Santa Barbara News-Press: June 08, 2023

Parking rates

City of Santa Barbara staff proposes price increase - A2

dos Pueblos removes contentious image from curriculum

Catholic-rights law firm describes picture as hate speech; Santa Barbara Unified says high school didn’t mean to offend anyone

By LIAM HIBBERT

Dos Pueblos High School has removed a well-known and contentious picture from course material.

The change comes after several demands from a Catholic-rights conservative law firm in the interest of concerned parents and students.

The law firm, the Thomas More Society — which has been involved in multiple Supreme Court cases — first pressured the Goleta school to remove the image in a letter on May

9.

The image at the center of the argument is Andres Serrano’s “Immersion (Piss Christ),” a wellknown picture from the 1980s. In the decades since, it has received

significant attention, including a feature on a Supreme brand shirt by the same name.

The photo is described by Mr. Serrano as a small plastic crucifix submerged in the artist’s own urine.

“The “Piss Christ” image is hatespeech which is intended to, and which actually does, cause devout Catholics to feel directly harassed and targeted,” said Thomas More

Society Special Counsel Jeffrey Trissell in the initial letter to Dos Pueblos High School. “(It) is illegal, and (we) request that you take action to remove the image.”

On May 22, the Santa Barbara Unified School District’s lawyer responded to the Thomas More Society, but did not say the district would permanently stop using the

Please

Fiesta pin’s debut

Horseshoe design revealed at Carriage and Western

Man sentenced over sexual assault of minors

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Edward Norman Hill Lewis, 44, of Lompoc has bee sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual assault of minors, District Attorney John T. Savrnoch announced Wednesday. Judge Michael Carrozzo recently sentenced the defendant after he pled guilty to committing two counts of “lewd or lascivious acts” upon Jane Doe 1, a child who is under the age of 14, and one count of “lewd or lascivious act” upon Jane Doe 2, a child who is 15 years of age.

As a result of these pleas, the defendant will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

The case initially came to light in 2021 when Jane Doe 1, a 17-year-old girl with autism, came forward and disclosed that she had been molested by the defendant since she was 13 years old.

Jane Doe 1’s details led investigators to identify other survivors who had also been sexually assaulted by the defendant during their underage years, dating back to 1999.

However, due to the statute of limitations, charges could only be filed for one additional survivor, identified as Jane Doe 2.

By LIAM HIBBERT

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

On Wednesday afternoon, tucked away in the back of Pershing Park at the Carriage and Western Art Museum, the 99th Santa Barbara Fiesta pin was announced.

“It’s a horseshoe — una herradura,” El Presidente David Bolton said. “It was an honor this year selecting the horseshoe to be the 2023 Fiesta pin.” Mr. Bolton and his fellow Old Spanish Days representatives stood under a large goldenbrown horseshoe with two patient horses standing just behind them. The horseshoe was an enlarged version of the pin.

Please see FIESTA on A4

The defendant engaged in sexual acts with Jane Doe 2 when she was 15 years old and manipulated her into sending him explicit photographs of herself. The defendant had gained the trust of both Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 by befriending their mothers, and he was considered a close family friend before perpetrating these heinous acts, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office noted.

The outcome achieved in this case would not have been possible without the bravery displayed by all the survivors who came forward, the D.A.’s office said.

email: abahnsen@newspress.com

Tony DeSare and Santa Barbara Symphony to perform hits at June 15 concert - B1

NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Art Museum

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Above, El Presidente David Bolton leads Fiesta representatives through an enlarged version of this year’s Fiesta pin, shown at right. The Fiesta pin features the theme, “Let’s Fiesta.”

The annual fiesta will run Aug. 2-6 this year and feature a variety of Californian SpanishAmerican culture, including food markets, live music and dances.

City of Santa Barbara staff propose increase in

parking rates

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Staff are urging the Santa Barbara City Council to raise parking rates in city-run public lots by 50 cents an hour, and to reduce the time allowed for free parking by 15 minutes — and warn of dire consequences should the council say no.

The proposed rate hike would increase the hourly rates in public parking lots from $2.50 an hour to $3 an hour, and cut the amount of free time before drivers are charged from 75 minutes to 60 minutes.

“The increase (in parking rates), along with deferral of capital projects to reduce expenditures, is necessary because the Downtown Parking program would otherwise be facing a $2.9M deficit for FY24,”

Sarah Clark, downtown plaza and parking manager, told the News-Press.

In addition to increasing the parking lot rates and reducing free parking time for motorists, staff are proposing an increase in the cost of a lost ticket from $20 to $33. Also, the cost of parking at the Amtrak train depot lot would double, from $5 for 24 hours to $10 for 24 hours.

