Santa Barbara News-Press: November 01, 2022

Mayor: Lower s tate s treet is improving

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Mayor Randy Rowse calls the impending closure of The Natural Cafe “sad,” given the restaurant’s 30 years as a downtown Santa Barbara fixture. “They’ve been a longtime institution.”

But the Santa Barbara mayor said the homeless problem along lower State Street appears to be improving despite the eatery’s ongoing troubles with aggressive vagrants.

The Natural Cafe owner Kelly Brown recently announced that, after three decades of running his restaurant at 508 State St., he is closing its doors partly in response to increasingly aggressive panhandling by homeless people and problems with them interacting with his staff.

He also maintained that homeless people near his restaurant are consuming alcohol and drugs in public, using planters for toilets, camping in empty storefronts “or locking themselves in our bathrooms and showering, sleeping and using drugs,” which he said “is an everyday occurrence,”

Mayor Rowse conceded there might be “a lack of improvement on that part of State Street,” but that other areas downtown

Buellton prepares for Fall Fest

sB City Council to hear about capital improvements

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Santa Barbara City Council today will receive a status report by the Department of Public Works regarding recently completed capital improvements, as well as projects currently in design or construction.

The council will meet in its chambers, 735 Anacapa St., starting at 2 p.m.

The city’s Capital Improvement Program identifies current and future projects to maintain or improve the city’s capital infrastructure, staff wrote in its report to council. The CIP provides a preliminary prioritization of projects for funding in the next five years and identifies project needs for future years.

The most recent CIP was presented and approved by council on March 16, 2021, and covered fiscal years 2022 to 2026.

There were 14 CIP projects in the construction phase. The total cost for these projects is approximately $44.3 million.

These include the Central Library Renovation Project, the Desal Conveyance Main Project and The Thousand Steps Beach Public Access Stairs Improvement Project. Two projects involve Santa Barbara Airport.

The first, the Southfield Redevelopment Project, will reconfigure the rental car ready-return lot at the airline passenger terminal, adding roughly 60 car spaces and three overnight aircraft parking spaces. The project scope includes stormwater improvements and airport security improvements. Construction is anticipated to start in early 2023.

The second involves SBA Terminal Expansion and Parking Structure, which is currently in the conceptual design phase. Concepts will include expanding the existing airline passenger terminal by roughly 16,000 square feet and adding a multilevel parking structure. The conceptual design phase is scheduled for completion in January 2023, with environmental review and design development to follow.

The Central Library Renovation Project will include new lighting, new planters, new drought tolerant landscaping, and a new accessible ramp connecting the

upper plaza to the lower plaza with new hardscape throughout. Other features include the ADAcompliant elevator project and renovation of the lower level staff area.

The Desal Conveyance Main Project, also known as the Desal Link Project, will install 2.25 miles of 24-inch pipe to connect the Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant to the Cater Water Treatment Plan. When this project and other supporting projects are complete, the city will be able to distribute desalinated water to the city’s entire water service area.

And the Thousand Steps Beach Public Access Stairs Improvement Project includes safety repairs and improvements to the historic beach access stairway on the Mesa.

Improvements include a new continuous handrail, a new concrete guardrail at the main landing mid-stairway, and the reconstruction of the lower 24 steps and installation of seven new additional steps.

The project is substantially complete, but a brief closure for additional work is expected this fall or winter, when conditions allow access.

Other projects currently in design or construction include:

• The Downtown De La Vina Street Safe Crosswalks and Buffered Bike Lanes project, which will install a buffered bike lane, replacing one vehicular travel lane on De La Vina Street. In addition, curb extensions, high visibility signs and pavement markings constructed along six intersections are designed to improve sightlines and decrease pedestrian exposure to traffic.

• The Eastside Community Paseos Project, which will provide bike and pedestrian connections within and from the Eastside to the Downtown area.

• Wastewater Main Rehabilitation 2022 Project, which is part of the city’s annual program to maintain approximately 257 miles of sanitary sewer infrastructure by utilizing cured-in-place trenchless lining technologies.

• Water Main Replacement FY 21A Project, which will consist of replacing approximately 3.5 miles of aged and/or problematic water main pipes with PVC and

Supreme Court considers legality of race-based admission in colleges

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in potentially landmark cases that question whether colleges and universities’ race-based admissions policies can remain in place.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2003 that colleges may consider race in admissions to help diversify their campuses. Now, though, those policies are under

fire at Harvard and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the oldest private and public schools in the country, where opponents have filed suit.

UNC defended itself in oral arguments, Monday, pointing out that they intentionally create diversity along a range of metrics, including admitting more veterans and rural students, not just race.

Harvard has made the point in the brief that race-based admissions policies have become

Randy Rowse says homeless situation is getting better despite problems that led to restaurant’s upcoming closure

DAVE MASON / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Mayor Randy Rowse says it’s sad The Natural Cafe is closing after 30 years on lower State Street in Santa Barbara.

