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