Santa Barbara Family and Life Magazine December 2018

GOOD DOGS! Search and Rescue partners honored as grand marshals

MEATHEAD MOVERS

Company wants more businesses to help domestic violence survivors

Page 7

www.santabarbarafamilylife.com

December 2018

2 | Santa Barbara Family & Life | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | December 2018

On the Cover...

It’s been nearly a year since the disastrous Montecito debris flow on Jan. 9, but members of the Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue team haven’t stopped looking for the two victims whose bodies have not been found. In recognition of their continuing volunteer service, the Search and Rescue dogs and their handlers have been named grand marshals of the 66th annual Downtown Santa Barbara Holiday Parade on Friday, Dec. 7.

You can read the full story on Page 4.

Photo contributed The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is seeking donations to replace a truck lost Oct. 15 in a traffic accident.

Foodbank seeks help to replace crashed truck

T Photos by JC Corliss Anne Marie Cullen with her search dog Reilly, Rick Stein and MacGyver, and Shirley Smith with Keegan are three of six Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue dog teams that have spent the last 11 months searching for the two children who haven’t been found since the Jan. 9 mudflows.

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Staff Report

he Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is asking the community to help replace supplies and equipment lost in a traffic accident on Oct. 15, including a refrigerated food transport truck and the electric pallet jack and food that were on board.

The estimated replacement cost is $145,000.

To continue normal operations, the Foodbank has leased a truck for three months until a replacement arrives.

An anonymous donor has pledged a $50,000 matching gift that requires the Foodbank to raise an additional $50,000 in individual donations. Several donors have already pledged $4,000 toward replacements costs.

Aera Energy LLC has offered to fund a full-service lease payment for November, December and January while the new truck is procured.

“We so grateful for the support that has already come from our friends at Aera Energy, individuals and our generous anonymous donor with the matching gift,” noted Foodbank CEO Erik Talkin. ”In the thick of the holiday season, we see hunger increase as local food production and tourism slow down and many working people in our county face reduced work hours and wages.”

“Losing a truck as useful as ‘Old Reliable’ at

this time poses a real impediment to meeting the needs of those facing hunger in our community through our programs and our 300 nonprofit partners,” added Foodbank director of operations Paul Wilkins. “Logistics have been impaired since the accident.”

To contribute, the public may donate online by going to foodbanksbc.org and clicking on the “donate” tab, or by sending a check made out to Foodbank of Santa Barbara County to either 4554 Hollister Ave., Santa Barbara, 93110 or 490 West Foster Road, Santa Maria, 93455.

Credit card payments will be taken by phone at 805-937-3422, ext.106.

The Foodbank hopes to buy a refrigerated box truck outfitted with a liftgate that will allow pick-ups from smaller growers, support a greater variety of collection by the Backyard Bounty Program, and enable distributions to smaller agencies that lack a loading dock.

A refrigerated truck reduces food waste by slowing spoilage and keeping fresh produce fresh and safe longer.

In fiscal year 2018, the Foodbank distributed 10 million pounds of food, including 4 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables, to more than 173,000 unduplicated clients throughout Santa Barbara County.

For more information, visit www.foodbanksbc.org.

December 2018 | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | Santa Barbara Family & Life | 3

County changing emergency-alert systems to notify more people

By Giana Magnoli Noozhawk Managing Editor

Going into the winter storm season, Santa Barbara County is changing its emergency-alert protocols in an effort to notify more people, more quickly, of developing problems.

In November, emergency-services managers gave an update to the Board of Supervisors on the county’s Aware & Prepare alerts and other notification methods, including Wireless Emergency Alerting (WEA) messages.

Only 12 percent of people countywide, or 52,850 residents, are signed up to receive emergency alerts, according to Assistant County Executive Officer Terri Nisich. About 10 percent of residents are signed up for Nixle alerts at nixle.com.

“It tells us we have more work to do to get folks signed up in our system,” Nisich said.

Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann called the 12 percent registration rate abysmal, and county leaders hope to boost that number by using utility company account information to automatically sign up people for alerts, which recent legislation approved.

County leaders also are working to improve emergency messaging so people respond appropriately to alerts, taking action to prepare and Graphic contributed evacuate when they need to, said Rob Lewin, Only 12 percent of Santa Barbara County residents are director of the county Office of Emergency signed up for Aware & Prepare emergency alerts, which Management. include text, email and robo-call messages.

They’re embracing the Ready! Set! Go! wildfire preparedness model for storms, and the Gone are the words “voluntary” and “mandaOEM will send out weather advisories, evacua- tory” related to evacuation notices, Nisich said. tion warnings and evacuation orders in advance Survey results after the Holiday Fire in July of potentially dangerous storms that could told the county that people want information cause debris flows in recent burn areas. about incidents such as wildfires even if they

are not directly impacted or in the evacuation zone, and that many people thought they were signed up for alerts but may not have been.

“There is a lot of confusion out in the community, and that’s something we need to address,” Nisich said.

The county’s new emergency alerting protocols put dispatchers on the front line of making notifications to the public for incidents in unincorporated areas, which is where most people were affected during the recent Thomas Fire, Whittier Fire, Alamo Fire and Montecito debris flows.

During a disaster response, it typically takes an hour or two to activate the Emergency Operation Center and Joint Information Center and its Santa Barbara-based county dispatchers who send out the earliest emergency alerts, according to Lewin.

Dispatchers as well as fire and sheriff responders in the field have gone through recent trainings on the alert protocols, which have incident commanders determine whether and where evacuations are needed and notify dispatch, which sends out the alerts.

“It’s a culture shift for them,” Undersheriff Sol Linver said, adding that dispatchers are trained to make sure they answer 9-1-1 calls quickly, and that now someone needs to break away from the calls to send out an alert.

“They’ve done a good job adapting to that,” and they practice weekly and with unannounced exercises, he said.

The 9-1-1 call-takers get flooded during disasters, and during the Holiday Fire, 90 percent of the callers were asking for information, sheriff’s spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said.

In cases where the callers are not in danger,

dispatchers may hang up so that important calls such as one about a heart attack don’t go unanswered, according to dispatch supervisor Joe Ayala.

The public’s desire to talk to someone during emergencies also has been shown in the thousands of calls to the county’s 2-1-1 information line, and the Emergency Operations Center’s call center set up during the Thomas Fire and Montecito debris flows.

“I thought the time of call centers were kind of passé, but nope, they want to talk to a person,” Lewin said.

In response to feedback from recent disasters, the county plans to send out quick, general notifications first — such as, “There is a wildfire in the Goleta area; be aware and take precautions to stay safe” — and then follow-up messages to target people who need to shelter in place, evacuate or take other action.

“Any time anyone feels unsafe, they should take immediate action and not wait for notification to evacuate,” Nisich said.

Ayala said at a recent Emergency Public Information Communicators meeting that members of the public want to know “what the big scary thing is, what they need to do about it and where they can go for more information.”

Dispatchers typically send out a WEA alert first to let people know something happened, EMERGENCY SYSTEMS CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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4 | Santa Barbara Family & Life | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | December 2018

Hard-working volunteers and K-9 partners will lead SB Holiday Parade

Search and Rescue dog teams named grand marshals

I

By Raiza Giorgi publisher@santabarbarafamilylife.com

t’s been nearly a year since the disastrous Montecito debris flow on Jan. 9, but members of the Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue team haven’t stopped looking for the two victims whose bodies were never found.

In recognition of their continuing volunteer service, the Search and Rescue dogs and their handlers have been named grand marshals of the 66th annual Downtown Santa Barbara Holiday Parade on Friday, Dec. 7.

“There has been a team here in Montecito every week since the tragedy happened, searching for the two missing children that are still out there. We won’t rest until we find them,” said Rick Stein, lead handler for the SBSAR search dog team.

Jack Cantin, 17, and Lydia Sutthithepa, 2, were swept away in the Jan. 9 mudflows. They are listed among the 21 people killed, but they are the only victims who haven’t been found.

The Search and Rescue dog team includes six handlers and K-9 partners that are certified by the California Rescue Dog Association in the areas of search, trailing, and human-remains detection.

The parade begins at 6:30 p.m. at State and Sola streets and proceeds down State Street to Cota Street.

The grand marshals are: n Reilly, a 4-year-old Dutch shepherd with partner Anne Marie Cullen n Rica, a 6-year-old German shepherd with partner Sheila Malavasi n MacGyver, a 5-year-old red-tri Australian shepherd with partner Rick Stein n Mojo, a 10-year-old border collie with partner Tracee Walker n Chaos, with partner Juanita Smith n Keegan, with partner Shirley Smith “These dogs were vital to the Montecito debris flow rescue operation – quite literally, they saved lives. With our theme ‘Santa Barbara Shines,’ and our goal of bringing a bit of closure one year after the recent disasters, these teams (six dogs, six handlers) are the perfect four-footed grand marshals,” said Marketing and Communications Director Kate Schwab of Downtown Santa Barbara.

Stein, one of the six handlers, has been involved with search and rescue operations since he first trained ski-patrol dogs 20 years ago.

“We are all volunteers, and this is really a calling … quite often we can make a positive impact in someone’s life, which is the biggest motivation,” Stein said.

The mudslides were a difficult situation in which the teams were mainly looking for people under tons of mud and rubble.

“It was devastating, to say the least.

Especially when my dog MacGyver picked up a scent. I decided to lead other teams to the area to be sure that he was right and, sure enough, the dogs gave us their cues,”

Photo by Daniel Dreifuss A Search and Rescue dog searches what’s left of a house that was destroyed in the massive mudslide in Montecito last January.

Photos by JC Corliss

Anne Marie Cullen with her search dog Reilly

Shirley Smith with Keegan

Photo contributed Mojo, a 10-year-old border collie, works with partner Tracee Walker.

Photo contributed Volunteer search and rescue in Santa Barbara County dates back to 1962, when three separate teams were formed in Santa Barbara, Lompoc and Santa Maria.

Stein said.

In the area around Hot Springs and Olive Mill roads, the devastation was so complete that search teams had to rely on Google Earth maps to find their way.

Sometimes Stein carried his dog to be sure he wouldn’t sink in the mud.

Stein recalled a feeling of relief after coming upon an infant in a pile of debris and seeing that the bedroom had been separated from the rest of the house. They ended up finding the rest of the family alive in the house that had been carried down the road.

Area Search dogs are trained to find any live human scent in a defined area, normally in a wilderness environment.

