Santa Barbara News-Press: October 10, 2022

Ed Begley Jr. speaks in Goleta

Actor speaks about his career and the environment at Congregation B’nai B’rith

Longtime SB Zoo director retires

Man pleads guilty in Lompoc arson case

William Morales charged with setting Lompoc mental health clinic on fire with people inside

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

A Lompoc man has pleaded guilty to arson for setting fire Aug. 2 to a Lompoc mental health clinic with people still trapped inside. He agreed to a prison term of five years, prosecutors said.

William Morales, who had been charged with arson and attempted murder, reached a plea bargain with prosecutors to plead guilty to arson in exchange for them dropping the other charge, Deputy Public Defender Madison Whitmore said Thursday.

Mr. Morales, 36, appeared in court Wednesday for the start of his preliminary hearing when he and prosecutors made the deal.

“Yesterday, the defendant William Morales pled guilty to a violation of 451(b), arson of an inhabited structure for a five-year prison sentence,” DDA Whitmore said last Thursday. “He is being sentenced on Oct. 19 in Lompoc court.

“The other charges will be dismissed in exchange for the plea bargain. Once he is sentenced, he will go to prison for five years on the 451, which is a violent felony, and he will be required to register as an arsonist.”

Lompoc police officers were dispatched to the mental health clinic in the 1000 block of East Ocean Avenue at about 12:43 p.m. Aug. 2 regarding a man who was allegedly attempting to assault staff, Lompoc police said.

While officers were en route, dispatch advised them that the man was allegedly trying to set the building on fire.

their orders to get on the ground, instead throwing another piece of wood at them. He then retreated inside the building and slammed the door shut.

Officers then heard people inside the building yelling that the clinic was on fire. They forced their way into the building and again ordered Mr. Morales to the ground. This time he complied and officers took him into custody.

He became combative, however, and police took him to the emergency room for medical clearance. He remained combative in the ER, allegedly kicking an officer in the head.

The building, meanwhile, was evacuated as the flames inside were growing. Officers knocked down the flames with their extinguishers. Responding Lompoc firefighters finished extinguishing the fire.

Staff told officers that some victims had barricaded themselves to get away from Mr. Morales’ alleged violent behavior before he allegedly set the room on fire where the victims were located. The damage from the alleged arson was estimated to exceed $10,000.

Once he was medically cleared, Mr. Morales was transported to the Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, arson of an inhabited dwelling, felony vandalism, felony resisting, criminal threats, resisting an arrest and a misdemeanor warrant.

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITERS

One of actor Ed Begley Jr.’s first efforts to help the environment occurred back in 1970, when he found it hard to compost while living in an apartment.

So he filled a diaper pail with food leftovers he normally would toss, let it “ripen” for four or five days and dumped it in a hole on the side of some railroad tracks.

“Tomatoes started growing!” he told a packed audience during a Sunday interview at a Goleta synagogue. “It was the most neglectful garden you’ve ever heard of.” He’s grown vegetable gardens ever since.

The audience laughed and applauded, two reactions he received often while telling stories about his twin passions of acting and environmental work during the interview at Congregation B’nai B’rith with ECO Team founder and author Barbara Greenleaf.

Bad news about the environment tends to dominate the headlines, focusing on such things as climate change, the loss of the polar regions, the growing frequency/strength of hurricanes and wildfires and seemingly never-ending drought.

But it’s just as important to celebrate environmental gains over the years, he said, such as fewer major oil spills off the coast, a major reduction in “horrible,” choking smog despite

four times the number of vehicles on the road and millions more people living in Los Angeles, elimination of CFS use in air conditioners and refrigerators that increased the ozone hole, and increased use of solar panels and wind turbines.

“We all did this together,” he said. “We’ve had great successes. It’s kind of amazing.” And more can be done, he said, promising “We can do this without going broke. But it must be a bipartisan effort.”

He credited his father, actor Ed Begley Sr., with steering him not just into acting but also into protecting the environment. “He was an environmentalist without using the word,” turning off lights and water when they weren’t needed.

“He inspired me. He was a good man in so many ways.”

Mr. Begley said he knew as a child that he wanted to be an actor just like his father, but noted that he would have followed in his father’s footsteps no matter what he did. “If my dad was a plumber, I’d be fitting pipe right now.”

Ms. Greenleaf went back and forth between asking Mr. Begley about his acting career and his passion to protect the environment.

She asked him about his breakthrough role in the ‘80s on the hit show, “St. Elsewhere.” He said he and his wife were struggling to make the mortgage

when the phone rang. It was his agent urging him to audition for the show.

He didn’t land the role, but accepted another that had just one or two lines in the pilot episode. That role blossomed into a six-year stint on the show,

which ignited his full-time acting career.

Since then, he’s worked on many television shows, movies and stage productions. His movies included “Going South” with Jack Nicholson and “She-

Officers responded with lights and sirens and located Mr. Morales in the 100 block of North Third Street. He was holding a large piece of wood, which police said he threw at officers when they exited their patrol cars. The stick did not hit an officer, but it did strike a patrol vehicle.

Police said Mr. Morales refused

Mr. Morales, also known as William Ricardo Ibarra, was charged in an eight-count felony complaint, including “serious felonies” of arson and attempted murder of three specific women, criminal threats, assault with personal use of a deadly weapon (the piece of wood) and resisting arrest.

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company awarded at Great American Beer Festival

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company has continued a 12-year-long tradition, winning at the Great American Beer Festival, the nation’s largest beer competition and what Brewers Association CEO Bob Pease calls “the Academy Awards of the American craft brewing community.”

The Buellton brewery took home two awards, winning bronze medals for their Hoppy Poppy IPA and Dreaming of Bamberg beers.

Figueroa Mountain now has the distinction of being the only brewery that has medaled in

every competition since 2011, with a running total of 31 pieces of hardware. Perhaps more impressively though, is that this win brings the company’s medal count for all major beer competitions past the 200 mark, to a total of 201 … for now, at least.

“We feel so fortunate to have been recognized with these awards,” said an ecstatic Kevin Ashford, brewmaster and creative director at Figueroa Mountain.

“Keeping a streak of wins longer than any other American brewery shows that brewing great beer is more than just the work of one person; it’s about building a great

Santa Barbara Police Department swears in eight new officers

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Santa Barbara Police Department is proud to announce the swearing-in of eight new police officers. Chief Kelly Gordon swore in these officers last week.

Six graduated from the Ventura County Criminal Justice Training Center and two are lateral officers from other California law enforcement agencies.

The six officers who just completed the police academy will be participating in a post academy orientation before starting field training. The two lateral officers are currently on field training. The field training program consists of a more than 18-week hands-on course where the new officers conduct field operations while being supervised by their field training officer.

After successful completion of the course, they will be released to conduct solo patrol operations.

