Santa Barbara News-Press: November 21, 2022

Celebrating Brazilian culture

Santa Barbara festival features music, dancing, cuisine

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Brazilian Cultural Arts Center of Santa Barbara

The free Santa Barbara event featured live music, dancers, Brazilian cuisine and more throughout the day at De la Guerra Plaza and nearby Casa de la Guerra.

“It is our third year and our first year in a bigger venue, bringing this to the whole community on a larger scale. We decided recently to go bigger and do something in the park to gather community members and bring Brazilian joy to the community,” said Mariano Silva, CEO of the Brazilian arts center. Mr. Silva is also a professor of Brazilian dance at UCSB. This event was an opportunity for the entire Santa Barbara community to enjoy the vibrant culture of Brazil.

Mr. Silva talked about what makes that culture distinctive.

“I would say we are extroverts,” he told the News-Press. “We are very welcoming. It is one of the main characteristics of the culture. We are always trying to learn from others and celebrate with everyone.

“What is unique is that we are always open to adjust, to learn and to celebrate,” he continued. “The sense of community is distinctive in Brazil and includes everybody. We like to make a place of diversity become unity. I want to learn from you and celebrate diversity.

“If you don’t look like me, you have something to teach me. That is special about Brazilian culture. We are embracing, and community is the most important part.”

Brazilian Day Santa Barbara featured nonstop entertainment at De la Guerra Plaza and Casa de la Guerra, which included Brazilian bands, dance classes for the community, the Kids Fun Zone, workshops and performances, Samba dancers, the Carnaval Parade, the Brazilian Bikini Fashion Show, local vendors, Brazilian Food and Oakberry acai, a beer garden featuring local brews and a bar offering tropical Brazilian cocktails.

‘it’s just embarrassing’

Natural Cafe owner steps up criticism of State Street Promenade

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The owner of The Natural Cafe on Sunday stepped up his criticism of conditions on lower State Street – citing vagrants, rats, speeding skateboarders and bike riders, the overall “dirtiness” and the “cheap-looking” outdoor dining parklets lining the downtown promenade – even while reaffirming his decision to leave by the end of March.

Natural Cafe owner Kelly Brown told the News-Press that it’s time for city leaders to show some courage and turn things around before it’s too late.

“What it requires is strong leadership, not kicking the can down the road and avoiding the issues,” Mr. Brown said. “It requires out-of-the-box thinking on how you get people downtown. It requires a vision of greatness and how to get there.

“If you can’t honestly identify the issues downtown, if you want to sweep things under the rug, they’ll never get fixed. It’s going to get worse.”

He said he met with other business owners Thursday at a Downtown Santa Barbara food and beverage committee meeting, and they said nothing to get him to change his mind about closing his restaurant at 508 State St., a 30year downtown fixture.

“It was hilarious,” he said. “I would have preferred to not even go there. All they wanted to talk about was rats. They were laughing that they don’t exist” because the city has a rodent abatement program.

“The reason they have that (program) is because of the rats downtown,” he said.

Because the city is not allowed to poison the rats and uses rat bait instead, only one rat can be trapped at time, he noted. “Once one is stuck in there, no one else is going in there. And they only clean it once a week.”

Besides, he said, “there’s so much food out there” already from scraps dropped from parklet tables that the rats “don’t need the bait anymore.”

He said the rats are nocturnal creatures that don’t come out until the early morning – from around 2-6 a.m. – after the vagrants “all have their money” from panhandling during the day and disappear for the night.

Mr. Brown said downtown State Street “looks great” at night because “it’s dark and all lit up” by open bar signs, and people can’t see how dirty it really is. “It’s a bar zone,” he said. “Instead of the Funk Zone down by the beach, we’re in the drunk zone.”

He also blasted the “cheap look” of the outside dining parklets. “It’s still a wood box on State Street, in front of beautiful buildings. It’s so third world cheesy I can’t believe it.

“I’m not anti-parklet. I’m anti s****y parklet. If you want to do this, do it first class, Santa Barbara style, not something hokey-jokey and trashy looking” with their extension cords and cheap lighting.

He said that downtown restaurants are struggling just to stay in business.

Lunch-hour dining has pretty much evaporated, he said. People seen eating outside give the

see PROMENADE on A4

Holiday events planned for Downtown SB

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Downtown Organization of Santa Barbara has announced its series of holiday happenings under the banner “Downtown Santa Barbara: Season of Cheer.”

The group is urging all Santa Barbara residents to mark their calendars and join them for one or more of these events in November and December.

All activities are free unless noted.

This year’s event series is presented by Consumer Fire Products, Inc (CFPI), a longtime supporter of Downtown Santa Barbara’s holiday events. They have sponsored the Holiday Parade, Christmas Tree installation and other holiday activations for the past nine years.

“We are thrilled to partner with Downtown SB for yet another year of fun holiday events,” said Irene

Rhodes, CEO of CFPI. “Giving back to the community brings us a lot of joy, and we can’t wait to see people young and old take part in this year’s celebrations. CFPI wishes everybody a wonderful holiday season!”

Montecito Bank and Trust is a supporting sponsor.

The Season of Cheer festivities kick off with a free Candlelight Concert Series each Wednesday through Dec. 14 (with the exception of Nov. 23). Those attending will have the opportunity to enjoy live entertainment surrounded by holiday candles on the steps of the historic Santa Barbara Museum of Art from 5-7 pm.

Attendees can grab a delicious meal from one of the many nearby restaurants or a beverage at Mosaic Locale (Draughtsmen Aleworks, Old Town Coffee, Buena

Please see EVENTS on A2

COURTESY PHOTO

Kelly Brown

Please

brought back the Brazilian Day Festival on Saturday.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

Santa Cruz-based band SambaDá performs a live performance at De La Guerra Plaza during the Brazilian Day Festival in Santa Barbara on Saturday.

Dancers pose with young fans during the celebration.

Bounty of the sea

Downtown SB to mark the holidays with series of special events

5-8 p.m. The Art Walk is free and open to the entire community.

3.50%

Onda Empanadas), where $2 will be taken off beer and wine from 5 p.m. until close and $1 off orders of three empanadas or more.

Free seating will be provided. Full concert details are available at https://www.downtownsb.org/ events/downtownlive.

The Season of Cheer series continues with additional events.

The First Thursday Art Walk will be hosting an open-air Holiday Market as well as more than 20 business and gallery venues with live music, art and wine on Thursday, Dec. 1, from

The following day, Friday, Dec. 2, from 5-8 p.m., a Christmas Tree Lighting & Block Party “Winter Wonderland” will be held on the 1300 block of State Street (near the Arlington Theatre) including a Santa meet and greet, live music with DJ Darla Bea, performances by the San Marcos High School Band and more. The event is free and open to the entire community.

