Santa Barbara News-Press: December 17, 2022

Santa Rosa Island ranching

nEWS-PRESS SPECIAL REPORT

Debate over Flightline Restaurant

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Newly appointed City Attorney Sarah Knecht has flatly rejected claims by Flightline Restaurant owner Warren Butler that Santa Barbara settled a lawsuit with the restaurant because city officials feared going to trial and losing. She denied Mr. Butler’s contention that the city chose to settle the case only because a Santa Barbara judge denied the city’s motion for summary judgment to dismiss Flightline’s lawsuit. Her ruling opened the door for the lawsuit to be heard by a jury, which could potentially award Flightline and co-plaintiff High Sierra Grill a lot more than the $225,000 agreed to in the Nov. 15 settlement.

“The settlement represented a nuisance value settlement to avoid the cost of a trial,” Ms. Knecht told the News-Press. “The settlement had nothing to do with the summary judgment motion, which are rarely granted and was made in an attempt to narrow the legal issues to be tried.

“The city wanted a restaurant at the location, and the property is still available for lease.”

The Santa Barbara City Council voted to settle the case with Flightline for $225,000 and a pledge by both sides not to pursue further litigation.

Flightline had accused the city of acting in bad faith by refusing to reassign the restaurant the lease given to High Sierra Grill at 512 Norman Firestone Road, the former site of the Elephant Bar restaurant, at the Santa Barbara Airport. This ultimately caused the restaurant to fail and have to close, which it did in late 2019.

Mr. Butler, brought in originally to manage High Sierra Grill, had changed the restaurant’s

theme to one that celebrated aviation, and wanted to take over the operation, doing business as the Flightline Restaurant and Lounge.

Instead, the restaurant has sat empty for three years in an increasingly dilapidated condition.

The city agreed to settle after Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Donna Geck denied the city’s request for a summary judgment against Flightline, clearing the way for the case to proceed to trial.

House GOP plans for ongoing inquiry into origins of COVID

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – House Republicans have made it clear they plan to use their newfound majority to investigate the origins of COVID-19.

House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer, R-Ky., and House Committee on the Judiciary Ranking Member Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, sent a string of letters to Biden administration officials demanding records, communications and interviews.

“Mounting evidence points to the virus originating from a leak at the Wuhan lab,” Rep. Comer said. “EcoHealth Alliance, a U.S. National Institutes of Health grantee, passed taxpayer funds

to the Wuhan lab to conduct gain of function research on bat coronaviruses – research that may have started the pandemic. Dr. [Anthony] Fauci was warned early on that the virus appeared man made and pointed to a lab leak and instead of blowing the whistle may have attempted to cover it up.”

House Republicans will have new teeth for their investigations with the majority next year. Lawmakers have highlighted three major investigations going forward: COVID’s origins, Hunter Biden’s laptop, and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the related chaos and deaths.

U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup, ROhio, a member of the House

Miller-Bevan ready to lead Unity Shoppe

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Angela Miller-Bevan has been training since July for her new role as executive director of Unity Shoppe.

She’s been working on site with Tom Reed, who is retiring at the end of this year as executive director.

“I grew up in Santa Barbara, and I have known about Unity Shoppe my whole life,” Ms. MillerBevan told the News-Press. “My mom was a single mom, and we were low income.”

Ms. Miller-Bevan knows the difference Unity Shoppe has made in the lives of many individuals and families and is looking forward to her new position as the leader of the unique Santa Barbara nonprofit.

“Having this opportunity is amazing,” she said. “It feels like coming full circle, and it is the highlight of my career.

“I have been involved with

City of Santa Barbara says it settled suit simply to avoid costs of a trial; restaurant owner says ‘dream opportunity was squashed unnecessarily’

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Warren Butler stands outside the old High Sierra Grill & Bar building at the Santa Barbara Airport. Mr. Butler, who owned the Flightline Restaurant, accused the city of Santa Barbara of acting in bad faith by refusing to reassign the restaurant the lease given to High Sierra Grill. Flightline sued the city, and the two parties have settled for $225,000.

Warren Butler peeks inside the old High Sierra Grill & Bar building.

Please see FLIGHTLINE on A4

philanthropy my whole life, and I love what Unity Shoppe does. I was on a telethon last year as a

COURTESY PHOTO

Angela Miller-Bevan

Please see SHOPPE on

Pickup catches on fire

GOLETA — A pickup truck was engulfed in flames Thursday evening on northbound Highway 101 at the Patterson Avenue offramp.

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department was on-site with two engines and the battalion chief, according to Capt. Scott Safechuck, the department’s public information officer.

No injuries were reported. The fire was knocked down, and the cause is under investigation. The off-ramp was closed.

Call time was 6:10 p.m.

— Katherine Zehnder

Fire restrictions lifted on Los Padres

SOLVANG — You can now light campfires and charcoal barbecues again in Los Padres National Forest.

Forest officials announced that there’s been enough snow and rain to reduce fire restrictions immediately.

But a California campfire permit is required to build a campfire outside of a designated campfire site. To get one, go to www.readyforwildfire.org.

A list of campfire use sites is available at all Forest offices and on the Los Padres National Forest website: fs.usda.gov/main/ lpnf.

According to forest officials, visitors who construct wood or charcoal fires outside of designated campfire sites must clear all flammable material for a minimum of five feet in all directions. They also must have a shovel available for preparing and extinguishing the fire, have a responsible person in attendance at all times and extinguish the fire with water, using the “drown, stir and feel” method.

Forest officials said the following restrictions will remain in effect:

• Spark arrestors are required on all off-highway vehicles, chainsaws, and other internal combustion engines and equipment.

• A permit is required for all welding, grinding, cutting, or use of explosives.

• Tracer ammunition is prohibited at all times.

• Fireworks are always prohibited in Los Padres National Forest.

• Recreational target shooting is prohibited in all areas of Los Padres National Forest except for the Winchester Canyon Gun Club and the Ojai Valley Gun Club, which operate under special use permits.

• Campfires are always prohibited on National Forest System lands in the Santa Barbara Front Country from Gaviota to the Santa Barbara/Ventura counties’ line.

— Katherine Zehnder

Police: Don’t drive impaired

LOMPOC — The Lompoc Police Department urges motorists to celebrate the holidays responsibly by not driving under the influence.

Now through New Year’s Day, additional officers will be on patrol, looking for drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 11,654 people were killed in car crashes nationwide in 2020 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver, or one person every 45 minutes.

The Lompoc Police Department encourages everyone to stay in for the night or have a “go safely” game plan by scheduling a ride or designating a sober driver if you plan to consume alcohol.

Impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Marijuana, prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs may also

impair.

“The holidays are a special time of year for many, and we want drivers to act responsibly,” Chief Joseph Mariani said in a news release. “This enforcement period allows us to get the message out that driving impaired is an illegal, senseless behavior that takes lives.”

— Katherine Zehnder

Pile burning scheduled

for December to April

Los Padres National Forest has tentatively scheduled a prescribed burn at Figueroa Mountain and various administrative sites on forest lands (campgrounds, trailheads, and fire stations) with a burn window of December through April.

The goal of the burns is to reduce the risk of wildfire. Prescribed, or planned, fires typically burn less intensely than wildfires. Prescribed burns can help prevent the spread of wildfires and can reduce impacts to watersheds that can result in soil loss and sedimentation, according to a news release.

Approximately 1-10 acres (10100 piles) of slash from felled dead trees and brush will be burned daily. The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District staff have reviewed the Smoke Management Plan and provided conditions to minimize smoke impacts in Santa Barbara County. The burns will be conducted when the meteorological conditions are highly favorable to direct smoke away from population centers. For more information, visit www. ourair.org.

To view a statewide prescribed burn map, visit https://ssl.arb. ca.gov/pfirs/firm/firm.php.

— Katherine Zehnder

Los Padres ForestWatch sues to get documents

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

A Santa Barbara environmental watchdog organization is suing to get the U.S. Forest Service to release documents about a plan to log trees and remove vegetation in large areas of Los Padres National Forest.

The plan would affect Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Monterey and Kern counties.

Los Padres ForestWatch, an environmental nonprofit based in Santa Barbara, filed the

suit Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia following a series of requests the group filed under the Freedom of Information Act this summer. Those requests asked the Forest Service to disclose several documents pertaining to the Ecological Restoration Project.

Los Padres Forest Watch described the project as the largest mechanical alteration of land in the national forest’s history. In a news release, the organization said heavy industrial equipment would be used to clear vegetation and extensively log trees across

235,000 acres of national forest land in five counties.

The organization’s lawsuit asks the court to refer the matter to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel to examine alleged systemic abuses in how Los Padres officials respond to requests from the public. The suit cites “arbitrary and capricious conduct of Forest Service personnel.”

The Forest Service has 30 days to respond to the lawsuit.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

The Columbus Group: Part 2 of a spy story

Editor’s note: This is the second of two articles about the Columbus Group, an association of intelligence services from small countries in Europe. Columnist Robert Eringer was involved at the time as head of the intelligence service in the Principality of Monaco.

When it came our turn in Monaco to host the next association meeting, the intelligence service I had created for Prince Albert was in limbo.

Members of the royal court had come to know of our existence, felt threatened by it and wanted to see us gone.

Why?

Because our service had uncovered rampant corruption among them.

Welcoming our guests from Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Malta, I wrote:

“Dear Friends, “With great pleasure, our microservice welcomes you to our microstate. Our objective is to eat well, drink fine, talk business to our mutual advantage and, most important, to laugh as much as we can.

“It was Sidney Reilly who coined the phrase ‘Trust no one’ (and eventually got himself killed by trusting someone running something called — of all things — The Trust). But trust us at least to show you a good time, even if, in the great tradition of Sir Francis Walsingham, we bankrupt ourselves in the process.

“It is truly spectacular to have you here. We’re already moving mountains — and just cranking up.”

Thus the Club of Monaco convened in Hotel Columbus, where the participants lodged. I requested everyone remove the batteries from their cell phones.

“I think I’ve made the French nervous,” I explained.

If I’d made the French nervous, it was for one or two reasons:

1) They had dirt on corrupt Monegasques, and they liked it that way for their own leverage as needed. 2) I knew about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s network of energy trading and distribution companies — and money laundering — along the Cote d’Azur, which the French could leverage to their advantage in negotiations to gain a long-term energy deal with Gazprom.

They were nervous that I might disrupt or compromise one or both either by design or by accident.

First order of business: To give our association a permanent name.

One participant suggested “something generic.”Another suggested “Columbus Group,” as we were meeting inside Hotel Columbus. I liked the poetry of this since it was in Columbus that the prince had retained me to create what became the Monaco Intelligence Service.

Next on the agenda, the status of other countries we would want to include.

Iceland: They wanted to participate but were still trying to decide whether their participants should be from the foreign or defense ministry.

San Marino: I was still waiting on the Italians for an introduction. Rene Brulhart offered to help; his deputy had made a new contact in San Marino. Let’s play it, I said.

Cyprus: Malta had the best contacts and would consult with them and provide an update at our next club meeting.

Next, a “peace concept” I had conceived. Who better to resolve international conflict than intelligence services? They are well informed and know how to operate behind the scenes.

The Columbus Group would invite representatives from 10-to-15 intelligence services, specifically from countries at odds with one another, to a reception hosted by our club.

We would offer them our club’s services and our tiny countries to facilitate the patching of

their own countries’ differences while tapping new members for Columbus.

Monaco would host the first reception, and we would do it the following October on … Columbus Day!

Malta offered to host our next club meeting, and we resolved to regroup in June.

At 7:30, our members reassembled at the Monte Carlo Wine Bar, the upper floor of which we had booked for a tasting of superb Margaux and Pomeral from Bordeaux.

Next morning Lux chief Marco Mille appeared at our safehouse to meet Prince Albert.

Marco provided the prince a succinct and inspirational soliloquy on the usefulness — from his perspective — of Monaco’s intelligence service, at a time when some of the prince’s courtiers were trying to close us down.

The prince was unusually attentive and very focused and riveted by Marco’s words. Afterward, he asked thoughtful questions of Marco. Was his service in contact with Monaco before the existence of the Monaco Intelligence Service? Answer: No.

Furthermore, Marco explained, before my initiative, Luxembourg also lacked any meaningful contact with Liechtenstein.

Did Luxembourg intelligence brief their Grand Duke?

Marco’s answer: “We would like to but we cannot go to him. He can come to us, if only he knew how much he would benefit.”

Albert: What is the size of Luxembourg intelligence?

Marco told him their size and annual budget, then looked at my deputy Jean-Leonard (JL). “He wants a submarine.”

The prince looked at his cousin, aghast.

“A nuclear one,” I added, thinking of our enemies within the principality.

SAN MARINO

A month later JL and I zoomed

out of Monaco through France and into Italy. The computer navigational narrator guided us around a carnival of roads to The Most Serene Republic of San Marino, arriving at 1:45 pm.

San Marino is the world’s oldest republic, boasting a millennium of democracy.

Their form of democracy is this: Five families take turns running the country.

Its culture is something else. You can tell a lot about a country by its museums. In San Marino there are three: Two are torture museums — one with wax figures being tortured — and the third is a freak museum. And there are very many duty-free shops abounding with knives, swords, BB-guns and replica pistols and rifles.

We’d left a bright sunny day down below in Rimini, but San Marino was enveloped in grayness and moisture. Within this medieval setting, we ate pasta and moistened our faces with a walk before meeting Nicola M. of the Banca Centrale in our hotel lobby. We drove with him to his office at the central bank, and he introduced us to his directorgeneral, Luca P.

I explained our mission and invited Luca to attend our next Columbus Group meeting in Malta. At first skeptical about the unofficialness of our status, Luca warmed up quickly.

Not only was Luca enthusiastic to attend Columbus, he also had

COURTESY PHOTO

Flames struck a pickup truck on Highway 101 at the Patterson Avenue off-ramp.

ROBERT ERINGER

Report: Teenagers warned to be on alert for online scams

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Ahead of the holiday season, a California-based online dating investigation service is warning a specific consumer group to be on high alert for online scams: teenagers.

Money lost by teenagers grew by 1125% over the last five years compared to 390% for seniors, according to Social Catfish’s new State of Internet Scams 2022. Teens lost $8.2 million in 2017 compared to $101.4 million in 2021.

The trend was surprising, it said, because “young people are considered to be more tech-savvy than older generations.” It was “alarming,” it said, “because 54% of U.S. households polled by Social Catfish do not monitor their children’s activities online, leaving them vulnerable to Internet risks.”

There are three online scams specifically

targeting teenagers this holiday season, Social Catfish warns: romance scams, social media influencer free holiday giveaways and online shopping scams.

The romance scams are designed to prey on teenagers who feel lonely and who look online for an emotional connection, the report notes. Scammers approach them like they do with adults, using stolen photos of someone else and “shower them with love and affection” to eventually ask them for money. The report suggests one way to avoid becoming a victim is to perform a reverse image search to confirm the person’s identity.

Scammers are also creating fake Tik Tok and Instagram accounts impersonating social media influencers and offering free holiday giveaways. These scams include a link to redeem a product that doesn’t exist but instead includes a phishing link to steal their personal information.

One way to tell if the social media influencers are real is to check how many followers they have (low numbers indicate a fake account) and to never click on any suspicious links.

Teens are also falling prey to online shopping scams stemming from fake stores and fake ads created by scammers offering holiday discounts for products that don’t exist. They create fraudulent websites that look like legitimate stores but are designed to capture personal and financial information of consumers. One way to identify the fake sites is to notice spelling errors in the URL and grammatical errors on the site, the report suggests.

While teens are falling prey faster than other age groups, seniors are also being increasingly targeted. According to the most recent FBI data, more than 92,000 Americans over age 60 reported combined losses of more than $1.7 billion.

SHOPPE

donor,” Ms. Miller-Bevan said. “I have known Tom for the last 20 years since he has been with Unity Shoppe.”

Ms. Miller-Bevan discussed her career and how it prepared her for Unity Shoppe.

“I have donated my time and have been on boards and involved in the community for many years. I worked for Fairview Gardens (one of oldest organic farms in

FYI

Unity Shoppe is currently fundraising to purchase a second refrigerated van to expand its grocery delivery service. To donate or find out more about Unity Shoppe, go to unityshoppe.org.

California and based in Goleta), the American Heart Association and the Braille Institute before being recruited to the Unity Shoppe Board of Directors in February.”