An Area Search dog works off lead, as directed by its handler. When it finds something, it reports back to the handler and guides him or her to the spot. The dogs don’t need to be given a particular person’s scent before beginning their work.

Trailing dogs are trained to find a live subject by following the path that a subject has traveled, based on the person’s scent.

All of the local Search and Rescue dogs are owned and trained by their volunteer handlers. The initial training process can take one to three years. Training continues once the dog team becomes certified, or “mission ready,” to maintain proficiency.

The teams are re-tested semi-annually or annually depending on their disciplines.

After choosing the dogs as grand marshals, Downtown Santa Barbara Lemos Feed & Pet Supply to sponsor the teams, and General Manager Paul Benedix was quick to sign on.

“Lemos Feed & Pet Supply is honored to sponsor this year’s grand marshals, paying tribute to the Santa Barbara Search and Rescue team and their hard-working dogs!”

Benedix said. “As our communities continue to heal from the events of this past year, these dogs and their volunteer handlers stand ready to find, render aid and save the lives of those in greatest need. Lemos is thankful for their sacrifice and service, and for the opportunity to support our communities. We are #805strong!”

Together, Lemos and Downtown Santa Barbara are donating $500 to Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue.

The Search and Rescue team has been operating since 1962, when three separate teams formed in Santa Barbara, Lompoc and Santa Maria. They merged in 2001 under the umbrella of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, but they remain a nonprofit organization of volunteers.

For more information on the Search and Rescue team, log onto www.sbcsar.net or email info@sbscar.net.

For more information about volunteering for the Holiday Parade, email Parade Producer Lisa McCorkle at lisamccorkleflp@gmail.com.

December 2018 | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | Santa Barbara Family & Life | 5

Lake Cachuma becomes flashpoint over water supply

In chronic drought, water agencies want more allocations from reservoir while Santa Barbara County’s caution has frustrated some managers

By Melinda Burns Contributing Writer

Where are the rains of yesteryear? The wet winter of 2017 is a distant memory as Santa Barbara County, like a thirsty desert survivor, staggers into its eighth year of drought.

As of November, the water level at Lake Cachuma, once the main water supply for the South Coast and the Santa Ynez Valley, has dropped back to 31 percent of capacity, a mark the reservoir hit in October 2014 on the way down to a record low of 7 percent in October 2016.

“I think the dry conditions have just worn everybody out,” said Chris Dahlstrom, general manager for ID1 — the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District, Improvement District No. 1 — which is one of five agencies that draw from Cachuma.

“It would be a great thing to get a good winter.”

Yet little rain is in the forecast. A weak-to-moderate El Niño condition developing in the equatorial Pacific Ocean may not hold much promise for Southern California, said Eric Boldt, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

“Right now, it doesn’t look very favorable for a wet year,” he said, “but there’s still some time to reverse course.”

As the drought drags on, it’s not surprising that a dispute is simmering over allocations

Santa Barbara County photo As Santa Barbara County enters its eighth year of drought, Lake Cachuma has shrunk to 31 percent of capacity, the water level of October 2014. The wet winter of 2017 brought some relief, but those gains have been erased by persistent dry weather.

from the lake for the South Coast and the Santa Ynez Valley.

For now, the county has prevailed with a gradualist approach that releases some water now for sure and some in the spring ... maybe.

“When we get down to the bottom of the barrel here and we’re counting drops, we’ve got to be very careful,” said Tom Fayram, deputy director of the county Public Works Department.

“We’re making sure the water’s there before

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we allocate it. It’s very logical: We don’t want to come up short.”

Fayram has not forgotten what happened in 2013, when Cachuma levels dropped below the halfway mark on the heels of one of the driest years on record.

Back then, following the Goleta Water District’s lead, the water agencies broke with past practice and failed to take a voluntary 20 percent cut in their allocations for the next water year. As the drought deepened, their allocations

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for 2014-2015 were cut by 55 percent.

In 2015-2016, they got zero allocations from the lake.

But water managers who must answer to drought-fatigued residents of Santa Barbara, Montecito and the Goleta, Carpinteria and Santa Ynez valleys are frustrated by what they view as an excess of caution.

“All of the purveyors are on the same page, but we can’t seem to find a common ground with the county,” said John McInnes, general manager of the Goleta Water District, the single largest user of Cachuma water.

“It makes for a difficult discussion when we’re already so hard-pressed for water supply to meet the needs of our customers. There’s water sitting in the lake and it’s not being released.”

A Shrinking Lake In some ways, the South Coast is in a worse fix today than in 2014, even though a supply of desalinated water is now online in Santa Barbara. Levels of groundwater — the ultimate drought reserve — are at historical lows and dropping as a result of heavy well pumping in recent years.

In addition, water agencies in Montecito, Santa Barbara and the Carpinteria and Goleta valleys have taken on substantial water debt by buying additional supplies of state aqueduct water from districts around California. As part of the deal, they must return an equal amount of

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6 | Santa Barbara Family & Life | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | December 2018

County Education Office to award diplomas to select veterans Staff Report

The Santa Barbara County Education Office has announced its participation in “Operation Recognition,” a project that awards high school diplomas to qualifying U.S. veterans of World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War, as well as to those who were interned in World War II relocation camps.

“We are excited to present Santa Barbara County’s Operation Recognition,” said County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Susan Salcido.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to show these men and women how much we value their

sacrifice and service.”

The 2019 recognition ceremony will be held Thursday, March 7, at the Santa Barbara County Education Office on Cathedral Oaks Road in Santa Barbara. To be recognized at the ceremony, completed application forms and supporting documentation must be received by Jan. 9.

People interested in applying for a diploma through Operation Recognition may download the application by visiting SBCEO.org, or by contacting the Santa Barbara County Education Office at (805) 964-4710, ext. 5282. Family members of qualifying individuals may also apply for a diploma to be awarded posthumously.

HOLIDAY ON ICE IN PARADISE

Come See Professionial and Local Ice Skaters Perform!

Photo contributed Almost a year after the Thomas Fire erupted, many firefighters from Santa Barbara County were sent out last month to respond to wildfires around the state. Thanks goes out to all the first responders who have worked tirelessly to help others during this difficult time.

Restaurant Week returning Feb. 22

dinner menus priced at $25 and $40.

This year, proceeds from restaurant regisanta Barbara Restaurant Week will tration will help support ProStart, a two-year return Feb. 22 through March 3, featur- culinary art and hospitality management ing exclusive menus curated by some program developed by the National Restauof the city’s best restaurants. rant Association Educational Foundation and The idea originated more than 20 years ago run by restaurant associations on a state level. in New York City with restaurant connoisMore than 127 public high schools in seurs Tim Zagat and Joe Baum as a celebraCalifornia use this curriculum to reach 9,000 tion of the city’s finest food. The New York students. Santa Barbara Restaurant Week’s event has since become a four-week foodie donation will specifically go to the Califorphenomenon, inspiring cities around the nia Restaurant Association Foundation’s globe to participate.

ProStart program.

Santa Barbara welcomed its inauguIn support of the second annual Restaural Restaurant Week in February, drawing rant Week, some Santa Barbara hotels both locals and out-of-towners to experience will offer special rates to participating the area’s diverse culinary scene. Following guests. Restaurant owners who would like to the same recipe for success, the second annu- get involved may sign up online, with options al Santa Barbara Restaurant Week will again to participate in or sponsor the event. feature dozens of the city’s top restaurants, hotels and wine tasting rooms curating exclu- Visit www.SBRestaurantWeeks.com for sive tasting options and prix-fixe lunch and more details.

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December 2018 | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | Santa Barbara Family & Life | 7

‘Meatheads’ offer free service for domestic violence survivors A moving story

M

By Isel Longoria Contributing Writer

eathead Movers has created a nonprofit foundation to provide free service to domestic violence survivors, and it’s recruiting other businesses to join the effort.

The moving company that employs college athletes on its trucks has developed partnerships with domestic-violence shelters through its #MoveToEndDV foundation.

Brothers Aaron and Evan Steed started Meathead Movers in 1997 in their hometown of San Luis Obispo, and the company has grown across the Central Coast. Some of its services include local and long-distance moving, residential and commercial moving, and a packing service called Princess Packers.

As the business grew throughout the years, the brothers noticed they were getting many phone calls from domestic violence survivors asking for help. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in four women and one in seven men have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner.

“So, it does happen more often than anyone would like to see,” said Benjamin Spielman, the operations manager at the company’s Oxnard office.

When the Steed brothers saw the urgent need, they decided to team up with domestic-violence shelters to provide free moving services to survivors.

Aaron Steed writes that the purpose of the foundation is to encourage businesses to “commit to working with a local shelter to donate or provide a free product or service that will aid victims of domestic violence.”

Before becoming an operations manager, Spielman was a mover who helped move domestic violence survivors, and it affected him strongly.

He particularly remembers helping a woman from Camarillo.

“It was an emergency call at 2 in the afternoon when we had, me and my co-worker, had just got back to the warehouse and our manager at the time was like, ‘Hey, we have a DV move that you need to go out on,’” Spielman said.

When they arrived at the woman’s home, the police were there making sure everyone was safe. Spielman remembers hustling as fast as he could. When the move was completed, the woman expressed heartfelt gratitude to Spielman’s crew.

“She just broke down in tears and she was like, ‘Thank you so much,’” Spielman said. Having an opportunity to help others has changed his own life, he said.

“That will always stick in my mind as one of the best moves I had,” Spielman said, “I think it makes you a positive person (when)] you’re able to help someone like that.”

Meathead Movers continues to branch out to different locations and also partner with additional domestic violence shelters.

“Being able to work with like Interface (Children & Family Services) here in Ventura County and Good Shepherd (Shelter in Los Angeles) … our newest branches (are) making relationships with domestic violence shelters out there as well, so it’s been good that we’ve been able to provide this service,” Spielman said.

“The charity that we started has really helped show that you can do more for domestic violence survivors than just giving money. We can do what we do every day

to help someone, and that’s super important in my mind,” he said.

“There is no limit to ways in which people and businesses can contribute to the needs of victims and survivors of domestic violence,” Aaron Steed wrote.

For more information on Meathead Movers’ services or their nonprofit #MoveToEndDV, visit www.meatheadmovers.com.

Photos contributed Meathead Movers’ nonprofit organization #MoveToEndDV partners with domestic violence shelters to provide free moving services to survivors.