The winner of the annual Prince & Fairy Art Contest held last Thursday as part of the “Friendsgiving Rock the Block Party” will get the privilege of lighting the annual Christmas Tree, which is once again

donated from Consumer Fire Products, Inc. and sourced from a sustainable farm in Oregon.

Among the final celebrations of the season is a Downtown Community Holiday Mixer at Broad Street Oyster Company (418 State St.) on Monday, Dec. 13, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The $25 ticket price includes a drink and appetizers.

On Saturday, Dec. 17, from noon to 3 p.m. attendees can enjoy a free Big Brass Tuba Christmas concert in Storke Placita (between 722-724 State St.) and the Youth Makers Market on the same block.

Holiday lights and décor will be up from thanksgiving through Jan. 1.

A Shop Local holiday gift guide

will be released, with the goal of helping people find unique gifts. Visit www.downtownsb.org for full details.

Downtown Santa Barbara serves as the champion and advocate for the stakeholders of historic Downtown Santa Barbara, with more than 1,400 members. It also manages the Downtown Santa Barbara Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), working to create a vibrant place for visitors, investors and residents. For more information about the organization’s programs, events and a directory of downtown businesses, visit www. DowntownSB.org.

email: nhartstein@newspress.com

California’s jobless rate rises to 4.0% as employers hire 56,700

By SETH SANDRONSKY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - California’s unemployment rate increased to 4.0% in October versus a revised 3.8% in September, according to the state Employment Development Department. California gets its employment data from a federal survey of 5,100 households.

Meanwhile, California employers added 56,700 nonfarm payroll jobs in October versus a revised gain of 5,300 new hires in September, according to data from a federal survey of 80,000 California businesses.

In the U.S., employer payrolls added 261,000 jobs in October compared with 263,000 in September, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, the national jobless rate rose to 3.7% in October compared with September’s 3.5%.

Unemployment rates rose in 24 states in October, dipped in 1 state, and stabilized in 25 states, plus the District of Columbia, the BLS reported. Consider the state-by-state numbers from a year ago. “Thirty-nine states and the District had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier, 1 state had an increase, and 10 states had little change.”

Back in California, eight of its industry sectors had growth of nonfarm payroll jobs in October compared with five of 11 in September. In October, education and health care employers led the way with 16,800 new hires versus September’s 15,000.

Professional and business services had the next strongest job growth with 16,400 new hires in October versus 800 job gains in September, according to the state EDD. This sector’s hiring boom, in part, came from strong demand for accounting, tax prep and bookkeeping services.

Government employment lost 8,700 payroll jobs in October versus a decline of 16,100 in September, the EDD reported. State government hiring fell for the third straight month. Local government payrolls shed jobs for the second consecutive month.

There were 100 fewer farm jobs in October from September. The ongoing lack of rain is hammering California’s farm sector.

California’s 58 counties reflected uneven unemployment rates in October, an ongoing trend in the Golden State. High-density urban coastal counties had far lower jobless rates, for example, than did inland areas. For instance, a state-leading low unemployment rate of 2.0% in San Mateo County south of San Francisco compared with a high of 16.2% in Imperial County east of San Diego, according to the EDD’s preliminary and not seasonally adjusted labor force data.

Send address changes to the Santa Barbara News-Press, P.O. Box 1359, Santa Barbara, CA 93102. Published daily, 365 days per year.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Shoppers browse jewelry crafted by locally-based Crystal’s Fused Glass Art and Jewelry during the Santa Barbara Sea Glass & Ocean Arts Festival at the Carpinteria Arts Center on Saturday.

Jewelry sold by locally-based Kim & Pam Korinke’s K & K Sales are offered to shoppers.

AGs demand health-care worker COVID vaccine mandate ends

By STEVE BITTENBENDER THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Attorneys general from 22 states are urging the Biden Administration to end its mandate requiring health-care workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine if they’re employed by operators receiving Medicare and Medicaid funding.

The 37-page petition was filed Thursday under the Administrative Procedure Act. It calls on the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to do away with a rule that went into effect more than a year ago.

At that time, federal officials said the vaccine mandate was necessary to protect the health of workers, patients, residents and others.

However, the attorneys general say CMS exceeded its authority when it made the rule. They claim the mandate violates the spending clause of the U.S. Constitution, which threatens

states from receiving essential funding if they do not comply with the rule.

In Kentucky, for example, the state received more than $12 billion in Medicare and Medicaid funding from the federal government, which equals more than a quarter of the state’s budget.

Further, the attorneys general argue there was no conclusive data at that time that the vaccines would prevent COVID-19 from spreading.

“Indeed, fully vaccinated individuals contracted and transmitted COVID-19,” the petition states. “That trend has continued – even with the introduction of first-generation boosters and the new, bivalent Omicron booster. This data merely confirms what CMS should have known in November 2021 – full vaccination doesn’t prevent infection or transmission.”

Instead, they claim the vaccines have enhanced health risks among “normally healthy” people and that mandating

vaccinations has been a “flawed” policy.

The petition also cites a New York state court ruling last month for 16 New York City sanitation workers who were fired because they did not get the vaccine.

As a result of the vaccine mandate, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said healthcare facilities have seen massive staffing shortages that put people at risk of losing access to the care they need.

“Lifting the CMS vaccine mandate would allow healthcare facilities to rehire healthcare workers who left the industry due to the mandate and alleviate the burnout so many existing healthcare workers are experiencing,” he added.

Other states represented in the petition include Arizona, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.

Abbott tells Biden he’s ‘in violation of U.S. constitution’ for failing to secure southern border

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – While Gov. Greg Abbott has yet to issue a formal invasion declaration, on Wednesday he took what many believe was the most significant step toward doing so.

Gov. Abbott sent a letter to President Joe Biden saying Texas was “escalating” its border security efforts and invoking “Article I, § 10, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, thereby enabling the State of Texas to protect its own territory against invasion by the Mexican drug cartels.”

The Texas governor also said that by the president “opening our border to this record-breaking level of illegal immigration, you and your Administration are in violation of Article IV, § 4 of the U.S. Constitution. Your sustained dereliction of duty compels Texas to invoke the powers reserved in Article I, § 10, Clause 3, which represents ‘an acknowledgement of the States’ sovereign interest in protecting their borders,’” citing Justice Antonin Scalia in Arizona v. US.

Gov. Abbott also said the nation’s founders knew a future president might abandon his constitutional duty. He writes, “Know this: Article I, § 10, Clause 3 is not just excess verbiage. It reflects an understanding by our Founders, the authors of the Constitution, that some future President might abandon his obligation to safeguard the States from an extraordinary inflow of people who have no legal right of entry.

