Santa Barbara News-Press: February 09, 2023

New arcade opens

Canine sports fans

Guide Dogs for the Blind visit UCSB Gauchos

Gang associate sentenced for first-degree murder

Igor Ortiz pleads guilty to killing Santa Alberto Torres

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

A Westside gang associate was sentenced Wednesday to more than two decades behind bars for the June 2019 stabbing death of a Santa Barbara man just yards from his residence after the victim walked there following his shift at a downtown restaurant.

Igor Ortiz pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Santa Alberto Torres. He also admitted he committed the murder as part of his association with a street gang, former District Attorney Joyce Dudley announced on Dec. 28.

“(Mr.) Ortiz was sentenced just before noon today to 25 years to life,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Tate McAllister told the News-Press on Wednesday.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, Mr. Ortiz

admitted that he used a knife in the commission of the murder and committed the premeditated murder in association with members of the Westside criminal street gang for the benefit of the Westside gang. Prosecutors said the murder occurred during the early morning hours of June 1, 2019 after Mr. Torres walked home to his residence on the 1300 block of Cacique Street after finishing his restaurant shift. He was attacked by Mr. Ortiz and an accomplice outside his home. During the attack, Mr. Ortiz and his accomplice repeatedly stabbed Mr. Torres, killing him, the District Attorney’s Office said. The Santa Barbara Police Department investigated the case.

email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

Westmont students object to pro-life speech in chapel

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

More than 100 Westmont College students walked out in protest this week just before a pro-life activist spoke during the Montecito school’s chapel service.

Students got up and left after the speaker — Lila Grace Rose, president and founder of Live Action — was introduced. Additionally, students are planning a similar walkout for today’s chapel speaker, Dr. Carl Trueman. Dr. Trueman will be discussing his book, “The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self.”

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

Some of the biggest fans of the UCSB women’s basketball team put their best paws forward Wednesday afternoon.

More than a dozen Guide Dogs for the Blind watched the Gauchos’ practice, wagging their tails to cheer on the athletes before their game today against Long Beach State.

The canine cheerleading section inspired smiles from the young players.

And the experience was equally beneficial for the dogs, who were puppies-in-training. The canines used the experience as an opportunity to brush up on socializing.

On top of that, Wednesday’s close encounter of the canine kind served as an effort to raise awareness about Guide Dogs for the Blind and recruit puppy raisers, who coach young dogs on good manners and how to handle situations including gyms and sports arenas.

FYi

For more about Guide Dogs for the Blind,

The GDB-UCSB initiative was made possible by Cheri Owen, a member of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Alumni Board. Besides being a board member, Ms. Owen volunteers as a life coach and mentor to UCSB athletes, including the women’s basketball team.

Ms. Owen began to lose her vision after a long career as an

athlete and a coach. That’s when Guide Dogs for the Blind brought her and her first guide dog, Martinez, together.

And that made all the difference for Ms. Owen, who found Martinez helped her to be more independent, active and happy.

UCSB says you’ll see Ms. Owen and Martinez around the campus and in the community.

Based in San Rafael, Guide Dogs for the Blind provides all its services for free to clients. It helps people who are blind or visually impaired to move around safely and confidently, with the help of a faithful, four-legged friend. And that’s something worth howling about.

email: dmason@newspress.com

Chapel is required for Westmont students, and the students walked out in protest on Monday, claiming that the invitation of speakers such as Ms. Rose and Dr. Trueman is in violation of Westmont’s diversity policy. An estimated 150 students out of about 1,400 people got up and left.

“Westmont’s commitments include diversification of our student body, faculty and staff; justice as demonstrated by righteousness and equity in our programs and community, becoming a more reconciling and unified community,” according to the college’s website. To learn more about Wesmont’s diversity commitment, go to westmont. edu/our-commitment-diversity.

“As followers of Jesus Christ, a goal of our Westmont College community is to learn how to live together with differences. In that spirit, we host a variety of guests to campus who express varying perspectives,” Irene Neller, the college’s vice president of enrollment, marketing and communications, told the NewsPress.

“Chapel on Monday and tomorrow’s lecture are among those community experiences and conversations,” she said on Wednesday. “Truth-centered

attitudes and others-centered actions remain our core commitments as our Community Life Statement articulates. Our college mission calls us to equip students to think deeply about many topics and issues, helping them wrestle with and seek a fuller understanding of varying issues, encouraging conversations, not limiting them.

“As a community, we examine the profound and complex moral and social questions and urge everyone to bring to these discussions a generous and hospitable spirit with respect for all persons, and especially when caught between one’s own personal competing and sometimes contradictory expressions, beliefs or opinions.”

Students objected to there being no Q&A period following the speakers. “Following Monday’s chapel, there were several resources including counseling through CAPS (Office of Counseling and Psychological Services), Student Life support, spiritual life staff and a discussion group in the Dining Commons that was coordinated for deeper discussion,” said Ms. Neller.

Ms. Rose told the News-Press, “It is not hateful to disagree with a person or to speak against the harm they are committing against others. It is also a basic tenet of the Christian faith, from the Ten Commandments to Christ’s greatest commandment, that we are not supposed to kill innocent people. That we are called instead to sacrificially love our neighbor.

“Abortion is the direct and intentional killing of a human being and violates the fundamental human rights of the child it destroys,” Ms. Rose said.

Planned Parenthood of California Central Coast declined to comment for this story.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

Peasants FEAST in Solvang opens entertainment space featuring vintage video games, pinball - B1

Sanders calls Biden ‘unfit,’ blasts Democrats’ record - A4

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

The UCSB Women’s Basketball team mingles with a group of Guide Dogs for the Blind puppies-in-training after practice at the Thunderdome at UCSB on Wednesday.

go to guidedogs.org.

Going with the flow

Santa Barbara City Council to meet Friday

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Santa Barbara City Council will consider and set council priorities for Fiscal Year 2023 during a special council meeting on Friday.

The meeting will be held at the Palm Park Beach House, 236 E. Cabrillo Blvd. It will begin at 9 a.m.

The meeting, held in workshop format, will be open to the public to attend, but neither a live video stream nor a video recording will be available to view.

Staff is recommending the council consider and set its priorities for the year.

Staff also recommends the council explore council and staff roles to respond effectively to policy direction and to accomplish the work by city staff.

In addition, the council is expected to review changes to the Brown Act and changes

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

State Route 150 reduced to one lane

OJAI/SANTA PAULA —

Starting today, Caltrans plans to reduce sections of State Route 150 to one lane with alternating traffic between Reeves Road near Ojai to about April Lane near Santa Paula for emergency storm repairs.

Work will continue seven days a week until completion. Motorists can expect delay, Caltrans said.

Crews will be removing dirt and debris from the roadway, repairing eroded slopes and damaged shoulders and clean drainage inlets for about 10 hours per day. The reduction to one lane will vary depending on where workers are stationed each day.

Similar storm repairs will continue along State Route 150 near Lake Casitas for an unknown duration.

Real-time traffic information can be found at http://quickmap. dot.ca.gov.

— Katherine Zehnder

Disaster recovery center to reopen Saturday

The South County Disaster Recovery Center/Local Assistance Center at Direct Relief will be temporarily closed today and Friday.

The closure is due to a prescheduled event.

The South County Center will reopen at 10 a.m. Saturday at Direct Relief, 6100 Wallace Becknell Road, Goleta. Its normal hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

The North County Center will remain open to service all Santa Barbara County residents during this time.

