Santa Barbara News-Press: December 06, 2020 by Santa Barbara News-Press

An unusual Christmas tree

A repeat in Tinseltown? Our Mark Patton looks at the Lakers’ offseason moves - A4

Our 165th Year

Santa Barbara resident finds humor during pandemic - B1

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SU N DAY, DE C E M BE R 6 , 2 0 2 0

Maker’s Market at Paseo Nuevo

Stay-at-home order to take effect tonight

Downtown outdoor shop features local artisans with handmade gifts By GRAYCE MCCORMICK

A three-week, regional stay-athome order for Santa Barbara County will go into effect tonight, as the Southern California Region has reached ICU capacity levels below 15%. Late Friday night, officials with the California Department of Public Health notified the Santa Barbara County Health Department that the region had dropped below the ICU capacity. As of Friday, the region’s ICU bed capacity was at 13.1% and was projected to be at 12.5% on Saturday. “I am dismayed, but not surprised, that the ICU capacity decreased so drastically and quickly in the Southern California region,” Dr. Van Do-Reynoso, public health director for Santa Barbara County, said in a

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The years-long Maker’s Market at Paseo Nuevo Shops and Restaurants is still alive and well on State Street, and provides an outdoor, COVIDsafe environment for residents to Christmas shop, all while supporting local businesses. With more than a dozen vendors selling everything from homemade bags, clothing, paintings, books, jewelry, decorations, beauty products, soaps, desserts and, of course, handmade face masks, the market caters to all ages and all walks of life. Jaci Browdy owns her own seamstressing business called SweetMello, using only reusable fabric products to try to eliminate waste. She’s been tabling at Maker’s Market since it began around three years ago, and was selling her products on Saturday. “I come from at least three generations of seamstresses,” Mrs. Browdy told the NewsPress. “I don’t have a marketing background; I don’t have a business background. “You learn as you go. You have to be ever changing, and sometimes you’ve got to work from sunup to sundown,” she said. “I don’t have days off, but it’s what I love to do and it’s totally worth it.” Her reusable goods include food bags, paper towels, napkins, travel bags, lanyards, cable holders and more, unique with brightly-colored patterns. Many of her items are also reversible. When COVID-19 hit, she began making face masks, and said she sold thousands online from March 30 to the end of April. While the pandemic halted the Maker’s Market for several weeks, Mrs. Browdy said business has still been good. “I feel like because it’s outside, people are willing to go outside,” she said. “If we were an indoor market, it wouldn’t work.” SweetMello products are all

Please see STAY-AT-HOME on A6

Local winemaker honored by Wine Enthusiast

Shoppers walk through the Maker’s Market at the Paseo Nuevo shopping mall in downtown Santa Barbara.

under $25, and the cheapest items start at $2. To view her stock of reusable goods, visit sweetmello.com. Sean Duffy was previously an English teacher in Ventura, but now holds fundraisers and book fairs for “Duffy’s Book Biz.” He and his wife are educational representatives with Usborne Books & More, and he curates children’s books that pique childrens’ interest and get them excited to read. The majority of the books are interactive, popup books that allow for hands-on, tactile learning. Mr. Duffy said he came up with the idea when he noticed the education system focusing too much on test grades than the learning process. “At one point, I thought, ‘This is too much for me,’” he told the News-Press. “There’s a lot of politics, and unfortunately, I think the kids suffer because of

By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Jaci Browdy sells reusable goods from her SweetMello stand at the Maker’s Market.

that. “We’re doing these kids a disservice — they’re not robots, they’re actually human beings. It’s supposed to be fun.”

From activity books to internet-linked science to history encyclopedias, Mr. Duffy hopes his books excite kids and make Please see MARKET on A3

The cofounder and winemaker of Brewer-Clifton, Greg Brewer, became the first winemaker in Santa Barbara County to be named “Winemaker of the Year” as part of Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 2020 Wine Star Awards. “Winemaker of the Year” is one of the most prestigious global wine industry awards that honors individuals who make outstanding contributions to the wine world. Stacking up 30 years of experience, including mapping, defining and establishing his own label, Mr. Brewer is one of the most revered winemakers in the state, with his Pinot Noir and Chardonnay bottlings consistently ranking among the most highlyPlease see WINEMAKER on A7

COURTESY PHOTO

The cofounder and winemaker of Brewer-Clifton, Greg Brewer, became the first winemaker in Santa Barbara County to be named “Winemaker of the Year.”

LOTTERY

ins id e Classified............... A6 Life.................... B1, 4

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statement. “The sharp decrease in ICU capacity is a consequence of the increasing case rates we have been seeing throughout the state and region.” According to the order, the following industry sectors must close as of 11:59 p.m. tonight: indoor and outdoor playgrounds; indoor recreational facilities; hair salons and barbershops; personal care services; museums, zoos and aquariums; movie theaters; wineries; bars, breweries and distilleries; family entertainment centers; cardrooms and satellite wagering; limited services; live audience sports; and amusement parks. The order does not apply to the county’s two drive-in movie theaters in Goleta and Santa Maria. The following sectors will have additional modifications, in

‘Winemaker of the Year’ KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

By MITCHELL WHITE NEWS-PRESS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Obituaries............. A8 Sudoku................. B2 Weather................ A8

Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 1-13-30-35-40 Meganumber: 2

Saturday’s DAILY 4: 3-6-7-1

Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 3-19-24-44-50 Meganumber: 8

Saturday’s FANTASY 5: 15-24-29-34-39

Saturday’s DAILY DERBY: 04-02-12 Time: 1:42.11

Saturday’s POWERBALL: 3-4-6-48-53 Meganumber: 10

Saturday’s DAILY 3: 4-8-2 / Sunday’s Midday 8-0-9

,OCAL

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

#NEWS /5.49 .%73

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

Forest Service extends state-wide campsite and picnic area closures Fire breaks out at coffee shop

SANTA BARBARA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A small fire broke out at the Daily Grind, at 2001 De La Vina St., on Saturday afternoon, authorities said. The fire was reported just before 5 p.m. in the rear of the building. An employee discovered the fire in the dryer area and smoke quickly filled up the back of the building, said Battalion Chief Jim McCoy, spokesman for the Santa Barbara City Fire CHRISTIAN WHITTLE Department. WS-PRESS STAFF WRITER Crews arrived on scene and quickly doused the fire. The fire caused just minor damage Developed recreation in California will reand was contained to sites the rear of the building. in closed through 15 after the USDA ForNo injuries wereMay reported. Service issued an order the closures The cause of the fire is extending under investigation. ursday. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Mitchell The order was issued for the entire PacificWhite Southst Region and its 18 National Forests, which indes the Los Padres National Forest. The initial closure order went into effect March 26 d was set to expire April 30. t applied toBARBARA recreational areasinstallation such as campSANTA â&#x20AC;&#x201D;use Conduit unds, use sites and picnic areas. workday is continuing on portions of Santa The order Street was issued toofdiscourage gatherBarbara as part the FY20Blarge Pavement sMaintenance of people andProject. promote safe social distancing of work began Nov.apart. 3, with the new yingThe more than six feet conduit Ranger and wiring aimed12 at campnunderground the Santa Barbara District, ensuring reliable traffic signal operations in unds and picnic areas will remain closed, includthe area. Most of the existing equipment is 50and the Fremont campground and White Rock d Rock picnic areas. The order Thursday does not add to the closures eady in place for Santa Barbara. While other arlike the Monterey Ranger District have closed ilheads and forest roads, locals will still have acs to the many Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Bar-

Pavement project continues

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Police to conduct DUI checkpoint

COUNTY CASES

COUNTY CITIES

496

SOUTH UNINCORP. SANTA BARBARA GOLETA ISLA VISTA GOLETA VLY/GAVIOTA SANTA YNEZ VALLEY LOMPOC LOMPOC FED. PRISON SANTA MARIA ORCUTT NORTH UNINCORP. PENDING

CONFIRMED OVERALL

ANNOUNCED THURSDAY

4,470

TESTS TO DATE

111.8

RATE PER 100,000

Chuckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Waterfront Grill and Endless Summer Bar Cafe close permanently

to 60 years old and near the end of its service Checkpoint locations are chosen based on life, according to city officials. a history of DUI-related crashes and arrests. Detours in the surrounding areas will be The primary purpose of checkpoints is not in effect to minimize construction duration to make arrests, but to promote public safety and disruption to normal traffic flow. Traffic by deterring drivers from driving impaired, control and temporary delays should be police said. expected along Santa Barbara Street and During the checkpoint, officers will look for associated cross streets. Access will be signs that drivers are under the influence of maintained for residents and businesses, alcohol or drugs. although temporary disruptions should be â&#x20AC;&#x153;The safety of our community is and always anticipated, especially while paving activities will be our mission,â&#x20AC;? Sgt. Michael McGehee are taking place. said in a statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are still out there Road closures and detours are expected at in the middle of a pandemic because driving the following dates and locations: Dec. 10 to 11, under the influence is still dangerous and puts By JOSH GREGA Brekkies by Chomp, and Mortensenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Danish Bakery. bara Front Country trails and access roads. Santa Barbara andseeing Anapamu streets; Dec.are 16 doing a further strain on critical NEWS-PRESS STAFFresources.â&#x20AC;? WRITER The initial lease for the Chuckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Endless Sumâ&#x20AC;&#x153;What weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a lot of folks is to 18, Garden and Anapamu streets; and Jan. 4 The Santa Maria Police Department theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re driving up alongside of the road and just gomer property is 10 years with four, five-year options to to 6, Santa Barbara and Micheltorena streets. reminds the public that impaired driving More than 20 years after they first opened, Chuckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ÂŠ 2020 Ashleigh Brilliant,extend 117 W. Valerio CAlease. 93101 (catalog $5). www.ashleighbrilliant.com ing hikessigns up there. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ok. at Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not an order the Santa termBarbara of the No for parking will be posted least 72 is not just from alcohol. Some prescription Waterfront Grill and The Endless Summer Bar CafĂŠ are against hiking trails,â&#x20AC;? saidand Andew Madsen, ForMr. Petersen is inheriting the existing lease with hours prior to construction detour signs U.S.medications or over-the-counter drugs may permanently closed.follow On the morning of April 30 the wa- only the four, five-year options remaining, with an estbe Service spokesman. will in place. The city has contracted with interfere with driving. Always directions restaurant announced its closure with a fare- average seasonally adjusted base rent of $23,585 per Granite who sure is working on go out theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re for use andterfront read warning labels about driving â&#x20AC;&#x153;WeConstruction, just want to make if people well post on its Instagram account. the project in conjunction withanother. Earthbound heavy machinery,â&#x20AC;? which safely spaced between one If you getor toâ&#x20AC;&#x153;operating a month. 7KLQN +RSSHU ,QVXUDQFH 6HUYLFHV Theapost read, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is with and heavy hearts that we anElectric. Theand project is funded through driving car. While medicinal trailhead thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just too many cars there,includes you Though Mr. Petersen plans to continue running Measure C. a different area to go to as opposed torecreational marijuana are closed legal, driving nounce we have our doors for good. Thank you Chuckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Endless Summer in line with its current should find try $ ! % under the influence of marijuana is illegal, for your constant support. The memories will never be operation ing to get in.â&#x20AC;? for a time, the restaurant has upgrades â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Mitchell White police said.forgotten.â&#x20AC;? ! ! As state and local responses to the coronavirus planned for around the fall. According to the agenda, Drivers charged with face economic an averagechaos due to the COVDespite theDUI current pandemic continue to evolve, the Forest Serviceoffelt under Mr. Petersenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business plan the second floor of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a ID-19 pandemic, the prospect of Chuckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Endless the establishment ,QVXUDQFH 6HUYLFHV that the situation warranted a two week extension of will be converted into a traditional suspended license. %RE +RSSHU 3K ' ceasing operation dates FundingSummer for this program was provided byback to before the out- deli cafĂŠ the closures, said Mr. Madsen. focused on sandwiches, soups, and salads, /LF break. AccordingOffice to the of agenda of a March 24 Santa Bar- with a gourmet grocery area selling wine, beer, and a grant from the California Traffic â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the end of that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll evaluate and see where SANTA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; TheorSanta Mariagoing Police bara the CityNational Council Highway meeting in which assignment the prepackaged Safety, through Traffic of # weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at MARIA and whether not weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re to continue foods. For evenings, the second floor will | +RSSHU,QVXUDQFH6HUYLFHV FRP " item, Department will conduct a DUI checkpoint Safety Administration. restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lease to a new operator was the first as we need it,â&#x20AC;? said Mr. Madsen. have a full bar and a dinner menu focusing on â&#x20AC;&#x153;adult from 6 p.m. Dec. 18 to 3 a.m. Dec. 19 at an Chuckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Endless Summer co-owner Steve Hyslop food and beverages.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;This order can be rescinded at any time. If local undisclosed location within city limits. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Mitchell White of his desire to informed the Waterfront Department health officials say it looks like the sky has cleared up The restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ground floor is proposed to be simsell the establishment in August 2019. we can rescind the order tomorrow. For right now, we ilar to Mr. Petersenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chomp restaurants. Its menu of After receiving the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lease assignment burgers, fries, and shakes will cater to families, young donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to extend it out too far. requirements, Mr. Hyslop began searching for a new adults, and retirees, and for evenings will be converted â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just want to make sure in the next couple of buyer and ultimately found it in businessman Aaron to a â&#x20AC;&#x153;dinner type atmosphere.â&#x20AC;? weeks as we monitor whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on that we are takPetersen, who operates a number of restaurants in Soling the appropriate steps along with our state and vang including Chomp, The Coffee House by Chomp, email: jgrega@newspress.com local partners.â&#x20AC;?

COUNTY AGES 22 57 7 1 13 5 84 106 135 36 25 5

0-17 18-29 30-49 50-69 70-PLUS

21 84 183 167 41

COUNTY STATUS AT HOME 75 RECOVERED 376 HOSPITALIZED 33 INTENSIVE CARE UNIT 12 HEALTHCARE WORKERS 66

CA. AT A GLANCE

50,410 / 1,582 CASES OVERALL / THURS.

2,044 / 90 DEATHS OVERALL / THURS. TOP 3 IN COUNTIES LOS ANGELES RIVERSIDE SAN DIEGO

23,233 4,031 3,564

ÂŠ 2020 Ashleigh Brilliant, 117 W. Valerio Santa Barbara CA 93101 (catalog $5). www.ashleighbrilliant.com

NICK MASUDA / NEWS-PRESS GRAPHIC

Beaches remain open after all; county announces 11 new COVID cases, largest since last week

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

A group of people march up State Street on Friday night protesting the ongoing lockdown and the regional stay-at-home order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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Carbajal votes to reform federal marijuana policy, expunge non-violent convictions

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The Santa Barbara County PubKENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS Health Department announced new confirmed COVID-19 cases The weather will be sunny and in the 70s this weekend along the South Coast. The groupbringing held signs for residents to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Take Back California,â&#x20AC;? with other signs claiming that masks provide a â&#x20AC;&#x153;false sense of securityâ&#x20AC;? Thursday, the calling countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in preventing the spread of COVID-19. are confirmed COVID-19 positive. al to 495. er than in person. Cottage Health, * Of 16 patients in isolation, 6 pat was the largest number in The couple will still have to be tients are in critical care. $BMJGPSOJB USVMZ NBUUFST BOE re than a week, with all but one physically present within Califor- by the numbers A look atnon-violent the statusfederal of Cottage * Cottage has collected 3,577 cuming from the North County. nia and provide whatever proofand expunges federal level through Thursday: mulative test samples: 206 resulted The number of healthcare work- the county clerk may require. They Health drug convictions.â&#x20AC;? Rep. Carbajal said in a * Cottage Health is caring statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(Friday), we voted to finally reversefor a in GPS UIF QVOEJUT BOE UIF DBNQBJHOT positive, 3,124 resulted in negainfected with the virus grew must also present photo identificadecades of discriminatory policy,all invest total of 205marijuana patients across cam- tive, and 247 are pending. In most ain on Thursday, moving to 66. tion. in the most affected by the failed war of these tests, patients did not reThe number still recovering at is The license can then be communities issued puses. on drugs, and allow for aare well-regulated industry220 to * 153 acute care patients; quire hospital admission. w just 75. via email. grow our economy.â&#x20AC;? acute care beds remain available. Adults who wish to be married The MORE Act includes three significant changes * In surge planning, capacity is canCarbajal, also conduct a ceremony to regarding WASHINGTON, D.C. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Rep. Salud to federal law marijuana. These include: COVID-19, by the ov. Newsom allows UIF FJHIU QSFTJEFOUT FMFDUFE JO UIF identified for adding 270 acute care solemnize the marriage, as long as D-Santa Barbara, voted Friday to pass the Marijuna removing cannabis from the list of federally beds. authorizing the provision of Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement controlled substances; both partiesAct. are present, and have numbers rtual marriages votethatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marked theto first time aat chamber of witness who resources, funded *byOf anthe excise on marijuana, to 153 tax patients, 9 patients least one can join A look at nationwide and worldn aThe move sure bring Congress has voted to decriminalize marijuana at address the needs the ventilators; community that have been wide numbers through Wednesday: areof on 66 ventilators ief to Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engaged cou- the live video conference. the federal level. impacted by theavailable war on drugs; increasing remain (adult, pediatric The order will lastseriously for 60 days * In the United States, therePHOTO are s, Gov. Gavin Newsom signedmarijuana an COURTESY â&#x20AC;&#x153;For too long, our federal policy has the participationand of communities of color in the "DF 4NJUI JT B %FNPDSBUJD QPMJUJDBM neonatal ventilators) and is subject to the discretion of 1,095,210 confirmed cases with ecutive order Thursday that will Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa lagged behind popular public opinion and the growing cannabis market; and expunging low-level * Of the 153 patients, 16 are in iso- 63,861 deaths and 155,737 havethe fulow adultsembraced to obtain by marriage li- the county Barbara, voted Friday to pass policies forward-thinking statesclerk. like federal marijuana convictions and arrests. lation with COVID-19 symptoms; 7 lyMarijuna recovered. Opportunity Reinvestment nses via videoconferencing California. The MORE Actrathis a long overdue measure which decriminalizes marijuana at the â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Mitchell White and Expungement Act.

