Santa Barbara News-Press: January 07, 2023

new dA stresses public safety

A break from the rain

29 killed in battle after El Chapo’s son arrested

Conflict comes ahead of President Biden’s visit

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Gunfire erupted between the Mexican Defense Forces and the Sinaloa Cartel after the cartel leader’s son was arrested and shortly after President Joe Biden announced he was meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador next week.

On Thursday, Ovidio Guzman, the son of Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, was arrested by Mexican authorities, El Universal first reported. El Chapo is currently incarcerated in a maximum security federal prison in Colorado.

Savrnoch talks to the News-Press about his goals

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

No one would have blamed new District Attorney John Savrnoch if during his swearing-in ceremony Tuesday he had taken a moment or two to relish, even savor the moment.

After all, after 30 years as a prosecutor, the last seven as assistant district attorney under former District Attorney Joyce Dudley, he had reached the pinnacle of his career. Why shouldn’t he feel more than a bit of pride?

But that wasn’t where his mind went. Instead, his thoughts were on the mission ahead, and on the person who he was replacing.

“I was feeling great excitement about the opportunity to serve the public at this level and leading such an amazing staff,” he told the News-Press in an exclusive interview. “There was also a tinge of sadness as I felt like I was saying goodbye to my mentor and friend Joyce Dudley.”

Ms. Dudley told him he was going to make an outstanding district attorney for Santa Barbara County. “It is my highest honor to swear you in.”

As he did during the election campaign and at his swearing-in ceremony, newly sworn-in District Attorney Savrnoch made it clear what tops his agenda.

“Safe neighborhoods, safe homes and safe roads are my top priorities,” he said. “Gun violence, domestic violence and DUIs cause

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

The sun shined Friday on a reopened Stearns Wharf, surfers enjoying the big waves and something that was needed during the drought: more rainfall for local reservoirs.

That was the scene in Santa Barbara County during a respite from rainfall, which isn’t expected to resume until Sunday.

Friday was sunny, but the National Weather Service said today will be mostly cloudy.

The heaviest rainfall came during Wednesday’s night storm, which damaged the building that will house a future restaurant at Goleta Beach. Goleta Beach Park remained closed when the News-Press stopped by the site on Friday.

The aftermath of the storm included tall waves Thursday, some of them higher than the Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara and the Goleta Pier. Officials closed both piers, but Stearns Wharf reopened on Friday.

“The Santa Barbara Waterfront and Harbor were hit hard by the combination of large swell and high tides overnight and this morning,” said Shelly Cone, public information officer for the city of Santa Barbara. “There was localized coastal flooding and storm surge that impacted waterfront parking lots, beaches, the harbor and Stearns Wharf.”

The city of Santa Barbara

Ovidio Guzman was captured by Mexican military forces after they imposed blockades and engaged in gunfire in Culiacán and Los Mochis. He was later transferred to a military prison in Mexico City, Jorge Sánchez Torres with NRM Comunicaciones reported.

Please see CARTEL on A7

McCarthy wins speakership on 15th vote

THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – California Republican Kevin McCarthy was elected Speaker of the U.S. House early Saturday after the 15th round of voting and a week of turmoil and nonstop negotiations.

Rep. McCarthy received 216 votes to 212 for Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, with five voting present. The five voting present lowered the threshold for the 218 votes that Rep. McCarthy would have needed if everyone voted.

Just a couple hours earlier, Rep. McCarthy fell one vote short of becoming the next speaker of the U.S. House in the 14th round of voting.

Rep. McCarthy lost a dozen rounds of voting across several days this week as a small group of conservative Republicans remained steadfast in opposing him, but Saturday morning’s final ballot won him the position.

John

DAVE MASON / NEWS-PRESS

John Savrnoch addresses staff, officials, family, friends and media after being sworn in as the new Santa Barbara County district attorney.

Santa Barbara County gets a day of sunshine before clouds return

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

A visitor to Stearns Wharf enjoys some time under a sunny sky.

Above, five inches of rain fell over seven days at Lake Cachuma. Below, Goleta Beach Park remained closed when the News-Press stopped by on Friday. The area was hit hard by Wednesday’s storm.

Lake Cachuma saw five inches of rainfall in a week

Continued from Page A1

started cleanup efforts Friday afternoon as the tide receded.

Workers cleaned up sand and debris throughout the waterfront and Sanat Barbara Harbor.

Ms. Cone said the risk of rogue waves and coastal flooding remained on Friday.

Clearly one sign of the storm’s impact was seen at Lake Cachuma, which benefited from a total of 5 inches of rainfall over a seven-day period ending Friday, according to the Santa Barbara County Flood District.

For the same seven-day period, Gibraltar Reservoir experienced 7.84 inches of rain.

During that seven-day period, rainfall totaled 2.5 inches in Buellton, 3.55 inches in Carpinteria, 1.3 inches in Cuyama, 3.09 inches on the Gaviota Coast, 3.35 inches in Goleta, 4.63 inches in Santa Barbara, 2.74 inches in Santa Maria, 4.09 inches in Solvang, 4.46 inches in Summerland, 2.68 inches at UCSB and 7.38 inches at the Alisal Reservoir.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, which releases data every Thursday, showed improvement for Santa Barbara County, which went from “extreme to exceptional drought” to “severe drought” after Wednesday’s storm. In this case, “severe drought” is defined as

Much rainfall was seen at Bradbury Dam.

being less severe than “extreme drought.”

The National Weather Service predicted rain will fall again on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the weather service said Santa Barbara County residents can expect highs in the upper 50s to lower 60s and lows in the lower and middle 40s.

Keep your jacket handy, along with, next week, your umbrella.

email: dmason@newspress.com

McCarthy forced to make multiple concessions to gain speakership

SPEAKER

Continued from Page A1

Conservative members in the House laid out conditions for Rep. McCarthy ahead of the votes. Those conditions included a promise to vote on a balanced

budget, the “Texas Border Plan,” term limits for members of Congress, and the Fair Tax Act, which would create a national sales tax on certain services and property to replace the current income tax, payroll taxes, and estate and gift taxes.

This is just the 15th time in

the country’s history it’s taken multiple votes to elect a speaker.

From 1793 to 1925, from the 3rd to the 68th Congress, there were 14 instances when it took multiple ballots to elect a speaker, the Historian’s office notes.

Among them, 13 occurred before the Civil War, “when

party divisions were more nebulous.”

“The last time a Speaker election required two or more votes on the floor happened in 1923,” the office states. It also notes that the House “has filled vacancies in the Speakership three times using a resolution.”

Joyce has given me is the most incredible group of people’

DA Continued from Page A1

tremendous harm to individuals and the public at large so these issues will be a focus.”

He declined to give his opinion about other district attorneys across the nation who have been accused of being too “progressive” and “soft on crime,” allowing criminals convicted of violent felonies to be released too soon where they pick up where they left off and re-offend, including hurting more innocent people.

“I will not comment about other D.As, but I will say that it is my belief that the people of this county want safe neighborhoods. They do not want to be at risk of being victims of gun and other violence, and they do not want to live in neighborhoods that live under the oppressive terror of criminal street gangs,” he said.

“It is also my belief that the people of Santa Barbara County want to live free from the fear that out-of-the-area criminal street gangs will enter our county to commit burglaries and violent crimes.

“The people of this great county also expect to be able to drive on the highways and roads without being injured or killed by impaired drivers. I believe that violent criminals and impaired drivers should be subject to the punishments that are provided for in the California Penal Code.”

However, he said that it’s also his belief “that the people of this county recognize that those suffering from serious mental health

issues need treatment that is not maximized in a penal institution. We need to continue to work with all members of the criminal justice and mental health systems to find treatment options and locations that address serious mental illness while keeping the public safe.”

His first month in office will be spent ensuring that prosecutions and other operations continue functioning at a high level as he establishes the management structure of the office.

During his swearing-in ceremony, he praised his entire staff, from the attorneys to the support staff to the Bureau of Investigations, and promised to make certain they have the resources to do their job.

“I want to say to the people in the office: What Joyce has given me is the most incredible group of people, people who work every day to benefit the public,” he said.

As district attorney, he wants to “utilize prosecutions and public outreach to reduce DUI deaths and injuries; work with law enforcement to reduce gun violence; continue to work with law enforcement and other agencies to reduce in-home violence; and to develop alternatives to traditional prosecutions to reduce recidivism by providing treatment and programming designed to change the behavior of individuals before they are firmly and seriously entrenched in the criminal justice system.”

That’s why two of his immediate goals are 1) to expand the Neighborhood Restorative Justice program that was established in Goleta under his supervision so that it becomes available countywide and 2) continue work on

a felony diversion program.

“The process of establishing a program for felony diversion of low-level offenders was begun under D.A. Dudley, and I am committed to exploring and developing a program that is evidence-based and designed to reduce recidivism and provide positive outcomes for victims and those individuals who end up in the program,” he said.

“We are working with nationwide experts in the field of evidence-based diversion programs to establish the need for and design of a felony diversion program. I will continue to be actively involved in these programs and their implementation.”

He also pledged to continue to have strong input on all significant cases that are handled by his office, noting that he has worked as a deputy district attorney, chief deputy D.A., assistant D.A. and chief assistant D.A., “and in those roles I have prosecuted and/or overseen the prosecution of all case types, including consumer and environmental cases.”

In addition to the agenda he’s laid out for himself and his office as district attorney, Mr. Savrnoch said he will continue to serve as a member of the board of directors for CADA (the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse), “which, like my involvement in the Rotary Club of Goleta, is community service that I engage in separate from my role as district attorney.

“Community service and community involvement is important to me on a personal and philosophical level.”

email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com

‘What

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Gibraltar Dam experienced nearly 8 inches of rain over seven days.

A dishonors list for the new year

Montecito old-timers (and young-timers too) are beginning to rue the day Prince Harry and Meghan moved to Montecito.

Because now you have paparazzi roaming the lower village as never before, asking what Montecitans think about these dull whiners.

Answer: “We don’t.”

Also known as Hollywood North, Montecito has always endured an abundance of overblown egos walking around, yet photographers until recently left them — and the general populace — alone. But (egads!) now that Beverly Hills is moving up here in droves and pulling their entitled BS, it seems that everyone is fair game.

Used to be, Montecito was reasonably well known around the U.S. as a place to situate one’s pampered bones. But now that Ginger & Mugs (one of Harry and Meghan’s nicknames) have put our rarefied enclave on a global map, it is destined to be invaded by elite Chinese slave drivers and Russian oligarchs enriched by dirty money but inexplicably ineligible for sanctions and confiscation.

This may be good for real estate agents and mortgage brokers but for the rest of us means entering a portal into rude-and-crude-ville.

Rainfall closes Los Flores Ranch Park

SANTA MARIA — Los Flores

Ranch Park Recreational Open Space, 6271 Dominion Road in Santa Maria, is now closed for public use, and scheduled

How long before Louis Vuitton, Prada and Cartier open their high-priced emporiums along Coast Village Road? Or traffic lights need to be installed because obnoxiously self-entitled motorists are above even slowing down at stop signs?

If Harry’s imminent memoir “Spare” is anything like this (un) royal couple’s Netflix snooze show, it is destined to be an explosive bore. Indeed, we forecast it to be an anticlimactic methanic whiff that will titillate only those close to him (if they bother to read it) as he is further led down a garden path of self-destruction, which seems the only direction his betrothed, “Me-Again” (oops, another nickname), knows and seems to relish for reasons only a psychiatrist might eventually uncover if not actually resolve.

Because short of Harry

programming is canceled until further notice due to unsafe park and trail conditions caused by significant rainfall.

Rain has created unsafe conditions for visitors throughout the park, and more rain is predicted over the next two weeks.

The city of Santa Maria said it

Prince Harry and Meghan

announcing that the British Establishment (one of its components) assassinated his mother, Princess Diana, what else can Harry say that will result in favorable critiques from book reviewers? His wife’s toilet paper of choice? (Maybe that was already covered, wouldn’t surprise us, but the first 10 minutes of this pair’s gross self-indulgence passed like a

looks forward to reopening the park for the community to enjoy Los Flores Ranch Park when conditions are safe.

Questions can be directed to the Recreation and Parks Department, 805- 925-0951, ext. 2260.

— Marilyn McMahon

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

Man dies in Lompoc fire

LOMPOC — A man is dead after a fire that took place around 9 a.m. Friday in a condominium residence in the 1000 block of West Chestnut Avenue in Lompoc.

The man has not yet been identified, according to the Lompoc Fire Department, which responded to the blaze.

The department said the cause of the fire remains under investigation, and the damage didn’t extend past the single condo. Another occupant of the residence and a cat escaped the fire without injury.

Along with the Lompoc City Fire Department, firefighters assisted from Santa Barbara County and Vandenberg Space Force Base. Lompoc police also responded.

— Dave Mason

Window shattered at Tilly’s

SANTA BARBARA — The front window at Tilly’s in downtown

Tilly’s in downtown Santa Barbara was boarded up after the front window was shattered.

Santa Barbara was shattered Wednesday night during a reported burglary.

Employees called 9-1-1 during the incident at the clothing store in the 900 block of State Street.

A burglary occurred, but Santa Barbara police caught the suspect, manager Janet Vega told the News-Press Friday.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

The front window area remained boarded up on Friday.

The News-Press requested more details on the incident from the Santa Barbara Police Department, which did not provide the information before press time.

Dave Mason

—

CHP advises motorists to be careful during heavy rain

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

When rain falls, be careful and slow down on the roads.

Capt. Mike Logan of the California Highway Patrol gave that advice on Wednesday afternoon, just hours before the worst part of this week’s downpours fell.

Motorists can still follow Capt. Logan’s advice with rain expected to fall again on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in Santa Barbara County.

“If driving, be sure to slow down and not go through deep water,” Capt. Logan said during a news conference at the county government campus by Calle Real in Santa Barbara.

He also recommended motorists make sure their vehicles are in proper working order.

That can include things such as replacing windshield wipers.

If you get into a minor accident, you can move off the freeway or to the side of the road, Capt. Logan said.

In addition to the CHP officer’s advice, American Automobile Association offers its tips for driving during heavy rain:

• Use the center lanes of the road but without straddling the yellow line. Avoid outside lanes

where water collects at the curbside.

• Avoid distractions. That means no texting while driving and avoiding activities that distract from safe driving.

• Don’t use cruise control. AAA warns that would increase the risk

of losing control on a wet surface.

• Leave space between you and the car in front of you.

• Avoid hard braking or turning sharply. Drive in the tracks of the vehicle ahead of you.

email: dmason@newspress.com

slow hour on Netflix, and we could watch no longer.)

Newsflash: “Spare” will apparently reveal that Prince Harry and his brother Prince William had a physical altercation in 2019 over Meghan. And (horrors!) King Charles III (while still Prince of Wales) “sadistically” joked that he is not Harry’s true

see ERINGER on A4

DAVE MASON / NEWS-PRESS

Capt. Mike Logan of the California Highway Patrol stresses the importance of safe driving during heavy rainfall. Listening to him during a news conference this week are 2nd District Supervisor Laura Capps and 1st District Supervisor Das Williams.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS PHOTOS

Please

ROBERT ERINGER

Twitter founder lied to Congress under oath about censorship program

eringer Continued from Page A3

father.

