Wreck-Quiem for the Santa Barbara News-Press

SERVING MONTECITO AND SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA

WRECK-QUIEM FOR THE SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

I found it particularly poignant that on the same day the once venerated News-Press declared bankruptcy and ceased operations, The New Yorker published a massive story on the critical importance of local journalism in exposing corruption, citing the example of a small-town paper in southeast Oklahoma where a father-son reporting duo’s series on the county sheriff led to an explosive revelation.

by Gwyn Lurie

We live in this time of great schadenfreude – consider the case of the OceanGate submersible. I’ve never seen so many posts online from random people gloating over the misfortune of a billionaire. However, I for one take no joy or comfort in the death of the Santa Barbara News-Press, our town’s only daily newspaper, which up until last week, had been publishing continuously since 1868.

Ironically, the shuttering of the Santa Barbara News-Press also happened right at the time when the California State Auditor launched an investigation into the questionable cannabis dispensing practices of six counties, including the laxest with licensing – Santa Barbara.

So, what does it mean when a city loses its only daily newspaper?

Local news reports on events that are of vital local importance, whereas the

Editorial Continued on Page 54

All the Presidente’s People

El Presidente David Bolton (seen here with this year’s Honorary Presidentes and Directors) hosts the annual reception with 300 guests joining in, page 8

Farewell Fischer

Beloved Montecito YMCA Preschool Director Annie Fischer retires after 31 years of working at the Y, and the community throws a party in her honor, page 14

EVERYDAY SHOULD BE A GOOD HAIR DAY

The many gifts of Unity Shoppe, page 36

(photo by Priscilla)

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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Editorial – Gwyn Lurie speaks with past News-Press editor Jerry Roberts about the daily’s demise and shares her own thoughts

Village Beat – A decision has been made about the Hot Springs Trailhead and MWD’s Mike Clark retires

Montecito Miscellany – Some Fiesta fun, cabaret and more at MA, the art museum’s new director, plus other miscellany

Letters to the Editor – Thoughts on Big Box retailers, a community member asks for a trustee to disperse funds, and a resident writes in about Casa Dorinda

Tide Guide

Community Voices – The MJ’s Jim Buckley writes about his newsprint past and the death of our dailies

Our Town – Kandy Luria-Budgor talks about the SBMA’s art and music pairing

Society Invites – A heartfelt retirement party at the Y for Preschool Director Annie Fischer and Summerland hosts a block party

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CONTINUES....

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This Week at MA – Samuel Watson chats contrabassoon and obtaining a spot on the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Dear Montecito – For her 99th column, Stella asks her readers to share in celebrating her 100th round of writing for the MJ

Storyteller Children’s Center – Bring out the hairspray and pomade – it’s time to get ready for Storyteller’s ‘80s-themed gala to celebrate its 35th anniversary

Brilliant Thoughts – The ideas, occurrences, and stories that give us a feeling of brotherhood through life and history

On Entertainment – Patti Smith discusses her career, and a selection of other sounds around town

Robert’s Big Questions – What can we learn from the Ukraine invasion and how it relates to the U.S. War in Vietnam?

The Optimist Daily – Powerful ideas come to California’s aqueducts in the form of solar canals

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Your Westmont – Students engineer an education trip to Ecuador, and a physics professor retires with a stellar career

P.33 Stories Matter – Thrillers, heroes, and crime… it’s time for some late summer reads for the sunny days ahead

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The Giving List – The 105-year-old Unity Shoppe has gone through some changes, but still brings its essential services to the community

News & Events Roundup – The Profant Foundation hosts the annual Fiesta Finale Gala and a talk at the Faulkner Gallery on Demystifying Neurotherapy

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Calendar of Events – 1st Thursday offerings, a day of peace for Sadako, Fiesta and flamenco happenings, plus more

Classifieds – Our own “Craigslist” of classified ads

Mini Meta Crossword Puzzles

Local Business Directory – Smart business owners place business cards here

Photography: @virtourmedia

WRECK-QUIEM for the SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

by Gwyn Lurie

(Continued from cover)

national news can ignore such issues. For example, the Flint, Michigan, drinking water crisis went largely unreported by the national media until it had reached epidemic proportions. Only then was it sexy enough to make it onto the radar of the national media, which is when you and I likely first learned about this tragedy. But local news sources such as The Flint Journal, had been reporting on this crisis from the beginning, and if it wasn’t for their constant coverage, The New York Times would not have parachuted in to “break the story,” and the world may never have known.

It would be easy to let the passing of the News-Press go unnoticed, and just go on thumb scrolling whatever your favorite 30-second news source is in your phone, with some catchy internet sounding name like Noozbro or Tikkertape or WordzUp.

The problem is there’s a huge difference between a legitimate news organization subject to libel laws and fact checking, versus an internet platform with no named editors and no one taking responsibility for the content or veracity of reported “facts” disseminated on its platform.

People might think I’d be happy with the demise of the News-Press, but frankly I always saw it as a local institution that, despite its declined status and it being a long way from its heyday as a journalistic beacon, still held a profoundly symbolic, if aspirational, place in this town. After all, Santa Barbara is Montecito’s mothership, which I think merits its own daily.

Anyone who doesn’t think so, take a look at the state of downtown Santa Barbara. Smell the air when driving north on the 101 through Carpinteria. Explain to me why our City Council hired a new city manager without even posting the position? Why in the world is the head of the local Democratic party also serving as our 1st District Supervisor’s Chief of Staff?

Could it be that without a serious daily newspaper with real resources, there is no one holding the feet of our elected officials to the fire? Who will do that? TikTok? Who will deploy local boots-on-the-ground resources? The Ground Zero of misinformation, disinformation, and game of Telephone known as Facebook?

Several years ago, I was handed a DVD of Citizen McCaw, the documentary film that chronicled the events since June 2006, when Santa Barbara News-Press Editor Jerry Roberts and five of his colleagues quit the NewsPress, citing owner and Co-Publisher Wendy McCaw’s “abandonment of journalistic ethics,” which McCaw, to this day, denies. In any case, the film

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

“Regardless of what the paper had become, it was the only daily paper in town, and had been so for well over 100 years. And the loss of that is kind of immeasurable.”

Village Beat

Hot Springs Trailhead Latest

by Kelly Mahan Herrick

The tumultuous saga between four Montecito homeowners and the County of Santa Barbara’s Public Works Department continues, as the California 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the County at an appeal hearing in mid-July. The ruling stated that the County could legally remove unpermitted encroachments in the public right-of-way along East Mountain Drive, without triggering CEQA review.

The issue of the Hot Springs Trailhead parking situation began over two years ago, when several residents along East Mountain Drive installed landscaping, boulders, rocks, bushes, and trees in front of their properties in the public right-ofway, as a way to discourage or prevent members of the public from parking and walking to the nearby trailhead. During the pandemic, trail use skyrocketed, and members of the public continued to park on the narrow road despite the encroachments, creating a safety hazard for pedestrians, vehicles, and emergency

access vehicles.

The County’s Transportation Division issued notices to homeowners to remove the unpermitted encroachments within 60 days in an effort to restore the right-of-way and add parking to the area. The parking restoration project was considered exempt from CEQA because it involved the restoration of the existing roadway back to its original state.

Four Montecito homeowners that live nearby but are not owners who received the notices, filed a petition to prevent the removal of the encroachments. They cited that the removal would create additional parking spaces, which would lead to more hikers using the trail and would make it more difficult to evacuate the neighborhood in the event of a wildfire, making it necessary for environmental review.

Two lower-level trial courts agreed with the four homeowners, preventing the County from exercising control over the public right-of-way pending completion of CEQA review. But the most recent, higher court ruling sided with the County, with the judges’ opinion on the

case stating: “Public parking has always been allowed on East Mountain Drive. Respondents and other property owners thwarted access to it by installing unpermitted encroachments. Removing the encroachments does not ‘increase’ or add new parking; it restores access to parking spaces that have always existed.”

It goes on to read: “We conclude the trial court erred as a matter of law. The current project as defined by the Road

Where possibilities become possible

Commissioner has independent utility, regardless of whether notices are sent to other property owners in the future or other, as yet unannounced actions are taken to increase access to or use of the Hot Springs Trail. Removing encroachments brings the properties into compliance with the Streets and Highways Code and county ordinances and engineering

When we were looking for a bank to finance building our hotel, American Riviera stepped up for us. —HARRY & GRACE KAZALI, LA PLAYA INN

The County has won the latest appeal in the ongoing saga near the Hot Springs Trailhead

CELEBRATE NATIONAL DOG DAY AT

Join us for a doggone afternoon of fun as we host our second annual Miramar Best In Show. We invite our resort guests, locals and their dogs to enter our charity dog show for a chance to win the ultimate Miramar Getaway. Throughout the competition, dogs will be judged based on their personality plus spirit, canine beauty, and tricks & talents.

SUNDAY AUGUST 27, 2022

THE GREAT LAWN

1PM – 4PM

$195 per contestant, complimentary for spectators

For more information and details on how to enter the show, please visit www.rosewoodhotels.com or email miramar.events@rosewoodhotels.com

CELEBRATE NATIONAL DOG DAY AT

CELEBRATE NATIONAL DOG DAY AT

CELEBRATE NATIONAL DOG DAY AT

CELEBRATE NATIONAL DOG DAY AT

Join us for a doggone afternoon of fun as we host our second annual Miramar Best In Show. We invite our resort guests, locals and their dogs to enter our charity dog show for a chance to win the ultimate Miramar Getaway. Throughout the competition, dogs will be judged based on their personality plus spirit, canine beauty, and tricks & talents.

Join us for a doggone afternoon of fun as we host our second annual Miramar Best In Show. We invite our resort guests, locals and their dogs to enter our charity dog show for a chance to win the ultimate Miramar Getaway. Throughout the competition, dogs will be judged based on their personality plus spirit, canine beauty, and tricks & talents.

Join us for a doggone afternoon of fun as we host our second annual Miramar Best In Show. We invite our resort guests, locals and their dogs to enter our charity dog show for a chance to win the ultimate Miramar Getaway. Throughout the competition, dogs will be judged based on their personality plus spirit, canine beauty, and tricks & talents.

SUNDAY AUGUST 27, 2022

SUNDAY AUGUST 27, 2022

SUNDAY AUGUST 27, 2022

SUNDAY AUGUST 27, 2022

THE GREAT LAWN

THE GREAT LAWN

THE GREAT LAWN

THE GREAT LAWN

1PM – 4PM

1PM – 4PM

1PM – 4PM

1PM – 4PM

$195 per contestant, complimentary for spectators

$195 per contestant, complimentary for spectators

$195 per contestant, complimentary for spectators

$195 per contestant, complimentary for spectators

For more information and details on how to enter the show, please visit www.rosewoodhotels.com or email miramar.events@rosewoodhotels.com

For more information and details on how to enter the show, please visit www.rosewoodhotels.com or email miramar.events@rosewoodhotels.com

us for a doggone afternoon of fun as we host our second annual Miramar Best In Show. We invite our resort guests, locals and their dogs to enter our charity dog show for a chance to win the ultimate Miramar Getaway. Throughout the competition, dogs will be judged based on their personality plus spirit, canine beauty, and tricks & talents. For more information and details on how to enter the show, please visit www.rosewoodhotels.com or email miramar.events@rosewoodhotels.com

For more information and details on how to enter the show, please visit www.rosewoodhotels.com or email miramar.events@rosewoodhotels.com

Montecito Miscellany A Presidential Reception

by Richard Mineards

Our tony town’s annual Fiesta fest kicked off at a sold-out La Recepción del Presidente for 300 guests when 17 past presidents with current president David Bolton filled the historic Santa Barbara Club – where in 1924 the idea for Old Spanish Days began.

Eight members of the club have served as El Presidente, including Charles Storke in 1953 and Joanne Funari in 2011. David is the ninth.

After a blessing from fun-loving Franciscan friar Larry Gosselin, the dazzling entertainment, emceed by the ubiquitous KEYT-TV reporter John Palminteri, began with the six-piece all-women Mariachi Femenil Nuevo Tecalitlan, and live flamenco featuring the Maria Bermudez Dance Studio and the Zermeno Dance Academy.

Among the flurry of Fiesta fans dancing the night away to Heart and Soul after a dinner featuring the four nations that governed Santa Barbara – the Chumash,

Spain, Mexico, and the U.S. – were Mayor Randy Rowse, Riley and Dacia Harwood (parents of Jack Harwood, the first male Spirit of Fiesta who danced with Junior Spirit Olivia Nelson), Saint Barbara Lisa Osborn, Chris Nelson, Stephanie Petlow,

Isaac Hernández, George and Laurie Leis, Fritz and Gretchen Olenberger, Mark Whitehurst and Kerry Methner, David Edelman, Sigrid Toye, Sharon Bradford, Bob and Holly Murphy, Donna Reeves, Hiroko Benko, Lynn Kirst, Lisa Burns, former mayor Sheila Lodge, and Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey Nowak

A cracking start to a fulsome week of Andalusian activities...

Talkin’ Old Spanish Days

It was not so much a night on the tiles as a day on one when society scribe and

Perfect For You!

local historian Erin Graffy de Garcia talked about her book Old Spanish Days: Santa Barbara History Through Public Art during an entertaining hour-long lecture at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club.

The 117-page book was originally published in 2014 to coincide with the 90th anniversary of Fiesta and was compiled in less than eight weeks given very tight time constraints.