OFFICER JOhN “S COTT” BEh LMAN :

Officer Behlman was born and raised in Santa Barbara and attended San Marcos High School.

After graduation he enrolled in the fire academy and worked as an EMT at Cottage Hospital Emergency Department and as a reserve firefighter for Cal-Fire. He decided after working as a reserve firefighter to pursue a career in law enforcement and applied to the Santa Barbara Police Department.

BEGLEY

Continued from Page A1

devil” with Meryle Streep.

Now 73 and still acting, Mr. Begley confessed that he was ready to retire at age 60 and take early Social Security, but then he was cast by director Christopher Guest in several of his movies. And his career took off again.

“I’m at the biggest point of my career, and have no desire to retire,” he said. “I’m blessed to keep working at this age. I’ll keep working till they stop me.”

Asked if he was an actor who happens to be an environmentalist or an environmentalist who happens to be an actor, he said he’s an actor who also happens to be good at carpentry.

But environmentalism, he stressed, is in his blood, and has been since he was a child who “hated to see waste.”

He noted that way back in 1965, he got started as an environmentalist after returnable

OFFICER RODOLFO “RuDy” CORRALES :

Officer Corrales was born and raised in Santa Barbara and attended UCSB, earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

After graduating from UCSB, he worked as a case manager in the social services field for the Santa Barbara Housing Authority. He joined SBPD because he loves helping people and wants to be a role model for the youth in the Santa Barbara community.

OFFICER BRIAN DOCA :

Officer Doca was born and raised in Santa Barbara and, after high school, enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After his time in the military, he was honorably discharged at the rank of sergeant and started working as an EMT with American Medical Response (AMR). During his time as an EMT, he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology and justice studies from California State University, Northridge. After several years working side-byside with SBPD officers during emergency calls, he decided that he wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement and joined the SBPD family.

OFFICER Sh Ay FEIT h:

Officer Feith was raised in Ventura and, after graduating high school, she attended Grand Canyon University in Phoenix where she received a bachelor’s degree in forensics and a master’s

degree in forensic psychology. After graduating from college, she worked as an admissions counselor for Grand Canyon University in both the Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. She joined SBPD because she wanted to work in a community that supports law enforcement and provides many career opportunities.

OFFICER ROBERT MESTAS :

Officer Mestas was born and raised in Santa Barbara, where he attended Dos Pueblos High School. During his senior year, he became a police explorer with the CHP and attended Santa Barbara City College after graduating high school. After SBCC, he then joined the United States Navy. Officer Mestas was honorably discharged from the Navy as a Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman at the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class. He joined SBPD to serve the local community he grew up in.

OFFICER N AT h ANIEL

“N ATE” TAgLES :

Officer Tagles was raised in the Santa Ynez Valley, where he attended Santa Ynez High School. After graduating from high school, he worked as an SBPD cadet and as a security agent at the Miramar Resort. Officer Tagles continues a family legacy of officers with SBPD, starting with his grandfather, retired Sergeant Charles Baker, his uncle, Lieutenant Aaron Baker, and

his father, retired Sergeant Dan Tagles.

OFFICER A LEJANDRO DONOSO :

Officer Donoso is a lateral hire from Alhambra Police Department and has almost 17 years of law enforcement experience: 15 ½ years with the Los Angeles School District Police Department and 1 ½ years with the Alhambra Police Department. He has had the opportunity to work in several special assignments including gangs, narcotics and SWAT. Officer Donoso also served as a field training officer and on a mental health evaluation team with his previous agencies. Officer Donoso joined SBPD to help a wonderful community and grow both personally and professionally.

OFFICER R Ikk I M ARTINE z:

Officer Matinez was born and raised in San Jose and attended Kentucky State University. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, Officer Martinez joined the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, where she worked as a correctional officer for three years. She was then promoted to deputy sheriff, where she worked as a patrol deputy for three additional years. She wanted to work for a department that takes pride in serving the Santa Barbara community and to grow professionally with all the opportunities SBPD has to offer.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

PDFs.

He said he prefers the carrot to the stick when it comes to getting people to address environmental concerns.

“I don’t like to do a lot of fingerwagging. I really don’t. I try to offer suggestions if they’re open to it. I try to encourage people to do the kinds of things I find are successful.”

A second person asked his view on population growth. “We don’t need a larger human population at this point than we already have,” he said. “But I’m very hesitant to dictate how many children a person has.”

Brewery’s Hoppy Poppy

IPA earns medal for a fourth time

the brewery together in 2010, shortly before entering their first GABF competition the following year.

team.”

The Great American Beer Fest, now in its 40th year, attracted 9,904 beers this year from 2,154 breweries throughout the United States.

The award marks the fourth medal at GABF for Hoppy Poppy IPA, having previously won in 2017 through 2019.

Dreaming of Bamberg, a beechwood-smoked beer in the German Eisbock style, medaled in its first year being entered.

Mr. Ashford accepted the awards with several members of the “FigFam,” including founder Jaime Dietenhofer. Jaime and his father Jim started

Through their passion for craft beer, they sought to share the beauty and the spirit of the Santa Ynez Valley with beer lovers throughout the state. Their beer can be found in bars, restaurants and grocery stores throughout California, as well as in their taprooms throughout the region.

It has since expanded to four locations throughout Southern California, and is in the midst of a buildout of three more locations in Los Angeles in the coming months. For more information, visit FigMtnBrew. com.

email: nhartstein@gmail.com

soda bottles with deposits he got to collect gave way to no-return, no-deposit bottles.

“You can always get somebody’s attention when you take their money away,” he said.

After the formal interview, it was audience members’ turn to ask questions.

crash kills

vehicle accident involving three vehicles killed the driver of one and left at least three others injured, according to Santa Barbara

One asked if he pushed for environment-related changes while on set. He said he urged the placement of recycling bins, turning off car engines to stop pollution and opening the window instead of relying on air conditioning, and using recyclable paper for scripts or using digital

County Fire Department officials.

The collision occurred about 10:30 a.m. on Highway154 at Meadowvale Road.

The driver of the first vehicle, the solo occupant, was killed.

Two males and one female in a second vehicle were taken by ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

And asked to pick between recycling dirty jars and bottles and using precious water to wash them out, he said if it’s easy to wash he’ll do the latter. Otherwise he’ll throw out things like “dirty peanut butter” jars.

“We have to do our best to save water at every turn,” he said. “It’s something we all can agree on.”

There was no indication that the driver of the third vehicle, the sole occupant, was injured.

Highway 154 was closed in both directions as the California Highway Patrol investigated.

Courtesy photos

From left, top to bottom, officers John “Scott” Behlman, Rodolfo “Rudy” Corrales, Brian Doca, Alejandro Donoso, Shay Feith, Rikki Martinez, Robert Mestas and Nathaniel “Nate” Tagles.