“I have worked for different organizations and have experience with organizations in Santa Barbara,” Ms. MillerBevan added. “I was on the board of directors for Old Spanish Days, and I am currently in my 22nd year on the board of directors with the Carriage and Western Museum.

“I’ve done so many events for nonprofit organizations. I have a lot of experience with staff and working with volunteers. Everything I have done in past positions has led me to this.”

“My goal is to help this organization be here for the next 100 years. It is time to bring it into today and make sure we can serve low-income families in the future.”

Ms. Miller-Bevan said her goals include adding service for North

County. “I have secured a grant to help us move into Lompoc and have a pop-up where we can work with the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and other organizations.

“After Lompoc, we will hopefully move into Santa Maria. The organizations involved value our service to the North County,” said Ms. Miller Bevan.

She added that Unity Shoppe is always looking for donations and volunteers and that it’s a great way for kids to get volunteer hours.

The News-Press asked Ms. Miller Bevan about the transition of training with Mr. Reed over the last six months.

“It’s been a great transition because we have known each other for so long,” she said. “It has been fun for us. Most donors and foundations I have been familiar with, and he introduces me to those I don’t know. He’s a great mentor and has been very gracious. It will be sad when he is gone next week. I’ve grown to

American people are owed answers about the origins of COVID-19’

Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, weighed in as well. He pointed to the recently released report on COVID-19 origins from his committee.

That report said the Biden administration and intelligence communities have not given up the information sought by Congress and raised serious concerns that the American people were misled by the IC about COVID’s origins and that Health and Human Services knew about the risk of funding the Wuhan research but proceeded anyway.

The committee also said that

intelligence agencies were quick to say that COVID-19 could become a pandemic but missed an opportunity to spy on the Chinese doctors and officials involved, an opportunity that could have provided invaluable insight into the origin of the virus.

“The American people are owed answers about the origins of COVID-19. Our report states that COVID-19 may have been tied to China’s bioweapons research program and that the Intelligence Community (IC) withheld key information from the American public’s authorized elected officials, deepening public mistrust,” Rep. Wenstrup said. “Our findings also show that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

bears more responsibility for the COVID-19 pandemic than what has been publicly known or transparently communicated to the American people.”

Until answers are found, Congress will keep seeking information, Republicans say.

“The American people deserve answers and accountability. We will continue to follow the facts to determine what, if anything, could have been done differently to guard against the harms Americans have endured during the pandemic,” Rep. Comer said.

“We will continue this oversight to hold U.S. government officials accountable for any wrongdoing and ensure Americans’ tax dollars aren’t being used on risky research at unsecure labs.”

Group included chair of San Marino central bank

a piece of bilateral business to conduct with us.

Nicola retrieved a file from another room. An Austrian was trying to buy into a San Marinese bank, and they had found a Monaco connection in his C.V. Had we heard of him? We had not. Could we access intelligence on him? We could, and we would.

That, in a nutshell, was the essence of Columbus.

We micro-states/tax havens/ financial centers would work TOGETHER to keep bad money out.

Within two days, we knew enough to tell Luca that their bank-buying Austrian was as crooked as the hind leg of a donkey and, consequently, they denied his application to buy into a San Marinese bank. This is how our system worked, as it had never worked before.

MALTA

On June 18, 2007, two days after the fifth anniversary of my appointment by Prince Albert to handle intelligence for him, I flew with JL to Malta for a Columbus Group meeting. Our host, the Maltese intelligence service, booked Columbus participants into the Westin Dragonara Resort.

At 6:15, a minivan drove us all to Meridiana vineyard for — but of course — wine tasting.

I drew Luca aside and solemnly informed him that our meetings were really about chardonnay and cabernet.

Sitting at dinner in the old capital of Mdina, I knew we had

created something very special. Next morning we reconvened in a Dragonara conference room. Godfrey, our host, requested we create a mission statement to justify our existence to ministers and politicians. Marco took it upon himself to draft something for our next meeting.

I suggested that Luca, our newest participant, introduce himself. “You’ve passed the first test, Luca,” I said. “You like wine.”

Luca explained his role as chairman of San Marino’s central bank with responsibility for investigating suspicious clients.

The Maltese had discussed Columbus with the Cypriot service, which was keen to join.

Iceland remained enthusiastic and wanted to attend next time.

We talked at length about our Columbus Day reception and short-listed intelligence services from 20 countries, dividing up responsibility between us to convey invitations. Nothing quite like this had ever been attempted within the global intelligence community — a creative, bold and cutting-edge approach to peacemaking.

We in Monaco would host the reception. We would reserve the Monaco Yacht Club for our private party, a buffet with open seating, full bar and a jazz trio.

One participant expressed concern about what the large intelligence services from superpowers would think.

Another offered the view that if they were collectively reassured that we were fully in control (rather than a larger country’s intelligence service) they’d be OK with it.

Sitting across from Frank

Schneider during lunch, I joked with him about the future of the Monaco Intelligence Service

“I think I’ll have to put it up for sale,” I joked. “Maybe place an ad in The Economist.”

“We’ll buy you,” Frank replied.

“It’ll be an auction. Highest bidder takes all.”

“Put it on eBay. You are the pivotal point to all this, a magnet,” said Frank. “How do you do it?”

All this and so much more was the resource Prince Albert squandered when he allowed his courtiers to sway him down the path of least resistance — a thoroughfare steeped in corruption.

When I realized I had to disassemble the Monaco Intelligence Service, I planned a sweep through Paris, Monaco and Luxembourg to gently close the door they had so kindly opened to us.

However, my friends in Luxembourg became nervous and canceled Columbus after French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s new DST chief, Bernard Squarcini, told Marco Mille that I was “CIA station chief in Monaco.”

This was how the French finally chose to discredit me. Not very original but calculated to ensure our liaison partners would become wary.

Tragically, this meant the end of The Columbus Group, which, it seems to me, is what the French wanted.

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

enjoy working with him. I always learn something new from him. “He’s a storyteller. There’s so much passion in his storytelling. He’s always ready to give a tour,” she said. “This place is pretty magical. I think of him like Santa Claus. He’s super passionate and it’s real. He has his heart and soul in this, and he will be very missed.”

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

‘The

‘My goal is to help this organization be here for the next 100 years’

bad decisions

ultimately refused to reassign the restaurant’s lease from High Sierra Grill to Flightline.

earned in sales tax revenue if the restaurant had been allowed to continue to operate.

“The city decided they wanted to settle and not go forward,” Mr. Butler said. “The bottom line is the judge ruled in our favor and said these guys have a legitimate case against the city and what they’ve done.”

Mayor Randy Rowse, however, called the council’s decision to settle the lawsuit strictly a “business decision.”

“The city would have spent that money simply preparing for the case, regardless of the outcome,” he told the News-Press. “The situation is unfortunate, but it was the best decision to make financially.”

Mr. Butler, however, reacted angrily to the mayor’s “business decision” comment.

“The mayor’s response seems similar to the Sopranos when defending why they tossed someone overboard with cinder blocks — it’s a ‘business decision.’ If it wasn’t for the bad ‘business decisions’ (the city made), we would not be where we are today!

“I take it personally that we had to let go of 40 employees.

“I take it personally that I let down our (aviation) veterans whose service and history I was going to memorialize,” Mr. Butler said.

“I take it personally that my dream opportunity was squashed unnecessarily. There are many things that are done in the world for a ‘business decision.’”

Especially galling to Mr. Butler is that the same terminology — that it was a “business decision” — was used by Santa Barbara Airport officials, who

“When I told them about all the employees that would be out of work, they said, ‘They could get new jobs!’ Some had worked there for several years,” Mr. Butler said.

“They said, ‘Nothing personal, Warren, just a business decision.’”

He said city officials at the time wanted to develop the side of the airport where the restaurant stood as part of the airport master plan.

“In the end, they wanted to get out of (the lease),” he said. “They tried every trick in the book. They delayed it for years and threw one curve after another.

“If we made bad decisions like that in the private sector, we would be out of a job and sued,” he said.

He noted that Mayor Rowse was a city council member at the time. “I met with him about it, and he couldn’t believe they were doing what I said they were doing.

“Oscar (Gutierrez) was the only city council guy that actually tried to help. He was a regular guest at our comedy nights and appreciated what I was doing with Hispanic nights.”

Mayor Rowse declined to address any of Mr. Butler’s claims.

“There are a lot of assertions in there which don’t really rise to the level of a response, so I won’t,” he said.

Mr. Butler said the city taxpayers lost more than the $225,000 the city paid Flightline in the settlement.

He said the city also lost $250,000 it paid to an outside attorney to represent Santa Barbara in the case, plus at least another $250,000 it could have

He said Santa Barbara lost more than the good times and good food the restaurant offered patrons because the Flightline’s theme was meant to honor World War II aviation veterans and celebrate the city’s own rich aviation history. He said the city’s refusal to reassign the lease to the restaurant took away something special from the community.

“We were going to be a gem,” he said.

Finally, he said he and investor Steve Siry lost a lot of money they put into the restaurant to make it a success.

“The settlement amount is much less than expected and hoped for,” he said. “After impacts of COVID and the uncertain economy, it was felt best to accept the city’s settlement offer.”

The majority of the $225,000 settlement will go toward attorney fees and court costs, he said.

“High Sierra will recoup their advance for the retainer, and (investor) Steve Siry and I will split the balance.

“I was planning on using my proceeds in the settlement to invest in the Chase Restaurant and Lounge, where I have been consulting since shortly after things shut down with Flightline.

“I still hope there is a chance to find a home for all the priceless memorabilia and open an aviation-theme restaurant.

“I did invest a lot into the Flightline and gave up everything to make it happen so I will have to rebuild to work on something new and exciting!”

Flightline’s attorney, A. Barry Cappello, agrees the city caused a lot of harm by refusing to reassign High Sierra’s lease to the Flightline Restaurant and Lounge.

Former Airport Director Henry Thompson should never have denied the lease transfer, Mr. Cappello told the News-Press, calling his actions “arbitrary and without any legal basis.”

Denying the transfer harmed four constituent groups, Mr. Cappello said.

“Warren Butler, an accomplished restaurant owner/ manager with solid financial backing from an excellent company, lost a business opportunity and the funds he had invested in it to date.

“The High Sierra Grill owners were being forced to swallow a lease they had legitimately

assigned to Butler but was improperly denied. This exposed them to a claimed lease obligation that an assignment would have removed.

“The employees and customers of the restaurant. Loyal employees were out of work unnecessarily and local customers who loved that location and really enjoyed the Flightline concept, got an empty building.

“City airport coffers were denied multi-year lease revenue from a solid tenant, and the building remains empty today.”

Mr. Cappello said his clients decided to settle because COVID hit two months later.

COVID destroyed restaurant profits nationally, he said. “Thus, proving future profit losses, not knowing how long COVID closures would last or how long the pandemic might affect the bottom line, became the central issue for us. It is never a time to ask a jury to speculate on damages.”

The settlement, he said, ended the High Sierra lease, the funds took care of the fees and costs of the litigation, as well as recouping some of the investment, but not all was recaptured.

“Mr. Butler has gone on to do two more great restaurants, taking over management at Chase Restaurant and opening Courthouse Tavern,” Mr. Cappello said.

“Manuel Medina, one of the High Sierra owners, does a wonderful job at Mulligans at the golf course. The other two gentlemen were from out of town, and they have focused and continue to be successful in their communities.”

Mr. Cappello called the agreement a “fair settlement” for both sides.

“The city was fortunate to have good outside counsel to assist the city attorney,” he said. “The sum they settled for was easily less than what they would have paid out in legal fees alone, much less eliminating the exposure of a damage verdict.

“All around, a good result. Wasn’t necessary, shouldn’t have happened, but the action was corrected by the settlement, and the mayor and council did right and saved the taxpayers a ton of money.”

In her ruling denying the summary judgment to dismiss the suit, Judge Geck commented on the city’s actions regarding High Sierra Grill and Flightline. She noted that the city informed High Sierra Grill on Aug. 19, 2019

that it was formally and finally rejecting the lease assignment request.

“City’s articulated reasons for rejecting the lease assignment are spurious and pretextual, and constitute breaches of agreement as the assignment proposal was reasonable,” she said.

“City wanted to push HSG’s owners to the point where they would have to close the doors of the restaurant under economic duress, in order for City to take over the property and implement an alternative plan to re-position current fixed base operators.”

The plaintiffs filed their complaint on Dec. 11, 2019, alleging, among other things, breach of a written lease. Other court documents were filed for the next three years.

On April 18, 2022, the city filed its motion for summary judgment, which Judge Geck denied.

“The court finds that there are

multiple triable issues of material fact, which preclude summary judgment regardless of whether the City has met its initial burden on summary judgment,” she said.

“As alleged herein, the City failed to approve the assignment of Lease from HSG to Flightline, despite its agreement to do so. The City also engaged in a course of bad faith dealing which improperly stalled the assignment approval process in violation of the covenant of good faith,” the judge said.

“The City took the above actions with the intent to deceive the Guarantors and deprive them of their right to obtain an assignee for the Lease they had guaranteed, and with the knowledge that that such actions constituted a material failure of consideration related to the Lease.”

email: nhartsteinnewspress@

ANDERSON, Charles Edwin

Charles Edwin Anderson passed away on December 9, 2022 at Cottage Hospital. Charlie was born to Thaine E. & Eva M. Anderson of Buellton California on December 4, 1941. He was one of 3 children (Ron Anderson and Pamela Morey, both of Buellton). Charlie was a graduate of the Santa Ynez Valley High School and attended Santa Barbara City College. As a youth he was very involved in the FFA, raising both sheep and steer. Charlie loved all creatures. In 1963 Charlie married Donna Faoro (deceased) of Santa Barbara. Together they had four children, Paul E Anderson (Tina), Gaylynn J Cox, Mark T. Anderson (deceased) and MyAnna R. Anderson and raising all the children in the SYV. He had 2 grandchildren, Parker Thaine Cox of Buellton and Isabella Grace Anderson of Capitola.

Charlie had many passions; music being one. He played both the trumpet and guitar and he had a wonderful singing voice. He sang as a member of the Santa Ynez Valley Chorale. He also enjoyed dancing and hosted many square dancing parties at his home. Of all things, he loved Jesus and was very involved with the church. In retirement he volunteered at the Man Cave Thrift store where he met his 2nd wife, Shirley J. Andberg; they married in 2014. Charlie and Shirley enjoyed traveling and helping those in need. They attended the Valley Fountain Church in Buellton, under Pastor Ron Crockett. Charlie was a kindhearted man, touching a multitude of lives during his short 81 years on earth. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Funeral Services will be held on December 22, 2022 at Loper Funeral Chapel Ballard Country Church at 11:00 a.m. with graveside services following at Oak Hill Cemetery. A reception will be held at Ranch Club Mobile Estates in Buellton following services. Loper Funeral Chapel, Directors

BROOKS, Carolyn Angela Elizalde

November 30, 2022

Carolyn was born on July 14,1931, a 2nd generation Santa Barbarian she grew up on the westside with her brother, sister, and parents. As a young teenager she packed lemons in Goleta, accompanied her father delivering vegetables as far north as Santa Maria. She would also fish off Stearns Wharf with her father. She graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1949 and shortly after married Calvin Perry “CP” Brooks from Oklahoma on Jan.1st 1950. Carolyn and Perry had three children Karen, Robin “Robbie”, and Brett Brooks, they divorced in 1968.

She worked at JC Penny’s on State Street in the lingerie department for 25 years and could tell just by looking at you what size undergarments you wore. Carolyn loved to play poker in her back room until the wee hours of the night. She also had a love for BINGO and would play with her friends Mary Lou & Duann. She outlived most of her friends and missed them dearly.

Carolyn’s real passion was being a mom and a grandma. Many who knew her, knew her as “Grandma.” Grandma welcomed everyone into her home and housed many extended friends and family members over the years.

