSO’S TO - G O Bring the vibrant local flavors and delectable dishes of Caruso’s home to enjoy.

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— I N D U L G E I N A R O B U S T S E L E C T I O N O F D I S H E S F E AT U R I N G — A N T I PA S T I , Z U P P E E I N S A L AT E

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17 – 24 December 2020

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

13

The Shopping List

by Claudia Schou

The Montecito Journal 2020 Holiday Gift Guide: Part 2

M

ontecito’s legacy shops have stood the test of time, braving the lightest lulls to the meanest of bear markets. And in a year that has cratered traditional retail, the village’s small businesses have stood tall again. In the midst of yet another crippling lockdown, we feature a few of the areas celebrated boutiques in Part 2 of our annual compendium of holiday shopping suggestions.

DANIEL GIBBINGS JEWELRY aniel Gibbings is a fine luxury jewelry brand known for its sophistication, boldness, and authenticity. For your holiday pleasure the jeweler has handcrafted works of art such as The Flora Hoops ($950) is an everyday hoop earring made with 18K royal yellow gold with one 0.04pt white diamond in each. The Morganite Aurora Ring ($5,150) is exquisitely made with 18K royal yellow gold with 12 x 10mm center morganite, surrounded by white diamonds and accent pink sapphires.

Daniel Gibbings is located at 1143 Coast At Daniel Gibbings Jewelry, the Flora Hoops ($950) Village Road. Call (805) 565-1284 or visit and the Morganite Aurora Ring ($5,150) Danielgibbings.com.

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You may be able to avoid major orthopedic procedures and joint replacement procedures with a less invasive alternative utilizing an injection of your own stem cells. Harvard trained experienced orthopedic surgeon Richard Scheinberg has extensive experience with technique that may save you from surgery.

Call 8056821394 for consultation

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WHISTLE CLUB histle Club showcases a tightly curated assortment of women’s apparel, accessories, and gifts from a thoughtful selection of emerging designers and industry favorites.

CA Makes features a classic brass hairpin, which is lightweight with a slightly flexible quality for ease of use and a secure hold ($40). You can also choose from the Lizzie Fortunato Deep Dive Earrings, amazonite rectangle earrings set with garnet cabochons and hanging mother-of-pearl tooth charms ($345) or

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The Lizzie Fortunato Deep Dive Earrings ($345) and the Proenza Schouler white label cashmere turtleneck, available only at Whistle Club

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14 MONTECITO JOURNAL

a Proenza Schouler white label cashmere turtleneck, a cashmere and wool-blend sweater with ribbed detailing at the elbow ($595), or a Henne Organics lip exfoliator, a moisturizing Nordic berry lip scrub made with organic ingredients ($24).

Whistle Club is located at 1235 Coast Village Road, Suite C in Montecito. Call (805) 5652800 or visit whistleclub.com.

NELLY’S TAILORING elly’s Tailoring is a Montecito favorite for custom fits. Owner and head seamstress Nelly Bondarenko was the chief tailor for Saks Fifth Avenue and she worked with the Cuban-born fashion designer Luis Estevez. In 2018 Nelly made her studio permanent at Mandana Montecito Boutique. She provides the perfect fit in apparel and eveningwear for men, women, and children.

Nelly’s Tailoring is located in Mandana Boutique at 1485 East Valley Road, #3, in Upper Village. Call (805) Nelly Bondarenko, the owner and head 698-8205. seamstress at a Montecito institution,

N

Nelly’s Tailoring

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” - John Steinbeck

Shopping Page 424 17 – 24 December 2020

Wishing you a healthy and happy holiday from our MB&T family to yours!

montecito.bank

17 – 24 December 2020

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

15

On Entertainment

by Steven Libowitz

Gillies Goes from ‘American Idol’ to Star of His Own Heart

N

o one could fault Santa Barbara singer-songwriter-guitarist Jackson Gillies for letting early success go to his head. After all, while still battling both Type 1 diabetes and a painful skin condition called hidradenitis suppurativa, Gillies was a surprise winner of the 2016 local Teen Star competition at a sold-out Arlington Theatre at age 15, sang for thousands more onstage at 2018’s Kick Ash Bash in Carpinteria, and then parlayed his connections with Kenny Loggins and other local rock stars into a shot as a contestant on American Idol early last year before turning 20.

No one but Gillies himself, that is.

When he suddenly found himself eliminated early from the popular network TV show, Gillies was not only shocked but also bitterly disappointed.

But rather than retreat into depression, Santa Barbara singer-songwriter-guitarist Jackson he took the opportunity to re-examine Gillies premieres new Virtual Concert Series at not only his musical approach, but also Marjorie Luke Theatre on December 18 his life.

“I just wasn’t bringing anything new to the table,” he admitted frankly over the phone last weekend. “I could perform entire albums note for note, but I

wasn’t writing the songs. And you can’t really write great songs without having some experience in the world, having a personality that is outside of the box.”

Indeed, Gillies concluded, he’d let himself be “sheltered by music, latching onto my favorite artists, but not really have much experience” with himself because of his health issues. “There were spans of months where I was just in bed recovering from surgery or in a lot of pain, not really going out and living the life that I could and should have been for a teenager.”

Seeking a change of venue at the very least, in September 2019, Gillies moved to London with then-girlfriend Hana Aluna to study at The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, but, he said, he was still trying to force his way to popularity.

“I was trying to impress everybody,” he said. “I was expecting some of the stuff that I’d had here. I was so used to doing those vocal acrobatics and having people tell me I was amazing. That was my only goal at first, just to make all of these people say, ‘Wow, you’re great!’ I was looking for short-term validation. It was such a shallow expectation but it was rooted from insecurity. So I just clung onto what I knew, which was playing or talking about music.”

After, in his own words, “failing spectacularly,” Gillies gave up on that angle and actually started making friends at the school, at first collaborating and eventually “almost letting go of music to just live. It turns out I went to music school and ignored the music for a minute to just be a person. I had to learn how to be Jackson.”

Clearly something clicked. Gillies is unveiling his new batch of songs that mark a sea change in his style along with a handful of heartfelt covers in a onehour presentation that was produced as part of the Marjorie Luke Theatre’s new Virtual Concert Series that once again seems to have made him a voice that needs to be heard, but now one with a deeply personal vision. Love and loss permeate his half-dozen compositions that nearly invariably boast indelible memories and are delivered with both beauty and emotional nakedness in his vocal delivery. The lyrics evoke images of local landmarks as well as the often inaccessible far reaches of the heart.

“It’s become about prioritizing what I value the most,” he explained. “I had to figure out what my true voice was. That’s part of what I discovered in that inward journey – that I treasure moments of emotional openness.”

Gillies described his songs as ones that seem right for late at night, “around 2 am, when I’m in bed, missing the person that I want to talk to the most, something that is very vulnerable. These songs deal so heavily with the harder stuff of life, with being introspective and letting go of love.”

Indeed, Gillies said, they serve as a form of therapy.

“I think I cried when I wrote the last line of ‘Learning,’” he said. “I read it after I had written it then sung it and I started thinking, ‘God, I’ve got to give myself a break.’ There were things that were right in front of my face that I would have never known if I hadn’t written the song. Because these things can be so subtle and hidden.”

As befits the songs’ tone, the concert is a mostly spare affair, delivered acoustically with gentle accompaniment by veteran local musicians and friends Randy Tico and Brian Mann, among others. Gillies himself largely produced and mixed the music, decorated the Luke’s stage with furniture from his own home and designed the images that are projected behind him. The result is perhaps the best locally-produced video made during the pandemic, one that should reward repeat viewings well beyond the December 18 premiere on the website of the Marjorie Luke Theatre.

Not to sound boastful, but Gillies himself is grateful. “Being able to play on that stage and do it exactly how I wanted to do it and with the exact songs that I wanted to do, that’s a lifetime gift,” he said. “I am so blessed to be able to make a show like this and represent myself as clearly as I wanted.”

Fisher Finds a Way

If a sudden affliction of acute flaccid myelitis resulting in becoming a quadriplegic wasn’t enough to stop Santa Barbaran Grace Fisher from pursuing her musical dreams, the coronavirus pandemic couldn’t contain her from continuing her community Christmas celebration. This year’s Winter Music Showcase from her Grace Fisher Foundation – which was pre-recorded using proper protocols in the Granada Theatre in the first performances at the venue in many months – is anchored by the Solstice Chamber Orchestra This year’s pre-recorded Winter Music Showcase

16 MONTECITO JOURNAL

On Entertainment Page 184 184 “Nothing burns like the cold.” - George R.R. Martin

from the Grace Fisher Foundation will air on KEYT-TV on December 20

17 – 24 December 2020

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17

On Ent (Continued from page 16 16)) premiering “A Critter Fable,” written

by Fisher and featuring her artwork.

It also stars both Gillies and another local who recently tried his hand at a national singing competition, The Voice semi-finalist Will Breman, plus finalists from the Santa Barbara Teen Star competition as well as the string trio Three for Joy and the Madrigals Alumni Choir.

The show was shot from a variety of angles, and the musical performances were spread throughout the theater, including the stage and the far more intimate Founder’s Room, to create a production to provide holiday hope.

The Winter Music Showcase will air on KEYT-TV and be livestreamed on Hulu and YouTube at 4 pm on Sunday, December 20.

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Joss Shines On

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Revels’ Pandemic Promise: Join Us (Virtually) and Be Joyous

Every year, the December performances of Santa Barbara Revels are meant to mark the winter solstice, which represents the shortest day of the year, the deepest dive into darkness before emerging back into the light. So perhaps it was fitting that my conversation with Susan Keller, founder of and still the main force in the local chapter of the national Revels organization, took place this past Monday, just as the first doses of the new COVID-19 vaccine were being administered to health care workers across the nation, perhaps signaling

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19

For Goodness’ Sake

by Ken Saxon

Ken Saxon’s second act – following his business career – has been building a leadership network to empower, elevate, and connect Santa Barbara County’s nonprofit leaders. He enjoys the opportunity to engage in civic life and leadership locally, especially through the nonprofit leadership organization he founded, Leading From Within.

Can We Be More Generous?

I

n recent years, I’ve heard a growing amount of criticism of philanthropy.

I sense that much of this flak comes from the explosion of wealth inequality in our country, which has actually accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s certainly not a pretty picture to see American billionaires gaining $1 trillion (one trillion dollars!) in wealth just since mid-March, at the same time as hundreds of thousands of people were dying and tens of millions lined up at foodbanks or were left hanging on the extension of their unemployment benefits. Whether or not there’s anyone to “blame” for this situation, it certainly feels obscene to many.

The most significant way we address wealth inequality in America is via a progressive system of taxation. But philanthropy also plays a role, and it has since the earliest days of our country. America was formed with relatively weak central governments. Alexis de Tocqueville, in the early 19th century, wrote that he found America uniquely blessed with countless “voluntary associations” that were a key to American culture and democracy. Philanthropy is an area of American innovation we can be proud of.

But where does American philanthropy stand today? In 2019, a record amount was donated here – $450 billion. But underneath that figure, there are some concerning trends. Though giving is growing among the wealthy, it is not elsewhere. The 2017 Tax Act increased the standard deduction and thus cut by more than half the percentage of tax filers who itemize, and thus who can benefit from the charitable tax incentives.

And even among those who reduce their taxes with the charitable deduction, a significant portion of the funds they are donating aren’t reaching

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needy people today. Instead, a lot of money is being warehoused, often long term, in donor-directed charitable vehicles like foundations and donor-advised funds. Foundations are only required to pay out a small amount of their assets each year, and there are no such regulatory restrictions on donor-advised funds.

Given that government loses out on revenue as donors put money in these charitable vehicles, we could seek to change the regulations so more funds get put to work immediately to benefit charitable causes. And indeed, calls for charitable reform are cropping up in the halls of Congress and in state houses.

Whether any of this legislation will become law is anyone’s guess.

But outside of the world of government and tax regulations, I recently heard of an intriguing initiative that engages a different strategy for reform – social pressure. For many decades, Forbes Magazine has chronicled the richest Americans in its Forbes 400 issue. In recent years, the magazine has also tried to show who are the most charitable among the super-wealthy.

But up to this year, Forbes’ metric of generosity included a lot of money that didn’t go to working charities. Instead, much of these “charitable contributions” went into personal charitable vehicles (private foundations and donor advised funds). The total amount of warehoused charitable dollars – which are rewarded with valuable current tax deductions but do little societal good today – has been growing rapidly.

This is a great moment for each of us to look at how much more we could donate before the end of 2020. The pandemic has many months to go, as it crushes lives and livelihoods in its wake.

Beginning with this year’s Forbes 400, the magazine excluded such warehoused funds in their measurement of generosity. For those super-wealthy folks who want to be seen as among the most generous, they are now on notice that putting money into your foundation or donor-advised fund will not get you there. Instead, you need to give it away to nonprofit organizations now. Just warehousing charitable capital is doing nothing today to solve our significant and immediate societal needs.

The readers of the Forbes 400 will now be able to see who on the list has given away more than 20% of their wealth to on-the-ground charities helping people (like Warren Buffett and George Soros), 10-20% of their wealth (like Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg) and who has given away less than 1% (time to step up, Jeff Bezos! You too, heirs to the Walmart fortune!). I hope these new “Philanthropy Scores” will help change the conversation about what it means to be charitable.

Though it’s easy to judge the super-rich, the reality is that many of the rest of us can afford to donate more than we do. There’s a large segment of America that has done well economically through the pandemic – with strong incomes, reduced expenses, and record asset valuations. This is a great moment for each of us to look at how much more we could donate before the end of 2020. The pandemic has many months to go, as it crushes lives and livelihoods in its wake.

What to do if you have the instinct to donate more, but you are not sure where? One way is to reach out to informed friends. A colleague emailed me last week to say she was considering a large year-end gift to the Foodbank organization here, and she wanted to know if they were well-run. I answered enthusiastically and told her our family just made a stretch year-end gift to that same organization.

Community foundations – like the Santa Barbara Foundation and the Fund for Santa Barbara – also provide philanthropic advisory services in their region. Jackie Carrera, CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation, told me that a big part of the foundation’s mission is “to help people become informed and engaged philanthropists in our local communities.” Carrera says the Foundation works closely with donors to support their giving, “especially when they are new to the community, or are not familiar with the nonprofit sector in our community.”

The new kid on the block in terms of local philanthropic resources is The Giving List, just published by the Montecito Journal. I was blown away by the quality of this beautiful and well-written book that highlights the good works of many of our region’s most impactful nonprofit organizations. If you haven’t yet, spend some time leafing through it. Then if you have the capacity, act by making stretch year-end gifts to causes that inspire you – whether they are in the List or not.

In this moment of stress for nonprofits who are caring for our community during this unprecedented crisis, such gestures will be gratefully received. •MJ

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” - Albert Camus

17 – 24 December 2020

Dear Montecito

ating from Montecito Union. I remember standing outside Giovanni’s on Coast Village Road, posing together, her with her college diploma and me with mine from Montecito Union. We had a lot of great memories on Coast Village Road, as do many other Montecito families.

In February of 2019, my junior year of high school, we learned my mom had a rare form of skin cancer called metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

It was rough for a while, and unfortunately we lost her that April.

by Stella Pierce

Montecito Alumni Write Letters from Life’s Front

W

e’ve heard from a variety of different perspectives in this column, giving us a sense of how each person’s relationship with their hometown changed after heading off into the bigger world. We’ve heard from Clay Rodgers, whose relationship with Montecito and his music career was complicated by natural disasters. We’ve heard from Julia Kupiec, who reflected on the striking privilege of our hometown. With distance comes clarity – wisdom known to astronauts and young adults alike. This week, we’re hearing from Shaye Grant in a letter about relationships and the memories we hold on to.

Dear Montecito,

I remember when my mom and I first moved to Montecito. Honestly, I was nervous. I had never been in a town so big before. Before moving to Montecito, I had lived in a small community up north. It was called Oakdale, California. I lived there for a few years before moving to another small town, this time just outside of Palmdale, California.

It was around the middle of the school year, when I was in first grade, that my mom made the decision to move to Montecito. She wanted me to attend Montecito Union School. I remember being upset because this meant I would have to leave my old school and all my friends. However, when I grew older, I understood why my mom had made the decision for us to leave. I can now appreciate that Montecito Union was the best possible education I could have gotten as a kid, and that it led me to where I am today.

My mom worked hard for us to be able to live in Montecito. She held three different jobs while also going to Santa Barbara City College to earn her degree in radiologic technologies. We often joked that we would graduate college together, but instead, my mom earned her degree at the same time I was gradu-

Matthew Pifer, MD

“My mom worked hard for us to be able to live in Montecito. She held three different jobs while also going to Santa Barbara City College to earn her degree in radiologic technologies.”

I think the relationship you have with your mother is always the most complicated one of all. I loved my mom more than anything in the world.

But sometimes she was not the best person to be around or even the person I should have been looking up to as a role model in my life. At the same time, she was all I had. She was my shoulder to cry on and she always, always had my back right until the very end. We laughed together and cried together.

We even graduated together. I will never stop loving her and appreciating all that she did for me. I was so upset when she passed. It was agony losing her, being afraid that our memories and all that we went through would slip away too.

But, even though I ended up moving in with family members in Carpinteria, I still drive through Montecito every time I go to school or to work. And, as cheesy as it sounds, driving through town is kind of like saying hi to an old friend. Like I said, I have a lot of memories from back when I lived in Montecito, which I hold closely in my heart. Even when I grow up and move away from town, I will always remember the times my mom and I shared together in Montecito.

Best, Shaye Grant •MJ

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Santa Barbara by the Glass

by Gabe Saglie Gabe Saglie has been covering the Santa Barbara wine scene for more than 15 years through columns, TV and radio. He’s a senior editor with Travelzoo and is a leading expert on travel deals, tips and trends. Gabe and wife Renee have 3 children and one Golden Retriever named Milo

Fizzle and Pop: These Bubbles Will Help You Send 2020 On Its Way

T

he new three-week stay-at-home order that befell California this month means Santa Barbara County’s wine tasting rooms are shuttered, again. Your own hunt for great local wines to grace the holiday table and end-of-year festivities, though, continues. So keep in mind that, while the deadline for many shipments to arrive by Christmas has passed, there’s still time to order directly from wineries, for curbside pickup.

Bubblies will be atop many of our shopping lists, of course, as there’s no better way to usher in a new year – and to send 2020 off with a really good kick in the rear – than the effervescence of a really good sparkling wine.

Flying Goat Cellars

Lovers of bubbles have dozens of other Santa Barbara County options, of course. Norm Yost and his Lompoc-based Flying Goat Cellars label is a pioneer in this arena. Other Santa Barbara County winemakers, including Greg Brewer and the late Chris Whitcraft, had dabbled in bubbles before Yost launched his own line of sparklers in 2005. But Yost gets credit for being the first to make his bubblies an annual endeavor. He’s crafting five bottlings of Goat Bubbles each vintage, ranging from $40 to $60, and featuring fruit from various top-of-theline vineyards.