‘I’m at the biggest point of my career, and have no desire to retire’

KENNETH

Barbara Greenleaf interviews Ed Begley Jr. at Congregation B’nai B’rith in Santa Barbara on Sunday.

SBCC women’s soccer sets season-high in fourth straight win

By MICHAEL JORGENSON SBCC SPORTS WRITER

The SBCC women’s soccer team continued a red hot start to conference play on Friday, winning at Oxnard 5-0.

The Vaqueros are now 5-1-4 overall and 30 in the WSC on the year. Oxnard falls to 5-6 overall, 1-3 conference.

“Proud of the girls for going away to Oxnard and getting a solid result,” said assistant coach Alex Zermeno. “It was great to get all of the players minutes and get the win with a shutout. We will enjoy the win, but start to prep ourselves for a HUGE home game Tuesday against LA Pierce.”

Santa Barbara did most of its damage in the opening half, tying its season-high for goals within the first 37 minutes.

Sophomore forward Sofia Orozco continued a torrid start to her 2022 campaign, assisting on Sarah Hardin’s first goal 12 minutes in before scoring the next two. Earning her first start during conference play, freshman Athena Bow Graham recorded an assist on each of Orozco’s goals in the 18th and 25th minutes.

Orozco now leads the team in both points (14) and goals (6), despite only playing in SBCC’s last four games.

Later in the opening half, Helene Lervik was set up by Madison Dodson to make it 4-0.

The large lead allowed SBCC to give

UCSB women’s volleyball sweeps Cal State Fullerton

By DANIEL MOEBUS-BOWLES

UCSB SPORTS WRITER

The UCSB women’s volleyball team (9-7, 5-1) got back in the win column Saturday night, sweeping Cal State Fullerton (3-3) on the road 25-17, 25-20, 25-23.

Michelle Ohwobete went for a potent 13-2-26 line, not committing a single error until the third set and ending the match with a .423 clip. She had three aces as well.

Deni Wilson led all players with eight blocks and added an efficient line of 8-1-15 for a .467 percentage, which also led all players.

Briana McKnight had an incredibly balanced performance with a career-high four aces, 13 digs, five kills and three blocks.

UCSB outhit CSF .268-.133 and outblocked the host team 14-6. The Gauchos have now posted double-digit blocks in nine matches.

The Titans hung around the first set despite UCSB hitting a match-high .417. Tied at 16-16, the Gauchos unleashed a ridiculous

9-1 run to end the set that saw McKnight camp at the service line for three of her aces.

Cal State Fullerton never took the lead in the second frame but did tie it up eight different times. The Gaucho defense limited the Titans to a .077 hitting percentage, collecting six blocks in the set. The last tie came at 1919, but once again UCSB finished strong on a 6-1 run in a set that saw Ohwobete post a 6-0-11 line for a .545 clip.

The final set came down to the wire as the Titans led through the early points until the Gauchos took a lead at 14-13 and stretched it out to as many as five. With their back against the wall, the Titans tied it at 21 apiece, and again at 23-23, but back-to-back kills by Ohwobete and Niableu Correal ended the match and secured the sweep.

The Gauchos will return home to host UC Davis and UC Riverside next weekend in the Thunderdome.

Daniel Moebus-Bowles writes about sports for UCSB.

email: sports@newspress.com

Westmont volleyball sweeps Arizona Christian

By JACOB NORLING WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Westmont Volleyball (14-4, 8-2 GSAC) outscored Arizona Christian (6-13, 3-8) 75-40 on Saturday afternoon in Santa Barbara, ultimately allowing the Warriors to sweep the Firestorm for the second time this season.

“We have to continue to take care of our own business,” said McGolpin. “If we want to battle for the number-one spot, we have to be able to keep at it. We control our own destiny at this point, so you can’t take a single day for granted.”

Westmont out-killed ACU 4123, and hit .420, while limiting the Firestorm to a minuscule .059 attack percentage. Westmont collected their 41 kills in 81 attempts, while committing only seven errors. Leading the team in kills was Phoebe Minch, with nine, while Lexi Malone and Ashley Boswell each recorded eight of their own.

Boswell led Westmont hitting .538, while Minch posted an attacking percentage of .533, and Malone hit at .412.

Jessie Terlizzi also collected seven kills with an attack percentage of .375.

Malone led the Warriors with four blocks, while Keelyn Kistner led the Warriors with 21 assists, and libero Kaili Hashimoto led the team with 16 digs.

“Lexi Malone was on fire today,” stated McGolpin. “It was good to see her come out strong, and Phoebe and Jessie were both solid as well. Ashley Boswell had a nice game too, finding the ball when she needed to.”

The highlight of the match came in the third set, with the Warriors already leading 2-0. McGolpin sent Kistner to the service line, where the setter and the Warriors went on an unforgettable run. In a service

streak that saw two timeouts, eight kills, and four service aces, Kistner stayed at the service line for a set-opening 18-0 run.

When a kill from ACU halted the run, Kistner received a standing ovation from the home crowd.

“I’ve never been in a college match as a head coach, or even as an assistant, where a player has done that much damage,” reflected McGolpin. “Kudos not only to Keelyn, but to our team during that run, because our blocking was incredible as well.”

Following Kistner’s run, McGolpin allowed Westmont’s joyful bench to grow even louder, when the coach began to sub in some of the team’s beloved underclassmen. Alexis Dennick, Natalie McNurlin, and Addie Paul all saw the court in the game’s final moments, highlighted by Dennick collecting a pair of kills before the match ended.

“That was super fun at the end of the match,” said McGolpin. “It’s super fun to get people like Natalie, who hasn’t been on the court in a while, in the game. Alexis Dennick came in and played great, and so did Addie. That was fun.”

After ACU scored the day’s first two points, Westmont tied the match at two and surpassed the Firestorm at 3-2. After that, Westmont never trailed for the rest of the match.

The Warriors return to action on Tuesday night with one of the most anticipated matches of their season. At 7:00 p.m. in Santa Ana, Westmont will take on first-place #20 Vanguard (175, 7-1), the top-team in the GSAC up to this point.

Jacob Norling is the sports information assistant at Westmont College.

playing time to much of its roster. In the 82nd minute, the Vaqueros capped their big day with Dakota Thyssen finding Citlalil Zambrano for the final goal of the day to seal SBCC’s 5-0 win.

Goalkeeper Analea Pule finished with four saves as she and the Vaquero defense earned their sixth clean sheet in 10 games.

SBCC will be back home at La Playa Stadium this coming Tuesday, Oct. 11 to host 9-2-2 LA Pierce.

Michael Jorgenson works in communications/ media relations at Santa Barbara City College. email: sports@newspress.com

Westmont women’s soccer reins in Mustangs

By RON SMITH WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Down 1-0 in the first half, #15 Westmont women’s soccer (70-3, 2-0-1 GSAC) corralled the Mustangs of The Master’s (2-72, 0-2-1) and scored twice to post their seventh win of the season. Andie Siegel and Karly Kingsley recorded the Warriors’ goals in the comeback.

