Santa Barbara News-Press: April 25, 2023

Cracking down on crime

Talent in sister cities

Santa Barbara Sister Cities board announces winners at Saturday’s artists and authors showcase

sB Council expected to establish parklet fees

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

After an unanticipated delay two weeks ago, the Santa Barbara City Council is expected today to adopt a resolution to establish fees for outdoor dining parklets on State Street and adjoining blocks.

The fees are meant to collect almost enough revenue to cover the city’s costs of cleaning and maintaining the downtown promenade, which staff estimates will cost about $675,000 in fiscal year 2024. The fees are expected to generate about $650,000 from parklets on the promenade, which go from the 400 to 1300 blocks of State Street.

The city approved a variable rate structure in January where fees would be determined by the amount of space taken up by a parklet — $5 per square foot up to 100% of business frontage, $7.50 per square foot for 100% to 200% beyond frontage and $10 per square foot for 200%-plus beyond frontage.

Restaurants would be able to reduce their fees by making various design changes to their

parklets, such as making them portable.

A portable parklet with no platform and no roof would cost $3 a square foot up to 100% of business frontage; a portable parklet with a platform and no roof would cost $4 a square foot; and parklets that are not portable and have no roof but have a platform would be $4.50 a square foot.

“It incentivizes portability and an updated design that allows businesses to determine the rate they pay based on what they are going to put outside,” Brian Bosse, the city’s downtown team manager, told the council back in January. “It gives them the opportunity to design what they want based on their needs.”

The council was all set to formally adopt the resolution establishing the outdoor dining fees at its April 11 meeting, but a majority of council members agreed to hold off after several restaurant owners complained that the fees were too high. They said it was unfair to make them bear the nearly full cost of promenade cleaning and maintenance.

By CALEB BEEGHLY NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Art and poems, created by 1318 year olds in Santa Barbara and Puerto Vallarta, were put on display and judged Saturday at Sister Cities International’s annual Young Artists and Authors Showcase.

Participants were invited to submit innovative creations to illustrate various aspects of food security in their own communities, fitting YAAS’ 2023 theme, “Peace by Piece: Food Security in My Community.”

The art was judged by Michael Long, an artist at Studio 121. The art was judged not just on its artistic merit — Mr. Long joked at the Santa Barbara event that he is a sucker for good shading and use of light — but also on how well it evokes what the artist was trying to convey. (Each piece had a written part detailing what the piece represented.)

According to Mr. Long, one of the more common styles of artwork among the pieces was a comic-book-esque or manga-like style, which he enjoyed.

The art was judged in two categories: artists from Santa Barbara and artists from Puerto Vallarta.

The winning artists from Santa Barbara are Leighton Willow Smith (first), April Harper (second), and Sebatian Cadwell (third).

And the winning artists from Puerto Vallarta are Melany Nicole Joya Rodriguez (first), Viviana Vasquez Romero (second) and

Amara Estefania Coria Garcia (third).

Mr. Long said there were many “really good pieces” and that the quality of the art often surpassed what you might expect from younger artists.

The poetry was judged by Alicia Sorkin, who is on the Santa Barbara-Puerto Vallarta Sister City Committee and is a former Spanish Literature teacher, and

Melinda Palacio, who recently became the Santa Barbara poet laureate.

Like the art, the poetry was not just judged on poetic merit but also on how well the message is conveyed through the poem.

The poetry contest consisted entirely of poets from Santa Barbara.

The winning poems are Ryan Calkins’ “Peace in the Garden”

Bed, Bath, and Beyond to close in Goleta and elsewhere

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Many customers have been shocked by the news that longtime retailer Bed, Bath, and Beyond, which has a location in Goleta, is shutting its doors due to bankruptcy.

(first), Brock Mitchell’s “I am an Oak Tree” (second) and Penelope Welsh’s “Counting Pennies” (third).

After seeing the submissions, Ms. Sorkin said the future of Santa Barbara poetry “is in good hands.”

For their thoughtful and hard work, the winning artists and authors received cash prizes.

Please see ART on A4

The news of the closure took place Sunday morning, when the retailer sent an email to customers sharing that the company was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, which is the location of the Bed, Bath, and Beyond headquarters.

The company will shut down all of its locations, which includes 360 Bed, Bath, and Beyond locations as well as 120 Buy, Buy, Baby locations.

The Goleta store at 189 N. Fairview Ave. has been confirmed to be a part of this

shut down, closing after serving the community for many years. There is no exact date of when the Goleta location is expected to close its doors, but it will be a part of the California closures that will take place by June 30. The San Luis Obispo and Ventura stores will also close by June 30. In the coming few weeks, Bed, Bath, and Beyond plans to have special sales and offers.

Additionally, changes in the return and exchange policies are probable, as many Bed, Bath and Beyond locations across the country have already enacted new policies.

Bed, Bath, and Beyond have said its coupons will stop being accepted once sales begin, and gift cards will not be valid in the coming weeks.

email: abahnsen@newspress.com

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

The M. Special brewery on State Street simplified its parklet design in January. The Santa Barbara City Council is expected to establish rental fees for parklets at its meeting today.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Gil Garcia, treasurer of the Santa Barbara Puerto Vallarta Sister City Committee, addresses the crowd at the Young Artists and Authors Showcase.

The first-place art entry by Melany Nicole Joya Rodriguez for the Mexico/Puerto Vallarta category, at the corner in the center, is shown during the YAAS Showcase.

Newsom calls out National Guard to ‘crack down on crime’ in San Francisco

By TOM JOYCE

THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - To deal with the fentanyl crisis in San Francisco, California is bringing in the National Guard.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an agreement between California Highway Patrol, California National Guard, San Francisco Police Department, and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office to help combat the city’s fentanyl problem.

The agencies will collaborate to stop fentanyl trafficking and large-scale drug dealing operations in the city.

“Two truths can co-exist at the

same time: San Francisco’s violent crime rate is below comparably sized cities like Jacksonville and Fort Worth — and there is also more we must do to address public safety concerns, especially the fentanyl crisis,” Gov. Newsom said in a press release issued by his office. “We’re taking action. Through this new collaborative partnership, we are providing more law enforcement resources and personnel to crack down on crime linked to the fentanyl crisis, holding the poison peddlers accountable, and increasing law enforcement presence to improve public safety and public confidence in San Francisco.”

Critics dispute the

characterization that San Francisco has less violent crime due to policies that differentiate incidents and number of victims involved.

