Santa Barbara News-Press: December 30, 2021 by Santa Barbara News-Press

Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians helps local causes

Santa Barbara Symphony to usher in 2022

Golf tournament raises $120,000 for beneficiaries - A2

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T H U R S DAY, D E C E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 21

Omicron detected in SB County Public Health Department reports four cases By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR AND

KATHERINE ZEHNDER

NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Traffic rolls down Cabrillo Boulevard in Santa Barbara on a wet Wednesday.

Light rain falls on county

Santa Barbara County’s first cases of the omicron variant were reported Wednesday. Four cases were confirmed, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department announced in a news release late in the afternoon. The detection of the variant was announced at a time when COVID-19 cases are surging in the county. The Public Health Department reported 534 new cases Wednesday, almost twice that of the 286 new cases reported on Tuesday. (The complete breakdown of Wednesday’s numbers is on Page A2.) According to the health department, all four individuals with the omicron variant were under 30. One person had received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and the other three don’t have vaccine records in CAIR, the state immunization database.

Three of the cases were in South County, according to the public health department, which reported that additional contact investigation and tracing efforts are under way. Per the usual procedures, close contacts have been asked to quarantine, the health department said. “The detection of these four omicron cases validates our sense of urgency about vaccination and boosters in our local community,” said Dr. Van Do-Reynoso, the county public health director. “Vaccination and boosters for every eligible community member continues to be the No. 1 tool we have to stop the spread of this virus and prevent serious illness in those who do get COVID-19. “Given the prevalence of omicron cases throughout the nation and California, we can expect that the variant is circulating in Santa Barbara County,” she said in the news release. “However, these four cases are the first confirmed from sampling.” The Public Health Department Please see OMICRON on A6

Less than a tenth of an inch reported; rain expected again today By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

It sounded worse than it was. The wind blew Wednesday morning, but very little rain fell. The National Weather Service reported 0.04 inch in Santa Barbara, 0.18 inch in Goleta and Lompoc, and 0.02 inch in Santa Maria. No rain was reported in New Cuyama. The service didn’t have a number for Santa Ynez. While light, Wednesday’s rain and wind were enough to bring out umbrellas, and the wind did blow down palm fronds. One trio of people was spotted getting shelter next to the lifeguard towers at Leadbetter Beach. The forecast calls for rain again today throughout Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles and Ventura counties. “A storm system will move over the region through Thursday and bring rain, wind and mountain snow to the area,” the National Weather Service said. “Temperatures will remain

significantly below average. Dry weather is expected Friday through the upcoming holiday weekend, then light precipitation is possible early next week.” The weather service predicted highs today in the upper 50s in the Santa Barbara area, Santa Maria and Lompoc. A high of 56 is forecast for Santa Ynez. The expected lows are 44 in Santa Barbara, 43 at UCSB, 41 in Lompoc, 42 in Santa Maria and 40 in Santa Ynez. Cuyama will continue to be spared the rain, but the sky is expected to be mostly cloudy there. It won’t be spared the cold: Today’s forecast high there is 50; the low, 35. Highs in the mid-50s and lows in the mid- or upper 40s are predicted for Ventura and Los Angeles counties. On Wednesday, the highs were 57 in Santa Maria, 53 in Santa Barbara, 52 in Goleta, 50 in Santa Ynez and 51 in New Cuyama. Lows were 43 in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, 39 in Goleta and Lompoc and 35 in New Cuyama.

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Carbajal: Defense bill helps Central Coast, Vandenberg By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

email; dmason@newspress.com

The Goleta Slough runs underneath a footbridge near Goleta Beach and UCSB on a day of wind and light rain.

KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO

U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal supported a $5 million increase to the Spacelift Range System, which is intended to improve the infrastructure at ranges, including those at the Vandeberg Space Force Base. It is part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed into law Monday.

At top, gusts blew down palm fronds at Goleta Beach. Above, a trio of persons take shelter from the rain and winds next to lifeguard towers at Leadbetter Beach in Santa Barbara.

President Joe Biden has signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes legislation that U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal said will help the Central Coast. And it features a measure advancing space capabilities at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The defense bill also includes a 2.7% pay raise for U.S. service members. The bill was negotiated with the Senate and passed the House on a bipartisan basis on Dec. 7. The president signed the law, which is for fiscal year 2022, on Monday. The bill includes an amendment that was

spearheaded by U.S. Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, which will extend the FireGuard program for another five years. The Fireguard program uses Department of Defense resources to which funds local jurisdictions to detect and monitor wildfires. The program had to be previously re-authorized on an annual basis so that the provision would provide long-term certainty for emergency responders who rely on this program. “Each year, Congress comes together to pass a bipartisan bill that enhances our national security and keeps Americans safe,” Rep. Carbajal said in a statement. “The bill, which was Please see BILL on A6

INSIDE

L O T T E RY RESULTS

Classified................. A5 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A6

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

Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 4-6-3-4

Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 3-5-8-31-38 Meganumber: 4

Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 9-12-18-34-39

Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 11-10-05 Time: 1:46.72

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

Sudoku................... B2 Weather................. A6

Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 3-3-5 / Wednesday’s Midday 6-5-6

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

TRAFFIC, CRIME & FIRE BLOTTER Fire victims identified SANTA MARIA — Maria Lopez, 66, and Alicia LopezBuenrostro, 56, are the women who were killed in a Santa Maria house fire, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Maria Fire Department

and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department responded to the fire on Sunday. It took place after 10 p.m. in the 3300 block of Driftwood Drive in the Tanglewood neighborhood west of Santa Maria. One man was transported to Marian Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for minor burns. — Dave Mason

COURTESY PHOTO

The North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center received $40,000 from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, which raised the money during its Chumash Charity Golf Classic.

Chumash Charity Golf Classic raises $120,000 for nonprofits and schools NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

The Chumash Charity Golf Classic this fall raised $120,000 for various beneficiaries. Of the total, $40,000 each was presented to the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center, the United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County, and Technology in Schools, a Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation program that provides grants for high-tech upgrades to local classrooms. The tournament was held over a two-day period in September at the Alisal River Course in Solvang. The funding results were announced this week in a news release from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. “After canceling our event in 2020, it was great to have an

opportunity to come together, enjoy two great days of golf and raise funds for programs that help the vulnerable and underserved youth in our community,” said Kenneth Kahn, tribal chairman, in the news release. “This year, we held a vote among our workforce to determine one of our event’s beneficiaries,” Mr. Kahn said. “Our employees chose the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center. To include an organization that our workforce respects and supports made this donation even more special.” The center provides services, including education and prevention skills to children and adults to help alleviate the trauma experienced by the survivors of child abuse and sexual assualt. “This donation lifts us up,” said Ann McCarty, the center’s executive director. “This tells us

that people have our back, and they understand how important it is to provide services to victims of child abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking in our county. It also means they want us to continue this work, providing the education and direct services.” The United Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara County accepted its $40,000 donation recently during its own fifth annual United Golf Tournament at La Cumbre Country Club in Santa Barbara. “We are extremely grateful to the Santa Ynez Chumash for their continued support of our organization. Their incredibly generous investment will allow us to continue our efforts to reach the youth that need our services the most in all the communities we serve,” said Michael Baker, CEO of the United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County.

Recipients of the Technologyin Schools grants for 2021-22 are Los Olivos’ Dunn School, which received $15,000 to refresh its network infrastructure on its upper campus; Santa Ynez Valley Charter School, which received $9,000 to help cover the cost of 25 iPads and iPad covers to be used by its kindergarten through fourth-grade classes, and Santa Maria’s St. Louis de Montfort School, which was granted $15,000 to buy 49 Chromebooks for its Tech for Tikes program (serving transitional kindergarten and kindergarten classes) and its fifthgraders. The deadline to apply for grants for the 2022-2023 school year is April 30, and all applications must be submitted online at www. santaynezchumash.org.

