In Passing

Hope Sterling Kelly

February 2, 1929 – January 8, 2023

Hope Sterling Kelly passed away peacefully in Santa Barbara on January 8, 2023. She was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to anyone she had ever met.

Hope was born on Groundhog’s Day, February 2, 1929. She grew up in West Los Angeles and attended University Elementary School, University High School, UCLA for two years, and then transferred to Stanford University, where she graduated in 1950.

Hope married Richard Sawyer in 1951 (Div. in 1965), and they soon had their son Richard (1952) and daughter Rebecca Sawyer (1954). They lived in Brentwood, where they raised their kids around close family and friends and lived just down the road from her loving parents, Ted and Eve Sterling.

Hope grew up loving ballet, tennis, Campfire Girls, the theater, going to the beach, and playing any competitive sport she came across.

She was a lifelong member of the Assistance League and was active in the Nine O’Clock players group, where she took many leading roles such as Cinderella. Her love for travel and adventure led her to working as a travel agent at Bel-Air Travel.

In August of 1970, Hope married Laurence (Larry) B. Kelly, and they moved to Santa Barbara, where they fell in love with the picturesque scenery and community. Hope and Larry were members of the Valley Club and L.A. Country Club, as Larry was an avid amateur golfer. They also belonged to the Santa Barbara Yacht Club, where they celebrated many holidays with family and friends.

Hope and Larry were a fun, loving, and adventure-seeking couple who traveled the world to exotic places and always came home with fascinating stories. Their home was always open for entertaining and hosting friends and family at their cottage a.k.a. “Hotel Hope.”

Hope’s positive attitude and radiant spirit were contagious and the second you met her, you felt like a lifelong friend. She was a guiding light, a pillar of support, and someone who you could always count on. Hope was a very involved grandmother and great-grandmother until the end, attending school events, cheering on her grandkids in their various sports, and always available as a trusted confidante. She remembered numerous family and friends’ birthdays with cards, flowers from her garden, and gifts which had her signature left-handed script.

Hope was very active with the Lobero Associates, raising funds for theater projects and bringing in new members. Because of her involvement, the Lobero Theatre stage curtain was named in her honor in 2022, which was a highlight. In the last 20 years of her life, Hope became a competitive ballroom dancer with the Santa Barbara Dance Studio, traveling to events throughout California, Nevada, and Hawaii. She loved getting dressed up, learning new routines, and competing in the ballroom.

Hope loved attending church and gained a deeper spiritual understanding of her purpose-driven life while attending the quaint Summerland Presbyterian Church. Hope Kelly was preceded in death by her husband, Larry Kelly (1916-2006), and her sister Jacqueline Sterling Williams (1926-2021). Hope is survived by her son, Richard Sawyer (Kathleen Barron), her daughter, Rebecca Conway, her three stepdaughters Pauline Kelly, Pamela Bento, and Patricia Morehart, along with her grandkids Barron Sawyer (Kerry Sawyer), Holly Misic, Steven Conway (Chelsea Conway), Carolyn Doyle (Christopher Doyle), and Lauren Kerstner (Nick Kerstner), along with 12 great grandchildren whom she absolutely adored.

In lieu of flowers, you can honor Hope by donating to The Lobero Theatre Associates – 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

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Maureen Bharoocha, whose dark comedy The Prank is about two failing physics students falsely accusing their high school teacher of murder and stars Rita Moreno, who was the first-ever Latina winner of an Oscar for West Side Story 61 years ago. Two other local flicks have finished their scheduled screenings: Anxious Nation, Vanessa Roth and Laura Morton’s deep look into the crisis of anxiety and mental health in America, especially its crippling impact on kids and families. The other being a doc about the community restoring a wetland that had been converted into a golf course in the ’60s called Bringing Back Our Wetland, from veteran local movie man Michael Love, whose last SBIFF entry, Dist-Dance, chronicled the local ecstatic dance community he co-leads moving to outdoor locations during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Santa Barbara short film Locals Only – The BIG Little Pub, about the tiny but beloved British cocktail pub/soccer sanctuary The Press Room, has wound up its SBIFF screenings. But diehard fans will delight in another screening – and afterparty – at the downtown pub at 7:30 pm on Saturday, Feb. 18.

