Santa Barbara News-Press: January 06, 2023

Sentencing for serial predator delayed by storm

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

This week’s major rainstorm has forced a one-week delay in the scheduled sentencing of a serial sexual predator who abused preteen and teenage girls he met online and by volunteering at school events.

Zachary Arthur Warburg, 32, of Goleta was expected to be sentenced Thursday to four years in state prison after pleading guilty to multiple felony counts of child sexual abuse and child pornography.

His attorney, however, is commuting from out of the area and requested a oneweek continuance due to road conditions, Deputy District Attorney Sarah Barkley told the News-Press.

“The sentencing and remand should occur next Thursday, 1/12,” she said.

Mr. Warburg pleaded guilty to four felonies and three misdemeanors in a plea bargain in a deal he made with county prosecutors at a Nov. 30 pretrial hearing. The plea agreement prevented the need for a trial that would have required his young victims to testify against him in open court.

“By reaching a plea negotiation in this case, the victims will not have to suffer the trauma of a lengthy trial or relive the abuse and unwanted sexual advances through testimony,” the prosecutor said. “It is my hope that this plea and sentence will give the victims closure and help them move forward on their path towards healing.

“Additionally, it is my hope that the consequences of his plea, including sex offender registration and his state prison sentence, prevent Mr. Warburg from committing future offenses and protect the children and teens of our community from further victimization.”

Two of the felonies — lewd and lascivious behavior with a child under 14 and dissuading a witness — will count as strikes under the state’s Three Strikes law, prosecutor Barkley said.

Mr. Warburg also pleaded guilty to felony charges of possession of child pornography and attempting to contact a minor to commit lewd acts.

The three misdemeanors involved annoying, harassing or molesting a child with lewd intent.

“In the legal sense, molesting means bothering (not physical child sexual abuse),” Ms. Barkley said.

In addition to the prison term, Mr. Warburg will have to register as a sex offender, the prosecutor said.

“He was a local photographer who did on scene photography at local newsworthy incidents (emergencies, fires, accidents etc.),” she said. “He also volunteered to photograph local youth theater and singing events. He met his victims through his volunteer

surf pounds beaches

Waves splash tall and loud on the day after a night of heavy rain

Rebecca Brand seeks justice

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

Long after the heavy rainfall stopped, Mother Nature wasn’t done with her show.

Powerful, loud waves towered Thursday above the Goleta Pier and crashed with fury into Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara as amazed spectators watched.

The drama also was seen Thursday in the rapid currents in creeks in Goleta, Santa Barbara and Montecito.

In San Jose Creek in Goleta, two dogs were caught up in swift water for approximately one mile. They were rescued by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue team with help from the Sheriff’s Office and Animal Control.

(Before the rescue, a photo from County Fire showed one of the dogs had climbed to safety on a piece of wooden debris.)

One of the dogs was rescued by a three-firefighter team who walked into the creek, where the water was up to their waists or higher. One firefighter carried the dog.

The other canine was rescued by a firefighter who used a rope system, according to Capt. Scott Safechuck, public information officer for County Fire.

This all happened around 8:30 a.m.

Earlier on Thursday, rock slides on State Route 154 led to the highway’s closure between State Routes 246 and 192. The highway wasn’t reopened until 3 p.m.

And because of flooding, Refugio Road was closed.

Elsewhere, there were fallen trees and branches — the signs of a powerful, overnight storm.

According to the Santa Barbara County Flood District, 3.87 inches of rain fell within a 24-hour period on the San Marcos Pass and 3.46 inches at Cachuma Dam.

Lake Cachuma’s level stood at 693.65 acre-feet on Thursday.

That’s about a third of its capacity.

The flood district reported that nearly 2 inches of rain fell in Santa Barbara, a little over an inch in Goleta and 1.47 inches in Carpinteria. Again, those numbers are for a 24-hour period.

The rainfall was similar in North County. During the same period, Santa Ynez saw 2.16 inches of rain; Buellton, 2.6 inches; Santa Maria, 1.44 inches. Los Alamos experienced 1.54 inches; Lompoc, nearly 2 inches.

The highest amount of rainfall was reported at Gibraltar Dam, which experienced 4.8 inches of rain.

The driest spot in the county appeared to be Cuyama, which experienced less than a half an inch in the same 24-hour period.

The National Weather Service said less rain fell than expected. But before the worst of the

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Rebecca Brand is nothing if not determined.

The Santa Barbara social influencer has spent the past two weeks making phone calls and sending texts and emails to police, prosecutors and city of Santa Barbara officials. She has insisted that they take her concerns seriously about the Christmas Eve attack that caused her a serious bruise.

That’s when her alleged assailant repeatedly slammed Ms. Brand’s iPhone into her leg in an attempt to wrest it away from her. Ms. Brand sent the News-Press a photo of the bruise.

Specifically, Ms. Brand wants to know why Nelly Gackowska hasn’t been charged with assaulting her in addition to robbery and grand theft, why the assault wasn’t included in the police report, and why she’s had such a hard time getting law enforcement officials to answer her questions.

She described herself as an overachiever. “I’m being very thorough,” she told the NewsPress. “Not many people would do what I’m doing. Why is it

Santa Barbara resident talks to police about Christmas Eve attack that left her bruised

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS Rebecca Brand

COURTESY REBECCA BRAND Rebecca Brand sent the NewsPress this photo of a bruise she said was caused by a transient woman hitting her leg with Ms. Brand’s iPhone.

Please see BRAND on A3

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

High waves crash Thursday into Goleta Pier and Goleta Beach following Wednesday night’s rainfall.

Waves crash Thursday into Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara.

Rockslides lead to the closure Thursday of State Route 154 between State Routes 246 and 192.

Avatar Way of Water* (PG13): Fri: 1:25/3D, 4:15, 5:30/3D, 8:15/3D, 9:15.Sat: 12:15, 1:25/3D, 4:15, 5:30/3D, 8:15/3D, 9:15. Sun: 12:15, 1:25/3D, 4:15, 5:30/3D, 8:15/3D. Mon-Thur: 1:25/3D, 4:15, 5:30/3D, 8:15/3D.

M3GAN* (PG13): Fri: 1:35, 3:00, 4:05, 5:30, 6:45, 8:00, 9:30.Sat: 12:30, 1:35, 3:00, 4:05, 5:30, 6:45, 8:00, 9:30.Sun: 12:30, 1:35, 3:00, 4:05, 5:30, 6:45, 8:00.Mon-Thur: 1:35, 3:00, 4:05, 5:30, 6:45, 8:00.

Los Angeles fire captain tops city’s highest-paid list with $712,000 in 2022

By BRETT ROWLAND THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Eighty-six Los Angeles Fire Department employees made more than $400,000 in 2022, including a fire captain who made $712,933 last year.

That fire captain was the highest-paid employee in the city. The captain had a base pay of $169,764 and was paid $502,681 for overtime, along with $19,637 in other pay and personnel benefits of $20,851. In 2021, the highest-paid employee also was a fire captain. That captain made $434,394 in overtime in 2021, for a total pay of $598,532.

The fire department spent $817.4 million on payroll in 2022, a 2.4% increase from $798.2 million the year before. Overtime costs in 2022 decreased by 8% to $225 million from $244.9 million the year before.

Last month, the Board of Fire Commissioners requested $904 million for the department’s 2023-24 budget. That includes $838 million for its operating

The average mean wage for a surgeon in California in 2021 was $351,580, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average pay for a fire chief in Los Angeles in 2022 was $320,336.44, according to Payroll Explorer.

budget, an increase of 7%, or $55 million, according to the final proposal. The budget includes a 4.5% pay increase for sworn firefighters. The fire union agreed to delay that pay hike until 2023 in exchange for a promise from the city to avoid layoffs. That agreement was reached in 2021, according to media reports and union announcements.

