Santa Barbara News-Press: March 11, 2023

San Ysidro Roundabout

Caltrans updates community on project’s progress - A2

Female chefs collaborate on menus during Women’s History Month - B1

Paul Flores sentenced for 1996 murder

‘Today, justice delayed is not justice denied,’ District Attorney David Dow says in statement

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Paul Flores has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the first-degree murder of Kristin Smart in 1996.

The sentence was handed down today in the Monterey County Superior Court from Superior Court Judge Jennifer O’Keefe. Matthew Smart, Ms. Smart’s brother, was seen at the reading of the sentence alongside the rest of Ms. Smart’s family. He gave some words to reporters before the sentencing at the Salinas courtroom,

saying that Mr. Flores has been a “menace to society.”

Ms. Smart was a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where Mr. Flores was also a student at the time. In May 1996, Ms. Smart left an off-campus party and was accompanied by Mr. Flores. Ms. Smart was never seen again. A missing persons report was filed three days later.

An investigation commenced, and in 2002, Ms. Smart’s family declared her legally dead. Almost 20 years later, Paul Flores was named a prime suspect for the case and then arrested shortly there after.

In October 2022, Mr. Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder. Ruben Flores, Mr. Flores’ father, was also on trial, as an alleged accessory to the murder. Later, he was found not guilty. The publicity around this case has been intense, which as a result, the trials were moved at the request of the defense team to Monterey County, north of San Luis Obispo.

After the sentencing, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow issued this statement: “Today, our criminal and victim justice system has finally delivered justice for Kristin Smart, for the Smart

family, and for our San Luis Obispo County community. We thank the Smart family and our community for the tremendous trust and patience they placed in the investigation and prosecution of this terrible crime.

“We recognize the jury for their focused attention to the evidence and the Sheriff’s Office for their tireless effort in building this case,” District Attorney Dow said. “Today, justice delayed is not justice denied.”

email: abahnsen@newspress.com

Rain slams SB County

Orchid show blooms again in Santa Barbara

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

As you enter the Earl Warren Showgrounds, the smells and sights of beautiful orchids take your breath away.

Flooding submerges the exhaust tips and part of the bumper of a parked car at the end

Barbara.

Flood watch remains in place through today

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Heavy rain made its return Thursday night and Friday in Santa Barbara County, causing flooding and other trouble for many residents.

Flooding was seen Friday in communities such as Montecito and Santa Barbara. One example was the end of Anacapa Street and Cabrillo Boulevard, where part of a parked car’s bumper was submerged.

According to Santa Barbara County’s Office of Emergency Management, there is a flood watch in place through today as the storm continues to roll through. If you are caught in an

Please see WEATHER on A6

FYi

To register for emergency alerts, see readysbc.org. There, you will receive emergency alerts via text, phone call and email.

To file for assistance, register at www. disasterassistance.gov.

This weekend, the 75th annual International Orchid Show is taking place once again in Santa Barbara at the showgrounds.

FYi

“It truly is something everyone should experience!” exclaimed local resident Margaret O’Callaghan. Since 1945, the orchid show has captivated audiences from around the globe. Santa Barbara has a unique climate that fosters the growth of these special flowers.

Please see ORCHIDS on A6

The 75th annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show takes place 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Sunday at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Tickets are $20 for day passes and $30 for weekend passes. To purchase, visit sborchidshow.com.

Caltrans talks to community about San Ysidro Roundabout

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Caltrans updated the community on the progress of the San Ysidro Roundabout during a meeting Thursday at Montecito Union School. “We walked the community through renderings, construction

FYI

The links below are to the staging maps, timeline, and detours for the San Ysidro Roundabout project: hwy101carpinteriasantabarbara.com/sanysidro-roundabout and hwy101carpinteriasantabarbara.com/detours.

CHP seeks help to find missing man

stage maps, construction timelines, detours, and ramp closures and then opened it up to questions,” Kirsten Ayars, community liaison for the Highway 101 Projects, told the News-Press Friday. “We also recommended the community sign up for construction updates.”

The News-Press asked Ms. Ayars about the general public reaction.

“There were a lot of questions including questions about delays,” she said.

“This has been in discussions for years,” Ms. Ayars added. We told the community to plan for 5-10 minute delays around San Ysidro and Olive Mill roundabouts. There were also those who expressed an ongoing opinion against the project. Others expressed appreciation for the information

provided. Some asked for daily updates which we denied. We are providing two-week updates.”

Motorists can expect work in the northwest corner of the intersection of North Jameson Lane and San Ysidro Road as well as at the northbound onramp at San Ysidro Road and the overcrossing sidewalk by the ramp.

Caltrans said the northbound on-ramp will close March 20 and remain closed through early 2025 for the roundabout and freeway construction. Crews will remove old pavement, clear and grub vegetation, and begin grading for a new retaining wall.

Utility companies will continue working in the area and along North Jameson Lane. Motorists can expect flaggers directing traffic as needed for the

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

SANTA MARIA — The Santa Maria office of the California Highway Patrol is seeking help from the community to locate a missing adult — Jeremy “Jay” Nehemiah Wooldridge.

Mr. Wooldridge was born on April 4, 1985. He

stands 6 feet high and is 179 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Mr. Wooldridge has a scar on his forehead.

Mr. Wooldridge is a missing adult. He was last seen on the Central Coast.

Tips have come in that he was seen in Orcutt last week and may be headed to Tustin.

The family is desperate to find him due to his current medical condition.

If you have seen him recently, you’re

roundabout project and utility work.

“We have coordinated with first responders including Montecito fire, CHP, sheriff’s department, AMR, office of emergency services, county, and city public works,” said Ms. Ayars. “We also coordinated with Santa Barbara MTD (Metropolitan Transit District) and school administrators in preparation for the roundabout earlier this week.”

She said Caltrans talked to administrators at schools such as Montecito Union School, Cold Spring Elementary School in Montecito, Laguna Blanca School, Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Montecito YMCA, Santa Barbara High School and Crane Country Day School.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

asked to call Sherrell Wooldridge at 949-378-0113 or Timothy Wooldridge at 949241-7541.

— Katherine Zehnder

Editor’s note: A photo of Jeremy Wooldridge was not available at press time. If it becomes available, it will be attached to the website version of this story.

Jessica Tade to take office as maritime museum’s deputy director

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Jessica Tade will assume her new position Monday as deputy director of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.

Ms. Tade is a three-time graduate of UCSB, where she received a doctorate in art history.

“Museums hold an important place in society — providing access to history while being valuable stewards of our creative endeavors. I have seen firsthand the maritime museum’s positive effect on the Santa Barbara community and am thrilled to be joining this amazing team,” Ms. Tade told the News-Press.

“My immediate previous position was managing internal communications at UC Santa Barbara,” said Ms. Tade. “But before that role, I spent more than a decade building a career with organizations either promoting the arts or providing access and opportunity to the community.

“Specifically, I served as the executive director at Casa del Herrero, a National Historic Landmark and house museum located in Montecito. During that time, I oversaw all aspects of operations, elevated the communications and brand of the organization, led development, and advanced community collaborations including the creation of the Casa’s first-ever summer arts program for kids.”

Additionally, she has served as the director of communications and marketing for the Santa Barbara Foundation and the director of marketing and communications for the Santa Barbara City College Foundation.

In addition to her professional positions, Ms. Tade is known for her record of community service and volunteerism. She has served on the board of directors for the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation and was a commissioner for the Historic Landmarks Advisory Commission and the Human Services Commission of Santa Barbara County.

The News-Press asked Ms. Tade about the scope of her new job.

“In this role, I will be overseeing overall operations in support of the museum’s mission. I will be primarily focused on day-to-day operations and communications while also working closely with Executive Director Greg Gorga on the

‘Museums hold an important place in society — providing access to history while being valuable stewards of our creative endeavors. I have seen firsthand the maritime museum’s positive effect on the Santa Barbara community and am thrilled to be joining this amazing team.’

skills and creative marketing and communication ideas that will benefit the museum, and she is highly respected in Santa Barbara’s arts and cultural community of nonprofits.”

Ms. Tade spoke to her goals in this position.

“My immediate objective will be to champion and assist the continued good work of the museum — supporting my colleagues in a shared goal of promoting Santa Barbara’s rich maritime history and our community’s important connection to the Santa Barbara Channel and the ocean,” she told the News-Press.

WENDY McCAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . Co-Publisher

ARTHUR VON WIESENBERGER . . . . .Co-Publisher

YOLANDA APODACA . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Operations

DAVE MASON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Editor

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implementation of the museum’s strategic plan and providing guidance in key areas including development, educational programming, and the visitor experience.”

Mr. Gorga told the News-Press in an email, “We are excited to bring Jessica Tade on board. She brings a wealth of leadership

“I have greatly enjoyed visiting the Maritime Museum with my family, and I have always considered the museum to be an incredible asset to Santa Barbara. Now, as the deputy director, I am looking forward to further engaging with the community — to enthusiastically share my passion for local history and the arts.” email: kzehnder@newspress.com

COURTESY IMAGE

This rendering shows the appearance of the future San Ysidro Roundabout.

COURTESY PHOTO Jessica Tade

Jessica Tade

As the song says, ‘life is but a dream’

Today, Saturday the 11th, is National Dream Day. We’ve all heard the mid-19th century nursery rhyme/song “Row Row Row Your Boat,” but most people do not know that “Life is but a dream” derives from “Life is a Dream,” a 17th-century play by Spaniard Pedro Calderon, itself derived from Rene Descartes’ philosophy of dreaming, which poses the question, “How can I be sure I’m not always dreaming?”

Everyone dreams whether we remember what we’ve dreamt or not. It’s almost as if our brain has another life, one that it tries to keep private by quickly erasing any memory of our dreams, because unless you make a conscious effort to remember or write down your dreams upon awakening, they are gone forever. Older cultures treasured this second existence.

For instance, Navajo Native Americans believed dreaming is how humans connect to the spirit world. The Iroquois allowed their daily lives to be guided by dreams. (“The Iroquois have only a single Divinity,” wrote Jesuit Missionary Jacques Fremin in 1669. “The Dream. To it they render their submission and follow all its orders with the utmost exactness.”) The Crow took to the hills to invite dreams of significance and grow from them.

Anonymous Aztec poem: “That to come to this earth to live is untrue. We come but to sleep, to dream.”

A New Guinea tribe called Mekeo believes dreaming “allows men to access a realm of knowledge and power usually hidden from them,” said anthropologist Michele Stephen.

Indigenous cultures worldwide, without any contact with one another, perceived dreams as a sacred zone in which spirits, especially ancestors, contact the living. Tribe members would routinely sit around first thing in the morning and share their dreams with one another to derive meanings from them, especially with regard to how it would affect their future.

When the late great Winston Churchill was 73, he dictated a short book that he called “The Dream” about a visitation he experienced.

Armed with paintbrush and canvas, the British bulldog was copying a damaged portrait of his father, Lord Randolph Churchill (who passed in 1895 at the age of 46), when Dad surreally appeared to ask his son questions about all that had taken place in the world since his departure up to 1947.

Winston obliged by taking his father’s spirit on an epic stroll through six decades — including two world wars — all the while omitting his own heroic role through half-a-century, perhaps the ultimate exercise in egoless humility.

Many stories abound about creatives who write songs, pen novels, discover new mathematical formulas and literally dream up new scientific inventions. Paul McCartney has said that the music and lyrics for “Yesterday,” one of the greatest songs of all time, came to him in a dream.

Many books have been

County plans road maintenance workshops

The Santa Barbara County Public Works Department has invited the public to the annual Road RdMAP public workshops.

These workshops will cover road maintenance activities, the county’s approach to pavement preservation, current and ongoing projects, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

This meeting is an opportunity

ROBERT ERINGER

published on the phenomenon of dreams and lucid dreaming, which is the ability to know you are dreaming and control whatever happens next.

ROBERT MOSS

To my way of thinking, the master of oneiromancy Is Robert Moss, who has written a slew of provocative books with titles such as “Conscious Dreaming,” “Growing Big Dreams” and “The Secret History of Dreaming” — and facilitates workshops around the country and abroad on conscious dreaming techniques.

Now 76, Mr. Moss was a somewhat famous journalist and novelist (spy thrillers such as “The Spike” and “Moscow Rules”) before becoming bored with success and venturing off in search of his true calling.

My hour-long interview with Mr. Moss is among the most fascinating I have ever conducted. I began by asking about the pivotal moment that set him on course to spread the word about the value of dreams and dreaming.

It was the mid-1980s and he ventured 100 miles from Manhattan (where he resided) to Hudson Valley and came upon a broken-down farmhouse. Egged on by a red-tailed hawk that squawked at him and dropped a feather between his knees under an old white oak tree behind the house, Robert bought the property and moved in to reconnect with his creative spirit. Then the dreams began along with a transcendental message that, as he puts it, “dreaming is central to human purpose.”

I first became acquainted with Mr. Moss soon after trekking to a geographical location that came to me as a message from my late father in a dream. Thereafter, I serendipitously discovered Robert’s book “Active Dreaming” (at Paradise Found in Santa Barbara) — and it has stuck with me ever since (or unstuck me).