Buy them at flyinggoatcellars.com.

Fesstivity from Fess Parker

Riverbench from the Santa Maria Valley remains a benchmark for local sparkling wines

Riverbench

When it comes to Santa Barbara’s sparkling wine production, Riverbench continues to stand out with its annual release of four unique Cork Jumper sparklers, the handiwork of winemaker Clarissa Nagy. This is the property in the heart of the Santa Maria Valley that planted its first pinot noir and chardonnay vines – primary ingredients in the world’s great bubblies – in 1973. Riverbench really began to take bubbles seriously in 2014, though, when they grafted the county’s very first Pinot Meunier, still a rarity in California but a long-time darling among producers of the fizzy stuff in France. Riverbench just released their 2017 all-Pinot Meunier Cork Jumper ($68), a super bright and energetic bubbly with dark berry notes, a fresh feel and supple finish. A very limited 92 cases were produced. I sipped this one recently, while popping cold slices of Gala apples and hunks of Dubliner cheese. Yum. Riverbench’s all-chardonnay 2017 Blanc de Blancs ($48) is an homage to Champagne, with its citrusy flavors and yeasty finish; and the all-pinot 2017 Blanc de Noirs ($48) is a rosé lover’s dream, with deep tangerine flavors and a

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velvety finish.

The crowning jewel of Riverbench’s sparklers is the 2018 Cork Jumper Cuvée ($68), a vibrant blend of equal parts pinot noir, chardonnay and Pinot Meunier that’s a real snapshot of the label’s estate vineyards. How does the pinot meunier enhance this bottling? By adding “an interesting austerity to the wine,” Riverbench director of winemaking Laura Booras once told me, “Chardonnay in Santa Maria tends to have really bright citrus fruit character, so Pinot Meunier might help tone that down some, for the sake of achieving a truly balanced, flavorful wine.” The pop of color and rush of bubbles here is titillating, while the stone fruit aromas and creamy flavors are downright delicious. A real crowd pleaser, even if your holiday crowd is a lot smaller this year.

Order Riverbench bubbly at riverbench.com.

The Fess Parker team entered the world of bubbles in 2015 with their Fesstivity label and a quaint destination tasting cabin in Los Olivos known as The Bubble Shack. Their current 2017 Blanc de Blancs, 2016 Blanc de Noirs and 2016 Brut Rosé all feature premium Sta. Rita Hills grapes and are available as a holiday three-bottle gift pack for a discounted $140 at fessparkerwineshop.com.

And a tip of the hat to winemaker Laura Roach, who launched her LouBud label, a play on her childhood nickname, in 2015. Her limited-edition bubblies, made by hand in the méthode champenoise style, are consistently fresh. Roach announced on social media this past weekend that all her past sparkling wine releases are sold out, except for her new all-pinot noir 2019 Brut Rosé. It’s “delicate and crisp with pretty red fruits and rose petals on the nose,” she writes.

“Bright entry of pink grapefruit, Asian pear, and croissant dough with a clean, bright finish!”

Buy it for $45 at loubudwines.com.

Caterinicchio’s French Bubbly

Still looking to sip French? If it’s not from Champagne, you can’t call it Champagne, so the sparklers that Montecito resident Frank Caterinicchio is importing from boutique producers in Provence are, simply, French sparkling wines. But they are still delicious.

At $19, the Domaine du Tix “Des Bulles au Cerveau” (Bubbles in the Brain), made with cinsault grapes, is a phenomenal value. With no added sulfites, it’s racy and refreshing, and the label featuring a cartoon diver blowing bubbles from his breathing apparatus means it’s a conversation piece before you even pour. A metal crown bottle cap, in lieu of a cork, makes it even At $19, the Domaine du Tix “Des Bulles au more fun.

Cerveau” (Bubbles in the Brain), made with Caterinicchio also has the cinsault grapes, is available from Provençal Effervescence by Domaine Vintur Collective ($28), which is crisp, dry, and fizzy and comes in a bell-bottom bottle. “Makes for a great mimosa or Aperol spritz,” he says, although, on its own, it’s palate cleansing and thirst quenching.

Provençal Collective, which Caterinicchio, a former political consultant, launched three years ago after a serendipitous trip to France’s southern Rhône Valley, features an exclusive line of organic wines. Find out more in my feature for the Winter 2020-2021 issue of Montecito Journal’s quarterly glossy. To beat the holiday rush, Caterinicchio is hand-delivering his imported wines throughout Montecito.

Order directly from him at provencalcollective.com.

Cheers!

•MJ

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields that it kisses them so gently?” - Lewis Carroll

17 – 24 December 2020

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23

On The Record (Continued from page 6)

Lynne Harris, Bret Stone, Dani Stone, Sandy Reid, and Christian Garfield participating in the protest (photo by Priscilla)

Another protester, Pete Jordano, said he is protesting in solidarity with the front line workers in the food industry, a business his family knows well. “Our company has been in business in March of next year for 106 years,” he said.

According to Jordano, most of his 500-plus employees have been with the company for 16 years. “To me that’s the thing I’m most proud of,” he said. “And that’s why we’re here; we need to help the people who work at this level. Most of the people who work in these restaurants are low income. So when it comes to working as a waiter or waitress or in the kitchen, to let them go at this time of the year is brutal. And we need to take care of them.”

Tre Lune owner Gene Montesano said news of Newsom’s recent order banning outdoor dining until the week after Christmas, “spread like wildfire.” He and other restaurateurs felt betrayed by Newsom, Montesano said, and didn’t see how the data backed up the governor’s policy. “There is no science proving any of this; this is nonsense,” Montesano said, pointing to studies that showed that indoor family gatherings as opposed to outdoor dining were linked to spreading the virus.

Montesano accused Santa Barbara officials of failing to follow the example of Solvang, where the city council voted unanimously on December 7 to allow restaurants to remain open for outdoor dining. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors also voted to ask Newsom to create a separate “Central Coast Region” governing rules on outdoor dining.

“Why can Solvang decide to stay open, and we’re not, and we share the same health department?” Montesano asked, adding that he’s already received a warning letter from the county because a few people took dinner from the restaurant and opted to picnic outside. “We got a letter from the health department saying if you do it again, it will be a minimum of a $1,000 fine and possible imprisonment,” he said. “It’s heavy handed.”

According to Montesano, who also owns Lucky’s Steakhouse and D’Angelo Bakery, his clientele during the pandemic so far has consisted of 150,000 people, none of whom to his knowledge have contracted the virus. When one employee contracted COVID-19 in April, Montesano shut down his two affected restaurants for a week.

“Nobody has tested positive since and I haven’t heard of one person who got it,” he said. “This is crazy.” Montesano said he just laid off 73 employees at his various establishments. “And this is right around the holidays and that’s what really has the effect,” he said. “If you lay someone off and everything’s shut down they can’t go get another job right now, so it’s terrible. I’m not thinking about me and my profitability. I’ll be okay. But it’s different for them, you know?”

In a gesture of hospitality, Tre Lune offered free water, coffee, and pizza to those who gathered in support of Montecito’s restaurant workers on Saturday. On hand to make sure everyone was being taken care of was Leslie Garofalo, Tre Lune’s general manager. “The health department gave us a forty-eight-hour window to shut down our operations and go back to take out only,” Garofalo said. “So therefore we had multiple layoffs and lost quite a bit of our staff. I am doing what I can to spread the shifts so people can have some sort of income and get through this horrible time, especially with the holidays.”

Although 2020 has been a challenging year, Garofalo insisted the restaurant had been doing fairly well until Newsom pulled the plug on outdoor dining.

“If we are all shut down, we are going to lose everything,” she said. “What’s the point? Everybody has been very cautious and diligent. We haven’t had any [COVID] cases. We have followed all the protocols and sanitized every station.

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Simon Rothouse, Leslie Garofalo, Gene Montesano, and Ron Margolis (photo by Priscilla)

Los Arroyos owner Tony Arroyo, Lucky’s manager Larry Robles, Cathy Duncan, David Back from Santo Mezcal restaurant, and Deborah Bahre with Joe’s Café (photo by Priscilla)

Tre Lune Chef Luis Deleon with staff Elinton Jerimo and Fibenzo Vasquez (photo by Priscilla)

We have disposable menus; everybody wears a mask. We are doing everything we can and they throw another curve ball at us.”

Last week, Garofalo said, some 20 restaurant owners met together (outside with proper social distancing) to strategize a response to Newsom’s order. “We need to make things happen so we can open our doors for outdoors dining,” she said. “Solvang opened up, Paso Robles opened up for outdoor dining. They are disputing the restrictions and I think as a community we need to fight this as well. It just isn’t right; it’s unfair.”

Garofalo noted that COVID restrictions have led to a nationwide mental

On The Record Page 534 534

17 – 24 December 2020

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• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

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Perspectives

by Rinaldo S. Brutoco

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

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

Escaping Minority Rule: The Electoral College

W

hat do people, especially the news media, mean by “Minority Rule”?

Let’s be clear that it doesn’t mean “minority government,” a term used to describe how a national political party (e.g., United Kingdom, France, Israel, etc.) can govern without an absolute majority vote. A minority government in a multi-party system is allowed to form coalitions that permit the selected party to rule with the consent of the majority of the total coalition.

When a minority government falls below its ability to wield a majority vote on a particular bill, the opposition can call for a “No Confidence” vote and force a general election to see if a majority party can emerge or if the recipients of a majority of votes can form a new coalition and govern.

Minority rule refers to something radically different, and something the U.S. needs desperately to reconsider. Through a variety of measures, the American political system has evolved so that a minority of voters can, and in recent decades has, run the various states and federal government without receiving a majority of the vote. To all of you reading this who were raised thinking the U.S. is a democracy: bad news. It isn’t! We are technically a “democratic republic,” which means we democratically elect individuals (presidential electors in our case) who in turn elect some of our top government officials.

The electoral delegation system has its benefits, but it is clear that the negative effects badly outweigh the benefits. The experience of this election “season” requires us to ask again if we desire to live in a country with “one ‘man,’ one vote.” This phrase, which now includes women and non-whites, reflects what the founders drafted into the Constitution precisely with the intention of creating minority rule.

The founders wanted to create a governmental system that permitted only white, male landowners to vote on the ridiculous premise that only white, male landowners would know how to best exercise their civic franchise.

That’s classic. And, as we have learned, is totally based upon failed logic.

Doubtless, the founders would make different choices today.

From today’s perspective looking back on the historic voting rights movements that enfranchised women and Black voters, it is clear we should want every citizen to cast a ballot and move toward a true democracy. From a 2020 perspective, the idea of not letting Blacks or women participate in our democracy is, to most but not all, a farcical notion.

Why? Because fundamentally, we collectively believe (even if many prominent politicians do not) that all adults should be entitled to participate in the democratic process that determines how we all shall live. We are all entitled to have our democratically cast votes determine who will lead the country. We want every citizen to have the real belief that their vote counts equal to that of every other “man.”

It is shocking that the Republicans have won the popular vote only once in the past 20 years but have nonetheless won the White House for 12 of those years. This is the result of the Electoral College system, which even casual observers believe has created major distortions in our political system.

Initially a system of electors could be justified by the physical distance that results would have to travel by horseback between election day and the day the electors meet (today as I write) to confirm the presidential election, but the deeper reason the Electoral College was created was to enshrine so much power in the slave owning states that they would be willing to sign the original Articles of Confederation.

Yes, because of slavery and the desire to placate the southern states that practiced it, we are cursed with an Electoral College to this day. This despite the observation that 2020 was the fourth presidential election in a row, and the seventh out of the past eight, where the Republican candidate received fewer votes than the Democratic candidate. The presidency is the only office in America where the winner often does not receive the most votes! Four years ago, Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by more than three million votes but lost the Electoral College because of the votes of a mere 70,000-plus folks scattered amongst three states.

This year President-Elect Joe Biden received more than seven million more votes than Trump, and had a commanding Electoral College victory. To put this in an historical perspective, Trump was defeated more soundly than any

26 MONTECITO JOURNAL

Tracking Top Tech

This portable sensor device can help farmers keep their crops healthy

S

mart farming techniques are key to tackling growing food insecurity through sustainable farming practices. This entails the rapid development of advanced technologies that can enable farmers to give their plants (or animals) the precise treatment they need.

A new tool from scientists at Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology does exactly that, helping farmers with early diagnosis and real-time plant health monitoring in the field.

The useful device is a portable leaf-clip optical sensor that can monitor whether a plant is under stress. It does this by gathering data on the plant’s chemistry, such as gauging its levels of nitrogen, a deficiency of which can be linked to premature leaf deterioration and loss of yield.

In addition to measuring nitrogen levels in plants, the device can also be used to detect levels of other plant stressors such as drought, heat and cold stress, saline stress and light stress. The wide range of plant threats it can detect makes it ideal for use by farmers to prevent food loss.

According to the team, their findings could prove incredibly useful in helping farmers maximize crop yield while minimizing environmental impacts, such as reducing pollution of aquatic ecosystems by limiting nitrogen runoff and groundwater contamination.

Toyota to unveil an EV with 10-minute fast-charging battery in 2021 The adoption of electric vehicles might get a boost next year as giant automaker Toyota is expected to introduce an electric car with a 310-mile range and a rapid recharge from zero to full in 10 minutes.

Range anxiety and recharge time are some of the main factors preventing drivers from switching to electric, so this EV is expected to be a game-changer.

“The technology is a potential cure-all for the drawbacks facing electric vehicles that run on conventional lithium-ion batteries, including the relatively short distance traveled on a single charge as well as charging times,” states a new report released by Nikkei Asia. “Toyota plans to be the first company to sell an electric vehicle equipped with a solid-state battery in the early 2020s.”

Solid-state batteries are a lot safer and have potential for higher energy density. Their high cost has prevented them from being mass-produced so far, but it seems that may soon change thanks to Toyota.

•MJ incumbent since Franklin D. Roosevelt pushed Herbert Hoover out of office.

Yet Trump is crusading to overturn the election in the courts, including the Supreme Court. More recently he has been personally threatening and cajoling state legislatures and government officials in at least three states to overturn their state’s election results.

Frankly, this shameful attempt to overturn the presidential election violates our core national political principles. It has been an attempt to “install” Trump for a second term despite his loss. Had he succeeded fascism would have triumphed, and it would have been the end of our Constitutional democracy. In the words of the Pennsylvania Attorney General: “Trump’s attempts amount to sedition by lawsuit.”

Clearly, the Electoral College must be abolished to liberate the presidential election so that the candidate with the most votes always wins, regardless of where those votes were cast. That way we’ll know the projectable winner within a day of the election, thereby ending all the foolishness that the delay caused this year. My vote in California must have the same weight as one cast in Wisconsin or Georgia. The founders could never have foreseen the travesty experienced with the Electoral College and, without a doubt, would overturn it if they had seen the reality of fascism arising out of the confusion it has sewn.

Fortunately, a movement exists to reform the Electoral College without requiring a Constitutional amendment: The National Popular Vote bill, now passed by states holding 196 electoral votes. When states holding an additional 74 electoral votes adopt the bill it will require those states, acting in concert as the majority of the Electoral College, to vote for the candidate with the most votes regardless of which states they originated from. Stay tuned. Major change is possible before 2024!

•MJ

“O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?” - Percy Bysshe Shelley

17 – 24 December 2020

Santa Barbara Choral Society builds community one voice at a time.

Our Volunteer Choral Singers, Rich and Poor, Young and Old, Men and Women, Independents and Republicans and Democrats, Straight and LGBTQX, All Backgrounds and Cultures, have worked together for 72+ years to make beautiful music.

Thanks to all our generous supporters who make our work possible.

$25,000+ Todd and Allyson Aldrich Diane Dodds Reichert and David Reichert Brooks and Kate Firestone Dick and Marilyn Mazess Walter J. and Holly O. Thomson Foundation

$1,000+ Carol G Adams John and Mary C Cochrane John and Catherine Baker Catherine Binger Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation Erica DiBartolomeo Martha Firestone Ford Mosher Foundation W. F. Bartlett Francis Barry and Norris Goss Robert and Belinda Hart Don Jeske Charles Journey Bob and Michelle Lally Catherine Louise Less Gail Lucas John and Kitty Maxwell

$10,000+ Ann Jackson Family Foundation City of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture

Paula M Von Simson MD Kate and Gary Rees Lu Setnicka Linda Shobe James Taylor Marie Vanerian Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 1649 $500+ Anna Aboud Michael and Mary Dan Eades Kathy Ann McGuire Anita S Baldwin Marcia Smith Bourain Naomi and Glen Broomberg Peter and Suzanne Brown Barbara Burger and Paul Munch Mary Byrd Margo Callis

$5,000+ Karen and Peter Brill Roger and Sarah Chrisman Jody and Tom Holehouse Debra L Stewart Santa Barbara Symphony Ross and Karen Williams

Kay Chambers Nathalie E Confiac Lucy L Connolly Peter and Bonnie Curtin Karen Dalton Kathryn Luz Doughty Barry and Pamela Enticknap Suzanne Follmer Manuela GeigerKolbitsch Network for Good Ken Hunter Peter Lombrozo Gretchen M Murray Val Noronha Mark and Lisa Ostendorf Gregory Pantages Kathy Piasecki Joan Renehan John and Susan Renehan

$2,500+ Sid and Cindy Anderson American Riviera Bank John and Eleanor Lynn Brian & Gisele McDermott Montecito Bank & Trust Claudia H Scott Mary Secord Paul Warner

Claire Engel Stefan and Christine Alyssa Evans Riesenfeld Sharla Fell John R Rodkey Rodney Gustafson Barbara Rosen Michael Horowitz Howard Rothman Thomas Hurd Paul and Gayle Nancy Marilyn Keele Satterblom David Lennon Felicia Saunders Candace L Stevenson Dovie Louise Lindberg Jonathan Mitchell Erin Thomson Michael Monagan Marylove Thralls and Scott C Myrvold Michael Hackett Zoe Nathan $250+ Alice Noble Mikki Andina Nancy R Renshaw Kattie Bachar Jim and Susan Richard and Molly Robbins Ballantine Margot Roseman Diane Das Deborah Kay Rosique Grace Davidson Linda Rouhas Old Spanish Days Leah Shrier Karen L Decker Matthew and Nancy Elizabeth Michaela Taylor La Sota

Donations made between November 12, 2018 and November 12, 2020 SANTA BARBARA CHORAL SOCIETY | 1330 State Street Suite 202 Santa Barbara CA 93101 | 805-965-9577 | sbchoral.org Our programs are funded in part by the Community Organizational Development Grant program using funds provided by the City of Santa Barbara in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture.

17 – 24 December 2020

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

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Village Beat (Continued from page 12 12)) bridge culverts, sharp turns in the creeks, and drainage pipes. “No two storm events are the same, and the watershed responds differently each time,” the Chief explained.

