Santa Barbara News-Press: April 15, 2023

Real Estate Update

Buying activity increases as ‘selling season’ begins - A5

investigation results in fentanyl dealer’s conviction

Affidavit demonstrates how case was built against Victor Anthony Olivera Hernandez, who will be sentenced Monday

By NEIL HARTSTEIN

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

When convicted fentanyl dealer Victor Anthony Olivera Hernandez was arrested by detectives last August, he insisted he was nothing more than a simple pot peddler, despite the fact that officers had seized a massive amount of various illegal drugs from his house.

Mr. Hernandez said all of the drugs

in the house and backyard were his in that his girlfriend, Lania Day, had nothing to do with them, according to DEA Special Agent Roger Chaney Jr. “(But) Hernandez denied selling the drugs, claimed he only sells marijuana, and said he was holding the other drugs for an unnamed individual,” Agent Chaney wrote in his affidavit supporting the original federal criminal complaint, arrest warrant and search warrants issued

against Mr. Hernandez.

And yes, detectives searching his house in the 100 block of Curryer Street in Santa Maria on Aug. 4 did seize marijuana, a lot of it, specifically 22.5 pounds of cannabis flower.

But they also seized approximately 17,000 pills laced with fentanyl, 27 grams of MDMA or Ecstasy, 218

A dream coming true

Dwight Murphy Field receives $1.5 million for improvements, including new inclusive Gwendolyn’s Playground

Above, as Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse listens, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal discusses the $1.5 million in federal funds to the Dwight Murphy Field and the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation. The improvements include the addition of the all-inclusive Gwendolyn’s Playground. At right, Grace Fisher, the founder of the Inclusive Arts Clubhouse at La Cumbre Plaza, attends Friday’s news conference, sharing her support for the park’s plans.

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal delivered $1.5 million in federal funds Friday to the Dwight Murphy Field and the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation.

The goal of this funding is to turn the existing park into a space where all families, including those with disabilities, can use the park to its full capacity. The improvements include the all-inclusive Gwendolyn’s Playground.

“This vision will take an already great park and make it extraordinary by transforming this park into a park that’s cutting-edge in terms of a recreation that is inclusive and accessible to those of all ages,” Rep. Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, said during a news conference. “This will enrich our community in so many ways and provide so many opportunities.”

The Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, founded by Victoria and Bill Strong,

Please see FIELD on A6

Detectives seized 17,000 pills laced with fentanyl, 27 grams of MDMA or Ecstasy, 218 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, three grams of cocaine and hundreds of acid tabs from the Santa Maria home of convicted fentanyl dealer Victor Anthony Olivera Hernandez. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Special Investigations Bureau arrested him on Aug. 4, and he later pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

L.A. County’s two juvenile halls must comply or face sanctions: Rob Bonta

By RIA ROEBUCK JOSEPH THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - Los Angeles County two juvenile halls came under fire today by the Department of Justice which filed a motion to enforce provisions of a 2021 judgment. The DOJ found that LA County is out of compliance with the terms requiring the county to provide a dozen objectives for conditions of confinement at its two juvenile halls.

The 2021 judgment set out a detailed plan with a timeframe to comply with each of the following areas:

• Homelike Environment and Operations;

• Technology and Data Management;

• Use of Force and Youth Safety;

• Trauma-Informed and Positive Behavior Approaches Room Confinement;

• Basic Living Needs and Juvenile Hall Conditions;

• Programming, Recreation, Exercise, Religious Services, Visitation, and Telephone Calls;

• Mental Health, Medical Care, and Treatment Plans;

• Education, Transition, and After-Care; Staffing, Hiring, and Training;

• Oversight and Grievance Systems;

• Compensatory Services for Youth.

The motion claims that for more than two years the county failed to comply with seven critical provisions of the judgment. Of all the areas of non-compliance, failure to timely and accurately document and review all use-of-force incidents; failure to transport youth to school; failure to transport youth to critical medical appointments; failure to deliver compensatory education services to youth who are entitled to those services; failure to Install video cameras throughout Barry J. Nidorf juvenile hall; failure to implement a positive behavior management plan and lack of daily outdoor recreation, make up the list.

“The County has failed to “simply meet basic standards of care” and that “the young people incarcerated in the Juvenile Halls are paying the price for the neglect that gives way to the deteriorating conditions,” the motion laments.

“The conditions within the juvenile detention centers in Los Angeles County are appalling. Every child in our state is entitled to a safe, homelike environment,” said Attorney General Bonta.

The DOJ states that the county “has actually regressed away from complying with the most

Please see JUVENILE on A4

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Santa Barbara Zoo, Cal State Channel Islands announces conservation center

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS

CORRESPONDENT

Richard Block, the Santa Barbara Zoo president and CEO, and Richard Yao, Cal State Channel Islands president, signed a memorandum Friday to establish a partnership to create a conservation center at the university campus in Camarillo.

This plan was originally announced by the university on April 6.

“By partnering with a worldclass zoo right here in our backyard, we are strengthening our commitment to be a conservation campus,” President Yao said.

People from all over the Santa Barbara and Cal State Channel Islands community gathered at the zoo Friday to share their support for this new partnership.

The signing event was preceded with a brunch, which featured art installations by many Cal State Channel Islands students as well as a musical performance by Dr. Javier González, an associate professor of Spanish at the university Then attendees joined each other at the zoo’s hilltop to watch the signing event.

Before the official signing of the partnership, the event began with a Chumash acknowledgment of land by Raudel Bañuelos, a Chumash Tribal elder, and

Caltrans issues construction update

MONTECITO/SUMMERLAND/

CARPINTERIA — Highway 101

median landscape planting will begin next week in Carpinteria between Linden and Bailard avenues.

Caltrans said motorists should expect daytime lane closures of the carpool lanes. The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph for safety throughout the construction areas. Two freeway lanes remain open in each direction during daytime hours.

NORTHBOUND HIGHWAY 101

On Mondays through Thursdays, from 9 a.m.- 7 p.m., there will be one lane (the carpool lane) from Bailard Avenue to Linden Avenue while crews work on landscaping for the median.

On Sundays from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., there will be one lane from Santa Monica Road to Sheffield Drive.

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

Eleanor Fishburn, chairwoman of the Barbareño Band of Chumash in Santa Barbara.

Helene Schneider, the Cal State Channel Islands regional director of development and former mayor of Santa Barbara, followed the land acknowledgement by giving a warm welcome to the Santa

Barbara community.

“We are excited to see this partnership flourish,” she said.

At the signing, the zoo explained the importance of this partnership, saying that the zoo has been wanting to expand its conservation efforts but has needed the space to do so.

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

The on-ramp at South Padaro/ Santa Claus Lane will be closed until late August. Drivers can use Via Real and the northbound onramp at North Padaro Lane.

The off-ramp at North Padaro Lane will be closed until midJune. Until then, drivers can use the off-ramp at Lillie Avenue and Via Real.

The on-ramp at San Ysidro will be closed until early 2025 (for roundabout and highway work).

Drivers can use the northbound on-ramp at Sheffield Drive.

The off-ramp at Olive Mill will be closed for up to seven months, reopening upon roundabout completion. Drivers can use the northbound off-ramp at San Ysidro Road.

SOUTHBOUND HIGHWAY 101

From Mondays through Thursdays, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Fridays from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be one lane (the carpool lane) from Linden Avenue to Bailard Avenue while crews work on the median landscaping.

The off-ramp at Carpinteria Avenue will be closed Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The off-ramp at South Padaro/ Santa Claus Lane will be closed April 24-27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Board of Supervisors to hold budget workshops next week

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will hold workshops on the county’s preliminary $1.48 billion operating budget on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

That’s a 6.2% increase from the Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget. Workshops will start at 9 a.m. each day in the County Administration building, 105 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara.

The public can attend in person or follow the proceedings via the county’s website, YouTube and on cable TV channel 20.

To watch in Spanish, Cox and Comcast subscribers can enable SAP in their language settings, or watch in Spanish via the county’s YouTube español.

Remote testimony and public comment will also be available at the Joseph Centeno Betteravia Government Administration Building at 511 E. Lakeside Parkway, Santa Maria, and virtually via Zoom by following the instructions found in the agenda.

The theme for the fiscal year 2023-24 budget is “Ready for Today, Preparing for Tomorrow,” which the county says represents the progress made on board priorities and investments.

“We are entering this budget year with a ‘buckle up and drive carefully’ approach. While the fiscal outlook for the county remains relatively stable, the trajectory of the economy remains uncertain,” Mona Miyasato, county executive officer, said in

a news release. “The county is ready for today after several years of adopting fiscally sound budget development policies and making sure it is preparing for tomorrow by setting aside funding for projected future shortfalls, given the uncertainty of the state budget and potential cost increases.”

The county said this marks a fifth year in a row that service level reductions are not necessary in any county department.

Each department will give a presentation outlining its budget during the workshops. This year, the workshops include three special reports on maintenance and capital projects, cannabis revenue update, and revenue tax measures.

“Adopting a balanced budget is challenging,” board chair and Supervisor Das Williams said. “Budget workshops are an opportunity to craft a plan on how to stay financially resilient while continuing to support critical services like public safety, mental health, reduction of homelessness, and environmental protection.”

County budget workshops are held approximately one month before the release of the recommended budget and two months before budget hearings.

The county said the final budget decisions will be made on June 16 and 20 when the board of supervisors holds budget adoption hearings.

For more information, see www. countyofsb.org.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

On Sunday nights from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., there will be one lane from Sheffield Drive to Carpinteria Avenue. And the offramp at South Padaro/Santa Claus Lane will be closed.

The on-ramp at Wallace Avenue will be closed Monday from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

On Monday through Thursday nights, from 9 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., there will be one lane from Sheffield Drive to Carpinteria Avenue. The off-ramp at South Padaro/Santa Claus Lane will be closed.

From Tuesday through Thursday from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., the off-ramp at Carpinteria Avenue will be closed. (The off ramp at South Padaro Lane will remain open).

OLIVE MILL ROAD BY NORTH JAMESON LANE

Crews will work on utility and drain improvements April 23-25 nightly between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Flaggers will direct traffic through the intersection.

SAN YSIDRO ROAD BY HIGHWAY 101

Crews will install underground

The Santa Barbara Zoo is 28 acres and is home to more than 400 animals representing 146 species. Mr. Block said the zoo has been running out of room to house a growing collection of threatened and endangered species. As announced at the

supports the week of April 23 between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. nightly. Flaggers will direct traffic through the intersection.

VIA REAL NORTH OF NORTH PADARO LANE

Flaggers will direct traffic from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through April 27 to move material from stockpiles.

SOUTH PADARO LANE UNDER HIGHWAY 101

South Padaro Lane will be closed under Highway 101 for bridge removal Monday through Thursday from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. During the closure, drivers will be able to use the southbound offramp at South Padaro/Santa Claus Lane and the southbound onramp at Santa Claus Lane.

CARPINTERIA AVENUE FROM ESTERO STREET TO HIGHWAY 101

Flaggers will direct traffic (as needed) as crews remove old roadway and pave Carpinteria Avenue.

— Katherine Zehnder

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KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

Santa Barbara CEO Richard Block speaks as Cal State Channel Islands President Richard Yao looks on Friday at the Santa Barbara Zoo.

A trifecta of tales from Monaco intelligence

Bar Americaine of Hotel de Paris

San Diego Semper Animalibus

At five o’clock in the afternoon, I stood in the lobby of London’s elegant Dorchester Hotel on Park Lane awaiting my guest: Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky.

This encounter was arranged by a senior intelligence official from Latvia on the basis that Mr. Berezovsky might be useful to the intelligence service I had created for Prince Albert of Monaco.

It is imperative in the intelligence business to arrive early and scope out the environment of a planned rendezvous. This would especially pertain to meeting Mr. Berezovsky, President Vladimir Putin’s “Target Number One” at a time when Mad Vlad was having his opponents and critics bumped off, especially those oligarchs who did not cut him a slice of their wealth.

Who knew what assassins might be lurking?

Because if Mr. Putin was the New Russia’s “New Stalin” (and he was, still is), Mr. Berezovsky was the “New Trotsky” (and now just as dead).

Boris rounded through the Dorchester’s revolving door with the expression of a scared squirrel. He glanced around nervously while two very tall British bodyguards behind him scanned the lobby for enemies.

Of course, Mr. Berezovsky wasn’t frightened of me, but petrified of his arch-nemesis Putin’s proclivity for poisoning his opponents with polonium. Or lead bullets. Or death from falling. Or neckties.

I walked over, offered my right hand. “Hi Boris. Can I buy you a drink?” (I’d always wanted to say that to a billionaire.)

“Not here,” said the short, dark Berezovsky, his shifty eyes alternating focus on various dark shadows. “Let’s go to the Ambassador Club.”

The goons backtracked. One spoke into a two-way radio. “Coming out,” he whispered.

Mr. Berezovsky and I were ushered into the backseat of his armor-plated, bullet-proof Bentley parked just outside the hotel’s revolving door. The two goons sat up front. Fifteen seconds and 300 yards late, we arrived at Mr. Berezovsky’s upscale private club, where I was ID’d and photographed before allowed entry as a guest.

Boris led me to the very far end of the bar (which was empty at this hour) so he could place his back against a wall. He ordered a pot of Earl Grey Tea, honey and lemon, and finger sandwiches for two.

“So what can I do for you?” I asked.

This caught Mr. Berezovsky off guard. “I don’t know. What is the framework of our meeting?”

“The Latvians arranged it,” I said. “I direct an intelligence service for Prince Albert of Monaco.”

THE ISSUE

“Ah,” said the oligarch.

He then explained that he had been invited by the governor of Colorado to attend a conference in Aspen. He wanted to go but had a small problem: He was barred from entering the United States. Boris further explained that he had repeatedly phoned the U.S. Embassy in London to try to make an appointment to discuss the situation, but they would not return his calls.

“They won’t say ‘yes’ and they won’t say ‘no,’” he added.

“Why not?”

“Because of President Bush’s relationship with Putin,” said Mr. Berezovsky. The U.S. government, he explained, would not do anything that might offend the Russians.

He added that his friendship with Neil Bush, the president’s brother, had not proven fruitful to alter this stance.

Mr. Berezovsky said he had another friend, media magnate Rupert Murdoch, who, on this issue “can’t make a dent.” Another friend, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, “always sees me but won’t rock the boat on this.”

Yet another friend, former President Bill Clinton, “won’t touch it.”

So I’m sitting there thinking, if Rupert Murdoch, Henry Kissinger and Bill Clinton could not help Mr. Berezovsky enter the United States, I did not know why or how he expected me to pull it off.

Nonetheless, Mr. Berezovsky promised me he wouldn’t make a fuss if I allowed him into the United States. And he claimed to know many important things of interest to the U. S. government

through people inside the SVR and FSB. So like others before him, I gather, Mr. Berezovsky thought I worked for the CIA, and he wanted to horse-trade: An entry visa for intelligence.

While I gently tried to explain I had no such authority to assist in this regard, Mr. Berezovsky’s cell phone constantly jingled, until he finally handed it to his bodyguard and snapped, “Take it away, and don’t interrupt me unless it’s an urgent call.”

Two minutes later the goon returned. “It’s Uri Geller,” whispered the goon.

So Mr. Berezovsky spoke with Uri Geller, the Israeli celebrity psychic and spoon bender, for two minutes, though nothing about their conversation seemed urgent and I felt I was in some kind of surreal comedy show. When Mr. Berezovsky finally finished with Mr. Geller (the logistics for dinner that evening), he told me that President Putin would extend his rule beyond 2008 (turns out he was right) because “Putin has too many enemies to give up power.”

