Far Flung Travel Down for the Count

by Chuck Graham

Iwas on an early morning beach run in Carpinteria, pink and orange hues melding across the eastern horizon. While weaving my way in soft sand past wintering killdeer and western snowy plovers, those hardy shorebirds thoroughly enjoyed the wrack lines of tattered giant bladder kelp left behind by the previous high tide.

Later that early December morning, I was asked if I wanted to partake in the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. I’ve been asked before several times in the past, but I’ve only participated in one. It was several years ago in Ventura. Aaron Kreisberg, a kayak guide I used to work with at the Channel Islands National Park, is an excellent birder, so I skated on his coattails as we counted birds from kayaks inside the shallows of the Santa Clara Rivermouth.

I’m always honored when asked, but I had to decline this past December, because I was already scheduled to guide kayak trips on Santa Cruz Island. Although I thoroughly enjoy photographing birds in their natural habitat, I wouldn’t consider myself much of a birder. I’m limited when the identification of a species isn’t obvious. Sometimes I get lost with all the bands, molts, breeding plumages and similarities amongst species. I just don’t possess the keen eye of a seasoned birder.

When I’m out in the field, and I have birds on the brain, I’m looking to photograph them with great light, proper composition, while incorporating their habitat in a majority of the frame as much as possible. I will say when traveling, birds are a priority for me. I want to see what’s out there. After 15 trips to Africa, one of the first items I grab before a trip to that incredible continent is any number of bird books I’ve collected over the years. Other incredible birding venues have taken me to Iceland, the Falkland Islands, Galápagos Islands, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Alaska, and the Arctic.

However, here at home in Carpinteria, I get just as much joy photographing and watching avian species as I do anywhere I’ve traveled. So, because I couldn’t participate this year for the Christmas Bird Count in Carpinteria, I decided to do my own personal count for one day in the Carpinteria Marsh, a 230-acre coastal wetland that I’ve spent ample amounts of time on since 1975.

The Carpinteria Marsh is one of the last remaining and one of the healthiest coastal wetlands in Southern California. At least 200 different species have been documented in the pickleweed, maze of muddy channels, vernal pools, and upland regions of the salt marsh.

Armed with my binoculars and camera, I spent December 16 in the marsh counting bird species. I did a three-hour block early in the morning, and then returned at 2 pm and finished the day in the dark. The actual count in the marsh took place the next day on December 17.

Annually, Santa Barbara County finishes strong in the Christmas Bird Count, usually within the top five in America. This year, the bird count In Carpinteria produced 162 different species on December 17. The day before I counted 53 species in the Carpinteria Marsh alone, and that might have been a high mark for me in my limited birding ability.

Some of the species I encountered included: Yellow-crowned Night Heron, American Wigeon, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Bufflehead, California Thrasher, Lesser Yellow Legs, Long-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed Curlew, Whimbrel, Marsh Wren, Orange-crowned Warbler, Belted Kingfisher, Spotted Sandpiper, Common Yellowthroat, Common Merganser, Cinnamon and Greenwinged Teal, Marbled Godwit, American Avocet, White-fronted Goose, Allen’s and Anna’s Hummingbird, Elegant Tern, and Western Sandpiper.

My day counting birds on the Carpinteria Marsh was and always has been much more than how many species I saw that day or what I’ve seen in previous years. Even after 45 years spent on the marsh, I still get amped up every time

I set foot on its muddy trails, because I never know what I might catch a glimpse of with my binoculars or through the viewfinder on my camera. It’s the living marsh, a patchwork of pickleweed and serpentine-like channels offering a refuge for birds and birders alike.

Chuck Graham is a freelance writer and photographer based in Carpinteria, where he also leads kayak tours and backpacking trips in Channel Islands National Park community’s most intractable problems –things like homelessness, climate change, healthcare, and education.

“They’re dealing with really complex issues,” Saxon said. “These are problems that aren’t going to be solved by any one organization or one program or one leader. So, we need to augment the leadership development piece to tackle them and support our leaders to be better collaborators, to be able to operate in loose networks rather than just hierarchical corporate structures, and be able to deal at a systems level with these complex problems.”

