Santa Barbara News-Press: October 26, 2022

California could become world’s fourth biggest economy in 2023

ShelterBox USA honored

‘Wildlife on the Edge’

By JARED DANIELS NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Song and celebration filled Pascucci Restaurant on State Street Monday evening as the Santa Barbara United Nations Association presented ShelterBox USA with the association’s 6th annual Peace Prize.

The Santa Barbara nonprofit — which focuses on providing temporary shelter, cooking supplies and other basic necessities to displaced populations around the world — has supported more than 2.25 million people in nearly 100 countries affected by natural disasters and conflict during its 22 years of service.

The award, which “honors those in our community who advance the causes of peace, human rights, and

humanitarian aid globally,” was presented to ShelterBox USA on Monday evening by Santa Barbara City Councilmember Kristen Sneddon, who applauded the work and mission of the locally-based but globally-active nonprofit.

“Past recipients and issues of importance have included human trafficking, climate change, women’s rights, the future of young people, peace, and humanitarian aid,” Councilmember Sneddon said during her remarks.

“The recipient tonight also lives those values and carries them to the world in areas of disaster, and is from right here in our wonderful community. Our community that understands the importance

of coming together in disaster, understands what it’s like to be suddenly without shelter, without light, without energy or what we need for clean water. And with that understanding, really appreciates what it is that our recipient brings to the world from our local community.”

During her acceptance speech for the award, ShelterBox USA President Kerri Murray thanked all those who have been involved in the organization’s work. She also highlighted the importance of ShelterBox’s mission at a time when war and civil unrest are wreaking havoc at an unprecedented rate across the globe.

“There are more people

displaced today than at any time in recorded history. Prior to the conflict in Ukraine, it was 114 million in January of this year,” Ms. Murray said. “Those are people who are displaced not by chronic homelessness. It’s people who’ve lost everything due to disaster situations, war and violent civil unrest. The fastest growing driver in our world today is war and violent conflict, which is driving the majority of displacement of 114 million people.”

Ms. Murray also took time to dedicate the SBUNA Peace Prize to one of ShelterBox’s beneficiaries, a woman named Esther who was displaced from her home in Nigeria at the age of 14 after Boko Haram — an Islamist extremist group operating in

Montecito debris basin completed

BY KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

A ribbon cutting ceremony took place Monday morning for the Randall Road Basin Project — Montecito’s largest debris basin.

The basin, which is expected to at least quadruple the community’s flood control capacity, has been under construction since the Thomas Fire debris flow devastated Montecito in 2018.

Attending the ceremony were U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara; 1st District Supervisor Das Williams; 2nd District Supervisor Gregg Hart; California Department of Water Resources Manager Salomon Miranda; Santa Barbara Public Works Director Scott McGolpin and special guest V. Lopez and Sons. Residents from the community were also in attendance.

“The project started after the Thomas Fire Debris Flow, and we completed it in October

including acquisition of eight properties design, construction, environmental and funding,” Walter Rubalcava, deputy director of Water Resource Division and Flood Control District for Santa Barbara County Public Works Department, told the News-Press Tuesday. (Mr. Rubalcava was also among those attending Monday’s ceremony.)

The project was approved in August 2020, and construction on the $21.3 million project began in May 2021.

Funding for the basin includes a $13.5 million hazard mitigation grant from FEMA.

“The state is also working to secure a $4.5 million community development block grant,” said Mr. Rubalcava.

“As we approach the fiveyear anniversary of the Thomas Fire and the Montecito debris flow, I am proud to stand with Santa Barbara County’s public servants and first responders

SB City Council eases quorum rules for design board

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Santa Barbara City Council voted unanimously Monday to make it easier for the Single Family Design Board to meet its quorum.

The council voted to reduce the number of board members from seven to five. And the number to meet a quorum is now three members instead of four.

In addition, the council agreed that the board only needs one licensed architect as a member and that the licensed architect need not be present at every meeting. So the quorum can be achieved even when that architect is absent.

The board meets on a biweekly basis.

The newly constituted board will consist of the licensed architect, up to three members

with professional qualifications in a related field, and up to three members from the public at large. The goal was to give the council the utmost flexibility in appointing new board members.

The only requirement approved by the council besides that one member be a licensed architect is that whoever is picked to serve from the public at large be a city resident. Applicants with professional qualifications must live in Santa Barbara County but not necessarily the city.

Councilmember Kristen Sneddon said it was important that any member from the public at large be a city resident because that person knows best the impact a newly built or redesigned home could have on a given neighborhood.

Ojai artist’s paintings provide a sneak peek into animals’ lives - B1

Randall Road project expect to at least quadruple flood control capacity

COURTESY PHOTO

Attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Randall Road Basin Project are, from left, Public Works Deputy Director Walter Rubalcava, 2nd District Supervisor Gregg Hart, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal and 1st District Supervisor Das Williams.

Santa Barbara United Nations Association presents Peace Prize

DAVE MASON /NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Kerri Murray, ShelterBox USA president, delivers a speech at Pascucci Restaurant after accepting the SB UNA Peace Prize.

Please see CEREMONY on

Please see AWARD

Kerri Murray, ShelterBox USA president, left, and actress, author and documentarian Leslie Zemeckis display a cookware set the nonprofit provides to displaced individuals. At right, Barbara Gaughen-Muller, SB UNA vice president, delivers remarks prior to the presentation of the organization’s 6th annual Peace Prize.

Please

COUNCIL

News-Press announces its election endorsements

The News-Press has made the following

for the Nov. 8 general election.

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 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: To be announced.

SPECIAL DISTRICT

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

CITY COUNCIL RACES

Carpinteria City Council, Trustee Area 3: Patty Boyd (write in).

Lompoc Mayor: Jim Mosby.

Carbajal announces safety grant for Guadalupe school district

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal has announced a $159,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice for the Guadalupe Union School District to improve school safety. The federal funding allocated from the DOJ’s School Violence Prevention Program will support construction of a new entryway at Kermit McKenzie Intermediate School, the purchase of new radios for school administrators, and the implementation of improved identification systems for school visitors.

