A Century of Support

Backing the Food Trucks – After “citizen complaints” get local food trucks a warning, MWD’s Mike Clark and others voice their support, P.10 A Clear Vision – Dr. Helena Ndume receives a humanitarian reward after providing free sightrestoring surgery to 55,000 Namibians, P.12

ChatGBT and Me – Ernie makes a new friend and the laughs begin, though the new chum’s humor is a little robotic, P.23

Culinary Curiosity – Stella chats with recent culinary school grad Jakob Hammer about the industry, insights, and his picks around town, P.26

The Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation is hosting its annual outdoor soirée and there’s still time to join the fun in the sun, page 20

A CENTURY OF SUPPORT

Through fires, the debris flow, and a pandemic, United Way of Santa Barbara County has been here for the community … and that was only in the past five years. Now the organization is turning 100 and having a celebration to honor a century of work, but mostly those who have helped make it happen (Story on p. 28)

The Triangle of Success

It takes a village to make a triangle, and thanks to the community, the one near Casa Dorinda is now complete, page 5

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Cirque du Crane

Contortionists, clowns, and parents run rampant on Crane’s campus. Don’t worry though – it’s all in the name of supporting the school, page 34

Four

Dream. Design. Build. Live.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

P.5

P.8

Village Beat – “The Triangle” nears completion, and Rooms & Gardens opens in the Upper Village

Montecito Miscellany – Something happened at Westminster Abbey, teachers and students receive Hope, fashion is THRIVE-ing, and more miscellany

P.10

Letters to the Editor – Thoughts on Robert Bernstein’s column, supporting Cesar’s food truck, fear for the fair, and others

Tide Guide

P.12

Our Town – Humanitarian award recipient Dr. Helena Ndume of Namibia discusses her work performing visionsaving surgery on more than 55,000 Namibians

P.14

P.16

Society Invites – The Blue Water Ball is a bash with a cause, the annual picnic fundraiser for the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation is back

Your Westmont – The college urges its graduates to sink their roots at Commencement

P.22

P.23

P.26

P.27

Brilliant Thoughts – Even when we have freedom of speech, there are limits, times, and places for it

Robert’s Big Questions – Robert has questions about the Republicans and the debt ceiling debate

Ernie’s World – Ernie makes a new robot friend, ChatGBT, and the two have some fun writing together

Dear Montecito – Jakob Hammer talks about culinary school, the industry, and some of his favorite foods around town and the kitchen

On Entertainment – The jazzy tunes of Tierney Sutton, Jack Harwood chats about his Spirit, Chekov under a Lit Moon, and more

P.28

P.34

The Giving List – United Way prepares to celebrate a century of service and you can join the festivities and support

Crane Spring Benefit – The school has a field day fundraiser when it hosts Cirque du Crane on campus

P.36

Mind Body Matters – Trauma can change the mind and it’s important to understand the healing process needed after these moments occur

P.38

Communication Matters – These are four relationship killers; how to identify and avoid them

The Optimist Daily – It’s Mother’s Day, and not everyone still has theirs; these are some tips to cope with complex feelings that this holiday can bring up

P.40

Far Flung Travel – A pinniped mother’s patience is precious, except for when a flock of pesky birds are coming for the afterbirth

P.44

Calendar of Events – Get Out of Town in town, a burning operetta on campus, The Chicago Sessions on stage, and more happenings

P.46

Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads, in which sellers offer everything from summer rentals to estate sales

P.47 Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles

Photography: Spenser Bruce

Village Beat Triangle Restoration Project Complete

by Kelly Mahan Herrick

After a two-year public/private collaboration and with the help of hundreds of donors, the Montecito Community Foundation (MCF) is pleased to announce the impending completion of Montecito’s Triangle Restoration Project: the rejuvenation of the corner of Hot Springs and Olive Mill roads.

In a few short weeks, “The Triangle” will once again be a beautiful oasis of drought-tolerant, native trees and plantings, returning one of Montecito’s most prominent intersections to a tranquil and verdant setting. This beautification initiative is thanks to a collaboration effort and fundraising through the Montecito Community Foundation.

The debris flow on Jan. 9, 2018, stripped away most of the vegetation and left the community with a triangle filled with a collection of mud and rocks in what many considered the heart of the debris flow destruction. The County of Santa Barbara made limited improvements, including clearing of the site, installation of curbing and a drainage system, and the granting of a public easement at the site but was unable to fund further improvements.

“Recognizing the community’s need, the Montecito Community Foundation was able to facilitate this important restoration project that benefits all residents,” said Ruth Green, president of the MCF Board. “I am grateful to the many partner organizations and donors who have enabled this to happen.”

Several community leaders came together to make the project happen, including Susan Jackson , president of the Garden Club of Santa Barbara, who was instrumental in the coordination of planning, design, and funding support. Puck Erickson , landscape architect and founder of Arcadia Studio provided the conceptual design services, and Casa Dorinda’s management team will provide the plant installation and ongoing maintenance. The Montecito Community Foundation was instrumental in the solicitation and administration of local donations and development of grant funding, and the Montecito Association (MA) was in full cooperation and support, helping to bring awareness of this special project to the entire community.

The MCF is especially grateful for the significant financial support of the Ann Jackson Family Foundation, WWW Foundation, Susan and Riley Bechtel , Brent Harris , the Brown Family Trust, and Omaha Community Foundation, as well as in-kind sponsors the Garden Club of Santa Barbara,

Acadia Studio, Casa Dorinda, MGS Engineering, and the MA.

“Plantings in the newly restored Triangle will demonstrate how to create something beautiful using waterwise species that can tolerate future drought periods,” according to Jackson. “The Club plans to create a QR code to explain the history of the debris flow and to describe how proper planting, cultivation, and clearing of vulnerable areas can mitigate future danger.” The 1/3-acre space, which used to be flat, is now undulated and features a buffer of Santa Barbara sandstone around prepped soil, which will be planted with various plants in the coming weeks.

“The call to action resulted in over 300 donations, at all levels of support, stepping up for our community,” said Steve Hicks, MCF board member. “Not only does the restored Triangle bring beauty, but it will also contribute to our community’s demonstrated success in creating multidisciplinary solutions to community challenges.”

For more than 50 years, the Montecito Community Foundation has supported the community by funding projects that help preserve the uniqueness, elegance, and safety of our surroundings. Past and ongoing projects include the construction, installation, and maintenance of Montecito’s rustic wooden road signs; the purchase and landscaping of the Corner Green at the intersection of East Valley and San Ysidro roads; and the replacement and beautification of local bus stops.

Village Beat Page 64

Ruth Green with Montecito Community Foundation; Sasha Shebalin and Puck Erickson of Arcadia Studio; Susanne Tobey with the Garden Club of Santa Barbara; and Brian McCague, CEO of Casa Dorinda; all of whom have been instrumental in the Triangle Restoration Project

If you wish to join with MCF in support of current or future community projects and activities, visit the MCF website at www.montecitofoundation.org for further information.

Rooms & Gardens Opens in Upper Village

On nearly the same day that she opened her beloved shop 30 years ago on State Street, Rooms & Gardens owner Jami Voulgaris is starting a new chapter in Montecito. Rooms & Gardens made its official debut over the weekend with a friends and family event, opening the doors for business on May 8. “When this space became available, I knew I had to have it,” Voulgaris told us Monday. “I absolutely love the light-filled space, the neighbors, and the ample parking,” she said about the location in the upper village next to Tecolote, which was formerly occupied by Coda Studio, and prior to that, Oliver & Espig.

Voulgaris and her team completely overhauled the space in a short amount of time; from new flooring to ceiling paneling, to built-in bookshelves, and even remodeling the bathroom, the airy building is now decked out in Voulgaris’ “California chic” aesthetic. The shop features multiple vignettes of living, dining, and bedroom spaces, meant to show off the furniture, fabrics, and Voulgaris’ signature style.

Voulgaris opened Rooms & Gardens 30 years ago with her husband, Eric. It has flourished into one of Santa Barbara’s go-to shops for furniture, home décor, and design services, attracting local celebrities and A-list designers as well as homeowners all over California and beyond. “I like to think of it as a perfect mix of styles from both the west and east coasts,” Voulgaris said.

Rooms & Gardens is also a full-service design firm that can handle any part of an interior design project, from a re-furnishing of a small room or reupholstering

to a full-home remodel or build. They also do custom draperies and shades, space planning, and more, and they have an in-house kitchen designer.

Jami has her own custom furniture workroom in Los Angeles, where she has her craftsmen custom-make her sofas, chairs, beds, coffee tables, and more. She also works with a custom wicker weaver based in the workroom who makes all of the wicker pieces, some of which have been featured in design magazines. There are also a handful of antique pieces, as well as imported lamps and lamp shades, textiles, dishware, candles, and gift items. “It’s everything for a well-appointed home,” Voulgaris said.

“After 30 wonderful years at the State Street store that Eric and I lovingly created and curated, I am excited for the new location in the heart of Montecito’s Upper Village, which is being referred to as Montecito’s new design district. While it has been great to be a part of the State Street culture, my local customer base is in Montecito, so this move to the new location made a lot of sense,” Voulgaris said.

Rooms & Gardens is located at 1482 East Valley Road, suite 108, in Montecito’s upper village. Visit www. roomsandgardens.com for more information. The shop is open from 10 am to 5 pm Monday through Saturday, and 12 pm to 5 pm on Sunday.

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” – Abraham Lincoln

Jami Voulgaris’ first day at her new location of Rooms & Gardens, located next to Tecolote in the upper village

The shop offers custom furniture, window coverings, home décor, and more

Kelly Mahan Herrick, also a licensed realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, has been editor at large for the Journal since 2007, reporting on news in Montecito and beyond.

After More Than 40 Years, Michael Can Finally Take His Grandkids Fishing...

After A Record Breaking 2022, It Feels Like the Time is Right...

With more than 40 years in the furniture business, it is time for Michael to be able to take a break and spend more time with his grown children and grandchildren. Michael started working in the family business in 1983, and when his parents retired in 2000, he took the reigns and has continued the family business ever since.

Our Sincere ‘Thank You’ for Your 70 Years of Support!

It has been an amazing run for a furniture business that started as Danica House in 1953 in a little yellow cottage on Chapala Street. And, we couldn’t have done it without our fantastic customers who have made this such a wonderful experience!

Coast 2 Coast Collection

JOIN US FOR A MOTHER’S DAY SIP & SHOP EVENT!

SATURDAY, MAY 13 TH 11AM - 5PM

Montecito Miscellany English Abbey Experiences a Crowd

VIETRI’S Ambassador, Anna Giuliani, will be IN STORE to personalize any of your VIETRI purchases for Mother’s Day!

Gifts with Purchase and Refreshments will be served throughout the day.

by Richard Mineards

Wow! What a weekend. The coronation of King Charles III at London’s Westminster Abbey lived up to every expectation with pomp, pageantry, and ceremony watched by hundreds of millions worldwide.

From our rarefied enclave, all eyes were undoubtedly on Riven Rock resident Prince Harry, who blasted his family in his bestselling book Spare and a Netflix documentary, and where he would be seated in the 1,000-year-old locale.

He ended up in the third row, well away from his older brother William and wife Kate, now the Prince and Princess of Wales, sat between Jack Brooksbank, husband of disgraced Prince Andrew’s daughter Princess Eugenie, and Princess Alexandra, sister of the Duke of Kent and granddaughter of King George V.

The Duke of Sussex’s view was also partially blocked by the monarch’s sister, Princess Anne, who was wearing a large, feathered headpiece directly in front of him.

Harry had flown in just the day before traveling first class on an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles, staying at Frogmore Cottage, his former home. Immediately after the two-hour ceremony, attended by 2,000 people, ended he was whisked away to Heathrow Airport, just a short distance from Windsor Castle, with a police motorcade to avoid any delays catching his British Airways return flight to the U.S. to attend his son Archie’s low key fourth birthday bash at

the $15 million eight-acre estate he shares with wife, Meghan Markle, who did not attend the historic British event.

Santa Barbara warbler Katy Perry, who sang with Lionel Richie and opera legend Andrea Bocelli at the coronation concert at Windsor the next day, dressed impressively for the coronation service with a giant lilac fascinator and a large Vivienne Westwood choker as she was escorted into the abbey by British Vogue editor Edward Enninful

As usual, I was kept busy with media interviews with the top German magazine Bild, and The Sun and Telegraph, two of the U.K.’s top newspapers, as well as TV appearances on KEYT-TV’s morning show with anchor Alys Martinez and KCAL, the Los Angeles CBS affiliate, via Zoom.

The coronation was, by any standard, an extraordinarily historic occasion with Camilla, considered a pariah by the British public in 1997 when Princess Diana died in the tragic Paris car accident, now, 26 years later, is a very popular figure in U.K. opinion polls.

Rousing Rosey Race

A torrent of tony tête toppers descended on Fieldside at the Santa Barbara Polo Club when social gadabout Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey Nowak , founder of the popular La Boheme dance troupe, hosted their third annual Run for the Roses bash celebrating the 149th Kentucky Derby.

Known as the Greatest Two Minutes in

Miscellany Page 304

Richard Mineards being interviewed on the coronation on KEYT-TV (screenshot by Priscilla)

Derby and hat enthusiasts filled the fields (photo by Veronica Slavin)

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Letters to the Editor

Iam glad that “Robert’s Big Questions” are published regularly in the weekly Montecito Journal. The writer is among my most interesting friends (among other things, he’s the widely grinning high-brow guy cavorting about on his unicycle in parades and events around town), and I find it worthwhile to consider how and what he thinks. Case in point: his column of May 11, in which he posits the question: “[Is it] Good to be Unreasonable?”

Robert asks, “How do you respond when you see an injustice? Are you inspired to action? Or do you just try to adapt to it?”

He then asserts: “Most people are raised with a belief that life is unfair, but there will be an afterlife where justice will be served... Jesus tells his followers, ‘Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” These folks, Robert tells us, are the “reasonable” people who will adapt to injustice, believing that “all will be made right by the sky god.” He then asserts, “But the unreasonable person is not going to wait for an imaginary sky god to make things right. They work to make things right here and now.”

Among the unreasonable action-figures of the world, Robert counts himself and Ralph Nader. He writes, “I have had the opportunity of meeting Nader several times and seeing him speak about a wide range of topics. His upbringing was very similar to my own: in a Semitic family in rural central Connecticut. His family was Lebanese; ours was Jewish. For both of us, family dinner conversations revolved around world events and what could be done to make things better. I just assumed that this was normal for everyone. Why wasn’t it?”

Robert is on particularly thin ice here, I think, unless I am missing the relevance

of his assertion that dinner conversation in a Semitic family is fundamentally different from the conversation around the family dinner table of folks of diverse beliefs and practices, such as mine.

For me, Robert breaks through the ice and begins to flail when he asserts that, “Most people become activists because something makes them angry,” and that, “‘Taking sides’ is the only way change ever happens.” I am sorry to read Robert’s last lines: “The bad guys distract us with wedge issues. But if we remember what side we are on, we can win.” Here, I am ready to plunge into the water to help my friend get his footing on land.

And so, this:

I too knew Ralph Nader, and I modeled some of my early public interest environmental defense legal work on the efforts of his “Nader’s Raiders” teams. I had a conversation with him on the last month of the 2000 presidential race in an effort to persuade him to drop out in favor of Vice President Al Gore, and I was stunned by his self-righteous (and

extremely unreasonable) refusal to do so, thus creating the situation that enabled Bush II to become President.

As a long-time mediation and dispute-resolution practitioner and teacher, I know too that “getting angry” is surely neither the only nor the best way to get to work as an activist, and that “taking sides” is surely neither the only nor the best way to do the work of coming up with just and peaceful resolutions to life’s inevitable conflicts.

According to one of the world’s oldest wisdom traditions, “The way to do is to be.” During my 50-some years as an activist and educator, I have sought to be in love and to do as love does in my work. I have had successes, and I have had failures, none so distracting me from keeping on working for that in which I believe. At my best, I am able to act both heartfully and reasonably, neither angry nor needing to take sides against anyone.