Montecito’s millionaire martyrs/ ex-royals have melodramatically (if mundanely) shot their wad and, in doing so, have revealed themselves to be a) generally insignificant, b) wholly irrelevant except to sycophants who want a piece of “royalty” to fantasize an uplift of their own social status and c) somewhat dim while humorously (to others) not understanding their own limitations.

Ultimately, this bout of soonto-be-forgotten docu-nonsense was little more than a parody of themselves. Maybe if someone tosses the couple $200 million (twice what they received — not earned — from Netflix), they’ll perform better next time. But we rather doubt it as they seem incapable of anything more than a Pity & Blame Fest.

Little wonder that a recent Gallup poll found that trust in the media is at an all time low. And falling.

Investigations/recriminations/ persecutions of Mr. Musk from a gobbledygook assortment of US government acronyms have no doubt already begun — fishing expeditions meant to lure a whitebait, then pretend through leaks to an obsequious news media doing mainstream narrative that they’ve snagged a blue marlin. (In fact, the media campaign to dump on Mr. Musk has already begun.) All because Elon, not unlike The Donald, does not play by Insider Washington bepolite-while-we-stab-you-in-theback rules, thus making him their new target.

But instead of being overhauled, the FBI is rewarded, by the hastily passed $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill, with a new headquarters.

Welcome to the Dishonored States of America in the 2020s.

Dishonor, dishonor and more dishonor.

TWITTER TWIT

Twitter founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey told outright lies to Congress under oath about Twitter’s censorship program. Either that or he was not in control of his own company. Either way, dishonor and disgrace.

POISONOUS PUTIN

Guilty of misery, mayhem and murder, plutonium Putin should be prosecuted at The International Criminal Court at The Hague as a war criminal and then, upon conviction, drawn and quartered and hanged from the highest tree along with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and all others guilty of war crimes against humanity — a lesson to tyrants around the globe about what happens when you subject a civilian population to unprovoked, unspeakable brutality.

And may Vladimir Putin thereafter rot in hell for all eternity alongside his hero, Joseph Stalin, and his role model, Adolf Hitler.

The only real question is, will the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal get its hands on President Putin before he succumbs to a variety of ailments (including Parkinson’s and cancer), one of which recently caused him to poop his pants after losing his balance and falling down several stairs.

(Unfortunately, he did not break his neck as his critics do when they “fall downstairs.”)

Turns out that 40 of the 52 parts needed to construct the Iranian Shahed-136 drones that the Russians have been using of late to kill Ukrainian civilians were manufactured in the United States.

American arms makers are forever cajoling and corrupting American government officials to ease whatever constraints exist and allow licensing of weapons to countries hostile to the United States.

BIDEN

Just when Russia’s Mad Vlad needed a master dealmaker to scour the world for illicit weapons, President Joe Biden trades “Merchant of Death” Viktor Bout for basketball player Britney Griner.

President Biden left behind Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine who may or may not have been spying on behalf of our country and has been imprisoned over four years already, in favor of an athlete who campaigned to end the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at sports events.

common thief.

Chances are, if Sam stole luggage on two occasions (as he did, caught red-handed on airport cameras), “it” is probably a habitual kleptomaniac who stole two dozen other checked bags in “its” quest to enhance “its” wardrobe. We can almost hear “it” shrill—“the thrill of it!”

The important question that begs to be asked is this: Was “it” ever properly vetted with a polygraph examination (including such routine questions as “Have you ever stolen anything?”) before President Biden appointed “it” to a sky-high security clearance at the Department of Energy? Or might this be a case of kid-gloving an “it.”

Dishonor through the roof, Brinton and Biden, both, barf.

AND NOW SOMETHING TO HONOR

This news item may have gotten lost during the holiday season:

efficacy of a drug.”

Finally, Big Pharma may be held accountable for lying about the effectiveness of the COVID vaccine along with causing widespread injuries and deaths. Think NFL player Damar Hamlin, who had a cardiac arrest during a game.

As Toby Rogers wrote on Substack.com: “It’s not complicated. If you inject billions of people with a shot known to cause blood clots, you’re going to see lots of heart attacks — everywhere — at school, at the gym, during a live newscast, at the mall, on the highway and during sporting events.”

Hopefully, such accountability will extend to government figures — starting with Dr. Anthony Fauci — who so vehemently pushed an experimental vaccine onto a very gullible public.

“Freedom lives here,” Gov. DeSantis told an enthusiastic crowd in Tallahassee.

Not only dishonor but a fivestar barf. In fact, a retch is heard around the world.

THE FBI

Anyone miss J. Edgar Hoover yet?

As horrible as that tyrant was, the bulldog who founded the FBI and lorded over it for half-acentury never interfered with the democratic process of electing the people’s representatives to their nation’s capital. (J. Edgar was too busy denying the existence of the Cosa nostra for reasons that may have to do with compromising photos the mafia possessed of him with his “associate director” and constant companion Clyde.)

But now even “Eddie and Junior” (as they affectionately called each other) are turning in their graves after their ghosts learned that no fewer than 80 FBI special agents were assigned to subvert freedom of the press by coercing social media giant Twitter into censoring views incompatible with electing Joe Biden president. The bureau even paid Twitter $3,415,323 (of your money) for their cooperation in these matters.

I spent nearly 10 years operating undercover for FBI Counterintelligence, during which I discovered how ridiculously bureaucratic and disjointed the bureau has become since King Eddie’s reign. But until now I hadn’t felt dishonor for it. Yet there it was, even back then: You know how it’s been said “the FBI always gets its man?” Wrong! Turns out, the FBi has failed and failed miserably.

Because they could have captured the only CIA officer to ever defect to Moscow but chose NOT to do so when, at the 11th hour, political pressure rolled down the pike. I should have realized then and there that instead of following their charter of apprehending fugitives who have broken federal laws — such as treason — the FBI bends over for political masters and takes it between the cheeks.

And now it transpires that the bureau, which is supposed to protect laws (not break them), actively fixes elections through unconstitutional actions.

The FBI never counted on multi-billionaire Elon Musk buying Twitter and then revealing the agency’s dirty laundry for all to see. Little doubt the politicized bureau will now target Mr. Musk for exposing its transgressions and humiliating it among those of us smart enough to tune into what’s left in this country of a noncorporatized and non-politicized free press.

THE “HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOTOP IS RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE” CONSPIRATORS

No fewer than 51 former “intelligence” officials signed a pre-presidential election statement affirming to the American media and voting public that Russian intelligence had fabricated Hunter Biden’s laptop.

We now know, of course, this was a bold-faced lie.

The laptop truly belonged to Hunter along with all its highly incriminating contents, including files that implicate daddy Joe of corruption. The voting public was deprived of knowing the truth because the FBI and the Biden campaign arranged for it to be censored by Twitter and Facebook.

Instead, mainstream narrative disciples saw a statement from 51 lying former intelligence officers specifically constructed to bamboozle the American voting public.

These included those at the very top of the intelligence community: Five former CIA directors (Mike Kayden, Leon Panetta, John Brennan, Michael Morell and John Mclaughlin.). And also James Clapper, former director of National Intelligence, If they truly believed what they signed their names to, they are buffoons.

If they knew it was a lie, they are dishonorable cretins.

We assume it is the latter, proving that indeed our nation’s capital is a swamp inhabited by “deep state” reptiles — a permanent government that tries (and succeeds) to sway elections in favor of their (controllable) candidates of choice.

Do people no longer care about signing their name to bunkum or lying under oath?

Dishonor and shame.

KERRY’S KLIMATE KOOKS

Add to the Dishonor List: Climate “czar” John Kerry and his band of un-merry witless wokesters who visit museums to willfully destroy great works of art as a means of “promoting” (more like disgracing) their misguided and indoctrinated beliefs.

Maybe instead of targeting master art works, these fools should target the private jet Mr. Kerry uses for flapping around the globe to lecture his legion of brainwashed zombies about why and how they should reduce their carbon footprint by leaving their cars home and taking the bus to work.

It is possible privileged Kerry hasn’t boarded a public bus his whole life.

Chuckle, oink, barf.

Mr. Putin’s forever-changing red line nuclear threat of “or else” has by now become a bad joke that reminds us of an old “Saturday Night Live” skit in which Libya’s Qaddafi Duck draws a line in the sand and threatens, “If you cross this line…” We do, and Qaddafi immediately backs up. “Oh, you don’t like this line?” he says, then he draws another.

“Then how about this line?” We ignore that one too and he draws a third. “Oh, then maybe this one?” he says contritely.

Poisonous Putin’s newest line is about Ukraine not being allowed to attack Russian military forces within their own border “or else” (nuclear war, yawn). This is absurd. Given that Mr. Putin’s army has invaded Ukraine and caused mass destruction to its cities, raped its women and children, tortured and murdered civilians (including women and children), Ukraine has every right to take the war Russia started into “the Motherland” itself and see how Russians like having their civilian populations and infrastructure bombarded.

We are delighted to report that this is already happening to some extent. Teams of saboteurs operating inside Russia (presumed to be Ukrainians but they might be Russians wishing to overthrow Mr. Putin) are responsible for a series of explosions affecting the infrastructure of that country’s energy industry, including gas pipelines.

Meantime, Mr. Putin is killing off his top commanders. Most recently, he offed the director — general of Admiralty Shipyards, his submarine factory in St. Petersburg, along with the general who ran his tank command.

Both submariner Alexander Buzakov, 69, and tankster Alexei Mazlov, 65, had been in good health until they fell ill and suffered “sudden death.” (Think poison because it’s either that or falling from a third-floor window).

It seems to us that Putin is discovering that his whole country has become one big mafia enterprise and that his armed forces faltered in Ukraine because his commanders have for years been lining their own pockets with state funds meant to maintain Russia’s military machine.

His response is to murder them.

The Russian empire under poisonous Putin deserves to fall. And when that that happens, good riddance to it.

ARMS DEALERS ARE …

Worthy of mention when discussing dishonor because they are the scum of the earth, providing weapons for profit to countries everywhere across the globe desiring to start and perpetuate wars. American companies are no exception to this — and perhaps they’re the greediest of all.

The FBI never counted on multi-billionaire Elon Musk buying Twitter and then revealing the agency’s dirty laundry for all to see. Little doubt the politicized bureau will now target Mr. Musk for exposing its transgressions and humiliating it.

This was nothing more than a political PR ploy, an inexcusable exercise in pandering to those President Biden believes are his true constituents.

Mr. Putin desperately wanted his trusted arms dealer back home and back to work. The Russian dictator is a shrewd dealmaker who would have capitulated if President Biden had held his ground and insisted Mr. Whelan be part of the swap. But Mr. Biden was impatient and wanted Ms. Griner home before Christmas and Mr. Putin knew it, knows our country’s current proclivity for favoring gay rights and minorities over older white guys. The Russians are laughing at how stupid our government is. (The impatient negotiator always loses.)

Mr. Bout — the Merchant of Death — will now get back to work for his hero Putin doing what he does best: Procuring deadly weapons on the black market and using them to kill Ukrainians in the unjust war he wholeheartedly supports.

During my tenure as intelligence chief in Monaco, we learned that notorious personalities in the Russian criminal underworld had between 1996 and 2001 passed $800 million through a Monaco company called Pastor International. Much of this laundered money had been invested in real estate in France, Spain and Switzerland, with significant amounts invested in hotels throughout Europe and Asia.

Most of this was generated by illegal arms sales. A key figure in such dealing was Mr. Bout, aka “The Bill Gates of Arms Dealing.”

Through his private airline Air Cess (which we called “Air Cesspool”), Viktor supplied the Taliban in Afghanistan with an air fleet composed of five Sovietmade Antonov 12s.

Following in the footsteps of his shameful withdrawal from Afghanistan 17 months ago, President Biden has again dishonored the country he purports to preside over and care about.

And then, to top it all off, this demented goofball of a president flies off into the wild blue yonder to enjoy sunshine and warmth in the Virgin Islands right after Buffalo, N.Y., suffers the worst snowstorm in history, resulting in scores of deaths, followed by widespread looting. He should have flown to Buffalo and surveyed the damage. That is what any responsible commander-inchief worth his salt would do.

As usual, the cop-out excuse will be that a presidential visit would be disruptive due to the large entourage that accompanies him. Uh, pardon us for asking, but is that entourage any less extravagant dropping into the Virgin Islands for a vacation? And isn’t it about time the White House gives the taxpayer a break by slimming down the porky presidential entourage? Dishonor and shame.

AND, FINALLY, BIDEN’S PET, SAM BRINTON

Sam Brinton is the “nonbinary” Biden-appointee to the U.S. Energy Department who was caught twice stealing bags from airport carousels. His pronoun should not be “them/they” (as he prefers) but “it” as in “I’m it” — a

At the request of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Supreme Court of The (red) Sunshine State has empowered a grand jury to investigate those who manufactured COVID-19 vaccines.

Said Gov. DeSantis: “In Florida, it is against the law to mislead and to misrepresent, particularly when you’re talking about the

“We will never surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die.”

Amen, brother.

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

Wind from SUNDAY A brief shower or two 59 63 49 51

MONDAY Cloudy with afternoon rain 63 59 49 50

TUESDAY Periods of rain, some heavy 58 60 42 45

City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W

Cuyama 59/42/c 59/45/sh

Goleta 62/49/c 61/51/sh

Lompoc 61/48/pc 59/52/sh

Pismo Beach 60/51/c 61/54/sh

Santa Maria 59/49/c 59/53/sh

Santa Ynez 59/46/c 59/49/sh

Vandenberg 61/51/c 61/54/sh

INLAND COASTAL

WEDNESDAY Cloudy with a little rain 60 63 43 45

northwest INLAND COASTAL

Today Sun.

Ventura 63/51/c 58/52/c

Bakersfield 57/48/c 61/52/sh

Barstow 55/40/c 59/43/pc

Big Bear 44/24/c 48/26/pc

Bishop 47/31/c 50/29/c

Catalina 60/48/c 56/51/pc

ally by 10 people in an urban environment. TODAY Cloudy 59 63 46 49

Concord 58/51/r 61/50/r

Escondido 67/43/c 65/46/pc

Eureka 57/48/r 57/50/sh

Fresno 57/49/c 60/52/sh

Los Angeles 66/49/c 61/53/pc

Mammoth Lakes 33/25/c 35/25/sf

Modesto 55/47/sh 56/49/c

Monterey 61/52/sh 61/54/r

Napa 56/49/r 59/50/r

Oakland 59/51/r 62/53/r

Ojai 63/46/c 58/49/pc

Oxnard 62/49/c 60/51/c

Palm Springs 67/50/c 68/50/pc

Pasadena 65/50/c 61/50/c

Paso Robles 56/49/c 58/53/sh

Sacramento 56/49/r 58/52/sh

San Diego 65/49/pc 65/49/pc

San Francisco 57/51/r 60/53/r

San Jose 59/50/sh 61/54/r

San Luis Obispo 60/51/c 61/54/sh

Santa Monica 67/50/c 60/54/c

Tahoe Valley 36/28/sn 36/30/sn

Atlanta 65/44/s 61/42/c

Boston 44/26/pc 38/32/pc

Chicago 36/29/pc 38/27/c

Houston 78/53/t 68/48/r

Miami 77/65/s 81/66/pc

Minneapolis 19/3/s 22/15/pc

New York City 44/29/pc 40/33/pc

Philadelphia 46/30/pc 42/34/pc

Phoenix 69/47/s 68/44/pc

Portland, Ore. 47/43/r 51/44/sh

St. Louis 44/36/r 40/30/pc

Salt Lake City 40/29/c 43/30/sn

Seattle 49/43/r 50/43/sh

Washington, D.C. 49/31/pc 43/38/c

INLAND COASTAL AT BRADBURY DAM, LAKE CACHUMA

INLAND COASTAL

Jan. 7 9:01 a.m. 5.8’ 2:44 a.m. 2.6’ 11:17 p.m. 3.5’ 4:32 p.m. -0.7’ Jan. 8 9:33 a.m. 5.7’ 3:20 a.m. 2.5’ 11:50 p.m. 3.5’ 5:04 p.m. -0.6’ Jan. 9 10:05 a.m. 5.4’ 3:58 a.m. 2.5’ none 5:34 p.m. -0.4’ INLAND COASTAL

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2023 Storage 62,464 acre-ft. Elevation 693.65 ft. Evaporation (past 24 hours) 4.0 acre-ft. Inflow 79.0 acre-ft. State inflow 2.5 acre-ft. Storage change from yest. +45 acre-ft.

