Santa Barbara News-Press: January 20, 2023

Fentanyl case to go before judge in February

Court to consider preliminary hearing date

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

A Lompoc couple has been charged with child abuse for exposing their three small children to fentanyl, including a 1-year-old boy who might have died had it not been for the first responders who used Narcon to revive him.

In a three-count felony complaint, prosecutors charged Curtis Michael Roberts, 43, and Jessie Lacy McCoy, 36, with exposing their 1-year-old son, his 3-year-old sister and their 4year-old brother to child abuse under circumstances “likely to cause great bodily injury or death.”

The criminal complaint alleges that on Jan. 5, the couple created conditions likely to cause their children “to suffer, and to be inflicted to with unjustifiable physical pain and mental suffering,” and that they did in fact, “willfully cause and permit said child to be placed in such situation that his/her person and health was/ were endangered.”

The couple pleaded not guilty at their Jan. 9 arraignment and are due back in court on Feb. 15 to set a date for a preliminary hearing, at which a judge will decide whether prosecutors have presented sufficient evidence to hold them over for trial.

If convicted of all charges, each defendant would be subject to a maximum sentence of eight years, eight months in state prison, Deputy District Attorney Madison Whitmore told the News-Press Thursday.

s tate Route 154 reopens

Contractor with Caltrans removes debris, rocks and mud left by storm

Four arrested in Stearns Wharf homicide case

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Four individuals were arrested Thursday in the Santa Barbara area in connection with the Dec. 9 homicide in the Stearns Wharf area.

The Santa Barbara Police Department, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office executed search-and-arrest warrants at several locations throughout the city and county of Santa Barbara.

The following individuals are being booked at the Santa Barbara County Jail in connection with the murder of a shooting victim, Robert Dion Gutierrez, a 52-year-old Camarillo resident:

— Jiram Tenorio Ramon, a 22-year-old Santa Barbara resident, was arrested in the area of Olive Mill and Coast Village Road in Montecito.

Jan. 9-10 storm.

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

State Route 154 — a highway that connects Santa Barbara with Santa Ynez — officially reopened at 5 p.m. Wednesday, more than a week after the storm that caused its closure.

Work was done to remove debris and mud from the highway in various locations. This included large rocks that fell onto the roadway.

“We also performed work on our rock netting facilities to ensure they could withstand future rockfall,” Jim Shivers, public information officer for Caltrans District 5, told the NewsPress. The work included some earthwork.

“The full closures are put in place to ensure the safety of all travelers,” Mr. Shivers said. “It

also allows us to perform our work more quickly, leading to a shorter closure period.

“The public should adhere to all posted traffic safety signs, which relate to flooded conditions as these areas should not be entered,” Mr. Shivers said.

The storm that slammed Santa Barbara County on Jan. 9 and 10 left debris and mud on State Route 154,

Caltrans’ budget for “our 154 and (State Route) 246 emergency projects is $1.5 million. The contractor is CalPortland Construction,” said Mr. Shivers. (State Route 246 intersects with State Route 154 at Santa Ynez.)

Mr. Shivers added that there is $6 million in emergency contracts for all of Santa Barbara County.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

SB schools evacuated; streets blocked off

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Students were evacuated Thursday afternoon at the EF International Language Campus at 1421 Chapala St. and the Notre Dame School at 33 E. Micheltorena St.

Santa Barbara police blocked off Micheltorena Street at State, Chapala and De la Vina streets. Micheltorena Street intersects

— Ricardo Tomas Jauregui Moreno Jr., a 20-year-old Santa Barbara resident, was arrested in the 500 block of West Canon Perdido Street in Santa Barbara.

— Christopher Dave Miranda, a 21-year-old Santa Barbara resident, was arrested in the 4800 block of Calle Real in Santa Barbara.

— James Lee Rosborough, a 21-year-old Santa Barbara resident, was arrested in the 1400 block of Chino Street in Santa Barbara.

A 16-year-old male (name withheld due to age) was also arrested in the 3900 block of Via Lucero and was booked at the Santa Barbara County Juvenile Hall in Santa Maria on suspicion of being a juvenile in possession of a firearm.

Police Oversight Commission to hold first meeting

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

Students are evacuated from the EF International Language Campus, left, and the Notre Dame School, both in Santa Barbara.

city’s new Police Oversight Commission, created to promote accountability and transparency on the part of the Santa Barbara Police Department, will meet for the first time next week. The meeting of the fivePlease see OVERSIGHT on A3

those three parallel streets. The News-Press reached out to Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale, public information officer for Santa

Barbara Police Department, for more information. Sgt. Ragsdale told the News-Press just before press time Thursday

night that he wasn’t able to provide further details at that time. If the News-Press learns more today, an update will be posted at newspress.

com and published in the NewsPress Weekend on Saturday. email: kzehnder@newspress.com

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Traffic flows down State Route 154 Thursday. The highway, which connects Santa Barbara with Santa Ynez, reopened Wednesday night after a closure caused by the

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Goleta City Council adopts housing plan

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Goleta City Council unanimously adopted the city’s 2023-2031 Housing Element at its meeting this week. As a result, the city will submit its housing element to the state for review in advance of the Feb. 15 statutory deadline.

The adopted housing element addresses comments received from the California Department of Housing and Community Development and provides zoned residential capacity that meets the city’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation for the 6th Housing Cycle (2023-2031).

Goleta’s Housing Element establishes

Model A club to visit genealogical society

SANTA BARBARA —

The Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society will welcome the Model A Club of Santa Barbara to the society’s monthly meeting on Saturday.

This meeting will take place throughout the morning at the First Presbyterian Church, 21 E. Constance Ave.. Santa Barbara, and will also be available via Zoom. To register for the Zoom presentation, visit sbgen.org.

Model A Club member Randy Douglas will present the history of the Model T automobile, the Model

policies and programs for maintaining and improving existing housing and plans for sufficient residential capacity to meet the city’s share of the regional housing need, both overall and by affordability level. That’s according to a news release from the city.

The adopted housing element plans for a total residential capacity of 2,614 housing units. Goleta’s mandated RHNA is 1,837 units. Meeting the state’s housing mandate requires the city to identify adequate housing sites. The city is not required to build housing on these sites itself. Rather, the housing element planning process paves the way for private builders to develop housing projects on those sites.

According to the city, a major focus of the

plan is on underutilized sites within the urban area. The plan relies on sites already zoned for residential uses, and none of the sites identified for potential housing is on land zoned for agriculture.

“A big thank you to city staff for crafting this updated plan and meeting the state’s mandate. I am hopeful that over time we can address local needs for increased availability and affordability of housing for residents,” Mayor Paula Perotte said in the news release.

For more information, see cityofgoleta. org/housingelement or email questions to housingelement@cityofgoleta.org. email: kzehnder@newspress.com

The monthly meeting of the Model A Club of Santa Barbara will be held at the Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society on Saturday.

A and the Model A Ford Club of America. Genealogy Society member Larry Basham will discuss Henry Ford’s genealogy. There will be an in-person

Special Interest Groups meeting at 9:30 a.m. and a short business meeting at 10:30 a.m. The presentations will follow at 11 a.m.