“As a father and grandfather, I know the concern that every parent feels sending their child off to school – especially as school violence and campus shootings have become all-too-common in our nation,” Rep. Carbajal,

D-Santa Barbara, said in a news release. “That’s why I voted to help deliver federal grants to schools so that they can take steps to improve the safety procedures and processes on our campuses, and why I’m proud to see some of that funding coming back to the Central Coast this year. Each and every student deserves to have a safe and supportive learning environment, and every parent deserves the peace of mind that their children are protected.”

“The federal Community Oriented Policing Services Grant will provide the Guadalupe Union School District with the funds needed to significantly improve the safety and security of our schools,” Dr. Emilio Handall, the district superintendent, said. “These funds will be used specifically to construct a more secure entry to McKenzie Intermediate School,

as well as purchase emergency communication devices for all staff.

“Additionally, each school will now have a device that will create ID badges for all guests and digitally track each guest’s entrance and exit from each school,” Dr. Handall said. “We are incredibly excited to receive this funding that will be put to use immediately to protect our staff and students.”

In 2018, Rep. Carbajal helped create the School Violence Prevention Program by voting to pass the bipartisan Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018. This law made annual grants available to states, school districts, and tribal organizations to bring evidencebased programs and strategies to schools to prevent acts of violence.

Earlier this year, Rep. Carbajal

joined a bipartisan majority in Congress to allocate an additional $200 million to the School Violence Prevention Program through the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which is the federal gun safety legislation signed into law earlier this year.

The act included multiple provisions to reduce gun violence and keep American schools and communities safe, including $750 million set aside for states to create and administer ‘red flag’ laws and other measures that can keep guns out of the hands of those who are deemed to be a threat to themselves or others which was an investment first proposed through Rep. Carbajal’s Extreme Risk Protection Order Act.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

Academic performance suffers during pandemic, according to test data

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Newly released test score data shows the pandemic hindered students’ performance in English and math in Santa Barbara County and across the state.

For both the county and California, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding standard in English Language Arts dropped about 6 percentage points (from 47% in 2018/19 to 41% in 2021/2022).

The percentage of students meeting or exceeding standard in math declined by about 8 percentage points (from 36% in 2018/19 to 28% in 2021/2022).

“The data underscores the extraordinary disruption the pandemic caused on student learning and growth, and the critical importance of face-toface, in-person instruction,” Susan

Pedestrian recovering after being hit by car

SANTA MARIA — The condition of an unidentified man who was struck by a car Sunday night while crossing the street has improved,

COUNCIL

Continued from Page A1

“No one cares more about the hillside than those who live on the hillside,” she said.

Councilmember Mike Jordan noted the importance of having at least one licensed architect on the board.

“There is a value an architect brings that you and I can’t see,” he said, noting that an architect’s technical expertise allows him or her to see in “three dimensions” the designs being contemplated “to make projects better accomplish what they want to do and protect the neighborhood.”

He said it’s important to preserve the council’s flexibility in choosing board members up to and including whether to pick three people with architect-related qualifications and one person from the public at large or vice versa.

“It’s an opportunity for the

Salcido, the superintendent of Santa Barbara County schools, said in a news release. “Now is the time to accelerate our efforts on every front. We are focused on targeted interventions, adapting, expanding and accelerating services to meet and exceed the supports that are essential to our students’ long-term success.”

The test scores show last spring’s results in math and English Language Arts on the 2021-22 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress.

This is the first year of CAASPP testing results since 2019 because the State Board of Education suspended mandatory testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the news release, Santa Barbara County school districts have had access to individual students’ results since earlier this school year and have been using the data to provide

extra support to students.

Student scores in grades 3-8 and 11 are categorized into four achievement levels, indicating whether that performance has exceeded, met, nearly met or did not meet the standard.

The test results serve as a compass, a general idea of how students performed on a summative assessment on mathematics and English Language Arts, Dr. Salcido explained. “As educators, we look at this annual assessment in combination with more frequent, local, in-class assessments to provide personalized instruction that helps each student advance in their learning.”

The Santa Barbara County Education Office said it is working closely with local school districts to enhance learning and academic performance. Efforts include expanding preschool

TRAFFIC, CRIME & FIRE BLOTTER

and Santa Maria police hope to talk to him to learn his name and get his take on the accident.

“He’s doing better. He’s awake and conscious at this point,” Officer Dustin Rhoads said Monday.

The man sustained major chest and head injuries when he was hit by a car while trying to cross

council to get what it wants,” he said.

Mayor Randy Rowse said he supported the board’s membership being reduced from seven to five.

“More nimble boards are good, especially with quorum issues.” he said. “It keeps the process moving forward, which answers the bulk of complaints by the community.”

Before the council vote, Senior Planner Ellen Kokinda said the changes in membership and quorums was necessary to retain members, who often don’t realize the tremendous time commitment when first appointed. The result of a single member being absent because of illness or, at least until now, the licensed architect not being available, is that there are not enough members left to meet quorum, causing her to cancel a meeting.

This not only frustrates homeowners who might be going through a design review process for the first time in their lives, but means the five cases scheduled for

Broadway at the intersection with El Camino Street in Santa Maria.

Officer Rhoads said the man was in his mid-30s to mid-40s.

The unidentified driver remained at the scene and was cooperative with investigating officers. It does not appear that alcohol or drugs played a role in the accident, Officer Rhoads said.

that day must somehow be wedged into an already cramped schedule of upcoming meetings.

The Single Family Design Board was created to make sure design changes to homes in terms of size, bulk, scale, architecture and materials that are compatible with the overall appearance of the neighborhood, Ms. Kokinda said.

“This is a really difficult job, dealing with all the changes while hearing what the public is saying,” she said, noting that the process is definitely subjective.

At the same time, she said, “we don’t want to subject people to the process just for process sake.”

She said it was important the council act immediately to address “acute issues” of membership recruitment and retention and quorum. She said the job is “a ton of work,” and that as a result, the city does not receive as many applications as it would like to fill the board and streamline the review process.

“It’s a huge commitment,” she

enrollment, supporting the rollout of transitional kindergarten, providing professional learning and planning support for childcare staff, teacher teams, and administrators as well as increasing access to mental health and wellness resources for students, families and school staffl Later this year, the 2022 California School Dashboard will provide additional data with the release of state and local measures of absenteeism, graduation rates, suspension rates and English learner progress. The new dashboard data is expected to be public by the end of December.

For more information, see caaspp-elpac.ets.org/caaspp, www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/ caasppelpacnews.asp and www. nationsreportcard.gov.

