Santa Barbara News-Press: February 17, 2022 by Santa Barbara News-Press

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T H U R S DA Y, F E B R UA R Y 1 7, 2 0 2 2

Mask rules eased

Man charged in Goleta homicide case

Wednesday was the first day without the indoor mask mandate

KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO

Arrests have been made in the investigation of a homicide that allegedly took place Feb. 10 at Pacifica Suites, a hotel in the 5400 block of Hollister Avenue in Goleta.

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Charges have been filed in a Goleta homicide case. On Wednesday evening, Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley announced charges were

New mask guidelines were posted Wednesday at the Santa Barbara Public Library. Tuesday was the last day of the countywide and statewide indoor mandate.

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

A new sign on the front door of the Santa Barbara Public Library reflected the change. Masks are recommended if you go inside. The word “required” wasn’t on the sign, which was from the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department. That was the scene Wednesday on the first day without a mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals, who can now go inside most indoor public settings without a face covering. Public health departments in the Tri-Counties say masks are still required of unvaccinated people and recommended for vaccinated people. People are heeding the recommendation. The NewsPress saw many people wearing

masks as they left stores on State Street in Santa Barbara. They also wore them as they exited the U.S. Post Office on Anacapa Street and Costco in Goleta. And even though masks haven’t been required outside for anyone, you can spot them on roughly half the people walking down State Street in Santa Barbara and at settings such as outdoor malls. The last day of the statewide mandate was Tuesday, and public health departments in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties made Tuesday the last day of their mandates as well. They decided to align themselves with state guidance in light of data showing that the region is on the downslope of the omicron surge. On Wednesday, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Please see MANDATE on A2

THE CENTER SQUARE STAFF REPORTER

(The Center Square) — California’s statewide indoor mask mandate officially expired Wednesday, allowing millions of fully vaccinated residents across the state to enter most indoor public spaces without wearing a mask. The majority of California counties aligned with the state’s guidance, which allows fully vaccinated individuals to remove their masks in many indoor spaces. The state had reinstated a statewide indoor mask mandate on Dec. 15 amid

rising cases of COVID-19. Under the updated guidance, unvaccinated individuals are still required to wear a face covering in all indoor settings, and masking is still recommended but not required for fully vaccinated individuals when the risk of infection is high, according to the California Department of Public Health. The change in the state’s guidance comes after the state saw a dramatic decrease in case rates and hospitalizations over the last month. During a news conference on Monday, Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state Health

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Please see HOMICIDE on A2

Planet Fitness prepares to open in Goleta

Shoppers wearing masks leave Costco in Goleta. The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is now recommending but not requiring masks for vaccinated people in most indoor public settings.

California lifts indoor mask mandate for state’s vaccinated residents By MADISON HIRNEISEN

filed against Isaiah Ramirez Alexander, 34, of Santa Barbara. “Mr. Alexander is alleged to have shot and killed 43-yearold Richard Cardona at Pacifica Suites on February

and Human Services secretary, reported that cases declined 75% between Jan. 14 and Feb. 14, and hospitalizations are down 40% over the last month. Indoor masking requirements remain in place in certain settings across the state, including in healthcare settings, jails and prisons, long-term care facilities and K-12 schools. A federal mask mandate also remains in place for public transit. Earlier this week, Dr. Ghaly announced that the state plans to “reassess” the mask mandate for schools at the end of the month, and he expects to

provide a more specific date for lifting the mandate on Feb. 28. Some counties, including Los Angeles, Mendocino and Santa Clara counties, have elected to keep a local indoor mask mandate in place until COVID-19 case rates improve. In a statement last week, Dr. Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County public health director, said indoor masking remains “critical” to protecting the community, including those who are elderly or immunocompromised. “We must continue to base our decisions on the risks COVID-19 Please see STATE MANDATE on A4

KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS

Signs advertise the upcoming opening of Planet Fitness in Goleta.

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Planet Fitness has announced a new location opening this spring in Goleta. General Manager Matthew Curry said the business plans to open in April at 7127 Hollister Ave. in The Plaza, near retailers such as Albertsons. Work is currently taking place to prepare the site. Planet Fitness describes itself as the fastest-growing gym chain and reported it has more than 2,200 locations nationwide. “We have always wanted to be in the Goleta area,” Mr. Curry told the News-Press Wednesday. “COVID has slowed that down. We want to grow and give

everyone an opportunity to have access to our memberships.” The new location will be open 24/5. That means Planet Fitness will remain open from 5 a.m. Mondays to 9 p.m. Fridays. Then it will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. According to a news release, Planet Fitness has state-of-theart cardio machines and strength equipment, a 30-Minute Express Circuit, rowing machines, fully equipped locker rooms with day lockers and showers, HydroMassage loungers, massage chairs, tanning booths, Total Body Enhancement booths and more. The Goleta location will Please see FITNESS on A3

INSIDE

L O T T E RY RESULTS

Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4

Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: N/A Meganumber: N/A

Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 2-8-4-6

Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 2-4-15-21-63 Meganumber: 19

Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 13-23-32-36-38

Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 02-09-04 Time: 1:42.68

Wednesday’s POWERBALL: N/A Meganumber: N/A

Sudoku................... B3 Sports . .................... A3 Weather................. A4

Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 2-0-1 / Wednesday’s Midday 3-9-5

NEWS

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

MANDATE

Continued from Page A1

Department reported 157 new cases and one death. While higher than Tuesday’s number of 78 cases, it’s significantly lower than the 1,000 or so new daily cases that were reported back in early January. That’s the story across the nation, where COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths are declining. They’re dropping to the point that Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, said her

agency could ease its guidance on mask wearing soon. “We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when these metrics are better,” Dr. Walensky said Wednesday during a White House briefing. But she added the CDC stands ready to give stricter guidance on mask wearing if cases rise again. For now, COVID-19 is moving in a direction where it will eventually no longer be a crisis, said Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, during the same briefing. He noted three-fourths of Americans are vaccinated. That’s roughly the case in Santa

Barbara County, where the public health department reported Wednesday that 71.4% of the eligible 5-and-older population is fully vaccinated. Elsewhere in California, the Disneyland Resort reported it’s no longer requiring masks for vaccinated people going inside a building. That means vaccinated people can go on rides without a mask at the Orange County resort and its theme parks, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. But Los Angeles County remains weeks away from ending its indoor mask mandate, according to its public health department.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

Even with the end of the indoor mask mandate, masks are still required inside in specific settings such as schools, healthcare facilities, prisons and long-term care facilities. But Dr. Mark Ghaly, the secretary of California Health and Human Services, said the state is reviewing its data to see when the indoor mask mandate could end in schools. He said there could be an announcement on Feb. 28 concerning a specific date for ending that particular mandate. email: dmason@newspress.com

157 COVID-19 cases, one death reported

By DAVE MASON

NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

Santa Barbara County reported 157 new COVID-19 cases and one death Wednesday. The individual was in the 70-plus age group and had no underlying medical conditions. The death wasn’t associated with a congregate care site, according to the county Public Health Department. The decedent resided in Santa Barbara. Of the 157 cases, the highest

number, 49, was in Lompoc and nearby Mission Hills and Vandenberg Village. Elsewhere, there were 40 cases in Santa Maria, according to the Public Health Department. Neighboring Orcutt had five cases. Twenty-two cases were in Santa Barbara and unincorporated Mission Canyon. Three cases were in the South Coast corridor, which includes Montecito, Summerland and Carpinteria. Ten cases were in Goleta.

Four cases were in unincorporated Goleta Valley and Gaviota. Fifteen cases were in Isla Vista. Santa Ynez Valley reported three cases. Five cases were in the North County areas that include Sisquoc, Casmalia, Garey, Cuyama, New Cuyama and Guadalupe. The location of one case was pending. Seventy-eight patients are recovering in county hospitals. Another 12 are recovering in intensive care units.