“We had to get permissions to use pictures and photos of all the art works in the book, but everybody was extraor-

Miscellany Page 244

Tucked away on a private lane within the coveted golden quadrangle, this beautiful Mediterranean-style estate, remodeled in 2021, is equipped with 5 beds, 5 1/2 baths, an office, and stunning ocean, island and mountain views, and first-class amenities:

Michele Schneider, El Presidente David Bolton, and Keith Ahlstrom celebrate the start of Fiesta (photo by Priscilla)

El Primer Caballero Gonzalo Sarmiento with his mother Olvia Manjarrez, sister Zulema Benitez, and niece Ximeña Benitez (photo by Priscilla)

Wearing their Fiesta attire are Debbie and Mike Bruce (photo by Priscilla)

Letters to the Editor Big Box Thoughts

Ijust read Jeff Harding’s piece on the addition of Restoration Hardware in the Vol. 29 Issue 30 edition of the MJ. While I generally agree with a lot of what Jeff had to say, I feel like the piece requires some clarification. The reason these formulaic retailers he mentions are on Coast Village is because it is not part of Montecito and therefore not subject to the same opinions of the Montecito community (fortunately or unfortunately). That’s not to say there are no “formulaic retailers” in our community, but I think the MA is fully within its mandates to have this discussion. In the end, I think it is the responsibility of the Montecito community to “vote with their wallets” as to which retailers thrive in our community – just as Jeff suggests. But at the same time, the massive influx of new community members that have arrived in the last five to 10 years might not have the same values that those of us that have been here for 30+ years are trying to maintain. So, having some discussions about who should set up shop in our community is a worthwhile activity in my opinion.

Regards, Chase Muller

Montecito Resident Living Out of Car After Family Property Sold

My family’s 1.17-acre property at 673 Cold Spring Road recently sold for $3,736,000. Escrow closed on May 16, 2023. My parents bought the property in 1974 for $120,000. My mother, Patricia Rosen, passed away two years ago on August 1, 2021. For years I helped her

and drove her places. She was very healthy until she broke her hip in mid-2021. Before that happened, she could walk all over the place without a cane. She lived to be 93 and a half. She loved her home and was able to be there during her last days.

After she passed, a court-appointed trustee handled the sale of the property. My siblings wanted a trustee.

But, so far, beneficiaries have received no funds.

My sister and I are in great need. On July 21, my sister wrote to me in an email: “I’m still here. I have heart problems.”

On July 25, she wrote in response to an inquiry if she’s received money from the trustee: “No money yet.” Having some money would put her at ease.

As for me, I’m almost out of money, living off a credit card.

I paid for my mother’s caregivers during the last weeks of her life. Very expensive. No reimbursement for this.

After my mom passed, I cleared out the contents of her house and garage, cleaned the house thoroughly, sanded the redwood deck, etc. No reimbursement for this labor. Getting the property ready for sale involved a huge amount of work.

Now I’m living out of my car. For two months I slept in a tent on La Cumbre Peak. On July 28, a sheet of paper was put in front of my tent which stated camping is prohibited in “anywhere other than a developed campground, for a period longer than seven consecutive days or for more than 21 days during a calendar year.” I’m looking for another place to stay.

For the last couple of months I’ve been asking the trustee for some funds – hope-

fully my siblings and I will get a preliminary distribution soon.

People have been very kind. So have politicians. Das Williams stated at the July 11 Board of Supervisors meeting that he’d have someone contact the trustee on my behalf. His aide Kadie McShirley made a phone call to both the trustee and his attorney. Also, Santa Barbara City Councilman Oscar Gutierrez called the trustee. I told Assemblyman Gregg Hart about the situation at his sidewalk office hours, and he was very concerned. He said I looked well. Good to hear that!

Bryan Rosen

Life at Casa

Little did I know that after my last letter life could actually get worse. My ear tinnitus has been rendered far worse and is now into my right ear, which is in a pain I have never experienced before.

The morning of June 21st I was jolted out of bed by constant non-stop hammering that was worse than a power tool. I share a 23’ long mutual wall with new upcoming neighbors in our bedroom. After five years, the loveliest previous neighbors moved – after a very substantial investment – in disgust.

I got up and dressed to go to the apartment. One worker said they were hired by Casa’s Lindsey Moreno, who authorized new baseboards on our mutual wall. Why would these new neighbors require new baseboards? I inherited my baseboards 14 and a half years ago. They were and still are in pristine condition.

The intensity of the noise that morning has left me with so much pain in my ear I’m afraid I will suffer the effects until my death, which cannot come soon enough. I am awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of a car with the engine running, and for this nightmare I am paying $5,830 a month at six percent annual increases. I am far from the only one com-

MONTECITO TIDE GUIDE

plaining about the noise, but no one has the courage to say or do anything. We are just collateral damage, said one neighbor.

Someone suggested I move to a so-called villa (no European villa would look this cheesy, and this would be at a cost of 1.5 million dollars). No way will Casa benefit from my monies, which are earmarked for Doctors Without Borders and Habitat for Humanity here in Santa Barbara only.

Once in all these years have I requested an annual cleanup. This year I asked housekeeping that mirrors – which reach up to the ceiling – be cleaned, and the fridge pulled back from the wall so that I could clean because the motor reaches so low I cannot run anything beneath it. And for that I was being billed $40, which was not going to happen on my watch.

When I first moved here, I had a charge of $1,731 for a trip to Las Vegas that I never took. If an attorney was handling my bills, how much do you want to bet that bill would have been questioned?

I still deal with corporate tenants since 1975, but never has any one of them put me through the misery of any of this.

Renee Templeraud, Casa Dorinda Resident

Executive Editor/CEO | Gwyn Lurie gwyn@montecitojournal.net

President/COO | Timothy Lennon Buckley tim@montecitojournal.net

VP, Sales & Marketing | Leanne Wood leanne@montecitojournal.net

Managing Editor | Zach Rosen zach@montecitojournal.net

Art/Production Director | Trent Watanabe

Administration | Jessikah Fechner

Administrative Assistant | Valerie Alva

Graphic Design/Layout | Stevie Acuña

Account Managers | Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Elizabeth Nadel, Bryce Eller, Bob Levitt

Contributing Editor | Kelly Mahan Herrick

Copy Editor | Lily Buckley Harbin, Jeff Wing Proofreading | Helen Buckley

Arts and Entertainment | Steven Libowitz

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

Gossip | Richard Mineards

History | Hattie Beresford

Humor | Ernie Witham

Our Town/Society | Joanne A Calitri

Travel | Jerry Dunn, Leslie Westbrook

Food & Wine | Claudia Schou Melissa Petitto, Gabe Saglie

Published by:

Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC

Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108.

How to reach us: (805) 565-1860; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite G, Montecito, CA 93108; EMAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net

Community Voices Thoughts on the Death of Our Newspaper World

by Jim Buckley

Igrew up with newsprint. As a 10-year-old newspaper delivery boy for the Lowell Sun, I spent many a Sunday morning on my new Schwinn Birthday Bike delivering the very large (and prosperous) Sunday edition of the Lowell Sun. Over the course of two years or so, my route went from 41 to 123 customers, many of whom expected me to have change on me when it came time for them to pay up. I frequently ran out of the correct change, so they’d tell me to come back another day.

Grrrr.

Some never had the money and others “forgot” to pay me week after week.

But, hey, I was in the newspaper business!

I sold the L.A. Free Press on the streets of Hollywood in the mid-1960s. I think I asked for a quarter and kept a dime, but that memory is fuzzy. It was, after all, a free paper.

I walked up and down from Fleet Street to Oxford Street in London wearing the two-sided London Evening Standard headline-of-the-day on my shoulders and over my chest and back. I even became managing editor of the failing New York Free Press at the tender age of 24.

When The New York Times – in full flower and making money by the bucketload – bought the Santa Barbara NewsPress in 1984, that signaled the beginning of the end of newsprint.

It wasn’t obvious then, but the Times’ staff didn’t know this city and, frankly, didn’t much care about it either. Editors and publishers come and go, just as sports figures do in the majors now. Not in my day. If Jimmy Piersall or Ted Williams ever jumped ship from the Boston Red Sox to another team, particularly the New York Yankees, when I was a kid, a never-ending riot would have ensued. Those players were ours, nobody else’s. And riots would not have been contained in Boston. Every city in Massachusetts big and small, would have been outraged and crushed in equal measure. New England really is a small town.

Today, when a newspaper fails, the universal reaction is: Meh.

As far as a statement on the current sad circumstances of the Santa Barbara News-Press, well, we’ve all

seen it coming for at least the past decade. The staff of the News-Press walked out onto De La Guerra Plaza in 2006 wearing Duct Tape over their mouths because the paper’s new owner, Wendy McCaw , had the audacity to remove an item concerning a high-profile Montecito resident ( Rob Lowe ). That the item could have breached the security of the actor’s new home didn’t matter. Apparently, the staff felt that the owner/publisher of the paper had no right to interfere with the editorial content of the paper.

Which is/was, in my opinion, absurd.

And, really, that attitude probably only accelerated the death of most papers that have folded over the course of this decades-long abandonment of print. Dailies were mostly run by absentee corporate ownership and headed up by well-paid editors whose inflated salaries eventually became untenable.

That nearly all mainstream dailies – the News-Press being a notable exception – spew the same kind of mind-numbing garbage in lockstep with each other is another reason, but really, the days of a subscription-based daily newspaper are/were numbered anyway. How could they possibly compete selling high-priced ads and paying giant-sized printing costs in the face of the competition that charges pennies and only when someone responds to an ad?

Community weeklies (the Santa Barbara Independent , Montecito Journal , Carpinteria’s Coastal View News ) continue to thrive in the face of the Internet onslaught, and all make certain they stay connected to their community. But only their readers’ and advertisers’ continuing support will keep them that way.

So, say good-bye to newsprint wistfully, as we’ve said so-long to so many of our favorite things, such as eclairs with real crème patisserie and chocolate ganache, honey-glazed doughnuts with real honey, maple in maple syrup, cocaine in Coke, and, well you know the thing…

“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

Jim Buckley is the founder of the Montecito Journal

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Our Town

Artist Awol Erizku and Music Academy Fellows

by Joanne A Calitri

It has long been part of the Renaissance salons and Waldorf art schools to pair art and music as a cultural learning experience. On Sunday, July 23, the galleries at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) were abuzz with guests set to do just that, to meet multidisciplinary artist Awol Erizku (Ethopian, b. 1988), view his works, and listen to a concert by the Music Academy (MA) Fellows.

The event titled Radiant Frequencies was the first in a series at the SBMA called “Beyond Conversation,” and was framed as “a commitment to acquiring and engaging with the most challenging art of our time.” Here we find the museum’s acquisitions of Erizku’s Amanda Gorman and his gold mirrored mosaic sculpture, Nefertiti - Miles Davis (2022) – acquired with funds provided by Gail Wasserman and the Luria/Budgor Family Foundation, as the inspiration for music selections by nine MA Fellows.

How this came together is from the ponderings of one Kandy Luria-Budgor, who sat with me for a quick interview during the reception. She was very simcha the idea she planted had taken seed and grew. We kibbitzed:

Q. How did this event come about?

A. During Covid I did a master’s degree in Contemporary Art, and completed it in 2022. My thesis was called, “Beyond Conversation to Acquisition,” looking at the relevancy of the art purchased by museums. The canon changed recently because museums want contemporary art. My thesis looked at what is contemporary, and it has a direct dotted line to relevancy. If you want your museum to be inclusive and have a global perspective, you have to look at the definition of what contemporary art is and who is producing it. Today we have artists between 30 to 40 years old who have produced high level art, such as Awol Erizku, whose art is in Hong Kong, London, MET, and Whitney in New York and Los Angeles. We are one of the trailblazers of it with five pieces at SBMA, including his Amanda Gorman photograph, one of five produced. The portrait is of a young woman of color depicted at the highest level of accomplishment. When we hung the photograph, it brought in a much wider swath of people, and children who said it was their favorite. Scott Reed brought his daughter Ruby, then five years old, to the SBMA and asked her to pick her favorite work of art. She selected the Gorman photo, and said, “I want to take a picture in front of the princess,” which Scott did. At home she wanted to draw princesses, and all of them had dark skin. When you have something like this happen, you’ve pushed away boundaries, young people see the new canon of art, and how it can be relevant to our society today.

How did the collab with the Music Academy happen?

When [SBMA] started doing acquisitions during my master’s degree studies, I saw that what we consider to be contemporary art was missing from the museum. I wrote about having underwritten [funded] programs that would promote emerging and overlooked artists that rise to the level of high art to fill in those important spaces. James Glisson and I were completely in tandem on that, and we brought in 20 new pieces of contemporary art.

I’ve also been on the board of the Music Academy for 20 years, where there are also

Our

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Town

Cooper Cox with Adam and Kandy Luria-Budgor, Awol Erikzu, Beno LuriaBudgor, and James Glisson (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Society Invites

The Retirement Love Fest for Y’s Preschool Director Annie Fischer

Make new discoveries.

by Joanne A Calitri

After 31 years of loving what she did, the Montecito YMCA Preschool Director Annie Fischer retired at the end of the school year. She was lauded for her steadfast teaching legacy of children and helping their parents at her retirement party on Wednesday, July 26, held at the outdoor playground area of the Y.

The event was packed with kids aged three to 73, many bringing bouquets of roses, ceramic potted flower plants, wrapped presents, cards, and most important, each expressed to her their love and thanks. She was seated under the tented table area with a rose gold crown and pageant banner with “Officially Retired” printed on it in gold. Fighting back tears of joy with each face that came to give a hug and take a photo op, she was still in toe with directing kids to the taco truck goodies, the playground inflatable funhouse, and the craft table to make a necklace with colored cheerios – “…remember you get to eat only the broken cheerios!”

Her students over the years included the children of the Y’s Board of Directors, students who are now enrolled at Johns Hopkins, parents whom she taught that enrolled their kids in her classroom, as

well as all economic classes and nationalities. Word from the local schools’ teachers is they could always tell a “Miss Annie student.”

Montecito Family YMCA Executive Director Mike Yamasaki commenced the program with a welcome and explained that he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt with flowers, which is a celebration shirt to honor Fischer and the event. He gave the mike to the long line of parents, kids, and fellow teachers who wanted to say their special thanks to Fischer. They acknowledged her many talents, gifts of kindness, parenting, and how, like the movie Inside Out, she found what was best in each child, their gifts, and made it the trajectory of their lives. She was presented with a handmade quilt by the parents and a gift card “for her retirement.”