“Master’s is a tough place between the size of the field and a very windy game,” noted Westmont head coach Jenny Jaggard. “We didn’t play our game today, but we scored two absolutely phenomenal goals and found a way.”

Mary Mobley provided the Mustangs with their goal in the 14th minute of play. Ellie Radmilovich took a corner that resulted a scramble in front of the net. Mobley’ goal put an end to the chaos, giving The Master’s the early advantage.

“Our energy was low right after the goal,” acknowledged Jaggard. “After playing another 10 minutes, the team got themselves back together and started to work back into it.”

The equalizer was scored in the 42nd minute off a free kick by Siegel.

“Free kicks are becoming Ande’s signature,” reported Jaggard. “It had to be 35 yards out and an absolute rocket into the right corner. It was like the ones she scored at OUAZ and at Cal Lutheran. I’ve never seen a player at this level that can hit a ball like that.”

The sophomore now has four goals on the season, three the result of long-distance free kicks.

The goal winner came off the foot of Kingsley in the 60th minute.

“Karly set herself up,” said Jaggard. “She was playing at the outside of the diamond. A ball was played out to her, she took an incredible touch forward, realized that the defender had overstepped, cut it central, then dribbled diagonally across the field on her left side. Then, she hit an unbelievable shot, driven low to the left corner, slipping it right underneath the goalkeeper. It couldn’t have been a more perfect finish. Both of these goals today made me so excited.”

The goal was the second of the season for the senior midfielder.

“They definitely answered,” said Jaggard of her team’s rally. “We struggle with a game like this with balls bouncing in the air so much. There was so much scrapping and bouncing and we weren’t able to get the ball smoothly rolling on the floor. But they stepped up. Overall, I think we have a good bounce-back mentality. They are fighters and don’t throw-in the towel.

“Taylie Scott did a good job holding the fort down in the back today. She needed a lot of composure with all those bouncing balls and the scrappiness of Master’s in the box.

Kailey Meyer kept us in the game with a couple of really big saves.”

With the win, Westmont finds itself in a tie with Ottawa (Ariz.) (82-1, 2-0-1) for second place in the GSAC standings with seven points

(two points for a win and one for a tie). Vanguard (7-2-2, 3-0) sits atop the standings with nine points.

On Saturday, Westmont will return to Thorrington field as part of Homecoming festivities. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. It will be the first time the Warriors will play on their home field in more than a month.

Ron Smith is the sports information director at Westmont College. email: sports@newspress.com

Westmont cross country runs at Pomona-Pitzer Invitational

By JACOB NORLING WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

On Saturday morning in Claremont, Westmont Men’s and Women’s cross country continued their seasons at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational. The 22nd-ranked men took fifth out of 14 teams, while the 12th-ranked women finished fourth out of 10.

For the women, sophomore Landon Torres ran the finest race of her season, and came in 16th-place with a time of 22:43.1. Behind her, freshman Anne West continued her breakout campaign with a 21st-place finish and a time out of 22:56.4. Coming in a blink after Westmont was sophomore Kari Anema, who finished the race in 22:56.7.

Rounding out Westmont’s top-five was 2020 All-American Madden Hundley, who posted a time of 23:12.9, and 2021

All-American Anneline Breytenbach, who finished in 23:30.5.

As a team, Westmont came in fourth, which was ahead of GSAC-rivals The Master’s, Hope International, and Vanguard.

“The women ran a very solid team race,” said Coach Lindsey Connolly. “Landon Torres led the team and had a phenomenal race, followed closely by Anne and Kari. The women are learning each race and applying what they learn as they move forward.”

For the men, sophomore Zola Sokhela came in eighth-place with a time of 25:24.3, which was faster than any other GSAC school’s competitor. Senior Garrett Miller came in 16th with a time of 25:41.3, while senior Adam King finished with a time of 26.22.1.

Rounding out the men’s top-five was senior Danny Rubin, who finished the race in 26:49.2, and sophomore Rey Laureano, who completed

the race in 28:11.3.

As a team, Westmont’s fifth-place finish was better than GSAC-rivals The Master’s, Vanguard, and Hope International.

“Zola led the way for us,” began Connolly, “and Garrett Miller ran a strong race coming back from being sick. The top-men are making progress through the season, but it was a tough team performance today having a couple from our top-five unable to compete today.”

The Warriors return to action on Oct. 21 at the Titan Invitational, which is their final race before the GSAC Championships on Nov. 5 in Rocklin.

Jacob Norling is the sports information assistant at Westmont College. email: sports@newspress.com

Westmont swimming competes in Rodionoff Invitational

By RON SMITH WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

On Friday and Saturday, Westmont swimming traveled down the coast to the Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool at Pepperdine to compete in the Rodionoff Invitational. The meet included nine schools competing in separate competitions based on school association. In the NAIA competition, Westmont defeated The Master’s 315-268.

The Warrior highlight of the day was the 200 yard freestyle relay. Bailey Lemmon, Olivia Garrison, Emma Diehl and Rian Lewandowski posted a time of 1:38.13 to win the event, which was the best time of the day. Pepperdine won the NCAA Division I event in a time of 1:38.75.

“I saw a lot of potential in freshman Emma Diehl at last

week’s pentathlon, so I put her on all of our ‘A’ relays at this meet,” noted head coach Jill Jones Lin. “She did a great job racing and helping out our relaying today. She also improved all her times from last week. Emma has been working very hard to improve her technique and skill and it’s showing in her results. I’m really excited to see her progress this season.”

Diehl was not the only Warrior to show time improvements.

Lemmon dropped her time in the 100 yard backstroke to 1:03.18 to finish second in the event.

“Bailey had a great anchor leg in the 400 freestyle relay, but was barely out touched by a Master’s swimmer,” reported Jones Lin.

Newcomers to the team also showed improvement over the previous weekend with Leighton Bell and Lauren Healy each recording faster times in the

100 yard freestyle and the 200 yard freestyle. Bell also notched a better time in the 50 yard freestyle while Healy bettered her time in the 500 yard freestyle. Also posting a better mark was McKenzie Rion in the 100 yard freestyle.

Two other freshman that lowered times were Abby Rickard in the 200 yard individual medley and the 100 yard breaststroke as well as Daisy Marquardt in the 100 yard breaststroke.

Ella Chaisson continued to shine in medley events, winning both the 200 yard and 400 yard individual medleys in times of 2:14.23 and 4:41.91 respectively. Both of those times beat the NAIA National Championship provision qualifying time. Marquardt finished second in the 400 yard event.

Chaisson received Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference

Athlete of the Week honors last week after finishing fourth in the PCSC Relays in the distance pentathlon and posting NAIA qualifying times in the 100 yard backstroke (1:01.63) and the 200 yard individual medley relay (2:14.15).

