V O L 7 I S S 13 D E C 1 JAN1 1 2018/19
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THE BEER GUY P.8 • MAN ABOUT TOWN P.12 • SYV SNAPSHOT P.30
IT Matters: Better weather, more affordable housing, shorter commutes, and room to grow. Why tech companies are choosing SB over Silicon Valley and what we can do to sustain them (Story begins on: 5). OK
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Content
Merry Christmas and happy holidays From the Andersens To you and your friends
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IT Matters – Tech growth in Santa Barbara has been booming, and is reaching a tipping point. Can State Street accommodate it? Capitalist – Take Jeff Harding’s Real Estate Investment class at SBCC and learn how to get rich slowly eer Guy – Holiday-themed brews have hit the shelves, along with Sierra B Nevada’s Resilience IPA, which breweries around the nation carry and all profits go to the Camp Fire Relief Fund
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Fortnight – A look at some off-the-beaten-path holiday events
Man About Town – David Crosby rocks the Lobero with members of Snarky Puppy; Cinderella at the Granada; two Irish-themed shows approaching
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Creative Characters – Celebrated Martial Arts teacher Master Yun opens his studio near the Andree Clark Bird Refuge
What’s Hanging – There’s no shortage of art shows in December around town, including a pop-up inside La Casa de la Raza, and Elsie’s last stand On Art – See Margaret Landreau’s uniquely designed jewelry at Paseo Nuevo’s Night Market each week in December and other Artwalks around town
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Plan B – A roundup of books by Santa Barbara-based authors that would make excellent gifts this holiday season I Heart – Elizabeth Rose continues her tortilla-making lesson with Maria, and makes a special little friend in the process SYV Snapshot – Pony Espresso opens its doors; and holiday happenings in Solvang, one of Time Magazine’s “Most Christmas-y Towns in America”
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IT MATTERS by Mitchell Kriegman Novelist Being Audrey Hepburn, Things I Can’t Explain. Creator Clarissa Explains it All and more. Writer for The New Yorker, LARB, National Lampoon, and Saturday Night Live
TECH TIPPING POINT REACHES STATE STREET
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ech company growth in the Santa Barbara area is approaching a tipping point that represents new opportunities for the economy, including employment possibilities for local kids graduating high school and college and even the future livelihood of State Street if the will to overcome traditional obstacles continues. The Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria nexus has been home to a consistent flow of start-ups, and a surprising number of sizeable companies with a national footprint. Companies like Indeed.com, LogMeIn, Citrix, Sonos, ProCore, AppFolio, and recently Honey, which popped up on Haley Street this year, have continued to grow and thrive. Now three of the country’s five biggest technology companies are making their mark in the area. The latest right on State Street, Amazon.com taking over the Saks building, owned by Michael Rosenfeld’s Woodridge Capital Partners
and owner of the Hotel Californian, could be a game changer. After Amazon purchased local tech company Graphiq, formerly FindTheBest, to enhance Amazon’s virtual assistant system Alexa, the area now counts three of the
The area is an unparalleled recruiting call. Santa Barbara’s well-loved natural assets shine, as always, with beauty, consistent weather, and commutes of fifteen minutes or less, even reasonable by bike. Add the renowned computer science, engineering, and entrepreneurial programs at UCSB, SBCC, and Cal Poly as well as the engineering and STEM focused curriculum at schools like Dos Pueblos and Santa Barbara High, and Santa Barbara is a reliable resource for bright people and innovative companies. Luring talent from a saturated Silicon
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can go either way and as always there are challenges to overcome, challenges familiar to people living and working here in all walks of life. The lack of available reasonable housing, wages which don’t yet compete with bigger cities remain, and a talent pool that is still developing are the traditional concerns. It’s commonly agreed that the health of downtown State Street is an issue, and many feel the Santa Barbara Airport hasn’t expanded quickly enough. So, while the company growth is there, the collective community support
The opportunity exists for a new driver in the revitalization of downtown living. country’s biggest technology giants. In the last two years, Microsoft purchased LinkedIn, which soon gobbled up local animation and tech pioneer Lynda Weinman’s Lynda.com, as well as creating a Microsoft Research lab on the UCSB Campus, focused on topological quantum computing. Search giant Google has leased a new facility in the Hollister Avenue hightechnology corridor, staffing the facility with talent recruited from UCSB.
Valley, where skyrocketing cost of living prices make Santa Barbara more reasonable by comparison, is easier than before. The steady build of new companies and big tech players have created critical mass and momentum. There are still a number of interesting pieces in the puzzle that will need to fall into place for the tech growth to be reliable, consistent, and fit with the style and values of Santa Barbara. It’s easy to forget that a tipping point
isn’t a certainty. In the delicate fabric of Santa Barbara, stewardship is key. The good news is that the Chamber of Commerce in both Goleta and Santa Barbara have taken progressive, forwardlooking positions to proactively help lead in addressing these challenges and capitalize on the opportunities. In many ways, Santa Barbara is still undervalued and under-utilized, so the rewards are possible. ...continued p.20
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The Capitalist 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 holidays are here!
How To Invest In Real Estate
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invite you to sign up for my Santa Barbara City College class on how to invest in real estate. The course is “Real Estate Investment” (FIN 204 — 61449) and it starts on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 and it will be held once a week on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 9:05. It is a 3-unit college credit course. My classroom is located on the beautiful West Campus where there is plenty of parking in the evenings. SBCC is on the semester system and the course ends on May 7. Why should you invest in real estate? For centuries real estate has been one of the main paths to wealth and financial independence. Business is one path. Banking and finance is another. And then there is real estate. Unlike the Warren Buffetts and Bill Gates of the world you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to do well with real estate. Real estate investing is something everyone can do and become successful. All you need are the right tools and a positive attitude and that’s what the course is all about. Actually, the course is less about becoming a real estate tycoon than teaching students to be successful people who invest in real estate. As I tell my students, this is a get rich slowly class. My job is to give you a head start. Why me? I’ve been at this business for 40 years as a real estate lawyer, inv5estor, financier, developer, and manager. There isn’t much I haven’t done in real estate
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so I have a pretty good idea of what it’s about. This is not a course about real estate theory. I have a lot of practical experience and I teach students stuff that isn’t in the book. You will learn tools that work in the real world. And to prove it, I regularly bring in successful real estate investors to talk about what they do and how they did it. I have found that all of them use the tools and methods I teach. They are all inspiring in their own way by demonstrating their rise from modest means to financial success. I love teaching this class. It’s a privilege to be teaching at the No. 1 community college in the nation. My students tell me it’s a fun class. Comments range from “The best college course I have ever taken” to “I really look forward to coming to class every Tuesday evening.” For your information, this is the only comprehensive class on real estate investing in the Tri-Counties. And, this is the last year I will be teaching this course, so if you are interested, I urge you to sign up soon. You can apply online, http:// www.sbcc.edu/apply/apply_to_college. php or call (805) 965-0581 ext. 7222 or (805) 730-4450. If you search the college catalog you will find the course in the Finance department as FIN-204 and the course number is 61449. If you would like more information about the class, write to me at: jharding@ pipeline.sbcc.edu. I hope to see you there!
