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6 - 13 February 2020 Vol 26 Issue 6
The Voice of the Village
S SINCE 1995 S
VILLAGESITE.COM DRE 01206734
FULL HOUSE Salud Carbajal hopes to be reelected to a third term as our 24th District Representative; Andy Caldwell wants to beat him. Read in-depth interviews with both candidates (pages 5 and 33)
Choices, Choices and More Choices
From a former UCSB student body president to the Mayor of Santa Barbara, here are the seven candidates running for the 37th Assembly District seat, p. 45
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6 – 13 February 2020
Lori Bowles
COLDWELL BANKER REALT Y CONGRATUL ATES
ON BEING NAMED CARPINTERIAN OF THE YEAR
Coldwell Banker Realty is proud to congratulate Lori Bowles on being named Carpinterian of the year. Her work in the Carpinteria community has spanned over the past two decades. In 2004, she took on a leadership role in the CHS Boosters and has continued beyond the graduation of her own son through 15 years of service on the Boosters’ board. At the conclusion of this school year, Lori will have led the effort to support 7,000 Warriors with over $400,000! In addition to her service at Carpinteria High School, Lori has also been a Board Member of the Carpinteria Valley Little League since its inception in 1996. Over the years she has served in numerous capacities and continues to assist children with league registration fees so that every child can play without exception. When not volunteering, you can find Lori at her Coldwell Banker Realty office in Montecito. It is there that she and her business partner, Dana Zertuche, are continuously recognized for their ongoing dedication to their clients. The duo have received numerous awards including being named to the prestigious International President Circle for the past three years.
DANA ZERTUCHE & LORI BOWLES 805.565.8198 info@MONTECITO.associates www.MONTECITO.associates
CalRE#01465425 CalRE#01961570
Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2020 Coldwell Banker Realty. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Realty fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
6 – 13 February 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 5 Editorial
Executive Editor Gwyn Lurie sits down with Congressman Salud Carbajal for an in-depth interview
6
Montecito Miscellany
CAMA prepares for its coming lineup at the Granada; Montecito Firefighters’ Charitable Association takes over the Rosewood Miramar; Montecito’s own Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi talk Alexa in a Superbowl ad; and more
8 Letters
Readers complain about the lingering stench of cannabis, take on the question of bias in reporting, vaping in middle school, and more
INTRODUCING
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Only a few ocean and mountain view parcels remain in the exclusive gated community of Montecito Ranch Estates. Stunning +5 acre parcels available separately or choose a completed custom estate with the finest amenities. Pricing from $3,250,000 for parcels with approved plans to $8,350,000 for a finished estate.
10 This Week
Tonia Shimin signs copies of The Art of Symeon Shimin, a new book about her father, who wrote dozens of children’s books and designed fine art and film posters, including for Gone with the Wind; Rumi Study Group; a reading of On Wings Of A Lion by Susan Wakeford Angard at Tecolote; SBVA Singer Showcase; MERRAG Community Awareness Event at the Montecito Fire Station; and more, plus weather from Jack Martin
Tide Chart 11 Spirituality Matters
Montecito’s Rumi Education Center celebrates the teachings of Sufi poet Jala Al Din Rumi; Santa Barbara Buddhist Meditation Meetup will celebrate the next full moon on the beach; how to join a Full Moon Goddess Hike; “Russell Brand Recovery Live” comes to the Lobero, and more
13 Village Beat Tracy Simerly · Engel & Völkers Santa Barbara 1323 State Street · Santa Barbara · CA 93101 DRE# 01256722 +1 805 550 8669 · tracysimerly.evrealestate.com ©2020 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.
Land Use Committee discusses their top five goals for Montecito this year, including traffic, community safety, water security, underground utilities and renewable energy, and coastal resiliency; a Montecito resident starts a new driving service for seniors
14 Seen Around Town
Women’s Board of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art hosts its annual members’ luncheon; Santa Barbara Maritime Museum celebrates the 164th anniversary of the lighting of the Point Conception Lighthouse; Santa Barbara Scholarship Foundation gives its annual Art Scholarship exhibition and reception at the family resource center in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art
16 On Entertainment
Ring in the new decade with the Best Bank.
Carey Crim finishes her original draft of Never Not Once, which gets its area premiere at the Rubicon Theatre Company this weekend; Ensemble Theatre Company debuts a musical adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma at New Vic Theatre; catching up with acrobat Hugo Ouellet-Côté before the Canadian cirque troupe FLIP Fabrique’s brand new show Blizzard hits the Granada Theatre; and more
18 The 501c3 Weekly
For decades, the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara has hosted walking tours of the city’s historic buildings and provides educational programming for children
20 Fitness Front
Michael Allison leads weekly “Meditation for Brain, Body & Breath” class at Physical Focus
Switch in just 10 minutes.
22 Discovering What Matters
Dr. Peter Brill looks back on some of the column’s most important accomplishments of 2019
25 Brilliant Thoughts
Looking back at an intimate encounter with a rainbow brings wonder at both its beauty and possible deeper meaning
33 Purely Political
Montecito Journal founder James Buckley sits down with Andy Caldwell, who is running against Salud Carbajal for California’s 24th Congressional District 10 Minutes on Average
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36 Your Westmont
The Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art features South Texas drawings, while both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are in first place
41 Ernie’s World
Sometimes it takes retirement to find your inner bonsai talent
45 On the Record
We spoke to all seven candidates for the 37th Assembly District about who they are, why they are running, and what they can do for Montecito voters
51 Real Estate
Three home listings in the $2.2 (million) range
52 Calendar of Events
Behind every great community is a great bank.®
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Among this week’s highlights: Amazon-ian Art Events comes to 10 West Gallery; avant-garde alto saxophonist Tim Berne performs at SOhO; Montecito entrepreneur Christie Jenkins hosts an immersive 1940s experience at the Rockwood Woman’s Club; Blind Pilot hits the Lobero
54 Classified Advertising 55 Local Business Directory
“To the world you may be one person, but to one person you are the world.” – Bill Wilson
6 – 13 February 2020
Editorial by Gwyn Lurie Gwyn Lurie is the CEO of The Montecito Journal Media Group and the Executive Editor of the Montecito Journal. She served on the Montecito Union School Board for eight years, including five years as Chair. Gwyn is the former Chair of Santa Barbara County Child Welfare Safety Net Task Force. She and her family have been residents of Montecito for more than 10 years.
Sitting Down with Salud
I
asked Salud Carbajal, our Congressman from the 24th district, if he would sit with me for an interview. Three plus years into his job in Washington, he is playing a far different role from the one he played for 12 years as our 1st district County Supervisor. These are challenging times for anyone in politics, but for a Santa Barbara “kid’ new to the rough and tumble streets of D.C., Salud had the mixed blessing of coming to his job with fresh eyes and boundless optimism. Today his eyes are arguably less fresh but his optimism, save for a healthy dose of cynicism, seems largely intact. I also wanted to talk with Salud because he is up for re-election in November, being challenged by high profile government watchdog and long-time Carbajal critic, Andy Caldwell. Salud met with me at my home where he arrived with Central Coast native,
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1/31/20 2:10 PM • The Voice of the Village •
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In lieu of payment, a donation was made to Nathalie Gaveau’s charity of choice.
Monte ito Miscellany by Richard Mineards
Richard covered the Royal Family for Britain’s Daily Mirror and Daily Mail, and was an editor on New York Magazine. He was also a national anchor on CBS, a commentator on ABC Network News, gossip on The Joan Rivers Show and Geraldo Rivera, host on E! TV, a correspondent on the syndicated show Extra, a commentator on the KTLA Morning News and Entertainment Tonight. He moved to Montecito 12 years ago.
CAMA Pulls Out all the Stops Nathalie Gaveau. Entrepreneur and one of Europe’s Top 50 Women In Tech for 2018 (Forbes).
Should I do it all again? Starting a new business is not just a financial decision. It’s a life choice. And that can change everything. Whatever you decide, I can support you before, during and after a transition. For some of life’s questions, you’re not alone. Together we can find an answer.
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AMA, now celebrating its 101st year, is having to face the music! The popular organization is justifiably renowned for bringing the world’s top orchestras as part of its International Series to the venerable Granada, with the musicians often booked more than a year in advance to ensure their availability. But sometimes even the best laid plans go awry, as happened with this season which just kicked off with London’s 74-year-old Royal Philharmonic under conductor Pinchas Zukerman, a two-time Grammy Award winning violinist, playing works by Tchaikovsky and Mozart in the penultimate concert of its two week American tour, its 12th time in our Eden by the Beach.
CAMA president Bob Montgomery reveals orchestral woes (photo by Monie Photography)
President Bob Montgomery revealed that two scheduled performers, the 117-year-old Minnesota Orchestra and the 69-year-old Moscow Philharmonic, had advised separately they were cancelling their respective
MISCELLANY Page 284
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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
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LETTERS
MONTECITO JOURNAL
ast Monday, I attended the Montecito Journal hosted debate between Sup. Das Williams and his opponent Laura Capps, president of the SB School Board. During the debate, I became aware how Montecito struggles to obtain sufficient water. I was not aware that over 80% of Montecito water comes from out of state. As I listened to Williams’s response to his constituents’ difficulties with water, it brought to mind an incident I witnessed at a Board of Supervisors meeting a year ago. At this January 29, 2019 meeting, Williams lost his temper with one of his constituents from Carpinteria when this long-time resident dared to question Williams about the stench of cannabis in the Carpinteria High School and Carpinteria Valley area. When the constituent finished his inquiries, Williams angrily accused this resident of selling his water to “the rich people of Montecito.” A loud gasp came from the standing room only crowd attending the meeting while other members of the Board of Supervisors gazed at Williams in disbelief. I now live in Carpinteria and the cannabis farms literally surround our home. I have had to exist with the noxious odor of cannabis for over three years. My personal health, like others Carpinterians who live in our once-odor-free Valley, has suffered because of the cannabis stench that permeates our homes. My grandchildren have not been able to visit our house for over three years because they suffer with allergies and would be adversely affected by the skunky stench of marijuana that affects the housing complex I now live in. Sup. Williams has demonstrated a total disregard for his constituents in Carpinteria Valley. To witness Williams’ total disrespect for those who dare disagree with him, all you have to do is watch the video of this [1-29-19] meeting on cannabis. This BOS meeting took all day, during which people from every District in the County pleaded with the Supervisors for relief from the negative impacts and stench of cannabis in their homes and backyards. If you want to witness and hear how Williams really feels about his Montecito constituents, look at the tape at around 3:53:15 (Publisher’s note: http://sbcounty.granicus.com/ MediaPlayer.php?view_id=3&clip_ id=3470 at the 6:56:50 marker) and you
PM “Love yourself6/8/17 first and2:12 everything else falls into line.” – Lucille Ball
can witness firsthand how Williams deals with those constituents who dare to disagree with him. Joan T. Esposito Carpinteria, former Montecito resident
Separation Needed
MJ Editor, Gwyn Lurie, is off to a great start, but she might have given the wrong impression when she recently wrote in her lead Editorial that, “…journalists and journalism have always been biased – and likely will always be.” It might be that freedom of the press does allow journalists freedom to report but it does imply a responsibility to place truth above partisan agendas. That is why commentary and editorials like hers and others must be kept separate from news reporting. It is true this separation is sometimes breached but newspapers that treat their reputation with respect and integrity usually always show such restraint in adding their own opinions when reporting the news. The Christian Science Monitor is one example in newspapers and the MacNeil/Lehrer Report was another in broadcasting. Serious journalism entails a relentless pursuit of facts rooted in objectivity and ethics. Anything less means readers must take such “news” with a “grain of salt.” CNN and FOX are two examples. Someone asked the respected late Jim Lehrer if there were guidelines for his reporting, “Well, yes there are, and here they are,” he said. “Do nothing I cannot defend. Cover, write and present every story with the care I would want if the story were about me… Assume there is at least one other version to every story… Carefully separate opinion and analysis from straight news stories and clearly label everything… And finally, I am not in the entertainment business.” I wish Gwyn has much success with the Montecito Journal and there is every indication she will. Sincerely, John Burk Eucalyptus Hill
Truth and Money
During this election year, I can’t help but remember the Carter/Reagan debate (I know, I’m dating myself)
LETTERS Page 304 6 – 13 February 2020
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6 – 13 February 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
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This Week in and around Montecito
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8
(If you have a Montecito event, or an event that concerns Montecito, please e-mail newseditor@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860) THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6 Book Reading Symeon Shimin gained renown from his dozens of children’s books, fine art and film posters, including for Gone with the Wind. His daughter Tonia Shimin will discuss her new book, The Art of Symeon Shimin, a book she curated and edited, with text written by the artist as well as local journalists Josef Woodard and Charles Donelan, who will attend. UCSB Theater faculty member Michael Morgan will read from Shimin’s autobiography. The exquisitely-produced hardbound book includes more than 100 high resolution printed plates and archival photographs, including two by renowned photographer Berenice Abbott; an autobiography by the artist, on his and then in early years in Russia Brooklyn; and essays by Santa Bar bara arts writers Josef Woodard and Charles Donelan. When: 7-8:30 pm Where: Chaucer’s Books, 3321 State Street
music with George Friedenthal on piano, Bill Macpherson on guitar, Larry Perpoli on drums and Nee Sackey on bass. Performers include Karen Zell, Joe Auchter, Ali Cortes, Candice Nyholt, Jaime Pearce, Evelyn Buzbee, Christine Nyholt, and Luna Martinez. Also enjoy great food, drink and music, but make your reservations soon as the venue always fills up. All ages welcome. When: 6pm to 7:30 pm Where: SOhO Restaurant and Club, 1122 State Street #205 Reservations: Call 805-962-7778 x6 Cost: $8 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 Rumi Study Group This group meets to learn, share, and
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13
Wine & Cheese Tasting Complimentary wine and cheese tasting at Montecito Village Grocery When: 3:30 to 5:30 pm Where: 1482 East Valley Road SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 SBVA Singer Showcase SB Voice Academy hosts singers performing rock, funk, blues and popular
discuss the ancient teachings within Rumi’s poetry. All are welcome! When: 2 to 4 pm Where: Montecito Community Hall, 1469 East Valley Road Cost: Suggested donation $20 Info: www.rumieducationalcenter.org
MERRAG Community Awareness Event Chaplain Jerry Gray, with non-profit organization “Chaplain 24/7” provides this Course on Disaster Psychology for family and community safety and emergency preparedness. Topics include: What is “Disaster Trauma”? What are the causes of a “traumatic
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7 Farmer’s Market When: 8 to 11:15 am Where: South Side of Coast Village Road
all lead to a tide of treachery, murder and romance. When: 3-5 pm Where: Tecolote Book Shop, 1470 East Valley Road Info: tecolotebookshop.com
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11
crisis”? What are the psychological impacts of a disaster on you, your family members, and neighbors? What are the emotional or physical symptoms of trauma for various age groups? What is “psychological first aid” and how can it be used after a disaster? What steps can you take to reduce your own stress? What ‘not’ to say when providing support to disaster survivors. When: 10 am to noon Where: Montecito Fire Department, 595 San Ysidro Road RVSP: Email Joyce Reed at jreed@montecitofire.com or call (805) 969-2537
M on t e c i to Tid e G u id e Day Low Hgt High Thurs, Feb 6 12:38 AM 2.4 6:57 AM Fri, Feb 7 1:25 AM 2.1 7:40 AM Sat, Feb 8 2:10 AM 1.8 8:24 AM Sun, Feb 9 2:55 AM 1.5 9:07 AM Mon, Feb 10 3:42 AM 1.2 9:52 AM Tues, Feb 11 4:32 AM 1.1 10:39 AM Wed, Feb 12 5:28 AM 1 11:29 AM Thurs, Feb 13 12:32 AM Fri, Feb 14 1:21 AM
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Hgt Low 5.8 2:17 PM 6.3 2:53 PM 6.5 3:29 PM 6.6 4:06 PM 6.4 4:43 PM 5.9 5:21 PM 5.2 6:00 PM 4.8 6:33 AM 4.8 7:52 AM
Hgt High Hgt Low -1 8:53 PM 3.6 -1.5 9:24 PM 3.9 -1.7 9:57 PM 4.1 -1.6 10:32 PM 4.3 -1.4 11:09 PM 4.5 -0.9 11:48 PM 4.7 -0.3 1 12:27 PM 4.3 6:41 PM 1 1:42 PM 3.5 7:27 PM
“Love asks me no questions, and gives me endless support.” – William Shakespeare
Book Signing Come to Tecolote Book shop for a reading of On Wings Of A Lion by Susan Wakeford Angard. This thrilling novel of treachery, murder and romance involves daredevil film director Kathryn Whitney, Sir Anthony Evans, owner of the Persian Glories, a priceless collection of canary diamonds, and The Black Glove, a terrorist organization,
New Yorker Magazine Discussion Group Come discuss selections from the New Yorker magazine When: 2:45 pm Where: Montecito Public Library, 1469 East Valley Road Lobero Theatre Chamber Music Project Heiichiro Ohyama returns to Santa Barbara to perform with a hand-selected group of top international players for two stunning and unique programs When: 7:30 pm Where: Lobero Theatre, 33 East Canon Perdido Street Jack’s Weekly Forecast The rest of this week will start a slow warm-up, with no excitement with the weather. Looks like our next chance of rain is Sunday night into Monday of next week. Models are all over the board with this one being so far out. We will hope for the low to be more over coastal waters, where rain will be more likely. In the meantime, enjoy the cold weather. •MJ
Hgt
0.5 1.2
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Spirituality Matters by Steven Libowitz “Spirituality Matters” highlights two or three Santa Barbara area spiritual gatherings. Unusual themes and events with that something extra, especially newer ones looking for a boost in attendance, receive special attention. For consideration for inclusion in this column, email slibowitz@yahoo.com.
Noah (and Jacob) Bake Bread for the Soul
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ore than three decades ago, Noah benShea created Jacob the Baker, a simple but wise character whose plainspoken wisdom and commonsense approach to life are delivered as parables and often funny pearls of wisdom. The Jacob books, four in total now after We Are All Jacob’s Children ended a 20-year hiatus in 2018, have provided solace and support for millions of people and reached round the world. The original 63-page Jacob book, presciently subtitled “Gentle Wisdom for a Complicated World” in what was surely actually a simpler time, has been translated into 18 languages, while over the years Jacob’s sayings and wisdom nuggets have decorated everything from Starbucks coffee cups to hospital meal trays. Meanwhile, benShea himself – a former UCLA dean who struck gold as the founder of the New York Bagel Factory – has lectured all over the world and advised businesses and individuals throughout the land. But never – save for a one-off years ago when he narrated a symphonic adaptation – has benShea purposefully showed up anywhere as Jacob. There were lots of offers for a one-man show, and movie scripts have been bandied about. But nothing came to fruition largely because benShea was so busy with business. That all changes on Tuesday, February 11, when the former longtime Montecito resident who now resides in Summerland hits the stage at the Marjorie Luke Theatre embodying his famed character for a 90-minute Q&A session in the opening event of the Luke’s second Mind Body Soul series. It probably won’t be much of a stretch. “People have always asked me if we were the same person,” benShea noted. “I’d say yes, except I’m the one with character flaws… But often halfway through a conversation they begin calling me Jacob anyway, because I seem so congruent with the character. Still when series producer Rod Lathim, who is a longtime friend, asked benShea to appear as Jacob, the poet-philosopher woke up in the middle of the night wondering what he had committed to. “But in the morning my wife told me, ‘What are you worried about? You’ve been Jacob the Baker for fifty years.’” The format for the evening is simple: when people purchase their tickets, 6 – 13 February 2020
Marjorie Luke Theatre presents An Evening with Noah benShea as his character Jacob the Baker on Tuesday, February 11
they’ll also be asked to submit a question about something in their lives they might want to ask Jacob, benShea said. “When I come on stage, I’ll step into the character and respond in the voice and soul of Jacob as if they were talking to me in the bakery. It’s about being very live and present in the moment to help people with questions that may be plaguing them. Jacob is so much my alter ego, and I’m blessed because he’s a much better person than myself.” Indeed, when asked why now for the event, benShea spoke largely in pithy parables much as Jacob might. “Time doesn’t wear a watch. I don’t know why. I only know it is. But that’s enough. As Jacob says, knowing doesn’t change the weather… Just like with my last book, the gestation of all things is a gift from God. We can’t presume how or when things will be born, come and grow. It was a long pregnancy, But Jacob is still being born, and has been for a long time. I’m honored with this event that I get to be in the maternity ward that night.” If it seems that benShea goes back and forth between the two characters, the answer is yes. But it’s not an issue. “It’s an occupational hazard with me. I’m never sure who has their hand in what dummy,” he said. “But it’s not like I’ve slipped out of sanity. I don’t think I’m channeling. But, as Jacob said, because we shut our eyes does not mean that God goes into hiding. So Noah’s question is if God is omnipresent, but the only question is, ‘Am I present?’ Jacob reminds me to be present in the moment with God because it’s only your blindness, deafness, and ignorance that keeps you short of that experience.” Which is why benShea is clear about how and why he brings Jacob to life, creating a path for his own selfgrowth. “In order to write you have to slip the bonds of your own ego into some-
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12 MONTECITO JOURNAL
6 – 13 February 2020
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.