Overall, 86 members of the city’s fire department were paid more than $400,000 in 2022, according to the city’s Payroll Explorer.

That’s the same number as in 2021.

The average mean wage for a surgeon in California in 2021 was $351,580, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average pay for a fire chief in Los Angeles in 2022 was $320,336.44, according to Payroll Explorer.

The second-largest city in the U.S. employed 3,649 firefighters in 2022.

The fire department did not return an email seeking comment on its pay practices and overtime use.

New report shows Hispanics face rising scrutiny from police in California

By RIA ROEBUCK JOSEPH THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - The Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board (RIPA) released its sixth report on issues of police profiling. Whites and Blacks were a shrinking share of those stopped by police while the Hispanic share of stops grew 9% since the 2021 report. Blacks remained the most likely to be searched, detained and handcuffed after a stop by wide margins. Blacks were also the most likely to face use of force by police and the group most likely to face no action at all after a stop. The Jan.1 2023 report analyzes stop data collected by 58 law enforcement agencies from Jan. 1 2021 to Dec. 31 2021. The focus of the report was “The Mental Health Impacts of Being Policed on Communities Impacted by Racial and Identity Profiling.”

Analysts looked at millions of vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian stops providing a broad view of policing. The collection of the data required police to record perceived demographic information that included race or

ethnicity, gender, age, disability status, English fluency, and LGBT identity.

Co-Chair of the Board and Director of Police Practices at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, Melanie Ochoa stated, “In addition to providing a detailed analysis of the policing activities of 58 law enforcement agencies, this year’s report provides muchneeded context on the negative physical, emotional, and mental health consequences experienced by students and the broader communities that are most often the subject of those activities.”

RIPA analysis included the number of stops for 2021; search rates; outcome of the stop; use of force rates; and population comparison. Key findings on the stop data showed:

• Hispanic at 42.4% was the largest group stopped by police;

• Males at 72.1% represented the majority;

• Most common reason for a stop was traffic violation at 86.8%;

• Black youth 15-17 were searched six times the rate of white youth of the same age;

• Blacks were 1.24 times more

The Jan.1 2023 report analyzes stop data collected by 58 law enforcement agencies from Jan. 1 2021 to Dec. 31 2021. The focus of the report was “The Mental

Predator gained access

likely to have force used against them during a stop than others;

• Blacks represented the largest group against which no action was taken at 13.2%.

Ripa Board members reviewed studies that suggest black individuals living in urban areas “experience high rates of distress, a sense of injustice, feelings of hopelessness, and even feelings of dehumanization.”

As a result, the board suggested that racial and identity profiling be viewed as a significant public health issue by policymakers and health officials because of the level of anxiety and distress police interactions can induce.

“California is leading the nation in its effort to collect data on police-citizen interactions and to foster transparency and make progress towards fair, equitable, effective policing. Data collected under RIPA provides important information to the public, to legislators, and to law

enforcement to guide policy and practice throughout the state,” said Steven Raphael, Co-Chair of the Board and Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.

In a supplement to the report the board’s remedial recommendations included, the elimination of all pretextual stops and follow-up searches, a ban on consensual or supervision searches in traffic stops, prohibition of questions related to probation, parole, or supervision status with few exceptions, and elimination of the requirement for a signed advisory with reference to criminal sanctions before the acceptance of a civilian complaint (against police).

Special provisions for youth were also suggested for statements young offenders may make that could be used against them in criminal proceedings and physical and developmental differences in youth when it comes to the use of force.

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Panther:

5:30, 8:05. Sat/Sun: 12:20, 2:55, 5:30, 8;:5.

The Old Way (R): Fri, Mon-Thur: 5:20, 7:55. Sat/Sun: 12:15, 2:45, 5:20, 7:55. Sat: 1:00, 4:30, 8:00. Tues: 4:30, 8:00. Plane* (R): Thur: 7:45.

Avatar Way of Water*

to

victims through photography work, youth events and online

work, attendance at local youth performance events, and online.”

The criminal investigation against Mr. Warburg began after a school resource deputy at San Marcos High School was notified by a student that he was “attempting inappropriate communications with her of a sexual nature,” according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators uncovered several alleged instances of criminal behavior between the defendant and minor female students at local area high schools and junior highs, as well as out of the area.

He was arrested in March 2019 on 17 felony and eight misdemeanor charges involving multiple victims.

The offenses occurred mainly in the spring of 2018, although some allegations date back to 2015, with victims ranging from 11 to 17 years old, according to court documents.

There were 24 charges total

filed against him — 19 felonies and five misdemeanors. But the remaining counts will be dismissed when he is sentenced, Deputy District Attorney Barkley said.

He actually will be sentenced to a total of seven years and eight months in state prison, but some of the terms will run concurrently, meaning his sentence really will be four years. He will have to serve three years and five months before he is eligible for parole.

Mr. Warburg read a statement of apology at the Nov. 30 hearing during which he pleaded guilty, Ms. Barkley said.

“In his statement, he apologized for his conduct and expressed remorse to the victims and involved parties,” she said. “I’m not going to comment on my personal opinion of the statement. It’s hard to do so when I don’t know Mr. Warburg or what his intentions are going forward.

“I hope he will not victimize young women and girls in the future and that his remorse was genuine.”

email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

Health Impacts of Being Policed on Communities Impacted by Racial and Identity Profiling.”

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

First responders revive 1-year-old child

LOMPOC — First responders used Narcan Thursday to revive a 1-year-old child who was exposed to fentanyl.

The Lompoc Fire Department and AMR were sent at 11:14 a.m. to the 800 block of North F Street in Lompoc regarding the child, who was unresponsive. The fire department and medical personnel administered Narcan (naloxone) to the child, who was transported to Lompoc Valley Medical Center.

Lompoc police Sgt. J. Magana said police arrested the child’s mother and father — Jessie McCoy, 36, and Robert Curtis, 31 — on suspicion of felony child endangerment.

Sgt. Magana said the incident should serve as a reminder of the dangers of fentanyl. A 2-milligram dose is considered potentially lethal, and Sgt. Magana said the drug is particularly dangerous for someone with no tolerance to opioids.

Fentanyl is considered to be 50 times more potent than heroin.

For more information about the dangers of fentanyl, see dea.gov.

Mason

Evacuation orders were lifted Thursday morning

STORM

Continued from Page A1

storm hit, Santa Barbara County didn’t take any chances.

The county issued evacuation orders at 3 p.m. Wednesday for the entire Alisal Fire burn area and the vulnerable sections of the Cave Fire and Thomas Fire burn areas.

The county ended all the evacuation orders at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

“While we are able to allow residents to return home, we remind everyone that this was a serious storm that caused impacts across the county,” Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta, the Santa Barbara County public

information officer, said in a news release. “Please be aware of loose and falling rocks, minor landslides, wet road conditions, down trees and lines.”

Response crews on Thursday continued their clean-ups, repair efforts and assessments.

Today’s forecast calls for nothing but sunshine and blue skies throughout Santa Barbara County. Highs everywhere are expected to be in the low to mid 60s, with the lows in the low to mids 40s.

The National Weather Service said Saturday will be mostly cloudy and that rain is expected to be back on Sunday and continue on Monday and Tuesday.

email: dmason@newspress.com

Woman charged with second degree robbery, grand theft

BRAND

so difficult with 10 letters to get answers from the people involved?”

Ms. Brand was involved in a classic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time when she witnessed a thrown rock shatter the entire front window of Rudy’s, a Mexican restaurant at 3613½ State St. in Santa Barbara.

She said she saw a transient woman, later identified as Ms. Gackowska, and a man standing there. She said the woman seized her cell phone in an attempt to prevent her from shooting video of the incident.

Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale, the Santa Barbara Police Department’s public information officer, told the News-Press Thursday that he called Ms. Brand and spoke to her.

“The case was a little confusing because it was technically two separate incidents and had two case numbers,” he said. “I explained everything to her, and she seemed very satisfied.”

Not yet, Ms. Brand said.

“My opinion is I don’t know,” she said. “I’m not trained to understand what charges mean.

He’s declaring that the robbery charge is even stronger than theft of a person, that it’s better than assault. With assault, you can get off with a fine, but robbery involves violence to do the robbery. It’s not just taking.

They’re having to hurt someone to be successful at the robbery.”

The complaint filed against the defendant charges her with both second-degree robbery and grand theft from a person for allegedly taking Ms. Brand’s iPhone Pro from her against her will and without her consent.

Both are felonies, but the robbery charge is a serious, violent felony in that Ms. Gackowski allegedly took the phone “by means of force and fear.”

Further, the complaint lists aggravating factors, alleging

the crime “involved great violence, great bodily harm, threat of great bodily harm or other acts disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness or callousness,” and that the victim was “particularly vulnerable.”

District Attorney John Savrnoch said Sgt. Ragsdale is right in his assessment.

“The detective is correct,” said Mr. Savrnoch, who was sworn in as the district attorney on Monday. “Robbery (a violent felony) is a more serious charge than simple assault and battery (misdemeanors).”

Ms. Gackowska, 60, has pleaded not guilty to both charges, and she is scheduled to appear in court Monday to set a date for her preliminary hearing. As of now, the hearing is set for Tuesday, but it could be continued to another date.

Ms. Branch said she was appeased by Sgt. Ragsdale’s assurance that she could write up her account of the phonetaking incident and the windowbreaking incident that preceded it, which she witnessed, and that the police would add it to their report, which they would forward to prosecutors.

Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Branch, the prosecutor handling the case, declined to say whether her office would amend the complaint after receiving the amended police report.

“I can’t speak to facts or details of the case,” she told the News-Press. “If we receive additional information, it could affect which charges are filed.”

D.A. Savrnoch repeated that he cannot comment on the facts of pending cases.

However, he said, “our victim advocate and prosecuting attorney have met with and are scheduling a subsequent interview of the victim to make sure we have all of the evidence/ statements that are relevant. We can amend charges while a case is pending if the facts warrant it.”

email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

Maria Ressa

How to Stand Up to a Dictator

Thu, Jan 19 / 7:30 PM

UCSB Campbell Hall

Celebrated for her commitment to free expression and democratic government, journalist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Maria Ressa tells the story of how democracy dies and offers an urgent cry for us to recognize the danger before it is too late.

Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour

Sun, Jan 29 / 7 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

a critical favorite and a popular success.

Kurt Elling

Dee Dee Bridgewater

— Dave

ARTHUR VON WIESENBERGER / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

A high surf rolls up to Hope Ranch Beach.

This was the scene Thursday at Hope Ranch Beach after Wednesday night’s storm.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

Water flows freely under the Mission Creek Bridge in Santa Barbara.

A dog is stranded in San Jose Creek in Goleta.

Santa Barbara County firefighters rescued the dog and another canine that was in the creek.

COURTESY PHOTO

Biden announces border visit as illegal crossings surge, expands legal immigration

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden said Thursday that he will visit the southern border Sunday. The announcement came in a speech on illegal immigration, where President Biden promised more border security and pushed for increased legal immigration.

President Biden said he would visit the border in El Paso, where the mayor declared a state of emergency in December because of the thousands of migrants flowing through the city.

“Our problems at the border didn’t arise overnight, and they are not going to be solved overnight,” President Biden said. “It’s a difficult problem.”

The speech comes as President Biden faces growing political pressure from the crisis at the southern border, where illegal immigration has surged to record levels.

The White House released a list of “border enforcement actions” Thursday, which include “expanding legal pathways” including the parole process for Venezuelans to Nicaraguans, Haitians, and Cubans and “tripling refugee resettlement from the Western Hemisphere.”

Those measures also include $23 million in additional humanitarian aid in Mexico and Central America, which President Biden said would improve the conditions there so people no longer want to leave for the U.S.

“The Administration is also announcing that it is surging additional resources to the border and the region, scaling up its anti-smuggling operations and expanding coordination and support for border cities and nongovernmental organizations,” the White House said in a statement. “Importantly, the actions announced today are being implemented in close partnership with Mexico and governments across the Western Hemisphere.”

The rest of the plan involved “surging resources” to the border and organizing efforts there but lacked details.

“These actions alone are not going to fix our entire immigration system, but they can help us a good deal in better managing what is a difficult challenge,” President Biden said as he appeared with Vice President Kamala Harris.

President Biden pointed to an immigration legislative framework he touted to Congress at the beginning of his term as well as additional

funding requests he sent lawmakers for border personnel. He attacked Republicans several times throughout the remarks.

“We have a patchwork system that simply doesn’t work as it should,” he added, citing a lack of staff and judges.

Illegal immigration has soared since President Biden took office, breaking records and straining border towns. As The Center Square previously reported, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents apprehended at least 226,050 people and reported at least 87,631 who avoided detainment by law enforcement in December. Combined, that totals at least 313,681 – a slight increase from November’s already record-breaking figure of 306,069.

Cartel activity and fentanyl smuggling have made the situation more dire. Fentanyl overdoses have skyrocketed.

As the crisis has grown worse, President Biden has taken fire for doing little to address it. This would be his first trip to the border since becoming president.

President Biden’s speech comes after he told

reporters Wednesday his “intention” is to visit the border next week. That news sparked a flurry of speculation and criticism.

“Now Biden says his ‘intent’ is to visit the border next week,” U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, RCalifornia, said after the initial reports of the visit. “Too little, too late. But at least he’d get to see the crisis he created.”

This visit comes on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court suspending the expiration of Title 42 until justices can make a ruling on the policy. Title 42 is a Trump-era immigration policy that allows border agents to expedite expulsion of migrants in the name of preventing the spread of COVID-19 into the U.S.

President Biden took a shot at that policy in his speech Thursday, but some Republicans have argued it is one of the only policies helping the flood of migration in the face of ongoing border dysfunction to not be worse than it already is.

Republicans also blasted President Biden after the announcement of his visit, saying it was overdue.

Dos Pueblos boys basketball defeated by San Marcos

The Dos Pueblos boys basketball team lost to San Marcos on Wednesday, falling by a score of 49-46.

The two teams traded heavy blows in the first half, with San Marcos outscoring Dos Pueblos 21-8 in the first quarter and Dos Pueblos returning the favor with a 20-6 second quarter to go into the half with a one point lead. That lead was expanded in the third quarter, in which Dos Pueblos outscored their opponents 12-6, but San Marcos made up the gap and then some with a 16-6 fourth quarter for the comeback victory.

The loss dropped Dos Pueblos to a 5-9 record.

Bishop Diego boys basketball beats Foothill

Tech

The Bishop Diego boys basketball team won a close game at home against Foothill Tech, defeating the visitors 6660.

The Cardinals got off to a hot start, coming away with a 2310 lead in the first quarter, but the Dragons battled back to narrow the lead the rest of the way, outscoring Bishop Diego in

the third and fourth quarters to make the contest a close one.

“They’re a disciplined team with a great coach, so I knew they wouldn’t go away very easily,” said Bishop Diego Coach James Coronado.

“A big credit to our leader, Bryan Trejo, who kept them at bay with his leadership and ball handling,” added Coronado. “They simply couldn’t stay in front of him and whenever we needed a big bucket, he was up to the task.”

Trejo led the Cardinals with 19 points, while Isaac Veal contributed 12.