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534 new COVID-19 cases reported Santa Barbara County reported 534 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday. Of those, the highest number, 145, were in Santa Barbara and unincorporated Mission Canyon, according to the Public Health Department. Elsewhere, 82 cases were in Santa Maria. Neighboring Orcutt had 22 cases.

and Gaviota. Thirty-two cases were in the South Coast corridor, which includes Montecito, Summerland and Carpinteria. The locations of 36 cases are pending. Forty-six patients are recovering in county hospitals. Another nine are recovering in intensive care units. Santa Barbara County now has a total of 49,062 cases, of which 46,881 are still infectious. The

total number of deaths remains at 562. The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported that 68.6% of the eligible 5-and-older population is fully vaccinated. Of the entire county population, 64.5% is fully vaccinated. All numbers are provided by the health department. email: kzendher@newspress.com

Transit changes to take effect Sunday SANTA MARIA — Service changes will go into effect Sunday for the Santa Maria Regional Transit. All materials will be rebranded under the SMRT banner. The agency was formerly known as SMAT. And digital bus passes are now

available on the SMRT pay app Changes include improved connections and more direct service to popular destinations, according to a news release. Routes have been retimed to facilitate transfers and improve reliability. Most routes will operate on a 45-minute frequency.

“We’re excited about these changes. This offers more service where it is needed, shortens the length of some routes and provides improved access to the high schools,” said Gamaliel Anguiano, transit service manager. Riders are encouraged to visit the Santa Maria Regional Transit

Facebook page, ridesmrt.org or download the Tripshot app, for digital copies of routes and schedule changes. Transit service will be free from Sunday through Jan. 7 to help riders adjust to the new changes. — Katherine Zehnder

Florida’s governor proposes historic level of education funding By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

Florida also sued the Biden administration over COVID-19 vaccine mandates and forced the U.S. Department of Education to drop its efforts to require Florida schools to impose facial covering requirements on students. Despite Florida spending less than half of what California spends per student, Florida’s K-12 students ranked third in the country for achievements in Education Week’s latest Quality Counts report, far above California students who consistently rank among the bottom in education outcomes. And while schools nationwide were reporting failing grades in 2020 and dropped in their rankings, Florida’s ranking improved from 2019 and received its highest score in the history of the ranking. “Florida’s hardworking teachers and families have endured much through our response and recovery, and we have them to thank for continuing

to keep our students on track, learning and growing,” Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said of the ranking. He’s argued that implementing Florida’s B.E.S.T. standards, early learning and literacy initiatives, and helping struggling schools and at-risk students will help close achievement gaps and enable Florida students to “become #1 in the nation.” The budget also seeks to allocate $421 million for school safety and mental health initiatives. This includes $210 million for the Safe Schools Program, a proposed increase of $30 million from the previous year, and $140 million for mental health, a proposed $20 million increase from the previous year. It also would allocate $42 million for school hardening grants and $4 million for safety initiatives at Jewish Day Schools. Please see FUNDING on A6

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(The Center Square) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposed fiscal 2023 budget would dedicate an historic $23.9 billion in funding to education, of which $13.3 billion would go to K-12 public schools serving Florida’s nearly 3 million students. Gov. DeSantis’ proposal would invest more direct cash payments to teachers and principals in the form of bonuses, increase perstudent funding, and prioritize parental rights. In a second round of cash payments directed by DeSantis, the budget would allocate $238 million for one-time $1,000 bonus checks for Florida’s 179,000 teachers and principals. It also would increase teacher pay through an allocation of $600 million, a $50 million increase from last year, with a goal to reach

a minimum teacher salary of $47,500. The budget plan would provide an increase in per-student funding to $8,000 per student, the highest amount of per-student funding in Florida’s history. While California’s cost-perstudent is more than $20,000, and students are being subjected to severe COVID-19 restrictions including requiring a COVID-19 vaccine to attend in-person classes, children in Florida remain free from such restrictions and mandates. On the issues of COVID-19 shots and facial coverings, Gov. DeSantis said, “Let the parents make the decision that’s best for their kids.” In November, the Florida governor called a special legislative session to ban mask and vaccine mandates. The legislature passed bills that Gov. DeSantis signed into law banning both as part of Florida’s “freedom agenda.”

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Fifty-two cases were reported in Lompoc and nearby Mission Hills and Vandenberg Village. Seven cases were in the North County areas that include Sisquoc, Casmalia, Garey, Cuyama, New Cuyama and Guadalupe. Nine cases were in Isla Vista. Santa Ynez Valley reported 29 cases. Sixty-six cases were in Goleta. Fifty-four cases were in unincorporated Goleta Valley

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Second California DOE equity employee ousted over residency By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) — A second California Department of Education equity employee has been ousted after it was discovered that she lives in Texas, in violation of state law. Pamela Kadakia, the department’s equity project manager, resigned from a job that paid her more than $10,000 a month because she reportedly lives in the Dallas area. State employees are required to live in California, with limited exceptions. California state workers also are prohibited from traveling to Texas at taxpayers’ expense because Texas is on California’s state employee travel ban list. Earlier this month, Ms. Kadakia’s boss, California Department of Education Superintendent of Equity Daniel Lee, was forced to resign after state Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, sent a letter asking the state to explain how Mr. Lee’s hiring was legal since he didn’t live in California. The California Government Operations Agency’s position is that “state employment is for California residents unless the job requires a different location.” Assemblyman Kiley asked the secretary of the GOA if Mr. Lee’s employment was allowed under state law and to report to the legislature. One day after receiving

the letter, Mr. Lee resigned. Ms. Kadakia also resigned after it became public that she wasn’t living in California. According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms. Kadakia pursued her doctorate in education at Texas A&M University while living in Texas but was employed by California. She held the equity project manager role “for approximately one month” and earned $10,400, the CDE told Politico. Both Mr. Lee’s and Ms. Kadakia’s employment violated state employment law, but Ms. Kadakia’s potentially violated another law: one that prohibits the state from funding or approving state employees’ travel to states on California’s travel ban list. Texas is one of 18 states currently subjected to California’s ban for state-funded travel because of its “anti-discrimination” laws against states it deems discriminate against LGBTQ individuals. California law, Assembly Bill 1887, states that “California must take action to avoid supporting or financing discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.” The law prohibits a state agency, department, board or commission from requiring or approving state employees, officers or members to travel to a state that has enacted a law that it considers discriminatory, with some

exceptions. The California AG’s office describes which types of laws are discriminatory and lists states subject to AB 1887’s travel prohibition: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. California’s Attorney General’s Office argues that states on the list “are part of a recent, dangerous wave of discriminatory new bills signed into law in states across the country that directly work to ban transgender youth from playing sports, block access to lifesaving care, or otherwise limit the rights of members of the LGBTQ+ community.” Initially, only travel to Arkansas, Florida, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia was banned. Later, 13 more states were added to the list, including Texas. In October, the Texas legislature passed a bill that restricts K-12 students from participating in sports competitions that are the opposite of their biological gender. Conservatives argue the law doesn’t go far enough because it doesn’t apply to college sports. The bill amended the Education Code to “prohibit an interscholastic athletic team sponsored or authorized by a public school district or open-

enrollment charter school from allowing a student to compete in a district- or school-sponsored interscholastic athletic competition designated for the biological sex opposite to the student’s biological sex.” Of the bill she sponsored, state Rep. Valoree Swanson, R-Spring, said, “Women secured the right to vote 100 years ago. We secured the right to equal opportunity in high school and collegiate sports in 1972. Now, biological males are threatening those gains by entering girls’ sports and robbing them of both championship trophies and scholarship opportunities. My colleagues and I are fighting back for women and girls.” Equality Texas, which argues the law is discriminatory, said, “If Texans want to protect children, the goal shouldn’t be to prevent trans kids from participating in sports, but to give all kids the freedom to make friends and play without fearing the kind of discrimination many older trans people face on a daily basis.”