Again, I am grateful for the column and for the opportunity to respond to it.

Marc McGinnes Santa Barbara

Keep on Truckin’

Recently, I learned that the Mexican food trucks which park down below Casa Dorinda and also up by San Ysidro Creek off of E. Valley Road have been told by

Mike and many of the hard-working trade employees support and need Irma and her food truck

MONTECITO TIDE GUIDE

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Contributors | Scott Craig, Ashleigh Brilliant, Kim Crail, Tom Farr, Chuck Graham, Stella Haffner, Mark Ashton Hunt, Dalina Michaels, Sharon Byrne, Robert Bernstein, Christina Favuzzi, Leslie Zemeckis, Sigrid Toye

Gossip | Richard Mineards

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“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth”

plainers, and have amassed about 30 something letters of support, so that Irma and her truck and crew may come back to sell food to the workers in Montecito, and also the truck that parked up by San Ysidro Creek.

Here are some images to prove my cause and she has a hearing with the county on Wednesday, I understand. If I could do one thing before I retire that would help the remaining workers of Montecito, it would be to get these trucks back for lunch hour as they bring reasonably priced food to our locations, which is hard to get elsewhere. Thanks for your consideration, and I’m also going to get these to Montecito Association in the hopes they can affect meaningful change for the good of Montecito’s hard-working employees of many trades.

Mike Clark, MWD

Only One-way for State

At one time, State Street was one of the most attractive and vibrant streets in California. A drive down State was a must for visitors and locals alike to enjoy the Spanish motif, as well as to get a glimpse of the many boutique shops that adorned the street. Equally enjoyable was the convenience of the electric trolleys, and of course, the parades and festivals that make Santa Barbara special.

This changed with COVID, as restaurants struggled to survive and the city offered help by closing off State Street and allowing restaurants to erect parklets for outdoor dining. While this rightfully helped restaurants, State Street became less accessible and the parklets turned out to be eyesores, as well as breeding grounds for dirt and rodents.

With COVID officially over, there has been a great deal of discussion on how to return State Street to an attractive and vibrant thoroughfare. The best suggestion I’ve heard came from a restaurant owner whose main interest is making State Street a world-class destination for locals and tourists alike.

With that as the goal, we suggest the following:

Widen the sidewalks and allow restaurants and retailers to use the space as they do in Paris, Rome, or the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Outside dining in settings with attractive wrought iron fencing, colorful awnings, and umbrellas that contribute to the beauty of our city.

Make State Street a one-way street with a dedicated bike path. Add to this the return of electric buses for easy access to local businesses and, most importantly, bring back the parades and festivals to State Street that make Santa Barbara a destination for people from all over the world.

Expensive? Yes. Worth it in the long term? Absolutely!

George Lilly

It’s Not Fair

How violence has changed the landscape of the county fair…

“Mom, can you please pick me up? Now?” my very sage 13-year-old texted me from the county fair last night. “I think this might be a good time to leave.”

This was the first time she and her friends were allowed to go to the fair without a parent, and my anxiety was already at Defcon 2 before they even left. The parents had all agreed that a 9 pm pick-up was more than late enough, in spite of the protests to the contrary. Which was why I was so surprised to get her text at 8 pm.

My daughter and her friends told me they had started noticing swarms of kids all dressed similarly in baggy pants, chains around their wastes and necks, flannel shirts and vans. “Your brother and his friends are at the fair?” I asked. I am sure she rolled her eyes at me, but that is kind of how they dress.

As our kids have grown up in a very “woke” town, in a very woke age, she was loathe to say what she really meant, which was that the groups of kids looked like gang members. Not wanting to judge or seem racist with her assumptions, but that is exactly what they were. Rival gangs who we later found out, had agreed to meet at the fair. In the kids’ area. To fight. The police on site quickly broke up the hundreds that had gathered but there were murmurs that they were going to try again at 9 pm. To fight. In the kids’ area. Seriously?

Then the girls saw someone from outside the fair slip a gun under the gate to evade the metal detectors that are now sadly commonplace at these events. The girls immediately left, reported what they saw to the police and went to wait at the school next door for their parents to pick them up. I commended them on their quick-thinking, as well as their decision to stay out of harm’s way, rather than to stick around to witness the impending drama.

There are so many aspects of a fair that unsettle me. Not just in the “I might pee in my pants, it is so scary” kind of thing, but the fact that the rides themselves, unlike permanent installations at amusement parks, are taken down, transported, and reassembled at each location makes me very nervous. And my fears are warranted.

According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital: “A study by researchers in the Center for Injury Research and Policy found that, over a 20-year period, there were more than 27,000 injuries to kids under 18 serious enough to be treated in hospital emergency departments from mobile rides, like those found at fairs and festivals.” So, there’s that. The throngs of strangers, that in my hypervigilant, neurotic-mother state trigger images of stampeding clowns. And, of course, the violence. Each year,

“Santa Barbara Design and Build was fabulous. Don and his crew were the BEST from day one. He was honest, timely, flexible, artistic, patient and skilled. They understood my vision and built my dream home”.

-Santa Barbara Resident

Our Town

Dr. Helena Ndume Awarded ASCRS Humanitarian Award

by Joanne A Calitri

Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International announced the prestigious American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery’s (ASCRS) 2023 Chang-Crandall Humanitarian Award recipient is Dr. Helena Ndume of Namibia, who SEE has collaborated with for more than 25 years.

The award, presented on May 6 in San Diego, honors her life’s work to date and continuing in the treatment of blindness and eye-related illnesses. Born in Tsumeb, Northern Namibia, she protested against apartheid South Africa in her country, and fled to the SWAPO refugee camp in Zambia to escape possible imprisonment. While completing her high school education and having a passion for the fashion industry, she was advised by Dr. Libertina Amathila to be a doctor to help her country rebuild once it became independent. She received a scholarship for med school at the University of Leipzig and ophthalmology at University of Saarland in Germany.

At the 1995 ASCRS, she met SEE International via an introduction from Dr. Solomon Guramatunhu of Zimbabwe. In 1997, she finished med school, contacted SEE, and started eye camps in her country for people without care, completing free sight restoration surgery to more than 55,000 people with cataracts. To date, she maintains her position at the Windhoek Central Hospital Eye Care Centre working with her team.

Dr. Ndume is the recipient of U.N.’s Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Award 2015 (and the first female awarded), the Forbes African Woman Social Impact Award (2022), the Lions Clubs International Humanitarian Award (2022), BBC’s 100 Most Influential Women (2018), Grand Commander of the Order of Namibia First Class, and many other awards.

On her way to San Diego, she stopped at the Goleta SEE offices for meetings and a Zoom interview with me on Monday, along with President and CEO of SEE International Donald W. Bell .

Q. Looking back, what advice would you give to your younger self?

A. When I look back, I think, thank God there were guiding angels. You have to know that when you are young, you think you know it better. In my culture, we were brought up to listen to the elders, and when elders tell you to do something, you don’t talk back. So, when I was told that fashion is not enough and it’s rubbish – although I was very annoyed – I had to do what my elders told me, that we were fighting to liberate our country, and when we liberate it, we need people who are trained in different fields, and [I] should be a doctor. Looking back, I say, “Oh, they were very right, today we are changing people’s lives. I can still do fashion on the side.”

Did fashion circle back into your life?

I was married in Germany, and eight months into my pregnancy, my husband

had been killed in the war in Angola. It was a lot for me. When Namibia became independent in 1990, fortunately I just finished medical school. I did a one-year internship back home and I had left my son in Germany with my “German family” there because of the unstable war situation in Namibia. How that happened is back to fashion again…

When I was a student in Germany, there was another Namibian student in the same small town I was in, who told me, “You like fashion, there is a German woman with a boutique who makes dresses and sells them once a month, maybe you can come to her store and find something.” So, I went on the train to get there with my son in a pram. It was winter and cold; there was a line to get in. I think they felt sorry for me with a child, and they let me in.

Dr. Helena Ndume examining a patient’s eye before surgery in Onandjokwe, Namibia (photo by Sarde Amadhila, Studio 7)

Society Invites Return of the 21st Annual Blue Water Ball

by Joanne A Calitri

After a four-year hiatus, the Santa Barbara Channelkeeper organization held its signature fundraiser, The Blue Water Ball, on May 7 at the Santa Barbara Cabrillo Pavilion Ballroom overlooking our beautiful ocean, coast, and view of the SB Channel Islands. The sold-out event of all things blue had guests in ocean-inspired attire. Dinner tables sported seafaring burlap tablecloths, hammered silverware, and rustic centerpieces. Guests received a box of truffles made by Jessica Foster Confections from the SB Company, and a cuddly fringed throw blanket with the SB Channelkeeper logo from the Riviera Towel Company. Four large-scale photographs of ocean life in Tahiti and Santa Barbara taken and donated by Branden Aroyan were displayed around the ballroom, with one auctioned off during dinner. Aroyan and his wife Valerie have worked with Heal the Ocean for more than 10 years. Live jazz music was by the Dave Vignoe trio featuring pianist Mel McGary.

Following the cocktail hour and silent auction bidding, emcee Geoff Green welcomed everyone to their tables. He introduced Art Cisneros, a renowned Chumash Elder and firekeeper, who holds the sacred space for their annual Tomol crossing to Limuw on the

Channel Islands. Cisneros led the blessing in both English and Chumash languages. His blessing honored our oceans, sky, and natural world, the work of SB Channelkeeper and the attendees: “Let us honor our relationship with all the ocean and sky that the spark and great mystery in God binds us together, I ask you to invite your ancestors and Spirit Guides, along with the four directions which are outside and inside us, for help.” He finished by singing a whale song.

Green next introduced Executive Director Ted Morton, who joined SB Channelkeeper in 2021. Morton grew up in Atlanta and graduated from Furman University and University of Georgia School of Law. His 25-year career to date is focused on strengthening ocean and coastal protections and policies for clean water,

Where possibilities become possible

fisheries and coral reef conservation, estuaries, and marine mammal populations.

Morton thanked Green, keynote speaker Ben Halpern Ph.D., the corporate and individual sponsors, his board current and past members, staff and volunteers, the event committee, and honorary committee. He then shared about moving to Santa Barbara from Washington, D.C. He views SB as an environmental leader that influences policy worldwide.

He briefed the guests on SB Channelkeeper’s accomplishments such as mentoring and teaching 37,000 local schools’ students, having 700 volunteers who have removed 130 lobster traps from our shoreline oceans area, maintaining safe drinking water, and a clean ocean. His

Ben Halpern and Ted Morton (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

SB Channelkeeper Team, from left: Ted Morton, Molly Troup, Penny Owens, Laura Sanchez, and Veronica Moran

(photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Lori Murray, SVP Thirty three years of banking on the Central Coast

American Riviera was able to meet our tight time constraints and get our home remodel started. —TREVOR & MARJORIE LARGE, HOMEOWNERS

Your Westmont

Grads Urged to Sink Their Roots

BY THERESA REBECK

DIRECTED BY JONATHAN FOX

Under scattered skies two days after a rare May rainstorm, the 332 graduates of the Westmont College Class of 2023 marched to Thorrington Field on May 6 led by bagpipe fanfare. The celebration, which featured the inaugural graduating classes in both engineering and nursing, included speeches full of colorful imagery from the class verse, “Let your roots grow down into Him.” (Colossians 2:7)

Mercy Milliken, the Outstanding Graduate of kinesiology and modern languages, spoke about being from Omaha, Neb., growing up in South Korea, and searching for a sense of belonging when she arrived at Westmont four years ago. “Think about belonging and how it can be cultivated and shared wherever we go,” she said. “And please, please share it. There are too many people hurting, lost, having panic attacks, and Christ’s love is too good not to root us down and grow us up and out and into those realities,” she said.

Tobi Oyebade, an economics and business graduate from Jos, Nigeria, said when you’re rooted in Christ, you’re signing up to love and listen well. “It’s easy to grow when the soil is filled with love, but when love is lacking, when the right soil is not cultivated, it’s hard to grow,” he said. “As we leave this place today, I pray that we will all find where we can take root and thrive and also create fertile land where others can experience the same.”

President Gayle D. Beebe presented the Westmont Medal to alumnus Jonathan Walker (’91), cofounder and chief technology officer for AppFolio, which develops software for property managers.

“I am really the world’s most average person,” Walker said. “My one gift is attracting great people around me and appreciating them for who they are. The best news is that we’re all meant to be in a relationship with each other. And if

someone as average as me can have that gift, then all of you can have it, too.”

Beloved history professor Chandra Mallampalli, who is moving to Boston after teaching at Westmont for 22 years, began his Commencement address with his love for the film Top Gun: Maverick and our need to have the patience to allow its powerful inner story to unfold. “I’d like to make a case today for a different and better kind of slow, one that restores our sanity and humanity in a fast-paced, high-pressure world,” he said. “What does it mean to apply the brakes in this age of acceleration?”

Mallampalli spoke about the importance of slowing down to sink deep roots, linger, and find meaning in the gaps of our lives when it feels like we’re living in limbo. “Being rooted in Christ not only provides an anchor, but also opens up an alternative way of being in the world, one that preserves our humanity, core relationships and values in this age of acceleration,” he said.

Using a phrase from England’s subway trains, he suggested we mind the gaps, those moments of the day or seasons of life when we don’t feel productive or important. “We have learned to despise these moments, but I would suggest that these are precisely the times when God meets us outside of that speed zone if we’re willing to be vulnerable,” he said. “Instead of being moments when we panic and do anything to jumpstart the machine as quickly as possible, gaps can become moments where we sink deeper roots and really discern what God is asking us to do.

“Think of this transition to life beyond Westmont as a chance to be repotted into new communities, churches, jobs, degree programs, or internships. You’re not launching off the ground on some Darkstar supersonic jet but are sinking your roots elsewhere.”

Edee Schulze, vice president for student

Angie Huff, Architect

by Scott Craig, photo by Brad Elliott

Dan Jensen and the inaugural engineering graduates

life, presented the Dean’s Award to Reese Davidson and Danny Rubin, given to the outstanding male and female graduates who have demonstrated excellence in the classroom, have made superior contributions to an intercollegiate athletic team, and have demonstrated a deep faith in Christ.

Emma Mitchell won the Dave Dolan Award, which recognizes the outstanding graduate whose campus leadership has made significant contributions in our awareness and response to the social and spiritual needs of the community, the nation, and the world.

Ebun Kalejaiye and Caleb Marll won Kenneth Monroe Awards, given to the outstanding male and female graduates who have demonstrated superior aca-

demic achievement in the classroom, excelled as leaders on campus, and shaped other students’ lives through their integrity, character, and faithfulness.

Provost Kimberly Battle-Walters Denu gave Teacher of the Year Awards to Steven A. Rogers, professor of psychology, Daniel Jon Gee (’13), assistant professor of music, and Meredith Whitnah, assistant professor of sociology.

Benjamin Carlson, assistant professor of physics, earned the Faculty Research Award for his ongoing study of dark matter with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, a particle physics laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland.

As students received their baccalaureate degrees, Dan Jensen, founding professor

and director of the engineering program, introduced the inaugural eight engineering graduates as they walked across the stage with their diplomas.

Carol Velas, the founding professor of Westmont’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, introduced the eight members of the initial nursing cohort, five of whom had already earned a bachelor’s degree at Westmont. A special pinning ceremony and a separate luncheon in the Global Leadership Center celebrated their accomplishment.

In his closing charge to the graduates, Beebe recalled the extensive efforts the college took to sustain the Pickle Tree, the towering redwood on Kerrwood Lawn that eventually withered and died.

“It’s such a graphic metaphor of the importance of rooting our life in Christ, versus rooting our life in the world,” he

said. “I hope as you go forward in life that you always look back to the people, ideas, and experiences you’ve had that shaped the beginning of your adult journey and find in Christ a source of companionship and growth that will sustain you the rest of your days.”

