Santa Barbara News-Press: February 18, 2023

Freemasons and America

Columnist Robert Eringer looks at the organizations links to the county - A3

‘World of Pinot Noir’

Wine aficionados to gather at Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Goleta - B1

Falcon 9 rises from Vandenberg

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 soared Friday from Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying 51 more Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.

The first stage booster supporting this mission has previously launched Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, DART and six Starlink missions.

A small crowd along Harris Grade Road in Lompoc watched as the rocket took off at 11:12 a.m. on a clear day from Space Complex Launch Complex-4.

At one minute and six seconds after the launch, Falcon 9 exceeded the speed of sound. At 1:12, MAX Q occurred. MAX Q is the most amount of external stresses experienced by the vehicle while ascending through Earth’s atmosphere.

MECO or first-stage main engine cutoff occurred at 2:33 into the mission. This is where all nine of the merlin 1D engines on the first stage shut down. Stage separation of the first and second stages occurred at 2:35. SES-1 or second stage engine start-up occurred at 2:42.

The separation of the two fairing halves was confirmed at 2:50.

Stage one entry burn startup occurred at 6 minutes, 46 seconds. Engines one, five, and nine were ignited to slow down for re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. Stage one entry burn completed at 7:04. Stage one reached transonic (traveling near the speed of sound) at 7:50.

Stage one landing burn started at 8:19. Stage one landing legs deployed at 8:38.

Falcon 9 successfully landed on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You at eight minutes and 45 seconds after takeoff, with cheers and applause from the control room.

This marks the 172nd overall landing of an orbital-class rocket. Nine minutes after take off, nominal orbital insertion of Starlink satellites occurred.

The Starlink mission is to provide internet access to 48 countries. email: kzehnder@newspress.com

Launch puts 51 satellites into orbit

More arrests made in s tearns Wharf homicide

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Three juveniles were arrested Thursday on suspicion of involvement with the Dec. 9 murder of Robert Gutierrez at the base of Stearns Wharf.

Those are in addition to the Jan. 19 arrest of four other suspects in the Santa Barbara murder.

On Thursday, the Santa Barbara Police Department, assisted by several outside agencies, served search-and-arrest warrants at multiple locations in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. That’s when the three juveniles were arrested.

Two are in custody for 187 PC (murder), and the third is in custody for possession of a firearm and accessory to murder, Lt. Kasi Corbett said.

She added that a firearm was recovered in Thursday’s searchand-arrest warrants. Lt. Corbett said it is not known at this time if the firearm recovered was used in

the commission of this crime.

Robert Gutierrez, a Camarillo resident, was an innocent bystander who was in Santa Barbara with his wife walking on Stearns Wharf when he was struck and killed by one of the rounds that were fired during an altercation between two groups of individuals at the base of the wharf, according to police reports Lt. Corbett said one group involved in the altercation has been identified as Santa Barbara area residents with ties to a local Santa Barbara street gang. The opposing group in the altercation has been identified as Ventura County residents with ties to Ventura County street gangs, Lt. Corbett said.

Anyone with information regarding this homicide investigation is asked to call the Santa Barbara Police Department Detective Bureau at 805-897-2347. email: kzehnder@newspress.com

Rising costs of healthcare compromises medical care for half of Californians

By RIA ROEBUCK JOSEPH THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - A recently released survey of Californians by the California Health Care Foundation and NORC at the University of Chicago found that making health care affordable was still a top priority for Californians.

In a state that mandated health coverage for every individual starting in 2020, and exempted or subsidized those unable to afford a health policy, the revelation that cost was the number one factor for health care, was eye-opening.

Eighty-one percent of those polled said affordability was extremely or very important, placing health care costs as a top concern just below inflation and housing affordability.

Californians with higher incomes were less likely to think of items as extremely or very important compared to those with low incomes.

Among all ethnic groups 98% of Blacks said that affordability was extremely or very important compared to 87% for Latinos, 88% for Asians and 76% for whites.

Fifty-two percent of those surveyed reported skipping or delaying at least one kind of healthcare due to cost this past year. This resulted in a worsening of the condition in half of those who delayed care, but that number

Holiday on Monday

Monday is Presidents’ Day, which means banks, schools and government offices will be closed. There will be no mail delivery.

jumped to six in ten (61%) among the low income population with Blacks and Latinos more likely to skip care due to cost.

Medical bills and out-ofpocket costs were a concern for 65% of Californians, further demonstrating a gap between affordable health care and state subsidized care.

“...in poll after poll, what we see most consistently is that Californians want and need the rising cost of care to be contained,” Kristof Stremikis, director of Market Analysis and Insight at the California Health Care Foundation stated. For Blacks, making sure people with mental health problems can get the treatment that they need was the top health care priority, in agreement with half (50%) of Californians. The greatest concern for Latinos was making sure public health departments had the resources required to respond to emergencies: pandemics, earthquakes and fires in alignment with concerns for 49% of Californians. Asian and white Californians cared mostly about whether there are enough doctors, nurses and other health care providers across California, a concern with a similar proportion at 49 percent.

“The percentage of Californians who say funding health care,

Please see HEALTHCARE on A4

MarBorg said it will pick up trash as usual. The News-Press will not publish that day, and our offices will be closed. The News-Press will publish as usual on Tuesday.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket soars high after lifting off Friday from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

At left, the Falcon 9 took off at 11:12 a.m. Friday. Above, a small crowd gathers along Harris Grade Road in Lompoc to watch the Falcon 9 rocket carry 51 Starlink satellites.

Thanking heroes

Caltrans provides Highway 101 construction update

CARPINTERIA/SUMMERLAND/ MONTECITO — Caltrans has provided the South Coast construction schedule for Feb. 19March 4 on Highway 101.

In Summerland, the northbound on-ramp at Ortega Hill Road is now open, and the bikeway has been updated adjacent to the new sound wall.

In Montecito, motorists should expect pre-construction work by utility companies to prepare for the upcoming San Ysidro Roundabout along North Jameson Lane and San Ysidro Road..

Here’s the schedule for closures:

NORTHBOUND HIGHWAY 101

Sunday nights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., the highway will be one lane from Santa Monica Road to Sheffield Drive.

On Monday through Thursday nights from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., there will be one lane from Santa Monica Road to Sheffield Drive.

The off-ramp at Olive Mill Road will be closed for up to seven months and is anticipated to reopen upon roundabout completion. In the meantime, drivers can use

the northbound off-ramp at San Ysidro Road.

SOUTHBOUND HIGHWAY 101

Sunday nights from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., there will be one lane open from Sheffield Drive to Carpinteria Avenue.

Monday through Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., there will be one lane open from Sheffield Drive to Carpinteria Avenue.

The on-ramp at Olive Mill Road is expected reopen later this month. Until then, drivers can use the southbound on-ramp at Sheffield Drive.

The off-ramp at North Padaro Lane is expected to reopen mid-March. Until then, drivers can use the detour at South Padaro Lane and Via Real.

In other construction highlights:

• Carpinteria Avenue from Estero Street to Highway 101. Flaggers will direct traffic (as needed) as crews build a new median island and bikeway connections.

• Olive Mill Roundabout.

Most construction occurs between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Motorists can expect fiveto 10-minute delays.

Expect flaggers at San Ysidro Road and North Jameson Lane on weekdays from 7:30-9 a.m. and 3-5 p.m.

• San Ysidro Roundabout.

Caltranas says motorists should expect preconstruction activities near the intersection of San Ysidro Road and North Jameson lane for the upcoming San Ysidro Roundabout. As needed, flaggers will direct traffic during daytime work. The San Ysidro Roundabout will begin construction in mid-March.

— Katherine Zehnder

Hundreds of runners to use State Route 1

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY

— Participants in the Castle to Coast Fun Run will utilize State Route 1 in San Simeon on Feb. 25 between 8 and 10 a.m.

The 8.2-mile run will begin in the parking area of Hearst San Simeon State Park. Runners will travel south on State Route 1 into Cambria. They’ll take a right onto Moonstone Beach Drive and a right on Windsor Boulevard before ending at Shamel Park.

No road, lane or shoulder closures are permitted. There will be signage along the route informing the public of this event.

— Katherine Zehnder

Goleta City Council to review projects, contract

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Goleta City Council will discuss projects and a contract at its meeting Tuesday.

The council will meet at 5:30 p.m. at Goleta City Hall, 130 Cremona Drive.

Members will:

• Discuss awarding a professional services agreement for the Ekwill Street and Fowler Road Extensions Project and Hollister Avenue Bridge Project Professional Services Agreement. Both projects are located in Old Town Goleta.

The project locations overlap each other along Hollister Avenue near the Hollister Avenue and

No bird flu at farms

No cases of bird flu have been reported at poultry farms in Santa Barbara County.

That’s the word from the county Public Health Department.

The department issued a statement in light of isolated cases of highly pathogenic avian

State Route 217 intersection. This overlap and the timing of the two federal grants prompted the decision to construct the two projects under a single construction contract.

• Discuss adopting a resolution to support the awarding of a contract for ambulance services to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

• Proclaim February as Black History Month in the city of Goleta. The 2023 Santa Barbara County theme is “Black Resistance.”

• Council will recognize Bicycle Bob’s for its 39 years in business. Bob and Julia Zaratzian founded Bicycle Bob’s March 1983.

• Proclaim Feb. 26–March 4 as

influenza that have been reported elsewhere in the nation. Bird flu is found in wild waterfowl that can infect chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks, geese and guinea fowl, as well as a variety of other wild and domesticated birds.

— Dave Mason

Peace Corps Week. Those who choose not to attend the council meeting can participate virtually at us06web. zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ mjJFr_jKQ52uzt4oeo0F0A. The

Webinar ID is 813 0731 8236. You can also watch council meetings at www.cityofgoleta.org/ meetings-agendas.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

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By TOM JOYCE THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

California Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, will lead a subcommittee that oversees the budget for the Attorney’s General office.

Ms. Bonta will do so despite being the wife of California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, DLakewood, recently selected

Ms. Bonta to chair Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5. The subcommittee reviews how various public safety agencies spend their money, including the California Department of Justice.

Mr. Rendon issued a statement last week, arguing that Ms. Bonta would have no conflict of interest in this role.

“I believe Ms. Bonta will continue to be independent and unbiased in her legislative

U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, visits the Lompoc Fire Department Wednesday to thank firefighters and Santa Barbara County emergency medical services responders for their role in rescuing a newborn and the baby’s parents from the riverbed during the Jan. 9 storm. The rescue was performed immediately after the baby’s birth.

California lawmaker facing scrutiny as attorney general’s wife will oversee his state budget

Presidents Day and the history of Freemasons

On Presidents Day, we think mostly of George Washington, whose birthday we used to celebrate by scarfing cherry pie (he didn’t tell a lie) on Feb. 22 until his own personal holiday a) became subject to the 1968 Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, then b) got transformed in 1971 into Presidents Day to honor both Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday is Feb. 12..

In California, the holiday is spelled Presidents’ Day (apostrophe after the s) to honor all U.S. presidents.

But for the sake of this column, let’s stick with “The Father of His Country” who was an ardent Freemason, inducted at age 21 on Nov. 4, 1752, into Masonic Lodge No. 4 in Fredericksburg, Va.

Benjamin Franklin, who helped draft the Declaration of Independence, was a founding member of the first American Freemason lodge in 1730, two years before George Washington was born.

The Boston Tea Party saboteurs who sparked the inciting incident of the Revolutionary War were Masons, along with Paul Revere, famous for sounding the alarm when the Redcoats came. Moreover, all 33 of Washington’s generals were Freemasons. The number itself is interesting because of its many mystical meanings, not least the Masonic 33rd Degree, reputed to be the highest level one may attain in that secret society’s hierarchy.

French historian Bernard Fay saw Freemasonry as “the spiritual father of political revolutions” in France and the colonies. And Sidney Morse, a 19th-century American journalist, reported that “Masonry brought together in secret and trustful conference the patriot leaders.” Freemasons, he wrote, “dominated the Continental Congress.”

Although George Washington never actually lived In his namesake city, as president he and his Masonic architects designed the “Federal City” in accordance with Masonic code and utilizing Masonic ceremony, ritual and regalia for laying cornerstones. Which, of course, is what Masons do: They cut stones and build secret chambers — and use a bunch of quirky handshakes to recognize one another for gaining entry.

U.S. presidents who doubled as Masons include Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, Andrew Jackson, Harry Truman and Gerald Ford. It was FDR who added the Masonic pyramid with all seeing eye to the iconic one dollar bill, which, when Washington’s countenance first appeared on it in 1869, could buy $21.82 worth of goods or services in today’s money.

THE SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI

Our first president was also a founding member (and president general) of another fraternal order, The Society of the Cincinnati, named after Roman statesman Lucius Cincinnatus, who relinquished dictatorial control not once but twice (in 458 B.C. and 439 B.C;) in favor of returning to his farm.

George Washington admired such humility and surprised his own countrymen by following Lucius’s example — not only for his refusal to be crowned king after defeating the British but also his unwillingness to seek a third term as president. He instead returned to a private life at his beloved Mount Vernon.

French historian Bernard Fay saw Freemasonry as “the spiritual father of political revolutions” in France and the colonies. And Sidney Morse, a 19th-century American journalist, reported that “Masonry brought together in secret and trustful conference the patriot leaders.”

Washington was apparently concerned that if he were to die in office, his successors might come away with the erroneous assumption that their election could be stretched into a lifetime appointment.

When news of Washington’s retirement reached England’s King George III, from whom our American Cincinnatus wrestled the colonies, the astounded king is reputed to have said, “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.”

And even in his madness (schizophrenia from porphyria), Georgy-Porgy was right.

110 RULES

Washington took his Masonic membership as seriously as the new country he presided over and even wrote up “110 Rules For Freemasons in Life and Lodge,” transcribed from maxims originally created by 16thcentury French Jesuit priests — perhaps one of the earliest selfimprovement manuals.

To celebrate and honor George Washington this weekend, we present a handful of these aphorisms:

• “ ‘Tis better to be alone than in bad company.”

There is a vast difference between being alone and aloneness. The former is sad, the latter, heavenly — especially if company would be nuts and dolts.

• “Be not angry at the table whatever happens.”

Worth bearing in mind at Thanksgiving.

• “Read no letters, books or papers in company.”

In today’s world, there goes your smartphone — best powered off and out of sight. (Good luck with that. We’ve all been hypnotized, and the Millennials, Gen Zs and Gen Alphas cannot go five minutes without checking for texts and email, present company be ignored.)

• “Spit not in the fire, nor put your hands into the flames to warm them, nor set your feet upon the fire especially if there be meat before it.”

Hmm. Times have certainly changed.

• “Entertaining anyone at the table, it is decent to present him with meat.”

And if the person is a her and not him, a vegan dish?

• “If you soak bread in the sauce, let it be no more than what you put in your mouth.”

More succinctly: No dribbling.

Addressing the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts in 1793, Washington defined the objective of Masonry: “To promote the happiness of the human race.”

According to the World Happiness Report, the United States ranks only 19th in happiness, behind all Scandinavian countries, the U.K., Ireland, Costa Rica and a dozen others.

Which means that lodges in the U.S. are on the wane and need to step up their efforts.

CODENAME 711

The secret of Washington’s Revolutionary War victory lay in his mastery of the craft of intelligence, taught to him by French deserters and Native Americans, on whose side he fought for the Brits against France during the French and Indian War.

Thus, early into the war Washington created the Culper Spy Ring for espionage against the redcoats, who had sacked and then occupied New York City. In the codebook of Washington’s spymaster, Benjamin Tallmadge (a Freemason, of course), Washington’s codename/number was 711. (If you’ve ever wondered how 7-Eleven got its name, maybe there’s a Masonic connection to consider — thus hatching a new conspiracy theory.)

FAREWELL ADDRESS

Washington is also remembered by his Farewell Address to the nation, in which the retiring president made three important (if lately forgotten) points:

• 1) Unity. Focus on common interests rather than differences.

• 2) Loyalty to political party over country is the worst enemy.

• 3) “Steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world” as a means of staving off “foreign influence and corruption.”

If alive today to witness the trifecta contravention of

his message, not to mention the diminished influence of Freemasonry (and diminished happiness), George would probably not have a very happy birthday. And the painful dentures he wore (not wooden as popular lore suggests but crafted from donkey teeth) would likely preclude him from blowing out 291 candles.

LODGE NO. 192

Saint Barbara is the patron saint of bricklayers and masons so it is entirely appropriate that Freemasonry should have a presence here — and it does: Masonic Lodge No. 192, founded in 1868. Members have included such distinguished Santa Barbarians as “Worshipful Master” John Stearns (of Stearns Wharf fame), Dr. William Sansum (Sansum Clinic), Dwight Murphy (father of Old Spanish Days Fiesta) and Thomas Storke, who in addition to establishing Santa Barbara Airport and building Lake Cachuma as SB’s main source of water, founded this esteemed newspaper by merging the Santa Barbara Daily News with the Morning Press.

Even Santa Barbara’s Earl Warren Showgrounds is named after “Worshipful” Earl Warren.

Full disclosure: My maternal grandfather, Edward Stanley, was a Freemason. My mother, who gifted me his Masonic ring, once told me her father was devoted to his lodge and that when he was buried in 1959, fellow Freemasons provided him a most dignified and heartfelt sendoff.

