Santa Barbara News-Press: October 23, 2022

Hotel Virginia Santa Barbara

Lane Farms Pumpkin Patch brings Fall fun to SB

ShelterBox USA to receive Peace Prize

U.N. Association of Santa Barbara to present award on Monday

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The United Nations Association of Santa Barbara will award its 2022 Peace Prize Monday to ShelterBox USA — a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit known for its disaster relief work in Ukraine and around the world.

The U.N. Association will present the award to Kerri Murray, the ShelterBox USA president, during a ceremony set for 5-6:30 p.m. at Pascucci Santa Barbara, 509 State St. Tickets include appetizers and wine and beer and are available at unasb. org.

ShelterBox has provided shelter, warmth and dignity following more than 300 disasters in more than 100 countries since 2000. The nonprofit responds to earthquakes, volcano eruptions, floods, hurricanes, cyclones, tsunamis and wars by delivering boxes of essential shelter, aid and other lifesaving supplies.

Each green ShelterBox contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets,

a water filtration system, emergency lighting and other tools for survival. ShelterBox was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 and 2019.

ShelterBox’s current deployments include Ukraine and East Africa. ShelterBox quickly established three programs in Ukraine in response to the invasion by Russia. The first provided mattresses to collective centers such as churches, schools and sports arenas in western Ukraine where thousands fled. The second provided “ShelterKits” that includes tarps and tools for those sheltering in damaged homes in central Ukraine.

The final program provided cash and hygiene items to refugees who fled the country through Moldova. ShelterBox is currently assessing its next program in Ukraine, which will likely focus on providing materials to help endure the coming cold winter.

In eastern Africa, ShelterBox is responding to the drought by

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Lane Farms pumpkin patch has been bringing family fun to Santa Barbara since 1974 when John Lane started the pumpkin patch. The farm has no entrance fee and features a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, a petting zoo and hayrides, making it a fun day for all ages. Families, parents pushing strollers, and attendees of all ages were seen enjoying themselves at Lane Farms on Saturday.

“When you come to the pumpkin patch it is a farm setting and we have a corn maze and some really cool scarecrows,” John Lane told the News-Press. A child’s voice was heard in the corn maze on Saturday: “Finally found the exit, I’m finally free.”

“Not gonna lie, this corn maze is far from a child’s play,” said Kenneth Song, News-Press photographer.

The petting zoo includes goats, miniature donkeys and an Australian breed of pigs.

“All activities are free, we just hope people purchase pumpkins and winter squash. Lane Farms is open until Oct. 31 at 5 p.m.,” said Mr. Lane.

Lane Farms is owned and operated by John and Ruth Lane.

According to the farm’s website, the family has been farming in the Santa Barbara and Goleta area since 1868. The family also maintains a produce stand at 308 S. Walnut Lane in Santa Barbara since 1939. Producing about 30 crops, the farm specializes in strawberries, sweet corn, lettuce, tomatoes and squash, all of which are sold at the stand.

“Lane Farms practices sustainable and organic methods, although is not certified organic. They have a long-time, good reputation in the community and their customers know they can get good, clean, wholesome

produce from Lane Farms,” according to the website.

“My great-great grandfather came by wagon train in 1863 and came across America. He started farming here in 1868 and farmed a bunch of different things including a lot of walnuts in the late 30 and early 40s,” said Mr. Lane. “A lot of the acreage became lemons. He farmed vegetables, especially tomatoes and lettuce. In the early ‘60s, a lot of the land was sold for housing. I started farming in 1971 and I ventured off into leasing a lot

of land. In 1974, I started the pumpkin patch and we have had one ever since. The pumpkin patch is what is left of the original ranch.”

The pumpkin patch is open weekdays from noon-7 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m.-7p.m.

The produce stand is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and on Sundays from 10 a.m.5 p.m. For more information on the pumpkin patch, go to https:// www.lanefarmssb.com/pumpkinpatch/.

Lane Farms also has a

Christmas Patch which will be open Nov. 25 through Dec. 20 from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

“Lane Farms Christmas Patch is a great place to get your fresh Noble Fir, Nordman or Douglas Fir for Christmas, grown especially for you at a tree farm in Oregon,” according to the website.

For more information on the Christmas Patch, visit https:// www.lanefarmssb.com/christmaspatch/.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

Mercado runs for Buellton City Council

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Art Mercado is running for the Buellton City Council, District 4 against David Silva. Mr. Mercado previously served on the council from 2014-2018 and has served on the planning commission for the past 16 years. He is currently the vice chair of the commission and has previously chaired the commission twice.

“I grew up on a family farm where you start young doing chores and having responsibilities. I have a great work ethic and I always come prepared. I have the ability to use common sense and look at a problem from both sides and make a decision to go forward,” Mr. Mercado told the News-Press.

Art Mercado

COURTESY PHOTO

Throughout his career, he has managed several large farms, including Mandy’s Land Farms and Wichita Equine; he also worked as an assistant trainer for D. Wayne Lukas. Additionally, he served as the general manager for Creston Farms, owned by Alex Trebek, one of the largest equine export farms on the West Coast. He says his career has made him

MERCADO

Please

Historic

COURTESY SHELTERBOX

Kerri Murray, president of ShelterBox USA, will represent the Santa Barbara-based disaster relief nonprofit Monday when the United Nations Association of Santa Barbara presents its 2022 Peace Prize.

Please see SHELTERBOX on A7

Editor’s note: This is part of a series on candidates in advance of the Nov. 8 general election.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

A scarecrow welcomes visitors to the Lane Farms Pumpkin Patch in Goleta on Saturday.

Shoppers wander in a seas of pumpkins at the Lane Farms Pumpkin Patch.

Here’s a new story about Area 51

NUMBER:

INVESTIGATOR

ROBERT ERINGER

Letus begin with this preface.

The art and age of rocketry began right here in California on Halloween 88 years ago when an explosives whiz kid named Jack Parsons created a mix of gaseous oxygen and methyl alcohol and launched a rocket from Arroyo Seco near Pasadena.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory was born on that very site.

A MARRIAGE OF SCIENCE AND THE OCCULT

“Dr. Boom-Boom” is the codename I bestowed upon a source cultivated decades ago for a series of stories on Area 51 in Nevada and U.S. Air Force experiments of the 1950s. He had worked there for a while at a senior level and knew all its secrets, even shared a few with me, but only — I’m certain — when it suited his own secretive agenda.

Nuclear physics, rocket propulsion, Dr. Boom-Boom knew it all — and anyone worth their salt within the national security establishment.

Short and stocky with craggy features, firm jaw and crewcut gray hair, the good doctor seemed genuinely happy to see me recently at Coast & Olive in Montecito. He sipped liquid crystal from a martini glass graced by olives stuffed with bleu cheese.

Boom-Boom had something he wished to impart upon me, for readers of this column, he said, to get the truth out.

“It’s a long story,” he whispered. “Maybe the biggest of your life, if you’d ever get it published, which is highly unlikely if not outright impossible.”

“My newspaper is bold,” I told him.

“This is about a marriage of the scientific world and the occult. An unholy marriage borne out of rocket science. It goes back to when Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena was first founded, to a large extent by a rocket fuel whiz kid named Jack Parsons.” He paused. “Jack was before my time, so I never met him. He was one of the innovators among the earliest pioneers of rocketeering. But he had a dark side. A very dark side.

“Good-looking guy, Parsons,” Boom-Boom continued. “Grew up in a Pasadena mansion with a silver spoon up his backside. An only child. Very spoiled by his mother and grandparents, but missing a father figure in his life because his mother divorced and banished his dad after catching him with a prostitute and from that moment cut off all contact between father and son.

“From an early age, Parsons was drawn to incendiary devices and explosives. Firecrackers, cherry bombs, whatever he could get his hands on — or concoct himself with chemicals. He used to go down with other boys to Arroyo Seco to detonate his inventions. They had the canyon to themselves because no one ever goes there. Parsons eventually found a father figure in Aleister Crowley. Do you know who that was?”

I nodded. “An occult figure from England.”

ORDO TEMPLI ORIENTIS

“More than that: THE occult figure. Known as The Beast. Or simply, 666. Crowley wanted to create his own religion, based on sex and magic. He called it Ordo Templi Orientis — or OTO for short.”

Dr. Boom-Boom crossed himself before continuing.

“Jack Parsons presided over the only branch of OTO ever created in the U.S.A. They called it Agape Lodge. Its first home was in Hollywood, which at that time was going through an occult craze, all the movie people of that period dabbling with unknown powers for the thrill of it. With Crowley’s mentoring, Parsons took over OTO and moved it into a Pasadena mansion he bought just for that purpose and also as his own residence — and allowed other OTO members to live there too. It became a kind of bohemian

COURTESY PHOTO JPL co-founder Jack Parsons

rooming house where sex-andmagic lovers could perform ritual ceremonies in the garden late at night.

“Eventually, their antics aroused complaints from neighbors. And because of Parsons’ sensitive job at JPL, the FBI got wind of the complaints and investigated the shenanigans. It resulted in Parsons getting fired from the lab. Pretty soon Parsons was out of money and embittered. He went broke because he got conned out of his life savings.

“Jack Parsons died in an explosion in 1952 when he was only 37 years old. It wasn’t foulplay, as some suspected. He mishandled a mixture of bombmaking chemicals and blew himself up. Some say Jack killed himself, others believe he was assassinated. Truth is, he was in a hurry to finish up a batch of incendiaries for a movie company that needed a rush job before he was due to depart to Mexico to start an explosives factory for the Mexican government. He was just plain careless and dropped something he ought not have let go of and didn’t catch it in time, blew off his arm and half his face, and he died a short time later.

“By the way, everything I just told you is public knowledge and easy to find out by surfing the internet. But you need to know my version of it because you need to understand context to put it all into perspective for what I’m going to tell you next.”

He paused to catch his breath.

“People who knew about the OTO and Jack Parsons thought the Order died along with him.

“It didn’t. With Parsons suddenly dead and the FBI snooping around, thinking maybe he’d been spying for Israel, selling the Israelis rocket secrets in retaliation for getting fired, OTO went deeper underground.

“VERY deeply underground. And the deeper it got, the darker it became.” Boom-Boom gulped his libation. “What I’m about to tell you is USG’s biggest secret. It is so secret that even publicly-elected office-holders aren’t allowed to know — not congressmen, not governors, not even the president of the United States.”

Boom- Boom chuckled. “They try — oh, they all try — newly elected presidents especially. But the military-scientific-security establishment is very good about deflecting the prying eyes of Capitol Hill and the White House. Scientific mandarins at the most senior level are not dumb bureaucrats. They’re some of the smartest people in the country, with IQs of 160 and higher.

“You heard about a UFO crash mid last century?”

“Roswell?”

Dr. Boom-Boom chuckled, nodding. “Yeah, that’s what everybody thinks. That’s what everyone is supposed to think. Summer of ’47. Flying saucer crashes — and gets resurrected into modern lore. Roswell even has a UFO festival every year. Only it never happened. It really was just a weather balloon that crashed in the New Mexico desert.”

“Yet five years later, on Aug. 14, 1952, just two months after Jack Parsons died, an alien craft DID crash-land on our planet.” He paused again to catch his breath. “Not in New Mexico. It happened in northeast Nevada, near a town called Ely.”

“You’re serious?”

“Three so-called ‘aliens’ were on board. Two were already dead, from the impact. The third survived and remained in a coma for weeks. There was a lot of confusion in the military about what to do with what they found, especially in light of all the fuss and furor created by Roswell.

Bottom line, no one wanted responsibility for it, for dealing

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with it.”

“Why not?”

“Simple,” Dr. Boom-Boom said.

“It was a career killer.”

“Why a career killer?”

“Sometimes in high position, it is better not to know stuff.”

“Not to know. But why?”

“Because some stuff — especially kooky stuff — can taint you, tarnish your reputation and shorten your career. Maybe even your life. Some people, if you ever talk about it, will think you’ve flipped your lid, while those in the know will be watching to see if you’re talking about it to anyone who isn’t cleared to know.”

Dr. Boom-Boom composed himself and continued.