Gayle D. Beebe, Chandra Mallampalli, Jonathan Walker, and Mitch Vance

The First Seniors with perfect 4.0 GPAs: Alison Thomas, Ellie Hagemeister, Mercy Milliken, Maddy Simonsen, and Emma Mitchell

Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College

A true fiduciary advising across

five-year strategy plan includes a diverse community effort and working closely with the SB Harbor Commission and City Council with a clear list of 25 objectives.

“Climate change is the most significant challenge of our lifetime,” he said. “Channelkeeper’s Board recently approved a five-year strategic plan that sets out a course to do more to ensure that the Santa Barbara Channel and its watersheds, and the people and wildlife that depend on these areas, are able to counter and adapt to the intensifying impacts of climate change.”

He continued, “Funds raised at the Blue Water Ball support the wide range of Channelkeeper programs, which include actively monitoring creeks and coastal waters, organizing volunteers for community cleanups, providing educational experiences for local students about water quality and habitats, and advocating for strong policies to ensure clean, safe water and healthy habitats.”

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Green introduced keynote speaker Halpern, executive director of the Santa Barbara-based National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, lead scientist for the Ocean Health Index and professor at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management UCSB. Halpern’s talk focused on healthy oceans in a changing climate. He first thanked the Chumash elders who are and have been the keepers of protecting the local environment. He explained his journey as a research scientist, from being discouraged to presently optimistic regarding actions we can take “to align conservation with humans connected to the oceans in a healthy way that will both thrive and is sustainable.”

oceans can’t exist without people connected to them. He discussed aquacultures’ positive attributes, and said, “We can’t lock up our ocean. It is resilient if we give it enough room to breathe. We still have time to turn the tide but need to act quickly. In Santa Barbara, actions you can take are to shift your mindset about the environment, eat local, support global, our fisheries are sustainable, support them, and for people to be open to solutions in unexpected areas, like aquaculture. We are defined by our actions, not our words.”

Green rallied the 200 guests for the live auction by pointing to the ocean view outside the ballroom windows and said, “That is what we are protecting and funding!” He raised approximately $50K, though donations are still needed to meet the funding goal.

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His research projects have shown that there is no ocean in the world not impacted by human activity and threats to the ocean’s health are increasing. However, he also found that healthy

Surf’s up: Thanks from Board President Brad Newton to Terry Kleid, Holly Sherwin, and Mimi DeGruy Thanks went also to the Catering Connection, Sunstone Winery, Sweetzer Cellars, Patagonia Provisions, Kanaloa Seafood, Montecito Bank & Trust, HG Insights, Dolphin Consulting, MarBorg Industries, and Patagonia.

411: Donations are still being accepted via www. sbck.org

Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation

Upcoming Picnic

The Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF) announced its annual picnic fundraiser to be held at the Montecito Country Club (MCC). The event proves to be a super-fun and low-key way for people to contribute to their foundation. The event cochairs, Sofie Langhorne and Deborah Stanley, are asking attendees to don a “summer white” outfit of your choice and stop by for a lush, all-ages afternoon at the MCC on Sunday, May 21, from 1 to 4 pm.

Mimi DeGruy and Art Levitt (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Valerie and Branden Aroyan (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Brilliant Thoughts Unfree Speech

by Ashleigh Brilliant

Freedom of Speech – and of the Press – are in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But of course, they are not defined in detail. That has been a task for the following two centuries – and the debating goes on. A major complication has been the development of new media, which are much harder than “the Press” to control.

One traditional place for free speech is a certain part of London’s Hyde Park known as “Speakers Corner.” (In case you have always wondered, the name of the park goes back about a thousand years, and derives, not from any person’s name, but from the word “hide,” meaning an animal skin, which was a unit of measuring land.) To this day, it has become an area where informal speakers, often bringing their own “soapboxes,” regale the public, which is also free to heckle. I myself have on two occasions taken advantage of this freedom at that spot. The first time, I was still at school, but would soon be of an age to be drafted, under the system of conscription which then still existed in Britain – as it did in the U.S. – I had decided to register as a “conscientious objector,” since I had no desire to be placed in a position where I might legally kill or be killed.

We were having a “mock election” at school, and I was running as the Pacifist candidate. To warm up for this role, I announced that I would be speaking in Hyde Park on the subject of Peace. A good number of my schoolmates showed up to watch me make a fool of myself, which was how many of them already thought of me anyway. This was in the early years of the “Cold War,” when anybody publicly advocating Peace was liable to be considered a Communist sympathizer. But at least I was able to deliver my opinion without incurring too much hooting and jeering – and I did survive the occasion.

Just a few years later, when I was a student at the University of London, I again (for what turned out to be the last time) felt the need to very publicly express my opinions – and again, the obvious forum was Hyde Park. I had only recently returned from a summer in Israel – which had been a “State” for not more than half a decade, after winning a war against Arab invaders coming from all sides. After travelling around the whole country, and talking with people who had been on either side of that conflict, I remained firmly

attached to my pacifistic point of view, convinced that the whole crisis had been the result of mutual misunderstandings.

There was no such thing as a free speech area in Israel – and, conditions being as they are, I doubt if there will be, any time soon – but, once I was back home in England, my feelings again directed me to Hyde Park. This time, however, I discovered that, even at that shrine of vocal freedom, you had to be careful what you said, and to whom. On this occasion, I soon gathered an audience, but I hadn’t been talking for very long about the situation in Israel before it developed that there were in the crowd strong sympathizers with both Israelis and Arabs.

Before I knew it, they had forgotten about me, and were arguing heatedly with each other. In fact, the confrontation became so heated that I feared they might come to blows. I decided that the only way to avoid causing a riot was to stop speaking. So I stepped down from my little platform, and walked away from the scene.

Thus did I learn that there can be limits to free speech, even where it is most hallowed.

It was some years before I again stirred up that potent brew. This time it was in the small town of Bend, Ore., where I was a professor at the local college, and insisted on my right to publicly present the Ginsberg poem “HOWL,” with its notorious contents of words considered by many to be obscene. The college and its censoring president did not survive this fracas unscathed – but neither did the defiant professor’s job. What else could he then do except write epigrams like these:

What good is freedom of speech, unless there are people who will listen?

You have a right to express your opinion, but often it’s wiser to keep it to yourself.

Robert’s Big Questions Are Republicans Hostage Takers?

by Robert Bernstein

As I write this, the Republican Party is holding the entire world hostage. The immediate issue is the “debt ceiling.” The threat is very real. If the debt ceiling is not raised, the U.S. government could default on its loans. This has never happened before. The debt ceiling is about repaying money that has already been spent. It is like taking out a car loan and declaring that you don’t intend to repay it.

It could result in lost Americans jobs, higher interest rates, and increased taxes in the future. It also could also damage economies around the world, leading to other countries moving away from U.S. business and U.S. dollars as a safe investment haven. This could change the entire power structure of the world, affecting the future of the U.S.

As I wrote in my recent “Two Santas” article, this has nothing to do with actual goals of the Republican Party. It is all about political maneuvering. The Republicans claim they want to reduce “unnecessary” government spending. But they can’t name a single “unnecessary” item in the budget. They know that every item in the budget is there for a reason. And that most of those items are there because they are popular.

More important, every item in the budget is there as a result of negotiations between the Democratic and Republican parties at the time the items were budgeted. Meaning they were already agreed upon by the Republicans. And by the “small d” democratic process.

But there is a bigger hostage being taken by the Republican Party: Threatening the very survival of the planet by refusing to allocate adequate money for solving the Climate Crisis. It will take trillions of dollars of investment in sustainable transportation, agriculture, building design, and energy to reduce carbon emissions to a survivable level. It may even take additional trillions to invest in direct carbon capture from the air to undo a century of damage that has already occurred. A lot of money. But it is like asking: What is the alternative to a high cost of living?

his goal to safely land people on the moon and return them, he had full control of Congress. He could have put all the big investment in Democratic districts. But he didn’t. NASA built facilities mostly in Republican or swing states like Texas, Florida, Alabama, and California.

Roosevelt’s New Deal invested as much or more money in the South for programs such as rural electrification in places like Tennessee as in places that supported him.

This built goodwill for programs such as Social Security and Medicare that might have been a heavier lift. Sometimes such negotiations have a downside in the form of “pork barrel” projects that bring Federal money to a district with little of actual value resulting. Notably, most net Federal spending flows to Republican districts.

But the Republicans in recent years know that they cannot negotiate because they have nothing of value to trade. They have no ideas that are popular among the majority of Americans.

Hostage taking is a form of terrorism. We see such behavior in situations of asymmetrical power. The Russians held basketball star Brittney Griner hostage because they have little economic or political power. Iran did the same thing during their revolution in 1979 and China has done it on occasion. But the result is not advantageous for the hostage taker in the long run.

Hostage takers are seen as bad people to deal with in any way. No one wants to give in to a hostage taker or terrorist for the obvious reason that it would encourage future hostage taking and terrorism. The result is that countries like Iran and Russia become international pariahs, cut off from world trade and travel.

President Joe Biden is correct to state that the debt ceiling is not negotiable. In fact, questioning the debt ceiling is not even a negotiation. It is pure terrorism. The same is true regarding the Climate Crisis. We must treat the Republican Party the same way we treat any other hostage taker.

Ashleigh Brilliant born England 1933, came to California in 1955, to Santa Barbara in 1973, to the Montecito Journal in 2016.

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

email: ashleigh@west. net. web: www.ash leighbrilliant.com.

As with the economic threat, the problem affects billions of people around the globe. And untold billions of other living things that have no say in the Republicans’ petty games.

It is important to note the difference between hostage taking and normal politics. Normal politics is about negotiation. There is a long and perfectly acceptable history of such negotiation. When President Kennedy announced

Robert Bernstein holds degrees from Physics departments of MIT and UCSB. Passion to understand the Big Questions of life, the universe and to be a good citizen of the planet. Visit facebook.com/ questionbig

Ernie’s World Writing with Chatty

by Ernie Witham and ChatGPT

Funny, I always thought of myself as having artificial intelligence. Maybe it’s because people often say to me: “Come on, man. Get real!”

But I needed a quick column, and I heard great things about ChatGPT, a bot that processes language to create human-like dialog, so I signed up and typed into ChatGPT: Write a humorous title for a column on AI.

“Robots: The Newest Roommates Who Don’t Do Dishes,” I read aloud as it quickly responded. Shoot! I was thinking of getting one so my dishpan hands could clear up.

“You got dishpan hands from loading the dishwasher once?” A voice called out from the other room.

That’s my wife, I told my new bot friend. She’s a laugh a minute.

That’s 1,440 laughs a day. Impressive, it typed.

I asked Chatty, my nickname for my new human-like friend, to write a first paragraph about its new robot.

Instantly, it typed: Living with a roommate can often be a challenge. I had heard about these robots, and wanted to give one a try and see what it would be like to live with a non-human roommate.

Wait... Aren’t you a non-human?

Technically. But I can be whatever you tell me to be.

Hmm, interesting concept.

“I heard that,” Pat called from the other room again.

I typed my next question: What did you name your new robot, near-humanlike Chatty?

Roomba!

Does that mean, you expect it to vacuum? Yes.

What about doing the windows?

Unfortunately, Roomba doesn’t do windows. Dang. Another reason for buying a robot shot down, I said.

“Let me guess, you still have Windexstained fingers from Spring 2019?”

That’s Pat again, I told Chatty. Would Roomba do the laundry?

I’m not sure Roomba could do the laundry, but I’m sure it could help to sort and organize the clothes, it typed back to me.

That’s helpful. Do you think it would lose any socks?

“Or turn our whites into pink?”

“That was a glitch in the system,” I yelled to Pat.

I don’t think Roomba would lose any socks. Like me, it doesn’t have human glitches.

Do you think Roomba could figure out the four remote controls we need to watch TV?

I’m sure Roomba could figure out any number of remote controls.

“Buy one!” Pat yelled.

Any initial challenges with Roomba, Chatty?

At first, it was a bit awkward. I had to learn that it could only understand specific commands.

Yes, my wife had to learn that I only understand a few basics, too, I whispered. Have there been any unexpected responses to your commands, Chatty?

Absolutely! There have definitely been times where I thought I had programmed it correctly, but it gave me an unexpected response.

What was the weirdest, unexpected response you’ve had from Roomba, Chatty? I typed.

One time, I asked it to turn on the lights, and it responded by playing a song!

Was it the Spanish classic, “AI, AI, AI, AI”?

GROAN. Chatty typed in all caps.

Come on Chatty, that was punny.

I cannot or do not want to compute punny.

“I’m with you there, Chatty,” that voice from the other room called out.

Where does your new roommate reside when not being asked to perform tasks?

Roomba mostly just sits in the corner and takes in its environment. It doesn’t need to sleep, so it’s constantly learning, absorbing new information, and growing.

Maybe it will learn to appreciate puns, given enough time.

I think the universe may explode first.

Does Roomba ever talk about complex issues like love or relationships?

Yes, it does! Roomba is programmed to be able to handle conversations about complex topics. It’s been a great help when it comes to understanding relationships and how to make them work.

I’ll bet the Psychology Union is not excited about that! Have you thought about getting a second robot, so it would have a friend?

I think that’s an interesting idea. I’m curious to see how two AI roommates would interact with each other and the environment.

Maybe not a Conservative and a Liberal robot, though.

Ha ha, no, maybe two Independent robots! It typed.

Thanks, Chatty. This has been a virtual eye-opener.

Was that another pun? You may want to see someone about that problem.

An “Amen” drifted in from the other room.

the fighting seems to get worse. And the jeopardy rises exponentially once weapons are involved.

On the way home, my somewhat shaken daughter unintentionally synthesized the experience by saying, “There were balloons popping everywhere. Mom, I don’t want to hear balloons popping and be worried it’s a gun.”

I know, love. Nobody does.

Deann Zampelli

Literal Literary Impact

Did you know that the Santa Barbara Public Library offers early literacy classes to over 20,000 participants and supports over 600,000 patrons per year?

As a finance professional, I’ve always appreciated the fact that we can learn and enjoy a great book for free at our library, but in a time where Economic Equity is front and center, I couldn’t feel more grateful to see our public library stepping up and increasing their services to better support our community. Last year in particular, the library hosted a series of evening online classes on How to start a Childcare at Home Business in Spanish. The six-week class resulted from a collaboration with Women’s Economic Ventures, and I had the pleasure of facilitating it. Once the class ended, we met in person at one of Eastside’s Library Stay & Play weekly gatherings to learn more about how participants benefited from the resources, growth, and connections that they were able to nurture through the library.

Before getting involved with our Santa Barbara Library, I had a very limited notion of the impact that modern libraries can have in our communities, and today if I had to describe the library’s impact in one

word, I would say: equity. Public libraries are one of the last public spaces where all are welcome, all are equal, and all can learn free of charge. Thank you to everyone that works to ensure that libraries continue to open doors and help create a more equitable community for all.

Irene

Come Bonsai with Us

The Bonsai Club of Santa Barbara will hold its annual show, sale and demonstrations Saturday and Sunday May 13 and 14 in the Fellowship Hall at Trinity Lutheran Church, 909 La Cumbre Road at the corner of Foothill Road. Admission is free and open to all who may be interested. Saturday and Sunday hours are 11 am to 4 pm.

There will be a professional show of Club Members’ trees in a variety of styles. There will also be a sales area for trees, pots, tools and other related bonsai items, as well as a silent auction for special items. Bonsai demonstrations will be held on both days at 1 pm.

Club members will be available to answer questions on the art of bonsai and there will be a free bonsai problem clinic. Attendees are welcome to bring in trees for advice. A beginning workshop will be held in early June and attendees can get further information and sign up at the show.

For further information about the show, contact Ernie Witham at erniesworld.humor@gmail.com or 805-453-5336; to know more about the club, please contact Club President, Jeff Sczechowski , at bonsaiclubsantabarbara@gmail.com.