When I learned the author would appear at Copperfield’s bookstore in Sebastopol near Napa, I felt compelled to drive up and attend. On that occasion Mr. Moss spoke about his then-newest work, “Sidewalk Oracles,” which deals with attuning one’s self to synchronicity and messages from the universe.

I wanted to speak with this wizard one-on-one, but so did many others in attendance, so I demurred — and that night I DREAMT of speaking with him one-on-one and got the answer I was hoping to hear.

Now, almost seven years later, I have my chance to speak with him for the purpose of researching this column for publication on National Dream Day.

for residents of unincorporated communities to provide input on county maintenance in their neighborhood.

The North County Public Workshop is set for March 28 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. It will cover Cuyama, Orcutt, Sisquoc, Garey, Vandenberg Village, Ballard, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Mission Hills, Casmalia and Santa Ynez.

The South County Public Workshop is set for March 29 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. It will cover Toro Canyon, Mission Canyon, Summerland, Montecito, Eastern Goleta Valley, Isla Vista and

“When I moved into my new house I felt close to the land and taken by the night air,” he told me. “I immediately began having lucid dreams of people who lived in the area before me, particularly an Irishman who came to the American colonies in the 1700s and the Mohawk he came to know very well.

“I was called by an arendiwanen, a woman of power of that tradition, and she spoke to me in a musical-cadenced language I did not initially understand but was called to study. I was called by the ancestors of the land to become a dreamer. In the language of the Mohawk, the word for shaman is ratetshents, which means ‘one who dreams.’ ”

Continues Mr. Moss, “Those who don’t pay attention” — meaning contemporary Western civilization — “are missing out. It became my calling to spread the news.”

VISITS FROM BEYOND

Mr. Moss believes that people who have transcended our earthly plane — especially our ancestors — are able to visit those who are still alive in their dreams. “In dreams we receive visitations, and we can make visits to the Other Side. You can journey to the realm of the dead,” he says.

“Moreover,” he adds, “dreaming is the best preparation for dying.”

My question to him was straightforward: “How are our dearly departed able to visit us in our dreams?”

His response was equally direct and unequivocal. “The soul survives death and has vehicles beyond the physical body. We have body and mind AND the subtle body, as the Platonists would say. It is otherwise known as the astral body,” Mr. Moss explains, “and it is quite natural. Some who have died are still around, lost or confused, not sure if they’re dead. They stay close and may need guidance from us.

“On the other hand, those who have transcended and are clear about their condition may become wonderful guides or family counselors. Let’s say you want to be visited by someone dearly departed. You can create a family altar (as a kind of astral antenna) in the corner of your family room. Or write a letter to the parent or grandparent or ancestor you wish to hear from. Or pour a glass of his or her favorite drink and initiate a conversation.”

But by what mechanism are they able to break through into dreams?

“Think of the barrier as a muslin curtain,” Mr. Moss coaches. “Think of the barrier through invitation. There is no impenetrable barrier between the living and dead.”

Are all dreams about people who are no longer among us the real thing or in some cases not, as in, as the saying goes, “just a dream?” How would a dreamer, upon awakening, distinguish the difference?

“All dreams are meaningful,” maintains Mr. Moss. “But you might ask, ‘Have I been visited by a mask — i.e. someone deceptively pretending to be the messenger?’

Please see ERINGER on A7

Gaviota.

To register for these virtual workshops, visit app. smartsheet.com/b/form/ 64b07b4151e54c608ad56b470f4 b44 de?utm_source=Smartsheet &utm_medium=email&utm_ campaign=RdMap2223. Spanish language interpretation will be available at each meeting.

If you can’t attend, you can email your comments or questions to the Public Works Department at pwroads@cosbpw.net.

— Katherine Zehnder

Rescue Becomes Rescuer

Denise Sanders explains how dogs are trained to help locate disaster victims at the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. The recruited dogs are very active and energetic, ideal for disaster work.

At Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center, Mark Herthel explains the emerging science of stem cell therapy for equines. The exciting growth in regenerative science using stem cells plays to a very personal experience of Arthur von Wiesenberger with Ely, the donkey, a frequent star of AnimalZone.

Business/Real Estate

SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2023

Faitell Attractions moves to new downtown location

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Faitell Attractions — The Collective, an interior design center in downtown Santa Barbara, has moved locations.

The business held a grand opening on Feb. 16 to celebrate the move.

The new showroom, located at 127 W. Canon Perdido St. in Santa Barbara, is double the size of the original store — 4,000 square feet to be exact.

Lisa Faitell, the owner and designer for the center, is known for her award-winning East Coast style, with a focus in fashionable vintage and upcycled furniture, antiques and home décor.

Her first showroom in Santa Barbara opened in 2020 on State Street, and since then, the store has grown in popularity.

There are multiple different members of The Collective who aid their own design and work to the center. Clark James, an artist and collector of mid-century items, is a major supplier to the store.

Additionally, Lynell Dobowy collects vintage “Hollywood” style jewelry for the store. Other prolific collectors of the center are Cynthia Keefover, Hammies and Trevor Alleman.

The showroom is updated daily, allowing for a new and fresh design every day.

There are also two manufacturers who supply items to the store. Horizon Window Fashions and Norman USA offer window treatments and a variety of custom blinds, roller shades, wood shades and drapery.

If you would like more information on the collections or the center, visit faitellattractions. com.

email: abahnsen@newspress.com

BRAVO Awards 2023 to recognize SB women in business

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

The National Association of Women Business Owners, Santa Barbara Chapter will host the 2023 BRAVO Awards ceremony on March 16.

NAWBO-SB was created in 2007 by a group of women who wanted to showcase other women in the Santa Barbara area who have a drive for business and entrepreneurship.

According to the NAWBO-SB website (nawbo-sb.com), the mission of the organization is to “help members interact with other women business owners to create economic strength, to grow their businesses, to create strategic alliances and to transform public policy.”

The BRAVO awards were originally created by the NAWBO-SB to honor women in the community who have aided in the advancement of economics, politics, philanthropy, or socially here in Santa Barbara. This is specifically seen through the various women’s business and leadership.

NAWBO-SB said this year’s award ceremony will be the largest in attendance since its inaugural year nine years ago. The theme this year will be “Dream Big, Power On,” a fitting title due to the size of the event. Some notable recipients of the BRAVO Award ceremony are Pam Tanase, the owner of Workzones. She will be honored as the Women Business Owner of the Year.

Additionally, Awan Haj, a senior at Dos Pueblos High School, will be recognized as

the Rising Star of the Year. Marsha Bailey, the founder and CEO emerita of Women’s Economic Ventures, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for her dedication to the economic empowerment of women.

Other winners of this year’s BRAVO Awards include Kathryn Martin, Ana Guerrero, Annika Jensen, Robin Elander and Kate McHale Jensen.

The Madame of Ceremony is Anne Pazier, the owner of Santa Barbara Gift Baskets. She will introduce all of the guests and awards recipients.

Additionally, Kathy Odell, the CEO of Women’s Economic Ventures, will be the keynote speaker. For more information, visit nawbo-sb.com/ upcoming-events/2023-bravo-awards.

email: abahnsen@newspress.com

Don’t expect large swings in property valuations

for the needle in the haystack buyer.

Will home prices drop in 2023? That is a question on everyone’s minds regarding real estate as we move forward.

Certainly, California has many diverse real estate markets, and the same can be said for our local communities, with each one having different amenities that appeal to buyers — whether they be cultural activities, school systems, access to trail networks, affordability, proximity to work or certain architectural styles that vary across our local areas.

There are many “experts” out there who believe the market in general will be less buoyant than it was in 2021 and 2022. Without question, the events that drove real estate prices in those years are not present in the current market and are not expected to return any time soon.

But does that mean, by default, we expect to see large declines in real estate values?

Personally, I do not think we will see large swings in valuations. The caveat to this obviously being that a property is priced in accordance with current market conditions — not by simply looking

February numbers show the Montecito market for median sales price is up approximately 2% year-over- year, with homes selling at 95.9% of their list price. That is down 4.9% year-over-year, which is not wholly unexpected since we are in a more normalized market condition today than we were a year ago. The number of homes sold in Montecito for February was six, which is significantly lower than the same period last year, when 24 homes were sold. That is not wholly unexpected, as continued inventory restrictions impede buyer demand and help support prices.

Looking at Santa Barbara again, preliminary data indicates the median sales price year-overyear has dropped approximately 8.7%, with the homes selling at 95.4% of their list price, which again is down approximately 8.1% from the same period last year. The number of homes sold also declined from a year ago, with 31 homes sold in Santa Barbara compared to 48 for the same period last year.

As discussed earlier, pricing in the current marketplace is key. There have been three price changes in Montecito, which had 17 new listings, 11 opened escrows and six closed transactions for a net-zero Inventory status. Hope Ranch had two new listings, 0 price changes (low inventory), one pending sale and three closed sales, for a negative inventory count of two properties.

Santa Barbara had the largest disparity, with 47 new listings, 13 price changes, 40 pending transactions and 31 closed sales, for a negative property inventory of 24 units.

Carpinteria and Summerland

had seven new listings, seven pending sales and eight closed sales, with two price changes. Again, a negative inventory level of eight units.

Multiple offers are still being experienced on some properties, especially those priced below $5 million, and even more so if priced below $4 million. So don’t be surprised if you find yourself with competition since buyer demand is still out-stripping supply levels and mortgage rates seem to be stabilized, at least for now. Don’t expect dramatic downward price trends until buyer demand eases

and supply levels increase, but expect to see continued price changes as the market continues to find its equilibrium.

As always, if you have any real estate questions, please feel free to reach out to me at 805-886-9378 or email me at cristal@montecitoestate.com. All inquiries are strictly confidential. You can follow me on Instagram @cristalsb and Facebook as well.

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

COURTESY PHOTO

Lisa Faitell, the owner and designer for Faitell Attractions, is known for her award-winning East Coast-style.

Proforma Color Press acquires Commander Printed Products

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Proforma Color Press, located in Ventura, announced the acquisition of Commander Printed Products on Feb. 16.

Proforma Color Press has been serving Ventura and Santa Barbara counties for more than 22 years.

The company focuses on the printing and design of promotional products for local businesses.

Proforma is part of the official Proforma network, which has more than 700 locations across the country.

Additionally, Proforma is a part of the Ventura Chamber of Commerce.

The company that Proforma acquired, Commander Printed Products, is a printing manufacturer located in Oxnard. It has been a supplier to the local printing market for over 47 years.

“We look forward to our continued growth with Commander Printed Products’ deep roots in our community,” said David Schmaeling, president of Proforma Color Press.

The new addition to Proforma offers a new customer base to the company, allowing it to expand and offer new logo wear, promotional items, location decorations, storage and fulfillment programs.

This will all be assisted by Proforma’s eCommerce Platform, “Prostore,” which allows the company to be accessible for online company stores.

If you would like to learn more about this acquisition or the Proforma Color Press company, visit proformacolorpress.com.

email: abahnsen@newspress.com

Storm has included wind gusts of around 50 mph

WEATHER

Continued from Page A1

area experiencing flooding, move to higher grounds and do not attempt to travel through the water, the office advises.

The National Weather Service forecast predicts about two to four inches of rain throughout the county during this storm.

On Friday, rain levels varied throughout the county. New Cuyama and Santa Ynez saw lower rainfall levels with .43 and .86 inch respectively. Lompoc had 1.03 inches, and the Santa Barbara Airport area reported 2.07 inches.

This storm was warmer than the Jan. 9 storm, which featured almost freezing temperatures.

Temperatures on Friday around Santa Barbara County were reported in the upper 50s for highs while the lows were in the lower 50s.

One of the biggest factors in this specific storm has been the wind. Gusts have been reported to reach around 50 mph. Then the wind stayed consistently between 25 and 40 mph.

Wind alerts were present throughout Friday’s forecast, but the severity is expected to die down throughout the weekend.

The rain has increased the local water supply.

As of 8 a.m. Friday, reservoir levels were Gibraltar, 100.5% capacity; Lake Cachuma, 93.6% capacity; Jameson, 100.5% capacity; Twitchell, 52.2% capacity.

On Thursday due to the severity and consistency of these past storms in California, President Joe Biden approved the California Emergency Declaration. This allows for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief. The purpose of this effort is to alleviate storm-related hardship and provide assistance through emergency measures.

Because of the storm, the Guadalupe Union School District sites closed on Friday, but all Santa Maria Joint Union High School District sites and Santa Maria-Bonita School District sites remained open despite the possibility for closure due to the rainfall.

Two disaster centers — Solvang Superior Court and Orcutt Union School District Disaster Loan Outreach Center — were closed on Friday but are expected to reopen again.

The Solvang Superior Court is scheduled to open at 9 this morning, and the Orcutt Union School District Disaster Loan Outreach Center will reopen at 9 a.m. Monday. People are encouraged to visit these centers if they need information on how to prepare, recover or need help with long-term resilience due to the impact of these storms.

To file for assistance, register at www. disasterassistance.gov.

On Tuesday, another storm is expected to make its way through the Central Coast. email: abahnsen@newspress.com

Orchids stand out for their beauty at the show.