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

“It was an unfortunate accident,” he said.

He urged both drivers and pedestrians to be careful when approaching or entering intersections, especially at night, because driver reaction time can be as little as two seconds.

— Neil Hartstein

said. “It really limits us in some ways. It’s one of the most difficult boards to serve on.”

On the one hand, she said, you’ve got homeowners who might appear before such a board once in a lifetime trying to build their dream home or make a major overhaul to the house they already have.

“They may not know zoning or land use or design, and it’s so daunting,” she said. On the other hand, “the board has to listen to all of the neighborhood challenges, which are often extremely emotionally loaded.”

The design board is currently down to five appointed members due to consistently low turnout in applications and resignation of members outside of the regular advisory group recruitment cycle.

To remedy recruitment and retention challenges, staff often have to request existing SFDB members to voluntarily serve beyond their appointed term.

email: nhartstein@newspress.com

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SBCC sweeps Cuesta for second time in a month

By MICHAEL JORGENSON SBCC SPORTS WRITER

The Santa Barbara City College women’s volleyball team earned yet another sweep on Friday, defeating Cuesta 25-14, 25-7, 2513.

It was the second straight conference sweep for the Vaqueros, who improved to 11-8

overall and 5-1 in Western State Conference play.

“It was a great team win tonight! Our focus tonight was to execute serving and passing at a high level, and limit our unforced errors,” said Head Coach Kat Niksto. “Libero Jacelin McKie led the charge with seven aces, and as a team we finished with a season high 15 aces.

Offensively, Caroline McCarty and Heidi Collins could not be stopped. Caroline led the team with 13 kills while hitting .600% and Heidi followed with 10 kills while hitting .444%. Defensive specialist Mikayla Butzke did a nice job running the offense, and finished with 31 assists.”

The Vaqueros continue to be one of the best teams in the state,

currently ranked No. 18. With today’s meeting at Ventura being rescheduled to Nov. 8, up next is a home match against LA Mission on Friday at 6 p.m.

Michael Jorgenson works in communications/media relations at Santa Barbara City College. email: sports@newspress.com

Sage Holter wins WSC Championship; Rosillo, Buenaventura earn All-Conference

By MICHAEL JORGENSON SBCC SPORTS WRITER

The Santa Barbara City College cross country teams competed at the Western State Conference Championships on Friday at Arroyo Vista Park and were led by Sage Holter, who won the women’s 5K.

On the men’s side, two of three Vaquero runners finished in the top-42 to earn All-Conference status.

WOMEN’S RACE — 5K

After two days of 90-degree temps, all 13 Western State Conference teams were pleased to find a sunny 77-degree day with pleasant breezes upon their arrival to Moorpark’s Arroyo Vista Community Park.

The mostly flat course of grass, dirt and pavement pointed to an opportunity for fast times, not always the case in cross country racing.

For individuals racing without full scoring teams, the primary goal of the day was to place in the top half of the field and to be one of the top seven individual finishers in order to qualify for the Southern California Championships.

The top 42 finishers also earn All-Conference honors with places 1-14 being first team, 15-28 second team and 29-42 honorable mention.

Sage Holter was the sole representative to compete for the Vaqueros, but did not let that stop her from making her mark on the field.

Having placed second three weeks ago at the WSC Preview meet, she set out with the leaders over the first long opening stretch of the race.

By the end of the first kilometer, the race had formed three distinct groups of two leading the field, with Sage settling into the second group with a runner from College of the Canyons. These two came through the mile mark at 5:50 about 10 seconds behind Rain Gomez of Bakersfield and Sophia Godina of Ventura College.

Gomez stretched out her lead over the next mile, while Sage solidified herself in third place, now about 12 seconds off the lead. But this is where Sage began to rely on her strength and worked

on reeling in Godina.

By the end of the fourth kilometer, Sage was in second place and had closed the gap on Gomez to 6 seconds, but Samantha Medrano of Glendale College had closed on both runners and was now in third place just 3 seconds behind Sage.

With 600 meters to go, all three runners were together, and it would be a battle to the finish.

First Gomez moved back to the lead, but both Sage and Medrano fought back up to Gomez’s shoulder by 300 meters to go. The three battled there for a moment, but with 250 meters to go, Sage dug deep, found another gear and stormed away for the 5-second win in a lifetime best 5K time of 18:45.

“I kind of just decided I wanted to win toward the end,” Sage said after the race, “And I really pushed myself … probably harder than I ever have. That last 1,000 meters, I just put it all out there. And I’m happy with how I did.” Sage added, “I didn’t expect to win, but half-way through the race I shifted from focusing on myself and my own goals to okay I want to win this.”

Coach Fickerson concluded: “We had a race plan going in, but it didn’t really pan out the way I expected, so Sage had to think on her feet and race with her own instincts. She ran really patient and within herself for the first half of the race, but what truly set her apart on this day was her strength and her will to win over the final mile.

“To trust herself to battle back from 10 seconds down over the final mile and then have to stave off multiple attacks from two runners at the front — that showed a really gutsy effort and a mentally strong runner. I was really impressed with this win, and I’m very proud of her today. She really earned this victory.”

Sage was the first runner from Santa Barbara to win the women’s championship in more than 15 years and also earned first-team All-Conference honors with her finish. Medrano finished second in 18:51, Gomez 3rd in 18:59.

Glendale College came back from a second place finish at the WSC Preview Meet to win their

17th consecutive Western State Conference championship scoring 50 points to the 61 of Bakersfield. College of the Canyons was 3rd in 89.

Next up is the Southern California Regional Championship at Bakersfield’s Kern County Soccer Park on Nov. 4. Women will race at 10 a.m., followed by the men at 11.

MEN’S RACE — 4 MILES

Since the start of the season, the three Vaquero men have had their sights set on one primary goal: qualifying for the CCCAA State Championships and running their best race of the season at Woodward Park, Fresno. Step No. 1 toward that end would be to advance out of the Western State Conference to earn their spot in the Southern California Regional Championships.

Each of the three men of Santa Barbara had their own obstacles coming into this race. Alex Rosillo had struggled with poor races leading up to the championships, Sam Buenaventura had missed some training with a knee injury and was still dealing with some pain, and Ben had to move up at least 15 spots to put himself in with a chance to qualify.

