Santa Barbara Sentinel - Volume 1 - Issue 2 - October 12 - 19, 2012 - Once a week from pier to peak

SANTA BARBARA SKINNY CINEMA UNDER THE STARS AND GET YOUR VITAMIX JUICE ON

REAL ESTATE MYTH BUSTING SHOULD WE BE AFRAID OF THE DREADED SHADOW INVENTORY?

BY LOVEMIKANA.COM, P. 19

THE FUNKY ZONE CARR WINERY, J7, Latitude Gallery & OTHERS SHINE IN THE FUNK ZONE

BY Michael Calcagno, P. 23

BY MATT MAZZA, P. 3

SANTA BARBARA

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• once a week from pier to peak •

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Bravo Bruno!

by Wendy Jenson

Restaurateur Bruno Baio And Joelle Legrand Launch The French Table On East Anapamu (story on page 6)

MAZZA’S MISSIVE

by Matt Mazza

THE TRAGEDY OF THE LAMB

T

he inaugural edition of the Sentinel came off the printing press late Thursday and I spent much of my Friday morning meeting new people and delivering papers around town – that’s a new job for me, and frankly it’s one that doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Those bundles of papers are heavy, even heavier than the law books and litigation briefcases I normally carry. Paper delivery is strenuous, trust me, and I worked up quite an appetite as I labored.

So I met my wife, Wendi, at Scarlett Begonia, the little place in Victoria Court that most everybody knows serves a terrific breakfast and lunch. We were treated to a tasty amuse-bouche of house-made organic granola topped with yogurt (also made in-house) and blueberries. My Brioche French Toast and bacon (what can I say? I treated myself for putting out the paper) was warm, airy, and delicious, with just the right combination of sweet and salt. And Wendi’s apricot almond bread (with butter ...continued p.2

SBVIEW.com PAGE 10

PRESIDIOSPORTS PAGE 20

KEEPING IT TOGETHER PAGE 18

LOVEMIKANA.com PAGE 19

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MAZZA’S MISSIVE

ONTENTS

Cover

Mazza’s Missive – The Tragedy of the Lamb gives way to an enjoyable Saturday at Focus on the Funk Zone and El Cap State Beach, and Sunday brings the Family Care Network’s Taste of the Central Coast for Editor-in-Chief Matt Mazza. (That’s a lot.)

P.4

L etters to the Editor – Michel Vanags writes from way down south in San Diego; Bob Shapiro considers the Sentinel’s Take on Prop 32; Marian and David Winters actually like the paper; and Elizabeth Wagner sets the record straight on Alma del Pueblo.

P.5 P.6 P.9

T he Sentinel’s Take – Thoughts on County Measures – what does the Sentinel actually think of the proposed parcel taxes in Measures A and B?

T he Dish – Wendy Jenson introduces SB to The French Table (opening this weekend!) and Proprietors Bruno Baio and Joëlle Legrand, and talks everything from espresso to burgers…including food for your doggie.

I t’s Crime Time with SBPD – SBPD shows off its writing talent; a case of mistaken identity (sort of); drunks with nobody to turn to and former Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh and Bob Weir play the Bowl. Is that a crime?

P.10

Santa Barbara View – Fallout from the Planning Commission’s biennial review of Casa Esperanza’s conditional use permit and other Milpas corridor goings on in Sharon Byrne’s piece this week; Loretta Redd talks politics and practicalities of water rationing, conservation and (gulp) shortages; and Ray Estrada covers a locally developed guitar device startup, a new matchmaking company and Startup Weekend (coming soon!).

P.12 P.14

Goleta Girl – Jana Mackin channels Carl Spackler, everybody’s favorite Caddyshack greens keeper, and reports on gopher abatement in and around Goleta schools and playgrounds.

J ournal Jim – Montecito Journal founder James Buckley breaks free of the golf course and talks Christmas shopping and art with Santa Barbara Arts owner/founder Lynn Adams in her La Arcada boutique.

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Keeping It All Together – Columnist Briana Westmacott balances a trip up Vernal Falls at Yosemite like a seasoned juggler…sort of.

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LOVEmikana – Santa Barbara birds Sylvie Butera Rich and Briana Westmacott (yeah, the same Briana Westmacott noted

by Matt Mazza ...continued from cover and marmalade) was just the right thing for a mid-morning snack.

I paid the check, dropped off a few papers and got to talking with Proprietor Crista Fooks and Chef Joel Huff. Crista and Joel met in culinary school and are longtime friends. So when Crista needed a helping hand in the kitchen at Scarlett Begonia, she called Joel and he made the move to Santa Barbara.

They explained that the restaurant had just recently opened for dinner a few nights a week and was doing a whole lamb for dinner that night as part of epicure.sb. I recently spent a few months in Napa Valley – another story for another time – and am basically a novice foodie and wino that loves the whole snout-to-tail-type cooking thing.

I didn’t think people were taking risks like that in Santa Barbara but was pleasantly surprised to find myself mistaken. I signed up immediately.

Scarlett Begonia was empty when I arrived around six pm. Crista and Chef Joel took me through their history and the restaurant

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itself and we shared a glass of wine and talked and laughed like old friends. They are both in a very tough business (perhaps especially so in Santa Barbara) because they honestly love and have a passion for food and the cooking of it. It was a great story that I enjoyed hearing.

But I was admittedly eager to get to that whole lamb.

I sat down outside on the quiet patio around seven – a perfect time of night to be in such a setting – and waited for the first course. Chef Joel, who, it turns out has a fine dining pedigree without the attitude that sometimes (though not always) accompanies such a status, brought out a beautiful lamb tartare, topped with watercress and harisssa and served with house pita bread for scooping.

I took a bite and was transported to a market in northern Africa, or maybe a street vendor in southern Spain.

It was delicious. And there was nobody around me enjoying it.

They will come, I thought, they’d be silly not to.

above) talk movies under the stars in Paseo Nuevo and Vitamix juicing recipes, respectively. (One of the recipes involves vodka, so check it out.) And LOVEmikana’s Weekend Guide gets you ready to go this Saturday and Sunday.

P.20

Presidio Sports – Carpinteria sports photographer extraordinaire Bill Swing awarded Sports Volunteer of the Month; DP’s Colleen O’Connor and Bishop Diego’s Anthony Carter are SBART athletes of the week; and Rutgers University Women’s Hoops coach and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee C. Vivian Stringer talks at Montecito Country Club. Check out all the local sports scores and stories of the week too.

P.23

Residential Real Estate – Michael Calcagno busts the myth about the (dreaded) Shadow Inventory in Santa Barbara and breaks down the economics of a few standout properties this week.

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Crista Fooks and Joel Huff enjoy a sip of wine in the Scarlett Begonia dining room after a hard day’s work

Ryan and Jessica Carr doing what they love: making wine and entertaining guests at Carr Winery on Salsipuedes Street

Scarlett Begonia’s lamb meatballs and lamb ragu with red wine in the courtyard at Victoria Court – nice night

I ordered more red wine.

Like I said, the restaurant had only recently opened for dinner, and had not done any advertising or anything else to promote this lamb feast. But the tartare was such a nice surprise, I figured people must certainly know of the talent behind the line and would thus convene en masse for the

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three-course lamb dinner that Joel had put together.

Unfortunately, I was wrong.

Next came a bowl filled with delicate and intricately spiced lamb meatballs over a creamy goat cheese polenta (yeah, that’s right) topped with more of that yogurt Joel makes back in the kitchen. I sipped my wine. I took a bite.

Back to an African spice

market.

And still, nobody was there.

They must come, I thought, this is a culinary triumph right here in Victoria Court on a gorgeous Santa Barbara evening. They simply must come. Even if there hasn’t been any advertising, can’t anybody SMELL this stuff?

Crista, always smiling, soon brought out the piece de resistance, a steaming bowl filled with lamb ragu and fresh pappardelle pasta with lemon and pumpkin and fresh herbs and spices and, and, and…

I sipped my wine. I smelled the lamb. I took a bite.

And I wolfed down the whole damned bowl.

I left, eventually, happy and full and stunned, truly, that nobody else showed up.

It was a tragedy in the fullest sense of the word.

The fact is that the folks over at Scarlett Begonia are doing some very interesting stuff, and I’ll gladly take the lead in getting the word out and recommending that they be on the must-have-dinner-soon list for any self-respecting food person. In fact, they are doing a series of whole animal dinners over the next three Fridays… whole hog is coming Friday, October 12 (oink!).

Call, or better yet, stop by for the menu.

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I’m willing to put my admittedly small and insignificant reputation on the line and say you’ll be in for a gustatory treat. (Ask also about the fish and beef menus that are yet to come this month. Fun times.)

Funk Junky I awoke early Saturday, still satisfied from the night before, for a morning of breakfast and soccer pictures and other things family.

Then I headed down to check out Focus on the Funk Zone, a full day of local art, culture, food, wine and business in a uniquely Santa Barbara setting.

I started at Carr Winery and lucked into catching owners-winemakers Ryan and Jessica Carr in the act. Of making wine, that is.

It’s harvest, of course, and ever since 1999, Carr Winery has done everything to ...continued p.13

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Letters

Although you might not believe it, we actually want to hear from you. So if you have something you think we should know about or you see something we've said that you think is cretinous (or perspicacious, to be fair), then let us know. There's no limit on words or subject matter, so go ahead and let it rip to: Santa Barbara Sentinel, Letters to the Editor, 133 East De La Guerra Street, No. 182, Santa Barbara, California 93101. You can also leap into the 21st century and email us at letters@santabarbarasentintel.com.

Stumbling Out of the Gate

T

hank you for featuring the Alma Del Pueblo project in the Sentinel’s first edition. As one of the listing agents, I wanted to point out that the correct square footage numbers are approximately 43,805 square feet for the 37 residential units and approximately 27,622 square feet for the commercial units. (I think that the article last week had the numbers switched around.) The residential portion of the project is striving for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes Platinum rating and we are hoping to be finished in October of 2013. The Public Market is going for LEED Gold with projected completion in Summer of 2013.

Some of the amenities that the residential project include are a concierge, two guest rooms, an owners club room and terrace, rooftop gardens and a potting shed, rooftop wine storage, a gated and secured complex, secured parking, and a storage area with lockers and elevators. The sales office for the residential units is open at 1321 State Street from Wednesday through Sunday, from 12 – 5pm or by appointment. We have already sold one of the units and are getting a great response from the community.

Elizabeth Wagner and the Alma Del Pueblo Team Village Properties | Christie International Real Estate Santa Barbara (Editor’s Note: First, Alma del Pueblo sounds terrific and I can’t wait to see the finished project. I take full responsibility for the oversight, Elizabeth, and appreciate your kindness in correcting our error. We’ll do our very best to avoid any such inadvertent shortcomings in the future, you have my word.

Thanks very much for your letter. –MSM)

Is Love Enough?

What kind of headline is that for the very first issue of a brand new publication?

I picked the Sentinel up on a recent visit to Santa Barbara (I’m in sales and I visit pretty regularly) in spite of not knowing what the heck I was getting into, but after the first few words by Matt Mazza: “My toes are in the sand. I sit alone, cold Corona nearby…”

I fell for your trap.

Nowhere on the cover, other than “Volume 1/Issue 1,” is there an indication that this is a new publication. Talk about

“non-traditional!” You guys are about as traditional as a racing tip sheet at a literary convention.

Don’t get me wrong. I like Corona; I like putting my toes in the sand, and I actually like the Sentinel.