FREEMASONS IN FRANCE AND MONACO

It is unfortunate the same benevolence does not extend to Masons in France and Monaco.

When I was Prince Albert of Monaco’s intelligence chief, he expressed concern to me about Masonic influence in his principality’s government and police department, having heard that promotions were based not on merit but on Masonic membership. He asked our service to investigate.

What we discovered was very troubling. As Monaco did not have a Masonic Lodge, the problem emanated from France because many of Monaco’s ministers were French, and Monegasques are not allowed to be police officers (a long standing law), so all police were French.

We quickly learned through our spy-net that the Masonic brotherhood has a very tight control over the French legal and judicial systems — and those in Monaco by extension.

There are three Masonic Lodges in France: Grande Loge Nationale Francaise (GLNF), Grande Loge de Francaise (GLF) and Grand Orient de Francaise (GO). Both GLF and GO operate in southern France and have been corrupt for decades, the latter believed to have been completely overtaken by organized crime. Only GLNF is associated with the Great United Lodge of Britain. The other two are considered “irregular.”

GLNF concentrated on philosophical matters while GLF and GO with social matters, though all gained reputations for being “affairiste” — i.e. becoming involved with corrupt business practices.

But it was particularly in the south (GO and GLF) where influence trafficking, false invoicing, creation of fictitious employees and similar matters had been rife, particularly in companies controlled by the state. Freemasons then hampered investigations by the judiciary, which they heavily penetrated and utilized a number of bureaucratic measures they could take to torpedo any serious attempt at reform or prosecution fellow Masons: “Routine” inspections, internal investigations and reassignments.

Further, these measures taken at the local or regional level were often supported or generated at the Paris level by Freemasons in positions of great importance.

Even though we made Prince Albert aware of our findings, he inexplicably did something his father, Prince Rainier III, had vehemently resisted throughout his 56-year reign: He allowed the Freemasons to create a lodge in Monaco.

It made no sense, given his original concern. But so much of what Albert has done as sovereign makes no sense.

All the various factions of Monaco (corrupt ministers and courtiers, mafias) have — to the detriment of the principality — been able to thoroughly exploit the prince’s innate weaknesses.

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

Animals in War

Robin Hutton, the author of Sargent Reckless and War Animals, explains the remarkable stories of animals that have helped us during conflicts. From the famed pigeon named G.I. Joe flying over enemy lines to collect intelligence to horses and mules running across front lines with artillery for soldiers, these are some amazing feats of bravery from remarkable four-footed and two-winged friends. Robin’s book about Sargent Reckless dives deep into the story of how this horse became a beloved member of the U.S. Marine Corps in the Korean conflict and how her heroics earned her respect and Military Decorations, including two Purple Hearts.

ROBERT ERINGER

More than 200 people arrested in human sex trafficking ring in Florida

Sheriff: ‘Wake up. There’s a crisis at the southern border’

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – A multiagency operation led to the arrest of more than 200 people allegedly engaging in human trafficking in Polk County, Florida. More than half of the victims were smuggled into the U.S. illegally through the southern border, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.

Of the 24 victims identified as being trafficked, “14 of these females are illegally in this country,” Sheriff Judd said. “Did you hear that? Did you hear clearly what I said?

“Fourteen of them are here illegally in the country. To me the bombshell is 13 of them are Cuban, one is Mexican, all of them came to us through the southern border.”

Sheriff Judd also took issue with politicians arguing about border security, saying, “We hear the political 30-second bites about ‘oh, the border’s porous… ‘no it’s not.’ ‘The border is secure,’ ‘no it’s not.’ ‘There’s really not a crisis at the border.”

In response, he said, “Yes, there’s a crisis at the border. Wake up. Somebody in Washington with more than five brain cells needs to listen to this. Maybe asking them to have five brains cells is too many. Let’s shoot for three brain cells.” He said the female victims “all arrived within the last two years: the majority within the last six months, some of them in the last two weeks.

“They were paying off their transportation debt, being smuggled into the United States to have sex,” he said. “Their family was being threatened if they didn’t come here and do what they were supposed to, to pay off the debts.”

The Florida sheriff also expressed frustration over lack of border security, saying, “it’s not enough that we’ve got illegal entries… what everyone’s ignoring is the traffickers and the fentanyl that’s killing thousands upon thousands of our people every day. The traffickers of methamphetamine, they’re all

coming across that border with the traffickers of fentanyl.”

“Human traffickers are forcing ladies across this border to commit sex so they can indenture them, and yet we don’t do what we need to do,” he said, comparing the Biden administration’s actions to a home flooding from a leaking pipe. The federal government claims to be mopping the floor, he said, but “at the same time the pipe’s still pumping more water” onto it, he said. “The first thing you do” to stop a leaking pipe from flooding a home, he said, is to “find the source and turn the valve off. And then you mop up and fix the problem.” The federal government isn’t doing that, he said.

“The Cubans said they came here through Nicaragua,” Sheriff Judd said, through Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico to enter the U.S. illegally. “Coyotes,” human smugglers, moved them into the U.S., he said, according to interviews with victims.

Investigators were still looking into who orchestrated their smuggling, by what means, when and where, he said.

“We have caught the buyer and the seller,” Sheriff Judd added.

“That’s what we’ve done today. But we know the buyer and the seller is only the beginning of the chain. It’s not the end of the chain.”

Officers uncovered the human trafficking ring during a sevenday undercover operation, “Operation Traffic Stop,” from February 6-12. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Vice Unit, working with multiple agencies, arrested 213 suspects.

Officers were looking for “the victims of human trafficking, those that are forced to participate, those that are made to participate, those that are treated inhumanely,” Sheriff Judd said. “Not only did we arrest more suspects during this single operation than we have ever arrested before, we identified 24 human trafficking victims – the highest number of victims we’ve ever rescued during one of these investigations.”

They arrested 111 prostitutes; among them 24 were identified as possible human trafficking victims.

Another 89 suspects were arrested for soliciting a prostitute “who traveled to a designated undercover location to negotiate having sex in exchange for money.” Another 13 were arrested, 10 of whom were either “deriving proceeds from prostitution or aiding and abetting prostitutes,” according to the sheriff’s office.

Several of those arrested already have criminal histories, including violent felonies ranging from kidnapping, robbery, aggravated assault, and sex offenses. Five were previously arrested by PCSO during an undercover operation last September, the sheriff said.

One individual arrested was an elected San Diego area Del Mar Union School District board member. Dr. Scott Wooden, a molecular biologist who used to own a massage parlor, was in town visiting his elderly parents when he was arrested after allegedly soliciting a sex worker for $200, Sheriff Judd said.

The school district issued a statement, saying Dr. Wooden had “resigned from the District’s Governing Board of Trustees effective immediately” and the board is “currently exploring options to fill the vacancy.”

Officers involved in the operation also seized fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as firearms.

Those arrested were between the ages of 19 and 68. In total, those arrested were charged with 68 total felony and 308 misdemeanor counts. Participating in the operation were detectives from the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the police departments of Auburndale, Winter Haven, Haines City, Lake Wales, Lakeland, Davenport and Bartow. The Office of the State Attorney 10th Judicial Circuit, State Attorney Brian Haas, and the Florida Department of Children and Families were also involved. Several organizations provided assistance to victims, including One More Child, Heartland for Children, My Name My Voice, Selah Freedom, and the Children’s Home Society Child Advocacy Center.

Senators call on Mexico, China to do more to stop illicit fentanyl trafficking

By BRETT ROWLAND THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee wants Mexico and countries that supply the precursor chemicals for making cheap and potent fentanyl to be held accountable and do more to stop illicit trafficking as deaths from the drug continue to surge in the United States.

Chairman U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said more needs to be done both within the U.S. and abroad.

“I’m urging the Biden administration to take additional steps to confront the fentanyl epidemic,” he said. “ ... It’s time for the United States to build a multi-lateral coalition to hold China accountable for failure to meet its international obligation to stop illicit drug trafficking.”

Sen. Menendez said China needs to immediately implement Know-Your-Customer standards to protect against fraud, corruption and money laundering or face sanctions. At home, he said the U.S. needs more high-tech screening at the borders to disrupt open fentanyl sales on social media and to improve access to treatment for those with substance use disorders.

U.S. Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, said more than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2021. He said fentanyl was responsible for nearly 70% of those deaths. Addressing the issue will require “very effective international cooperation,” he said.

“Another way to stem this crisis is to identify and cut off the pipelines,” he said.

HEALTHCARE

Continued from Page A1

Those pipelines include precursor chemicals from China that Mexican cartels use to make fentanyl, which is then smuggled into the U.S., Sen. Risch said.

“The same cartels are profiting from and prolonging the illegal migration crisis caused by the Biden administration’s weak enforcement of border security and immigration controls,” he said.

More than 46 million Americans have substance use disorders, said Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

“America is facing the worst drug crisis we’ve ever seen,” he said. “It is tearing the very fabric of our nation. It presents a direct and surging threat to public health.”

Anne Milgram, administrator for the Drug Enforcement Administration, said the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel are responsible for the majority of the illicit fentanyl that enters the United States.

She said the two cartels buy precursor chemicals from China, which they use to make fentanyl powder. That powder is then pressed into fake prescription pills, Ms. Milgram said.

“It is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced,” she said.

The Mexican Army this week announced that it seized a fentanyl pill manufacturing center and the laboratory with the largest methamphetamine production capacity in Culiacán, Sinaloa. The army found about 282 pounds of possible granulated fentanyl, 629,138 pills of probable fentanyl, 220 pounds of possible methamphetamine, other chemicals, and 28 organic synthesis reactors.

percent of Asians, and 60 percent whites.

“The

care is now directly impacting the health and financial security of millions of California families,” Mr. Stremikis said.

One extremely important priority in health care identified by the survey was access to reproductive health care including abortion (41%). It was ranked extremely or very important among 82 percent of blacks; 72 percent of Latinos; 66

Other top priorities for health care were: making information about the price of doctor visits, tests, and procedures more available to patients (40%); funding health care, including mental health services, for people experiencing homelessness (39%); and reducing differences in health care quality between racial and ethnic groups (38%).

‘The high cost of care is now directly impacting the health and financial security of millions’

How to position yourself competitively to buy property

Despite national headlines, the Santa Barbara real estate market remains strong, and buyers are finding it quite competitive.

Forty-five percent of the homes sold along the South Coast in January sold at or above the list price. Generally, a home that sells above the list price did so because of multiple offers.

Right now, there is only a 1.9month supply of homes. This means that if no new listings were to come on the market in the next 1.9 months, we would be out of homes to sell.

Because of the low supply of homes, buyers are often competing with other buyers for the same home. Recently one home in our area received 22 offers, which means 21 buyers lost out and are still in the market for a new home.

When evaluating multiple offers, sellers not only look at the offering price, but they also look at the terms of the offer. It doesn’t matter what the purchase price is if the buyer does not complete the transaction. One of the most important factors that a seller takes into consideration is the buyer’s ability to obtain financing.

The strongest offers are the ones where the buyer has cash and does not need to obtain a loan. These are known as “allcash” offers. Approximately 25% of our transactions have had allcash offers.

The question for potential buyers is, “How do they compete in this competitive market?” One of the answers is to line up their financing in advance of making an offer.

Almost all offers these days are accompanied by some sort of pre-qualification letter from the buyer’s lender that is used to assure a seller that the buyer will not cancel an escrow because they were not able to obtain financing.

The purchase agreement that is used by almost all Realtors is produced by the California Association of Realtors and was revised in December.

The revised purchase agreement lists three types of prequalification:

• Pre-qualification letter:

Pre-qualification letters can be provided based on a phone conversation between the buyer and their lender. With a prequalification, income, credit and assets are not verified. A pre-qualification letter is much weaker in the eyes of a seller than a pre-approval letter.

• Pre-approval letter:

With a pre-approval letter, the lender has actually received a complete written application from the buyer and income, credit and assets have been documented and verified. A preapproval is based on an analysis by the loan officer and while more reliable than a standard pre-qualification, it is less reliable than a fully underwritten pre-approval.

• Fully underwritten preapproval:

A fully underwritten preapproval is based on the same items as a pre-approval.

However, instead of being solely analyzed by the loan office, it has been pre-approved by the underwriter, who is the person who will make the final decision as to whether the buyer obtains the loan.

The underwriter will initially review the file and will issue conditional loan approval subject to conditions that have to be met prior to the lender funding the loan.

With a fully underwritten preapproval, these conditions have already been met, and the only items needed to fund the loan are a fully executed purchase agreement and preliminary title report. This is the strongest type of pre-approval as it gives the seller more assurance that the deal will close.

The other advantage is the lender has a complete package and has already gone through the

U.S. trade deficit grew last year, rising $103 billion from 2021

By SETH SANDRONSKY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - It is growing relentlessly. The U.S. trade deficit, the gap between what the nation imports and exports in goods and services, increased to $67.4 billion in December, an increase of $6.4 billion from $61.0 billion in November, revised, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The month-over-month figures on the deficit are part of a long-term trend in America.

For 2022, the deficit in goods and services hit $948.1 billion, rising $103 billion from 2021. “Exports were $3,009.7 billion, up $453.1 billion from 2021. Imports were $3,957.8 billion, up $556.1 billion from 2021,” the

Census Bureau and BEA reported.

The deficit with China, a major U.S. trading partner, rose $29.4 billion to $382.9 billion in 2022. Exports increased $2.4 billion to $153.8 billion and imports rose $31.8 billion to $536.8 billion, according to the Census Bureau and BEA.

“Growing imports eliminate existing jobs and prevent new job creation — as imports displace goods that otherwise would have been made in the United States by domestic workers,” according to Robert Scott, a senior economist and Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Research at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.

In other words, low-cost imports assembled in nations such as China and Vietnam that are for sale on store shelves throughout the U.S. have a high price in terms of weakening

hiring among domestic goods-producing firms.

Historically, goods-producing jobs have paid high wages to nonfarm payroll workers. Thus, the trend of manufacturing job losses is a drag on the living standards of workers. Service employment tends to pay lower wages versus goods-producing jobs. In addition, a reduction in factory employment subtracts from buyer demand in the U.S. economy. Weakened purchasing power drags down the bottom lines of businesses, from small to midsize and large. Small firms are most at-risk of weakened buyer demand, lacking the cash flow and customer base to weather downturns as bigger firms can and do in the marketplace. U.S. free trade agreements have enlarged U.S. trade deficits, a near-three decade trend.

The deficit with China, a major U.S. trading partner, rose $29.4 billion to $382.9 billion in 2022. Exports increased $2.4 billion to $153.8 billion and imports rose $31.8 billion to $536.8 billion.

approval process so the escrow can close much faster than one where the buyer has not been fully pre-approved.

To be competitive with allcash offers, many buyers with fully underwritten pre-approval have been waiving their loan contingency when making an offer. There are risks to the buyer in doing this as they can still be turned down for the loan or the escrow can be delayed longer than the escrow period agreed to.

Both can jeopardize the buyer’s good faith deposit. A buyer should not do this until they have had a conversation with their lender and have a strong assurance that they will be able to obtain financing in time to close escrow as scheduled.

Typically, the most difficult and time-consuming part of purchasing a home is pulling together all the documents that are required by the lender.

By getting a fully underwritten pre-approval, a buyer can focus on the remaining aspects of the deal such as inspections, reviewing disclosures and other documents, obtaining insurance, and a host of other things that a buyer does during an escrow.

As an offer is only as strong as the buyer’s ability to close escrow, so it is important for a seller to understand the different levels of pre-qualification.

Generally, pre-qualification and pre-approval letters provided by the buyer’s lender indicate conditions that have been met and those that are still to be met.

When reviewing offers, a seller should look closely at these letters. It is also a good idea for the seller or their Realtor to speak with the lender for further assurance that the buyer will obtain financing to close on time.

Loan officers tend to be pretty forthcoming. If they say a buyer will have no trouble obtaining financing and then get turned down for the loan, it really affects the loan officer’s reputation and can jeopardize receiving future business and referrals from Realtors and their clients.

This allows Realtors to have some leverage over the loan officer as they represent repeat business. Listing agents consider a lender’s reputation when advising sellers when they are reviewing offers. Buyers who work with out-of-town lenders or those who don’t have a good reputation are usually at a disadvantage. With an out-oftown lender or an unreputable one, the agents involved generally represent a one-time deal and the lender does not worry about repeat business.

In summary, a buyer can do a lot to increase their chances of having an offer accepted and enjoy a much less stressful escrow by doing their homework and obtaining fully underwritten pre-approval prior to making offers.

Bob Curtis is a licensed Realtor

Ribbon cutting planned for Camins 2 Dreams tasting room

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce invites the public to a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of Camins 2 Dreams new tasting room. The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. March 3 at the tasting room, located at 1520 E. Chestnut Court, Unit C, in Lompoc. Camins 2 Dreams is operated by winemakers Mireia Taribó and Tara Gomez.

Ms. Taribó graduated with a bachelor’s in chemistry from the University of Barcelona and bachelor’s in enology at the University of Rovira and Virgili. Additionally, she holds a masters in enology, Viticulture, and marketing of wine. Ms. Gomez graduated from Cal State University Fresno with a bachelor’s in enology.