Land Use Committee Discusses 2020 Goals
C
hris Sneddon, Deputy Director of Transportation for the County of Santa Barbara, was back in front of the Montecito Association Land use Committee on Tuesday, reporting that several changes have been made to the San Ysidro Roundabout project over the last several weeks. The project is set to be back in front of Montecito Board of Architectural Review (MBAR) this Thursday for its second conceptual review. Sneddon said that comments from the Montecito Association and MBAR, as well as members of the public, voiced concern over safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. The six-foot pedestrian pathway that runs through the roundabout has been widened to eight feet, to accommodate pedestrians, as well as bicyclists who decide they do not want to traverse the single lane roundabout with vehicle traffic. “It is now easy to get out of the traffic if they don’t feel comfortable riding in the main lane, and onto the pedestrian path,” Sneddon said, adding that curb cuts from the lane to the pathway were also added. The County has been working with COAST and the Bicycle Coalition to build in this change to the project. The widened pathway now allows two pedestrians on the pathway to pass each other with more ease. “We are striking a balance to widen the path but also accommodate a lush landscape aesthetic, that fits in with the community,” Sneddon said. The updated project will be discussed at MBAR later this week, and there is a community meeting on February 27 at Montecito Union School from 4 pm to 6 pm, for the public to review and comment on the project. Also at Land Use: the Committee discussed their top five goals for Montecito land use planning this year, including traffic, community safety, water security, underground utilities and renewable energy, and coastal resiliency. Consultant Lisa Knox Burns outlined the various priorities to the Committee, giving an overview on different issues within the five categories. Traffic issues include being a voice during the planning of the Highway 101 widening, and safety 6 – 13 February 2020
of local bridges and proposed roundabouts. Community safety issues include being involved during the building of the Randall Road Debris Basin, lessons learned from recent wildfires and debris flow, ADUs in high fire areas, and more. Water security includes acting in partnership with Montecito Water District and Montecito Sanitary District to encourage and support desalination and recycled water projects, as well as securing a contract for a long-term water supply agreement. The Land Use Committee will also be involved in discussions about utilities, helping private homeowners navigate the process of undergrounding utilities, and facilitating renewable energy projects. They will also stay abreast of ordinance amendments and grant funding related to the effects of sea level rise along the county’s coastline. The Land Use Committee will prioritize these issues and formulate action plans over the next several meetings. For more information, visit www.montecitoassociation.org.
In Business: Where To?
Montecito resident Carole Bennett has started a private transportation business, offering driving services to seniors in our community. “Where To?” was launched last year, when Bennett was connected to seniors in need at Casa Dorinda; one of whom she began taking on errands around town. “I quickly realized there was a need for a friendly driver, who would be a fun companion to go out on the town,” Bennett said. This isn’t the first endeavor by the entrepreneurial Bennett, who has a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and has written several books on addiction and recovery. She has also launched several food companies, offering her famous matzo ball for delivery (called Just One Soup), and her savory seasoned almonds and cashews via The Montecito Nut Company. Bennett is also highly involved in the equestrian world, organizing and managing dressage schooling events in Santa Ynez. “Where To?” is filling the gap in care that many seniors need in our com-
Carole Bennett has launched “Where To?”, a transportation and companion company in Montecito
munity,” Bennett said, explaining that her companionship and driving service fills the gap between an at-home caregiver and a taxi, Easy Lift, or uber driver. “I know there is a need.” Bennett says she is CPR certified, has a clean background check, and a clean driving record. “I drive a super fun Mini Cooper!” she said. “People love driving around in it!” She is available for errands such as salon visits, grocery store runs, and more, or can be hired for travel and companionship to a movie, lunch, or even a day trip to Solvang. “I’m a lot of fun to be around!” she laughed. Bennett has a two-hour minimum and charges $25 an hour. For more information, call (805) 452-7400.
MFPD Wins Award
The Wildfire Mitigation Awards committee has named the three recipients of this year ’s Wildfire Mitigation Awards. These individuals and organizations have earned the highest commendation for innovation and leadership in wildfire mitigation for their outstanding dedication to solving many of the most complex challenges posed by wildfire; Montecito Fire Department joins Tri-Lakes United Methodist Church Emergency Preparedness Group Volunteers in Monument, Colorado, and Ernie Lory of Placerville, California. Established in 2014 and co-spon-
• The Voice of the Village •
sored by the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the USDA Forest Service (USFS), these awards help to demonstrate the tremendous societal value wildfire mitigation efforts provide. “State forestry agencies know firsthand it’s always wildfire season somewhere in the United States. The 2020 Wildfire Mitigation Awardees know this too,” said Greg Josten, NASF president and South Dakota State forester. “In their own ways, this year’s winners have ensured the safety of thousands through their wildfire mitigation efforts. We congratulate them for receiving this honor and thank them for their dedication to this critically important work.” “These awards are meant to recognize the often overlooked hard and persistent pre-fire work with communities that saves lives and property,” said Pam Leschak, USFS national program manager for Wildland Urban Interface and Fire Adapted Communities. “Mitigation specialists are truly the unsung heroes of the fire management world and these awards are a national token of appreciation for their efforts.” For more information regarding Wildland Fire Prevention, please visit MFPD’s website at www.mon tecitofire.com. •MJ MONTECITO JOURNAL
13
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he Women’s Board of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) began 69 years ago whose sole purpose was to support the SBMA and so they have. We met in the Santa Barbara Club for one of the club’s wonderful lunches. The Board is especially grateful to its sustaining members whose leadership and support provide the foundation for their success. There are 17 ladies who have 20 plus years of service, among them is Barbara Wallace with an incredible 52 years. Eichholz Director and CEO Larry Feinberg spoke to the group highlighting all the projects the Board had funded like Art a la Carte (a series of luncheons with speakers about art), Mystery Masterpieces, and Art of the Table plus every exhibit, including one coming up about Vincent Van Gogh. Larry encouraged, “Get a small group and have a hard hat tour.” The Museum is undergoing a $50 million renovation and there is much to see. Construction is supposed to be over in July. The Women’s Board is planning a big black tie blowout September 19 to celebrate. Vice president of membership Linda Wortham introduced the new members presenting each with an orchid.
Ms Millner is the author of The Magic Makeover, Tricks for Looking Thinner, Younger and More Confident – Instantly. If you have an event that belongs in this column, you are invited to call Lynda at 969-6164.
They were: Janet Booth, Claudia Dunn, Betsy Kehoe, Susan McLean, Cathy Milner, Pei Shu, Nancy Upton and Isabel Wendt. They have an intimidating list of credentials with many strengths. Women’s Board president Jeanne
SEEN Page 504 Honoree Deanna Major, longtime member Barbara Wallace, and Grace Yoon.
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“I love you and that’s the beginning and end of everything.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
6 – 13 February 2020
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Village Properties Realtors license #01954177 • The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
15
On Entertainment
Steven Libowitz has reported on the arts and entertainment for more than 30 years; he has contributed to the Montecito Journal for more than 10 years.
by Steven Libowitz
Carey On at the Rubicon: A Powerful, Poignant Point of View
Never Not Once previews February 5-7 and opens February 8 at Rubicon’s home, 1006 E. Main Street in Ventura’s Downtown Cultural District, continuing Wednesdays through Sundays through February 23
C
arey Crim finished her original draft of Never Not Once – which gets its area premiere at the Rubicon Theatre Company this weekend – three months before the revelations about Harvey Weinstein exploded into the #MeToo movement in the fall of 2017. “So it became unexpectedly – and
unfortunately – timely,” the playwright said over the phone last week. “But it’s always been timely. #MeToo just made those things more front and center.” Those things – sexual assault and other forms of power struggles – are themes that run through much of Crim’s writing, but as with Conviction,
her previous play produced at RTC, the works are more about impact on family and friends, the erosion of trust, how people suppress emotions and, perhaps, ultimately heal. Crim didn’t need to read all the posts with the hashtag to understand the pervasiveness of the issue. She not only knew of a number of friends who had suffered with sexual assault, she’d been a victim herself. In Never Not Once, Eleanor, a biology major at Princeton, brings her boyfriend Rob home to meet her two moms, and also tells them that she has hired a private investigator to help her find her biological father. As a scientist, she’s curious about her genetics, but it’s also evident that she just wants to meet the man who impregnated her mother during a one-night stand in college. How that plays out as Eleanor embarks on a journey to answer the question “Where do I come from?” provides drama that, nowadays, is something we’re learning happens far too often.
“Much of this came from my own personal experiences, and those of too many friends, as well as articles I read,” Crim explained. “It’s very personal, but not autobiographical. It’s just a part of women’s reality.” Part of what has earned Never Not Once strong reviews is the grace with which Crim weaves twists and angles into the story, including the perils of addiction, spiritual underpinnings, and a situation where the men call each other out for misogyny. “I wanted to explore the ideas of forgiveness and grace. Are there things you can’t make amends for? What does it take? What decisions do we make about the family we choose vs. the one we’re born into? I wasn’t trying to explore all of these themes, but they came up when I dove into the territory. But the strings all come together into one story.” Rubicon will be presenting just the third production of Never Not Once barely a year after its world premiere at The Purple Rose, the intimate theater company founded by actor Jeff Daniels, where Crim has debuted four previous works. “I worked with them as an actor, and when I wrote my first play, they were who I thought of,” she recalled. “I was just looking for some honest
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6 – 13 February 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
17
The 501c3 Weekly
by Zach Rosen
Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara
T
he architecture of a city tells of its past, present, and future. The buildings and homes that construct a town speak of the area’s materials, design influences, history, and culture. And in this area, the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara (AFSB) has made it their mission to share the stories that this region’s architecture has to tell. With walking tours, school outreach programs, and art exhibits, the AFSB explores the historical buildings of the area while showcasing modern art and introducing architecture to the next generations. Naturally, the AFSB is housed in one of the area’s historic structures. The AFSB was founded in 1983 and moved to their current location in the Acheson House in 1990. The house, located on the corner of Garden and Victoria, is in the Victorian
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Italianate residential design and was built in 1904. The house went through an extensive restoration in 2012 that reintroduced a historical color scheme in addition to the repairs. For 30 years, the AFSB has been leading walking tours through the architectural gems of downtown Santa Barbara. They now give two different tours each weekend from 10 am to 12 pm. On Saturdays, docent guides give the El Paseo tour which takes guests to sites like the Lobero Theatre, Casa de la Guerra, and the Santa Barbara Recreation Center. The La Arcada is held on Sundays and explores such structures as the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Granada Theatre, and La Arcada with a focus on Santa Barbara architecture after the 1925 earthquake. These tours remain as popular as ever and help introduce
the history and architecture of the area to both locals and tourists. Education is another focal point of the organization and the AFSB offers a range of programs to students of all ages. Each year the AFSB hosts a design competition for high school students. Over the years these competitions have tested students with design challenges from residencies of different scales and functionalities to more public spaces like last year’s focus on the State Street Paseo System. This year the competition will be held on March 10 at two locations. The students do not know what they will be designing beforehand and enter to an intensive all-day charrette where they draft the surprise design challenge in the medium of their choice. After the finished work is judged by a panel of architects, twelve finalists are invited to a juried review where the winners are selected. In addition to the cash prizes of this competition, the AFSB has been providing scholarships since 1983 with a total $1,300,000 awarded to date. For 20 years the AFSB has operated the Kids Draw Architecture (KDA) program each spring. This hands-on
program brings together volunteer architects and artists with children for free sketch sessions at the area’s architecturally relevant locations. Each year the best sketches are chosen to be featured in an official KDA calendar that is released at an annual year-end KDA Show and reception at the Acheson House. During the summer, the AFSB in partnership with Kidz Engineering 101 hosts a summer camp at their facilities. This program incorporates LEGOs and actual building materials into architecture and engineering principles into a program for students from the second to ninth grade. The Built Environment Education Program (BEEP) introduces elementary school children to architectural programming and design processes as volunteer architects teach these students about scale, space planning, and environmental considerations during a fiveweek program. Students learn how to draw, measure, and build while they create an imagined environment for their final project. Visit afsb.org for more information on hours and the AFSB walking tours and programs. •MJ
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All information provided is deemed reliable, but has not been verified and we do not guarantee it. We recommend that buyers make their own inquiries.
6 – 13 February 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
19
Fitness Front
Participants in the weekly Meditation for Brain, Body & Breath class at Physical Focus
by Michelle Ebbin Michelle Ebbin is a renowned wellness/massage expert, and the author of four books. She appears regularly in the media to discuss the benefits of natural therapies and healthy living. She lives in Montecito with her husband, Luke, and three boys.
Just Breathe
Nora Tobin, Angela Valente, Justine Roddick, Michael Allison, Michelle Ebbin, and Julie Leonard at Physical Focus on Hot Springs Road
A
re you stressed out? Is your heart racing, your breath shallow, and your mind scattered and unfocused? If the answer is yes and you’d like an effective, drug-free way to calm yourself down, I have a simple remedy for you that’s scien-
tifically proven to work and literally right under your nose. Every Wednesday at Physical Focus in Montecito, owner and 25-year personal trainer and health coach Michael Allison leads a profoundly relaxing “Meditation for Brain, Body
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& Breath” class that will quickly drop you into a deep state of calm, contentment, and connection. I tried it and, yes, this definitely happened. Based on leading-edge science, this 45-minute guided practice can help you harness the power of your own breath to optimize your physical and mental wellbeing, and bring you some serious stress relief. Much more than meditation, Michael’s class combines the sciences of the Polyvagal Theory (the activation and calming effect of the body’s Vagus Nerve) and Positive Neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to strengthen and change in positive ways) with deep breathwork and attention training. His guided breathing, involving extended inhalations and exhalations with breath holds in between, activates your body’s parasympathetic nervous system to shift into a safe and connected Ventral Vagal State. This is the opposite of your body’s sympathetic nervous system fight-or-flight response, which is activated when you’re stressed and not feeling safe. As you follow Michael’s breathing cues, he encourages you to pay attention to the thoughts and “stories” that run through your mind. In doing this, you can begin to track your body’s autonomic states and the corresponding thoughts, attitudes and behaviors that arise from them. For example, as I first closed my eyes and began the breathwork, I found it difficult to stop making lists in my head. “What do I need for dinner”… “When am I picking up this kid and that kid” and so on. But after about ten minutes the list making stopped and I was able to narrow my focus to my breath. Time stood still and I felt my body slow down. According to Michael, by combining guided breathing and attention training you can replace fear, frustration, and fatigue with calm strength,
*Meditation for Brain, Body & Breath is a weekly class at Physical Focus, 140 Hot Springs Road, Montecito. Class is $10 for non-members and included in a PFx Unlimited Class Membership. Michael Allison offers private health coaching for $150/hour. For more information: www.physicalfocus.com 140 Hot Springs Road Montecito, CA 93108 805-695-0450
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relaxed centered awareness, and balanced energy. Deep breathing into your belly, rather than shallow breathing in your chest, can lower your heart rate and promote physical and mental relaxation. It brings more oxygen to your cells, improves your lung capacity, and it’s one of the most effective ways to bring your body into a more alkaline state. What’s more, when practiced regularly, you can train your body and mind to turn this “resting state” into a lasting sensation hardwired into your brain, body, and nervous system. Michael says, “Mindful awareness of the state of your Autonomic Nervous System, and your corresponding thoughts, emotions, behaviors, beliefs and habits is the foundation for making lasting positive changes to your overall health, performance and quality of life.” I’ve found that since I started taking Michael’s breathing class it’s been easier to focus on my breath when I’m faced with stress, anxiety, and anything negative in daily life. Even five minutes practicing deep breathwork in my car can make a huge difference in my day. It’s easy to learn and best of all, you can do it anywhere, anytime. As author and spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle wrote, “One conscious breath in and out is a meditation.”
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Compass is a licensed real estate broker (01991628) in the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice.
6 – 13 February 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
21
Discovering What Matters
by Dr. Peter Brill
Dr. Brill can be reached at pbrill@dwmblog.com. His blog appears at www. dwmblog.com. Specializing in medicine, psychiatry, marriage and family therapy, nonprofits and business, he has served as a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School and Wharton School of Business, consulted to more than 100 organizations, run workshops on adult development, and performed major research on the outcome of psychiatric treatment. He is the founder of Sustainable Change Alliance & co-author of Finding Your J Spot.
A Year in Review
I
started this column wanting to highlight how people can have an impact or create positive change, find personal meaning, and sometimes even make money doing it. I hoped to spotlight new and existing opportunities to benefit our community – what’s out there and what can be done to achieve these goals, who is doing it and what we can learn. I wanted to address individual change as well as community change. I hoped to introduce and discuss innovative processes and new tools to balance individual fulfillment and capital needs in the world of “causes,” plus share impact investing avenues and other ways to influence/create change. I wanted to start with our own community because, in my opinion, with our society’s financial and political problems, change now has to happen from the bottom up. Real change is deeply personal. Built on clarity and trust, it depends on strong relationships. But it also depends on innovation of new social, psychological, organizational, and economic methods. Well, we certainly have done better than I had envisioned.
We are the “real” in real estate professional.
A Time for Reflection
Mitch Morehart 805.689.7233 mitch.morehart@compass.com DRE 00828316 Beverly Palmer 805.452.7985 beverly@compass.com DRE 1319565 Susan Pate 805.895.9385 susan.pate@compass.com DRE 01130349 themorehartgroup.com
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Through the diverse topics in this column, we presented an example of how impact investing expands philanthropy’s effectiveness with an example of an impact investment that creates great return and great benefit to Santa Barbara and beyond. We discussed money and what it means to us and how the thoughtless pursuit of it can make us unhappy. We addressed the needs of the non-profits by explaining that many non-profits can find alternative funding that can make them more sustainable. We looked at the problem of betrayal which seems to trouble everyone’s experience. We discussed passion which so many pursue without finding it, and put a spotlight on how to find it. We shared how Sustainable Change Alliance member Jonathan Gartner found meaning in his third age through impact investing in our community. We presented a heroine’s journey by telling the tale of Laura Francis and how her values and dedication to our oceans through impact investing came about.
“Love is breathing each other with all madness” ― Seema Gupta
We gave the example of Tom Washing and what makes a person great. We presented an interview with Ron Gallo who, through his life story, taught us about what motivates a person to dedicate his life to helping others. Our interview with John Steed documented the enormous challenge that climate change presents and what we can do locally. And, finally, Amy Cooper of Plum Goods Store showed us why retailing in Santa Barbara is a problem and what needs to happen to solve it. Yes, it has been quite a year! I hope that our many readers will continue their interest in our efforts for change, that they will tell their friends about us, and that more people will visit our blog and share comments about the columns. For example, this from one of our readers regarding the column “Leadership Vacuum”: “Amy is 100% correct. I took photos in 2017 of all the State Street vacancies facing the street in the four-block core and it was staggering. I sent them to the Council and met with people. One thing not mentioned is that the design of the public/private structure of many of the organizations that could clearly address our biggest challenges tie the hands of those who could make big changes. Our inability to make sensible decisions to address mental health and public decency is based in a long history of over-tolerance that needs some serious rethinking, if for nothing else to help those in need. Our system of unnecessary regs (some are) stops innovation and evolution to new models. More on any of this upon request. I have a lot to say about it.” And here is another: “Peter. Thanks for your interview with Amy. I hope you continue to follow-up on this important issue of revitalizing downtown.” We would love to hear your views as well on our blog. As we move forward, we will continue the conversation about how community, change and capital can work together with a goal of having a positive and sustainable impact on pressing social, economic, and environmental issues. Thank you for your support throughout 2019 and I hope everyone has a wonderful year in 2020. •MJ I welcome all questions and comments and can be reached at pbrill@dwmblog.com. 6 – 13 February 2020
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Chris Parker
805.879.9633
805.879.9642
aherlihy@radiusgroup.com
cparker@radiusgroup.com
CA Lic. 01518112
CA Lic. 01887788
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SPIRITUALITY (Continued from page 11) thing larger, more important and connected. What I wanted to do was to slip into higher consciousness absent of hubris. The character of Jacob knows he’s nobody special.” When I mention to benShea that recently I’ve actually found myself slipping into a character who, apparently, comes from New York in the 1950s – which at first was just a lark but has happened when I’m not paying attention – he wasn’t surprised. In fact, he encouraged what others might think of as madness. “People are always telling you to be more yourself. But there’s an equal truth about being less yourself,” he said. “Don’t confuse your ego self with who you are. When you take off the parts you’ve dressed yourself in for so long, you come to a place of peace and rest.” That sparked another thought for benShea. “I’ve been meditating on how parents used to say, ‘Go outside and play.’ But perhaps you should come inside, then go outside and play. On February 11, I’m going to come inside, and then come outside, as Jacob, to play.”