Some of those structures already exist in such areas as the food systems network, the fire preparedness group, and the Thrive Education Initiatives, but support is critical to their emerging networks’ success, Saxon said.

“What we were hearing over the conversations we had in the 18 months was that leaders need to learn these things you don’t get from school or even in your job. You need to learn how to successfully engage and collaborate with people who don’t work for you and to partner in really profound ways to come up with a collective aim that you all agree upon. That’s something we have some experience with. Collaboration is hard, and most people don’t really know how to do it.”

Leading From Within is putting new focus on creating the spaces and places for leaders to gain the mindsets and skill sets that help people operate in collaboration over time, Saxon said. The new three-year strategic plan calls for the

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Villa De Montecito, 1934 N. Jameson LN, Santa Barbara, CA, 93108. The Montecito Villa Association, 7 W. Figueroa St., STE 300. Santa Barbara, CA, 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 8, 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. 2023-0000348.

Published February, 15, 22, March 1, 8, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Santa Barbara Piano School, 1070 Fairwar Rd, Santa Barbara, CA, 93108. Seungah Seo, 743 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara, CA, 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on February 7, 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. 2023-0000330.

Published February, 15, 22, March 1, 8, 2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS organization to address its own existing programs to cover more collaborative material and likely develop a new one to help people in leading networks and complex collaboratives.

NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: T.D Services, 21 Betty Drive, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105. Tim A. Deran, 21 Betty Drive, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 27, 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. 2023-0000213.

“It’s not top down, it’s not linear, and it’s not simple,” Saxon explained.

“A single-focus solution doesn’t really exist when you’re dealing with complex problems. We’re inviting people to come together under our auspices to see what they need and how we can support them in doing what works better in the area of facilitative leadership. It’s about asking: What kind of resources do you have? What do you think? What are you seeing today? How can we partner together?”

That additional focus takes additional financial resources, of course, and Leading From Within will be actively seeking people and organizations and funders to partner with, Saxon said.

It will take a bit of implementing its own best skills for an organization that, he said, hasn’t previously spent much energy communicating externally.

“We’ve just been doing our work, maybe a little bit under a bushel. But we’re coming out of it here. Our ability to make progress with this new strategic plan will depend on our ability to work with funders and partners who share this vision for how we need to evolve as a community.”

Leading From Within

Edward France, executive director (805) 203-6940 www.leading-from-within.org

Published February, 1, 8, 15, 22, 2023

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NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Plateful, 205 Oceano Ave, Apt 7, Santa Barbara, CA, 93109. Miriam C Burroughs, 205 Oceano Ave, Apt 7, Santa Barbara, CA, 93109. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 12, 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. 2023-0000082.

Published February, 1, 8, 15, 22, 2023

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NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Ivonne’s Mexican Art Boutique, 420 Old Coast Hwy Unit A, Santa Barbara, CA, 93103. Maria Ivonne Zarate, 420 Old Coast Hwy Unit A, Santa Barbara, CA, 93103. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 23, 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. 2023-0000161.

Published February, 1, 8, 15, 22, 2023

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NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: La Peche Events, 841 San Roque Road, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105. Kimberly S. Stone, 841 San Roque Road, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 19, 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 door and talking about or posting about the work we do here, and bringing more people. Long term, a brick-and-mortar would be nice, but brick-and-mortars in Santa Barbara are extremely hard to develop here, even for commercial ventures, never mind art spaces and nonprofits.

The mission remains the same: In the spirit of love for community, to create a safe space for Black culture, art, history, current events and general life to be shared with the greater Santa Barbara community.

We have come completely out-of-pocket to produce these events and make them free and available to all of Santa Barbara. Getting money and resources together is always the main challenge. We have been very fortunate to receive two city/county grants, and we come out of pocket for the balance of the expenses. We have developed many invaluable relationships that have allowed us to continue this work. The strategies necessary to do the work –fundraising, networking, marketing, and community outreach – always change, but the focus never does. Love for the work and love for the community.

Is Black Culture House a blueprint that can be replicated in other communities?

Other communities do similar conceptual work all the time. Nobody “owns” the concept. We certainly hope as many people replicate the creation of cultural space wherever it’s felt to be needed, especially in communities where cultures are underserved.

