Our Statement

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STATE STREET SCRIBE P.6 • REAL ESTATE SNAPSHOT P.24 • FORTNIGHT P.26

OUR STATEMENT STATE STREET? MORE ALIVE THAN IT HAS BEEN IN DECADES. WHY? INNOVATION FROM THE CITY AND SMALL BUSINESSES. WILL IT KEEP GOING? IT NEEDS TO. (STORY BEGINS ON PAGE 8)

INTRODUCING: B O R O U G H (THE EXPERIENCE BEGINS ON PAGE 10)

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“KIND AND DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS...”

730 FLORA VISTA DRIVE | REPRESENTED SELLER | SOLD FOR $1,725,000 “Thank you Mike and Kyle for your excellent service in helping us sell our home in the Alta Mesa neighborhood. It was a pleasure working with you both and we highly respected your advice in preparing the home for sale, including effective advertising, pricing strategy and resolving issues during all stages of selling the home. GREAT JOB!” —Marilynn T.

SOLD

434 VENADO DRIVE | REPRESENTED BUYER & SELLER | SOLD FOR $1,850,000 “I just closed on my first home in Santa Barbara, and I couldn’t have done it without Mike and Kyle on my side.

They were patient, knowledgeable, and helpful each step of the way. Any question I had, they had the answer. They genuinely wanted them best for me, never pushy, and always made time. They were meticulous and attentive to each and every detail. Overall, they just made it a really smooth and stress free process. I work in the lending business and interact with realtors all the time. I can say with confidence, these guys are the best in town! If you are in the market to buy or sell in Santa Barbara, do yourself a favor, and give them a call. You’ll be glad you did!”

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Your Mesa Realtors Your Mesa Realtors SOLD

1 4 2 7 K e nwo o d R o a d

1 4 2 7 K e nwo o d R o a d

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Very clean 2bed/2bath (easy modification to a 3“Working bedroom) home with mountain and city view withsingle-level Mike and Kyle was an absolute dream.

They are the best ofmountain the best.

We arecity out of state buy- thewindows/ Mesa lifestyle with vaultedtoceilings, an updated kitchen, living room fireplace, and dual-pane clean 2bed/2bath (easy modification a 3 bedroom) single-level home with and views.

Enjoy SOLD ers and they madeand us feel so at ease during the whole The as it was kitchen features a stainless steel Viking dishwasher.

The second bedroom is over-sized, a lifestyle with vaulted ceilings, an updated kitchen,stove livingand room fireplace, dual-pane windows/sliders. process.

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The second bedroom is of over-sized, asthat it was previously 329The San Ysidro 1553 Shoreline Driv 1547deck Shoreline because we weren’t there.

We closed on the house in Offered at $3,250,000 Offered at $3,495,00 bedrooms.

The and Drive natural landscaping. backyard istrampoline, ready to be transat $7,995,000 formed into abackyard paradise.features There isa large plenty of room forOffered lawn, fruit trees,This jungle-gym, and more. Tow 329 Sanspacious Ysidro 1553 Shoreline Drive 1547deck Shoreline December and they are still helping us handle things Offered at $3,250,000 Offered atmore. $3,495,000 Offered at $7,995,000 med into a paradise.

Thereisis aprivacy plenty of this room for lawn, fruit trees, jungle-gym, trampoline, and Enjoy complete on fabulous 1/2Towering acre ocean front lot!on This Rare ocean front estate on the Mesa!

This the backyard gorgeous oak tree providing wonderful shade over the deck.

This home isover located a months later. They truly go above and beyond to help ~1 acre estate.

Resting at the inon a alife time opportunity to njoy complete onMontecito this fabulous spectacular 4bed/4.5bath 1/2 ultra-luxury acre ocean front garage lot!

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1 acre Montecito estate.cul-de-sac Resting the insq.a ft. lifewith opportunity to purchase spectacular 4bed/4.5bath ultra-luxury of this at property a charming a vacant piece of ocean fron property boasts ~5,100+ oftime living tucked center away at theisend of Kenwood Road.

Attached 2-car garage interior access. been so impressed with a team.

Some of the most kind nter of this property is a charming a vacant piece of ocean front property property boasts ~5,100+ sq. ft. of living 2,300+ sq. ft. Craftsman style home located in one of Santa Barb space resting on over 1/2 acre of prime and of dedicated professionals I have the privilege of 300+ sq. ft. Craftsman located in one of had Santadesirable Barbara’s most space resting 1/2 acre prime Enjoy originally style builthome circa 1912.

Today, it on over neighborhoods.

B California coastline. unparalleled OFFERED AT $998,500 working with.”

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Build your California coastline. ocean Enjoy unparalleled features modern amenities, and still dream home to the exact spe views from every corner of this atures modern retains amenities, and still dream home to the exact ocean views from every corner of this its rustic charm. Located in MUS. thatspecifications you desire. Panoramic oce contemporary home. Must see in person! tains its rustic charm. Located in MUS. that you desire. Panoramic ocean views! contemporary home. Must see in person!

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The Richardson Te

The Richardson Team

Mike Richardson, Realtors 1806 Cliff Drive Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Office: (805) 963-1704 Mobile: (805) 680-3131 Fax: (805) 965-1139

Mike and Kyle Richardson

Team@mrrealtors.com

Team@mrrealtors.com 805.963.1704 www.mrrealtors.com

805.963.1704 www.mrrealtors.com

BRE Lic. #00635254 + #01902531

BRE Lic. #00635254 + #01902531

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EXPERIENCE ALASKA THIS SUMMER

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State Street Scribe – Jeff Wing says we’ve been here before, at a crossroads when it comes to urban planning warfare aking a Statement – The state of State Street, it’s seemingly an annual question with M very few long-term answers. Has the pandemic forced us to move forward?

The Boroughs: An Introduction – Santa Barbara is much more than just the beach and State Street, and we’re diving into your neighborhood to tell your stories

The Boroughs: State Street – With MOXI and MCASB both welcoming guests already, downtown museums are seeing a sudden rise in attention The Boroughs: East Side – TVSB utilized the pandemic to help nonprofits and others deliver messaging in previously unheard of ways The Boroughs: Funk Zone – Ready for a brew with a buddy? Rincon Brewery provides a new outlet to enjoy a familiar neighborhood.

The Boroughs: Mesa – Baseball’s back, as the Foresters return to Pershing Park, a year after they were literally the only game in town

The Boroughs: Oak Park – A cutting-edge treatment for prostate cancer continues to showcase Ridley-Tree’s rise to the top of care along the Central Coast The Boroughs: San Roque – Want to buy a piece of Paradise? San Roque is a popular option, and there is one on the market with all the views The Boroughs: West Side – The pandemic drove people to hiking trails and the great outdoors, making Elings Park a popular spot over the past year

SYV Snapshot – A look at some of the first events after the state reopening

Independent Mind – How the “Department of No” is impacting State Street’s lack of progress

Man About Town – The land of Zoom is nearly a thing of the past; will we miss it?

Real Estate Snapshot – Are buyers starting to pump the brakes a bit? No matter, the market continues to astound.

To Be Determined – Forgive us while we deal with a little bit of post-pandemic paranoia The Fortnight – This page wasn’t even supposed to happen, but now that the state is reopening, events are plentiful all over the South Coast

Creative Characters – For Alysia Michelle James, going airborne is simply in her soul

On Art – As more artists return to Cabrillo Boulevard for the Arts & Crafts Show, some feel change might be inevitable

1Cruise itineraries subject to change or cancellation at any time without notice.

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AAA Travel Alert: Many travel destinations have implemented COVID-19–related restrictions. Before making travel plans, check to see if hotels, attractions, cruise lines, tour operators, restaurants and local authorities have issued health and safety-related restrictions or entry requirements. The local tourism board is a good resource for updated information.

Ship’s Registry: United States

Our Take – Tourism brings billions of dollars in revenue to the South Coast, and we need to do right by small business owners to make sure it continues

I Heart SB – So just how did Santa Barbara shape our confessional writer’s love life?

Mortgage Minute – Yes, the real estate market is bonkers, but consumers can benefit with purchases, refinancing The Bud Guy – His last name might not really be Glass, but High Tide’s owner sure plays the part

Santa Barbara Foodie – It’s all about the journey for Tom Dolan, who is using foreign strolls to inspire a unique wine outlook at his restaurant, Toma

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OURTAKE

IT’S TIME TO PROTECT THE ‘SPINE OF SANTA BARBARA’

I

by Nick Masuda

t goes without saying that Santa Barbara is a tourist attraction, both domestically and internationally.

Simply put, we are a destination.

For our slice of Paradise, there is no doubt that the thousands of diverse small businesses play an overweighed role in luring in those crowds.

Small business is simply the backbone of Santa Barbara.

And sometimes, we have a bit of a rough sleep and subsequently are paralyzed a bit.

We forget that we need to treat our spine with special care — we lose our ability to maneuver if we don’t.

In 2017, a study conducted by Destination Analysts Inc. for Visit Santa Barbara showed that more than $1.9 billion came to the South Coast as a product of tourism.

Who keeps those tourists coming back for more? The restaurants, the galleries, the small businesses — run by locals — that provide the experience necessary to have outsiders invest in our community.

And, coming out of the pandemic, our admiration for the nimbleness of our businesses should be at an all-time high — they found innovative ways to keep us fed, to keep us clothed, and to keep us engaged.

So, as we saunter around town, maybe a stroll down State Street, taking in a parklet or two, think about what we can do as a community to return the favor.

Those middle-of-the-pandemic meals at Joe’s Cafe; or endless lines at McConnell’s; or finding a way to enjoy a burrito at Sandbar’s parklet in hopes of stealing a glimpse of the Pacific — those happened because of small businesses, and the city, investing in that experience.

Prior to the pandemic, businesses struggled, particularly along State Street, our primary corridor to the rest of what Santa Barbara has to offer.

Have we done enough listening to the business owners in what they need to survive?

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Do we reject innovation out of habit due to Santa Barbara’s historically adverse reaction to change?

And has that attitude spilled over into how we treat social and educational issues? Or affordable housing and homelessness?

We are a town that houses the No. 1 community college in the state (SBCC), as well as the 30th ranked national university (UCSB), according to U.S. News & World Report. This is not to mention Westmont College, who recently partnered with Cottage Health to aid in a nursing shortage in the area.

Innovation is prevalent in our town; it’s just time for it to be put on a pedestal.

And small businesses deserve our attention first; we need to make sure they can help us stand on our own two feet, giving us the ability to be nimble and address myriad other ideas and issues.

“Innovation is prevalent in our town; it’s just time for it to be put on a pedestal.”

But our mission will extend beyond small business: We will also focus on how we can continue to support locals that choose to call Paradise “home,” not to mention aiding nonprofits, embracing innovators, and providing reasons for the next generation to choose to stay “home” instead of taking their talents elsewhere.

That’s why we have returned with a direction, quite literally. We are going to dive deep into each community, from the East Side to the West Side, as well as San Roque, Oak Park, the Mesa, Funk Zone, and, of course, State Street.

We will shine a light on innovation, as well as call into question the decisions or direction that stymie growth.

A local politician once told me: “Sometimes, you have to stop listening, and you have to start leading.”

Consider the job filled; we aren’t going anywhere.

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STATE STREET SCRIBE

by Jeff Wing

Jeff is a journalist, raconteur, autodidact, and polysyllable enthusiast. A long-time resident of SB, he takes great delight in chronicling the lesser known facets of this gaudy jewel by the sea. Jeff can be reached at jeffwingg@gmail.com.

Santa Barbara: A Brief History of Urban Planning Warfare

T

he martyred saint after whom our town is named saw to it that her abusive father went down in a pyrotechnic cyclone of lightning strikes and fire. Not to begin too abruptly.

Following that spectacle, Saint Barbara’s explosive reputation only increased through the centuries, her bombast considered increasingly commendable if one could just stay on her good side.

Even today, Saint Barbara’s association with boom-boom makes her a totem of solace, and Patron Saint of mining engineers, metallurgists, geologists, tunnelers, and others whose professional vocabularies include the word “smithereens.”

My belabored point? “Santa Barbara” means “explosion.” Gently swaying palms and endlessly leaping stone dolphins aside, our coastal village has a restive, dynamite heart.

I mention this as preamble to a reevaluation of our town’s true nature.

The city of Santa Barbara’s reputation as a peaceable seaside warren of red-tiled paseos is intact — beloved, even.

But contrary to the traditionally accepted narrative, Santa Barbara’s transformation in the 1920s — from Dodge City copycat to Little Spain — did not come without a fight. As our fair city enters another once-in-a-generation phase of urban planning self-reflection, it may be useful to synopsize the former in order that we may thoughtfully apply learnings to the latter.

THE FACADE Everyone with a TV knows that western frontier towns were all stamped from the same template — plank sidewalks fronting a facade-like business district comprised mostly of saloons, where one could purchase a bottle of whiskey with a single large cowboy coin.

Card games often ended in gunfire, and that day’s Tesla — tied to a post outside the saloon — would drop a steaming pile of spent fuel you couldn’t help but step in; the frontier’s “green footprint.”

Pre-earthquake photos of State Street clearly show our main thoroughfare’s genomic line of descent from this pistolpacking antecedent.

The familiar narrative describes a neatly seismic delineation — old Santa Barbara leveled by the 1925 earthquake, after which the town emerges from its

rubble-strewn chrysalis looking like SpainWorld, thanks to the earnest efforts of beloved Santa Barbara legend Pearl Chase and her coalition.

In fact, the transition was marked by alarm, fear of overreach, lots of accusatory hollering — and an ominous term whose emergence has been traced to Santa Barbara’s uniquely troubled metamorphosis: “architectural control.”

What did it mean? What does it mean?

And how did Santa Barbara’s early 20th century style trials give rise to the odious term? Today we once again contemplate Santa Barbara’s structural future in a fit of red-tiled déjà vu.

BECOMING THE CITY BEAUTIFUL In the late 19th century, the badly bruised and bewildered U.S. caught its breath and looked around. The country was 120 years old and looked like it hadn’t had a shower in about that long.

An unimaginably violent Civil War had gouged a deep psychic and physical scar, battered populations picking up and moving with whatever they could carry.

Emigrants from across Europe were escaping their own national nightmares as power-maddened jackasses wrecked civil society and everything else they could lay their stupid mitts on. So has it ever been. Our cities were ramshackle, with whole sections given over to hastily built lean-to tenements, living conditions in the poorer quarters often abhorrent.

From this period of shocked selfregard, a sort of upper middle-class reform movement sprung up with the rough-and-tumble name City Beautiful, based on the curious belief that magisterial city beautification would heal the social order. So-called Municipal Art Commissions arose within the movement to regulate and promote public art and, to varying diaphanous degrees, private architecture.

While the sociologists stroked their pointy beards and squinted, city planners saw in the movement a chance to get their hands on the wheel and bring some top-down order to America’s poorly improvised urban hodgepodge.

One of these starry-eyed planners was a guy named Charles Cheney.

City Beautiful had been adopted with caffeinated panache in New York

An alleyway leads you into El Paseo, which has a number of restaurants and retail shops (Photo by Nick Masuda)

and Philadelphia. Cheney visited those grand cities and got excited about the possibilities. He proposed in June 1921 that any city Master Plan worth its salt should include an unpaid “art jury” made up of a painter, a sculptor, and an architect — the sort of daydreaming aloud that warms the humanities undergrad and chills the property owner. This artsy little triumvirate would have veto power over submitted public building designs.

Cheney brought his City Beautiful fever dream to life in a new city near Los Angeles called Palos Verdes, which in 1923 adopted his bossy protective covenants and his paint-daubed style council, becoming the first residential development in either Canada or the U.S. to require approval of public building plans by an art jury.

At the April 1924 meeting of the National Conference on City Planning in Los Angeles, Cheney boldly proposed establishment of a municipal art jury — by ordinance — to control the design of private buildings, too. He looked up the coast. Santa Barbara would be the perfect petri dish for the idea.

BERNARD, PEARL, AND A “NEW SPAIN IN AMERICA” Meanwhile, in 1921 a wealthy arriviste from Massachusetts named

Bernhard Hoffmann bought the De la Guerra adobe, hiring James Osborne Craig to renovate it and build a pedestrian shopping experience around it, which Hoffmann envisioned as a sort of miniature “city of Spain.”

There would be a courtyard, a patio, restaurants, and a decorative alleyway.

Oh, and a fountain, of course. The project would be called El Paseo de la Guerra. This was later shortened to El Paseo. Hoffmann’s larger idea was to establish Santa Barbara as a “New Spain in America,” and El Paseo was his proof of concept.

A local dynamo named Pearl Chase had long been touting the idea, and she and Hoffmann joined forces. In February 1922, a Plans and Planting Division was formed to promote the beautification of Santa Barbara.

Hoffmann was made chairman and Chase was secretary. The Plans section formed an Architectural Advisory Committee for promoting Spanish Colonial Revival as Santa Barbara’s once and future template. Then in 1923, Ordinance 1169 established a City Planning Commission. Hoffmann was made secretary. Cheney was hired as City Planning Consultant and began busily working on zoning for Santa Barbara. ...continued p.31

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246 Las Alturas Road, Santa Barbara | $6,500,000

3435 Marina Drive, Santa Barbara | $8,650,000

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CRYSTA METZGER 805.453.8700 CrysMetz@me.com PropertyInSantaBarbara.com CalRE# 01340521 The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification.

Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2021 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

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MAKING A STATEMENT Progress is Apparent with Santa Barbara’s Critical Corridor,

BY ZACH ROSEN & NICK MASUDA

but Will the Momentum Continue? It Needs To.