Major General Matthew P. Beevers of the California National Guard expressed confidence that the National Guard would help fix this problem endured by San Francisco.

“The CalGuard is seeing significant success supporting multiagency task forces interdicting fentanyl across our state,” Gen. Beevers said in the release. “We expect to achieve the same success working with our partners in San Francisco.”

And San Francisco Mayor London Breed praised Governor

By TOM GANTERT THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) — The graphic novel “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe was the most challenged book of 2022, according to an annual list of the most controversial books as assessed by the American Library Association.

The list was published Monday during the start of National Library Week.

The presence of “Gender Queer” in high school libraries in the Santa Barbara Unified School District led to concern last fall by 805Analytics founder Thomas Cole, who has since announced he will run as a Republican candidate against U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, in the 2024 election.

In October, Mr. Cole spoke at a Montecito news conference, where he said, “We’re not against gay

people at all. We’re not against sex. We’re not prudes. (But) we are against school grooming of students with explicit sexual material depicting minors engaged in sex, which is what is in the book that we’re talking about.”

During a News-Press interview, Mr. Cole elaborated further, saying that regardless of the age of those depicted in the illustrations, the material should not be available to minors.

“Gender Queer” is not included in any lists of either required or recommended reading in the district, Santa Barbara Unified spokesman Nick Masuda told the News-Press in October.

“We understand that some literature can be perceived as controversial, and when that happens, we offer a process for parents and students to challenge materials,” the school district said in a statement in October. “As a district, we are firm believers

in providing literature for all audiences, as it speaks to our goal of being inclusive in all that we do. As always, we appreciate all voices and welcome them to sit at the table as we discuss what is and isn’t appropriate for our libraries.”

Meanwhile, the American Library Association said 2022 was a record year for books “targeted for censorship.” There were 2,571 unique titles challenged, of which 58% were in school libraries, classroom libraries or school curricula.

For example, Pittsburgh Public Schools purchased four books on the list.

Those books were “Gender Queer” (high school library), “The Bluest Eye” (grades 6-12), “The Absolutely True Diary of a Parttime Indian” (grades 6-12), and “Looking for Alaska” (grades 6–12).

The Center Square reached out to the district for comment

Carbajal, other lawmakers seeks disaster recovery package

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal has joined other California lawmakers in seeking the creation of a disaster recovery package in the House that can aid recovery efforts for the state’s farms and ranches impacted by this year’s storms.

From Dec. 27, 2022, to Jan. 16, 2023, California was hit with nine atmospheric rivers that brought on a multitude of storms to the state. These storms produced more than 32 trillion gallons of water in the state.

California has more agricultural production than

any other state in the union, with nearly 70,000 farms operated on 24.3 million acres.

There have already been more than 1,000 claims filed through the Farm Service Agency requesting for relief to many farms across the state.

The request for a disaster recovery package is being sent to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, RBakersfield, as well as Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York; House Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger, R-Texas, and Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.

email: abahnsen@newspress.com

Santa Barbara City Council to consider short-term rental enforcement program

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Santa Barbara City Council today will discuss the creation of a short-term rental enforcement pilot program.

The meeting will start at 2 p.m. at the council’s chambers at the Santa Barbara City Hall, 735 Anacapa St. City staff will bring a recommendation to the council today to approve funding for resources needed for appropriate inspection and enforcement.

The recommended funding is estimated at $1,175,000.

The enforcement program’s purpose is to assess the existence of unregulated shortterm rentals operating within Santa Barbara, with the goal of protecting rental housing stock and neighborhood character.

The objective of the 12-month program is to gather accurate data on the number, location and seasonality of short-term vacation rentals operating in the city before shifting efforts to enforcement of Santa Barbara’s zoning laws through investigation and, if necessary, prosecution of operating illegal rentals.

The program would be a joint effort of the City Attorney’s Office and the Finance Department.

City officials said housing is a top priority of the City Council and that the community and the use or acquisition of properties to conduct illegal

short-term rentals reduces available residential housing.

They also said short-term rentals can have adverse impacts on neighborhoods.

Currently, short-term rentals are not allowed in most inland areas as those zones are generally residential. In the coastal area, enforcement is complaint-driven due to nuisance-like conditions. In zones that allow short-term rental use, property owners can apply for a land use conversion permit to legally operate. The property must comply with the city’s zoning ordinance before such a permit can be issued.

Promotion of the proposed program has already prompted inquiries from property owners wanting to be proactive about the situation with their rentals, according to city officials.

There have also been inquiries about obtaining a business tax certificate. However, a business tax certificate does not legalize a short-term rental.

To determine if a property is in the coastal region, visit the City’s Accela Citizen Access site (aca-prod.accela.com/ SANTABARBARA/Default.aspx) or email PlanningCounter@ SantaBarbaraCA.gov

To apply for a land conversion in order to operate a short-term rental, email: PlanningCounter@ SantaBarbaraCA.gov.

email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

Newsom for helping to make the partnership a reality. “I want to thank Gov. Newsom for this critical support to help break up the open-air drug dealing happening in our city,” Mayor Breed said in the release.

“Our Police Department and District Attorney have been partnering to tackle this issue and increase enforcement, but our local agencies can use more support. With the Governor’s leadership and clear direction, our state enforcement agencies can partner with us to make a difference for our residents, businesses, and workers who are living with the impacts every day.”

Gov. Newsom has directed the

state’s highway patrol to find ways to work with the San Francisco police, including assigning personnel to help in combating the problem via technical assistance, training, and drug trafficking enforcement, including in the Tenderloin.

Gov. Newsom directed the CalGuard to “identify specialist personnel and resources to support analysis of drug trafficking operations, with a particular focus on disrupting and dismantling fentanyl trafficking rings,” according to the release.

Gov. Newsom’s office reiterates that the operation will seek to hold drug suppliers and traffickers accountable, not those using the substances.

Gov. Gavin Newsom

via email; no reply was received before publication of this story.

“Gender Queer” is a book schools around the country have purchased for their libraries in 2022, according to data from public information requests –using the Freedom of Information Act — sent to numerous districts by The Center Square.

The American Library Association reported that “Gender Queer” was challenged over “LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit.” The Iowa Standard has published images of the graphic novel’s illustrations. Those pictures show the main character’s legs covered with blood; blood on the main character’s underwear from an occurrence of menstruation; a blood-covered tampon; a toy vibrator that led to “my first orgasm” as well as two illustrations of young people

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

Driver dies after truck goes off highway

SANTA MARIA — A driver was killed Monday morning when his pickup truck went over the side of State Route 166 just west of Rockfront Ranch, Santa Barbara County Fire Department officials said.