If approved, staff’s proposals are projected to raise about $2.7 million in annual revenue that would nearly cover the parking program’s projected deficit. These changes would take effect July 1.

However, “if the rate increase is not approved, the projected increase would exhaust our reserves, and we would likely require a subsidy from the General Fund,” Ms. Clark said.

The problem with this is that the council is already under the gun to cut $2.7 million from the General Fund to help offset a structural $3.8 million deficit in Fiscal Year 2024. (The other $1.1 million would come from the city’s reserves.)

“Alternatively, expenditures could be cut — to avoid the

Circus Vargas back in town

rate increase, we would need to eliminate our entire capital program and all of our contract services on the State Street Promenade (janitorial, pressure washing, landscaping, hanging flags), so there would be a major impact on services,” Ms. Clark said.

“This proposal was discussed during our 5/31 Public Works budget presentation (to the full council), as well as at recent meetings of the Finance Committee,” Ms. Clark said.

Some council members have said that while they don’t like the idea of raising parking rates, they see no alternative at this time in order to keep the downtown parking program operational.

The city council was expected to discuss staff’s proposal Wednesday night as part of its Fiscal Year 2024 budget deliberations.

The parking program’s reserves Ms. Clark mentioned are not part of the city’s overall Reserve Funds. They only apply to that part of the Department of Public Works budget that pertains to the downtown parking program.

“Downtown Parking is an enterprise fund, so we have our own reserves separate from the General Fund and other funds that we are required to maintain,” Ms. Clark said. “We are funded entirely through the fees we collect from the services we provide (primarily hourly parking). For us to provide services, such as Promenade upkeep and parking garage maintenance, we have to collect sufficient revenue to offset those costs.”

The Downtown Parking Program is part of the Public Works Department. While portions of Public Works are funded by the General Fund, the large majority of DPW programs are supported by other revenue streams.

email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

Police administer naloxone

SANTA MARIA — Santa Maria police were called Tuesday to a residence in the 1100 block of South Russell for a subject who had possibly overdosed. Officers arrived and observed an adult male with a severely altered level of consciousness, having difficulty breathing and displaying symptoms of a possible fentanyl overdose, police said.

An officer administered naloxone (aka Narcan). The man regained consciousness and was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. Approximately two weeks ago, the Santa Maria Police Department began its naloxone program. This is a medication utilized to revive people in the event of a fentanyl or opioid overdose. In this instance, the naloxone was received by the officer the day prior.

– Neil Hartstein

Some rain in SB County

Some rain fell overnight Tuesday in Santa Barbara County.

The National Weather Service reported these totals: 0.2 inch in Goleta, 0.13 in Santa Barbara, 0.14 inch in Lompoc, 0.16 inch in New Cuyama and 0.09 in Santa Maria.

There’s more June gloom ahead. The forecast calls for partly or mostly cloudy skies today through June 14, with a small chance of rain at times in some locations.

Tuesday’s rain left stormwater runoff at local beaches. Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services, a branch of the Public Health Department, is reminding residents about potential health risks associated with the runoff. Storm water is untreated rainwater that flows through the drain system into creeks, the ocean and other waterways. Contact with storm water while swimming or surfing may increase the risk for illnesses such as rashes, fever, chills, ear infections, vomiting and diarrhea, according to Environmental Health Services.

— Dave Mason

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VOL. 167 NO.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

The Circus Vargas tent is raised Wednesday at Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara. Performances will run Friday through June 19, and this year’s theme is “Bonjour, Paris!” The News-Press talked with circus co-owner Katya Arata-Quiroga and ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson, and that story will appear in Friday’s edition.

Gov. Gavin Newsom launches gun safety web site

By RIA ROEBUCK JOSEPH THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - Monday California launched a new gun safety website with a menu that covers important information on gun violence restraining orders, gun violence prevention tools, responding to an active shooter, resources for survivors of gun violence and California’s gun laws. The resources can be accessed in English, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Cantonese), Vietnamese, Tagalog/Filipino, Korean, and Armenian.

The launch of GunSafety.ca.gov, coincides with National Gun Violence Awareness Month in June.

“California is taking aggressive and relentless action to end the unbearable tragedy of gun violence,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said.

The site highlights instructions on how to secure a Gun Violence Restraining Order, or GVRO. The order suspends an individual’s right to possess a firearm and ammunition through a court order. The action is temporary and intended to be used as a tool to prevent a person from harming themselves or others. The request for the gun violence restraining order can be filed by a family member, roommate, co-worker, teacher, dating partner or law enforcement.

Gov. Newsom stated, “While other states remain complacent in the face of recurring, gut-wrenching

tragedy, California is making it easier than ever to access commonsense tools like Gun Violence Restraining Orders to protect our communities.”