The Dragons were led by Sam Noah and Ashton Brown, who scored 25 and 18 points, respectively.

In honor and sadness, we said goodbye to our father, Richard Lawrence Souther, who passed away in Santa Barbara, CA at the age of 92. With him until the end, we witnessed him leave this earthly life in peace, love and resolve.

Dad was born and raised in Richmond, CA. He was the only child of Lester Kerchival Souther and Jeanette Charlotte Deubner. From the window of his home, perched on a hill in, he watched the Golden Gate Bridge being built with awe and delight. His love for the Bay Area’s 49ers, Giants and Warriors started early and were lifelong passions for him. Dad’s parents and extended family were close, loving and devoted. Tragically, when he was just 14, his mother died of colon cancer. As his father continued to work as a foreman for Richmond Standard Oil Company, sleeping during the day and working at night, our dad had to become an independent and responsible young adult overnight. This seemingly set the stage for him to continue through his life as a survivor - forever having the will to push forward. Dad’s “key” mantra was that you must play the cards you’re dealt, and that’s exactly what he did.

During the years of WWII, school was only half day for Dad, because his community in the bay was part of the war effort. Therefore, he started working at a young age. and he even spent time working on an oil tanker off the coast of San Francisco. After high school, being a numbers guy, he worked at a bank. Later, he was drafted to serve in the Army during the Korean War. This proved to be a seminal time in his life. He endured and thrived in the rigor, discipline and patriotism of it all despite the hardships he experienced. He often shared with pride that his commander had said, “Souther, you’re a survivor.” Upon his return stateside, Dad decided banking was no longer for him and he headed off to Los Angeles to pursue a business degree from Woodbury College.

At Woodbury, he met Carole Jean Shrode who later become his wife and our mother. She was also born on April 24th, but in the year 1937. Her family loved Dad as their own. We thank him deeply for choosing her to be our mother, as she was simply the best! They were married for almost 50 years. Devastatingly, though, our mother passed away when she was only 68 years old. During her crippling illness, Dad showed his true character through and through. He was committed to her well-being until the end - kind, compassionate, and loyal. Although heartbroken, Dad survived this, too, and continued without Carole for 16 more years.

We were happily raised in Goleta, where Dad lived at 6201 for 62 years. In the Los Carneros neighborhood where we grew up, our life was idyllic. We thank Dad for supporting our family with his career as an accounts/credit manager throughout Santa Barbara so Mom could stay home with us. He worked for businesses such as Seaside Oil Company, Jordanos, Santa Barbara Medical Clinic, and Cox Cable. Companies genuinely loved his meticulous, thoroughly planned, fair and strategic ways in turning their business woes around.

We remember with fondness all the fun camping trips (particularly the oft repeated Memorial Day trips to El Capitan as well as to Richardson’s Grove and Indian Mary) and spending time with our extended family together and many awesome days at the beach as a family. We recall his piercing whistle which called us home from neighborhood games of “Hide and Seek” and which on one occasion kept Brad from getting lost after to provide us with a thoughtful life of safety, love and unity.

Dad liked to travel and followed in his father’s footsteps there. Dad took pride in having encouraged his father to retire early, so Lester could travel to Peru, Egypt, Hawaii and Europe. Dad’s discussion about the merits of grain vs grass fed beef with a waiter in Puerto Vallarta was the stuff of family legend. Dad also loved to eat - perhaps this was triggered by his “artichoke and bacon only” diet as a child.

Dad was good-hearted and cared more about what we and our families were doing than talking about himself. He is survived by his son Brad Souther, his wife Ann, and his daughter Laura Miller and her husband, Rick. He also leaves behind his grandchildren: Kevin, Neil, Reed, Greyson, Hailey, Ethan, Julianna, Nina, and Leon.

As a rule, Dad was very, very, appreciative of any and everyone’s efforts on his behalfhe was generous with his thanks and praise for those who crossed his path in a positive way. Until the end, he was forever concerned that his need for help might be too much for whomever was assisting him - worrying more about them than himself. Also ever learning from all those he met along his journeys through life.

We will dearly miss Dad’s attentive ear, big belly laughs and his earthly presence in our lives.

Thank you, Reader, for your attention in reading the story of a life well-lived by our in Dad’s name to 911AEI.Org.

In Love & Thanks, DadBrad & Laura

She

Nancy graduated from Cathedral High in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Nancy met Norman Kovanda in June 1950 at a teenage dance at the Summer Pavilion in Lincoln. They were both 17 years old. They dated for four years until Norman graduated in 1954 from the University of Nebraska. They were married on February 12, 1955 and started a marriage that lasted until now, 67 years later.

They had four children, Deborah, Sandra, Jeannie, and Stephen Kovanda, in Denver. They moved to Santa Barbara in 1962.

Norman and Nancy started a tax and investment business in 1964, heading it until their retirement in 2019, 55 years later.

Nancy was a fond fan of Nebraska Cornhusker football. GO Big Red!

Nancy is survived by her husband, Norman, daughter, Sandra Kovanda, grandson, Dean Kovanda, daughter, Jeannie (Rob) Graham, grandson, Steven (Kathleen) Symer, great-grandsons, Nathan and Jack Symer, granddaughter Kristin (Geoff) Payton, greatgrandkids, George and Eleanor Payton, and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Nancy will be greatly missed by all who knew her. She was a wonderful woman.

Nancy’s memorial will be held at burial site at the Santa Barbara Cemetery, Friday January 6th, at 1:15PM, located at 901 Channel Dr., Montecito, CA.

Today Sat.

City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W

Cuyama 57/38/pc 61/41/c

Goleta 63/45/pc 62/46/c

Lompoc 64/43/pc 62/48/pc

Pismo Beach 63/45/pc 62/51/c

Santa Maria 61/43/pc 60/49/c

Santa Ynez 63/42/pc 61/44/c

Vandenberg 61/47/pc 63/52/c

Ventura 59/47/pc 63/46/c

Bakersfield 56/41/pc 56/48/c

Barstow 58/35/pc 58/38/c

Big Bear 44/18/pc 45/22/c

Bishop 49/26/pc 48/30/c

Catalina 56/51/pc 60/48/c

Concord 60/50/c 59/49/sh

Escondido 62/38/s 66/41/c

Eureka 57/49/r 56/48/r

Fresno 56/43/pc 57/48/c

Los Angeles 61/48/pc 65/50/c

Mammoth Lakes 33/14/pc 34/25/c

Modesto 57/45/pc 57/46/c

Monterey 62/49/pc 60/51/sh

Napa 59/49/c 55/49/r

Oakland 61/53/c 57/51/r

Ojai 62/43/pc 64/45/c

Oxnard 60/46/pc 62/47/c

Obituary notices are published daily in the Santa Barbara News-Press and also appear on our website www.newspress.com

To place an obituary, please email the text and photo(s) to obits@newspress.com or fax text only (no photos) to (805) 966-1421. Please include your name, address, contact phone number and the date(s) you would like the obituary to be published. Photos should be in jpeg format with at least 200 dpi. If a digital photo is not available, a picture may be brought into our office for scanning. We will lay out the obituary using our standard format. A formatted proof of the obituary and the cost will be emailed back for review and approval.

The minimum obituary cost to print one time is $150.00 for up to 1.5” in length -- includes 1 photo and up to 12 lines of text, approximately 630 characters; up to approximately 930 characters without a photo. Add $60.00 for each additional inch or partial inch after the first 1.5”; up to approximately 700 characters per additional inch.

All Obituaries must be reviewed, approved, and prepaid by deadline. We accept all major credit cards by phone; check or cash payments may be brought into our office located at 715 Anacapa Street.