Santa Barbara County now has a total of 83,252 cases, of which 1,109 are still infectious. The total number of deaths is 638. The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported that 71.4% of the eligible 5-and-older population is fully vaccinated. Of the entire county population (all ages), 67.2% is fully vaccinated. All numbers are provided by the health department. email: dmason@newspress.com

TRAFFIC, CRIME & FIRE BLOTTER Lompoc man sentenced in involuntary manslaughter case LOS ANGELES – Michael James Culligan, 30, of Lompoc, was sentenced Wednesday to 46 months in federal prison for crashing a stolen Jeep near Vandenberg Air Force Base while under the influence of drugs, killing one motorist and severely injuring another. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge André Birotte Jr. after pleading guilty in September to one count of involuntary manslaughter, according to a news release. On June 16, 2020, at approximately 12:30 p.m., Mr. Culligan drove a stolen 2019 Jeep Wrangler onto Vandenberg Air Force Base (now called Vandenberg Space Force Base). After veering onto the right shoulder, Mr. Culligan’s car swerved into the oncoming lane of

traffic and collided head-on with a blue Lexus sedan, killing its driver and seriously injuring its passenger. Following the traffic collision, Mr. Culligan climbed out of the Jeep Wrangler’s sunroof and fled the scene. Law enforcement later found him hiding in a drainpipe. Mr. Culligan was under the influence of illegal narcotics at the time of the accident, according to court documents. During his post-arrest interview, Mr. Culligan admitted using drugs before operating the vehicle, crashing the Jeep into another car and fleeing the scene of the accident. Mr. Culligan has been in federal custody since June 2020. “The severity and tragedy of (Mr. Culligan’s) conduct cannot be overstated,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “His disregard for the safety of the community was staggering. Driving a stolen car while drunk and high is the very epitome of recklessness and, sadly, (Mr. Culligan’s) conduct had consequences.” The U.S. Air Force Office

of Special Investigations investigated this matter. The California Highway Patrol and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office provided substantial assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Axelrad of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case. — Dave Mason

Man arrested on suspicion of illegal surveillance ISLA VISTA — Deputies from the Isla Vista Foot Patrol have arrested a suspect for placing hidden cameras in the bathroom of a victim’s home. On Tuesday, deputies began investigating a report of a video recording device that was found in the bathroom of a residence in the 6500 block of Madrid. Through their investigation, deputies identified the suspect as Justin Asinobi, 21, of Isla Vista,

according to Raquel Zick, the public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Ms. Zick said deputies contacted Mr. Asinobi at his residence and recovered several surreptitious recording devices that they believe were used to record victims without their knowledge. Mr. Asinobi was arrested at approximately 3:33 p.m. Tuesday and booked at the Main Jail in Santa Barbara on suspicion of invasion of privacy by means of an electronic device (misdemeanor) and suspicion of eavesdropping (felony). He is being held with an enhanced bail of $400,000. Sheriff’s deputies are continuing this investigation and will be attempting to identify and contact additional victims, Ms. Zick said. Anyone with additional information regarding this case can contact the Isla Vista Foot Patrol at 805-681-4179. To give a tip anonymously, call the tip line at 805-681-4171 or go to sbsheriff.org.

HOMICIDE

Continued from Page A1

10, 2022,” the district attorney’s office said in a news release. The office was referring to a hotel in the 5400 block of Hollister Avenue, near the onand off-ramps of State Route 217, in Goleta. Mr. Alexander is charged with five felony counts, including first-degree murder, shooting at an inhabited dwelling, shooting at an inhabited vehicle, residential burglary, and commercial burglary, for various incidents from Feb. 10-14, according to the district attorney’s office. Mr. Alexander is currently being held without bail and a preliminary hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. Feb. 23 at the Santa Barbara County Superior Court, Department 6, in Santa Barbara. “Mr. Alexander is also charged with Special Allegations for previously having been convicted of two prior violent strikes, personal use of a firearm, and being out on bail on two separate cases during the commission of the charged offenses,” the district attorney’s office said. Santa Barbara County sheriff’s detectives arrested Mr. Alexander around 3:30 p.m. Monday in the 1600 block of State Street. The detectives’ investigation began Feb. 10 after reports of shots being fired that night in the Hollister Avenue area near

— Dave Mason

is already facing a significant workforce shortage. The removal of these exemptions is ultimately unnecessary, and we cannot afford to lose any more truck drivers who transport food and other vital supplies across the border.” The letter comes after truckers blocked key border crossings between the U.S. and Canada to protest vaccine and quarantine rules. The blockades garnered worldwide attention and caused some automakers to temporarily limit production. Prime Minister Trudeau used Canada’s Emergencies Act to help end the blockades in Ottawa after local efforts failed. Similar blockades in Alberta and Manitoba ended peacefully. The Canadian Trucking Alliance applauded the prime minister’s decision. “These illegal blockades have had a detrimental impact on our members and customers’ businesses. These blockades have also had a very significant negative

impact upon our professional driving community. CTA very much welcomes the prime minister’s leadership today in helping to bring an end to these illegal blockades,” CTA President Stephen Laskowski said in a statement. “Order must be restored to our borders and critical infrastructure that are being blockaded.” Other group’s decried use of the Emergencies Act. “The federal government has not met the threshold necessary to invoke the Emergencies Act. This law creates a high and clear standard for good reason: the Act allows government to bypass ordinary democratic processes. This standard has not been met,” the Canadian Civil Liberties Association said. “Governments regularly deal with difficult situations, and do so using powers granted to them by democratically elected representatives. Emergency legislation should not be normalized. It threatens our democracy and our civil liberties.”

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(The Center Square) — Two Canadian premiers and 16 U.S. governors asked President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday to reinstate the vaccine and quarantine exemptions for cross-border truck drivers. “We understand the vital importance of vaccines in the fight against COVID-19 and continue to encourage eligible individuals to get vaccinated,” Alberta Premier Jason Kenney wrote in the letter. “However, we are deeply concerned that terminating these exemptions has had demonstrably negative impacts on the North American supply chain, the cost of living, and access to essential products for people in both of our countries.” Sixteen Republican governors signed the letter along with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe. The U.S leaders who signed were

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Idaho Gov. Brad Little, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon. “The timing of vour decision to terminate the vaccine and quarantine exemptions could not have been worse as North America already faces grave supply chain constraints,” the letter said. “These constraints, combined with increasing inflation, place significant burdens on the residents of Canada and the United States. “Furthermore, transportation associations have informed us that the lack of exemptions will force thousands of drivers out of the trucking industry, which

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Republican governors, two premiers ask Biden, Trudeau to reinstate vaccine, quarantine exemptions THE CENTER SQUARE REGIONAL EDITOR

State Route 217. “The preliminary investigation indicates that the victim, 43-year-old Richard Andrew Cardona, and the suspects were familiar with each other, and this was not a random attack,” Ms. Zick said in a news release Wednesday. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office reported finding evidence of a shooting Feb. 10 at the Pacifica Suites hotel. Mr. Cardona arrived on the night of Feb. 10 at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, where he died from his injuries. The hospital, which is at Hollister and Patterson avenues, is a short distance from the hotel. In addition to Mr. Alexander, the detectives’ investigation resulted in the arrest of Anthony Torres Lopez Jr., 36, of Santa Barbara at approximately 9:07 a.m. Wednesday in the area of Laguna and Cota streets. Ms. Zick said Mr. Lopez is being booked at the Main Jail in Santa Barbara on suspicion of robbery and suspicion of attempted extortion. Both are felonies. His bail amount is pending. Sheriff’s detectives are continuing the investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact detectives at 805-681-4150. If you prefer to remain anonymous, call the sheriff’s office’s tip line at 805-681-4171 or go to sbsheriff.org.

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New York reports nearly $2 billion in mobile sports bets before Super Bowl By STEVE BITTENBENDER THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) — The first 30 days of mobile sports betting in New York generated a total handle of nearly $2 billion. That’s according to a statement that Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office issued this week. Mobile apps began going live statewide Jan. 8, and the opening weeks of activity have set records for legal wagering. New York is the largest state population-wise that currently allows sports betting. Data from Gov. Hochul’s office shows New Yorkers have bet $600

million on football, $540 million on basketball and $80 million on hockey. Those figures do not include all wagers from Sunday’s Super Bowl. That information is scheduled to be released Friday, when the Gaming Commission releases handle and revenue totals from the week prior. The $1.98 billion in wagering, through last weekend, has led seven sports betting operators to report $138 million in gross gaming revenue. The state taxes revenues at 51%, meaning it has taken in $70.6 million in the first month. Assemblymember J. Gary

Pretlow, the Mount Vernon, N.Y., Democrat who chairs the Assembly Committee on Racing and Wagering, said the state is “well on the way to being the sports betting capital of the world.” “I’m happy the Gaming Commission proceeded with haste to get the determination of the operators in place two weeks earlier than anticipated,” Assemblymember Pretlow added. Officials initially projected the state would generate $49 million in tax revenue for the 2021-22 fiscal year that ends March 31. That’s in addition to the $200 million in licensing fees the state

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received after the New York State Gaming Commission approved the betting late last year. “Over the past month, we’ve seen how mobile sports wagering can be an economic engine for New York, driving significant funding to our schools, youth sports, and so much more,” Gov. Hochul said in a statement. “As this new industry continues to grow, New York will make sure we have the resources and guidelines in place to make it a success for all.” For the current fiscal year, 98% of the tax revenue will go toward education.