The Natural Cafe was well-known in downtown Santa Barbara for its healthy menus. While the lower State Street location is closing, The Natural Cafe will continue to operate its locations on Hitchcock Way in Santa Barbara and at Camino Real Marketplace in Goleta.

Please see CAFE on

STATE

Governor: Sen. Brian Dahle.

Lieutenant Governor: Angela Underwood Jacobs.

Secretary of State: Rob Bernosky.

Controller: Lanhee Chen.

State Treasurer: Jack Guerrero.

Superintendent of Public Instruction: Lance Christensen.

Attorney General: Nathan Hochman.

Insurance Commissioner: Robert Howell.

State Board of Equalization, 2nd District: Peter Coe Verbica.

U.S. Senate/Partial Term: Mark

Bridge reconstruction continues

A project to reconstruct the bridges on US Highway 101 at the Interchange with State Route 135 in Los Alamos will continue with the installation of northbound bridge girders next week.

State Route 135 will be closed in both directions between Bell/ Main Street to San Antonio Boulevard on Wednesday, November 9 at 8 pm until Thursday, November 10 at 6 am. A shuttle service will transport passengers near the Los Alamos

announces its election endorsements

Meuser.

U.S. Senate/Full Term: Mark Meuser.

U.S. House Representative, District 24: Dr. Brad Allen.

State Assembly, District 37: Mike Stoker.

SCHOOL BOARDS

Santa Barbara County Board of Education, Trustee Area 1: Rosanne Crawford.

Santa Barbara Community College District, Trustee Area 1: Debi Stoker.

Santa Barbara Community College District, Trustee Area 5: Sharon Salvador-Jegottka.

Santa Barbara Unified School District, Trustee Area 1: Efigenia Banales.

Santa Barbara Unified School District, Trustee Area 4: Phebe Mansur.

Goleta Union School District, Trustee Area 1: Caroline Abate.

Goleta Union School District, Trustee Area 3: Christy Lozano.

Lompoc Unified School District, Short Term-At Large: Jerri Thiel.

Santa Ynez Valley Union High School: Sheri Noble.

SPECIAL DISTRICTS

Goleta Water District, District 2: Greg S. Hammel.

Los Alamos Community Services District, Short Term: Kristy Gnesa-Williams.

Los Olivos Community Services District: Lisa Bertero Palmer.

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

Rancho Mobile Home Park and the Los Alamos Senior Center. Northbound US 101 will be closed next Wednesday and Thursday as well. The northbound on and off-ramps at State Route 135 will remain open for travelers to the Skyview Hotel and Peppertree Lane.

Traffic delays are not expected to exceed 15 minutes.

Electronic message boards and detour signs will advise all travelers about any closures.

The contractor for this $10 million project is CalPortland Construction of Santa Maria, CA. It is scheduled to be complete by Spring of 2023.

Caltrans reminds motorists

to move over and slow down when driving through highway construction zones.

For traffic updates in Santa Barbara County, motorists may call Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at: 805-549-3318 or can visit our website at: https://dot. ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5 .

Sheriff’s office downward trend in Halloween criminal activity

ISLA VISTA - The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office would

Los Olivos Community Services District, Short Term: Brad A. Ross.

CITY COUNCIL AND MAYORAL RACES

Carpinteria City Council, Trustee Area 1: Patty Boyd (write in).

Lompoc Mayor: Jim Mosby.

Solvang Mayor: Mark Infanti. Solvang City Council District 1: Robert Clark.

Solvang City Council District 3: David Brown.

Buellton Mayor: David King.

Buellton City Council District 1: Tom Widroe.

Buellton City Council District 4: Art Mercado.

like to thank the community stakeholders, residents and allied agencies that assisted in the planning and logistics involved in this year’s Halloween operation.

This year’s operational period covered Friday. Oct. 28 to Sunday, Oct. 30.

This year’s activities have continued the downward trend in attendance and criminal activity that we have seen in previous years, sheriff’s officials said. The department made two arrests for outstanding warrants and the remaining three were for DUI.

- Neil Hartstein

Mayor says rats have become more of a problem on State Street due to unregulated parklets

CAFE

Continued from Page A1

appear to have a lot fewer homeless people than previously.

The mayor, who’s a former restaurant owner, said he recently walked lower State Street at about 9:30 p.m. and saw maybe one or two homeless people.

“There wasn’t anyone lying down with their legs stretched out,” he said.

On the other hand, the mayor said he was not surprised at Mr. Brown’s anger at an increasing problem with rats, which nest underneath the parklets located in the downtown promenade, with “food just falling on them from above.”

Mayor Rowse said that’s not

surprising, and he decried the continued lack of portability of some parklets, which would allow for deep cleaning underneath them of food and other debris that might attract vermin.

He also blamed the lack of required portability on the city’s inability to allow parades back down State Street, at least until the commencement of the State Street Master Plan, not expected to start until 2024.