“They foresaw your failures. In the more than 240 years of our great nation, no Administration has done more than yours to place the States in ‘imminent Danger’ – a direct result of your policy decisions and refusal to deliver on the Article IV, § 4 guarantee.

In the absence of action by your Administration to secure the border, every act by Texas officials is taken pursuant to the authority that the Founders recognized in Article I, § 10, Clause 3.”

Gov. Abbott also vowed that Texas would “escalate our efforts to repel and turn back any immigrant who seeks to enter our State at a border crossing that Congress has designated as illegal; to return to the border those who do cross illegally; and to arrest criminals who violate Texas law.”

His letter reiterates claims from his July 7 executive order first citing his constitutional authority to secure the Texas border. In it, he directed the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest illegal foreign nationals for state crimes and apprehend those who enter Texas illegally in-between ports of entry and return them to ports of entry.

Until he changes the order’s directive, officers working through the state’s border security mission, Operation Lone Star, will continue to apprehend illegal foreign nationals in a supportive capacity to U.S. Border Patrol agents.

Since July 5, Gov. Abbott has been urged by county judges to use his full constitutional authority to formally declare an invasion and repel it, including preventing entry into Texas and removing those illegally in Texas back to Mexico. In a letter to judges on Monday, Gov. Abbott referred to his July 7 order and the unprecedented measures Texas has taken to secure its border and to a letter he sent TMD and DPS heads “to defend Texas against what amounts to an invasion of America’s southern border.”

If Texas does formally declare an invasion, it would be the first to

do so in over 100 years. Tennessee and Georgia invoked the same constitutional clause, known as the Compact Clause, when it asked the federal government for aid during the War of 1812 and received it during the Creek War of 1813 and 1814. An injured soldier and survivor of the war, Sam Houston, would nearly 50 years later, as Texas’ most famous governor, call on the federal government for aid to “repel invasion.”

In February and March of 1860, Mr. Houston wrote to U.S. Secretary of War John B. Floyd, saying he felt it was not only his “duty to repel invasion” but also “to adopt such measures as will prevent the recurrence of similar inroad upon our frontiers.”

“Texas is ready for an emergency and will act at a moment’s warning,” Mr. Houston wrote. “Texas needs, to repel invasion both from the Indians and Mexico, an immediate supply of arms.”

Over 160 years later, another Texas governor asked the federal government for aid, and none came. Over the past nearly two years, Gov. Abbott has written the president urging him to enforce federal immigration law. He also launched OLS, fully funded by Texas taxpayers.

On Wednesday, Gov. Abbott became the first governor in U.S. history to notify a president that he’d abandoned his constitutional duty first required by the states when they ratified the constitution in 1788.

Gov. Abbott told President Biden, “The U.S. Constitution won ratification by promising the States, in Article IV, § 4, that the federal government ‘shall protect each of them against Invasion.’ By refusing to enforce the immigration laws enacted by Congress, including 8 U.S.C. § 1325(a)(1)’s criminal prohibition

Texas group sues Biden administration over climate agenda

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – The Texas Public Policy Foundation filed lawsuits against three federal agencies accusing them of failing to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests about their involvement with implementing the Biden administration’s climate policies in accordance with the Paris Agreement.

On his first day in office, President Joe Biden accepted the terms of the Paris Climate Agreement

on behalf of the United States. He later announced his administration would set a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) number, pledging an “economywide target of reducing America’s net greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52 percent.”

Former President Donald Trump terminated all implementation of the accord, which had been agreed to by the Obama administration.

When the U.S. officially rejoined, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was an “unprecedented

Please see CLIMATE on A4

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

Mountain biker rescued after sustaining injury

SANTA BARBARA – The Santa Barbara County Fire Department rescued a 47-year-old mountain biker who crashed early Sunday on Tunnel Trail, suffering a spinal injury.

Firefighters, paramedics and search and rescue had to hike up the hill lugging various pieces of medical equipment because they “never know what kind of emergency they might come across up there.”

“You have to be in good shape,” said Capt. Scott Safechuck, SBC fire department public information officers.

Paramedics got the accident victim ready for the rescue helicopter, which lowered a firefighter paramedic to “package him” and bring him aboard. He was then airlifted to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

Four injured in two-vehicle crash

LOS OLIVOS – Firefighters responded Sunday evening to a two-vehicle accident resulting in injuries to four people, Santa Barbara County fire department officials said.

The accident occurred about 6:30 p.m. in the 3000 block of Foxen Canyon Road.

Two females were extricated from a vehicle with major injuries. Two males were rescued with minor injuries.

Two patients were taken by ambulance to Marion Medical Center in Santa Maria.

One patient was airlifted to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

The condition of the fourth patient was unknown by the time the News-Press went to press.

– Neil Hartstein

against aliens entering the United States between authorized ports of entry, your Administration has made clear that it will not honor that guarantee.”

He said President Biden must “fulfill your constitutional duty to enforce federal immigration laws and protect the States against invasion. Your silence in the face of our repeated pleas is deafening. Your refusal to even visit the border for a firsthand look at the chaos you have caused is damning.

“Two years of inaction on your part now leave Texas with no choice but to escalate our efforts to secure our State. Your openborder policies, which have catalyzed an unprecedented crisis of illegal immigration, are the sole cause of Texas having to invoke our constitutional authority to defend ourselves.”

President Biden hasn’t yet replied. Those in his administration, including Vice President Kamala Harris and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, have consistently maintained “the border is secure.”

‘The community came out with all ages and backgrounds’

BRAZIL

Continued from Page A1

A Brazilian barbecue was provided by the Flavors of Brazil catering and was followed by rice and beans with salad, according to Mr. Silva.

And a free African Brazilian

dance class was offered to the community. It was open to everyone with no experience needed.

Mr. Silva described the atmosphere at Saturday’s festival as “very cozy, warm and friendly.”

“I can finally do something nice in the community,” Mr. Silva said. “The community came out with all ages and backgrounds. It felt like a fair.

“My mission is to serve my community that has given me so much. I feel like I have a moral obligation to give back to my community that has embraced me and my culture.”

The community has recognized Mr. Silva for his efforts. Earlier this month, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors presented the Brazilian Cultural

Arts Center of Santa Barbara with a resolution recognizing November as Brazilian American Heritage Month. This honor was presented during the Nov. 1 board’s meeting to Mr. Silva after more than two decades of work bringing the arts and culture of Brazil to Santa Barbara.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

Natural Cafe owner says State Street now prone to flooding

PROMENADE

Continued from Page A1

impression that all is well, he said, but few people can be seen dining inside those very restaurants – and that’s mostly for dinner, and that’s mostly on Friday and Saturday nights.