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SBCC SPORTS WRITER

What was a sunny Tuesday afternoon quickly turned as the cold wind brought fog and rain to Pershing Park, forcing the Santa Barbara City College baseball team to fight through the elements down the stretch against West Los Angeles. But the Vaqueros overcame an early 2-1 deficit in their home game, shutting the Wildcats out over the final eight innings to take a 5-2 victory. It was the second win in six days for the Vaqueros (5-3) over the Wildcats (1-5), who met last Thursday in a 15-3 landslide. As conditions worsened, pitcher Decker Mac Neil only seemed to get better. He struck out six on the day, tossing for just under eight full innings. Colby Downard entered in the final two innings, giving up just one hit and earning his first save of the year. West L.A. did most of its damage in the top of the first inning. The Wildcats came out with four hits on their first six at bats, scoring their only two runs

of the day. The Vaqueros answered by loading the bases in the bottom of the first. Shortstop Gabe Baldavino scored the team’s first run on a sacrifice fly to left by right fielder Caiden Matheny. The score remained 2-1 until a big fifth inning from the Vaqueros. They took the lead with three runs coming from Owen Crevelt, Pearce Blaney and Max Porter, taking advantage of some West L.A. mistakes. Blaney also earned an RBI. With the game speeding up as the rain poured, the Vaqueros tacked on one more in the bottom of the eighth. Following two quick outs, third baseman Gavin Haimovitz let loose on a big blast out to left field, hitting his team-leading third home run of the season to seal the threerun win. After two straight at home, SBCC will play two games against Cerro Coso this week, beginning in a road game at 2 p.m. today. Michael Jorgenson works in communications/media relations at Santa Barbara City College. email: sports@newspress.com.

France’s Clement Noel skis his way to a gold medal By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

France’s Clement Noel took the gold Wednesday in the Alpine men’s skiing slalom at the Beijing Olympics. Noel jumped over the top five skiers to take the gold after missing by just four one hundredths of a second during the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang in South Korea. This year Noel set a combined time of 1.44.09, beating Austria’s Johannes Strolz, who took the silver, and Norway’s Sebastian Foss-Solevaag, who took the bronze. Noel described the unpredictability of the slalom competition, which has had a different winner during each of the 19 times the event has been featured at the Olympics. “There will be many contenders and surprises as always at the games. The fastest one will take it all,” Noel told Olympics.com. Indeed he was the fastest one as he navigated the course with speed and skill and won the gold by a full 0.61 of a second. Before the final run, Noel was in sixth position and not in the immediate running for an Olympic medal. But on the final run, Noel found a burst of speed, bringing him into contention for an Olympic medal. Noel won France’s first Alpine skiing gold since 2006, when Antoine Dénériaz’s took the gold, and France’s first slalom event since Salt Lake City 2002, when Jean-Pierre Vidal brought home the gold medal. With France’s win, the nation was tied with the Russian Olympics Committee for 10th place. As of Wednesday evening Pacific time, each nation had four gold medals. Norway continued to lead the

gold medal count with 13, followed by Germany with 10 golds and the U.S. with eight. China was in fourth place with seven golds. Austria, The Netherlands and Sweden had six gold medals each. Switzerland had five golds. In other Olympics action Wednesday, the Slovakia men’s hockey team proceeded to the semi-finals after eliminating Team USA from the quarter final. Slovakia won the penalty shootout in a tight and tense 2-2 match in regular time and a deadlock in overtime. “Words just can’t describe how I feel right now. It’s a real tough pill to swallow,” USA Coach David Quinn told Olympics.com. “I thought as the game went on we got away from doing the things we needed to do to have success. I thought we tried to force plays offensively, really fueled their offense, and you could really feel the momentum change. “To me the five-on-three was the turning point of the whole game,” Quinn said. “We had the chance to go up five-to-three, and we just couldn’t do it. It was such an incredible group of players to coach and it just really stings that it’s over..” Patrik Rybar stopped four of Team USA’s penalty shots and Peter Cehlarik scored the Slovak’s historic victory. Slovakia will play the winner of ROC-Denmark in the semi-final. Slovakia started the tournament poorly, losing 6-2 Finland and 4-1 to Sweden. The nation’s 17-year-old athlete Juraj Slafkovsky is one of the breakout stars of the Games. His goal inspired his team to find the confidence to start beating Team USA. email: kzehnder@newspress.com

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SBCC baseball team finds victory in the fog By MICHAEL JORGENSON

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A new Planet Fitness gym is scheduled to open in Goleta in April.

FITNESS

Planet Fitness. “Finding the right gym can be intimidating, but Planet Fitness aims to make fitness accessible, affordable and judgment-free for everyone, as well as safe and squeaky-clean with our spacious clubs,” Ms. Meyers said in the news release. “We invite everyone to visit our presale office to learn more about the amazing amenities we have to offer in the new clubs and take advantage of our limited-time presale membership offers,” As an introductory special, members can join for 25 cents down and $10 a month with nocommitment during the pre-sale which will occur now through the spring. To join, stop by the presale office, 7127 Hollister Ave, No. 9, Goleta, or go to planetfitness.com/gyms/goleta-ca.

Continued from Page A1 include all of the standard amenities that you can find in any standard Planet Fitness studio, according to Mr. Curry. The Goleta location will include a new feature: a functional training area. “I don’t want to say Crossfit, but (it’s) similar to that, like a body weight training area,” Mr. Curry told the News-Press. In addition to its Goleta location, Planet Fitness has locations in Lompoc and Oxnard. “We’re excited to expand our presence in the Central California Coast, and Goleta marks our fifth club in this region for our franchise,” said Shannon Meyers, vice president of marketing, Grand Fitness Partners, a franchise division of

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OBITUARIES

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email: kzehnder@newspress.com

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SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

NEWS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

Senate considers suspending federal gas tax, but critics are wary Average gas price is $4.710 in Santa Barbara County By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE SENIOR REPORTER

(The Center Square) — A new push to suspend the federal gas tax has gained momentum amid soaring inflation, but critics on both sides of the aisle call it a temporary solution that will not solve the larger problem. The move comes as gas prices have skyrocketed in the past year along with a range of other goods and services hit hard by inflation. The current federal gas tax is about 18 cents per gallon and is used for highway funding. “Arizonans are paying some of the highest prices for gas we have seen in years, and it’s putting a strain on families who need to fill up the tank to get to work and school,“ said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz, who is helping lead the effort. “This bill will lower gas prices by suspending the federal gas tax through the end of the year to help Arizona families struggling with high costs for everything from gas to groceries.” Critics say the push is a politically motivated, short-term reprieve to carry through the midterm elections. They also

say it will be hard to ensure that lifting the tax will actually lead to reduced prices for consumers. “After canceling pipelines, banning drilling on federal lands and declaring war on energy companies, Democrats suddenly want to repeal the gas tax,” U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote on Twitter. “Why? Because an election is coming. “The Democratic Senators facing election want a *temporary* gas tax holiday,” he added. “When does it end? Right after the election. Very subtle, (Sen. Mark Kelly)!” Larry Behrens, communications director for Power the Future, a group that advocates for energy sector workers, said it’s President Joe Biden’s policies that caused gas prices to skyrocket. “It’s pathetic that Joe Biden only worries about his skyrocketing gas prices when he feels there may be political consequences,” Mr. Behrens told The Center Square. “For nearly a year our families have struggled under oppressive energy prices and all Biden could do was surrender American energy

independence and beg foreign producers for more oil. If Biden is really worried about the tax on energy, the first tax he should eliminate is the green tax on our country that led to these prices and 40-year high inflation.” The American Automobile Association puts the current average price of gas nationwide at $3.51 per gallon, up a full dollar from the same time last year. The price has consistently been higher in California, where the average price on Wednesday was $4.719 a gallon, according to AAA. In fact, the price is as high as $5 or more at some pumps. On Wednesday, the average prices were $4.710 a gallon in Santa Barbara County, $4.773 in Ventura County, $4.779 in Los Angeles County and $4.905 in San Luis Obispo County. All those numbers are from AAA. Overall, energy prices have increased significantly. Earlier this month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Consumer Price Index data, a key marker of inflation. BLS reported that in January, prices rose 0.6%, with energy costs leading the way. “The all items index rose 7.5%

for the 12 months ending January, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending February 1982,” BLS said. “The all items less food and energy index rose 6%, the largest 12-month change since the period ending August 1982. The energy index rose 27% over the last year, and the food index increased 7%.” Critics say the proposed tax suspension is only a temporary solution that will make the overall problem worse. “But new tax cuts aren’t going to stop this inflation; after all, excessive tax cuts and spending are part of what caused high inflation,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. “While a gas tax holiday might provide some temporary relief, much of the benefit may flow through to oil producers or lead to higher prices in other sectors of the economy. By boosting demand in an already over-stimulated economy, the holiday would likely boost inflation in 2023 once it ends.” News-Press Managing Editor Dave Mason contributed to this report.