Potential evacuations could be localized to one area of Montecito, they could include only the “red zone” on the map, or they could comprise the entire community, depending on the severity of the situation. “We’ll continue to communicate our decision making process as we move through the storm season. If we are considering an evacuation or order, we will notify those on the red area on the map. All of this will occur in an open and transparent manner,” Chief Taylor said. “Our number one goal is to keep the community safe.”

This past rainy season, there were no evacuations warnings or orders issued, despite some significant storms in late March and early April. “The watershed tolerated those storms well, which was encouraging,” Chief Taylor said.

The regrowth of the vegetation in the watershed, the cleared out debris basins and channels, and the ring nets above Montecito have all contributed to the development of the map, which was a collaboration between multiple local emergency agencies as well as several consultants and weather experts.

On Thursday, the virtual Community Meeting will include speakers Kevin Cooper, who will discuss the watershed regrowth, Eric Bolt from the National Weather Service, Jon Frye from County Flood Control, Craig Bonner from the Sheriff’s Department, Kelly Hubbard from OEM, and Chief Taylor.

For information on how to join the virtual meeting, call 969-7762. The meeting is on Thursday, December 17, at 5:30 pm.

Even as we prepare for the winter storm season, Montecito’s wildfire threat is always looming. With recent sundowner winds, low humidity, and no recent rainfall, fire continues to be a real threat to our community. Chief Taylor explained that fire can easily carry from our local foothills into our communities, even this soon after a massive fire like the Thomas Fire. “A normal return interval in our mountain ranges is twelve to fifteen years after a fire,” Chief Taylor said. “However, that was before the ‘new normal’ that we are now experiencing. All bets are off, and we are still at risk even in very young vegetation.”

To learn more about wildfire preparedness, visit www.montecitofire.com.

District Office will be closed: Friday, December 25, 2020 & Friday, January 1, 2021

www.montecitowater.com

"We're in this together."

Our team acknowledges the many challenges the community is facing this holiday season. Top of our list is the wish for a peaceful end to 2020 and a fresh start for 2021. While so much seems different, Montecito Water District continues to reliably provide high quality water as it has for nearly 100 years.

28 MONTECITO JOURNAL

Chief Widling to Retire Montecito Fire District’s Division Chief of Operations Alan Widling will retire on December 30, after 31 years in public service

Also happening at MFPD, Montecito Fire Division Chief of Operations, Alan Widling, is set to retire on December 30. The #2 in command at MFPD, Chief Widling has worked the last 31 years of his life in the service of others.

Widling was hired as a full-time firefighter by the Montecito Fire Department in September of 1989, after beginning as a private ambulance paramedic and Reserve Firefighter for the Santa Maria City Fire Department. Widling left Montecito in 1991 to spend the next 23 years rising through the ranks in the Santa Maria City Fire Department to become the Operations Battalion Chief in 2011. In 2015 the opportunity presented itself for him to return to the Montecito Fire Department as a Shift Battalion Chief, which he took advantage of and in July of 2019 he was promoted to the Division Chief, overseeing Operations of the Department.

Alan has been an Instructor for Allan Hancock College Fire Academy since the late 1990s and achieved the level of Confined Space Rescue Technician Senior Instructor with State Fire Training in 2008. He participated in the Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) program and currently serves as the Chairperson for Santa Barbara County US&R Regional Task Force (RTF-12) and as Deputy Chairperson for the California Statewide US&R RTF Working Group, which is made up of all 12 of the State’s RTFs. Chief Widling responded to many significant incidents over the course of his career, most notably the Los Angeles Civil Unrest in 1992, Northridge earthquake in 1994, La Conchita landslide in 2005, and in 2013 he was the Operations Section Chief on the Town Center Hotel Fire in Santa Maria. During his tenure in Montecito, in 2015 he was the Incident Commander of the Loureyro Fire, which involved a civilian fatality. In 2017 he led a Strike Team of five engines through the Thomas Fire, and on January 9 of 2018, he was the Rescue Group Supervisor for what would become the devastating and tragic 1/9 Debris Flow Incident.

“For my entire career I have been passionate about serving others and attempting to master the craft of firefighting through study, training, and experience,” Chief Widling said. “My achievements were only possible through the support of my family, which sacrificed so much for me to achieve my goals. I will now have time to invest in paying them back for all of the birthdays, events, and other special moments in life that I missed pursuing my dream.” Chief Widling tells us he also intends on helping his grandson with special needs, age 16, with virtual learning, as well as helping him to be more mobile and active.

Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor says that “Chief Widling has been an incredible partner the past several years.” He went on to say, “His commitment to our community and organization were truly representative of his serviceover-self mentality.”

David Neels has been promoted to the Division Chief - Operations position effective January 1, 2021.

Montecito Association Meets

Last week, the Montecito Association Board of Directors held its monthly board meeting via Zoom.

During Community Reports, Montecito Union School and Cold Spring School superintendents Anthony Ranii and Amy Alzina reported that in-person learning continues to go well, despite increased COVID-19 cases in Santa Barbara County and beyond. Both schools have increased staff testing, in order to be able to intervene quickly if there is a COVID-19 outbreak. Both superintendents also reported that staff morale is low, as working in outdoor classrooms with masks on is not an easy task for teachers.

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food, and warmth... it is time for home.” - Edith Sitwell

17 – 24 December 2020

Dorinne Lee Johnson submitted her resignation as Land Use Chair to the Montecito Association Board of Directors; she was elected to the Montecito Sanitary District Board in November

MFPD’s Chief Alan Widling reported that the District has partnered with the Carpinteria Summerland Fire Protection District on a Fire Station Location Study. The purpose of this study is to validate community risks identified in previous studies, identify mitigations to those risks, and to determine if a mutually beneficial location can be identified between the two Fire Districts for a single fire station location. As part of the study, the District is seeking community input via an online survey. The survey is available online in English and Spanish and takes less than ten minutes to complete. All survey responses are anonymous. The survey can be accessed by clicking the banner at www.monte citofire.com. It’s available until January 8, 2021.

The Montecito Association is active in several community issues that will be discussed further in 2021, including a new CA housing bill which would allow duplexes to be built on single-family lots. The MA is discussing hiring a lobbyist to contest the proposed bill; we’ll have more on this in a future edition.

The MA is also monitoring crime in Montecito, and invited Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi to give an update on recent crimes. There was a grand theft from a vehicle on Miramar Beach Road, an attempted burglary at San Ysidro Pharmacy, an intruder on Danielson Road, mental health issues on East Valley Road and on Miramar Beach, and credit cards stolen from a vehicle on Fairway Road. Lieutenant Arnoldi reported that it is critical for all crimes to be reported immediately, so that Sheriff’s deputies can arrive in a timely fashion and attempt to apprehend the suspects. The MA may decide to form a neighborhood watch in 2021.

The MA board received a resignation from Land Use Chair Dorinne Lee Johnson, who was elected to the Montecito Sanitary District Board in November. Johnson has been an active member of the community, serving on MBAR for many years before chairing the Land Use Committee. In January, the Montecito Association Board will have four open seats, and four candidates chosen by the Nominating Committee will be appointed in lieu of an election.

Those candidates will be announced at the January board meeting, on Tuesday, January 14.

For more information, visit www.montecitoassociation.org.

•MJ

P O RT I C O F I N E A RT G A L L ERY

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(805) 729-8454 Shop online Call for an appointment With the new restrictions, call for our open hours 1235 Coast Village Road Santa Barbara, CA 93108 info@porticofinearts.com www.porticofinearts.com

17 – 24 December 2020

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

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501(C)3 Weekly

by Zach Rosen

F

Family Service Agency

ounded in 1899, the Family Service Agency (FSA) has been a continual source of support in the community for over a century. Over the years they have helped individuals and families with counseling, mental health programs, and more concrete support of basic needs like access to transportation and schools. Of course the pandemic has brought its own challenges that FSA has adapted to while still maintaining their other benefits to the community.

Marianne McCarthy, the communications and marketing manager of FSA, said “during COVID we have been helping people get connected

30 MONTECITO JOURNAL

to unemployment insurance. We’ve been working with United Way in the Joint Response Effort, in processing over three thousand applications for direct support and rental insurance.”

Another important area they’ve identified during this time is helping with mental health. Between fear of the virus or just the months spent in social distancing, this year has come with its stresses and the anxiety of living with the unfamiliar. FSA has offered a range of mental health programs to students, families, and elders of all ages, and they wanted to create programs that can continue to support these communities. During the pandemic they have launched a big campaign aimed towards seniors and caregivers. Many older individuals are not getting the family visits they’re used to and just need reassurance that this is only temporary and they will see their family again, or simply just someone to speak with.

In schools, the Zoom classroom has also come with its own challenges.

Students may be having difficulty learning in a digital platform, missing after school programs, and feeling alone in the months of social isolation.

Normally teachers and administrators are able to observe in the classroom the emotional cues of students who are at-risk or dealing with such mental health issues as anxiety and depression. They are able to pick up on these subtle signs through normal interpersonal interactions but these do not always translate over a computer screen. It can also just be hard for a teacher to keep an eye on 20 faces on the screen at once. Parents are also being faced with the new challenge of being there in the digital classroom for their children and it is a new role that some may find difficult. FSA has noticed that they are not getting as many student referrals to their school based counseling program from teachers, parents, and administrators, and if anything, these services are even more needed during these times. To address this, they have launched several digital programs to meet these needs.

This year they launched a digital version of their Mental Health First Aid program, which has been around since 2001. The new Youth Mental Health First Aid course is offered in both English and Spanish and is aimed towards not just teachers but parents, youth workers, associated nonprofits, and any member of the community who interacts with youth or is interested in knowing more about addressing the mental health needs of students. The Mental

Gabriela Dodson is the holistic defense program manager and helps instruct several of the FSA’s mental health courses

The Youth Mental Health First Aid course provides a certification in helping adolescents with mental health issues

Health First Aid program equips participants with the tools needed to identify mental health issues and substance abuse problems in adolescents and direct them towards the care required to address these concerns. The program consists of a two-hour online course that attendees can do at their own pace and then an online live seminar that lasts over four hours at the end of which they receive a certification. Gabriela Dodson, a licensed clinical social worker and instructor in several of the FSA programs, compares it to CPR, the more people that know it, the more people there are that can help when a need for it arises.

The FSA has also wanted to create a program that can help families with mental health during these times. For many parents, the quarantine has brought around such concerns as job, food, and financial insecurity, let alone the added stress of having their children at home all day. All of these factors happening at once means parents may have warning signs and risks going unnoticed in their children. In conjunction with the Santa Barbara Unified School District, the FSA has co-produced a five-part series, “Parenting in a Pandemic,” that helps

“They who sing through the summer must dance in the winter.” - Italian Proverb

teach parents about warning signs in their children, sources of help if there is an issue, and gives practical advice for raising a family during these times. Each class focuses on different issues like anxiety and depression that may be affecting students. All of the courses go up on the FSA YouTube page (youtube.com/FsacaresOrg) in both English and Spanish. Each of the courses is about an hour long and ends with a Q&A where parents can address specific concerns. The quarantine is a new experience for all of us, with each person responding to it differently, and it can be reassuring to ask a professional whether their child’s behavior is a normal response to what is happening or if it is a sign of something deeper going on underneath.

As Gabriela notes, “none of us have ever parented in this time before.

None of us have ever lived through this so we’re all trying to figure this out, but if we can all do it together as a community, then that will be great.”

Visit bethedifferencesb.org to sign up for a Mental Health First Aid course or one of their parenting workshops.

Donations to help support their mental health programs can also be made at fsacares.org/supportus.

•MJ 17 – 24 December 2020

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

Declaration of Dependence

I

f life is a swimming pool, look for me at the shallow end. I’m not (by my own standards) a very adventurous person – and advancing years have not made me any braver. But what they have done is make me increasingly aware of how many different things I depend on, just to keep going at all.

I was born into a world in which certain basics of life, like the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the prevailing atmospheric conditions which we call “climate,” could all more or less be taken for granted. Well, I don’t have to tell you how questionable such matters have become – to say nothing of others, like the safety of our schools, the confidentiality of our personal information, the value of our savings, the security of our property – even the reliability of our news sources.

Yet there must still be certainties on which you or I can depend. For me, the first one which comes to mind are friends – which in turn reminds me of that famous statement by E. M. Forster: “If I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country.” The only tie more dependable than that is the loyalty of your dog.

(True there are supposedly binding “marriage vows,” but in none that I know of does the word “depend” even appear.)

And what about God? If you are a religious person, you know you can always depend on your deity – whatever or whomever you pray to and have faith in. If things don’t seem to be going your way, obviously the message is that you need to maintain and strengthen your faith.

And if you are not religious, then you can depend on science, which has already performed so many miracles, and promises so many more. But any belief in scientific “progress” must inevitably come up against the elusive nature of truth and reality.

Ultimately, it seems, there is only one truly dependable entity – the one who has been with you from the moment of your birth (if not before) and who will remain with you as long as your body remains habitable (if not after) – yes, I’m talking about your good old self. That must be why the makers of a popular brand of adult diapers chose to call their product Depends – giving the comforting reassurance that, even when it can no longer trust its own bladder, your Self now has other dependable (and disposable) resources.

In the activities of daily life, however, there are many other contrivances we’ve come increasingly to depend on. You don’t have to be reminded of how much stress you feel when your computer or your “smart” device ceases to function – to say nothing of your usually very dependable refrigerator or washer-dryer, and of course, your now already old-fashioned television or radio or automobile.

And, when it comes to travel, there too the once dependables are falling apart on us. We can no longer depend on aviation to provide the maximum in speed, comfort, and convenience. Considering all the precautions now necessary, safety and security are coming at a very high price in pleasure, and even in dignity.

What, then, are the things we can still truly depend on? Certainly not our teachers, doctors, and other professionals, no matter how many degrees they have after their names. What about the arts – music, literature, painting, and all the others? Everyone knows how subject they are to the wobbly standards of taste and fashion.

Does government have any answers? Our American Constitution is founded on the non-dependability of any one branch – which is why the legislative, executive, and judicial powers are perpetually set against each other. (They call it a system of “checks and balances.”) Indeed, the only governmental department which seems to be certain about dependency is the Internal Revenue Service, which has strict rules about just who may claim to have whom as a “dependent.”

But in the final analysis (and I do mean final) the only thing we can all truly depend on is the finality of our whole existence. For better or worse, there, up ahead, is the sure and certain outcome of all our endeavors – the other end of the pool in which I began by telling you to look for me at the shallow end. All we can confidently say about this vast and crazy swimming pool of life is that it all deep-ends.

•MJ 17 – 24 December 2020

Did You Know……

• Montecito Library is the busiest library in SB County based on population, with over 45,000 visits in a typical year!

• Funding for operating the Montecito Library comes from two sources: SB County and the Friends of the Montecito Library.

• Friends of the Montecito Library fund up to 50% of the library’s $400,000 operating budget each year.

• The Friends of the Montecito Library need your help to ensure that our library remains open at least five days a week. We want it to continue to be a place where both young and old are inspired and can learn and expand their horizons.

We Need You. Make your tax-deductible donation this month and be included in our list of supporters to be published in the Montecito Journal in January.

Go to www.montecitolibraryfriends.org to donate OR mail your check payable to: Friends of the Montecito Library, P.O.Box 5788A, Santa Barbara. CA 93150

Your Montecito Community Thanks You!

• The Voice of the Village •

montecitolibraryfriends.org Tax ID #95-3614638

MONTECITO JOURNAL

31

Monte ito Miscellany

by Richard Mineards

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

A (Sadly Muted) Jubilee Celebration for a Longtime Scribe

T

his column marks a major benchmark in my life!

I celebrate my half-century as a journalist, which has seen my career spanning my time in London, Manhattan, and Los Angeles on newspapers, magazines, and television, with the last 13 years living in Montecito, 11 years of them as a columnist for this illustrious organ.

If everything had worked out as planned, I would be back in England now marking the 50 years with a dinner party for 30 friends in Cornwall, where my career started humbly as a junior reporter on The Falmouth Packet, a weekly newspaper owned by the Daily Express, at the time one of the world’s largest dailies and where my late father Ralph was an editor.

But Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s edict limiting gatherings to six people or less scuppered those plans, not to mention my 67th birthday bash last Richard Mineards with longtime friend Cat Pollon, July at an old friend Cat Pollon’s new a member of the board of Save Venice, at a Venetian masked ball at the California Club in Los home near Marrakech, when the EU Angeles banned all U.S. flights.

Four years later I moved to Cambridge to toil for the Evening News, a daily with 54,000 circulation, where I eventually became a district chief reporter.

Much like Harvard and Yale, the city attracted the progeny of the rich and famous, and I would sell gossip items to the Inside World column of the Daily Mirror. As luck would have it, I met the columnist, the late Paul Callan, in the Royal Enclosure at Ascot, and introduced myself.

This led to me working on the column as a casual, morphing into a full-time job on the five-million-plus selling newspaper, as well as covering the Royal Family, including attending Guards Polo Club at Windsor every weekend to keep an eye on Prince Charles and his latest girlfriend.

In 1977 I moved to the Daily Mail to work for Nigel Dempster’s Diary and

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covering Queen Elizabeth during her Silver Jubilee year, taking three months off in between to make my first visit to the U.S. on the last trans-Atlantic sailing of the year on the Cunard liner, the QE2.

In New York I met with Rupert Murdoch and was later offered a job as gossip columnist on The Star, his newly launched celebrity weekly, which I joined on my move to Manhattan in February, 1978. The Aussie tycoon later bought New York Magazine off Clay Felker and I became one of two editors on the weekly’s much lauded Intelligencer column.

My TV career was launched when I was asked to appear on WNEV-TV’s a.m. show “Morning live” in Boston, becoming a show regular talking about showbiz, fashion, and the Royal Family. The anchor, Susan Sikora, was then poached by the ABC affiliate in Sailing off the Galapagos coast on the Aiglon, the San Francisco, KGO, to launch their 160-foot schooner of Prince Johannes von Thurn new a.m. show “Good Morning Bay und Taxis. Also pictured, his brother-in-law, Count Carl von Schoenburg-Glauchau Area,” with me flying out every 10 days from New York, bunking at the Fairmont Hotel atop Nob Hill.

I was then asked to do a gossip segment on the national syndicated Joan Rivers Show and, when they realized the high ratings it generated, I was then signed to a contract by Tribune Entertainment to be a regular on the show for nearly four years. Joan would often invite me to join her at parties at her opulent Versaillesstyle penthouse, which was just a short walk from my apartment near the Pierre Hotel.

As Joan put it: “This is what Marie Antoinette would have owned if she’d had money!”

After Joan’s show ended I was again signed up by Tribune to become a regular member of the weekly “Celebrity News” panel on its Geraldo Rivera Show, also taped at CBS on West 57th Street, along with the New York Post’s Cindy Adams and the late National Enquirer columnist Mike Walker.