“No one looks like they’re knocking it out of the park right now,” he said. “That’s why they’re hanging onto the parklets.”

And that could prove to be a big mistake for downtown this winter if Santa Barbara is hit by a major rainstorm, he said.

State Street does not really have an underground storm drain system, he noted, saying the street itself was purposely designed to be the storm drain itself, so that stormwater would naturally flow downhill toward the ocean.

No longer. Not since the parklets.

He noted that downtown storefronts suffered during the recent, relatively light rainstorm despite owners using sandbags to protect them, he said.

“We got less than an inch of rain and storefronts were flooded because the parklets block the flow,” he said.

He said the city requires the parklets to be moved 18 inches away from the curbs to allow the free flow of rainwater, but insisted that won’t make a difference in the event of a major storm.

Further, he said, businesses are having a hard time getting insurance to cover any losses.

“It’s a flood zone waiting to happen,” he warned. “The parklets will impede the water which will back up and push into the storefronts and there won’t be insurance.

“One big storm and it’s going to be a s**t show.”

The reason he was so disappointed Thursday after meeting with other business owners was because they refused to talk about all the issues plaguing State Street, preferring instead to focus only on rats.

“I’m not a big committee guy,” he said. “Nothing happens there. These guys have been in charge for years and here we are. Nothing gets done. All they do is talk.

“Everybody wanted to have their shot at me. I thought ‘let them talk to me and me talk to them.’ They kept interrupting and I just kind of sat there and left early. Nothing came out of it. Zero.”

The rat issue they did discuss was “just one

of a number of things I was talking about. “There’s no easy answer to homelessness. Criminal vagrancy is a complicated issue. No one is downtown anymore because of COVID and people working remotely. Kids on bikes and skateboards are not our clientele. They have a place to race, but they’re not buying clothing.”

And yes, people may be walking around the downtown promenade but not enough of them are actually patronizing the stores and restaurants lining the street, he said.

“State Street used to be happening,” he said. “There were bumper-to-bumper cars and people on the sidewalks. It’s not like that anymore.”

“If you’re going to do parklets, then make it look like the Third Street Promenade (in Santa Monica). Make it look A-Plus,” he said. The way it looks now is “so wrong, it’s just embarrassing. It’s not Santa Barbara.

“I love Santa Barbara. I love State Street. It’s a bummer that this has happened. But sometimes you have to take a step back to go two steps forward. It’s going to take giant creativity.”

email: nhartstein@newspress.com

Estimate: Compliance with agreement could cost U.S. trillions

framework for global action. We know because we helped design it and make it a reality. Its purpose is both simple and expansive: to help us all avoid catastrophic planetary warming and to build resilience around the world to the impacts from climate change we already see.” He also said “climate change and science diplomacy” need to be part of U.S. foreign policy.

To learn how the administration planned to do this, TPPF filed FOIA requests with the departments of Commerce, State and Energy in February and received no information it requested.

By not responding within the statutory time frame, the agencies violated the Freedom of Information Act, TPPF’s lawsuits allege. The lawsuits were filed separately against each agency on Nov. 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas Austin Division.

“Setting a Nationally Determined Contribution Number is an ambitious goal, one that will impact all Americans and their livelihoods. Americans have a right to know how government agencies are coming up with that

number and implementing other climate related goals,” TPPF executive director and general counsel Robert Henneke said. “The failure of the government to respond at all is a common tactic to hide records for the public view. We are suing to ensure those records see the light of day.”

TPPF submitted FOIA requests to each agency seeking records about their efforts to support the 2030 NDC emissions target. It submitted separate FOIA requests to the U.S. Department of State and to the U.S. Department of Energy on Feb. 7, 2022, and to the Commerce Department on Feb. 9, 2022. The only response it said it received was an acknowledgment that the agencies received its request.

When Mr. Trump withdrew the U.S. in 2017, he said the accord was “simply the latest example of Washington entering into an agreement that disadvantages the United States to the exclusive benefit of other countries, leaving American workers – who I love – and taxpayers to absorb the cost in terms of lost jobs, lower wages, shuttered factories, and vastly diminished economic production.”

The non-binding accord imposed “the draconian financial and economic burdens” on American companies, which is

why Mr. Trump said he ended it. He also ended the U.S.’s nationally determined contribution and the Green Climate Fund, which he said cost “a vast fortune.”

According to a National Economic Research Associates study, U.S. compliance could cost roughly 2.7 million jobs by 2025, including 440,000 in manufacturing. If the U.S. complied with the Obama-era commitments, it estimated that by 2040 there would be drastic cuts in several industries, including 12% less production of paper, 23% less production of cement, 38% less production of iron and steel, 86% less production of coal, and 31% less production of natural gas.

Prior to the COVID-related lockdowns resulted in massive economic losses and before skyhigh inflation hit, compliance with the accord was estimated to cost the U.S. economy in 2040 $3 trillion in lost GDP and 6.5 million industrial jobs, the NERA study found. Households were estimated to lose $7,000 annually in income, or worse, without accounting for the inflation losses of 2021 and 2022.

While some groups debunked the NERA finding, the Foundation for Economic Education said they were “both credible and alarming;” warning “more industrial controls via

government will cost jobs and productivity.”

Still, countries that agreed to comply with the Paris Agreement pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to submit their own NDC plan.

The TPPF brief points out that the administration pledged its NDC plan would encompass an “economywide target of reducing” U.S. net greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030. It would also take a “whole-ofgovernment approach” at the federal level, using “levels of government and the private sector.” It would also work with the private sector “to drive and implement this NDC and create a more equitable, resilient, zero carbon future for the American people.”

Its “whole of-government approach” included “a bottom-up analysis of existing and potential policies and measures at the federal level, accounting for capital stock turnover, technology trends, infrastructure needs, and continued subnational policies and measures,” it said, which prompted TPPF to inquire what they were.

The agencies haven’t issued a statement about the lawsuit or why they haven’t disclosed information about their involvement with the NDC plan.