Ms. Gomez worked for a few wineries including: Fess Parker and J. Lohr, while simultaneously, she started her

first label, Kalawashaq’ Wine Cellars (named for the village where her Chumash ancestors once lived).

Ms. Gomez was named “Winemaker of the Year” in 2021 as part of the VinePair Next Wave Awards.

Camins 2 Dreams was founded in 2017. Camins 2 Dreams grapes are sourced exclusively from vineyards in Sta. Rita Hills. Camin 2 Dreams said its philosophy is to make handcrafted, terroir-driven wines that are fermented with natural yeast

and use minimal intervention in the winery. The winemakers believe wine is made in the vineyard and want to showcase the typicity of each site where the grapes come from. Camins 2 Dreams will be open Friday-Sunday for walkins and other days by appointment.

For more information on the ribbon cutting, call the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce at 805-736-4567.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

McCarthy calls for action to stem immigration crisis at Arizona border

By CAMERON ARCAND THE CENTER SQUARE

CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and a Republican Congressional delegation visited the ucson sector of the southern border Thursday.

The delegation of freshmen congressmen met with Customs and Border Protection to discuss the crisis and then spoke with reporters about the new Republican House majority’s plans to tackle the issue.

“The saddest part about all of this – the Mexican government doesn’t know which of their citizens are leaving their country. The American government does not know who’s coming into our country. But there’s one entity who knows both, the Sinaloa Cartel,” Rep. McCarthy said at a news conference in Cochise County.

“They know exactly who’s coming across, and who’s entering. They also know what’s in the backpacks, the drugs to kill Americans,” he continued.

In addition to the helicopter tour, the delegation also met with law enforcement officials and citizens at a roundtable on drug smuggling and the disruption in border communities.

At the news conference, Arizona Rep. Juan Ciscomani criticized President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’s handling of the issue since taking office in 2021.

“There are two people that can really have an immediate impact on the situation in this country and that’s President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas, and they both have

SHAW, Edwin “Koury”

Edwin “Koury” Shaw was born on July 5, 1932, to William and Malvina Shaw in Santa Barbara, California; the youngest of 6 sons. Koury passed on February 10, 2023, at the age of 90, with laughter and peace in the company of his nephew, Rudy. He attended school until the time of his enlistment in the Army where he went on to serve in the Korean war. Koury was a renowned figure in Santa Barbara. He is a descendent inducted into the Santa Barbara Trust of Historic Preservation with precious Barbareno Chumash ancestry. Koury was a successful plastering contractor by trade and had many interests in cars and service organizations. Later in life he owned the historical Laguna Store & Deli, till his retirement. If you didn‚Äôt catch, Koury cruising down the road to his favorite breakfast spots to meet up with his best friend George Mattis , then you could catch him at the casino winning big. He was truly a lucky charm, with a smile so vibrant and a heart so generous. He was the king of silly sayings and could always make you laugh. If you told him to meet you at a time, he would always certainly be early! He loved to watch all the westerns in his downtime and call all his family on FaceTime. He will live in our hearts forever. Ed is survived by his children: Edwin Shaw (Son) and Julie Shaw (Daughter), along with his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren a well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. Family was the world to Papa Koury and his best days, and our best memories are the times we gathered, whether one on one or with family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents: William and Malvina; his son, Craig, and brothers: Harvey, Harold, Russell, Rudolph and George. He left as sharp as he arrived and we will all miss him until we meet again.

Graveside service at Calvary Cemetery Santa Barbara is set for 12 pm, Friday February 24, 2023 in the outdoor chapel. A gathering is being planned immediately following the service. For additional information please email ERS0705@icloud.com

PARENT, Claire Louise

April 22, 1933 - January 26, 2023

It is with heavy hearts and with the joy of a lifetime of memories, that we announce the passing of Claire Louise Parent. She died peacefully on January 26th, 2023, at Casa Dorinda in Santa Barbara, California.

Claire was born on April 22, 1933, the third of four children, to Frank and Mae Smith in San Mateo, California, a few miles south of San Francisco.

Claire graduated from Mercy High School in Burlingame before enrolling at U.C. Santa Barbara. Claire was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and graduated in 1955 with a degree in speech therapy. While in college, Claire was set up on a blind date with Jerry Parent, a Santa Barbara resident and UCLA student, and, ultimately, the love of her life.

Claire and Jerry married in 1955 and soon after moved to Oahu, Hawaii, so Jerry could finish his active duty in the Army. They lived at Schofield barracks, the army base made famous a few years earlier when the movie From Here To Eternity was filmed on site. It was there that Claire and Jerry welcomed their daughter, Colleen, into the world.

After Jerry completed his service, the young Parent family moved to San Francisco so Jerry could finish his law degree at Hastings Law School. Upon Jerry passing the bar exam, the family moved to Santa Barbara. There, Claire and Jerry would raise their family which would grow to include Jay and Julia. While raising the children, Claire was active in her community, particularly the Junior League. There, she would help organize fund drives as well as perform in the campy Junior League follies at the Lobero theater, raising money to benefit the community. The plays really brought out Claire’s inner actress!

When her children were in their teens, Claire became a top real estate agent for Pitts & Bachman realtors in Montecito. For nearly 30 years, Claire helped hundreds of clients, including many cultural icons, navigate the often treacherous waters of real estate negotiations before her retirement in 2005.

In 1979, Claire found her dream house; a Carlton Winslow designed Spanish/ Mediterranean home on the upper east side of Santa Barbara. It was here that for the next 40 years Claire would entertain friends and celebrate family with countless cocktail and dinner parties, receptions, showers and birthday parties. Every Christmas would be enhanced by a sublimely decorated tree, with every gift underneath exquisitely wrapped. Every child’s or grandchild’s birthday or achievement was a special occasion and cause for a celebratory dinner. Sunday night family dinners were a 40 year tradition - and, while not obligatory, you showed up if you could.

Over the years, the Santa Barbara street home would become a dynamic canvas for Claire’s artistic energy. As Claire’s sense of aesthetics evolved, the house and gardens would transform to meet her vision. There was hardly a space, inside or out , that didn’t have Claire’s imprimatur. The home and garden were a neighborhood treasure and often was the inspiration of artists and photographers. Claire’s eclectic appreciation of art was evident throughout the house, where one could find abstract expressionism in the same room as local artists’ landscapes, sculptures, funky ceramic figurines and folk art. For every occasion, or no occasion, Claire would have decorative flower arrangements throughout the home, fashioned from materials culled from her own garden, including simple, yet elegant, ikebana creations.

Claire loved her garden and wasn’t afraid of getting her hands dirty. She loved, more than most things, entertaining her grandchildren there. For the grandchildren, the garden had a fairy-tale quality. With odd sculptures and figurines nestled throughout, the aroma of blossoming gardenia, jasmine, lavender and plumeria often in the air, it was a special place for her to share with them, to teach them an appreciation of nature and beauty. It even had a secret door to enhance the mystery! There was always a bluebird to feed, or a flower to plant, a weed to pull or a game to be played.

Later in life, Claire and Jerry found time to travel the world. Together, and with friends, they often traveled on tours sponsored by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. They visited and revisited India, Africa, many European countries, and Japan. Claire and Jerry even visited Cuba on a special visa, and brought supplies to Cuban artists.

Claire will be remembered by her many friends and family as a woman of great poise, humor, beauty, style and grace. She was a singular force in the lives of all whom she touched, the go-to matriarch if you had to share sorrows or joys. She was a ubiquitous presence in her children’s and grandchildren’s lives. The love of Jerry’s life, his partner, his best friend, his fellow adventurer on this grand stage, she was unique in how deeply she loved, and how deeply she was loved. We will miss her.

Claire was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Cy, and her sisters, Marge & Betty. She is survived by her husband, Jerry, her children, Colleen, Julia, and Jay, son in laws Will and Stephen, her grandchildren, Nicole, Ryan, Noah, and James, Nicole’s husband Rachon, Ryan’s wife Lyndsay, and her four great-granddaughters, Cecily(CeCe), Avery, Salina(Lina), and Charlotte Claire.

There will be a celebration of Claire’s life on Saturday, March 4th, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Valley Club of Montecito, 1901 Valley Club Rd, Montecito, CA 93108.

failed and they have shown no interest in fixing this issue,” Rep. Ciscomani said.

“We’re not here talking about immigration reform, we’re here talking about border security. These are two different issues and we need to deal with them separately,” he later added.

Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon, Jen Kiggans of Virginia, and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin were also in attendance. Congressional Republicans have more visits to the border planned, including a House Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for Thursday in Yuma.

RICHARDS, Gerald Bernard, Jr.

Jerry passed away unexpectedly and peacefully on January 6, 2023, at his mother’s side. Jerry was born on May 6, 1984, at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara.

Jerry graduated from Dos Pueblos H.S., continued his education at San Diego State, and graduated from Cal State Northridge. Jerry’s career was working as a problem solver, as a real estate assistant, and later at Jordano’s in Goleta. There wasn’t a technical or computer problem that Jerry couldn’t handle.

Jerry was kind, funny, handsome, and intelligent.

He was predeceased by his dad, Gerald B. Richards, Sr. Jerry is survived by his mother, Patti Richards, his three sisters, and additional family members, and his friends who loved him dearly and will surely miss him.

A celebration of life will be held at Emanuel Lutheran Church, 3721 Modoc Rd., Santa Barbara, CA 93105, on Thursday, February 23, 2023, at 11:00am.

HARRIGAN, Barbara

May 15, 1927 - February 10, 2023

Barbara Harrigan passed away peacefully at the Casa Dorinda in Montecito, CA on Friday.

Born in Milwaukee, WI, she was the daughter of Benjamin and Dora Heald. While attending the University of Wisconsin, she met her future husband John Harrigan.

After marrying in 1950 they set out for a new life in the Pacific Northwest. She and John raised their family in Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, and Los Angeles, CA. As John worked his way up the ranks of the banking business, Barbara was always by his side. A past member of the Los Angeles Country Club and the Valley Club of Montecito, Barbara was an avid golfer and bridge player. After retiring to Santa Barbara, she volunteered locally and was a member of the Little Town Club. Her status as a respected member of her community concealed her more adventurous side, which included both a feigned pregnancy to secure lodging on her honeymoon in Yellowstone, and an earlier attempt to run away with childhood friends to Chicago that both began and ended at the Milwaukee train station.

Barbara was preceded in death by her husband, John, in 2017 and is survived by her daughter, Sarah (Sally) Gruber, son, Peter Harrigan, and grandchildren, Shaun, Quinn and Colin Gruber, Erin McClintock, and Ainsleigh and Audrey Harrigan. The family wishes to thank the Casa Dorinda and the private caregivers who provided Barbara with loving support the last few years. While her release from the dementia that clouded her last years is indeed a blessing, she will be greatly missed.

Arrangements entrusted to McDermott-Crockett Mortuary

AXTELL, James Creighton “Jim”

103 years old, Solvang California

4/15/1919 - 1/10/2023

Jim had a remarkably long and blessed life. He was born in Omaha Nebraska to Cleone and George Axtell. He was an only child, mostly raised by his mother and grandmother in Kansas City, Kansas and St. Joseph Missouri. He thoroughly enjoyed living near the woods and his time in the Boy Scouts. Jim, always industrious, at age 8 began selling and delivering magazines such as the “Saturday Evening Post.” His interest in publication sales and distribution led him to develop the largest newspaper route in Kansas City by age 18. He also participated in ROTC during his high school years.

After moving to California in 1940, Jim met Phyllis Graham while they were both working at Lockheed Aircraft Plant in Burbank. They were married in 1943. Jim and Phyllis celebrated their 79th wedding anniversary May 26 of 2022.

Jim worked at Lockheed Skunk Works on the United States’ first jet fighter, the XP-80.

The program was classified and important to the war effort so his draft to the military was deferred until Japan surrendered. He was then drafted into the Army Air Force to be part of the occupation effort in post-war Japan.

Both Jim and Phyllis returned to employment at Lockheed after the war. With the help of many friends, they built their own home in Northridge, CA. Their family was complete with the addition of son, James Robert in 1954 and daughter, Nellana Colleen in 1956.

A job opportunity with Lockheed at Vandenberg Air Force Base brought the family to Solvang in 1958 and they built a new home in Janin Acres in 1960. Jim was a chairman of Solvang’s Boy Scout Troop 46 while son Jim was in scouting.

After retiring from Lockheed, Jim worked at Ajax Co. in Santa Barbara, Aero Spacelines in Goleta, Martin Marietta at VAFB, and Santa Barbara County Schools at various locations throughout the county. Jim valued education for himself and his family and he completed his master’s degree in education in 1977 at the age of 58.

Jim was active in his community and church throughout his time in the SY Valley. He served as the Superintendent of Sunday School at the SYV Presbyterian Church for several years. He was active in the Solvang chapter of the Mason’s and the Flat Fenders Jeep Club. He served two terms on the SYV High School Board of Trustees. In 2018, Jim and Phyllis served as Grand Marshalls in the Solvang Fourth of July Parade. Jim was active at the Solvang Senior Center, and the “Men’s Group” in his later years. He supported many causes throughout the valley including the SYV Humane Society and the Solvang Library.

Jim made the best of his retirement years, traveling to many destinations and different countries with Phyllis. He spent countless hours in his shop building various projects and gifts for his family and tinkering with cars. As a member of the Flat Fenders Jeep Club, he frequently drove his 1944 army jeep in local parades and events. Jim was an avid walker for most of his life and was well known in Janin Acres for his daily treks with his faithful black lab, Luke.

Jim is survived by his wife, Phyllis and their two children, Jim Axtell and wife, Lynn (Parks) Axtell of Goleta, and Nell (Axtell) Lobdell and husband, Richard Lobdell of Las Vegas, five grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

The family would like to thank the staff of Atterdag for their kind and compassionate care during Jim’s last year.

A memorial service is planned for March 18, 2023 at the Presbyterian Church at 1:00 p.m. in Ballard. There will be a casual reception to follow at the church.

Obituary notices are published daily in the Santa Barbara News-Press and also appear on our website www.newspress.com. To place an obituary, please email the text and photo(s) to obits@newspress.com or fax text only (no photos) to (805) 966-1421. Please include your name, address, contact phone number and the date(s) you would like the obituary to be published. Photos should be in jpeg format with at least 200 dpi. If a digital photo is not available, a picture may be brought into our office for scanning. We will lay out the obituary using our standard format. A formatted proof of the obituary and the cost will be emailed back for review and approval. The minimum obituary cost to print one time is $150.00 for up to 1.5” in length – includes 1 photo and up to 12 lines of text, approximately 630 characters; up to approximately 930 characters without a photo. Add $60.00 for each additional inch or partial inch after the first 1.5”; up to approximately 700 characters per additional inch. All Obituaries must be reviewed, approved, and prepaid by deadline. We accept all major credit cards by phone. Check or cash payments may be brought into our office located at 715 Anacapa Street.

*Early Deadline for Presidents’ Day: Obituaries publishing Sat, Feb. 18 thru Wed, Feb. 22, deadline is Thurs, Feb. 16 at 10am. The usual deadlines for Weekend and Mon editions are on Thur at 10am; for Tues’s edition it’s 10am on Fri; for Wed’s edition it’s 10am on Mon; for Thur’s edition it’s 10am on Tues; for Fri’s edition it’s 10am on Wed (Pacific Time). Free Death Notices must be directly emailed by the mortuary to our newsroom at news@newspress.com. The News-Press cannot accept Death Notices from individuals.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

The delegation of freshmen congressmen met with Customs and Border Protection to discuss the crisis and then spoke with reporters about the new Republican House majority’s plans to tackle the issue.

sports@newspress.com

Westmont men’s basketball heads to postseason with win over Menlo

By JACOB NORLING

WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Westmont Men’s Basketball (16-10, 9-8) is officially headed to the postseason after defeating the Menlo Oaks (16-11, 7-10) on Thursday night by a score of 88-77. Heading into tonight, Westmont was one game ahead of the Oaks for the sixth and final spot in the GSAC Tournament.

With tonight’s win, the Warriors have secured the conference’s final bid, and are now penciled in to compete for the GSAC Tournament Championship next weekend in Fullerton.

“We’re playing the best basketball we’ve played all year,” said Westmont head coach Landon Boucher. “It’s exciting. At the end of the season, that’s what everybody wants to be able to say.”

The Warriors were led by the heroic efforts of Anthony McIntyre and Tone Patton Sr., who each scored 24 and 18 points, respectively. McIntyre hit a handful of back-breaking shots down the stretch, and also grabbed a pair of steals and four rebounds.

“Back at Menlo, their big men really controlled the paint defensively,” noted Boucher. “Tonight, Tone pulled them out early, and was able to hit a couple three’s. He gave us an offensive surge early.

“In Anthony’s case, he was frustrated at halftime. He really rallied himself, and in the end, he put together one of the most special second halves that he’s had all year.”

The Warriors also received clutch play off the bench from Kyler Warren, Zeke Viuhkola, and Cly Griffith Jr. who contributed with eight, seven, and seven points each. Combined, the trio off the bench converted eight of 13 field goal attempts.