KENNETH

/

Event theme: ‘OrchidsThe Adventure Returns

ORCHIDS

Continued from Page A1

The area’s first orchid show showcased local hobbyists of the flowers at the Montecito Grange Hall. Since then, the show has expanded in popularity and has become a well-anticipated event for many residents in the community.

In 2020, days before the orchid show was supposed to begin, COVID-19 forced the show to close. Due to county restrictions, there were also no shows in 2021 and 2022. Due to this, fans of the show have been eagerly anticipating the return of the orchids this year.

The theme this year is “Orchids

— The Adventure Returns” in honor of the reinstating of the show to the community.

The exhibits at the show, which continues today and Sunday, include orchid art, photography and floral arrangements, as well as a workshop and demonstration that teaches visitors how to properly take care of an orchid.

Everyone from commercial growers to the local enthusiasts are allowed to submit their orchids for display at the event.

Many local floral businesses are also represented at the event, including Santa Barbara Orchid Estate, Westerlay Orchids, Ambriz Kingdom of Plants and many

more.

“I have been going to the show since I was a little girl, and it is something that I have looked forward to every year,” Ms. O’Callaghan told the News-Press. “There is just so much to see and take in!”

The displays are grand in nature to show off the true beauty of the flower. This year, there are exhibits that span in size, from small, singular orchid presentations to large, aweinspiring displays.

In addition to the many exhibits, the show hosts various contests for people to enter their orchids and displays. These awards range from best display to best scientifical art and everything in between. The top award is titled “Best Orchid in Show.”

And guests are allowed to purchase many of the orchids on display for their own homes. When you buy the desired orchid, you are taught how to re-pot and manage your new flower so you too can showcase its beauty.

The staff is helpful at the show and are ready to answer any floral question you may have.

In addition to the floral beauty, the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show is a great way to escape the rain this weekend. The entire show is indoors. email: abahnsen@newspress.com

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

Visitors stroll in the rain to the front entrance of the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show at the Earl Warren Showgrounds.

dream is an awakening, the voice of consciousness’

Continued from Page A3

But content is what matters.”

TALISMANS, AMULETS AND CRYSTALS

Might crystals or talismans help put one in gear to dream vividly and to recall what was dreamt?

Mr. Moss pre-empted my question (as he continued to do throughout the interview) when, earlier, I cheekily asked, “What did you dream last night?”

He jovially replied, “An amulet as a pass key. It was a multi-faced gem, eight-sided, translucent with different bands of color.”

That said, Mr. Moss does not use stones or crystals in his dream process. He tells me he has never needed them, though he suggested bloodstone and quartz crystal or citrine as a transporter.

“Consciousness is never confined to the body and brain except by our lack of courage or imagination,” he says.

Later, Mr. Moss checked with his gemologist friend, a teacher of active dreaming, and she responded to my question about the special “transformative” power of moldavite as a dream enhancer.

Moldavite is green tektite glass derived from a meteorite that crashed into what is now the Czech Republic 14.8 million years ago. It’s known as “the emerald that fell from heaven.”

Some believe that the emerald green chalice (or Holy Grail) used by Jesus during his Last Supper was carved from a chunk of Moldavite. Due to an unusually high frequency, this cosmic gem is utilized for its transformative powers by mystics, wiccans and energy healers.

Says Mr. Moss’s friend, “It relates to dreaming because it’s quite cosmic and magical.”

In fact, two years ago after placing a chip of moldavite (also from Paradise Found) inside my pillowcase (as prescribed), I experienced a long night of wild and vivid dreaming, a riveting and fastmoving montage of imagery leaving me exhausted upon awakening and with a hypnagogic suggestion from somewhere that I should open a restaurant called The Upanishad Café that serves only superfoods.

THE YOGA SCHOOL OF TINKER BELL

As for supplements to enhance dreaming and dream recall, Mr. Moss sees value in the power of suggestion by taking galantamine or vitamin B12 before bedtime, but otherwise recommends for those serious about dreaming to seek counsel from

a reputable, trustworthy guide. Nor does he see value in drugs such as cannabis, magic mushrooms or ayahuasca for the purposes of dreaming.

Having learned to pay special attention to the liminal hypnagogic state between sleep and awake — what the French call “dorveille,” meaning sleep-wake — on the basis that this is an ideal launchpad for lucid dreaming and contact with inner and transpersonal guides, I asked Mr. Moss if a process exists for prolonging this state.

He evoked what he calls “The Yoga School of Tinker Bell” and quoted from the movie “Hook,” based on Peter Pan, in which the fairy (or pixie) Tinker Bell says, “You know that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming? That’s where I’ll be waiting.”

“But,” adds Mr. Moss, “you don’t have to go to sleep to dream. A dream is an awakening, the voice of consciousness. Listen to ALL of your dreams. The world is a dream.

“Look at the world around you with all senses open. As for liminality, take a gentle approach to entering the day. No alarm clock. Come back gently, slowly. Spend time lying in bed. Find the right posture. Stay attentive, a relaxed attention or attentive relaxation. And ALWAYS write down your dreams as soon as you remember them.”

My next question: “If you follow your dreams, are you going down a rabbit hole or coming out of it?”

“Good question!” Robert laughed. “The oldest understanding of dreams — or dream theory — is that dreaming is traveling, a journey of the soul and soul remembering. It is not confined to body and mind. Where would your higher self like to go? Dreaming is a magical road for reconnecting to the soul.

“I think people began to realize dreaming as a form of journeying during COVID when they were locked down and could not physically travel anywhere. But they could travel in their dreams! Maybe the COVID experience will provide a rebirth to a dreaming society, a reconnection to older, highly spiritual cultures that put great faith in the value of dreams.”

We can only hope our consumer-and-attentiondeficit oriented culture will rediscover and tune into the magical journeys we take every night of our lives.

On this very special day, sweet dreams!

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

UCSB men’s basketball moves on to Big West semifinals

By KRISTEN KELLER UCSB SPORTS

The UCSB men’s basketball team (24-7, 15-5 Big West) opened up The Big West Championships in the quarterfinal round as the second-seeded Gauchos took on the 10th-seeded Cal Poly Mustangs as they took the BlueGreen Rivalry to Henderson. This all-out battle ended in favor of the Gauchos as UCSB now moves on to The Big West Semifinals as they defeated Cal Poly 64-54.

“We knew this would be a really tough game; a dog fight,” said UCSB Head Coach Joe Pasternack. “In the first half, we were kind of shocked. We were in a new arena, we didn’t get good shots, and defensively, we didn’t play well. But in the second half, we really flipped and shot at 54 percent while holding them to 34 percent. That was huge.”

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Mustangs won the tipoff and ran with the momentum early in this game, keeping a consistent

five-point lead on the Gauchos through the first nine minutes of play. Despite the Gauchos best efforts to gain the lead, Cal Poly was not having it as the first half ended in favor of the Mustangs with a score of 32-26.

As soon as the Gauchos returned to the floor, they were on fire. They closed the gap within one during the first five minutes before taking the lead off a steal from Ajay Mitchell that turned into a layup from Miles Norris. Once the Gauchos put themselves in this position, it was a back-andforth battle between these two teams as it always is when they play one another. That was shortlived for the Mustangs as Mitchell heated up. The Gauchos were able to grow their lead, resulting in a 64-54 victory for UCSB.

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Mitchell led the game in scoring, putting up 24 points in this game with 21 of those coming in the second half. To add on to that, the reigning Big West Player of the Year contributed five assists

along with one block and a steal.

• Norris was next up for the Gauchos, scoring 12 points in tonight’s game. The senior scored three straight baskets at the start of the second half to put his team in a good position to win. He also secured two steals.

• Andre Kelly shined for the Gauchos in this one, scoring 11 points while adding on a teamhigh eight rebounds. His defense also shined as he snagged three steals.

• Josh Pierre-Louis was a big part of the Gauchos’ success this evening. He secured nine points on the offensive side of the ball while grabbing five boards.

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

email: sports@newspress.com

MORE INSIDE

For more sports, see page A8.

UCSB women’s basketball takes on Roadrunners in Big West semifinals

By KRISTEN KELLER UCSB SPORTS

The UCSB women’s basketball team (20-11, 12-8 Big West) have made it to the semifinals of The Big West Championships as they get ready to fight for a spot in the Championships this afternoon. The fifth-seeded Gauchos will take on the ninth-seeded Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners. The Gauchos swept both legs of the series during the regular season while boasting a 10-4 record against CSU Bakersfield.

LAST TIME OUT

The Gauchos played in the quarterfinal round of The Big West Championships against UC Davis, who came into this game seeded fourth in the tournament. UCSB could not be stopped as they only allowed the Aggies to score 13 points in the first half, the lowest number of points scored in a half during The Big West Championships, as The Gauchos were up 41-13. The lower-seeded Gauchos continued their pursuit into the second half and didn’t let up as they took down the Aggies 70-36 to move onto the semifinals.

SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS

• Cal State Bakersfield defeated two higher seeds on their way to The Big West Semifinals. They took down the eighth-seeded CSUN Matadors in the opening round on Tuesday before defeating No.

1 UC Irvine in a double overtime thriller. Taylor Caldwell, Hennie Van Schaik and Sophia Tougas have been the offensive leaders for the Roadrunners. Caldwell is averaging 17.5 points per game through the tournament while Van Schaik and Tougas are averaging 12.0 and 11.5 points per game.

• Throughout the regular season, the Roadrunners ranked highly in the NCAA in blocks per game and field goal percentage defense. Cal State Bakersfield are first in The Big West and 17th in the NCAA in this category, holding their opponents to just a 35.9 field goal percentage. Along with that, they were 18th in the country and No. 1 in the league in blocks per game, averaging 4.9 a game. The Roadrunners also hold their opponents to just 28.1 percent from beyond the arc, the lowest number in The Big West.

• The team’s blocks per game average is in huge part to Kayla Morris. She is 10th in the NCAA and Please see UCSB on A8

By MARILYN MCMAHON

Timed with Women’s History Month, Rosewood Miramar Beach is featuring a collaborative menu between Caruso’s chef de cuisine Shibani Mone and Chef Rachel Haggstrom of Paso Robles’ The Restaurant at JUSTIN.

Both restaurants were awarded a one Michelin Star as well as the Michelin Green Star for 2022.

Chef Mone will host Chef Haggstrom at Caruso’s for two nights on March 17 and 18, and the following week Chef Haggstrom will host Chef Mone at JUSTIN on March 24 and 25.

Each night the pair will prepare a special menu highlighting their unique points of view with an eye on sustainability and Central Coast

Life theArts

INSIDE

Distinguishing between highbrow, lowbrow and middlebrow

Ask the Gold Digger - B4

CALENDAR

Trading places

Female chefs collaborate on menus during Women’s History Month

produce.

Menu items will include Santa Barbara Abalone, Morro Bay

Oyster, Crown Jewel Caviar; Channel Island Halibut, White Asparagus, Pacific Clams, Asparagus Crema; Maple Leaf Farms Duck, Huckleberry, Beet, Buckwheat; Santa Barbara Bluefin

Ahi Tartare, Lemon, Taggiasca

Olives, Almond Granita; Hand Pulled Burrata, Spring Peas, Potato, Prosciutto di Parma; Coastal Miramar Honey, Pixie Tangerine; and Vanilla Maccaron, Blueberry Bonbon, Saree’s Snickers.

Costs are $295 for the Chef’s Tasting Menu, an additional $195 for the standard wine pairing and $345 for the additional elite wine pairing.

With an impressive resume featuring high-profile kitchens around the country including

Eleven Madison Park, NoMad and The Modern in New York City and Quince in San Francisco, Chef Mone approaches her work with a discerning palate and pursuit of excellence.

She received her bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and kitchen administration from the Institute of Hotel Management in Aurangabad, India, and her associate master’s degree in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of America in New York.

A California native, Chef Haggstrom joined JUSTIN in 2019 and is best-known for her upscale farm-to-table cooking style that draws influence from the state’s bounty of fresh, seasonal produce, allowing her a wide variety of ingredients that bring California’s seasons to the plate.

In her role as executive chef, she leads the culinary team that caters

events, galas and weddings as well as the dining program at JUSTIN’s Tasting Room in downtown Paso Robles. Most recently, The Restaurant at JUSTIN received Five-Stars in Forbes Travel Guide’s 2023 Star Awards, one of the most prestigious global ratings for luxury hotels, restaurants, and spas.

Chef Haggstrom earned her culinary degree at the California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco. She then worked her way through the kitchens of various elite culinary destinations including The Dining Room, the Michelin Star restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco; the former Postrio by Chef Wolfgang Puck; Thomas Keller’s three Michelin star-restaurant, The French Laundry; and as executive chef at the Balboa Bay Resort.

Chef Haggstrom and Chef Mone

are in rarified company as two of the 25.2% of female chefs in the country. According to www. chefspencil.com, about a quarter of head chefs around the world are women, but only 6% of head chefs of Michelin Star restaurants are female.

The number of female chefs is on the rise worldwide with several countries reporting a steady increase over the past few years. In the United Kingdom, the number of female chefs has increased by a third since 2016, and they now make up about a quarter of the workforce.