A lifetime of loved ones stopping by her home on Santa Catalina, taking naps on her couch, BBQs and dodgeball games in her backyard, and a big, loud family was Carolyn’s normal. Living so close to Leadbetter Beach and Shoreline Park made her home the perfect place to park for the summertime days at the beach, which always ended with family BBQ’s in her backyard. She always had a fridge full of favorites and her family joked that it was automatic to go straight to the fridge when they got to Grandma’s house. She doted on her 6 grandkids, who spent many school breaks and overnights at “camp grandma.” Carolyn loved the Lakers and Kobe Bryant and was a dedicated fan watching all their games and coaching (yelling) at the television from her living room. While her love of Kobe was one of her biggest, Elvis Presley was her forever love. She couldn’t help but dance the second Elvis came on. Even in her last days we could still get a toe tap or some jazz hands by playing Elvis. She loved a glass of wine in the evening, while watching game shows or Forrest Gump, with her faithful dog Kalani by her side. Kalani was the best at keeping the boogie man away.

Carolyn was so proud of her home on Santa Catalina which she bought in 1950. She moved to Casa Linda in December of 2019 where she lived until her final weeks. She spent her finals days back on “the Mesa” in her son’s home surrounded by family. Preceded in death by her parents Angela Ronconi & Manuel Elizalde, siblings Freddie Elizalde & Louise Butterfield and her daughter Karen Beaudette. She will be greatly missed and remembered by her sons Robbie (Scotti) & Brett (Shannon), grandchildren, great-grandchildren & many more. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to Central Coast Home Health & Hospice.

MC

NAMARA, Tucker

Tucker McNamara was endowed by his heritage, shaped by his circumstances and his choices. Tucker was born February 25, 1938, in Oshkosh, to William and Elizabeth McNamara. His grandfather Charles Williams scripted three poems about his first grandson: Tucky Mac and Quacky Quack, To Tucker on His First Birthday, and Tall Tucker. They are part and parcel of the family lexicon.

Tucker spent his early years in Peoria, but summered in Oshkosh on Lake Butte des Morts at his grandparents’ cottages, with his sister Meg and various cousins. Fishing, frolicking, and swimming were daily on his agenda.

Tucker attended Wayland Academy, graduating from 12th grade in 1956. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he also joined the school of engineering faculty. He was a lifelong member of Tau Beta Pi, The Engineering Honor Society.

California and the opportunity to work in his field led to a succession of jobs in the aerospace industry. His career culminated in a consultancy to the US Navy on a highly classified project for its F18 fighter jet.

Tucker married Mary Jo Perk in 2001, after they rekindled a still flickering flame from 1963. They embarked on a great life adventure that continued to their last days together. She was at his side when he died Wednesday, November 9.

In addition to Mary Jo, Tucker is survived by her son Chris Willy (Daureen) and daughter Erica Jo Moroney (Matt) and five grandsons: Jacob, Noah, Ethan, Zachary, and Caleb. He is also survived by his sister Margaret Gyll, his sisters-in-law Letty Perk and Kitty (Mark) Miller, many nieces and nephews, and cousins both local and far flung.

Tucker enjoyed physical pursuits that included hiking, biking, kayaking and swimming off the dock in front of his and Mary Jo’s summer home on Lake Winnebago. His intellectual curiosity led to his lifelong love of learning about subjects outside of his chosen profession: history, astronomy, and current affairs.

Tucker shared his wisdom and his warm and wonderful wit with all. He has outpaced the bounds of earth. The universe has lost a bright shining light. However, Tucker’s aura will live on in all of us who knew him and loved him so well.

Tucker’s favorite charity was the Worldwide Wildlife Fund, which saves, among other creatures, elephants, his favorite animal.

Today Sun.

City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W

Cuyama 55/29/c 57/28/s

Goleta 61/39/c 62/38/s

Lompoc 63/36/c 62/36/s

Pismo Beach 60/34/c 59/37/s

Santa Maria 62/36/c 60/37/s

Santa Ynez 64/34/c 62/34/s

Vandenberg 62/39/c 58/39/s

Ventura 62/44/c 60/43/s

1.0’ 6:06 p.m. 3.2’ 11:12 p.m. 1.6’ Dec. 19 5:57 a.m. 5.5’ 1:07 p.m. 0.2’ 7:12 p.m. 3.3’ 11:52 p.m. 1.8’

All Obituaries must be reviewed, approved, and prepaid by deadline. We accept all major credit cards by phone; check or cash payments may be brought into our office located at 715 Anacapa Street. The deadline for Weekend and Monday’s editions is at 10a.m. on Thursdays; Tuesday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Fridays; Wednesday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Mondays; Thursday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Tuesdays; Friday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Wednesdays (Pacific Time). Free Death Notices must be directly emailed by the mortuary to our newsroom at news@ newspress.com. The News-Press cannot accept Death Notices from individuals.

56/35/s 56/36/s

Ojai 62/36/c 62/38/s

Oxnard 63/44/c 61/43/s

Palm Springs 62/47/pc 66/45/pc

Pasadena 65/43/c 63/43/s

Paso Robles 59/28/c 60/29/s

Sacramento 52/32/s 51/35/s

San Diego 64/47/c 62/44/pc

San Francisco 56/40/s 54/42/s

San Jose 59/36/s 56/37/s

San Luis Obispo 63/33/c 62/39/s

Santa Monica 65/44/c 63/43/s

Tahoe Valley 43/16/s 41/22/s

46/29/s

Boston 43/31/r 41/31/pc

Chicago 28/19/c 27/16/pc

Dallas 53/32/s 54/40/pc

Denver 41/16/pc 39/12/pc

Houston 54/37/c 57/45/pc

Miami 78/68/t 78/63/pc

Minneapolis 20/4/sf 11/1/c

New York City 43/30/s 39/31/pc

Philadelphia 45/30/s 39/29/pc

Phoenix 60/46/pc 60/39/pc

Portland, Ore. 41/36/c 42/36/c

St. Louis 31/21/pc 35/26/s

Salt Lake City 29/15/pc 30/19/s

Seattle 40/35/c 41/29/c

Washington, D.C. 48/32/s 42/29/s

Beijing 27/10/s 30/14/s

Berlin 28/21/s 27/22/pc Cairo 76/58/pc 77/58/pc

Cancun 83/71/pc 82/74/pc London 41/28/pc 47/45/r

Mexico City 73/51/pc 71/50/pc

Montreal 33/26/sn 32/23/pc

New Delhi 74/48/pc 74/48/pc

Paris 31/22/s 40/38/c

Rio de Janeiro 80/73/pc 79/72/r

Rome 63/47/s 62/40/s Sydney 68/59/r 68/57/sh Tokyo 48/41/r 52/36/pc

‘If we made

like that in the private sector, we would be out of a job and sued’

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

A look through the windows shows the restaurant interior, which paid tribute to the nearby UCSB Gauchos.

The old High Sierra Grill & Bar building has stood empty since Flightline Restaurant closed in 2019.

Small businesses report hardship due to inflation this Christmas season

California businesses continue to relocate to Texas

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – The exodus of companies from California continues, with many relocating to Texas, according to a tally kept by the California Policy Center. According to its California Book of Exoduses, 183 companies have left California since 2005, citing the state’s ever-expanding regulatory and taxation climate.

Since Gov. Gavin Newsom took office in 2019, companies have increasingly left California, and every year, more are relocating to Texas.

In 2019, 11 of 22 companies exiting California relocated to Texas; 19 out of 37 in 2020 and 26 out of 49 in 2021, according to the report. The first 10 months of 2022 was no different when nine out of 32 companies left California to relocate to Texas and another downsized, offering to relocate its employees to Houston.

Those exiting California this year include high-end fitness equipment company, Primo Fitness, which moved its warehouse and headquarters from Santa Ana to Fresno, outside of Houston. Lemark Investments, which sold the company and its property, said in a statement, “Texas’ businessfriendly atmosphere along with the lower cost of living made a very compelling case.”

Sovereign Flavors moved its headquarters from higher-tax Orange County in California to lower-tax Hays County in Texas. The Taiwanese electric vehicle company, Noodoe EV, is relocating its headquarters from Irvine to southwest Houston, saying it needs to be centrally located with access to Houston’s port and airports.

California fintech firm Confer Inc. moved its headquarters from San Francisco to McKinney, Texas. Tech company Aviatrix moved its headquarters from Santa Clara to Dallas.

Citing Gov. Newsom’s and the state legislature’s increasing hostility to oil and natural gas companies, Chevron announced it was selling its San Ramon headquarters property and downsizing while relocating some of its employees to Houston. It’s keeping its headquarters in California but is paying for moving costs for employees who want to relocate to Houston to join its nearly 8,000 workforce already there, the Wall Street Journal first reported.

The Houston area is ground zero for oil and natural gas development in Texas, which is enabling Texas to lead the U.S. in energy production and job growth, both fueled by oil and natural gas workers.

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Small businesses around the country still see inflation as a top concern this Christmas season.

Goldman Sachs released survey data that found that 52% of surveyed small business owners say that their profitability “has not met expectations. Even while an overwhelming 79% have increased prices compared to last year.”

“Small businesses are the backbone of America. Yet, as we enter this holiday season, we are finding it harder than ever

to succeed,” said Janice Jucker, president and Co-Owner Three Brothers Bakery and member of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices National Leadership Council. “As our economy teeters on the brink of a recession, it’s more important than ever that Washington provide small businesses with the resources we need not just to get by, but to get ahead.”

The survey found that “40% said that demand has decreased compared to last year, with 33% saying it has stayed the same.”

They also said that larger businesses are better able to

handle the pain of inflation.

According to the survey, “84% of those surveyed believe bigger retailers have a competitive advantage this holiday season due to their ability to better withstand inflationary pressures and offer lower prices.”

The survey comes as the latest federal inflation data shows that prices continued to rise in November, though at a lower rate than the rapid pace of the last two years. Price increases vary widely, with certain wholesale prices for

goods like vegetables soaring by 38.1%.

The poll surveyed 331 small businesses.

“Small business owners across America are doing more with less this holiday season,” added Joe Wall, national director of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices. “It’s critical that Washington meet their needs, and we are committed to ensuring that the voices of small business owners are heard at the highest levels of our government.”

Integrated Defense Products, a family-owned business based in Oxnard, announced it was relocating its headquarters to Rockwall Technology Park, in north Texas.

“Texas is politically, by nature, an extremely business-friendly state,” Brandon Buschold, president of IDP, said in September when he announced the move.

Skincare company Obagi Cosmeceuticals is relocating its corporate headquarters from southern California to The Woodlands, north of Houston, as is San Diego-based Cellipoint.

Californians who relocate to Texas will pay roughly one third less in taxes, according to a Tax Foundation analysis. Californians pay $6,813 per capita in state and local taxes every year compared to Texans paying $4,481, the foundation estimates.

Businesses also pay significantly more in California than in Texas. California’s 8.84% corporate income tax rate and an average combined state and local sales tax rate of 8.82% makes it one of the most expensive states to do business. By comparison, Texas levies no corporate income tax and an average combined state and local sales tax rate of 8.2%.

DeGeneres and de Rossi make South Coast’s biggest real estate purchase

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi have bought two side-by-side Carpinteria properties for $70 million — the biggest real estate deal in South Coast history.

The properties are on Padaro Lane. The celebrity couple purchased one property for $41.697 million, and it features a Tuscan farmhouse-style, 9,600square foot mansion on 3.4 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean. According to various reports, the mansion has five or six bedrooms, eight or nine baths, a movie theater, a wine cellar, pool, two spas, an outdoor shower and a fire pit.

Ms. DeGeneres and Ms. de Rossi bought the second property, a 6.6-acre vacant site that features a lake and large lawns, for $28.25 million.

The total rounds out to $70 million. Both properties were sold

to the couple by retired hedgefund manager Bruce Kovner and his wife, Suzie.

Surrounding the property are 150-year-old olive trees.

Before this purchase, the biggest deal in the Santa Barbara area’s real estate history was a $63 million purchase made by billionaire Riley Bechtel and his wife Susan in 2020 for a Montecito ranch.

The announcement Friday of Ms. DeGeneres and Ms. de Rossi’s purchase follows the death of Stephen “tWitch” Boss, the dancer who became the DJ for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” He was found dead Tuesday in a Los Angeles hotel room, and multiple reports said it was an apparent suicide.

In an Instagram post, Ms. DeGeneres said, “I’m heartbroken. tWitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him.”

email: dmason@newspress.com

NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTOS

The Brandy Melville women’s clothing store is shown at 939 State Street in downtown Santa Barbara. Small business owners across the country are saying they need help dealing with the fallout of high inflation.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

The Chicken Little children’s/baby’s toy shop in downtown Santa

Barbara saw a moderate amount of foot traffic on Friday.

Moropoulos, seven Vaquero football players earn All-Region awards

By MICHAEL JORGENSON SBCC SPORTS WRITER

SBCC football’s record-setting 2022 campaign produced even more accolades on Wednesday, as Craig Moropoulos was named the All-State Region IV Coach of the Year and seven Vaquero studentathletes earned All-Region First Team honors. The selections were made by the California Community College Football Coaches Association in conjunction with the JC Athletic Bureau.

Earning recognition on offense were Alex Johnson (QB), Donovan Davis (OL), Brandon Smith (RB) and Joe Bowman (K). On defense and special teams, it was Amir Brown (LB), Kai Singleton (LB) and Kayden Chan (PR). SBCC’s eight total selections were the second-most in the region.

All-Region CoACh of the Ye AR : CRA ig MoRopoulos

Under Craig Moropoulos’ guidance, the Vaqueros improved on an already impressive 2021 campaign with perhaps the program’s best year ever in 2022. Two weeks after clinching its first outright conference title since 1991 with a 65-27 win at Santa Monica, SBCC dominated College of the Desert in the 2022 Beach Bowl at La Playa Stadium, taking home the program’s second-ever bowl game trophy and first since 1982.

Moropoulos had entered that game as the third SBCC head coach since 1955 to reach the nine-win mark, but with victory No. 10 would set new program records for wins (10), win percentage (.909), scoring average (45.4) and average margin of victory (+34.4), among numerous other all-time marks.

“I’m very proud of the commitment and dedication from the entire team during the 2022 season,” Moropoulos said. “It was an historic season at SBCC and one that will be a great memory for all involved!”

All-Region fiR st t e AM offense: Alex Johnson, DonovA n DAvis, BRA nDon sMith, Joe Bow MA n Alex Johnson, Donovan Davis and Brandon Smith

were stars on the SBCC offense this year. Johnson was named the APL Offensive Player of the Year with an incredibly efficient final seven games. Over that stretch, he threw nine touchdowns and just three picks, also establishing himself as a dual threat with seven rushing touchdowns.

Davis and Smith powered an unstoppable run game that set a new program record in rushing touchdowns (42). Smith also registered new alltime marks in individual rushing TDs (16), 200-yard rushing games (2), and single-game rushing yards (260 at Glendale on Oct. 1). With his second 200-yard game on the ground against Desert, he brought his total to 1,231 for the year, just four yards shy of a 42year SBCC record.

All-Region fiR st t e AM Defense:

A MiR BRown, K A i singleton, K AYDen Ch A n Linebackers Amir Brown and Kai Singleton represent SBCC’s starting defensive 11 on the AllAPL First Team. Brown’s presence was constantly felt all over the field, as he led the team with 55 tackles. He was named the Beach Bowl Defensive Player of the Game after posting a season-best 11 tackles including one solo stuff in the backfield. Singleton was credited with 35 tackles, including two for a loss. He also had half a sack, an interception and two pass breakups.

Splitting his contributions between wide receiver and punt returner, Kayden Chan finished second in the CCCAA in both punt return average (15.3) and punt return yards (307). He had a key play in a big game against Antelope Valley in late October. With SBCC trailing by one late in the third quarter, Chan took one back 50 yards to paydirt, putting SBCC up for good on the way to a 39-25 road win. He was also SBCC’s top contributor on kickoffs, averaging 32.4 yards per return and taking another one back 91 yards for six in a win over LA Valley.

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

SBCC women’s basketball dominates against Bakersfield

By MICHAEL JORGENSON SBCC SPORTS WRITER

The SBCC women’s basketball team cruised to victory for the second straight game on Wednesday, leading wire-to-wire in a 66-56 win over Bakersfield.

The Vaqueros (6-5) got out to a great start on both ends, taking a 20-6 lead through one quarter. Sophomore Isabella Jensen Williams outscored the Renegades (3-9) single-handedly with eight points in the opening period, swishing a pair of perfect three-pointers.