In contrast, he praised the city of Carpinteria for requiring its parklets to be portable and for enforcing parklet “requirements” versus the “guidelines” in place for Santa Barbara parklets.

email: nhartstein@newspress.com

Twelve projects completed in FY 2022 for about $20.5 million

COUNCIL

Continued from Page A1

ductile iron material, as well as reconnecting residential water services and fire hydrants in coordination with the installation of the new water main.

Other CIP projects currently in the design

phase include pedestrian and bicycle improvements on Cabrillo Boulevard and the replacement of the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge; replacing the Carpinteria Street Bridge; constructing a new 2.5 million gallon finished water reservoir, or chlorine contact basin and supporting facilities at the William B. Cater Water Treatment Plant; and replacing and updating mechanical and

electrical equipment at the Braemar Pump Station.

In Fiscal Year 2022, the city completed 12 projects with a total cost of approximately $20.5 million, of which nearly $1.8 million was grant-funded. The remaining $18.7 was cityfunded.

email: nhartstein@newspress.com

DAVE MASON / NEWS-PRESS

A bicyclist and pedestrians go through the 500 block of State Street Monday afternoon.

NEWS-PRESS

Mayor Randy Rowse

County tries to ramrod path to destruction

By WENDY McCAW NEWS-PRESS CO-PUBLISHER

Our “Environmental” Santa Barbara County is at it once again with its “Final Revised Mitigated Negative Declaration” of the “Modoc Road Multi-Use Path.”

That document is an attempt to ramrod through more of an actual road than a path — it’s 14-feet-plus wide and paved with asphalt. Never mind there are already two bike paths on Modoc.

In actuality, it appears the county is fearful its grant money will disappear unless this project is given the green light and soon. Process be damned.

This “path” is something that is neither needed nor wanted by the residents who live, and even those who don’t live, in that neighborhood. More than 5,000 people have signed the petition against it. Fewer than 1,600 have signed in favor of it.

The county’s newest iteration, “Alignment B,” puts this trail on private land, a PRESERVE — land for which it has no easement AND is trying to get developed without an EIR, a process everyone else would be required to follow.

There are no photos or visuals of the 2,000 feet of walls it plans to install, just vague descriptions of walls 2 feet to 4 feet high, running that distance along Modoc.

Short shrift is given to wildlife throughout its more than 100-page document.

Here are just a couple of examples of the many instances the county claims wildlife would not be impacted: Because there are a number of different bat species in the Preserve, California Department of Fish and Wildlife requested an in-depth study be done on these animals. County’s take on that was to dismissively say bats live under bridges and there are no bridges in the Preserve. Therefore, no study is required.

County’s attitude is the same with other wildlife including Monarch butterflies, which inhabit the Preserve. However, since no one from the county apparently observed any, its attitude is, if there are Monarchs, then there are plenty of other places for the butterflies to nest and eat.

If that weren’t bad enough, “Alignment B” is the less egregious “option” of the two presented. The first iteration got so much bad publicity, the county had to come up with something else. In “Alignment B,” only 21 trees (or so it says) would be removed.

The county’s first proposal, “Alignment A,” used the right-of-way along Modoc. That proposal not only removed oak trees (the

number still undetermined, as the county seems to have trouble counting trees in the field), but also removed a stand of historic palm trees, about 30, that line Modoc Road — more than 48 trees in all (its number). In reality the number of trees removed would be much greater.

Throughout the Negative Declaration, the county insists the palm trees are not historic, but provides no proof to the contrary — basically saying “these trees are not historic because we say they aren’t historic.”

The definition of historic is “dating from or preserved from a past time or culture” (Merriam-Webster).

These beautiful palms were planted in the early 20th century. They have been through fires and survived and thrived, most recently the 1990 Painted Cave Fire — they still have the burn marks. Apparently, the county hasn’t seen fit to discuss these palms with the Historic Landmarks Advisory Commission (HLAC), which might disagree with the county’s take.

The above items are just the tip of the iceberg.

In “Alignment B,” the lesser evil, there’s a swale the county wants to turn into a confined river, increasing its width to 6 feet from 12 feet and increasing its depth to 2 feet. For the almost mile-long trail, it intends to use “pervious asphalt” — it’s still asphalt, which leeches hydrocarbons into the ground unless other mitigations are used, which, apparently, they are not, since there is nothing in the Negative Declaration to indicate otherwise.

Which brings us to the use of Roundup on the Preserve. The county planted thousands of native plants and grasses on the Preserve — called the Native Grassland Restoration Project — as mitigation for another development. If either plan is implemented, the county would be removing what it was required to plant.

The county used Roundup to kill unwanted weeds in the Preserve and intends to continue doing so if the trail is approved. Now that’s environmentalism.

The county’s Negative Declaration is full of many other examples of high-handedness, arrogance and dismissiveness not only toward The Land Trust of Santa Barbara and the La Cumbre Mutual Water Company (which owns the Preserve), but to many of the public speakers who had the courage to speak out against this project.