NIELSEN, Roger Axel,

On Sunday, November 13 Roger Axel Nielsen, loving husband, father and community leader, passed away at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital at the age of 84. He was just two days shy of his 85th birthday. Longtime Valley native, Roger was born November 15, 1937 to Axel and Margaret Nielsen. His grandparents Marcus and Andreas Nielsen were among the first settlers to move to the new Danish-American colony of Solvang in 1911. Roger attended Solvang School and Santa Ynez Valley High school. He got his business degree at Grand View College, Des Moines, Iowa. At 24 Roger served as a Cryptographer in the U.S. army. He was stationed in San Juan, Puerto Rico during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Shortly thereafter, Roger flew to Norway to marry his sweetheart Anlaug Meland. They were married in the Stavanger Cathedral (Domkirke) in 1964. Roger was a key figure and member of the Solvang business community for many years. He gave generously of his time, energy and resources. He was a member of the Solvang volunteer Fire Dept., local grocery man, and Developer. Roger was a lifelong Rotarian and past president. He served on numerous boards including the Solvang Lutheran Home, American National Bank Advisory Committee, and the Solvang Businessmen’s Association. He was also a member of the Danish Brotherhood and served as Co-chairman, Chairman, and Grand Marshall of Danish Days. During his Chairmanship of Danish Days in 1971, Roger sought to bring live theater to the Danish Days celebration. With the efforts of Donovan Marley and PCPA productions ‘Hamlet’ was performed in Han’s Christian Anderson Park that Danish Days. This sparked an initiative by the local community to build a permanent theater space. Fostered by Roger and a group of local enthusiasts, by 1974 The Solvang Festival Theater was constructed. Roger was an avid tennis player and played many years with his Wednesday buddies. He was also a remarkable ringer in horseshoes. He enjoyed a yearly fishing trip, with his friends and family, packing in with horses, to the back country of the Los Padres National Forest. Roger is survived by his wife Ann Nielsen, his two children Rodney Nielsen (Nicole), Betina Heron (Paul) and his five grandchildren: Natalya Nielsen, Andrew Nielsen, Angelique Powers, Gabrielle Heron, and Christiana Heron. A service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, Nov 21st, at Bethania Lutheran Church in Solvang. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations

to the Solvang Theaterfest, or any charity of your choice.

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

Today Tue.

City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W

Cuyama 62/33/pc 64/33/s

Goleta 67/39/pc 66/39/s

Lompoc 65/35/pc 69/34/s

Pismo Beach 65/37/pc 70/41/pc

Santa Maria 66/36/pc 70/39/pc

Santa Ynez 72/35/pc 73/37/s

Vandenberg 62/38/pc 67/41/pc

Ventura 68/53/pc 69/48/s

Bakersfield 61/41/pc 64/40/s

Barstow 63/37/s 63/37/s

Big Bear 55/22/pc 54/22/s

Bishop 58/25/pc 59/27/pc

Catalina 70/57/pc 68/59/s

Concord 64/39/pc 67/40/pc

Escondido 78/42/pc 75/43/s

Eureka 56/38/pc 57/42/c

Fresno 66/36/pc 65/40/pc

Los Angeles 77/50/pc 75/48/s

Mammoth Lakes 44/14/pc 44/18/pc

Modesto 61/33/pc 65/37/pc

Monterey 66/41/pc 65/44/pc

Napa 67/33/pc 67/37/pc

Oakland 63/40/pc 64/43/pc

Ojai 73/48/pc 75/47/s

Oxnard 70/49/pc 71/46/s

Palm Springs 75/51/s 76/53/s

Pasadena 75/48/pc 77/47/s

Paso Robles 66/30/pc 70/32/pc

Sacramento 62/33/pc 66/38/pc

San Diego 73/46/pc 72/45/s

San Francisco 64/45/pc 65/47/pc

San Jose 67/39/pc 67/45/pc

San Luis Obispo 71/39/pc 76/43/pc

Santa Monica 73/49/pc 74/47/s

Tahoe Valley 48/19/pc 50/26/pc

Atlanta 57/42/pc 58/45/c

Boston 41/34/s 46/36/s

Chicago 44/29/s 48/34/s

Dallas 54/38/pc 60/44/s

Denver 51/27/s 54/31/pc

Houston 47/42/sh 56/47/pc

Miami 81/72/sh 85/73/t

Minneapolis 29/19/pc 41/22/pc

New York City 41/35/s 50/37/s

Philadelphia 45/32/s 52/33/s

Phoenix 74/48/s 73/47/pc

Portland, Ore. 50/39/c 53/47/sh

St. Louis 54/30/s 58/36/s

Salt Lake City 40/24/pc 43/25/pc

Seattle 52/44/c 51/45/r

Washington, D.C. 48/33/s 54/34/pc

1.8’ 9:46 p.m. 3.9’ 3:23 p.m. -0.9’

Beijing 57/34/pc 50/38/pc

Berlin 34/28/c 40/35/c

Cairo 79/61/pc 77/59/s

Cancun 84/74/c 85/70/sh London 48/38/r 48/42/c

Mexico City 69/55/pc 70/52/pc

Montreal 36/22/sn 32/26/c

New Delhi 85/54/pc 84/51/pc Paris 45/41/r 49/41/sh

Rio de Janeiro 84/73/s 86/74/s

Rome 62/56/pc 59/44/t Sydney 75/48/s 71/54/s Tokyo 65/56/r 60/51/c

be made

Loper Funeral Chapel, Directors

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

The Brazilian Day Festival at Casa De la Guerra and De la Guerra Plaza featured eateries, a beer garden and various vendors.

Managing Editor Dave Mason

Life theArts

CALENDAR

Former farmhouse

Longoria Winery debuts newly renovated tasting room

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Longoria Wines, founded in 1982, was established by Rick Longoria with the vision of producing artisanal wines from

the most prestigious vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County.

He and his wife Diana dedicated their lives to the winery and earlier this year handed over the reins to Brooke and Lindsey Christian, with the vision of Longoria continuing

the tradition of being familyowned and operated and entirely dedicated to quality

The Christians hail originally from Florida and Seattle, respectively, but have spent the past several decades in Washington, D.C. They were married nearly 10 years ago in

Santa Barbara, and since then, the Central Coast and its wines have always held a special place in their hearts.

“So when the chance to step into an institution like Longoria came about, it felt almost too good to be true,” Mr. Christian told the News-Press. “However,

our combined experience in hospitality, events and passion for the region with its many wines of place and purpose has driven and prepared us to be the new stewards of Longoria.”

The Longoria tasting room

The calendar appears Mondays through Saturdays in the “Life & the Arts” section. Items are welcome. Email them to Managing Editor Dave Mason at dmason@newspress.com.