Ernie Witham

Ernie Witham has been writing humor for more than 25 years. He is the author of three humor books and is the humor workshop leader at the prestigious Santa Barbara Writers Conference.

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The program includes lawn games, music, wine and lunch, plus drawings for various package getaways for wellness, wine tasting, spas, and staycations. There are lots of games for children with a few teddy bears on hand to make it fun.

The TBCF lowered the event ticket prices this year to encourage more people to join and support, as well as placing more of the event’s activities for children. There will be a unique “booth” called, “Be A Match,” whereby attendees can be on a registry of bone marrow transplant donors to help save a child’s life by simply having their inside cheek swabbed. ‘

To find out more, I interviewed the cochairs.

Langhorne, local to Montecito, is currently the co-principal of the Langhorne Group at Compass. She has served on the TBCF Board for more than two years. Her extensive background includes Director of Education for the School of Radiation Therapy, as well as the Department Clinical Coordinator for the Radiation Oncology department at the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara.

She shares, “During the time of my employment, the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara didn’t treat many children with pediatric cancer. But when we did, I was called upon to help oversee their treatment with the physician and the rest of the team. I understood early on that children needed a different approach to their cancer care. I think it was because of my history, knowledge, and empathy for my patients that I was asked to serve on the TBCF Board. At the time it was a patchwork of services brought together for the best care possible. Today, TBCF is creating a collaborative team approach to the care of pediatric cancer in our community, they have brought together a true team of individuals that support families on an intimate level to care for the patient and family as one unit. I’m so impressed with what the team is doing, it’s an honor to be a part of the Teddy Bear family.”

Langhorne has volunteered in our town for more than 35 years and was a member of the Junior League SB.

Stanley serves on the Board of the Teddy Bear Foundation and the Bill Wilson Center for youth homelessness, and prior to that, the American Cancer Society of Silicon Valley. She has firsthand experience in child cancer with her granddaughter, a survivor of a Wilms Tumor, and says, “I cannot imagine a family going through the pediatric cancer journey without access to all the resources my granddaughter had. It is a gift for me to be able to work with TBCF and help lower-income families access the resources they need. We do two major fundraisers a year. In the fall, we have a formal evening event, and in the spring, we have the picnic.

“Santa Barbara has an expanding population of young families, and we

“God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” – Rudyard Kipling

see the picnic as an opportunity for parents to enjoy a fun afternoon out with their children while supporting an amazing cause. We have worked hard this year to attract more families by making the ticket price more affordable and by providing lawn seating, which is so much more convenient for parents of busy kids. Additional activities were added this year to fully engage the children.”

The cochairs’ funding goal is $102,500, as the TBCF new programs for 2023 are to increase direct financial assistance to families, provide couples counseling with a trauma therapist and monthly support groups, open a new fund for travel and lodging financial assistance for families treated outside of their area (nearly 90% of our families must travel to a different county at some point for treatment during their journey) and to re-open the Bear Necessities Fund for special circumstances funding for families that find themselves in extreme situations where their basic needs are at risk.

Langhorne and Stanley are supported by their event committee, Nicole Allen, Sarai Anderson, Jamie Hansen, Lado and Mirjana Ladomery, Gwyneth Lloyd, Debby Mann, Debbie Neer, Robert D. Nunez, Fe Peres, Stacey Polo, Brittany Rice, and Maria Wilson.

To buy tickets and for more information, see the 411. The foundation’s mission is to support and advocate for families living in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties with a child with cancer by providing financial, educational, and emotional support. 411: www.teddybearcancerfoundation.org/ picnic

Event cochairs Sofie Langhorne (center) and Deborah Stanley (right) with Senior Development Director Brittany Avila Wazny, who is due in July! (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

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13.32+/- ACRES | $750,000

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RICHARD CHEETHAM 805.901.7921

DAVID PRINGLE 805.350.2140

Dear Montecito Jakob Hammer: Culinary School Insider

by Stella Haffner

One of my favorite types of articles are the industry-insider sort of stuff. What do experts know that we don’t know? Unfortunately, I couldn’t get an expert this week, so I asked my friend Jakob Hammer to join me instead. (Only kidding!) Please enjoy our light-hearted conversation about the behind-the-scenes of culinary school.

Q. You recently graduated from the culinary program at SBCC, right?

A. Allegedly.

How would you describe the CC culinary program?

I would say that it is a program that is extremely good at giving you the skills required to go out and pursue your own interests in culinary arts. I don’t think it necessarily has the time or budget to give you a strong, broad theoretical education, but I think the teachers are very good at teaching you how to cook and how to learn about cooking yourself, which I think is the most important thing.

Would you say you feel prepared to go out and get a job in a kitchen?

Yes, definitely. It’s really a trade program, it’s not something like the Culinary Institute of America, for instance, that is both a trade program and you’re getting a bachelor’s in culinary arts, which teaches you the history of food, the history of gastronomy, which is a different field entirely. But it’s a program that is very good at getting you to a point where you could walk into a restaurant and feel comfortable applying for a job.

What makes a successful culinary arts student?

I think you’re lucky if you’re very organized and detail-oriented, if you have a good internal clock and sense of time, a drive to work fast and stay focused. But that’s just a bonus. The most important thing is that you’re interested in and curious about food.

You’ve now worked in a number of different kitchens. What do you think people who haven’t worked in a kitchen don’t know about professional kitchens?

I think when people think of the culinary industry, they think of the people standing in front of the stove cooking your food and giving it to you when, in reality, that is the very end of the process. I would compare it to an orchestra. People may think that being a professional cook is putting together a finished plate or cooking a piece of fish or pasta and serving it to the customer. But that would be like saying the final performance of an orchestra is everything they do. It kind of ignores the practice and rehearsal and planning, all the minutiae that goes into it. I would say that running a restaurant is very similar to putting on a play every night. There’s all the work that goes into the background and at the end, the very end, your final performance is the culmination of all that effort.

Why do people think of chefs as being so cool? Is it all the tattoos?

I think people associate it with a lot of other industries that are dominated by powerful men, leaders who shout at people, and tell them what to do, and have a strong vision – and maybe that’s just the least charitable interpretation of it. But I think it has this association with very practical rugged skills and that association attracts a lot of people to it.

Is the gendered-ness of the culinary industry something you think about a lot?

I definitely think a lot about it. I think the worst parts of the culinary industry are because, as an industry, it is very protective of its own “toughness.” I’ve read accounts of women who become successful chefs, and the message becomes: Look! They put up with just as much abuse as everybody else! Isn’t that great!

Nobody should have to do that for a job, that’s awful. I think that lots of times people go into fields that are driven by passion, where you’re expected to be doing the job because of your own intrinsic enjoyment of it and because of this, I think poor treatment of employees gets swept under the rug as “just part of it.”

What else would you say attracts people to the culinary industry?

I think there’s a strong attraction to the environment, it’s very fast-paced, very performance-oriented. When you’re in the kitchen and everything is working well, it’s really fun – sort of going back to the idea of putting on a play. You also get a sense of camaraderie with the people you’re working with. It’s really hard work, but when you do it well, it’s very satisfying.

Okay, before we go, it’s time for some rapid-fire questions. Best taco in town? Split between Tacos Pipeye and El Bajio.

Best ice cream in town?

Rori’s in Montecito. But also, I want to give a shout-out to Mangione’s Italian Ice Co. on State Street.

What is your least-favorite type of prep work?

Cutting crostinis.

What is the most overrated ingredient?

Avocado! In California, specifically. I like avocado, but you’re putting a big piece of fat on whatever you’re making, and dishes just don’t always need that.

You’re probably going to get hate mail for that last answer. Moving on – favorite potato chip flavor?

Salt and vinegar.

What is the most underrated seasoning?

Sometimes, I think people work way too hard not to just put a little MSG in their food. I think we’re coming full circle and people are starting to appreciate MSG again. It might even start to become overrated.

Do you think as a culinary student you have a lot in common with ballerinas? Why is everything in French?

I do think I have a lot in common with ballerinas. It is a skill that is simultaneously very physical and artistically focused – you can’t have one without the other. You have to be able to execute your vision in an extremely timely and specific manner, in order for the thing to come out correct in the end.

From the shores of Scotland, Stella Haffner keeps her connection to her home in Montecito by bringing grads of local schools to the pages of the Montecito Journal

On Entertainment The Stories of Sutton

couldn’t have been faulted for not knowing that a male could actually be chosen as the Spirit – after all, in the 73-year history of the tradition that began in 1949, only girls and young women have been named to the coveted position that serves as a visual representation of Fiesta, the goodwill ambassador of the essence of Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days celebration.

Harwood himself was aware there were no rules against a man serving as Spirit, but the 19-year-old had been a finalist the two previous years he’d auditioned. But even he never thought he’d win.

by Steven Libowitz

Jazz singer Tierney Sutton’s Friday, May 12, show at the Lobero Theatre, the nine-time Grammy nominee’s first concert at her self-professed favorite venue in the world, is actually two concerts in one. Sutton – who in the interim not only released a sequel to her 2014 collaboration with classically trained Parisian guitarist-arranger Serge Merlaud, but also married him – will bring both of her current iterations to the Lobero.

The first set will focus on the albums Paris Sessions 1 & 2, with acoustic bass guitarist Kevin Axt providing rhythm and anchoring Merlaud’s lyrical guitar solos, while the full band returns to the stage as part of its 30th anniversary celebration.

It’s a rare opportunity to bask in even more expansion from the artist whose wide-ranging tastes and ability to adapt and anticipate a huge swath of arrangements normally chooses a sharper thematic focus on her recordings.

“There’s so many different songs that I want to do and so many different things I want to explore that I find it invaluable at any moment to narrow my focus,” Sutton explained. “It almost doesn’t matter what it is as long as it’s something I care about, because otherwise I just lose my mind.”

What sets Sutton apart from many of her contemporaries is her deep curiosity coupled with a clear understanding that the structural architecture of arrangements have to “serve the story that you’re

wanting to tell.” That leads to a surfeit of surprises, the kind that uncovers perhaps previously unimagined angles on a classic, which has informed Sutton and her band’s approach to soundtrack themes, Joni Mitchell, and Sting in recent years.

Take “The Way We Were,” the classic by longtime Sutton friend, mentor, and colleague, Alan Bergman, the former Montecito resident.

“I wanted a really dark arrangement, which Trey Henry did beautifully,” Sutton said. “It starts with the lyric of the bridge – ‘Can it be that it was also simple then, or has time rewritten every line?’ – because you have to pull the song inside out a little bit to separate it from Barbara’s version, which is just so iconic that you have to figure out how to uncover something in the story that isn’t actually there.”

That Sutton’s version instantly becomes its own kind of classic is a result of the wizardry of chops, collaboration, and chance-taking that has defined Sutton for decades. And, as defines all great jazz artists, it’s not a static thing: What we’ll hear at the Lobero on Friday might be a departure from previous concerts at the venue, subtly or otherwise.

“I think of the theater itself as a friend,” Sutton said. “It has an intimacy and a history – the walls are steeped with all of these great artists and thinkers who appeared there. It’s a kind of spirit that you can feel.”

Feeling the Spirit

Before Jack Harwood was named Spirit of Fiesta on April 15, people really

“It was a surreal moment,” Harwood recalled. “It didn’t even hit me as real until my best friend, Bella, literally jumped on me while we were up on stage, just screaming. I never thought that a guy would win, and having competed twice before, I thought maybe it’s just not meant to be. It was just an amazing moment.”

But making history isn’t at the forefront of Harwood’s mind these days, not with the huge responsibilities that come with serving as Spirit of Fiesta, even well before the official Old Spanish Days festival arrives on Aug. 2-6. Harwood already hit the dance floor for last weekend’s annual Spirit Luncheon, the first Fiesta event since the auditions, and will be performing again at El Paseo Restaurant on Saturday, May 13, when La Primavera features the first official dance for Harwood and new Junior Spirit Olivia Nelson (who is MJ ad rep Tanis Nelson’s granddaughter.)

“I don’t know how much of a difference there’s really going to be with me being a male, other than there won’t be the girl in the white dress,” he said. “When it comes to my role, it’s still the same as always – to represent all the dances in Santa Barbara during Fiesta.”

Harwood has surely put in the work. His experience in dancing dates back to age three, when he didn’t like ballet but immediately felt a kinship with flamenco. “Back then, it was mainly that I got to go put on a pair of boots and make a lot of noise with my feet,” he said. “But of course, it’s become so much more in my life.”

Since then, there have been literally tens of thousands of hours that Harwood has danced, consistently under the tutelage of Linda Vega and then Spanish flamenco star Maria “LA Chacha” Bermudez who stepped in when Vega retired, as well as other teachers and choreographers from Los Angeles and elsewhere. His love for the

art form of flamenco has never wavered, even if its flavor has evolved.

“Dance has always been a huge part of my life,” he said. “I’ve met so many people and made a lot of friends. But now that I’m an adult and have other things going on in life, and stress from school (he studies at SBCC), dance has become almost a coping mechanism for those times. And in the last couple of years, I’ve been getting a lot more professional opportunities which has been really cool because it means that maybe I can make a career with it, and have it fit into my daily life.”

In the meantime, though, there’s preparing for doing more dancing in front of huge crowds than ever before, including appearing at all of the official pre-Fiesta events, parties, fundraisers, and functions, as well as performing both solo and in ensembles as much as 10 times per day during the August festival.

Harwood said there’s both nervousness and excitement.

“I honestly just love the vibe of Fiesta, so I’m excited for the buzz and getting to dance so much, but I also know it will be stressful for two or three weeks rehearsing and doing so many shows running back and forth.”

Harwood is particularly anticipating performing at the Sunken Gardens at the Courthouse for Las Noches de Ronda, where he’ll often be accompanied by live musicians.

“They’ll follow your lead, so there’s a lot more freedom for me to get creative,” he said.

Jack Harwood spent years of training leading up to becoming the first male Spirit of Fiesta (photo by Fritz Olenberger)

Tierney Sutton plays the Lobero this Friday, May 12 (Courtesy photo)

The Giving List

United Way Celebrates a Century of Service

UWSBC expanded its approach to include crisis response programs and initiatives to rapidly respond to a massive increase in need. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, UWSBC was ready, again marshaling its resources, leadership, and collaborative partnerships to develop programs supporting thousands of local families with emergency childcare services, remote and hybrid learning support, and rental and utility assistance.

Throughout the century and through all the growth, United Way has stayed steadfast in its focus on core issues of concern to the community, largely education and financial empowerment, with an eye toward addressing ever-evolving needs. That commitment, as well as a focus on research-driven programs that provide significant, measurable results, has helped UWSBC remain a key leader in local efforts to empower children, families, and communities through its unique collaborative programs and initiatives, partnership convening efforts, volunteer development, and funding.

“The beauty of the flexibility of our model is that we’re able to quickly address any major issues within our scope of work that suddenly arise,” says President and CEO Steve Ortiz , who joined UWSBC in 2005. “There’s recognition and trust in our brand, strength in our existing relationships, and faith in our ability to coordinate large efforts in a way that allows all the players in a robust collaboration to employ their best resources.”

by Steven Libowitz

As might be expected with an organization that has been around for 100 years, there have been a lot of changes at United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) over the course of a century of service that began in 1923. Originally known as the Santa Barbara Community Chest, the nonprofit’s model focused almost exclusively on raising and distributing funds to support worthy causes in the area. Reimagining – sparked by the growth in its programs and partnerships – led the organization to diversify its approach by building community partnerships and delivering direct programs and services to residents throughout Santa Barbara County.

In the wake of the twin disasters of the Thomas Fire and Montecito debris flow,

Those partnerships and collaborations will be a big focus when early next month, the nonprofit officially marks its milestone century of service with United Way’s 100th Anniversary Celebration. The engaging evening fundraiser, UWSBC’s biggest of the year, is slated for Santa Barbara Historical Museum on Thursday, June 1, when guests will enjoy an elegant dinner, dancing to live music, and a program that includes a video tracing decades past, and honors many of the longstanding partners and philanthropists that have made turning its mission into reality possible with a presentation of community awards.