The Board of Supervisors meets today to vote on this Negative Declaration. They need to vote no. If they don’t, lawsuits will surely follow.

ARTHUR VON WEISENBERGER / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

The Community Association for the Modoc Preserve is working to protect popular trees along Modoc Road from destruction at the hands of Santa Barbara County.

Signs promote the preservation of the trees. One sign calls for support from 2nd District Supervisor Gregg Hart.

Efforts to save the trees have included signs such as this one on the trees.

Strong serving sees SBCC take four-set home win over LA Mission

By MICHAEL JORGENSON SBCC SPORTS WRITER

The SBCC women’s volleyball team set a season-high in aces for the second straight match and capped off its best month of the season with a 3-1 home win over LA Mission on Friday at the Sports Pavilion.

With their third straight win, the Vaqueros improve to 12-8 overall and 6-1 in the WSC. LA Mission had its own threematch win streak snapped, falling to 15-9 overall, 4-3 conference.

SBCC finished with 16 aces as a team, just edging out the 15 it served up seven days earlier against Cuesta. Opposite Ava Guenther and setter Mikayla Butzke led

the team with four aces each. “Our strong serving allowed us to mostly control the tempo of the game and allowed our middle Karoline Ruiz to have a great offensive night leading the team with nine kills and only one error on 17 attempts,” head coach Kat Niksto said. “Callie Rule also had a strong evening with seven kills and five digs. Caroline

McCarty was a defensive machine with five blocks at the net. Mikayla did a nice job of running a steady, balanced offense, finishing the night with 29 assists and 8 digs.”

Aside from pacing the team in kills yet again, Ruiz also hit at a .471 clip to lead the way. Libero Jacelin McKie had a team-high 14 digs.

Santa Barbara will look to make it four straight wins when it plays its next match at Moorpark on Friday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m.

Michael Jorgenson works in communications/media relations at Santa Barbara City College.

email: sports@newspress.com

Westmont swim takes two wins over Alaska Fairbanks

By RON SMITH WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Westmont Swim claimed two victories over Alaska Fairbanks on successive days as the Warriors hosted their first events of the year. On Friday, Westmont won by a score of 110-94. Then on Saturday, the Warriors touched out the Nanooks 104-99.

“It was so fun to see the Warriors come together with a fierce race mentality. To see them succeed was really exciting,” said Westmont head coach Jill Jones Lin. “Despite illness and injury, the team saw the importance of each race and really fought for every place.”

Friday’s meet started with

the 400 yard medley relay with the Warrior quartet of Rian Lewandowski, Ella Chaisson, Emma Diehl and Bailey Lemmon setting the tone for the rest of the meet. Westmont took first place in a time of 4:13.98, beating out Alaska’s relay team by more than four seconds.

Next up was the 1650 yard freestyle with Olivia Garrison posting an NAIA National Championship “B” qualification time of 19:01.87 while finishing in second place.

Emma Bustamonte added nine points to the Warrior tally when she won the 200 yard freestyle in a time of 2:02.58. Her time was 0.11 seconds faster than the “B” qualification time.

In the 50 yard free, Bailey

Westmont women’s basketball starts season with road win

By RON SMITH WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Westmont Women’s Basketball, ranked second in the NAIA, started the 2022-23 campaign by defeating #22 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) on Saturday afternoon by a score of 81-73.

“Overall, I was extremely pleased to be able to go on the road against such a great team and find a way to win,” expressed Westmont head coach Kirsten Moore. “LC State (0-1) is going to have a great year. They had a ton of returners from a great team last year.”

Junior guard Laila Saenz led all scorers with 22 points, recording half of Westmont’s 10, 3-point field goals. Senior guard Stefanie Berberabe notched a double-double of 16 points and 10 assists. She also had six rebounds and three steals.

“We came in aggressive,” reported Moore. “The difference for us is what we were able to do on the boards in creating extra possessions. We outrebounded them 49-26. They are a long team – taller than us at most positions. Yet, we had it as one of our goals to be relentless on the boards. I was proud of our effort there.

“We certainly learned so much and so many areas we have to get better at. However, I am pleased by the fact that we came in, competed as hard as we did, and found ways to win.”

LC State jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the first quarter before Saenz kicked off a 15-2 Westmont run by burying her first 3-pointer. Freshman guard Sage Kramer (11 points) completed the run with the first three of her collegiate career. She would connect for two more before the game was done.

“Laila is back and healthy and did a great job out there for us,” noted Moore. “I thought Sage played well off the bench. There were a number of different people who stepped in and contributed as well. Shooting the ball is a way we can be really dangerous.

“We had a huge amount of contribution off the bench, outscoring them 30-17 on bench points,” stressed Moore. “That is going to be a big benefit for us. There are so many different people on our team that can contribute in different ways. In different games we will need different things.”