Among other films of interest premiering in SBIFF’s final three days: American Outlaws, an action- and vulgarity-packed indie based on a true story of three siblings on an epic cross-country crime spree; Alam, a Palestinian picture set in a high school in an Israeli-occupied town; and The Legend of MexMan, about a director’s effort to make a fantastical sci-fi epic in the face of myriad challenges, part of the Films on Film section. That same category also boasts a second screening of Jane Campion: The Cinema Woman, an unapologetically subjective and offbeat take on the trailblazing director who claimed her second Oscar for helming last year’s The Power of the Dog.

Still to come on the SBIFF marquee events slate at the Arlington: Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson , who re-teamed with In Bruges writer-director Martin McDonagh for this year’s multi-Oscar nominee, The Banshees of Inisherin, dish before receiving the Cinema Vanguard Award on Thursday, Feb. 16, and McDonagh joins Todd Field (Tár) and “The Daniels” ( Everything Everywhere All at Once) the following night on the all-nominee Outstanding Directors of the Year Award, before the fest officially closes with the aptly titled I Like Movies, a story of a socially-challenged teenage cinephile set in 2003, on Saturday, Feb. 18.

The ‘Transformation’ of Nash

In a season that has seen premieres of two locally generated works in Cody Westheimer ’s San Marcos Preserveinspired Wisdom of the Water, Earth, and Sky and Peter Bernstein’s arrangement of his father Elmer’s Toccata for Toy Trains, the Santa Barbara Symphony’s third successive concert centered on a new work might produce the most profound piece yet. Jazz saxophonist-composer Ted Nash – no stranger to town, as he’s appeared frequently with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and running jazz workshops with the Museum of Art – has created an orchestral adaptation of Transformation: Personal Stories of Change, Acceptance, and Evolution, reconfiguring the most personal section for the symphony, representing continuing transformation.

Nash is reshaping the “Dear Dad” portion, which consists of a musical setting for his son Eli reading aloud the emotional letter he sent to his father in which he comes out as transgender, as well as Ted’s “response” via saxophone solos.

“I’m super excited about being able to expand that section that’s so personal

“I’m the longtime MJ arts editor and Giving List columnist. After 17 years in my rental cottage downtown I now need to relocate. Ugh! I’m looking for a solo space (cottage, apartment, guest quarters, etc.), locally, with rent in the low $2Ks, available by the end of February-ish. Nonsmoker, no pets, great references. Might you know of something?” Call Steven at (805) 837-7262 or email sml.givinglist@gmail.com to me for a full orchestra with all the range of beautiful colors, some of which I had no idea how to write for,” Nash said. “There were a lot of things I had to learn. I think I’ve made some intelligent decisions about how to use the orchestra, and I’m excited and so curious.”

Nash called the original Transformation project “the culmination of decades of working, and among the most important things I’ve ever done because I understand now that I can use music to express things that are personal, and not only allow myself to feel something, but allow myself to go through change through the process of creation. I used to hide behind the music. But now I am aware of my personal mythology and to embrace all of that is powerful.”

Nash is also writing other pieces inspired by classical themes from Mozart and Scriabin transformed with a jazz background, which he will perform with the trio led by L.A.-based pianist Josh Nelson along with the adapted “Dear Dad” sections, all in the middle of a thematic program set for the Granada on Feb. 18-19 that includes Dohnányi’s “Variations on a Nursery Song, Op. 25,” Strauss’s “Death and Transfiguration,” and Ravel’s “Boléro,” which will also feature Nash on the sax solos.

It’s the culmination of a concert that goes straight to Nash’s ever-evolving heart.

“As I’m getting older, I’m realizing I have less time to do some of these bigger concept things, so I’m grateful to be able to pursue this idea of finding inspiration to compose music,” he said. “It’s incredibly exciting.”