Mr. Berezovsky further told me the only solution for Russia was a coup d’état by the military and following that he — Mr. Berezovsky — would immediately return to Moscow and run Russia with Mikhail Khodorkovsky (the oil tycoon then imprisoned by Mr. Putin).

Apparently, I was not the only person to whom Mr. Berezovsky so indiscreetly spouted. A few weeks later his insurrectionist stance got reported in the media, resulting in a censure from the British government after protests from Mr. Putin.

I mentioned my bizarre meeting with Boris to a senior member of Her Majesty’s Secret Intelligence Service (a necessary courtesy as I was on their turf), asking if continued contact might have any upside for our service in Monaco. My friend looked at me mournfully. After a few moments’ silence, he said quietly, “There’s nothing but death associated with Boris Berezovsky.”

We declined further contact with Boris, and within a few years he himself became fully associated with death, having been discovered strangled in the bathroom of his ultra-secure mansion in Britain with a ligature tied around his neck.

It was called a “suicide” due to “depression.”

Mr. Berezovsky had never been treated for depression and had been looking forward to upcoming engagements. As for paranoia, which was fully justified, he took precautions, not prescriptions. But even a bullet-proof Bentley, burly bodyguards and home security systems were not enough to save Boris from Russia’s New Stalin.

GOTCHA’D

Grigori “Gotcha” Arivadze, from the republic of Georgia, is probably the person most responsible for bringing Mad Vlad Putin into Prince Albert II of Monaco’s orbit.

Early in our service to the prince, we learned that his corrupt senior aide-de-camp, Bruno Philipponnat, was instigating a plan for Albert to visit Azerbaijan (a former Soviet republic), with Mr. Arivadze as part of the entourage.

We already knew that Philipponnat was abusing his position by befriending the prince’s personal friends in addition to taking cash payments from those who desired entry into Albert’s social orbit.

The danger, it seemed to us, was that the prince’s personal friends — in association with Philipponnat — would use their relationships with Albert to make business deals, from which they stood to gain financially.

In this instance, we looked at two such friends through whom Arivadze had been introduced to Philipponnat: Robert Munsch, an American optometrist from St. Louis, and Preston Haskins, a Moscow-based Texan businessman.

Mr. Munsch was overheard (by one of our spies) to say — in the

— that he needed to “get Albert to Azerbaijan” so he could make a lot of money in an oil deal.

Thus, at my next briefing for Prince Albert (on Nov. 21, 2002) in Hotel Columbus, I had some questions:

• Would it bother you if close personal friends of yours were making money through taking advantage of their relationship with you?

• Would you want to know about it?

• Would it bother you if persons in your employ abused their positions to receive commissions, kickbacks or silent partnerships?

• Would you want to know about it?

The prince answered “yes” to all. So with his explicit permission, we added the names of Mr. Munsch, Mr. Haskins and Albert’s own aide-de-camp to our ever-widening radar screen.

Our enquiries quickly identified “Gotcha” Arivadze, the Georgian businessman based in Moscow, as the mystery man from Bar Americaine. At our request, two intelligence services ran traces on Mr. Arivadze and swiftly reported him to be of very dubious character.

Later, Sergey of Russian intelligence provided a report on Mr. Arivadze, ex-operator of ARSI gas stations in Russia, which validated the negative data we had on Gotcha.

Yet Prince Albert allowed Mr. Arivadze’s infiltration of his social orbit to continue. The Georgian soon became tight with Michael Smurfit, the Irish cardboard box tycoon, another one of Albert’s hangers-on who also strove to make the royal court his playground.

As for Bruno Philipponnat, we would eventually discover that he was not only cutting cash-for-access to the prince but also earning commissions and kickbacks from business entities such as Red Bull. Sometimes, unbeknownst to Albert, Mr. Philipponnat was doing so in the prince’s name (as if Albert was the recipient of a kickback and not himself).

Jean-Raymond Gottlieb of the Monaco police department’s SIGER unit was also aware of Bruno Philipponnat’s impropriety and alleged kickbacks but was powerless to do anything about it.

In early March, the prince traveled to Moscow with these fellers — Mr. Munsch, Mr. Haskins, a dishonest Swede named Carl Carlsson — hosted by Gotcha Arivadze, who rented a brothel for the night to celebrate Albert’s birthday. The prince, as such, ignored our reporting on Mr. Carlsson and Mr. Arivadze, and doubtless did not heed our advice regarding security concerns while traveling in Russia.

It is almost a certainty the FSB would secretly record activities in his hotel bedroom, which, depending on the nature of such activities, could lead to blackmail one day.

All of these so-called “friends” did their very best to cling to the prince’s coattails. Albert’s friendship was their ticket to getting laid and for demanding special treatment while in Monaco.

We would eventually learn that while the Prince was away in Austria, a Russian general presided over an award ceremony in Palais de Monaco at which he presented Bruno Phillipponnat with a decoration, attended by a Russian named Leonid Sloutsky (now president of the Russian Duma Committee on Foreign Relations) and, of course, Gotcha Arivadze.

Such antics had reached the point of absurdity.

It was almost by accident that we then uncovered Villa Mangiacane, the old Machiavelli estate in Casciano near Florence, Italy, in which Mr. Arivadze was a secret co-owner (a way for him to launder money).

Decorated in erotica, this getaway was an “Eyes Wide Shut” decadent den of iniquity where Mr. Arivadze and the fellers would bring under-age models for boozy weekend parties lubricated by house wine from the aptly named Arivadze Cellar.

During the week we visited, Mr. Arivadze was playing host to a dozen Russians from the energy sector and senior members of Russian intelligence.

What’s more, Mr. Arivadze was hosting them in the Prince’s name, boasting to those assembled that the brand new 2007 Rolls Royce parked outside with Monaco

San Diego is known as the “finest city,” which could certainly be true for animals thanks to San Diego Humane. The oldest non-profit in the area, San Diego Humane, helps rescue and care for pets while educating the community about pets and San Diego’s natural wildlife.

Dr. Gary Weitzman, CEO of San Diego Humane and author of numerous books about animals, discusses animals’ myriad sides, from nutrition and health to communication and love.

ROBERT ERINGER

plates T245 belonged to the prince and was on loan to Gotcha especially for this meeting.

This was a lie (of course), confirmed to me by Prince Albert himself. We traced ownership of the Rolls Royce. It was registered to Francesco Bongiovanni, a friend of his. We believed Mr. Arivadze secretly owned the Rolls — as he did the villa — but put property in the names of others to conceal his ownership and evade taxes.

By then we believed that Mr. Arivadze was Moscow’s lightning rod in Monaco and by using his influence with the prince via aidede-camp Bruno Philipponnat, he would pave the road for massive Russian money laundering into real estate in the principality.

He and his fellow Russians used prostitutes and the prospects of lucrative money-making deals to lure the prince’s friends to Moscow, compromise them and turn them into fellow travelers on their team.

Mr. Arivadze also received an award at the Kremlin from President Putin on an occasion attended by Mr. Philipponnat and several of Albert’s friends.

We speculate Mr. Arivadze was

honored by President Putin for his access to (and influence with) the prince, mostly through Mr. Philipponnat. On behalf of the prince, the aide-de-camp handled Russian business exclusively through Gen. Vladimir Pronichev, commander of the Federal Border Guards, who oversaw Russia’s cooperation on a North Pole expedition undertaken by Albert.

By choreographing the Russian “gift” of a dacha, which was built from scratch by Russian laborers on the prince’s country estate, Roc Agel, and commenced soon after Albert’s return from meeting Putin in Moscow, it was this project that cemented Mr. Philipponnat’s relationship with Gen. Pronichev and the Russians.

CORRUPTION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL

I have already written in an earlier column, “Putin’s Pet Principality,” that Prince Albert’s embracement of Russia’s Vladimir Putin was the seminal event leading to my dismantling of the intelligence service I created for the prince. But there was another issue that played a role in my departure, and it was an internal scandal pertaining to a pair of Albert’s closest advisers/scoundrels: Parisbased lawyer Thierry Lacoste

and the Palace accountant Claude Palmero. Both were terribly corrupt.

Our service, working closely with Monaco’s police department, caught the pair of them redhanded. Mr. Lacoste and Mr. Palmero were in cahoots with one another to enrich themselves at Monaco’s expense.

This is how these dirty-dealing sore losers became big winners. Monaco’s government had much earlier invited blue-chip vendors to bid for the construction of the Larvotto Project, a land reclamation project off Monte Carlo’s beach to build habitable space upon the sea. This project was similar to what Monaco had achieved decades earlier in a suburban spinoff called Fontvieille.

These vendors paid millions of euros in fees just to formulate their bids and become part of the selection process.

Except for one, none of the vendors knew that the odds were heavily stacked against them from the get-go.

How so?

Because Lacoste and Palmero had made secret deals to become silent partners with one of the vendors, the Marzocco-SchriquiVinci consortium, in exchange for using their influence to rig the winning bid their way. And when Marzocco-Schriqui-Vinci got ruled out in the final round, Mr. Lacoste and Mr. Palmero convinced the prince to terminate the Larvotto project altogether on the basis that it was bad for the environment. However, from the beginning, all vendors were required to innovate the land reclamation into an environmental showcase — an example to the world of how modern construction can

COMSTOCK, Dorothy Melander

Dorothy Melander Comstock, a Class of 1948 graduate of UC Santa Barbara and member of the Delta Sigma sorority, passed away at age 95 in Palm Desert, California on June 11, 2022. She left behind her 8 children, 13 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. Her husband of 51 years, Cliff, passed away in 1999. Her Celebration of Life will take place at 11 a.m. on April 15th, at the Mission Santa Barbara.

WILLIAMS, Robert Anthony

5/5/1943 - 12/21/2022

Bob, “Willy”, born in Santa Barbara at St. Francis Hospital to Dale and Evelyn Williams. Bob attended Dolores School and Bishop Diego High School, class of 1961, where he was an outstanding athlete in all sports. He married Suzy Ware in 1973, in Indiana. Bob and Suzy settled in Grass Valley, CA, becoming known as “Barber Bob” while he and Suzy raised four children. The family moved to Wray, Colorado, where Bob operated a barbershop for many years. Bob served many clients who loved to talk about sports with “Barber Bob,” who had much knowledge to share. He was a resident of Broomfield, CO at time of his death due to complications of a stroke.

Bob leaves his wife, Suzy; sons, Patrick and Nick (Kelsey), daughters, Suzanne Andrews (Derek), Emily Anderson (Patrick), and eight grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Bob is survived by his siblings: John M. Williams, Mary Lynn Ruiz, and Ellen Zilinki. Bob, a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and brother was a loving man and a good faith-filled Christian who is greatly missed.

REESE, Robin

Robin Reese, 84, a longtime resident of Santa Barbara, passed away peacefully on March 22nd, 2023. She was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Barstow, California. She lived in California most of her life and spent the years from 1970 to 1980, living in Minnesota. She was preceded in death by her father Henry Dale Heister, her mother Eleanor Heister and her brother Ladd Heister. She is survived by her brother Lance Heister (Margie Heister) and her children Kim Reese and Julie Owens, (Mark Owens) and grandchildren Seth, Garrett, and Carlie (Ole). She’s also survived by her sister-in-law Laura Heister, nieces and nephews, and three greatgrandchildren.

Anyone who knew Robin knew that she loved to talk and share wonderful stories. She also loved to sing and write and had two unpublished novels under her belt. Robin never met a stranger and had an amazing ability to impact many people’s lives with her beautiful smile and open arms.

In the words of a dear friend, “She drew life and joy out of everything. Kept her heart and mind open to everyone and everything. Took delight in the differences of people, cultures and traditions.”

Everyone was always welcomed into her home and, more importantly, into her heart. She will be deeply missed.

In remembrance, donations can be made in Robin’s name to the Alzheimers Association or to VNA Health, the organization that provided her palliative and hospice care.

SHORE, Marjorie Goodwin

Marjorie Goodwin Shore passed peacefully from this world on March 27, 2023, after a full and rewarding life. She was equally at home in her active world and in the serenity she sought in Nature. She found the perfect place to spend her later years when she moved to Santa Barbara in 1986.

Marjorie was born on May 17, 1923, in Hiawatha, Utah and was brought to California at age two. She attended Whittier High School, Whittier College, University of California at Los Angeles (B.A., 1951 and M.LS., 1963). She married James Nofziger in 1943, and had one daughter, Margaret Lynn. In 1951, she married Nomie Shore and had two sons, Daniel and Steven. She became a single parent in 1969.

Marjorie was employed at Hughes Aircraft as a technical writer and editor; as a librarian at the UCLA Research Library, University Elementary School at UCLA, Hawthorne School Library in Beverly Hills, and Beverly Hills High School Library. She joined an ecological community in Oregon for two years, worked at Koloa School Library in Kauai, HI; and later was head librarian at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena until 1986, when she was temporarily disabled, had back surgery, and moved to Santa Barbara.

Marjorie was a member of Westgard Coop at UCLA. She was a work scholar at Esalen Institute at Big Sur, spent three years working at Koloa School in Kauai, and has been active in the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara since 1987. She became a resident at Garden Court on De La Vina in 2010 where she completed a memoir for her family.

Marjorie is survived by three children: Margaret Dotzler of Alabama, Daniel Shore of Illinois, and Steven Shore of Southern California, and three grandchildren: Asa Dotzler of Silicon Valley; Elizabeth Dotzler of Alabama, and Mark DiRenzo of Colorado; as well as three great-grandsons: Payton and David DiRenzo, and Bowie Dunkin. She is also survived by her extended family: Jill Smith of Laguna, CA; members of the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, and her women’s group - Patricia Reilly Stark and Gail Fairburn.

Preferred remembrances: Garden Court on De La Vina in Santa Barbara; VNA Health; and the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara.

A memorial celebration of Marjorie’s life will be held on Friday, April 28, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, 1535 Santa Barbara Street.

be executed without negative ecological impact. And they did just that.

Thus, the official reason for canceling the project was bogus, and these vendors had wasted their time and money.

A Palace insider told us back then: “They (Lacoste and Palmero) plan to resurrect the Larvotto project in a few years’ time, start fresh and get another shot at winning the bid.”

And, years later, that is precisely what happened.

Monaco’s own police department confirmed this arrangement to us having discovered the corruption while investigating Marzocco-Schriqui’s funding. They determined that this funding had derived from a Russian mafia figure — an ethnic Korean from Kazakhstan named Oleg Davidovic Kim.

Mr., Kim, we then discovered, had falsified a letter of credit from the Bank of Tokyo. The bank’s senior representatives affirmed to investigators that their bank never issued such a guarantee and that their signatures were forged. Yet with this letter of credit, Mr. Kim managed to borrow $55 million from the Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Plant.

The Russian who arranged this “short-term” loan was Yuri Kolpakov. According to sources in the Russian government, investigators believe Mr. Kim then “ordered the killing” of Mr. Kolpakov in retaliation for pursuing the unpaid $55 million loan and for reporting Mr. Kim to the authorities.

We reported the corruption and sourcing to Prince Albert. (Monaco police reporting was repeatedly obstructed by Monaco’s Interior Ministry and

ROSENBLATT, Barbara “Bobbie”

December 14, 1935 - March 31, 2023

Bobbie passed away peacefully at home in Santa Barbara being held by the love of her life.