FEMA issues $850K to Alaska residents for COVID-related funeral expenses By JACK BIRLE THE CENTER SQUARE STAFF REPORTER

(The Center Square) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has distributed $851,462 to residents of Alaska for funeral costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new data. The data showed that out of 303 total applications from Alaska residents, FEMA granted 159 awards for funeral expenses, with an average of about $5,355 per granted application. The funeral expense funds provide a maximum of

$9,000 per deceased person and a maximum of $35,500 per application if there are multiple people included in the application, according to FEMA. FEMA said it has issued $1.6 billion to over 247,000 people in COVID-19 funeral assistance funds. Relief funds were issued to assist in paying for funerals for people who died directly or indirectly from COVID-19. The funeral relief funds are applicable for deaths occurring after Jan. 20, 2020. FEMA requires a death certificate listing COVID-19 as a

direct or direct cause for deaths from May 17, 2020, onward. For deaths between Jan. 20, 2020, and May 16, 2020, the death certificate must list COVID-19 as a direct or direct cause for death or they may provide a signed statement from a “local medical examiner or coroner from the jurisdiction,” according to FEMA. The relief funds can be used to pay for funeral services, cremation, headstones and caskets, among other expenses. The FEMA COVID-19 funeral assistance funds were approved as part of the Coronavirus

Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. More than 1,000 Alaskans (1,081) have died from COVID-19, according to the Department of Health and Social Services. The state has reported more than 224,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 3,500 hospitalizations because of the coronavirus since March 2020. More than 58% of Alaska residents have completed the primary series of a vaccine and 64.2% have received at least one dose, according to health officials.

PATCHELL, Noni Beth Kimbel

Born March 18, 1956, Died December 4, 2021 Born of Dorothy Elisabeth Evinger Kimbel and Elnathan Samuel Kimbel. She is survived by her loving husband James Edward Patchell, her brother James Jeffry Kimbel, and sister Lori Pavsek. Noni attended Vieja Valley Elementary School, La Colina Junior Hight, and San Marcos High School. She attended Westmont College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Noni and James were married December 30,2006 at the First Presbyterian Church in Santa Barbara, where Noni was a lifelong and very active member. Noni also had a column in the Montecito Journal. The Memorial Service will be at the First Presbyterian Church, 21 East Constance Ave, February 19, 2022 at 1:00 PM. The family requests that you donate to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (bcrf.org) in lieu of ﬂowers.

IN MEMORY JOHN GEYER

May 25, 1969-Feb. 17, 2010 A Man of God Called up in Love, Praise and Strength John 3:17 We love you and miss you every day Always Remembered Forever Loved

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 Presidents’ Day, Mon., Feb 21: Obituaries publishing Saturday, Feb. 19 thru Tuesday, Feb. 22, deadline is Thursday, Feb. 17 at 12 noon. 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.

DEATH NOTICE Walter Albert Fasold Jr., 70, of Lompoc. Died Feb. 10. Starbuck-Lind Mortuary (starbucklind.com) is handling the arrangements.

LOCAL FIVE-DAY FORECAST TODAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Plenty of sun

Plenty of sunshine

Mostly sunny

Clouds and sunshine

Partly sunny

INLAND

70 30

71 31

73 31

68 35

59 30

68 38

68 39

66 43

63 40

COASTAL

Mask mandate also over in Nevada By COLE LAUTERBACH THE CENTER SQUARE REGIONAL EDITOR

(The Center Square) — Gov. Steve Sisolak last week made Nevada the latest state to scrap its mask mandate. Gov. Sisolak announced in a video news conference Feb. 10 that he was rescinding the mask

STATE MANDATE

Continued from Page A1

presents to our community, and we look forward to lifting the indoor mask requirement as soon as we can do so without putting vulnerable people at undue risk,” Dr. Cody said in a

requirement for public places, effective immediately. “To the Nevadans and travelers that have done the right thing, gotten vaccinated, stayed diligent and protected each other for the last two years, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you,” Gov. Sisolak said. “Given all of these updates and the tools we have,

statement last week. Los Angeles County will also keep its indoor mask mandate in place until case rates improve, though the county announced it was relaxing its outdoor masking rules on Wednesday. This means residents will be able to shed their masks in the exterior areas of “mega events”

now is the appropriate time for me to announce that Nevada will rescind our mask mandate, effective immediately.” Casinos, which the Nevada State Gaming Control Board regulates, still must require masks until the commission can finalize a rule reflecting the change, The Associated Press reported.

and in outdoor areas of K-12 schools and childcare centers, according to the Los Angeles Times. In order to the county to lift its universal mask mandate indoors, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer told the Board of Supervisors last week that the

“Let me be clear: the state will no longer require masks in public places, but employers and organizations, including school districts, may set their own policies, and I encourage them to work with their employees and communities to ensure that policies are in place,” Gov. Sisolak said.

county must reach “moderate” level of virus transmission for two weeks — defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as fewer than 50 new cases per 100,000 people over seven days. Madison Hirneisen covers California for The Center Square.

COASTAL

Pismo Beach 65/39

Vandenberg 62/40

New Cuyama 66/30 Ventucopa 65/32

Los Alamos 69/34

Buellton 68/31

Solvang 69/30

Gaviota 65/43

SANTA BARBARA 68/38 Goleta 69/38

Carpinteria 66/45 Ventura 68/48

AIR QUALITY KEY Good Moderate

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

ALMANAC

Santa Barbara through 6 p.m. yesterday

TEMPERATURE High/low Normal high/low Record high Record low

67/38 64/44 83 in 2016 32 in 1990

PRECIPITATION

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 66/30/s 69/38/s 67/35/s 65/39/s 67/35/s 70/30/s 62/40/s 68/48/s

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

69/41/s 64/35/s 43/15/s 61/26/s 61/54/s 68/38/s 72/36/s 54/41/s 69/41/s 73/48/s 42/15/s 67/36/s 67/43/s 70/33/s 64/42/s 71/43/s 70/45/s 75/50/s 71/47/s 68/31/s 67/37/s 69/44/s 64/45/s 68/41/s 69/38/s 68/46/s 45/17/s

0.00” 0.03” (2.14”) 8.92” (10.89”)

73/45/t 60/49/c 30/10/sn 59/27/pc 34/22/s 78/35/r 81/72/pc 10/-1/s 62/49/c 65/53/pc 68/45/s 50/41/c 39/9/sn 44/27/pc 48/43/c 70/53/pc

Wind east 6-12 knots becoming northwest today. Waves 1-2 feet; west-southwest swell 2-4 feet at 17 seconds. Visibility clear.

POINT ARENA TO POINT PINOS

Wind northeast 6-12 knots becoming northwest today. Waves 1-3 feet; west-southwest swell 2-4 feet at 17 seconds. Visibility clear.

POINT CONCEPTION TO MEXICO

Wind northeast 6-12 knots becoming northwest today. Waves 1-3 feet; west-southwest swell 2-4 feet at 17 seconds. Visibility clear.