The deadline for Weekend and Monday’s editions is at 10a.m. on Thursdays; Tuesday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Fridays; Wednesday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Mondays; Thursday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Tuesdays; Friday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Wednesdays (Pacific Time).

Free Death Notices must be directly emailed by the mortuary to our newsroom at news@newspress.com. The News-Press cannot accept Death Notices from individuals.

Palm Springs 68/46/pc 68/49/c

Pasadena 61/47/pc 65/51/c

Paso Robles 59/44/pc 58/48/c

Sacramento 59/49/c 54/49/sh

San Diego 62/46/s 64/47/pc

San Francisco 60/53/c 58/51/r

San Jose 61/49/c 60/50/sh

San Luis Obispo 64/45/pc 62/50/c

Santa Monica 62/46/pc 66/47/c

Tahoe Valley 37/24/c 39/34/sn

Atlanta 58/38/s 64/44/s

Boston 40/33/sn 43/28/pc

Chicago 36/23/pc 36/29/pc Dallas 71/49/s 62/38/c

Denver 41/25/c 44/25/pc

Houston 77/61/s 74/53/t

Miami 78/61/s 76/65/s

Minneapolis 22/3/pc 18/5/s

New York City 48/36/sh 44/32/pc

Philadelphia 50/34/pc 46/32/pc

Phoenix 65/44/pc 67/44/s

Portland, Ore. 49/43/sh 48/42/r

St. Louis 47/39/pc 46/35/r

Salt Lake City 40/28/sn 41/27/c

Seattle 51/44/c 49/40/r

Washington, D.C. 53/36/pc 48/33/c

Carp boys basketball fall to

Santa Paula

The Carpinteria High boys basketball team lost at home to Santa Paula, falling by a score of 55-42.

Senior Kainoa Glasgow led the Warriors with 25 points while junior Mario Serrano added seven.

The loss dropped Carpinteria to a 3-12 overall record and a 1-2 mark in the Citrus Coast League.

Carpinteria returns to action tonight at 7:30 p.m. against visiting Fillmore.

- Compiled by Matt Smolensky

Jan. 6 8:28 a.m. 5.9’ 2:10 a.m. 2.6’ 10:46 p.m. 3.5’ 4:01 p.m. -0.8’ Jan. 7 9:01 a.m. 5.8’ 2:44 a.m. 2.6’ 11:17 p.m. 3.5’ 4:32 p.m. -0.7’ Jan. 8 9:33 a.m. 5.7’ 3:20 a.m. 2.5’ 11:50 p.m. 3.5’ 5:04 p.m. -0.6’

10 people in an urban environment.

Beijing 46/17/s 45/17/pc

Berlin 52/42/sh 51/41/pc

Cairo 68/54/pc 68/55/pc

Cancun 82/72/sh 81/74/pc London 54/50/c 53/43/r

Mexico City 70/48/s 71/51/s

Montreal 35/26/c 30/10/c

New Delhi 65/42/pc 67/45/pc

Paris 54/44/c 53/47/r

Rio de Janeiro 77/68/r 73/69/r

Rome 60/49/pc 60/47/c

Sydney 72/64/sh 73/62/pc Tokyo 49/38/s 50/40/c

SOUTHER, Richard Lawrence 4/24/30 - 12/3/22

Dear Reader:

KOVANDA, Nancy Pauline Nancy Pauline Kovanda, the daughter of Maurice and Pauline Costello, was born on January 15, 1933. She passed away peacefully at age 89 on December 23, 2022.

was predeceased by her sister, Jeanne Spale, and her two brothers, Maurice Costello Jr. and Robert Costello, her daughter, Deborah Kovanda, and son, Stephen Kovanda.

COURTESY PHOTO

President Joe Biden

Life theArts

e freedom of a podcast

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

Retired KNBC-TV weather reporter Fritz Coleman loves his new creative freedom.

“I can talk about politics, which I couldn’t talk about before. I couldn’t do social media unless it involved cumulus clouds or an onshore breeze,” Mr. Coleman told the News-Press.

Today he’s free to talk about anything he likes during the Media Path Podcast. He co-hosts it with Santa Barbara resident Louise Palanker, a veteran radio producer and documentarian.

They started the podcast two years ago, just after the pandemic started, and record their episodes at Ms. Palanker’s studio at her other home in Sherman Oaks.

The Media Path Podcast airs at mediapathpodcast.com, and a video version streams on YouTube.

So far, Mr. Coleman and Ms. Palanker have co-hosted more than 100 episodes, and they said they typically get a couple thousand or so listeners for each one.

“It’s one hour long. If it’s really fun, it can go on for longer,” Mr. Coleman said. “We have no time constraints.”

Each program features the hosts discussing cultural events and making their recommendations about movies, TV/streaming shows and books.

They’ve also interviewed a variety of well-known guests, usually via Zoom.

“We’re sitting at a radio desk with a professional setup and looking at a monitor, showing the guest,” Ms. Palanker told the News-Press as Mr. Coleman listened.

Mr. Coleman, who was a DJ before he became a weatherman, said he enjoyed interviewing singer John Sebastian from the Lovin’ Spoonful, known for his song “Daydream,” and Henry Winkler, forever known for playing The Fonz on ABC’s “Happy Days” (1974-84).

“He (Mr. Winkler) is the single, nicest human being being you’ve ever talked to,” Mr. Coleman said. “I love super talented people who are comfortable in their own skin and talk to you on your level.”

They interviewed another “Happy Days” star, Anson Williams, who last fall lost a close mayoral race in Ojai.

“He was a good guy,” Mr. Coleman said, recalling the interview.

A guest who surprised Mr. Coleman was Christopher Knight, who played Peter on ABC’s “The Brady Bunch” (1969-74).

“He’s a good example of why it’s fun to have former stars from television shows we grew up with,” Mr. Coleman said. “Christopher Knight is a computer geek who started a computer company. And he’s well-versed about everything.

“It’s really a cool surprise to talk to someone you (previously) perceived in one way. You

find there’s this whole threedimensional human being.”

Mr. Coleman and Ms. Palanker also interviewed Montecito singer Peter Noone, best known for his career with the British rock band Herman’s Hermits and songs such as “I’m Henry VIII I Am,” “There’s A Kind of Hush” and “I’m Into Something Good.”

“That was one of the most entertaining interviews,” Mr. Coleman said.

The podcast hosts also have talked with singer Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers.

Mr. Medley also is known for singing “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” with Jennifer Warnes on the soundtrack of the 1987 movie “Dirty Dancing.”

And, Mr. Coleman noted, “We had the team of guys who wrote the music for ‘Dirty Dancing.’ ”

Ms. Palanker said they got to interview Grammy-winning composer Diane Warren, who worked in the same building as Ms. Palanker, “Her office was above me. You could hear her composing,” Ms. Palanker said.

“One day, we’re interviewing (singer) Michael Bolton. He said, ‘You should meet my friend; she’s in your building. You guys would get along. You’re both crazy.’ ”

Ms. Palanker took Mr. Bolton’s advice, connected with Ms. Warren and had her on their podcast.

“Now she calls me on the speaker phone to play songs for me,” Ms. Palanker said. She also said her favorites from

their 100-plus guests include TV and movie star Joyce Bulifant (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Airplane!”), whose five husbands included “Hawaii Five-O” star James MacArthur and “Bewitched” producer William Asher.

“She had so many stories,” Ms. Palanker said. “Each of her husbands was a disaster until she found the love of her life.”

(Her fifth husband was TV and movie actor Roger Perry, and Ms. Bulifant and Mr. Perry remained married right up to his death in 2018.)

Mr. Coleman noted he and Ms. Palanker do their homework before interviews, which means, for example, reading an author’s book before interviewing the writer.