Jensen Williams’ hot shooting would continue into the second half, as she started 7-of-8 from the field. She went on to finish with 20 points (8-11 FG), her third

20-point outing in four tries. The Berkeley native was all over the passing lanes, filling up the stat sheet once again career-highs of eight steals and four threepointers (4-6 3FG) to go with eight rebounds and six assists. She leads the conference in steals (3.8) and ranks second in rebounds (10.3) and fourth in points per game (14.1).

SBCC was in complete control for most of the game, as the lead grew to as many as 22 points midway through the third quarter. The Vaqueros forced 33 turnovers and finished with 21 steals, the most in their last 21 games.

Freshman center Paityn Persson had another good game on the inside, scoring 13 points (5-11 FG) and pulling down seven

rebounds. Sophomore point guard Brianna Jacobs was the third Vaquero to score in double-figures with 10 points (4-10 FG) and four assists.

The Vaqueros also finished with season-highs of 18 assists, a 42.4 team shooting percentage, and five blocks, led by Persson’s three.

Santa Barbara will be on the road this weekend for two games at the El Camino Christmas Crossover, beginning with a 5:00 p.m. tipoff against Riverside on Friday.

email: sports@newspress.com

Four women’s volleyball Vaqueros take home All-WSC honors

By MICHAEL JORGENSON SBCC SPORTS WRITER

Another excellent season of SBCC women’s volleyball team saw the Vaqueros battle through a ton of adversity, concluding last month with a 16-11 record and a trip to the SoCal Regional Finals.

As a result, four Vaqueros earned All-Western State Conference accolades, led by opposite Caroline McCarty’s First Team selection. Libero Jacelin McKie was named to the All-WSC Second Team, while setters Emma Crabbe and Mikayla Butzke earned Honorable Mentions.

s o. opp CARoline MCCAR t Y –All-ws C fiR st t e AM

It was clear very early on in the season that Caroline McCarty was going to be an absolute force for opposing teams to handle both offensively and defensively. McCarty opened the year with six straight outings as the team’s kills leader. She went on to put up a team-high in 21 out of 27 contests, playing in every single match.

The Bakersfield native put the team on her back all season long, finishing first on the team and third in the conference in kills (288), second in blocks (60) and fourth in digs (149). Her .233 hitting percentage was also fifth-best in the WSC-North. On three occasions, she hit .600 or better, including a career-best .611 in a sweep at LA Pierce on Oct. 14. She followed that up with another .600 hitting performance and a careerbest 4.3 kills per set to lead SBCC to a second straight sweep over Cuesta a week later.

She saved her best for last with a huge 19-kill effort in the Vaqueros’ final match of the season against Orange Coast, nearly leading her team to a win in a

slim five-set loss in the SoCal Final.

Additionally, McCarty also took home the Vaquero Award for her huge contributions as the team’s MVP and was named the State Player of the Week following the eighth week of competition.

s o. l JACelin MCKie – All-ws C seConD t e AM

After being named the 2021 WSC Libero of the Year, Jacelin McKie picked up where she left off with another big defensive season. McKie (3.98 D/ S) finished just shy of averaging 4.00 digs per set a second straight time, leading SBCC with 322 digs and 3.98 per set, both good for fifth in the conference.

Over a six-match span from Sept. 24 to Oct. 12, she posted 20 or more digs three times. Her 24 scoops in a four-set win over Ventura on Sept. 30 would go on to be a season-best.

Always providing leadership and a calm, steady court presence, McKie was also exceptional in the passing game, consistently showing an ability to pass the entire court and refusing to let anything hit the ground when she was in the middle of the formation. Her 34 aces were the second-most on the team.

s o. s eMMA CRABBe –

All-ws C honoRABle Mention

Last year’s Vaquero Award winner and team captain for the past three years, setter Emma Crabbe joins both McCarty and McKie as repeat All-WSC honorees. The former Carmel High School standout also repeated as the Vaqueros’ leader in assists (463) and double-doubles (6).

Despite splitting time at setter with freshman Mikayla Butzke, Crabbe’s 6.34 assists per set ranked

Michael Jorgenson works in communications/media relations at Santa Barbara City College.

Aidan Mandel

Named SBART Athlete of the Week

By MICHAEL JORGENSON SBCC SPORTS WRITER

Following a superb three-day showing at the SBCC Classic this past weekend, Vaquero men’s basketball forward Aidan Mandel was named the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Athlete of the Week.

Santa Barbara’s star freshman led his team to a 2-1 record in the Vaqueros’ first home games of the season, scoring over 20 points and shooting over 55 percent from the field in all three games. He was named to the All-Tournament Team after finishing with averages of 24 points, nine rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals per game and hitting 61 percent of his shots.

The former San Marcos High School standout began the tournament with a 24point, 10-rebound performance in an 83-74 win over Desert on Thursday. The next day, he recorded another double-double while shooting 10-of-18 (.556) for the second straight outing, finishing with season-highs of 25 points and five blocks against Bakersfield.

He closed things out on Saturday with his most efficient shooting day of the year, going 11-of-15 (.733) for his 23 points. SBCC ended up with its largest win of 2022, defeating LA Valley 78-57. Mandel now has at least 22 points in seven of 13 appearances.

The Santa Barbara native will look to continue his run of excellent play at the West Valley Holiday Classic, which begins this Friday.

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

SM BoyS Ba Sket Ball Fall S to royal

The San Marcos boys basketball team lost to Royal High School of Simi Valley on Thursday, falling 59-46.

“A lot of credit to Royal tonight,” said San Marcos coach, James Kinzler. “They had us on our heels from the start. Our guys battled and hung with them most of the night, but we struggled to find offensive rhythm and get defensive stops when we needed them.”

Wyatt Miller led San Marcos with 14 points while Micah Jacobi contributed ten.

San Marcos will return to action today in the Mission Prep Christmas Classic.

dP girl S Ba Sket Ball lo Se S to Ca Brillo

The Dos Pueblos girls basketball team lost a close game Thursday, edged out 56-53 by Cabrillo in overtime.

Leading Dos Pueblos in scoring was Gianna Nichols with 14 points and four rebounds. Other notable performances included Carly Letendre’s thirteen points and three assists, Evette Allen’s nine points and ten rebounds, Justin Katz’ eight points and seven assists and Sierra Jewel’s six points and five rebounds.

“Credit to Cabrillo and their coaching staff, they do a great job,” said Dos Pueblos Coach Manny Murillo. “We didn’t play well defensively tonight and didn’t have the firepower on offense. This is a great learning lesson for our kids heading into our double header on Saturday against Lompoc and heading into the Tournament of Champions next week at Santa Barbara. We need to not let up on teams and keep up the pressure and pace moving forward.”

Dos Pueblos’ record falls to 3-3 with the loss, but the team remains undefeated in league play with a 2-0 record.

dP girl S S oCCer Fall S to oxnard

The Dos Pueblos girls soccer team lost to Oxnard on Thursday, losing 2-0.

The loss was Dos Pueblos’ first in league

play, leaving the team with a 1-1-2 league record and a 2-2-2 overall record.

“The 0-2 defeat came after we played our best soccer of the season,” said Coach Marco Medina. “We had meaningful possession in the midfield, showed composure and excellent field vision when changing the point of attack, and we created a handful of scoring opportunities. We can build off this as we head into a tough weekend game against Pacifica on Saturday (today).”

Sy BoyS S oCCer W in S over Ca Brillo

The Santa Ynez boys soccer team beat Cabrillo 3-1 in a non-league match.

Two of Santa Ynez’ three goals were scored by Aiden Tapia. The first came at the 18 minute mark on a shot assisted by Tristan Amezcua, while the second came on a penalty kick in the second half. Santa Ynez’ other goal came on a shot by Spencer Silverman in the 25th minute.

SM BoyS S oCCer deFeat S Buena

The San Marcos boys soccer team won a close game against Buena, coming away with a 2-1 victory.

San Marcos’ Luke Sheffey scored the team’s first goal in the first half on a free kick, while the second came on a shot by Jose Ramirez assisted by Tuly Knoles.

“Buena’s midfield was an excellent challenge for our midfield to defend and attack against,” said Coach Paul Mclean. “Senior Kevin Mora and Sophomore Jose Ramirez were very good for us all night. They defended well, won possession and started our attack. Our back line with Freddy Gonzalez in goal, Justin Hess, Leo Vico, Stevie Bradley and Easton Rose did a great job seeing the game out. Buena tested us in lots of ways and we became a better team tonight by fighting through it. It was a good result.”

San Marcos will return to action today against Santa Barbara.

- Matt Smolensky

SBCC women’s volleyball players honored by WSC

– a ll-

fourth in the WSC-North. She also finished second on the team in digs (167) and fourth in aces (25).

Crabbe began the year with a 35-assist, 14-dig double-double in a big four-set season-opening win over Grossmont and later posted a season-high 45 in the final match at Orange Coast. She was effective on attacks as well, highlighted by a seven-kill (.583) careerhigh on just 12 attempts against Saddleback on Nov. 19.

The only freshman of this bunch, setter Mikayla Butzke burst onto the scene to help guide the Vaqueros through thick-andthin in 2022. With “hands made of pure butter,” Butzke was topfive in three statistical categories, finishing first on the team in aces (38), second in assists (391) and fifth in digs (119).

Filling into a COVID-depleted lineup in the fourth match of the season, Butzke got her first real chance to make an impact and did not disappoint. She tallied 29

assists (9.67 A/S) and seven kills on a .778 hitting percentage against a good Irvine Valley team.

She also registered four doubledoubles and went over 30 digs four times, including a season-best 40 helpers against Pasadena City on Sept. 3. Butzke took over the team-lead in aces with a blistering stretch from Oct. 28 to Nov. 15, when she had two or more aces in six straight matches including a seven-ace outburst against Moorpark (Nov. 4).

Fr. oH Heidi Collin S –CoaCHe S aWard

Despite being listed as an

outside hitter, freshman Heidi Collins stepped up big time all year filling in as a middle blocker due to injuries. Not only did she play well, but she excelled. Collins finished third on the team in both kills (153) and blocks (29) and was fifth in aces (25). After proving all year what a true team player she is, she was recognized with the Coaches Award by head coach Kat Niksto.

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

Fr. S Mikayla Butzke

WSC Honora Ble Mention

Life theArts

Ranching on Santa Rosa Island

Rancher’s

tells the story in new pictorial book

ranch’s

By JARED DANIELS NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Windswept hillsides, ocean vistas and a personal retelling of an often overlooked piece of Santa Barbara County history await readers of a newly-released pictorial book — “Santa Rosa Island: A Photographic Panorama.”

Published under Santa Barbarabased Polyverse Publications, “Santa Rosa Island” visually recounts the history of cattle ranching on the Channel Island and its transition to a national park through the eyes of Charles Healey,

the book’s author, curator and photographer.

And he’s a descendant of one of the island’s formative ranchers.

“It all starts with my greatgrandfather, Charles Wesley ‘C.W.’ Smith,” Mr. Healey told the NewsPress. “He was a Seneca Indian born in New York state in 1869. At the age of 12, he ran away from the orphanage he grew up in and made his way west. He runs into the Ohio River, and from there he makes this way down to New Orleans.”

After taking to the sea and working on ships for close to eight years during which he made port all around the globe, Mr. Smith landed on Santa Catalina Island

in 1890 looking for a change in life. It was here that he met Walter Vail Jr., the son of a powerful Arizona cattleman and politician credited with turning ranchers into a cohesive political force in the Sunbelt state.

Finding both a friend and the chance at change he was looking for, Mr. Smith traded surf for turf and began working for Mr. Vail’s cattle ranch on Santa Catalina. Mr. Smith would later leave with him after Mr. Vail leased out the island in 1894 and returned to the family’s Empire Ranch in Arizona. Throughout his 20 years at Empire, Mr. Smith would rise from a lowly cowpunch to the

Vail

What

Vickers

Barbara. Ranching on Santa Rosa would continue up until 1998, with generations of Smiths, Vails and Healeys — among others — growing up with links to the figures and stories that to them defined life on the island.

From those who grew up and lived their lives out on the island — such as the author’s grandfather — to those who later grew up visiting and making memories over their summers, nearly a century of cattle ranching on Santa Rosa Island would serve as a nexus for the beginning of

CALENDAR

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

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit “Parliament of Owls” runs through Feb. 5 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, see sbma.net.

Noon to 3 p.m. The free Big Brass Tuba Christmas Concert will take place in Storke Placita, which is between 722 and 724 State St. and is adjacent to De la Guerra Plaza in Santa Barbara. The Youth Makers Market will be in the same block. 2 and 7 p.m. State Street Ballet will perform “The Nutcracker” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara High School student Olivia Pires will play Clara at the 2 p.m. matinee. Professional State Street Ballet dancer Emma Matthews will portray Clara at the 7 p.m. show. Tickets vary from $38 to $121, with a discounted price of $26 for children 12 and younger in select price zones. To purchase, go to granadasb.org. A student discount is also available for purchase in person at The Granada’s box office.

3 p.m. The Quire of Voyces, an a cappella choir based at Santa Barbara City College, will perform its “Mysteries of Christmas” concert at St. Anthony’s Chapel at the Garden Street Academy, 2300 Garden St., Santa Barbara. Tickets are sold weekdays at the Garvin Theatre box office at the SBCC campus or at the door 30 before the concert.

8 p.m. The Ensemble Theatre Company will perform “A Christmas Carol” at the New Vic, 33. W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $40$84. To purchase, go to etcsb.org or call 805-965-5400.

DEC. 18 9 a.m. to noon: Mitzvah Day features community projects at Congregation B’nai B’rith, 1000 San Antonio Creek Road, Santa Barbara. Ten goodwill projects will take place at the congregation and throughout the community. The program begins at 9 a.m. with breakfast, followed by a welcoming address at 9:30. For more information, visit cbbsb.org/ mitzvah.

2 p.m. State Street Ballet will perform “The Nutcracker” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. Dos Pueblos High School student Sophia Kanard will play Clara. Tickets vary from $38 to $121, with a discounted price of $26 for children 12 and younger in select price zones. To purchase, go to granadasb.org. A student discount

COURTESY PHOTO

Renowned soprano Mela Sarajane Dailey will perform during the Santa Barbara Symphony’s New Year’s Eve concert, set for Dec. 31 at The Granada. The concert will feature music varying from The Beatles to Broadway.

cattle boss entrusted with running the shipping of cattle from Arizona to Kansas. He would then return to California in 1914 to take over as superintendent of the

&

cattle operation on Santa Rosa Island, which was purchased in 1901 by Mr. Vail and his close business partner and fellow Arizona cattleman John Van “J.V.” Vickers.

follows next over the span of nearly 100 years is the formation of a unique community created largely through the shared experiences of the families whose stories and legacies became interwoven on this small island off the coast of Santa

Please see RANCHING on B2

COURTESY PHOTOS

The last roundup of cattle takes place in 1998 at the Main Ranch on Santa Rosa Island. Author Charles Healy explores the ranching era in his new book, “Santa Rosa Island: A Photographic Panorama.”

descendant Charles Healey

At left, this is the Santa Rosa Island’s Big House, seen in 1997. At right, cowboys round up cattle in 1998 on the south side of Santa Rosa Island.

Vaquero I docks in the 1920s at the pier in Bechers Bay.

Charles Healey is the author of “Santa Rosa Island: A Photographic Panorama.”

RANCHING

generation-spanning relationships that last to this day.

“From that meeting (between C.W. Smith and Walter Vail Jr.) you get this whole group of people who otherwise would have never known each other,” Karen Healey, the author’s mother and granddaughter of C.W. Smith, told the News-Press. “You looked forward to seeing the people who went out every summer. You saw the kids of everyone you know who used to come out (when you were growing up), so the generations just kind of met each other … it’s just this small but amazing nucleus of people.”

While cattle ranching ended in the late-1990s, the island continued to be privately held for deer and elk hunting — a decades-old tradition that drew small groups to the island from all over the world. This too, however, would come to an end when the National Parks Service completed its takeover of Santa Rosa Island in 2011.

Despite the rich history contained in this chapter of the island’s past, and Mr. Healy’s encyclopedic knowledge of his family’s role in it, the author of “Santa Rosa Island” refrains from dedicating much writing to retelling the tale in full.

Rather, through photos both old and new, original and borrowed — accompanied by captions penned by a descendant of these island ranchers fueled by the written and oral history of his family — readers are instead offered a visual tour into both the intimate familial past and public present of Santa Rosa Island.