“Overall we had a good meet,” summarized Jones Lin. “We only have a few more weeks until our mid-season taper meet and have some more things to improve before then. I’m hoping they can all stay healthy so we can keep putting in the work in the pool.” Westmont will compete next on October 28-29 at the Westmont Pool in a dual meet with Alaska Fairbanks.

Ron Smith is the sports information director at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com

SBCC finishes top-3 at both WSC #4 and #5

By MICHAEL JORGENSON SBCC SPORTS WRITER

The SBCC women’s golf team took two more top-three finishes at WSC #4 and WSC #5 this week.

WSC #4

The Vaqueros finished in second at WSC #4 on Monday, playing at the neutral Woodley Lakes Golf Course in Van Nuys. SBCC scored a 329 as a team for its fourth second place finish

SB cross country comes home with win at Clovis Invitational

The Santa Barbara High School boys cross country team won the large school race at the Clovis Invitational, anchored by a second place finish from Andreas Dybdahl.

The Dons scorers finished separated by under a minute, with Cainan Birchim finishing 14th, Oliver Levine finishing 28th, Blaise Snow coming in 32nd and Bode Andrulaitis finishing 45th.

“That was a big race on a big stage for Andreas,” said Coach Olivia Perdices. “He told the team yesterday he wanted to get out with the front group and give himself a chance. He was at the back of a chase pack of 4 with 200 meters to go and got to the front of it. Cheruiyot was at the front of the race from the gun and ran strong wire to wire.

The boys as a whole said they wanted the team win over

FRONTERHOUSE, Gerald Wayne

Mr. Jerry Fronterhouse, beloved husband, brother, father of two, grandfather of nine, great-grandfather to four, business leader, and friend to many, passed away peacefully on September 17, 2022, in Dallas, Texas, at the age of 86. He was born in Ada, Oklahoma, on May 22, 1936, went to high school in Oklahoma City, and graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in petroleum engineering.

Upon graduation, he married his college sweetheart, Gretchen, and reported for duty with the United States Navy at Oxnard. After Jerry’s initial time at Oxnard, he was stationed at Key West for two years where his skills were utilized in overseeing the supply chain and logistics of the Naval operations in the region.

Upon successfully completing his duty with the Navy, he attended Harvard Business School and graduated with an MBA in 1962. He and Gretchen moved to Dallas, and he began his career at Republic National Bank, starting as a credit analyst. He advanced through the organization, and eventually became chairman and CEO of RepublicBank Corporation (holding company of Republic National Bank), and its successor First RepublicBank Corp, at its peak the 12th largest bank holding company in the U.S. He also served on the board of directors of numerous public and private companies as well as non-profits (on the board or as a trustee) through the years.

In 2012, Gretchen went home to be with the Lord. Jerry provided great care for her while she was battling pancreatic cancer. He met the second love of his life, Annette Simmons in 2014, the result of some thoughtful matchmaking by a few good friends. They quickly bonded, fell in love, and were married in 2016. He and Annette instantly shared a love of travel, dinners and events with friends, Dallas Cowboy games, and time in California smartly split between Carmel and Montecito. Jerry grew to love Annette’s daughter Amy and her husband Joe. Annette never left Jerry’s side during his short battle with cancer.

His life was marked by action, engagement, service, hard work, great friendships, love for family. He was always characterized by optimism, a broad smile and a hearty laugh, and always leaned into what was next.

Jerry’s death was preceded by the deaths of his wife of 53 years, Gretchen Gover Fronterhouse, his parents, Victor and Austa Fronterhouse, and his older brother, Bill Fronterhouse.

He is survived by his wife, Annette Caldwell Simmons; and her children, Amy Simmons Crafton and her husband Joe Crafton, Andy Fleck, his wife; and two grandchildren; his brother, Don Fronterhouse; his daughter, Jenny Fronterhouse Larsen and her husband David; his son, Jeff Fronterhouse and his wife Elizabeth; his grandchildren, Brant, Lindsey (and her husband Will Wade), Lauren, Blake, and Laney (and her husband Nicholas Kinnear), Carson (and his wife Katie), Hayden, Alex (and his wife Sarah Kate), and Kara, and four great-grandchildren.

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

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to

in three competitions to start the year.

Carlee Steven was a -1 on the par-76 course, shooting a 75 to claim second place for the second time this year. Josephine Fletcher tied for fourth in an impressive performance as she scored a 78 in by far the best performance so far in her freshman season.

Megan Duncan (84) and Emily Ruiz (92) rounded out the Vaquero lineup.

WSC #5

Competing in WSC #5 at Antelope Valley

SPORTS ROUNDUP

anything else today. To a man they talked about it not really mattering what the time or order was, they just wanted to race well and put up less points than anyone else. It makes it really gratifying when they bring that attitude to the line and deliver on it.”

Santa Barbara’s girls team finished 30th at the event, led by Mackenna Show and Ridley DeSoto.

Pair of top ten finishes for DP cross country at Clovis Invitational

The Dos Pueblos High School cross country teams took part in the Clovis Invitational on Saturday in Fresno, with the boys team finishing ninth out of 37 teams and the girls managing a tenth place finish out of 33.

For the boys, sophomore Eamon Gordon finished in fourth followed by seniors Tyler Jamieson, Luciani Korshec and Orlando Ye and junior Dominic Corral.

“Eamon Gordon ran another aggressive race up front for the whole race. Tyler Jamieson demonstrated incredible drive through the 2nd mile as he picked off over 50 runners, putting himself in a final mile dogfight; surging and moving through the course,” said boys Coach David Jackson. ”Luciani Koroshek ran in just his third race of the season, and is sharpening his skills. He moved from 103rd at the mile to 56th at the end. He keeps moving up our pack, and he may do that next time.

Dominic Corral continued to show terrific focus by staying close to our fourth runner, and refusing to let go. Because of his

CC on Wednesday, the Vaqueros finished in third place as a team with a score of 369.

Steven once again led the way, carding an 81 to tie for fourth place. Fletcher (93) and Duncan (94) finished one stroke apart, and Ruiz shot a 101.

Michael Jorgenson works in communications/ media relations at Santa Barbara City College. email: sports@newspress.com

determination, our pack time was an improvement on our last race.”

For the girls team, senior Phoebe Wolfe Lyons was the school’s top finisher, followed by senior Ellie Gleason, junior Sophie Saleh, sophomore Quinn Gleason and freshman Cate Bishop.

Phoebe Wolfe Lyons executed a really good race as she has become so good at doing. There were 227 runners so the start was crowded. She managed it well and passed 30 runners mid-race and was still able to get 5 more in the last mile,” said girls Coach Micks Purnell. “Quinn Gleason came back from a tough experience last week at the league meet to be our 4th scoring runner. Cate Bishop, who was planned to run in the Frosh-Soph race, took the place of a varsity runner who was sick. She went out a little fast but held together well to get a great time and be our 5th scorer.