I was then asked to contribute to a new CBS Eyemark show Day & Date, which led to me becoming an anchor on the show when one of the principals became ill.

My producer called and asked if I’d ever anchored. I replied in the negative and was asked to come to the studio for a dry run, which worked out perfectly.

The next day was my baptism of fire appearing live on a national show without any anchoring experience whatsoever. It was a flawless piece with the production staff breaking into applause when my segment wrapped.

Innumerable TV appearances followed, including doing royal commentary of ABC’s World News Now and hosting E! Entertainment TV’s The Gossip Show, in New York, Pittsburg, Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles, among them Oprah, Phil Donahue, Good Morning America, Leeza Gibbons, Larry King, Montel Williams, Jenny Jones, The View, Hard Copy, Sally Jessy Raphaël, Maury Povich, Inside Edition, and Canadian TV’s Dini Petty Show, when I would fly to Toronto regularly, staying at Canadian Pacific’s Royal York Hotel, returning to the Big Apple the next day. I was such a regular the airline attendant on the Air Canada flight from La Guardia would always arrange for an upgrade!

After nearly 25 years in Manhattan I moved to the Big Orange in 2001, living in the rarefied enclave of Hancock Park in the storied Ravenswood building opposite the Wilshire Country Club, known as the longtime home of the film star Mae West.

It was the perfect locale given I was a regular commentator on KTLA’s morning show, which was just a few blocks away on Sunset Boulevard, and a “talking head” on matters royal for Entertainment Tonight, then based in the Mae West building at Paramount Pictures, CNN, and the Fox News Channel.

Having known kings and queens, despots and dictators, I have sailed on many a private yacht and stayed on many a private island, including those of Cuban president Fidel Castro, Virgin Atlantic tycoon Sir Richard Branson, and German magnate Prince Johannes von Thurn und Taxis, who confided to me just before he died in the early ‘90s: “At least the children have three palaces each!”

I was even invited on the Royal Yacht Britannia when it was docked in New York harbor for the 500th anniversary party for Scotch whisky before it sailed to the Caribbean to pick up the Queen for a foreign tour!

I moved to our Eden by the Beach in 2007 to join the News-Press as a columnist

“Autumn arrives in early morning, but spring at the close of a winter day.” - Elizabeth Bowen

17 – 24 December 2020

and radio host at the invitation of owner Wendy McCaw before my move to the Journal in 2009 – the perfect spot for the final chapter in my colorful career.

Looking back I have absolutely no regrets at the trajectory it has taken, although this last year has not been the easiest given the lockdown and pandemic restrictions.

As Queen Elizabeth noted in 1992 when 1,000-year-old Windsor Castle nearly burned to the ground and Prince Charles’s marriage to Princess Diana broke up, this has been my annus horribilis!

Roll on, 2021...

Stern Talking

Top lyricist

Top lyricist Toni Stern is waxing Toni Stern publishes poetic again with her third and latest third work, work, Loops.

Loops Unlike her two previous collections, Wet in 2015, and As Close as I Can three years ago, Toni, who enjoyed a highly productive collaboration with singer-songwriter Carole King, describes the new work as “freewheeling within the medium of prose, poetry, amplifying and embracing our mutuality, our fallibility, our pathos, and our grace.”

“It’s a fun read, reassuring too as I intended it should be,” she adds.

Toni, who lives in Santa Ynez, wrote the lyrics for several of King’s songs, most notably “It’s Too Late” for her 25 million selling album Tapestry.

The former Montecito resident, who lived in our oh-so tony enclave for 15 years, has also worked with Gloria Estefan, Barbra Streisand, Faith Hill, Andy Williams, the Carpenters, the Isley Brothers, and Helen Reddy, to name a few.

Number One Stunner

An interesting article in last week’s The Wall Street Journal by Amanda Eberstein about the charming red-hot tapestry of real estate ownership in Montecito.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown in mid-

March has only bolstered our rarefied “Montecito offers enclave’s desirability, she concludes. what everyone Marsha Kotlyar, a local realtor at wants: a stunning Berkshire Hathaway, says: “I’ve been setting, a small and selling real estate for eighteen years über-safe commuand I have witnessed some very active nity, and wide-open spaces,” realtor markets, but I have never seen this Marsha Kotlyar many buyers in one place,” noting told The Wall Street an 80 percent increase in year-to-date Journal sales over 2019.

“Montecito offers what everyone wants: a stunning setting, a small and über-safe community, and wide-open spaces.”

In the last 30 days there have been 46 property closings, compared with nine for the same period last year – a staggering 511 per cent increase, mostly young families from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York.

The median house price in our Eden by the Beach, which has been dubbed Beverly Hills North, is $5.36 million, up 22 per cent from last year.

The ‘Resilience Tree’

Montecito accountant and inveterate travel writer Frank McGinity is raising the Christmas spirit!

Frank, a longtime resident of Riven Rock, the new home of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, has continued a long-held tradition and erected a 120-foot-tall Yuletide tree on his estate.

“Stanley McCormick, who lived here for forty years, always had a large lighted Christmas tree,” explains Frank. “In those days you could see the tree from as far away as Santa

Miscellany Page 404

Frank McGinity’s 120-foot Christmas tree follows historic tradition

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17 – 24 December 2020

• The Voice of the Village •

In partnership with

MONTECITO JOURNAL

33

NOSH TOWN

by Claudia Schou

IN THE KITCHEN WITH MATT JOHNSON

T

hese days it’s hard to get excited about anything when days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months and the only glimmer of hope is your next home-cooked meal. Same salad dressing, same lemon chicken, same wine, and the same cloth napkins (just washed). Life has been, well, uneventful. That is, up until last week, when I grabbed my winter coat and purse and raced up to San Ysidro Ranch for a cooking demo with executive chef Matt Johnson.

Chef Johnson had prepared and set out all of the ingredients: Fresh herbs, spices, and beef and an abundance of root vegetables lying elegantly, in separate dishes, on the table. Johnson explained he would be roasting them separately in different seasonings at different temperatures.

They would be layered and coated with At San Ysidro Ranch, executive chef Matt Johnson has different spices. The rutabaga is coated in won over longtime, loyal diners who love his avantgarde approach to cooking honey (from the beehive in the Ranch’s garden) and cinnamon for a traditional style while the carrots are tossed in cumin and a coat of olive oil resulting in a flavor not too distant from South Asian influence. “I like to create different layers of flavors and textures,” he said.

As far as winter dishes go, hearty beef with flavorful sauces, wild game, herb-grilled fish, fragrant stews, and root vegetables rule here at the Ranch.

Longtime, loyal diners love Johnson’s avant-garde approach to cooking. Savory dishes that are made with local ingredients and emblematic of Santa Barbara’s coastal ranch lifestyle

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34 MONTECITO JOURNAL

have always been an important part of the Ranch dining experience. Johnson takes it up a notch with new concepts and recipes.

At 44 years old, Johnson has accomplished what most aspiring chefs dream of during their early years in the kitchen.

As executive chef at San Ysidro Ranch, a five-star luxury resort set on an idyllic 500-acre historic ranch surrounded by olive trees, fragrant French lavender and two exquisite restaurants, the seasoned chef has come far in his career in a short time. His low-key manner and thoughtful approach to cooking make it easy to understand his success. He manages with ease a busy culinary team, ensures fresh, quality food in his kitchen and maintains inventory levels for a smooth operation.

He has even earned the trust and respect Chef Johnson’s go-to winter dish, ancho chili-braised of a boss with a discerning taste in food prime beef short rib with a candied yam purée and and wine – that would be Beanie Babies roasted garden root vegetables billionaire Ty Warner.

“I really enjoy the constant changes and the fast-paced environment of hospitality,” said Johnson, who in 2014 prepared a five-course dinner at the James Beard House in New York, featuring Meyer lemons grown at the Ranch. “Every day is something new; new flavors, new dishes, new challenges; it’s never boring and never gets old.”

Johnson, whose first job at age 14 was washing dishes in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant in South Bay, graduated top of his class at Santa Barbara School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality before he spent the summer as an apprentice to some of the best chefs in Europe. The trip culminated in Johnson showcasing at the Masters of Food and Wine.

“I was travelling and working across Europe at some amazing, high-end restaurants, and coming back to California, I knew I wanted to be at a high-end resort serving the best local food,” he said.

By the end of the tour, Johnson was ready to put his skills and knowledge to work.

Johnson held executive chef posts at Windows on the Water in Morro Bay, the Summerwood Winery and Inn in Paso Robles, and Inn at Spanish Bay in Monterey before joining San Ysidro Ranch’s culinary team in 2008.

At San Ysidro Ranch he oversees the restaurants as well as the culinary execution of catering and events. He heads a team that boasts years of experience preparing fine cuisine in the Ranch’s two modest-sized kitchens. His right hand man, sous chef Martin Chavez, has worked in San Ysidro Ranch’s kitchen for some 30 years. You can enjoy their creations in two distinct venues: The Stonehouse, a fine dining room with white table linens that offers an intimate setting complete with world-class views, a wood-burning fireplace, terrace vistas for stargazing, and regional and classic California cuisine; and Plow & Angel, a convivial pub-like setting and cozy fireplace, that serves upscale comfort food with a carefully curated wine selection.

With his team, Johnson produces imaginative and delicious recipes made from both locally and internationally sourced ingredients. Each dish is an exquisite exercise in taste and presentation, authentic in origin: Oishi oysters (a tide tumbled oyster from the south end of Skagit Bay in north Puget Sound) is a passion fruit mignonette, served with cracked pepper, a touch of Champagne gelée, bits of passion fruit and compressed cucumber.

Japanese yellowtail crudo is served sashimi style with pixie tangerines, purple sango radish, espelette, a red pepper found in France’s Basque country, and shiro dashi vinaigrette, made from kombu dashi, white soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. The dish is delicately garnished with an otherworldly sea grass.

A grilled octopus from Spain is presented with pickled onion, Castelvetrano olives, chorizo, tangerine, wild arugula, grilled Meyer lemon, and Romesco, a savory red sauce typically served with fish in Catalonia and consisting of roasted almonds and tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic.

Those are just the starters.

Johnson prepares a Mediterranean-inspired Maine lobster cioppino, a seafood stew with Atlantic halibut, Hope Ranch mussels, little neck clams, tiger prawns, calamari roasted tomato and saffron broth, served with grilled ciabatta.

A classic steak Diane is flambéed tableside and smothered in a brandied and buttery cremini mushroom sauce and served with mashed potatoes and haricots verts. All of the steak sauces are prepared tableside.

A spiced and glazed duck confit is presented with candied yam purée, shaved cabbage and port glazed cranberries.

For dessert, the chocolate soufflé served á la mode with mint chocolate chip ice cream, made with fresh mint from the garden, is a gourmet experience to remember, especially when enjoyed with a glass of Madeira from Portugal.

Each course pairs perfectly with either a boutique wine or a hand-crafted cocktail recommended by the assiduous and gentlemanly director of restaurants, Franco de Bartolo, or the expertly knowledgeable sommelier Tristan Pitre.

“I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape — the loneliness of it.” - Andrew Wyeth

17 – 24 December 2020

This summer, San Ysidro Ranch’s The Stonehouse earned two distinctive recognitions from two internationally renowned and discerning sources: Michelin and Wine Spectator.

These accolades come on the heels of what proved to be a challenging time for the resort.

Johnson and his team held steady when the resort was closed in late 2017 during the Thomas Fire. It opened and then closed again just a few months later in January when the 2018 mudslide caused massive destruction to the resort’s property. After roughly 15 months of closure, the hotel and restaurants reopened only to be hit by another tidal wave: the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic was different because it led us to rethink operations in a way that makes our staff feel safe and protected in our working environment,” Johnson said, “so that we can continue to provide the highest levels of guest service and an enjoyable culinary experience for our guests. For a lot of the pandemic, that has meant serving guests in their cottages with in-room dining.”

With this latest round of closures, San Ysidro Ranch has introduced a special promotion for hotel guests to savor complimentary meals in their cottages. “Guests can enjoy complimentary breakfast, lunch, and even a three-course dinner fireside up in their cottage, safe and cozy for this unusual holiday season,” he added.

Montecito Journal recently caught up with Johnson at the San Ysidro Ranch kitchen to discuss his carry-on approach to delivering fine cuisine to hungry locals.

Q. What is your go-to winter dish and how is it prepared?

A. I like the smokiness of ancho chilies and they pair really well with short ribs. We’re going to prepare an ancho chili-braised prime beef short rib with a candied yam purée and roasted garden root vegetables.

Because it’s wintertime you want a lot of warm flavors so you have winter citrus, a candied yam purée because all of the root vegetables are at their best right now. There’s smokiness from the ancho chilies, which is braised into the short ribs and the sauce, which is reduced down. And then you have all of your textures with the roasted vegetables – baby carrots, turnips, rutabaga, and pearl onions. So you’ve got some sweetness, you’ve got a little bitterness from the greens and some sweetness from the citrus as well.

I layer different flavors on different vegetables. For example I’ll add cinnamon and honey to the roasted sweet potatoes. When plating the dish, I spread a layer of purée on the plate.

Then I arrange a bed of root vegetables and place the braised beef on top.

We use the braising liquid reduced down and finish it with a little bit of butter and salt for the sauce. You add the beef to the sauce in the pan and let it glaze for a few minutes. You can use the same sauce to dress it after you plate it. Once the meat is plated and the sauce is added I finish it off with micro herbs garnish. We combine in a bowl a bunch of little micro herbs such as bull’s blood, chervil, parsley, and then we add oranges from our garden as well as blood oranges. Squeeze a little bit of Meyer lemon over it. Mix it all together with a dash of sea salt and add it as a garnish on top of the short ribs.

Have purées replaced steak sauces?

We do a mixture of both. The purée has a nice texture and there are a lot of flavors you can put in that purée but then the natural juice that you braise the beef in is always good to reduce down for a sauce.

With two restaurants and a catering department, how do you walk the line between giving people a classic San Ysidro Ranch experience and ensuring that each restaurant is unique and doing something new?

The restaurants have similar but separate identities. The Stonehouse is romantic fine dining, while Plow & Angel is cozy and convivial. They’re both classic SYR experiences, places you come for special occasions and on Tuesdays for the Friends & Neighbors filet mignon tacos.

Who were some of your early mentors and what did you learn from them?

I had the pleasure of working with the late American chef Charlie Trotter and his team over the years. He definitely had an In wintertime, root vegetables rule at the Ranch impact and influenced the type of chef I have always wanted to become.

What kind of culinary culture do you inspire in SYR’s kitchen?

We have such a talented team of local chefs from the Santa Barbara area, with the local

Nosh Page 444

Celebrate the Holiday Season with us at

Unity of Santa Barbara In-Person (with COVID restrictions) or Online!

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Thursday, December 24th @ 5PM “I am the Light of the World!”

New Year’s Eve Burning Bowl Service

Heinz or homemade?

Homemade! We make all of our sauces from scratch. You just have to label it and make sure you have the right dates on the labels and then you just have to have proper refrigeration. We’ve got all of our temperatures perfected, we keep our walk-ins extremely organized.

It’s all about ordering the right amount and prepping the right amount. In normal times we’re constantly turning the product. We do our big batches on Mondays and Thursdays. Before the pandemic we were making fresh sauces every two days.

What type of wild game do you serve at the Ranch during winter months?

We prepare venison here. We source our venison from New Zealand. Prior to closing we were planning to include it on our Christmas menu. When we reopen we will try to feature dishes with venison, quail, squab, and poussin. During the winter months we serve a variety of wild game. Diners are pretty adventurous when they come to the ranch. I’ve prepared venison a lot of ways – I’ve served it with a mole and butternut squash, for our venison carpaccio we press in coffee, paprika, and cumin.

Turnips and rutabaga are not common ingredients you see on dinner menus. What are some examples of how you incorporate them into your winter dishes?

In the winter we use turnips in purées, soups, duck dishes, and even in a dish with citrus cured Arctic char with Tokyo turnips, purple sango radishes, cucumber, petite sea grass, and shiro dashi vinaigrette. I use rutabagas in a mashed rutabaga dish to substitute for potatoes and in purées.

What ingredients interest you the most?

Meyer lemons. The Ranch started as a citrus farm in the early 1800s with the Stonehouse originally used as the citrus packing plant, so we love to incorporate our heritage by using the Meyer lemons from our own groves on property. We have a lot of ancient olive trees scattered throughout the property as well; they add a great flavor to many popular dishes over the years, and make a tasty snack before dinner is served.

17 – 24 December 2020

Thursday, December 31st @ 5 PM “Let go of the old and make room for the new!”

and meet our new minister,

Rev. Heidi Alfrey

Seating & heaters will be set up in our lovely new courtyard for both services for those wishing to attend in person. The services will also be live-streamed on our website and Facebook.

Have a blessed holiday season!

Please visit our website or call (805) 966-2239 for more information.

WWW.SANTABARBARAUNITY.ORG

• The Voice of the Village •



227 E. ARRELLAGA ST

MONTECITO JOURNAL

35

Your Westmont

paign, which includes a guidebook of resources, ideas, and mindsets for students to adopt to overcome the challenges of a job market during a pandemic.

The COVE Career Center uses Handshake to connect students with local employers and internship opportunities.

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

Engineering Student Designs Honu Shirt Company

Recent Grads Surpass Employment Expectations

N

inety-two percent of Westmont graduates from the class of 2020 have found a job or are attending graduate school (or planning to attend) despite a national economy sickened by the coronavirus.

“What an encouraging achievement for recent graduates in the midst of a pandemic,” says Paul Bradford, director of Westmont’s Career Opportunities and Vocational Exploration (COVE) Center and adjunct professor of economics and business. Last year, 97 Despite a weakened economy, 92 percent of the percent of the 2019 class was employed Westmont class of 2020 have found a job or are or enrolled in graduate school – or attending graduate school (or planning to attend) hoping to be enrolled. “2020 has been uncharted waters for everyone, especially students graduating into an ailing economy,” says Bradford. “This class has demonstrated their resilience and tenacity. Given the exponential level of uncertainty back in March, I expected to see employment rates 20-25 percent below average.”

“Our students rallied, responded, and took action,” he goes on. “Also, the team at the COVE Career Center did everything from coordinating employment on campus to managing student career ambassadors, to creating podcasts and new partnerships with alumni and faculty. Our team has stepped up once again.”

Bradford and his staff have focused on helping students create a four-year plan to add clarity and reduce stress. “’What will I do after college?’ is one of the biggest stressors in a college student’s life,” Bradford says. “We give students a framework for pursuing what’s next by assembling useful content and building relationships. We help students understand how they’re wired with implications for their experience in college and then in the workplace. We encourage them to evaluate different majors, map out plans for at least two internships, teach them to communicate effectively and authentically through their resumé and online profiles, and identify possible career paths and graduate schools.”