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n a dramatic change after a dnesday night memo from the ifornia Police Chiefs Associan indicated that Gov. Newsom uld be closing all beaches and te parks, the governor indicated t only beaches in Orange County uld be suffering that fate. Bottom line, that was their mo. That memo never got to ,â&#x20AC;? Gov. Newsom said at his daily ess conference. That allows Santa Barbara Counand the city of Santa Barbara to ntinue to govern the beaches ng the South Coast, which will main open, as long as physical tancing is followed. Those that are doing good work, want to reward that work,â&#x20AC;? Gov. wsom said.

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‘A lot of people still want to come out so there’s still a decent amount of foot traffic’ MARKET

Continued from Page A1 learning fun. “It doesn’t seem like you’re just drilling learning into them,” he said. “They read and do something. The more you can do that, the more you get their interest and the more they want to be there.” To learn more about his business or to shop his curated collection, visit DuffysBookBiz. com. Kennedy Bretz is a UCSB student, and Saturday marked her third time tabling at the Maker’s Market. Her brand, Art from the Heart, is a collection of various paintings, pieces of clothing with artsy additions and handmade soaps and candles.

“They’re made sustainably, so they use ingredients that are natural for the environment and they’re made mindfully for the environment as well,” Ms. Bretz told the News-Press. “I incorporate my paintings into the business too because I love to paint.” She donates 10% of purchases to a different charity every month, decided by a vote on the brand’s Instagram page: @ kb.artfromtheheart. While she doesn’t know what it’s like selling without a pandemic going on, she said business has still been good. “It’s a little easier for me because I’m lucky selling soaps, so people don’t mind touching them because they know they’re clean,” Ms. Bretz said. “A lot of people still want to come out so there’s still a decent amount of foot traffic going

Sean Duffy sells pop-up, interactive children’s books from his stand, “Duffy’s Book Biz” during the Maker’s Market.

Jody Nelson and Barry Remis, COAST educators at Hollister School, prepare for bicycle helmet and rechargeable light distribution.

COURTESY PHOTO

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020

Fundraiser to benefit Freedom Warming Centers

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Taki Gold sells perfume, jackets and other goods from his stand during the Maker’s Market.

on on State Street.” Her art pieces and sustainable soaps and candles can be found on her Etsy Shop page: kbartfromtheheart. Taki Gold and his brand, World of Taki Gold, were also tabling on Saturday for the second weekend in a row. Mr. Gold grew up in the violent Liberian Civil War, and witnessed many tragedies between 1989 and 1994. His goal now with World of Taki Gold is to represent an artistic way of expressing the transformation of personal wars into art, fashion and music. His slogan is “Make war beautiful.” “I was 6 years old and in a civil war in Liberia, and the women that were in my group explained war to me through art because I was so young, so everything was music, everything was dance, everything was art,” he told the News-Press. Mr. Gold purchased uniforms from veterans and redesigned them, to “transform the energy of what we’ve been through.” In addition, he’s a musician who just came out with an album called “Girl God,” and he sells his own

brand of fragrance, inspired by his first wave surfed at Mesa Beach. “I just wanted a scent that makes me feel like the ocean,” he said. Proceeds go to both Mr. Gold and his foundation called Seed, which is a women-led agro-tech crop farm in Liberia to help empower women to revive the land that was damaged by war. He said COVID-19 hasn’t affected his brand all that much because it’s mostly online. “When you’re genuinely presenting healthy energy to people, I don’t hold back,” he said. “I’m generally creating a shift of new energy, something that’s healthy, that smells good, that feels good, that’s helping others.” To learn more about Mr. Gold’s products, visit worldoftakigold.com. The Maker’s Market, presented by Blissful Boutiques, is open at Paseo Nuevo at State and De la Guerra streets every Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday. Tuesday’s market is open from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday’s is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday’s is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Goleta receives grant for bicycle, pedestrian safety education

Activities include: education workshops geared toward youth and older adults; education on the importance of safety equipment that improves visibility such as reflective armbands, bicycle headlights and taillights; community walks and bicycle safety courses; bicycle helmet inspections; and distribution of bicycle helmets to those in need after education presentations. All in-person activities will follow COVID-19 safety guidelines, and the program runs through Sept. 30, 2021.

GOLETA — The city of Goleta announced Thursday that it received a grant of $40,000 from the California Office of Traffic Safety to educate the public on the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians. The funds will go toward a variety of activities that promote bicyclist and pedestrian safety.

SANTA BARBARA — Local cannabis dispensary The Farmacy of Santa Barbara is taking part in a fundraiser through the end of the year, with proceeds going to the Freedom Warming Centers of Santa Barbara County. The fundraiser, titled “Grass Roots,” is a collaboration between the CARP Growers Association and The Farmacy. Through the end of 2020, 5% of purchases made from The Farmacy of locally grown Autumn Brands, Pacific Stone Brand, Josh D and Glass House Farms will be donated to FWC. “The guests we serve are in need, so these funds will put us in a better position to serve them,” Erin Wilson, director of administration for the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, which operates Freedom Warming Centers, said in a statement. “Money raised through The Farmacy will purchase blankets, personal hygiene products and critical supplies that are so badly needed.” CARP Growers, a nonprofit cannabis farmers group in Carpinteria Valley, has 13 member farms committed to strict best management practices and building partnerships with community-serving nonprofits. “Our customers like to support local brands and local causes. Cannabis culture is rooted in compassion, so Grass Roots has been a huge hit,” said Graham Farrar, president of Glass House Group, which owns The Farmacy of Santa Barbara and Glass House Farms in Carpinteria. The Farmacy and CARP Growers members collaborated last year during the holidays to raise over $5,000 for FWC. In the spring of 2020, Grass Roots raised $6,500 for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. CARP Growers President Tristan Strauss said, “Our members are committed to building sustainable communities through programs that give back and make a positive impact. Grass Roots is a great way to make a difference and invest in what matters most.” Through the end of 2020, customers at The Farmacy, at 128 W. Mission St., can participate in the program and give a gift to the less fortunate while holiday shopping for local cannabis brands. Upon purchase of a CARP Growers-certified product, 5 % of the purchase price will be automatically donated to Freedom Warming Centers. — Mitchell White

email: gmccormick@newspress.com

— Grayce McCormick

NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO

Graham Farrar, president of Glass House Group and owner of The Farmacy of Santa Barbara.

Earl E. Damitz, Sr. 5/20/1928 – 11/7/2020

Our firm lost its founding father, patriarch, mentor and leader when he passed away recently. The firm owes much to Earl who took us from the Arthur Andersen days exactly 38 years ago and helped shape the firm we are today. Earl was an exceptionally bright person and his expertise in estate and gift tax law was largely the reason Arthur Andersen established a Santa Barbara presence. Along with being a highly respected technician, he was involved with countless charitable organizations in Santa Barbara and was always the consummate professional. When the firm began, Earl, Rick Nightingale and Tom Brooks had the vision of keeping the Big 8 legacy (now Big 4) but growing an even stronger client base that would allow firm members and their families to enjoy the local lifestyle that we all wanted; the best of both worlds. We are all deeply saddened by the news but are grateful to have known and worked alongside him. With deep respect, Earl’s former and current shareholders, current team members and all the professionals that had the privilege to work with him.

DAMITZ, BROOKS, NIGHTINGALE, TURNER & MORRISSET

PAGE

sports@newspress.com

Sports

SU N DAY, DE C E M BE R 6 , 2 0 2 0

NBA champ Lakers revel with the sign of the times

eBron James, newly extended with the newly dynastic Los Angeles Lakers, has everything figured out. It’s all familiar to him… except that which is familial. “Trying to figure out how there is College California basketball teams playing, soon to be Pro teams playing but not High School teams playing,” he wrote on his Twitter feed recently. LeBron brings that up only because his plans for the Laker dynasty now extend to 2023. That’s the year his son, Sierra Canyon High sophomore Bronny James, becomes draft-eligible. “I damn sure would love to stick around if my oldest son can have an opportunity to play against me,” James said three years ago in an interview with GQ. “That’d be the icing on the cake right there.” It’s LeBron’s competitive nature that stokes his desire to play against his son rather than with him. The all-time leader in NBA playoff victories craves to be the best — even in his own household. Bronny, 16, has been making a name for himself, earning an ESPN national ranking of No. 24 in the Class of 2023. The COVID-19 pandemic has sidelined Sierra Canyon along with the rest of California’s high school teams. But LeBron and his superhero sidekick, Anthony Davis, return to training camp today after getting locked into long-term deals with the Lakers on Thursday. “It’s going to be a shorter season with a quick turnaround for us, but I’m ready to get going,” Davis said. He signed a five-year contract worth a staggering $190 million. James inked a two-year extension worth $85 million which will keep him with the Lakers until 2023. “LeBron put his trust in the Lakers in 2018, and now this contract extension paves MARK PATTON the way for LeBron to further solidify his legacy as an alltime Lakers great,” general manager Rob Pelinka said. “We could not be more honored by this commitment.” And perhaps 2023 gives Pelinka enough time to save up for Bronny, too. But it’s actually more about hoarding rings than riches, Davis insisted. “When we won the Western Conference Finals, LeBron said ‘Just wait until you win a championship and you hold that trophy,’” he said. “Your love for winning just grows, and ever since holding that trophy I just want to do it again. You want to hold that trophy over and over and over, you get addicted to winning “I’m ready to get started again and I’m ready to get with this group of guys and get back to work to be able to hoist one of those trophies again.” Those guys will now also include Montrezl Harrell, who changed L.A. teams after winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award last season with the Clippers. The Lakers also traded for Dennis Schröder, who finished second to Harrell in the Sixth Man voting. The NBA’s apparent “Seventh Man of the Year” averaged 18.9 points and 4.0 assists for Oklahoma City last season. The Lakers also re-signed Kentavious CaldwellPope while adding free agents Wesley Matthews and Marc Gasol to the roster. They’re making all the right moves to give their team staying power. James trumpeted Gasol’s acquisition even though he gets jokingly defensive about the Defensive Player of the Year Award the big center won in 2012-13. “I’m happy as hell to have Big Marc Gasol... another champion, won with the Raptors two years ago, who I’ve always loved,” James began. “Marc has my Defensive Players of the Year trophy at his house, but that’s not here nor there... I love you Marc, I can’t wait to talk about this.” There is also talk that the Lakers want to bring back Gasol’s older brother, Pau, to serve as his backup. Pau, now 39, was the Robin to Kobe Bryant’s Batman when the Lakers won back-to-back NBA titles in 2009 and 2010. “My intention is to play another season if the foot is OK, either in the NBA or in Europe,” the older Gasol said. “A final season with the Lakers is attractive.” Another ring would bring him full circle — while also giving James a fistful of five. “We can,” LeBron replied when asked if the Lakers will repeat as champs. “I mean, it’s that simple.” So is his desire to be playing in a game with his son. He made a point of it just before the NBA Finals of 2018. “You want to ask me what is the greatest achievement of my life?” James asked. “If I’m on the same court as my son in the NBA. That would be number one in my lifetime as an NBA player.” He just needs the son to rise before his own sun sets. email: mpatton@newspress.com

COURTESY PHOTOS

LeBron James, left, and Anthony Davis celebrate their triumph over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals two months ago.

LeBron James encourages his son Bronny during a game he played last year as a freshman for Sierra Canyon High School.

Westmont women’s basketball falls to Pepperdine in opener By MITCHELL WHITE NEWS-PRESS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Westmont women’s basketball team was defeated by Pepperdine on Saturday, 68-56. It was the season opener for the Warriors (0-1), who finished last season as the top-ranked team in the NAIA a season ago before the national tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Westmont’s original season opener, scheduled for Friday against Simpson, was canceled due to a positive COVID-19 case for the Red Hawks. Westmont had a balanced scoring attack on Saturday afternoon, as three starters notched double figures. Leading the way was Stefanie Berberabe, who finished with a team-high 16 points. Berberabe also had four rebounds, three assists and four steals. Kaitlin Larson

added 14 points, while Iyree Jarrett finished with 13 points, five assists and four rebounds. The Wave were led by Malia Bambrick, who scored a game-high 20 points on 8-11 shooting. Cheyenne Givens added 13 points and three assists in the victory.

The Warriors never held the lead on Saturday and shot just 33.9% for the game, including making just five of 18 attempts from behind the arc (27.8%). Trailing by eight at the half, Pepperdine (1-0) outscored Westmont 18-13 in the third, though the Warriors

had a 16-13 advantage in the final period. Westmont’s original season opener, scheduled for Friday against Simpson, was canceled due to a positive COVID-19 case for the Red Hawks. They will be back in action on Jan. 9 as they kick off Golden State Athletic Conference play, hosting Vanguard. The start time of the game is pending. email: mwhite@newspress.com

LIFE

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020

Renovating Mission Canyon Bridge City introduces project options to improve bridge’s safety By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

While the Mission Canyon Road bridge over Mission Creek is a historic and iconic landmark of Santa Barbara, the stone bridge has provided some challenges over time for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. Constructed in the late 1800s, the bridge’s lifespan is declining, along with its structural ratings, including a hole in the concrete under the bridge. The structural supports on the attached walkway are also deteriorating and rusting. The bridge lacks earthquake retrofitting, poses poor sight lines for drivers and existing collision patterns, has insufficient pedestrian walkways, crosswalks and bike lanes, and constricts water flow under the bridge during large storms. The city of Santa Barbara conducted studies of this bridge to determine ways to improve structural integrity, prepare for earthquakes and improve overall safety. This past Wednesday, city officials presented their study’s findings, including three options for the bridge and three options for the roadway that can be mixed and matched. Now, the city and involved community members are seeking public input on the options. Each option lists its pros and cons regarding historic preservation, safety features and environmental considerations. For the bridge, Option 1 retains the existing stone bridge and would reinforce the bridge by removing a portion of the dirt that currently fills the arch; Option 2 creates a two-arch bridge to handle water flow in large storms; and Option 3 creates a wider, 50foot arch bridge reusing existing stones and the capstone. Each of the bridge options can be matched with any of the roadway options. For the roadway, Option A widens the roadway and bridge equally on both sides to increase driver sight distance, add five-foot bike lanes and six-foot pathways on both sides. Option B widens the roadway, rehabilitates or replaces the bridge to increase driver sight distance, adds five-foot bike lanes and a partial six-foot pedestrian. In addition, a 10-foot wide pedestrian bridge would be added downstream, but it would not be eligible for federal funding. Finally, Option C would rehabilitate or replace the bridge along with a six-foot path on the upstream side of the road, add five-foot bike lanes and conduct minor roadway improvements. It would not be eligible for federal funding because it doesn’t address roadway deficiencies north and south of the bridge.

RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

The city of Santa Barbara conducted studies of the Mission Canyon Road bridge to determine ways to improve structural integrity, prepare for earthquakes and improve overall safety.