That center is at Allan Hancock College, 800 South College Drive, Building O-300, Santa Maria, and its hours are also 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

The centers were established to help residents do long-term rebuilding and recovery after the Jan. 9 storm.

Residents can go to the one-stop centers to get help applying for federal assistance and disaster loans, update their applications and learn about other resources.

Disaster survivors can get information and advice about community, state and federal agencies and other available assistance.

Spanish, ASL and Mixteco interpreter services are present.

— Katherine Zehnder

Guaranteed income program finds private funding not enough for sustainable future

By TOM GANTERT THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – A group that oversees an Oakland guaranteed income program funded 100% by private donations says that taxpayer money will eventually be needed for a sustainable future.

Oakland Resilient Families is funded by private philanthropic donations and announced that it received a $1 million gift from the San Francisco Foundation that will extend a pilot program for an additional six months. Three hundred families will receive $500 per month.

The pilot program began in January 2022 and will now be extended through June 2023. To be eligible, participants have to be below a certain income limit. For example, a household of two must earn less than $20,040 to qualify.

Leaders from Uptogether, a national organization that is overseeing the guaranteed income program, say private donations will not be enough to keep it going.

“Our work demonstrates that government and philanthropy need to support significant systemic changes to prioritize sustained and deep direct investment in communities experiencing financial hardship,” UpTogether CEO Jesús Gerena said in an email to The Center Square. “Philanthropy has and will continue to play a critical role in helping us not only demonstrate the effectiveness of direct investment but also in supporting the narrative and cultural shifts necessary for systemic change to take place. We recognize that every level of government (local, state, federal) has a role to play in making direct cash investment a long-term reality and also stopping policies and practices that hinder economic mobility and wealth-building activities. We are eager to engage with our partners in having these community-centered and equity-focused

Oakland Resilient Families is funded by private philanthropic donations and announced that it received a $1 million gift from the San Francisco Foundation that will extend a pilot program for an additional six months. Three hundred families will receive $500 per month.

conversations.”

Oakland’s is one of several guaranteed income programs started across the country over the past three years. In the Los Angeles area, there are three guaranteed income programs. Los Angeles County has a program that gives 1,000 individuals $1,000 a month and another one that gives $1,000 a month to 300 people. The city of Los Angeles has its own guaranteed income program that pays $1,000 per month to 3,200 people.

The funding models vary from strictly governmentfunded to purely private donations to a blend of public and private. Many of the guaranteed income programs were paid for with funds from the $4.5 trillion in total COVID-19 aid approved by Congress in 2020 and 2021.

Watchdogs say federal unemployment fraud likely topped $191 billion

By BRETT ROWLAND THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Slightly more than $1 out of every $5 distributed in unemployment insurance payments during the pandemic could have been improper, mostly fraud.

Larry Turner, the inspector general for the U.S. Department of Labor, said Wednesday that of the more than $888 billion in total federal and state unemployment insurance benefits distributed during the pandemic at least $191 billion could have been improper payments, “with a significant portion attributable to fraud.” Mr. Turner told members of the House Ways and Means Committee during a hearing. That’s up from a previous estimate of $163 billion.

“The reliance solely on claimant self-certifications without evidence of eligibility and wages during the program’s first nine months rendered the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program extremely susceptible to fraud,” he said.

The meeting, held in workshop format, will be open to the public to attend, but neither a live video stream nor a video recording will be available to view.

to campaign finance rules, as well as other matters regarding council procedures. Another subject on the limited agenda is the council retreat, at which, among other things, council members are expected to discuss holding a future workshop to address issues related to accessory dwelling units. email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

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The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program provided unemployment insurance benefits to people who were traditionally not eligible for benefits, including gig workers, self-employed workers and independent contractors.

States administer unemployment insurance with oversight from the U.S. Department of Labor. In place for more than eight decades, the joint state-federal program serves as a safety net for people who lose their job through no fault of their own. When the pandemic hit, a combination of factors resulted in a spike in improper payments and fraud. A 2022 audit found that fraudulent claims were paid 60.5% of the time from March 28, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2020.

“This created multiple high-reward targets where an individual could make a fraudulent claim with relatively low risk of being caught,” Mr. Turner said. “For example, as time went on, one fraudster could have been issued several UI debit cards, with tens of thousands of

dollars on each card.”

As an example, Mr. Turner cited a person who filed a claim from a three-bedroom house that was the shared location for 90 other claims. The same person also shared a flagged email address with 145 other claims. In total, that person was connected to 235 other claims in three states and got benefits on 87 of those claims, all filed in California, for a total of $1,569,762. California stopped payment 164 days after the initial payment when officials were unable to verify the person’s identity, according to that 2022 audit.

Part of the problem was the nature of the crisis. The pandemic and governments’ response to it put millions of people out of work in a matter of weeks. Unemployment levels rose to historic levels. On March 14, 2020, the Department of Labor reported 282,000 initial unemployment claims. Within weeks, initial claims rose to 10 times pre-pandemic levels, “far

Please see FRAUD on A4

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COURTESY PHOTO

Water is released from Bradbury Dam.

Law enforcement ready for criminal activity lured to Arizona by Super Bowl LVII

By CAMERON ARCAND THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square)- The Department of Homeland Security and other authorities are getting prepared in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area for Super Bowl LVII this Sunday.

Convention Center and Margaret T. Hance Park.

While the game will be hosted at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, numerous festivities throughout the valley warrant a large security presence, including the Super Bowl Experience at the Phoenix Convention Center and Margaret T. Hance Park.

“HSI Arizona, the National Intellectual Property Rights Center, and all of our public and HSI Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown said in a statement on Monday.

“Large-scale events like the Super Bowl provide opportunities for criminal organizations to profit from illicit activity – our goal is to educate the public and stop this activity from happening in our communities. We are grateful to our federal partners, but also local law enforcement – including Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and the Phoenix and Glendale Police Departments – for their invaluable support in maintaining public safety,” he added.

The statement added that a major role of Homeland Security Investigations is not only physical security but also monitoring for intellectual property crime. In addition, “Operation Team Player” is a mission focused on cracking down on “counterfeit sports apparel and merchandise.”

Law enforcement, including DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, held a press conference with the National Football League on Tuesday morning in Phoenix.

Mr. Mayorkas said there is no legitimate security threat to the Super Bowl at this time and that they’re working to prevent human trafficking activity as the events convene.

SPORTS ROUNDUP

Cate boys soccer shuts out Diamond Bar

The Cate boys varsity soccer team faced off against Diamond Bar on Tuesday in a CIF Division 5 wildcard playoff game, ultimately winning by a score of 1-0.

Cate’s lone goal was scored by Charlie Dorion in the 32nd minute, assisted by Jae Lim. While both teams managed to create multiple other scoring opportunities, neither would manage another goal.

“I am very proud of this group of young men,” said Cate Coach Jorge Reynoso. “We chose a good time to play our best team game … This is a great win for our young team. Our starting 11 included five freshmen, three sophomores, two juniors and one senior, and the playoff experience we are gaining with every postseason game we play will be priceless for the future of our program.”

Cate will return to action today on the road at Polytechnic High School.

SY girls basketball dominates Atascadero

The Santa Ynez girls basketball team won big over Atascadero on Tuesday, winning 47-14.