The pandemic forced the team at COVE Career Center to talk to students on Zoom and host virtual career events. In early March, they doubled their efforts to prepare seniors by expanding and promoting the Know Before You Go cam-

Enjoy the music from Westmont’s fabulous Christmas Festival online at

WESTMONT.EDU/FESTIVAL

Join Westmont this Advent season for a three-concert series with singer-songwriter Steve Bell. His music, poetry and reflections will bless you and invite you into a deeper experience of Advent.

WESTMONT.EDU/ CELEBRATINGADVENT

36 MONTECITO JOURNAL

Growing up, Mark Szekrenyi ’23 fell in love with Hawaiian sea turtles while snorkeling during family vacations. “Their peaceful majesty created a lasting bond with me,” he says. On his last visit to Hawaii several years ago, he learned just how endangered the creatures were. In the last two decades, the population of green sea turtles, or honu, has increased from 35 nesting females in 1973 to nearly 800. However, the hawksbill sea turtle, or Honu’ea, is critically endangered with fewer than 100 nesting females in Hawaii.

Mark was inspired to help the sea turtles after listening to President Gayle D. Beebe speak at the March 6 President’s Breakfast. “He said he Mark Szekrenyi established the Honu Shirt challenges students to ‘Think for your- Company to protect endangered sea turtles and self. Live for others,’” Mark says. “That he donates all the net profits to the Hawai’i Wildlife Fund really struck a chord within me.”

Days later, on March 11, the World Health Organization declared a global health pandemic.

Mark says he decided to act on behalf of the threatened sea turtles while taking a Political Theory and Ideology Mayterm class, taught remotely by Jesse Covington.

“Dr. Covington highlighted concepts like the Christian mandate, determinism versus voluntarism, and the tyranny of the majority,” Mark says. Honu Shirt Company uses shirts woven out of certified organic “I realized the importance cotton and recycled post-consumer-waste plastic water bottles of every voice being heard. All those ideas and President Beebe’s challenge swirled around in my head for a few weeks until I asked myself, ‘What if who (or what) needed help had no voice?’”

As the coronavirus spread into the summer, Mark launched a new organization, the Honu Shirt Company. He donates all the net profits to the Hawai’i Wildlife Fund, which protects native wildlife with a focus on the hawksbill and green sea turtles.

A mechanical engineering major and cross country and track runner, Mark did a lot of research, found an American shirt vendor and signed a memorandum of understanding with Hawai’i Wildlife Fund. “This is where my analytical mindset helped and my cross country background gave me the mental endurance to persevere,” he says. “The costs and paperwork of business licenses, reseller’s permits, LLC foundation, and the trademark were a much bigger hurdle than I expected, but I got through it one methodical step at a time.”

At the same time, he started putting together a supply chain and designing a website. He even discovered a wholesaler in New York that weaves shirts out of certified organic cotton and recycled post-consumer-waste plastic water bottles.

He found a heat transfer vendor in Virginia to print his designs, and a press manufacturer in Kansas that sold him the capital equipment to produce the final product. “My mom’s oil painting of a sea turtle that’s been in my bedroom my whole life, inspired the company logo,” he says. “I spent my life’s savings buying the equipment and the inventory and took over our garage.”

He recruited his father to handle the accounting and his mother to make the product while he’s on campus. “But I handle the marketing, website, and new product development even while I’m at Westmont,” he says. “I’m fortunate to have parents who’ve supported my crazy idea!”

To purchase Mark’s T-shirts, visit thehonushirtcompany.org.

•MJ

“The fire is winter’s fruit.” - Arabian Proverb

17 – 24 December 2020

Wonder Woman (Continued from page 5) to be proud of, including authoring the Equal Pay Law, the strongest one in the country ensuring equal pay for women, a model today for more than 43 other states. And we, the people, have plenty to be grateful for.

“I want to lend my voice to the chorus of voices acknowledging your extraordinary leadership,” Governor Gavin Newsom told her during Sunday’s 50th Annual Holiday Membership meeting of the Santa Barbara Democratic Women.

“Your stewardship, your faith, and devotion to the cause of working families, working on unpaid family leave, incredible environmental stewardship, your legacy of environmental leadership that’s been demonstrable for years and years – not just recently but for the greater part of your career.”

Her many other accomplishments during 12 years in Sacramento (first as assemblywoman, then senator), as well as those in her final legislative session, are well-known to those who follow her: paid family leave, corporations required to put more women on their boards (both have taken root in other states) and, most recently, the capping of the leaking Becker oil wells in Summerland, which she fought for and passed legislation on – and secured $14 million in funding.

During our chat, I asked Hannah-Beth whether there were other things she’d hoped to accomplish that didn’t make it across the finish line of our democratic system. We spoke about the “deliberate” slow and winding legislative process, the limitations of the final session due to COVID-19, including the interesting twist during final days when her Republican colleagues were banished to Zoom after one member came down with the virus.

“The normal joviality, friendly debate, and discussions on the floor were moot,” she said.

A lot of people were, and still are, upset that the clock ran out and bills left not voted on. Hannah-Beth’s last hurrah – a landmark bill assuring job protection for those returning to work after paid family leave that includes for childcare leave of up to 12 weeks (the original bill is 16 years old) was passed in the last few minutes; the image of a member voting on the floor with baby in arms went viral on Twitter.

One senator, angered that his fellow Republicans were being shut out of the debate, screamed a profanity to decry the hearings.

Hannah-Beth, unfazed and wearing a white pantsuit and her red Wonder Woman facemask, remained calm. “That was part of the ploy, it was unfortunate,” she says. “They say the fish rots from the head. The lack of respect and consideration for the fact that this virus really doesn’t know your political party or care. In our legislative family, if you will, where we are all on one floor and frequently in very close contact with each other because we are trying to negotiate with each other on bills – answering questions, asking what do I need to do to get you to support this bill? At the end of the day, it’s all about knowing how to count. To get a bill passed, you need 21 votes in the Senate or if it’s an urgency bill you need 27. You gotta know how to get to that number.”

Hannah-Beth had a lot to say during our hour-long Zoom conversation (and a subsequent two-hour talk with MJ Editor-in-Chief Gwyn Lurie). Between the two of us, we have enough to write a book – something that Hannah-Beth may engage in – writing her memoirs – while she is mulling over her next act.

During our chat, Hannah-Beth was at her 93108 home, where she lives with her husband, retired Superior Court Judge George Eskin. She was wearing a bright pink jacket, pretty pearl earrings, and rosy lipstick – no sweats on this lady’s Zoom calls. She was excited to share that Governor Gavin Newsom was about to sign one of her final bills an hour after we signed off. “I think it’s the first Zoom bill signing in history,” she said. “It’s certainly the first in California!”

Gardens Are for Living

Wonder Girl

H

annah-Beth grew up outside of Boston, in Newton, Massachusetts, where her father owned a small business; her mother was a secretary. “My parents chose Newton because it had one of the top public education systems in the country. I’m a public-school kid,” said Hannah-Beth, who still holds public education near and dear.

She was also an athletic child. “As a little girl I wasn’t allowed to play Little League even though I was the best guy on the team!” she noted, “Girls weren’t allowed to play Little League and I thought that was ridiculous in America.”

“I went around with a clipboard in my neighborhood talking to my neighbors asking them to sign my petition to allow girls to play Little League. Some of them signed and some of them didn’t – and those who didn’t, I remembered at Halloween!”

Don’t mess with Wonder Woman: she refuses to fully disclose her childhood Halloween revenge, but her laughter reveals it’s still a happy memory.

Part of the inspiration for her career path as an attorney began after she sent a petition to the Little League Association, although they never even extended

17 – 24 December 2020

Wonder Woman Page 464 Journal•newspaper.indd • The Voice of theMontecito Village

8

37

6/8/17 2:12 PM MONTECITO JOURNAL

Our Town

by Joanne A. Calitri

Joanne is a professional international photographer and journalist.

Contact her at: artraks@yahoo.com

A Virtual Vessel Contest for the Ages Keeping with tradition, MJ news reporter Joanne A Calitri covers the Parade of Lights behind the scenes with Chris Bell of Santa Barbara Waterfront. Boat design “Wipe Out 2020” by owner Shawn Hughes.

Parade of Lights with commercial fisherman Bernard Friedman with his boat Perseverance decorated for “Peace on Earth”

The contest honors three entries – first, second, and third place – in each boat category, complete with trophies, gifts, and cash prizes. Boat parade participants enter for free under: human-powered, power, sail, power, or commercial other vessels.

How to view the boat entrants and vote:

Y

ou’ve got to hand it to Christopher Bell, the administrative analyst and public information officer for the Santa Barbara Waterfront Department.

Instead of tossing a bilge pump into the harbor when city holiday events were cancelled due to the new lockdown orders, Bell turned the beloved annual holiday Parade of Lights into a virtual contest with the boats in dock. The event is aptly renamed, 2020 Virtual Vessel Holiday Lights Contest. Shout out!

We get to vote the winners via social media on December 18. Winners will be announced December 21.

“The Parade of Lights is one of the biggest and most beloved events we put on here at the Waterfront, so having to cancel it due to the pandemic was not easy,” Bell said. “Waterfront director Mike Wiltshire was very clear from the moment we cancelled that he wanted to have some sort of safe alternative event that would keep the holiday spirit alive.”

I was on the scene with Chris for meeting, logging in, and photographing all 25 boat entrants registered between December 14 and December 16. All the boats are kept docked in their slips for the contest, with their owners upbeat and proud of their decorating skills. Unlike all other years, it is open-themed for 2020, providing lots of leeway for the entrants. See the photos for a teaser preview of the entrants!

Visit the Parade of Lights website, SantaBarbaraCA.gov/ParadeofLights or vote on social media – Facebook (@santabarbarawaterfront), Twitter (@ sb_waterfront) and Instagram (@sbwaterfront). The poll will ask you to score each entry using one to five stars.

This year, thanks to a sponsorship from T-Mobile of $4,000, every entry will receive gift cards from Wharf and Harbor businesses. Other sponsors included Conway Family Wines, Char West Fish & Chips, The Great Pacific Ice Cream Company, Brophy Bros., the Sea Center, Santa Barbara Fuel Dock, and On the Alley.

Indeed, the Parade of Lights, founded in 1985 by Captain Don Hedden, former president of the Stearns Wharf Business Association, has come a long way and is still going full steam ahead!

411: Virtual parade of Lights Voting can be found at www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/ ParadeofLights.

•MJ

Rick and Heidi Holly with their children on their first entry in the Parade of Lights titled “Santa Claus Visits”

Parade of Lights with Shawn Hughes and his sons with his boat entry, “Wipe Out 2020”

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Parade of Lights with Martin Cramer and his boat entry, “A Kristmas Kadey”

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• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

39

Miscellany (Continued from page 33) Barbara Harbor.

“Stanley was the son of Cyrus McCormick, the inventor of the reaper. Because of a form of schizophrenia, Stanley was confined to an 87-acre estate here with two male nurses around the clock. But Stanley was assiduous in maintaining the many gardens and trees on the property.”

Frank says he likes to follow that historical tradition in his own small way.

“I think it is particularly important to light this cannery pine during this difficult time for our community,” he adds. “I call it my resilience tree!”

Branching out in the most delightful way...

Forever 21 Club

I am saddened to hear New York’s iconic 21 Club is closing its doors after 90 years in business given the coronavirus pandemic.

The five-story midtown Manhattan eatery, with its famous colorful jockey figures decorating the West 52nd Street facade, was a haven for the rich and famous since it opened in 1930 as a speakeasy at the height of the Prohibition Era. When I was an editor at New York Magazine in the ‘80s I would often eat lunch or dinner in the dining room, with toy planes and trucks hanging from the ceiling, joining a legendary New York’s historic 21 Club is closing its doors list of the eatery’s customers, includ- after 90 years in business ing FDR, John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Onassis, Ernest Hemingway, Frank Sinatra, and Elizabeth Taylor.

I also attended myriad premieres and launch parties there, and my former Upper Eastside neighbor, Sheldon Tannen, an avowed Anglophile, who died in 2018 at the age of 93, was chairman and president of 21, given his uncle, Peter Kriendler, was one of the founders.

Innumerable fond memories...

Ellen on the Mend

Montecito TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who has revealed she is suffering from COVID-19, says she is “feeling fine” and recovering at her home with her devoted dogs in our rarefied enclave.

In a Twitter post Ellen, 62, said anyone in close contact with her had been notified and she was following all proper CDC guidelines.

Her Burbank-based Warner Bros. syndicated show is now on hold until the New Year.

“I’ll see you after the holidays,” she added. “Please stay safe and healthy.”

Be well soon, Ellen...

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Margerum Hits Top 100

Santa Barbara winemaker Doug Margerum has certainly got something to smile about during these gloomy times.

Wine Enthusiast Magazine has recognized his Margerum M5 white Rhône blend, Margerum Esate Vineyard, Los Olivos district, as a top 100 wine of the Doug Margerum scoops another wine accolade as his Margerum M5 white Rhône blend is ranked year, ranking it at number 30.

The publication’s global team of edi- number 30 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine tors and tasters cumulatively reviewed more than 25,000 wines to develop a ranking of the top wines tasted over the last 12 months, saying the impressive roster reveals “some of the most exciting finds on the market today.”

With a score of 94 points, Doug’s blend was described by senior editor Matt Kettman, who also writes for the Independent, as “complex and yet utterly refreshing, this estate blend of 45 percent Grenache Blanc, 21 percent Marsanne, 14 percent Viognier, 13 percent Roussanne, and seven percent Picpoul Blanc begins with wet stone, chalk, nectarine, Rainier cherry, and creamed pear on the crisp nose.

“The palate sizzles with acidity and ashy, chalky tension, delivering flavors of kiwi, lychee, and more stone fruit.”

“We are thrilled with this accolade,” says Doug, whose delightful tasting room is a tiara’s toss from the Hotel Californian. “This is an important recognition of the excellence our estate vineyard. Margerum was the only Santa Barbara County wine to be included in the top 100.”

This acknowledgement follows the achievement of many other Margerum wines, among them 96 and 95 points from Antonio Galloni of Vinous for the 2018 Margerum Uber Syrah and 218 Margerum Black Oak Vineyard Syrah respectively.

Shaken and Stirred

Normally the Arlington would have been packed when Pink Martini, the Portland musicians performed as part of the UCSB Arts & Lectures series.

But this year, instead of the usual dozen or so talented musicians, lead singer China Forbes and her Harvard classmate pianist founder Thomas Lauderdale, accompanied by just a drummer, took part in a 45-minute virtual performance from their Oregon home.

The much truncated program, compared to the fun-filled two hours usually on offer, featured Forbes singing in a variety of languages with a number of Yuletide songs, wrapping the show with Auld Lang Syne.

Missing was the ever entertaining Timothy Nishimoto on vocals and percussion and, of course, the energized conga line when Forbes would sing “Brazil.”

But, as usual, the unique musicians left us shaken and stirred before participating in a question and answers session with A&L executive Caitlin O’Hara.

The Cassandra Effect

Local architect Cassandra Ensberg is the latest recipient of the Lutah Maria Riggs Presidents Award presented by the American Institute of Architects Santa Barbara.

Cassandra, who works with her architect husband, Tom Jacobs, at their firm Ensberg Jacobs Design with a focus on art, design, sustainability, and the environment, has been a resident and leader in the Santa Barbara design, art, and architectural community for more than three decades.

In 1987 she founded the Kids Draw Architectural Program during formation of the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara and to fulfill the organization’s mission of increasing public awareness about the built environment and the importance of design, art, and architecture.

Four years ago, Cassandra was recognized by AIA nationally and elevated to Fellow for her work focused on the art of architecture. She is a board member of AFSB and AIASB and serves as AIASB advocacy co-chair to promote excellence in the built environment through improved regulations, particularly governing housing.

Recipients of the award, sponsored by American Riviera Bank, must have both a body of distinguished architectural design and a history of advocacy for community architectural engagement in the area.

Sightings: Rob Lowe’s wife, Sheryl Berkoff, stocking up on housewares at Wendy Foster... Former rocker Peter Noone sipping a latte at Merci Montecito...

Actor Christopher Lloyd picking up The New York Times at Pierre Lafond Pip! Pip! - and be safe

“People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy.” - Anton Chekhov

•MJ

17 – 24 December 2020

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• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

41

Shopping (Continued from page 14)

LEGACY egacy celebrates your personal style with a curated collection of home décor and women’s and children’s apparel. The shop staff recommends a bijoux necklace made by Angela Caputi in Florence, Italy ($110). Caputi’s bijoux are considered both fashion and art. Her designs are recognized for their creativity and for their constant evolution. Each detail is heavily researched,

L

LETTER PERFECT etter Perfect Santa Barbara is a specialty design studio and store specializing in one-of-a-kind design, products, branding, and etiquette advice.

The shop offers custom designs for wedding invitations, party invitations, business branding and monograms with more than 30 years of experience providing premium quality design. Add to your holiday list a hand-initialed embroidered sachet

L

The perfect gift ideas at Letter Perfect, a Lamy Calligraphy Gift Set ($75.95) or hand-embroidered initials ($24.95), made in Mexico with natural dyes

Holiday must-haves at Legacy, a bijoux necklace made by Angela Caputi in Florence, Italy ($110) or a cashmere scarf ($245)

($24.95) with locally grown lavender, perfect for a special someone and each initial has a unique design; a delicate hand-crafted hibiscus bud vase ($8 for clear or $54 for colored) is offered in pink, clear, white, cobalt, green, seafoam blue, and amber. If you’re looking for the perfect stocking stuffers, check out the hand-embroidered initials ($24.95) made in Mexico with natural dyes, vibrant colors, and unique designs for each initials; a chic and stylish leather journal ($79) or a Lamy Calligraphy Gift Set ($75.95) for practicing the art of writing.

Letter Perfect is located at 1150 Coast Village Road. Call (805) 969-7998 or visit letterper fectsantabarbara.com.

WENDY FOSTER endy Foster Sportswear, part of a portfolio of Santa Barbara boutiques, offers relaxed, casual staples for the Santa Barbara lifestyle including pieces from coveted contemporary designers such as Ulla Johnson, The Great, CP Shades, White + Warren, among others. The staff recommends a silk and cashmere cardigan by Care

by Me ($384), a silk blend embroidered tree scarf by Falierio Sarti ($468), and a natural blush baroque pearl necklace by Lena Skadegard ($1,104).

from the geometrical or smooth lines, to the marvelous nuance of colors, created using “simple” materials as synthetic resins. Other holiday must-haves include a super soft cashmere turtleneck ($185) and cashmere scarf ($245) and a crystal vase ($105) with a dozen tulips ($40).

Legacy is located at 1137 Coast Village Road. Call (805) 845-3300 or visit lega cy-montecito.com.

UPSTAIRS AT PIERRE LAFOND pstairs at Pierre Lafond offers beautiful collections of gifts for men, women, and children, as well as home furnishings and decor.

Top staff picks include Laguiole French Olivewood Steak Knife Set ($160) and Liz Brady handmade and hand-painted one-of-a kind ceramic bowls ($58).