Ruminating with Rumi
Montecito’s Rumi Educational Center’s mission is to spread understanding of the poetry of the famed Sufi mystic Jala Al Din Rumi in order to promote his wisdom teachings of Universal Love. The goal is to enable learners of all backgrounds to experience the messages of pluralism, tolerance, humanism and non-violence that are rooted in Rumi’s scholarship and the genuine understanding of Sufism, the mystical dimension of Islam. Among the center’s ongoing activities are monthly “My Religion is Love” study groups, held on the second Sunday of the month from 2-3:30 pm at Montecito Community Hall, 1469 East Valley Road. (Next meeting is February 9). Led by Dr. Fariba Enteshari, the founder and director of the Rumi Educational Center, the group meets to contemplate the concept that universal love is the source of all aspects of love in our daily life, including compassionate love, romantic love, spiritual (agape) love, and beyond. Participants will learn about ancient teachings within the poetry Rumi wrote – 60,000 verses in all – 800 years ago in a restless era where the world around him was divided and at war. Rumi’s poetry and teachings encourage unity, consciousness, and enrichment of our hearts. While Rumi’s teachings and poetry are inclusive, they also help the individuals to a personal connection to the Divine. Gather together to explore the secret within his poems that took him to ecstasy, unity and love. The gatherings are interactive and encourages the group members to share their stories.
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The seekers will be sharing their reflections on poems and are encouraged to journal their reflections. Music, meditation, and movement will also be a part of some of the gatherings. Get more information and pre-register online at www.rumieducationalcenter.org.
Full Moon Evening Retreat at the Beach
On the evening of one of the most important holidays in Theravadan Buddhism – Magha Puja – Santa Barbara Buddhist Meditation Meetup is hosting a mini mindfulness retreat outdoors by the ocean. Under the gorgeous, silvery full moon, participants will practice sitting and walking meditation, talk about the history of Magha Puja, and reflect upon the Buddha’s first teaching, in which he laid out the Four Noble Truths – suffering, its cause, its cessation, and the path to its cessation. Bring a jacket, a blanket, and something to sit on (a yoga mat, towel, cushion, or a beach chair) and meet at 8 pm on Sunday, February 9, at the big tree on the oceanside at the western corner of the Four Seasons Biltmore Resort on Channel Drive in Montecito. Details at www.meetup.com/Santa-BarbaraBuddhist-Meditation.
Full Moon Goddess Hike
Elizabeth Huebner, who launched the Bee Divine: Goddess Embodiment Meetup last month with the first of a monthly retreat-style gathering for women who want to explore the many facets of the sacred feminine through sacred circle, embodiment practices and ceremony, leads a silent hike in the Montecito foothills this weekend to take the practice outdoors. All women are invited to join with their sisters for a silent hike beginning at the Tangerine Falls Trail Head up to a spot with picturesque views to gather in sacred circle, sing, dance, howl and greet the full moon as it rises. Wear sturdy hiking shoes, bring warm clothes, water and a headlamp or flashlight for the return hike. Meet at the East Mountain Drive trailhead at 4 pm on Saturday, February 8, for the free event. Visit www.meetup.com/Santa-BarbaraConsciousness-Meetup-Group/events. Also for ladies only: an afternoon of sisterhood spiritual connection from the Santa Barbara Spiritual Growth Meetup Group. Kelsey Cordle hosts the gathering at Butterfly Beach in Montecito from 1-2 pm on Thursday, February 6, for meditation, oracle or tarot card pulls, journaling, perhaps theme based or following whatever arises in the moment. Visit www.meetup.com/Santa-BarbaraSpiritual-Growth-Meetup-Group/ events/268145531.
His Brand of Recovery
“Russell Brand: Recovery Live” is a funny and profane exploration into personal development and wellness from the comedian who, after years of addiction and poor choices, has dedicated himself to spirituality “to avoid self-destruction.” Brand – who was married for 14 months in the early 2010s to Santa Barbararaised pop star Katy Perry – leads a 90-minute experience that introduces the system that “saved his life, continues to save his sanity and will work for anyone who is willing to commit to it.” The program is described as an alternative vision for life at a time devoid of real values and connection, delivered by Brand, a comedian, actor and activist for mental health and drug rehabilitation who is also the author of seven books, including The New York Times’ bestseller Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions, and Mentors: How to Help and Be Helped. Get re-Brand-ed at the Lobero Theatre at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, February 12. Info at (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com.
Vulnerability and the Heart
Jennifer Sommerville leads a special pre-Valentine’s Day workshop at Unity of Santa Barbara in which all are invited to come celebrate love with an exploration of what it means to be vulnerable through conversation, heart math and creative expression using multimedia arts and craft. The free 11:30 am workshop takes place in Unity’s community room. Visit www. santabarbaraunity.org/vulnerabili ty-and-heart-workshop-jennifer.
The Practice of Inquiring Deeply
Marjorie Schuman, Ph.D., a local clinical psychologist, meditation teacher and author, settles into The Sacred Space for an experiential workshop providing an introduction to the method of “Inquiring Deeply.” The meditative practice of asking questions has been used for thousands of years to develop intuition, inspire awakening and connect us more deeply to the sources of wisdom within. While Inquiry is often taught as an eyes closed contemplative exercise, it is also very engaging as a speaking and listening practice done with partners. Schuman has had four decades of experience practicing Buddhist insight meditation in the Theravadan tradition and is the author of MindfulnessInformed Relational Psychotherapy: Inquiring Deeply. Her workshop, slated for 1-4 pm on Sunday, February 9, at The Sacred Space in Summerland, will offer guided meditation in dialogue and explore what happens
“You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” – Lucille Ball
when we learn to rest in the questions themselves. Schuman’s professional work focuses on the interface between Buddhist mindfulness practice and relational psychotherapy. The workshop is limited to 14, and costs $63. Call (805) 565-5535 or visit www. TheSacredSpace.com.
Santa Barbara Spirituality Café
The Santa Barbara Spirituality Café Meetup, organized to embrace topics of spirituality in small groups similar to the international Death Café operation, is set to hold its first gathering. The focus of the meeting is to meet each other, discuss directions and set intentions, including logistics and guidelines for topics. The idea is to create a safe and confidential container to provide space where everyone is encouraged to share if desired and discuss whatever topics arise from a spirituality perspective. The initial meeting takes place 2:30-5 pm this Saturday, February 8, hosted by organizer Dena Blatt at 108 Northridge Road. Call (805) 855-8699 or visit www.meetup.com/Santa-BarbaraSpirituality-Cafe-Meetup-Group.
Navigating the End
The annual Navigating the End Expo is a free event featuring panel discussions and workshops with local experts in all aspects of end-of-life issues, including medical, legal, financial, funeral arrangements, advanced healthcare directives, LGBTQ and veterans’ issues as well as related speakers, art and exhibits. The 10 am to 4 pm event – which carries the tag line “Don’t be Scared – Be Prepared” – takes place at Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, 1535 Santa Barbara Street. Visit www.facebook. com/events/2856809737663532.
Dreams and How Spirit Guides Script Them
Dave Cumes, M.D., leads a two-hour workshop that applies the Shamanic method of dream interpretation in which a psychological interpretation of dreams is seriously limited. To shamans, dreams are often “instructional” in nature and are a gateway to a field of non-localized space/time information through which our spirit guides help us. Cumes will help participants discover how these methods differ, how spirit guides script our dreams, and how to interpret them, and then have a chance to share their dreams with classmates. The 10 am to 12 noon class on Saturday, February 8, which costs $19, takes place at the Tannahill Auditorium on SBCC School of Extended Learning’s Schott Campus. Visit www.sbcc.edu/extend edlearning. •MJ 6 – 13 February 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
Local Color
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ature is so full of miracles that we tend to take some of them for granted, especially if they are there all the time – like our own bodies – or if they, at least, come and go with predictable regularity – like the sun and the moon. But there are others which tend to surprise us, because they are, to some extent, unexpected – even more so, if they are spectacularly beautiful. One day, some years ago, I had an unforgettable encounter with a rainbow. First came the rain, then the sun, then the rainbow. There it was, stretching across the sky, above our protecting hills – that lovely arc of color which, no matter how many times you see it, and no matter how well you know the scientific explanation, still somehow seems miraculous. But I was in a hurry, and my walk was taking me in the opposite direction. The only way I could keep enjoying that spectacular vision was by pausing every now and then, and turning around. But it made me feel guilty to treat a miracle so casually, and each time I turned around, I feared it would already be gone. I kept thinking of those lines from a poem called “Leisure” (by W.H Davies) that we learned at school in England: What is this life, if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare? I felt even worse when somebody walking in the other direction, a young woman whom I didn’t even know, actually said to me as we passed, “Have you seen the rainbow!” – and I had to assure her that I had seen it, and then (partly out of politeness) pause once more, and admire it with her. What is it about rainbows that makes people want to share them? As I hurried on, my mind raced through its little catalog of rainbow lore. I thought about the Irish legend of the crock of gold at the end of the rainbow, guarded by an impish leprechaun, and about Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, singing of that wonderful land “Somewhere, over the Rainbow.” Then there was that other old song, about the poor fellow who’s “always chasing rainbows,” and who laments that “my dreams are just like all my schemes – ending in the sky.” Many people apparently see the rainbow as something essentially unreal 6 – 13 February 2020
– which I suppose is a feeling we get because it doesn’t last, but comes and goes mysteriously. But (it occurred to me) there is another idea about the rainbow also prevailing in our culture, which goes back at least as far as the book of Genesis and the story of Noah and the Ark, and which sees the rainbow as a symbol of hope. Of course, this must derive from the fact that rainbows tend to appear when the rain is ending, and the sun is coming out. The Bible turns that into a “sign” of the benevolence of God, a promise that he will never again seek to destroy all life on Earth, as he supposedly came close to doing with the Great Flood. I have always liked that story – but Noah was no Dr. Dolittle – and I would have liked it even better, had he not, as soon as the Flood was over, felt obliged to start killing and sacrificing some of the very animals he had helped to save. (Children are not usually told that part of the story.)
Character Matters: Civility in Uncivil Times Jim Taylor, Westmont College Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, 5:30 p.m. University Club, 1332 Santa Barbara Street Free and open to the public. For information, call 565-6051.
Our public conversation is wounding our nation and preventing us from solving our problems. What would it take to listen to each other with respect and openness? We need a renewed commitment to crucial, neglected qualities of character.
SPONSORED BY THE WESTMONT FOUNDATION
In some cultures, the rainbow is seen as a kind of bridge between the worlds of gods and men –
an idea which I personally find very appealing.
Does the rainbow, then, mean hope, or does it mean illusion? Or does it mean that hope and delusion are ultimately the same thing? Fortunately, those are not the only possibilities. In some cultures, the rainbow is seen as a kind of bridge between the worlds of gods and men – an idea which I personally find very appealing. If we must live all our days in doubt about the true nature of the universe, aren’t we lucky to have, at least occasionally, this beautiful suggestion of a cosmic link between what we know, and all that we can never know. With this happy insight, I reached my destination – my house on Valerio Street – and dashed up the steps, realizing, only then, just why I had been in such a hurry. “Quick!” I shouted in from the doorway to my wife, “Come out and see the rainbow, before it fades!” She rushed out to join me, and there, on our front path, holding each other close, we both just stood and stared. •MJ
Dr. Richard Hansen
Director - Mirador Basin Project For more than 40 years, Dr. Hansen has been exploring what may be the largest archaeological site in the world, a collection of some 51 ancient Mayan cities that are located deep in the Peten forest in northern Guatemala. Join him for an entertaining and enlightening evening exploring the wonders of El Mirador and the archaeolgical treasures it has revealed. �earn about the mysteries that remain and the e�orts to preserve this amazing site for future scholarship and exploration.
• The Voice of the Village •
Free to the Public Monday, February 17 6:30 PM
Karpeles Manuscript Library
21 West Anapamu, Santa Barbara, CA (805) 962-5322 Sponsored by BGT Experiences
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ENTERTAINMENT (Continued from page 16) feedback, and they ended up producing it. So Purple Rose became my grad school – having work produced, getting to do rewrites in the room – it’s like a master class.” But there was also never really any doubt that Rubicon Theatre Company would mount the latest work from Crim, a former actress who began working professionally at age eight. RTC helped launch Conviction via its Plays in Progress staged reading program a few years ago, and RTC’s then-new resident director Katharine Farmer and the company’s co-founder Karyl Lynn Burns forged fast friendships with the playwright. “All three of us collaborated [on Never],” Crim recalled. I remember talking about it with Katharine on a beach somewhere before I’d written much when I just toying with the idea. We’ve been working on it ever since, sending notes back and forth.” Now, Farmer – who also helmed Rubicon’s productions of Gulf View Drive, Incognito, Heisenberg, and South Pacific in recent seasons – is set to direct the five-character work that Encore Michigan called “a rare experience… live theatre so moving it provokes tears.” “Writing plays is my way of working through things,” said Crim, who will be on hand for the previews and
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opening nights on Saturday, February 8. “I don’t know how I’d do it without that outlet. I don’t mean to use it as my therapy. But it’s certainly my way of processing. Even when it’s completely fictional, there’s still something true in it.” Still, the playwright, it seems, is as moved as the audience, even a year after Never Not Once was first produced. “There are some things that I feel are resolved in my heart. But after the play was produced, a friend I hadn’t seen in twenty years since we’d done theater together as kids called me and said, ‘That’s my story.’ So it’s continued my journey and made me want to explore and dive even deeper. There are so many stories out there that are untold that I feel even more drawn to explore.”
Jane Austen’s Emma at ETC
Ensemble Theatre Company’s area debut of a musical adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma – which will run at ETC’s New Vic Theater on the same February performance dates at Never Not Once at the Rubicon (see above) – also has another close tie-in with the Ventura company. The musical version of the romantic comedy features book, music and lyrics by the Tony Award-
nominated composer Paul Gordon, who not only previously served in the same role for musical adaptations of Austen works in Jane Eyre and Sense and Sensibility, but was also the musical force behind Daddy Long Legs, which premiered at RTC before going on to successful runs in New York and elsewhere. Broadway veterans Samantha Eggers and Kevin Earley headline the cast directed by Andrew Barnicle, the former 20-year artistic director of The Laguna Playhouse who previously directed four well-received plays for ETC, including Miss Bennett: Christmas At Pemberley, Chapter Two, Fallen Angels, and Venus in Fur. Jane Austen’s Emma begins previews on Thursday, February 6, opens on Saturday, February 8 at 8:00pm, and runs through Sunday, February 23. Call (805) 965-5400 ext. 115 or visit www.etcsb.org. Also of note this week, DIJO Productions’ encore presentation of ART at the Center Stage Theater February 7-9 and 14-16. The reprise of the local company’s production of Yasmina Reza’s intriguing and internationally popular and Tony-winning 1994 work stars Bill Waxman, Ed Giron, and Geren Piltz in a play that humorously but incisively questions the meaning of art, friendship and independence. Call (805) 963-0408 or visit www.CenterStageTheater.org.
3Qs with FLIP Fabrique’s Strap-man
Canadian cirque troupe FLIP Fabrique’s brand new show, Blizzard, takes the stage by, ahem, storm, as the small but exciting troupe of circus performers invites the audience to lose yourself in wonder in the middle of a winter storm amid artists who juggle, tumble, flip and spring around the snowflakes surrounded by the poetic beauty of ice and snow. We caught up with strap specialist and acrobat Hugo Ouellet-Côté to get a sneak peek ahead of the winter watch arriving at the Granada Theatre on Sunday, February 9. Q. Most of you were in other companies. What was the reason to get together? A. We were friends and wanted to do a show all together. We didn’t think it would turn into anything. The idea was just to have fun on stage… and that’s still what we’re doing. There are so many contemporary circus companies from Quebec nowadays. What gives FLIP a fresh take? What’s different about you? All of the artists are versed in multiple disciplines and we’re all part of every act on the show. There are only
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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Key 2 Fitness, 324 State Street STE C, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Brian Sawicki, 324 State Street STE C, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 30, 2020. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed by John Beck. FBN No. 2020-0000350. Published February 5, 12, 19, 26, 2020. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Jhana Studio, 5809 Encina Rd. #101, Goleta, CA 93117. Max Hennard, 5809 Encina Rd. #101, Goleta, CA 93117. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 17, 2020. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed by Thomas Brian. FBN No. 2020-0000191. Published February 5, 12, 19, 26, 2020. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Clearwater Engineering, INC., 28 El Arco Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93105. Clearwater Engineering, INC., 28 El Arco Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93105. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 13, 2020. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed by Maria F. Sanchez. FBN No. 2020-0000132. Published February 5, 12, 19, 26, 2020. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Sotero Landscaping, 104 Los Aguajes Ave Apt. #1, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Raul Sotero, 104 Los Aguajes Ave Apt. #1, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 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), filed by Maria F. Sanchez. FBN No. 2020-0000274. Published January 29, February 5, 12, 19, 2020. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: The Locals; The Locals, Santa Barbara, 209 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Evokelife LLC, 804 Grove Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 21, 2020. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in
6 – 13 February 2020
the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed by John Beck. FBN No. 2020-0000201. Published January 29, February 5, 12, 19, 2020. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Orchid Cleaning, 104 Los Aguajes Ave Apt. #1, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Orquidia Hernandez, 104 Los Aguajes Ave Apt. #1, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 22, 2020. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed by Maria F. Sanchez. FBN No. 20200000224. Published January 29, February 5, 12, 19, 2020. FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Khemia Haircare, 5575 Hollister Ave Ste C, Goleta, CA 93117. Eleni Tziouvaras, 2019 Bath Street Unit C, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 6, 2020. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed by Margarita Silva. FBN No. 20200000064. Published January 22, 29, February 5, 12, 2020.
Notice Inviting Bids FY2020B PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE PROJECT Bid No. 5789 1.
Bid Submission. The City of Santa Barbara (“City”) will accept electronic bids or sealed bids for its FY2020B Pavement Maintenance Project (“Project”), by or before February 27, 2020, at 3:00 p.m., online at PlanetBids.com or at its Purchasing Office, located at 310 E. Ortega Street, Santa Barbara, California 93101, at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Each bidder is responsible for making certain that its Bid Proposal is actually submitted or delivered to the Purchasing Office. PlanetBids electronic receipt or the receiving time at the Purchasing Office will be the governing time for acceptability of bids. Telegraphic, telephonic, electronic, and facsimile bids will not be accepted.
2.
Project Information. 2.1 Location and Description. The Project is located on 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; various PCC improvements including but not limited to concrete curb and gutter replacement, curb extensions, sidewalk replacement, spandrel and cross-gutter replacement; asphalt cold milling and asphalt hot mix overlay; reconstruction of existing non-compliant curb ramps; retrofit existing curb ramps with truncated domes; construct new curb ramps adjacent to overlay streets; construct decomposed granite and pervious concrete walk ways; install railing; install conduit, pull boxes, install traffic loops; install traffic striping and marking; relocate and protect existing signs and roadway name stamps; landscape; perform traffic control, notifications, and postings, complete and in place. 2.2 Time for Completion. The Project must be completed within 145 working days from the start date set forth in the Notice to Proceed. City anticipates that the Work will begin on or about April 2020, 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 $6,800,000.
3.
License and Registration Requirements. 3.1 License. This Project requires a valid California contractor’s license for the following classification(s): A. 3.2 DIR Registration. City may not accept a Bid Proposal from or enter into the Contract with a bidder, without proof that the bidder is registered with the California Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code § 1725.5, subject to limited legal exceptions.
4.
Contract Documents. The plans, specifications, bid forms and contract documents for the Project, and any addenda thereto (“Contract Documents”) may be downloaded from City’s website at: http://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=29959. A printed copy of the Contract Documents may be obtained from CyberCopy Shop, located at 504 N. Milpas Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, at (805) 884-6155.
5.
Bid Security. The Bid Proposal must be accompanied by bid security of ten percent of the maximum bid amount, in the form of a cashier’s or certified check made payable to City, or a bid bond executed by a surety licensed to do business in the State of California on the Bid Bond form included with the Contract Documents. The bid security must guarantee that within ten days after City issues the Notice of Award, the successful bidder will execute the Contract and submit the payment and performance bonds, insurance certificates and endorsements, and any other submittals required by the Contract Documents and as specified in the Notice of Award.
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Amorita, 6267 Covington Way, Goleta, CA 93117. Elisiana Qori Aldenderfer, 6267 Covington Way, Goleta, CA 93117. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 13, 2020. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed by Margarita Silva. FBN No. 20200000134. Published January 22, 29, February 5, 12, 2020.
6.
Prevailing Wage Requirements.
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Montecito Journal; The Santa Barbara Sentinel, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite H, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite H, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 14, 2020. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL), filed by Maria F. Sanchez. FBN No. 20200000145. Published January 15, 22, 29, February 5, 2020.
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.
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.
By: ___________________________________
Date: ________________
William Hornung, C.P.M, General Services Manager Publication Dates: 1) February 5, 2020 2) February 12, 2020 END OF NOTICE INVITING BIDS
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
27
MISCELLANY (Continued from page 6)
U.S. tours because of funding problems. “Both of them had been scheduled for the fall, and the cancellations came late enough that there seemed to be no other available prestigious orchestras with open fall dates on such short notice,” says Bob. “As you might imagine, all these orchestra tours require substantial ‘home base’ financial support, and the Moscow and Minnesota orchestras somehow concluded the projected costs for their tours were too great. After quite a scramble to fill out our six-event Granada season, we necessarily ended up with unusual date compression, with our first concert not until last week, then two in March, two in April, and one in May.” Under the circumstances, Stephen Cloud and his CAMA – Community Arts Music Association – committee did “yeoman-like work” to complete the schedule, with Canada’s 36-yearold Les Violons du Roy on April 28 and the 52-year-old Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra on May 18, completing the program. “Our Granada schedule for next season is already very close to complete, so that barring other now unforeseen cancellations, we will once again have a much more even date distribution for our concerts,” adds Bob. Music to everyone’s ears...