Santa Ynez was led by Kylie LaPointe’s 16 points, four rebounds and four steals. Helga Pecile, Lexi Molera and Desirae Soto each contributed six points, with Pecile adding 13 rebounds and four steals, Moleta recording five rebounds and Soto adding two steals.

SY boys soccer crushes Orcutt

The Santa Ynez High boys soccer team annihilated Orcutt on Tuesday, winning their final home game by a score of 7-0.

The Pirates scored three goals in the first half, coming from Aiden Tapia, Gabriel Beleski and Kevin Margarito. Margarito also got the assist on Beleski’s goal, while Braeden Melville assisted Margarito’s.

The second half saw a goal by Emilio Guerrero, assisted by Ben Edwards. Guerrero also assisted Vince Casey on another goal. Luis Marco Perez-Uribe and Alex Kabayashi scored the final two goals of the game for Santa Ynez. The Pirates will play their final Ocean League game today at Saint Joseph.

Carp girls water polo falls to Buena

The Carpinteria High girls water polo team failed to advance to the second round of the CIF Division 4 playoffs, falling to Buena by a score of 6-3.

“The Warriors did not execute on offense as well as they have been recently,” said Carpinteria Coach Jon Otsuki. “They had plenty of opportunities from the 2 meter position but just could not put the ball into the back of the net. Buena was the quicker team today, both on offense and defense. The Bulldogs beat the Warriors on counterattacks and inside drives. On defense they stole the ball and forced desperation shots.”

Carpinteria’s goals were scored by Kate Isaac, Lilli Nemetz and Giulia Piccoletti. Goalie Erin Otsuki tallied 15 blocks on the day.

Carpinteria’s record fell to 16-7.

- Compiled by Matt Smolensky

Texas lawmakers blast Biden’s State of Union address over border, fentanyl crisis

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Texas

Republicans blasted President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address for his short remarks on illegal immigration and the fentanyl crisis.

In his remarks, President Biden said, Congress must “come

together on immigration. … We know – we now have a record number of personnel working to secure the border, arresting 8,000 human smugglers, seizing over 23,000 pounds of fentanyl in just the last several months.”

He also referred to a new visa program that his administration launched last month and has

While the game will be hosted at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, numerous festivities throughout the valley warrant a large security presence, including the Super Bowl Experience at the Phoenix

Sanders calls Biden ‘unfit,’ blasts Democrats’ record

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

Democrats have failed the American people, Sarah Huckabee Sanders said during the Republican response Tuesday night to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.

She said the choice in the country was no longer between right and left but between normal and crazy. The new Arkansas governor, who worked as press secretary during the Trump administration, told viewers watching across the country, “From out-of-control inflation and violent crime to the dangerous border crisis and threat from China, Biden and the Democrats have failed you.

“They know. And you know it,” said Ms. Sanders, daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a former presidential candidate. “It’s time for a change.

“Tonight, let us reaffirm our commitment to a timeless American idea: that government exists not to rule the people, but to serve the people,” Ms. Sanders said. She accused Democrats of wanting to impose more government control, but noted America’s strength lies in its freedom.

“I’ll be the first to admit, President Biden and I don’t have a lot in common,” Ms. Sanders said. “I’m for freedom. He’s for government control.

“At 40, I’m the youngest governor in the country. At 80, he’s the oldest president in American history,” Ms.Sanders continued.

“I’m the first woman to lead my state,” she noted, continuing her comparisons between herself and President Biden. “He’s the first man to surrender his presidency to a woke

FRAUD

Continued from Page A2

higher than state systems were designed to handle,” Mr. Turner said in written testimony. Within five months, the Department of Labor reported 57.4 million initial claims, the largest increase since the agency began tracking unemployment insurance data in 1967. Problems with the unemployment insurance program predated the pandemic. Mr. Turner said the program had among the highest improper payment rates in the federal government. It had been above 10% for 15 of the previous 19 years. In the last two years, the agency has estimated an improper payment rate of 18.71% and 21.52%, respectively.

Comptroller General of the United States Gene Dodaro told the committee that some improvements have been made to prevent fraud, but more remains to be done.

“I think we’re slightly better prepared, but not fully prepared for the next crisis,” he said. “A number of our recommendations at the Labor Department have been not fully implemented yet. I think states are trying to

mob that can’t even tell you what a woman is.

“In the radical left’s America, Washington taxes you and lights your hard-earned money on fire, but you get crushed with high gas prices, empty grocery shelves, and our children are taught to hate one another on account of their race, but not to love one another or our great country,” Ms. Sanders said.

She noted President Biden inherited the fastest economic recovery in history, the most secure southern border, fast-rising wages, a rebuilt military and a world that was stable and at peace. “In the last two years, Democrats destroyed it all.”

Ms. Sanders pointed to the 100,000 Americans dying a year from drug overdoses, largely from fentanyl coming across the southern border.

She called President Biden “unfit to serve as commander-in-chief,” saying his weakness was putting the U.S. and the world at risk. She cited Afghanistan, Ukraine, North Korea and Iran as some of the troublespots.

“The dividing line in America is no longer between right or left,” she said.

“The choice is between normal or crazy.”

Ms. Sanders said that after taking office as governor a few weeks ago, she signed executive orders to ban teaching critical race theory, as well as racism and indoctrination, in schools.

She also repealed COVID-19 orders.

“Here in Arkansas and across America, Republicans are working to end the policy of trapping kids in failing schools and sentencing them to a lifetime of poverty,” she said. “We will educate, not indoctrinate our kids, and put students on a path to success.”

During his State of Union address before Ms. Sanders’ speech, President Biden touted

make improvements – there have been some improvements that have been made, but they’ve all be ad hoc. There hasn’t been a systematic approach to doing this.”

He said while the government should work to recover as much fraud as it can, prevention would go further.

“The only way to effectively deal with this is to prevent it up front,” Mr. Dodaro said.

Michael Horowitz, chairman of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, told the House Ways and Means Committee that the fraud was not limited to U.S. residents.

“One of the biggest challenges we have is following the fraud through overseas gang activity and fraudsters,” Mr. Horowitz said. “The Secret Service has reported that they’ve seen that occur through entities in Nigeria, China, Russia. That will be our biggest challenge.”

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, RFlorida, asked for an estimate of how much that type of fraud cost U.S. taxpayers.

Mr. Horowitz said no such estimate was available.

“That’s among the hardest fraud to find, track and figure out,” he said. “Because it is through overseas networks ... the process is very challenging.”

recent declines in inflation and gas prices and pointed to the creation of new jobs as well as bipartisan efforts such as the law financing infrastructure improvements. President Biden’s speech was covered in Wednesday’s News-Press, and that story remains at newspress.com.

email: dmason@newspress.com

Law enforcement pushes back against Democrats’ claims about fentanyl and southern border

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Local and federal law enforcement officers are pushing back against claims made by Democratic members of Congress that the majority of seizures of illicit fentanyl occurring at ports of entry at the southern border is proof that Republicans are exaggerating the border crisis.

On Tuesday, ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, claimed the majority of fentanyl, 90%, was being seized at the southern border at ports of entry and that over 80% of those apprehended for smuggling it were American citizens.