But (I know, there’s always a “but” after someone says “I like whatever… but”), there is one thing that bugged me. Jana Mackin’s (Goleta Girl) piece about meeting her at the “Merc.” What the heck is someone nursing her “fledgling sobriety” doing falling into a dark bar in the middle of the afternoon?

Some sobriety she’s nursing. I’m worried about her. If the powerful urge to down adult beverages in the middle of a sunny day lures her into the nearest dive, then she probably wakes up with a cold Corona nearby.

The first issue was literate, kinda fun to read, and somewhat informative. Keep it up. As Dorothy might have said to Jerry Maguire, “You had me at ‘My toes are in the sand.’”

Michel Vanags San Diego (Editor’s Note: Thanks, Michel, for taking the time to read us and write all the way from San Diego—who knew we were already covering that much territory? We by no means meant to “trap” you, rest assured, but you raise an important point in that regard: We are distinctly NOT a traditional weekly, and we promise never to be one. That’s part of the idea here, and we pledge to stick to it steadfastly. As for Jana Mackin’s sobriety, we reserve comment until we can meet you in person at the Merc.

The place is no dive, so come on up the coast for that next sales meeting and we’ll pick up the Delirium Tremens… the first round, anyway.

–MSM)

Potential Prop 32 Problems If it’s a “no brainer” to vote Yes on Prop 32, thereby requiring union members to “voluntarily contribute to their unions’ political efforts,” then why not support legislation to really level the political playing field by requiring comparable authorization from individual shareholders for corporate political activities?

Bob Shapiro Goleta (Editor’s Note: It’s a good question, Bob, and we appreciate the letter. The way we see

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it, though, is that we are voting to provide to union members the very same flexibility corporate shareholders already enjoy. In most large publicly traded companies, shareholders have the option to simply sell their shares on the open market and move on if they don’t like the political leanings of the business. As things stand today for many union members, however, they can’t leave the union unless they quit their jobs and lose their salaries and pensions and livelihoods. They are thus held hostage, effectively forced to go along with the political leanings of the union bosses.

That’s not fair, is it? Of course, it’s entirely possible we are missing something here, so we invite you or anyone else – perhaps a union member – to weigh in and set the record straight. Thanks again for the thoughtful letter. –MSM)

A Vote of Confidence

Matt Mazza: Congratulations on your first issue of the Sentinel! My wife and I picked it up at the Mesa Café this past Saturday and since then have read it thoroughly. We were especially interested in and appreciated your analysis of the various propositions on the ballot coming up this November. We generally get the Independent, see its recommendations and vote the opposite. The Sports Section included several venues, and was well written and livened with appropriate photos. Same for the rest of your paper; the many features, e.g., Real Estate, The Dish, Goleta Girl, “Tiger Mom,” Santa Barbara View and so on were terrific.

And your introduction of the genesis of the Sentinel and personal perspective in desiring to publish such a paper set the tone for your initial issue and hopefully those to follow. We eagerly look forward to Issue 2 and many more to come. Best regards.

Marian and David Winters Santa Barbara (Editor’s Note: Thanks for the support, Marian and David. The fact is I have a lot to learn but I’m working hard and appreciate your kind words. I’ve already been accused online of having “not a shred of journalistic talent” but I’m a fairly thick-skinned lawyer and will push forward, even despite the naysayers. Hope to hold your interest as we continue to grow. –MSM)

8 05.845.1673

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take

Phew. It’s been quite a week.

Quite a week indeed.

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T

he inaugural issue of the Sentinel generated a fair amount of comment for a variety of reasons, perhaps none more prevalent than our take on the California State Propositions. Friends and foes alike approached us around town and by telephone and email and let fly their positions and opinions on what we got right and what we got wrong.

In the hope that our friends will still be our friends even after the November election, here’s how we come out on the County Measures we’re being asked to vote on.

Santa Barbara County Measures Measures A and B – Parcel Taxes to Support SBHS and Elementary School Districts

Measures A and B are additional tax increases to fund public schools, though they take the form of annual parcel taxes rather than income or consumption-based taxes similar to what we saw in Props 30 and 38 last week. Measure A assesses a $45 charge for each real property parcel within the Santa Barbara High School District; Measure B is a touch higher at $48 per parcel within the Santa Barbara Elementary School District. Both taxes will be assessed for the next four years, and some homeowners who are 65 or older may qualify for an exemption. A special “oversight committee” will advise the school board to guarantee the additional revenue is used only to fund specific educational programs (e.g., maintaining math, science and technology education, music, arts and theater programs and foreign language programs). Some monies will also be used to attract and retain quality teachers, but no dough will be used for administrators’ salaries.

SENTINEL SAYS: First of all, we have a soft spot for kids, and believe that improved schools result in improved neighborhoods, which result in improved communities, which result in improved states and nations and solar systems and galaxies and, and, and… So please don’t mistake us for teacher-haters or education-bashers or private school kids (we’re not) or whatever for what we’re about to write.

Versions of Measures A and B were voted on just six short months ago. At that time, they were known as Measures W and X, and proposed a $54 per-parcel tax in each district. W and X were defeated by a narrow margin, mainly because some voters saw it as an end run around Prop 13, while others saw it as a new way for government to extract dollars out of homeowners without end – don’t forget about other new parcel tax that charges $150 per “habitable structure” for those California residents lucky enough to have bought in a “state managed fire zone” but provides no new services to speak of – and yet others advocated for another type of tax (e.g., a consumption tax) to support the schools.

But apparently the school boards said, well, ok, if at first you don’t succeed, [spend more taxpayer money and] try, try again.

Measures A and B are quite similar to W and X, though they ask for less money. Why? Were the districts asking for too much back in June? Are they asking for too little now? If so, will they just come back again next year with another special parcel tax designed to make up the difference? (Probably.) Where is the accountability here? If actual school budgets are decreased, what does it matter if “the additional revenue is used only to fund specific education programs if funding is being cut on one end and replaced on the other?”

And what about the parcel taxes that A and B are supposed to replace? Santa Barbara voters agreed to two parcel taxes back in 2008 (then Measures H and I), which charged each parcel $23 or $27 per year, depending upon which district the parcel fell within.

Those taxes expire in 2013. Why such an increase? Even with all the money being printed in Washington right now, we don’t think inflation is running that high. And CPI increases don’t get us there, either. So it must be that the State funding has dropped. But aren’t we voting in favor of additional State funding in Prop 38? What gives?

We know of tremendous private support for most every public school in town that stems from local grassroots efforts by interested and involved parents that really improve school programs and the overall scholastic experience. But Measures A and B aren’t in the same spirit. Instead, they feel like a Hail Mary pass at the end of a high school football contest, a knee-jerk reaction by the districts to get something – anything – after a tough loss a few months ago. There are just too many questions and not enough answers right now.

Transparency, common-sense reform and accountability are all needed before this town should agree to more parcel (or other) taxes.

Prop 38 gets our schools additional funding and does so in a reasonable and fair way.

Let’s see if our local leaders can come up with better solutions to these issues next year. As far as these additional parcel taxes go, we know the game they’re playing, tugging at our heartstrings, as unions and elected officials blindly refuse to address the more pressing issue of pension reform and leave it up to voters and taxpayers to continually take up the slack.

They’re playing us for suckers, and we know it, but we still have to hold our nose, support the kids and their education, and vote.

Yes on Measures A and B – but it’s closer than you think it is ...continued p.8

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SHOP ONLINE: www.livingreen.com

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by Wendy Jenson A former magazine editor, Wendy worked at

Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, and Us Weekly in NYC, before moving west with Santa Barbara Magazine. Currently a public relations consultant, she relishes being out and about working on this column.

All photos by Wendy Jenson

Vive La France!

B

runo Baio is a rock star restaurateur.

This weekend he’s opening The French Table in Santa Barbara. Born and raised in the French Alps, he now has seven restaurants in Southern California.

His “maman” Joëlle Legrand is the General Manager of The French Table. At 129 East Anapamu Street, the restaurant’s charming white patio overlooks the Sunken Gardens of the neighboring Courthouse.

Bruno may have moved to the States in 2001, but he is very European. His French accent is heavy. His iPhone case resembles a 500 Euro banknote. And not every man can pull off bright red sneakers or a gold chain necklace with a charm shaped like Sicily! Bruno can though; his dad is Italian.

At 35, Bruno is quick to smile and joke. “Take your time, but be back in five minutes!” he calls to a staffer heading out on an errand. “I’m a big fan,” he says of Champagne. Devoted Bruno has two tattoos: “Leila,” the name of his 18-monthold daughter, is inked into his forearm.

Germaine, his wife’s name, sits somewhere on his back.

The French Table features an open floor plan, with a bar off the front. The kitchen can be viewed through glass at the back. Asked about the exposed kitchen, Bruno says, “We had to hire very good looking chefs.” Brittany-born, Executive Chef Mickael Blancho and crew serve quiches, omelettes, salades, les burgers, beef Bourguignon, and crêpes of every kind. The best table in the house is the tall wood one for ten at the room’s center.

The cuisine is French, expertly edited for an American palette. “Americans like crispy vegetables,” Bruno says. “When I arrived in the States, I kept thinking, ‘These vegetables aren’t cooked!’ Americans do not want to try the rabbit, however tasty it might be.” (Errr, guilty.) “Americans do not want too many sauces. In France, there’s no such thing as a kid’s menu or a doggy bag.” Hmmm, maybe the latter is due to their smaller portions?

Bruno Baio, Joëlle Legrand and crew of The French Table on East Anapamu, opening Saturday, October 13

Espresso Yourself!

This week, newlyweds and new parents Julia Mayer and Todd Stewart open their second French Press espresso bar in downtown Santa Barbara. Renovating the industrial space was clearly a labor of love for Julia’s contractor father Robert Mayer.

He poured concrete counters and polished the concrete floor, chic cracks intact. He insisted on rich mahogany hardwood. Open 6 am to 8 pm, there’s free wireless and even parking at 528 Anacapa Street, corner of East Cota Street.

A huge map of Central America hangs on the wall. About 90% of the French Press’s

Julia Mayer, Todd Stewart and baby Franklin have opened a second French Press location on East Anacapa Street

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coffee beans are grown in the region. “The Italians know what they’re doing from a functional and aesthetic perspective,” Todd says of the snazzy La Marzocco coffee equipment. And this is only the beginning.

The entrepreneurs say Phase Two, an onsite bakery, will be done in time for the holidays. Until then, delicious D’Angelo’s pastries will suffice.

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r e s t a u r a n t

Who’s That Pup?

unique mexican dining experience

Pet Spanky next time you’re at the Montecito Country Mart, formerly Vons Shopping Center (I’m still not used to the new name). For Jana Chan, manager of the just-opened dog boutique George, every day is bring your Spanky to work day. The five-year-old Miniature Pinscher’s favorite toy is “anything that squeaks.” Spanky oft indulges in George’s pretty Fido food.

Cupcakes and other treats are Gingerbreadbased with yogurt frosting; from 75 cents to $8.50. Two paws up!

Hamburger Central The hot new restaurant Eureka! in Paseo Nuevo Mall is a fun place to dine, even if you’re solo. Neighboring diners are quick to converse at the busy bar, where sports play on multiple flat screen TVs. The vast restaurant has a nice Big City vibe.