The accident was reported at 8:14 a.m. Responding rescue workers found the pickup 300 feet over the side. The driver was pronounced deceased at the scene.

County Fire responded, as did the Santa Maria Fire Department and U.S. Forestry Service. Law enforcement handled the accident investigation.

— Neil Hartstein

Republicans’ debt ceiling plan expected to get a vote this week

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – U.S.

House Republicans may get their debt limit spending bill across the finish line this week as the federal government faces a looming deadline to raise the ceiling or default on obligations.

The House Rules Committee is expected to mark up the legislation Tuesday afternoon, which means there could be a vote later this week. Reports indicate Republican leadership has been working feverishly to ensure they have the votes for the deal, which they hope will set the table for negotiations with President Joe Biden and leading Democrats.

The Treasury Department is expected to give an update this week on just how close the U.S. is to defaulting on this imminent debt limit deadline. Defaulting on debt obligations would be unprecedented and likely catastrophic for the American economy. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., pitched his bill to voters on Fox

engaged in oral sex.

Maia Kobabe, the author of “Gender Queer,” goes by the pronouns e/em/eir.

The American Library Association’s list comes out during a national debate over what kind of books students have access to in school libraries. States across the country

have introduced legislation that pertains to school library books. According to EveryLibrary.org, there were 26 states that have introduced legislation pertaining to library book materials in 2023. News-Press Managing Editor Dave Mason contributed to this report.

WENDY McCAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . Co-Publisher

ARTHUR VON WIESENBERGER . . . . .Co-Publisher

YOLANDA APODACA . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Operations

DAVE MASON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Editor

HOW TO REACH US . . .

MAIN OFFICE 725 S. Kellogg Ave. Goleta, CA 93117 805-564-5200

MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 1359, Santa Barbara 93102

NEWSROOM ADVERTISING

HOW TO GET US . . . CIRCULATION ISSUES 805-966-7171

refunds@newspress.com

newsubscriptions@newspress.com

vacationholds@newspress.com cancellations@newspress.com

News Hotline 805-564-5277

Email...dmason@newspress.com

Life 805-564-5277

Sports 805-564-5277

News Fax 805-966-6258

Corrections 805-564-5277

Classified 805-564-5247

Classified Fax 805-966-1421

Retail 805-564-5230

Retail Fax 805-966-1421

Voices/editorial pages ..805-564-5277

COPYRIGHT ©2023 SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

All rights are reserved on material produced by the News-Press, including stories, photos, graphics, maps and advertising. News-Press material is the property of Ampersand Publishing LLC. Reproduction or nonpersonal usage for any purpose without written permission of the News-Press is expressly prohibited. Other material, including news service stories, comics, syndicated features and columns, may be protected by separate copyrights and trademarks.

“I

Mail delivery of the News-Press is available in most of Santa Barbara County. If you do not receive your paper Monday through Saturday, please call our Circulation Department. The Circulation Department is open Monday - Saturday 8 a.m. to noon.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Mail delivery in Santa Barbara County:

$5.08 per week includes sales tax, daily, and the Weekend edition. Holidays only, $3.85 per week includes sales tax. Single-copy price of 75 cents daily and $2 Weekend edition includes sales tax at vending racks. Tax may be added to copies puchased elsewhere. www.newspress.com Newspress.com is a local virtual community network providing information about Santa Barbara, in addition to the online edition of the News-Press.

VOL. 167 NO. 303

NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal

‘Gender Queer’ tops list of most challenged books for second year in a row Book was found in libraries in school districts, including Santa Barbara Unified

Maria Bartiromo.”

cannot imagine someone in our conference who would want to go along with Biden’s reckless spending,” he said. “This is responsible, this is something we have sat down for months and everybody’s had input in. It doesn’t solve all our problems, but it gets us on the right path.”

Rep. McCarthy’s nod toward “reckless” federal spending is a

COURTESY PHOTO

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

Fearless jugglers

UCSB’s Mortensen named Big West Player of the Week

By ERIC BOOSE UCSB SPORTS WRITER

After becoming just the third player in UCSB history to hit 40 career home runs over the weekend, Broc Mortensen has won The Big West Baseball Player of the Week award, the conference announced on Monday. It is the second Big West weekly honor of his career, his first this season.

Mortensen’s 40th homer capped a great week at the plate for the redshirt senior, a four-game stretch in which he batted .467/.579/1.067, leading the Gauchos in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging. He also hit three doubles and recorded five RBI, both team-highs, and walked more times than he struck out, earning a team-best four free passes.

Mortensen started his week strong, hitting a home run in his first at-bat on Tuesday at Pepperdine and adding a double in the ninth. He continued to

New rate structure would take effect on May 1

COUNCIL

Continued from Page A1

spark the Gaucho offense in their series sweep of UC San Diego over the weekend, driving in the opening two runs of Saturday’s game with a double and doing the same on Sunday with career home run number 40. He also set up UCSB’s first run on Friday, laying down a textbook sacrifice bunt to move runners to second and third, enabling the lead runner to score on a groundout.

Mortensen, who is now two away from tying the program’s career home run record of 42 set by Matt Wilkerson from 2002-2005, will continue his home run chase this weekend, as the Gauchos return home to Caesar Uyesaka Stadium for a three-game series against UC Davis from Friday through Monday. First pitch times are set for 5:05 p.m. Friday, 4:05 p.m. Saturday and 1:05 p.m. Sunday.

Eric Boose is assistant director of athletic communications at UCSB. email: sports@newspress.com

Biden’s secretary nominee for Labor Department faces confirmation battle

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Senate HELP Committee is expected Wednesday to vote on the nomination of Julie Su, President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Department of Labor, sending it out of committee and to the Senate for consideration.

The Senate confirmed Ms. Su to serve as deputy secretary for the federal agency

in July of 2021, but she will likely face a tougher process to lead the agency this time around.

Critics say Su’s California labor policy is too far to the left for the rest of the U.S.

“Appointing Julie Su to lead the Department of Labor would be an affront to American workers and taxpayers,” Rachel Greszler, a labor policy expert at the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation, told The Center Square. “Su’s

Please see NOMINEE on A4

“I continue to have significant discomfort with the rent that is being charged,” Councilmember Meagan Harmon said. “I certainly would agree that more discussion is warranted.”