“We’ve got to stop the flow of fentanyl into our country,” he said. “It’s a matter of life and death.” However, he said, “the vast majority of fentanyl coming into the country is seized at ports of entry, not from migrants traveling across the border on foot,” adding, “90% of fentanyl seizures were at ports of entry at vehicle check points and not between,” and “what’s more puzzling … is that 80% of people convicted of smuggling [fentanyl and drugs] were American citizens, not

foreign nationals.”

Similar arguments were made by Democrats at a House Judiciary hearing on border security last week.

But Tucson Sector Border Patrol Chief John Modlin said Border Patrol agents seized more than 700 pounds of fentanyl in 2022, about half of which was in the field, meaning not at ports of entry.

“To give you an idea of the lethality of fentanyl, that’s enough to kill everyone in Arizona 21 times or basically half the population of the United States,” he said. Agents seized 52% at the port of entry and the rest in the field after “being backpacked across the border,” he said.

Former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey formed the Arizona Border Strike Force to provide state funds to local law enforcement to interdict increased crime stemming from the southern border.

In 2021, strike force members “seized over 700 pounds of fentanyl in one year, compared to 284 in the five years prior,” Jobe Dickinson, president of the MesaArizona-based Border Security Alliance, told The Center Square. “There are 4,500 pills in one pound.”

Please see FENTANYL on B4

Biden heckled by Republicans when discussing border, fentanyl

BORDER

Continued from Page A3 already been sued over. The president said that “Americans border problems won’t be fixed until Congress acts. If we don’t pass my comprehensive immigration reform, at least pass my plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border … and a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers, those on temporary status, farmworkers, essential workers.”

The president was interrupted by Republican members of Congress shouting, “Secure the border!” Biden also said, “Fentanyl is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year” and was interrupted again by Republicans shouting, “It’s coming from China!” and “It’s your fault!”

His plan to address the fentanyl crisis, he said, was to “launch a major surge to stop fentanyl production and the sale and trafficking” by having “more drug detection machines” and greater inspection of cargo to “stop pills and powder [coming in through] the border,” as well as “working with couriers, like FedEx, to inspect more packages for drugs” and implementing “strong penalties to crack down on fentanyl trafficking.”

Texas congressmen who have called for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to be impeached,

including Reps. Chip Roy and Michael Cloud, blasted the president’s speech.

In response to President Biden claiming he needed Congress to give him funding for border security, Rep. Cloud tweeted, “WE HAVE. His administration just refuses to implement the infrastructure necessary to secure the border. Which is why DHS Secretary Mayorkas must go.”

Rep. Roy said President Biden’s speech was “not a state of the union but a state of confusion.”

Rep. Troy Nehls said that “stopping fentanyl starts with securing the border” and the president didn’t mention the “10,000 cartel drones detected crossing our southern border last year,” a fact testified to by a Texas Border Patrol chief from the Rio Grande Valley.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also issued a statement, saying the president’s remarks “illustrated that states like Texas are leading the nation, and Washington follows.”

Gov. Abbott gave President Biden a 5-point plan to secure the border last month when the president was in El Paso, Texas, arguing the border could be secured immediately if the administration enforced existing laws. He hasn’t received a response, he said last week.

And President Biden’s plan to address the fentanyl crisis also falls short, Gov. Abbott said, especially since Texas law enforcement working through his border security mission,

Operation Lone Star, have “seized enough fentanyl to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States.”

“Americans deserve decisive action from our federal government to stem the tide of this deadly drug entering our country, but in order to truly solve the fentanyl crisis, President Biden needs to do what Texas has been trying to do in his absence – secure our southern border,” Gov. Abbott said. “Once again, President Biden proved that Texas leads, and Washington follows.”

Texas Republican Reps. Ronny Jackson and Beth Van Duyne from north Texas were photographed shouting and pointing their fingers; other Texas representatives also expressed outrage.

Rep. Jackson, a former White House physician for former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, has repeatedly questioned President Biden’s mental and physical health and called for him to be removed under the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In July 2021, he first called for President Biden to be removed from office saying he was “OBVIOUSLY mentally incapable of leading during a crisis.”

After President Biden’s remarks Tuesday night, Rep. Jackson said, “Biden could barely read from the teleprompter. It was 90 straight minutes of either slurred speech or hysterical screams. This is an EMBARRASSMENT! Biden needs to RESIGN NOW!!”

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COURTESY PHOTO

Sarah Huckabee Sanders

‘There hasn’t been a systematic approach to doing this’

Vintage video and pinball games

Peasants FEAST opens arcade in Solvang

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

With today’s grand opening of a new arcade, Michael and Sarah Cherney, owners of peasants FEAST restaurant, have expanded their blossoming Cherney Hospitality Group in Solvang.

The family-friendly entertainment space adjoins the group’s peasants DELI & MARKET at 473 Atterdag Road, across the lane from the pair’s first restaurant, peasants FEAST, which opened in April 2020 and recently received a Bib Gourmand recognition in the 2022 MICHELIN Guide California.

The sole entrance to the arcade at peasants DELI is through a speakeasy-style doorway somewhat concealed by the deli’s market shelves. The arcade features more than 15 carefully curated, vintage video and pinball games, mainly classics dating to the 1990s, as well as an air hockey “arena.”

Highlights of the collection include a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball game; a two-player, seated The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift car racing game; NBA JAM, Mortal Kombat, Area 51 and all-time classics like PAC-MAN and Galaga video games; other rotating pinball machines such as “Hook” and “Godzilla;” and other consoles available for players of most ages.

“Our motivation for the arcade is in line with that of peasants DELI’s opening, which all stemmed from memories of my dad and the experiences that we shared when I was a kid. I wanted to create a place that he would have frequented, with me in tow,” said Chef Cherney. “We’re hoping that we can create a space for other families to make their own, similar memories.”

The Cherneys’ peasants DELI & MARKET opened in January 2022, marking the couple’s second restaurant concept to debut during the pandemic. The first one — peasants FEAST, located directly across the street — opened two weeks after the initial mid-March 2020 shutdowns.

Surviving what were some of the restaurant industry’s toughest few years, the peasants FEAST team had bestowed upon them the honor of not only being included in the 2022 MICHELIN Guide California but also recognition as a Bib Gourmand establishment, the only new Bib Gourmand added to the guide along California’s Central Coast from Ventura County up to the San Francisco Bay Area.

“Bib Gourmand is reserved for restaurants with reasonable prices. They must have a menu where customers can order two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $49 or less,” explained Ms. Cherney.

The Cherneys’ peasants DELI offers classic and not-so-classic deli sandwiches filled with thoughtfully sourced, artisanal cured and smoked meats, and other proteins and veggies, served on specially-commissioned sesame French rolls from a Santa Ynez Valley bakery, Bob’s Well Bread.

A focal point of peasants DELI is a sizable leg of 5J Jamón Ibérico Bellota Cinco Jotas, a rarely-found Spanish import, considered the

CALENDAR

finest cured ham in the world.

Chef Cherney’s house-cured pastrami is available sliced for take-away or in two different Reuben sandwich versions. Also available are house-roasted Kobe roast beef sandwiches — “The Godfather,” an Italian sandwich rendition with Alle-Pia coppa, Cacciatorino salami, mortadella, and smoked provolone; houseroasted turkey breast; a vegetarian marinated mushroom sandwich; and an over-the-top fish sandwich incorporating Conservas Ortiz white tuna and boquerones. All peasants DELI sandwiches are finished with house dressings and condiments.