All three men set themselves up well over the opening mile with Alex leading the way around 25th place, Sam hovering in the mid 30’s and Ben running spot on his goal of 50th place. Over the next 2 miles the Vaqueros held their positions well with Alex fighting back and forth with a few runners, Sam drifting back just a few spots, but still in a strong position and Ben gamely holding on to his 50th place spot at each checkpoint.

It would all come down to the final mile. The aggressive strategy caught up to all three runners as they lost some places over that final mile, but they fought hard all the way to the line.

Alex finished almost a minute faster than he had run all season to end up 28th place at 22:00. This placed him as the first individual qualifier to the Southern California Regional Championships.

Next in for the Vaqueros was Sam, who held on for a 43rd place

Local 5KTrail Run/Hike to help villagers in Nepal

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Trekking Ambassadors, an international organization based in Santa Barbara, is hosting the 5K Trail Run/Hike “FUN-draiser” on Nov. 5.

The event will start at 11 a.m. at Tucker’s Grove Park, 4800 Cathedral Oaks Road, Santa Barbara.

Part of the proceeds will go toward the adventure hiking team’s mission to deliver critically needed solar lights and reading eyeglasses to remote villagers in the Mount Everest region of Nepal.

Heather Bond, the founder and lead ambassador of Trekking Ambassadors, said her group’s purpose is to take aid into remote places where there’s no road access.

“That is what separates us on that level,” she told the NewsPress. “We are going to Mount Everest, Nepal in March. We just got back from Tanzania, and we brought solar reading lights from Unite to Light. For the upcoming one, we are bringing reading lights and eye glasses to the clinics.”

Additional beneficiaries of the Nov. 5 hike/run are Santa Barbara Wellness, which is Trekking Ambassadors’ nonprofit umbrella organization. Other beneficiaries included Unite to Light, which is dedicated to providing low-cost solar light and power to those without electricity across the globe, and The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara.

“Unite to Light works with organizations across the globe to

finish, safely in the top half of the 99-man field and qualified for SoCal in fifth position.

Bennett ran a superb race, improving 90 seconds on his previous best 4-mile time and moving up 12 spots from three weeks ago, but with his 54th place finish, he was out of the top half and so qualifying was out of the picture, thus ending his season at the WSC Championships. Alex earned 2nd team all-conference honors with his finish.

Fickerson had this to say after the races: “I’m very proud of how the Vaqueros raced today. They truly represented SBCC well. Bennett put himself into a whole new realm of racing and risked a lot to try to qualify for So Cals. While he ultimately fell short, he scored some big PR’s and should be very proud of himself. I know I’m proud of him. Sam got the job done today. With all he has been through over the past 10 days with this knee injury, he battled through some significant confidence issues to make sure he moved on.

“I’m optimistic we can put the knee problem behind us and get Sam back to full strength in two weeks. I’m proud he was able to grit this out and give himself that opportunity. It would have been easy to use it as an excuse.

“Alex finally raced the way he has been capable of all season. He took a chance and remained mentally engaged throughout the race mentally and fought for his placing. With that, he ran nearly a minute faster than he has all season and put himself in a great position to make it to Fresno.”

Michael Jorgenson works in communications/media relations at Santa Barbara City College. email: sports@newspress.com

FYI

The 5K Trail Run/Hike “FUN-draiser” will take place at 11 a.m. Nov. 5 at Tucker’s Grove Park, 4800 Cathedral Oaks Road, Santa Barbara.

Registration is $45 for an individual, $95 for a family of three to five people and $325 for team building hikingrunning.

To register as an individual, family or team, go to endurancecui. active.com/new/events/81809231/ select-race?regnow=aweregnow&error=login_ required&state=8c1e5d33-8250-47c58d76-afc52240064a&_

In addition to the 5K event, people can also support the upcoming trek by taking advantage of the Unite To Light BOGO SPECIAL, which is going on now through Nov. 5. When you purchase a portable solar light, Trekking Ambassadors gets one free for their mission to Nepal. To purchase, go to the following link: unitetolight. org/buy-one--give-one.html#.

get solar light and power into the hands of people living without electricity,” Megan Birney, the nonprofit’s CEO, told the News-Press in an email. “We’re excited to partner with Trekking Ambassadors for a second year as they light the world.”

Ms. Bond said Trekking Ambassadors has a mentorship program going on with sixth-, seventh- and eighth graders at the Waldorf School of Santa Barbara.

“The rest is a fundraising push to support the upcoming mission to Nepal in March,” she said. “Our slogan is ‘Treks for Light and

Sight.’”

The News-Press asked Ms. Bond what kind of shape participants need to be in for the Trek Ambassadors missions.

“Most of them hike it, so they have to be able to walk on uneven terrain,” she said. “It’s not a steep trail. It can allow a lot of different people, and you don’t need to be a runner. I’m just looking to get people out and enjoy it.”

The Nov. 5 event will include a raffle for gift baskets, gourmet foods; luxury items, gift certificates for sport equipment and excursions and more. In addition, there will also be chair massages, a giant chocolate chip cookie bake sale and body composition/antioxidant readings.

“We have a lot of great community sponsors that have pitched in to help us out,” Ms. Bond said. “We have some great raffle stuff and lots of things for the participants in the health realm. My goal is to just give these people the opportunity to go out on the trail in a healthy way, support a couple different non-profits, and give back to them through the sponsors.

“For me as the founder, I have raced internationally, and I have always done charitable work in every country I have done,” Ms. Bond said. “I wanted to create a nonprofit that could get explorers and adventurers like me into these remote places to give back to these worlds that we explore and get into the clinics and the schools. With all the traveling I get to do, I want to give back where I can.” email: kzehnder@newspress.com

AWARD

Nigera whose name translates to “Western education is forbidden” — murdered her family and used her as target practice after forcing her to flee into the night.

Esther was able to make her way to the Minawao refugee camp in Cameroon, where ShelterBox is the sole provider of tents to new arrivals, and with the help of the organization was able to begin starting a new life.

“She is indicative of the people that we work to find in the world,” Ms. Murray said, speaking of Esther. “Since that time, Esther has married, she has two children; she is the breadwinner and her family. And not only are we supporting newly displaced people in the camp, we’re also helping the long-term displaced who are there for many years — people like Esther — with the basic things they need to survive.”