Publisher/Editor • Tim Buckley Design/Production • Trent Watanabe Editor-at-large • Lily Harbin Columnists Man About Town • Mark Léisuré Plan B • Briana Westmacott | Food File • Christina Enoch On Art • Margaret Landreau | The Weekly Capitalist • Jeff Harding The Beer Guy • Zach Rosen | E's Note • Elliana Westmacott Business Beat • Jon Vreeland | What’s Hanging • Ted Mills I Heart SB • Elizabeth Rose | Fortnight • Steven Libowitz State Street Scribe • Jeff Wing | Holistic Deliberation • Allison Antoinette Made in SB • Chantal Peterson | Behind The Vine • Hana-Lee Sedgwick SYV Snapshot • Eva Van Prooyen
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by Zach Rosen
The Giving Season of Beer
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here are really two brews that define the winter beer category for me. While not having a real clear definition, holiday beers often include spices, but don’t necessarily have to be brewed with them. They also are usually brewed with a little more alcohol to provide a touch of warmth for the cooler weather. The most classic winter ale (and a personal favorite) is Anchor Brewing’s Our Special Ale, often referred to as their Christmas Ale. This beer has been brewed since 1975 and is accredited with resurfacing the tradition in America of brewing specialty beers for the holiday season. Each year the label features a new hand-drawn tree by Bay Area-based artist, James Stitt. Now in its 44th release, this year’s label features the bushy Korean pine tree (Pinus koraiensis). Along with the label, the beer’s recipe changes each year and is one of the best guarded secrets in the industry. For decades beerdoes have been trying to guess what spices and specialty
ingredients have been used for that year’s release. The brew typically is around 6% ABV and ranges from mahogany to burnt umber in color with a faint khaki-colored head. Some years it will emphasize roasty flavors or holiday spices. Other years it may highlight hops or yeast esters more. The 2018 version has a toasted banana bread theme with an underlying warmth of mulling spices. Despite its lower ABV, this beer ages particularly well and many beerdoes will collect vintages and hold vertical tastings. While most commonly seen in 6-packs, this beer is also offered in 1.5 L magnums for around $20. A magnum makes a popular (and affordable) gift to bring to holiday parties. Guests are often shocked to see such a big bottle of beer and it is fun to watch people try to guess the flavors of the complex brew. THE GIVING SEASON The other classic beer of this season is Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale. This
Zach Rosen is a Certified Cicerone® and beer educator living in Santa Barbara. He uses his background in chemical engineering and the arts to seek out abstract expressions of beer and discover how beer pairs with life.
beer marks the coming of winter, but more specifically, it celebrates the hop harvest. The special feature of this brew is not spices, but the use of wet hops. Normally, hops are immediately dried for storage after harvest. With wet hop beers, the hops go straight from the harvesting equipment to the brewery, offering the freshest possible flavor. This process can only take place at one point in the year, during harvest. Celebration Ale has been brewed since 1981. With the proliferation of IPA these days it is hard to understand how unique of a beer this actually was. Decades ago it was far more difficult to find IPAs and strongly hopped brews and this beer became one of the first cult beers with early homebrewers and beer geeks flocking to their stores as soon as Celebration Ale was released.
Of course, this winter has been different for Sierra Nevada. The monstrous Camp Fire that recently took place in Northern California was located near their brewery. While the brewery was not directly burned by the fire, 14% of their staff was displaced and many of their neighboring communities were destroyed. In the beer industry and community, Sierra Nevada is easily one of the most idolized and respected breweries in the world. When craft breweries heard about their situation, offers of support came flooding in. The brewery wanted to help not just their employees, but also their surrounding communities. To begin, the brewery founded the Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund which is supported through the Golden Valley Bank Community Foundation, and seeded the fund with an initial $100,000. They then worked with hop and malt distributors to organize ingredient donations for breweries willing to participate in the making of a special collaboration brew, Resilience IPA. Participating breweries have all brewed the same recipe and will be releasing Resilience IPA in the upcoming weeks around the nation with 100% of ...continued p.22
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1 DEC – 11 JAN
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by Steven Libowitz
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.
Make a List, Check it Twice
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opefully you’re not looking to a newspaper that only comes out once every four weeks to find a comprehensive guide to everything that’s happening in the Santa Barbara area. There’s probably somewhere north of 75 events that might be worth at least mentioning in town every month, and I’ve got at best maybe 1,500 words in this column. Do the math. That’s about 20 words per, not even enough to cover the logistics. So, yeah, we’re always forced to be seriously subjective in choosing what happenings to highlight here in this space, pretty much just going with our own tastes and whims, with some favor shown toward those who send press releases that are concise but pithy, and easy enough to read that all I’ve got to do is move a few things around and voila! Finito. What this all adds up to for this issue is that you’re not going to get long items about long-standing traditional Christmas-time stuff in the column this time around. I’m going for the new, the unusual, the off-the-beaten-path events that might otherwise slip your attention. Hopefully those that aren’t mentioned here won’t feel too sleigh-ted (think “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer”) or at least not to the point of thinking “Bah, humbug!” about me or the Sentinel. ‘Nuff said. Let’s get to it.
Pop the Cork at Pop-up Shop
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here’s just something about the foodie magazine showing up at a local winery that makes me want to give ‘em some ink – especially since last year’s event got booted all over the place by smoke and ash from the Thomas Fire. On Sunday, December 2, from 1-4 pm, artisan producers from Edible’s Holiday Gift Guide, including Bragg, Lark Ellen Farm, The Grapeseed Company, and others, team up to present a one-of-akind holiday shopping experience at Carr Winery, where you’ll find culinary and artisanal gifts galore, and also enjoy local food and wines while you shop.
SOS: Holiday Stories
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ike moths to a flame, people just seem to be attracted to other people’s personal tales of tribulations and triumphs. Which is what Speaking of Stories, which has featured professional
actors reading published stories for a monthly series each winter-spring for almost 25 years, was counting on when they patterned their first few years of Personal Stories special shows on “The Moth,” the popular series and radio show that has only been around since 1997. The format proved so popular that SOS has added a second set of shows with our friends and neighbors telling their original, first-person true stories on the theme of Christmas capers, tales, and memories. There are 20 different Holiday Stories being read by their authors with two groups of 10 performing twice each between December 6-9 at Center Stage, with titles including “Turkey Soup,” “The One About the Bundt Pan,” “Christmas at Camp Cranium,” “How My Fourth Grade Ruined Christmas Forever,” and “The Christmas Monkey,” among others. That’s the good news. The bad news? The 25th anniversary season will also be the final one, according to the email missive, which said “After much deliberation we have decided that it is time to bring the series to an end.” No reasons given, so we don’t know if SOS is just sending out an SOS hoping for a massive contribution to make things easier, or if director Maggie Mixsell and producer Terry Ball just want to call it quits. Either way, might be a good time to show up and tell ‘em how you feel.
Frankincense? Oh, I thought you said...
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hat conjures up Christmas – or rather the madness of Christmas shopping – better than a mechanical monster come to life? Paul Morrissey’s 1973 cult classic Flesh for Frankenstein, which has been celebrated as a joyful mashup of high and low art as it encompasses both avant garde and art cinema practices as well as contemporary European sexploitation and horror films. Originally marketed in the United States as Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein though he reportedly had no part in its creation, the film premiered in SpaceVision 3D (!) and was originally X-rated due to its explicit sexual and violent content, though the tongue-in-cheek scenery-chewing performances might be even more extreme. UC Irvine prof
Bliss Cua Lim joins UCSB’s Rachael Ball for a discussion following the Thursday, December 6, screening of the film that closes out the Pollock Theater’s Frankenstein: Afterlives series in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s book.
Ugly Sweaters, Ugly Sweaters!
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ow do you not love the fact that our still charming little berg (90,000 folks or so at the last counting) somehow manages to support at least two Ugly Christmas Sweater events? Imagine X Functional Neurology host their 4th annual party on Friday, December 7, right after the downtown holiday parade passes by a block away from its Anacapa Street headquarters. The red carpet-style soiree features photo booths, holiday cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, music, a raffle, and silent auction, and prizes for the ugliest of the Ugly Sweaters. Proceeds benefit a good cause that connects to Imagine X’s mission – Jodi House Brain Injury Support Center of Santa Barbara. SOhO’s annual Ugly Sweater Party used to a pretty small affair, just a little bit of music and a lot of silly sartorial choices. But for its 12th presentation on December 14, the event has turned into a serious Santa Barbara social, what with performances by the likes of Santa Barbara stalwart Spencer the Gardener, dance troupe La Boheme, frequent visitors Molly Ringwald Project and others. That’s such an impressive lineup no one will care whether or not you wear that wooly pullover full of reindeer and snowflakes.
on Sunday, December 16. Also, the spirits and the miserly Scrooge get a very different treatment in the version adapted and directed by John Blondell for his Lit Moon Theatre Company, which originally premiered its version of Dickens’ haunting story about Christmastide redemption in 2007. There’s live music from Jim Connolly, and props and objects by his now allgrown-up son Jaco Connolly at Center Stage December 21 through 23.