TIDES Fri. Hi/Lo/W 67/31/s 69/38/s 68/36/s 65/39/s 66/37/s 71/31/s 63/39/s 66/49/s

SANTA BARBARA HARBOR TIDES Date Time High Time Feb. 17 Feb. 18 Feb. 19

9:29 a.m. 10:48 p.m. 10:05 a.m. 11:15 p.m. 10:45 a.m. 11:45 p.m.

LAKE LEVELS

5.5’ 4.1’ 5.2’ 4.3’ 4.7’ 4.4’

Low

3:25 a.m. 4:24 p.m. 4:05 a.m. 4:51 p.m. 4:51 a.m. 5:18 p.m.

1.6’ -0.6’ 1.4’ -0.3’ 1.3’ 0.1’

AT BRADBURY DAM, LAKE CACHUMA 70/40/s 67/38/s 48/20/s 62/26/s 65/54/s 69/39/s 75/36/s 55/39/s 71/42/s 75/50/s 45/18/s 68/37/s 65/43/s 71/35/s 65/44/s 71/49/s 70/46/s 77/52/s 74/51/s 67/32/s 70/36/s 71/44/s 64/47/s 68/42/s 69/39/s 70/47/s 47/18/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.

MARINE FORECAST

SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL

LOCAL TEMPS

KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS

COASTAL

Shown is today's weather. Temperatures are today's highs and tonight's lows.

Santa Maria 67/35

STATE CITIES

Mounted riders herd cattle back to their enclosure this week on the lush hills near Nojoqui Horse Ranch in Gaviota.

COASTAL

Maricopa 69/42

Guadalupe 65/35

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

Cattle in Gaviota

COASTAL

54/34/pc 53/23/r 26/12/s 57/32/s 48/26/s 59/38/pc 83/70/pc 33/2/sn 56/29/c 58/30/c 73/47/s 53/40/c 42/26/s 50/30/s 48/41/c 56/31/c

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 92,128 acre-ft. Elevation 711.62 ft. Evaporation (past 24 hours) 18.0 acre-ft. Inflow 0.0 acre-ft. State inflow 0.0 acre-ft. Storage change from yest. -240 acre-ft. Report from U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

SUN AND MOON Sunrise Sunset Moonrise Moonset

Last

New

Feb 23

Mar 2

WORLD CITIES

Today 6:43 a.m. 5:45 p.m. 6:58 p.m. 7:37 a.m.

First

Mar 10

Fri. 6:42 a.m. 5:45 p.m. 8:01 p.m. 8:06 a.m.

Full

Mar 17

Today Fri. City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Beijing 27/13/c 33/15/c Berlin 46/36/r 48/38/r Cairo 68/51/c 69/52/pc Cancun 84/72/s 85/71/pc London 51/44/sh 52/37/r Mexico City 75/50/s 75/49/s Montreal 44/19/r 20/3/sn New Delhi 78/52/pc 79/54/pc Paris 55/46/pc 56/38/r Rio de Janeiro 83/73/t 81/73/t Rome 59/44/pc 61/49/s Sydney 88/72/pc 86/69/pc Tokyo 48/37/pc 52/38/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

T H U R S DA Y, F E B R UA R Y 1 7, 2 0 2 2

KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Leslie Person Ryan, center, stands with her employees Jackie Mendez, left, and Evelyn Guzman inside the Letter Perfect Stationery. Ms. Person Ryan is selling the Montecito store and is pursuing a new venture with the new Santa Barbara Agriculture & Farm Education Foundation.

Letter Perfect

New venture prompts owner to sell community landmark By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

hen Leslie Person Ryan decided to open a stationery store in Montecito, she did her homework — hours of research on the Internet and talking to people knowledgeable about the field, including a representative of the prestigious Crane stationery company. “I even went to a two-day training session offered by Crane, where I learned the proper

At top and above, Leslie Person Ryan collects broccolini at her farm in Summerland. “My goal is to provide community health, education and food security through organic and regeneratively grown agriculture,” said Ms. Person Ryan, founder and CEO of the Santa Barbara Agriculture & Farm Education Foundation.

way to word everything for birth announcements, wedding invitations, engagements and anniversaries. Every kind of announcement has to have the correct etiquette,” she told the News-Press. “I was raised on good stationery, but I knew nothing about starting a business.” Ms. Person Ryan was also advised to consult with a local group of local businessmen, one of whom advised her in no uncertain terms: “Don’t do it. You’ll never make it.” Fortunately, she ignored his

A bee pollinates flowers at Leslie Person Ryan’s farm.

advice and opened Letter Perfect on Coast Village Road in 1984. It was an immediate success, and for 38 years it has been a landmark in the community. Now Ms. Person Ryan has decided to sell the business and take a new turn in her colorful life as the founder and CEO of the Santa Barbara Agriculture & Farm Education Foundation. “My goal is to provide community health, education and food security through organic and regeneratively grown agriculture. I Please see PERFECT on B2

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

PERFECT

guess you could say I’m going back to my roots, pun intended,” said Ms. Person Ryan, who grew up on a 1,000-acre lemon ranch in Upland. Her passion for farming was re-kindled when the Montecito debris flow in 2018 forced her to close Letter Perfect and relocate to Summerland temporarily. “I realized that the small community lacked a grocery store or supermarket. Summerland was a food desert. Residents had to drive to other places to stock their pantries, or they relied on processed and mostly fried foods on a daily basis,” she said. “There was no fresh food available.” The innovative entrepreneur took it upon herself to solve the problem by setting up the Sweet Wheel Farm & Flowers cart in front of the shop on Lillie Avenue and sold produce mostly grown in the garden at her home next door. “I named it Sweet Wheel,” said Ms. Person Ryan, who created the eye-catching displays by hand every morning “ to make sure that each item was as fresh as it could get.” She has named her new venture Sweet Wheel Summerland Farm,

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

Among her other lofty goals and programs are creating a community green belt fire break for Summerland and providing food in case of an emergency, farm education in Orcutt and Summerland, and saving heirloom and non-GMO seeds. “Rather than pulling the crop before its full life cycle is over, we ensure that we are following the full cycle of nature,” Ms. Person Ryan said. “By allowing our crops to go to seed, this provides us with the reassurance that our farm will thrive the next season. “We are especially proud of educating our next generation of farmers. We hope to have goats and chickens on the farm soom.” Farmland is disappearing at an alarming rate, according to Ms. Person Ryan. “We like Santa Barbara Permaculture’s analogy of healthy and food resilience, likening local farms as beads on a necklace ensuring food security,” she said. “We are on a mission to create a solution of close-looped agriculture systems for Santa Barbara County promoting technology on an environmentally sensitive farm.”

FYI

Continued from Page B1

NEWS

For more information about the purchase of Letter Perfect or the Santa Barbara Agriculture & Farm Education Foundation, email personryan@aol. com.

and its headquarters is a 6.84-acre farm on a hilltop in the beachside community. “We are different than any farm because we change the nutrition of Santa Barbara veterans and food-fragile families with our regeneratively farmed food,” said Ms. Person Ryan. “Our farming, active veteran and education projects are at the heart of our farm. We support Santa Barbara County veterans by providing healthy, organically grown fruits and vegetables for the free veterans’ weekly breakfast and 600 meals three times a year on Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. “Our nonprofit program delivers healthy farm food anonymously to any Summerland citizen or family, promising that medically fragile residents and struggling low-income families are cared for and have access to organic and nutritious fruits and locally grown vegetables.”

email: mmcmahon@newspress. com

KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

A variety of merchandise is sold at Letter Perfect Stationery in Montecito.

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Organic gaviota strawberries

Hot-House Persian cucumbers

This signature strawberry, grown organically by Harries Berries of Oxnard, is recognized by its deep red color and pointed shape. Sweet, with a bold dynamic flavor, customers line up to get them as soon as the market opens. This low acid variety is ideal to eat as they come. Incorporate them into a fruit salad or mix them with yogurt, in a smoothie, or toss with spinach and chèvre to enjoy as a salad. They’re a good source of vitamin C and dietary fibers as well as a list of other essential vitamins and minerals. You can expect to find Gaviota strawberries at the Saturday Santa Barbara, Tuesday Santa Barbara and Friday Montecito farmers’ markets. Certified organic is available. Price is $12 per clamshell package.