I

t wasn’t two decades ago when hundreds of revelers would line State Street, taking perch outside of their favorite club, securing a prearranged ride home via Bill’s Bus or a designated driver on standby via flip phone.

Forget Del Playa, downtown Santa Barbara was a token of being a legitimate part of this community; eating at Joe’s Cafe and dancing the night away at Sharkeez was a rite of passage. Oh, and if you could work in some peanuts at The James Joyce or sing along with the drum guy, it was like getting a temporary tattoo.

State Street was cool.

But as bulky, colorful iMacs turned into early-edition iPhones, technology was not the friend of retailers. Slowly, storefront after storefront disappeared, the ease of technology emerging as the primary cause of death of a once-vibrant corridor. State Street had become Resigned-to-its-Fate Street. Even as Paseo Nuevo took on a bold redesign in late 2019 and early 2020, locals couldn’t help but wonder what vision really supported that effort.

The idea of closing down State Street had been debated for years. Progressivethinking folks pointed to Europe, where blocks are shut down to traffic, allowing locals and tourists to take to the streets, enjoying outdoor dining and carrying their favorite alcoholic beverage along the way.

Traditional-thinking folks – historically the loudest and most influential group in Santa Barbara – pointed to the City Beautiful’s gorgeousness, believing that aesthetics and drawn-out design processes would win the day. And this voice won out, maintaining high rents for potential entrepreneurs and showing little wiggle room for any innovation.

But – just like Santa Barbara becoming a reflection of “Little Spain” in the shadows of the 1925 earthquake – it took another natural disaster to change the mindset of not only Santa Barbara’s decision-makers, but also of the locals that now line State Street yet again, utilizing blocks of promenades to enjoy meals, a favorite drink, and Santa Barbara’s iconic natural backdrop.

But is it here to stay? Yes, by ordinance, it will remain intact through March 2022.

But is the community ready to change

The parklets that line State Street do not have a consistent look, although city council is looking at standardization opportunities

permanently? Is it willing to modify instead of cancel?

According to public surveys that aided American Institute of Architects (AIA) design charrettes in finding ways to integrate art, music, and programming into the promenade, 65 percent would like to see more housing downtown (people want to be there), while 45 percent are happy with the current promenade boundary that runs from the 400 to 1200 blocks of State Street. Some 40 percent want to see it expanded, with the current boundary ending at the State Street underpass, the site of the 2019 Experiment Weekend that provided a three-day preview of what a promenade would bring the city.

The debate will undoubtedly get political in an election year for city council, as well as mayor – although both could deservedly be applauded for taking the step to make these changes in the middle of a global pandemic, saving businesses and livelihoods while also showcasing what Santa Barbara could look like moving forward.

A COMMITMENT TO PROGRESS eagan Harmon, the Santa Barbara City Council’s District

M

6 representative responsible for the downtown corridor, is the first one to admit that downtown wasn’t all that attractive prior to the pandemic. It was sleepy, the lack of foot traffic showcased the dirtiness a bit more, the spirit was lost.

But Harmon is a big believer in community, particularly this one.

Wildfires, debris flows, drought, economic downturns – somehow Santa Barbara withstands. And she felt downtown would soon get its turn to reclaim its leadership role along the South Coast.

As retailers had to shutter early on during the pandemic and restaurants were limited to delivery or to-go orders, a unique opportunity presented itself – social distancing could only be done if the proper space is provided. Getting fresh air was recommended by the CDC. State Street had the space, it had the restaurants, it had the potential. And, if afternoon foot traffic along the corridor in recent weeks is any indication, it’s working.

“Simply unbelievable; it’s incredible to see what has happened,” Harmon says. “I’m proud to have been the one to bring this decision to a vote, to get the support of the council and of the

community. We are innovating during a historic period of time. I think we’ll be remembered for that.”

Alongside Mayor Cathy Murillo, Harmon listened to local business owners, aided as they looked to secure federal and state loans to stay afloat, while also tapping into an inventive side to see what they could do locally in order to keep storefronts from shuttering. “It certainly motivated us to do something,” says Murillo.

And both Murillo and Harmon firmly believe that the promenade needs to stay in place beyond March 2022 – with modifications, including likely downsizing a bit – indicating that this is a firm part of their campaigns for the 2021 election. “Progress was made, and we can’t ignore that,” says Murillo. “Our businesses are thriving.”

Harmon knows that some detractors focus on the plight of retailers, an industry that was already in disarray due to Amazon and home shopping well before the pandemic. “I want to help them in any way I can,” she says.

“But we can’t stop progress for the many because of the struggles of one. Instead, we need to help them find a better solution for them.”

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There is clear signage up and down State Street about what actions are prohibited, although plenty of bikers and skateboards skirt the rules a bit

KEEPING THE CITY BEAUTIFUL s with pretty much everything in Santa Barbara, a number of committees have been formed in order to help city council set a standardized direction for the parklets lining State Street.

Last year, the Santa Barbara chapter of the AIA hosted a design charrette challenge that brought together 160 architects, artists, and community members to envision what the next 100 years of Santa Barbara could look like.

Those participating in the AIA design charrettes were given guidelines to consider housing needs, circulation patterns, and to look for adaptive reuse of existing buildings. The resulting work filled a 300-page report and were publicly erected on large displays that still line the 900 block of State Street.

This was not the first time that the community came together to envision our future – the AIA had hosted a previous design charrette in 2017 but the efforts were soon eclipsed by the tragedy of the Thomas Fire and Montecito Debris Flow.

In March 2021, city council was handed another study put together by local designers – including some from AIA – that broke down what the parklets along State Street could and should look like.

According to this much more concise eight-page document, the design principles were simple: • Create order • Simplify parklet design and eliminate visual clutter • Provide for flexible designs that are

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modular and movable for many conditions and configurations • Provide a simple, coordinated palette for colors, materials, and plants • Encourage simple outdoor patio furniture • Encourage use of low-maintenance plants • Collaborate with neighbors to create the best aesthetic • Encourage well-placed, beautiful, welldesigned signage • Encourage the use of color and art The report goes on to recommend specific barrier materials, platform surfaces, furniture to be used, proper lighting, color palette, as well as prohibited items such as pop-up tents, lattice, picket fencing, and “excessive decoration.” A special city council meeting to vote on different choices is set for June 22.

While she agrees that long-term standardization is necessary, Harmon is not in favor of forcing businesses with current parklets into the new look, believing that this will happen naturally as improvements are needed down the line. “They bought in to the concept and made it work,” she says, “so I just don’t think it’s right to make them do it again.”

One of the popular ideas to come out of the projects was for the city to form a Master Plan Committee to oversee the development of the downtown area. This concept has begun to take motion. Senior Assistant to the City Administrator Nina Johnson indicated to the Sentinel that the city is in the

process of selecting community members to be a part of the committee – with all participants responsible for interim and long-term vision. Interviews for these positions will occur over the summer, and once the committee is selected, the planning can begin.

While the acquisition of perspectives is important and needed, both Harmon and Murillo know that innovation can die in a committee, and they are dedicated to make sure that State Street remains a top priority. “I might be a bit biased,” says Harmon, “but it’s one of the most important issues that we face as a council, so we have to keep moving it forward.”

HOUSING A CENTRAL ISSUE ousing was one of the main concerns of the design charrettes, and the city has long been infamous for its design review process – an arduous one that is consistently under fire.

City Planner Renee Brooke says that steps are being taken now to set the new development standards for multiunit housing, with the goal of helping the area with more housing options.

Economic feasibility is currently on the docket. According to Brooke, they have gone through public outreach and have had some meetings with city council and the planning commission about the physical form of those standards. “It is largely because there are not enough funding sources and money available for nonprofit developers to provide all of the affordable housing that our community needs,” she says. “We have

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to some extent rely on private developers to do it.”

Currently it is required to have 10 percent of the rental units constructed to be restricted to moderate-income households. This was adopted two years ago, so it hasn’t had a wide impact as of yet. Part of the economic study will determine how many affordable units developers can get out of different project types and looking at whether that number can be higher.

Some of these standards are being dictated at the state level, and the city will still have to work within those limits.

Broader changes would require changes to the municipal code. If certain projects meet a checklist of objective standards, they do not need to go through design review.

According to Brooke, many developers have indicated that the best way to make these projects more economically feasible is to streamline the review process, reducing the number of hearings and types of projects that trigger design review to speed up the process.

Brooke says that a soon-to-be selected consultant will help with this. “That will take about two years because it will involve a lot of community engagement and with decision makers because we’ll need to make some hard decisions about what projects will look like without discretion.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT STYLE hile streamlined standards are estimated to apply toward about 80 percent of the projects, what remains to be determined is how to accommodate different building materials and architectural styles.

Naturally, Spanish Revival architecture is the fingerprint of Santa Barbara. But the city does employ other looks, including Victorian, Craftsman, and myriad other historic design styles, each one helping construct the fabric of our town’s aesthetic.

This sets up a raging debate: How does Santa Barbara preserve its past and identity while allowing for the future to take hold?

Take the many artists-in-residence at the Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science and Technology (SBCAST), where they’ve seen how well this affordable live/workspace has functioned and what a gift it has been to the community.

Across from the El Zapato home by Jeff Shelton on Garden Street, this Bauhaus-style building looks like a series of stacked cubes and unlike any other structure in town.

SBCAST founder Alan Macy spent years getting the designs approved as

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WELCOME TO THE BOROUGHS YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS. YOUR STORIES. A CITY BOUNTIFUL

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anta Barbara isn’t just the pristine beaches or State Street — it’s a melting pot of different neighborhoods, defined by much more than the price of real estate, but also by unique demographics, diverse personalities, and unparalleled experiences.

And the news cycle is dominated by City Hall or the downtown corridor, leaving areas such as the Funk Zone or San Roque out of the much-deserved spotlight.

That stops now. As we bring the Santa Barbara Sentinel back to newsstands, we are looking at things through a different lens — one that involves diving deeper into the neighborhoods in which we live and play, where innovation comes in all forms.

We will be diving deep into the West Side, East Side, Mesa, San Roque, Funk Zone, Oak Park, and, yes, State Street.

We call them “The Boroughs” — you call them home.

It’s here that we will find people doing amazing things; profile inventive small businesses in a time that demands it; address issues that matter at the neighborhood level; and make sure that your voice is heard.

There’s a reason why Santa Barbara has been named the “Best Small City” in the 2018 Conde Nast Readers’ Choice poll — it’s because 91,376 people simply love living here. We aren’t the biggest city in the state (we rank No. 87) or United States (No. 372), but what we don’t have in stature, we make up for with heart and community.

Ernesto Sirolli once said, “The future of every community lies in capturing the passion, imagination, and resources of its people.”

And so it will be.

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1 STATE STREET THE BOROUGHS: BY ZACH ROSEN

MUSEUMS ALONG STATE: OFFERING A TOUCH OF THE NEW AND THE FAMILIAR RECORD CROWDS GREET MCASB’S RETURN Lunchboxing with Lasers is the newest exhibit at the MOXI

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he past year has seen countless changes in both our personal lives and our community. With how much is different, visiting somewhere familiar can help bring a sense of comfort. As the city reopens, it is a chance to go back to some of our favorite places around town. The museums of Santa Barbara have long been icons in the community, bringing in tourists and locals alike.

With several museums lining State Street, and all of them now reopened, take some time to pop in and give one a visit. Seeing the old exhibits while also viewing what they have new on display may bring a much-needed moment of comfort.

MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, has officially reopened and will be bringing interactive fun to guests seven days a week once again starting on June 20. Returning visitors may notice a couple of one-way paths and will be asked to remain masked and socially distanced, but for the most part, they will enjoy the same museum experience they’re familiar with. Many of the exhibits are reopened, including all of their most popular ones, and some have even been renovated.

During the closure, the MOXI staff was able to finish some projects including an update for their popular Build it, Test it, Race it exhibit where participants can build and race their own cars. The exhibit parts had been in use since the museum opened in 2017 and were getting worn so they wanted to redesign and replace all of the car pieces. Guests can now visit the same exhibit but will have a new challenge as they navigate the renovated parts.

Last summer, MOXI hosted a community challenge, CurioCity, to construct buildings and the city of the future out of cardboard. With about 40 entries, the cardboard structures now form a cityscape along their second-floor bridge. Their scheduled temporary artists all had to be postponed or canceled last year, but they are now starting to bring back these special contributors as well.

The MOXI is introducing their newest exhibit, Lunchboxing with Lasers by renowned laser artist Mike Gould, just in time for the city reopening. Enter into a dark room to find a wall of lasers dancing in red, blue, and green. Three vintage lunch boxes add a touch of nostalgia for visiting parents and house futuristic jeweled controls that allow tinkerers to control the speed, angle, and intensity of the lasers, creating their own live light show.

Over the past year, like many of the museums, MOXI developed online and athome experiences to stay in touch with the community. From a Backyard Summer BBQ to their Innovation Workshop Maker Kits, this series of take-home kits brought the same hands-on fun that MOXI is known for. Since the fall they have been developing their Virtual Design Labs that bring a live classroom experience through Zoom where students can explore the engineering design process. Students were faced with a real-world challenge with participants creating, sketching, and building solutions from their own mind and simple household materials.

While they are planning to bring back their school programs as the county allows, the past year of online programs allowed them to expand their reach beyond the museum walls. To maintain this, they will likely create a hybrid approach of in-person and online offerings in the future. Until then, the MOXI is focused on giving the best experience they can to their everyday visitor.

Visit moxi.org for more information or for tickets. Reservations are highly recommended.

In her exhibit, artist Shana Moulton explores consumerism and both alternative and conventional healing

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any of the museums have been hurting during their closures due to the loss of admission fees. Since the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB) always has free admission, their reopening has had a different effect.

Much of their support comes from their range of popular public events that have covered everything from curated cocktails to slam poetry (of course, the donations at the door from visitors also help). And depending on how this summer’s safety fares, they plan to bring back their in-person offerings as soon as they can.

The museum officially reopened about eight weeks ago and has since seen record attendance. Besides the fact that we could all use some socialization, their current exhibit, Shana Moulton: The Invisible Seventh is the Mystic Column, is one of the reasons they are drawing in the crowds. Melding video installations and art objects, this colorful exhibit is a continuation of her series, Whispering Pines.

Exploring ideas of isolation, self-help, and consumerism, follow Shana’s alter ego Cynthia in a variety of quirky video performances spread throughout the museum.

While the exhibit was being planned since before the pandemic, the message became even more relevant as the exhibit discussions continued.

There will be a Zoom artist talk with Shana Moulton on July 1, where the audience will be able to hear directly about the project and her overall body of work. Many of Shana’s exhibitions include an element of performance and a closing ceremony for the exhibit is being planned for the end of July that will display her performative work. If all goes smoothly with the reopening, the closing ceremony will be held inperson near the end of July at the museum and its front outdoor terrace.

While a lot may have changed, these museums at least offer a sense of the familiar we all know and love, and the new that we are learning to go through.

Visit mcasantabarbara.org for more information on the exhibit or to sign up for the artist talk.

THE HAPPENING. . .

JUNETEENTH

Location: 833 State Street Date: June 18-19 Time: Noon-7 pm (open gallery) Cost: Free Website: juneteenthsb.org Description: Remembering Juneteenth, this annual event highlights local Black artisans and culture with two days of activities celebrating Black history and futures including a market, gallery, and virtual programs alongside free food, dancing, and singing.

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2 THE EAST SIDE THE BOROUGHS: BY ZACH ROSEN

TVSB: HELPING THE COMMUNITY STAY IN TOUCH

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TVSB’s renovated Studio B now features HD and livestreaming

rom nonprofit events to community outreach to school graduations, video became the standard medium that we interacted with through the pandemic.

Especially during the early days of the lockdown, when getting information out safely to the public was vital.

TVSB didn’t miss a beat, helping organizations make announcements while continuing its normal programming. TVSB has been serving local public access media on Channels 17 and 71 since 1974, with 3,000 segments airing monthly from more than 250 content producers. Its facilities include community access to two TV studios, a podcasting booth, rental equipment, and an editing bay for a small membership fee.

The pandemic has also given many people extra time to take on new projects and TVSB saw more than 25 new shows introduced throughout this period. TVSB Executive Director Erik Davis notes that especially over the past year, video and storytelling have been more important than ever.

“We’ve really taken this time to not only go outward, but also to focus internally on: What does the future of community access look like and how can we best meet those needs with updated facilities?” Erik said.

Over the past year, TVSB has worked to improve the experience and tools available to their members. A renovated website and online equipment rental system helped adapt to the new ways of life. They were also able to touch up the facilities and upgrade gear, with some of the equipment in Studio B almost 30 years old. This past week TVSB revamped Studio B and members will now be able to film in HD with the ability to livestream to multiple platforms and social media accounts.

The editing bay has gone through its own makeover with upgraded computers that have Final Cut Pro and the full Adobe suite installed on them. While the studios have been operating at a limited capacity, they are set to reopen with the city on June 15 and the upgraded facilities will be ready for TVSB members when they return.

Over its decades of operating in the community, TVSB has built relationships with many nonprofits and this moment in history deepened those bonds with TVSB aiding more than 200 nonprofit organizations stream lectures, make announcements, and host events.

“When things hit, we wanted to give back to the community. So, we started providing free video services to a lot of nonprofits, causes, and individuals,” Erik said.

More than half of the staff hours in 2020 were donated to in-kind production, adding up to $10,000 of in-kind services being donated each month. One of the biggest projects they introduced was their 805 Inspires! series. Each 20-or-so-minute segment highlights a different nonprofit, discussing their organization, mission, and future plans. From Lompoc to Carpinteria, TVSB helped bring attention to about 20 different community organizations.