Santa Barbara County won’t appeal ruling in favor of equestrians

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Santa Barbara County has decided not to appeal Superior Court Judge Thomas Anderle’s ruling against the county over Live Oak Trail.

This topic is now set to go back to the county Board of Supervisors in a closed session.

In December, Judge Anderle ruled that the county violated environmental law review in efforts to expand the use of the Live Oak

trail beyond exclusive equestrian use. His ruling means the county can’t expand use of the trail to bicyclists, joggers, hikers or pedestrians.

And under Judge Anderele’s ruling, the equestrians who sued Santa Barbara County over the trail were awarded $300,000 in legal fees.

“We are pleased with the county’s decision not to appeal Judge Anderle’s ruling,” Kathy Rosenthal, president of the Santa Ynez Valley Riders, told the News-Press in an email this week.

In December, Judge Anderle ruled that the county violated environmental law review in efforts to expand the use of the Live Oak trail beyond exclusive equestrian use. His ruling means the county can’t expand use of the trail to bicyclists, joggers, hikers or pedestrians.

UCSB Chancellor’s award brings Belize delegation

Highlighting the importance of conservation and cultural prosperity, Master Maya Forest Gardener Narciso Torres recently received the Chancellor’s Medal.

This is the highest award that UCSB Henry T. Chancellor Yang can bestow.

The Maya Forest is in Belize.

Falcon 9 rises from Vandenberg

A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off Thursday morning from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The SpaceX rocket, which rose at 7:43 a.m., launched 51 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East. The satellites are designed to

Joining Mr. Torres during his visit to the Santa Barbara area were his fellow Maya Forest Gardeners. The Belize delegation has been visiting the various beautiful gardens around Santa Barbara. Today, the delegation will visit Lotusland in Montecito, and on Thursday, it visited Tom Shepherd Farms and Harmony Gardens.

The delegation leaves Saturday to return to Belize.

— Caleb Beeghly

bring high-speed internet to people living in rural and remote locations around the world.

This was the first flight for this particular Falcon 9 first stage booster. After the launch, it came back down and landed on Of Course, I Still Love You, a SpaceX drone ship off the coast of Baja California.

— Dave Mason

“The ruling will go a long way to ensure that proper CEQA review is completed and ensures the public’s right to participate in future County trail planning and construction,” she said. “The public deserves the opportunity to contribute to developing and determining appropriate use on public trails, and to find the balance with environmental, land use and local community and neighborhood concerns.”

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

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TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

DUI checkpoint in Lompoc

LOMPOC — The Lompoc Police Department will conduct a driving under the influence checkpoint from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. today at an undisclosed location.

DUI checkpoint locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes. The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints are to promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road.

“Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk,” Lompoc police Sgt. Scott Morgan

said in a news release. “Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improves traffic safety.”

The Lompoc Police Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

Drivers charged with a firsttime DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

After the presentation, Model A Club members will display their automobiles in the parking lot.

— Caleb Beeghly

COURTESY PHOTO

Independent consultant hired by city to help set up new system

member board, officially entitled the Fire and Police Commission, will take place on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 4 p.m., Barbara Andersen, senior assistant to the city administrator, told the News-Press.

It will be held in City Council chambers, 735 Anacapa St., starting at 4 p.m., and be broadcast live on City TV Channel 18.

“Each commissioner will take their Oath of Office prior to our first meeting,” Ms. Andersen said. “City staff is currently working on several key components of the new civilian oversight system including updated policies and procedures, the orientation and training program for commissioners, as well as the new structure for data and reporting requirements.”

The council approved the landmark ordinance in October to assign additional civilian police oversight duties to the commission to oversee the police and review citizen complaints in an effort to increase transparency, accountability and public trust.

“It is the single most significant step toward meaningful civilian

Under the new ordinance, reports detailing the total number and type of internal and external complaints received and subsequent action taken, as well as the number of officers disciplined and the level of discipline imposed, will be provided to the commission for its review.

oversight in our city’s history,” Mayor Pro Tem Megan Harmon said at the time. “That is a big, big deal.

“It took years to get here after years of advocacy and tons of public input,” she said. “Many people said this would never end up at a vote or become an ordinance. It is truly momentous.”

Under the new ordinance, reports detailing the total number and type of internal and external complaints received and subsequent action taken, as well as the number of officers disciplined and the level of discipline imposed, will be provided to the commission for its review.

The commission will also review and discuss individual investigations in open session with the police chief, once investigations are disclosable under the California Public Records Act.

Moreover, the police chief will make presentations to the commission regarding any officer-involved shootings.

Those presentations will occur once the agency conducting such an investigation makes its determinations of finding.

Ms. Andersen will be the city’s liaison to the commission, and will receive and process citizen complaints about alleged police misconduct, provide an ongoing analysis of complaint trends and prepare reports for the commission in coordination with the Santa Barbara Police Department.

The council approved hiring an independent, outside consultant to give the city a hand in setting up the new system.

“As you know, the city retained Hassan Aden of The Aden Group, LLC as the experienced, independent police monitor professional that will be advising the City Administrator’s Office in implementation of the new civilian oversight system,” Ms. Andersen said. “His insights and extensive knowledge have already proven

to be valuable to our efforts and I look forward to our continued collaboration.”

The commission’s five members were selected for service after being interviewed by the council on Dec. 6. The council appointed Linda Esparza Dozer, Lizzie Rodriguez and Ana Alicia Zepeda to four-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2026, and Daniel Robert Herlinger and Gary Jon Hill to two-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2024.

“The mayor and council embraced the importance of selecting commissioners that represent a diversity of life and professional experiences as well as honoring the two years of advocacy, hard work and community engagement that led us to this historic moment,” Ms. Andersen said. “We are excited to be working with such an esteemed group of community leaders.”

email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

Child saved with Narcan injection in incident

FENTANYL

Continued from Page A1

This includes six years apiece on the first count charging them with child abuse in connection with their 1-year-old, and consecutive sentences on counts two and three pertaining to their other children that would add two years, eight months apiece.

The complaint alleges aggravating factors, in that 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 their victims were particularly vulnerable.

In addition, Ms. McCoy faces aggravating

factors in that her prior convictions as an adult or sustained petitions in juvenile delinquency proceedings are numerous or of increasing seriousness; that she has served a prior term in prison or county jail; and that her prior performance on probation, mandatory supervision, post-release community supervision or parole was “unsatisfactory.”

Prosecutors say because of her prior conviction in June 2009 in Los Angeles, Ms. McCoy would receive a second strike if convicted of the current charges.

Lompoc police, firefighters and AMR ambulance crew responded at 11:14 a.m. on Jan. 5 to a residence at 800 N. F St. regarding a 1-year-old child that was unresponsive.

A police investigation revealed the 1-year-

SPORTS ROUNDUP

Lassahn scored 10.

old was exposed to suspected fentanyl. The child was administered Narcan (naloxone) by fire and medical personnel on the scene and was revived. The child was transported to the Lompoc Valley Medical Center for further medical care. The mother and father, Mr. Roberts and Ms. McCoy, were both arrested for felony child endangerment.

“This incident should be a reminder of the dangers of fentanyl,” police said at the time. “Only a 2-milligram dose of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose, and it is particularly dangerous for someone with no tolerance to opioids. The fentanyl drug is 50 times more potent than heroin.”

email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com

SB boys basketball falls to Buena in OT

The Santa Barbara High boys basketball team lost in overtime at Buena on Wednesday, falling by a score of 70-64.