Also in attendance was Laura Angelini, a Billboard Top 40 vocalist who serves as ShelterBox USA’s artist ambassador, who performed heartful renditions of “I Have a Plan” and “Put a Little Love in Your Heart.”

Prior to the award’s presentation, SB UNA Vice President Barbara GaughenMuller spoke regarding the work of her late husband, Robert Muller, who played a formative role in the early days of the United Nations.

Using his example, she urged attendees to take action in their lives to support the United Nations’ mission of ending conflict around the globe.

“The United Nations was not founded on peace. It was founded to avoid the scourge of war,” Mrs. Gaughen-Muller said. “My message tonight is ‘Use your voice.’ We’re here for a reason — it’s our job to live our destiny and not wait for our eulogy.”

email: jdaniels@newspress.com

CEREMONY

to remember those that lost their lives and their livelihoods in the best way we know how: Completing projects in their memory that will prevent future disasters and protect those who call Montecito and the Central Coast home,” Rep. Carbajal said in a statement. “As a former Santa Barbara County supervisor and our region’s proud federal representative, it was my privilege to work with federal, state and local agencies — including Santa Barbara County Public Works, FEMA, and the Army Corps of Engineers — as well as members of the Montecito community to secure federal dollars and ensure this debris basin project was completed to

improve regional resiliency and save lives in the face of worsening climate disasters.”

“We excavated approximately 90,000 cubic yards of material or 8,000 truckloads,” said Mr. Rubalcava. “The hope is that after the next wildfire that brings debris down the mountain, that the debris will be captured down at the basin to protect and keep flow as clear as possible beyond the basin so that the debris flow is reduced to help keep culverts and bridges clear of debris,”

“The Randall Debris Basin at a minimum quadruples the flood control capacity and is a part of a strong effort by the county to improve public safety in that area. It was brought to us by a member of the community due to the devastation and the staff had thought about it but previously it

had been thought not possible,” 2nd District Supervisor Das Williams told the News-Press Tuesday. “There were moments it was touch and go. We did not give up, and we felt that it was really important to go forward. There are more improvements that we think it would be important to do including other places for possible basins. We feel that there is a job to do from the mountains to the sea to improve flood control.”

Improvements include expanding the capacity of existing creek beds, enlarging current basins (two have already been enlarged) and a third basin is under consideration, and “we would like to consider other basins,” according to Supervisor Williams.

“We are using hazard mitigation program grants — if you look

at cost-to-benefit ratios and consider the amount of money it could save down the road,” said Mr. Rubalcava. “Just one house could be worth millions of dollars. Our goal was to spend money now and minimize the chance of major costs down the road. We are taking a proactive approach rather than a reactive one,”

“I’m very excited about this new debris basin because it will significantly improve public safety in the event of a future debris flow in Montecito,” Supervisor Hart told the News-Press. “The project was a large collaboration between federal, state and county governments. The new protection is both environmentally sound and state-of-the-art flood control in one package.”

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

California’s job growth slows; unemployment rate falls to 3.9%

By SETH SANDRONSKY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) –California’s growth in new hiring fell to 6,500 nonfarm payroll jobs in September versus 19,900 in August. The slowdown in payroll expansion arrived as the Golden State’s unemployment rate dipped to 3.9% in September from August’s 4.1%, according to the state Employment Development Department.

California’s employment data comes from two separate federal surveys. The rate of unemployment comes from a federal survey of 5,100 California households. A federal survey of 80,000 California businesses delivers data on nonfarm payroll jobs.

Against the backdrop of mixed economic signals in California, the national unemployment rate was 3.5% in September compared with August’s 3.7%. National employment data collection from the federal household and establishment surveys occurred before Hurricane Ian hit Florida.

In September, five of California’s 11 industry sectors added nonfarm payroll jobs, down from the seven with hiring growth in August. Education and health services employment, with 15,000 new hires in September, led the way. Hiring growth within colleges, universities and professional schools sparked this sector’s employment numbers, according to the state EDD.

California’s leisure and hospitality employers, hit hard by the pandemic of 2020, added 8,700 jobs in September. Employment growth in this sector was due to the expansion of special food services like catering and food trucks, according to the state EDD.

Meanwhile, government payrolls shed 16,100 jobs in September. The statewide decline was due to a slowdown in local government hiring, namely in administration and services.

Worsening drought is harming California farm employment. Growers are cutting back due to a lack of rain. Agricultural payrolls lost 700 jobs in September.

California’s unemployment rate across its 58 counties varied considerably, with big differences between coastal and inland areas. Case in point is a state-leading low unemployment rate of 1.9% in San Mateo County north of Silicon Valley compared with a high of 16.0% in Imperial County east of San Diego.

California, as the nation’s biggest economy, is not immune from the impacts of central bank policy to fight inflation, a general rise in prices, at a 40year high currently. Accordingly, the Federal Reserve Bank’s hike of interest rates is increasing the price of borrowing money for businesses and the consumers they serve. A rise in unemployment could be another part of that scenario.

HOCKER, Marilyn Mae May 31, 1933 – Oct 6, 2022

A longtime Santa Barbara resident, Marilyn Hocker passed away peacefully on October 6, 2022, at the age of 89 surrounded by her family. Marilyn was born in Los Angeles, CA, where she spent the next 19 years in Los Angeles until she met her husband, Lonnie Hocker, then in the Navy, on a blind date. They soon were married in Las Vegas in 1952. The next years were dictated by the Navy, moving to Key West, FL, Tampa, FL, Charleston, SC, and to San Diego, CA.

After leaving the Navy and finishing college in San Diego, they moved to Santa Barbara where she lived for the next 60 years. Marilyn is survived by three children, Keith (Michelle) Hocker, Cindy (Lee) Olsen, Amy (Ryan) Bertul and 2 grandsons, Phillip and Alexander. Marilyn had been active in the community with numerous volunteer organizations as well as starting her own bookkeeping business. She has served as PTA president, Bluebird Leader, St. Michael’s Auxiliary president, active with high school Drill Team and Swim Clubs and a longtime member of the Woman’s Service Club of Goleta where she held numerous office positions. Funeral services will be held privately with her family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Central Coast Hospice, 253 Granada Ave. Suite D, San Luis Obispo, Ca, 93401, who worked tirelessly and with compassion and devotion in her final days and hours.