The council gave staff two weeks to consider reducing the fees and return to them with new recommendations.

That deadline is today.

What was surprising was that the April 11 vote was listed on the council’s consent calendar, which council members routinely approve without discussion.

Councilmember Alejandra Gutierrez, however, called for a delay.

“I would rather have everyone come together in agreement, instead of government telling the community what to do,” she said. “We can’t be divided in this decision. I really want to respect the business owners.”

She proposed that restaurants pay $3.50 per square foot up to 100% of business frontage.

Councilmember Eric Friedman, however, questioned where the money would come from to pay for cleaning and maintaining the promenade, including the parklets, if the fees were in fact reduced.

City Administrator Rebecca Bjork said it would have to come out of the General Fund or downtown parking funds.

In the end, the council voted 5-1 to wait. The sole dissenter was Mayor Randy Rowse, who criticized his colleagues for backing off the council’s Jan. 12 decision establishing the fees.

“I am just frustrated because once again it looks like we are being a very indecisive council,” he said. “To rehash this yet again, and we will, are we going to make a decision next time? I am not confident. I am a little disappointed in the way this discussion has gone.

“This is not the time to play ‘Let’s Make a Deal.’”

When the outdoor parklets were first allowed in 2020, they were considered vital in helping restaurants on lower State Street survive during the COVID-19 pandemic when indoor dining was prohibited.

Mayor Rowse, however, noted that the restaurants now have had three years of free outdoor use of the public right-of-way. “And that’s our fault,” he said. “No one else can do billing than us.”

If approved, the new rate structure is supposed to take effect May 1.

email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com

Legislation would put work requirements on some social programs

PLAN

Continued from Page A2

driving impetus for Republicans in this fight.

The U.S. debt has surpassed $31 trillion and will top $32 trillion in a few months. President Biden has reduced the deficit from the pandemic era high-level spending, but both the deficit and the debt are at unprecedented highs in recent years.

Budget groups have warned that if something is not done soon the U.S. could be in trouble.

The Limit, Save, Grow Act, as Republicans have named it, would extend the debt ceiling either until March 31 of next year or for another $1.5 trillion, whichever comes first. Notably, that would likely put the next debt limit battle in the heart of election season.

“Our legislation accomplishes the same goal by returning the federal government to 2022 levels, and then limit the growth to spending over the next 10 years to 1% of annual growth,”

Rep. McCarthy said in a speech last week unveiling the plan.

The legislation would cut back on climate and energy tax credits included in President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and would put work requirements in place for some federal social programs, such as requiring Medicaid recipients to work 80 hours per month, averaging at 20 hours per week. The bill would also put Republicans’ long awaited permitting reforms in place and formally block President Biden’s student loan cancellation. Rep. McCarthy said the plan would cut $4.5 trillion in spending, a number the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said is about right.

“The Limit, Save, Grow Act also includes policy changes related to regulations, energy, and permitting, including the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, which would require Congress to approve any federal rule or regulation that the Office of Management and Budget determines would have an economic impact of $100 million

or more,” the group said. “It also includes the House-passed Lower Energy Costs Act, which would repeal some of the IRA’s climate provisions and rescind the funding for them, allow for additional sales of oil and gas leases, and make changes to permitting regulations.

CBO estimates the Lower Energy Costs Act would add $430 million to deficits over the next decade, while there is no score yet for the REINS Act.”

While all of these Republican provisions are unlikely to make it into the final deal, they lay out Republicans’ goals and starts the negotiations, which will likely be fervent to reach an agreement and avoid a default.

So far, President Biden has said he does not want to negotiate because the risk of defaulting on the debt is too great. If Republicans pass this legislation, the ball will be in his court. “Why won’t the president sit down to negotiate a responsible debt limit increase?” Rep. McCarthy wrote on Twitter Monday morning. “What is he afraid of?”

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

Beginners and pros alike practice juggling Sunday during the three-day Isla Vista Jugglers Festival at UCSB.

ART

Continued from Page A1

Also at the showcase was Bobby Martinez, mayor of Port Hueneme. Puerto Vallarta and Port Hueneme recently became sister cities.

Mayor Martinez described the new relationship as an opportunity to share ideas. For instance, Puerto Vallarta and Port Hueneme are both ports with naval bases, but Puerto Vallarta has much more tourism than Port Hueneme.

During his Sister City visit to Puerto Vallarta, Mayor Martinez was inspired by the bright and colorful art that is throughout Puerto Vallarta.

And at Saturday’s event in Santa Barbara, Gil Garcia, treasurer of the Santa Barbara-Puerto Vallarta Sister City Committee, traced the mission of Sister City International back to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who created the Sister Cities program to bring communities from different countries together, humanizing each city in the eyes of the other and creating enduring relationships.

Mr. Garcia explained the four pillars of relationships.

First, the relationship must be centered around respect, he said. Once that is done, the relationship can develop into a deep friendship.

If that relationship is more deeply cultivated, then the “friend’ starts to become like an “extended family member,” or even a brotherhood or sisterhood, Mr. Garcia said.

Eventually, the relationship reaches the fourth pillar, family love, which Mr. Garcia described as “the most powerful driving force.”

The goal is to use this driving force as a way to bring the communities together and solve

problems.

One example that Mr. Garcia gave is the police exchange program between Santa Barbara and Puerto Vallarta. Although halted due to the pandemic,

the multiple exchanges across the program resulted in police officers in Puerto Vallarta receiving training in computers — along with computers for their stations in Puerto Vallarta.

“Once you develop a friendship, you need to be a door that opens pieces of the communities to each other,” explained Mr. Garcia. email: cbeeghly@newspress.com

Critics say nominee is too liberal for national role

NOMINEE

Continued from Page A3 record in California stands alone as reason to reject her nomination. As head of California’s Employment Development Department, Su failed to follow the state auditor’s advice, which resulted in massive stolen identities and billions of taxpayers’ dollars sent to criminals.”

Ms. Su faced a HELP committee hearing last week, where Republicans raised concerns about Ms. Su’s support of Assembly Bill 5 in California, a measure that would have banned independent contractor relationships in the state. The PRO Act, a similar legislative effort at the federal level, has gained support but not enough to become law.

“As secretary for the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, Ms. Su was the chief enforcer of AB5 – a controversial law that dismantles the gig economy such as Uber, Door Dash, and Lyft, and removes the flexibility of individuals to work as independent contractors,” U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said during last week’s hearing. “Independent contractors, or freelancers, make their own hours and choose the type of

work they wish to do.