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8 | Santa Barbara Family & Life | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | December 2018

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital recognized for reducing C-section births

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Staff Report

anta Barbara Cottage Hospital has been included on the Smart Care California C-section Honor Roll for reducing its rate of births via Cesarean section (C-section) to 23 percent.

The list recognizes hospitals that met or surpassed a federal target to reduce

births via C-section in first-time mothers with low-risk pregnancies.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services adopted the Healthy People 2020 target of reducing nationwide C-section rates for low-risk, first births to 23.9 percent. Even for these types of low-risk pregnancies, there are huge variations in rates of C-sections among hospitals

in California, ranging from less than 15 percent to more than 70 percent.

Some 122 hospitals made the list this year compared to 111 in 2017.

Smart Care California is a public-private partnership working to promote safe, affordable health care in California.

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of public and private health care purchasers collectively purchases or manages care for more than 16 million people statewide.

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Photo contributed Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital has been added to the Smart Care California C-section Honor Roll for reducing its rate of births by C-section to 23 percent.

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December 2018 | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | Santa Barbara Family & Life | 9

Eggs and the Kiddie

Strategies for parenting a ‘threenager’

By Carey Bradshaw

W

ell, folks, it’s happened. I had heard about the drama of the terrible twos, but we sailed right through that stage with very few issues. I thought we were out of the woods, and I was so Carey Bradshaw very wrong.

I’d heard rumors about the threenager stage but didn’t really think it would happen to us. Whelp, I guess our luck has run out. I’m afraid we officially have a threenager living in our home. Good thing she’s cute.

What’s a threenager, you ask? The infamous threenager stage can be defined as 3 going on 13. A stubborn attitude is putting it kindly. The threenager has discovered newfound independence and wants what she wants when and exactly how she wants it.

Don’t you dare try to put the milk in the red cup when she clearly (though not verbally) wanted the blue one.

I am working on my mind-reading skills as I type this. Again, it’s a really good thing she is cute.

One challenge is that I have to keep reminding myself that she is only three!

Especially when she uses words like “non-negotiable” (which secretly both scares me and makes me proud). Verbally, she’s 30.

Emotionally, she’s 3.

I have been reading the research from the experts in the field. In “How Toddlers Thrive,” Tovah P. Klein writes that 3-yearolds “are caught between two battling needs: the desire for self and independence versus the need for comfort, security and the familiar — in other words, mama or dada.”

This is a huge challenge for me. No surprise, I am going to admit I am just a bit Type A. I like order and schedules and accomplished goals at the end of the day. I like getting to places on time. As I continue to evolve as a parent, I am working on patience, understanding and self-control. This is a learning experience for me, too.

As I never write about challenges without offering solutions, here are my four strategies for dealing with threenager behavior. n Challenge: A threenager will run away from you whenever it is time to get dressed.

Opportunity: Go get some cardio in and start chasing that kid, mama! n Challenge: A threenager will go boneless (completely noncompliant and limp) whenever there is a transition (e.g., a play date is over, time to go to school, etc.).

Opportunity: This is a great chance to work on your upper body strength as you lift the dead weight of your limp child. Because really, you won’t have time to get to the gym today anyway, right? n Challenge: A threenager (well, mine at least) will go through a minimum of five dress-up outfits per day. Opportunity: Sorry, no opportunity here. Just more laundry — but also a chance to have your child work on fine motor skills by helping to fold said laundry. n Challenge: A threenager can argue and negotiate her way out of just about everything. Opportunity: Who knows, maybe your kid will end up being a super successful trial lawyer, or the dictator of a small country.

See, there’s an upside to everything, right?

Threenagers can be tough to parent, frustrating as heck and also, oh so loveable. Take a deep breath. You got this, mama!

Carey Bradshaw is a working mom just trying to balance it all. She runs Hooter Holster

by Carey Bradshaw and Creative Butter.

Dog of the Month: Queen Staff Report

Santa Barbara Humane Society’s dog of the month is Queen, a yearold German shepherd mix.

Shelter staff say she is beautiful, intelligent, friendly, silly and loyal.

Anyone interested in meeting and possibly adopting Queen can come to the Santa Barbara Humane Society at 5399 Overpass Road between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Monday through Saturday, call 559-964-4777 or e-mail erica@sbhumanesociety.org for more information.

events Grammy-winning Roots Music for Families

Sat, Dec 1 / 3 PM UCSB Campbell Hall $20 / $14 children (12 & under) Dance and hear songs from the Grammy Award-winning Okee Dokee Brothers’ new album Winterland, a tribute to the season of coziness, family time and fun that will inspire your family to get outside and get creative!

Hip Hop Extravaganza

Sat, Jan 26 / 3 PM UCSB Campbell Hall $20 / $14 children (12 & under) Get up and get down to an unforgettable fusion of strings, beats and rhythms, when violist Wil B. and violinist Kev Marcus combine their classical training and hip-hop influences to create a genre-shattering sound: “classical boom.”

Bring your kids an hour before the Campbell Hall Family Fun events for balloons, face painting and crafts!

Corporate Season Sponsor:

(805) 893-3535 / www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu

Media Sponsors:

10 | Santa Barbara Family & Life | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | December 2018

County changing emergency-alert systems

o EMERGENCY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

then use the Aware & Prepare alerts to send texts and emails, and, lastly, send robo-calls to landlines and cell phones, according to Ayala.

“The important thing to remember here is that the more contact methods they enter into the system (text, email, cell, landline, etc.), the better the chance that we will be able to reach them in an emergency,” OEM Emergency Manager Brian Uhl said.

People can choose the preference of how they are reached — email first, for example — and the Everbridge system will keep trying to reach people via different methods until someone “confirms” they received the message, he noted.

Recent state legislation from Assemblywoman Monique Limon, D-Santa Barbara, says emergency communications must be available in the second-most-spoken language in a county, and CalOES is working on prepared messaging to use statewide, Lewin said.

Nisich said that making sure information goes out in English and Spanish is at the “top of our list.”

While there typically are people available to translate and interpret materials once the EOC is activated, it doesn’t always happen before that.

Ayala noted that just two of the county’s dis-

patchers are bilingual, and there is work to do on getting translated information out quickly.

“This is not just a unique problem to us; this is a statewide problem,” Lewin said of providing emergency communications in multiple languages.

The county used Nixle and robo-calls to landlines before 2016, when it launched the Everbridge software that’s the base of Aware & Prepare text, email and robo-call emergency alerts.

“We utilize every possible alerting method except for sirens; we use ‘em all,” Lewin said at a recent meeting of the Emergency Public Information Communicators.

The county has issued more than 330 emergency alerts in the past 12 months and is the sixth-largest user of WEA alerts in the United States, he added.

The WEAs target all cellphones in a specified geographic area without requiring any kind of signup, but messages have a 90-character limit.

The county also can use the Emergency Alert System to interrupt local radio and television station programing with emergency broadcasts. A list of the participating radio stations is online here.

Residents can register for Aware & Prepare emergency alerts from Santa Barbara County by visiting the ReadySBC.org website or Aware-

AndPrepare.org and click on the red button that states, “Register for Alerts.”

To confirm registration for Aware & Prepare, visit the ReadySBC.org website or AwareAndPrepare.org. Click on the hyperlink below the red “Register for Alerts” button to get to the login page.

Residents can sign up for emergency alerts and check their status/change preferences by clicking the login link below the red button.

(Santa Barbara County photo) Sign in using the username and password created at registration to check and change preferences. OEM staff can be reached during normal business hours at 805.681.5526 or oem@ sbcoem.org, but Uhl encourages people to try to log in before contacting OEM with questions.

The Nixle system sends 138-character messages, and residents can sign up by texting their ZIP code to the number 888777.

Click here for a list of resources, including how to sign up for alerts and where to find city-specific emergency information.

The revised debris flow risk maps for recent burn areas from the Thomas Fire and Whittier Fire are available on the county’s emergency website, ReadySBC.org, in addition to winter storm preparedness materials.

Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com.

Realtors provide $650,000 to disaster victims Staff Report

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program by area Realtors to provide a month’s rent or mortgage payment up to $3,000 has provided grants to 278 families, including 52 in Santa Barbara County and 226 in Ventura County, according to Andy Alexander of the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors (SBAOR).

The local association launched the fund in May in conjunction with the Ventura and Ojai Association of Realtors to help victims of the Thomas Fire and Montecito debris flows. The program has now distributed all of the more than $650,000 in funding obtained from the National Association of Realtors Realtor Relief Fund and California Association of Realtors Housing Affordability Fund.

Santa Barbara County recipients were awarded $126,844.19 with $526,990.75 allocated to Ventura County victims, Alexander said.

Happy Holidays

Open Daily thru December 20th

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December 2018 | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | Santa Barbara Family & Life | 11

FDA expands use of TMS treatments

T Photo Contributed

Samarkand retirement center to get new name

The Samarkand will become Covenant Living at the Samarkand.

Staff Report

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he Samarkand retirement center in Santa Barbara will be renamed in 2019 as part of a plan by Covenant Living Communities and Services, a senior living and healthcare provider that owns and manages 16 communities in nine states, including Samarkand.

The Samarkand will become Covenant Living at the Samarkand. Each of the 16 communities will see a name change to align with the corporate brand.

“The new name and logo connects us to our Christian heritage, distinctly reflects our values, and projects liveliness, health and growth,” said Terri Cunliffe, Covenant Re-

tirement Communities president and CEO. “We are confident it will be attractive to new generations of residents and employees.”

The organization’s renewed name is the result of market research and interviews with individuals including residents, resident family members, representatives from the Evangelical Covenant Church and focus groups throughout the country.

The new logo reflects Covenant Living’s heritage as a faith-based organization that incorporates the Christian symbol of a fish, implying new life, a safe space and a community, Cunliffe added.

For more information, visit www.covenantretirement.org.

Soozie Fultz REALTOR® (805) 698-9171 www.SoozieFultz.com soozie.fultz@camoves.com CalRE #02034310

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SANTA BARBARA MIDWIFERY AND BIRTH CENTER Offering birth center and home birth

For Inquiries email sbmidwifery@gmail.com

2958 State Street Santa Barbara CA 93105 P. (805) 770-3700

Staff Report

he U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) as a treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder, following earlier approvals of TMS in treating major depression and pain associated with certain migraine headaches.