Sexual Abuse Victims Victims of sexual abuse at Cate School and Thatcher school, or any other institution, please contact Brian Claypool, a nationally regarded trial attorney and media personality of the Claypool Law Firm at 626-664-9489. Currently represents over 50 victims of child sex abuse against the city of Santa Monica and the Police Activities League. The firm recovered an average of nearly $1million per victim in the Santa Monica case without lengthy litigation. We also recovered $38 million for 19 sexual abuse victims in the landmark Miramonte case against Los Angeles Unified School District. www.claypoollawfirm.com

Washington state lawmakers seek to reduce penalties for drive-by shooters By BRETT DAVIS THE CENTER SQUARE SENIOR REPORTER

(The Center Square) — Washington state lawmakers have introduced a bill that would reduce penalties for drive-by shootings with the goal of “promoting racial equity in the criminal legal system.” The proposed legislation would eliminate drive-by shootings as the basis for elevating a first-degree murder charge to aggravated murder in the first degree, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison. House Bill 1692 was filed on Dec. 23 by Reps. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, and David Hackney, D-Tukwila, ahead of the state’s 2022 60-day legislative session that begins Jan. 10. Neither lawmaker responded to The Center Square’s requests for comment. Rep. Simmons’ office released a statement to KTTH arguing that first-degree murder “is a heinous crime which already carries a long and serious sentence.” But she added, “it’s clear that (this aggravated classification) was targeted at gangs that were predominately young and Black.” That, she argues, is an example of “systemic racism.” Drive-by shootings were added as an aggravating factor in 1995, at a time when Washington state was experiencing a surge in gangrelated crime, according to a 1997 annual report put out by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Per the report, there were three gang-related homicides in Washington state in 1991, followed by 17 in 1992, 31 in 1993, 26 in 1994 and 13 in 1995. Some GOP lawmakers took exception to the pre-filed legislation at a time of increased violent crime and the “defund the

police” movement that has in some cases sapped law enforcement of resources and morale. “Violent crime is on the rise in our communities, in part, because law enforcement officers do not believe under new laws passed by the Legislature earlier this year that they have the authority to detain or pursue individuals, for whom they reasonably suspect have committed criminal acts,” said Rep. Gina Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale) ranking Republican on the House Public Safety Committee, in a news release. “It was reported during the summer that at least nine drive-by shootings in the Yakima area this year have left a trail of injuries, deaths and traumatized neighborhoods. This horrific crime is happening more and more across our state, taking the lives of innocent victims, destroying families, and leaving neighborhoods and communities in fear.” Earlier this year, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a dozen police reform bills into law, including House Bill 1310, which seeks to reduce violent interactions with mentally ill people, and House Bill 1054, which limits the use of tear gas, bans the use of chokeholds and neck restraints, and restricts vehicle pursuits to police officers having probable cause. Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber, R-Republic, House Republican floor leader and a former law enforcement officer, echoed those comments. “The Defund the Police movement pushed by progressives in this state brought forth a package of law enforcement ‘reform’ bills during the 2021 legislative session that, in the end, have made families and communities less safe, law enforcement less effective, and criminals were emboldened,” she said in a news release. “With numerous editorials, columns,

newspapers articles, radio and television stories highlighting these dangerous bills, you’d think the Legislature had learned its lesson. But here we are again, at the cusp of adopting new policies to coddle criminals at the expense of our safety.” Rep. Maycumber noted the recent spike in violent crime makes the timing of this legislation all the more baffling. “Washington state is already seeing a surge in violent crime which is currently at a 25-year high, with murders at an all-time high in 2020, up 80 percent from five years ago,” she said. “Rape is up 40 percent from five years ago and aggravated assaults are up 50 percent from five years ago. In light of this, why are some elected officials so intent on making it easier to be a violent criminal and releasing murderers back onto our streets? “House Bill 1692 is a tragedy in the making as our children and families will be less safe in their own homes and even their own beds. This bill will allow those who have committed murder when engaged in drive-by shootings to get out of jail sooner.” A more recent WASPC report shows murder and manslaughter rates in Washington state were up in 2020. There were 302 murders in 2020 compared to 206 murders in 2019, which is an increase of 46.6%, according to the report. Manslaughter was up 100%, with 34 incidents in 2020 compared to 17 in 2019. HB 1692 would retroactively apply to anyone who was convicted of aggravated murder in the first degree if a drive-by shooting was the sole aggravating factor. Brett Davis covers the Washington state government for The Center Square.

No spectators allowed at UCSB games Spectators won’t be allowed at UCSB’s home games effective immediately through Jan. 17. The decision was made in response to the uncertainties over the omicron variant and is in accordance with UC system-wide COVID-19 guidance, according to a UCSB news release.

All home events will continue to be streamed live on ESPN+ and the Stretch Internet portal on ucsbgauchos.com. For protocols related to away competitions, see the official athletic website for the Gauchos’ opposing team. Links are available on the sport-specific schedule

pages on ucsbgauchos.com. All refunds on tickets will be processed at the conclusion of the respective sport seasons, according to UCSB. Further updates will be announced on ucsbgauchos.com.

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Westmont game canceled Today’s Westmont men’s basketball game against the University of Saint Katherine has been canceled because of the latter’s COVID-19 protocols. Those who purchased tickets

online will receive a refund, according to a news release. Westmont is scheduled to return to action on Jan. 6 in the second game of a men’s and women’s Golden State Athletic Conference

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Templeton beats Santa Ynez in basketball

Templeton defeated the Santa Ynez girls varsity basketball team 46-41 Wednesday. Kylie LaPointe led the Pirates with 12 points. Giszelle had 10 points, 10 boards and two blocks

Hally had 9 points, 9 boards and three assists. “We battled with Templeton, but came up short, trailing them the entire game by only a few points,” Coach Jennifer Rasmussen told the News-Press

in an email. Santa Ynez will play Bishop at 12:30 p.m. today for third place at Mira Monte High School.

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More police officers died in 2021 than in any other year on record Nation’s third highest number this year is in California By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) — More police officers in the U.S. died in 2021 than any other year officer fatalities have been recorded, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. From Jan. 1 to Dec. 28, 358 active duty officers died. That’s compared to 296 over the same time period last year, the Memorial Fund reported. Fire-arms related deaths were up 31%; traffic-related deaths were up 30%. Last year’s numbers were significant because officer deaths in 2020 were the second-highest the Memorial Fund recorded since 1930, when 312 officers died. Deaths that the Memorial Fund recorded in 2021 topped those figures. As of Nov. 30, 314 officers were shot in the line of duty, of which

58 were killed, the Fraternal Order of Police reported. Ambush style attacks were also up 126%, a worrying trend, it notes. The most officers shot in the line of duty this year were in Texas, with 42 officers shot, followed by 25 shot in Illinois and 21 shot in California, according to FOP data. The number of officer shootings and deaths varies by the agency or group reporting the data and the criteria being used. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, 479 officers died in 2021. The majority, 322, died from or with COVID-19. The next highest cause of death was gunrelated, with 61 dying from gunfire and inadvertent gunfire, the group reports. The FOP reported that 836 officers died this year from or with COVID-19, based on a compilation of news reports, which it states haven’t all been verified. The state that lost the

most officers reportedly to the coronavirus was in Texas, losing 194 officers. Florida had the next highest loss of 74, followed by California’s 64. According to FBI data, 70 law enforcement officers were fatally wounded in 2021, with 25 being victims of unprovoked attacks. Another 56 died from accidents, with 31 dying in a motor vehicle crash. Felonious deaths accounted for a 55.8% increase in the first 11 months of 2021, the FBI reports, with southern states reporting the most of these deaths. In 2021, unprovoked attacks continued to outpace all other circumstances of felonious officer deaths, the FBI found. “Every felonious attack on a law enforcement officer, especially by gunfire, is disturbing regardless of the circumstances,” the FOP said. “Officers are always susceptible to life-threatening attacks and

therefore must always be vigilant and maintain the highest level of situational awareness. In most cases, officers are able to quickly assess situations, recognize threats and take adequate defensive actions. Tragically, not every threat can be seen or mitigated.” Ambush-style and other calculated attacks on law enforcement officers are carried out with an element of surprise intended to prevent the officers from being able to defend themselves, the FOP said. “Premeditated attacks contribute to a worrisome desensitization to evil acts that were once largely considered taboo except by the most depraved,” the FOP added. In 2020, 49% of shooting incidents involved a discernible element of premeditation, a 7% increase from 2019, the FOP reported.