Dos Pueblos’ next races will be at the Dos Pueblos Invitational on Saturday. The first event is set to start at 10 a.m.

was the top finisher, coming in eighth, followed by Kiala Haas in 11th.

Finishing first for the boys was Ben Callanan in 14th place. He was followed by Leland Sutter, Ayden Welch, Jared Simms and Andrew Robillo.

“I am happy we were able to experience such a difficult course,” said Hantgin. “The heat and terrain definitely added extra adversity, but the Royals were able to work through the pain and compete with a strong field of runners.

Dos Pueblos football takes loss against San Marcos

The Dos Pueblos High School football team faced off against San Marcos on Friday, with San Marcos coming away with the 3414 victory.

San Marcos was the only team to score in the first three quarters of the game, scoring all 34 of their points before the Dos Pueblos offense found the endzone.

The San Marcos High cross country team took part in the Santa Clarita Invitational on Saturday.

“This course was very challenging. There were lots of steep hills that challenged us throughout the race,” said Coach Marilyn Hantgin. “This is the first race that we have run this season with this kind of terrain. I think our team handled it very well and I know it will give us confidence as we get ready to run at Mt. SAC.”

For the girls team, Shaina King

Dos Pueblos got on the board in the fourth quarter, scoring on a pair of short runs by senior running back David Buso. Buso also stood on defense, leading the team with 11 tackles.

Dos Pueblos quarterback Ryan Marsh was 17 for 30 with 189 passing yards. Wide receiver Cairo Rios saw the majority of the action, making 11 catches for 123 yards.

Dos Pueblos’ final two games of the season will come on the road against Santa Barbara and Rio Mesa. The team now has a league record of 1-5, with an overall record of 3-5.

SM cross country competes in Santa Clarita Invitational

e zoo and a job she loved

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Nancy

McToldridge’s love for animals led her to the Santa Barbara Zoo when she was 28.

Her love for all creatures great and small also led her to work at the zoo for 40 years.

At the end of September, the longtime director of the Santa Barbara Zoo retired —

with a good feeling about the zoo’s accomplishments and an appreciation for the co-workers who became part of her life.

She began her career at the Ohio State Parks as an interpretive naturalist, where she discovered her passion for connecting people with nature.

Following this passion led her to volunteer as a docent at the Columbus Zoo.

She moved to Santa Barbara in 1982 after accepting the position

of education curator. She was promoted to assistant director in 1989, chief operating officer in 1999 and zoo director in 2007.

The zoo recently celebrated its shared history with Ms. McToldridge and the accomplishments made for wildlife conservation and by people working to help endangered species and members of the local and global communities.

“Nothing is ever accomplished

in a vacuum so I can’t say I accomplished anything by myself,” Ms. McToldridge told the News-Press. “I had the opportunity to work with visionary leaders and dedicated people who wanted to see the zoo develop as a fantastic community resource and a significant conservation and educational organization.”

“One of the benefits is the culture we have created,” she continued. “We have a wonderful

Chumash Culture Day returns for 16th year

cause and every person that works there is important to and a part of the cause.

“My mantra was always to have fun: If it’s not fun it’s not worth doing. We had fun.

“When you work at the zoo you work together as a team, and we get to know each other as people,” she said. “When I started, we had 13 full-time employees, and we have grown to over 100 fulltime employees. We have really worked to keep the small family

By MATT SMOLENSKY NEWS-PRESS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The 16th annual Chumash Culture Day will take place Oct. 15 at Elders Park, located behind the Tribal Hall on the Santa Ynez Indian Reservation, 100 Via Juana Lane.

The free event will feature Native American singing, dancing, food and games and is open to members of the public of all ages. Also on hand will be arts and crafts vendors, food booths and basket-making demonstrations.

“After two years of streaming our annual event online, we are excited to welcome everyone back to our reservation for Chumash Culture Day,” said Nakia Zavalla, culture director of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

“It’s always meaningful to engage in traditional songs, dance and culture with fellow Californiabased tribes and members of the

feeling amongst staff despite the growth.”

The News-Press asked Ms. McToldridge to describe what she is most proud of accomplishing.

“When I started at the zoo, there was a fabulous program called the zoo camp, and we have continued growing the program,” Ms. McToldridge said. “It has become the basis of an outstanding education program. We have

public as well.”

The event is set to begin with an opening prayer at 1 p.m., followed by the honoring of elders.

California-style Native American singing and dancing will take place from 2-5 p.m. and again following dinner from 6-9 p.m.

A traditional handgame tournament will also be held, with competing for cash prizes beginning at 5 p.m. The first place team will receive $1,000, while second and third places are good for $750 and $500, respectively.

Chumash Culture Day is sponsored by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ Culture Department and the Tribal Elders Council, a division of tribal government responsible for maintaining the tribe’s heritage, history and traditions.

For more information, call Tribal Administration at 805-6887997.

msmolensky@newspress.com

Santa Barbara Zoo director Nancy McToldridge retires after 40 years of work she found fun

KENNETH SONG/ NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

“ I would like to thank the community for everything they have done for the zoo,” said Nancy McToldridge, who retired as the Santa Barbara Zoo director after 40 years of service.

Sewer pipe artisans create masterpieces

C.sends

me this wonderful figure of a ram — and wonders what it is, and what it was used for, and who made it.

It is of clay, glazed in brown and primitive looking. He suspects it is a sewer tile, and he is right. So what is a sewer tile? Was it meant to cap a sewer?

No, it was the work of artists who made those

underground clay sewer pipe conduits, but, after hours, they designed wonderful figures and often competed with one another to outshine their fellow potters.

Because at heart, they were clay artists. These were made as gifts to family members by clay workers.

This work was done by ceramic artists after hours, who worked in the Midwest or Northeast clay sewer pipe factories, and they did these whimsical designs for fun. Today they can sell for quite a few bucks, because they are rare and speak so strongly of American Folk Art.

These figures originated from the clay sewer lines being made — historically speaking — in England in 1810. The tradition of potters making clay sewer pipes came to the U.S. from Scotland, when John Johnson noticed that clay was great for agricultural sewer lines, and brought the idea to his relative’s farm in upstate New York.

Potters worked in these factories making clay pipes, but they were also artists of a kind. Described today as Americana folk artists, they fashioned figures built upon the round sections of the clay pipes either horizontally or vertically, adding molded figures and sometimes hand built clay figures in the shapes of dogs, crows, lions, sheep, owls, eagles, frogs, groundhogs, baseball players, and as we see — rams.

Jack E Anderson wrote the book in 1973 called the “Illustrated handbook of Ohio Sewer Pipe Folk Art.” C. should look into this book, as his ram is in there.

We can see these figures of

all manner, selling at auction (Garth’s Auctions in Ohio sells these well) for up to $2,000.