In addition to the sandwich menu and the Jamón Ibérico,

peasants DELI & MARKET handslices other assorted specialty and deli meats and cheeses, which are available à la carte by the ounce or portions of pounds. The deli’s market shelving displays provisions for purchase like olive oil and fig balsamic vinegar, made for peasants DELI by local crafter, Global Gardens; jars of “peasants PICKLES”; handmade, fresh pasta; and various dressings and condiments used at the deli, including its proprietary Italian dressing and Sunrise Organic Farms Bulgarian carrot pepper hot sauce. Also available in the market section of the deli are tins of Conservas Ortiz tuna belly, boquerones like those found on

peasants FEAST’s Copenhagen Caesar salad, Spanish mussels in escabeche from La Brújula and packets from Patagonia Provisions.

Peasants DELI fans, Santa Barbara wine country chefs, locals in-the-know, and other foodie insiders scoop up peasants DELI’s private-label Regiis Ova Caviar and trout roes which are available in tins of varying sizes, as currently-trending caviar “bumps,” or in the deli’s caviar cones, which entail paper-thin Jamón Ibérico, Regiis Ova Caviar, Manchego cheese espuma, and chervil, in a hand-held, feuille de brick pastry cone.

Aligning with the arcade’s opening, peasants DELI will be

adding more snack items such as small plates of meats, cheeses and antipastos, as well as a couple of grab-and-go salads.

Chef Cherney and his wife, Sarah, brought more than three decades of experience to peasants FEAST with time spent in Michelin-starred, Los Angeles (Ortolan) and Las Vegas (L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon) kitchens, and with California Central Coast eateries (Sides Hardware and Shoes and Firestone Walker Brewing Co.).

“Solvang attracts so many families, both local and visiting, but there’s not a ton of kid-friendly activities within town,” said Ms. Cherney. “We really feel like this is what our little village needs — a social center for teens and for ‘kids’ of all ages, much like the ones that we experienced when we were growing up. We want a spot that our video game-fanatic son can be proud of, someplace he’d bring all of his friends,” email: mmcmahon@newspress. com

FYI

Michael and Sarah Cherney’s peasants DELI & MARKET is located at 473 Atterdag Road in Solvang, across from peasants FEAST. Current DELI hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday (or until sold out), with DELI and arcade hours extending 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. To reach peasants DELI directly, call 805-691-9649.

The arcade will be available for private parties and buyouts outside of the arcade’s operating hours. Arcade announcements and updates will be posted to the team’s social media accounts: @peasantsDELI and @ peasantsFEAST.

Central Coast artist and London native Annie Hoffman’s exhibit “Seeing Ourselves in Colour” will be displayed through Feb. 28 at Gallery Los Olivos, 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. For more information, visit anniehoffmann.com.

10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. “The Search for the Modern West,” an exhibit, continues through Feb. 20 at Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery, 11 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, see sullivangoss.com or call the gallery at 805-730-1460.

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit “Parliament of Owls” runs through Feb. 5 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays. For more information, go to www.sbnature. org.

Noon to 5 p.m. “Clarence Mattei: Portrait of a Community” is on view now through May at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, which is located in downtown Santa Barbara at 136 E. De la Guerra St. Admission is free. Hours are currently from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and from noon to 7 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, visit www.sbhistorical.org. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival continues through Feb. 18. See sbiff.org.

8 p.m. Ensemble Theatre Company will perform “Selling Kabul” at the New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara, The play is about an Afghan man hiding from the Taliban in his sister’s home in Kabul. Tickets cost $40 to $84. To purchase, go to etcsb.org or call 805-965-5400.

FEB. 10

8 p.m. Ensemble Theatre Company will perform “Selling Kabul” at the New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara, The play is about an Afghan man hiding from the Taliban in his sister’s home in Kabul. Tickets cost $40 to $84. To purchase, go to etcsb.org or call 805-965-5400.

FEB. 11 4 and 8 p.m. Ensemble Theatre Company will perform “Selling Kabul” at the New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara, The play is about an Afghan man hiding from the Taliban in his sister’s home in Kabul. Tickets cost $40 to $84. To purchase, go to etcsb.org or call 805-965-5400.

8 p.m. Transform Through Arts will present 10 dance companies in “Colors of Love” at the Center Stage Theater, upstairs at Paseo Nuevo in Santa Barbara. General admission costs $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Tickets are $25 for students. To purchase, go to www. centerstagetheater.org.

FEB. 12 Noon. Participants in Ted Nash’s workshop will go on stage at the Mary Craig Auditorium, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1130 State St. The free program is called “Transformation:

Personal Stories of Change, Acceptance and Evolution” and will feature student composers, performers and writers from Mr. Nash’s workshop. 2 p.m. Ensemble Theatre Company will perform “Selling Kabul” at the New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara, The play is about an Afghan man hiding from the Taliban in his sister’s home in Kabul. Tickets cost $40 to $84. To purchase, go to etcsb.org or call 805-965-5400.

FEB. 14

6 to 7:30 p.m. Nicole Lvoff and Joe Woodard will perform on Valentine’s Day at the Crush Bar & Tap, 1129 A State St., Santa Barbara. Their music varies from Beatles songs to jazz standards. For more information, go to crushbarsb. com.

FEB. 15

7:30 p.m. Ensemble Theatre Company will perform “Selling Kabul” at the New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara, The play is about an Afghan man hiding from the Taliban in his sister’s home in Kabul. Tickets cost $40 to $84. To purchase, go to etcsb.org or call 805-965-5400.

— Dave Mason

COURTESY PHOTOS

Michael and Sarah Cherney are opening an arcade today at their peasants DELI & MARKET in Solvang.

A variety of video games and pinball machines grace the new arcade.

This Solvang business, peasants DELI & MARKET, is located across the lane from the peasants FEAST restaurant.

MOXI museum adds board members, honors emeritus first member

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Graham Bell, Jamie Nash and Kristen Nesbit have been appointed members of the board of directors of MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, which is also honoring Jill Levinson as the first emeritus board member in honor of her dedicated service.

New officers for 2023 include Andy Winchester, board chair; Susan McMillan, vice chair; Justin Anderson, treasurer; and Kirsten McLaughlin, secretary. Also on the executive committee are Alixe Mattingly, immediate past chair, and Kelly Almeroth, member at large.

This leadership team, along with the entire volunteer board, works directly with Robin Gose, the museum’s president and chief executive officer, to oversee and support the organization’s mission to ignite learning through interactive experiences in science and creativity.

“Our board is growing with the right people at the right time,” said Ms. Gose. “Their experience and perspectives will help us navigate

the challenges and opportunities ahead. This is an exciting time as we continue to dream up ways to build and enhance new STEAM experiences for families and curious minds of all ages.”

Mr. Bell is a senior vice president and private client advisor at Bank of America. His nonprofit interest began early in his career and continues as he assists clients in

meeting their philanthropic goals. A Southern California native, Mr. Bell and his family moved to Santa Barbara in 2015 and enjoy time at the beach and sailing out of the Santa Barbara harbor.

Ms. Nash is an experienced global marketing professional, most recently with Procore Technologies. She began her career with a coveted internship

for the White House and went on to develop and transform marketing teams.

An alumna of UCSB, Ms. Nash settled back in Santa Barbara in 2016 after exploring the world and working in San Francisco and New York City. Her career has included positions in the Office of Public Liaison at the White House Bloomberg L.P. in

New York and AllianceBernstein and BlackRock in San Francisco.

