Santa Barbara News-Press: January 23, 2023

Rose Pruning day

suspect in Ward incident Fire to appear in court

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

A Santa Barbara man charged with arson in connection with the Ward Incident Fire in November is scheduled to appear in Superior Court on Tuesday to set a date for his preliminary hearing.

Jose Martin Alvarez-Castro, 30, is charged with recklessly causing a fire of a structure or forest, a felony, on Nov. 2 for allegedly starting a fire that burned some brush near a bike path south of Ward Drive in Santa Barbara.

Mr. Alvarez-Castro also is charged with possessing methamphetamine and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges at his Nov. 4 arraignment.

The complaint filed against him also alleges aggravating factors in that his prior convictions as an adult or sustained petitions in juvenile delinquency proceedings “are numerous or of increasing seriousness;” that he was on probation, mandatory supervision, post-release community supervision or parole when the crime (of arson) was committed; and that his performance on probation, mandatory supervision, post-release community supervision or parole was “unsatisfactory.”

firefighters responded at 11:40 p.m. on Nov. 2 to a report of a fire in the brush area near the bike path between the south end of Ward Drive and More Ranch Road.

“When deputies arrived, a witness provided information about a possible suspect in the area,” sheriff’s officials said in a news release at the time.

While deputies warned residents in the surrounding area about the fire, additional deputies searched for the suspect who reportedly started the fire intentionally.

At about 11:57 p.m., deputies located and detained a person matching the suspect’s description provided by a witness on the bike path, sheriff’s officials said.

Mr. Alvarez-Castro was subsequently arrested on suspicion of arson, obstruction of a peace officer and possession of a controlled substance.

He was booked at the Main Jail and held on $20,000 bail.

As of Dec. 21, he remained in custody, and his bail had been increased to $115,000, according to sheriff’s office records.

Other sheriff’s deputies, meanwhile, remained on scene until county firefighters confirmed that the evacuation warning that was issued for the More Ranch Area had been lifted.

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

More than 100 volunteers participated in the annual Rose Pruning Day on Saturday after the event was postponed due to the storms that hit Santa Barbara County.

The event began at 9 a.m. Saturday at the A.C. Postel Memorial Rose Garden in front of the Santa Barbara Mission.

“It was a smashing success, considering all factors and the

Please see PRUNING on A4

FYi

To volunteer throughout the year with the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department, call 805-5645433 or email parksandrec@ santabarbaraca.gov.

For more information, go to sbparksandrec. santabarbaraca.gov/ activities/volunteeropportunities.

Volunteers

Sheriff’s deputies and county

email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

Carp Council to get update on storm cleanup

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Carpinteria City Council today will receive an update on the city’s cleanup efforts in the wake of January’s winter storms, and is expected to adopt a resolution extending the stormrelated emergency proclamation and the city’s emergency response.

But council members first are scheduled to meet in closed session at 4 p.m. to conduct a public employee performance evaluation of City Manager Dave Durflinger, which might no longer be necessary given his announcement last week that he intends to retire by the end of the year after 21 years at the city’s helm.

The council will meet in regular session at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers, 5775 Carpinteria Ave.

Until he leaves office, Mr. Durflinger remains very much on the job, and he will start off today’s council meeting with an update on the city’s January storm cleanup efforts.

Later, the council will be asked to adopt the resolution extending the storm-related emergency proclamation.

Council members also will be asked to direct city staff to return at least every 30 days for consideration of further extending the emergency

proclamation “until such time that the response and recovery conditions dictate otherwise,” staff said.

On January 7, city staff began discussions with Carpinteria Fire District Chief Greg Fish about the significant storm forecast for Jan. 9 and 10, expected to impact the region, including Carpinteria, with significant runoff and potential for debris flows and flooding due, in part, to prior saturating rain events earlier in the month.

A multi-departmental preparation and storm response was established including an allnight watch by Public Works at areas of concern including all drainage inlets and vulnerable locations. In addition to nearly 2 inches of rain that fell Jan. 1, and 1.5 inches that fell Jan. 5, more than 4 inches of rain fell on Jan. 9 and 10 at high rates of rainfall per hour.

The rain caused significant flows in creeks and rivers. In Carpinteria, Carpinteria Creek flowed at capacity, causing damage to the banks of the creek, inundating and damaging the Carpinteria Creek Bike Path, and destroying utility infrastructure on the Carpinteria Avenue bridge.

Widespread flooding in the region damaged roadways and other infrastructure and stranded motorists. Significant

Dan Merkel’s photographs on display at the Maritime Museum - B1

Volunteers donate time at garden by Santa Barbara Mission

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

Dan Bifano, foreground, of the Santa Barbara Rose Society demonstrates proper rose pruning techniques to a group of volunteers during the annual rose pruning event at the A.C. Postel Memorial Rose Garden — also known as the Mission Rose Garden — in Santa Barbara on Saturday.

partake in the annual rose pruning event.

A review of the news, from California to Washington, D.C.

less mature (such as Governor Gaslight or Pete Buttigieg, under whose purview the Department of Transportation has endured several major calamities, including the FAA’s outage last week that caused all flights nationwide to be grounded).

Judging by the email we received, our column reviewing the news of the week was so popular we’re doing an encore today.

• “America, would YOU Vote for a Man who has Trashed California? Wokery, poverty, blackouts, sky-high taxes… Gavin’s West Coast Dream Would be a National Nightmare.”

Homelessness in California is up 6.2%. Poverty is up 11.6%.

Deficit is $22 billion.

Nation’s longest COVID-19 lockdown was in California.

News Alert: Under Gavin Newsom, the Golden State has been devalued to copper.

If Governor Gaslight ever becomes President of the United States, there is no reason to believe he would not try to extend his Reparations Task Force recommendations beyond California and give a million dollars to each and every AfricanAmerican in all 50 states.

Speaking of which …

• “San Francisco Reparations Panel Pitches $5 Million—Each— to Black Residents.”

Not to be outdone by the Copper State in which it inhabits, screwy San Fran wants to elevate the amount it proposes to pay every African American from $1 million to $5 million — or more than three times that city’s annual budget. That comes as the City of Fog is projected to have a $728 million deficit over the next two years.

But that’s not all. The reparations committee also wishes to wipe clean any debt owed by black residents who can prove they’ve lived in Baghdad by the Bay for 13 years or longer.

The odd thing about this: California was not even a slave state!

And now back to…

• “Drug-addled Hunter Biden Lived at Delaware Home Where Classified Docs Were Kept.”

Special Counsel Robert Hur is investigating Joe Biden’s illegal possession of classified documents and will most certainly seek to question Hunter Biden, disgraced son of Joe, over his potential access to secrets while living (and smoking crack) at Biden’s Wilmington, Del., house, from which Hunter spearheaded the family’s influence peddling business.

Also…

• “Hunter Biden Had Access to Dad’s Corvette That Was Stored in Garage Where Classified Docs Were Found.”

An unearthed photo from July 2017 clearly shows Hunter behind the wheel of daddy Joe’s Corvette with a pair of unidentified passengers.

• “Third Batch of Documents Found at Biden’s Delaware Home.”

Ah, were these the docs Hunter brought in from the garage and haphazardly misplaced,same as he did with his incriminating laptop?

Again, we ask, where else did Hunter’s daddy stash highly classified material — and did any of those secrets make their way to China, which has been bankrolling the Biden Bunch through the University of Pennsylvania and a-sordid biz-niz deals? (More on this coming up.)

• “House Oversight Chairman Demands List of Names and Locations Linked to Biden Document Searches.”

Americans have a right to know what classified documents Biden illegally kept in his possession.