“The hard part about this one is that there isn’t one item that goes to the top,” Kirsten Ayars, who’s in charge of community outreach for the project study, told the News-Press. “These are all important items. Public safety is very important when you’re talking about a road… Utilities (are important) because when these collisions occur, it knocks out power to the area and cuts off access to the road. “They’re all big deals.” She said that taking into account access to the road for an evacuation route, the bridge serving as a constriction point for creeks, earthquake safety standards and historic resources is all crucial in the public comment period. “There are plenty of options to mix and match to meet safety and historic resources, combined with how we can improve the area and keep the character of the neighborhood,” Ms. Ayars said. “We think we can do it, and we want people’s feedback and what they think.” There have been a number of crashes and collissions on the bridge, according to Rob Dayton, the city’s transportation planning and parking manager. “As you’re coming straight down Mission Canyon and it turns left, people hit that wall pretty often,” he told the News-Press. “They also hit the bridge rails.” He said that the common themes residents have been asking about have been about the bridge’s historic structure and style. Option 3 for the bridge, which creates a 50-foot arch, could jeopardize listing on the National Register of Historic Places and City Landmark status. “A lot of people were focused on that issue,” Mr. Dayton said. “This is a very special place. We’ve got to get this right and we all have to

be comfortable with the data and the analysis to find a clear path forward for the community and decision makers.” Nathan Hayden rents a home bordering the creek and the bridge on its west side, right across from Rocky Nook Park. He and his wife have been renting it for eight years, and they’ve kept up closely with the development of the soon-to-be construction project. He told the News-Press that his preferred option for the bridge is Option 3, the 50-foot arch. “To us, that one looks like the one that’s the least obstructive to the creek. The big problem is if there’s anything obstructing the creek and there’s a huge flood and it backs up, it’ll come over through the park and basically run right through our property,” Mr. Hayden said. “That seems like one that was the most sound as far as flood protection, and as far as environmental protection as well.” The Haydens have a 2-year-old daughter, so Mr. Hayden said he cares more about the safety of it and the sight lines for driving. “It’d be nice to be able to cross the street without having to worry about traffic as much,” he said. “The 50-foot arch one is the least historically accurate representation, which to me is less important than the safety as far as sight lines, flooding and environmental repercussions.” By Mr. Hayden’s count in his eight years of living in the area, he said there’s been 14 cars that have hit the bridge wall or telephone pole in front of their home. He said, from what he can remember, four of those cars smashed into the wall hard enough that the city had to reconstruct parts of the wall. “The argument of authenticity already goes out the window just

because four major parts of that wall have already been rebuilt,” he said. “Pretty much every time it rains, people smash into the wall, which has protected them from going into our kitchen.” He added that he understands the heart of those who want to keep it as close to how it was in 1890, but “the reality of the situation is the bridge is super heavily trafficked now.” Fred Sweeney is the president and a cofounder of the Mission Heritage Trails Association. He’s been involved with this effort for a decade, walking many community members and city officials around the area. “We’re going to come up with a good solution,” Mr. Sweeney told the News-Press. “This process is really going to get us to a point where we’re going to have a way to make everybody able to go through that corridor safely after all these years and all this work. “A lot of our rich history is there.” More information on the bridge studies is available at missioncanyonbridge.com. Comments can also be submitted on the website. email: gmccormick@newspress.com

Sansum Clinic Celebrates

100 years of Medical Excellence 1921-2021

Constructed in the late 1800s, the Mission Canyon Road bridge’s lifespan is declining, along with its structural ratings, including a hole in the concrete under the bridge.

Throughout our history, Sansum Clinic has not just cared about our patients, we care about healthcare.

Today, Sansum Clinic has more than 200 specialists in over 30 specialties, working collaboratively to help our patients live their healthiest life.

COURTESY PHOTO

This graphic shows Option A for improving the roadway, and it would widen the roadway and bridge equally on both sides to increase driver sight distance, and add five-foot bike lanes and six-foot pathways on both sides.

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

NEWS / CLASSIFIED

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020

Classified To place an ad please call (805) 963-4391 or email to classad@newspress.com

PUBLIC NOTICES MONTECITO PLANNING COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING* DATE OF HEARING: DECEMBER 16, 2020 IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Based on guidance from the California Department of Public Health and the California Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stay at Home Executive Order N-33-20, issued on March 19, 2020, to protect the health and well-being of all Californianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and to establish consistency across the state in order to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission hearings will no longer provide in-person participation. We have established alternative methods of participation in the Montecito Planning Commission hearings, pursuant to the California Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Executive Order N-29-20, issued on March 17, 2020, which states: â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

Providing an opportunity to â&#x20AC;&#x153;observe and address the meeting telephonically or otherwise electronically,â&#x20AC;? alone, meets the participation requirement; and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Such a body need not make available any physical location from which members of the public may observe the meeting and offer public comment.â&#x20AC;?

The following alternative methods of participation are available to the public: 1.

You may observe the live stream of the Montecito Planning Commission meetings on (1) Local Cable Channel 20, (2) online at: http://www.countyofsb.org/ceo/csbtv/livestream.sbc; or (3) YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/user/CSBTV20

If you wish to make a general public comment or to comment on a specific agenda item, the following methods are available: â&#x20AC;˘

â&#x20AC;˘

Distribution to the Montecito Planning Commission - Submit your comment via email prior to 12:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to the Commission hearing. Please submit your comment to the Recording Secretary at dvillalo@countyofsb.org. Your comment will be placed into the record and distributed appropriately. Video and Teleconference Public Participation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; To participate via Zoom, please pre-register for the meeting using the below link. When: December 16, 2020 09:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Topic: Montecito Planning Commission 12/16/2020 Register in advance for this webinar: https://countyofsb.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_d8CuKV2qRamyzjXsMDWlCA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. OR PARTICIPATE VIA TELEPHONE: Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

A young boy rummages through Christmas trees at a tree lot in Carpinteria operated by a local Boy Scout troop.

US: +1 213 338 8477 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 720 928 9299 or +1 971 247 1195 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 602 753 0140 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 470 250 9358 or +1 646 518 9805 or +1 651 372 8299 or +1 786 635 1003 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 267 831 0333 or +1 301 715 8592 or 877 853 5257 (Toll Free) or 888 475 4499 (Toll Free) or 833 548 0276 (Toll Free) or 833 548 0282 (Toll Free) Webinar ID: 947 9615 1360 The Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rules on hearings and public comment, unless otherwise directed by the Chair, remain applicable to each of the participation methods listed above. The Montecito Planning Commission hearing begins at 9:00 a.m. The order of items listed on the agenda is subject to change by the Montecito Planning Commission. Anyone interested in this matter is invited to speak in support or in opposition to the projects. Written comments are also welcome. All letters should be addressed to the Montecito Planning Commission, 123 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, California, 93101. Letters, with nine copies, and computer materials, e.g. PowerPoint presentations, should be filed with the secretary of the Planning Commission no later than 12:00 P.M. on the Friday before the Montecito Planning Commission hearing. The decision to accept late materials will be at the discretion of the Montecito Planning Commission. Maps and/or staff analysis of the proposals may be reviewed at https://www.countyofsb.org/plndev/hearings/mpc. sbc or by appointment by calling (805) 568-2000. If you challenge the project(s) 20TEX-00000-00021, 20TEX-00000-00024, 17DVP-00000-00002, 17CUP-0000000031,14AMD-00000-00010, 14AMD-00000-00011, 14CDP-00000-00086, 14CDP-00000-00090, 14CDP-00000-00091 or 14RVPâ&#x20AC;&#x2018;0000â&#x20AC;&#x2018;00063 in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence to the Montecito Planning Commission prior to the public hearing. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this hearing, please contact the Hearing Support Staff (805) 568-2000. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the hearing will enable the Hearing Support Staff to make reasonable arrangements. * This is a partial listing of the items to be heard at the Montecito Planning Commission Hearing of December 16, 2020. Previously noticed Case Nos. 17DVP-00000-00002/17CUP-00000-00031 (Johnson New SFD and Retaining Walls) were continued to this hearing from the hearing of November 18, 2020. See previous notice for full descriptions of these items. If you have any questions, call Planning and Development at (805) 568-2000. 20TEX-00000-00021 20TEX-00000-00024 Wolf/Gruning CDP Time Extension 57/59 Humphrey Road Exempt, CEQA Guidelines Section 15305 Alex Tuttle, Supervising Planner (805) 884-6844 Delaney Roney, Planner (805) 568-2033 Hearing on the request of the applicants, Brian Wolf and Michael Gruning, that the Montecito Planning Commission approve the following: â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

24-month Time Extension for Lot Line Adjustment Case No. 15LLA-00000-00001, pursuant to Section 21-92.f of Chapter 21, Subdivision Ordinance; 24-month Time Extension for Costal Development Permit 16CDP-00000-00059, pursuant to Section 35-179B.1.a.6 of Article II; Accept the previously adopted CEQA Exemption pursuant to Section 15305 of the State Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act.

The application involves the following APNs: 009-331-023 and 009-331-024, located at 57 and 59 Humphrey Road in the Montecito area, First Supervisorial District. 14CDP-00000-00091 14CDP-00000-00090 14CDP-00000-00086 14AMD-00000-00011 14AMD-00000-00010 14RVP-00000-00063

Miramar Hotel Compliance Update

1759 S. Jameson Lane Eric Graham, Planner (805) 568-2073

The Montecito Planning Commission will receive and file the October 23, 2020 annual Parking Conditions Reports, as required by Conditions #52, #55, #83, #84, #93, and #95 of the approved Miramar Hotel project, Case no. 14RVP-00000-00063, and review condition of approval related to Beach Bar Hours (Conditions #83). The Miramar is located on Assessor Parcel Nos. 009â&#x20AC;&#x2018;333â&#x20AC;&#x2018;013, 009â&#x20AC;&#x2018;371â&#x20AC;&#x2018;007, and 009-372-001, located at 1759 S. Jameson Lane, in the Montecito area, First Supervisorial District. (Estimated Time: 1 hr.) MONTECITO COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION RECORDING SECRETARY (568-2000) DEC 6 / 2020 -- 56599

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A spectacular sunset was observed Thursday night in Carpinteria.

Restaurants limited to take-out, pick-up or delivery STAY-AT-HOME

Continued from Page A1

in addition to 100% masking and physical distancing: outdoor recreational facilities, allowed to operate outdoors only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. This includes gyms and fitness studios, and overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted; retail will be allowed to continue to operate indoors at 20% capacity, with no eating or drinking in the stores. Special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems; shopping centers may allow indoor operations at 20% capacity, with special hours in place for seniors or those with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems; and hotels and lodging can remain open for critical infrastructure support only. In addition, restaurants can only offer take-out, pick-up or delivery services. Offices should allow for remote work only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible. Places of worship and political expression can only offer outdoor services, and professional sports can only operate without live audiences, with â&#x20AC;&#x153;bubblesâ&#x20AC;? highly encouraged, officials said. The following sectors are allowed to remain open when a remote option is not possible: critical infrastructure; schools (though no new schools may reopen); non-urgent medical and dental care; and child care and Pre-K. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When Santa Barbara County becomes subject to the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Stay-at-Home Order, the police chiefs and I have committed to continuing our direction and intent that our agenciesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; approach to health order violations will be to make every effort to use discretion,

education and encouragement to achieve voluntary compliance, but enforcement options will remain a tool to be used in cases of repeat or egregious violations that endanger public safety,â&#x20AC;? Sheriff Brown said in a statement. In accordance with the order, along with state and local public health officials, the Santa Barbara Zoo will close temporarily to the public, effective Monday. Only essential zoo employees will continue to report to work, in order to care for the animals and facility. Zoo officials will continue to stay in close communication with public health officials and follow the updates closely, and will re-evaluate next steps following their guidance and directives, officials said. While the zoo will be temporarily closed, the community is encouraged to visit its website, sbzoo.org as well as their social media channels as a way to enjoy the zoo from the comfort of home. Robin Elander, executive director of Downtown Santa Barbara, issued a statement on Saturday calling for the community to support the local economy in light of the new order. The statement read, in part, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the future of our community depends on the solidarity of everyone who lives, works or is retired here. Our sympathy and condolences go out to the victims of the virus, while at the same time our awareness of local needs becomes urgent. Our community concerns are significant, and everyone needs to pull together to support our people, culture and economy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Downtown Santa Barbara will do its best to serve our community during this extreme health crisis and will collaborate to support the downtown and community in any way we see possible. â&#x20AC;&#x153; Many have raised questions as to why Santa Barbara County was placed in the Southern California

Region, as several counties within the region have significantly higher COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations. Kristen Miller, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce, sent a message to chamber members on Saturday and explained that the chamber â&#x20AC;&#x153;worked diligentlyâ&#x20AC;? to advocate that Santa Barbara County not be included in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;too vastâ&#x20AC;? Southern California Region. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is support from local government on this, but no action yet. We also offered multiple alternatives and creative solutions to protect small businesses while still addressing the spike in cases. We will continue to press for a localized, specific approach,â&#x20AC;? Ms. Miller wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our next hope, is that we indeed come out of this lockdown after the mandatory 3-weeks and can salvage some retail, restaurant, hotel and services activity in the week between Christmas and New Years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will redouble our efforts to implore the federal government to provide immediate financial relief for businesses in light of the government-imposed taking.â&#x20AC;? Local officials discussed the regional selection process during Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s COVID-19 press conference. Second District Supervisor and Board Chair Gregg Hart said the â&#x20AC;&#x153;natural first reactionâ&#x20AC;? by many was â&#x20AC;&#x153;disappointment and frustrationâ&#x20AC;? that the county was included in the Southern California Region. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But when Dr. Do-Reynoso and her team looked at this more carefully, the Southern California Region is actually in the middle of the trend statewide,â&#x20AC;? he explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The worst area in the state, in relation to ICU capacity, is actually rural Northern California and the Bay Area is doing the best. But the range between the best and the worst is about 6%, so it fundamentally doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change

where we land in relation to other counties if weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to be lumped into a larger region for the purposes of distributing medical capacity across a broader area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;While our individual case count today is much better than those places, that is not a certainty to stay that way over a relatively short period of time,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been tremendous change in a very rapid period of time, so I think what we are focusing our efforts here locally on is working with the California Department of Public Health to figure out an exit strategy.â&#x20AC;? Mr. Hart urged residents to comply with the order to keep case numbers and hospitalizations as low as possible, so when there is an opportunity for the shutdown to end the county can â&#x20AC;&#x153;get back on trackâ&#x20AC;? and reopen businesses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I understand and empathize and felt exactly the same way when I first learned that information,â&#x20AC;? he said. Dr. Do-Reynoso said Friday that a few months ago, when the state anticipated a regional approach would be needed to curb the spread of the virus, state officials asked her and Dr. Henning Ansorg, the county health officer, to weigh in on the process. They were given a survey with three different options for regionalization, and county officials voted to be lumped into a smaller group, perhaps just the Central Coast counties, due to their similar economies, size and population. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But alas, given the other, more broader implicationsâ&#x20AC;Ś the ultimate decision was to go with the five health officer infrastructure coalition as a region,â&#x20AC;? she said. For general questions about reopening and general COVID-19 information, county residents may call the Santa Barbara County Call Center at (833) 688-5551. email: mwhite@newspress.com

NEWS

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020

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REMINDER PROPERTY TAX DEADLINE All property owners, especially those who purchased property after January 1, 2020, are reminded that the 2020-2021 secured property tax first installment is now due and payable. Any property owner that has not received a 2020-2021 property tax statement should contact the office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector: Santa Maria 511 E. Lakeside Parkway Telephone: (805) 346-8330

Santa Barbara 105 E. Anapamu St., Room 109 Telephone: (805) 568-2920

FAILURE TO RECEIVE A PROPERTY TAX BILL DOES NOT RELIEVE THE TAXPAYER OF THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE TIMELY PAYMENTS COURTESY PHOTOS

Mr. Brewer doesn’t take credit for being awarded “Winemaker of the Year”; rather, he believes Santa Barbara County wine as a whole is the real winner.