“So, here’s what happened: After finding the crash site, the local cops didn’t know what to do, it was just too weird for them and they were scared. So what do they do? They call the Nevada Air National Guard a few hours away down Route 50 in a town called Fallon. The National Guard didn’t know what to do either and were probably just as frightened. So they packed everything onto a C-54 cargo plane and flew it to the Fort Worth Army Air Field in Texas.

“The commander in Fort Worth took one look and wanted nothing to do with it. He ordered the whole shebang out of there, to Wright Field, an Air Force base in Dayton, Ohio.”

By now, I was riveted to his every word.

“Well, guess what?” said BoomBoom. “The U.S. Air Force didn’t want to know either. So they locked everything up in a hangar — they called it the Blue Room — and they dispatched the stillliving alien to Fort Detrick in Maryland.” He pauses. “Why Fort Detrick, you may ask?”

“Go for it.”

“Fort Detrick is where they experiment with infectious diseases. Which means it has the finest facilities for quarantining anything they don’t understand. Which means they are equipped to deal with any nasty bugs or viruses the alien may have brought with it, wherever it came from, germs or biological elements that could potentially be detrimental to human life and maybe cause a pandemic that would wipe out the human race.

Where was I?

“Oh, OK, I remember. The Atomic Energy Commission hears about it — not the alien in Fort Detrick, which they didn’t know existed — but about all the craft debris in the Blue Room. And they decide this stuff might be helpful for research and development. So they arrange to move it secretly from Dayton to an entity then called Nevada Test Site.

Remember that?” I vaguely do.

AREA 51, EG&G AND ‘MISTER B’ “Nevada Test Site was the original name of what would eventually become Area 51. We insiders knew it as The Ranch.

CIA was alerted. And its director, Walter Bedell Smith, who was obsessed with beating the Russians in the Cold War nuclear arms race, jumped on it. But he was out of the CIA a few months later, and Allen Dulles, the new director, hated technology. The CIA didn’t want it anymore. So the Atomic Energy Commission gave everything to a private defense contractor called EG&G. Ever heard of them?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“We called EG&G the Black Government because that is what it was. EG&G wanted to study the craft and put whatever they discovered to their own technical use. That’s one side of what happened, the benign side, which allowed us to build better rockets and ways to propel them. The other side, mostly forgotten about as an aside to the technology bonanza, and not even known to the Atomic Energy Commission or EG&G, was the still-alive but comatose alien being held at Fort Detrick.” Boom-Boom paused. “This being eventually regained consciousness. Are you getting all this?”

I pointed to my voice-recording iPhone.

“OK. Good. The only link between the craft remnants at The Ranch and the alien in Fort Detrick was a very senior CIA officer who traveled back and forth between Washington and Nevada. We called him Mister B. Whenever Mister B learned something new about technology from interrogating the being, he’d fly out and brief the new data to scientists. That’s how Q Clearance got born. The Russians by then knew we had something special going on, but they didn’t know what. That’s why their spying increased ten-fold and the Cold War turned below freezing.

“The powers that be in Washington — the mandarins at the national security establishment — knew it was just a matter of time before Congress and the White House and, by extension, the Russians, through their spies, would get wind of what we had. So, after the alien died — he lasted only a few weeks after coming out of a coma — they burned everything and terminated the personnel involved — termination with extreme prejudice. They got rid of everything.

“Everything except for one copy of the interrogation transcript. That was brought to the Jet Propulsion Lab for safekeeping. It joined all the other documentation that came from research and analysis of the craft remnants at The Ranch. And it’s from there that it went missing.”

HOLY GRAIL

“What went missing?”

“The transcript of the interrogation of the alien being. It was stolen by someone who had worked at JPL with Jack Parsons, someone who had reached a senior level at JPL, and who was, secretly, one of OTO’s most devout disciples. That document, the interrogation transcript, became OTO’s Holy Grail.”

“Why?’

“Because of what it reveals.”

“What does it reveal?

Dr. Boom-Boom steadied himself. “The future.”

“Have you seen it?”

Boom-Boom nodded. “I was one of the very few people allowed to read the transcript before it went missing. Which made me one of the suspects after it disappeared. I was investigated — and exonerated.”

I remained quiet, waiting for Dr. Boom-Boom to fill the void, assuming he wouldn’t have gone this far if he hadn’t planned to tell me the whole story.

“When the alien being came out of a coma,” said Boom-Boom in a hoarse whisper, “he wouldn’t speak. They thought maybe he didn’t have vocal chords, but xrays proved otherwise. He was physically capable of talking. Xrays also proved he wasn’t entirely human but a cyborg: part organic, part robotic, with a much higher intelligence than humans. A super intelligence.”

Dr. Boom-Boom sips his martini to moisten his throat. “Even though the alien clearly seemed to

understand what was being said to him, he wouldn’t engage but only listened quietly. They tried to coax him to nod yes or no, but he wouldn’t do that either. Finally, out of exasperation, they shot the alien full of sodium pentothal, which was all the rage in those days as a truth serum. Didn’t work at first, so they pumped him with more.

“Finally, he started talking. In English! But the weirdest damn English anyone had ever heard. Of course, the first thing they wanted to know was where he was from.”

Boom-Boom paused.

I was riveted and he knew it. “Where was he from?”

“Our planet. Earth.”

“I don’t understand.”

“The being did not come from some far-off galaxy. He was from here.”

I cocked my head, still trying to comprehend.

“He wasn’t from Earth in 1952, or Earth as we know it,” continued Dr. Boom-Boom. “Our time, that is. He was from the future. Specifically, he claimed, while medicated, to be from the year 2433. He said he was a

‘chrononaut.’”

“A what?”

“A time-traveler. As we later learned — everything he said is in the transcript — in the 23rd century our descendants, through artificial super intelligence, finally figured out how to negotiate wormholes and time warps. It is very technical and involves quantum physics, but to simplify for a layman, if you can travel faster than the speed of light, time runs backward, relating to Einstein’s theory of relativity.

“This future earthling was terrified of telling us anything about anything because of the cause and effect it might conceivably have on the future. But the sodium pentothal opened him up. Sometimes he spoke in a semi-conscious state. Other times he spoke in his dreams while asleep. They had someone next to him at all times, 24 hours a day.

The bastards interrogating him were so eager to know more, they far exceeded the healthy dosage of sodium pentothal. As a result, the being went into a spasm and died from respiratory difficulties. With hindsight, we speculated

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that he probably wanted to die and held out for higher and higher doses knowing that death would ultimately result, thereby outfoxing his interrogators. Got all that?” I nodded.

DANYAN

“The interrogation resulted in a 54-page transcript. What we thereafter dubbed “The Future History Book”, because of what’s in it.” Boom-Boom paused. “At first, no one believed the being. They thought he was deceiving the interrogators, providing disinformation to obscure his true origins. But then things the being had spoken about started to actually come true. The assassination of a U.S. president in 1963. The break-up of the Soviet Union.

“Then the transcript disappeared, hijacked by OTO. The information it contained is a kind of skeleton key to great riches. It foretells major events and, more important, scientific developments. It foretold the

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‘Some people, if you ever talk about it, will think you’ve flipped your lid’

Please see INVESTIGATOR on A8

SBCC men’s soccer puts up six goals in win over L.A. Mission

By MICHAEL JORGENSON SBCC SPORTS WRITER

The SBCC men’s soccer team continued to roll, winning a third straight Western State Conference match on Friday over LA Mission 6-0 at La Playa Stadium.

The Vaqueros have now outscored their last three opponents 15-1, improving to 8-2-4 overall and 3-1 in conference play. LA Mission falls to 0-10-5 overall, 0-2-2 WSC.

The Eagles’ defense stayed strong as it managed to keep the home side off the board for the first 30 minutes, but once the goals started coming for SBCC, they wouldn’t stop.

The first goal was the furthest of the night for SBCC, as midfielder Jake Dunn scored his first of the year from way outside the box. Forward Bart Muns had his initial strike blocked, but it went to Lukas Lovgren who passed back to Dunn. He took a couple dribbles to his right before firing a laser from 24 yards out that made it past a

The Vaqueros have now outscored their last three opponents 15-1.

handful of defenders before going past goalkeeper Anthony Martinez.

A few minutes later, an errant back pass went right to Muns, who beat LA’s last defender with one of his best moves of the year to score his first of the match.

Muns appeared to overrun his dribble until the last possible moment, when the center back lunged forward and Muns pushed it ahead and struck a clinical low shot with his left foot to the right post.

Muns made it 3-0 on the break early in the second half, as Will Demirkol cut it back to him for another left-footed shot to the far post.

Santa Barbara went up by four goals in the 60th. Connor Coyle sent forward a wonderful ball from the Vaqueros’ back line, forcing Martinez to come off his line but Yahir Cervantes beat him to the ball for a cheeky

Honer leads UCSB tennis to strong showing

The Gauchos’ strong performance on their second day of the ITA Southwest Regional Championship was led by sophomore Amelia Honer. At the start of the day, Honer and Marta Gonzalez-Ballbe picked up a doubles win to advance to the sweet 16. Honer

chip to make it 4-0.

Some incisive passing led to Muns clinching his third hat trick of the season six minutes later. Muns sent it out wide to Lovgren, who put a through ball back through the Eagles’ last two defenders to Muns who scored again with his left foot on first contact.

In the closing minutes, the Vaqueros got their sixth of the night on the break. Liam Wilder sent a great low cross from the right side to Elias Omsels who scored his first as a Vaquero.

SBCC will carry a three-game win streak into Tuesday’s 1:30 p.m. road game at Oxnard.

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

email: sports@newspress.com

went on to win two singles matches later in the day, with a particularly fierce performance in the second match defeating the No. 1 player in the country, Eryn Cayetano of USC.

Honer is the first Gaucho in history to top the No. 1 player in the country and will now move on to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

- Zoe Cosgrove

Westmont volleyball wins fifth straight

By JACOB NORLING WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Westmont Volleyball (17-4, 112 GSAC) won their fifth match in a row on Friday night, while extending their first-place lead over Life Pacific (12-5, 9-5) to 2.5 games. Westmont fell in the first set to Life Pacific, just as they did in an eventual five-set loss to the team on October 1.

On this occasion, however, Westmont refused to let history repeat itself, ultimately taking the next three sets to win it in four.

“The words we used in the pre-game speech were ‘stay the course’,” said Westmont head coach Ruth McGolpin, “We’ve made some vast improvements in the three weeks since we’ve played them, and we followed the scouting report to a T.

“It was a rowdy crowd and a lot of fun to play in that place tonight. That was the first time I’ve seen their fans come out like that, and it made the match even more fun.”

In the first set, Westmont was forced to play from behind early, after a 5-0 run allowed Life Pacific to take an early 11-6 advantage. Westmont fought back to tie the match at 15, and went ahead for a moment at 16-15, but once over the initial hump, LPU once again pushed Westmont back.

After an 18-18 tie, Life Pacific scored on a kill, an ace, and a Westmont attacking error, forcing McGolpin to call timeout 21-18. Out of the timeout, LPU kept Westmont out of striking distance, eventually winning it 25-21 after back-to-back setending kills.

“It’s a good team over there,” assured McGolpin. “Life got a lot of scrappy points in the first set, and made some fun plays that fell in their favor. I continued to say though, ‘stay the course’. I knew if we could dial in our passing and our serving, we would be okay.”

Westmont evened things up in the second set thanks to a pair of momentum-shifting stretches. Tied 8-8, a kill by Lexi Malone sparked a 6-0 run that was capped

Westmont returns to Santa Barbara tomorrow night at 6 p.m. for Senior Night, when they host the Hope International Royals.

off by a kill from Keelyn Kistner.

Up 14-8 however, Westmont was not able to cruise to victory due to a tenacious answer from Life Pacific, who tied the set later on at 17.

Tied 17-17, Jessie Terlizzi was the next Westmont player to spark a run, this time collecting her third kill of the match to begin a five-point swing. Moments later, Phoebe Minch’s ninth kill capped off the five-point run, putting Westmont in control at 22-17.

Minch did not stop there, as her 10th kill put Westmont up 23-18, and her 11th kill capped off a 2522 win to tie the match 1-1.

Westmont did not allow Life Pacific to rediscover their footing quickly when the third set began, as the road-Warriors opened up the swing-game on a 9-3 run. During the run, Minch continued to antagonize the Life Pacific defense, collecting her 12th, 13th, and 14th kills to make an early statement.

