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T U E S DAY, J U N E 8 , 2 0 21
SB Unified to discuss budget Public hearings address finances, LCAP By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Santa Barbara Unified School District will present its budget for the upcoming school year during its regular board meeting tonight. Open session begins at 6:30 p.m. There are two public hearings on the agenda. Those who wish to speak during the meeting must fill out a form at forms.gle/ aktygfA1YyoNv2YW6 by noon. The budget plans for an additional $9.3 million in expenditures, with many of those funds going to employee salary and benefits. The board recently approved the hiring of additional support personnel. The budget contains the Local Control and Accountability Plan, a three-year plan that directs the spending of local funds. A draft of the LCAP and a budget overview is available at tinyurl.
com/26a2kbdk. The district has budgeted just over $213 million for the 20212022 school year, and $13 million of those funds are directed by the LCAP. A public hearing on the LCAP starts at 8 p.m. Some community members have voiced concern with using LCAP funds for the dual-language immersion program. The LCAP draft allots $351,513 for META, which is the overarching multilingual education plan. According to the draft, the district’s emergent multilingual learners scored 49.4 points below the standard score on the English and language arts section of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress. Students with disabilities landed 94.3 points below standard. White students scored 70 points above the standard score, Please see BUDGET on A2
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“Mansour (Ojjeh) had an unquenchable zest for life, an unwavering loyalty to his friends and an unquantifiable love for his family,” actor, talk show host and comedian Dennis Miller told the News-Press. Here, Mr. Miller and Mr. Ojjeh, left, who died Sunday at age 68, dine together at a restaurant.
MANSOUR OJJEH, 1952-2021
A driving force Locals reflect on Mansour Ojjeh — former Montecito resident, McLaren shareholder, competitive racer
By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Mansour Ojjeh, a driving force behind the British motor racing team McLaren and a main McLaren shareholder since the early 1980s, died Sunday at the age of 68. The McLaren team confirmed the news Sunday morning, saying the former Montecito resident died peacefully in Geneva surrounded by family. McLaren described Mr. Ojjeh as a visionary, whose oversight of the company over the decades expanded it “far beyond its roots as a Formula One team,” according to a company press release. “The passing of Mansour Ojjeh has devastated everyone at McLaren Racing,” McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said in the news release. “Mansour has been etched into the heart and soul of this team for nearly 40 years and was intrinsic to its success. “He was a true racer in every sense. Ultra-competitive, determined, passionate and, above all, perhaps his defining characteristic: sporting. No matter the intensity of the battle, Mansour always put sport first.” The French-Saudi billionaire and Formula One racer owned a 3,500-acre California coastal ranch just outside of Santa Barbara for nearly four decades called El Rancho Tajiguas. The secluded property on the Gaviota Coast was listed at $110 million in 2019, deeming it one of the priciest properties in the region.
COURTESY PHOTO
Mansour Ojjeh was a driving force behind the British motor racing team and a main shareholder in McLaren since the early 1980s.
Figures from Formula One worldwide issued statements and tweeted about Mr. Ojjeh, paying tribute and reflecting on the “real gentleman” he was. In addition, local celebrity friends expressed their sorrow and fond memories of him. “He was a very elegant man, and my wife Carolyn always said he was the most elegant man, gentleman, that she had ever met,” actor, talk show host and comedian Dennis Miller told the News-Press. “Mansour had an unquenchable zest for life, an unwavering loyalty to his friends and an unquantifiable love for his family.” Mr. Ojjeh was born in Syria on
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The Historic Landmarks Commission conducted a site visit at the Mission Creek Bridge Monday morning ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, where the HLC will provide feedback on bridge safety improvement options from Public Works.
HLC visits Mission Creek Bridge Panel plans further discussion By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Historic Landmarks Commission visited the Mission Creek Bridge Monday and walked around an 1891 structure that is undergoing study and debate. The commission also discussed the timeline of the historic bridge and the different adjustments that have been made to the structure over the years. Jessica Grant, the supervising transportation planner for the Santa Barbara Public Works Department, told the NewsPress that most of Monday’s conversation focused on proposed options for safety improvements. The commission will discuss the bridge further Wednesday. “There will be no decision at Wednesday’s meeting. We’re
very early on in the process,” Ms. Grant told the News-Press. “It’s really just to go over existing conditions and what is historic about the bridge in an immediate vicinity that is worth pointing out.” The city’s consultant historian will be present during Wednesday’s meeting to provide a brief overview of the bridge’s significance, followed by Ms. Grant going over the various constraints, which include right-of-way, biological, hydrological, roadway, utilities, historic resource and financial constraints — what she described as “the biggies.” The report is available at www.santabarbaraca.gov/gov/ brdcomm/dm/historic/agendas. asp. The report presents both roadway alignment options and Please see BRIDGE on A2
L O T T E RY RESULTS
INSIDE Classified.............. B4 Life..................... B1-2 Obituaries............. A6
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June 24, 1952, and won a physical education scholarship in France. He was then granted citizenship in Saudi Arabia and awarded the Legion d’Honneur by France. In 1975, Mr. Ojjeh founded TAG Group — Techniques d’Avant Garde — as a holding company for his investments, following in the entrepreneurial footsteps of his father, Akram Ojjeh. “He was an astute businessman and loved car racing,” movie and TV actor, producer and UCSB graduate Michael Douglas told the News-Press. “You know, he’s been an owner of the McLaren’s Formula One racing team for a long, long time. My life is certainly, certainly better for having known
him.” Mr. Ojjeh studied at the American School in Paris, earned his business degree at Menlo College in Northern California and studied law at the University of Santa Clara before switching routes and earning his master’s in business administration. The year 1978 marked the first year the Ojjeh family and TAG Group entered the world of motor racing. That year, Saudia Airlines sponsored the Williams team, and the next year, TAG Group became a main Williams sponsor. The TAG logo saw its first world championship in 1980 with Alan Jones and second title victory in 1982 with Keke Roseberg. But Mr. Ojjeh didn’t stop there. He created TAG Turbo Engines, which led to more success and another world championship by Niki Lauda and Alain Prost in 1984. The critical investor continued to support the expansion of McLaren’s interests. He founded TAG Electronics (which was renamed to McLaren electronics), which became a leading supplier to the motorsport and motoring industry. He created the McLaren F1 road car, which won Le Mans in 1995. And Mr. Ojjeh founded TAG Aviation, which became a major supplier of charter jet services worldwide. The businessman then underwent a double lung transplant in 2013 as he suffered from idiopathic pulmonary Please see OJJEH on A2
Sudoku................. B3 Sports ................... A4 Weather................ A6
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 4-5-6-30-45 Meganumber: 21
Monday’s DAILY 4: 0-6-3-0
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 8-10-15-17-57 Meganumber: 12
Monday’s FANTASY 5: 1-4-7-11-13
Monday’s DAILY DERBY: 09-10-01 Time: 1:46.80
Saturday’s POWERBALL: 8-12-19-47-58 Meganumber: 2
Monday’s DAILY 3: 5-6-1 / Midday 3-3-6