Here, hamburgers are perfectly cooked and impossible to eat without plenty of napkins. An impressive 30 craft beers are on tap, and a bartender’s t-shirt reads: No crap on tap. Unsurprisingly, wine and

Spanky the Min Pin, of dog boutique George in Montecito Country Mart, sporting dog wear by George

veggie burgers ($9.95) are particularly popular at the Santa Barbara location of this growing chain.

Tips: If you have any juicy restaurant tidbits (openings and closings, key staff changes, celebrity sightings, and the like) please contact me at wendy@santabarbarasentinel. com.

& unique mexican dining experience

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View the Hanhart collection, and meet the Hanhart North America team!

Friday & Saturday from 11 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Sunday 12-5 p.m.

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D !

N G th RA IN 13 G EN ER P O OB T C O

FREE DESSERT OR APPETIZER

Measure G – Protection of Agricultural Land

Measure G purports to protect Goleta’s agricultural land by requiring that any zoning (or related) changes to area parcels of 10 acres or more designated as Agriculture be approved by voters as well as Goleta’s City Council for the next twenty years. In short, any time there is a proposed zoning revision to large agricultural tracts, voters will be required to approve it (there is more to Measure G but this is the thrust).

SENTINEL SAYS: Hmmm… feels like G will result in lots of challenges for area development if every time somebody wants to change a zoning designation for large agricultural tracts there must be a vote. And quite a few taxpayer dollars are likely to be burned in vote after vote (after vote). Don’t we elect qualified officials to review this stuff?

Shouldn’t those individuals we select have the ability to make some decisions on their own?

Voting on zoning changes seems to go a bit too far. If the good people of Goleta catch wind of a development or zoning change they don’t like, they can organize and mobilize against it and engage in talks with elected officials and developers to revise or eliminate those “bad” changes. And who knows, some business development may actually benefit Goleta; why scare that type of change away with strict voting requirements for the next twenty years?

Keep Goleta beautiful and wonderful, for sure, but vote No on G. It’s too much.

No on G

Measure H – Increasing Goleta’s Transient Occupancy Tax *Available with purchase of any entrée. Promotion expires November 30th. Present this ad to your waiter prior to ordering.

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There has been a lot of talk about transient occupancy taxes lately, and we think everybody knows that the local TOT or “bed tax” is a way for municipalities to share in the tourism revenue that pours into Santa Barbara County by collecting a percentage of dollars spent by hotel guests. Measure H seeks to raise the TOT in Goleta from 10% to 12%.

SENTINEL SAYS: Santa Barbara’s TOT is presently 12% (although there was a recent TOT “rebate” provided in connection with the development of the old Miramar hotel that provided some local fireworks) and the cities of Carpinteria, Buellton and Solvang are currently asking their voters to approve increases just like Goleta in Measure H. We say share the wealth. (This is basically a pass-through tax anyway… and shouldn’t visitors to our fair community be asked to help pay for the local infrastructure they enjoy so much?)

Additional funds raised by H will remain in Goleta and be used to maintain public safety, make necessary repairs to infrastructure, revitalize Old Town and generally benefit parks and open spaces and community services. All of this should attract more tourism, which will result in additional funds to be used locally, which will attract more tourism… you get the idea. Support reasonable local growth and revitalization efforts.

Yes on H Next week – local candidates.

YOUR

MILES CAN BRING THEM HOME. Reunions, final trips with children, urgent bedside goodbyes: these are dreams that require airline travel.

Editor-in-Chief • Matt Mazza Design/Production • Trent Watanabe Advertising/Sales • Tanis Nelson • Sue Brooks Contributing Partners Opinion • sbview.com Sports • Presidiosports.com Santa Barbara Skinny • LoveMikana.com Columnists Goleta Girl • Jana Mackin She Has Her Hands Full • Mara Peters Keeping It All Together • Briana Westmacott The Dish • Wendy Jenson Journal Jim • James Buckley Real Estate • Michael Calcagno Commercial Corner • Austin Herlihy

...Linda was able to have them all at her bedside. She died peacefully with all six children, their spouses and her grandchildren at her side. This photo is of Linda, just days before she passed, holding her youngest grandchild (who flew up with your help).

– Linda’s hospice social worker

This year, Dream Foundation will need the equivalent of 10 million airline miles to support final travel-related dreams.

By donating miles in any amount over 1,000, you can offer meaningful memories and the peace of mind of leaving nothing unsaid.

Make this step. Make a difference.

You can give dreams wings.

Published by SB Sentinel, LLC, Tim Buckley, Publisher PRINTED BY NPCP INC., SANTA BARBARA, CA Santa Barbara Sentinel is compiled every Friday 133 EAST DE LA GUERRA STREET, #182, Santa Barbara 93101 How to reach us: 805.845.1673 E-MAIL: matt@santabarbarasentinel.com

Dream Foundation enjoys charity miles accounts with

To donate go to www.dreamfoundation.org/donate or call 805-564-2131.

The mission of Dream Foundation is to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their families facing a life-threatening illness by fulfilling a heart’s final wish.

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It'sCrimetime...

...with the SBPD

A variety of crimes are committed every day in Santa Barbara; most of these crimes are petty but they do offer a window into if not the soul of the perpetrator, at least his or her thought process. Our following (and totally unsolicited) thoughts, observations, and comments are put forth for your consideration.

Sentinel Interns?

CRIME: A 52-year old woman refuses to leave the front area of O’Malley’s Bar on State Street and is eventually cuffed and stuffed for being drunk in public and resisting arrest – fairly violently – at approximately 1:30 am on Sunday, October 7, 2012.

OBSERVATION: As SBPD officers escorted the stubborn subject from O’Malley’s to a nearby curb, they astutely “noticed that her gait was staggered, as if it were difficult to maintain her balance,” and also noted “the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from her person,” that her eyes were “bloodshot, watery and glassy,” and that her clothing was “unkempt.” Further, they found her speech “slurred, incoherent and thick.”

COMMENT: Excellent work, SBPD. It goes without saying that the arrest was spot on given

the circumstances, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. We’re referring to your impeccable use of descriptive adjectives for a drunken cougar staggering around State Street on a Saturday night. It’s unparalleled. If any of you are looking to moonlight, we could sure use a copy editor around here.

Mistaken Identity (Card)

CRIME: A male 20-year-old Isla Vista resident was arrested on East Haley Street for public intoxication early on October 7, 2012. When he was asked to show SBPD his identification, he provided a genuine California Driver’s License. The only problem was that the ID he provided wasn’t his. It was for some other person. Some other person who had achieved perhaps the sweetest of life’s great accomplishments – at least through the eyes of a 20-yearold aspiring boozer – the age of true majority, 21.

OBSERVATION: First of all, we are shocked to learn that under-age children are consuming alcohol in Isla Vista. At least one Sentinel editor spent four or five years in IV back in the mid-nineties and reported that he never witnessed anything of the sort. Ever. We are even more surprised to learn that some of these miscreants actually try to assume the identity of individuals from the older and far more responsible 21+ crowd. Despicable. Serves the kid right that SBPD actually found his real ID, reflecting his true age (and height and weight and appearance) in his jacket. He’d just reached into the wrong pocket. See what happens when you drink, punk?

COMMENT: There is actually a very funny story here from long ago. It involved an old

friend of someone at the Sentinel who was busted for drinking in public in Isla Vista when under 21. But that friend had a fake ID that actually looked a lot like him and bore the name Francisco Nabuko. Our friend was in the IV Foot Patrol office under tough interrogation for three of four hours before he “cracked” (his word) and told the cops his real name. Let’s just say that they were not amused and we don’t condone any such behavior (seriously, we don’t, it’s stupid and will only get you in more trouble… so fess up and own your mistakes, and never lie to the cops). But it was a hell of a story, and our friend, now married with kids in northern California, still goes by Francisco from time to time.

In Case of Emergency, Notify…Well, Forget It CRIMES: On Monday, October 8, two separate arrests of apparently very intoxicated individuals happened at separate times in separate parts of town. When asked about a person to notify in case of emergency (standard operating procedure for SBPD), the first, a 33-yearold Goleta man, responded, “I don’t give a f@%k.” The second, a 50-year old transient from Illinois, similarly exclaimed “I’m just a mother f*%$in’ drunk, bro!”

OBSERVATION: Hmmm. Interesting responses. Good to know that our police officers (and thus our tax dollars) are forced to deal with respectful and considerate people like these every day all day long.

Coincidence? We Think Not Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Phil Lesh recently collaborated on their latest incarnation, Further, which played the Santa Barbara Bowl on Sunday, October 7, 2012.

While this alone is not a crime (at least one of us at the Sentinel actually likes the Dead, a lot), a number of strange occurrences took place around town that day, as follows: A 47-year-old male was found sitting alone in his car “huffing” a balloon filled with Nitrous Oxide from a tank in the back seat at 11:35 pm. (Wow.) A lawful search turned up a hit of

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acid. When asked by SBPD whether he attended the Further show at the Bowl, the man invoked his Miranda right to silence. (Ok, that last part is a joke.)

Police were called to check on a 24-year-old Goleta man who was attempting to climb into moving vehicles and darting in and out of traffic in Santa Barbara. The man advised SBPD that he had indeed ingested LSD earlier in the evening, and was consequently transported to Cottage Hospital for treatment. It is unclear whether he saw God… er, ah, Phil Lesh or Bob Weir at any time that day.

An 18-year-old male was arrested for stealing eye drops from a local pharmacy. (He tried to provide a convoluted alibi involving a particular type of soda and an imaginary friend but it didn’t work.) Wonder what those eye drops were for there, Smokey.

Finally, on Monday, October 8, a Boulder, CO resident (great town) was arrested when she tried to slip small amounts of cocaine, MDMA and amphetamine pills past TSA officials in her bag as she boarded a plane home. Great call, young lady, trying to smuggle drugs through an x-ray machine after a Dead-esque show… must not “have got to sleep last, ‘til the morning came around.” Maybe next time you’ll think twice.

(Note that all of this is meant only in good fun. We heard that Phil and Bob put on a terrific show and frankly wish we could have been there. Keep playing in the band, guys, and we’ll catch you next time.)

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Opinion, stories, events, and people that shape Santa Barbara

sbview.com

Milpas on the Move…

Benches have been replaced on lower Milpas with single chairs to deter sleeping and camping out

I

t’s October, and that means two things: the bi-annual Planning Commission report on Casa Esperanza’s progress, and the Halloween Trick or Treat! This year, we’ll be doing the Trick or Treat on Halloween from 2-5 pm all up and down Milpas. Look for the orange and black balloons marking trick-or-treat stops.

The merchants love to see all the little Halloweeners parading in costume!

October 4th was the Planning Commission hearing. One of our neighbors summed it up well:

Dear Santa Barbara Mayor and City Council Members: I attended the Planning Commission’s biennial review of Casa Esperanza’s CUP (conditional use permit) on Thursday, October 1, 2012. I was surprised to find that since Paul Casey, Assistant City Administrator

and Community Development Director, found that Casa Esperanza was currently operating in compliance of the CUP, the Planning Commission’s meeting and review was a pointless exercise in which no action could be taken.

Citizens’ frustrations with government can certainly be traced to just such a silly waste of time and effort in trying to improve one’s neighborhood. Why have a Planning Commission meeting and make reports when no action can be taken? Businesses that behave this way go out of business, but government keeps wandering on forever.

I hope something can be done in two years when Casa’s CUP is reviewed, but I predict that same quick, closed review will occur and the Planning Commission will again be powerless to affect changes and we can listen again to reports about problems with no resolution.