...Two ‘Nutcrackers’...
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anta Barbara Festival Ballet’s 44th annual Nutcracker at the Arlington, which takes place December 8-9, is a mighty beast (with apologies to the rats and other creatures) that not only boasts a huge cast including hundreds of locals and a pair of international guest artists starring as Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, but also a live full symphony orchestra… State Street Ballet’s take on Tchaikovsky is nothing to sneeze at either (unless you are allergic to sequins or pine needles) as the company brings it production of the holiday favorite to the grandeur of The Granada Theatre for three shows December 1516. The show features live music from the Opera San Luis Obispo Grand Orchestra to accompany the students of Gustafson Dance – including the kids whose chance went by the wayside last winter in the wake of the Thomas Fire’s last stand last year – alongside SSB’s professional dancers.
… and a Downtown Holiday Parade
Three ‘Christmas Carols’...
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lright, we realize we couldn’t ignore the really big annual holiday offerings entirely. A trio of vastly different companies give December 25 the Dickens – the English author’s famed A Christmas Carol cautionary tale, that is. Asa Olsson directs Alcazar Theatre’s Carpinteria-centric production starring a bunch of locals (including, as it turns out, a couple of my colleagues in the Santa Barbara Improv workshop), November 30-December 9… Lights Up Theatre Company presents a teen take on Scrooge and the collective ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and of Christmas Yet to Come for two shows at Center Stage Theater
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owntown Santa Barbara’s 66th annual extravaganza, which hits State Street at 6:30 pm on Friday, December 7, features giant balloons, marching bands, community floats, performance groups, the Holiday Prince and Fairy, Santa Claus in a sleigh. This year’s parade theme, chosen to bring closure to the community after last year’s natural disasters, is “Santa Barbara Shines,” and the floats will be inspired by vibrant colors, kaleidoscopes, rainbows, and anything festively neon and colorful. Sounds more like Summer Solstice but what’s six months and 30 or so degrees difference?
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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.
What’s Today? It’s Christmas? I haven’t missed it!
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idja miss me last month? Wanna know what happened? I’m going to tell you the truth. Being that we only publish every four weeks now in the wake of recovering from the Thomas Fire and Montecito mudslide, I somehow didn’t put the right deadline date in my calendar. I didn’t know I had missed it until my editor texted me the morning after wondering if I’d just somehow forwarded it incorrectly. Yikes! It’s a Inclement weather might have cut back on the wonder I still have a job. (No, that’s not crowds, but rain didn’t dampen the spirit of this an invitation to send your resumé and caroling quartet who offered up snappy jazzed-up arrangement of holiday classics during the annual La writing samples to my boss.) Anyway, some of the stuff I would have Arcada Christmas Walk covered in that issue just seems way too old now, seeing as a lot of it goes back two months or more. Reviewing an outdoor concert right before Christmas just doesn’t sit right. But no matter. Because there were a couple of shows in November that are still resonating as I write. DC IS GETTING VERY SNARKY We speak here of David Crosby, the now seventy-something singer-songwriter whose career dates back to the seminal folk-rock band The Byrds and includes about
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40 years on-and-off with the even more influential outfit Crosby, Stills & Nash – and sometimes Young. (What you thought I was talking about Washington?) Before Crosby arrived in early November, the Lobero had already enjoyed visits from Nash, in October, and Young, via three “pop-up” performances in the summer. But even though both of them played new works, the old hits took up a majority of their setlists. We already knew that wouldn’t be true for Crosby, though, as he was appearing with members of the New York concept/conglomerate known as Snarky Puppy, including its founder-leader Michael League, who plays bass and guitar, and sometimes members Becca Sevens and Michele Willis, both of whom are wellrespected singer-songwriters on their own. The foursome had previously recorded a couple of albums together, and had a brand new one, Here If You Listen, as the cause for their tour, so we knew from the shared vocal leads, astounding harmonies, and jazz-tinged arrangements that this was no mere backing band. Crosby has always had, as he put it himself, a bit of a “weird stuff” approach to folk-rock. Still, the sheer beauty of the concert was beyond all expectations. The new songs shimmered with all sorts of fluttery sounds, with the lead vocals passed between all four musicians, each featuring heartbreaking harmonies that put CSN’s best to shame. Croz and the Lighthouse – the band’s official name taken from their first album together – were also shocking tight, weaving the wondrous melodies and melodic lines with precision, with even Crosby’s tripping up on the opening guitar line to “Things We Do for Love” eventually yielding to a third take that sailed smoothly. Even the old songs from CSN and Crosby’s solo catalog – “Deja Vu,” “If I Only Could Remember My Name,” and the closing “Woodstock” – reached new heights via ambitious arrangements. I don’t know if every show was this good, or perhaps a hometown hero bonus, as after all Crosby spent his teenage years hanging around the Santa Barbara harbor and has called the Santa Ynez Valley home for decades. But, wow, what a show. I’m in puppy love. ELLA HAS FITS HERALDING HER PRINCE – AND THE POOR What a smart and clever Cinderella it was that kicked off the new season of Broadway touring shows at the Granada late last month. The new musical version was safe and charming enough for the kids (not to mention complete with fairy godmothers, pumpkin carriage, and glass slippers), and there were plenty of them dolled up in princess dresses. But also full of funny physical feats and witty wordplay to keep the adults more than interested. Add in the vastly modern elements that update the fairytale with nods toward empowering women, telling truth to power, nurturing a self-reflecting monarch interested in righting injustice, and even forgiving your abusers, and this is clearly not your grandmother’s Cinderella. If only the songs were a bit more memorable. It’s hard to believe that the show draws upon the original Rodgers & Hammerstein score for the 1959 movie, with outtakes from some of the pair’s other shows mixed in. I’m writing this barely three hours after the curtain came down and I don’t think I could hum a single tune from Cinderella if you spotted me the first three notes and then offered Wheel of Fortunestyle big money. Fortunately, next up in the Granada series is The Sound of Music, which features perhaps the best songs in the Rodgers & Hammerstein canon. (You could also check out Rubicon Theatre’s South Pacific, although R&H’s soaring score for that epic gets a stripped down two-piano treatment, albeit with a 28-strong cast, for the December 5-23 production.) CHRISTMAS BY THE BLARNEY STONE A pair of Irish-themed shows grace our Spanish/Chumash-born town this month, beginning on Wednesday, December 12, when an award-winning cast of Irish dancers led by Caterina Coyne (Principal dancer, Riverdance), World Champion dancer Tyler Schwartz, and Connor Reider (Principal dancer Celtic Fyre, St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, The Chieftains) present “An Irish Christmas” at the Lobero. Also performing are members of the Kerry Dance Troupe, The Kerry Voice Squad, and the Kerry Traditional Orchestra. So step (dance) up and enjoy the show. “The Christmas Revels: An Irish Celebration of the Winter Solstice” turns the annual community-based theatrical celebration back over to the folks from the Emerald Isle, honoring the spirit and strength of the Irish emigrants who came to America in the early 1900s to build new lives in a new land. At sea over the holidays, these strangers bond over spinning stories, singing songs, and sharing seasonal traditions – all of which are part of the show featuring Revels company performers and guest artists including award-winning actors and Irish dancers as well as vocal soloists, a brass ensemble, and a string and wind quintet. Revels also gets the honor of bringing up the rear of the holiday happenings, as the shows take place at the Lobero from December 22-23.
