Mermaids in Santa Barbara
Dia de los Muertos celebration
They’re coming to the maritime museum to celebrate a new exhibit - B1
Weeklong activities to begin Saturday at Ventura, Santa Paula museums - B4
Our 166th Year
75¢
F R I DAY, O C T O B E R 2 2 , 2 0 21
SB City Council candidates voice their visions for housing, economy
By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Santa Barbara City Council candidates voiced their vision for downtown in a candidate forum held by American Institute of Architects Santa Barbara Chapter and partners from the Downtown Organization of Santa Barbara, Coastal Housing Coalition and American Planning Association Central Coast Section. Brian Johnson, president of the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors, asked candidates about their plans for housing and
economic vitality. The first question addressed the obstacles facing workforce housing and possible solutions. Meagan Harmon, 6th District councilmember, said developers aren’t incentivized to build middleincome housing. They can receive subsidies currently if they build low-income housing. “I have proposed ... an equity investment fund, whereby the city can take a dedicated amount of money and provide the missing funding to make this middleincome housing pencil out,” she said. “And in that way, the city is
actually an equity partner, a true and full partner, in middle-income housing developments.” Challenger Nina Johnson disagreed with Ms. Harmon’s idea and suggested adaptive reuse of City-owned sites. “I think we already have a lot of sites; we don’t need to create another fund,” she said. “We can find those opportunities, promote energy on our city-owned sites now and enlist help from the private sector to get a proposal on what they need to create affordable rentals and home ownership opportunities,” she said.
Barrett Reed, a planning commissioner running in the 4th District, also favors adaptive reuse. He has publicized that strategy since he launched his campaign. “Instead of incentivizing new development in five stories and 60 feet, let’s make it possible to convert our largest vacant spaces to housing and mixed use — and our smallest spaces can’t do that either,” he said. All candidates mentioned a desire to streamline the permitting process, including 4th District councilmember Kristen Sneddon and 5th District councilmember
Eric Friedman (who is running unopposed). Both Ms. Sneddon and Mr. Friedman referenced a report on the Community Development Department by Novak Consulting Group. The $86,000 report outlined inefficiencies in the permitting process. The Novak report was routinely mentioned in AIA’s mayoral forum. “We have been working with our staff to follow up on 31 recommendations from that report. There are some we’ve already implemented process-wise and looking at, but there are some that
are more complex,” Mr. Friedman said. He said a new long-range planning oversight committee should improve the process. Another question asked the candidates how they’d use publicprivate partnerships to adapt Cityowned property for housing. Mr. Reed said the city’s economic development manager should be properly supported with resources. “I was a part of a small group who conducted the interviews for the development manager, and we Please see COUNCIL on A4
Westmont Orchestra back on stage tonight
Meghan Markle writes Congress Duchess of Sussex calls on officials to not ‘compromise or negotiate’ on paid family leave
Ensemble turns to Vivaldi for its first in-person concerts for a large audience since 2020
COURTESY PHOTO
Michael Shasberger will lead the Westmont College Orchestra when it resumes its in-person concerts tonight.
By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
JOE PUGLIESE/HARPO PRODUCTIONS
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, penned an open letter to Congress this week in support of paid family leave. She’s seen here answering questions from fellow Montecito resident Oprah Winfrey for a CBS special.
By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex and a Montecito resident, penned an open letter to Congress this week in support of paid family leave. “I’m not an elected official, and I’m not a politician. I am, like many, an engaged citizen and a parent,” the Los Angeles native and former TV actress wrote. “And because you and
your congressional colleagues have a role in shaping family outcomes for generations to come, that’s why I’m writing to you at this deeply important time — as a mom — to advocate for paid leave.” The letter, which was addressed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, details the struggles of working families during the last 20 months of the pandemic. Within
FOLLOW US ON
6
66833 00050
3
the text, Meghan noted that women have dropped out of the workforce “at an alarming rate” during the pandemic to stay home with kids when schools or daycares were closed. “The working mom or parent is facing the conflict of being present or being paid. The sacrifice of either comes at a great cost,” the duchess wrote. The letter comes as Democrats remain in the midst of negotiations for a sweeping
budget reconciliation package that aims to address many of President Joe Biden’s priorities, such as the climate crisis, health care and child care support. President Biden had originally asked legislators to approve 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, but several national news sources reported this week that the plan could be reduced to four weeks and only apply to families that earn less Please see MARKLE on A3
The Westmont College Orchestra is looking forward tonight to seeing something that has been missing since the start of the pandemic. A live audience. Last school year, the orchestra performed virtual programs, but it’s not the same, conductor Michael Shasberger told the News-Press. “It’s back to relating to people and feeling emotion from the audience and sharing it live,” Dr. Shasberger, the Adams chair of music and worship, said Thursday. The concert takes place at 7 tonight and 3 p.m. Sunday at Hahn Hall at the Music Academy of the West, 1070 Fairview Road, Montecito. It’s the 56-member orchestra’s first in-person concert before a large audience since February 2020. Dr. Shasberger said the ensemble played for about 30 people in May. “Hahn Hall seats around 300 people,” he said. “I’m hoping for a good turnout at the two performances.” Tonight and Sunday, the
orchestra will perform movements from Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons.” It will feature violin soloists Sophia Chan, Daniel Macy, Anasara Lysaker and Elizabeth Callahan and viola soloist Issac Siebelink. Each will perform one or two movements from “Autumn” or “Winter.” The orchestra will also play Franz Schubert’s “Unfinished Symphony,” Aaron Copland’s “Suite from The Tender Land” and the “English Folk Song Suite” by Vaughan Williams. Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” is an immensely popular piece, and Dr. Shasberger said the composer was ahead of his time in using music for storytelling. Vivaldi based the music on four sonnets, one for each season. Dr. Shasberger said he likes the descriptive power of “The Four Seasons,” which leads listeners to imagine everything from sliding on ice to warming up by the fire. “There’s such buoyancy in his music. It’s so alive. It’s so fresh,” the conductor said. “I think that’s a reflection of his musical personality and the culture he lived in, the vibrancy of Venice in that day.” Please see WESTMONT on A4
INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 2-12-30-38-46 Meganumber: 19
Thursday’s DAILY 4: 6-2-5-0
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 3-12-13-19-52 Meganumber: 1
Thursday’s FANTASY 5: 2-5-12-18-24
Thursday’s DAILY DERBY: 03-02-06 Time: 1:40.70
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 7-29-36-41-43 Meganumber: 5
Sudoku................... B3 Weather................. A4
Thursday’s DAILY 3: 5-0-8 / Wednesday’s Midday 9-4-9