Ms. Nash has been active in the nonprofit world, including Hospice of Santa Barbara, Women in ETFs, American Society of Nephrology and Kidney X.

Ms. Nesbit brings more than 12 years of experience in finance, strategy, and operations in early stage, entrepreneurial environments, and global organizations. After earning her bachelor’s degree and MBA at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, she spent her career in the Bay Area before relocating to Santa Barbara in 2021, where she enjoys spending time at the beach with her husband and daughters.

Ms. Levinson is a native of Santa Barbara and is happy to be raising her three children in her hometown, close to family and friends. After earning her bachelor’s degree at Stanford University, she worked as a publicist and producer in the entertainment industry in San Francisco, most notably with Industrial Light and Magic, Lucasfilm, and her own production company, Big Fish Entertainment.

Organic popping corn

While you will not encounter freshly harvested sweet corn until the summer months, you can purchase some fresh organic popcorn from Roots Farm at the Saturday Santa Barbara, Tuesday Santa Barbara and Wednesday Solvang farmers’ markets. I find this corn best when popped in a large pot with a covered lid, then finished with olive oil or melted butter once popped and seasoned. This week I prepared brown sugar and chili seasoned popcorn as the Fix of the Week. Absent an abundance of butter, popcorn makes for quite a healthy snack that is low in calories, a good source of dietary fiber and protein, as well as delivering iron, potassium, copper, magnesium, zinc, and B-vitamins. Certified organic is available. Price is $10 per pound.

In 2001, Ms. Levinson and her husband Neil returned home to start their family. She is an active volunteer in the Santa Barbara community, including involvement at Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care, Storyteller Children’s Center, Food Bank of Santa Barbara County and serving as a trustee of Lotusland and trustee and president of Crane Country Day School.

At home, Ms. Levinson spends her time cooking, hiking, reading, gardening or curled up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn for family movie night.

“I’m honored to be part of the MOXI team and this wonderful philanthropic community, who worked together for more than 20 years to turn a bold vision into a reality,” said Ms. Levinson, MOXI chair emeritus.

“MOXI has far exceeded our expectations in delivering innovative, hands-on science education to all members of our community, and it has limitless possibilities to grow in the coming decades.”

email: mmcmahon@newspress. com

Western Hole avocados

This is one of the more unique varieties of avocado you will encounter throughout the year, you can actually consume the black skin in unison with the flesh when ripe. As they reach maturity, which will notice when shaking this variety, the pit becomes quite loose within.

Grown by Rancho Santa Cecilia of Carpinteria, Western Hole avocados are sold at the weekly Saturday Santa Barbara, Sunday Camino Real, Tuesday Santa Barbara Wednesday Solvang and Thursday Carpinteria farmers’ markets. They have a nice balance of sweet, earthy and peppery notes.

They’re quite different in texture and flavor than the more common Hass avocados. Smaller in size than most other varieties, they cost $3.50 per pound.

Fresh parsley

Last week I highlighted fresh cilantro, which is quite prolific during the winter months. Another fresh herb that does quite well this time of year is fresh parsley, which is available at all weekly Santa Barbara certified farmers’ markets from several area farmers. There are two types of parsley that are available, curly leaf and flat leaf, with the Italian flat leaf type being much more readily available and more desirable for culinary purposes. Parsley is best when used in its raw form, added at the end of the cooking process, ideal for delivering a refreshing earthy flavor to soups and stews, potato dishes, cooked meats, sauces and grain bowls. Certified organic is available. Price averages $2.50 per bunch.

Sam Edelman is general manager of the Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market Association and host of “Farm to Table,” which airs live 9 a.m. Thursdays on KZSB AM 1290. Sam Edelman photos

Fix of the Week

SAM EDELMAN PHOTO

or making

allow the corn to cook and burst into a fluffy edible product, I prepared a sweet and savory version using a little seasoned salt, brown sugar, and chili powder.

quick

I

do

have much use for one since as I prefer the culinary results of a conventional oven, outdoor grill, using pots or pans on the stovetop, or even preparing a meal in the slow cooker. For myself, the microwave oven would just take up too much regular counter space in comparison to the amount of limited times I would use one.

I would imagine that one of the most common uses for a microwave in many households comes on movie night, when the craving for freshly popped popcorn sets in. With the absence of a microwave oven, I still pop popcorn quite regularly in my household, done in a large pot right on the stovetop.

There are several ways this can be accomplished with some choosing to pop the popping corn in oil or doing more of a dry pop with just the dried kernels themselves in the pot. I tend to pop my corn absent of oil, then finish with an array of seasonings, depending on the mood. Olive oil or melted butter, seasoned salt or brown sugar, dried or fresh herbs, curry powder or chili powder, there is a long list of seasoning combinations that can result in a very unique and flavorful popcorn, perfect for movie night.

This week I scored some organic dried popping corn from Roots Farms of Los Olivos.

Cooking this dish in a large pot with a lid to

Leftover popcorn can be stored fresh in a sealed container of gallon sized plastic sealable bags.

BROWN SUGAR AND CHILI SEASONED POPCORN

2 cups dried popping corn.

2 tablespoons brown sugar.

1 teaspoon seasoned salt.

1 teaspoon chili powder.

Olive oil (or melted butter).

In a tall pot with a lid, add popping corn and turn to medium-high heat. Cover and let cook for a couple of minutes, then mix. Continue until the kernels begin to pop, after about 7-8 minutes of cooking time. Once they start to pop, the kernels will mix themselves as the kernels that have yet to pop drop to the bottom and fluff popped corn coming to the top.

Cook until you hear the kernels significantly popping less and turn off heat. Mix the brown sugar, seasoned salt and chili powder.

Once the popcorn is popped, place it in a large mixing bowl, drizzle it liberally with olive oil or melted butter and add seasoning to taste.

Yield: Serve about 6.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Graham Bell Jill Levinson Kristen Nesbit

Diversions

Thought for Today

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Thursday, February 9, 2023

ARIES — Luck is finally on your side, Aries. And you deserve it, because you really worked hard to get these results in your life. In astrology, as in life, you can’t succeed just by sheer luck. Success is often the result of a lot of energy you expend or something you may have changed on the inside. So continue to give off the positive energy that’s responsible for your success.

TAURUS — The stars are pushing you to accept more responsibility in your life. In fact, you may not think you can do it, but everything will work out just fine. At the moment, you seem to have a special gift for leading other people, making decisions, and doing whatever is necessary to finish up group projects. It’s too bad - you really underestimate yourself!

GEMINI — You seem to have the bad habit of putting off until tomorrow what you can do today, Gemini, especially those little daily things that seem to pile up, like writing letters, paying bills, getting a health checkup, or cleaning the house. However, today is a great day to deal with these monotonous tasks, so seize the moment.

CANCER — When you least expect it, success comes into your life. You can say goodbye to the dreariness of daily routine, fears, and changing moods. You’re now entering a period of wonderful good luck and success. All this comes despite the fact that sometimes you might lack confidence in yourself.

LEO — Life just seems to be smiling on you at the moment, Leo. Some sort of mystical force has entered your life and is enriching your contact and with other people. It allows you to make a success of anything you undertake. Luck is really on your side, and you’re on cloud nine. Have you made friends with the angels up there yet?