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t is always awe-inspiring to watch someone who has mastered their craft. Whether it is a celebrated chef or an accomplished ballerina, there are many masters of their respective art forms. More often than not though, when someone is referred to as a “master,” one thinks of a wise martial arts teacher, inspiring images of a Mr. Miyagi-type telling students to sweep the floor. Funnily enough, this isn’t too far from the real-life example of a martial arts master. I recently got to meet with Master Yun Chao Zhang, who will be opening a new martial arts studio in town. I met with Master Yun and two of his students, Daniel Nash and Ethan Turpin, at the bright, crisply lit studio tucked next to the Andree Clark Bird Refuge near the popular Stella Mare’s Restaurant. As we chatted throughout the morning, each student spoke of their own paths of studies. Both students have been studying martial arts for decades and have received black belts in their respective styles. Their group of martial arts friends would sometime meet in the park to play the game of push hands, a two-person training exercise that develops the internal communication channels between the mind and body. When Master Yun, who recently moved to Ventura, came to see a visiting teacher in the park, he began playing push hands with everyone. The group were in awe of his skill and soon Daniel, Ethan, and others began studying under him. Eventually the desire to establish a studio for Master Yun began to take shape. Spearheaded by Daniel, the students wanted a place
where they could practice with Master Yun, but also, to be able to offer the community the chance to practice with such a rare source of teachings and an accomplished master. Master Yun has dedicated his whole life to the study of martial arts. He began his studies in 1973 at the age of 6. Coming from a family of modest means, he received the rare honor of being able to train under the famed Master Wang Qing Zhai, a distant relative. Master Wang had taken first place in the prized Northeast Martial Arts Championship in 1947. The Chinese Communist Revolution had begun the year before and this was the last time the competition was held. Over the following years, competitions and training of classic forms of martial arts were prohibited and many traditions were altered. Master Wang had kept his skills hidden during this time and became a celebrated teacher once he was allowed to openly practice again. The young Master Yun studied with him in a park, arriving at 4:30 am beforehand to pick up sticks while practicing his stances and footwork. This dedication paid off and as a teenager he began to tour tournaments around China solo with his master. Over the years Master Yun achieved international recognition at competitions. Chinese officials took note of his skill, offering to sponsor him for US citizenship, which he achieved in 2008, so that he could bring these classical teachings to the west. Certain styles of traditional Chinese martial arts have had limited exposure to the west because of restrictions on ...continued p.25
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WHAT’SHANGING? A with Ted Mills
GET CRAFTY
Ted Mills is a local writer, filmmaker, artist, and podcaster on the arts. You can listen to him at www.funkzonepodcast.com. He currently has a seismically dubious stack of books by his bed. Have an upcoming show you’d like us to know about? Please email: tedmills@gmail.com
CHRISTMAS CREEP
P
ersonally, I can’t stand the commercialization and the mission creep of Christmas. What happened to celebrating Autumn, I ask you all, because as soon as the Halloween decorations went down, Christmas went up? Has fire season (extended version) obliterated the harvest? On the other hand, if something does come from this time of year to warm the heart, it’s the gatherings, the parties, and the artist shows. It’s when we take stock and surround ourselves with friends and, dear art lovers, you know what good friends we artists are... because we’re all a little nuts. Plus, we survived 2018, and that’s something to celebrate. PURE POETRY
O
ne of my favorite things to do in December is attend the numerous pop-up art fairs that have become a bit of a tradition here.
First up on December 1, we have “Poetics of the Handmade,” the third annual installment of the local makers market where you can get all your Christmas shopping done early, from clothing to soaps, candles, balms, oils, and art. Plus, the location known as The Lower Lodge – a 1920’s carriage house studio between the Mission and the Natural History Museum – is a treat in itself. December 1, 10 am to 4 pm. ALL ARTISTS ON DECK
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ext up we have this year’s Deck the Halls, which takes place at the Twin Peaks-y Ojai Rancho Inn (615 West Ojai Avenue, Ojai) in which every room has been turned into a pop-up shop. You’ll find an assortment of makers from all over California, a meeting of ‘70s hippiedom and millennial worship. Or just come and people watch! Saturday, December 15, Noon - 7 pm.
nd THEN, the following day, December 16, back in SB, the Holiday Craft Market will open at the Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden, 11 am - 6 pm. Come check out crafts and goods and art by David Diamant, Matt Rodriguez, Metal Teepee, and so much more. And, yep, people watching game is strong here, too. Vanae Mary Rivera is behind the whole thang, so say hi. THAT FRIDAY FEELING
A
ndi Garcia, curator and art promoter par excellence, has set up a new gallery/store called Mas Firmé as a pop-up inside La Casa de la Raza (602 East Montecito Street), where all things arty and Latin can be had for affordable prices. Fridays from 6 - 9 pm through January. Please stop by and check out the goodies. LAST FIRST THURSDAY (OF THE YEAR)
T
he big event this coming Thursday, December 6, is the always popular, annual 100 Grand Show at Sullivan Goss. That’s 100 works of art for $1,000 or less, with a selection of Santa Barbara’s best artists, including 14 who are new to the show this year. It runs through February 3, but if you’re looking to buy something, you better get there Thursday. HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU
E
lsie’s Tavern, beloved by many, celebrates its 25th year gazing into the gaping maw of gentrification and while that sucks, let’s live for today this coming First Thursday and check out their retrospective art show, featuring artists from the present and past. And there’s still time to buy a raffle ticket to win Michael Long’s Elsie’s diorama. 5 - 10 pm. 117 West De la Guerra. ISN’T THIS WHERE WE CAME IN?
T
om Pazderka presents his new work, “The End Is the Beginning,” at SBCAST (513 Garden Street), dark and troubling paintings that engage in our current policies on immigration.
Reception is Thursday, Decenber 6 at 6 pm. But please return the following Thursday, December 13 at 6 pm where Pazderka will take part in a discussion on the immigrant in artistic representation, featuring 1st District Supervisor Das Williams, UCSB Art Professor Marco Peljhan, LUM Art Zine Editor & Curator Debra Herrick, and yours truly moderating. COCKTAIL TIME
T
wo art shows with libations at the ready: the continuation of MCA’s Kota Ezawa show will get a final Curated Cocktails of the year, December 6, 7 - 9 pm at MCA (Paseo Nuevo, upstairs) and SBCC photography student Amy Stanfield will show her work all month at Press Room (15 East Ortega Street) with a reception December 6, 6 pm to late with DJ Free Range (c’est moi!) from 8-11 pm. First round’s on you! AND FINALLY
Y
outh Interactive Gallery (1219 State) shows Inga Guzyte, Dan Levin and Hugh Margerum all month, with a shop and reception December 6; Wallace Piatt and Nicholas Mayfield show at Elizabeth Gordon Gallery (15 W Gutierrez St) on December 8, 5 to 10 pm; and Art Without Limits celebrates it mentorships with a show featuring Sol Hill, Tom Pazderka, Colleen M. Kelly, and Andi Schoenbaum, December 14, 5 - 7 pm 111-C Santa Barbara Street in the Funk Zone.