“I’m so proud of Kyler,” began

Boucher, “The way our team is built, it can be anybody’s night, and tonight, it was Kyler’s night. For Cly, a couple months ago he was spotty off the bench, and now, he’s been a huge surge of energy off the bench.

“Zeke has done a great job of just continuing to improve throughout the year. If Zeke is out there, he will find ways to help us win.

“When we have our bench come in and make plays, it gets everyone excited and it almost feels like a basket is worth more than two points.”

Elsewhere, Cade Roth added in 11 points, and Amir Davis added nine points to go along with a team-high nine rebounds.

It took until the final minutes of action for the Warriors to pull away, as the Oaks fought hard to keep their season alive. In the first half, the Oaks had their biggest momentum swing of the game when they turned a four-point deficit into a five-point lead with 9:36 to play.

Following the nine-point swing Boucher called a timeout, and out of the timeout, the Warriors threw down three transition dunks in less than a minute, reclaiming the lead and showcasing the tenacity that has turned their season around.

Menlo briefly re-took the lead with 16:31 remaining in the second half, but less than a minute later Davis put Westmont back up with a layup to make it a 45-43 game. From that point on, the Oaks never again led in the contest.

Westmont led by as many as 10 in the middle of the second half, but as the clock winded down and multiple Warriors got into foul trouble, the Oaks found themselves back in the game down six. Then, with 1:48 remaining, McIntyre drilled one of his teamhigh four 3-pointers, putting

Westmont back up nine with the finish line in sight.

Following McIntyre’s three the Warriors made six consecutive free throws, putting the game on ice as the clock winded down. After falling to 5-8 in conference play two weeks ago, the Warriors rattled off their fourth win in a row to save their season, earning them the final spot in the GSAC Tournament.

“After losing to San Diego Christian, it felt like an uphill battle,” reflected Boucher. “There was really nothing to say. We prayed, had a break, and we left. Since then, seeing where we are now, it just shows the character and perseverance of our guys.

“These guys have battled through a lot. Dayshone got hurt in our tenth practice, and they rallied from that. We’ve taken some really tough losses in a tough GSAC, but still, we’ve battled.

“Everybody knew the stakes coming into tonight, so we didn’t have to talk about it. We spent more time prepping on Menlo than we have any team all year, because we knew what was at stake. There was certain focus and determination from this group all week long.

“Our guys played free, aggressive, and confident during a time where there was a lot of pressure. I am really proud of this team for what they’ve done to get to this point.”

Westmont concludes the regular season on Saturday afternoon, when they host Jessup at 2:00 p.m. Ahead of tip-off, Westmont will honor their four seniors, Cade Roth, Cly Griffith Jr., Tone Patton Sr. and Kyler Warren.

Jacob Norling is the sports information assistant at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com

Westmont women’s basketball team clinches a share of GSAC title

By RON SMITH WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

With a 66-57 victory over the Oaks of Menlo (18-8, 12-5) on Thursday evening, #5 Westmont Women’s Basketball (22-2, 15-2), secured at least a share of the Golden State Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship and a bye in the quarterfinals of next week’s GSAC Tournament.

Coming into the game, Menlo, who had lost just one game since the middle of December, was looking to hand Westmont its third loss of the season. The Warriors, however, were intent on avenging last month’s loss to the Oaks when the two teams met in Atherton.

The Warriors had a strong start, outscoring the Oaks 20-6 in the first quarter of play. Six different Warriors contributed to the scoring in the opening frame with Stefanie Berberabe leading the way with six points and Sydney Brown adding four.

“I thought we started the game with a focused defensive effort that set the tone for the whole game.” said Westmont’s veteran head coach Kirsten Moore. “Menlo plays aggressive defense and it is part of their game plan to not allow us open looks. We had to adjust and take what they gave us. We did a good job of seeing some of those opportunities.”

Menlo shooters found their range in the second quarter as the Oaks shot 50% from the floor (7 of 14) and outscored the Warriors 15-12. Laila Saenz, who did not score in the first quarter, led the Warriors in the second period with five points.

Westmont entered the second half with a 32-21 advantage. However, that lead evaporated over the first eight minutes of the third quarter in which they were outscored 15-2.

“Menlo is an incredibly talented offensive team,” noted Moore. “Obviously, they made a huge run, came back and even took the lead on us.”

With her team down by two with 2:16 to play in the penultimate period, Moore called a timeout.

“I told the team that it was gut-check time and time for us to go on a run,” reported Moore. “We had to make some stops on the defensive end to make it happen. We changed defenses at that point and created a number of turnovers and deflections. The press and our scrappiness came through at that point.”

A minute after the timeout, Menlo added a free throw to go up 37-34. In the final 65 seconds of the third quarter, however, Westmont took control of the game and produced an 11-0 run.

Saenz drilled a long-distance three to start the run, was fouled on the play, and converted the and-one free throw to give Westmont a 38-37 lead. Sage Kramer followed with a layup on the Warriors’ next possession. Then, Berberabe stole the ball and scored on a layup. Before the horn could sound at the end of the third quarter, Kramer hit from beyond the arc, putting the Warriors ahead 45-37.

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Saturday afternoon, the Warriors will conclude the regular season by hosting Jessup (14-12, 98) at Murchison Gymnasium. With a win, Westmont can claim the GSAC Regular Season Championship outright.

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors picked up where they left off. Berberabe and Brown hit jumpers before Saenz drained two free throws to extend the run to 17-0 and give Westmont a 14-point lead (51-37).

“I am really proud of that gut-check by my team in that moment to come back and go on our own run,” expressed Moore. “It showed a lot of fortitude. I am proud of Syd and Stef for their leadership and experience in those moments. They gave us that fight and led us through. Though the Oaks would find their shooting touch again, they were unable to cut the deficit to less than seven.

Berberabe finished the game with 21 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Saenz added 13 points for the Warriors while Kramer tallied 10 points.

Brown put up nine points while pulling down 17 rebounds. With 789 career boards, the senior moved into third place on the career rebound list.

“Syd’s rebounds tonight were incredible,” pointed out Moore. “They have a lot of long and athletic post players that we had to battle with on the board.

“So many people stepped up for us. Our bench was incredible tonight. Paula Graichen’s minutes were amazing. Both Sage and Bailey Fong scored the ball and made big buckets in big moments. Sage was an important part of that run. It was a total team effort tonight with Stef controlling the pace. She showed why she is one of the best, if not the best, guard in the country tonight.”

Saturday afternoon, the Warriors will conclude the regular season by hosting Jessup (14-12, 9-8) at Murchison Gymnasium. With a win, Westmont can claim the GSAC Regular Season Championship outright, earn the top seed in the GSAC Tournament, and secure an automatic berth in next month’s NAIA National Championship.

“I want to see us finish out strong here on Senior Day on Saturday,” said Moore. “It is important heading into the postseason to be playing well and to finish conference strong.”

Ron Smith is the sports information director at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com

Aces and eights

SBCC baseball’s Villar tosses two-hit shutout; 8-0 win gives team 8-0 record

By MICHAEL JORGENSON SBCC SPORTS WRITER

The SBCC baseball team continued its excellent start to the season on Tuesday, earning its first shutout of the year 8-0 against Cerro Coso at Pershing Park to improve to 8-0.

The Vaqueros held the Coyotes (6-5) to just three hits, defeating them for the second time in three days. Pitcher Jake Villar (2-0) got the win, throwing eight strikeouts and giving up just two hits and a walk in seven innings of work.

After defeating Cerro Coso by just one run the previous Saturday, Santa Barbara got to work quickly with a huge first inning that essentially put

the game away. The first three Vaquero batters had their second at bat before the end of the first, with the first nine all making it on base.

Second baseman Daniel Hirose led off with a walk and left fielder Patrick Walsh later singled for the first RBI of the day. Catcher Marcus Weinzimer doubled the lead with a fielder’s choice RBI and center fielder Carson Cahoy made it 4-0 on a double that brought Weinzimer and Walsh home.

Third baseman Daniel Ghiorso added an RBI single as well and Hirose made his way back to the plate for a sac fly that brought in Sebastian Arguelles for the sixth and final run of the opening inning.

SBCC’s offense was kept quiet over the next three innings, but put on the final offensive touches with two more runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth. Hirose tallied his second RBI of the game on a sac fly as Cahoy scored. With two outs and the bases loaded,, Arguelles made it home again on a wild pitch. Out to their best start since opening the 2014 season at 10-0, the Vaqueros will look to extend their win streak when they face Chaffey on Friday at 2:00 p.m. at Pershing Park.

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

Vaqueros finish second again, claim another medal at WSC #2

By MICHAEL JORGENSON SBCC SPORTS WRITER

The Vaqueros finished with a team score of 385, just seven strokes behind first place Canyons (378) and 13 ahead of third place Citrus (398).

Sophomore Ryan Gay had the best day of any Vaquero, carding a 74 to tie for third overall. It was the second straight competition that SBCC medaled, following Caleb Rodriguez and Murphy Scott’s third place finishes in WSC #1 at Canyons last Monday.

Rodriguez had another good outing, tying for sixth

overall shooting a 76. He tied freshman Jacob Aaron for the second-best score on the team. Vito Riccabona recorded Santa Barbara’s fourthbest score with a 79. Scott (80) and Finn Judge (84) rounded out SBCC’s lineup.

The Vaqueros will continue their season hosting WSC #3 next Monday, Feb. 20 at Alisal Ranch Golf Course.

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

SPORTS ROUNDUP San Marcos wins season opener in girls lacrosse

The Royals led 11-3 at halftime in a non-league game with Hart High School of Newhall and then won 16-6 to get the success in their season opener at Warkentin Stadium. San Marcos Senior KC Springer enjoyed a personal best offensive game with 8 goals and 3 assists for 11 points. The Royals were able to clear the bench early with all twenty dressed players getting on the action. San Marcos outshot Hart 31 to 13.

San Marcos scored first when Springer assisted junior Mia Maritinez-Tomatis 2:33 into the game. Hart responded to tie it 1-1, but that was as close as they could get. KC Springer next assisted sister Jaymi Springer to put San Marcos up 2-1 and then the Royals reeled off six straight goals to take a 8-1 lead with 10:57 left in the half. By that time, San Marcos head coach Paul Ramsey had already started getting creative with the line-up.

“I’m really proud of the girls for competing so well in the first half and going on that run,” said Ramsey after the game. “They were connecting with each other and communicating so it became easy to go deep a few players at a time like we did.”

“I feel like we have more than twelve starters,” concluded Ramsey.

For the San Marcos offense, it didn’t matter who was in around KC Springer. The attacker shared the ball with everyone and got it back from them at the right time. Numbers were high for Springer, but six Royals contributed to the scoring. San Marcos junior goalie Megan Taylor had seven saves.

The Royals improve to 1-0 while Hart dropped to 0-2. San Marcos plays host again when Simi Valley comes to town. San Marcos upset the Pioneers last year in an 11-6 win to get their first win over Simi Valley in the history of the series between the two schools. The Pioneers look to be high octane on offense with a 24-0 win over Corona on Wednesday.

- San Marcos High School DP baseball falls to Thousand Oaks

The Dos Pueblos High baseball team lost a close game to Thousand Oaks on Thursday, getting edged out 2-1 in game three of the Easton Tournament.

Kyle Spink led Dos Pueblos’ efforts on the mound in the pitching duel, allowing one run over four innings while striking out two. Joe Talarico and Kevin Wirtz pitched in relief, each also adding a pair of Ks. Offensively, Talarico doubled

ever offensive game on Thursday, scoring eight goals and recording three assists for a total of 11 points.

and scored the teams only run, while Jesse Di Maggio and Xander Hadja each singled.

Dos Pueblos falls to 0-3 with the loss.

- Matt Smolensky

SB baseball edged by Westlake

The Santa Barbara High baseball team lost a tight game against Westlake on Thursday, falling by a score of 3-2.

Santa Barbara’s scoring took place early in the game, with the first run coming when Michael Firestone singled in Dane Dawson in the first inning and the second coming on an RBI ground ball by Cal Wipf that plated Kai Mault.

Eric Anthony started the game on the mound for the Dons, allowing three runs on five hits over six innings while striking out seven and walking one.

“Eric pitched well enough to get the win,” said Santa Barbara Coach Steve Schuck. “The offense did not give him much support. We have to do a better job of putting the ball in play. We are chasing pitches out of the zone and taking strikes … We need to be more aggressive in the zone and lay off pitches that we can’t hit hard.”

Firestone led the offensive effort, going 2-3 and stealing four bases.

- Matt Smolensky

SM softball crushes Lompoc

The San Marcos softball team defeated Lompoc on Thursday, winning by a lopsided score of 145. All those runs were scored in

only five innings, as the game was called due to darkness.

San Marcos scored nine runs in the first two innings of the contest, establishing a lead that would not be challenged throughout the game.

Leading the offense for San Marcos was Emma Foster, went 3-3 with two walks out of the leadoff spot, stealing two bases and scoring four runs. Tiana Monaghan contributed two doubles and three RBIs while Kayla Aguilar and Caitlyn Early each added two hits of their own. Kamilah Morales and Cindy Villa also doubled in the contest. Kate Guerra went the distance on the mound for San Marcos, allowing seven hits and two walks while striking out six over five innings.

“The girls played impeccable defense today, backing Kate up with all the routine plays and a stellar one by Emma (Foster),” said San Marcos Coach Jeff Swann. “I was especially proud of how we hit the different pitching speeds that Lompoc brought. The team has been working hard on being disciplined at the plate for fast, medium and slow speeds and it paid off today.”

San Marcos will next take the field on Tuesday when they host Pacifica.

- Matt Smolensky

Bishop Diego softball blows out Valley Christian Academy

Bishop Diego had both the bats and the pitching working Please see

MIKE BOUFFARD PHOTO

KC Springer played her best

on Thursday, defeating Valley Christian Academy 10-0 in a sixinning game.

Madeline Ferries took the mound for Bishop Diego, tossing a one-hit shutout, striking out four without allowing a free pass.

The scoring started in the first inning, when Chelsea Hayes tripled in two runs. The runs kept coming in for Bishop Diego, culminating in a big sixth inning in which the Cardinals scored three to win by run rule.

Lauren Weeks, Hayes and Tessa Johansen all drove in runs in the sixth.

Tara Gregson led Bishop Diego with a 2-4 performance at the plate.

- Matt Smolensky

Dos Pueblos softball falls to Lompoc

The Dos Pueblos High softball team lost to Lompoc on Thursday, falling by a score of 8-5.

The game started off in promising fashion for Dos Pueblos, with Bella Nuno hitting a first-inning home run to put the team up by one.

Lompoc claimed the lead in the following inning following a pair of defensive miscues, leading to a three-run inning for Lompoc. The game was tied up in the third inning on Dos Pueblos’ second home run of the game, this time a two-run blast by Riley Monroe.

A walk and three singles in the fifth allowed Lompoc to reclaim the lead, but it wouldn’t last long, as the game was again tied in the bottom of the inning on a hit by Kacey Hurley.

Lompoc took their final lead in the seventh, again scoring following a series of errors by Dos Pueblos.

“It is not the outcome we wanted, but I’m happy with the effort,” said Dos Pueblos Coach Mike Gerken. “It’s great to see our seniors Bella (Nuno) and Riley (Monroe) come through so early in the season and we got great contributions from freshmen Kacey Hurley and

Anastasia Brunner, as well. We need to work on a lot defensively, but especially not allowing the lead-off runner to get on. We made it tough on our pitcher Georgia Wilson who only gave up two earned runs on the day. We’ve got a lot of senior leadership so I’m confident we’ll clean it up.”

- Matt Smolensky

Bishop Diego girls basketball wins over Godinez

The Bishop Diego girls basketball team defeated Godinez on Wednesday, winning by a score of 37-33.

Bishop Diego led 17-13 at the half, largely due to a trio of three-pointers by Jiali Coronado. The third quarter saw an aggressive Godinez take a brief lead, but Bishop Diego rallied to finish the quarter with a one-point lead. Bishop Diego again briefly fell behind by one on the fourth quarter, but ultimately outscored Godinez 8-5 in the quarter to claim the victory.

Bishop Diego Coach Jeff Burich singled out the defensive play of Siena Urzua as being key to the victory. Urzua came away with ten rebounds to go along with seven points.

Bishop Diego will carry a 23-3 record into today’s game against Notre Dame Academy.

- Matt Smolensky

Dos Pueblos victorious over Arroyo Grande in beach volleyball

The Dos Pueblos High beach volleyball team dominated Arroyo Grande on Wednesday, winning all five matches.

Chloe Hoffman and Lucy Speier won 21-16, 21-9; Malia Brofferio and Jayden Jones won 21-18, 21-13; Makeila Cervantes and Maddy Jones won 21-14, 21-18; Addison Low and Sonia Mancuso won 21-10, 21-14; and Layla McQuiggan and Ella Benson won 21-11, 21-7.

- Matt Smolensky

Some say putting AG’s wife on subcommittee is a mistake

SC ruTI n Y

Continued from Page A2 judgment, as she has been since starting her service in the Assembly,” Mr. Rendon’s statement said, according to KCRA. “The Legislature has a robust and transparent budget process, designed with checks and balances to ensure the best possible budget is passed. Our final Assembly budget proposal must be identical to the Senate and will be approved or vetoed by the governor. Additionally, we can’t set salaries or benefits for state constitutional officers, so no elected official can ever personally or financially benefit from our budget process.”