Third Time’s the Charm It’s third time lucky for Santa Barbara singer Martin Gore and his synth rock band Depeche Mode. Englishman Gore, 58, who plays keyboard and guitar, and his fellow band members Andy Fletcher, Alan Wilder, Vince Clarke, and David Cahan, who have sold more than 100 million records, are being inducted into the iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It is their third nomination. The talented quintet will be attending the induction ceremony in Cleveland on May 2. Other inductees include Whitney Houston, T. Rex, Nine Inch Nails, and the Doobie Brothers.
Too Hot to Handle It was major social gridlock at the Rosewood Miramar when the Montecito Firefighters’ Charitable Foundation threw its second annual New Day gala with the 225 guests raising more than $150,000. Nina Terzian, Gretchen Lieff, Cathy Link, Beverlye Hyman Fead, and Wendy Foster were on the boffo bash’s steering committee, which was produced by Judi Weisbart of A Busy Woman Consulting. The ubiquitous Andrew Firestone was in fine form as emcee, auctioning off a cornucopia of items including a Mexican villa near Puerto Vallarta, a 400-year-old cottage in Cornwall, England, a fire station dinner for ten, and a luxury gift basket, including a two-night stay at the Miramar, and gift certificates for Silverhorn jewelers, Tre Lune, and Jeannine’s. Montecito fire chief Kevin Taylor thanked donors at a VIP reception before guests entered the chandeliered ballroom for “gourmet grazing” from the buffet stations and being photographed with various pieces of fire equipment, including helmets and hoses. Among the tony throng dancing the night away to the band N’Demand were Abe Powell, Mireille Noone, Carole Ridding, Miles Hartfeld, Jeff and Hollye Jacobs, Das Williams, Palmer and Susan Jackson, Ben and
MISCELLANY Page 424
Ivana and Andrew Firestone with Judi Weisbart at the Firefighters’ Charitable Foundation gala (photo by Sarita Relis)
Miles Hartfeld, Gretchen Lieff, Nina Terzian, and Eddie Sutti at the Rosewood Miramar (photo by Sarita Relis)
Martin Gore inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (photo by Danny Darko)
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MONTECITO & SANTA BARBARA BROKERAGES | SOTHEBYSHOMES.COM/SANTABARBARA © Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All rights reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark. This material is based upon information which we consider reliable but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. This offering is subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. We are happy to work with them and cooperate fully. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity. DRE License Numbers for All Featured Agents: Sandy Stahl: 1040095 | Maureen McDermut: 1175027 | Harry Kolb: 00714226 | Joe McCorkell: 2051326 | Jason Siemens: 1886104 | Gregory Tice: 462018 | Marie Larkin: 523795 | Linda Borkowski: 1970135
6 – 13 February 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
29
LETTERS (Continued from page 8) where Reagan famously quipped: “There you go again.” Frankly, there are not enough one liners to rebut the daily spin of our political spin masters (i.e. Board of Supervisors). Allow me to explain: On January 28th our County Executive Office (yes, our $1.1B County does have such a thing), issued a report regarding Q1 Cannabis Tax Revenues. It’s interesting reading for anyone who cares about the costs against our County’s new cash product. While not very clear, it does give some vague insight into the added personnel costs we’ve incurred against this year’s forecasted, and relatively anemic, $5.6M in revenue. Adding to the already 4,200 (really!) County employees are eleven new employees here, six new employees there and low and behold we’ve increased personnel costs by more than $2.4M, against our forecasted revenue. Of course, there is no cost accounting that might allocate other staff time and/or resources. Nor is there an outline of cannabis-related expenses like IT support, infrastructure, training and/or staffing by APCD or legal expenses that continue to scale (can anyone say “litigation reserve”). Indeed, it’s costs like this that provide insight into why less than 1% of County revenues remain as Reserves i.e. we create revenues to fund our second largest employer, the county itself. This is why, after we pay taxes, it’s left for us to privately fund a variety of First District issues – wrong! Perhaps our new Assistant CEO Barney Melekian can begin to right the legislative and financial mess caused by a Board of Supervisors that jumped into the deep end without advice, experience or erudition. Sorry,
their two-person committee (three would implicate public meeting laws) were advised by the cannabis lobby when they adopted the most lenient ordinance in the state. A state where more than 50% of our 58 counties have yet to allow recreational cannabis cultivation. Anyway, as it relates to spin our First District Super is quoted as saying that cannabis revenues are up 63% from a year ago. With respect to Q1 he is correct but – what he forgot to mention – is that for this Fiscal Year total revenue is only expected to rise 3% over last year’s “budgeted” revenue. Or, to decrease 16% against last year’s actual revenue. Now, I know this Super didn’t go to the London School of Economics (like his humble challenger) but don’t you think we all deserve the whole truth. Remember, this is from someone who predicted year one cannabis revenues would exceed $18M (it was less than $6M). Pols aren’t businesspeople, obviously. The real elephant in the room, however, is the sweetheart tax scheme itself. We are de facto partners in this federally illegal drug, hanging our hat on a percentage of the self-reported cash revenue of the growers. According to the report, 34 of the 90 that exist claimed zero revenue and 22 did not bother submitting a report. Other counties tax based on easily verifiable acreage and, according to the L.A. Times, had we done so we would have collected more than $20M in year one alone. This has been going on for years and guess our Supervisors have done – absolutely nothing. Curious, wouldn’t you agree? This is an election year and unless we make a change in March and November, we can all expect more of
Laughing Matters THINGS THAT TELL THE TRUTH: SMALL CHILDREN DRUNK PEOPLE YOGA PANTS Send us your best joke, we’ll decide if it’s funny. We can only print what we can print, so don’t blame us. Please send “jokes” to letters@montecitojournal.net
30 MONTECITO JOURNAL
the same. “There you go again” can become just another distant memory … it is our choice. Jeff Giordano SB County Resident
Time for a Change
One of the many reasons I am supporting Laura Capps to become the new Supervisor of District 1 is her plan to “Make Government Accountable.” I completely endorse and support her platform of getting special interest money out of politics, enhancing transparency, restoring government accountability, setting campaign limits and establishing an Independent Ethics Commission to punish violations or conflicts of interest by county elected officials. At present, our Supervisors are NOT required to even make quarterly reports of campaign contributions and have no CAPS on donor contributions – as required at the federal level – even from those with issues they will vote on within weeks, or days. This is a recipe for disaster and explains how SB County got itself into the current mess known by many as the Cannabis Debacle. The need for Campaign Finance reform is supported by research undertaken by generations of political scientists over the last 60 years. It is time for a change, and Laura Capps is championing that change as your new Supervisor. Please join me in voting for Laura in the 1st District Supervisor seat. Sara Miller McCune Montecito
Vaping in Middle School
I am a 15-year-old Montecito resident who attended Carpinteria Middle School for 6th and 7th grade. [We live in the eastern part of Montecito where residents attend Carp schools.] When I was in 7th grade, I heard about cannabis vaping – usually
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Juuling – going on in the school. So we knew it was going on in the school – but it usually was in the restrooms. But there was a kid, my own age, 13, who did it in the classroom (though I don’t think the teacher knew about it). The students were amazed and it was all they talked about for awhile, saying things like, “he did that!” I’d say about half of us who were at Carp Middle School are Hispanic – and two teachers that year were Hispanic. I think it influences kids that the adults are growing so much marijuana around the schools. It sort of normalizes it, so I think it has an impact on students. It’s more normal now. What I hear now from kids is, “It’s now legal, so it’s no problem.” I know I’m lucky because my parents were worried about the drug problem at the school and worked hard to get me transferred to a Montecito school, where I have not seen the same problem with drugs. My brother is 13 and still goes to Carp Middle School. He says it is much worse now because the kids think well, the adults are growing it around the high school and in the neighborhood, so it must be okay. This is what he says about what is going on today at school: “I think a lot of these kids are going to get in trouble. I know kids vaping in school who are 12 years old. When I take the bus home from school, we pass by Carp High and we can smell it. By the high school, the smells are the worst. As we get closer to the high school on Foothill Road, the smells get stronger, pretty much every day. In the Middle School, we smell it in the bathrooms. The kids are smoking and vaping marijuana in the restrooms – and also smoking joints. Last year, when I was 12, it was more common to see kids smoking or vaping in the bathrooms. The kids are 12, 13 or 14 – usually just smoking pot, not tobacco. The kids who do it the most, do badly in school. I don’t think the school really cares what’s happening with the pot stuff.” I don’t think they can completely shut down the nurseries because they say they’re making money. But taking the marijuana nurseries farther away from the schools would help a lot, maybe move them one mile away from any school. I would say that the grown ups need to make it less normal and explain to students like us how it could be a problem for you, your grades, and later getting in trouble with the law. It’s getting worse because it’s getting normalized. And that’s the main problem. Sincerely, Ana and Luke Perez** **names altered to protect both being minors •MJ 6 – 13 February 2020
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© Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All rights reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark. This material is based upon information which we consider reliable but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. This offering is subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. We are happy to work with them and cooperate fully. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity. Greg Tice DRE: 462018
6 – 13 February 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
31
EDITORIAL (Continued from page 5)
Erica Reyes, his District Director. Full disclosure, Salud endorsed me in my run for MUS School Board in 2010, he was a co-sponsor (along with former Supervisor, Janet Wolf) of the Child Welfare Safety Net Taskforce I chaired for the Board of Supervisors, and I hosted a fundraiser for him back in 2015 in his first successful run for Congress. From previous conversations with Salud, I know that while he loves representing the Central Coast in Washington, there are things he misses about his days in local politics which, in retrospect, seem like simpler times when raising money was not an ever-present albatross. Q. So, tell me, are you enjoying Congress? A. It’s certainly a new endeavor… I still think it’s the best job in the world, to be in local government. You’re close to home. I saw my family every day. Certainly, it was busy as well in the evening, social events and weekends, and a lot of time away from home. But I was still with my family. And I was still seeing my constituents every day. And the Supervisors is a small body of five, so it’s easier to coalesce and find common ground and...
What’s been your biggest surprise? I would say… my biggest surprise has been that despite our differences, Republicans and Democrats, despite all that people witness, all the partisanship, overwhelmingly the members of Congress on both sides of the aisle tend to be very courteous and to at least come across as decent people. Do both sides hate the partisanship? There’s a few that love it and live for it. But overwhelmingly, I think if everybody had a magic wand, we would find a way of working together, more than working as part of the historic chaos and divisiveness of today’s Washington. What is it in your opinion that keeps leaders from trying to make things run more effectively for the people? I’ll give you one example: I’m part of the bi-partisan Problem Solvers Caucus made up of 48 members of Congress. Our goal is to work to change the rules in the House, so that it can lend itself to more bipartisanship and therefore more accurately reflect the will of the people. And to disrupt the current system that only promotes more partisanship and divisiveness.
And speaking of fires, I introduced the Small Passenger Safety Act. We found out… that smaller vessels like the *Conception were exempted from modern regulations. This says enough is enough. Other vessels throughout the country have had similar accidents. Too many people have died. Get rid of the exemption, make everybody abide by it.
…Keep your fingers on the pulse? [I have a bad habit of finishing peoples’ sentences.] Yes, keep your finger on the pulse, but more importantly, get things done immediately. Not mañana, not a year from now. If I got a call from people needing the road paved, it got paved and relatively promptly. Washington could not be more the opposite. Has that taken a toll? I would think that it could. It took me a whole term just to get adapted. The first six months to a year, just getting used to the logistics and the rhythm and the pace of Washington, were challenging. It was a totally new life. What’s your biggest frustration with Washington? I’d say two important things. The brazen partisanship of it. And, the fact that everything takes so long to get done. In the minority it’s even worse, because my first two years were in the minority. This year was my first year in the majority. And even though now I’ve gotten a lot more done, it’s still not as much as you want to get done. Because everything takes so long.
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Can you give me an example of a rule that stands in the way? Well, one is for example now, if a bill gets so many votes… something like 290, it will automatically be brought to the floor for a vote. Whereas in the past, leadership could say, “I don’t care how many votes, or how many people have signed up, this isn’t going to come to the floor.” So it takes some power out of the hands of the leadership? It makes leadership acknowledge that when there’s a super majority behind certain bills that are bipartisan support, that partisan gamesmanship doesn’t win out. As it did when I was in the minority. There were so many bills, Dream Act, and other bills that we had enough bipartisan to pass it... but Speaker Ryan refused to bring it forward for a vote. And that’s what prompted our Problem Solvers to negotiate as a bloc to change some of those rules. The biggest surprise is the partisanship. That the leadership of the minority and the majority, their whole approach is to maintain power, or to gain power. And that’s whether you’re Republican or Democrat, that’s the nature of that institution – that whoever is in charge at that time, wants to keep power. The leadership. Not the rank and file. And whoever is in the minority wants to gain power. And that’s what drives the agenda. And that reality, for me, was a big eye-opener. Why do you think there are fewer bipartisan partnerships and friendships than in the past? Well, it’s my understanding that there was a time when members of Congress and their families used to live more in Washington. Kids went to the same schools. People went to the same churches. People socialized in certain settings where they were able to establish relationships that allowed them to not have this vitriolic uncivil demagoguing characteristic of what Congress has become… Rare are the issues where they’re absolutely black and white. There are many more issues, that if you don’t hate me and I don’t hate you, we could work together and find common ground. I took a pledge for civility when I went to Congress. And others too pledged still to be passionate and vigorous on how we debate, not to demagogue one another, not to be uncivil. So that’s the first step. It doesn’t mean you can’t be passionate. Our democracy requires us to be passionate and stand up for our ideals and our principles. But nowhere in the Constitution does it require us to be a**h***s to one another. So, on the subject of civility… what are your thoughts on this impeachment? First of all, I didn’t get great pleasure out of going to Washington and saying, “I’m going to Washington to impeach a President.” Because that would be so unpatriotic to… take lightly impeaching the President. Our President,
EDITORIAL Page 444
“You are every reason, every hope and every dream I’ve ever had.” – Nicolas Sparks
6 – 13 February 2020
PURELY POLITICAL Caldwell’s Cause
A
ndy Caldwell wants to be our Representative for the 24th U.S. Congressional District, which encompasses all of Santa Barbara County along with a big chunk of the Central Coast from Oxnard to well north of San Luis Obispo. Mr. Caldwell is running against incumbent Salud Carbajal, who’s hoping to garner a third term as the 24th District’s Representative. It’s fair to say that Mr. Carbajal sits on the far left of his Democratic Party persuasion and that Mr. Caldwell is about as far to the right as one can be as a Californian politician. The following interview took place in a private home in Montecito. Q. As Founder and President of COLAB (Coalition of Labor, Agriculture, & Business), guest editorial writer for the Santa Barbara News-Press, and a radio talk-show host (daily on AM1290 from 3 pm to 5 pm), it came as a surprise to many when you stepped into the ring to take on Salud. What put you over the edge? A. Well, my day job has been as a local government watchdog, primarily at the county level. I’ve known Salud for over 20 years, since he was an aide to (the late) Naomi Schwartz and as a Supervisor. I’ve watched him in Congress. If this were probably two to four years ago, I wouldn’t be running. What happened – and people don’t know this or fully appreciate this – is that when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and the social justice Democrats formed their little group, they put a target on 40 Democrats in Congress who are not, I’m going to say “Socialist,” and were not for them. Her Social Justice Democrats are running their candidates against 40 incumbent Democrats and Salud Carbajal and other people saw the writing on the wall and threw their hat in with that crowd lock, stock, and barrel. For instance, Salud endorsed and co-sponsored the Green New Deal. He signed on for Medicare For All. He endorsed Beto O’Rourke and Kamala Harris (both of whom have since dropped out of the race for President). Salud went decidedly Left. He used to have the reputation here of being somewhat of a moderate, but in these last two years, he shifted entirely Left. He was a loyal foot soldier for Pelosi, but now he’s trying to straddle the fence between Pelosi and AOC. Our country can’t withstand this. So, where does Medicare For All go wrong? We are in a crisis. There’s no ands, ifs, or buts about it. We are in a crisis 6 – 13 February 2020
Andy Caldwell wants to be your 24th District U.S. Representative in Congress; he is running against Salud Carbajal
by James Buckley because the baby boomers are aging. We don’t have enough facilities. We don’t have enough money. Medicare right now is going belly-up. Social Security is going belly-up. For [the Democrats] to add more people to the roles via “Medicare For All” right now would just cripple it. Plus, the dirty little secret of Medicare is that it pays pennies on the dollar. Care providers – doctors and hospitals and facilities – cannot afford to provide services based on Medicare’s rates, or the pittance that it pays. I’m not taking you down a rabbit trail, but here’s the deal. I believe we have to fulfill our commitments to seniors and we have to help those who can’t help themselves. That’s what a compassionate society does. But we have to be able to pay for it. Is there something else with which you differ from what Democrats are offering? I believe we would be better off in the long run to transition younger generations off of Social Security and to some sort of a savings plan akin to a 401(k), IRAs, and things like
here. If somebody has been a raging alcoholic all their lives, do they have the same priority to get a liver transplant as somebody that never drank a drop? Certain people come to mind... There are all sorts of people that come to mind. There’s people that exercise, they eat right, they don’t abuse drugs and this, that, and the other, and there’s a point where the Left doesn’t want to make distinctions.
I want people down here to know that when they vote for me, I can win. that with a backstop for people that need extra help. We need to do something like that to salvage the system. All Democrats do is keep promising more and more to more people when they can’t even afford to support the people that are on the system right now. Is there a free-market solution? Part of it starts with transparency and pricing, so that you can shop. If you have skin in the game, if you have out-of-pocket in the game via a Health Savings Account or what have you, you can shop comparatively for prices and do direct negotiations with care providers. We have to get away from this issue of charging everybody different prices depending on whether they have insurance, no insurance, or Medicare. Airlines and hotels, rentals and taxis, Uber, Lyft, VRBO, AirB&B and lots of other services and companies are all charging via demand and supply. There is no set pricing anymore. You’re fighting the tide, Andy... ...Maybe, but the tide’s not working. Besides, there’s another issue
With car insurance, if you got a bunch of tickets, or you live in a place that’s high risk for auto theft and you don’t garage your car and blah blah blah, your rates are different because it’s based on risk. Nowadays, what they want is they want everybody to get the same plan, everybody gets it at the same cost, regardless of risk factor. Let’s shift gears and go to President Trump. What do you think of the man? He was not my first choice for president but I did vote for him because I preferred him ninety-nine percent over Hillary any day. I think he’s been a good president. He’s been an extremely controversial president, but some of the controversy has been manufactured. I’ll give you an example of this. On my radio show, before he was inaugurated, people were calling for his impeachment. There’s a part of me that says the Democrats have been more interested in impeaching him even before he was inaugurated. He has turned the economy around. I believe his “America First” strategy is not an isolationist policy, as people have put it. I’ve talked to people
• The Voice of the Village •
over the years that are international business experts, and they have said that we’ve been getting robbed blind by all of these trade agreements plus China literally robbing us blind of trade secrets, manufacturing secrets, and things like that. I’m glad he’s standing up for us. It was time for somebody to stand up for us. A lot of people can’t stand his public demeanor, his tweets, and his middle-school-level argumentativeness. The people who I know who have met him say that that public persona is not the guy he is in private, and that includes Abel Maldonado, who was our lieutenant governor who was a candidate for Secretary of Agriculture. But I’ll say this: the Republican Party ran gentlemen in the form of Dole, McCain, Romney, and they all let themselves get run over. Part of the antipathy and angst against Trump is that he wouldn’t allow them to do that. I’ll admit that Trump is an instrument of blunt force trauma, but I think our side needed that. In 2018, half a dozen seats flipped from Republican to Democrat in California right after the election was over. Six or seven Republicans lost their seats after having been pronounced winners the night before. Democrats kept finding just enough votes to turn a loss into a victory. How do you deal with that and if you become our Representative, do you have any plans to try and reinvigorate the Californian Republican Party here? I’m going to start one election at a time and one seat at a time. I believe we have a solid chance at beating Salud because he’s shifted so far Left. I think he’s left people behind including moderates in the Democratic Party not to mention Independents. I was a Democrat half my life. I care about issues affecting minorities, especially with regard to upward mobility and assimilation and things like that. My mom was
POLITICAL Page 474 MONTECITO JOURNAL
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Nouveau Cirque From Quebec
FLIP Fabrique
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Sun, Feb 9 / 6:30 PM (note special time) Granada Theatre er astart ndats$35 ave 20 togethTickets $19 UCSB students and youth (18 & under)% A Granada facility fee will be added to each ticket price
“FLIP Fabrique projects an irrepressible spirit of fun and, yes, it’s catching.” The New York Times With live original music and breathtaking visual poetry, FLIP Fabrique brings the best in contemporary circus from Quebec to Santa Barbara.