Congress along with the Special Counsel certainly have a right to know, given the corrupt business dealings of Biden’s son Hunter (extending to “The Big Guy” himself), if any of these secret docs link to countries (i.e., China and Ukraine) in which they were doing their dirty biz.

Even Rep. Adam Schiff, DBurbank, ex-chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, says…

• “’Biden May Have Jeopardized National Security with Document Stash…’”

That bolsters the argument that Dems would like to see Joe removed as their candidate and open the door to someone

“I’d like to know what these documents were,” says Rep. Schiff. “I’d like to know what the (intelligence community’s) assessment is, whether there was any risk of exposure and what the harm would be and whether any mitigation needs to be done.”

(He is actually starting to sound somewhat intelligent.)

And it’s not just Shifty piling on, but other …

• “Democrats Lash Out Over Biden Classified Document Scandal: ‘An Embarrassment.’ ”

In this story, Rep. John Garamendi, R-Calif., claims to know precisely what President Biden uttered when told about the first batch of secret documents unearthed at the Penn-Biden Center.

“Oh ****!”

This response suggests President Biden was thinking of himself and his political future (which no longer exists) as opposed to any concern about what he may have compromised, which means the old Capital Beltway adage applies: Do as you do, but don’t get caught.

The other swampy gambit is, Who can we blame this on? As in, round up the usual suspects. Because it’s scapegoat time!

Which brings us to…

• “Former Biden Assistant Questioned by Law Enforcement over Classified DocsRepeatedly Appeared in Hunter’s Emails.”

Meet Kathy Chung, executive assistant to Mr. Biden when he was vice president. Ms. Chung was recommended to President Biden by none other than his son Hunter!

Kathy is allegedly the person who packed up Joe Biden’s belongings. She is currently director of protocol at the Pentagon, working directly for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

According to emails (courtesy of Hunter’s laptop) Kathy and Hunter go way back, which, to our thinking, potentially ties Hunter (again) to the classified docs kept illegally by daddy Biden in his garage (and elsewhere in his house).

Meanwhile …

• “Biden Smirks and Laughs at Reporters While Again Refusing to Answer Questions on Classified Files.”

This evokes a memory of John Mills’ portrayal of a village idiot in the 1970 movie “Ryan’s Daughter,” along with this gem from John Heywood’s 1546 anthology of proverbs: “There’s no fool like an old fool.”

But President Biden may not be smirking and smiling when he learns that House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Kentucky, has targeted the Penn-Biden Center for his investigation, demanding to know from it the names of Chinese donors to Mr. Biden’s program (which paid Biden $776,527 annually for appearing once a year) along with everyone who had access to the office where classified documents were illegally kept.

Explains Rep. Comer in his letter to UPenn President M. Elizabeth McGill: “The Committee has learned UPenn received tens of millions of dollars from anonymous Chinese sources when then-former VP Biden was announced as leading the PennBiden Center initiative.”

It was all one big happy family.

After becoming president, Mr. Biden appointed Amy Guttman, UPenn then-president who brought Mr. Biden to the university, as U.S. ambassador to Germany. President Biden also named then-UPenn Board of Trustees Chairman David Cohen as the ambassador to Canada.

And the managing director of Biden’s UPenn program?

That would be Anthony Blinken, now secretary of state.

Something for everyone! (Including subpoenas.)

At a very minimum, China enjoyed a front-row window into (and access to) what would soon become Joe Biden’s foreign policy establishment.

• “What Democrats Got Wrong About the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.”

Mindless miscreant Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, has vocally opposed this act, which would prevent babies who survive abortion from being murdered.

People (especially politicians and doctors) who advocate snuffing out human souls that

valiantly survived the abortion procedure (with a clear will to live) are nothing less than sick in the head. Not sure they will rot in hell, but they may be destined to be reborn again and again until they learn from their mistakes and, as such, may fall victim to abortion themselves — irony garnished with poetic justice.

• “Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Linked to Strokes ‘But Officials Have no Concerns at This Time.”

Yeah, right. Officials never had any concern other than concern about towing the Big Pharma/CDC (entwined) line and pushing hard to shoot an experimental vaccine (without manufacturer liability) and numerous boosters into the arms of everyone everywhere.

Truth is (and they cannot keep it contained because truth is already seeping out and will ultimately prevail), COVID vaccines are seriously flawed and have led many people to an early demise.

Was Lisa Marie Presley yet another vaccine victim? Of course, her doctors will never say when she took her last booster, but we’d bet and offer good odds that she was recently injected. Same with Bob Saget and Montecito filmmaker Ivan Reitman and James Caan and countless others.

Yes, people die all the time; we all will one day. But what’s been going on since 2021 is not normal.

COVID was always (still is) about corporate greed and government control at the expense of everyone.

Tragically, the sheeple of the world united without hesitation, without questioning authority. And now too many of them have paid and will continue to pay the ultimate price.

• “Billionaires Want ‘Unvaccinated Pilots’ for Private Jets.”

Apparently, billionaire owners of private planes do not want their pilots suffering heart attacks or strokes while flying them to Davos.

Which brings us to…

• “Eco Group Slams Davos as Global Elites Arrive in Private Jets to Talk Climate Policy.” Well, well, well. The irony.

Greenpeace campaigner Klara Maria Schenk elaborates: “The rich and powerful flock to Davos in ultra-polluting, socially inequitable private jets to discuss climate and inequality behind closed doors.”

According to a Greenpeace study, 1,040 private jets landed near Davos during the week of the World Economic Summit, half of which were estimated to be conference participants unloading 7,400 metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere.

Compare that to the annual carbon footprint of one person (four tons), and you’ve got arrogance and hypocrisy through the roof and into the stratosphere (literally).

For perspective, here is an earlier news item (from last July) about our so-called “Climate Czar”:

• “John Kerry’s Family Private Jet Emitted Over 300 Metric Tons of Carbon Since Biden Took Office”

The jet: A Gulfstream GIV-SP.

The logistics: 48 trips, more than 60 hours and 715,886 pounds of carbon emitted into the air.

Explained Joe Biden in a tweet when he chose Mr. Kerry to be his climate envoy: “We will soon have a government that treats the climate crisis as the urgent national security threat it is.”

Chuckle, oink, barf.

• “The Worry in Davos: Globalization is Under Siege.”

Their stratagem is ultimately about the Strategy of Indebtedness: If everyone but the elites are in debt (mortgage, car financing, credit card), existence translates to living in servitude to their corporate masters, a 21stcentury version of slavery as the middle class grows ever smaller until it devolves into a great divide

between masters and serfs.

I’ve been following globalist activities since 1975 when I came across their earliest incarnation, the Bilderberg Group, which was supposed to be “secret,” though they prefer the word “private.” (Same deal, just semantics.)

The underlying globalist mission is to bamboozle the newer generations into believing that they have their best interests at heart.

Trust us, they do not. They are driven by power and greed, and they are growing their own interests from the seeds they plant into the brains of impressionist, idealistic adolescents.

And now, it transpires, these globalists are upset that their beloved global order (that would be the New World Order once denied and attributed to the imagination of “conspiracy theorists”) has been frayed by conflict and protectionism — what World Economic Forum chairman Klaus Schwab calls a “polycrisis” that requires “reglobalization.” (Critics of WEF call it The Tower of Babel, but perhaps their nickname should be ‘Tower of Babble.’ Klausie want a cracker?)

Representing the United States at WEF is the hypocritical “climate czar” John Kerry, which should tell you all you need to know about elites versus serfs: The former fly in private jets that dispense the dangerous carbon emissions they preach should not be dispensed, and the latter are told to leave their cars at home and take a bus to work.