In a special announcement, Yamasaki said that the garden area by the preschool will be named in Fischer’s honor, “…a plaque will be placed here naming the garden after her, and that way she will always be overlooking the school.”

Teary-eyed, Fischer took the mike to express her thanks for all the love and gifts, promised to keep in touch with everyone, and sang the Carole King song, “If I Didn’t Have You to Wake Up to.”

Society Page 284

Annie Fischer, Janet Langley, and Ruthie Ambriz with friends (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Montecito Family YMCA Executive Director Michael Yamasaki with retiring Preschool Director Annie Fischer and some of her adoring fans (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

This Week at MA The Rise of Watson

by Steven Libowitz

Don’t confuse Samuel Watson with the speed climbing champion of the same name, a teenager who holds the U.S. records and international gold medals in the new Olympic sport, although Sam Watson the Music Academy fellow has also made a meteoric rise.

The 20-year-old contrabassoonist can’t scale an indoor wall in five seconds, but his ascent on his instrument – from first taking up the bassoon in the sixth grade to securing a position as the youngest member of the prestigious Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) – has come at a near-record pace.

Watson first picked up an instrument entering middle school on the advice of his older brother who told him playing in the school band was the ticket to the best field trips. He chose the bassoon because the band director said his long fingers were perfect for the lengthy reed instrument.

“I figured, I’m quirky. I’ll love that,” recalled Watson, who, coincidentally actually rock climbs as a hobby.

He took to the bassoon immediately but stepped up his game in high school at a magnet school in Florida where he had a starring role because all the bassoonists had just graduated.

From there the pace only quickened.

While working toward a degree during his first year at the Cleveland Institute of Music, he also studied privately with Barrick Stees and Jonathan Sherwin, bassoonists with the city’s famous orchestra. He ambitiously aimed for taking auditions after his freshman year just to get in some practice, still using the school’s contrabassoon. The first audition was for the third chair at the Toledo Symphony that summer.

“By some miracle, I won it,” Watson said.

The same thing happened a year later when Watson, following Sherwin’s advice, auditioned for the Fort Worth Symphony. And then late this spring, he landed the BSO in his third-ever audition, unheard of in the classical world.

Watson himself was shocked.

“Every time they told me that I had advanced to the next round of auditions, I was just ecstatic, because we’re told how difficult it is to win a job at all and this is a major orchestra. I was just so happy that I could let my teachers and family know –including my grandmother who was very upset when I told her I was dropping out of school – that it’s all been worthwhile.”

Having already secured the BSO job, Watson did have second thoughts about shuffling off to Santa Barbara for a sum-

mer at the Music Academy rather than joining the orchestra in Tanglewood.

“But I realized that with the incredible faculty and fellows here, it would be an excellent opportunity to experience some of what I did not get the chance to learn while I was at university,” Watson said.

Watson has performed on all of the orchestral concerts as well as at several picnic concerts, master classes, and X2 events, where he got to play some cherished pieces and unfamiliar works.

“It was incredible to play chamber music alongside some of the world’s great musicians,” he said.

Watson will also be featured with the other bassoonist fellows in the final master class on August 3 when he’ll play Joseph Bodin de Boismortier’s “Sonata G Minor, Op. 26, No. 5,” as part of an all-baroque afternoon.

Now that the Academy season is coming to a close, Watson has no regrets.

“I learned a lot and formed some great relationships,” he said.

Watson will debut with the BSO during the opening night of its new season on October 5 in a program featuring works by Beethoven, Mozart, Arturs Maskats, and Richard Strauss. It’s the first performance of what may, like his BSO predecessor, turn out to be three decades with the organization.

Fortunately, his affection for the contrabassoon, like his career, just keeps going up.

“There’s a sweetness and color to the sound, and there are many love arias and operas where I get to assume the melody with the tenor,” he said. “And it’s a very funny instrument, the so-called clown of the orchestra. I get to do all of those silly moments.”

Upcoming @ MA

The end isn’t just near – it’s here. It’s the final weekend for the Music

Week at MA Page 314

“The brave man is he who overcomes not only his enemies but his pleasures.” – Democritus

Samuel Watson recently became the youngest member of the prestigious Boston Symphony Orchestra (courtesy photo)

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Dear Montecito

The Ways We Celebrate 100

by Stella Haffner

Dear Montecito, W elcome to the 99th edition of Dear Montecito!

Even though this column was started three years ago, I have been looking forward to our 100th edition practically since Day 1. It is not unpopular to say 100 is a very nice number. It is round and also somehow circular in that it encourages reflection, celebration, and speculation. Most of us like 100. And I think it is fair to say that I have liked the number 100 since before I knew what it meant.

In the summer of 2005, I was learning how to hold my breath underwater in the YMCA guppies class. At the end of class, we were often asked how many kicks or bounces we wanted to do to conclude our time. One day we were asked how many jumping jacks we wanted to do to finish the day.

“ONE HUNDRED!” One kid said.

I have been a bit of a know-it-all my whole life, so I let him know that counting to one hundred would take all day. I really did think that. Sometimes, Montecito, know-it-all doesn’t really mean understand-it-all.

I first understood what 100 looked like in Ms. Hillway’s kindergarten class. At MUS, we celebrated the 100th day of school with special hats, child-friendly percussion instruments, and a parade. Each kindergartener got to prepare their own hat, decorated with 100 stickers each. And so, we learned to count by ten – a big moment. A big moment elevated by the fact that we each got 100 stickers. Have you ever seen a five-year-old with one sticker? Yeah, well getting 100 stickers at five years old is like winning the Powerball. It’s a high that really cannot be outdone. Thus, the 100th day became its own holiday for me like Halloween and Thanksgiving.

I celebrated my 100th day of college and my 100th day of graduate school. One day I will celebrate my 100th year. My idea of what this will look like has changed significantly, and I know that for a fact.

Back on our 100th day of kindergarten, we were given a special assignment. We were asked to draw and describe what we would be like at 100 years old. I said I wouldn’t hassle with dresses or skirts anymore, and I thought I would probably be grumpy when people rang my doorbell. Notably I did not mention any spouses or accomplishments – interesting – but I did say I would want to have my friends over for tea.

I still think giving that assignment was a stroke of genius by our teachers. It is true my teachers at MUS have continued to have an impact on the way I think about the future and reflect on the past. It is why I so enjoy hearing from them when they read this column. Actually, it is why I enjoy hearing from all of my readers; because this town has concretely shaped the way I think about myself and about others and about time. And like all parts of this paper, the Dear Montecito column couldn’t exist without all of you.

I decided to write to you on the 99th edition of this column because I wanted us to be able to anticipate the 100th edition together. And to further emphasize the circular reflective-projective nature of o-n-e h-u-n-d-r-e-d, our 100th edition centers on an individual who both grew up here and is playing a big role in shaping the next generation.

Ninety-nine articles down and we still have so many stories to share. In the coming season, this column will feature more writers, more artists, more scientists, more Montecito alumni.

As always, thank you. And as always, if you know someone who should be featured in the column or have your own great story to share, you can reach me at stellajanepierce@ gmail.com.

Thanks for 99, Stella

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

Storyteller Children’s Center

Totally Awesome ‘80s Gala to Honor Storyteller’s 35th Anniversary

by Erinn Lynch

The year was 1988. Milli Vanilli was lip-syncing their way to the top of the Billboard Charts, Flo Jo claimed three gold medals at the Seoul Summer Olympics, and a seed that would become Storyteller Children’s Center was starting to take root.

Thirty-five years ago, Storyteller began as a roped-off section in the Transition House parking lot where children engaged in art projects, games, and

jump rope. Today, the organization sets the standard for trauma-informed early childhood education with three campuses in Santa Barbara, including classrooms added this year at Transition House, where it all began.

To commemorate this meaningful milestone, a totally tubular event committee – helmed by Catherine Stoll and Kelly Finefrock – is throwing it back to the ‘80s with a celebratory gala at the Hilton Beachfront Resort on Friday, October 6.

“We invite the community to join us for a retro-inspired evening of warm breezes, tropical drinks, and dancing under the stars to ‘80s hits performed live by The Replicas,” said Finefrock. “Leave your legwarmers at home because this elegant night will require all the glitter and glam!”

The Storyteller soir ée will honor longtime supporter Tiffany Foster , who has served as Board President, spearheaded countless galas, and today chairs the Advisory Board. A lively auction will be emceed by Andrew Firestone , who promises his famous high kicks for big bids.

“This gala will be all the more ‘radical’ because of the children at the heart of it,” added Stoll. “The support we receive that night will provide life-changing services for hundreds of children facing adverse challenges in our community. There’s no better reason to gather, celebrate, and give.”

In addition to year-round educational

programs, Storyteller Children’s Center provides behavioral health support, informed trauma therapy, nutritious meals, medical and dental screenings, and family support services. The primary objective of the organization is to foster social-emotional resiliency and school readiness with toddlers and preschoolers, while breaking the cycle of poverty for their families.

To participate in the gala or to support Storyteller Children’s Center, go to Storytellercenter.org or contact Haunna Tomas at haunna@storytellercenter.org.

Get That ‘88 Glam Look

Storyteller

Event Committee Co-Chair Kelly Finefrock – who has supported several fashion pop-ups in Montecito – offers her tips for ‘80s gala fashion. Hair: the bigger, the better. Don’t be afraid of hairspray. Side parts, bold bang waves, and foam-roller curls (brushed out and sprayed) are what it’s all about. Fortunately, today’s hairspray is less toxic; just don’t get too close to an open flame.

Show those shoulders. Eighties fashion loved the exposed shoulder. Vintage and current frocks offer an array of options for that asymmetrical look, so you have something to shimmy while you “cabbage patch” on the dance floor.

Stack ‘em. Like the hair of the ‘80s, accessorizing had a “more is more” attitude. Blend a choker with several strands of pearls, stack those bangle bracelets, or add a vintage brooch for good measure.

Suits, no socks. For men, so much can be gleaned from Miami Vice. Find your most colorful suit. Swap the dress shirt for a bright crewneck t-shirt. Don (Johnson) those loafers. Ditch socks. Pomade. Done!

Get scrappy; go vintage. Santa Barbara has some great vintage and consignment stores, including Punch Vintage, The Closet Trading Store, and Renaissance Fine Consignment. Also, you never know what you might find in a friend/family member’s closet. Have fun. Don’t overthink it. Don’t overspend – save that moolah for Storyteller Children’s Center!

done by, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, constitute the ideal perfection of utilitarian morality.” – John Stuart Mill

Event Chairs, Catherine Stoll (right) and Kelly Finefrock (in their ‘80s-era convertible) create a retro-inspired theme for Storyteller’s October 6th gala (photo by Jack Stein)

Storyteller serves hundreds of toddlers, preschoolers, and their families out of three campuses in Santa Barbara each year (photo by Storyteller Children’s Center)

Glam style “inspo” to party like it’s 1988 (photo by Storyteller Children’s Center)

Erinn Lynch is the Co-Chair of Storyteller’s Board of Directors

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Brilliant Thoughts Brotherhood

by Ashleigh Brilliant

You may not remember Tom Lehrer, who performed his own satirical songs, very successfully, in the 1960s – but his offerings included a song satirizing the whole idea of National Brotherhood Week. The last stanza began:

“It’s fun to eulogize the people you despise.”

The foil for this frivolity was a genuine decades-long effort to encourage tolerance, or at least discourage intolerance, among Americans who of course were a highly diverse mixture of ethnicities, religions, and national origins.

But the ironies of brotherhood seem to be inborn in humanity. Why else did whoever wrote the book of Genesis (the first book in the Bible) make it almost begin (Chapter 4) with a story about the very first two brothers (Cain and Abel, the first children of Adam and Eve), one of whom kills the other? Making matters worse, this is no accident or sudden impulse, but deliberate murder, based on pure jealousy. (At least sex doesn’t come into it. No woman is mentioned.)

Thus, it seems, we have the wellknown problem of “sibling rivalry” dating back to the original siblings. In our era, the comedy/musical duo called the Smothers Brothers, had a running gag, in which Tom, the elder, complained to his brother, Dick, that “Mom always liked you best.”

But of course, that is only one side of the coin. On the other side, there’s the natural closeness of family relationships which is not only biological, but comes from living together. That sentiment is exemplified by the story told by Father Edward Flanagan, the founder of the orphanage and educational complex in Nebraska known as Boys Town. He related an incident in which one boy, who was carrying another on his back, told the priest, “He ain’t heavy, Father – He’s my brother.”

But what is brotherhood really all about? How should brotherly feelings be expressed? First and most important, I suppose, is helping each other, and doing so more readily than the rules of any “mutual aid” society, club, or other organization would require. The ultimate test would be giving your life to save your brother – or, if not your life, then (something becoming more common nowadays) giving a bodily organ without which you yourself can still survive. Of course, there may be other factors involved which might make it even more compelling for brother to save brother, including a common genetic background.

(Many of my generation may remember the first successful heart transplant, performed in 1967 in Cape Town, South Africa, by Christiaan Barnard, a local surgeon – but there was no relationship between the donor, who of course had to be dead, and the recipient. Still, it was very exciting news, and seemed somehow to emphasize how much we humans all have in common.)

Looking more broadly at the subject, idealists like to think of that common humanity, which makes us so much alike in so many ways, as a brotherhood, which of course should have rendered warfare impossible, but somehow never has. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony supposedly celebrates the brotherhood of man. It was first performed in 1824, and concludes with a choral version of Friedrich Schiller’s “Ode to Joy,” which has the words (in German, of course), “All Mankind shall be brothers,” written in 1785. Between those two dates occurred the long catastrophic period known as the Napoleonic Wars, which included, among much else, America’s second war with Britain and Napoleon’s disastrous invasion of Russia.

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Monks in Monasteries have called each other “Brother” for millennia. And college clubs known as Fraternities, use the same brotherly terms (from the Latin “Frater”). But the slogan “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” which is still the official motto of the Republic of France and appears on their currency, goes back to the French Revolution of the 1790s, and a time when the feelings between the peasantry and the aristocracy were anything but brotherly, and more symbolized by the guillotine than by clasped hands of friendship.