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Presented through the generosity of KaytMcMillan McMillan her aandnSusan d sa ge
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Cirque Éloize
Tue, Feb 18 / 7 PM (note special time) Granada Theatre Tickets start at $25 $19 UCSB students and youth (18 & under) A Granada facility fee will be added to each ticket price
“The glamour of a high-flying hotel has found a natural bedfellow in the glamour of contemporary circus... It’s a stylistic match… Beautiful images and inventive acts.” The Toronto Star A combination of acrobatics, theater, dance and live music, Hotel channels Art Deco-era Hollywood glamour. Corporate Sponsor:
(805) 893-3535 | www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu Corporate Season Sponsor:
34 MONTECITO JOURNAL
Granada event tickets can also be purchased at: (805) 899-2222 | www.GranadaSB.org
6 – 13 February 2020
David Brooks The Quest for a Moral Life
Tue, Feb 11 / 7:30 PM / Granada Theatre Tickets start at $25 / $15 UCSB students A Granada facility fee will be added to each ticket price
Sammy Miller and The Congregation Thu, Feb 13 / 8 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall Tickets start at $25 / $15 all students (with valid ID)
“The soul is the piece of your consciousness that has moral worth and bears moral responsibility.” – David Brooks
A New York Times op-ed columnist and regular guest on PBS NewsHour and NPR’s All Things Considered, David Brooks is one of America’s most prominent political commentators. His latest book, The Second Mountain, explores what it takes to lead a meaningful life in a self-centered world. Books will be available for purchase and signing courtesy of Chaucer’s
Presented through the generosity of Jillian & Pete Muller Corporate Sponsor: Casa Dorinda
“This is feel-good party jazz, harking back to the ’20s and ’30s. It’s brassy, stomp your feet and dance music, and it’s got the raw, uplifting vibe of a New Orleans street parade.” SF Weekly
Jill Lepore
This America: The Case for the Nation
Fri, Feb 21 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall Tickets start at $20 / $10 all students (with valid ID)
Thu, Feb 20 / 8 PM UCSB Campbell Hall Tickets start at $55 $19 UCSB students
“The most prolific, nimble, and interesting writer of American history today.” The Washington Post Harvard historian, New Yorker staff writer and bestselling author Jill Lepore offers a magisterial account of the rise of America and an urgent reckoning with our divided nation.
Texas music legend Lyle Lovett will be joined in concert by his long-running backup band, combining his rich sound, singular gift for storytelling and wry sense of humor in an intimate acoustic performance that showcases his rich and eclectic oeuvre. Presented through the generosity of Loren Booth Corporate Season Sponsor:
Books will be available for purchase and signing courtesy of Chaucer’s
Presented through the generosity of Meg & Dan Burnham Additional Support: Judy Wainwright & Jim Mitchell History Matters Series Sponsors: Loren Booth and Ellen & Peter O. Johnson
(805) 893-3535 | www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu Granada event tickets can also be purchased at: (805) 899-2222 | www.GranadaSB.org
6 – 13 February 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
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Your Westmont
Junior guard Abram Carrasco
by Scott Craig (photography by Brad Elliott) Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College
Art Exhibit Features South Texas Drawings
T
he Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art features the works of 60 different artists with a wide range of artistic styles from minimalism to realism, pop to op, narrative to symbolism in “Contemporary Masters: Works on Paper from the Collection of the Art Museum of South Texas” from January 30 - March 21, 2020. “Though many are known for their works in other media, the exhibition explores their roots in the graphic arts,” says Judy Larson, R. Anthony Askew professor of art history and museum director. “Drawings by artists offer an intimate or personal connection to the artist, often revealing an artist’s first-thoughts or spontaneous musings.” Larson hopes the exhibition will surprise viewers with works by modern and contemporary artists who skillfully explore line and contours. “Artists, like Lee Krasner or Judy Chicago, who we typically know as painters working with expressive fields of color and
First-Place Basketball Comes Home
Luis Jimenez’s “Mustang,” 1994, Lithograph
lively brushwork, are also creators of wonderfully animated drawings and sensitive prints.” Larson says. The Downstairs Gallery features “Modern and Contemporary Works on Paper from the Museum Collection” from January 30 - June 20.
We approve!
The Westmont men’s and women’s basketball teams, who are both in first place in the Golden State Athletic Conference and ranked fourth nationally, hosted Arizona Christian University (ACU) on Thursday, January 30, and Ottawa University of Arizona (OUAZ) on Saturday, February 1. Men’s basketball (19-2, 8-1 GSAC) tips off against No. 23 ACU at 7:30 pm and OUAZ at 3 pm. Women’s basketball (15-3, 8-1 GSAC) battles ACU at 5:30 pm and OUAZ at 1 pm. The men are led by junior guard Abram Carrasco, who averages 17.3 points a game, and senior forward Justin Bessard, who averages 14.5 points a game. Sophomore guard
Sophomore guard Iyree Jarrett
Iyree Jarrett leads the women in scoring with 13.3 points a game. Senior Maud Ranger pitches in an average 11.7 points a game. •MJ
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6 – 13 February 2020
ENTERTAINMENT (Continued from page 26) eight of us, and we’re all on stage for the 75 minutes. Everyone does everything. So we have to be very good at the circus arts. And we are always trying to express how much fun we are having on stage to the audience. We want the joy of how we are playing with each other to be transmitted to everyone so that they feel it, too. Blizzard opened last year. What is it about winter and snow works for a cirquestyle show? First, it shows how our winter is in Canada, what it does to you and to your mind. There are a lot of things that are funny or not funny about living through the six months of winter that we have. But it’s also metaphoric: explorers getting lost in the blizzard, losing the horizon and sense of direction, having no conception of where they are – how that impacts you. Maybe even having hallucinations. There’s a part where it’s very poetic. Do you get scared or embrace it as a way to start anew? That gives us a chance to experiment with our very high-level acrobatic acts, like using the trampoline wall and the ground – we take out the platforms we jump on one by one to make it more challenging – and a lot of group stuff where we throw people in the air and catch them. You can actually crash.
Back in the Chamber The Lobero Theatre Chamber Music Project, which had a sneak preview concert early last month, mounts the first of a planned annual festival this weekend by pairing Artistic and Music Director Heiichiro Ohyama, the violist who previously helmed the now defunct Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, and violinist Benjamin Beilman, who Ohyama selected as Musical Advisor to aid in the creation of the new series with a trio of internationally renowned artists who have active solo, ensemble and teaching careers, including former members of the Tokyo String Quartet and of the Beaux Arts Trio. “I believe Heiichiro brought me on because I’m a younger player who already travels a lot and has his eye on who the great players are of my generation as well as newer great music that may not have been heard in town yet,” Beilman said in an interview last month. “I think the idea is for me to get to know the community and maybe step in for him when the time comes that he wants to enjoy the music from the other side of the stage.” For his part, saying yes to the offer was a no-brainer, Beilman said. “Having turned thirty, I’ve started
to realize that you don’t have to worry about so much, because the things you want to take a chance on have little downside. Most of my work is playing concertos with orchestras, but there’s a deeper satisfaction in making incredible music with dear friends of all ages. I’m thrilled to see what happens from Heiichiro’s strong connection with Santa Barbara, and mine with him, to hopefully create a very long relationship.” To that end, the February 8 program features Beilman performing with violinist Ida Kavafian, his teacher at the Curtis Institute, on Prokofiev’s Sonata for Two Violins in C major, Op. 56, and joining Ohyama, pianist Louis Schwizgebel and cellist Clive Greensmith (a 14-year member of the Tokyo String Quartet) for Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25. The program closes with Beethoven’s Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 16a performed by Schwizgebel, Kavafian, Ohyama and Greensmith. The players reunite the following afternoon for Brahms’ Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34, before Kavafian and Schwizgebel play Beethoven’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in A Major, Op. 12 No. 2. Beilman and Greensmith then close out the festival with Kodály’s Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7.
Crowded Classical Calendar
The “core four” of Camerata Pacifica’s chamber musicians chairs – violinist Paul Huang, violist Richard O’Neill, cellist Ani Aznavoorian, and pianist Warren Jones – congregate in various formats for an enticing program at Hahn Hall on Friday, February 7. Sandwiched around 250th birthday boy Beethoven’s Sonata in C Major for Piano & Cello, Op. 102, No. 1, and String Trio in C Minor, Op. 9, No. 3, are Mozart’s Duo for Violin & Viola in B-flat, K. 424, and Brahms’ Sonata in G Major for Violin & Piano, Op. 78. It’s the first CamPac concert since the Music Academy of the West, where Hahn Hall resides, announced that the opening night gala for its 2020 Summer Festival will be a tribute to O’Neill, who will be joining the renowned Takacs Quartet later this year… Also on Friday, 2018 Grammy Award-winning Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov, who was Musical America’s 2019 Artist of the Year, makes his Santa Barbara debut with an all-Bach program at UCSB Campbell Hall. Trifonov has received plaudits for combining consummate technique with rare sensitivity and depth, moving even a publication as
ENTERTAINMENT Page 384
MERRAG COMMUNITY AWARENESS EVENT For Family Safety and Emergency Preparedness “CERT Course on DISASTER PSYCHOLOGY” Thursday – February 13, 2020 10 am - noon Montecito Fire Department 595 San Ysidro Road Chaplain Jerry Gray, with non-profit organization “Chaplain 24/7” • • • • • • •
What is “Disaster Trauma” What are the causes of a “traumatic crisis” What are the psychological impacts of a disaster on you, your family members and neighbors What are the emotional or physical symptoms of trauma for various age groups What is “psychological first aid” and how can it be used after a disaster What steps can you take to reduce your own stress What ‘not’ to say when providing support to disaster survivors
Please RSVP to Joyce Reed at jreed@montecitofire.com or (805) 969-2537 MERRAG is a 501(c)(3) organization ~ donations maybe sent to 595 San Ysidro Rd., Montecito, CA 93108 or www.merrag.org 6 – 13 February 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
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ENTERTAINMENT (Continued from page 37)
staid as The New York Times to dub him “One of the most awesome pianists of our time.” Pianist and director emeritus of the Santa Barbara Music Club Robert Else plays three works by another director emeritus, Hal Isbitz, including Caterina, Dolores and Tulsey Town Rag to kick off the SBMC’s next free concert on Saturday afternoon, February 8, at the Faulkner Gallery. Also performing are current director, pianist Leslie Hogan, who will premiere one of her own compositions, and flutist Tracy Harris and pianist Svetlana Harris who will offer Ronda Larsen’s Be Still My Soul, the world premiere of Dancing Wings by Todd Harris, and Joachim Andersen’s Scherzino. On Sunday, UCSB flute professor Jill Felber presents a chamber music concert titled “Fantasy” with oboist Thomas Gallant and pianist Dianne Frazer. The trio will perform works by Madeleine Dring, Benjamin Britten, Gaetano Donizetti, Jacques Ibert and more at 2 pm in Karl Geiringer Hall on campus.
Spoken Word Shorts
Dr. Mary-Claire King, the renowned human geneticist who discovered the genetic mutation responsible for breast cancer, revolutionizing the course of cancer research and transforming the way patients are diagnosed and treated, discusses the genetics of inherited cancers in a free public lecture titled “The Genetics of Inherited Breast and Ovarian Cancer: From Gene Discovery to Precision Medicine and Public Health” at 7:30 pm Thursday,
February 6, at UCSB Campbell Hall. The lecture will be followed by a panel of experts discussing genetics, cancer and you, providing resources and answering pertinent questions… Activist, poet, and inspirational speaker Dr. Yusef Salaam, one of the famed Central Park Five – the Harlem teens who were tried and wrongly convicted of a brutal rape in 1989 in one of the most frenzied cases in New York City’s history – facilitates a discussion of issues of mass incarceration, police brutality and misconduct, false confessions and the disparities in America’s criminal justice system at UCSB MultiCultural Center at 6 pm Tuesday, February 11. As an exonerated African-American man, Dr. Salaam has traveled the country to deliver lectures and spark conversations about race and class, the failings of our criminal justice system, legal protections for vulnerable juveniles, and fundamental human rights. He has been honored with many notable achievements, such as a Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama (2016)... Prominent social and political commentator David Brooks explores what it takes to lead a meaningful life in a self-centered world in his public lecture “The Quest for a Moral Life” at 7:30 pm Tuesday, February 11, at the Granada Theatre. The prominent New York Times op-ed columnist and regular guest on PBS NewsHour and NPR’s All Things Considered provides insight on how our culture shapes us to be individualistic when it is the community approach to life where joy can be found.
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Black History Month Gets Busy
Several local organizations are collaborating to celebrate Black History Month all throughout February. Santa
Barbara Young Black Professionals, Coffee with a Black Guy, Black Rock Coalition (NYC), El Centro, Endowment for Youth Committee, African American Women in Santa Barbara County, Martin Luther
Coffee with a Black Guy featuring music by Comfort Food at the Culture House 2-4:30 pm February 8
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“When we are in love we seem to ourselves quite different from what we were before.” – Blaise Pascal
6 – 13 February 2020
King, Jr Committee of Santa Barbara, Black Lives Matter Santa Barbara, Juneteenth Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Public Library are providing and supporting a series of culturally enriching programs, including a newly launched BHM Culture House at 1219 State Street as a central location, to celebrate and display black culture. Happenings this week include a screening of The Last Black Man in San Francisco at the library at 2 pm on February 7, another installment of Coffee with a Black Guy featuring music by Comfort Food at the Culture House 2-4:30 pm February 8, a performance by singer-songwriter-composer Maritri at the Culture House from 1-2:30 pm on February 9, and a meeting of the Fiction Book Club discussing Washington Black by Esi Edugyan at the library at 5:30 pm on February 11.
Sweethe-art Valentine’s Event
The new La Cumbre Center for Creative Arts invites all to share Valentine’s love at the new creative art center where the 24 artists including painters, sculptors, photographers, 3D printers and others occupying three spaces in La Cumbre Mall with studio and gallery spaces, classes, guidance and resources for artists have created special pieces for the event. Visitors who purchase the $10 one-of-a-kind “Love Cards” handmade by LCCCA artists will receive a raffle ticket with a chance to win wine, chocolates, spa treatments, gift certificates, art, gift baskets and other gifts, with drawings every half hour. The free event takes place from 5-8 pm at 121 South Hope Avenue. For more information, visit https://lacumbrecenterforcre ativearts.com/upcoming-events. •MJ
Minerva and Leonidas had tried everything to lose weight, but nothing was working. They even found it difficult to play with their children and walk up stairs. They wanted to be healthier – for themselves and for their kids.
New Year, Healthy You
That’s when Minerva reached out to the Cottage Center for Weight Loss Surgery. There she found a team approach that included a surgeon, a psychologist and a nutritionist to help on their journey to better health. Since surgery in 2018, Minerva has lost more than 100 pounds, and Leonidas 145 pounds. “Beyond the physical change, it’s the mental and emotional aspects of the Cottage program that make all the difference,” Leonidas said.
Ridley-Tree Cancer Center
Community Lectures
Managing Taste and Smell Problems: Why Does My Food Taste Different? You might eat for enjoyment and nutritional health, but what if your food now tastes less appealing? Could this impact your overall health? In this experiential workshop, Ridley-Tree Cancer Center Oncology Dietitian Nutritionist Sarah Washburn, MS, RDN, CSO will discuss what medical conditions may impact taste and smell and explore how to manage or overcome these problems with your palate. Thursday, February 20, 2020 • 5:30 – 6:30 pm Wolf Education & Training Center at Ridley-Tree Cancer Center 540 W. Pueblo Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Lectures are offered free-of-charge and are open to all. RSVP required, events@ridleytreecc.org or (805) 879-5698.
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at Sansum Clinic
Santa Barbara Life Beachball Contest Find the beachball
and tell us what page it's on
in this edition of the Montecito Journal - Visit SBLIFE.COM with the correct beachball page number and enter to win Dinner for 2 and a romantic cruise on the Condor Express! Congratulations to our January winner - Frank Tacadena Brought to you by: 6 – 13 February 2020
UPCOMING LECTURES: MARCH 26
Personalized Medicine: Redefining Cancer Treatment Julie Taguchi, MD and Mukul Gupta, MD – Ridley-Tree Cancer Center
APRIL 23
Countering Chemo Brain: Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment Linda M. Ercoli, PhD – University of California (UCLA) Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
MAY 28
Advances in Melanoma and Skin Cancer Prevention Julian Davis, MD, MA – Ridley-Tree Cancer Center Mark Burnett, MD, FAAD – Santa Barbara Skin Institute
and • The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
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Santa Barbara Life Beach Ball Contest Find the beach ball and tell us what page it's on in this edition of the Montecito Journal - Visit SBLIFE.COM with the correct beach ball page number and enter to win a great prize every month! Congratulations to all of our winners - The next one could be you!
Brought to you by: 40 MONTECITO JOURNAL
and “If I know what love is, it is because of you.” – Hermann Hesse
6 – 13 February 2020
Ernie’s World
,
by Ernie Witham
Ernie has been writing humor for more than 20 years. He is the author of three humor books and is the humor workshop leader at the prestigious Santa Barbara Writers Conference.
The Route of my Roots
R
ecently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the route of my roots. Not the many weird routes I have taken in life to get from my New Hampshire roots to where I am rooted today. I don’t have a lot of regretful “routes not taken.” I think I stumbled about amazingly. “I’m in California? Really? Huh. Guess that would explain the endless sunshine, the lack of snow, and that constant sound of flip-flops on State Street.” And it’s not the route of my genealogical roots that I am thinking about today. Because I’m pretty sure that if I went on the PBS series Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. they would NOT discover that I share roots with B.B. King, Brad Pitt, or Pancho Villa, probably not even Moe of the Three Stooges. I think that I was probably dropped off in New Hampshire by extraterrestrials trying to lighten their payload as they prepared for their route back to the home planet from Roswell, New Mexico, where they discovered it wasn’t such a great place after all to park their UFO and put down their ET roots. I can’t prove the route of my roots comes from outer space, of course, though my ears look like satellite dishes, I can cause static on ham radios, and I once had a weird bonding moment with a Ford Galaxy. No, it’s my other roots I have been thinking about recently – the ones attached to my bonsai trees. See, I am responsible for the life, love and pursuit of happiness for more than 50 little trees. And, unlike many who consider February a month to celebrate love and old presidents, February to bonsai folk is repotting season when we must undo the routes of our roots. Bonsai roots are a good news/ bad news scenario (like people roots, sometimes). To stimulate root growth in my trees, I shower them with water almost more often than I shower myself. And I fertilize them once a month with organic pellets and liquid fish poop, which the neighbors just love. Flies do also. And one time, when we dog sat Kiltie, she sniffed all around the patio to find the source of that doggie-delightful scent, rutted about my roots and ate all the brandnew organic fertilizer pellets out of the trees situated on the bottom display shelf. She’s now twice her normal size and loves taking sniffing routes around the bonsai patio more 6 – 13 February 2020
than ever, though she does attract a few flies. Managing these other more important roots takes some work. I have some bonsai trees that get too much sun in the summer that could dry out the roots, so I shade them with umbrellas and mist them with a little sprayer. (Question: Which came first, the art of misting or the wind that always seems to blow most of the mist back into your face?) I also have some trees that don’t get enough sun in the winter, so I take them off their shelves and place them on the patio so they can warm their cockles – er, roots. I also collect rainwater during our brief rain season in two 50-gallon containers, so that I can save on my water bill and help alleviate any future California droughts by leaving that extra 100 gallons in Cachuma Lake located on Route 154. Maybe they’ll repay me some day by sending me their fish poop. I also use the rainwater so that the trees and their roots feel more like they are rooted out there in nature – not counting, of course, the small clay pots they live in. All of this effort is so that my trees grow to their full bonsai potential, which is where the bad root news part comes in. Because, if I am successful the roots are happy and they grow until they fill all the extra space in the pots, often taking a root route around and around the inside of the pot. So, it’s my job each year to find the route of my roots and trim them back so they have another route to root to by next February when I start the entire process all over again! Please root for my success. •MJ
reif conducts
tchaikovsky & mozart february 15 + 16 | 2020 Christian Reif, C O N D U C T O R Thomas Mesa, C E L L O Michael Gilbertson: Graffiti: Concerto for Chamber Orchestra Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations, Op. 33 Mozart: Overture to La Clemenza di Tito, K.621 Mozart: Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, K.543 German-born, wunderkind conductor Christian Reif joins the Symphony after completing a three-year post as Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. Reif will lead the orchestra through Michael Gilbertson’s Graffiti, followed by Tchaikovsky’s stunningly brilliant Variations on a Rococo Theme performed by charismatic cellist Thomas Mesa. Reif and the orchestra return for a final set featuring the fresh elegance of Mozart’s Overture to La Clemenza di Tito and the timeless, captivating Symphony No. 39. Concert Sponsors: Dan & Meg Burnham | Corporate Sponsor: Mission Audio/Video
upcoming concerts... an american in paris march 21 + 22, 2020 Constantine Kitsopoulos,
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carpenter conducts poulenc & saint-saëns
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beethoven’s 250th birthday celebration
Nir Kabaretti, C O N D U C T O R Cameron Carpenter, O R G A N
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Nir Kabaretti, C O N D U C T O R Alessio Bax, P I A N O
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805-899-2222 | thesymphony.org
• The Voice of the Village •
MONTECITO JOURNAL
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MISCELLANY (Continued from page 28)
On the Right Foot Engineer Lucas Grant, firefighter Steve Cochran, Emily House, Diane Boss, and Reilly Cochran (photo by Sarita Relis) Sponsor Robert Weinman with violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja (photo by Dana Loughlin)
Fire Chief Kevin Taylor, Jo Taylor, Anna Widling, and Division Chief Alan Widling (photo by Sarita Relis)
Houghton Hyatt, Laura Capps, Bob and Sylvia Easton, Ivana Firestone, Fred Brander, Lois Mitchell, Heather
Sage, Emily House, Berna Jean Keiler, Diane Boss, Julianna Dain, and Antoinette Chartier.