‘It’s not about me — it’s about the place’ WINEMAKER

Continued from Page A1

acclaimed wines from California. Mr. Brewer wasn’t always in pursuit of successful winemaking, however. After growing up in Los Angeles, he moved to Santa Barbara in 1987, where he attended UCSB and became a French instructor there. However, a job ad at Santa Barbara Winery caught his eye in 1991, and the rest was history. Mr. Brewer first worked in the winery’s tasting room, where he said he fell “head over heels” and eventually climbed the ranks to working in production and became an assistant winemaker within a year of his employment. He worked under Bruce McGuire, who now has four decades of winemaking experience, where he learned key lessons and received mentorship. “He gave me an opportunity for a pretty important role with a learning curve,” Mr. Brewer told the News-Press. “I rely on those early years with him daily as far as what I do. Those were key formative years for me.” Fast forwarding to 1996, Mr. Brewer and Steve Clifton created the Brewer-Clifton label, and then Mr. Brewer went on to design Melville, where he made wine from its inception in 1997 through the end of 2015. In addition, the winemaker created diatom in 2005 focusing on starkly raised Chardonnay, and Ex Post Facto in 2016 dedicated to cold-climate Syrah. However, putting Sta. Rita Hills on the map is perhaps most notable, as he led Sta. Rita Hills to be formally granted AVA status in 2001. He said that the local wine industry in Santa Barbara and California is a little different than historic European wine industries. “There’s increased opportunity for people to penetrate the industry that come from the ‘outside,’” Mr. Brewer said. “In Europe, historically, it’s more… nepotism and patriarchy.” He added that coming from a hardworking family of academics contributed to his drive as an “outsider.” “It’s all about education and sharing knowledge, and doing that was always super important to me, that to this day comes easier in some ways than production,” he said. Regarding his success, Mr. Brewer said it likely came from mending the divide of the back of the house and the front, like a chef who can work a dining room or a

First installment payments must be paid or U.S. postmarked on or before December 10, 2020. A 10% penalty will be added to all delinquent payments. Payments mailed through the United States Postal Service must be mailed to: HARRY E. HAGEN TREASURER-TAX COLLECTOR COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA P.O. BOX 579 SANTA BARBARA, CA 93102-0579

Credit card and electronic check payments may be made by phone or online at www.sbtaxes.org. A convenience fee will apply to payments made by credit card. Electronic check payments are free of a convenience fee. If paying by phone, please call (805) 724-3008 Local or (877) 399-8089 Toll-Free. Payments may also be made in person at the County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Offices between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, holidays excepted, at the addresses listed above.

HARRY E. HAGEN, CPA TREASURER-TAX COLLECTOR NOV 29, DEC 6 / 2020 -- 56554

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Mr. Brewer is one of the most revered winemakers in the state, with his Pinot Noir and Chardonnay bottlings consistently ranking among the most highly-acclaimed wines from California.

server who’s in tune with what’s going on in the kitchen. “Those people that can straddle that are those that generally enjoy the most success and they’ve got the most connection with everybody,” he said. “Marrying those two elements is what I think I’ve been able to bring to the table. “Sensitivity to the entirety of the system and heightened awareness to everybody around me has been important to the whole journey.” While he received the prestigious award, the wine aficionado hardly takes credit. Rather, he said the award goes to Santa Barbara County wine. “I’m a product of Santa Barbara County,” Mr. Brewer said. “For 30 years, I’ve worked only in Santa Barbara County, and 99% of that time on the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. “So, from the age of 21 on, I’m a product of this place. It’s not about me — it’s about the place.”

With this award, the winemaker of the year hopes to shine a light on Santa Barbara County wine and continue to be the community’s relentless ambassador. “So much of my devotion is really to get the message of this place around the world, training, teaching, sharing and motivating people about how unique, special and relevant this place is,” Mr. Brewer said. “This exposes other people to this place through me as a conduit, and I don’t take that lightly. “I think I’m in a really good stage in my career where I still have a long way to go but enough time has transpired so I see how special and unique this juncture is to do all I can to keep catapulting Santa Barbara into the global wine scene.” email: gmccormick@newspress.com

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SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

PONZINI, Frederick Joseph

Fredrick Joseph Ponzini 68 of Santa Barbara, CA passed away on November 23, 2020, he died of lung cancer. Fred was born at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara to Audrey (Newby) and Joseph George Ponzini. He grew up on the Mesa and attended local schools and graduated from Santa Barbara High School. He moved to Arroyo Grande, CA, got his contractors license and started his own floor covering business. Fred enjoyed reading, fishing and watching movies. Fred is survived by his brother Don(Sandy)niece Tanya Good and nephew Michael Ponzini of Hollister, CA. He is preceded in death by his Mom and Dad. There will be no services. Fred’s family would like to express our gratitude to Pat Smead, his mentor, friend and then caregiver.

WHISTON, Charles Richard “Rich”

Charles Richard “Rich” Whiston, a longtime resident of Santa Barbara, passed away on November 1, 2019 and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery on September 11, 2020. He was born on September 22, 1936 in Wuchang, Hupeh Province, China. Rich and his family (his father was an Episcopalian Clergy) escaped the bombing of China and fled to the Philippines after the outbreak of WWII. When the Philippines were bombed, they traveled by ship to Australia, through the Panama Canal and on to Massachusetts, where Rich attended the Groton School. He traveled with his family on the Queen Mary to England and then moved to Berkeley, California where he attended UC Berkeley, receiving a BA and J.D. from Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law; Rich also served in the U.S. Army as a commissioned officer. Rich was a partner in the Santa Barbara law firm of Mullen, McCaughey & Henzell; he left the firm to accept an appointment as Principal Deputy General Counsel and Chief of Legal Services, U.S. Army in the Pentagon from 1983-1985 and was honored to receive the U.S. Department of Army Decoration for Distinguished Civilian Service. He returned to private law practice before moving again to Washington D.C. to serve as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs in July 2001. Rich escaped, by minutes, the 911 Pentagon attack and continued to serve as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army from October 2001 until August 2003. Rich traveled extensively throughout his life, climbing Machu Picchu in his 70s, and travelled to Hong Kong and China to show his daughters where he was born and lived. Rich won his first bout with cancer and fought the second occurrence with courage while playing weekly backgammon games, golf and working out five days a week throughout his cancer treatments. He continually stated how grateful he was - “I’ve had a great life!” - and expressing how lucky he felt to have such a wonderful family and friends. His presence is missed. Rich served on various Board of Directors including the Westmont College Foundation. In lieu of a service, Rich asked that his life be honored through donations to the Westmont College Whiston Endowment for Cancer Studies. Contributions to the Endowment may be made by contacting Westmont at 805-565-7083.

NEWS

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020

HANKINS, Robert K. “The loss is immeasurable, but so is the love left behind.” On Saturday, October 17, 2020, Robert Hankins, loving husband and father of four daughters, passed away at age 93. Bob was born on September 22, 1927 in Medford, Oregon to Glenn and Ellenor Hankins. He graduated from Eugene High and joined the Navy; was a proud graduate of the University of Oregon School of Business (Go Ducks!); was then drafted into the Army; upon returning home he started his 35-year career with the JC Penney Co. On June 28, 1953, he married the love of his life, Virginia Lee Holmes, and together they raised four daughters. Bob had a passion for the outdoors, fishing, hunting, tennis, golf, beach walks and working with Virginia to maintain their vibrant backyard. Bob enjoyed his retirement years in Santa Barbara, CA and showed his love of the community through his generous acts of giving, particularly in Rotary, MTD, and the Presbyterian Church, participating on community boards and serving on the lunch line at a local homeless shelter. Most of all, Bob loved spending time with family and friends. He is survived by his wife Virginia, their four children, Judy (John Sims), Sharon (Douglas Findlay), Cindy (Glenn Lugliani) and Anne (Hugh Gaffney), brothers Bruce and Gordon, 9 grandchildren (Drew, Danny, Nicole, Jason, Jenna, Matt, Sean, Michael, and Lauren), 2 great-grandchildren (Aiden and Sadie) and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his beloved brother, Glen. Due to COVID-19, a service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association.

WILKINSON, Leonard “Len” John

July 13, 1942-October 20, 2020 Leonard “Len” John Wilkinson was born in Danville, Pennsylvania to Leonard Evert Wilkinson and Victoria Monica Wilkinson. In 1946 his brother David was born. The family moved to Marysville, California in 1946, then to Prineville, Oregon in 1952. He developed a passion for fossil hunting and became very successful at it. Len graduated from Crook County High School, then attended Oregon State University. In 1964 Len moved to San Francisco and established Mineral World, a gift store specializing in numerous types of Nature-related items including fossils, mineral specimens, and carvings out of numerous semi-precious stones from all over the world. In 1980 Len met James “Jim” Whipple and knew he had met the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. They moved to Santa Barbara in 1983 to a Spanish style home in Mission Canyon. In June of 2008 Len and Jim were married in the Sunken Garden at the county Court House. Len is survived by his life companion and husband, Jim Whipple, his niece Monica Puente and nephew Drew Wilkinson, both of Reno, NV.

BOYAN, Priscilla September 14, 1920 – November 20, 2020 Priscilla Boyan, loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away on November 20. Her husband of 77 years, Norman, said “A love story, or a tale of accomplishment, or both. My wife’s obituary is all that and more.” She was a wonderful spouse, a dedicated and devoted mother, as well as a close and warm friend to the many whom she met and served so well in her 100 years of a beautiful life. Priscilla was born on September 14, 1920 in the Fitch Clinic, a private facility in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, where her mother was vacationing. For those who knew her closest and best, Priscilla was a true and dedicated Vermonter, as defined by parents and grandparents both being born in the Green Mountain State. Her favorite poem, recited without quibble was “Why There Are No Vermonters in Heaven.” She did spend one school year in Vermont in the 1920s while her father established his residency for his doctorate at Columbia University. Her school years covered periods in Hartford, CT and Albany, NY where her father served in the Connecticut State Education Department. In 1928 the family moved to Albany where her father served as Associate Commissioner for Finance for New York State. Priscilla completed her secondary school years at Milne High School, in Albany, NY, a laboratory school for the New York State Education Department. These years proved crucially formative as they led to her deep interest in the field of biology. She majored in Biology after matriculating at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. After earning her baccalaureate at Bates in 1942 and marrying Norman in 1943, she spent 1943-44 as an Instructor in Biology at Massachusetts State College at Amherst, Massachusetts, followed by post baccalaureate studies to earn the equivalent of her Master’s degree and license as a laboratory technician. She followed Norman into his military service until the birth of their first child in 1945, after which she lived with her parents while her husband began his post baccalaureate career, leading to his earning a doctorate in 1951 at Harvard University. His career included professorships at Stanford University, the University of Wisconsin, and UC Santa Barbara, where he also served as Dean of the Graduate School of Education. She and Norman were married for 77 years, more than 50 of which were in Santa Barbara CA. The couple had four children, one of whom died at birth and another who passed away with brain cancer at age 60. She is survived by Norman, her sons Craig and Cory, their wives Barbara and Debra, four grandchildren and four great grandchildren. She loved her children deeply and taught them much about life and love, and especially about the deep and abiding love of a mother for her children. She was a wonderful homemaker, and also a skilled artist who created some 15 beautiful pieces of needlework for family members. She loved to recite poetry from memory, and was an avid swimmer for more than 50 years. She wrote both poetry and prose, and left a wonderful collection of written work for the delight of her family. She was also a volunteer with Hospice. She had a lively wit and an abundance of spunk, and passed this on to her children and grandchildren -- there was always a lot of laughter when family gathered.

RANDOLPH, Mary Katherine November 6, 1930 to November 4, 2020 Menlo Park, California Mary was born in Santa Barbara, California. She met her future husband, Tom Randolph, in 9th grade. Mary and Tom graduated from Santa Barbara High in 1948. They began dating during their college years while Mary attended University of Oregon and Tom attended Stanford. They were married two weeks after college graduation at All Saints-by-the-Sea in Montecito. As were many women in the 1950s, Mary was a stay-athome mom. She enjoyed raising her three children and participating in the many school related volunteer activities. As the children grew older, she found time to enjoy reading, golf and duplicate bridge. After living many years in Menlo Park, Mary and Tom moved in 2012 to the Vi, a retirement community in Palo Alto. Mary leaves her husband Tom, daughter Nancy Brandon (John) of Atherton and son Tom of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. She was predeceased by her daughter Kathryn Cook (George) in 2005. Her seven grandchildren are Kristin Brandon Blaugrund (Kevin), James Brandon (Emily), Steven Cook, Jennifer Brandon, Melissa Cook Leonsis (Zach), Tom Randolph III and Jason Randolph. She leaves four great-grandchildren: Jack Brandon, Abby Marie Blaugrund, Katherine Brandon and Ellie Blaugrund. Mary also leaves sister Patricia Rinaker of La Jolla, brother Charles Preuss (Barbara) of Atherton, sister Pamela Ellsworth (Doug) of Los Altos and brother-in-law Sam Randolph (Donna) of Santa Barbara.

MICHELE PAROLA Dear Michele, I am going to miss you and hearing the sound of your signature silver bracelets clink against each other. I’ll miss your beep beep! But most of all I will miss you. Nellie, p.s. I love you.

Eldest child of a military family, son of RAdm. Hamilton O. and Patricia Hauck, George (who went by “Ham”) had moved all over the country, bringing his enormous zest for life to all the places he lived. His sense of humor, dry, witty and devilishly on point, enlivened any occasion, from simple family gathering to larger social event. He loved people, he loved entertaining people, he was magnetic, and his brilliant light was always on. He was just plain fun to be around. Ham was comfortable in the academic world. An early, voracious reader with tons of energy and ideas, he had to be kept engaged. He was an excellent (sometimes mischievous) student. At Huntington High School, L.I. he joined everything he could possibly fit in a day; drama club, school plays (always the lead), school orchestra, marching band, swing band, rock band, sports, contributing writer to the school paper. His active approach to life and learning continued in both colleges he attended; Hamilton College, in Clinton, N.Y. and Occidental College, Pasadena, CA. After graduation from Occidental in 1963, Ham joined the Navy and attended Officers’ Candidate School in Rhode Island. He served in active or reserve capacity until 1975, some of that time spent on the coast of Vietnam. Following his military service, he returned to Occidental College where he was the Assistant Director of Admissions. While there, he met and married Erika Maslan, a native of Austria. The couple moved to Berkeley, CA for Ham to enter UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt) where he received his Juris doctor in 1971. He then had the opportunity to do post-doctoral studies in international and comparative law as a Giannini Fellow in Law at the University of Florence, Italy. Upon returning to the Bay Area with a head full of legal information, a cool, continental appearance and a hot car, Ham took a position with McCutcheon, Doyle and Enerson until his love of teaching drew him back to Berkeley where he taught law and was the Executive Editor of the American Journal of Comparative Law. During this time, he helped craft the current treaty that resolved difficulties between Taiwan and China and co-authored a text on international law. In 1974 Ham began guest lecturing and teaching at various law schools, the last of which was at the University of Puget Sound. In 1990, Ham moved back to San Francisco to establish his own law practice and to be near his daughter, Nona. He maintained his practice until his retirement. Ham’s passing leaves a hole in the hearts of the family and many, loyal friends who loved him. He is survived by his daughter, Antonia (Nona); her husband, Chris; and their children, Henri and Violette; his sister, Susanna Hauck Matthies and her husband, Paul; his brother, Stuart and wife Gayle; and his nieces and nephews, Kath, Beth, Phil and Alex. Ham’s family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to Irish Help at Home and Marin Post Acute for their attentive care of Ham in his final years.

at www.newspress.com Obituary notices are published daily in the Santa Barbara News-Press and also appear on our website www.newspress.com To place an obituary, please email the text and photo(s) to obits@newspress.com or fax text only (no photos) to (805) 966-1421. Please include your name, address, contact phone number and the date(s) you would like the obituary to be published. Photos should be in jpeg format with at least 200 dpi. If a digital photo is not available, a picture may be brought into our office for scanning. We will lay out the obituary using our standard format. A formatted proof of the obituary and the cost will be emailed back for review and approval. The minimum obituary cost to print one time is $150.00 for up to 1.5” in length -- includes 1 photo and up to 12 lines of text, approximately 630 characters; up to approximately 930 characters without a photo. Add $60.00 for each additional inch or partial inch after the first 1.5”; up to approximately 700 characters per additional inch. All Obituaries must be reviewed, approved, and prepaid by deadline. We accept all major credit cards by phone; check or cash payments may be brought into our office located at 715 Anacapa Street. *Early deadline for Christmas: to publish Friday, Dec. 25th through Monday, Dec. 28th deadline is Wednesday, Dec. 23rd at 12noon. The deadline for Tuesday through Friday’s editions is 10 a.m. on the previous day; Saturday, Sunday and Monday’s editions all deadline at 12-noon on Thursday (Pacific Time). Free Death Notices must be directly emailed by the mortuary to our newsroom at news@newspress.com. The News-Press can not accept Death Notices from individuals.