Ms. Bonta also claimed there is no conflict of interest. She said she would use the position to represent her constituents’ best interests rather than her husband.

“My district is home to the City of Oakland, where gun violence disproportionately ravages communities of color. I have made promoting public safety and reducing recidivism legislative priorities of mine, as these issues are critically important to my constituents,” she said in a statement.

“The suggestion of a conflict of interest shows a lack of understanding about the legislative process,” she added. “My focus is on continuing to fight for safe communities with an unbiased lens and unwavering commitment my constituents expect, and I look forward to taking on this work with my colleagues in the Assembly, State Senate, and Governor’s administration.”

However, not everyone agrees with the assessments from Mr. Rendon and Ms. Bonta.

The Los Angeles Times editorial board said that putting

the Attorney’s General wife on the subcommittee overseeing his department’s budget is a mistake.

“The right response would have been an immediate mea culpa from those involved in the selection and a promise to remedy the apparent conflict of interest before the subcommittee’s first meeting in March,” the editorial board wrote.

“After all, the public’s faith in government has been waning for years, and there’s no point in exacerbating the mistrust, even if the appointment is perfectly legal,” it added. “There are 79 other Assembly members, none of whom are married to the state’s attorney general, who could reasonably serve as a replacement.”

Additionally, Bob Stern, former general counsel of the Fair Political Practices Commission, told KCRA that even though the move is legal, it is not a good idea.

“They’re not violating any laws, I want to make it really clear, none of this is illegal,” Mr. Stern said. “But it seems to me they have a tin ear about ethics. Particularly as attorney general, he should have the highest ethical standards of any government official, they should be setting an example for everybody else.”

The subcommittee’s first hearing this year will happen on February 27. It will meet to discuss the state’s Department of Justice on March 27.

The subcommittee’s first hearing this year will happen on February 27.

Life theArts

Los Angelesbased Mexican folk ballet troupe to perform locally-B2

CALENDAR

‘World of Pinot Noir’

Wine aficionados to gather at Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Goleta

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Featuring the wines of more than 200 premier pinot noir producers from around the globe, “The World of Pinot Noir” is returning March 2-4 to the RitzCarlton Bacara.

This year’s event in Goleta will include two Grand Tastings and an array of seminars, parties and wine-pairing dinners from the world’s most innovative chefs.

Guests will have the opportunity to meet winemakers, learn more about pinot noir and taste thousands of

wines from Argentina, Australia, Burgundy, Chile, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa Valley, New Zealand, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Santa Maria, Sonoma, Willamette Valley and more.

Special events include Grand Tastings from 3:30 to 6 p.m. March 3 and 4 in the Ritz-Carlton Bacara’s Grand Ballroom, where guests can chat with winemakers, compare regional characteristics and find new favorites. They will also be able to bid on virtual silent auction lots, check the bidding from the apps on their phones and nibble on fresh, local and seasonal wine country bites from the Ritz-Carlton Bacara

culinary team. The Brewer-Clifton and Giant Steps Tasting will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. March 3. Wine Enthusiast’s Winemaker of the Year Greg Brewer of BrewerClifton and Wine & Spirits’ Top 100 Winery Giant Steps will explore the parallels between Sta. Rita Hills in California and the Yarra Valley in southern Australia. Wineries in both areas produce highly acclaimed, cool-climate pinot noir from half a globe apart. Led by Ray Isle, executive wine editor of Food & Wine magazine, guests will taste single-vineyard wines from the 2020 vintage from each winery, side-by-side, along with their

just-released 2021 vintage of their appellation-specific wines. An all-star array of pinot noirs from the Willamette Valley, Russian River, Sonoma Coast, Monterey and Santa Rita Hills — all in one dynamic nosh-around tasting — will be featured at the Pinot Party Luncheon from noon to 2 p.m. March 4. Included will be rosé tasting, oyster shucking, vino and vinyl, spinning a record and lounging in oversized bean bag chairs while sipping on the new favorite pinot noir, taking part in the Pinot and Play station, snapping pictures in the photo booth and eating Santa Maria-style

COURTESY IMAGE

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival concludes with fi lms throughout today. The closing movie, “I Like Movies,” will screen at 8 tonight at the Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St. For more information, see sbiff.org.

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

TODAY

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Entangled: Responding to Environmental Crisis,” runs through March 25 at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. The museum is open from 10 a.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. It’s closed on Sundays and college holidays. For more information, call 805-565-6162 or visit westmont.edu/museum.

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

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Coast artist and London native Annie Hoffman’s exhibit “Seeing Ourselves in Colour” will be displayed through Feb. 28 at Gallery Los Olivos, 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. For more information, visit anniehoffmann. com.

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.

Noon to 5 p.m. “Clarence Mattei: Portrait of a Community” is on view now through May at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, which is located in downtown Santa Barbara at 136 E. De la Guerra St. Admission is free. Hours are currently from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and from noon to 7 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, visit www.sbhistorical. org.

2:30 p.m. A free 90-minute macrame workshop will take place at the Santa Maria Library’s Learning Loft, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria. For more information, call the library’s information desk at 805925-0994.

3 and 7 p.m. The Alcazar Theatre and Ensemble will perform “Now and Then.” “Now and Then” is a romantic drama/comedy about love, following your dreams and the costs of personal decisions. Tickets cost $20 for general admission and $15 for seniors and students. To purchase, go to www.thealcazar.org.

7 p.m. “The River Bride” will be presented by PCPA (Pacific Conservatory Theatre) in Santa Maria. The play is being performed at the Severson Theatre at Allan Hancock College, 870 S. Bradley Road. Tickets are $49. To purchase, visit www.pcpa.org or call the box office at 805-922-8313.

7 to 9 p.m. The Nicole Lvoff Jazz Trio will perform at Crush Bar & Tap, 1129 A State St., Santa Barbara. There’s no cover. For more information, go to crushbarsb.com.

7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform at The Granada, 1214 State St. Performers include Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist Ted Nash, the Josh Nelson Trio and the symphony’s principal pianist, Natasha Kislenko. The works are the world premiere of Mr. Nash’s extensive orchestrations of “Transformation for Symphony Orchestra and Narrator,” Ravel’s “Bolero,” Richard Strauss’ “Death

Please see CALENDAR on B2

Managing Editor Dave Mason dmason@newspress.com

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2023

At left, “The World of Pinot Noir” will feature wine tastings and more in early March at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Goleta. At right, Beaune de Chateau has been featured at “The World of Pinot Noir.” This year’s event will feature the wines of more than 200 premier pinot noir producers.

COURTESY PHOTOS

The Ritz-Carlton Bacara’s Grand Ballroom will again serve as the site for Grand Tastings during “The World of Pinot Noir.”

Los Angeles-based folk ballet troupe Grandeza Mexicana to perform

By DAVE MASON

NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! will present Grandeza Mexicana, an award-winning Los Angeles folk ballet company, in free concerts in March.

Performances are set for:

• 7 p.m. March 17 at Isla Vista Elementary School, 6875 El Colegio Road, Isla Vista.

• 7 p.m. March 18 at Guadalupe City Hall, 918

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barbecued sliders and woodfired pizzas prepared by a pizzatossing chef and exploring the beautiful pinnacle mountains in a virtual reality booth while discovering Chalone Estate.

All food will be curated and prepared by the Ritz Carlton Bacara culinary team with wines by Chalk Hill Estate, Chalone, The Four Graces, Lincourt, Foley Estates, Banshee, and El Pino Club.

Michael Accurso, winemaker for EnRoute Winery, the celebrated Russian River Pinot Noir label from Napa’s iconic Far Niente Wine Estates, will attend “World of Pinot Noir” on March 3 to speak about his

Obispo St., Guadalupe.

• 7 p.m. at The Marjorie Luke Theatre at Santa Barbara Junior High School, 721 E, Cota St., Santa Barbara.

Grandeza Mexicana is a nonprofit performing arts organization founded by Jose Vences in September 2003. The company was formed to advance the field of Mexican folk ballet and to enhance the public’s appreciation for the diversity and depth of

experience working in the cellars and vineyards throughout Napa, Sonoma and the Anderson Valleys, in addition to working with pinot noir in a variety of different regions, domestically and abroad.

Mexican culture. Grandeza Mexicana has performed at The Music Center for the Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration, the Terrace Theater, the Center for the Arts in Sacramento, the Ford Theater, the Alex Theatre, the Skirball Cultural Center and the Scottsdale Center For The Performing Arts. The ensemble has also performed with acclaimed artists such as Jose Feliciano, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan, Mariachi Sol De

FYI

For more information about all the events and ticket prices at “The World of Pinot Noir ‘’ from March 2 through 4 at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, 8301 Hollister Ave., Goleta, visit worldofpinotnoir.com.

On March 3, he will host an intimate dinner focused on EnRoute’s single vineyard offerings.

Born and raised in the Napa Valley, Mr. Accurso has a passion for wine that came naturally as he obtained his bachelor’s degree in agricultural business with a

minor in viticulture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He spent four years at Goldeneye Winery, first as the assistant winemaker before rising to the winemaker title. His experience working with pinot noir in the Anderson Valley to Paso Robles and even Argentina informs his skill for making the EnRoute pinot noirs in the Russian River Valley today.

Mr. Accurso holds the role of director of winemaking for Far Niente’s emerging brands, Bella Union, Post & Beam and

Mexico, Luis Miguel, Shaila Durcal and Lila Downs.

¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! is a collaboration among UCSB Arts & Lectures, The Marjorie Luke Theatre, the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, and the Isla Vista School Parent Teacher Association serving Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Lompoc, Santa Maria, Guadalupe and New Cuyama.

— Dave Mason

EnRoute, where he oversees wine quality and production. The World of Pinot Noir, a nonprofit trade organization, was established in 2001 by a small, dedicated group of winemakers from California’s Central Coast. The group’s mission is to bring together the world’s foremost pinot noir producers and in a gorgeous setting, celebrate the delicious wine grape. Wineries, potential sponsors and wine enthusiasts interested in learning more can visit worldofpinotnoir.com or contact info@wopn.com. Follow and tag them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. #wopn #wopn2023.

email: mmcmahon@newspress. com

is taking a break this weekend. His column will resume next Saturday.

John Sayles to discuss novel set in the 18th century

SANTA BARBARA — Oscarnominated filmmaker John Sayles will discuss his new novel, “Jamie MacGillivray: The Renegade’s Journey,” at 6 p.m. March 3 at Chaucer’s, 3321 State St. The novel spans 13 years, two continents, several wars and many bloody and smoke-filled battlefields.

“Jamie MacGillivray” begins in the highlands of Scotland in 1746, at the Battle of Culloden, the last desperate stand of the Stuart “pretender” to the throne of the Three Kingdoms, Bonnie Prince Charlie, and his rabidly loyal supporters.

Vanquished with his comrades by the forces of the Hanoverian (and Protestant) British crown, Jamie MacGillivray narrowly escapes a roadside execution only to be recaptured by the victors and shipped to Marshalsea Prison (central to Charles Dickens’s “Hard Times”) where he cheats the hangman a second time before

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and Transfiguration” and Ernest Von Dohnanyi’s Variations on a Nursery Song, Opus 25. Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

8 p.m. Ensemble Theatre Company will perform “Selling Kabul” at the New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara, Tickets cost $40 to $84. To purchase, go to etcsb.org or call 805965-5400.

FEB. 19

being sentenced to transportation and indentured servitude in colonial America “for the term of his natural life.” His travels are paralleled by those of Jenny Ferguson, a poor, village girl swept up on false charges by the English and also sent in chains to the New World.

The novel follows Jamie and Jenny through servitude, revolt, escape, and romantic entanglements. The two cross paths with each other and meet leading figures of the era, including future novelist Henry Fielding, the artist William Hogarth, and a young and ambitious George Washington.

Mr. Sayles has been nominated for an Oscar for best original screenplay, for “Passion Fish” (1992) and “Lone Star” (1996). He has written seven novels, including “Yellow Earth” (2020) and “A Moment in the Sun” (2011).

— Dave Mason

$30 cash on the day of the show. To purchase or get a dinner reservation, go to www.sohosb.com.

FEB. 21

7 p.m. Singer-songwriter Jack Johnson will perform at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. For more information, go to lobero.org/events/jack-johnson.

FEB. 22

1:30 p.m. “The River Bride” will be presented by PCPA (Pacific Conservatory Theatre) in Santa Maria. The play is being performed at the Severson Theatre at Allan Hancock College, 870 S. Bradley Road. Tickets are $49. To purchase, visit www.pcpa. org or call the box office at 805-9228313.

FEB. 23

HOLLYWOOD REMAKES

BY JEREMY NEWTON / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

2/18/2023

the puzzle, he mumbled a lot. You’ll soon see why. — W.S.

No. 0212 SOLUTION ON B4

1:30 p.m. “The River Bride” will be presented by PCPA (Pacific Conservatory Theatre) in Santa Maria. The play is being performed at the Severson Theatre at Allan Hancock College, 870 S. Bradley Road. Tickets are $49. To purchase, visit www.pcpa. org or call the box office at 805-9228313.

2 p.m. Ensemble Theatre Company will perform “Selling Kabul” at the New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara, Tickets cost $40 to $84. To purchase, go to etcsb.org or call 805965-5400.

3 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform at The Granada, 1214 State St. Performers include Grammywinning jazz saxophonist Ted Nash, the Josh Nelson Trio and the symphony’s principal pianist, Natasha Kislenko. The works are the world premiere of Mr. Nash’s extensive orchestrations of “Transformation for Symphony Orchestra and Narrator,” Ravel’s “Bolero,” Richard Strauss’ “Death and Transfiguration” and Ernest Von Dohnanyi’s Variations on a Nursery Song, Opus 25. Tickets cost $35 to $175.

To purchase, go to granadasb.org. The performance will be preceded with a pre-concert talk featuring Mr. Nash and Nir Kabaretti, the symphony’s music and artistic director, at 2 p.m.

3 p.m. The Alcazar Theatre and Ensemble will perform “Now and Then.” “Now and Then,” a romantic drama/comedy about love, at the theater, 4916 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria. Tickets cost $20 for general admission and $15 for seniors and students. To purchase, go to www. thealcazar.org.

4 p.m. The Takács Quartet will perform an all-Beethoven concert at St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episocpal Church, 2901 Nojoqui Ave., Los Olivos. Tickets cost $20 for general admission.

To purchase, go to smitv.org/syvconcert-series. Tickets for students are free. For more information, contact Linda Burrows at 805-705-0938 or syvconcerts@smitv.org.

7 p.m. Singers Ken Stacy and Claire Khodara will perform at SOhO Restaurant and Music Club, 1221 State St., Suite 205, Santa Barbara. General admission costs $25 in advance and

10 a.m. “The River Bride” will be presented by PCPA (Pacific Conservatory Theatre) in Santa Maria. The play is being performed at the Severson Theatre at Allan Hancock College, 870 S. Bradley Road. Tickets are $49. To purchase, visit www.pcpa. org or call the box office at 805-9228313.

FEB. 24

7 p.m. “The River Bride” will be presented by PCPA (Pacific Conservatory Theatre) in Santa Maria. The play is being performed at the Severson Theatre at Allan Hancock College, 870 S. Bradley Road. Tickets are $49. To purchase, visit www.pcpa. org or call the box office at 805-9228313.

FEB. 25

1:30 and 7 p.m. The River Bride” will be presented by PCPA (Pacific Conservatory Theatre) in Santa Maria. The play is being performed at the Severson Theatre at Allan Hancock College, 870 S. Bradley Road. Tickets are $49. To purchase, visit www.pcpa. org or call the box office at 805-9228313.

FEB. 26

1:30 p.m. The River Bride” will be presented by PCPA (Pacific Conservatory Theatre) in Santa Maria. The play is being performed at the Severson Theatre at Allan Hancock College, 870 S. Bradley Road. Tickets are $49. To purchase, visit www.pcpa.org or call the box office at 805-922-8313.

MARCH 2

7:30 p.m. The Miro Quartet will perform at Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1130 State St., Santa Barbara. Admission is $20 for museum members and $25 for nonmembers.

— Dave Mason

COURTESY PHOTOS

Written by John Sayles, “Jamie MacGillivray: The Renegade’s Journey” begins in 1746 in the highlands of Scotland.

COURTESY PHOTO

Grandeza

Diversions

Thought for Today

“One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is love.” — Sophocles

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Saturday, February 18, 2023

ARIES — Miscommunication with someone far away could lead to bruised egos, heightened emotions, and angry phone calls. Don’t get sucked into a quarrel, Aries. Try to sort out the problem. Changes in your neighborhood could cause trouble getting around, so be prepared for blocked streets and heavy traffic.

TAURUS — Your psychoanalytical talents could be put to work today when misunderstandings come up. Your friends aren’t likely to be thinking clearly and may not respond to reassurances, Taurus. Use your intuition to determine the best way to defuse the situation.

GEMINI — A person you’re attracted to may seem to be interested in someone else. This could bring up your insecurities and jealousy. Don’t make yourself crazy, Gemini. Try to learn the facts before letting the situation get the better of you. Invitations to more than one social event for the same night might force you to make an uncomfortable choice. Make the choice that’s best for you.