Calling ALL Interested Stakeholders! Public Meeting: Monday, February 24th, 5:00 pm Montecito Union School 385 San Ysidro Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Stakeholders & Interest Groups Include: • • • • • •
General Public & Residents Private Well Owner (s) Private Water Company (s) Land Use & Planning Agriculture Environmental…
Now Forming: Advisory Committees
Applications due February 28, 2020
Groundwater provides a significant portion of California’s water supply statewide. Locally, the Montecito Groundwater Basin supplies our many public and private wells. Groundwater is heavily relied upon for residential use, along with some commercial and agricultural uses. Available data suggests that groundwater levels are generally low following the worst drought in this region’s history. Established in 2018 by California’s Department of Water Resources: The Montecito Groundwater Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency’s mission is to ensure a reliable and sustainable groundwater supply for the community through effective basin management pursuant to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
Get Involved Today: For More Information email: staff@montecitogsa.com call: 805.969.2271 visit: www.montecitogsa.com and join the Stakeholder email list
YOU MAY BE A STAKEHOLDER, FIND OUT MORE!
42 MONTECITO JOURNAL
There was a lot of sole searching going on at the Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall when violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja performed in a UCSB Arts & Lectures concert with cellist Jay Campbell, playing on an instrument crafted in the 1750s by Italian luthier Paolo Antonio Testore of Milan. Moldovan Kopatchinskaja, 43, who was director of the Ojai Music festival two years ago and made her Left Coast recital debut on the Miraflores campus last year, doesn’t like wearing footwear during her recitals, preferring to go barefoot under her elegant gowns. Her Bohemian style, performing works by Ravel, Gibbons and others, including an A&L world premiere commission En-kor III by Hungarian composer Marton Illes, certainly didn’t detract from her enormous talent in the emotionally and energized show. It was a delight and privilege to watch... Champagne Collab Montecito dynamic duo Jon and Brandis Deitelbaum, producers of Beau Joie champagne, have teamed up with Georgina Chapman, creative director and co-founder of the fashion label Marchesa. The groundbreaking new collaboration will include several new products available on beaujoiechampagne.com and cross-marketed globally beginning with luxury retailers, and eventually rolling out to high-end resorts, hotels and retail. “Georgina and I were asking each other why there isn’t a champagne brand that’s an extension of a fashion house, something for everyday occasions or served at special events,” says Brandis. “It’s such a natural fit, fashion and champagne, yet nobody else has done this, so we decided to create it. “From the beginning, the goal with this partnership was to design a line that truly combines the best of what both of our brands capture – love, enchantment, romance, chivalry, whimsicalness and empowerment.” The first product, Marchesa for Beau
“The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.” – Gilbert K. Chesterton
Joie, is a 1,000-bottle limited edition hand-beaded and embroidered couture bottle, boasting 10,000 beads and crystals. “We took an in-depth journey through our archive, with a focus on our most iconic pieces,” says Georgina. “We were looking for elements that combine our two worlds, with the objective of creating something uniquely beautiful.” Each bottle, priced at $599, is numbered and packaged in an exquisite gift box with a note from both Brandis and Georgina. Doc Sells Montecito actor Christopher Lloyd, 81, has listed his laid-back beach cottage in Ventura, asking $2.995 million at first, then dropping the price to its current $2.95 million. The 1928 1,000 sq. ft. property on Mondos Beach has easy access to Ventura and our rarefied enclave. The two-and-two home is essentially a single floor affair, although there is an attic guest room. The galley kitchen and bathrooms have been recently totally renovated. The Back to the Future star won two Emmys for his role on the hit ‘70s TV show Taxi. His latest role is in the feature film Nobody, a thriller out this summer. Summer in La La Land As expected, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, are looking for a house to spend this summer in Los Angeles. The tony twosome, currently residing in Canada, want a property where they can hold meetings and entertain, according to E! News. “They have started looking at homes online and are in the process of interviewing security teams,” says one source. “They are getting their ducks in a row and seeing if it’s logistically possible.” If they do move to the Big Orange, I think we will undoubtedly see the Duke of Sussex, a keen polo player, and Meghan at the Santa Barbara Polo Club, given his best friend, Argentinian ace Nacho Figueras, the Ralph Lauren Polo model, is a regular player during the season. Staying Strong Singer Olivia Newton-John sees her third bout with breast cancer as “a battle.” Olivia, 71, says she is getting stronger and better all the time, with cancerous tumors reducing in size. She revealed in September, 2018, the cancer had returned after it was first diagnosed 25 years ago. “Life is a gift,” says Olivia. “I have an amazing life and I intend to keep going with it. “I want to help other people with the disease. I want to see an end to 6 – 13 February 2020
cancer in my lifetime so other people don’t have to suffer.” Welcome Terry Terry Valeski new chair at the SB Museum of Natural History
Former telecommunications executive Terry Valeski is Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s new chair for the board of trustees. Terry, a former Montecito neighbor, served on the museum’s board for six years and previously served as vice chair for finance. “The museum and sea center have evolved magnificently over the years and are truly an exceptional experience for all individuals of all ages,” says Terry, who also serves on the board of the Music Academy of the West. Ask Alexa Montecito TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has showcased her new Super Bowl commercial for Amazon’s Alexa that includes her Australian actress wife, Portia de Rossi. The 62-year-old debuted the ad on her eponymous Burbank-based TV show ahead of the legendary NFL
game in Miami on Sunday. The commercial shows Ellen and Portia, 46, getting ready to leave their home and Ellen asking Alexa to turn down the thermostat. “What do you think people did before Alexa,” Ellen asks Portia, before showing a maid in front of a fireplace throwing two flaming logs out of the window. MAW Board Updates Eileen Sheridan, partner at the local accounting firm Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf, is the new board chair of the Music Academy of the West. She has served on the board for nine years and is a former vice chair under Warren Staley. Ellen Barger, who works for the Santa Barbara County Education Office, joins the board of directors and will also serve as chair of the academy’s outreach and innovation committee. Margaret Cafarelli, owner of the Santa Barbara Public Market, returns to the board for a three-year term, as does Maurice Singer, former president of HBO Films, who was on the board from 2010 to 2018. Celebrating One Year Stewart Fine Art and the Lost Horizon Bookstore, the combined endeavor in the upper village, which opened a year ago, is celebrating its first anniversary with an exhibition of rare and beautiful Santa Barbara
Eileen Sheridan, new board chair at Music Academy of the West
treasures. For Stewart Fine Art that includes a wonderful view of the Rincon by Carl Oscar Borg, an unusual John Marshall Gamble painting of the local foothills, as well as a number of other early local views. Lost Horizon has acquired some real rarities from our Eden by the Beach’s arts and crafts era, including an original Robert Hyde illustration on vellum, two exquisite William Edwin Gledhill photographs, prints by Morley Fletcher, and three beautiful hand-made photo albums of cyanotypes done in 1887. Many other Santa Barbara artists will also be on display, including works by such early artists as Henry Chapman Ford, Alexander Harmer, Lockwood DeForest, Ludmilla Welch, and DeWitt Parshall. Contemporary pieces include Bjorne Rye, Joseph Knowles, Hank Pitcher, Meredith Brooks Abbott, and Angela Perko. The exhibition runs through the end of March.
Long Live the Queen Queen Elizabeth, 93, has set a new record. She’s now the fifth longest reigning monarch surpassing 19th century Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph 1 – with her stint on the British throne exceeding 67 years and 356 days. Her Majesty is also the longest living reigning monarch, having ascended to the throne in 1952 on the death of her father, King George VI. She also became the longest reigning British monarch in September, 2015, surpassing her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria. The top spot is held by France’s Louis XIV with an impressive 72 years and 110-day reign. Sightings: Former Doobie Brothers front man Michael McDonald noshing at Jeannine’s at La Arcada... Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman at the Rosewood Miramar... Ashton Kutcher, wife Mila Kunis, and children at Toro Canyon Park Pip! Pip! Readers with tips, sightings and amusing items for Richard’s column should e-mail him at richardmin eards@verizon.net or send invitations or other correspondence to the Journal. To reach Priscilla, e-mail her at pris cilla@santabarbaraseen.com or call 805-969-3301 •MJ
HOLLISTER LAND AND CATTLE COMPANY (HLCC) DUCK CLUB
MEMBERSHIP FOR SALE L
ocated in Gustine California. 2850 acres of the finest duck hunting in California. HLCC keeps 1/3 of its property in reserve, providing a sanctuary for the migrating ducks. In turn, we maintain a 4.5 duck average harvest every time a hunter goes into the field. In early 2000, the Federal Government gave HLCC a "Scenic Easement" on the property. These funds have been invested in a commercial property. The funds from this investment provide 80% of the operations of the club. The sale of this membership will include a 1/4 interest in a cabin which has one bedroom with a bath, a bunk room with a bath, kitchen, and living room with satellite television. The cabin can sleep 7. All members of the cabin reside in Santa Barbara.
HLCC ia a corporation with 85 outstanding shares. You purchase one of these shares for $150,000. Contact: Steve Crosslsnd 2102 Forge Rd. Santa Barbara 93108 (c) 805 689-3309 (h) 805 969-6721 6 – 13 February 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
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EDITORIAL (Continued from page 32) Republican or Democrat, is our President of the United States. We should want that President to succeed. Because the interests of the United States warrant it. But when a President violates the law, it’s also our responsibility as members of Congress, who took an oath, to take that responsibility seriously. And Congress, in the United States Constitution, has a little thing called checks and balances, co-equal branches of government. Judiciary, executive and legislative. And it’s our job to provide checks and balances on the administration. And when you have a President that clearly violates the law, it’s not like a choice, we have to do our part. Do you think your colleagues on the other side really believe the President has done nothing wrong? I don’t. I believe they do believe that he’s done something, but they’re in a catch 22. He’s still the leader of the Republican party, and they want to promote legislation he has to sign. If he goes down, their party generally goes down. And the second thing is… they’re scared of him. They’re scared of him singling them out, tweeting about them, and undermining their ability to get reelected. And regrettably I believe there are people who are putting party and their desire to stay in Congress over country. How do you explain the people who have decided not to run for reelection and have still not been openly critical of Trump? Yes. Most have at least a little more freedom to do so. But you’re right. I’ve been extremely disappointed in Will Hurd, for example, who has really, in my opinion, not demonstrated the integrity that needed to be demonstrated here. And I like Will Hurd. [Former CIA officer serving as the representative or Texas’s 23rd congressional district.]
that this legislation is good for conservation and does not prohibit, in any way, forest fire prevention mitigation measures and ensures that fire safety efforts remain unchanged, so firefighters will still be able to fully complete their duties and fuels management activities will continue to be part of forest management, as usual. I’ve introduced 20 bills, but I’m only giving you what I consider the highlights… For example, right now our veterans make up 10-20% of our homeless population – it varies by community. To create more housing options for our veterans, I introduced the Home of the Brave Act – a bipartisan bill which would allow disabled veterans to not have their disability income countable towards their being eligible income-wise for housing. [This is an issue that is near and dear to Salud. Having served eight years in the United States Marine Corp reserves, he puts US Veterans rights high on his list of priorities. Of most concern is those whose homelessness may stem from mental illness and other challenges resulting from or in some way connected to their military service.] It seems a lot of your bills are bipartisan. Who are your go-to bipartisan partners? I have a bunch for them. Depending who’s sponsoring my bills. Rooney, Bacon, Mitchell. Any women? You know how many Republican women there are in Congress? Less than a handful, I mean there’s so few. Oh, actually yes, Stefanik signed onto my firefighter bill. [Salud is referring to Elise Stefanik from New York’s 21st District.] The Firefighter Bill would create the same job hazard requirements for federal firefighters, as we have for local and state firefighters. They face the same risks, but in many cases do not receive the same protections.
I introduced the California Clean Coast Act, that got embedded in the Coastal Economics Protection Act that passed
the House. This bill would help Montecito, and any community wanting to increase their water security by getting grant funds for wastewater, increasing their wastewater infrastructure. I teamed up with Francis Rooney, Republican from Florida, to pass the bill that included my bill, the Coastal State Climate Act. So, let’s talk about some of the things you’re working on. Thank you. I think it’s important to remind people despite the media’s focus on impeachment, that Democrats have been walking and chewing gum at the same time. That while we have pursued our Constitutional responsibility to hold this President accountable, that we’ve been able to get a lot of stuff done in the House of Representatives. For example, I introduced the California Clean Coast Act, that got embedded in the Coastal Economics Protection Act that passed the House. This bill would help Montecito, and any community wanting to increase their water security by getting grant funds for wastewater, increasing their wastewater infrastructure. I teamed up with Francis Rooney, Republican from Florida, to pass the bill that included my bill, the Coastal State Climate Act. Can you tell me about that? It allows for a grant program through the EPA that allows coastal states and communities to have access to funding for climate prevention and protection planning. Another bill I introduced in light of all the gun violence we’ve seen in our country (like here in Isla Vista years ago) is called the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act (ERPO). Let’s say we’re one big family, and our brother comes in and… he is demonstrating that he’s a danger to himself and others. And he owns guns. We can work with the sheriff’s law enforcement to petition the court, so his rights are preserved, to get a restraining order to immediately temporarily take away his guns. This bill would do two things: It’s a federal piece for states where there are no ERPO or “red flag bills.” The second thing it does is provide grants to states and communities throughout the country to develop these types of red flag bills. This one is a no brainer. Law enforcement and DAs support my bill. It’s gone through the Judiciary Committee but still needs to go through the House. A big bill that has passed out of committee is the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, which continues to support our public safety while defending our forests. This would put over 250,000 acres of wilderness, public lands, into protection, in the back country. It would even create a Condor trail that would go all the way from SLO through L.A. It’s important to note
44 MONTECITO JOURNAL
And speaking of fires, I introduced the Small Passenger Safety Act. We found out… that smaller vessels like the *Conception were exempted from modern regulations. This says enough is enough. Other vessels throughout the country have had similar accidents. Too many people have died. Get rid of the exemption, make everybody abide by it. [*The Conception tragedy occurred on September 2, 2019, when the 75-foot dive boat caught fire and sank off the coast of Santa Cruz Island, killing 34 people.] That makes a lot of sense. On the important subject of Infrastructure, I sponsored the National Infrastructure Investment Corporation Act. It establishes a government sponsored support for infrastructure projects to help local government access another financing tool for roads, bridges, school facilities, housing, airport, trains. For example, if Santa Barbara County wants to build a debris basin for Montecito. Montecito assess itself and we can use that assessment to pay back the immediate money that we need to build it so that we don’t have to accrue the money. When will that money be available? As soon as my bill passes. It’s been introduced and has a real shot. I serve on the Transportation Infrastructure Committee, where I’ll have an opportunity to try to get that included in the bill for transportation. Ok, my turn. So, you understand better than anyone the issues of our community. Yes, I hope. For example, poverty. It’s a huge problem in Santa Barbara where feast and famine are so intermingled. What are we, the second highest poverty level in the state? That touches so many things: homelessness, mental health, affordable housing, education, crime, sex trafficking… Yes, everything. While on the Board of Supervisors I actually got a poverty study done. To try to inform how we can better allocate and invest our health
EDITORIAL Page 464
“Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart, and the senses.” – Lao Tzu
6 – 13 February 2020
ON THE RECORD
Nicholas Schou
Nicholas Schou is an award-winning investigative journalist and author of several books, including Orange Sunshine and Kill the Messenger, his writing has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, The Atlantic, and other fine publications. If you have tips or stories about Montecito, please email him at newseditor@montecitojournal.net.
Meet Your 37th Assembly District Candidates
A
s evidenced by the January 27 debate between First District Supervisor Das Williams and challenger Laura Capps – the Montecito Journal Media Group’s standing-room-only event at the Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall – we’ve been paying a lot of attention to local politics of late. Continuing with that mission, we offer this guide to the candidates running to replace the outgoing Monique Limon in her 37th Assembly District seat in Sacramento. There are seven candidates running for the office; all but one, like Limon, self-identify as progressive Democrats, or rather, in the words of Republican candidate Michael Cole, “a bunch of socialists, cultural Marxists.” This collection of interviews provides both an opportunity for each candidate to answer questions relevant to Montecito voters, and for Montecito voters to get familiar with each candidate. On March 3, voters will have the opportunity to weigh in; the top two vote-winning candidates will advance to a run-off election. May the best candidate (for Montecito) win!
Jonathan Abboud
A former student body president at UC Santa Barbara, Abboud, 27, is the general manager of the Isla Vista Community Services District and a Santa Barbara City College Trustee. Q. Why are you running for California’s 37th Assembly District, particularly with regard to the Montecito community? A. The two major issues I’m running on are climate change and education. Climate change intimately relates to the Montecito community. I’m advocating for a Green New Deal, ending 6 – 13 February 2020
fossil fuel permits in the state, putting money behind public work projects to strength our local community. One major issue is the 101, a lot of people travel because they can’t afford to live in the same city they work in and we create this 90-minute parking lot. I also want to see universal pre-kindergarten, so everyone has a basic education, and to bring back tuition-free college to California. How would you describe the community of Montecito in a sentence? It’s a beautiful place, but it has gone through a hard time by experiencing a big tragedy. Why are you the most qualified candidate to represent our community in Sacramento? I think most voters are looking for someone who can get things done sooner rather than later and I am the candidate in this race who has been working in Sacramento for many years and can apply my experience directly. I will compare Isla Vista and Montecito a bit: we are both unincorporated communities; it is not right we leave these communities to not have a local voice over their own affairs. I co-founded a group in Sacramento, CA Unincorporated, looking to strengthen the options available. It doesn’t have to be cityhood, but more transparency in city budgets. What role do you think the state should play in critical local issues like disaster assistance and community rebuilding? I met with a couple of groups about this issue in the last few months. Forest Watch is supporting a billion dollar investment in resiliency for wildfires and other climate change issues. The state should be funding and empowering communities to implement the resiliency issues they know better than the state. The state needs to be intimately involved. It’s a failure of all government for the past 40 years to address climate change. We also need to take over these public utility companies. That way you have control, like in local communities having control over their local water board. Can you point to a creative or out-ofthe-box solution you’ve fought to implement in order to solve a complicated issue? Back in 2013, when I was student
body president at UCSB, we felt we had no say over the community we lived in. That was a feeling for 50 years in Isla Vista already. Someone brought the idea of creating a community services district and in August 2013, I looked into it and it clicked in my head, for us to solve this problem of not having adequate services and representation, we need to do it ourselves. On the subject of campaign finance reform, would you agree to a universal cap on contributions, and if so what amount? We already do have a cap of $4,700, but I would want to move to a public matching system. You can go after smaller donors and it empowers smaller donors to have more say with their dollar. Another simpler one is getting rid of ballot statement fees for local office.
Steve Bennett
A veteran high school history teacher, Bennett, 68, is also a former Ventura City Councilmember and County Supervisor.
In Ventura, we were always fighting Los Angeles-style urban sprawl, and everyone was fighting it one project at a time. So if there was something by your house that you didn’t like, you’d try to mobilize, and then the same type of project would pop up somewhere else. I said we’ve got to come up with an initiative that puts us on the offensive. I co-authored Save Open Spaces and Agricultural Resources (SOAR), first for the city and then the county, so that now it takes a vote of the people before an area can be rezoned for development. Can you point to an important policy or issue that you fought for or against even if it wasn’t in your best political interest? When I was elected to the Ventura Board of Supervisors, at a meeting, a representative of the Fire Dept. stood up and said, “Three percent at 50 – you’ve got to do it.” What he meant was at age 50, you can retire, and they multiply three percent by the number of years of service, and that’s the percentage of your final salary you get. It was enormously expensive, and all these guys endorsed me. But I took them on, and we had a strike by the service employees’ union, which also endorsed me. That was not in my best political interest. On the subject of campaign finance reform, would you agree to a universal cap on contributions, and if so what amount? Absolutely. When I first ran for County Supervisor in 2000, my opponent took in $40,000. And I voluntarily limited myself to $500, in order to show that we ought to have candidates who collect a little bit of money from a lot of people, rather than a lot of money from a few people. That’s better government.
Steve Blum
Q. Why are you running for California’s 37th Assembly District, particularly with regard to the Montecito community? A. My main goal in politics is to achieve good government. Because when you are there in Sacramento, you’ve got 2,000 bills coming at you, you need to ask which ones are good government, and which ones aren’t. That’s really the fundamental question you need to ask. How would you describe the community of Montecito in one sentence? Montecito is an historic community whose residents cherish and protect their remarkable natural setting and have grown closer together in the last two years. Can you point to a creative or out-ofthe-box solution you’ve fought to implement in order to solve a complicated issue?