Santa Barbara got off to a slow start, ending the first quarter down by seven, but had closed the gap to three points by the end of the first half. Although the Dons found themselves down by as much as 13 in the third quarter, the team found themselves with a four-point lead in the fourth before eventually settling for a tie at the end of the period. Buena outscored Santa Barbara by six points in overtime to secure the victory.

“Overall, our effort was really good, but we had some execution errors on both sides of the ball that were somewhat uncharacteristic of us,” said Dons Coach Corey Adam. “Credit to Buena’s play, as some of those errors were caused by what they were doing. In the end we gaind some valuable experience going to overtime on the road in a tough environment against a really good team.”

Luke Zuffelato led the team with 29 points, including a clutch three-pointer that tied the game with 20 seconds remaining. Adam also praised the play of Carter Battle, who scored 15 points “and made good plays defensively and offensively.” Also singled out were Finn Whipps, Will Harman and Owen Debusk, who Adam said “provided a spark off the bench in the third quarter to help us get back in the game.”

Santa Barbara falls to 5-2 in league play with the loss, with an overall record of 11-10.

DP boys basketball loses against

Rio Mesa

The Dos Pueblos High boys basketball team lost to Rio Mesa on Wednesday after being outscored 74-61.

The game was lost in the first quarter, when Rio Mesa put up 25 points to Dos Pueblos’ 8. For the rest of the game, Dos Pueblos outscored their opponents 53-49, but it wasn’t enough to erase the first-quarter deficit.

Matthew Zamora led Dos

Pueblos with 16 points while Justin Stock scored 15 and Shane Grant added 13. Dos Pueblos

Coach Joe Zamora also singled out Micah Goss and Grant Hughes for praise, saying that Goss “did a great job attacking the basket” while providing multiple blocks and rebounds and that Hughes “did a good job on the glass for us and did a good job securing loose balls.

The loss leaves Dos Pueblos with a 7-13 overall record.

SM boys basketball beaten by Oxnard

The San Marcos High boys basketball team fell to Oxnard on Wednesday, losing by a score of 78-48.

San Marcos was led by Andre McCullough, Wyatt Miller and Ben Treadway, who scored 12, 8 and 7 points, respectively.

“Really proud of our effort tonight,” said Royals coach James Kinzler. “That’s obviously a very tough team over there, but our guys played really hard to the end. Andre was strong around the basket tonight and I thought Wyatt and Ben gave us a good spark offensively.”

The Royals managed to cut Oxnard’s lead to ten with two minutes left in the third quarter, but a 12-0 run by Oxnard erased the comeback.

“We ran out of gas a little bit there at the end of the 3rd and they took advantage. That’s what good teams do,” added Kinzler. “I thought this was much more of a game with these guys then the first time we played them at home, so I’m proud of our growth.”

The Royals fall to 3-4 in league play with the loss, and will return to action tonight against Ventura.

SY boys basketball defeats Bishop Diego

The Santa Ynez boys basketball team beat Bishop Diego, winning 80-60 at home to improve to 14-3 on the season.

Jackson Ollenburger led the team with 24 points to go along with nine assists, while Caleb Cassidy scored 19 points and added 23 rebounds. Three other Pirates managed double-digits in the game, with Hale Durbiano scoring 14 points, Jaiden Mendoza contributing 11 points and Landon

Santa Ynez plays again tonight at San Luis Obispo.

Carp wins close game against Channel Islands

The Carpinteria boys basketball team edged out Citrus Coast League rival Channel Islands on Wednesday, winning 52-49.

Although Carpinteria trailed by 14 at halftime, the team managed to come back to claim the victory with a stingy defense that gave up only 18 points in the second half.

Sawyer Kelly led the Warriors with 19 points, while Kainoa added 13 points and Sebastian Campuzano contributed 11.

Carpinteria now carries a 416 overall record into their game tonight against Hueneme.

Carp boys soccer loses to Channel Islands

The Carpinteria High boys soccer team lost to Channel Islands, dropping the game 2-1.

Channel Islands started the scoring in the 30th minute on a penalty kick, while Carpinteria squandered multiple scoring opportunities to end the first half scoreless.

The Warriors managed to tie the game in the 60th minute on a goal by Ulises Segura, but Channel Islands found a way through the Carpinteria defense ten minutes later to score the winning goal.

“We played well and I was proud of the boys for the way they played and fought the whole game,” said Carpinteria Coach Gerardo Rodriguez. “Sadly, we didn’t get the result we wanted.”

The Warriors will return to action today against Port Hueneme.

DP girls water polo overcomes Ventura

The Dos Pueblos girls water polo team dominated Ventura on Wednesday, winning by a score of 17-3.

Dos Pueblos held Ventura scoreless in the first half, collecting ten goals along the way. Ventura got on the board in the third period, scoring two goals before collecting their final goal in the fourth.

HanaLora Abel and Emma Gilbert each finished with four goals for Dos Pueblos, while Frankie Court and Ava Bennett each managed three. Goalie Megan Garner finished the game with 12 saves.

Dos Pueblos returns to action today at Santa Barbara, carrying a 10-6 record into the game.

-Compiled by Matt Smolensky

Amid ridership struggles, S&P dims transit outlook

By BRETT ROWLAND THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Public transit agencies that can’t find new funding or make cuts could face a fiscal cliff, according to the latest report on the sector from S&P Global Ratings.

The credit rating agency gave the public transit sector a negative outlook as challenges pile up for operators while they spend down more than $70 billion in federal aid given out during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Some public transit operators face an operating fund fiscal cliff – especially if they are unable to identify new revenue sources or right-size operations reflecting lower expected ridership levels – once the federal assistance aid now compensating for diminished passenger fare revenues is depleted,” according to the S&P report.

In the U.S., public transit ridership peaked in 2014. That year, public agencies reported 10.7 billion unlinked passenger trips. Since that peak, unlinked passenger trips have declined nearly every year. The National Transit Database reported 9.9 billion unlinked

passenger trips in 2019. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, unlinked passenger trips plummeted to 4.7 billion, meaning ridership dropped by just over half in one year.

While ridership has recovered from the lows seen in 2020, it remains well below prepandemic levels. Much of the loss is the result of changes in the workplace, including many workers who go into the office less frequently.

Ridership stood at about 67% of pre-pandemic levels in December 2022 and about 56% of 2014’s peak, according to S&P.

Public transit agencies rely on rider fares to pay for a portion of operational costs. With fewer people riding, less money is coming in.

“We expect public transit ridership will only recover to about 85% of pre-pandemic levels by 2026 under our base case and 80% under our downside case,” the authors wrote in the report. “Since transit ridership nationwide was experiencing year-over-year declines before the pandemic, we believe it is likely that this metric will not recover to near prepandemic levels for a long time, as we see slowly developing demographic trends more likely to affect that growth than public transit experiencing a sudden renaissance.”

Some transit agencies have already set about searching for new revenue sources. The Regional Transportation Authority in Illinois –which oversees the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace Suburban Bus – has proposed 11 tax and fee hikes to make up for declining fare revenue. It also proposed scrapping a state law that requires the agency to recover 50% of operating costs through fare revenue.