Last year the Governor signed two new gun control bills into law. SB 1327 allows Californians to sue those making, selling, transporting or distributing illegal assault weapons and ghost guns for damages to the tune of $10,000 per weapon involved. AB 1594 allows the state, local governments, and Californians to sue gun makers.

California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services announced an $11 million statewide campaign in 2022. The website will fall under its purview to educate the population on how to secure a Gun Violence Restraining Order and raise awareness.

Despite the strictest gun laws of all states earning California an A grade by the Gifford Law Center, every three hours someone is killed with a gun in California, and nearly half of all domestic violence homicides involve guns. Black men account for 31% of the victims of homicides in California although they make up less than 4% of California’s population.

More than half the states were given an F by the Giffords Law Center which advocates to end gun violence through a cultural shift, mobilized voters, and challenges to injustice. The center helps draft and defend gun laws.

San Francisco Board of Supervisors pauses retail cannabis permits

By LEONARD ROBINSON THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) - San Francisco city officials will cease accepting applications for permits to operate cannabis businesses after action by the Board of Supervisor Tuesday night. The ordinance, approved by the city’s Public Safety and Neighborhood Services committee last month, passed by a 10-0 vote.

Under the ordinance, San Francisco’s Office of Cannabis is prevented from accepting and reviewing applications for cannabis business permits. The permits affected by the measures include storefront retailers, cannabis delivery services, medicinal retailers and retail functions of microbusinesses. Under the previous law, all cannabis retail applications are to be accepted and reviewed.

Proponents of the measure, including the San Francisco Cannabis Retailers Alliance, argue that San Francisco’s cannabis market is oversaturated and cannot sustain more businesses than those currently in the pipeline.

“City government should focus on processing existing equity applications, reducing youth consumption of cannabis and enforcing against the underground economy,” City Supervisor Ahsha Safaí said in a press release. “This pause will give our city agencies that chance.”

Opponents of the measure meanwhile argue that a pause benefits established cannabis retailers and that the city’s efforts should be spent on investigating if there is saturation.

“This policy harms the social equity movement, by stopping it,” reads a comment letter from a Coalition of Concerned San

Franciscans. “Reefer madness continues, with its negative minority group implications and a new dog whistle called ‘saturation’.”

Originally introduced in February 2020, the measure was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic along with a hearing examining a report on the cannabis retail market conducted by the City Controller.

In February 2020, 37 cannabis storefronts and 41 deliveryservice cannabis companies were operating in San Francisco, according to the legislation. There were no medicinal or microbusinesses in operation at the time.

California legalized cannabis use for adults over the age of 21 in 2016 upon the passage of Proposition 64. Under the law, property owners are able to ban cannabis on their property and access and consumption within 1,000 feet of schools, day care centers and youth centers is prohibited.

‘There’ll be a lot of action down here, so we’re looking forward to it’

FIESTA

Continued from Page A1

Mr. Bolton made sure to underscore the various forms of luck and good fortune the horseshoe represents around the world.

The annual fiesta will run Aug. 2-6 this year and feature a variety of Californian SpanishAmerican culture, including food markets, live

music and dances.

“We’re looking forward to the Fiesta, we really love the Fiesta,” said Tom Peterson from the Carriage Museum board of directors.

“There’ll be a lot of action down here, so we’re looking forward to it.”

Various events will take place around the city, including pre-fiesta excitement like the Fiesta Ranchera on June 15, where the community is invited to celebrate over food

Two parents threatened lawsuit over controversial image

IMAGE

Continued from Page A1

image, according to the law firm.

The school district had previously said the teacher who used the art, as well as the art piece itself, would not teach the class for the next semester. Parents at a school board meeting on May 23 asked again for the permanent removal of the image. Two parents threatened a lawsuit, the Thomas More Society noted.

On May 24, the school district gave in.

“Because the course curriculum can adequately be covered by discussion and through the utilization of other slides, the image will not be included in the future,” Santa Barbara Unified School District spokesman Ed Zuchelli told the News-Press.

Mr. Zuchelli, the district’s chief of communications, made clear the purpose of the art was not to infuriate or cause conflict. “The

image was used on a slide to discuss the topic of ‘what is art’ that took place in a college-level IB Theory of Knowledge class.”

The student who brought up this issue and ended up not taking this class indicated he was satisfied with the result.

“Having this sacrilege taken down from a school setting means a lot to all those who helped call for its removal in a time when hate toward the Catholic faith is widespread,” said John Hayward, the student represented by Thomas More Society. “This was a small, yet significant, victory for Our Lord.”