Of course, Mr. Kerry’s personal comfort is always foremost on his mind. Which is why he began his speech by thanking the WEF for providing him the “best room I’ve had here (Geneva]) in 35 years.” (You can’t make this stuff up!) • “A Q & A with Klaus Schwab…”

In which Klausie acknowledges that COVID lockdowns caused a “mental health crisis.”

Might he be referring to Mad Vlad Putin, who while cowardly isolating developed a Hitler complex? Or perhaps Joe Biden, who demonstrated his own great courage (not!) by locking himself down in a basement for much of his presidential campaign and now appears to flirt with dementia?

Klausie’s point: Conflict (such as icing out Russians due to their brutal invasion of Ukraine) is good for Raytheon and other arms manufacturers. But it’s bad for globalization.

However, Klausie remained optimistic enough in his opening address to demand that his disciples “master the future.”

And don’t forget what he means by this: THEY are the privileged masters, and YOU are the lowly serfs.

George Santayana is remembered for saying, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” amended by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. in his novel “Bluebeard” to “We’re doomed to repeat the past no matter what. That’s what it is to be alive.”

Mr. Schwab and those of his ilk should consider that we are not all sheeple (yet). We are alive — and mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. He would do well to remember the French and Bolshevik Revolutions.

And maybe he does, because… • “Klaus Schwab Has Followed George Soros in Suddenly Pulling Out of Davos Summit at Last Minute.”

Mr. Schwab’s excuse is a “health complaint.”

Mr. Soros’s excuse is an “unexpected scheduling conflict.”

Hmm. So much for babble about “reglobalization” due to a “polycrisis.”

Robert Eringer is a longtime Montecito author with vast experience in investigative journalism. He welcomes questions or comments at reringer@gmail.

the Santa Barbara News-Press, P.O. Box 1359, Santa Barbara, CA 93102. Published daily.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and President Joe Biden

ROBERT ERINGER

UCSB men’s basketball defeats Cal State Bakersfield

By KRISTEN KELLER UCSB SPORTS

The UCSB men’s basketball team (16-3, 71 Big West) were back in The Thunderdome to take on the Roadrunners of Cal State Bakersfield for the second time in as many weeks. Even with playing five games in 11 days, the Gauchos closed this long stretch out with another win, taking down the Roadrunners 7658.

“I thought our guys really competed well tonight,” UCSB Coach Joe Pasternack said. “In the first eight minutes, I thought our guys didn’t play very well, but after that, I was really happy with it. I was happy with our rebounding and proud of Miles and Josh for their performances. I challenged them a lot in the last 24 hours and they showed up.”

HOW IT HAPPENED

Senior forward Miles Norris had a night, and it began from the moment the clock started. After winning the tip, he scored the first basket of the night to put the Gauchos on the board first. From there, it was a close battle between the two teams for the first eight

minutes as the Roadrunners scored their fair share of points. After the 12-minute media timeout, the Gauchos cleaned up their game. They took the lead from Cal State Bakersfield and ran with it for the remainder of the first half, giving them the advantage with a score of 39-24.

Norris was a huge force on both ends of the court in this half, earning nine points and six boards in these first 20 minutes. Cole Anderson also influenced the offense as he also tallied nine points.

Once both teams were back on the court, the Gauchos continued to build off their first half success. UCSB grew their lead, separating themselves from the Roadrunners by as much as 22 points. At the end of the game the Gauchos secured their seventh Big West win of the season, taking down the Roadrunners 7658.

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Norris had one of his best nights of the season as he rounded out the game with 24 points, making 10 of his 13 shots for a 76.9 field goal percentage. Not only that, but he led the team in rebounds with seven, three of which

were offensive rebounds.

• Anderson was the only other Gaucho to earn double-digit points against the Roadrunners. He ended tonight’s game with 11 points, going three-for-six beyond the arc. He also added two rebounds and a steal to the stat sheet.

• Josh Pierre-Louis’s well-rounded game pushed the Gauchos ahead. He totaled eight points and six boards against Cal State Bakersfield while leading the team in steals with three.

UP NEXT

The Gauchos will get a nice break in gorgeous Hawaii as they take on the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in Honolulu. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. local time. A live stream will be available through ESPN+ with live stats available at ucsbgauchos.com.

Kristen Keller is the associate athletic director for communications and digital strategy at UCSB.

email: sports@newspress.com

UCSB women’s basketball pulls off comeback victory over Roadrunners

By ERIC BOOSE UCSB SPORTS

Saturday’s women’s basketball game between UCSB (13-5, 6-2 Big West) and CSU Bakersfield (5-11, 2-6 Big West) was just as frantic as the teams’ first meeting this season, with the Gauchos erasing a seven-point fourth quarter deficit to knock off the Roadrunners, 56-52. Alexis Tucker led all scorers with 15, but it was Alyssa Marin’s eight fourthquarter points that led UCSB’s comeback.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Gauchos held a slim

lead after a back-and-forth first quarter, with senior Alexis Tucker scoring six of UCSB’s 10 points in the frame. Tucker led the Gauchos’ first-half scoring with eight, but it was the host Roadrunners who held the lead after the game’s first 20 minutes, 28-22.

Once again, the UCSB offense found its stride in the third quarter. The Gauchos put up 16 points in the frame, highlighted by Tucker and fellow senior Taylor Mole each hitting three-pointers toward the end of the quarter.

Down 45-38 to start the fourth, junior Alyssa Marin hit a three of her own early and added a layup to tie the game with just over five minutes left. Marin scored all

of her eight points in the game’s final frame, leading the 11-point run that flipped the score to the Gauchos’ favor for good.

BY THE NUMBERS

- Senior Ila Lane was solid once again for the Gauchos, grabbing a game-high eight rebounds to go along with 14 points on 5-8 shooting. Lane hit a crucial layup late to give UCSB a 53-50 lead with under a minute left

- Sophomore Callie Cooper was all over the court Saturday afternoon, recording a game-high four steals, a team-high six assists, four rebounds, and two points

- The Gauchos shot 45.8 percent from the field Saturday afternoon,

SPORTS ROUNDUP

UP NEXT

UCSB returns to the Thunderdome on Thursday to host the reigning Big West champions, Hawai’i. The Rainbow Wahine currently sit fifth in conference, but hold a 4-3 record against Big West opponents. The game will be live on ESPN+ with live stats available on ucsbgauchos.com. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eric Boose writes about sports for UCSB.

email: sports@newspress.com

SY boys soccer shuts out Dunn

The Santa Ynez High boys soccer team shut down Dunn School, winning the match 1-0.

The high-intensity game’s lone goal was scored with just 18 minutes remaining when Santa Ynez’ Aiden Tapia scored with an assist from Spencer Silverman.

Pirate defenders Alex Kobayashi and Rafael Beleski were the top aides to goalkeeper Ivan Guerrero’s shutout.

“We may have lost against Rigetti last night but we most definitely did not quit tonight,” said Guerrero. “We used last night’s loss as a motivation to beat Dunn School tonight. We showed we are physically and mentally

ready for the rest of the season”

DP boys basketball falls to Oxnard

The Dos Pueblos High boys basketball team lost a lopsided game to Oxnard on Sunday, falling by a score of 77-19.

The tone of the game was set in the first quarter, when Oxnard outscored Dos Pueblos 22-6. The next two periods saw similar point differentials, while the fourth saw Dos Pueblos outscored by a relatively tame 8-4.

“We had a very hard time today against their press,” said Dos Pueblos Coach Joe Zamora. “We had too many turnovers against the number one team in 2AA.

“We did a decent job against

their guards, but we really had no answer for the post opportunities they had,” he added.

The two teams will meet up again on Friday, with Dos Pueblos carrying a 7-15 overall record into the game.