While the true season for outdoor grown cucumbers is still a couple of months away from its start, both the Beylik Family Farm and California Sunrise Farm of Fillmore have a bounty of freshly harvested cucumbers coming from their greenhouses. Crisp and mildly sweet, Persian cucumbers are not bitter and are praised for their thin skins and soft seeds, with no peeling needed. Use them as the base of a cucumber or Greek salad, add them to a sandwich, or blend them into a Tzatziki sauce with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, oregano, garlic and seasoning. You can find Persian cucumbers at the Saturday Santa Barbara, Tuesday Santa Barbara, Thursday Carpinteria and Friday Montecito farmers’ markets. Price averages $4 per pound.

Bearrs lime Also commonly referred to as Persian lime or Tahiti lime, this variety is recognized by its large rounded shape, which can range from light green to yellow when fully mature. Bearrs limes are seedless, super juicy and loaded with flavor. They have a pleasing sweet lime aroma. This week I prepared a Bearrs lime, beet and apple salad for the Fix of the Week below. You can find Bearrs limes at the weekly Saturday Santa Barbara, Sunday Camino Real, Tuesday Santa Barbara, Wednesday Solvang and Thursday Carpinteria farmers’ markets from several area growers. Price averages $3 per pound. 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

FARMERS MARKET Sam Edelman

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Fix of the Week

ome prefer the flavor of lemons, and others are more drawn to the essence of limes. While they have a similar profile of tangy flavor throughout, the taste of each has noticeable differences. I utilize both lemons and limes in my home kitchen on pretty much a daily basis, incorporating them into salad dressings, salsas, marinades, over cooked meats and veggies or to cure fish in homemade ceviche. I also incorporate them into beverages. When it comes to the choice between lemons and limes, it really just depends on the specific dish I’m preparing and what additional layer of flavor I’m looking to add. It’s sometimes difficult to tell the difference between lemons and limes at first glance, with some varieties more apparent than others. Yellow limes are not lemons, and green lemons are not limes, with both taking on those colorations depending on the variety and stage of maturity. Generally, lemons tend to be slightly sweeter with about 2% sugar content, and limes a little

SAM EDELMAN PHOTO

more bitter averaging .5%-.75% sugar. I find they both have their own, very distinct aroma as well. This is the season when both lemons and limes are readily available. Of all of the lime variety options out there, I find the absolute best is the Bearrs lime. Also referred to as a Persian lime or Tahiti lime, they are large, incredibly juicy, seedless and very flavorful. This week I prepared a Bearrs lime-infused beet salad, with the sweet beets and tangy limes making a great pairing. BEARRS LIME, BEET AND APPLE SALAD 2 Bearrs limes 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 medium beets, peeled and cut into small cubes 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes 1 large pink lady apples, cut in small cubes

½ red onion, thinly sliced ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (or fresh cilantro) ¼cup raw pistachio kernels, or walnut pieces, or almond slivers Salt and pepper to taste Aged balsamic vinegar Juice the 2 limes and set aside. In a sauté pan add olive oil and turn to medium-high heat. Sauté beets and carrots, tossing every few minutes. Cook until just soft. Remove from heat and place the limes in a mixing bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, then mix in apple, red onion, parsley, and nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss everything together. Finish with some aged balsamic vinegar. Drizzle with additional olive oil if desired. You can also toss this mixture with lettuce greens, spinach, kale or arugula. Yield: Serves 4 sides.

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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7KXUVGD\ )HEUXDU\

/$67 +($57

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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-Saturday and on the crossword solutions page in Sunday’s Life section.

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CROSSWORD PUZZLE

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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 THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

Unscramble these Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words.

GNIES

Answer here: <HVWHUGD\·V

Get the free JUST JUMBLE DSS )ROORZ XV RQ 7ZLWWHU @PlayJumble

By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

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is flying high today, Libra. Your interest in mystical and metaphysical matters is at an all-time high, and you could find yourself strolling through New Age bookstores. Travel to distant places may seem especially appealing, and you might dream of flying to India, Israel, Egypt, or Ireland. T SCORPIO —Some wonderful news concerning money and career matters could come your way today, Scorpio. Your natural kindness and sympathy for others has led you to make some good friends who are also valuable business contacts. This is definitely paying off. Your aesthetic sense is at an all-time high, so this is a great day to start any creative projects that you have in mind. SAGITTARIUS — A minor conflict with a romantic partner in the morning is likely to end with a tearful reunion and much reassurance by mid-afternoon. The end of the day could find the two of you planning a romantic trip abroad, even down to the restaurants you want to try! Discussions of spiritual or psychic matters could also bring you closer together. CAPRICORN — Your intuition, imagination, and insight have served you well on the job, and should pay off soon. A raise, commission, or perhaps a chance to invest in the company could be offered to you. Your self-esteem will definitely receive a boost! You might also find that you’re growing even more intuitive than usual, and people are looking up to you because of it. AQUARIUS — You can count on a very idyllic and romantic day today, Aquarius. You’re feeling especially warm and sensual, and you tend to view the partner in your life through rose-colored glasses. He or she is very likely to regard you in the same way. If you’ve been longing for a dinner for two, complete with champagne, candlelight, and red roses, this is the day to go for it. PISCES — Someone who is a student of natural healing may come to visit you and share some ideas today. You tend to be interested in matters concerning health, and you might want to learn not only about herbs and nutrition but also spiritual healing.

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HOROSCOPE ARIES — Books and movies may inspire you to get involved in artistic activities. Your aesthetic sense is very high today, Aries, and you may be drawing your inspiration from the higher realms. You might want to stroll through an art gallery or museum and try to sense the feelings of those from the past. TAURUS — You could be feeling a bit flush today, Taurus, and therefore you might decide to do a little work on your house. This is more likely to be redecorating than any major repairs, as you’re more into beauty right now than practical matters. GEMINI — You’re feeling especially psychically and mystically inclined today, Gemini. You might want to read about such matters or attend a lecture or workshop given by someone in the field. Telepathic communications are coming your way. Don’t be surprised if more than once during the course of the day you and another say the same thing at the same time. CANCER — You’re usually a very practical and down-toEarth person, but today you may be more inclined than usual toward mysticism. Spiritual matters seem extremely appealing, and you could find yourself gravitating toward metaphysical bookstores or seeking discussions with people who are well versed in such matters. LEO — Group activities involving meditation, psychic or spiritual topics, or artistic pursuits are probably very appealing to you right now, Leo. This is the perfect day to start a class or attend a lecture on such subjects. You could meet some interesting people who become close friends. VIRGO — You’re normally a very intuitive person, and today you may experience clairvoyance that could rival Jeane Dixon’s. You could be feeling especially attuned to other planes, and your dreams are likely to be powerful and vivid. Use the messages you receive to inspire creative pursuits. LIBRA — Your imagination

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“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” — Warren Buffett

Horoscope.com Thursday, February 17, 2022

CODEWORD PUZZLE

Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon.

(Answers tomorrow) Jumbles: )$%/( %/857 3($187 3$/$&( Answer: 7KH ELUG WKDW GLGQ·W Á\ DZD\ LQ WKH IDFH RI GDQJHU ZDV ³ 81)/$33$%/(

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

NEWS / CLASSIFIED

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

Texas congresswoman, Texas sue CDC over air travel mask mandate By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE SENIOR REPORTER

(The Center Square) — U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, represented by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and the state of Texas are suing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, challenging the constitutionality of its requirement that people wear masks on commercial airlines, conveyances and at transportation hubs. The lawsuit is likely to go to the U.S. Supreme Court, TPPF

said, where the foundation thinks it will prevail. The statute being used to justify the CDC airline mask mandate is the same one used to justify the eviction moratorium over which TPPF sued and the Supreme Court struck down last year. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas Fort Worth Division. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; its director, Rochelle Walensky; CDC Chief of Staff Sherri Berger; the

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and its secretary, Xavier Becerra; and the U.S. government, are all named as defendants. The plaintiffs are asking for the court to issue an immediate injunction against the mandate, and to end it for good. It’s set to expire in March, but the CDC is expected to extend it again, as it has in the past over the past nearly two years, unless a judge blocks it. As long as the airline mask mandate has been imposed, most Americans have assumed