— Josh Grega

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Partly sunny

Sunny and pleasant

Partly sunny

Sunny and pleasant

INLAND

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

Plenty of sun INLAND

68 39

78 40

82 38

74 38

72 39

67 40

70 48

76 45

70 42

68 39

COASTAL

Pismo Beach 64/41

COASTAL

Shown is today's weather. Temperatures are today's highs and tonight's lows. Maricopa 64/38

Guadalupe 64/42

Santa Maria 67/41

Vandenberg 62/43

New Cuyama 67/30 Ventucopa 64/42

Los Alamos 70/37

Buellton 68/36

Solvang 70/34

Gaviota 68/38

SANTA BARBARA 67/40 Goleta 67/38

Carpinteria 66/42 Ventura 67/47

AIR QUALITY KEY Good Moderate

Source: airnow.gov Unhealthy for SG Very Unhealthy Unhealthy Not Available

ALMANAC

68/39 65/41 82 in 1962 29 in 2017 0.00” 0.00” (0.31”) 0.05” (2.67”)

City Cuyama Goleta Lompoc Pismo Beach Santa Maria Santa Ynez Vandenberg Ventura

STATE CITIES Bakersfield Barstow Big Bear Bishop Catalina Concord Escondido Eureka Fresno Los Angeles Mammoth Lakes Modesto Monterey Napa Oakland Ojai Oxnard Palm Springs Pasadena Paso Robles Sacramento San Diego San Francisco San Jose San Luis Obispo Santa Monica Tahoe Valley

64/38/pc 63/38/pc 54/21/s 62/32/pc 67/55/s 65/45/pc 74/41/s 54/37/pc 63/37/pc 73/49/pc 54/21/pc 62/37/pc 59/41/pc 64/40/pc 63/47/pc 72/43/pc 65/47/pc 75/51/s 76/47/pc 68/31/pc 64/48/pc 70/48/s 60/48/pc 62/43/pc 71/45/pc 69/48/pc 49/24/pc

Mon. Hi/Lo/W 63/28/s 71/41/s 71/41/s 69/47/s 73/48/s 78/40/s 67/46/s 67/54/s

57/42/s 39/26/pc 41/30/c 59/37/s 58/30/s 63/42/s 81/71/c 38/27/pc 41/31/s 42/30/pc 72/45/s 50/39/c 46/32/pc 43/23/s 53/42/c 46/33/s

POINT ARENA TO POINT PINOS

Wind northwest 4-8 knots today. Waves 2 feet or less with a west-northwest swell 1-3 feet at 12 seconds. Visibility clear.

POINT CONCEPTION TO MEXICO

Wind northwest 4-8 knots today. Waves 2 feet or less with a west-northwest swell 1-3 feet at 12 seconds. Visibility clear.

SANTA BARBARA HARBOR TIDES Date Time High Time Dec. 6 Dec. 7 Dec. 8

3:16 a.m. 12:46 p.m. 4:02 a.m. 2:11 p.m. 4:39 a.m. 3:47 p.m.

3.7’ 4.6’ 4.1’ 4.2’ 4.5’ 3.9’

LAKE LEVELS

Low

7:08 a.m. 8:34 p.m. 9:02 a.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:34 a.m. 10:20 p.m.

3.3’ 0.2’ 3.0’ 0.3’ 2.3’ 0.6’

AT BRADBURY DAM, LAKE CACHUMA 61/39/s 63/38/pc 49/26/c 58/28/s 65/61/pc 72/42/s 71/48/pc 60/42/pc 62/38/s 69/50/pc 49/14/s 66/34/s 66/46/s 71/35/s 69/45/s 72/52/s 73/59/pc 75/54/pc 75/54/pc 69/30/s 70/40/s 68/55/pc 68/47/s 69/42/s 74/48/s 69/52/pc 42/19/s

NATIONAL CITIES Atlanta Boston Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Miami Minneapolis New York City Philadelphia Phoenix Portland, Ore. St. Louis Salt Lake City Seattle Washington, D.C.

Wind west-southwest 4-8 knots today. Waves 2-4 feet with a west-northwest swell 3-5 feet at 14 seconds. Visibility clear.

TIDES

LOCAL TEMPS Today Hi/Lo/W 67/30/pc 67/38/pc 65/37/pc 64/41/pc 67/41/pc 68/39/pc 62/43/pc 67/47/pc

MARINE FORECAST

SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL

Santa Barbara through 6 p.m. yesterday

24 hours through 6 p.m. yest. Month to date (normal) Season to date (normal)

your loved one

SANTA BARBARA — Gelson’s is holding its annual toy drive until Dec. 20 at all 27 of its stores to benefit disadvantaged children in Southern California. According to a news release, toy drop-offs will be designated by red bins or branded binds provided by partner organizations that include Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, Toys for Tots, Promises 2 Kids, Miracles for Kids, and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital, Long Beach. Gelson’s CEO and President Rob McDougal said it was “especially important” to keep the tradition of its toy drive alive. “We have a long history of customer service extending beyond our stores and into the community,” he said. “As we enter our 70th year in business in 2021, we look forward to continuing to work with our nonprofit partners — and we are grateful for the generosity of our customers.” Those who wish to donate to the toy drive can find a list of suggested donations online at gelsons.com or find the list at the front desk of Gelson’s locations. In Santa Barbara, Gelson’s is located at 3305 State St.

TODAY

PRECIPITATION

remember

Gelson’s begins December toy drive

LOCAL FIVE-DAY FORECAST

High/low Normal high/low Record high Record low

obituary info

— Gerry Fall

FENSKE, Sandra Marett: 79; of Goleta; died Nov. 17; no services planned; arrangements by Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral Chapels.

TEMPERATURE

find

someone who may need help. We are all in this together”. For information or assistance on conference registration, call 805-981-2114. If you, or someone you know needs assistance, call 1-866-998-2243.

DEATH NOTICE

IN MEMORY

HAUCK, George Hamilton On the morning of May 3, 2020, the incandescent George Hamilton Hauck succumbed to a long, debilitating illness. His beloved daughter, Nona, was with him as he found peace.

VENTURA — The Ventura County Behavioral Health Department will host its fifth annual Suicide Prevention Conference as a virtual event from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday. This year’s conference, entitled Help & Hope, is being offered through funding from the Mental Health Services Act. With suicide on the rise nationwide, this conference will speak to how people can make a difference in their community. Also featured will be keynote speaker Pablo Campos, from Active Minds, who will share important insights on depression and addiction from a first-hand perspective. This year’s conference is particularly enhanced by a significant integration of mental and substance use services and speaks to the complex layers of suicide. “Generally, this conference is geared towards providers and community partners. This year, the focus is on engaging all in the community knowing and understanding the stress that 2020 has had on all due to the COVID-19 pandemic, racial and social justice issues, a highly covered election season and increased substance use throughout the state,” Dr. Sevet Johnson, director of Behavioral Health, said in a statement. “We want to reach as many people in our community as possible. Parents, adolescents, young adults, everyone. Suicide can impact anyone … and we all have to work to educate, recognize the signs and know how to refer

In keeping with his wishes, there was no service. Cremation was done by WelchRyce-Haider. Donations can be made in Len’s name to support the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.

Wherever Priscilla went, she left behind a trail of friendships and warmth that has ended only now in 2020, the culmination of 100 years of goodness and kindness like so few others. Hurrah for you, Priscilla!

September 11, 1941 -May 3, 2020

Ventura County hosts conference on suicide prevention

51/31/pc 36/26/pc 41/28/pc 64/38/s 58/30/s 65/39/s 75/54/r 38/26/pc 41/30/pc 41/29/pc 78/51/pc 51/41/pc 46/29/pc 42/24/s 52/48/c 44/32/pc

At Lake Cachuma’s maximum level at the point at which water starts spilling over the dam holds 188,030 acre-feet. An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons, equivalent to the amount of water consumed annually by 10 people in an urban environment. Storage 126,296 acre-ft. Elevation 728.05 ft. Evaporation (past 24 hours) 15.1 acre-ft. Inflow 17.9 acre-ft. State inflow 0.0 acre-ft. Storage change from yest. -69 acre-ft. Report from U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

SUN AND MOON Sunrise Sunset Moonrise Moonset

Last

New

Dec 7

Dec 14

Today 6:52 a.m. 4:49 p.m. 10:54 p.m. 11:56 a.m.

WORLD CITIES

First

Dec 21

Mon. 6:53 a.m. 4:49 p.m. 12:00 a.m. 12:31 p.m.

Full

Dec 29

Today Mon. City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Beijing 44/18/pc 35/15/pc Berlin 51/45/pc 49/35/c Cairo 73/59/pc 81/59/pc Cancun 82/69/r 82/62/sh London 43/32/c 38/33/c Mexico City 73/50/pc 70/50/pc Montreal 32/23/pc 30/22/pc New Delhi 80/56/pc 80/55/pc Paris 42/35/c 41/34/c Rio de Janeiro 78/74/t 80/75/r Rome 56/46/r 56/48/t Sydney 87/63/s 83/59/s Tokyo 57/46/s 58/46/s W-weather, s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

page

Managing Editor Dave Mason dmason@newspress.com

Life

INSIDE

Bear Cave Comedy to present Foodbank benefit – B3

SU N DAY, DE C E M BE R 6 , 2 0 2 0

RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Santa Barbara resident Carlos Mexia decorated his Christmas tree with COVID-19-related decor, and he received inspiration for a COVID piñata from the graphic in the News-Press Voices section.

A COVID Christmas tree Local resident brings the medicine of humor with PPE decorations By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

t’s beginning to look a lot like … COVID? A Santa Barbara resident decided to switch up his Christmas tree this year to really reflect the events of 2020. Rather than traditional ornaments, Carlos Mexia, who’s lived in the city for 40 years, decorated his tree with face masks, gloves, toilet paper rolls and cleaning supplies. A coronavirus piñata, much like the molecule graphic he found in the Voices section of the NewsPress (which inspired his COVID tree), is also featured in his Christmas decorations. “I saw the newspaper … I went over to the Santa Cruz Market, where they make piñatas, and I said, ‘Hey, I need a coronavirus to put on top of my Christmas tree,’ ” Mr. Mexia told the News-Press. The scowling coronavirus molecule, which is about the size of Mr. Mexia’s head, wears a Santa hat and sits on top of his tree, and other molecules hang around the house. Unfortunately, none of them are wearing their masks. Gloves and face masks dot the tree, and the bottles of Mr. Clean, Clorox, Tide and hand soap sit Please see COvid tree on B4

At left, instead of wrapped presents under Carlos Mexia’s tree, he put cleaning products underneath, including Tide, Clorox, Mr. Clean and hand soap. Those are all gifts that could come in good use this year. At right, instead of tinsel, Carlos Mexia draped his Christmas tree with a string of COVID masks.

PUZZLES

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

JUMBLE PUZZLE

No. 1129

7+$7 6&5$0%/(' :25' *$0(

159,7( 9('528 $08/<6 74$8(( 0<,)/5

ACROSS

1 List of courses 5 ____ alla Bolognese (meat-based pasta sauce) 9 Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partner in the underworld 13 Melting point? 19 Condo, e.g. 20 Crowning 21 Crewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s control? 22 Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy 23 Bygone office group 25 Final remark in an argument 27 Scratch (out) 28 Like the luck of the draw 30 ), when it follows :31 H 32 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Seems that wayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 34 Pieces of gangs 36 Pain reliever containing aspirin and caffeine 38 Golfer Ernie 39 Gave birth 41 Sheltered balcony with abundant natural light 45 Wished 47 Archerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pride 48 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Dark Knight ____,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 2012 superhero movie

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Online subscriptions: Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s puzzle and more than 4,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

35,17 <285 $16:(5 ,1 7+( &,5&/(6 %(/2:

50 Bring back on board 51 Actress Jessica 52 No Doubt vocalist Gwen 54 Best-selling self-help book subtitled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;TimeTested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Rightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 56 Hot spots 58 Moved briskly 60 Council of ____ (CounterReformation body) 61 More to the point 62 Part of Q.E.D. 63 Chooses 65 Wanders around the head of a line, briefly? 66 Long-running show whose iconic hourglass is in the Smithsonian collection 70 Rotating engine part 73 Con ____ (with animation, musically) 74 Hot spot 75 It has issues with celebrities 80 See 17-Down 82 Ostensible 84 Had a heaping helping of humility 85 Catchy 1950s slogan 87 Send another way 89 Let go of 90 Serious

91 Runway professional 93 Little louse 94 Purposes 95 Car-stereo choices 97 Zoning, so to speak 99 Something thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s helpful in a dash? 100 Emotive brass sound 102 Night call 103 Marketerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s target 105 Bumbling sort 107 They outrank viscounts 109 Legendary sea monster 111 Floor cleaner, for short 113 Union Pacific vehicle 116 Neither gains nor loses 118 Chant for the Dream Team 119 Eldest of Chekhovâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Three Sistersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 120 Town near Buffalo that sounds like paradise 121 From the start 122 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;And now good____ to our waking soulsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;: John Donne 123 Desire 124 Digital IDs 125 ____-X (cut) DOWN

1 Creative inspiration 2 Miso-soup mushroom 3 Made the rounds?

SOLUTION ON D3

Horoscope.com Sunday, December 6, 2020

4 Native of the Beehive State 5 Knock on, as a window 6 Oodles 7 Words said with a postmatch handshake 8 Send to the cloud, say 9 Camp sight 10 Sighing sounds 11 Not custom-tailored 12 Country singer K. T. ____ 13 HBO show co-starring Issa Rae 14 Doveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sound 15 Doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reassurance before a shot 16 Tech-news website 17 With 80-Across, longtime CBS News correspondent 18 Conclusion 24 Smelterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inputs 26 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;est la vieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 29 Spot from which a dove once notably flew 33 Makes cloudy 35 1943 Pulitzer-winning Thornton Wilder play, with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Theâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 37 Like the noble gases 39 Singles, e.g. 40 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;That so?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 42 Steams up 43 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Center,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; often 44 Pain in the neck 45 100 satang, in Thailand

28 32

29 34

49 54

58 62

96 100 105

106

107

108

109 115

104

110

111

116

117

119

120

121

122

123

124

125

68 Scenic vista 69 Holy ____ 70 Orange or plum 71 Fleet of foot 72 Qualifies to fight in a certain class 76 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We are the 99%â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; movement, familiarly 77 Journalists might be invited to it 78 Prospectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s find 79 Flock members

103

118

46 On the safe side 47 Spiritual retreat 49 Intervene 53 1960s sitcom set at Fort Courage 55 Set in a man cave 57 Billâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time-traveling partner in film 59 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Holy ____!â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 62 Favor 64 The deadly sins, e.g. 67 House involved in the Wars of the Roses

102

114

101

90 95

37 41

13 22

113

80 Misarticulate, in a way 81 Home of a mythological lion 83 Language of Pakistan 84 Working away 86 Au naturel 88 Garments for acrobats 92 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wow, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful!â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 96 Big bat 98 Ranker of the rich

SUNDAY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ARIES â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Take it easy when Venus in Scorpio trines Neptune in Pisces on Saturday. Cozy up in your favorite blanket with a warm mug of cocoa and give yourself some space for silence and reflection. This is not the day to be impulsive and make rush decisions. Stay still! TAURUS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Start making plans for the future when Venus in Scorpio trines Neptune in Pisces on Saturday. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a rough year, and you need something to look forward to. Maybe a â&#x20AC;&#x153;friendsâ&#x20AC;? vacation on a tropical beach or a second honeymoon? Daydream, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t put down any money yet. GEMINI â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Start making plans for the future when Venus in Scorpio trines Neptune in Pisces on Saturday. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a rough year, and you need something to look forward to. Maybe a â&#x20AC;&#x153;friendsâ&#x20AC;? vacation on a tropical beach or a second $ % & ' ( ) * + , - . / 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 : ; < = honeymoon? Daydream, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t put down any money yet. CANCER â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re deep in your feelings when the lunar eclipse is in $ Gemini on Monday. This eclipse is in your sector of the subconscious, making you moodier than usual as you focus on your inner world and old wounds. Listen % 3 to your emotions, Cancer. They may be trying to tell you something important. LEO â&#x20AC;&#x201D; On Saturday, use your new How to play Codeword outlook on life to try and solve some Codeword is a fun game with simple rules, and a great test of your knowledge of the English language. problems when Venus in Scorpio trines Every number in the codeword grid is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;codeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for a letter of the alphabet. Thus the number 2 may correspond to Neptune in Pisces. While you might the letter L, for instance. All puzzles come with a few letters to start you off. Your first move should be to enter these letters in the puzcome up with many ideas and solutions, zle grid. If the letter S is in the box at the bottom of the page underneath the number 2, your first move should donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect a quick fix or easy answer. +*#!2 +1$)"$ be to find all cells numbered 2 in the grid and enter the letter S. Cross the letter S off the list at the bottom of VIRGO â&#x20AC;&#x201D; On Tuesday, the holiday the grid. Remember that at the end you should have a different letter of the alphabet in each of the numbered season means family when Mercury boxes 1 - 26, and a word in English in each of the horizontal and vertical runs on the codeword grid. enters Sagittarius. Mercury is now in your family sector, so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be surprised if you get phone calls from relatives and loved ones during this time. We know youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re busy, Virgo, but try to make time for them. It will do your heart good. 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CODEWORD PUZZLE

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12/6/2020

Alex Eaton-Salners, of Lake Forest, Calif., is an in-house attorney for a technology company. He spent his junior year of college studying at a Japanese university and living with a homestay family. He also worked in Japan for several years before returning to the U.S. for law school. Alex made the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Playing With Foodâ&#x20AC;? Sunday crossword in September. This is his 44th puzzle for The Times over all. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; W.S.