The S&P report said the transit agencies that depend on fares will face growing uncertainty as federal aid runs out.

“We expect providers that have looked to fare revenue to support service levels will have to make tough decisions in the near term about sustainable tax and revenue models going forward,” according to the report. “As ridership recovery remains slow, we believe the long-term credit quality of many transit operators will depend on their ability to adjust operations and align financial performance to achieve structural balance after federal aid is depleted. Even public transit systems not as dependent on fare revenues face challenges related to weak ridership levels as they balance funding sources and service level while supporting their public missions.”

42 Texas counties now support declaring invasion at border

Franklin County judge calls on Texas AG, state legislature to act

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – At least 42 counties have now declared an invasion or expressed support for Texas declaring an invasion at the southern border.

More are in the process of making similar declarations, according to sources who’ve spoken to The Center Square.

Harrison County’s commissioners and Judge Chad Sims signed a resolution Dec. 20 expressing support for “our Texas county partners,” expressing support for border counties “experiencing local disaster situations as a result of inadequate border security.”

They also cited Article IV, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution that authorizes the governor to “call forth the militia to execute the laws of the state, to suppress insurrections and to repel invasions.” Their resolution describes Mexican cartels as “paramilitary, narco-terrorist organizations that profit from trafficking people and drugs into the U.S.” who are creating a security threat and humanitarian disaster “with overwhelming consequences to residents in the

State of Texas.”

They also expressed support for Gov. Greg Abbott expanding his border security mission, Operation Lone Star, to address a crisis created by the federal government’s failure to uphold its constitutional duty to “insure domestic tranquility” and “provide for the common defense,” according to the resolution.

Franklin County Judge Scott Lee signed a resolution Oct. 24 “calling for additional border security measures to stop the invasion at our southern border to protect Texas communities,” also citing the invasion clauses of the U.S. and Texas constitutions granting the governor the authority to defend Texas’ border. His resolution states “transnational narco-terrorist cartels … have seized de facto operational control between the points of entry on the southern Texas border facilitating massive human smuggling, trafficking, operations, a deadly drug trade, including fentanyl,” among other illegal activities.

But his resolution appears to be the only one reviewed by The Center Square that specifically calls for the governor, attorney general and state legislature to take action.

Judge Lee calls on “the Texas governor to make a formal declaration of invasion thereby invoking the state authority under the invasion clause of the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3.”

He also calls on the governor “as the Commander-in-Chief of the Texas National Guard” to activate and deploy it and other state assets “to detain and return illegal aliens back across the border, turn back illegal aliens crossing from Mexico at the border, and defend Texas against cartel operatives, human traffickers and drug mules moving deadly fentanyl into Texas towns and communities.”

Judge Scott also called on “the Attorney General of Texas to prepare immediate briefs to counter the federal government’s attempts to prevent Texas from defending its southern border” and the Texas legislature “to pass legislation that actively serves as a deterrent to illegal migration.

Texas lawmakers should pass laws that protect Texas communities with a pro citizen agenda that sends a decisive message to all cartel members, illegal aliens, and the federal government alike.”

While Gov. Abbott cited the invasion clauses in a Nov. 14 letter

to county judges and in a Nov. 16 letter to President Joe Biden, he has yet to declare a formal invasion or announce a military strategy to repel it.

Two days after the judges of Kinney, Goliad and Terrell counties first declared an invasion July 5, 2022, Gov. Abbott issued an executive order directing the heads of the Texas Military Department and Department of Public Safety to apprehend illegal foreign nationals and return them to ports of entry, actions they’ve already been taking. Unless those who are apprehended are arrested for committing state crimes and detained in county or state facilities, state policy of handing them over to Border Patrol agents hasn’t changed.

Under Biden administration policy, the majority apprehended by Border Patrol agents are released into the U.S., prompting Florida to file suit in a case it’s currently making before a federal court.

After being reelected in November, Gov. Abbott sent letters to county judges referring to his July 7 executive order and tweeted content from the letter, prompting many news outlets to

Please see TEXAS on B4

Shooting victim thought to be an innocent bystander

ARRESTS

Continued from Page A1

It was around 8:40 p.m. on Dec. 9 that Santa Barbara police and the Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol, Santa Barbara Police Officers and Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol responded to the area of Stearns Wharf and Cabrillo Boulevard for a report of a shooting that had just occurred.

Upon arrival, officers located a man suffering from a single gunshot wound. He was provided medical attention on scene and

transported by ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for treatment.

On Dec. 20, the shooting victim — Robert Dion Gutierrez, a 52-year-old Camarillo resident — was pronounced dead at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Mr. Gutierrez’s death was a direct result of the gunshot wound he sustained on Dec. 9. It appears Mr. Gutierrez was an innocent bystander when the shooting occurred, according to Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale, public information officer for the Santa Barbara Police Department.

Sgt. Ragsdale said Santa Barbara police detectives have been continually investigating

this homicide. He said their investigation led to the identification of multiple suspects connected to a local criminal street gang.

Sgt. Ragsdale said this case remains an ongoing investigation and that no other information is available at this time.

Anyone with information pertaining to this investigation is encouraged to call the Santa Barbara Police Department at 805-8828900 (24/7) or the Detective Bureau at 805-8972343.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

Legendary singer and guitarist David Crosby dies at age 81

BY DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

David Crosby — the Santa Ynez rocker who was a founding member of the iconic trio Crosby, Stills and Nash — has died.

The singer and guitarist passed away on Wednesday, and his death was announced Thursday by Patricia Dance, the sister of Jan Dance, Mr. Crosby’s wife.

Mr. Crosby was 81.

In addition to founding Crosby, Stills and Nash (as well as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young), Mr. Crosby was a founding member of the Byrds.

He was also inducted — twice, actually — into the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame.

Mr. Crosby was a folk rock singer and guitarist who could combine compelling energy with a sense of gentleness. Listeners found he could turn the essence of music into timeless poetry as a rocker with a heart.

Mr. Crosby performed at Santa Barbara venues such as SOhO Music Club and Restaurant in Santa Barbara and the Lobero Theatre, where he was scheduled to perform Feb. 22 during the theater’s 150th anniversary celebration. After the news of Mr. Crosby’s death, the Lobero canceled the concert.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of legendary Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Famer David Crosby,” the Lobero said in a statement for the News-Press. “He was a true friend to the Lobero, and our hearts go out to his family, fans and loved ones during this difficult time.”

Mr. Crosby was born Aug. 14, 1941, in Los Angeles.

Entertainment was in his blood. His father was Oscar-winning cinematographer Floyd Crosby.

Mr. Crosby, who graduated from Cate School in Carpinteria and briefly attended Santa Barbara City College, inherited his father’s love for entertaining people and pursued a career in folk music with Les Baxter Balladeers.

In 1964, Mr. Crosby formed a band, the Jet Set, with Jim McGuinn and Gene Clark. After the band added bassist Chris Hillman (who has lived in recent decades in Ventura) and drummer Michael Clarke, it became the Byrds.

Mr. Crosby left the Byrds in 1967, produced Joni Mitchell’s 1968 debut album and played with Stephen Stills, a singer and guitarist who had been with Buffalo Springfield. Graham Nash, who was with the Hollies, joined the two of them.