So much of the community culture revolves around annual events and it was tough for many that these festivals could not take place last year. Fortunately, TVSB was

able to help digitize these experiences, allowing events such as Old Spanish Days and Carpinteria’s Avocado Festival to still take place in some form.

Having seen what a good job TVSB has done helping keep the other festivals alive, Summer Solstice approached them about assisting with this year’s festivities.

TVSB has been helping produce the one-hour Virtual State Street Parade that is set to premiere at the Arlington Theatre on June 26. The station’s crew has been filming performances and floats at the Community Arts Workshop (CAW) over the past six weeks and will be putting together the footage for the final show.

Naturally the virtual parade will also be shown on their own channels and KEYT after the opening screening.

Educational outreach has long been integrated in TVSB’s mission and over the last two years their staff were able to provide 1,500 hours of hands-on production training for students and local youth. In addition to helping with virtual graduations, TVSB will be hosting digital summer camps in media literacy this month in partnership with United Way’s “Fun in the Sun’’ program.

With the amount of community engagement and service TVSB has provided during the pandemic, they have a lot to be grateful for. To show their appreciation for all of the support they have received (and given) during these unprecedented times, TVSB will be hosting a Gratitude Happy Hour in the Old Kings Road parklet on June 25 at 4 pm to show its appreciation for their staff, board, and members.

RSVP is required and space is limited.

As guests walk toward Old Kings Road, they may notice the TVSB flags flying over State Street for the very first time. An honor much earned for this pillar of the community.

Visit tvsb.tv for more information and sbac.ca.gov/805inspires to watch the series.

For the duration of the pandemic, TVSB has helped get the word out to the community

THE HAPPENING. . .

EL ENCANTO X VOLCAN

Location: El Encanto Date: June 29 Time: 4:30 pm - 8:30 pm Cost: $45 per person. $75 per couple.

Website: https://bit.ly/3q4prC2 Description: Spend the evening with live music and merriment as you taste your way through frozen poptails, tacos, and special Volcan tequila cocktails. Ticket includes three poptails, three tacos, and one signature cocktail with extras available for purchase.

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Share your gift of hospitality Safely host an international student For years our host families in Santa Barbara have been welcoming our international students, inviting them in to their homes, and giving them a unique experience by living as a local – with locals.

Approximately 3,000 international students visit our Santa Barbara language campus each year spending between 2 weeks to 9 months with local hosts.

Students arrive from all over the world with over 50 countries represented. Their ages range from as young as 13 to students in their 30s. As a host family in Santa Barbara with EF, you get a unique chance to ex experience cultural exchange and showcase your community to the world.

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3 THE FUNK ZONE THE BOROUGHS: BY ZACH ROSEN

READY FOR FRIENDS AND BEER IN THE FUNK ZONE

Flying Embers has partnered with Figueroa Mountain in their tasting room during the quarantine-induced bankruptcy filing

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re we ready for a beer yet? No, I don’t mean the crowlers and to-go sixpacks that have helped us (and the breweries) get through the past year and a half. And don’t get me wrong: my pillows have made great drinking buddies through the pandemic, but it is now time to put those new friends to rest and go grab drinks with some old ones. Of course, the State Street closure has been a huge draw for crowds, however, the Funk Zone still has some new flavors to offer.

One of the new additions to the Funk Zone beer scene this past year has been the opening of Rincon Brewery’s tasting room. With a front and side patio that look out on the corner of Yanonali and Santa Barbara streets, this taproom has an airy interior with an exterior that fits the aesthetic of the area. The two dozen taps feature their selection of regular and special offerings as well as several hard kombucha and jun (a fermented drink made with green tea as its base) options.

There are plenty of lagers and IPAs for the summer days. The Vienna Lager is toasty yet crisp and a perfect fit for those days that can’t decide whether they want to be cold or hot. Santa Barbara IPA has plenty of dry hopping which imparts dried grass and earthen aromas in the nose. The hops become gentler in the flavor with ruby red grapefruit and a floral perfume accenting this sunny brew. With five IPAs on tap that cover your range of hazy, regular, and double, there are plenty of options for hop heads, however one can appreciate that they still have Belgians and darker brews to balance out the tap list.

Without a full kitchen, the Funk Zone Rincon tasting room has a simpler menu than their Carpinteria and Ventura locations, but still has appetizers, soups, and salads plus a variety of grilled paninis and flatbreads for something a little more substantial.

Try the Chicken Pesto Panini with the Rincon Bates Belgian Blonde. The gentle blonde brew has an aroma of honeyed grain, pear, and sweet apples with a brisk malt sweetness and hint of floral hops in the finish. The pesto in the sandwich adds

an herbal note that highlights the summer fruit quality of the beer whose bitterness helps cleanse the palate after each bite.

Many of their brews have good flatbread counterparts as well like the Mac Brown Ale with the BBQ Chicken Flatbread or the Beached Hazy IPA and Thai Chicken Flatbread. Whether it’s for a bite and brew, or just some rounds with friends, the new Rincon Brewery tasting room makes a cozy drinking hole during your next Funk Zone visit.

One of the biggest local beer announcements over the The Santa Barbara IPA at Rincon Brewery’s Funk Zone quarantine is the Chapter 11 tasting room packs a hoppy punch bankruptcy filing by Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. last fall. While the process is still ongoing, in the meantime the brewery has partnered with Flying Embers Kombucha to create shared experiences in their tasting rooms. This relationship has been brewing for the past seven years or so with Fig tasting rooms pouring Flying Embers’ different hard kombuchas over the years as a non-beer option.

Thirsty patrons heading to the Funk Zone taproom will notice the tap list is now split between Figueroa Mountain mainstays and the range of Flying Embers offerings.

With flavors like Pineapple Chili or Grapefruit Thyme, these hard kombuchas deliver exotic flavors with an aim towards the healthy. Along with lab-verified tests of active cultures, each kombucha also uses an adaptogen root blend of ginger, astragalus, turmeric, and ashwagandha to promote homeostasis in its drinker; adding a dash of health at a time when that is on people’s minds.

Down Yanonali Street near the Funk Zone State Street portal, Captain Fatty’s Brewery is still pouring their range of local brews in The Project, their shared space with Corazon Cocina. With the permanent closure of Telegraph Brewing, there aren’t many sour centric breweries left and it is refreshing to see the selection of tart brews available on the Captain Fatty’s tap list. Many of these beers develop their acidity using the same kettle souring technique and have similar bases but swap out different fruits and extracts to create specific flavors. Calypso Cucumber Sour is their flagship sour although flavors like guava mango or raspberry chocolate promise an equally unique pint.

The Soda Shoppe was brewed in collaboration with Hollister Brewing Co. and has an aroma that balances between maraschino and black cherries with lime more subtly coming through the flavor. And with some sense of normalcy on the horizon, a touch of tang might just help brighten up your visit with some old friends (and outlook on the future).

THE HAPPENING. . .

SPEED DATING FOR 36+

Location: Brass Bear Brewing Date: June 21 Time: 6:30 pm-9:30 pm Cost: $15-$20 Website: https://bit.ly/3vz0sZ0 Description: Tired of dating on Zoom over the past year? Grab some liquid courage and maybe a bite to eat as you meet-andgreet with other singles in town.

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4 THE MESA THE BOROUGHS: BY NICK MASUDA

PLAY BALL! MESA WILL COME TO LIFE AS NATIONAL CHAMPION FORESTERS RETURN TO ACTION

Last season, fans found creative ways to watch the Foresters, including from atop SBCC’s campus (Photo by Nick Masuda)

Bill Pintard, the manager of the Foresters, will lead his 2021 team into action on June 18 (Photo by Nick Masuda)

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he only game in town” — a perfect cliché to describe 2020 for the Santa Barbara Foresters.

As Santa Barbara came to a screeching halt amid a spike in COVID cases around summer, the Foresters were preparing to lace up their baseball cleats, with dozens of college baseball’s best players invading the area for a few weeks, playing home games at SBCC’s Pershing Park.

They came from Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma — the city of Santa Barbara was willing to take the risk if the boys were committed to a bubble.

A handful of host families still opened their doors despite the COVID risks. The rest of the players stayed in apartments donated by Ed St. George, deciding to be a part of the solution instead of letting his units remain empty, normally occupied

by SBCC students.

“That’s community. He didn’t have to do that, but he helped make our season happen,” said Bill Pintard, the club’s longtime manager.

The ballpark was a hub of organized activity, with Forester medical personnel checking every player’s temperature daily, monitoring for any symptoms of the virus, and “nagging” both teams to keep their distance, according to Christina Songer, the Foresters’ board president and resident team mom.

“It came down to the boys and their commitment to making it happen,” Songer said. “It was about so much more than them. It was about Bill’s health; it was about my health; it was about their health. They respected each other.”

The masks, the social distancing, the hand-washing stations — it was all different.

It was also mandated by the city. One positive case, and it would all get shut down. But, according to Songer, the city didn’t sit back and just wait for failure, they engaged in the process and helped assure the season would happen.

“Without the city, we would have had a summer off; I can’t say enough nice things about how they treated us,” Songer said.

But having to turn away fans was tough — some even barked a bit at Songer and her limited staff of interns — and that impacted the vibe of the home season.

Yes, you could listen to them on the radio or watch on a livestream, but nothing replaces watching a game just steps away from the Pacific Ocean.

“We have a reputation that we have the best fans out there, and you really feed off of that as a player,” Pintard said. “We missed that last season.”

After losing out on a season-ending tournament near Sacramento due to positive COVID cases on an opposing team, the Foresters decided to return to the National Baseball Congress World Series, originally taken off the schedule due to travel complications.

“Bill was going to find a way to play,” Songer said. “It was going to happen.”

And they finally got that big crowd they yearned for, playing in front of 2,000 fans in Kansas as they won the World Series title for the eighth time.

But it’s the 200 that the Foresters get at home that is precious to both Pintard and Songer.

It’s the local support, albeit host families, local sponsors, or tailgaters that take to the perch high above the field on SBCC’s campus, using a bullhorn to yell at the umpire below.

That’s the heart of this nonprofit that utilizes the summer to not just coach baseball, but also the art of giving back, mostly through the team’s Hugs for Cubs program that focuses on children with cancer.

And that will return in earnest this season, as the state officially opened on June 15, allowing for fans in the stands, as well as in the “bleachers” beyond the outfield fence.

A food truck will be on site, and, yes, there will be brews to buy.

If the state’s rules for engagement change again, the Foresters have been there, done that.

“We learned that we should always have a contingency plan,” Songer said.

The Foresters season starts on June 18 at 6 pm, the first of 22 home games, with the last coming on July 31. Games will be both livestreamed via the Foresters website (sbforesters.org) and radio (AM 1290).

This includes the team’s annual 4th of July home game, slated for 2 pm, giving you ample time to get set up for Santa Barbara’s fireworks program just on the other side of Cabrillo Boulevard.

“We are thankful we get to do this,” Pintard said. “And we are excited to provide something a bit familiar to our community.”

The team is still looking for host families (and sponsors), with players arriving over the next couple of weeks.

Visit sbforesters.org and use the contact form if you are interested in learning more.

THE HAPPENING. . .

4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION

Location: Stearns Wharf Date: July 4 Time: Approximately 9 pm Cost: Free Website: santabarbaraca.gov Description: The Waterfront Department has announced that they will be bringing back the annual 4th of July fireworks show at Stearns Wharf. Join the crowds along Cabrillo for a water-side view or head up to the Mesa for a different look at this iconic celebration.

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5 OAK PARK THE BOROUGHS: BY NICK MASUDA

‘THIS IS BIG-LEAGUE MEDICINE’: RIDLEY-TREE BRINGS CUTTING EDGE TREATMENT FOR PROSTATE CANCER TO SB

Dr. Justin Voog showcases the technology used to treat prostate cancer, with SBRT cutting treatment time for Coates from 44 visits to five (Photo by Nick Masuda)

Now he represents an outlet that many consider to rival the Mayo Clinic.

“We’ve been recognized as the gem of cancer care along the Central Coast,” Voog said. “Ridley-Tree Cancer was a perfect fit for me and my family.”

While the technology and machines do exist in the area, they aren’t widespread, becoming a reality through Ridley-Tree’s partnership with the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara.

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Gary Coates enjoys the Healing Garden at the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center (Photo by Nick Masuda)

y day, Gary Coates is a motion-picture colorist, working on award-winning films, including with Pixar.

At 67, he chooses to stay relevant in the workplace by adopting new technologies before his colleagues, allowing him to stay one step ahead.

This also applies to his personal life, where he demands technological innovation, albeit with his medicine or his vehicle.

“Technology, as far as I’m concerned, is our friend,” Coates said.

Enter Coates’ decision to utilize cutting-edge treatment from the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center to address his prostate cancer — the second-leading cause of cancerrelated death in American men, according to the American Cancer Society.

Initially on “active surveillance” after his 2019 diagnosis, his PSA levels were changing too quickly for his liking, pushing him to consult with his urologist at UC San Francisco, who recommended it was time to look into treatment, sending Coates into his own personal research project.

He sat down with Ridley-Tree’s Dr. George Cheng, a radiation oncologist, about the best methods, including options at UCSF and UCLA. But he ultimately created a connection with Dr. Justin Voog in Santa Barbara, choosing to pursue outpatient stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), a cuttingedge option that cuts treatments dramatically.

For Coates, it took 44 potential treatments and cut it to five — or two months vs.

10 days.

“Psychologically, it was great. I didn’t miss work,” Coates said. “It had a milder side effect; it didn’t have the fatigue you anticipate with EBRT. I was back to work the same day.”

The technology involved allows for a higher dose of radiation — which Voog says is due to the “biology of prostate cancer” — to be used to target the specific cancer, protecting the rest of the body’s organs from potential exposure and allowing the 20- to 30-minute sessions to have a higher impact.

The SBRT treatment is preceded by the center’s SpaceOAR hydrogel treatment, which is a temporary injectable gel that provides space between the rectum and prostate, which helps limit side effects that come with radiation.

Coates already had property in Santa Barbara, with the pandemic pushing he and his wife to make the move permanently — with Ridley-Tree’s options for his treatment creating a sense of comfort about doing the SBRT in town. “[SBRT] is not out there. For the size town that [Santa Barbara] is, it is amazing that we have this resource,” Coates said. “Locals need to know about it. It’s a privileged choice.”

Voog readily agrees, having relocated to Santa Barbara from New York City, considered to be one of the world’s hubs of breakthrough medicine.

“For the size town that [Santa Barbara] is, it is amazing that we have this resource. Locals need to know about it. It’s a privileged choice.”

— Gary Coates And with the success that this procedure is bringing to the center and deluge of patients that prefer this option, expansion is on the table.

It can take up to two years, but partnerships and a supportive community such as Santa Barbara cut down the red-tape time and allow for patients to be prioritized.

And the world-renowned staff allows the technology to be a separator, a dual threat that thwarts prostate cancer consistently.

“It’s the machine, but I’d also say it’s the physician experience that is able to provide this type of treatment,” said Voog, who previously held academic appointments at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

For Coates, the ability to live in Paradise and get the treatment he needs is ideal, and he bristles at one particular Southern California medical provider making Santa Barbara sound like “the sticks.”

“That really annoyed me. I want that doctor to see Ridley-Tree,” Coates said.

“This is big-league medicine.”

THE HAPPENING. . .

CONSCIOUS CANNABIS

Location: Farmacy Virtual Lecture Date: June 30 Time: 5 pm Cost: Free Website: thefarmacysb.com Description: Legion of Bloom, led by CMO Troy Meadows, will speak to finding solutions for “wasteful package and resourcepreserving practices,” including initiatives the company is putting into play to “protect its customers and the planet.”

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6 SAN ROQUE THE BOROUGHS: BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS

BUYING PARADISE: SOUGHT-AFTER SAN ROQUE NEIGHBORHOOD IS SPORTING QUITE THE OPTION CURRENTLY

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Michael Phillips is the owner/ broker of Phillips Real Estate, Exclusive Buyers Agents.

He can be reached at Info@PhillipsRealEstate.org.

High above Foothill on Northridge Road is a large estate property with unobstructed views of the ocean, mountains, city, and orchards. With six bedrooms, four full and two half-baths, this Mediterranean on 2.5 acres built in 1990, is the largest home on the market in San Roque.

Last year, the highest selling price in San Roque was $4,294,000, which was $300,000 above asking price. This house on Cienequitas, also above Foothill on the west side of San Roque, was, at sale, in the final stages of completion, four bedrooms and baths with 4,000 square feet of living space on 10 acres, with a 1.45 building envelope, the remainder a preserve.

Wherein the Cienequitas house had only mountain views, the Northridge house enjoys all views one can have. The living room includes a stone fireplace, the kitchen is open concept with an adjacent spacious view deck, there is a large office on the main level, the master enjoys views and a fireplace, and the pool is adjacent to a large rec and exercise room. It includes air conditioning and solar and is within the Peabody School jurisdiction.

To win the best properties, buyers today must be prepared to move quickly. And identifying your firstchoice neighborhood is essential, critical preparation for a successful purchase.

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The property on Northridge Road is listed at $4,750,000

ometime in the mid-1800s, someone thought that our hot sulfur springs might change one’s life, and if not, our weather would. As word spread, people came to Santa Barbara and have been coming ever since.

Unfortunately for newcomers seeking their piece of paradise, the housing market here has always favored sellers: never quite enough houses to meet new buyer demand. In fact, it has always been very competitive and expensive here. And since COVID, and the consequent shift towards remote and hybrid employment, Santa Barbara, with its exceptional lifestyle opportunities, has never been more popular, resulting in the fewest homes for sale in too many years to remember and record high prices.