“As soon as they realize you’re prepared, they’re looser. They’re more forthcoming,” Mr. Coleman said. “It turns out to be wonderful. We’re not asking the typical red carpet questions.”

Mr. Coleman said they’ve enjoyed talking to guests such as U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, who represents the district where the former weatherman lives. During the interview, Rep. Schiff was in the Capitol.

“We heard him being called down to the floor to vote,” Ms. Palanker said.

Ms. Palanker and Mr. Coleman feel right at home on their podcast.

“I spent a lot of my career in syndicated radio, when radio was king,” Ms. Palanker said.

She said the Media Path Podcast is her fifth podcast.

Mr. Coleman grew up in the radio business, working as a DJ at Top 40 stations in Buffalo, Syracuse and Philadelphia. That led him to his career as a standup comedian, which, in turn, set the stage for his long career at KNBCTV (based originally in Burbank and now located at Universal Studios).

“As part of your job as a DJ, you would be invited to be an emcee at a club or to spin records. It was a way of getting your name out there,” he said. “My job was working at a jazz club in Buffalo, and jazz musicians are very much on their own schedule. Even though the show is advertised to start at 8 o’clock, they would show up at 8:15 or 8:20.

“I began to write jokes to fill the time,” Mr. Coleman said. “I started getting great reactions (from the audiences) to the jokes, so I became the opening comedian for these jazz acts.”

In 1980, Mr. Coleman came to Los Angeles and focused on a career in comedy.

“I was woefully underprepared in L.A. I came out here too early,” Mr. Coleman said. “I was doing open mikes and became a regular

performer at the Comedy Store (in West Hollywood).”

He was telling an audience selfdeprecating anecdote about doing the weather in the Navy and not knowing anything about weather.

A KNBC producer in the audience approached him afterward and asked him, “Do you have any desire to come to Channel 4 and do some vacation relief weather and on the weekends, filling in?”

At the time, Mr. Coleman was only making $45 a night at the Comedy Store.

“I told him, ‘When do you need me to start?’”

Mr. Coleman went from being a relief weather reporter to a permanent one and retired in 2020 — two weeks shy of his 40th anniversary with KNBC.

“I loved my job. I never had as much fun with anything that requires a microphone,” Mr. Coleman said.

Today in addition to the podcast, Mr. Coleman performs standup comedy, everywhere from Santa Barbara to Simi Valley and Sherman Oaks. “I usually advertise on my Facebook page. I try to do one, two or three shows a week.”

And his and Ms. Palanker’s podcast continues to grow in popularity.

“We’re starting to get listeners in other countries such as the Netherlands and Australia,” Mr. Coleman said.

Added Ms. Palanker, “We’re huge in Sweden.”

email: dmason@newspress.com

CALENDAR

newspress.com.

TODAY 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Interlopings: Colors in the Warp and Weft of Ecological Entanglements” is an exhibit that runs through March 12 at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara.Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The exhibit features weavings dyed with pigments from non-native plants on Santa Cruz Island. The weavings were created by artists Helen Svensson and Lisa Jevbratt. For more information, see sbbotanicgarden.org.

10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. “The Search for the Modern West,” an exhibit, continues through Feb. 20 at Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery, 11 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, see sullivangoss.com or call the gallery at 805-730-1460.

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit “Parliament of Owls” runs through Feb. 5 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays. For more information, go to www. sbnature.org.

JAN. 13

7 p.m. Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar will perform a free concert at Isla Vista Elementary School, 6875 El Colegio Road, Isla Vista, as Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara resumes its programming.

7 p.m. The Los Angeles Reed Quintet will perform during the Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series at St. Mark’sin-the-Valley Episcopal Church, 2901 Nojoqui Ave., Los Olivos. The program will include music by Mendelssohn, Mahler, Ligeti, Nina Shekhar, Yanjun Hua, Corelli, Fred Coots, and Sam Lewis

JAN. 14

7 p.m. Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuélla will perform a free concert at Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, 1065 Guadalupe St., Guadalupe. The concert is presented by Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara .

JAN. 15

7 p.m. Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuélla will perform a free concert at The Marjorie Luke Theatre at Santa Barbara Junior High School, 721 E. Cota St., Santa Barbara. The concert is presented by Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara.

JAN. 17

1:30 to 6:30 p.m. Vitalant blood drive at the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, 4436 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. For more information, go to vitalant.org.

JAN. 19

2 to 5:30 p.m. Vitalant blood drive at the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, 524 Chapala St., Santa Barbara. For more information, go to vitalant.org.

JAN. 21

7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform its “Plains, Trains & Violins” concert at The Granada, 1214 State St. The concert includes Miguel del Aguila’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, “The Journey of a Lifetime” (El viaje de una vida) with violin soloist Guillermo Figueroa and the concert world premiere of Elmer Bernstein’s “Toccata for Toy Trains.” The orchestra will also perform Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”). Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

JAN. 22 3 p.m. The Santa Barbara

The calendar appears Mondays through Saturdays in the “Life & the Arts” section. Items are welcome. Please email them a full week before the event to Managing Editor Dave Mason at dmason@

COURTESY PHOTO Oboist Lara Wickes and the rest of the Los Angeles Reed Quintet will perform at 7 p.m. Jan. 13 at St. Mark’s-in-theValley Episcopal Church in Los Olivos.

Former weatherman Fritz Coleman and Santa Barbara resident Louise Palanker enjoy interviewing everyone from Henry Winkler to ‘Brady Bunch’ star Christopher Knight

Media Path Podcast co-host Louise Palanker is a Santa Barbara resident who worked in syndicated radio. Ms. Palanker and Fritz Coleman record their podcast at Ms. Palanker’s home studio in Sherman Oaks.

GARRETT ARCH PHOTOS

Former KNBC-TV weather reporter Fritz Coleman enjoys being the co-host of the Media Path Podcast.

Italian pianist and trio to play at SOhO

p.m. Jan. 10 at SOhO Restaurant

State St., Suite 205, Santa Barbara.

Doors will open at 6 p.m.

Mr. Artese won First Prize in 1985 at the Rachmaninov International Piano Competition. In 1992, he received a similar award from the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation in Santa Barbara.

Mr. Artese, who’s also a composer and arranger, has recorded several albums and led various musical projects, in both the U.S. and Europe.

His piano solo albums vary from “Italian Sketches” (1996) to “Live in Santa Barbara” (2008).

In addition to his recordings and performances, Mr. Artese has founded and managed several music festivals in Italy.

Tickets cost $18 in advance and $20 on the day of the concert. To purchase, go to www.sohosb. com, where you can make dinner reservations. This concert is for all ages.

For more about Mr. Artese, go to antonioartese.com.

Parsa named chief pediatric medical officer

Dr. Miriam Parsa is the new chief pediatric medical officer at Cottage Health.

She is a board-certified pediatrician and pediatric rheumatologist.

As the chief pediatric medical officer, Dr. Parsa will continue to promote the development of pediatric services and community partnerships.

Dr. Parsa joined the medical staff of Cottage Health and the Cottage Children’s Medical Center in 2013. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Rheumatology.

She earned her medical degree at the Albany Medical Center in New York and completed her medical internship, residency and fellowship at UCLA. She also received her master’s of public

health at Yale University. “We welcome Dr. Parsa to her new role, and we are grateful for her ongoing work on behalf of Cottage Health and the children in our community. We are very fortunate for her leadership at Cottage Children’s Medical Center,” said Dr. Ed Wroblewski, vice president and chief medical officer at Cottage Health.

Dr. Parsa has received the Arthritis Foundation Pacific Region Juvenile Leadership Award and is an Arthritis Foundation Walk to Cure Arthritis Medical Honoree. She also has contributed to the American Academy of Pediatrics reference book “Berkowitz’s Pediatrics: A Primary Care Approach.”