The folk rock trio’s powerful harmonies came to define Crosby, Stills and Nash, known for songs such as “Teach Your Children,” “Woodstock,” “Almost Cut My Hair” and “Wooden Ships.” They had a rare kind of magic together. More about David Crosby will appear later in the News-Press.

email: dmason@newspress.com

City

Lompoc 61/33/s 63/34/s

Pismo Beach 60/34/s 61/38/s

Santa Ynez 59/29/s 62/33/s

Born to Isabelle and William Crawford she spent her early childhood in Sausalito, California

Depression. She remembered how the chilling wind and fog would roll in on the San Francisco Bay and how she warmed herself around the woodburning stove. She witnessed the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and walked across it the day it opened in 1937. Soon after, the family moved back to Oregon where most of her relatives lived. She vividly remembered her 14th birthday when Pearl Harbor was attacked and changed the course of many lives.

Jo Ann loved to dance. In high school she said the kids would even dance to the swing music of the big bands in the cafeteria during lunch. Her favorite subject was art, which turned out to be a lifetime passion and hobby.

When she was 20 years old she went on a date with Navy veteran Richard Horton and he was smitten. He asked her to marry him on their second date and she became Mrs. Richard Horton in 1948.

They settled in Santa Barbara and raised their four children. The family pastime became horseback riding. And JoAnn joined in, learning how to ride with the kids. A lot of time was spent horse camping, going on trail rides, going to horseshows and being involved in the Montecito YMCA. Tragically, Richard passed away at the age of fortyeight. Jo Ann raised the children on her own, but was very grateful for all the loving support of her friends and the community.

Jo Ann had many passions: cooking, fashion, art, bridge, and crossword puzzles. She did crosswords until her time of death - she amazed her children with her ability to answer obscure questions even after losing her memory!

She was the rock of the family, always hosting the holiday dinners and family get togethers. She will be dearly missed by her children, grandchildren and friends.

Jo Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Horton and second husband, Bob Strahorn, her sister, Nan and her son, David. She is survived by her children, Ann, Richard, and Tom and her grandchildren, David, Sam, Loren, and Serena. The family is having a private memorial.

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

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Paso Robles 55/28/s 58/30/s Sacramento 55/31/s 55/32/s

San Diego 62/42/s 64/43/s

San Francisco 58/42/s 59/44/s

San Jose 56/34/s 57/38/s

San Luis Obispo 60/33/s 64/38/s

Santa Monica 60/41/s 65/40/s

Tahoe Valley 31/9/s 40/19/pc

22/14/c 27/16/s

57/51/c 56/45/t

Miami 83/68/c 80/71/pc

Minneapolis 26/18/c 28/15/c

New York City 47/36/c 43/35/pc

Philadelphia 50/35/c 44/32/pc

Phoenix 58/37/pc 59/37/s

Portland, Ore. 48/32/pc 44/37/sh

St. Louis 41/27/s 44/34/pc

Salt Lake City 35/20/sf 34/17/c

Seattle 47/36/c 45/38/r

Washington, D.C. 53/35/pc 47/34/s

Beijing 32/9/pc 37/15/pc Berlin 37/27/c 38/33/c Cairo 72/51/s 70/50/s

Cancun 83/72/sh 82/73/pc London 44/30/pc 43/28/c

Mexico City 79/45/pc 76/43/s

Montreal 30/12/sn 26/17/c

New Delhi 69/48/pc 67/50/pc Paris 42/34/pc 39/28/pc

Rio de Janeiro 84/73/t 85/75/t Rome 48/40/pc 47/35/c

Sydney 73/65/r 75/67/pc Tokyo 52/39/s 47/35/c

HORTON STRAHORN, Jo Ann Jo Ann Horton Strahorn, loving mother and grandmother, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, November 5th. She was 94 years old.

during the

GLENN FRANCIS / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS David Crosby

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

The trailers don’t come close to doing justice to “A Man Called Otto.”

At first glance, you might think this is simply a comedy about a curmudgeon, but “A Man Called Otto” is more than that. The heart of the movie is that every person needs others in their life.

And the message is as you accept kindness from others, you can’t help but give it back in return.

“A Man Called Otto” also deals honestly with one man’s pain with losing his wife, his anchor through the best and worst of times. And that’s what turns this man, Otto, played brilliantly by Tom Hanks, into a grumpy, unfriendly guy.

Otto’s wife, a schoolteacher who inspired others and inspired Otto as well, died from cancer. Otto is uncertain he has any reason to live. So he doesn’t feel especially cheerful when his new neighbor, Marisol (Mariana Trevino), knocks on his door and insists that she and her husband and daughters be part of Otto’s life. Otto needs them. They need Otto. And because of Marisol’s sheer tenacity and despite Otto’s initial resistance, a friendship begins.

Ms. Trevino is brilliant in playing the

Life theArts

More than a grumpy guy

CALENDAR

And

accomplishes that with honesty, a sincere smile and humor.

The acting is complemented by director Marc Forster’s approach of simply letting the story evolve naturally and at just the right pace. Likewise, David Magee has produced a funny and poignant screenplay based on the novel “A Man Called Ove” by

“A Man Called Otto” will make you laugh. Mr. Hanks, Ms. Keller and Ms. Trevino all have great timing. But more than that, Mr. Hanks takes this grumpy guy and makes you root for him, makes you care for him.

Bring tissue; you will need it.

email: dmason@newspress.com

FYI

“A Man Called Otto” is rated PG-13 and has a running time of two hours and six minutes.

The drama/comedy is playing at Paseo Nuevo Cinemas in Santa Barbara and Fairview Theatre, 225 N. Fairview Ave., Goleta. See metrotheatres. com for times.

The film, which stars Tom Hanks as the title character, is also screening at Regal Edwards Santa Maria, 100 Town Center East, Santa Maria. See regmovies.com.

And “A Man Called Otto” is playing at Movies Lompoc, 227 W. Barton Ave., Lompoc. See www. playingtoday.com for the times.

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@ newspress.com.

TODAY 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Entangled: Responding to Environmental Crisis,” runs through March 25 at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. The museum is open from 10 a.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. It’s closed on Sundays and college holidays. For more information, call 805-565-6162 or visit westmont.edu/museum. 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. 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 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.

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 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

COURTESY PHOTO

Nick Hornby will discuss his book, “Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius,” with fellow writer Jessica Anya Blau Jan. 31 at Chaucer’s Books, 3321 State St. in Loreto Plaza, Santa Barbara.

dynamic, friendly Marisol, who contrasts well with Mr. Hanks’ Otto.

Mr. Hanks’ 27-year-old son Truman does a great job of playing Otto at a younger age in flashbacks, showing how Otto met his wife, Sonya. Truman

Hanks is able to make his version Otto similar to his father’s version yet different in terms of maturity. You can see how young Otto became the older Otto and the positive impact Sonya had on Otto. The actress playing Sonya, Rachel Keller,

Frederik Bachman.

Tom Hanks will make you laugh and cry as he plays a curmudgeon with a heart

Director Marc Forster works with Tom Hanks on “A Man Called Otto.”