I understand the city’s action in granting Casa Esperanza a CUP. I understand Casa

by Sharon Byrne

Sharon Byrne is executive director for the Milpas Community Association, and currently serves on the Advisory Boards for the Salvation Army Hospitality House and Santa Barbara County Alcohol and Drug Problems

sbview.com Esperanza is doing useful work with the indigent in Santa Barbara. However, there is a lack of regard and respect for the impact to the local neighborhood – both from the City of Santa Barbara and Casa Esperanza.

I was pleased to hear at the Planning Commission that Mike Foley, Casa Esperanza’s director, is committed to reducing the impact of Casa on the neighborhood. I hope Casa will follow through on this.

The City of Santa Barbara, however, took a large cop-out when the original CUP was issued by creating the Milpas Area Task Force.

Just how is the neighborhood to be represented at MATF? How is the neighborhood to know about meetings? Why are meetings always held during working hours? What enforcing powers does MATF have? It is self-evident after 10 years that MATF is not the solution to solving the neighborhood impact of Casa Esperanza. Perhaps the new facilitator will help revive MATF, but the inherent lack of accountability and lack of power to enforce change will remain.

Both the City of Santa Barbara and Casa Esperanza have expressed concerns about budget problems – caring for the neighborhood takes money. However, this is the city and Casa’s problem – not mine.

If you cannot afford to take care of the neighborhood, then cut back on something else – it is as simple as that.

Leaving all this “planning” talk, the real problem is right down on the street and the Milpas area neighborhood needs more attention from the City of Santa Barbara.

The city has allowed Casa Esperanza to operate so it is the city’s responsibility to take care of the problems that result. The Milpas area community is working very hard, but without more help from the city, we cannot address the problems ourselves.

The city has allowed this problem to fester and it is time to step up and provide more assistance.

Jed A. Hendrickson, CM, AICA Santa Barbara Monumental Co, Inc. 3 North Milpas Street

Construction on North Milpas St The city will be installing pedestrian signals for both Ortega and Yanonali, and restriping Milpas. The city will also

be reducing the number of lanes north of Cota down to one in each direction, and implementing a bike lane. Just in time for the new bike lane is the opening of Santa Barbara Bikes at 720 North Milpas Street.

Jose Gonzales, the owner, is happy in his new digs, and excited that the Milpas Holiday Parade launches right in front of his doorway this December 15th. He feels he made the right move, and we agree!

Welcome to the neighborhood, Jose.

Dr. Cash, the Santa Barbara School District superintendent, gave a presentation on the district’s ambitious plans at Santa Barbara High School Monday night.

Ambitious because they attempt to plan for the future in the face of the state of California circling the drain. We can no longer provide basic public funding of education in this state. One of the brightest notes in the ambitious plan is to make schools as welcoming as community centers. That’s a great place to start building a strong relationship between families, the community and the schools. Good job, Dr. Cash!

Water, Water Everywhere, and Not a Drop To…

by Loretta Redd

Loretta Redd’s diverse background includes being a psychologist, business owner, non-profit director, Air Force officer, writer, speaker, and executive coach. Loretta has served on several Santa Barbara city committees and has been a candidate for public office.

sbview.com

Like most of you, I received my 143-page Official Voter Information Guide for the November 6 election, which should have had a Poly Sci diploma included for anyone willing to wade through it. And after studying the eleven complex and competing Proposition statements, I’m definitely feeling that the voters should be paid a salary for doing the work of the legislators.

There’s actually a major piece of legislation that isn’t on the ballot, even though it was originally certified to appear two years ago. In 2010, the California Water Bond – an $11.14 billion general obligation bond – entitled the Safe, Clean and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act (who comes up with these names?) was approved by the 2009 legislature.

Categories of funding include such important areas as drought relief, water supply reliability, Delta sustainability, state operational improvement, conservation, infrastructure upgrades, water recycling and groundwater protection. Although the Water Bond Measure qualified for the 2010 ballot, it was removed and placed on this year’s.

But because our legislature is still more concerned with its reelection than with citizens’ welfare, they continue to refuse to make any political decisions which may prove unpopular… which, in case they are

listening, is not an effective way to govern.

So, 2012 rolls around and the democratic majority wants to do everything it can to ensure the (unlikely) passage of Jerry Brown’s tax hike initiative.

Therefore, on July 5th, the legislature approved a bill to take the water bond measure off the 2012 ballot and put it on the 2014 ballot. A four-year stall for allowing the voters to weigh in on the need for a Water Bond, which will take several more years from which to reap any real benefit.

I admit, I must lack vision, because the need for water just seems to outweigh the need for a train to nowhere or even regulating genetically engineered foods. I comprehend that hitting the voters with too much bond debt may result in likely failure at the ballot box, but I really don’t comprehend the priorities, when water shortages are never a matter if “if,” but rather “when.”

If anyone has noticed, our country is in a drought. The lower 48 states and the Midwest are in crisis conditions, accounting for over 65% of the U.S., and 20% is in extreme or exceptional categories. Although California hasn’t yet been included among those parched states, anyone who lived through the Santa Barbara drought of the 1980s recalls that it is a distinct possibility.

But memories fade, and we Americans have a tendency to take water for granted.

Some, like Charles Fishman, author of The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water, don’t believe there will ever be a water shortage. Here are his five myths: Myth #1 – we’re running out. He says that oceans and sun combine to make 45,000 gallons of rainwater, but what happens is that we build where we expect waterfall to be, but climates change or populations overwhelm the availability.

Myth # 2 – bottled water is better. People who tend to grab a bottle of water are already thirsty, so they think it tastes better.

They also assume it is more highly treated than tap, which is rarely the case.

Myth #3 – water wars are on the horizon.

Although in a recent documentary, Last Call at the Oasis, producers contend that we will soon have to decide whether to treat water as a common occurrence, like air, or a commodity, like oil, trading it in the marketplace.

Myth #4 – Americans are wasteful.

Fishman states that we use ten percent less water than in 1980, though we’ve added 70 million people. However, the home use has increased by 3.5 gallons.

Myth #5 – We should drink 8 glasses of water a day. Fishman points out that “thirst is an incredibly alert system” that is triggered if we are only 1% off kilter. So eight glasses is an exaggeration, and our thirst should dictate our intake.

But contrarian views also exist, calling for conservation, better utilization and storage. In his book, The Ripple Effect, Paul Prud’homme contends that water comes in finite quantities, and that there is an evergrowing demand.

We have created a maze of diversion tactics of dams, pipes and holding ponds to ensure that water goes to every household

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and business in this entire country. At the same time we regularly dump pollutants, pesticides and pharmaceuticals into our water supply with impunity, forgetting that today seven thousand children will die in other countries from unsafe water.

We are pretty spoiled in this country.

A Forbes article written for World Water Day last March reminds us, “When you open your faucet to drink, you’re doing something beyond the reach of almost 3 billion people.”

But we are also wising up about conservation; the UCSB campus uses 230 million gallons of water per year, but it has reduced the use by 25% in the last three years. Other sources of water use are on the horizon, as well.

There are cutting-edge technologies, such as “electrostatic desalinization” from a company called TransGlobal H2O, which will potentially revolutionize water availability with capital costs far less than chemical or mechanical filtration.

That being said, it would also be terrific if our legislators would take their heads out of the sand, and put the water bond back before the voters. I’m guessing that we could figure out the priority and worthiness of capital and infrastructure funding, even if they can’t.

Santa Barbara Business Beat

by Ray Estrada

Ray Estrada is a writer, editor and media consultant who has worked for newspapers, radio news, wire services and online publications for the past 40 years. He has taught journalism at the University of Southern California and now runs his own consulting business based in Santa Barbara.

sbview.com

South Coast Inventor Develops Guitar Device Santa Barbara guitarist Ben Ryan says he invented the CapoSonic out of necessity.

The CapoSonic “First Generation Classic” device is similar to a capo and attaches to the neck of the guitar, which allows guitarists to alter the sound produced by the instrument.

“The ability to play a certain way, the way you want to play, is quite a feat in itself,” Ryan said. “After a while, the same chords get humdrum; this is an educational tool for accelerating music. You’ll be able to grow your potential exponentially.”

Ryan says he enjoys the many possibilities created by tuning a guitar to “open” chords as opposed to standard guitar tuning. He writes and performs songs that require these special tunings on a regular basis, which means he must carry many guitars and regular capos to each gig.

Guitarists like Ryan would rather carry multiple guitars to live events than limit their catalog of performance material.

He says the CapoSonic solves this problem by allowing musicians to

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Ben Ryan has developed the CapoSonic to make open tuning and alternative sounds on a guitar using regular chords and scales

configure chord shapes by positioning the six individual hammers on the capo, producing “open tuning” and alternative sounds, without needing to re-tune the guitar. Retuning stretches out the strings.

The CapoSonic allows guitarists to play with the familiarity of standard tuning, using regular chords, scales and patterns yet arrive at the richness of open tuning sounds.

Before inventing CapoSonic, Ryan said he searched high and low for a product to meet his needs. He went to many music stores during his extensive travels from New York to Los Angeles and many points in between, but he couldn’t find a solution.

Over time, Ryan developed the CapoSonic through rigorous experimentation. He was able to team up with a Santa Barbara machine shop and engineer to make his invention a reality.

The result is a unique product that solves a real need through the application of a revolutionary concept. The CapoSonic “First Generation Classic” device designs have been finalized and Ryan’s innovative solution will be made available to guitar lovers everywhere later this year.

Ryan has developed an online Kickstarter campaign to raise funding to produce and ship the first run of the product. It is available exclusively through Kickstarter. com with unique sponsor packages offered to those who back the project.

The campaign is running until October 28. Kickstarter campaigns follow the “all or nothing” funding model, meaning that CapoSonic must meet this fundraising goal in order for the product to ship to backers.

Saturday Brings a First to the South Coast Saturday is the date for the Santa Barbara Lock and Key Event, sponsored

by Santa Barbara Matchmaking, from 7 to 9 pm at EOS Lounge, 500 Anacapa Street.

Similar events at dozens of U.S. cities draw between 100 and 200 single

professionals. Lisa Darsonval, who started Santa Barbara Matchmaking earlier this year, said this is the first in Santa Barbara.

After signing up, each woman gets a lock and each man is given a key, Darsonval explained. Participants approach a member of the opposite sex and ask if they can see if their hardware is a match. Every key matches at least two or three locks.

Depending on how outgoing someone may be, they could find his or her first match within minutes, she said.

“Once you find your match, turn in your hardware, get a new lock or key and start over,” Darsonval said Those who register in advance at www.

LockandKeyEvents.com receive a discount by using promo code SBVIEW. The cost is $22 with advance registration online with a promo code, $27 RSVP to pay at door, and $32 with no RSVP and pay at door.

One drink, appetizers and a raffle ticket are included with entry.

Gentlemen, Start Your Businesses!

In less than a month, Startup Weekend Santa Barbara will draw together scores of entrepreneurs with dozens of ideas for new businesses.

The first Startup Weekend Santa Barbara earlier this year at Synergy Business & Technology Center drew more than 200 participants, mentors and judges. The November 2-4 Startup Weekend SB will be at Citrix Online Headquarters in Goleta.

According to organizer Kyle Ashby, of the South Coast’s Kaldera Marketing, the 54-hour weekend, organized as part of the Non-Profit Startup Weekend Organization, will include three events open to the public: 1) Opening pitches and networking; 2) Closing team presentations and awards; and 3) A roundtable discussion on design and startups during lunch at 12:30 pm November 3.