DP boys wrestling does well in CIT tournament

The Dos Pueblos High boys wrestling team had a good showing at the CIT Morro Bay Individual Wrestling Tournament on Saturday, with a number of wrestlers turning in solid performances.

Dos Pueblos’ Cody Pearce managed a 5-2 record in the tournament, placing in the top

12

4-

“Cody, Sammy and Ryan all earned their placing by giving everything they had this weekend … All of us coaches at DP are proud of our wrestlers and look forward to building on this weekend’s success,” said Dos Pueblos Coach Jesse Plowman.

- Compiled by Matt Smolensky

MORE INSIDE

For more sports, see page B4.

their second most efficient game in Big West conference play this season

out of the 64 wrestlers in his weight class. Sammy Ramos and Ryan Crawford each managed a

2 tournament record and finished in the top 16 in their weight classes.

COURTESY PHOTO

The Santa Ynez High boys soccer team recently shut out Dunn School 1-0.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

New Local Assistance Center added in Santa Maria

Centers established to provide support to those recovering from January storms

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Another Local Assistance Center (LAC) has been added to the schedule. The most recent addition is in Santa Maria this afternoon.

In coordination with local, state and federal partners, the county of Santa Barbara is providing January 2023 storm recovery and assistance resources throughout the county.

These resources can be found online at https://www.readysbc.org/3683/January2023-Storm-Recovery. Resources in Spanish can be found at https://www.readysbc.org/ 3684/Recuperacin-de-la-tormenta-de-enero.

This online location of resources serves as a single point of access for essential resources

and services available for community members who are beginning the process of rebuilding and recovery following the storms’ impact.

Physical Local Assistance Centers first opened last week, with three days of service provided in Orcutt and Guadalupe from Jan. 14-16. The county will continue to set up LACs to support impacted communities.

Resources from various local, state and federal agencies are available through the LACs, aimed at providing answers to commonly asked questions and important information. At the LACs, community members can be linked to counseling and emotional support resources and other information to aid in rebuilding, permitting,

hazardous materials clean-up, housing assistance, loss of business or employment, basic health and human services and many other topics.

The Santa Maria Local Assistance Center will be open today from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Maramonte Hall, 620 Sunrise Drive in Santa Maria. Assistance will be provided in both English and Spanish.

For questions, please call the Call Center at 833-688-5551 or call 2-1-1.

To register to receive ReadySBC Alerts, go to https://awareandprepare.us and click on the red icon to register to receive emergency alerts via text, phone call and email.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

Rose Pruning Day a January tradition for almost 40 years

PRUNING

Continued from Page A1

postponement due to weather. We had over 100 volunteers. The majority of work is done, and the park is looking rather clean,” Max Thomas, maintenance crew leader for the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department, told the News-Press.

“Volunteers are vital to maintaining over 1,500 rose bushes,” said Ramiro Arroyo, parks supervisor. “Being able to do all this work in one day means we’re ready to mulch and feed the roses as soon as new growth starts in February. This promotes better growth, and we end up with an even better-

looking garden than the year before.”

Noted Mr. Thomas, “In the winter, most of the roses need to be cut back to propagate new growth and to help the plant develop. We had representatives from the Rose Society and Santa Barbara County Master Gardeners who helped volunteers with shears and gave instructions on pruning. Then volunteers would pick a bush and prune away. The parks department led the clean up of pruning.”

The Rose Pruning Day has been a January tradition for almost 40 years. Volunteers spent the morning at the A. C. Postel Memorial Rose Garden, which is part of the Mission

Historical Park, and pruned the approximately 1-acre garden in preparation for spring growth.

The annual event was canceled in both 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic and returned in 2022 with a record-breaking turnout of more than 100 volunteers.

“It was a communal atmosphere, with people out looking to learn, help, and have a good time. I would like to give a big shout out to the Parks Department, the Rose Society and the Santa Barbara County Master Gardeners,” Mr. Thomas told the News-Press Saturday as the pruning progressed.

“Everyone is out here helping; it’s a good atmosphere. Everyone is pretty happy. and the weather is beautiful. It is just a

little wet.

“It is a really special time. It’s a one of a kind park feature; the beautiful rose garden is a unique thing. It is open to everyone, and it’s right across from the historic mission,” Mr. Thomas said. “It is a real bonding place for the community, a beautiful sensory garden. It’s a beautiful thing everyone gets to share and an opportunity to learn and meet people.

“If you are interested in helping out, reach out to the parks department. We have opportunities to volunteer yearround. If you missed this year’s rose pruning, this happens every year.”

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

Emergency work required along creek bank, in flood control basins

CARP

Continued from Page A1

amounts of wood, rock and dirt material were washed out to creek mouths and along local beaches causing public health and safety hazards.

In preparation for possible flooding of residences in the Carpinteria Creek corridor, an evacuation order was issued for GranVida Senior Living and Memory Care, to all properties adjacent Carpinteria Creek between Foothill Road and Highway 101, the 800 block of Concha Loma, and those portions of 8th street condos (Singing Springs and Creekwind) closest to the creek.

About 100 people were evacuated temporarily to Casitas Plaza parking lot. The campgrounds nearby were closed from Rincon to Gaviota, including Carpinteria State Beach Park.

A declaration of emergency was approved by resolution at the online council meeting on Jan. 9. That same day, the Carpinteria City Emergency Operations Center and the Carpinteria Evacuation Emergency Shelter were activated and staffed by city employees and CERT volunteers through the end of the workday on Jan. 9.

Thirty individuals visited or used the services at the emergency shelter, which was supported with supplies from a prepositioned

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS OBITUARIES

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.

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

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City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W

Cuyama 52/29/s 60/28/s

Goleta 61/39/s 63/39/s

Lompoc 61/37/s 65/37/s

Pismo Beach 61/36/s 64/39/s

Santa Maria 60/35/s 62/35/s

Santa Ynez 59/33/s 65/33/s

Vandenberg 59/41/s 62/41/s

Ventura 58/45/s 62/44/s

Bakersfield

Red Cross trailer that is stored at the Public Works yard and had just recently been restocked.

Following the storm, emergency work was determined to be necessary at two locations in the Carpinteria area:

A portion of the creek bank at the end of 6th Street was severely eroded, compromising adjacent property and infrastructure of the Carpinteria Sanitary District and State Parks.

The state brought in large rocks in order to fortify an approximate 250-foot length of creek bank. This work occurred the week of Jan. 15.

In addition, three flood control basins located in the foothills above Carpinteria (Arroyo Paredon, Santa Monica and Gobernador Canyon) were filled with material and require clearing out in order to restore capacity sufficient to function adequately for future winter storms.

The material from these basins will be deposited at Carpinteria Beach via truck delivery to the Ash Avenue street end. This work began the week of Jan. 15 and there is currently no estimated end date.

During the emergency and throughout the response, there has been communication from the city, in coordination with the county, with the public both online and with notices to residents of possibly affected areas.

Santa Barbara County proclaimed a local emergency on Jan. 9. On Jan. 16, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an Executive Order to support

communities impacted by the winter storms.

President Joe Biden added Santa Barbara County to the federal disaster declaration on Jan. 17. All of this will assist response and recovery efforts to the storms.

According to staff, current conditions “warrant and necessitate that the city extend the proclamation of a local emergency in order to utilize all resources necessary to respond to damage that has occurred as a result of the January 2023 storms, and to receive any needed funding through the California Disaster Assistance Act and any other state and federal funds that may be available.”

The proclamation of a local emergency is a necessary precursor to taking certain actions necessary to respond to the emergency, such as promulgating orders and regulations necessary to provide for the protection of life and property. The proclamation also ensures that the city is eligible to receive certain available state and federal funding for disaster relief.