To win the best properties, buyers today must be prepared to move quickly. And identifying your first-choice neighborhood is essential, critical preparation for a successful purchase.

As an exclusive buyer’s agent, never representing sellers, I focus upon identifying best neighborhoods and properties for my clients. Today we take a look at the San Roque neighborhood, which is northwest of downtown.

Take the 101 exit and head east towards the mountains and you find San Roque on the north side of State Street with San Roque Peak high above.

San Roque is one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Santa Barbara.

In the 1760s, the then-governor of Alta California sent an expedition from San Diego to San Francisco. While passing through Santa Barbara they camped at a creek and named the area San Roque for their patron saint.

Stephen Rutherford started building on the east side in 1917 while the majority of homes were built between the 1920s and 1960s, which today includes 11,655 households.

This tree-lined community with sweeping curved streets displays a nice mix of classic architectural styles with single-family California ranch homes on 7,000-square-foot lots in the majority. Ontare and Foothill roads, Alamar Avenue, and State Street provide its borders. There are three parks to enjoy and three nearby elementary schools, including award winning Peabody Charter School.

Temperatures can be five degrees or so warmer than our coastal neighborhoods and the summer marine layer typically clears before noon.

San Roque borders upper State Street as it bends west offering an abundance of shopping, dining, and services. To walk to exceptional Italian café Via Maestro, Bree’osh for bread and pastries, and Chaucer’s Books might be reason enough to choose to live in San Roque.

Constructing a winning offer in this market is more art than science and is dependent on too many factors to list. At first glance, should there be no serious major repair issues, seller’s asking price appears reasonable. However, the seller has signaled that there are issues by describing the condition as “average.” Look at the Sellers’ Transfer Disclosure Statement which should call out major issues they are aware of. Your professional home inspector will identify all issues.

Remember, the seller understands they are selling the grandest property on the market in San Roque. They are not going to be interested in fixing light switches.

Major issues may well be to your advantage here for if you can manage the logistics of big repairs and negotiate a reasonable credit; therefore, many buyers insist upon “turnkey” and will walk away if there is a lot of work to be done.

With view properties in Montecito currently exceeding $1,000 per square foot, this house at nearly 6,800 square feet at $4,750,000 could be a very strong purchase. I would guess the sunsets are extraordinary.

Should you not want the most expensive house in the neighborhood, take a look at the freestanding, two-bedroom, two-bath cottage on North La Cumbre Road.

It is the least expensive in San Roque at $825,000.

THE HAPPENING. . .

VIRTUAL AUTHOR DISCUSSION

Location: Chaucer’s Books Date: June 22 Time: 7 pm Cost: Free Website: chaucersbooks.com Description: Join this virtual discussion with Asian American musician, performer, author, and activist Nobuko Miyamoto as she discusses her memoir, Not Yo’ Butterfly, with UCSB professors Diane Fujino and George Lipsitz.

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7 THE WEST SIDE F THE BOROUGHS: BY ZACH ROSEN & NICK MASUDA

ELINGS PARK FINDS ITS GROOVE BY SUPPORTING HEALTHY, OUTDOOR HABITS or most nonprofits, the pandemic tested their collective mettle, struggling to stay alive. For Elings Park, it was much the opposite.

Those mountain biking, BMX riding, playing tennis, practicing baseball, utilizing the hiking trails, launching rockets — they all increased significantly, according to Dean Noble, the park’s executive director.

“We are really hoping these healthy habits stick with people,” Noble said. “The greenery, the fresh air, spending time with people outdoors — it has shown to help human physiology.”

And for those wondering, yes, the sheep are back, at least for the next four to five weeks. Not only are they a photo opportunity waiting to happen, but parkgoers can also enjoy one of the most iconic sunsets in Southern California while watching the sheep “mow the grass.”

The park, which is set above Santa Barbara’s West Side, has also utilized the past year to re-do roads, drains, sidewalks, and parking lots, as well as making the softball restrooms completely touchless.

They’ve also dabbled in the performing arts, hosting the Santa Barbara Opera in May, while also planning more outdoor performances over the next six months.

“The best is yet to come,” Noble said. “We are going to keep getting better and better and better; the community has really responded.”

Elings Park is the “largest community-supported nonprofit public park in America,” receiving its funds only from user fees, donations, and grants. The park project began in 1965, being added onto and developed over the decades. Today, the 230-acre park is the site of sports leagues, events, and outdoor fun including nine miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking, and horse riding.

Elings Park is separated into a top and bottom section with South Park including different hiking trail options and North Park containing the selection of athletic fields, track courses, and rental spaces. In addition to the public areas, there are several rental spaces including three picnic sites that can be reserved for family gatherings and small get togethers as well as larger rental sites that can accommodate corporate events and weddings.

Godric Grove is the more formal rental space with a tree-lined lawn, wooden deck, and a 300-person amphitheater often playing host to many of the weddings that take place on the grounds. The Singleton Pavilion offers an intimate yet sizable event site with a gazebo and stone terraces encompassing a large lawn. In more normal times, Elings Park has numerous festivals throughout the year. The Santa Barbara Beer Festival has long been held there as a benefit for both Elings Park and the Santa Barbara Rugby Association. The iconic Balloon & Wine Festival is a day filled with food, drink, and scenic hot air balloon rides.

While it is unlikely that we will see the regular slew of festivals this year, the grounds still attract visitors with its range of activities and sports that take place throughout the week. The many trails lining the hillside highlight the vistas and views of the Pacific that grace this area. If you are looking for a different perspective, paragliders and hang gliders can be found floating around the South Park bluffs on the weekends. For those who prefer their feet on the ground, Santa Barbara Radio Control Modelers oversee the RC plane and glider area that lets hobbyists still take to the sky in their own way.

Of course, Elings Park is also noted for its large variety of athletics that are held throughout the year. North Park has several tennis courts and three fields where adult and children leagues play both softball and baseball. Two soccer fields host various soccer leagues as well as lacrosse games and serve as the home for the local Grunions Rugby team. Elings Park has had a BMX track for the past 25 years where bikers can practice and race, with some having even ended up on pro circuits. Visit a smaller set of tracks nearby and you may catch glimpses of Channel Islands RC having one of their bimonthly RC car races.

In addition to different sports that play on site, several summer camps offer children (and parents) some much needed outdoor fun. BMX and tennis summer camps have more focused experiences while the Outdoor Adventure summer program blends together team sports and nature education.

Elings Park, as seen from a drone, offers incredible sunset views, and as much exercise as your body can handle (Photo by Bruce Bigenho)

The sheep have returned to Elings Park, but only for a limited time (Photo by Sue Brooks)

And if you need to get your furry child out of the house, Elings Park has been an off-leash area for members of the Elings Park Dog Owner Group (EPDOG) since 2001. An annual membership fee helps support the park and allows guests to let their dogs run and play off leash anywhere there is not an event being held. Being an EPDOG member lets you hike the hillside trails and stroll the lawns with your favorite furry companion.

Bringing together athletic fields, hiking trails, and event spaces, Elings Park is actually twice as large as Disneyland — at zero cost.

“We are here for everyone, from strollers to walkers,” Noble said.

THE HAPPENING. . .

CAMP ELINGS

Location: Elings Park Date: Mondays-Fridays Time: 9 am-3 pm (Tennis: 9 am-noon) Cost: $290-$350 per week Website: elingspark.org/summer-camps Description: Give the kids some outdoor entertainment with the range of summer camps held at Elings Park. The park hosts both a BMX and tennis focused camp throughout the summer and an Outdoor Adventure camp is held the last week of August.

Registration is per week and advanced sign-up is required.

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SYVSNAPSHOT

by Eva Van Prooyen Keeping a finger on the pulse of the Santa Ynez Valley: what to eat, where to go, who to meet, and what to drink. Pretty much everything and anything situated between the Santa Ynez and San Rafael Mountains that could tickle one’s interest.

BACK IN THE SADDLE, THE BOUNTY OF SUMMER, AND THE ABCs OF LIFE

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he world is rebooting, and post-pandemic life can be better than ever. The green fields of spring have transitioned to Santa Ynez colors of summer, and now is the time to take in the Valley’s beauty on horseback. As you get back in the saddle of life, escape for a private, guided trail ride through the countryside, rolling foothills, and grapevines of Round Up Valley Ranch and Estelle Vineyards. After your ride, stay for a complimentary taste of two varietals from Estelle Vineyard grapes and a full glass of your favorite pour. Guests are encouraged to bring snacks and picnics to enjoy with wine in the outdoor picnic area — and rumor has it a few of the horses can be tempted with cookies to smile for selfies.

When: Every day except Wednesday and most major holidays Where: 6200 Foxen Canyon Road in Los Olivos Cost: $160 per person with a two-person minimum Info: Reservations only. 75- to 90-minute ride time. Wine time is up to you.

SOLVANG SUMMER BOUNTY FARMERS’ MARKET omatoes, squash, melons, and peaches are ripe for the picking and ready for the eating. Each week farmers in the marketplace display a colorful bounty of agricultural products grown right in the Valley’s backyard. Specializing in certified organic produce, flowers, nuts, cheeses, local meats, and seafood, and fresh foods also await you — rain or shine. Market goers can also find fresh locally made pies, bread, pasta, and muffins from Solvang’s Creekside Apple Ranch. This market hosts upward of 30 certified agricultural producers on a weekly basis.

When: Every Wednesday from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm Where: Downtown Solvang, on First Street, between Mission Drive (Highway 246) and Copenhagen Drive Info: www.sbfarmersmarket.org

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BYOB SIP-N-SPIN ommunity Clayworks in Buellton invites you to “unplug with mud.” Bring your friends, significant others, and favorite Santa Barbara County bottle for a creative night out — having fun and getting messy as a master of the ceramic arts walks you through the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel. Create a unique piece of pottery, then choose one of three glaze options. Your fired and finished piece can be picked up later (or shipped to you for an additional fee).

When: Saturday evenings from 7 pm to 9 pm Where: Community Clayworks, 37 Industrial Way, Suite 111 in Buellton Cost: $65 per person (all materials and firing included) Info: 21 and over; for more information visit www.communityclayworks.com

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PAINTING IN THE VINEYARD rab a glass, a paintbrush, and step into the vineyard. Art Spot on Wheels invites you to join them at Ca’Del Grevino, a winery not generally open to the public, where you’ll spend the afternoon sipping delicious wine and capturing the beauty of the vineyard on canvas. The stress-free environment both inspire your creative spirit and indulge the wine-lover in you, and you will walk away with a masterpiece to commemorate the occasion. A trained artist will guide new and experienced painters through the entire painting process step-by-step. No previous painting experience necessary.

When: Saturday, June 26 10:30 am to 2 pm Where: Ca’Del Grevino Vineyard, 2510 East Clark Avenue in Santa Maria Cost: $75 per painter — includes a full tasting of Ca’Del Grevino and all art supplies necessary Info: For more information visit www.artspotonwheels.com

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JAZZ MUSIC IN THE GARDEN azz lovers have a summer of Sundays to soak up a series of tantalizing tunes in the picturesque garden of Theaterfest in the center of Solvang. Blues, Modern Smooth, Roaring ‘20s, Jazzy Chamber, and Latin are all on the ticket and here is

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the lineup: June 20: SitaraSon: Hot, spicy Cuban and Latin jazz, including flamenco and popular Spanish. SitaraSon features renowned vocalist Maestro Galarraga.

July 11: Holy Crow Jazz Band: Back by popular demand, they bring music from the Roaring ‘20s, complete with a washboard! Old-time jazz and blues from the 1900s through the ‘30s, they take you back to the times of the feel-good speakeasies.

July 18: TrioKAIT: This Trio of keyboards, electric bass, and drums combine for a tight, grooving concept. A new style of Jazz – subtle, soulful, and thrilling.

August 8: Cattus Quartet: String Ensemble bringing a rich, jazzy twist on chamber music.

Aug 22: Brass Brothers Show Band: Brassy funk and blues. A mix of swing, reggae, and R&B When: Sundays throughout the summer from 3 to 6 pm (gates open a half hour before showtime) Where: Solvang Festival Theatre, 2nd Street in Solvang Cost: General admission $30 per person. $135 for the series per person Info: Wine, beer, soft drinks, and snacks available for purchase. Current COVID safety restrictions will be in place. Open seating. For more information visit www.solvangtheaterfest.org.

WHILE YOU WERE SHELTERING urgeoningly, quietly, stylishly, safely, and diligently behind the pandemic scenes, a small clutch of eateries, tasting rooms, and shops emerged while we were sheltering in place — here are a few of them — and they await your patronage: Bob’s Well Bread Bakery in Ballard: A second eagerly awaited location to their mothership bakery in Los Alamos. Artisan bread handmade in small batches, allday breakfast, lunch, and café and pastry menu. 2449 Baseline Avenue in Ballard www.bobswellbread.com (805) 691-9549 Coast Range Vaquero: Listed as one of the most anticipated restaurants to open in 2021 by the Robb Report. Restaurateur and celebrated pastry chef Lincoln Carson teamed up with somm/restaurateur Rajat Parr and acclaimed chefs Anthony Carron and Steven Fretz for a bar, café, and steakhouse and seafood restaurant.

1635 Mission Drive in Solvang www.coastrange.restaurant (805) 691-9134 Sear Steakhouse: An elevated and genuinely “farm-to-table” steakhouse. 478 4th Place in Solvang. www.searsteakhouse.com (805) 245-9564 Don Nacho’s Café: Hidden down a little alley where you feel wonderfully lost in what feels like old Solvang, authentic Mexican cuisine awaits: tacos, burritos, tortas, specials, and platters made from the “freshest ingredients.” 446 #5 Alisal Road in Solvang www.donnachoscafe.com (805) 693-2349 McClain Cellars – This new winery features options from Santa Ynez Valley vineyards, also boasting a 5,000-square-foot outside patio and playground for grownups, a barrel room, and tasting room. 140 Industrial Way Suite E in Buellton www.mcclaincellars.com (805) 426-4441

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THE ABCS OF LIFE: IN MEMORIAM, JIM CLENDENEN n May 15, with heavy hearts, the wine world and beyond bid farewell to the irreplaceable, exuberant, charismatic, boisterous, bright, articulate, relentless, generous, rebellious, gregarious, fiercely confident, passionate, gastronomically gifted, wickedly smart, well-traveled, master of biting humor, candid, pioneer, visionary, friend, mentor, loving father… and winemaker, Jim Clendenen. Creator and owner of celebrated and acclaimed Au Bon Climat winery, Jim spent his career promoting the wines of Santa Barbara County worldwide. His friends and colleagues laud him with putting Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria Valley, and specifically Bien Nacido Vineyards on the globally respected wine map. Raise a glass, toast his life, and honor the gifts Jim left behind. If you ask anyone who knew Jim to share one of their favorite The late Jim Clendenen stories of their time with him, I guarantee you will be wide-eyed, buckled over, heartened, stunned, inspired, and… grateful.

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An Independent Mind

by Jeff Harding

Jeff Harding is a real estate investor and a writer on economics and finance. He is the former publisher of the Daily Capitalist, a popular economics blog. He is also an adjunct professor at SBCC. He blogs at anIndependentMind.com

‘The Department of No,’ Homelessness, and Other Causes of State Street’s Woes

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love State Street. At least I used to love State Street. My vision of State Street was the State Street that was the bustling heart of Santa Barbara.

Paseo Nuevo, the Funk Zone, crowded shops, restaurants, and bars. You could walk up and down State among a throng of people having fun.

That State Street has been dying.

It’s not “dead,” but now it’s empty storefronts, struggling businesses, and home to the homeless. This isn’t something new, these problems preceded the pandemic. There are some bright spots, but, if there ever was such a thing as a death knell, the pandemic rang that bell loudly. For businesses to stay alive it took deep pockets, or debt, government checks, understanding landlords, and coming up with a way to keep going when the law said stay closed. Many didn’t make it, or, if they did, they are now wondering how to pay off their debts.

The city did respond to the plight of restaurants and bars on State by allowing parklets, those wood deck seating areas encroaching on the sidewalks and the street. They closed traffic from Victoria Street to Haley Street. The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) temporarily allowed restaurants and bars off-sale privileges (drinking at outside seating).

The closure of State Street is a mixed blessing. Restaurants and bars love it, retailers don’t. The three blocks from De la Guerra to Haley is a success because, well, it’s party central. The booze and music bring in a young crowd who want to put the fog of the pandemic behind them.

What’s the future of State? At some point things are going to get back to normal, pandemic-wise. We all know that. The question is: what will that “normal” be? The problems that were there before COVID will still be there.

The city hired consultants to tell them what the problems were. This was before the pandemic. It’s not as if the problems weren’t known, they needed to cover themselves from the consultants to frame policy.

In 2017, yours truly wrote two articles in the Sentinel describing the causes and

cures of State Street’s problems. Perhaps you will be shocked to know that they were about the same as the consultant’s and mine were free.

Some of the problems are fixable, some aren’t.

1. Post 2008, the Great Recession, revealed that cheap federal money fostered a retail building boom in America. Retail was way, way overbuilt.

That’s why you are seeing malls fail all over the country. Paseo Nuevo got hit with vacancies and anchor tenants Macy’s and Nordstrom left town. It impacted State Street as well. Some of that can be fixed.

2. There’s the reality of retailers competing with the internet. It’s only going to get worse for retailers. That is fixable. Let entrepreneurs figure out what works.

3.