“They are shielded from forced or coerced unionization that would strip that flexibility away. This has made eliminating freelancing a top priority for large labor unions who want more workers paying forced union dues.”

Democrats have boosted Ms. Su, pointing to her record helping American workers as deputy secretary in the Labor Department.

“Julie Su is a strong champion for workers everywhere. After years of exemplary public service to California and the nation, she is more than qualified to lead the Department of Labor,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said at Ms. Su’s confirmation hearing last week.

“As deputy secretary of Labor, and now acting secretary, Ms. Su has helped the administration add a record 12.6 million jobs to the American economy since President Biden took office. I’m confident that her service will fundamentally strengthen American labor in the years ahead and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting her nomination.”

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council has vocally opposed Ms. Su’s nomination. The group sent a letter to Democratic and Republican leadership expressing similar concerns about AB5.

“Ms. Su’s actions and statements are clear in her desire to force self-employed, independent freelancers into employment relationships they do not want,” the letter said. “Small businesses – all businesses – count on individuals with independent businesses to conduct important projects and work that do not require full-time employees. Moreover, most of the entrepreneurs and free-lancers who conduct this work want to work this way – they want the flexibility and freedom that independent contracting offer.”

Big labor union groups have expressed support for Ms. Su, drawing familiar battle lines in this confirmation process.

“What’s most impressive about Su is that she understands the nuances of labor law so thoroughly and translates that knowledge to meaningful policy that changes lives,” the AFL-CIO said in an online petition to rally public support for Ms. Su.

Whether Ms. Su will be confirmed remains to be seen.

“Moreover, Su actively supported legislation that’s destroyed jobs and small businesses in California and as head of the Department of Labor, she would take California’s failed policies nationwide,” Ms. Greszler said.

LOCK, Candice Lynn

July 05, 1951 - April 15, 2023

Candice Lynn Lock “Candy”, age 71, of Solvang unexpectedly passed away in Santa Barbara, CA on April 15, 2023.

Candy was born in Santa Monica, CA on July 05, 1951, to Suzanne and Donald Smith. Candy grew up in Woodland Hills, where she successfully participated in competitive figure skating.

Candy married Rodney in Tarzana, CA in 1971, and together they had 2 children. She worked alongside her husband in the Arabian horse business for many years and enjoyed traveling, camping and spending time with her family.

Candy is survived by her loving husband of 52 years, Rod as well as her children Jason, and Jennifer (Joshua) Anker, grandson Rielly; sister Cathy (Don) Hummer, brother Gary, and mother Sue as well as many beloved nieces and nephews. Candy was predeceased by her sister Cheryl McCurdy and father Donald Smith. Memorial services will be held at Oak Hill Cemetery in Ballard, CA on April 27, 2023, at 1:00 p.m.

Loper Funeral Chapel, Directors

find obituary info remember your loved one at www.newspress.com

Obituary notices are published daily in the Santa Barbara News-Press and also appear on our website www.newspress.com To place an obituary, please email the text and photo(s) to obits@ newspress.com or fax text only (no photos) to (805) 966-1421. Please include your name, address, contact phone number and the date(s) you would like the obituary to be published. Photos should be in jpeg format with at least 200 dpi. If a digital photo is not available, a picture may be brought into our office for scanning. We will lay out the obituary using our standard format. A formatted proof of the obituary and the cost will be emailed back for review

located at 715 Anacapa Street. The deadline for Weekend and Monday’s editions is at 10a.m. on Thursdays; Tuesday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Fridays; Wednesday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Mondays; Thursday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Tuesdays; Friday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Wednesdays (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.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Leighton Willow Smith won first place in the U.S./Santa Barbara category in the art contest for her work.

Michael Long, a judge in the art category, announces the winners of the art category from both nations during YAAS Showcase. Mr. Long said the quality of the art often surpassed what you might expect from younger artists.

‘Once you develop a friendship, you need to be a door that opens pieces of the communities to each other’

Life theArts

CALENDAR

Mother’s Day Perfume

By KIRA LOGAN

CORRESPONDENT

Scent is the sense that can transport people. Back to their grandmother’s home, back to their first love, back to their high school football stadium and other cherished memories.

To celebrate this “superpower,”

Sol Aromatics founder Susan Farber is hosting a Mother’s Day Perfume Workshop on May 13 in Buellton. Participants are welcome to attend it with their moms.

Ms. Farber is a privatepracticing psychotherapist and a natural perfumer, who works both as a psychotherapist and the owner of her aromatherapy business.

During a News-Press interview about her background, business and upcoming workshops, Ms. Farber elaborated on her love for scents and perfume.

“When I was a little girl, I was gifted a perfume kit from my mom. I loved it (perfume) when I was a little girl,” Ms. Farber said. “After I became licensed as a therapist, I had a perfume made for me, and I got hooked in the whole process of making perfume again.”

It seems like the power of scent has always made its way back to Ms. Farber, and she has transformed her career into spreading that power to her clients.

As a mind-body therapist, Ms. Farber creates a state of joy or peace for her clients through aroma, which she said, “affects you and your body right away.” Ms. Farber uses essential oils with her therapy clients and guides them in blending three to four oils for them to create an intention of what they would like to manifest.

“My work is geared toward all different walks of life. I work all the way down to kids and up to older adults,” the perfumer said.

“(My work) is for anyone who has a love for fragrance.”

Sol Aromatics was founded 10 to 12 years ago, but Ms. Farber has more than 30 years experience in psychotherapy, and she has been using essential oils with her clients for most of her clinical work.

“I’m a mind-body therapist. And I look at how the mind affects the body, and how the body affects the mind,” she said. Ms. Farber went on to explain that she focuses on creating positive association through

associative learning principles, to then diffuse stress responses on a body level and get them in present time.

“This work helps people with trauma and PTSD,” she said. “It’s not talk-therapy focused, instead it’s working on a body level.”

Ms. Farber’s Mother’s Day Perfume Workshop will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 13 at Windmill Nursery, 925 State Route 246, Buellton.

“The Mother’s Day Workshop is meant for celebrating mother-

daughter and mother-child bonds, and celebrating that bond by cocreating a perfume together,” Ms. Farber said. She explained that the workshop’s main goal is to give mothers and their children an experience that then becomes linked to the perfume they make together. “Every time they put their perfume on, they have that connection with their mom and remember the experience they had together.”