The United States has also seen a steady rise in female chefs over the past seven years. In 2014, 22% of the chefs were female, while in 2019 the number increased to 23.9%.

ABC PHOTO

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 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 75th annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show takes place today and Sunday at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $20 for one-day admission and $30 for a multiple-day pass. To purchase, go to sborchidshow.com.

10 a.m. St. Patrick’s Day parade on Main Street in downtown Ventura.

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. “Storytelling:

Native People Through the Lens of Edward S. Curtis” is on display through April 30 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays. For more information, visit sbnature.org.

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. “SURREAL

WOMEN: Surrealist Art by American Women” is on display through April 24 at Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery, 11 E. Anapamu St. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, www.sullivangoss.com.

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 to 4 p.m. The Goleta Valley Library will host its 50th anniversary celebration. The library is at 500 N. Fairview Ave., Goleta.

6 p.m. The Masters of Hawaiian Music Tour comes to Santa Barbara with a concert at 6 p.m. Saturday at SOhO Restaurant and Music Club, 1221 State St. Doors will open at 5 p.m. The performers are guitarists/vocalists George Kahumoku Jr. and Sonny Lim and ukulele performer Herb Ohta Jr. Dinner tickets today cost $35. To purchase, go to www.sohosb.com.

This show is for all ages.

MARCH 12 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 75th annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show will take place March 10-12 at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real. Tickets cost $20 for a oneday admission. To purchase, go to sborchidshow.com.

4:30 p.m. A free viewing of the Oscars will take place at the Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St., Santa Barbara.

The live ABC broadcast will be on the Arlington screen at 5 p.m. A red carpet pre-show party with music by

Jimmy Kimmel will host ABC’s live broadcast of the Oscars at 5 p.m. Sunday on KEYT-TV, Channel 3. You can watch the free broadcast on the big screen at the Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St., Santa Barbara, where the doors will open at 4;30 p.m. A red carpet pre-show party with music by DJ Darla Bea will precede it at 3 p.m. in the Arlington courtyard and will cost $15, which includes priority seating during the broadcast, free popcorn, a free cocktail and a free raffl e ticket to win prizes. Tickets for the pre-show party will be available at the Arlington box office. Please see

Managing Editor Dave Mason dmason@newspress.com

SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2023

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

At left, dishes will include “welcome bites” such as these. Center, tuna tartare is among the dishes. At right, cofanetti is part of the menu.

COURTESY PHOTOS

At left, Chef Rachel Haggstrom of Paso Robles’ The Restaurant at JUSTIN will host Caruso’s chef de cuisine Shibani Mone at The Restaurant at JUSTIN on March 24 and 25 in Paso Robles. At right, Chef de cuisine Shibani Mone will host Chef Rachel Haggstrom of Paso Robles’ The Restaurant at JUSTIN on March 17 and 18 at Caruso’s at Rosewood Miramar Beach.

You can’t let getting older stop you

Are you on the back nine? Did you win the toss and select to receive in the second half? Do you feel like you blinked and suddenly you were past your prime? Are you getting ready for a comeback or looking for a hide-out?

These are all true-life metaphors for those of us on the north side of life.

I try to walk daily, just because I want to maintain my mobility and I like to check out the neighborhood. I use trekking poles to give the upper body a little workout. (And they are very helpful when we go hiking). The other day I was out, and a couple of older guys who were sharing a walker looked over at me and shouted, “Keep it up!” They must have been in their 90s. If I ever need a walker, I will use it twice a day to keep myself physically moving. I can make a living sitting on my butt and

looking at a computer, so getting exercise is a must these days. Otherwise, I will stiffen up like a board. Truthfully, I already have moderate arthritis, and I’m not going to let it stop me from doing what I want. Hey, the walk from the parking lot to our seats at SoFi Stadium is a long way!

It’s good to eat a healthy diet. (I still give myself treats once a month.) It also helps to take vitamins and medically recommended supplements.

Feeling good takes some effort. It’s not as easy as being young, but nothing lasts forever. Back in my 30s, I interviewed a group of healthy octogenarians, and the things these well elderly folks had in common were interesting:

1. They didn’t drink alcohol.

2. They didn’t smoke.

REVIEW

‘Marlowe’ falls short of film noir greatness

By DAVE MASON

NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

If you’re a fan of Raymond Chandler’s mysteries and his characters, “Marlowe” will interest you. Just don’t expect too much.

Although Liam Neeson does his usual great job in playing detective Phillip Marlowe, this film noir movie falls short in terms of story and plot twists.

You should know this is not a story written by Mr. Chandler.

former lover in this movie set in fictional Bay City, Calif. Her boyfriend was involved in the movie industry. Marlowe’s search leads to a host of complications, including the appearance of Clare’s mother, played with some (but not too much) spunk by Jessica Lange.

FYI

“Marlowe” is playing at 4:40 p.m. daily at Hitchcock Cinema and Public House, 371 S. Hitchcock Way, Santa Barbara (metrotheatres.com). The movie is rated R for language, violent content, some sexual material and brief drug use. Its running time is 110 minutes.

It’s based on a Chandler estate-sanctioned book by John Banville.

While you won’t be swept away by the story, you’ll likely enjoy Mr. Neeson’s take on the detective. He’s a worthy successor to other actors who have walked in Marlowe’s shoes, although it’s impossible to beat Humphrey Bogart, who starred as the detective in “The Big Sleep” (1946).

“Marlowe” is set in 1939.

A beautiful blonde — Clare Cavendish, played with sultry, film noir finesse by Diane Kruger — hires Mr. Neeson to find her

No. 305

The other characters also add this to the film, including the villain played well by Alan Cumming and a chauffeur with unexpected skills, portrayed by Adewale Akinnuove-Agbaje.

Director Neil Jordan leads the actors well in some good conversations, and there are some plot surprises. But while “Marlowe” has its moments, it falls short of the rhythm and tone of film noir.

By the way, “Marlowe” hasn’t topped or come close to topping the box office, and there’s just one screening of it in Santa Barbara County: 4:40 p.m. daily at Hitchcock Pub and Cinema House in Santa Barbara.

email: dmason@newspress.com

BY WILL NEDIGER / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

3. They drank lots of water.

4. They ate a healthy diet.

5. They took as little medication as possible.

6. They took little walks often.

7. They stayed as engaged with life as best they could. After hearing this, I cleaned up my act a bit to get a jumpstart. Healthy living is easier these days, because my loving wife lives this way, and she’s determined to keep me alive because someone has to clean out the cat box and she loves me — not necessarily in that order. One of the icons of the silver screen, Bette Davis, once said, “Old age ain’t no place for sissies.” She worked until the end of her life, as did Betty White. They both had the inner strength to keep themselves up

and to keep going. Today, people are taking better care of themselves than ever before, and the ways to do it keep evolving. There must be a new exercise craze every few months these days. (See aforementioned trekking poles). You have to find a way to get interested in something. Keeping up with my wife is all the motivation I personally need. You have to find your own, and stick with it.

Dr. Barton Goldsmith is an award-winning psychotherapist and humanitarian. He is also the author of eight books and a blogger for PsychologyToday. com with more than 34 million readers. He is available for video consults worldwide.Reach him at barton@bartongoldsmith.com. His column appears Saturdays and Mondays in the News-Press. Follow his daily insights at www. twitter.com/BartonGoldsmith.

San Marcos High School to host annual FUNdraiser

SANTA BARBARA — San Marcos High School Band

Boosters will host their annual “FUNdraiser” April 8 to raise money for the band program.

This free event will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. Draughtsmen Aleworks Mosaic Locale, 1131 State St., Santa Barbara.

The family-friendly event will be completely outdoors, and there will be live music by the Mezcal Martini band, a local Latin dance band. There will also be special performances by San Marcos High School’s Jazz Ensemble as well as La Cumbre Junior High School’s DrumLine.

Food will be provided by Goodland Waffles and Melts, a new local waffle shop in Santa Barbara. Fifteen percent of the food sales will be donated to San Marcos High School. Additionally, there will be a bake sale selling yummy treats to the guests. Raffle tickets will also be sold at the event with the chase to win prizes including gift certificates for local restaurants and services, drum lessons, gift baskets, and more. For more information, see smroyalsbands.weebly.com.

— Annika Bahnsen

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 ServicesLompoc.

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

CALENDAR

Continued from Page B1

DJ Darla Bea will precede it at 3 p.m. in the Arlington courtyard and will cost $15, which includes priority seating during the broadcast, free popcorn, a free cocktail and a free raffle ticket to win prizes. Tickets for the pre-show party will be available at the Arlington box office.

MARCH 14

Liam Neeson stars in “Marlowe.”

03/11/2023

COURTESY IMAGE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Dave Mason

a public lecture titled “In the Eye of the Storm: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The free talk will take place at the Wolf Education and Training Center, 529 W. Junipero St., adjacent to RidleyTree Cancer Center in Santa Barbara. Reservations are required by March 10. To attend, contact J.V. Vallejos at 805-681-7528 or jvallejo@sansumclinic.org. Masks will be required.

MARCH 18

Lifeline screening for cholesterol, diabetes risks, kidney and thyroid function, plaque buildup in arteries and more at the Santa Barbara Seventh-day Adventist Church, 425 Arroyo Road, Santa Barbara. Registration is required at www. lifelinescreening.com.

MARCH 16

5:30 p.m. Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi — Lewis Atterbury Stimson professor and chairman in the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center and surgeonin-chief at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center — will present

CHEFS

Continued from Page B1

But while the number of female chefs is on the rise, what’s the picture at the very top of the table? How many female chefs run the world’s best restaurants, and how does the number at the top compare to other industries?

To answer these questions, an industry team researched the number of female chefs who run some of the best restaurants in the world.

Specifically, it analyzed 2,286 Michelin-starred restaurants in 16 countries as well as the top 100 restaurants in the world ranked by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants association (three quarters of the world’s 100 best restaurants are also Michelin-starred).

7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform “John Williams: A Cinematic Celebration” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. To purchase tickets, go to granadasb.org. For more information, visit www.thesymphony.org or call 805-8989386.

MARCH 19 3 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform John Williams: A Cinematic Celebration” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. To purchase tickets, go to granadasb.org. For more information, visit www.thesymphony.org or call 805-8989386. — Dave Mason

and Spain (11%) — lead the table with the highest share of women in leading culinary roles.

The team asked several top chefs and organizations about the causes for the underrepresentation of women in leading culinary roles.

FYI

For more information about the dinners at Caruso’s at Rosewood Miramar Beach on March 17 and 18 and The Restaurant at JUSTIN on March 24 and 25 in Paso Robles, visit www.rosewoodhotels.com/ en/miramar-beach-montecito/ experiences/calendar/womenshistory-month-at-carusos.

“Since we introduced ‘The World’s Best Female Chef Award’ 10 years ago, we have been working to draw attention to this inequality and to shine a light on supremely talented female chefs — both with the aim of celebrating them as individuals but also to inspire future generations of young women,” said William Drew, director of content for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

In Norway, Sweden and Denmark, there are currently only two female chefs running a Michelin-starred restaurant. Compare that to 62 male-run Michelin restaurants in the region.

In the Netherlands, there is only one female chef among the 112 chefs running the country’s top restaurants, while in Germany, there are only 13 female chefs among the country’s 337 Michelinstarred head chefs. France scores only marginally better than Germany with 5% of Michelinstarred restaurants led by women.

The share of women-led top restaurants is higher in the United States (7%) and the United Kingdom (8%). But two countries in Europe’s south and two of the continent’s culinary powerhouses — Italy (10%)

“Until women are more equally represented in the hospitality sector or occupy higher positions within the industry on a more equal scale, we will continue to celebrate and elevate the achievements of women in this space.”

The introduction of the award created some controversy in the industry, as some people complained it was discriminatory. But many appreciated it for what it is — a celebration of the most accomplished female chefs in the industry.

“We hope that one day The World’s Best Female Chef Award isn’t needed, but until there is more diversity in the industry, we’ll continue recognizing the best female chefs and inspiring ongoing debate around gender issues in the food world,” said Mr. Drew. email: mmcmahon@newspress. com

Diversions

Thought for Today

“You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.”

— Joyce Meyer

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Saturday, March 11, 2023

ARIES — Low biorhythms may have you feeling less than your usual self, Aries. Your mind may not be quite as quick as it usually is, and you may go through the day in a bit of a fog, possibly reflecting on the past. This isn’t quite as aimless as it sounds. You might want to jot down your memories and reflections.

TAURUS — Frustrating delays in completing a project might cause you to doubt your skills, Taurus. Be careful not to fall into this trap. There’s nothing wrong with your skills. Take a good long look at what you’re doing and try to discern where it got hung up. Worries about money may cause you to consider postponing an activity that means a lot to you.

GEMINI — Even though you’re likely to wake up feeling energetic and enthusiastic, Gemini, your mood may sink a little when you think about all you need to do. It may be time to question whether you should make some significant changes. Are the walls closing in on you?

If so, perhaps you should look for an opportunity that gives you more freedom of movement or perhaps gets you outside part of the time.

CANCER — An increased awareness of subtle undercurrents may have you feeling a bit disconcerted today, Cancer. You could experience clairvoyant or telepathic abilities you didn’t know you had. As you usually like to be down to Earth and realistic, this may throw you for a loop, but try to flow with it.