The first quarter run put Westmont on top 19-12. LC State never reduced the margin by more than five points the rest of the game. At halftime, Westmont held a 42-33 advantage. Westmont’s lead continued to grow throughout the third quarter. A jumper by Aleena Cook (12 points, 6 rebounds) one minute into the final frame gave Westmont its largest lead of the game at 66-48.

“Stef was out there running point,” reported Moore. “She does so much and creates so much, but that only happens if she has people around her.”

Sydney Brown led the Warriors efforts on the boards with nine rebounds. Cook and Destiny Okonkwo each added another six.

“There is lots to be excited about, as we move forward, and lots to work on still,” assessed Moore. “But it is exciting to get out and start competing and start learning what we need to be working on to get better - to build on toward what we want to be at the end of the year.”

Westmont concludes its first road trip of the year by making the 33-mile trip north to Pullman, Washington for an exhibition game with the Cougars of Washington State on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Ron Smith is the sports information director at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com

Lemmon won by more than a second. Her time of 25.61 was just 0.03 seconds off of the “B” qualification standard.

Westmont had a one-two finish in the 200 yard individual medley with Ella Chaisson winning in a time of 2:13.86 and Daisy Marquardt taking second in a time of 2:25.17. Chaisson’s time beat the “B” qualification standard by more than three seconds.

Warrior swimmers also finished first and second in the 100 yard butterfly with Lemmon recording a time of 56.72 and Leighton Bell taking second in a time of 57.85.

Chaisson and Abby Rickard provided Westmont with another one-two finish, this time in the 100 yard breaststroke with times of

1:12.19 and 1:14.53 respectively.

Saturday’s meet began with the 200 yard medley relay in the same way that it did on Friday in the 400 yard medley relay.

Lewandowski, Chaisson, Diehl and Lemmon won the event in a time of 1:56.56.

“We knew we had a shot at winning again today, but it was going to be close,” said Jones Lin of Saturday’s meet. “Everyone needed to score points.”

McKenzie Rion won the 200 yard freestyle for the Warriors in a time of 2:04.78 before Lemmon took first in the 50 yard freestyle. Lemmon’s time was 0.06 seconds faster than the day before, beating the “B” qualifying standard for the first time this season.

Chaisson won the 400 yard

Westmont women’s basketball falls to Washington State

By RON SMITH WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Westmont Women’s Basketball (1-0) had the opportunity to take on the Cougars of NAIA Division I Washington State on Sunday afternoon in an exhibition game. While the Warriors, ranked second in the NAIA, lost by a score of 64-40, the game gave players and coaches alike an opportunity to face off against a Pac-12 opponent.

All 12 Warriors had a chance to take the floor with everyone playing at least 10 minutes and 10 players scoring. Laila Saenz led the Warriors with nine points. Stefanie Berberabe added eight while Sydney Brown contributed six.

Aleena Cook pulled down eight rebounds to lead the Warriors on the boards, including two on the offensive glass.

The Cougars, who finished second in the Pac-12 last season, were led by 63 senior center Bella Murekatete who recorded a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds.

Westmont returns to action on Wednesday night when they host Bushnell (Ore.) in the Warriors’ home opener. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. A year ago, the two teams met in Eugene, Oregon with the Warriors prevailing 74-51.

Ron Smith is the sports information director at Westmont College. email: sports@newspress.com

MORE INSIDE

more sports see page B4.

should not treat people differently on the basis of race’

heard,” said Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

individual medley relay with a time of 4:46.26, more than 12 seconds faster than the “B” qualification standard.

In the 500 yard freestyle, Bustamante earned another “B” standard qualifying time, winning the event in a time of 5:26.40.

Going into the final two events, Westmont trailed 85-82. A onetwo-three sweep in the 200 yard breaststroke, however, gave Westmont a 98-88 advantage.

Chaisson’s first place time of 2:34.11 was another “B” qualifying standard. Rickard finished second in 2:41.77 and Marquardt took third, posting a time of 2:43.69.

“Leading into the last relay we needed our B relay to beat UAF’s B team, especially if our A

relay couldn’t pull out the win,” explained Jones Lin. “The B relay pulled through and got the third place finish to clinch our victory!”

Rion, Marquardt, Bustamante and Bell claimed that third place finish with a time of 1:45.75, sealing the win for the Warriors. Westmont will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 12 when they travel to Soka University in Aliso Viejo to compete in the Wyatt Balman Memorial Invitational. The first event is scheduled to start at 10 a.m.

Ron Smith is the sports information director at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com

common around the country.

“In recent years, surveys have reported that 41.5% of universities, and 60% of universities that admit 40% or fewer of applicants, consider race to some degree,” the school said in a legal filing.

Those policies could all be overturned depending on the breadth of the court’s ruling.