The book’s contrasting images of the island’s now-departed human inhabitation alongside those of its wild, unpopulated

present capture a story of the stark reality of change slamming like ocean waves against the past.

While cowboys no longer dutifully trod across the windswept Pacific vistas of the Channel Islands, their legacy lives on in the buildings, cattleblazed trails, and memories of those who survive them. “Santa Rosa Island: A Photographic Panorama” shares the telling of this story with readers by inviting them to peer through a uniquely personal window into the way things were, as well as the way they are now.

email: jdaniels@newspress.com

FYI

A couple’s holiday celebration

Most couples enjoy the winter holidays, but do we really celebrate them?

Getting into the habit of celebrating will add energy to your relationship and provide you with a deeper sensation of what your love is all about.

When the love you feel makes you want to dance like nobody’s watching, you have cause to celebrate, and the holidays make that feeling just a little more special. This feeling is rare and having it in your heart is quite an amazing gift. It makes you want to wrap your arms around your love instead of wrapping presents. Yes, this is love, and it should be celebrated as much as any holiday.

The more you are able to acknowledge the good things in your life, the stronger they become, which leads to greater happiness in your relationship and beyond.

Making a ritual out of celebrating the holidays can also help you deal with life when things get difficult. Your current difficulties become easier when you have a memory bank filled with good things that have happened. Those happy celebrations are now cemented in your mind and heart.

Having a celebratory attitude means that you look for the positive, and when you find it, you say something positive about it to your partner so that you can smile together. It’s that simple, and it will change the way you think and feel.

Creating a holiday celebration can seem like a daunting task for some people. But the beauty of celebration is that you can do it however you like. Celebrating the holidays can take many forms. From a candlelit dinner to attending a religious service to Santa coming through the chimney,

the ways you can celebrate are endless.

The important thing here is that the holidays should be celebrated in a way that honors both the holiday and your relationships.

Throwing a party is one way to celebrate. Simply telling your partner how much you love him or her is another. Remember that small things can go a long way. How would it make you feel to get a small gift that celebrated your love in a big way? A friend of mine once joked that small and cheap is good, but small and expensive is even better.

As adults, of course, we all know that it can’t be about the gifts. After all, gift giving can sometimes be tricky. Suppose you get something you don’t really like. If that experience triggers something in you, however, please take a look at your reaction and keep yourself in check. This is something most of us have dealt with. The best thing to do is to say “Thank you for thinking of me” and leave it at that. Avoid harboring resentments, for such feelings will taint your experience.

Keeping this attitude at the top of your mind creates a pattern for the rest of your relationship.

Holiday celebrations are a great way to feel the love in your life, and celebrations are a great way to increase the level of satisfaction with your relationship.

Happy holidays.

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

Video contest stresses water conservation

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Santa Barbara County Water Agency has announced the opening of applications for the 24th Annual WaterWise High School Video Contest.

Every year, students compete to create entertaining and informational 30-second videos that convey the importance of water use efficiency in Santa Barbara County. The contest theme — “Does Lawn Belong?” — was selected to highlight the ongoing importance of sustainable outdoor water use, especially in light of the current drought.

“We are pleased to continue this long-standing program and excited to see the amazing videos our local high school students will create,” County Water Agency Manager Matt Young said.

Up to six videos, three English and three Spanish, may be submitted per school. The winning videos will receive prizes and may have their videos aired

on local TV and in movie theaters.

While the County Water Agency and water providers arrange for monetary prizes to the winning schools, local private sector sponsors provide awards for the students:

• First Place (English): $500 provided by Carollo Engineers.

• First Place (Spanish): $500 provided by La Buena 105.1 FM.

• Second Place: $250 provided by Geosyntec.

• Third Place: $150 provided by Ewing Irrigation.

• People’s Choice Award (voted by the public on the WaterWiseSB YouTube Channel): $500 provided by Dudek.

To be eligible to win prizes, student participants must submit their videos and complete the application packet online by 11:59 p.m. March 3. The student winners will be publicly announced in May 2023.

To apply for the contest, visit www.waterwisesb.org/hsvc. email: kzehnder@newspress.com

Library presents ‘Paws to Read’

SANTA MARIA — Kids will get to read books aloud to trained service dogs during “Paws to Read” on Tuesday and Dec. 27 at the Santa Maria Public Library.

The session will take place from 3:30-5 p.m. both days at the library’s Youth Services Altrusa Theater, 421 South McClelland St., Santa Maria.

This program is open to children ages 6 through 12. Families can sign up at the library’s Youth

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Continued from Page B1

is also available for purchase in person at The Granada’s box office.

2 p.m. The Ensemble Theatre Company will perform “A Christmas Carol” at the New Vic, 33. W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $40$84. To purchase, go to etcsb.org or call 805-965-5400.

3 p.m. The Quire of Voyces, an a cappella choir based at Santa Barbara City College, will perform its “Mysteries of Christmas” concert at St. Anthony’s Chapel at the Garden Street Academy, 2300 Garden St., Santa Barbara. Tickets are sold weekdays at the Garvin Theatre box office at the

Services Desk for a 15-minute time slot to read the books. The readings are part of the library’s “Love on a Leash” program, in which volunteers will bring dogs to the Youth Services Altrusa Theater for the readings.

For more information, visit www.cityofsantamaria.org/library or call the library’s Youth Services Division at 805-925-0994, ext. 8564.

— Katherine Zehnder

SBCC campus or at the door 30 before the concert.

DEC. 31

8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform its annual New Year’s Eve concert, featuring music varying from The Beatles to James Bond to Broadway, at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. Pops conductor Bob Bernhardt will conduct the concert, which will feature renowned soprano Mela Sarajane Dailey. There will also be champagne, noise-makers and, of course, party hats. To purchase tickets, go to thesymphony.org or thegranadasb.org or call the symphony at 805-893-9386.

— Dave Mason

Cowboys stop in the 1940s at Becher Beach.

“Santa Rosa Island: A Photographic Panorama” by Charles Healey is available for purchase at select local retailers and online at polyversepublications.com.

COURTESY PHOTOS

From left are Santa Rosa Island ranchers E.K. Smith, Al Vail and Russ Vail with their horses in the 1990s.

Thought for Today

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com Saturday, December 17, 2022

ARIES — Your emotions may be volatile right now, Aries. There’s passion behind your words. You have the power to instigate major changes in your life. If you’re wise, you will consider multiple ways to make them. Find the part of you that needs a boost, the area that lacks passion.

TAURUS — If you aren’t careful about the energy you dish out today, Taurus, you will find that it all comes back to smack you in the face. Other people are likely to be as stubborn as you, so proceed cautiously. The more you try to control and manipulate others, the more friction will build. Things are likely to explode.

GEMINI — Today is a fantastic day for you, Gemini. You should enjoy a good mood and positive experiences with others. There’s most likely a slow-moving, transforming energy in your life right now that’s touching off your emotions. You will find that there is a great deal of fire and passion fueling your heart, so be generous with your kind spirit and follow through with your promises.

CANCER — Other people may be demanding of you, Cancer, so do what you can to please them. Don’t go overboard in thinking you need to be someone you’re not, and certainly don’t do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. Be generous with your affection, but make sure you receive emotional support in return.

LEO — People may be somewhat selfish and selfcentered today, but this doesn’t mean that you have to follow suit, Leo. Remind others of the importance of the collective. We all need to pitch in and do our part to be happy. You have the ability to offer balance to the situation, and you should definitely put this to the test. Do what you can to make the scales tip back to center.

VIRGO — It may not be the easiest day to relate to others, Virgo, but as usual, if you just go with the flow, you will find that you can have fun. Try not to get caught up in anyone else’s drama. There are likely to be soap operas playing all around you, and you would do well to

By FRANK STEWART

Tribune Content Agency

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Cy the Cynic was nominated for my club’s “Player of the Year” award, which gives you some idea of what kind of year it has been. (I fear the standard of play among all players is in decline.)

Cy responded by scaling new heights of futility as today’s declarer. Against four hearts, West led the jack of spades. The Cynic took dummy’s ace and swiftly drew trumps; he had two left. West threw diamonds. When Cy led a club next, West took the jack and led another spade: queen, king, ruff.

LAST TRUMP

East won the second club and forced Cy to ruff another spade with his last trump. Then Cy could only take his A-K of diamonds and give up. Down one.

Cy is now in contention for the “Worst-Played Hand” award. He should concede a club at Trick Two. He ruffs the spade return, loses a club, ruffs the next spade and loses a club. Then if the defense leads a fourth spade, Cy can ruff in dummy, preserving the trumps in his hand to draw trumps and take the good club for his 10th trick.

steer clear of them.

LIBRA — Things should flow extremely well for you, Libra. Load your engine with extra fuel, because you will be burning red hot. Don’t let anything stand in your way. By all means, fight for what you need. There’s a great deal of power behind your emotions, and you will find that the intensity of your feelings is real and courageous whether you’re laughing or crying.

SCORPIO — You need bigger and longer hugs than usual today, Scorpio. A powerful force is moving through your life and trying to shake things up. Don’t stoop to the level of petty argument and verbal sparring. The more you resist the opposition, the more stubborn and unwieldy the situation becomes.

SAGITTARIUS — Act with courage today, Sagittarius. Dress as if you were going to meet an important statesman. See yourself in the mirror and be proud to say you look good. Act with confidence and feel free to strut your stuff. Be up-front with your accomplishments, and let people know you’re strong and trustworthy.

CAPRICORN — Be conscious of your own needs, Capricorn, and feel free to be a little selfish. Give yourself the credit you deserve, and don’t let other people bully you into feeling like you aren’t worthy of the attention you receive. You have a great number of gifts to offer the world, and you shouldn’t be afraid to show them off.

AQUARIUS — Your energy and spunk should finally return after a couple days of feeling slightly down, Aquarius. You should enjoy a good mood all day. Your powers of persuasion are strong. There’s an extra boost of energy behind your emotions. You will find that this could lead to some sort of transformation deep within.

PISCES — Get out of the mud, Pisces. Have fun and don’t worry too much about the consequences. Put your to-do list aside for a while and focus on enjoying yourself. People close to you are going to need some extra attention today, so be generous with your time. Your emotions are powerful and dynamic. The intensity behind your words reflects your passion.

SUDOKU

CODEWORD PUZZLE

Codeword is a fun game with simple rules, and a great way to test your knowledge of the English language.

Every number in the codeword grid is ‘code’ for a letter of the alphabet. Thus, the number 2 may correspond to the letter L, for instance.

All puzzles come with a few letters to start. Your first move should be to enter these letters in the puzzle grid. If the letter S is in the box at the bottom of the page underneath the number 2, your first move should be to find all cells numbered 2 in the grid and enter the letter S. Cross the letter S off the list at the bottom of the grid.

Remember that at the end you should have a different letter of the alphabet in each of the numbered boxes 1- 26, and a word in English in each of the horizontal and vertical runs on the codeword grid.

“Nothing can have value without being an object of utility.”

— Karl Marx

Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation sees success during its 20th anniversary year

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation considers its 20th anniversary year to be one of its best years.

“This has been one of TBCF’s most remarkable years for so many reasons,” said Brittany Avila Wazny, TBCF’s senior development director. “We’ve had the privilege of working with the children we supported in the early years who are now volunteering with us as adults.

“It’s been absolutely inspiring to see how many children are flourishing after their cancer journeys,” she said in a news release. “They’ve truly transitioned from surviving to thriving, and we couldn’t be prouder.”

The foundation was started 20 years ago by Nikki Katz, and in the time since then, the nonprofit’s mission has grown to

providing financial, emotional and educational support to Tricounties families who are battling pediatric cancer.

2023 was marked with a number of new grants, including the American Cancer Society’s combined $70,000 grant to provide funding for out-of-town transportation and housing for families treated outside the Tricounties such as Stanford Medical Center, UCLA, City of Hope, Cedars Sinai and others.

This support will be distributed in the form of gas gift cards and hotel payments and is in addition to the Direct Financial Assistance families receive. In 2022, more than 85% of local families served by the foundation were treated outside of the Tri-counties, or over a 50-mile radius from home.

“With the current price of gas, these drives placed additional stress on an already traumatic

situation,” said Ms. Wazny. “Being able to assure our families that their transportation is covered and that they’ll have a comfortable place to sleep while their child is in treatment away from home is such a comfort.”

Additionally, the Luke 12:48 Foundation provided a substantial holiday grant to surprise every TBCF family currently in treatment with more than 65 gift cards and memberships to Costco, at a $750 value per family.

The Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation worked with a past TBCF family — Ronnie DeBrum, general manager of the Santa Maria Costco, and wife Laura, retiree from Costco — who secured additional gift bags for each family with donated items from Costco to lift the Christmas spirits of TBCF families.

“It is a powerful blessing and so inspiring to be a vehicle for

good between two faith-based supporters and our families during such a traumatizing time,” Dr. Corey Pahanish, TBCF executive director, said in a news release.

“We are all beyond grateful to be in a position to surprise our TBCF parents with this generous gift, in addition to fulfilling the kids’ wish lists, delivering Christmas trees and so much more. It also serves as a reminder to our families that they are not alone in this, and there is some bit of normalcy as they endure the unimaginable.”

In the 20 years since TBCF’s inception, the foundation has provided over $2.5 million in direct financial aid and served thousands of families in the tricounty area.

To learn more about TBCF’s programming, visit www. teddybearcancerfoundation.org. email: kzehnder@newspress.com

Stone altar reflects Hindu spiritual practice and tradition

T. has this little 48-pound piece of stone that measures 9 by 10 by 8¾ inches, and she thinks it might be related to a Hindu spiritual practice.

She bought it at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Goleta, and no one there knew much about its owner or origin. Indeed, it does have something to do with Hindu spiritual practice, and the tradition goes back longer than anyone can know.

Specifically, G.T.’s altar is a 19th-century sandstone niche, originally a form that was designed as part of a temple facade as a niche for an oil lamp or candle, from the early days (8th-century). The form is called a Gokhas, and it is still a part of life today.

If the home of 2022 is a modern Hindu home, and the devotees are traditional, they will have one of these carved out of stone to insert into the wall in the garden to hold a candle or incense cone. Thus,

these stone boxes are shrines.

They repeat a square carving motif above the central arch in the style called Mudejar that goes back to the 8th century. G.T.’s is a 19th-century carved stone niche Rajasthani altar. And I would say the value is $500-$800 today.

You may ask, “Why is a light that shines for a god or goddess set in stone?”

From the earliest times, gods and goddesses of the Hindu tradition have been venerated in caves, which are stone, and have been called “the navels of the world.”

Because the caves were lit by light from candles in the early days, gods and goddesses were venerated in confined, dimly lit sanctuaries. The small altars or tiny stone shrines that were built into the garden wall even as late as the 19th or 20th century were carved in the tradition of the ancient cave altars originally found in the natural cave environment.

The architecture of veneration in the earliest centuries was carved in stone deep in the earth in caves. These cave surfaces were scooped out and carved from a rock face, and it is a mystery how that great feat was accomplished.

Devotees of the later centuries — 18th, 19th and 20th — carved these “mini” shrines or ordered them to be carved out of the rocks used to build a dwelling or a garden wall. They were usually carved in sandstone. They were meant to be a remembrance of the cave carvings of ancient days.

In the most limited of funding for such a shrine, such as in a lower/ middle class home, a homeowner might carve a shrine out of the stone blocks used to build the dwelling.

Why should this small altar be in the shape of a doorway or a niche, not more than 12 inches tall, for a humble dwelling wall?

That is because doorways and niches are important because they are openings.

On G.T.’s little altar that was once set into a garden wall, you will notice little squares carved in the “roof” of the altar, or the top of the structure that was once a niche. This is an imitation of the stone rendering of the ancient

wooden structure of an altar going back 2,000 years

This is an echo of the ancient screens called “jalis” in those sanctuaries meant to filter out the harsh light of the sun, and to bring a quiet and solemn atmosphere to the interior where a god or goddess was expected to be venerated. This screen was designed of interlacing squares, some letting light through some not.

To filter the light is an important devotional tool, a stage setting meant to focus the attention on the other world, not the bright light of the world of now.

This attention was meant to echo the attention that the ancient carvers gave when they carved ancient figures and ancient altars of stone by firelight.

The way to convey this thought, this understanding of the division

between the darkest matter (stone) and light, is by a depiction of perforated stone, which we see in G.T.’s little altar.