TUESDAY 8 p.m. Guitarist Joe Bonamassa and his band will perform at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $79 to $199. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

DEC. 1 7 p.m. Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro will perform his “Christmas in Hawaii” concert at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. Mr. Shimabukuro will play a mix of his signature favorites, holiday classics and selections from his recent “Jake & Friends” album. Tickets for the UCSB Arts & Lectures concert cost $16 to $61. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

DEC. 3 7 p.m. Westmont College ensembles will perform during the Westmont Christmas Festival at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The 18th annual festival will feature the Westmont Orchestra, College Choir, Chamber Singers and Choral Union. Tickets cost $22. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

DEC. 4

3 p.m. Westmont College ensembles will perform during the Westmont Christmas Festival at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The 18th annual festival will feature the Westmont Orchestra, College Choir, Chamber Singers and Choral Union. Tickets cost $22. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

DEC. 7

4 p.m. The Hoodlum Friends will perform at 4 p.m. at Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara. The concert is free.

DEC. 9

7 p.m. The Grace Fisher Foundation will present “A Winter Music Showcase” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The fifth annual showcase will feature everyone from the Santa Barbara Folk Orchestra to Jackson Gillies, WIll Breman, State Street Ballet Professional Track Dancers, the Westmont Chamber Singers, UCSB Maurice Faulkner Quintet and more. Tickets cost $18 to $60. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

— Dave Mason

At left, Longoria Winery & Tasting Room is in a former Lompoc farmhouse that was built in 1913. At right, Rick

Longoria started Longoria Winery in 1982.

COURTESY PHOTO Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro will perform Dec. 1 at The Granada.

COURTESY PHOTOS

The Longoria Winery has unveiled its newly remodeled tasting room.

COURTESY PHOTO

Grace Fisher

Santa Barbara Rescue Mission plans to serve Thanksgiving feast

SANTA BARBARA — The

Santa Barbara Rescue Mission will hold its annual Thanksgiving Feast from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the mission’s dining hall, 535 E. Yanonali St., Santa Barbara.

The mission and many volunteers are preparing to serve more than 300 meals to men, women, and children in need.

The Thanksgiving dinner will include turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, pie and all the trimmings.

The volunteers will serve the guests restaurant-style while

waiting on them, taking their orders and busing tables.

“The care and love from the volunteers can give our guests hope,” said Rolf Geyling, president of the Rescue Mission. “That hope can give them the courage to tackle poverty, addiction, abuse and homelessness, which has been holding them back.

“The holiday meals help bring them to the Rescue Mission, so they’ll be at the perfect place to get personalized help and start a

new life,” Mr. Geyling said. “We plan to serve more than 10,000 meals between now and the end of the year.”

The Santa Barbara Rescue Mission accepts turkeys, canned food, and monetary donations in preparation for its annual Thanksgiving Feast. Donations may be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays at office at 535 E. Yanonali St. office.

— Dave Mason

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.

— Dave Mason

Creating a fairy-tale romance

Iknow I married a fairy princess. I like it when she flounces down the stairs, singing a little song, and the birds chirp in harmony. Having a partner who catches your eye is very pleasant, and it’s less about how they look than about how you approach your relationship. Here are some tips to help you live your life as happily ever after as possible.

• When your love does something nice for you, always acknowledge it (even if it wasn’t exactly what you wanted). Just a simple thankyou goes a long way to helping someone feel that the energy they are giving you is appreciated, and it makes them love you even more.

• Give your partner little gifts. Something small and cheap is fine — small and expensive is better, but why quibble? A flower from your garden (or your neighbor’s), coffee in bed, sharing a funny post — all of these things give the one you cherish that feeling of being cherished, and we never get

enough of that.

• Back in the day, Dad would take Mom’s car to get it washed and gassed up for the coming week. I love that idea, and to give it a little update, I’m washing both cars at home so I can afford the gasoline. Helping make the week a little nicer for my bride just feels good. I’m sure my Dad felt the same way.

• Being romantic is not about sex but about giving and receiving that feeling of being desired by someone you love. That being said, sex is part of a loving relationship and needs to be gently nurtured by both of you. If you haven’t talked about your sex life in a while and have something to say, please open up. Those discussions only increase intimacy.

• Nurture friendships outside your relationship. Friendships make life fuller and richer.

Sometimes when I’m working — and I’m usually working on something — my wife likes to visit with her girlfriends and go on hikes with them. Likewise,

pursuing individual interests and hobbies helps to provide balance in your relationship.

• Always have a project you are working on together. That can be a house thing, an investment or even a jigsaw puzzle. When you are spending time together, building your castle in some way, it adds to your dynamic as a couple and makes the relationship stronger. When you are finished with one project, move on to the next one sooner rather than later.

A fairy-tale romance in the post-COVID world is going to look different from the storybooks, but it can be more fulfilling and a whole lot more fun when you know you are with the right person and doing what you need for both of you to get the most out of life.

Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D., is an award-winning psychotherapist and humanitarian. He is also a columnist, the author of eight books and a blogger for PsychologyToday. com with more than 28 million readers. He is available for video consults worldwide. Reach him at barton@bartongoldsmith.com. His column appears Sundays and Tuesdays in the News-Press.

Carpinteria museum to host marketplace for Saturday

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

The Carpinteria Valley Historical Society and History Museum will host its Marketplace from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the museum, 956 Maple Ave., Carpinteria.

Admission is free.

“In response to our vendors, attendees, and museum volunteers, we’re starting a new tradition of having the holidaythemed Marketplace in December rather than Thanksgiving weekend,” said Jayme Yahr, executive director and curator of the nonprofit organization.

As usual, the marketplace will be filled with a large variety of goods such as handcrafted gifts, toys, antiques, furniture, jewelry, clothing, plants, musical

LONGORIA

Continued from Page B1

in Lompoc was originally a farmhouse built in 1913 and later a club for a local earthmining operation, known as the JM Club. Lovingly remodeled by the Longorias many years ago, it has always been known to comfortably welcome guests. Looking to continue to care for this nearly 110-year-old farmhouse, the Christians knew their inspiration would come from just that. The contemporary farmhouse was designed to create an inviting space where guests can commune with friends and family and feel right at home.

“With a tradition of 40 years of artistry in winemaking, we want to ensure the hospitality we offer helps showcase our wines. We are excited to be able to offer an elevated experience when tasting our wines and visiting Lompoc,” said Ms. Christian. email: mmcmahon@newspress. com

FYI

Longoria Winery & Tasting Room is located at 415 E. Chestnut Ave. in Lompoc. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. For more information, call 805-736-9700 or visit www.longoriawine.com.

instruments, household items including quilts, kitchenware, and chinaware, among other treasures. Of special note are the 25-cent and $1 tables at Granny’s Attic, the booth operated by the museum.

Carpinteria resident and native Christina Welch, founder of Dinkelbrot, will be selling Einkorn, an ancient grain bread.