However, as the set went on, every single point the roadWarriors scored proved to be a crucial one. Slowly, but consistently, Life Pacific trimmed away at the once-large deficit, allowing the home-Warriors to erupt when they tied the set late at 21.

With the game tied 22-22, Minch’s 15th kill put Westmont up 23-22, and Malone’s sixth kill put them on the brink of victory at 24-22. Life Pacific added to the tension with a kill of their own to make it 24-23, but Malone and Westmont got the last roar in set three when her seventh kill gave Westmont a 25-23 win, and 2-1 set advantage.

In the fourth and final set, Westmont once again jumped out to a 9-3 advantage, only for Life Pacific to turn around and tie things 9-9. Then, two kills from

Malone and Terlizzi, followed by a fifth from Ashley Boswell, capped off another five-point swing, this time putting Westmont up 14-9.

On two occasions later in the set, LPU cut the deficit back to two, but as the game headed for a conclusion, Westmont pulled away for good. In the end, Malone’s 10th kill gave Westmont a 25-19 win, a 3-1 match victory, and a happy ride home.

“I applauded the team for their mental stronghold tonight,” reflected McGolpin. “We were mentally tough and physically stayed aggressive. We played a good team tonight, and I’m proud of our team for walking away from this with a win.”

Minch ended up finishing with a season-high 19 kills, and an attack percentage of .375, while Sara Krueger collected 13 kills at a .455 clip. Three of Krueger’s kills came in the final stretch of the match.

Defensively, Malone, Krueger, and Alexis Dennick each collected two blocks, while Kaili Hashimoto ended with a team-high 18 digs. Freshman Alexa Shiner led Westmont with a season-high 28 assists, while Kistner added 22 of her own.

“Phoebe was on fire,” said McGolpin, “and she ended the night with an awesome hitting percentage as well. She did an excellent job, and so did Sara and Lexi. Those three were our soldiers tonight, but everyone did a fantastic job.”

Westmont returns to Santa Barbara tomorrow night at 6 p.m. for Senior Night, when they host the Hope International Royals.

Jacob Norling is the sports information assistant at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com

Ad paid for by Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians

Westmont cross country shines in final race before GSAC Championships

By JACOB NORLING WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Westmont’s top-25 Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams were in action on Friday night in Fullerton, where they competed in the Titan Invitational. In Westmont’s final race before the GSAC Championships, the 12thranked women took third out of 17 schools, while the 22nd-ranked men tied for the top-spot with The Master’s out of 16 schools.

In the women’s 5K, freshman Annie West finished 10th overall with a time of 18:00.0, leading the way for the Warriors. Next to finish for the Warriors were sophomores Kari Anema and Landon Torres, who came in 14th and 19th, respectively. Anema completed the race in 18:06.0, while Torres finished in 18:15.12.

Abigail Hundley and Gretchen Scherrei rounded out Westmont’s top-five in 28th and 29th, posting times of 18:41.5 and 18:43.2.

Overall, the Warriors came in behind only the Valor Track Club and The Master’s, while coming ahead of schools such as Cal St.

Carp football earns win over Nordhoff

Fullerton, UC Irvine, and Biola. Westmont also came in well ahead of Hope International and Vanguard.

“The women’s team ran their best and most competitive race of the season,” offered head coach Russell Smelley. “Led by Annie West, the top-five had their best team spread of the season at 00:43, all coming in under 19:00. Gretchen Scherrei had a standout race to finish fifth for the team.”

In the men’s 8K, Zola Sokhela finished third overall, posting a time of 24:09.6. Danny Rubin and Andres Leon were the next Warriors to cross the finish line, posting times of 24:36.0 and 24:44.7 in 10th and 11th place. Westmont’s fourth and fifth runners were Garrett Miller and Adam King, who posted times of 24:56.6, and 25:12.4 to come in 16th and 24th place.

While Westmont tied with The Master’s at 46 points apiece, Westmont’s fifth runner came in ahead of TMU’s, which officially placed the Warriors ahead of the Mustangs on the leaderboard.

Westmont’s strong showing saw them not only measure-up against The Master’s, the defending GSAC Champions, but also saw them come in ahead of Vanguard, Hope International and Biola.

“The men’s team showed their full-potential today,” said Smelley. “It was a sensational race from start to finish for the team, with the one-through-five spread being 1:03. Both teams are encouraged and confident going into the end of the season.”

Next up on the schedule for the Warriors is the muchanticipated trip to Rocklin, where the Warriors will compete in the GSAC Championships on Saturday, Nov. 5. Following the GSAC Championships, the top25 Warriors are hopeful for the chance to compete in the NAIA National Championships on Nov. 18 in Tallahassee, Fl.

Jacob Norling is the sports information assistant at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com

on 20 carries, scoring both a rushing and passing touchdown. Wide receiver Judah Torres caught the scoring pass, a 23-yard effort. Kicker David Alvarez also contributed, scoring a 42-yard field goal and two extra points.

The Carpinteria High School Football team won a close game against Nordhoff on Friday, taking home a 17-10 victory.

“We continue to stress the importance of practicing hard and it carries over into the game,” said Coach Mario Robinson. “The team played hard for 4 quarters and finished off with an interception by Jason Dishion.”

Quarterback Talon Trumble rushed for 118 yards

A man suffered major injuries in a vehicle rollover west of Buellton on Saturday.

Man injured in vehicle rollover

On Saturday morning, Santa Barbara County and Lompoc Fire Department personnel responded to the

Carpinteria’s special teams came up big with a blocked field goal, as well as returning 20 yards by Matt Munoz.

Defensively, Sawyer Kelly led with four solo tackles. The team also recorded two interceptions, one by Dishion and the other by Sebastian Hernandez.

- Matt Smolensky

seeking to help 12,000 people with shelter and other aid in Ethiopia.

ShelterBox has supported more than 60,000 people in four responses in Ethiopia since 2018. It is also launching another program in neighboring Somalia to help 1,000 households.

ShelterBox also has ongoing programs in Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Nigeria and Syria.

“It is with deep gratitude that ShelterBox USA accepts this award,” Ms. Murray of ShelterBox USA said in a statement. “This recognition speaks to our highest aspirations of a world where no one goes without shelter after disaster or conflict. Today more than 114 million people are displaced in our world, more than any time in recorded history. Whether responding to the crisis in

Ukraine, drought-induced famine in eastern Africa or catastrophic emergencies like typhoons in the Philippines, ShelterBox remains committed to providing lifesaving shelter, tools and training to enable the most vulnerable people to rebuild their homes after disaster.

“But we can’t do this work alone,” Ms. Murray said. “We are so grateful to the United Nations Association of Santa Barbara, as well as our volunteers and staff across the world, whose quiet acts of courage and compassion make this work possible.”

Those attending Monday’s awards ceremony will be given a copy of “Prophet the Hatmaker’s Son, The Life of Robert Muller.” Mr. Muller is recognized as one of the peacemakers of the 20th century, who dedicated his life to the United Nations, where he served as assistant secretary general.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

‘ShelterBox remains committed to providing life- saving shelter, tools and training’

of Buellton.

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and

major injuries.

driver was transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

- Katherine Zehnder

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

COURTESY PHOTO

It’s important to connect with others

Hotel Virginia Santa Barbara

Remodeled and rebranded, historic property opens in downtown area

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

After an extensive remodel and rebrand, Hotel Virginia Santa Barbara has opened its doors as the latest addition in Pacifica Hotel’s Tapestry Collection by Hilton.

Now offering 61 guest rooms and suites, the property includes personalized services and complimentary WiFi and more.

Guests can dine at the new on-site eatery, Brisa Café + Bar, which serves coastal comfort dishes including a refreshing acai bowl and Californian favorite, the breakfast burrito.

For those on the move, Brisa Café + Bar is ready for whatever the day will bring with grab-andgo options, cold pressed juices and a special focus on coffee culture with selections from local roasters.

The newly renovated Hotel

Virginia Santa Barbara is a far cry from the original structure, which was built in 1916 at 17 W. Haley St. as a two-story brick hotel by Charles Maas.

According to an informative bronze plaque on the hotel’s exterior, “Haley at this time was a residential street with small redwood homes set on large lots. The construction of the hotel, just off State Street, Santa Barbara’s primary commercial street, marked the entry of commercial

buildings on Haley Street.

“In 1922, Maas’s next door neighbor, Freas Hayman, demolished his home and constructed a three-story hotel adjacent to the Virginia Hotel at 21-31 West Haley Street. Although separate buildings, the hotels were linked on the upper floors and functioned as a separate unit.”

When the 1925 earthquake in Santa Barbara damaged the buildings but did not destroy

them, Mr. Maas and Mr. Hayman hired the Los Angeles architect, C.K. Denman, to make repairs.

“His Spanish Colonial Revival design unified the facades of the two buildings and was applauded by the city of Santa Barbara as part of its on-going desire to create an image for itself as a romantic Spanish town,” according to the plaque.

“As early as 1909, Santa Barbara was looking for a visual image with which to link its Spanish past

to future development within the city.”

During the many decades after the 1925 reconstruction, the hotel fell into a state of disrepair.

“In 1998, Laurie and Marc Recordon, local Santa Barbara investors, bought the Virginia hotel property and completed a major renovation. In keeping its link to the Spanish past, the hotel reopened with much of

DAVE MASON /NEWS-PRESS

The newly renovated Hotel Virginia Santa Barbara is a far cry from the original structure, which was built in 1916 at 17 W. Haley St. as a two-story brick hotel by Charles Maas.

COURTESY PHOTOS

At

Virginia Santa Barbara, 17 W. Haley St., offers 61 guest rooms and suites. At right, the renovation included a remodel of the lobby.

Please see VIRGINIA on B3

ARIES — You’ve spent the summer learning about your community, but when Saturn moves forward in your social zone. You’re ready to see how you can turn your knowledge into action. This is a great time to develop community ties and do volunteer work.

TAURUS — You’ve learned a lot about what you want in terms of goals over the last few months, and as Saturn moves forward in your career zone on Monday, you’re ready to act. Work on your reputation and what you truly want to achieve,

GEMINI — You’ll be entering a very productive period when the sun enters Scorpio on Monday, moving into your habit zone. You want to improve yourself, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to do just that.

CANCER — Big changes are coming to your life this week as Saturn moves forward in your transformation zone on Tuesday. However, to make these changes, you’ll need to let go of the resources you’ve been clinging to all summer long.

LEO — Your summer love affair is starting to get serious this week when Saturn goes direct in your partnership zone on Monday. This is the time to start putting firm boundaries between “me” and “we” in your relationship.

VIRGO — After a carefree summer, it’s time to be productive again once Saturn moves forward in your health zone on Monday. This is an ideal time to work on yourself, especially your health. Schedule those doctor appointments now, and don’t push your limits when it comes to your health.

LIBRA — After a carefree summer of creative energy, it’s time to settle down and get serious when Saturn moves forward in your pleasure zone on Monday. This is an ideal time to focus on finishing any projects and start honing your talents.

SCORPIO — It’s time to get your house in order when Saturn moves forward in your home zone on Monday. This is a great time to get your affairs together as you start looking to settle down, whether you’re house hunting or setting boundaries with your family.

SAGITTARIUS — It’s time to “grow up” this week, Sagittarius, because you’ll be using more logic than emotion right now when Saturn moves forward in your communication zone on Monday. This is the time to get focused and learn something new.

CAPRICORN — After a wild summer, it’s time to get serious about your spending when Saturn moves forward in your value zone on Monday. Get your assets together and develop a strict budget that can last through the rest of the year.

AQUARIUS — You’re coming back down to earth this week when Saturn moves forward in your sign on Monday, bringing you a dose of self-awareness. Now is a great time to set personal and professional boundaries, especially with the new people you meet. It’s okay to act in your own self-interest.

PISCES — Karma comes back around when Saturn moves forward in your subconscious zone on SMonday. If you’ve spent the retrograde period taking care of yourself, you’ll be rewarded with major enlightenment. If you haven’t done any of that, Pisces, it might be a tough period of balancing reality and fantasy.

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By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

When you’re feeling all alone …

Have you ever felt so lonely that you thought your heart was breaking and you couldn’t make it through the night?