In a 2017 Vice News article, the artist, Andres Serrano, gave some clarity on “Immersion (Piss Christ)”: “I meant neither blasphemy nor offense by it. I’ve been a Catholic all my life, so I am a follower of Christ. But I’m an artist, and the role of the artist is to break new ground for himself and for his audience.”

email: lhibbert@newspress.com

and drinks at Rancho La Patera & Stow House in Goleta.

“Posters and pins are available throughout town right now,” Mr. Bolton said. “The bunting that people put on their homes and businesses — that’s also available.”

For more information, visit sbfiesta.org.

email: lhibbert@newspress.com

Study: California’s poorest spend 81% of their income on housing

By RIA ROEBUCK JOSEPH THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - One in three households in California struggle to afford basic necessities and over half the households with young children earn below a realistic measure of poverty, according to the United Ways study, “The Real Cost Measure in California 2023,” released Tuesday.

“A family of four - two adults, one preschooler, and one schoolaged child - living in Riverside County would have to earn $84,969 annually to cover the costs of housing, food, health care, child care, transportation, and other basic needs. The average income for such families of four earning below the Real Cost Measure, however, is slightly below $52,000,...which means that this household would have to earn an additional $33,237 to reach the Real Cost Measure,” the report said.

The study calculated the Real Cost Measure for different locations throughout California by including housing, food, health care, child care, transportation, taxes and other basic costs, to a

typical family’s annual expenses. How well a family is doing is revealed by deducting the average income for a family in that particular geographic region from the average annual expense for the area, to show any gaps between real cost and income. The county experiencing the greatest degree of struggle when all 58 counties across the state are considered, is Merced in the Central Valley, a region that topped the data with 48% of households falling below the Real Cost Measure. In contrast, Placer County has 20% of households below the measure representing the lowest degree of struggling households.

“Of the estimated 3.7 million households that fall below the Real Cost Measure, 97% of them are actively engaged in the workforce and have at least one working adult in their household. These data highlight the fact that hard work alone does not always guarantee financial security,” the report revealed.

“People are hurtin’ ” Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles, commented.

The report continued, “In

reality, poverty is a pervasive issue that families of all races and ethnicities grapple with in California. The latest data show that the majority of households below the Real Cost Measure are Latino (over 1.7 million), and the next largest group of struggling households are White (approx. 1.2 million), with significant numbers of Asian American (over 518,000) and Black or African American (over 279,000) households also struggling to meet basic needs.”

In a stunning revelation, the Real Cost Measure showed that over half of California’s children under 6 years old, (54% of households) live in poverty.

“We all know that policy change and smart public investment is the only way we can shift this to have more families thriving,” Elise Buik, President & CEO, United Way of Greater Los Angeles said. “ I think the headline for us in LA County right now…is housing, housing, housing. I remember in L.A where you could find a decent apartment for under $1000., and those days are gone,” she said “While the stats are that almost half of our families are rent burdened, spending more than 30% of their incomes on rent,

we know that many families are spending 90%...this is just not sustainable.”

The high cost of housing seemed to be of great concern with questions being asked about what can be done to prevent people living below the Real Cost Measure from becoming homeless. It is the stabilizing foundation, upon which all progress is built. Households falling below both the Federal Poverty Level and the Real Cost Measure spend 81% of their income on housing.

“The number one request… is for housing and shelter, and unfortunately there aren’t a lot of resources to help people in crisis when they’ve been evicted or they’re having trouble, they’re unhoused, right, you need first and last month’s rent, right, we need to move quickly to make sure they’re housed those things aren’t necessarily in place,” said Pete Marzo, President and CEO of United Way California.

“The purpose of the Real Cost Measure is to enable people and communities to see with clear eyes the challenges that families face and the systems that either serve to lift them up or require a change in order to do so.”

San Francisco Board of Supervisors pauses retail cannabis permits

By LEONARD ROBINSON THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) - San Francisco city officials will cease accepting applications for permits to operate cannabis businesses after action by the Board of Supervisor Tuesday night. The ordinance, approved by the city’s Public Safety and Neighborhood Services committee last month, passed by a 10-0 vote.

Under the ordinance, San Francisco’s Office of Cannabis is prevented from accepting and reviewing applications for cannabis business permits. The permits affected by the measures include storefront retailers, cannabis delivery services, medicinal retailers and retail functions of microbusinesses.

Under the previous law, all cannabis retail applications are to be accepted and

reviewed.

Proponents of the measure, including the San Francisco Cannabis Retailers Alliance, argue that San Francisco’s cannabis market is oversaturated and cannot sustain more businesses than those currently in the pipeline.

“City government should focus on processing existing equity applications, reducing youth consumption of cannabis and enforcing against the underground economy,” City Supervisor Ahsha Safaí said in a press release. “This pause will give our city agencies that chance.”