She was a wonderful woman full of love and positive energy. Music was a huge part of her life and she continued going to rock concerts into her 80s. She loved the arts and traveling around the world with her husband, family, and friends. She was a philanthropist focusing on the Santa Barbara Ridley Tree Cancer Center, the Sansum Clinic, Visiting Nurses, Santa Barbara City College and other local Santa Barbara charities. Most of all, she relished in being a loving wife, and a supportive mother, and caring grandmother. She was beloved by her family and friends. She will be missed.

Bobbie is survived by her husband of 68 years, Eddie; her sister Dorothy Anderson; her children: Michael and his wife Carla, Steve and his wife Kathy Jo, Peter, and Gretchen; and her grandchildren: Rachel, Zachary, Sara, Beatrice and her husband Dalton, Dashiell, and Josephine.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Bobbie can be made to Sansum Speaks, the educational lecture series presented by the Women’s Council of Sansum Clinic. Sansum Clinic, PO Box 1200, Santa Barbara, CA 93102. ATTN: Philanthropy Department. Or go to sansumclinic.org/donate-now or call 805-681-7726.

NORTH, Laurine Bostian

Laurine Bostian North was born April 23, 1926, in Overcup AR, to Wiley and Etta Bostian. Laurine Passed away April 2, 2023. Laurine married James B. North III May 2, 1944. In 1946 they moved to Santa Barbara where they have resided ever since.

Laurine and Jim had five daughters: Genetta (Wayne, deceased) Clark, Patricia (David) Winchell both deceased, Audrey (Rodger) Carbone, Marian (Sam) Huerta, Jane (Felipe) Gomez, 13 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren.

Laurine ran the business part of the family construction and apartment management business. She taught all her daughters the bookkeeping/management business.

Laurine loved traveling, puzzles, knitting, gardening, playing the piano and having parties in her home with family and friends. Her favorite part of life was the time she spent with her family. Each child felt her special love for them.

Laurine’s wish was, “I hope to be remembered for loving children, because children are our future.”

Laurine was a member of the First Methodist Church. She taught Sunday school, sang in the choir, was a “woman of spirit,” went on several mission trips and enjoyed Friday lunch bunch.

Laurine’s services will be announced later. Memorials can be made to Smile train, Samaritan’s purse or the Methodist church.

IN MEMORY

consequently never reached the Palace, which is why our intelligence service was so invaluable to Albert — and should have remained so).

Thereafter, Thierry Lacoste and Claude Palmero conspired to disrupt the flow of intelligence to the prince — and Albert ultimately chose to take the path of least resistance by allowing his lawyer and accountant to run roughshod through his principality.

Sadly, corruption in Monaco has steadily grown much worse since then.

Truth so often prevails. And indeed all these years later the rampant corruption of Messieurs Lacoste and Palmero was recently exposed by their own emails that got hacked and posted onto a website called Dossiers Les Rocher.

We are hearing whispers that those in Monaco who protest such corruption are imprisoned or committed to psych wards.

Which appears to suggest that the relationship between Prince Albert and Vladimir Putin is a match made not in heaven but in hell.

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

JUVENILE

Continued from Page A1

basic and fundamental provisions that ensure youth and staff safety and wellbeing,”describing the entry of illicit narcotic substances such as fentanyl into juvenile halls and a severe staffing shortage. This negatively impacted youth safety and bathroom access, requiring shifts over 24 hours and a reliance on temporarily reassigned field officers who are not trained to work with youth.

Mr. Bonta explained, “For justice-involved youth in particular, it is imperative that our institutions give them every opportunity for rehabilitation, growth, and healing. We are responsible for protecting justiceinvolved youth and ensuring they receive educational, health, and supportiv services necessary to stop the cycle of incarceration. The motion aims to enforce compliance within 120 days or face sanctions.

At Lake Cachuma’s maximum level at the point at which water starts spilling over the dam holds 188,030 acre-feet. An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons, equivalent to the amount of water consumed annually by 10 people in an urban environment.

Prince Albert’s embracement of Russia’s Vladimir Putin was the seminal event leading to my dismantling of the intelligence service I created for the prince.

Business/Real Estate

Buying activity increases as ‘selling season’ begins

April, or the start of spring, is generally the beginning of the winds in our Santa Barbara communities, and the start of the real estate “selling season” here.

Of course, we generally have a selling season year-round.

We have seen record rain totals, and it is wonderful to see our local lakes and reservoirs full, or near capacity. Despite all the rain, Santa Barbara remains a wonderful place to live.

I just returned from the national Berkshire Hathaway convention in Las Vegas. And even though it is nice to take a break now and then, it is always a special feeling knowing I can return to Montecito, my home for the past 30-plus years. For the third year in a row, I was honored to receive recognition as the top agent globally for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.

So what is happening in real estate? The events of the past several months regarding continuing interest rate hikes and, more recently, the events surrounding certain banking institutions, have certainly brought a new twist to our local marketplace.

The continued fiscal tightening will certainly restrict buyers’ ability to borrow money for real estate purchases, although in our

local bubble with almost 50% of all transactions being all cash, the effects might be somewhat limited.

Consumers in the broader market are starting to feel the pinch, with defaults on credit card and auto payments increasing. Those unfortunate occurrences will have a trickledown effect, but, again, not so much in our local communities, we hope.

Concerning activity levels, we have seen a marked increase in buyer activity, which coincides with increased inventory levels. Montecito had 18 new listings; Hope Ranch, four new listings; Santa Barbara, 54 new listings, and Carpinteria and Summerland, 11 new listings each.

Price adjustments continue to take center stage, with 28 properties reflecting price improvements. That trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future while sellers catch up to an ever-changing marketplace and buyers look to reallocate finances based on banking and financial uncertainty.

I believe there is a possibility of more fallout to come as banks tighten lending policies, which undoubtedly will have some impact on our local real estate markets and economic outlook. We are still fortunate to live in one of the premier places in the country, however, if not the world.

History tells us that despite market fluctuations, which may sometimes turn negative, the light is always at the end of the tunnel. Just as we survived the recent rainstorms, these times of uncertainty will also pass, and the sun will shine again. As always, if you have any questions regarding real estate, please feel free to reach out to me at 805-886-9378 or cristal@ montecito-estate.com. Follow me on Instagram @cristalsb, and on Facebook.

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

Mutual funds have their advantages

Amutual fund is a financial vehicle that pools assets from shareholders to invest in securities like stocks, bonds, money market instruments and other assets.

Mutual funds are operated by professional money managers who allocate the fund’s assets and attempt to produce capital gains or income for the fund’s investors.

The fund’s portfolio is structured and maintained to match the investment objectives stated in its prospectus.

Mutual funds give small or individual investors access to professionally managed portfolios of a variety of securities. Each shareholder participates proportionally in the gains or losses of the fund. A mutual fund has a fund manager, sometimes called its investment adviser, who is legally obligated to work in the best interest of mutual fund shareholders.

The first open-end mutual fund with redeemable shares was established on March 21, 1924, as the “Massachusetts Investors Trust,” which is still in existence today and managed by MFS Investment Management.

Mutual funds didn’t really capture the attention of American investors until the 1980s when investors in them hit record highs and realized incredible returns. Mutual funds are now mainstream investments and form the core of individual retirement accounts.

Today over $27 trillion is invested in open end mutual funds registered in the United States. In the U.S. alone, there are more than 10,000 mutual funds.

Despite the launch of separate accounts, exchange-traded funds, and other competing products, the mutual fund industry remains robust and healthy.

When I got into the financial services business in 1983 with Prudential-Bache Securities, mutual funds were just beginning to take off in a big way. My, have mutual funds changed since then!

Most of the mutual funds at that time were “front end loaded” with a commission as high as 8%!

Through competition in our “free market economy,” mutual funds have become better and better over the years. Today, the vast majority of mutual funds are “no-load” funds, and the management fees have become less and less. One of the main advantages of mutual funds is that they provide diversification.

By investing in a variety of different assets,

birthday.

Lompoc Valley Chamber seeks Old Market Sponsors

LOMPOC — The Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce is searching for vendors and sponsorships for its 2023 Old Town Market event.

The event will take place Friday evenings between July 7 to Aug 11, 5 to 8 p.m., with an added day on Aug. 12 from noon to 3 p.m. to celebrate Lompoc’s 135th

investors can reduce their overall risk. If one stock or bond in the portfolio performs poorly, it may be offset by the performance of other investments.

This diversification can be especially valuabl for individual investors who may not have the resources to build a diversified portfolio on their own.

Another advantage of mutual funds is that they are managed by professional fund managers. These managers have experience and expertise in selecting and managing investments, which can help to maximize returns for investors.

Additionally, mutual funds typically have lower fees than actively managed investment options like hedge funds, which can make mutual funds a more accessible option for individual investors.

Over time, mutual funds have evolved to meet the changing needs of investors. There are now thousands of different mutual funds available, each with their own investment strategies and goals. Some funds invest primarily in stocks, while others focus on bonds, real estate, or other types of securities. There are also mutual funds that invest in specific industries, such as technology or healthcare.

Mutual funds have also become more accessible to individual investors. Many fund companies now offer low-cost, no-load mutual funds that can be purchased directly by investors, without the need for a broker or financial advisor.

Additionally, online investment platforms have made it easier than ever to research and compare different mutual funds, allowing investors to make informed decisions about where to invest their money.

Mutual funds have developed into an attractive investment option for many people, thanks to their diversification, professional management and accessibility.

While no investment is without risk, mutual funds can be a valuable addition to a well-diversified investment portfolio. By taking the time to research and compare different mutual funds, investors can find the right investment option to meet their financial goals.

Mutual funds are considered long-term investments. So once a quality mutual fund portfolio is put in place, remember to stay the course!

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

This free event includes live music, bouncy houses, activities, food and vendors. Each night features different themes, ranging from Performing Arts Night to Family Fun Night.

If interested in being a vendor, potential vendors must submit an application and abide by rules and regulations regarding their booth size and vehicle parking.

If interested in supporting this event, sponsorships are available by being an Entertainment or Kids Zone Sponsor, Friend of The Old

Town Market, or Theme Night Sponsor. The prices range from $250 to $500, and more information can be obtained with the contact information below.

Vendor registration is currently open, up until June 5.

A booth space is $25 per night for chamber members and $35 per night for non-chamber members.

For more information, or to secure a sponsorship, email mayra@lompoc.com or call the chamber office at 805-736-4567.

— Kira Logan

want to come

FIELD

Continued from Page A1

and the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department partnered together in 2018 to kickstart the idea for Gwendolyn’s Playground. Now, almost five years later, the project is in full motion with this donation.

Some features that will be built at the park include a multisport turf field, a cafe, inclusive park equipment, a music garden, diversity programming and art sculptures. Additionally, the park will build new sidewalks throughout the entirety of the property, something that the park currently lacks.

These features only scratch the surface of what the foundation is

over and over again’

hoping to build.

When asked why he was so excited to be involved at this park, Rep. Carbajal exclaimed, “Families are going to want to come back over and over again, because this will be an exceptional area to be!”

Additionally, the congressman noted that Laura Capps, the 2nd District supervisor who sits on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, was the person who originally put this idea on his desk and urged her to say a few words as well.

Ms. Capps shared her involvement with the crowd. “I am a mom and I would see Victoria and her family at church and have a human reaction to what they have done for this community. I am so proud of Santa Barbara and

can’t wait to see what happens to this already sacred space.”

Jill Zachary, the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation director, added to the eager voice of the congressman.

“It is amazing to be where we are with this today,” she said. “We have our project approvals. We are finishing our construction plans and documents, and we are just putting together the dollars to make it happen.”

Victoria Strong spoke at the event, sharing her elation for this next step in the building process as well as her gratitude toward the city.

“I am so proud of Santa Barbara. The leadership, the businesses, and our families have rallied around this project with so much enthusiasm. The fact

that we are building an inclusive park says a lot about the city’s values,” she said. “We are shouting from the mountain tops to the rest of the nation what is truly possible in public spaces when we come together in celebration of our shared humanity and in the many ways we are unique.”

Others at Friday’s event included Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rouse and his staff, as well as Grace Fisher, the founder of the recently opened Inclusive Arts Clubhouse at La Cumbre Plaza. For a full list of the park’s features as well as ways you can get involved, visit nevergiveup.org/ playground.

email: abahnsen@newspress.com

Santa Barbara

development for university advancement,

Helene Schneider, Cal

Islands

Richard Block (middle), and Cal State Channel Islands

Richard Yao sign the

Zoo to lease land from Cal State Channel Islands

ZOO

Continued from Page A2

The work that the zoo is looking for aligns with the education and research that the school is already completing.

As noted at the signing, Cal State Channel Islands has a 60,000-square foot site on the western edge of the Camarillo campus that will be specified to the zoo. Under the

memorandum, Cal State Channel Islands will lease the land to the zoo, and the zoo will own the conservation center buildings and facilities. Plans at Friday’s signing were enthusiastically shared for the site, which include classroom and meeting spaces, offices for conservation staff, pens for animal care, containment and breeding areas, native plant gardens, and spaces allocated for public enjoyment.

A marine science panel was attendance of the signing, including Joe Forrest, the Marine Debris Grant coordinator; Matt Furmanski, a Cal State Channel Islands art professor and

marine debris art adviser; Christy Kehoe, a California regional coordinator; JJ McLeod, the director of education at the Santa Barbara Zoo, and Michaela Miller, the conservation manager for the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

partnership between the zoo and the university. signing, in the coming years, the zoo has plans to shift the majority of its conservation efforts to the conservation center at Cal State Channel Islands.

All of these passionate educators were delighted to share the plans for the new Cal State Channel Islands’ building space.

If you would like more information on the new area allocated for the zoo at Cal State Channel Islands, visit www.sbzoo.org.

email: abahnsen@newspress.com

State Channel

regional director of

far left, watches

Zoo CEO

President

memorandum stating the

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

With this federal funding, the Dwight Murphy Field will transform into a beautiful and inclusive space for Santa Barbara families with the addition of Gwendolyn’s Playground.

‘Families are going to

back

Unidentified suspect threatens California Capitol

By RIA ROEBUCK JOSEPH THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - A statement released by Senate President pro Tempore

Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon released today advised that they were notified of a threat to the Capitol.

“This morning, we received information from the California Highway Patrol regarding a threat involving the Capitol. We notified staff and members swiftly and out of an abundance of caution, Senate session was redirected to the O

Street building and Assembly Session was modified to be a check-in session,” the statement said.

An ABC report said “Staffers were told to “remain situationally aware and report any suspicious activity,” in a memo from Assembly Chief Administrative Officer Lia Lopez. “The CHP and security partners are present in higher numbers in the Capitol area, and are alert of the situation.”

Members of the Senate and assembly were redirected to alternate means of meeting for the business of the day. Staff of the legislature were allowed to work remotely.

The suspect drove through Roseville and Citrus Heights, north of Sacramento on Wednesday night and shot a gun from his moving vehicle striking a hospital and place of business before issuing threats to the Capitol.

The president and speaker expressed their gratitude to the California Highway Patrol, Sergeants-at-Arms, Secretary of the Senate, the Assembly Chief Administrative officer, and law enforcement partners.

The release thanked them “for responding quickly to keep members of the Legislature and our staff safe.”

Man will appear for sentencing on Monday

grams of psilocybin mushrooms, three grams of cocaine and hundreds of acid tabs.