Ms. Farber’s workshop is

focused on celebrating a mother’s love and creating a keepsake and positive associative memory for the attending mothers and daughters. The attendees of the event will be introduced to 28 ingredients, with 18 essential oils and absolutes.

Ms. Farber will introduce the participants to base notes, heart notes and top notes in perfume making. The attendees will learn and go through the entire process, with the lead of Ms. Farber.

COURTESY PHOTO

Movie and TV star Jane Seymour will be the keynote speaker when the Alzheimer’s Women’s Initiative Inspire Luncheon: Brain Matters takes place Wednesday at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.

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. “Storytelling: Native People Through the Lens of Edward S. Curtis” is on display through April 30 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays. For more information, visit sbnature. org. 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. “SURREAL

WOMEN: Surrealist Art by American Women” is on display through April 24 at Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery, 11 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, www.sullivangoss.com. By appointment on weekdays: “Holly Hungett: Natural Interpretations” is on view through May 20 at the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara’s gallery, 229 E. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. The gallery is open 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and weekdays by appointment. For more information, call the foundation at 805-965-6307 or go to www.afsb. org. Noon to 5 p.m. “Clarence Mattei: Portrait of a Community” is on view now through May at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, which is located in downtown Santa Barbara at 136 E. De la Guerra St. Admission is free. Hours are currently from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and from noon to 7 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, visit www.sbhistorical. org.

7:30 p.m. The American Theatre Guild will present “Anastasia” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The new Broadway musical follows a brave young woman on a journey to discover the mystery of the past. This production transports the audiences from the twilight of the Russian empire to Paris in the 1920s. Tickets cost $54 to $129. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

APRIL 26

11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Movie and TV star Jane Seymour will be the keynote speaker when the Alzheimer’s Women’s Initiative Inspire Luncheon: Brain Matters takes place at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront, 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd.. Santa Barbara. To purchase tickets, go to inspire2023. givesmart.com

7:30 p.m. The American Theatre Guild will present “Anastasia” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The new Broadway musical follows a brave young woman on a journey to discover the mystery of the past. This production transports the audiences from the twilight of the Russian empire to Paris in the 1920s. Tickets cost $54 to $129. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

APRIL 26

The Santa Barbara Fair and Expo will take place April 26-30 at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. For more information, go to earlwarren.com/ fair-and-expo.

APRIL 27

The Santa Barbara Fair and Expo

Managing Editor Dave Mason dmason@newspress.com

TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2023

Carpinteria History Museum to host The Marketplace

CARPINTERIA — The Carpinteria Valley Historical Society and History Museum will host its outdoor fundraiser called “The Marketplace” from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday on the museum grounds, 956 Maple Ave., downtown Carpinteria.

The Marketplace will be filled with vendors offering a variety of goods, including handcrafted gifts, specialty foods, toys, antiques, furniture, jewelry, clothing, plants, musical

CALENDAR

Continued from Page B1

will take place through April 30 at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. For more information, go to earlwarren.com/fair-and-expo.

7:30 p.m. Pico Iyer will talk with movie star Isabella Rossellini at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $35 for general admission and $10 for UCSB students. To purchase, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at 805-893-3535 or go to artsandlectures.ucsb.edu.

instruments, household items including quilts, kitchenware, chinaware, and much more. Prices at Granny’s Attic, the booth operated by the museum, start at 25 cents. A popular vendor, Midnight Sky Bookstore, will be in attendance at the fundraiser. The bookstore is a pop-up and online children’s bookstore with a small inventory of carefully selected books for children of all ages.

APRIL 28

The Santa Barbara Fair and Expo will take place through April 30 at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. For more information, go to earlwarren.com/fair-and-expo.

APRIL 29

The Santa Barbara Fair and Expo will take place through April 30 at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. For more information, go to earlwarren.com/fair-and-expo.

APRIL 30

The Santa Barbara Fair and Expo

The fundraiser will also have live music being performed by local musicians. There will be food and drinks available for purchase. Admission is free to the Marketplace. Another Marketplace is scheduled for May 27. For more information visit carpinteriahistoricalmuseum. org.

will take place through April 30 at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. For more information, go to earlwarren.com/fair-and-expo.

3:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Museum of Art presents a unique conversation between renowned poet and art critic John Yau and artist Joan Tanner.

The event will take place at 3:30 p.m. April 30 at SBMA’s Mary Craig Auditorium, 1130 State St., Santa Barbara. Tickets are free for SBMA members and students and cost $5, otherwise. They are available at tickets.sbma.net.

— Dave Mason

Island Packers presents a harbor cruise in Ventura

VENTURA — On select Saturdays in June through October, Island Packers presents a special one-hour scenic Evening Harbor Cruise from 6-7 p.m. aboard a 64-foot catamaran in Ventura Harbor. The cruise will offer guests the opportunity to capture the wonderful scenery of the ocean,

watch the boats sail by, and view a variety of marine birds, harbor seals, and sea lions.

While on board, guests get a 360-degree view of Ventura Harbor and a glimpse of the spectacular homes in the Ventura Keys.

There will be a variety of beers and wines, as well as non–

alcoholic beverages and snacks, available for purchase. The prices for the cruise are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors (55 and older), and $12 for children (age 12 and younger). For reservations, book online at islandpackers.com.

Laura Dern, Diane Ladd at UCSB

Laura Dern and Diane Ladd will be speaking May 3 during a UCSB Arts and Lectures program to discuss their new book “Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life and Love.” This talk will be in conversation with KLITE’s Catherine Remak. This event will take place at

7:30 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall.

In the new book, movie star Diane Ladd shares about her diagnosis with a life-threatening illness, and how her daughter and movie star Laura Dern, accompanied her on doctorprescribed walks. On these walks, the conversations they had altered traditional barriers between

mother and daughter and became the basis for their new book. “Honey, Baby, Mine” was released in stores today. If you would like more information or to buy tickets for the event, visit artsandlectures. ucsb.edu.

— Annika Bahnsen

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ wins again at the box office

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

Not even the supernatural can defeat “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Based on the Nintendo game, the movie remained the No. 1 film for its third weekend, with a gross of $58.2 million. That put it well ahead of a horror movie — “Evil Dead Rise,” which opened in second place at $23.5 million. “The Covenant,” which follows U.S. Army Sgt. John Kinley and Afghan interpreter Ahmed, opened in third place with $6.28 million.

“John Wick: Chapter 4” dropped to the No. 4 spot from No. 3 with $5.75 million.