LEO — The desire to perform a service of some kind could attract you to group activities today, Leo. You might attend a meeting of a group you aren’t yet familiar with, and you could feel like a fifth wheel. Take heart! You will catch on soon, and the people in the group are likely to take to you.

VIRGO — Your day could be worrisome and stressful, Virgo. Your workload may be especially heavy and you could be putting in some long hours. Relations with others might also be a bit tense. Ease the stress by playing music and take frequent breaks. Have a good meal at lunchtime and then take a walk. Things are likely to be a lot more laid back tomorrow!

By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency Saturday,

March 11, 2023

“Simple Saturday” columns focus on basic technique and logical thinking. Defenders usually play “second hand low.” They may compel declarer, who is third to play, to guess what to do or to spend a high card to prevent the other defender from winning cheaply. But declarer can take advantage of that tendency.

At today’s 3NT, South wins the first spade with the ace and counts six top tricks: two spades and four diamonds. Meanwhile, East has entries and threatens to establish and cash three spades.

EIGHT TRICKS

If South leads a club next or a heart to dummy’s king, East will win and set up the spades, and South will have at most eight tricks. To succeed, South leads a diamond to dummy and returns a low heart through East, who has the ace for his opening bid. East must play second hand low: If he takes the ace, South wins three heart tricks and nine in all. If East plays low, South wins and forces out the ace of clubs, winning two clubs, four diamonds, two spades and one heart.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold:

You open one spade, and your partner bids two hearts.

LIBRA — Today you’re likely to feel rather bored, restless, and frustrated with the way your life is going now, Libra. You have responsibilities that need meeting, yet you have other projects that interest you a lot more than mundane tasks. As a result, you might find yourself growing a bit impatient with those around you.

SCORPIO — You may feel especially sexy and passionate, Scorpio, but minor conflicts between you and the special someone in your life could put distance between you. You can avoid this by being patient and making an effort to communicate. You could be tempted to overspend, probably on items you don’t particularly need now and may not even want.

SAGITTARIUS — Nervous tension among family members is high today, Sagittarius, so don’t be surprised if household members start quarreling. It’s best to keep them apart most of the day if you can. In the evening, encourage them to talk about what’s bothering them. You may be feeling a bit bored and discouraged, but forget about it by keeping busy.

CAPRICORN — Information gleaned today might not be totally accurate, Capricorn. Someone may be repeating gossip or making stories up out of whole cloth. Listen if you want, but don’t pass along anything you hear unless you know for a fact that it’s true. Your workload might be especially heavy and you might have a deadline, so you have a ready excuse not to pay any attention!

AQUARIUS — Pessimism over money matters may plague you today, Aquarius. Perhaps a desired increase in income hasn’t materialized, or you’ve been hoping to make a particular purchase that you still can’t quite afford. This might be the time to put your ingenuity to work and come up with a contingency plan to earn the money you need.

PISCES — You may be a bit on edge emotionally today, Pisces. You’re likely to feel less selfconfident than usual, and you also might be a bit bored. In addition, you might have an exceedingly oppressive and tedious task that needs doing. Try easing the stress by listening to music and taking frequent breaks. Treat yourself to a good lunch.

SUDOKU

CODEWORD PUZZLE

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

What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner’s response promises five or more hearts. If he had only a four-card suit, he would have a better option, even a temporizing response in a threecard minor suit. Your chunky spade suit is worth rebidding, but showing support for your partner’s suit is a basic bidding principle. Raise to three hearts.

East dealer Both sides vulnerable

Distinguishing between highbrow, lowbrow and middlebrow

For a year, I’ve appraised items in Paradise, Calif. that were destroyed in the fire of 2018.

I’m amazed at the variety of objects treasured and collected by many folks in that community. I experienced the type of objects I don’t appraise much: baseball cards, stamp collections, mineral collections, coin collections, cast iron toys, matchbooks, vintage rock memorabilia, beanie babies, NASCAR stuff, model cars and taxidermy. Other appraisers before me turned down Paradise jobs because the objects collected were not “highbrow” enough. This classification (judgment) of collections into either highbrow, middlebrow or lowbrow both intrigued and disgusted me.

A collection is a life-affirming structure, and to me, it doesn’t matter what is collected. A collection is a passion, a sentiment, and a reach into history and into a personal past. Objects in a collection form cultural connections, enable structure building and celebrate the thrill of the hunt.

Costco’s magazine, “Connections,” this month featured a story about what Costco customers collect, such as full-service gas station memorabilia, matchbox cars, ceramic owls, ceramic honey pots, a world of patented mousetraps, Presidential memorabilia, Pez candy containers, souvenir coffee mugs, ceramic snails, locks and miniature perfume bottles.

Writer T. Foster Jones perhaps was not selecting collections based on refinement, money, connoisseurship and rarity. Selecting such “highbrow” collections for this publication may have compromised the “fast consumer” mentality that Costco symbolizes.

Who originally designated objects as “highbrow?”

First, in 1880-1900, “highbrow” literally meant a high forehead to a group of “scholars of the head” called phrenologists. These scholars studied the shape of facial features and heads at the turn of the last century. The term applied to the phrenological belief that the higher the brow, the more intelligent the person.

In 1946, a brilliant editor for Harper’s reinvented the term highbrow to apply to a range (high, middle and lowbrow) of what collectors consumed during the tenure of President Harry Truman.

This young editor, Russell Lynes, published a lighthearted satirical analysis of the state of culture for the post-World War II era, when the median American income was $3,000. The state of culture, he said, was stratified and always had been, and fell

into three main taste segments: high, middle and low. The three categories, he believed, were permanent cultural standards.

The electricity generated by Mr. Lynes’s article, accompanied by his fantastic socio-diagram cartoon graphs, resulted in a book still worth reading today: “The Tastemakers” (1954).

Mr. Lynes famously said in his book that what marks the group “highbrow” was not American heroes, but American thinkers. After World War II he said, we needed oracles, and the closest we came to oracles were scientists (example: Albert Einstein).

How each of us developed a high, middle, or low “brow” taste level depended on whose ideologies we consumed.

In the 1960s a sociologist posited that the American invention of the book of the month club is a marker that shows a “certain people’”

(middlebrow) do want high culture, but they want it in an easy manner.

In 1990, another genius, Lawrence Levine, rethought “high, middle and low BROWNESS” and published “Highbrow/Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America” (The William E Massey Sr., Lectures in American Studies). His book upended the paradigm of high, middle and lowbrow, and states that cultural boundaries are shifting and fragile, NOT natural and eternal. (However, we still use the comparison of a certain group’s appreciation of “art and culture” as a marker of rank/status/browness, today.)

The New York Times features articles that deconstruct the high, middle, lowbrow ranking system. Creatives and intellectuals today, according to the Times stories, watch Netflix and fashions on the street. Intellectuals and creatives purchase and operate middlebrow technology. Sociologists who study the arbitrary divisions of class and taste say we have so many visual images and noise around us that there’s little distinction between high, middle or lowbrow art. They cite today’s creative mashups, compilations, and resonant sharing of music and images across many artforms as proof. To polarize a group of Americans because of one’s judgment about taste is a crime in this rich creative landscape.

To judge cultural capital is to polarize others. As Diana Vreeland said, ‘I would rather have bad taste than no taste at all.’

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

Written after her father’s COVID-19 diagnosis, Dr. Stewart’s book “My Darlin’

Quarantine: Intimate

Connections

Created in Chaos” is a humorous collection of five “what-if” short stories that end in personal triumphs over presentday constrictions. It’s available at Chaucer’s in Santa Barbara.

COURTESY PHOTO

This collectible featuring Abraham Lincoln would be suitable for a middlebrow collection.

The California Senate’s first hearing on gasoline prices was held Feb. 22. and Gov.

Gavin Newsom’s plan to cap oil profits “was met with a dose of skepticism,” according to Politico.

Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee chairman Sen. Steve Bradford, D-Los Angeles County, told the committee that “we must ensure our actions that we take first (do) no harm to consumers.”

Nothing was resolved at the hearing. Nor will anything be

IDEAS & COMMENTARY

The Newsoms and a tangled web of political grift/ C2

DID YOU KNOW?

Bonnie Donovan

Beware of China

The former top U.S. intelligence official, John Ratcliffe, has warned that China is the greatest threat to democracy and freedom since the Second World War.

Similar warnings have come from Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state, and Christopher Wray, the current chief of the FBI. Therefore, we can be under no illusions about the threat to our personal lives, to our economic security and our personal liberty coming from communist China.

Remember, the Korean War was not so much a war against North Korea, as a war against the Communist Chinese government.

In light of these warnings, we need to ask pointed questions to our federal and state governments on why certain facts are occurring.

Why do we permit 290,086 Chinese students in America, many of whom are graduate students, working in high technology areas, when we know for sure that many of China’s technological advances have been due to the stealing of both military and commercial new technologies by Chinese nationals in America and the corrupting of professors in American universities? Did You Know? has just discovered that Chinese companies are now buying up American, private K-12 schools across the country. It appears that these buyers are using, what might be a loophole in F1 US visas, to enable Chinese students to go through all grades prior to applying to U.S. universities.”

Why have we permitted Chinese companies and investors to buy 384,000 acres of land in America, some of which is adjacent to American military bases?

resolved at the next hearing. Not until policymakers realize that perpetually high gas prices in California are not the product of a nefarious industry preying on its customers but due to a misguided tax regime and regulatory agenda. Gov. Newsom got the wreck rolling when last fall he assured Californians that “oil companies are ripping you off” and claimed “their record profits are coming at your expense at the pump.”

He wants lawmakers to pass

a bill that punishes oil companies if they don’t comply with a government price structure that will be based on the politics of the moment.

“If they won’t lower their prices,” he threatened, “we will do it for them.”

A little more than a week before the first hearing, the governor’s press office bragged that “lots of progress is being made on @ CAgovernor’s price gouging penalty proposal to hold Big Oil accountable.”

“No other subnational

government in the world has proposed such an aggressive measure to hold Big Oil accountable so the governor and Legislature are committed to getting the details of this right.”

But lawmakers aren’t yet buying it. Progressive Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine, told the committee that “we don’t really have a smoking gun as far as I can see that shows intentional collusion.”

Fuel prices are determined by markets, which set the price of everything bought and sold, and when those markets are skewed by public policy, prices

are either artificially inflated or artificially lowered. When the information that market prices convey is distorted by government intervention, it tends “to make us poorer,” says Hoover Institution policy fellow Daniel Heil.

”When prices don’t reflect” changes in consumer preferences or “when inputs become more or less scarce” – in other words, when policies cause prices to rise or fall, or they interfere somewhere along the process of moving goods to retail markets – the “result will be

Please

President Biden’s dangerous new cold war

“The young very seldom lead anything in our country today. It’s been quite some time since a younger generation pushed an older one to a higher standard.”

— Wynton

Marsalis

Millennials and Generation X have enjoyed the fruits of cheap technology, near zero interest rates, the internet doing their homework and not worrying about being drafted. They live in a society that shows little concern for national security. They are coddled by a government rich with entitlements if they need help.

Most importantly, they have never lived under the constant fear of being nuked.

Boomers grew up during the Cold War under a cloud of worry and fear, in a world rebuilding from World War II. As off-springs of returning love-hungry heroes, we wore hand-me-downs, walked to school with a brown-bag lunch and a nickel for a carton of milk. If we had a TV, it got four channels off of tin foil and rabbit ears. Our

lives depended on the intimidating sounds of nuclear air raid siren tests.

Life during the Cold War behind the Eastern Bloc was living hell.

Life in the free world was waiting for “all hell to break loose” when those sirens told us it really was a Red attack. Where would we go? What would we do?

Where would we be safe?

Will God protect us from the bomb if we are nuked?

“The Cold War is thawing, but it will always burn under the heat of communism.”

Richard Nixon

—

The Cold War defined the lives of boomers. It embellished disdain for communism in our DNA. Our parents, priests and teachers taught us communism isn’t a government but a godless religion. We learned it thrives on a dogma of deliverance, but it delivers despair. We learned communism is selfserving to propagate communism. The Cold War made us patriots eager to defend our democracy!

When President Ronald Reagan and Pope St. John Paul helped end communism in the Eastern Bloc, it marked the end of the Cold War. While Russia imbibed in “Cominocracy,” communism flourished in Asia and autocratic regimes took hold in the East. The day the Cold War ended, the war on terrorism began.

During the Cold War, America had one visible enemy: the U.S.S.R. But since the end of the Cold War, America’s enemies are both visible and invisible. Instead of one common foe, America is fighting to protect freedom on many fronts around the globe; against autocratic nations and terrorists.

“People today don’t know about the Cold War or fear of a nuclear holocaust from the U.S.S.R.”

— Hideo Osaka

On Election Eve 2016, Donald Trump received more congratulatory phone calls from rogue nations than any U.S. president in history. The world

listened when Mr. Trump pledged he was “going to make America great again.” They knew he was a patriot, not a politician, and he would work for the people and not the party. And that terrified them. And that fear lasted his entire term in office.