“Some of these dangerous narcotics were found in areas accessible to children who were residing in the residence,” the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said in its initial news release.

Mr. Hernandez was arrested by the Sheriff’s Special Investigations Bureau on suspicion of child cruelty, unlawful possession of ammunition and possession of narcotics for sale, all felonies.

He was being prosecuted in Santa Barbara County Superior Court until the U.S. Attorney’s Office reached out and said it wanted to prosecute him on a federal felony charge, and local prosecutors readily agreed to transfer the case.

It was the fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, that ultimately proved to be his undoing.

According to the grand jury indictment issued against him, Mr. Hernandez “knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute approximately 1,676.12 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II narcotic controlled substance.”

Rather than stand trial, Mr. Hernandez pleaded guilty in December to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The 22-year-old faces 10 years to life imprisonment when he is sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

The affidavit by Agent Chaney reads like a textbook police procedural on how law enforcement handles a drug investigation, from receiving a tip to surveilling a suspect to searching a suspect’s premises.

THE TIP

In early July 2022, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office was told by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office about a possible local drug dealer who was using a phone number discovered on the cell phone of someone they had just arrested on controlled substance offenses.

“On this phone, officers saw messages which they understood to be consistent with the … number supplying this individual with cocaine,” Agent Chaney wrote.

GPS location data showed the phone was often in Santa Barbara County, including in the vicinity of 100 block of North Curryer Street in Santa Maria.

“The … number would frequently be in the proximity of that address at night, consistent with someone sleeping there,” Agent Chaney wrote.

THE SURVEILLANCE

As part of their investigation, on July 7, 2022 and later dates, detectives from the SB County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Bureau went to the Curryer Street house to conduct surveillance.

They observed a man, later identified as Mr. Hernandez, leave the residence. Criminal history records showed he was on probation at that time for possessing a loaded firearm while under the influence of methamphetamine in a case where he initially had been charged with possession with intent to sell controlled substances.

On two occasions, in mid-tolate July 2022, detectives saw Mr. Hernandez conduct what appeared to be hand-to-hand transactions consistent with drug distribution, the DEA agent said.

One time they saw him leave his house, get into a red Mercedes and drive to a nearby mall, where he parked by a truck.

“An unknown female got out of the truck, walked to the red Mercedes, leaned into the window of the red Mercedes for a few seconds, then returned to her truck and left. Hernandez then immediately walked to an ATM,” the agent said.

Approximately a week later, detectives saw him drive to a nearby market. He parked, then drove around the block and then

re-parked nearby on the street.

“To the observing officers, Hernandez appeared to be looking for someone,” Agent Chaney said. “Then an unknown male on his skateboard that officers had seen on his phone rode up to the red Mercedes and leaned in the window.”

He rode away less than a minute later.

When Mr. Hernandez left, the officers believed him to be engaging in counter-surveillance driving tactics, including making random stops and unnecessary turns.

“Based on the officers’ descriptions, as well as my training and experience, these interactions are consistent with Hernandez conducting a handto-hand transaction, exchanging drugs for money,” the agent said.

THE STOP AND SEARCH OF HIS CAR

On Aug. 4, 2022, detectives, armed with a search warrant, arrived at the Curryer Street house.

At about 9:20 a.m., they saw Mr. Hernandez leave his home and climb into the passenger seat of the Mercedes, while Ms. Day got into the driver’s seat.

After approximately one block, the car turned around and returned to the Curryer Street house.

“Before they could exit the vehicle, a Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s officer turned on the red and blue lights of his unmarked patrol car and pulled over the red Mercedes,” Agent Chaney said.

Pursuant to the search warrant, the officer searched Mr. Hernandez and the red Mercedes.

“In Hernandez’s pants’ pocket, the officer found two clear plastic bags, each containing approximately 10 blue ‘M30’ pills of suspected fentanyl,” the agent wrote. “Based on my training and experience, blue ‘M30’ pills are often counterfeit oxycodone pills that contain fentanyl.”

THE SEARCH OF HIS HOUSE

In his bedroom, detectives found a gray grocery-type bag containing eight plastic bags, each with approximately 1,000 blue “M30” pills containing suspected fentanyl, near the foot of the bed. Near the foot of the bed, they found approximately 27 grams of suspected Ecstacy.

Inside a hutch in the bedroom, officers found approximately 3 grams (including packaging) of suspected cocaine; sheets of blotter paper, with hundreds of individual tear off sheets, consistent with use with acid; and a single round of ammunition. Behind the bedroom door and near the foot of the bed the officers found suspected marijuana. The detectives also found a digital scale, which appeared to have drug residue on it, on an end table in the bedroom.

Outside, in the backyard, near a shed, detectives found another gray grocery-type bag containing eight plastic baggies containing approximately 1,000 blue “M30” pills each, containing suspected fentanyl. They also found 218 grams of suspected psilocybin mushrooms, as well as a large amount of suspected marijuana in a makeshift dog house in the backyard.

“Based on my training and experience, a digital scale, the presence of several types of controlled substance, some in significant amounts, and specifically, this large of a quantity of suspected fentanyl pills, is consistent with distributing controlled substances,” Agent Chaney said.

The agent took the suspected fentanyl, acid blotter paper, and psilocybin mushrooms into DEA custody. They were transported to the DEA Southwest Laboratory. The Laboratory had not completed testing on all of the suspected controlled substances when Agent Chaney wrote his affidavit.

“So far, according to chemists employed by the DEA Southwest laboratory, all nine bags that have been tested so far — consisting of 5,804 pills of the suspected fentanyl found in the Curryer Street house — have tested positive for fentanyl with a net weight of over approximately 938.8 grams.

“Based on my training and experience, this amount of pills

containing fentanyl is inconsistent with personal use; rather it is consistent with the amount that someone would possess in order to distribute it to others.”

Detectives also seized three cellphones during the search of Mr. Hernandez’ car and house. One of those belonged to his girlfriend, Ms. Day, and it contained messages from Mr. Hernandez with coded terminology referring to him selling narcotics, Agent Chaney said.

CONCLUSION

All the evidence collected by detectives — Mr. Hernandez’s cell phone number found on the phone of the San Luis Obispo County drug dealer, the surveillance of him making drug deals, the drugs found in his pants’ pocket, the text messages on his girlfriend’s cell phone referring to drug deals, and the huge amount of narcotics seized from his house — made it clear to Agent Chaney that Mr. Hernandez flat-out lied when he claimed to only sell marijuana.

“There is probable cause to believe that Mr. Hernandez has committed a violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1): Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance,” Agent Chaney concluded in his affidavit resulting in the criminal complaint filed against Mr. Hernandez, his subsequent indictment, his eventual guilty plea and finally, his scheduled court appearance Monday when he’ll be ordered to serve at least 10 years in federal prison.

email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

Sen. Atkins and Assemblyman Rendon acknowledged that the disruption impacted individuals who had intended business at the Capitol. “We apologize for the adjustments and interruptions to the members of the public who planned to come to the Capitol today to make their voices heard.”

The suspect remains at large. Exactly how the threat was made or what the suspect intended has not been disclosed.

“In this situation, we must put everyone’s safety and security first. We encourage everyone to stay alert and stay safe” the release stated.

California’s economic prospects are bleak, new report

By TOM JOYCE THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square)California has a better-thanaverage state economy, but its prospects are bleak, according to the newly-released Rich States, Poor States report from the ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitive Index.

The report said that Arizona ranked 18th in the country in economic performance from 2011 to 2021; the report calculated this by looking at the state’s domestic migration, nonfarm payroll employment, and state gross domestic product.

However, California ranked 45th in economic outlook, indicating that ALEC-Laffer thinks the state’s economy will fall in the rankings in the future.

The rankings knock California’s future economic potential for various reasons.

It argues that the state is not business-friendly. Its 13.3 percent top marginal personal income tax rate is the thirdhighest in the country, according to the report, while its 8.84 percent top marginal corporate income tax rate is among the top-10 highest in America. Plus,

says

California ranked 45th in economic outlook, indicating that ALECLaffer thinks the state’s economy will fall in the rankings.

it is not a right-to-work state and its $15.50 minimum hourly wage is the second-highest in the country.

“California improved three places from its worst-ever rank last year, mostly because the competition for the bottom is fierce,” the report said. “California’s woes are well documented in many ways in the national state policy conversation.

“The future isn’t so sunny in the Golden State,” it later added.

As the report notes, California ranked 48th out of 50 states in economic outlook in last year’s rankings. However, a lack of income tax increases in the past couple of years and the state’s nonexistent estate tax prevented it from falling further in the rankings.

Biden to open up Medicaid, Obamacare to Dreamers

By DAN MCCALEB

THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – About 700,000 foreign nationals in the U.S. illegally will be able to access taxpayer-funded health care under a new program President Joe Biden authorized Thursday.

Foreign nationals in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – or DACA – program will be able to access Medicaid or to purchase insurance on Obamacare exchanges, according to the announcement.

“We need to give Dreamers the opportunities and support they deserve,” President Biden said in a video message. “Today, my administration is announcing our plan to expand health coverage for DACA recipients by allowing them to enroll in a plan through the Affordable Care Act or through Medicaid.” Dreamers is a term frequently used to refer to members of DACA, an Obama-era program that allows illegal immigrants who entered the country as children to be protected from deportation.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to providing Dreamers the opportunities and support they need to succeed. Today President Biden is announcing a plan to expand health coverage for DACA recipients,” a release on the White House’s website says. “The Department of Health and Human Services will shortly propose a rule amending the definition of “lawful presence,” for purposes of Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage, to include DACA recipients.” The release does not include information on how much the new program is expected to cost taxpayers.

Miller Family Wine Co.’s optik wine debuts with eye-catching label and name

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

With provocative labels that show a single eye peering from the palm of an open hand, not to mention its unusual name, optik wine will make its unique debut today at the grand opening of the Miller Family Wine Co.’s pop-up tasting room in Los Olivos.

Located at 2963 Grand Ave., optik Los Olivos — “optik” isn’t capitalized — will officially open its doors at noon and feature a DJ, snacks from 805 Charcuterie and food from Big Truck food truck.

It will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday until the end of August. Tastings are $30 per person.

“The label is designed to bring the optik concept to life, visually representing a new interpretation of the vineyards through the lens of an incredibly accomplished outsider looking in,” according to the company’s website.

“Representing the power of new perspectives, optik’s unique and contemporary packaging symbolizes the empowerment of the winemaker’s hand to convey what his eye sees.”

Popping up in Los Olivos through the end of summer, optik’s first tasting room will welcome visitors to try the brand’s line-up of limited-production, vineyarddesignated wines, each crafted by winemaker Joey Tensley.

As preparations are made to unveil Bien Nacido Estate’s new tasting room in the Santa Maria Valley, The Gatehouse at Bien Nacido, coinciding with the vineyard’s 50th anniversary, the Miller Family Wine Co. felt optik was a natural choice to occupy Bien Nacido Estate’s former tasting room in downtown Los Olivos.

Not only will the brick-andmortar space bring greater awareness to this up-and-coming brand, but it will also give consumers immediate access to the wines exclusively sourced from the Miller Family Wine Co.’s estate vineyards, including Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills Vineyards, and, starting with the 2021 vintage, French Camp Vineyard, as well.

Visitors to the optik tasting room will be able to sample the 2021 vintages of optik’s Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah wines, as well as be among the first to try the 2021 releases of Petite Sirah and Valdiguie, two brand-new wines sourced from French Camp Vineyard in the Paso Robles Highlands AVA. Miller Family Wine Co. is a division of the Thornhill Companies, the umbrella brand of one of California’s premier winegrowing families, the Miller

Life theArts

Here’s looking at you

CALENDAR

COURTESY PHOTO Ensemble Theatre Company actress Nitya Vidyasagar will portray a refugee during the Santa Barbara Symphony’s performance of “The Eternal Stranger.” It’s part of the “Beethoven Dreams” concerts at 7:30 tonight and 3 p.m. Sunday at The Granada in Santa Barbara.

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

TODAY 10 a.m. to 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 5:30 p.m. “SURREAL

Family, who have been farming California’s Central Coast for five generations.

The company includes the Bien Nacido Estates and national branded wine labels such as Butternut, J. Wilkes, optik, Ballard Lane, Smashberry, Barrel Burner, Volunteer, Hand on Heart and Reciprocity wines, in addition to control label brands for prominent retailers across the U.S. and the French Camp vineyard in Paso Robles.

Miller Family Wine Co. is also a member of 1% For The Planet, joining the global network of businesses and individuals

committed to tackling the world’s most pressing environmental issues.

Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, 1% For The Planet is a global organization that inspires businesses to support environmental partners by making giving easy and effective through partnership advising, impact storytelling and third-party certification.

In advance of Earth Day 2023, the Miller family’s Reciprocity Wines has joined the likes of Patagonia, Klean Kanteen,

Boxed Water and many more companies in devoting 1% of annual sales to environmentallyfocused organizations through its affiliation with 1% For The Planet.

The Central Coast sustainable wine brand is now one of more than 5,000 members in 60 countries supporting 1% For The Planet’s mission to drive philanthropic support to address critical environmental issues.

To date, the organization has certified more than $450 million in member giving to approved environmental partners.

“Sustainability has remained a core value to our family’s business

since its inception, which led us to found Reciprocity, a brand that celebrates organic and sustainable grape growing,” said Nicholas Miller, chief sales and marketing officer.

“And while the concept ‘to receive and replenish’ is the brand’s guiding motto — not just in regards to the land but also to our employees and community — we knew we wanted to take it one step further by becoming a member of 1% For The Planet. All of us at Reciprocity are honored to have a small part in supporting this global

WOMEN: Surrealist Art by American Women” is on display through April 24 at Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery, 11 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, www. sullivangoss.com. By appointment on weekdays: “Holly Hungett: Natural Interpretations” is on view through May 20 at the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara’s gallery, 229 E. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. The gallery is open 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and weekdays by appointment. For more information, call the foundation at 805965-6307 or go to www.afsb.org. 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. to etcsb.org or call 805-965-5400. 7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform “Beethoven Dreams” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The all-Beethoven program will include a collaboration with the Ensemble Theatre Company’s artistic director, Jonathan Fox. Mr. Fox will direct the West Coast premiere of Ella Milch-Sheriff’s staged monodrama, “The Eternal Stranger,” based on one of Beethoven’s dreams. The concert will also feature the symphony playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Symphony No. 4. The concert’s piano soloist is Inna Faliks. Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org. 8 p.m. Out of the Box Theatre Company will perform “Once” a musical about Guy and Girl, who meet on the streets of Dublin at Center Stage Theater, upstairs at Paseo Nuevo in Santa Barbara. Curtain rises at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through April 23. There is limited on-stage seating, for ages 12 and older, and that costs $40. Other tickets cost $35 for general admission and $20 for college students and seniors. To purchase, go to centerstagetheater.org. Those 17 and younger get free admission but must show their ID at will call. (A pre-show concert starts at 7:30 p.m. April 15, and the bar will be open during the preshow.) For more details, see the story that will appear in Friday’s News-Press or visit www.outoftheboxtheatre.org.

APRIL 16

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Santa Barbara Kite Festival will take place on the west campus of Santa Barbara City College, 973 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara. Admission is free. Food, beverages and kites will be available for purchase.