PHOTOS BY NIKO TAVERNISE/SONY PICTURES

Otto (Tom Hanks) reluctantly becomes friends with a cat in “A Man Called Otto.”

DENNIS MONG/SONY PICTURES

At left, Otto (Tom Hanks) meets his neighbor Marisol (Maria Trevino) in “A Man Called Otto.” At right, Jimmy (Cameron Britton) jogs by Otto (Tom Hanks).

NEWS-PRESS

Nir Kabaretti is ready to take you on a musical journey.

There’s no doubt about that as the Santa Barbara Symphony’s music and artistic director leads the orchestra in a work that resulted from Antonin Dvorak’s journey from what’s now the Czech Republic, his homeland, to the U.S. The symphony will play the work for which Dvorak is arguably the most famous — Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”) — during its “Plains, Train and Violins” concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at The Granada, 1214 State St.

The symphony will also perform former Ojai composer 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 musical propulsion will also include Peter Bernstein’s arrangement of his father Elmer Bernstein’s “Toccata for Toys Trains.”

It’s a variety of musical journeys that date back as far as Dvorak (1841-1904).

“Dvorak wrote the ‘New World Symphony’ when America was the New World,” Maestro Kabaretti told the News-Press.

“When you hear the second movement, which is the most iconic, you feel the landscape of America,” he said.

Maestro Kabaretti noted Dvorak incorporated elements in his first movement that he heard

COURTESY SANTA BARBARA SYMPHONY NIK BLASKOVICH PHOTO

from Native Americans.

“For Americans, it’s American music, but for Czech people, there’s a lot of Czech music there,” Maestro Kabaretti said about “The New World Symphony.” “It’s a mix of the old world (the Czech Republic) and the New World (‘America’).”

FYI

The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform its “Plains, Trains & Violins” concert at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21 and 3

Jan. 22 at The Granada, 1214 State St. Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

is looking forward to conducting another kind of journey: Mr. del Aguila’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra —“The Journey of a Lifetime (El viaje de una vida).”

parts, it sounds like you’re in a nightclub in Buenos Aires. Other parts will give you the feeling that you’re in Hollywood.”

Listeners will also get a sense of being in Uruguay, where Mr. del Aguilra was born, Maestro Kabaretti said. (Today the former Ojai composer lives in Seattle.)

As previously noted, “The Journey of a Lifetime” will feature Mr. Figueroa as the violin soloist.

Symphony names Amy Tatum as principal flutist

musicians in the Santa Barbara Symphony are colleagues that I have deeply respected for many years” Ms. Tatum. Said in a news release. “There is a shared respect between Maestro Kabaretti and the members of the orchestra which allows me to express myself artistically with confidence.

“And there is a sense of family among this group that is rare and just lovely to be part of,” she said. “I already feel warmly welcomed and supported by my colleagues.”

COURTESY PHOTO

Maestro Kabaretti noted Dvorak’s symphony inspired American composers to use the sounds of their country in the music. Examples include Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Springs” and “Rodeo.”

In addition to “The New World Symphony,” Maestro Kabaretti

“This piece is really beautiful,” said Maestro Kabaretti, who met Mr. del Aguila in Vienna. “It’s a very rich piece that people would love.”

And the conductor emphasized that Mr. del Aguila’s music is truly a journey.

He said some parts of the music will remind people of European nations such as Spain. “In some

“Guillermo is a very strong musician who plays solos and leads orchestra,” Maestro Kabaretti said. “This is a gentleman who knows the business in and out. He’s always a well-known music educator and teaches at the University of Florida.”

email: dmason@newspress.com

Train exhibit on display during concerts

p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara.

David Halbeisen from the Coast Toy Train Club will set up the exhibit in The Granada Theatre Founders Room to go with the Santa Barbara Symphony concert, set for 7:30

The exhibit will be an 8 foot by 8 foot displnay with newer Lionel toy trains, which include digital remote control and digital sound system; model buildings dating from 1924-1960; model trees from the same era as the buildings and some even older; amd model

Joyce DiDonato

Tue,

people. These are called dimestore figures because they date back to the days when retailers like Kresge and Woolworths were where one purchased such items.

These dime-store people date from the mid-1930s to the mid1960s.

The exhibit will be set up as two O-gauge setup. Due to the age of the trains and accessories,

Mr. Halbeisen’s collection is expensive and is worth many thousands of dollars, according to a symphony news release.

Lionel Trains stopped manufacturing in 1969.

Model Products Corp. began manufacturing toy trains in its stead in 1970.

— Dave Mason

SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Symphony has announced its new principal flutist: Amy Tatum.

Ms. Tatum will join the orchestra for its concert this Friday and Saturday at The Granada.

“There are so many things that I love about playing in this orchestra! The world-class

Ms. Tatum is a cross-genre flutist who serves as a performer and educator in the Los Angeles music community. As a recording artist, her playing can be heard on hundreds of soundtracks for film (most recently on the blockbuster “Avatar: The Way of Water”), television, video games and popular music. Regarding it as one of her generation’s most powerfully innovative creative media, Ms. Tatum highly values the music of video games.

She is the principal flutist on Riot Games’ League of Legends and is a featured soloist on the newly released soundtrack.

Ms. Tatum believes that arts education should be available to all who seek to make their voices heard. She shares this zeal with her students at Los Angeles City College, Mt. St. Mary’s and her private studio.

— Caleb Beeghly

COURTESY PHOTO

Co-presented with Jewish Federation

of Greater Santa Barbara

“Gleeson and Farrell’s individual careers have been exemplary and their collaboration in two McDonagh films show us two actors perfectly in sync — in both pathos and humor. They’re a joy to behold and quite a treat for us to get to celebrate them together,” SBIFF’s Executive

CALENDAR Continued from Page B1

Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour

Christian Sands, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Lakecia Benjamin,Yasushi Nakamura, Clarence Penn

Sun, Jan 29 / 7 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

Celebrating 65 Years, the illustrious Monterey Jazz Festival sends six of its finest jazz ambassadors – including Grammywinning vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater and Kurt Elling – to Santa Barbara as part of its popular touring program.

7:30 p.m. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra will perform at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The ensemble will perform Beethoven’s “Coriolan” Overture and Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Opus 93; Anatoly Lyadov’s “The Enchanted Lake”; and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” The concert is being presented by the Community Arts Music Association of Santa Barbara. TIckets cost $36 to $156. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

JAN. 28

7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Chamber

Players orchestra will perform at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at the First United Methodist Church of Santa Barbara, 305 E. Anapamu St. Tickets cost $16. To purchase, go to

Director Roger Durling noted. Winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in 2009 for the film “In Bruges” (Motion Picture) and in 2023 for “The Banshees of Inisherin” (Musical/ Comedy), Mr. Farrell is no stranger to awards. And neither is Mr. Gleeson, a former teacher, whose award studded career includes a BIFA Award for Best Supporting Actor in the film Suffragette.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place Feb. 8-18. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, will be held throughout the city, including the historic Arlington Theatre. Passes and tickets for the 2023 Festival are on sale now at sbiff.org.

— Caleb Beeghly

sbchamberplayers.org.

JAN. 31 6 p.m. Nick Hornby will discuss his book, “Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius,” with fellow writer Jessica Anya Blau at Chaucer’s Books, 3321 State St. in Loreto Plaza, Santa Barbara. Mr. Hornby will also sign copies of his book. For more information, call Chaucer’s at 805-682-6787 or go to www. chaucersbooks.com.