Have you looked at your life and wondered where you went wrong and why you deserve to be and feel so alone?

Mother Teresa once said, “The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved and uncared for ...”

Sometimes unfortunate circumstances, or our own decisions, put us in positions where we have no one to turn to. Even if your lifestyle is a comfortable one, the pain of feeling unloved can be so overwhelming that you can start to think about not wanting to be here. That’s a signal that you really, really need to talk to someone.

Emotional pain seems to become more intense for some

VIRGINIA

the original character of this historic hotel.”

In March 2000, the hotel was designated by the city of Santa

people at this time of year as the days get shorter and colder. If you are having suicidal thoughts, your mental state could be more fragile than you know. Pay attention, and if you are feeling sad and alone, the answer is to reach out to others.

Connecting with people who care about you and whom you trust and like is very important. Isolating yourself is only going to make you feel worse.

I know people who have gotten roommates, just to have another human being in the house, and it helped. Others who feel alone get involved in community events or even go back to school. The idea is to spend time with other people, so you can feel their warmth and let it help you out of your pain. Just a warm smile from a good friend can make the difference between wanting to hide under the covers

Barbara as a local landmark.

“We are excited for the opening of Hotel Virginia Santa Barbara as we continue our partnership with Tapestry Collection by Hilton,” said John Pedlow, chief operating officer at Pacifica Hotels.

and getting out into the world to see what it has to offer. Many folks find it far easier to go out with someone else than on their own.

Texts and emails are helpful, but they can never take the place of a conversation with someone in the same room or even outdoors (this being COVID days).

There are people who text each other all day long. They say it makes them feel connected, but to what? Don’t get me wrong — I love getting messages from my sweetheart. But it will never take the place of hearing her reassuring voice and feeling her gentle touch. Real human contact can make the difference between living a healthy life and one that is sickly.

So talk with those people who care most about you, and consider

“Santa Barbara is such a special destination, and this hotel will truly immerse guests in all that the California coastal lifestyle has to offer.”

email: mmcmahon@newspress. com

making an appointment with a licensed professional. This may be just a momentary depressive episode or something more serious, and you don’t want to take any chances.

By taking care of yourself, you are also taking care of the people who love you. They feel your pain and want you to live a full life with all the love and joy you can find.

Remember, it is the people in our lives who make it wonderful. No amount of money or success will ever match the warmth of human kindness.

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 Sundays and Tuesdays in the News-Press.

FYI

Hotel Virginia Santa Barbara is located at 17 W. Haley St., Santa Barbara. For more information, call 805-963-9757.

COURTESY PHOTOS

The spruced-up hotel is open and ready for guests.

Attendance and participation by the

Solvang Theaterfest receives Leadership in Arts Award

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

After completing a $5.3 million renovation of the Solvang Festival Theater, Solvang Theaterfest has received the Leadership in Arts Award from the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission.

Solvang Theaterfest is the nonprofit that owns and operates the Solvang Festival Theater, 420 2nd St.

The annual award, established in 2006 to honor leaders who have made a significant impact on arts and sciences in the region, was presented to Theaterfest representatives via a resolution at the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting in Santa Barbara.

The award was presented in October, which has been recognized as National Arts and Humanities Month by the White House and Congress for 38 years.

The Board of Supervisors formed the County Arts Commission in 1977 to support and encourage participation in local culture.

The theater’s rebuilding project, which started construction in September 2021 and concluded in July, was designed to ensure structural integrity, safety and

accessibility with new electrical and technical capabilities enhancing lighting and sound. Overall, the design improves the audience experience and comfort with its higher wall, acoustical improvements and new seating, according to Solvang Theaterfest. To finance the renovation project, Solvang Theaterfest turned to the community for support. The Imagine! Building the Future Campaign that started in 2019 received more than 700 donations from individuals, businesses and foundations.

In accepting the award, Denise De Bellefeuille, Theaterfest board chair, said, “We have ensured that many more generations to come will experience the magic of live theater under the stars in the Santa Ynez Valley. We have grand plans for this new theater. Concerts, plays, comedy, weddings, receptions, festivals, even a stunt dog performance, are coming in November. We are here for you, Santa Barbara County!”

For more information about Solvang Theaterfest, contact Executive Director Scott Coe at 805-588-4112 or exec.director@ solvangtheaterfest.org.

email: mmcmahon@newspress. com

Evolutionary biologist to discuss ‘Secret Perfume of Birds’

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Danielle Whittaker will discuss her new book, “The Secret Perfume of Birds: Uncovering the Science of Avian Scent,” in a free Zoom lecture, at 7 p.m. Nov. 9.

The webinar, sponsored by the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society, includes a live presentation followed by Q & A. A Zoom link will be emailed to SYVNHS members and posted online prior to the program. A recording of the presentation will be available online after the event.

As an evolutionary biologist, Ms. Whittaker was puzzled by the lack of evidence for the peculiar but widespread belief that birds have no sense of smell. Exploring the science behind the myth led her on an unexpected quest investigating mysteries from how juncos win a fight to why cowbirds smell like cookies.

She will share emerging research about birds’ ability to produce complex chemical signals that influence their behavior, including where they build nests, when they pick a fight and why they fly away. Mate choice or sexual selection — a still enigmatic aspect of many animals’ lives — appears to be particularly influenced by smell.

Ms. Whittaker’s pioneering studies suggest that birds’ sexy

(and scary) signals are produced by symbiotic bacteria that manufacture scents in the oil that birds stroke on their feathers when preening.

She also examines the smelly chemicals of a variety of creatures, from iguanas and bees to monkeys and humans and will describe how scent is important not just for birds but for all animals, including humans.

Ms. Whittaker is an evolutionary biologist and the managing director of the Center for Oldest Ice Exploration at Oregon State University. From gibbons in Indonesia to the dark-eyed juncos of North America, her research focuses on the forces that influence animal behavior, mate selection and, ultimately, evolution.

To registerfor the webinar, go to us06web.zoom.us/ webinar/register/WN_Uzu7Y8ES8i5cfkuJmTy9w. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Here’s the link to the book page: www.press.jhu.edu/books/ title/12467/secret-perfume-birds).

When you get your confirmation email after registering, you’ll also receive a code for a 30% discount on the book.

email: mmcmahon@newspress. com

Shelters seek homes for pets

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

For more information, go to these websites:

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

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

Barbara County Animal Services.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Dave Mason

&

Biden administration and Hurricane Ian

Biden, Harris muddle issue with discrimination and faulty information on climate change

Hurricane Ian’s 150 mph winds entered Florida by destroying the beach towns in Lee County, making millions depressed and deprived, which are synonyms for “disadvantaged.” Were they all considered “disadvantaged” by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris?

President Biden, while standing in the rubble of the Iandestroyed Ft. Myers, Fla., ignored the “disadvantaged” Floridians by discussing the Colorado River before global warming by saying, as only he could, “What the governor has done is pretty remarkable so far, what is, what he’s done. In terms of, you know, it’s, it’s you know, first of all, the biggest thing the governor has

done and so many others have done, they recognize this thing called global warming.”

Mr. President, the governor standing next to you is named Ron DeSantis, and you should check your conclusions on global warming with those of your acting director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Hurricane Center, Jamie Rhome.

have any impact on hurricane activity in the Atlantic.” The founder of Environmental Progress, Michael Schellenberger, tweeted the “NOAA analysis shows there is no definitive longterm trend in hurricane frequency or in increasing intensity.”

Brent E. Zepke

The

Mr. Rhome told CNN, “I don’t think you can link climate change to any one event,” after a NOAA study concluded it was “premature to conclude with high confidence that human-caused increasing greenhouse gasses

Since the president failed to discuss with the hurricane victims any specifics about how the Federal Emergency Management Assistance would aid the “disadvantaged,” what did the vice president say?

Vice President Kamala Harris, while safely ensconced at the DNC Women’s Leadership Forum, used FEMA to connect the president’s fixation on climate

change to his administration’s fixation with systemic racism, by offering this policy for FEMA: “We have to address this in a way that is about giving resources based on equity, understanding that we fight for equality but also need to fight for equity. People of color would get disaster aid before white people.”

Florida Rapid Response Director Christina Preshow said Florida would not follow the vice president’s policy, and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell appears to be ready to ignore the vice president by agreeing with Christina to follow the FEMA Mission Statement, which is “to help people before, during and after disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and forest fires.”

Sadly, the vice president saying

“People of color would get disaster aid before white people” was both a violation of her oath of office as the attorney general of California and a prevailing theme of this administration. Here are a few other examples:

— In August, 2022, the Senate approved Donald R. Cravins Jr., as the head of the group of minorities who runs the Minority Business Development Agency, which is part of the Department of Commerce. The MBDA website states they are “solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises.” The MBDA runs grant programs, offers training programs, and assists in financing and other things only for “disadvantaged” businesses. Would all the Florida businesses

America’s progressive trifecta threatens world democracy

“A democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself.”

— John Adams

A merica’s ultimate power in the world rests more on its democratic ideals than its economic and its military strength.

Since our founding, our commitment to the rule of law, freedom of the press and equal justice for all has been the envy of all free world nations.

And what has influenced the world’s opinion most about America is how its 50 states remain independent under a central government.

In the past few decades, the world has watched in collective horror as our once proud democracy falls from grace.

A destructive political divide between progressives and the people threatens to destroy our representative democracy. From street violence, to threatening the Supreme Court, using federal police for political gain, our democratic republic has been abducted by progressives.

Our allies are deeply concerned about our future. European leaders worry that the U.S. socialist progressive movement will spread to their countries.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he still believes in American democracy. It is time that we show some respect for our own

democracy. too.

“Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment, but it is a determined choice of trust over cynicism.”

– George W. Bush

According to Freedom House, the U.S. world freedom score dropped 11 points last decade. It fell three points in 2021. This moved the U.S. out of the top tier that included nations such as France and Germany. This is the first time since Freedom House has been tracking democratic freedom that America has fallen into the second tier along with weaker democracies like Romania and Panama.

Michael J. Abramowitz, president of Freedom House, said,

“Authoritarian powers, especially China, are advancing their interests around the world, while democracies, especially America, are divided and consumed by internal conflicts. For freedom to prevail on a global scale, the American people must work together to strengthen democracy at home if they ever want to see democracy abroad.”

The world has seen the damage done to our democracy in less than two years with a progressive trifecta and eight previous years of progressive leadership. If we continue at this pace, the U.S. will share the dubious space of Prime Minister Vikitor Orban’s Hungary and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey on the World Freedom index.

World democracies used to think since the U.S. had such a long history of democratic government it would always be maintained as its national identity. They also felt that America had a society that had too much individual strength to relinquish its freedom to a group of powerful beltway politicians.

So what has caused America to go backwards on the world freedom index? It started following the Great Recession with President Barack Obama’s “change campaign.” Feeling the misery of the economic collapse, voters looked to progressives for a new direction. They believed President Obama when he said “he’d even the playing field for everyone.”

“We are the change you have been

looking for.”

— President Barack Obama

The world listened when President Obama claimed he would unite America and make changes in our society and government that would benefit democracy. Mr. Obama claimed to be an expert on race relations, and he negotiated the terms of social contracts for blacks, other identity groups and LGBTs. Every local racial incident gained national focus and was a talking point Mr. Obama used to “school America.”

President Obama’s obsession with race changed world opinion about American homogeneity. They saw America in a different light. With a number of highprofile incidents with police and violent protests by identity groups, many Americans, as well as world democracies, felt race relations were worse.

“The police acted stupid. I’ve invited them to a beer summit at the White House.”

— President Barack Obama

The world watched President Obama force progressive policies on America. His America shared the wealth, and everyone paid their fair share. Poverty increased, and he expanded the welfare state. He over-regulated business, and his $825 billion stimulus package was filled with gifts for special interests.

President Obama’s only legislative achievement, Obamacare, a gift few people wanted, was put under the Christmas trees in America on

DID YOU KNOW? Bonnie Donovan

State Street’s future is at stake

We have previously written about Santa Barbara’s good fortune by having such wise and careful planning of the original street grid by Captain Salisbury Haley — a surveyor and sea captain. Our classic State Street spilling down into Stearns Wharf created a look for which Santa Barbara is renowned the world over.