Upstairs at Pierre Lafond is located at 516 San Ysidro Road in Upper Village. Call (805) 565-1503 or visit www.shopupstairs.com.

W

U

Laguiole French Olivewood Steak Knife Set ($160) and Liz Brady handmade and hand-painted ceramic bowls ($58) are top staff picks from Upstairs at Pierre Lafond

Staff favorites at Wendy Foster Sportswear, a silk and cashmere cardigan by Care by Me ($384) and a silk blend embroidered tree scarf by Falierio Sarti ($468)

Wendy Foster Sportswear is located at 516 San Ysidro Road, in Upper Village.

Call (805) 565-1505 or visit wendyfoster. com.

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“Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart.” - Victor Hugo

17 – 24 December 2020

HOGUE & CO. ogue & Co., is a locally owned and operated florist owned by Kristi Meland and designer Jerry Peddicord, longtime friends and business partners who have assembled a talented team of designers and production coordinators. This holiday season offers elegantly designed and arranged florals, such as a boutique of poinsettias ($125) and an assortment of seasonal florals ($85 to $285).

Hogue & Co., is located at 525 San Ysidro Road in Upper Village. Call (805) 969-1343 or visit hoguefloral.com.

H

MANDANA BOUTIQUE reviously known as Giuliana Haute Couture, Mandana Boutique is a women’s designer boutique offering ready-to-wear fashion brands from Paris, Italy, Australia, U.S., and Canada. Mandana also offers in-house tailoring by Nelly’s Tailoring and complimentary styling. Top holiday styles include a timeless swing coat made of 100 percent cashmere and silk lining by Armenian designer Regina Oswald ($1,250); a holiday shimmer wrap dress by Josa Tulum ($450) and a hot pink 100 percent Italian wool jacket by Bessie Italy ($1,600-$1,900).

Nostalgic for rabbit fur jackets from the 1970s? Check out this statement piece by Regina Oswald ($1,200), worn over the shoulders or closed for a more structured fit. A portion of all holiday sales will benefit Lotusland through December 31.

Mandana Boutique is located at 1485 East Valley Road, #3, in the Upper Village.

Call (805)-969-5956 or visit mandanamontecito.com.

•MJ

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At Mandana Boutique, a hot pink 100 percent Italian wool jacket by Bessie Italy ($1,600-$1,900) and a holiday shimmer wrap dress by Josa Tulum

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Nosh (Continued from page 35) farmers and fishermen, and our on-site gardens, it’s easy to be inspired by our surroundings and work together to create a memorable experience for the guests to return time and time again.

SYR WINTER GARDEN GROVE COCKTAIL YIELD: ONE COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS: 3/4 ounce Sazerac Rye 3/4 ounce Hardy VSOP cognac 3/4 ounce fresh Meyer lemon juice 1 1/4 ounces honey chamomile syrup 1. Combine all ingredients, shake well, strain This rye and cognac cocktail summons the holiday spirit with the aromas of cinnamon and star anise into bucket glass with a large cube.

2. Garnish with Meyer lemon wheel, star anise, and cinnamon

HOLIDAY BUNDT FOR BRUNCH OR DESSERT

T

hese gorgeously shaped cakes are perfect for every holiday meal, according to San Ysidro Ranch pastry chef Michelle Straub. Throughout her time in the gastronomic world, Straub has put a focus on bringing new life to classic recipes using the best ingredients possible. “My goal has always been to do the basics extremely well, because that is the foundation of any good dessert or pastry,” she said. That includes the essential Bundt cake. Her latest creation is a gluten-free almond olive oil Bundt cake, a gorgeous dessert that comes filled with delicious intentions – as well as a luxe layer of orange zest icing, toasted almonds, and candied fruits. Chef Straub garnishes the cake with candied kumquats and candied cranberries. “The combination of citrus, toasted almond, and olive oil really give this cake a richness that is perfect for the holidays,” she said.

Here’s a look at Straub’s recipe to make at home. Or order a Bundt cake 48 hours in advance for carryout ($65).

San Ysidro Ranch’s Gluten-Free Almond Olive Oil Bundt Cake is a canine-approved holiday centerpiece that you can enjoy in your home

4. In a bowl whisk together dry ingredients.

5. Whisk the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until combined and smooth.

6. Bake for 25-35 minutes. Test your cake by poking with a skewer; cake is done when it comes out clean. Remove from the oven.

7. Cool for 10 minutes and tip out of the pan. Glaze while warm.

8. Garnish glaze as desired with toasted almonds or candied fruits.

Notes: Baking time varies oven to oven. Check the cake at the 20-minute mark and keep tabs from there. Another idea is to brush the cake with rum or liquor before glazing the cake for an added kick in flavor.

Straub garnishes the cake with candied kumquats and candied cranberries.

TASTING NOTES WITH SAN YSIDRO RANCH SOMMELIER TRISTAN PITRE

GLUTEN-FREE ALMOND OLIVE OIL BUNDT CAKE

One of the seasonal favorites espoused

by San Ysidro Ranch Sommelier Tristan Pitre is the 2015 Jonata “Todos”

INGREDIENTS: For the glaze: 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest 3-4 tablespoons milk 3/4 cup powdered sugar FOR THE CAKE: 3/4 cup sour cream 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 4 large eggs 3/4 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon almond extract 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 gluten free flour 3/4 cup almond flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and sugar coat a Bundt pan or 9-inch cake pan.

2. Prepare glaze by whisking together ingredients, cover, and set aside.

3. In another bowl whisk together sour cream, sugar, eggs, olive oil, and extracts. Set aside.

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44 MONTECITO JOURNAL

S

anta Barbara sunsets inspire cozying up next to a fire, winter sweaters and indulging in rich, soul-satisfying food and wine. One of my favorite wines of the season is the 2015 Jonata “Todos.”

Jonata is best known for its world-class Cabernet Sauvignon and other single varietal wines crafted from its estate vineyard in Ballard Canyon in Santa Ynez. However, this Californian Bordeaux blend is rich and generous with a soft mouth coating tannin that pairs well with beef, lamb, gaming meats, and poultry.

It carries aromas of blackberry, violets, assorted dark fruits and freshly cracked black pepper. From the moment you pour a glass, you are struck by the density of color in this burgundy and purple-hued wine.

A classic steak Diane is an ideal pairing. In non-pandemic times, our steak is flambéed tableside and smothered in a brandied cremini mushroom sauce and served with mashed potatoes and haricots verts. The pairing complements the natural, earthy and unctuous mushroom flavors of this classic dish.

While the restaurants are temporarily closed, the resort offers complimentary in-room dining. Alternatively, you can create your own Jonata wine pairing at home with your favorite beef and poultry dishes. Or take a break from the kitchen and let our culinary team prepare the Classic Steak Diane for carryout.

•MJ

“I got all my boyhood in vanilla winter waves around the kitchen stove.” - Jack Kerouac

17 – 24 December 2020

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

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

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17 – 24 December 2020

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

45

Wonder Woman (Continued from page 37)

Jackson (left) grew up outside of Boston, in Newton, Massachusetts, where her father owned a small business and her mother was a secretary (photo courtesy: Hannah-Beth Jackson)

the courtesy of a response.

“I remember saying to my parents: ‘They’re going to regret this. Someday they’re going to regret this,’” she recalls. “And that was the birth of my feminism and my determination to try to make a difference, to try to change things so that girls do have equal opportunity in sports and in science and in any field that we want. Everybody should have those opportunities, regardless of their gender, regardless of their race or ethnicity or religious beliefs. This is America where we judge people on the content of their character. That’s the aspiration and something I’ve been committed to achieving my entire life.”

But what really got her into the legal profession was her love of a good argument and her encounter with a theologian. “I got into a big argument with a very well-regarded Rabbi. I was twelve and he was the head of some big national organization. He made some statement and I took great umbrage to it. I got into a very respectful, but significant disagreement with him and he said to me, ‘Young lady, you need to become a lawyer.’”

After graduating from Scripps College in Claremont, California with a joint major in government and sociology, Jackson received her law degree from Boston University Law School. She then returned to California to work as a deputy district attorney for Santa Barbara County. Eventually, she became the managing partner for the Law Offices of Eskin and Jackson, with offices in Ventura and Santa Barbara.

Fast forward beyond her legal career, marriage, a daughter, Jenny (also an attorney, wife, and mother) and a blended family, to Senator Jackson’s starring role as a politician. Massachusetts’s loss has been California’s gain.

Getting Those Bills Passed

“Y

ou don’t want to watch legislation being made, the same as you don’t want to watch sausage being made,” is one of Hannah-Beth’s favorite quips to reporters. I disagree. I find the entire exercise fascinating albeit at times frustrating.

If you think the wheels of justice move slowly, try following a bill as it makes its way through the laborious process of committees, votes, revisions, etc., until it lands on the governor’s desk to be signed (hopefully). Citizens can actually watch much of this process – though not the backroom dealings – live and online, which I highly recommend.

A number of State Senator Jackson’s bills made it to the governor’s desk recently (for that noon Zoom signing) including one that ensures six million additional California workers who work for companies with five or more employees up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave during a crisis, whether it’s to take care of a newborn, care for a sick loved one, or take care of their own medical issues, secure with the knowledge that their job will still be there for them.

(A profile in The New York Times this past fall touted this accomplishment and others with the headline: “Meet the State Senator Shifting California’s Workplace Culture.”)

46 MONTECITO JOURNAL

Growing up Jackson had a flair for competitive sports and she’s still fierce on the courts of Knowlwood (photo courtesy: Hannah-Beth Jackson)

Jackson petitioned to allow girls to play Little League. She eventually made it to the big leagues of state politics. (photo courtesy: Hannah-Beth Jackson)

One has to be extremely clever as a legislator, to get the hoped-for results, and I’ve seen some midnight fancy-dancing in Sacramento that would make an Olympian ice skater’s head spin. It can be safely assumed, for instance, that most people in Santa Barbara want to prohibit federal drilling offshore, considering our history with oil spills; unfortunately, California doesn’t have jurisdiction on what happens in federal waters. Well fine, thought Hannah-Beth. If you can’t beat them, trick them. She pushed a piece of groundbreaking state legislation that permitted offshore drilling but refused to expand the infrastructure to bring the oil onshore, effectively terminating drilling activity.

Another bill of concern to our community, for which we can also thank Hannah-Beth, is legislation that requires insurance companies to include coverage for homeowners for a flood that occurs as a result of a fire.

“That meant a great deal to our community that suffered the devasting debris flow right after the Thomas Fire,” she said.

Hannah-Beth acted as the chair for eight years on the joint committee on Emergency Management.

“The primary role of government, the initial role of government, was to bring people together to protect themselves and to be a source of safety and security,” she said. “And I take that responsibility very seriously.”

Having been impacted by the fires and debris flows, and having created plenty of related legislation, Hannah-Beth has lots to say about not building in high-risk fire areas – or else doing it as “best as humanly possible” to prevent the risks of fires destroying homes, property, and human lives.

“We need to harden our infrastructure, making sure we have more than one way in and one way out,” she said. “Making sure there’s sufficient water and firefighting equipment and opportunities in those high-risk areas.”

Over time, she said the fires would continue getting worse as places with traditional humidity dry out and become susceptible to intense wind-driven fires with scorching temperatures.

“We’ve got to get the message! The message is the temperatures are not going to start cooling,” she said. “We have to listen to science, whether it’s with the pandemic, climate change, sea level rise. The message is about as clear as we can make it. And we have got to listen to it.”

“We’re seeing the worst fires in California history in the last 10 years and they are definitely the result of climate change.”

California Setting the Bar

S

o, what’s the upside? The good news, Hannah-Beth says, is that California has really been in the lead.

“We’ve set high standards, that I’ve been very proud to be very much a part of, including aspirations for renewable energy that really isn’t just an aspiration,” she said. “We can do it! California is the state that invents the future! If we put our minds to it, being the largest state in the country, the fifth largest economy in the world, there’s nothing we can’t do if we put our minds to it – and we have!”

17 – 24 December 2020

Education

P

ublic education is a huge part of Hannah-Beth’s interest and legacy. And mojo. It’s something she seems still likely to still be involved in, among other passions, in her new incarnation, since it’s in her blood, as a former educator.

“I want to see us improve our public schools so that we are able to give every child the opportunity and the education so that they can be successful and achieve whatever their goals are,” she said, “in a country that made that promise to my grandparents who came over from Eastern Europe during the pogroms of Russia and Eastern Europe. They came to America with the belief that if you worked hard, did your best, and played by the rules, anything was possible. That is my belief in this country and education is the key.”

It’s also something that made her realize that we needed to make opportunities for sports more available to girls and to women. Hence, she’s been a strong supporter of Title IX and done a lot of work in that area to assure that girls and women have equal opportunity in education and something that her parents taught her: If you want something, this is America, you have an opportunity to fight for it, to redress grievances.

“I think it’s really important that young women and young girls see women in leadership roles,” she said. “We still haven’t had a woman president, but we need to. That being said, we do see more women in the medical field, doctors, lawyers, professionals. We need more women CEOs, we need to see more women on corporate boards. We know that when women are in those leadership positions, businesses do better.”

What does she hope her legacy to be?

“I do hope the ‘take-away’ of my work is that I served as a positive role model on what true and honest public service can be and that I have inspired others to do the same at some point in their lives. Helping others – whether through giving or serving – is extraordinarily rewarding – to oneself and those being helped.”

The Pink Tax and Other Unfinished Work

I

asked whether there was legislation that Hannah-Beth wanted to accomplish that just didn’t get done?

“The year being a COVID-19 year, the legislative session was truncated,” she said, “We were directed to reduce our bill packages. I had about eighteen bills I had introduced, leaving me with a total of about twenty-three. I had five other bills that were two-year bills working their way through the legislature. There were a couple of issues I wanted to close the loop on was something called the pink tax.”

As the senator did research on inequality, it was one of the areas where she discovered enormous inequities.

“It’s not just that women are paid less for comparable or substantially similar work, but women pay more for products that are directed and designed to be marketed to women. I just feel that is so inappropriate and outrageous, so I did a bill that would have prohibited charging more.”

She cited a couple of examples. First for little girls who want a pink bicycle helmet.

“You go to a store, and a black one and a red one are $19.99. The very same helmet, the very same helmet,” she stresses twice for effect, “in pink (costs) $22.99! Two dollars more.”

Then there are medicines for women with monthly periods.

“Motrin is used for a variety of things. There’s a box of pills – 400, I think – that advertises on the package ‘helps with menstrual cramps.’” The same exact product – $7.99 for a package of 400. The one without that message on the packaging, 400 tablets, same product: $4.99.”

(I did check at CVS and was not able to verify this, but similar products are stocked in different sections.)

She had to drop that bill.

“It was going to be a very tough slog anyway,” she said, “but there wasn’t enough time and I wanted to stick with things that I had been working on, or things like job protected legislation (which passed).”

I wondered whether Monique Limón, who won Hannah-Beth’s state senatorial seat, would pick up the pink tax issue? Hannah-Beth said she hoped so and noted that her successor knew these issues were also important.

Other issues important to the former Senator: getting hitched and what it really means.

“When I first got elected I had practiced law with an emphasis on civil litigation and family law,” she said. “It was clear that most people who enter into the marital contract have no idea what that contract means. They don’t know what their rights and responsibilities are under California law.”

Twenty years ago, she attempted to pass legislation that would provide a pamphlet to be given to couples when they go to get their marriage license.

17 – 24 December 2020

“It could be done in a lighthearted way!” Hannah Beth said, “What does community property mean? What are your responsibilities toward your children?”

Then, more realistically and soberly she added: The fact is, every marriage ends. When I joked the pamphlet should read: “Run!” Hannah Beth replied: “That was suggested when it was vetoed the first time around by then Governor Gray Davis. That’s what he thought.”

“But absolutely the contrary,” the long-married wife sternly said. “I was going to bring that bill back this year, as I thought Governor Newsom would have an appreciation for people knowing what that marriage contract is. But I had to drop that bill as Jackson was sworn in as a member of the California State Assembly in 1998. “My first run well.”

Other unfinished business she for office, I was 48 years old and I wasn’t sure I was ready, but I had women who encouraged me, hoped to tackle was in the area of who told me I was ready,” she said. (photo courtepesticides and pesticide regulation. sy: Hannah-Beth Jackson) “A very, very tough area,” she admitted, “The people that chair those committees are people who frankly represent big ag areas who I think sadly are too focused on the growers than on the workers and the communities that are exposed to those pesticides.

“Those are a couple of areas where I was a little disappointed. But not enough to really feel that I wasn’t able to accomplish a lot.”

Like her efforts to protecting privacy issues and rights, advancing legislature to reduce gun violence, advocating for commuter rail, supporting veterans and more.

What’s Next?

S

o now that the nitty gritty of getting a bill written, getting it passed, the chess game, as well as the travel back and forth to Sacramento, the glad handing, baby kissing, and the fundraising is behind her, as well as being able to respond to her constituents, I asked Hannah-Beth whether she had any plans to continue working in politics in the future – even on a national level?

“I don’t have any desire to run again for public office,” she said. “If there were something in the Biden administration that would be a logical continuation of my work, I would certainly consider it, but I am really not actively pursuing anything at this time. I would certainly consider serving if asked. I’m really happy and excited to be back in Santa Barbara and look forward to a new chapter that includes time for family and travel. I’m interested in doing some consulting work.”

Hannah-Beth, who is also a breast cancer survivor and one of the founders of the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee, is thinking about writing a memoir, mentoring women who want to run for public office, and even hanging a shingle out her door to share her expertise in how the “system” works.

“I tell young women all the time, don’t ask permission,” she said. “Talk about the importance of women running for office, I was an example of it, I didn’t think I was ready. My first run for office, I was 48 years old and I wasn’t sure I was ready, but I had women who encouraged me, who told me I was ready. I say to young women: look at your young male counterparts who run for office.

They don’t ask permission. They don’t ask, am I ready? What they say is, ‘I want to do this.’ And so, they do it.”

On the other hand, Hannah-Beth admits she has neglected other areas in life and is a terrible cook.

“Any cooking teachers out there?” she quipped.

Before the shutdown, she and George would go out to eat a lot. Some favorite spots include Zookers in Carpinteria, Pane e Vino, Renaud’s, and Ca’Dario, among other restaurants.

Gearing up for the change from a place of power and, what she has reported to other reporters including this one, she worries will be no one will “laugh at her jokes or return her phone calls.” That seems doubtful.

Well, maybe the jokes, depending.

“I’m now at a point where I can retire, but it’s all subject to change!” she concluded.

A world of possibilities – and yes, longer walks on the beach with George, her hubby of 40 years next June – awaits her. And us.

“Some say that when God closes a door, she opens a window.”

•MJ

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

47

On Entertainment (Continued from page 18 18)) the USA’s first steps toward recovering from the pandemic.