Today Sun.

Beijing 45/19/pc 50/21/pc

Berlin 51/42/pc 49/41/c

Cairo 68/56/pc 69/54/pc

Cancun 81/74/pc 81/71/r London 54/44/r 49/41/r

Mexico City 71/51/s 71/47/s

Montreal 29/12/c 25/20/pc

New Delhi 65/45/pc 70/45/pc

Paris 50/46/r 51/42/r

Rio de Janeiro 73/70/r 75/69/sh

Rome 60/48/c 62/56/c

Sydney 72/62/c 74/61/s Tokyo 50/39/pc 53/41/s

SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL POINT ARENA TO POINT PINOS POINT CONCEPTION TO MEXICO LAKE LEVELS City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W W-weather, s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

Business/Real Estate

Critics blast Biden after federal report shows killing Keystone pipeline cost thousands of jobs

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – The Biden administration has drawn fire for admitting that killing the Keystone Pipeline cost the U.S. economy thousands of jobs and billions of dollars.

A report from the Department of Energy showed the pipeline would have supported tens of thousands of jobs, though the number is hard to nail down.

The report also pointed to other studies that estimated the pipeline would have added billions of dollars to the economy, though it cautioned the number can vary widely and is hard to determine.

Republicans blasted the Biden administration after the report was released.

“Now we learn the truth,” said U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, RMo, who lamented the loss of “working class jobs” in the U.S. “Not to mention our energy independence. All for the fanatical climate religion of the left.”

Republicans have been critical of President Biden for his energy policies long before this report. That criticism hit a fever pitch last summer when gas prices hit record highs, surpassing an average of $5 per gallon nationally.

“Countless jobs and billions of dollars were lost because [Biden] canceled the Keystone XL pipeline. Who benefitted? Certainly not the American people,” U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, RUtah, said. “It certainly energized radical leftists who categorically hate fossil fuels. But demand remains strong, forcing us to buy more from energy producers on other continents who don’t share our interests or our commitment to providing clean, affordable energy to Americans.

“Biden had a choice, and didn’t side with the American people,” he added.

The 1,200-mile pipeline was designed to carry crude oil from Hardisty, Alberta, Canada, through Montana and South Dakota to Steele City, Nebraska.

Construction began under the Trump administration, but President Biden revoked the

permit via executive order on his first day in office, saying the pipeline “disserves the U.S. national interest.” Instead, he argued, the U.S. “must be in a position to exercise vigorous climate leadership” and canceling the pipeline would help put the world “on a sustainable climate pathway.”

President Biden has touted getting prices down from their $5 peak, which he did in part by relying heavily on the Strategic Petroleum Oil Reserves. President Biden has also repeatedly blamed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the higher prices, calling it “Putin’s price hike.” That invasion has exacerbated prices, but those costs were already rising before the war.

A recent analysis from GasBuddy projected that gas prices would average $3.49 per gallon this year, peaking at $4.12 per gallon in June.

“2023 is not going to be a cakewalk for motorists. It could be expensive,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a statement. “The national average could breach $4 per gallon as early as May – and that’s something that could last through much of the

summer driving season. Basically, curveballs are coming from every direction. Extreme amounts of volatility remain possible, but should become slightly more muted in the year ahead. I don’t think we’ve ever seen such an amount of volatility as we saw this year, and that will be a trend that likely continues to lead to wider uncertainty over fuel prices going into 2023.”

The high prices last year, the energy department report, and elevated prices in 2023 mean those criticisms of President Biden will likely continue.

“Joe Biden’s adherence to the green agenda destroyed jobs, destroyed revenue and is costing America’s working families untold money in inflation,” said Daniel Turner, founder and executive director of the energy workers advocacy group, Power The Future. “The Keystone XL pipeline was a common sense solution to our nation’s energy infrastructure but because it was approved by President Trump, Joe Biden couldn’t help but destroy it for petty political reasons. Joe Biden often talks about creating ‘good union jobs’ but it’s clear he will always put politics before people.”

Bonds could be for another bad year

The 30-year treasury was paying 19.1% in 1983 when I got into the financial services industry! The U.S. government guaranteed that return every year for 30 years!

And what is interesting is that so many at that time thought 19.1% was a mediocre return at best. If you could find a mortgage rate of 17%, you were doing well.

My, how things have changed!

Since the early ’80s, interest rates have come down until they actually reached 0% in 2020. We are seeing rates move up dramatically now, and there are risks involved that investors need to be aware of in this current investment environment.

The Federal Reserve Board of Governors (The Fed) is charged with overseeing the Federal Reserve Banks and with helping implement the monetary policy of the United States. Fed governors are appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate for staggered 14year terms.

The big concern for the Fed today is inflation. The most effective tool in reducing inflation is raising interest rates. When interest rates go up, the cost of loaning money rises as well as the cost of financing real estate goes up, and unfortunately, this causes bond values to decline.

This process reduces business expansion and puts pressure on the housing markets, which in turn will dampen an overheated economy and hopefully reduce inflation. But this will occur with a price.

2022 was an awful year for U.S. bonds. The 12 months through October ranked as the worst ever recorded for the bond market.

Buyers willing to pay premium prices for move-in ready houses

As we start the new year, I would like to begin by saying I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season — wherever you may have been.

2022 was certainly an interesting year and in many ways a transitional year in the real estate market, on a national economic level and the world at large.

The June market was the high point from a price perspective on real estate values, and many now believe the recent price adjustments we are experiencing have taken us back to pre-COVID valuations.

There is certainly a case to be made for that, but there are also exceptions to that thought process. Overall, the general feeling from most sources is the market is adjusting to a more normal footing.

If you are currently selling, or thinking about selling, you may feel like you are struggling with how to price your property. If so, you are not alone. Historically, valuations have been based on what transacted/sold in the prior 12 months, as pre-COVID properties generally took several months to sell.

It is only in the last two years that we have seen a rapid marketplace where properties have sold in days or weeks — not months. As a result, what sold 12 months prior is no longer a comparable sale for a current valuation.

As we fast forward to today, some sellers are struggling with pricing, feeling they may have missed the top of the market and are possibly still trying for the needle-in-thehaystack buyer.

Buyers, however, are now a little more in the driving seat in regard to prices and are hesitant

REAL ESTATE UPDATE

to pay that premium unless it is a move-in condition house in an Aplus location.

So what constitutes a move-in ready house?

A recent survey concluded that buyers view a house that has not been upgraded within the last five years as in need of a remodel. This may be as simple as refreshing paint, but in many cases, it extends beyond that to updating finishes in kitchens and bathrooms as well as possibly altering the layout of the house so that it flows more in line with how people live in a house today, as compared to a few years ago.

Think more along the lines of open floor plans, no formal dining room but large open kitchens with attached gathering spaces.

For December, we have seen inventory levels keep pace with new listings for the first time in several months. We have also seen an increase in the number of price adjustments. Here are the statistics.

MONTECITO

New Listings: 6. Pending: 5.

Price Changes: 2. Sold: 10.

HOPE RANCH

New Listings: 2. Pending: 2. Price Changes: 1. Sold: 1

SANTA BARBARA

New Listings: 17. Pending: 26. Price Changes: 14. Sold: 26.

CARP/SUMMERLAND

New Listings: 2. Pending: 5. Price Changes: 0. Sold: 6.

As we look forward, the market — although somewhat in flux and finding its new norm — remains optimistically strong with buyer activity still outpacing supply, albeit slightly.

Pricing is key in the current environment and will be moving forward. Interest rates, although easing slightly in recent weeks and continued uneasiness regarding economic downturn possibilities, will continue to weigh on the market. There is a light at the end of the tunnel regarding insurance, as more companies are starting to come back into the local marketplace and offer coverage options.

As always, if you have any real estate questions, please feel free to reach out to me. All inquiries are fully confidential. You may also follow me on Instagram and Facebook for the latest on the current market.

Cristal Clarke is a real-estate agent at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, which serves Montecito and Santa Barbara.

INVESTMENTS

Long-term Treasury bonds were down more than 26% for this period. By contrast, the S&P 500 Stock Index was down only 13% for this same period.

Bonds are loans made by investors who, in return, receive regular income, known as yield. Market yields have risen appreciably. Bond returns, in an actively traded portfolio of individual bonds or in a mutual fund or/and exchange-traded fund, come from a combination of yield and price changes. When yields rise, bond prices fall, and vice versa. That’s fundamental bond math.

Think of it this way. When the market interest rate rises to 4% but you already own a security that pays you 3% in income, your security will lose some of its market value. For a security that will keep paying an inferior interest rate for 30 years, the loss is much greater.

For the past three decades, the bond market has been the “Steady Eddie” of the investment marketplace. Bonds were thought of as boring investments that could be counted on for stability and steady income. In 2022, however, as inflation and interest rates soared, the bond market has been anything but reliable.

The Fed has indicated that interest rates will continue to go up through 2023. Rising yields may not be a problem if you buy a security for the income it provides and hold it until it matures. But if you trade a portfolio of bonds, or hold shares in a bond mutual fund or ETF, falling bond prices can outweigh the benefits of rising yields.

Among the most troubling of foreseeable problems with the bond market is this: Republicans in Congress are threatening to use the federal debt ceiling as a weapon in their negotiations with Democrats about spending and the budget.

Congress will need to raise that ceiling before the government’s total borrowing reaches its current statutory limit. That’s expected to happen sometime in the summer or autumn of 2023. In the current partisan climate, it is easy to imagine toxic brinkmanship that would disrupt the bond market and may do much more damage than that.

Remember that treasuries are the linchpin of the entire global financial system, and tampering with them could have dire, farreaching effects.

As we move into a new year, it is important to look at wider diversification in an investment portfolio. Consider “bond alternatives” in the mix. Look to reduce the interest rate risk that comes with the bond market. Ensure that the portfolio has a foundation of “safe” money as well as a diverse portfolio of quality stocks.

Above all, stay the course!

Tim Tremblay is president of Tremblay Financial Services in Santa Barbara (www. tremblayfinancial.com).

CRISTAL CLARKE

TIM TREMBLAY

COURTESY PHOTO

President Joe Biden

Westmont women’s basketball remain unbeaten

By RON SMITH WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Second-ranked Westmont Women’s Basketball overcame a slow start to post its 13th win of the season and remain undefeated, taking down the Warriors of William Jessup (9-6, 4-2 GSAC) by a score of 65-47. The Warriors improved to 6-0 in Golden State Athletic Conference play to remain atop the GSAC standings.

“After a rocky start and a wake-up call, we locked in our defense,” acknowledged Westmont’s veteran head coach Kirsten Moore. “We forced 22 turnovers and got it done on the boards.”

Westmont outrebounded Jessup 43-34 including a 17-6 advantage on the offensive glass. Jessup took the early lead, going up 12-2 in the first five minutes of the opening frame. After a timeout called by Moore, Westmont responded with a 123 run in the remainder of the first quarter. Sage Kramer (10 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals) hit a three from the left side before Paula Graichen (5 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals) made a free throw and then hit a 13-footer to pull Westmont within four (12-8).

Stefanie Berberabe (15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) scored her first points of the game on a reverse layup making the score 12-10. After Jessup scored on a jumper and a free throw, Berberabe scored twice more - once on a layup and again on a five-foot jumper - resulting in a 15-14 lead by Jessup at the end of the first quarter.

A layup by Jessup’s Andrea Jovicevic restored a three-point advantage to Jessup to start the second quarter. Destiny Okonkwo (7 points, 8 rebounds) pulled Westmont within one after gathering an offensive rebound and connecting on the put-back. Then she connected on one of two free throws to tie the game at 17.

Kate Goostrey (12 points, 2 steals) gave Westmont its first lead of the night when she drained a longrange shot to make the score 20-17. After a triple by Jessup’s Maila Lepolo tied the game at 20, Berberabe passed the ball to a wide open Okonkwo under the basket. Her two-foot jumper put the Warriors up 2220.

Jessup took its last lead of the game when Natalie Moulos connected on another 3-pointer. However, Bailey Fong (5 points) responded in kind to put

Westmont back on top 25-23. A minute later, Fong beat the 30-second buzzer to put Westmont up by four. After a Jessup score, Westmont took a 27-25 lead into the locker room.

“It was definitely a night when things didn’t come easy, offensively,” said Moore. “We shot the ball terribly in the first half. We were able to step up our defense and continue to stay persistent on the boards even when we weren’t shooting it well. That started to open things up a little bit.”

The Maroon clad Warriors took control of the contest in the third quarter, outscoring the Warriors from Rocklin 26-10. Berberabe tallied seven points in the quarter while Goostrey and Laila Saenz added six each. By the end of the period, the Warriors held an 18-point lead (53-35), which proved to be the final margin of victory.

“Stef took over when we needed her to do so,” noted Moore. “Kate, at a key juncture, hit a couple of shots that really got us going. Sage had a doubledouble even though she was struggling with foul trouble. She was a big presence on the boards in addition to her ability to score. Paula, off the bench and in a bigger role, had a bunch of boards and a couple of steals. She played some important, great minutes for us.”

The Warriors remain in Northern California for a game against Menlo (9-6, 3-3) on Saturday at noon. Because of a wrestling tournament being held in Menlo’s Haynes-Prim Pavilion, the game will be held at Skyline Community College in San Bruno.

“Menlo is always a battle for us,” expressed Moore.

“We are expecting that to be the case again. They are a dangerous team that is on a winning streak. They won their games going into Christmas in Hawaii and have some good momentum right now. We are going to have to regroup and play really well down there.”

Menlo defeated Providence of Montana (11-5) and Ozarks of Missouri (10-5) at the Hoops in Hawaii Classic prior to Christmas, then took down Simpson (9-6) on December 30. Menlo also posted a 90-77 win tonight against The Master’s (9-4, 3-3).

Ron Smith is the sports information director at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com

Westmont men’s basketball opens 2023 with clutch win in Rocklin

By JACOB NORLING WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Westmont Men’s Basketball (10-5, 3-3) opened 2023 with a momentum-building win on Thursday night in Rocklin. Against the William Jessup Warriors (10-6, 4-2), the Westmont Warriors snapped a four-game GSAC losing streak with a 9285 win on the road. In doing so, Westmont became the first team this season to defeat Jessup in their home gym.