The city’s Community Development Department (CDD) is a major impediment to improving State Street. The consultant’s report (Kosmont report) enumerated the deficiencies of the CDD. For those reasons I call them the “Department of No” because it seems that their reflexive response to things is “no.” It feels adversarial. I hope it’s fixable.

4. The homeless on State Street are a deterrent to bringing back State Street.

It’s not a pretty sight. It is fixable.

The high cost of housing gets brought up frequently in the State Street discussion. It isn’t fixable and everyone knows it. It’s a given: Santa Barbara is an expensive place to live, and it always will be. This is not a cause of State Street’s problems. Let’s focus on things we can fix.

There is only one real solution to State Street: thriving businesses. There are innovative entrepreneurs who can survive in an internet world. We need to do all we can to give them a chance.

In order to attract entrepreneurs three things are needed: (1) flexible landlords, (2) a major overhaul of the “Department of No,” and (3) control of the homeless on the street. These three things are the key to reviving State Street.

The city churns out words and committees to come up with solutions, but that isn’t the way to fix things.

Yes, foot traffic has returned to State Street, but mostly because of the party corridor as you approach the underpass and the beach (photo by Nick Masuda)

Basically, the city needs to get out of the way of entrepreneurs and let them do their magic.

LANDLORDS There are entrepreneurs out there who want to be given a chance to try out their ideas. If landlords are unwilling to work with them on rent, lease terms, and tenant improvements, new businesses won’t get to first base. If they can’t get swift, inexpensive approval of their store remodeling plans, they will not even try to locate there. If locals and tourists are reluctant to visit State Street because of the homeless, businesses will shy away.

According to Radius Commercial Real Estate’s recent report on State Street, there are still many storefronts that are vacant or available for lease. They estimate the vacancy rate at 16%, still

historically high. As of April 20, 2021, they counted 29 vacant storefronts from Sola to Gutierrez.

Landlords are adjusting to that reality.

Rents on State Street have come down and tenants are getting better lease terms. Landlords with long-vacant spaces are eager to give entrepreneurs a chance at success. A good example are the 10 pop-up shops that have opened.

Most property owners now realize that there are booms and busts in this business and nothing ever stays the same. We are seeing what is called “repositioning” which is converting spaces to different uses: retail to residences, large space to small arcades, office to retail, retail to office.

Adapt or die. Landlords are adapting. ...continued p.30

Publisher/COO • Tim Buckley Design/Production • Trent Watanabe Deputy Editor • Nick Masuda Features Editor • Zach Rosen Copy Editor • Lily Buckley Harbin Graphic Design • Esperanza Carmona Columnists Man About Town • Mark Leisuré | To Be Determined • Briana Westmacott SB Foodie • Gabe Saglie | On Art • Margaret Landreau Independent Mind • Jeff Harding | State Street Scribe • Jeff Wing The Bud/Beer Guy • Zach Rosen | Fortnight • Steven Libowitz SYV Snapshot • Eva Van Proyen | I Heart SB • Elizabeth Rose Real Estate Snapshot • Kelly Mahan Herrick | What’s Hanging • Ted Mills Advertising/Sales Tanis Nelson • 805.689.0304 • tanis@santabarbarasentinel.com Casey Champion • 805.695.1501 • casey@montecitojournal.net Sue Brooks • 805.455.9166 • sue@santabarbarasentinel.com Published by the Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC Printed by NPCP INC., Santa Barbara, Ca. Santa Barbara Sentinel is compiled once per month 1206 COAST VILLAGE CIRCLE, #G, MONTECITO, CA. 93108 HOW TO REACH US: 805.565.1860 EMAIL: nick@montecitojournal.net

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The acclaimed Takács Quartet is one of the many highlights of the Music Academy of the West season

with Mark Léisuré

Mark spends much of his time wandering Santa Barbara and environs, enjoying the simple things that come his way.

A show here, a benefit there, he is generally out and about and typically has a good time. He says that he writes “when he feels the urge” and doesn’t want his identity known for fear of an experience that is “less than authentic.” So he remains at large, roaming the town, having fun. Be warned.

Streamtime is Over; it’s Time to Get Back Out There

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ure, I’m still a man about town — if you define “about town” as, say, somewhere within a 10-mile radius of State Street that has nothing to do with art or culture. Over the last 15 months, I’ve spent a lot of time hiking in the foothills, sauntering on the beach, picking up groceries in the parking lots of Ralphs and Vons (or rather having the store clerk put them in the car for me), and, mostly, hanging out in my office and/or living room spending way too much time watching or participating in Zoom events. I mean way too much. As in, I have a Zoom fatigue headache that is just now starting to fade.

Now, with live events returning to town even as I write this, I inexplicably find myself waxing nostalgic for the days when the only measure of FOMO was whether I’d rue not watching yet another Facebook Live stream of somebody noodling in their bedroom if I chose to re-watch Mad Men or The Queen’s Gambit instead. Truth is, though, quite a few of the things that streamed, live or on-demand, really were quite good.

A GLEN FOR ALL SEASONS That list begins (and could possibly even end) with Glen Phillips, the Santa Barbara native singer-songwriter who is also the co-founder and lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket, the most successful band ever to emerge from our cozy confines of a community. Phillips has been playing concerts since shortly after the pandemic shut down live music, offering quality entertainment — not to mention

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connection — while we were quarantined on his Facebook page. Every single one of his mostly weekly concerts from his home has promoted a charity or benefitted some other good cause; last month the nonprofits awarded funds included MusiCares, St. Joseph Center, and Jumpstart, while Phillips also says yes to just about every cause that asks him to contribute, including the Save the Foothills campaign to preserve the West Mesa of the San Marcos Preserve in late May. But Phillips also puts his mouth where his money is in terms of delivering songs that are dripping with compassion, yearning for equality and offering love, which is why a lot of folks tuned in every week and commented about how Phillips’ shows felt like a lifeline during lockdown. He even upgraded his audio and video equipment early on so the shows would look and sound good. The thing is, incredibly, he’s still doing them, offering about an hour of live music that rarely repeats, and he usually grants requests received via message while coming across as the most egoless, plainspoken rockstar you will ever meet. (An early June stream was announced with a post reading “This is the thing where I play music and say stuff and it goes out over the internet and it’s kind of weird but also kind of fun.”) ...continued p.29

Gourmet gifts for any occasion!

Choose from our wide variety of premium olive oils, balsamic vinegars, specialty foods as well as our selection of handmade olive wood homeware. We have a little something for everybody.

Come visit us downtown at 927 State Street or order online at www.vivaoliva.com

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REAL ESTATE SNAPSHOT

by Kelly Mahan Herrick

Kelly is a licensed realtor with the Calcagno & Hamilton team and Berkshire Hathaway. She can be reached at Kelly@homesinsantabar bara.com or at (805) 565-4000.

Buyers Tapping the Brakes?

A 4/3 on Mohawk Road on the Mesa closed for over 700K over asking price earlier this month (listed by Gregg Leach of Village Properties)

Median sales price of homes, estates, and planned unit developments (PUDs) in the Santa Barbara South Coast. The graph shows that year-to-date, we are up significantly in median sales price compared to the last 18 years (graph courtesy SBOAR)

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fter unprecedented numbers in both sales and sales prices over the last year, the first few weeks of Summer 2021 are bringing a much needed “breather” for frustrated buyers; however slight, the bump in inventory the last two weeks has caused many buyers to pause before throwing their hat into the multioffer ring. The first week of June, active listings were down 60% over last year; the last few months that number has been closer to 65%. We are still in the thick of a strong sellers’ market, and looking at the statistics from January through May confirms the heat that sellers, buyers, and realtors are all feeling.

NUMBER OF SALES & SALES PRICES CONTINUE TO SOAR The Santa Barbara Multiple Listing Service released numbers earlier this month giving perspective of how today’s market numbers compare to past years. The number of properties sold from January through May on the Santa Barbara South Coast was a whopping 616, compared to 344 in the same period last year. In a normal year, we would be right around 450 properties sold by the end of May. The first five months of the year we are up 79% in number of sales for single-family homes and PUDs (Planned Unit Developments).

At nearly the half-year mark, the median sales price for single-family homes, estates, and PUDs in the Santa Barbara South County was $2,010,000, which is up 55% from last year ($1,295,000). If you look at the median sales price without Montecito and Hope Ranch sales, it’s right around $1,550,000, which is still a 35% increase from 2020. This is, hands down, the highest median sales price of all-time in the Santa Barbara South County market. To put it in perspective, in 2007 the median sales price was $1,262,500, which marked the height of the market before the “Great Recession” that ensued after the bursting of the housing bubble in 2008.

Keep in mind that this record new median sales price includes a whopping 28 sales over $10 million, including a $45 million sale on Fernald Point in Montecito, a $31 million sale on Channel Drive near the Biltmore (that had been on the market for 211 days), another massive sale in Hope Ranch ($25 million on Marina Drive, after being on the market 225 days), and three others in the low $20-million range, in addition to 22 sales between $10 million and $20 million. This record number of high-end sales inevitably drove the median sales price up. Last year in the first five months we had just two sales over the $10-million mark. In 2019, there were 10 sales.

When the market turns, two segments of the market, the ultra-high end (over $10 million), and the condo segment (across most price points, with the exception of entry level), are the first segments to feel the changing climate. The fact that we’ve seen so many sales over $10 million further bolsters the fact that this market

is unprecedented.

Not surprisingly, median list price and the number of properties that went into escrow the first five months of the year are both up; sellers are capitalizing on the strong market and pricing accordingly, and many are getting multiple offers on their homes. The median list price YTD in 2021: $1,975,000, compared to $1,342,000 in 2020. This is a 47.2% increase.

The average sold/list price ratio so far this year is 101.91%, which means that, on average, homes are selling for above their list price, driven up by bidding wars between buyers. No longer is the list price considered a place to start negotiating lower; at this point it’s considered a place to start the bidding, and many times, even homes that receive a single offer are still closing higher than list price.

Some notable sales that closed recently that sold significantly over list price: a four-bedroom, three-bath home on Mohawk Road on Santa Barbara’s Mesa, which was listed at $2,995,000 and closed for more than $3.6 million; a 3,600-square-foot home on Canon Drive in San Roque, closing for $3.7 million after being listed for $2,995,000; a 3/2 in Mission Canyon on Edgemound, closing for $1,905,000 with an original list price of $1,550,000; a vintage fixer on Vista Del Mar near Hendry’s Beach, which closed for $1,600,000 with an original list price of $1,099,000; and countless others on the Mesa, the Westside, the Riviera, San Roque, Montecito, and other popular neighborhoods.

LOOKING AT CONDOS

Condo inventory remains low throughout South Santa Barbara County (graph courtesy SBAOR)

Condo sales in the Santa Barbara area market remain strong, although not as strong as a market in the single family and PUD segment. Numbers are up in all categories, including active and new listings, median list price, properties that went into escrow, number of sold properties, median sold price, average sold price, and total sold volume. Most notable, the number of sold properties YTD compared to last year is up an incredible 91% (214 this year compared to 112 last year). Median sold price is up 13.5% ($794,500 compared to $700K), and average sold price is ...continued p.34

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TO BE DETERMINED

by Briana Westmacott

Briana Westmacott is a professor for writing courses at UCSB, her alma mater. In addition, she has been a columnist for the Sentinel for seven years and a Santa Barbara local for over 20 years. When she isn’t teaching or writing, she loves to spend time on the beach, in the mountains, or anywhere with a good book. Summer is her favorite season, typically dedicated to traveling the world with her husband and two daughters.

FAILURE TO LAUNCH: THE POST-PANDEMIC PARANOIA SETS IN

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t’s happening; everyone is busting out of the COVID shell and leaving the nest. There is one problem, however: What to do if you have post-pandemic paranoia?

The first time I experienced PPP was prior to a simple dinner party at Ca’Dario. We were to attend with 10 people, five couples, and initially, I was excited. Pre-pandemic, I was an overly social person. I loved getting dressed, going out, and catching up with friends.

So, once the vaccines rolled out and the invites began to trickle in, my go-to reply was YES… until the PPP started.

The dilemma began in my closet — what in the world did I have to wear out to dinner? After 12 months of neglect, the hangers were coated with dust and the clothes were definitely dated. Then there was the question of whether those untouched outfits would still fit. (Statistics report that 61% of Americans reported they gained weight during the pandemic.)

Erica at Dylan Star will help get you dressed and ready to go out on the town

I began to sweat.

Once decently dressed, we had a teen issue to address. Before COVID, we would call a sitter to stay with the kids.

Post-pandemic has us transitioning into a new phase (13 and 16 years old) that does not require a sitter — but it sure does take trust. I had to set boundaries

that weren’t needed pre-pandemic: No friends driving over here to hang out, no ordering multiple times from DoorDash, no spending the entire evening behind your closed doors on your phones.

I am trying to be a positive parent, but it has become clear that teenage management requires a lot of “no” and laying down the law.

When we showed up to the gathering, the hugging business popped up. Do you fully embrace, ask before the hug, or bump elbows? It’s all so complicated (more sweating). Since no one could see me smiling under my mask, I decided to dive right in and hug. It seemed to work, although it was not devoid of awkwardness.

Then, I had to figure out where to sit.

Should I sit next to, across the table, or far apart from my husband? We have had a whole lot of lockdown time to converse with each other, so I landed on the opposite side of the long table from him. As I finagled ways to partake in dueling conversations, my anxiety continued to pulse. The whole ordeal was genuinely exhausting. It felt like running a marathon.

Before dessert even hit the table, we hightailed it home — back to the safety of our well-worn sweatpants. That’s not to say the food and drink weren’t lovely.

Ca’Dario spoiled us with goodness. It was all of the interaction that wore me

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out. Fortunately, the teens didn’t burn the house down. They didn’t do the dishes either, but I counted it as a win.

As we all work at getting back to “normal,” this dinner date made me realize how hard it will be to simply be.

Let’s face it; nothing will be the same as pre-COVID. Nothing. We all have to evolve.

For me, I used the PPP lesson to limit my “yes” RSVPs since old activities seem to require a great deal of energy.

I devoted some time to update my closet with a couple of new things from local shops. I’ve recognized that PPP is real, and I’m giving myself a great deal of grace as we relaunch into this postpandemic phase.

KEEPING IT LOCAL Do you need to freshen the closet?

Dylan Star and The Lotus Boutique are two of Santa Barbara’s local boutique shops to help you survive the PPP. Both shops will get you grinning right when you walk in. They have women’s and men’s apparel, accessories, and locally sourced gift items.

Ca’Dario has restaurants in Santa Barbara, Montecito, and Goleta. They made it through COVID by providing fans with take-out and putting in sweet street-side seating. You can make reservations online at www. cadariorestaurants.com to enjoy their cuisine.

We give thanks as God the Father has sustained us through this time in health, not simply of body but soul, and in closer faith and trust in His eternal promises vouchsafed to us in our baptisms into the death and resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus the Christ, through the power of God the Holy Spirit.

We welcome you to worship with us on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am.

3721 Modoc Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 805-687-3734 email: info@EmanuelLutheranSB.org EmanuelLutheranSB.org

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19 JUNE – 23 JULY SATURDAY, JUNE 19 Fun, fun, fun with ‘Songs of Summer’

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anta Barbara Music Foundation Ones to Watch Productions wasted no time after hearing that the pandemic protocols were vanishing on June 15, leaping at the chance to put on a concert at the Lobero. And what better way to segue into summer in Southern California than the music of the Beach Boys on the eve of the wunderkind writer/producer/multi-instrumentalist Brian Wilson’s birthday? Brother Sal and The Devil May Care, the versatile band put together by Sal Leonardo and a host of L.A. session musicians, serve as the backing band for a wide swath of local and L.A.-based singers including Glen Phillips, Garrison Starr, Will Breman, Chris Pierce, Shane Alexander, Leslie Stevens, Todd O’Keefe, Max Kasch, The Brambles, and others. The vocalists are expected to add harmonies on the songs where they don’t sing lead, so expect a tight and melodious couple of sets of Wilson classics that can’t help but take you back to when things felt a lot more innocent and joyful (save for, maybe,

by Steven Libowitz

“In My Room”). What’s more the show is a benefit for New Beginnings of Santa Barbara, which provides mental health counseling to low-income community members and works to end homelessness for individuals and families with a special program for veterans throughout Santa Barbara County. Which means you can feel good while having a really good time in the first public event of the new reality at the Lobero.

WHEN: 7:30 pm WHERE: 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $36-$56 INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org

Tell us all about your art opening, performance, dance party, book signing, sale of something we can’t live without, or event of any other kind by emailing fortnight@santabarbarasentinel.com. If our readers can go to it, look at it, eat it, or buy it, we want to know about it and will consider it for inclusion here.

Special consideration will be given to interesting, exploratory, unfamiliar, and unusual items. We give calendar preference to those who take the time to submit a picture along with their listing.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23

exhibits, no 4H club competitions, no agricultural building or pony rides. But, yes, to the Ferris wheel towering above midtown and the sounds of people screaming on the rides that treat you like a T-shirt in a washing machine and yes to bellyaches from wolfing down such fair fare as corn dogs and funnel cakes.

Even better news: There’s no admission fee to enter the showgrounds and enjoy entertainment ranging from music and musicians to madness and mayhem induced by a hypnotist. You’ll only need tickets for the rides.

WHEN: Today through Sunday, June 27 WHERE: Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real COST: Free INFO: http://earlwarren.com

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SATURDAY, JUNE 26

Santa Barbara rides again

fter canceling its annual five-day fest of family-oriented fun and farm animals for the second year in a row, the Santa Barbara Fair & Expo turned on a dime to find a way to mount a version of the popular pastime now that the state is reopening to more normal activities.