CANCER — Someone is keeping secrets from you. We all have private issues we don’t wish to share, Cancer, but this affects you. Your intuition will probably tell you who this person is. Try to get him or her to open up without exerting pressure. Unfinished tasks could be driving you crazy. You may try to run through them quickly, causing too much stress.

LEO — Perhaps you planned to attend a group event but circumstances beyond your control got in the way. Maybe it was canceled. This could cause some disappointment for you and others, Leo. Find something else to do. A project of your own is likely to need some attention, and this challenge could keep you engrossed for hours. Tonight, treat yourself to dinner out.

VIRGO — A visitor who needs a little sympathy could visit you today. Your friend probably wants some advice about some problems. He or she could also bring information involving new scientific or metaphysical studies that you find fascinating. This information could trigger your own insights. Write down your ideas. You will want to remember them.

LIBRA — Some important plans, perhaps for a vacation or

SUDOKU

CODEWORD PUZZLE

involving education in some way, could be temporarily blocked by circumstances beyond your control, Libra. This can cause considerable upset and might even set your temper on edge. You may be tempted to take your frustrations out on others. It would be far more productive to find ways to make your plans work, even if there’s a delay. Go to it.

SCORPIO — A letter or phone call could bring upsetting news about money, Scorpio. Your first reaction may be to blame yourself or someone else, but the circumstances are probably beyond anyone’s control. Chances are good that it can be set right. Before anyone gets too upset, it’s best to investigate and find out what needs to be done.

SAGITTARIUS — Jealousy could rear its ugly head today, Sagittarius. This may involve a romantic relationship. Jealousy is often groundless. If you want to avoid an upset, try a little communicating. This is definitely the time to make the effort to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Strong emotions can work for you under some circumstances.

CAPRICORN — Nervous tension could cause a temporary malaise that keeps your energy low today. Tasks and chores need to be done, Capricorn, so you will probably drag yourself up and try to finish them in spite of the way you feel. Try not to get overworked, and try not to take your weariness out on others. It’s better to let work go than make yourself and everyone else more stressed out.

AQUARIUS — A group with which you’re affiliated may be temporarily torn apart by politics and quarrels. If so, Aquarius, it’s best to stay out of it. A friend could be having trouble and come to you for advice and help. Don’t get too frustrated by his or her weaknesses. This could be a frustrating day for you - one best spent working on your own projects.

PISCES — Changes in your home could cause temporary frustration that creates some tension with family members. Perhaps you’re moving, cleaning, or refurnishing, and everyone is getting in everyone else’s way. The best way to handle this situation is to try to get the job done as quickly as possible. Once it’s done, Pisces, tempers will subside and all will be fine.

DAILY BRIDGE

By FRANK STEWART

Tribune Content Agency

Saturday, February 18, 2023

“Simple Saturday” columns focus on basic technique and logical thinking. Be right or wrong, but be decisive. The road of life is paved with flattened squirrels who couldn’t decide which way to go. Nobody can find the best defense every time, but a good defender looks for a way to beat the contract; he forms a plan and executes it.

When today’s East overcalled one heart, South’s free bid of 1NT suggested a bit more than minimum opening strength. Against 3NT West led the king of hearts: deuce, eight, four. When he led the queen next, East stewed and ... played the three.

MAKING THREE

West then led a spade. East took the ace and cashed his ace of hearts, but South had the rest. Making three. Indecision cost East 700 points. He knows South has a heart stopper and must assume South has only seven other tricks: four diamonds and three clubs. East defeats the contract if he overtakes West’s queen of hearts with the ace and leads the ten to set up two more heart tricks for the defense.

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3-by-3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9. that means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box. Sudoku puzzles appear on the Diversions page Monday-Saturday and on the crossword solutions page in Sunday’s Life section.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Answers to previous CODEWORD

How to play Codeword

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.

PUZZLE

one diamond, your partner bids one spade, you raise to two spades and he tries 2NT. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner is trying for game and suggests notrump; he has about 11 points. You barely had an opening bid — some players would not have opened — so you can’t accept an invitation. Since you have four-card spade support and a weak doubleton, sign off at three spades. South dealer

Santa Barbara genius Aristides Burton Demetrious creates memorable sculptures

J.H. recently inherited this sculpture at 26¼ inches. When she did, she was told it was created by a Santa Barbara artist with a Greek name.

That artist, I found, was our local genius in metal: Aristides Burton Demetrious (1932-2021), who lived in Santa Ynez and Santa Barbara. J.H.’s work is pierced aluminum in a perfect box of Lucite, and although J.H. had problems understanding it, she now loves it and wants to know more about the artist.

Mr. Demetrious was quite a prolific, respected and loved personality. He came from artistic royalty. His father was a sculptor trained by the student of August Rodin, and his mother was a textile designer and famed children’s book author.

After Aristides (“Aris”) graduated from Harvard, he served in the Navy, then studied under his father on the East Coast. He entered the USC School of Architecture in 1959.

I will list some of the places he has created commissioned sculptures, but none is quite as famous perhaps as The Claw, known to generations of Stanford students. It was one of the young artist’s first commissions. A Jan. 11 obituary in the Stanford Report mentions that students since the 1960s have waded, hopped, swam, danced and dangled feet in Aris’ fountain euphemistically named The Claw. It is the focal point of Dead Week.

It is located between the Old Student Union and the Bookstore; the site of rituals and proposals, a 16-foot tall creation of welded bronze graduating to copper, living in a shallow blue tiled pool, surrounded by benches.

Rituals? Yes, every autumn before the big UC BerkeleyStanford game, students impale a massive stuffed bear on the top claw, representing Oski Berkley’s mascot.

Demetrious visited Standard in 2010 to fine-tune the aging sculpture and supervise repairs. At the time he was quoted in the Stanford Report as saying that the fountain had been commissioned in the late 1950s’/early 1960’s by the White family, who had lost two Stanford brothers before they could graduate. Demetrious is quoted: “The fountain is a metaphor (for the brother’s unknown futures). It starts in bronze, firm and durable, and terminates in water patterns, diaphanous and mutable. It speaks to what the brothers might have become.”

Of course, I have run into collectors who own works by Demetrious in Santa Barbara and even a few who had commissioned large scale outdoor works. Here are a few of the national public commissioned sculptures he created: Sacramento County Courthouse, the sculpture for the entry to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a memorial on the remote island of Corregidor at the entrance to Manilla Bay, Philippines, which honors the Bataan people. The island was a center of dispute since the 1500s hosting Chinese pirates, Dutch privateers, Spanish traders, Muslim soldiers, the Spanish American War and World War I and World War II military installations. The work is “The Flame of Freedom.” On a hill in South San Francisco, he created a 92foot tall aeolian harp. In 2002, Santa Barbara Beautiful awarded Demetrious for the 18-foot tall fountain called “Mentors” created for Santa Barbara City College, overlooking the Pacific, donated by Eli Luria and Michael Towbes. He made a 21-foot bronze fountain for UCLA, and other works for UC Merced, a work for Jack London Square, for churches, corporations,

schools, banks, hotels, and hospitals. His art is in the private collections locally of the Tragos, Dart/Cohen and Emmons families.

Commissioned work is one of the hardest things an artist can undertake, because not only is the artist striving to please him/ herself, but is actually working for the vision of another. Sometimes the “other” is a panel of people, such as those on a public art advisory panel, and sometimes one’s “boss” is one individual with a firm idea of what one’s design should be. Getting the personalities and egos to balance just right is a challenge, and by the length of the list of commissions undertaken by Mr. Demetrious, it looks like he was a total professional at the art of “artist for hire.” The trick is not to compromise one’s artistic vision, which it seems he also achieved, if you look at the variety of objects, media, styles and sizes. An artist cannot do commission work for six

generations if he/she fails at that fine balance.

For six generations he also showed in solo shows, such as at Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery in Santa Barbara; Jardin de las Granadas, also in Santa Barbara, and shows in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Carmel, Oakland, New Mexico, Connecticut and Washington, D.C.

So, you see, J.H., you have inherited quite a treasure. It’s valued at $3,000 to $4,000.

Dr. Elizabeth Stewart’s “Ask the Gold Digger” column appears Saturdays in the NewsPress.

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.

Shelters seek homes for pets

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

For more information, go to these websites:

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

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

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

• Companion Animal Placement Assistance, lompoccapa.org and facebook. com/capaoflompoc. CAPA works regularly with Animal Services-Lompoc.

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

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

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

• Santa Barbara Humane (with campuses in Goleta and Santa Maria), sbhumane.org.

• Santa Maria Animal Center, countyofsb.org/phd/ animal/home.sbc. The center is part of Santa Barbara County Animal Services.

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

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

• Volunteers for InterValley Animals in Lompoc: vivashelter.org.

— Dave Mason

COURTESY PHOTO

This sculpture by the late Santa Barbara artist Aristides Burton Demetrious is valued at $3,000 to $4,000.

How fortunate it is for governments that the people they administer don’t think.”

— Adolf Hitler

Jimmy Carter was a beltway outsider who never understood nationalism. Like many liberals, President Carter felt the government could solve every foreign and domestic problem with policies that were processed through Washington.

President Carter’s faith in government creating world harmony, along with prosperity in America with federalism, destroyed our foreign dominance and collapsed the American economy.

Ronald Reagan inherited an America with a laissez-faire foreign policy and an economy that was running on empty. Our

Voices

DID YOU KNOW?

Bonnie Donovan

Source of con uence in adverse events

Government actions in the world, in the United States and especially in California are committed to combating global warming. It is one of the greatest challenges to humankind.

It will call for the complete transformation of our lives: in how and what we produce, how and what we consume, and how we move about.

The 2015 multi-national, Paris Climate Treaty became effective for action by all participants on Nov. 4, 2016. The objectives were to reduce carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, with the overall objective of maintaining global warming at no higher than 1.5 degrees Celsius above the average global temperature in the 1880s, before the growth of the Industrial Revolution.

In 2022, an official report on progress has determined that six years later, globally, we are on a trajectory to actually increase emissions by 10% by 2030. This means that all participants will become under even greater pressure to make changes even faster than planned. California will be at the forefront of accelerating changes to how we produce, how we consume and how we move about.

Ihad a dream.

But that was a long time ago and far, far away.

Way back in the misty year of 2021, I had a dream that West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema would “hold firm and refuse to vote for” what ended up cynically being called The Inflation Reduction Act, which was/is in fact a mega-spending bonanza.

But both Democratic senators folded like proverbial threadbare suits, wrinkles, faulty zippers, and all.

Hello, inflation!

I dreamt too that Sen. Manchin, even though he’d been in politics for 40-odd years, would “see the light and switch parties” before the 2022 election. I had high hopes because I knew that even though he’d been a politician for most of his adult life, he did manage his family’s carpet store before that.

But no, he’s still a Democrat and towed the party line, as he always does when pressed.

nation was straddled with 10% unemployment and inflation. In his inaugural speech, President Reagan told America, “The greatest threat to America is taxation, regulation and government spending. Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

The State of the Union address is an opportunity to tell people why we have such a great nation and reflect on our success and the many great years we have ahead together as a unified nation.

Most importantly, it is a time to offer to mend political conflicts and strive for a better future for all.

Joe Biden’s address showed that he fears his party is looking for a new candidate next election.

Realizing he and VP Kamala Harris are on thin ice, President Biden turned this month’s State

of the Union into a campaign speech. He said he is running for re-election because he must “finish the job” that he had started

“My dad use to say, ‘Champ, don’t back down if you think you’re doing the right thing.’”

— Joe Biden

President Biden’s speech began with a plea for unity and turned into a tasteless attack against Republicans. He said they tried to cut Social Security and Medicare. Lawmakers across the aisle led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., responded to Mr. Biden’s accusations saying, “You are a liar, you are a liar!”

“The only thing worse than a liar is a liar that’s also a hypocrite!”

— Tennessee Williams

If President Biden had any hopes of uniting Congress and the

country behind him, those hopes vanished the minute he attacked Republicans. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, said President Biden “lied shamelessly” all night. He described Mr. Biden’s attack on the GOP as “a long, disjointed, rambling cacophony of lies with a side of insults for good measure.

Joe Biden is trying to frighten people into voting for him.”

The reaction to President Biden’s claim in the House chamber was so strong that an embarrassed Joe Biden offered a minor mea culpa. “I’m not saying it’s a majority of you. But it was proposed by one of you. Actually Sen. Tom Scott (R-S.C.) suggested we review all federal programs and update them.”

Joe Biden vowed he would not cut spending on his economic agenda despite our record deficit and offered no far-reaching, new ideas on how to improve the nation. His speech was filled with a litany of exaggerated

triumphs from over four decades in political life.

“He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything and that clearly points to a political career.”

— George Bernard Shaw

President Biden repeatedly said he needed to “finish the job,” so voters must re-elect Vice President Harris and him to a second term. Yet his economic and foreign policies and his failure to address the crisis he created with illegal border crossings show that most Americans don’t want him to do any more damage to their nation. To the contrary, they even wonder how they will survive another two years of Mr. Biden.

President Biden didn’t mention real wages have fallen 35% in two years. Recent CPI data shows that historic inflation has destroyed

In this part 1 of our column, we discuss how these actions could become a part of a confluence of adverse events in their impacts on the current population and the possible repercussions.

Did you know that economic and societal collapse is often the result of a confluence of large, adverse events, including natural and human-made disasters. It is usually triggered by one of those events that then causes a cascade of failure in the others.

The list of potential adverse events over the next 10 to 12 years in California is long and could be highly interactive.

SOURCES OF CONFLUENCE IN ADVERSE EVENTS

Sources include:

• Governmental-forced transfer from fossil fuels to wind and solar, combined with the loss of hydroelectric power and nuclear power, including near-term heavy taxation of oil, natural gas and coal on which 95% of the population depend for energy.

• The accelerated banning of all vehicles, machinery, appliances and other uses that depend on fossil fuels.

I dreamt that the 2022 election would “flip the House of Representatives,” and that dream came true, sort of, though the slim margin attained has turned out to have been something of a benefit, as the small “America First” caucus has been handed way more power than they otherwise may have had. My dream featured a Senate with 54 Republican senators, and you know how that turned out.

I still dream that this already too-long national nightmare called the Biden administration will be over and that President Joe Biden will wake up (or someone will wake him up) and he’ll ask himself what the heck he’s doing — or the person who woke him up will ask him that, and he won’t have a ready answer.

That dream included the hope that then Mr. Biden would realize he has no right being called “Mr. President,” and announces that he’ll give an address to the nation, admitting that he and

his

co-conspirators — The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, most of the entertainment industry, the national teachers unions, government workers at all levels, the CIA, FBI, NSA, and all the rest of what is now admittedly a

very deep state of “intelligence” gatherers — racked up those 81 million votes by trickery, subterfuge, and deception, and that former President Donald Trump actually won the election.

I dreamt that Mr. Biden (and his running mate, the incompetent

Vice President Kamala Harris), would resign, and that Mr. Biden would hand the keys of the White House over to his predecessor and skulk back to his ill-gotten Delaware mansions in disgrace. It didn’t happen.

It ain’t gonna happen.

I also dreamt that President Trump wouldn’t run for reelection and that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would win the 2024 election and would be named president of the United States. With more than 85 million votes, he’d enough to swamp even the most crooked collection of vote harvesters and mail-in marauders in any of the so-called ‘swing’ states.”

But Mr. Trump is running, so we’ll have to wait to see how that turns out. In any case, If Mr. Trump wins the nomination, he should ask Gov. DeSantis to be his running mate. He is owed at least two years in power and then he could resign victorious and allow Gov. DeSantis to finish his term. I dreamt that South Dakota

There are 15,400,000 vehicles registered in California. Of them, only 425,300 are electricpowered. So, in the next 10 to 12 years, the government of California will try to coerce vehicle owners to eliminate up to almost 15 million gasoline and diesel-powered cars and buy electric cars, or downgrade to electric bicycles.

At the same time, the government will attempt to force homeowners to discard natural gas stoves, gas-fueled home heating furnaces and water heaters and replace them with their approved electric alternatives. According to government statistics, there are 13.1 million households in California and 60.8% of them have natural gas-fueled home heating furnaces and water heaters.

Just in these two confluences of government decrees, we would have simultaneous assaults on the finances of millions of hard working Americans.

In total,15 million vehicles have to be scrapped and

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

Wendy McCaw Arthur von Wiesenberger Co-Publisher Co-Publisher

GUEST OPINION

A kick in the joules by the green energy cult!

Santa Barbara County and most of the cities within the county joined a government-centric green energy consortium known as Central Coast Community Energy (3CE).

The goal of this energy consortium is to beat the state of California to the finish line as it relates to an all-green energy portfolio as California has committed itself to 100% renewable, green, greenhouse gas-free energy as its only source of power.

What that means in practical terms is that even those energy sources that create no emissions, such as hydroelectric and nuclear, must go because they are not considered renewable even though they are greenhouse gas-free. Of course, the main target of these goals is to eliminate any and all fossil fuels used to generate electricity.