Other cultural organizations like ours are trying to get buildings and are really going through the wringer right now. And this is still relatively new for us. It’s only our third year of in-person programming. We still have a lot of infrastructure work to do. We still need to formulate a 501(c)(3) for Culture House.

We’re still getting a handle on what our bandwidth could be programmatically. There’s a lot of programs we’d like to do that we haven’t done, because we are still developing relationships across a number of different counties for artists, resources, and community.

And your February events?

We have two more weekends of events at Soul Bites Restaurant, 423 State St. Doors open at noon. All events are for all ages and free to the general public.

Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2023-0000146. Published January 25, February, 1, 8, 15, 2023

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NAME STATEMENT: The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ServiceMaster Restoration & Cleaning by Integrity; ServiceMaster by Integrity Construction; Furniture Medic by Cabinet Restorers; ServiceMaster Restoration Services; ServiceMaster Recovery Management, 4893 McGrath St, Ventura, CA, 93003. Sharjo, LLC, 5451 Industrial Way, Benicia, CA 94510. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on January 12, 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. 2023-0000081. Published January 25, February, 1, 8, 15, 2023

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF

NAME: CASE No. 22CV04680. To all interested parties: Petitioner Neal Stuart Mazer filed a petition with Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, for a decree changing name to Neal Stuart Hiken The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Filed January 18, 2023 by Terri Chavez. Hearing date: March 15, 2023 at 10 am in Dept. 3, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Published February 8, 15, 22, and March 1, 2023.

As to a blueprint, we don’t really have one. There was no roadmap, other than our experience producing events. The blueprint is constantly changing and there’s a huge learning curve. Every year we’ve done this, we’ve had to pivot for one reason or another. We started in 2020 at the former Youth Interactive space across the street from the Granada Theatre and paid for everything ourselves. We were very fortunate to have friends and allies support our efforts. Then, during the pandemic of 2021, we had to do all our events online. At that point, the Youth Interactive program and that space was shut down. Fortunately, we got our first arts grant from the Santa Barbara Office of Arts and Culture and the City of Santa Barbara in 2022, and we rented the Alhecama Theatre. However, because of a COVID spike, we had to move events from February to April programming. And, again, what the grant didn’t pay for, we paid for.

This year, there weren’t enough available dates for February at the Alhecama, but because we met with the owners of Soul Bites – and they are such staunch advocates for underserved communities – they offered their space to us.

So, there’s no real blueprint. You have a concept, and you position it in the place that makes the most sense at that given time. And if something goes sideways, you have to be ready with Plan B.

Ultimately, would you prefer to be a brickand-mortar organization versus a pop-up?

It’s more important for Culture House to build as large and as loyal a community as possible, to secure sponsorship and funding to expand our programming and our marketing reach.

We would like to present cultural events in spaces year-round, not just February. Mainly, we just need people coming through the

Saturday, Feb. 18, 1 pm – Panel discussion: “Black Women Rock.” A pre-taped video conference of five dynamic Black women who’ve carved out careers in the rock music genre. Featuring Maureen Mahon, author/professor at NYU, and artists Sophia Ramos, Shelley Nicole, Leah King, and LaFrae Sci

Sunday, Feb. 19, 1 pm – Live blues/ rock with Jellyroll. Popular Santa Barbara blues rock band led by vocalist/harpist Morganfield Burnett

Saturday, Feb. 25, 1 pm – Live jazz/funk with L.A. trio, The Funky Neighbors. Contemporary instrumental group featuring L.A. musicians: bassist Stevie Martin, keyboardist Damon Wilson , and drummer Terrence Huggins.

Sunday, Feb. 26, 1 pm – Live music with L.A. Supergroup, The Cookies, back by popular demand. Featuring legends: vocalist Maxayn Lewis, bassist Bobby Watson, and guitarist Allen Hinds.

411: Mailing list: SBBlackCultureHouse@gmail.com Facebook and Instagram: @SBBlackCultureHouse Black History Month: https://asalh.org

Joanne A. Calitri is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@yahoo.com and each one brings a unique selection of orchids to the SBIOS.