The carnival midway along with a stage or two with nonstop entertainment is about all that could be put together safely on short notice, meaning no

Brother Sal and The Devil May Care is putting on a tribute to Brian Wilson of Beach Boys fame

Summer Solstice Celebration

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nce again, there’s no live parade up State Street to celebrate Summer Solstice, one of the most popular and wildly creative annual events that makes our little berg burst at the seams with artistic pride. But yes, once again, there’s a virtual parade, as the TV Santa Barbara crew has been filming

While the pandemic won’t allow for the annual Summer Solstice parade, activities will continue virtually and in smaller gatherings

many of Santa Barbara’s community groups, organizations, and individuals offering their take in dance, music, and what-have-you on this year’s theme of Bloom. With all the advance notice and publicity, this time around the film should be even more inclusive than 2020’s version, with lots of celebrants captured performing on State Street, in their own yards, and at other spots all over town. The even better news?

You can watch the premiere in person at the Arlington Theatre this morning, where folks are invited to don a Solstice costume, paint your face, get a henna tattoo, etc., and meet the Solstice Virtual Parade participants and team for the free screening.

In lieu of the annual festival at Alameda

The Summer Solstice theme this year is Bloom

Park, you can also meet the resident artists and other creatives who make the magic happen in the Solstice After Bloom Party at the Community Arts Workshop tonight. The evening offers live music, a no-host bar, and an encore background screening of the virtual parade. Check Solstice’s website for updates, and other events and activities taking place throughout June including free Blooming Art classes with Solstice Artist Caroline Hambright and a Summer Solstice Exhibition at 10 West Gallery.

WHEN: Virtual parade premiere at 10-11:30 am; party at 7:30 pm WHERE: Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St.; Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden St. COST: Free INFO: www.solsticeparade.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 27 Opera on stage!

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pera Santa Barbara’s Kostis Protopapas might actually be fainting with excitement as not only does the June 27 show at the Lobero represent the first live indoor opera performance for OSB’s irrepressible Artistic and General Director who tried every which way to still reach audiences during the pandemic — it’s also the first time he’ll be conducting Wagner. Gods, giants, and dwarfs clash in a struggle for the possession of one golden ring that bestows universal power on its bearer in this 110-minute adaptation of Das Rheingold, the first opera of Richard Wagner’s famous “Ring Cycle.” The new production featuring just 12 singers and 18 orchestral players brings Wagner’s mythical world to life through a combination of powerful vocals, video projections, and 1980s rock-inspired costuming. All we can say is “My precious!”

WHEN: 2:30 pm WHERE: 33 E. Canon Perdido St. COST: $79 and up INFO: (805) 963-0761 or www.lobero.org

THURSDAY, JULY 1

Movies Under the Stars in Your Cars

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aybe UCSB Arts & Lectures didn’t get the memo that California is scheduled to fully reopen as the first issue of our re-launched Sentinel is hitting newsstands. On the other hand, let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say (does anyone actually say that anymore?), as while A&L isn’t yet returning to the Sunken Gardens at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, they are actually offering a full series of free movies out at the West Wind Drive-In, just as they did for the previous two quarters. Which might actually be good news if the virus

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UCSB Arts & Lectures is offering free movies at West Wind Drive-In, including E.T.

variants amp up their infiltration (or if you’ve yet to be jabbed with the vaccine).

Anyway, while we’ll miss seeing films spread out on blankets on the lawn sharing wine and what-not with our peers, maybe watching the movies on a permanent screen might actually be an improvement over the giant inflatable one that was super susceptible to wind.

As you might guess from the series’ title “Be Excellent & Party On,” the Throwback Thursdays theme for this year is popular movies from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Steven Spielberg’s heartwarming masterpiece E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial kicks off the summer series tonight with its moving story of a lost alien and the 10-year-old boy who befriends him. (Wait. Maybe it was the crooked finger little critter partial to Reese’s Pieces — or the angry scientists and military folks from the government task force chasing him — who brought the virus that causes COVID to that lab in Wuhan way back in 1982.) E.T. took four Academy Awards back with him to his home planet while the film helped launch the career of Drew Barrymore, who might have made it anyway given her pedigree.

Next up: a double feature of the 1984 swashbuckling family adventure classic The Goonies with Rob Reiner’s still remarkably resonant Stand By Me, the 1986 coming-of-age odyssey of self-discovery as a group of friends search for a missing teenager in a small Oregon town, which somehow straddles the line between suspense of humor while shattering the heart. River Phoenix, alas, what might have been.

And, oh, that soundtrack! (July 8.)

Also coming during the first fortnight of the film series: Amy Heckerling’s “wickedly funny” Clueless, the Alicia Silverstone-introducing mid-1990s update of Jane Austen’s Emma that also starred Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd, and Jeremy Sisto (July 15).

Admission is on a first-come, firstserved basis. Arrive early for food trucks, concessions, and entertainment.

WHEN: 8:30 pm (Gates open at 7 pm) WHERE: West Wind Drive-In, 907 S Kellogg Ave., Goleta COST: Free INFO: (805) 893-3535 or https:// artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/Films.aspx

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CREATIVE CHARACTERS AIRING IT OUT:

by Zach Rosen

ALYSIA MICHELLE JAMES SHOWCASES INCREDIBLE DEPTH WITH HER PERFORMANCES

Alysia is an aerial artist and composer (photo by Pablo Lloreda)

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ance and music are always a pair. For composer and aerial artist Alysia Michelle James, they are part of the same passion. Growing up in Las Vegas, Alysia was surrounded by performers and had several early experiences at shows where she was drawn toward the aerial dance, music, and costumes of the ritzy performances.

When she moved to California at age nine, her mother enrolled her in jazz dance classes. She was quickly drawn toward ballet and began taking classes for that as well. Alysia also developed a passion for hip-hop, studying with famous choreographers and even taking classes with the Olsen twins (Mary-Kate and Ashley). Through her dance practice, she began to be interested in the music side of things, becoming fascinated with the movies of Tim Burton and scores of Danny Elfman. At age 12, she gave her first performance as a principal. It was an exhilarating recital set to the music of Cirque du Soleil. Looking back, it was this performance that really helped plant the musical seed in her.

It wasn’t until she moved and enrolled in the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) that she began to explore these aspirations. OCSA had two dance conservatories – a commercial and a classical dance program. Alysia was accepted in the commercial dance program but was naturally a little let down after having been more classically trained.

The program did introduce Alysia to her first modern dance course, which taught her more about form, movement, and shapes than just technique. She

began taking a piano class in 8th grade.

While the class was mostly about playing piano, a composition assignment helped spark her passion for writing music.

An English teacher at the time also encouraged her in writing, and during her freshman year of high school, Alysia was accepted into the creative writing program at OCSA. It was seeing a live Cirque du Soleil performance when she was 16 that began to develop her interest in aerial and circus arts.

Set on becoming a film score composer, Alysia attended the College of Creative Studies at UC Santa Barbara where she majored in music composition. During her time at UCSB, Alysia wrote music prolifically, practicing and performing in dance on the side. It was during her nights in Isla Vista where she discovered the jam band scene and learned more about rocking out with others. She soon became interested in circus again, practicing handstands and even finding a circus art class during the summer.

When Alysia became connected with the people behind the Lucidity music festival, she began to meet other aerial and circus artists. She also became involved with the nonprofit art incubator Fishbon, composing and performing for their quirky events.

These new social circles pulled Alysia deeper into the performance world. It was around this time that a professor had a serious discussion with her. He recognized that her work was more theatrical than film based and encouraged her to pursue that path.

She became further discouraged after

Alysia performed for several years with William Close & The Earth Harp Collective as an aerialist and instrumentalist

reading online about the challenges female film composers faced in the movie industry. Alysia recognized she would be able to compose music at any age, but with the demand aerial puts on the body, her time as a professional performer had a limit. She decided to follow the momentum her aerial career was building and has been spinning around ever since.

Just as she never fully put aside dance while studying music, composition has remained an important aspect of her aerial career. Alysia performed for several years with the esteemed William Close & The Earth Harp Collective as an aerialist and instrumentalist, composing several pieces of original music for them.

During her career she has had several lead roles at different dinner theater performances such as Teatro Martini and Pirates Dinner Adventure, both in Buena Park. While working at the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor Halloween event, she was inducted into its Hall of Fame – only the second aerialist to receive the honor.

While dance and aerial may seem similar, there are some key differences.

Dance often explores the fluid

movement between the body and floor whereas aerial is more about holding poses. To the audience, the dancer is moving but from the performer’s perspective, they are trying to stay still.

It also has a different timing. Drops in aerial may take a few seconds and the performer has to calculate that lull so they hit on the right beat.

Alysia is a character aerialist, meaning she is usually acting as she performs. In Pirates, she played a gypsy lover. For Dark Harbor, she developed her own character, Beezlebabe. From grungy and angry to mischievous and playful, the character reflected whatever Alysia was feeling at the time.

During our interview, Alysia pointed out how the face paint has to line up with the lines of her face to get the proper expressions. Many of her characters and work have an abstract ambient and darker tone that belies a lifelong love for Tim Burton, Danny Elfman, Philip Glass, and more obscure music like Sleepytime Gorilla Museum or the female cello rock band Rasputina.

The Dark Harbor job and her Beezlebabe character was one of her personal favorites in her career. Alysia ...continued p.37

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Now Toad the Wet Sprocket has announced a summer tour with dates across the country, with two shows slated for the Lobero in September with friends and fellow late-1990s Santa Barbara pop band SUMMERCAMP opening, so who knows how much longer the Wednesday wonders will continue. If new ones aren’t forthcoming, you can always re-watch all of the videos via www.facebook.com/GlenPhillipsMusic or on YouTube.

REWIND AND BE KIND There are also a lot of other locally created videos still accessible that are worth watching, even if some of them were recorded via Zoom. MAT can safely recommend just about anything from Westmont’s music departments, which found ways to record live music on campus or downtown safely with social distancing and making. State Street Ballet produced several video compilations of new work created by their dancers and choreographers from around the world, some of which are making their live debut at the Center Stage Theater in mid-June. The Marjorie Luke’s Virtual Concert Series included six new original videos that were shot with multiple and featured high production values and sound. (MAT’s fave is still the concert from former Santa Barbara Teen Star/American Idol hopeful Jackson Gillies who, in the aftermath of heartbreak and professional course correction, seemed to mature before our very eyes and ears.)

FILMMAKER FOLLIES If chats with filmmakers stoke your celluloid fantasies, there’s a treasure trove of videos to peruse over at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s YouTube page, evidence that the pandemic only served to make head honcho Roger Durling even more prolific, as they fairly doubled the number of interview sessions compared to a typical Cinema Society year. (Not to mention that Durling also penned almost daily reviews of favorite films over the decades that have now been collected into a coffee table book he refers to as “a commemoration of cinema and this period in our lives in which we were forced to pause.”) Back to the videos: If you can stomach talking heads for 40 minutes or so per pop, the content of the conversations offers a lot of insights in the movies.

DUDE, I DON’T HAVE TO STAY IN MY CAR But now, live stuff sans social distancing is back! So much so that the Concerts in Your Car series at the Ventura Fairgrounds — which boasted everything from opera to Broadway revues to rap and rock shows (along with the ability to adjust the volume to your own liking, something I wish we could keep going forward) — even cancelled shows they’d booked for late June and early July. That includes

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icing a date with faux-hip hop artist Vanilla Ice, shifting him to the Tequila and Taco Music Festival at Seaside Park in late July, while, regrettably, allowing a Gin Blossoms concert to wilt on the vine. (Oh, the cruel irony that after a year-plus of having performances postponed due to the pandemic, now they’re cancelling concerts ‘cause it’s over).

SPEAKING OF IRONY (OR IDIOSYNCRASIES) Can someone please explain to me why we can’t have the Summer Solstice Parade that takes place outdoors where the CDC and every health expert around says it’s pretty darn hard to catch COVID, but it’s fine to cram into the Arlington Theatre on Solstice morning on June 26 to watch the premiere of the virtual parade video, with the theme of “Bloom,” performed by various ensembles that were filmed over the last few weeks? Talk about a blooming mess!

LOOK MAW, NO LIFE PRESERVER While most of the other arts organizations are gingerly sticking a toe in the water of reopening, the Music Academy of the West has jumped right in the deep end. By booking a seven-week festival, including five weeks of almost exclusively live concerts, master classes, and more totaling more than 70 events in all, the classical music summer institute has basically dove in head first from the 10-meter springboard, sans even a floatation device.

The live schedule starts on July 5 with a bunch of master classes on the Miraflores campus in Montecito, and even takes over the Granada for a chamber orchestra concert conducted by Larry Rachleff, who has to whip the instrumental fellows into symphony shape in less than two weeks total time.

It’s actually not all that hard to do, we’re told, because the students are very talented and on the cusp of or already at the professional level, which is also why the master classes and faculty-fellow performances are a thing to behold. The breadth of offerings is staggering given the uncertainty of conditions when plans had to be confirmed, so endless kudos to MAW president Scott Reed and his staff. MAT says let’s support ‘em any way we can.

COMEDY ISN’T PRETTY A surprising number of ongoing comedy showcases have already taken place given that audiences were only recently allowed back into the buildings. Mel’s on Carrillo is welcoming stand-ups on Wednesdays again, and other venues have regularly begun booking local laugh inducers. Given that I’ve run out of ways to amuse myself over the last 15 months, even someone as cynical as the Man About Town might even saunter over to hear a set or two. But I’m telling you right now: I better not hear any COVID jokes.

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‘THE DEPARTMENT OF NO’ “The Department of No” and the city say they have improved the permit process and have announced programs that are supposed to speed things up and make it cheaper for applicants. I went back and reviewed four years of my news clippings and every year or so the city announces some program that they say will improve the process. I have spoken to applicants who say things haven’t changed that much. The city’s consultant said the same thing.

Recently the city formed a State Street Advisory Committee to develop a Downtown State Street Master Plan.

I would like to say that this is a good idea, but it isn’t. Another committee isn’t the solution. Getting together the “stakeholders” for “community input” to create a “vision” for “synergy and connectivity” and “sustainable values” for a State Street master plan is not a solution.

It’s another bureaucratic exercise going nowhere.

The city just announced that they have hired a new Community Development Director for the “Department of No.” That is a step forward and I welcome fresh eyes. But will he have the authority and willingness to overhaul the department? I’ll remain the skeptic

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until it’s done.

The department’s woes are well known. The entire process needs to be streamlined. Applicants need some certainty on what is required of them.

Eliminate subjectivity; rein in the committees (such as the Architectural Board of Review, Historic Landmark Commission, Sign Committee); stop Building & Safety nitpicking; better coordination between the various entities signing off on a project; and put a time limit on each stage of the process which prevents them from revisiting the same issue.

There needs to be more flexibility and more responsibility in decision making by staff members. The department doesn’t need to learn how to smile, they need to approach each project with a “yes” and enable the applicant to get through the process quickly and cheaply.

We need a complete review of building codes that give too much power over the small things that plague applicants.

At present, the de minimis exemption for work requiring a permit is $500.

My guess is that amount has been on the books for 50 years and, in light of inflation and current building costs, it should be raised to at least $20,000.

Without intending to denigrate architects and planning consultants, the bureaucratic system has created

an industry that thrives on a lengthy and expensive process. Neither the politicians, the staff, nor the planning industry seem to have an incentive to reform it.

The closure of State Street is a mixed blessing. Restaurants and bars love it, retailers don’t. The three blocks from De la Guerra to Haley is a success because, well, it’s party central. The booze and music bring in a young crowd who want to put the fog of the pandemic behind them.

They all talk about the problems, but nothing happens. No one likes to let go of power.

THE HOMELESS There are solutions to the homeless problem on State Street. One hears from city council that the Boise case (Martin v. City of Boise, 9th Cir., 2019) prohibits cities from enforcing ordinances such as the city’s “no sleep, no lie, no sit” ordinance affecting State Street.

A careful reading of the case states that “only . . . municipal ordinances that criminalize sleeping, sitting, or lying in all public spaces, when no alternative sleeping space is available, violate the Eighth Amendment.”

A note in the Harvard Law Review (33 Harv. L. Rev. 699) says, “Already, lower courts are following the panel’s lead: under Martin, cities can clear homeless camps, arrest those who refuse to leave, and force those arrested to show that shelters are full. Put simply, the panel left cities ample power to police and punish homeless people, as well as regulate and restrict their access to public space.”

By the way, I used to be a lawyer.

What is lacking is the will to enforce existing laws. That is not to say that the homeless problem is not complex and difficult. I’m not suggesting that it can be solved. And this is not about compassion for the homeless. It’s about State Street.

The city has the power to reclaim State Street for its citizens who follow our social compact of behaving decently in public. It is not part of our social compact for a minority of bad actors to deprive the rest of us from State Street’s public spaces. The city needs to protect all of its citizens.

State Street is proof of the city’s lack of leadership on this issue.

Jeremy Stone has joined Price, Postel & Parma as an associate attorney. Mr. Stone’s practice focuses on public agency, litigation, environmental, education, and employment law. Mr. Stone supports the firm’s education law practice by providing general counsel services to public employees, school districts, and county offices of education. He also has a broad litigation practice. Mr. Stone has practiced civil litigation from pre-litigation consultation to resolution. Mr. Stone’s background in civil defense gives him an advantage spotting issues early as well as the skills to resolve these issues efficiently. Having served in the Office of Chief Counsel for the State Water Resources Control Board, in-house for a real estate development company, and as a law clerk in the office of the California Attorney General, Mr. Stone is uniquely qualified to represent both public and private entities. Mr. Stone received his J.D. (with Great Distinction, Environmental Law Concentration) in 2018 from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. PP&P has a wide array of practice areas. We are committed to understanding its client’s needs and successfully navigating the ever-changing legal and regulatory environment. Look us up on the web at ppplaw.com

Price, Postel & Parma LLP

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...continued from p.6

ALL FALL DOWN On June 29, 1925, at 6:44 in the morning, a 6.8 earthquake shook Santa Barbara like a picnic blanket for 19 horrific seconds, killing 13 people and effectively leveling downtown.