“This is another exciting moment for everyone involved in TMS therapy, and provides additional validation for the effectiveness of TMS,” said Mark Heatwole, president of TheraMind Services Inc. “This is an important step in the positive momentum toward making TMS a universally available treatment for those suffering from neurological and other mood disorders.”

To learn more about TMS therapy and other treatments offered at the TheraMind Center of Santa Barbara, call 805-845-4455 or visit tmsmind.com/santabarbara-ca.

y r t n u o C f o s e t 50 Minu ! r u o H y r e v E Music

12 | Santa Barbara Family & Life | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | December 2018

More Music!

Less Talk!

www.krazfm.com

December 2018 | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | Santa Barbara Family & Life | 13

Staff Report

Artist explores immigrant experience in SBCAST exhibit

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onjuring memories from his childhood in the Czech Republic, Tom Pazderka explores a dark, morbid sense of the immigrant experience in a solo show of new works presented

by LUM Art Zine at The Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science and Technology (SBCAST).

The exhibit, “The End Is the Beginning,” will open with a reception on Dec. 6 and run through Jan. 11.

In burned and painted wood panels, Pazderka reimagines his old family, neighbors and historical context to evoke the ambiguous “incompleteness” of a first-generation immigrant. Pazderka’s practice involves burning, drawing, construction/deconstruction and painting, which imbues his work with strange keys of Czech fatalism and American optimism.

“The End Is the Beginning” portrays the darker side of memory, history and nature.

By using ash and charcoal, Pazderka references the primordial — life-affirming and life-destroying — human connection to nature, history and memory.

An opening reception for “Tom Pazderka – The End Is the Beginning” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at SBCAST, 513 Garden St., Santa Barbara.

Tom Pazderka, “My Grandfather”

In conjunction with the exhibit, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, SBCAST will host a one-hour panel discussion on the condition of the immigrant in artistic representation. Participants on the panel will be 1st District Supervisor Das Williams; UCSB Art Professor Marco Pelijhan; Pazderka; LUM Art Zine Editor and Curator Debra Herrick; and moderator Ted Mills, host of The Funk Zone podcast.

Photo Contributed Tom Pazderka, “Anamnesis”

Public invited to ‘Light Up A Life’

Art exhibit tells ‘Reason for the Seasons’ Staff Report

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ocal artist Lenore Tolegian Hughes will display her art in the Pritzlaff Conservation Center Gallery at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, from Dec. 6 through March 31.

Through her artworks, Hughes tells the story of “The Reason for the Seasons” as described in Greek mythology. She illustrates the power of love — its ecstasy and its pain — in an exhibition of visual art based on the love of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and harvest, for her daughter, Persephone.

Demeter’s love brings on fall and winter when Persephone descends to Hades for half the year, and spring and summer when she returns. The relation of the goddess’s love to the seasons is depicted in a series of watercolor portraits in which the ecstatic faces of mother and daughter morph into and intertwine with the delights of spring and summer, and their agonized faces become one with the loss that is fall and winter.

Also in the exhibition is a collection of lush and saturated watercolor collages of florals capturing the mood of spring and summer.

Hughes’ work designing the Children’s

Staff Report

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Photo Contributed “Demeter in Summer” by Lenore Tolegian Hughes

Maze and Wooded Dell at the garden, combined with her fascination with mythology, inspired this exhibit of watercolors and collages. All art work is for sale with a portion of proceeds to benefit the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

Access to the Pritzlaff Conservation Center Gallery is free with paid admission to the garden, which is open to visitors from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On Thursday, Dec. 6, guests will have the opportunity to meet the artist in the gallery for an opening reception. Light refreshments will be served. RSVPs are required at sbbg. org or by calling 805-682-4726, ext. 102.

For more information, visit www.sbcast. org, www.lumartzine.com or email editor@ lumartzine.com.

ocal residents are invited to celebrate and honor the lives of their departed loved ones at Light Up A Life ceremonies Dec. 5 in Montecito and Dec 8 in Carpinteria, hosted by Hospice of Santa Barbara.

In the annual event’s 35th year, the organization has added a ceremony in Montecito because of the devastation of the Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flows in January.

A ceremony was held Dec. 1 in downtown Santa Barbara and Dec. 2 at Camino Real Marketplace in Goleta.

“With everything Montecito has been through over the last 12 months, we knew the time was right to provide a special opportunity for this community to come together as one,” said Hospice of Santa Barbara CEO David Selberg. “This is an opportunity for all of us who have lost someone dear to them through the years to have a special ceremony of remembrance.

Light Up a Life has made such an impact on those grieving during the holiday season, and we’re looking forward to expanding this

annual tradition to give more people in our community a chance to honor their loves ones.”

Admission is free to the ceremonies, which feature special guests and speakers, music, and a memorial tree lighting.

Special tribute stars are available online and at each ceremony for a suggested donation of $15 or more for those wishing to personalize a star to hang on the tree.

Hospice of Santa Barbara will record the names being honored and remembered into the Book of Life, which will be available in perpetuity online. All proceeds will benefit Hospice of Santa Barbara programs.

The schedule for the remaining ceremonies is: n Wednesday, Dec. 5, 5:30 pm – Montecito Upper Village Green, corner of San Ysidro and East Valley Road, Montecito n Saturday, Dec. 8, 5:30 pm – Seal Fountain at Linden Plaza, Linden Avenue, Carpinteria To buy a star or get more information about Light Up a Life, call 805-563-8820 or visit www.hospiceofsantabarbara.org.

14 | Santa Barbara Family & Life | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | December 2018

‘Dissolving division’ is goal of new SBBIKE official

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By Holly Starley Contributing Writer

n her childhood, Ellen Willis-Conger was a recreational bicyclist. When she attended Santa Barbara City College in the 1970s, when bike paths were scarce, she commuted by bike.

“I consider myself incredibly lucky to have survived that,” she quipped, only half-joking.

That wouldn’t be her last challenging bike commute. She transferred to San Diego State University, where she commuted to work as a teaching assistant in a kindergarten class and then to school — during the wettest winter on record.

Then she joined Amigos de Las Américas, which enables young people to live and work in Central and South American communities. “I had the opportunity to see the side of our community I was not otherwise exposed to,” she noted. She also learned Spanish while working in undeveloped settings in Nicaragua, Honduras and Ecuador.

After completing her undergraduate work in community health and education, she returned to Honduras to work in Salvadoran refugee camps. Next, she directed a community clinic in Tucson, where she met her husband, Phil, and the two went to Berkeley. She attained a master’s of divinity degree, was ordained a Methodist minister, and spent 15 years working with communities and congregations throughout Arizona.

Photo Contributed “I have a passion around the vulnerable and the lack of equity in how people live,” said Ellen Willis-Conger, the new associate director for SBBIKE.

Willis-Conger returned to Santa Barbara and, in 2014, became the assistant deputy of community health with the Public Health Department, overseeing a number of regulatory programs. Working with nonprofit partners enabled her to see and experience an aspect of her home that had long disturbed her but that she didn’t have

the words for during graduate school — “the disparity that we have here in Santa Barbara.”

Now she is the new associate director of SBBIKE, the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition, and is bringing her passion to the organization.

“I find it to be a very troubling moral

condition for our community,” she says.

Willis-Conger speaks passionately about identifying that disparity and how it’s a health issue as well as an economic one.

A lower income means housing and work environments that are health risks and less access to preventative and curative care.

“I have a passion around the vulnerable and the lack of equity in how people live,” she said. “And SBBIKE is addressing that at a really grassroots level.”

The coalition enables Lycra-clad people exercising and people pedaling in work garb and everyone in between to work together to make a safer biking environment for all and to “dissolves divides. I don’t want there to be divides.”

As associate director, a new position for the organization, in her first months, Willis-Conger has taken on administrative roles that “need more attention,” human resources, processes, and policy review.

“This place is roll-up-your-sleeves-andpitch-in,” she added. “So I’m learning about other things I can do.”

For now, she’s established two guiding principles. The first is to ensure that everything SBBIKE offers is available in Spanish and English. Translations must be good and use local idioms, she adds.

The second is keeping Santa Barbara’s Bici Centro consistent with Bici Santa Maria, ensuring that the two main bicis (community bicycle workshops) in the county move forward together, informing DISSOLVING CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

Become a Member and get a full year of free exploration + discovery.

Makes a Great Gift!

o

December 2018 | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | Santa Barbara Family & Life | 15

Rivas named interim leader at Girls Inc. Carpinteria G

Staff Report

irls Inc. of Carpinteria has announced the appointment of Lisa Murphy Rivas as its interim executive director.

Rivas, a nonprofit management, public outreach and government relations professional, succeeds outgoing executive director Victoria Juarez, who served Girls Inc. Carpinteria for nearly eight years. Juarez recently was appointed CEO of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.

Juarez’s last day at Girls Inc. Carpinteria was Dec. 2.

“We are fortunate to have a professional of Lisa’s caliber partner with our board and staff to support our organization during this leadership transition,” said board president Theresa Huerta.

“Girls Inc. of Carpinteria is currently celebrating a solid financial and operational standing,” Huerta said. “This, coupled with Lisa’s passion for our mission and connection to our major supporters and our community, will make for a seamless transition as we search for our next executive director.”

Rivas brings experience in nonprofit organization management, strategic planning and board facilitation work in addition to some 30 years of back-

ground experience in corporate public outreach and government relations.

Before launching her consulting business, LMR Consulting Inc., Rivas worked for public and private companies managing teams and overseeing key projects impacting communities, while serving as the primary spokesperson to media and stakeholders.

After spending time volunteering on

nonprofit and foundation boards, Rivas opened her consulting business to dedicate her time and skills to corporate and nonprofit clients.

“I look forward to working with the dedicated board of directors and the professional team of employees to continue to serve the girls and their families in Carpinteria, and to ensure that the donors’ investment in these strong, smart and bold future leaders continues to be impactful,” Rivas said.

Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Rivas earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations and minor in marketing from Cal State University, Long Beach. She is a graduate of the 2004-05 cohort of Katherine Harvey Fellows, a Leading from Within program.

She lives in Santa Barbara with her husband Noel Rivas and their two sons.

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria serves some 700 girls each year, helping them navigate gender, economic and social barriers and grow into healthy, educated and independent adults.

To learn more, visit www.girlsinccarp.org.

‘Dissolving division’

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DISSOLVING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 and supporting one another. “What’s good for Santa Maria is good for us,” she said. “If it’s going to work for us, it has to work for them too.”