I’ve been involved with the show for over 20 years, and I still find something new and interesting, a new hybrid, a species I haven’t seen before, a specimen grown better than I’ve ever seen it grown, a plant I’ve read about but never seen in person.

As for orchids on the endangered list – that is a whole article in and of itself! Many orchid species are endangered in their native habitats due to habitat loss or over-collecting, and importation of orchid species is highly regulated. Some of the SBIOS’s past and current vendors and exhibitors are involved with orchid conservation, whether as a public collector keeping rare species alive or as a participant in nature reserves in areas rich in orchid species.

LR: We will have a giant Wardian case on display that is coming down from San Francisco with many species displayed in a natural setting, with tree branches, moss, and mist. It is a first for the show to have this magnificent case! There are some orchids that are rated as “Appendix 1,” and no trade in those species is allowed by law. Otherwise, all orchids are lumped together as “endangered.” Even hybrids. It is a frustration for those of us who make hybrids, grow the seed here in the U.S. in labs, and then plant them out at our nurseries for sale. We still are required to obtain documents to track them being sold outside of the U.S.!

JC: How many growers are displaying and from where?

HK: Our vendor and exhibitor lists have not been finalized, but we do have vendors and exhibitors from all over California, plus Florida, Hawaii, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand.

LR: So far, we have 30 growers, whereas most shows only have 10. Santa Barbara always provides tremendous diversity with little overlap. To bring in plants from outside of the U.S. requires a tremendous amount of work – documents just for the transport of orchids are required, several inspections by agriculture inspectors abroad, and in the U.S. each plant must be packed for travel via air freight. Still, we attract growers from around the world as the show attracts serious growers, and sales are good.

JC: How is the show set up at Earl Warren?

HK: The show fills two buildings at Earl Warren. The gold-domed Exhibit Pavilion holds the show’s displays. Plant vendors, local nurseries, local and regional orchid societies composed of hobby growers, and local individuals install displays of blooming orchids. Los Floralias Floral Design Club produces fabulous cut flower arrangements. The

Santa Barbara Art Association manages a juried art show of orchid-themed art and photography. In the vendor hall, visitors may purchase plants from one of our local, regional, or international vendors. For me, the Exhibit Pavilion sparkles with wonder and excitement, but the Vendor Hall is pure temptation – blooming orchids of fabulous colors or exciting scents, seedlings that haven’t bloomed yet and are like an exciting lottery ticket... it’s hard not to go a little crazy buying plants to bring home! Each booth sells and collects their own money. Foreign vendors appreciate cash, as they don’t have U.S. bank accounts.

JC: What is the criteria list for judging winners?

LR: Teams of judges are on hand, and although they have varying criteria to recognize, the basics are points for size, shape, color, flower count, and overall display balance/beauty.

HK: Judging revolves around flowers that are exceptional. There are SBIOS trophies and American Orchid Society trophies awarded.

Judges look for the following:

- a shapely, symmetrical flower form

- clear colors, patterns (spots, stripes) that are pleasing

- uniform flowers that are larger than others of similar type

- a plant that is robust and healthy

- a plant that is floriferous

- overall aesthetic appeal of plant and flowers

JC: Can anyone join the SBIOS, Inc?

LR: We are the longest running show in the United States. As of now, people can sign up for the email list and get updates and interesting facts about orchids. The show board members are nominated by other members as needed, and emphasis is on having a good representation of local commercial growers and noted local business people who have orchid collections and want to ensure the future of the show as a noteworthy tradition.

HK: Orchid enthusiasts who would like to join a club of like-minded orchid hobbyists can join one of the societies and clubs in Southern California, most of which meet monthly and charge a small annual membership fee to support their monthly lecture program. Santa Barbara is home to the Orchid Society of Santa Barbara, which has an exhibit and a vendor booth at the show. Some of the other societies exhibiting at the SBIOS this year include Five Cities Orchid Society, Ventura County Orchid Society, Conejo Orchid Society, and San Fernando Valley Orchid Society. Orchid enthusiasts may also join the American Orchid Society or the Orchid Digest, both of which publish magazines featuring orchids.