Buildings that weren’t flattened outright were uninhabitable and damaged beyond repair. By July 3, an “emergency engineering committee” was convened.

Business owners were eager to get their buildings replaced — but were told “no major program of reconstruction should be undertaken without first being considered by a group which should consist of: (a) architects of Santa Barbara, (b) City Planning Commission, (c) a group of representative businessmen and property owners.”

That same day, the city of Santa Barbara arranged that the Architectural Advisory Committee would be the body through which groups a, b, and c would impose their architectural whimsy. Hoffmann was named chairman. Cheney appeared and took the role of temporary secretary.

Almost immediately, the Architectural Board of Review’s “recommendations” polarized the community, the board’s mandated architectural requirements for “New Spain in America” often costing the affected property owners serious bank.

On August 7, 1925, just such a churlish property owner, a guy named Howard Sweeney, announced his candidacy for the municipal election to be held in December. His platform? An eloquent screed against the “selfish greed, thirst for power, and the disregard of citizenship and property rights” embodied in the new arrangements. Someone else was elected mayor, newish city councilman Henry Adrian, and Henry went ahead and abolished the Architectural Board of Review forthwith. There was much celebration.

SPANISH REVIVAL… REVIVAL Strangely, though, despite the board having been vaporized, new buildings in the hotly contested Spanish Colonial Revival style started showing up around town anyway. Patios, corridors, “paseos,” and archy, arcaded sidewalks sprouted up in Santa Barbara’s commercial districts like ghosts of a former conversation that everyone thought had been put to bed. Hoffmann though, furious at the abolition of the Architectural Board of Review, left in a huff. At which point Chase became chairman of the Plans and Planting Division, the Board of Review’s progenitor — and led it until her passing in 1979.

And “Architectural Control”? In

Bernhard Hoffmann established Santa Barbara as a “New Spain in America,” and El Paseo was his proof of concept (Photo by Nick Masuda)

post-earthquake 1925, the city of Santa Barbara was the first in the country to adopt an ordinance to establish municipal architectural control of private properties. Charles Cheney, the California planner, drafted Santa Barbara’s ordinance. He’d based it on his experience in Palos Verdes, where he eventually moved, and passed away in 1943.

On January 9, 1947, the Santa Barbara

City Council adopted Ordinance 2121, raising from the dead the… wait for it… Architectural Board of Review.

On August 4, 1958, the Board adopted “Policy for Architectural Control,” prescribing choices of materials, signs, colors, and a myriad of other details — as well as which areas in town were (are) of historic importance.

“Review” may be an understatement.

Just a thought.

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ON ART

W W W. S A N TA B A R B A R A S E N T I N E L .CO M

by Margaret Landreau

Margaret Landreau has served 18 years on the Board of Directors of local nonprofits including Chair of the Advisory Board of SBAACS. She has worked as a local arts writer for 13 years. She creates her own art in her Carpinteria studio. Contact her at landreau6@yahoo.com.

There are also paintings on display, with Mark Petersen showing off his handiwork

IS CHANGE INEVITABLE FOR ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW? SOME SIGNS CREATE DISCOMFORT

Art of all kinds is showcased at the Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show, including photography from Priya Talwar

E

ncouraged by Santa Barbara moving into the “yellow” tier, I took a walk along Cabrillo Beach last Sunday to see how the Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show (SBAACS) was coming along.

The air blowing in off the ocean was so fresh and it seemed everyone around me was having fun, happy to be out and about.

About 50 participants were present showing their handmade creations, and that number has been increasing steadily each week over the past month.

Perhaps people are tiring of Amazon and are anxious to establish human contact when they shop.

It was encouraging to see almost a dozen new artists who have joined the show since last October, bringing new artistry and fresh viewpoints with them to expand the show and keep it growing.

Members are always looking for ways to remind local residents that the show is a treasure trove waiting for them to explore, and seeing the new creativity inspires me, too.

But change may be afoot for the show, although most of it is simple discussion at this point.

In the June meeting of the SBAACS Advisory Board, the topic of integrating the currently separated sections of craftspeople and artists seems to have gained a greater level of popularity than at any time in the past 53 years.

Show integration has appeared on the SBAACS Advisory Board’s agenda annually in recent years, always resulting in a deadlocked vote. But since an adjustment in the rules in the fall of 2019, which allowed the two sections

to mix in certain situations, the groups have set up next to each other with really positive interactions and none of the anticipated friction.

Closed by the COVID restrictions in March 2020, the show was allowed to resume during the summer with a very minimal number of members showing up each week. This unusual situation forced the craftspeople and the artists to mix together for the first time and has led to a wonderful new appreciation between the members, creating a feeling of unity.

In March 2021, the Parks and Recreation Department proposed serious changes for our beachside show at a time when we are operating under the conditions of a pandemic and with only approximately one-third of the members present. These changes, if implemented, would change the show drastically and in effect end the show we have enjoyed for the past 53 years.

After cancelling both January and February Advisory Board meetings with no explanation, the Parks and Recreation Department’s March meeting featured the Arts & Crafts Show Advisory Committee discussing a series of measures that will disenfranchise the show membership by removing its ability to discuss changes, replacing it with only two minutes of input, and no discussion in this new system.

During the new computerized meetings, staff have repeatedly refused to recognize show members who are outspoken and not in lockstep with the Parks and Recreation Department plans. Multiple show participants who

There is also intricate craftwork, including this piece from Dustin Williams

differ with the department’s goals have not been allowed the two minutes they are entitled to, simply ignored by staff and not allowed to speak. When directly asked to address this stonewalling of some members during meetings with different opinions, Jason Bryan, the senior recreation supervisor, suggested that it wasn’t intentional and referenced a problem with acoustic reverberation as somehow being responsible for the staff ignoring these participants.

In addition to integrating the two sections of the show, the proposed changes also included, but were not limited to: 1. Allowing out-of-county artists to participate in the show; 2. Allowing limited partnerships instead of the current requirement of no collaboration allowed; 3. Taking away some Sundays so the city could schedule other waterfront events in the Cabrillo Boulevard space; 4. Further limiting the amount of time and number of times a member can speak during an Advisory Board meeting; 5. Changing the system of enforcing the Code of Conduct to where anyone in violation is judged by one single person and has no right to appeal any decision made. This change would make it easy for Parks and Recreation Department staff to retaliate against members who don’t agree by simply removing anyone critical of these proposed changes, without allowing them to appeal or defend themselves.

After members faced thoughts of

these potential changes for a month, the Advisory Board meeting this past week seemingly left just two items on the table: the changes of integrating the two sections of the show and the Code of Conduct implementation.

In March, the Parks and Recreation Department discussed privatization of the show, a potential death knell of the show. The increase in insurance costs combined with the need for a promoter to make a profit would require booth fees to increase by at least 10 times.

But combined with the fact that there is a line item in the Parks and Recreation Department budget for the removal of the ordinance that allows for the show along Cabrillo Boulevard, could all of this be the Parks and Recreation Department laying the groundwork for another attempt to take control of the show away from the artists and craftspeople?

For me, I am continually impressed by the high quality of artwork present and the skill level of those that participate. So few shows have such a copacetic mix of creativity on display. Because this show has been open to all skill levels since the 1970s, it has allowed artisans to begin with little experience. Because it meets weekly, year-round, the members have a venue to sell at while they are developing their style and technique.

It demands that they work weekly to keep their stock in supply, and they have the ability to get weekly feedback about their work in a way that other events can’t provide. Many of the current show members have participated since the 1970s, and this opportunity to consistently work in their medium has allowed them to steadily increase their skill levels and grow as artists and craftspeople. The chance to meet the artists in person, view the beautiful things they create themselves, interact and ask questions, and the high quality of artistry on display is not matched in many shows.

So don’t delay getting out to see the artists this Sunday and support the show if you enjoy it — the proposed changes could end the show as we’ve known it for 53 years.

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I Heart SB

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By Elizabeth Rose I Heart is a collection of real-life confessional stories based on the relationships of Elizabeth Rose. First published in the Sentinel in 2015, I Heart journeys through dating in Santa Barbara, personal struggles, falling in love, and cruising on a 34-foot-sailboat around Mexico with her now-husband, Jason. Elizabeth currently lives and writes from the couple’s home, a 1970s Airstream in Carpinteria. Your thoughts and comments are most welcome at ihearterose@gmail.com.

WHY ‘I HEART SB’?

M

ore than six years ago, I began this column as a diary-type confessional piece where I bare my soul as your faithfully vulnerable 30-something woman. So when it came to naming this page in our beloved Sentinel, it was easy – I Heart S.B. The idea happened over pizza one night at Patxi’s on State Street. After telling a story to my friend about an awkward blind date I had with a guy pushing 60, she said, “You should write a dating column! A sort of Sex and the City meets Santa Barbara!” At that point, I was still licking my wounds from a summer romance that ripped me wide open, and writing about the good, the bad, and the make-you-wince moments of dating seemed like the salve to heal. Plus, it would be a juicy read.

So with the approval of the “man behind the curtain” (my publisher, Tim Buckley), I became a woman on a mission – now I had a deadline. And with Santa Barbara ripe for the picking, I dated with the full intention of recounting the strange, liberating, sexy, and WTF moments of single life to you as if we were two BFFs debriefing after an all-nighter. And man, did we share some good stories.

Do you remember the “very eager” suitor who asked me to Arigato Sushi, then midway through the date went home to “Netflix and chill” – by himself?

Or the 50-something I met at Cava on Coast Village Road who reminded me of my dad? Cringe! Then there was the superhot 20-something Argentinian who passed me a note on Butterfly Beach. “You are the most beautiful girl in S.B.! Will you go out with me?” (Of course, it worked. LINES WORK!) Then there were the rough times, including my struggle with addiction and depression, which you saw play out. Like the time I got hammered on a date after day drinking in the Funk Zone. I blacked out and woke up, not remembering how I got home. (Thankfully, by an Uber!) Or waking up to a man I didn’t remember after a night at EOS and wondering, “Did we have sex?” Or when my best friend flirted with my man right in front of me! That stung for more than a year before I eventually confronted her. (We don’t speak anymore, but I wish her well. Bless her heart.) And it was over a guy nonetheless! But that guy was the one, and you know him well. Probably more than he’d like.

I’ll never forget the day I met Jason. I was in my office at the Sentinel, writing a piece called “How to Keep a Lover” (about the aforementioned Argentinian guy) when Jason knocked on my door. “Are you Elizabeth?” I turned around and sized him from hat to boot. Schwing! Hell yes, I’m Elizabeth! I’m whomever you want me to be! As I stood to shake his hand, my mind raced: “You are going to flirt with this man as you’ve never flirted before. You’ve trained more than a year for this; you can do it! And if it doesn’t work out, you have a new story for the column.”

And it was true. Dating in S.B. had trained me to not only meet interesting men to share with you (which is the best part of this by the way). I began to sit up a little straighter and look people in the eye. Inner strength trickled in.

Yet also what I discovered was my relationship with you and what a lifeline you have been. Knowing that we can share struggles, challenges, and joys through I Heart S.B. is an immense privilege, and I am thankful every damn day for it, dear reader. Your emails of encouragement, concern, and the “I’ve been there, too” messages have nourished me, and my only hope is that I make you feel that way as well.

A favorite quote I carry came from my mom: “The greatest gift you can give yourself is learning to be by yourself ” – meaning the love we search outwardly to fulfill us is actually within. What a massive practice to come back to again and again.

Yet as we strive for that kind of love, through the joyful, the humbling, and messed-up things that happen along the way, we have Santa Barbara as the backdrop of our stories.

How lucky are we?

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...continued from p.24

up 10%, breaking the $1 million mark. The median sales price is the highest we’ve ever seen, second to last year at this time.

So far this year we’ve seen the sale of 232 condos from Carpinteria to Goleta, ranging in price from a $393,000 1/1 in Goleta to a $4.7M 3/3 at Bonnymede in Montecito with unobstructed ocean views.

BUYERS SEEKING HIGHER END IN GOLETA

2/1 for $712,000 on Harmon Street on the Lower Eastside, to a $9.6 million sale on Las Tunas, with ocean views. We’ve seen a handful of higher-end sales on the Mesa, in Mission Canyon, on the Riviera, the Upper Eastside, and in San Roque.

In San Roque below Foothill Road, there have been three sales over $3 million, and five sales over $2 million. These numbers are incredible for this neighborhood.

Last year, there were just three sales over $2 million.

Sometimes we see the sale of a home more than once in a couple-year period. It’s always interesting when this happens, because it gives us a true picture of what is happening in the market. Recently, a home on Puesta Del Sol sold for $1,925,000.

The same home, which is a 1930s, Spanish Style cottage with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, was remodeled in 2013 and sold in June 2019 for $1,525,000.

Both times it sold with multiple offers.

MADNESS IN MONTECITO There have been 178 sales in Montecito so far this year, ranging in price from a 1/1 on Coyote Road for $669,000 to a $45 million estate on Fernald Point. This is more than double the sales we saw the same time last year. It’s a staggering increase from a normal year, when we’d have between 60-70 sales the first half of the year.

Montecito drew buyers from near and far, as the pandemic prompted people to flee bigger cities, in a quest for more space.

The average sales price in Montecito year-to-date is $6.1 million. Last year’s average sales price for the same time period was $3.3 million. There are currently 52 homes for sale in Montecito, ranging from a 1/1 condo at El Montecito Verde, to a 28-acre estate on Sycamore Canyon, Mira Vista, for $72.5 million.

The median sales price is now $4.5 million, compared to $2.8 million in 2020!

This 4/3 in Lake Los Carneros in Goleta sold for $335,000 over asking in May (listed by Mia Teetsel of Sotheby’s)

Sales in Goleta are up 50%, with 149 homes and PUDs sold so far this year, compared to 99 in the same period last year. The most significant thing happening in the Goleta market is the sale of 24 properties over $2 million this year. Last year, just seven homes sold for over $2 million from January through May. The majority of these higher-end properties are in the foothills of Goleta, with ocean views or multiple acres, as well as a $12.5 million property on Hollister Ranch. Many of these properties were purchased by out-of-town buyers seeking to be anywhere in the Santa Barbara area.

Looking at sold properties under $1.5 million in Goleta, the average number of days on market has changed significantly: this year the average was 18 days compared to 66 days in 2020. Again, homes are selling quickly, with multiple offers, and the vast majority are not sitting on the market more.

SANTA BARBARA PROPER This year there have been 292 sales in the city of Santa Barbara, not including Hope Ranch or on Coast Village Road. The prices range from a

A Spanish style home in San Roque sold for the second time in two years, for $1,925,000. It sold in 2019 for $1,525,000. (Listed by Mimi Greenberg and sold by Calcagno & Hamilton Partners, both of Berkshire

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY With the greater Santa Barbara area selling like crazy, surrounding areas, including the Santa Ynez Valley, also felt the upward pressure on prices, as well as a lack of inventory. Some 149 homes, condos, and PUDs have sold in the valley so far this year, compared to 95 in the same period in 2020. Similar to the Santa Barbara South County, the higher-end segment in the Santa Ynez Valley is much more active than in past years. There have been 11 sales over $3 million so far this year, compared to just four sales over $3 million last year.

We are still in the thick of a strong sellers’ market and looking at the statistics from January through May confirms the heat that sellers, buyers, and realtors are all feeling There are currently 33 homes, condos, PUDs, or ranches on the market in the Santa Ynez Valley right now, including Buellton, Solvang, Santa Ynez proper, Ballard, and Los Olivos. Properties range in price for a 3/4 condo in Buellton for $650,000 to a 554-acre ranch property in Santa Ynez’s Happy Canyon for $29 million. Inventory throughout the valley is down more than 30% over a more balanced year, which has pushed the median sales price up 37% to $1.125 million.

Right now, there is a huge gap in inventory under the $1 million mark, which is causing the rental market to be tighter than ever.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR OUR MARKET This market continues to exceed any and all expectations. With sellers getting top dollar for their homes, and interest rates enticing buyers, we continue to have a huge pool of pent-up buyers looking to buy property on the Central Coast. We are also seeing a plethora of all-cash buyers, so those needing to get a loan should be pre-qualified with a local mortgage company and have done the necessary preliminary paperwork, so they can potentially compete against all-cash offers. Sellers are in the driver’s seat right now, and they are looking for the best price and the best terms, so the shorter the contingency periods, the better. It is not uncommon for buyers to waive any and all contingencies, including home inspections and appraisals.

The good news for buyers is that in the last few weeks we’ve seen a slight boost in inventory. This has caused some buyers to press pause and wait for more options, which has lessened the number of offers on some properties.

Instead of competing against 10 or more offers, some homes are garnering five or fewer offers, which is an easier situation for buyers to navigate. We’ve also seen a handful of price reductions recently, which is an indication that either

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MORTGAGE MINUTE

by Jon McCuskey Jon is the Vice President of Mortgage Lending with Guaranteed Rate, NMLS ID: 357850. He can be reached at jon.mccuskey@rate.com

RATES ARE STABILIZING; CONSUMERS CAN STILL WIN WITH PURCHASES, REFINANCING

T

hese days we could all use some sort of stability in our lives. Whether we are talking about jobs, politics, COVID, home prices, anything really, it’s been a roller coaster lately. Although the word “mortgage” is the least sexy component of the housing market, it plays an important role for everyone involved. Home prices are breaking new records every day and thankfully mortgages aren’t breaking any records, and I’m ok with that.