Now, more recently, we have had two World Wars. After the first one, the American President, Woodrow Wilson, who had taken his country into it, helped to establish a League of Nations – which theoretically, by discussion and arbitration, would prevent any future war from breaking out. But Wilson could not even get his own country to become a member.

Let’s let Tom Lehrer have the last word. Here is how he concludes his celebration of National Brotherhood Week:

“It’s only for a week, so have no fear –Be grateful that it doesn’t last all year!”

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American Railroad: Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens, Nov 9 Rhiannon Giddens,

Jacob Collier, Oct 1

Herbie Hancock, Apr 17

Audra McDonald, Nov 30

Renée Fleming, Feb 1

Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends, Oct 25

Jeff Goodell, Oct 17

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A Joyful Holiday, Dec 8 Nickel Creek, Oct 8

Abraham Verghese, Feb 21 in Conversation with Pico Iyer Kristin Chenoweth, Nov 5

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dinarily helpful in giving the necessary okays and not even charging for reproduction rights.”

The lavishly illustrated work, with photos by uber snapper Fritz Olenberger, is the perfect Fiesta gift, even nine years on.

One particular revelation was learning how the sports of bear and bull baiting a couple of centuries ago led to the Wall Street parlance in which “bull” and “bear” are shorthand descriptions of the state of the trading market.

Among those at the MClub nautical repast were Hiroko Benko, Dana Hansen , Maria McCall , Brendon Twigden, Kathy and Judy Alexander, Marna Coday, Alma Rose Middleton, Anne Luther, and Rebecca Brand

On the Book-Case

Through her decades-long work as an executive, producer, and on-air reporter for Court TV and the Nancy Grace show on HLN, Wendy Whitman has become an acknowledged expert on the subject of

murder in America.

A graduate of the Boston University School of Law, Whitman, who also used to work for comedians Lily Tomlin and George Carlin, penned her first novel Premonition in 2021 and has just published a follow-up Retribution, which she promoted at an intimate soirée at Tecolote in the Upper Village.

I used to be a regular contributor on Court TV on Catherine Crier’s Manhattan-based show, particularly after the tragic death of Princess Diana in Paris in 1997. Crier was the youngest judge in Texas history at the age of 30.

“My debut crime thriller was meant to give the reader a glimpse into what it’s like to be murdered,” says Westport, Connecticut-based Whitman, who also attended Tufts University, graduating with a degree in English and Photography.

“The sequel takes us into the mind of a demented serial killer... I know what I’m talking about because I have spent Miscellany Page 264

The difference between finding a place and finding the perfect place

Standing: Jeanne West, Ken Clements, Elsbeth Kleen, and Peggy Callahan; Seated: Gary Simpson, Jill Nida, and William Callahan (photo by Priscilla)

Author Erin Graffy with John Profant, Judith Muller, and Maria McCall (photo by Priscilla)

Author Wendy Whitman (center) talks murder in America with avid readers at Tecolote (photo by Priscilla)

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decades covering almost every major high-profile murder case in America.” That’s without a doubt...

A Wonderful Week at MA

The final weeks of the Music Academy’s 76th annual Summer Festival have been the icing on the classical cake!

Principal players with the London Symphony Orchestra showed their prowess at Lehmann Hall when they performed chamber works by Britten, Villa-Lobos, Perivolaris, Salzedo, Hahn, and Haydn with flutist Gareth Davies, cellist David Cohen, violinist Clare Duckworth, trombonist Peter Moore, and pianist Margaret McDonald

Hahn Hall, a tiara’s toss down the road, was the next venue for Cabaret, not a reprise of Bob Fosse’s Berlin-based 1972 film with Joel Grey , Michael York, and Liza Minnelli, but a 1979 production in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon with James Darrah returning to the Miraflores campus to co-produce with music director Craig Terry

The highly entertaining show, with evocative costumes by Molly Irelan and creative work by projection designer Adam Larsen, revisited the legendary singer-songwriters of that iconic era including Jackson Browne, Johnny

Cash, Sonny Bono, Carole King, Lionel Richie, Joni Mitchell, John Denver, Elton John, John Williams, Stevie Nicks, Leonard Cohen, and the late Santa Barbara icon David Crosby Go-go boots and hot pants were de rigueur!

The week wrapped at the weekend with the Academy Festival Orchestra under JoAnn Falletta, 69, the first woman to lead a major American ensemble as music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, played Roberto Sierra’s “Fandangos” to Ravel’s “La Valse,” wrapping the topnotch concert with Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances.”

Multi Grammy-winner Falletta, also artistic adviser to the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, was named as one of the 50 greatest conductors, past and present, by Gramophone magazine. And no wonder...

Friendship and Brass Bears

Heidi Holly, executive director of the Friendship Center in Montecito and Goleta, has retired after 38 years, and 120 friends and supporters gathered at a funMiscellany Page 344

JoAnn Falletta and the Academy Festival Orchestra take a stand (photo by Zach Mendez)

London Symphony Orchestra principals put on a show (photo by Zach Mendez)

Cabaret: 1979 is a blast from the past (photo by Zach Mendez)

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Seen at the event were Montecito Family YMCA Board Chair Dan O’Keefe with the Sweeney family, Cheryl Bernard, former Office Manager Joyce Schrader, former teacher under Fischer Ruthie Ambriz, former Y admin Janet Langley, Office Manager Amber Mazzacano with the Y’s staff and admin team, event co-chairs Detra Wilson and Melody Delshad, the Foreman family, and Fischer’s family of her husband Greg, daughters Katie and Stephanie with grandkids Logan , Collin , and Emmie Rodriguez.

Fischer was the physical education and after-school sports teacher for all grades at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School for seven years prior to her work at the Y. She shared, “My mom always would tell me, Annie you are a teacher. So, I followed in my late sister Yvonne Rubio’s footsteps. She had taught here at the Y. I started teaching here when she was the director. I soon became the Preschool Director and 31 years later, here I am!”

The MJ thanks and congratulates Annie Fischer on her teaching contributions to our town’s children!

411: www.ciymca.org/locations/montecitofamily-ymca

Society on the Summerland Businesses’ Block Party

The 38 businesses on Lillie Avenue in Summerland joined together for a block party and to invite the local adjoining towns to get to know them. The event took place Saturday, July 29, from 11 am to 5 pm, all along the avenue. Walking the approximated 7/10th of a mile route, you’ll find a variety of local shops and food places, from the vintage Bikini Factory and The Nugget Bar and Grill established in the 1960s to the upscale Home Crush furnishings store, whose Summerland location is only about a year old. Business catego-

ries include home furnishings, antiques, stationery, liquor, rugs, and religious items; dining spots for coffee, breakfast, lunch, burgers, pizza, and dinner, plus a winery; as well as fitness, esthetic spas, and of course a church, fire department, gas station, and post office!

The event came about when Aimee Miller of Home Crush, Kara Richard and Jonathan Dawson of the Summerland Salon and Spa, President of Summerland Beautiful D’Arcy Cornwall , Megan Tingstrom of Red Kettle Coffee, and Leslie Person Ryan of Farm to Paper got together and talked shop , literally. Kara and Megan mentioned to the group they have a bevy of pop-up vendors and music in their outdoor patio areas monthly and thought it would be fun to have all the shops doing something. Miller

and Cornwall went door to door to all the businesses with the idea of a block party, which all the businesses agreed to join, and added a donation of a gift card or item for the gift basket free raffle. The gift basket totaling $2,000 was given to one lucky winner from all the entrees via the QR codes at each business and an Instagram post with the required hashtags. Miller put together a trifold map listing all businesses with their website and street address, and brief history of Summerland. The map is free and can be picked up at any of the businesses.

The event saw 200 people at Home Crush dancing to the Kinsella Brothers Band on the outside patio. Other big crowds were also noted at the Summerland Salon and Spa who sponsored 11 pop-up vendors, The Nugget Bar and Grill, Summerland Winery, and the Summerland Beach Café. After walking Lillie Avenue a few times, I circled back to Home Crush just as the band was packing up. Miller and I sat for a bit sipping bottled water in the shade to beat the 80-degree heat. She was upbeat that the event was so successful and is already planning a November-December holiday event. She shared, “It is a very harmonious group here, the world’s too small, we are here for each other. We look forward to reviving the Summerland community through our small businesses. Come by, pick up a map of the businesses, and say hi!”

Annie Fischer’s husband Greg with their daughters Katie and Stephanie, and grandkids Logan, Collin, and Emmie Rodriguez (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Aimee Miller, owner of Home Crush (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

D’Arcy Cornwall of Summerland Beautiful and Tasting Room Manager of Summerland Winery Malcolm Silva-Anderson (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Megan Tingstrom, owner of Red Kettle Coffee (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

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

On Entertainment What Patti Smith Draws From

by Steven Libowitz

Patti Smith’s legacy as one of the most provocative, literary, and influential rock singer-songwriters in history is just part of her artistic achievement. Perhaps the only artist whose accolades include induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a National Book Award, and a Legion of Honor from the French government, Smith remains a vital force more than halfway through her eighth decade on earth.

Smith returns to the Lobero Theatre on August 9 for a concert benefiting several nonprofits in town through producer Earl Minnis, performing with a trio that features her son (with late husband Fred “Sonic” Smith) Jackson Smith on guitar and longtime associate Tony Shanahan on piano and bass. Excerpts below are from a brief conversation over the phone last Sunday night.

Q. You’ve been called a punk poet laureate, at least in the press materials for this concert. How –

A. Not my fault. It used to bother me, but I don’t care anymore. But what does that even mean? I’ve been reading poetry and writing my whole life. But I don’t think I’m qualified to be anybody’s poet laureate… I just do my work. I’m a writer… What excites me most is just the next thing, what I’m working on. I’ve always been work centric.

What is the next thing?

I’m writing an autobiographical work… just ruminations at this point, the things at 76 that I think about – art, the environment, love. There’s also new poems, and poetry improvisation records I’ve been making in France… I’d like to do one more music record next year, too, but only if it’s something worthwhile.

When you write today, have the themes changed, or mostly the perspective?

When I was younger, I had a lot of arrogance… and a lot of drive toward doing new things, trying to go places no one had gone. So I was always pushing myself to not just do something new for myself, but to create new spaces for future generations. Now, I’m trying to be articulate at this time in my life. I don’t have new ground to break or new things to accomplish. The newer generations will go to places that we hadn’t dreamed of. But what I can do is gather all of my experience and everything that I’ve learned and imparted to people, and maybe it can be useful… I’m quite happy with the place that I am… I have to monitor my body, of course, but my mind just seems to expand. My brain, which has always been very speedy, has calmed down to the point

that I can really articulate the things that I’m feeling with more confidence. It’s one of the good things about getting older.

I’m told that you are still very energetic in concert, even in your mid-70s.

I don’t have the same mobility, but I do have a lot of energy as a performer. I’m aware that my mission in touring is that whatever energy I have has to go to the performance because that’s why I’m there. When I walk on stage, I want to be capable of giving them as much of myself as I can. If I find myself tiring, I draw from the band and I’ll draw from the people… It’s all part of gratitude… being happy to be alive, to be able to present new work. I’m glad to be here.

The Patti Smith Trio performs at the Lobero on Wednesday, August 9, at the Lobero. Visit www.lobero.org for more information and tickets.

Sounds Around Town

After a bit of a mid-summer lull, the Santa Barbara Bowl is back in action, and exudes eclecticism in its quartet of concerts this week. The August 4 show is a conglomeration of its own as co-headliners Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Ziggy Marley are supported by Mavis Staples and the Robert Randolph Band as special guests… The annual Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival takes up its mid-Fiesta residency in the hills above Milpas Street on August 5, with performers Edith Márquez, El Mariachi del Divo, Majo Aguilar, Mariachi Femenil Nuevo Tecalitlán, Mariachi Angeles, and Mariachi Garibaldi… Then it’s two nights (August 6-7) with Rebelution’s Good Vibes Summer Tour with fellow Isla Vista-born reggae-plus stars Iration, with The Expendables, Passafire, and DJ Mackle also on the bill.

Heading south, Ojai’s Libbey Bowl is playing a wicked game of its own with live music outdoors in the warm August weather. Top of the pop this week is an August 6 date with Chris Isaak, the singer-songwriter-guitarist whose reverb-laden rockabilly revivalist style and gorgeous wide-ranging vocals have remained remarkably compelling over his four-decade career… On August 4, the Chumash Casino’s Samala Showroom is a blissfully air-conditioned space in which to travel back in time to the 1970s pop hits of Three Dog Night, which still features one of its original three-headed lead singer sensations, Danny Hutton, bringing joy to the world.

Closer to home, the Alcazar Theatre in Carpinteria has two nights (August 4-5) with the Faragher Brothers, the Redlands family band featuring the four male siblings who scored a few hits and appeared on Soul Train and American Bandstand back in the ‘70s, before going separate ways.

(Davey was the most successful, as a founding member of Cracker, and later The Imposters, Elvis Costello’s backing band.) The original quartet recently reunited and added sister Pammy and two second-generation Faraghers for a “family soul” show.

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

Patti Smith brings her provocative, literary, and influential rock to the Lobero this Wednesday, August 9 (photo by Karen Seinheit)

emerging artists of high level. I brought the idea to Scott Reed, who loved it. As this is new thinking, we tried to figure out the best way to do a program and get people excited to come. Jamie Broumas put out an RFP (Request for Proposal) to the incoming fellows for any interest about doing a concert at the SBMA, and 74 fellows (half of the entire group) wanted to do it. It got pared to nine musicians to perform this evening. For the “artist conductor” we thought Awol would be a good start, and he met with the musicians. They pulled music they felt spoke to the SBMA contemporary art, and also did an arrangement to the song “Halo” that Beyonce sang, and so it morphed into more than we thought.