“But public schools have no legitimate interest in maintaining a precise racial balance, and they have no compelling interest in preventing minor dips in average SAT scores,” Students for Fair Admissions, a group boasting 20,000 members which has led both challenges, wrote in a court filing. “The same Fourteenth Amendment that required public schools to dismantle segregation after Brown cannot be cowed by the dictates of university administrators. If California and Michigan can maintain elite public universities without sorting applicants by race, then North Carolina can, too. This Court should grant certiorari and reverse the district court.”

The suit does not apply to all affirmative action programs on campus, only admissions.

Critics have raised concerns about racebased policies, saying they are inherently unfair and discriminatory. They also point out Asian groups are punished by the policies, not receiving the same favorable treatment as other minorities.

“We have waited a long time for this great wrong to be corrected, and I hope that this time the Supreme Court will finally do the right thing, with the first step starting today with the Harvard and University of North Carolina cases being

“Racial preferences are an injustice to the people who should have been accepted to a university but were rejected to make room for an applicant who was let in because of his or her immutable characteristics.

“Racial preferences also harm the kids who are not at the same academic level as their peers because they only got in to fulfill a racial quota,” he added.

Other experts argued the government and public schools should not be allowed to discriminate, but private institutions should.

“Government should not treat people differently on the basis of race, including public universities like UNC,” said Neal McCluskey, an education expert at the Cato Institute. “But for centuries governments did treat people differently on the basis of race, especially hurting African Americans. How do you ameliorate the damage without the two wrongs of government using race again? Let private groups, like Harvard, use affirmative action if it thinks doing so is right.”

Mr. Gonzalez said affirmative action policies do not address the root causes that make the policies necessary in the first place.

“Affirmative action does not solve the problem of why members of some groups may fall behind academically,” he said. “It does not address the bad public schools, the socioeconomic situation, the family formation, or the high out-of-wedlock birth rates that hold people down.

Affirmative action does not offer solutions such as school choice, but mandates by imperial fiat that a certain percentage of a classroom be filled with X category.”

Today Wed.

City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W

Cuyama 72/43/pc 56/36/pc Goleta 65/49/pc 66/44/pc

Lompoc 64/47/pc 60/42/pc

Pismo Beach 60/47/sh 59/42/pc

Santa Maria 64/47/c 60/41/pc

Santa Ynez 70/46/pc 65/41/pc

Vandenberg 62/49/c 57/45/pc Ventura 67/52/pc 64/46/pc

Bakersfield 75/49/pc 61/43/c

Barstow 78/52/pc 64/44/pc

Big Bear 55/34/pc 47/26/c

Bishop 69/33/pc 54/27/pc

Catalina 60/51/pc 57/48/pc

Concord 59/44/r 60/39/pc

Escondido 72/55/pc 64/47/pc

Eureka 53/42/r 53/36/sh

Fresno 66/47/sh 61/43/pc

Los Angeles 69/55/pc 65/51/pc

Mammoth Lakes 52/23/r 38/14/sn

Modesto 61/43/sh 60/39/pc

Monterey 61/47/r 58/44/c

Napa 59/39/r 61/36/pc

Oakland 60/48/r 59/44/pc

Ojai 69/48/pc 67/41/pc

Oxnard 67/52/pc 64/46/pc

Palm Springs 82/58/pc 73/51/pc

Pasadena 68/54/pc 63/46/pc

Paso Robles 62/42/sh 61/37/pc

Sacramento 60/44/sh 60/40/c

San Diego 68/61/pc 66/57/pc

San Francisco 58/48/r 58/44/pc

San Jose 58/46/r 60/43/pc

San Luis Obispo 63/49/sh 60/42/pc

Santa Monica 67/54/pc 64/49/pc

Tahoe Valley 49/24/r 36/12/pc

66/47/s

68/44/s 70/51/s

77/57/pc 77/61/s

72/44/s 72/40/s

69/60/sh 75/65/pc

Miami 88/77/pc 87/75/sh

Minneapolis 69/50/s 74/58/pc

New York City 68/55/sh 70/53/pc

Philadelphia 69/54/pc 72/50/pc

Phoenix 83/61/pc 80/57/pc

Portland, Ore. 53/42/sh 50/40/pc

St. Louis 73/49/s 75/53/s

Salt Lake City 71/43/pc 50/32/sh

Seattle 51/40/sh 48/36/sh

Washington, D.C. 74/56/pc 72/52/pc

Beijing 59/41/s 58/44/pc

Berlin 64/47/c 57/43/pc

Cairo 78/61/s 78/61/s

Cancun 88/79/pc 86/77/sh

London 59/45/r 59/50/r

Mexico City 76/53/s 76/50/s

Montreal 59/47/pc 57/41/s

New Delhi 90/66/pc 90/65/pc

Paris 62/47/c 59/50/c

Rio de Janeiro 75/66/r 68/63/r

Rome 73/54/s 70/56/c

Sydney 75/52/pc 67/50/s

Tokyo 63/57/c 71/57/s

AT BRADBURY DAM, LAKE CACHUMA

SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL

Fall Fest

days of festivities in Buellton coming up Nov. 11 to

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Buellton is kicking off this season with its annual Fall Fest from Nov. 11 through 13.