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Sunday, December 6, 2020

PUZZLES

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020

Comedy show to benefit Foodbank

CROSSWORD SOLUTION COURTESY PHOTOS

A Food Bank benefit will feature an impressive lineup, headlined by Ahmed Al-Kadri (second from the left), an actor/comedian with an upcoming Netflix special.

By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Sunday, December 6, 2020

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Sudoku puzzles appear on the Diversions page Monday-Saturday and on the crossword solutions ÂŠ Puzzles by Pappocom page in Sundayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Life section.

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Tickets range from $20 to $250, depending if participants want to purchase whiskey (and even appetizers) from the museum. The museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free monthly Science Pub is at 6:30 Dec. 14, held via Zoom. Corinne Heyning Laverty will discuss her book â&#x20AC;&#x153;North Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Galapagos: The Historic Channel Islands Biological Survey.â&#x20AC;? She will share excerpts of her book, recounting the 1930s expeditions of the Channel Islands.

SM Library offers free comic books SANTA MARIA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Santa Maria Public Library hopes youth will â&#x20AC;&#x153;Marvelâ&#x20AC;? at the libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest offering: free comic book packs. The library, located at 421 S. McClelland St., will begin offering the free kits Tuesday at the sidewalk pickup window. Each kit includes a comic book, tools for aspiring artists and other free resources. Packs are available while supplies last and do not

Spots in the winter Nature Adventures Camp for kids are starting to be filled. There are a variety of virtual classes and activities for kids, and scholarships are available. Each weekend, a tribal arts pop-up shop will be available in the museum store as well as online. A portion of the sales of these homemade goods will benefit the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programs. email: ahanshaw@newspress. com

SM Library brings Lego program home

require registration. The program commemorates National Free Comic Book Day, which occurs the first Saturday in May but was postponed. To learn about more of the libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resources, including the Bookmobile, visit cityofsantamaria. org/library.

SANTA MARIA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Santa Maria Public Library is offering take-home Lego kits for children ages 6 to 17. Families can register online each month to pick up the Lego pack. It contains a booklist, challenge cards, activity ideas and Lego bricks. The check-out period is two weeks, and kids are encouraged to share pictures of their creations. The pieces are sanitized before and after use. Register for the kits at cityofsantamaria.org/library or call 805925-0994. Pack pick up begins Tuesday.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Annelise Hanshaw

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The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History opens outdoor exhibits for exploration even in the purple tier, including the latest â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dinorama: Miniatures through the Mesozoic.â&#x20AC;? The museum, located at 2559 Puesta del Sol in Santa Barbara, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The sea center, at 211 Stearns Wharf, is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wednesday through Sunday. For adults, the museum is hosting a livestream bourbon tasting with a scientific twist at 4 p.m. Saturday. Frank Hein, the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s director of exhibits and education, will discuss the ecology of oaks trees and their role in bourbon production. Beam Suntory Whiskey ambassador Amanda Gunderson will lead the audience tasting Knob Creek, Basil Haydenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Jim Beam.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Annelise Hanshaw

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INSTRUCTIONS

www.sudoku.com

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

www.alfaromeoofsantabarbara.com

SOLUTION TO YESTERDAYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PUZZLE

SB Museum of Natural History updates exhibits By ANNELISE HANSHAW

email: ahanshaw@newspress.com

Samantha Bearman, owner of Bear Cave Productions, frequently produces comedy shows for a cause. On Saturday, she is holding a virtual show to benefit the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.

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Everyone could use a laugh nowadays, and some in the community could use food. Local comedy production Bear Cave Comedy fulfills both with a fundraising show for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. The virtual show will start at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The recommended donation for tickets is $10, but Bear Cave will accept whatever donors are comfortable giving. Ahmed Al-Kadri, an actor/comedian with an upcoming Netflix special, will headline the show. TikTok comedian star Taâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Vi; Kaycee Conlee, who has been seen on â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Tonight Showâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Ellen DeGeneres Showâ&#x20AC;? and won Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Funniest Female in 2019; local comedian Evan Lopez and a special guest will also bring laughs. A previous Bear Cave show provided more than 2,000 meals through the Foodbank. This show aims to provide 10,000 meals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We recognize that the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County has been working tirelessly

to ensure that the Santa Barbara County residents have access to food and supplies despite the need growing at an astronomical rate,â&#x20AC;? Bear Cave Productions owner Samantha Bearman said in a news release. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Santa Barbara takes care of one another, and while we have been called to care for one another more this year than most, we continue to not shy away from the call,â&#x20AC;? she said. Ms. Bearman, a Santa Barbara local, regularly produces philanthropic shows. Previously, she has supported the Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association, Planned Parenthood and the American Heart Association. She competed for Jimmy Kimmelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Funniest College Student in America and was a semifinalist in the 2019 Ventura Harbor Comedy Festival. She delivers relatable performances on dating, millennial life, family and living in an expensive city. Tickets for Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show can be purchased at bearcavecomedy.simpletix.com.

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SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

LIFE

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020

Making light of the pandemic helps dim his and his wife’s fears covid tree

Continued from Page B1

under the tree like presents, which may come in handy if another lockdown results in ransacked grocery store shelves. While toilet paper may not be the most elegant of decorations, Mr. Mexia thoroughly enjoys the laughs it brings from his friends and family. “Every year, I try to make a different Christmas tree,” he said. “It’s only for fun.” Unfortunately, only he and his wife, Quirina, get to enjoy the trendy tree in person, as their children can’t return due to COVID-19. “Right now, it’s only me and my wife,” Mr. Mexia said. “They (his kids) all live in different places … This Christmas, nobody’s coming.” However, he sent photos of the COVID tree to his kin, and, “Everybody was laughing.” Making light of the pandemic helps dim his and his wife’s fears, he said, and laughing is one way to get through it. Mr. Mexia’s past lighthearted, creative Christmas trees have included little stuffed toys and vibrant lights. This year, he even hung Santa’s underwear on his wall as well. Boxer briefs dangle from Santa’s clothesline, along with the rest of his undergarments. Although the pandemic has separated many from their loved ones, Mr. Mexia proves that there are still ways to find the positive side and, if nothing else, just make loved ones laugh from afar. email: gmccormick@newspress. com

RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Carlos Mexia made light out of his Christmas tree this year to make everyone laugh at the chaos 2020 brought. See the video at newspress.com.

Comprehensive Cancer Care. Close to Home. In addition to his COVID tree, Carlos Mexia hung this decoration on his wall — a clothesline full of Santa’s undergarments.

Ridley-Tree Cancer Center provides patients with every opportunity for a successful outcome. Access to advanced treatments and technol0gy, national clinical trials, and research-based supportive care and wellness programs, right here in Santa Barbara. In partnership with

ridleytreecc.org • 540 W. Pueblo Street, Santa Barbara Carlos Mexia’s Christmas tree features an angry COVID molecule on top instead of an angel, somewhat representative of 2020.

page

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SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

IDEAS & COMMENTARY

guest opinion ANDY CALDWELL: Problems with affirmative action policies/ C2

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020

DID YOU KNOW? Bonnie Donovan

Support local businesses

RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS

The city of Santa Barbara plans to remove the Indio Muerto street sign Saturday.

Indio Muerto Street’s story

After street is renamed, let’s find another way to honor American Indian

he name “Indio Muerto Street” tells a real historical story. A deceased Native American was found there a long time ago at the site in 1851 by the Haley Expedition. Some have spoken out against the name, including some Chumash people, finding the name offensive. The city of Santa Barbara agreed to change the name on the sign to “Hutash,” something that had nothing to do with “Indio Muerto” translated as “Dead Indian.” There had been complaints about the sign for years. It took the city a long time to do something. When the Santa Barbara City Council decided to remove the sign on Sept. 30, it wasn’t in a hurry to take it down. The sign would be removed Dec. 12. It’s easier to take something down than create something worthwhile. As a condition of taking something down that is part of Santa Barbara history, such as a sign or monument,

shouldn’t it be required that locally, and one is a monumental something be put in its place? plaque of Juana Maria located at Personally, I feel the name the Santa Barbara Mission. There “Indio Muerto Street” concerns also lie her remains. such an important story in Santa This Native American woman Barbara history that it would be spent 18 years living alone on better not to rename it. The street San Nicolas Island. Also, “Juana name can represent Maria Street” is named all the other Native after her which is near Bryan Americans who suffered “Indio Muerto Street.” Rosen as well. These long standing As local historian Neal street names are so The author Graffy said to the Santa historical, yet so easily lives in Barbara City Council, discarded. Montecito “Indio Muerto should be Why not have seen as a memorial to more monuments for them all.” Or it could be renamed the Chumash? Monuments to still commemorate the commemorate other groups in deceased Native American, but our local history. not Hutash Street, as that name The Presidio is a monument is unrelated to the native found to the Spanish period, as is the there. Mission. These monuments teach Wouldn’t it be wonderful us a lot about the times, and show if a monument to this Native us the perspective of the people American were added? A banner who lived back then. stating “In Honor of the Deceased But what a shame so little Native American” could be put up is dedicated to the Chumash, by the street sign. who lived in such harmony with There are few monuments to the earth. If only there was a individual Native Americans recreated Chumash village or a

No election justice, no election peace

motley throng of becoming a full-blown banana patriots amassed republic. Monday at the Hyatt “Me First” Republicans such Regency in Phoenix for as Cindy McCain, who has been a raucously peaceful offered an ambassadorship by “Stop the Steal” rally. There were corruptocrat Joe Biden, are Zoomers and Boomers, “America complicit in systematically First” leaders and Proud Boys, tea disenfranchising law-abiding Michelle Malkin voters. party veterans and indie Donald Trump loyalists. If there is no election justice, I flew down from Colorado to lend then there can be no election my support to all these anti-establishment peace. activists brave and vigilant enough to take With the sterling exception of Arizona to the streets. Praise for “Christ the King” GOP Rep. Paul Gosar, the absence of rang out amid demands that a special nationally known conservative figures at the legislative session be convened. protest was as glaring as an Arizona sunrise My message to the rally goers was the and as gaping as the Grand Canyon. same one I delivered at the “Stop the Steal” Inside the hotel, Republican state rally in Colorado Springs last month: We, legislators hosted Trump legal team the people, must rise up to protect our constitutional republic and prevent it from Please see malkin on C4

Chumash museum. The City Council has subsidized big corporations to come to Santa Barbara. It seems to have had a lot of money to throw away, including on settling police brutality lawsuits. Why can’t this body do something positive for the Chumash? What has the city done for the Chumash? Over the centuries, the city of Santa Barbara has done a lot to harm the Chumash, and there’s now another stab in the back by removing a sign about a deceased Native American. And the city didn’t even try to replace it with another sign commemorating this individual. The only response I received from the City Council was from Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez. He said, “We are speaking with the Chumash tribes about placing a plaque telling the story of the unknown native there.” These days, monuments and signs that offend people are taken down, but are seldom replaced with anything. That plaque could

be a long time coming. I responded to Mr. Gutierrez: “That’s nice to hear, Oscar. It would be nice if a banner honoring the deceased Native American had been hung by the street sign a long time ago. I hope the story behind the name ‘Indio Muerto Street’ actually gets told. Hopefully, the plaque isn’t too small.” Plaques tend to be small and barely noticed by the public. A larger monument would be seen. A sizable monument was erected years ago to a dog and his animal friends — “Jack and his Friends” — on Sycamore Canyon Road at Stanwood Drive. It’s attractive, but has fallen into disrepair. It would be nice if a monument to this Native American could be at least this large. As far as the deceased Native American is concerned, and other Native Americans who suffered, the City Council’s actions so far are bringing them closer to being forgotten.

Democrats use COVID-19 to their advantage Editor’s note: The News-Press has not called a winner in the presidential race.

Henry Schulte

The Democrats were reaching, and not for straws, because they had already been outlawed. The author Unbeknownst at the time was he year that turned the lives in Solvang China had unleashed a virus world upside is coming on the world that would turn all to a close — and for many, that’s good things upside down. Jane Fonda, not soon enough. of all people, honestly said later in the Let’s take a quick look at how year, “That the virus was the best thing to we got here. happen for the Democrats.” That statement After an exhausting and $40 million couldn’t have been truer. false accusation of President Donald The Democrats saw an opportunity to Trump and Russian collusion was out of use a tragedy and turn it into a political the way, the Democrats launched right into weapon that grew like the virus itself. impeachment. But we still entered 2020 Upon seeing how the lockdown gave them a with one of the lowest unemployment rates newfound power, the likes of which they or in history, a record stock market, the lowest anyone could ever have imagined, our civil unemployment for blacks and Hispanics, liberties were rapidly stripped away. lower taxes and a plethora of all things Suddenly an entire nation of hardpositive. working people, many who already had None of which anyone reported on. Please see schulte on C4

his Christmas, it’s especially important to support the people who are still in business in town, in spite of the trials and tribulations of the lockdowns. Instead of buying gifts online from Amazon, how about patronizing Santa Barbara’s brick-and-mortar stores before we lose any more of them? We lost one Macy’s downtown, the other Macy’s is on the chopping block. The city of Santa Barbara is waiting for the store’s lease at La Cumbre Plaza to expire in the next four to five years, to build 550 new homes. But where will people shop? Our mayor and the City Council are doing their best to annihilate retail, with their incessant declaration that “retail is dead.” That really demonstrates their blatant lack of support for small business owners, the spirit of entrepreneurship — all that makes any city vital and unique. Don’t we deserve more? Let’s support not only our only Macy’s, but also Old Navy, Chaucer’s, our local restaurants, etc. Buy gift cards at Vons or Trader Joe’s, a local hair or nail salon, gym memberships and any local personal grooming service. Other ideas are family memberships at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Santa Barbara Zoo and Lotusland in Montecito or anything else that springs from our locale. Skip the Starbucks, they have not missed a beat, but visit The Good Cup, Jeannine’s, The Daily Grind and local coffee shops that could use the business boost. Buy something in person, something that supports the local economy. Besides, all the internet shopping means packages on your porch that you have to worry about getting stolen. By the way, Amazon suffered nothing during COVID-19. In fact, the company continues to make billions --- remember Jeff Bezos made $13 billion in one day. Amazon is at the forefront of new commerce, but let us not sacrifice our local businesses to these huge international corporations. The new politicians, with which our own City Council and mayor are in step, go along with the media conglomerates and ignore public outcry with a “no comment,” as they brush off any expressed concern as if it never happened. They think if they ignore it, the rest of us will too. This approach is changing the face of our downtown. It is happening with this hideous, oppressive, looming design for the police station. It represents nothing of the spirit and history of our town. Nor do these 60feet high buildings planned for our downtown. The people in charge are running amok over any public outcry. “It can be difficult to speak truth to power. Circumstances, however, have made doing so increasingly necessary.” — Aberjhani, “To Foster a Culture” At a meeting of local hotel owners, the topic of which was the increased homeless crime in the West Beach area, one of the hoteliers said, “Santa Barbara has a reputation to protect.” We agree and implore City Council to act in the same vein, that the reasons for SB’s reputation are worth preserving. As it stands, Santa Barbara appears to be going down the drain in a tailspin. In last week’s News-Press Please see donovan on C4

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

VOICES

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 Gillian Christie

letters to the news-press Let’s work together to curb COVID-19

T Wendy McCaw Arthur von Wiesenberger

Co-Publisher Co-Publisher

guest OPINION

Systemic racism or woke stupidity?