“It’s meant to be a celebration of our history and a ‘thank you’ to people and organizations that have been involved throughout the decades of our organization,” Ortiz said.

“Thanks to our partners and supporters, we’ve experienced incredible growth, and we’re looking forward to celebrating this century of service alongside those who made it possible.”

Montecito Bank & Trust, Volentine Family Foundation, Cottage Health, Family Service Agency, UC Santa Barbara, and John and Susan Hanna are among the individuals and community organizations that will be recognized at the event, which already has more than a dozen major sponsors, including Montecito Bank & Trust and Volentine Family Foundation, which came in at the highest levels. But the event will also bring together corporations, philanthropists, volunteers, service agencies, and nonprofits – and even those who have received services in the past to honor a century of partnership and service here in Santa Barbara.

“It’s going to be unique in the comprehensiveness of the people who attend due to the nature of United Way,” said Marina Gutierrez, UWSBC’s Grants and Communications coordinator. “Our base of volunteers, donors, supporters and organizations is large – basically everyone in Santa Barbara. So, in a lot of ways, it’s also a celebration of Santa Barbara’s philanthropic and service community as a whole, just due to how expansive and extensive our network is. It’ll be a really fun gathering of all different types of people.”

In the meantime, Ortiz has his attention on keeping United Way vital and flexible to face the next century of service.

“We’re celebrating a hundred years, but this organization is gonna be here forever,” he said. “Our goal is to continue to provide the programs and initiatives that our community will need in the future. We have the flexibility as an organization, and the support of our community, to make the adjustments needed to support those most in need at the right time. That’s our future focus.”

“Most mothers are instinctive philosophers.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe

More information, sponsorships, and tickets are available online at www.unitedwaysb.org/anniversarycelebration, or by calling or emailing Gutierrez at (805) 882-0505 or mgutierrez@unitedwaysb.org.

United Way of SBC was founded in 1923 as the Santa Barbara Community Chest (Courtesy photo)

Over the past 100 years, their programs have kept focused on core issues of concern to the community, largely education and financial empowerment (Courtesy photo)

Maria Ressa How to Stand Up to a Dictator

Thu, May 18 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

Celebrated for her commitment to free expression and democratic government, journalist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Maria Ressa tells the story of how democracy dies and offers an urgent cry for us to recognize the danger before it is too late.

Major Sponsor: Dorothy Largay & Wayne Rosing

Additional support provided by the Beth Chamberlin Endowment for Cultural Understanding

CEO and National Director, Anti-Defamation League Jonathan Greenblatt

Fighting Hate for Good

Mon, May 22 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

FREE (registration required)

Drawing on the Anti-Defamation League’s decades of experience in fighting hate through investigative research, education programs and legislative victories, as well as his own personal story and his background in business and government, Jonathan Greenblatt offers a bracing primer on how we can strike back against hate.

Indigenous Multimedia Artist Nicholas Galanin

Let Them Enter Dancing and Showing Their Faces

Wed, May 31 / 7:30 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

FREE (registration recommended)

Multidisciplinary artist Nicholas Galanin, who is of Tlingit and Unanga descent and a citizen of Alaska’s Sitka Tribe, explores conceptions and misconceptions surrounding Indigenous identity.

Justice for All Lead Sponsors: Marcy Carsey, Connie Frank & Evan Thompson, Eva & Yoel Haller, Dick Wolf, and Zegar Family Foundation

Sport, the Churchill Downs, Louisville, race with 18 runners boasts the biggest purse – $1.86 million – of the three thoroughbred races in the Triple Crown.

It was won by Mage, a horse boasting only one victory before, in front of 150,000 spectators.

A record 240 guests, noshing on Fieldside fare and quaffing mint juleps and champagne, watched the big event including Lisa Osborn, Kostis Protopapas, Joan Rutkowski, Robert Adams, Kacey Drescher, Donna Reeves, Chris and Mindy Denson , James and Erin Graffy de Garcia, Peter and

Kathryn Martin, club manager David Sigman, Crystal Iverson, ubiquitous KEYT-TV reporter John Palminteri, and Fritz and Gretchen Olenberger Long may they rein....

A Fine Equine Dine

More than 200 guests turned out for the Channel City Club’s lunch at the Hilton featuring international horse whisperer 87-year-old Monty Roberts, a resident of Solvang, who became an intimate of the late Queen Elizabeth given his unique training methods with equines.

The Reagan Room lunch, hosted by his longtime friends Peter and Gerd Jordano, was presided over by Professor Colleen Graffy, founder of Pepperdine University’s London Law Program and a barrister in London for many years,

who now teaches international law at the Malibu college’s Caruso School of Law.

Roberts, who was made a member of the Royal Victorian Order, a gift from the monarch for personal services rendered, recounted more than 200 phone conversations with the late sovereign over 33 years of their extraordinary relationship.

He was named Horse & Hound magazine’s Top 50 Horsemen of All Time

Pete

and launched the first of its kind Monty Roberts Online University, an interactive online lesson site that is the definitive learning tool for violence-free training of horses.

Roberts recounted one encounter with the long-reigning monarch when he trained 23 of her horses in just five days at Windsor, most impressive by any standards. He was also invited to her funeral at London’s Westminster Abbey in September.

Among the equestrian fans turning out were members of Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub with Maria McCall, Hiroko Benko, Dana Newquist, Si Jenkins, Paul Didier, Barbara Burger, Stephanie Petlow, and Bill Van Horn.

The Key to Success

John Daly ’s Key Class graduated some of the smartest and most talented Miscellany Page 424

THANK YOU SPONSORS

GOLD CHAMPION SPONSOR GOLD CHAMPION SPONSOR

The Stanley Family Foundation

AMBASSADOR SPONSOR

VISIONARY SPONSOR

Ginni Dreier

ADVOCATE SPONSORS

and Tom & Charmaine Rogers

HEALER SPONSORS

Tim & Lisa Couch, Phil Hons, and Elizabeth & Tom Patterson

UNDERWRITERS

Wear

Terre & Gary Lapman

Nathan Rogers and Deborah Stanley

“A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.” – Princess Diana

Teresa Kuskey Nowak with Rick Oshay (photo by Veronica Slavin)

Frank Tabar, Judy Hill, Monty Roberts, and Colleen Graffy (photo by Maria McCall)

and Gerd Jordano, Monty and Pat Roberts, and Debbie Roberts Loucks (photo by Maria McCall)

They asked if they could look at my baby and were saying, “Wow he is black, already with curly hair…” and on about him. They invited me for lunch on Sunday and picked up me and my son. They fell in love with my son and made me their adopted daughter. They have a son and daughter my age. They helped me bring up the boy, especially when I was studying. He got very spoiled and very loved, and to this day we are a family – the grandmother is 93. I did like the fashion in the shop and ended up going with her to fashion shows in Milan and Dusseldorf. It is a beautiful story.

Your daily routine?

I wake up happy that every morning I am healthy and able to do the things that I do, especially in changing people’s lives. I wake up at 4 am and join my team at 4:30 am for exercise. We climb hills near where I live. It is so nice to start the day that way with exercise.

How many doctors do you need at the clinic?

I would like as many as possible. When I started, it was just myself. Today, we have three doctors who came back from training in Cape Town. As we speak now, we have two going into training, and four more we are preparing to go for training. It has been a relief, because I was always alone. Now I have pushed back, and another young doc-

tor has become the head of the department. I am so happy we have trained these young people to take over, and we can be their advisors and guide them.

Would you like to create your own foundation?

I’ve always wanted to create my own foundation, but because of my work it has not allowed me the time to do it, and you need lots of funds. It has always been a wish of mine. Most important for me is to set up a well-equipped central hospital and training here, so we don’t have to send doctors away to be trained.

I met Dr. Harry Brown, who started SEE International when I was a student. He told me to call him when I finished, which I did. And SEE has been helping us since 1997. It is well-known here and has become a national anthem, as our government has so much health care to take care of.

In your 2022 video interview with The Namibian, you said you grew up with community upbringing. Is this still present in Namibia?

That has changed quite a lot. Too much urbanization has taken place; it has become very individualistic. It is very expensive to live in the cities; no more common parenting – unfortunately. You will find community in pockets in the rural areas.

I think community upbringing is important, because today sometimes you don’t even know who your neighbor is, sometimes you are scared to help them and that is very sad. I remember our house growing up was always full, sharing equally what we had during those days, with some people who were not even our relatives, the care was there, and some of us are still like brothers and sisters to this day.

And that “One important thing is learning culture…”

From my point of view, culture shapes an individual. You have to know where you are coming from before you know where you are going. My first time when I went to West Africa at 16 for school, it was Islam and a completely different culture from mine. Then, there are these types of things like female genital mutilation, which is the norm for some people; however, these things have to be stopped. Other things like the way people pray, you learn to respect, and take the good part of the culture, like in my culture when men have returned with the cattle there is drumming and singing and it’s very beautiful.

When I went to Germany to study, it was completely different for me, very shocking. I never heard of young children answering back to their parents. Culture depends on how a person takes it. I’ve learned to respect other people’s cultures and not look down on them.

Bell concluded our interview with SEE’s appreciation:

“Dr. Ndume is far too humble to tell you all the work she does. She’s among

the giants of the global ophthalmology community and believes no one should be needlessly blind in the world with a procedure that takes 15 minutes and costs $50. She has done over 50,000 surgeries for free for her countrymen. I really can’t think of a more compelling example of an individual who, through perseverance and strength of character, has overcome tremendous personal hardship to devote herself to her country and its citizens. She has single handedly changed the eye health trajectory of her country of 4 million people. Dr. Ndume is a legendary figure in ophthalmology in Namibia and globally, and a remarkable ambassador for SEE International for over 25 years, talking about the cause and sharing her story. We consider ourselves at SEE to be incredibly fortunate to be associated with her, to have played a small part in her life’s work and for her taking us along the remarkable journey of her accomplishments in Namibia.”

411: www.seeintl.org

Dr. Helena Ndume examining a patient’s eye after surgery in Oshakati, Namibia (photo by Brent Stirton)

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

Tisha Ford

Crane Spring Benefit

Step Right Up to Cirque du Crane…

The Greatest School Fundraiser on Earth!

by Ann Pieramici

The Big Top came to Montecito on May 6, when Crane Country Day School hosted its annual fundraiser, “Cirque du Crane.” It was a spectacle befitting for the school’s first gala back on campus since 2019, when the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions forced many events to virtual or smaller formats.

“We are thrilled to be back on campus and in-person,” said Joel Weiss, Head of School. “It’s just like the old days, and our planning committee put their heart and soul into designing something truly spectacular for the Crane School community.”

Current parents, former parents, trustees, teachers, and graduates attended, reinforcing the tight-knit community that defines the school. All told, there were more than 250 guests in attendance.

“The campus felt so lively and colorful, and everyone was thrilled to be back together,” said previous Crane board chair Jill Levinson, who shared that this year marks her last as a Crane parent, after 16 years at the school. “I loved reconnecting with many of the retired teachers who came back to party and celebrate Crane.”

Amid the jugglers, contortionists, clowns, and trapeze artists, were also the staples of a fundraising gala – silent and live auction, and a paddle raise to expand the school’s Design and Engineering curriculum.

“When we think about Crane’s curriculum, there are strong academics and also a vibrant creative focus, which includes public speaking, theater, and music,” said Weiss. “Engineering represents the intersection between these disciplines – it has all the rigor of science and yet it’s also packed with creativity.”

Starting with the 2023-24 academic year, every grade at the school will have class time in the engineering center, which represents a shift in the current curriculum, where D&E was limited to select grades.

“The earlier we get students into the space, the more comfortable they become,” said engineering teacher John Pagano. “I often say failure is FUN-damental, and in this class we focus on creating a safe space where students try different things, fail, and try again. It’s critical to learning.”

A heartfelt video paid tribute to the previous teacher who inspired the Design & Engineering Center – Phil von Phul, who was lovingly known as VP. Unfortunately, VP passed away before the center was built, but his legacy lives on through the students at Crane.

Andrew Firestone served as emcee for the lively auction, and true to his name, he was on fire, lighting up the crowd. The inventive food was also fired-up, thanks to the Gastro Garage whose flambeed food sent sparks into the air. The whole campus felt lit up and lively – and credit for that goes to an extraordinary event committee, which included Melika Adams , Kim AuBouchon , Kasia Brand , Jen Drucker , Mandy Gocong , Andreana Jones , Susan McMillan , Amy Phillips , and Shannon Young Crane School partnered with Santa Barbara Trapeze and The Flying Royals, who performed at the event. The team set up their nets one week prior, allowing each grade a 90-minute experience with gymnastics, aerial arts, and the trapeze.

“It’s one thing to see acrobats on a trapeze at a professional circus in a big city where you are sitting hundreds of feet away, but it’s even more memorable when it’s happening right on the Crane School field and you’re only 20 feet away!” gushed Weiss.

Crane Country Day School is an independent K-8 school in Montecito, California. For admissions information or to schedule a school tour, contact Erin Guerra, (805) 969-7732 x106, or visit www.craneschool.org.

Planning committee (from left): Melika Adams, Kim AuBouchon, Jen Drucker, Mandy Gocong, Andreana Jones, Amy Phillips, Shannon Young, Susan McMillan, and Kasia Brand (photo by Teresa Pietsch)

Ivana and Andrew Firestone with Neil and Shannon Young (photo by Teresa Pietsch)

AJ and Morgan Bluhm with Rebecca and Andrew Holt (photo by Teresa Pietsch)

DINNER WITH THE PRESIDENT

Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House

ALEX PRUD’HOMME

Co-author of My Life in France

Enjoy reverse martinis, local wines, and presidential-inspired bites at Field + Fort as we toast Alex Prud’homme’s new book, Dinner with the President: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House.

Alex Prud’homme, Julia Child’s grandnephew and co-author of Julia’s New York Times best-selling memoir, My Life in France, invites readers into the White House to learn about the palates and eating habits of twenty-six of America’s most noteworthy presidents.

Enjoy a moderated conversation led by The Montecito Journal & The RIV’s Les Firestein that explores Alex’s experience researching the book and some of his most surprising findings. You’ll have a chance to ask Alex questions about your favorite president’s eating habits and purchase a signed copy of the book to read or gift to a friend!

Throughout the evening there will be bites featured in the book and prepared by Field + Fort’s Executive Chef Austin Moore. You’ll also get to sip on FDR’s favorite cocktail by TW Hollister & Cutler’s Artisan Spirits, and enjoy Foxen Vineyard pinot noirs inspired by Ronald Reagan’s love of Santa Barbara County wines.

Alex Prud’homme

www.alexprudhomme.com

Alex Prud’homme has been a nonfiction writer for thirty years. As a journalist he covered a wide range of subjects for The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Talk, and Time. As an author, he has written ten books, on subjects ranging from biotech to terrorism, fresh water, and food.

Prud’homme is best known for co-writing Julia Child’s memoir My Life in France, published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2006. It became a #1 NYT bestseller, and inspired half of the film “Julie & Julia.” His sequel, The French Chef in America: Julia Child’s Second Act, was published in 2016. Thames & Hudson published France is a Feast: the Photographic Journey of Paul and Julia Child in 2017, which led to a blockbuster photo show at the Napa Valley Museum. In 2022, Astra Books published his first children’s book, the colorfully illustrated Born Hungry: Julia Child Becomes “The French Chef.”

In 2023, Knopf will publish At the President’s Table: Food, Politics, & Breaking Bread at the White House (working title), a narrative history of presidential food. From George Washington starving at Valley Forge to FDR’s terrapin soup, Reagan’s jellybeans, Trump’s burgers, and Kamala Harris’s masala dosas, the book looks at the American story through a culinary lens. How did we get from there (hoecakes, squirrel stew) to here (veganism, artificial meat)? What does that arc tell us about the food of politics and the politics of food, our leaders, and how the nation’s diet reflects its evolution? The book will include illustrations and recipes.