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” climbed to fifth place from sixth with $5.4 million.

“Air” — the movie about Nike’s efforts to recruit NBA star Michael Jordan to endorse the Air Jordan shoes — dropped to sixth place from fifth with $4.94 million.

“The Pope’s Exorcist” fell to seventh place from second. It grossed $3.32 million.

“Renfield,” the horror comedy about Count Dracula’s henchman

(played by Nicholas Hoult), dropped to eighth place from fourth with $3.1 million. Nicolas Cage plays Count Dracula. “Beau is Afraid” — the story of an anxiety-ridden man facing his darkest fears — climbed to ninth place from 15th with $2.82 million.

“Suzume,” an anime movie about a 17-year-old girl helping a young man save Japan from disasters, dropped to 10th place from seventh. It grossed $1.67 million.

email: dmason@newspress.com

PERFUME

Continued from Page B1

“They will be learning how to blend the notes together to make something harmonious,” she told the News-Press. “Some essences they’ve probably never been exposed to.”

Ms. Farber explained she will teach the workshop attendees an aroma method by Mandy Aftel, a Berkeley perfumer whom she trained under. “Her blending technique is used with some modifications of mine for the workshop.”

Ms. Farber collected the essential oils and essences that

FYI

The Mother’s Day Perfume Workshop will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 13 at Windmill Nursery, 925 State Route 246, Buellton. To register or learn more about future workshops, go to solaromatics.com.

will be provided at the workshop.

“I spend many hours curating them (essential oils). I love collecting oils and finding them from the source, which is the distiller.

“I also make some of my own oils (which will not be in the workshop), and I have an aromatic garden that I grow and extract

scents out of.”

Ms. Farber served her clients as both an aromatherapist and psychotherapist. She separates her two similar paths of work, clarifying that her therapy clients who are trying to be in a certain state of mind are given specific essential oils curated for their situation, whereas her perfume workshops are to rather celebrate the love of scent and share it with one another.

There are only 12 spaces available, and Ms. Farber clarifies that it’s so limited because, “I want to be able to give people hands-on guidance during the workshop.”

email: klogan@newspress.com

— Annika Bahnsen

— Annika Bahnsen

Throughout the summer, Island Packers will present an Evening Harbor Cruise in the Ventura Harbor.

PHOTOS COURTESY SUSAN FARBER

Participants show their perfume at the Mother’s Day Perfume Workshop.

Diversions

Thought for Today

“Try to be like the turtle - at ease in your own shell.”

— Bill Copeland

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

ARIES — This will be a day rich in reflection, Aries. You’re able to observe what is going around you while still retaining your distance. Other people’s ambitions will seem amusing to you as they play their parts more like caricatures than real people. Stepping back like this does you good. You should do it more often.

TAURUS — Some longawaited recognition could come your way today, Taurus. You’re finished with the hassles you’ve experienced recently and have now entered a calmer period. Those who could only criticize before can’t find enough words to praise you. Take the compliments at face value.

GEMINI — You have a day of profound reflection ahead. While you may be tempted to think about how far you’ve come, your time would be better spent thinking about what the future holds. You’ve entered a period of rethinking your identity and objectives. These aren’t small things.

CANCER — This would be an ideal day to take extra good care of your body, Cancer. Don’t kid yourself that those back problems will just go awayditto that pain in your knee. Pick up the phone and make that appointment with the physical therapist.

LEO — You may have recently modified the material aspects of your life. Was it sufficient to stop there? More profound changes might be in order. Take a look at what motivated you to create the life you live now. Pay special attention to the choices you’ve made in your professional life.

VIRGO — This will be a great day to meditate, Virgo. You may be a bit dissatisfied with yourself because your various projects have yet to take form. You’re impatient, but who wouldn’t be? This waiting period has lasted for about two months, but will soon end. The planets ask you to consider only what is essential.

LIBRA — It’s an excellent day, but be careful not to go

overboard. You might be tempted to think that minor financial difficulties are already behind you. Alas, they are not. What you do today provides the blueprint for your future. Continued efforts to stabilize your behavior will provide the future security you desire.

SCORPIO — You’re in the home stretch now, Scorpio!

Kiss your worries goodbye. Your efforts pay off in spades as people listen to your advice and bend over backward to please you. Although certain details in your love life still need ironing out, it’s safe to coast for a while. You’ve spent months in this process of self-transformation and you deserve a little rest.

SAGITTARIUS — Your life certainly seems to revolve around human contact.

You’re an outgoing, cheerful, engaging conversationalist who enjoys bringing people together, though lately you’ve been yearning to be alone. Sagittarius, don’t ignore any urge you feel for solitude. Even though it’s an unusual need for you, it’s still a valid one.

CAPRICORN — Sometimes friends become a person’s real family. Your friendships are deep and enduring. Many people are eager to give you help today, so why are you reluctant to receive it? Haven’t you been the one promoting the benefits of warm, sincere friendship? T

AQUARIUS — You’ve made it over the hump, Aquarius. You’ve moved beyond the problems of the recent past and are entering a more peaceful phase. You will complete your projects at work, and your domestic life will be the picture of bliss and harmony. Enjoy this period of rest and relaxation.

PISCES — The outlook for today is excellent, Pisces. The current alignment of the planets and the somewhat oppressive atmosphere of the past few days inspire you to change your surroundings and visit new places. Why not plan a little trip? All signs indicate that now is the best time for such an adventure.

DAILY BRIDGE

By FRANK STEWART

Tribune Content Agency

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

“Know any bar jokes?” I asked my friend the English professor, who doubles as a humorist.

“You mean such as, two quotation marks walk into a ‘bar’?”

I groaned.

“A mixed metaphor walks into a bar,” said the prof, “and sees the handwriting on the wall but hopes to nip it in the bud.”

Today’s West led the jack of diamonds against four hearts, and South saw the handwriting on the wall: He faced a loser in each suit. South took the ace but did not lead trumps; a losing finesse would let West continue diamonds to set up a winner. South led a spade to his jack and back to dummy’s king. East won and led a trump.

LAST DIAMOND

South managed the trumps correctly: He did not finesse (giving West a chance to clear dummy’s trumps). Instead South put up the ace, led a diamond to dummy, threw his last diamond on the queen of spades and lost the club finesse.