President Joe Biden inherited a foreign policy that had significantly lowered bilateral tensions between major nuclear states. President Trump “quelled the storms of aggression” with North Korea, Russia and Iran. He brought China to its knees with his “phase-one” trade agreement and protected the theft of U.S. intellectual property. Since President Biden took office, that fear has been replaced with disrespect.

For a guy who was Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair during the Cold War, Joe Biden is showing his critics they are right. His mind is locked in the “Cold War past.” After he took office, in a “60 Minutes” interview he said, “The biggest threat to American security is not China but Russia.”

A few weeks into the Russian

Ukraine War, President Biden convinced NATO to escalate its support for Ukraine. This was an effort to humiliate and destabilize Russia, undermining support for Russian President Vladimir Putin within his own country. President Biden’s goal is to reduce the power and influence Russia has in Europe.

“Our goal is to not only help Ukraine defend itself, but to discredit Putin with Europe.”

— Joe Biden

After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. objective now is to limit Russia’s power over the long term. “We want to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can’t do the kinds of things that it has done by invading Ukraine.”

While President Biden is hellbent on inflicting a humiliating defeat on Russia, European nations don’t agree. They feel if

China owns or controls 96 seaports in 53 countries across the world. Five of these ports are in Miami, Long Beach, Houston, Los Angeles and Seattle. This provides China with a strategic advantage in the potential control over the shipment and flow of goods and information on the passage of U.S. commercial and military cargo and ships.

Ever since Jimmy Carter gave the Panama Canal to Panama, American influence in Panama declined and Chinese influence and investments there grew rapidly. America is still the greatest user of the Panama Canal. Many U.S. naval ships pass through it every year. Much of the goods flowing through the canal are of Chinese origin.

The key strategic issue is that Chinese companies control the ports at both ends of the canal. In addition, a Chinese company controls a deep-water port on Grand Bahama Island. This port is used mainly to ship goods to American East Coast ports.

In September 2022, a Chinese company, Shandong Bao Shuan Group, paid $8.55 billion for 79.5% control of America’s largest chicken producer, Tyson Foods. Another Chinese company owns Smithfield’s, the largest pork producer in America. Chinese companies own or control other U.S. companies, but the ownership is often murky.

Please

Columnist James Buckley is taking a break. His column will return next week in Voices.

Kerry Jackson

The author is with the Pacific Research Institute

Wendy McCaw

Arthur von Wiesenberger Co-Publisher Co-Publisher

GUEST OPINION

If this isn’t against the law, it should be!

There is an organization that I have featured on my KZSB AM 1290 radio show over the years known as OpenTheBooks.com, a project of American Transparency, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

OpenTheBooks.com works hard “to capture and post all disclosed spending at every level of government — federal, state and local.”

In 2022, the organization filed 50,000 Freedom of Information Act requests and captured 25 million public employee pension and salary records. They also broke open the California state checkbook for the first time in American history despite the stonewalling of state officials. They are worthy of your attention and financial support.

The latest spending spree

OpenTheBooks.com disclosed revealed an incredibly tangled web of political grift in an endless cycle, all having to do with Gov. Gavin Newsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Here are the details of their report.

Jennifer Newsom runs two companies, a nonprofit named The Representation Project, which licenses gender justice films along with dealing with issues involving children’s mental health concerns in curricula featured in public schools throughout the nation. This nonprofit is funded in part by scores of state vendors who were also solicited to fund Gavin Newsom’s political campaigns, which is a story all by itself. Ms. Newsom also writes and directs the gender identity films via her for-profit company, Girls Club Entertainment, which she sells through the nonprofit to schools.

But that is only one-half of the story. When Gavin Newsom was elected, he created the Office of the First Partner, with a budget of more than $1 million per year, through which Jennifer Newsom lobbied the state government, via her husband the governor, for some $5 billion in state funding for K-12 mental health services that funded 10,000 school counselors. “Coincidentally,” thereby, the director of the California Association of School Counselors and the California Board of Education adopted guidance that recommended her films and

curriculum be licensed and used in classrooms.

As if all that wasn’t bad enough, the films Ms. Newsom are peddling to our school children contain two types of pornography: sexual and political. Specifically, the films depict strippers and bondage, discipline (or domination), sadism and masochism (as a type of sexual practice) as it warns children as young as 11 years old about the dangers of watching the same. Not only that, but the film also includes the website addresses of porn sites including Porn Hub, MassiveCams, BDSM.XXX, and Brazzers.com.

Furthermore, one lesson for middle and high schoolers includes the “genderbread person,” who aims to show children how biological sex, “gender expression,” “sexual attraction” and “gender identity” exist on a spectrum, which can be mixed and matched.

The political porn content of the films urges students to become political and social advocates who will urge their fellow students to vote for politicians, like Gavin Newsom, who just happens to appear in the films, who support a “care economy” while it pushes a guilt complex on students who are benefitting from their privilege at the expense of the oppressed within our society. Ironically, a good part of the mental health crisis among school-aged children was generated by Gavin Newsom’s brutal lockdown of our society, including school closures and the requirement to wear masks everywhere we were. The first partner even admitted the same in a 2020 report she coproduced indicating teens are experiencing a tremendous loss due to school closure and social distancing. which has led to feelings of denial, anger and depression in our children.

Open The Books Founder Adam Andrzejewski summed it up quite well when he stated that “the Newsoms create the problems, solve the problems and cash checks along the way.”

The Jan. 6 sham

For two years, Democrats, antiTrump Republicans, the FBI and newspapers gaslighted and told lies about what happened at the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. As a result, many Americans were brainwashed into thinking an insurrection had taken place. It was a sham, a lie.

One of the most egregious examples of the corruption was the sham Jan. 6 Committee that told lie after lie. The Jan. 6 Committee had seen all the videos about that day at the capitol.

They knew that Brian Sicknick was not murdered but died of natural causes some other day. They knew that Fed Ray Epps lied in sworn testimony and was the leader starting and encouraging people to go into the Capitol building.

They knew that most of the people in the building were wandering peacefully. They knew that Jacob Chansley “QAnon Shaman” was not leading an insurrection but was getting escorted through the Capitol by the Capitol police. And they knew that a clip of Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., was deceptively edited to accuse him of cowardly running away from the Capitol.

In conclusion, the unselect, biased Jan. 6 committee was a scam.

It is now known as “ criminal fabricators of this most important day.”

Going forward, what needs to happen? Will there be other shocking developments? Will the videos be released to the public? Will people be investigated, arrested and charged (former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff and former U.S. Rep. Adam Kingzinger)? Will documentaries be made? But most important, will the flow of information keep coming about the corruption of the federal government and the corporate media? Time will tell.

If our republic is to survive, this type of corruption must never happen again.

Diana and Don Thorn Carpinteria

time for Orcutt to incorporate

The citizens of Orcutt are fed up with the actions of the city of Santa Maria as they attempt to annex the Richard’s Ranch property into the city. It is located next to State Route 135 and Union Valley Parkway. The parkway already has significant traffic that creates loud noise that makes it hard to sleep at night for those that live, like me, next to this roadway. If approved, traffic will increase by 20,780 trips per day creating more unwanted noise. This area has long been part of the Orcutt community plan with nothing to do with the city of Santa Maria.

Also, Righetti High School is now at 145% of capacity. When students are going to and from school, we now have difficulty pulling out of our neighborhood onto Foster Road. If approved these added students will make it “exponentially” worse!

What is the basis of this ill conceived gobble by the city of Santa Maria? What is motivating their actions? Let’s look at the project! It is a project consisting of 400 apartments, 95 town homes, and a retail commercial center.

The city of Santa Maria wants to annex this property for two reasons-tax revenue and state housing mandates, both at Orcutt’s expense.

Orcutt now has 34 Key sites in the Orcutt Community Plan. Any changes need to be made by the citizens of Orcutt, not Santa Maria. There is no doubt that dwellers in this project will use Orcutt’s resources such as schools, law enforcement, fire and rescue,

parks, trails and roadways. All will be overwhelmed at the expense of Orcutt citizens without representation.

How does Santa Maria exercise this authority over Orcutt?

Years ago Santa Maria and a supervisor from Santa Maria decided that Orcutt did not need state water. They have continued to control growth with a grip on water through the years even though Orcutt has its own vast supply of underground water. Every time a new development comes along, Santa Maria uses the “Monopoly Water Card” and refuses to sell water unless the project is annexed.

Today Orcutt residents have more expendable income than Santa Maria and, in fact, support elements of Santa Maria’s economy such as Costco, Home Depot/ Lowes, car dealerships, big box stores, hospitals, etc. Santa Maria reaps the benefits via taxes without providing services to Orcutt.

While Santa Maria tore down its historic downtown and it still struggles to survive, Orcutt did the opposite. Orcutt residents formed the “Old Town Orcutt Revitalization Association” and transformed Old Town Orcutt into a thriving historical downtown.

Join me in assembling a group to incorporate Orcutt, which was established in 1904. If we’re successful, Orcutt would become the third largest city in Santa Barbara County — larger than Guadalupe, Buellton, Solvang, Carpinteria, Goleta and Lompoc. Contact Steve LeBard to join our group at 805-7141165

Ken McCalip

Northern Santa Barbara County native

Editor’s note: Mr. McCalip holds bachelor and doctorate degrees in history, cultural geography, and law from various California universities. He can be reached at kennethmccalip@yahoo.com.

Parents and children are the GOP’s future

The Republican Party’s slow transformation from the Bordeauxsipping party of Acela Corridor suburbanites into the beer-drinking party of working-class Rust Belt-ers and Sun Belt-ers has been picking up some steam lately.

And as the GOP’s divorce from the Chamber of Commerce over irreconcilable cultural differences accelerates, a golden opportunity has emerged to recast the GOP not in a 1980s-era image of supply-side tax-cutting, but in a revamped image of the party that focuses on supporting parental rights and protecting vulnerable children from modern society’s depredations.

plurality of Republicans surveyed consider opioids and fentanyl to be the single greatest threat to U.S. public health, and at least some in the party are coming around to acting accordingly.

Some 40 years ago, at the age of around 30, I made my first attempt to run for public office, but not your typical public office.

The Goleta Water Board in those days was about the only thing that had any teeth to qualify as some form of government for the unincorporated area. It met in a tiny room as part of the water district’s offices, and for all I know still does. But the days of controversy surrounding the municipality are long gone.

All those many years ago, it was the biggest thing going in the county. Water was the weapon of choice to prevent any development from taking place. The hippies of Isla Vista and the strengthening environmental movement moved in to take control of the water board and therefore take control of all county development decisions. No water, no building.

In those days, instead of the customary term of today being called a racist for everything, back then the ugly word was “developer.” Once you were tagged with that title, you were regarded as poison, and no amount of bleach could clean you up.

Forming the incorporated city of Goleta was sparked by the water board’s abuse of power. Many of us saw it was time to get some real selfgovernance. After failing twice to get a seat on the water board, defeated by the kids at UCSB and cheating, I made a run for the new city council.

The first attempt to form a city failed, but I won my city council seat for a city that didn’t exist.

Where am I going with this?

The greatest weapon the left and environmentalists had, and still do, were the UCSB students.

They played to their ignorance and planted all kinds of propaganda seeds that bloomed in their minds and once they flowered, there was nothing to reverse the thinking. Same thing is still happening today all across the country.

I don’t know if I should have taken it as a compliment, but during one of my campaigns, Jane Fonda spoke out against me and my running mate at a rally at the UCSB quad. She was at her peak in her movie career, and so was her activism (traitor in Vietnam). She stirred things up talking about everything from saving the whales to fighting the building of nuclear power plants.

Josh Hammer

Besides securing the U.S.Mexico border once and for all, perhaps the other single most effective action the federal government could take on this front would be to formally designate the cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Last month, a coalition of 21 red-state attorneys general sent a formal letter to President Joe Biden, exhorting him to instruct his State Department to do precisely that.

protect vulnerable children from irremediable third-party harm, Republicans must once and for all break free of stale libertarian bromides and act to exorcise the woke demon from corporate America.

The approach of Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis has been instructive on this front, including his championing of Florida’s Stop W.O.K.E. Act, which targets workplace wokeism, and, perhaps most illustratively, his muchpublicized 2022 fight with The Walt Disney Co. over Disney’s support for elementary school gender ideology indoctrination.

Ms. Fonda starred in a popular and controversial film, “The China Syndrome,” (how ironic) — a 1979 propaganda film warning us of the dangers of nuclear plants. Most people, including Jane, didn’t understand nuclear power anymore than anyone else, and we got suckered and scared into believing that these plants were going to kill us all.

Of course, it never happened, and nuclear power plants have proven to be one of the safest and cleanest forms of energy around the world.

Some recent examples hint that the GOP may be moving beyond mere rhetorical platitude and into the realm of concrete policy and action.

The No. 1 killer today of Americans aged 18-45 years old is fentanyl trafficked by Mexican drug cartels, as some Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans pointed out recently during a hearing with hapless Attorney General Merrick Garland. A recent Axios-Ipsos poll showed that a 37%

Aside from fentanyl, which has brought annual drug overdose deaths to a horrifying 106,000 from a 1992 low of just over 5,000, there is currently no greater threat to vulnerable children than the varying tentacles of the woke ideology.