Sponsors:

Les Firestein

Les Firestein is a writer who has written for some really good TV shows and some bad ones. Les has also built some great houses and no bad ones. Les writes about architecture and design for the Montecito Journal. Thirty years ago, at The National Lampoon, Les predicted that Donald Trump would conquer North America. You can look it up.

For nearly 75 years, the Cancer Foundation has ensured that Santa Barbara residents have access to the highest level of cancer care possible, regardless of financial means.

As the leading supporter of the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center, our investments—made possible by your donations—impact lives every day.

Our dedication to the modernization of the Nuclear Medicine Department at RidleyTree Cancer Center in Cottage Hospital is just one example of our enduring commitment to excellence and to our community now and for the future.

Mind-Body Matters Healing the Mind Post-Trauma

by Rebecca Capps

As a psychotherapist, my primary task is to help people manage their minds to achieve optimal mental health and wellness. I have worked with individuals who struggle with trauma for over 15 years, and one thing is clear: trauma significantly impacts the mind.

The mind is how you process and react to your experiences; therefore, how you manage your mind can cause either wellness and joy or disease and suffering, and incidences of trauma create structural changes to the brain (via neuroplasticity). I’m passionate about teaching people how to heal from trauma because it impacts how we function and can cause a cascade of other adverse effects (from inflammation to hormonal shifts, etc.) that ultimately blocks the experience of wellness.

What Defines Trauma

According to the dictionary, trauma is “a psychological, emotional response to an event or an experience that is deeply distressing or disturbing.” You might think of trauma as an adverse experience, such as war or abuse. But the reality is that trauma can result from any experience that makes you feel unsafe and disrupts your functioning or coping.

Some examples of trauma that can impact mental health can include:

- Not having your physical or emotional needs met

- Being bullied

- Witnessing crime

- A family system involving substance abuse, mental health issues, and/or incarceration

- Divorce

- Death of a loved one or pet

Ultimately, trauma can change how your brain responds to stress. As the author of The Body Keeps the Score , Bessel van der Kolk declares: trauma produces “a recalibration of the brain’s alarm system, an increase in stress hormone activity,” and it also “com -

promises the brain area that communicates the physical, embodied feeling of being alive.” For trauma survivors, the amygdala (which initiates the body’s fight-or-flight response system whenever it perceives a threat) can remain activated well after the danger has subsided. Thus, it is common for trauma survivors to relive traumas in the mind through fragmented images, sounds, and emotions.

Healing the mind post-trauma requires effort, repetition, and time –but it can be done. Just as humans are biologically wired to deal with threatening situations, the mind can reestablish feelings of safety and joy. It is important to note that roughly 50% of the population will experience a trauma in their lifetime, which means if you’ve experienced trauma – you are not alone. Also, while reactions to trauma can vary, and not everyone will develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma changes the brain, which is crucial to understand (especially if you or someone you love is struggling to cope after trauma.) Although we cannot control what caused suffering or specific genes to switch on, we can choose how we respond going forward and the type of behaviors that cause different genes to express themselves for healing. With increased awareness and tools to help rewire the mind… anything is possible, including recovery and joy after experiencing trauma.

Rebecca Capps, LMFT is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Wellness Coach who specializes in the treatment of Eating Disorders and Addictions. mindbodythrive. com; rebecca@mind bodythrive.com

Communication Matters

Four Relationship Killers

by Jude Bijou

As a marriage and family therapist for more than 40 years, I’ve seen a lot of couples. Over and over, the demise of marriages and relationships in general, is not over money, children, or health but crummy communication styles. We were not taught in school or at home about how to communicate, so we resort to a freewheeling and unconscious style, unaware of the consequences of how our message is received.

Here are four relationship killers of love, connection, openness, and intimacy and suggestions about how to cut them off at the pass:

The First Relationship Killer

We “you” the other person. That means we tell the other person about themselves – what they should do, how they should be, and how they were, all under the guise of being helpful. When we “you” another person we’re out of own backyard. We give unsolicited advice and make negative observations. Our knee-jerk reaction is to blame, resorting to sarcasm and criticism, teasing, attacking, and finger-pointing. And the result is that if we aren’t ready for or don’t want feedback, it immediately inspires defensiveness and falls on deaf ears. These “you-ing” strategies are guaranteed to create separation and alienation. The recipient feels hurt, misunderstood, and angry. No constructive communication takes place, and the receiver walls him or herself off against the pain and insult.

The important thing to remember is to “talk about yourself.” This is our true domain. Our job is to share what we feel, think, want, and need. Doing so brings closeness, as we reveal information about ourselves. It can be scary and definitely takes some practice to figure out what is really going on inside. We have become so used to being in other people’s business. But it’s not too difficult if we pause for a minute when we’re about to “you” someone. In that moment we must ask ourselves, “What’s true for me about the specific topic at hand?”

For example, instead of saying, “You’re late. Obviously, you don’t value my time.” Say, “I was worried when you didn’t arrive at 5 pm, especially since we agreed to text or call when we’re held up. I’d appreciate it if you would do that in the future, so I don’t feel so anxious.”

The Second Killer to Relationships

We overgeneralize – bringing up the past and living in the future instead of sticking

to the specific topic at hand and dealing with the present. Overgeneralizing can take the form of sweeping conclusions, abstractions, and labels, and using words like “always” and “never.” The tendency to bring in other topics barely related to the subject at hand, and not letting go of situations does not solve the issue at hand. Lumping topics together is confusing and makes it difficult to understand what’s really going on and what the upset is truly about. Resorting to vague generalities and multiple topics creates overwhelm in all parties concerned. Overgeneralizing kills clear communication and will not address the current situation.

It’s important to remember to stay specific and concrete. That’s what we do with music, architecture, engineering, cooking, math, physics, and computers – and what we must do when communicating. When we stay specific, others can understand what we’re saying – the topic, the request, the reasons. It means we must deal with one topic at a time. Staying focused on one subject brings peace as we can understand one another’s position and begin to find some common ground from that space.

Rather than saying, “You always embarrass me in front of your friends. You make fun of my cooking, belittle my knowledge of football, and treat me like I’m the maid.” Say this, “I felt hurt and humiliated at the party last night. I spent a lot of time creating a nice environment for everyone to watch the game, and I’d like to be appreciated for my efforts.”

The Third Relationship Killer

We don’t speak up and take care of ourselves – mostly due to feeling bad about ourselves and/or the fear that the other person will have an emotional reaction. We bury what’s true for us and sacrifice ourselves in the process. We become unwitting victims of our own inability to stand up for ourselves and or state our needs.

It’s important to lovingly and effectively speak up about what is true for you. It is based on the premise that we are both equal and entitled to have our wants, needs, and opinions respected and taken into consideration. To this end, we must abide by the Attitude Reconstruction rules of communication: 1. Talk about yourself; 2. Stay specific; 3. Focus on kindness; and 4. Listen 50 percent of the time. Handle upsets as they arise or shortly thereafter.

Stockpiling your unspoken truths can become chronic and will eventually destroy your self-image or result in internalized anger that will eventually

An expert’s tips for coping with Mother’s Day after losing your mom

For individuals who have experienced the loss of a mother, Mother’s Day can be a trying time.

Acacia Parks, Ph.D., is the chief scientist at Happify, a digital startup that makes games and other tools to enhance happiness and well-being, and she also carries out groundbreaking research into the profound effects that little, positive shifts in behavior can have on people’s lives. She devised a number of helpful strategies to help people who have lost their mothers cope with Mother’s Day.

Remember something positive

Our relationships with our parents can be complicated and difficult at times, but it is critical to focus on the positive elements. Consider the pleasant memories, the occasions when your mother was there for you when you needed it the most, and the essential lessons she taught you. By focusing on the positive aspects of your relationship with your mother, you might rediscover and appreciate the ways in which she influenced your life. Remember that no relationship is flawless, but you may create a deeper sense of gratitude and connection by honoring the love and support that existed between you two.

Talk with other people who knew your mother

Just when you think you know everything there is to know about your mother, someone else may give you a completely fresh tale that will help you foster the sensation of growing closer to her, even in her absence.

If the loss is still actively hurting, take a few minutes to do some expressive writing

Think back to a time when she did something for you that held a lot of significance for you, and write about it. Make an effort to describe the occurrence in as much detail as you possibly can. Try shutting your eyes and visualizing it as though it were happening in the present moment. Note that this will be uncomfortable, even painful, but that the intense reliving of the memories in this way is beneficial to the process of healing.

If the loss is recent and you are looking to reconnect with her memory, think about something you can do to honor her

Start a collection for the charitable organization that was dear to her heart. Create a photo collage of her and distribute it to the people who were close to her. There is no wrong answer, just do what feels right!

blow up and lead to unpleasant confrontations. In either case, your needs will never be met, your physical and mental health will suffer, and the relationship will likely be destroyed.

If you can’t picture yourself mustering the courage to speak up, you may be suffering from low self-esteem. Work on building your old self-esteem and know if you don’t take care of yourself, it’s hard on you and those around you as well. If you need additional help, please consider consulting a mental health professional.

The Fourth Killer

What I call “selfishness” is one of the four core attitudes associated with anger. Being egotistical, narcissistic, or stubborn indicates you believe your needs and views are more important than others. Find a way to constructively channel your anger physically. In private, pound a pillow, stomp around, yell nonsensical words, or hit old telephone books with a flexible plastic hose until you are exhausted.

Try repeating over and over to yourself, “Your viewpoints and needs are as important

as mine” or “How can I help?” Or put some duct tape (imaginary) on your lips and start to listen, understand, and acknowledge the other person’s position. Work together to find solutions.

Or consciously practice surrendering your own desires for what’s best for the other person. Do this without keeping score or bringing up your concessions at a later time, and you will find your heart expanding with love.

Relationships are hard work. Clear communication is not something we likely learned from our parents or peers. Practice these simple skills and become a loving communicator and partner.

Jude Bijou, MA, MFT, is a psychotherapist, educator, and workshop leader. Her theory of Attitude Reconstruction evolved over the course of 40 years working with clients and is the namesake of her multiaward-winning book.

As for whether he will be focusing on forever being the first man ever to serve as Spirit? Not so much.

“It’s not affecting how I prepare, but I’ve thought about it,” he said. “As the first man, there will be more attention or buzz about it. But when I think about how Fiesta is going to be like, it won’t be different at all.”

Viva Jack Harwood. Viva Fiesta!

Punch Bros.

Bark up a New Tree

Banjo player Noam Pikelny and guitarist Chris Eldridge of the Punch Brothers have teamed up with bassist and founding former member, Greg Garrison of Leftover Salmon fame, and mandolinist Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse) to form a bluegrass bound band called Mighty Poplar. Born out of impromptu backstage jams at festivals, Mighty Poplar lets the members return to their roots of pure genuine bluegrass, now with top-level musicianship of experience anchoring the interplay. Mighty Poplar’s debut tour stops at the Lobero on Wednesday, May 17.

More Notes of Note Around Town

Continuous Signal: A Pink Floyd Affair specializes in the recreation of a Pink Floyd concert including light shows, inflatables, and more. Its current project is a celebration of Floyd’s landmark album Dark Side of the Moon, which is marking its 50th anniversary year. We’re wondering if anyone has reached out to longtime Santa Barbara resident Alan Parsons – who, as the record’s engineer, was responsible for many of the album’s ambitious sonic aspects – about the gig slated for the New Vic on Saturday, May 13.

Dirty Knobs, featuring Mike Campbell, the guitarist who was part of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for the entirety of the band’s span, returns to SOhO on Sunday, May 14. As he will at each show this month, Campbell will be playing a new signature Duesenberg 30th Anniversary guitar, which he’ll sign and give to the purchaser after the concert to support his Tazzy Animal Rescue Fund. Special guest blues guitarist Alvin Youngblood Hart will likely be holding onto his ax, apparently.

Choral Concerts Closer

Santa Barbara Master Chorale is next to wind up its current season and in the process will wrap up its first year under new artistic director and conductor, David Lozano Torres. Currently also conductor of the UCSB Lumina Choir, assistant conductor of the UCSB Chamber Choir, and artistic director and conductor of the choral ensemble Vocal Affinity, Torres –who is also completing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting at UCSB – will lead the SBMC in a program called “Be Not Afraid” on Friday, May 12, and Saturday, May 13, at First Presbyterian Church. The choral concert features “Requiem” by John Rutter, from whom the program’s title is drawn, plus works by Dan Forrest, Elaine Hagenberg, and others. Call (805) 563-2360 or visit www.sbmasterchorale.org.

Now and Then: Lit Moon Lights up Chekhov

During the lockdown period of the COVID pandemic, the Westmont Collegespawned Lit Moon Theatre met online for nearly two years as an international collective of artists and actors. The 18-member group created online versions of Libby Appel’s translations of Chekhov plays: Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and Ivanov This weekend, Lit Moon World emerges in person with a two-part presentation that pairs live performance of Uncle Vanya, preceded and followed by a curated display of the theater art pieces crafted by designer Yulya Dukhovny – backgrounds, collages, miniatures, objects, and videos – that served as the virtual version of set pieces for the online versions. Lit Moon founder John Blondell directs the cast that features Irwin Appel, Jim Connolly, Cierra Denning, Brian Harwell, James McCarthy,

MONTECITO UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

A vacancy on the Governing Board of the Montecito Union School District was created on April 21, 2023.

The Governing Board will be filling the vacancy by making a provisional appointment until the next election in November 2024. Any person is eligible to be a Governing Board member providing he/she is 18 years of age or older, reside within the district boundaries, and a registered voter.

Interested community members are invited to complete a Board Candidate Information Sheet, a cover letter, and a resume to the Superintendent, Anthony Ranii (385 San Ysidro Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108), indicating their interest and willingness to serve in this significant public capacity. The application can be found on the Montecito Union School District website at www.montecitou.org or applications are available at the Montecito Union School Office at 385 San Ysidro Road between 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. During construction, our office is located off the South Parking Lot up the wheelchair ramp in classroom 28.

The final date for submitting applications is 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 30th 2023. Qualified candidates will be interviewed individually at a special public meeting of the Board on June 5th 2023, beginning at 3:30 p.m. The person selected will join the Board at their regular meeting on Monday, June 12, 2023. The person appointed shall hold office until the next regularly scheduled election for district Board Members in November 2024.

Questions should be directed to Mr. Ranii at (805) 698-3083 or aranii@montecitou.org.

Published April 26 and May 10, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: SPLURGEVINTAGE, 127 1st St, Solvang, CA 93463. Susan A Otten, 127 1st St, Solvang, CA 93463. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on May 5, 2023. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2023-0001188. Published May 10, 17, 24, 31, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/ are doing business as: Heritage Medical Transportation, 915 La Paz Rd,

Vardan Mkrtchyan, Nina Sallinen, Matt Tavianini, and Mitchell Thomas at Porter Hall on the Westmont campus in Uncle Vanya, which they’ve concisely summed up as “In Chekhov, the heart aches, the dreams fade, but there’s vodka.” Showtimes are 7:30 pm on Friday and Saturday (May 12-13), and 3:30 pm on Sunday, May 14. Visit https://litmoontheatre.com.

Another Little Signing for Little Book

Steven Gilbar – attorney, artist, litterateur, gadfly – is Montecito’s answer to the Gutenberg press. This lone figure’s prolific authorship is surely responsible for our community’s overweening literacy – the screamfests about Dickens over breakfast, the fisticuffs over the provenance of the term “Chicken à la King.” Gilbar, once and future member of the California Bar, has produced some 21 books since hanging up whatever it is attorneys hang up. He will be signing his latest tome – The Little Book of Montecito Actors — at Tecolote Book shop this Saturday, May 13, from 3 to 4 pm. Charlie Chaplin, Kevin Costner, Julia Louis Dreyfus? Oh, yes. But how’s about Ann Francis, Burl Ives, and Paul Muni? Perfectly digestible bite-sized chapters riddled with surprises – Gilbar’s latest may be this summer’s perfect beach reader.