“We came through a stretch where we were dropping games, and it was brutal,” said Westmont head coach Landon Boucher, “and after that Vanguard game we vowed to each other that we had to get better. Not only does it feel good to get back in the win column, but it feels good to have left tonight knowing that we got better tonight.”

Anthony McIntyre led a red-hot Westmont offense with 23 points, while Cade Roth was clutch as well with 17 points. Overall, Westmont had five scorers in double-figures as Cly Griffith Jr. finished with 16, Tone Patton Sr. finished with 13, and Amir Davis finished with 10.

“Anthony McIntyre was humongous tonight,” noted Boucher. “Of course you see it in the point column, but also in his rebounding and defense, he was everywhere tonight, and it was great to see him have a complete game.”

As a team, the road-Warriors finished the day with a clip of 54.5% from the field (30-55), while making nine of 20 shots from beyond the arc. Thanks for their consistent offense, Westmont trailed for only 23 seconds in the first half, before claiming the lead for good minutes into the night.

During the first half of action, Westmont played some of their best offensive basketball of the GSAC season. After the first 20 minutes of action, Westmont had shot 17 of 25 from the field (68%), which included a trio of makes from beyond the arc.

Westmont also took advantage at the charity stripe, where the team converted on 10 of 13 free

throws. Leading the charge was Patton, who made his first four shots and scored a game-high 12 points during the first half. Roth and Patton opened the game by draining back-to-back 3-pointers, allowing Westmont to gather their collective confidence immediately.

“For Tone to have a game like he did was huge,” offered Boucher. “He is such a key presence inside for us, and that presence does so much for our offense. Tone held it down underneath.”

Also making a noticeable impact in the half was McIntyre, who initially left the game following an awkward fall in the first minute of action. However, McIntyre checked back in with 12:30 remaining in the half, and immediately scored five points to give Westmont a 24-15 lead.

With 7:00 left in the half Amir Davis collected a basket that put Westmont up 33-23, and a minute later, a layup from Patton stretched the lead to half-high 37-23. Westmont forced Jessup to commit nine turnovers in the half, but when the home team hung on to the ball, they were just as formidable offensively as Westmont had been.

By half’s end, Jessup’s shooting percentage crept up to 55.6% (15-27), allowing the home team to cut Westmont’s lead to single digits by intermission (4739.) At the beginning of the second half, however, Westmont returned with their heaviest punch of the night.

At the 17:00 mark, Patton rejected an attempted layup from Jessup before finding Davis for a layup on the other end. Davis’ layup capped off a 10-0 run by Westmont to open the half, allowing the club to stretch their lead to 57-41.

Minutes later, threes from Roth, Drew Ramirez, and a pair from McIntyre gave Westmont their largest lead of the night at 75-56. With a near-20-point advantage, the final ten minutes of the contest was all about holding off Jessup. A pair of free throws from Griffith put Westmont up 77-59 with 9:38 to play, but following the free shots,

Westmont didn’t score again for nearly four minutes.

By the time McIntyre ended the drought with a basket, Jessup had trimmed the deficit to 10 with 4:45 to play. Then, with 4:05 to play, Roth hit what felt like a dagger when he converted his third 3-pointer of the night. Roth’s triple put Westmont up 82-70, allowing them to breathe easier for a handful of moments.

While Jessup cut the deficit to single digits in the final minutes, they did not threaten soon enough before having to send Westmont to the free throw line. From there, the road-Warriors put the game away and got back to .500 in GSAC play.

“I thought this game said a lot about our mental toughness,” said Boucher. “On the road, some tough calls, and a couple guys foul out, it had the recipe to be one of those tough nights. Instead, we saw a ton of mental toughness through our free throw shooting.

“I can’t applaud Cly enough. I thought he was nails down the stretch, and overall, he had a really nice game. Kyler Warren and Zeke Viuhkola each gave us 10 minutes off the bench as well, and I thought they really impacted us in a positive way.

“We also had a collection of guys who did well covering their two All-Americans. Drew, Cade, and Amir had to spend a lot guarding those guys, and it was just a great collective effort to go get it done.”

“Coming away from this one is motivating, but at the same time, we have to put it behind us. Menlo is a really good team and now it’s time to go ready for that one.

Westmont is right back at it on Saturday afternoon, when they take on the Menlo Oaks at 2:00 p.m. in San Bruno. Due to a wrestling tournament in Menlo’s home gym, the Warriors and the Oaks will tip-off from Skyline Community College, before Westmont returns to Santa Barbara next week.

Jacob Norling is the sports information assistant at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com

UCSB men’s volleyball defeats USC

By KRISTEN KELLER UCSB SPORTS

It was the opening day of the 2023 season for the No. 7 UCSB men’s volleyball team (10) as they played the first match of the Asics Invitational in Rob Gym. The Gauchos took on the No. 10 Trojans of Southern California first. After four sets of play, the Gauchos earned their first win of the season, taking down the Trojans in four sets (25-19, 25-16, 25-18, 25-23).

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Trojans came out on fire against the Gauchos, coming out with the lead and keeping it throughout the first set. USC came out hitting at a .500 clip while UCSB could only manage a .143 in that set, which helped the Trojans earn their first set win at 25-19.

From there, the Gauchos fought back. They dominated in the second set, hitting an impressive .520 as a team while Ryan Wilcox and Dayne Chalmers each registered seven kills apiece in this set, hitting .600 and .875 respectively. From there, UCSB kept the pressure on USC, not giving them any room

DP boys soccer loses to SM

The Dos Pueblos boys soccer team lost to San Marcos on Thursday, falling by a score of 3-0.

San Marcos’ first goal was scored in the 28th minute, and it would be the only goal scored in the first half.

“Going into the half, our team felt pretty good that we were able to hang with this talented San Marcos team,” said Dos Pueblos Coach Matt York.

However, just two minutes into the second half, San Marcos scored again, securing their third goal just six minutes later.

“I thought senior forward Matt Sillers played an excellent game up front for us and was responsible for some of our only dangerous play on the night, senior fullback Ryan Orosco ran hard for us up and down the sideline all game, and freshman center back Andrew Gomez played with the composure and calmness of a senior … even against a rival,” said York.

Dos Pueblos’ record dropped to 1-8 on the year.

to improve in the third. The Gauchos hit even better in the third with a .529 hitting percentage while scoring 84 percent of their points.

Once the fourth set came around, the Trojans came back with a vengeance. They put the pressure on the Gauchos’ offense while making their defense make big plays in order to stay in this game. The lead changed between the two teams five times while tying each other eight times as the fourth set win came down to the last point.

Brandon Hicks and Conor Dunn got a block on match point to take the set and defeat the No. 10 Trojans 3-1.

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Wilcox ended the evening with the most kills for the Gauchos, ending the first game of the year with 14 with a .417 hitting percentage. He also was tied for the most digs on the team, racking up nine.

• Chalmers also finished the match with double-digit kills. The redshirt junior tallied 11 kills in his first match of the season while only making two errors.

SPORTS ROUNDUP

soccer team secured a 0-0 tie against San Marcos on Thursday.

“The players have shown patience and discipline on defense by earning another shutout,” said Dos Pueblos Coach Marco Medina. “Kudos to Elena Andrews for a dynamic save on a free-kick just before the end of the first half.”

The draw brings Dos Pueblos’ league record to 1-2-3, with an overall record of 2-3-3.

Dos Pueblos returns to action on Tuesday against Santa Barbara.

Carp girls basketball edges Fillmore

The Carpinteria High girls basketball team won a close game against Fillmore on Thursday, coming away with a 42-39 victory.

The Warriors led by five and four after the first and second quarters, respectively, and expanded that lead to eight points by the end of the third. Fillmore put together a late run in the fourth quarter, eventually cutting the lead to three. Timely free throw shooting helped Carpinteria stave off the comeback.

• Donovan Todorov was very efficient in the middle. The redshirt junior ended tonight with six kills and no errors on seven swings while registering a block.

• The Gauchos’ libero, Max Gordon, also performed well in the back row. The sophomore was tied for the most digs on the team, earning nine, while passing 24 balls on serve receive.

• In his first game as a Gaucho, Jack Walmer ended the game with 37 assists while also adding on an ace.

UP NEXT

The Gauchos will be back in Rob Gym in 24 hours as they continue with the Asics Invitational. They will take on the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters. The game is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. but is dependent upon the outcome of the previous game.

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

sports@newspress.com

the year, but we found a way to stay ahead and win the game,” said Carpinteria Coach Henry Gonzalez.

Carpinteria now sports an 88 record, and will play in the coming week against both Malibu and Nordhoff.

DP girls basketball falls to Pacifica

The Dos Pueblos High girls basketball team lost to Pacifica on Thursday, falling by a score of 67-32.

Justin Katz led Dos Pueblos with ten points and seven rebounds, while Carly Letendre also scored ten points to go along with five rebounds. Lauren Robles contributed six points.

“I was pleased with the girls’ effort in the second half,” said Dos Pueblos Coach Manny Murillo. “They played hard regardless of the score and we got better.”

Dos Pueblos falls to 2-2 with the loss, and will return to action on Tuesday against Oxnard.

Marcos’ first ever against Buena. Leading San Marcos was Ellie Monson with 25 points, while Michelle Arellanes and Mia Martinez-Tomatis each contributed 12.

Bishop Diego girls basketball beats Santa Clara

The Bishop Diego girls basketball team defeated Santa Clara on Thursday, winning 53-23. Galilea De La Cruz led Bishop Diego with 16 points and five rebounds. Lily Simolon added 12 points and Lara Henichin contributed 11.

“I liked the way we pushed the ball and I thought our defense set the tone,” said Bishop Diego Coach Jeff Burich. “Citlali Morales, Jiali Coronado, Jaymi Coronado and Diana Mendez were aggressive and got us going in transition and gave us great contributions. It was a good having our full squad back for the first league game.”

Bishop Diego now owns a 17-2 overall record, while starting out 1-0 in league play.

DP

girls soccer plays SM to a draw

The Dos Pueblos High girls

Leading the way for Carpinteria was Amarisse Camargo, who scored 29 points while securing 11 rebounds.

“It was not our best effort of

SM girls basketball victorious over Buena

The San Marcos High girls basketball team defeated Buena, winning 61-44. The win was San

Bishop Diego returns to action on Tuesday against St. Bonaventure.

-

Compiled by Matt Smolensky

Arrest led to ‘shootings, burning of vehicles, blockades, looting’

Ovidio Guzman was indicted in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges in 2018 and has played a major role in the trafficking of fentanyl into the U.S. In 2019, the U.S. sought his extradition. Mexican forces apprehended him in October 2019 but were soon ordered to release him by President Obrador.

At a press conference on Oct. 26, 2019, President Obrador said he released Ovidio Guzman because after he was arrested, members of the cartel mobilized in response “with high-powered weapons” and attacked “military housing units,” kidnapped soldiers, and placed themselves “in strategic places in Culiacán.” When the Army intervened, he said the cartels hit one of their helicopters. He released Ovidio Guzman to prevent a “confrontation in the middle of the city that was possibly going to cause the death of hundreds of people,” El Universal reported.

On Thursday after Ovidio Guzman was re-arrested, gunfire and violence erupted in a region controlled by one of the most dangerous and ruthless cartels in the world.

“Members of the Sinaloa cartel ambushed and killed Infantry Colonel Juan José in the vicinity of Escuinapa Moreno Orzua and his escorts,” Mr. Sánchez Torres reported.

Ovidio Guzman’s capture, he

said, “led to shootings, burning of vehicles, blockades, looting and shooting at civil and military aircraft” by cartel and gang members.

Mr. Sánchez Torres also posted video taken by Aeromexico airline passengers, reporting: “Members of the Sinaloa cartel shoot down an Aeromexico plane and prevent it from taking off at the Culiacán International Airport, in retaliation for the capture in said city of Ovidio Guzmán, son of ‘El Chapo,’ in the same way they attacked aircraft of the forces feds.”

An “armed group of the Sinaloa cartel, after taking the runways of the Culiacán International Airport, prevented the takeoff of planes with firearms,” he said. Aeromexico also issued a statement, saying a bullet had impacted the plane’s fuselage and the flight was canceled for security reasons.

A Sedena plane was also fired upon when arriving at the Culiacán Airport, Mr. Sanchez Torres reported. He also posted a video in which gunfire can be heard in the vicinity of the Culiacan Prison in Sinaloa where many cartel members are imprisoned.

“War has broken out between Mexican Defense Forces and the Sinaloa Cartel in Culiacan in response to the arrest of El Chapo’s son,” The Libertarian Party caucus reported, also posting a video of the Aeromexico civilian flight.

At the end of the day, at least

29 people were killed in the gunfire, including 10 members of the military and 19 alleged cartel members, Mexican Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval said Friday. At least 21 suspects were arrested and 35 members of the Mexican Military were wounded, Mr. Sandoval said.

Samuel González, who founded a special prosecutor’s office for organized crime in Mexico, told the AP that “Guzmán’s capture was a ‘gift’” ahead of President Biden’s visit. He also said the bullets that hit the Aeromexico plane were “without a doubt an act of international terrorism.”

The New York Times reported last July that the cartels were earning $13 billion a year trafficking foreign nationals illegally into the U.S. in 2019, which has since increased astronomically.

Since President Biden’s been in office, well over 5 million people have been apprehended or reported evading capture from law enforcement after illegally entering the U.S. primarily through the southern border, with a record of over 3.3 million in fiscal 2022.

President Biden plans on Sunday to visit El Paso, a major trafficking destination of the Sinaloa Cartel and its gang affiliates where people are increasingly being kidnapped, the FBI has warned. Across from El Paso, in Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexican forces also engaged in gunfire with Sinaloa Cartel members and gang

The New York Times reported last July that the cartels were earning $13 billion a year trafficking foreign nationals illegally into the U.S. in 2019, which has since increased astronomically.

members, most recently in the Los Aztecas neighborhood after 27 inmates escaped prison on Jan. 1.

Known criminals and sex offenders are continuing to illegally enter Texas, pursued by Texas law enforcement, and caught by Border Patrol and other law enforcement partners, with record apprehensions in fiscal 2022.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called on President Biden to secure the border, arguing his actions have only emboldened cartel and criminal activity in Texas and the United States.

Life theArts

CALENDAR

TODAY 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Jurassic Empire presents more than 50 animatronic, life-like dinosaurs at the Santa Maria Fairpark, 937 S. Thornburg St., Santa Maria. For more information, see the story on B2 or go to santamariafairpark. com.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Interlopings: Colors in the Warp and Weft of Ecological Entanglements” is an exhibit that runs through March 12 at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The exhibit features weavings dyed with pigments from non-native plants on Santa Cruz Island. The weavings were created by artists Helen Svensson and Lisa Jevbratt. For more information, see sbbotanicgarden.org.

Festival of flavor

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Santa Ynez Valley’s creative culinary culture has long been at the heart of its wine country experience, but its wide range of flavors are never more accessible than during Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Weeks.

Restaurant Weeks will return for the 13th consecutive year, Jan.16 through 31, once again showcasing the region’s culinary bounty — and the perfect Santa Ynez Valley wines to pair with it — with a variety of special three-course prix fixe price menus.