The federal government is a destructive peddler of wokeism, as President Biden’s recent “diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility” executive order demonstrates, but corporate wokeism is an arguably even greater threat. Accordingly, as the imperative of the hour, in order to help parents

After the recent formal abolition of Disney’s semi-autonomous Reedy Creek Improvement District in Central Florida, Gov. DeSantis took to The Wall Street Journal on to explain the move’s necessity: “The regrettable upshot of the woke ascendancy is that publicly traded corporations have become combatants in battles over American politics and culture, almost invariably siding with leftist causes.” Accordingly, “policies that benefit corporate America don’t necessarily serve the interests of America’s people and economy.”

Translation: The somewhat apocryphal (mis)quote often attributed to President Calvin

Please see HAMMER on C4

In California, despite that knowledge, all nuclear power plants have been either shut down or lived out their lives, except one.

The Diablo Canyon Power Plant was to be the last on the list. That was until Gov. Gavin Newsom had a moment of clarity realizing California doesn’t have enough energy sources to sustain it during peak periods. Losing 10% to 15% of our energy supply during a summer heat wave would be catastrophic. And it would not play well into his all electric state plans.

As it is, making all cars electric by 2035 is a propaganda

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

station.

Let’s apply common sense to water, power

Andy Caldwell

It’s

Henry

COURTESY PHOTOS

Gov. Gavin Newsom First partner Jennifer Newsom

COURTESY PHOTO

Carpinteria residents Diana and Don Thorn are critical of the Jan. 6 Committee’s investigation of the events at the Capitol, shown above in a photo taken on a different day.

President Biden supports Republicans in blocking D.C. crime bill

Editor’s note: After this commentary was written, the U.S. Senate voted 81-14 to overturn the Washington, D.C. City Council’s plan to lower the penalties for criminal offenses.

President Joe Biden announced he will not veto a resolution passed by the Republican-controlled House, which overturns a new District of Columbia crime reform law, assuming the resolution passes in the Senate. The district is under federal jurisdiction, so Congress can overturn D.C. legislation. But this is the first time in 30 years that it has happened.

Now a shell-shocked chair of the left-wing D.C. city council says he’s pulling the bill, which reduces sentencing on many felonies, including carjackings and burglaries.

You are justified in rubbing your eyes in disbelief that President Biden has sided with

Republicans. Even more so that this goes against the grain of Democrats who support home rule, freeing D.C. from federal jurisdiction. The liberal online journal Slate ran a headline saying the president “stabbed D.C.in the back.”

But President Biden remains in touch with political reality.

NBC News reported in early January that the new year started off with a notable spike in crime in D.C. compared to the same period the year before. Thefts from cars were reported up 30%, car thefts up 113%, robberies up 57% and overall property crime up 42%.

Per The Washington Post, police records show that in the first two months of 2023, D.C. homicides were up 34% compared to the same period in 2022.

Just a few weeks ago, Democratic Rep. Angie Craig was

attacked inside an elevator in the D.C. building where she resides. She succeeded in escaping the assailant, who physically assaulted her, by throwing her hot morning coffee on him.

Per Rep. Craig, “I got attacked by someone who the District of Columbia has not prosecuted fully over the course of almost a decade, over the course of 12 assaults before mine that morning.” President Biden’s finetuned political nose detects the fragrance of an upcoming election year, and he has plenty to worry about.

He enjoyed a 57% percent approval rating per Gallup in the early months of his presidency. But by the end of 2021, he was down to 42% and has hovered around there since. Particularly bad news for the president is that, per Gallup, his latest approval rating on dealing with economy is 34%.

Per polling in February from

Pew Research, the issue of most concern to Americans is the economy, with 75% saying “strengthening the economy” should be the number one priority of the president and congress. And per Gallup, only 25% of those polled are satisfied with the state of the economy. Crime is also a priority issue, and here also Americans are not pleased. Only 27% say they are satisfied with “the nation’s policies to reduce or control crime.”

Surely, President Biden also had an eye on the mayoral election in Chicago.

There incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot was decisively ousted by voters, getting just 17% of the vote in a field of nine candidates. This was the first time in 40 years that an incumbent mayor in Chicago failed in a re-election bid.

And a hot issue in Chicago is the dismal state of affairs regarding crime. Per the Wall Street Journal, “There were more than 800 murders in Chicago in 2021, the

most in a quarter-century. The homicide rate dropped 14% in 2022, but remained nearly 40% higher than in 2019.”

So why did President Biden play ball with Republicans on the D.C. crime bill? Political instincts conquer all. Mr. Biden and his party are weak on the two issues voters give highest priority to: the economy and crime.

Our president is trying to survive. His refusal to veto the Republican-led resolution on the D.C. crime bill was his way of saying that things are looking good for Republicans in 2024.

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

Germany is a positive as well as powerful leader

On March 3, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of united Germany visited with President Joe Biden at the White House.

The visit brought no public disagreement. Some misguided media observers have questioned whether the visit was at all necessary. That unfortunate outlook overlooks the situation in Europe and the contemporary roles of Germany, and — above all — that nation’s history.

Chancellor Scholz last visited Washington and the White House on Feb. 7, 2022. At that time, the government of Germany was emphasizing the importance of diplomacy and general accommodation in dealing with President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

Seventeen days later brought the massive RussianRussian invasion of Ukraine.

Russian aggression in Ukraine represents the most serious crisis and challenge in Europe since the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

President President Putin no doubt anticipated a quick victory.

Ukraine’s heroic self-defense to date has energized as well as united NATO. Russia is paying a high price for its aggression.

Formerly neutral Finland and Sweden have decided to join NATO, a dramatic reversal of historically rooted policies. Cold War Sweden practiced variations of often offensive anti-American “neutrality.” Last August, the U.S. S.S. enate voted almost unanimously in favor of Finland’s and Sweden’s the two nations’ admission, with only one negative vote.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a sizable and overall a reliable NATO member, has raised a stumbling block related to alleged Swedish support for violent

Students defend freedom

Government imposes a million rules.

Americans seem to want more!

Leftists want new gun laws and bans on singleuse plastics, gas stoves, fossil fuels, gas-powered cars, nuclear power. Conservatives want to ban porn and books that discuss gender identity and critical race theory.

People just accept bans on recreational drugs, flavored vapes and menthol cigarettes.

Thomas Jefferson said, “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield, and government to gain.”

What he predicted keeps happening.

Ignorant young people are especially eager to ban things like “offensive” speech and “excess” profit. Some would happily ban capitalism.

Fortunately, there are some students who buck the trend.

“It’s very easy to lose freedom,” says Northwood University’s Kristin Tokarev in my new video. “It’s very easy for politicians to legislate freedom away. But it’s incredibly hard to get back.”

Ms. Tokarev is one of the winners of my video contest. My nonprofit, Stossel in the Classroom, provides videos to teachers who want teaching aids that help explain economics. Every year, we give out $25,000 in prizes to college, high school and middle school students who write the best essays or make the best videos.

This year’s competition is under way. If you know teachers, please let them know about it. The deadline for entries is March 31.

Ms. Tokarev watched my videos in school. She found them “more engaging” than listening to a professor’s lecture.

Kurdish separatists. However, Turkey, which occasionally has collaborated with Russia, shows no signs of supporting the Ukraine invasion.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict in total has become long-term. In 2014, Russia seized Crimea and the eastern portion of Ukraine. Crimea had been part of Russia until Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred the peninsula to the authority of Ukraine in 1954.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, followed by the disintegration of the Soviet bloc of satellite states and then the Soviet Union, represented historic strategic victory for the West. The end of the Cold War confirmed the policy of

restraint and deterrence termed “Containment,” initiated by the Truman administration. Poland, a NATO member since 1999, is active in the collective effort to provide arms to Ukraine. The coalition government in Germany led by Chancellor Scholz began with a low profile regarding Europe, in considerable contrast to the assertive long-term leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel. This changed abruptly when Russia invaded Ukraine, and Germany now provides arms and other aid. During the early phases of the Cold War, the Arctic was the focus of intense security concern.

NORAD, the North American Air Defense Command, was formed in 1958 (retitled North American

Aerospace Defense Command in 1981) to coordinate Canada and U.S. security.

The threat of Soviet longrange bombers attacking across the Arctic was a prime military worry. President Dwight Eisenhower secured demilitarization of Antarctica in 1959. Eisenhower also sent the new nuclear submarine Polaris on a spectacular voyage under the North Pole — a silent but profound message. Today, the Arctic nations except Russia are with the NATO alliance.

Germany today is ideally positioned to play an increasing, and increasingly positive as well as powerful, role in the affairs of Europe.

Henry Kissinger has

emphasized that the vexing irony for Germany historically was that a Germany powerful enough to feel secure inevitably threatened neighbors, while a Germany that was not threatening would inevitably be insecure. Today, German militarism is part of the past, while strongly rooted democracy and a powerful economy help stabilize Europe.

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 Iliad’ is trash — and other thoughts about education

Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of Frank Sanitate’s articles on understanding and reforming education.

Afriend, a former high school principal, lent me her copy of “The Iliad.” After reading a few pages, I called and told her, “ ‘The Iliad’ is trash!” She was somewhat taken aback.

Why did I say this?

Partially for the dramatics of it. But primarily, it illustrates something that seems wrong about how education has been approached for the last 3,000 years!

Britannica tells us “The Iliad” was presumably compiled by a man named Homer about 3,000 years ago, along with “The Odyssey.” It is about the Trojan War. Some of what is annoying to me is that there are a bunch of

gods who keep jumping in to save the day. Sometimes it was a demigod, born from a god mating with an earthling.

Frank Sanitate

What is more annoying, besides gods jumping in all the time, is that the story is simply battle after battle. At the end of the first chapter, I thought everything was settled and the Greeks were going home. But no, another battle, then another. It is just boring.

Get on with it!

Britannica goes on to say: “The two epics provided the basis of Greek education and culture in the Classical age, and they have remained among the most significant poems of the European tradition.” It seems our education system is based on English tradition, which is based on Greek tradition. The reason we pay such attention to something so horrible to read is that it was created three millennia ago, and it has

been passed down by hundreds of generations of teachers! This one example seems to illustrate the history of education: Old people telling us what is important, because old people told them!

Don’t get me wrong. I am not against old people, being one of them myself. I am opposed to people who don’t do thinking for themselves and don’t help others do the same — whether they are young or old.

Thinking for yourself is the bottom line of education. This is the job of teachers — to help kids do it!

Getting back to “The Iliad”: I recant. It is not trash! It was good for its time. Maybe it is even good for some people in these times — 1,095,000 days later (three millennia times 1,000 years times 365 days)! We do need teachers who tell us things, books that tell us things. But stimulating our own thinking is the best gift a teacher can give.

Unfortunately, most students don’t watch our videos. Instead, teachers tell them that capitalism is a problem. If they don’t hear that in school, they hear it from the media. “If capitalism works ... why does it seem to give such a raw deal?” complains MSNBC’s Ari Melber.

His guest, Michael Moore, eagerly agrees.

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John Stossel

Arthur I, Cyr

U.S. GOVERNMENT PHOTO

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office.

Star Parker

The author is with the Center for Urban Renewal and Education

We need to understand our supply chain weaknesses

DONOVAN

Continued from Page C1

world’s acetaminophen used in Tylenol. Sounds a lot like putting Americans’ heads in a noose.

America is heavily reliant upon China for the rare earth and metals that are essential to the working of products and devices from smartphones to military aircraft, to the storage batteries necessary to transform from an oil, gas and coal fuels economy to an electricity-based economy. This vulnerability alone could stop America in its tracks.

It is important to remember that the Chinese Communist party works through Chinese companies that are controlled by the party and often financed by the party, as part of their plan to become the dominant world power in this century.

We know that Communist China is not going to invade America with armed troops. We know that any armed conflict with China is most likely to be over Taiwan or over the artificial islands being created by China as military bases.

Therefore, we can conclude that a conflict with China will be conducted through the incitement of political conflicts, cultural conflicts, democratic conflicts and ethnic conflicts to subvert, divide and weaken American society and strength of purpose, from within.

If relations deteriorate, even sabotage. We can also conclude that in the supply of goods and the passage of U.S. ships, that Chinese control of strategic ports around the world and in the immediate vicinity of America would present a threat to the economy of the U.S., in a time of conflict.

STOSSEL

Continued from Page C3

“I can’t say I’m pro-capitalist without friends, or people on the internet telling me, ‘How could you?” says Ms. Tokarev.

“Everything on social media is, ‘eat the rich,’ ‘kill capitalism.’ It’s synonymous with greed.”

I push back. “That’s fair. Capitalists want more money for themselves.”

“But with more money, I can create something,” she answers.

“Then you get new products and innovation.”

High school student Kaden Morgan made a video that points out how everyone now “is living a better life than even the richest men of the 1800s” because of capitalism’s innovation.

As we plow forward on our quest for a non-fossil fuel economy, we need to understand our supply chain weaknesses, in addition to shipping. According to the International energy agency, 80% of solar cells are made in China. According to Bloomberg, seven of the top 10 wind turbine manufacturers are Chinese companies. In 2020, more than half of the world’s WindPower was built in China.