Nina’s Family Aria

An American Dream represents mezzo-soprano Nina Yoshida Nelsen’s 10th production with Opera Santa Barbara over two decades, but there’s no doubt that the California debut of the 2015 opera represents a milestone for the Montecito native.

Nelsen, who has sung in the world premieres of seven new operas, had a hand in shaping the role of Hiroko Kobayashi in An American Dream, as the character was inspired by her grandparents’ story of being incarcerated during World War II, her aria was written specifically for her after her grandmother was interviewed.

The opera – which evolved from a Seattle community storytelling project that was originally intended to result in a song cycle – is set in the Pacific Northwest during the war and explores the lives of two women, one a Japanese American who was forcibly removed from her home and the other a German Jewish immigrant left behind in Europe.

Nelsen said working on the project opened doors to her own family history of which she wasn’t previously aware.

“The Japanese American way of life was that you just move on and don’t dwell on the negative things,” she explained. “I always knew my family was incarcerated, but none of the details. I found out that my grandmother burned a lot of things before being sent to the camps, and that my great grandfather had been arrested as a threat to the government and jailed for six months. A lot of stories started coming out and several are in the opera.”

Nelsen has performed the role in nearly every subsequent production and revealed that the pair of shows at the Lobero on Saturday, Feb. 19, will feature the premiere of a new scene, proving that the opera is a living, breathing entity.

“After performing it so many times, I was able to get together with another Japanese American and talk about the things that didn’t quite make sense. And we sent it to just the composer and librettist, and they created a new scene.”

The addition makes it even clearer that the piece is about the concept of home, the singer said.

“Is home where you are, or is it what you make of it? What does home mean to you?”

For Nelsen, it’s clear that home is a combination of where she grew up – she’s staying in her childhood bedroom in the Montecito hills during the run-up to the performances – her life in L.A. with children and husband, Canadian Brass’ Jeff Nelsen, who she met at the summer festival at the Music Academy, and her experiences in life and with her family.

“My grandma came to the world premiere in Seattle and sat in the front row center,” she recalled. “She passed away a couple years later, but I still have this piece of her that comes with me whenever I sing in An American Dream.”

House of Santa Barbara.

The monies will go to the organization’s three stage housing program which provides assistance to local homeless families by offering shelter for those in immediate need and teaching life skills necessary to step of out poverty and become self-sufficient in permanent housing.

“The donation aligns well with our outreach mission here at All Saints of helping underserved communities of greater Santa Barbara, including low-to-moderate income families, children and the unhoused,” says Susan Evans, chair of the Montecito church’s outreach committee.

Artists Assemble for Ensemble

Santa Barbara’s Ensemble Theatre Company is holding its first design competition, which will recognize one artist, 18 or older, submitting an original image that represents one of its three upcoming productions at the New Vic – Selling Kabul, The Children, or Seared

The winner, who can use any medium as long as the image can be submitted in a digital form, will receive a $500 cash prize and the opportunity to copartner with ETC’s artistic and managing directors to design the artwork for the entire 45th season.

If the winning artist’s images are used to promote the season, he or she will receive an additional $2,500.

The deadline for submissions is Feb. 28, with the winner being announced March 15.

Heartfelt Goop

Montecito actress Gwyneth Paltrow has unveiled her latest bizarre guide for Valentine’s Day, offering a range of highend pieces for every type of date, with a hefty price tag to match.

The 49-piece guide, published on her lifestyle website Goop, features a range of date night ideas, ranging from a solo night in to a lavish dinner reservation.

Along with pricey suggestions, including $900 slippers and a $700 blanket, the guide also includes the perfect outfit for a solo night alone, if you’re willing to splash out $2,400.

Never one to miss out on the minor details, the Oscar winner suggests a vast array of looks for every kind of date night, with the perfect concert look setting buyers back a hefty $11,000.