The restaurants that participate in Santa Ynez Valley’s annual festival of flavor will feature

Santa Ynez Valley

Weeks returns from Jan. 16 through 31

curated, chef-driven, three-course menus at price points of $30, $40 or $50, plus tax and gratuity.

Many of the region’s wineries and tasting rooms will also participate at various levels, offering two-for-one tastings, special tasting flights and discounts on bottle purchases.

“Restaurant Weeks brings foodies together each year for an affordable, immersive culinary experience,” said Shelby Sim, president/CEO of Visit the Santa Ynez Valley. “The region’s wines are typically what come to mind first when thinking about the Santa Ynez Valley. But Restaurant Weeks showcases our gifted local chefs and their diverse and inspired culinary creations in a way that is accessible to most everyone.

Restaurants

“Blessed with an abundance of imaginative local chefs, deep agricultural roots, a collaborative culinary culture and cuisine that ranges from contemporary, innovative farm-to-table fare to traditional Scandinavian feasts, the Santa Ynez Valley’s reputation as a culinary-driven destination continues to grow.”

Five Santa Ynez Valley restaurants have earned MICHELIN ratings, including three that were recently added to the MICHELIN Guide California for the first time.

Bar Le Côte in Los Olivos, Bell’s Los Alamos, Coast Range in Solvang and First & Oak in Solvang, which have all

10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. “The Search for the Modern West,” an exhibit, continues through Feb. 20 at Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery, 11 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, see sullivangoss.com or call the gallery at 805-730-1460. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m The exhibit “Parliament of Owls” runs through Feb. 5 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays. For more information, go to www.sbnature. org.

JAN. 8 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Jurassic Empire presents more than 50 animatronic, life-like dinosaurs at the Santa Maria Fairpark, 937 S. Thornburg St., Santa Maria. For more information, see the story on B2 or go to santamariafairpark. com.

JAN. 10

7 p.m. Italian pianist Antonio Artese and his West Coast Trio will perform at at SOhO Restaurant and Music Club, 1221 State St., Suite 205, Santa Barbara. Doors will open at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $18 in advance and $20 on the day of the concert. To purchase, go to www. sohosb.com, where you can make dinner reservations. This concert is for all ages. For more about Mr. Artese, go to antonioartese.com.

JAN. 13

7 p.m. Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar will perform a free concert at Isla Vista Elementary School, 6875 El Colegio Road, Isla Vista, as Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara resumes its programming.

7 p.m. The Los Angeles Reed Quintet will perform during the Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series at St. Mark’sin-the-Valley Episcopal Church, 2901 Nojoqui Ave., Los Olivos. The program will include music by Mendelssohn, Mahler, Ligeti, Nina Shekhar, Yanjun Hua, Corelli, Fred Coots, and Sam Lewis

JAN. 14

7 p.m. Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuélla will perform a free concert at Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, 1065 Guadalupe St., Guadalupe. The concert is presented by Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara .

JAN. 15

7 p.m. Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuélla will perform a free concert at The Marjorie Luke Theatre at Santa Barbara Junior High School, 721 E. Cota St., Santa Barbara. The

JAN. 17

1:30 to 6:30 p.m. Vitalant blood drive at the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, 4436 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. For more information, go to vitalant.org.

JAN. 19 2 to 5:30 p.m. Vitalant blood drive at the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa

The calendar appears Mondays through Saturdays in the “Life & the Arts” section. Items are welcome. Please email them a full week before the event to Managing Editor Dave Mason at dmason@ newspress.com.

concert is presented by Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara.

TODD ROSENBERG PHOTOGRAPHY Riccardo Muti conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which will perform Jan. 25 at The Granada in Santa Barbara.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Seafood is part of the dining experience at Bar Le Côte in Los Olivos.

CARTER HIYAMA PHOTO

Bell’s Restaurant is located at 406 Bell St. in Los Alamos.

earned MICHELIN recognition, will participate in this year’s Restaurant Weeks.

They will be joined by some of the Santa Ynez Valley’s most recognizable restaurants, including Hitching Post 2 in Buellton and Los Olivos Wine Merchant Café, as well as some of the hottest new culinary experiences, including Campo del Sol in Solvang and The Victor in Santa Ynez.

In all, almost two dozen restaurants representing each of the Santa Ynez Valley’s six distinct communities will participate in this year’s Restaurant Weeks. email: mmcmahon@newspress.com

FYI

For the latest updates on Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Weeks, including menus and participating restaurants, wineries and tasting rooms, visit www.dinesyv.com or follow Visit the Santa Ynez Valley on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

CALENDAR

Continued from Page B1

Barbara, 524 Chapala St., Santa Barbara. For more information, go to vitalant.org.

JAN. 21

7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform its “Plains, Trains & Violins” concert at The Granada, 1214 State St.

The concert includes Miguel del Aguila’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, “The Journey of a Lifetime” (El viaje de una vida) with violin soloist Guillermo Figueroa and the concert world premiere of Elmer Bernstein’s “Toccata for Toy Trains.” The orchestra will also perform Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the

New World”). Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

JAN. 22 3 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform its “Plains, Trains & Violins” concert at The Granada, 1214 State St.

The concert includes Miguel del Aguila’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, “The Journey of a Lifetime (El viaje de una vida)” with violin soloist Guillermo Figueroa and the concert world premiere of Elmer Bernstein’s “Toccata for Toy Trains.” The orchestra will also perform Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”).

Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org. 4 to 5 p.m. “Roy Dunn: Capturing Imagery of Our Wild Neighbors” will take

place at the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, 1511-B Mission Drive, Solvang.

JAN. 24 2 to 6 p.m. Vitalant blood drive at Camino Real Marketplace, 7046 Marketplace Drive, Goleta. For more information, go to vitalant.org.

7 p.m. UCSB Arts & Lectures presents mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and a music ensemble in “Eden” at The Granada, 1214 State St. “Eden” explores the individual human connection with nature and features music from four centuries.

Tickets cost $46 to $131 for general admission and $20 for UCSB students with ID, one hour before the performance, and youths 18 and younger. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

JAN. 25 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vitalant blood drive at Allan Hancock College, 800 S. College, Santa Maria. For more information, go to vitalant.org.

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

10 things to do when you feel stuck

Sometimes when we are trying our best to move forward, something comes along to block us. Here are 10 things to do to help you keep moving in the right direction.

1. Get out of the house or office.

If you can’t get your mind clear, sometimes stepping outside can give you a new perspective. Getting some fresh air will enliven your senses, and your brain will start to think of new things.

2. Start writing. Turn on your computer, or get out a pad and paper, and write down whatever is in your head. Once you’ve cleared out most of the extemporaneous thoughts, the ones you want will appear.

3. Work on a different project.

If you can’t do what’s immediately in front of you, find something else to occupy your thoughts and energy. It doesn’t really matter what it is. You are taking this action to clear your mind by temporarily putting aside whatever you’re stuck on.

4. Clean your desk.

Sometimes we have so many irons in the fire that we can get bogged down with what to do first. As you clean your desk, you not only will break a pattern of inactivity but will find things that you’ve already completed and can put away. Doing so will give you some more room to process your thoughts.

5. Take a deep breath. You would be surprised at how many people hold their breath when they feel tense. When you cut off the oxygen supply to your brain and body, you can’t function as well. Breathing deeply a few times can re-energize you and give you that little extra bit of clarity you need.

6. Take a shower.

Even if it’s the middle of your day, a shower can change your perspective and help you get going. We all feel better when we get clean, and though it seems like a small step, it may be just the trick you need to get back on a positive path.

7. Call a good friend. Hearing the voice of someone you care about and spending a few minutes getting involved in their world can give you a new outlook on yours. Making this positive emotional connection may be exactly what you need to get moving again.

8. Move your body. Dance, get up and walk around the room, pick up your clothes, or do some exercise. Get those endorphins circulating through your brain. Being sedentary retards your ability to come up with new ideas.

9. Read Someone else’s words of wisdom can give you some new ideas. Reading can also help you relax and recharge your mental batteries.

10. Listen to your heart. What is it trying to tell you about where you are and what you are attempting to do? Perhaps there is a missing piece that will help you solve the puzzle.

We all get stuck in our thoughts and actions from time to time. The key is not to let it continue any longer than necessary. The sooner you can free your thoughts, the better you will feel.

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 Saturdays and Mondays in the News-Press.

BY JOHN MARTZ / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

Beach cleanup planned for Arroyo Burro Beach

SANTA BARBARA — A beach cleanup from 10 a.m.to noon Sunday is being hosted by Explore Ecology at Arroyo Burro Beach, 2981 Cliff Drive.

Participants are asked to stop at the table in front of the Watershed Resource Center to sign in and pick up supplies. You

you

You

For more information, contact jill@exploreecology.org.

Dinosaurs roam Santa Maria Fairpark

SANTA MARIA — Egads! Dinosaurs have invaded Santa Maria!

No kidding. In fact, you can encounter more than 50 lifesize, animatronic dinosaurs that will tower over you at Jurassic Empire.

The prehistoric event is set for 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and Sunday at Santa Maria Fairpark, 937 S. Thornburg St., Santa Maria.

It takes between 20 minutes and one hour to walk through

the indoor exhibit and see the dinosaurs in action.

Those attending are asked to sign up for two-hour increments at jurassicempire.ticketspice.com/ santa-maria-fairpark-2023. That’s also where you can buy tickets, which cost $25 for adults and children ages 2-12. VIP tickets for children cost $38 and include unlimited rides, fossil dig and access to a bouncy castle.

can bring your own materials if

prefer.

can also visit the Watershed Resource Center during cleanup hours to see interactive displays about local watersheds from 10 a.m. to noon.

— Marilyn McMahon

COURTESY PHOTO

Volunteers are being sought for a beach cleanup, set for Sunday at Arroyo Burro Beach.

— Dave Mason

COURTESY PHOTO

Bar Le Côte is among the popular restaurants in Los Olivos.

Thought for Today

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Saturday, January 7, 2023

ARIES — Spiritual concerns are a bigger issue for you today, Aries. You may have found that you’re drawn to a fanciful mindset and unorthodox way of viewing the world. Pursue this realm of thought and trust that your intuition knows exactly where to take you. Emotional tension may run high, so try not to get down on other people’s “me first” attitude.

TAURUS — Does it seem like your life is pulling apart at the seams, Taurus? Perhaps it’s time to reevaluate. Major aspects of your being could be coming into question and you can’t seem to find the answer to why you started down this road in the first place. Have confidence in yourself and your incredible ability to cut to the core of every matter.

GEMINI — There’s an extra bit of fire in your words and emotions today, Gemini. Your sensitivity is heightened and you should consider doing some sort of volunteer work now. You may talk about saving the world, but talk will get you nowhere until you put those ideas into practice.

CANCER — There may be serious challenges in your daily routine today, Cancer. How can you organize your day more efficiently? Take time to set a plan into motion. Write it down. You may want to drift into another realm, so let those emotions roam free - just make sure you deal with your daily tasks first.

LEO — You may feel idealistic today, Leo. This is fine, but make sure these ideals are rooted in reality or they may be nothing more than a pipe dream. Feel free to escape to another mindset, but make sure you can still discern what’s real and what isn’t. This is a formative time for you in which you realize that the conventional ways of doing things aren’t working anymore. Spread the word.

VIRGO — Your dreams and fantasies are more real than you know, Virgo. Smile at the people you pass and watch them smile back. Your sensitive and funloving nature is infectious. Use it to help heal others’ wounds. Laughter is the remedy that cures all. Be conscious of your tremendous effect on others

and spread the beauty that lives inside you.

LIBRA — Your sensitivity is especially heightened today, Libra. You’re in tune with your emotions and more sensitive to your dreams. Realize the importance of friendship and show someone you care by initiating an outing or intimate dinner at your home. You have greater self-awareness, as well as the energy to get things done.

SCORPIO — You may be going through a confusing period now, Scorpio. Today’s energy brings these issues into focus. Parts of your life seem to be slapping you in the face, indicating that a drastic life change is coming. Resist the urge to play the victim and let other people grab the reins simply because they act more confidently.

SAGITTARIUS — Spiritual concerns and fanciful daydreams move into sharp focus today, Sagittarius. Perhaps you’re pulled by playful emotions and escapism. Keep one foot on the ground while you send your mind into the clouds, but definitely take time to check the air up there and report your findings to your conscious self.

CAPRICORN — Have you taken someone for granted lately? Today you should give them the thanks and attention they deserve, Capricorn. Your sensitivity and psychic awareness are especially strong. You aren’t in the mood to put up with superficialities. Stick with what is real and say it like it is. Tension in your daily life may surface, but if you have things under control, you will ride through it just fine.

AQUARIUS — There may be some serious miscommunication today, so be honest in all your dealings, Aquarius. Be as straightforward as possible, since issues can backfire if the truth is clouded. Honesty is invaluable and must be maintained at all times. You have the power to make a lasting impression on people.

PISCES — You may not be sure what to think today, Pisces. Mental confusion could be the day’s theme for you, but don’t let it get you down. Realize that it’s just one of those days when none of the pieces fit right. The truth is that they do fit somewhere, just not now. Lay low and wait for this phase to pass.

SUDOKU

CODEWORD PUZZLE

By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

Saturday, January 7, 2023

“Simple Saturday” columns focus on basic technique and logical thinking.

Old burglars never die; they just steal away. Dummy play has a psychological element as well as a technical element. A good declarer knows ways he may steal a trick with deceptive play.

Against today’s 3NT, West leads the deuce of spades. South wins with the queen, but the defenders threaten to set up three spade tricks to go with their two red-suit aces. If South leads a diamond next, West may rise with his ace to continue spades. South will have only eight tricks, and the defense can cash spades when West takes the ace of hearts.

BEST CHANCE

Declarer’s best chance is a touch of larceny. At Trick Two he leads the ten of hearts, faking a finesse. If West plays low, South switches to diamonds to set up nine tricks in time. Should West be fooled? I think not. West has 13 high-card points. South opened 1NT and accepted North’s invitation to game. East is most unlikely to have the queen of hearts.

DAILY QUESTION You hold: A Q Q 10 7 3 Q 10 4 2 A K 4. The dealer, at your right, opens one heart.

What

Sudoku puzzles appear on the Diversions page Monday-Saturday and on the crossword solutions page in Sunday’s

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.

do you say?

ANSWER: The textbook call is 1NT, showing the same type of hand as a 1NT opening bid but with a stopper in opener’s suit. Many players would choose that call. Some would avoid overcalling 1NT with only 15 or 16 points (to reduce the chance of a heavy penalty). If the opponents are vulnerable, I would accept a pass, hoping to penalize them.

South dealer N-S vulnerable

“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

— John Dalberg-Acton

Brass bowl dates back to 13th-century Persia

APersian-style brass bowl inlaid with silver was a holiday gift to G.H. And she wonders if I can trace its unique combination of metals, style and history.

This is a 5.5-inch wide bowl, in the style of the ancient metalworkers of Khorassan in northeastern Iran in the 13th century.

The bowl also resembles the 14thcentury style of Fars metalwork of western Iran.

I’ll say more about the value of these ancient vessels later in this column.

First some history. The styles of the vessels had a revival years later. In the late 19th to the early 20th century, the artisans behind Middle Eastern metalcraft revived the ancient Mamluk Ottoman style and the ancient Cairo style. Both featured silver inlay on brass or copper, which is essentially saying the same thing because brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.