A big question is, how many other essential products or services are we dependent on China for supplies?

Just one more example will suffice. China is the almost exclusive supplier of the raw materials for the manufacture of fentanyl to the Mexican drug cartels who manufacture and smuggle into America millions of deadly Fentanyl-laced pills that are killing and destroying the

“We got air conditioning, cell phones, microwaves, we got stinking toilets!” he cheerfully exclaims.

Of course, the media are right to point out that because of capitalism, income inequality has increased.

I say to Ms. Tokarev, “Some people are really filthy rich. Others don’t have enough.”

“Under capitalism,” she replies. “There’s going to be people who are wealthier, and some who are poorer. But you have the opportunity to become wealthier! Under socialism, sure, everybody is equal, but they’re all equally poor!”

I wish more Americans understood that.

Jaboukie Young-White of “The Daily Show” asked young people what they thought of socialism. “Socialism is on point!” said one.

lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans every year.

House Dems vote against the bill to permanently classify fentanyl as a Schedule 1 controlled substance.

Did you know on Thursday the Washington Examiner reported that the arrests of Chinese immigrants illegally crossing the US-Mexico border jumped by 1,230% in January to 1,064 people? We don’t know how many got across the border without being caught.

We might also ask:

How many U.S. universities have revealed that they are accepting funds from the Chinese government or Chinese corporations for any reason?

How many American or Chinese people working in America as university professors, or graduate students are signed up with the Chinese government’s “Thousand

Then she admits, “I don’t really know what socialism means.”

Ms. Tokarev knows. She learned not just from our videos, but from her dad, who grew up under socialism in Bulgaria. Not only were people poor, but modern music was even banned.

“He couldn’t listen to rock music without fear of persecution,” she says.

The only way he could hear what Americans heard was to smuggle in tapes. “The quality was awful, but he would play them all day.”

“What does music have to do with socialism versus capitalism?” I ask.

“Everything!” she responds. “In one system, you’re allowed to enjoy it freely. In another system, you’re being controlled.”

Many of this year’s video and essay contestants focused on

Talents” Program?

How many U.S. Universities have Confucius Centers funded by the Chinese government? The Chinese government from 2006 until 2018 spent $150 million in setting up 100 Confucius Centers in American universities.

How many U.S. professors and U.S. universities have been sanctioned, in any way, by the U.S. government, for not revealing they are being paid money by foreign entities?

“Danger: If you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never! “ — Winston Churchill

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

freedom versus control.

“Individual liberty is crucial for people and communities to flourish,” says Ian Hunter, the Concordia University student who won first place in the college division.

“Freedom is essential not only to prosper, to make money,” adds Ms. Tokarev, “but it’s essential to be yourself.”

I wish our politicians would listen to these kids.

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.

TikTok is a unique social media threat

HAMMER

Continued from Page C2

Coolidge that “the business of America is business” is no longer apt (if it ever was). The Fortune 500 should take note.

The fights against transgender surgeries for minors and Big Tech addiction are two other powerful examples of what a more handson, culturally pugnacious, parentsand children-first GOP can, and should, prioritize. Whereas the older, corporate-centric GOP was a party of “openness” and eschewed using statecraft to impose limitations, the newer, parents- and children-centric GOP must embrace the more frequent imposition of legal limitations and outright bans in the name of the common good.

Just last week, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves made the Magnolia State the eighth to fully ban “gender-affirming care” procedures for minors. On

HAUPT

Continued from Page C1

Thursday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee made the Volunteer State the first state to affirmatively ban drag shows in the presence of minors. (In Florida, Gov. DeSantis has at times revoked liquor licenses for venues hosting drag shows with minors.)

And at the federal level, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.., has pushed for an investigation of The Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital after a whistleblower provided viscerally shocking details to Bari Weiss’s The Free Press last month. Sen. Hawley’s related postwhistleblower Protecting Our Kids from Child Abuse Act would helpfully create a private right of action for individuals who were harmed by “gender-affirming care” when they were minors.

When it comes to Big Tech, a parents- and children-first GOP must treat it as an addictive product requiring the level of scrutiny and regulation that such a toxic product necessarily entails.

Indeed, parents across the political spectrum are practically crying out for lawmakers and regulators to help them: A report co-released last month by the Institute for Family Studies and the Ethics and Public Policy Center found that 80% of parents want parental consent required before a minor opens a social media account, and 77% want to ensure they have administrator-level access to what their children see and do online.

Sen. Hawley has again been leading the way at the federal level, with bills such as the Parental Data Rights Act (which would require Big Tech to give parents control over their children’s data) and the MATURE Act (which would enforce a 16-year-old minimum age for all social media users).

TikTok is a unique social media threat, given both its highly addictive nature for minors and its status as de facto Chinese Communist Party spyware. Almost 30 states — mostly red states — have now banned or partially

banned TikTok on government devices. And an even better bill now exists at the federal level, thanks to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.,: The ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act, introduced in December, would ban TikTok from operating in the U.S. tout court.

Add in other pressing issues of political economy, such as the disbursement of direct “family policy” payments to working parents and even (a la Hungary and Poland) the structuring of certain tax breaks to reward stable marriages that produce children, and the playbook for the new, parents- and children-first GOP becomes reasonably clear. Whether that playbook is actually adopted by Republican elected officials en masse is a different question entirely.

To find out more about Josh Hammer and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com.

Copyright 2022 by Creators.com.

‘War makes strange bedfellows’

Russia loses the war they will lash out even more aggressively.

Matthew Karnitschnig of Politico said, “European leaders are worried about what will happen if Ukraine actually wins. A destabilized Russia would be very unpredictable and normalization would be totally out of reach.”

President Putin is a bad actor and an egotistical strongman dead set to show Europe he is the boss.

President Biden’s sanctions did not stop his missiles and bombs. So Mr. Biden doubled down, financing his war with U.S. dollars, giving Mr. Putin no way to negotiate a copacetic way out and save face at home and the world.

‘’Sometimes it is necessary to be the

aggressor in order to prove that you are right.’’

— Vladimir Putin

In a recent U.N. vote to remove Russia from the Human Rights Council, only 93 nations voted yes, 58 abstained, and 24 voted against the resolution. The axis of evil — Iran, Cuba, China, North Korea, Syria, Vietnam and Russia — voted against. The remaining U.N. members didn’t even show up. This is a clear indication that 100 out of the 193 U.N. member nations either fear or support Russia or both. The Chinese–Russian border is 2,615.5 miles long. There are over 160 border crossings between the nations, and all are open 24 hours. They include railway, highway and river crossings. Although neither nation trusts each other, China has already stepped up and allied with Mr. Putin in the war with Ukraine.

China views Russia as a nuclear ally against the U.S. — which doesn’t concern Biden at all?

Author Helen Thomas wrote, “War makes strange bedfellows.”

During World War II, Russia allied with the U.S. and other democracies for their own survival. The allied forces could not have defeated Nazi Germany without the Russians. But in 1947, with the signing of the Paris Peace Treaties that ended WWII, Joseph Stalin broke with the allies and confiscated all of Eastern Europe and half of Berlin.

Mr. Putin said, “If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will use all means to protect Russia.” Mr. Putin’s military has an arsenal of nuclear weapons and will use them if necessary. Is it worth risking a nuclear conflict over the most corrupt nation in Europe and its

shortages or excess,” he said.

Every day Californians see the effects of government actions on retail gas prices. They are directly affected by a noxious brew of taxes and regulation.

First, California has the highest gasoline taxes and fees in the country, with more increases coming, as 2017’s Senate Bill 1 hikes taxes every July 1 for a decade. A significant amount of each dollar paid for gas in this state is funneled to a government fisc, and there seems to be little interest in relieving this burden.

Second, prices, perpetually steep due to layers of rigid state regulation, have grown higher as the Newsom administration and state policymakers have discouraged new and ongoing oil production in the state. Supplies have grown short as the oil industry has retooled

“operations away from gasoline

to activities that will prove to be more profitable in the long run,” says UCLA economist Lee Ohanian. These companies know that their “time in California is limited.”

Jimmy Carter deregulated the natural gas market in 1978, and the result was a 30% decline in consumer prices. Deregulation of other markets during his presidency, which included removing federal yokes from the commercial air travel, railroad, trucking and telecommunications sectors, also brought lower consumer prices. Imagine, then, how much relief California consumers would get if state oil industry regulations were relaxed and the taxes paid by consumers cut. It’s frustrating, though, because that sort of progress is so unlikely. Sacramento might not be warming to Newsom’s proposal to penalize private companies, but it’s also in no mood to do what’s right for consumers. It rarely ever is.

powerful neighbor? When the Cold War began in 1948, only the U.S. and Soviets had nuclear weapons. By mid-1980, all global players had deadly power.

President Biden is fighting a personal battle for a corrupt nation. A cold war now would unite Russia, China, North Korea and terrorists against all democracies with China and the U.S. financing global conflicts until one got out of hand. One nuclear bomb in the hands of a terrorist could end the world. Mr. Biden’s love affair with Ukraine is a dangerous personal crusade for his ego and nothing more.

“The difference between a policy and a crusade is that a policy is judged by its results, while a crusade is judged by how good it makes its crusaders feel.”

— Thomas Sowell

dream. It’s never going to happen unless Gov. Newsom opens up more oil development and builds a few more nuclear plants. California’s fantasy of windmills and solar solving the energy deficiency is playing out more and more that we’re not quite there yet.

Even the failing Sen. Diane Feinstein, who I’m certain was against nuclear power back in the day, came out in support of keeping Diablo Canyon open. It shows when common sense is applied, minds can change.

Maybe Gov. Newsom and his Chicken Little crowd will some day soon publicly admit that an all-electric state isn’t going to work, at least in the time frame they’ve given themselves.

There’s been talk for decades, and that’s all, to build more water storage and maybe in turn more hydroelectric plants — thereby solving two problems.

Lake Cachuma was originally built for farmers. But as we know, over time it has become the main water source for human consumption on the South Coast.

A big controversy during my campaigns was the then new state water project. There were opposition campaign cartoons depicting a pipeline coming over a hill of avocado groves (I was managing our avocado ranches) with people pouring out. The big argument was state water would mean more housing and more housing for more people. State water proved to be almost a bust because when you need it, they don’t have it. And yet Santa Barbara and Goleta still grew like weeds anyway.

Some four decades ago, nuclear plants, water

development and storage played big roles in California. And not a thing has been done since then to improve any of it. In many respects we’ve gone backward. Despite thousands fleeing the overtaxed and over regulated state, California still has about 40 million people. Likely a third or more came here illegally (unscientific guess), and thousands more are sleeping on a sidewalk or in a park near you. Despite all the efforts to oust development, building blossomed anyway. As it is, Santa Barbara is looking to turn her malls into hundreds of condos or apartments, and Santa Maria is willing to give up prime farmland in exchange for thousands of new homes. Where’s the long-term water plan? No one ever seems to learn, from the city to state levels. We had more water vanish into the ocean in the past few weeks to take care of our area for, let’s say, maybe a thousand years (another unscientific guess). Nothing was and is ever done during a drought, and when it finally rains. all that we can do is wave bye-bye to the water. Then when we enter the next drought, everyone will cry again how we have no water. As for nuclear power: At one time, California had six carbonfree nuclear power plants. Two were very small. I wonder what Gov. Newsom and the hippies are thinking now. If you had those plants, or upgraded or built more, you could have done away with all the carbon polluting stuff they claim is the reason why the weather changes. Bang! That was the shot in the foot.

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

As my son told me, “Every kid has all the world’s knowledge in their pocket anyhow.”

“The Iliad” can leave some people with some good ideas. It is getting the good ideas that’s the important thing. The first lines of one of Keats’ poems says: “When I have fears that I may cease to be, before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain ….” (See, I remember that.) I remember it not because Keats is important, but because the idea is important to me. My brain also teems with thoughts! All kids’ do — just different thoughts at different ages, including alternate types of learners.

I see this “teeming” in myself, simply because I write! “I write: therefore, I think!” (Write that down!) But it’s not writing for the sake of others. It is writing for myself — to see and elicit what’s inside.

To me this reveals the secret of great education, the great job of teachers: Get kids writing! Allow them to discover and see the questions, insights, doubts, worries, joys, etc. that are inside their brains already. This is

something that all teachers can do, all kids can do, every day. It doesn’t have to happen in every class, but how about once in 16 years of education, or once a year, or once a month or once a week? How about every day?

Kids don’t need to have ideas dumped into their heads to develop their thinking. There are 1,000 ideas going on inside of our heads. Speaking, talking, discussing, reading are all good. The more important developing, examining, questioning, relating, in-sighting comes from within.

Every kid can do this in every school every day because it’s silent and individual. No worries about spelling, punctuation, consistency — you are writing for yourself. Obviously, kids who don’t write may need other accommodations.

Maybe the first question students should write about is: “How can we make schools better?” How would you answer that question yourself? Write it out.

Frank Sanitate taught high school English for five years, published three books and had a successful seminar business for 40 years.

‘Some people are really filthy rich. Others don’t have enough’

COURTESY IMAGE