More information is also available at: www.startupweekendsb.com

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by Jana Mackin

A journalist and a poet, Jana has lived everywhere from New Orleans and Butte, Montana to Saudi Arabia, where she taught English to children.

Her articles have appeared in numerous publications, including The Washington Post and San Francisco Examiner. She now lives in Goleta.

Going After Gophers

P

edro Diaz has finally leveled the playing field in the longstanding and hard-fought war against gophers in Goleta. A gopher trapper and early 20th century Mexican Revolutionary Pancho Villa dead ringer, Diaz brings Villa’s insurrectionist zeal in his fight to liberate area schools and parks from the pesky varmints.

But he doesn’t follow the teachings of the Carl Spackler School of Caddyshack Gopher Eradication. There’s no fire hoses, high-powered sniper rifles or strategically placed semtex bunnies. His pickup doesn’t have a “License to Kill Gophers” bumper sticker. And he sports no rodent-ammo bandoliers as he engages in theaters of battle across local playgrounds and schoolyards.

Instead, Diaz takes a completely different approach to the art of eradication. He’s a Gopher Zen Master of sorts, out-thinking and out-lasting his fury prey.

Armed with night vision goggles, a gopher probe and Macabee gopher traps, Diaz sees

Goleta Union School District’s Robert Matheny and Jill Walker, with owner of Agri-Environmental Landscapes Marc Russo

“In the immortal words of Jean-Paul Sartre, ‘Au revoir, gopher.’”

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Pedro Diaz, gopher hunter

through the cute facade, past those Bambi eyes (yeah, I know, Bambi wasn’t a gopher), deep into the beast’s Heart of Darkness.

“My specialty is these guys,” said Diaz, 60, who traps gophers for Agri-Environmental Landscapes. The Goleta Union School District has contracted with AEL for regular gopher trapping and maintenance at their 10 schools and one administrative site. A few weekends back, Diaz and partner Eugenio Obispo, set some 23 traps around the Hollister Elementary School grounds.

“Gophers are very intelligent,’’ says Diaz, staring down some new mounds in the school’s front yard. “There’s only one guy making all this. Very strong teeth. And fingers.”

Diaz is right. What a swath of destruction a single tiny creature can cause when its insatiable appetite sets its

-Carl Spackler, assistant greens keeper in the film Caddyshack

Terminator-like teeth to chewing up some poor schmuck’s vegetable garden. Even the most Gandhian greenthumb among us quickly mutates into a flame-throwing Rambo at the sight of such corn and tomato extermination.

Diaz’s archenemy is the dreaded “Pocket Gopher,” Geomys Bursarius, which is named after its pouch. According to the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, just one of these little guys can bring up 2-1/4 tons of earth to the surface in a year. They live in burrow systems that can cover an area from 200 to 2,000 square feet, with a nest and food storage chamber up to six feet deep. Their bite can exert 18,000 pound of pressure.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

While Minnesotans may welcome gophers with open arms due to their eponymous college football squad, the Goleta Union School District has adopted a strict NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) stance. In an effort to be safer and more tolerant, however, the district switched to a pesticide-free policy for weed and pest control back in 2006. So trapping is fair game but no more Roundup on weeds or gophers (or, for that matter,

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delinquent students).

“Gophers are cute to look at but they are pests,” said Ralph Pachter, Assistant Superintendent, Fiscal Services for Goleta Union School District. “They’ll chew up a playground in a heartbeat.”

When asked about compassionate compromise, Spackler… oops, I mean Pachter added, “No, we don’t relocate them to a park to live out their days in peace.” Indeed, Robert Matheny, Director of Maintenance, Operations and Transportation for the Goleta Union School District, estimates that approximately 1,100 gophers are annually trapped and… disposed. (Good riddance, I say.)

Credible intel confirms little or no trapper collateral damage.

Not surprisingly, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) opposes trapping and other forms of gopher extermination and even any gopher relocation.

“People need to remember these animals have a right to live life and feed their families,” said Kristin Simon, PETA senior cruelty caseworker. “We should always treat them as humanely as possible and try to live and let live.” (In a related story, Simon has no garden. Kidding.)

There are many proposed gopher solutions out there, of course, and California – Goleta in particular – is apparently a real hotbed for abatement theory. I heard everything from the use of laxative pills (failed) to blasting right-wing political radio talk shows down the holes (also failed). But perhaps the most reasonable and even potentially PETAfriendly hypothesis was proffered by Goletabased Direct Relief International Program Coordinator for the Middle East Joseph Harrison. He has developed a liberal and tolerant alternative to some of the more barbaric methodologies mentioned above.

Gopher contraception.

“Not only am I a proponent of gopher contraception and gopher family planning services,” said Harrison, 30, “but I feel both should be covered under the gopher’s employer’s insurance policy.”

Then Harrison stopped and considered.

“But who knows, maybe they’re Catholic.”

Peeeeeeeddddrrroooooo.

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...continued from p.3 Assistant winemaker Peter Burnham (right) and cellar rat Bret Urness work hard to make that Carr Pinot everybody loves

J7 Shaper Jason Feist (right) and National Sales Head Tom Ellington patiently await a barbecued turkey outside the J7 shop on East Mason

MAGGIE’S Restaurant & Bar

make its vino (other than grow the grapes) right on Salsipuedes Street in a wonderfully remodeled and comfortable 1940’s Quonset Hut. I got to learn a lot about Carr’s operation and even eat a few sweet Pinot Noir grapes before they went into the destemmer.

Ryan, who also oversees the management of more than 100 acres of grapes around California, drove a forklift and maneuvered grapes around to really begin the winemaking process. Assistant winemaker Peter Burnham was there too and helped take me through the process of crafting Carr’s Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache and Cabernet Franc wines. Cellar rat Bret Urness (sorry Bret, Ryan put me up to it) provided a helping hand and a friendly conversation – and a pretty darn good pinot gris before I hit the road.

I drove a few blocks and parked the car – don’t worry, I only had a splash of pinot gris

– opposite J7 Surfboards on East Mason Street. Co-owner and shaper Jason Feist and National Sales Head Tom Ellington, formerly of Channel Islands Surfboards, were busy in the shop but were perhaps even more preoccupied with a whole turkey they were barbecuing on the street out front as part of celebrating the Funk Zone. “You just can’t open the lid at any time,” Tom explained, “the thermometer needs to hit 165 degrees or the whole thing’s ruined.

Should be a half-hour from now.”

I hung out for a bit, hoping to catch a glimpse or get a picture of the beautifully bronzed bird, and got a tour of Jason’s shaping room(s) and some knowledge about the J7 operation. The shop is stuffed with surf merchandise and gear, and there are dozens of machined surfboard blanks in the back waiting for Jason’s finishing touches. ...continued p.16

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Journal Jim

by James Buckley Jim founded the Montecito Journal some

17 years ago. He is an avid golfer who currently sports an 11.7 SCGA handicap index. His goal in life is to get that index into the single digits, even if for only a two-week period.

La Arcada’s Little Jewel

O

ne of my favorite things about the upcoming Christmas season is the chance to buy yet another handmade wooden jewelry box at Santa Barbara Arts, a tiny boutique in downtown Santa Barbara that specializes in all things local.

Santa Barbara Arts owner/founder Lynn Adams holds sway over a small empire of local products, mostly jewelry and accessories, made by artisans and crafts people from the surrounding area. Some items come from as far away as Texas, but everything Lynn sells in this modest emporium in the heart of La Arcada is indeed “Made in the U.S.A.” The shop is sandwiched between Chocolats du CaliBressan and East Beach Wine, catty corner from the brandnew and very popular eatery, Cielito, across from Waterhouse Gallery and around the corner from Coast 2 Coast Collection. In other words, Santa Barbara Arts is in very good company.

“I’m a big advocate of ‘Made in America,’ and I come from a family of artists,” Lynn says as we discuss her mission during a leisurely conversation in the shop. “It’s just my thing,” she adds. “What I wanted to do with my store is help the artists, who have found it harder and harder to find venues. When I couldn’t find something locally, I would look outside Santa Barbara to see what I could find that was still made in America that was of the quality that I wanted.”

As for this reporter, I wanted to learn

more about the handmade finely finished wooden jewelry boxes Lynn almost always has on display; I have already purchased three as gifts and expect to buy at least one more this coming Christmas season.

“I found that a lot of people would come in, especially during the holidays, looking for jewelry boxes,” she relates, “and I myself noticed I didn’t see jewelry boxes any more, except for the ones made in China, so I started looking. I found a company – Michael Fisher Heartwood Creations – that made them out of Texas.” Fisher signs the bottom of every jewelry box (prices go from $125 to $650) and puts the name of the wood he uses (Bird’s-eye Maple, Grand Cascade Cherry, Quilted Maple, Bloodwood, Tulipwood, Madrone Burl, and others) on the bottom of the box. He also makes little “secret” boxes that Santa Barbara Arts also sells.

Another box maker is Bill Coulter, a Santa Barbara ophthalmologist who creates music boxes as a hobby. Elwood Schmanski makes wooden spinning tops and comes to the shop during the Christmas season to show kids how to spin them. “It’s sort of a dying art,” Lynn notes, “but it’s fun.”

Often, especially during the holiday season, I’ll be admiring a particular piece of jewelry only to discover that the salesperson behind the counter created it.

For example, jewelry artist Shelly Niro makes silver chain mail jewelry. She works in sterling silver and 14-karat gold fill.

“Artists are using gold fill now to keep

Simple. Rustic. California.

Currently Open for Breakfast and Lunch Mon - Fri 8:00am - 4:00pm Dinner and Brunch Service Coming Soon Located in the historic La Arcada Plaza 1114 State Street, Suite 18 | 805.965.1730 www.stateandfig.com

Santa Barbara Arts owner/founder Lynn Adams oversees and offers for sale a wide variety of work made by local artists and artisans

“Just being in La Arcada is a treat for the eyes and the senses”

the costs down,” Lynn explains. Shelly has worked behind the counter at Santa Barbara Arts for the past six years.

Lynn was born in New York City (Manhattan), moved to Westchester County, then to Connecticut. After graduating from high school she drove out to Santa Barbara with a girlfriend; she was 17 years old at the time, and

came to Santa Barbara to attend Brooks Institute. “We rented an apartment at El Escorial (on East Beach) and I went to Brooks for about a year, got sidetracked, did head shots, tried to make a living as a photographer. Went to L.A. and did headshots there. We had fun,” she recounts, laughing. She says she was too young to go to bars, so her treat was to go to McConnell’s Ice Cream shop.

Lynn switched careers and worked as a talent agent in Hollywood for nine years.

One of her clients, she says, was Ginger Rogers, explaining that the agency she worked for represented “a lot of oldtimers… I made a lot of money,” she adds, “but I still missed photography, so every year I’d take a vacation and go somewhere in the country – Vermont, for instance – and take a workshop and reconnect with photography.”

Eventually, she decided to go back to Brooks and get a degree in photography.

“I left the world of Hollywood in 1986,

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THIRD THURSDAY SALON SERIES #1: “developing your own personal style” come meet wardrobe stylist susan m. stella (aka “stella”)

thursday, october 18th from 6 - 8 PM cost: $20.00 refreshments will be served

reservations required; please note this event closes at 20 guests for more information or to make reservations, please email infoencantosb@gmail.com or call 805.722.4338 The finely polished wood jewelry boxes for sale at Santa Barbara Arts are made in Texas by Michael Fisher Heartwood Creations

sold my house, moved back up here, went back to Brooks, graduated in 1990 and did photography for ten years. I was busy, I loved it, but then I thought, ‘Okay; it’s time for something else.’”