The concert began with introductory statements by SBMA Contemporary Art Curator James Glisson, MA Chief Artistic Officer Jamie Broumas, and Erizku. The nine musicians were Arin Sarkissian, Kara Poling, Besnik Abrashi, Sarah Bobrow, Alessandra Marie Liebmann, Freya Liu, Na Hyun Della Kyun, Molly Prow, and Jiho Seo. The works performed were “The Tuning Meditation” by Pauline Oliveros; “String Quartet No. 1, II. Allegretto Con Moto E Con Malinconia Grotesca” by Schulhoff; “Wind Quintet No. 2, III. Under the Earth and II. In Heaven” by Miguel del Águila; “String Quartet No. 1, III Allegro Giocoso Alla Slovacca” by Schulhoff; “Mayu the Great River” by Inti Figgis-Vizueta; “The Light is the Same” by Reena Esmail; and for the finale, the world premiere of Beyonce’s “Halo” arranged by Noah Luna, originally written by Ryan Tedder

Following the concert there was a Q&A between Erizku and the musicians, with questions posed by Glisson, Luria-Budgor, and artist Forrest Kirk

The musicians shared that viewing contemporary art was a new experience – seeing art they were not used to and that was unconventional.

Erizku summed it up, “…we [artists] present things we are not used to and have to think deeper about. For me in my studio, it is about synthesis, bringing worlds and things together, to go to the edge, the outer limits, and see how far we can go.”

411: www.sbma.net

Robert’s Big Questions

Can Ukraine Help Us Finally Understand the U.S. War in Vietnam?

by Robert Bernstein

Growing up in D.C. in the ‘60s and ‘70s, my parents took me with them to marches, rallies, and demonstrations against the U.S. War in Vietnam. Note that I do not call it the “Vietnam War.”

For my parents, I think they saw it as an extension of the lessons of the Holocaust: that we must speak up when our government is committing atrocities. Ideally, before the atrocities even begin.

The war abroad created a War at Home. And that war has never really ended, any more than the Civil War ever really ended. Opponents and supporters of the U.S. War in Vietnam each felt vindicated in many ways.

President Johnson created all-out war on the pretext of the “Gulf of Tonkin Incident,” claiming that U.S. war ships had been attacked. It took decades to reveal conclusively that the attack was a lie.

But the larger pretext was the “Domino Theory” that if one country “fell to Communism” then neighboring countries would also “fall” like dominoes. The idea was first suggested by President Truman in the 1940s, to justify sending military aid to Greece and Turkey. But the term really took off when Eisenhower applied it to Southeast Asia. This was the start of U.S. intervention, before all-out war began.

Republicans like senators Joe McCarthy and Nixon Red-baited Democrats as “Commie-crats.” As “soft on Communism” or even as actual covert enemies of the U.S. Forcing Democrats to “prove” their anti-Communist credentials.

researched the evidence for such attacks and found little or none. Is a hippie at an airport really going to spit on a returning Green Beret? On the other hand, there is real evidence that pro-war protesters did spit on anti-war protesters.

More importantly, anti-war protests almost always included returning veterans speaking on stage. To make the point that the protests were not against the troops, but against the war, a common chant and sign was, “Support the Troops: Bring them Home!”

Which brings me to Ukraine. Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine has brought unusual unanimity across the U.S. political spectrum to support the people of Ukraine in resisting this invasion. That means sending weapons and intelligence information, but not combat troops.

Americans mostly seem to understand that the Russian soldiers have been forced to fight and that they are not evil. But Americans almost universally see the evil of Putin’s invasion. I wish people could hold onto that thought. And transfer it finally to understand what the protests against the U.S. War in Vietnam were all about. That the U.S. actions were truly evil. Based on lies and disinformation. And that no one is blaming the soldiers for what they were forced to do.

Vietnam was fighting for its survival and independence against years of invasions and colonial occupations. Just as the people of Ukraine are doing now.

Putin has the support of millions of Russians regarding Ukraine based on the same kinds of lies being told to the American people about Vietnam.

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In fact, when the U.S. lost the war and Vietnam became Communist, no neighboring countries became Communist, showing the fallacy of the Domino Theory. Except for Cambodia, which Nixon had converted from paradise to hell on Earth with his “secret” bombing. It took the invasion of the Vietnamese to end the atrocities of the killing fields that Nixon helped to create.

However, those who supported the U.S. War in Vietnam also claimed a different sort of victory. They created a narrative that the anti-war protesters had insulted and attacked the U.S. troops. Notably, stories emerged long after the war that protesters spat upon returning veterans.

The 1998 book The Spitting Image

Putin claims that Ukraine is full of “Nazis” and that they were brutalizing Russian-speaking Ukrainians. He claims that the U.S. and NATO are on a mission to encircle and strangle Russia. His version of the Domino Theory. In this case, it has become self-fulfilling as ever more of Russia’s neighbors have rushed to join NATO.

One notable difference between Vietnam and Ukraine: It is much more credible for Putin to claim national security interests with a neighbor than it was for the U.S. to do so with faraway Vietnam.

If we can see how Putin has manipulated the Russian people for international and domestic gain, can we finally see how the American people were manipulated during the U.S. War in Vietnam? Can we finally end the War at Home?

Curator James Glisson, Gail Wasserman, and Nicholas Mutton (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Scott Reed with Marge Cafarelli and Jan Hill (photo by Joanne A Calitri)

Academy’s Summer Festival, with all the teaching artists, fellows, and faculty packing up and heading elsewhere as soon as Sunday. But fortunately, there’s still time to catch at least one iteration of just about every type of public event the Academy offers, including master classes, chamber music concerts, a competition, and full symphony performance.

Thursday, August 3: Four studios have their final master classes of the festival today, including bassoon with Benjamin Kamins – and Sam Watson, the fellow who is the newly-appointed contrabassoonist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra (see above) – at 1:30 pm in Weinman Hall, which competes with visiting violinist Elena Urioste of chamber music and The Jukebox Album fame, at Lehmann. At 3:30 there’s the choice between clarinet with Richie Hawley (Hahn Hall) and trumpet with Paul Merkelo (Weinman), both longtime faculty favorites who have also spent some non-summer time in Santa Barbara – the latter most recently in April for a club gig at SOhO with our own acoustic guitar wizard Chris Fossek. All seats $10… Tonight is also the final X2 concert, the series that mixes fellows with faculty artists for chamber music performances, giving the young musicians the chance to perform as peers with the professionals and pedagogs. It’s a fascinating slate, too, launching with “Mere Mortals” by Ahmed Al Abaca, a Black, non-binary composer from San Bernardino, who certainly meets the criteria for inclusionary programming, featuring faculty flutist Tim Day and harp fellow Kaitlin Miller. Pulitzer Prize and multi-Grammy winner John Corigliano’s “Voyage” follows, injecting double bass faculty artist Nico Abondolo as the anchor for fellows Tessa Vermeulen (flute), Harin Kang (violin), Aaron You-Xin Li (violin), Vincenzo Keawe Calcagno (viola), and Hamzah Zaidi (cello). Next up is “Here and Gone” by Jake Heggie (Dead Man Walking opera), aka “the world’s most popular 21st century opera and art song composer,” with guest artist Sibbi Bernhardsson (violin) and vocal coach Maureen Zoltek (piano) joining fellow singers Cole McIlquham (tenor) and Hans Grunwald (baritone) and instrumentalists Zitian Lyu (viola) and Jiho Seo (cello). X2 then crosses off the season with Brahms’ “Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34,” featuring three faculty members and frequent performing partners –Glenn Dicterow (violin), Karen Dreyfus (viola), and David Geber (cello) – with fellows Sarah Beth Overcash (violin) and Paul Williamson (piano).

Could California’s Solar Canal Project Be an Answer for Climate Resilience?

Solar AquaGrid creators Jordan Harris and Robin Raj envisioned a game-changing solution that blends solar energy generation with water conservation. The immense potential of this project was revealed in a study conducted by the University of California, Merced. If California’s 6,437 kilometers of canals were covered with solar panels, an estimated 63 billion gallons of water might be conserved while producing 13 gigatonnes of power – enough to power the whole city of Los Angeles from January to early October.

The notion of solar-covered canals has long been considered due to the lack of affordable land for energy development and a pressing need for water conservation.

Friday, August 4: The list of folks who have claimed first place in the Marilyn Horne Vocal Competition, named for the legendary soprano who is retired to emeritus status at the Academy after decades of service, includes some very big names, not least Sasha Cooke, the two-time Grammy winning mezzo who is the new co-director of the Lehrer Vocal Institute at the Music Academy, succeeding Ms. Horne. We don’t yet know what awaits in the long term for the singer who shines the brightest at the annual competition this afternoon and evening, when all of the vocalists – and vocal pianists – get a chance to strut their stuff for adjudicators, include soprano Elaine Alvarez, pianist Myra Huang, and composer Joel Thompson. But we do know the winners’ package includes a significant cash prize, recital opportunities anchored by a concert back at Hahn Hall next year, and a commissioned piece by Thompson, the Atlanta-based composer, conductor, pianist, and educator best known for the choral work “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed.” Competition aside, it’s recital heaven for the audience. (11 am-5 pm; Hahn Hall; $40)

Saturday, August 5: The Music Academy finishes up with – sorry, I can’t help myself – a Finnish conductor, actually the second one of the season (Osmo Vänskä led the fellows last month), which is definitely a new record for the Academy. But neither one of them is conducting music from Finland. Tonight, Hannu Lintu, the European veteran who rarely comes stateside – in fact, he’d only been to California once prior to coming to town to helm the Academy Festival Orchestra last summer – instead leads the AFO in a couple of masterworks: Strauss’ “Ein Heldenleben” and Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet. (7:30 pm; Granada; $55) Find out more from Lintu himself via the pre-concert Meet-the-Conductor talk and Q&A session around the corner. (6 pm; Sullivan Goss; $25)

Project Nexus evolved as a three-party collaboration involving the business, public, and academic sectors with the assistance of California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Turlock Irrigation District. The state agreed to provide $20 million in public cash for the development of solar-covered canals in California’s Central Valley.

While California is taking bold steps in embracing solar canals, it is not the first to do so. The Sardar Sarovar Dam and canal project in Gujarat state (India) pioneered the concept by bringing water to parched regions. Despite initial enthusiasm and promises of widespread solar canal coverage, the technology encountered difficulties, resulting in limited adoption.

Solar canal supporters in California, such as Jordan Harris, studied India’s experiences to improve their technique. Lessons from India’s initiatives have led the way for better materials and designs that solve maintenance and accessibility issues.

While the solar canal movement grows in popularity, it is acknowledged that the water infrastructure industry can be slow to adopt rapid change. Nonetheless, significant parties such as Representative Jared Huffman believe in the technology’s promise.

Representative Huffman’s efforts garnered $25 million for a pilot project under the Bureau of Reclamation, and climate advocacy groups are calling for the Bureau’s canals and aqueducts to be outfitted with solar photovoltaic energy systems as soon as possible. The anticipated impact is remarkable, with over 25 gigatonnes of renewable energy generated, nearly 20 million houses powered, and billions of gallons of water saved.

While covering all canals would be ideal, starting with major waterways such as the California Aqueduct and the Delta Mendota Canal makes a compelling case for rapid action. The moment has come to embrace this pragmatic and forward-thinking approach and pave the road for a greener, more climate-resilient future.

Hannu Lintu leads the finishing performance for this year’s Summer Festival (courtesy photo)

Your Westmont Students Bring Joy of STEM to Ecuador

by Scott Craig, photos by Brad Elliott

Westmont engineering students returned to Quito, Ecuador, in May to share their love of science, technology, engineering, and math with children in an after-school program. The seven engineering students – Jonny Reitinger, Jonah Swanson, Jacob Bailey, Maria Judy, Elijah Cicileo, Becca Hudson, and Tasha Loh – designed and built STEM educational materials to share with the children. They were joined by Dan Jensen, director of Westmont engineering, and a Compassion International representative.

The educational kits consisted of small, handson devices that the children assembled and then operated. One kit emphasized understanding of energy produced from solar cells, a hand-crank generator, and a lithium battery. The energy was used to launch a “helidisk.” The other kit allowed the Ecuadorian children to write a computer program for a controller that ran a small, remote-control car that the children assembled. They then used their controller and RC car to race through a timed course while knocking over small bowling pins.

Westmont, other schools, and Compassion International formed Christian Collective for Social Innovation, a partnership that operates the after-school program, Academia Matices. This is the second year that Westmont students have participated in the program.

A Stellar Career in Physics

Michael Sommermann studied theoretical nuclear physics in graduate school, earning a master’s degree and doctorate at the State University of New York at Albany. He completed post-doctoral work at the Max Planck Institute in Germany and at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign before joining the Westmont physics faculty in 1985. At first, he traveled weekly to Pasadena to conduct research with colleagues at Caltech. Then he began to broaden his interests to include astronomy and computational physics, establishing strong programs in both areas. He retired this spring after 38 years at Westmont. Along with other professors hired in the 1980s and 1990s, Sommermann helped the college develop outstanding science departments. He obtained three research grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) focused on the dynamics of skyrmion interactions and collisions.

When the late George Bate retired from the physics department, Sommermann took on the astronomy class. He received another NSF grant for an astronomy workshop at the University of Colorado in 1993 and received a Westmont Faculty Research Award that year.

“Astronomy is a fantastic class for the liberal arts,” Sommermann says. He began working with Westmont’s old telescope, which George Carroll, an engineer at Lockheed and amateur astronomer, built for the college in 1957. “I thought it would be great to get a new state-of-the-art telescope, and we asked Colorado-based DFM Engineering to build one for us. The physics faculty worked together on a grant, and the W. M. Keck Foundation awarded the college $300,000 for the new telescope. The James L. Stamps Foundation and other donors also contributed.”

Westmont installed the 24-inch reflector Keck Telescope, an F/8 Cassegrain instrument with Ritchey-Chrétien optics, in 2007 and moved it to the new observatory in 2009.