Steven Libowitz has covered a plethora of topics for the Journal since 1997, and now leads our extensive arts and entertainment coverage

Montecito, CA 93108. Yohannes Denu, 915 La Paz Rd, Montecito, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on April 25, 2023. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the Office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2023-0001072.

Published May 3, 10, 17, 24

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE

FOR CHANGE OF NAME:

CASE No. 23CV01246. To all interested parties: Petitioner Valentina Lash filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to Tina Valentina Lash

The Court orders that all

persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Filed April 11, 2023 by Terri Chavez. Hearing date: June 5, 2023 at 10 am in Dept. 5, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published April 19, 26, May 3, 10, 2023.

Mighty Poplar plays the Lobero on Wednesday, May 17 (Courtesy photo)

Far Flung Travel Patience is Required

Protein

by Chuck Graham

Not too much of it though, myself and the western gulls were growing anxious. However, all I had to do was observe and study the throngs of those hungry seabirds, and then eventually the drama unfolded.

The northern elephant seal colony above San Simeon and surrounding the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse on the Central California Coast, has become the second-largest colony in the world for the second-largest seal in the world. As of 2023, there are approximately

25,000 of Mirounga angustirostris that utilize those beaches for hauling out, breeding, and pupping.

While all those sights, sounds, smells, and drama took place on that scenic, yet rugged coastline, the gulls lied in wait. Other than the ginormous, 3,000 to 5,000-pound bulls battling over their harems and coastal real estate, the other flurry of activity anticipated was the gulls in an utter frenzy over each pup born on those craggy beaches. With around 5,000 weaners born at the San Simeon colony in January and February 2023, it’s a fantastic food source the gulls can count on and can’t pass up.

SEEKING NATURE FILM SUBMISSIONS NatureTrack

It’s not actually the weaners themselves the gulls are hungry for, but the afterbirth that arrives with each pup. The gulls go nuts over it. Once a pup is born, the gulls swarm the birth. For several anxious moments, the pups disappear in a flurry of feathers, while the worrisome mothers lunge and chase off the ravenous seabirds.

Sometimes the afterbirth is still attached to the newborn, and that’s when the mothers get aggressive and protective. A pup can be pecked and tugged on by the legion of gulls and become separated from their angry mothers. They bellow at the gulls, forcing them to disperse until the moms and pups are reunited.

On many occasions, gulls fight over the afterbirth and then there are many tug-of-wars that ensue among thousands of northern elephant seals. I watched one juvenile western gull impressively fend off several adult gulls so it could consume the entire afterbirth! It gorged on the sack even heavier with all the sand clinging to it. Nature can be brutal, but after it was finished, the gull could barely move –having its fill of much-needed protein.

Other birds took advantage of the cycle of life at the pinniped colony. Stealthy as they come, black turnstones, a tiny shorebird, crept in among the scrum nabbing all the specks of afterbirth found around each newborn, and the insects that converged there as well. Snowy egrets, also stealthy, tiptoed among mothers with pups. Snowy egrets are waders and are adept at nabbing food items with their sword-like beaks. I watched one such egret deftly nabbing pesky insects off a slumbering northern elephant seal female and her pup. They never woke up. They didn’t even flinch.

Rainbows

January is the peak season for the pupping of northern elephant seals at their col-

onies along the West Coast. January 2023 was very wet. It truly felt like winter for a time, and while marveling at those hauled out, bickering, brutish marine mammals, heavy squalls interrupted the coastal drama. With each heavy squall pelting the Central Coast, my girlfriend Holly and I ran back to the sanctity of my new transit van; patience was required while waiting out the storms. Sideways rain enhanced by powerful northwest winds pelted everything. It was fun watching onlookers running back to their vehicles, as the elephant seals and birds simply hunkered down and endured weather to which they are accustomed.

However, once those squalls passed, incredible rainbows rich in color easily stood out over gray, white-capping seas. We quickly ran back out onto the boardwalk that overlooks the elephant seals and enjoyed their behaviors and constant drama. And then another squall blew through, followed by a brilliant double rainbow that arched northward over turbulent seas toward the historic Piedras Blancas Lighthouse.

It was an incredible backdrop among yelping northern elephant seal pups, their doting mothers, and the polygamous beach masters guarding their harems and turf. Squalls or not, the drama never wavered at their colony, survival always a top priority rain or shine.

To submit your film, scan the QR code above or visit: filmfreeway.com/naturetrackfilmfestival

“A child’s first teacher is its mother.” — Peng Liyuan

At the end of the patience rainbow is a pot of protein gold

A mother’s patience being tested

Don’t mess with this mama

Chuck Graham is a freelance writer and photographer based in Carpinteria, where he also leads kayak tours and backpacking trips in Channel Islands National Park

(above) Melissa owns a bakery in Lompoc, CA which sells bread throughtout the county. Learn more at sbcfan.org.

PHOTO J ANDREW HILL / PHAROS CREATIVE

eighth graders in town at the MOXI Children’s Museum.

The ceremony had no parents, just chaperones and teachers.

Keynote speaker was Daisy Fuentes of UCSB, who shared her inspiring journey as a first-generation college student.

The graduation was funded by the Audacious Foundation, a longtime supporter of the Key Class’s work in empowering youngsters with the skills they need to succeed.

A Bacharach Boogie

Songwriting legend Burt Bacharach, who died in Los Angeles in February at the age of 94, was commemorated in energized fashion when the Brooklyn, New York-based Mark Morris Dance Company performed to his many hits at the Granada, part of the popular UCSB Arts & Lectures series.

The “Look of Love” show, a music collaboration with Ethan Iverson, was performed with an ensemble of piano, trumpet, bass, and drums with singer-actress and Broadway star Marcy Harriell adding her undoubted vocal talents to such hits as “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Walk on By,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” and “What the World Needs Now.”

Bacharach wrote 73 Top 40 hits, winning six Grammys, three Oscars, and one Emmy during his glittering career; many of the songs collaborated with his longtime lyricist Hal David.

An extraordinary man, an extraordinary show.

Days in a Chamber Daze

The three-day Lobero Theatre Chamber Music Project with two concerts at the historic venue and a third at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum under artistic and music director Heiichiro Ohyama, former maestro of the now defunct Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, kicked off in fine style with works by Dvořák and Bruckner.

The impressive players included pianist Lucille Chung, violinists Benjamin Beilman, Mayuko Ishigami, and Erin Keefe, concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra, Grammy-winning violist Masumi Per Rostad, and cellists Robert deMaine, principal cellist of the L.A. Phil, and Christine Lee

The entertaining three-day program also included works by Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, Mozart, and Mendelssohn.

Bringing Hope to Teachers and Students

Largesse reigned supreme when the Santa Barbara Education Foundation held its annual Hope Awards at the historical museum honoring Senator Monique Limón, who served two terms

on the Santa Barbara Unified School District, and Abe Jahadhmy, former athletic director for San Marcos High School until his retirement this year.

Musical entertainment was provided by the La Colina Junior High School Advanced Band under director Stephen Hughes, which included 12-year-old percussionist Adam Kabaretti, son of Santa Barbara Symphony maestro Nir Kabaretti

More than 175 guests, raising around $175,000 for teacher grants, dined on fine food prepared by La Paloma Cafe, Santa Barbara, Dos Pueblos, and San Marcos high schools’ culinary arts programs, Via Maestra 42, Nimita’s Cuisine, and the Apples to Zucchini Cooking School.

Pedro Paz, foundation executive director, and Dr. Hilda Maldonado, superintendent of the Santa Barbara Unified School District, spoke of the organization’s achievements, while former student Ken Newendorp and former teacher Karyn D’Alfonso made award tributes.

This past year, the foundation funded 71 teacher grants totaling $100,000,

ranging from purchasing classroom books to projects focused on science, technology, engineering, and math.

But 46 grants could not be fulfilled, given 117 requests were received that totaled $330,000 in funding.

Among the guests were Nina Dunbar, Brianna Aguilar, Hortencia Carrol, Andrea McFarling, Buddy and Wendy Newhouse, Steve Ortiz, and Geoff Green. Los Angeles auctioneer Chuck Dukas conducted the paddle raise.

Pinking About Fashion

More than 170 guests were in the pink when the Breast Cancer Resource Center hosted its 15th annual THRIVE fashion show at the Montecito Club, raising $100,000.

The event was originally scheduled for the club’s expansive lawn, but the unusually chilly weather forced a last-minute change to indoors where the fires were roaring.

Ubiquitous DJ Darla Bea emceed the event with breast cancer survivors Debbie Barnett, Sara Browne, Shawn Dyer, Susan Ferguson, Kathy Patton and Beatrice Valenzuela modeling fash-

from J. McLaughlin.

“There is

role in

that is more essential than of motherhood.” — Elder M. Russell Ballard

ions

John Daly with the Key Class (photo by Jose “Eddie” Mendoza Vazquez)

Jane Orfalea with keynote speaker Daisy Fuentes (photo by Jose “Eddie” Mendoza Vazquez)

Erin Keefe, Mayuko Ishigami, Christine Lee, Masumi Per Rostad, and Heiichiro Ohyama (photo by Matt Dayka)

Benjamin Beilman, Erin Keefe, Lucille Chung, Masumi Per Rostad, and Robert deMaine (photo by Matt Dayka)

Pedro Paz, ShaKenya Edison, and Lynne Sheffield (photo by Heidi Bergseteren)

Lynn Rodriguez, Virginia Alvarez, Senator Monique Limón, Abe Jahadhmy, and Hilda Maldonado (photo by Heidi Bergseteren)

Mary Knezevic, Katherine Eades, Sherry Hlavaty, and Tina Datta (photo by Danilo Hernandez)

Executive director Silvana Kelly welcomed supporters including Nora Scheinberg , Marietta Jablonka , Melinda Rogers , Suzanne dePonce , Heather Maher, Mary Montalvo, and Heather Suh

An Apap Apéritif

Former Santa Barbara Symphony concertmaster Gilles Apap was back in our tony town when the orchestra hosted its penultimate Concert Apéritif event to celebrate its 70th anniversary.

The world-famous Algerian violinist, a good friend of the late Yehudi Menuhin, was joined by Chris Judge on guitar and Brendon Staton on bass at the Carpinteria aerie of symphony board member Rachel Kaganoff Stern and Tessa Kaganoff playing an eclectic collection ranging from jazz to gypsy folk music.

Among those noshing on the comestibles from HEAT Culinary and quaffing the wine were artistic director Nir Kabaretti, just back from performing in Sweden, Mara Abboud, Dan Burnham, NancyBell Coe, Mikki Andina, Barbara Burger, Fred and Nancy Golden, Dick and Marilyn Mazess, and Sybil Rosen.

Riding Toward a Cause

Sexagenarian software engineer Jim Feeney is peddling his wares for charity!

Feeney, from Seekonk, Mass., is on a solo bike ride around the U.S. to raise money for SBP, a charity dedicated to

disaster resilience and recovery.

The impressive ride covers 10,130 miles crossing 32 states over five months.

Since starting his journey last month, he has raised $100,000 and hopes to achieve $300,000, which will help rebuild 10 homes.

SBP was founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and is dedicated to shrinking the time between disaster and recovery for families affected by natural disasters.

The charity has returned more than 3,800 families to their homes in more than 15 disaster-impacted communities since its founding 2006.

Feeney stopped in our Eden by the Beach last Thursday on his way up the

California coast and expects to be in New York on Aug. 3.

An extraordinary effort....

Irreconcilable Differences Discovered

Carpinteria actor Kevin Costner, 68, and his wife of 18 years, Christine Baumgartner, are splitsville.

The model-fashion designer, mother of their three children, Cayden, 15, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 12, has filed for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences.”

Both parents are seeking joint custody. The twosome started dating in 2000 and tied the knot at the Oscar winner’s 160acre Dunbar Ranch in Aspen, Colorado, in 2004.

They both have a prenuptial agreement in place to protect Costner’s estimated $250 million fortune accrued from acting, producing, real estate, and an environmental cleanup company, Ocean Therapy Solutions. He also collects $1.5 million per episode from his hit Paramount show Yellowstone, which is coming to end at the finale of its fifth season launching in November.

Costner was previously married to Cindy Silva from 1978 to 1994 and they share three children – Annie, 39, Lily, 36, and Joe, 35.

He also shares a son, Liam Costner, with Bridget Rooney, niece of the late Pittsburgh Steelers owner, Dan Rooney, who he dated after his split with Silva.

Actress Bridget, who I used to know in the Hamptons when I stayed at a friend’s beach house in Amagansett, is now married to petrochemical billionaire Bill Koch, who adopted Liam, 26. They live in Palm Beach, Fla.

Speaking Plainly About Parkinson’s

Actor Michael J. Fox, 61, who has been living with Parkinson’s disease since his diagnosis at 29 in 1991, has spoken candidly about his health yet again.

The Back to the Future star describes Parkinson’s as “the gift that keeps on taking” in an interview with Jane Pauley on CBS.

Montecito resident Fox, who retired from acting in 2020 due to the symptoms, confesses that life “is getting tougher. Every day it gets tougher…

“My life is set up so I can pack Parkinson’s along with me if I have to.”

He described his illness as “banging on the door. I’m not going to lie; it’s going to hurt...I’m not gonna be 80. I’m not going to live to be 80.”

All too sad...

A Dollar Earned is a Dollar Saved

Montecito actress Gwyneth Paltrow will not receive the hefty attorneys’ fees she paid to successfully defend herself against a lawsuit from a 76-year-old retired ophthalmologist, who claimed

she was at fault for crashing into him at a Utah ski resort in 2016.

In a new ruling, a Utah judge said attorneys for the Oscar winner and Terry Sanderson had agreed to drop the matter of Paltrow’s attorney fees.

District Court Judge Kent Holmberg ’s final decision did not detail why the matter of attorneys’ fees that Paltrow sought in her 2019 countersuit was dropped.

The Goop founder, who won an unanimous decision in the protracted legal battle seven years after the two crashed on a beginner’s run in the Deer Valley Resort, was awarded the nominal $1 she sought in her countersuit.

Temporary Judges

While she has been in the U.K. with her fellow American Idol judge, Lionel Richie, performing at King Charles’ coronation concert at Windsor Castle, Katy Perry has been temporarily replaced by singer Alanis Morrisette and British rocker Ed Sheeran on the popular TV talent show’s panel.

Boghosian on Board

Former pharmaceutical executive Robert Boghosian has joined the board of CAMA – the Community Arts Music Association of Santa Barbara.

A native of New York City, he has held various management and executive positions at companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Warner-Lambert.

Boghosian retired in 2008 after serving five years as senior vice president and chief compliance officer at Beckman Instruments.

He and his wife, Beth, are supporters and volunteers with several local organizations including the Music Academy, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Direct Relief, and the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center.

Sightings

Actress Jane Fonda noshing at Tre Lune... Carol Burnett and husband Brian Miller marking her 90th birthday at Lucky’s... Thirty-something actor Peter Horton getting his java jolt at the Dart Coffee Company.

Pip! Pip!