These were made in factories that by day produced clay sewer lines and by night clay figurines for personal gifting purposes in factories in Ohio; St. Louis; Red Wing, Minn., and throughout Illinois and Indiana from 18801900, and into the 1950s in some areas where clay pipes for sewers were still being made.

The history of these sewer pipe figures is commensurate with the history of drainage. Sewers in the Indus Valley in 2,500 BC were made of brick and mortar by the Persians, Macedonians and Minoans. Then the Greeks and Romans created sewer systems of brick and stone.

Oh, the Middle Ages? Sanitation was not so important, and it was not until the 1900 that sanitation became an issue because of urbanization.

Philadelphia was the first city to realize the problem, and it developed a sanitation system of wood pipes, in the stave style or in the hollowed out log style, but then soon turned to clay pipes made of vitrified clay ( clay with salt). Only major cities could afford such technology, or cities that were close to clay deposits.

Some of our cities in the U.S. still contain vestiges of the old wooden pipe system, such as Spokane, Wash., which found wooden pipes in use in 2018.

The journey to clay was long, as many cities replaced wood pipes with cast iron pipes, but by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, clay pipes were preferred. And therefore, the clay sewer pipe figures began

Pumpkin

to be made by itinerant potters working in those factories. These figures were made from molds or hand applied to clay pipes of Redware or Stoneware clays.

When the kilns closed due to new technology in sewer systems in the mid-20th century, those itinerant potters began to work for factories that made clay pipes for agricultural systems.

Therefore, farm animals were a favorite subject for sewer tiles.

In England, there was a tradition in the late 19th century of clay workers making primitive looking figures in the region of England called Staffordshire.

Influenced by those figures, American potters who worked in factories that made agricultural clay pipes crafted figures resembling Staffordshire figures. But they made them larger, using hand modeling or hand casting to create wonderful figures.

We can see the tradition called combing on C.’s figure of a ram, where the coat of the ram looks realistic. Figures were often simply glazed in salt glaze of a shiny brown, and some of these figures are signed.

I put the value at $1,500.

Dr. Elizabeth Stewart’s “Ask the Gold Digger” column appears Mondays in the News-Press.

Written after her father’s COVID-19 diagnosis, Dr. Stewart’s book “My Darlin’ Quarantine: Intimate Connections Created in Chaos” is a humorous collection of five “what-if” short stories that end in personal triumphs over present-day constrictions. It’s available at Chaucer’s in Santa Barbara.

Advocate works to support inclusive programming in Isla Vista

By MATT SMOLENSKY NEWS-PRESS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

More than a year ago, the Isla Vista Community Services District partnered with Momentum WORK Inc., a local nonprofit working to provide employment and vocational opportunities to individuals with disabilities, to take on a community engagement intern and accessibility advocate.

The result of the collaboration was the hiring of Sophia LeePark, facilitated by Jake Lowry, Momentum’s individual employment services coordinator.

Since then, Ms. Lee-Park and Sydney Casler, the district’s community engagement director, have worked to ensure Isla Vista and surrounding communities have access to resources for people with disabilities to thrive and participate in community affairs.

As someone with first-hand experiences of living with disabilities, Ms. Lee-Park said she is highly motivated to ensure that others with disabilities are aware of their potential to be valuable contributing members of society and are given leadership opportunities.

In furtherance of this goal, she compiled a comprehensive list of

community resources for disabled residents and their families on the Isla Vista district’s website.

Resources include transportation services, life skills or independent living support, community wellness, adaptive recreation, housing services and emergency preparedness direction.

“One of the most rewarding parts of my position is that I get to reassure disabled residents of all ages that they are valuable and knowledgeable contributors in their community.

I love that I can use their knowledge to ensure tangible progress in real-time,” said Ms. Lee-Park.

She also said that through access to leadership opportunities, disabled community members can help local governments ensure that their concerns are continuously included in the conversation.

It is Ms. Lee-Park’s hope that her position, and others like it, become a permanent feature of the IVCSD and that the idea spreads to communities throughout Santa Barbara County.

Through her internship, Ms. Lee Park said she has grown her understanding of the challenges and benefits of navigating California’s and Santa Barbara’s community programs, and she

hopes to help residents living with disabilities and other marginalized groups feel empowered.

“I commend the IVSCD for being municipal leaders in our County in providing valuable and necessary information for its residents with disabilities and their families,” said Mr. Lowry. “It is critical for the disability community to have easily accessible resource guides at their disposal to participate in California’s many life-changing social programs and gain support to enter the workforce or receive care in the comfort of their own homes. As Sophia has demonstrated, these programs are truly an investment in the future and have a tremendously positive impact on the community at large.”

“Working alongside Sophia, I have immense gratitude for the efforts she puts forth to ensure people are educated and have a deeper understanding of dignityinfused community engagement,” said Mr. Casler. “I will continue to advocate for other municipalities to take inspiration from the importance of this work. I’m excited to see all that Sophia will continue to accomplish.”

email: msmolensky@newspress. com

DIRECTOR

Continued from Page B1

zoo school centered around

a

students meeting their

education needs. The zoo is

autism center and a licensed preschool known as ‘Early Explorers.’”

Ms. McToldridge also talked about what she has learned in her 40 years at the zoo.

“I’ve learned so much. I was 28 when I came to the zoo,” she said. “I learned from everybody, especially my two bosses. I’ve learned from all my co-workers. I’ve learned about people, business and management and how it all works together in the zoo business. I would like to thank the community for everything they

FYI

In recognition of retiring Santa Barbara Zoo Director Nancy H. McToldridge’s 40 years of service, the zoo has established the Nancy H. McToldridge Zoo Camp Scholarship Fund. To make an inaugural gift and help send a child to camp in honor of Ms. McToldridge go to sbzoo.pivvit. com/mctoldridge-scholarship.

have done for the zoo.”

As Ms. McToldridge retires, her position as zoo director is being dissolved and her responsibilities are being distributed by Rich Block, president and CEO and other members of the management team.

But she leaves behind a legacy, and she spoke about what she

hoped that would be.

“It’s the culture for the people who make great things happen at the zoo. I hope I have helped build a foundation that rewards people for their work and what they do not just monetarily or with benefits but with a sense of accomplishment and that they have done good in the world.

“I came to work at the zoo because I love animals, and I love working with the animals, making their lives better and contributing to conservation efforts,” she said. “I leave with an even greater appreciation of the two legged primates — the people. I had never imagined I would get such satisfaction and joy from my coworkers.”

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.

COURTESY PHOTO

This ram is an example of a sculpture made by clay artists who made underground sewer pipe conduits

KENNETH SONG/ NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

“I came to work at the zoo because I love animals, and I love working with the animals, making their lives better and contributing to conservation efforts,” said Nancy McToldridge, who worked at the Santa Barbara Zoo from 1982 until her retirement at the end of September.