How a combination of silver and brass came to be a style in the 12th century and lasted until today is an interesting story and has much to do with etymology.

Iranian scholars have traced the style back to the Arabic/ Persian word for brass, which is “berenj” (a pre-Islamic word).

The word “berenji” may be pre-Islamic onomatopoeia for the “ring” sound that a brass vessel makes when struck. The word was passed on to Persian as “tarang,” Old German as “dringen” and English as “ring,” which tells you a little about what brass was used for, such as “bell metal.”

Silver tableware became popular in the courts of Persia in the 12th-13th centuries, even though Muslim tradition bans the use of precious metals for eating and drinking. However, silver was desirable, and not an abundant natural commodity

in Iran. Thus silver inlay was developed. Whatever could be made in gold, could also be made in brass, with a similar look.

You see Arabic calligraphy in the bowl.

The words are called “nasksh,” or benedictory words, which are phrases, and snippets of poems, blessings inscribed. You will see no realistic representation of flowers in the designs, but you will see abstract representations of natural elements in the bowl.

There’s also a silver lappet (a design that emphasizes the diameter of the bowl) on the outside of the bowl in, appropriately, arabesques, which is where we get the word for this particular shaped design popular on Middle Eastern objects.

Brass was used in ancient Persia for many things, and

because it was often inlaid with silver, when wars and conflicts broke out through the years, the silver was smelted down.

Thus, not many truly ancient metalcrafts works exist, yet they are widely collected, especially the elaborate scientific instruments made of brass inlaid with silver, such as the inventions called the astrolabe. In fact, ancient brass inlaid with silver was made in much the same fashion as G.H.’s little 19thcentury bowl, meaning that a brass object is formed from sheet metal that is hammered into shape, engraved, and inlaid with silver.

There’s no carbon dating of brass. Therefore, some fraudsters published the recipes for forging these astrolabes in “Creating Antiques for Fun and Profit”

(1977).

Vessels in this style are ewers, rosewater sprinklers, bracelets, bells, bowls, beakers, basins, samovars, teapots and horse equipage. They’re used in traditional architecture as openwork studs for doors, and public fountain and water taps.

There’s a large price difference between ancient vessels of brass with silver inlay and a 19thcentury version even though they look similar.

Christie’s sold a vessel from the 13th century of this form for more than $15,000 in March. However they couldn’t sell it to a U.S. customer. Why? Because the U.S. prohibits the purchase of “works of conventional Iranian craftsmanship” to U.S.-based persons. That category includes objects such as carpets, textiles, decorative pieces and scientific instruments. Christie’s had a disclaimer on its auction site saying no sales were allowed to US persons.

You might have said, “I have to have this 13th-century bowl,” and you might have asked your uncle in London to buy it for you. A thing of beauty from 13thcentury Persia, if purchased by your uncle in England, for import to you in the states, will need to undergo months of paperwork through the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Your uncle will need a license to send the vessel to you, because the U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned transactions with Iran. Only under special circumstances will you be allowed a license to engage in such a transaction, due to perceived threats to U.S. foreign policy. Thus, objects of great beauty suffer.

G.H.’s is neither antique nor publicly traded, and is worth $350.

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.

Motherhood focus of The Arts Fund show in La Cumbre Plaza

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

“The Kind of Mother: Coloring Outside the Lines of Motherhood” is the title of The Arts Fund’s show opening Friday at its Community Gallery in La Cumbre Plaza, 120 S. Hope Ave. F119.

An opening reception will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. throughout the Santa Barbara plaza during the bi-monthly Art Walk.

This show features local artists Vanessa WallaceGonzales, Meiya Sidney, Hope Okere, Juan D. Mendoza and Amber Valley Evangelista, artist and show curator.

“This exhibition is designed to force the audience to appreciate and challenge the influences politics and cultural traditions have on mothers of today’s society,” said Ms. Evangelista. “The curated pieces provide a diverse narrative of the complexities of femininity and motherhood.

“Femininity, resilience and nurturing are just a few of the words used to describe the emotion felt from the show. Artists show their vulnerability as a mother, child and human in a curated show exemplifying the intimate connection with mother.”

email: mmcmahon@newspress. com

COURTESY PHOTO

This Persian-style brass bowl is worth $350.

COURTESY IMAGES

“Ancestral Guardian” is made from resin, flowers, paper, butterflies, acrylic paint and gold leaf. The work, which is on a wood panel, is part of The Arts Fund’s new exhibit.

“Chasing Home” was created by artist Amber Valley Evangelista.

e curse of government handouts

My father survived a world war living on potato skin soup. He came to America with practically nothing. Because of his youth and the need to scrimp and be frugal, it stuck with him his entire life, despite eventually having the financial wherewithal to do whatever he wanted.

As a kid, I never understood why he did some of the things he did. We were an average middle-class family and my father was a good provider, but if I wanted to have spending money, I had to earn it. It took many years to realize the lesson he taught me, and I’m forever grateful. I would be a very different person had he just handed me money.

But that’s what our government is doing.

Not educating people how to earn money, the government takes the easy route and just hands out cash. Democrats are fully responsible for the highest inflation in American history, and California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, is part of that problem. So instead of trying to fix it, under

the guise of “inflation relief,” the Golden State has already sent bags of cash to about 23 million California residents, and we can’t even be sure they’re all citizens.

California is giving taxpayers up to $1,050 because politicians messed up, and it’s their way of saying sorry/not sorry, because politicians will keep doing it anyway. In the meantime, enjoy this money someone else earned, and we’re giving it to you.

Those with a single income of $250,000 or $500,000 combined won’t get any checks, but through the kindness of their hearts and hard work and paying taxes, the politicians can give it away to whom they think is more deserving. Makes sense. Not.

But for liberal politicians it makes perfect sense because they’re never held accountable for anything, and it’s not their money.

California is awash in surplus, and these giveaways are structured as tax refunds. If that’s the case, then all taxpayers should get a refund. What a corrupt play on words by claiming how you’re helping those in need because of

the problem you caused and then leave out the taxpayers who pay for your mistakes to bail you out. Whew!

Of course, politicians being the mental giants they are, can’t leave things well enough alone. In this new age of “equity,” it’s become vogue to base everything on skin color and blame white people. That’s not racist.

California created the Reparations Task Force (sounds important) to consider “spending,” of course our money again, to the tune of nearly $600 billion to black residents based upon slavery and systemic racism. So one group gets about a grand to help with inflation, and another will get close to a quarter million dollars, each!

One of the reasons given is to “shrink the wealth gap between white and black Californians.”

Another justification is “mass incarceration” of people of color.

We can debate the reasons why blacks commit crimes at a higher rate or why residents of inner-city neighborhoods live in poverty. One of those reasons is the lack of a family structure. Single moms, of any color, with multiple kids, face an enormously difficult task

Making

Here’s a message to those hoping, wishing to have a peaceful dialog with the “well-meaning” opposition.

There is no “wellmeaning” opposition.

It doesn’t exist.

The opposition doesn’t mean well and have only disregard and contempt for those of us with a differing opinion, or desirous of going in a different direction.

What follows are recent quotes from two members of that “well-meaning” liberal establishment who will never have the ability or inclination to “cross the aisle” or “reach out” to their political opponents.

Here’s actor/director Rob Reiner (known as “Meathead” on CBS’ “All in the Family”), remarking upon the release of Donald Trump’s tax returns:

“We’re learning nothing that we didn’t already know about Trump’s taxes. It’s time to arrest the Lying Piece of Garbage.”

Another is Robert De Niro, who famously says “F**k Trump” every chance he gets, on stage or off. Here’s what he said recently about the former president during an on-air interview:

“I always say lowlife because he’s a lowlife.

He’s not a pig. I used to call him a pig, but pigs have dignity. He has no dignity, nothing. He’s a disgrace to the human race, if you will… He’s just a punk… a blowhard, a buffoon.”

Who on this side of the aisle would even want to talk to people who harbor such hatred? There are thousands of similar quotes from thousands in the entertainment world, and I could go on, but you get the point.

I’m not sure what drives this animosity, but it does seem to be real.

However, as much as I admire Mr. Trump’s policies and believe he deserves a second term and would like to see him get that second chance if only because of the chicanery of the Democratic Party operatives who hi-jacked the electoral process in 2022 … (If you look up “chicanery,” you’ll find a thesaurus defines it as trickery, flimflam, underhandedness, doubledealing, smoke-and-mirrors, hot air, and a host of other comparisons, all of which took place in that disgraceful election.)

And as much as I’d like to see Mr. Trump’s triumphant return, it occurs to me that he is going to have to up his game considerably if he expects to beat his most likely opponent in 2024: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In case you missed it, here

Retail still matters in SB

Now that the new year has begun, here are a few things to think about.

Several people at the State Street advisory meeting called out what a failure State Street will be if the research is not focused on “how to make it work” and on “what everyone wants.”

We continue to hear the drumbeat that retail is over, but we feel the need to shop in person with human contact. A city needs more than restaurants.

If/when Macy’s at La Cumbre closes, no clothes shopping will exist in Santa Barbara. As it is now, Santa Barbara’s only choices are Macy’s, Marshall’s, Ross, Old Navy or Target. In a town of this caliber and setting, the only shopping will be the choices Amazon offers.

Some entrepreneurs really took off like gangbusters with the restrictions of COVID. The big box stores and Jeff Bezos of Amazon flourished, while the mom-and-pop local stores have been squeezed out of the market. How is that a “green” community when the public must drive to Camarillo or be part of the not-so-eco-friendly, over-packaged goods from mail order?

Did You Know? was forwarded a letter by a person living downtown on State Street who claims his wife has never stepped foot in a retail store on State Street. She orders everything online. Isn’t the city’s idea to build housing downtown so that everyone could walk to what they needed?

From New York City to Santa Barbara, the same problems exist: Empty storefronts, a growing transient population, petty crime that detracts from foot traffic, filthy streets infested with rats and local governments with no backbone to represent the taxpayers and take action that promotes community.

Our local government officials insist retail is dead and that ghetto housing is the future. What helps to kill retail? Crime.

Our present criminal justice system (really? justice?) has resulted in free reign for shoplifting.

Shoplifting closed the Scolari’s Food and Drug store on Milpas Street years ago. Look at the plans for La Cumbre Plaza with 2,000 units stacked like a cheapened version of the Bedford Stuyvesant Housing complex in Brooklyn. The push to quickly approve the projects by the likes of Supervisor Das Williams and the edicts of Sacramento to diminish the checks and balances of local building boards and commissions, including the Historic Landmarks Commission, the Architectural Board of Review and Single Family Design Board, will be the demise of Santa Barbara and change the city from a special place to an “anywhere.” Drive State Route 217 to the Santa Barbara Airport and Highway 101 in Goleta or Ventura. It all looks the same: cheap, big box uninspiring housing “units.”

Just as the occupants of these studios to two-bedroom units will be transient (hard to raise a family there) so are the people making these decisions that will affect Santa Barbara for decades to come. And not so long after, these decisionmakers will have moved on. You can see the reason good governance and any decisionmaking body is best executed with a system of checks and balances.

And on checks and balances, where is the equity for travelers? Where are Santa Barbara’s hostels? Wasn’t a

DID YOU KNOW? Bonnie Donovan

way for President Ron DeSantis

James Buckley

PURELY POLITICAL

Henry Schulte

The author lives in Solvang

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

“California is giving taxpayers up to $1,050 because politicians messed up, and it’s their way of saying sorry/not sorry, because politicians will keep doing it anyway,” Henry Schulte writes.

COURTESY IMAGE

Government handouts aren’t the answer to society’s problems, columnist Henry Schulte writes in his column today.

Arthur von Wiesenberger Co-Publisher Co-Publisher

Wendy McCaw

Remembering the American way

Frederick Douglass profoundly stated, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

Charles Blow, a New York Times columnist subsequently observed, “The statement is simple, profound, and as true as truth can be. And yet we as a society and as individual families neglect the building, facilitate the breaking, and balk at the cost and commitment of the repair.”

Gratefully, I can recall a time not that long ago, when American society and families had the intent and will to build strong children.

My parents, who were of the greatest generation, suffered more than most in their lives, and that is saying something about a generation whose character and fortitude were forged in the furnace of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl and World War II. Although my father passed away when I was 9, his life example and society and culture, in general, gave me plenty of support, direction, and encouragement to work hard and live uprightly.

Back in the ’60s, we were still taught to venerate our founding fathers and other great men, such as Abraham Lincoln. Every morning we recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang:

My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing.’

Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, From every mountainside, Let freedom ring.

In second grade, I got a D in music for singing the loudest and carrying the class off key every morning on this song that was once considered our national anthem.

While watching television back then, as hokey as people think it was by today’s standards, it was impossible not to hear life lessons in morality, honesty, and integrity from the likes of “Father Knows Best” and “Leave it to Beaver.”

Superman’s motto was “Truth, Justice and the American Way.”

Roy Rogers Riders Club Rules were: “Be neat and

clean. Be courteous and polite. Always obey your parents. Protect the weak and help them. Be brave but never take chances. Study hard and learn all you can. Be kind to animals and take care of them. Eat all your food and never waste any. Love God, and go to Sunday school regularly. Always respect our flag and our country.”

In my catechism class, I memorized a prayer I recited for decades, “My God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. And I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishment. But most of all because they offend Thee. My God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and avoid the near occasions of sin.”

In my Cub Scout troop, I memorized this oath, “On my honor, I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.”

My generation (baby boomers) may have been one of the last that included all the following: parents of noble character that valued marriage for life, a school system that focused on the fundamentals (including values and patriotism), entertainment that inspired morals and ethics, and a faith that provided an eternal perspective on life.

Let us remember and heed the words of one founding father, John Adams, who admonished, “It should be your care, therefore, and mine, to elevate the minds of your children and exalt their courage; to accelerate and animate their industry and activity; to excite in them an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and inhumanity, and an ambition to excel in every capacity, faculty and virtue. If we suffer their minds to grovel and creep in infancy, they will grovel all their lives.”

Andy Caldwell is the COLAB executive director and host of “The Andy Caldwell Show,” airing 3 to 5 p.m. weekdays on KZSB AM 1290, the News-Press radio station.

It’s not the end of the world

On Jan. 1, CBS News’ “60 Minutes” rang in the new year by airing a segment in which several scientists, including Dr. Paul Ehrlich, predicted that we are on the cusp of a sixth mass extinction event and that “the next few decades will be the end of the kind of civilization we’re used to.”

Suffice to say, Dr. Ehrlich does not have a stellar track record when it comes to making predictions about impending planetary doom.

For those unaware of Dr. Ehrlich, in 1968 he authored “The Population Bomb,” in which he wrote, “The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s, the world will undergo famines — hundreds of millions of people are going to starve to death … nothing can prevent a substantial increase in the world death rate.”

Obviously, Dr. Ehrlich was dead wrong about his doomsday prediction in the 1970s. However, that has not stopped him from constantly ringing the apocalypse alarm bell. Indeed, for more than half a century Dr. Ehrlich has been producing ridiculous claims of mass starvation, ecological Armageddon, and a host of other wacky prophecies, all of which none have come to pass.

Nonetheless, despite his abysmal history of failed predictions, Dr. Ehrlich was front-and-center on “60 Minutes,” engaging in his most outrageous claims to date.