2 p.m. Out of the Box Theatre Company will perform “Once” a musical about Guy and Girl, who meet on the streets of Dublin at Center Stage Theater, upstairs at Paseo Nuevo in Santa Barbara. Curtain rises at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through April 23. There is limited on-stage seating, for ages 12 and older, and that costs $40. Other tickets cost $35 for general admission and $20 for college students and seniors. To purchase, go to

Managing

SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 2023

At left, the optik wines are crafted by winemaker Joey Tensley. From left, Nicholas, Stephen and Marshall Miller stroll through a vineyard. The Miller Family Wine Co.’s estate vineyards include Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills Vineyards, and, starting with the 2021 vintage, French Camp Vineyard.

PHOTOS COURTESY MILLER FAMILY WINE CO.

Winemaker Joey Tensley, left, stands with Nicholas Miller. Miller Family Wine Co. is presenting its new optik wines today. The creative label features a single eye peering from the palm of an open hand.

Kite festival to grace sky above Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA — The 2023

Santa Barbara Kite Festival will soar from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday on West Campus lawn at Santa Barbara City College.

The campus is located at 973 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara. Parking is available on both the West Campus and Main Campus for the popular event. Admission is free.

“It’s always amazing to us how many colors are added to the sky by entire families of kite fliers,” Festival Kite Master Rakesh Bahadur said in a news release.

“Everyone is welcome.”

Festival Director David Hefferman said, “We are honored to add more color this year to the legacy of festivals in our community.”

The festival includes activities such as the “Childrens’ Tail Chase,” in which groups of kids are divided into various age groups. They chase and try to capture the tail of a kite expertly flown by Mr. Bahadur.

The festival also features familyfriendly kite contests including the most beautiful kite (handmade and commercial), the highest flying kite, the largest and smallest kites, the youngest and oldest kite fliers,

the “most unique or unusual” kite, the most unflyable kite and the “Best of Fest.” In addition, festival organizers will select a winner of the Lion Award, which was created in the

memory of Santa Barbara legend Chad Dreier and his family, who are longtime supporters of the festival. Kites, food, and beverages can be purchased at the event.

Things to remember after a breakup

We have all been through it and, at best, a breakup is a difficult situation. Here are some tips and advice to help you make it through this rough patch.

• You are not going to be thinking clearly for a few days or even weeks. This kind of depression can make you want to act out, isolate yourself, or do things that may not be good for you. If you had a routine before the breakup, stick to it, and if you didn’t, create one.

wasn’t right for you.

• For some, diving right back into the dating scene works. Others need to take some time before even thinking about getting into another relationship. You may find yourself somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. Balance is key here. You don’t want to move too quickly or take too much downtime.

For more information, visit www.sbkitefest.net, Santa Barbara Kite Festival on Facebook or call 805-637-6202.

Kite festival takes place today in Santa Maria

SANTA MARIA — The annual Free Family Kite Festival will take place from noon to 4 p.m. today at the Rotary Centennial Park, 2625 S. College Drive, Santa Maria.

This annual festival is sponsored by the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum and the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department.

PLAY Inc. Festivities will show professional kite-flying demonstrations, food, vendors, contests and music. Kite Ambassadors from the American Kite Fliers Association will be present and ensure all kites are flying smoothly, helping anyone who needs it.

The festival will also hold a kite “hospital” for kites that need repairing. There will be activities for children, which include a “Running of the Bols” race, where participants are strapped to parachute-like kites and race each other to learn about energy

and inertia. While supplies last, children can also pick up a ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ activity bag. For more information, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 805-925-0951, ext. 2260.

• You don’t have to do this alone. You have friends and family, and if no one is available, consider going to a trained professional or joining a support group. Be careful not to lean too hard on those who are close to you. Friends can burn out if your sadness goes on for too long.

• Let your feelings out. If you need to cry, do it. If you are hurting, try writing about your feelings. It’s a great way to get out of your head, and it will help heal your heart. The important thing to remember is not to just sit on your feelings, because pain will hang around if you let it.

• Find your strength wherever you can. If you need to get a little angry, that’s perfectly normal. Sometimes we have to recognize what wasn’t working, so we can feel good about where we are at the moment.

• If your former partner is being unkind, see it as one of your reasons to move on. You do not deserve to be abused or belittled by anyone — ever.

• Getting dumped can feel horrible. It’s helpful to remember that rejection is protection. Allow this truth to sink in and help you heal. If you think about it, you will find reasons that this relationship

• Healing a broken heart takes a while. But if you’ve been grieving for several months or even years, you may need to seek medical assistance, so you can begin to lead a normal life once again.

• Know that you will feel love again (even if you don’t want to). If you are a loving person and want to share your heart with a deserving partner, please keep that image in your mind. It will help you make it happen.

• Some of the best art was created from the same place that you are in. Your heart may be broken, but the rest of you may be working just fine. Sometimes heartache can lead you to the answers you need to make your life better.

I hope these tips will help you get through the hard parts. Remember that your heart is still whole and you will find your soulmate.

Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D., is an award-winning psychotherapist and humanitarian. He is also a columnist, the author of eight books and a blogger for PsychologyToday. com with more than 28 million readers. He is available for video consults worldwide. Reach him at barton@bartongoldsmith.com or 818-879-9996. He has lived and practiced in Westlake Village for more than two decades. His column appears Saturdays and Mondays in the News-Press.

Curtis Symphony Orchestra at The Granada

SANTA BARBARA —

The Community Arts Music Association of Santa Barbara, in collaboration with the Music Academy of the West, has announced an upcoming Community Access Concert featuring the Curtis Symphony Orchestra from Philadelphia.

The concert is scheduled to take place at 7:30 p.m. May 18 at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa

No. 409

04/15/2023

BY WILL SHORTZ

JEREMY NEWTON AND TRACY GRAY /

Jeremy Newton, of Austin, Texas, is an engineering manager for a mobile-games company. Tracy Gray, of Hunt Valley, Md., owns and operates a lawn-and-landscaping business with her husband. They initially connected via Facebook. They shared the work of making this puzzle throughout, even in the end splitting the duty of writing the clues — one of them the Acrosses and the other the Downs. — W. S.

Barbara, and is designed to have affordable prices. Community Access tickets are priced at $10 for adults. Additionally, children and teens ages 7-17 can receive free tickets with the purchase of an adult ticket. For tickets, go to ticketing. granadasb.org/events.

— Caleb Beeghly

Alma Rosa Winery to host fundraising walk

SOLVANG — Alma Rosa

Winery will host its fourth annual fundraising walk, “Peace of Mind: 10,000 Steps in the Right Direction,” at 9 a.m. July 22.

The approximate 4.5 mile — 10,000 steps — walk will take place on Alma Rosa’s 628-acre property at 1623 Mission Drive in Solvang.

The winery’s owners, Bob and Barb Zorich, created the now annual fundraising walk in 2020 to support mental health community services and fund research on the causes, treatments, and potential cures for anxiety and depression.

All funds raised from the walk will be donated to One Mind and Mental Wellness Center of Santa Barbara.

In an effort to raise more money for mental health support, the Zorichs will be matching

CALENDAR

Continued from Page B1

centerstagetheater.org. Those 17 and younger get free admission but must show their ID at will call. (A pre-show concert starts at 1:30 p.m. April 16, and the bar will be open during the pre-show.)

For more details, see the story that will appear in Friday’s News-Press or visit www.outoftheboxtheatre.org.

individual donations, dollar for dollar up to $35,000 for each organization — adding up to a total of at least $70,000. Participants can enjoy a glass of wine accompanied with other non-alcoholic beverages while they complete their walk. After the walk, the winery will host an intimate reception at their Ranch House with charcuterie. Along with the walk, tickets for a subsequent luncheon will be available to purchase.

Registration to participate in the walk is open until Friday, June 21. Visit runsignup. com/Race/CA/Buellton PeaceofMind10000Stepsinthe RightDirection to sign up or donate for the upcoming event.

— Kira Logan

Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

APRIL 21 8 p.m. Sō Percussion with Caroline Shaw will perform at UCSB Campbell Hall. Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw joins Sō Percussion as vocalist for 10 songs she co-composed with the quartet members. Tickets are $20 to $35 for the general public and $10 for UCSB students with current student ID. TO purchase, call Arts & Lectures at 805-893-3535 or go to www.artsandlecturesucsb.edu.

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 4,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

3 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform “Beethoven Dreams” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The all-Beethoven program will include a collaboration with the Ensemble Theatre Company’s artistic director, Jonathan Fox. Mr. Fox will direct the West Coast premiere of Ella Milch-Sheriff’s staged monodrama, “The Eternal Stranger,” based on one of Beethoven’s dreams. The concert will also feature the symphony playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Symphony No. 4. The concert’s piano soloist is Inna Faliks.

APRIL 25 7:30 p.m. The American Theatre Guild will present “Anastasia” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The new Broadway musical follows a brave young woman on a journey to discover the mystery of the past. This production transports the audiences from the twilight of the Russian empire to Paris in the 1920s. Tickets cost $54 to $129. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

— Dave Mason

— Dave Mason

— Kira Logan

COURTESY PHOTO

Families will be out again Sunday for the annual Santa Barbara Kite Festival at Santa Barbara City College.

SUDOKU

Thought for Today

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” — Steve Jobs

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Saturday, April 15, 2023

ARIES — Your inspiration and creativity are high today, Aries. If you’ve been thinking about taking up painting or poetry, this would be an ideal day to get started.

Make sure your perfectionism doesn’t get in the way of your creative urges. You can be a critical editor. For now, don’t worry about the end product.

TAURUS — It’s bad enough having too many cooks in the kitchen, but when those cooks argue not only about how to cook the meal but also about how to design the kitchen, you know you have trouble on your hands.

Tempers are likely to flare today.

Everyone has an opinion about how you should decorate your home.

GEMINI — Your selfconfidence is at a low point these days, and this is making you especially vulnerable. It’s likely that a recent confrontation with a close friend has you worrying about the overall health of the relationship. With all kindness, Gemini, you’re overreacting. It’s likely that your mate feels just as troubled as you right now.

CANCER — You may feel some frustration over your perceived inability to reach an important milestone in your career. It’s possible that you only need to reevaluate the benchmarks you’ve set in order to see that you’ve made more progress than you thought. Remember, ultimately, the time it takes you to reach a goal matters less than the fact that you reach it.

LEO — Sometimes you can be too passive and let others trample all over you. Your lack of ego is admirable, but only up to a point, Leo. Why let others take credit for your ideas? There could be a situation where you feel compelled to speak up. Protect your rights and defend yourself against an unethical person intent on downplaying your contribution.

VIRGO — An unethical acquaintance could be spreading unfounded rumors. Don’t take anything you hear today at face value, Virgo. Get all the facts before drawing conclusions.

Equipment being installed or acting up adds to the confusion. If the situation weren’t so

frustrating, it would be comical.

LIBRA — A longtime friend may become something more today, Libra. It could be that there has always been a certain spark between you, but you haven’t been able to acknowledge it until now. Make extra sure that the time is right, however. You don’t want to hurt anyone else’s feelings as you begin to explore the new aspects of this old relationship.

SCORPIO — You may be frustrated today, Scorpio. An anticipated romantic encounter may be postponed or canceled. There’s no reason to consider it a major setback in the relationship. If you feel doubt and uncertainty, it’s likely for other reasons. You’re agitated and not in a good place to make any sweeping judgments.

SAGITTARIUS — You could feel a bit low today due to disappointment in someone important to you, Sagittarius. It could be that a mentor no longer supports you or perhaps an authority figure has shown his or her true colors. Rather than casting about for a new role model, why not follow the path that you know is right for you?

CAPRICORN — You’re likely changing your mind about something that has been important to you, Capricorn. Perhaps you’re questioning your job, career path, or choice of a mate. Confusion may dominate your thoughts today. Don’t expect to arrive at any concrete answers by day’s end. This is a situation that will only be resolved with time. Try to be patient.

AQUARIUS — Romance is in the air today, Aquarius. Alas, it seems to rain down on everyone but you. You must have put on your romance-repellent raincoat before leaving the house this morning. Don’t fret. Your time will come. Try to focus your passion on a creative endeavor. If you’ve been thinking about trying your hand at writing or painting, do it now.

PISCES — Your creativity is at an all-time high, Pisces, so take advantage of it. This would be an ideal day to paint or write. Even though you consider your talents well below amateur status, you may be surprised by what you’re able to produce. Ignore your strict internal editor and work for the pure pleasure of creating. You will be delighted with the results.

DAILY BRIDGE

By FRANK STEWART

Tribune Content Agency

Saturday, April 15, 2023

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

“To vacillate or not, that is the question; at least I think it might be.” — graffiti

Many learning players are resolute about drawing trumps first; they have been taught that bad things can happen if the missing trumps are left as a threat. Worse things can happen if declarer draws trumps too soon.

Today’s North-South reached a spade game that depended on finding East with the king of clubs. When West led the king of diamonds, declarer took dummy’s ace and ... drew trumps with his A-K-Q and dummy’s jack.

DOWN ONE

South next let the ten of clubs

ride. The finesse won, but when he led a second club to his queen, West discarded. Dummy had no more entries, and East got his king for down one.

In case of a 4-1 club break, South should lead a club to his queen at Trick Two. After he draws all the trumps, he passes the ten of clubs and leads a third club to his jack to land the contract.

at your

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

left, opens one club, and two passes follow. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your partner surely has some points — if not, your opponents would still be bidding — and you must not sell out to one club when your side may have a makeable partscore or even a game available. Double. Your hand would not be quite strong enough to double in the direct position, but actions in the “balancing” seat may be light.

South dealer N-S vulnerable

From ‘Whistler’s Mother’ to a Bob Ross look-alike, it’s a busy time for art

There’s so much happening in the art world:

• “Whistler’s Mother” revisits Philadelphia (last seen in 1881) in a grand exhibit on Motherhood at the Philadelphia Art Museum.

• Picasso fans celebrate the 50th anniversary of his passing with worldwide museum shows and worldwide art criticism.

• The movie “Paint” stars Owen Wilson as a lookalike for the art-cult 1980s icon Bob Ross, and critics are panning it.

• And a courtroom artist’s sketch of former President Donald Trump is on the cover of the New Yorker.

WHISTLER’S MOTHER”

HAS A SIT-DOWN AT THE PHILADELPHIA ART MUSEUM

The first American display of the famous painting “Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1 (1871)” was in Philadelphia in 1881 at the Pennsylvania Academy.

Although Whistler was born in the U.S., his strong willed mother opposed the American Civil War. She moved herself (age 59) and Whistler to London in 1863, there assisting her son in his studio in Chelsea as his manager.

The painting of mom Anna Mathilda was created in London in 1871 and sold to the French government in 1891 for the Louvre collection.

The work is coming to America from France as part of a group show depicting visions of motherhood. Hailed as the American Mona Lisa, “Whistler’s Mother” is not an American painting, but became an icon

during the American Dust Bowl, when it was featured on a U.S. postage stamp.

PICASSO DIED APRIL 8, 1973, AND HIS CONTROVERSIAL LIFE IS RE-EXAMINED 50 YEARS LATER

How should we see Pablo Picasso? Should we rely on his biography for clues about this great artist, or should his work speak for itself? Museums worldwide are reassessing Picasso’s legacy after 50 years since his date of death. The New York Times recently interviewed 10 prominent practicing artists regarding his undeniable influence, one of whom said, “His bio is boring.” Meaning: focus on the work.

On the other hand, a new book recently translated into English is taking just the other tack. “Picasso the Foreigner” by Annie Cohen- Solal discusses a lifetime of Picasso surveillance by the intelligence agencies of his adopted country France.