Hearty, dense and made from spelt, Einkorn is original wheat that has not been genetically modified — unlike today’s wheat. A news release from the museum points out that genetic modifications in wheat causes stomach issues such as bloating, gluten sensitivity and celiac disease.

For more information or orders, Ms. Welch can be contacted on Instagram @dinkelbrot_

carpinteria or 805-451-1327.

The Marketplace will include live music by the Sweet Strings Sisters, which consists of the acoustic duo of Michele HarrisPadrón and Christi Hudson. The two former educators play folk, traditional, oldies, and original tunes. For more information, go to facebook.com/sweetstringsisters.

The duo will play from 10 to 11:30 a.m., followed by Mavis Hansen and her group of ukulele players from 11:45 a.m, to 1:15 p.m.

Hot dogs, cold beverages, and snacks will be available for purchase.

For more information, call the museum at 805-684-3112 or visit carpinteriahistoricalmuseum.org. Next year’s first marketplace is scheduled for Feb. 25.

email: dmason@newspress.com

COURTESY PHOTOS

At left, freshly baked Einkorn, an ancient grain bread, will be available for purchase Saturday at the Carpinteria Valley Historical Society and Museum’s Marketplace. At right, the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History is located at 956 Maple Ave., Carpinteria, and hosts 10 Marketplace events per year.

DALE WEBER PHOTO

Volunteers will serve a Thanksgiving feast Wednesday at the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission.

COURTESY PHOTOS

In renovating the tasting room, Brooke and Lindsey Christian have strived to create an inviting space where guests can commune with friends and family and feel right at home.

Aries: Friends or a group could bring new and exciting information your way, perhaps involving career or educational opportunities. You might explore combining artistic talents with modern technology. Invitations to related social events could follow. Accept as many as you can, Aries.

Taurus: Today you could decide to host a virtual party or small meeting in your home. You miss having a lot of visitors. This should be an exciting occasion, Taurus, and you could go out of your way to make this the best small event possible. It will probably be worth it.

Gemini: Vast amounts of information could come to you through email or phone. Expect to hear from groups. You could make new friends, Gemini, possibly in your neighborhood, as changes could be taking place in your community. You could hear of online classes you want to take. Books or magazines may bring valuable information.

Cancer: Have you been thinking about expanding your computer skills? If so, this is the day to do it. You’re likely to discover a lot of valuable information, as well as shortcuts for accomplishing your goals. Happiness reigns in the home as family members exchange a lot of new and interesting ideas.

Leo: Social events, possibly involving small groups, could put you in touch with knowledgeable people who could provide valuable information. You might decide to go back to school or otherwise advance your education. Technology could play a large part in all this, Leo, so it might be a good idea to work on your computer skills and bring them up to snuff.

Virgo: Today your mind might be on social and political issues. If you aren’t currently involved with groups dealing with these issues, you might consider joining one. A recent increase in income might have given you some extra time, and you may be excited about the possibilities. Service to others is one, Virgo.

Libra: Information could

By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

Monday, November 21, 2022

The Internet has added new dimensions to bridge instruction. Ever wished you could play the deals in a book or column interactively? You can now. The best and inexpensive such a product is BridgeBee. You receive daily emails with interesting deals to play, plus expert commentary.

In today’s deal, you play at 6NT (BridgeBee comments on the bidding). West leads a spade. You have 11 tricks; you probably need a fourth heart. How do you proceed?

DISTRIBUTION

To judge how to play the hearts, you need a distributional count. Start by leading the nine of diamonds.

You win the spade return and cash the ace of diamonds — and East pitches a club! When you take your other winners, you find that West had four spades and two clubs plus five diamonds, so you know how to play the hearts: Cash the K-Q, then lead to your ten.

BridgeBee leads you through the play, correcting you if you slip. For information, go to baronbarclay.com. Check out their catalog of books and products.

your partner responds two clubs, you bid

come your way today that starts you thinking about new and revolutionary ideas. Perhaps they involve modern technology or social and political issues. Opportunities to meet new friends who share your interests could come through group activities.

Scorpio: Unusual and unexpected opportunities to better your career could come to you today through friends. These friends could provide you with valuable information about making maximum use of your skills, Scorpio. Efficiency could get a boost from technology. Expect a number of interesting communications, all bringing good news.

Sagittarius: The possibility of taking a trip by air could present itself today. The trip might be made with friends or a small group, if possible. If you’ve been working on projects connected with education or publishing, this is the day to move them forward. Books, TV, and the Internet could bring interesting, valuable information your way.

Capricorn: The possibility to advance your career through increasing your technological skills may present itself today. This could open doors for you in a lot of directions, paving the way for increased income. A number of new contacts could come into your life, bringing friendship and opportunities.

Aquarius: The latest equipment might suddenly be available to you. It’s likely to make life easier and more interesting. It could also open doors to make new friends and find new opportunities.

Increased income is also a possibility. You could stumble on some surprising information, Pisces, and this could set your mind going in a new direction.

Pisces: The latest equipment might suddenly be available to you. It’s likely to make life easier and more interesting. It could also open doors to make new friends and find new opportunities. Increased income is also a possibility. You could stumble on some surprising information, Pisces, and this could set your mind going in a new direction.

SUDOKU

CODEWORD PUZZLE

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.

two spades and he then bids 2NT. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner has a game-invitational hand, and since he used Stayman to check for a 4-4 major-suit fit but didn’t raise your spades, he has hearts. Jump to four hearts. With 17 high-card points plus two tens, your hand is an absolute maximum for your 1NT opening.

Lake lawyers up, issues cryptic statement after Hobbs wins governor race

By COLE LAUTERBACH THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Kari Lake says she’s “still in this fight,” not making clear whether she’s referring to her race against Democrat Katie Hobbs for governor or whether she plans to take legal action regarding the election.

“For two years, I’ve been sounding the alarm about our broken election system here in Arizona, and this past week has confirmed everything we’ve been saying,” Ms. Lake said. “When we called on Katie Hobbs to recuse herself over a year ago, they ridiculed us. It turns out we were right.”

Without citing any evidence of Governorelect Hobbs conducting any wrongful acts, Ms. Lake said the governor-elect and current secretary of state created a situation where “the fox was guarding the hen house.”

Ms. Lake said voters were disenfranchised due to malfunctioning ballot tabulators and ballots with inadequately dark print.

“Our election officials failed us miserably,” she said.

Maricopa County officials acknowledged certain machine malfunctions and an issue with ballots not being printed darkly enough but insisted that no voter was turned away.

Ms. Lake hinted at the premise of legal action.

“Rest assured, I have assembled the best and brightest legal team and we are exploring every avenue to correct the wrongs that have been done this past week,” she said.