Sen. Harry Reid remembered for legislation By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

U.S. SENATE PHOTO

Sen. Harry Reid, seen in this 2015 photo, is remembered for his work to get the Affordable Care Act passed.

Harry Reid is being remembered for his successful efforts to pass legislation such as the Affordable Care Act, the economic aid package after the 2008 recession and the DoddFrank financial reforms. The retired Senate majority leader died Tuesday at his Henderson, Nev. , home from complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 82. President Joe Biden has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff at the White House and federal buildings on the day of former Sen. Reid’s internment. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, who called Mr. Reid “a giant” who

accomplished much for the state and its families, also ordered flags be flown half-staff on that day in the state. President Biden called Mr. Reid “a man of action, and a man of his word — guided by faith, loyalty and unshakeable resolve.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer described him as “one of the most amazing individuals I ever met.” Former President Barack Obama posted in a tweet that he “wouldn’t have got most of what I got done without your skill and determination.” Mr. Reid became the Senate minority leader overnight when fellow Democrat, Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota, lost his re-election bid in 2004.

Mr. Reid grew up in Searchlight, Nev., where his father was a gold miner. Mr. Reid is survived by his wife, Landra, whom he met when they were students at Utah State University. In the 1960s, the couple moved to Washington, D.C., and Mr. Reid studied at George Washington University law school before he and his wife returned to Nevada. There Mr. Reid’s career included a stint as a state gaming commissioner. In May 2018, Mr. Reid announced he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Soon afterward, the Las Vegas airport was renamed the Harry Reid International Airport. email: dmason@newspress.com

Lowest gas prices reported in Oklahoma, Texas AAA says California’s average price is $4.655 a gallon, more than a dollar above the national average By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) — While gas prices have soared nationwide this year, the lowest average prices at the pump are in Oklahoma and Texas, in part because they are significant oil and gas hubs for the nation. The lowest current average regular gas prices per gallon are $2.822 in Oklahoma and $2.825 in Texas. California remains far above those prices, with an average of $4.655 a gallon as of Wednesday, according to the American Automobile Association. In Santa Barbara County, the average price on Wednesday was $4.621 a gallon. Again, that’s according to AAA. Neighboring counties are seeing more expensive gas. On Wednesday, AAA reported the average price as $4.699 a gallon in Ventura County and $4.806 a gallon in San Luis Obispo County. The national average is $3.283 a gallon, AAA reported. Oklahomans have had the lowest prices nationwide throughout the surge of gas

prices this fall, the American Automobile Association reported. In the spring, Oklahoma’s average gas prices were the sixth-lowest in the nation. On Dec. 21, AAA Texas Weekend Gas watch reported that Texas’ statewide gas price average was $2.89 for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel. By Christmas, Texans visiting the Gulf in Galveston paid $2.44 a gallon, lower than other areas near Houston, where prices averaged $2.89 a gallon. However, gas prices in Texas are still around a dollar more than they were last Christmas. And last spring, while both states were under lockdown, average gas prices were $1.52 a gallon in Oklahoma, and in the Sherman/Denison area Texans were paying around $1.17 a gallon. As of Dec. 28, 2021, the average price for regular unleaded fuel in Texas was $2.87 a gallon, AAA Texas reports, compared to the national average of $3.28. In November, regular gasoline retail prices averaged $3.39 a gallon nationally, the U.S. Energy Information Agency

reported. That’s 10 cents a gallon more than it was in October and $1.29 a gallon more than it was last November. November’s monthly average was the highest since September 2014, the EIA added. The agency forecasts that retail gasoline prices will fall to $3.01 a gallon in January and $2.88 a gallon, on average, in 2022. Total U.S. crude oil production was estimated at 11.7 million barrels a day in November, the agency noted. It’s forecasting an increase to an average of 11.8 million barrels a day in 2022 and an average of 12.1 million barrels a day in the fourth quarter of 2022. Prices at the pump are greatly impacted by the West Texas Intermediate Index, the benchmark for North America, which serves as a reference point for buyers and sellers of crude oil. They’re also impacted by U.S. EIA, API and OPEC+ reports, and a range of public policies and decisions. The WTI’s crude oil is sourced from the Permian and Delaware Basins of Texas and New Mexico, and is refined in the Gulf of Mexico and the Midwest. The

point of delivery for its physical exchange and price settlement has historically been Cushing, Okla.,, known as the “Pipeline Crossroads of the World.” But through new pipeline access the same crude is trading for export as AGS at U.S. Gulf ports. In 2020 and 2021, WTI production plummeted for lack of drilling and completing new wells. Adequate crude supplies provided lower prices at the pump when the WTI crude oil average per barrel was $56.99 in 2019 and even lower when its average was $39.17 a barrel in 2020 – after it hit a low of negative $40 a barrel on April 20, 2020. Gas prices at the pump increased as the WTI reached an average of $67.87 a barrel in 2021. The EIA projects the WTI average to be $66.42 a barrel in 2022; Wall Street analysts project it to be much higher. Nationally, the average price for a regular gallon of gas was $2.60 in 2019, $2.18 in 2020, and $3 in 2021, the EIA reported, projecting the average to be $2.88 a gallon in 2022. News-Press Managing Editor Dave Mason contributed to this report.

Report: Tennessee 1 of 4 states without property tax increase limits By JON STYF THE CENTER SQUARE STAFF REPORTER

(The Center Square) — A new Beacon Center report shows while Tennessee’s truth-in-taxation law creates transparency in the process of property tax assessments, it lacks the power to prevent large property tax increases. Tennessee was the first state with a truth in taxation requirement, but it is now one of four states without a cap on property tax increases. Truth in taxation in Tennessee requires local governments to inform residents of any property tax rate increases and local entities to consider means that

do not increase property taxes alongside rate or levy increases. Overall taxes in Tennessee have fallen by 1% a year since 2000, but property taxes have increased by an average of more than 5% each year over that timeframe, according to the Beacon Center. “Economists and governments often prefer property taxes because they are a stable source of revenue for localities,” the Beacon Center report said. “Additionally, while many other forms of taxes pick winners and losers, property taxes tend to be economically neutral and come closer to a ‘user fee’ than most other taxes.” Beacon Center pointed to

Nashville as a place where the current law was used in an effort to confuse voters. Nashville residents were hit with a 34% property increase in 2020, and property values increased in early 2021. Nashville Mayor John Cooper then touted a corresponding property tax rate decrease. Because properties were worth more, they would have to pay a similar or higher total amount even though the tax rate would be lower. Mr. Cooper touted it as a tax rate decrease, but his opponents called that misinformation and accused the mayor of attempting to cause confusion. Beacon Center pointed out

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

because of the truth-in-taxation law, higher appraisal values cannot automatically lead to higher property taxes. Each local entity would have to compare the two amounts and vote on the increase. “While Nashville’s recent 34 percent tax hike is perhaps the most notable, large property tax hikes are a statewide phenomenon,” the report said. “Using 2019 as an example as the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Beacon Center identified more than $208 million in proposed or adopted property tax increases across the state.” The three options for property tax caps are property assessment caps, rate caps and levy caps.