“SBBIKE is pivoting from a grassroots movement to an organization with a structure that’s more sustainable and not reliant on any one individual,” she said.

She’s excited about the long-range vision for the community and SBBIKE and happy to help continue the grassroots passion, involvement, and support. “I’m relying on our staff and members to guide me,” she said. “I have much to learn.”

She focuses on cycling, she said, because “active transportation is important for health, to ensure access to all of life for people who can’t or don’t want to drive, for the health of our environment and our world.”

Willis-Conger’s passion for service and cycling is a family affair. She and Phil ride a tandem bicycle together, and they have two adult daughters. One is at graduate school in Berkeley. She bikes. The other recently returned from the Peace Corps in Nicaragua and will be moving to Mexico soon.

Phil works with long-term homelessness, bringing services to the population he’s engaged with.

“We have a commitment to vulnerable members of our community,” Willis-Conger said.

For more information, log onto www.sbbike.org.

16 | Santa Barbara Family & Life | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | December 2018

CAMA presenting free concert by mandolinist, LA Chamber Orchestra

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Staff Report

he Community Arts Music Association (CAMA) of Santa Barbara will present a free community concert featuring renowned mandolin soloist Avi Avital and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra performing works by Italian Baroque master Antonio Vivaldi at The Granada Theatre on Tuesday, Dec. 11.

Beginning at 8 p.m., the performance will include Vivaldi’s “Concerto for Two Violins in G Minor,” his “Concerto for Two Violins in A Minor,” and “The Four Seasons,” his beloved collection of violin concerti. Tickets are available on a firstcome, first-served basis.

“In celebration of a century of great music in Santa Barbara and with continuing appreciation for the generations of concertgoers and patrons who have made this legacy possible, CAMA’s board of directors is pleased to sponsor this free community concert,” said CAMA Executive Director Mark Trueblood. “In keeping with our rich history of civic engagement, we are emphasizing community partnerships throughout our centennial season in 2018-19. Thank you to ‘the CAMA Fam-

ily’ of engaged music lovers who have made Santa Barbara a classical music capital for 100 concert seasons.”

The first mandolin soloist to be nominated for a classical Grammy, Avital is one of the world’s foremost ambassadors for his instrument. Passionate and “explosively charismatic” (The New York Times) in live performance, he is a driving force behind the reinvigoration of the mandolin repertory. More than 90 contemporary compositions, 15 of them concertos, have been written for him, and he continues to re-imagine music composed for other instruments.

An exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist, he has made four recordings for the label, including his Echo Klassik Award-winning “Vivaldi” (2015). Recently released “Avital meets Avital” (2017), with oud/bassist Omer Avital, explores their shared cultural heritage and brings their differing classical and jazz musical backgrounds into dialogue.

He has performed with the BBC, Chicago and St. Louis symphony orchestras; Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Tonhalle Orchester Zürich; the Israel Philharmonic; Orchestre symphonique

de Montréal; the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra; and the Venice Baroque Orchestra, among others. He is the first mandolinist to win Israel’s prestigious Aviv Competition (2007).

A pre-concert lecture by musicologist David Malvinni will precede the performance. A classical guitarist and author, he created CAMA’s music education program, which reaches students in more than a dozen area elementary schools, grades four through six. Doors open at 6:45 for the 7 p.m. lecture in the McCune Founders Room.

Complete season information is available at www.camasb.org. Single ticket prices range from $39 to $119.

Tickets for the free community concert on Dec. 11 are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information, call 805-966-4324 or email info@ camasb.org.

Photo Contributed

Cruise the Ventura Keys

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Men’s chorus to perform winter concert

Fratelli, a men’s chorus, will perform “On this Shining Night” on Dec. 10.

Staff Report

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December 14th – 15th $16 Adult $13 Senior (55+) $10 Child (12 & under)

ratelli, a chorus of gay men and their allies, will ring in the season at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 with their latest holiday concert, “On This Shining Night,” at First United Methodist Church. This year, they will share the stage with special guests the Ding-Dons from Santa Barbara High School and performer Rod Lathim.

With the direction of Zach Thomas Wilde, Fratelli’s humor and harmony offer a musical experience inspiring compassion, pride and activism. Wilde founded Fratelli in 2015 and has spread the group’s positivity and passion for activism.

“This is the time of year when everyone is filled with the spirit of the season, making

our holiday concerts among our favorites of the year,” said Wilde. “Everyone is welcome to join us for this festive experience and kick off the season.”

In addition to its holiday and spring concerts, Fratelli has performed at the Pacific Pride Festival, Jewish Film Festival, the vigil for the Montecito mudslide victims, United Nations Association of Santa Barbara’s September 11th Commemorative Concert, and UCSB’s Pride Celebration.

Tickets are available online and (cash only) at the door. General admission is $20 and tickets for children and college students with ID are $12.

For more information, visit www.fratelliamenschorus.org.

December 2018 | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | Santa Barbara Family & Life | 17

Staff Report

Scholarship Foundation names Victoria Juarez new CEO

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ictoria Juarez, who led Girls Inc. of Carpinteria to new fiscal and programmatic heights as its executive director, has been named president and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.

“Victoria personifies what we hope to achieve at the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. A first-generation college graduate, she has gone on to distinguish herself as a nonprofit leader of outstanding vision, passion and energy. We are confident she is well suited to building on the Scholarship Foundation’s remarkable 56-year heritage,” said Foundation Board Chairman Don Logan.

A native of Kettleman City in the San Joaquin Valley, Juarez earned a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in public administration, both at California State University, Long Beach.

After a two-year stint as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cheboksary, Russia, she was named service coordinator for Project Access in Garden Grove and later program director for the YMCA of Greater Long Beach.

In 2007, she became a development

By Martha Swanson MOXI Museum

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Photo by Isaac Hernandez Victoria Juarez is the new president and CEO for the Santa Barbara Scholarship Foundation.

associate at Storyteller Children’s Center, which helps homeless and at-risk children in Santa Barbara achieve kindergarten readiness through therapeutic preschool and support services. She was promoted to associate director of that organization three years later.

As executive director of Girls Inc. of Carpinteria since 2011, she has increased revenue 24 percent in support of new program-

ming, operations, and regional expansion into Ventura County, among other accomplishments. The group serves more than 700 youth in the Carpinteria Valley and points south.

Juarez is a board member for Leading from Within and the Santa Barbara Education Foundation and serves on the Commission for Women of Santa Barbara County. A past president of the Santa Barbara Peace Corps

Association, she is also a sustainer for the Junior League of Santa Barbara.

Her appointment caps an eight-month nationwide search. She succeeds Barbara Robertson, who has led the Scholarship Foundation as interim president and chief executive officer since the departure of Candace Winkler in January.

“There is no other organization in Santa Barbara County I’d rather lead,” said Juarez.

“The foundation’s mission, to help local students to and through college, resonates deeply with me because I’ve experienced higher education’s transformative impact firsthand.

“My grandparents were migrant workers and my father never made it past the third grade, but my family instilled a deep love of learning in me. They understood, fundamentally, that a college degree could open opportunities that would have otherwise remained closed to me. There’s nothing I’d rather do than help the next generation of students better their lives and enrich their community through access to higher education.”

The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara is the nation’s largest community-based provider of college scholarships, having awarded in excess of $108 million to more than 50,000 county students since its founding in 1962. A nonprofit organization, the Scholarship Foundation also provides free financial aid advising services.

For more information, visit www.sbscholarship.org.

MOXI receives grant from National Science Foundation

OXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration and Innovation in Santa Barbara, has been awarded its first federal funding — a multi-year grant from the National Science Foundation.

The $169,988 grant allows the museum, in partnership with UCSB, to develop a series of nine “engineering exploration” modular programs, the focal point of which are field trips held at the museum.

Each engineering exploration will include accompanying classroom extension activities, curriculum guides for teachers, and a modified version of the program that could be taken to area schools.

“It is a tremendous honor to have been selected for a National Science Foundation grant within our first two years of operations, as the application and selection process is a rigorous one,” said Robin Gose, MOXI president and CEO.

“I am so proud of the work our education team is doing to support teachers and students in our community, and grateful the NSF has recognized the important role organizations like MOXI play in the broader educational ecosystem,” she said.

One of the first programs being prototyped during field trips to the museum presents students with a design challenge related to wildfires.

The scenario and background given to students relates to the fact that to better predict and fight wildfires, scientists need to understand the movement and properties of the atmosphere over large burn areas by collecting data on temperature, humidity and density of the air during such an event.

Students are tasked with thinking critically about this scenario to establish design criteria and constraints for a passive device to be used for the collection of such data.

They are provided with simple materials like yarn, construction paper, tape, paper clips,

glue and pennies to design and build prototype devices or vehicles.

Then, they test their designs in one of MOXI’s wind column exhibits, a column of rising air that provides the simulated environment for the atmosphere during a wildfire or other weather event.

MOXI and UCSB have received this funding as the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are being rolled out in K-12 schools throughout the country, including those in Santa Barbara County and throughout California.

The standards, created by a group of educators, scientists and engineers, outline how science should be taught in a traditional classroom setting to improve students’ science education.

“A major goal of this program is to make the subject of engineering, and specifically, engineering design, more accessible to all students and teachers,” said Ron Skinner, director of education and principal investigator for the

grant work at MOXI. “Most teachers at the elementary level are not equipped to, nor do they have the subject matter expertise, to confidently teach these subjects,” he said.

Skinner will work closely with Danielle Harlow, associate professor at UCSB’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, who is the principal investigator for the grant at UCSB. The grant from the NSF only partially funds MOXI’s field trip and educational programs.

Those interested in helping to support the initiative can call 805-770-5003 or email development@moxi.org.

MOXI is accepting reservations for field trips and the Engineering Exploration programs in the 2018-19 school year. Teachers in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties always get in free, and all field trip groups get a discount on admission to the museum.

For more information, email sales@moxi.org or visit moxi.org

18 | Santa Barbara Family & Life | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | December 2018

Ticktockers combine camaraderie and caring at annual work day

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Staff Report

very fall, the Santa Barbara chapter of the National Charity League (NCL) organizes Ticktocker Day, a tradition that helps the organization meet its goal of fostering mother-daughter relationships through community service.

Ticktockers (the daughters) donate their time to serving community philanthropies.

They organize a large philanthropic event on their own, building leadership skills in the process, and are further educated by listening to a speaker on a subject of charitable or cultural interest.