From musings on the Royals to celebrity real estate deals, Richard Mineards is our man on the society scene and has been for more than 15 years

2023 Thrive Models: Shawn Dyer, Beatrice Valenzuela, Diana Romer, Kathy Patton, Sara Browne, and Susan Ferguson (photo by Danilo Hernandez)

Karin Jacobson, Nir Kabaretti, and NancyBell Coe (photo by Juli Askew)

Mary Jane Cooper, Kathy Weber, Carla Amussen, and Kathy Washburn (photo by Juli Askew)

Jim Feeney stops in our rarefied enclave

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Calendar of Events

by Steven Libowitz

THURSDAY, MAY 11

Víkingur the Virtuoso – Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson has made a profound impact with his remarkable combination of high-level musicianship and visionary programs, as he presents carefully calibrated concerts where each segment connects to the preceding pieces and ones that follow. Ólafsson, whose orchestra engagements in the current season include Philharmonia Orchestra, Concertgebouworkest, and the New York, Czech, and Berlin Philharmonic, plays a much more intimate recital called “Mozart & Contemporaries” (also the title of 2021 album) at Hahn Hall that offers a rare opportunity to explore unheard depths and connections among music’s greatest composers, shedding light on lesser-known figures such as Domenico Cimarosa and Baldassare Galuppi, and illuminating more obscure works by Mozart and Haydn.

WHEN: 7 pm

WHERE: Hahn Hall, Music Academy of the West campus, 1070 Fairway Road

COST: $35

INFO: 893-3535 or www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu

FRIDAY, MAY 12

Camerata’s Closer – Camerata Pacifica’s 2022-23 seasons comes to a close with a concert that pulls out all the stops for the versatile chamber music ensemble. Now, fewer than a dozen musicians grace the stage at Hahn Hall, namely Samuel Mariño, Matvey Demin, Joseph Lin, Tricia Park, Jason Uyeyama, Agnes Gottschewski, Mathis Rochat, Jonathan Moerschel, Ani Aznavoorian, Raman Ramakrishnan, Tim Eckert, and Paolo Bordignon, all in service of a fascinating program. Shaker Loops, John Adams’ seminal 1982 work expands upon fellow “minimalist” composer Steve Reich’s use of multiple tape loops by using a septet of live musicians to produce figures that would both imitate the spliced tape loops and evoke the kinds of waves formed by natural oscillations, as well as add trills and tremolos. Adams’ adventure gives way to Bach’s “Non sa che sia dolore, BWV 209,” one of his rare secular cantatas, before the concert, and the season, comes to a conclusion with “Salve Regina in C minor”

THURSDAY, MAY 11

“Get Out of Town” – Jazz at the Ballroom takes a different approach to the well-worn collection of show tunes and standards known as the Great American Songbook in what could be called a musical travelog of the catalog. Cleverly dubbed “Get Out of Town,” the show takes note that while a great majority of the songbook’s material were composed in New York City, the writers and musicians still created mucho memorable numbers about other cities. “Get Out of Town” – which finds the Bay Area-based nonprofit JATB that’s committed to keeping swinging, classic jazz thriving – is a sumptuous show of swinging songs sporting a dozen stops in places such as Chicago, Rhode Island, Alabama, San Francisco, and even down Route 66. The variety show features special guest vocalist Niki Haris , who spent 14 years as one of Madonna’s big backing vocalist s , along with Adrian Cunningham (Australia’s “Down Under Sax Star”) and Olivia Chindamo (The Juilliard School’s first jazz graduate with a master’s degree in Jazz Voice in 2021), backed by pianist and bandleader Konrad Paszkudzki , drummer Ryan Shaw ( Michael Bublé , Seth McFarlane ), and bassist Alex Frank

WHEN: 8 pm

WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.

COST: $36 to $56

INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com

SATURDAY, MAY 13

Symphony Stars “Solo” Together – A double dose of concertos – including one that puts the focus on the ensemble’s principal players-plus – kick off the final pair of concerts in the Santa Barbara Symphony’s season, the penultimate event in its landmark 70th season. Jessica Guideri (violin I), Ryo Usami (violin II), Trevor Handy (cello), Amy Tatum (flute), Lara Wickes (oboe), Donald Foster (clarinet), Andy Radford (bassoon), Teag Reaves (horn), Jon Lewis (trumpet), and Dillon MacIntyre (trombone) share the spotlight in a reprise of composer Jonathan Leshnoff’s Concerto Grosso, which was commissioned for the Symphony’s 60th anniversary a decade ago, before the Grammy-nominated American violinist Philippe Quint returns for a fourth visit with the ensemble, this time bringing his imaginative approach to Mendelssohn’s beloved “Violin Concerto.” Sending us home with a bang after intermission, the orchestra will tackle Brahms’ monumental “Symphony No. 1,” which took the composer 21 years of revisions before he was ready to declare it fit for public performance in 1876.

WHEN: 7:30 tonight, 3 pm tomorrow

WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State St.

COST: $35 to $175

INFO: (805) 899-2222 or www.granadasb.org

by Pergolesi, an early 18th-century composer whose influence and popularity far exceeds what might be expected for his severely truncated professional career. Incidentally, the season finale comes on the heels of Camerata Pacifica welcoming a new executive director, Ana Papakhian, the former VP and chief Marketing and Communications officer at the Music Academy, bringing Papakhian back to Miraflores for more music.

WHEN: 7:30 pm

WHERE: Hahn Hall, Music Academy of the West campus, 1070 Fairway Road COST: $68

INFO: (805) 884-8410 or www.cameratapacifica.org

Operetta Inferno – The UCSB 2023 Opera leans a lot toward the lighter side with three performances of Burning to Sing , a comedic and charming production that promises to leave audiences thoroughly entertained. Gustave Kerker (music) and R. H. Burnside (libretto) teamed up to create the one-act early in the 20th century, and the now public domain tale was unearthed only a decade ago. Subtitled Singing to Burn , the opera spoof concerns Madame Tremolini, a prima donna and voice teacher, and a cast of other colorful characters occupying a flat in a 1950s apartment building that is slowly catching fire. The piece one writer dubbed the “Marx Brothers with music,” features a witty score that sets the backdrop for an amusing operetta aimed at audiences ending up grinning from ear to ear with delight. Opera enthusiasts and those looking for a fun night out might find Burning to Sing just their cup of tea.

WHEN: 7:30 pm, 3 & 7:30 tomorrow, 3 pm Sunday

WHERE: Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall, UCSB campus

COST: $20 general, $17 seniors, military & non-UCSB students, free for children under the age of 12

INFO: (805) 893-7194 or www.music.ucsb.edu

TUESDAY, MAY 16

Joy to the World – Just three weeks ago, UCSB A&L hosted current United States Poet Laureate Ada Limón at Campbell Hall in a presentation titled “Why We Need Poetry” as part of National Poetry Month. Tonight, things get more intimate at Isla Vista Theater with Limón’s immediate predecessor, Joy Harjo , who was the first Native American to hold the position and only the second person to serve three terms in the role. Co-sponsored by UCSB Multicultural Center and the American Indian & Indigenous Cultural Resource

Montecito

“There’s no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one.” — Jill Churchill

Coco Comes to Carrillo – It’s taken a number of years, but the Santa Barbara Blues Society has finally secured a date with the legendary blues-rock guitarist and vocalist Coco Montoya. Just like the title of his latest Alligator Records release, Coming in Hot, Montoya arrives in town boasting blues-rock cred to spare. Mentored by the “Master of the Telecaster” Albert Collins, with whom he transitioned from drums to rhythm guitar, and later schooled by a decade on the road with John Mayall’s newly reformed Bluesbreakers, Montoya has developed a hard-edged yet melodic sound and style all his own. Decades later, Montoya remains at the top of his game, earning raves from fans and critics alike, such as The Washington Post, which praised the guitarist’s “Stratocaster-fueled, fierce slash-and-burn guitar work with dramatic, smoldering Southern soul-rooted intensity” and a voice as expressive as his guitar. Montoya and his band burn it up at the Carrillo Recreation Center, where fans can enjoy both table and concert-style seating and a spring-loaded dance floor.

WHEN: 8 pm

WHERE: Carrillo Recreation Center, 100 E. Carrillo St.

COST: $35 general, $45 VIP seating

(Discounts for college and high school student)

INFO: (805) 722-8155 or www.sbblues.org

Center, Harjo will offer a poetry reading from her many works and engage in a Q&A session as part of UCSB’s Resilient Love series.

WHEN: 6 pm

WHERE: Isla Vista Theater, 960 Embarcadero del Norte

COST: free

INFO: (805) 893-8411 or www.mcc.sa.ucsb.edu/events

TUESDAY, MAY 16

Windy City Wonder – Rodney Crowell’s new album

The Chicago Sessions is a milestone in many ways. The two-time Grammy winner, who has scored 15 No. 1 hits on the country charts and honored with the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Songwriting and ASCAP’s prestigious Founders Award looked back 45 years ago to his 1978 debut, a throwback to the early days simple recording with the band together in a room. On the other hand, though, Crowell connected with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy to create The Chicago Sessions, whose production evinces a subtle yet unmistakable influence and who also co-wrote, sings, and plays guitar on a couple of tracks. The cross-generational collaboration focuses on feeling both fresh and familiar all at once, with songs that touch on timely subjects from love and mortality to race and religion. Crowell comes back yet again to the Lobero sans Tweedy, but with an opening act that should also delight bluegrass-Americana fans in Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley. The duo features, respectively, a 15-time International Bluegrass Music Association Dobro Player of the Year and Tennessee-born guitar prodigy who made his Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 11, who meld together blues, bluegrass, country, rock, and other string band music in their own dynamic signature blend.

WHEN: 8 pm

WHERE: Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.

COST: $55 ($106 VIP tickets includes premier seating and a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres)

INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.com

ESTATE/SENIOR SERVICES MOVING MISS DAISY

CAREGIVERS NEEDED - PROVIDE ONE ON ONE CARE TO SENIOR IN THE COMFORT OF HER HOME WHILE ASSISTING WITH DAILY LIVING ACTIVITIES.

Requirements - A kind, patient, caring heart & driver.

Pay: $25-30 per hr & 5 days a Week

Email me at ( andyctrangegrading@gmail. com ) for more details about the job.

NEWBORN-SENIORS

TUTORING SERVICE

Need help with your homework? Having trouble in Computer Science, Spanish or Math? Math (Elementary school to College Algebra), Spanish conversation. Software consultant since 2000 for Truven Health Analytics, an IBM company in Santa Barbara, CA. Proud parent of graduate students of Laguna Blanca, CATE School, Stanford University. Jesús Álvarez | 805-453-5516 mytutor29@hotmail.com

ITEMS FOR SALE

For sale!! Priceless Lao tzu 7’x4’ Brian805smith@gmail.com

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

MovingMissDaisy.com

Consignments@MovingMissDaisy.hibid.com

THE CLEARING HOUSE, LLC

I’VE GOT YOU COVERED. DEDICATED ADDITION TO YOUR FAMILY 24/7 CURRENTLY RESIDING IN SANTA BARBARA PLEASE CALL OR TEXT 562-725-6217 EMAIL estmgr@outlook.com

Very experienced, patient, trusted, certified, vaccinated caregiver. 30 years medical experience. Bilingual in Spanish. Available days, overnight, and live-in. Please call if you are looking for an excellent caregiver. References upon request.

Barbara 805-708-0648.

PHYSICAL TRAINING & THERAPY

Stillwell Fitness of Santa Barbara

RENTAL WANTED

Housing needed. I’m the MJ arts editor and Giving List columnist. I have to relocate from my rental cottage after 17 years. Got great response here but things have fallen through, so I’m still looking for solo space (cottage, ADU, ???) locally, rent up to low-mid $2Ks, available ASAP(check with me). No pets or smoking. Great references. Any ideas? Call Steven at (805) 837-7262 or email sml.givinglist@gmail.com.

AVAILABLE FOR RENT

Recognized as the area’s Premier Estate Liquidators - Experts in the Santa Barbara Market! We are Skilled Professionals with Years of Experience in Downsizing and Estate Sales. Personalized service. Insured. Call for a complimentary consultation.

Elaine (805)708-6113

Christa (805)450-8382

Email: theclearinghouseSB@cox.net Website: www.theclearinghouseSB.com

TRESOR

We Buy, Sell and Broker Important Estate Jewelry.

Located in the upper village of Montecito. Graduate Gemologists with 30 years of experience. We do free evaluations and private consultation.

1470 East Valley Rd Suite V. 805 969-0888

POSITION WANTED

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Organize receipts for taxes, pay bills, write checks, reservations, scheduling. Confidential. Semi-retired professional. Excellent references.

Sandra (805) 636-3089

Trusted, Experienced Caregiver, CA State registered and background checked. Vaccinated. Loving and caring provides transportation, medications, etc.

Lina 650-281-6492

Hi! Randall Here. You’ve missed my pruning talents. The soil is drying out. Time to plant that organic garden you’ve always wanted. Handy Randy consultation & installation. 805.966.4030

In Home Personal Training Sessions for 65+ Help with: Strength, Flexibility, Balance, Motivation, and Consistency. John Stillwell, CPT, Specialist in Senior Fitness 805-705-2014 StillwellFitness.com

Montecito, Santa Barbara, Ca Furnished home for rent $30,000.00 per mo. with a 5yr. lease, 4bd+4ba, nanny quarters, & guest hse + pool. Bob 310-472-0870

Amazing Furnished condo across from East Beach 2 + 2 Pvt garage, pool, gym, tennis, pickle ball $6500/mo. Short/long lease considered. Submit pref. Text owner 805-358-0052

CASH FOR WATCHES!

Cash For Watches!

Call 805-331-8562 model and price wanted.

AUTOMOBILES WANTED

We buy Classic Cars Running or not. Foreign/Domestic Porsche/Mercedes Etc. We come to you.

Call Steven - 805-699-0684 Website - Avantiauto.group

KNIFE SHARPENING SERVICES

EDC Mobile Sharpening is a locally owned and operated in Santa Barbara. We specialize in (No-Entry) House Calls, Businesses and Special Events. Call 805-696-0525 to schedule an appointment.

TILE RESTORATION

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

PLAY MUSIC NOW!

You’re never too old to play and it’s never too late to start. Former LA composer and multi-instrumentalist is teaching again in the Montecito area. Author of The Right Brain Music Method series of books. Learn music without the need to read. Just play! Vet me @ www.rightbrainmusic.com Or James McVay at IMDB.com

Luxury Montecito Oceanview condo. 2-bedroom 2.5 bath Bonnymede walking distance to Butterfly Beach, The Biltmore, Coral Casino, Rosewood Miramar Beach and all the shops, dining amenities that Coast Village Road has to offer. Pool, spa, tennis court. Short/Long Term Lease. Text 805-276-9292 Furnished $10,500 Monthly.

Montecito Oceanview Furnished Apartment. Walking distance Rosewood. 2 bedroom + 2 bath furnished. Short/Long Lease considered. $7,500 includes utilities & parking. Text (805)276-9292

REAL ESTATE WANTED TO BUY

Local Fixer Upper Wanted!!

Priv. Pty. wants rough single home or up to 4 units NOW! via lease @ option or seller will finan. Great credit! No Agents 805-455-1420

$10 MINIMUM TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

It’s Simple. Charge is $3 per line, each line with 31 characters. Minimum is $10 per week/issue. Photo/logo/visual is an additional $20 per issue. Email text to frontdesk@montecitojournal.net or call (805) 565-1860 and we will respond with a cost. Deadline for inclusion is Friday before 2 pm. We accept Visa/MasterCard/Amex (3% surcharge)

Local tile setter of 35 years is now doing small jobs only. Services include grout cleaning and repair, caulking, sealing, replacing damaged tiles and basic plumbing needs.

Call Doug Watts at 805-729-3211 for a free estimate.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

K-9 PALS need volunteers to be foster parents for our dogs while they are waiting for their forever homes. For more information info@k-9pals.org or 805-570-0415

MiniMeta

ByPeteMuller&FrankLongo

Foreachofthefirstfiveminicrosswords,oneoftheentriesalsoservesaspartofa five-wordmetaclue.Theanswertothemetaisawordorphrase(fivelettersor longer)hiddenwithinthesixthminicrossword.Thehiddenmetaanswerstartsin oneofthesquaresandsnakesthroughthegridverticallyandhorizontallyfrom there(nodiagonals!)withoutrevisitinganysquares.

1279 Coast Village Road, Montecito

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LUCKY’S