• The Voice of the Village •
A California Lutheran University law professor, Blum, 64, has also served as a trustee on both the Ventura County Community College District and California Community College League. Q. Why are you running for California’s
ON THE RECORD Page 484 MONTECITO JOURNAL
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EDITORIAL (Continued from page 44)
and human service dollars in a way that would best address the poverty needs in our county. So what’s happening now? Can you, as our Congressman, still provide leadership on these local issues? And what programs could we be utilizing that you have access to, to help our situation? First, the census is going to be key to getting our apportionment of resources allocated to our communities in our region for all the issues you raised: schools, poverty, firefighters, health and human services… That needs to get done, it’s a priority. The other one I voted for in 2018 is the Farm Bill, which includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which funds all the USDA programs, like food stamps, school lunches, food banks. Santa Barbara County is trying to increase their utilization rate of those that qualify for SNAP. The schools are also trying to increase their utilization of the Free and Reduced Lunch Programs and breakfast programs that exist, but the need is greater than the available resources. So the best thing the federal government could do is continue that, which I made sure when I was in the minority – the Republicans wanted to strip money out of SNAP, but we held firm and we were still able to pass the massive bill that provides all these programs. What about cannabis? Can you speak to what’s gone on with the permitting and the lack of regulation or big-picture planning? Well, cannabis has three governmental dimensions. One is our state… which has been working on the regulatory framework and giving guidance on some level to local governments. It’s the local government’s responsibility to come up with the Land Use regulatory framework for how they’re going to regulate the growing, dispensing, and transporting of cannabis. How do you think it’s being handled in Santa Barbara County? I think that with any new industry you have growing pains. I think looking at other states that have gone before us could provide a lot of lessons to California and local communities like ours. About what’s worked, what hasn’t, so that we could learn from them. And that’s the one thing that I think the local jurisdictions and the State could do better. We seem to be in a situation with cannabis, as with other disrupter industries like scooters, and the internet, where forgiveness is asked for after the fact rather than permission requested beforehand. Could our leaders do a better job of getting out in front of these issues to establish regulations that best serve our communities at large? We have a reactionary government at all levels, you’re right. Regrettably, I think government is not as nimble and flexible and quick to act on a lot of these things. I think they should be. But I think that sometimes it’s the failure of government to get ahead of the curve. For instance, the internet. All these new things that have come forward, you’re right. We end up trying to figure out how to fix problems that could have been prevented. Exactly. So perhaps, what you’re raising, Gwyn, and it’s a great idea by the way, maybe, in light of the evolving challenges that our society has, including the federal government, state and local government, we should have some kind of evolving challenges agency. So as these issues come up, we’re starting to get ahead of the curve. We’re starting to have hearings, meetings, discussions at the local level, at the state level, at the federal level – [I love that. “Evolving Challenges Agency.” You heard it here first.] So why not create an Evolving Challenges Agency, a “kitchen cabinet” of leaders who work together to anticipate these important issues and manage them before they manage us? The answer is, unfortunately, I think governments at all levels work in silos. And what we need to do is transcend those silos by doing exactly as you’re saying. I think it’s a brilliant concept what you’re raising. We can and should be finding a forum by which everybody comes together, has these conversations. But… traditionally it is not structured that way, so you’re raising the issue of leadership. Yes, I am. We could do this. I take this as a great challenge, and I will consider putting it on, bringing all of us together, at least a few of us, County, State, Federal – The Montecito Journal will cover it so people can be privy to the process. Okay, so why don’t we do that… I think it might be good to invite some of the mayors, because they represent our cities. Our state legislator, state assembly and myself and the chairperson of the Board of Supervisors, whoever that is.
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Great. I’m taking that as a commitment. I will commit to you to have a roundtable with all of these people to talk about emerging community and regional challenges on which we ought to be looking towards the future together. And using examples of things that have happened to us like scooters, cannabis, etc. To see how we could better come together to plan for these things before the horse is out of the barn… Let’s start doing it… I think three times a year might be good. One every four months. I will commit to you doing that. Great! It was your idea. But I will gladly take that challenge. This would be a chance for you to use your leadership to come back home, work with our other leaders, and make sure we don’t fall prey to what you see going on all over the country. Excellent… You’re ahead of your time. Forward thinking. ...Last question: So, you know this community well. You know the two people who are vying for the 1st District Supervisor position. Are you going to take a position? For the time being I have decided to remain neutral. I think you have two individuals… with man skills and talents… You have an incumbent who I’ve known for a long time. And I think at this point, I’m kind of letting them make their case and the community can decide at the end. What about the assembly race? Are you going to take a position there? For the time being I’m also neutral on that. I’m watching that one – You’re publicly neutral. In your heart are you neutral? For all purposes, being here with the media, they’re both all in one. People are looking for your leadership and they’re looking for your insights. Yes, but I have to pick and choose my battles in what things I get involved with. I have enough of a challenge in Washington trying to find ways to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, find common ground, move things forward, keep my finger on the pulse at home. I’m more concerned about making sure that people’s public safety, about their well-being, that the quality of life is improved, versus the politics of it. The politics is my least favorite part. Will you participate in a debate between you and Andy Caldwell? I will debate, no less, no more, than I’ve done with all the previous candidates. One in San Luis Obispo, one in Santa Barbara, we do it with the TV stations. So my answer is absolutely I will debate. But you could not have two more contrasting individuals. I am clearly a supporter of women making their own choices regarding their reproductive health and to having access to those services. Andy Caldwell is not. I’m for expanding healthcare and Obamacare, and reducing prescription drug costs. Mr. Caldwell is not. I am a strong advocate for prohibiting any future off shore oil or gas drilling off our coast. Mr. Caldwell is not. (See Jim Buckley’s interview with Andy Caldwell’s on page 33.) •MJ
“At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.” – Plato
6 – 13 February 2020
POLITICAL (Continued from page 33)
an immigrant from Austria. My dad was a Bataan Death March survivor. Because of my Democratic background and Republican background, I feel like I can relate to moderates in both parties. So, how will we be better off if we send you to Washington, D.C.? I’ll give you a clear example here in Montecito. The Montecito debris flow and the Thomas Fire would never have happened if I had a vote.
Why’s that? Because for over twenty years, I’ve repeated a speech in print, on radio, and in front of the Board of Supervisors called “Fires, Floods, and Fools.” We’ve allowed the fuel to build up here for upwards of a hundred years. We don’t do control burns, we don’t do mechanical clearing, and we don’t do chemical clearing. Montecito itself is the debris flow. This whole shelf is a debris flow. The fact that another debris flow came should have been a surprise to nobody. We need more debris basins. We need to control the brush, and we need to do mechanized clearing to prevent the fires that denude the hillsides and actually sterilize the ground. I’ve been arguing about this for almost thirty years and yet Salud Carbajal, for instance, the one bill he co-sponsored with Kamala Harris, upped the protection of the fuel. Plus, he does fundraisers with Las Padres ForestWatch. They’re the ones that sue to make sure nothing gets cleared. The point is, it’s not even good for the environment; it’s not good for the ecology because it limits the amount of grazing areas because it’s all overgrown with thick brush and dead trees. California has a hundred-forty-million dead trees because we quit managing the forest. We came up with this hands-off, “nature is sacred, nature is holy, don’t let mankind influence it” policy. What happens is the brush and the trees grow at a rate of ten to twenty times more growth than is healthy per acre. It has to compete for water, soil, sunshine. Everything gets weakened and becomes disease-prone, and it turns into kindling. We have to break that cycle. Salud Carbajal is doing nothing. How are you doing with the UCSB student vote? I’m not counting on their votes. They voted ninety/ten for Bernie over Hillary in the last election cycle. I want to reach out to them, but I don’t have the ability to do that as a candidate. I’m hoping to be able to do that as an elected 6 – 13 February 2020
Representative. See, this is the problem: the Democratic Party I grew up with and in is not the party today. They promise everything; they deliver on nothing. They just exploit people. They exploit those students into saying, “Hey, I’m all for you,” and they do nothing. Is there another bill or another way that you would differ from Salud? Yeah, like I said, I would do more fuel breaks. I would do more mechanical clearing. I would dump a bunch of cows and goats out there. I mean a bunch: I’m talking thousands as a natural means of keeping the brush down to a manageable level. I would create buffer zones. I would pay somebody to plant and water avocado trees or lemon trees or
choices we have. Thus far, they’ve been going up in fire. As a Congressman, is there anything you can do about 101 or desalination or supplying a steady, reliable source of water? I think those are the two issues – in addition to natural disasters – that Montecito cares about most. The 101 definitely needs to be widened. The other thing, we haven’t built a new freeway in California I think since the 5. If you think about it, we probably had 20 to 30 million people instead 40 million the last time we built a major new freeway. We need new freeways and we need connectors between the 5 and the 101. Now, of course, because they delayed, it’s prohibitively expensive in Southern California to do this because they’ve got to either demol-
I respect Mother Nature, but I don’t think Mother Nature is benign. She’s a natural born killer. what have you on those slopes to create a green buffer zone between the urban-wildland interface. I would also maximize our ability to have debris basins. The Environmental Defense Center and Salud Carbajal and some of these other politicians in this region, not only were they not building and maintaining the debris basins, they were trying to get them removed because they want it to be fish passage habitat. The reason Carpinteria didn’t get wiped out is their debris basin was adequately sized. Yes, I saw photos; Carpinteria’s largest debris basin (the Santa Monica Basin) was filled all the way to the top. Yes, it filled, but it held. If it had not been as big as it was, there would have been catastrophe in Carpinteria. I respect Mother Nature, but I don’t think Mother Nature is benign. She’s a natural born killer. We found that out. We found that out in this debris flow. These creeks that flow through Goleta, Santa Barbara, Montecito and Carpinteria, those creeks are there to convey floodwater and runoff. You’ve got a choice; you either maximize the carrying capacity or you suffer the consequences. When the water or the mud or the debris exceeds the capacity of the river, stream or creek, what happens when there’s no more room in the creek? Mother Nature creates a new creek or river or stream. And those one-hundred-forty-million dead trees? They’re either going to be removed by humans or they’re going to go up in fire. That’s the only two
ish houses or go to double deckers or what have you. It’s going to be expensive, but we need more freeways and highways.
there are places in other parts of the world where they do something like this. The point is we need innovative thinking. And our local water situation? With regard to water, I do believe we need desal but we also need more dams and reservoirs. Gibraltar, San Ysidro, Lake Cachuma silt up. There is no plan to get rid of that silt. That’s also a flood control issue. The other thing is that the dams serve for flood control and water supplies. These guys aren’t building any more. The Trump Administration has been trying to raise the level of a dam in Northern California, but California sued to stop it. It’s not a new dam, it’s just a higher dam. The south county gets ninety percent of its water from the other side of that mountain either in the form of Lake Cachuma or the San Luis Reservoir or what have you, but it comes from the other side of the mountain. They can’t be opposing dams and reservoirs and still expect a reliable water supply. This is not popular down here, but I never wanted to be a politician because I don’t tell people what they want to hear. I tell them what I think they need to know.
Is there a place for commuter rail? The commuter rail works in densely populated areas. It’s really hard to make it work in an area like this. I think they’re spending way too much money trying to make this VenturaSanta Barbara thing work. What I have suggested – and I know this sounds a little crazy, but they’re doing this in other places – have you ever noticed that the Union Pacific trucks and utility vehicles have regular car tires and then they have rail wheels on them so that they can drive to the track and then get on the track. If you ever look at them when they’re doing construction, they have these vehicles that are dual capacity or dual modality. I’ve always asked them why can’t they do that with a bus.
Final thoughts? I’ve lived in the region fifty-one years. Because of the newspapers and radio, I have high name ID, especially on the other side of the mountains. I want people down here to know that when they vote for me, I can win. We have tremendous support. When they look at the numbers, the numbers are skewed because the Democrats in Lompoc and Santa Maria are working-class Democrats. They’re blue-collar Democrats. I will get their support. We’re getting tremendous response from Hispanics and Independents and moderate Democrats throughout the region because they know and believe and they can intuit that the Democratic Party, with regard to how the Congress represents it, has shifted far to the Left. They can’t identify with it any longer.
Put the buses on the tracks! They’ve done it in other places, and instead of trying to run all-train, you just put the bus on the rail, because here’s the problem: once they dump you off at the train track, how do you get to work or how to do you get back home? It’s called the Last Mile. You don’t have commuter lots big enough and you don’t have enough buses serving the area. They have a problem with that, whereas if they just move the bus up the railroad track, that bus could take them the last mile. It’s not far fetched. Like I said,
Anything else? Sure. Our website is andycald well2020.com. We’re looking for volunteers to host meet and greets so I could introduce myself to people. We have asked Salud to debate. He will not debate me. That says something about Salud. The debate had been scheduled over two months ago and he bailed just two weeks before the event. There are other business organizations that have asked him and non-profits have asked him to do a debate and he won’t do it. That tells you something right there in terms of my viability as a candidate. •MJ
• The Voice of the Village •
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ON THE RECORD (Continued from page 45)
37th Assembly District, particularly with regard to the Montecito community? A. California is at a crossroads and we need to stop divisiveness and solve problems, and I have the knowledge and resumé and skill set to help people work together to solve problems. I retired from political life a year ago and intended that to be it. But I want to be part of the solution. How would you describe the community of Montecito in one sentence? Montecito is a place where fellow Californians live.
Why are you the most qualified candidate to represent our community in Sacramento? I was 12 years on the Ventura County Community College Board, taught 25 years and coached cross-country 22 years. I know I have the experience for state assembly. I view elections like a job interview. It’s for voters to decide who is qualified. What role do you think the state should play in critical local issues like disaster assistance and community rebuilding? Cities like Ventura and Montecito don’t have the funds to provide all the protection. This isn’t going to go away. We are having more fires and natural disasters. We need protection from
fire, and we need to address climate change at the state level to make our citizens safer. Can you point to a creative or out-ofthe-box solution you’ve fought to implement in order to solve a complicated issue? The key to solving complex problems is getting people to sit down and have the will to alleviate something that won’t go away. Some problems aren’t solvable but how can you make things better. In 2008 the district was losing 20 percent of its funds, so the Ventura Unified School District took a 10 percent salary cut, instead of 150 people losing jobs. How would you describe yourself as a leader? What would your supporters identify as your best qualities and what would your detractors say are your faults? I am nice, kind, and want to look at helping everybody. I come from a really poor background and understand people better than most. Some of my detractors will say I am too nice. On the subject of campaign finance reform, would you agree to a universal cap on contributions, and if so what amount? Yes, I have a self-imposed limit of 100 dollars. Our system is based on
who sells the most and our politicians are beholden to these people in D.C. If I am elected, I only want to be beholden to the people.
want to send your kid there? I didn’t have a choice, so personally I would like to be able to get a voucher and go to a charter school or private school.
Charles Cole
How would you describe yourself as a leader? What would your supporters identify as your best qualities and what would your detractors say are your faults? I think the best quality is I am who I am. That’s what all my friends Republican and Democrat say, I won’t BS you. I’m not going to lie to you. What I say to you is what I feel about that issue. If you think I’m wrong, that’s another thing. I will listen to you.
A lifelong resident of the 37th Assembly District, Cole, 22, is both the youngest candidate in the race and the lone Republican on the ballot. Q. Why are you running for California’s 37th Assembly District, particularly with regard to the Montecito community? A. I’m running because I think it’s a time for a change in Sacramento, they don’t listen to their constituents at all. I’m also running to protect Proposition 13, because this year that’s being voted on this year.
On the subject of campaign finance reform, would you agree to a universal cap on contributions, and if so what amount? Personally, I don’t really see an issue with a cap. I don’t want there to be a cap. If people want to give, let them give. As long as it’s from an individual I don’t have an issue with that, personally.
Jason Dominguez
How would you describe the community of Montecito in a sentence? I would say the motto after the flood was strong together. That’s what I believe we are. We are a tight knit community and care about what happens to each other. Why are you the most qualified candidate to represent our community in Sacramento? Because I actually care for the community instead of my position. I want to serve my community, not the government status. What role do you think the state should play in critical local issues like disaster assistance and community rebuilding? For me it’s the government’s job to provide the infrastructure. It’s one of the main things the government should do, work closely with local authorities to make sure infrastructure is up to date. Look what happened with the flood, that debris basin was not okay. There is a lot of mismanagement there. 7 9 6 PA R K L A N E W E S T M O N T E C I T O | $ 5 , 4 5 0 , 0 0 0
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Can you point to a creative or out-ofthe-box solution you’ve fought to implement in order to solve a complicated issue? I am a fan of vouchers for school choice. I went to SBHS and every year I would get the same letter saying the school is failing; are you sure you
“Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.” – Oscar Wilde
A former Santa Barbara City Councilmember, Dominguez, 51, is also the founder of the New Civic Forum, a youth leadership program that also provides advance health care directives. Q. Why are you running for California’s 37th Assembly District, particularly with regard to the Montecito community? A. I am passionate about public policy and I feel my experience in several key policy areas, education, public safety, housing and environment are the right mix we need with new leadership in Sacramento. How would you describe the community of Montecito in one sentence? I love Montecito; it’s an amazing place, a tight-knit community with strong family and community values, great amenities and quality of life and a desire to be free from natural disasters and have a little more stability and the ability to redevelop as needed with a government that assists rather than gets in the way. 6 – 13 February 2020
Why are you the most qualified candidate to represent our community in Sacramento? I have a legislative track record as a city councilmember in providing the right mix of services and community development including big ticket items like insuring a clean and safe water supply during the area’s longest ever draught. I also have worked as a criminal prosecutor and have a strong desire to keep our community safe from crime and natural disasters. What role do you think the state should play in critical local issues like disaster assistance and community rebuilding? The state has a large role in making sure technology is uniform which allows for an economy of scale and relatively affordable provision of services that are effective and resilient. The state needs to replace the current utility system with one that promises continuity of service and resilience. Can you point to a creative or out-ofthe-box solution you’ve fought to implement in order to solve a complicated issue? I believe in the power of the free market and private capital to provide solutions. So in most instances, my approach is to go to the private sector and entrepreneurs to come up with solutions. I’ve supported hackathons in the community health arena to identity public health issues and brainstorm solutions to those issues. How would you describe yourself as a leader? What would your supporters identify as your best qualities and what would your detractors say are your faults? I have taken steps to improve my leadership abilities including participating and helping to run the Leadership Santa Barbara Association, sitting on several boards of directors and serving as a city council member. My strengths are my analytical abilities and a focus on staying objective and bringing various stakeholders together. My detractors might say I am too focused on getting results. Can you point to an important policy or issue that you fought for or against even if it wasn’t in your best political interest? I fought against the overdevelopment of Santa Barbara, which has led to increased traffic and scarcity of parking downtown and incurred the wrath of the out-of-town development community. On the subject of campaign finance reform, would you agree to a universal cap on contributions, and if so what amount? I absolutely believe a cap would help and furthermore I would prevent officials from voting on projects where involved parties made contributions to their campaigns which has led to some horrible decisions in SB County. 6 – 13 February 2020
box solution you’ve fought to implement in order to solve a complicated issue?
Elsa Granados
A bilingual community activist, Granados, 57, is the long-serving executive director of Santa Barbara’s Rape Crisis Center. Why are you running for California’s 37th Assembly District, particularly with regard to the Montecito community? I have a great deal of experience to bring to the assembly as well as a fresh perspective. I care about the communities of the Central Coast and have made significant change in the areas of sexual assault and stalking and can bring that same energy and passion to the assembly. How would you describe the community of Montecito in a sentence? It’s a community that most recently has faced many challenges from climate change and cares for each other. Why are you the most qualified candidate to represent our community in Sacramento? I have served as executive director of our local rape crisis center for 22 years and in that role, I have honed administrative, management and financial oversight skills. I’ve built relationships with lawmakers at the local state and national level. I know what it takes to garner support for legislation. You have to seek support and lobby other members and then also with the senate as well. I will look for root causes to issues so we can develop long lasting and viable resolutions to those issues. I am not beholden to special interests. I am an independent thinker. What role do you think the state should play in critical local issues like disaster assistance and community rebuilding? I believe the state has a significant role to play in that. I am very concerned about insurance companies wanting to pull out. That doesn’t sit well with me. I am concerned with where we are going with regard to public utilities and am supportive of efforts for communities to rebuild as quickly as possible and would partner with our congressmember in this regard.
When I came to SB to lead the SB Rape Crisis center, we didn’t have Spanish speaking volunteers who could serve 24 hours a day. I said okay, let’s bring together some people so that we can look at this issue. We developed a 24-hour schedule for our Spanish speakers on the hotline. I implemented a requirement that each of the volunteers would be bilingual. Some weren’t and I said they would not lose their jobs but when they turn over, we will hire bilingual speakers. At first, the community didn’t trust us but we built up that rapport and trust in the community until today, now we easily recruit people who are bilingual and the ten full-time staff members all but one speak Spanish. On the subject of campaign finance reform, would you agree to a universal cap on contributions, and if so what amount? I would agree to that. I don’t have an amount in mind, but I have thoughts about it. I think assembly member Monique Limon did us a big favor by waiting to announce her decision to run, because it shortened the time people had to raise funds from a year to five months. And I think that’s a good thing. I believe we should have publicly financed campaigns of short duration.