Beginning in 1900, as the young impoverished Picasso came to Paris, he was targeted as a possible anarchist, a suspicion, along with suspected later Communist leanings, that kept the French Police watching him till he died. Picasso was considered such a danger to France that when he requested French citizenship, after living in France for 40 years, at the age of 59, it was

denied.

Today the art world believes that his art should be superior to his life, women or politics, whatever they were, but that was not always the case. In 1957, the Museum of Modern Art NY prohibited his presence at their blockbuster Picasso show, because Picasso was deemed “a threat to American security” by FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover.

I can’t imagine showing his great works “Les Demoiselles d ’Avignon” and “Guernica” and leaving the artist behind in France.

He is still controversial today. The comedian Hannah Gadsby’s 2018 show “Nanette” decried his so-called misogyny, masculinity, creativity and male-type bravado.

The Brooklyn Museum of Art has asked Gadsby to mount a Picasso show for the 50th anniversary of his death.

OWEN WILSON’S PORTRAYAL OF BOB ROSS IS PANNED

The aptly named show, “The Joy of Painting” was a cultural blockbuster on TV from 19831994, making a star of Bob Ross (“Anyone Can Paint”), airing in 400 episodes, having 5 million viewers and capturing the imaginations of Sunday painters. (I still see such 1980s canvases in garages in Santa Barbara!)

The new movie by Brit McAdams, “Paint,” sidesteps Bob Ross-ness, according to critics. Owen Wilson stars as Carl Nargle,

who really is not famous at all but looks like Mr. Ross. ArtNews says “The film’s insistence upon avoidance of any so-called transgressions comes off as an effort to steer clear of legal issues regarding the Ross estate.” For more information about just how much money is at stake from those 400 episodes and all that branding (Mr. Ross died in 1995), see the Netflix documentary of this summer “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed.” The battle wages regarding the Ross estate between former business managers, family, and other interests.

FINALLY, THE SKETCH

The artist, Jane Rosenberg, a 40-year veteran artist of the courtroom sketch, lands her image of Donald Trump on the cover of the New Yorker, portraying the former president during a hearing related to his indictment. No other courtroom sketch will ever be as famous.

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.

Senior center offers grief support group

SANTA MARIA — A free grief support group for adults 50 and older is being held on Mondays from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Elwin Mussell Senior Center until further notice.

The center is at 510 E. Park Ave., Santa Maria. The Santa Maria Recreation and

Parks Department and Central Coast Home Health and Hospice are partnering to host this free event. The group will be led by a trained facilitator.

The purpose of this new support group is to share useful information about the grieving

process as well as tools to alleviate feelings of isolation. Questions may be directed to the Recreation and Parks Department at 805-925-0951, ext. 2260.

— Kira Logan

OPTIK

Continued from Page B1

movement, in hopes to create lasting environmental change.”

Named for the reciprocal relationship between farmers and the land, Reciprocity features a collection of wines exclusively sourced from the organic blocks at the sustainably-farmed French

Camp Vineyard in Paso Robles. In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, Reciprocity recently added Sauvignon Blanc to the portfolio.

The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc offers delectable aromas of white peach, gooseberry, and apricot, with a palate that showcases notes of wet stone and a rich, viscous finish.

email: mmcmahon@newspress.com

FYI

Miller Family Wine Co.’s optik wine will make its

COURTESY IFC FILMS; AN IFC FILMS RELEASE

Owen Wilson stars as a lookalike for the art-cult 1980s icon Bob Ross in “Paint.”

COURTESY

The Bien Nacido Vineyard is among the Miller Family Wine Co.’s estate vineyards.

DID YOU KNOW?

Bonnie Donovan

Social destruction is ripping America apart

Did You Know? is alarmed and very aware that it appears we are witnessing the beginning of the disintegration of America, this once beautiful creation of the United States. We speak to all people, to all Americans who love this nation, and to all immigrants who came here for a better life. Social destruction is permeating all of our institutions, the fabric of our society, our children’s schools, our workplaces, our military, and into the minds of adults, who too easily accept this decay without protest.

We are being dismantled/ corrupted by a small minority of determined activists who use coercive accusations, actions and measures to suppress any opposition to their agenda.

e continued failure at America’s southern border

The border “crisis” has been fixed!

That’s right.

Beginning with President Ronald Reagan and running through Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, together with the Congress and in a bipartisan way, they have solved and settled the “illegal immigration” problem once and for all.

Many times.

Up until the early 1990s, the southern border was pretty much an unregulated line in the chaparral. People moved across easily and readily, but by the time Bill Clinton became president, it had become an issue, and one that President Clinton dealt with in his 1994 crime bill.

There were five “key immigration-related goals” outlined in that legislation, which came with piles of dough

for personnel and high-tech equipment including remote video surveillance systems, thermal imaging devices, in-ground sensors and more.

They were:

• Strengthening border control.

• Expediting the deportation of undocumented immigrants and documented immigrants who had committed crimes within the U.S.

• Establishing reform that would expedite asylum claims and streamline the process.

• Developing a Law Enforcement Support Center and providing state and local law enforcement officers with 24-hour access to INS records.

PURELY POLITICAL

Curiously, both this crime bill (which helped put away thousands of career criminals for long periods of time, thus reducing crime generally) and the concomitant issue of border security have fallen by the wayside. In case you didn’t remember or weren’t alive then, there was the bipartisan Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, signed into law by President Reagan, which legalized 2.7 million undocumented aliens in conjunction with employer regulations that would prevent illegals from working without authorization.

a “smart, tough, and effective” bill that would “effectively enhance the security and integrity of our nation’s border.” It too proved completely ineffective, but at least it had Sen. Schumer referencing “the drug smugglers, the gun runners, human traffickers, money launderers and organized criminals that seek to do harm to innocent Americans…”

that was never going to happen for two reasons.

Firstly, the Democrats’ plan included amnesty for virtually all border crossers. and that was something Republicans couldn’t vote for.

They operate on the belief that infiltration into the structure of our society — by means of our schools and universities, the agencies of government, our legal systems, a predominant political party and into our religious authorities — will disguise their true intents and bring them victory over the 6580% of a supine majority.

We were reminded by a reader that three years ago that syndicated columnist Michele Malkin identified this corruption of American society. Few people took notice. Americans continue to believe that what they have been warned about, could not happen here.

Ms. Malkin gave the NewsPress permission to republish her article below.

• Reimbursing states for immigration-related incarceration costs.

None of the above stemmed the tide of illegal immigration. Neither did a $600 million 2010 Border Security Package that New York Sen. Chuck Schumer called

Sen. Schumer, who’s the Senate majority leader today, and the Democratic Party have never been for enhanced controls at the southern border. Apparently, a wide-open border is what they’ve always wanted, but it is and was never something they could articulate out loud because it would cost them votes, particularly among those border states directly affected.

Hence their regular and consistent call (in the past anyway) for a “bipartisan comprehensive” border security bill, something

Secondly because both parties have used the border situation to raise funds for reelection campaigns. Democrats have always been in favor of “legalizing” whosoever has already entered the U.S. seeking work or welfare. Republicans too, at least too many of them, have been in favor of that legalization, but have always voted against it for fear of losing support among their constituents.

Which is why former President Donald Trump had such difficulty and faced so much resistance to his southern border wall. The president was serious

Democrats are acting like dictators in a banana republic

“Referring to the U.S. as a banana republic is an insult to Banana Republics worldwide.” — Bo Hines

I

“All of us — Democrats, Republicans, independents, Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims and people of other faiths, who loved the America that was — must join together now to reject, fight and defeat the enemies within. If we do not, we sink into apathy and fear, the waiting enemies abroad will strike an impotent nation already destroyed by the forces within us.

“The America you grew up in is not the America we live in now. One nation under God? Ha. Land of the free? Ha. Domestic tranquility? Ha. Equal protection under the law? Ha. The right to bear arms? Ha. Freedom of speech? Association? Peaceable assembly? Ha. Ha. Ha.

William

Haupt III

militia for the president’s benefit. Militia, police and government brute force are used to keep the people subservient to the government’s de facto superiority. Truth, justice and fair play are nonexistent. Those who resist El Presidente are sent to prison for years or worse.

The author is a Center Square contributor

Over the years, “banana republic” describes any country that has a ruthless, corrupt or dictatorial government with one major political party and a potentate who relies on the military to keep him in power. El Presidente has no respect for state institutions, elections or the people. The only way he is replaced is by assassination or a military coup if he won’t vacate his office after a rigged election.

Lawlessness and corruption are everyday occurrences in banana republics. Most laws are ignored. Others are manipulated by the

n the early 1900s, William Porter, aka O. Henry, coined the term “banana republic” in a fictional story based on his experience living in the Honduras. The term references a politically unstable nation with high inflation, high crime and little respect for human rights. The nation is run by a dictator and his army. The economy is dependent on growing a single product like bananas.During the last presidential election when Donald Trump was campaigning, he told the people that he was running for president because he felt if we did not bring law and order back into American government, America would soon become a banana republic.

It looks like Mr. Trump was clairvoyant.

Since Donald Trump was a patriot and not a politician, while he was in office, the populist president was under constant attack by the Democrats. He was impeached twice as U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, trumped up charges about suspect foreign collusion. President Trump’s second impeachment trial was a steroidal sequel when he was charged with “incitement of insurrection” for the citizen protests in Washington.

“Anyone who thinks that my story is anywhere near over is sadly

WHITE HOUSE PHOTO Donald Trump

mistaken.”

— Donald Trump

Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice and the first one to be impeached after he left office. But that wasn’t enough. In August 2022, Democrats sent the FBI to Florida to pillage and ransack Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home. Outraged Republicans said the desecration of a former president’s home out of spiteful political hate is “third-world country politics” at its worst.

Gov. Ron DeSantis says, “The

scene was akin to one in a ‘banana republic!’ ”

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said, “Are we now a Third World country?”

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. and the son of Cuban exiles, remarked, “I compare this to Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega jailing political opponents.”

News-Press columnist Brent Zepke continues his series of columns on Donald Trump. C2.

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., angrily said she is concerned that the U.S. is being led down the wrong path — the same as Cuba and Nicaragua.

When a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr. Trump on more than 30 charges for paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels, Spanish media groups, many who fled political atrocities in corrupt banana republics, angrily retorted. They said District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s indictment against Mr. Trump is unabashed corrupt political persecution, the same as the venality in countries they fled.

“The U.S. can no longer brag about ‘democracy’ and free elections to other nations.”

— Miguel Diaz

If the objective of the Democrats is to make sure that the popular

Donald Trump is never elected president again, why are they doing everything in their power to ensure that Mr. Trump wins back the White House in 2024? Like Caesar, the Democrats crossed the Rubicon indicting former President Trump. Democrats declared war on the GOP and will do anything to take out the patriot they fear the most.

The New York Times, like other liberal media giants, camp out in District Attorney Bragg’s office. They report that the Trump indictment centers specifically on how a single payment was classified on his campaign disclosure. Mr. Bragg fabricated a weak, questionable falsification of a business record against Trump!

The Soros-backed Bragg disgraced his office by indicting Mr. Trump. Falsification of financial records is a minor misdemeanor in New York and is virtually never charged. It has only a two-year statute of limitations.

For Mr. Bragg to inflate this into a felony, he’d have to show that Trump falsified records to conceal

“It’s not ‘socialism’ or ‘communism’ under which we suffer. Our dangerously chaotic, selectively oppressive predicament is more accurately described as ‘anarcho-tyranny.’

The late conservative columnist Sam Francis first coined the term in 1992 to diagnose a condition of ‘both anarchy (the failure of the state to enforce the laws) and, at the same time, tyranny — the enforcement of laws by the state for oppressive purposes.’

“The “criminalization of the law-abiding and innocent,” Francis expounded, is achieved in such a state through: “exorbitant taxation, bureaucratic regulation; the invasion of privacy, and the engineering of social institutions, such as the family and local schools; the imposition of thought control through ‘sensitivity training’ and multiculturalist curricula; ‘hate crime’ laws; gun-control laws that punish or disarm otherwise law-abiding citizens but have no impact on violent criminals who get guns illegally; and a vast labyrinth of other measures.”

The toxic combination of “pandemic panic” and “George Floyd derangement syndrome” has thoroughly destroyed the

MORE INSIDE

Wendy McCaw

Arthur von Wiesenberger Co-Publisher Co-Publisher

GUEST OPINION

Don’t give up the right to arms

I’ d like to start my message with information that is out there for anyone to read, but I want you to have an open mind. First here is a quote I find quite fitting today. Our First Amendment gives us the right to voice an opinion., Patrick Henry said it best.

BY ROSS MAYFIELD

County ambulance contract becomes a crash site!

For many years now, upward of 70% or more emergency calls to fire departments in Santa Barbara County are nonfire related. The vast majority of the calls have to do with various types of medical emergencies.

In some cases, the fire engine crew will beat the county’s ambulance provider, American Medical Response, to the scene. When fire department personnel arrive first, they diagnose and stabilize the patient, as they have been trained and certified to do so. When AMR arrives, the fire crew hands off the patient for further treatment and transport to the hospital.

AMR pays area fire departments millions of dollars for these “backup” services.

As a result of all the above, it could make sense to have the Santa Barbara County Fire Department add additional EMTs and paramedics to their staff, equip them with their own ambulances and thereby eliminate AMR as the county’s sole ambulance provider, but the devil is always in the details!

Unfortunately, the Board of Supervisors skipped over nearly every pertinent detail in a process that was meant to decide whether AMR or County Fire would become the county’s sole ambulance provider. Accordingly, AMR and County Fire each submitted proposals based upon the request from the county to become the sole contract provider.

In the end, however, the supervisors foolishly decided to split the baby and create a non-exclusive contract for ambulance services, which virtually no other jurisdiction in California has done.

How foolish was this decision? Because the two competing proposals by AMR and County Fire were each based on winning an exclusive contract, that means the proposals and all the details therein for both providers are now meaningless because neither proposal envisioned competing for customers and revenues throughout the county in a non-exclusive context.

AMR is a private sector company that has been serving Santa Barbara County for the last half-century. Along the way, AMR has managed to absorb millions in lost revenue by virtue of the fact that it

Democrats bear responsibility

This communist, socialist, fascist movement — growing by leaps and bounds under the nomenclature called Democrats — is nothing new. There was a powerful push over a hundred years ago under President Franklin D. Roosevelt to do the same thing.

“Should I keep back my opinion at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself guilty of treason towards my country and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly Kings”

only collects 20-30% of what it bills. This has to do with the fact that most people who need ambulance services are elderly, and many of the rest are poor (especially in North County), and they are covered either by Medicare or MediCal, both of which notoriously pay pennies on the dollar for all medical services rendered. Albeit County Fire claims that government-run ambulance services can receive higher reimbursement via federal and state subsidies in certain circumstances. Having said that, all of that “extra money” comes from taxes.

This brings up a serious consideration. County Fire has indicated that it would be reinvesting the profits that would otherwise accrue to a private sector forprofit company like AMR. However, County Fire never admitted that its real advantage over AMR is their ability to rely on local taxes to subsidize their overall operations. For example, County Fire EMTs and paramedics, unlike AMR employees, will be getting a public pension for life. Pension costs and pension losses can’t be billed to insurance providers! Hence, county taxpayers will ultimately foot these bills.

Hence, the choice between the providers boils down to profits for AMR or higher taxes for you!