On this year’s Ticktocker Day, Nov. 3, some 100 Ticktockers in grades 7 through 12 from schools across Santa Barbara worked at the Page Youth Center for several of the 20 charities NCL supports throughout the year.

The young women cooperated on projects to benefit the Mental Wellness Center, Dream Foundation, Storyteller Children’s Center, and the Foodbank of Santa Barbara.

Sitting at tables, on the ground or wherever they could, they rolled up their sleeves to do such tasks as making personal cards for the terminally ill, sorting and stamping grocery bags for the Foodbank, and artistically decorating care cards.

“Ticktocker Day was such a fun, interactive way to pull all grade levels in our organization together. We bonded as a chapter,” said Annabelle Tiller, a sophomore member of the Ticktocker Leadership Council that organized

Photo contributed Annabelle Tiller, left, Juneal Chenoweth, Jenn Duffy and Katie Browne helped organize Ticktocker Day.

the event.

“Today was one of my favorite NCL events, and I’m so fortunate I was a part of organizing it,” she said.

As part of the day, Ticktockers also held a food drive to benefit the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and donated some 650

Music Academy creates free choir for elementary students

T

By Kate Oberjat Music Academy of the West

he Music Academy of the West is expanding its community service by offering free music education to Santa Barbara County children ages 7-11.

Sing!, the academy’s first choral program, has been launched with 66 students from nine area schools participating.

After-school rehearsals take place in Adams, Canalino and Franklin elementary schools. The locations were selected in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Education Office.

The Sing! curriculum is designed by Kevin Kwan Loucks, Music Academy director of innovation and program development, in tandem with choral directors Christine Hollinger and Daniel Newman-Lessler.

“Our program will help children to use their voices to gain confidence, learn to collaborate, explore their own and other cultures, expand their imaginations, and appreciate music,” Loucks said.

“Their after-school rehearsals will prepare them for concerts at the Music Academy of the West and other local

venues,” he said. “In the future, they will have the opportunity to appear with the London Symphony Orchestra.”

“We considered many factors in choosing the three locations to begin this program, including need and proximity to other schools for maximum access and participation,” said Ellen Barger, SBCEO assistant superintendent.

“Sing! will enhance and expand existing music programs and provide opportunities for students to perform with students from different schools,” she said. “Our music teachers are enthusiastic about offering additional opportunities for children to learn about music and build community.”

The students’ winter performance schedule will include: n Tuesday, Jan. 22, 6 p.m.: Santa Barbara Unified School District Choir Day n Saturday, June 8, 7:30 p.m.: Sing! concert, Music Academy of the West n Sunday, June 9, 4 p.m.: Sing! concert, Marjorie Luke Theatre at Santa Barbara Junior High Sing! is supported by the Santa Barbara Foundation and The Lucky One and The Little One Foundations.

pounds of food, including 22 turkeys.

Erik Talkin, Foodbank CEO, spoke to them about diverse solutions to feeding those in need. He explained how the Foodbank served the community’s needs during the Thomas Fire and January debris flows by setting up new food distribution sites at community

centers away from the ash.

More than 350 people volunteered for the Foodbank in December and January, Talkin said.

As a result of the disaster and support from the community, the Foodbank has been able to create Disaster Boxes, which contain nonperishable food products, a first-aid kit and a mask, designed to provide the supplies and food for one person for one week in the event of a disaster.

The kits are being sold by the Foodbank for $60 each, and when purchased, the Foodbank will donate a matching kit to the community.

“The Foodbank is an amazing organization, and Erik Talkin is a fantastic leader,” said Katie Browne, a senior Ticktocker, who took the lead planning Ticktocker Day and introduced Talkin to the group.

“It was so inspiring to have him speak to us today about the work that the Santa Barbara Foodbank has done for our community, especially during the fires and debris flows this past year,” she said. ”I think today empowered us all to be grateful to be part of such a resilient community.”

Two Patronesses (mothers), Ticktockers vice president Juneal Chenoweth and vice president-elect Jenn Duffy, were key in helping organize the 2018 event by facilitating meetings, modeling leadership, and fostering an environment of collaboration and teamwork.

The Santa Barbara Chapter of NCL supports 20 philanthropies in Santa Barbara.

Goleta Education Foundation names new executive director Staff Report

K

yle Begley is the new executive director of the Goleta Education Foundation (GEF), working with the board in fulfilling its mission to engage the community to enhance the education of elementary school students in the Goleta Valley.

GEF is committed to supporting students to grow and thrive as scholars, and to providing teachers and administrators with the support they need to deliver excellent education to the nearly 3,600 elementary students in the Goleta Union School District.

“While Lisa Rivas was the executive director, she and the board of directors were intentional and strategic in creating opportunities for donors to support education in Goleta,” said Emily Izmirian, president of the board of directors.

“Kyle will continue to help GEF collaborate with other nonprofit service providers, as well as to foster the connection between donors who prioritize education and young scholars in the Goleta Valley,” Izmirian said.

Begley and her family live in the Goleta Valley. Before moving to California in 2010, she lived in Virginia after earning two engineering degrees and her MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.

Her experience in engineering, marketing and management in corporate and foundation settings ranges from higher education development to operations management for an internationally recognized brand.

“Kyle is a smart and experienced leader with the brains and heart for work in the social sector, not to mention her unmatched energy and creativity,” said Rivas, former executive director and current GEF board member.

December 2018 | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | Santa Barbara Family & Life | 19

Bodega offers a new respite in Los Alamos

By Pamela Dozois Contributing Writer

T

he historic 1920s property on the corner of St. Joseph and Bell Streets in Los Alamos sat vacant for months, waiting for someone with vision to rescue it. Weeds grew waist high.

Meanwhile three couples, close friends, were looking for a project they could work on together. Cory and Lauren O’Keefe from Arroyo Grande and George and April Garcia from San Luis Obispo had frequented the restaurants and tasting rooms in Los Alamos and noticed the piece of property was for sale. They called their friends Alana and Kristopher Stipech, who live in New York, and asked them to come for a visit and check out the property.

“There were weeds and dirt everywhere,” Alana Stipech said. “My husband immediately said ‘no’ when he saw the place, but my reaction was just the opposite. I thought it was perfect.”

The group saw the potential and decided to go into this new venture together. Bodega, a wine bar and beer garden, opened in late June at 273 Bell St. “We have a shared passion for hospitality and really good food and wine, so we decided to create a space for people to enjoy these things,” Stipech said. “We love the Spanish influence in Los Alamos, and the name Bodega just seemed to fit into what we were planning on doing.”

“We did all the landscaping, added a bocce ball court, the fire pit, an outdoor bar and decided to turn the little front structure into a retail shop to share some of our favorite products,” she said. “Some of what we carry is local, some from Nashville and some from New York, cities we have a tie to. Most are handmade, which we purchase directly from the artists,” she added.

Bodega’s focus is on biodynamic and organic wines, craft beer, and curated shop goods. They brew their own IPA draft beer in San Luis Obispo, which they have on tap, along with a wide variety of beers that include interesting sour beers. Some of the wines they carry are local and some are international.

“We have a little guest house on the property that we have turned into a bed and breakfast guest house. It is a charming little 2-bedroom, 1-bath with a private patio so guests can come and stay for the weekend,” Stipech said.

A little greenhouse on the property contains a variety of plants and pottery for guests to choose from. Besides beer and wine, visitors can also purchase ice cream from Negranti Creamery in Paso Robles.

The group plans in the near future to host events and have live music on stage.

“We offer a light menu, such as sandwiches, salads, and a cheeseboard, all pre-

Photos contributed

Bodega customers enjoy beverages at the outdoor garden bar.

The grounds include a bocce court and a greenhouse.

Customers can sit in comfort around the fire pit.

pared locally,” Lauren O’Keefe said. “We also rent out the Bodega for weddings and private parties, which can include the guest house.”

“We’ve really enjoyed welcoming our locals and having regulars starting to come in from time to time, along with visitors from Los Angeles and beyond,” O’Keefe added.

Bodega has space to hold an outdoor party.

Bodega at 273 Bell St. in Los Alamos is open Thursdays through Sundays. For more information, call 323-790-4194 or visit bodegalosalamos.com.

20 | Santa Barbara Family & Life | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | December 2018

Flashpoint over water supply determine if the county has been acting in

LAKE CACHUMA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 o the purveyors’ best interest.”

of water to those districts within 10 years.

The dispute over Cachuma water began last summer, when the water agencies unanimously asked the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the owner and operator of the lake’s Bradbury Dam, for 40 percent of their normal allocations for the water year that runs from October through September 2019.

“The water agencies pay for and operate Cachuma and are experts in water supply,” Bob McDonald, general manager of the Carpinteria Valley Water District, said recently. “We have the history of the lake with very little rain and in wet periods. We project what the evaporation demands will be, and the releases downstream.

“We did all the modeling to show that this was a reasonable allocation.”

But the county, which holds the master water service contract for the Cachuma Project with the bureau, did its own analysis and came up with a more conservative recommendation, which it forwarded to the bureau along with the agencies’ request.

Either cut the allocations to zero for the entire water year, Fayram advised, or adopt a two-step approach, allocating 20 percent now and 20 percent in the spring, depending on how much remains in the lake after the winter.

When the bureau sided with Fayram’s two-step recommendation, the water managers cried foul.

“I’m not OK with the role the county is playing,” McDonald said.

McInnes said the cutback to 20 percent of allocations — at least for now — would force the district to continue longstanding Stage 3 drought restrictions for Goleta Valley customers. These rules generally prohibit outside watering more than two days per week or between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.

“This is a lifeline resource we’re talking about,” McInnes said. “We are trying to

Joshua Haggmark, the City of Santa Barbara’s water resources manager, said the cutback “means more costs to our ratepayers to address our water shortage and increased groundwater pumping.”

Santa Barbara’s Stage 3 restrictions, like Goleta’s, limit the hours of outside irrigation.

In Montecito, Jameson Lake has been offline since the Thomas Fire last December.

Seventy percent of the community’s water supply is imported from the state aqueduct.

It’s harder to plan for the future without knowing exactly how much will be available from Cachuma, said Doug Morgan, a member of the Montecito Water District board. Regarding the county’s recommendation, he said, “I think it was an overreach of their responsibility.”

There are many competing demands on Cachuma beyond the allocations for South Coast residents. Water from the lake must be released yearly for endangered steelhead trout and downstream users, such as Lompoc Valley farmers. A “minimum pool” must be reserved to keep the lake alive.