Opponents of the measure meanwhile argue that a pause benefits established cannabis retailers and that the city’s efforts should be spent on investigating if there is saturation.

“This policy harms the social equity movement, by stopping it,” reads a comment

letter from a Coalition of Concerned San Franciscans. “Reefer madness continues, with its negative minority group implications and a new dog whistle called ‘saturation’.”

Originally introduced in February 2020, the measure was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic along with a hearing examining a report on the cannabis retail market conducted by the City Controller.

In February 2020, 37 cannabis storefronts and 41 delivery-service cannabis companies were operating in San Francisco, according to the legislation. There were no medicinal or micro-businesses in operation at the time.

California legalized recreational cannabis use for adults over the age of 21 in 2016 upon the passage of Proposition 64. Under the law, property owners are able to ban cannabis on their property and access and consumption within 1,000 feet of schools, day care centers and youth centers is prohibited.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

El Presidente David Bolton, center, and other Fiesta representatives stand in front of the enlarged pin.

Tony DeSare and Santa Barbara Symphony to perform hits at June 15 concert

By DAVE MASON

NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

Singer and pianist Tony DeSare wants to introduce Frank Sinatra’s hits to everyone — including the youngest generation.

“My goal is to make a Sinatra show for everyone,” Mr. DeSare told the News-Press by phone from his home in Atlanta. He said he wants to show Mr. Sinatra’s influence on popular music in a concert that also features the Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love.”

But most of the music in Mr. DeSare’s concerts are Mr. Sinatra’s classics. He will perform everything from “Come Fly with Me” to “I’ve Got the World on a String,” “Night and Day” and “My Way” when he joins the Santa Barbara Symphony for its season finale June 15.

The one-night-only concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. at The Granada,1214 State St., Santa Barbara.

“Tony is a fantastic vocalist with a wide range,” Nir Kabaretti, the symphony’s music and artistic director, told the News-Press. “He’s also a very talented pianist.”

In-between the songs, Mr. DeSare, a Glen Falls, N.Y., native who has composed music for movies, will talk to the audience about Mr. Sinatra, known for his great phrasing and smooth approach to music and his roles in musical movies such as “Guys and Dolls” and “On the Town.”

“He had a wonderful voice,” Mr. DeSare said. “It changed throughout the years, but the phrasing got better and better.

“The thing about Frank is he was so present in his phrasing,” Mr. DeSare said. “He was listening to what was going on in the moment with the audience, rather than having exact timing for everything. The presence communicates to the audience.”

Mr. DeSare said he tries to do that in his performances of Mr. Sinatra’s songs.

“Sometimes if I sing a ballad, I’ll change the way I phrase it if someone in the audience coughs,” he said. “I will wait before I move on. That’s the kind of thing you have to do as a performer to ensure that the implied conversation between you and the audience is happening.”

Mr. Sinatra’s most jazzy songs include the joyful “I’ve Got the World On A String.”

“That was a really special song for Sinatra,” Mr. DeSare told the News-Press. “That was the first time he worked with composer Nelson Riddle, with whom he had an amazing decades-long collaboration.”

Another swinging song, “Come Fly with Me,” was written specifically for Mr. Sinatra for a concept album of the same name.

“Frank invented the concept album,” Mr. DeSare said. “He started putting together albums based on a theme.

“Each song on (the album) ‘Come Fly Me’ is a different song about travel,” Mr. DeSare said. “It ends with ‘It’s So Nice to Come Home.’”

He noted Mr. Sinatra was ahead of his time.

“I think people may not realize too much that those recordings that Frank was making, especially in the 1950s — nothing sounded as good at that time,” Mr. DeSare said. “The team of people he had at Capitol Studios were pioneering new technology to mic an orchestra and built a reverberation chamber.”

What’s more, Mr. DeSare noted, Mr. Sinatra picked great songs.

“Frank just had great taste in choosing songs that were good for him: 1,500 songs,” Mr. DeSare said.

“He also made sure the recordings were as perfect as

Life theArts

Sinatra tribute

CALENDAR

The calendar appears Mondays through Saturdays in the “Life & the Arts” section. Items are welcome. Please email them a full week before the event to Managing Editor Dave Mason at dmason@newspress.com.

TODAY 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol Road, has reopened its permanent mineral exhibit of rocks and crystals that is on view in the small hall off the museum’s central courtyard. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays. The exhibit, which opened April 22, is included in museum admission. Members are always admitted free. For others, prices vary from $14 to $19. For more information, visit sbnature.org/ minerals.

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The James Castle exhibit is on display at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1130 State St. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Admission is free from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays. For more information, see sbma.net. 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.