Attractions include carnival rides, games, 30-plus bands on two stages, street faire and food and a Ferris wheel.

Also happening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 12 on the Avenue of the Flags is the “Ale on the Avenue” Craft Beer Festival with 15+ breweries, seltzers and more. Admission is free.

Bands playing will be Molly Ringwald Project, Spencer the Gardener, New Vibe, Cornerstone Reggae, Paradise Kings, Dusty Jugs and Brass Band.

Battle of the Teenage Bands will also be making its comeback, and performing will be Will Breman, a finalist on NBC’s“The

Voice.” Food vendors will include Big Truck Foods, Sassafras,The Birria Boyz, Zaca Creek and Tinkers Hotdogs. Among the breweries will be Belching Beaver Brewery, Solvang Brewing Company, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., M. Special Brewing Co., Topa Topa Brewing Co. and Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Event sponsors are Discover Buellton and the Buellton Chamber of Commerce.

email: mmcmahon@newspress. com

annual

Fest

Buellton.

CHRIS COGGIN/DISCOVER BUELLTON PHOTOS

‘Black Adam’ still No. 1 at box office

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

“Black Adam” stayed in the No. 1 spot in the box office.

The DC Comics/Warner Bros. film, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the anti-hero, grossed $27.7 million at the North American box office.

“Ticket to Paradise,” starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney, remained in second place with $10 million.

“Prey for the Devil” opened in third place with $7 million.

“Smile” fell to fourth place and grossed $5.05 million.

“Halloween Ends,” the final chapter in the franchise that

launched Jamie Lee Curtis’ movie career, dropped to No. 5 with $3.83 million.

Placing sixth was “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile,” the movie about a singing crocodile. The film grossed $2.8 million.

“Till,” which is about Mamie TillMobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmett

Till, rose to seventh place with $2.8 million.

“Terrifier 2” dropped to eighth place with $1.804 million.

“The Woman King” placed ninth with $1.11 million.

“Tár,” the story about a musician, rose to 10th place with $1.02 million.

email: dmason@newspress.com

‘Triangle of Sadness’ goes on a mostly funny cruise

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

“Triangle of Sadness” is a character-driven cruise into absurdity, and it’s a fun trip — most of the time.

The R-rated film, which is now playing at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Riviera Theatre in Santa Barbara, drags a little in the beginning, but once it finds its rhythm, the pacing is impeccable.

Fortunately — and sometimes, unfortunately — the comedy goes over the top.

The fortunate part is with outrageous characters who have no filter, and “The Triangle of Sadness” uses them to illustrate differences between the wellto-do and the employees who serve them. Everyone’s on a fancy yacht at sea, and the staff knows they must say “yes” to whatever the rich passengers want. That’s where the trouble begins.

The unfortunate part is during one part when the sea gets choppy, and passengers dining at the captain’s dinner are puking in various ways. That isn’t funny. It’s gross.

Fortunately, the movie gets back on track with a funny captain played by Woody Harrelson, an American Marxist who sprouts his propaganda in a debate with a passenger who’s a Russian capitalist, on the yacht’s intercom.

For the most part, “Triangle of Sadness” follows model/ social influencer Yaya (Charlbi Dean) and model Carl (Harris Dickinson), who are struggling to figure out who they are as a

couple. They go on the cruise on the yacht, where the steward, played with fierce sincerity by Hanna Oldenburg, urges her staff to make the rich passengers happy and pick up those tips.

The big question is whether the yacht will complete its cruise as it meets some challenges at sea. That’s where Abigail (played brilliantly by Dolly De Leon in the film’s

FYI

best performance) comes in. She’s a servant on the yacht, but she suddenly gains power over the other passengers, and that’s when this film reaches its most interesting point.

The actors commit to their characters with sincerity, and it’s funny to laugh at characters who have no idea how absurd they are.

In addition, director and writer

Ruben Ostlund has put together an intriguing story and leads the actors into some great pieces of comedy. He knows that simple exchanges of dialogue, without anything else, can be funny. He also knows some fast action at the right places brings laughter. But early in the film, some plot set ups and conversations run too long, and later in the film, as previously mentioned, the throwing up scenes are too much.

So watch this film with caution. This cruise isn’t for everyone.

email: dmason@newpsress.com

Righetti students, staff to celebrate Day of the Dead

SANTA MARIA — Students and staff at Righetti High School will celebrate Día de los Muertos with live music and dancing on Wednesday.

The Day of the Dead event is organized by the student group Latinos Unidos and starts about 12:15 p.m. at the Greek Theater at the Santa Maria school.

It will feature a performance by the Ballet Folklórico and Marimba Band. Students and staff are also planning to dress up and face paint colorful skulls, flowers, and other Day of

the Dead motifs.