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...continued from p.5
GROWTH IN GOLETA Kristen Miller, President and CEO of the Goleta Chamber of Commerce, is on top of it because so many of the tech companies are based in Goleta. “It’s the positive of the ebb and flow,” she says. “There’s always been a boom and bust aspect to tech start-ups. Recent investment just proves that the cycle continues, but over the past fifteen or so years we have kept a tech core because of UCSB.” Goleta has been willing to adapt to the changing
environment and the demographic that feeds this generation of tech development. “There is a momentum, good things are happening, and we are trying to grow what we have and support good employers, growth, and traffic that contribute to the local economy.” High techs jobs are growing, and it gives people a shot at higher paying work. “At the Chamber our goal is to set up programs and services that can make it
easier for people going through the ebb and flow,” she adds. There is an appeal to the Old Town Goleta District. The heritage district is home to some of the oldest familyowned businesses here. Locals have known for a long time that Downtown Goleta with proper development could blossom into a gem. With Paperback Alley, one of the oldest bookstores in the area, and Dawn O’Brien’s under-theradar beer and wine bar, the Mercury Lounge (which fills every week with
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surprise alt bands like “Van Goat,” local performers like former lead guitarist of the Foo Fighters Chris Shiflett and occasional headliners like Jonathan Richmond), some beginning features have developed. Add Merc’s sister bar, Imperial, where UCSB professors, tech talent, locals, grad students, and a diverse crowd bump elbows in the Tiki Bar décor, and the newly opened Old Town Coffee, the utterly required WiFi-energized espresso bar with locally roasted Rise Coffee, the shift is in progress. There’s even a budding grass roots Esports community staging events in Goleta and Santa Barbara, Gold Coast Esports (GCE), which is one of the fastest growing eSports organizations on the coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco. “Downtown is a more livable concept for the next generation of tech workers,” Miller adds, “Everything is coming closer together; work, shopping, daycare, all walkable.” Downtowns are becoming people places again, everywhere across the country, recovering their vigor, developing into a residential alternative that appeals to young families and young people without children. Downtown Los Angeles is a great example of this comeback. Goleta is also making efforts to give local kids access into these tech companies. “There is no university for what these tech innovators are doing,” Miller offers. “Working with the Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board we’re inviting local residents ages 14-21 to tour many of these businesses, to share their 20 second elevator pitch, and be exposed to these workplaces.” Santa Barbara is more complicated. Ken Oplinger, the Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce President admits, “In Santa Barbara, we don’t agree on anything when it comes to development. The one thing I think we’ve come to an agreement on is downtown.” With Amazon occupancy expected by the end of 2019, tech growth becomes a downtown development story now. The opportunity exists for a new driver in the revitalization of downtown living. “We don’t really see any sort of limitation from our perspective,” Oplinger adds. “We think that having more tech companies in Santa Barbara proper and specifically the fact that we’re already growing them here is important. So, we’re happy to work with them all.” Mixed use development on State ...continued p.28
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...continued from p.8
the proceeds going to their relief fund. As the one-year anniversary of the Thomas Fire and subsequent mudslides in Montecito nears, the recent disasters hit home for the local brewers and many of the central coast breweries have jumped on board including SLO Brew, Central Coast Brewing, The Brewhouse, Draughtsmen Aleworks, Topa Topa, Figueroa Mountain, and Rincon Brewery, among others. A recent count puts the number of participating breweries around the nation at slightly over 1,000, meaning roughly 1 in 6 craft breweries in the country is helping out. Some of the breweries were unable to fit the Resilience IPA in their brewing schedule but are still helping with donations. For example, Telegraph will be donating proceeds from the sales of their West Swell IPA cans. The brews took place across the nation on the recent Giving Tuesday, November 27, and will be released a few weeks from now. Make sure to swing by one of these breweries and drink a pint (or two) in support of this cause. LOCAL WINTER FLARE AND BEER Many of the local breweries will also be releasing holiday-themed brews as well. While not modeled directly after Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale, the Harvest Red RYE IPA from The Brewhouse is certainly similar in style with a ruby color and rich nose of wet hops picked fresh from their property. Visit the new Draughtsmen Aleworks location downtown to try a wine barrel aged version of the Brute Quad. Locally, Telegraph’s Winter Ale is our greatest celebration of this style of beer. Modeled after Mexican hot chocolate, Winter Ale is brewed with cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, and sweet Ancho chilies giving it a flare that is distinctly Santa Barbaran in nature. Telegraph has brewed this beer for years and in the area it highlights the beginning of the winter beer season. The sweet chili peppers are apparent
Anchor’s Our Special Ale celebrates the holiday season with a new label and recipe each year (photo by Erin Conger)
on the nose with flavors of semi-ripe plums accented by hints of cocoa and coffee beans that finish with a toasty spiced warmth. This year they will only be releasing it on draft so make sure to swing by the tasting room to grab a pint of this warming brew. This time of year also marks the opening of Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. They recently celebrated their 8th anniversary with a party at their Buellton brewery and a special 8th Anniversary Ale release. Each year Figueroa Mountain celebrates their birthday with something boozy and barrel-aged. The anniversary ale usually is a blend of various specialty barrels they’ve acquired and showcases their skills with both barrel aging and blending. The beer has a different inspiration each year and this one was modeled after an Old Fashioned Cocktail. To accomplish this, they brewed a 12.5% ABV barrel-aged American barleywine with orange zest and cherries. The beer was aged for several months in a range of bourbon and rye whiskey barrels to lace the liquid with a complex whiskey character. The final blend has the rich and flavorful, but distinctly drinkable, style that usually graces their anniversary brews. Aromas of cherry and orange drift above the glass with a boozey flavor of vanilla and brown sugar that leaves a wooden warmth in the chest. The 8th Anniversary Ale is available in wax-topped bottles, making an elegant holiday gift for the beer geek in your family, or just a good addition to your own beer cellar.
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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
In the last 18 years, Margaret Landreau has accumulated 13 years of serving on the Board of Directors of Santa Barbara County arts-related nonprofits and has worked as a freelance arts writer for 10 years. She creates her own art in her Carpinteria studio.
MARGARET LANDREAU, JEWELRY DESIGNER
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his is the season to take advantage of all the local art fairs and find high quality, handmade gifts that everyone on your list will treasure. I invite you to come see my stone and silver jewelry at the Night Market in Paseo Nuevo Thursdays through Sundays all December, at the Artwalk across the parking lot from Goleta Costco from December 12 through 22, and Sundays at the Cabrillo Beach Artwalk. My jewelry making began with my parents taking me to the Santa Monica Gem Show when I was eight years old, about the same time I began to talk my dad into letting me use his 35 mm camera. It may have been inevitable that these would eventually take over my life. In the 90s, I began working in both photography and jewelry, and when Nordstrom began placing regular orders with me, my jewelry business became my profession. Before my father passed, he gave me his lapidary equipment. Cutting and polishing my own stones gives me control over shape and size, enhancing the creativity and originality of my designs. In recent years I have concentrated on refining my metalworking skills. This has helped me expand my design options and allowed me to really showcase my lapidary work. Growing up in Malibu and always choosing to live by the beach has greatly influenced my artistry. I’m on a roll right now creating a series of “fish tails” and “waves.” Often my designs are not representational, but are just the suggestion, or “hint” of a wave, or fish fin, or floating kelp. A recent piece came with its own story: “We never knew if it was a whale or a Mermaid, all we saw
was the flip of a tail before it disappeared deep into the sea.” I try for unique designs, different from what I see offered by other jewelers. One customer told me, “I don’t have anyone to give it to. I may just hang it up on my wall, it’s so beautiful.” I was invited last August to be the sole jewelry artist to ever exhibit at 10 West Gallery in Santa Barbara, which was quite a compliment. I love when a customer tells me how much they enjoy or how often they wear one of my necklaces. My favorite day is when I can walk into my workroom and just sit and create designs with stones and metal all day. in addition to spending time creating jewelry, I organize five or six shows yearly for myself and other artists, and fundraisers for The Foundation Fighting Blindness. Also see my work on Instagram at SeaRockArt.sb and searockartsb on Pinterest. Contact me at (805) 2008735, searockart@gmail.com.