In other business, the council will hear the second reading of an ordinance amending provisions of the city’s Local Coastal Program and Zoning Code regarding Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU) regulations and amending the city’s Zoning Map to establish an ADU Beach Neighborhood District. email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com

Los

Mammoth Lakes 27/11/s 38/16/s

Modesto 55/32/s 58/31/s

Monterey 57/38/s 60/41/s

Napa 63/35/s 64/35/s

Oakland 63/39/s 61/38/s

Ojai 59/38/s 64/41/s

Oxnard 61/43/s 61/42/s

Palm Springs 64/45/s 71/48/s

Pasadena 62/40/s 64/43/s

Paso Robles 55/28/s 62/29/s

Sacramento 59/33/s 59/34/s

San Diego 63/41/s 64/43/s

San Francisco 62/44/s 62/43/s

San Jose 59/36/s 61/37/s

San Luis Obispo 61/33/s 65/36/s

Santa Monica 65/41/s 63/40/s

Tahoe Valley 33/16/s 40/22/pc

Atlanta 50/31/pc 55/45/pc

Boston 39/30/sn 41/30/pc

Chicago 36/30/c 38/31/c

Dallas 55/40/pc 42/33/r

Denver 26/13/sn 27/16/pc

Houston 60/46/s 60/38/t

Miami 84/69/c 80/72/c

Minneapolis 33/19/c 31/25/c

New York City 41/33/r 45/34/pc

Philadelphia 43/32/r 47/31/pc

Phoenix 52/36/s 59/37/s

Portland, Ore. 47/38/c 48/41/c

St. Louis 44/29/c 44/32/c

Salt Lake City 33/21/s 34/23/pc

Seattle 45/39/c 47/41/c

Washington, D.C. 48/33/sh 51/35/pc

5.1’ 6:31 p.m. -0.3’

Today Tue.

Beijing 31/2/sn 23/1/s

Berlin 38/31/c 37/27/c

Cairo 72/54/pc 72/52/pc

Cancun 84/75/sh 83/76/c London 40/29/c 42/29/pc

Mexico City 77/43/s 79/48/s

Montreal 33/25/c 35/7/sn

New Delhi 71/54/pc 70/56/pc

Paris 38/30/c 39/32/s

Rio de Janeiro 88/77/t 85/77/t

Rome 50/38/r 53/36/c

A row of early 20th-century era Ford Model A’s are parked at the First Presbyterian Church in Santa Barbara on Saturday, which hosted a meeting of the Model A Club of Santa Barbara with the Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society.

Model A club meeting

Managing Editor Dave Mason dmason@newspress.com

Life theArts

‘Lure of Lighthouses and Dancing Waves’

Museum

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Continuing its celebration of coastal living, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum presents “The Lure of Lighthouses and Dancing Waves,” an exhibit featuring more than 35 photographs of lighthouses and waves by Emmy Awardwinning surfing photographer and videographer Dan Merkel.

The lighthouse photographs include images of lighthouses from near and far — from Cape Elizabeth and Cape Hatteras on the East Coast to Point Loma and Point Pinos on the West Coast, as well as in Portugal and Australia.

They are accompanied by Mr. Merkel’s breath-taking photos capturing waves throughout the world.

Beginning Thursday, the exhibit will be on view through Aug. 27 in

the gallery and Munger Theater at SBMM, 113 Harbor Way.

Speaking of his work and how this exhibit came to be, SBMM curator Emily Falke said, “I first met Dan Merkel when he joined Shaun Tomson for an event at the museum and provided a few of his remarkable photos for sale. I was particularly interested in seeing his U.S. lighthouse photos as SBMM is the home of the Point Conception Lighthouse lens and has a comprehensive exhibit about the lens, lighthouses and lighthouse keepers.

“I looked at panoramic images of Dan’s lighthouses and was mesmerized by how moodprovoking the images are. Dan waits for the exact moment to shoot the photo. The lighting is spot on, and he is looking to evoke emotion of a ‘place’ in the world of lighthouses. He waits for just the right light and formation of clouds during predawn or sunset.”

805-962-8404 or visit sbmm.org.

Mr. Merkel began his career taking pictures of his friends. When he was hired to work for various surfing magazines in the early ‘70s, surfing was just being recognized as a sport with international competitions and professional surfers like Mr. Tomson.

An experienced surfer himself, Mr. Merkel was able to get in the middle of the action with his cameras, which gave his images more immediacy and energy. In order to do this, he designed much of his own waterproof housing that protected his equipment and allowed him to follow focus.

Beginning in the late 1970s and continuing through the 1990s, Mr. Merkel switched his focus to commercial cinematography and became an Emmy-winning filmmaker working on classic surfing films including “Free Ride,” “Big Wednesday,” “Endless Summer II” and many others.

According to Mr. Tomson, the 1977 World Surfing Champion whose recent book, “The Surfer and the Sage,” featured Mr. Merkel’s images: “Dan Merkel is one of the surfing world’s most acclaimed and courageous action photographers. Combining a unique eye for composition in exceptionally dangerous situations, Dan captured some of the most intense moments of his subjects’ lives, artistically freezing and sharing each in the maelstrom of one thousandth of a second increments.

“Dan reveled in capturing beauty in the impact zone, the most violent area in the ocean. Whether he is doing still photography, music videos, commercials or commercial films, Merkel brings the same level of perfectionism and ambition that has propelled him throughout his long career.”

Mr. Merkel licenses his images through AFrame Media and markets his prints online at www. photoprintingpros.com/collections/ dan-merkel-photography. Many of his images also appear on his Facebook page at www.facebook. com/danmerkelmedia/about.

Sponsors of “The Lure of

Lighthouses and Dancing Waves” exhibit are Frederic and Nancy Golden, the George H. and Olive J. Griffiths Charitable Foundation, Mimi Michaelis, the June G. Outhwaite Charitable Trust, Thomas and Charmaine Rogers, Shaun and Carla Tomson and the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation.

Following this exhibition, ”The Lure of Lighthouses and Dancing Waves” will become part of SBMM’s permanent collection and will be available on loan to other museums.

email: mmcmahon@newspress. com

CALENDAR

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. 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 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.

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. at the First United Methodist Church of Santa Barbara, 305 E. Anapamu St. Tickets cost $16. To purchase, go to 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 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.

FEB. 5

Free admission will be available on this day at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Ventura County, the Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum and the Santa Paula Museum. For more information, visit socalmuseums.org.

DAN MERKEL MEDIA

Award-winning photographer Dan Merkel is seen out in the fi eld with one of his cameras.

Dan Merkel photographs on view at Maritime

COURTESY PHOTO

When Dan Merkel was hired to work for various surfi ng magazines in the early ‘70s, surfi ng was just being recognized as a sport with international competitions.

SONDRA WEISS PHOTO

Dan Merkel is critically acclaimed for his surfi ng photos.

Anxiety and living a full life

the highway. The fear that these folks experience is very intense and unpleasant, and to avoid it, these people often live limited lives.

Do

whether a letter is getting to its destination or if

will receive a phone call or not? For someone with anxiety, these experiences are not infrequent.

The good news here is that, for the most part, anxiety is short term and temporary. The bad news is that it can return, and for some, it never seems to go away. For some people, as soon as one worry subsides, another seems to take its place. This is living in a world where most everything is scary in some way. If these folks experience a trauma, like a break up or a job loss, their attention can get locked on to it, and they will worry about their lives 24/7.

Other people have anxiety around certain tasks or actions. One of the most common is being afraid to drive on the freeway. Some people are fine driving sixty on back roads, but the thought of a freeway traffic jam or accident keeps them off

Most of us are a little uncomfortable on airplanes, but those with severe anxiety about flying would rather spend several days on a train going crosscountry than spend a few hours in the air. One gentleman with whom I worked on “The Ricki Lake Show” was deeply upset about all the things in life that his fear had kept him from experiencing.