In addition, the water agencies are storing a large “carryover” account at Cachuma, made up of unused portions of their allocations from previous years.

Finally, huge losses to evaporation must be taken into account — more in warm and windy weather, and less as the lake gets smaller.

Fayram believes it is the county’s responsibility to take a long-term view of Lake Cachuma’s supply.

“If you end up with an overdrawn lake, who’s going to make up that water?” he asked.

Melinda Burns is a freelance journalist based in Santa Barbara. This article first appeared in Noozhawk on Nov. 10.

Ex-CEO of Housing Authority joins board of Peoples’ Self-Help Housing Staff Report

R

ob Pearson, former executive director and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the board of Peoples’ Self-Help Housing.

Before retiring from HACSB in 2016, Pearson spent 35 years working to provide affordable housing for low-income people in Santa Barbara. Prior to HACSB, he held various positions with the city, including Housing and Redevelopment Manager.

“We are excited for the professional insight and wealth of knowledge Rob brings to our organization,” PSHH President/CEO John Fowler said. “Rob’s dedication to the Central Coast and his passion for assisting low-income communities aligns perfectly with PSHH’s mission.”

In addition to his professional experience, Pearson has also been active in numerous civic organizations including Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, Casa Esperanza Homeless Center,

PATH, Sarah House, San Felipe Supportive Housing for the Disabled, Public Housing Authorities Directors Association, Garden Court, Coastal Housing Partnership, and Housing Trust Fund for Santa Barbara County.

With an undergraduate degree in political science and public administration from UCSB, Pearson earned a graduate degree in environmental planning at Cal State Northridge. He has received numerous awards for his impact in the affordable housing industry including American Institute of Architects Community Housing Assistance Award and the prestigious M. Justin Herman Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.

Founded in 1970, PSHH is the largest nonprofit housing developer on the Central Coast and has the mission of building affordable homes and providing site-based services that offer opportunities to change lives and strengthen communities.

For more information, visit www.pshhc.org, email info@pshhc.org or phone 805-781-3088.

Celebrate the holidays at the Santa Barbara Zoo with Cookie and Peppermint, visiting reindeer on loan from the North Pole.

Now through December 31!

(805) 962-5339 • Just off Cabrillo Blvd. at East Beach • sbzoo.org

December 2018 | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | Santa Barbara Family & Life | 21

JANUARY deadline DECEMBER20th

HEALTH FITNESS FEBRUARY deadline JANUARY 18th Photos contributed Gem Faire, a West Coast jewelry and bead show, will return to Earl Warren Showgrounds Dec 7-9.

Gem Faire coming to showgrounds Staff Report

G

em Faire, a West Coast jewelry and bead show, will return Dec. 7-9 to Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real in Santa Barbara.

Exhibitors will display fine jewelry, crystals, gems, beads, minerals, fashion accessories and more at discounted prices, organizers

said. Jewelry repair, cleaning and ring-sizing services will also be available, and free door prize drawings will be conducted every hour.

Hours are noon to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission for the entire weekend is $7.

WEDDING EVENTS

For more information, visit www.gemfaire. com or contact Gem Faire Inc. at 503-2528300 or info@gemfaire.com.

MARCH

Big Brothers Big Sisters seeking more diversity Staff Report

I

n an attempt to recruit more diverse volunteers, Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliates across the country are rebranding themselves by changing messages from the importance of mentoring to the urgent need for adults to step up to defend the potential of every child.

The change in message and image includes efforts by Big Brothers Big Sisters chapters in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties.

“The need for young people in our county to have a role model is more urgent than ever,” said Yeimi Arias, program supervisor of BBBS of Santa Barbara County.

“To attract more volunteers of all generations,

we needed a modernization of our brand to make an impact in the community and meet the need of the essential work of matching youth with mentors,” said Jenny Luciano, CEO of BBBS of San Luis Obispo County.

“BBBS will continue to build bridges in communities by connecting one adult with one child and supporting that match at every stage, but our agencies will focus on a child’s potential, and our role as adults in helping children achieve their best possible futures,” said Lynne West, Ventura County CEO. Studies show that youth enrolled in BBBS programs are more likely than their peers to perform better in school, behave non-violently, avoid illegal drugs and alcohol and have stronger family relationships.

Learn more about the new brand positioning at bbbs.org/bigpotential.

deadline FEBRAURY 22th

SCHOOLS EDUCATION

Contact Advertising sales rep Shana DeLeon ads@santabarbarafamilylife.com

22 | Santa Barbara Family & Life | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | December 2018

DECEMBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS 4 TUESDAY

Photo by Jim Herrington Blind Boys of Alabama.

UCSB performances include a variety of musical talent

UCSB Arts and Lectures has scheduled a variety of events in December.

Staff Report

n Kronos Quartet; 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, UCSB Campbell Hall; $10-$40.

swapping songs on the front porch, Lovett has evolved into one of music’s most vibrant performers, a beloved four-time Grammy Award winner with a rich and eclectic body of work.

Robert Earl Keen has become an Americana cult hero with a raspy voice and a reputation as one of the nation’s finest musical storytellers. In this acoustic evening, these old friends will perform stripped-down songs and share humorous and heartwarming stories. n Patricia Kopatchinskaja; 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 11, Hahn Hall; $10-$37.

Kronos Quartet - 8 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall - For more than 40 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet has embodied a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to continually reimagine the string quartet experience. Log onto www.artsandlectures.ucsb.edu for more info.

5th Annual Feast Day of Santa Barbara - 7 p.m. at Third Window Brewing Co. - The story of St. Barbara comes to celebrate Barbara and the third window that she had installed on her father’s tower. Log onto www.store.thirdwindowbrewing.com/collections/beer/products/4th-annual-st-barbara-feast-day.

10

Photo contributed Lyle Lovett & Robert Earl Keen

Texas greats Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen join forces in an up-close-and-personal evening. Since their days as college buddies

Powerhouse violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja, who served as last year’s Artistic Director for the Ojai Music Festival makes her California recital debut with pianist Polina Leschenko. The clever program of mostly French works by Poulenc, Ravel, Enenscu and Bartók follows the release of their album Deux n Blind Boys of Alabama; 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, UCSB Campbell Hall; $15-$50.

One year to the originally scheduled date, six-time Grammy Award-winners the Blind Boys of Alabama will perform hidden gospel gems along with holiday standards and original songs. The gospel titans will be joined

by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Ruthie Foster. Last year’s scheduled concert was cancelled due to wildfires, but this powerful and uplifting holiday show is a spirited testament to the community’s resilience.

Homespun Holiday Craft Fair - 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. at Casa De La Guerra - Shop and support over 60 makers of handmade goods will be at this historic adobe.

6 THURSDAY

Photo by JayBlakesberg

Photo by JuliaWesely

8 SATURDAY

Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen - 8 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall - Texas greats Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen join forces in an up-close-and-personal evening you won’t want to miss. Log onto www.artsandlectures.ucsb. edu for more info.

13

Kronos Quartet

Patricia Kopatchinskaja

El Galeon Speakeasy - 7 p.m. at Four Seasons Resort at the Biltmore - a rarely seen hidden space comes alive as a modern day 1920s Speakeasy. The nautical-themed room, El Galeon, that was originally used during the prohibition as a drinking and poker lounge will be outfitted for the evening with white glove service, champagne, poker and cocktails from the era. Log onto www.fourseasons.com/ santabarbara/landing_pages/property/holiday-celebrations/making-spirits-bright/. Tickets are $60/person.

5 WEDNESDAY

Arlington Plaza 2nd Annual Christmas Market - 4 - 9 p.m. at Arlington Plaza - Showcasing unique gifts from plaza merchants, seasonal festivities, live music, and more.

Stroll through the plaza and soak in the holiday cheer.

For more than 40 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet has embodied a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to continually reimagine the string quartet experience. A response to the 2017 executive orders limiting travel to the U.S., Music for Change highlights the rich diversity of artistic voices from the original seven “banned countries.” The Grammy Award-winning ensemble will perform a new program featuring music from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. n Lyle Lovett & Robert Earl Keen; 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 5, UCSB Campbell Hall; $19-$125.

ping marching bands, fabulous holiday-themed floats, spectacular performance groups, local personalities, with Santa Barbara Search and Rescue Dog teams as the Grand Marshals! The parade begins at State Street at Sola and marches down to Cota Street. Log onto www.downtownsb. org/events/downtown-holiday-parade.

Youth Opera Performance - 5 - 5:45 p.m. at Santa Barbara Museum of Art - The Santa Barbara Youth Opera performs selections from the Benjamin Britten collection of old English songs “Ceremony of Carols,” as part of a special seasonal celebration of Pop-Up Opera at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Tree at the G - 5 - 7 p.m. at Granada Theatre Felted Holiday Decorations Workshop - 6 - 8 p.m. at Art From Scrap. Create holiday decorations in this two hour workshop with Guest Artist Laura Denny.

Quire of Voyces - 6:30 - 7 p.m. at Santa Barbara Museum of Art -

7 FRIDAY

Holiday at the Ranch - 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Dec. 8-9 at Rancho La Patera and Stow House - Kids of all ages love the open house that includes holiday music and caroling, craft-making, tours of the festive Stow House, celebrity story-time and holiday hayrides. Log onto www.goletahistory.org/ holiday-at-the-ranch/.

The Nutcracker Ballet at the Arlington Theatre Santa Barbara Festival Ballet takes you on a magical journey with a live orchestra full of wonderment and surprise with Clara and her Nutcracker Prince.

Tickets are available at www.thearlingtontheatre.com/ schedule/eventdetail/586/-/santa-barbara-festival-ballet-presents-the-nutcracker-ballet.

9 SUNDAY

Field Trip - Hiking Red Rock Mines - 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Join Geologist, Susie Bartz on a field trip to Red Rock which follows the Santa Ynez River. Explore the old Los Prietos/ Juniper mercury mining area through narrow valleys. Log onto www.sbnature.org for more.

66th Annual Downtown Santa Barbara Holiday Parade - 6:30 p.m. - A colossal contingent of high-step-

32nd Annual Holiday Parade of Lights at the Harbor 3 p.m. at Santa Barbara Harbor - Starting with fun for the entire family at Santa’s Village, the event culminates with a 5-minute fireworks display. The boat parade is preceded

by Santa’s Village activities beginning at 3 p.m. at the

December 2018 | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | Santa Barbara Family & Life | 23

DECEMBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS Santa Barbara Harbor. Hundreds of families will come out to play in 10 tons of snow and take photos with Santa to get into the holiday spirit. Log onto www.santabarbaraca. gov/gov/depts/waterfront/events/light_parade.asp

single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=12279 for more.