The reason having two ambulance services is sure to fail is that neither AMR or County Fire can withstand the costs associated with having personnel and equipment standing around because of oversupply that comes from redundancy. The proposals taken together will effectively double the number of ambulances in the county. This sets up a fiscally untenable nonexclusive, first-to-arrive, firstto-bill scenario.

All the while, there will be too many ambulances for the population served.

The supervisors would have us believe that they were splitting the baby ala the wisdom of Solomon. But Solomon actually saved the baby in the Biblical narrative by calling a bluff.

Several years ago, Australia requested all citizens turn in their guns. The law abiding did as requested, leaving themselves unprotected, but those who don’t follow the laws of their country, kept their guns, guns of all caliber — and knowing the citizens were unprotected and that they were easy prey — to attack their homes, businesses. The crime rate soared, but the honest citizens did as the law told them to do and feared for their lives.

The leaders of this country want you to turn in your guns and you will be just like Australia,

unprotected. Is this what you want? Who will protect you, your businesses, your well being?

Anita Dwyer Lompoc

Looking for answers

Ijust saw news on TV that I have to address for my own curiosity: The news stated that Hunter Biden’s business associates visited the White House at least 80 times while his father, Joe Biden, was President Barack Obama’s vice president.

I am curious about what and how much President Obama knew about his “sidekick” V.P. Joe Biden’s business deals? Very few bosses don’t know what’s going on in their “firm.” Did he know where and why Air Force Two went to all those countries and who was on board with the vice president and why? And why is there such a bias in treatment of removed documents from the White House in different administrations?

I always thought that the law is fair, blind and equal for each person.

Illegal hot springs pools harm wildlife

The harm to wildlife in the Hot Springs area, including aquatic life, is severe as a result of the hot springs pool construction.

It is patently illegal in California to obstruct creek flow.

The damming of the stream bed attracts hordes of people bathing in this water, creating an unsanitary health hazard as there are no restroom facilities near the illegally constructed pools. I have seen trash, including toilet paper and human excrement, along the stream bed banks.

This precious land, purchased by our community to preserve nature, has become a disgusting environmental health hazard putting our community and nature in harm’s way.

The hot spring pool construction must stop to preserve the balance of nature in this sensitive environment and end further destruction by selfish, party goers who care nothing about the harm caused by their actions.

Escape from New York: the prosecutors

Editor’s note: This is the second of Brent E. Zepke’s columns on the indictment of Donald Trump.

When Donald J. Trump and his wife Melania came down the golden escalator in his Trump Tower to declare his candidacy for president, it would become his first step in escaping from New York. His second step was his moving to the White House as president. His changing his residence to Florida constituted his third step.

The record shows that the Democrats had the “Trump derangement” as far back as 2012 when Cyrus Vance Jr., a Democrat and the then-new district attorney of New York City, said he would “get Trump.” Was this because Mr. Trump opposed Mr. Vance’s father’s initial support for sending troops into Vietnam?

In 2016, only 36.5% of the voters in New York City voted for Donald J. Trump while he won 45 counties in the state.

Similar to when President Joe Biden took office, President Roosevelt rammed through executive orders, one of which was over the banking system to try and fix a financial crisis comparable to what is surfacing now. He prohibited banks from allowing customers to withdraw their own money in order to prevent hoarding. You couldn’t hoard your own money?

And he wanted to force those with bullion, gold coins or certificates to give them to the Federal Reserve. Sounds kind of crazy, or does it? The last thing on this planet I want to do is give the federal government anything. I already hate paying taxes as it is to that wasteful inefficient body. But when it comes to government, who gives what and who takes what is out of our control.

The reason I bring this up is there was a young woman by the name of Isabel Paterson who was locked in a bank vault because she wanted to take her money out, but the bank employees didn’t know what to do because of President Roosevelt’s decree. I don’t have the space to go into the whole story, but this woman was a writer for the Herald Tribune. After her incident she wrote, “There is practically nothing you can’t be put in jail for now.” Sound familiar?

Isabel Paterson believed, like so many of us these days about our current president, that the government was moving toward a complete takeover. President Roosevelt and his government, like President Biden’s cartel, were destroying America: banking reforms, price controls for agriculture and what was called the National Recovery Administration. Does that sound familiar as well?

There are President Biden’s trillions of dollars in the Inflation Reduction Act, aka climate rip-off tax. Isabel believed, even way back then, that President Roosevelt was positioning the government with the “makings of fascism.”

Isabel had said in her later years that “During the 1930s … Communism broke out like a hives among the ‘intellectuals’ and the scions and toadies of the rich.”

The author lives in Santa Barbara.

Using a baseball analogy, there were three strikes, and he was “out” of New York.

The New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball teams took three steps to leave New York: (1) deciding to move, (2) choosing sites in California (San Francisco and Los Angeles) and (3) moving. That was sufficient for them to become “out” of New York.

Why were they not sufficient for Donald J. Trump?

In 2018, the voters of the state of New York elected Letitia James, a Democrat, as the first woman of color to become the New York attorney general after she campaigned “get Trump.”

On Sept. 21, 2022, she filed a lawsuit alleging fraud by the Trump Organization in valuing assets.

In 2019, Mr. Trump moved his residency from New York to Florida.

In 2021, District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., in planning to leave office, assigned Assistant District Attorney Mark Pomerantz to oversee the investigation into

Trump.

Alvin Bragg was elected to New York County District Attorney after campaigning he would “get Trump” while in the offices of the state attorney general office and the city district attorney, meaning the cases were paid for by taxpayers. How many cases were sheer harassment?

In early 2022, Mark Pomerantz’s book “People vs. Donald Trump: an Inside Account” was published, based on his official investigation. Did this eliminate any chance of an impartial jury?

Not according to Alvin Bragg, and his wife Jamila Marie Ponton, whom he married in 2003. Jamila, while an attorney who was not working in her husband’s office, did have all the influences that come with being Alvin’s wife and mother to their two children. Their family and close friends have said that Jamila is “openly boasting about pestering Alvin into putting the squeeze on Trump,” according to a source on Twitter. Why would she do that?

Jamila has for years retweeted a lot about race relations and critical race theories, including “railing” against Mr. Trump and

The left loves to attack the rich as if they’re the plague of American culture. But they fail to point out the majority of the wealthy are of their ilk — i.e. Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Google billionaires, Jeff Bezos and so forth. They have zero self-awareness. Their blinders only allow them to see the world they create in their own minds.

Isabel believed very powerfully in American freedoms and pushed back hard against communism. She once later stated, “I was not a Communist. I am against organized corruption and planned murder.” That pretty much sums up the Democratic Party of today.

I’m not implying planned murder, but Democrats in the government are responsible obliquely for the murders and deaths of so many as a result of their open border policy and the lawless mayhem in our cities as examples because criminals have become the victims. Everything is corrupt these days, and Democrats are leading the way. The most recent, as pointed out last week, is the flagrant utilization of bought-and-paid-for elected officials to do their bidding to oust the front runner in the opposing party for president.

“Think what you want about former President Trump

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

radio station.

Andy Caldwell

Renate Quebec Santa Barbara

Cheryl Trosky Santa Barbara

Henry Schulte The author lives in Solvang

Brent E. Zepke

CARTOON

In a slap to Muslim girls at Stuyvesant High School, the New York City school is canceling single-sex swim lessons, even though swim instruction is required to graduate. That forces the girls to choose between preserving their modesty and getting a diploma.

Count on Muslim families to fight back and likely prevail.

Nationwide, Muslims are taking up the battle in schools to protect traditional religious values, including modesty.

Move over, Roman Catholics, evangelical Christians and conservative Jews. Reinforcements have arrived, and they’re turning the tide.

Even in the Ivy League. After weeks of protests by female Muslim students, Yale University is switching its campus housing policy for the coming academic year to offer single-gender dorms and bathrooms.

From Michigan to Virginia, Muslim parents are showing up at local school board meetings to oppose graphic sex education and gender fluidity indoctrination.

Their engagement is impacting

Muslims turning the tide in the school culture wars

politics. More Muslims are voting Republican, concluding that the Democratic Party is trampling Islamist values.

In Dearborn, Mich., left-wing Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib opposed the Muslim parents in her district protesting sexually explicit materials in school.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration continues its lurch to the extreme left. President Joe Biden’s Department of Education announced doublebarreled rule changes last week, one favoring transgender athletes in elementary and middle school, and the other revoking a Trumpera commitment by the department to protect religious clubs and associations on college campuses. Flipping the bird to people of faith twice in a single week.

The Democratic Party is blowing off traditional values.

Sexual modesty is a core value in Islam. Muslims observe a dress code and guard against physical contact between sexes once students reach adolescence.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

of 1964 protects an employee’s right to practice religion in the workplace, but there is no comparable statutory protection for students. Muslims are waging the battle one campus demonstration and school board meeting at a time, often winning.

Muslims are powerful at Yale. In 2021, undergrads elected a Muslim woman to be student body president. And on March 10, Yale acceded to demands from the Muslim Student Association, Orthodox Jews at Yale and other religious groups to provide single-sex campus housing. Muslim women students had protested that with men in the bathroom, they couldn’t even remove their hijab. Modesty is the issue at Stuyvesant High School, too. Brian Moran, assistant principal of physical education, told the student newspaper that the girls’ single-sex swim classes clashed with other scheduling priorities. He made it sound like a mere scheduling inconvenience was justification enough for the change, and told

the girls to wear full-body burkinis. Sorry, but those still cling to the body when wet.

New York City’s Board of Education website promises trans students “alternative arrangements” for anyone with “a need or desire for increased privacy.” Why should Muslim students get less? One in every 10 students in the city’s school system is Muslim.

Last September, Muslim women at Syracuse University waged a battle for swim time without men in the college pool and won a concession that starts next fall.

In Utah, the Muslim Civic League worked with the Sikh and Jewish communities to pass a state law in February allowing school athletes to wear turbans, hijabs and modest pants and tops in competition instead of the regulation form fitting uniforms. Luna Banuri, the league’s executive director, said: “All faiths have modesty standards. We believe this affects multiple communities.” Maryland and Illinois recently passed similar laws.

In Bethel, Ohio, a coalition of

Muslim and Christian parents is suing to preserve single-sex bathrooms and locker rooms and halt a rule change that would allow biological boys to use the girls’ facilities.

Most Muslims still vote Democratic, but the shift is beginning. According to a Wall Street Journal exit poll, 28% voted Republican in the 2022 midterms, a double-digit increase over the 2018 midterms.

Republicans are gaining ground as more Muslims conclude the Democratic Party doesn’t show regard for Islamic values.

Tell educators to respect families with faith-based values instead of shunning them.

Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York and chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths. Follow her on Twitter @Betsy_McCaughey.

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

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS. COM

You can’t say that!

Over the past three years, we reporters learned there were certain things that we weren’t allowed to say. Not long ago, in fact, my new video may have been censored.

One dangerous idea, we were told, was that COVID-19 might have been created in a lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. That seems very possible, since the institute studied coronaviruses in bats, and America’s National Institutes of Health gave the lab money to perform “gain-of-function” research, experiments where scientists try to make a virus more virulent or transmissible.

A Washington Post writer worried the lab leak theory “could increase racist attacks against Chinese people and further fuel anti-Asian hate.”

The establishment media fell in line, insisting that COVID most likely came from a local market that sold animals.

Left-wing TV mocked the lab theory as a “fringe idea” that came from “a certain corner of the right.”

“This coronavirus was not man-made,” said MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, confidently. “That is not a possibility.”

Not even a possibility?

Debate about it, we were told, posed a new threat: misinformation.

Facebook banned the lab leak theory, calling it a “false claim.” But now the U.S. Department of Energy says the pandemic most likely came from a lab leak. FBI Director Christopher Wray now says the origin of the pandemic is “most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan.”

For two years, the most likely explanation was censored. Do the media gatekeepers apologize for their censorship?

COURTESY IMAGES

Taiwan leaders’ travel takes on a new twist

Taiwanese President

Tsai Ing-wen has just made an important visit to the United States.

In reaction, the communist government of China has broadcast predictable belligerency, threatened retaliation and sanctioned selected organizations. This is nothing new.

She met at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley with Speaker Kevin McCarthy of the House of Representatives, who represents California’s 20th Congressional District. The district is in the rich agricultural Central Valley, including part of Sequoia National Park and the Sequoia National Monument.

Meeting with Speaker McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, on the West Coast was a shrewd move.

President Tsai was greeted by a senior official of the U.S. government, but one separate from the White House and the Executive Branch, where any

implication of formal recognition of Taiwan would spark a truly serious confrontation with China. She also made a brief stop in New York.

Agriculture represents positive trade for both nations. China is a major customer for U.S. farm products, including a range of feedstuffs. This dimension is well removed from high tech sectors, where competition and conflict are intense.

An important aspect of this particular overseas trip is that President Tsai is not the only leader from Taiwan currently to undertake significant travel. While she has been in the United States, Ma Ying-jeou, her predecessor as Taiwan’s chief executive, has visited mainland China, with less international publicity.

Former President Ma, with a group of 30 Taiwan students, toured the mausoleum of Sun Yatsen, the founder of the Republic

of China, which successfully replaced the imperial kingdom, and the final emperor of China, in 1911.

The 12-day trip in total included visits to the cities of Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha and Chongqing. A particularly important meeting was with Song Tao, the head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Council.

Song Tao accompanied the Taiwan group from Changsha to Wuhan and hosted a farewell banquet for the delegation in Shanghai, a principal commercial and trade hub in China. This is important. Informal reciprocal representative offices of both Beijing and Taipei have survived the deterioration of relations in recent years. Pragmatism characterizes Taiwan’s approach to mainland China.

Following formal U.S. diplomatic recognition of Beijing in 1978, a consequence of

President Richard Nixon’s historic 1972 visit, Taipei launched a comprehensive essentially nonconfrontational response.

In November 2008, agreement was achieved on direct shipping, expansion of weekly passenger flights from 36 to 108, and adding up to 60 cargo flights per month.

In 2010, the bilateral Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement was concluded. This central accord remains a major triumph of then-President Ma. His election in 2008 and 2012 greatly furthered cooperation with Beijing.

Beijing-Taipei relations reflect the party in power. The centerleft Democratic Progressive Party of President Tsai is formally committed to independence for Taiwan. Her election as chief executive in 2016 marked deterioration of relations with the mainland.

Beijing has been consistent and unequivocal that any public formal declaration of independence by Taiwan will mean war. The DPP government

Unwinding the socialist agenda

Since the Woodrow Wilson Presidency, the Democrats have piled on one socialist program after another that today severely impacts the economic security of the United States and is driving our economy into unsustainable debt and bankruptcy.

Here, we deal with the big four of these: the 16th Amendment Income Tax in 1913, the Social Security Act in 1934, the Medicare Act in 1965 and the support of unions for the civil service in the 1950s.

All of these are acts of wealth redistribution and social security by liberals and constitutional revisionists who believe that everyone is entitled to lifelong security at the expense of the wealthy

taxpayers. Such largess is unsustainable unless the way they are implemented is modified to get the government out of the way as much as feasible in the future by the following proposals. The present ungainly income tax must be redesigned to be a flat tax of 1.5% of gross income for everyone who makes $10,000 or more. All corporations, nonprofits, foundations and religious organizations would pay this one, simple flat tax. Yes, even the GODs will pay in a separation of church and state. All savings would be tax-free. Gains and losses would be yours. There would be no yearly tax returns. Throw out the book of deductions, write-offs and exceptions.

so far has finessed that matter.