He had taken the train from Memphis to L.A. to do the show.

I used a process called desensitization to help him gradually overcome his fear.

First we met at an airport, so he could experience his feelings about planes in general. Then we were able to sit in a small plane, so he could again look at what he was feeling, examine it, and talk to me about it. All of that helped him feel more comfortable. Then we took the big step of going into a flight simulator, so he could experience the physical feeling of flying. As I told him,

the simulator was rougher and more uncomfortable than any flight I’ve ever taken, but he was okay with it, and after the show, he successfully flew home and conquered his fear.

In addition to therapy, there are also anti-anxiety medications available, and if you think you need one, go see your doctor for a consultation. There are also many things you can do yourself. Perhaps one of the simplest is to avoid caffeine or other stimulants, for they can bring on or intensify anxiety. You can also learn how to meditate to calm yourself, and you can find activities that help you get back to a state of normality.

If you suffer from anxiety, don’t let it keep you from living a full life. Take back control of your world, and try some of these suggestions. You will be a happier person for it.

Dr. Barton Goldsmith, a psychotherapist in Westlake, is the author, most recently, of “100 Ways to Boost Your SelfConfidence — Believe in Yourself and Others Will Too.” Email him at Barton@BartonGoldsmith. com. Follow his daily insights at www.twitter.com/ BartonGoldsmith. Reach him at barton@bartongoldsmith.com. His column appears Saturdays and Mondays in the News-Press.

Shelters seek homes for pets

Local animal shelters and their nonprofit partners are looking for homes for pets.

For more information, go to these websites:

• Animal Services-Lompoc, countyofsb.org/phd/animal/home. sbc.

• Animal Shelter Assistance Program in Goleta, asapcats.org. ASAP is kitty corner to Santa Barbara County Animal Services.

• Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter in Goleta, bunssb.org. BUNS is based at Santa Barbara County Animal Services.

• Companion Animal Placement

Assistance, lompoccapa.org and facebook.com/capaoflompoc.

CAPA works regularly with Animal Services-Lompoc.

• K-9 Placement & Assistance League, k-9pals.org. K-9 PALS works regularly with Santa Barbara County Animal Services.

• Santa Barbara County Animal Care Foundation, sbcanimalcare. org. (The foundation works regularly with the Santa Maria Animal Center.)

• Santa Barbara County Animal Services in Goleta: countyofsb.org/ phd/animal/home.sbc.

• Santa Barbara Humane (with

campuses in Goleta and Santa Maria), sbhumane.org.

• Santa Maria Animal Center, countyofsb.org/phd/animal/home.

sbc. The center is part of Santa Barbara County Animal Services.

• Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society/DAWG in Buellton, syvhumane.org.

• Shadow’s Fund (a pet sanctuary in Lompoc), shadowsfund.org.

• Volunteers for Inter-Valley Animals in Lompoc: vivashelter. org.

Santa Ynez River in all its glory

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria jumps into second gymnastics session

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria is kicking off the year with a new session of gymnastics classes following the success of its first programming session that launched in September. The 10-week program, offered on Thursday afternoons for students in transitional kindergarten to fifth grade, is currently serving 32 girls.

Applications are now being

accepted for its next session, which begins March 23, for Girls Inc. members and nonmembers.

A mandatory orientation for parents will be held at 5 p.m. on Feb. 9 at its campus, 5315 Foothill Road in Carpinteria.

“Internal skills were a high point in the previous session, with participants displaying an increased level of mind-body connection, rotation discipline and self-confidence. Participants also worked on foundational skills including conquering successful

cartwheels, handstands and back handsprings,” said Kendall Clark, Girls Inc. gymnastics coach.

“Many of the students could not do a cartwheel when we started, and almost all of them have either mastered their cartwheel or have improved immensely over the course of the program.”

For more information, contact Kendall Clark at kendall@girlsinccarp.org or call 805-684-6364.

email: mmcmahon@newspress. com

Santa Barbara Museum of Art remembers Michael Armand Hammer

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Santa Barbara Museum

Art

Mr. Hammer was a major contributor to the exhibition “Van Gogh to Munch: European Masterworks

the Armand Hammer Foundation and the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation,” presented at the museum in 2011, which included the four important loans of Impressionist paintings from him and the Hammer International Foundation: Edgar Degas’ “Laundress Carrying Linen” (1888-1892) and “Three Dancers in Yellow Skirts” (c. 1891), PierreAuguste Renoir’s “Coastline at Antibes” (1888) and Camille Pissarro’s “Paysage a Osny, vue de la Ferme” (c. 1883). Later, a wonderful painting by Mary Cassatt, “Summertime” (1894), was lent to the museum as well.

These paintings were originally acquired by Mr. Hammer’s grandfather, the industrialist Armand Hammer. Over the

last decade, paintings from his personal collection have also resided intermittently in the SBMA galleries as guests of honor.

All of these works are currently on view in the museum’s RidleyTree Gallery as testament to the philanthropic legacy of Michael Armand Hammer, to whom SBMA pays tribute in memoriam.

“Michael was a great, generous and thoughtful friend of the museum and to me, personally. The important artwork lent to SBMA over the years much enhanced our display, providing to the

community and, especially to local students, the opportunity to see and learn about important 19thcentury French artists, including the major Impressionists,” said Larry Feinberg, SBMA Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Director and CEO.

In

to

on the

email: mmcmahon@newspresss. com

— Dave Mason

COURTESY PHOTOS Girls Inc. of Carpinteria is offering gymnastics classes

of

celebrates the memory of Michael Armand Hammer, who passed away recently. He was known as a generous friend to the museum, was a member of the SBMA board of trustees from 2011 to 2015 and a longtime SBMA member.

from

addition

serving

SBMA board of trustees, Mr. Hammer also was active on the Buildings and Grounds, Collections and Development committees.

PHOTO BY PRISCILLA

Michael Armand Hammer, who recently died, is being honored by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

MICHAEL HAMMER AND THE HAMMER INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION

Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “Coastline at Antibes,” oil on canvas (1888), is among the paintings that Michael Armand Hammer and the Hammer International Foundation loaned the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

KENNETH SONG/ NEWS-PRESS

This is a recent view of the Santa Ynez River.

Thought for Today

HOROSCOPE

By Horoscope.com Monday, January 23, 2023

Aries: Family, home, and hearth are on your mind today, Aries. There may be a community event that you attend out of a sense of obligation but stay for the sheer fun of it. Sometimes you get so caught up in work and the daily hassles of life that you forget there’s a whole world outside of work. It does your heart good to take in a wider view.

Taurus: Today may be an odd combination of social and financial, Taurus, likely a combination of the two in some way. Perhaps you need to meet with an attorney and end up dining together. Or you and a casual acquaintance could decide to go out for a drink. Legal documents are highlighted, so be sure to carefully look over contracts of any kind.

Gemini: Even though you seem content with your career, you’re ready for some change in your life, Gemini. This is the time to consider joining a group. How about a local book club? Or if you’re more actively inclined, sign up with a tennis team or local running club. There are lots of diversions to occupy your mind as well as your body.

Cancer: Even though you think of yourself as a rational person, Cancer, today your intuition is so keen that even you can’t ignore it. Rather than try to will it away, why not embrace the messages that bombard you? Give yourself this one single day to embrace the possibility that you may have some extrasensory ability.

Leo: You may feel slightly bored and restless, Leo. If so, an opportunity may come your way today that shouldn’t be ignored. You may have a chance to take a trip to an exotic locale or attend a class or lecture that will open your mind to all sorts of interesting possibilities.