Ms. Lake’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment Friday morning about details concerning a potential lawsuit.

As of Friday, Governor-elect Hobbs leads Ms. Lake by 16,780 votes, a gap that wouldn’t trigger a recount.

Multiple media outlets on Nov. 14 declared Governor-elect Hobbs the winner of the race to succeed Gov. Doug Ducey, who is termlimited.

Support for Pennsylvania’s 800,000 veterans is still lacking

By ANTHONY HENNEN THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania has the better part of a million veterans living within the commonwealth, but support for them can be lacking.

“I don’t like that veterans have to take care of veterans,” Rep. Joe Webster, D-Collegeville, said, noting a lack of centralized support. “Our nation should be taking care of these veterans. It shouldn’t fall to a 501(c)(3) or a group of guys just helping a veteran down the street … Our nation asks for the full measure – we’re not then taking care of them when they have sacrificed greater than the average citizen.”

Rep. Webster, himself an Air Force veteran, is hosting a panel discussion on veterans in crisis to address suicide prevention and mental health support in his Montgomery County district at the end of November.

“Veterans continue to face difficulty accessing their well-deserved benefits and often struggle to transition back to civilian life,” a press release from

The commonwealth has about 800,000 veterans, the fourth-largest population in the country, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. The veteran population skews older – 76% are over 55.

his office noted. “To speak on current veteran support systems, where the gaps are, and how we can fill the holes, I will be joined by both experts and veterans for this vital discussion.”

The commonwealth has about 800,000 veterans, the fourth-largest population in the country, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. The veteran population skews older – 76% are over 55.

Rep. Webster mentioned different bills related to veterans issues floating around the General Assembly, but he hopes “to see who comes out of the woodwork and what we can learn” from holding events like the panel. Other legislators across the state also host veterans breakfasts to make those connections.

Younger veterans tend to be less connected compared to older veterans from the Vietnam War era, he noted. Pennsylvania’s decentralized culture,

on a government level or the builtout environment of a dense city or a sprawling suburb, also affects those community connections.

The military is less focused on easing a transition back into civilian life, too.

When a young enlisted person serves a few years and is then discharged from the military, “you’re not getting a lot of mentoring about what to do next or where to go,” Rep. Webster said. “In fact, what you might get … is a lecture on why you should reenlist.”

The average volunteer, then, is less connected to services or other veterans.

Without formal programs, lawmakers tend to be reactive rather than proactive.

“We sure do respond to the fire, right?” Rep. Webster said. “When one or two people have a problem, a bill gets written, and it’s usually very specific to that specific issue. But I think that’s just

Pennsylvania right now.”

Recent federal legislation has made some improvements to larger problems and expanded funding for veterans benefits along with what medical conditions qualify, as The Center Square previously reported. But suicide remains an issue, along with homelessness, and the complexity of those problems tend to be harder to solve on a federal level.

Connecting more veterans to each other, though, could help, Rep. Webster believes, along with more services.

“The piece that’s missing … that’s sort of the preventative medicines,” he said. “If we were educating soldiers and sailors and airmen as they leave the service, and if we were offering them mental services appropriately, it’s likely that we’d save a whole lot of money and save a whole lot of veterans’ lives.”

High inflation throws cold water on record Illinois harvest

By ZETA CROSS THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – One Illinois farmer is celebrating a record harvest, but inflation is taking a toll.

In Dekalb County, Mark Tuttle, a fifthgeneration farmer, said he’s had the best soybean crop he’s ever had in 44 years of farming.

“Good yields, good weather, good quality. One of the best bean yields we’ve had in the Upper Midwest in a long time,” Mr. Tuttle told The Center Square.

Thanks to decent weather, corn yields are up too, Mr. Tuttle said. In the past three years, just before harvest, 100 mph wind storms knocked down a lot of corn. Not this year.

“We’ve just come off two to three years of bad harvest conditions,” Mr.

Tuttle said. “Last year there were some fields where we had to leave 30 bushels on the ground.”

This year the corn is standing “like a trooper,” making it easy for the combines.

This season, Mr. Tuttle has his 87-year-old father out running the combine.

“I wouldn’t normally have him do it if we had downed corn or issues. But it’s been so smooth that he just sits in the combine and goes back and forth. And he’s just grinning and having a good time,” he said.

Mr. Tuttle’s corn yields are up 20% to 25% over last year. In some areas, 10% to 20% of the corn is still standing because farmers are trying to figure out where to put it, Mr. Tuttle said.

“There’s just a lot of bushels to handle

this year,” he said.

Early in the harvest, the grain elevators were getting wetter corn and they could only handle so much of it.

Farm drying systems can only do a set amount of bushels per day, Tuttle said, so that slowed the harvest down. The Mississippi River system has been running shallow so less grain could go down the river. The railroad system was backed up. The processors were backed up.

Farmers who normally raise 200 bushel corn crops, have 240 to 250 bushel crops this year.

“That’s another 25%.They have to find trucks. They have to find bins space, dryer capacity. But that’s a good problem,” Mr. Tuttle said.

Farmers can handle the logistics, he said. The spoiler at the party is inflation. Input costs continue to be

“really really high.” Diesel costs are $4.80 a gallon.

“Just in harvest costs alone, I use about two-and-a-half gallons of diesel per acre. So just in fuel, my harvest costs are way over $10,” Mr. Tuttle said.

Fertilizer costs have gone up. The fertilizer is shipped to Illinois on the Mississippi. Low water levels mean they can’t load up the barges. So barge freight costs have gone up. Solvent is in short supply. Natural gas for drying corn costs more. Propane is higher.

Parts for farm machinery cost more. Interest rates have doubled so money costs more.

“We’re handling more bushels. We’re handling more money. But when it’s all said and done, the net on the bottom end is probably no better than any other year,” Mr. Tuttle said.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN 2022-0002714 The following person(s) is doing business as: ABC Supply Co., Inc., 122 Aero Camino, Goleta, CA 93117-3144, County of Santa Barbara. Mailing Address: PO Box 838, Beloit,

person(s) is (are) doing business as: Silvers Omakase, 224 Helena Avenue, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 County of SANTA BARBARA Green Silvers Restaurant Group LLC, 5662 Calle Real #361, Goleta, CA 93117 This business is conducted by a limited liability company The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. Green Silvers Restaurant Group LLC S/ Lisa Green, Manager This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 11/04/2022. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 11/14, 11/21, 11/28, 12/5/22 CNS-3642596# SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS NOV 14, 21, 28; DEC 5 2022 -- 58840

Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101; PO Box 21107, Santa Barbara, CA 93121-1107, Anacapa Division.

If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or(2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or