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their export and practice. Most of the styles we’ve seen in movies have come through the more independent Hong Kong and southern China. Over his lifetime, Master Yun has championed styles that are rarely seen outside of China. Upon meeting him, Master Yun has an immediately bright, magnetic personality, with an undeniable enthusiasm for martial arts. As we chatted, he would break out into demonstrations. Grabbing swords and acting out the winning moves of his Master’s historic competition or breaking into drunken style kung fu when he heard I work with beer. The extensive knowledge of his skill is easy to notice and exhilarating to witness. While Master Yun has studied with masters of a few styles, his training extends to many types of martial arts. As he exhibited different forms, he would point out the pitfalls of the more flamboyant styles that you see in kung fu movies. While fun to watch on a screen, these styles often don’t have real world applications. “You’re stuck.” Holding a form, Master Yun pointed to areas of his own body, showing how it was locked up. He had Daniel repeat the attack, this time blocking with the correct form. My eyes darted around, trying to keep up, as he snapped his elbow forward
while whipping his foot out, showing the many ways he can attack while still blocking his opponent. Forming a new stance, he had Daniel lean on him with the entirety of his weight. “Full empty.” Pointing out the balance between his feet. All of the weight on one foot with the other delicately perched on the ground. Master Yun started walking gracefully in circles, his movements in perfect synchronicity as he carried the full weight of Daniel. This internal power is what Ethan and Daniel are so eager to learn from Master Yun. INTERNAL VS. EXTERNAL FORMS There are two main branches of martial arts. External forms focus on the movement of one’s body with an emphasis on the motion of the extremities. These are the punches, kicks, and other movements that are typically seen in kung fu movies. Internal forms are subtler, generating power from the movement of breath and the core of the body. While not visually as stimulating as the external forms, internal styles are prized for their strategic use of one’s own body to redirect the momentum and power of an opponent’s body. Internal forms often take years to become an expert at and require a mastery of both
body and mind to truly understand. The internal forms Master Yun specializes in is what Daniel and Ethan are so excited to study. After decades of practicing martial arts, both students have never witnessed such a master of internal power. Master Yun’s teachings represent a direct lineage of internal and external styles that form the original source from which many other martial arts evolved. Although Master Yun is versed in a wide range of styles, the studio will begin with a focus on three main forms. Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu, an external form, is composed of rapid, precise movements that are modeled after its namesake insect. This is one of the many styles that Master Yun studied from Master Wang as a child. Wu Style Tai Chi is an internal style that focuses more on slow, steady motions revolving around the core that allows the practitioner to develop communication within the whole body. Master Yun is the fifth generation master from the Wu Yu Xiang line of tai chi. Of the five major styles of tai chi, this is the rarest form. While more understated in its movements than the other tai chi styles, this style is celebrated for its ability to generate internal power. Another internal form, Xing Yi, will also be taught at the studio. This style is
composed of abrupt, direct movements that represents the translation of its name, “Form-Intention Boxing.” Master Yun specializes in Shang Style Xing Yi, a unique branch that blends internal and external movements, referred to as the six harmonies, into potent combinations. These internal and external focuses help build a healthy body and mind that Master Yun emphasizes is at the core of any practice and required if one is to truly understand these styles. These are the three forms that will initially be offered however as the studio grows there is flexibility for new styles to be taught if enough students express an interest in a particular form. The opening schedule consists of afternoon classes from Tuesday through Thursday with private teaching options available and an extended multi-class practice on Saturdays that will run from 10 am to 2 pm. The studio (1807 East Cabrillo Blvd, Suite C) will have a Grand Opening Ceremony this upcoming Sunday, December 9th, from 2 to 5 pm. Come enjoy food and drinks alongside demonstrations by Master Yun and his students. Try your hand at some tai chi or just come and witness a true master at work. For more information and a class schedule visit http://masteryun.com.
The Perfect Santa Barbara Holiday Gift for Kids of All Ages Featuring the phenomenal animal drawings of renowned artist,
Tom Mielko
paired with the whimsical verse of local author Erin
Graffy
Available now at: Tecolote Bookstore • Mischief of Montecito Santa Barbara Zoo • Chaucer’s Bookstore Santa Barbara Arts at La Arcada Plaza Bennett’s Toys & Educational Materials
As seen in Montecito Journal Glossy Winter/Spring Edition!
• Silver Medal Ben Franklin IBPA Awards • Silver Medal for Poetry National Indie Excellence Book Awards • Bronze Medal Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards • International Book Award Finalist
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PLANB by Briana Westmacott When Briana isn’t lecturing for her writing courses at UCSB and SBCC, she contributes to The Santa Barbara Skinny, Wake & Wander and Flutter Magazine. Along with her passion for writing and all things Santa Barbara, much of her time is spent multitasking through her days as a mother, wife, sister, want-to-be chef and travel junky. Writing is an outlet that ensures mental stability... usually.
BOOK IT
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he holiday season has launched and it’s torpedoing directly towards us. Don’t panic! I put together a list of Santa Barbara-based authors who have published books that will spoil a wide range of readers on your gift list. If you book it, I’m sure you can cross off many of the loved ones on your holiday list. RUTH BADER GINSBURG: A LIFE BY JANE SHERRON DE HART e Hart, a professor of history at UCSB, has spent the past fifteen years researching and writing the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s compelling life. This is the very first full-length biography to be published about RBG and there’s no doubt it will look beautiful wrapped under your tree.
SECRETS OF DATING AFTER FIFTY: THE INSIDER’S GUIDE TO FINDING LOVE AGAIN BY KAREN HADDIGAN IN COLLABORATION WITH DEBI HELM wo local ladies (slightly over 50) give humorous guidance to anyone navigating the midlife dating scene. Their candid tales of being divorced and widowed while also being grandmothers engulfed in the online dating world will give you giggles along with helpful tips. Since divorce rates for people over 50 have doubled in the past 25 years, there’s more than likely someone you know who needs this stuffed in their stocking.
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THE BOOK OF SANTA BARBARA PHOTOGRAPHS BY MACDUFF EVERTON WITH AN ESSAY BY PICO IYER his coffee table gem dazzles on each and every page. Not only are all of the images enchanting, but the beginning also contains an essay penned by local author Pico Iyer. Someone special on your list will be impressed by this work of art.
THE NEW NEGRO: THE LIFE OF ALAIN LOCKE BY JEFFREY C. STEWART tewart’s acclaimed biography gives readers a look into the life of the father of Harlem Renaissance, Alain Locke. This stimulating book is earning so much praise it’s hard to find a copy on the bookshelves. Scoop one up for your present pile ASAP.
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PILGRIMAGE TO DOLLYWOOD: A COUNTRY MUSIC ROAD TRIP THROUGH TENNESSEE BY HELEN MORALES orales mixes travel writing with country music and American history in this book about her road trip to Dollywood. It’s a fun read, especially for anyone intrigued by Dolly Parton and the Nashville scene.
M AROUND THE TABLE: RECIPES & STORIES FROM THE LARK IN SANTA BARBARA ore than just a recipe book, Around the Table contains spectacular pictures sprinkled with bits of Santa Barbara history and restaurant stories. If you have a loved one who loves The Lark restaurant, this is the perfect present. Give them the gift of being able to recreate the infamous Lark family-style recipes at home.
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THE SIZE OF EVERYTHING BY ERIN COLE WITH JENNA MCCARTHY cCarthy, a long-time Santa Barbara resident, coauthored this memoir based on Cole’s intensely dysfunctional upbringing. It is a perseverance-themed page-turner with many moments of inspiration and hope. Gift it to a friend who needs to be submerged into a narrative.
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ALL THE WORLD’S YOUR STAGE: HOW YOUR BODY WORKS AND HOW TO ENJOY A HEALTHY, PRODUCTIVE AND ABUNDANT LIFE BY GEORGE AYOUB ho doesn’t want to live a long, strong life? Dr. Ayoub gives many well-researched tips on how to do just that in his newest book. Ayoub explains the workings of your body and analyzes many chronic illnesses. He gives dietary and physical tips on how to improve your overall health. The gift of good health is truly priceless.
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THE WAY IT WAS: SANTA BARBARA COMES OF AGE BY HATTIE BERESFORD tep into the past as Beresford chronicles a fifty-year period in Santa Barbara between 1880 and 1930. With beautiful images and intriguing renditions, it draws us into the history of our city. This book is so pretty; all it needs is a bow on top.
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Holiday Cards to support the Montecito Firefighters Charitable Fund
CLASS PETS: FUZZY’S GREAT ESCAPE BY BRUCE HALE anta’s helper is here! This is the first in Hale’s series of pet capers; his Guinea Pig tales will spark young imaginations. Be sure to include Class Pets in the stockings.