The conservative Kuomintang Party (KMT) of former President Ma (and President Sun Yatsen) has always declared there is only one China, facilitating relations with Beijing. The KMT government of Nationalist China retreated to Taiwan when communist forces conquered the mainland in 1949.

President Tsai has strongly criticized her predecessor’s China visit. However, collaboration between their parties may ultimately be the key to coexistence with Beijing.

Above all, astute diplomacy by Taipei is essential.

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.

When everyone pays, everyone pays less! The flat tax is a fair American tax for all!

Social Security would become a private retirement account in which personal savings from wages or salaries would go into a personal account and be managed by banks, much as IRAs are today, until retirement and then issued as an annuity. A minimum amount per pay period would be deducted, as is presently the case from payroll. Unused savings can be inherited, which the Social Security does not allow. There would be no government involvement.

Any proposed changes to Social Security would apply only to newcomers, not present retirees. Medicare would be replaced

No.

The closest to an admission of guilt I found was from Chris Hayes, who eventually said, “There’s a kernel of truth to the idea that some folks were too quick to shut down the lab leak theory.”

There was more than “a kernel of truth.” Again and again, politically correct media silenced people who spoke the truth. Facebook throttled the reach of science journalist John Tierney’s articles simply

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John Stossel Please

Betsy McCaughy

The author is aformer New York lieutenant governor

Arthur I, Cyr

Justin Ruhge

The author lives in Lompoc

The message is loud and clear

home of the brave. It is a paradise for the depraved and dictatorial.

Anarcho-tyranny is how hoodlums can toss statues into rivers with impunity, while citizens disgusted by Black Lives Matter street graffiti are charged with “hate crimes” — as David Nelson and Nicole Anderson in Martinez, Calif., were by a George Soros-funded district attorney two weeks ago.

Anarcho-tyranny is how rioters can shut down highways and byways on a whim without fear of arrest, while commuters trying to escape the window-smashing barbarians obstructing traffic are charged with “assault”

— as poor Jennifer Watson of Denver, Colo., was this week.

“Anarcho-tyranny is how hordes of gay pride activists marching shoulder to shoulder can defy social distancing guidelines with gushing approbation from radical left-wing medical ‘experts,’ while anti-lockdown and anti-mask mandate protesters are deemed public health menaces who now face snitch hotlines, fines, house

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arrest or jail time. Anarchotyranny is how 1,000 black militia members can take over the streets in Georgia and point their guns at motorists as they demand reparations, while white citizen militia members in Idaho, Utah and New Mexico have been smeared publicly as racists and face injunctions for peacefully defending their neighborhoods.

“Where do the police stand in this regime? It pains me to say it, but those of us who have backed the blue so loyally and vocally can no longer do so under the assumption that the blue will back us. It’s rank-and-file cops who are issuing citations to citizens who want to breathe freely. It’s rankand-file cops who are standing by while our monuments and courthouses and landmarks are burned and obliterated. It was rank-and-file cops in Denver who watched as my patriotic friends and I tried to hold a Law Enforcement Appreciation Day this past Sunday and were besieged by Black Lives Matter and antifa thugs who had declared that their sole intent in invading our permitted celebration was to ‘shut us down.’

“I live-streamed the chaos as

pro-police attendees were beaten, including the organizer Ron MacLachlan, who was bloodied in the face and head just a few feet from me by black-masked animals. One antifa actor wielded her collapsible baton just inches from me.

“The cop-haters had obstructed traffic on their five-minute march from their unpermitted event at the Colorado State Capitol to our permitted space. No cops intervened. Unprovoked, the cop-haters blared airhorns, sprayed our faces (mine included), burned an American flag, punched, shoved and menaced and took over our stage. No cops intervened. The Denver police chief, Black Lives Matter champion Paul Pazen, has repeatedly and publicly blamed us — the law-abiding — for not having enough private security in place, even as he admitted that 76 officers have been injured by the ‘peaceful’ agitators who have turned our capitol into a heathen hellhole (and perpetrated more than $1 million in property damage so far).

“If we had brandished or used our weapons in self-defense, we’d be facing felony assault charges —

as armed citizen Steven Baca is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the hands of another Soros-subsidized district attorney. If any of our men had tried to peel the female antifa thugs off of MAGA ladies who were assaulted, they’d be charged with battery, too — just like Baca.

“On Tuesday morning, a Denver police union official called me to apologize for the department’s failure to protect those of us who tried to speak on their behalf. The ‘backlash’ for defending our constitutional rights was too high a price to pay, he told me. Sorry.

“So the message is loud and clear. When push comes to bloody shove in end-stage America, under the rule of the anarcho-tyrants, we, the law-abiding, are the enemy. Those in uniform sworn to protect and serve will turn their backs on us because their bosses don’t answer to the public. They protect and serve the mob.”

You can reach Ms. Malkin at MichelleMalkinInvestigates@ protonmail.com.

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

Democrats live by their own rules

another crime. Yet the liberal FBI and Department of Justice said Mr. Trump committed no crime at all.

“When somebody challenges you, fight back. Be brutal, be tough.”

— Donald Trump

When President Bill Clinton took advantage of a woman young enough to be his daughter and lied about it under oath, Democrats said it was justified. There is nothing illegal about two adults having consensual sex. Sen. John Kerry commented, “That was a private personal relationship. It had nothing to do with politics. It is something for Bill and Hillary to work out — not the American people.”

Democrats said Bill Clinton’s perjury to conceal one of his

numerous affairs was natural and noble. Mr. Clinton was protecting his family. Democrats convinced the court and most of the nation it was a fact of life that people hide adulterous acts. He just got caught. But it’s no reason for him to lose his job.

“A lot of presidential memoirs are dull and self-serving. I know that mine won’t be.”

— Bill Clinton

Like leaders in banana republics, Democrats live by their own rules. Presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards liked to tell people about how he and wife Elizabeth ate at Wendy’s on their wedding anniversary, despite their wealth. After the events, Sen. Edwards would leave the stage, and sneak back to his hotel room and “get frisky” with his videographer who was “the mother of one of his children.”

Theodore Roosevelt said: “No man is above the law.” No one, including a former president and a current president, is above the law. But no one is below the law either.

If any president is going to be prosecuted, in or out of office, it should be based on a legitimate criminal offense that all other Americans would be indicted for. District Attorney Bragg’s case is so ludicrous even Judge Judy would throw it out.

Democrats tried to get rid of Mr. Trump for eight years and don’t give a hoot if he paid a porn star hush money. They let Mr. Clinton commit perjury over the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal. They showed zero concern when Mr. Clinton paid Paula Jones $850,000 for sexual harassment claims. The Democrats slapped a measly fine on Hillary Clinton’s campaign for the infamous Steele dossier.

And Bill Clinton’s own Security

There’s something big going on in the world

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and the reasons he’s being indicted. But just imagine if this happened in any other country, where a government arrested the main opposition candidate. The United States’ ability to use ‘democracy’ as foreign policy is gone.” It takes Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, to point out the obvious.

I firmly believe around 2020 — actually much sooner —another vaccine had been secretly developed by the corrupted pharmaceutical companies in collusion with the Democrats. Unlike the ineffectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, this vaccine proved to be 100% effective protecting all liberals, Democrats and BLM rioters from facing punishment for breaking the law and pushing their progressive “hatred for America” campaign.

How pharma was able to make such a powerful vaccine to immunize immorality but unable to protect against COVID-19 is the question of the century.

chess game, and it’s drawing in countries like France to help it move the pieces into position to win the game. Our power is all but gone. I love our military, but does anyone think we can beat China today if it came to that?

Have you seen the images of their military readiness?

Advisor Sandy Berger was fined a wimpy $6,905 for ripping off top security documents.

Democrats have selective amnesia when they are trying to reach their most-obsessive objective: “Cancel out Donald Trump.”

A Newsweek poll a day after Mr. Trump was indicted shows him defeating Joe Biden by double digits if the election were held today. Now Mr. Trump is back on the national stage where he shines politically and where he is most effective. Like it or not, he is an American icon for patriots across the U.S.

“People on the political left have a set of opinions, just as people do in other parts of the ideological spectrum. What is surprising is how often the opinions of those on the left are accompanied by hostility and even hatred towards others.”

— Thomas Sowell

‘Nobody cares about Hunter Biden’s laptop’

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because he reported, accurately, that requiring masks can hurt kids.

YouTube suspended Sen. Rand

Paul, R-Kentucky, for saying, “Most of the masks you get over the counter don’t work.”

But what they said is true. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance to say cloth masks are not very effective. And now a big study failed to find evidence that wearing even good masks stops the spread of viruses.

Probably the most blatant censorship was Twitter’s shutting down the New York Post’s reporting about Hunter Biden’s laptop. Twitter wouldn’t let users decide for themselves. The company just called the Post’s report “potentially harmful” and blocked users from sharing it.

Facebook, as usual, was sneakier, suppressing the story instead of banning it outright.

That’s what they do to my climate change reporting.

Today, the media admit the Post story is true. But they don’t admit they were wrong. Now they just say things like, “Nobody cares about Hunter Biden’s laptop.”

Bad as the media are, what’s worse is that the government wanted to censor.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., complained, “We’ve done nothing in terms of content regulation!”

Fortunately, his colleagues were not as irresponsible as he. No censorship legislation passed. But the government did apply lots

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Continued from Page C1 about doing something about the border, but not enough senators and representatives wanted to do anything meaningful along that border. The situation has been and continues to be a money-raiser for both parties.

And if you’ve not had enough bull from the ruling parties, here’s what our current president promised would happen when his reform bill was authorized. As part of a commitment to “modernize” and “restore humanity

of pressure. The White House asked Facebook to kill what they called “disinformation,” even urging them to censor private WhatsApp messages.

Now that Elon Musk owns Twitter and opened up the company’s internal files, we know that censorship requests came from “every corner” of the government, as journalist Matt Taibbi put it.

Even individual politicians tried to censor.

Maine Sen. Angus King’s

and American values to our immigration system,” President Joe Biden intoned, his package would serve to “keep families together, grow the economy, responsibly manage the border with smart investments, address the root causes of migration (something the Clinton-era Crime Bill also promised to do), and ensure that the U.S. remains a refuge for those fleeing persecution.”

Well, the U.S. has remained a haven for refugees, but not necessarily for those fleeing persecution. It has laid down a welcome mat for all who wish to relocate here at taxpayer expense

staff complained about Twitter accounts that they considered “anti-King.” Rep. Adam Schiff’s office asked Twitter to suppress search results.

Fortunately, Twitter refused.

But the sad truth is that lots of government agencies and media tyrants want to limit what you read and hear. At least now, we can speak the truth: COVID probably was created in a Chinese lab.

Masks are unlikely to provide much protection and requiring

from around the world.

And the border is once again totally unregulated. The ongoing disaster now at both the northern and southern border of the U.S. is not good for this country and especially not good for the communities directly tasked with handling the onslaught. The chaotic nature of the effort will continue until not only a new president takes the issue seriously, but also until the public elects a Congress that will tackle the subject head-on.

As far as I can tell, we’ve got at least two more years of uncontested and uncontrollable border chaos

them can harm kids. Hunter Biden did lots of sleazy things. Self-appointed censors tried to shut us up, but eventually, the truth almost always comes out.

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.

to look forward to and, depending upon who is elected and/or reelected in 2024, perhaps even much longer. How comforting it would be to have serious people in charge of serious issues. Such an event can’t come soon enough.

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

The United States has become so dependent on China that our lives lie in its hands. From toasters to antibiotics to massive loans. We talk about nuclear bombs, but I don’t believe China wants to blow up our massive natural resources. It needs our land, and it’s buying acres up by the thousands. It could easily unleash a nuclear electromagnetic pulse over our heads. It would shut the country down, kill a certain amount of people and hold the rest hostage.

Our current president is beholden to our worst enemy, but he’s had multiple boosters of the secret vaccine, so he has nothing to worry about.

However, if we see a big balloon with a sickle and hammer logo land on the White House lawn and President Biden climbs in, you better stick your head between your legs.

There’s something big going on in the world and the United States is being left out. China is playing an international

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retweeting posts calling him a racist and advocating his arrest. On Feb. 23, 2023, she retweeted a post stating that U.S. presidents had enslaved AfricanAmericans. Recently she locked her Twitter page by changing it from open” to “protected.” Was her hatred of Mr. Trump shared by her husband?

On Aug. 15, 2022, Alvin Bragg thanked Letitia James for the help in convicting the 75-yearold Alexis Weissenberg for failing to report as income the housing and autos that were part of his benefits while working for the Trump Organization.

Rumors are that he rejected an offer to not serve years in jail if he implicated Mr. Trump. He did plead guilty after they threatened to charge his son for the tuition Mr. Trump paid for him.

Mr. Weissenberg was sentenced to five months in Rikers by Judge Juan Manuel Merchan when that “crime”

In her writings, Isabel Paterson pointed out how the Wright Brothers exhibited everything good about America. With a thousand dollars of their own money, they invented human flight, while a government-backed effort to build a plane blew through $50,000 of tax dollars and came up with nothing. And nothing has changed in 100 years except the amount of the dollars. California’s bullet choo-choo cost $100 billion (or do we even know the full cost?), and it is literally buried under water right now. California hasn’t even been able to lay down a single track in 15 years! In 1964, 59 years ago, in just five years’ time, Japan completed 320 miles of its first bullet train. We’re pathetic. Everything these days is racist, MAGA or hyper-partisan. This has caused a national “deer in the headlights” syndrome. President Donald Trump wanted about $1.5 billion to build the Mexican wall, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi kept lying to him. “We don’t have the money.” So far, we’ve given $100 billion (or so we’re led to believe) to Ukraine — and nothing to show for it. And we keep handing out checks. We are facing an inside job communist takeover revolution.

So here we are, over a hundred years later from the time Isabel Paterson pointed out communism was infecting America. My guess is it went into remission but resurfaced with a vengeance, like shingles, when President Biden’s cartel gained control and unleashed the disease for which the only cure is — well, there isn’t any. Voting doesn’t work anymore.

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

usually involves no jail time.

Mr. Bragg increased the alleged misdemeanors in the Trump case to felonies despite his reducing to misdemeanors 52% of those charged by his own office with felonies, after the previous district attorneys never exceeded 20% of their cases being reduced.

It appears that when the Trumps came down the escalator some Democrats were humming about New York the lyrics from the Eagles song “Hotel California” of “You can check in anytime you like, but you can never check out.”

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

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by private insurance group policies with no government involvement. Present payroll deductions for Medicare would go to private accounts for purchasing insurance after retirement.

Any proposed changes would apply only to newcomers, not to present retirees and the old system slowly phased out.

All civil service unions would be disbanded, and all elected officials would not be a part of the civil service but would serve without benefits and paid a yearly stipend.

Our elected representatives are there to represent the people, not the civil service, which they only represent today. They are supposed to

be there to “oversee” the civil service, not benefit from it. It is not a job but a temporary appointment. They are our board of directors that serve at the pleasure of the taxpayers. There should be no “connection” between the civil service and our elected officials as there is today with its inherent conflict of interest. Unless we Americans make major revisions to our political infrastructure to unwind the socialist agenda, we can expect a continuing financial disaster across the country.

As long as Americans continue to elect liberal Democrats who promote the entitlement mentality and socialism there will never be another result but bankruptcy and higher taxes! May the Lord protect us from the Democrats!

Any proposed changes would apply only to newcomers

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