For example, according to Dr. Ehrlich, “humanity is not sustainable. To maintain

our lifestyle (yours and mine, basically) for the entire planet, you’d need five more Earths. Not clear where they’re gonna come from.”

Actually, that is completely untrue. As Michael Schellenberger notes, “The assertion that ‘five more Earths’ are needed to sustain humanity comes from something called the Ecological Footprint calculation. I debunked it 10 years ago with a group of other analysts and scientists, including the chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy, in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, PLOS Biology.”

During the segment, Dr. Ehrlich’s Stanford colleague, Tony Barnosky, also made several shocking predictions about a looming mass extinction event that he claims will wipe out life as we know it.

According to Dr. Barnosky, “There are five times in Earth’s history where we had mass extinctions. And by mass extinctions, I mean at least 75%, three quarters of the known species disappearing from the face of the Earth. Now we’re witnessing what a lot of people are calling the sixth mass extinction where the same thing could happen on our watch.”

He added, “The data are rock solid. I don’t think you’ll find a scientist that will say we’re not in an extinction crisis.”

Once again, let’s separate fact from fiction.

Per Environmental Progress, “The IUCN has estimated that 0.8% of the 112,432 plant, animal,

and insect species within its data have gone extinct since 1500. That’s a rate of fewer than two species lost every year, for an annual extinction rate of 0.001%.”

Moreover, as EP points out: “Many environmentalists and conservationists claim that fossil fuels and economic development are responsible for the decline in population numbers. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“In fact, denying developing countries access to fossil fuels and economic growth is among the largest threats to wild animals. Making charcoal and burning biomass are top drivers of tropical deforestation, and is still the primary source of energy in SubSaharan Africa,” explains EP.

So, as Dr. Ehrlich and friends continue to beat the world-isgoing-to-end unless we curb population growth, disavow fossil fuels, and reduce consumption of material goods, they could not be more misguided.

Human innovation has overcome the vast majority of the problems we’ve encountered to date. People like Drs. Ehrlich and Barnosky are anti-human, in that they view humans as the source of problems. In reality, humans are ultimate problem solvers, and if history has taught us anything, it is that the capacity for humans to conquer unforeseen difficulties is literally limitless.

Chris Talgo (ctalgo@heartland. org) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute. This commentary was provided to the News-Press by The Center Square, a nonprofit dedicated to journalism.

2022 ends with democracy in global crisis

‘To reason with governments, as they have existed for ages, is to argue with brutes. It is only from the nations themselves that reforms can be expected.”

— Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1791

The Age of Enlightenment or the “Age of Reason” was the intellectual and philosophical movement that swept Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire and others theorized that man had specific natural and God-given rights that no aristocratic or monarchical government could deny him. It is considered the most important event in modern history. It established that all men were equal and guaranteed the pursuit of happiness, sovereignty of reason, and “evidence was the source of all knowledge.” It affirmed the rights of liberty, toleration, fraternity, and self government. It divided church and state, and recognized the ownership of “ideas” and physical and intellectual property.

According to the latest World Freedom Index, democracy is facing its most serious crisis in years. Its basic tenets, including guarantees of free and fair elections, human rights protections, freedom of the press, and democratic rule of law have come under attack around the world. This increased due to the mandated restrictions on individual rights by world governments during the pandemic.

Since the Great Recession, we have seen a global slide of freedom take place. Recent data shows 113 countries saw a net decline, with only 62 having experienced a net improvement. Seventy-one countries suffered net declines in political rights and civil liberties, with only 35 making small gains.

“I’ve proposed that we start charting those that get vaccinated and those that won’t.”

— Joe Biden

For the last 13 years, the world freedom index has been in retreat. The U.S. slipped steadily to No. 15 by 2021. This sharp decline is attributed to the loss of freedom of speech with increased censorship during the last election. America fell out of the top 10 in protecting individual rights, civil liberties and free speech.

statement regarding our once “gem of the Central Coast.” Then today — Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023 — I was there daring to cross the street at El Paseo. I dodged two motorized “bikes.” Apparently, pedestrians have no rights, no matter that I am decades older than the “cyclists.”

In front of one rare decent store, I stepped over a sleeping man or woman. It broke my heart to see a human being wrapped up in a sleeping bag. None of us are so callous, or are we? We will become so accustomed to such sights that numbness will slowly seep into our minds.

I had planned to go to Ralphs but couldn’t cross that threshold clutching my purse. I experienced it all first-hand today; there are no words to describe the deterioration of a beautiful town: “Disheartening” is close.

Jane Tucker Santa Barbara

Values win out

Kirk Cameron, who wrote a children’s book about Christian values, was refused venues in which to read it.

It was deemed “inappropriate” for youth at libraries where drag queens regularly read pornography to toddlers. Too controversial, the libraries said, too upsetting to agnostic socialists. One religion is fine; the other strictly banned. Naturally this is immoral and illegal, not to mention scary, and the libraries had to relent to unexpected public outcry.

The Cameron event broke attendance records.

The pandemic is a gift that keeps on giving for powerhungry politicians. It gave them a convenient pretext to silence critics and to increase power. They have utilized censorship to feed the message to expand government as a caregiver and provider. They turned a containable threat into a liberty-constraining opportunity. This expansion of central power will be the pandemic’s enduring legacy.

Governments know the public is more willing to accept increased central power in times of crisis. That’s why responsible government is needed. But during this pandemic, power-hungry politicians cited COVID-19 as a dictation to censor government criticism and undermine judicial balance of power.

“There is no absolute power that truly empowers without corrupting.”

— Constance Friday

Globally, governments stepped out of line in the name of protection.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared a state of emergency to rule by decree. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gifted

Andy Caldwell

Derrick Harrison Hurd

Santa Barbara

COURTESY IMAGE

Frederick Douglass

NASA

Chris Talgo of The Heartland Institute said the Earth is not going through a sixth mass extinction event.

Chris Talgo The author is with the Heartland Institue

DAVID JAKLE PHOTO

News-Press Co-Publisher Wendy McCaw

‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth…,” is a useful starting place for discussion of the influence of Pope Francis, who is proving to be a remarkably active and activist leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The holidays are an excellent time for reflection.

To modern readers, the Biblical quote (Exodus 21:24) seems brutal, but the Old Testament sentiment actually represented revolutionary progress.

Ancient warfare involved unrestrained killing and pillaging. By contrast, this Hebrew law codified proportionality and limits. Historically and currently, the Vatican has played an important role in restraining warfare. Two events in December underscore the importance of the Roman Catholic Church and also significant change in wider global societies. On the morning of Dec. 31, former Pope Benedict XVI died.

A highly respected German theologian, Benedict on becoming pope in 2005 was heralded by conservatives who saw him as a bulwark against currents of change. He denounced shocking sexual abuse in the church and excommunicated guilty priests, but was criticized for not acting earlier and his leadership style alienated many. In 2013, he resigned, the first pope to do so since 1415.

Additionally, in December, a three-day conference in Rome of Catholic scholars discussed the

importance of Catholic prohibition of contraception. The event was inspired by questioning within the Vatican of the contemporary value of traditional doctrine. Pope Francis, Benedict’s successor, is spurring discussion of change.

Francis’ April 2016 letter on marriage reiterates commitment to traditional marriage, but also emphasizes tolerance for those who do not accept Catholic doctrine. That marks important if overdue change.

During the Cold War, Pope John Paul II provided historic leadership in foreign policy. He supported Solidarity, the successful trade unionbased reform movement in his native Poland. That in turn contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union and satellite states.

Today, hunger and poverty have been significantly overcome for the great majority in industrialized nations, and political controversies now generally focus on other topics. Francis is encouraging reform of policies regarding capital punishment, the environment and lifestyles.

The World Wars of the last century confirmed Catholic Church emphasis on restraint in war. Contemporary Catholic analysis of ethics and military strategy is spearheaded by influential leaders such as J. Bryan Hehir, a senior priest who has taught at both Georgetown and Harvard Universities.

Father Hehir is currently the secretary for Health and Social Services at the Archdiocese of Boston. When sexual abuse by priests became public, with intense

angry reaction, he bluntly and publicly criticized his church for initially mishandling such crimes by priests.

During the Cold War, Father Hehir guided the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ influential report on use of nuclear weapons. In April 2016, Secretary of State John Kerry visited the memorial in Hiroshima, commemorating lives lost from the 1945 atomic bomb attack.

Appropriately and understandably, he described the experience as “gut-wrenching.” War is still occurring, but another global total war has been avoided.

Mr. Kerry happens to be Catholic.

Global human populations since World War II have experienced extraordinary positive developments. Believers from earlier periods in history would consider them miraculous. Masses of humanity are moving into relatively comfortable lives. Democracy is spreading. Wealth gaps are growing in industrialized nations, but vast global abject poverty is slowly diminishing.

Today, relative security for Americans encourages selfpreoccupation. Pope Francis pursues fundamental concerns, of universal importance, with subtle but strong, sustained reform efforts. His leadership should be supported.

Arthur I. Cyr is author of “After the Cold War - American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia” (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan). He is also the director of the Clausen Center at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisc., and a Clausen Distinguished Professor. He welcomes questions and comments at acyr@carthage.edu.

Sears taught me important lessons

The Sears in La Cumbre Mall is closed. OK, this is not “breaking news” but this is a way of me sharing the lessons the building offers, especially at Christmas time.

Christmas time in my childhood included faces pressed against the back window of our 1947 Pontiac, the one that my brother tested the cigarette lighter against my arm (it worked) on our drive from the very suburban town of Haddon Township, N.J., up the Admiral Wilson Boulevard to Camden, N.J.

After we arrived at our destination, we experienced the kaleidoscope of colors and shapes in the Sears store, where the linoleum floors led us past the appliance and tools to the toy department. Even I knew it was much smaller than the Christmas displays in the Market Street department stores in Philadelphia. Wanamaker’s was so big that my father would say that if we got separated, I should go to the giant statue of an eagle on the first floor.

The Santa Barbara Sears may well have played the same type of prominent role in Santa Barbara as it did in Camden, and in the lifestyle of many in the southeastern parts of our country, as illustrated in the legendary career of the Georgia politician Eugene Tallmadge.

In D.C., Mr. Talmadge was known as the essence of style in

his Italian suits. However, this was far from the image he presented while campaigning in bib overalls with what I call an “A-men Charlie,” based on the name of the man saying “Amen” at the end of each sentence in a church in Surgoinsville, Tenn.

Mr. Talmadge’s “Amen Charlie,” whenever Mr, Talmadge stopped for a breath, would be a chant of, “That’s right, Gene.” This built into climaxes of Mr. Talmadge

yelling, “You have but three friends in this world: the good God above, the Sears catalog, and me, Eugene Talmadge, vote for me.”

You can see the importance of the Sears catalog in the Santa Ynez Valley, where the Lincourt winery was constructed from kit bought from that catalog.

Sears and Christmas merged during my first semester in graduate school at Clemson University, when before finals, to

buy Christmas presents, I started work at Sears.

My “orientation,” one might say, in the philosophy at Sears began on my first day of employment, when an attractive sales lady walked into the small, almost intimate, employee lounge and said, “There are no more seats.”

Being a Jersey Boy, rather than offering her my seat, I said “You can sit on my lap.”

To my surprise, she did,

although I never even asked, or learned, her name.

After Sears’ training program consisted only of advising me on their policy on “lap sitting,” I was turned loose on customers in the men’s and boys’ department, where I improvised.

For example, when a man wanted to trade in a well-worn pair of jeans for a new pair, I learned about Sears’ policy of guaranteeing jeans for life. A female customer did not know her husband’s size but said he was about my size, which is 6 feet. It turns out he was 5 foot 6 inches, so while the man filled his wife’s vision, he would not have filled my shirt.

I learned how to measure a teenager for a suit by asking his mother to measure me and then using the same points of reference to measure her son.

Sears taught me the value of understanding the ever-changing needs of your customers and training employees to satisfy them and that it is more difficult to look busy than to actually be busy.

Santa Barbara, like Sears, has not been immune from the everchanging times, as the internet replaced the importance of the Sears catalog as well as the risk of not adjusting physical locations.

For Sears, this meant having too many unprofitable stores.

When Eddie Lambert acquired control of Sears, he leveraged it in the same way that had been fabulously successful at his investment fund ESL Investments. This approach to retail led him down the path described for another executive as “He remained the same, but the posse moved.” Indeed, the “posse” of consumers moved from catalogs

Why schools create a culture of failure

This is the second in a series of articles on understanding and reforming education.

In the first article, I suggested that much of the time we spend in school is a waste of time.

The point of this article is that schools create failures precisely because they try to, and do, create winners!

It is clearly not the intention of schools to create failure. In fact, they have created remarkable successes! It’s also not that the vast majority of teachers don’t strive to contribute to the success of students.

But it is precisely the nature of the system itself: If you have a winner or success, by default, you must also have losers or failure!

Let’s take a look at this. When you take a test, you either pass or fail. You either pass or fail a subject. You pass or fail

elementary school, high school, college and graduate school. You can even fail your doctoral dissertation! You pass or fail getting a job because you passed or failed in these school stages.

The system has numerical, or alphabetical rankings: A or B = Winners. C = Average. D = Almost loser. F = Loser. Is it possible that after years of hearing “average” or “failure” applied to them, kids/people might think of themselves as simply average — or failures?

Because schools create a culture of success, they create a culture of failure.

I don’t think it has to be this way.

Education seems to be based on the model of competition in sports. Teams compete to win. In order

for one team to win, the other has to lose. That is what, by definition, games of competition are. Perhaps it goes back to caveman days where the real game wasn’t a game: It was kill or be killed!

Why do we maintain this barbarous custom in our schools today? Does schooling have to be a competition?

No teacher who is in a school system is trying to create failures. But they are trapped in the system that forces them to do it. It is called the grading system!

What would it take for us to get the concept, the word, “failure” out of education? What would it take to create competence without creating competition? How could we define success so that every student would be a success?

Thankfully, many teachers in many schools are already aware of this and are working for what’s best for each student.

Going back a century to Montessori schools and even before, many new and innovative systems are introduced regularly, in order to do what’s best for each student. Many teachers strive valiantly to do this within the current system. But they are constrained by a system that unwittingly denies success as well as creating it.

I leave you with five questions for your homework assignment: 1. How would you define “success,” so that it would be achievable by every child?

2. What would have to happen in order for that to happen?

3. Wouldn’t that be different for each child?

4. If so, how would we measure it, grade it?

5. Most importantly, why?

Teachers, you might read this article and questions to your class and see what they respond. Parents, ask these questions of your schoolchildren. Schoolchildren, ask these questions of your parents.

Here is a story to finish: Johnny woke up one day and said: “Mom, I hate school and I am not going to go today.”

“But you have to go!” she replied.

“Give me one good reason why,” Johnny told his mother.

“First of all, you are 42 years old, and secondly, you are the principal!”

Frank Sanitate taught high school English for five years over a halfcentury ago. He has published three books and had a successful seminar business for 40 years. You can reach him at franksanitate@ gmail.com

NBA vs. freedom

Teenage basketball star Enes Kanter was shocked when his teammate criticized President Barack Obama on Facebook.

“Dude, what are you doing?” he exclaimed. He feared his teammate would be jailed.