Now his plan hangs in the balance.

His design, based on a grid, surveyed from the Mission Gardens to the sea, and from hill to hill, was not tainted by a political agenda. However, all that beauty and ease of movement that had been established and in place for well over the decades is at stake. Why? Because the way the present city council acting within its naiveté and strong adherence to a certain political theory threatens what we have known.

Hired as consultants are Timmy Bolton, a former research assistant at UC Berkeley Institute of Transportation, along with the State Street Master Planner Tess Harris, a member of the American Planning Association. This APA aims to provide planning professionals, elected officials and community members with services, with the goal of a final plan by early 2024.

They speak about public engagement. We suspect they misrepresent how much public engagement is really included or encouraged or heeded. We question the experience level, motivation and commitment to the historical nature of Sana Barbara.

What can be predicted 30 to 50 years into the future? Could anyone have imagined the changes during the last three years?

We can say with certainty that the plan implemented by Capt. Haley since the 1850s has served this community very well. We wonder what he would think if he walked down State Street today, stepping over the homeless, navigating the hodgepodge of parklets and dodging e-bikes.

Resident Michael Bruce suggests that we talk about cities in Spain. How about focusing on cities in California? We know that the city of Carmel removed the parklets in their downtown corridor as soon as the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.

Visit the Inland Empire: Redlands and Riverside in San Bernardino County. No parklets are in their thriving downtowns, and Redlands’ State Street has no vacant storefronts.

Redlands’ downtown street parking is diagonal, promoting easy access to commerce. Only two transients were spotted. A historical city with loads of civic pride. The residents fight to preserve citrus groves, and the town is full of Victorian homes, Spanish adobes, bungalows, Craftsmans, cottages and mansions from the 1800s. Santa Barbara could take a lesson.

Santa Barbara and San Francisco look the same: random parklets everywhere, rampant homelessness throughout the two cities and out-of-control electric bikes and in San Francisco, scooters too. After a recent performance at the San Francisco Opera, adding to the peril of the threeto-four block trek to a parking

James Buckley is taking a break. His column will resume next week.

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COURTESY PHOTOS

Columnist Brent Zepke is critical of President Joe Biden’s and Vice President Kamala Harris’ remarks about “the disadvantaged” and climate change after Hurricane Ian slammed Florida. Mr. Zepke noted how Florida, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, and FEMA agreed to give aid without discrimination.

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Wendy McCaw Arthur von Wiesenberger Co-Publisher Co-Publisher

The abysmal results of being tough of cops and soft on crime

This past Tuesday, Santa Barbara County supervisors discussed two items that show how out of touch many of our elected officials are as it affects public safety.

One of these items delved into a report indicating that three illegal aliens who have been in our county jail over 20 times each have not been deported! There were several others who had beaten their wives and children who were not deported, not to mention another who committed rape, a perv who was guilty of indecent exposure and several others with multiple convictions for driving under the influence.

All told, a mere six illegal aliens were handed over to ICE (the federal department of Immigration Customs Enforcement) for their crimes in 2021. Another 33 illegal aliens who were arrested and jailed here locally nearly 200 times in the aggregate were let back onto our streets, even though they too could have been picked up by ICE, to be deported.

The report had to do with the so-called California Trust, Truth and Values Acts, passed by our state Legislature, all three of which pertain to shielding illegal aliens who commit crimes from being reported to, and deported by, ICE. Our state Legislature by passing these laws have broken our trust, obfuscated the truth and violated our values while undermining public safety. That is, Californians no longer have a realistic expectation to be safe in their community.

Moreover, it is an insult to injury for our citizenry to be victimized by somebody who shouldn’t be in this country to begin with.

Unfortunately, the don’task, don’t-tell (as it affects residency status) and the don’t-report, don’tdeport policy in place as it affects criminals who are undocumented means the public will never be apprised of how many more crimes have been committed by these people. The fact that only six were picked up by ICE reflects the fact the Biden administration priorities are abysmal as it relates to the safety of our community.

The other item the board

discussed dealt with chronic overtime charges incurred by the Sheriff’s Office, which the supervisors resent having to pay for.

Whereas, the supervisors give tacit acknowledgment that law enforcement nationwide is having recruiting and retention problems, nevertheless they fall woefully short in admitting that they themselves are the root cause of this problem. How so? Because of their tacit woke support for various aspects of the socalled criminal justice reform movement, which is a euphemism for defunding the police and eliminating incarceration as much as possible as a deterrent to criminal behavior.

The efforts to treat every criminal as if they are the victim and to bend over backward to ensure they don’t go to jail are multitudinous in California. These efforts include downgrading violent felonies to misdemeanors and other measures that have served to completely demoralize law enforcement at all levels, including cops and prosecutors.

The bottom line? Cops know that woke Democratic politicians, who in California and Washington, D.C., are abounding, no longer have their back. Instead of cuffing the perps, we are tying the hands of law enforcement, including ICE. All the while, cops are being ambushed on the streets of America on a routine basis. Hence, some of our local law enforcement agencies have a 20% employee vacancy rate.

There is no doubt that our criminal justice system is in a crisis, and part of that crisis is further exacerbated by the Biden administration’s open border policy, which has allowed several million people to invade our country.

Meanwhile, we are preventing law enforcement from throwing some very bad actors back across that border including wouldbe terrorists and members of international crime syndicates, who present a clear and present danger to America.

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 NewsPress radio station.

Santa Barbara News-Press election endorsements

The News-Press has made the following endorsements for the Nov. 8 general election.

STATE

Governor: Sen. Brian Dahle.

Lieutenant Governor: Angela Underwood Jacobs.

Secretary of State: Rob Bernosky.

Controller: Lanhee Chen.

State Treasurer: Jack Guerrero.

Superintendent of Public Instruction: Lance Christensen.

Attorney General: Nathan Hochman.

Insurance Commissioner: Robert Howell.

State Board of Equalization, 2nd District: Peter Coe Verbica.

U.S. Senate/Partial Term: Mark Meuser.

U.S. Senate/Full Term: Mark Meuser.

U.S. House Representative, District 24: Dr. Brad Allen. State Assembly, District 37: Mike Stoker.

SCHOOL BOARDS

Santa Barbara County Board of Education, Trustee Area 1: Rosanne Crawford.

Santa Barbara Community College District, Trustee Area 1: Debi Stoker.

Santa Barbara Community College District, Trustee Area 5: Sharon Salvador-Jegottka.

Santa Barbara Unified School District, Trustee Area 1:

Efigenia Banales.

Santa Barbara Unified School District, Trustee Area 4: Phebe Mansur.

Goleta Union School District, Trustee Area 1: Caroline Abate.

Goleta Union School District, Trustee Area 3: Christy Lozano.

Lompoc Unified School District: To be announced.

SPECIAL DISTRICT

Goleta Water District, District 2: Greg S. Hammel.

CITY COUNCIL RACES

Carpinteria City Council, Trustee Area 3: Patty Boyd (write in).

Lompoc Mayor: Jim Mosby.

LETTERS TO THE NEWS-PRESS

Vote ‘yes’ on Proposition 1

T his past June, the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the nearly 50-year, precedent-setting 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that established the constitutional right to privacy including the right to an abortion. In response, legislators from both political parties in the California Legislature moved to add Proposition 1 to the upcoming Nov. 8 ballot.

The Supreme Court’s action returned abortion to states to regulate. Prop. 1 is a constitutional amendment that would codify the right to reproductive freedom in the California constitution. Even in California, we need a constitutional amendment to protect reproductive freedom and we urge you to vote yes on Prop 1.

In accordance with an overwhelming majority of Americans, we unequivocally believe that private and personal medical decisions should remain between patients and their health care providers and that doctors and nurses should not be threatened with legal or criminal penalties for providing basic health care to patients. Whether, when and who to have a child with are the most intimate and personal decisions people make and the government should not insert itself into such choices.

California has long been recognized as a state supportive of reproductive rights with strong individual privacy protections. Our state legalized abortion prior to Roe with the Therapeutic Abortion Act signed into law by Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1967. But the right to obtain an abortion is not explicitly enshrined in our state constitution. Rather it exists in statute.

In overturning Roe, Justice Samuel Alito opined that the right to privacy does not exist within the U.S. constitutional framework. Given that so many of our basic rights, freedoms and individual liberties are predicated on the right to privacy — now under activist judicial threat — we must act to enshrine basic rights into our state constitution to help ensure that they cannot be taken away from us. In California, only a majority of voters —not legislators — can amend our state constitution.

Passage of Prop 1 means that politicians, now or in the future, cannot deny or interfere with reproductive freedoms without a majority vote of the people of California. This very state constitutional mechanism is what the voters of Kansas valiantly rallied to protect earlier this summer when anti-abortion activists tried to usurp the power of regulating abortion out of the state constitution and put it into the hands of zealous conservative politicians, with the goal of outlawing abortion. Voters overwhelmingly rejected this effort and abortion remains legal in Kansas.

Abortion is a personal decision, and people should be able to make private medical decisions with their health care providers without political interference.

Prior to Roe, abortion was illegal throughout much of the country. The dismantling of Roe leaves the U.S. with a chaotic web of rules and regulations, which zealous conservative politicians will continue to work to erode. Many seek to outlaw abortion altogether. But across the U.S. voters are revolting and turning out in unprecedented numbers to protect abortion at the ballot box. Recognizing this, extreme GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced legislation for a nationwide abortion ban in the Senate last month.

More than a dozen states already have full abortion bans in place forcing thousands of pregnant individuals to travel to California, including to the Central Coast, for care. Our state is a symbol of compassion, hope, and progress and we have a moral obligation to help people access the basic health care they need.

Prop. 1 protects the most vulnerable. Research suggests that the health of pregnant individuals is put at risk without the right to choose whether or not to carry a pregnancy to term or choose to safely end a pregnancy. The U.S. already has the highest maternal death rate among industrialized nations globally. Maternal deaths are disproportionately concentrated among people with low incomes and among people of color — with black Americans three times more likely to die during childbirth than white Americans.

Currently, one in four of those who can become pregnant in the U.S. will obtain an abortion by the age of 45 and a majority of those in the U.S. who obtain abortions have already given birth. Studies show that the choice to plan, delay, and space births greatly increases U.S. women’s opportunities, workforce participation and wages, and attainment of a college education. Individuals should retain the freedom to decide how to best live their lives and plan their families.

As political leaders, we must do all we can to protect and advance the rights of those who we represent, this includes ensuring abortion is legal and accessible and that important health care decisions are left to individuals and their health care providers. We can achieve this by voting YES on Prop 1.

Joan Hartmann and Gregg Hart Editor’s note: Joan Hartmann is the 3rd District representative on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors and Gregg Hart is the 2nd District supervisor and a candidate for the 37th Assembly District. They said the views in their letter represent their opinions and not necessarily those of the people and the entities they represent.

Let’s not silent doctors with a different opinion

T hank you for the excellent front-page story in the NewsPress about the new bill to stifle medical doctors from speaking out against the prevailing narrative.

We will not forget how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started running ads with our tax dollars claiming that the new mRNA shots were safe and effective before they were even developed or tested to any extent. Once the COVID-19 “vaccines” did start coming out, the CDC distorted, covered up and lied about them. The CDC started out saying that “vaccines” (vaccines is in quotes because they had to change the definition of the word to make the mRNA genetic shot qualify) would prevent transmission and disease. But eventually it came out that the overwhelming evidence is that the vaccines only might help prevent hospitalization slightly and wear off after only three or four months and a lifetime of boosters is required.

The risk vs. benefit does not look good for the vast majority of the population.

Most of us remember going from “one shot and done” with Johnson and Johnson to maybe the J&J should be avoided for most people due to side effects. We also went from all groceries and mail must be cleaned and everything

disinfected to the transmission being only airborne. There is also still controversy over the effectiveness of surgical masks.

We can also see that the difference in total mortality in countries with vaccines and lockdowns didn’t seem to vary much. All-cause mortality is up in all vaccinated countries including isolated countries like Australia with low COVID-19 rates.

Sweden, with no lockdowns, didn’t end up too different in the end.

There is also the finding that the virus didn’t come from the wild but from NIH-funded research in Wuhan (which is still going on). Doctors with the lab leak theory were shut down along with doctors promoting early treatment.