SILVERA, Alfred L., DR. August 12, 1928-October 14, 2022 Son of Alfred J. and Gertrude Silvera, husband of Peggy Petit Silvera, father to Beverly von Schonfeldt, stepfather to Bruce Wenzlau and Lynn Heinonen. He is also survived by his daughter-in-law, Susan and son-in-law, Richard; his grandchildren, Kristina, Katherina, Karl,Laura, John, Traci, Riesa, Russell,Jason; his great-grandchildren, Charlotte, Wilder, Owen, Liam, Alexis, Brandon, Kelsey, Tyler, Conner, Gennavive, Morgan, Peyton, Allie, Miya and Marshall. He also has two great-great-grandchildren, Tatum and Brayden, as well as many friends. Al was born and raised in Fresno, California. Al attended Southern California Bible College (now Vanguard University) and USC and Knox Theological Seminary where at the age of 87 he received his second Doctoral Degree. Al has been a longstanding member of El Montecito Presbyterian Church and served on staff for 23 years. He was an Administrator at Santa Barbara City College and a Real Estate Broker in the area as well.

A service of celebration in his memory will take place at El Montecito Presbyterian Church, 1455 East Vally Road, Santa Barbara, on Friday, October 28 at 1:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the El Montecito Presbyterian Memorial Fund, 1455 East Valley Road, Santa Barbara, 93108.

Arrangements by Welch-Ryce- Haider.

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 and approval. The minimum obituary cost to print one time is $150.00 for up to 1.5” in length -- includes 1 photo and up to 12 lines of text, approximately 630 characters; up to approximately 930 characters without a photo. Add $60.00 for each additional inch or partial inch after the first 1.5”; up to approximately 700 characters per additional inch. All Obituaries must be reviewed, approved, and prepaid by deadline. We accept all major credit cards by phone; check or cash payments may be brought into our office located at 715 Anacapa Street. The deadline for Saturday, Sunday, 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.

COURTESY PHOTOS

At left, Public Works Director Scott McGolpin speaks at the ceremony at the debris basin, which was recently completed. At right, the Randall Road Basin is expected to at least quadruple Montecito’s flood control capacity.

DAVE MASON /NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

At left, Santa Barbara City Councilmember Kristen Sneddon, left, presents the SB UNA Peace Prize to ShelterBox USA president Kerri Murray.

right, SB UNA President Sharon Byrne, right, looks on as Ms. Murray delivers her acceptance speech.

Laura Angelini, a Billboard Top 40 musician who serves as ShelterBox USA’s artist ambassador, regails attendees of Monday’s event with a rendition of “I Have a Plan.”

Ventucopa

New Cuyama

Maricopa

SANTA BARBARA

AT BRADBURY DAM, LAKE CACHUMA

SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL POINT ARENA TO POINT PINOS

‘Wildlife on the Edge’

Artist offers ‘fanciful peek into secret lives of nocturnal creatures’

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

‘Wildlife on the Edge: Hilary Baker,” on view through March 6 at the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature in Solvang, features new and recent acrylic paintings from Ms. Baker’s Predators series alongside a new series of animal portraits on birch wood.

From a group of common pigeons to an elusive cougar, Ms. Baker’s subjects make themselves at home in urban locales inspired by Los Angeles landmarks past and present. Her alternating bright and moody color palette offers viewers a fanciful peek into the secret lives of their wild neighbors, often hidden in plain view.

“I consider my Predators portraits and present them straightforwardly. Their gaze is oblique, their confrontation with the viewer unflinching and their presence — like the past — uncompromising. It might be argued that these mostly nocturnal creatures serve as stand-ins for any city resident attempting to co-exist with a disappearing homeland,” said the artist.

On Nov. 6 from 3 to 4 p.m., the Wildling will host a special gallery talk by Ms. Baker, followed by a book signing of her recently published book, “Hilary Baker: Predators and Other L.A. Stories” (2021), which features a collection of essays on her work and includes photos of many of the paintings featured in the exhibition. To register in advance and to learn more, visit www.wildlingmuseum.org/ news/2022-hilary-baker-gallery-talk.

General admission is $10 and $5 for museum members.

to improve wildlife habitats and how the public can better coexist with animals in an increasingly modern landscape.

A Los Angeles native, Ms. Baker grew up among Hollywood’s film and music industry professionals. She spent her childhood roaming the hills around her home in the canyons, hunting for animal bones and avoiding the occasional snake. Her subjects, ranging from baseball and wildlife to Los Angeles’ history and architecture, are depicted in her signature graphic style.

Known for their dissonant palette, her paintings hint at anxiety and mordant wit with unblinking clarity. In her film short, “Ecce Cat,” she paid homage to the sinister undercurrents of mid-century animation. Ms. Baker’s world is quarried from the strange, poetic and darkly humorous with the confidence of a painter who is in the game for the long run.

Ms. Baker received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA and her master of fine arts from the Otis Art Institute (now Otis College of Art & Design). She has exhibited throughout the United States and internationally, including The Skulptur Projekte Münster and the Institut FrancoAmericain, and has been awarded residencies at the Pont-Aven School of Art, the Ucross Foundation, Art Omi, and the Yaddo and MacDowell art colonies.

Her paintings have been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Peripheral Vision, Art and Cake, Artillery and New American Paintings.

Her work is included in numerous public collections, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, Crocker Art Museum, Broad Art Foundation, Temple University and the University of Southern California.

FYI

The exhibition also includes video and photography highlighting native wildlife in the urban landscape, providing local context for creatures who make the Central Coast home and exploring California wildlife crossings such as the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing currently underway at Liberty Canyon.

Exhibition sponsors are the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and donors to the Patti Jacquemain Exhibition Fund.

A resource table offers visitors a chance for reflection with recent news on efforts

Ms. Baker’s curatorial projects include organizing the exhibition “Archaeology” and co-curating “Sexy: Sensual Abstraction in California, 1950s -1990s,” and “Blind Courier: 9 Artists and Their Notions of Place.” Her work can be seen at r d f a, a gallery in Los Angeles. She lives in Ojai with her husband, writer Philip DiGiacomo, in the shadow of the Topatopa Mountains.

email: mmcmahon@newspress.com

COURTESY PHOTO

Baker

COURTESY IMAGES

Hilary Baker’s “7 Eleven,” acrylic on linen.