A funny thing happened on the road to this green nirvana, and that has to do with the fact that somebody in the governor’s office did the math and realized that the state must do everything in its power to keep Diablo nuclear power plant operating well into the future because the California grid can’t afford to lose 10% of its base power load. What does that mean? Diablo provides 10% of our power 24/7/365. Conversely, wind and solar only provide intermittent energy at best because the sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow.

Moreover, solar power generated in California during its peak hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. poses its own challenge because solar can at times generate more power than we can use during those same hours.

This has to do with the fact that most power is now consumed in the evenings rather than during peak sunshine. How to solve this dilemma? Create the ability to store wind and solar energy for when we need it most. There are several means to do this that are currently technically feasible. The city of Goleta is trying a battery storage complex. The problem? These

CCWs are a way to fight evil

Here they come, again. And just as stupid and deceitful as ever.

The Supreme Court ruled the Second Amendment guarantees Americans the legal right to carry a concealed weapon without providing a reason. This doesn’t mean everyone is going to get one, but it’s nice to know you can.

Of course, for left-wing gun haters and socialist Democrats, this is as bad as getting a permit to drill for oil. For liberal politicians, it just can’t stand. Americans need to be stripped of their rights and freedoms, and we’re going to make something up to stop you.

Don’t change De la Guerra Plaza

storage systems are expensive, they can take up a lot of acreage — and they are prone to an “extensive cascading thermal runaway event, initiated by an internal cell failure within one battery cell”! Read that as a chemical reaction within the battery system that causes an inferno that can’t be put out by firefighters. (They simply hose it down for days, hoping it won’t spread).

3CE has a lot of dumb ideas on how to solve this dilemma, the most expensive being a compressed air storage facility to be built in Kern County. 3CE, which means you the rate payer, is committing $1 billion over the next 25 years to get upward of 200 megawatts of power from the facility. The only problem? As county Supervisor Das Williams figures (he is on the board of 3CE), our region will need three times as much storage in the future.

Please allow me to point out the obvious to the oblivious. All these expenditures for storage don’t create any electrical power nor do they transmit the power. They simply store it.

That means, on top of the $1 billion being spent on the hot air technology project in Kern County, rate payers are going to be on the hook for billions more for additional storage, not to mention the cost of the projects that must first generate the power to be stored in these types of facilities and then the transmission cost to deliver the same to our region.

What we are dealing with here then is nothing less than a doomed-to-fail, no-holds-barred attempt to completely transform our energy system by way of a neophyte technology that is nowhere near ready to debut in prime time. Consumers will find out soon enough that this green energy cult is delivering nothing less than a kick to the family joules.

Caldwell is the COLAB executive director and host of “The Andy

Editor’s note: Local organization Cars Are Basic sent this letter to Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse and the Santa Barbara City Council, and the writer emailed the letter to the Voices section.

Mayor Rowse and Council

City of Santa Barbara

Re: De la Guerra Plaza & Street

As the city is aware, CAB has repeatedly opposed changes to De la Guerra Plaza and De la Guerra Street from State Street east to Anacapa.

When this was first proposed, local businesses circulated a petition opposing changes to the Plaza and/or closing the street. CAB was shown the outcomes, and all but one business opposed any changes or closing of the plaza/ street.

As a result of the petition, the head of the Downtown Organization at the time (Marshall Rose) opposed any changes. The DO later hired a director who had extensive experience with the city of Pasadena. She made the point that Pasadena had attempted closing and narrowing of streets with the outcome of hurting city

center business.

Pasadena, with her direction, re-opened streets and widened streets that had been narrowed.

When Mr. Harris was hired by the city of Santa Barbara to force the closing of the plaza and/ or street, she strongly opposed it. The same Mr. Harris has for years in opposition to businesses would continue to press what the businesses did not want.

After a disagreeable and loud discussion with former Councilman Hart (now Assemblyman), she quit and left Santa Barbara.

The next DO director was against this continuing bullying of the city for this plan. She made it clear the businesses did not want it, and she backed the previous director’s position. Again after being disagreeable, the city staff was able to force her out as director, and she resigned.

CAB has requested repeatedly for the city of Santa Barbara to report the 40-year outcome of the MIG State Street narrowing. The response by the city and various mayors and councils has been to ignore the requests.

Unless CAB has missed a point, this is part of the long-term closing of State Street, using the same philosophy presented by MIG. CAB asks why would the council continue with a 40-year

failure and use a company that designed this failure?

We have watched 25 years of projects that were supposed to increase the economic viability of Old Town Santa Barbara and failed. CAB has watched traffic management continue to convince city councils to narrow streets for bike paths that failed. The latest game of “just give it time it will work” are parklets.

The health of Old Town State Street would be the same rebound that has Goleta thriving with more business and people who now travel from Santa Barbara to buy and do business in Goleta.

With the long term State Street narrowing- social experiment failure, the petition against the closing of the Plaza/Street, the three directors of the Downtown Organization opposing this, and repeated calls by the general public to open State Street and keep the plaza as it is, you are urged to defeat this plan.

CAB request is rational and backed by fact.

Please add this comment to the Public Record. On behalf of the board and members,

Scott Wenz President CAB

Watching Bankman-Fried and FTX’s third act

The recent California shootings, any mass shooting, always opens the door for Gov. Gavin Newsom to pontificate yet again how he won’t stand for it anymore. How come he doesn’t express his concerns for the murdered police officers or the thousands of gang murders that take place every single day in “his” city and state?

Like all other liberal politicians across the country, Gov. Newsom and others like him become blind when it doesn’t suit them.

The death of George Floyd launched a movement of hate. But on that very day, hundreds of other unnamed blacks were murdered across the country and thousands more since then, by other blacks. Mr. Floyd’s death was sadistically exploited, but the other deaths served no political purpose, and their memories merely faded from the streets.

In the state of doom and gloom, after the recent California shootings, Gov. Newsom made sure the light shined upon him as he displayed his fabricated anger over how much he cares. To the point he’s going to restrict the use of perfectly legal CCWs (carrying concealed weapons) — of which, by the way, there was zero connection with what a couple of murderous mental patients did who were responsible for the shootings.

As far as I could discover there’s only been one recorded criminal act by someone with a CCW. We all know crazy people and bad guys couldn’t care less how many laws and restrictions there are.

Brent E. Zepke

The author lives in Santa Barbara.

The legal issues surrounding the bankruptcy of FTX became instantly newsworthy because of the apparent Department of Justice involvement in the criminal aspects of the disappearance of hundreds of millions of dollars, the substantial “donations” — the term used by the founder Sam BankmanFried and his compatriots — to President Biden and other members of his political party, and the political connections of Mr. BankmanFried’s family to that same party. That virtually guaranteed that Mr. Bankman-Fried’s group would receive special treatment from our government and mainstream media.

The special treatment began immediately when the New York Times paraphrased the labeling of Mr. Bankman-Fried by proclaiming “mismanagement of a charitable entrepreneur,” to describe the activities of SBF and his potential co-conspirators.

This author labeled this “FTX’s Second Act” (in the Dec. 16 News-Press). “FTX’s First Act,” discussed in “Post-Election Questions” (Dec. 3 News-Press), was the creation and operation of the cryptocurrency firm FTX, and related companies, first in Hong Kong and then in the Bahamas.

The Third Act began when the press, after Mr. BankmanFried was in jail in the Bahamas, dutifully followed his publicity campaign by reporting the “harsh” conditions in the unairconditioned jail where Mr. Bankman-Fried only ate toast for breakfast after they “harshly” rejected his request for a special diet. The only other prisoner that had such a publicity campaign was the basketball player Brittany Griner where the Russians even permitted photos from their gulag. Were the Bahamas hoping for favorable trade for Mr. Bankman-Fried?

The next fable was the DOJ claiming it was being tough by demanding a $250 million bail for Mr. Bankman-Fried.The truth is they accepted as security “the largest asset of his parents,” their house in Palo Alto, which they said was valued at $3.5 million. The truth is this house, being

on land owned by his parents’ employer Stanford University, meant the market value estimate is less than a million. Silence was the rule. His parents’ actual “largest asset” is a $16 million condo in the Bahamas, paid for by FTX.

Another abnormality is that the names of the two others who allegedly guaranteed his bail remain under seal although the rumors are that they are a couple related to Mr. Bankman-Fried’s mother.

Under this “flexible” bail, Mr. Bankman-Fried is permitted to spend his pre-trial days at his parents’ house and, according to reports, with access to the internet.

On Feb. 1, it was disclosed that Mr. Bankman-Fried had sent a text to the former general counsel of FTX, who has been identified as “Witness-1” in the criminal case against SBF, of “I know it’s been a while since we talked … I would really love to reconnect and see if there’s a way for us to have a constructive relationship, use each other as resources when possible or at least vet things with each other.”

Judge Lewis Kaplan, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton and now as a senior judge chooses his cases, held that it appeared to be a “material threat of inappropriate contact with prospective witnesses.”

Unlike Mr. Bankman-Fried, whose alleged crimes are far greater than those alleged for Paul Manafort, Mr. Manafort was sentenced by Obama-appointed Judge Amy Berman Jackson to spend his pre-trial time, while he

The real fact is those who have had the legal right to carry have SAVED countless lives.

In 2019, a gunman jumped out of his pew in a Texas church and opened fire on the 240 parishioners in attendance. Within seconds, Jack Wilson, a firearms trainer with a CCW permit, took out the killer in one shot. The worshipers were literally sitting ducks, and it could have been a blood bath. Despite all the lives he saved, there were still people who tried to make the hero the criminal. I wonder how they would have reacted had their heads been sitting right in front of the nut case with the gun.

Last year in an Indiana shopping mall food court, a young man, 22, with a CCW, shot and killed a man who had already murdered three people and wounded two others. One of the wounded was a 12-yearold girl. Again, putting his own life at risk and willing to take action, there’s no way to calculate how many lives that young man saved. If you’re antigun but it was your 12-year-old who got wounded, I should think you may reconsider the right to carry.

Here’s one more story, although there are hundreds, thousands of stories. In December of last year, a masked man entered a Wings restaurant in Warner Robins, Ga. He jumped over the counter and struck the employee with his gun. The store owner pulled out his legally owned pistol and shot the attacker twice.

Andy

Caldwell

Andy Caldwell

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Sam Bankman-Fried

DAVE MASON/NEWS-PRESS

Cars Are Basic has written the Santa Barbara City Council and Mayor Randy Rowse in opposition to a plan to change De la Guerra Plaza and close it to traffic.

Social Security reform is about principles, not accounting

Per CNN and other media outlets, when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ran his first campaign for Congress in 2012, he expressed support for “privatizing” Social Security. They predict, with little surprise, that this should provide red meat for attacks from former President Donald Trump and from Democrats, should Gov. DeSantis announce a presidential run. If indeed this is the case, it adds credence to Nikki Haley’s slogan for her new campaign that we need a new generation of leaders.

The president who brought us Social Security, Franklin D Roosevelt, told the nation in his first inauguration in 1933, in the dark days of the depression, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

President Roosevelt gets high marks for courage and leadership.

The problem was not that he was bold. The problem was what he did.

Today, again, the nation badly needs bold leadership. And what needs to be done is undo the damage that Roosevelt did back then. Most of the profound fiscal and social problems that we face today trace back to Roosevelt’s actions in the 1930s, most specifically his signing Social Security into law in 1935.

The constitutionality of Social Security was challenged in 1937 in Helvering v. Davis. The argument was that Social Security

violated the Constitution’s 10th Amendment, which prohibits action by the federal government not specifically enumerated in the Constitution.

The Supreme Court found Social Security constitutional by offering a new, sweeping understanding of the constitution’s “general welfare” clause in Article 1, Section 8: “The Congress shall have Power To Lay and collect Taxes ... (to) provide for the common Defence and general welfare.”

General welfare had always been understood to be about implementation of explicit authorities enumerated in the Constitution. Now general welfare

could be just about anything the congress wanted to do. Helvering v. Davis and Social Security opened the door to today’s modern welfare state. Social Security was the nation’s first “transfer payment” program, in which one set of taxpayers could be taxed and that revenue used to transfer to others for purposes that congress deemed in the “general welfare.”

Per economist/blogger Scott Grannis, transfer payments now tally up to about $4 trillion annually, almost two-thirds of the federal budget. They now constitute over 20% of Americans’ disposable income, compared to 5% in the 1950s.

In case some still think Social Security is an investment retirement program, please think again.

It is a welfare state transfer program, in which taxes those working now pay are used to make payments to those currently retired.

Shortly after Social Security became law, there were more than 40 working and paying taxes for every retiree. Today, because of increasing life spans and decreasing birth rates, there are three. The Congressional Budget Office says that Social Security revenues will fall short by 23% of obligations by 2034. The welfare state idea does not

even have an American pedigree. It has its roots in 19th-century European socialism.

Our fiscal problems today are not about accounting but about principles. We need to restore American principles of ownership and freedom. This would be a great boon.

Particularly to low-income Americans that social welfare programs are supposedly helping.

Per the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, if a single person earning 45% of national median income could invest 10% of their income in a diversified stock/ bond portfolio over a 40-year working life, rather than paying Social Security taxes, they could purchase an annuity at retirement worth $37,784, compared to $11,923 that they would get from Social Security.

With all the cries about the wealth gap in the country, per the Federal Reserve, only 34% of black households, and 24% of Hispanic households, own stocks, compared to 61% of white households.

By restoring American principles of ownership and freedom, we can fix our fiscal problems and make every American healthier and wealthier.

Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the weekly television show “Cure America with Star Parker.” To find out more about Star Parker and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com.

Copyright 2023 by Creators.com.

Tragic devastation in Syria and Turkey

The tremendous devastation in Syria and Turkey as a result of the Feb, 6 earthquakes is an ongoing important focus of world action. The latest death toll is more than 35,000, and far more people have been injured.

Over one million are estimated to have lost homes as a result of this disaster.

These terrible numbers will continue to grow as relief work proceeds, rescuing the living, attending to the dead.

U.S. relief and rescue efforts began almost immediately. These encompass nonprofit and volunteer initiatives along with government aid.

The Biden administration is providing $85 million in emergency assistance. Elite highly-trained disaster assistance and response teams of the U.S. Agency for International Development have been working in the hardest hit areas. They have been joined by many other government agencies. Also providing help are Goleta-

based Direct Relief and Santa Barbara-based ShelterBox USA.

As usual in humanitarian aid around the world, the U.S. military is playing a major role, often little reported.

While these urgent needs are the priority, we should also plan seriously about longer-time implications for U.S. foreign policy. There may be opportunities to reconcile the tense, at times violent relations between Syria and Turkey. Combining heart with head defines leadership.

Over the past two decades, U.S. relations with both Syria and Turkey have been difficult, to some extent understandably.

Syria remains a harsh, rigid dictatorship, long ruled by the Assad family. During the Obama administration, our relations became particularly strained. In Turkey, long-term ruler Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has become autocratic.

Bureaucrats ban betting

What will happen in the future? Is there a way to know?

There is, maybe. One technique that predicts the future better than any other is prediction markets. The stock market is one. It lets people bet on the prospects of companies. The market often predicts wrong, but a rising stock price is a better forecaster of company success than 100 executives or 10,000 politicians. Falling stocks are good predictors, too. Prediction markets succeed because of “The Wisdom of Crowds,” which is also the name of a book by James Surowiecki.

Crowds? That seems odd.

Crowds can be like ... mobs! Stupid and out of control.

President Back Obama gave priority to publicly criticizing the government of Syria and encouraging regime change. The well-intended rhetoric proved extremely counter-productive, predictably. President Jimmy Carter took a similar approach to the world, emphasizing morality over reality.

Fundamental problems with emphasis on human rights above all else regarding Syria is the lack of any tradition of representative government. There are no desirable alternatives to President Bashar al-Assad.

The Syria government plays an important role in resisting and defeating violent fundamentalist movements, notably the Islamic State. Turkey is a pivotal nation, Western in practices but with a Moslem majority. After the revolution in the 1920s led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the government of Turkey became

constitutionally secular. Turkey commands vital sea lanes and trade routes, including the Strait of Bosporus. The nation pursues economic relationships with the states of the former Soviet Union. Moscow’s influence has deteriorated since invading Ukraine.

Historically, TurkeyU.S. cooperation is strongly rooted. Turkey was engaged in Afghanistan, including military command responsibilities. During the first Persian Gulf War, U.S. B-52 bombers were deployed on Turkish soil, a risky move for that government. Turkey played a vital Allied role during the Korean War; the U.N. military cemetery at Pusan contains a notably large number of Turkish graves.

This background is of great importance in this unstable region where Turkey-U.S. ties have been badly strained. Ankara rightly angrily opposed the Bush administration’s disastrous 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The U.S. government should do nothing that would appear to

be taking any national advantage of the terrible human tragedies unfolding in the wake of the devastating earthquakes. Work should remain focused on humanitarian relief. That is both ethical and smart.

Our military has extraordinary capacities. The Pentagon has enormous assets to supplement and temporarily replace destroyed water and power supplies and provide medical services (including specialized surgical help) and to evacuate people injured or at risk of injury.

Syrians, Turks, Americans and others should be assured this is the priority. Longer-term, this aids sensible, effective diplomacy.

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.