Trimming Down

Carpinteria actor Ashton Kutcher had to “mow down” his chest hair and start doing sit-ups for a throwback sequence in his latest film.

Starring alongside Reese Witherspoon in a new Netflix rom-com Your Place or Mine, Kutcher, 45, at one point has to try to revert back to his 20-year-old self as the twosome swap lifestyles in New York and Los Angeles respectively.

“God, I used to have abs when I was

20!” he told a U.K.TV talk show. “Like, what happened!”

Women of Achievement Awards to Hauser and Stokes

Backpack-Wearing Rats Being Trained to Find Earthquake Survivors

After the terrible earthquake in Turkey and Syria last week — with thousands and thousands of casualties — rescuers have been scrambling to discover survivors in the rubble of collapsed buildings. Search and rescue dogs are assisting at some locations. However, future disasters may receive assistance from an unexpected source: rats that are currently being trained to work in earthquake aftermath.

“They can go deep into the rubble and penetrate where dogs may not be able to go,” says Sander Verdiesen, an electrical engineer working with APOPO, the nonprofit training the rats. For more than a decade, the organization has used rats to identify landmines in Africa, relying on the rats’ amazing sense of smell.

The rodents wear a backpack with a tiny camera that can broadcast a video feed to a rescuer’s phone outside as they practice for future crises. It also contains a two-way microphone, allowing a rescue team to communicate with a victim. The rats also wear a vest with a microswitch, which they are taught to pull when they find someone. Rescuers can transmit a beeping signal to the rats, instructing them to return to the surface and get a reward such as peanuts or a blend of bananas and avocados.

The backpack technology was tough to develop, since GPS typically does not work under piles of debris. The team employed a variety of technologies with the idea that the video stream might not always be available.

The device also transmits the position of a victim using a lower-frequency signal that should be able to travel through the rubble. Verdiesen is aiming to make the equipment as tiny and light as possible, but for now the rats were able to adapt to a hefty first iteration of the concept.

APOPO’s facility in Tanzania is home to a group of rats who spend 15 minutes each day roaming through a site designed to resemble collapsing construction. The training sessions are brief to keep the rats healthy and happy.

Climate champions Hillary Hauser and Leah Stokes are being honored at the 15th annual AWC-SB Women of Achievement Awards presented by Women Connect4Good.

KEYT-TV anchor and 2019 Women of Achievement award recipient Beth Farnsworth will emcee the event at the Cabrillo Pavilion on April 27.

“This is an honor that takes every one of my words away!” says Hillary, head honcho of Heal the Ocean. “As a longtime writer-journalist, this feels like I’ve just been awarded the “Oscar of writing.’”

Stokes is an associate professor at UCSB whose work focuses on energy, climate, and environmental policies.

New Chair for Dream Foundation

Investec Real Estate Companies’ founding principal and president Kenny

So far, they’ve mastered the ability to locate “victims,” activate a switch to communicate the position, and navigate out of wreckage on command. The location is becoming more complex with time, incorporating additional obstacles and loud noises. The crew had intended to travel to Turkey to continue training with GEA, but it is not yet prepared to work on the present tragedy.

Slaught is stepping down as Dream Foundation’s board chair after a decade at the helm.

He will continue to serve as vice chair under the organization’s newly appointed chair, Mario Muredda.

Muredda is currently a member of the foundation’s board and was formerly co-chair of the New York Advisory Council.

His entire career has been focused on healthcare communications. He is currently president of marketing at Fishawack Health, a purposefully-built commercialization partner in the biopharmaceutical, medical technology, and wellness industries.

Brown on Board

Retired attorney Jen Brown, whose legal work over two decades included high profile litigation spanning multiple continents has joined the board of directors of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.

She received a bachelor’s degrees in political science and communications at the University of Washington before earning a law degree at Gonzaga University School of Law.

Sightings

Ellen DeGeneres checking out Homer Montecito on CVR...Actor Christopher Lloyd picking up his New York Times at Pierre Lafond...Oscar winner Kevin Costner noshing at Local.

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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 a decade