Group asks NY GOP House members to reconsider stance on judicial reform bill By STEVE BITTENBENDER THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) — A New York group sent a letter earlier this month to three of the state’s Republican congressional representatives asking them to reconsider their support of a federal judicial reform bill. U.S. Reps. Nicole Malliotakis, Tom Reed and Claudia Tenney received the letter from Tom Stebbins, the executive director for the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York (LRANY). Mr. Stebbins sent the letter after he heard the trio signed a discharge petition for the State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act. LRANY “wholeheartedly opposes any politically motivated distortion of the judiciary and asks that you consider the consequences to the rule of law if this bill is

enacted,” he said. The bill would preclude antitrust actions brought forward by states from federal processes that allow cases to be transferred and consolidated. Mr. Stebbins’ letter told the lawmakers the bill could potentially “jeopardize the integrity of our legal system” by allowing for different rulings by judges. “Centralizing these cases, as currently made possible by the multidistrict litigation process, is indeed necessary to ensure an efficient and rigorous review of antitrust actions,” he wrote. “As we’ve seen time and again, antitrust litigation often involves multiple states bringing action against companies which operate at a national level. A robust judicial infrastructure is required to adequately review such cases.” LRANY also believes the

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branch to issue blanket mask mandates on American citizens,” Mr. Henneke said. The U.S. Constitution grants the executive branch the authority to enforce laws passed by Congress and grants Congress the authority to make laws. “The executive branch does not have independent policymaking authority,” he said. After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the CDC eviction moratorium imposed on residential landlords, and struck down the private sector

COVID-19 vaccine mandate — two cases over which TPPF sued and won — Mr. Henneke said the foundation began looking into other mandates that it believed were also unconstitutional and/or not justified by federal statute. “When we took a hard look at the alleged justification from the government, the justification isn’t there,” he told The Center Square. “The statute the Biden administration claimed gave the CDC authority, didn’t give the CDC authority.”

Former Hawaiian lawmakers reach plea deal on wire fraud charges By KIM JARRETT THE CENTER SQUARE ASSOCIATE EDITOR

bill would benefit private practice firms that focus on antitrust cases. “If states are suddenly allowed to file antitrust cases that cannot be consolidated, law firms will have a new and lucrative economic incentive to pitch contracts with state AGs to file duplicative suits in venues throughout the country,” Mr. Stebbins added. Reps. Malliotakis, Reed and Tenney signed the discharge petition last month to get the bill to the House floor. The petition needs 218 signatures to be successful. According to the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, 103 members have signed the petition. A fourth New York Republican, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, signed the petition Feb. 4, three days after LRANY sent the letter to Reps. Malliotakis, Reed and Tenney.

Classiﬁed

that because the federal government has control over U.S. airspace, it can control what policies the airlines must implement, including the mask mandate, TPPF General Counsel Robert Henneke told The Center Square. But after looking at the statute the Biden administration used to justify the CDC mandate, that’s not the case, Mr. Henneke said. What the Biden administration did, he argues, is unconstitutional. “Congress has never passed a law authorizing the executive

(The Center Square) — Two former Hawaiian lawmakers will be sentenced July 5 on fraud charges after reaching a plea deal on accusations they accepted thousands of dollars in exchange for their support of certain legislation. Jamie Kalani English, 55, who formerly served as the Hawaiian Senate majority leader, and Ty J.K. Cullen, 41, who resigned from his state House seat after he was indicted last week, pleaded guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud in the U.S. District Court of Hawaii, according to information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii. They face up to 20 years in prison

HAVE YOUR SAY

and a fine of up to $250,000. Mr. English accepted bribes of $1,000 to support a bill for someone identified as “Person A,” according to the plea agreement. In addition to the $1,000, he also accepted $1,805 for a hotel room and $500 to pay for dinner for his family. Mr. English accepted $10,000 from “Person A” in March 2020 to stop a piece of legislation from passing and said, “Well it’s easy to kill bills. It’s hard to pass them,” according to the plea agreement. “Person A” paid Mr. English $5,000 on Jan. 14, 2021. The FBI conducted a traffic stop, and Mr. English tried to hide the money, according to the agreement. Mr. Cullen also is accused of taking money in exchange for his support of legislation

VOICES

favorable to “Person A,” but it is not clear whether it is the same person as mentioned in English’s plea deal. Mr. Cullen is accused of first accepting casino chips during a visit to New Orleans in September 2014, leading to a $22,000 payout. From September 2019 to October 2021, Mr. Cullen took three $5,000 payments, a $2,000 payment, a $3,000 payment and a $10,000 payment, according to the plea agreement. Mr. English resigned from the Senate in May 2021. He had served in the Senate since 2000. Mr. Cullen, who had been a member of the House since 2011, resigned last week. Gov. David Ige will appoint a successor to Mr. Cullen in April.

EVERY SUNDAY voices@newspress.com

PUBLIC NOTICES FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN 2022-0000238 The following person(s) is doing business as: Wellnesspro Nutrition, 4385 Kapalua Dr., Santa Maria, CA 93455, County of Santa Barbara. 3VOLUTION ORANICS, LLC, 4385 Kapalua Dr., Santa Maria, CA 93455; CA This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Partnership. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Dec 15, 2021 /s/ Paula Herrera, Managing Member This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 01/27/2022. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 2/24/22 CNS-3551744# SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS FEB 3, 10, 17, 24 / 2022 -- 57962 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN 2022-0000237 The following person(s) is doing business as: Erba, 1101 E Ocean Avenue, Lompoc, CA 93436, County of Santa Barbara. Aluh-Teh LLC, 1101 E Ocean Avenue, Lompoc, CA 93436; CA This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on Jan 18, 2022 /s/ Monna Sanner, Member This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 01/27/2022. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 2/24/22 CNS-3551665# SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS FEB 3, 10, 17, 24 / 2022 -- 57961

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT, FBN No: 20220000338. First Filing. The following person (s) are doing business as: MONTECITO VILLAGE TRAVEL, 3329 STATE ST, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93105, County of Santa Barbara. Full Name(s) of registrants: YOUR TRAVEL CENTER INC: 3329 STATE ST, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93105. This business is conducted by: A CORPORATION, STATE OF INC.: CA. This statement was filed in the office of JOSEPH E. HOLLAND, County Clerk-Recorder of SANTA BARBARA COUNTY on 02/03/2022 by E35, Deputy. The registrant commenced to transact business on: Dec 29, 2021. Statement Expires on: Not Applicable. NOTICE: This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (See Section 14400, ET SEQ., Business and Profession Code). (SEAL) FEB 10, 17, 24; MAR 3 / 2022--58011

LEGAL AD DEADLINES Publication Day:Sat.-Mon. Due: Thursday 9 a.m. Publication Day:Tuesday Due: Friday 9 a.m. Publication Day:Wednesday Due: Monday 9 a.m. Publication Day:Thursday Due: Tuesday 9 a.m. Publication Day:Friday Due: Wednesday 9 a.m. For additional information, please email legals@newspress.com or call (805) 564-5218.

LEGAL NOTICE Right to pass by permission only and subject to control of owner, Section 1006 through 1009 Civil Code 1837 1/2 El Camino de la Luz Santa Barbara APN 045-100-65 By Owner, Herbert E. Barthels FEB 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28; MAR 1, 2, 3, 4 / 2022 -- 58038

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT, FBN No: 20220000206. First Filing. The following person (s) are doing business as: THE PASKIN GROUP, 735 STATE STREET, STE 416, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101, County of Santa Barbara. Full Name(s) of registrants: TPG MANAGEMENT, LLC: 735 STATE STREET, STE 416, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101. This business is conducted by: A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, STATE OF INC.: CA. This statement was filed in the office of JOSEPH E. HOLLAND, County Clerk-Recorder of SANTA BARBARA COUNTY on 01/24/2022 by E953, Deputy. The registrant commenced to transact business on: Sep 13, 2010. Statement Expires on: Not Applicable. NOTICE: This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (See Section 14400, ET SEQ., Business and Profession Code). (SEAL) FEB 10, 17, 24; MAR 3 / 2022--58014