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05",)# ./4)#%3 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT, FBN No: 20210003218. First Filing. The following person (s) are doing business as: THE JEWELRY MART, 5850 HOLLISTER AVE., GOLETA, CA 93117, County of Santa Barbara. Full Name(s) of registrants: LOS MINITAS: 5850 HOLLISTER AVE., GOLETA, CA 93117. This business is conducted by: A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, STATE OF INC.: CALIFORNIA. This statement was filed in the office of JOSEPH E. HOLLAND, County Clerk-Recorder of SANTA BARBARA COUNTY on 11/22/2021 by E35, Deputy. The registrant commenced to transact business on: Nov 15, 1993. 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) DEC 16, 23, 30/2021; JAN 6/2022 --57830

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT, FBN No: 20210003246. First Filing. The following person (s) are doing business as: LEGACY, 1137 COAST VILLAGE ROAD, SANTA BARBARA, CA 93108, County of Santa Barbara. Full Name(s) of registrants: PICCOLOMUNDO LLC, 215 DEMING WAY, BUELLTON, CA 93427. 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 11/29/2021 by: E28, Deputy. The registrant commenced to transact business on: Nov 01, 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) DEC 9, 16, 23, 30 / 2021--57800

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.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE To satisfy the owner’s storage lien, PS Orange Co. Inc. will sell at public lien sale on January 13, 2022, the personal property in the belowlisted units, which may include but are not limited to: household and personal items, office and other equipment. The public sale of these items will begin at 10:00 AM and continue until all units are sold. The lien sale is to be held at the online auction website, www. storagetreasures.com, where indicated. For online lien sales, bids will be accepted until 2 hours after the time of the sale specified. PUBLIC STORAGE # 25714, 7246 Hollister Ave, Goleta, CA 93117, (805) 324-6770 Sale to be held at www. storagetreasures.com. 1320 - Legreid, Todd; 5122 - Sparks, Rhonda; 5340 - Franklin, Grant; 6117 - Johnson, Trevor; 6345 - Liu, Tantan; A6-E - Huggins, Michael Public sale terms, rules, and regulations will be made available prior to the sale. All sales are subject to cancellation. We reserve the right to refuse any bid. Payment must be in cash or credit cardno checks. Buyers must secure the units with their own personal locks. To claim tax-exempt status, original RESALE certificates for each space purchased is required. Dated this 23rd& 30th of December 2021 By PS Orangeco, Inc., 701 Western Avenue, Glendale, CA 91201. (818) 244-8080. 12/23, 12/30/21 CNS-3539066# SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS DEC 23, 30 / 2021 -- 57844

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE To satisfy the owner’s storage lien, PS Orange Co. Inc. will sell at public lien sale on January 13, 2022, the personal property in the belowlisted units, which may include but are not limited to: household and personal items, office and other equipment. The public sale of these items will begin at 10:00 AM and continue until all units are sold. The lien sale is to be held at the online auction website, www. storagetreasures.com, where indicated. For online lien sales, bids will be accepted until 2 hours after the time of the sale specified. PUBLIC STORAGE # 25714, 7246 Hollister Ave, Goleta, CA 93117, (805) 324-6770 Sale to be held at www. storagetreasures.com. 1320 - Legreid, Todd; 5122 - Sparks, Rhonda; 5340 - Franklin, Grant; 6117 - Johnson, Trevor; A6-E Huggins, Michael PUBLIC STORAGE # 75078, 7246 Hollister Ave, Goleta, CA 93117, (805) 961-8198 Sale to be held at www. storagetreasures.com. 082 - Woods, Danielle; 100 Espinosa, Jonathan; 253 - Mitchum, Justin; 362 - Navabotello, Mariano; 374 - Conner, David PUBLIC STORAGE # 75079, 5425 Overpass Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93111, (805) 284-9002 Sale to be held at www. storagetreasures.com. 153 - Cortez-Harper, Raphael; 434 - Pawlonek, James Public sale terms, rules, and regulations will be made available prior to the sale. All sales are subject to cancellation. We reserve the right to refuse any bid. Payment must be in cash or credit cardno checks. Buyers must secure the units with their own personal locks. To claim tax-exempt status, original RESALE certificates for each space purchased is required. Dated this 23rd& 30th of December 2021 By PS Orangeco, Inc., 701 Western Avenue, Glendale, CA 91201. (818) 244-8080. 12/23, 12/30/21 CNS-3538372# SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS DEC 23, 30 / 2021 -- 57838

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: JUNZENG DONG Case Number: 21PR00572 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: Junzeng Dong A Petition for Probate has been filed by Guobao Dong in the SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA. The Petition for Probate requests that Guobao Dong be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The Petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: 01/27/2022 at Time: 9:00 AM, in Dept.: 5, located at SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101; PO Box 21107, Santa Barbara, CA 93121-1107, Anacapa Division. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: Vincent Y. Lin, Esq. Address: 17700 Castleton Street, Suite 263 City of Industry, CA 91748 Phone: 626-935-0929 DEC 23, 30/2021; JAN 6/2022 --57843

NEWS

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

KIRKBRIDE, Marian

Marian Kirkbride passed peacefully at Santa Fe, NM, on Monday, December 20, 2021 after a long illness at the age of 94. She was the daughter of Capt. Allan Richard Rafuse and Ruth Marguerite King of Port Hastings, NS, and was raised in Mille Roches and Cornwall, ON. Wife of the late Bradley Currey, and John Kirkbride. Mother of Washington Currey of Gig Harbor, WA, Jefferson Currey of Moscow, ID, and Elayne Currey-Nishita of Tucson, AZ, also leaving 6 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren. She began her educational career teaching in 1945, in Wales, Maxville, Belleville, and Niagara Falls, ON, later teaching in Santa Barbara, CA, tutoring children and adults with dyslexia and other learning disabilities in Monterey and Hollister, CA, and ending her teaching career in Santa Fe, NM. Survived by her children, sister Pat Britton of Calgary, AB, and brother Nelson Rafuse of Smith Falls, ON. Predeceased by sister Marjorie, and brothers Richard, Alan, and Robert. Spring interment will be at St. Lawrence Valley Cemetery – Ingleside, Long Sault, ON. Please make remembrance donations to the charity of your choice.

Obituary notices are published daily in the Santa Barbara News-Press and also appear on our website www.newspress.com KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

At left, Santa Barbara County Public Health worker Javier Perez hands out COVID-19 antigen rapid self-test kits to the public at the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department site. Free tests will be given away again today at locations in Santa Barbara, Carpinteria and Lompoc. At right, the self-test kits promise results in 15 minutes.

OMICRON

Continued from Page A1 said COVID-19 vaccines appear to be effective against the omicron variant, especially against serious illness and death. To find a vaccination site, go to publichealthsbc.org/vaccine. The department is encouraging people to get tested if they travel to U.S. locations with high transmission rates or if they’ve traveled internationally. Testing is also advised for those who have been in a crowded gathering with unvaccinated people. This week, the Public Health Department is distributing at-home tests for people unable to get an immediate appointment. “These at-home tests are the next best option, especially if you experience symptoms. Due to increased demand for at-home antigen tests, supply may be limited at local pharmacies, grocery stores and other locations.” The department is giving away at-home test kits from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. today at Franklin Health Care Center,

1136 E. Montecito St., Santa Barbara; the Carpinteria Health Care Center, 931 Walnut Ave., Carpinteria; the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, 315 Camino Del Remedio, Santa Barbara, and the Lompoc Health Care Center, 931 Walnut Ave. The kits will be unavailable at the Franklin and Carpinteria locations on Friday, but will be available at the Lompoc and Public Health Department locations. Tests may also be available at local pharmacies, but they won’t be free there. A few hours before the department’s announcement late Wednesday afternoon of the omicron variant, UCSB announced no spectators would be allowed at games, effective immediately through Jan. 17. The university said the decision was made because of uncertainties over the omicron variant. And before the Public Health Department’s news release, the News-Press talked to a Cottage Health physician who thought the variant was probably in the county. “We fully believe that omicron is in our community and is the dominant variant circulating,” Dr.