Let’s be honest, rates have climbed up a bit. But should you really be worried?

I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. We are still seeing rates at or below 3% on a lot of scenarios and rates have stabilized over the last month. There have been concerns of inflation, the job market, and how quickly our economy will rebound over the coming years. All of which are valid concerns that we should be thinking about and how those factors will affect the housing market in the future. If you are planning on purchasing or refinancing your home in the near term, you’re going to be ok. Remember: You can’t time the market.

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SBMM Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

New Exhibit

Opening June 24

Let’s be honest, rates have climbed up a bit. But should you really be worried? I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.

We are still seeing rates at or below 3% on a lot of scenarios and rates have stabilized over the last month.

If you own investment properties or second homes, we have seen some changes to rates that can be of greater impact to borrowers. These changes, however, were not a result of the bond market or any other overall economic markers. The GSE’s (government sponsored entities, aka Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) have placed additional price adjustments to investment properties and second homes as a result of their capital requirements. In common terms, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are limiting the amount of these types of loans they are purchasing and passing along a premium via price add-ons to the consumer. Life changing?

No, but just something to speak to your lender about when the time comes.

Overall, the consumer is still in a great position to buy or refinance their home.

There are other factors in the housing market to worry about, like inventory and price. Now more than ever is it imperative that you speak with a mortgage professional before you go home shopping and make offers on properties. With many offers being contingency free right now, having everything as buttoned up and as perfect as possible beforehand will only help you beat out those other pesky buyers. the frenzy is settling down, or some sellers are getting extremely aggressive in their pricing and not getting the offers they had hoped for. It’s likely a little bit of both.

For those contemplating selling in the next year, I would strongly encourage you to sell sooner rather than later, given the influx of buyers that are waiting to pounce on the right property. According to economic experts, home prices are not expected to dip anytime soon, but the rate at which they are rising is expected to slow in the coming year to two years. Sellers who are concerned about their next move are in the driver’s seat when it comes to renting back for an extended period of time. It is nearly the norm to give sellers more time —sometimes up to a year — to vacate the property after close.

For buyers, putting your best foot forward is the key right now. Being aggressive with your offer, shortening contingency periods, possibly waiving appraisals, and including escalation clauses are all tricks you and your agent can employ to set yourselves apart from other buyers.

On the real estate industry front, we were given the green light to host open houses again earlier this month, which is an encouraging sign that we are slowly getting back to normal following the pandemic.

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THEBUDGUY

by Zach Rosen

THE WIL OF AN OWNER: PASSION FOR GLASS BUOYS HIGH TIDE’S LEADER

Wil Glass selecting a few special pieces at High Tide

Wil Glass, owner of High Tide, has been shaping and forming glass for more than 20 years

J

ust as with any dispensary, you want your regular head shop to have a comfy, local feel. High Tide Glass Gallery has a distinctly Santa Barbaran blend of art and beach vibes.

Located on the corner of Gutierrez and Anacapa streets, the small shop is lined with outdoor planters and a bright, welcoming exterior. Enter the shop and among the curated selection of glass pieces rests walls full of works from local artists like Matt Rodriguez and Cole Hazard.

A small glass studio in the back of the store lets people watch as glass is shaped and formed in the fire. Wil Glass (no that’s not his real last name) is the owner of High Tide and has helped craft the culture and sense of community in the shop over the years. Good customer service is a priority with their staff willing to spend as long as needed with each person. He is also one of the inhouse glass workers with his glass pieces being sold throughout the store.

Wil mentions he is not always the best salesman, and really just wants visitors to find the right pipe for them, even if it

is not one of his. This actually happened once or twice during our interview as guests visited the store (along with the occasional person stopping in to ask where parking for State Street or the local shoe cobbler was).

Wil has owned High Tide for the past 11 years, but his career in glass has spanned a lifetime. Wil grew up in Portland, but it wasn’t until he got into the Grateful Dead in 1995, right around the passing of Jerry Garcia, that he learned about glass work. Dead shows were the cultural epicenter of the pipe making movement (among being inspiration for other things) and Wil soon found himself interested in the craft. He cleared out a chicken coop with a friend, installing exhaust ducting and glassblowing equipment and began experimenting.

During Wil’s first attempt he unwittingly touched the hot glass with his finger and in the moment he “signed up for a lifetime of cuts and burns.”

Today, the glass community is open and sharing but back in the early days, things were a little more guarded. If you

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wanted to learn from a glassblower, first you had to get to know them. With the industry being so small at the time though, it was easy for Wil and his buddy to make friends.

They learned techniques from industry pioneers like Jerome Baker of JBD Bongs, but they still had to learn a lot for themselves considering the lack of resources at the time. Wil notes that what used to take five years to learn can probably be figured out in five months with the vast range of YouTube videos, websites, and books available today.

His friend eventually moved away with the equipment, but Wil soon discovered a nearby glass class. About halfway through the course, Wil’s glass idol at the time, Cameron Tower, came in to help teach. Through the class he also got connected with a glass studio where he began working on his craft.

When Cameron’s own studio caught fire, he was looking for another spot and their group invited him to join them. Over the next six months, Wil got to learn from and collaborate with Cameron and are still friends to this day.

Over the years, Wil worked around the Pacific Northwest at a variety of different shops, becoming more involved with the glass industry and getting additional opportunities to work with his heroes.

While working hard (and competitive) hours in a 15-person shop in Portland, he began to wear out his wrists from the repetitive movements. Instead, he started to manage the shop and even worked for a color company in the area, but every time he stepped away from glasswork, it just reminded him how much he loved the craft. Thankfully he discovered the glass lathe, which was easier on his hands, and was able to continue working. This also caused a shift in his glass techniques.

In standard glassblowing, the craftsperson is limited by their hands’ ability to hold and move the piece. With

a glass lathe, the size of the machine ultimately determines how large you can go with a glass piece. For a time, he was driven to go bigger and bigger with his bong designs, trying to see how much volume, height, and size he could do. Since starting on the lathe, that has become his primary glass style, learning how to do physical training and maintain his body along the way so he can always work with glass. Wil has also learned about life balance, making sure not to spend all of his time in the studio and letting the shop do its own thing.

Wil had always wanted to live in California and when the opportunity presented itself, he moved his gear down south. He lived in Los Angeles for about five years before discovering Santa Barbara while making glass deliveries to the area. This was how he found the pipe store, the Hempist, where High Tide now sits. Eventually Wil took over the property after that store closed.

Wil still works on glass these days but also spends time managing the shop and living life. Today, Roman Wachter, who goes by Gonzo Glass and worked with Wil at Original Glass in Los Angeles, is the resident glass artist in High Tide, although Wil does get old industry friends and traveling glassblowers stopping in to collaborate and work in the studio.

While Wil still hesitates to call himself an artist, he feels his artistic self is most fired up when he is collaborating with others where they can build upon and complement each other’s style. Many of the pieces at High Tide combine the talents of several glass workers. At other times, the rhythm of the lathe and flicker of flame impart a more meditative state, bringing him a feeling of contentedness with his work and finding fulfillment in the sense of completion.

Follow Wil and his glass works on Instagram at @wilglass and the store at @hightidesb.

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was still performing there when the global lockdown was put in place.

Realizing that it was likely going to be her last show for a while, she went out there and gave it her all, soaking up the final performance. The pandemic put a screeching halt to her aerial career, but during this time she completed her master’s degree in music theory and composition at Long Beach state university.

It was while stuck at home during the quarantine that she decided to make a music video for her Beezlebabe character. Recording at night as she tried not to wake her parents, she put together a two-minute video and uploaded it to YouTube. Alan Macy, longtime Fishbon member and founder of The Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science and Technology (SBCAST), saw the video online. He reached out to her about a collaboration, and she quickly agreed.

The body in\verse is a collaboration between Alysia, Alan (a designer and artist who specializes in biofeedback systems), and Mark-David Hosale who is a computational artist and composer.

For the past seven months, the trio has been developing the concept, and about a month ago, Alysia came to SBCAST as an artist-in-residence to

prepare for the final performance. The body in\verse is a digital experience that explores one’s connectivity to technology and self.

In this Zoom-based event, Alysia will guide the audience through a series of questions that start out broad and begin to deepen as the performance continues. Participants will speak their answers into a microphone, and an AI program will analyze the language being used, composing poetry in response. The language will also be projected onto an emotional state map that will be visualized on the screen. Biometric sensors will be connected to Alysia during the performance and will drive the abstract visuals that will intensify as the performance progresses. Her performance will be adapted in real time to the responses, poetry, and emotional feedback of the audience, literally putting her body in verse.

Fortunately, Alysia has a lifetime of experience with that.

Three performances of the body in\ verse are scheduled – June 19 at 3:30 pm EST, June 23 and 6 pm EST, and June 26 at 3:30 pm EST. Visit currentsnewmedia.org/work/the-bodyinverse for more information or to register for a performance.

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SB FOODIE

by Gabe Saglie Gabe Saglie has been covering the Santa Barbara wine and food scene for more than 15 years through columns, TV and radio. He’s a senior editor with Travelzoo and is a leading expert on travel deals, tips and trends. Gabe and wife Renee have 3 children and one Golden Retriever named Milo

WILL WALK FOR WINE: RESTAURATEUR’S HIKES HELP BUILD HIS WINE LIST

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he wine list at Toma, the waterfront eatery that consistently ranks as one of the top places to dine in Santa Barbara, is a blend of local and Italian, mainly. A 50-50 mix of Santa Ynez Valley faves, like Foxen, and fantastic finds from regions like Veneto, Friuli and Piedmont.

“But I’ll also throw in some surprises once in a while,” says owner Tom Dolan.

These days, that special pour comes from Croatia — a white wine variety known as Pošip (pronounced “pore-ship”). It’s produced by Zlatan, a family-run label based in Hvar, a sun-drenched island that’s a favorite secret escape for many a European jetsetter.

“It’s a delicious white wine with a floral character, sort of like a viognier, or a chenin blanc,” adds Dolan.

When Dolan shares the story of this wine with his clientele, it’s a personal one.

Last October, when the rest of the world was shut down and locked in, Dolan was hiking the Dalmatian shores along the Adriatic Sea. It was a work trip — he had set up appointments with various boutique producers, and the business spin to his travels helped open doors that would have otherwise been closed. At the time, Croatia was only one of the very few countries in the world — and one of the very few in mainland Europe — that was welcoming Americans.

“I was flying out in a brand-new Lufthansa Airbus A380,” recalls Dolan of the airline’s flagship aircraft seats more than 500 passengers. “There were only twenty of us on board — it was crazy!”

But this trek — the way Dolan made his way from town to town and from vineyard to vineyard — was anything but routine: He hiked Croatia’s western coastline over two weeks, covering 12 to 15 miles every day, on foot. A pilgrimage, of sorts, that satisfied a professional mission, certainly, but a very personal quest, too.

Dolan has been a hiker all his life. As a young man, he took on the Sierras and Cascades often. He’d rough it — heavy loads on his back, uninspired meals, overnights in tents. Today, his hikes come with a few more frills: bookings in nice hotels, dinner reservations at eight, and days filled with a litany of wine discoveries.

“The only danger,” he says, “is over-eating and over-drinking!”

Europeans think differently about hiking, Dolan admits. He’s been doing these yearly walks for 15 years now — he’s done 26 in all, by his own count.

“The paths I take have been around for 1,000 years! Hiking from place to place is not an anomaly there, as it is for many Americans.”

These annual pilgrimages took on a whole new meaning, though, when he and his wife, Vicki, a former manager at the Four Seasons Biltmore, opened Toma in 2013. Dolan knew the space well — for close to 20 years, he’d worked his way from server to manager there, when it was the very popular Emilio’s Restaurant.

As a bona fide restaurateur now, Dolan realized that his hikes could go a lot further than simply satisfying his hunger for adventure. They now allowed him to enrich his wine list.

Take his hiking excursion in 2015, when, with the help of topographical maps, he walked 120 miles across Barolo, in the northern Italian region of Piedmont.

He started in Alba and visited tiny historic towns like Castiglione Falletto and

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Dolan includes vineyard visits on his hikes, and he adds many of the wines he discovers to the Toma Restaurant wine list

Monforte d’Alba before untying his laces in Dogliani.

“The landscape is breathtaking – walking through forests and vineyards most of the day — and you meet people you just wouldn’t if you were driving,” he says.

His vineyard visits back then led to a variety of wine discoveries that he brought back to Toma — labels such as Damilano, Vietti, Sandrone, Rinaldi, and Pio Cesare that graced the wine list for months, until the following year’s trek unveiled brand new white and red finds.

In 2019, Dolan hiked through the region of Prosecco.

“I came back and created a whole new spritz menu,” he remembers. “I was trying to introduce American diners to those afternoon Aperol or Campari spritzes — those lower-alcohol afternoon cocktails and aperitifs — that Italians love.”

Driven by Toma’s focus on food — he calls it Mediterranean-inspired California cuisine — the bulk of Dolan’s hiking trips have taken him across Italy. Last year’s Croatian adventure was a creative way, really, to circumvent COVID constraints.

No matter where he’s hiked, though, the actual act of walking – of covering ground one step at a time — creates unique opportunity.

“The charms of these hikes is there for me, for sure, but it’s also there for them,” he says, referencing the regional, generational winemakers he meets. “They see so many wine buyers pulling up in rental cars and wearing sports coats — and there’s nothing wrong with that. But doors open up a little bit when I do it the way I do it. I just hiked twelve miles to get there, I’ve seen the land, the soil — it’s on the bottom of my soles! I see it. I get it.”

That personal approach — a stranger from a foreign place who got there on foot — is both disarming and refreshing. It creates camaraderie and builds bonds.

It gives Dolan access. And when those wines hit the list at Toma, that’s usually the only place in town — the only place for many miles around — where consumers are apt to find them.

The Zlatan Pošip is currently available by the glass and the bottle at Toma.

Dolan recommends pairing it with one of his starters – the grilled octopus, perhaps, which is served with Romanesco, fregola pasta, olive, smoked tomato, tobiko roe, and a gremolata sauce, or the deep-fried calamari, which is doled out with roasted garlic marinara.

Dolan has shared tips and resources with many of his own customers who, inspired by the restaurateur’s travels and tales, want to consider adding at least a few days of hiking to their own overseas vacations. With Europe opening back up quickly, his own next trek by foot comes this fall — September, probably, when the crowds are thinner and the weather’s still good. His eyes, and feet, are set on the region of Siena, and the area of Montalcino, where sangiovese-based brunellos reign supreme.

“After that, I think I’ll do Ireland with my twenty-year-old son,” he says.

The Wicklow Way is an 80-mile mountainous trail that meanders through stunning landscapes in the country’s southeast region. It’ll be his first visit to Ireland, and the first hiking pilgrimage with his son.

He says, with a laugh, “Maybe I’ll put some Irish whiskey on the list when I get back!”

For More Information Toma Restaurant, 324 West Cabrillo Boulevard, Santa Barbara.

805-962-0777. www.tomarestaurant.com.

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the building materials and architectural style were debated in design reviews.

The finished project was different from the originally proposed container unit structure but still ended up integrating into the town’s aesthetic.

Once built, Macy received the 2016 City of Santa Barbara Arts Advisory Committee’s Business in Art Award for his efforts – showing that unique building projects can be appreciated by the city and community.

SBCAST is an example of how a broader alternative list of approved building materials and design language could help streamline the process for other projects that don’t fit a standard, letting innovative ideas come to fruition, but possibly without years of review.

It’s something not lost on Harmon, who looks at the current circumstances of State Street as an example of substance outweighing style. “Yes, we have an image, but I don’t believe people care as they are eating a meal,” she says. “We have to be flexible.”

RETHINKING THE UNDERPASS here has been considerable debate on how to revitalize the State Street underpass – a vital corridor that connects the Funk Zone portal to the State Street promenade. The Arts Advisory Committee will have a future hearing on the proposed renovation with a budget of $850,000 for architect Jeff Shelton. The project will look to widen the sidewalks as well as add columns and railings designed in his signature fashion. Some of the critics note that this meeting has

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Paseo Nuevo remodeled its outdoor mall right before the onset of the pandemic, and its new look is getting plenty of action with the push of outdoor activity downtown

ignored community input and survey results as it moves forward.

Also, as it stands, the project only leaves 15 feet of event space on the street level after considering fire and emergency lane requirements. From the charrettes and artist talks, some of the other proposed ideas have ranged from interchanging murals using local artists and musical performance spaces to interactive projections and other art installations along the underpass.

The latter proposals would involve

numerous artists and offer an everchanging experience for the underpass – a break from tradition, no doubt – making it a potential must-see for tourists and locals alike.

A TIME TO LEAD s UC Santa Barbara continues to rack up Nobel Prizes, as Amazon and Facebook set up shop in our backyard, as the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center utilizes technology that makes it a leader on the Central Coast, it’s only

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natural for the South Coast to ask its economic and social hub to follow suit and set the bar for the rest of the state.

State Street is Santa Barbara’s crown jewel – the corridor for success. Small business is the spine of Santa Barbara – a reflection of a community’s inventiveness. In tough times, the two found a way to coexist prosperously.

Now, for the critical question: Are we City Beautiful or City Bountiful?

Or can we continue on this path to be both?

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On a sunny Saturday afternoon in June, thousands take to the middle of State Street, a pandemic-driven solution to help businesses and employees stay afloat (photos by Nick Masuda)

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