VIRGO — At the moment, Virgo, the planets are aligned in a way that encourages communication and the written word. Therefore, you may feel like taking the plunge and writing that book you’ve been thinking about for a long time. It will probably be a great success. You’re very gifted when it comes to this kind of creative activity.

By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

Thursday, February 9, 2023

“I’m going home,” Cy the Cynic told me, “to fix myself a large stiff drink. I’ll see you tomorrow, unless I decide to give up the game.”

“Minnie got him again,” Rose sighed. Minnie Bottoms, my club’s senior member, wears old glasses that make her mix up kings and jacks, often to her opponents’ dismay. Cy has been Minnie’s chief victim.

Cy played at today’s four hearts after Minnie, West, bid both minors. She led the jack(!) of diamonds, and Cy’s ace won.

FINESSE

“Cy led a spade next,” Rose said, “planning to finesse. If Minnie plays the jack, and dummy’s queen wins, Cy can place her with a singleton trump. So Cy will lead the queen and a second trump. If East plays an honor, Cy can win and continue with the ace of spades, spade ruff, ace of clubs, spade ruff, club exit. He scores his A-9 of trumps.”

“I see what happened,” I said.

“Minnie played the king(!) on the first spade. Then Cy took the Q-A of trumps, expecting Minnie to have 1-2-5-5 pattern, and down he went.” DAILY QUESTION

You hold:

Your partner opens one heart, you bid one spade and he

LIBRA — For a while now, you’ve wanted to change something about your lifestyle or behavior toward the people you love, Libra. You want your life to go in a new direction, but you don’t want to upset the people around you. Maybe your friends and family want the same thing for you. Do away with your preconceived notions about things and let yourself go with this idea.

SCORPIO — The period just ahead of you promises a lot of luck and success. The initiatives you will take in your career or personal life will come off without a hitch. You should think about trying some kind of new activity on a professional level. Take advantage of all the good luck in the air. Don’t be afraid to burn the candle at both ends now and live life to the fullest.

SAGITTARIUS — After a recent financial problem, you’ve decided to take the bull by the horns and do what you need to do. You’re used to being in control of a situation, and small financial worries aren’t going to get you down. After all, money isn’t everything. On top of your ability to react to a problem, your originality and self-sacrificing attitude will help you deal with this situation.

CAPRICORN — You’re entering a positive period of calm and vitality, Capricorn. There’s a harmonic atmosphere. You feel very close to the people you love, and they will show you just how much they care about you. Don’t try and understand the unexpected nature of the wonderful vibe around you. Just live life to the fullest today.

AQUARIUS — Certain people close to you are very demanding today. They may ask you to deal with thankless tasks that use up your precious energy. Avoid spreading yourself too thin if you want to reach your goals. Usually you aren’t afraid of anything. Nothing can get in your way.

From now on, take the time to think about things before you act, Aquarius.

PISCES — You and your friends may have been planning a party for some time. Now you realize it’s entirely up to you to actually make things happen, Pisces. It seems that if you’re going to get anywhere, you need to take charge and delegate responsibility. You like to be in this position.

SUDOKU

CODEWORD PUZZLE

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3-by-3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9. that means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box. Sudoku puzzles appear on the Diversions page Monday through Saturday.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Answers to previous CODEWORD

How to play Codeword

Codeword is a fun game with simple rules, and a great way to test your knowledge of the English language. Every number in the codeword grid is ‘code’ for a letter of the alphabet. Thus, the number 2 may correspond to the letter L, for instance. All puzzles come with a few letters to start. Your first move should be to enter these letters in the puzzle grid. If the letter S is in the box at the bottom of the page underneath the number 2, your first move should be to find all cells numbered 2 in the grid and enter the letter S. Cross the letter S off the list at the bottom of the grid. Remember that at the end you should have a different letter of the alphabet in each of the numbered boxes 1- 26, and a word in English in each of the horizontal and vertical runs on the codeword grid.

PUZZLE

rebids two hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s rebid promises six or more hearts. If he had a five-card suit, he would have a more descriptive second bid available. To raise to four hearts would be reasonable. Since 3NT might be your best or only makeable game, you can bid three clubs to look for that contract. Partner might hold 2,

“The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.”

— Leo Tolstoy

‘More fentanyl is making it further into the U.S.’

FENTANYL

Continued from Page A4

The data excludes seizures by local police statewide and federal statistics, he said.

“The amount of fentanyl that is coming across the southern border, getting past border patrol and local law enforcement and into the hands of our citizens is staggering,” he added. “Since Border Patrol agents can’t patrol the border while they’re processing illegal immigrants, more fentanyl is making it further into the U.S. That is why more local police and sheriffs’ seizures of fentanyl is skyrocketing.”

Mr. Dickinson argues the lack of border security is impacting local Arizona law enforcement. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs’ plan to defund the strike force will cripple local law enforcement’s ability to thwart cartel and criminal activity, including continuing to seize record amounts of fentanyl, he said.

Mr. Dickinson also asked, “How is all this fentanyl coming through the ports, passing by inspection officers and high-tech machines but then patrol officers are doing traffic stops and seizing record numbers in the field?

We see how much is coming into our communities,” he said, from those bringing it in illegally entering between ports of entry.

Chief Modlin testified that Tucson Sector agents are primarily apprehending single military-age men wearing camouflage who work with the Mexican cartels. They are dangerous, and include felons who’ve previously been deported, and have assaulted Border Patrol agents, he said.

U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Washington, pointed to an increase in fentanyl seized at the border around June-August 2020, stating, “we had a change in president in 2020 and some changes in border policy, and what we can see here is the facts show we are seizing a lot more fentanyl.” A change in presidents didn’t

Arizona lawmakers pull constitutional public school spending cap for the year

occur until January 2021, after which President Joe Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas began halting implementation of existing border security and immigration policies, including halting border wall construction, drastically altering deportation and detention policies, attempting to end the Remain in Mexico policy and enforcement of Title 42, creating new visa and parole programs, among other policies over which his administration has been sued multiple times by roughly half of all U.S. states.

Rep. Porter said as a mother, she didn’t “want that fentanyl in this country. It is dangerous and it kills people.” She also said record seizures were “a sign that our Border Patrol and our agents at ports of entry, which is of course where the vast majority of fentanyl is seized, are doing their jobs. What I find interesting is despite success here what we’re hearing is an effort to characterize seizures as failures.”

Rep. Porter quoted Republican members of Congress referring to “Biden’s border crisis” and the amount of fentanyl being seized. “To me, the fact that you’re seizing these drugs is a success,” she said to the agents testifying.

Terrell County, Texas, Sheriff Thad Cleveland, a former long-time Border Patrol agent who served in Arizona, told The Center Square, “Every seizure of any drug or narcotic is a success. However, what is frightening now, almost weekly we are being notified of record seizures for fentanyl. Why is that? It’s because cartels are having so much success smuggling, it emboldens them to send larger and larger amounts.

“It doesn’t matter if 90% or 99% of fentanyl is seized at the ports of entry,” Sheriff Cleveland said, because the numbers “represent what is seized, not how it is crossed or more importantly, what gets away.”

Sheriff Cleveland also said Congress needed to prioritize border and national security and address immigration reform after the border is secure.

By COLE LAUTERBACH THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Lawmakers in Arizona have given public school districts too much money. They remedied that problem Wednesday by allowing districts to spend more than a voter-approved cap on district spending allows, dodging a more than $1.3 billion shortfall compared to what schools were told they had when the Legislature passed its budget last year. Had they not, districts warned of closures before the school year ended. Among those warning of potential calamity was Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne.