COURTESY PHOTO

Dr. David Fisk

David Fisk, an infectious disease specialist with Cottage Health and Sansum Clinic, told the NewsPress. Dr. Fisk attributed the county’s increase in cases to the low rates of mask usage, increased social interactions, people not being fully vaccinated and increased activity indoors due to the colder weather. The News-Press couldn’t reach Public Health Department officials

Wednesday for comment. Earlier this week, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention updated its COVID-19 guidelines. The CDC announced the changes Monday and said they were driven by a recent national surge of COVID cases, attributed to the omicron variant. The CDC reduced the isolation period from 10 days to five days for those who test positive. The CDC also reduced the time that close contacts need to quarantine. The CDC still recommends wearing a mask for five days after the isolation period. The agency recommends that if you still have symptoms after five days, to continue isolation until you feel better, then start wearing a mask for five days. The CDC also says that only those who receive booster shots can skip quarantine if they wear a mask in all settings for at least 10 days. The updated CDC guidelines are not mandates but recommendations to employers and state and local officials. email: dmason@newpress.com, kzehnder@newpress.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. 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 cannot accept Death Notices from individuals.

remember your loved one LOCAL FIVE-DAY FORECAST TODAY

FRIDAY

A little a.m. rain; cloudy

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Cool with clouds Mostly sunny and Mostly sunny and Partly sunny and and sun cool cool cool

INLAND

57 38

56 30

54 31

58 29

55 37

56 42

61 37

59 36

58 37

59 40

COASTAL

Pismo Beach 58/42

COASTAL

Shown is today's weather. Temperatures are today's highs and tonight's lows. Maricopa 50/44

Guadalupe 57/42

Santa Maria 58/41

Vandenberg 57/45

New Cuyama 49/38 Ventucopa 48/37

Los Alamos 57/38

Buellton 56/38

Solvang 57/38

Gaviota 56/44

SANTA BARBARA 56/42 Goleta 56/43

Carpinteria 55/45 Ventura 56/45

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

KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which carries payload from Iridium Communications Inc., launches off Space Launch Complex 4E in 2017 from Vanderberg Air Force Base. The base is now Vandenberg Space Force Base, and the National Defense Authorization Act includes a $5 million increase to the Spacelift Range System, which is intended to improve the infrastructure at ranges, including those at Vandenberg.

BILL

Continued from Page A1 negotiated across party lines and both chambers of Congress, reflects our nation’s shared values, and I am proud to have secured several measures that will directly benefit Central Coast families. “The bill includes my amendment to extend the FireGuard program for five years, which will give longterm certainty to the emergency responders in our state who rely on the program to detect and monitor wildfires,” the congressman said. “It also gives our service members a welldeserved pay raise and institutes reforms to prevent and prosecute sexual assault in the military. This bill is a major win for our troops, our communities, and our country.” In addition to the FireGuard program, Rep. Carbajal also worked to include a measure to fight food insecurity, which allows the defense secretary to provide

FUNDING

Continued from Page A2 To fully eliminate the Florida Standards Assessment and replace it with progress monitoring, the budget proposes $15.5 million in recurring funding to provide schools with necessary monitoring tools.

NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTOS

At left, President Joe Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act Monday. At right, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal said the National Defense Authorization Act includes measures that benefit the Central Coast.

basic need allowance to qualified service members. This is based on HR 2339, the Military Hunger Prevention Act, which was cosponsored by Rep. Carbajal. Other provisions in the bill

which Rep. Carbajal influenced include supporting local militaryuniversity partnerships and advancing Vandenberg’s space capabilities. Rep. Carbajal supported a $5

“The governor’s decision to end the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) is a perfect opportunity to address the needs of struggling students in a real and impactful way,” Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, said in a recent op-ed published by the Orlando Sentinel. The budget also would prioritize early childhood

education by allocating $1.4 billion to a range of programs, including more than $406 million for Voluntary PreKindergarten, a high-quality, free education initiative that serves approximately 158,000 four- and five-year-olds. Early childhood funding includes $72 million for the School Readiness Program,

million increase to the Spacelift Range System, which is intended to improve the infrastructure at ranges, including those at the Vandeberg Space Force Base. Rep. Carbajal’s office noted he led the efforts for the measure, which requires the chief of space operations to report to Congress on the Range of the Future initiative and how physical infrastructure needs at the Vandenberg will be addressed. Rep. Carbajal also said he secured $4 million for biotechnology advancements at Army University Affiliated Research Centers, including the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies at UCSB. And the bill includes reforms of the Uniform of Code of Military Justice to prevent and prosecute sexual assualt and sexual harassement. Additionally it includes HR 1115, which authorizes the construction of a memorial honoring U.S. service members who gave their lives in the global war on terrorism. email: kzehnder@newspress.com $100 million in federal funds to increase eligible early learning coalitions’ provider reimbursement rates, and $40 million for performance funding for all participating school readiness providers. This also includes $3.9 million to deliver high-quality School Readiness curriculum directly to parents to help at-risk children.

High/low Normal high/low Record high Record low

52/39 64/40 79 in 1980 31 in 2006

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

0.21” 7.49” (2.64”) 8.49” (4.64”)

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

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

52/44/pc 50/40/c 35/25/sn 45/23/c 52/47/r 52/36/pc 56/47/r 46/38/pc 53/42/pc 56/47/r 31/15/c 52/39/pc 56/44/pc 52/32/pc 51/39/pc 53/40/r 56/45/r 57/47/c 55/46/r 54/39/pc 50/37/pc 61/53/r 51/42/pc 53/39/pc 59/42/pc 56/47/r 35/16/pc

Fri. Hi/Lo/W 46/28/pc 58/36/pc 56/35/pc 57/38/pc 56/35/pc 56/30/pc 55/39/pc 56/42/pc

73/63/r 45/40/r 38/32/pc 75/55/pc 51/27/pc 82/71/pc 84/69/s 23/10/c 49/45/c 53/48/c 59/52/sh 41/31/sn 54/43/pc 39/27/sn 35/25/sn 56/50/r

POINT ARENA TO POINT PINOS

Wind south-southeast 7-14 knots today. Waves 1-3 feet; south-southwest swell 2-4 feet at 5 seconds. Visibility under 4 miles in rain.

POINT CONCEPTION TO MEXICO

Wind south-southeast 7-14 knots today. Waves 1-3 feet; south-southwest swell 2-4 feet at 5 seconds. Visibility under 4 miles in rain.

SANTA BARBARA HARBOR TIDES Date Time High Time

Low

Dec. 30

-0.6’

Dec. 31 Jan. 1

6:08 a.m. 7:47 p.m. 6:52 a.m. 8:47 p.m. 7:34 a.m. 9:36 p.m.

LAKE LEVELS

6.2’ 3.5’ 6.6’ 3.6’ 6.9’ 3.8’

1:29 p.m. none 12:16 a.m. 2:16 p.m. 1:04 a.m. 3:03 p.m.

1.9’ -1.3’ 2.2’ -1.8’

AT BRADBURY DAM, LAKE CACHUMA 49/37/c 53/33/c 37/15/c 45/19/pc 51/45/pc 50/35/c 58/42/c 47/34/pc 51/36/c 58/44/pc 30/14/pc 51/34/c 56/39/pc 52/32/pc 51/35/pc 55/36/pc 57/42/pc 63/43/c 59/41/pc 52/28/pc 49/31/pc 59/50/r 53/39/pc 53/35/pc 58/38/pc 58/42/pc 31/6/pc

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

Wind east 6-12 knots today. Waves 1-3 feet; west-southwest swell 1-3 feet at 11 seconds. Visibility under 3 miles in morning rain.

TIDES

LOCAL TEMPS Today Hi/Lo/W 49/38/pc 56/43/r 57/40/pc 58/42/pc 58/41/pc 57/38/pc 57/45/pc 56/45/r

MARINE FORECAST

SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL

72/67/sh 45/41/c 43/33/pc 77/59/c 36/6/sn 84/74/c 83/71/s 13/-9/sn 53/47/pc 58/50/pc 58/45/sh 37/28/c 63/41/r 31/16/sf 32/24/c 62/54/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 93,138 acre-ft. Elevation 712.12 ft. Evaporation (past 24 hours) 1.0 acre-ft. Inflow 62.3 acre-ft. State inflow 8.1 acre-ft. Storage change from yest. +112 acre-ft. Report from U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

SUN AND MOON Sunrise Sunset Moonrise Moonset

New

First

Jan 2

Jan 9

WORLD CITIES

Today 7:05 a.m. 4:59 p.m. 3:37 a.m. 2:12 p.m.