Going forward, there is very little public trust in the National Institutes of Health and the CDC due to corruption and conflict of interest.

Instead of cleaning up the institutions and regaining public trust, the government decided to double down and punish dissenting doctors with Assembly Bill 2098. Heroic doctor Simone Gold was already sent to prison for doing nothing beyond speaking the inconvenient truth.

If we look at history, nearly all pioneers spoke out against the prevailing narrative. Look no farther than Louis Pasteur, who first advocated that surgeons should wash their hands. He was shut down.

This is not only for doctors, but for all fields. Galileo also comes to mind. Dr. Paul Marik, Dr. Pierre Kory, Dr. Peter Mccullough, Dr. Robert Malone, Dr. Zelenko and Dr. Simone Gold have been much more accurate than Dr. Anthony Fauci has been as the truth is becoming clearer and clearer.

I am not a doctor, but I am an electrical engineer and am very knowledgeable about electric cars and power generation. It would be extremely frustrating if I were not allowed to share my opinion with others under threat of not being able to practice engineering so my heart goes out to the brave critical thinking doctors. They need our support and not to be stifled.

The tyrants need to all be voted out of office.

David Madajian Santa Barbara

Efi Banales really knows the students

E fi Banales is exactly what the Santa Barbara Unified School District needs right now in an elected leader.

Here’s why:

• Educational commitment.

“It’s a crime that our Spanishspeaking students are testing at the fourth-grade level,” she said in a recent online interview.

She correctly understands how English as a Second Language tracking is tragically creating a two-tiered system that isolates Spanish-home speakers and is holding kids back. Her work at La Cumbre Junior High after-school homework program with parents and students is a model for what truly works.

• Hiring skills. One of the most important roles of an SBUSD board is vetting and recommending future principals.

Efi is one who has served for years at the right hand of multiple principals, and she has an eagle eye for the difference between a good principal and a bad principal.

• Student connection. As a 28-year employee for SBUSD, from 1989-2021, at four schools — Franklin, Washington, Santa Barbara Community Academy and La Cumbre Junior High — she has known literally thousands of

We can return to better days

Iwastaking another stroll down memory lane, and how I pine for the good old days. When I could go to sleep at night and not wonder if nuclear missiles might disrupt my rest.

Or those days I could fill up my car for less than half of what it costs today.

Knowing that America was in good hands and maintaining its sovereignty because our southern border was virtually closed.

I didn’t have to live with the anxiety wondering about all the American kids dying like flies from the massive influx of drugs.

Or how my tax dollars weren’t going to pay for millions of lawbreakers, who are being used as human political pawns and getting better treatment and benefits than our veterans and military.

In those good old days, way back in 2020, we didn’t have to worry about OPEC holding us hostage and dictating how much we’re going to pay for oil. We had all the oil we needed right here at home. We were in charge and self-sufficient. That was really cool. We didn’t have a president who thought it better to make Americans suffer, imposing a shift to a completely mismanaged, unattainable attempt at “green” energy.

In those good old days of yore, we used to have much more law enforcement working hard to keep us safe from criminals. We used to lock up the bad guys and made sure they served their terms. Those were the days before law enforcement became the bad guys and the crooks became the victims. Those were also the days when you didn’t have to look over your shoulder when walking your dog to see if you were going get kidnapped and murdered, have your car hijacked at gun point or have some homeless guys go on a rampage stabbing you.

Those were the days when parks were for enjoyment; some alone time or playing.

Americans miss those days when you didn’t have to watch your step and get a needle in your foot or witness human beings drop their pants and use the public park as their personal toilet.

Those were the times when I knew if I exercised my free speech, I didn’t have to fear the FBI coming to arrest me and shove a gun in my face. If I disagreed with the president or anyone else who thought they were smarter than me, my opinion was my opinion and didn’t involve the government making up stuff so they could strip me of my rights and lock me away.

I miss how things were much cheaper too. Milk was a couple bucks, not five. Gas was still higher than any of us liked, but it was manageable. The stock market was rockin’, and interest rates were at an all-time low. People could buy homes, fill up their cars and buy a couple grocery bags for less than a hundred dollars.

Oh, those were the wonderful days before the country was turned upside down and plunged deep into the septic tank like we’ve never seen before.

I miss the days when the president actually knew his name and where he was. I didn’t have to worry if a bad dream would wake him up and think we were being attacked by Russia and demand to press the button.

The days when a president put America first. Bringing companies back from overseas generating work in America again. A president who kept the countries who hate us at bay because those terrible foreign lands knew if he said something he meant it and would follow through if threatened.

A president who wasn’t

Andy Caldwell

Henry Schulte

The author lives in Solvang

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The truth behind the fists of furry

Don’t believe the pervert media.

Reuters, NBC News, entertainer John Oliver and Denver 9News zealot Kyle Clark all want you to believe that parents nationwide are simply imagining an infestation of “furries” (children dressing up and identifying as animals) in their public schools. The gaslighting campaign is so toxically incandescent that you can see the glow from a SpaceX rocket.

Let me assure you: You are not crazy. They are. First, let’s review the headlines over the past week.

Here’s Reuters on Oct. 18: “Fact Check: No evidence of schools accommodating ‘furries’ with litter boxes.”

Here’s NBC News on Oct. 14 in a piece by whopping four-reporter “misinformation” police squad: “How an urban myth about litter boxes in schools became a GOP talking point.”

LETTERS

students from the Eastside and Westside by name. She knows their stories.

• Local connection. She knows the community and has lived on Santa Barbara’s Eastside for more than three decades. She is a distinguished and respected member of the community.

• Quiet courage. The majority of students in Santa Barbara are Latino, and Efi is unafraid to be a voice for this unique and special parent community. She’s not afraid to “make waves” as many immigrant parents are, and she is passionate about getting Latino parents involved in their student’s education.

Harold Crawford Santa Barbara

During a recent weekend, comedian John Oliver dismissed the parental sound and fury over furries as “humiliating nonsense” and mocked conservative state legislators as “heartbreakingly stupid” for amplifying constituents’ concerns. Denver 9News conservative-bashing zealot Kyle Clark two weeks ago purported to debunk the furry frenzy by simply regurgitating several Colorado school districts’ blanket denials, including Jefferson County, which told the news station: “There is absolutely no truth to this claim. There are no litter boxes in our buildings, and students are not allowed to come to school in costume.”

That deceitful stock answer was authored by communications executive director Kimberly Enloe; shared with district leaders for “awareness and alignment” (translation: marching

Proficiency test. As an end result, they continue to be tracked into different classes in high school. Many of them finish school with poor English and math skills with few opportunities.

The County Education Office has many support programs, however, and for example, the office could build a stellar literacy program as a model for the school districts that are struggling in these areas. The districts could benefit if the county encouraged some uniformity to achieve better outcomes.

As a result of this weakness and lack of parent satisfaction in our schools, we continue to have declining enrolment with students lost to private, charter and homeschooling because of the lack of quality education.

Focusing on “values and politics” in schools, and emphasizing differences has led to divisiveness with an increase in anxiety problems being seen in younger children.

Let’s get back to the basics and focus on English, math, science and on providing career pathways and training for students who are not college-bound. Students need engagement and options to succeed in their school journey or some of them will end up in juvenile court schools, which the county education office oversees.

Public education is not free. It costs $23,000 of taxpayer’s money annually per student. We need to do better.

orders and echo chamber formation); and sent to multiple news outlets inquiring about the anthropomorphic animal contagion. 9News executive producer Nathan Higgins revealed his intentions to neuter the controversy when he accused parents of spreading a “conspiracy theory” in his inquiry to the Jeffco schools’ PR team seeking any “substantiated or specific instances or claims of furries in schools.”

Here is the whole truth, which the pervert media labels “misinformation” because truly informed nuclear families threaten The Great Parental Replacement agenda:

A vigilant group of parents and kids in Jefferson County have been hounding school officials about the bizarre presence of “furries” in Colorado middle schools and high schools since February 2022. This is not a “GOP talking point” or an election-

spent unaccountable millions of dollars on “anti-racism” training for staff so now officials must convince you to vote to raise property taxes for infrastructure that is falling apart. This week, SBCC is spending $40,000 for a three-hour training session.

Once ranked as the top community college in the nation, this publicly funded campus is being greatly mismanaged by the current Board of Trustees.

Headlines around the country are talking about library books and curriculum in schools. Parents would not waste their time on this if they were not deeply concerned.

Recently, a flier was distributed that made local headlines with a scene from “Gender Queer,” a book in the Santa Barbara Unified School District library. The flier shows an illustrated sexual encounter during a Tinder date. The book’s author suggests that Tinder is a good place to “Find strangers to make out with.”

Most modern sex trafficking is initiated through social media. My wife works with local girls who have been rescued from sex trafficking. Our schools should not facilitate this tragic crime in any way.

When asked about the book, school district spokesman Nick Masuda stated to a local newspaper, “It’s healthy. I know teenagers are going to have sex. We adults may as well help them do it responsibly.”

season ploy. This is not a joke or satire. It’s real, it’s disruptive, and it’s sick.

Lindsay Datko and a team of eight citizen activists with Jeffco Kids First filed Colorado Open Records Act requests to expose the lies and secrets driving wedges between parents and their children — not just on curriculum indoctrination, but on all matters pertaining to family autonomy, health and safety.

“We leave no stone unturned,” Ms. Datko told me.

And that’s why the pervert media and their fellow travelers believe she and her group must be smeared and destroyed.

On Oct. 13, the county school district’s records custodian coughed up a 36-page document filled with emails between parents, school officials and other parties chronicling the need for costumed critter control. I obtained and verified the hairraising trove.

Back in February, a parent had informed JeffCo’s “chief student

graphic details; I encourage people to read it before they defend it.

Sacramento officials wanted to hide the most recent education data showing devastation by their COVID-19 pandemic policy. President Joe Biden asked Saudi Arabia to not release the OPEC decision until after the midterm elections, doctors in California are now being silenced. What else is the establishment hiding just to keep power?

In the Nov. 8 election, I urge you to help make a change for our future. We can send a message to the nation with our local elections by electing the political outsiders.

Please consider voting for Mike Stoker for Assembly to help bring balance and focus to Sacramento. Vote for the conservative candidates brave enough to run in Santa Barbara. You may not agree with everything they do, but they will bring much needed balance to the local boards. We can support them and keep them accountable by being present at the meetings and communicating with them regularly.

Crime and drug use is growing exponentially, our schools’ rankings are at the bottom, and homeless rates are at the top. We could provide excellent educations to all students, have diverse and abundant energy sources, water storage, forest management, and businessfriendly policies ensuring security and opportunities for the future for all Californians.

success officer” Matt Palaoro about rabid furries at Wayne Carle Middle School who wore “cat/ dog ears, tails, fur gloves, collars, and leashes” while threatening peers who objected. The parent’s son reported that the costumed students would “hiss, bark, scratch, and meow” at students who objected to the behavior.

Another child reported that the herd of furries would “walk on all 4s in the hallway” and “also eat with their face in their food.”

Back in March, parents at Drake Middle School in Jeffco met with Principal Melinda Feir to alert her of the classroom disruptions caused by the human pet parade. In April, another parent reported furry sightings at Dakota Ridge High School. In August, Drake Middle School updated its dress code specifically to ban animal ears and tails. (The public records show that litter boxes were never mentioned; it was Datko’s group that discovered they were being

infrastructure invites developers to build, build, build.

Second, it would be outrageously disruptive and expensive to build, operate and maintain a traditional sewer system and a new sewage treatment plant to serve every lot. On top of the increased assessment fees, every lot owner would also be required to pay for their own “lateral connection” to large sewer mains.

Third, the whole point of forming our own CSD was to avoid having a “big government” solution imposed on our small town.

In short, I recognize that my original, “big government” thinking was misguided. A simpler, less costly, less-growthinducing “phased” plan had been, and still is, the right approach.

Like many of you, however, I became aware earlier this year that the plan had changed.

Curious as ever, I began digging through the LOCSD’s online records, and I learned that the LOCSD abandoned the phased plan in 2021 and has been working on an “entire district” plan ever since.

You, the community, will vote on the single plan presented to you in the Proposition 218 vote when that time comes. You will only have one choice: Either approve or reject the plan the LOCSD Board of Directors puts up for a vote.