“It is great news for the education system that the exception to the school spending limit was passed by the legislature,” Mr. Horne said in a statement. “I campaigned hard for this result and in the process assured

legislators that the Department of Education would promote accountability, work to increase academic outcomes and provide transparency that legislators are looking for. We will accomplish that task.”

Democrats unanimously supported House Concurrent Resolution 2001, with some echoing Gov. Katie Hobbs in saying the cap must be lifted entirely.

“I believe in our educators and our students. There’s more work to be done for them. We must continue to fight for better schools and to level the playing field,” Gov. Hobbs said in a statement. “It is clear that a permanent fix is needed to address the school spending limit. Let’s rebuild and reinvest in our schools, ensure accountability and resolve the educator retention crisis.”

Several Republicans in both legislative chambers opposed the bill, criticizing the state’s public school system.

“Our public education system is broken,” said Sen. Janae Shamp, R-Surprise.

Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, opposed

lifting the cap, saying public schools will never say they have enough funding.

“They have never given us a number to where they say they will be happy,” he said.

While he supported the resolution, Sen. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, said the only reason schools are in the predicament is due to GOP-sponsored funding increases.

“Republican lawmakers have infused an enormous amount of money into the K12 system over the past several years,” he said.

Sen. Kaiser listed off several statistics showing increased state spending on public schools in recent years, noting that only districts can increase teacher pay, of which Arizona’s are consistently near the lowest paid in America.

“School district spending on instructional time, in classroom spending, is a mere 55%,” he said. “That 55% puts us in the bottom ten of classroom spending. That’s something that school districts have control over.”

Nevada to audit public schools districts

By CHRIS WOODWARD THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo has ordered all public school districts in the state to undergo an audit, his administration announced on Monday.

The move comes after Gov. Lombardo said in his State of the State address that he wanted to see greater transparency and accountability in education.

An executive order, signed last Friday, directs the Division of Internal Audits to examine the state’s 17 public school districts as well as the Nevada State Charter School Authority. School superintendents and the executive director of the State Public Charter Authority have until March 1 to submit external, third-party audits to the

division, which is part of the Governor’s Finance Office.

Once the information has been submitted, the division will author a report “that summarizes the findings of its audit review, identifies any deficiencies, and provides recommendations to remedy the identified deficiencies,” according to the governor’s office.

Gov. Lombardo said during his State of the State address that his administration

will “ensure our systems of accountability and transparency are robust and enforced.”

“If we don’t begin seeing results, I’ll be standing here in two years calling for systematic changes to the governance and leadership in K-12 education,” he said.

Gov. Lombardo also called for the release of NevadaESSER.org, a website created by the state to educate the public on how federal relief dollars are used for schools in Nevada.

trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call 844-477-7869,

Thedevelopmentrequestedbythis application is under the jurisdiction of the Zoning Administrator and therefore a publichearingontheapplicationisnormallyrequiredpriortoany actiontoapprove,conditionallyapprove,ordenytheapplication.However,incompliancewiththe Article II Section 35-179.5.7, the Director intends to waive the public hearingrequirement unlessawrittenrequestforsuchhearingissubmittedbyaninterestedpartytothePlanningand DevelopmentDepartmentwithinthe 15working days following the Date of Notice listed below. All requests for a hearingmustbesubmittednolaterthan5:00p.m.on the Request for Hearing

Expiration Date listed below, to Kylie BrownatPlanningandDevelopment,123E.Anapamu Street,SantaBarbara93101-2058,by email atbrownk@countyofsb.org,orbyfaxat (805)568-2030. Ifapublichearingisrequested,noticeofsuchahearingwillbeprovided.

WARNING: Failure by a person to request a public hearing may result in the loss of the person’s ability to appeal any action taken by Santa Barbara County on this Modification

Application to the County Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors.

Ifarequestforpublic hearing is not received by 5:00p.m. on the Request for Hearing

Expiration Date listed below,thenthePlanningandDevelopmentDepartmentwillacttoapprove, approvewithconditions,ordenytherequestforaModificationapplication.Atthistimeitisnot knownwhenthisactionmayoccur;however,thismaybetheonlynoticeyoureceiveforthis project.Toreceiveadditionalinformationregardingthisproject,includingthedatetheModification applicationisapproved,and/or to view the application and plans, or to provide comments on the project, please contactKylieBrownatPlanningandDevelopment,123E.AnapamuStreet, SantaBarbara93101-2058,orbyemailatbrownk@countyofsb.org,orbyphoneat(805)568-2507.

PROPOSAL: PIROOZBAKAHSHMODIFICATION

PROJECT ADDRESS: 6815TRIGORD,GOLETA,CA93117 2nd SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT THIS PROJECT IS LOCATED IN THE COASTAL ZONE

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Applicant: Pirooz,Ali&NinaFamilyTrust

Proposed Project: TheproposedprojectisforaModificationtoallowthetworequiredparkingspacestobelocated 17 feetinthefrontsetback.Thetwospacesarerequiredtoreplacethe parking lost as a result of the conversion of theexistinggaragetoanAccessoryDwellingUnit(ADU)ofapproximately420 squarefeet.Nogradingisproposed.Notreesareproposedforremoval.Theparcelwillcontinueto be served by the Goleta WaterDistrict,theGoletaWestSanitaryDistrict,andtheSanta Barbara County Fire Department. Access will continuetobeprovidedoffofTrigoRoad.Thepropertyis a0.14-acreparcelzoned10-R-1andshownasAssessor’sParcelNumber075-133-005,locatedat6815 TrigoRdintheGoletaCommunityPlanarea,SecondSupervisorialDistrict.

APPEALS:

Thedecisionof the Director of the Planning and Development Department to approve, conditionallyapprove,ordenythisModificationapplication22MOD-OOOOO-00019may be appealed to the County PlanningCommissionbytheapplicant or an aggrieved person. The written appeal must be filed within the10calendardays following the date that the Director takes action on this Modification application.To qualifyasan“aggrievedperson” the appellant must have, in person or through a representative, informedthePlanningandDevelopment Departmentbyappropriatemeanspriortothedecisiononthe CoastalDevelopmentPermitofthe natureoftheirconcerns,or,forgoodcause,wasunabletodoso.

Written appeals must be filed with the Planning and Development Department at either123EastAnapamuStreet,SantaBarbara,93101,or624WestFosterRoad,SuiteC,Santa Maria,93455,by5:00p.m.withinthetimeframeidentifiedabove.Intheeventthatthelastdayfor filinganappealfalls on anon-businessdayoftheCounty,theappealmaybetimelyfiledonthe nextbusinessday. Foradditionalinformationregardingtheappealprocess,contactKylieBrown.Theapplication requiredtofileanappealmaybeviewedatordownloadedfrom: https://ca-santabarbaracounty.civicplus.pro/1085/Planning-and-Building-Permit-Application ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Informationaboutthisprojectreviewprocessmayalsobeviewedat: https://ca-santabarbaracounty.civicplus.pro/1499/Planning-Permit-Process-Flow-Chart BoardofArchitecturalReviewagendasmaybeviewedonlineat:

The move comes after Gov. Lombardo said in his State of the State address that he wanted to see greater transparency and accountability in education.