The lockdown, of course, has prevented Revels from mounting its usual massive production at the Lobero Theatre, a themed extravaganza replete with dancing, songs, stories, mirth, and merriment and even a Mummer’s Play in the middle, each year a different theatrical and musical experience to bring the world’s cultural traditions and celebrations to our shores.

But the local Revel-ers were committed enough to put something together within the confines of the safety protocols, an ambitious revue-style production called The Christmas Revels: A Virtual Celebration of the Winter Solstice that will be streamed on Vimeo this The Christmas Revels: A Virtual Celebration of Monday, December 21.

“We put a lot of energy and effort the Winter Solstice, starring Susan Keller, will be into trying to keep this going because streamed on Vimeo on December 21 people look forward so much to it, to the performances and the celebration,” Keller said. “We didn’t want to be defeated by the technology or by the inability to gather together. So we’re creating very inventive ways to make that happen.”

The fact that this year’s production gets back to the early roots of the Christmas Revels to feature choral music from Renaissance England, as well as favorite Christmas carols, stories, and standard Revels fare from Abbots Bromley Horn Dance and Lord of the Dance numbers should also provide some comfort in these challenging times.

“We’re doing what they call the basic Revels show, which is what we did our first year in town,” Keller epxlained. “It isn’t as scripted as most of our other shows, but it is all music of the Renaissance with poetry and readings, the classic Revels show, which is nice to be able to go back to. Of course we aren’t doing anything like pulling people out of the audience onto the stage, which we did in that original show, because there isn’t one. But it’s beautiful material, really lovely music and the poems are very touching.”

Fear not, though. While the audience will be watching at home rather than sitting shoulder to shoulder in the cozy confines of the Lobero Theatre and enjoying each other’s voices in the audience singalongs, the onlookers are still being invited to participate via a number of singalong opportunities where the lyrics will scroll at the bottom of the screen as subtitles. Music director Erin McKibben will be teaching the songs during a Zoom Preview Party hosted by Keller, who will talk about the background of Revels traditions, and dramaturg Anna Jensen, who will discuss the historic setting of the music.

Favorite elements to be featured include the Santa Barbara Trombone Society Quartet (Eric Heidner, Lisa Price, Michael Dolin, and Stephen Hughes) who have a big role in the 2020 Revels, including providing musical bookends of the show as they open with “Pastime with Good Company,” the English folk song written by King Henry VIII shortly after his coronation in the beginning of the 16th century. The foursome will also play “Deck the Hall” and “The First Nowell” for audience singalongs, and provide the brassy backbone for the annual Lord of the Dance danced by Matthew and Sara Weitzel with singer Josh Jenkins and chorus and the traditional Gloucestershire Wassail before closing out the show with Sussex Mummer’s Carol for the entire company and the audience singing along.

Vocal and instrumental offerings include Keller, McKibben, and Meredith McMinn singing “The Holly and the Ivy” accompanied by harp and cello; traditionals “We’ve Been A While A Wandering” and “Dame Get Up and Bake Your Pies” from the Revels’ Children’s Chorus backed by mandolin and cello; the Teen Chorus taking on “Make We Joy”; and a Entr’acte: “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Gustav Holst as an instrumental quartet. Among the spoken selections are Keller reading Susan Cooper’s poems “Remember” and “The Shortest Day”; a recitation from Hamlet, Act. 1, Scene 1 by Shakespeare from McMinn; and Salutation from “A Letter to the Most Illustrious the Contessina Allagia Dela Aldobrandeschi, Written Christmas Eve Anno Domini 1513” by Fra Giovanni recited by Josh Jenkins.

Creating a revue-style albeit abridged Revels show that still contains just shy of 25 numbers proved to be quite an undertaking, Keller said. But it’s also one that should bring smiles to the faces of longtime fans of the Revels shows as well as newcomers.

“We had to be really inventive to be able to do the show,” explained Keller, who noted that online rehearsals of the choral groups preceded socially-distanced in-person ones in the center courtyard at the Girls Inc. complex in Goleta before

48 MONTECITO JOURNAL

the audio was recorded at the site earlier this month. Last Thursday the singers showed up at the Marjorie Luke Theatre for the digital video recording, no more than half a dozen at a time. “We had them lip-syncing to their pre-recorded audio,” Keller said. Meanwhile, the horn dance with antlers was shot in Oak Park.

“It has been a terrible year and we just wanted to show the hope for the coming year and the rebirth of joy, because Revels has always been about bringing people joy, happiness, and celebration,” Keller said. “So, it’s really nice to have something that mirrors what I hope will be the end of darkness and the beginning of hope and light.”

Tickets for the Santa Barbara Revels’ The Christmas Revels: A Virtual Celebration of the Winter Solstice and pre-show gathering are included with a $50 donation and cover the livestreaming for the entire household that begins at 5 pm on December 21. For more information, visit www.santabarbararevels.org.

Talking Theater: Welsh ‘Jam’ by Thomas on Zoom

Under Milk Wood, the 1954 radio drama by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas that was commissioned by the BBC and later adapted for the theater, gets a staged reading from DIJO Productions this weekend on Zoom. The work features an omniscient narrator who invites the audience to listen to the dreams and innermost thoughts of the inhabitants of the fictional small Welsh fishing village that include Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard, who relentlessly nags her two dead husbands; Captain Cat reliving his seafaring times; Organ Morgan, who is obsessed with his music; and Polly Garter, who pines for her dead lover. Later, the town awakens and, aware now of how their feelings affect whatever they do, we see them go about their daily business. The ensemble cast for the reading of the lyrical work include Deborah Helm, Ming Holden, Sean Jackson, Kathy Marden, Jerry Oshinsky, E Bonnie Lewis, Ken Gilbert, Mindy Turano, Stuart Orenstein, and Edward Giron, who also directs.

Watch the tale unfold 6-8 pm on Saturday, December 19, at https://us02web.zoom. us/j/8010350269. Make sure to enter the Zoom room with video and audio turned off.

Details at www.facebook.com/events/819023545311549.

They’ve had ‘#ENOUGH’

Center Stage Theater and the UCSB Initiative For New & Reimagined Work are participating in the nationwide reading of the seven winning entries into a national short play competition for middle and high school students this month known as #ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence. #ENOUGH’s call for teens to write 10-minute plays that confront the issue of gun violence received submissions from 184 students across 23 states and three countries.

A panel of nationally recognized dramatists featuring Lauren Gunderson, who was recognized as America’s most produced living playwright in 2017; Tarell Alvin McCraney, the chair of playwriting at the Yale School of Drama who won an Academy Award for co-writing the 2016 film Moonlight based on his play; Robert Schenkkan, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1992 for penning The Kentucky Cycle and the 2014 Tony Award for Best Play for All the Way; David Henry Hwang, playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and theater professor at Columbia University who won a Tony in 1988 for M. Butterfly; and Karen Zacarías, who chose the seven winners. All were written by high school students and tackle gun violence through different lenses, from the threat of and anxiety over school shootings, police shootings, community violence, race, and gun culture in American history.

The short works were set to be performed at theaters and schools across the country and abroad on December 14, the eight-year anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook that killed 20 children aged six to seven and six adult staff members. #ENOUGH made the plays available for free to schools, theaters, and community organizations to stage a reading of them, either virtually or in-person. Center Stage Theater is among the locations that hosted readings, having enlisted 43 Santa Barbara area artists including UCSB and SBCC students, graduates, and faculty. The digital productions remain available for streaming through December 30 on the CST website (www.centerstagetheater.org), where you can also find details about the cast and directors for each piece.

Read about the seven winning playwrights, including bios and headshots, and their plays, online at www.enoughplays.com/plays.

Ensemble Theatre’s Ensemble Holiday Shows

Ensemble Theatre Company is bursting with some holiday pride about a new show streaming virtually out of Las Vegas this weekend. That’s because the star of The Elijah Rock Variety Show Christmas Special played Porgy in ETC’s 2017 production of Porgy and Bess, an ambitious, critically acclaimed and socially prescient adaptation of the show that featured a five-piece jazz band on stage.

Sunday’s Christmas concert, broadcasting from the Renkus-Heinz Theatre at Notoriety, will also feature songstress Tymara Walker, jazz singer Jonathan

17 – 24 December 2020

Karrant, and Broadway-Vegas stars Ruby Lewis and Frank Lawson (the latter played the antagonist Sportin’ Life in ETC’s production of Porgy and Bess), as well as Travis Cloer (the longest running lead as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys), tap dancing twins Sean and John Scott, a cappella group The Doo Wop Kings, contortionist Jazmin LeFae, as well as impersonator John Di Domenico. The livestream begins at 6 pm on Sunday, December 20 and can also be watched on-demand for the following 48 hours. Tickets cost $25, and, if purchased online through the link at Elijah Rock stars in Ensemble Theatre Company’s etcsb.org/whats-on/streaming-events, virtual Christmas concert out of Las Vegas this provide Ensemble with a portion of the weekend proceeds, much needed in the era of coping with coronavirus closures.

Christmas Eve brings the premiere of ETC’s original A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas, featuring the cast and artistic team from Ensemble’s previous (aka pre-pandemic) holiday production of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, reuniting for a special presentation of the Charles Dickens classic tale. Teri Bibb (Broadway’s Phantom of the Opera), Louis Lotorto (The Royal National Theatre’s American Tour of An Enemy of the People), Matthew Floyd Miller (ETC’s productions of 39 Steps and Measure for Measure), Hannah Tamminen (Richard II and The Merry Wives of Windsor at Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival), and Peter Van Norden (ETC’s production of Crime and Punishment) will portray all of the roles in the performance, directed by Brian McDonald, which also boasts live original music by Santa Barbara’s own singer-songwriter Doug Clegg as well as live foley sound effects by Jeff Gardner. The event begins with a pre-show lecture about Dickens and the history of A Christmas Carol by retired UCSB professor and ETC board member Simon Williams.

The lecture and performance will be available to stream on demand from 5 pm on December 24 through 12 noon on Monday, December 28. Tickets are free but registration is required at etcsb.org/whats-on/streaming-events. See next week’s column for an interview with McDonald.

PCPA’s Pandemic Christmas Party Encore

Home for the Holidays, the one-hour streaming Christmastime revue from PCPA, is being made available again for streaming. Erik Stein hosted the evening full of fun and exciting performances from favorite PCPA Resident Artists, including George Walker on every string instrument imaginable, classic stories, a charming dance duet, Christmas carols, original songs, and even a cover of Adam Sandler’s classic 1994 original “The Chanukah Song,” plus a visit or two from PCPA alumni.

Watch for free anytime between 6 pm December 15 to 10 pm Saturday, December 19.

More information at pcpa.org.

Lake to the eternally popular and celebratory 1812 Overture and Marche Slav to the composer’s lush piano concertos, the mystery behind his Symphony no.

6, Pathétique, as the musical tribute ponders the inevitable enigma of genius.

Hershey Felder, TCHAIKOVSKY is based on well-reviewed Felder’s stage play Our Great Tchaikovsky that broke box office records throughout the nation in its pre-pandemic touring days.

It streams live from Florence, Italy, where the composer spent a good deal of time during his most productive era, at 5 pm on December 20 and will remain available to watch on-demand through the following week. Tickets are $55 per household, with partial proceeds benefitting Rubicon Theatre’s artistic and educational programs if ordered at www.rubicontheatre.org/hershey-felder-series.

COVID-Compliant ’Cracker

State Street Ballet’s ongoing virtual season, which added an installment of its popular studio show called Evenings to its YouTube channel on Giving Tuesday, December 1, winds the clock back 365 days for a viewing of its performance of the holiday classic The Nutcracker at the Granada Theatre in 2019. Starring the company’s professional dancers, the students of its associated school Gustafson Dance, and the Opera San Luis Obispo Grand Orchestra, the video version of Tchaikovsky’s iconic music and SSB’s original theatrical dance streams on its website December 19-31. Visit www.statestreetballet.com for details.

Go Irish for the Holidays

Kerry Irish Productions has presented holiday shows at the Lobero Theatre for the last couple of years, but with COVID-19 canceling all live shows since March, the company is instead celebrating the 2020 holidays with a re-release of their PSB special An Irish Christmas. This holiday treat appropriate for the entire family takes a journey through Christmas in Ireland with an award-winning cast of Riverdance principals and other world champion dancers in a celebration of the great traditions of Christmas in Ireland. Tune in online to draw down the half door for spectacular dance, enjoy superb music-making and the singing of Christmas carols in an unforgettable Irish night that features songs spinning out of the mists and into the familiar “Twelve Days of Christmas” and “Carol of the Bells” with music from members of the Kerry Traditional Orchestra.

The virtual holiday streaming event is being presented as part of the Live from the Lobero new series of online shows, and will be available as a $15 pay-per-view performance through December 30 at www.lobero.org/events/an-irish-christmas-stream. •MJ

Felder in Florence Salutes Tchaikovsky Following the imposition of stricter protocols to combat the COVID19 pandemic, the area’s only planned live performance of The Nutcracker, a Concerts in Your Car production from Ventura Ballet, was canceled.

Musician and theater impresario Hershey Felder, though, performs a pandemic pivot to point his next streaming production, Hershey Felder, TCHAIKOVSKY, toward the composer’s score for the popular Christmaseve ballet. Felder, who has seen COVID as cause for avidly amping up his ambitious streaming shows, will portray the composer in his self-created dramatic story of Tchaikovsky’s life and work. Described as “A timebending tale of passion and repression,” the livestream also explores the mysteries surrounding the man and his music, from Tchaikovsky’s beautiful lilting melodies for the ballets Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, and Swan 17 – 24 December 2020

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• The Voice of the Village •

(805) 969-5939 www.MontecitoVino.com

MONTECITO JOURNAL

49

ORDINANCE NO. 5979 AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA AMENDING THE SANTA BARBARA MUNICIPAL CODE BY THE ADDITION OF CHAPTER 26.50 PERTAINING TO JUST CAUSE FOR RESIDENTIAL EVICTIONS

ORDINANCE NO. 5980

SANTA BARBARA AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF A

meeting of the Santa Barbara City Council held on December 8, 2020.

LEASE NO. 26,608 BETWEEN CITY OF SANTA BARBARA

The above captioned ordinance was adopted at a regular

provisions of Section 512 of the Santa Barbara City Charter as amended, and the original ordinance in its entirety may be obtained at the City Clerk's Office, City Hall, Santa Barbara, California.

The publication of this ordinance is made pursuant to the amended, and the original ordinance in its entirety may be obtained at the City Clerk's Office, City Hall, Santa Barbara,

(Seal)

/s/ Sarah Gorman, CMC City Clerk Services Manager

/s/ Sarah Gorman, CMC City Clerk Services Manager

ORDINANCE NO. 5979

ORDINANCE NO. 5980 STATE OF CALIFORNIA

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

I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing ordinance was introduced November 17, 2020 and adopted by the Council of the City of Santa Barbara at a meeting held on December 8, 2020, by the following roll call vote: AYES:

Councilmembers Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Kristen W. Sneddon; Mayor Cathy Murillo

NOES:

Councilmembers Eric Friedman, Alejandra Gutierrez, Mike Jordan

ABSENT:

None

ABSTENTIONS:

None

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Santa Barbara on December 9, 2020.

I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing ordinance was introduced November 17, 2020 and adopted by the Council of the City of Santa Barbara at a meeting held on December 8, 2020, by the following roll call vote: AYES:

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

NOES:

None

ABSENT:

None

ABSTENTIONS:

None

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Santa Barbara on December 9, 2020.

/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, CMC City Clerk Services Manager I HEREBY APPROVE the foregoing ordinance on December 9, 2020.

/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, CMC City Clerk Services Manager I HEREBY APPROVE the foregoing ordinance on December 9, 2020.

/s/ Cathy Murillo Mayor Published December 16, 2020 Montecito Journal

F I C T I T I O U S B U S I N E S S NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Economy Inn, 607 N Broadway, Santa Maria, CA, 93454. Ronia VI Inc, 607 N Broadway, Santa Maria, CA, 93454.

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

/s/ Cathy Murillo Mayor

F I C T I T I O U S

50 MONTECITO JOURNAL

B U S I N E S S NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Vai Art Services, 5142 Hollister Avenue #244, Santa Barbara, CA, 93111. Vai Services LLC, 5142 Hollister Avenue #244, Santa Barbara, CA, 93111.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on

Scope of Work: Vendor to provide Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) 25% to treat secondary influent and clean reclaim water ultra-filtration membranes at El Estero Water Resource Center.

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

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

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 Published: December 16, 2020 Montecito Journal

Published December 16, 2020 Montecito Journal

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. 2020-0002981.

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

ANNUAL SUPPLY OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE (CAUSTIC SODA) 25%

provisions of Section 512 of the Santa Barbara City Charter as

California.

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

BID NO. 5879 DUE DATE & TIME: JANUARY 11, 2021 UNTIL 3:00 P.M.

(Seal)

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

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:

meeting of the Santa Barbara City Council held on December 8, 2020.

The publication of this ordinance is made pursuant to the

INVITATION FOR BIDS

SECOND AMENDMENT TO AMENDED AND RESTATED AND LA SIRENA ON EAST BEACH, LLC

The above captioned ordinance was adopted at a regular

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

AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

November 9, 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. 2020-0002760.

Published December 9, 16, 23, 30, 2020.

F I C T I T I O U S B U S I N E S S NAME STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT: The following person(s) has (have) abandoned the use of the Fictitious Business Name(s): Cabin 11 Bakery, 11 San Marcos Trout Club, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. Anneli Clavering, 11 San Marcos Trout Club, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. This statement

was originally filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on November 12, 2019. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office.

Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed November 20, 2020. Original FBN No. 2019-0002806.

FBN 2020-0002845.

Published December 9, 16, 23, 30, 2020.

17 – 24 December 2020

Notice Inviting Bids FY2021C PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE PROJECT Bid No. 4020 1.

Bid Submission. The City of Santa Barbara (“City”) will accept electronic bids for its FY2021C Pavement Maintenance Project (“Project”), by or before January 7, 2021 at 3:00 PM through its PlanetBids portal. Bidders must be registered on the City of Santa Barbara’s PlanetBids portal in order to submit a Bid proposal and to receive addendum notifications. Each bidder is responsible for making certain that its Bid Proposal is actually submitted/uploaded with sufficient time to be received by PlanetBids prior to the bid opening date and time. Large files may take more time to be submitted/uploaded to PlanetBids, so plan accordingly... The receiving time on the PlanetBids server will be the governing time for acceptability of bids. Telegraphic, telephonic, hardcopy, and facsimile bids will not be accepted. If any Addendum issued by the City is not acknowledged online by the Bidder, the PlanetBids System will prevent the Bidder from submitting a Bid Proposal. Bidders are responsible for obtaining all addenda from the City’s PlanetBids portal. Bid results and awards will be available on PlanetBids.

2.