16 SUNDAY

The Nutcracker - State Street Ballet brings this annual

Bernhardt will lead the orchestra in a rousing program of classics and popular favorites.

JANUARY

1 TUESDAY

New Year’s Day Community Center.slh42-chris-smither/.

CONTINUING EVENTS SUNDAYS

Studio Sunday on the Front Steps - 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1130 State St. For more information, go to www.sbma.net.

Stearns Wharf Tree Lighting - 5:30 - 9 p.m. at Stearn’s Wharf - Before the start of the Parade of Lights boat parade, Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo will switch on the lights of a beautiful 25-foot Green White Fir on Stearn’s Wharf.

10 MONDAY

Science Pub - 6:30 - 8 p.m. at Dargan’s Irish Pub - Join our fun and friendly conversation, and quench your thirst for knowledge about science and nature. No tickets or reservations required, but be sure to get to Dargan’s early for a seat. Log onto www.sbnature.org for more.

12 WEDNESDAY

An Irish Christmas - 7 p.m. at the Lobero Theatre - An Irish Christmas, features an award-winning cast of Irish dancers led by Caterina Coyne (Principal dancer, Riverdance), World Champion dancer Tyler Schwartz and Connor Reider in a memorable night that sparkles with the charm and magic that only this festive time of year can bring. Log onto www.lobero.org/events/an-irishchristmas/.

MONDAYS

favorite to the grandeur of The Granada. Opera San Luis Obispo Grand Orchestra and the talented students of Gustafson Dance join State Street Ballet’s professional dancers in this celebration of the beloved story of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince. Log onto www.ticketing.granadasb. org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=12279 for more.

Santa Barbara Sings! - 3 p.m. at the Lobero Theatre - The performance features Navidad Nuestra, a folk drama of the nativity, based on the rhythms and traditions of Hispanic America, The American Riviera Children’s Chorus and a high school chorus will also sing Christmas music from several traditions. Guest artists include guitarist Anthony Ybarra and contralto Carol Ann Manzi. Log onto www. lobero.org/events/santa-barbara-sings/.

17 MONDAY

14 FRIDAY

Una Noche de las Posadas - 7 p.m. Santa Barbara Trust

for Historic Preservation - Una Noche de Las Posadas (The Inns) is the time-honored reenactment of Joseph and Mary’s search for lodging in Bethlehem. The procession begins at the Presidio chapel and winds over to State Street, through the De la Guerra Plaza, and continues to Casa de la Guerra with the singing of holiday songs in Spanish. After the event, tamales, traditional desserts, and hot chocolate are served. Log onto www.sbthp.org/ las-posadas.

15 SATURDAY

The Nutcracker - State Street Ballet brings this annual favorite to the grandeur of The Granada. Opera San Luis Obispo Grand Orchestra and the talented students of Gustafson Dance join State Street Ballet’s professional dancers in this celebration of the beloved story of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince. Log onto www.ticketing.granadasb.org/

Orchid Safari Show and Sale - 10 a.m. at SB Museum of Natural History - The show includes spectacular orchid displays, AOS, CSA and Ribbon Judging, plus orchid sales from Orchid Design, Marcel’s Orchids, Orchids of Los Osos, and Ambriz Kingdom of Plants. Free with museum admission.

Log onto www.sbnature.org/visit/calendar/3356/orchid-safari-show-sale.

24 MONDAY

Christmas Eve

25 TUESDAY

Christmas Day SB Zoo is open for Christmas Day from 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

26 WEDNESDAY

Kwanza

31 MONDAY

New Year’s Eve New Year’s Eve Pops Concert - 8:30 - 10:30 p.m. at the Granada Theatre. Beloved guest pops conductor Bob

Kindermusik with Kathy - 9:30 a.m. for babies to 18 months; 10:30 a.m. for toddlers 18 month to 3 1/2 years old with caretaker; and 5:45 p.m. for 3 to 5 1/2 years old; option to drop off. Classes are at First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St. To register go to www.kindermusikwithkathy.com.

Tom’s Bowling Clinic – 12 to 1:30 p.m. at Zodo’s. Coach Tom Shepard offers a variety of coaching services for beginning bowlers and help intermediate and advanced bowlers refine their skills and improve their averages. $10 per session. All ages are welcome.

Homeschool Bowling League – 1:30 to 3 p.m. from April 9 to May 28. Teams of 2 (doubles). $100 one-time fee covers the entire session and includes a new introductory bowling ball (for new league bowlers only), weekly shoe rental, on lane instruction. Go to www. zodos.com to register.

TUESDAYS Walk on the Wild Side - 9 a.m. If you are a morning person, love animals, and are 60 years and older, join this lively class and get your exercise on while enjoying the zoo. Class walks the grounds for one hour and is designed to improve cardiovascular fitness and health.

First class is free, sign up at the zoo’s front gate. Class is for 60 years and older.

Toddler Tuesdays at the MOXI - 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Wiggly Story time - 10:15 a.m. at Goleta Library and 10:30 a.m. at Central Library.

Preschool Story Time - 10:30 a.m. Montecito Library.

Reading with Dogs - 4 p.m. at Goleta Library.

Kindermusik with Kathy - 11:45 a.m. for babies to 18 months; 10:30 a.m. for toddlers 18 month to 3 1/2 years old with caretaker and 9:30 a.m. for 3 to 5 1/2 years old, option to drop off. Classes are at First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St. To register go to www.kindermusikwithkathy.com.

Homework Help - 3 p.m. at Eastside Library and 3:30 p.m. at Central Library.

WEDNESDAYS Nursery Rhyme Dance Time with Inspire Dance SB - 10:30 a.m. at Goleta Library.

Wonder Wednesdays - 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Why do butterflies have designs on their wings? How many moons does Jupiter have? Ever wonder about these questions and more? Head over to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. For more information, go to www.sbnature.org.

Wednesdays on the Waterfront - Noon to 3 p.m. at the Ventura Harbor. For more information, go to www.venturaharborvillage.com.

Kindermusik with Kathy - 12:30 and 4:45 p.m. for babies to 18 months; 9:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. for

toddlers 18 month to 3 1/2 years old with caretaker and 10:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. for 3 to 5 1/2 years old, option to drop off. Classes are at First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St. To register go to www.kindermusikwithkathy.com.

College Wednesdays - Bowl for $19 per hour per lane, up to 6 bowlers; $3 shoe rental. Food and drink specials. Late night Happy Hour starts at 9 p.m. Get free bus ride in front of Keg & Bottle, Embarcadero del Mar and Madrid Road in Isla Vista to Zodo’s at 9:30 and 10:30 p.m. and return to Isla Vista at 11:30 p.m. and 12:15 a.m. Go to www.zodos.com.

THURSDAYS Walk on the Wild Side - 9 a.m. If you are a morning person, love animals, and are 60 years and older, join this lively class and get your exercise on while enjoying the zoo. Class walks the grounds for one hour and is designed to improve cardiovascular fitness and health. First class is free, sign up at the zoo’s front gate. Class is for 60 years and older.

Reading with Dogs - 3 p.m. at Goleta Library.

Jelly Thursdays - 4 p.m. Experience the beauty of jellies as they gather their microscopic meals at the Sea Center on Stearns Wharf; free with admission; www.sbnature.org or 805-962-2526.

Spring Adult Ceramics Class – 6 to 9 p.m. at Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1130 State St. For more information, go to www.sbma.net.

Free Thursday Evenings at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art – 5 to 8 p.m. For more information, go to www.sbma.net.

Kindermusik with Kathy - 9:30 a.m. for babies to 5 1/5 years old, option to drop off. Classes are at First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St. To register go to www.kindermusikwithkathy.com.

FRIDAYS Kindermusik with Kathy - 9:30 a.m. for babies to 5 1/5 years old, option to drop off. Classes are at First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St. To register go to www.kindermusikwithkathy.com.

Yoga with Creative Movement and Music - 10:45 a.m. for 2 1/2 to 6 years old, option to drop off.

Classes are at First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St. To register go to www.kindermusikwithkathy.com.

Cantemos Spanish Music Time - 9:30 a.m. at the Goleta Valley Church, 595 N. Fairview Ave. To register go to www.kindermusikwithkathy.com.

SATURDAYS Fisherman’s Market – 6 to 11 a.m. Fishermen can be found on the City Pier (opposite Brophy’s) selling crab, rockfish, ling cod, black cod, halibut, urchin, abalone (sustainably farmed), and other catch of the day.

Geology Field Class - 9 a.m. to noon through Oct. 27. Sabina Thomas teaches an interactive course on the fundamentals of geology and how the local environment has been shaped by Earth’s forces and processes such as earthquakes, plate tectonics, and landslides. Cost is $75 to $85. Contact sthomas@ sbnature2.org or 805-682-4711, ext. 170.

Steel Drum Saturday - 1 to 4 p.m. at Ventura Village Harbor. Come enjoy fun, beachy sounds as they surround you. Go to www.venturaharborvillage.com for details.

Portal to the Plant – 1 to 3 p.m. at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center.

24 | Santa Barbara Family & Life | www.santabarbarafamilylife.com | December 2018

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Share the Magic of the Season

Students ages 2-18 will delight audiences with joyful dancing in the classic tale of a special reindeer and the misfit toys.

Back for the sixth year, Hallelujah Project returns with a mix of holiday classics and seasonal favorites designed to delight audiences of all ages.

Featuring an award-winning cast of Irish dancers from Riverdance and Celtic Fyre, An Irish Christmas sparkles with the charm and magic of the Emerald Isle.

A gift to the Santa Barbara community, this program showcases traditions from Hispanic America alongside The American Riviera Children’s Chorus and favorite Christmas carols.

Santa Barbara Revels is comprised of over 60 local actors, singers, dancers and musicians who invite you to revel in the rich cultural heritage of Ireland.

America’s longest-running magic revue returns to the Lobero to dazzle audiences with an all-new lineup of top illusionists direct from exotic showrooms and Hollywood’s famous Magic Castle.

Lobero gift certificates make great gifts for family, friends and clients!

Additional support for promotions Thanks to The Bentson Foundation Elaine F. Stepanek Foundation, Harold P. McAlister Foundation

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