Hurricane myths

Hurricane Ian is gone, but the media’s myths about hurricanes live on.

Reporters say the federal government must direct disaster response, as if only the feds have the knowledge and money to do it.

“Debate is already growing about how big federal aid must be,” says CNN.

Why?! Don’t they know that the government has no money of its own? That everything federal bureaucrats spend is taken from the rest of us?

They don’t think about that. Federal “disaster relief” is doled out after storms because, as a New York Times headline put it, “A Big Storm Requires Big Government.”

But it doesn’t.

My video last week debunks four myths about hurricanes.

Myth No. 1: We need the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster relief.

That’s just dumb, given FEMA’s history of incompetence.

FEMA once spent millions on bottled water and expensive trailers for housing. Then they just left them on an airfield. Matt Mayer worked at the Department of Homeland Security during Hurricane Katrina. He says the federal government was just too bureaucratic to be much help.

“States, locals, communities, neighbors” just do a much better job, Mayer told me. FEMA fails because, like all government bureaucracies, there’s no incentive to spend efficiently. Charities are more flexible, and “they’ve been doing it for 200 years.”

Right now in Florida, while some people wait for FEMA, religious charities help people rebuild.

COURTESY PHOTO Rosanne Crawford

Fate of schools lies in voters’ hands

T he upcoming election offers an unprecedented choice of school board candidates this year.

Candidates and voters are well aware of the problems in our public schools. Poor literacy outcomes are at the top of the list for most, particularly for students leaving secondary schools without adequate English and math skills, limiting their opportunity to enter the job market or higher education.

As a candidate for the Santa Barbara County Board of Education, I offer choice and fresh ideas. My opponent, the incumbent MaryBeth Carty, was provisionally appointed in 2013.

Voters are looking for change and choice because the status quo is not working. Teachers and parents want a voice at the table.

With the multifaceted problems, the common denominator is literacy. It’s the great equalizer.

I am the candidate who will reach across the aisle and include teachers and parents to be a part of the solution. I will be accessible and will listen.

The Santa Barbara County Board of Education is involved with 20 local school districts, with specific functions to serve the needs of the districts by providing administrative, curriculum, and instructional services.

One of them is helping our districts build and implement equitable, excellent instructional programs for all students in their local contexts. Between the schools, there is a lack of consistency.

The biggest problem I believe is the practice of tracking of non-English speakers at the elementary level. Currently, if a child speaks both English and Spanish, or Spanish only, they are placed in a different class than English-speaking students.

By the end of elementary grades, many are so far behind in English, they can’t pass the English

I am a parent and grandparent and an educational advocate of 30 years who left my professional career to be that P.T.A. mom in the classroom.

For more on my diverse background please visit rc4schools.com I hope to earn your vote on or before Nov. 8.

Vote for change

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

— Lord Acton

With the Santa Barbara Unified School District’s handling of sex crimes with teachers and staff, I don’t think we can trust them with this life-changing subject.

I was one of the parents who pushed back on the Teen Talk curriculum and was shocked to see how a special interest group and one board member were able to convince the board to vote for it despite the massive pushback.

Teen Talk focuses on the howto of sex and relationships, while parents wanted the focus to be on biology and physiology. We even provided an alternative that aligns with the California Healthy Youth Act and was free. The Santa Barbara Unified school board decided it wanted to pay for a highly controversial curriculum instead.

I know California can do better, and it all starts at the local level.

Justin Shores Goleta

Los Olivos doesn’t need big government

If we do nothing, we will all get — and have to pay for — the “big government” sewer and sewage plant, and we will also pay the price of all the development that will attract.

If you want an appropriately sized, small-community system that addresses the downtown and the problematic residential area, then you have to speak up. Attend workshops, make your wishes known and exercise your right to vote!

Myth No. 2: Government must stop greedy businesses from abusing customers.

Some businesses do raise prices when storms approach. Politicians call that “illegal price gouging.” This is just dumb, if not cruel.

When storms approach, people rush to buy supplies. If stores don’t raise prices, people buy anything they might possibly need, and probably some stuff they won’t need. The first shoppers buy extra bottled

W

ith so many people not voting or participating in politics, the people currently in office survive on perception and party politics. They provide as little info as possible and will not debate or engage with dissent.

You can’t blame the voter for disengaging when local, state and federal governments have grown so massive. It is impossible to keep up without it consuming your daily life. Legislators in Sacramento hardly understand the bills they write as most are written by staff and special interest groups.

With this overall lack of awareness comes a lack of interest from the news media and general population.

After the now-infamous tapes were released of the Los Angeles City Council, we got a glimpse of how current California elected officials speak to each other and keep power through redistricting schemes. Are things any different in the Democratic Party stronghold of Santa Barbara?

Santa Barbara schools are failing our Latino population. Why? Is it the constant stream of funding that comes with adding more programs to cover up the bad outcomes? Do they want our students to stay disadvantaged, so they get more Local Control and Accountability Plan money? Is this systemic racism?

Santa Barbara City College is still locked down to more than 4,000 students of its already record low enrollment. SBCC has

Parents were crushed after working so hard to get the school board to compromise with Teen Talk; providing an alternative curriculum, over-filling board rooms with parents, emails, hundreds of signatures on petitions, in-person meetings and phone calls were all completely disregarded.

The narrative against us still is “Don’t you want health education?” and “The kids are going to have sex anyway.” The hundreds of parents who wanted the HEART curriculum were the most informed on the subject and they had strong personal beliefs against Teen Talk. These concerns should have been acknowledged and not ridiculed.

Ethnic Studies was introduced with little pushback as a studentled movement through local nonprofit organizations.

After the sex curriculum fight was lost so badly, who wanted to be labeled a racist just to have the school ignore their concerns?

Unfortunately, like a lot of policy, Ethnic Studies is not really what it promises. One example of this is the book, “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” required in English 9: Ethnic Studies.

The book is a coming-ofage story in which Ari is peerpressured into drugs and a sexual relationship with his best friend. He also considers heroin and foreshadows future use (pages 205, 206). I will not go into more

Hello, neighbors! My name is Tom Nelson, and I am running to fill one of the open four-year seats on the Los Olivos Community Service District because I know I can balance our town’s pressing need for a costeffective groundwater solution and our similarly pressing need to preserve the historic and rural character of our community.

Back in 2018, I opposed forming the LOCSD. Why? Because I thought that we did not need more government. Instead, we only needed to build a sewer for our town and just connect into a neighboring community service district or city’s system, and all would be good.

Guess what. I was wrong! When I saw that 76% of Los Olivos voters decided to form the LOCSD, I knew my neighbors did not want a large-scale system, and I was curious to learn more.

When the LOCSD was formed, it was already established that a “phased” system was the preferred approach for our community. The commercial core was Phase 1, the adjacent smalllot residences were Phase 2, and the remaining residential lots were Phase 3. The plan was to start with Phases 1 and 2, using a collection system and compact package plant in, or near, the downtown core.

The system now installed at Mattei’s has since proven that this is perfectly do-able. That, and several other factors, helped me see the importance of local governance for this local issue.

First, an old-fashioned sewer for the entire district is not compatible with our way of life or our uses of this land. Large-scale

My desire to help preserve our historic town and contain the costs of this project led me to seek appointment to fill the LOCSD board seat that opened up just a couple of months ago, and I am asking for your vote so I can help get us back to work on the right plan for our community.

Thomas A. Nelson Los Olivos

Troubling questions over election

I s it lawful for Santa Barbara County Elections to count ballots before Election Day?

On 10/17/2022, I received a text message from BallotTrax, a Denver Colorado company that my ballot had been received and counted already.

Santa Barbara County is single party-controlled at all levels of government including the Elections Office.

Early counting can enable the Santa Barbara County Elections Staff to receive vote count updates to in turn tell partisan party leaders how to target ballot harvesting, canvassing and voters. Ballot counts are updated, maybe daily, to know exactly how many votes are needed by a candidate or proposition by district to win.

My understanding as per the U.S. Constitution is that only state legislatures and state courts have the constitutional authority to determine exactly how elections are conducted.

Is there California legislation related to counting ballots early, hiring an out of state firm to process ballots, or to close some of our local in-person precinct voting locations? Is there any remedy for concerned locals?

Denice Spangler Adams Montecito

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Rosanne Crawford Candidate for Santa Barbara County Board of Education, Trustee Area-1

Editor’s note: Justin Shores is founder of Stand Up Santa Barbara.

Please see MALKIN on

Michelle Malkin

John Stossel

Please see STOSSEL on C4

Central Asia is important but largely ignored

‘Justtoo many ‘Stans.”

So declared a sizable Englishman in the dining room of the National Liberal Club in London about three decades ago, in the wake of the dramatic disintegration of the Soviet Union. His voice was rather loud, reflecting the frustration of trying to keep in mind a complicated new geography.

A variety of members and guests were having dinner, convivial and engaged in their own conversations. Nonetheless, this writer, dining alone on a business trip, took sympathetic note of the remark.

A lot of complexity, in other words, did indeed emerge in Central Asia, thanks to President Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union undertaking dramatic reforms that fatally weakened the already-crumbling structures of that enormous nation.

The Soviet Union comprised a number of Soviet republics in addition to Russia, the largest. They included what is now Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan along with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine.

All these entities are now independent nations.

That is indeed a lot of ‘”Stans,” especially when you add neighboring states such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. They represent an analytic as well as practical policy challenge even for the most skillful businessperson, diplomat, military professional, politician or anyone else charged with coping with that enormous complex organizational and political as well as physical landscape.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia is now trying hard to harness this constellation of countries into a working coalition that will bolster his badly weakened position.

On Oct.14, he made a major policy speech in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, to the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia . The 28 members include Russia and some of the former Soviet states and also China, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, South Korea, Turkey, Vietnam and others.

President Putin warned in his speech that the Ukraine war represents an effort by the United States and other Western nations

to expand influence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Rationalizing Russia’s invasion as self-defense is a lie.

During the same two-day visit to Astana, Mr. Putin participated in the first Central Asia Summit. This meeting, organized by Russia, also included the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Arthur I. Cyr

Additionally, President Putin held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. Both nations now communicate regularly with Iran, including occasional summits.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan proposed the CICA initiative in the fall of 1992. He served as head of that country from independence in 1991 until forced to resign in 2019 amid allegations of corruption and public protests, a sign of the times in Central Asia and elsewhere. President Nazarbayev remains a powerful figure even while out of office.

Of particular note is the continuing fitful armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region of NagornoKarabakh, fueled by traditional

ethnic hostilities. A ceasefire established in 1994 broke down in 2020, resulting in brief but fullscale war.

Renewed armistice is tenuous. On Oct. 12, President Emmanuel Macron of France accused President Putin of provoking armed clashes in order to destabilize the region. Mr. Putin’s meddling is spurred in part by Russia’s weak, deteriorating economy.

“The Great Game” refers to the long-term competition between Great Britain and Imperial Russia for influence in Central Asia in the 19th century. The fellow in the National Liberal Club echoed the challenges involved.

American foreign policy should emulate Britain’s traditional approach. We need disciplined, focused leadership not seen since President George H.W. Bush.

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.

Homes in flood zones are more likely to flood

STOSSEL

Continued from

water, generators, sandbags, etc.

Stores sell out, so only the quickest customers get what they need.

But if stores raise prices for items in demand, fewer people hoard, and more people get what they need. Yes, it’s tough on poorer people, but the price boosts give stores extra incentive to restock. Prices quickly come back down.

Banning price increases harms more people.

After Hurricane Katrina, when John Shepperson learned that parts of Mississippi lost power, he bought 19 generators, left the safety of his home and drove 600 miles to the disaster area. He offered to sell his generators for twice what he

paid for them. People were eager to buy.

But Mississippi police called that “gouging.” They jailed Shepperson and confiscated his generators.

I bet the cops used the generators themselves.

What the law calls “gouging” is just supply and demand. It saves lives.

Myth No. 3: Hurricanes are getting worse.

The media say, “Storms are getting worse because of human caused climate change!” Are these “climate experts” sure it’s “humancaused”? All of it? Never mind.