The Left misrepresents conservatives’ views

Idon’t know who gets to hold President Biden’s cell phone these days, but whoever runs his Twitter account has been hyperactive. The past few days have seen a blizzard of tweets attacking all the left’s usual targets from Republicans and business to their old favorite “trickle-down economics.”

This is a grotesque misrepresentation of what conservatives stand for. In over 30 years in the policy wonk world, I have not once heard a conservative use the term “trickle-down economics” to describe their strategy.

The term itself was invented by the Left in the 1930s to misrepresent Cal Coolidge’s economic strategy. Neither then, nor now, do conservatives believe that the way to make poor people richer is to make rich people even richer.

Conservatives believe in cutting taxes across the board to the benefit of everyone — which is why in states like Mississippi, conservatives have been so proactive in cutting income taxes for the broad mass of working people.

This has not stopped the Left from repeatedly using the term to mischaracterize what conservatives actually stand for. It is a form of misinformation, up there alongside various other

conspiracy theories. Indeed, one should regard people who make excitable claims about “trickledown economics” in much the same way that one might regard people who make excitable claims about QAnon or microchips in the water.

Ronald Reagan was attacked for “trickle-down economics” in the 1980s, despite doing more than almost any other president to reduce the tax burden on those with the lowest incomes. That did not stop President Bill Clinton, who was able to run a budget surplus thanks to President Reagan’s tax cuts the previous decade, from also using the term in the 1990s. How should the Right respond? Keep cutting taxes for everyone. The Left is always going to use the myth of “trickledown economics” to attack conservatives. The past century or so shows that they will relentlessly misrepresent — especially when there’s an election looming. But the “trickle down” attack only ever gains traction when we stop cutting taxes (See President Bush the Elder’s one-term career for details). Keep on cutting.

Douglas Carswell is the president & CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. This commentary was provided to the News-Press by The Center Square, a nonprofit dedicated to journalism.

“But if a crowd is big enough and diverse enough,” says Mr. Surowiecki, you just have access to so much more knowledge than you do if you ask an expert or even a team of experts. We saw this on the old TV program, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” A contestant could call an expert or poll the audience. “Experts” might be geniuses. TV audiences definitely weren’t experts, but they got the answers right more often than “experts.” Defense Department officials once wanted to use the same principle to open a market that might predict where a terrorist attack might take place. But then some ignorant senators called the idea “grotesque.”

The Defense Department dropped the idea. Today politicians are killing another good idea: PredictIt. org. It’s a website that lets Americans bet on elections, like a political futures market. As I write, PredictIt’s bettors say Joe Biden has a 27% chance of being our next president; Ron DeSantis has a 21% chance; Donald Trump has a 20% chance.

That’s useful information. But American bureaucrats working at a dreary agency called the Commodity Futures Trading Commission want it shut down.

Why? Did PredictIt steal user funds? No. Did they lie to people? No. Harm anyone? No!

In fact, its odds are cited by

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.

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

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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

Star Parker

The author is with the Center for Urban Renewal and Education

COURTESY IMAGE

Arthur I, Cyr

Douglas Carswell

The question is: Where will the money come from?

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more expensive electric cars purchased at the same time. In almost 8 million homes, owners must replace their gas stoves, natural gas-fueled home furnaces and water heaters, with electric versions.

So the average two-car family will have to virtually junk their existing cars to replace them with electric versions, on average costing $66,000, according to Kelly Blue Book. In addition, for those homes with gas-fired furnaces, the average cost of replacement with an electric furnace is $4,359 within a range of $1,682 to $7,036 depending on size, the complexity of installation and whether duct work is required.

Replacing a gas-fired water heater with an electric water heater cost between $1,300 and $2,500 depending on size and installation complexity. Replacing gas stoves with electric stoves would add another $1,200.

By the way, the natural gas industry that our governments are so intent on destroying employs 3 million people in 50 states.

California is highly dependent

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America’s living standards and is rising 50% faster than wages.

President Biden says he created 2.7 million new jobs, but those were jobs nobody would take while he paid people not to work. Former President Donald Trump created 4.5 million real new American jobs in our nation during his first two years in office.

President Biden claimed he reduced the deficit of 2020, yet he presided over the largest twoyear deficit of $4.2 trillion in U.S. history. While he lowered the pandemic deficit, due to his reckless spending he prevented the U.S. deficit from falling below the outrageous $1 trillion mark he created in 2022.

President Biden bragged about his economic recovery, but Donald Trump presided over the fastest economic recovery in U.S. history. Mr. Trump expanded the economy by 11% during his last six months in office. Mr. Biden did nothing but spend trillions of dollars on totally unnecessary

on other states for supplies of energy, particularly electricity. These states will be going through the same transformation to electricity-only energy simultaneously with California.

When Californians connect up to 15.5 million cars to battery chargers and households turn on 13.1 million kitchen electric appliances and 13.1 million electric water heaters and furnaces, the same will be happening in adjacent states. We already know the fragile state of electric supplies in and into California and the inability of California’s electric grid to distribute large amounts of electric power.

Unless there is a massive, unceasing investment in reliable and adequate power generation and distribution within California over the next 10 years, we shall see rationing of electricity in our future.

The question is: Where will the money come from.?

Meanwhile, the state government continues with the utterly wasteful $100 billion spending on a high-speed train that cannot run fully at high speeds and will be a large drain on all taxpayers to subsidize the

programs that fueled historic inflation.

Current 2022 trade figures show the U.S. hit a record trade deficit of $1 trillion last year. That’s up 12.2% over 2021, the opposite of what Biden claimed in his speech. This is a consequence of his overregulation of business that makes it too expensive for manufacturers to produce in America.

“Government control means uniformity, regulation, fees, inspection and compliance.”

— Tom Graves

President Biden bragged about his punishing of big oil. According to the Heritage Foundation, “Joe Biden has passed regulations that restrict every aspect of the oil industry: new drilling, financing, investment, pipeline construction, exploration, production and operation.” Mr. Biden has issued the fewest drilling permits since the end of World War II. As a result, America is energy-dependent on radical rogue nations.

President Biden completely ignored the threats from

privileged few who actually use it. Did you know that communist China, communist North Korea and formerly communist Russia are/were ruled by a Central Committee of the Communist Party? Well, California politics and government are a monopoly of the Democratic Party, and in California, the party rules through a series of central committees. Did you ever wonder why our local representatives, whom we elected to protect our interests, don’t ever push back seriously against dictates coming from the Sacramento legislature or the Governor’s office?

It is because, in just Santa Barbara, as an example, candidates for supposedly non-political positions in local government have to be vetted and approved by the local Democratic Party central committee before they have a chance of being elected to represent districts. Only candidates who are elected at large, as in the case of Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse, have a chance of being elected without Democratic Party approval.

When Gov. Gavin Newsom in October announced he was leading the effort to build

Beijing and Russia and other international issues, days after he ordered the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon amid heated controversy on Capitol Hill. In fact, he refused to comment on Afghanistan, North Korea, the China Red Sea and the Far East.

Joe Biden failed to mention that following the death of George Floyd and the Democrats’ call to defund the police, we have seen an epic rise in violent crime across America, particularly in Democratic-controlled states. Mr. Biden showed no concern for this or even attempted to address it as a problem.

Aesop said “Fools repeat their mistakes.” President Biden sleepwalked his way into the White House in 2020 with the help of liberal media, social media censoring conservative speech, and dubious all mail-in balloting in blue and swing states across the nation. And these groups have given him a free pass throughout his failed presidency and will do it again if voters are asleep at the wheel next election. President Biden’s State of the Union was a plea from a failed president to re-elect him to

3.5 million new homes in California by 2025, at 500,000 a year — in a state that in 50 years has hardly exceeded that number by a small margin in only two years — there was a yawn at more hyperbola from a man known to announce improbable goals.

But he sponsored legislation to destroy single-family zoning by removing the local government authority to approve it and maintain it. Citizens and their families living in these peaceful subdivisions were shocked and angry at the huge increase in housing densities and accumulated, adverse, social and local infrastructure impacts that were going to be thrust upon them by government fiat.

While all this is going on, there is growing and alarming debt in all sectors of government and among the population. California alone is facing enormous shortfalls in government funding after the bonanza of giving away taxpayer’s money.

To be continued next week ...

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

finish the job that he started. That was turning America into a progressive socialist state. But millennials, identity groups and others who support progressive socialism fail to recognize much of what they enjoy in America is a result of capitalism. And under progressive socialism, many of those things will slowly disappear.

“The working class is easily manipulated since socialists do their thinking for them.”

— Vladimir Lenin

Joe Biden is bragging that the U.S. economy is “strong as hell.” With inflation at its highest level in decades, Wall Street teetering and America headed towards a deep recession, hell is about the right description for where the world’s greatest nation is heading under Joe Biden’s leadership.

“If politicians stopped meddling with things they don’t understand, there would be a more drastic reduction in the size of government than anyone in either party advocates.”

— Thomas Sowell

The books were meant for small businesses

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was presumed innocent, in solitary confinement while they attempted to connect him to President Trump.

Prosecutors allege Mr. Bankman-Fried was in touch with not only Witness-1, but current and former employees of FTX and Alameda, including Ryne Miller, FTX current general counsel, and John Ray, who was appointed CEO of FTX by the Delaware bankruptcy judge John Dorsey.

On Feb. 3, it was reported that Mr. Bankman-Fried’s counsel Mark Cohen was in talks with Andrew Vara, U.S. trustee in the DOJ branch responsible for bankruptcies, to “resolve the outstanding issues related to SBF’s bail conditions.” Mr. Cohen deserves a Pulitzer for calling Mr. Bankman-Fried’s violations “outstanding issues.”

Mr. Cohen argued that Mr. Bankman-Fried “needs to be in touch” with former employees, including FTX’s therapist George Lerner,” for an “important source of personal support” support from a potential witness? Compare

to Mr. Manafort, whose solitary confinement even denied him even the “support” of visitors or other prisoners.

Mr. Cohen asked that Mr. Bankman-Fried be permitted to transfer his crypto assets. Mr. Manafort had his assets seized. The triggering events were on Nov. 11, 2022, when FTX filed for bankruptcy in a Delaware court. Mr. Bankman-Fried resigned, and an estimated $687 million went “missing.”

The bankruptcy expert, John Ray, immediately criticized the lack of financial controls and the fact that the books, using the term loosely, were meant for the type of small businesses run from kitchen tables. He said the bookkeeping could not possibly be used to successfully track the billions of dollars passing through FTX, Alameda and their 130 subsidiaries.

Mr. Ray attempted to supplement the records by subpoenaing the people with knowledge of the transactions. Certainly, the DOJ would agree, particularly after the Mueller group of the DOJ issued 3,000 to 5,000 subpoenas primarily to Trump supporters. But not this DOJ who, through

Andrew Vara, is opposing proposals to subpoena Mr. Bankman-Fried and his family members.

Mr. Bankman-Fried’s father, Sam Bankman, was an employee of FTX, is a professor of taxation in the Stanford University law school, a certified psychological counselor and a big-time contributor to the Democratic Party. He accompanied his son on his visits to the White House. Mr. BankmanFried’s mother, Barbara Fried, is a professor in Stanford’s Law school, an expert on the redistribution of wealth, and a big-time contributor to the Democratic Party.

Mr. Bankman-Fried’s brother, Gabriel Bankman-Fried, worked for the Democratic committee in the U.S. House that regulated cryptocurrencies, ran a nonprofit funded by Mr. Bankman-Fried in D.C. that hosted political events, and may have accompanied Bankman-Fried to the White House.

Co-founder of FTX Gary Wang, and Caroline Ellison, Mr. Bankman-Fried’s sometimes girlfriend and the head of Alameda Research, have declined to provide the requested information.

Andrew Vara also opposed a

Gov. Kristi Noem, the slimmeddown former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, or even Democrat-turned Republican Tulsi Gabbard would be named vice president. That remains my dream, though others have joined that group, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, both of whom would also make fine running mates. I now dream that former President Trump, if he decides to withdraw from the campaign, would be named one of three things: ambassador to the United Nations (putting the entire world on notice that the U.S. is serious again), U.S. secretary of state (ditto), and or secretary of defense (big time ditto). That would be fun, as the Left would develop a severe case of shingles or hives in response, which would be fun to watch. Of course, Mr. Trump could run for governor of Florida and win decisively.

THE DREAM TEAM

My long ago dream of the makeup of 2024’s White House Cabinet is intact. The newly elected President DeSantis’s choices feature Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as secretary of energy and that one of the top priorities of the administration will be to make the U.S. energy-independent, as we had become during the Trump administration.

I dreamt that when independence is achieved (that has been the putative mission of the Department of Energy since its formation during the Carter years), Secretary Cruz leads the effort to dismantle his now

unnecessary $30-billion-plus department.

Secretary Cruz will then be appointed an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court at the next availability.

I now dream that among President DeSantis’s Cabinet picks will be current Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (border security), Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (ICE); Candace Owens as press secretary; Betsy DeVos back as secretary of education, there to dismantle that department; Sarah Palin as secretary of state; chief of staff, Jared Kushner; Secretary of Labor Mike (“Dirty Jobs”) Rowe; Secretary of Treasury Maria Bartiromo; Secretary of Defense: Lt. Col. Stu Scheller (he’s out of the headlines now, but look him up); Attorney General Alan Dershowitz; Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke; Secretary of Transportation Elon Musk; Homeland Security Tom Homan (former acting ICE director).

When I wake up at two o’clock in the morning (sometimes), I comfort myself with the imaginary results of the now near future (candidate Trump has recently announced an aggressive push to harvest as many early and mail-in votes as possible) and the pleasantness of those hopes and dreams sends me back into a peaceful revery. If those dreams don’t come true, however, all I ask is that someone please wake me when the nightmare is over.

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.

California has more than 100 gun regulations

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In this case the owner wasn’t charged, but we have heard the stories that despite blatant lifethreatening attacks, the good guys get in trouble. Stop it!

As an end around, California and other states continue using underhanded devious schemes. They’re trying to prevent the legal carrying of weapons on private property, saying you need the permission of the property owner. Do you think the church, the mall and hundreds of other public and private places regret that someone had the courage and the wherewithal to place themselves in danger to unselfishly save the lives of others?

The liberals continue to show their love for the criminals while they chip away with an ax to take away our freedoms.

California has more than 100 gun regulations, about the toughest in the nation. Do leftwing socialist politicians think another 100, 1,000, will fix the problem? They know it won’t, and that’s not their goal.

They release criminals, shut down the prisons and Soros

district attorneys no longer prosecute criminals. But they want to prevent honest citizens from having the ability to protect themselves and even fellow human beings.

How about this? Arrest and lock up all the bad guys like we did in the good old days. And keep arresting them. Keep them in prison. Fire the woke, corrupt brain-dead D.A.’s. With the cartels having planted deep roots in America and millions of men flooding across the border with no jobs, crime may become their only option to live the American dream. Liability insurance for gun owners? Another BS scheme. You think a gang of street punks, or the cartel guys who lop off heads are going to take out an insurance policy? That was a rhetorical question. The right to carry could give pause to evil if they don’t know who might be carrying. As more people are allowed to protect themselves in this everincreasing national crime wave, it could make bad guys a little jittery. At least it’s something.

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

The shutdown is ‘extremely unfair’

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They even hired a former CFTC commissioner, hoping that would help. (I so hate Washington).

request for information related to a hack and subsequent laundering of over $300 million worth of digital assets that took place on Nov. 11-12 because, he said, these subpoenas might duplicate an examination of a not yet appointed, and may never be appointed, examiner. This Pulitzer goes to Mr. Vara because the responsibility for criminal matters rests with the DOJ: not an examiner.

Judge John Dorsey is permitting the subpoenas. There certainly will be a Fourth Act for FTX, as we progress toward the ever increasingly uncertain scheduled trial in October. Imagine what would happen if someone “leaked” that Mr. Bankman-Fried was involved with Donald Trump?

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 media around the world. My site, ElectionBettingOdds.com, averages odds from PredictIt and foreign betting sites.

Over time, PredictIt’s odds have usually been more accurate than pollsters and pundits.

In 2020, bettors correctly predicted President Biden’s win and called nearly every state correctly.

The shutdown is “extremely unfair,” says Brandi Travis, PredictIt’s marketing boss in my new video. “Heartbreaking.”

It is!

Why can’t Americans bet on whatever we want? People bet on sports, cards, horses, etc.

The stock market is a form of gambling! We’re consenting adults! Leave me alone!

Arrogant CFTC bureaucrats won’t even answer a single question about why they’re killing a useful website.

But maybe it’s because of crony capitalism!

A larger, rival betting site, Kalshi, which takes bets on things like inflation rates and the price of gasoline, now wants to take election bets, too. Kalsi asked the CFTC for permission.

Then company officials met with the CFTC dozens of times.

In their application, they complained that PredictIt (their only potential rival in election betting) operates “without complying with a number of ... regulations.”

The result? So far, regulators are moving to ban both Kalshi and Predictit.

Your government, busy at work, crushing innovative competition.

Crushing it for most of you, that is.

The CFTC does allow very rich people to bet at a site called the American Civics Exchange. But to be eligible to bet, the government says you must have $10 million in assets.

Ordinary Americans are out of luck, unless PredictIt meets a stroke of luck in court, where it’s fighting for its life.

Once again, American bureaucrats kill something good.

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.

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