Mr. Kanter is from Turkey, where, as Mr. Kanter explains in my new video, people who criticize the president do go to jail.

His teammates laughed at him. “They were explaining to me about freedom of speech, freedom of religion, expression, freedom of protest.”

That inspired him. When Turkey’s president shut down news outlets, Mr. Kanter decided, “I’m going to say something about it.”

He tweeted, wrote op-eds, gave interviews.

Turkey’s authoritarian rulers retaliated. They jailed his father. “They wanted to set an example. This is what happens if you talk against the Turkish government.”

The NBA supported his protest. “(NBA commissioner) Adam Silver texted me twice and said, ‘Whatever you need, we are here for you. Keep doing what you’re doing,’ “ Mr. Kanter said.

But then Mr. Kanter criticized China.

Slightly. He wrote, “Free Tibet” on his basketball shoes.

“There’s no rule against it,” he says.

Other players put “Black Lives Matter” and “I Can’t Breathe” on their shoes. Criticizing America is encouraged by the NBA. But “Free Tibet” on a shoe was too much. Boston Celtics officials told him to take them off.

He refused. “I was like, ‘I’m not taking them off because it’s literally freedom of speech.’ “ Actually, it’s not. America’s freedom of speech applies to the government. The NBA can legally censor an employee who might cost them money. They did exactly that to Mr. Kanter. He didn’t get to play.

It’s clear what the NBA feared. Just minutes after Mr. Kanter tweeted a photo of his shoes, China TV banned coverage of Celtics games. But just temporarily.

The Celtics traded Mr. Kanter to the Houston Rockets.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Your opinions are valuable contributions to these pages. We welcome a variety of views.

Letters must be exclusive to the News-Press. In most cases, first priority for immediate publication goes to those submitted by 6 p.m. Tuesdays.

We encourage brevity, and shorter letters have a better chance of being printed immediately.

We edit all submissions for length, clarity and professional standards.

We do not print submissions that lack a civil tone, allege illegal wrongdoing or involve consumer complaints. We also may decide not to print letters or op-eds for other reasons.

Limit your letters to one every 30 days. All letters must include the writer’s address and telephone number for verification. We cannot acknowledge unpublished letters.

We prefer e-mailed submissions.

If you send attachments, please send word documents. We can’t guarantee that we can open a PDF.

Send letters to voices@ newspress.com. Writers also may fax letters to 805-966-6258.

Mail letters to P.O. Box 1359, Santa Barbara 93102.

The News-Press reserves the right to publish or republish submissions in any form or medium.

Direct questions to Managing Editor Dave Mason at 805-5645277 or dmason@newspress.com.

John Stossel

Brent E. Zepke

The author lives in Santa Barbara.

Frank Sanitate

The author lives in Santa Barbara

Arthur I, Cyr

COPYRIGHTED

Pope Francis

KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO

The Sears at La Cumbre Mall closed in 2018. After this photo was taken, its sign was removed.

There’s so much that could be accomplished

putting on a Band-Aid today.

trying to juggle it all and manage/ control their children.

Nearly all news reports depict images of smash and grab, shootings, carjacking, looting, getting beat up on the street, setting buildings on fire, which are committed by kids and young adults of color. Yet you never see or hear from the likes of an Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson how this is not a serious problem. And the thousands upon thousands of blacks killed by blacks each year is barely a blip on the media radar.

So the question is, will handing out free money solve a very deep rooted and long-term problem and fix things? Not going to happen. It’s nothing more than another political ploy and chest thumping “see what I did for the black community. I really care.”

That quarter of a million dollars for a large number of recipients will be lost in less than a year. You need only look at all the lottery winners. Most go broke and end up worse off because if you’ve never earned your own money and never handled large sums, you don’t know what to do with it.

If California has $600 billion floating around to give away, can you imagine what could be done to improve schools and neighborhoods, create jobs for long-term fixes, increase lawenforcement to lock up the trouble makers and give those who want to learn and do good a fighting chance. There’s so much that could be accomplished for future generations; instead of just

A recent example of a difference that can be made is Americans once again joining together to help Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety who suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during Monday’s game. A small charity effort went from a few thousand dollars to more than $4 million practically overnight.

Helping others can be done, and maybe the best way is to leave the government out of it.

In President Joe Biden’s America, free money is handed out all over the country. In many states, unemployment benefits top $100,000 a year, and you can receive even more cash from ObamaCare subsidies. It’s no wonder you see “help wanted” signs everywhere. There are more than 11 million jobs available, but these days the pay is better not to work.

Which brings me back to my opening paragraph. When you work for the cash you put in your pocket, you pay much closer attention to how you spend it. You earned it, and you have the right to use it as you please. You don’t want to squander it. It’s your road to freedom and a way to have personal pride. You worked for it, and it’s all yours. That is until the government decides that’s not really true. The government’s attitude is: “You owe it to us. Then we’ll give it to others who we think need it more than you do. Especially to all those binging on Netflix and running low on popcorn.”

Henry Schulte welcomes questions or comments at hschulteopinions@ gmail.com.

Sacramento will come after Proposition 13 again

condition made for Fess Parker to build a hostel on Montecito Street before he was allowed to build his second hotel on Cabrillo Boulevard? Now that he is deceased, do those terms no longer apply? A Quonset Hut Hostel housed many travelers/ tourists years ago. Will the city of Santa Barbara start building hostels?

Where is the equity with the city acknowledging that the hotel room rates have gone up tremendously which is why the city has received higher bed tax in the last two quarters?

By the way, tourism is big business because of the draw to beautiful and carefully preserved historical Santa Barbara.

Tourists don’t visit Rotterdam, a city with modern architecture. They go to Amsterdam for the historical and quaint architecture.

It doesn’t take many to ruin a good thing. A myopic city council, planning commission or board of supervisors can kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Real quick like.

On more checks and balances, regarding remote/work-fromhome employees: Do remote employees work their complete shift (at home)? Are they more or less productive? Do remote workers engage in other household duties, such as cooking, laundry, drinking, pot smoking, during work? Do they entertain friends while they say they are working? We wonder.

More things to ponder. People are asking if there will be enough money to fund the increase of children in the schools after all the new housing units are built (8,101 by 2031) Think about it. It is said that there is no money for programs in schools or to hire more teachers and pay them fairly.

We have written so many times that all of the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara properties are taken off the property tax rolls. That equates to less money for schools, first responders or infrastructure. It is inevitable that more bonds will be put on your tax bill!

What does that do to rental

BUCKLEY

are just some of Gov. DeSantis’s refreshing and stirring remarks from his second-term inaugural address given last week, with a little editing on my part, but only for the sake of brevity:

“(A number of) cities and states have embraced faddish ideology at the expense of enduring principles.

“They have harmed public safety by coddling criminals and attacking law enforcement.

“They have imposed unreasonable burdens on taxpayers to finance unfathomable levels of public spending.

properties but increase rents and discourage the individual from investing in rental property?

Sacramento will come after Proposition 13 again soon it’s up to property owners, and renters to get out to make sure it doesn’t pass.

Our congressman —U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara — published his New Year list of goals. Absent was: Fix the southern border and protect his constituents from harm — harm from the criminals and the deadly drugs brought across our borders. Can this be the not-so-silent takeover of America?

Recently reporters interviewed people who had crossed the U.S. border. Russians and Afghans said they took an Uber from Tijuana and that the drivers knew where the drop was to

“They have harmed education by subordinating the interests of students and parents to partisan interest groups.

“They have imposed medical authoritarianism in the guise of pandemic mandates and restrictions that lack a scientific basis.

“This bizarre, but prevalent, ideology that permeates these policy measures purports to act in the name of justice for the marginalized, but it frowns upon American institutions, it rejects merit and achievement, and it advocates identity essentialism.

“We reject this woke ideology. We seek normalcy, not philosophical lunacy. We will not allow reality, facts and truth to

cross. At the Rio Grande, others were videoed paying the coyotes — people who smuggle illegal immigrants.

Each month breaks another record; 220,000 have invaded our country in Dec 2022, alone with 4.5 million people total since President Biden took office. How would we know? Many and much is trafficked by the drug cartels very successfully, and their business model appears to be backed by the Democratic Party.

With 800,000 people waiting for their hearing, that would take eight years to process. Talk about being lost in the system! Once here, why would they leave? We now have a completely open border with free transportation, hotels, food, medical care and education. And with cash in hand, funded by you the taxpayer.

become optional. We will never surrender to the woke mob.

“Florida is where woke goes to die.

“… (This state) is proof positive that We the People are not destined for failure.

“Decline is a choice.

“Success is attainable.

“And freedom is worth fighting for.”

Who talks like that anymore?

Well, Gov. Ron DeSantis does, and until and unless former President Donald Trump can deliver those kinds of words to the rest of the nation in a believable and meaningful way, my guess is that it’ll be Mr. DeSantis who not only wins the Republican nomination in 2024 but also the

As we were told by an international student attending Santa Barbara City College, “I thought everything was free in America”.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the young athletes dropping dead from cardiac arrest and suffering from myocarditis all over the world. In Europe, it was reported that normally 29 athletes die a year; however now it’s up to 1,500. In Ireland, this increase in deaths is front-page news. Why isn’t this front-page news in the U.S.?

Where is the public outcry for these young people?

Bonnie Donovan writes the “Did You Know?” column in conjunction with a bipartisan group of local citizens. It appears Saturdays in the Voices section.

general election to follow.

Which wouldn’t be a bad thing. In fact, it would be a wonderful thing.

But based upon my failure to correctly divine the outcome of the 2022 election, I’m not making any predictions. I’m just hoping out loud that there will be a favorable result for those of us on this side of the aisle two years hence.

James Buckley is a longtime Montecito resident. He welcomes questions or comments at jimb@ substack.com. Readers are invited to visit jimb.substack.com, where Jim’s Journals are on file. He also invites people to subscribe to Jim’s Journal.

Layaways were replaced by credit cards

ZEPKE

Continued from Page C3

to the internet, layaways were replaced by credit cards, Sears credit cards were competing with other cards, and competitors, such as Home Depot, started specializing in the high profit items like appliances and tools.

Employees, like those in Costco, were trained to better understand — and satisfy — customers. The interior of stores was upgraded, such as by replacing linoleum floors.

Sears, however, under Mr. Lambert, continued to focus on acquiring and levering assets. After Kmart emerged from bankruptcy by reducing its stores from 2,100 to 1,400, he acquired it for Sears through his holding company Transformeo.

The Santa Barbara Sears store mirrored the other Sears in not adjusting to the changing times in Santa Barbara and elsewhere, as reflected in the much more upscale interior of the Robinson May store acquired by Macys in the same La Cumbre Mall as Sears.

Sears in Santa Barbara was fortunate to avoid the ever-

changing “posse” of customers moving, as happened when the Sears store on Admiral Wilson Boulevard became surrounded by neon signs featuring the movements of topless dancers and the nearby Campbells Soup Co. started locking its employee parking.

Sears in Santa Barbara apparently decided against the risk of the approaching Christmas of 2018, and closed.

Terrific malls like Paseo Nuevo and La Cumbre, as well as State Street, are rejecting the Lambert-Sears approach to the “posse” moving, by heeding the words of Ben Franklin: “Sometimes the greater risk is delaying, or not taking, a risk.”

Brent E. Zepke is an attorney, arbitrator and author who lives in Santa Barbara. His website is OneheartTwoLivescom. wordpress.com. Formerly, he taught law and business at six universities and numerous professional conferences. He is the author of six books: “One Heart-Two Lives,” “Legal Guide to Human Resources,” “Business Statistics,” “Labor Law,” “Products and the Consumer” and “Law for Non-Lawyers.”

The U.S., claims to protect us from ourselves

HAUPT

Continued from Page C2

himself total power to silence critics and restrict individual rights. Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha will only allow reporters to republish government press releases. In Bangladesh, Cambodia, Venezuela and Turkey, anyone who criticizes the government will be jailed, or eliminated.

The Algerian government has halted any protests seeking reforms. The Russian government has outlawed protests against President Vladimir Putin’s obsession with being a warring, intolerant, Russian dictator for life. The Indian government recently announced a lockdown to end political protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strict anti-Muslim citizenship policies.

“I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this one reason: I insist on the right to criticize her.”

– James Baldwin

The biggest offender of individual freedom is the Chinese. They’ve expanded power in the China Sea, and threatened Taiwan and Hong Kong’s

sovereignty to abridge U.N. discussions about their role in the pandemic. They put Communist Party goals over the health of world citizens, refusing to inform the World Health Organization of the Wuhan virus. To silence global critics, they locked out foreign journalists. In the U.S., claiming to protect us from ourselves during the pandemic, leftists violated our rights daily. Since the pandemic was declared in March of 2020, progressives have used COVID-19 as a vehicle to advance their political power without regard for our constitutional rights and liberties.

During the 2020 elections, liberal states arbitrarily massmailed ballots to everyone, including the dead, and invented rules that violated election integrity. Social media giants censored material from conservatives and eradicated all information about Hunter Biden’s illegal and illicit escapades.

This blatant, abusive censorship that violated free speech did not go unnoticed on the freedom index.

This commentary was provided to the News-Press by The Center Square, a nonprofit dedicated to journalism.

The NBA’s games are extremely popular in China

STOSSEL

Continued from Page C3

The Rockets waived him. He’s received no offers from other teams.

“I could’ve played another six years,” he says.

He won’t.

Some sports organizations defend their athletes against China’s oppressive rules. When women’s tennis player Peng Shuai accused a Chinese government official of sexual assault and then disappeared for a few days, the Women’s Tennis Association said they would support her even if they lost money.

The NBA won’t.

They could stand up for the right of one player to speak, to peacefully criticize cruelty. It’s reported that the NBA gets 10% of its income from China. The NBA makes billions. They can’t risk 10%?

The NBA’s games are extremely popular in China.

Chinese leaders probably would have resumed TV coverage. It’s not in their interest to ban NBA games forever.

“More people watched NBA games in China last year than the American population,” Mr. Kanter points out. “I don’t really think that China’s going to ban every NBA game.”

But no one in the NBA supported him. No one in management. No teammate. “Ten years I talk about Turkey. I did not get one phone call. I talk

about China one day, me and my manager were getting phone calls every hour.”

“The hypocrisy hurts me the most. When it comes to problems happening in America, (the NBA is) the first organization saying, ‘This is wrong. This is what should happen, blah, blah, blah.’” But silence for victims of torture.

Mr. Kanter has now changed his name to “Freedom.” Changed it officially. His real name now is Enes Freedom. “I did it because I believe freedom is the most important thing that you can have — after air and water and food. ... What kills me is how a Chinese dictatorship can pretty much control a 100% made American company and fire an American citizen from that company.”

Even though Enes Freedom lost a lot, he’s glad he spoke out.

“If God gives you a gift, you can give back to people by standing with them,” he says.

“That means so much to people out there who don’t have a voice. If you are not outspoken about some of the issues that are happening, you’re part of the problem.”

Every Tuesday at JohnStossel. com, Mr. Stossel posts a new video about the battle between government and freedom. He is the author of “Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media.”

Copyright 2022 BY JFS Productions Inc.

NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO

Tourism remains cruicial to Santa Barbara.

COURTESY PHOTO

“Democrats are fully responsible for the highest inflation in American history, and California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, is part of that problem,” Henry Schulte writes.