FEB. 1 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Coast artist and London native Annie Hoffman’s exhibit “Seeing Ourselves in Colour” will be displayed through Feb. 28 at Gallery Los Olivos, 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. For more information, visit anniehoffmann. com.

— Dave Mason

Kurt Elling

Dee Dee Bridgewater

p.m.

Santa Barbara Symphony to perform ‘Plains, Trains and Violins’ concert

At left, Guillermo Figueroa will be the violin soloist when the Santa Barbara Symphony performs Miguel del Aguila’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, “The Journey of a Lifetime (El viaje de una vida)” this weekend. At right, Nir Kabaretti, music and artistic director of the Santa Barbara Symphony, will lead the orchestra on a variety of musical journeys this weekend at The Granada.

SANTA BARBARA — This weekend’s “Plains, Trains and Violins” concerts will be accompanied by — what else?— an antique train exhibit.

Amy Tatum is the new principal flutist with the Santa Barbara Symphony.

SANTA BARBARA — The 38th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival will honor Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson Feb. 16 with the Cinema Vanguard Award.

The award recognizes those who have forged their own path through artistic risks while still making a significant contribution to film. The event will be an inperson conversation about their careers where they speak on their performances including Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin.”

SBIFF Cinema Vanguard Award honorees announced

Colin Farrell, left, and Brendan Gleeson have been named recipients of the Cinema Vanguard Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Thought for Today

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com Friday, January 20, 2023

ARIES — Money matters may need your attention today, Aries, and you probably aren’t in the right space to think along those lines. Your mind is on different things, probably on your projects. Nonetheless, if you don’t at least make the attempt, you will worry about it all day. Give it your best and ask for help if you have to.

TAURUS — Taurus, you tend to be a master psychologist. You don’t need to know people well in order to accurately size them up. But today this ability could be temporarily lacking. You don’t sense much from those you meet, and when you do intuit their thoughts and feelings, what you pick up isn’t likely to be very accurate.

GEMINI — You usually tend to be outgoing, Gemini, and you love talking to others. However, today you may feel far more reticent than usual, more inclined to listen than speak. There may not seem to be any real reason for this. It isn’t as if you’re depressed or worried. Don’t worry about it.

CANCER — Today you might wonder what’s bothering a friend, Cancer. This person may seem depressed and worried but not inclined to share the worries with you. All signs are that these are probably money problems, which he or she wants to keep private. Let your friend know you’re there if needed, then concentrate on your own concerns.

LEO — Today you might be temporarily catapulted into the public eye when you’d rather be alone, Leo. Perhaps a premonition you once expressed has actually come to pass and others want to discuss it. Maybe you will be asked to repeat a story you once told. Your friends will probably want you to entertain them.

VIRGO — Spiritual or metaphysical concepts you hear about today may seem confusing and bothersome, Virgo. You might go off alone to try to make sense of them, but this isn’t the day to do that. You will probably only confuse yourself more. Think of this as a good day to collect information, not decide whether to accept any of it or not.

LIBRA — Today you might be constantly engaged in

deep, intense thought, Libra. There probably isn’t a specific matter that you’re concerned about, but you may find that a number of different fragments of information capture your attention and get your mind going. Don’t write this off as crazy behavior. Write down your thoughts. They may prove useful later.

SCORPIO — A friend or romantic partner may not be communicating with you the way they should, Scorpio. Something is bothering your sweetie, and he or she doesn’t want to discuss it. Even if you ask, the answers are likely to be evasive. Pushing won’t be appreciated. Perhaps it’s best to leave your friend alone to work it out.

SAGITTARIUS — The health of a friend or family member who lives far away may be a bit worrying today, Sagittarius. A lack of contact with this person doesn’t help matters. You’re usually the type to phone at the drop of a hat, but today you’re less inclined to do this. You shouldn’t make yourself crazy. If there’s someone else you can ask, do so. Otherwise, take the initiative and call.

CAPRICORN — Your intuitive abilities are flying high, Capricorn. Normally you’re sensitive, but today you might be picking up on the thoughts, feelings, needs, and desires of strangers who pass in the street. If you turn this ability to those around you, you’re likely to be able to use it to increase your understanding of them, and thus bring you closer together.

AQUARIUS — Some problems with the structure of your house may need attention, Aquarius. Perhaps the plumbing or electrical wiring isn’t operating at maximum efficiency. It probably isn’t a good idea to try to fix this yourself, but you might not be able to reach a professional today. You will want to get this done soon. Don’t be tempted to forget about it.

PISCES — A co-worker could call you today, Pisces, but you probably won’t be able to figure out what this person is trying to say. Your colleague’s mind is a bit muddled now, and he or she might not be able to explain the situation very well. Be patient. Sympathy and understanding are probably what’s called for.

SUDOKU

CODEWORD PUZZLE

By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

Friday, January 20, 2023

This week’s deals have treated a basic technique: setting up a suit. I believe that learning players need to spend most of their time studying play and defense, not bidding conventions.

Cover today’s East-West cards. Against four spades, West leads the K-A and jack of clubs. East discards a diamond, and you ruff and take the ace of trumps. East-West follow low. How do you continue?

If you cash the king of trumps, West discards. You can try to run the hearts, but when East turns up with J-10-9-6, you must lose a diamond plus a trump.

LONG HEART

You may need a dummy entry to set up and cash a long heart. Best is to lead a heart to dummy at Trick Five and return a trump. When East follows low, play your ten. When the ten wins, you are safe. But if West had the queen of trumps, you could win his heart return, take a third high heart for a diamond discard and ruff a heart, then reach dummy with the jack of trumps to pitch your last low diamond on the good fifth heart.

and he bids one spade. What do you say?

ANSWER: If partner is apt to open light hands, you are in a dilemma. But if his opening bids are reasonably sound, you can force to game. Since your best game is unclear, bid two clubs, a “fourth-suit” call that doesn’t promise great clubs but asks partner to bid on. If he bids two hearts or 2NT next, raise to game.

South dealer

Both sides vulnerable

one heart

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.

“A company is only as good as the people it keeps.”

— Mary Kay Ash

Debt ceiling sets up major battle in Congress

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen sent a letter to Congressional leaders Thursday notifying them that the agency has begun taking “extraordinary measures” as the federal government bumps up against its debt limit of just over $31 trillion.

That means Congress has until about June to raise the debt ceiling or potentially default on the U.S. debt obligations for the first time ever.

“First, I have determined that, by reason of the statutory debt limit, I will be unable to fully invest the portion of the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF) not immediately required to pay beneficiaries, and that a ‘debt issuance suspension period’ will begin on Thursday, January 19, 2023, and last through Monday, June 5, 2023,” the letter said.

“I respectfully urge Congress to act promptly to protect the full faith and credit of the United States,” she added.

The Congressional Budget Office recently released budget figures showing that the federal government borrowed $4 billion per day in 2022, which is more than $10,000 per household and an overall deficit of about $1.4 trillion. Pre-pandemic deficits were less than $1 trillion.