Cathy Murillo
A trained actress and journalist, Murillo, 58, is currently Mayor of Santa Barbara. Why are you running for California’s 37th Assembly District, particularly with regard to the Montecito community?
Can you point to a creative or out-of-the• The Voice of the Village •
During the January 9 debris flow, we were on an emergency update phone call with Monique Limon. I really grew to appreciate what our state officials can do. Monique was really sensitive to undocumented people that had lost income and businesses that needed FEMA relief. My platform for Assembly is to improve public education, protect environment, and improve the quality of life for all Californians. How would you describe the community of Montecito in one sentence? Montecito is a community of strong family ties and people who care about each other, blessed with natural beauty and positive energy. What role do you think the state should play in critical local issues like disaster assistance and community rebuilding? The state of California and its various agencies should be responsive to the families, businesses and institutions in the Montecito area in relation to disaster preparedness and response. Can you point to a creative or out-of-thebox solution you’ve fought to implement in order to solve a complicated issue? The city of SB banned oversized vehicles and there was a big concern about people who lived in RVs. I got together with the homeless service and we convened a meeting in a city parking lot, the Carrillo commuter lot, and asked people what they needed. They needed daytime parking spots to come downtown. They have nighttime parking spots through the safety program. I initiated a community based solution. We got parking spaces from a church and the airport. How would you describe yourself as a leader? What would your supporters identify as your best qualities and what would your detractors say are faults? Strong, brave, smart, and hardworking. My supporters would say that I do my homework, that I’m accessible and a good listener. My detractors would say that I’m overly-liberal. On the subject of campaign finance reform, would you agree to a universal cap on contributions, and if so what amount? Yes. In California there is a max. I accept those limitations and believe that’s a good system. •MJ
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SEEN (Continued from page 14) Fulkerson introduced Starr Siegele, who gave a surprise tribute and a beautiful silver picture frame to Deanna Major who is still an active member after 20 years. Deanna has served on every committee there was since she joined. She told us a story about one day she was standing on the steps to the Art Museum when a woman with a stroller and a child of about nine came by. The child said, “I want to go in there.” Her mother replied, “There’s nothing in there you’d like.” But the child said, “It’s full of art.” She had been there once with her school and knew about art. And that is the mission of the Women’s Board, to build awareness of art. For information visit sbmawb.org.
164th Birthday of the First Order Fresnel light at the SBMM. The light is pictured on the cake.
Art Scholarships
Author Willard Thompson and SBMM executive director Greg Gorga with Willard’s books
Keepers of the Light
The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) just celebrated the 164th birthday of the lighting of the Point Conception Lighthouse. From 1856 to 1973 when it was decommissioned and updated with a new light, the Point Conception Lighthouse lens guarded the rocky and treacherous Pacific coast where the Santa Barbara Channel and the Pacific Ocean meet on the western edge of Santa Barbara county. It could be seen 20 miles out to sea. In 2013 the Coast Guard approved the transfer of the amazing First Order Fresnel light to the SBMM for its preservation and public access. It took a whole phalanx of folks to transport it from the coast to here. They dismantled it to 640 pieces, marked each, put them on a helicopter and then a truck. Then it took months of work by three of the five men in the U.S. qualified to clean it to make it sparkle as you see today. It’s truly a piece of history from another era. SBMM executive director Greg Gorga welcomed the audience who had come to hear local award-winning author Willard Thompson enlighten (pun intended) us about the lighthouse. He read from his book, Keepers of the Light, about its history. Point Conception is considered sacred ground by the Chumash. It’s where the California coast goes from a north-south orientation to eastwest. Ever since Gold Rush days, the Lighthouse has guarded the treacherous Pacific waters. So dangerous for mariners, it was dubbed the Cape Horn of California. Willard writes primarily historical fiction. “For me,” Thompson says, “writing history and historical novels is not just about telling stories in historical time settings; it’s about bringing to life the people who lived, loved and strove for meaning in their lives during those historical times.” Willard describes how lonely it was
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his book and proceeds from its sales to SBMM. His latest book to be released March 17 is La Paloma, a novel inspired by real life events. Visit the SBMM so you can see the giant First Order Fresnel lens. It’s come a long way from Paris where it was made. The SBMM is located at 113 Harbor Way, near the Yacht Club. Oh, and the birthday cake was good, too!
SBMM deputy director and curator Emily Falke with marketing director Rita Serotkin at the Lighthouse birthday party
Writer Willard Thompson’s wife Jo with Kia McInerny at the birthday party
at the lighthouse especially for some of the wives. It is a desolate piece of property on Vandenberg land but with a small portion owned by the Coast Guard. It was also difficult to
keep supplies coming as needed. You can learn the whole story by reading Keepers of the Light: The History of the Point Conception Lighthouse. Thompson has donated all rights to
“Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit.” – Khalil Gibran
The Santa Barbara Scholarship Foundation gave its 41st annual Art Scholarship exhibition and reception at the family resource center in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. The room was filled with proud parents and friends plus the teen artists themselves. They were standing by their work and more than ready to tell you about themselves. The artists should be proud because 70 competed and 25 were chosen to receive $2,500. The Best of Show done by Evan Sherman received an extra $1,000. He has been in Visual Arts and Design at Santa Barbara High for three years. He is especially intrigued by the notion that surfaces possess their own narratives. In 2018 he received top honors in an Arts Fund competition. He hopes to attend the Rhode Island School of Design and wants to paint professionally. I spoke with Magdaline Gooch’s mom, Jessie Dougherty who said, “Ever since she could walk she would go around with a pencil in her hand.” Her daughter, Magdaline said, “Through my art I believe I can reach many people about the important and critical issues facing our planet, especially as they relate to endangered species.” After wine and viewing we went into the auditorium for the award presentations. Board chair for the Scholarship Foundation Christie Glanville welcomed all. Director of education for the Santa Barbara Museum of Art Patsy Hicks gave out the awards saying, “You are a remarkable force for good. You belong here.” Each artist introduced themselves and each had a different sponsor for their award. The chief programs officer for the Scholarship Foundation Len Smolburd gave student recognition. Chief Development Officer Julie Weiner wants us to know, “Each year we are forced to turn away talented applicants due to a lack of funds. There are two ways to support them. Establish an Art Scholarship Fund in the name of your family, a loved one, business, foundation, club or organization. They are $2,500 and you retain the flexibility to renew this gift each year. Or make a gift of any size to the Fund and it will be combined with the support of others. Call 805.687.6065.” •MJ 6 – 13 February 2020
Real Estate
by Mark Ashton Hunt
Mark and his wife, Sheela Hunt, are real estate agents. His family goes back nearly 100 years in the Santa Barbara area. Mark’s grandparents – Bill and Elsie Hunt – were Santa Barbara real estate brokers for 25 years.
The $2.2’s… Million, That Is
A
Coast Village Road, Butterfly and Miramar Beach, all of which can be accessed using the new pedestrian path on North Jameson Lane. The home offers three bedrooms and three bathrooms in approximately 2,100 square feet of living space. There is air conditioning, an outdoor deck, additional guest parking, grassy yard, and within the Montecito Union School District.
2825 Hidden Valley Lane - $2,295,000
s we move further into the New Year, we are seeing new homes come on the market, as well as listings that had expired at the end of last year and are coming back on. Inventory is generally low right now, but not far off averages for past years overall. Additionally, many of the homes for sale have been on the market a while now or are back on the market after a pause or break from active marketing. In my recent articles, I have focused on specific price points, comparing homes in that price range. This practice allows me as well as readers to compare homes that are basically priced the same, though usually offering different styles, features, number of bedrooms, level of finishes, etc... Whether a home is contemporary, Spanish, ranch, or other style of home, it is nice to see options of homes priced similarly. Today I focused on a very popular price point in our market, the low two million dollar range.
760 Hot Springs Road - $2,275,000
This is a unique opportunity in East Montecito with two separately walled and gated private sites on one parcel. One site has a Spanish style cottage offering approximately 860 square feet of living space in a lovely setting. The other site is awaiting a new main home to be built. Encompassing over an acre of mostly level, buildable land, the cottage site and the main home site are separated by Hidden Valley Lane, and are basically across the street from each other. Approved building plans for a new, ocean view main home on the upper site are included in the sale. The casita site includes landscaped gardens and mature trees, a peaceful park like setting with patios and gardens and could be lived in while building the main home across the street.
740 Skyview Drive - $2,295,000 This contemporary, two-story home offers just over an acre of land down a shared drive, surrounded by more expensive homes. There are four bedrooms and three bathrooms in the home and the interior has high ceilings with large windows. Modern and open, the living room enjoys a fireplace, and many windows to enjoy views of the mountains and setting. The kitchen offers two Wolf range ovens, a Sub-Zero refrigerator, Sub-Zero wine refrigerator and stainless steel countertops. The master bedroom includes a private balcony and ocean views. There is a grassy yard, pool and spa and the home is within the Montecito Union School District.
130 Santo Tomas Lane - $2,295,000
Here is a newly remodeled, single-level, ranch style home, nestled on a corner lot in the heart of the Montecito Oaks Neighborhood. This area is very near to
This remodeled three-bedroom, two-bath ranch style home is in the Cold Spring School District and is set among gardens with a small pool and is available for a new owner for the first time in over 30 years. Stone pathways lead through lavender gardens to a wisteria covered arbor. The property is located on a private lane and enjoys a quiet setting with small ocean views. The home offers a multi-room audio system, security system, air conditioning and water softener. The property is fenced and has an attached two-car garage with storage. •MJ For more information on any of these listings or to have me arrange a showing with the listing agents, please contact me directly, Mark@Villagesite.com or call/text 805698-2174. Please view my website, www.MontecitoBestBuys.com, from which this article is based. 6 – 13 February 2020
• The Voice of the Village •
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C ALENDAR OF Note to readers: This entertainment calendar is a subjective sampling of arts and other events taking place in the Santa Barbara area for the next week. It is by no means comprehensive. Be sure to read feature stories in each issue that complement the calendar. In order to be considered for inclusion in this calendar, information must be submitted no later than noon on the Wednesday eight days prior to publication date. Please send all news releases and digital artwork to slibowitz@yahoo.com)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6 Amazon-ian Art Adventures – Amazon, which just recently relocated a bunch of Alexa engineers and other developers of its voice-assisted device to the former Saks store on State Street, has, in a controversial deal, become the title sponsor of 1st Thursday for 2020. Reporters weren’t able to get past the front desk on opening day, but this evening Amazon Santa Barbara (1001 State Street) throws opens its doors for
its inaugural 1st Thursday event, when the location hosts an exhibit called “Strange Attractors” featuring drawing machines by Sean O’Brien and abstract oil paintings by Taj Vaccarella. Wine and tasty treats will be served. Alexa, I’d like a glass of chardonnay… Engel & Völkers (1323 State Street, 805-342-0227) rejoins 1st Thursday for the first time in many months with a special event in commemoration of Rodger Casier’s life and artwork. Casier, the late artist who was diagnosed
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11
Mercury Ballroom Supper Club – Montecito entrepreneur Christie Jenkins has put together what looks to be a unique evening out – or at least one that we haven’t seen the likes of in more than six decades. The immersive 1940s experience features a cast of 33, including Broadway star Nathan Madden, a tapping-andsinging floor show, the Blue Note Orchestra boasting 20 musicians in white tuxedos playing hits from the Big Band Era and Great American Songbook, and a full light show, plus a full dinner, coffee and dessert catered by Pete Clements, and retro cocktails by Flair Project. Guests will be greeted by a showgirl with an updated version of the cigarette tray, have their outerwear stashed by a coat check girl and then be led to their tables by a bellhop. We’re told the event – which takes place at the appropriately historic Rockwood Clubhouse – costs $19,000 per night to run, so feel free to dress to the nines. WHEN: 6-10 pm tonight through Saturday, plus 2 pm Sunday WHERE: Rockwood Woman’s Club, 670 Mission Canyon Rd. COST: $165, includes valet parking and one cocktail INFO: (800) 838-3006 or www. brownpapertickets.com/event/4452047.
52 MONTECITO JOURNAL
EVENTS by Steven Libowitz
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11 Berne it Down – Avant-garde alto saxophonist and composer Tim Berne has been named “one of New York City’s essential jazz icons” by Time Out New York and declared “a saxophonist and composer of granite conviction” by The New York Times. His presence has loomed large on New York’s avantgarde jazz scene for more than 35 years, while his harmonically dense compositions are renowned for their intensely kinetic, dizzyingly intricate quality, spinning seamlessly into furiously passionate free improvisations. As a leader, Berne counts more than 50 albums to his name, and is a constant presence on jazz critics’ annual best-of lists, while his most recent recordings for the acclaimed ECM Record label have won widespread international acclaim. For the past decade or so, Berne has developed a deep rapport with a fellow cutting edge jazzer in pianist Matt Mitchell, who The New York Times praised as “a pianist of burrowing focus and an indispensable fixture of the contemporary vanguard.” Jazz Trail is among a number of listeners who have been suitably impressed, noting “Berne and Mitchell sculpt and engrave with an absolute sense of anticipation and direction.” Tonight, local jazz and folk music promoter Stephen Cloud, whose day job is serving as Keith Jarrett’s manager, bring the celebrated duo to SOhO in a decade-opening salvo that portends good things for Santa Barbara’s non-trad jazz scene for the 2020s. WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: SOhO, 1221 State Street, upstairs in Victoria Court COST: $25 INFO: (805) 9627776 or www.sohosb.com
in his 20s with schizophrenia, has his “Self Portrait” painting featured on the covers of several professional psychology journals, and was featured in the film Crazy Art, which took home the 2010 SBIFF Audience Choice Award. A selection of Casier’s vibrant and expressive paintings will be showcased… Elsewhere, “Hello Forever,” a nine-artist group show that explores the many divergent threads of human relationships, both with each other and with the world at large, opens at 10 West Gallery (10 West Anapamu St., 805-770-7711), while “INTUITIVE SUBCONSCIOUS” features artists Marge Cafarelli and Cyndee Howard, who are led by intuition in navigating the empty canvas, like Braille, by splashing paint or working in a digital darkroom – embodying the idea that out of messy, unorganized and chaos comes beauty. The opening reception at State Gallery at Youth Interactive (1219 State St., 805-617-6421) also features live music and wine… The venerable Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery (11 E. Anapamu St., 805-730-1460) scales back from its massive holiday 100 Grand show to celebrate the opening of solo exhibits for two of Santa Barbara’s most iconic and beloved painters: Meredith Brooks Abbott and Phoebe Brunner, while other well-known local art creators are featured at Channing Peake Gallery (105 E. Anapamu St., 1st Floor) where “Wit and Whimsy: Selections
“The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough of is love.” – Henry Miller
from the Collection of Michael and Nancy Gifford” showcases a variety of contemporary works in mixed media by Santa Barbara County artists. Continuing the theme of wellestablished locals artists, original Oak Group members Arturo Tello, Richard Schloss, Larry Iwerks, Michael Drury and Marcia Burtt are joined by current members John Wullbrandt, Kevin Gleason and Carrie Givens at Santa Barbara Fine Art, which just moved into new digs at 1321 State St. (805-845-4270), where opening night features wine tasting by Santa Barbara Winery and LaFond winery. 1st Thursday Performances – Enjoy a rare opportunity to travel back in time to more than two centuries ago to visit El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park (123 East Canon Perdido St., 805-966-1279) by candlelight, where you can chat with the Presidio officers in la comandancia, watch a cooking demonstration in la cocina, enjoy Chumash stories by an open fire, and dance to traditional Spanish music in the candlelit chapel… Stray Herd, a Santa Barbara based country rock band featuring local stalwarts Grayson Dale, Nick Hoffman, Kate Ingalls, Ally Shiras, Snake Farmer and “Wyoming” Steve Clemens, plays outlaw, modern country roots tunes along with old classic country rock songs at De La Guerra Place in Paseo 6 – 13 February 2020
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11 Portland Portables – Blind Pilot was formed in Portland, Oregon, in 2007 as songwriter Israel Nebeker and co-founding member Ryan Dobrowski then went on a West Coast tour via bicycle, which included an impromptu date in Santa Barbara and the warm folk pop-inflected acoustic debut in 2008 called 3 Rounds and a Sound. In 2011, Blind Pilot returned to town, this time expanded into a full-fledged folk outfit complete with six players, for another memorable date at SOhO. Now they’re kicking off the new decade by stepping up to the Lobero, and although there’s only been two more albums (We Are The Tide in 2011 and And Then Like Lions in 2016) Blind Pilot has sold out concerts throughout the U.S., Europe and the UK, performed on Ellen and The Late Show With David Letterman as well as at Newport Folk Festival, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, winning fans by employing a variety of sounds from ukulele, harmonium, trumpet, keyboards, vibraphone and percussion, creating what NPR called “a mini roots-rock orchestra.” Opening is New Orleans native Andrew Duhon, a writer with an undeniable voice that’s both weighted and soulful. WHEN: 8 pm WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $26 & $35 INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com
Nuevo. Dance outdoors under the stars as the band brings back such legends as Waylon, Lefty, Hank, Willie, Johnny, Elvis, Merle, Patsy and Tammy – if you need last names, maybe this isn’t the band for you… CURATED COCKTAILS at the Museum of Contemporary Art (653 Paseo Nuevo Terrace, 805-9665373) features drinks inspired by the current exhibition featuring N. Dash, interactive art activities and tunes outdoors on the patio by DJ Lady Flash…. A very different kind of music emerges at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (1130 State St., 805-9634364) where Opera Santa Barbara presents another of its periodic Pop-Up Opera performance in the museum galleries, featuring selections in honor of Black History Month… Finally, SBIFF, which has already gotten right back to business following its 35th and perhaps most successful festival last month, continues it Santa Barbara Filmmaker Screening Series at the SBIFF Education Center (1330 State St.) with Zizheng Liu’s seven-minute short Dumpling King, which follows Wang, a Chinese fisherman and cook, who fishes in Santa Barbara Harbor and owns a dumpling restaurant in Isla Vista. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7 Sisters in Song – Los Angelesbased Honey Whiskey Trio, who make their Santa Barbara tonight at the Cambridge Drive Concert Series, are all alumni of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach, where they studied classical music and jazz. Then Courtney Gasque Politano, Ann Louise Jeffries Thaiss, and Christina Wilson began singing together in each other’s living rooms as an emotional and musical release. In 2013, after seeing the impact of their music on the contemporary a 6 – 13 February 2020
GranadaSB.org
805.899.2222 Broadway In Santa Barbara Series presents
BEAUTIFUL
THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL Wed FEB 5 7:30 pm Thu FEB 6 7:30 pm
SBL Entertainment presents
cappella community, the so-called sisters in song solidified their style as Americana/folk and picked up instruments (mandolin, guitar, and banjo, respectively) to further enhance their vocally-driven sound. Today their continued passion for music education, community outreach and singing unapologetically leads them to create, arrange and explore music from the front porches, music halls and hymn books of early America. “Their sound is intoxicating,” Bluegrass Spin raved. “To simply classify this trio as folk, bluegrass, or jazz would be to do them a great disservice. What I hear is great music and what I see is great joy.” WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: Cambridge Drive Community Church, 550 Cambridge Drive, Goleta COST: $15 with advance reservation and $18 at the door INFO: (805) 9640436 or www.cambridgedrivechurch. org
POSTMODERN JUKEBOX WELCOME TO THE TWENTIES 2.0 TOUR Fri FEB 7 8pm
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents
FLIP FABRIQUE
NOUVEAU CIRQUE FROM QUEBEC Sun FEB 9 6:30 pm
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents
DAVID BROOKS
THE QUEST FOR A MORAL LIFE Tue FEB 11 7:30 pm
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 Mann that’s Jazz – Award-winning vocalist and L.A.-area favorite Janis Mann returns to SOhO for the Santa Barbara Jazz Society’s monthly series accompanied by two renowned musicians: Jeff Colella on piano and Chris Colangelo on bass, both of whom have backed singer Jack Jones and numerous other jazz luminaries. Expect to hear a broad repertoire of soul-stirring ballads, hard swinging modern jazz, sensuous Latin tunes and spirited blues all presented with Mann’s deft improvisational twists. Likely, there will also be a preview of her new CD, Dreams of Flying, with pianist Kenny Werner, that is slated to be released a little later this year. WHEN: 1-4 pm WHERE: SOhO, 1221 State Street, upstairs in Victoria Court COST: $22 INFO: (805) 9627776 / www.sohosb.com or (805) 687-7123/www.sbjazz.org •MJ
Santa Barbara Symphony presents
REIF CONDUCTS TCHAIKOVSKY & MOZART Sat FEB 15 8pm Sun FEB 16 3pm
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents
CIRQUE ÉLOIZE HOTEL
Tue FEB 18 7 pm
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1214 State Street, Santa Barbara
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1482 East Valley Road, STE 10, Montecito, CA
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