Virgo: You consider yourself a rational person, Virgo. If you aren’t a scientist, you should be. You view life objectively and rarely let extraneous matters cloud your thinking. You’re likely to be taken aback by today’s extraordinary events. Your intuition is so sharp that you can almost read people’s minds.

Libra: This is your lucky day, Libra, and you can expect all sorts of wonderful surprises. You may enjoy a financial surprise or someone could propose an interesting and potentially lucrative project. Take advantage of any opportunities that come your way today, as all signs indicate that new ventures will ultimately prove quite profitable.

Scorpio: Passion is very much on your mind, Scorpio. Unfortunately, you have a lot to do before you can concentrate on romance. Much as you’d prefer to put paperwork off for another day, you really should buckle down and get it all done. You will be relieved to have it behind you, and you will be free to enjoy the evening pursuing other interests.

Sagittarius: You’re never at a loss for an opinion, Sagittarius, and today is no exception. The energy of the day is such that you’re happier listening to conversations than participating in them. You can’t help but smile at the misinformation that gets bandied about.

Capricorn: Finances are highlighted for you today, Capricorn. This isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing - it just is. Spend as much time as necessary sorting out your records and making sure everything is in good order. It’s never too early to collect receipts and get organized. You may feel inspired to concentrate on budgeting as well.

Aquarius: Conversation and travel are highlighted today, Aquarius. You may sit next to someone fascinating on a plane ride. You two have much in common, and the time will pass quickly as you enjoy discovering more about one another. You’re likely to exchange phone numbers, if not kisses, by the end of the trip.

Pisces: Today you may take a look around your home and see what needs improvement, Pisces. A pending visit from a friend or relative may provide the incentive to get things in shape. A fresh coat of paint and some new window treatments and rugs will make a big difference.

SUDOKU

CODEWORD PUZZLE

By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

Monday, January 23, 2023

One of Unlucky Louie’s daughters is studying to be a cosmetologist.

“She told me she overslept and missed the final in one course,” Louie told me.

“So she failed the course?”

“No,” Louie said solemnly. “They let her take a make-up exam.”

As declarer, you get just one chance. Against today’s five diamonds, West led the ace and a second club. South won, throwing a heart from dummy, and drew trumps. He threw another heart from dummy on his third high club and led a heart. West won and exited with a heart, and South lost a spade to West’s king later. Down one.

SECOND TRICK

South blew his chance at Trick Two; he must discard a spade from dummy. He draws trumps and leads the three of hearts. West must play low; if he grabs his ace, dummy’s king will furnish a spade discard.

When the king wins, South leads a trump to his hand, pitches a heart from dummy on his third high club and exits with the queen of hearts. West must lead a spade from his king or yield a ruff-sluff.

What do you say?

ANSWER: This situation is awkward. Now that partner has responded to your opening bid, game is almost certain. A jump to three diamonds would be an underbid. Some experts would bid 2NT, but that call would suggest a sure trick in hearts. I would try an improvised jump-shift to three clubs.

West dealer Both sides vulnerable

diamond, and your partner bids one spade. The opponents pass.

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.

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

— Thomas A. Edison

SharedEquity

Buellton

Gaviota

Goleta

HopeRanch

Lompoc

LosAlamos

LosOlivos

Montecito

SantaMaria

MoreMesa

SantaYnez

Solvang

Summerland

OtherSBCountyProp

Westmont women’s swimming face off against Nanooks

By RON SMITH WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Westmont Women’s Swimming made a trip to the 49th State for two dual meets with the Nanooks of Alaska Fairbanks. In October the Nanooks traveled to Santa Barbara for a pair of dual meets. The Warriors won both meets in October, but the Nanooks triumphed both yesterday (118-87) and today (113-92).

“Overall it was a really good match-up between us and the Nanooks,” said Westmont’s head coach Jill Jones Lin. “It’s a lot of fun to be vying for points in every race and place. We had some pretty solid swims throughout the meet.”

The highlight of the meets for the Warriors was in the breaststroke races. Friday, the Warriors claimed the first three places in the 100 yard breaststroke. Ella Chaisson won the race with a time of 1:11.49. Daisy Marquardt placed second (1:13.83) and Abby Rickard finished third (1:14.75).

On Saturday, the same trio finished onetwo-three in the 200 yard breaststroke with each one recording a season best time.

Chaisson won the race in an NAIA National Championship provisional time of 2:32.87. Marquardt posted a time of 2:39.67 and Rickard touched the wall in a time of 2:41.00.

Chaisson also won the individual medley races. On Friday, she posted a provisional time of 2:15.97 to win the 200 yard individual medley. Then on Saturday, Chaisson finished in a time of 4:49.21 to win the 400 yard individual medley in another provisional qualifying time.

The 50 yard freestyle was competed on both days and Bailey Lemmon won both times with provisional times. On Friday, she swam the two-length race in a time of 25.55, then dropped another 0.09 seconds on Saturday.

Westmont opened the competition on Saturday with a win in the 200 yard medley relay. Morgan Bienias, Chaisson, Lemmon and Emma Diehl posted a time of 1:57.02 in the event, edging out the Alaska quartet by just 0.12 seconds.

“Our relays were actually the most impressive,” said Jones Lin. “Fielding two really strong relays has been a goal of mine

and it’s exciting to see it happen.” Westmont’s second team of Rian Lewandowski, Rickard, Emma Bustamante and Marquardt in the 200 yard medley relay took third in a time of 1:57.87 – within a second of the first place team.

“It was a hard fought loss,” noted Jones Lin of the Warriors falling to the Nanooks. “We had a lot of good speed in the first half of our races and just didn’t have the energy to finish how I would like to see. The Nanooks are tough competition and it was exciting to race alongside them. They challenged us to be better and that’s a big win for us.

“We’ve got a few more weeks until conference and I’m hopeful some taper and fine tuning will set us up for a great meet.”

Westmont will compete in the UCSB Last Chance Meet on Feb. 3 and 4, then travel to Monterey Park for the Pacific Coast Swim Conference Championships Feb. 8-11.

Ron Smith is the sports information director at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com

Westmont men’s basketball loses heartbreaker

By JACOB NORLING WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

In perhaps their most intense game of the season, Westmont Men’s Basketball (12-8, 5-6 GSAC) had their hearts broken at the hands of the #5 Arizona Christian Firestorm (17-4, 8-3). Westmont’s two most dependable big men fouled out with more than 10 minutes remaining, their hottest shooter fouled out with less than three minutes remaining, and the club trailed by as many as 13 down the stretch.

In one of their most resilient displays of the season, the group rallied to take the lead, and led by as many as five in the final minutes. However, a last-minute game-tying three, a go-ahead free throw, and a missed gamewinner at the buzzer led to a gut-wrenching 69-68 loss in the desert.

“If Drew’s last shot goes in, I’d be screaming praise and saying how proud I am of them,” began Westmont head coach Landon Boucher, “and the reality is, that last shot not falling doesn’t change anything. I am extremely proud of our effort today.

“That was the biggest fight we’ve shown all season, by far. Westmont began the day slow offensively, scoring only two points across the first six minutes of the contest. Following Westmont’s slow start, ACU took their first double-digit lead at 17-6 with 12:50 remaining in the half.

For the Warriors, while their offense was late to the party, their defense remained tough, buying them time to find their offensive footing.. With 4:30 remaining in the half, Anthony McIntyre drained Westmont’s

first 3-pointer of the day, making the contest a one-possession game at 23-21.

The Firestorm reclaimed a four point lead in the final minute, but a highly-contested fade away jumper from Drew Ramirez bounced its way into the basket as time expired. Ramirez’ basket sent Westmont into the locker room trailing only 30-28 despite shooting just nine of 26 from the field and making just one of five 3pointers.