2.2 Time for Completion. The Project must be completed within seventy-five (75) working days from the start date set forth in the Notice to Proceed. City anticipates that the Work will begin on or about February 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 $1,450,000.

License and Registration Requirements.

3.1 License. This Project requires a valid California contractor’s license for the following classification(s): A 3.2 DIR Registration. City may not accept a Bid Proposal from or enter into the Contract with a bidder, without proof that the bidder is registered with the California Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code § 1725.5, subject to limited legal exceptions.

4.

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

5.

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

6.

Prevailing Wage Requirements.

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

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

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

7.

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

8.

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

9.

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: ________________ William Hornung, C.P.M, General Services Manager Publication Dates: 1) December 16, 2020 2) December 23, 2020 END OF NOTICE INVITING BIDS

F I C T I T I O U S B U S I N E S S NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Drains Plus, PO Box 2058, Santa Maria, CA 93457. Raul Avila, 354 Hobbs Lane, Santa Maria, CA 93455.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on Novem17 – 24 December 2020

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. 5878

Project Information.

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

3.

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

ber 23, 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. 2020-0002859.

Published December 9, 16, 23, 30, 2020.

F I C T I T I O U S B U S I N E S S NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Deep It Management; Deep MSP; Tech Doctors, 919 Linden Ave, Unit B, Carpinteria, CA, 93013.

Deep It Management LLC, 919 Linden Ave, Unit B, Carpinteria, CA, 93013.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of

Santa Barbara County on September 8, 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. 20200002281. Published October 7, 14, 21, 28, and December 2, 9, 16, 23, 2020.

• The Voice of the Village •

DUE DATE & TIME: JANUARY 15, 2021 UNTIL 3:00 P.M. HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS Scope of Work: Unlawful camps can create unsafe conditions and blight. The City of Santa Barbara is searching for a reliable service provider to clean-up these camps on an as-needed basis.

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 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.

LIVING WAGE Any service purchase order contract issued as a result of this request for bids or quotes may be subject to the City’s Living Wage Ordinance No 5384, SBMC 9.128 and its implementing regulations.

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

F I C T I T I O U S B U S I N E S S NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Montecito Dental Group; 1260 Coast Village Circle, Santa Barbara, CA, 93108. Cristopher Shepard DMD, Inc., 1040 Alston Road, Montecito, CA, 93108.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of

Published 12/16/20 Montecito Journal

Santa Barbara County on November 24, 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. 2020-0002871.

Published December 2, 9, 16, 23, 2020.

MONTECITO JOURNAL

51

Notice Inviting Bids - AMENDED LOUISE LOWRY DAVIS CENTER PHASE 1 Bid No. 4016 1.

Bid Submission. The City of Santa Barbara (“City”) will accept electronic bids for its Louise Lowry Davis Center Phase 1 Project (“Project”), by or before December 31, 2020, 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. Bids that fail to upload to PlanetBids prior to deadline will not be accepted. Bidders are encouraged to upload bids by 2:30 p.m. to PlanetBids.

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

Bid results and awards will be available on PlanetBids.

2.

Project Information.

2.1 Location and Description. The Project is located at 1232 De La Vina Street and is described as follows: Exterior work to include; Enclose the exterior courtyard with six foot ornamental iron fencing with gates. Install raised concrete landing with stairs and accessible ramp to the lower part of courtyard. Install new Pergola (trellis) in the courtyard and at the entry from the parking lot. Remove concrete walkway, stairs, and landing at the entry on south elevation. Install new lighting. Install new landscaping and irrigation with controller.

Interior work to include: Install new doors in the existing window openings on the east façade leading to the new courtyards (salvage brick). Install a new window in door opening on south façade. Use salvaged bricks for cripple wall under new window. Install conduit and wiring for new exterior lighting. Patch and paint walls from new door, window, and electrical installation.

2.2 Time for Completion. The Project must be completed within 60 calendar days from the start date set forth in the Notice to Proceed. City anticipates that the Work will begin on or about February 1, 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 $750,000.

2.4 Funding. The Project is to be funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG). Contract award is contingent upon receiving CDBG funding. Funding is expected to be approved by January 2021.

3.

License and Registration Requirements.

3.1 License. This Project requires a valid California contractor’s license for the following classification(s): Class A or B. 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 five percent of the maximum bid amount, in the form of a cashier’s or certified check made payable to City, or a bid bond executed by a surety licensed to do business in the State of California on the Bid Bond form included with the Contract Documents. The bid security must guarantee that within ten days after City issues the Notice of Award, the successful bidder will execute the Contract and submit the payment and performance bonds, insurance certificates and endorsements, and any other submittals required by the Contract Documents and as specified in the Notice of Award.

6.

Prevailing Wage Requirements.

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

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

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

7.

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

8.

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

9.

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.

CDBG Funded Project Pursuant to Section 1773 of the Labor Code, the general prevailing wage rates in the county in which the work is to be done have been determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations. These wages are set forth in the General Prevailing Wage Rates for this Project, available at the City of Santa Barbara, General Services Manager, Purchasing Office, 310 E. Ortega Street, Santa Barbara, California, and available from the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Internet web site at http://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSR/PWD. The Federal minimum wage rates for this Project as predetermined by the United States Secretary of Labor are set forth in the specifications and in copies of these specifications that may be examined at the offices described above where project plans, special provisions, and bid forms may be seen. Addenda to modify the Federal minimum wage rates, if necessary, will be issued to holders of these specifications. Future effective general prevailing wage rates, which have been predetermined and are on file with the California Department of Industrial Relations are referenced but not printed in the general prevailing wage rates.

Attention is directed to the Federal minimum wage rate requirements in the specifications. If there is a difference between the minimum wage rates predetermined by the Secretary of Labor and the general prevailing wage rates determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations for similar classifications of labor, the Contractor and subcontractors shall pay not less than the higher wage rate. The City of Santa Barbara will not accept lower State wage rates not specifically included in the Federal minimum wage determinations. This includes "helper" (or other classifications based on hours of experience) or any other classification not appearing in the Federal wage determinations. Where Federal wage determinations do not contain the State wage rate determination otherwise available for use by the Contractor and subcontractors, the Contractor and subcontractors shall pay not less than the Federal minimum wage rate, which most closely approximates the duties of the employees in question.

This is a federally-assisted project and Davis-Bacon (DBRA) requirements will be strictly enforced. Federal Labor Standards provisions HUD-4010 will be incorporated into the successful bidder’s contract and is attached hereto as Attachment A. Contractors, including all subcontractors and apprentices, must be eligible to participate. Federal Wage Determination #CA20200014 dated 10/23/2020 is incorporated herein and is attached hereto as Appendix G. However, actual prevailing wage rates will be determined as of the bid opening date. If any modifications have been issued to the wage decision, the contractor must adhere to the modified wage decision. Additional CDBG requirements are described in Appendix A.

11.

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.

12.

Bidders’ Conference. A bidders’ conference will be held on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at 11:00 a.m., at the following location: 1232 De La Vina Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 to acquaint all prospective bidders with the Contract Documents and the Worksite. The bidders’ conference is not mandatory.

13.

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

By: ___________________________________

Date: ________________

William Horning General Services Manager Publication Dates: 1) December 2, 2020

52 MONTECITO JOURNAL

2) December 9, 2020

3) December 16, 2020

17 – 24 December 2020

Letters (Continued from page 8) be overrun, when our County has 38 percent of hospital beds and 49 percent of staffed ICU beds currently available?

If you recall, we started out that way in March when coronavirus infections were predicted to cause 2.5 million people to die. Sadly, we lost 0.29 million, each death a tragedy, but thankfully only 11 percent of what was forewarned.

Yet, the fear-mongering continues for an illness that based upon past death data averaging 3,000 total deaths per year, has caused less than five percent of all deaths in the County!

On Monday, the Solvang City Council decided to defy the Grinch’s new lockdown order, because December is their busiest season, and without it, the merchants cannot survive! District Attorney John Savrnoch has the audacity to say, “Businesses do so at their own peril. At anytime the ABC can come and do a sweep… It would be very, very easy, particularly in the context of restaurants, for the State to come in and issue a number of violations, which would functionally close a lot of businesses.”

Has the DA resorted to threatening law-abiding businesses, simply for exercising their constitutional right to make a living? I have asked Mr. Savrnoch why he doesn’t surrender his government paycheck? Because only then would he be on equal footing with those whose livelihoods have been taken away in order to make such judgments.

Have we ever seen such deep hypocrisy as that of Newsom and others who pick winners and losers to stay open or closed? Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti shut down the properly social-distanced outdoor dining area Angela Marston had newly constructed, financially ruining her, and leaving her staff unemployed. But then he allowed a Hollywood movie producer to set up a much larger capacity outdoor eating facility right next door! How is this just?

Stop taking bribes from the State in the form of COVID funding to police law-abiding citizens who don’t need policing. None of us want to get sick!

We don’t want to spread the disease, and we already take measures to protect ourselves and others. It is not your decision to trample on the Constitutional rights of small businesses, families, and churches, while allowing big-box stores like Costco and Home Depot to stay open.

What right does Grinch Newsom have to choose winners and losers?

Grinch is too kind a name for someone who with impunity takes from COVID funding to support his own businesses. He is not a hermit like the famous Dr. Seuss’s Grinch who hated social gatherings and tried to stop Christmas, as the story goes. Instead, he and 22 of his associates dine at the expensive French Laundry restaurant and do so on the dime of the taxpay17 – 24 December 2020

On The Record (Continued from page 24 24)) ers. While he steals Christmas from us peasants, Newsom and his elites laugh and celebrate indoors with no masks nor social distancing. If he really believed that the lockdown measures were effective, why would he break them himself?

This is the largest transfer of wealth from small business to large corporate businesses in the history of the nation.

There is another word for this transfer, and it is called theft. It is very hard to be calm while I watch fellow citizens losing everything while government employees and tyrant leaders continue to draw their paychecks!

No, we are not in this together.

Please someone grow some courage to push back against this madness!

Peggy Wilson

health crisis. “Suicide rates have gone up, and overdose rates have gone up,” she said, a trend that Garofalo tragically knows all too well; her 37-year-old son overdosed on opioids this May. “He died from depression,” she said.

“It’s happening everywhere. You have to take all that into consideration. I don’t mean to bring that up but it’s what’s going on in the world today and we have to stand up and do something.”

The Little Fire Engine That Could

Taking it Outside

I’m a gardener working for three decades in Montecito and Santa Barbara. And I smoked weed for most of those years, which makes my lungs pretty much shot. Every day this year I have been working outside, if people are near me I’m happy to pull my bandana up over my face. Here’s the thing, shutting down outdoor seating at restaurants doesn’t make sense. If employees keep masks on and patrons stay a safe distance apart the odds are huge that they will be safe.

You know who isn’t safe? People indoors. As Santa Barbara City Council member Oscar Gutierrez found out when he tested positive. He said he was very careful and I believe him. He lives at home with his mother. While most members of the council sat in their offices during council meetings this year Oscar always stayed home.

And yet when his mother went out on Thanksgiving she contracted the virus and brought it home. The biggest spreaders of COVID in Santa Barbara County are nursing homes and the Lompoc prison and people spending time indoors. You know where it’s not spread? Outdoors.

I follow the numbers of deaths and where they are located. As of December 14, in 2020 there have been seven deaths in Montecito and fifteen in Santa Barbara. It seems ironic to me that we are approaching the third anniversary of the debris flow disaster where 23 people died in one day. Death comes in many forms, to focus so much on this virus doesn’t seem logical to me.

And full disclosure, I work for a number of restaurants in the Funk Zone and the recently opened La Paloma. La Paloma has a gorgeous outdoor deck and patio. If there was any evidence that COVID spread outside I would not be writing this, but there isn’t. I honestly believe outdoor seating at restaurants in Montecito and Santa Barbara should be allowed.

Dan Seibert •MJ

Montecito’s favorite 1937 Ford Fire Engine

Dana Newquist and his 1937 Ford Fire Engine preparing for a Christmas convoy in Montecito’s Upper Village

You might recognize Dana Newquist and his 1937 Ford Fire Engine from Montecito’s annual Fourth of July parade, which he cofounded in 1996.

Newquist bought the engine about 20 years ago from a Hollywood producer who used the vehicle for only a day – the lovingly restored, bright-red truck still bears the previous owner’s initials and the number 40, a reference to the special occasion of his wife’s birthday.

According to Newquist, the engine belonged to a volunteer fire department in a small town in Iowa before it made its way to the Pasadena area, where a collector ultimately sold it to the television honcho. “He used it for one day and then put it out in a barn in Winchester Canyon,” he recalled, adding that, ever since he sold his previous fire truck, he’d been hankering for it.

“I was lonely for a fire truck,” Newquist admits. “So I found out the name of the guy who bought it and called him and asked, ‘What are you doing with a fire engine?’ He says ‘Nothing, you want it?’ I said ‘Of course,’ so he told me where it was. I took my wife out there and it had at least four or five flat tires and a lot of bird poop on it.”

Despite his wife’s relative lack of enthusiasm at the find, Newquist says he bought the truck. Years of parades and charitable events later, including this one, a food and toy delivery caravan he organized on December 13 to benefit Santa Barbara’s Unity Shoppe, he still has no regrets.

I try to do something like this each year,” he explained. “This particular year we are taking donations and toys to the Unity Shoppe, and this is a bigger than usual gathering. We’re going to drive down to the Church on 192 and then down Olive Mill Road to Coast Village Road over to Cabrillo, then up State Street over to Chapala and all the way over to drop off the toys. It should be fun.”

•MJ

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

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CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING (805) 565-1860 ESTATE/SENIOR SERVICES THE CLEARING HOUSE, LLC

silver, sculpture, wine, coins, memorabilia, and rare classic cars and motorcycles. Dana is a Graduate Gemologist with over 30 years of experience buying and selling fine property.

CALL TODAY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION (310) 736-5896 or email DanaCaresLA@gmail.com WRITING SERVICES

Recognized as the area’s Premier Estate Liquidators - Experts in the Santa Barbara Market! We are Skilled Professionals with Years of Experience in Downsizing and Estate Sales.

Personalized service. Insured. Call for a complimentary consultation.

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

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 TRESOR

For sale burial plot #586 CEMETERY 901 Block D , Channel Drive 805 448-1269 OCEAN VIEW! Rare availability in Santa Barbara Cemetery.

Beautiful, picturesque final resting place available.

Located in Ocean View - Add. G - plot for 2 cremated remains.

Oceanview is completely sold out. My situation changed so making this lovely space yours is easy.

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House calls available. Victoria Frost- CPT & CES 805-895-9227 POSITION WANTED 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

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

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” - Hal Borland

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PRIVATE CHEF AVAILABLE. Well known Chef in Montecito is available for small gatherings or in-home meals. From casual lunch to fine dining style dinner, I can prepare great food for you.

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Excellent references and background check upon request.

Contact Linda at albright65@msn.com

LAND FOR TEEPEE. Seeking beautiful, spacious, private, very quiet land to rent, care-take, or trade services.

805 637 9934

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

54 MONTECITO JOURNAL

SPECIAL SERVICES

RENTAL WANTED

Baths are the bomb and we have them. myrivieralife.com

$8 minimum

Best Property & Assets Protection The owner of Professional Security Company looking for a place in Montecito/Santa Barbara area in exchange for security/management services.

PPO License #120310 Phone: 805-895-2183

LOOKING FOR AN AFFORDABLE GUEST HOUSE or APARTMENT or SMALL HOUSE I need your help. Leaving L.A. and wanting to call this area home. I have a very strong credit score, a clean background, good referrals and no debts, all of which can be verified.

I will take a Covid test upon move in.

Claudia 818 300 2573 17 – 24 December 2020

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

FAST TURN AROUND - QUALITY GUARANTEED

WE BUY BOOKS

Historical Paintings Vintage Posters Original Prints 805-962-4606 info@losthorizonbooks.com

WE BUILD

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LOST HORIZON BOOKSTORE now in Montecito, 539 San Ysidro Road

ARCHITECTURAL

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FACTORY

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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

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

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE Ghost-town site, 1 68 lots, 40 acres, utilities. Spokane, WA. River to Rosevelt Rec area, $125,000 total, Details 509 359-0662 SB.

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.

DONATIONS NEEDED Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary Menagerie 2340 Lillie Avenue Summerland CA 93067 (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 17 – 24 December 2020

• The Voice of the Village •

MONTECITO JOURNAL

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TA K E A V I R T U A L T O U R T O D AY

© 2020 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (BHHSCP) is a member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates LLC. BHHS and the BHHS symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. BHH Affiliates LLC and BHHSCP do not guarantee accuracy of all data including measurements, conditions, and features of property. Information is obtained from various sources and will not be verified by broker or MLS. Buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of that information.

BHHSCALIFORNIA.COM

1104 CHANNEL DR, MONTECITO 1.13±acs • $32,000,000 Phyllis Noble, 805.451.2126 LIC# 01448730

E MOUNTAIN DR, MONTECITO UPPER 5BD/7BA • $22,000,000 Cristal Clarke, 805.886.9378 LIC# 00968247

650 PICACHO LN, MONTECITO UPPER 7BD/13BA • $17,500,000 Cristal Clarke, 805.886.9378 LIC# 00968247

1676 E VALLEY RD, MONTECITO UPPER 1.59±acs • $9,950,000 Josiah Hamilton, 805.284.8835 LIC# 01415235

965 PARK LN, MONTECITO UPPER 4BD/3½BA • $8,900,000 Laurel Abbott, 805.455.5409 LIC# 01247432

830 PARK LN, MONTECITO UPPER 5BD/4½BA • $7,400,000 Nancy Kogevinas, 805.450.6233 LIC# 01209514

999 HOT SPRINGS RD, MONTECITO 4BD/3BA • $4,250,000 Cristal Clarke, 805.886.9378 LIC# 00968247

595 FREEHAVEN DR, MONTECITO 5BD/6BA • $3,950,000 Ken Switzer, 805.680.4622 LIC# 01245644

850 ROCKBRIDGE RD, MONTECITO 3BD/2½BA • $3,450,000 Barbara Neary / Daniel Encell, 805.698.8980 LIC# 01491532 / 00976141

1382 PLAZA PACIFICA, MONTECITO 2BD/2½BA • $2,695,000 Sue Irwin, 805.705.6973 LIC# 01413354

2336 BELLA VISTA DR, MONTECITO 2BD/2BA • $2,250,000 Daniel Encell, 805.565.4896 LIC# 00976141

521 TORO CANYON RD, MONTECITO 3BD/2½BA • $2,195,000 Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group, 805.565.4014 LIC# 01426886

785 TORO CANYON RD, MONTECITO 1.94±acs • $1,750,000 Nancy Kogevinas, 805.450.6233 LIC# 01209514

1094 TORO CANYON RD, MONTECITO 45±acs • $850,000 Jody Neal / Kathy S. Spieler, 805.252.9267 LIC# 01995725 / 00851281

@BHHSCALIFORNIA