“Hello” (opossum), acrylic on white birch.

“Burrowing Owl, LAX,” acrylic on canvas.

“Parisian Room” (cougar), acrylic on canvas.

“Weasel,” acrylic on linen.

“Night” (fox), acrylic on linen.

Antioch University hosts ‘Personal Branding’ workshop

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Antioch University’s Undergraduate Studies program recently hosted “Personal Branding for Career Development.”

The workshop at the Santa Barbara university explored ways to build a LinkedIn profile, set up a personal board of advisers, and solicit feedback and act upon it,. Discussions also covered evaluating how you come across and putting your best foot forward.

“It is more important than ever to craft a distinct personal brand to realize success in life. With this Fantastic Friday workshop, Antioch has not only made students aware of personal branding, it has shown them stepby-step how to do it right,” said speaker Barbara Greenleaf.

Professor Doug Lynch offered his words of wisdom: “Pulling a good network together takes effort. But sincerity and time will take you far, not only in your field but in your life as a whole. Authenticity is the key.”

“A personal brand should be genuine and real,” said Anna Kwong, chair of Antioch Santa Barbara Undergraduate Studies program. “Students are highly recommended to start building their visibility while in school, to practice in ‘safe waters’ and learn from their peers as they go. By graduation, you can enter the field feeling confident and connected.”

At the end of the event, Ms. Kwong bestowed the Distinguished Alumni Award 2022 to Fernando Moreno, a father of four children. Mr. Moreno worked night shifts as a care provider while finishing his bachelor’s and master’s of

business administration degrees within 2.5 years of joining Antioch.

He now works for a worldrenowned speaker and assists his company in creating positive impacts in many parts of the world.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of alumni and showcase the value of an Antiochian education, according

to the university. This award recognizes alumni of the Undergraduate Program of Antioch Santa Barbara who have achieved career-related success, are active in the community and exemplify active support of the university’s social justice efforts.

The event is made possible by the Ken Richardson Student Support Fund.

email: mmcmahon@newspress.com

Aquatic event sets the stage for outer space

LOMPOC — The community can take a dip at the Lompoc Aquatic Center and enjoy hands-on science activities during a free event Saturday.

No registration is required for the event, which will take place 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the center, 207 W. College Ave., Lompoc. But space is limited.

The event is hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA’s Joint Polar Satellite System ahead of the JPSS-2 launch on Nov. 1 at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

This week’s festivities also include a JPSS-2 event from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Lompoc Public Library.

This bilingual library event will feature a flight vehicle testing suite simulator, cooking demonstration, kids’ activities and more.

For more information, go to explorelompoc.com/events/ category/rocket-launches.

— Dave Mason

Top philanthropists named for 36th annual National Philanthropy Day

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Santa Barbara and Ventura counties’ top philanthropists, business leaders, individuals and organizations will be honored at the 36th annual National Philanthropy Day awards program and celebration from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main St. in Ventura.

Produced by the Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, National Philanthropy Day has become one of the most prominent philanthropic recognition events in the region, with more than 200 honorees since its inception in 1987. Montecito Bank & Trust and the Santa Barbara Foundation are the chapter’s presenting sponsors.

Serving as masters of ceremonies for the 2022 event will be Geoff Green, CEO, Santa Barbara City College Foundation, and Anne Paul King, executive director, Ventura College Foundation.

The 2022 National Philanthropy Day outstanding honorees include:

• Philanthropist of the Year, Santa Barbara County: The Fund for Santa Barbara.

• Philanthropist of the Year, Ventura County: Steve Hearst from the Morgan Hearst Charitable Foundation,

• Volunteer of the Year, Santa Barbara County: The Mary Jane McCord Planned Parenthood Annual Book Sale Volunteers.

• Volunteer of the Year, Ventura County: Lynda Bowman, chair, TEACh Scholarship Fund.

• Professional Fundraiser of the Year: Rich Block, president and CEO, Santa Barbara Zoo.

• Champions for Social Justice: Diversity Collective of Ventura County.

The event will be held inperson at the Museum of Ventura County’s event pavilion and plaza in the heart of historic downtown Ventura

A wine reception begins at 5 p.m., followed by the awards presentation at 6 p.m. Individual tickets are $50 for AFPSBV members and $65, nonmembers. For tickets, visit community. afpglobal.org/afpsbv/events/npd. Financial assistance is available to attend the event at no charge. For financial assistance, visit community.afpglobal.org/afpsbv/ scholarships/scholarships-chapter.

Proceeds from National Philanthropy Day help sustain the Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties Chapter of AFP and its year-long professional development programs. The chapter supports fundraising professionals by offering training programs, scholarships to participate in educational opportunities, IDEA initiatives (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access), ethics training, leadership development and other

nonprofit resources.

Chapter sponsorship opportunities are available.

Sponsors support our chapter’s ability to highlight and celebrate philanthropy, provide best-inclass educational opportunities, and promote access and inclusivity through a variety of scholarships. Additionally, sponsorship includes a valuable presence at the 2022 National Philanthropy Day celebration. For information, contact Catherine Kort, sponsorship chair, at npd@ afpsbv.org.

2022 HONOREES

• The Fund for Santa Barbara, Philanthropist of the Year, Santa Barbara County.

The Fund for Santa Barbara is a non-traditional community foundation that provides support for progressive social change in Santa Barbara County.

In 2022, the Fund has granted more than $350,000, laid the groundwork to actionize the findings of the Central Coast Regional Equity Study, and has nurtured coalitions and helped to guide the Santa Barbara philanthropic community.

• Steve Hearst from the Morgan Hearst Charitable Foundation Philanthropist of the Year, Ventura County.

The Morgan Hearst Charitable Foundation works to fight homelessness, provide access to education and health care for all, care for veterans and safeguard the environment. They do this by lifting up organizations such as Conejo Community Outreach, Samaritan Center, Make-A-Wish and MANNA, to name just a few.

• The Mary Jane McCord Planned Parenthood Annual Book Sale Volunteers, Volunteers of the Year, Santa Barbara County.

The Mary Jane McCord Planned Parenthood Annual Book Sale Volunteer Committee collects, cleans, organizes and sells hundreds of thousands of books each year. Proceeds help Planned Parenthood California Central Coast to provide services in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties.