When I showed a video of reporters talking about hurricanes getting stronger to the late climatologist Pat Michaels, he shouted, “No, they aren’t! Look at all the hurricanes around the planet. We can see them since 1970

because we’ve got global satellite coverage. We can measure their power ... There is no significant increase.” There isn’t.

Even our government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration admits, “There is no strong evidence of century-scale increasing trends in U.S. ... major hurricanes.”

There may be evidence in the future. But there isn’t now. That doesn’t stop media fools from saying there is.

Myth No. 4: America must have government flood insurance. After all, private flood insurance costs “too much.”

But private insurers charge more for good reason: Homes in flood zones are more likely to flood.

That’s why federal flood insurance is a scam and a handout

that rips off taxpayers. I should know. I once built a house near the ocean.

It was a stupid idea. The ocean was a stone’s throw away.

Private insurers wanted fat premiums. I couldn’t afford that. I wouldn’t have built had I not discovered cheap government insurance. Thanks, Uncle Sam!

Ten years later, my house washed away. It was upsetting, but I didn’t lose money. You covered my loss.

I won’t do it again, but others will.

Until we learn the myths about government “help,” we’ll keep making the same costly mistakes.

Every Tuesday, John Stossel posts a new video about the battle between government and freedom at JohnStossel.com.

Our allies loved us and our enemies hated us

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Continued from

Christmas Eve 2009. Again, the world took notice as America’s free market healthcare was snatched away from them by a group of Washington progressive politicians.

“I promise. Once we pass the bill and you take the time to read it, you will like it.”

— Speaker Nancy Pelosi

During Obama’s first term, it became obvious that he cared more about politics than about policies for America. And voters rebelled. Democrats suffered huge losses in state legislatures and governorships. They also lost the House after two years.

President Obama’s partisan politics and progressive social policies handcuffed American democracy. This increased our

decline on the world freedom index.

America prospered under President Donald Trump, with the lowest unemployment and best economy in five decades. Yet the media did their best to negatively influence world opinion about Mr. Trump’s leadership.

Our allies loved us and our enemies hated us, and the media turned this into a global double negative.

“I took this job for one reason. I wanted to make America a great nation again.”

— President Donald Trump

The Great Recession and President Obama’s change rhetoric gave socialists and progressives a voice on the world stage that has tainted global opinion about American democracy. It has not only affected our democratic republic, but it has shown the world we are

vulnerable to factions and not dependable.

For the last two years, America has been run by a progressive trifecta that has accelerated its decline on the World Freedom index. Free world nations are expressing concern about censorship, increased violence, out-of-control spending, selfinflicted inflation and one political party dominating policy. This is not the America that they once admired for its democratic strength as a world power.

When a country that was energy independent just two years ago, has its president visiting rogue nations like Venezuela begging President Nicolás Maduro to produce more oil to sell to America, the world is not impressed. This makes America lose face with our allies as well as our enemies!

Edmund Burke said, “Democracy must be defended every day.”

A recent Pan-European survey shows since Joe Biden took office, the U.K. and the majority of EU member states think the U.S. political system is in trouble, and Europe can no longer rely on the U.S. They now look to Berlin rather than Washington as their most important partner. They fear that China will soon take over as the world’s superpower, and America will not be capable of defending world democracy any longer.

The progressive trifecta has broken our democracy and the world is taking notice. We can’t defend foreign democracies if we cannot defend ours. Are we ready to start doing that, or will we continue down the progressive path of democratic destruction?

“The best way to protect and to defend world democracy is to demonstrate to them how well it works for us here in America.”

– Jimmy Carter

Some trees on the eastern end must be removed

DONOVAN

Continued from Page C1

garage in high heels at 11:30 at night, a couple of scooters whizzed past.

They hollered, “Watch out on the left …” What if the pedestrian moved out of the way into the left? “Sorr-ry.” We wonder where the city planners in San Francisco take their cue. Are they also products of the Berkeley Institute of Transportation?

Speaking of a path to destruction.

Now what we see on the veritable chopping block are the famous stretch of Canary Island palm trees that grace Modoc Road and resemble a painting. These are the irreplaceable Canary Island Palm heritage trees that were planted by Pearl Chase’s brother, Harold over a hundred years ago. They could tragically be chopped down and destroyed in one afternoon.

The magic trick is understanding Santa Barbara County’s shell game and just what is behind doors 1, 2 and 3. How many trees are being removed under each plan?

The Community Association for the Modoc Preserve, which is 4,400 strong in its petition drive to save the trees, have proposed Greenbelt Alignments, which is a ¾

mile extension of the Obern Trail, instead of the county’s Alignment A or B. And of course, what lies under the county’s shells is the number of trees to be axed.

Chris Sneddon, the Santa Barbara County deputy director of transportation, and Morgan Jones say engineering made significant changes to the earlier plans, which would remove X number of trees, according to the different options. Mr. Sneddon says the current numbers for tree removal are accurate. And because the stakeholders were heard, the numbers were scaled back.

However, he stated some trees on the eastern end must be removed, which are the very Canary Island palms trees.

Warren Thomas of CAMP begs to differ and noted that the Canary Island palm trees can be saved, with an outcome that is a better and safer experience for equestrians and pedestrians.

According to the La Cumbre Water Co, “the project’s impacts to the Conservation easement area and the Modoc Preserve are not limited to physical ground disturbance or tree removal.

The county should evaluate the environmental impacts caused by lighting, water management conflicts with existing uses,

utility infrastructure and utility easements.”

A high-pressure natural gas pipeline crosses the eastern end of the project area. This gas line lies underneath the proposed 14-foot wide multi-use asphalt path. The Mitigated Negative Declaration is considered by many to be incomplete and inaccurate.

For example, native oak trees are omitted in the County’s revised MND Alignment A tables and maps.

Two divisive factions are at stake in the preservation of the historic trees along Modoc Road to be sacrificed for a multi-use path.

Recreational bicyclists are in league with Santa Barbara County Transportation vs. the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County, the La Cumbre Mutual Water Co. and townsfolk driving to school, to work, to soccer practice, the grocery store, and many more residents who drive or walk in the area.

The bottom line: Does the county hear people as they listen to the public engagement and outreach? (As all government entities vow they do.) And do they pay heed to what the townspeople/residents want?

It’s about more than perception this time, but reputations and public trust, as well as the many beautiful, iconic trees are also at stake. The Board of Supervisors will be voting

on this matter on Nov. 1.

Did you know the green bike stripes in the middle of State Street are being removed? It turns out the issue of the biker’s right of way trumped over what had been sold as the “pedestrian promenade.” Go figure. What was the cost to paint the green sections, anyway? And now what will it cost for their removal? We would like to know. We recall $250,000 was spent on bollards and plastic planters, placed in the middle of the promenade. Oh, and now more free parking is being taken away.

The city is adding a handicapped spot on the 00 block’s crossing of State Street along the promenade. After all, with the rush to promenade State Street, equity no longer existed for the elderly and the handicapped to be dropped off in front of their destination. Safety first!

By the way, the Mesa Café parklet, located on private property, had to be removed because the COVID-19 pandemic is over. Will State Street follow suit?

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

Where is the Department of Justice?

ZEPKE

Continued from Page C1

destroyed by Ian be considered “disadvantaged?”

Not really, because the MBDA defines “disadvantaged” by race. For example, here are the races that qualify as “disadvantaged” and their percentages of the California population in 2018: African Americans, 5.8%; Hispanics, 22.9%; American Indians, 0.8%; Asians 14.7%; Pacific Islanders 0.4%; other races, 5.8%, and mixed, 13%.

Amazingly, while many of the programs silently practice discrimination, the MBDA actually provides that the “all white-owned businesses are presumed to be ‘not disadvantaged’,” which in California is 37%.

Here are a few programs with the same race-based definition of “disadvantaged.”

In 2021, they instituted a farmer loan forgiveness program of $4 billion to help only black farmers and “other socially disadvantaged producers” with 120% of outstanding U.S. Department of Agriculture loans, meaning that not only would the loans be expunged but the USDA would add a 20% cash kicker. Notice the use of “socially disadvantaged” instead of “business disadvantaged.”

A Florida judge blocked this program.

A Restaurant Revitalization Fund prioritized “disadvantage” restaurant owners. The Sixth Circuit ruled that the program administered by the Small Business Administration was unconstitutionally based on race and sex.

A Homeowner Assistance Fund with flexible standards for only “disadvantaged” homeowners of $9.961 billion as part of the American Rescue Plan administered by the Treasury Department.

A $37 billion infrastructure fund for “disadvantaged” federal contractors. It appears the administration is indicating the it discriminates based on race since it is the one who signs these contracts.

It appears that the USDA, SBA and the Treasury Department would be practicing systemic racism if the Equality Under Law Project had not obtained the favorable court orders, one substantial programmatic change and one legislative repeal. How many more similar programs are there?

The only apparent benefit of Hurricane Ian appears to be that the vice president’s definition of “disadvantaged” under FEMA connected the administration’s fixation with climate change, despite the conclusions of the Hurricane Center of the NOAA, and race, despite it being illegal under the Constitution and laws of the U.S.

Where is the Department of Justice?

The reality is that when everybody in the room is defined as “disadvantaged” except you, then you are the one who is “disadvantaged.”

Hopefully in Florida, FEMA will not use race to prioritize the aid for the “disadvantaged.”

Longer term it appears that the needs of citizens will become at least as important as climate change, and equality can only be achieved by voting these leaders out.

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

The same old same old keep getting voted in

SCHULTE

Continued from Page C2

compromised by China or Russia despite all the illegitimate and illegal efforts to prove otherwise.

Those were the days if you didn’t want an unknown and untested vaccine injected in your body, you could say no. You wouldn’t lose your job, be chastised, or locked up. Those days really meant, “my body, my choice.”

How many of you have told yourself, your spouse, your friends, voting in California is a waste of time? The results are already in before your ballot reaches the counting machines. Many of us have said that for years. And we’re always reminded of it because the same old same old keep getting voted in.

We continue down the path of recklessness and watch our state fall apart. Yet, we still

vote. We must.

We have a chance again to begin the slogging journey back to those good old days of 2020.

We have the power to put the brakes on rampant homelessness, slow down the violence, close the border, become energy independent again and not worry if the power will go out. We can stop the government from telling us what we can drive, not force us to take something we don’t want. We can hire politicians who work for the people, not the other way around.

Vote in the Nov. 8 election by using common sense, not ideology. If you don’t do it for yourself, think of your kids and grandkids. They’re going to have to live in this new inverted world.

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

‘Furry allows you to try out different identities’

MALKIN

Continued from Page C3

used during lockdowns.)

Despite the long electronic trail of complaints and alarms, left-wing activist and Colorado Times Recorder propagandist Heidi Beedle slammed GOP gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl in a hit piece titled “Ganahl Falsely Claims that Kids Are ‘Identifying as Cats ... All Over Colorado & Schools Are Tolerating It.’”

What Ms. Beedle and the publication fail to disclose is that Ms. Beedle is — not making this up — an apologist for furries who penned a 2,000-plus word celebration of the “oftmisunderstood community” in 2018 for the Colorado Springs Independent. She highlighted a 16-year-old “wolfdog” named “Avedis” whose parents drive him to “all-ages meetups” and quoted “Chip,” a “DenFur” convention staffer who explained that “(w)hile furry is not an exclusively LGBTQ phenomenon, it skews pretty gay due to its obvious LGBTQ appeal.”

“Furry allows you to try out different identities,” the wolfman

told Ms. Beedle. “If you’re not sure if you’re gay, you can roleplay as a gay character. If you’re not sure if you’re trans, you can role-play as a different gender. Furry allows you to experiment.”

Rolling Stone chronicled the spread of this “longmisunderstood subculture” (gee, that sounds familiar) to young TikTok viewers in 2019. Dr. Cynthia Morton, a high school counselor, blogged on “Making a Safe Place for Students Who Identify as Furries, Therians, and Otherkins” back in 2018. Now that parents are blowing the whistle on this filthy infiltration, gaslighters pretend we’re the ones with mental illness and demand that families doxx their own children instead of holding public safety menaces in the schools accountable for their “diversity” perversity. Never forget: You are not crazy. They are.

Michelle Malkin’s email address is michellemalkinInvestigates@ protonmail.com. To find out more about Michelle Malkin and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators. com.