Full

Jan 17

Fri. 7:06 a.m. 4:59 p.m. 4:52 a.m. 2:59 p.m.

Last

Jan 25

Today Fri. City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Beijing 43/14/s 36/11/s Berlin 53/50/sh 54/47/sh Cairo 66/60/pc 63/53/sh Cancun 86/73/sh 85/72/s London 58/53/c 59/53/c Mexico City 74/43/s 75/44/s Montreal 31/27/c 33/29/pc New Delhi 65/45/pc 66/45/pc Paris 58/47/pc 57/48/pc Rio de Janeiro 81/74/t 79/74/t Rome 61/43/c 62/43/s Sydney 77/64/s 80/69/s Tokyo 57/35/s 44/32/pc 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 DAY, D E C E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 21

KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO

The Santa Barbara Symphony rehearses last spring at The Granada, where the orchestra will perform its New Year’s Eve concert.

Ushering in 2022 with film scores and more Kostis Protopapas to conduct Santa Barbara Symphony’s concert on New Year’s Eve

KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

At left, Kostis Protopapas will be the guest conductor at the Santa Barbara Symphony’s concert Friday. Center, the Santa Barbara Symphony rehearses at The Granada. At right, Los Angeles bass-baritone Cedric Berry will be the guest vocalist at the New Year’s Eve concert.

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

ostis Protopapas started to catch up with movies after he learned this week that he’s directing a New Year’s Eve concert featuring film scores. For example, he hadn’t seen “How To Train Your Dragon,” an animated 2010 film whose epic orchestral music is part of the Santa Barbara Symphony’s program on Friday. “I saw it this week. The score is terrific,” Mr. Protopapas, the artistic and general director of Opera Santa Barbara, told the News-Press Thursday. The animated movie’s music is

among the reasons Mr. Protopapas is excited to direct the symphony as it ushers in 2022. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform movie scores and popular music by George Gershwin and others in a concert featuring Los Angeles bass-baritone vocalist Cedric Barry and the symphony’s principal pianist, Natasha Kislenko. The program will take place from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Friday at The Granada, 1214 State St. Mr. Protopapas has seen most of the films whose music will be played Friday night. Besides “How to Train Your Dragon,” he hasn’t seen “King’s Row,” a 1942 film starring President Ronald Reagan, but he plans to watch it before Friday. The main theme will be played during the concert.

“I never heard the music before, but it’s by the great composer (Erich Wolfgang) Korngold,” Mr. Protopapas said. He started watching the two films he hadn’t seen after the symphony offered him the guest conducting gig a few days before the concert. (Originally Bob Bernhardt was scheduled to be the guest conductor.) “I got the call Monday morning from Nir (Kabaretti, the symphony’s music and artistic director),” Mr. Protopapas said. “I’m honored to work with them (the symphony’s musicians) this New Year’s Eve. “I hope people will come out,” he said. “Theaters are about the safest place to be. Everyone is vaccinated, and everybody will be

masked. It’s a great opportunity for people to come celebrate, hear great music and support our hometown symphony and its terrific musicians.” Mr. Protopapas said he has worked with some of the symphony members, who play in the Opera Santa Barbara orchestra. And he noted the New Year’s Eve concert is a favorite among the symphony’s audiences. “It’ll be a celebratory, light program,” Mr. Protopapas said. “We’re doing a Motown medley, a lot of movie tunes, and it’s going to be a lot of fun with some sing-along opportunities. It’s an opportunity for everyone to toast the New Year.” There will be party hats and party favorites, and the concert

will end with the audience singing “Auld Lang Syne,” accompanied by the orchestra. Among the movie music will be Elmer Bernstein and Patrick Russ’ suite from the classic 1960 movie “To Kill A Mockington Bird,” based on Harper Lee’s novel of the same name and starring Gregory Peck. Mr. Berry, the vocal soloist, will be accompanied by the symphony on “I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’ ” from “Porgy and Bess” (with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward), Eden Ahbez’s “Nature Boy” and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Music of the Night” from “The Phantom of the Opera.” “If you’re going to pick three numbers that everyone knows, those are the three numbers,” Mr.

Protopapas said. “ ‘Nature Boy’ is one of my favorites. I remember hearing it for the first time with Nat King Cole when I was 12 years old,” said Mr. Protopapas, who was born in Athens, Greece. Friday’s concert will also feature a salute to Motown: Jeff Tyzik’s arrangement of “Hot Soul Medley.” The songs in the medley will vary from “I Heard It on the Grapevine” to “My Girl.” “They’re all Motown, but rhythmically, each one has its own identity. The tempo and the syncopation is different,” Mr. Protopapas said. “They were carefully crafted. “And these are get up-and-dance Please see SYMPHONY on B2

NEWS

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

Baker’s Dozen to perform at SOhO

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SANTA BARBARA — An all-male a cappella group, The Baker’s Dozen, will be traveling from Yale University to perform at SOhO Restaurant and Music Club, 3805 State St. On Jan. 12, one of the nation’s oldest a cappella groups will

SYMPHONY

Continued from Page B1

tunes,” he said. The concert will also feature a medley of the theme songs for the branches of the services. Bob Weinman will continue his tradition of conducting the Armed Forces Salute. And the pianist, Ms. Kislenko, will perform with the symphony as it plays Mr. Tyzik’s arrangement of the “Big Movie Suite,” featuring music from classics such as “Gone With the Wind” (1939), “Doctor Zhivago” (1965) and “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962). “That’s the great thing about music scores: They really capture the essence: the characters, the mood,” Mr. Protopapas said. “The music is there for a reason. It tells you things you cannot tell in any other way. For the great Hollywood movies, the music is as much a part of the movie as

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(805) 683-3636

3412 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

combine music and comedy at the Santa Barbara venue. Doors open at 6 p.m, and the show is for all ages. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at tickets.sohosb.com/e/ bakers-dozen-soho-santa/tickets. — Forrest McFarland

the acting and the choreography. That’s why the golden era movies are what they are.” He described the theme of “Gone with the Wind,” for example, as representing resilience during adversity. “It’s ambitious and optimistic.” The New Year’s Eve concert will feature a very celebratory work when Ms. Kislenko jams with the symphony on variations of George and Ira Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm.” Like the song says, “Who could ask for anything more?” email: dmason@newspress.com

FYI The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform its New Year’s Eve concert at 8:30 p.m. Friday at The Granada, 1214 State St. Tickets cost $56 to $256. To purchase, go to granadasb. org. For more information, go to thesymphony.org.

Italian parsley This leafy herb comes in two main forms: curly or flat-leafed. This Italian flat-leafed variety is the most commonly sought for culinary purposes and the choice variety of production by our local farmers. Both the stems and leaves can be chopped and used to add a refreshing flavor to a host of cooked and raw preparations. This week I prepared misoglazed Japanese turnips infused with fresh parsley for the Fix of the Week, below. Parsley is nutrient-rich containing vitamins A, B, C and K, along with minerals potassium, iron, and copper. You can currently find fresh parsley at all Santa Barbara certified farmers’ markets from several local farmers. Certified organic is available. Price averages $2 per bunch.

Japanese turnips Most people don’t get too excited when they hear the word “turnip,” but I am personally quite fond of these bright white Japanese turnips, currently available at the weekly Saturday Santa Barbara, Tuesday Santa Barbara, and Wednesday Solvang farmers’

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2021 LOYALTY PROGRAM

FARMERS MARKET Sam Edelman

SANTA BARBARA 324 W. Montecito St (805) 966-2121

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$ 98

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49lb.

lb.

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6 oz. box

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98lb.

lb.

5 lb.bag

CHICKEN

PORK BUTT

lb.

RUSSET POTATOES

BLUEBERRIES $

199

169 ea.

BY THE BAG

BEEF TRI TIP $

98lb.

JALAPENOS & NAVEL ORANGES TOMATILLOS

¢ lb.