hen I was an Hands, Open Hearts and industrial Minds, Ignite Action, and relations Navigate Change.” Honestly, manager, these are the actual the federal nauseatingly woke title government required a racial summaries of their plan. At background report on the least they left out the part people who applied for a about singing kumbaya. job, along with the people An honest cliff note version who were hired, to facilitate of the plan? Promote fewer a comparison to the racial whites and Asians, regardless composition of the community of aptitudes and outcomes. at large. Albeit, things are a lot more This attempt to prove that tricky nowadays with regard our hiring practices were to hiring and promoting not biased was an exercise via race and gender quotas. in futility because we were For instance, which box do not legally allowed to ask you check for a gender-fluid anybody what their racial person who identifies as a background was. That “they?” information is protected by Moreover, many people law from being considered these days are interracial, a while applying and sign that race doesn’t matter interviewing, meaning we to most people in reality. were expected to guess the So how can you guess with answers for the report. certainty a person’s race? I, With the onset of the for one, have a grand niece affirmative action movement and nephew who are a mix on steroids, employers were of Italian, Austrian, Mexican, advised to treat women and etc. minorities “fairly,” One has a dark meaning we were complexion while expected to actively the sibling doesn’t. discriminate against Should that one get white people in general more opportunities and men in particular, than the other on the to the extent that the basis of skin color most qualified person versus aptitude? Andy Caldwell didn’t always get the If so, cue Martin job. Luther King Jr. to This movement roll over in his grave. hit a serious speed bump More importantly, the in 1996 with the passage of county criminal justice Proposition 209. Prop. 209 system’s new goal is to keep prohibited the state from people out of jail (rather than considering race, sex, color, reducing crime), especially ethnicity or national origin in people of color, despite the public employment, education obvious problem that people or contracting, portending are not facing arrest based on the end of legalized their color, but their conduct. discrimination against some, Nonetheless, the county to hypothetically cure it for diverted upward of 50% of others. criminals (and their victims) Apparently, Santa Barbara from having their day in court County supervisors didn’t and called that success. get the memo advising them This is part of a movement that a proposition to rescind (The Breathe Act 2020) to Prop. 209 failed in November. eliminate prisons and jails Accordingly, they are seeking in favor of “therapeutic” to return to the glory days of alternatives. The end result? affirmative action policies, Many criminals have lost in order to root out “systemic any fear of facing serious racism” in the county repercussions for their workforce and our criminal criminal activities. They justice system. don’t even bother to show up The county’s workforce for their court hearings, a has a racial composition pattern referred to as “failure that is not too far off from to appear.” the makeup of our general Call me old-fashioned. I still population. believe in “commit the crime, However, in upper do the time” regardless of management, it is a different race, color, ethnicity, national story. There, whites, and origin and sexual identity. to a lesser degree, Asians, are disproportionately represented. What to do? Andy Caldwell is the executive Well, why not create “a director of COLAB and the race, equity, and inclusion host of “The Andy Caldwell framework”? Show” weekdays from 3-5 p.m. Huh? You know, “Join on News-Press Radio AM 1290.

he fall and winter holiday season has started amidst a doubling of COVID-19 case numbers across Santa Barbara County. This alarming trend is also reflected nationally and globally. As healthcare workers on the front lines and as educators eager to see students back in the classroom, we are making a sincere plea to all residents to follow public health recommendations and help keep our community safe. Like many of you, we are sad about the impact this pandemic will have on our traditional holiday gatherings with family and friends. We understand how difficult it is, after an already tough nine months, to request that everyone forgo travel and avoid celebrations with people who do not live in their immediate household. We do know that asking all outof-town visitors and any residents who traveled out-of-state to quarantine for two weeks upon their return is inconvenient, but it’s essential to our community health. We also know that it might be tempting to use a negative test result to rationalize travel or attend a gathering, but this approach is not recommended since the incubation period for COVID-19 lasts for up to 14 days. It is very possible to test negative for COVID-19, experience no symptoms, still harbor the virus and be able to transmit it to a loved one. A serious, renewed commitment to mask-wearing and social distancing needs to occur immediately in order to stop the current surge and bend the curve again. Something has to change or our schools may not be able to open, businesses will continue to suffer and we risk the health of our most vulnerable community members. While our hospital systems prepared well for large outbreaks earlier this year, we do not want to see a tidal wave of sick patients overwhelm our health systems due to a surge that we could have prevented. These exact scenarios are playing out across the country, but it doesn’t have to be that way here. Through the fires and mudflows, we saw the great capacity of our community to pull together, help one another and remain resilient in the face of challenges that at times seemed insurmountable. Unlike those events which happened without warning, this pandemic is not a riddle still unsolved. We now know how to decrease the spread of this virus, and a determined effort by all of us will make a difference. We are asking you personally to join us in making these hard choices, and hopefully preserving the good health of our friends, family and loved ones to enjoy many more holiday seasons together. Sincerely, Masked and Mighty Coalition members (Santa Barbara County, Cottage Health, Sansum Clinic, CenCal Health, Central Coast Medical Association, Lompoc Valley Medical Center, Lompoc Valley Pediatric Care, Marian Regional Medical Center, Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara County Promotores Network, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, Santa Barbara County Education Office, school districts throughout the county, UCSB and Westmont College.)

Voters were right to reject Trump

n spite of Donald Trump and his supporters’ efforts to cast doubt about the validity of our recent presidential election, those of us who voted, whether Democrat or Republican, demonstrated intelligent, common-sense choices, which deserve congratulations in the removal of Donald Trump as a credible presidential choice. His supporters have demonstrated an addiction to party ideology — or just plain ignorance. America and its citizens cannot afford another four years of the chaotic and confusing performance of Donald Trump as president. The damage he has done to the presidency of our country will take years to correct, including repairing our relationship with our foreign allies. Donald Trump is basically all about himself, and his selfcentered mentality is ample proof

of that. In the final analysis of Donald Trump, he lacks the demeanor, intelligence and class to be a credible president. God bless America, and goodbye to Donald Trump for good. Ronald P. Sutton Lompoc

No evidence of election fraud

urely, Jim Hurst must be joking about what he wrote in the News Press Voices section in the article entitled “Reasons for voting at the polls” (Nov. 22). Of course, his facts are wrong and his opinion is confused, to say the least. No reputable elections official, no courts, no investigative agency has found even an iota of evidence that there was fraud or criminality in the conduct of the 2020 election. The president and Mr. Hurst seem unable to accept the reality of an election process where President Trump received about 9 million fewer votes than the winner and he earned fewer than 270 Electoral College votes, which confirms his loss. In my life in New York, I spent time representing an election bureau and as private counsel have dealt with issues of ballot access, challenged voters, and post-election litigation. In all that time, I have never encountered an actual instance of fraud in the voting process. Even where people lived in Florida and New York, and they could have attempted to vote in each state, it never occurred. Of course, there were minor irregularities, but nothing that could even approach the level of fraud. I know it is terrible to lose an election. Getting rejected by the voters does not boost one’s ego. But the Trump campaign presupposes fraud would be a part of the election process. He said that in 2016 and now again in 2020. Fabricating conspiracies may create doubt about an election result. It will not determine an election. President Trump’s conspiracies have not been proven. They involve allegations, without any evidence, of vote dumping, vote changing, vote manipulation during the counting period. The Trump campaign claims that suddenly a substantial lead turned into a substantial loss. Of course, it did. The voting machine votes were counted first. It was expected that election day votes would favor the President. The mail-in ballots were counted after the machine voting process ended. It takes time to count the votes, and the process includes verifying compliance and signatures. There were a huge number of mail-in votes. There was no dumping. No vote changing, no vote manipulation. Just the maniacal rantings of a sad man unable to accept the decision of the people. In almost every court where President Trump filed a lawsuit challenging the election results, the common question to his lawyers by the courts was “prove it.” President Trump’s lawyers either said they did not allege fraud, withdrew the cases, or the courts threw the cases out. So Mr. Hurst should not get his dander up. Accept reality. But Mr. Hurst does not stop there. He said mail-in ballots pose a threat to the country. He said voters who vote by mailin ballots have “no clue who or who they are really voting for.” Well obviously, Mr. Hurst could not know what each voter knows when he or she votes. He demeans voters who vote by mail as lacking the “required energy to get up off the couch to go to a polling place.” Again, how does he know? Maybe they had the energy but wanted to vote without having to stand in the cold, heat, rain or snow during a deadly pandemic. Mail-in ballots are sent to registered voters by mail in official envelopes. These ballots are not dumped on the side of the road for anyone to pick up and use. Mr. Hurst says mail-in voters are influenced by Facebook, Twitter and the media. I assume that would mean those who voted for Joe Biden were badly influenced. He then demeans American education. He goes down the litany of liberal evils, ignoring the bolder wishes of the Republicans and President Trump to actually tamper with or destroy ballots legally cast. Mr. Hurst attributes to politicians the ability to manipulate the vote landslides for “candidates who detest the traditional

American values and personal responsibility.” Now, how silly can one man be. The only man who apparently hates America is Donald Trump, who has manipulated the system designed to protect the country. He probably believes that Chinese and Venezuelan operatives came in the dead of night to individually mark fake ballots in favor of Biden. Mr. Hurst ignores the fact that several states are almost exclusively mail-in voting states with no significant fraudulent activity. Citizenship and age are the only qualifications for voting. It has been that way since the founding of the republic. Race was eliminated as a disqualification from voting after the Civil War. Women were given the right to vote in 1920, earlier in some states. There is no requirement that a voter graduate from high school or hold a college degree. There is no special group of voters who are given the exclusive right to vote and all others too dumb, uneducated, or lazy to vote. Republicans have refined voter suppression to a fine art by means of requiring hardto-get ID cards, limiting ballot drop offs, reducing polling locations, or otherwise making voting uncomfortable, difficult or deadly. What mail-in voting prevents is racist suppression of the vote while increasing voting generally. It detaches the ability to challenge a vote on the basis of skin color of the voter. And it seems that the Republican attempt to eliminate votes from Milwaukee, Detroit and Philadelphia had black voters in its sights. It is difficult for me to believe that Mr. Hurst’s cure for the problem is to end mail-in balloting. Mr. Hurst’s argument is the Republican argument of voter suppression rather than the easier the vote is, the safer democracy is. Bill Rosen Goleta

I’m proud to lean to the right

hat a pleasant surprise to open the Sunday opinion section and read a letter compiling the nation’s top writers as “leaning to the right” (Voices, “Leaning to the Right,” Nov. 29). I say, “Right on!” I am proud of our stance and to be included with these great writers. Thank you, John Gainor. I take it as a compliment. It is far better to be labeled a far right person than to be labeled a far left. Incidentally, I am “ambidextrous,” but the right side of my brain is where I get my “grits.” I am proud of my stance. Now to more serious matters other than the “virus,” although if you look at it, it does have some redeeming qualities, like time on your hands to do what you have been putting off and getting to learn something new. Research can be very educational on details such as the number of presidents who were attorneys before getting into politics. Of 45 presidents, 26 practiced as attorneys. However, the Obamas and the Clintons, all four, had their licenses taken from them mostly for lying or not for filling the requirements. Thirty-two of the 45 presidents had previous military training, and nine were generals. Last but not least, 18 of the 45 had served as U.S representatives before becoming president. As far as the research went, and my far right tendencies leaned to their neutral stance, it looks like the ones who stand out for doing “For Their Country,” it looks like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and, drum roll, Donald J. Trump all put country before party. Say what you want, “them’s is the facts.” Party did not enter into their loyalty to their country, and you out there, live and learn, it’s not the party that makes a president great. What does is a president’s moral structure is and his love of country. So when you are served a lemon, make limoncello. Oops, isn’t that supposed to be lemonade? Oh well, live and let live peacefully, and let’s get back to what we were after Dec. 7, 1941, and Sept. 11, 2001: “One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Thank you. Anita Dwyer Lompoc

The author lives in Santa Barbara.

I want my money back

veryday we pay for items and services that we chose to fulfill our needs and make our life better. We do this voluntarily. We do this by our own choice. If we are not satisfied with our purchases, we can get a refund or replacement, usually with the willingness of the provider to ensure we, as their customer are satisfied. However, this does not work with the government. At every level, it takes our money, by coercion and at times threats, forcing us to buy services and items that are not needed. I want my money back. A recent News-Press article shared the “joy of discovery” of several UCSB professors, who on our dime, got acknowledged for such absurd usage of our money to “prove” an economical experiment that if you pay students to exercise at the gym, would they continue if not paid. Really. Our money is paying students to work out. I want my money back. Another professor used my money to study why the mind wanders to satisfy his own curiosity. Any Applied Scholastics’ home schooler knows that the mind wanders from a subject if there is a misunderstood word or concept, too steep a gradient or a lack of mass. I want my money back! Our governor of California, with America’s highest gas tax and high personal income tax, loves spending our money: $20,000,00 on studying vaping, funding illegal alien-owned business in the amount of $50 million, high state government employee pensions, the high speed rail to nowhere, yet can’t get water to the central valley farmers. I want my money back. Our federal government loves spending our money on useless projects like spending $700,000 of our tax money in England so experimenters can hook zebrafish on nicotine, or $22,000,000 to bring Serbia cheese up to international standards, or spending $4,658,865 to study the connection between drinking alcohol, and ending up in the ER. Maybe if the zebrafish drank alcohol he would not get addicted to nicotine. Government, all who work for or are funded by our money, seems to forget that we, the taxpayers, are the customer. And good customer relations is to always deliver more than what you receive in compensation. Unfortunately, now it is the opposite. Imagine what would happen if we all asked for our money back. Gillian Christie is CEO of Christie & Co., a Santa Barbara business.

Have your say Your opinions are valuable contributions to these pages. We welcome a variety of views. Letters must be exclusive to the News-Press. In most cases, first priority for immediate publication goes to those submitted by 6 p.m. Tuesdays. We encourage brevity, and shorter letters have a better chance of being printed immediately. We edit all submissions for length, clarity and professional standards. We do not print submissions that lack a civil tone, allege illegal wrongdoing or involve consumer complaints. We also may decide not to print letters or op-eds for other reasons. Limit your letters to one every 30 days. All letters must include the writer’s address and telephone number for verification. We cannot acknowledge unpublished letters. We prefer e-mailed submissions. If you send attachments, please send word documents. We can’t guarantee that we can open a PDF. Send letters to voices@ newspress.com. Writers also may fax letters to 805-966-6258. Mail letters to P.O. Box 1359, Santa Barbara 93102. The News-Press reserves the right to publish or republish submissions in any form or medium. Direct questions to Managing Editor Dave Mason at 805-5645277 or voices@newspress.com.

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

VOICES

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020

Project Veritas strips CNN naked Editor’s note: The News-Press has not called a winner in the presidential election.

roject Veritas’ expose of CNN’s behind-thescenes conference calls shows that the network’s slogan should be: “We won’t fully report so you can’t knowledgeably decide.” James O’Keefe of Project Veritas, in the ultimate trolling coup of the year, monitored and recorded CNN’s morning conference call with CNN President Jeff Zucker and other company executives and reporters for some two months. Mr. O’Keefe has released the first batch of audiotapes from those calls, which confirm the network’s anti-Donald Trump, pro-Joe Biden bias. Exposing CNN’s liberal bias is no bombshell, as is self-evident to any objective viewer, but it is deliciously affirming to hear these

legacy media frauds betray their filter. Through these tapes, they’ve corruption in their own words. vindicated our long-standing There’s no explaining away their charge that their mission is to admissions of news doctoring in tailor the news to fit their liberal these tapes. narrative, rather than to fairly The recordings prove that the report it. executives not only These are the same dictate the network’s people who sermonize on editorial slant but also air and on Twitter daily manipulate its news side about the importance of in deciding what stories honest journalism and will be reported and how political integrity, and they will be presented — who denigrate so-called to ensure that President conservative networks as Trump is portrayed in hopelessly biased. David Limbaugh a negative light and Mr. You’ve seen how CNN Biden is protected at all and other liberal outlets costs. have insulated Mr. Biden It would be less objectionable from any serious questions before if the network would admit that and after the election. it has a liberal bias, but it does Throughout the campaign, in the opposite. The anchors and what I believe is one of the greatest reporters hold themselves out journalistic scandals of our time, as consummate journalists, the media persistently shielded exemplary professionals Mr. Biden from press scrutiny committed to giving their viewers and ignored his obvious cognitive information without a partisan decline.