Lynn was hand-tinting photographs and selling them on Cabrillo Blvd on Sundays, and was approached by someone connected with the Yes Store, a holiday store that features local artists, who asked if she’d like to come to work there. She said “Yes,” and discovered she liked retail, became manager at the Yes Store and began to think Santa Barbara might support a place where artists could sell their wares year round. When the Yes Store gave up its location in El Paseo, Lynn took over the lease and opened Santa Barbara Arts.

The rent proved prohibitive for a shop such as hers, however, so she moved, but she has been in business for ten years, the last four of them in the store’s current location.

It’s All Pretty Much Local Other local artists whose work is for sale at Santa Barbara Arts include Arthur Korb, a jeweler who uses high-end gem stones, 18-karat gold, and sterling. He’s been in the business for over forty years.

Amy Hazard, a fifth-generation Santa Barbaran with a degree in Chinese herbal medicine, distills her own oils that she harvests off her ranch near Refugio, and makes her own lotions. Felting artist Valerie McLean offers up her unique scarves. Felting is made by agitating fibers to create a distinctive look and then combining them with other fabrics.

Wyllis Heaton paints local scenes in oil and his work is available, framed, from about $550. Local icon Bud Bottoms – the man that designed the dolphin fountain at the end of State Street by the pier – sells his jewelry and some of his bronze sculptures here too. Bud works in silver, gold, and even copper. SB Arts sells his mini dolphin sculptures for as little as $175.

The purses on display near the back are made by Danny K in Beverly Hills from tapestries brought back from Italy – every season he brings in a new one and retires the old; the attractive, high-quality purses are priced from $28 to $74.

A husband and wife team in San Luis Obispo – Dan Dee Silk – make handpainted silk jackets, ponchos, and scarves, also well priced. Greeting cards are made

by Kim Adelman, along with Manuel Cruz, who has his own line.

Andrea Chamberlain lives on a ranch at the top of San Marcos Pass and makes oneof-a-kind individual statement jewelry with pieces of copper, sterling, gem stones, and pearls; bracelets are priced as little as $80.

Nina Ward creates small clay sculptures of bunnies, pigs and chickens that have proven popular. She makes larger pieces too, especially during the holidays, featuring life-sized peahens, roosters, and chickens.

Other items at Santa Barbara Arts include hand-painted silk scarves, soaps and lotions from the Santa Barbara Soap Company; the Sisters of Santa Barbara make an attractive line of jewelry and porcelain sculptures, and, of course, Lynn’s pride and joy: limited edition Ansel Adams b/w photographs of Los Angeles, Burbank, and the Santa Monica area taken in 1940, made from Adams’ negatives ($2,200 unframed; $2,500 framed). Profits from the sale of these go to the Los Angeles Public Library.

The shop’s hours are currently 11 am to 6 pm, but Santa Barbara Arts will be open from 10 am to 7 pm as it gets closer to the holidays, seven days a week. As the holiday approaches, Lynn brings in a Christmas tree to display a collection of handmade decorations made by local artisans such as Ron Hinkel, who fashions one-of-a-kind globe ornaments.

Just being in La Arcada is a treat for the eyes and the senses; dropping into Santa Barbara Arts – and maybe even buying something – makes the visit that much more special.

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...continued from p.13

Riviera resident and graphic artist Sean Blake painting a seashell-head mural on the corner of East Mason and Helena Avenue

Santa Barbara High School juniors and Arts Fund beneficiaries Jessary Rodnas and Rachel Scheid also hard at work doing a mural, and a colorful one at that

Owner-curator Katie McLean opened her door with a bright smile and showed me around Latitude Gallery on Helena Avenue

Ugandan-born photographer and Brooks student Tedeo Tebandeke – otherwise known simply as “T” – stands out on the street, taking in the scene

Santa Barbara Museum of Art employees Kendall Pata and Kristy Thomas enjoy a glass of wine with Captain Bootsie the dog in the sun on the deck at Corks ‘n Crowns (did I get that right, Kristy?)

It’s clear he’s passionate about making a high-performance product time and time again.

Once Jason’s finished with the boards (and they are sent out to be stylized and glassed), Tom and others, including co-owner Tarik Khashoggi, spread the J7 gospel locally, regionally, nationally and beyond.

I went out front after thirty minutes and asked Tom if the turkey was ready. “Nope,” he said, “should be a half-hour from now.”

It was fun spending time with J7 and learning a bit about their business… but I couldn’t wait forever for the darn bird.

I spent the ensuing couple hours wandering the streets of the Funk Zone

and ran into a real cross-section of Santa Barbara. My observation is that we have a community more diverse than we often give it credit for; you just have to get out and try a new thing and you’ll see it too. The Funk Zone fosters and facilitates and nurtures that diversity. It also houses some very creative and cool businesses. Check them out.

Rocking The Tents At El Capitan State Beach Wendi and I spent the evening (ok, the night) with friends up at El Capitan State Beach celebrating Austin Herlihy’s and

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Austin and Nicole Herlihy find a moment away from the taco truck and band (and kids) at El Cap State Beach to celebrate their seventh anniversary

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Petros Benekos, owner of Petros (right), and his kitchen staff make one hell of a meatball

his wife, Nicole’s seventh anniversary. El Taco provided the grub and the Kinsella Brothers Band rocked the lower El Cap campground for a few hours. It was a perfect night, and the band put on a great show that was enjoyed by all within earshot.

(They were that good; just ask our fellow campers.)

Fun party, Austin and Nicole, here’s wishing you many more happy years together.

The Kinsella Brothers Band rocks the house, as Buck Stoll watches from the treetop

Eating And Drinking For A Great Cause Sunday afternoon brought the Family Care Network’s Taste of the Central Coast to the Bacara. (What can I say? Life is tough.)

The event paired local food and wine tastings with a silent and live auction that benefitted the Family Care Network, which has been providing supportive services for foster and high-need children and families on the Central Coast for years. After tasting through a delightful lineup put together by Curtis Winery, I spent the next couple hours sampling food from some of my favorite haunts.

I loved the “tiny cob salad” topped with a pink Pakistani salt mixed with west Indian spices (aka Sulphur Salt) by Chef Nik Ramirez at Intermezzo (very clever, clever enough, in fact, that you even clearly impressed exacting owner Mitchell Sjerven with that one). And the meatballs and filo by relative newcomer to Santa Barbara, Petros, were delightful.

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(Proprietor Petros Benekos is a truly nice guy who took the time to shake hands and talk about his restaurants here and in Los Olivos and Manhattan Beach.)

Oh, I almost forgot the rich and delicious macaroni and cheese from Arlington Tavern chef-owner Ron True and the light and crisp eggplant salad with local scallops and heirloom tomatoes by chef John Pettitt over at Cadiz. (Cadiz proprietor Micheal DeRose was there with his charming daughter Messina.) And the gelato from Spoon on State Street. And the Malbec from Grassini Family Vineyards. I was even able

Intermezzo Proprietor Mitchell Sjerven and Chef Nik Ramirez bask in the glory of the “tiny cob salad”

to mix in a few wine tastings before the live auction began.

And… well, I’d better stop.

The event was a blast and the auction went well and raised good money for a great cause. It was quite a night.

Come to think of it, I suppose there was only one thing missing. Two, maybe.

That heavenly whole lamb from Scarlett Begonia.

And, perhaps, that J7 barbecued turkey.

(Tom, is the damned thing done yet?)

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Keeping It All Together

by Briana Westmacott Hailing from NorCal, Briana has lived in Santa Bar-

bara for the past fifteen years. While she is indeed an adjunct faculty member at SBCC and has contributed to LOVEmikana, Wake & Wander and Entrée Magazine, much of her time is spent multi-tasking her way through days as a mother, wife, sister, wantto-be chef and travel junky. Writing is an outlet that ensures mental stability… usually.

The Juggler’s Dilemma

T

he circus terrifies me. Always has.

I was seven the first time I set foot inside the big top and I still remember all the sad-looking animals crammed into dilapidated cages, and the many painted faces and make-believe smiles dancing around me. I remember feeling like we’d been lured into that freakish tent of horrors by the cheerful barker and the bright flags flying overhead.

But then there was the juggler.

He fascinated me. His extraordinary concentration and ability to defy gravity through sheer focus and determination were intoxicating. I kept my eyes on him throughout the show because, to me, he had a true talent for keeping it all together.

Against the odds, he had perfected a very difficult balancing act in an otherwise bizarre world.

Thirty years later, my thoughts drifted to the juggler as I hiked to what seemed to be the top of the world in Yosemite Valley.

More accurately, I suppose, I hallucinated a circus performer in the sweltering heat as I labored uphill, sweating profusely, to

the highest point attainable on foot with my octogenarian in-laws and two young children in tow. And as I watched him diddle his way up the trail ahead of me, brilliant shiny balls swirling through the air, I told myself that this whole production was a test – a juggler’s test of keeping it all together under difficult circumstances.

If he can keep those balls in the air, then I can too, I reasoned as we walked.

And we pushed on.

It had been quite an interesting few days to that point, and I battled to balance everything from the moment we smashed into an old minivan – not ours, I’m compelled to add – for the seven-hour drive to Yosemite. We set out to conquer Vernal Falls as a group, and everybody from my four-year-old daughter all the way up to my eighty-four-year-old in-law wanted to make the top. Despite our good intentions, however, we struggled hard at a painstaking pace on the trail. Heat and dirt and rocks and bathroom breaks and the incessant “mommy, can you carry me?” demands of my kids plagued us all the way.

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Briana and her family after conquering Vernal Falls

But, as often happens when one endures a particularly trying set of circumstances, the final moment was our prize.

When we finally reached the summit, exhausted and on the cusp of hospitalization due to dehydration, we sat, perched on a rock, watching the brute force of Vernal Falls spill over the top of mother earth in a dazzling display of power and grace.

Serenity (insanity?) was sinking in when my four year old leaned over and asked, as only a four-year-old girl might, “How do they turn the waterfall off at night, Mommy?”

We all burst into hysterics and shared one of those spontaneous moments in time that is truly timeless, for lack of a better word. Three generations of family, beat up but laughing hard in the middle of nowhere, had been galvanized by the endearing honesty that tumbles so easily, so innocently, from the mouth of a child.

It was a special moment. One I won’t forget.

As the days went on, though, I thought hard (ok… I obsessed) about my daughter’s words. Did she actually believe that everything – even a waterfall – has an “off button”? How could that possibly be? I mean – am I failing as a parent? We hike Inspiration Point, we explore tide pools on the Mesa, we’re members of the Natural History Museum, we camp at El Capitan Canyon (those cabins count as “camping,” don’t they?). Come on, this isn’t possible!

Maybe I should take a step back. I’m a child of the ‘70s, you see, the epitome of offspring produced by left-leaning Baby Boomers. My hippy parents brought me into the world in La Jolla but soon decided they wanted to buy a piece of land and stake their claim in the wilds of Northern California. So, before I can officially remember, we migrated far north to Willits (real Northern California) and started building, quite literally, from the ground up. Some of my earliest memories are of times – like, more than a few hours (or even days) – when we lived with no electricity.