“Once the telescope arrived, I was eager to work with it,” Sommermann says. “I tracked

asteroids, imaged supernovae and variable stars, and measured the light-curves of exoplanets, as the telescope has the capability to detect these objects. Capturing the Andromeda Galaxy was a particularly rewarding experience.” He also conducted observational astronomy research with students during the summer.

For many years, Sommermann taught astronomy and an occasional course about the connection between astronomy and Christian faith. Now astrophysicist Jennifer Ito, who began as assistant professor of physics at Westmont last fall, teaches these classes. Sommermann also led the monthly viewings at the observatory until Professor Emeritus Ken Kihlstrom and instructor Thomas Whittemore took on this duty.

Then the physics department considered how to strengthen its program. “As an outgrowth of our program’s external review, excellent physicists recommended that we add computational physics, so we did,” Sommermann says. “Working with powerful computers has become essential in many areas of physics. Because of my background in theoretical physics, I was charged with developing a course on this important subject.”

Years earlier, in 1985, Sommermann secured the college’s first connection to the internet, then part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). “I made a deal with Westmont,” he says. “They gave me money to move, and I asked to use it to buy this new gadget called a personal computer – it turned out to be the first PC on campus. To collaborate with colleagues at Caltech, a dedicated copper line was installed from my office, which ran down Cold Spring Road to UC Santa Barbara to connect to DARPA’s network. It was ridiculously slow.”

Until Westmont launched its new engineering program, Sommermann and other physics professors taught students majoring in engineering physics. “Now fewer and fewer students see a need to transfer and complete their training elsewhere,” he says. “They say they’d much rather finish at Westmont and go to graduate school. We prepare students to step out into the professional world with good job prospects.”

Sommermann has enjoyed developing his classes and working with students. He says that teaching computational physics has been particularly rewarding. “At the end of one of these classes, a student came up to me and said, ‘Now I know what I really want to do.’ To see a student get so excited about a subject and find a career is gratifying.”

In retirement, Sommermann says he’ll stay in Santa Barbara, a location his three children and five grandchildren enjoy visiting. He plans to dabble in the orchard and garden behind his home. Since he grew up in Germany, he’ll also spend more time there reconnecting with family and friends. And he hopes to contribute something at Westmont by teaching an occasional course, perhaps in computational physics, and working at the observatory.

“Westmont has been a wonderful place for me and my family,” he says. “My wife, Emily, has been an adjunct music professor teaching violin. I’m grateful and thankful to God for our time here.”

Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College

Director Dan Jensen helps students assemble the “helidisk” project

Jonah Swanson encourages a student driving through the racecourse

The Andromeda Galaxy (photo by Michael Sommermann)

Sommermann and the Keck Telescope

Stories Matter

Late Summer Reads

by Leslie Zemeckis

There are plenty of summer reads still to be read and I love a good Nordic thriller. When Stieg Larsson introduced Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I was all-in following her violent, damaged journey as she battled a host of bad guys. The saga continues, minus Larsson, with the second writer to helm the Millennium series. Karin Smirnoff grabs the reins in The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons. It has the familiar complicated plot and spider web of relationships where every character is important to the story. Pay attention. In Smirnoff’s version, Salander is still the loner and the badass, perhaps a tad too mellow –hopefully the author will not soften her too much. Still, it is a worthy read, as Salander, journalist Blomkvist and a new character, Lisbeth’s niece Svala, battle neo-Nazis and drug dealers in northern Sweden.

Starting over doesn’t mean letting go of the past. In Tracey Lange ’s The Connellys of County Down , Tara is released after 18 months in prison for drug trafficking. She moves back home with her sister and brother, trying to move on, except the detective that put her in jail comes sniffing around into her past, once again. The Connellys are a family that is stuck and Lange highlights their plight, years of trauma, and the claustrophobia that is family. This is a moving, beautiful book.

If the world is ending but it’s not over yet, what are you planning to do with the freedom you still have? Our protagonist Larch and his wife, Kristina, are former heroes. Along with 20 million volunteers, they helped save the world once and in Nick Fuller Googin’s debut novel, The Great Transition, they are once again called to help. This book is an utterly profound look at our collective responsibility towards one another. Emi is your normal teen, fighting with her mother, tolerant of her dad. That all changes when she is witness to a mass assassination and her mother goes missing, possibly responsible for the killings. Soon Larch and Emi are on the run, hoping to find and save Kristina. This story is sad and beautiful and yet hopeful all wrapped in a story that moves forward and back in time towards its surprising end.

Notgoing to lie, the era and subject matter in Sara DiVello’s Broadway Butterfly are right up my alley. This is a true-crime thriller based on the murder of showgirl Dot King, a flapper who flitters between several lovers. Dot has acquired a drawer full of jewels but winds up beaten and dead. Female crime reporter Julia is on the story, like a dog with a bone, she won’t let go, questioning and prodding the police who seem to look the other way. Are they protecting a powerful man? The research on this is intensive and detailed – the dark side of Broadway fame during the Roaring Twenties. A very compelling story.

After a horrible accident, budding ballerina Luz suffers brain damage and memory loss. It is 1975 in Puerto Rico. Jump forward to 2017 and Luz and her daughter Marysol are living in the Bronx. When they return to Puerto Rico with a group of female friends, Marysol uncovers her mother’s tragic past, a time Luz herself cannot remember. Esmeralda Santiago’s Las Madres switches between the past and present as the women come together during a devastating hurricane that wipes out many on the island.

Even if the story is familiar, the scope of the crimes and coverups thoroughly detailed in John Glatt’s excellent Tangled Vines: Power, Privilege, and the Murdaugh Family Murders will leave readers shaking their heads. How did the powerful South Carolina legal family get away with so much for so long? Glatt methodically lays out the family’s climb to prominence and stranglehold on a small town where they lived like kings, resulting in numerous alleged murders, payoffs, corruption of juries, and more. Richard Alexander Murdaugh is now in jail for the murder of his wife and son, while an ongoing investigation continues into two other deaths.

Leslie Zemeckis is an awardwinning documentarian, best-selling author, and actor. The creator of “Stories Matter,” professional female authors mentoring the next generation of female storytellers, co-sponsored by SBIFF.

filled farewell bash at Brass Bear Brewing Uptown to give her a rousing sendoff.

Kathryn Cherkas, Heidi’s successor who worked as a program director of the organization as well as the Alzheimer’s Association, presented her with a handsome check as a parting gift.

She will spend her retirement traveling and spending more time with her husband Rick , a former Santa Barbara County employee, at their Palm Springs home.

The singing duo A La Carte, Henry Garrett and Jan Ingram, entertained as guests quaffed wine and margaritas, and noshed on local fare.

Among the fan base were ubiquitous emcee Geoff Green, Paul Didier, Holly Carmody , Kathryn Martin , Susan

Adams, David Borgatello, Christine Emmons, Greg Gorga, Judi Weisbart, Griselda Madrigal, Dana Newquist, Carmen Ortiz, David Selberg, Das Williams, and Sybil Rosen.

The Friendship Center, which offers care for aging adults, opened at All Saintsby-the-Sea in Montecito in 1979, with a new Goleta branch opening in 2011.

Viva La MBT!

Fiesta fever was palpable when Montecito Bank & Trust hosted its annual Viva La Fiesta bash in the picturesque courtyard of the Santa Barbara Historical Museum.

More than 250 colorfully costumed guests noshed on tacos, burritos, and all food Spanish as the Spirit of Fiesta

Jack Harwood, son of museum director Dacia Harwood, and Junior Spirit Olivia Nelson showed off their flamenco talents.

Among the flood of Fiesta fête followers were El Presidente David Bolton, bank president Janet Garufis, Erin

Graffy, Brendon Twigden, George and Laurie Leis, Peter and Kathryn Martin, Fritz and Gretchen Olenberger, Maria McCall, and Roger Durling

Lawyers’ Fees Continue

Actor Kevin Costner’s estranged wife Christine Baumgartner has asked the court to deny the Carpinteria Oscar winner’s request that she help pay his legal fees amid their ongoing acrimonious divorce. Costner, 68, has requested his ex, 49, assist in paying $100,000 of his legal costs.

However, the former handbag designer, recently seen vacationing in Hawaii, asked the judge to deny the Yellowstone star’s request.

She claimed Costner would not have accumulated such substantial fees if he hadn’t filed motions to remove her from their $145 million oceanside estate.

Stay tuned...

Perm People

Former TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres’s actress wife Portia de Rossi is sporting a new hairstyle. Portia, 50, revealed her wavy new

– Wallace Stevens

look

Kathy Marden, Sue Adams, A La Carte duo Jan Ingram and Henry Garrett, with Matt and Jean Hall dancing (photo by Priscilla)

Brad and Greta Liedke, Councilwoman Kristen Sneddon, honoree Heidi Holly, Councilman Eric Friedman, Nate Cultice, Kate Carter, and Judi Weisbart (photo by Priscilla)

Tony Morris, Councilwoman Kristen Sneddon, Heidi Holly, Councilman Eric Friedman, Kate Carter, and Dana Newquist (photo by Priscilla)

Angelique Davis and Janet Garufis with George and Laurie Leis (photo by Priscilla)

El Presidente David Bolton, El Primer Caballero Gonzalo Sarmiento, George Leis, Maria McCall, Carla Amussen, Brendon Twigden, and Keith Moore (photo by Priscilla)

David Moorman (center) with Dacia and Riley Harwood (photo by Priscilla)

Michelle Apodaca from Deckers presents one of the many boxes of tennis shoes to Adam McKaig and Melissa Borders for distribution (photo by Priscilla)

to her 1.4 million followers on Instagram, declaring: “THIS IS A PERM PEOPLE!!”

She lauded Los Angeles crimper Janine Jarman of Curl Cult for her transformation. “This woman is a genius,” crowed Portia.

The post snagged more than 44,000 likes from her fans.

Hair-raising stuff...

Good for the Sole

Adam’s Angels founder Adam McKaig and fellow realtor Melissa Borders have been sole searching!

The dynamic duo have just received 200 pairs of new shoes from Deckers, the fashion, lifestyle, and performance brand in Goleta.

Adam tells me the footwear will be distributed to homeless recipients, along with young adults transitioning out of foster care.

A tough road to travel made easier...

Welcoming Director Cruz

region by increasing the museum’s local relevance and global visibility...,” says Cruz. “As we move through the 21st century, museums are being challenged to prove their purpose by centering audiences and building community.

“The varied collections and programs of SBMA offer myriad ways to celebrate and embrace a rapidly diversifying population.”

Nicholas Mutton, board chair, says: “Amada has a proven track record as a consummate professional, a visionary leader, and a change agent who has succeeded wherever she has been... This change will allow us to craft together a compelling strategic vision for the future.”

A Career in the Bank

Valerie Banks , the dynamic force behind the Dream Foundation’s Flower Empower program, is retiring after nearly 15 years.

Since assuming leadership in 2008, Valerie has grown the popular program from humble beginnings at Santa Barbara’s Saturday Farmers Market, forging partnerships with local growers and flower wholesalers, while rallying dozens of volunteers.

Today the enthusiastic helpers create between 150 and 200 bouquets each week for people in need of comfort and cheer in our Eden by the Beach, and the program has delivered more than 125,000 bouquets to personal and nursing homes, care facilities, infusion centers, and hospitals.

A blooming good career...

Photographer Takes Flight

Amada Cruz has been appointed the new Robert and Mercedes Eichholz director and CEO of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, succeeding Larry Feinberg, who is retiring in November after 15 years at the helm.

“We are grateful to the more than 100 stakeholders, including members of the community, employees, trustees, and donors who participated in the selection process,” says Lynn Cunningham, selection committee chair. “Their inputs were used to inform our decision making and, following an international search and reviewing many impressive candidates, we are delighted with the outcome.”

Cruz comes to SBMA from the Seattle Art Museum, where she served as the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director and CEO from 2019.

“It is a call to engage the different communities of the Santa Barbara

Ubiquitous photographer David Bazemore, a shutterbug and videographer in our Eden by the Beach for 26 years, has become an FAA certified unmanned aircraft pilot.

The certification means David can used a DJI Air 2S drone, which can film stunning 5.4k video and can snap 20-megapixel photos.

“If a client’s imagination is ready to

take flight, they should get in touch,” says David, who has produced a short promotion video taken in the Santa Ynez Valley and a theater production in Elings Park.

Ready for takeoff? Then reach out at dbtrip@davidbazemore.com

Fast Pitch Prize Winner

season, after an eight-year tenure.

Deborah earned her Bachelor of Music degree in voice performance and has performed in operas, concerts, and musicals for more than 30 years.

She worked for Yamaha Corporation of America’s music division as a buyer for 10 years in Buena Park.

Deborah sang with Opera Santa Barbara and spearheaded the organization’s education outreach programs. For more than a decade she worked in schools with OSB, and with CAMA in its Music Matters docent program.

She is an immediate past president of the CAMA Women’s Board and has been a CAMA board member since 2004.

Deborah, who is married to local attorney Peter Bertling, has also been president of the Performing Arts Music Association since 2002.

Remembering Bill Geddie

Music Academy solo piano fellow Priscila Navarro is the $5,000 grand prize winner of the Innovation Institution’s 2023 Fast Pitch competition.

Her new venture, Peru Piano, an anthology for inclusive education, was one of eight stellar pitches evaluated by a distinguished jury – Angelica Cortez, Executive Director Suzuki Association of the Americas; Music Academy alumnae Brenda Patterson, co-founder of Victory Hall Opera and Singtank; and Michael Suttle, technology executive.

Among the criteria was the impact and how she addressed challenges and needs to enhance the classical music ecosystem.

Bertling Heads CAMA Board

Deborah Bertling has succeeded Robert Montgomery as board chair for the Community Arts Music Association, which is celebrating its 105th concert

On a personal note I remember Bill Geddie, four-time Emmy winner and co-founder of the ABC Network show The View with the late news legend Barbara Walters in 1997, who has died at the all too early age of 68.

I used to appear on the Manhattanbased show in its early years talking about the Royal Family with panelists Joy Behar, Star Jones, Lisa Ling, and Meredith Vieira

Bill and Barbara, also an old friend, also had a radio show with the production company BarWall Productions. He also became executive producer for the Tamron Hall talk show from January 2019 to March 2020.