Original artwork “Fire Night” painted by a Montecito Firefighter
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Blank inside for your own greeting Eloquent description of the Thomas Fire events on the reverse Box of 12 cards for $25* sold only at:
BBB have to give special thanks to Jareme Magara at Chaucer’s Bookstore for helping me find books for this extensive list of local authors. Chaucer’s has been a Santa Barbara favorite since 1974 and only seems to get better with age. You can find the “Book It” list selections at Chaucer’s and don’t leave without letting their team gift wrap them for you. www.chaucersbooks.com
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• Jeannine’s – Montecito only • Letter Perfect – Coast Village Road • Read ‘N Post – Montecito Country Market • Village Cheese & Wine – SW corner E. Valley & San Ysidro *99% goes to the Fund Ad paid by Christie Jenkins Photography
Update Your Landscape Reduce water use & your bill: · Update your landscape to a beautiful, low maintenance, water wise garden. · Plant in the fall. For spring color, plants need to put down their roots in winter. · Go Native. Plant native and water wise plants and reduce watering and maintenance needs.
Rebates may be available. For inspiration go on a Virtual Garden Tour at SantaBarbaraCa.gov/waterwise
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seems to be the key everyone’s agreed upon. “Any time one thing starts rising versus another or falling like the vacancies on State Street, it affects everybody and that has its pluses and minuses as always,” Oplinger explains. “Amazon will be good for local business. It’s not for sure that they are going to have a store there. But the City and Amazon have talked, and I would be very surprised if they did not. It’s an opportunity for them.” Currently Santa Barbara has a business improvement district that is based on one of the original models in California from the 60s. That model relies on a business license tax paid every year plus an additional assessment on top that goes to the Downtown Santa Barbara Organization for the work they do to promote the downtown businesses with festivals and events. Keeping the area clean and safe is their mandate, but that financial burden falls on businesses versus property owners. “It gets down to the well-being of the business versus the property owners and the town as well,” Oplinger says. He sees that balance shifting in the near future where the building owner has to contribute. “Essentially the property owners need to feel like they’ve got
skin in the game to develop the value of downtown. If the owners are paying in, they will want to make sure that that money is being used where it should be. They are going to get more involved.” A shopping mall in the middle of town is an idea that worked for a while, but it requires innovation to keep working. Mixed use downtown areas have a new value because like the Goleta model, there is a generation who doesn’t want to drive everywhere. People want to live where they work, have restaurants there and neighborhoods. LOCALLY GROWN There are potentially favorable outcomes for local workers, especially kids entering the workforce. If kids living here can train and make their way into tech, they can provide talent that doesn’t have to be relocated and find housing. It means knocking on the doors of these tech companies, starting in customer service and other jobs to work your way up and the City and tech companies will need to support training. Mark Sylvester, co-founder of the Santa Barbara-based computer animation software company Wavefront, tech pioneer, TED talk specialist, podcaster and more, is a big
promoter of local kids making their way into the local tech scene. Along with the Impact Hub Centers and Kyle Ashby’s Sandbox, Mark is fostering support for locals in the tech business and those that want to find their way in. “This is an accessible city, and with online learning like ‘Hello Careers,’ meet ups and robust programs at the Impact Hub and other places kids can take the ‘lateral lessons’ they’ve learned elsewhere and apply them to potentially working for these companies.” Lateral lessons are those skills and understandings one may have learned in one area applied to another. Even a life of online gaming has takeaways to apply to systems and analytic skills as well as troubleshooting and working with teams on and off line. Apple no longer requires a college degree and, in a world where college degrees have become loaded with debt and become hard to value, there are opportunities for that young individual who is driven to make it work. Oplinger wants the Chamber of Commerce to help develop these skills. “Bitwise Industries was originally a concept we discussed with the Impact Hub when it was first developing. Bitwise started as a sort of shared workspace for people in the tech
industry in Fresno, but they also provide training for high school kids all throughout that region, many of whom are coming from households where no one has ever gone to college.” Realizing these potentials is all about stewardship and bringing these disparate elements together in the fabric of Santa Barbara life. All of this leads potentially to the development of a creative class that supports restaurants and cafés and the cultural life of Santa Barbara’s future. State Street has been hollowed out and as a result growth has happened organically around the main downtown area. At the same time, State Street’s vacancies have created such an obvious area of concern that businesses, city government, and the creative Chambers of Commerce in Goleta and Santa Barbara have begun developing ideas, new models, and pointing to ways all the vested parties can move forward together. Tech companies have long seen how great it is to live and work here, how the basic bones of Santa Barbara can be a great alternative to Silicon Valley and a rich environment to grow in. Hopefully the community will tackle a few new ways of doing business to help make it continue to grow.
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By Elizabeth Rose
I Heart SB is the diary of Elizabeth Rose, a thirtysomething navigating life, love, and relationships. She lives on a 34-foot sailboat and navigates that too. Follow her adventures on Instagram or at www.ihearterose.com. Thoughts or comments: ihearterose@gmail.com
TORTILLAS OF THE HANDS: PART TWO LEARNING TO MAKE TORTILLAS TAUGHT ME MORE THAN I EXPECTED…
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he sun beat down as I drug my feet through the dry sand, nearing the small beachside restaurant with a palm-leafed roof. Maria, the woman who would teach me to make tortillas that afternoon, was busy with a few customers so I pulled out a chair near a plastic white table and sat down. A little girl about five years old came up to me. She had beautiful dark brown eyes and thick eyelashes reminiscent of a Disney princess. Standing by my side with her petite shoulder touching mine, she pointed to my phone. I instinctively showed her photos from our sailing trip, pictures of my family, and images with features I could translate. She introduced herself as Rosalita then climbed on my lap, took my phone, and began scrolling at her own pace. Many of the pictures were of a Christmas celebration at my family’s home with my notquite one-year-old nephew surrounded by toys and unwrapped gifts under a sparkly, ornamented tree. As she continued to swipe through, I looked towards the small cinderblock houses just beyond the restaurant. It dawned on me that my photos represented a life she might never know. A wood floor and carpeted home. Modern fixtures and furniture. An abundance of abundance. Though this little girl didn’t seem to lack in happiness, or even pause to notice a difference, it made me realize once again that although “stuff ” doesn’t determine a happy life, I had a lot to be thankful for. Rosalita continued, pointing to people in my photos to which I would reply, Mi madre y padre, mi hermana, mi sobrino. I gave her a gentle hug in appreciation of lesson she unknowingly delivered and kissed her lightly on the head just as I would my young nephew. “¡Hola, Megan! ¿Listo?” Maria smiled and motioned me to the kitchen. Rosalita, who I later discovered was Maria’s niece, followed close behind and took a seat in the corner to watch us make tortillas. The simple ingredients were laid on the counter in front of us: Flour, salt, manteca (lard), vegetable oil, and warm water. Maria used basic Spanish and hand gestures to illustrate directions. “El agua tibia,” she said. I shook my head, confused. “No calor, no frio,” she said as she dribbled tepid water on my hand to explain the word, “warm.” She let me take over in the beginning, mixing ingredients together to make dough. At one point, Maria rested her hand on my back, encouraging me that I was doing a good job. She exuded a sort of maternal love. Equal to the feeling I got as a child making cookies with my mother. She demonstrated the next step by squeezing dough in her palm and through a small opening created by her thumb and pointer finger. Out came little round orbs, about the size of a bouncy ball you would buy for a quarter from a toy vending machine. Maria turned the balls into small patties by patting them flat with three fingers and rotating on the dough on the palm of her hand. As we let the dough rest for a few minutes, she explained she makes up to eighty tortillas a day and was taught the recipe by her mother and grandmother. She doesn’t use a tortilla press and instead stretches the dough into flat circles. I was nervous I’d stretch the dough too thin and break the circle so mine were thicker than hers, more like watered down pancakes. We cooked each tortilla on a piping hot skillet for about two minutes on each side. I looked to Rosalita in the corner seat, her eyes pleading with me to finish so we could get back to my phone. I tell her in Spanish it may take about ten more minutes. “Diez minutos?!” she whined. We all burst out laughing and her cute face recoiled in a shy, embarrassed smile. At the end of our lesson, I played with Rosalita and Maria filled a bag of tortillas for me to take back to the boat. As I gathered my belongings I teared up, honored that Maria shared this family recipe with me. I said goodbye to Rosalita and after an affectionate hug from Maria, I held her hands, looked into her eyes and said, “Gracias, mi nueva amiga.” Thank you my new friend. To see photos from this day, visit: www.ihearterose.com
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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.