At a rare post-election Biden press conference, reporters asked him no policy questions, only softballs concerning President Trump’s “continued stonewalling” of Mr. Biden’s transition. In the same vein, during an unscheduled appearance a few days ago, the press asked Mr. Biden only one question: “Mr. President-elect, how does your foot feel?” This is in stark contrast to how the press has harassed and bullied President Trump, and how Mr. Zucker directed his minions to treat Mr. Trump while the president was recovering from the coronavirus. On one of the recorded calls, Mr. Zucker appears to say: “OK, I just want to re-emphasize that, you know, I think we cannot normalize what has happened here in the last week with Trump and his behavior. And I go back to what ... David Chalian” — CNN vice president and political director — “said, that

this is a president who knows he’s losing it, who knows he’s in trouble, is sick, maybe is on the aftereffects of steroids or not. I don’t know, but he is acting erratically and desperately, and we need to — we need to not normalize that. ... He is all over the place and acting erratically. And I think we need to lean into that.” So Mr. Zucker basically told his people, without any medical proof, that Mr. Trump is possibly compromised in a way that could affect his judgment and that they should go out of their way to showcase that and depict the president as unstable. This wasn’t news or journalism but an outright, baseless smear to impact the upcoming election. In another call, Mr. Zucker opines that, while Breitbart, the New York Post and Fox News were pursuing the Hunter Biden Please see limbaugh on C4

DRAWING BOARD

Zoom says no to airplane hijacker

ilicon Valley giants such as Facebook, Twitter and Google get plenty of justified criticism for condoning posts that promote bigotry of many stripes, plus terrorism and racist violence. Not to mention their inconsistency about removing political advertisements purveying outright lies and their frequent regurgitating of obviously faked news in their many and varied feeds. But there’s one Silicon Valley company that now stands out for refusing to passively accept this stuff. That’s the San Jose-based Zoom Video Communications, perhaps best known as the service without which millions of schoolchildren could have been almost completely cut off from education in this pandemicinfused year. Yes, other video conferencing apps exist, like Google Meet and Cisco Webex. But Zoom has made itself synonymous with the genre, just as Xerox once was the only word anyone used when talking copiers. For the most part, Zoom is as passive as its Internet cohorts, interfering with almost no

meetings on its space, no matter Francisco State campus. what they touch on. “Words can wound,” Dr. But when a well-known Mahoney said. But she ignored anti-Israel and anti-Semitic how they can also lead to academic at San Francisco State killings, as when instigators from University scheduled a Zoom Charles Manson to Adolf Hitler event this fall featuring Leila implied their minions should act Khaled, infamous as while they themselves the world’s first female stood by and did little airplane hijacker and one or nothing physical. who has gone unpunished This putative for her misdeeds for 50 conference was years, Zoom just said no. organized by San The company waited Francisco State’s until after San Francisco Department of Arab State President Lynn and Muslim Ethnicities Thomas D. Mahoney had seemingly and Diaspora Studies, Elias exhausted her supply whose chairperson of politically correct is Rabab Abdulhadi, The author sophistry in allowing well known for her is a longtime this event to proceed. own incitements. Dr. observer of California Dr. Mahoney conceded Abdulhadi is a disciple politics. that even though she of the modern form of believed academic anti-Semitism, which freedom demanded the seminar condemns Zionism and Israel on Zoom be allowed to proceed, while claiming it’s not antishe realized it would be Semitic. “deeply wounding to our Jewish These folks, of course, ignore students.” the longstanding Jewish tenet No, she did not mention that immortalized in Psalm 137 after the pro-violence rhetoric for the Babylonian conquest of the which Ms. Khaled is known ancient Jewish kingdoms of could spur actual wounds — not Israel and Judah: “If I forget you, mere figurative ones — to those O Jerusalem, may my right hand Jewish students, who have been forget its skill. May my tongue threatened before on the San cleave to the roof of my mouth

if I do not remember you,” and more. This passage, enshrined for millennia in the Bible, demonstrates the enduring tie between Jews and their ancestral homeland, making denial of Jewish rights to sovereignty there plainly antiSemitic. Ms. Khaled has not merely employed rhetoric. In 1970, she was part of a team from the terrorist-designated Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine that hijacked TWA Flight 840, a Boeing 707 diverted to Damascus. Later that year, after being treated like a heroine by Syria, she underwent plastic surgery to disguise herself and then helped hijack El Al Flight 219 to a remote airfield in England. She was quickly released by British authorities and lives today in Jordan. There was scant likelihood Khaled could ever be admitted to the U.S. to speak. But a Zoom conference over the Internet would take care of that slight problem. Then Zoom spoke up, and the event was off. “Zoom is committed to

supporting the open exchange of ideas and conversations,” a corporate statement said, “subject to certain limitations contained in our terms of service, including those related to user compliance with applicable U.S. export control, sanctions and anti-terrorism laws. In light of the speaker’s affiliation or membership in a U.S. designated terrorist organization and SFSU’s inability to confirm otherwise, we determined SFSU … may not use Zoom for this particular event.” This was a seminal statement from a major Internet company, leaving San Francisco State with egg and hypocrisy on its face. It also should serve as a precedent for other electronic giants to clean up their acts and their app spaces. Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, “The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Government’s Campaign to Squelch It” is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more of Mr. Elias’ columns, visit www. californiafocus.net

John Stossel

Here’s something better than charity

any of us will give money to charity this month. Americans give more than any other people in the world. Good for us. Fifty-six years ago, because American charities hadn’t ended poverty, politicians said they would end it. They declared a “war on poverty.” That “war,” so far, has cost $27 trillion. Some people were helped. But the handouts also had a bad effect. My new video shows a moving graph of America’s poverty rate. It reveals that before the War on Poverty began, Americans had been steadily lifting themselves out of poverty. Year by year, the number of families in poverty — defined as earning less than three times what they need to feed themselves — decreased. Then welfare began, and for about seven years, progress continued. But then progress largely stopped! That downward trending poverty line now rises and falls with economic conditions. America now has an “underclass,” generations of people who stay poor. “Welfare taught them they didn’t have to work,” said Yaron Brook of the Ayn Rand Institute. Handouts perpetuate poverty, he said, “because if you get a job ... your checks get smaller.” That’s why charity is better. Charities are free to help people who truly need help while giving a push to people who need “a kick in the butt.” Government’s one-size-fits-all rules discourage that. I donate to a charity called The Doe Fund. It tries to “break the devastating cycle of homelessness” by teaching men to take pride in work. Many are helped. But not all charity helps. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg gave $100 million to improve Newark, N.J.’s public schools. The money disappeared into the education bureaucracy. Education consultants and friends of politicians got some. Teachers union contracts grew fatter. “But the public schools didn’t get better,” Mr. Brook points out. “The performance of the students didn’t get better.” This year’s booming stock prices increased America’s wealth gap. Billionaires got richer while store clerks lost jobs. “Progressives” gathered outside Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s home and set up a guillotine. The message: “Behead the rich.” They think that when Mr. Bezos makes billions, the rest of us have less. That’s ignorant, said Mr. Brook. “All of our lives are dramatically better because of somebody like Jeff Bezos. Things just appear at our doorstep. They hire hundreds of thousands of people. They make it possible for poor people to make a living by selling me something that I want!” I pushed back. “But he has so much — when others have so little.” “It’s his money!” Brook responded. “He created it. Once we start deciding what you can or can’t do with your property, what we will get is ... extreme poverty for everybody. Only one system has brought people out of poverty, capitalism.” That’s what I finally learned after years of consumer reporting. Consider three ways to help people: government, charity Please see stossel on C4

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

VOICES

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020

The makeover for Ortega Park is invoiced at $14 million donovan

Continued from Page C1 “Ask the Gold Digger” column, Dr. Elizabeth Stewart wrote how developers at the turn of the century “turned a blind eye to Californeo culture and rebranded it, many old adobes were lost.” However, she goes on to say a campaign was mounted at the time which managed to save three of the adobes downtown – the Lugo Adobe, the Miranda adobe and the De La Guerra adobe. Imagine downtown without the anchor of these valuable historical treasures. She further remarks, “respect for traditions can be exercised in tangible ways if someone has the courage to buck the trend.” It is a good sign that City Council member Alejandra Gutierrez is taking a stand to preserve the historical 30-yearold Aztecan Murals in Ortega Park. If it is not saved after 30 years, it certainly will not be there 50 years from now. However, the makeover for Ortega Park is invoiced at $14 million. Seems like a lot of money for a neighborhood park. Let us hope it comes with a strong practical plan.

“People become politicians for a number of reasons,” one of our contributors quipped recently. “Some because they could not hold down a job in the rigors of private industry. Others because they believe they know better, what is good for us. “But the common denominator is the desire for power. (1) The power to regulate our lives through writing laws and enacting ordinances. (2) The power to take our money and to spend our money.” That is a lot of power wielded by the city government. Are we paying the proper attention to those people we have elected to wield that kind of power in this town? “Democracy gives citizens a measure of political power. That power comes with the responsibility to foster a culture that it makes it possible to live and work together for the wellbeing of all.” — Diane Kalen-Sukra, “Save Your City”

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

NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTOS

Voices writer Henry Schulte said Joe Biden has aging issues and that President Donald Trump accomplished a lot for the country.

schulte

Continued from Page C1 been barely making it from paycheck to paycheck, had to rely on government subsidies to live. And, over time we became submissive to “dictators” telling us how to take care of ourselves and they began to treat us like children. And while the entire world was living on the edge of fear, exacerbated by the media, who all suddenly had become doctors, people were forced to hide in their homes while thousands of others in the name of protest, were enabled by the Democrats to ravage and burn our cities. Stricter laws were imposed on the innocents whereby you couldn’t go to a church, but you could take over cities. So while the country burned in the name of racism or whatever flavor of Kool-aid for the week was, for a while the virus took a back seat and seemed to disappear. But when the flames burning our cities began to flicker out, the virus came back with a vengeance but not in the true sense of the word. It came back as the weapon of choice to bring down President Donald Trump.

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Continued from Page C1 lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis for a marathon presentation of election fraud evidence that began at 9 a.m. and did not adjourn until nearly 8 p.m. Bright red flags ranged from electronic voting machine vulnerabilities to shady homeless voter registrations, to longfestering concerns about largescale illegal immigrant voting, to a dizzying raft of statistical anomalies involving massive numbers of mail-in ballots. Most compelling was a review of public election data in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and Nevada by respected number-cruncher Matt Braynard. He crowdfunded the Voting Integrity Project, which conducted vital election research this past month using government data from six battleground states. The team scrutinized voters who had moved out of one state, registered in another and still voted in the state they had left. They contacted voters whose election records showed that they had requested a mail-in ballot and sent it in, but which were not counted as votes. Conversely, they found voters who didn’t request a mail-in ballot

Shielded by the press, the riots and tearing down of statues sanctioned by Democrats, the memories suddenly flew away like the seeds of dandelions on the wind. Then the biggest battle of the year began in earnest, the concerted war by big tech, mainstream media and wealthy liberal donors to finally, after four years of failing, collaborated more than ever to oust President Trump. The virus was the mana from above that gave it to them. We’ll never know the truth about a lot of things. We’ll never know what Hillary Clinton’s emails said. We’ll never know how deep a role former President Barack Obama played in the Russian collusion hoax. We’ll never get any prosecutions of the FBI’s role, and we’ll never get to the bottom of how large a role election fraud played into the outcome of a Joe Biden win. But here we are. Joe Biden may be a nice guy, but he unquestionably has aging issues and is supposed to lead America. This is an extremely dangerous situation placed upon more than 300 million people. And Kamala Harris, who may be the one taking on that task sooner

rather than later, is likely the most unqualified person to ever be placed in a position to succeed Mr. Biden if that became necessary. Joe Biden preached that if he had been president this year, he would have done a better job with the virus than Donald Trump. Well, he will now be given the chance to prove it. Most if not all the work has been done for him, and if the vaccine does prove to be effective, he’ll have been handed a golden ticket. Otherwise, he’ll have to figure out just what else can he do to make the virus go away, help businesses rebuild, kids getting back to learning, keep taxes down while trying to spend more money, create his green new deal (also with no money), build more windmills and solar panels, bring more jobs back, and bring the jobs back that have been lost, keep ISIS from exploding again, stop North Korea from testing rockets, prevent Iraq from building up its nuclear stockpile. And he will have to do that all that while trying to keep Sen. Chuck Schumer, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Bernie Sanders, AOC (Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez) and the extreme left from taking over his administration. And should Joe Biden fall apart

before his term is over, all the above will fall in the hands of Kamala Harris, whose focus has been doing more to help criminals get out of jail and figuring out more ways to take away the freedoms of Americans. And finally — and this is the biggie, though there are tons more — there’s the China Factor. No one is happier or could have planned it any better than China. With President Trump no longer applying pressure and Mr. Biden and Son being their friends, tariffs will go away, trying to bring jobs back to America will end. There will be no chance of making our antibiotics in the U.S. or stopping fentanyl from flooding our streets or stopping the next virus from landing on our shores. The Chinese even managed to get the name Wuhan Virus changed to something generic like COVID-19. January 2020 was a great month and it looked like a good year was ahead, but it was China who started the world’s slide to hell. Don’t forget that, ever. China is what got us here. It is the Wuhan Virus. Once the full ramifications of a Biden administration hit home, 2020 may not look that bad after all.

and said they never received one, but who had discovered a vote had been illicitly cast in their name. In Arizona, Mr. Braynard’s team obtained early/absentee voter numbers from the hotly contested Maricopa County. They isolated a universe of voters who had been sent absentee ballots but did not return them. VIP workers reached out by phone to verify if the voters had indeed requested their ballot and whether they returned it. Of 2,044 people identified who met the criteria, 44% said they never requested a ballot, despite records showing that votes were cast in their name. Another experiment allowed the researchers to identify an estimated 5,700 individuals (not including military voters) who registered in Arizona, also registered in another state and then illicitly cast early absentee votes in Arizona. “I have a high degree of confidence that the number of ballots that were cast that should not have been — illegal ballots — surpasses the margin of victory as it stands right now,” Mr. Braynard concluded. “I believe that unless the questions that I raised get answered, you can’t be confident of the vote count actually is and no one can.” How Arizona GOP Gov. Doug Ducey certified the election results

in favor of Mr. Biden last week while all those questions remain unresolved is simply unfathomable. Certifying a false statement in any other legal context would be criminal, as both Mr. Braynard and Mr. Giuliani noted. The lackadaisical FBI now has possession of all the data and analysis from Mr. Braynard’s project. If you’re wondering why the Justice Department or any other government body didn’t do this work themselves long before 2020, you’re not alone. Mr. Braynard recommended an independent audit of all state voter registration files, authenticated absentee ballot requests via fingerprint machine scanning and matching, and fundamental reform of automated voting machines. “It is unconscionable,” Mr. Braynard testified, “for a democracy to operate with election equipment that is closedsource software and design.” Another star witness, cybersecurity expert Col. Philip Waldron, summed up the national security and privacy perils of the small, intertwined cabal of election software and hardware companies such as Dominion, Smartmatic, Sequoia and ES&S this way: “Your vote is not as secure as your Venmo account.” Citizen investigators at home

and abroad are putting the screws on these foreign-owned election tech conglomerates at considerable risk to their lives. They’re monitoring Dominion machines in Georgia and Nevada. Glenn Chong, a top election watchdog and ex-congressman in the Philippines, believes his top aide was tortured and murdered in 2018 in retaliation for Mr. Chong’s decade-long crusade to expose Smartmatic’s election manipulation through automatic vote shaving and padding, algorithmic meddling and digital ballot image alterations. “The government can rule over us only as long as it has the consent of the governed. The power to change our destiny lies in our own hands,” he urged. “But if our elections are stolen, manipulated by a few people who want to control us, then we lose our future.” The firsthand victims of election fraud refuse to yield control and dominion over their votes to the thieves, cheats and liars — and so must we. 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.

An honest network would have presented both sides limbaugh

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corruption story, he put more stock in the Wall Street Journal’s take that Joe Biden had no role in any of Hunter Biden’s transactions with China. “And, yes,” Mr. Zucker apparently says, “I do put more credibility in the Wall Street Journal than I do in the New York Post.” Here again, we hear Mr. Zucker pressuring his team (it’s doubtful the team needed any prodding) to report only one side of the story — the side debunking the corruption claims — and omit the serious factual reporting that would substantiate the allegations. An honest network would have presented both sides and let its viewers make their own assessment. But for CNN, it was imperative not to give the Biden corruption story any credence. This type of news spinning has an impact. A post-election study by the Media Research Center showed

that some 17% of Biden voters said they wouldn’t have voted for him had they known about some of these news stories. Forty-five percent of Biden voters said they didn’t know about allegations concerning Hunter Biden’s shady business deals, and 9.4% said they wouldn’t have voted for him had they known. Liberal politicians and media figures constantly rail against threats to “our democracy,” but there is no greater threat to democracy than a corrupt news media, because it emasculates free speech, which is the single greatest constitutional safeguard for the integrity of our representative republic. David Limbaugh is a writer, author and attorney. His latest book is “Guilty by Reason of Insanity: Why the Democrats Must Not Win.” Follow him on Twitter @ davidlimbaugh and his website at www.davidlimbaugh.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

Charities can be inefficient stossel

Continued from Page C3 and capitalism. Government is needed for some things, but it’s inefficient, and its handouts encourage dependency. Charity is better because charities can make judgments about who really needs a handout versus who needs a push. But charities can be inefficient, too. Oddly, what helps the most people in the most efficient way is greedy, self-interested capitalism. “Two hundred fifty years ago,” recounted Mr. Brook, “almost all of us were earning what the United Nations today defines as extreme poverty, $2 a day or less. That was 94% of all people on planet Earth. Today, only about 8% are that poor. “Why? Not because of charity, not because of foreign aid but by employing people. ... Businesses

are the most efficient because they have the right incentives. They won’t survive if they’re not efficient. Government has no such incentives. And charities are mixed.” So, why do billionaires and entrepreneurs now rush to donate, rather than doing what they’re best at: innovating? “They want to be liked,” replied Brook. “(But) they’re buying into false ideas, both economically and morally. They are acting against their selfinterest, and against all of our interests, including the interests of the poor.” John Stossel, a former ABC News and Fox Business Channel anchor, is author of “Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media.” For other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators. com.