In the second half, foul trouble quickly took the wind out the Warriors’ sails. Less than one minute into the period, starting forward Amir Davis was called for his fourth foul, necessitating his absence from the floor for several minutes. Two minutes following Davis’ fourth foul, the Firestorm drilled back-to-back 3-pointers and then finished a dunk in transition, sending Westmont into a timeout down 40-31.

At the 15:40 mark, Cade Roth knocked down his first shot of the day, a 3-pointer, pulling Westmont back within two possessions at 40-34. However, a minute later, Tone Patton Sr. was called for his fourth foul as well, leading to his absence from the floor. Needing the presence of a big, the Warriors called upon Davis to re-enter the game, but at the 12:15 mark, Davis was called for a foul in transition, his fifth and final of the afternoon.

Patton was the next to foul out, less than two minutes after Davis, and Westmont’s depleted lineup quickly fell behind 13 at 49-36. However, while appearing to be down and out, the Warriors refused to let it be that simple.

“When one of your main players, like Amir, fouls out early, it can be easy to be deflated,” said

Boucher. “Then, when Tone goes out, it’s almost a given that you get deflated. Instead, Cly came in and played one of his best games all season.”

Following a timeout, a tenacious Cly Griffith Jr. converted both ends of an andone on back-to-back possessions, breathing life into the Westmont bench with under 10 minutes to play. Following Griffith’s heroics, Westmont trailed only 49-45 as the game entered its final 10 minutes.

At the eight-minute mark, Griffith converted another layup, keeping Westmont within four, and one possession later, Roth sank another three, making it a one-point game at 55-54.

After lurking for more than 35 minutes, with 3:43 remaining in regulation, Griffith kicked a pass out to Jalen Townsell who was open beyond the arc. Then, Townsell hit Westmont’s biggest shot of the day, giving them their first lead at 62-61. A minute after Townsell’s three, Griffith was the next Warrior to foul out. Still, over the next three minutes, clutch free throw shooting allowed Westmont to lead by as many as five. Down the stretch, however, the Firestorm stayed right on Westmont’s tail.

The Warriors held on by three as the game entered its 40th and final minute, but with 51 seconds to play, Dennis Flowers III knotted things at 68 with a deep 3-pointer, bringing momentum back into ACU’s possession. Roth had a fair look at a 3-pointer on Westmont’s next possession, but the shot would not fall, and the Firestorm held the ball until the final seconds.

With 4.4 seconds on the clock, McIntyre was whistled for one of

the day’s many foul calls, this time a reach-in, which proved to be the most costly of the afternoon. Flowers missed the first from the charity stripe, but converted the second, giving ACU a 69-68 advantage. Following a timeout, with 4.4 on the clock, Roth inbounded from the baseline and found McIntyre, who dribbled into traffic before dishing to an open Ramirez.

Well beyond the arc, Ramirez fired the final shot of the day as time expired, but it would not fall. The Firestorm flooded the floor in celebration as the Warriors were left with the numbing reality of a heart-breaking loss.

“We never felt like we gave up,” assured Boucher. “There’s room for improvement, but we’ve also made a lot of good improvements. We’re learning how to play late in the game still, and figuring out how not to give up that last three like we did to Flowers.

“Regardless, I thought that it was a gutsy performance. Even though the outcome today was tough, our performance today is still very encouraging. At this point, it’s still a lot about the process and not all on the result. I know our guys can bounce back, and I have no doubt we’ll be ready for the next game.”

Next Saturday, the Warriors return home to Santa Barbara for the most highly-anticipated home game of their season. At 7:30 p.m., for the final time as members of the GSAC, Westmont will host rival The Master’s inside Murchison Gym.

Jacob Norling is the sports information assistant at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com

Berberabe breaks Westmont’s career scoring record

By RON SMITH WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Stefanie Berberabe became Westmont Women’s Basketball’s all-time leading scorer with a 20-point performance in the Warriors’ 80-64 Golden State Athletic Conference win at Arizona Christian (9-11, 5-6 GSAC). Westmont improved to 17-1 overall and 10-1 in GSAC play.

Berberabe recorded a double-double in the effort, tallying 12 rebounds while adding five assists and four steals. The double-double was the fourth of the season for Berberabe and the ninth of her career.

“Stef was all over the place tonight,” reported Westmont’s head coach Kirsten Moore. “She played at such a high level against a pretty chaotic system with all the line-change substitutions we were facing today. She is so composed and we know we are going to be okay when the ball is in her hands no matter what defense gets thrown at us.”

The senior guard entered the game needing three points to tie Lauren McCoy, whose 1,538 career points was the most ever scored by a Warrior. Berberabe, who now holds the record with 1,555 points, took over first place in nine fewer games (123) than the former record holder (132).

“We have had so many incredible Warriors come through this program,” noted Moore. “What stands out to me is that never once has Stef thought about being the all-time leading scorer in Westmont history. She just thinks about how to make her teammates better and how to help us win. I love that this accomplishment is a byproduct of her being about the right things.

“She makes plays when she needs to and makes so much happen. She can score at three levels – shooting from three, pulling up and finishing at the rim. She is just as gritty and impactful on the defensive end of the floor. On the day she became the career scoring leader, she got 12 rebounds as the shortest player on

the court. It shows how big her heart is. Her heart can’t be measured by the stats. She’s a Warrior and we have so much ahead of us.”

Berberabe tied the record with a triple from the left side at the 7:20 mark in the first quarter after receiving a pass from Laila Saenz. The 3-pointer - the third of the game for the Warriors with the first two coming from Saenz and Kate Goostrey - made the score 9-0.

Berberabe became the all-time leading scorer off another feed from Saenz. Berberabe faked a three, then drove the lane before pulling up for a 12-foot jumper to make the score 11-5 and recorded her 1,540th point.

The Firestorm made a game of it in the first half, leading 19-17 in the first quarter and 3532 at the intermission. Saenz, who tallied 20 points on the strength of six of 11 accuracy from beyond the arc, made four of her triples in the first half. The junior guard also had four rebounds and five assists over the course of the game.

“We knew we were going to be facing a variety of different zones today,” said Moore. “So, it was important that we were able to find Laila to knock down shots. She is an incredible shooter with the confidence to do that. She gave us great offensive energy, especially when we needed it in the first half. She was able to keep us in it when we were struggling defensively until we were able to figure out our defense in the second half.”

Westmont took control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring Arizona Christian 24-10. Berberabe and Saenz each scored six

points in the penultimate period.

The final frame saw the Warriors put together a 17-4 run in the first seven minutes to take a 24-point lead (73-49. Goostrey tallied seven points during the run while Paula Graichen added six.

Goostrey and Graichen, along with Sage Kramer, each contributed 10 points to the Warriors’ totals. Goostrey also had four steals and three assists. Graichen pulled down seven rebounds and Kramer collected four boards.

“Paula was a huge spark for us off the bench,” said Moore of the 6-4 freshman. “She made a big impact on the offensive boards and her passing was great in our inside-out game. She played with a lot of confidence and presence. It was good to see her stepping up, which is what we are all trying to do right now as we move into the backend of the season.”

With the win, and a 71-68 win by Menlo (146, 8-3) over second-place Hope International (15-5, 8-3), the Warriors now sit atop the GSAC standings with a two-game lead over the same two teams. Next week, Westmont will welcome the Mustangs of The Master’s (12-6, 6-5) to Murchison Gymnasium as part of a women’s and men’s doubleheader. The women will tipoff at 5:30 p.m. with the men getting underway at 7:30 p.m.

Ron Smith is the sports information director at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com