PONY ESPRESSO Pony Espresso owners (from left) Evan Lash and Alberto Battaglini
Italian ranch feeling with potted olive trees which give a nod to the Mediterranean, and yes – there is free WiFi. “We are going to be a crowd-pleasing place,” says Alberto, adding, “we are making items people love already, and we are bringing quality, locally sourced food, and good ideas to the table, and all with good service.” Alberto says the setting is a bit different, explaining coffee service faces the customer, “more Italian style – it creates a great point of attraction and flow with easy pick up. People can stay there, and hang around, create conversation with the bar tenders as they move down the line to pick up their order along the long spacious open counter. It really is an engagement point. In America, you just take coffee to go. In Italy, we go to the bar, sit for a coffee, sip, and then leave. I am trying to create that here too – where people hang out and communicate while drinking espresso and cappuccino, standing classic Italian style.” Pony Espresso is outfitted with an Italian Rancilio espresso machine station and will serve only Lavazza brand coffee. “We want to take all that is good about a coffee house and make it better and better and better with that little Italian flair,” says Alberto. In addition to serving, “cappuccinos all day Italian style,” a huge wood framed black board menu announces a selection of coffee drinks; hot teas including Irish breakfast, jasmine, and prickly pear; fresh juices; cold drinks; sparkling water; Alessio Carnevale’s Valley Craft Gelato; granola made in-house; fresh Greek yogurt with berry and seeds; bagels; avocado toast; an English muffin breakfast item with eggs, basil tomato and cheese; a burrito with goat cheese; avocado and egg; a few sandwiches; smoothies; and pastries from Renaud’s in Santa Barbara. “We chose Renaud’s [authentic handmade French pastries] because we really like the product and no one else serves it in the valley.” Alberto says there are a variety of items guests can grab for take away or, “stay here and chill and enjoy,” with in-house dishes served on small stylish china and wooden boards – “everything petite.” Alberto believes the biggest hits on the menu will be his avocado toast, the gelato, and the cappuccino, and as for all that coffee, he says, “it is like ‘wow’ – good, good stuff.” “I am trying to combine all my mixology to make some espresso drinks. All of the experience I have behind the bar will be focused on Italian style coffee drinks. Old style recipes with a modern twist – that are also nice to look at,” says Alberto, listing off items including affogato (gelato “drowned” in a shot of hot espresso), a pistachio gelato bowl with waffle chips, and coppa amarena (a cup of cherries with gelato and whipped cream).” Pony Espresso is open 6:30 am to 4 pm daily, and located at 3558 Sagunto Street in Santa Ynez. For more information visit PonyEspressoSYV on Facebook.
SOLVANG JULEFEST HOLIDAY EVENTS
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he rustic stylish Old West town of Santa Ynez is once again complete with a new coffeehouse. Fittingly situated on the main thoroughfare next to the post office and just past the horseshoe embedded crosswalks, Pony Espresso opened its doors late November to reveal the town’s new hub to gather, talk, write, read, sip, snack, pass the time, and refuel – either on the go or on your own sweet time. Valley residents and business partners Alberto Battaglini and Evan Lash say they wanted to give back to the community and put a lot of thought into reviving the space, building it, “hand by hand with some help.” Verona native, Alberto, is the former general manager of SY Kitchen and celebrated bar mixologist, and reports after attending Scuola Alberghiera in Verona he further honed his mixology skills in London, Spain, Mexico, and in Los Angeles before coming up to Santa Ynez. Evan Lash is a real estate investor in the valley and opened Corner House Coffee in Los Olivos in 2005 with his family. He says they operated the coffeehouse for 12 years before passing it on to new operators, but still own the property. Evan recalls, “When I was a little kid, [Pony Espresso] was the Roasted Bean,” and for the past seven years it was the Valley Grind. The space got a full makeover, revealing an open, fresh, organic, clean, spacious shop with a “western ranch” meets “modern” vibe. Natural elements are used throughout, with polished concrete floors, wrought iron backed chairs, industrial modern lighting, a long wooden bench and tables made from a locally reclaimed fence, and a long, spacious light grey Corian counter. “It’s an open floor plan with low profiles where you can see your friends and neighbors,” says Alberto, explaining they moved some walls, exposing brick, and gave the whole place an “appropriately-named” coat of Swiss Coffee paint. The long, wooden banquette bench has built-in power and USB plugs, welcoming corners include a sofa with coffee table and leather chairs, and patio seating has a nice
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amed one of Time Magazine’s “Most Christmas-y Towns in America,” Solvang brings a heaping serving of holiday cheer throughout the entire holiday season.
FREE VISITS AND FAMILY PHOTO OPS WITH SANTA (BRING YOUR OWN CAMERA) Saturday, December 1, 2018, from 12 to 4 pm Friday, December 7, 2018, from 4 to 6 pm Saturday, December 8, 2018, from 12:30 to 4 pm Saturday, December 15, 2018, from 12 to 4 pm Saturday, December 22, 2018, from 12 to 4 pm NISSE ADVENTURE – Adventure hunt for kids of all ages to find twelve Danish Christmas Elves each about 16 inches tall. Stop by the Solvang Visitors Center at 1639 Copenhagen Drive to pick up a free “Nisse Adventure” map. DECEMBER 1-31, 2018 SOLVANG CANDLELIGHT WALKING TOURS departing from the Solvang Park Gazebo. Stroll and carol with a costumed guide sharing insider heritage and history; concluding with a private meet & greet with Santa Claus, hot cocoa, and cookies at the Hotel Corque. $25 per person (under age 2 free). SATURDAYS: DECEMBER 1, 8, 15, 22, 2018 AT 4:30 PM COMMUNITY TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY IN SOLVANG PARK. Free live entertainment with area bands, choirs, caroling, and Fossemale ballerinas performing around the 20-foot tall drought-tolerant LED tree. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2018 FROM 4 PM TO 6:30 PM JULEFEST HOLIDAY PARADE with 400+ participants complete with
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dancers, carriages, and animals. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2018 AT 11 AM SOLVANG JULEFEST WINE & BEER WALK “SKÅL STROLL!” This passport features wine and beer tasting rooms throughout the village offering samplings. Tickets are $45 per person (21 years or older please) for the two-day passport including a souvenir wine glass. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15 AND SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2018 FROM 11 AM TO 4 PM THE SOLVANG NATIVITY PAGEANT, also known as the “Christmas Story,” comes to life at the outdoor Solvang Festival Theater (420 Second Street). Free. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2018 FROM 5 PM TO 7 PM HOLIDAY LIGHTS & SIGHTS TROLLEY TOUR of seasonal décor throughout Solvang and Santa Ynez Valley. Festive music and hot chocolate. $13 per person. MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2018 FROM 6 TO 7:15 PM AND 7:30 TO 8:45 PM SOLVANG 3RD WEDNESDAY HOLIDAY EDITION, throughout the village featuring deals at local merchants, restaurants, and gourmet food purveyors; the weekly Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market from 2 to 6 pm; discounts at local hotels; the 3rd Wednesday Wine & Beer Walk and $25 three-course menus at Solvang restaurants. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2018 ANNUAL FIRE SAFETY DEMONSTRATION & CHRISTMAS TREE BURN in the fields of Old Mission Santa Inés; supervised by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, area residents are invited to bring their tree to the burn pile between January 2 through 4, 2019 and join to see this powerful spectacle light up the New Year. For more information on these holiday events, call 805-688-7529. FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018 FROM 5 TO 7 PM
Vino Vaqueros Horseback Riding Private Horseback Riding with or without Wine Tasting in The Santa Ynez Valley Call or Click for Information and Reservations (805) 944-0493 www.vinovaqueros.com
Subterranean termites and drywood termites are two different species and must undergo different pest-control treatments. Pest control technicians have the expertise to distinguish between termite species and to know how best to deal with different kinds of termite infestations.
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