West returned a club, but South won and ruffed his last club in dummy. He lost a trump to West but made his game. Well played! DAILY QUESTION

You open one diamond, your partner responds one

SUDOKU

CODEWORD PUZZLE

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3-by-3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9. that means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Sudoku puzzles appear on the Diversions page Monday through Saturday.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Answers to previous CODEWORD

How to play Codeword

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

PUZZLE

spade, you raise to two spades and he bids 2NT. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s 2NT is a try for game and suggests about 11 points, balanced. You must sign off with your minimum. Since you have four-card spade support, bid three spades. You would jump to four spades with

EPA announces

$400M in clean bus grants in $5B plan to transform school fleets

By TOM GANTERT THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Monday it had at least $400 million in grants to help school districts pay for alternative-energy school buses.

The grants are part of President Joe Biden’s agenda to provide $5 billion to “transform the nation’s fleet of school buses.” Last year the Biden administration awarded nearly $1 billion to fund electric and low-emission buses for school districts.

For example, in 2018, the Seattle Public Schools passed a resolution stating it would be “fossil-fuel free” by 2040. That resolution stated, “All new district vehicles purchased after April 10, 2021 will be either zero-emission or, if zero-emission is not possible, the vehicle will produce the lowest-possible emissions.”

The School District of Philadelphia stated it plans to purchase 47 alternative fuel buses this year. The district had 349 diesel, 16 gas and five electric buses at the start of the 2022-23 school year.

Traditional diesel school buses cost about $90,000 on average while electric school buses cost about $290,000, according to Gregory Poole Equipment Company, which sells school buses in North and South Carolina.

“President Biden and Vice President Harris believe our kids deserve cleaner school buses, which will improve the health of communities and reduce emissions,” said Mitch Landrieu in a media release. He’s senior advisor to the president and White House infrastructure coordinator. “Communities will also benefit from cleaner air and energy savings by replacing old, dirty diesel school buses with cleaner alternatives.”

Criminal complaints filed against 44 Chinese operating ‘police stations’ in

New York City

Report claims Chinese agents are operating in San Francisco, Houston,

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Criminal complaints have been filed against at least 44 Chinese nationals for allegedly committing crimes against American citizens or residents on behalf of the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Public Security, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced Friday.

An international non-governmental organization claims other Chinese operatives are active in Canada and the U.S., specifically in San Francisco, Houston and two Midwestern states.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York unsealed two criminal complaints that charged 44 people, including 40 MPS officers and two officials in the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), for allegedly perpetrating “transnational repression schemes targeting U.S. residents whose political views and actions are disfavored by the PRC government, such as advocating for democracy in the PRC,” the DOJ said in a statement.

Those charged allegedly created and used thousands of fake online personas on social media sites, including Twitter, to harass and intimidate PRC dissidents residing in the U.S. and abroad. They also sought to suppress free speech on a U.S. telecommunications company platform and disseminated official PRC government propaganda to counter pro-democracy speech of Chinese dissidents without the social media companies detecting it, the complaint states. Those charged are all believed to be living in China or another Asian country and remain at large, the

DOJ said.

“China’s Ministry of Public Security used operatives to target people of Chinese descent who had the courage to speak out against the Chinese Communist Party – in one case by covertly spreading propaganda to undermine confidence in our democratic processes and, in another, by suppressing U.S. video conferencing users’ free speech,” Acting Assistant Director Kurt Ronnow of the FBI Counterintelligence Division said. “We aren’t going to tolerate CCP repression – its efforts to threaten, harass, and intimidate people – here in the United States. The FBI will continue to confront the Chinese government’s efforts to violate our laws and repress the rights and freedoms of people in our country.”

The two-count complaint charges 34 MPS officers with conspiracy to transmit interstate threats and conspiracy to commit interstate harassment.

Those charged are believed to be working with Beijing’s MPS bureau or are assigned to an elite task force called the “912 Special Project Working Group” to target Chinese dissidents living in the U.S. and throughout the world, according to the complaint. “As alleged, the PRC government deploys its national police and the 912 Special Project Working Group not as an instrument to uphold the law and protect public safety, but rather as a troll farm that attacks persons in our country for exercising free speech in a manner that the PRC government finds disagreeable, and also spreads propaganda whose sole purpose is to sow divisions within the United States,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York said.

An amended complaint charges 10 individuals, including a former PRC-based company employee, six MPS officers, and two CAC officials, with conspiracy to commit interstate harassment and unlawful conspiracy to transfer means of identification. All remain at large.

According to investigations by the Madrid, Spain-based nongovernmental organization, Safeguard Defenders, the PRC uses “illicit methods to harass, threaten, intimidate and force targets to return to China for persecution,” including through officers working in at least 102 “Chinese Overseas Police Service Centers” or “police stations,” in 53 countries. Through them, they are engaging in “persuasions to return” operations designed to “intimidate and force targets to return to China for persecution,” the report states. It cites a Chinese report on the PRC State Council Overseas Chinese Affairs Office in 2014 announcing its plans to establish 60 police stations worldwide. Since then, 46 centers have been identified in 40 countries, according to the Safeguard

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN 2023-0000943 The

states

Defenders report. As of 2018, these police offices were operating in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver in Canada and in San Francisco, Houston, Minnesota and Nebraska in the U.S.

In response to questions raised about purported Chinese spies operating in Houston, the FBI-Houston office issued a statement saying, “Generally speaking, the FBI conducts logical, fact-based investigations and follows the evidence wherever it may lead. We’re increasingly conducting outreach in order to raise awareness of how some countries’ governments harass and intimidate their own citizens living in the U.S. This violates U.S. law and individual rights and freedoms and will not be tolerated,” Fox 26 News Houston reported.

The FBI encourages “anyone who may have experienced this harassment or intimidation” to contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov, call their local FBI field office, or call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or go to the FBI’s Transnational Repressionwebsite.

Please see the posted agenda and staff reports available on the Thursday prior to the meeting at http://santabarbara.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx under the hearing date or contact the Clerk of the Board at (805) 568-2240 for alternative options. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by 4:00 PM on Friday before the Board meeting. For information about these services please contact the Clerk of the Board at (805) 568-2240. If you challenge this project in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence to the Board of Supervisors prior to the public hearing. G.C. Section 65009, 6066, and 6062a.

Witness my hand and seal this 4th day of April 2023.

Mona Miyasato CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Sheila de la Guerra, Deputy Clerk APR 25;

at least two other

Those charged allegedly created and used thousands of fake online personas on social media sites, including Twitter, to harass and intimidate PRC dissidents residing in the U.S. and abroad. They also sought to suppress free speech on a U.S. telecommunications company platform.