Office of Arts & Culture announces 2023 grant winners

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture has announced the 2023 Cultural Arts Grant award recipients. Funding for the grants comes from the city of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County and the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation. The grants are going to 39

nonprofits, and the awarded projects begin this month. For more information, go to sbac. ca.gov/grants.

Grant-funded initiatives include a revived Milpas St. Cinco de Mayo festival, a youth-led gang abatement ceramics program and a traveling Toyota van offering classical music concerts and instruments to schools.

Most of the grant applicants provide free arts services and programs that the Office of Arts & Culture says wouldn’t be possible without additional money.

“Our city grant support will help us to bring back our lost historical Cinco de Mayo tradition and energize the Milpas corridor,” said Jacqueline Inda, founder of the Greater Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The grants are administered by the County Office of Arts & Culture through a city-county partnership model that earns additional state funding for the region. The office recently received re-granting funding from the state and will announce new programs in early 2023.

“Local arts and culture organizations put so much

time and love into helping local communities to express themselves where they live,” said Sarah York Rubin, the executive director of the Office of Arts & Culture. “This is important and relevant work that the creative sector is uniquely able to perform, and the city of Santa Barbara and county of Santa Barbara recognize arts and culture investment as community investment.”

The city of Santa Barbara invests nearly $300,000 each year into the community through its Arts and Culture Grants.

Funding recommendations are determined by the city’s Arts Advisory Committee and Community Events & Festivals Committee.

The three programs — Community Arts, Organizational Development, and Community Events & Festivals — support diverse nonprofits.

This year’s Community Arts Grant recipients are A to Z Cooking School, Hillside House Inc., artist Jana Brody, Lum Zine, Mission Poetry Series, Santa Barbara Art Works, Performing and Visual Art Camp, Santa Barbara Black Culture House,

Trust for Historic Preservation and the Santa Barbara Art Association Student Art Fund.

The 2023 recipients for the Community Events and Festivals Grant are the Cinco de Mayo Festival, the Elings Park Foundation, Healing Justice Santa Barbara, Kinetic Cake Experience, the Lobero Theatre Foundation, the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee of Santa Barbara, the Pacific Pride Foundation, Santa Barbara Culinary Experience, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara Revels, the Santa Barbara City College Dance Collective and UCSB Arts & Lectures.

Recipients of the Organizational Development Grant consist of American Dance and Music, Flamenco Arts Festival, Center Stage Theater

Ensemble Theatre Company, Everybody Dance Now!, Explore Ecology, NewGrit, Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative, the Santa Barbara Gay Men’s Chorus and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

email: dmason@newspress.com

Sidewalk Story delayed by rain

LOMPOC

The

A

Symphony will perform its “Plains, Trains & Violins” concert at The Granada, 1214 State St. The concert includes Miguel del Aguila’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, “The Journey of a Lifetime (El viaje de una vida)” with violin soloist Guillermo Figueroa and the concert world premiere of Elmer Bernstein’s “Toccata for Toy Trains.” The orchestra will also perform Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”). Tickets

through native plants, vegetables, fruit trees

flowers. Along the pathway, each page of a children’s storybook will be installed at a kid-friendly height.

The featured book is “Nosotros

Means Us: A Bilingual Story/ Un cuento bilingüe” by Paloma Valdivia.

Gardeners from the Lompoc Community Garden will be speaking about their gardens and answering questions. They will also offer refreshments made

cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

4 to 5 p.m. “Roy Dunn: Capturing Imagery of Our Wild Neighbors” will take place at the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, 1511-B Mission Drive, Solvang.

JAN. 24 2 to 6 p.m. Vitalant blood drive at Camino Real Marketplace, 7046 Marketplace Drive, Goleta. For more information, go to vitalant.org. 7 p.m. UCSB Arts & Lectures presents mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and a music ensemble in “Eden” at The

from fresh ingredients grown in the garden.

And the event will feature the new Route One Mobile Farmers Market, which offers fresh and locally sourced fruit and vegetables. For more about the market, go to www.sbcfoodaction. org.

And for more about the garden, see facebook.com/ lompoccommunitygarden.

— Dave Mason

Granada, 1214 State St. “Eden” explores the individual human connection with nature and features music from four centuries. Tickets cost $46 to $131 for general admission and $20 for UCSB students with ID, one hour before the performance, and youths 18 and younger. To purchase, go to granadasb. org.

JAN. 25 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vitalant blood drive at Allan Hancock College, 800 S. College, Santa Maria. For more information, go to vitalant.org.

— Dave Mason

COURTESY PHOTO

Miriam Parsa

SANTA BARBARA — Italian pianist Antonio Artese and his West Coast Trio will perform at 7

and Music Club, 1221

— Dave Mason

COURTESY PHOTO

Italian pianist Antonio Artese will perform with his West Coast Trio Jan. 10 at SOhO Restaurant and Music Club in Santa Barbara.

— The first-ever Sidewalk Story at the Lompoc Community Garden has been postponed a second time because of rain.

event, which is being presented by the Charlotte’s Web Bookmobile, has been rescheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 15 at the garden, 903 W. College Ave., Lompoc.

path through the garden will take children and adults on a self-guided reading adventure

and

Thought for Today

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com Friday, January 6, 2023

ARIES — Relations with family or other members of your household should be especially warm now. Mutual goals and shared wins and losses are likely to bring you closer. Communication with friends and other acquaintances should be open and honest without being blunt, Aries, providing you with a rewarding day.

TAURUS — You should feel loving today toward just about anyone you like and respect. Clear communication with friends, lovers, and children could enhance your understanding of them, and vice versa. The bonds in these relationships will be strengthened, perpetuating the good feelings you’ve felt all year.

GEMINI — Powerful feelings of love well up today, particularly toward family members.

Communication between you and those you love is likely to be heightened, Gemini, as you learn to speak your mind while not being too blunt. Romantic matters could thrive now, as you will be in the mood to physically express your feelings.

CANCER — Messages from close friends expressing their love and admiration for you may seem to arrive out of the blue. Your accomplishments over the past few weeks may have caused them to see you in a new light. Today you will experience the full force of their feelings. The doors of communication are open for you.

LEO — You’re always one to face things logically, Leo, and today you turn that logic, along with your intuition, toward reassessing some of your values. Your judgment is especially acute, so any decisions you make or any new avenues you want to explore are likely to be just what you need now. Relations with friends, lovers, and family should be warm, loving, and close.

VIRGO — You’re likely to feel especially friendly and outgoing today, Virgo. People you meet, particularly through groups, are likely to be strongly attracted to you. Friendships, partnerships, and romantic relationships should continue to grow closer, enhanced by your high level of communication. In the evening, go out with those you love.

LIBRA — You should be in a

warm and romantic mood today, Libra. You will want to schedule an intimate evening with your partner, but you probably won’t feel like staying in. You desire an evening out, perhaps to a restaurant, concert, or play. Regardless of how you usually feel, tonight you won’t have any reservations about showing affection in public.

SCORPIO — The mutual exploration of spiritual and intellectual ideas could bring you closer to friends and lovers. Fascinating discussions open new horizons to all participants. You may be overcome by the strong feeling of unity. By day’s end, you could experience a strong spiritual longing to study whatever the topic of conversation was. Don’t hesitate. It can only help you grow.

SAGITTARIUS — You feel especially sexy right now. A powerful feeling of love and a need to physically express it could be with you all day. If you’re involved, you want to spend a romantic evening with your lover. If you aren’t, you could channel the energy into creative activities. Romantic novels and movies are poor substitutes for the real thing, CAPRICORN — Close relationships could lead to a feeling of spiritual unity today.

In fact, Capricorn, you might feel as if those who share your interests are actually your family now. If you’re involved, expect to experience warm and passionate feelings toward your partner. If not, don’t be surprised if someone new comes on the scene.