8 p.m. Asleep at the Wheel will perform at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. Tickets for the American roots concert cost $44 and $54. To purchase, go to lobero.org.

JUNE 9

6 p.m. to midnight. The third annual Santa Barbara Surf Film Festival takes place at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. If purchased before June 9, tickets cost $46 for general admission and $81 for a VIP package that includes access to a VIP lounge. Tickets include admission to a June 10 block party. On June 9, ticket prices increase to $56 for general admission and $106 for VIP tickets. To purchase, go to lobero. org. For more information, go to santabarbarasurffilmfestival.com.

6 to 7:30 p.m. The Pearl Chase Society’s Kellam de Forest Speaker Series will continue at the Carrillo Recreation Center. 100 E. Carrillo St., Santa Barbara. This is the third installment in the series. Author and editor Douglas Woods will discuss the transformation of Santa Barbara’s architecture following the great earthquake of 1925 to a model Spanish Revival-style city. For more information or to make a reservation, call 805-403-7053.

7:30 p.m. Circus Vargas will present its shows June 9-19 at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $19 to $49 for general admission and $49 to $75 for special seating. To purchase, go to circusvargas.com.

JUNE 10 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Santa Barbara Home & Garden Lifestyle Expo will take place at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Admission and parking are free. For more information, call 805-252-5227 or go to www. chargoproductions.com.

10 a.m. to midnight. The third annual Santa Barbara Surf Film Festival takes place at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. General admission tickets cost $26 in advance or $31 on day-of-the-event, both per film. VIP tickets cost $106 in advance and $126 on the day of the event. They include access to a VIP lounge. Tickets include admission to the block party. To purchase, go to lobero. org. For more information, go to santabarbarasurffilmfestival.com.

1, 4 and 7:30 p.m. Circus Vargas will present its shows through June 19 at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $19 to $49 for general admission and $49 to $75 for special seating. To purchase, go to circusvargas.com.

2 p.m. Chaucer’s Books will host Miss Angel for its Read With Pride event.

There will be a story time reading of “Julian is a Mermaid” as well as other select children’s books at 2 p.m. June 10 at the store, 3321 State St., Santa Barbara. “Julian is a Mermaid” is a picture book written and illustrated by Jessica Love and was the 2019 winner of the Stonewall Book Award. For more information, visit www. chaucersbooks.com.

7 p.m. A concert will feature South of Linden, The Vonettes,

on

PHOTOS COURTESY SANTA BARBARA SYMPHONY

At left, Tony DeSare has sung everywhere from jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall to Las Vegas. At right, Nir Kabaretti, music and artistic director of the Santa Barbara Symphony, said the June 15 concert will prove to be a fun one for the audience.

COURTESY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Frank Sinatra was known for his impeccable phrasing and choice of great songs, everything from “Come Fly WIth Me” to “I’ve Got the World On A String.”

Yardlong beans

Also commonly labeled with multiple alternatives, including “snake” beans, these long slender beans average from 12-18 inches in length and deliver a distinct green bean flavor with an underlying bitterness.

These beans are often stirfried in Asian style preparations.

I love to sauté them with seasonal vegetables and tofu, toss with a little soy sauce and sweet chili sauce, and serve them over steamed brown rice.

This week I prepared grilled Yardlong beans as the Fix of the Week, at right. Yardlong beans pair quite nicely with grilled steak, chicken and fish.

In Chinese cuisine, the China Long bean is traditionally pickled with Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, ginger and star anise.

You can expect to find Yardlong beans over the next few months from both Her Family Farm and Moua Family Farm and the Saturday Santa Barbara and Sunday Camino Real Marketplace farmers’ markets. Price averages $4 per large bunch.

of all the sweet cherries you will encounter throughout the season.

Rainier cherries have thin skin that tends to bruise easily so they should be consumed as close to harvest as possible.

Add Rainier cherries to a fruit salad or a charcuterie platter. Incorporate them into cocktails, add them to a mixed green salad, or enjoy them with your favorite nuts.

You can find Rainier cherries at most weekly Santa Barbara Certified Farmers’ Markets. Price

Rainier cherries

These plump cherries are recognized by their yellow skin with pink to red blush. The flesh inside is quite sweet, delivering one of the highest sugar levels

crookneck squash

This variety of summer squash has a shiny thin bright yellow skin, bulbous base, thin neck portion and cream-colored flesh.

The flesh has a nice subtle sweetness and notes of grassy flavor throughout. Excellent when both sauteed and grilled, summer squash is a good source of vitamin C, as well as potassium, folate, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.

This squash is excellent both raw or cooked. You can grate this variety and add fritters or incorporate into breads and cakes. I find yellow crookneck squash best when purchased in its younger, smaller stage, about 6-8 inches in length.