An excellent newsman and genial friend...

Sightings

Former TV talk show host Conan O’Brien stocking up on gourmet donuts at Hook & Press at La Arcada... Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones noshing at Lucky’s... Oprah Winfrey vacationing in Italy on the glorious Amalfi Coast.

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

Amada Cruz, new president of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (photo by Alborz Kamalizad)

Valerie Banks retires from Flower Empower (photo by Kelly Sweda)

Pianist Priscila Navarro wins Fast Pitch $5,000 prize (courtesy photo)

The Giving List Unity Shoppe

by Steven Libowitz

You may not have noticed, but Unity Shoppe, one of Santa Barbara’s oldest nonprofits, had a significant change in its leadership just last summer. That’s when Executive Director Tom Reed, who had led the organization best known for its storefront shop providing locals in need with groceries, clothing, and other essentials, as well as toys for the holidays, officially retired after 20 years at the helm.

Stepping in as the new CEO: Angela Miller-Bevan, whose previous nonprofit experience includes working at American Heart Association and then serving as executive director of the Braille Institute in Santa Barbara. You may not have noticed the transition, because not only did Reed stay on through the end of the year to mentor Miller-Bevan, but also because the new executive director isn’t new to the Unity Shoppe experience. The Santa Barbara native’s family was actually a client during her childhood.

It’s been about as smooth and seamless as possible. But the truth is there have been a whole lot of things happening at the 105-year-old organization.

For one thing, while Unity Shoppe experienced unprecedented growth in its client base during the height of the pandemic, the need for its vital services hasn’t abated as society reopened and restrictions eased.

“Our demand has actually doubled again in the last year,” Miller-Bevan said, noting that a roster of 500 clients in January 2022 grew to more than 1,000 this last January.

“We’re dealing with the housing crisis and disappearing jobs,” she said. “People just aren’t making the income that they need to make to actually survive in Santa Barbara. The money is going to rent and car payments, and there isn’t enough for food and clothing. Our goal continues to be to make sure that we take care of everyone in our community, give them the opportunity to survive, and be happy and healthy.”

That happens through the Unity Shoppe experience, which allows its clients – who have been referred by hundreds of other agencies in Santa Barbara County – to shop

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: California Heating and Rain Gutters, INC, 4193-3 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria, CA 93013. California Heating and Rain Gutters, INC, 4193-3 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria, CA 93013. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on July 3, 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. 2023-0001663.

Published July 26, August 2, 9, 16, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Memory Garden Memorial Park & Mortuary; Utter McKinley San Fernando Mission Mortuary; Lafayette Development Company, 1525 State Street, Suite 203, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. The Lafayette Corporation, 1525 State Street, Suite 203, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on July 13, 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. 2023-0001744.

Published July 26, August 2, 9, 16, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Mastershine Auto Spa & Mobile Detailing, 502 Casitas Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. David I. Tenorio Andrade, 502 Casitas Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on July 17, 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. 2023-0001768.

Published July 19, 26, August 2, 9, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AAER Enterprises, 1060 Colleen Way, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. Adam Rennie INC, 1060 Colleen Way, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on June 20, 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. 2023-0001540.

Published July 19, 26, August 2, 9, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Cruz Landscaping, 1028 Cramer Rd Apt A, Carpinteria, CA 93013. Rodrigo Cruz Cortez, 1028 Cramer Rd Apt A, Carpinteria, CA 93013. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on July 3, 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. 2023-0001654.

Published July 19, 26, August 2, 9, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Santa Barbara Valet, 115 West De La Guerra, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Santa Barbara Valet INC, 115 West De La Guerra, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This

statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on June 26, 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. 2023-0001591. Published July 12, 19, 26, August 2, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Flowing River, 649 Tabor Lane, Montecito, CA 93108. Derren G Ohanian 649 Tabor Lane, Montecito, CA 93108. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on July 3, 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. 2023-0001651.

Published July 12, 19, 26, August 2, 2023

ORDER FOR PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS OR CITATION:

CASE No. 23CV01669. Notice to Defendant: Joseph S. Foster: You are being sued by Plaintiff: Jordan Schulhof. You and the plaintiff must go to court on the trial date of October 17, 2023 at 9 am. If you do not go to the court, you may lose the case. If you lose, the court can order that your wages, money, or property be taken to pay this claim. Bring witnesses, receipts, and any evidence you need to prove your case. The plaintiff claims the defendant owes $10,000 for unpaid personal loan. Name and address of the court: Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93121-1107. Filed June 20, 2023, by Gabriel Moreno, Deputy Clerk.

Published July 19, 26, August 2, 9, 2023

twice a month just as they would at a regular grocery store, picking up the food items and other essentials their family wants and needs, and even checking out at the register – except no money changes hands.

“It’s incredibly important for people to have the opportunity to have dignity, respect, and the choice to pick the items that they truly want and will use,” Miller-Bevan said.

Although the Unity Shoppe itself remains the nonprofit’s pillar, the organization has also gone through some changes under Miller-Bevan’s direction, the core staff, and the help of hundreds of volunteers.

Its Disaster Relief program, the one that helped so many families during the Thomas Fire and Montecito Mudslide crises, has morphed into the Transitional Assistance program, which ties in with Unity’s Job Smart program. The name change indicates a clarifying focus.

“It’s one of our big accomplishments for this year, because it’s dedicated to helping people when they are in transition, and bringing everything together,” Miller-Bevan said. “If someone is recovering from a home fire, or from being without shelter, we’re partnering with all the organizations that are helping to get people housing. We provide everything once they get into their house – furniture, dishes, blankets, anything they need – and they can use these services for a year to pick more things they realize they need, so they don’t have to be overwhelmed by trying to get it all done in one visit.”

The Job Smart program, just as it says, also works with other agencies to help people find employment, whether it’s clothing and other equipment, or being pointed in the right direction to get resumes or fill out applications.

“It’s whatever they need,” Miller-Bevan said.

Including an actual job.

Through a partnership with PathPoint, clients can learn job skills by working in Unity’s warehouse or shoppe, first as volunteers and later employees who learn how to barcode and tag items, stock shelves, sort food, and other goods – all the skills needed to go out and actually get a job in a grocery store. PathPoint provides their salary.

“Once they graduate, they go out into the community and get jobs at places like farms, or Whole Foods, and other markets where they already have experience doing that type of work,” Miller-Bevan said.

One of Unity’s newer annual projects just launched again this month: a back-toschool drive that mirrors the famous Unity Shoppe end-of-year toy drive. The big yellow boxes collected backpacks, notebooks, and other school items – even brandnew shoes courtesy of Deckers and Vans. Starting August 1, Unity Shoppe had enough stock to equip 2,500 children to be ready to head back to the classroom with brandnew outfits and items a few weeks later.

With all that’s going on at Unity Shoppe, it’s terrific that the organization has a newly reorganized website, one that clearly outlines the programs, how to get services, how everything works, and even points potential clients to referring agencies, and has clear instructions on how to donate to support its work.

“And I have an open-door policy; I’m very easily reached,” Miller-Bevan said. “It’s important to make sure that everyone in the community can always find us.”

All in all, while of course Unity Shoppe’s need for funding as well as donations is never-ending, Miller-Bevan is justifiably proud of her first year at the organization’s helm.

“It’s going absolutely fabulous. I am very pleased to say that Unity Shop is thriving.”

Unity Shoppe

Angela Miller-Bevan, Executive Director www.unityshoppe.org (805) 331-6161

Unity Shoppe lets families in need pick up food items and other essentials from their grocery store twice a month (courtesy photo)

raised important questions about journalistic ethics, and the responsibilities that come with media ownership. What it did not portend is the end of an era for local daily newspapers nationwide, nor the advent of citizen journalism, where the masses turn to online sources for their daily news – sources mostly devoid of fact checkers, seasoned editors, competent investigative reporting, or any acceptance of legal or moral responsibilities on the part of platform owners.

Given his deep and longtime career as a journalist in Santa Barbara, including as the New-Press’s one-time editor, I was curious to hear what Roberts thought about the fading away of Santa Barbara’s last daily newspaper, his complicated and painful history with it aside.

“I think it’s a big loss for Santa Barbara. Regardless of what the paper had become, it was the only daily paper in town, and had been so for well over 100 years. And the loss of that is kind of immeasurable. I came here in 2002 to be the editor, and I had checked out the paper, and it really was the most influential, and I think encyclopedic institution in Santa Barbara. And at that time, it was kind of the glue that held the community together, in the sense that people who were engaged with what was going on from politics to entertainment, all looked to the daily paper for the shared set of facts, and a clear understanding of what was at stake, and that’s gone,” says Roberts.

“And you can look at what happened, and certainly a big part of it is what has happened to newspapers across the country, which is the economic model of general audience gathering for advertising revenue has been broken. It’s been broken since Craigslist started.”

Roberts is referring to the fact that once upon a time, classified ads were a critical cash cow for newspapers, something that was destroyed by the advent of Craigslist. Roberts also reflected on the changing economics that have made it difficult for journalists to survive. A huge dilemma for anyone today trying to produce a quality local newspaper.

“Being a newspaper reporter, or an editor, or a photographer, it was a good middle-class job, even in Santa Barbara. There was a reason that many of the people on the staff had been here for a long time, because they got into the housing market early, but you could have a good life with that. And all those jobs are now gone.”

For Roberts, there’s also a bright side, which is the pivoting and innovating in the local journalism landscape that happened as a result of the News-Press’s long-shrinking footprint.

“One of the results of this in the last 17 years has been that Santa Barbara has become this interesting Petri dish for other kinds of media. You just look at the Montecito Journal and the changes that have been made, and the energy and enterprise that’s been put into increasing its heartbeat. Noozhawk or the Independent didn’t really have much of a website in 2006, and so they really jumped on that. And who would’ve thought in 2006 that the internet was going to be sustainable for another 17 years? So there’s a lot of interesting post-daily newspaper organizations that have taken niche portions of the overall market, and done a very good job of serving those readers and viewers.”

But is that enough? I don’t think so. And neither does Roberts.

“The press, the media, is the only industry in America that is in the Bill of Rights. It’s right there, freedom of the press, which is a great privilege. And most of the people I came up with always felt that that meant if we had that right, we also had a responsibility to do public service journalism. And the key word there is watchdog. We did watchdog journalism. And you had somebody like Barney McManigal watching the County and the Board of Supervisors every day. That was his job. And no, I don’t think they would’ve gotten away with that scandalous cannabis ordinance if there had been a full-time reporter looking at it… It was left to the Los Angeles Times to parachute into town and say, ‘Hey, look, what’s going on here?’

Some of it is just arithmetic. Most local publications don’t have the deep pockets to hire reporters whose only job it is to follow every detail of every School Board detail, every City Council issue, every Board of Supervisors maneuver.

And so yes, nobody’s watching. So what’s going to happen? They’re going to get away with stuff.

Ann Louise Bardach, journalist, book author, and vociferous advocate for greater transparency in our local government, particularly around cannabis licensing, strongly agrees.

“Santa Barbara has never truly recovered from the decline of its daily newspaper and the price has been a political culture whose priority is its own preservation, its big donors – hardly that of the community. The big change I’ve witnessed has been a level of cynicism that has risen exponentially. Exhibit A, of course, is the contentious Cannabis Ordinance, the most impactful game changer to the county since the oil industry set up shop in the ‘60s; shoved through by supervisors taking pot donations, with the bare minimum of public participation or even knowledge. That would not have happened had the News Press’ dozen or so reporters been on the case… The L.A. Times financed Joe Mozingo, and that’s how we found out that Das Williams had been on the phone with cannabis dealers at the very time he cast his vote. That came from the L.A. Times. Two years after the fact,” says Bardach.

In its heyday, the Santa Barbara News-Press was owned by three generations of Storke family members, won a Pulitzer Prize, and was later owned by The New York Times – which built the magnificent printing press on which the Montecito Journal and other local publications had been printed for years. A reminder that even a small town can do important, world-class work. And that’s the legacy of the Santa Barbara News-Press I will choose to remember. Why? Because if we don’t, if we forget that journalism has long been considered a critical part of our democracy, deserving of respect and support, then I fear we will be lost forever to vagaries and dangers of living in a world where power goes unchecked.

So please support your local paper or news source of choice. We’re all working very hard, with the limited resources we have, to make sure that that doesn’t happen.

And RIP Santa Barbara News-Press. May your memory be a blessing.

On September 27 there will be a public showing of Citizen McCaw, at The Marjorie Luke Theatre. Afterwards, there will be a panel discussion on the future of “news and media.” Given the intelligence and the resources of this community, maybe that can start a conversation where we can figure out a model that will work.

Please also read Community Voices (page 10) by the Montecito Journal founder and my predecessor, Jim Buckley, who has his own thoughts on the meaning of this moment.

“Summertime is always the best of what might be.” — Charles Bowden

“…if we forget that journalism has long been considered a critical part of our democracy, deserving of respect and support, then I fear we will be lost forever to vagaries and dangers of living in a world where power goes unchecked.”

standards by restoring the ‘clear zone’ in front of these properties. It also recovers space for public parking. These results occur regardless of whether other homeowners are later notified to remove encroachments or other steps are taken to increase hikers’ access to Hot Springs Trail.”

The matter could be escalated to California’s Superior Court.

MWD’s Water Conservation Specialist Retires

Mike Clark has retired from the Montecito Water District, passing the baton to a new Water Conservation Specialist, Steven Cognac. Clark’s remarkable passion for drought-resilient gardening and water conservation inspired 18 years of service through some of the driest periods on record. Known community-wide for providing sincere and direct assistance to customers, Clark was named Citizen of the Year by the Montecito Association in 2022.

“Mike Clark’s experience and enthusiastic personality are clearly irreplaceable,” says General Manager Nick Turner. “Clark was a trailblazer for community partnership in water use efficiency, work that remains high priority for the District. We’re excited to introduce a new face, Steven Cognac, and new tools such as the rebate program and smart meters, to further Clark’s efforts.”