Some material objects take us back years to a tradition that is echoed in the objects, and G.T.’s altar is one of those remarkable objects. It’s such a treat to have seen it and such a great find to have found it, G.T.

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

Written after her father’s COVID-19 diagnosis, Dr. Stewart’s book “My Darlin’ Quarantine: Intimate Connections Created in Chaos” is a humorous collection of five “what-if” short stories that end in personal triumphs over presentday constrictions. It’s available at Chaucer’s in Santa Barbara.

COURTESY PHOTO

This Hindu altar is a 19th-century sandstone niche.

Why progressives fear Elon Musk

‘I’m nauseatingly pro-American. I would have come here from any country long ago. The U.S. is where great things are possible — if you want to make them happen.”

— Elon Musk

One of the left’s greatest heroes and biggest supporters was the guy who created a fleet of electric vehicles that made gasless cars the coolest thing on the left coast.

He plans to invest billions in rapid transit trains and owns a rocket ship company. He condemned the invasion of Ukraine. He also has no use for big oil. He has been a leftist icon since he arrived in Northern California.

Chairman Howard Dean tweeted, “Hi Twitterverse. Many thanks for the knowledge and sharing over the past ten years or so. If Musk takes over Twitter I will be off within a few hours. Might be just as well for my well being but I’ve learned a lot of stuff from you.”

“Sometimes nothing goes right, like when I ran for president. This is another one.”

— Howard Dean

BLM race baiter Shaun King was so distraught at Mr. Musk owning Twitter that he blamed it on white power. “At its root, Elon Musk purchasing Twitter is not about left vs right. It’s about white power. This man was raised in Apartheid by white nationalists. And that’s his definition of free speech.”

KNOW?

Bonnie Donovan

We can’t a ord Newsom’s policies

As we near the end of 2022, Did You Know? looked at some of the folly coming out of Sacramento.

William Haupt III The author is a Center Square contributor

Since equity, diversity and inclusion have become the core tenets of leftwing political orthodoxy, one would think that an immigrant from Africa who received an Ivy League education and became a major eco business owner can do no wrong in progressive America. After all, anyone who could possibly put big oil out of business, producing a car those on the left dream of, should be a hero.

When Democrats heard that Elon Musk would be head of a group of investors purchasing Twitter, this was less than a symbolic “dream” for Democrats and socialists. In fact, now that he heads one of the world’s largest social media enterprises, most progressives are saying that he sold them out.

“This is the most threatening thing that has ever happened in our democracy.”

— Elizabeth Warren

Few Democrats are happy about a white African immigrant purchasing Twitter. In fact, many on the left are bellyaching that the new owner of this social media giant is promising to make Twitter an open forum for free speech.

It’s a dichotomy that after years of proclaiming only Democrats want to protect democracy, the majority of them are publicly protesting the key hallmark of our democracy.

The First Amendment to the Constitution protects speech, no matter how offensive its content. Restrictions on speech in any public forum is government censorship, which is in violation of the Constitution. Such restrictions deprive people of their right to hear what they want to hear, to say what they want to say and debate issues they disagree upon to protect republican health.

A healthy society depends on education, and education is founded on the principle of free speech.

How we value the right of free speech is put to the test when the speaker is someone we disagree with most. Speech that deeply offends us warrants the same constitutional protection as

speech that we find agreeable. If we allow government to suppress free speech, they will ration democracy for us.

It’s no secret that for decades Democrats have enjoyed their years in the sun basking in the glory of immortal support from liberal media. When liberal candidates are falling on their backsides, or facing personal, social and political scandals, the liberal media always finds ways to bail them out.

”It’s impossible to keep America informed without help from the traditional media.”

— Barack Obama

The biggest censorship scandal of the century took place during the 2020 presidential campaigns when social media giants

Last week, this column suggested that what the Republican Party really needs is a bold no-nonsense blueprint for a better America. I made up a list of what I believe constitutes the five top difficult situations a new president (in 2024) could and should promise that he and his political party would begin to work on immediately upon taking office.

The problems delineated were: 1) the wide-open and unprotected southern border; 2) the homeless encampments that have sprouted up in virtually every city in the U.S.; 3) the cost and availability of energy; 4) the progressive-agendadriven and union-dominated public school system, and 5) the explosion of crime in American cities and towns of all sizes.

In addition to outlining what the problems and priorities are, the Republican Party should affirm its commitment to fixing those issues with a resolve and a purpose clearly outlined in a

definitive policy statement.

Last week we offered solutions to the first two sticky problems, proposing that the southern border be closed until a satisfactory and comprehensive plan for legal immigration is put in place, that those here “illegally” shouldn’t be rewarded with federal largesse.

However, by all accounts, those freely crossing the southern border by the hundreds of thousands have been invited — and showered with clothes, gifts, spending money, phones and transportation to a destination of their choice — by the Biden administration. And that presents its own difficulties.

Facebook and Twitter blocked all postings from the New York Post that exposed damaging information about Hunter Biden’s notorious laptop. Executives at Facebook and Twitter admitted they were told by the Democratic Party to block anything mentioning the Bidens’ scandals. They said they were asked to do this until after the election was over and certified.

Once the AP press release hit the newsrooms that Elon Musk was the new official owner of Twitter and he promised to reinstate Donald Trump’s account and reveal how Twitter had run interference for Mr. Biden and the Democrats, this sent liberal media into attack mode. The left feels betrayed that Mr. Musk, a moderate who had supported their party in the past, opened

this can of “political worms.”

Progressives loved Elon Musk when he was filling their election coffers with thousands of dollars so they would help grow his electric car company, Tesla Inc. He was a celebrity and a savior to the progressives and environmentalists who were resolved to shut down big oil. But Democrats saw the other side of Mr. Musk, the businessman, when he bought Twitter. Mr. Musk realized the pitfalls of relying on half truths, censorship and orders from the left to support Twitter. Mr. Musk announced that he was going to shut down Twitter’s leftist-only arena and end censorship. To increase profits and market share, Twitter’s new business model would be a forum for free speech.

Democratic National Committee

Progressives’ definition of “free speech” is, “It is OK for them to say anything they wish, but it is not OK for conservatives to say what they wish.” Mr. Musk says he only wants to make Twitter a haven for “free speech.” But progressives disagree. They gripe that conservatives will destroy liberal Twitter.

Mr. Musk’s down-to-earth style of communication makes many internet users believe that Mr. Musk is just like them. And this is exactly what bothers progressives. Mr. Musk can stir up controversy anytime he wants, which forces progressives to defend unpopular positions in a forum they think that they own.

Author Jess Scott wrote, “Hypocrites get offended by the truth.” In the make-up-rulesas-you-need-them progressive constitution, it’s OK when we do it to you but you can’t do it to us.

Mr. Musk has simply told the left and liberal media, “Political rules that apply to only one side are not rules. They are partisan wish lists dressed up as terms and conditions. If there are no neutral spaces in which to debate differing opinions, then there is nothing legitimate to be learned by anyone on a forum.”

Over the past few years, Mr. Musk has embraced a specific understanding of the First Amendment and free speech. Unwilling to live under the social restrictions of apartheid, he migrated from South Africa to Canada. While studying for his U.S. citizenship, he realized the importance of the Bill of Rights and especially protecting free speech. He believes his heterodox thinking provokes healthy discussion.

Social media is the new public square, and it matters who sets the rules. Instead of Silicon Valley elites like Mark Zuckerberg deciding what can and can’t be said, Elon Musk’s platform will allow free and open public discourse, which is healthy for democracy. And this will also make politicians more accountable when they hear people talking about them.

”You either move very quickly and you work hard to improve your product, or you get destroyed by some other company.”

— Elon Musk

Sacramento tried to reintroduce legalized Affirmative Action. But a thoughtful electorate, across California, defeated it. Instead, we now have by stealth, racial divisions introduced throughout our schools, with the widespread usurpation of parents’ rights and in the insidious indoctrination of children with critical race theory.

Did you know the budget for California is $286 billion?

Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed a panel to determine slavery reparations in California. A draft of the panel’s conclusions has been commented on in various newspapers. It appears that the cost of housing reparations alone is $223,000 per black person or about $569 billion in total. Even more would be paid for other reparations.

And $569 billion in reparations is twice the annual California State Budget of $286 billion.

There are approximately 37,749,000 non-black people living in California. $569 billion in reparations equates to a cost of $15,073 per non-black resident in California. We don’t yet know how much all the other reparations will cost.

DYK has a few questions. What about the millions of people in California who were born in another country? Will they have to pay reparations? How about their millions of children, first-generation Americans, will they have to pay?

If you want reparations, you must prove you were a descendant of a slave, and you must prove each and every one of us taxpayers is a descendant of a slave owner. Or is slavery only the hook? In reality, this is all about slavery and perceived racism over centuries by all non-black Americans who theoretically have benefitted from the consequences of both slavery and racism ever since.

But this condition of proof ignores reality. There are about 44 million African Americans living in America, almost all will claim to be eligible for reparations.

Conveniently, this expansion would rope all of us in as both beneficiaries of slavery and racism and, therefore, the payees of reparations. If it were only the descendants of slave owners or slave traders, and the financers of the slave trade, there would not be enough money to go around.

PURELY POLITICAL

of our cities. Our proposal is to move them out of the centers of downtown commerce to designated areas and that U.S. military veterans be given first dibs at whatever the workable solutions may be.

We did ask for comments and suggestions, and here are a few from various readers.

Not a bad idea and I like it.

Another reader (let’s call him “Sawbilly”) writes that we need to “stabilize the currency, secure the border, withdraw from any and all foreign wars, get back to basics in education, maybe dissolve the Department of Education, bring manufacturing back from China, and break Wall Street and Silicon Valley.”

I don’t know about breaking Wall Street but can’t argue with the rest of that either.

People in those human caravans really aren’t here “illegally,” so their status needs to be clarified.

The second issue we tackled is that of the cardboard-canvasplastic communities clogging up sidewalks and parks in so many

Reader Lawrence added a sixth problem: that of government overspending. “The principal entitlements (Social Security, Medicare, etc.) are now about half of all federal spending,” he says, adding that “a simple way to control this expense would be to means-test at death: Give the government a first lien on the estates of all enrollees who received more than they contributed. Medicaid already has this provision. Why not add it to Social Security and Medicare?”

Reader Ron, on the other hand, believes “we really need those illegal ‘citizens’ (pouring across the southern border) to fill the presently empty jobs.” He suggests that their sacrifices “prove their willingness to seek a better life, mostly through hard work,” and that they “definitely fill a need.” He adds that “Biden’s border policy, or lack thereof” doesn’t bother him at all.

Ron believes that most of the homeless receive stimulus checks, “welfare and other handouts and no longer need to work,” which

is why, he says, we need those illegal “citizens.” Ron (who is a vet) also theorizes that only a “tiny percentage of the veterans (among the homeless) ever faced combat or trauma of any kind” while in the military. He opines that “the drugs, cartel ‘bus drivers,’ and espionage agents, have always been a problem” and is “not sure those numbers have changed much.” He concludes by noting that “free handouts have created the homeless problem, period.”

Let’s go to energy, its production, price, and availability. The U.S. government should simply get out of the way of domestic energy production and let the market mandate how and when it should be provided.

Republicans should call for doing away with the Department of Energy as a separate Cabinetlevel entity, maybe turning over its functions and duties to a Department of Natural Resources within the Department of Interior.

This would also be the start of a new government department to process millions of applications, which will also add to the total cost.

Eighteen months ago, the founder of Black Entertainment Television, Robert Johnson, with a net worth of $650 million, laid down a marker of expectation. It was $14 trillion to be paid over 30 years to all 44 million black Americans at $350,000 to each person.

Who is going to pay? The threat of imposing billions of dollars, if not trillions, in reparations for 44 million black people on the backs of 40 million Americans born in other countries will cause longlasting racial strife. In addition, another cohort, the millions of children born to those immigrants will rebel again against paying for perceived wrongs they had nothing to do with.

DID YOU

Buckley

COURTESY PHOTO

Elon Musk

City of Santa Barbara shows its ineptness over Flightline

attention to this deplorable matter.

I am a very long-time Santa Barbara resident, who enjoyed going to the Elephant Bar, which as you now know became High Sierra.

not learned why they did this. The Capitol and the police are under the control of the Speaker Nancy Pelosi. But we have not heard from her on this matter.

Wendy McCaw

Arthur von Wiesenberger Co-Publisher Co-Publisher

GUEST OPINION

T o begin with, I was one of the principals (limited partner) in the venture to bring the Flightline Restaurant to fruition on the Santa Barbara Airport.

As a native of Goleta, I had visited the original Flightline that was on the airport in the 1950s and 1960s with my parents for dinners on many occasions.

My main interest in the project was to bring a venue back to the airport that could say something positive about aviation in general as well as communicate the majestic experience that flying conveys to the observer.

Our project had significant support for the newly themed restaurant. A former U.S. Navy pilot offered to lend us, without cost, part of his large collection of aviation memorabilia to display in the restaurant. A wellknown fixed base operator who has significant and successful operations in other California airports like John Wayne/Orange County and San Luis Obispo agreed to be one of our financial backers.

Patrons of the High Sierra Restaurant, who was then occupying the restaurant space in question, were extremely supportive of the concept for the Flightline Restaurant that we were proposing.

Child sacrifice in the American dumpster fire of demography

Ihave been writing about America’s transition from a nation forged by faith and duty-bound pilgrims and puritans to a nation of pirates controlled by their wants and pleasures.

Having already focused on the role of men and women since the 1960s as it pertains to this transition, we will now focus our attention on their progeny as it relates to family and society.

1. The 1960s decade was described as a “revolution” against traditional roles, responsibilities and mores having to do with men and women in family, economy and society.

One casualty of this transition involved teenagers. Here in previous generations, and in other cultures and civilizations, the teenage years were the training grounds for adulthood — preparing men as providers and women as homemakers.

When those traditional roles were eschewed, a black hole of identity, stability and purpose in life and at home was created. The results can only be described as an amorphous and nefarious descent into rebellion, confusion, alienation, and angst as teenagers became adrift.

2. The hippie generation famously declared that “if it feels good, do it” and “don’t judge me” as they declared God is dead.

Fast forward to 2022. Most young people today have no faith in God and virtually no ties to any form of organized religion. There are no longer any absolutes. As a result, narcissism, hedonism, nihilism and materialism have become the norm. These attributes are historical markers of a fallen civilization because these characteristics serve to dissolve the bonds of family, society and the body politic.

3. Due to the oversexualization of children, the porn addiction rates among young men are epidemic. Couple this with what is known as the hookup culture (sex with virtual strangers), which has replaced courtship.

Thereby, the desire and wherewithal to form stable marriage relationships and raise children is falling by the wayside as marriage rates and childbirth rates plummet precipitously.

Moreover, some 60 million babies have been aborted

since the 1960s, whereby a child became a disposable item in a throwaway society. Forgotten is the maxim that demography is destiny. Any civilization that fails to replace itself because the birth rate is dropping below replacement levels is facing extinction. The homosexual and trans movements are throwing fuel on this dumpster fire of demography.

4. Multiculturalism, the seeds of which were planted in the 1960s civil rights movement, has morphed into a modernday war on our history, unity and common sense.

America has been declared a racist construct. The concept of e pluribus unum and the melting pot has been condemned by allegations that our entire history is nothing but a facade for white supremacy.

Values and traditions having to do with Western Civilization, our Judeo-Christian heritage and our Constitution are now being condemned as fronts for white supremacy with a view towards relegating America to the dustbin of history.

5

. The environmental movement is now nothing less than a religious cult, which has convinced scores of young people to forgo having children because the planet can’t sustain human population growth. Moreover, there is no hiding the fact that environmentalism today is another word for socialism, as the movement has declared capitalism itself as unsustainable.

6. Finally, young people are now living in what is known as “the post-truth” generation. They believe that the only thing that matters is their feelings. Rational thinking, aka common sense, is no longer common.

America should brace for the final chapter of the cultural revolution that began in the 1960s against church, state and economy ala the French revolution with much the same outcomes.

America continues to cancel God, fidelity, family formation, free markets and rational thinking, Our epitaph has been written.

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

Then came the nonresponsiveness of the city of Santa Barbara and its airport administration. Three and a half years ago, we had a meeting with the former airport manager. The purpose of the meeting from our viewpoint was to begin to work together on the Flightline project.