At age 8, I could light a propane lantern by myself, in the dark. (I also learned how to shoot a rattlesnake from forty feet, but I’ll save that story for another time.)

So, in light of my “rural” upbringing,

it is perhaps not surprising that I was suddenly and quite seriously concerned that my child thought a waterfall had an off button, much like her trusty Leap Pad. I panicked. Am I letting my daughters spend too much time with technology? They really should understand that nature can’t be shut off with a button, shouldn’t they?

My husband and I are obviously neglecting our children’s education; we’re clearly not observing the parental guidelines aimed at properly balancing technology along with growth stages. Dear God, what have we done?!

But as I teetered dangerously on the edge of packing up the minivan and speeding home at breakneck speed to clear our house of anything with a battery or plug or charger or cord, I remembered something I read somewhere a long time ago: The trick to juggling is figuring out which balls are made of rubber and which ones are made of glass.

And I relaxed.

Lila is four. She’s young. She’s innocent.

She still thinks that if she can’t see you, then she is well hidden in a game of hideand-go-seek. And she thinks that maybe, just maybe, Vernal Falls shuts off at night.

What’s the harm in that?

I do sometimes let the kids play on the iPad or watch a cartoon, and so what? I’m careful to balance technology with other things, like lighting propane lanterns or shooting rattlesnakes. (I’m kidding.) I’ve got two girls, a film-producing husband, a busy career in education and three dads, three sisters, five nieces and nephews, an old cat and a new puppy. I’m doing my best at keeping it all in the air, with grace.

And I think I’m getting better at it.

In fact, I like to think that I am actually good at dealing with what life throws at me. Here’s the secret: I’ve learned that, even despite Herculean effort and laser-like focus (and the occasional bottle of Pinot Grigio), it’s almost impossible to keep it all in the air all of the time. I’ve come to understand that this is the way life works.

Sometimes it gets out of hand. Sometimes a ball hits the ground.

I just try to be sure that it’s a rubber one before I let it go.

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• weekend guide • • LOVE IS FREE What: Artisans’ Market Where: Williams-Sonoma, La Cumbre Plaza When: Saturday, October 13, 12pm – 4pm Why: Taste local products and learn about them firsthand from the producers themselves. Samples include gourmet marshmallows from Burst; honey, jams and jellies from Chapala Farms; chocolate from Chocolate Maya; and almonds from Fat Uncle Farms, just to name a few.

How: Stop in and sample some Santa Barbara.

.com

Please Pass the Cinema

By Sylvie Butera Rich

As part of epicure.sb’s “31 days of cuisine, libations, and culture,” catch Sideways at De La Guerra Place in Paseo Nuevo on Friday, October 12

A

nd pour me another while you push play.

Each Friday evening during the month of October, you can enjoy food-themed movies in honor of epicure.sb’s “31 days of cuisine, libations, and culture.” Bring a chair or blanket (or better yet, both), and curl up under Santa Barbara’s silvery autumn sky in De La Guerra Place at Paseo Nuevo’s State Street entrance. Maybe you already caught Julie and Julia last week, but even if you did, still be sure to catch local favorite Sideways this Friday, October 12th, sweet Chocolat on October 19th and inspiring Eat Pray Love on October 26th. Movies start at 7 pm.

Oh, did we mention that all flicks are free? Yep, that’s right, a cheap date right under the stars downtown.

Wine tasting and food will be available for purchase. For more information, visit www. paseonuevoshopping.com/Events/movies. And have fun!

Wine & Dine This is Juicy

By Briana Westmacott

H

aven’t you heard? Come on, everybody’s doing it… Vitamix juicing is the talk of the table! For those of you who don’t know, Vitamix is basically a super-charged restaurantgrade blender that can do everything from chop onions to juice whole apples or kale or whatever. No pre-chopping or paring, and easy to clean up. (The thing is so powerful it could likely propel a reasonably sized boat or juice an entire palm tree… but we don’t know how that might taste.) Let’s just say that Vitamix juicing is a good thing.

We decided to collect a couple of the latest and greatest recipes from Santa Barbara folks, and hope not only that you find joy in these healthy concoctions, but also spread the word about the The recipe possibilities are endless importance of getting your daily dose of fruits and using Vitamix, the veggies (and, perhaps, palm fronds). Cheers!

This Pineapple Went on a Date

- 1 small banana - 4 dates, pitted - 1/2 cup pineapple, roughly chopped - 1 pear - 1 small lemon, peeled and seeded - fresh mint, to taste - 1 tbsp. flax oil - 1/2 cup water - 4 ice cubes - For those of you who might want a little more kick and a little less health, add a splash of your favorite vodka

What’ll It Cost Me: Free!

• LOOSE CHANGE

What: Downtown Sound – Battle of the Bands Semi-Finals Where: SOhO, 1221 State Street When: Saturday, October 13, 8pm Why: Tune in to local bands battling for recognition as the best Santa Barbara has to offer. Saturday’s lineup includes Freakin’ On Speakers, Millions, Jake Jeanson, and Angelo Meatcraft Flying Machine. (What is a Meatcraft Flying Machine, anyway?)

How: Cheer on and root for all the bands, and then vote for your favorite.

What’ll It Cost Me: $5 in advance, $8 at the door

• HEY BIG SPENDER What: 11th Annual Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival Where: The Santa Barbara Harbor, 132-A Harbor Way When: Saturday, October 13, 10am – 5pm Why: Enjoy delectable regional seafood specialties, cooking demonstrations, maritime education, children’s activities, boat rides, live music and more.

How: Go fish.

What’ll It Cost Me: I t’s free to attend the festival but here’s the catch: The fresh fish will cost ya!

high-performance blending machine

Sip the Season – A Pumpkin Pie Pleasure

- 1/2 frozen banana - 1/2 cup pure pumpkin - 1/3 cup vanilla Greek yogurt - 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk - pumpkin pie spice (a dash to taste) - 1 tbsp. ground chia seeds - 1 handful of fresh spinach

Directions: For both of the above recipes, just blend all ingredients together in the Vitamix until smooth and enjoy.

Note that these recipes work just fine with the blender you got as a wedding gift, but you’ll have to spend more time chopping and dicing before tossing ingredients in to ensure adequate smoothness in the end product.

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www.presidiosports.com Presidio Sports is a provider of local sports news and information for the Santa Barbara community. Founded in 2008, the small team at Presidio has covered hundreds of local sporting events and published thousands of articles connected to Santa Barbara’s athletic community. Please visit their website for more local sports news and information.

Sports Volunteer of the Month: Carpinteria’s Bill Swing

by Barry Punzal

H

igh school athletes have it made in Carpinteria. Besides receiving quality coaching, they have their own personal photographer.

Whether you’re swinging a bat, running along the bluffs, scoring a goal, serving an ace, swishing a 3-pointer, clearing a hurdle, driving off a tee, doing the breaststroke, catching a pass in the end zone or celebrating with your teammates, Bill Swing has taken your picture.

Swing could be considered the “unofficial” team photographer for all the athletic teams at Carpinteria High and Cate School. He’s unofficial because neither school hires him to do it. He shoots the athletes performing for the love of the game.

And, he won’t accept a dime for his photos.

“I actually have a bit of an aversion to charging people any money,” Swing said,

ever so humbly. “[But] I love being taken out to breakfast or being invited to the season’s sports banquets… that’s payment enough.”

For all his efforts and his never-ending support of high school sports in Carpinteria, Swing is being recognized as the Presidio Sports’ Volunteer of the Month.

The award – made possible by Pacific Western Bank – seeks to recognize those in the sports community who selflessly donate their time and efforts to making other people’s lives better.

It’s rare to find Swing without a camera hanging from his neck during the school year. Monday through Saturday he’ll be firing off photos at a field, gym, track, tennis court, golf course or swimming pool that’s the venue for a Carpinteria High or Cate event.

Asked how many athletic events he shoots during a year, Swing replied: “When I’m

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Bill Swing, the “unofficial” sports photographer of Carpinteria High and Cate School, is Volunteer of the Month

really tired, way too many, but, at the end of the summer, not enough.”

He said he shoots about six to seven events a week during the school year.

“I have tried to shoot the entire event at most, but do find myself slowing down a bit recently,” he said.

That’s hard to believe.

Swing is going strong at age 68. He is an inspiration to the athletes and coaches.

“Bill Swing works tirelessly and unconditionally for the athletic community in Carpinteria,” Carpinteria High athletic director and baseball coach Pat Cooney said. “He is a photojournalist, an artist, a historian, an official, a volunteer driver, a mentor and a friend. He seems to work only for the intrinsic reward of working with young people.

“Student-athletes, parents, coaches and community members are indebted to him.

Bill Swing’s volunteer efforts are a major component of the vitality of the athletic programs at Carpinteria High School. Bill has fun and he makes it fun for others.”

In addition to shooting photos, Swing finds time to help out coaching the Carpinteria cross country team. He also volunteers his time to drive a team van to an athletic event.

Cate athletic director Wade Ransom said the athletic programs in Carpinteria are lucky to have a person who takes “an interest in making the sports experience as great as possible for the kids.

“Through the generous use of his camera and keen sense of timing, our studentathletes have had some of their greatest triumphs documented,” Ransom added.

“Bill captures the fun of high school sports and shares all of his photos so our teams will have a keepsake of each season, yet he has never asked for anything in return.

“We are so grateful he has chosen to be a part of the Cate athletic community and are thrilled to relive our thrilling moments in his photos.”

Swing started shooting Carpinteria prep sports when his son, Tyson, was competing for Carpinteria High in the early 1990s.

“I began videotaping Carpinteria High track and field and cross country in 1990 for the kids and began to shoot digital stills around 1995,” he said.

Through the years he’s submitted photos to the weekly Coastal View News and the Carpinteria High yearbook.

“Both the Coastal View News and the CHS Chismahoo (yearbook) use my sports shots, but I’ve not yet made the cover of Sports Illustrated,” he quipped.

“Every student at Carpinteria High School and Cate School gets a personal photographer when they sign up for a sport. And a darn good one at that,” said Peter Dugre, the sports and associate editor at Coastal View News. “Bill gives his time and expertise without thought of gaining a thing. Coastal View News would not be nearly as well represented at local sports contests without Bill. He is as much a part of Carpinteria athletics as anyone who sets foot on a court or field.”

Swing’s zeal for sports photography is so strong that not even a disability could keep him off the sidelines. In 2002, he had his right leg amputated below the knee due to complications from diabetes.

“I got an infection in the bones of my right foot,” he explained. “Complications from diabetes caused the injury to advance to the point where my foot could not be saved.”

He says the prosthesis slows him down, “but I suspect that my years are equally to blame.”

The love of the work and the interaction with the young athletes energizes him.

“I have said to friends that my volunteering to work with the kids in high school is selfish due to all the advantages that I gain: exercise and infectious influences that the kids place on me… probably the best thing to keep me young.”

Swing caught the photography bug when he was a student at Pasadena High.

He found his way to Carpinteria through surfing.

“I was not into school sports but began to meet people in Carpinteria while surfing in the late 1950s,” he said. “As soon as I graduated from high school, I moved to Carpinteria and have been here since.”

He worked as a fireman in the city and has done carpentry work for many years.

He said the first camera he used to shoot Carpinteria sports was a Canon “pocket” camera. He quickly upgraded to a Canon 20D. Today, he calls his two 60Ds his workhorses, and he uses a Canon Mark-IV for low light “and when I want a slight edge in quality.”