• Lynda Bowman, chair, TEACh

Scholarship Fund, Volunteer of the Year, Ventura County.

Lynda Bowman’s major focus for the last 25 years has centered around foster youth transitioning out of county provided services. This work is a personal commitment for Ms. Bowman, who was a former ward of the state of North Dakota. She was a key player in implementing the TEACh Scholarship program, the Ventura County Foster Healthlink and the Youth in Transition Advocacy Committee of Ventura County.

• Rich Block, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara Zoo, Professional Fundraiser of the Year.

Rich Block has led the Santa Barbara Zoo as president and CEO since July 1998, bringing decades of experience in zoo and wildlife program management to Santa Barbara. Under his leadership, the zoo’s operating budget has tripled. His input and leadership had led to more than $61 million raised to support general operations, community outreach, special programs,and capital improvements.

Beyond the zoo, Mr. Block has lectured widely in the U.S. and abroad about wildlife conservation. He has served as a technical adviser to writers and publishers of books, films and CD-ROMs on endangered wildlife, rain forests and giant pandas. He has also held leadership positions at the California Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, Visit Santa Barbara and California Association of Museums.

• Diversity Collective of Ventura County, Champions for Social Justice.

Diversity Collective Ventura County’s mission is to provide advocacy, visibility, safety and wellness for the LGBTQ+ community. Founded in 2014 to bring back the Ventura County Pride Festival, DCVC has grown to include dozens of vital programs and signature events.

This year, their LEAD program for LGBTQ Youth achieved several wins in the community, including the raising of the Pride Flag at Oxnard College, a Transgender Day of Remembrance and PRIDE festival, and advocacy work for the LGBTQ community in Fillmore by speaking up during city council meetings. The youth have led efforts to create and garner support for their high school Gay Student Alliance clubs at Ventura High School and provided LGBTQ sensitivity trainings to school personnel.

At the center of these efforts is the Community Resource Center, a place for those in the LGBTQ+ community to call home.

email: mmcmahon@newspress.

Linda Bowman, chair of TEACh Scholarship Fund, was named Volunteer of the Year for Ventura County.

COURTESY PHOTOS

The Volunteer of the Year for Santa Barbara County award goes to Mary Jane McCord Planned Parenthood Annual Book Sale volunteers.

Rich Block , president and CEO of the Santa Barbara Zoo, has been named Professional Fundraiser of the Year by the Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Steve Hearst of the Morgan Hearts Charitable Foundation was named Philanthropist of the Year for Ventura County.

AVA TROIANI PHOTO

From left are Fernando Moreno, who recently received the Distinguished Alumni Award 2022 from Antioch University in Santa Barbara; Anna Kwong, chair of the university’s local Undergraduate Studies program; and Barbara Greenleaf, the speaker at a recent branding workshop hosted by Antioch.

Diversions

Thought for Today

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com Wednesday, October 26, 2022

ARIES — Today you might attend a small party or group event with some friends, if possible, and become separated from them. Don’t panic, Aries. You will probably run into them later. You might meet some new friends and hear some news that could interest you. This is a day when cell phones and other handheld devices are likely to come in handy.

TAURUS — Surprise visitors could result in a small impromptu party of some sort, if possible. This could be fun for you, Taurus, but it could also be a bit irritating. It might interfere with something you had planned.

There’s nothing you can do without sounding like Scrooge.

GEMINI — This isn’t the day to plan a trip by air, Gemini.

Everything that can go wrong with such a trip will - delays, lost luggage, obnoxious seatmates.

If you have one planned for today, change it to a future date if possible. This also isn’t a good day to take an online class, since your attention span could be unusually short.

CANCER — One of your ambitions in life is to be financially independent, and lately you might have made great strides toward attaining that goal. Today, through no fault of your own, you may receive information that indicates there may have been a setback. However, all is not as it seems. Don’t go into a panic until you know all the facts, Cancer.

LEO — A surprising revelation from a friend or acquaintance might wake you up to the fact that you don’t really know this person as well as you thought you did. Information could set you off on a search for knowledge that keeps you occupied for hours. A child or young person could come to you and ask for help.

VIRGO — Your mind is likely to be going a thousand miles an hour today, Virgo. Thoughts and ideas are pouring into your head like rain from the sky. Some of them might be confusing and others contradictory. You might be tempted to puzzle over them until you give yourself a headache. Write them down and look at them in a day or two.

LIBRA — An old friend you haven’t seen for a long time may

suddenly resurface, perhaps contacting you through social media. This could take you by surprise, Libra, but you won’t be any less happy to talk to him or her again. Surprising news of another kind may come to you through email or phone, and this might set you off in a totally different direction from the one you started in this morning.

SCORPIO — A sudden, unexpected problem at home could be rather upsetting. This probably relates to plumbing, electricity, or some other kind of home equipment. You will have to handle it, Scorpio, which means you will be housebound for most of the day waiting for a repairman when you’d rather be out.

SAGITTARIUS — Upsetting news that you receive from far away, perhaps by phone or email, could send you into an emotional tailspin. There’s an aura of uncertainty about what you hear — it may not make sense. Before you pass along the news or panic, Sagittarius, make sure you know all the facts. You’re likely to find that it’s been blown all out of proportion.

CAPRICORN — Computer glitches or bank errors might send erroneous information to you about your finances. Perhaps the bank says you have less money than you do, or a bill is higher than you thought it should be. If you can, make sure it gets settled today. You won’t want to spend your day under this cloud.

AQUARIUS — You and someone close could disagree on an issue that both of you feel strongly about. Stubborn pride on both your parts could keep you from working things out. Let it go, Aquarius. It isn’t worth ruining your relationship. Someone you know might be headed for divorce or moving away, and the news could be a shock to you. This should be a day of surprises - not all of them pleasant.

PISCES — Problems with machines could have your nerves on edge. This may be one day when everything seems to break. Some problems you might be able to fix yourself, Pisces, but at least one may involve something that has to be replaced. This might be the one you need the most right now. Think of it as a sign from the universe that you should do something else.

INSTRUCTIONS

SUDOKU

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-Saturday and on the crossword solutions page in Sunday’s Life section.

CODEWORD PUZZLE

By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

GIDTI

PUZZLE

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.

THAT

David

Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

“We loved with a love that was more than love.”

— Edgar Allan Poe