You can expect to find yellow crookneck squash from several growers at most weekly Santa Barbara Certified farmers’ markets. Price averages $3.50 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

Edelman

Sam

Isay this quite often. One of the most incredible aspects of shopping at the farmers’ markets is the sheer diversity and uniqueness of what you will encounter.

It’s never just the same lineup of uniform russet potatoes, romaine lettuce, red tomatoes and berries found day in and day out, but rather the dozens of options within those same categories. Purple majesty potatoes, French oak lettuce, black pineapple tomatoes and tangy sweet olallieberries are just some examples of what you can expect to find seasonally as some fun alternatives.

This week, in addition to fresh green beans, I encountered another nice alternative that is quite unique to farmers’ markets this time of year: Yardlong beans. Also commonly referred to as asparagus beans, Chinese/China long beans or in my house, “snake” beans, this legume vegetable is one that I will enjoy at home over

CALENDAR

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Ron Solorzano of Mestizo and The Youngsters at Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria. Cost is $15 for general admission. You can buy two tickets for $25 at https://www. thealcazar.org/calendar/11838-southof-linden-firends.

JUNE 11

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Santa Barbara Home & Garden Lifestyle Expo will take place at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Admission and parking are free. For more information, call 805-252-5227 or go to www.chargoproductions.com.

12:30, 3:30 and 7 p.m. Circus Vargas will present its shows through June 19 at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $19 to $49 for general admission and $49 to $75 for special seating. To purchase, go to circusvargas.com.

JUNE 12

6:30 p.m. Circus Vargas will present its shows through June 19 at Earl

the next few months.

Best this time of year when harvested at their younger stage, these beans deliver a pleasing snappy texture with a balance of subtle sweet and bitter notes throughout.

Unlike the more common blue lake, Kentucky wonder or Frenchstyle green beans we are most accustomed to, yardlong beans range from about 12-18 inches in length, with much smaller beans encased within their dense pods. While they can be steamed or boiled, their texture is much more suitable in stir-fries, sautés, when deep fried and even grilled preparations.

This week I prepared a very simple grilled yardlong bean dish, excellent when served with most grilled meats. Because of their extremely long presence on the plate, they can either be sliced into one-inch pieces after being cooked, or served in their long form with just a knife and forked at the table.

Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $19 to $49 for general admission and $49 to $75 for special seating. To purchase, go to circusvargas.com.

JUNE 14

7 p.m. Circus Vargas will present its shows through June 19 at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $19 to $49 for general admission and $49 to $75 for special seating. To purchase, go to circusvargas.com.

JUNE 15

7 p.m. Circus Vargas will present its shows through June 19 at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $19 to $49 for general admission and $49 to $75 for special seating. To purchase, go to circusvargas.com.

7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony and vocalist Tony DeSare will perform Frank Sinatra’s hits at The Granada, 1214 State St. Tickets for “An Evening with Sinatra” can be purchased at granadasb.org.

— Dave Mason

GRILLED YARDLONG BEANS

1 bunch yardlong beans, ends trimmed.

1 tablespoon olive oil.

2 cloves garlic, minced.

1/2 teaspoon salt.

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper.

Optional; zest from one lemon.

Optional: 2 ounces chèvre.

In a mixing bowl, combine

SINATRA

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possible,” Mr. DeSare said. “He would do 50 takes if he had to.

“The band played better for him than anybody else, frankly because they were scared of him,” Mr. DeSare continued. “If someone wasn’t pulling their weight, he would tell them to get out of there. Everybody elevated their game because of Frank. He was very picky.

“We’re left with a body of work that’s like magic,” he said.

While he was willing to do many takes in the recording studio, Mr. Sinatra was known for refusing to do more than one take in his movie scenes.

A few years ago at a Turner Classic Movies Film Festival in Hollywood, his fellow “Ocean’s Eleven” star Angie Dickinson told an audience that Mr. Sinatra would be on time, hit his marks

yardlong beans, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and toss until beans are well coated. If using lemon zest, toss it with the green bean mixture. Set aside until ready to cook.

On a hot grill, lay yardlong beans flat and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Once done, they will have a nice tender crunch. Plate and top with crumbled chèvre if desired. Yield: Serves 3 sides.

perfectly, say his lines flawlessly, then decline to do another take.

“He was impatient with the filmmaking process,” Mr. DeSare told the News-Press. “He felt his best performance was his first take. If the director wanted to do another one, he would walk off the set.