Being a high school athlete in Carpinteria is like being a member of a family, and Swing is that fun-loving uncle who snaps the photos at the family gatherings.

He said athletes from the past still come up to him and thank him for his photos.

“Those events are probably the most rewarding benefit of any kind of volunteerism,” he said. “I’ve run into both Cate and Carpinteria High grads out in the real world and they often thank me for shooting their high school events.”

O’Connor, Carter named Athletes of the Week

by John Dvorak

Dos Pueblos’ Colleen O’Connor and Bishop Diego’s Anthony Carter have been selected as this week’s Santa Barbara Athletic

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Dos Pueblos’ Fernandez ranked No. 1 in country After blowing away an elite field at the Clovis Invitational cross country meet on Saturday, Dos Pueblos’ Bryan Fernandez has been ranked as the No. 1 high school cross country runner in the country by XCnation.com.

Bishop Diego’s Anthony Carter C. Vivian Stringer and UCSB Head Women’s Coach Carlene Mitchell at the Montecito Country Club for the ‘Links and a Legend’ event

Bryan Fernandez, No. 1 high school cross country runner in the country according to XCnation.com

Dos Pueblos’ Colleen O’Connor

Round Table Athletes of the Week and were recognized on Monday at Harry’s Plaza Café.

O’Connor led the Chargers’ girls volleyball team to a pair of Channel League victories last week, including a crucial fiveset win on Thursday at Santa Barbara High that lifted the Chargers into first place in league play. O’Connor recorded 11 kills in Tuesday’s win over Ventura and followed that up with a team-high 14 on Thursday.

Anthony Carter was a key piece to Bishop Diego’s 39-22 rivalry win over Carpinteria last week. Carter, a mobile quarterback, ran for 127 yards and two touchdowns while throwing for a 27-yard touchdown completion. The Cardinals, 6-0, are ranked No. 2 in the Northwest Division.

“We’re very lucky to have this young man,” said Cardinals assistant football coach Ralph Molina.

Honorable mentions include: Nic Ryan, UCSB Soccer; Gerald Ben, Westmont Soccer; Anthony Spiritosanto, Dos Pueblos Football; Ben O’Hara, Carpinteria Water Polo; Bryan Fernandez, Dos Pueblos Cross Country; Bekah Beveridge, Dos Pueblos Golf; Cecilia Instebo, SBCC Cross Country; and Kelsie Bryant, Carpinteria Tennis.

The Dos Pueblos senior won the 5k race in 15 minutes, 9 seconds, improving his time from last year by 1:11 and finishing ahead of the second-place runner by 11 seconds.

“He’s proving that his ranking as the No. 2 runner in the country (at the time) is no joke,” DP coach Leslie Wiggins Roth said.

The DP boys finished third overall in a meet that brings together all the best teams from each CIF division. California High and Trabuco Hills were the top two boys teams.

“The competition in this race is arguably better than the California state meet, where we only compete against teams in our division,” Roth said.

Fernandez leads a Dos Pueblos team that is currently ranked No. 2 in Division 2 of CIF’s Southern Section.

Stringer, UCSB join together for ‘Links and a Legend’

By Randy Weiss

Rutgers University coach and 2009 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, C. Vivian Stringer, was in Santa Barbara on Monday to promote UCSB women’s basketball – events included a golf fundraiser followed by a book signing, dinner and presentation – all packaged as ‘Links and a Legend.’

The event was held at Montecito Country Club.

Approaching 900 victories (885-318 .735) over 41 seasons, Stringer is the NCAA’s tenth winningest basketball coach in women’s basketball history.

Those attending had the opportunity to meet the famed coach and receive a

personally signed copy of her 2008 memoir, Standing Tall.

Immediately prior to coming west before last season, UCSB Head Women’s Coach Carlene Mitchell served as a Rutgers University top assistant under Stringer for 10 years – the last few as associate head coach.

“I’m happy for her success out here and I know what a tough situation that is to walk into, where the expectations are so high.

But, I really miss her,“ Stringer shared with the 150 attendees in the audience during her talk.

Mitchell coached the Gauchos to the Big West Championship in only her first season.

They were rewarded with a trip to ‘The Big Dance’ – a date with Nation’s top player Brittney Griner and her top ranked Baylor team, the ultimate NCAA Champs.

“And, no – we’ll never play each other,” Stringer added about Mitchell. “It would be too painful for me, personally. I had to play one of my former assistants before – it was the worst game of my life!”

Stringer, whose talk covered a range of topics including personal insights of her youth and basketball coaching career and the importance and impact of equal opportunities for women in sports and life – normally commands a five-figure speaking fee.

“Tonight, she did it for a hug,” said Mitchell, who also unveiled her 2012-13 Gaucho team and coaching staff.

They hoped to raise $40,000 at the event to cover the team’s expanded travel costs.

Presidio Sports’ Best Bets for the Weekend

by Barry Punzal

It’s big-game week for the SBCC football team.

The Vaqueros, riding a three-game winning streak, play host to Antelope Valley in a first-place showdown in the American Pacific Football Conference on Friday at 7 pm, at La Playa Stadium. The teams enter the contest with 2-0 records.

Defense has been the key behind SBCC’s win streak. It’s allowed only 23 points in

the three wins. In their last game two weeks ago, the Vaqueros held L.A. Southwest to 92 total yards in a 24-10 victory. For the season, they’re giving up just 18.4 points per game, No. 2 in Southern California.

“Our defense is playing well because we have great coaching and play calling,” said linebacker Morgan Nevin, who is the second leading tackler in the state, averaging 11 per game. “Our defense has really stepped up the last few weeks and pretty much gotten the Ws.” The SBCC defense will face a stern test in Antelope Valley (4-1). The Marauders average 43.4 points a game, second in Southern California. Last week, they suffered their first loss, a 62-61 doubleovertime shootout with College of the Canyons.

Other events worth checking out: FRIDAY Cross Country: SBCC Invitational Meet, 3 pm Shoreline Park – Twenty schools are entered in the unique race, which is run partly on the soft sand at Leadbetter Beach. Races start at Leadbetter Beach and finish at Shoreline Park.

Prep Football: Buena at San Marcos, 7 pm – In the only high school football game in town Friday night, San Marcos will be looking to bounce back from its blowout loss to Dos Pueblos in its Homecoming game. The Royals (1-6, 0-1) also will be celebrating Senior Night. Buena (4-3, 1-0) comes into Warkentin Stadium after a Channel League-opening win against Santa Barbara.

Prep Football: Dos Pueblos at Ventura, 7 pm – DP coach Nate Mendoza said the Channel League title goes through Ventura (4-2, 0-0). The Cougars are the defending champions and have another good team. A tough, hard-hitting defense has been their strength. They’ll face a similar team in Dos Pueblos (5-2, 1-0). Offensively, the Chargers got their running game going at full tilt in a 54-0 ...continued p.22

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Abel Gonzalez and the Bishop Diego Cardinals take on Santa Paula Saturday night

win at San Marcos. There should be some heavy hitting in this game.

GIMME 5 s ant abarbarastickers.com

SATURDAY Water Polo: Stanford at UCSB, Noon – The Gauchos and Cardinals have played two tight matches against each other in tournaments: Stanford won at the NorCal Invitational 8-7 and UCSB got revenge in the SoCal Invite 12-9. This is a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match. UCSB will take a No. 2 national ranking into the highnoon clash at Campus Pool.

Prep Football: Santa Paula at Bishop Diego at SBCC, 7 pm – Unbeaten Bishop is coming off back-toback emotional wins against San Diego power Santa Fe Christian and crosstown rival Carpinteria. Coach Tom Crawford reminded the team after the Carpinteria win that it can’t let up if it wants to play for a Tri-Valley League championship. Bishop Diego (6-0, 1-0) is ranked No. 2 in the CIF Northwest Division behind league foe Nordhoff. Santa Paula (1-5, 0-1) lost its league opener to Oak Park 42-28.

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REAL ESTATE

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By Michael Calcagno Michael has consistently been ranked in the

top 1% of Sotheby’s agents worldwide. Shortly after joining Sotheby’s, he partnered with Nancy Hamilton to form one of the most successful real estate teams in Santa Barbara.

Michael can be reached at Michael@HomesinSantaBarbara.com

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ne of the biggest hitches we’ve faced in the Santa Barbara real estate world recently is our lack of inventory. I know, I know… you’re pulling your hair out and screaming into the void, “What is this guy talking about? There are tons of houses for sale! Has Mike lost it?”

To be fair, your perception is in fact what most people believe. Unless they have been actively looking for property to purchase, that is. Unfortunately, my experience is that active buyers recognize and freely acknowledge that we have experienced a slowdown in inventory over the past six months.

Adding to that, most skeptics now think some looming, foreboding “Shadow Inventory” will sink our market again. But I tend to think that this inventory is exactly what the Santa Barbara housing market needs. (And I’m not just being contrarian, I swear.)

So, what, precisely, is this dreaded Shadow Inventory? It’s the number of homes that are either seriously delinquent with loan payments, bogged down in foreclosure or owned by lenders and servicers but not currently listed on the market (or some combination thereof ).

Interestingly enough, while demand is high and inventory is low, prices are actually holding steady rather than jumping up. And adding a Shadow Inventory to the equation shouldn’t harm pricing, assuming demand remains strong.

So I say, bring on the Shadow Inventory and let some of that pent up demand be quenched. We have the fundamentals and economics in place at this point to weather any related storm.

I’ve put together are some statistical comparisons of last year versus this year to support my above statements, as well as this week’s breakdown of three properties worth taking a look at.

Mortgage statistics provided by Justin M. Kellenberger, Senior Loan Officer at SG Premier Lending Group.

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Total Active Listings

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-8.2% 2011 2012 Properties that went into Escrow

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+37.6%

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New Listings

-6.4% 2011 2012 Number of Sold Properties

+32.5%

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1001 Alameda Padre Serra

0

2011 2012 3005 Paseo Tranquillo

839 Mission Canyon Road

arly 1900’s Craftsman with E separate spacious studio, and unique, flexible use options.

Porches, beautiful leaded glass windows, flourishing vegetable and rose gardens, and an orchard; a perfect nature lover’s retreat surrounded by oaks, boulders & stone walls.

ffering wood and slate O floors, this upscale and cozy retreat boasts vaulted ceilings

and spectacular ocean/city views from every room. The outdoor spaces include three spacious view decks and private grounds with stone paths, groomed lawns & mature trees.

List price: $1,195,000 Down payment (20%): $239,000 Loan amount: $956,000 Loan payment: $4,226

List price: $1,299,000 Down payment (20%): $259,800 Loan amount: $1,039,200 Loan payment: $4,594

Property taxes estimate: $1,095 Home insurance estimate: $100

Property taxes estimate: $1,190 Home insurance estimate: $100

(30-year fixed at 3.375% (APR 3.503%))

(30-year fixed at 3.375% (APR 3.503%))

his charming San Roque T Spanish-style Bungalow offers a two-bedroom, one-bath

main house and detached guestquarters with bath.

List price: $780,000 Down payment: $51,000 Loan amount: $729,000 FHA Loan payment: $3,172

(30-year fixed at 3.25% (APR 3.293%))

Mortgage insurance: $759

(required when less than 20% down)

Property taxes estimate: $715 Home insurance estimate: $75

Total Monthly Payment:

Total Monthly Payment:

Total Monthly Payment:

$5,421

$5,884

$4,721