Diversions

Aries: A rush of creative inspiration could take you temporarily away from your social life today, Aries. At some point you could be working as if there were no tomorrow, perhaps worrying that you will forget it if you don’t get it all down now. It’s no use telling you to slow down.

Taurus: A small impromptu party may take place at your house today when some unexpected but welcome visitors turn up at your door. Follow current protocol.

Expect the conversation to alternate between lots of laughs and discussion of some pretty serious subjects. The gathering could continue well into the night if you let it, but don’t let it continue past the point of enjoyment.

Gemini: Is a new neighbor moving in nearby, Gemini? This person could come from a very interesting locale, so you might want to get to know him or her. Don’t expect to be able to do this today. This person may be in and out throughout the afternoon and too busy with settling in. Drop some cookies off some time over the next few days, however.

Cancer: Have you been spending too much lately, Cancer? Today you could be feeling the effects of it. You may have to wait to make a purchase that you’ve wanted for a long time, and this could be frustrating. Don’t worry about it, though. You will get through this unscathed, and the item will still be in the store when you have money again. Relax.

Leo: Your sweetheart may seem upset today and unlikely to want to talk about it, Leo. This could prove frustrating for you since you don’t like to be kept in the dark. Take care to avoid giving in to the temptation to push. This won’t make your partner any more likely to share, and it could drive a wedge between you.

Virgo: Vague aches and pains could have you feeling a little under the weather, Virgo. You may not be able to discern why you have these pains, since there’s no apparent reason. Don’t assume the worst. Your condition is probably just due to a little intensified nerve strain and extra stress. Take it easy and relax today. Go back to your usual routine tomorrow.

Libra: Expect some delays, upsets, and unexpected turns

when it comes to romance today, Libra. Jealousy may rear its ugly head, as you may at some point get the impression that your beloved is noticing someone else. Bear in mind that there’s a strong chance that these impressions are illusory, and that the truth may be totally different from the way things seem.

Scorpio: Changes may be taking place on the home front, Scorpio, perhaps unexpected repairs or someone moving in or out. Your household could seem frenetic and disorganized until the dust settles, which doesn’t sit well with your love of peace and quiet. Whatever needs to be done is best accomplished one step at a time, with your mind focused on the results.

Sagittarius: An unexpected and perhaps not altogether welcome call could come your way today, Sagittarius. It could come from someone you don’t particularly care for or someone who has some disconcerting news to report. Whichever it is, you will probably just have to deal with it.

Capricorn: Worries about money that may have preoccupied you for the past day or so could prove unfounded, Capricorn. This should come as a real relief to you, although it may be difficult to grasp at first. Your mind is still getting in the way of accepting it. Go over your correspondence and bank records as many times as you want. The answer should be the same - all is better than you thought.

Aquarius: A temporary separation from your romantic partner could have you agitated, Aquarius. Are you worried that your friend has forgotten you? This is probably an overreaction, but your insecurities are getting the better of you. Find a distraction. Have faith. Phone calls from your friend should prove reassuring.

Pisces: Are things getting a little bit crazy, Pisces? Too many tasks and too many people vying for your attention could have your nerves stretched as taut as violin strings. Try to get outside for a while. Treat yourself to a nice takeout lunch or do a little online shopping. Take a good long nap. Whatever seems so urgent isn’t worth sacrificing your peace of mind.

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.

By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

PUZZLE

THATSCRAMBL

Classified

Celebrating Stearns Wharf

Newsom calls special session in December to weigh windfall tax on oil companies

By MADISON HIRNEISEN THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling a special session on Dec. 5 for lawmakers to discuss a proposed windfall tax on oil companies, a move that he says will address “greed,” but admitting it could face legal scrutiny.

Gov. Newsom proposed a new tax on the excess profits of oil companies last week, announcing that he wants to deliver refunds or rebates back to taxpayers who have been “fleeced” by companies engaging in “gouging.” Under Gov. Newsom’s proposal, companies who are involved in extracting, producing and refining oil will pay a higher tax rate on earnings over a certain amount. The “recouped windfall profits” would be directed to taxpayer refunds, his office said last week.

The Legislature is already set to reconvene on Dec. 5, but Gov. Newsom announced Friday he is calling a special session upon lawmakers’ return to Sacramento to urgently address his proposal.

“We’re gonna get the money back that they’ve been gouging and taking from the pockets of hard-working Californians,” Gov. Newsom told reporters on Friday.

Gov. Newsom’s announcement comes as gas prices have reached near-record levels in the Golden State over the last week, spiking to $2.50 over the national average. Experts say the latest surge in California gas prices is due to a supply chain crisis caused by refineries shutting down last month, but Gov. Newsom asserted Friday that the high prices are due to gouging.

The announcement also came the same day the state began distributing $9.5 billion worth of rebates to millions of Californians

Gov. Newsom proposed a new tax on the excess profits of oil companies last week, announcing that he wants to deliver refunds or rebates back to taxpayers who have been “fleeced” by companies engaging in “gouging.”

meant to provide relief to high prices residents continue to face. Gov. Newsom’s office estimates that 23 million taxpayers will benefit from the rebates, who qualify for a payment ranging from $200 to $1,050 depending on income and dependents.

The governor told reporters Friday that he wants to take a “similar approach” to deliver refunds from the windfall tax as the state did with the current rebate.

Critics of Gov. Newsom’s windfall tax proposal asserted that it could actually cause prices to spike even higher in the Golden State. California Taxpayers Association President Robert Gutierrez said in a statement last week that “another tax increase that makes the production process more expensive would result in even higher prices for drivers.”

The special session will occur nearly a month after the Nov. 8 election, when more than two dozen new lawmakers will join the Legislature following many members announcing they are either retiring or not seeking re-election, as reported by CalMatters.

When asked about the decision to wait until after the election to call the special session, Gov. Newsom told reporters that he is taking time to work with leading lawmakers to get the

proposal in order. The governor acknowledged Friday that oil companies will likely respond with litigation to the proposal, noting he is working with lawmakers to weigh “legal options.”

“As stated last week, a solution that takes excessive profits out of the hands of oil corporations and puts money back into the hands of consumers deserves strong consideration by the Legislature,” Assemblymember Atkins and Sen. Rendon said.

The governor’s call for a special session was met with criticism by some Republican lawmakers Friday, many of whom have tried unsuccessfully to suspend the state’s gas tax in response to high prices.

“Newsom is calling a Special Session of the Legislature for the sole purpose of raising taxes. Parody and reality have become indistinguishable,” Assemblymember Kevin Kiley tweeted.

KENNETH

Fireworks burst over Stearns Wharf during the 150th anniversary celebration of the iconic Santa Barbara structure.

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins released a joint statement in response to Gov. Newsom’s special session announcement, saying they “look forward to examining the Governor’s detailed proposal when we receive it.”