However, from the start of that meeting, our proposal was attacked and vilified. We were basically told we had no business trying to open the Flightline and did not have the experience to do so. This was told to a man, Warren Butler, who has extensive experience in restaurant management and at sophisticated venues in Los Angeles, for example, that are way beyond the scope that the management of the Flightline would entail.

On another occasion, I personally went before the Santa Barbara City Council and Mayor Cathy Murillo and warned them that the city would face significant litigation if they continued to block our venture without just cause. The city’s lease with the High Sierra specifically stated that the High Sierra had the legal right to reassign its lease to the Flightline principals.

Eventually, due to the city’s inaction and poor attitude, the High Sierra was forced to close its doors, and, thus, a lawsuit was filed against the city of Santa Barbara that Superior Court Judge Donna Geck recently ruled on in terms of saying the suit could continue to a jury trial and she would not rule in favor of a summary judgment for the city. The city then decided to settle.

Overall the city of Santa Barbara’s negligent actions in this debacle are going to cost it in the area of $750,000 in suit settlement compensation, lost restaurant revenue and legal fees.

As one of the principals in the Flightline, I went into the restaurant venture with open eyes. I wanted to do something for the Santa Barbara Airport and the city of Goleta in general.

I am not complaining about what I have personally lost financially, which is approximately 75% of my investment. What bothers me more is that the taxpayers of Santa Barbara are going to have to foot the bill for the city administration’s ineptness.

The city does not have a great reputation when it comes to understanding private business.

It is interesting that Mayor Randy Rowse has indicated that settling the lawsuit was a “business decision” (Santa Barbara NewsPress, 12/13/22).

Lastly, just let me add that everything I have stated in this letter is true because I witnessed it happening. There is nothing “hyperbolic” about my statements.

Steven Siry Santa Barbara

Flightline Restaurant was a success

I read reporter Neil Hartstein’s article published Dec. 12 in the News-Press (“Restaurateur says SB lost at least $750,000 in Flightline Restaurant debacle”). Thank you, Neil, for bringing

Then Warren Butler became interested and involved in the further development of that special, unique, very accommodating location, as he renamed it the Flightline Restaurant. There were many friendships generated with all the supportive involvement of our community members who contributed the appropriate memorabilia.

The Flightline Restaurant was truly flourishing. Many came to enjoy not just the cuisine offered, but also the Comedy Hideaway, which was packed on the weekends, the well-attended Jazz Society events as well as Hispanic Nights. There were weddings, parties and other events, which our community booked with Warren Butler.

The last weekend the Flightline Restaurant was open, I counted more than 500 people who had been in attendance there for the multiple offerings. In my experience, that is a significant number.

The key component to that successful endeavor was, and still is, Warren Butler’s gregarious personality, strong character and considerable experience, combined with his business acumen.

Neil, if you have the opportunity to add this information to any of your further publications, not one reporter has actually reported on how successful the Flightline had become and could have expanded even more. I personally was quite shocked and felt the city of Santa Barbara saw a successful endeavor and thought they could take it over and reap the benefits for the city.

The problem was they did not consider what a key component Warren Butler was then and still is to this day.

The then president urged Speaker Pelosi to accept protection from the National Guard, and she refused. There were no guns and no police killed. Only an unarmed woman was killed by an out-of-control Capitol policeman.

Donald Trump is a true American patriot and did more in four years to improve the lives of the average American citizens and to stabilize the foreign world than any president before him. He is the political “Einstein” of the business and financial world.

He deserves our support and praise and not mean actions by the Congress for something he did not inspire or had any control over. Even the Capitol police were surprised.

But to all of our detriments, the seldom seen and uninformed American voters have elected a political “Humpty Dumpty” and animal of the deep swamp in Washington, the very senior 80-year-old Joe Biden. Who will save us now?

Justin M. Ruhge Lompoc

FTX’s second act

The oath of office

The original oath for members of Congress included these words:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States.”

The oath was revised during the Civil War when members of Congress were concerned about traitors. The revision to avoid traitors is:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So, help me, God.”

Rallying for Donald Trump

We must continue to support Donald Trump now as we have in the past.

He had every right to encourage his supporters to rally peacefully before Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, to support and promote important Republican issues. When the then president was at Walter Reed Army hospital to treat his case of COVID, his supporters rallied peacefully for three days while he was being treated.

Millions of we American patriots all over the U.S. have rallied for Donald Trump on local street corners, on boats, on cars, on trucks, on motorcycles, and at the airports where the then president arrived in Air Force One. None of these rallies were anything but peaceful and well run as were the Tea Party rallies before them.

At times, we were challenged by rogue agitators, but we always maintained our calm. In the past year, we have seen local peaceful rallies and demonstrations for various causes, turned into riots by imported and paid agitators to impose chaos on all aspects of the scenes, and cause millions of dollars of damage to property and loss of lives.

Now this is just what happened in Washington. We citizens are peaceful and respectful. But our rally at the Capitol was usurped by these paid rogue infiltrators who formed a chaotic scene, and the media and Democrats tried to blame it all on Donald Trump. This is not his doing.

His rally a mile away from the Capitol ended peacefully, and all departed peacefully as urged by the president.

The official videos show the Capitol police voluntarily opening the doors to the capitol. They did not have to do this, and we have

On Jan. 6, 2021, Vice President Michael Pence courageously led our nation toward the approval of the presidential election, while 147 elected representatives from the GOP denied citizens their constitutional civil rights and broke their oath to democracy.

Without the punishment of congressional oath breakers, oaths have no meaning or purpose.

If citizens do not value our constitution, we become a cult under a charismatic, narcissistic leader in an absolute monarchical government like Brunei, Eswatini, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates or the Holy See in Vatican City.

Voter and citizen silence prevents your representative from denying oath breakers’ placement on committees or as the leader of our democracy.

The U.S.A. possesses only 6% of the global landmass, with 4.2% of the world’s population, and we produce 29.4% of worldwide wealth. Who needs MAGA?

Dale Buellton

Historical society seeks members

Are you interested in history?

The Santa Maria Valley Historical Society and Museum is seeking members.

As one of the free museums in the Santa Maria Valley, it is the memberships and the donations that keep the museum open and able to collect, preserve, present and share the stories of the Santa Maria Valley. During the last two years, even during COVID-19, the museum’s exceptional members who volunteer have been able to keep the museum open, while continuing to perform research

‘M

ismanagement of a charitable entrepreneur” were the words that the New York Times used to endorse the psychological theme that Sam BankmanFried constructed during what herein is being labeled as “FTX’s Second Act.”

“FTX’s First Act,” discussed in my article “Post-Election Questions” (News-Press, Dec. 3), was the creation and operation of the cryptocurrency firm FTX and related companies. This piece will discuss some of the events and people involved in acquiring the conglomeration of skills and contacts that enabled “FTX’s First Act” to occur as well as “FTX’s Second Act.”

Joseph Bankman, a Democrat with expertise in psychology and taxes, and Barbara Fried, a Democrat with expertise in distributive justice — both professors in Stanford Law school — are the parents of Sam BankmanFried and his younger brother Gabriel Bankman-Fried. Starting in January 2019, Gabriel BankmanFried worked for U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., on the subcommittees for Financial Services and Consumer and Investor Protection and on the task force on artificial intelligence.

Months later, in May 2019, Sam Bankman-Fried moved FTX and Alameda from Hong Kong to the Bahamas, where he spent an estimated $300 million on real estate ,including FTX buying a $16 million “vacation” house for his parents.

While Gabriel BankmanFried worked for the congressman, he ran a 501c nonprofit called Guarding Against Pandemics, funded by by his brother Sam, out of a $3 million townhouse in D.C., where his parties became the hottest invitations in the political capital of D.C. and he contributed to Blue Dog Democrats. He remained employed by the congressman until February 2021.

During this time, Barbara Fried ran Mind the Gap, another nonprofit whose top donor in 2020 was former FTX employee Nishad Singh. The organization has been described as “funneling millions to leftist” to send partially filled out ballots to harvest votes for the 2020 and 2022 elections.

On Dec. 8, 2021, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, chair of the House Financial Services committee, invited Sam Bankman-Fried to participate in a panel discussion questioning whether market regulators have the authority needed to ensure market integrity.

In March 2022, Gabriel Bankman-Fried began to lobby the White House by visiting with Democratic lobbyist Jenna Narayanan, who worked for the self-described “liberal activist” Tom Stayer, a Democrat. Sam Bankman-Fried “donated” $66,500 to the Democratic Congressional Committee.

On May 13, Sam “donated “$685,000 to the DNC and visited the White House with Mark Wetjen, an FTX employee

Andy Caldwell

Helen Larsen Helen Larsen Realty

Ron

COURTESY PHOTO

U.S. SENATE PHOTO

Sam Bankman-Fried

COURTESY PHOTO

Donald Trump

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PHOTO

Mike Pence

Brent E. Zepke

The author lives in Santa Barbara.

Brittney Griner’s release in global context

‘Without justice, courage is weak,” Ben Franklin wrote. Release of celebrity athlete Brittney Griner from a Russian prison is welcome worldwide.

What of the other half of that exchange equation?

Viktor Bout, labeled “The Merchant of Death,” was traded to free Ms. Griner from the prison. A New York City jury convicted Mr. Bout in 2011 for trying to sell arms to terrorists targeting Americans.

Mr. Bout was seized in Thailand in a sting operation orchestrated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The Thai government initially vetoed extradition, reflecting strong pressures from Russia. The United States government overcame that.

Former Soviet army officer Bout became rich and feared, dealing in weapons and drugs on a vast scale. The book “Merchant of Death” documents his extraordinary career. Authors Douglas Farah and Stephen Braun provide details regarding a global trail marked in blood. Wholesale death literally was his profession.

Mr. Bout’s arrest in a luxury

hotel was a victory for basic morality and common decency as well as law enforcement.

The criminal organization FARC controlled extensive territory in Colombia. Mr. Bout’s fleet of aircraft flew in guns and ammunition, and ferried out drugs for sale. The arms reportedly originated in Kazakhstan and other parts of Central Asia. The Merchant of Death is also accused of dealing with al Qaeda and the Taliban, though he has gone to some lengths to deny these charges.

Initially based in Russia, Mr. Bout moved operations to Belgium, then the United Arab Emirates. For years, he kept just ahead of a comprehensive global lawenforcement effort to take him down. His conviction indicates the global rule of law is growing.

Also regarding large-scale killers, in March 2016, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia convicted Radovan Karadžić of genocide. He is responsible for a massacre of approximately 8,000 men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995

At the time, he was president of the Bosnia Serb Republic

(Republika Srpska), a territory seeking to join Serbia. The ethnic wars of this region went on from 1992 to 1995 and involved the first war crimes in Europe since World War II.

In July 2011, Serbia government officials arrested Goran Hadžić. He was a principal leader of Croatia’s Serbs during the ethnically based war and mass murders in the Balkans during the 1990s.

Mr. Hadžić was captured at Fruška Gora Mountain north of Belgrade. Before indictment in 2004, he lived relatively openly in the northern Serbia city of Novi Sad, despite a price on his head.

United Nations officials joined representatives of the international judicial tribunal overseeing Balkan war crimes trials in welcoming this benchmark event. This represented closure to the armed conflict along with confirmation of the rule of law in an historically troubled, unstable region of the world.

With Mr. Hadžić’s arrest, all 161 individuals indicted for war crimes by the ICTY had been

captured. In 2008, accused Serb war criminal Mom ilo Jovanović was captured while visiting a graveyard in the village of Vitomirica in Kosovo.

The government of Serbia deserves credit for arresting nine suspects during the first decade of the twenty-first century. Serbia initiated the ethnic bloodshed of the 1990s, but today provides positive leadership.

At the same time, ethnic nationalism remains strong. Mr. Karadžić and other leaders of the Balkan fighting are heroes to some.

Benjamin Franklin and the other founding fathers of the United States understood the rule of law can be difficult, painful, slow and uncertain. Yet today, reasonably fair law-enforcement expands.

Long-term, Viktor Bout’s world is shrinking.

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.

Why did black Georgians vote for Raphael Warnock?

particularly black voters, would send Sen. Warnock to represent them for another six years in the U.S. Senate.

The Georgia electorate is around 30% black, and 90% of them voted for Warnock.

What are these black voters thinking about?

Sen. Warnock is a boilerplate Democrat of the left, with an agenda of government spending as the answer to every problem, who is also the address to turn to keep the door open to abortion and the LGBTQ agenda.

of 3.5%, asks Dr. Cochrane. He answers that average income in 2000 would have been $23,000 instead of $50,000.

Taking 1.5% off the annual growth rate lops off roughly half the average earning potential of working Americans.

Democrats love to pitch their programs as about rich versus poor, “haves” versus “have nots.” But if we are doomed to slow, sclerotic growth, who will suffer the most? The “haves” or the “have nots”?

is controlled by the government. Transfer payments, taxing one set of Americans to make payments to others, now amount to $4 trillion — 80% of the federal budget and more than 20% of disposable income (four times higher than in the 1950s).

When people are rewarded for not working, they don’t work.

Today’s labor force participation rate — the percent of the population of working age that is either working or looking for work — is now 62% compared to 67% 20 years ago.

There are plenty of post-mortems about Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock’s defeat of Republican candidate Herschel Walker in the runoff for the U.S. Senate seat in Georgia.

Yes, in the same state, Republican Brian Kemp won a decisive victory in the race for governor.

And, yes, to be kind, Mr. Walker was not a great flagbearer to draw voters, particularly black voters, to the Republican Party.

But let’s ask why voters,

Atlanta, which is about 50% black, has a poverty rate of 18.5%, compared to a national average of 11.6%, and among whom 75% of adults are not married, compared to roughly 50% nationwide.

Is Sen. Warnock’s agenda, pretty much the agenda of his party, really what these folks need?

Let’s turn to economist John Cochrane of Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. In an essay about the importance of economic growth, he notes that the U.S. economy averaged 3.5% growth annually from 1947 to 2000. Since then, the average has hovered around 2%.

What if the average growth from 1947 to 2000 was 2% instead

Check out the latest long-term economic projections from the Congressional Budget Office.

The office forecasts economic growth over the next 30 years averaging less than 2% per year.

This while the federal government bloats to levels unimaginable in healthier times.

CBO projects national debt, now 100% of our GDP, something not seen since World War II, to 185% of GDP by 2052.

Dr. Cochrane notes that the core of economic growth is “productivity, the value of goods and services each worker can produce in a unit of time.”

But productivity is declining because an increasing percentage of every income earner’s reality

So, my fellow black Americans, Sen. Warnock and his party may make you feel good that they will deliver more government money to you that the country doesn’t have.

But you buy into this feelgood moment at the expense of the future of your children and grandchildren.

Sen. Warnock is a pastor, so he surely read in his Bible that man’s punishment for the original sin was work.

The ship is sinking, folks.

And the first to drown will be those low-income Americans who think they will be saved by shortterm government fixes served up by the Democratic Party and their faithful servants like Pastor Warnock.

This doesn’t let Republicans off

the hook.

Science of happiness

Are you happy? Many people say they feel happier during the holidays.

But I’m not happy.

Democrats and Republicans keep voting for bigger government. Few people accept the idea that the government that governs least, governs best. It makes me sad.

I once did an ABC special on “The Mystery of Happiness.” We interviewed the “Giggle Twins,” two sisters who were so happy all the time that our film crew found them annoying to be around. The twins laughed all the time.

It wasn’t because of anything their parents did. The girls were separated at birth and didn’t meet until they were in their 30s.

“Probably 50% of happiness is genetic,” says twins researcher Thomas Bouchard.

Other research with brain scans shows babies who smile a lot usually have more electrical activity in their left prefrontal cortex.

I volunteered for a scan.

My brain scan showed less activity in that part of my brain.

“Someone like you can become happier if you want to,” says psychology professor Sonja Lyubomirsky in my new video. “Socializing is hugely associated with being happy.”

“But I’m an introvert,” I respond. “I don’t want to socialize!”

She laughs and says, “We did a study where we asked both introverts and extroverts to act more extroverted for one week ... talk to strangers, like a barista at a coffee shop. We thought that it would be exhausting for an introvert like you.”

The introverts did resist, but the researchers pushed them, told them that on their next commute, they had to talk to someone. They did.

It worked. “It made them happy,” says Dr. Lyubomirsky.