AQUARIUS — Love, sex, and romance are on your mind today, Aquarius, so you will want to spend as much time as possible with your lover. You could also grow closer to your friends, resulting in a powerful feeling of unity. Right now you have the gift of being able to exercise good judgment when it comes to values in life.

PISCES — Close relationships should grow closer today, and new relationships become close ones. You’re likely to feel extremely warm and loving toward most of the people you know, and they should reciprocate that feeling. Romantic relationships, especially, could grow more intimate and physical. You like the way you feel, Pisces, but want to express it outwardly through gifts or intimacy.

SUDOKU

CODEWORD PUZZLE

By FRANK STEWART

Tribune Content Agency

Friday, January 6, 2023

“We have a lunchtime game at work on Thursdays,” a club player told me, “and yesterday who should sit in but the Big Boss. I was his partner and was declarer at four spades.”

My friend displayed the deal.

“West led the king of diamonds and shifted to a trump. I won in dummy and led a heart, ducking East’s jack. I won his trump return and led another heart, but West won and led a third trump. I lost a third heart for down one.

“I apologized to my boss, and all he said was, ‘To err is human; to forgive is not company policy.’ What did he mean?”

TRUMP SHIFT

I hope my friend didn’t get a pink slip in his pay envelope. After South wins Trick Two, he can draw trumps and take the K-Q-J of clubs. He then leads dummy’s queen of diamonds and throws a heart.

West wins and must concede South’s 10th trick. If West takes the ace of hearts, South’s king wins; if instead West leads the jack of diamonds, South ruffs and reaches dummy with the ace of clubs for the good ten of diamonds. DAILY QUESTION

hold: 7 3 2 A Q 6

J 8 8 5 4. You open one diamond, your partner responds one

spade, you bid 1NT and he tries two hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: With four cards in each major, partner would respond one heart, showing the suits “up the line.” He will often have five spades and four hearts, maybe five of each major. Bid two spades. Your hearts are stronger, but you must return to what is likely your longer combined holding.

West dealer N-S vulnerable

Codeword is a fun game with simple rules, and a great way to test your knowledge of the English language.

Every number in the codeword grid is ‘code’ for a letter of the alphabet. Thus, the number 2 may correspond to the letter L, for instance.

All puzzles come with a few letters to start. Your first move should be to enter these letters in the puzzle grid. If the letter S is in the box at the bottom of the page underneath the number 2, your first move should be to find all cells numbered 2 in the grid and enter the letter S. Cross the letter S off the list at the bottom of the grid.

Remember that at the end you should have a different letter of the alphabet in each of the numbered boxes 1- 26, and a word in English in each of the horizontal and vertical runs on the codeword grid.

“Keep the faith, don’t lose your perseverance and always trust your gut extinct.” — Paula Abdul

Seattle the 11th best place in the country for finding a job

By BRETT DAVIS THE CENTER SQUARE

–

Square)

(The Center

WalletHub’s just-released report of the best cities in the U.S. for finding a job includes four in Washington state: Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, and Vancouver.

To determine the strongest local job markets in the country, the personal finance website compared and ranked 182 cities across 32 key metrics, including job opportunities, employment growth, and monthly average starting salary.

With the unemployment rate at 3.7% and employers planning to hire 15% more new graduates from the class of 2023 than they did from the class of 2022, WalletHub says job seekers are in the driver’s seat when it comes to negotiating pay and benefits.

Washington’s largest city, Seattle, was ranked highest by WalletHub, finishing just outside the top 10.

“Seattle is the 11th best place to find a job,” WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez told The Center Square via email. “The city has a strong job market, with a high monthly average starting salary at over $5,700, low unemployment rate and access to employee benefits.”

The Emerald City has other incentives for would-be employees.

“It also has work-share programs that allow employers to temporarily reduce work hours for employees instead of laying them off during economic downturns, and a salary history ban,” Ms. Gonzalez explained.

“Plus, Seattle is very well served by public transit, has low annual transportation costs, and is an

overall great city for both families and singles.”

Spokane, in the eastern portion of the state, was the next-highestranked city in Washington, coming in at No. 79.

“Spokane ranks in the top half of the cities for jobs,” Ms. Gonzalez said. “Aside from the presence of work-share programs and the salary history ban, the city offers a large number of apprenticetrainee jobs, making it a great choice for those who are just starting their career.”

The other Washington cities on the list didn’t fare as well.

“Tacoma and Vancouver rank in the second half, 105th and 108th, respectively,” Ms. Gonzalez noted. “Tacoma’s low ranking is mostly due to the lack of employment growth in the past year, while Vancouver has a low share of engaged workers.”

The 10 best cities for finding a job:

1. San Francisco, California

2. Columbia, Maryland

3. Orlando, Florida

4. San Jose, California

5. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 6. Fremont, California

7. Salt Lake City, Utah 8. South Burlington, Vermont 9. Plano, Texas 10. Portland, Maine

The 10 worst cities for finding a job: 182. Memphis, Tennessee 181. Augusta, Georgia 180. Brownsville, Texas 179. Gulfport, Mississippi 178. Columbus, Georgia 177. Huntington, West Virginia 176. Shreveport, Louisiana 175. Jackson, Mississippi 174. Detroit, Michigan 173. Las Cruces, New Mexico

Private-sector employers add 235,000 jobs in December, payroll company reports

By SETH SANDRONSKY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Privatesector employers added 235,000 new hires across the United States in December, according to the December ADP National Employment Report produced by the ADP Research Institute in collaboration with Stanford Digital. Medium and small firms had robust hiring as big companies experienced declining job creation.

“The labor market is strong but fragmented,” said Chief Economist Nela Richardson in a statement, “with hiring varying sharply by industry and establishment size. Business segments that hired aggressively in the first half of 2022 have slowed hiring and, in some cases, cut jobs in the last month of the year.”

ADP’s monthly employment report of more than 25 million U.S. employees delivers a snapshot of the labor market that precedes the Labor Dept.’s employment situation that will be released today. ADP’s report tracks the current month’s total private employment change and weekly job data from the past month, with a pay measure focusing on earnings of nearly 10 million employees over 12 months.

Leisure/hospitality employers, hammered during the beginning of the pandemic, led the way with 123,000 new hires in December. Professional/business services added 52,000 jobs, while education/health services

employers had 42,000 new hires. Turning from the service sector to goods-producing employers, construction firms grew fastest, with 41,000 new hires in December. Meanwhile, manufacturing employers shed 5,000 jobs, and natural resources/ mining lost 14,000. Trade/ transportation/utilities employers shed 24,000 jobs in December, while financial activities firms lost 12,000 jobs.

By U.S. regions in December, the South had 253,000 new hires, while Midwest employers added 70,000 jobs, and New England payrolls rose 54,000. In contrast, Western employers had 142,000 layoffs.

December’s hiring also varied with the size of the labor force. Small businesses of 1-19 workers had 65,000 new hires, while those with 20-49 employees hired 65,000 workers. Medium-size firms of 50-249 had 191,000 new hires in December, with companies of 250-499 employees adding 32,000 jobs. Large companies of 500-plus employees shed 151,000 jobs last month.

In December, the U.S. economy registered the lowest growth in hourly pay since March 2022. Further, the final month of 2022 also “ushered in the largest decline in pay growth for job stayers in the three-year series history,” according to ADP. “Leisure and hospitality; trade, transportation and utilities; and information sectors had the sharpest declines in pay gains. Job changers’ pay growth also fell to the lowest level in 10 months.”

ADP’s monthly employment report of more than 25 million U.S. employees delivers a snapshot of the labor market that precedes the Labor Dept.’s employment situation that will be released today.