The District’s rebate program provides reimbursements for water saving initiatives such as turf (lawn) removal, smart irrigation controllers, drip systems, and mulch. This encompasses several priority measures identified in the District’s long-term Water Use Efficiency Plan adopted in 2022. Smart meter implementation tops the list and will provide more timely water usage data and improve leak detection. After being delayed due to the pandemic-related semi-conductor chip shortage, the smart meter system is now fully operational and being tested internally with a plan for customer rollout in the coming months. Also in the works is the development of parcel-based water budgets.

Montecito Water District’s mission is to provide an adequate and reliable supply of high-quality water to the residents of Montecito and Summerland, at the most reasonable cost. In carrying out this mission, the District places particular emphasis on providing outstanding customer service, conducting its operations in an environmentally sensitive manner, and working cooperatively with other agencies.

To learn more about rebates, water efficiency resources, and all things water visit www.montecitowater.com.

News & Events Roundup

Fiesta Finale Gala

by MJ Staff

The Profant Foundation’s Fiesta Finale Gala will be held on Sunday, August 6 starting at 5:30 pm at the historic open-air El Paseo Restaurant; included is a delicious gourmet dinner, a dazzling professional performance, a live auction led by Erin Graffy, a costume contest, and dancing under the stars.

It was those same stars and Fiesta ambiance back in the ‘50s that a young Jack Profant, a ballroom and flamenco dancer, and Lyn, a ballerina, first met – dancing the night away at El Paseo. Love and four daughters later, Fiesta was an integral part of the Profant family, celebrating, dancing, and donning Spanish attire each year. Jack’s parents, Henry and Mabel, were both pianists that helped with the launch of CAMA, the Music Academy, and Old Spanish Days nearly 100 years ago.

When Jack later passed, Lyn established the Profant Foundation in his honor and to help other artistically inclined individuals realize their dreams. Now in its 24th year as a nonprofit, the Profant Foundation “preserves Santa Barbara’s cultural heritage and assists artists of all ages in the community, through scholarships, exhibits, and performances.” The foundation has awarded hundreds of scholarships, giving over $250,000 to artists of all ages.

Each year, the Fiesta Finale Gala is the central fundraiser for the nonprofit. One of its iconic offerings is a Tableau Vivant –artwork that “comes to life.” This year it will recreate the painting Spanish Dancers by Georges Jules Victor Clairin from 1875. Spend the night watching historic dance and living art while celebrating in the space that Jack and Lyn first met.

For more information about the organization, please visit www.profantfoundation.org. For Fiesta Finale Gala information and reservations, please email: jeprofant@gmail.com or call (805) 705-9179

Free Talk on Demystifying Neurotherapy at the Faulkner Gallery

On Thursday, August 10 at 5:30 pm, Drs. Tiff Thompson and Nick Dogris, of NeuroField Neurotherapy, Inc., will be giving a talk at the Faulkner Gallery (40 West Anapamu).

They will share information and insights from their extensive knowledge of neurotherapy to demystify and inform on this

subject. Any who are curious about neurotherapy, neurostimulation, and more, are welcome to come with questions and engage in the conversation.

Head injuries, mood disorders, developmental delays, and learning disabilities are just a few of the conditions that neurotherapy can change the course of. These two Santa Barbara locals are the inventors of NeuroField’s stimulation technology, which they teach to healthcare professionals internationally. Noninvasive clinical neurostimulation therapy blends frequency-based light therapy, pulsed electro-magnetic frequency therapy, and transcranial stimulation (like direct current, alternating current, and pink noise therapies) for powerful effects.

If this sounds alien, or if you’re just curious, then come to the talk where Dr. Thompson and Dr. Dogris will explain how it works, the types of injuries and pathologies that can be addressed, and field all questions on the subject. A raffle will also be held with the winner receiving a free NeuroField Neurotherapy clinic service and treatment, including QEEG Brain Map analysis.

Visit www.schoolofneurotherapy.com to register or for more information on the subject.

Mike Clark kicks off his retirement with MWD employees at the Bella Vista Water Treatment Plant

Steven Cognac (left) will take Mike Clark’s position as Water Conservation Specialist at Montecito Water District

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.

The Fiesta Finale Gala set in the historic El Paseo Restaurant features dinner, costumes, and dancing

A talk on August 10 will be held by Dr. Thompson and Dr. Dogris, both leaders in neurotherapy, and inventors of this unique technique

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Calendar of Events

by Steven Libowitz

ENDING THIS WEEK

Ventura County Fair – Like everything else, prices keep going up in the entertainment world, with tickets to big concerts now costing a pretty penny. Then there’s the Ventura County Fair, where you can pretend that the words inflation and profit don’t even exist. What makes the place more than worth the drive down the construction-addled 101 is that admission to the fair and all of its exhibits, competitions, art shows, shopping centers, animal attractions, agricultural shows, midway madness (rides and games extra, of course), and more, also include entry into the Grandstand Arena. That’s where different name-brand bands and other acts perform nightly in concerts that most assuredly aren’t free just about anywhere else they’re playing. This year, enjoy trips down memory lane with Godmother of Soul Patti LaBelle (Aug. 3), alternative rock band Collective Soul (Aug. 4), R&B singer-songwriter superstar Ashanti (Aug. 5), Mexican mariachi masters Calibre 50 & Banda Carnaval (Aug. 6), country singer Trace Adkins (Aug. 7), Southern Rock sensation 38 Special (Aug. 8), and Tesla, the Sacramento rock band that long predates the car company (Aug. 9). And if you missed the PRCA Rodeo at Fiesta, the ropers and riders will whoop it up in Ventura for five shows August 11-13, although a $5 surcharge applies.

WHEN: 7:30 pm (Calibre 3 pm)

WHERE: Seaside Park, 10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura

COST: $15 adults, $10 kids & seniors, free ages 5 & under

INFO: (805) 648-3376 or www.venturacountyfair.org

THURSDAY, AUGUST 3

Diggin’ on Digs – Fiesta’s wildest party got even more hip when they gave Cel-

THURSDAY, AUGUST 3

1st Thursday – The schedule for the monthly downtown self-guided art and culture tour is a bit slight for August, which is understandable given that the galleries and such will be competing with Fiesta revelers and events. You can experience Old Spanish Days here, too, courtesy of the Santa Barbara Historical Museum (136 E De La Guerra St.), which is exhibiting Project Fiesta! 99 Years!, full of 99 images from our Gledhill Library’s extensive archive… Elsewhere, Sullivan and Goss (11 E Anapamu St.) has opening receptions for the new shows by two of Santa Barbara’s most beloved artists: Nicole Strasburg and Holli Harmon, while its partner presentation Sullivan Goss x Lotusland: Where the Wild Things Grow continues to bring a garden slice of Montecito downtown… 10 West (10 W Anapamu St.) titled its latest show In the Zone, as in that elusive sweet spot that artists and others enter while in the creative flow. Check out the results of the artistic impulse expressed… Elaine Unzicker, the Yes Store’s (1100 State St.) featured artist for August, fashions seductive wearable art chainmail that empowers women, exhibited alongside other locally hand-made gifts… On the entertainment front – if you’re not at a mercado – SBIFF SB Filmmaker Series (1330 State St.) screens Rachel Myers’ Bourn Kind, about a street artist confronting fear and isolation through art to celebrate kindness and connection in his community… The rooftop at the Kimpton Canary Hotel (31 W Carrillo St.) marks Fiesta with Paella Fest, featuring music from DJ Danny Welch providing the soundtrack to the vibe and the view. Drinks and seafood paella from Finch & Fork are available to purchase… David Segall sends out funky folk-rock at Faitell Attractions (127 W Canon Perdido St.), the showroom that features an array of furniture, art, lighting, jewelry, clothing, and home accessories both vintage and gently-worn.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4

Flamenco Arts Festival Finale – In an effort to expand to more year-round programming, the festival moved its biggest event to Fiesta Friday – smack in the heart of a virtual flood of flamenco dancing everywhere downtown. But on the other hand, dancers don’t come much more decorated than Alfonso Losa. Winner of the Critics’ Award of the XXVI Festival de Jerez 2022, Losa is considered both a strong representative of the Madrid school of flamenco dance and a bridge between the masters and the new generations. In this special event in conjunction with the Lobero Theatre’s 150th anniversary celebration, Losa will be presenting the West Coast premiere of Flamenco: Espacio Creativo (Flamenco: Creative Space), co-created by Rafael Estévez and Valeriano Paños, two of the most sought-after flamenco choreographers today. Losa will be joined by the guest artist Concha Jareño, with musical accompaniment onstage from Francisco Vinuesa (guitarist, musical director), Ángeles Toledano (singer), and Antonio Luque “Canito” (singer). Tonight’s festivities include a free pre-concert reception on the Lobero Esplanade, and an award presentation plus a gala after party in the courtyard following the performance.

WHEN: 7:30 pm (6 pm reception, 9:30 pm-12 midnight after party)

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

COST: $51-$106 (after party $36)

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

ebración de los Dignatarios its nickname, but it’s still the same sensational time that brings out nearly all the Fiesta brass and local politicians and other community leaders (aka the dignitaries). The seaside-adjacent event at the Santa Barbara Zoo features buffet-style food from local restaurants, margaritas and other cocktails and beverages, and live music for dancing on the Santa Barbara Zoo’s iconic hilltop. Wear your finest Fiesta attire to fully enjoy the fare and libations that pair perfectly with the stunning sunset over the Pacific. The all-inclusive event is a joint fundraiser for the Santa Barbara Zoo and Old Spanish Days. WHEN: 5-10 pm

WHERE: Santa Barbara Zoo, 500 Ninos Drive COST: $150 through August 2, $175 day of INFO: (805) 962-5339 / www.sbzoo.org or (805) 962-8101 / www.sbfiesta.org

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8

Bees Buzzing Off – Concerts in the Park is complete for 2023, and UCSB A&L’s summer film series Out of this World goes dark in deep space, which is another way of saying the series takes a siesta for Fiesta this Friday. But Goleta keeps the good vibes going with outdoor entertainment this week as King Bee, the eclectic and enviably elastic party band fronted by singer Rachel Thurston, throws down lakeside August 8 at the Stow House-Rancho La Patera for the Music at the Ranch series. The concert will, sadly, mark a milestone for King Bee, as the concert is Thurston’s official swan song with the Bees after 22 years, and also eight-year veteran guitarist Shawn Fabian’s final band gig. The Stow House is one of the band’s favorite venues, and the shift in stage site to the larger grassy area in the back should make this an even more festival finale.

WHEN: 5:30-7:30 pm

WHERE: 304 N. Los Carneros Road, Goleta

COST: free

INFO: (805) 681-7216 or www.goletahistory.org/music-at-t

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9

Sadako Peace Day – The 28th annual gathering hosted by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and La Casa de Maria honors the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and all innocent victims of war. The gathering of-

Montecito

“Do what we can, summer will have its flies.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

‘American Mariachi’ Debuts in Solvang – José Cruz González’s American Mariachi is ostensibly about the birth of an all-girl mariachi band in the 1970s, back when women supposedly couldn’t be mariachis. But it’s also a big-hearted story about the powerful dynamics of family, the traditions we hold dear, the relationship between music and the power of going after your dreams. The action centers around Lucha, who, after discovering her Alzheimer’s-afflicted mother responds to a specific mariachi record, recruits other women to form a band to play the song – “Mi Rosa Como Ninguna” (“A Rose Like No Other”). Just as with Bright Star, PCPA’s previous show at the Festival Theater, the uplifting comedy/tear-jerker also features a live band on stage, in this case an actual mariachi group that supports the actors as they learn to play their instruments. The musical carries a distinctly feminist message and a Chicano-centric story, but the director says it’s meant for all to enjoy: “Whether you are Mexican or not, the music will speak to you, as will this story where the bonds of family transcend all fear, pain, and sadness.”

WHEN: Tonight through August 27

WHERE: Solvang Festival Theater, 420 2nd Street, Solvang

COST: $25-$59

INFO: (805) 922-8313 or www.pcpa.org

fers reflection about the story of Sadako Sasaki, who was two when the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima, and died 10 years later of radiation poisoning after she had folded more than one thousand origami cranes – as well as music and poetry in the hope of creating a better world where all may flourish. The event takes place each year at the Sadako Peace Garden on the grounds of La Casa De Maria, one of the few of the retreat center’s spaces spared in the 2018 Montecito debris flows.

WHEN: 6 pm

WHERE: 800 El Bosque Rd.

COST: free (donations welcome)

INFO: www.wagingpeace.org

SUNDAY, AUGUST 6

‘Play It Forward’ – Ensemble Theatre Company presents a concert featuring current and former ETC students alongside six renowned Broadway stars who will, as the title suggests, play it forward for future professional singers in a benefit event. Broadway luminaries Joan Almedilla (Miss Saigon, The King and I, Les Misérables), David Burnham (Wicked, The Light in the Piazza, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Deedee Magno Hall (Miss Saigon, Wicked, If/Then), Jennifer Paz (Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, Flower Drum Song), Beverly Ward (Anastasia, Showboat, Crazy for You, Billy Elliot) and Kirby Ward (Never Gonna Dance, Showboat, Crazy for You) share the stage with perhaps an equally luminous lineup of local young performers including Cassidy Broderick, McKenna Gemberling, Hunter Hawkins, Beck Mortensen, Jett Mortensen, and others. The performers will embark on a musical journey spanning several genres including pop, musical theater and jazz, backed by a four-piece band led by John Enrico Douglas, famed for his music direction for a number of local theater companies. The event raises funds for ETC’s education and outreach initiatives, including the Young Playwrights Festival, Young Actors Conservatory, and student matinees, which serve junior and senior high school students across the county.

WHEN: 7 pm (free champagne reception at 6 pm)

WHERE: New Vic Theater, 33 West Victoria St.

COST: $45

INFO: (805) 965-5400 or https://etcsb.org

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