“With the rally, I hope to share one of our many beautiful traditions that is celebrated within all of Latin America,” Crystal Campos, a Latinos Unidos Treasurer senior, said in a news release. “Not only is this event important because of its meaning, but by doing this we are able to include students that wouldn’t normally celebrate it and help others stay in touch with their roots.

“Overall, I think embracing our culture is very important at the end of the day since it’s

what helps us be who we are!” Crystal said.

Patricia Villalobos, the Latinos Unidos Club adviser and Spanish teacher, said the rally, face painting and altar decorating contest represent ancestral knowledge, cultural traditions, and our humanity. I feel proud and happy to share these traditions with our school community. I hope these events serve to remember and honor those who are no longer here but will forever live in our hearts.”

— Dave Mason

Yes Store to celebrate opening

SANTA BARBARA — You can meet the artists when the 55th annual Yes Store celebrates its opening night from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday at its location in La Arcada Plaza, 1100 State St.

The annual holida season store in Santa Barbara is a cooperative among artists, who

create a variety of hand-made arts, crafts, custom fine jewelry, fused and blown glass, graphics and photography, ceramics and woodworking, and more.

Thursday’s celebration will feature live music by The Summerland Band, along with snacks and beverages.

The Yes Store has been a Santa Barbara holiday tradition since 1968. This season it will be open through Dec. 24.

For more information, call the Yes Store at 805-966-9777 or go to www.theyesstore.com.

FRANK MASI PHOTOS/WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT

Starring Dwayne Johnson in the title role, “Black Adam” continues to dominate the box office.

“Triangle

NEON

Yaya (Charlbi Dean) and Carl (Harris Dickinson) take a trip together on a yacht, but the journey takes some unexpected turns in “Triangle of Sadness.”

Diversions

Thought for Today

may be trying

get to the end of the road too quickly without really enjoying all the steps along the way,

This is especially true

it comes to any sort of artistic project or romantic partnership that you might be involved in at this time. If you aren’t savoring every part of your journey, then perhaps this isn’t the path you should be on.

When your heart is gently touched, it feels loving, generous, and supportive of everyone, Taurus. If your heart is lonely, it feels deserted by everyone. It would be impossible to try to make sense of why things need to be so extreme for you, but the fact of the matter is that you don’t need to figure it out rationally.

GEMINI — You may be like a giant trying to befriend a small bug, Gemini. You have absolutely nothing in common and don’t even speak the same language. With one accidental move, you could easily squash that little bug. This isn’t to say that you can’t learn to become best friends. Just know that this kind of relationship is going to take some work.

CANCER — There is irony in today’s situation, Cancer. The only real remedy for situations like this is to accept them and joke about it. If you try to take yourself too seriously, especially when it comes to art or romance, you will inevitably fail. Your heart is sensual and your emotions profound.

LEO — The hungrier you get, the more determined you will become, Leo. Be careful that your determination doesn’t turn into desperation and neediness. It’s unattractive and will get you nowhere. Keep on the upward spiral, and let determination turn into inspiration and cooperation. You will find this especially true when it comes to matters of the heart.

VIRGO — If you’re in the market for romance, Virgo, whether with a new partner or rekindling the fire with a current partner, be careful. Small issues could rage out control today. Extreme conditions are likely to occur, thanks to your sensitive emotions combined with a surge

of energy from the outside.

LIBRA — Things may get a bit difficult in your romantic life because of someone in the partnership who isn’t necessarily taking a very realistic approach to the situation, Libra. There’s a bit of a power play going on as someone tries to throw their weight around without considering the other person’s feelings.

SCORPIO — Your creative juices are flowing freely, Scorpio, but there appears to be a roadblock. Something or someone apparently doesn’t want you to continue down the path you’re on. Perhaps he or she is scared that you’re going to discover a whole new passion in life that they don’t necessarily agree with.

SAGITTARIUS — At the end of the day, you’re the one who has to look in the mirror and know who you are, Sagittarius. Think about this the next time you’re tempted to make a rude comment or spread a displeasing fact about someone else. One side of you may be able to rationalize behavior that the other side simply despises.

CAPRICORN — When it comes to romance, your body is apt to turn to jelly today. You may be so emotional that you can’t function, Capricorn. That’s love. And even though it can be heavenly, it can also be debilitating. You could deliberate for hours about an issue because you don’t want to make a move without your partner’s input.

AQUARIUS — Will you go out with me? Be careful if a person says yes when you ask that question today, Aquarius. You could take the nature of this situation to the extreme. Saying yes doesn’t mean you’re suddenly in charge of his or her life. Nor are you responsible for anything that person does or how they feel.

PISCES — Powerful issues arise in your life that make it difficult to find peace, Pisces. Perhaps your first tendency is to confide in your partner. More than likely, this person is contributing to the difficulties you’re now having. Your best bet is to spend some time alone. If you’re already alone, so much the better. Cherish this time instead of letting it make you mad.

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill

Sudoku

SUDOKU

CODEWORD 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.

By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”

Anais