Broccoli The broccoli crowns and stems are incredibly flavorful this time of the year, with the stem portion in particular delivering a little extra sweetness. You may see a purple coloration on the crown, an indication of the winter chill. When cooked, broccoli develops a soft, yet semi-crunchy texture. Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamins C and K. It additionally provides lesser amounts of vitamin A, potassium, folate and phosphorus. Fresh broccoli is currently available at all weekly Santa Barbara certified farmers’ markets from several local farmers. Certified organic is available. The price averages $3 per pound or bunch. Sam Edelman is general manager of the Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market Association and host of “Farm to Table,” which airs live 9 a.m. Thursdays on KZSB AM 1290.

Fix of the Week

GOLETA 5757 Hollister Ave (805) 967-9510

LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED

markets. Sweeter and more moist than you might expect, they deliver very subtle notes of radish throughout. They’re almost perfectly round, and I prefer the smaller specimens. Japanese turnips can be enjoyed both raw and cooked as a nice addition to roasted vegetable preparations, soups or sautéed. They are also quite tasty when pickled or sliced thin and added raw to salads. Price averages $3 per bunch. Certified organic is available.

¢ lb.

GREEN CABBAGE

¢ lb.

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Coinstar at Both Locations LIMITED TO STOCK ON HAND. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES. PRICES EFFECTIVE 7 FULL DAYS FROM DECEMBER 30TH, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 5TH, 2022.

his time of year, I get a number of inquiries from customers looking for specific items that they’re having difficulties locating from their regular farmers. This includes things like cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes and green beans. People are not fully aware of the seasonality behind these “summer” products. This time of year they are all but unavailable, with the exception of a few select growers who have yet to experience frost. Or they produce such crops in hoop-houses or hydroponically in enclosed structures. The selection of fresh herbs is also much less accessible, with fresh basil being the top request that likely will not appear again until late spring or early summer. There are some fresh herbs, such as cilantro, rosemary, oregano and thyme that can still be found on a fairly consistent basis throughout the year locally, particularly from our more coastal growers. Another in abundance, which is related to both celery and carrots (also thriving this time of year), is fresh parsley. This refreshing winter herb delivers a nice earthy flavor with underlying notes of citrus and clove. It can be incorporated into a host of dishes such as soups and stews, salads, sauces or scrambled eggs. Parsley is nice when sprinkled over roasted vegetables, pasta dishes and quinoa. This week I prepared some miso-glazed Japanese turnips infused with a little maple syrup and finished with finely chopped fresh parsley.

SAM EDELMAN PHOTO

MISO-GLAZED JAPANESE TURNIPS 2 bunches of Japanese turnips (small to medium sized turnips) 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons miso paste (either white or sweet) 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or substitute honey) 2 teaspoons mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine) 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse the Japanese turnip bulbs and discard the tops, leaving attached about 1-2 inches of the green top towards the root. Also remove the attached root at the base. Slice the turnips in half lengthwise (unless really petite or quartered if large) and dry. In a sauté pan, add olive oil and turn to high heat. Once the pan is hot, add turnips and sear for about 2 minutes on each side, only turning once. Turn off heat. In a saucepan over mediumlow heat, add butter, miso paste, syrup and mirin. Mix until well incorporated. Pour mixture over turnips in sauté pan and toss to coat turnips. Then toss in 1 tablespoon of your finely chopped fresh parsley. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cook for about 10 minutes. I like to finish under the broiler during the final two minutes. Garnish with remaining tablespoon of fresh parsley. Serve hot. Yield: Serves about 4 sides.

SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

Diversions HOROSCOPE s PUZZLES

SUDOKU

Thought for Today

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How to play Codeword

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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.

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Answer here: <esterGD\·s

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By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

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get the best of you. LIBRA — After the rush of energy over the past few days, Libra, today you may feel a powerful letdown. Not every day can be filled with adventure and excitement. For now, you just need to take care of the routine matters that are a byproduct of life on Earth. However, keep in mind that there are many weekends coming up, and with the right kind of planning you can get excitement back into your life. SCORPIO — A goal that you’ve been trying to reach may be temporarily stalled, Scorpio, and you could be tempted to slip into despair, wondering if it will ever really happen. Remember that the keyword for today is “temporary.” Whatever obstacles are in your way will eventually be overcome and your goal should be to continue to advance in the direction you want. In the meantime, take care of your chores. They may be boring, but they’re necessary! SAGITTARIUS — Today you might realize that you need to make a certain purchase, Sagittarius. Perhaps your home or car requires some important repairs, or maybe some new equipment is necessary for your work. This could prove rather disheartening, as it might involve spending money that you’d rather use for something more exciting. Think of the trouble this expenditure should save you, however, and you’ll see the value of it all. CAPRICORN — The weight of too many responsibilities, perhaps involving family, a job, or group affiliation, could be very much on your mind today, Capricorn. You may feel like Atlas, carrying the world on your shoulders! You’re tired. Perhaps you need to reevaluate your commitments - your innate kindness may have caused you to make too many. Fulfill the ones you have, but think twice before making any new ones. You’re important too, after all. AQUARIUS — You may have your ups and downs today, Aquarius. You could get at least one phone call of the “good news, bad news” variety, and this could have your moods swinging back and forth like a pendulum. Try to stay centered. Take the good news as encouragement, and as for the bad news, try to consider it objectively and figure out ways to turn it to your advantage. There’s always a way. Hang in there! PISCES — Normally you tend to be a very spiritually oriented person, Pisces, but today you might find metaphysical concepts of all kinds rather baffling. Whether these are ideas you’ve embraced for a long time or new ones you’ve just discovered, you may find nagging little doubts creeping in, temporarily causing your faith to waver. This is a healthy development, however. A little doubt now and then can weed out concepts that don’t work for you and reaffirm your belief in others.

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HOROSCOPE ARIES — Today you might learn something about a friend that could be rather disconcerting, Aries. There could be a dark side to this person that you weren’t previously aware of, and this could cause you to want to withdraw for a while and reevaluate your involvement with this individual. When considering it, remember that we all have our dark sides. Could what you’ve discovered simply be this factor, or does this go too far beyond it for you? Think about it! TAURUS — Outside responsibilities might temporarily interfere with your love life, Taurus. You may feel a strong desire to get together with a love partner early in the evening, but circumstances may necessitate your working odd hours. This can be frustrating, as you’ve been looking forward to this for a long time, but you could meet your friend later in the evening. Don’t be afraid to ask. Most people understand when situations like this crop up. GEMINI — Today you’re likely to find your routine too boring for words, Gemini, and may have a sudden powerful urge to cut loose and play some serious hooky. Still, you may feel the pull of obligation. This conflicted feeling should pass. If it persists beyond today, however, you might need to reevaluate certain areas of your life. There are lots of opportunities out there, and life is too short to be stuck in a situation that doesn’t allow you to grow. CANCER — You could be feeling especially sensual and passionate today, Cancer, and you’ll want to get together with a love interest. However, other responsibilities could get in your way. This could provide you with the perfect excuse to sink into gloom, but don’t fall into this trap. Get whatever business you’re facing handled and out of the way. Or perhaps you can arrange to finish it tomorrow. Then set up that hot date! LEO — You may feel a bit of disappointment today, Leo. You might tend to view whatever snags you’ve hit on the path to accomplishing your goals as personal failures, and if you let it, this idea could persist with you throughout the day. Try to remain objective, and don’t lose sight of the big picture. You haven’t even lost a battle - at worst, it’s a minor conflict! Chances are that if you continue working hard you’ll still win the war! VIRGO — A rather disheartening phone call could come to you today, Virgo. This might bring news of a setback in one of your projects that is only temporary but nonetheless frustrating. You’ll probably have to deal with some trivial little details you’d rather not bother with, and this could take up too much valuable time. Hang in there - you’re still doing well! Don’t let your frustrations

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“Sincerity is the way to heaven.” — Mencius

Horoscope.com Thursday, December 30, 2021

CODEWORD PUZZLE

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

(Answers tomorrow) Jumbles: OUNCE WHILE ISLAND NORMAL Answer: When their son began to learn addition, his proud parents thought it was — “AWE-SUM”

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021