Lawmakers can raise the debt limit, but they were hardly able to agree on who should serve as Speaker of the House, raising serious questions about whether they can come together on this issue. Many want to use the opportunity to implement fiscal reforms.

“The debate over our debt ceiling is the perfect example of Washington elites refusing to prioritize your best interests,” said U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. “We can’t keep rubber-stamping reckless spending. I’m fighting every day to stop it.”

Republicans also blasted the Biden administration and the recent omnibus spending bill. The White House said earlier this week there will be no negotiations with Republicans on the debt limit.

“Just a few weeks ago, Joe Biden signed

a $1.7 trillion spending monstrosity,” said U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. “And now the White House says it will not negotiate with Republicans over the debt ceiling. They created the problem!”

Experts raised the alarm, arguing this need for yet another debt ceiling increase shows the current unsustainable trajectory of federal debt spending.

“America will hit the $31 trillion debt ceiling today,” said economic expert Stephen Moore. “That’s 120% of our GDP and $246,876 per taxpayer. How can anyone believe this is sustainable?”

Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, cautioned about the consequences of going too far with using the debt ceiling for political purposes.

“The debt ceiling is too important to turn into a game of chicken, and default should never be suggested by those with a fiduciary responsibility to govern the nation,” she said.

“Politicians who are rightly worried about the nation’s unsustainable borrowing path should take a hard stance against new borrowing and oppose legislation that would add to the debt while offering specific solutions to control the debt already on the books, rather than threatening not to pay the bills on borrowing that has already been incurred.”

Ms. MacGuineas also argued that the debt problem is only going to get worse.

“The debt ceiling does offer the opportunity for all lawmakers to pause, assess the fiscal situation of the nation, and take action as necessary. And it is necessary. The debt as a share of GDP is at near record levels,” she said. “We are on track to begin adding $2 trillion per year to the debt by the end of the decade. Interest payments are the fastest growing part of the budget and are projected to start costing $1 trillion annually in only a few years. The Social Security and Medicare Hospital Insurance trust funds are headed toward insolvency. And last year alone, Congress and the President passed bipartisan legislation that added nearly $2 trillion to the projected national debt. This is an urgent problem that is not getting the attention it needs.”

Eighteen state AGs voice support for New York gun-industry liability law

By BRUCE WALKER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – A coalition of 18 state attorneys general, all Democrats, on Wednesday submitted an amicus brief in support of New York’s firearms industry accountability law.

In the brief, the coalition led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul asserts the law’s legitimacy to protect residents’ public health, safety and welfare.

The law in question aims to hold the firearms industry legally liable for what the prosecutors label “irresponsible sale and marketing of firearms when that conduct results in harm to the public. Under the law, public officials or private citizens can file a lawsuit against a gun industry member when they knowingly or recklessly endanger the safety or health of the public in New York state through the unlawful or unreasonable sale, manufacturing, importing, or marketing of firearms. Gun industry members can also be held liable when they fail to use reasonable controls and procedures to prevent firearms from being unlawfully used or sold in New York state.”

New York became the first state in the nation to enact a gun accountability law in 2021. The law is facing court challenges, which contend it is unconstitutional and preempted by federal law. An initial lawsuit was dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. The attorneys general brief seeks to persuade an appellate court to uphold the lower court’s ruling.

New York became the first state in the nation to enact a gun accountability law in 2021. The law is facing court challenges, which contend it is unconstitutional and preempted by federal law.

“Although the amici States have taken different approaches when enacting measures designed to curb and remediate the effects of gun violence, they agree that public nuisance causes of action like the one created by § 898 – which addresses the gun industry members’ own misconduct – fall well within the States’ sovereign authority to protect their residents and to ‘provide tort remedies to their citizens as they see fit,’” Mr. Raoul wrote in the brief. In a statement on the Smith & Wesson website, CEO Mark Smith countered what he characterizes as anti-Second Amendment legislation, including the New York statute.

“It is no surprise that the cities suffering most from violent crime are the very same cities that have promoted irresponsible, soft-on-crime policies that often treat criminals as victims and victims as criminals,” Mr. Smith said. “Many of these same cities also maintain the strictest gun laws in the nation. But rather than confront the failure of their policies, certain politicians have sought more laws restricting the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, while simultaneously continuing to undermine our institutions of law and order. And to suppress the truth, some now seek to prohibit firearm manufacturers and supporters of the 2nd Amendment from advertising

products in a manner designed to remind law-abiding citizens that they have a Constitutional right to bear arms in defense of themselves and their families. To be clear, a Smith & Wesson firearm has never broken into a home; a Smith & Wesson firearm has never assaulted a woman out for a late-night run in the city; a Smith & Wesson firearm has never carjacked an unsuspecting driver stopped at a traffic light.”

Attorneys general signing the brief were from California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

“It’s time for gun manufacturers and dealers to be held accountable when they act irresponsibly, such as in failing to prevent the straw purchasing of guns or employing marketing strategies that target vulnerable youth,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement.

“The New York law is common-sense firearm legislation that imposes reasonable regulations to respond to the gun industry’s misconduct. I proudly stand with my colleagues in supporting New York’s desire to protect the public by enacting this new law.”

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT, FBN No: 20220003086 First Filing. The following person (s) are doing business as ARTEMISIA ACADEMY: 735 STATE ST, SUITE 428, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101 County of Santa Barbara. Full Name(s) of registrants: ARTEMISIA ACADEMY INC.: 735 STATE ST, SUITE 428, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101. This business is conducted by: A CORPORATION, STATE OF INC.: CA. This statement was filed in the office of JOSEPH E. HOLLAND, County ClerkRecorder of SANTA BARBARA COUNTY on 12/21/2022 by E30 Deputy. The registrant commenced to transact business on: Dec 18, 2022. Statement Expires on: Not Applicable.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT, FBN No: 20230000079 First Filing. The following person (s) are doing business as CRUSH BAR & TAP: 1129A STATE STREET, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101 County of Santa Barbara. Full Name(s) of registrants: ALMALIKA HOSPITALITY, LLC: 309 W. FIGUEROA STREET, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101. This business is conducted by: A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, STATE OF INC.: CA. ADDITIONAL BUSINESS NAMES: CRUSH BAR AND TAP. This statement was filed in the office of JOSEPH E. HOLLAND, County Clerk-Recorder of SANTA BARBARA COUNTY on 01/12/2023 by E30, Deputy. The registrant commenced to transact business on: Jan 01, 2023.

Email: classad@newspress.com or for additional information Call 805-963-4391

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: DANIEL MCKINLEY aka DAN MCKINLEY Case Number: 23PR00014 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: DANIEL MCKINLEY aka DAN MCKINLEY A Petition for Probate has been filed by LARRY MCKINLEY and SUSAN KRUGER in the SUPERIOR COURTOF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA.

The Petition for Probate requests that LARRY MCKINLEY and SUSAN KRUGER be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: 03/09/2023 at Time: 9:00 AM, in Dept.: 5, located at SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101; PO Box 21107, Santa Barbara, CA 93121-1107, Anacapa Division.

If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or(2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: JULIE KING, ESQ. and TRICIA L. MANNING, ESQ. Address: 2100 GARDEN ROAD,

G, MONTEREY, CA 93940 Phone: 831-275-1002 JAN 20, 27; FEB 03 / 2023--59020