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

Copyright 2022 by Creators.com

Why does the GOP elite hate its own base?

It is one of the most bitter and tragic ironies of our contemporary politics that the leadership of one of America’s two major political parties, the Republican Party, utterly despises that party’s very own voting base.

The GOP elite’s scorn for its own voters has, at this point, been a long time in the making.

The trend accelerated during the 2009-2011 rise of the Tea Party, a grassroots movement fueled by constitutionalism and anti-elite populism.

The crustier elements of the Republican establishment ran as far away as possible from the Tea Party, and the 2012 presidential coronation of private equity plutocrat Mitt Romney effectively killed the movement.

Four years later, the Republican establishment fought toothand-nail against presidential candidates Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas — the two candidates who most vociferously condemned the establishment’s myriad shortcomings. As an unsurprising corollary, Mr. Trump and Sen. Cruz fetched the most primary votes that cycle from actual rank-and-file Republican voters.

The Trump presidency saw the continuation of the same basic dynamic. Republican voters, by nominating a loudmouth non-politician like Mr. Trump, were clamoring for something new. Those voters were sick of the same-old Republican

pablum: willful complicity in globalization and all the harms wrought by reckless immigration compromises and myopic supply chain outsourcing, and the ideologically driven pursuit of various right-liberal economic and foreign policy dogmas more generally — even when those dogmas came at the expense of the median American’s tangible interests.

Nonetheless, with precious few exceptions, the conservative intelligentsia refused to treat Mr. Trump’s deviations from previous decades’ failed orthodoxies as anything other than a blip on the radar, to be conveniently discarded at a time when the GOP’s “dead consensus” might rise anew.

Now, in the midst of a lame-duck Congress and in the aftermath of

a severely disappointing midterm election, we have gleaned even more indicia about the level of scorn Republican elites reserve for their own voters.

Perhaps most notably, 12 Republican senators and a whopping 39 Republican congressmen have rushed to add their imprimaturs of legitimacy to the so-called Respect for Marriage Act, which would not

only statutorily enshrine an erroneous definition of marriage in federal law but would also further weaponize the leftist lawfare apparatus to subjugate conscientious objectors to the Western world’s new same-sex marriage dispensation. While it is true that Republicans nationally are now split on the issue of samesex marriage, it is also true that religious Christians still comprise the very core of the GOP’s base.

Nonetheless, a sizable portion of Republicans in Congress voted for a bill that would open the floodgates of litigation for those Christians, Jews, Muslims and others who still adhere to the biblical (and historically uncontroversial) definition of marriage.

On the always-thorny issue of immigration, where Republican elites have historically sold out their own base perhaps more than any other, Republican leaders are using the perfidious backdrop of the lame-duck Congress to get the amnesty band back together again.

Specifically, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, is now teaming up with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, the Arizona Democrat who recently became an independent, to push a prototypical “comprehensive immigration reform”-style “compromise”: amnesty for millions of young illegal aliens (tendentiously called “Dreamers” by our propagandist press) in exchange for promised milquetoast “enforcement” measures.

The obvious problem with such a “deal” is that, absent the most strenuous of border enforcement measures, such as a sprawling Texas-to-California physical

You don’t need to be super outgoing, she says, “Just a little bit more social than you otherwise are. Call up an old friend, for example.”

Calling a friend might help even more if the friend is lonely. High on the researchers’ happiness list: doing something kind for someone.

A current trend at Starbucks is “pay it forward.” A customer

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I appeal to Republicans to belly up, finally, to the task at hand, and get these truths to all Americans, and particularly those low-income black Americans whose votes you so badly need.

John Stossel

Josh Hammer

Arthur I, Cyr

LORIE SHAULL / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

WNBA athlete Brittney Griner was released from a Russian prison in exchange for Viktor Bout, a former Soviet officer who became a weapons and drugs dealer.

Star Parker

The author is with the Center for Urban Renewal and Education.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Sen. Raphael Warnock

Herschel Walker COURTESY IMAGE

from

Within California alone, the threat of non-black people having to pay tens of thousands of the $569 billion already identified for housing equity for black people will cause an enormous exodus from California. Will there be massive street protests, where the Black Lives Matter street organizations will clash with ordinary people protesting against this erroneous taxation? What are the expectations of the black community?

Almost two weeks ago, Gov. Newsom traveled to the border, not the Californian border with Mexico, but the Texan border. He hasn’t been to ours, but last week, Gov. Newsom talked about the Californian border.

Now Gov. Newsom says California is about to “break’” amid a flood of illegal migrants when Title 42 expires. Gov. Newsom said illegal immigration policies are not working and that the U.S. government must take responsibility and ownership.

Yet, Gov. Newsom is the one who made California a sanctuary state for illegal immigrants and

has been paying illegals our taxpayer money.

We support all legal immigration!! Give ICE the authority back to do its job. Stop saying, “Come to California, where everything is free.” Let’s go back to deporting those who do crimes.

Wow, now we’re gonna have to start paying for all of Gov. Newsom’s promises. Now he is back-peddling and passing the blame.

Remember, the Democrats halted the wall protecting the border, and Gov. Newsom said he will create a house that houses and gives security to all that need it: Free housing, free health care and hands out, tax-paid cash.

He promised housing and sanctuary for all who need it. Is this why he is demanding all this new housing that will destroy our cities?

Holy cow! Now, Gov. Newsom states the obvious we have all known since President Joe Biden took power!

Gov. Newsom is now supporting former President Donald Trump’s policies! Illegal immigration overload must be really bad here. Now we spend far more on housing and feeding illegals from around the world than we spend

on homeless Americans.

Should Americans who are homeless go down to San Diego, cross the border, and come back as illegal aliens — without papers claiming refugee status? They will be treated better than they are now. The Democrats forgot long ago that charity belongs first, at home.

Just in Texas, the Border Patrol has had 98 terrorist encounters this year that they were able to process. Now the surge is so large they are just releasing them into the streets. Mexico is also busing them across in caravans with police escorts.

Where are President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and our own Rep. Salud Carbajal?

So many bad things are happening due to the open border such as child sex trafficking, human trafficking, terrorists, fentanyl, drugs, guns, rapists, murderers, diseases. And the list goes on.

There have been 2.5 million border crossers since President Biden took office. We believe these are just the numbers for Texas because they are only reporting from Texas, not Arizona or California.

Did you get your $1,000 from

COURTESY PHOTO

Gov. Newsom? Strange economic policy. Collect the taxes, then redistribute the money. And what timing? It was obviously a ploy to buy votes, 10 days before the election.

How much money can be given away before the well runs dry? Or the loan sharks come calling. A day of reckoning awaits.

As British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said, the problem with giving away other people’s money is eventually they run out of it. Or they run out on you.

Of course, banknotes with no collateral are, in fact, worthless. People are being taught that money does grow on trees. Just to remind you, as a nation, we are all living on borrowed money.

The national government debt is now $31.5 trillion and growing at approximately $1 trillion a year. In fact, the debt has grown to be 121.85% of the GDP in 2022, from 55.23% in 2000. Interest on this debt is $485.5 billion every year — and rising.

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

People who donate to Republicans are treated differently

ZEPKE Continued

from

and former member of the the Commodities Future Trade Commission under the ObamaBiden administration, and Eliora Katz, director of government relations and policies for FTX and former member of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee.

Sam Bankman-Fried was pushing for cryptocurrency to be regulated by the CFTC instead of the SEC, which has stronger enforcement powers and a larger budget.

In June, Sam “donated” $250,000 to the DCC and pledged another billion dollars to the Democrats.

SEC head Gary Gensler, a former colleague of Joseph Bankman, talked on CNBC about the need to regulate cryptocurrency but took no action except to call Sam in October. Similarly, the CFTC and the committees of Reps. Castens and Waters did nothing.

FTX’s first act ended three days after the midterm elections. Sam Bankman-Fried resigned, $473 million was “removed” from FTX by an “unauthorized: transaction, and FTX, Alameda and 100 affiliates filed for bankruptcy.

FTX’s second act opened with the bankruptcy court-appointed lawyer John Ray III criticizing the lack of financial controls, leaving an alleged million creditors. For comparison, FTX has a million creditors, and Bernie Madoff, who is in prison, had 40,000 Sam Bankman-Fried stopped his biweekly trips to D.C. and gathered his closest friends, who are the only ones knowledgeable enough to be witnesses, around him in his $30 million, sevenbedroom penthouse in the exclusive gated community of Albany in the Bahamas.

Joseph Bankman canceled his classes and traveled to The Bahamas where together with his wife announced they would “return” the $16 million vacation house in the Bahamas purchased by FTX.

It was leaked that Barbara Fried and Gabriel BankmanFried donated “dark money,” which are funds raised to influence elections by nonprofits that are not required to report the identities of their donors, to the Democrats to influence the elections of 2020 and 2022. Ms.

Fried resigned from the Mind the Gap nonprofit, and Gabriel stepped down from his nonprofit, Guarding Against Pandemics. After it became known that

Sam Bankman-Fried donated $10 million to Joseph Biden in 2020 and another $40 million to the Democrats for the midterms, Sam sprang into action by saying he, and his relatives running Mind the Gap, had also secretly donated dark money to Republicans for which, of course, conveniently there are no records. Sam appeared to summarize the circles he moves in when he said he hid those because people who donate to Republicans are treated differently.

The inaction of the White House, SEC, CFTC and IRS (for regulating the nonprofits) gave Sam the opportunity to use podcasts and friendly “interviews” without those bothersome “oaths,” to wage his psychological campaign, which was supported by the Times article using words such as “mismanagement,” charitable” (distributive justice?) and “entrepreneur,” while avoiding any mention of “fraud,” “crimes,” or “stolen.”

The Times writer and co-host of CNBC’s “Squawk on The Street,” Andrew Ross Sorkin, listed Sam Bankman-Fried as a “29-year-old American investor, entrepreneur and philanthropist,” and George Stephanopoulos used the same term on ABC’s “Good Morning

TAKING ON THE SCHOOLS AND THEIR UNIONS

The monopolistic public school system and its national uniondenominated workforce needs to be broken up.

The public school system should be treated as Standard Oil was at the turn of the 20th century and as AT&T was when Ma Bell controlled the entire telephone system in the U.S. We need to return control of elementary schools and high schools to the communities within which they operate.

The American Federation

of Teachers and the National Education Association, both of which act as arms of the Democrat Party, funnel money and manpower in every election to issues and candidates that work against the independence of school boards and parents. These two organizations are also responsible for the length and severity of pandemic-related school lockdowns and promotion of idiotic curricula such as critical race theory, along with promotion and protection of the gender affirming madness currently so popular.

The proliferation of readily available degenerate reading material, particularly in elementary schools, pushed by a

cadre of “progressive” teachers and school administrators, must be curtailed.

The rights of parents should be institutionalized as predominate to the rights of teachers, administrators, nurses and psychologists. A law requiring parental participation, notification, and permission of anything and everything outside the specific school curriculum would be a good start.

Republican candidates need to take on the AFT and NEA directly and propose a new agenda that would include a challenge to the current policies of the American Federation of Teachers and National

America.”

On Dec. 12, the day before SBF was scheduled to testify under oath before Rep. Waters’ committee, the Bahamas police arrested Sam Bankman-Fried, based on criminal charges filed in the U.S. where it appears that extradition can happen only if the Bahamas determines that he violated their laws as well as those of the U.S.

The “word-on-the-street” was that the timing was designed to prevent his being questioned, under oath, by Republicans. Subsequently the SEC and CFTC filed charges.

Thus ended FTX’s second act although expect FTX’s third act, much like flashbacks in movies, to provide more details on the first two acts.

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 NonLawyers.”

Education Association that have turned so many of our schools into abysses of educational dysphoria.

We’ll tackle the crime issue next week. As always, your letters, suggestions, recommendations, observations, and criticisms to the News-Press and/or jimb@substack.com are always welcome.

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.

LETTERS

Continued from

The Santa Maria Valley Historical Society has an extensive research library, in addition to online tools. We are working to archive our materials digitally, and we are seeking members to help us with our network and data entry to better conduct research and catalog our collection.

We are looking for people of all ages and backgrounds who are interested in history and want to help tell the stories.

The Santa Maria Valley includes Guadalupe and Point Sal to the west, Sisqouc and Garey to the east, Orcutt and Los Alamos to the south.

Come join us for a couple of hours or a couple of days each week for interesting research, stimulating conversation and sharing the history of the Santa Maria Valley with our museum guests while helping the next generations to understand where we are today and how we got here. Please check out our website at www.santamariahistory.com, or stop by and visit our museum at 616 S. Broadway in Santa Maria. We encourage you to consider becoming a member.

Shelley Klein

Curator, Santa Maria Valley Historical Society and Museum

Newsom’s southern border visit

R

to the southern border and met with local officials, international humanitarian leaders and migrants. He said the situation at the border was bad and getting worse. His aim was to get a better understanding of what a pre-and-post Title 42 would look like.

He then went on to blame the Republicans for the situation and criticized the federal government for not providing enough funding.

However, didn’t Gov. Newsom declare California a sanctuary state? And isn’t his party promoting open borders?

Shame on Gov. Newsom. But then he probably is planning on running for president in the future.

Don Thorn Carpinteria

ecently California Gov. Gavin Newsom took a tripneed to find what works for you’

Continued from Page C3

tells the cashier they will pay for the person behind them.

That surprised customer then often decides to pay for the next person. It starts a chain.

That small act “makes you feel like the world is a good place,” says Dr. Lyubomirsky.

One survey found that what makes most people most happy was ... making love.

“Not shocking,” says Dr. Lyubomirsky. “The key to happiness is connecting with others.”

But solitary activities are on the researchers’ list too, like gardening and walks in nature.

“Those aren’t group activities,” I point out.

“You need to find what works for you,” Dr. Lyubomirsky responds. “That’s different for different people.”

Near the bottom of the list were activities I do often, like using social media.

“We’re not crazy,” I say to Dr. Lyubomirsky. “We’re doing it because we think we get something out of it.”

“There’s pretty good evidence of harm from smartphone use,” she replies. (Especially for girls using Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram.)

“We did a study where we ask people to give up their smartphones as much as they

can, over eight days,” says Dr. Lyubomirsky. “People who did reported being more satisfied with their life, more present and attentive, less lonely, less stressed out.”

Several researchers told me the happiest people in America are the Amish. That surprised me because they live relatively primitive lives, giving up not just things like cell phones but even electricity. In Pennsylvania, we persuaded some Amish people to take a happiness quiz. All rated themselves happy or extremely happy.

Why? Probably because we always have lots of family around, said one. “Lots of cousins, maybe 100 or 150, always there to take care of you if you have a need.”

Additionally, the Amish, obviously, are religious. “Religious, spiritual people are happier,” says Dr. Lyubomirsky. Maybe that’s a reason people report being happier around Christmas.

It certainly isn’t politics.

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.”

HAMMER

Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, and Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel — appears poised to remain in power. Republican leadership to the Republican rank-and-file: Shut up and go away.

There may well be other lameduck Congress betrayals, as well. One week after the election last month, the Biden administration requested an additional $37 billion in “emergency” aid for Ukraine.

One can only imagine how many Senate and House Republicans are all too eager to abide the administration’s desire to bolster Volodymyr Zelensky’s quixotic crusade to recover Crimea and the Donbas. Meanwhile, despite last month’s electoral disaster and grassroots Republicans crying out for change at the top, the entirety of what National Pulse Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam has dubbed the GOP’s “McLeadership” — Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield; Sen.

Because for the GOP, the status quo is simply unsustainable.

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

Copyright 2022 by Creators.com.

Copyright 2022 BY JFS Productions Inc.

‘You

COURTESY PHOTO Gov. Gavin Newsom

border wall and a return of the highly successful Trumpera “Remain in Mexico” policy, amnesty for illegal aliens will only exacerbate the border crisis by emboldening the very drug cartels, coyotes and human trafficking rings that are the most ruthless thugs in the Western Hemisphere.

It says nothing particularly good about the moral integrity of an individual who, for selfinterested careerist purposes, seeks to lead an organization or movement while simultaneously harboring an intense disdain for the organization’s very rankand-file. And organizations that feature such a yawning chasm between their leadership and grassroots elements typically face two options: The leadership can ameliorate the chasm by listening to or better accommodating the rank-andfile, or the organization will cease to exist.