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF BULK SALE (Division 6 of the Commercial Code) Escrow No. 00048868-025-RW4 (1) Notice is hereby given to creditors of the within named Seller(s) that a bulk sale is about to be made on personal property hereinafter described. (2) The name and business addresses of the seller are: MONRROY ENTERPRISES LLC, a California limited liability company, 231 South Magnolia Ave., Goleta, CA 93117 (3) The location in California of the chief executive office of the Seller is: Same (4) The names and business address of the Buyer(s) are: OAT BAKERY LLC, a Califorina limited liability company, 5 West Haley, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (5) The location and general description of the assets to be sold are Fixtures, Equipment and Assets of that certain business located at: 231 South Magnolia Ave., Goleta, CA 93117 (6) The business name used by the seller(s) at that location is: GOODLAND DINING (7) The anticipated date of the bulk sale is FEBRUARY 15, 2022 at the office of Aliso Escrow, a division of Fidelity National Title, 4522 Market Street Ventura, CA 93003, Escrow No. 00048868-025-RW4, Escrow Officer: Rhonda Wharton. (8) Claims may be filed with Same as “7” above. (9) The last date for filing claims is FEBRUARY 14, 2022. (10) This Bulk Sale is subject to Section 6106.2 of the Uniform Commercial Code. (11) As listed by the Seller, all other business names and addresses used by the Seller within three years before the date such list was sent or delivered to the Buyer are: “NONE”. Dated: January 25, 2022 Transferee/Buyer: OAT BAKERY LLC, a California limited liability company By: S/ LOUIS FONTANA, Manager By: S/ JEAN FONTANA, Manager 2/17/22 CNS-3556074# SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS FEB 17 / 2022 -- 58032

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN 2022-0000111 The following person(s) is doing business as: CommissionTrac, 430 S Fairview, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, County of Santa Barbara. Yardi Systems, Inc., 430 S. Fairview, Santa Barbara, CA 93117; California This business is conducted by a Corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the ﬁctitious business name or names listed above on 1/1/2022 /s/ Arnold Brier, Secretary and Director This statement was ﬁled with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 01/18/2022. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 2/24/22 CNS-3551106# SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS FEB 3, 10, 17, 24 / 2022 -- 57958

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY Notice is hereby given that pursuant to Sections 21700 through 21716 of the Business & Professions Code, Patterson/101 Allstore SelfStorage, will sell at public sale, the following delinquent occupant’s(s’) stored contents, by competitive bidding ending on February 24th, 2022 at 1 pm. Property has been stored by the occupant(s) and is located at Patterson/101 Allstore Self-Storage, 98 North Patterson Avenue, Santa Barbara, California 93111. Competitive bid auction available online only at www. storagetreasures.com The property being sold is described as: H443– Chalmers McCowen household items, plastic bins cleaning supplies, boxes contents unknown, water, bags contents unknown. H351– Ignacio Zavala furniture, appliances, toys, boxes contents unknown, household items, H344– House Space Crib, child vanity, bench, furniture, box contents unknown,

Purchases must be picked up at the above location and paid for at the time of purchase with cash or credit card only. All purchased goods are sold as is, where is, and must be removed at the time of sale. The sale is subject to prior cancellation in the event of settlement between Owner and Occupant(s). Dated this 10th day of February, 2022 and this 17th day of February, 2022. PATTERSON/101 ALLSTORE SELF-STORAGE (805) 964-0924 For bidding technical questions Storage Treasures (480) 397-6503 FEB 10, 17 / 2022 -- 58021

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN 2022-0000299 The following person(s) is doing business as: Chauffeur All Out, 3663 San Remo Dr Apt 5A, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, County of Santa Barbara. Ederson Piola, 3663 San Remo Dr Apt. 5A, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 This business is conducted by An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the ﬁctitious business name or names listed above on May 01, 2018 /s/ Ederson Piola, Owner This statement was ﬁled with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 02/02/2022. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 2/17, 2/24, 3/3, 3/10/22 CNS-3555792# SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS FEB 17, 24; MAR 3, 10 / 2022--58033

Classiﬁed

Email: classad@newspress.com

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN 2022-0000300 The following person(s) is doing business as: Cortigiano Cellars USA, 1129 State Street, Suite #25, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, County of Santa Barbara. Wine 4 Winners LLC, 6375 Lagunitas Ct., Carpinteria, CA 93013 This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Company. The registrant commenced to transact business under the ﬁctitious business name or names listed above on Not Applicable /s/ Christopher Andrew Dillon, Managing Member This statement was ﬁled with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 02/02/2022. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 2/17, 2/24, 3/3, 3/10/22 CNS-3555807# SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS FEB 17, 24; MAR 3, 10 / 2022--58035

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN 2022-0000294 The following person(s) is doing business as: Shottesbrooke USA, 1129 State Street, Suite #25, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, County of Santa Barbara. Wine 4 Winners LLC, 6375 Lagunitas Ct, Carpinteria, CA 93013 State of Inc./Org./Reg. California This business is conducted by A Limited Liabiltiy Company. The registrant commenced to transact business under the ﬁctitious business name or names listed above on Not Applicable /s/ Christopher Dillon, Managing Member This statement was ﬁled with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 02/02/2022. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 2/17, 2/24, 3/3, 3/10/22 CNS-3555857# SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS FEB 17, 24; MAR 3, 10 / 2022--58037

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT, FBN No: 20220000306. First Filing. The following person (s) are doing business as: CENTRAL COAST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, 112 W. JONES, STE #3, SANTA MARIA, CA 93458, County of Santa Barbara. Full Name(s) of registrants: EDGAR GASCON: 402 PALMETTO DR, SANTA MARIA, CA 93455. This business is conducted by: AN INDIVIDUAL. This statement was filed in the office of JOSEPH E. HOLLAND, County Clerk-Recorder of SANTA BARBARA COUNTY on 02/02/2022 by E4, Deputy. The registrant commenced to transact business on: Jan 01, 2022. Statement Expires on: Not Applicable. NOTICE: This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (See Section 14400, ET SEQ., Business and Profession Code). (SEAL)

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT, FBN No: 20220000173. First Filing. The following person (s) are doing business as: BK MARINE, 213 AGUAJES AVE, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101, County of Santa Barbara. Full Name(s) of registrants: BARON A KELLY: 213 AGUAJES AVE, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101. This business is conducted by: AN INDIVIDUAL. This statement was filed in the office of JOSEPH E. HOLLAND, County Clerk-Recorder of SANTA BARBARA COUNTY on 01/20/2022 by E29, Deputy. The registrant commenced to transact business on: Jan 19, 2022. Statement Expires on: Not Applicable. NOTICE: This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (See Section 14400, ET SEQ., Business and Profession Code). (SEAL)

FEB 17, 24; MAR 3, 10 / 2022--58031

FEB 17, 24; MAR 3, 10 / 2022--58040

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN 2022-0000301 The following person(s) is doing business as: Divine Touch Missions, 4400 Carpinteria Av #42, Carpinteria, CA 93013, County of Santa Barbara. Sarah Brayan, 4400 Carpinteria Av #42, Carpinteria, CA 93013 This business is conducted by An Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the ﬁctitious business name or names listed above on Not Applicable /s/ Sarah Brayan This statement was ﬁled with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 02/02/2022. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 2/17, 2/24, 3/3, 3/10/22 CNS-3555855# SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN 2022-0000295 The following person(s) is doing business as: Pacific Grade General Engineering, 191 Mooncrest Ln., Santa Maria, CA 93455, County of Santa Barbara. Antonio Mejia, 191 Mooncrest Ln., Santa Maria, CA 93455 This business is conducted by an Indivdual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A /s/ Antonio Mejia This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 02/02/2022. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk 2/17, 2/24, 3/3, 3/10/22 CNS-3555802# SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

FEB 17, 24; MAR 3, 10 / 2022--58036

FEB 17, 24; MAR 3, 10 / 2022--58034

Santa Barbara MTD Request for Qualifications to Supply Renewable Diesel The Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD), a public transit operator, is issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to Supply Renewable Diesel. The RFQ is the initial step for a future separate invitation for bids (IFB) for renewable diesel. The IFB will be for the provision and delivery of approximately 610,000 annual gallons of renewable diesel. The renewable diesel specification and delivery requirements are included in the RFQ. The RFQ process will prequalify interested parties by determining their financial and technical capacity to meet MTD’s statement of work requirements and contract terms and conditions. Only those parties prequalified through this RFQ process will be invited to participate in the future IFB. The RFQ document can be obtained at https://sbmtd.gov/about/doing-business/ under Active Procurements or by contacting purchasing@sbmtd.gov. The prequalification submittal must be received by MTD no later than Wednesday, March 16, 2022, by 5:00 PM (local time). FAILURE OF MTD TO RECEIVE THE PREQUALIFICATION SUBMITTAL BY THIS DEADLINE WILL DISQUALIFY THE PARTY FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE FUTURE IFB. FEB 17, 25 / 2022 -- 58044