“I’ve seen all of his movies, but I’m mostly interested in his music,” Mr. DeSare said. “The movies to me are part of his person and his celebrity. He was a fine enough actor. He was a genius-level singer.” email: dmason@newspress.com

FYI

The Santa Barbara Symphony and singer Tony DeSare will perform Frank Sinatra’s hits at 7:30 p.m. June 15 at The Granada. Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

SUDOKU

Thought for Today

“There are no shortcuts in evolution.”

— Louis D. Brandeis

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Thursday, June 8, 2023

ARIES — It’s like you have to do everything at the same time right now, Aries. What you really need is an extra pair of hands and some additional hours in the day! It’s your nerves that may pay the price for this fastpaced existence. You can’t go on like this. Rather than give up on your goals, why not give yourself more time to reach them?

TAURUS — Why do so many relationships seem to come with built-in booby traps, Taurus?

Today you may get a particularly pressing demand from someone in your family to give of your time or money. You’re unwilling to part with either at the moment. You aren’t going to let your emotions choose for you for once.

GEMINI — This is going to be a day to protect your sense of space and privacy, Gemini. You may be forced into some kind of partnership with some unscrupulous people. They’re going to make you feel like your territory is being invaded. What they don’t know is that you’re prepared. This isn’t a time for people to be bothering you!

CANCER — Expect to have to make some adjustments in your love life, Cancer. You may be in a different frame of mind than your partner. Why not use the day to step back from the relationship? Spend time apart for a change. After all, there’s nothing dramatic about the fact that your needs and desires aren’t in sync.

LEO — You may find today a bit upsetting, Leo. Your nurturing instincts genuinely want to assist the many people who ask for your help and advice, yet you can’t shake the feeling that they’re taking advantage of you or trying to make you do things you don’t want to do.

VIRGO — How irritating to realize that those pesky problems from the past haven’t been resolved, Virgo! Today you will have the strength and awareness to put these problems to rest simply by talking about them. Ironically, the reproaches made by your partner are what spark the change in attitude that you need.

LIBRA — Continue slowly and steadily, Libra. You may get all worked up over nothing because you want everything done at once! It would be a good time to prioritize what you really want to do. Be cautious of anything that distracts you. You have such a great desire to live through extraordinary experiences.

SCORPIO — For a few months now, you’ve felt that things are accelerating in your professional life, Scorpio. Perhaps some projects have developed more quickly than you anticipated. They may have even gotten a bit out of control. Today you should let yourself distinguish more clearly what you’ve done so far.

SAGITTARIUS — If by chance you have to speak in public soon, Sagittarius, trust that people will enjoy listening to you. Words come effortlessly to you, and you exude confidence. You willingly accept the compliments of others. Your energy level is high and you will be unstoppable. This is only fair after all of the work you’ve put in these last few months!

CAPRICORN — Here is just the kind of day artists dream about, Capricorn. After yet another lukewarm reception of your artwork, an influential agent shows up and offers to place your paintings in one of the most prestigious museums in the world! This is just an example of the kind of extraordinary event that could be in store for you today.

AQUARIUS — You could be in the spotlight in the next few days, Aquarius. Try to resist succumbing to the applause of the audience, as you may encounter some unexpected obstacles. After being recognized by the public, you may need to confront the question, “Now what?” The answer lies in taking a modest approach from the outset.

PISCES — If you have ties to any therapeutic profession, Pisces, you may make a strange discovery related to the health field today. You won’t find this discovery in any book or methodology that you normally follow. Emotions aren’t so blind as rational society would have us believe!

DAILY BRIDGE

By FRANK STEWART

Tribune Content Agency

Thursday, June 8, 2023

“It finally happened,” Unlucky Louie exulted in the club lounge. “Harlow’s luck ran out.”

While Louie labors under a cloud of unending bad luck, the player we call Harlow the Halo is fortune’s favorite son. His finesses always win and his errors never cost.

“In a team match,” Louie told me, “Harlow and I both played at four hearts, and West led the jack of trumps. The Halo took the K-A and next led a club from dummy. For once, his inspiration failed him: He played the jack. West took the queen and led a club to East’s ace, and they also got a trump and a spade.”

BETTER PLAY

Louie found a better play. He won the first trump in dummy and immediately led a spade to his jack. West won and returned a spade to Louie’s ace. Louie then cashed the king of trumps and, when East discarded, started the diamonds. Eventually, he threw West in with his trump trick to lead a club or concede a ruff-sluff. Making four.

“I guess Harlow will start a new lucky streak tomorrow,” Louie sighed.

side vulnerable. The dealer, at your right,

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

opens three spades. What do you say?

ANSWER: Drat those preempts anyway! They can pose problems ranging from awkward to impossible. You must act, hoping your partner has some points. To double for takeout might work; he might obligingly respond in hearts or diamonds. Still, a club response would be unpleasant.

Bid 3NT and hope for a helpful dummy.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable